Spoilers for crypt of the everflame, New GM looking for advice.


Advice


Hi everyone.

I will be GMing crypt of the everflame in a week or two from now. I ran it once before, and I'm looking for some advice on two of the accounters that my old players had problems with:

Spoilers from Crypt of the everflame:
The shadow and the construct that holds the two tower shields. Last time I was generous on knowledge check results for the shadow, and encouraged the paladin and cleric to deal with it while the non magic users stood back. For the construct the damage surprised me, luckily they ran away, I deactivated it and they used a grappling hook to dislodge the shields. Those two slam attacks hurt on a lvl 1 character.

The team this time around is 3 players, one going unchained Rogue, the others have not decided.

So.. Any advice? Switch out the first encounter with another monster? Pull punches on the second one, and spread the damage out?


Disclaimer: I've only played this module.

For the shadow fight, I would make it really clear that there is something in the fire. That +1 weapon makes a world of difference and is listed as a DC 10 Perception check. I'd have every character roll if they have line of sight to the fire.

For the construct, have them roll the DC 15 Perception check too. I don't know if you had them come up with it on their own, but I feel like for tough fights like these, you should tell them to roll. I think this module is unique in that there is a genuine solution to every fight within the dungeon. I don't think that most players would think of them however. They may not go for your hints, but at that point the ball is in their field.

These are two hard fights. It certainly takes clever/well-prepared players/characters to overcome them and can be brutal for the new and inexperienced. I would also definitely throw in some sort of pregenerated character as well. If this is for PFS, I think you have to, but a fourth body would go a long way IMO.


Thanks for the tips Gummy Bear. This is for a non Pfs game, playing with people from the office (geeky company, so many potential players). I might try to rope in another player.

Two of the players have experience with D&D, but not Pathfinder, and one has no experience at all.

The main problem with that fight in my mind is that the if the players choose non magical/Devine classes there really is not much the extra body can do in the fight. I think I will have the shadow stall a bit, giving them a chance to pick up the weapon before it attacks. The damage dealt will also stay with them until they find the healing area on the next level

I hate to limit the players but I feel a cleric is almost essential for this module.


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I've run this module 3 times, I swap the shadow fight with the bloody skeleton encounter at the end of the first level. That way the party will almost certainly have the magic dagger before the fight starts and they can hit the healing in the next area right away.

The construct has never been much of a problem when I've run it, just luck I guess.


For the S fight, just have a replacement encounter if they have no way to damage. Otherwise, hopefully someone has knowledge religion . You should mention up front (character creation) the difference that knowledge checks can make in a fight. Also , knowledge checks is one of those GM discretion areas and you should have a plan on how you want to handle them. The two common methods are that you pick the information to share or you let them ask questions based on what they want to try and recall.

If they don't make any checks, just make it clear that their weapons are ineffective after the first hit. That should hopefully trigger the magic users into action.

Silver Crusade

I have a podcast that covers this module specifically. It gives a lot of good information about it and could help you run it. I will upload it my my Dropbox after I get back from my home game.

In the meantime, here is a link to some of their other episodes. The cast podfaded a while ago, and this is the only link to their episodes I have found.

https://rpggeek.com/rpgpodcast/7015/chroniclespathfinder-podcast

I also don't know how to post external links.


Something else you can do is a bit of foreshadowing. Have the party run across someone in the town at the start that can 'spin' a tale about the past. Giving the party 'hints' of what's coming up and how to fight the encounters. Maybe print out the tale and just hand the page to the party.

Been a long time since I've ran/played this, so no idea on what kind of foreshadowing tale would fit in with the background info.

Silver Crusade

Here is the podcast link.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/1i4oj63bpbiqlje/ChroniclesPFPC%20-%20001%20-%20Cr ypt%20of%20the%20Everflame.mp3?dl=0

Let me know if it doesn't work, I've never posted a Dropbox link before.


I just played 2/3 characters in a party that ran the dungeon as written - a Battle Host Occultist, an Orc-bloodline Sorcerer focused on Evocation, and a caster Cleric. We were lucky enough to have bases covered against the Shadow - not only was the Occultist able to make his weapon Magic on the fly, but the Sorcerer's damage was good even with the 50% reduction. Plus, two of the characters had a rank in Knowledge: Religion, so I knew what it was. In a party less conveniently prepared for that encounter, I'd throw in an Oil of Bless Weapon earlier in the dungeon and throw hints about the Shadow's abilities - have it pass through an object while moving towards them so they realize it is incorporeal, for instance. A Shadow is a very tough encounter for a Level 1 party, but far from impossible, and with access to items that let you deal damage it's easier.

Against the construct... Well, the Occultist of my group got stuck down there and was knocked out as a result, but the Sorcerer's fire spells burnt it to a crisp in a round. All I can say is have it prioritize conscious enemies over unconscious ones and hope for the best. There's a way to negate the encounter entirely with the key already, so I'd run it as written.

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