STAP - Your Three Favourite Moments (SPOILERS)

[Wik]

Alright. GMs of STAP, post your three favourite moments from the Adventure Path so far. They can be crazy combats, RP encounters that went nuts, or just scenes that really stuck in everyone's mind. They can be stuff from the RAW, stuff made up entirely by yourself as you add a scene, or something in between. It'd help if you mentioned where in the path you are, too.

***MY THREE FAVOURITE MOMENTS***

1) The first happened near the end of "Bullywug Gambit". The group, already really battered from fighting Chief Lorpth (the Rust Monster really took out our AC monkey). However, thanks to the Paladin's swift tongue, he was able to convince Drevoraz to back off in Lavinia's room.

Drevoraz bolts out the window, leaving the PCs to face the Bullywug cleric by himself. Instead, half the group jumped out the window to chase the half-orc (they hated him for killing Lavinia's servant), while the other half took out the Bullywug in two rounds.

The two who chased after him had to fight their way through crowds of revelers, jump on boats to chase after the Half-Orc, before finally fighting him in a cat-and-mouse game of hide and seek in Ancestor Island. For a completely impromptu scene, it was amazing.



2) The second was a "throwaway" encounter in "Sea Wyvern's Wake". More or less, Avner tried to purchase the chieftain's daughter in an Olman village, and the PCs had to make a diplomacy check to smooth things over.

That was what was supposed to happen.

Instead, upon arriving at the village, the Paladin decided he was going to relax away from the rest of the crew, to clear his head (it's a hard party he has to deal with). Then, of course, Avner pulls his stunt.

The Goliath, with a Charisma of 6, tried to smooth things over. And got a -1 on his diplomacy check. The villagers become unfriendly, and try to chase the PCs (peacefully) off the island.

The dwarven dragon shaman, angered at someone interrupting his drinking, went to talk to the chief. Outnumbered 25 to 1 in the chief's hall, the drunk dwarf tries to intimidate the Chief (getting a nice, fat penalty). And rolls a 1. The villagers turn hostile, binding the dwarf up in rope and forcefully rounding everyone up.

The ship won't be re-stocked, and the group is pretty much screwed. Of course, everyone's laughing at the table.

Then the paladin shows up, and tries to talk to the chief. And again, rolls a 1 (That's three in a row!). THe Chief (who had previously liked the paladin) starts throwing things at him, and forces him onto the Sea Wyvern. The group had to improvise to get their supplies, paying through the nose to get even basic provisions.

The group laughs about this - they're the only people who managed to turn a friendly native village into a seething hotbed of hostility within only a few hours.

Oh, yeah... and the paladin punched Avner in the face.



3) The Third happened in "Here there be Monsters". The Paladin, who had been stripped naked by his companions because they were afriad of his being possessed again by the mirrors in Olangru's cave, teleports into the Bar-Lgura's cave. Literraly, bound and naked.

They swoop down on the second round (as the dwarf enters the room), and teleport the paladin away, focusing on the dwarf.

As the group comes into the room (one at a time), the Bar-Lgura's swarm them. The dwarf wound up getting teleported out of the fight when the demons realized he was going to be hard to hit.

They nearly killed the catfolk, knocking her to negatives twice.

The only problem, the flying warlock, was eventually tackled by a demon that had been smart enough to climb above the warlock while invisible and drop upon him.

So, there were three combatants against three demons - a tackled warlock, a dying rogue, and the goliath fighter. We knew we were dangerously close to a TPK. I even said to the Goliath "If you don't roll a critical hit here, I think you all might die."

And he rolled a critical, killing the demon instantly. The whole table cheered.

Then, he was able to flank the demon on the rogue, and dealt a hard hit (the rogue was able to sneak attack to finish it off). Meanwhile, the warlock was able to escape the grapple (the demon rolled a 1, the warlock rolled a 20!), and the party of three was able to take it out.

A *very* tense combat. The warlock died in the next fight, unfortunately, against a very PO'd naga.

 

[Nightfall]

I'm still waiting...

But Into the Maw has a nice side encounter for us Orcus fans.

