Stratt's Curse of the Crimson Throne Campaign Notes **Major Spoilers Within!**

[Stratt]

I will be starting my Curse of the Crimson Throne campaign in a few weeks. The party consists of 5 to 7 players (depending on who shows for a session.) All players have played extensively with each other over the past 10+ years so there is good player synergy at the table. We are all friends at the gaming table and outside of gaming.

Goal of this thread

While I like the CotCT adventure path a lot there are some modifications I plan to make (both small and large) to tailor the experience to my players and the type of game I like to run. My hope is this thread will help me work through those modifications, document how things turned out, and get feedback from the larger community.

Overarching Story Vision
I want to accomplish a few things with the story that will drive all the changes I make.

• Queen Ileosa is a master of manipulation and should be played as one. She isn’t going to let slip the horrible things she plans for the city. Instead she should use all of her skills to manipulate the party into being her pawns and only be revealed as the villain she is after considerable effort by the players to find out what is really going on.
  
• The campaign should focus primarily on the city of Korvosa with adventures happening outside of Korvosa only if there is a very compelling reason why those things couldn’t happen within the city.
  
• Korvosa needs to come alive as a city of people living honest lives trying to better themselves. Korvosa is a LN city meaning most of the people in the city are law abiding and on the level with those they deal business with. This is a city worth saving not a den of scum and villainy best left to burn.
  
• NPCs and factions introduced over the course of the campaign should be recurring and meaningful to the party and story unfolding.
  
• The story should weave in character backgrounds whenever possible giving the characters a greater connection to the events unfolding around them.

Game Mechanics
I’m playing this as a 3.5 campaign with moderate Pathfinder influences.

• We will be using the Pathfinder skill system with modification to how class skills work. At character creation each character can select any skill to place their skill ranks in. They gain training in all those skills. While this makes it easier for a character to gain training in a skill (such as a Stealthy Fighter.) I feel this gives players more flexibility to make flavorful characters without the need to multiclass to make skills work.
  
• The Pathfinder CMB / CMD system will get adapted for the campaign. Feats related to combat maneuvers (Trip / Sunder / Grapple / etc) will use the Pathfinder version over the 3.5 version and all bonuses from 3.5 material related to combat maneuvers will be halved.
  
• We will be using a few subsystems such as Intrigue, Contacts, and Reputation to track how the characters relate to and can interact with the various factions that operate in Korvosa.

[Stratt]

The Party
So far I only have concrete information on one party member (still lacking a name)

Player #1 Human Warblade (Book of 9 Swords) / Wizard / Jade Phoenix Mage (Bo9S). The first player to submit his character idea wants to play a character that started off training in magic at the Theumanexus College and swordplay at the Orisini Academy. He wanted to stay true to the fluff of the Jade Phoenix Mage but adapted to something relevant to Golarion. This all worked out perfectly!

• Having a character with ties to Theumanexus College would help the party out with their arcane needs while ties to Orisini Academy would give the character greater positive relationship with Grau and Vencarlo.
  
• The Jade Phoenix Mage backstory was also easy to adapt in such a way that this character could feel central to the unfolding story. For those that don’t know the history of the Jade Phoenix Mage, heavily abbreviated, involves a great evil that the original 13 Jade Phoenix Mages contained when they learned that it wouldn’t be possible to destroy the evil. The souls of the 13 Jade Phoenix Mages are reborn again and again (a Phoenix like cycle of rebirth) in new Jade Phoenix Mages to ensure that this great evil never wakes again. I made Kazavon the great evil that the Jade Phoenix Mages contained giving the character a great conclusion to his personal story arc at the end of the campaign.

Player #2 Possibly Halfling Rogue going Whsiperknife (Races of Wild)

Player #3 Possibly Barbarian / Crusader (Book of 9 Swords) This player likes to pick class combinations that seem counter to each other and make them work. Last campaign he played a Paladin / Monk.

Player #4 Human Beguiler (Player’s Handbook 2) / Wizard / Ultimate Magus (Complete Mage)

Player #5 Talks about being some kind of skill monkey and threatens me with Spellthief (Complete Adventurer) but that class sucks!

