Pathfinder Tales: "King of Chaos" [RPG]

NO SPOILERS

Varian and Radovan are back!  It's hard to say much more without spoiling stuff, but I can say the hilarious banter, edge-of-the-seat action scenes, detailed incorporation (and development) of world lore, and a new NPC's point-of-view (alternating with Varian and Radovan) are in this novel.  Dave Gross' novels have been the mainstay of the Pathfinder Tales line, and King of Chaos definitely does not disappoint.  I do suggest first reading the free four-part web fiction "Killing Time", which serves as a prequel to the novel, on the Paizo website: https://paizo.com/store/pathfinder/fiction/tales/serial/killingTime  Things will make a bit more sense as Gross trusts readers to catch up as the story moves along.

SPOILERS

It's hard to summarise this novel concisely, because there's so much packed into it.  Varian's rivalry against the vampire Prince Kasiya, Radovan's rivalry with a unicorn (hilarious!), and the elven paladin Oppara's battle against an anti-paladin!  All of this is mixed into an incredibly exciting incursion into the Worldwound (a wasteland where the demons of the Abyss are able to pour forth into the Material Plane). King of Chaos ties into established continuity perhaps better than any other Pathfinder Tales novel, as it has characters from previous Varian and Radovan novels, setting details and monsters from The Worldwound campaign setting book, plot developments from Robin Laws The Worldwound Gambit, and clear tie-ins to the Wrath of the Righteous Adventure Path.  One of the things that Dave Gross does so well is integrate setting lore, but he's also fantastic at integrating the mechanics of the game so that what the characters do is "believable" if they were PCs.  But it's all done in a way that's interesting and seamless instead of clunky and bland.  The plot is complex, and I admit to getting lost a time or two (I'd like to re-read this one).  Still, I can't recommend this one enough for anyone interested in Varian and Radovan or The Worldwound.  It's a witty, intelligent, action-packed page turner.

Pathfinder Society Introductory Scenario: "First Steps, Part III: A Vision of Betrayal" [RPG]

NO SPOILERS

Although this scenario is retired for official PFS play, I ran my local group through it (and the previous two parts) just to help get a new player familiar with the setting and to give the others some deeper background insight into factions and leaders they would encounter later.  The original premise of the trilogy is that after playing through all three parts, players would then choose a faction for their PC.

I think A Vision of Betrayal is an excellent all-around scenario.  It has some good role-playing moments, makes excellent use of the settings terrain and environment rules, and provides a good introduction to overland movement.  The story is also interesting.  This one may have been retired due to some different material with factions, but it easily could have been salvaged with some minor changes.
 
SPOILERS

The scenario starts with a briefing by Drandle Dreng, who isn't particularly eccentric here.  He's accompanied by Lady Gloriana Morilla, leader of the Taldan faction.  Dreng explains that the Pathfinder Society has been given the opportunity to bid on a rare Azlanti artefact recovered by the Gillmen of Escadar.  However, the Aspis Consortium is interested as well, and has hatched a plan to intercept any PFS agents sent via sea.  Thus, the PCs are asked to travel overland from Absalom to the small fishing village on the Isle of Kortos' northern coast and then pay a local captain for the short jaunt across to Escadar.  The PCs are to escort an appraiser and relics broker named Nester Rees so that he can ensure the Azlanti relic is the real deal.  In a nice touch, Lady Morilla slips a note to a single PC (whichever was the first to offer her a hand up), asking them to deliver a secret message to the gillmen embassy on Escadar.  I always think it's fun when one player at the table gets something special to work with.

The interior of the Isle of Kortos is supposed to be incredibly dangerous, so in order to find a safe passage overland, the PCs are told to journey into the Siphons (the sewers under Absalom) and meet with Grandmaster Torch.  I love the whole deal with Grandmaster Torch, and his scepticism of the Decemvirate adds a great layer of complexity to the life of a Pathfinder.  There's no skill checks or anything required to obtain the map (which is quite attractive as a handout), so it's just a bit of flavour and a chance to introduce players to the then-existing "Shadow Lodge."  Afterwards, they can meet up with Nester Rees.  I like how he's given full stats, an interesting background and persona, and some ways the GM can use him during the rest of the scenario (as well as instructions on what to do if he gets killed!).  Too often, NPCs to be escorted aren't treated like "real" characters and are somehow immune to everything the PCs have to go through.