 

[Gregor]

Nice, STAP fav moments. We have had a blast playing this AP, but I'll throw down the first 3 that I think of:

1 - Tides of Dread:

After preparing the majority of their base defenses around Farshore, the party's rogue/pirate Drempel Swiftide orders that the recently captured Rat's End pirate vessel (Hellfish I think) be stocked full of barrels of oil, spare alchemists fire, etc. He then orders the decks and masts to be swabbed with tar that had recently been procured from the Isle of Dread tar pits.

As the Crimson Fleet began their amphibious assault of the Farshore beach, the crafty Drempel Swiftide sails the tar and oil laden ship towards the attacking Crimson Fleet caravels. The invading pirates can only stare in horror as the halfling pirate steers his vessel into their midst. Setting the ship on a kamikaze, Drempel leapt from the ship and headed back to the beach. Immediately following his escape, his plan came into effect. From up upon the recently constructed sniper posts overlooking the bay came a handfull of flaming arrows. The tar-covered ship went up like a tinder box and smashed into an attacking vessel, removing it from the fight.


2 - Tides of Dread:

The party was battered and bruised having killed scores of Crimson Fleet pirates, flesh golems, an annoying Yuan-Ti sorcerer and finally a pack of Vrocks in the midst of a dance of ruin. Suddenly, Vanthus Vanderboren swoops down on his new fiendish wings and emerges through the smoke and dust, his gaze set on Lavinia. Donar, the brave cleric of Heironeous charges towards Vanthus, drawing "claws of the jaguar", his holy morningstar that he uncovered in the ancient Rakasta weapon cache. Donar, in love with the fair Lavinia, challenges Vanthus to combat, goading him into battle and leading him away from his love. Vanthus proved to be one tough cookie. Braegrim, the party barbarian, had dropped his weapon on suggestion from Vanthus and proceeded to attack Vanthus with his bare fists, bringing painful AOO after AOO upon him. After a wicked flanking combination by the halfling rogue Drempel Swiftide and Brother Ramsey, the tormented monk, Vanthus was slain. However, in his dying moments he tossed his shadow pearl into the air and cursed the PCs and their beloved Farshore. Only empty-handed Braegrim made his reflex save, diving to the sandy ground to catch the sizzling pearl and saving the town from a savage tide.

2 - The Sea Wyvern's Wake:

Late at night as the Sea Wyvern lay trapped in the mother of all's vast sargasso, the legions of her spawn attacked the PCs and their crew. Wave after wave of spawn climbed the hull of the ship and dragged their soggy and sopping bodies after the PCs. Some crew members were ripped limb from limb and the players literally looked exhausted as their players were beset with wave after wave of plant-horrors.

This was a minor encounter but one that I will always remember because the PCs worked as a team and seemed legitimately concerned about the well being of the NPCs they were protecting. It was also really fun to watch them manage their limited resources. I recall an audible group exhalation at the end of the combat.

 

[Gregor]

I'm still waiting...

But Into the Maw has a nice side encounter for us Orcus fans.

spoiler removed

 

[Nightfall]

Gregor,

Yes I'm referring to that. I would however not have said that to avoid the exact spoiler you just handed out.

In any case Wells of Darkness, Enemies of my Enemy and Prince of Demons are the ones I'm most looking forward too.

 

[Wik]

2 - The Sea Wyvern's Wake:

Late at night as the Sea Wyvern lay trapped in the mother of all's vast sargasso, the legions of her spawn attacked the PCs and their crew. Wave after wave of spawn climbed the hull of the ship and dragged their soggy and sopping bodies after the PCs. Some crew members were ripped limb from limb and the players literally looked exhausted as their players were beset with wave after wave of plant-horrors.

This was a minor encounter but one that I will always remember because the PCs worked as a team and seemed legitimately concerned about the well being of the NPCs they were protecting. It was also really fun to watch them manage their limited resources. I recall an audible group exhalation at the end of the combat.

We had a lot of fun at the Sargasso, too. I kept throwing three at a time at the PCs, who were getting pretty exhausted about the whole thing. The entire encounter was nerve-wracking for them, especially the final battle with the Mother-Of-All. Particularly fun was the dwarf in heavy armour getting hurled into the water. Barrel of monkeys.

 

[Gregor]

Gregor,

Yes I'm referring to that. I would however not have said that to avoid the exact spoiler you just handed out.

Doh! (spoiler removed)