Player #6 Can’t make up his mind

Player #7 No clue

[Stratt]

Chapter One: Edge of Anarchy
Heavily influenced by the amazing work of Skeld and ideas of others on the forums I plan to make the following changes to Edge of Anarchy.

Story Changes

• The king is still alive after the party deals with Gaedren Lamm. When the party finally returns the brooch to the queen they have an audience with both the king and queen that will portray the queen as a very loving and worried wife scared of the thought of ruling should anything happen to her husband. The queen makes it a point to personally thank the party, perhaps even taking an interest in one of the party members she plots to build a deeper connection with in the future.
  
• The party will be introduced to Marcus Endrin who has need of a party of adventurers to investigate some disappearances plaguing a small mining town to the east of Korvosa. He hires the party for the job and sends them on their way. The primary purpose of this is to get the party out of the town such that the descent into anarchy feels less sudden on the party. Thanks to Skeld for the great idea and basis of the side adventure! In addition to removing the party from Korvosa as the city falls to chaos this gives the party a great opportunity to interact with the Hellnknights while learning what law and order from a LE organization is like. I plan for the Hellknights to play a large role throughout the entire campaign.
  
• The Dead Warrens encounter will see some minor modifications. Instead of retrieving the body parts from the murdered Shoanti, the party is sent to retrieve an amulet he wore. This amulet will bear the symbol of the Jade Phoenix Mage providing a link between the ancient Jade Phoenix Mages, the Shoanti, and the Cinderlands that becomes centerpiece in later chapters.
  
• Intertwine NPC appearances from key players in later chapters and lay the foundation for the Grey Maidens recruitment drive. These could be mentions in passing or mini encounters designed to give the party a deeper involvement in Korvosa and the people that shape it.

Mechanics Changes

• Given the size of the party most encounters need to be modified to accommodate for the greater party power. To do this I’ll be adding to the number of opponents in each encounter as well as improving the ability of key opponents the party faces. Each change I’ll document when I recap the party exploits in the coming months.

Keys to Accomplish in Chapter One

• Have the party learn more about and build ties with Korvosa. This could be a favorite bar or restaurant, getting in good with the Korvosa Guard or the Sable Company Marines, developing commerce ties to sell looted items, discover shop keepers that can assist them in finding rare magical items, or building relationships with underworld elements.
  
• Introduce future NPCs with key story roles early and allow the party to interact with them before their time in the story comes.
  
• Keep the queen seeming innocent through the chapter so her turn later in the story has more meaning.

The Mining Town (Rough Outline)
Party arrives at the Mining Town and learns that the Hellknights have also just arrived. Learn that the town has had a number of disappearances over the past few months (5 total occurances).
The Hellknights heard about the problems and offered the leader of the town to solve the problem for a nominal fee to which the leader agreed.

Party uncovers a few leads.

• There is a tribe of goblins and lizardfolk that have both been neutral towards the town historically but have recently started to squabble with each other. About a month ago that squabble lead to a mining cart carrying ore back from one of the mines in the mountains getting attacked and damaged. No one was seriously injured but the town has always disliked having fowl creatures like goblins and lizardfolk so close making them easy scape goats. In reality neither the goblins or lizardfolk have ever caused problems for the town before. Should the party investigate they will learn that the Hellknights eradicated one of the villages ( the first the party visits) and is laying siege to the next one the party visits. The Hellknights are vicious in their assault leaving no goblin or lizardfolk alive even going out of their way to track down and kill anyone trying to flee.
  
• Tracking the nearby area will uncover some bear tracks the party can follow back to a cave of bears. Though vicious the bears don’t actually have anything to do with the disappearances.
  
• Deeper into the mountains past both the goblin and lizardfolk homes lives a nymph worshipped by a small coven of pixies. About two months ago a pair of owlbears migrated into the area and has been causing all sorts of problems for the nymph. Eager to server their goddess, the pixies learned they can satiate the owlbears if they drop off unsuspecting humans every week or so. Here the party can either wipe out the pixies and nymph or make a deal with the nymph to kill the owlbears in return for her promise to leave the mining town alone.

