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[Let's Read] Historica Arcanum: The City of Crescent
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<blockquote data-quote="Libertad" data-source="post: 8971817" data-attributes="member: 6750502"><p style="text-align: center"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/LK6AZiL.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p>Now we really begin the adventure path! Like many other modules it uses the milestone system, where the PCs level up at predetermined points. However, there are parts of the adventure path which open up into a sandbox mode, letting the PCs explore Istanbul as they will, doing downtime and engaging in side missions. Side Quests have their own particular section detailed after the adventure path itself.</p><p></p><p>We first meet our PCs on the Ejder-i Derya, a steamboat that ferries travelers all over the Mediterranean Sea. The saloon is the largest room on the boat, with tables for various games, meals, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8k_0VA2h8HA" target="_blank">and other diversions as a band plays.</a> Osman, the party’s employer, is engaged in a game of chess against himself. The pieces are arranged with an in-game handout, and he asks one of the PCs to take a turn. They can impress him by finding the right move via an Intelligence check or making the move themselves via player skill. He then asks if it’s the PC’s first time in Istanbul, an opportunity for them to expand on their backstories.</p><p></p><p>But all is not well, for a group of Sekbans seek to steal Osman’s journal to find out what the Imperial court is up to. The band’s singer is actually Kore, and is subtly weaving a verbal component for the Darkness spell into the final word of the song. After Osman magically dispels the darkness an hysterical man shows up, claiming his wife got possessed by a djinn. This is definitely Osman’s area of expertise, and he asks the PCs to accompany him where he finds the woman thrashing on her bed Exorcist-style. The djinn attacks the party as it’s expelled, and in turns of game stats it’s pretty strong for a party of level 1s. It has 27 hit points, resistance to nonmagical attacks, and in addition to a regular 1d6 damaging touch attack it can impose a variety of conditions, such as disadvantage on a target’s next saving throw or even possessing a new target! Fortunately Osman has a few magical tricks up his sleeves to put the monster in its place.</p><p></p><p>Obviously this is a ploy to distract the Royal Polymath and his entourage, for Kore uses this opportunity to break into Osman’s room and steal his journal. Once defeated the djinn will mock the party, saying they got played, ensuing a dramatic chase scene as the PCs follow Kore through the steamboat’s hallways and cargo bay. She will use throwing knives, caltrops, and magic to aid her escape before reaching a premade teleportation circle which takes her and another Sekban away. The adventure presumes that she escapes, as hunting down the journal plays a large part in driving forward the plot and getting the PCs to learn about the Ghost of March’s revolution. The steamboat’s engine was also sabotaged, so the PCs have to escape; Osman is frantically looking for his journal by the time the PCs find him, although Mejid’s soldiers were quick and sent out a rescue vessel to save Osman and the passengers. The Sultan-to-be himself is on a nearby galley, and will welcome the party to Istanbul. If any of the PCs were Djinnstruck, Osman will try to make excuses for their weird mode of speech and invite them to stay at his manor where he can cure them and/or talk further about why his journal is so important.</p><p></p><p style="text-align: center"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/v3m3xyI.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p>So right now I already spot a problem; this adventure hinges upon Kore escaping with the journal, but an active chase scene will put the narrative at the whims of the dice. While she is an accomplished Bard and the PCs are 1st level, the question arises of what happens if the PCs manage to stop her and secure the journal. Ideally this can be easily changed by having her escape with the journal offscreen, or the PCs find her just as she teleports away.</p><p></p><p>When the subject of Osman’s journal is brought up, the Royal Polymath finds himself unable to answer as pain runs through his body. He and magically astute characters know that his memory has been magically modified, although he is aware that it may relate to his quest in searching for Mira.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyJjxqcg5vs" target="_blank"><strong>First Steps Into the City:</strong></a> At this point the PCs level up to 2, and learn that Istanbul is in a State of Emergency due to the Padishah’s death. Mejid will be crowned in an upcoming ceremony, and nobody is allowed to leave the city, which in Video Game Speak is an indication that the sandbox is not fully open yet. Osman knows who can best help find the journal: Ahra and the Janissary Remnants. He gives some tips to the PCs on how to conduct themselves around them (don’t cast spells in front of them, they view it as unnatural, they hate nonhumans but shouldn’t bother with disguises as they hate such deception even more) along with some brief backstory about the Auspicious Incident and the palace’s conflict with the Janissaries for foreigners.