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This is a spoiler-filled resource thread for GMs running the Against the Aeon Throne Adventure Path, specifically for the second adventure, "Escape from the Prison Moon."
PDF arrived this morning; all the crazy aliens is all kinds of awesome. I can't wait to play out the space station stuff.
One question: will rules for Glimmshar's be released? They seem far too interesting a race with the redundant speech patterns + unique names to not be playable or even be used as enemies.
Outpost Zed looks like it will be super fun to role play! I do have a few questions tho. Do the residents of Zed use the same type of credits as the pact worlds? Do the PCs need docking clearance to arrive on zed?or can they just park their ship and head on in
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PDF arrived this morning; all the crazy aliens is all kinds of awesome. I can't wait to play out the space station stuff.
One question: will rules for Glimmshar's be released? They seem far too interesting a race with the redundant speech patterns + unique names to not be playable or even be used as enemies.
Unfortunately, we couldn't find the room in this volume to give full stats for the glimmshars. But I think they are pretty neat too! We are always looking back at old APs and other material for name drops that we can turn into full creatures, so fingers crossed!
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Outpost Zed looks like it will be super fun to role play! I do have a few questions tho. Do the residents of Zed use the same type of credits as the pact worlds? Do the PCs need docking clearance to arrive on zed?or can they just park their ship and head on in
To make things easier for the players, you can just assume that credits are pretty much universal. However, if you want to make Outpost Zed a little more alien, throw in a money-changer type of NPC so the PCs can trade their credits for, a type of money they can only use on Outpost Zed. But don't make the exchange rate too complicated or unfair to the PCs so they can keep their treasure and wealth by level numbers in the correct range!
Ok, what is going on with that ship design in the front cover? Why does the Vanguard Parapet have most of its firepower and none of its shields in the front?
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My party is going to have a hard time in book two and I've been trying to figure out a way to make it even close to possible. It's going to be real hard to disguise two skittermanders, a yasoki, a sro, and
a dragonkin as Azlanti. I don't think there is any spell or item that can make that level of change. Any ideas how to make it kind of possible without it just being a guns a blazing raid.
Check out the Morphic Skin magitech augmentation in Armory. The Advanced version (item level 4, 2030 credits) can physically change your appearance into that of a different species of the same creature type (so any humanoid). The height chance is limited to 1', so not sure what the dragonkin can appear as that would make sense in Azlanti space, nor what the SRO can do with this.
The Veil spell can also take care of this, but it's a 6th level spell and subject to disbelief seeing through it.
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My party is going to have a hard time in book two and I've been trying to figure out a way to make it even close to possible. It's going to be real hard to disguise two skittermanders, a yasoki, a sro, and
a dragonkin as Azlanti. I don't think there is any spell or item that can make that level of change. Any ideas how to make it kind of possible without it just being a guns a blazing raid.
Disguise self will let your skittermanders and ysoki appear as (short) Azlanti, which will help them get in the door at least. The SRO pretends to be a simple automaton (as long as they don't mind if their friends treat them a little badly in front of the Azlanti) and the dragonkin is their prisoner (what I refer to as "the Chewbacca gambit").
Ok, what is going on with that ship design in the front cover? Why does the Vanguard Parapet have most of its firepower and none of its shields in the front?There's actually a story reason for that in the adventure!
Puppeteer ship design! Larry Niven contribute to this one?
Do the PCs have to hack every door in part 3?
I understand why they did it, but it's pretty unbelievable that Talmrin can install Azlanti technology ship upgrades. The racist totalitarian empire that blows up their own ships and crews in order to avoid the possibility of this technology leaking is not going to let a gosclaw learn how to build them or allow the technology necessary to build them hang out on a space station in a system they control.
Smart PCs would have to ask why they wouldn't better help the Pact Worlds by kidnapping Talmrin and taking him home as a masterstroke of technological espionage rather than worry about the Rune Drive as priority #1.
Do the PCs have to hack every door in part 3?
No, they can carry around a severed hand (or unconscious/very well secured prisoner). Or break them down, or use Engineering instead of Computers. And I think one door in reception is noted as not requiring biometric access, it opens for everyone. Otherwise, yes.
