Pathfinder Adventure Path: Curse of the Crimson Throne, Chapter Six: "Crown of Fangs" [RPG]

 NO SPOILERS

 

Here we are at the conclusion to what’s widely acclaimed as one of the best fantasy RPG campaigns ever written: Curse of the Crimson Throne: Crown of Fangs!  As discussed in my reviews of previous chapters (and my campaign journal), I ran CotCT as a live tabletop campaign using the PFRPG hardcover version.  This review is on the general adventure as depicted in the monthly version along with the backmatter that issue includes.  Overall, I found the final instalment a worthy conclusion to everything that had gone before.  I might have liked a bit more politics and a bit less fighting, but some things are in the DNA of D&D, and there’s plenty of material in the setting to help a GM to customise things to taste.

 

Let’s start with the cover: Seltiyel, originally the Iconic for the Eldritch Knight prestige class and later for the Magus.  You can’t go wrong with Wayne Reynolds, and the image really pops—the scene of a Gray Maiden riding on a dragon in the background doesn’t hurt!  The inside front cover is the usual “Korvosan Hierarchy” chart, though it’s always interesting to see the increasing number of skulls indicating those who have died.  The inside back cover is “Enemies of Korvosa”.  This has some spoilers on it, so is best kept to the GM.

 

James Jacobs’ foreword mentions that Tito Leati, the adventure author, turned in a much fuller-than-expected map of Castle Korvosa, but that the location shouldn’t be treated like a room-by-room dungeon crawl.  Instead, the GM should try to get the PCs on to the important bits.  More importantly, it includes a handful of paragraphs on the final fate of the AP’s many minor NPCs (like Amin Jalento, the Soldados, etc.).  Finally, it has a couple of paragraphs on the next AP, Second Darkness.

 

The first major piece of back matter is “Relics of Kazavon” (6 pages), providing a write-up of each of the seven surviving pieces as a major artifact.  The tales of how each was hidden is really interesting and evocative, and there’s a ton of adventure hooks here if a GM wishes to pursue them.

 

Next is a “Harrow Deck of Many Things” (6 pages), which includes a two-page spread of the cards suitable for photocopying.  A harrow deck of many things has a lot more cards than a traditional deck of many things, but each card is given a rules explanation to go along with its effect (certainly saving a lot of debate!).  I unfortunately missed my chance to use this in the game.

 

The “Pathfinder’s Journal” fiction instalment (6 pages) continues Eando Kline’s adventure to follow the directions of a mysterious wayfinder.  This time he’s in Urglin, and the writing here makes an excellent source for anyone who wants to set an adventure in the Orcish city.  There are some really funny lines but some real heartache too.  I’m keen to have these in a collected edition someday.

 

The “Bestiary” (10 pages) contains a wandering monsters table for the area where the last part of the adventure is set and then proceeds to introduce four new monsters (each with two-page spreads).  Akaruzugs are very flavourful constructs powered with soul energy from a crucified corpse (ghastly but cool!); Belier Devils are leech-like but super intelligent devils capable of possessing the bodies of others); Contract Devils are Hell’s lawyers and have become important in many Pathfinder stories; Mobogos are giant frog-monsters worshipped by boggards.

 

Last, there are two pages presenting Level 14 versions of the Iconics.

 

SPOILERS!

 

Let’s get to the beginning of the end!  The adventure starts with a half-page “Adventure Background” and “Adventure Synopsis” that sets the scene.  Korvosa is still a city under the oppression of Queen Ileosa’s army, with the resistance hidden in the Gray Distract.  Unbeknownst to all, her quest for eternal youth and immortality (through a bloody cool ritual linked to the Runelord Sorshen) has taken her out of Castle Korvosa and to an ancient Thassilonian structure called the Sunken Queen far to the west of the city.  Ileosa left behind a simulacrum in the throne room which, so far, has tricked even her own allies to thinking she’s still in the city.  It’s a clever plan because, as we’ll see, once the resistance (aided by the PCs) gets into a position to launch an assault on Castle Korvosa, they end up trying to depose a tyrant who has already abandoned her throne!

