So, probably right after finishing Runelords (almost done with book 4) my players plan on generating PCs and starting Shattered Star with me as the GM.
To add some juice to the AP, I thought I would add a rival adventuring party that are also attempting to recovered the Sihedron Shards.
I'm thinking of the leader of this group to be a cleric of Lissala (LN, domains Runes and Knowledge) of the original Lissala concepts before corruption to the Runelords version.
While not an evil group they are determined to recovered the shards for religious reasons and this alone would be enough to make for some hard choices and decisions that may cause serious conflicts with the PCs.
My thoughts are that the Runelords AP caused a minor resurgence in interest in Lissala and things related to Thassilon.
While I'm solid on the cleric of Lissala, my other NPCs in that rival group are less so. I'm considering a five person group, probably a Wizard of the Thassilonian Schools, a Tattooed Sorcerer (unknown bloodline right now), a Slayer and a Rogue.
I plan on having the NPCs as non-threatening contacts in Book 1, perhaps a love interest, a research partner, childhood friend, or family member, etc. I'm striving to create a situation where the parties are at odds with each other but not so much they'll just kill each other on sight.
What I'm looking for are suggestions or related experiences others might have had for including Lissala in the AP and suggestions on properly themed archetypes or bloodlines or classes or other ideas for the rival party.
You could consider giving each of them a Sin theme. Maybe the cleric has the pride them, and her followers each have a different one, for example. Perhaps gluttony for the wizard, envy for the tattooed sorcerer, wrath for the slayer, and greed for the rogue? This doesn't have to be a mechanical thing, but it might help you in the process of selecting mechanics for them.
You could consider giving each of them a Sin theme. Maybe the cleric has the pride them, and her followers each have a different one, for example. Perhaps gluttony for the wizard, envy for the tattooed sorcerer, wrath for the slayer, and greed for the rogue? This doesn't have to be a mechanical thing, but it might help you in the process of selecting mechanics for them.
Now that's a very good idea. I will definitely take a look at that concept.
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What I'm looking for are suggestions or related experiences others might have had for including Lissala in the AP and suggestions on properly themed archetypes or bloodlines or classes or other ideas for the rival party.
A few thoughts, but first some background...
I'm currently running a grand campaign that primarily uses the Rise of the Runelords to tell the Shattered Star story. Its required a little re-work (which I love to do anyway) and it includes the six Runelords volumes as well as volumes 2, 3 & 6 of Shattered Star and volume 2 of Curse of the Crimson Throne, 'Seven Days to the Grave'. Its really come out spectacularly.
I've also created an entire subplot that might appeal to you - the background (in condensed form) is that a separate group which has infiltrated the Aspis Consortium is using their resources to gather the Shards themselves, with a specific intent on using their combined might to fully resurrect Lissala. To aid in that subplot, I'm including a half-dozen or so Pathfinder Society scenarios which mostly take place around Kaer Maga, dovetailing nicely with the Asylum Stone. If you want to flesh out your cult of Lissala side-plot, these are the scenarios you should consider - all are available for download and are relatively inexpensive. Among other things, they'll get another Runelord (and high priest of Lissala) to fight - I highly recommend that you give them a look.
PFS Scenario 3-26 "Portal of the Sacred Rune"
PFS Scenario 4-08 "The Cultist's Kiss"
PFS Scenario 4-10 "Feast of Sigils"
PFS Scenario 4-12 "The Refuge of Time"
PFS Scenario 4-20 "Word of the Ancients"
PFS Scenario 4-26 "The Waking Rune"
I do use a handful of other PFS scenarios to flesh out my story, but these were the ones that seemed specifically suited to your intended purpose.
In my particular campaign, the 'nemesis party' isn't competing with the group to find the Shards first so much as pursuing/tracking them and choosing opportune moments to try and steal, barter or take them by force along with any information they might have to find the others. Its led to some interesting situations including one very memorable three-way fight with a batch of Kreeg Ogres. Of course, my rival group was hired by Queen Illeosa of Korvosa (under the influence of the waking Sorshen rather than any old dusty set of dragon bones), but you can obviously introduce and purpose them however you see fit.
A few things to keep in mind - you want these characters to be recurring characters, so you need to build in encounters including gear or abilities that will allow one or more of them to be able to reliably make their escape. You'll also want to give them some 'reusable' assets. My initial group was made up of an Inquisitor of Lissala, a Hellknight commander with three Hellknight subordinates (natural allies) and a Red Mantis Assassin. The next time the group met, the three Hellknights (whom had been slain) had been resurrected as undead Ragewights (though with full armor), and the time after that, the dead Cavalier and undead Hellknights were replaced with a Summoner and his potential horde of minions. The Mantis Assassin would eventually return as a Revenant, and so on. Just something to keep in mind.
If you have any questions about my campaign or want to bounce ideas for yours off of me, feel free to message me any time.
This is spectacular information!! I totally forgot about the PFS stuff that involved Lissala and Krune.
And, you mentioned something I hadn't considered too: another interested person/group that hired the rival PCs to obtain the shards also.
This is spectacular information!! I totally forgot about the PFS stuff that involved Lissala and Krune.
And, you mentioned something I hadn't considered too: another interested person/group that hired the rival PCs to obtain the shards also.
Happy to help. Good luc1k
What I'm looking for are suggestions or related experiences others might have had for including Lissala in the AP and suggestions on properly themed archetypes or bloodlines or classes or other ideas for the rival party.A few thoughts, but first some background...
I'm currently running a grand campaign that primarily uses the Rise of the Runelords to tell the Shattered Star story. Its required a little re-work (which I love to do anyway) and it includes the six Runelords volumes as well as volumes 2, 3 & 6 of Shattered Star and volume 2 of Curse of the Crimson Throne, 'Seven Days to the Grave'. Its really come out spectacularly.
I've also created an entire subplot that might appeal to you - the background (in condensed form) is that a separate group which has infiltrated the Aspis Consortium is using their resources to gather the Shards themselves, with a specific intent on using their combined might to fully resurrect Lissala. To aid in that subplot, I'm including a half-dozen or so Pathfinder Society scenarios which mostly take place around Kaer Maga, dovetailing nicely with the Asylum Stone. If you want to flesh out your cult of Lissala side-plot, these are the scenarios you should consider - all are available for download and are relatively inexpensive. Among other things, they'll get another Runelord (and high priest of Lissala) to fight - I highly recommend that you give them a look.
PFS Scenario 3-26 "Portal of the Sacred Rune"
PFS Scenario 4-08 "The Cultist's Kiss"
PFS Scenario 4-10 "Feast of Sigils"
PFS Scenario 4-12 "The Refuge of Time"
PFS Scenario 4-20 "Word of the Ancients"
PFS Scenario 4-26 "The Waking Rune"
I do use a handful of other PFS scenarios to flesh out my story, but these were the ones that seemed specifically suited to your intended purpose.
In my particular campaign, the 'nemesis party' isn't competing with the group to find the Shards first so much as pursuing/tracking them and choosing opportune moments to try and steal,...
These sound like superb ideas. Our party actually did 3-26 as a sidequest immediately prior to Beyond the Nightmare Rift,so would be a very satisfactory inclusion. Do you have your Inquisitor statted anywhere? What kind of level did you pitch them at?