That seems like a lot of doors. I would think the alarm would be raised rather quickly if they kill someone right away to take a body part with them
Would it be safe to assume that part 3 can be completed without needing an 8 hour rest? It would seem difficult to find a safe way to do it. I was also considering having holoskins available before they arrive at the prison for the very non human members of the party. Maybe they can get special longer l asting ones if they help or make friends with the residents of outpost zed
That seems like a lot of doors. I would think the alarm would be raised rather quickly if they kill someone right away to take a body part with them
Each guard has a listed time before their absence is noted (taking camera surveillance you may or may not have tinkered with into account) if you quietly kill one.
I'm fairly certain that's supposed to work like clearsight goggles. Same level, same price, and the description of clearsight goggles refers to them as "the trinket."
They make fog, smoke and vegetation not grant concealment against you. No effect on total concealment. Armory page 100, for reference.
We had a WTF moment yesterday as the players went to Outpost Zed. I laid out the map for them and they wanted to go from A2 to A5 since there is a way there on the map. I started to wonder how it can be since there are hostile creatures there and it's right next to the cantina. I also remembered it was supposed to be only accessable from the pipes. Quite a bug in the map, or did I get something wrong?
We had a WTF moment yesterday as the players went to Outpost Zed. I laid out the map for them and they wanted to go from A2 to A5 since there is a way there on the map. I started to wonder how it can be since there are hostile creatures there and it's right next to the cantina. I also remembered it was supposed to be only accessable from the pipes. Quite a bug in the map, or did I get something wrong?
Yeah, I ran this as being more of a "logical connections" map than "as drawn". I also wanted to play up the maze-like nature of the piping (and also to give one of my PC aliens a chance to use their squeezing special ability!).
What is target tracking offensive ability of relic engineers? I can't find anywhere how it's work.
Alien Archive class graft for mechanic.
Target Tracking (Ex): As a move action, this NPC can designate and track a single foe, gaining a +2 bonus to attack rolls against that target. Use this same bonus for twin tracking and quad tracking.
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For the gambling encounter, it was 50/50 any bet would win.
For cheating, I allowed a sleight of hand check to increase the chance by 5% for every 5 over 16.
SoH check result:
16 = 55% (d20, name odd or even, plus one additional number)
21 = 60% (name two additional #s)
26 = 65% (name 3 add. #s)
I also put a cap on 2500 credits allowed to win. After that, no one would be willing to keep playing.
Also there are now some unhappy Draelik that want their credits back, roughing up the PCs to get it.
Has anyone had any issues with the final fight in book 2? My players took a somewhat unorthodox approach and went straight in for Cedona, using a bluff to get them to the hub, at which point the bluff fell apart, they had a fight (on four cameras, without taking out the guards in the camera control center), then I let them hack a computer to figure out where Cedona was while the prison went on high alert. As a consequence, they are now facing off against the warden and three Aeon Guards. We just finished the first round last night before having to pause, but they were really struggling to hit the Aeon Guards and I'm a little worried about a TPK (which also ended our Dead Suns campaign, so I'm anxious about players getting discouraged with (a) the system, (b) the APs, or (c) me, thinking I'm just a meat-grinder style of GM).
Party consists of five PCs at level 4. I feel like, on paper, they ought to be able to do it, but I'm worried about their ability to then get out of the prison with the hornets nest they've stirred up.
On the gambling, I just did an impromptu dice game that mirrored blackjack. Ante up, roll 2d6, place a bet (or fold), roll another 2d6, add the results. Closest to 15 wins, anything over 15 loses, if everyone loses the pot rolls over to the next round. Went quickly and players seemed to enjoy it.
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I’d adjust the AC of the Aeon Guards, they’re way out of line with the CR guidelines and it’s been argued frequently that their AC was a mistake by an author not familiar with applying grafts to the new system.
Edit: The recommended EAC/KAC of a CR3 combatant is 14/16. An Aeon Guard has 19/22, suggesting someone screwed up and added the armor value to the base AC they originally assigned. Either make Aeon Guard AC the recommended value or at most 1-2 points higher. 5-6 points higher is broken.