 

Part One (“Return to Korvosa”) has the PCs contacted by Vencarlo Orisini through dream magic and asked to return to the city so the resistance can move on the queen.  There’s a brief section here on what’s happening in Korvosa (the construction of huge statues, collection of blood samples, etc.) that’s useful context for later events.  The PCs will need to use Disguise or Stealth to move about without being constantly attacked by Gray Maiden patrols, though at this point, the PCs are tough enough to shrug them off.  (I think when I ran this part of the adventure, I had to use the Troop rules to provide even a smidge of opposition)  Anyway, Cressida Kroft hands the PCs a list of eight concerns she wants addressed before the rebellion can reveal the lawful seneschal (Neolandus) is still alive and make a move on Castle Korvosa.  The main scripted bits are confronting a new “masked hero of the people” named Trifaccia who has been turning Korvosans against the rebellion (a great use of an evil vigilante with a high-powered twist) and learning that Ileosa’s secret consort, the Gray Maiden Commander Sabina Merrin has learned the truth about her liege and is ready to turn against her—but first she has to deal with a black dragon that remains loyal!  It’s an excellent character arc for Sabina, and some exciting scenes (I had them occur off-screen involving rebel leaders because my PCs spent so much time in Scarwall, but I imagine they would have worked well)

 

Part Two (“Assault on Castle Korvosa”) is beautifully misleading because the players may think they’re about to have the big final battle of the whole campaign, and thus use their very best one-time-only items and buffs, only to discover they’ve been duped!  Although the castle is laid out in incredible detail (down to the servants’ rooms and dirt pipes, with plenty of information non-adventure related), I think the foreword is correct that it’s best to treat the assault on Castle Korvosa as an opportunity for the PCs to plan a surgical strike to get into the throne room as quickly as possible.  With the group having just come off of the truly massive Castle Scarwall, they probably don’t need another ponderous dungeon crawl to glean every scrap of treasure and XP possible.  Highlights include the final fate of Ishani Dhatri (bound to an akaruzug; poor guy!), the bloodmage Togomor (he and a demon have clever, nasty tactics!), trying to survive a belier devil named Sermignatto (1d4 Con drain is no joke), a Red Mantis leader named Mistress Kayltanya (3 pages is probably too much though for battle fodder), the ghost of the king’s brother Venster, the possible creation of a Harrow Deck of Many Things (described above), and more.  I love that the adventure creates a handout for the infernal contract between Ileosa and Hell.  In short, for an intentional misdirection, this part of the adventure is really well-written and full of interesting content. And of course, the moment when players realise the “Queen Ileosa” they’ve just defeated (a mite too easily!) isn’t the real thing is one to remember.

 

Part Three (“The Sunken Queen”) is the real climax.  The setting is evocative and well-described (an ancient Thassilonian temple tipping precariously into the mud of the Mushfens).  Ileosa’s minions (dread wraiths and  some CR 8 clones) aren’t nearly as deadly in this original version as they are in the PFRPG hardcover version, and I’m curious if many groups found the final battle (against what’s effectively a villainous bard) pretty manageable, especially if they had Serithtial.  Only if PCs have the misfortune to lack the skills or magic to stop the ritual and the blue dragon Kazavon is resurrected will they *really* be in trouble—that guy is over the top at CR 25!  A half-page makes some suggestions on how to conclude the campaign and what happens if Ileosa wins (as regrettably happened in my game), and then there are two more pages on potential ways to continue the campaign (I tend to think future storylines may be anti-climactic, but if everyone’s having fun and wants to continue, it’s nice to have options).

 

And I guess that’s it for Curse of the Crimson Throne.  Even though I primarily used the hardcover version, I was glad to have these original monthly issues to help me flesh out some bits and see some different ways of handling things.  I’ve only run two (and a half) Pathfinder adventure paths so far, but I have no reason to disagree with the consensus that this is the best written of them all.  May the people of Korvosa enjoy their hard-won freedom, and tyrants like Ileosa everywhere face a reckoning.  Sic temper tyrannis!

Curse of the Crimson Throne Recap # 84 [RPG]

[Starday, 8 Arodus 4708 A.R. continued]

The shrine to Zon-Kuthon emanates an almost palpable gloom as the Harrowed Heroes decide to investigate the treasures on the altar.  Fortunately, Lorien stirs and seems to be in his right mind as he wonders why he’s been manacled and is floating on a translucent magical disk.  Once freed, he asks few questions and is quickly ready to help in the exploration.  The consensus seems to be that something dreadful will happen if the enchanted objects on the altar (a string of prayer beads and a spiked chain) are disturbed, so Lorien takes the clever precaution of summoning a bralani from a realm far beyond his own to perform the task.  But once the extraplanar visitor lifts the two treasures, the gem-encrusted skull on the altar suddenly rises into the air!  The ashes and bone fragments on the altar begin to swirl in an unearthly vortex as the skull’s jaws move up and down in a ghastly simulacrum of speech: “Who dares disturb the eternal resting place of Bishop Zev Ravenka?”

