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This is a spoiler-filled resource thread for GMs running the Return of the Runelords Adventure Path, specifically for the fifth adventure, "The City Outside of Time."
Reading through this now...
Area B1... there are 12 jars, 1200gp each, yet they yield 16,800gp. My guess is the total yield should drop to 14400... or the value of each jar cranks up to 1400... because math.
Or as a set they fetch more? Simple enough reason.
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I've been very curious about Runelord Belimarius and I love what they've done with her narratively, in her statblock, and the art (hot damn that's a badass granny!). I also like that she isn't immediately hostile to the PC's and could become a powerful (if temporary) ally.
What I'd really like to see is what she does in the next book and after the campaign (assuming she survives). I doubt she'll be nearly as benevolent as Sorshen is becoming, so escaping Crystilan to the modern world will be a big moment for Balimarius. Will she change or double down on her envy and spite?
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I have a question for the powers that be. Can the people within Xin-Edasseril see the world outside of the crystal dome and can people in Varisia see into it? So they are able to observe one another, but not be able to interact.
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I'm not one of the authors, but I believe the description of Crystalian said the dome was opaque and nobody knew what was inside.
As for the people inside, I imagine since they're frozen in time it's irrelevant, but I'm willing to bet the dome was opaque in both directions.
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I have a question for the powers that be. Can the people within Xin-Edasseril see the world outside of the crystal dome and can people in Varisia see into it? So they are able to observe one another, but not be able to interact.
They can't. Looking from Varisia in only lets you see vague details of the trapped city, but no inhabitants, like a ship in a bottle you can't ever reach. And looking out of Xin-Edasseril, you only see the perpetual end of the world and strange stars in the sky frozen in time. There's quite a bit more details on this on page 38 of the adventure.
(Don't forget to check the inside covers for additional info on Runelord-related info for these adventures; this volume has an entry for Crystilan in the back, for example.)
In any event, the fact that the city exists outside of time means that neither side can interact with each other, unless someone goes through the dangerous first half of the adventure (the inability to interact across the boundary is what makes the first half of the adventure exist in the first place, after all!).
Thanks James! I had missed that part.
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I hope that I'm not the only one thinking that at some point in the Realm of Frozen tears, a lot of GMs will bust out this song. I'd like to know if the naming of the White Death was an intentional nod to one of Finland's most legendary soldiers.
Regardless, I might just swap Inkariax's favored weapon to the rifle, maybe change a few of his followers to the undead snipers from Rasputin Must Die.
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I hope that I'm not the only one thinking that at some point in the Realm of Frozen tears, a lot of GMs will bust out this song. I'd like to know if the naming of the White Death was an intentional nod to one of Finland's most legendary soldiers.
Regardless, I might just swap Inkariax's favored weapon to the rifle, maybe change a few of his followers to the undead snipers from Rasputin Must Die.
Not intentional, as far as I know.
I checked Zeralisce's stats and... yeesh. I've never seen a humanoid with a 6 in Wisdom. I wonder what that's like?
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I checked Zeralisce's stats and... yeesh. I've never seen a humanoid with a 6 in Wisdom. I wonder what that's like?
It probably wouldn't be too noticeable, actually. People tend to forget that PC's (even at low point buy) have exceptional ability scores, and that a score of 10 is perfectly average.
The rule of thumb is that ability score distribution among the general population follows the curve defined by 3d6. Given this spread, about 9.25% of people would have a wisdom score of 6 or lower. So this would be uncommonly low, but common enough that if you're relaxing in a bustling tavern there are probably multiple people in that room with a wisdom score that low or lower.
There's a half-orc NPC in the city, but unless I'm mistaken with the timeline, orcs are unknown in the tine of Thassilon. They're driven to the surface by the dwarves' Quest for Sky in the following Age of Darkness, right?
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There's a half-orc NPC in the city, but unless I'm mistaken with the timeline, orcs are unknown in the tine of Thassilon. They're driven to the surface by the dwarves' Quest for Sky in the following Age of Darkness, right?
Orcs still exist, and thus half-orcs can exist, even before the Quest For Sky. Dwarves are the ones that, before this event, are more obscure. Orcs lived in the uppermost reaches, between dwarves and the surface, and as such would often drift up above ground to raid or explore or whatever.
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I'm not seeing how the PCs will approach the Realm of Frozen Tears. Do I assume they will come from the "south" toward B1-B4? Or can they circle around the place, to scout the location, like they would if they were in the Material plane?
If the PCs don't indicate that they're approaching from any specific direction, you get to choose. Once they arrive of course they can circle and skirt as they wish.