The journey overland takes the group through a variety of different terrains: forests, foothills, mountains, swamps, and more.  The trip takes seven or eight days in game time, and the GM is given a handy chart summarising how much progress a group would normally make each day if they have all have a 30' move speed.  During the journey, there are several scripted events that take up the middle third of the adventure.  The events include a (peaceful!) encounter with centaurs, a nighttime attack by a krenshar (a creepy wolf-like monster), discovery of a frozen wagon and an old shrine, possible infestation by leeches (yuck!), and a battle against a kobold swamp druid and her pet alligator.  Unlike too many scenarios, A Vision of Betrayal makes excellent use of the detailed terrain rules in the Core Rulebook to make encounters more interesting and incorporates environmental effects like cold temperatures or fog as well.  I always appreciate this because there are a lot of traits, class abilities, feats, and spells that really only have application in specific situations where these features are invoked, and if scenarios never use them, it's too tempting to just go for another numerical combat bonus and call it a day.

The overland trip concludes at a village on the far side of the island named Pier's End, which receives a full settlement stat block (and which I don't think is discussed in other Paizo products, despite being a pretty useful location for campaigns set around Absalom).  Here, the PCs need to find a ship's captain willing to take them to Escadar for a reasonable price.  There are three possibilities, and PCs who take the time to ask around and react to their different personalities can get a much better deal.  In other words, the scenario handles Diplomacy checks well; though oddly, it seems to treat Intimidate checks as automatic failures with negative consequences.

The last part of the scenario is a meeting with the gillmen at a tavern called the Grindylow's Goblet.  The scenario's title is a bit of a giveaway here, as there is in fact a betrayal.  The gillmen who meet the PCs here aren't really relic-finders with something to offer the Society.  Instead, they're agents of the Aspis Consortium who have made up a fake relic and are only interested in tricking the PCs (and Nester Rees) out of the payment they brought.  It's actually possible for the group to get completely swindled (especially if no one is good at Appraise and Nester died earlier on the overland journey).  More likely, however, the ruse is discovered and a fight breaks out in the tavern.  I thought it was pretty exciting, as the gillmen are interested in escaping with what the Pathfinders' brought instead of just slugging it out, so the PCs have to work quickly.  It's odd that neither the purported Azlanti artefact nor the item that Nester Rees has bought to trade receive any detail, so I had to make something up on the fly. Once the encounter is concluded, the return journey to Absalom happens off-screen, though there is some additional role-playing that can be done with Drandle Dreng at the Grand Lodge.

It's not really relevant anymore, though I'm going to mention anyway that the boon on the Chronicle is terrible--a limited-use, tiny bonus vs a dragon's breath weapon that will puzzle most players about how it's even related to the scenario at all.

Quibbles aside, I thought this was an excellent scenario that showed great attention to detail and works really well to show off the various facets of Pathfinder.

Pathfinder Society Academy T-Shirt [RPG]

I bought this shirt for my kid to wear, and he proudly dons it for our biweekly home game.  I don't know much about what Pathfinder Society Academy was, but I really like the logo and the fun goblin.  In addition, it's cool to see a Pathfinder shirt that isn't black!  Like all Pathfinder shirts I own, this one has held up well to multiple washings.

Pathfinder Online: "Thornkeep Granite Plaque" [RPG]

When Pathfinder was at its height several years ago, Paizo decided to try their hand at an MMORPG called Pathfinder Online.  The setting for the game was to be a small town called Thornkeep.  From what I understand (this was all before my time), the project was a major financial flop.  The game still apparently exists online, even though few play it, and there are other artefacts such as a written module, a t-shirt, and this "granite art plaque".  The art by Wayne Reynolds is striking and perfectly. evocative of back-alley, cut-throat, low magic fantasy (of which Pathfinder isn't, but that's not the point).  The plaque itself is about the size of an open hand, and two plastic pieces serve well as a display stand.

The packaging contains some text on the back:  "Beware to all who enter the town of Thornkeep!  On its dimly lit streets, even the noblest hero may fall prey to the knife of a cut-purse.  And if the thieves don't get you, then perhaps the goblins will."  Inside the box is a certificate of authenticity indicating that this is one of a 250-run limited edition.  These things must not have been popular, because even discounted to $ 10, they're still available on the Paizo website seven years later.  Still, I'm happy with mine.  It's a nice way to spruce up a gaming bookshelf with some quality WAR art.

Starfinder Society Scenario # 1-30: "Survivor's Salvation" [RPG]

NO SPOILERS

Paizo forgot to update its website with a picture of the scenario's cover, 

so here's a pic of someone from the scenario.