</p><p></p><p>One carriage ride later, the party’s meeting the Wolf at the Door in the courtyard of the Janissary Hideout; she likes Osman and his vouching for the party lets them into her confidence a bit. She needs them to do some odd jobs for the city’s crime lords in order to gain their trust, for she wishes the Janissaries to have as clean hands (and consciences) as possible for when the time comes for them to betray the criminals when they once again become legitimate in the eyes of the Empire. PCs who may have moral reservations against such missions cause Ahra to let them know they can sabotage their missions if they can get away with appearing to have tried their hardest.</p><p></p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwaeZ5GFXdg" target="_blank">At this point various <strong>Side Quests</strong> open up for the PCs.</a> The main plot progresses once they do at least two quests and they get comfortable with the city, at which point they unlock the final dungeon crawl for this Act. However, one quest with Chic Manu should be saved in reserve for when the PCs first meet the Ghost of March.</p><p></p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpmGnR7oN7k" target="_blank"><strong>The Crowning of the Padishah</strong></a> is a short scene after several quests are completed, where the PCs attend the Parade of the Sword with Osman, a ceremony marking the crowning of Shahzadah Mejid. During the ceremony many audience members are praising Mejid as the guards hand out coin pouches to Istanbul’s poor. However, one of the giftees protests by throwing the gold to the ground, loudly declaring that it belongs to the Janissaries. An awkward silence breaks out as the protester is surrounded by guards, and although the celebrations continue it is clearly forced smiles now marked by unease.</p><p></p><p style="text-align: center"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/hzW8B7G.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p><strong>The Ghost of March Shows His Face</strong> takes place after the PCs do a side quest for Chic Manu, where they meet their quest giver and Mosolite Nazif (the maintainer of the Undercity’s Grand Bazaar entrance) at a picnic during the Festival of Candles. This celebration is rather peculiar, for turtles with candles on the tops of their shells roam about the city, hungrily enticed by leaf trails. However, the Ghost of March is using this tradition to his advantage: several turtle-candles have been covertly packed with gunpowder, and when the wicks reach a certain point several explosive reactions will trigger throughout Istanbul. The bombings are a distraction for the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bostanji" target="_blank">Bostanji</a> and Manguar Guards, as the Sekbans will use their dispersal to more effectively raid their armories.</p><p></p><p>The Ghost of March has some personal business to attend to with Nazif. Soon after the PCs hear explosions the Ghost and over 20 of his fellow Sekban will rush through and occupy the courtyard containing the party. He and Nazif will briefly exchange words, and with a declaration of not letting his greed oppress his people any longer the Ghost snaps Nazif’s neck with a swift crack of his whip. With him dead, the Council of the Ninth Life will gain control over Nazif’s Undercity passage, meaning that the balance of power has shifted-</p><p></p><p>Wait, hold on a second. The PCs are sitting there, they just heard explosions, and they’re seeing nearly two dozen guys with guns rushing to ruin their picnic! And their quest-giver is sitting with them, to boot! What do you think most gamers are going to do in this situation?</p><p></p><p>Okay, I guess it’s another “But Thou Must” situation like with the journal. After demonstrating his mad whip skills, the Ghost of March will tell the PCs they have nothing to fear from him if they stop working with the crime lords, and if they want to fight for a good cause instead they should approach him “below,” a vague reference to the Undercity. Then he and his Sekbans will retreat.</p><p></p><p><strong>Side Note:</strong> Looking up the Festival of Candles doesn’t return much in terms of real-world celebrations, although the closest I could find is <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kandil" target="_blank">Kandil,</a> which refers to five Islamic holy nights.</p><p></p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59XliO579X0" target="_blank"><strong>A Legend Lie Among the Ruins</strong></a> is our final section of Act 1, and at this point the PCs will be 3rd level. We had quite a bit of urban intrigue so far, so it’s time for a good old-fashioned dungeon crawl! Ahra claims to have found the journal, but will part with this information if the PCs clear out some undead from the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_Saint_Benoit,_Istanbul" target="_blank">Church of St. Benoit.</a> Some unknown phenomenon is causing the dead to rise again, and the party’s tasked with putting an end to it.