Emerald Spire - PFS Missions / Knowledge Checks by Level


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Below are Pathfinder Society read-aloud missions and knowledge checks for each level of the Emerald Spire super dungeon. (Not all of the levels are complete yet, and I will be updating this thread as I write more.) While each level’s mission is meant to stand alone, I did try to create a sense of forward momentum for the Pathfinder Society as agents delve deeper into the dungeon.

I also wanted to inject some of the flavor found in parts of the book that PFS players may not get access to otherwise, which accounts for some of the regional information and quest NPCs showing up in the missions and checks.

I’ve also uploaded them as a single document to the GM Shared Prep Site

The Emerald Spire

Level 1—The Tower Ruins:
Zarta Dralneen, head of the newly-formed Dark Archive summoned you to her cluttered offices beneath the Grand Lodge in Absalom where she now imparts upon you your current mission for the Pathfinder Society.

“The success of the Society’s excursion to Jormurdun has emboldened the Decemvirate to explore some of Golarion’s forgotten ruins. Yet establishment of the Dark Archive must have cost them more than I realized. I had to bestow quite a few favors to get even a paltry force committed to the exploration of the Emerald Spire. It seems the Decemvirate doesn’t think we’ll find anything salvageable there, so I’m counting on you to prove them wrong.

“The Emerald Spire is an ancient structure, believed to be Azlanti in origin. I don’t know what you’ll find there, but there are rumors that things both dark and dangerous have escaped its depths before. Securing the old ruin might even help us scoop up some gratitude from the River Kingdoms in the process.

“Local law has been surprisingly complicit, helpful even, toward adventuring types provided the right channels are opened first. I don’t expect you to relish the task, but before we can begin our survey of the Spire you’ll have to meet with Lady Commander Audara Drovust, a paralictor in the Hellknight Order of the Pike. She runs the show at Fort Inevitable and we’ll need to keep her happy if we decide to send more Pathfinders to her doorstep. Obtain a letter of warrant and then complete a survey of the ruins surrounding the Emerald Spire. We need the area to serve as our base of operations as we delve further. Make yourselves ready Pathfinders, then be on your way to the River Kingdoms”

Note: This mission requires the insertion of a short roleplaying encounter prior to arriving at the tower ruins. To maintain “run as written,” the PCs cannot fail in obtaining a letter of warrant (mentioned in the ‘adventurers and the law’ section on page 6 of The Emerald Spire, detailing Fort Inevitable) from Audara Drovust, though poor diplomacy rolls may sour her attitude, affirming that if the Society’s reputation holds true that “all of you will be warming bunks in Fort Inevitable’s jails soon anyway.” Assume that the Society absorbs the costs of obtaining the letter of warrant, and that the 30% fee is already accounted for in the chronicle sheets. If too much time is taken in obtaining the warrant, remove a group of goblins from the dungeon.

Knowledge: History
15+ When the Worldwound opened and Mendev called to able bodied individuals to fuel the crusades, the small pathways leading through the River Kingdoms became better known as Crusader’s Road. It also became a hive of banditry, and the Hellknights established Fort Inevitable to protect pilgrims and crusaders alike. They dissolved the local government in the process.
20+ Southwood, the town that became Fort Inevitable was once the territory of the Kingdom of Zog, a powerful goblin tribe that a local hero, Tarrynna, overthrew about 400 years ago.
25+ Nhur Athemon, a powerful wizard of Azlanti descent once made the Emerald Spire his home. When Azlanti justice pursued him there, they reigned destruction down upon him the likes of which Golarion seldom sees.
30+ Evidence suggests that the spire was here long before Nhur Athemon settled into it. The original builders are unknown.

Knowledge: Local
15+ Lady Commander Audara Drovust handled the assassination of the previous Hellknight Commander and founder of Fort Inevitable, Emos Varden, poorly in the eyes of the community. As a result, a resistance movement known as the Seven Foxes has begun to gain popularity within the walls of Fort Inevitable.
20+ People are warned from traveling too close to the Emerald Spire. The glen that surrounds it is said to manifest dangerous creatures and more than one traveler has gone missing while detouring to witness the ancient structure.
25+ A local goblin tribe, the Bloodbriars, have been silent of late. No one has boasted of their defeat, leading locals to wonder what could have happened to them.


Level 2—The Cellars:
Venture-Captain Ambrus Valsin requested you meet him in the courtyard of the Grand Lodge, where a half-dozen wagons are being loaded with supplies. Valsin diverts his attention from the preparations to greet you. “Pathfinders in Fort Inevitable have drawn some attention, which I suppose is to be expected, but don’t worry. I didn’t call you here to assess any fines. A particularly wealthy scholar by the name of Abernard Royst, has discovered our intent to survey the Emerald Spire and contracted us to share what information we gather about the layout of the dungeons within.

“As fortuitous as this arrangement is for the Pathfinders, I do have an ulterior motive in my eagerness to accept Abernard’s offer. I’m not overly excited about the notion of exploring the Emerald Spire with the Decemvirate’s resources stretched as they are right now, yet that is the task set before us. The first excursion to the Spire has opened the way to establishing a base of operations at the ruined keep surrounding the Spire itself,” Ambrose gestures to the wagons in the courtyard, before turning back to you, his face dour. “I’m not convinced the place is as secure as our operatives believed though. I would feel much safer knowing the levels below have been cleared before we’ve invested too much into maintaining a presence there. That’s why I’m sending you.