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I'm confused by the map description of Edasseril.
D6. Ministry of Tithes The ministry was once the domain of a young
and unhappy Belimarius, but now this center of bureaucracy and taxation is deep in the heart of Cultist territory.
D6 on the map is located in Covetous Chorus, which is in Runelord Territory. Should it be moved or swapped with another location?
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I'm confused by the map description of Edasseril.
D6. Ministry of Tithes The ministry was once the domain of a young
and unhappy Belimarius, but now this center of bureaucracy and taxation is deep in the heart of Cultist territory.D6 on the map is located in Covetous Chorus, which is in Runelord Territory. Should it be moved or swapped with another location?
It's in the correct place.
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I'm the GM and the party has just started City Outside of Time and the Knowledge Checks required for the Ritual are just completely out of their league now. Not even with a 20 on their skill check are able to reach the required DC for the ritual to the Shadow plane. This is a large group, 6 people... but most of them are focused on STR, DEX, WIS or CHA (barbarian, gunslinger, rogue, oracle, sorcerer, druid). All I can think of is to lower the DC or let them hire a high level NPC. Maybe some of the pre-gens? Any suggestions?
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I'm the GM and the party has just started City Outside of Time and the Knowledge Checks required for the Ritual are just completely out of their league now. Not even with a 20 on their skill check are able to reach the required DC for the ritual to the Shadow plane. This is a large group, 6 people... but most of them are focused on STR, DEX, WIS or CHA (barbarian, gunslinger, rogue, oracle, sorcerer, druid). All I can think of is to lower the DC or let them hire a high level NPC. Maybe some of the pre-gens? Any suggestions?
As the GM, when you see something like this that doesn't work with a party's unusual setup, you should step in and adjust the story to fit. We assume that any group in an Adventure Path will represent a diverse, relatively balanced array of skills and abilities, and take pains to ensure that there are chances for all types of characters to excel and get time in the spotlight for each adventure. That's why we include a mix of combat, social encounters, skill challenges, and the like in each part.
In a case like this, your best bet is to simply change the checks required for the Ritual to ones that aren't out of the PCs' league and to adjust the flavor text to match.
In the case of the Key to Crystilan ritual (I assume that's the problem ritual in question), changing the skill check to Knowledge (nature) and/or Knowledge (religion) instead of arcana and planes is an easy fix, and in my opinion wouldn't even require much in the way of flavor adjustment at all. And if no one in the group has any Spellcraft whatsoever, consider changing that to something like Disable Device and reflavoring it to be akin to a rogue dismantling a magic trap rather than a spellcaster understanding the theories of the underlying magic.
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During previous book discussions the vibe that James tended to provide was that we should be attempting to allow a reasonable amount of downtime when possible for the party. Particularly in between books. My party just started book 4 and I was planning on allowing my party to begin crafting some of the golems from any of the 3 manuals you find from books 2-4. But this book seems adamant against the party receiving any downtime between book 4 and 5. Is this a hard no for a particular reason or can I play a little loose and give them the downtime they need without breaking book 5 in the process?
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The Fluttered Wing Artifact has no listed DC for Suggestion, does this really mean that its DC 13..? It's recommended to the players that retrieving this and using it on Solethex to grant them entry to Arcanium Abjurant's Library is a viable option.
Though if its DC13 then the item is completely useless, since a target always knows when it resists a spell being cast upon them and Solethex would need to roll a natural 1 for it to work.
Anyone have any idea of what I should set the DC at or what they intended the DC to be?
Normally, this'd be a DC 14 Will save for a 3rd level spell, but that is indeed too low. This suggestion effect should be noted as having been heightened to 9th level to match the artifact's caster level, so that'd make it a DC 23 Will save.
My party has a nemesis among Alaznist’s followers and I’m planning way in advance. Anyone want to warn me how it would be game breaking or rough on the plot for the nemesis to waylay the party in the plane of shadow? Plane shift is a spell, so hitting them there seems the most reasonable compared with the city Or Pharasma’s boneyard.
Good warning. I have reasons I can keep it personal with just the follower as an individual so I'll make sure to emphasize that instead of the Alaznist connection.
