Princes of Darkness (Book of the Damned Vol. 1) [RPG]

In the cosmology of the official Pathfinder campaign setting of Golarion, the infernal planes are divided by alignment and the type of fiends that reside there: Hell (occupied by Lawful Evil devils); Abaddon (occupied by Neutral Evil daemons); and the Abyss (occupied by Chaotic evil demons).  The first entry in the three-volume "Book of the Damned" series, Princes of Darkness, is devoted to the devils of Hell.  Devils in Pathfinder value order, hierarchy, and gaining new mortal souls through trickery and temptation in the form of infernal contracts.  This 64-page book contains a wealth of information on Hell, including sections on each of its 9 layers, its capital, the various types of devils, and a new prestige class for devil-worshipping diabolists.  I've never dabbled much with this aspect of D&D-based RPGs, but I thought this book was really well done and definitely value for the money.  I suppose the weird thing with this review is that I'm writing it *after* the Book of the Damned hardcover has been released, and that book collects and updates the material in Princes of Darkness.  But I have this book and not that one, and I'm a completist.  So, here we go.

 In terms of artwork, you can judge the front cover for yourself--I think it's very cool and has the right feel.  The interior art is also great, with one or two exceptions.  Page layout and design is top-notch, with well-placed sidebars and little illustrations here and there that fit the theme.  Particularly well-done are the pages from the in-universe "Book of the Damned" (which I'll explained in a minute), as they're in script on a parchment-style background.  Very cool.

The interior front cover lists the symbols of the various archdevils of Hell, and I'm sorry to say they look a bit amateurish to me.  The interior back cover lists the things a devil-worshipping cleric would need to know, including the domains, areas of concern, and favored weapons of the various denizens of Hell.  It's quite detailed, with Asmodeus, the eight archdevils, the four "Whore Queens", twenty-eight "infernal dukes", and twelve "malbranche".  The book itself is divided into four main sections: Hell and the Archdevils (descriptions of the various layers and their lords), Devilkind (explaining the different types of devils), Diabolatry (devil worship), and Diablerie (a bestiary of new devils).

Between these sections are two-page long inserts presented as if they were real extracts from the in-universe Book of the Damned, a catalog of the infernal planes written by an angel named Tabris (who, himself, has a fantastic story developed in later books!).  Three of these extracts ("Before", "Order", and "Exodus") talk about the origins of Hell, a story which at first is too vague and a bit boring until you realize how directly the ruler of Hell (Asmodeus) is tied into the creation of the universe itself.  Other extracts briefly discuss Dis (the greatest of Hell's cities) and the internal organization of Hell (briefly describing the various lesser, but still important, players in Hell).

The first main section, "Hell and the Archdevils" (20 pages) takes up about a third of the book.  There's a very brief introduction that covers some of the features of Hell, like Hellfire, Hellmouths, and the River Styx.  Each of the nine layers of Hell is then covered, with one page devoted to the layer itself and one page devoted to its ruler.  I'm tempted to go layer-by-layer, but that would make for a very long review so I'll just mention a few things.  Each of the nine layers revolves around a different concept--for example, the third level (Mammon) is the treasure vaults of Hell and home to those mortal souls who were dominated by greed, while Stygia, the fifth level, is the source of blasphemy, heresy, and corrupted faiths.  There's definitely some echoes of Dante's Inferno here.  I especially like how the rulers of each layer are far more than just embodiments of particular sins--they have unique personalities and backstories.  The writing is top-notch and quite impressive for a sole-authored book.  I suppose that if I had to be picky, I would single out the artwork of Geryon (lord of Stygia) as being kinda silly and state that Nessus (the 9th layer of Hell) is kind of bland.  I might even note that Asmodeus' throne is, visually, much cooler than he is!  But really, this is the heart of the book and it's great.

"Devilkind", the second main section (8 pages) clearly explains how the various denizens of Hell are sorted by power level with themes of authority and submission respected throughout.  Advancement is possible, but sometimes only through self-administered torture!  The main creatures discussed are imps, barbazus, erinyes, osyluths, hamatulas, gelugons, cornugons, and pit fiends.  Most of these were new to me, and the book did a really good job explaining their various roles in Hell.  Devil-summoners will be pleased to note that there are suggestions on how to make fiends more amenable to negotiations (such as telling osyluths secret vices of mortal rulers to gain a +2 bonus on Charisma checks).  The "infernal nobility" of Hell receive a few paragraphs of description each: Infernal Dukes (who rule particular sections of each layer under the supervision of the archdevils), the Whore Queens (fallen angels who operate schemes throughout Hell), and the Malebranche (the generals of Hell's armies).

"Diabolatry" (14 pages) is the third section.  It has information on infernal contracts (in which a mortal agrees to trade their soul for a boon) and includes tips on how a GM should handle them in-game.  The little sample contract is a good template.  New magic items called "devil talismans" are introduced, and they're quite powerful, providing the ability to draw on the powers of devils bound within them.  Next, there's information on the importance of and how to discover the true names of devils.  Perhaps of most interest to players in this book is the Diabolist prestige class; it looks quite flavourful (gaining an imp companion and bonuses to negotiting with summoned devils), and I like the "Damned" class feature: when the diabolist is killed, her soul is instantly sent to Hell and raising that character from the dead requires a high caster level check.  Five new spells appear in this section as well, and they're really fun to read even though I've never seen any of them in a game.  Perhaps a curious omission is how little reference there is to Golarion and whether/where there are specific concentrations of devil-worshippers in particular areas.  I know about Cheliax, for example, but to a new reader this could appear as a setting-neutral book.

