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SPOILERS, JUST LIKE IT SAYS IN THE TITLE! ALL DUE APPRECIATION AND RESPECT TO THE PAIZO WRITERS FOR MAKING A GREAT ADVENTURE!
Olansa Terimor, the Gray Queen, master thief, city planner, and high priestess of Norgorber is the final boss of Agents of Edgewatch. Of the villainous Twilight Four she is the one who worships the Gray Master, god of thieves. Terimor has been unhinged by the Cane of the Maelstrom and is now a drider-esque monstrosity sitting at the top of her tower, sending minions at the Agents, and...just kinda waiting for them to show up. I think I'd like to rework Terimor for my table (if we ever get there, currently on book 2). Terimor's overall goals, tactics in the fight, and stat block are what I'm going to be altering and I'd love some feedback, ideas, and critiques.
Terimor's Overall Goal: Terimor's ultimate goal (before being driven mad by the Cane of the Maelstrom, is to become Primarch of Absalom through duplicity, which will fulfill a pact she (and the other Twilight Four) made with Norgorber in exchange for divine powers. I don't dislike the plan, I think its fitting and makes sense as it plays out. However, I want to up the ante: instead of just deceitfully becoming in charge of Absalom, let's lean more into the God of Thieves aspect and make her plan to steal the city of Absalom. While the PC's are busy in book 5, she enacts a grand ritual (set up over several years, as a city planner) to remove Absalom and planar shift it to Norgorber's divine realm. Not just the physical city, but the souls of everyone in the city and the all-important Starstone. Norgorber now has sole control over the deity-creating rock and that comes with some MAJOR metaphysical power. Nothing really needs to change mechanically, but I'd add in some creepier descriptions of the city (taking inspiration from the Upside Down from Stranger Things) and a giant roiling ball of souls floating above Terimor in the final fight.
I'm also going to drop the madness from the Cane of the Maelstrom. To me that feels like it undercuts Terimor as a villain, is used to justify some poor choices on her end, and has not-so-great vibes in regards to neurodivergence = evil.
Terimor's Build: while she is the Twilight Four member who venerates the Gray Master and is supposed to be a master thief, Terimor's build is basically a divine caster with Sneak Attack and Hidden Paragon. Certainly not bad, but I don't get a "master thief" vibe from it. Instead, I think I'll give her some abilities based on high level Rogue feats, Thievery feats, Stealth feats, and Deception feats. The ones I'm looking at are Steal Spell, Steal Essence, Extradimensional Stash, Legendary Thief, Legendary Sneak, and maybe Reveal Machinations. Let Terimor try to take away the party's best items, spells, and undermine their efforts.
Thoughts? Comments? Ideas? Critiques?
Oooooooooo! I like it! May I steal it for mine?
Contributor, RPG Superstar 2010 Top 8
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I also love this, and I’m excited to see how you tweak Olansa.
I was also planning on dropping the madness angle, and having her retain her human form when they start the fight. Then, when her hit points hit a certain threshold, the power of the cane overwhelms her, and she gets transformed into the drider-esque version.
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Give it a shot if you like it better. Sounds cool. Steal the city and murder everyone it. Norgorber would be so happy.
Oooooooooo! I like it! May I steal it for mine?
Of course, go nuts! :)
Yah honestly I ran the terimor fight and it was underwhelming as hell.
My players basically just waited for her hidden paragon timer to run out because she could not deal enough damage to stick for them to not heal and they couldn't roll high enough perception to find her.
When they did find her it was over in 2 rounds.
Yah honestly I ran the terimor fight and it was underwhelming as hell.
My players basically just waited for her hidden paragon timer to run out because she could not deal enough damage to stick for them to not heal and they couldn't roll high enough perception to find her.
When they did find her it was over in 2 rounds.
Oof, that's not ideal. Honestly, I'm tempted to give her a permanent invisibility and maybe some illusory clones running around to distract/trick the Agents.
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Yah honestly I ran the terimor fight and it was underwhelming as hell.