“You’ll be heading to Echo Wood ahead of the supply caravan, and in addition to completing a survey of the cellars beneath the ruined tower, I want you to assess and eliminate any threats to our members who will be assisting deeper exploration efforts. Make yourself ready for the unknown Pathfinders, I want you on your way this afternoon, well ahead of the caravan leaving tomorrow morning”

Knowledge: History
15+ When the Worldwound opened and Mendev called to able bodied individuals to fuel the crusades, the small pathways leading through the River Kingdoms became better known as Crusader’s Road. It also became a hive of banditry, and the Hellknights established Fort Inevitable to protect pilgrims and crusaders alike. They dissolved the local government in the process.
20+ Nhur Athemon, a powerful wizard of Azlanti descent once sought refuge from Azlanti justice at the Emerald Spire. When found, they rained destruction down upon him, the effects of which are evident to this day in the broken green glass that surrounds the ruined tower of the Emerald Spire.
25+ Rumors persist that Nhur Athemon did not create the Spire however, and that the ancient structure is much older than even the Azlantis.

Knowledge: Local
15+ Ambrose Royst is one of the most notable adventurers permanently residing in Fort Inevitable, though he rarely risks entering dungeons himself anymore.
20+ The Emerald Spire has served as residence for many groups over the years, but few who dare to claim any part of it hold it for long. The Hellknight’s Order of the Nail was recently planning a raid on the tower themselves, suspecting it to be a hideout for a group of smugglers in the region, but their illicit activity came to a halt before the raid became necessary. It’s assumed the smugglers moved on to easier markets.
25+ Residents chancing to spend time near the Emerald Spire during a full moon have reported strange banks of mist traveling across the Spire Glen, the barren life-choked land surrounding the tower, and site of numerous horrifying tales.
30+ Ambrose Royst has been the subject of a “quiet” Hellknight investigation for suspected aid given to a group of dissidents known in Fort Inevitable as the Seven Foxes. The group formed following the brutal justice imposed by Lady Commander Audara Drovust after the assassination of her commanding officer, Emos Varden.


Level 3—Splinterden:
Venture-Captain Holgarin Smine displays only casual annoyance as he lifts the dried husk of a goblin corpse in one broad dwarven hand and pitches over the side of the Emerald Spire’s outer wall. Far below, Pathfinder agents have begun unloading supplies from Absolom with the intent to make the ruined tower surrounding the Emerald Spire a staging area for future delves. Holgarin, the officer appointed to oversee these efforts, extends his hand to each of you before beginning.

“The Emerald Spire is the latest pet project of the Dark Archive, yet Zarta has made herself understandably scarce when our diplomatic ties to the Hellknights that control Fort Inevitable are tested. As the only standing authority over the Echo Wood and the Emerald Spire, keeping within Lady Commander Drovust’s good graces is a necessary cost of doing business here. As it happens, I have a mission that could serve both us and our Hellknight neighbors.

It’s become clear that the Pathfinder Society is not the only ones occupying the Spire. If we’re to progress further we’ll need to contend with a group that are holed up in the Spire’s third level. We don’t know anything about them, except that if they’re hiding out here then chances are it’s because they don’t want patrols from Fort Inevitable to notice them. The letter of warrant supplied to us by Drovust gives us authority to ‘act in the interest of good order and keep the lady commander’s laws.’

Find out who these squatters are and ensure they’re no longer a threat to our goals of exploring the Emerald Spire. Dumping a few law-breakers into Fort Inevitable’s jail cells won’t do any harm to our relations with the Hellknights either.”

Knowledge: History
10+ When the Worldwound opened and Mendev called to able bodied individuals to fuel the crusades, the small pathways leading through the River Kingdoms became better known as Crusader’s Road. It also became a hive of banditry, and the Hellknights established Fort Inevitable to protect pilgrims and crusaders alike. They dissolved the local government in the process.
15+ The walls of Fort Inevitable were built around Southwood, a town along the Crusader’s Road by Emos Varden, a Hellknight Commander who was later assassinated for his efforts to end banditry in the area. His second in command, Audara Drovust was promoted to Lady Commander following the incident.
20+ Nhur Athemon, a powerful wizard of Azlanti descent once sought refuge from Azlanti justice at the Emerald Spire. When found, they rained destruction down upon him, the effects of which are evident to this day in the broken green glass that surrounds the ruined tower of the Emerald Spire.

Knowledge: Local
15+ Lady Commander Audara Drovust responded to the assassination of the previous Hellknight Commander, Emos Varden, unnecessarily harshly in the eyes of the community. As a result, a resistance movement known as the Seven Foxes has begun to gain popularity within the walls of Fort Inevitable.
20+ The Emerald Spire has served as residence for many groups over the years, but few who dare to claim any part of it hold it for long.
25+ A band of thieves known as the Splinters have begun recruiting in the region, promising prospective members that their leader has found a way to stay out of the Hellknight’s watchful gaze.
30+ A strange affliction has struck some of the animals in Echo Wood. Only recently a rabbit was found in a hunters trap with mangy purple fur. Though it had survived the trap, it died before it could be brought back to town.

4/5

These are excellent! Thanks!

Shadow Lodge 4/5 ****

I love when people add awesome stuff to the GM Shared Prep.

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Level 4 presented a bit of a conundrum. I'm hoping this mission will help to reconcile the chronicle's success conditions with the Pathfinder Society's general goals. I made some notes regarding this after the read-aloud text in the spoiler-hidden section below.

Level 4: Godhome:
The sun hangs low over the Echo Wood, sending the Emerald Spire’s green-hued shadow reaching across the Spire Glen toward Fort Inevitable. Your vantage point from atop the Spire’s tower ruins affords you an excellent view of the woods and you can just make out the shape of the Fort’s taller towers piercing above the forest’s canopy. Venture-Captain Holgarin Smine isn’t taking in the sights though. He’s been staring intently into the dark maw of the Spire’s central stairway for the last hour, waiting.

