Pathfinder 1E Advice for way of the wicked?

[Fooly_Cooly]

Well we just finished the first book Will give details after we have it wrapped up all the way. Cant wait to order book 2! Next paycheck is def gonna be used to get it!

 

[gdmcbride]

Foolycooly,

Very cool! I look forward to your report. Did Varning survive?

Gary McBride
Fire Mountain Games

 

[triqui]

Treasure and Horn of Abbaddon.

Preparing for the game in advance (I'll start in summer), I've found something that I might be understanding wrong.

The treasure in Horn of Abbaddon is quite cool. But, during their villanious advance, they get quite a big hoard of gold. They have a TON of silver (literally), several heavy pieces of art, and a few chests with gold. They hoard it, I assume, on the Horn. But under normal circumstances, the Horn:

Spoiler

crumbles in a earthquake, when Vetra-Kali is dismissed. What is supposed to happen with all that treasure? Is it lost? Because it's going to be behind a huge amount of rocks. The PC do not have time to take it when the Horn starts to fall, there's no time

 

[gdmcbride]

The answer is...

Spoiler

The PCs are going to be in the Horn for seven months (at least!). They are going to need a lot of traps, items and magic to survive the ritual and Farholde is less than a day's travel away. They have plenty of time to use their loot or transport it someplace safer than this unholy temple of evil. The Horn even shakes, partially collapsing days before it finally collapses, giving them one last chance to get the loot out.

But, if after all that, they don't make preparations to get the loot out of the Horn before they complete the ritual...well, yeah. They might loose some treasure.

*shrug* If you really feel they've been shafted, up the amount of loot Thorn gives them at the end of the adventure. Myself, I wouldn't do it. They had months to use or put that treasure someplace safe (and the extradimensional wraith-hole in the temple of plague cult is not what I would call safe).

That's my take. Handle it however seems fair to you. There is no wrong answer as long as everyone's having fun!

Game on!

Gary McBride
Fire Mountain Games

 

[Mr.E_Danger]

After the third session, the players progressed through the Nine Lessons, induction/training as the Nessian Knot, and now they are on the Frosthammer, headed north. Overall the Nine Lessons were pretty good, traps and hidden doors around every corner kept my players on their toes.

Spoiler

The various traps in the Nine Lessons got the PC's more than a few times. the one trap they did not set off was the stairs/spiked ball trap. It's too bad, as i was hoping they'd set that one off. The wizard stepped into the room with the mushroom and set it off first thing. The undead sailors gave the party a bit of an issue, as most of them are using slashing weapons. Sir Balin was a decent enough fight, until the wizard stunned him for a round. He was then promptly surrounded and stomped to death.

AND Again the party has let a person go. On the journey north in the Frosthammer, a soldier that was knocked unconscious due to the wizard's spell survived the battle. Rather than killing him, they tied him up and put him onto the patrol ship and set it adrift. For a party that is evil and told not to leave any loose ends, i feel like i should have there be consequences to this. Perhaps another patrol ship found it's lost companion and now both will attack the Frosthammer? Any thoughts?

 

[Fooly_Cooly]

So they let a person go again? Not sounding very evil. I think you need to reinforce the fact that that are evil criminals who were up for execution...Did they have a valid reason for letting him go? Like to spread fear or something?

 

[Mr.E_Danger]

Not really. I am not disappointed or anything, just uncertain how to push them to be evil, without actually forcing their hand.

 

[Fooly_Cooly]

Hmmm. Make it whenever they let someone go adrastus tracks the survivor down and makes them die in the most painful horrifying fashion. And him tell the PC's about it. Not angry or anything. Just at the end of the nest briefing he mentions it nonchalantly as they are leaving. Have HIM show the PC'S that mercy is pointless. Let him be the cruel tutor. Or just mention his slight disappointment in them leaving lose ends.

 

[gdmcbride]

Fooly_Cool's advice is sound.

Remember...

Spoiler

Adrastus is recruiting the Ninth Knot to be his most ruthless, vicious and effective strike force. Secrecy is imperative and he wants them to succeed at whatever mission he gives everytime. Mercy is not something he is looking to cultivate.

Hope that helps and thanks for supporting "Way of the Wicked".

Gary McBride
Fire Mountain Games

 

[Fooly_Cooly]

Finally wrapped up the first book last night. Phew. Boy was that rough. The group of 7 split in 2. 4 people going through the courtyard to open the gate and 3 going to take out Tacitus. The group of 3 got knocked out after defeating the ice golem and the silence spell wearing of tacitus. He then proceeded to lob fireballs into the courtyard at the othet group. After raising the gate and dropping the drawbridge the 2nd group went up stairs and finished off tacitus. They recovered the other group just in time for lord havelyn to make it down stairs after donning his armor and buffing him self....Then things got nasty. He killed 2 players and dropped the anti paladin. The ant palidin only lived because the cleric used a hero point to act out of turn and cast a heal before the blow fell...then he was still only 1 point away from death. The victory was sweet but costly.