I played through Survivor's Salvation with my skittermander Steward character, and it was right in her investigatory wheelhouse.  There's a mystery to solve in this scenario, though it's a pretty straightforward one despite a twist here and there.  I really liked the premise and how it builds organically into the events of the Season 1 interactive special.  I guess I'd say that, all in all, some clunky writing distracts from an otherwise potentially excellent scenario.  It's definitely very playable, however.

SPOILERS

The scenario starts out at the Exo-Guardians' headquarters, and it's fun to see the base coming along after getting a chance to help the warehouse's procurement in The Commencement.  Fan-favourite faction leader Zigvigix delivers the briefing, and he's his usual quirky-cool self despite having some heavy news to drop on the PCs.  In the wake of the Society's expedition to the Scoured Stars System (in # 1-99), many of the Starfinders who returned suffered from what (in the real world) would be called PTSD and have had difficulty returning to normal life.  A shobhad member of the Society named Hurondo started up a clinic for returnees like himself.  The clinic is called the Respite, and has helped dozens of agents who suffered trauma.  But just a week ago, Hurondo didn't turn up for work--and people are concerned.  Zigvigix assigns the PCs to walk over to the Respite, talk to Hurondo's business partner Jiwalla Zarvim, and see if they can figure out where Hurondo is.  As an adventure hook, it's a classic missing-persons case, but works especially well because it's integrated nicely into the season metaplot and takes place in an interesting and unusual setting.

When the PCs reach the Respite, things get pretty complicated for the GM.  This section is structured as seven different events that progress in different orders depending on what the PCs do.  In other words, there's a lot of "if/then" statements to interpret on the fly quickly, and I think it's probably over-complicated.  Anyway, most of the events involve interaction with former Starfinders who have come to the Respite for counselling.  Questioning them about Hurondo brings clues to the surface, and although each one is interesting on its own, they all point quite obviously to the Spike and a mysterious memory-modification clinic that has been set up there.  When the PCs get a chance to speak to Jiwalla (co-operator of the clinic), she has surprisingly little information about Hurondo but immediately asks the PCs to participate in a series of physical exercises (for their mental health) that include endurance rowing, a sprinting race, and weight-lifting!  It's laughably bizarre given the context, as is the result that Jiwalla is more willing to help in investigating Hurondo's disappearance if the PCs win the competitions.  Similarly bizarre is how many people at the clinic want to give the PCs extremely valuable pieces of technology or even credits.  The writers of these scenarios really need to figure out a more organic way to satisfy loot expectations in ways that don't take the players out of the story.

When the PCs leave the Respite, they'll encounter a pair of street gang members distributing flyers for the mysterious new medical clinic in the Spike.  If persuaded to talk, the gang members say that they're part of the Uniters gang which is actually holding Hurondo captive at the Uniters' headquarters in the Spike!  The clinic they're passing out flyers for is called the Open Collective clinic, and it seems the Uniters often take on odd jobs for local concerns.  Having the gang members appear conveniently right after the PCs leave the clinic is clunky story-telling, and I guess it was a "belt-and-suspenders" way to get the PCs to head to the Spike and start poking around for a kidnapped shobhad.  It cool that both my PC and another PC at the table happened to have the special boon from Incident at Absalom Station that gives bonuses when dealing with street gangs.

The Uniters gang is run by (I think) one of the first Vlakas to appear in an SFS scenario.  Bargai is joined by two other gang members, and although she doesn't put up much of a fight, the interesting thing is that she can be persuaded to join the SFS later on.  Another interesting twist is that Hurondo is there, perfectly healthy, and busy talking to his "captor", a nuar named Orghuun who has just been persuaded to quit the Uniters and go to the Respite for treatment!  It turns out that what happened is Hurondo originally came down to this area of the Spike to investigate missing patients from the Respite who might have gone to a mysterious clinic in the area, heard it was affiliated with the Uniters, stumbled into their HQ and got captured, and then the Uniters decided they might hold him for some sort of ransom but hadn't figured out what yet.  Hurondo can head back up to the Respite, but implores the PCs to investigate the Open Collective clinic.  The PCs, having nothing better to do with their lives than impersonate Stewards, decide to agree.

So as not to bury the lede, the twist with the Open Collective is that it's a front for a group of "bodysnatcher slimes" that are exactly what their name implies.  They're malevolent creatures that have been taking over the bodies of patients at the clinic in order to steal their memories so they can eventually assimilate everyone on Absalom Station and the Pact Worlds!  The combats here are really easy, with the tricky part being keeping the innocent hosts alive while destroying the bodysnatcher slimes.  Once the slimes are defeated, the scenario concludes with the ominous possibility that other bodysnatcher slimes are still operating somewhere on the station.

