Venture-Captain, Texas—Austin
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Hello,
I am having trouble wrapping my mind around how to sell the Overmarket section of this scenario. Each NPC has different ways of increasing their attitude, which is all well and good. However, it seems to imply that getting an NPC to helpful convinces them to trade. What I can't figure out is trade with what?
As far as I can tell, Safa doesn't give them any money, and the orb can only be used once. Particularly with Jalal, it seems odd that he would give away his grandmothers necklace to a group of outsiders just because he likes them.
Pathfinder Society Developer
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The PCs don't need to trade any of their possessions for the items. If they satisfy any of the conditions described for the different NPCs (usually improving their attitude through Diplomacy or other actions), the NPC gives them the item. It may seem a bit odd that an NPC is willing to give away his grandmother's necklace to a group of strangers, but you can use the various options/suggestions for influencing the NPC as inspiration for why he might decide to give the PCs the item.
Some of the NPCs trade their items more willingly if it's for a good cause, or if the PCs help them out, and so on. Even if the PCs are just rolling Diplomacy to Make an Impression, they've got to talk to the NPC for a little while, so the hope is that GMs have an opportunity to bring up these other roleplaying options in a natural way.
Additional note: I noticed some misleading phrasing in Safa's goal for the Overmarket Trading encounter. Safa wants the PCs to do literally anything with the three objects other than returning it to them (because then Fasiel gets the items). The PCs don't need to give the items to anyone else, although they can if they want to. They could also keep the items for the Society, or dispose of them, and still satisfy Safa's condition.
Hope everyone is enjoying the adventure!
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That clarification is very good, Mike, and something to keep in mind in the future.
I was assuming that if you came near Safa, they would be able to take them away from the PCs, because they hadn’t gotten rid of them first. They are a genie after all, and under compulsion to get them.
However, when I played, we destroyed them, and one table I have run did so as well.
Both tables got credit for not handing them over to Safa.
I reported mine as “not sold” and “not given to Safa”
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I GMed it tonight with the bag of trinkets from the Djinn to help make the explanation of the NPCs trading their items made sense.
Everybody had a really good time, I really loved the open ended challenges, players were pretty good about exploring the setting and naturally transitioning into making skill checks to get things done.
The players wanted to gather information before approaching the lodge, at least 1 success for a trained DC so I confirmed the rumors that the Pathfinders working on the lodge had mysteriously disappeared and that they heard a variety of stories but they were too varied and fantastical to be of much use other than confirming their disappearances.
Talking to the Djinn they were suspicious of a setup, especially where the items were to be delivered.
They still went to the market first and hired the guide, eventually tipping an extra cp to bring her total cost up to 3cp.
Talking to Raha Shul they learn about the purpose of the items before going on their shopping trip.
For the brass stopper they managed to successfully diagnose and remove the thorn from the Elf who agrees to trade them the stopper for a different trinket from their bag.
Visiting Jalal for the chain they listen patiently to several stories about his grandmother while making an impression with diplomacy before a leshy told the heartfelt story of their creators and the love they felt.
They agreed to trade the chain for a vine so that they could share each other's stories on their journey.
The gnome with the cold iron carafe was persuaded by the faerie about the problems of cold iron while another character helped look over the leaf earing and provide new inspiration.
They were worried that Raha might secretly be the genie master, or otherwise a problem to bring the items too so decided to hold on to them, but among 3 separate people to reduce their chance of theft.
Heading to Zoha they presented their motives of rescuing slaves quickly and were happy to be offered a ride across the waves.
Arriving on the ship they first met the goblin whom after some conversation offered them some soup. With a pair of failed deception checks regarding his rocksalt soup the goblin was getting unhappy.
Deciding on a new approach they thought using the chilly thorn from before might make a different. Having his soup chilled upset the goblin enough to start hitting them with a spoon and telling them to get out. (No damage or dice rolled by the goblin, or the upcoming swashbuckler) The swashbuckler grabs the goblin spoon and breaks it in half so the goblin starts screaming bloody murder.