</p><p></p><p>The Church is a 23 room dungeon split between 2 levels, and the responsible party for the undead rising again is none other than the entombed body of Count Dracula. When Vlad Tepes turned to dark magic to gain undying immortality, his brother sought to seal him away so he could harm nobody else. Mehmed II, the Ottoman Emperor of the time, helped him design a cage in which to imprison him. After his capture, Dracula was entombed under St. Benoit Church, but the seals were broken during an earthquake in the 1700s, letting his foul influence gradually grow.</p><p></p><p>There’s one special thing the DM must keep track of during the dungeon crawl. All damage dealt to the PCs and any living creature in the dungeon that can shed blood (bludgeoning, force, and necrotic excepted) further empowers Vlad Tepes, increasing his hit points by a set value for the final battle with him. Perceptive PCs will notice that all blood pools unnaturally in a certain direction, being drawn to the vampire.</p><p></p><p>During the dungeon crawl the PCs can encounter grave robbers who can be negotiated with and even join the party, meet a ghostly knight who guards a secret entrance to the underground tomb, fight Semi-Sentient Plague Stricken which aren’t undead but colonies of worms wearing corpses as skin suits,* fight Gulyabanis (reflavored ghouls), encounter traps such as crude hunting snares and swarms of vengeful ghosts that attack thieves stealing their belongings, fight a colony of scorpions including a a bloated Scorpion Queen (stats like a giant scorpion but actually weaker at CR 1), learn more about who is entombed here by entering a locked room containing heirlooms of Vlad Tepes, convince a suit of animated armor possessed by a Wallachian Boyar into parting with the holy water it is guarding, and loot an armory and laboratory of magic arrows, spears, and potions. Fun stuff!</p><p></p><p>*They’re CR ½ enemies which can infest creatures they strike and counterattack with poisonous ichor when struck in melee.</p><p></p><p>Vlad’s body is guarded by four unique named zombies who were all wicked men in life, such as a Varangian guard berserker, a Janissary who performed human sacrifices, a Byzantine mercenary, and a bomb-throwing arsonist whose armor is wreathed in flames. The final room with Dracula looks like an arena, holding spectators of ghosts of the many people he personally killed in life. The ghost of Vlad’s brother appears, sounding rather annoyed and hoping that the PCs put him down so his spirit can “leave this godforsaken ruin of a church.”</p><p></p><p style="text-align: center"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/vgNQluC.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p>Befitting a vampire of his station, Dracula has a kickass full-page artwork and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhHvrKSJKbw" target="_blank">some pretty cool battle music.</a> Of course he’s not a typical CR 15 vampire: statwise he’s a CR 3 undead whose hit points equal the amount of damage that living beings took in the dungeon, to a maximum of 90. His primary attacks are a Dark Blade that he can attack twice with that deals necrotic damage, and a multitarget attack where he summons stakes surrounding him in a 5 foot radius twice per long rest. He wears plate armor, making him hard to hit, but besides that he has no other particular defenses besides standard undead stuff. He is vulnerable to radiant damage and doesn’t possess any legendary or lair actions, so it’s entirely possible for a party to mob him.</p><p></p><p>Once Dracula is killed and the PCs report back their successful mission, Ahra reveals that Osman’s journal was stolen by Kor and Mervhan, two agents of the Ghost of March who reside in Araf Tavern of the Undercity, along with the various paths one can use to descend into this subterranean realm.</p><p></p><p><strong>Thoughts So Far:</strong> First with the good. The adventure’s beginning does a good job in foreshadowing the facts of the setting, along with the modus operandi of Istanbul’s various power players in a manner that observant players can put together. We learn several important things through strong acts of showing over telling: that djinni are less blue jokesters and more akin to monsters from a horror movie, that there’s a lot of tension over the violent disbanding of the Janissaries and that not everyone is happy with the government, the use of scene and character appropriate music helping set the mood, the sprinkling in of side quests during the free-roaming segments gives PCs incentive to further explore the city, and fighting Count f-ing Dracula as the climax helps the party feel like badass heroes rather than 3rd level neonates. The dungeon crawl itself has healing potions and a fountain in the final arena that can restore hit points, which can help patch up hurting parties for the final battle.</p><p></p><p>Now with the bad. The adventure is railroady in places it doesn’t need to be; Kore’s stealing of the journal and the Ghost’s assassination of Nazif can be done easily enough offscreen or just as the PCs stumble upon the scene after the deed is done. During that scene as well as the Parade of Swords the adventure heavily suggests the PCs make themselves scarce rather than sticking around, which forces the railroady feeling further. And while it may not be a big hindrance on account that several Professions lend themselves to an extra-legal flavor, a willingness to work with the criminal underworld is heavily encouraged for PC personalities and backstories; your stereotypical Paladin won’t do well in such an environment.