The final chapter is "Diablierie" (10 pages).  Four creatures get two-page spreads with stat blocks, descriptions, and artwork:  Apostate Devils (specialists in turning mortals away from their faiths), Heresy Devils (specialists in undermining established religions through corruption and heresy); Host Devils (hunters of souls that have evaded capture in Hell), and Warmonger Devils (construct-like war machines).  The artwork is especially good in this section and each of the new creatures is interesting and well-described.

There's a *lot* to like about Princes of Darkness, and I would definitely recommend it for anyone planning to introduce devils or Hell into their campaign.  It's very much a GM book, with only occasional bits of potential interest to players.  One disappointment I do have in the book is that it's still really hard for me to picture what adventures or even encounters in Hell would look like.  Something like a "Running Games in Hell" sidebar (with suggested Average Party Level for different types of stories) would be really useful in trying to conceptualize adventures there.  Overall though, this is a great book and well-worth a purchase whether in PDF from Paizo or in hard copy from a used book seller.

Pathfinder Dice Tray [RPG]

I picked this up because, despite twenty years' practice, I still frequently roll dice off the table.  I also lose dice underneath papers or amongst all the other clutter on the table.  The Pathfinder Dice Tray has proven an elegant solution, as it stores flat but snaps up in a few seconds to make a durable rectangular box.  It actually has saved me time during the session, as I'm less likely to have to search all over for my dice or chase them across the floor.  

My dice still sometimes tumble out, but I blame my low Dexterity score rather than the tray itself.

Rise of the Runelords Recap # 30 [RPG]

[8 Neth 4707 continued]

In the caverns below Foxglove Manor, the adventurers who successfully vanquished The Skinsaw Man discuss the safest way to leave the house.  Artemis notes that there must be another way in and out since the front doors were locked yet goblin ghasts were found inside.  Kang says it is possible they swam in through a submerged passage from the large, deep pool nearby.  Briza is happy to continue exploring, but is also willing to leave.  With Arnald remaining terse and Bey swallowed up in her mystery after the rigors of confronting a killer with a twisted obsession, the others make the decision to risk the swarms of undead ravens outside.

The climb up the long spiral staircase to the basement is uneventful, as is the much shorter ascent to the main floor.  The horses, although hungry, are still in good shape.  Edging the curtains aside carefully, Artemis looks out several windows and sees no sign of the foul necrotic manifestations of undeath known as carrionstorms.  He carefully opens the front door and then everyone mounts up.  Briza goes out first into the chill wind and sees no sign of danger until she looks back at the house—and there, on the roof, are the carrionstorms!  Their cold, dead eyes swivel towards her in unison as they launch into soundless flight towards her.

The others rush out on their mounts at full speed.  Kang hurls a bomb over his head, and the resulting flames engulf hundreds of the swooping attackers!  Artemis spurs his steed to escape, but Briza finds herself unable to control her bucking horse and is swarmed.  Her armor mostly protects her from the hundreds of beaks trying to peck at her, but the sheer stench of rotting flesh nearly overcomes her.  Arnald bravely enters the fray and knocks several of the birds out of the air with his greataxe.  Seeing how well it worked, Briza does the same with her greatsword and soon the attackers are dispersed.  Although frightening, the fighting results in only minor wounds, though Briza’s horse is in great agony.

Boars--Ouch!

The adventurers journey east along the northern banks of the Foxglove River.  As they start to put some miles behind them and the accursed mansion, the wind dies down, the overgrown path starts to clear up, and a beautiful, crisp autumn day hangs before them.  Nothing troubles them as they skirt the southern edge of Bleaklow Moor and then reach the Lost Coast Road and turn north.  Traffic along the road makes it clear that its recent closure due to ghoul activity has been lifted.  Once the adventurers reach the long stretch of the road between the overgrown swampland of Brinestump Marsh to the west and the limestone escarpment of Ashen Rise to the east, horns can be heard in the distance.  Artemis identifies them as hunting horns of some kind and, seconds later, four large boars emerge from the underbrush, running frantically straight towards the adventurers!  Kang spurs his horse to run away, but Arnald and Briza dismount to fight.  The boars seem more interested in getting away from whatever is chasing them than fighting, but the adventurers have the bad luck of blocking the boars’ escape route.  Briza’s sword, Arnald’s axe, and Artemis’ arrows are enough to kill three of the four boars while the last one squeezes through a gap to run east.  The horns continue to sound closer and closer, and the adventurers are worried about what could be chasing the boars.  Briza’s horse, severely wounded during the attack, is partially healed by an extract force-fed it by Kang.  The adventurers make speed north leaving a trail of blood behind them as Artemis brings one of the dead boars with him.

