Pathfinder 1E Emerald Spire

[Nat20]

We're getting started with playing the Emerald Spire Super Dungeon. Our DM is a self proclaimed player killer, or as he is known in certain circles a "sugar eater". In our last adventure, one of the low level characters failed his save, slipped on a "greased" square, slid into so rusted iron spikes and died from lock jaw. He gives out treasure as if it is coming out of his own personal stash. Long story short, I'm looking for some advice on what characters would be best to play in this adventure. All of the players are friends IRL and will play cooperatively together. So far we are all playing half orcs, and we have the following, sword and board fighter, Battle Oracle, Skald, and Master Summoner.For those of you who have played Emerald Spire is this a good party to get through? We are assuming very little magic drops and very little treasure given the DM's penchance for poverty. In the last two campaigns he's DM'd, 9th level characters have less than 1 magic item a piece and party treasure (4 players) is around 10 gold.

 

[RangerWickett]

My party has played Emerald Spire up to the second-to-last level, and while admittedly our GM isn't much of a player killer, we haven't really found the encounters as written to be that hard. Maybe it would be tougher if the sounds of battle in one area drew in enemies from the next room over.

We've done it with a human gunslinger, elf arcanist (w/hellknight signifier prestige class), human swashbuckler, and human cleric (w/harrower prestige class). Having a hellknight in the party helps because the local hellknight garrison is more cooperative, and doesn't "tax" us for the treasure we bring back from the spire.

As is, just by looting enemies we defeat and selling things for 50% back in town, we're quite well equipped, I feel. Our GM lets the cleric (a Varisian 'gypsy') haggle up the sale price of gems and such to 60% with a good Diplomacy check.

No spoilers, but the single most useful item we ever purchased was a swarmbane clasp.

 

[Nat20]

Thanks!

Great info RW.

Amazingly, we have made it to the entrance to level 3 and no one in the party has died. So far our DM has handed out a very fair amount of treasure (no magic weapons yet - no surprise there), and no one in the party has died. I'm sure he must be struggling with this, and will probably need to seek counseling for the strain its putting on him if the trend continues. No doubt, the Hell Knights will put us over a barrel when we get back to town and have some sort of coin sniffing dogs or some other such nonsense to ensure that we pay the appropriate taxes down to the copper piece.

The party makeup has been good. The fighter has been handling the lower level monsters pretty well. The Battle Oracle has done a good job keeping everyone alive. Our Skald has some great rage songs and has provided some nice bonuses when he can keep them going. The master summoner has played a back seat roll, and let the Eidolon (configured more as a rogue) do most of the work. A few summons here and there have helped to end the fights quicker, but haven't unbalanced things yet.

I'm looking forward to the story developing as the party goes deeper; hopefully it's enough to prevent the murderhobo syndrome....

Great advice on the swarmbane clasp. We've already gotten an early taste of what's sure to come.