</p><p></p><p><strong>Join us next time as we descend into the Undercity and find themselves playing both sides in the game between the Sultan and the Ghost of March!</strong></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Libertad, post: 8971817, member: 6750502"] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/LK6AZiL.png[/img][/center] Now we really begin the adventure path! Like many other modules it uses the milestone system, where the PCs level up at predetermined points. However, there are parts of the adventure path which open up into a sandbox mode, letting the PCs explore Istanbul as they will, doing downtime and engaging in side missions. Side Quests have their own particular section detailed after the adventure path itself. We first meet our PCs on the Ejder-i Derya, a steamboat that ferries travelers all over the Mediterranean Sea. The saloon is the largest room on the boat, with tables for various games, meals, [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8k_0VA2h8HA]and other diversions as a band plays.[/url] Osman, the party’s employer, is engaged in a game of chess against himself. The pieces are arranged with an in-game handout, and he asks one of the PCs to take a turn. They can impress him by finding the right move via an Intelligence check or making the move themselves via player skill. He then asks if it’s the PC’s first time in Istanbul, an opportunity for them to expand on their backstories. But all is not well, for a group of Sekbans seek to steal Osman’s journal to find out what the Imperial court is up to. The band’s singer is actually Kore, and is subtly weaving a verbal component for the Darkness spell into the final word of the song. After Osman magically dispels the darkness an hysterical man shows up, claiming his wife got possessed by a djinn. This is definitely Osman’s area of expertise, and he asks the PCs to accompany him where he finds the woman thrashing on her bed Exorcist-style. The djinn attacks the party as it’s expelled, and in turns of game stats it’s pretty strong for a party of level 1s. It has 27 hit points, resistance to nonmagical attacks, and in addition to a regular 1d6 damaging touch attack it can impose a variety of conditions, such as disadvantage on a target’s next saving throw or even possessing a new target! Fortunately Osman has a few magical tricks up his sleeves to put the monster in its place. Obviously this is a ploy to distract the Royal Polymath and his entourage, for Kore uses this opportunity to break into Osman’s room and steal his journal. Once defeated the djinn will mock the party, saying they got played, ensuing a dramatic chase scene as the PCs follow Kore through the steamboat’s hallways and cargo bay. She will use throwing knives, caltrops, and magic to aid her escape before reaching a premade teleportation circle which takes her and another Sekban away. The adventure presumes that she escapes, as hunting down the journal plays a large part in driving forward the plot and getting the PCs to learn about the Ghost of March’s revolution. The steamboat’s engine was also sabotaged, so the PCs have to escape; Osman is frantically looking for his journal by the time the PCs find him, although Mejid’s soldiers were quick and sent out a rescue vessel to save Osman and the passengers. The Sultan-to-be himself is on a nearby galley, and will welcome the party to Istanbul. If any of the PCs were Djinnstruck, Osman will try to make excuses for their weird mode of speech and invite them to stay at his manor where he can cure them and/or talk further about why his journal is so important. [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/v3m3xyI.png[/img][/center] So right now I already spot a problem; this adventure hinges upon Kore escaping with the journal, but an active chase scene will put the narrative at the whims of the dice. While she is an accomplished Bard and the PCs are 1st level, the question arises of what happens if the PCs manage to stop her and secure the journal. Ideally this can be easily changed by having her escape with the journal offscreen, or the PCs find her just as she teleports away. When the subject of Osman’s journal is brought up, the Royal Polymath finds himself unable to answer as pain runs through his body. He and magically astute characters know that his memory has been magically modified, although he is aware that it may relate to his quest in searching for Mira. [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyJjxqcg5vs][b]First Steps Into the City:[/b][/url] At this point the PCs level up to 2, and learn that Istanbul is in a State of Emergency due to the Padishah’s death. Mejid will be crowned in an upcoming ceremony, and nobody is allowed to leave the city, which in Video Game Speak is an indication that the sandbox is not fully open yet. Osman knows who can best help find the journal: Ahra and the Janissary Remnants. He gives some tips to the PCs on how to conduct themselves around them (don’t cast spells in front of them, they view it as unnatural, they hate