Anorak instantly realises that the skull is a demilich: the final eldritch remains of a destroyed lich!  “If we run, it won’t pursue!” shouts Anorak, but The Reckoner shouts back that it could be one of the four spirit anchors.  Eldritch flees immediately, as does Yraelzin when he realises something disturbing: none of his spells work against the demilich!  The others rush closer to attack, but Anorak finds his dwarven waraxe and spells completely ineffective, Lorien can’t reach the levitating foe, the bralani’s arrows crumple into dust upon impact, and The Reckoner finds his very lifeforce sucked out of him again and again!  The situation looks so dire that Anorak turns invisible and shouts to retreat, leading The Reckoner to call him a coward!  With Plate allowing him to fly, The Reckoner continues the fight, but the supernatural darkness and his ever-increasing weakness cannot be surmounted!  With a final morbid chuckle, the demilich seizes full control of The Reckoner’s soul and readies to rip it out of his body—but the final blessing of The Harrower turns away instant death.  Instead, The Reckoner falls and hits the ground hard, losing his weapon in the process.  Anorak swoops down to grab The Reckoner’s hammer while Lorien picks up the defeated leader and rushes him to safety.

 

In the corridor outside the shrine, the dismayed heroes at least have the consolation that Anorak’s knowledge proved accurate: the demilich has not followed, and it was surely badly damaged during the fighting.  But the group’s prospects seem dismal, with The Reckoner permanently weakened and Lorien unable to perform the necessary ritual to heal him without weeks of preparation and thousands of gold pieces worth of diamond dust.  But persistence is a virtue the Harrowed Heroes have in spades, and they decide on the spur of the moment to try again!  Flinging the doors to the shrine open, Lorien calls forth the holy power contained in the prayer beads to smite the demilich.  The abomination survives the attack, but is unable to retaliate before The Reckoner flies in and deals it an awesome blow that shatters the skull completely!  With the demilich’s destruction, an echoing cry of agony can be heard throughout the castle and a severe tremor shakes the building, raining dust and fist-sized chunks of stone down from the ceiling.

 

To the victors go the spoils, and the Harrowed Heroes reap a valuable array of rubies, silverware, and spell scrolls from the shrine and adjacent chapels.  Confident they’ve cleared the ground floor of the donjon, Anorak suggests breaking a hole in the outer wall so the group could rest outside.  The Reckoner, however, reminds the dwarf that there was something in the water there—not to mention, the possibility of more gargoyle attacks.  The group talk about the ancient song they learned from the Sun Shaman in the Cinderlands, and decide to see if the castle’s War Tower is the one with the “infernal soul” at the top.  Anorak expresses concern that the reference to a “stone cage crumbling” could mean the entire castle will fall down around their ears when they break the curse!

 

A second spirit anchor has been destroyed in a remarkable testament to courage and perseverance.  But at what cost?  With The Reckoner permanently weakened and the last vestige of The Harrower’s blessing extinguished from his soul, will he be able to survive the rest of what Castle Scarwall has to offer?  And, if Anorak is right about the castle collapsing on them, could ultimate victory mean instant death?

-----------------------------------

GM Commentary

The demilich was the toughest foe the PCs encountered in all of Scarwall.  With virtual immunity to magic, incredibly high DR, flight, and life-draining attacks, it was certainly a force to be reckoned with.  Speaking of, The Reckoner only managed to survive because upon entering Scarwall for the first time, each PC got a gift from The Harrower (either one automatic success on a save vs a death effect or a ghost touch weapon).  Still, the negative levels would be a drag for a long time.

I'm not sure exactly why they decided to rush right back in for a second go, but the incredibly risky gamble actually paid off.  Sometimes, once in a great while, bravery overcomes probability.