Overall, the plot and setting of Survivor's Salvation are solid.  It's a logical progression from the Scoured Stars Invasion to have agents suffering from their ordeal.  The actual execution of the adventure is a bit clunky in places for the reasons outlined above.  It's also surprisingly easy from a combat perspective.  So I can't give it top marks, but it was fun nonetheless.

Rise of the Runelords Recap # 74 [RPG]

[5 Calistril 4708 continued]

In the cave that has served as their hidden base for attacks on Jorgenfist, the defenders of Sandpoint discuss what to do about the lamias that have defeated them handily in two consecutive battles.  A suggestion is made to simply bypass the lamias, but Salma worries that would lead to the party being attacked from behind while engaged with other foes.  The discussion of strategy continues until, with a loud “popping” sound, a pair of figures suddenly manifest in the cave!  One is a robed figure, while the other is a heavily armed dwarf holding a waraxe!  The robed figure nods to the dwarf and then teleports away, leaving the dwarf in a standoff with the adventurers.  Jinkatsyu breaks the ice by asking the dwarf what he thinks of giants.  “Kill them all!” shouts the dwarf.  The others relax, and allow the dwarf, Jemar Crowell, to explain he was teleported to Jorgenfist in search of a fellow group of dwarves from Janderhoff who went missing while prospecting on the Storval Plateau.  The adventurers decide not to look a gift horse in the mouth, and an alliance is quickly struck.  The rest of the day is spent in heated debate about what to do next.  Eventually, a consensus is reached to try to sneak past the lamias but to be prepared to fight if necessary.

[6 Calistril 4708]

The adventurers, with their new dwarf ally, try to move stealthily into Jorgenfist’s subterranean level.  But Jemar’s armor clinks with every step, and Jinkatsyu’s scabbard constantly scrapes along the wall.  The group doesn’t get far before they hear cackling laughter in the distance.  Deciding to quickly search some of the unexplored side chambers, the adventurers discovery a reeking (but unoccupied) tannery and a forge designed to allow prisoners in iron cages to work the bellows—and the cages are still occupied!  The five dwarves that Jemar came in search of are set free and given directions to the adventurers’ hideout to wait in until the threat of the lamias can be dealt with. 

The adventurers decide to backtrack to make sure they’re not being followed.  They see a massive dining hall that contains a large throne, and hear banging sounds coming from what must be a kitchen—but they decide to leave it alone for now.  Conna, the stone giant elder who earlier gave them advice, whispers to the group from around a corner that Mokmurian is still alive and that the tribes above continue their preparations for war.  Jemar erupts with fury when he realizes that the adventurers have befriended a giant, but although he scares Conna away, he doesn’t give chase.

After several more minutes of cautious exploration and backtracking to ensure they’re not walking into another ambush, the adventurers finally approach the unholy shrine to Lamashtu from the north.  The cloaked figure is still on the altar, but Jinkatsyu discerns it’s larger than last time—and he’s ready when the figure throws off its shroud to reveal one of the lamias!  Inexplicably without its magical duplicates, the lamia is stabbed multiple times in quick succession by the swashbuckling kitsune, and he resists the priestess’ attempt to paralyze him, thanks to Ava’s magical preparations.  In seconds, one of the lamia sisters that had caused the group so much heartache lays dead at their feet!

A column of flame announces the arrival of the second lamia, laughing with joy when she sees the fate of her kin.  Salma resists the lamia’s next wave of magic, and before it can try again, Jinkatsyu and Jemar have dispatched it.  The stunningly easy victory is tainted only by the realization that another figure stands further in the shadowy caverns.  The hooded figure is missing its fingers, and the adventurers are prepared for what they see when they remove the hood: Wystan has been turned into a cruel mockery of life—a zombie!  Although destroyed quickly, the lamias would no doubt believe they had the last laugh.  In what may be a sign of the greed that has infected them, the adventurers quickly and unceremoniously strip the paladin’s corpse of anything valuable.

---------------------------------------------
Director's Commentary (October 14, 2019)

Jemar was a temporary "loaner PC" from the NPC Codex for the player who had been running Wystan.  I didn't want the player to know beforehand whether Wystan was alive or dead.

The final engagement against the lamias was something of an anti-climax.

There's irony in the PCs cold-heartedly looting their fallen given that a major theme of the entire campaign is greed.