“It’s been too long,” he says shaking his head when you approach. “I sent a small team in to see just how deep those next set of stairs went. A simple mission, right? That was early this morning and there hasn’t been anything but a rotten stench to waft up from those stairs since. Continue with your mission of exploring the Emerald Spire, but be watchful for signs of the other team. If you can’t find their bodies, bring back what you can. One of them carried a steel shield with his family’s crest on it, a manticore if memory serves. It held a minor magical ward too.

“Make no mistake, agents. The Emerald Spire is a tomb. Be wary and don’t make me send in another team to find out what happened to you.”

Note: Godhome is unique in that the chronicle requires the players to meet at least three of four “win” conditions in order to receive full xp, prestige and gold. These conditions are not made clear in the course of the adventure, and three of the four conditions are questionable when considering the goals of the Pathfinder Society. This introduction is meant to gently nudge the players into considering courses of action that would net them at least three of the win conditions. Make the +1 light steel shield stuck to the Godbox the manticore-emblazoned shield of the missing Pathfinder so that players might have a chance of getting full credit for the level. (Of course, this is assuming that your players aren’t defaulting to murder-hoboing everything in sight and will need an excuse to try shutting the Godbox down. If their first impulse is to cut down peaceful creatures that are begging for their lives and the life of their peaceful god, then I suspect your group doesn’t appreciate that you downloaded these introductions and keep forcing them to listen to them.)

Knowledge History
10+ Fort Inevitable’s walls were built around the town of Southwood when Hellknight Commander, Emos Varden pledged to protect crusaders traveling north to Mendev from the rampant banditry in the region. Audara Drovust currently oversees Fort Inevitable, having been promoted to Lady Commander following Varden’s assassination.
15+ Nhur Athemon, a powerful Azlanti wizard-prince once sought refuge from Azlanti justice at the Emerald Spire following the annihilation of his palace, now the dungeon known as Thornkeep. When Azlanti forces reached the Emerald Spire, they razed much of the outer tower, the remnants of which lies scattered across the Spire Glen to this day in the form of broken green glass.
25+ Nhur Athemon had been sentenced to death after his plots against the royal family and his devotion to the demon lord Abraxas were discovered.

Knowledge Arcana
15+ The broad, raised clearing that extends 250 yards around the Emerald Spire in each direction is known as the Spire Glen, and is devoid of any natural growth larger than a sapling. The intensely magical auras surrounding the spire are probably the cause.
20+ The Spire Glen occasionally generates invisible gates or portals that drift through the Glen, briefly linking deeper levels of the Spire to the surrounding countryside.
25+ Powerful planar magic is at work within the Emerald Spire, perhaps even caused by the Spire itself. Pathfinder wizards are at work trying to figure it out, but as of now, there’s no telling how far the planar arm reaches, where all of the portals go, or what may have decided to step through onto Golarion soil.

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Level 5—The Drowned Level:
You meet Venture-Captain Holgarin Smine near the ruined tower’s center, where Pathfinder arcanists are poking, prodding and carefully analyzing the Emerald Spire’s ominously glowing surface. Holgarin, his arms folded across his chest, looks on as a beautiful, dark-haired elven woman copies notes from scrolls spread out over one of many cluttered work benches.

“Some in the society say keeping our discoveries about the Spire to ourselves keeps that information valuable. I say it’s hard to write yourself into the Chronicles when you don’t tell anyone what you’re doing. Share the knowledge, share the glory!” He gestures to the elven woman. “That’s Iliara Starcloak, founder of The Goldenfire Order, a small guild of mercenary wizards out of Thornkeep. She claims she’s here to study the planar energies coursing through this place.” Holgarin lowers his voice. “I think there’s more to it than that, but I’ve agreed to help her for now.

“Get your gear, Pathfinders. The further you go, the more we’ll know, about this dungeon, and perhaps our new friend Iliara as well.”

Knowledge Local
10+ Holgarin Smine, owner of Smine’s Weaponworks in Tymon is rumored to have earned his rank in the Pathfinder Society with a perilous, but successful excursion into the forest fortress Gensmaren, once home to a powerful witch coven.
15+ The Goldenfire Order is a small group, only a handful strong, and whose interests are primarily economic in nature. In addition to self-regulating the market for their services in Thornkeep, they’ve also been known to assist one another in retaliation against those that try to cheat them. Few in the area risk crossing them.
20+ The Pathfinders aren’t the first group with designs to study the Emerald Spire. Two wizards arrived at Fort Inevitable a few weeks ago with similar intentions. They died within the Spire as far as anyone knows.
25+ Born in Kyonin, many believe that Iliara is a loyal agent of Queen Telandia Edasseril, despite her choice to make Thornkeep her home. Others rumor that she is secretly plotting against the arcanists of the Technic League in Numeria.

Knowledge Arcana
10+ The broad, raised clearing that extends 250 yards around the Emerald Spire in each direction is known as the Spire Glen, and is devoid of any natural growth larger than a sapling. The intensely magical auras surrounding the spire are probably the cause.
15+ The Spire Glen occasionally generates invisible gates or portals that drift through the Glen, briefly linking deeper levels of the Spire to the surrounding countryside.
20+ If portals from within the Spire are creating rifts above ground, then there’s no telling what kind of chaos might have been created beneath ground. If the portals are widespread enough to attract entities like the Godbox, then the planar reach of the Spire is far greater than anyone realized.

