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Hey everybody! While I wait for my VL paperwork to get sent over to me, I've been planning out schedules for the events I organize, as well as offering senario suggestions for the other folks in the area. And I realized something horrifying: I bet 75% of our local PFS players have no idea what the Blakros family is.
Obviously, this must be rectified.
So I'm compiling a list of all the scenarios involving Blakros Museum or the Blakros family that have come out since their debut in Mists of Mwangi. Here's what I've got so far:
#5: Mists of Mwangi (OGL/PFRPG)
#35: Voice in the Void (PFRPG)
#2-11: The Penumbral Accords
#3-07: Echoes of the Overwatched
#4–09: The Blakros Matrimony
#5–14: Day of the Demon
#5–03: The Hellknight's Feast
#5–23: Cairn of Shadows
#6–02: The Silver Mount Collection
So did I miss any? As always, your help is greatly appreciated. :D
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I'm pretty excited to run all these (again, for some of 'em). Some (Mists of Mwangi, Echoes of the Overwatched, Blakros Matrimony) have been run a LOT in the local area, and for good reason. But Voice in the Void hasn't been run in, like, a couple years locally, IIRC, and a couple of the other might not have been run at all.
roll4initiative, I'd love to hear how it all works out. Even as early as Season 3, anything involving Blakros got a reputation in our local PFS scene ("wait, we're going to Blakros Museum? What went hideously wrong now? Did Nigel get out this time?") and I'd lie to bring that fun back for the new local players.
Venture-Agent, Colorado—Denver
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roll4initiative, I'd love to hear how it all works out. Even as early as Season 3, anything involving Blakros got a reputation in our local PFS scene ("wait, we're going to Blakros Museum? What went hideously wrong now? Did Nigel get out this time?") and I'd lie to bring that fun back for the new local players.
I might start next month. Will definitely keep you posted.
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The Blakros scenario that brings back the most visceral reaction for me was "Voice in the Void," where my 3rd-level wizard explored the basement with a gaggle of brand-new 1st-level PCs. I spent a LOT of personal money on healing (we were lacking a PC who could use my CLW wand, so I had to go buy potions), and I had to hold off a certain statue while the other conscious guy dragged PCs out of the room, then run back and forth firing acid splash at it for a few in-game minutes until it melted in a puddle of goo. And that was just the first room we explored.
I'm pretty excited to run it myself. :D
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The Blakros scenario that brings back the most visceral reaction for me was "Voice in the Void," (...)
This was my first TPK-unrecoverable. If everyone goes down, given what is happening there is very little wiggle room to explain how the bodies would remain on this plane (or, in fact, how Absalom is still standing... but that's another story...)
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Play it at the 4-5 tier. I think that is where it is most fun.
One of my first games was playing a level 3 barbarian, level 2 summoner, a level 2 ranger, and a level 2 sorcerer. We decided to play up(when you could do that). We all surived the table next to use with all characters 4-5 half of them died.
It is a very creepy mod if you have a good DM.
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Welp, I just did my PFS scenario schedule for October and November, and I'm not gonna get to run "Voice in the Void" myself yet... but I DID jam-pack the schedule with Blakros scenarios. I'm hoping to snag my volunteer GMs and get 'em updated on the Blakros family. Might even make a little text blurb or something on 'em so folks will know why the name keeps cropping up in all the scenarios they run.
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Noticed the same thing in my area recently, so organized Blackros Sunday on 9/21. Had tables of Mists, Voice in the Void, and Echoes of the Overwatched. Everyone had a blast.
Proudest moment: while running Voices with a table of new players, half way through one turned to me and said, "We can burn this place to the ground when we're done, right?" I knew at that moment that I had imparted the spirit of Blackros Museum dread on to a new generation of players. :-)
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Blakros really never stops giving. And being a building (made of what looks like obsidian, but is really made of the same indestructible stuff the doors on the planet Apostae are made of), you can't demand the rights to kill it, like all those folks from the Shadow Lodge faction retirement want to do with Torch.
That reminds me, I should run a bucket of Torch scenarios too...
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Speak for yourself - Torch has been sticking it to his friends since Season 0, and many of us were appalled when he was written in as a patron for PCs. How could his story have progressed any differently, given the type of man he is?
When you look at many of things the Ten are doing,
A revolution from within and the overthrow of the Ten would be an awesome season arc.