nonhumans but shouldn’t bother with disguises as they hate such deception even more) along with some brief backstory about the Auspicious Incident and the palace’s conflict with the Janissaries for foreigners. One carriage ride later, the party’s meeting the Wolf at the Door in the courtyard of the Janissary Hideout; she likes Osman and his vouching for the party lets them into her confidence a bit. She needs them to do some odd jobs for the city’s crime lords in order to gain their trust, for she wishes the Janissaries to have as clean hands (and consciences) as possible for when the time comes for them to betray the criminals when they once again become legitimate in the eyes of the Empire. PCs who may have moral reservations against such missions cause Ahra to let them know they can sabotage their missions if they can get away with appearing to have tried their hardest. [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwaeZ5GFXdg]At this point various [b]Side Quests[/b] open up for the PCs.[/url] The main plot progresses once they do at least two quests and they get comfortable with the city, at which point they unlock the final dungeon crawl for this Act. However, one quest with Chic Manu should be saved in reserve for when the PCs first meet the Ghost of March. [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpmGnR7oN7k][b]The Crowning of the Padishah[/b][/url] is a short scene after several quests are completed, where the PCs attend the Parade of the Sword with Osman, a ceremony marking the crowning of Shahzadah Mejid. During the ceremony many audience members are praising Mejid as the guards hand out coin pouches to Istanbul’s poor. However, one of the giftees protests by throwing the gold to the ground, loudly declaring that it belongs to the Janissaries. An awkward silence breaks out as the protester is surrounded by guards, and although the celebrations continue it is clearly forced smiles now marked by unease. [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/hzW8B7G.png[/img][/center] [b]The Ghost of March Shows His Face[/b] takes place after the PCs do a side quest for Chic Manu, where they meet their quest giver and Mosolite Nazif (the maintainer of the Undercity’s Grand Bazaar entrance) at a picnic during the Festival of Candles. This celebration is rather peculiar, for turtles with candles on the tops of their shells roam about the city, hungrily enticed by leaf trails. However, the Ghost of March is using this tradition to his advantage: several turtle-candles have been covertly packed with gunpowder, and when the wicks reach a certain point several explosive reactions will trigger throughout Istanbul. The bombings are a distraction for the [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bostanji]Bostanji[/url] and Manguar Guards, as the Sekbans will use their dispersal to more effectively raid their armories. The Ghost of March has some personal business to attend to with Nazif. Soon after the PCs hear explosions the Ghost and over 20 of his fellow Sekban will rush through and occupy the courtyard containing the party. He and Nazif will briefly exchange words, and with a declaration of not letting his greed oppress his people any longer the Ghost snaps Nazif’s neck with a swift crack of his whip. With him dead, the Council of the Ninth Life will gain control over Nazif’s Undercity passage, meaning that the balance of power has shifted- Wait, hold on a second. The PCs are sitting there, they just heard explosions, and they’re seeing nearly two dozen guys with guns rushing to ruin their picnic! And their quest-giver is sitting with them, to boot! What do you think most gamers are going to do in this situation? Okay, I guess it’s another “But Thou Must” situation like with the journal. After demonstrating his mad whip skills, the Ghost of March will tell the PCs they have nothing to fear from him if they stop working with the crime lords, and if they want to fight for a good cause instead they should approach him “below,” a vague reference to the Undercity. Then he and his Sekbans will retreat. [b]Side Note:[/b] Looking up the Festival of Candles doesn’t return much in terms of real-world celebrations, although the closest I could find is [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kandil]Kandil,[/url] which refers to five Islamic holy nights. [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59XliO579X0][b]A Legend Lie Among the Ruins[/b][/url] is our final section of Act 1, and at this point the PCs will be 3rd level. We had quite a bit of urban intrigue so far, so it’s time for a good old-fashioned dungeon crawl! Ahra claims to have found the journal, but will part with this information if the PCs clear out some undead from the [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_Saint_Benoit,_Istanbul]Church of St. Benoit.