Farmers, happy to be returning home after having fled to Sandpoint, wave at the adventurers as the group crosses Cougar Creek.  After a brief rest along its banks, a strange, floating orb of light appears, hovering several yards away.  Kang instantly identifies it as a Will o’ Wisp, and says they’re utterly alien, malevolent creatures known to lure travellers into traps.  He strongly urges the others to ignore it.  As they pass by, Briza notices a shovel stuck into the ground near where the Wisp is bobbing.  Artemis fires an arrow at the ground near the shovel and hears the clang of metal on metal.  The travellers hear a strange voice call out, “foolish, foolish, why do you leave?  Treasure!”  But Kang remains steadfast in his determination that no one approach and even Arnald, who would usually be lured by such an opportunity, remains silent with his eyes downcast.

Gorvi's a jerk.

The adventurers reach Sandpoint in the late afternoon.  Arnald takes Bey directly to the Rusty Dragon.  Artemis reports to Sheriff Hemlock at the Garrison that the source of the ghoul infestation has likely been found and dealt with, and that a ghast was behind the murders in town.  Artemis notes that clues were found indicating that the ghast may have been directed or controlled by a mysterious “Xanesha” in Magnimar.  Sheriff Hemlock authorizes Artemis to follow up, stating that he doesn’t want anyone responsible for what happened to Banny Harker and Katliss Vender, not to mention the many other recent murders, to go unpunished.  Meanwhile, Kang and his “assistant” Briza take the mounts in the direction of the Goblin Squash Stables.  Kang receives some strange looks on the way, but it’s actually Briza who is accosted.  Gorvi, the town’s half-orc dungsweeper and junk-hauler, is pitching shovelfuls of dung at passerby and laughing heartily.  Briza confronts him about it, and has to narrowly jump out of the way when a pile of dung is flung towards her.  She calls him a fat, out-of-shape slob, and when Gorvi angrily runs towards her, he halts after just a few steps, out-of-breath.  Briza and Kang laugh and continue on their way.  Daviren Hosk isn’t pleased at seeing Briza’s injured horse, but she pays for the damage and Daviren is satisfied.

That evening, at the Rusty Dragon, Artemis finds Briza and Kang and reports that he’s received permission to continue the investigation in Magnimar.  The watchman then returns to the Garrison for a night’s rest.  While Briza walks to the Sandpoint Mercantile League hoping to book passage on a charter for the next day (only to find it closed for the night), Kang is brought almost to tears by the stunning performance of a stranger playing the lute on the Rusty Dragon’s small stage.  By the time the bard’s performance is over, word of mouth has spread and the inn is packed.

[9 Neth 4707]

Nisk Tander doesn't like competition!

A new day dawns with the sun hidden behind dark storm clouds.  As cold rain pours from the sky and bolts of jagged lightning flash, the adventurers decide the group’s planned departure for Magnimar will have to be postponed for a day.  Instead, that morning, Artemis skins the boar he collected the previous day, while Kang enlists Briza’s help in preparing a pungent chemical concoction that she doesn’t realize is actually a formidable poison!  When she heads downstairs to collect some breakfast, she notices Arnald devouring an entire buffet table’s worth of food.  When Arnald moans that he’s still hungry, Briza suggests he head toward the Hagfish for some fresh seafood.  Meanwhile, in his chambers on the second floor, Kang receives a visit from a fellow alchemist: Nisk Tander, proprietor of Sandpoint’s local store, Bottled Solutions.  Tander is obviously angry at Kang’s presence in the town, and threatens to reveal to the authorities that the tiefling has “visited places that would bring the authorities down” upon him.  When Kang is not cowed, Tander notes that “alchemists are known for having accidents” and storms out.  Briza notices the angry figure stomping down the stairs, and asks Kang what happened—he explains that he’s just had a run-in with a sub-par, lonely chemist who is envious of Kang’s genius.

'Pillbug' Podiker might just be up no good!

That afternoon, Artemis risks venturing out into the storm to sell the boar’s hide to the local tannery, and the meat itself to the kitchens at the Rusty Dragon—making a tidy profit on both transactions. Kang goes to the Fatman’s Feedbag and gets a lead on where he might be able to sell his morning’s work.  Tucked between several old tenements across from the Town Hall, Kang finds a small building with a painting of a pillbug perched on a mushroom: “The Pillbug’s Pantry.”   Inside, a small rotund man named Aliver ‘Pillbug’ Podiker seems quite impressed at what Kang has concocted.  However, he carefully hints that he can’t do any business with a stranger like Kang unless Jubrayl Vhiski approves.  When Kang returns to the Rusty Dragon, soaked and disappointed, he talks with Briza in the common room before each start to smell smoke.  When they investigate, they realize that flames have engulfed Kang’s bed!  Worse, buckets of water don’t extinguish the flame, and Kang is forced to throw the burning bedclothes out the window.  When the inn’s staff arrive and see the alchemical implements scattered around the room, Ameiko kindly suggests that Kang might find better accommodation at the White Deer.  After they’re gone, Kang whispers to Briza that the fire was no accident: it was surely sabotage!

