Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Next
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook (EN Publishing)
Facebook (EN World)
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
The
VOIDRUNNER'S CODEX
is coming! Explore new worlds, fight oppressive empires, fend off fearsome aliens, and wield deadly psionics with this comprehensive boxed set expansion for 5E and A5E!
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
Prepping for Pathfinder: Council of Thieves (spoilers!)
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="MerricB" data-source="post: 5907009" data-attributes="member: 3586"><p>Ah - you're right. They did get it then.</p><p></p><p>EDIT: The Fifth Session:</p><p>The party had rested at the end of last session, but we discussed as we resumed this session whether or not they actually <em>could</em> rest: wouldn't sneaking out through the mayor's home be difficult afterwards? A quick scan of the adventure revealed another way out, so I informed the players that they could rest; it'd be okay. I didn't want a TPK if I could avoid one, and they needed the rest!</p><p></p><p>Everyone was here for this session. Hooray!</p><p></p><p>So, to recap: the group were going through a demiplane looking for the Cheliax Crux, an item that information vital(!) to their overall quest of ridding the shadow beasts from Westcrown.</p><p></p><p><strong>More Stairs</strong></p><p>There should have been a really big encounter here with a tiefling shadowdancer who had been sent into the Knot by the BBEG to release the imprisoned pit fiend, but due to a massive error in editing in the book, the reference in the encounter area to her presence was absent and I completely forgot about her. So, instead the party made their way through a shifting maze of stairs which sounds awesome... but actually isn't. It's rather dull, actually, because the path through the stairs is set and easy to follow once the party got onto them. Sigh.</p><p></p><p>The group then completely walked by another potential (and needless) encounter. Go team!</p><p></p><p>Instead, they discovered the way out, and that, because they had some of the soul objects, they could use it to get home. All that remained was to get the Big Bad of this adventure and take the Cheliax Crux.</p><p></p><p><strong>The Big Bad</strong></p><p>That Big Bad happened to to be The Outcast King: a devil/otyugh hybrid. And completely overpowered for taking on my group.</p><p></p><p>AC 18, hp 63, +8/+3 (1d8+6/17-20) and +7 (1d8+2/19-20) and +5 (1d8+2) and +5/+5 (1d6+2), reach 10'; DR 5/good or silver, SR 16</p><p></p><p>Yep, that's right: SIX attacks per turn, with the first three giving infernal wounds (2 bleed, and can't be healed except with DC 16 caster check). I happily ignored most of the monster's nastier traits and even then almost destroyed Michael's rogue - who was the only one who could hit it effectively. Eventually, Lee's high-AC cleric got into combat with it and - though he couldn't hurt it - he could distract it enough until Tim's magic missile spells started working.</p><p></p><p>Let's get this clear: at this point, the PCs should be level 5. My group was level 4 (because they'd bypassed a lot of encounters). It's potentially not too deadly for a group with silver weapons, but it was horrible for my group. Not enjoying this type of monster.</p><p></p><p>With it defeated, they took all its treasure (including the Crux) and used the magic doors to return home.</p><p></p><p>At the end of the adventure, I made certain that everyone knew they needed silver weapons for this AP. The group returned to Westcrown, and we continued immediately with the next adventure. Well, after we spent some time levelling the PCs up to 5th level.</p><p></p><p><strong>What Came Before...</strong></p><p>The heroes had been recruited into the Children of Westcrown - now renamed the Rebel Alliance - to help overthrow the corrupt government of Westcrown. First they began to do good deeds: dealing with the bandit group the Children of Erebus was a good start. </p><p></p><p>Then, the group was approached by a Pathfinder Society member who wanted to explore Delvehaven, the old Pathfinder lodge (but couldn't) and believed there was a link between the sealing of Delvehaven and the Shadow Beasts plaguing Westcrown. If the PCs could investigate?</p><p></p><p>However, crucial information on the wards defending Delvehaven needed to be discovered first (and the Pathfinder also wanted to know the exact details of House Thrune's interest in Delvehaven), and that could be found only in the Cheliax Crux, a magic storage box found in the Mayor's mansion. The group became actors to secure an invitation to the Mayor's mansion, and then braved the Asmodean Knot to recover the Crux. Now, with the Crux in hand they needed to actually <em>open</em> it...