Master of Combat

[SriK]

https://akbattlegrounds.net/w/multivers ... a13440b5e8

I'm also interested in playing this scenario as well. Just let me know what I need to read in order to prepare.

[icycalm]

The cool thing about this scenario is that you don't need to read anything. It's made specifically for the person who buys the "Beginner Box" and wants to play right away, the moment they tear off the wrapping. All the rules are basically encoded in the pick-your-own-path instructions.

We begin probably tomorrow on Discord. I'll have more details about that up soon.

[icycalm]

I changed the parenthesis in both your threads from PFS to PF1BB. The parenthesis is for the rule system, and PFS isn't really a system, though it does modify PF1 a bit in terms of XP acquisition, item purchasing et al. These are very minor changes meant to cover what happens BETWEEN Scenarios precisely because PFS doesn't portray that section of the game. WITHIN a Scenario though the rules are pretty much straight-up PF1, so that's what you need to put in the parentheses for full PFS Scenarios. The two scenarios of your threads though aren't full PFS, they aren't PFS at all, they're in the PF1 "Beginner Box", and that uses a greatly simplified version of PF1. Ergo PF1BB.

This particular scenario uses EVEN MOAR simplified rules than PF1BB to the extent that it doesn't even give us any stats for your character lol. It just tells you in the text what dice to roll, and the text handles the rules. So I am not sure what to put in the parenthesis here. I'll go with PF1BB for now and change it later if I think of something.

I need to find a way to show the rule system per scenario/adventure in the overworld. Until then, just take a guess when making threads, and I can easily fix them if they are wrong. The next few will be PF1BB for sure though.

[icycalm]

I went with PF1BBSL for Skeleton King's Crypt, with the SL standing for "solo", meaning without a GM. Only thing we're changing is that we're adding the GM.

This is without a doubt the simplest PF1 adventure ever written. Officially at any rate, maybe there are simpler third-party or fan ones.

They only made another one of these to put in the Second Edition's "Beginner Box" lol.

So sometime in the next few days, the Battlegrounds will finally finish its first adventure, which will also be PF1's simplest one.

I like that for a start. And things will escalate from there.

[icycalm]

So the next step in the process, after a scenario has been locked down, is to generate the heroes(s) that will tackle it, assuming they are brand-new to the Battlegrounds, as is the case here, and not ones brought in the scenario from the adventure layer.

For this particular scenario, the text gives us the hero, including his illustration.



It doesn't give us his name though, so I randomly generated it (Galden).

Nor does it give us his stats, which are encoded in the text. You'll see what I mean when we play. So after the end, we'll need to deduce his stats from the text, unless he dies I suppose. But even in that case, I want his stats for the Codex (i.e. the world encyclopedia).

So what you need to do now is go to the Master of Heroes forum, and start a thread titled "SriK: Galden (Golarion)". And in the first post embed the illustration, and post the thread. Then make another post in that thread, saying in the third-person something to the effect that "Galden is tackling Skeleton King's Crypt" (with the link). Always refer to heroes in the third-person, and to your roleplaying character(s) in the first-person when you are writing about them from the in-game perspective.

Every hero should have a thread in the Master of Heroes forum that will track his career. That way, if that hero ever ends up in the roleplaying layer, the player will be able to piece together a background for him from the thread, which unlike the usual roleplaying backgrounds will not be hand-waved but will be his ACTUAL adventuring background in the adventure layer!

Am I a genius or am I a genius? I think that I am a genius, so let's get this party started.

[Battlegrounds]

Varisia Theme: Birthplace of Legends
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeKxEG9PSfE



You are a brave warrior hailing from the town of Sandpoint, in a land called Varisia on the coast of the great Steaming Sea. Life in the small town is simple, but also hard—the surrounding wilderness is full of goblins and other monsters. Lately, these monsters have been growing bolder, carrying off children and livestock from outlying farmsteads. In desperation, the terrified townsfolk have turned to you for protection. The mayor, a kindly woman named Kendra Deverin, has promised you a reward of 100 gold pieces if you can clear out a nearby dungeon where some of these creatures are said to live. It's a dangerous job, but you know in your heart that you're up to the challenge. You gather up your gear—a sturdy suit of chainmail armor and your father's old longsword—and head off into the woods, following the crude map the mayor gave you. After several hours of walking, you arrive at a desolate hillside. Just up ahead is the darkened entrance to a tunnel. This must be the dungeon!

Galden: I gather up my courage and head inside.

You find yourself in a dark, dusty corridor heading down into the earth. As you walk, the light from the entrance quickly fades to no more than a faint glow, and you are forced to use a torch to light your way. In its flickering light, you can see that the corridor opens into a room just ahead.

Skeleton King's Crypt
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcFKnvGUpX4



Galden: I enter the room.