Starfinder Society Scenario # 5-99: "Battle for the Bulwark" [RPG]

 NO SPOILERS

 

Battle for the Bulwark is the Season Five multi-table interactive Special for Starfinder Society.  I can’t imagine it’s spoilery to say it since it’s right there in the name: the Special is all about the attempt to reclaim the Bulwark!  Sangoro’s Bulwark is a plot point featured in multiple SFS scenarios dating back to Season Two: a remote headquarters, fortress, and armory of the Exo-Guardians faction, it became mysteriously cut-off from all outside communication sometime after the Scoured Stars incident.  When scouts went to investigate, they found it surrounded by an impenetrable force bubble of pure darkness.  But now, it’s time to solve the mystery of just what happened to the Bulwark!

 

I got to play this via play-by-post.  I definitely recommend it, even if there’s one story element that I think falls a bit a flat.  The Special as a whole is really impressively done, and is a worthy capstone to the long-running Bulwark story arc.

 

SPOILERS!

 

I have to admit to feeling underwhelmed that the answer to the big mystery of “What happened to the Bulwark” is an invasion of pretty generic monsters I’ve never heard of before. The Bulwark was captured by an army of grioths led by a sadistic general named Itharris.  Grioths are winged bad guys with the usual expansionist motives common to many fantasy alien races and I just can’t think of a single memorable thing about them.  Putting that to one side, there is an interesting angle with the grioths having spent their time in control of the Bulwark constructing something called the Voidglass Spire, a towering structure that channels psychic power for nefarious purposes.  The scenario puts the concept of the Spire (and “voidglass” in general) to good effect in various plot points.  And more, the scenario provides an interesting pre-SFS history of the structure they would discover and call the Bulwark: it’s on the planet Mazdrun, homeworld of an ancient, incredibly powerful, twelve-limbed species with deep knowledge of planar travel known as the Founders that eventually became extinct, their souls united into a single magical being named the Merged One.  I can get behind big science-fiction concepts!

 

The Introduction to the scenario starts with the PCs aboard a fleet travelling toward Mazdrun and receiving a briefing by Ixthia the Unbreakable.  Unlike many past Specials, there are no “mustering activities” here as tables get organised—just introductions to get some role-playing off the ground.  That’s probably fine, in my opinion—Specials tend to be so packed with material anyway, the little skill checks and bonuses of mustering activities aren’t really needed.

 

In Part 1 (“Recon”), each table gets to choose one of four different missions to take on (and can move on to another mission if they finish the first one quickly).  First, there’s “Establish Comms”, which has the PCs needing to set up signal boosters on Mazdrun’s surface in between storms that wreak havoc.  It’s essentially a skill challenge, and like all skill challenges, it works well if the GM can add enough flavour to keep it from becoming just a dice-rolling exercise.  The mission results in the PCs discovering a source of darkness underground and a signal from surviving Starfinders inside the Bulwark!  Second, there’s “Downed Vessel”, in which the PCs are tasked with investigating the wreckage of Wisdom’s Grasp, a Starfinder ship that intended to rendezvous with the Bulwark just before contact was cut-off with the outside.  I love the backstory element that the ship was downed by intentionally intercepting a grioth laser beam meant to destroy Struggle’s Scholar, tying in perfectly to that classic scenario.  Anyway, the PCs will trigger a lot of haunt-related traps as they explore the wreckage, and success will allow them to realise that grioths were responsible for its destruction.  Third, there’s “The Arsenal”, in which, as the name implies, the PCs get to return to The Arsenal (as they first did in an earlier scenario) to scout it as a potential staging area for the invasion of the Bulwark.  An angel named Vigil-X has to be persuaded to allow it in what’s essentially a three-round influence-based skill check.  Fourth and finally, there’s “Subterranean Tunnels”, which features the PCs exploring lava tunnels to see if there’s an underground entrance to The Bulwark that can bypass the darkness shield.  After dealing with some radioactive ice, monsters called craggolks, and potentially discovering some relics of the Founders, the PCs will learn that the only potential entrance is blocked.

 

After the con as a whole gets enough successes from Recon missions, it’s time for Event # 1: Generator Assault!  Here, the PCs participate in a mission to destroy the darkness generators that shroud the Bulwark.  They get instructions and explosives from a great NPC ysoki named Betsy Blast(!) and have to fight through some grioth opposition plus a mass confusion beam to get the job done.