</p><p></p><p><strong>The Opening of the Crux</strong></p><p>Unfortunately, Paizo managed to completely muck up how to open the Crux. They gave a brute force method (which we actually used successfully, and quickly) and a skill check method, needing a DC 35 Disable Device roll. Hmm. Admittedly, a +7 bonus can be gained, but with the trap going off it's still a lot of rolling. What's a normal thief's Disable Device at 5th level? Oh, about +12...</p><p></p><p>I just let Greg at it. After they discovered the fire trap the first time, Lee cast Resist Fire on Greg, and though he still took some damage, he brute-cracked the sixteen letter key to open the crux in about 5 minutes of real time. It was impressive.</p><p></p><p>What was in the Crux was less than impressive. What were they looking for? Information on the wards of Delvehaven and why the House of Thrune was interested in it. Well, there was nothing on the latter, and for the former, there was the animated head of an erinyes, who (if the party could put up with her screaming) she could tell them if brought into a room of Delvehaven about the wards and guardians there. Unfortunately, my players got so sick of her within a few seconds of meeting her that she was put back into the Crux, never again to reemerge. They never learned that she could be "helpful". </p><p></p><p>They didn't miss anything: Khazrae actually has nothing useful to say in Delvehaven: all the "traps" she knows about aren't dangerous and are easily overcome by the party, except for the triceratops - and they can't avoid that one, nor does she know what has occurred to it. So, basically, what they find in the crux is not what they were looking for.</p><p></p><p>Except, of course, for information on five missing Pathfinders, plus some <em>grave candles</em> that will allow the group to talk to them - if they can find part of their remains...</p><p></p><p>Luckily for the group, the notes give a very, very good idea of where their remains can be found. For some reason, they were never found by the mayor of Thrune who wrote these notes (which seems extremely unlikely, but anyway...)</p><p></p><p>The group first decided to pay a visit to the Sisterhood of Eiseth.</p><p></p><p><strong>Massacre House</strong></p><p>The Sisterhood lived in a crematorium, and held the ashes of one of the Pathfinders. They didn't want to talk to the PCs, being erinyes-worshippers, so the PCs forced their way in, and first battled a sister and her pet Fire Elemental. Magic Missile was a big factor in the death of the elemental.</p><p></p><p>After that, the group were attacked in force by the other five sisters in residence, as they'd been alerted by the screams of the first sister. Level 4 monks didn't prove that much of a threat to the group, and soon all the sisters were dead.</p><p></p><p>Down below, the group - one of whom could speak Infernal - could quickly find and retrieve the ashes. So they did, and we ended the session there.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="MerricB, post: 5907009, member: 3586"] Ah - you're right. They did get it then. EDIT: The Fifth Session: The party had rested at the end of last session, but we discussed as we resumed this session whether or not they actually [i]could[/i] rest: wouldn't sneaking out through the mayor's home be difficult afterwards? A quick scan of the adventure revealed another way out, so I informed the players that they could rest; it'd be okay. I didn't want a TPK if I could avoid one, and they needed the rest! Everyone was here for this session. Hooray! So, to recap: the group were going through a demiplane looking for the Cheliax Crux, an item that information vital(!) to their overall quest of ridding the shadow beasts from Westcrown. [b]More Stairs[/b] There should have been a really big encounter here with a tiefling shadowdancer who had been sent into the Knot by the BBEG to release the imprisoned pit fiend, but due to a massive error in editing in the book, the reference in the encounter area to her presence was absent and I completely forgot about her. So, instead the party made their way through a shifting maze of stairs which sounds awesome... but actually isn't. It's rather dull, actually, because the path through the stairs is set and easy to follow once the party got onto them. Sigh. The group then completely walked by another potential (and needless) encounter. Go team! Instead, they discovered the way out, and that, because they had some of the soul objects, they could use it to get home. All that remained was to get the Big Bad of this adventure and take the Cheliax Crux. [b]The Big Bad[/b] That Big Bad happened to to be The Outcast King: a devil/otyugh hybrid. And completely overpowered for taking on my group. AC 18, hp 63, +8/+3 (1d8+6/17-20) and +7 (1d8+2/19-20) and +5 (1d8+2) and +5/+5 (1d6+2), reach 10'; DR 5/good or silver, SR 16 Yep, that's right: SIX attacks per turn, with the first three giving infernal wounds (2 bleed, and can't be healed except with