Hannah Velerin, Local Healer

Artemis has a very different, but no less eventful afternoon.  After planting seeds in the shape of an arrow as a prayer to Erastil to protect Sandpoint, Artemis notices a young, thin watchman determinedly trying to advance through the wind and rain towards the docks.  When Artemis asks the lad, Benmo, what he’s doing out in such foul weather, the nervous recruit explains that there’s word of a disturbance at the Hagfish.  Artemis takes the burden of investigating upon himself, and arrives to find that Arnald is there, grabbing food off of other people’s plates and greedily devouring it!  The patrons are reacting with a mixture of incredulity, hilarity, and hostility, and the establishment’s owner, Jargie Quinn, tells Artemis that he better get Arnald out of there before violence erupts over the axeman’s strange behaviour.  Artemis persuades Arnald that they’ll be plenty of food he can eat at the Garrison.  The watchman leads him to the Garrison’s basement and tries to lure him into a cell, but Arnald doesn’t fall for the trick and starts to grow angry.  Artemis does manage to lock him in the morgue, however, and then he runs to get help since Arnald is clearly not in his right mind.  With Father Zantus unavailable and Bey still lost in her mystery, Artemis is forced to run across town and ask for help from local healer Hannah Velerin.  She says the symptoms sound like ghoul fever, and need to be treated soon before the disease is irreversible!

Although the adventurers have defeated the source of the ghoul infestation, they have not escaped “The Misgivings” unscathed.  Will help arrive for Arnald in time?

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

Director's Commentary (October 23, 2017)

As I think I mentioned in an earlier post, the carrionstorms were fantastic atmosphere and the PCs were terrified of them.  It was rather anticlimactic when they actually attacked, however, since they were so easily dispatched!  Still, the rush to escape the grounds made for a cinematic end to the Foxglove Manor section of the chapter.

There wasn't really anything awful chasing the boars--just hunters on horseback.  It's hard to think of good stuff for random encounters, but the element actually added more drama to the encounter than I expected.

A lot of great interaction with Sandpoint's local colour.  I was happy to get a chance to introduce some of the town's inhabitants that had thus far remained invisible, including Gorvi, Nisk Tander, Pillbug Podiker, and Hannah Velerin.

Arnald's ghoul fever was a fun subplot--I got the inspiration for his behavior from something in Classic Horrors Revisited.

Next Recap

RealmsToowoomba Recap # 66 [RPG]

[13 Flamerule 1372 continued)

Mellia, Cain, and Fargrim head for Silverymoon’s northwest exit, the Moongate.  Before leaving the city, Mellia stops at a magickal supply shop and purchases some spellwriting ingredients and a new spellbook, as her previous one had no blank pages left.  Once they’re well outside the city walls, however, Fargrim suddenly clutches his head and drops to the ground in agony, babbling about visions.  Cain examines him and concludes that nothing can be done—the two of them are cursed, and only time will make the fever dreams pass.  Cain and Mellia half-carry and half-drag the heavy, incapacitated dwarf down the road as far as their exhausted muscles will take them.  With the River Rauvin just yards away and the massive Rauvinwatch Keep visible in the distance, the trio set up an early camp along the side of the road. The day is heavily overcast and rainy, and thunderstorms look to be on the horizon.

Meanwhile, back in the city, Dolcetto and Markus continue their preparations for a journey to Startop Mountain.  Dolcetto begins scribing a spell to summon spectral mounts into her spellbook, and tasks Markus with the errand of picking up a list of magickal paraphenalia to aid in their travel.  She accompanies the list with gold and instructions on what to prioritize.  Markus hustles through the rain-slicked streets of the city and finds his way to The Shining Scroll.  The proprietor looks over the list and regretfully shakes her head at everything but some valuable pearls.  She sells these to Markus and takes a commission to scribe some scrolls from the list for sale in the next two days.  Markus continues asking around the city and searching for a means to purchase the other items on the list, but he finds that through a combination of the rain and the fact that the military has been making large purchases, his efforts are in vain.  He returns to Wayward House, soaking from head to toe and suffering from a cold.  Once there, Dolcetto purses her lips and mumbles that it was a poor decision to send Markus on such an important task.  She says that they may have to delay the beginning of their journey if the items on the list cannot be obtained soon.  

Dolcetto continues spending the rest of the day and much of the night writing in her spellbook, sleeping little but looking quite rested nonetheless.  At one point during the night, both she and Markus realize they are being scried upon!  Due to the city’s powerful wards, they’re able to learn the identity of those watching them: horned but beautiful human-like figures with large wings, backdropped but a landscape of flame and flowing lava!  The scrying quickly stops, but Markus is spooked and suggests leaving immediately.  Dolcetto says that they are erinyes, and that it will be safer to remain within Silverymoon’s warded walls.  As consolation, she tells Markus that soon she may be able to craft him an elven courtblade, an object he has long desired.

Back outside the city, once night falls, Cain and Mellia continue their discussion about what to do in Nesme.  Cain’s terse “burn them all” is met by Mellia with the response that that plan only works if the Aurilites conveniently gather in one place.  Cain mentions, cryptically, that he has access to certain “helpers.”  Mellia suggests that, once their dwarven friend is conscious, he would be a potent weapon if turned invisible and hasted through magick.  She also suggests the group not teleport directly into Nesme, but somewhere near Nesme so that they can surveil the city before attacking.  The conversation turns to Kossuth as Mellia asks Cain for further instruction in the ways of the Flamelord.  When they go to sleep, Fargrim lays nearby, moaning and twitching from the feverish dreams that have taken a firm hold.