My players basically just waited for her hidden paragon timer to run out because she could not deal enough damage to stick for them to not heal and they couldn't roll high enough perception to find her.
When they did find her it was over in 2 rounds.
High level characters can be brutal. I will definitely be adjusting to make the fight tougher.
PF2 isn't near as hard to adjust for as PF1. But high level PCs are no joke in terms of what they can do against the environment. It's a big change from the low levels where one or two critical hits can take them down.
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Mind you I had adjusted her already by giving her at will miracle and improved evasion.
Even with that she was kind of a pushover.
My suggestion would actually be to make her retinue stronger, the level 18 astradaemon got zapped in two spells, maybe get some level 19 or 20 daemon in there.
This is the final fight of the adventure, I kinda expected my players to use at least one or two of their elixirs of true life, but they didn't.
Mind you I had adjusted her already by giving her at will miracle and improved evasion.
Even with that she was kind of a pushover.
My suggestion would actually be to make her retinue stronger, the level 18 astradaemon got zapped in two spells, maybe get some level 19 or 20 daemon in there.
This is the final fight of the adventure, I kinda expected my players to use at least one or two of their elixirs of true life, but they didn't.
Oh, good point! I hadn't really considered changing them up. The Astradaemons are thematically fitting, but even with the Elite template the Agents should mop them up quick.
If we go with daemons, the only higher level ones are the Purrodaemon (doesn't really fit thematically), Agradaemon (also doesn't fit thematically), and the Olethrodaemon (real big, level 20 might be too much). We could add some Crucidaemons which seem on-brand, but they're only level 15. Looking back to PF1 daemons we could get the Phasmadaemon (CR 17, embodies death by fear, could help with illusions) if you'd like to translate it to PF2 (most could be a 1-to-1 translation, but when in doubt I'd go with the PF2 elite Astradaemon's higher stats, like for AC).
The Agents have already fought him at this point, but bringing the Stabbing Beast back in to protect Norgorber's high priest certainly makes sense. Problem is Stabby is only level 15, so he'd be taken out quickly.
Other monster options of level 17 or higher that seem appropriate include: an Adamantine Golem stolen by Terimor or a Hatred Siktempora that favors Norgorber? All the other 17+ monsters seem too strong (especially the level 20 ones), would never work with Terimor (at least willingly), or don't make sense given the situation (why is a Kraken at the top of Terimor's Tower?). A Grim Reaper or Rhevanna could work, but they're level 21 so that's a tall order to fight more than two.
If you're so inclined, you could get to homebrewing new minions for Terimor. I personally like the idea of bringing in the Smoke Knights, the grand thieves' guild in Absalom with chivalric affectations, introduced in the Guide to Absalom. This would be tricky, as it essentially means statting up ~4 high level thieves. PF1 has the NPC Codex with high level rogues that could certainly work (especially if translated to PF2).
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One way to increase her difficulty that might make sense would be to give her a "final form" that she turns into after her first defeat, similar to what was done for a different AP's final boss.
This new form would likely be fighting the party all alone, so updating her level to 24 and giving her some different abilities could spice things up without just giving her another full set of health and the elite adjustments. It would also make sense to tie-in the rebirths of the other Twilight Four members, having her abilities also tied to some sort of unholy reincarnation as a daemon.
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One way to increase her difficulty that might make sense would be to give her a "final form" that she turns into after her first defeat, similar to what was done for a different AP's final boss.
** spoiler omitted **
This new form would likely be fighting the party all alone, so updating her level to 24 and giving her some different abilities could spice things up without just giving her another full set of health and the elite adjustments. It would also make sense to tie-in the rebirths of the other Twilight Four members, having her abilities also tied to some sort of unholy reincarnation as a daemon.
Oh I like this! The Agents originally see Terimor in her normal form, but then she morphs to her drider-esque form through Norgorber's dark hand. Give her a web, venom, etc.
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Mind you I had adjusted her already by giving her at will miracle and improved evasion.