Level 6—The Clockwork Maze:
Venture-Captain Holgarin Smine, overseer of the Pathfinder Society’s excursion into the Emerald Spire, roused you from your quarters in the ruined tower that now serves as the Society’s base of operations. He leads you hurriedly through the light-chocked halls, waking other Pathfinders as you go. Within moments you and a dozen others are selecting and equipping your gear while bathed in the pallid green light of the tower’s core.

“Pathfinders! We’ve been content to explore the Emerald Spire at our leisure until now, but that changed with information provided by Iliara Starcloak of The Goldenfire Order.” Holgarin pauses long enough to cast a glance at a beautiful, dark-haired elven woman across the room. “Here’s what we know. Someone named Klarkosh organized defensive forces in upper levels of the Spire’s dungeons. With rare exception, residents of the Emerald Spire have been hostile, and more than one adventurer has lost their lives. Two members of the Goldenfire Order, Tiawask and Jharun entered the spire more than a week ago. They have not returned. Iliara believes they are still alive, and the Pathfinder Society has agreed to get them out.

“Some of you will return to levels we’ve already explored and make sure we haven’t missed anything. Others,” Holgarin nods at you, “will be pushing deeper. Find those two wizards. Find this Klarkosh, and end his designs to lord over the Emerald Spire for good.”

Knowledge Local
10+ Holgarin Smine, owner of Smine’s Weaponworks in Tymon is rumored to have earned his rank in the Pathfinder Society with a perilous, but successful excursion into the forest fortress Gensmaren, once home to a powerful witch coven.
15+ The Goldenfire Order is a small group, only a handful strong, and whose interests are primarily economic in nature. In addition to self-regulating the market for their services in Thornkeep, they’ve also been known to assist one another in retaliation against those that try to cheat them. Few in the area risk crossing them.
20+ Born in Kyonin, many believe that Iliara is a loyal agent of Queen Telandia Edasseril, despite her choice to make Thornkeep her home. Others rumor that she is secretly plotting against the arcanists of the Technic League in Numeria.

Knowledge Arcana
15+ Constructs found on many levels of the Emerald Spire have been powered with fragments of green crystal, much like what the Spire itself is constructed from.
20+ The design of the emerald constructs bears a striking resemblance to gearsman, clockwork humanoid-shaped soldiers that serve as the military power for the Technic League of Numeria.

Scarab Sages

Yup this is cool :)

4/5 5/55/5

These are fantastic, thank you! Personally, I wish more sanctioned content had detailed hooks like this in the chronicle downloads to help GMs with creating a creative tie in for each adventure. The first few levels were straightforward enough for me, I made the sage npc in the Fort a retired Pathfinder and contact for the group so the main quest of exploring each level would make more sense in the long term. I will admit, I had trouble reading level 4 and trying to figure out how to approach this level without rewarding behavior that should be considered quite unfitting for a Pathfinder Agent. I'll be using your hook and briefing and see how it goes. Keep up the good work!

Silver Crusade 4/5

Excellent Stuff -- thanks!

Scarab Sages 2/5

Great Work!

Grand Lodge 4/5 *

Very nice.

4/5 RPG Superstar 2015 Top 16, RPG Superstar 2014 Top 16

Thank you for the positive comments! I'm glad that these might see some use outside of my own PFS games.

Grand Lodge 5/5

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I'm preparing to start Emerald Spire run for two different groups here in Finland, for Pathfinder Society. I've translated these intros to finnish and they are great. Nice to have an actual intro instead of just "Here's a dungeon, smash away." Thanks for your efforts!

3/5

I'm going to be starting running this for our PFS lodge and these will be very helpful. Thanks for the hard work.

Dark Archive 5/5 5/5 *

Thanks Brian !

I used it for GMing the first level. It was a great help to introducing the players to the game !

3/5

Will you be doing any more for levels 7+?

4/5 RPG Superstar 2015 Top 16, RPG Superstar 2014 Top 16

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I do intend to write more. My local PFS groups weren't interested in more than one or two Emerald Spire levels a month, so they only just completed level 6. I'll be writing the introduction for level 7 soon as a result. I originally planned just to write them as I ran them, but I finished levels 4-6 much earlier to accommodate a board member that wanted to use them for a marathon game day. If there's a demand for me to finish these at a faster pace I will certainly make an effort to oblige.

3/5

No rush. I'm running a level every two weeks for my local lodge. We start level 3 this week. I was just curious for the long term.

4/5

Fantastic work Brian.
I am beginning a PFS run on the Emerald Spire this coming Thursday. Definitely a great resource.

Grand Lodge 4/5

Only request: Reformat it so that each level prints on its own page(s), so it can be kept with the level.

4/5 RPG Superstar 2015 Top 16, RPG Superstar 2014 Top 16

That's done easily enough. I'll re-upload the document when I get home tonight.

Grand Lodge 4/5

Brian Fruzen wrote:
That's done easily enough. I'll re-upload the document when I get home tonight.

Thank you.

4/5

Just ran Godhome today. The briefing certainly helped push the characters towards the full reward, though there was quite a bit of resistance in the party regarding killing the peaceful troglodytes. I've got back-to-back weekends in February for Drowned Level and Clockwork Maze, so I'm interested to see how things pan out there. Thankfully, those two levels are a bit more reasonable.

Many thanks for the work here. It's quite helpful.

3/5

Aye. Thanks to your intro my group tonight came through Godhome a a full roleplay session with no combat at all. Made a nice change. They even went back to the venture captain to ensure that an alliance could be made with the Trogs in exchange for more iron.