[14 Flamerule 1372]

During the night, a heavy thunderstorm continues to pelt the Silverymoon area.  At their campsite, the adventurers destined for Nesme are sound asleep when a bolt of lightning lands right in their midst!  Fargrim is miraculously unharmed, but Mellia and Cain are both severely burned.  Cain, however, refuses to remove the heavy metal armor he was sleeping in.  After he heals himself and Mellia, the two go back to sleep.  In the morning, Cain begins adding a stylized flame motif to his armor while Mellia studies.

Ralkin spends the day inside Silverymoon making the rounds of local alchemists.  He earns a nice pouch of coins in “Rorfarrel’s Concoctions and Conundrums”  by selling the proprietor something something he had spent days looking for: the remains of a flesh golem (obtained by Ralkin in T’Klack’s complex).  In a grisly turn Ralkin even offers the alchemist “tiefling beef”, by which me means Myst’s corpse!  Rorfarrel is interested in the fingers and teeth of a tiefling for his concoctions, and Ralkin happily complies.  After leaving, Ralkin picks up an item he had commissioned and then he leaves the city to find the trio of adventurers who are waiting for him.

Elsewhere in the Gem of the North, Dolcetto’s unparalleled knowledge of the arcane world gives her an idea on another way to obtain the spells and items she’s been seeking.  She visits the Lady’s College, Silverymoon’s premier school of wizardry, and, after passing a modest examination, pays the steep fee to become a Fellow.  Affiliation with the school allows Dolcetto access to the College’s vast collection of spellbooks, and the tiefling immediately begins taking advantage.  Meanwhile, Markus follows Dolcetto’s direction to find them a place to stay that won’t be nearly as expensive as Wayward House.  The swordsman hears advice from his Marauders that clever travellers can squat for free in the homes of city residents who are away on business.  The Marauders lead Markus to a fine mansion, and tell him that as long as they avoid the occasional but predictable patrols of guards, they can sleep there.  That night, Dolcetto examines the mansion but deems it unsuitable.  She manages to obtain temporary accommodation at the Lady’s College instead.  Having also been asked to join the quest to Startop, Urius McBronzebottom begins making preparations for departure.

Ralkin reaches his allies’ campsite at sunset.  Soon after, a rift suddenly opens up in the sky, revealing an infernal realm!  Three erinyes leap out and bodily hurl Cain inside, and then the rift closes before Mellia and Ralkin can even react!  The leader of the winged devils speaks in a strange language which Mellia identifies as draconic.  It says that it has been sent for Myst.  Mellia explains that Myst was killed fighting a demon in Thay.  Nonetheless, the erinye demands Myst’s corpse, and says it knows it is hidden somewhere nearby.  Ralkin nonchalantly pulls Myst’s corpse from his magickal bag and lays it on the ground.  The erinyes take no notice of its mutilated state and carry it up into the sky, where the rift to the hellish plane opens.  Cain is returned, and everything is once again as it was.  Ralkin explains that he turned over the body as the best way to avoid a conflict, and neither Cain nor Mellia disagree.

The three adventurers decide that it makes sense to stay in camp for at least another night, in the hopes that Fargrim will awaken and be useful once they teleport to Nesme.  As they have dinner, conversation turns to the adventurers left behind in Silverymoon.  Ralkin tells the other two that Dolcetto tried to enthrall him after the attack by the kenku assassins, and that he thinks that perhaps the sorceress has been working against them from the very beginning.  Mellia adds that Dolcetto seemed ungrateful for the schematics of Startop Castle that Mellia volunteered, and that she seems quite manipulative for a supposed religious scholar.  The conversation shifts to the group’s recent exploits in Thay, and Mellia asks Cain to explain why he had indicated that he needed to be rescued when he was obviously handling things fine in the Flaming Brazier.  Cain explains that if he hadn’t asked Mellia for help, she would never have experienced the purifying rebirth that comes from journeying up the terraces.  Mellia says she still would have expected more gratitude.

Talk once again turns to Nesme, but soon the adventurers hear a low moaning coming from the direction of the river.  Mellia and Cain are unable to make anything out in the darkness, but Ralkin spots a large band of lurching creatures coming out of the water and straight for them!  He nocks an arrow into his massive bone bow and lets fly.  The shaft sinks home, but the creature and its companions continue to advance.  Mellia and Cain are caught flat-footed, and a terrible, noxious stench signals the approach of what are obviously foul undead abominations.  Cain and Mellia are surrounded within seconds by the creatures, and a sickened Cain falls to the ground from one of the ghast’s paralyzing claws!  Mellia lets loose with magickally summoned blasts of eldritch fire, one of which even includes Cain in its radius!  Still, although hurt by the blast, the downed cleric is lucky to be alive as the ghasts that had swarmed all around him are instantly incinerated.  As Ralkin searches the rank corpses for treasure, Mellia once again asks Cain to say thank you.  Yet again, the cleric is reticent.