My party encountered Inkariax for reasons related to a couple of their backstories. I used his freezing blast ability to hold everyone in place and get the party pretty freaked out about his power. I had some contingencies in mind in case none or all of them saved on the DC 29 Will check, but luckily only one saved and remained unfrozen. The one guy that was alive then negotiated a pact with Inkariax in order for them to be let free. They all had to take the "Shadowbound" corruption in exchange for their lives and permission to continue their journey to Crystilan. In return, Inkariax gets to learn about Crystilan (his reason for building the tower where he did), and he gets a hold on some powerful PCs for him to do his bidding. It turns out it has been a fun wrench in the plans of the mostly good-aligned party, because they now have to consider not upsetting Inkariax going forward (for example in dealing with the Doloras cultists in the city).
Anyway the circumstances aren't exactly the same, but there was my idea for an encounter with a Demigogue.
The Frozen Tears area seems.. depopulated. As I ran through it, I described additional structures surrounding the central portion (as depicted as Area B), populated by numerous standard kytons (which occasionally interfere as mooks).
This made the whole place a little more alive - gave more reason for interflow between areas (ending with the High Mistress negotiating with the PCs for 24 hours of grace).
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Is there a specific year it's supposed to be inside Xin-Edasseril when the party arrives? Their Groundhog Day-esque life has ended and time is flowing normally for them at last, but they're still resuming from the year they were when that went into effect, right?
My best guess is "109 years into Belimarius's rule" which would be around -5293.
Is there a specific year it's supposed to be inside Xin-Edasseril when the party arrives? Their Groundhog Day-esque life has ended and time is flowing normally for them at last, but they're still resuming from the year they were when that went into effect, right?
My best guess is "109 years into Belimarius's rule" which would be around -5293.
The year is the year of Earthfall, which is -5293 AR.
I changed things up a bit for this - I *kept* the whole area repeating the week leading up to Earthfall, but changed only that they could *remember* it happening. So by the time my group got there, they had had 6 months of in-fighting, with resources and people popping back to the same *known* locations at the start of the week (if they survive). So the start of the cycle is a huge rush to claim places, people, resources. Worked, though could be better ways. Maybe people shouldn't reset, not sure.
I took the temporal flux hazards and applied that to the resources as well - food that had been eaten *usually* reappeared, but as it was eaten again and again, became less frequently in existence. Corpses appear where the person was when alive at the start of the cycle. Buildings might be intact one moment and have holes the next, more so if they'd been destroyed many times. Overall deterioration.
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RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32, 2011 Top 16
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Ran the fight against Belimarius last night, and something came up which is an error with her tactics. Since the entire palace has a dimensional lock effect, technically her maze spell shouldn't function, and therefore, shouldn't be one of her go to spells offensively. You could replace it with some other option, but since she's looking to keep some PCs alive, there's limited options. I instead just declared that since it's a permanent dimensional lock effect she made, rather than the spell itself just cast, she included a provision which allows her own maze spells to circumvent it, which keeps the expected tactics working.
Also, I found there's some neat synergies built into that encounter which aren't called out:
1) the emerald guards have improved bull rush, and once Belimarius places some prismatic walls during her time stop, having the guards bull rush PCs through the walls is super effective. My players were not happy when this happened once.
2) if you have the gold golems able to come to her call when a fight breaks out (which I did) their immunity to magic allows them to simply walk through the prismatic walls without harm. In fact, the first layer doing fire damage means they get a haste out of the bargain, even if their DR is reduced. At this level though, most PCs will be able to bypass DR/adamantine anyway so it's not really a loss there.
I checked Zeralisce's stats and... yeesh. I've never seen a humanoid with a 6 in Wisdom. I wonder what that's like?
The Elder Mythos cleric I played in this path had a Wisdom of 6 (dreamthief changeling with a -2 penalty and then I took 2 more off). Basically she was unpredictable, had trouble with long-term consequence thinking, missed a lot of the obvious things going on around her, couldn't tell the difference between what she'd made up and what she was actually experiencing... she had a non-typical value system, so she was really bad about tracking her share of loot. She had the Time Lost trait and was a servant of Tawil at Umr (Umr at Tawil, dammit! Otherwise it would be Tawil al Umr). She was never quite sure whether she was seeing things, remembering them, experiencing them in the present, or having a vision of the future.
Think of a slightly above average intelligence person who had a very compelling personality, who found tomes of forbidden knowledge and thought "Hey, I should know more about this!"
Tawil at Umr (Umr at Tawil, dammit! Otherwise it would be Tawil al Umr).Ah, the 'joy' of seeing people trying to do stuff in languages they don't know. I grind my teeth every time I see things like 'draugr' or "Jormundgandr" that isn't in ON.
I know it's pedantic, but Lovecraft got it right and I don't know why it was changed for the game. A minor quibble, but that's my stock-in-trade.