Silver Crusade 4/5

Had I been aware of this. I wouldn't have improvised and used two of my retired characters as "VL's in-training" to start the only RP.

Grand Lodge 5/5

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Hey Brian, any updates on these mission briefings on level 7 and forward? I'm running level 6 next week and I presume we'll be able to play level 7 in the next week.

The briefing in level 4 really did help my PC:s. Full rewards, and fun was had - though all the trogs were slain :D

4/5 RPG Superstar 2015 Top 16, RPG Superstar 2014 Top 16

Oops. Sorry about not keeping up with this. I'm entertaining a fairly solid run at RPG Superstar right now (Go Vote!) and last-minute organized PFS at a local convention (Anime Milwaukee) taking place this weekend. I'm sorry to say that a few things I had meant to get to over the last few weeks fell by the wayside. I have put a little work into Level 7 already, so I should be able to get that done by Tuesday the 17th. I hope that's not too late for you Atteisti.

Thanks for indulging my delinquency on this project. I remain enthused that GMs are finding these useful.

Grand Lodge 5/5 *

Loving the work you've done and continue to do! It has helped immensely since I am often running 2 sessions on the same day. (11 sessions so far amongst the first 6 dungeon levels so far...) Please keep up the great work!

Grand Lodge 1/5 ***

I know my GM has found these useful, thanks for the preparation.

4/5 RPG Superstar 2015 Top 8, RPG Superstar 2014 Top 16

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Level 7—Shrine of the Awakener:

Venture-Captain Holgarin Smine wipes perspiration from his brow with the back of one grime crusted hand while the other holds a broad iron plate up for your inspection. “That,” he states while pointing to a deep scratch marring the plate’s surface, “was not caused by one of our agents.” He tosses the scrap onto a heap of other parts removed from a now mostly disassembled emerald construct. “Klarkosh built dozens of these constructs, and from the looks of it they weren’t just to keep the upper levels of the Emerald Spire in line. There’s something else lurking down below, something that set the Numerian to defending himself with these before turning them loose on the River Kingdoms. I want you to find out what that something is. Assess the threat to our operation here in the Spire and deal with it accordingly. I trust you’re up to the task.”

Knowledge (local)
10+ Holgarin Smine, owner of Smine’s Weaponworks in Tymon is rumored to have earned his rank in the Pathfinder Society with a perilous, but successful excursion into the forest fortress Gensmaren, once home to a powerful witch coven. His exploits also earned him management of the Pathfinder Society’s efforts in exploring the Emerald Spire.
20+ Some of the expertly crafted weapons liberated from foes fought earlier within the Emerald Spire have born markings unfamiliar to Smine. He gave it little heed, but the recurance of these weapons in even deeper levels have given cause to wonder where they are coming from.
25+ Adventurers have been fighting for fame and fortune within the wall of the Emerald Spire for centuries. Artifacts removed from its depths have included derro tools and numerous items bearing the Aklo language.
30+ Religious artifacts belonging to Ydersius have origins traced back to excursions beneath the Emerald Spire.

Knowledge (arcana)
10+ The emerald constructs found on many levels of the Emerald Spire have been powered with fragments of green crystal believed to be harvested from the Spire itself.
15+ The design of the emerald constructs bears a striking resemblance to gearsman, clockwork humanoid-shaped soldiers that serve as the military power for the Technic League of Numeria.

Knowledge (geography)
15+ The Emerald Spire pierces to unknown depths beneath Golarion’s surface. Evidence Darkland natives is becoming more commonplace within the Spire’s halls and it’s believed connections to Nar-Voth and Sekamina will have aided in populating the dungeon over the centuries.

Grand Lodge 5/5

Thanks for the effort and good work Brian :) These really have helped my pc:s to act as pathfinder agents instead of just mindless dungeon delvers.

Liberty's Edge 4/5

Thanks for this! I'm running level 1 tomorrow at PFS. This makes things much better! Grazzi!

3/5

Thanks. My group finished the Drowned Level this week (three character deaths... ouch).

4/5

Just wanted to see if anyone had written up a briefing for level 8 and beyond at this point. If not, I'll post what I prep for level 8 in 2 weeks.

Grand Lodge 5/5

I'm still interested for these intros. My PFS-groups have enjoyed them and I've enjoyed using these to create some sort of a "meta plot" for dungeon delving.

Really good stuff, I hope that Brian is still interested in writing these :)

4/5

Due to RL stuff, I ended up having to wing it on the 8th floor briefing. I have it in plot points, more or less.

Spoiler:
  • Team sent to secure 7th floor following last expedition.
  • Some of the team went down to scout ahead against orders.
  • One agent came back after the other agents disappeared.
  • General concerns about Serpentfolk.
  • Keep searching for Tiawask.

Kn: Nature

  • DC 20: Serpentfolk are bipedal snake-people that have long been thought to be extinct.
  • DC 25: Most Serpentfolk are known to be brutish, near feral creatures, but some say that there are intelligent, magically-inclined varieties, as well.
  • DC 30: Serpentfolk were mostly crushed by the Azlanti and are believed to be native to the Darklands.

Grand Lodge 5/5

I ran the 8th floor a couple of weeks ago and ended up winging it myself. Luckily transition from 7th level to 8th is pretty simple, since the seventh level provides with material that can easily be adapted for a pathfinder mission.

I'm running the ninth level soon and that's a different thing.

4/5

Atteisti wrote:

I ran the 8th floor a couple of weeks ago and ended up winging it myself. Luckily transition from 7th level to 8th is pretty simple, since the seventh level provides with material that can easily be adapted for a pathfinder mission.