 

Part 2 (“Breaching the Bulwark”) starts with the PCs getting a choice of two “Bulwark Missions” to force entry into the fortress.  One option is “Forward Observation”, in which the PCs act as forward observers for an artillery barrage.  It’s a skill challenge, which is fine, but I don’t like that this one (and many of the ones in the Special) are of the “players can use any skill, describing how it contributes towards their goal”—players just look at whatever skill has the highest modifier and then come up with some random crap, whereas I’d actually like to see some rarely-taken skills get some value).  Pet peeve over.  The other option is “Underground Entry” which has the PCs fighting through a grioth crossfire to reach a voidglass mine.

 

I can’t fault the writers for not giving the players choice and the scenario replayability, because there’s then a choice of six(!) different missions:  1) Spire Inspection has the PCs investigating a deadly beam of black energy by collecting voidglass samples from three different sites (another skill challenge; here they learn that voidglass is psychically charged); 2) Survivors is my favourite of the bunch, as it’s a really original challenge: three Starfinders have been rescued from the Bulwark, but each claims the other two are double-agents mind-whammied by the grioths!  How to know who can be trusted?  The only shame is that it’s resolved through skill checks instead of actual role-playing and deduction; 3) Prison Break has the PCs rescuing prisoners by defeating grioths and construct guardians before a bomb goes off in five rounds; 4) Foul Laboratory has the PCs intervening to stop grioth robots from destroying a grioth laboratory (and the valuable information contained within); 5) Founders Vault has the PCs trying to access a vault that the grioths never figured out how to open—there are six tumblers that can be solved through trial and error, but a PC takes damage for every wrong guess; 6) The Cursed Blade has the PCs needing to break through a barricade and discover what’s on the other side—it turns out to be a sword haunted by the spirit of a Starfinder Society archaeologist studying the Founders—tons of great lore here!

 

Part 3 (“Assault on the Spire”) has everyone starting with the same “Spire Mission” called “Anvil and Hammer”: the premise is that the Starfinders need to fight their way across a bridge between the Bulwark and the top opening of the Voidglass Spire, but it’s actually all done narratively through a skills challenge rather than actual tactical combat.  There’s then a choice of three Spire Missions: 1) Elemental Nexus involves the PCs attuning themselves to some elemental obelisks left by the Founders (and gaining some perks in the process); 2) Assault on the Seer has the PCs trying to stop a grioth named Eclipse Seer Remthaize from completing a ritual—it has some cool art; 4) Spire Control Center requires the PCs to bypass a trap to shut down a “psychic transducer” (the key weapon device in the Spire; as an aside, I’ve seen something similar in Chapter 5 of Dawn of Flame).

 

Part 4 (“Bulwark’s Heart”) has the big climax as the Starfinders descend into the core of the Bulwark for a battle against Lt Ulgaran (low subtier) or General Itharris herself (high subtier).  As I mentioned above, they’re the pretty standard “bloodthirsty conquer-all-lessers” type.  During the battle, the Merged One awakens and starts climbing the Voidglass Spire like freakin’ King Kong on the Empire State Building!  I’m not sure it works, but I have to admit it helped with the idea of a big dramatic ending.

 

If a table finishes earlier than the others, they can then go on to a couple of short wrap-up skill check missions to blast energy cannons at grioths or evacuate the wounded.

 

And that’s Battle for the Bulwark!  It’s very professional package and one in which it’s clear the writers and designers spent a lot of time on.  There’s several handouts and checklists to help the players and GM keep track of everything, a clever use of repurposed flip-mats, some neat artwork (a shame the picture of the Bulwark isn’t more prominent), and some strong concepts for missions.  The writing also integrated and put a lot of Starfinder Society scenario lore together. It is a bit pricey, but considering all the material a GM gets, it’s definitely worth the cost.  And although I found grioths a “meh”, as a whole it’s a really impressive Special that I imagine most players will really enjoy.

Pathfinder Flip-Mat: "Lost City" [RPG]

I got a chance to pull out the Lost City flip-mat today for the first time, choosing it to represent a small part of an ancient elven city.  I chose the side with overgrown stone walls and a stepped dome-like structure, and it worked perfectly--really captured the feel of what I was looking for.  The other side has structures that are more intact and made of wood, and would be great for a pitched outdoor battle where you want the PCs and enemies to move from structure to structure to try to outflank one another.  As usual with Paizo flip-mats, the amount of detail is excellent.  Given how many scenarios and adventures involve exploration of ancient ruins and lost cities, I think this is a solid buy.