Star Crossed Court

[andreww]

I picked this up this morning and will be prepping it today. A few things caught my eye on an initial run through.

1. This doesnt feel terribly repeatable. While there are a limited number of alternate options in the social elements of the scenario and some changes to combat encounters based on PC decision making there is no variation in the combat encounters (save for the order in one). Compared to the 1E repatables like Tome of Righteous Repose or even 2E's Lost on the Spirit Road this is quite disappointing. It feels more like a regular scenario than a repeatable.

2. A significant part of the astrology encounter is based on positioning in the room next to a elevant constealltion. However, no key is provided as to which random squiggle on the mao is supposed to relate to which constelation and I certainly cannot tell which is which from the ma.

3. That encounter provides an option for the players to choose a more dangerous form of the encounter but there is no more reference to it than a small bullet point at the bottom of the table. I would have expected something to call out how our first 2E "hard mode" was supposed to work.

4. While its a minor point I found the use of a starfinder map in the scenario vey jarring.

[First World Bard]

1) Agreed that it has fewer random elements. They seem to be the order of the elementals being summoned, as well as which 5 of the 7 challenges happen in the final social encounter.
2) I'd take this opportunity to assign them randomly, and give the repeatable something else that changes run to run.
3) Dunno
4) Pretty sure I have that map, so I'm not complaining. :)

My question: During the Dinosaur Rodeo, a failure only gives a -2 cumulative on subsequent checks; it takes a crit fail to fall off. But later, it is said that the rodeo continues for 5 rounds or until a character fails. I'm assuming that should be "or until a character critically fails", since otherwise there would be no point in the -2.

Edit: I also very much appreciate that all the monsters come from the Bestiary. Having just purchased access to the Bestiary monsters in Fantasy Grounds, that will make prep a lot faster.

[Patate - PK]

Reading through the encounter adjustments, should the DCs for Petrifying Glance and Petrifying Gaze be boosted and weakened as well, or are the adjustments as stated correct and the DCs don't change?

[andreww]

Patate - PK wrote:

Reading through the encounter adjustments, should the DCs for Petrifying Glance and Petrifying Gaze be boosted and weakened as well, or are the adjustments as stated correct and the DCs don't change?

Linked to this the DC of the reaction and the action are different on the base stat block. Is this intnetional?

[First World Bard]

andreww wrote:

Patate - PK wrote:

Reading through the encounter adjustments, should the DCs for Petrifying Glance and Petrifying Gaze be boosted and weakened as well, or are the adjustments as stated correct and the DCs don't change?

Linked to this the DC of the reaction and the action are different on the base stat block. Is this intnetional?

The monster is from the Bestiary, so yes.

[andreww]

We also dont have any stats for Kesstraka or Lashweather. Lashweather in particular needs them as if he takes damage it can disrupt the ritual. While it isnt likely in the high tier the low tier enemies all have aoe abilities.

Likewise, in the dino rodeo it gives suggestions for the use of wild empathy or magic but no DCs. Do we use the regular ankylosurus will mod of +12?

[Gary Bush]

Can a nice moderator please update the title of the thread with the adventure number and what system is involved?? In this case, PFS2 1-23?

And andreww, please include the adventure number when you start threads as that is how people will search for posts?

Thanks!

[Pirate Rob]

At your request andreww: Here is a thread with a more helpful subject line. I suggest ceasing discussion here to help prevent the information from being split between threads.

[andreww]

Robert Hetherington wrote:

At your request andreww: Here is a thread with a more helpful subject line. I suggest ceasing discussion here to help prevent the information from being split between threads.

I made no such request.

[andreww]

I ran this today and noticed an issue with the boon.

Boon:

Seasoned Diplomat (Advanced) You have navigated the courts of Ekkeshikaar, honing your skills as a diplomat and researcher. You may check the box next to this boon at the beginning of an adventure to become trained in Diplomacy and Society for the duration of that adventure. If you are already trained in one of these skills, you instead become an expert. If your proficiency level is higher than expert in either of these skills, you treat any critical failure rolled with that skill as a failure and any failure as a success for the duration of the adventure.

As written, if you are an expert in either skill it grants no benefit at all. Is that intentional or should ot read expert or highr?