DC 16 caster check). I happily ignored most of the monster's nastier traits and even then almost destroyed Michael's rogue - who was the only one who could hit it effectively. Eventually, Lee's high-AC cleric got into combat with it and - though he couldn't hurt it - he could distract it enough until Tim's magic missile spells started working. Let's get this clear: at this point, the PCs should be level 5. My group was level 4 (because they'd bypassed a lot of encounters). It's potentially not too deadly for a group with silver weapons, but it was horrible for my group. Not enjoying this type of monster. With it defeated, they took all its treasure (including the Crux) and used the magic doors to return home. At the end of the adventure, I made certain that everyone knew they needed silver weapons for this AP. The group returned to Westcrown, and we continued immediately with the next adventure. Well, after we spent some time levelling the PCs up to 5th level. [b]What Came Before...[/b] The heroes had been recruited into the Children of Westcrown - now renamed the Rebel Alliance - to help overthrow the corrupt government of Westcrown. First they began to do good deeds: dealing with the bandit group the Children of Erebus was a good start. Then, the group was approached by a Pathfinder Society member who wanted to explore Delvehaven, the old Pathfinder lodge (but couldn't) and believed there was a link between the sealing of Delvehaven and the Shadow Beasts plaguing Westcrown. If the PCs could investigate? However, crucial information on the wards defending Delvehaven needed to be discovered first (and the Pathfinder also wanted to know the exact details of House Thrune's interest in Delvehaven), and that could be found only in the Cheliax Crux, a magic storage box found in the Mayor's mansion. The group became actors to secure an invitation to the Mayor's mansion, and then braved the Asmodean Knot to recover the Crux. Now, with the Crux in hand they needed to actually [i]open[/i] it... [b]The Opening of the Crux[/b] Unfortunately, Paizo managed to completely muck up how to open the Crux. They gave a brute force method (which we actually used successfully, and quickly) and a skill check method, needing a DC 35 Disable Device roll. Hmm. Admittedly, a +7 bonus can be gained, but with the trap going off it's still a lot of rolling. What's a normal thief's Disable Device at 5th level? Oh, about +12... I just let Greg at it. After they discovered the fire trap the first time, Lee cast Resist Fire on Greg, and though he still took some damage, he brute-cracked the sixteen letter key to open the crux in about 5 minutes of real time. It was impressive. What was in the Crux was less than impressive. What were they looking for? Information on the wards of Delvehaven and why the House of Thrune was interested in it. Well, there was nothing on the latter, and for the former, there was the animated head of an erinyes, who (if the party could put up with her screaming) she could tell them if brought into a room of Delvehaven about the wards and guardians there. Unfortunately, my players got so sick of her within a few seconds of meeting her that she was put back into the Crux, never again to reemerge. They never learned that she could be "helpful". They didn't miss anything: Khazrae actually has nothing useful to say in Delvehaven: all the "traps" she knows about aren't dangerous and are easily overcome by the party, except for the triceratops - and they can't avoid that one, nor does she know what has occurred to it. So, basically, what they find in the crux is not what they were looking for. Except, of course, for information on five missing Pathfinders, plus some [i]grave candles[/i] that will allow the group to talk to them - if they can find part of their remains... Luckily for the group, the notes give a very, very good idea of where their remains can be found. For some reason, they were never found by the mayor of Thrune who wrote these notes (which seems extremely unlikely, but anyway...) The group first decided to pay a visit to the Sisterhood of Eiseth. [b]Massacre House[/b] The Sisterhood lived in a crematorium, and held the ashes of one of the Pathfinders. They didn't want to talk to the PCs, being erinyes-worshippers, so the PCs forced their way in, and first battled a sister and her pet Fire Elemental. Magic Missile was a big factor in the death of the elemental. After that, the group were attacked in force by the other five sisters in residence, as they'd been alerted by the screams of the first sister. Level 4 monks didn't prove that much of a threat to the group, and soon all the sisters were dead. Down below, the group - one of whom could speak Infernal - could quickly find and retrieve the ashes. So they did, and we ended the session there. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
Prepping for Pathfinder: Council of Thieves (spoilers!)
Top