Next Recap

Pathfinder: "Seekers of Secrets" [RPG]

Seeker of Secrets is all about the in-world Pathfinder Society: its history, ethos, leaders, lodges, and more.  It's thus a great way for GMs to add more depth and description for the scenarios they run, while players can add better background for their characters and take advantage of the prestige classes and magic items in the last third of the book.   The book is a 64-page softcover with full color art (that's a mixed bag, to be frank, though there's a great illustration of noteworthy Pathfinder Eando Kline on page 4).

The cover is fun, with a classic image of a rogue paying too much attention to treasure while a monster sneaks up behind her (and her friends shouting in the background is a nice detail).  The inside front cover is a map of the Inner Sea noting the location of Pathfinder lodges.  It's interesting to see several in close proximity in some areas while other large regions have hardly any.  The inside back cover is a reproduction of the cover art, sans title and logo.  Running along the bottom of the pages throughout all three chapters are illustrations and capsule descriptions of various Venture-Captains in the Pathfinder Society.  These are the "face" of the organisation for most players, and it's good to have another way to make them come alive.

Chapter 1 ("Welcome to the Pathfinder Society") takes up 26 pages.  It provides a good general overview of the Society: the duties that every PFS player knows ("Explore, Report, Cooperate"), the organisation's internal leadership structure, a timeline history (which comes up in some noteworthy scenarios), the in-world application process to join (which seems much more rigorous than most PFS characters I've seen could actually meet!), and a lengthy discussion of the role that the Pathfinder Society could fill in a more traditional campaign (e.g., having the PCs be part of a team sent on expeditions instead of the cliched "you're in a tavern and there's only one table free" beginning).  The chapter spends several pages with a one or two paragraph description of how the Pathfinder Society operates in each region of the Inner Sea (including those where they don't have lodges or aren't legally allowed to operate, such as Hermea, the Hold of Belkzen, and Ilizmagorti).  It makes for interesting reading, and there's some great ideas there, like an all-undead team for secret missions in Geb, an all elf crew to investigate murders in Kyonin, etc.  There's a brief mention of rival groups (like the Aspis Consortium) and I wish this had been fleshed out much more.  Last, there's a few new feats and five new spells--the best of which, teleport trap, is perfect for a big bad guy's lair (as I can personally testify).

Chapter 2 ("Where Secrets Sleep") is 12 pages long, and focusses on detailing the various Pathfinder lodges around the Inner Sea.  Lodges are where agents receive their mission briefings, but they can also serve as places to rest, train, and do research in between missions.  Lodges definitely don't follow a uniform plan, and are very much a reflection of the locale and the venture-captain in charge: from a back room behind a bait-and-tackle shop to a luxurious estate.  Apart from capsule descriptions of various lodges, the chapter provides a map and detailed description of the Society's central headquarters (the Grand Lodge in Absalom) and of its first foray into Varisia (Heidmarch Manor in Magnimar).  There's a lot of very flavourful description that should help GMs (and scenario writers) bring these places to life.

Chapter 3 ("Tools of the Trade") finishes the book off with about 22 pages of new magic items and prestige classes.  The chapter starts with a one-page summary of various past volumes of the (in-world) Pathfinder Chronicles, and there's some really intriguing bits there.  Several pages in the chapter are devoted to an extensive discussion and list of ioun stones that I think is more complicated and less interesting than the space is worth.  A few new wayfinders are introduced, but they're so expensive I can't see PCs ever being able to afford them (or wanting to even if they had the cash).  Then, there's a complicated set of tables setting out various resonance abilities when ioun stones are implanted in wayfinders.  Just not my cup of tea.  Some other new magic items are included.  I think the best part of this chapter is the three new prestige classes: the Pathfinder Delver (archaeologists and dungeoneers), the Pathfinder Savant (spellcasters skilled in learning the magic of other classes), and the Student of War (an intelligence-based tactical fighter and leader; I used this for my sadly-departed PC Sarabian, and thought it was pretty cool).  None of these prestige classes are super-powered, but I think they're all solid and worth taking.  An NPC (complete with description, stat block, and artwork) for each prestige classes is also included--though I'm not really sure why.

Overall, Seekers of Secrets is a fantastic and under-used resource for players and GMs in Paizo's "Organized Play" division.  It's a really nice package and one I've referred to multiple times.

