Venture-Agent, Netherlands—Utrecht
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I agree with number 2. I think it's just a copy/paste from the regular statblock, but the explicit mention of modified texts throughout the school suggests the author wants the GM to use the Text Passage ability. In the end, I ruled that they didn't use it, as the text also explicitly mentions that they don't use tactics. Diving into a book and hiding out somewhere else while their HP regenerates isn't fun, IMHO. I can see it's an interesting tactic, but the fast healing makes it very annoying.
Something else I noted: Some clues are too generous, IMHO. Several immediately point at the Maelstrom, while IMHO it's way more interesting to slowly piece that together. I was a little sparser with my clues, first dropping the hint of chaotic energy, a pocket to another plane (the laboratory), and with a third clue pointing directly towards the Maelstrom.
The treasure bundles feel random. While the cookies are cute, what reason do the PCs have for stealing them? Same with the translation book. I know it's difficult to drop treasure in a building that isn't abandoned, but maybe the Scholar could have squirrelled some stuff away? Some of the magical knickknacks from one of the classrooms, or some of the students' possessions or something. They're not "treasure," but the PCs could be compensated for finding them.
Also, what reason does the Scholar have for leaving? If you finish their homework, they just disappear. While I appreciate a non-evil boss, it makes little sense. Do they acknowledge the PCs as their better? "Curses, you finished my deliberately difficult homework!" It just feels anticlimactic.
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Wow, those are some nasty opossums...
Low sub-tier
Creature 1
25hp
jaws +9 (1d10*+2 piercing, deadly 1d10)
I hope you don't have many level 2s else you'll be facing six of these suckers with 45hp each! If you went in the shed by yourself to check it out, you might not be coming out——at least not under your own power.
*since when does a small animal do 1d10 with its bite and 1d10 deadly on top of it? I didn't see any other animals like this, especially not small or level 1. A war horse only does 1d6 and its large. A badger is often considered one of the most ferocious animals and its only 1d6 and that's for the giant (medium) version at level 2. And while a wolf has the bonus maneuvers, its bite is nasty but still only 1d6. You have to look up to a level 3 large-size dire wolf before you see 1d10 damage.
I dunno if this was an author mistake that was missed during development or it was intentional, but either way WTH?!?
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Wow, those are some nasty opossums...
Low sub-tier
Creature 1
25hp
jaws +9 (1d10*+2 piercing, deadly 1d10)
I hope you don't have many level 2s else you'll be facing six of these suckers with 45hp each! If you went in the shed by yourself to check it out, you might not be coming out——at least not under your own power.
Huh?
six level 2's will have 4 possums at 25 hp each, who drop after taking 10 hp damage.
To face 6, you would need 33 CP, which would require 5 4th level characters, and 1 2nd level,
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To adjust for the PCs’ overall strength, use the following Challenge Point adjustments. These adjustments are not cumulative.
10–11 Challenge Points: Increase both opossums’ Hit Points by 10.
12–13 Challenge Points: Add one additional opossum to the encounter.
14–15 Challenge Points: Add one additional opossum to the encounter and increase all three opossums’ Hit Points by 10.
16–18 Challenge Points (5+ Players): Add two additional opossums to the encounter.
Feign Death [reaction] Trigger The opossum is reduced below 15 HP;
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Sorry, I missed the note that the adjustments were not cumulative. Good thing I wasn't the GM :-D
However, their damage die still makes no sense compared to other animals. Their bite should be d6 and their claws d4 (maybe d6), typical of a 1st level animal. If you want to make them especially dangerous and throw a deadly d8 on the bite, I could buy that, but d10? C'mon man! I'm all for variants and creature uniqueness to prevent stale, but the builds still need to be reasonable compared to comparable monsters.
"A family of opossums made their home in this shed. Whenever the caretaker enters the shed, she bangs pots and pans together so that they’ll scatter.
However, the PCs surprise the opossums, causing them to flit into the dark corners and behind a stack of tables tipped on their end. As the PCs look through the room’s clutter by Searching or Investigating, the opossums begin to hiss and bare their teeth as their hiding spots are disturbed."
It is quite possible for the opossums to stealth which is suggested by the text. Only when the PC starts poking around do they announce their presence. Given the nature of org play, its quite possible at that moment the GM puts you in initiative. If the opossums win in any number, that PC is at risk. Alternately, if that PC goes first, they may decide to draw their weapon and prepare for battle given they are surrounded by monsters. Given the size of the shed, its quite reasonable that only one PC will go in to investigate leaving only enough room for 1-2 more PCs to join the battle should one occur.
Now, given what I would consider good role-play this won't happen, but given this is a low level scenario it is quite possible to have inexperienced players and/or the normal low-level attitude of Leeroy Jenkins.
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Holy Season 0 reference, Batman!
Lady Miranda Dacilane, a striking, middle-aged Chelish noblewoman who lost her daughter, Junia
There's another scenario in between (#7-05: School of Spirits) where you actually get to interact with J throughout the adventure, and it lays some of the early groundwork for his transition. Playing Seven Secrets inspired me to go back and run those two PF1 adventures earlier this year, because J is among my favorite recurring NPCs in PFS.