GM reference thread for Valley of the Brain Collectors.
Ship it already, just ship it!
Can't wait to see what horrific monster lie within the valley, just as long as it isn't anything too hairy to handle...
ugh... pdf was delayed a week? Was looking forward to reading it today.
Any announcement why?
I have the PDF!
For my own groundless speculation on the delay of the PDF and/or shipment, I direct people here.
I have the PDF!
!?
For my own groundless speculation on the delay of the PDF and/or shipment, I direct people here.
Thanks Mike. Its always Mind Flayers. ALWAYS.
Do we know what the four alien races are yet? Kasatha and what else?
My question already answered here:
paizo.com/products/btpy99sg/discuss&page=3?Pathfinder-Adventure-Path-88 -Valley-of-the-Brain-Collectors#146
I have it in my grubby little hands now. muhahaha. Questions to follow.
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Keeping Casandalee charged will be a pretty expensive upkeep, especially during travel assuming she sleeps for 8 hours and is up the rest to perceive the world. I'm pretty sure given her entry that she'll want to remain awake once she leaves the caves to 'assure herself that the world she left is still there'. You can always have her just sleep when she becomes low on charges too.
Another thing is her robot aggregate. Will attaching the AI core to a robot recharge it from its internal power core? Is it possible for the players to attempt a maneuver to 'plug' Casandalee into robots during combat for her to 'assume control' or hack into it?
I currently have the metal gear solid ring chime for when Casandalee wants to talk if she's stored in a pack.
Creative Director
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Keeping Casandalee charged will be a pretty expensive upkeep, especially during travel assuming she sleeps for 8 hours and is up the rest to perceive the world. I'm pretty sure given her entry that she'll want to remain awake once she leaves the caves to 'assure herself that the world she left is still there'. You can always have her just sleep when she becomes low on charges too.
Another thing is her robot aggregate. Will attaching the AI core to a robot recharge it from its internal power core? Is it possible for the players to attempt a maneuver to 'plug' Casandalee into robots during combat for her to 'assume control' or hack into it?
I currently have the metal gear solid ring chime for when Casandalee wants to talk if she's stored in a pack.
Two things...
Furthermore, in the next two adventures, opportunities to access things that give lots of charges become much more plentiful. In effect, the further along the AP you get, the less expensive keeping your tech charged becomes.
I like it. I will be making some changes due to the specifics of my group (running it in 5e, will use mind flayers proper and I have kids playing so will tone down the horror a bit etc), but i like it. Nice way of introducing Lovecraftian lore into D&D since it goes well with the sci-fi trappings.
So many brain hungry aliens, so few Player Character brains, although collectively there might be enough brains to go around:-P
I love the alien touch in this volume, it's just a shame Mr. Logue didn't get to write it. Man, now that would have been some scary s#!£ that's for sure!
i'm happy with the author order, Mike Shel is the perfect guy for alien weirdness from outer space:)
Am I the only one who's a bit leery of the possibility of having the potential for not one, but two NPC's running around with the party for a while?
I think that comes down to your player dynamics. I have a group that doesn't like having npc's join the party unless it's necessary for the adventure (eg RoW) and another group that takes anyone they can with them - they see them as cannon fodder!
If combat is being retarded then have them 'stay at the back' for it.
It also gives you great rp opportunities and allows you to guide the party if required.
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I love the alien touch in this volume, it's just a shame Mr. Logue didn't get to write it. Man, now that would have been some scary s#!£ that's for sure!
Well, whaddya gonna do? Sometimes you just have to settle for some second string hack and hope for the best.
i'm happy with the author order, Mike Shel is the perfect guy for alien weirdness from outer space:)
Sure, sure, it's just that the decaying ship section would be right up his street!
Dear Mr. Shel, on behalf of the rest of us, I apologize.
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I love the alien touch in this volume, it's just a shame Mr. Logue didn't get to write it. Man, now that would have been some scary s#!£ that's for sure!Well, whaddya gonna do? Sometimes you just have to settle for some second string hack and hope for the best.
Dude, you've gone an amazing job with this, I'm loving it all.
The book's looking absolutely sinister so far! Can't wait to run it. One question though:
Back in Lords of Rust, in the encounter with the rhu-chalik, it says to keep track of whether any of your PCs get their thoughts copied and transmitted because it might have consequences in Valley of the Brain Collectors. So far, I have not seen any reference to it in Valley.
Did I just miss something or was the idea abandoned in the end? If the latter, can anyone speculate on what could have been?