Pathfinder: "Inner Sea Poster Map Folio" [RPG]

This thing is frickin' huge!  And I love it!  The Inner Sea Poster Map Folio contains four individual posters that, when combined, create a massive map of the Inner Sea region of Golarion.  The map is over 5 feet tall and about 3 1/2 feet wide.  It's the most detailed of any Inner Sea map I've ever seen, with large cities, tiny villages, dungeons and named ruins, and more.  It's the best way to a get a real sense of scale of where things are in the Inner Sea.  The map stretches from Winterwall Glacier and The Worldwound in the north all the way down to the Jungle of Hungry Trees and the Field of Maidens in the south.  True nerd that I am, I've had the panels laminated and hung on the wall of my soon-to-eventually-be gaming room, and used little flags to indicate where groups are currently adventuring.  If I had any complaints, it's that the four panels don't overlap perfectly, and that the map doesn't show roads or trails between places.  Overall, though, it's a pretty awesome (and functional) backdrop for gaming sessions.

Rise of the Runelords Recap # 73 [RPG]

[4 Calistril 4708 continued]

Although driven by a holy thirst for vengeance, 

Wynstan was no match for the cruelty and cunning 

of what lurks beneath Jorgenfist

In their cliffside cave below Jorgenfist, the adventurers regroup after a disastrous battle against lamia priestesses of Lamashtu.  Jinkatsyu, returned to life thanks to Ava’s divinely-granted power, finds his wits restored thanks to Kang’s foul-smelling but always-effective alchemical wonders.  The group are in the midst of a free-flowing discussion about how to defeat the lamias when Wystan receives a taunting, magical message from one of them: “Cowardly knight, why did you flee?  You only delay the inevitable.  Mokmurian has been alerted to your intrusion, and his wrath is mighty.”  Wystan conceals the telepathic communication from his new allies.  Before any decisions are reached, Salma unexpectedly reappears, explaining that she had to fulfil a promise to an old friend.  The others introduce her to Wystan, and fill her in on the dramatic events she missed.

A suggestion is made to return to the caves where the waves of stone giants and ogres were repulsed, in order to move or hide the bodies so that the remaining defenders of Jorgenfist can’t discover the adventurers’ hideout.  Kang says it’s far too late for subtlety or deception, but Salma is strongly in favour of the idea and persuades the others (bar Kang) to come with her.  She explains that she can cast a (newly-mastered) spell ahead of time that will let everyone teleport away simultaneously! The journey through the maze of narrow tunnels connecting the cave to Jorgenfist’s subterranean levels proceeds without incident.  Even working together, however, moving the stone giant corpses (each of which weighs half a ton!) is slow, exhausting, and quite loud.  The sound echoes through the now largely-vacant chambers, and before long the cackling, mocking laughter of a lamia can be heard approaching from the east.  Salma tries to get the jump on their tormentor, but the wizard’s spellcraft is ineffectual and the lamia dances away into darkness.  Ava shouts that they need to leave before the other priestess appears, so Salma intones the final guttural syllable of her escape spell—but Wystan resists it!  “I do not fear you,” shouts the knight to the lamias, readying a javelin as his only allies disappear.

Back in the cliffside cave, Kang sees everyone who left on the expedition suddenly reappear—except for Wystan.  Ava shouts that Wystan doesn’t know the way back on foot, and everyone commendably starts running back through the narrow tunnels.  But run as they might, they’re not fast enough to affect what happens next.  Wystan waits, poised for battle, as he hears distant shouting in a language he cannot speak.  Just as he’s about to leave, having decided that discretion is the better part of valor, the lamias strike!  One has snuck up behind him from the north, while the other uses foul magicks to seal his eyes shut!  Stumbling and blinded, Wystan can’t stand against the despicable genius of the lamias and succumbs to their attacks.  When the other adventurers arrive, they see only the signs of battle and a message crudely painted in blood on the walls:  “We have him, and he lives!”

Salma and Jinkatsyu are prepared to go after him, but Kang and even the sobbing Ava know that it’s too risky.  It’s clearly a trap, and there are no guarantees that Wystan is even alive.  With all of Varisia at stake, the rescue of one life can’t outweigh the protection of thousands.  Reluctantly, the adventurers return to their hideout to rest until morning.

[5 Calistril 4708]

In the morning, Ava awakens to the sound of a lamia whispering in her mind: “He hurts, he hurts!  Vainglorious fools, Mokmurian delights.”.  She shares the taunt with her friends, but Kang is unshaken, saying that once they’ve witnessed the full power arrayed against them, the lamias will regret their errors.  Battle plans are drawn, and the foursome return to the giant caverns.  They find a disturbing sight—individual, severed fingers pointing, like breadcrumbs, to the lamia caves!  Undeterred by the ghastly jest, the adventurers press on and soon arrive the unholy shrine.  One of the lamias is there, and motions towards the altar where a figure, covered in a cloak, is held down by chains and moaning inarticulately.  “You’re just in time to save your friend!” shouts the lamia while backing away into darkness. 