Torch initially went in for business of for himself as an information broker after the Ten left him to die. Then (it seemed) he saw a chance to either fix or challenge the leadership of the ten.
Most of the Shadow Lodge Missions seemed to back this up, i.e. protecting and supporting agents.
The last Shadow Lodge Scenario is rated badly because it was out of character for Torch and basically said to the players that played the faction "you stupid suckers".
So yes, go for a GMT campaign, only without the horrible ending.
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Speak for yourself - Torch has been sticking it to his friends since Season 0, and many of us were appalled when he was written in as a patron for PCs. How could his story have progressed any differently, given the type of man he is?When you look at many of things the Ten are doing, ** spoiler omitted **, they make Torch look good in comparision.
A revolution from within and the overthrow of the Ten would be an awesome season arc.
Torch initially went in for business of for himself as an information broker after the Ten left him to die. Then (it seemed) he saw a chance to either fix or challenge the leadership of the ten.
Most of the Shadow Lodge Missions seemed to back this up, i.e. protecting and supporting agents.
The last Shadow Lodge Scenario is rated badly because it was out of character for Torch and basically said to the players that played the faction "you stupid suckers".
So yes, go for a GMT campaign, only without the horrible ending.
Shall we agree to disagree? My experience, as GM and player, with GMT is that the end scenario was totally in character for him, with most of the Shadow Lodge missions being given by one of his half-orc guards, as that is more IC for them than Mr. "Got 5K GP?" to a bunch of first level PCs.
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Shall we agree to disagree? My experience, as GM and player, with GMT is that the end scenario was totally in character for him, with most of the Shadow Lodge missions being given by one of his half-orc guards, as that is more IC for them than Mr. "Got 5K GP?" to a bunch of first level PCs.Speak for yourself - Torch has been sticking it to his friends since Season 0, and many of us were appalled when he was written in as a patron for PCs. How could his story have progressed any differently, given the type of man he is?When you look at many of things the Ten are doing, ** spoiler omitted **, they make Torch look good in comparision.
A revolution from within and the overthrow of the Ten would be an awesome season arc.
Torch initially went in for business of for himself as an information broker after the Ten left him to die. Then (it seemed) he saw a chance to either fix or challenge the leadership of the ten.
Most of the Shadow Lodge Missions seemed to back this up, i.e. protecting and supporting agents.
The last Shadow Lodge Scenario is rated badly because it was out of character for Torch and basically said to the players that played the faction "you stupid suckers".
So yes, go for a GMT campaign, only without the horrible ending.
I do not recall any Shadow Lodge missions being given by one of his half-orc guards... but then I do not recall the delivery of any faction mission, for any faction, by any means other than note. Most/all notes were from faction leaders - and deliveried by some means devised by the table judge. Depending on how much time, and how much RP was involved, this could be anything from a mini-adventure (complete with the message baked into a muffen) to a slip of paper tossed across the game table as the judge read the VC briefing.
should we check older scenarios to see?
No, go ahead, you are correct*
*For meanings of correct where the mission claims to be from GMT, bears his signature, but does not match his historical personality.
Then again, my PC for that adventure, IIRC, was an Oracle of Life, so, that has its own bias...
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Venture-Captain, California—San Francisco Bay Area South & West
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The text nosig quotes above was, indeed, my introduction to Grand Master Torch and to the Shadow Lodge. Based on the character depicted there, my first PFS character chose the Shadow Lodge as his faction.
I have only played a few of the earlier adventures (avoiding the main story arc from 'The Year of the Shadow Lodge'), so I was more than a little irritated when "Rivalry's End" had Torch step out of the shower bath and basically tell me that my entire career as a Pathfinder was nothing but a dream.
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Venture-Captain, California—San Francisco Bay Area South & West
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Let's not forget the text in the "Guide to Organized Play"
The Shadow Lodge has reformed into a watchdog group, and despite its sinister sounding name, truly wants the best for the Society and its members.
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What's even worse, setting GMT aside completely, it makes absolutely no sense why the Faction would have simply gone away after that. In fact, it makes perfect sense that they would both stay and probably become even more numerous, to watch out for further issues.
That whole debacle of a scenario/plot wrap-up was just extremely poorly handled, and probably needs to be retconned out, because it's that dumb.