I'm running the ninth level soon and that's a different thing.

I'm glad I have until mid-June to figure that out.

4/5 RPG Superstar 2015 Top 4, RPG Superstar 2014 Top 16

Atteisti wrote:
... I hope that Brian is still interested in writing these :)

I am. In fact, I'm scheduled to run levels 8 and 9 in May, so I'll have those written up soon.

Shadow Lodge 4/5 5/5 *

Pathfinder Rulebook Subscriber

So how is this going?

Shadow Lodge 3/5

These are awesome Brian! Have you written any past level 7 yet?

Grand Lodge 1/5

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I'm going to be running the first level of this on Saturday. The intro you came up with is pretty much fantastic, and I am looking forward to putting it to use. I maaaaaaay indulge in a bit of vanity though, and for the later modules, sub in my recently promoted V.C. Character in place of Holgarin Smine down the line.

Grand Lodge 5/5

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With the interesting contributions above, here is my take on Level 8.

Level 8: The Circle of Vssk-Thar:

As you arrive at the Emerald Spire to meet with Venture Captain Holgarin Smine, he curses as he kicks away a large, flat chunk of melted, green glass covering a den of writhing vermin. He grabs some of them in each hand and thrusts them in your direction.

"Snakes!" he exclaims with a wild look in his eyes. "This place is crawling with them! If only they were all as harmless as these little fellows," he says, throwing his hissing captives into the nearby grass. He watches them slither away, and then, after an awkward silence, turns to address you once more.

"Pathfinders - we've lost another team since your last foray into the Spire. I gave them strict orders to stick to the cleared levels and catalogue the lairs of Klarkosh and the serpentfolk you encountered, but they foolishly forged ahead into uncharted territory." Smine's anger is palpable. "They didn't have the experience or the firepower!"

"I guess they wanted the glory of finding Tiawask, that missing wizard from Thornkeep - trying to make a name for themselves, no doubt. But, only one made it back alive thanks to the spire transport token in his possession. At least that was something he did right," scowls Smine.

"They found a kind of glory alright - just not the kind they were looking for unless it involves disobedience, despair and death. Perhaps you can salvage the mess they left behind while I try to explain it all to Absalom. This place is awash in the blood of the Society!"

"The pathfinder who returned was half-dead and raving about more snakes and serpentfolk. I'm afraid he won't ever be the same. We've sent him back down the Sellen to help him find his sanity again. And, if and when he ever does, the first thing he's going to see is my reprimand in his file!"

"Pathfinders - the Spire is a dangerous place and will sink its fangs into you if you're not careful. Go find that wizard Tiawask and don't disappoint me. I'm counting on you! I'll hold my report to Valsin until you return...assuming you do," he adds ominously.

"Any questions?"

Knowledge (nature):

DC 20: Serpentfolk are bipedal snake-people that have long been thought to be extinct.
DC 25: Most Serpentfolk are known to be brutish, near feral creatures, but some say that there are intelligent, magically-inclined varieties, as well.
DC 30: Serpentfolk were mostly crushed out of existence by the Azlanti and are believed to be native to the Darklands.

Grand Lodge 5/5

I ran Level 9 last night. Below is the intro I created/used. The players seemed to like it! :)

Level 9: The Spire Axis:

Venture Captain Holgarin Smine invites you to dinner at the Red Shield Tavern in Fort Inevitable on the eve of your next major delve into the depths of the Emerald Spire. As always, he seems irreverent and inscrutable as his steely gaze washes over you between his deliberate bites of mutton and carrots. After gulping down a particularly abundant forkful, he breaks his silence.

"I have concluded," he begins, while exhaling in a self-satisfied manner, "that Tiawask, that Thornkeep wizard who continues to elude our rescue attempts, is either an insanely brave magical genius…or a fool and less alive than the dinner currently before us," he says stabbing a piece of meat with his fork. As he draws his arm across his chin, he carefully regards the thin smear of mutton grease that appears on his sleeve.

"You should know that I sent a team to explore the way forward to the next level and that they have transcribed a message after encountering a magic mouth left behind by Tiawask. It says the following:"

“I, Tiawask, a mage of the Goldenfire Order, leave this message for any who are exploring the Spire. I escaped from Klarkosh and the serpentfolk, but am continuing my descent in the hopes that I will find a way out somewhere below. If you have come this far, I beg you to help me escape. You shall be richly rewarded!”

Leaning back in his chair, Smine scowls. "Personally, I'm skeptical about Tiawask’s chances and see myself coming firmly down on the side the mutton," which he stabs again with some zeal, suddenly lurching forward, driving the tines of his fork into the tin plate below with a dull, metallic thud and enough force to shake the table. As the reverberation fades, he continues.

"But, I promised Iliara Starcloak that we would keep looking. A promise is a promise, even if it feels more political than practical at this point. We have to keep in good graces with the Goldenfires."

"And you should also know this - the recon team reported that there's a lot of rubble down there - like something has been digging in from every which way. You're probably deep enough now to be within tunneling range of the Darklands, but who can say what those old Azlantis got themselves into before they kicked the bucket, eh? How deep is too deep? I wonder!"

“If our divinations can be trusted, there's evil down there, that’s for sure. I'll only say it once -- Death hides in the shadows -- and unlike the other levels you've seen recently, there's only blackness beyond the last of the cold stone stairs.”

He squints through one eye and points at you with his fork, now adorned with a perfectly-skewered and admonishing chunk of carrot that quivers as he speaks. “You're going to meet the shadows sooner than you think, so you better be on your toes!"