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Creative Director
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So, is there some kind of rule in the Iron Gods adventure path that every book must have a 4-armed badass in there somewhere? Between the Blood Ghost, party-destroyer Hetuath, the apprentice bots, and now Isuma we are four for four for four armed fury.
No rule, no, but there is a minor theme of multi-armed characters; that being a classic sci-fi trope that I wanted to play with to help give the whole AP a sort of pulpy sword & planet feel.
And yeah... the WHOLE product is adventure support. Folks who skip the forewords often miss important and helpful tips and advice.
Well apart from the still present (groan) journal waste of good space, oh and the 'extra' encounter ideas which could have just been part of the AP as a whole rather than a valuable space waster.
Surely those journals could migrate to the support books - either player companion or country books, it's not like they have any spoilers in them. I know, I know, I'm still harping on about that!
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Creative Director
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And yeah... the WHOLE product is adventure support. Folks who skip the forewords often miss important and helpful tips and advice.Well apart from the still present (groan) journal waste of good space, oh and the 'extra' encounter ideas which could have just been part of the AP as a whole rather than a valuable space waster.
Surely those journals could migrate to the support books - either player companion or country books, it's not like they have any spoilers in them. I know, I know, I'm still harping on about that!
I feel like we've explained why we feel the journals are a good thing and a necessary thing, and I'm not really interested in belaboring that point.
i like the journals and so does my daughter, in fact they've only gotten better with the new format
Two questions for Mr Shel and the people at Paizo:
1) On page 13, Mad Paeytr is listed as having the "Insane Insight" special quality, which has no description. I'm guessing this ability was cut in development. What was this ability? Can we get the description? Curious minds want to know!
2) On pages 19–20, Hyrsek Caio seems to be missing two slayer talents, which would correspond to his advanced talents. Can the author and/or the developer chime in with suggestions on which advanced talents he should have?
(Fellow gamemasters: do note that, as a 12th-level slayer, Hyrsek should have sneak attack +4d6 instead of +3d6).
Thanks in advance and congratulations on the outstanding adventure!
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Mike, this is a FANTASTIC adventure. I think you hit it out of the park. This is the AP I've been waiting for ever since I first read Expedition to Barrier Peaks 30 years ago, and it has not disappointed. However, I think you have done an excellent job in particular of capturing the weird horror of the Dominion of the Black and Lovecraft elements...and still making them feel different from each other. I just wanted to chime in and add my kudos. Did I mention I really like it. :-)
You made my day, Greg! Just beaming ear to ear.
Say, aren't you supposed to be rooting around in a cadaver rather than reading this stuff?
Greg's multi-talented. He can read a Pathfinder book in one hand while he roots around in a cadaver with the other.
Also:
You already know my opinion, but I second the notion that you hit this one out of the park.
Also, also:
Keep up the good work!
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Creative Director
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Two questions for Mr Shel and the people at Paizo:
1) On page 13, Mad Paeytr is listed as having the "Insane Insight" special quality, which has no description. I'm guessing this ability was cut in development. What was this ability? Can we get the description? Curious minds want to know!
2) On pages 19–20, Hyrsek Caio seems to be missing two slayer talents, which would correspond to his advanced talents. Can the author and/or the developer chime in with suggestions on which advanced talents he should have?
(Fellow gamemasters: do note that, as a 12th-level slayer, Hyrsek should have sneak attack +4d6 instead of +3d6).
Thanks in advance and congratulations on the outstanding adventure!
1) Insane insight is basically the ability that lets him grow the unusual, semi-magical fruits and vegetables the PCs can find near his home.
2) Evasion and master of disguise fit pretty well.
Is the fleshnet only supposed to work on creatures of Huge size or larger? Or should it be Huge or smaller?
I just wanted to say I LOVE this adventure. One of my favorite Paizo adventures of all time. Awesome job, guys!
I just wanted to say I LOVE this adventure. One of my favorite Paizo adventures of all time. Awesome job, guys!
Man, I can't wait. I'm barely starting my PCs on Book 2.
I have a question regarding the piece of vercite technology, the optical turrets. Do they function similar to cybernetic eyes in the respect that you need a pair to acquire the effects? As in, do you need two two individual optical turrets for them to provide the immunity to blind and dazzled conditions?
I don't believe it does, for cybernetic eyes is requires 2, there's no such wording for the eye turrets. At the same time it says "replaces eyes" as in plural.
Given the picture though, I'd say it's 1 eye simply because it just looks cooler that way. Dual eye turrets looks downright silly.
That's what I was originally thinking, but what about applying the lenses of magical eyeS slot items? Would you just dismantle a pair of magic goggles and put one lense in? I feel like the item wouldn't function magically after that.