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Disguise self will let your skittermanders and ysoki appear as (short) Azlanti, which will help them get in the door at least. The SRO pretends to be a simple automaton (as long as they don't mind if their friends treat them a little badly in front of the Azlanti) and the dragonkin is their prisoner (what I refer to as "the Chewbacca gambit").My party is going to have a hard time in book two and I've been trying to figure out a way to make it even close to possible. It's going to be real hard to disguise two skittermanders, a yasoki, a sro, and
a dragonkin as Azlanti. I don't think there is any spell or item that can make that level of change. Any ideas how to make it kind of possible without it just being a guns a blazing raid.
I'm running for a party of 4. Small: Bantrid, Ysoki. Medium: Wrikreechee, Large: Shohbad
Thankfully(?) I killed the Shohbad in Book 1, final boss. So now he's a Human, much easier for this stuff!
We had a WTF moment yesterday as the players went to Outpost Zed. I laid out the map for them and they wanted to go from A2 to A5 since there is a way there on the map. I started to wonder how it can be since there are hostile creatures there and it's right next to the cantina. I also remembered it was supposed to be only accessable from the pipes. Quite a bug in the map, or did I get something wrong?
I just came up to this problem. It’s super weird of them to do this. Like the map artist and writer just didn’t communicate? I use a VTT so I’m not sure how I should edit the map to reflect the pipe and pipe maze appropriately. My options seem to be:
A. Do as drawn. Not as written.
B. Close the gaps with pipes and make it work.
C. Ignore the map and do some theatre of the mind and only pull it out if it’s needed
How do stellifera talk? The writeup mentions augmentations but I'm not familiar with any that would allow that.
They're telepathic
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How do stellifera talk? The writeup mentions augmentations but I'm not familiar with any that would allow that.They're telepathic
Only via telepathic message, and their writeup specifically says they use augmentations to speak.
EDIT: I think I figured it out, though. It really looks like a technopathy node and a standard comm unit would get the job done nicely.
I think we also have to allow that Starfinder isn't going to publish rules for every quality of life enhancement that exists out there, even if they are alluded to by obscure niche racial entries. How to Khizars and some Vlaka function as adventurers? Just fine, thanks.
A technopathy node is implanted in...a voice box.
I’m super nervous about running the prison break in.
My party consists of an uplifted bear, a goblin, a kasatha, and a phentomite. Passing with a disguise plan is not likely to work. I don’t want to force them through and endless and deadly series of repetitive combats, but I’m worried it will work out that way.
Assuming they do make it in without getting found out, I’m still unsure of many ways the security actually functions. How do the players disable cameras without said cameras seeing them?
I’m super nervous about running the prison break in.
My party consists of an uplifted bear, a goblin, a kasatha, and a phentomite. Passing with a disguise plan is not likely to work. I don’t want to force them through and endless and deadly series of repetitive combats, but I’m worried it will work out that way.
Assuming they do make it in without getting found out, I’m still unsure of many ways the security actually functions. How do the players disable cameras without said cameras seeing them?
Holoskins are a cheap way to disguise yourself as another race if you have the underlying skill.
Unless you can stealth or use invisibility there isn’t a way to reach the cameras before being seen. I wouldn’t make piercing disguises easy to do via a camera, though, disguise your lead guy as a guard and let him mess with the camera.
I’m super nervous about running the prison break in.
My party consists of an uplifted bear, a goblin, a kasatha, and a phentomite. Passing with a disguise plan is not likely to work. I don’t want to force them through and endless and deadly series of repetitive combats, but I’m worried it will work out that way.
Assuming they do make it in without getting found out, I’m still unsure of many ways the security actually functions. How do the players disable cameras without said cameras seeing them?
I second holoskins, although they don't negate size penalties to disguise I believe. When I played through this book, my party had a Human, a Vlaka, a Tiefling (Human stock), and an Astrazoan.