[/url] Some unknown phenomenon is causing the dead to rise again, and the party’s tasked with putting an end to it. The Church is a 23 room dungeon split between 2 levels, and the responsible party for the undead rising again is none other than the entombed body of Count Dracula. When Vlad Tepes turned to dark magic to gain undying immortality, his brother sought to seal him away so he could harm nobody else. Mehmed II, the Ottoman Emperor of the time, helped him design a cage in which to imprison him. After his capture, Dracula was entombed under St. Benoit Church, but the seals were broken during an earthquake in the 1700s, letting his foul influence gradually grow. There’s one special thing the DM must keep track of during the dungeon crawl. All damage dealt to the PCs and any living creature in the dungeon that can shed blood (bludgeoning, force, and necrotic excepted) further empowers Vlad Tepes, increasing his hit points by a set value for the final battle with him. Perceptive PCs will notice that all blood pools unnaturally in a certain direction, being drawn to the vampire. During the dungeon crawl the PCs can encounter grave robbers who can be negotiated with and even join the party, meet a ghostly knight who guards a secret entrance to the underground tomb, fight Semi-Sentient Plague Stricken which aren’t undead but colonies of worms wearing corpses as skin suits,* fight Gulyabanis (reflavored ghouls), encounter traps such as crude hunting snares and swarms of vengeful ghosts that attack thieves stealing their belongings, fight a colony of scorpions including a a bloated Scorpion Queen (stats like a giant scorpion but actually weaker at CR 1), learn more about who is entombed here by entering a locked room containing heirlooms of Vlad Tepes, convince a suit of animated armor possessed by a Wallachian Boyar into parting with the holy water it is guarding, and loot an armory and laboratory of magic arrows, spears, and potions. Fun stuff! *They’re CR ½ enemies which can infest creatures they strike and counterattack with poisonous ichor when struck in melee. Vlad’s body is guarded by four unique named zombies who were all wicked men in life, such as a Varangian guard berserker, a Janissary who performed human sacrifices, a Byzantine mercenary, and a bomb-throwing arsonist whose armor is wreathed in flames. The final room with Dracula looks like an arena, holding spectators of ghosts of the many people he personally killed in life. The ghost of Vlad’s brother appears, sounding rather annoyed and hoping that the PCs put him down so his spirit can “leave this godforsaken ruin of a church.” [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/vgNQluC.png[/img][/center] Befitting a vampire of his station, Dracula has a kickass full-page artwork and [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhHvrKSJKbw]some pretty cool battle music.[/url] Of course he’s not a typical CR 15 vampire: statwise he’s a CR 3 undead whose hit points equal the amount of damage that living beings took in the dungeon, to a maximum of 90. His primary attacks are a Dark Blade that he can attack twice with that deals necrotic damage, and a multitarget attack where he summons stakes surrounding him in a 5 foot radius twice per long rest. He wears plate armor, making him hard to hit, but besides that he has no other particular defenses besides standard undead stuff. He is vulnerable to radiant damage and doesn’t possess any legendary or lair actions, so it’s entirely possible for a party to mob him. Once Dracula is killed and the PCs report back their successful mission, Ahra reveals that Osman’s journal was stolen by Kor and Mervhan, two agents of the Ghost of March who reside in Araf Tavern of the Undercity, along with the various paths one can use to descend into this subterranean realm. [b]Thoughts So Far:[/b] First with the good. The adventure’s beginning does a good job in foreshadowing the facts of the setting, along with the modus operandi of Istanbul’s various power players in a manner that observant players can put together. We learn several important things through strong acts of showing over telling: that djinni are less blue jokesters and more akin to monsters from a horror movie, that there’s a lot of tension over the violent disbanding of the Janissaries and that not everyone is happy with the government, the use of scene and character appropriate music helping set the mood, the sprinkling in of side quests during the free-roaming segments gives PCs incentive to further explore the city, and fighting Count f-ing Dracula as the climax helps the party feel like badass heroes rather than 3rd level neonates. The dungeon crawl itself has healing potions and a fountain in the final arena that can restore hit points, which can help patch up hurting parties for the final battle. Now with the bad. The adventure is railroady in places it doesn’t need to be; Kore’s stealing of the journal and the Ghost’s assassination of Nazif can be done easily enough offscreen or just as the PCs stumble upon the scene after the deed is done. During that scene as well as the Parade of Swords the adventure heavily suggests the PCs make themselves scarce rather than sticking around, which forces the railroady feeling further. And while it may not be a big hindrance on account that several Professions lend themselves to an extra-legal flavor, a willingness to work with the criminal underworld is heavily encouraged for PC personalities and backstories; your stereotypical Paladin won’t do well in such an environment. [b]Join us next time as we descend into the Undercity and find themselves playing both sides in the game between the Sultan and the Ghost of March![/b] [/QUOTE]
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