[15 Flamerule 1372]

Back in Silverymoon, Markus and his Marauders are surprised by an unexpected patrol while lounging around in the mansion they’ve been squatting in.  Fortunately, after a mad scramble, the guards are evaded.  Markus and his followers decide to go straight to the Lady’s College to find Dolcetto.  After being repeatedly shushed by a gray-haired matron, Markus manages to get Dolcetto’s attention and learn that she is almost ready to depart the city.  Markus explains to his Marauders that he’s about to depart on an exciting, glorious quest to Startop Mountain.  He promises to return to regale them with tales of his exploits and with treasures for them to admire.  In the meantime, he asks Slace, Randee, and Khevinn to carry out plans for an idea that came to Markus the night before: he plans to start his own blademastery academy in the city!  The Marauders say their farewells, but as Markus, Dolcetto, and McBronzebottom reach Blacklar Gate, the Marauders suddenly reappear and take up a hastily-composed song about the wonders of Markus Kassul III until the trio of adventurers have disappeared over the horizon.

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SFS # 1-02 "Fugitive on the Red Planet" [RPG]

NO SPOILERS

Fugitive on the Red Planet tasks members of the Starfinder Society with tracking down a rogue member (the "fugitive") who has fled to the desert planet of Akiton (the "red planet").  This is the scenario for fans of Firefly, as the story and setting very much fit the "Western in space" mode, and indeed the scenario is very much an homage to a particular episode of Firefly.  I like that it shows the range of stories that Starfinder can tell.  It's not the most original or creative scenario, but it's solid.  It's also the one to pick if you're worried about time, as there's only two to three encounters and most groups (including mine) ended up completing it well shy of the 4 hour mark.

SPOILERS

The scenario starts in the usual way: the PCs are summoned to the Lorespire Complex for a briefing.  Venture-Captain Arvin tells the PCs that a former member of the Starfinder Society named Reynald Talbot has stolen an artifact from the Society's vaults and fled to the Mars-like desert planet of Akiton.  Talbot, disgruntled because he didn't receive an expected promotion, stole what he believes is an ancient philosopher's stone that transmutes one material to another; but, in fact, he actually ended up with a charlatan's stone, in which the transformation is temporary.  V-C Arvin tells the PCs to head to Akiton and follow Talbot's trail to retrieve the charlatan's stone--it's not really valuable, but the Society can't afford to be seen as unable to look weak after the Scoured Stars incident.  For the GM, there's a good section on the questions PCs are likely to ask, and I particularly like that if they don't ask *any* questions, V-C Arvin yells at them for being slack!  My one suggestion is that, now that I've run a handful of these, it might be good if some scenarios break with the "briefing at the Lorespire Complex" model and shake things up just a little for variety's sake.

The PCs take a civilian shuttle to a city on Akiton called Maro.  Maro, in its brief description, sounds really interesting: built vertically on either cliff face of a deep trench.  In Maro, the PCs are allowed to make a variety of skill checks to figure out that Talbot is in the nearby town of Tasch.  This was a workmanlike solution (one success and they get the info), but I thought it was a missed opportunity.  Maro's too good of setting to essentially skip past, and it would have been great to have an encounter that took advantage of the city's odd architecture (such as chasing a friend of Talbot *up* the side of a cliff face, etc.).  There are no locations or NPCs provided in Maro, so the PCs receive Talbot's location in dry exposition unless the GM invents something.  One thing I did like was that failure on their checks holds some (minor) consequences later in the scenario, as word of their investigation gets around.

Tasch is a one-horse (err, dune buggy) town, the only location of note being a bar called Digger's Dive.  Any mention of Talbot inside reveals a surprising thing to the PCs:  Talbot is a local hero!  He's seen as the town's savior for devising a way to turn a previously-useful mineral into modern Drift fuel and bringing credits and jobs to a dying place.  For those of you who have seen "Jaynestown" on Firefly, the similarities are clear.  There's a fan-made song on the forums that is perfect as well!  The PCs shouldn't have much difficulty figuring out that Talbot is presently in the mine just outside of town.  Before they leave, however, they're asked to sit and talk by representatives of AbadarCorp who are also in the bar.  AbadarCorp paid Talbot an enormous sum of credits to get his new fuel, only to realize a couple of days later that it was fake! (obviously, the charlatan's stone in use).  AbadarCorp wants Talbot to set an example that they're not to be defrauded.  This is a role-playing encounter that can very quickly turn into a combat encounter, and I liked it a lot.  A potential deal is that the PCs will take back the stone, and bring Talbot back to AbadarCorp.  But if negotiations aren't successful (they get two chances at a Diplomacy check), violence is inevitable.  It's nice when negotiations have real consequences.

The next encounter takes place either in Digger's Dive (if the negotiations were successful) or on the way to the mine (if the negotiations were not): an ambush by Talbot loyalists.  This is probably the first time the PCs will have encountered a shobhad, one of the four-armed natives of Akiton.  The battle here seemed well-balanced, and I liked the special abilities that the shobhad was able to employ.  The general idea is that it adds to the notion that by coming to Tasch, the PCs are *not* seen as heroes but as pesky trouble-makers.  Sometimes it's good to change things around!

