PFS2 - Quest 1-06: Archaeology in Aspenthar

[GM Gwenn]

So, I ended up having a group of four running through this which were heavily magic and not really setup for dealing with the final encounter.

Tier 1-2. Four level 1s. Wizard, Sorcerer, Alchemist, Champion with poor dice rolls.

With +14 attack against level 1s virtually every other attack will be a crit. They were able keep it slowed, but is there something I'm missing about the encounter? I've only run it the once.

[albadeon]

It's a large creature with no ranged attack stuck in a room with several medium sized doors. Seems like they should've been able to attack it at range through the doors without ever coming into its reach.

[GM Gwenn]

They are new and took a while to figure out how immune it was to all the things and that advanced strategy should be employed.

[Silbeg]

It is a tough fight, that is for sure.

It can still go through the doors (as difficult terrain)

[albadeon]

Jack Brown wrote:

It can still go through the doors (as difficult terrain)

Could you provide a source for that? The only one I've been able to find is the Squeeze skill action, which would require being trained in Acrobatics (its only listed trained skill is Athletics) and is also specifically an exploration action and thus would not be available in combat. It does reference something like "many tight spaces are difficult terrain...that don't require a check" but neither there nor in the section about difficult terrain on p.475 does it go into any detail, so that's kind of weak for the RAW crowd... :)

I was kind of expecting that it should be able to squeeze through a regular door in combat as well, but haven't been able to find that anywhere.

[Slothsy]

The golem fight was definitely brutal on my group as well. My party was a storm druid (had issues with immunity to magic), a monk (rolling very poorly!), a fighter that was focused on trying to trip it (kept crit failing), level 3 Fumbus, and a dedicated healing cleric. The druid died in the combat and the fighter was at dying 2 at the end of the combat. The +16 in high tier meant that most first attacks were crits and second attacks were hits. Likewise, the 2d8 damage dice were so swingy (and rolling max on a crit definitely didn't help).

I think the lack of recall knowledge checks and an over-specialization in party roles contributed to the difficulty my party had. If they retreated, I definitely wouldn't have had the golem give chase.

[Silbeg]

albadeon wrote:

Jack Brown wrote:

It can still go through the doors (as difficult terrain)

Could you provide a source for that? The only one I've been able to find is the Squeeze skill action, which would require being trained in Acrobatics (its only listed trained skill is Athletics) and is also specifically an exploration action and thus would not be available in combat. It does reference something like "many tight spaces are difficult terrain...that don't require a check" but neither there nor in the section about difficult terrain on p.475 does it go into any detail, so that's kind of weak for the RAW crowd... :)

I was kind of expecting that it should be able to squeeze through a regular door in combat as well, but haven't been able to find that anywhere.

CRB 241 wrote:

Squeeze

You contort yourself to squeeze through a space so small you can barely fit through. This action is for exceptionally small spaces; many tight spaces are difficult terrain that you can move through more quickly and without a check.

emphasis mine

So, I would for sure rule that a door is one of the "tight spaces that are difficult terrain that you can move through quickly without a check"

[Derek Schubert]

Has anyone run this for a group that proposed using ropes to make the initial "Dangerous Descent" less dangerous?

The briefing-letter says the site is "on a seaside cliff". I would take the hint and bring extra ropes and grappling hooks. Then my team could rappel down the cliff (not free-climb) and affix the rope-ladder on the way down. The wind and the sea-slick rock might make someone fall off and dangle at the end of a rope a few times, but there should be virtually no risk of falling into the sea and taking damage.

This may trivialize the climb, or maybe it's a valid reward for a creative solution.

[Derek Schubert]

How long is a character enfeebled by the golem's Altered Alchemical Chambers result 1-2? Since the stat-block doesn't give a duration, it seems to be permanent until cured by something like a Restoration spell.

[1bent1]

Am I missing what the what all the white X marks are on the map? I assume they mean no door but did I miss that in the description?

[Thereus, Silver Crusader]

If a PC crits the golem in the final encounter, do the PCs within 5 feet get both the reflex save and the associated fortitude save to avoid the side effects of the rupture?