[Stratt]

Chapter Two: Seven Days to the Grave
I’m not at the point where I’m planning encounters for this chapter yet so this is going to be more generalized thoughts that will develop as we get closer to running Chapter Two.

Initial Thoughts
I want to use this chapter to create the circumstances under which the Grey Maidens come to power. To that end I’ll change the motivation of why Ileosa brought the plague to Korvosa. This plague is meant to accomplish three things. First, create a state of chaos in the city focused in an area that Ileosa doesn’t care about (the poor). Second, provide the answer to the chaos so she can publicly declare victory and establish order under her leadership. Third, replace the Sable Company Marines with her own Grey Maidens.

Ileosa will be the one that brings in the party to investigate what is happening as a personal favor for the queen. Doctor Davaulus and the Queen’s Physicians will have evidence planted by the Red Mantis (working for Ileosa) pointing blame at the Arkonas family. This will cause the Arkonas family to cry foul and lead to their actions in Chapter Three. In reality the doctor and physicians were working for Ileosa as written.

The Grey Maidens present in the Chapter assisting with the plague will be replaced with Sable Company Marines that Ileosa charmed to do her deeds (she is suppose to be a high level enchanter after all!) The Grey Maidens are going to make an entrance right at the end of the Chapter supporting the party in their final push to deal with the temple and then to deliver the antidote to the city that the party develops. This will give the Queen the perfect reason to disband the Sable Company Marines and replace them with the Grey Maidens in Chapter Three without anyone suspicious as to why she is doing it.

[Stratt]

Chapter Three: Escape from Old Korvosa
Real real rough thoughts. The party won’t be forced to flee Korvosa at the end of Chapter Three. I want them to stick around for parts of Chapter Four where the real Ileosa gets revealed. 

[Stratt]

Chapter Four: A History of Ashes
I already know Chapter Four is going to need significant work. I want the party to start in Korvosa for this chapter. The Hellknights are going to play a larger role here. Possibly Croft will be arrested by the Queen and held by the Hellknights. The party can break her out and learn more about what’s really going on. Croft still isn’t convinced the queen is evil yet but she’s learned about Deathhead Vault and knows the answers to who is behind it all is there. The party can assault the place, learn about the truth of the Grey Maidens, and find evidence that Ileosa is really behind it all.  

[Stratt]

Chapter Five: Skeleton of Scarwall
Haven’t gotten this far. 

[Stratt]

Chapter Six: Crown of Fangs
Haven’t gotten this far but I know I want to involve the Hellknights and an opportunity for the party to convince the Hellknights that Ileosa is actually stringing them along and they can switch sides to bring her down as her chaotic vision is an affront on lawful order or something like that.

[MrVergee]

I don't know if you've read my journal, but it contains similar elements to the ones you're planning on using, like the PCs working for the seemingly innocent queen first, more focus on Korvosa, more foreshadowing, clearer introduction of the Gray Maidens, the king dying while the PCs are out of town, so the riots have time to grow ... I also kept the PCs more in Korvosa (I skipped Scarwall and had an alternative storyline in Korvosa instead). Anyway, you're welcome to mine my log for inspiration, although it is quite lengthy to read.

[Skeld]

Stratt wrote:

• The king is still alive after the party deals with Gaedren Lamm. When the party finally returns the brooch to the queen they have an audience with both the king and queen that will portray the queen as a very loving and worried wife scared of the thought of ruling should anything happen to her husband. The queen makes it a point to personally thank the party, perhaps even taking an interest in one of the party members she plots to build a deeper connection with in the future.
  

I also did something similar to this: the King was alive, but sickly, and the Queen appeared concerned about him and his condition.

-Skeld

[tonyz]

This sounds like a really good example of how to adapt a campaign to your players. Looking forward to seeing how it develops.

As far as getting the Hellknights on your side goes, that's Neolandus' job: the seneschal has the ability to depose the monarch. So that lets the Hellknights act. Of course, they still may have to be convinced to act, which might involve some negotations... maybe even a sidequest or two.