“However, as always, I have complete faith in you,” he concludes, jovially...at least until the day the recovery team drags your mangled bodies out feet-first. Now, go get some rest and make Absalom proud! And if, by chance, you don't survive, well…at least you had some fine mutton! This dinner is fantastic!"

"Any questions?"

--------------------------------
Knowledge Checks
--------------------------------
Knowledge (history):
DC 20:
At the onset of the Age of Darkness, some Azlanti fled into the Darklands for shelter and never returned.

DC 25:
Those who fled the deepest were fated to fall the furthest from humanity, only to be driven mad through incest in the name of bloodline purity and transformed by the strange synergy with the toxic foods they consumed.

DC 30:
These subterranean refugees survived, although horribly mutated, and eventually their countless numbers populated cities in the Darklands, such as Sekamina.

DC 35:
After the Azlanti abandoned the deepest of their sites, some were rumored to be taken over by Darkland denizens, evil outsiders and their ilk.

Knowledge (nature):
DC 15:
The Darklands are inhabited by creatures such as mites, grimlocks, morlocks, jinkins, thoqquas, driders and all manner of deep denizens.

(To this one, my players responded with: LEEEEEEROY JINKINS!)

DC 20:
Creatures who live in the dark often use it to their advantage in combat and have evolved special abilities such as extended darkvision, blindsense, blind-fighting and various spell-like abilities, but have also become sensitive to light.

DC 25:
Among the creatures of the deep, Morlocks are prodigious tunnelers, can fit in tight spaces and tend to swarm their enemies in combat.

DC 30:
Morlocks have been known to collaborate with and serve evil outsiders.

Grand Lodge 4/5

Very nice. This information would have changed our table's view of the level considerably.

Grand Lodge 1/5

These are awesome and a great help! Thanks for sharing.

Grand Lodge

Keep up the good work guys! :)

Grand Lodge 4/5

How's 10 through 16 coming along?

Grand Lodge 5/5

1 person marked this as a favorite.

I recently ran level 10 again. It provides some interesting chances for RP crossover with the Hellknights and Fort Inevitable. Below is my initial take on the intro and knowledge checks. The players seemed to enjoy it. This one is slightly longer, but didn't take too long. Some of it is marked as optional if you're pressed for time vs. wanting a little more flavor. But, at 10 levels, I thought the players deserved a gruff progress report from their dwarven boss.

Level 10: The Magma Vault

Intro:
Once again, Venture Captain Holgarin Smine stands with you outside the Emerald Spire, staring up at the greenish ruin with a concerned look on his face as he starts out in a loud, familiar staccato.

optional wrote:

“You know,” he says sharply, pointing his stubby, dwarven finger up at the ruin, “this place must have been an impressive sight to see when it wasn’t all blown to bits. But, I suppose I could say the same about some Pathfinders I’ve known over the years,” he adds darkly, while gazing intently at each of you as though chiseling tombstones with his eyes.

“It’s no mean feat that you seem to be getting to the bottom of things, as it were. How far down to the bottom remains to be seen. And speaking of impressive accomplishments…you’re still alive!” He laughs grimly, but you sense an undercurrent of pride and the approval of the Society behind his words.

“It’s always a good day when you can stay off the Wall of Names! And, speaking of the Grand Lodge, Valsin sends his regards and encouragement. It seems you’re making an impression back in Absalom…but don’t get a big head.”

Smine inhales deeply, and you can tell that he’s finished with idle chit-chat and Pathfinder platitudes. In fact, you’re sure he’s about to say something extremely important as you wait on pins and needles for critical details about your upcoming mission. However, you’re surprised when, instead of the details you eagerly await, he launches into another curious story.

“So there I was, strolling around Fort Inevitable with my ears wide open for any gossip that might be of interest to the Society,” he says, as you happen to notice that his ears are anything but small. “You never know what those Hellknights are up to, and we need to keep tabs on them...and by tabs…I mean spying,” he clarifies with low, husky emphasis. “Then, as I approached the market, a gutter urchin comes running up to me and hands me a fancy summons – a dinner invitation! Now THAT piqued my interest…especially the part about the free food! And who do you think it was from?”

He looks at you expectantly…

(Give the players a couple of chances to guess various people they might know/recall from Fort Inevitable)

“(If they guess Drovust: CORRECT!)(otherwise) None other than Lady Commander Audara Drovust!

“Well, I never expected to get a gilded invitation from the Ice Queen, herself, for anything except my own beheading. She’s had nothing but criticism, complications, licensing fees and other harassment for the Pathfinders since we arrived, and I’ve avoided her whenever possible! And, I can’t say I feel at ease around Chelaxians wearing skull armor, but the invitation was obviously political and too good to pass up! I thought the dinner would be ripe for more spying on those tight-fisted Hellknights! After all, I have to do something to keep Valsin amused while you screw around in the Spire.”

“I’ll spare you the pleasantries of an otherwise boring dinner with old Skull Face – (and don’t tell her I called her that). She seemed quite delighted to have me at dinner, and by delighted, I mean she straightened out her permanent scowl momentarily while chewing a green bean. But, there wasn’t much in the way of juicy spying, just a bunch of boring administrative discussions about how we might put an end to the tension and ‘collaborate more closely,’ blah, blah, blah."

“And then, the dessert showed up…and that’s when she came out with it. There are Hellknights lost in the Spire – led by someone named Signifier Chaid DiViri. I knew it! How pathetically predictable!”

Holgarin Smine launches into a tirade.