Even with that she was kind of a pushover.
My suggestion would actually be to make her retinue stronger, the level 18 astradaemon got zapped in two spells, maybe get some level 19 or 20 daemon in there.
This is the final fight of the adventure, I kinda expected my players to use at least one or two of their elixirs of true life, but they didn't.
Oh, good point! I hadn't really considered changing them up. The Astradaemons are thematically fitting, but even with the Elite template the Agents should mop them up quick.
If we go with daemons, the only higher level ones are the Purrodaemon (doesn't really fit thematically), Agradaemon (also doesn't fit thematically), and the Olethrodaemon (real big, level 20 might be too much). We could add some Crucidaemons which seem on-brand, but they're only level 15. Looking back to PF1 daemons we could get the Phasmadaemon (CR 17, embodies death by fear, could help with illusions) if you'd like to translate it to PF2 (most could be a 1-to-1 translation, but when in doubt I'd go with the PF2 elite Astradaemon's higher stats, like for AC).
The Agents have already fought him at this point, but bringing the Stabbing Beast back in to protect Norgorber's high priest certainly makes sense. Problem is Stabby is only level 15, so he'd be taken out quickly.
Other monster options of level 17 or higher that seem appropriate include: an Adamantine Golem stolen by Terimor or a Hatred Siktempora that favors Norgorber? All the other 17+ monsters seem too strong (especially the level 20 ones), would never work with Terimor (at least willingly), or don't make sense given the situation (why is a Kraken at the top of Terimor's Tower?). A Grim Reaper or Rhevanna could work, but they're level 21 so that's a tall order to fight more than two.
If you're so inclined, you could get to homebrewing new minions for Terimor. I personally like the idea of bringing in...
What about Agents of the Gray Queen? They're basically beefed up Astradaemons and they're right there outside in the city.
@EdwinM: Yeah, they would certainly work! I like including them, but looking into other, tougher options is a decent idea based on feedback I've read.
@Kazimir_980: Thanks, glad you're finding it useful!
Further Expansion of Ideas: Terimor can use the stolen souls of each district of Absalom to do special actions against the party, maybe on its own initiative? Like the giant Horde of Souls is just a massive hazard that does one of the 12 effects each round? Fleshing these out further, please provide any suggestion you've got!
Ascendant Court: Heal and/or Bless effect for Terimor and her friends (only heal if she's below 1/3 hp). I feel like this is the "classic"
Azlanti Keep: Wall of Stone effect splits up the party and/or protects Terimor, much like the Keep protects Absalom
The Coins: a Dominate Person effect to "buy" one of the Agents for a short while
The Docks: Mariner's Curse or Lightning Storm to tie it to the ocean. Maybe a big wave shoves the Agents into bad positions?
Eastgate: this one's a bit tricky. Its a lot of working class residents, so maybe a storm of crafters tools? Kinda Green Lantern-esque. If not that, maybe something to do with the rising sun?
Foreign Quarter: thought a Maze-effect would be interesting, with the "maze" being a series of twisting streets where every block looks like a different city around Golarion.
Ivy District: with its theaters, I'd say an Uncontrollable Dance effect would be good.
Petal District: as one of the most beautiful and wealthy districts, I feel like a Scintillating Pattern is appropriate. Visions of opulent beauty capture the minds of the Agents.
Precipice District: I want to say Earthquake, but that would likely mess up the entire tower. Or maybe Terimor THINKS it will be an earthquake, but it turns out the Precipice won't harm the Agents of Edgewatch! That'd be a fun twist!
The Puddles: flooding of some sort sounds good to me! Maybe the targeted PC is waterboarded and needs to worry about drowning and sloshing through difficult terrain.
Westgate: similar to Eastgate, I'm not sure what to do with this one. The Kortos Cavalry is here, so maybe a ghostly cavalry charge thunders across the room?