While Jinkatsyu starts to move towards the altar, Kang shouts an alarm—something is rushing towards them from behind!  The other lamia, having hidden in a side passageway, has come up behind the rear of the party’s formation to attack Ava and Salma.  Salma reacts quickly, evoking her most powerful fireball yet on the lamia—only to find, when the smoke clears, that it had absolutely no effect!  The brilliant wizard quickly deduces that the lamias (having heard earlier battles and seen the burned corpses of the multiple giants and ogres) have abjured themselves against her favourite spell!  Jinkatsyu doesn’t hesitate to charge to Ava’s aid, plunging his rapier deeply into the lamia's side.  But in the early flush of success, Jinkatsyu doesn’t realize that the first lamia has returned from the south.  Magickal power paralyzes the kitsune, while the other lamia prepares to decapitate him—again!  But in a stunning move, Ava transdimensionally hops in and rescues Jinkatsyu, taking both of them to the rear of the chamber.

Alas, Jinkatsyu’s salvation comes with a price: Salma is left unprotected against both lamias, and their joint charge leads her dead before her body hits the ground.  Cackling wildly, the lamias revel in another sacrifice to their dark god.  Ava again manages to teleport herself, Jinkatsyu, and Salma’s body back to the cliffside cave, while Kang narrowly escapes, thanks to the magicks of his alchemical invisibility proving just strong enough to resist the dispelling magicks of the lamias.

Back in the cave, Ava’s prayers (and valuable sacrifices) are up to the task, and Salma’s wounds knit together and she gasps back into life.  But once again, the adventurers have been defeated with fatal results—and Wystan’s fate is still unknown.  In the depths of despair, do they have the courage to sally forth yet again?
-----------------------------------------------
GM Commentary (October 10, 2019)

I love paladins, but unfortunately Wystan fulfilled the "lawful stupid" stereotype.  It was a pretty fast in-and-out for this PC!

As I mentioned in the last commentary, these lamias proved surprisingly effective.  They had a good mix of spells, were clever and cunning, and the PCs hadn't quite shored up their magical defences.  On the plus side, the players definitely learned from this series of encounters how to prepare themselves against spellcasters later in the campaign.  It wouldn't be long, for example, that they wouldn't budge without spells like freedom of movement and protection from evil cast on themselves.

Ava always had the best and most exciting rescues.  She saved Jinks' life and Salma's corpse, so that a simple raise dead didn't have to be a burdensome resurrection.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Angel ("The Hollower" Part 3) [COMICS]

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Angel # 3
(Dark Horse) (Limited Series, 1999)

Creators: Chris Golden (writer), Hector Gomez (penciller), Sandu Florea (inker), Ken Bruzenak (letterer), Guy Major & Jeromy Cox (colorists)

Setting: Season 2

T.V./Movie Character Appearances:  Angel/Angelus, Spike, Drusilla, Giles, Buffy

Major Original Characters: Catherine (vampire), The Hollower (monster)

Summary:  In 1894 Vienna, Angelus leads a mob of vampires in the fight against The Hollower.  Angelus has prepared some sort of acid flask to throw against it, but Catherine gets grabbed by a tentacle and is right in the line of fire.  But Angelus doesn't hesitate, and hurls the flask, driving The Hollower away but burning her severely.  Afterwards, Angelus heads east, leaving Catherine, Spike, and Drusilla behind.  In the modern era, Giles continues to do research and figures out a potential way to kill The Hollower that involves an enchanted spear.  He enlists Buffy's help.  On the outskirts of Sunnydale, Angel and Catherine track The Hollower down and Angel flings flasks of "holy poison" at it.  Catherine is killed by The Hollower before Buffy appears to help in the fight.  Giles arrives with the enchanted spear and gives it to Angel, who uses it to destroy The Hollower.  Afterwards, Angel explains to Buffy that he was never tempted to let the monster suck out the demon inside of him--it was a risk he wasn't prepared to take because he has too much to lose (Buffy).


Review

The final part of the limited series.  Definitely a fast-moving issue.  I wish The Hollower had more backstory (or an origin), because (apart from the sucking out vampire's demons) it was a pretty generic massive tentacle monster.  Similarly, there's no mention of Catherine after she's killed, and since she's been built up over the past two episodes, you'd think there'd be a reaction from Angel.  All in all, though, I'd rank the limited series as a bit above average for Buffy comics of the era.

Notes

* In the credits, Jeromy Cox is credited as colorist "with apologies".  I wonder what that means--was he rushed and felt he turned in sub-par work?