“You might as well know that I told her to stay out of that place when I first got here and that she should leave the adventuring to the experts. Let’s just say it wasn’t my best foot forward in terms of Hellknight diplomacy. And, as you may have seen, she apparently didn’t forget it. She said that the Hellknights were going to be the first to uncover the secrets of the Spire whether I liked it or not and that she would make it her personal mission to ensure that any Pathfinders got the welcome they deserved. Well, the other night, that threat flipped faster than a goblin on a griddle!” quipped Smine, who was not overtimid in sharing his incongruous diplomatic success at dinner.

“So I said to her as warmly as possible -- which was not hard after one glass too many – ‘Lady Commander – let me send a team to look for the missing Hellknights…and let us usher in an era of new-found cooperation.’ Of course she agreed. What choice did she have? The blind fools! So now, we’re going to cooperate with the Hellknights…and by cooperate, I mean spy on them, of course…with their permission!” he chuckles through a devilish grin.

“Anyway - while you’re down there looking for that crazy wizard, Tiawask, you can add Hellknights to the babysitting list. And, if you find them, I want you to rescue them or haul out their rotten remains, and take every opportunity to get in some good spying. I’m supposed to go back to see Drovust for a reward upon your successful return. But...now that I think of it, maybe it would be better if you failed,” he jokes conspiratorially.

“Oh…and one more thing, it’s boiling hot down there and the advance scouting team tells me the place is full of lava. I suppose that means the Hellknights should feel right at home!”

“Now get to work!” Smine barks abruptly, inscrutable as ever, while tromping away through the chunks of broken green glass that litter the ground all around you.

Knowledge Checks:

Knowledge (dungeoneering, geography)
DC 15: The River Kingdoms are not generally known for any kind of geological instability or volcanic eruptions.
DC 20: It seems odd to encounter lava in the Emerald Spire that should only be found at much greater depths or in conjunction with local volcanic activity.
DC 25: Along with the presence of lava and severe, searing heat, come steam and noxious gases that have been known to overwhelm adventurers.
DC 30: Lava moves quickly and can often form irregular terrain, including everything from tiny passages to enormous caverns. It may also rush through narrow tubes or tunnels. It can melt metallic objects on contact and set people and possessions on fire. Lava may continue to burn for several rounds after contact.
DC 35: Lava can form large lakes or pools and may also be in proximity to equally hazardous areas of boiling water.

Knowledge (local, nobility) or Diplomacy (gather information) (…or if the PCs are more inquisitive and (on their own) decide that they absolutely have to meet with Lady Commander Audara Drovust, she will impart information in question/answer form depending on a matching Diplomacy DC, spending DC-5 minutes of her time with the PCs. She hated asking Smine for help and remains aloof with an air of hostility towards Smine’s annoying underlings. Finally, it is only by being caught off guard by particularly silver-tongued PCs that she will inadvertently hint at the Hellknight strategy for dominance in the region, after which point, she realizes her blunder and asks the Pathfinders to leave.)

DC 10: Chaid DiViri leads a small team of Hellknights that have been exploring the Emerald Spire, but they have not reported back and appear to be missing.
DC 15: The Hellknights have been on numerous missions to the Spire and have been resupplying their expedition team, as needed.
DC 20: Chaid DiViri holds the rank of Signifier (a spellcaster designation), comes from Citadel Enferac and belongs to the Order of the Gate, the most mystically adept Hellknight order
DC 25: Chaid is the granddaughter of Lictor Severs “Boneclaw” DiViri, leader of the Order of the Nail at Lictor’s Keep in Citadel Vraid in Korvosa.
DC 30: DiViri is an expert in dealings with extraplanar entities and has, so far, been matching the progress of the Pathfinder Society level for level.
DC 35: DiViri’s final report speaks of a region of melted stone, blistering heat and planar instability.
DC 40: Chaid DiViri is allied with a Kyton outsider who is acting as an advisor and familiar.
DC 45: The Hellknights hope to find hidden knowledge, potent lawful forces and, possibly, relics that might cement their dominance in the River Kingdoms.

If the party learns of the planar instability (DC35 above) or arrives at their own speculation that an extraplanar link might be behind the infiltration of lava, you can offer the following, additional check:

Knowledge (planes, arcana)
DC 20: You suspect that the magical nature of the Emerald Spire has resulted in some kind of focal planar instability on Level 10.
DC 25: It is possible that an intersection with the Elemental Plane of Fire could be responsible for the extreme environmental conditions the scouts have reported and may, eventually, put the entire region at risk.
DC 30: Whenever extra-planar rifts or intersections manifest, creatures native to the intersecting planes may find their way (or be drawn) through the intersection.
DC 35: Creatures of the elemental planes are very dangerous, often hostile towards non-elementals and are also fiercely territorial.
DC 40: More than one intersection with the elemental planes may be possible. Such matters are hard to predict in areas of planar instability.

Grand Lodge 5/5

The End of Last Night's Game: Level 12: Automaton Forge

1 PC ended up at 104/60 after an automaton crit, brought back by Breath of Life in the nick of time to just under his max Con limit. Exciting game, epic finale.

Then, after the wrap-up, a wild discussion ensued:

Player 1: I'm definitely getting 2 pearls of power - I've been saving up for them for a long time!
Player 2: Me too - a level 4 costs 16 grand!
Me: (Looking very seriously at both of them) Are you really sure that's a good idea?
Them: What?? What are you talking about????! Of course it's a good idea!
Me: Well...the way I see it, it's like putting pearls before Smine.

Then, I LOL'd. ^_^

Grand Lodge 4/5

Did you finish these? It's only up to 10, but wondered if any more were being put up.

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