A Pathfinder Society Scenario designed for 7th to 11th level characters (Tiers: 7–8 and 10–11).
Panic grips Absalom when a huge crystalline sailing vessel appears suddenly in the harbor. Identified as the King Xeros of Old Azlant, the ship presents a great opportunity for the Pathfinder Society. You and your fellow adventurers are summoned by Venture-Captain Adril Hestram and dropped aboard the King Xeros to explore it and report back. Only, what you find isn't an empty vessel, but a sinister ship with a vile intent.
Written by Greg A. Vaughan
This scenario is designed for play in Pathfinder Society Organized Play, but can easily be adapted for use with any world. This scenario is compliant with the Open Game License (OGL) and is suitable for use with the 3.5 edition of the world’s most popular fantasy roleplaying game.
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I ran King Xeros of Old Azlant via play-by-post at subtier 7-8. It's a memorable scenario that successfully puts the PCs in an unsettling situation where they have no idea what to expect. It's also one of the few Season Zero scenarios that plays with the gloves off, and parts of it can be challenging even for a modern PFS group. From the GM's perspective, there are some issues that make it challenging to run, so additional prep time is a must to ensure a smooth session. It's not a flawless scenario, but it is an intriguing one, and has stuck in my mind long after I've forgotten many others. I'll note there's a spiritual sequel in Starfinder Society Scenario # 1-27 ('King Xeros of Star Azlant').
SPOILERS!:
It seems that in the final days of ancient Azlant prior to Earthfall (the cataclysmic event that reshaped Golarion), some powerful mystics and seers gained a sense of impending danger. As part of a program to research worlds and realms far and wide, a special ship called the King Xeros was commissioned--a ship capable of travelling to and from the Ethereal Plane! But once launched, the ship never returned, and its very existence has since fallen into mere legend. But as the scenario starts, the King Xeros has returned and is floating in Absalom's harbor! A strong backstory and classic adventure hook makes for a compelling start to the scenario, as the PCs are requested to explore the ship and glean answers to the many mysteries surrounding it.
In Act 1 ("Boarding Action"), the PCs arrive at the ship and learn it has already been boarded by Absalom's Harbor Guard. But some sort of automatic defenses have been accidentally triggered, as flame projectors and defense constructs are slaughtering the seamen! The faster the PCs manage to intervene, the more lives they can save. Topside, the King Xeros should immediately strike the group as strange. For one thing, it's seemingly carved out of a single piece of crystal, and for another, there are no obvious entrance below decks.
Act 2 ("Breaching the Hulk") starts with the group trying to gain entry below decks through the only means possible: a magical doorway called a ghost portal. It has a mechanic I've never seen before (involving opposed ability scores) to gain passage, and if the PCs do it the wrong way, the doorway disgorges the ghost of (of all things!) a tiefling barbarian! The ghost doesn't stand up well in light of the PFRPG (it only has 32 hit points, for example, and doesn't pump out much damage), but it's another taste of this ship's innate weirdness--whatever happened to it in the thousands of years since it was launched hasn't been kind.
Act 3 ("Hunters from Beyond") has the PCs beginning to explore the interior of the ship. The layout of the ship is frankly pretty confusing (in terms of the connections between rooms and between decks), and the way the scenario itself is laid out doesn't help (a GM has to keep switching back and forth between a general description of rooms and decks to later where the encounters in those areas are detailed). There are some threads in the forums that can help GMs with this. From the PCs' perspective, they quickly encourage strange, phantasmic plant-life laced throughout the ship before being ambushed by the xill who have taken over the ship and are using it to enslave creatures for their home plane. The xill are a real threat because their tactics are to paralyse a PC and then try to planewalk with them to the Ethereal Plane for imprisonment in another part of the ship. PCs who succumb here are effectively out of action until (hopefully) rescued at the end of the scenario. It led to a really exciting battle when I ran it, as the PCs *just* managed to stop one of their own from being kidnapped.
Act 4 ("Riddle of the Navigator") is rather confusing to run. The idea is that the ship's helm acts as a sort of giant puzzle box. Instead of being a "real" riddle, the PCs can make skill checks to solve it and accomplish one of two things: 1) open a secret door or 2) release a creature who has been trapped in the helm to fuel it. I found it hard to describe this because the skill checks depend on what the PCs are trying to do, but the PCs don't know (in advance) what their options are: the secret door has a DC of 50 (the highest I've ever seen!) to discover, and they won't know in advance that there's a trapped creature. And anytime one of the checks is failed, a random roll can release something as minor as a phase spider or as scary as a 24d6 disintegrate ray! The main inhabitant of the helm is a night hag named Skarja, and she can be negotiated with because she's relieved to finally be free.
Act 5 ("The Ether Fly Trap") is kind of fun, as the PCs face a handful of xill including one who controls a giant plant monster that functions a bit like the "claw" in an arcade claw drop game. It's here that previously-captured PCs can be recovered. But even if the group is successful in overcoming this encounter, the danger's not over--destroying the xill's plant creature starts a 10 round countdown for the group to escape before the King Xeros transfers to the Deep Ethereal with the PCs still on it! It should be plenty of time for most groups to escape, but if several members are paralysed or otherwise out of action, there'd be a real race against time to get everyone off.
Although mysterious "ghost ships" are a staple of fantasy RPGs, they're usually filled with various sorts of undead. King Xeros of Old Azlant presents an original twist on the trope and effectively maintains an atmosphere of the uncanny. It's a scenario that definitely keeps the PCs on their toes as they explore, and the ending is exciting and cinematic. GMs need to do extra prep before running it, but this one is worth the extra time.