The last part of the scenario is the mine.  Apart from some lockers to search and a laser rifle trap (good to see traps are still a thing), the main thing here is the final encounter against Talbot and a couple of his supporters.  The little twist here is that Talbot will have likely heard the PCs coming (thanks to the laser rifle trap) and crouched down in an electric mine cart.  When the PCs advance, he'll use the cart as cover and make a run (roll?) for the exit.  Thanks to his holographic clone Operative exploit and the cover provided by the cart, he has pretty good defenses.  In my session, he made it to the mine's exit and fled, so the PCs lost out on the Primary and Secondary success conditions for the scenario.  I would have liked more detail on what happens if he makes it to the exit, how long the PCs have to catch up to him before he gets to Tasch, Maro, off-world, etc.  In addition, one of my players aptly pointed out that he would sometimes actually be better off *not* using the mine cart because it slowed him down (the exception being that the cart allows him to roll over PCs who try to block his path).  But those concerns aside, I thought it was a nice change-up to the usual encounter: it's not just about defeating the bad guy, it's about defeating the bad guy in a running chase before he can reach an objective, and PCs who don't figure that out quickly are in trouble.  I'm guessing most groups *will* catch Talbot, but I liked that there are reporting conditions so that he might turn up in future scenarios.

As I said at the beginning, this is a very short scenario: two fixed combat encounters (the shobhad-led ambushers and Talbot's group) and one encounter that could be role-playing or combat depending on how negotiations go.  I didn't particularly mind the shorter duration because all of the previous scenarios I ran went over time, but it's good for GMs to know this is one where they can expand a bit on the NPCs, role-playing, scenery description, etc., without worrying that the ending will have to be rushed.  The premise of a rogue Starfinder stealing something and fleeing to Akiton was a good one, as was the "Western space" theme.  The encounters, both combat and role-playing, were solid.  All in all, I'd sum it up alliteratively as a: short, solid scenario.

Space 1889 and "A Voyage to Luna" [RPG]

As part of my continuing (though occasional) efforts to play some of the RPGs on my shelf that aren't Pathfinder, I recently ran a four-session adventure with Space 1889.  The concept behind Space 1889  is that humans in the Victorian era are able to travel to other nearby planets in the solar system using specially-designed sailing vessels (drawing upon the historical idea that "ether" separates the planets).  The planets are inhabited by different alien races (of the pulp fiction variety), and there's something of a space race going on by the major world powers to colonize and exploit the planets.  I ran the introductory adventure, "A Voyage to Luna" that came with the core rulebook first published in 1989.  The story sees the PCs accompany an "ether flyer" inventor on a perilous journey to Luna (the moon).  The ship crashes, of course, and to escape the PCs have to deal with giant ant-people, lunar caterpillars, and a crazy Russian mad scientist with a freezing ray gun!  The system is clearly dated and cumbersome, and the story wasn't the best, but I had a blast due to the great role-playing of the players.  There was George, a Canadian military officer capable of pummelling even the greatest threats with his fists, Cora, a British adventuress who bristled against the patriarchy of the time, and Fanny Smith, an American actress who just wanted to be taken care of.  These little experiments with odd games have proven to be a lot of fun, so I'll have to cook up something again next year.

Rise of the Runelords Recap # 29 [RPG]

[8 Neth 4707 continued]

Goblin Ghasts

The exploration of the caverns under Foxglove Manor continues.  After navigating some twisting passageways, a choice of directions presents itself.  The adventurers proceed down one branch in single-file and emerge into a foul-smelling cavern heaped with bones.  But Arnald, in the rear of the marching order, doesn’t hear that the adventurers are being stalked.  From out of the darkness behind him, a ghoul-tainted goblin emerges and attacks!  The creature carries with it such an overpowering stench that both Arnald and Kang become physically ill, and the merest touch of the creature’s claw paralyzes Arnald!  Kang hurls a makeshift firebomb at the creature, but his throw goes awry and both he, Arnald, and the creature are burned by the resulting blast.  But the situation escalates from bad to worse when the adventurers realize that the creature, known to Kang as a goblin ghast, is not alone: three others emerge from the shadows with saliva dripping from their mouths.

Briza heroically runs to stand in front of the paralyzed Arnald and, although trying to trip the ghast, she ends up crushing its legs and destroying it.  Artemis lets loose with an arrow and destroys one of the ghasts attacking the front of their formation.  Briza, after dropping another one, charges back to the front to deal with the final ghast—but she ends up paralyzed and several yards away from her allies!  Kang shouts “death from above!” as he drinks from a vial and flies into the air to protect his “assistant” from having her throat ripped out.  Kang is clawed multiple times for his troubles, but he still has the strength to drop a bomb on the creature and destroy it.

The adventurers rest for several minutes before continuing their explorations.  They find their way to a massive chamber with a cathedral-like vaulted ceiling and a spiralling stone ledge that leads down into a surging pool of water below.  Discussion is had about investigating the pool, but Artemis is intent on picking the sophisticated lock barring passage through a stout stone door nearby.  When, after some minutes, he hears the tell-tale click of success, he summons his allies to take up formation and ready themselves for danger.  Arnald takes point this time, with Bey close behind him.  Arnald throws the door open and is treated to a sight he never would have imagined.

Inside a damp cave reeking with a horrific stench is a small oak table and a large leather chair stained by smears of rotten meat and blood; and sitting in the chair is Aldern Foxglove, his stylish and expensive clothes now torn and covered in the putrescence of death.  Aldern is busy clumsily using bits of blood and runny, rotten flesh to cover over a painting with a face that looks like a ghastly image of Bey!  Aldern expresses his delight in having visitors, and welcomes Arnald in for tea or punch. Bey utters an incantation to bless her friends and, upon hearing her voice, Aldern realizes the object of his twisted love is present.  He rushes over to Bey, drops to his knees and proclaims that from the moment she saved his life at the Swallowtail Festival he knew they were meant to be together, and that when their eyes met as he bandaged her wound at the boar hunt he knew she felt the same way.  He finishes his declaration of love by saying that once the others are dead, they can be together for eternity!