Backing out onto the deck, looking for something heavy to lock the goblin in the Captain and crew come out looking for trouble. A crit from the captain on a level 1 rogue for 20 made them feel some danger while the low hp and low AC deck hands made fun punching bags and even one got to drink some wiskey.
Searching the bodies and healing any desperate wounds before sitting down to treat wounds they find themselves attacked by the remaining hobgoblins from below decks before finishing the process.
The screaming portly dagger wielding quartermaster was quite a scare as the players couldn't make sense of what was going on.
After dispatching them rescuing the slaves is no trouble. They almost forget to light a fire before leaving but eventually decide to light up any lamp oil and gunpowder before warning the goblin and making their egress.
Later at the party, two roguish types work on repeatedly knocking over people's drinks when folks aren't looking while the storm druid made trouble with weather.
The final party member went asking about entertainment and met the ifrits. Asking to make a performance check to have a dance off with them. (Getting a 17) I explain that they are quite skilled and clearly better but he doesn't embarrass himself. They share a drink together on the ifrit's next break who explain they wish they hadn't taken this contract with this jerk but have an idea... The character tosses the vial in during their next performance and the ifrits jump on the next interruption to leave this bum job.
With 4 successes for 4 PCs they easily make the swap later and make a clean escape.
Returning to the Djinn they hold onto their items, not bringing up their presence.
Once combat starts the Djinn commands the mephits to fly in tight and keep their opponents in range. I give the player trained in warfare lore a note that this is the opposite of how air elementals should be used in combat. Their strength is their mobility and avoidance of melee combat as they fly in and out.
I do manage to blow 1 PC off the edge but the mephits barely last into the second round and the knocked off character lands just as the last mephit dies.
Also I suspect the mephit reflex save might be incorrect. (It matches the bestiary, but +19 seems a bit high...)
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Some confusion about persuading Jalal...
So the PCs can use Diplomacy to Make an Impression as normal, or they can try a few other things. One of the things they can try is to make an appeal "For the Greater Good," which still calls for a Diplomacy check but he's more willing to go with it.
Except the DC is higher (15/18 for Make an Impression vs 16/19 For the Greater Good). Am I missing something that makes this easier than just Making an Impression?
Lack of a critical failure possibility?
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Some confusion about persuading Jalal...
So the PCs can use Diplomacy to Make an Impression as normal, or they can try a few other things. One of the things they can try is to make an appeal "For the Greater Good," which still calls for a Diplomacy check but he's more willing to go with it.
Except the DC is higher (15/18 for Make an Impression vs 16/19 For the Greater Good). Am I missing something that makes this easier than just Making an Impression?
Lack of a critical failure possibility?
Sometimes, different tactics using the same skill will be more or less effective against NPCs.
"A PC who succeeds at a DC 15 Society or Performance check can improve his attitude by one step by sharing an interesting story."
"If the PCs speak of Safa’s plight or mention the chain can be used to free the imprisoned Pathfinders, and the PCs succeed at a DC 16 Diplomacy check…"
Friendship specifies that you're sharing a story, a choice that greatly appeals to this NPC. The For the greater good option is basically improving his attitude by appealing to his sense of justice and charity.
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Right. My question was about the fact that it says it's more effective, but the only difference I see is that it's harder.
More or less I understand, but that looks like a contradiction so I wanted to see if I was overlooking something.
I don't think it actually says it's more effective than the other options.
"For the Greater Good: Just like his grandmother, Jalal is saddened to see genies reduced to tools for the rich. If the PCs speak of Safa’s plight or mention the chain can be used to free the imprisoned Pathfinders, and the PCs succeed at a DC 16 Diplomacy check (DC 19 for levels 3–4), increase his attitude by one step. He is more willing to trade the silver chain if he knows it is for a good cause."
The scenario is just giving the GM a reason why this particular flavor of Make an Impression to increase Attitude works.
That's how I read it, at least. He's a good person so appealing to the greater good can work, but also has a very deep love for stories that resonates with him on a more personal level.