This scenario throws you into a great big mystery right from the start. What's that ship doing here, and what is its function? The scenario throws weird situation after weird situation at you, and never stops amazing. There's a big reveal partway through that reveals a lot of interesting (but essentially pointless) lore about the world. It's great on storytelling, but it feels oddly sparse, something a lot of earlier scenarios suffer from. You really need a GM who knows how to work with this to make it really stand out, I feel.
Combats felt great. There's a weird combat near the start that feels underpowered, but it serves a purpose on the way back, which is interesting. Combats were pretty tough but they felt manageable, which is something I appreciate. And this scenario does something not enough scenarios have done since: thrown superior numbers at the Pathfinders. Two combats felt especially exhilarating because of the fact that we were getting swarmed. The monsters were maybe a bit tougher than they should be, but we managed to pull through because of sheer luck. But anyway, I felt properly challenged, and that's not something that happens all too often.
In short, I love this scenario. Seasons 0 and 1 dared to be exotic, something that was missing from later seasons. This is a weird scenario I'd gladly experience again.
A strange vessel constructed of opaque crystal has suddenly just appeared in Absalom harbour. Who better to investigate it that a party of Pathfinders?
The introduction to the adventure gives plenty of detail for the DM, covering the creation of the ship over ten thousand years ago, what it's been doing since, who is operating it now and a thorough description of it. A plan view of the vessel is provided, but an illustration would have helped to translate the exotic appearance described into something that could be readily visualised. All that anyone knows, however, is that it appears to be of Azlanti origin and - according to those who can read their script - it's called the King Xenos. Legends tell of a magical vessel of that name being launched just before Earthfall, when the Azlanti were wiped out.
The first trick, of course, is getting in. The decks are smooth and there is but one entry point. Oh, and the Harbour Guard who have already borded the vessel have set off the automatic defence system, which consists of pop-up flame throwers and defence constructs which move to attack! Once those have been dealt with, there's still the little matter of gaining entry. Whilst the way to do so seems perfectly clear when you are sitting reading the notes, it is likely to appear very mysterious to the characters attempting to gain admission!
Indeed, this continues throughout the entire exploration - it all makes sense when you have the scenario to read but unless you're just going to tell your players what is going on it is difficult to see how on earth - or even Golarion - they are going to be able to figure it all out just from what their characters can see, hear or otherwise experience. For best effect, let them be baffled. It is a weird and strange vessel and it ought to be very confusing for the characters. Care needs to be taken that bafflement does not turn to frustration.
This has potential to provide an excellent adventure that serves to remind all involved that Golarion is indeed a rich and strange world, not merely some cod-mediaeval place with a bit of magic bolted on. However it could just as easily become an exercise in frustration and who enjoys that?
Played this over the weekend with a table of 4 at low (8-9) tier. The concept was good and the players loved the unique feel. One said it was Star Trek-like (I think that was a compliment?).
The initial combat with the ship's defenses was outstanding. Challenging and thematic they struggled against it at first, but eventually their superior firepower took over.
The first battle below decks was well done. Difficult but not impossible.
The exploration of the ship, which is poorly laid out in the adventure--the GM having to flip back and forth between area description and encounter descriptions, was a little choppy. The teleportation mechanisms and the area descriptions were light on detail and the consequences for messing with one of the parts ended up killing a well-loved animal companion (could've been a PC, but random selection got the animal).
The ending was another combat slugfest which they liked. At the very end, the scenario suggests the party has one hour to leave the ship, but doesn't detail how that can be accomplished. Some of the teleportation devices look to only work one direction and the strange portal is specifically said to be one-way. I had to fudge that part quite a bit.
Would recommend for the uniqueness of it, but don't get too bogged down in what's missing.
I've only briefly skimmed it, but it is awesome. I pick up the Pathfinder Society modules to use as side treks in other games, and this one will fit the bill nicely as a fun diversion.
Without trying to give too much away, the ship is mad sweet. It's got a unique construct as part of its defenses, and an interesting variety of encounters (both in varied monster types, and a bit of non-combat skill stuff). And, heck, it's an Azlanti ship in Absalom's harbor. Need I say more?
The different faction missions are interesting, though the Osirion and Qadira factions are a bit overlapped, and the notes feel a bit hastily written (though the boat appeared only recently, and who knows how long it will stay there, so maybe hastily written makes sense).
Believe me, it's worth the $3 or so after using the PDFLove discount. I'm so excited, I'm thinking on working out the conversion tonight.
Just played this YOU HAVE TOO have a HEALER to play this as written and It Better Be A HIGH LEvel Healer preferablly a Cleric One Battle Requires a HIGH Level Caster Check to be able to Heal. other than that a tough Mod And personally I myself in my opion feel the rewards for your compleateing the Mod are slim but that is my opion as a 5th lv(Cleric 4 Fighter 1 ) Character
Just played this YOU HAVE TOO have a HEALER to play this as written and It Better Be A HIGH LEvel Healer preferablly a Cleric One Battle Requires a HIGH Level Caster Check to be able to Heal. other than that a tough Mod And personally I myself in my opion feel the rewards for your compleateing the Mod are slim but that is my opion as a 5th lv(Cleric 4 Fighter 1 ) Character
Considering it is written for 7th level and up, I should think your chances should be slim.
I included this adventure as a side-quest in my Runelords home game. I changed the location to Magnimar, and changed the ghost ship's trappings to be Thassilonian. I changed the ships's name to Emperor Xin, and the adventure title to Ghost Ship of Thassilon. I included a recurring party foil as a false ally, and otherwise ran it straight.