Bey, nonplussed, tells Aldern that she’s here to assist him in finding a true end to his life.  Artemis fires an arrow that grazes Aldern’s arm, and suddenly Aldern starts to sob.  “I’m sorry Bey, I tried to resist.  But I can’t keep him from coming.  He’s here . . . THE HURTER!”  Aldern suddenly jumps to his feet and draws a wicked-looking war razor from his belt.  Bey moves past him to make room for the others to enter the room and Aldern seems to be fighting with himself to resist slashing at her, with the result that he slashes himself instead.  Bey spirals into her apocalyptic mystery and suddenly bursts into flames.  As his flesh turns red and starts to crackle, Aldern drops to his knees again.  He begs for Bey to save him as he sobs.  “They made me do it!  The Brothers of the Seven! I had borrowed money to rebuild the manor.  And collecting the rats and the fungus.  I didn’t mean to kill Iesha—I saw her with that tradesman and just got so angry!  Please understand, our love is pure.  No . . . . no . . . . he’s coming!  Worse than the Hurter.  The Skinsaw Man!  Run!”

The Skinsaw Man

Aldern raises his arms over his head and pulls down a mask made from overlapping layers of human skin.  It transforms into a hideous visage of Bey as he bows and quiet calmly explains that he will murder Bey and all of her friends, one by one, but that he’ll take his time as they plead for an end to the pain.  The battle is well and truly-joined as the adventurers crowd into the room to surround Aldern.  The fighting is bloody and brutal but ends when Artemis shoots an arrow through the back of Aldern’s throat.  The burning, blood-soaked corpse falls forward onto Bey as a last whisper leaves its throat:  “All . . . For  . . . You.”

Briza rushes up next to Bey to offer her support, but she brushes up against something that, in the heat of battle, no one had time to observe: the western wall of the cave has been overtaken by a horrific growth of dark green mold and dripping fungi, and in the center a patch of black tumescent fungus grows in a shape that appears almost humanoid in outline.  On the floor near the patch are the broken pieces of some kind of puzzle box.  Briza is overcome by a feeling of vertigo as the others notice the pieces of the box start to rattle, and then she feels a powerful compulsion to turn towards the wall and begin devouring the fungus!  But somehow, her willpower is strong enough that she manages to resist the compulsion and she pulls herself away.

Kang moves up to examine the fungus and realizes that it’s extremely rare, extremely deadly, and only recently discovered.  It’s been given the name “Vorel’s Phage” and certain nefarious organizations have been known to covet it.  As the patch on the wall has been infused with necromantic energy, Kang speculates that it will grow back unless powerful divine magicks are used to cleanse it.  Artemis speculates that the strange shape is the outcome of Vorel Foxglove’s failed attempt to become a lich, and that his soul could still be trapped within the house.  He also surmises that Aldern’s reference to the Brothers of the Seven could refer to a “secret” society of foppish aristocrats in Magnimar.  A search of Aldern’s body leads to the discovery of several valuable magical items, such as an enchanted signet ring.  Meanwhile, a search of a nearby table reveals a disturbing collection of items related to Aldern’s obsession with Bey.  Mixed in with a stack of erotic drawings is a letter written in a graceful hand addressed to Aldern’s townhouse in the Grand Arch District in Magnimar.  The letter thanks Aldern for a mysterious delivery “harvested from the caverns” and says his debt to the Brothers is paid.  It continues on that, after Aldern’s “rebirth”, he should begin to carry out something called the “Sihedron ritual” on a particular list of victims so that “the greed in their souls will not go to waste.”  Finally, it notes that agents will be waiting at his townhouse to contact him should he need assistance.  The letter is signed “Xanesha, Mistress of the Seven.” 

The revelation that Aldern was operating on orders from someone else leads the adventurers to agree that a trip to Magnimar is in order.  Artemis notes he’ll need to get special permission from Sheriff Hemlock in order to leave his post.  Kang, operating on a hunch that something might be hidden within the humanoid-shaped fungus on the wall, clears the room and hurls a firebomb at it.  A mithral tube about a foot-long, covered in the fungus, falls to the ground.  Bey identifies it as a chime of opening, but, after much back and forth, it’s determined to be too dangerous to use given the toxicity of the fungus.  The adventurers make a cursory search of the pool in the adjoining room before deciding it’s time to leave the cavern, and Foxglove Manor, behind for good.

Letter from Xanesha to Aldern

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Director's Commentary

 This session was all about the Skinsaw Man.  Since this was the big climax of of the murder "mystery" and the Foxglove Manor chapter, I really wanted it to be good.  Prepping it was a real challenge, because you have to to RP three different personalities (that trigger at specific times) and make sure each conveys the exposition necessary to make for a satisfying story, while keeping up the pace and horror of the moment.  I did some practice runs alone in my living room--I shudder to think what the neighbors thought!  Still, I was really happy with how it all came together.  He wasn't a huge threat in a combat-sense (which I could predict from the forums), but he at least lasted a few rounds.  All in all, a really good session that I was proud of running.

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