* There's no Darla in the backstory segments, even though she also ran about with Angelus, Spike, and Drusilla around this time period.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Angel ("The Hollower" Part 2) [COMICS]

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Angel # 2
(Dark Horse) (Limited Series, 1999)

Creators: Chris Golden (writer), Hector Gomez (penciller), Sandu Florea (inker), Ken Bruzenak (letterer), Guy Major (colorist)
Setting:  Season 2

T.V./Movie Character Appearances:  Buffy, Willow, Xander, Angel, Giles, Spike, Drusilla,

Major Original Characters:  Catherine (Vampire), The Hollower (monster)

Summary:  Angel agrees to help Catherine slay The Hollower, and conceals what's happening from Buffy.  Angel visits Giles for help, and their joint research shows that once The Hollower has consumed 3,000 vampires, it can contain no more and unleashes all the demons back into the bodies of the nearby living.  Such a cataclysm would destroy Sunnydale!  A flashback to 1892 Vienna shows The Hollower attacking a party put on by Angelus, Spike, Drusilla, and Catherine; the tentacles monster kills several vampires by sucking the demon out of their bodies.  Back in the modern era, Buffy learns about The Hollower and Angel's involvement; but she's concerned he may want to be attacked in the hopes that the monster will take the Angelus out of Angel!

Review:  Interior artwork is fairly amateurish in spots, though the facial likenesses and depictions of the Lovecraftian Hollower are done well.  I thought the twist at the end, with Buffy suspecting Angel wants to be attacked by The Hollower, was pretty good.  The melding of flashbacks with present day scenes works well.

Notes

* We get a last name for Catherine: "DeLancie"

Pathfinder: "Bottle Opener" [RPG]

I understand you're upset.  You've been waiting over six years for me to review the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bottle Opener.  And I've been toying with your affections, reviewing almost 275 Paizo products before this one.  And now, just when you've pretty much given up on it ever happening, here it is.  It feels bittersweet, I imagine.  After so many years of anticipation, what will life be like afterwards?  But please don't think of this review as the culmination of your life's dreams.  Instead, it's an opportunity to dream even bigger, and forge new paths ahead.

This metal bottle opener does indeed open bottles.  If asked, I would testify under oath to such in a court of law. It comes in different colors.  I ordered the red one.  When it arrived, it was indeed red.  At least I assume so--I'm color blind and easily fooled. It has the word "Pathfinder" on it, and now every time I drink a beer at home, people know I like Pathfinder.  Except when I use my "Starfinder" bottle opener.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Angel ("The Hollower" Part 1) [COMICS]

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Angel #1
(Dark Horse) (Ltd. Series, 1999)

Creators: Chris Golden (writer), Hector Gomez (penciller), Sandu Florea (inker), Ken Bruzenak (letterer), Guy Major (colorist)

Setting:  Season 2


T.V./Movie Character Appearances:  Buffy, Angel/Angelus, Giles, Spike, Drusilla,

Major Original Characters: The Hollower (monster), Catherine (vampire)

Summary:  A pair of vampires, Catherine and Johnny Lee, are hunting in San Francisco when Johnny Lee gets snatched by an enormous tentacle monster!  Over in Sunnydale, Buffy and Angel work together to kill a chaos demon.  Later that night, however, Angel is accosted by a pack of vampires led by Catherine: it turns out that she was part of his inner circle during the 1890s.  Back then, Angelus, Spike, Drusilla, and Catherine were in Vienna when heard tales of a terrible monster called The Hollower that feeds on vampires!  In the present, Catherine tells Angel that The Hollower is back and headed for Sunnydale.  When he says that he no longer considers a monster that eats vampires a problem, she says there's something he doesn't know: that once The Hollower eats enough, it could turn the entire town into vampires overnight!

Review: A solid story, with more depth than the usual monster-of-the-week that plagued long stretches of the regular series.  Christopher Golden loves telling tales about Angelus at various points throughout history, and although this is the first time we've heard of Catherine, it doesn't seem like a ret-con.  The idea of something that even vampires are afraid of is cool, and I'm looking forward to seeing where the story is going.


Notes

* The back cover is an ad for The Phantom Menace.  Man, that movie's gonna be good!

* There's an ad for a variety of Buffy stuff, like usual.  This one spruiks a cool Buffy doorknob hanger--someday!

* The letters page contains multiple missives complaining about continuity conflicts between the show and the regular series.  It must have been tough for the editors to get comic stories synched with the show, considering how different the production schedules are.

* This issue came out with the usual art and photo covers, plus a Dynamic Forces Gold Foil cover and a 1500 issue run autographed by Christopher Golden.