Wise Quarter: as the center of government in Absalom, maybe a disjunction effect from a spiritual bureaucrat
To help stop the Horde of Souls hazard, the Agents can properly identify each district's effect (giving them a bonus against the effect) and spend an action to appeal to the citizens (some appropriate check). Each district mollified in this way is no longer an option for the hazard.
Expanding on Terimor's "Steal the City" scheme: Terimor is a city planner on the Grand Council and therefore has a LOT of influence over Absalom, but she's clever enough to be subtle with it. As part of her scheme, she passed a new regulation on the standards of locks that are required in the city. A fairly mundane update that helps keep Absalomians safe at night on the surface, but the new locks are being built with a specific flaw that only Terimor and her closest allies, the Smoke Knights, know about. The Smoke Knights know this allows them to more easily break into virtually any building in Absalom, but Terimor knows that with the Key to the City (part of the Primarch's regalia) she'll have magical access to the entire city. This is a fundamental aspect to the ritual she performs.
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Terimor's Backup: Alright so Monsters of Myth is out and one of the legendary beasts it features is the Taljjae. This many-masked fey monster uses its different faces to wreak havoc and gets different abilities depending on the mask it wears.
Now doesn't that sound perfect for a high priestess of Norgorber to have as backup? Its creature level 18 so that makes it appropriate for the final battle, it can stalk the PC's throughout books 5 and 6 (though it shouldn't fight in book 5, as it is likely to overpower them), and you can easily reskin it to be some exemplar of the masked god. I'm thinking a divine servant of Norgyborgy who was once an actor bard and spy who went so far into their various roles and identities that they stopped being a proper person and are now just a collection of archetypal mask identities. Something akin to Sakashima or Lazav from Magic: the Gathering.
I'd drop the Jelly stuff, but you do what's best for your table.
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So how do the PCs get the city, the Starstone, and the citizens' souls back to where they're supposed to be?
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Introducing Terimor Before Book 6: the Gray Queen is one of those villains who doesn't really show up on camera until very late in the adventure. Part of this is certainly due to keeping her off the player's radar as a potential threat as well as Terimor's skill at deception. If I remember correctly she does appear in book 1 briefly, but doesn't have any scripted lines and is just another government official who's upset about the Graveraker's disappearance. It's not until book 6 that she's suddenly revealed to be the BBEG, seemingly out of nowhere.
So how do we fix this?
What I did in my game is introduce Terimor in book 3 as a political ally of Captain Asilia. Terimor is a low-ranking member of the Council of Absalom who presents as a shy, mousy, bureaucrat who is a bit over her head in politics. I also had her play a role in running the Radiant Festival.
At my table, she's another NPC who is there to be a potential ally to the party and the "gateway" to the political side of the game. If my players wanted to, they could talk to her to learn about the political situation in Absalom with the Council, Radiant Festival, and any other high-level issues they'd like to explore. I had a few other NPCs in similar roles that my party could talk to, though they never really talked to Terimor much. I did make sure to get these NPCs on camera at least 3 times each, so they were established as Important People, but we'll see if my players suspect Terimor by the end.
Just so you know, if I Google her name this post is result #3, with the plaintext first sentence announcing her role in the Adventure Path clearly legible in the Google preview. That's... probably not good.
Just so you know, if I Google her name this post is result #3, with the plaintext first sentence announcing her role in the Adventure Path clearly legible in the Google preview. That's... probably not good.
Well, if players start Googling character names from an AP they are bound to run into spoilers. Kind of unavoidable.
But if you have players that have a hard time not searching for spoilers it's easy enough just to rename key NPCs. I have done that anyway since I found many names in this AP to be overly British, which doesn't work for our table.
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So now that I have played the campaign, I see gm got inspiration here xD (thanks, it made things much more compelling than what as written version seems to have been)
But yaeh I have one more thing I was baffled about: text says her daemon form looks like Meladaemon.(which would fit with how twilight four's daemonic forms each resemble one of deacon daemons) Why did art for her look like drider? Like I can see spider norgorber connection, but did art commission forget to include mention of meladaemon?