[Stratt]

MrVergee wrote:

I don't know if you've read my journal, but it contains similar elements to the ones you're planning on using, like the PCs working for the seemingly innocent queen first, more focus on Korvosa, more foreshadowing, clearer introduction of the Gray Maidens, the king dying while the PCs are out of town, so the riots have time to grow ... I also kept the PCs more in Korvosa (I skipped Scarwall and had an alternative storyline in Korvosa instead). Anyway, you're welcome to mine my log for inspiration, although it is quite lengthy to read.

I started reading through your campaign journal. Some really good stuff there!

Skeld wrote:

I also did something similar to this: the King was alive, but sickly, and the Queen appeared concerned about him and his condition.

Your thread is the one that gave me the idea!

tonyz wrote:

As far as getting the Hellknights on your side goes, that's Neolandus' job: the seneschal has the ability to depose the monarch. So that lets the Hellknights act. Of course, they still may have to be convinced to act, which might involve some negotations... maybe even a sidequest or two.

I've got some ideas about the Hellknights. One option is to have the party uncover records from the queen that she has no intention of paying the Hellknights for their services rendered. As an organization purely in it for the gold that should cause them some second doubts.

[Stratt]

Finished up with book six and I've got some work ahead of me.

The part about aiding the rebellion is great stuff but I'll need to elaborate on this. Has anyone come up with a system to track party progress towards aiding the rebellion or any other Adventure Paths that introduce such a system?

Initial idea is to break down the city into logical groups. This could include...

• City Guard
• Sable Company Marines
• Hellknights
• Shopkeepers
• Cerulean Society
• Shoanti
• Noble Houses
• Etc

Then as the players interact with or do things either favorable or opposed to the various organizations around the city they will earn a reputation score with that group. When the times comes to rally the troops in the final act this reputation score will play a key role in how successful the party is at finding missions and allies to oppose the queen.

Next up....

Was anyone else put off about the introduction of Sorshen, the Runelord of Lust, in chapter six? I don't think she was mentioned or alluded to anywhere else that I can remember in the book but all of a sudden she is the driving force behind what the Ileosa is doing in chapter six. I don't want to remove her. Most of my group is playing through Rise of the Runelords now (one of my players is the DM and I'm playing in the game) and I think they will love the little things that link the two adventure paths together (they are going to love the part Vorel Foxglove plays in the plague) but as is I feel Ileosa just randomly learning about Sorshen in the final chapter and making her grand plan right at the end of the adventure path lackluster.

I'm thinking of ways to introduce Sorshen from the start. Most likely Ileosa found the book before the campaign starts and has coveted eternal life but lacked the guts to actually do anything about it. She knew all about the Everdawn Pool and lusts to activate it knowing the sacrifice required but it wasn't until Kazavon's influence she could act on those desires.

How can I lay the seeds of this from the beginning without giving away the queen as a vain unlikable person. She is savvy enough to manipulate a party of low level adventures without breaking a sweet after all.

Any ideas? Maybe there is a spread of Lustful crimes around the cities as the riot happen caused by a runewell of Lust activating in the vaults under the city when Ileosa tapped into Kazavon?

I'm also pretty sure I need to move the Sunken Queen portion of the adventure to occur in the Pyramid under Castle Korvosa. This just makes to much sense. The idea of Ileosa activating a machine that will wipe out the city of Korvosa from under Korvosa makes way more sense then activating the machine from hundreds of miles away....

[Stratt]

First session coming up on Saturday and narrowed in on all the modifications for Chapter One.

Adventure starts off as per the Adventure Path. Party meets up at Zellara's house (before the campaign each player has already been sent the message from Zellara to meet up at her house.) The message specifies a meeting at noon to reduce the chances the party busts up the Old Fishery at night.

Old Fishery is mostly unchanged. I added some additional mobs and used beefed up versions of the named mobs I got from Skeld.

I've also used the idea that Skeld had to send the party off to the Bloodsworn Vale. The king (still alive) commissions the party to investigate delays in a road to Cheliax at the behest of the Sable Company Marines. I've taken parts of the Conquest of the Bloodsworn Vale adventure modifying it to suit my desire for a short excursion from the city (3-4 days would be perfect.)