We pulled the Wookiee gambit, and had the Astrazoan shapeshift into a Vesk, and had used a glamour fusion to make a laser pistol look like heavy manacles. The other 3 were disguised as Azlanti soldiers (either full face helmet heavy azlanti armor from a previous book or holoskins).
We also had a mechanic trained in stealth which seemed to help with hacking cameras.
You could alway pretend the large bear and the small goblin are prisoners, with two medium sized "Azlanti" guards (using holoskins or the like). Announce yourself as prisoner transfer from Cell Block 1138.
How did people run the maps for Cell Block J? I'm reading over the descriptions and having a hard time reconciling them with the map. B12 and 13 especially since it seems there is a wall and circular desk dividing each of these but nothing in the description mentions these. Presumably it's not terribly high as they both have a control room overlooking the area. The flavor text also makes it seem like you can see the whole room when you enter. So did you just make it an empty room aside from the parts actually listed in the text, or if you included the wall how did you have them set up?
How did people run the maps for Cell Block J? I'm reading over the descriptions and having a hard time reconciling them with the map. B12 and 13 especially since it seems there is a wall and circular desk dividing each of these but nothing in the description mentions these. Presumably it's not terribly high as they both have a control room overlooking the area. The flavor text also makes it seem like you can see the whole room when you enter. So did you just make it an empty room aside from the parts actually listed in the text, or if you included the wall how did you have them set up?
I described & ran them as a mix of low, solid barriers; transparent, solid window partitions; and transparent, barred upper sections. The divider across the room I described as the same but without bars across the top. The control room I had raised & accessed by a short flight of stairs, overlooking the whole affair. The doors I generally had as touch operated sliding doors that could be locked down from the control room.
So my players could *see* the whole room pretty much straightaway (& be seen), but they couldn't get everywhere without walking around/dealing with the doors. Seemed to work out ok (& gave a use for the jump jets one player had to scoot over the partition wall between the two halves).
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Hey All,
Having a great time running this AP, and my characters are about to embark on part 3 of Escape from the Prison Moon. However, I prepare for my next session I see that Talmrin wants the PCs to rescue three of her colleagues. My question is, where can I find a description of the "silvara?" I assume this is a race, but I can't locate it in any of the books?
Thanks for your help.
Chris
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Hey All,
Having a great time running this AP, and my characters are about to embark on part 3 of Escape from the Prison Moon. However, I prepare for my next session I see that Talmrin wants the PCs to rescue three of her colleagues. My question is, where can I find a description of the "silvara?" I assume this is a race, but I can't locate it in any of the books?
Thanks for your help.
Chris
Silvaras are described very briefly on page 47 on the volume, in the "Citizens of the Star Empire" article.
What we didn't mention is their size! Silvaras are Medium creatures. Well, their crab suits are Medium creatures...
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Strange that the slivara are not even in Alien Archive 3.
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I can give it a shot.
First off, the guards are lax to begin with. If your players haven't alerted anyone during their investigations, they can say almost anything and be believed as long as most of them look Azlanti. Just follow the guidance in each room and they should be able to get clearance to the normal prison cells without issue. If your players try anything, just assume they're on camera and have to make a Stealth check.
Increase the tension a little when they actually get to the cells. They guards will check their clearance, and have them make a Bluff check even if the guards will still believe everything.
If they want to check out the room where Cedona is, I would have the guards at the hub warn them that the warden didn't want to be disturbed, but be easy to convince that the warden can deal with the PCs.
The warden's room is soundproofed and she won't raise an alarm, so that's not an issue. But coming out with Cedona is odd, so that will almost certainly lead to a fight. There will probably be reinforcements coming as they free the other prisoners.
The robots patrolling the hallway can be fooled easily if disguises are still up. If they missed hacking any cameras, then the security station will be waiting for them and may get the robots to attack them anyway. If they didn't, then they could get away without any more fighting. The right disguise or attitude could get the guards at the airlock to let them pass without stopping them, but that last camera at the airlock probably didn't get hacked, so you could have any guards that were bypassed come running up for another fight, a chase, or just a narrated escape as they ineffectively shoot at the party's ship.