Bloodsworn Vale will have the party look into road workers that have recently gone missing and include four main encounters

• There is a goblin and lizardman villages in the vale. Though they have never been hostile towards Fort Thorn or the workers they are the first suspects. Both tribes are innocent and should the party travel to visit them will find a group of Hellknights recently brought to the vale cleaning them out.
  
• A drake was spotted around the vale and investigation of the worker's campsite indicates that the drake might be involved in the attacks. The party can track it back to it's lair and dispose of it. No sign of the missing people show up in the drake's lair though.
  
• Deeper investigation into the worker camp site will lead the party to a grove of roseblood sprites that worship a nymph that lives near their village. The nymph made a deal with a family of owlbears to provide tribute, in the form of living sacrifices, to the owlbears in return the owlbears would leave the nymph and her sprite worshipers alone. The nymph uses the sprites to lure in workers that then get charmed and shipped off to the owlbears for dinner. A nymph and village of sprites is a bit much for a 2nd level party to clear out so hopefully they offer to dispose of the owlbears in return for the nymph to call off stealing workers!
  
• Owlbears are the ones eating workers as snacks and the party can lay the smack down on them!

Once done the party returns to Korvosa to find the place in utter chaos.

From here I'll run things mostly by the book just adding in a few encounters.

• Hellknight Justice - This encounter consists of four Hellknights stopping a dozen looters from ransacking local villages. When the party comes across them the Hellknights have the looters tied up and the leader of the Hellknight patrol is pronouncing judgement on them. Ofcourse that judgement is execution with plans to string the dead bodies up along the street as a warning to any other would be looters. Before the executions happen the Hellknights get attacked by arrows and run off in chase leaving just one of their patrol behind to complete the executions. That lone patrol will be aided by a pair of Legion Devils that show up. The party can intervene, ignore what's happening, or attempt to speak with the Hellknight and even convince him to allow the party to take the looters to the Korvosa Guard.
  
• Marine Down! - This encounter I've stolen from Turelus and you can find it here.
  
• Dusters - In this encounter the party runs afoul of a group of Dusters looking to shake down the party for some quick gold. This could set the stage for move involved Duster action in later chapters.
  

I'll post how things went next week! I expect we'll get about half way through the Chapter One material over the weekend (we usually play 10-12 hour sessions.)

[DM_aka_Dudemeister]

I recommend reading through the Hell's Rebel's player's guide. It has an entire detailed system for running a rebellion in a city.

[James Krolak]

Great ideas! I wish I had done this same sort of conversion to my CotCT game back when I started it a few years ago. My biggest complaint is that the AP feels like it really doesn't tie the PCs to Korvosa itself. We're down to just 1 session left and I've moved all the stuff in the Sunken Queen to under/inside the pyramid. I used the big "plug" in the basement of the castle as the means for the PCs to get into it. I had them walk down a spiral staircase for hundreds of feet and then just switched to using the map of the Sunken Queen without the tilted floors. Having them climb the levels even though they're underground still seems to work just fine thus far.

For their attack on the castle in book 6, I built a pyramid and a castle on top with part of the city below it out of cardstock. The whole thing was 4 1/2 feet by 9 feet. You can take a look at the pictures here if you want.

[Forben Stralken]

Hey Stratt! Love your ideas and the one you found elsewhere and added n your campaign, i'm very curious about how it played out, hope your group could continue the game, and that you'll find some time to tell us how it went!

Good job!

[Stratt]

I've been lax in updating. we had one other session I'll detail soon that included All the World's Meat, the capture of Trinia, and the Dead Warrens. Update will be in my other thread dedicated to the Edge of Anarchy specifically.

[Makin And Stump]

I really like many of the changes that you made to this campaign, but I only see your notes going up into chapter 2 (with mention of chapter 3 and 4). Did you ever finish this campaign?

[mikeawmids]

Makin And Stump wrote:

I really like many of the changes that you made to this campaign, but I only see your notes going up into chapter 2 (with mention of chapter 3 and 4). Did you ever finish this campaign?

Since their last update was 2017, I'm guessing not. :D