As you head into the room you hear a quiet growl and draw your sword from its sheath. Suddenly your eyes detect movement—a pile of rags in the corner leaps up, revealing itself to be a vile goblin with warty green skin and a head shaped like a watermelon. Its filthy clothes are covered in bloodstains, and one hand still holds the roasted leg of a stolen sheep. In its other hand is a wicked-looking short sword. It snarls at you and charges!



Low-level Combat
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GX9lVHfnxs



Galden: I attack the goblin with my longsword.

Galden: #7 Details:[1d20+5 (2)] MISS

The goblin slashes at Galden with its short sword.

Goblin: #15 Details:[1d20+1 (14)] MISS

Galden: #7 Details:[1d20+5 (2)] MISS

Goblin: #18 Details:[1d20+1 (17)] HIT
Goblin: #2 Details:[1d4 (2)] DMG
Galden HP: 10

Galden: #23 Details:[1d20+5 (18)] HIT
Galden: #8 Details:[1d8+2 (6)] DMG
Goblin: Dying

With a final lunge, you slide past the goblin’s guard and send your blade plunging into its chest. The goblin snarls one last time in pain and frustration, then its bulbous eyes close and it slumps to the ground. Taking a look through a filthy pouch on its belt, you find 7 gold pieces and a small glass vial filled with red liquid. Written on the cap is the word “heal”. This must be a potion of healing!

Skeleton King's Crypt
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcFKnvGUpX4



Galden: I pocket the gold and put the potion of healing in my belt's leftmost pouch.

Looking around, you see that the rest of the chamber is empty, but there are two corridors leaving this room that lead deeper into the dungeon. The east corridor is full of cobwebs and looks like it has not been used in a long time. The west corridor smells of hay and mold, but is clear of webs.

Galden: I head into the east corridor.

Using your torch to burn away the webs, you carefully make your way down the eastern corridor. After about 30 feet, the corridor turns to the south and proceeds for another 20 feet before opening up into a large chamber.

This large chamber is mostly empty, except for the cobwebs hanging from the ceiling. Across the room you can see a gruesome stone sculpture of a devil perched above an open doorway. Scattered across the floor are a few gold coins. Through the doorway, you can see a flight of stairs going down deeper into the dungeon. Seeing no monsters in the room, you make your way toward the stairs, stopping to pick up the coins along the way. Halfway through the chamber, your foot catches on a hidden tripwire. Suddenly a blast of flame shoots out of the stone devil’s mouth, coming right toward you!

Galden: #15 Details:[1d20+2 (13)] SAVE
Galden HP: 7

The fire burned you a bit, but you managed to survive. You finish collecting the coins, 9 gold pieces in total. All that remains is the scorched statue and the staircase leading down. You’ve heard that dungeons get more dangerous the deeper you venture. Are you ready to explore the deeper level?

Galden: I take the potion of healing from my pouch and I drink it.
Galden HP: 12

Galden: I go back into the chamber where I was previously and turn into its west corridor.

You head back to the room where you first fought the goblin and turn to head down the western corridor that smells of mold.

The smell of mold grows stronger with each step down the western corridor. After about 50 feet, the corridor ends in a simple wooden door that stands half open, revealing a room beyond.

Inside the room is a large cage made up of iron bars with a layer of moldy hay in the bottom. Lying in the hay is a local farm boy from Sandpoint, one of the children who went missing in a recent goblin attack. He looks hungry and is covered with bruises. Across the room from his cage, a large key dangles from a hook a few feet off the floor, just low enough for a goblin to reach. The boy appears to be sleeping.

Galden: I take the key off its hook and attempt to open the boy's cage.

You lift the iron key from the hook. It looks like it might fit the lock on the farm boy’s cage. You’re his only chance to escape the dungeon.

You slide the key into the lock and turn it, and the cage opens!

The boy is still sleeping, oblivious to your presence.

Galden: I shake him lightly, trying to stir him awake.

The boy's eyes slowly open. “Thank the gods!” he croaks through cracked and bloodied lips. “I was out working the fields when that goblin ambushed me. I think he’s going to eat me. Please let me out of here! I just want to go home."

Galden: "You're safe with me. I've just killed a goblin, I believe the very same one who kidnapped you. Have you seen any more creatures lurking inside this dungeon?"

“Thank you!” the farm boy sobs. “I’ve been trapped here for days. I’m getting out of here, but if you’re going to keep going, you should be careful. There’s something far more terrible than a goblin deeper in the dungeon—the goblin called it the Skeleton King. Here, take my mace with you.” He brushes aside some of the straw on the cell floor and pulls out a weapon that looks like a club with a large metal head. “I managed to hide it down the back of my shirt when the goblin captured me. I think you’re going to need it against whatever’s hiding down there. Good luck!”

With that, the young boy races out of the dungeon, heading home to his family.”

Galden: Still holding my longsword, I tie the farm boy's mace to my belt. The Skeleton King... This may be a far more pressing threat than one mere goblin. I head back to the room where I fought the boy's kidnapper, towards its eastern corridor. If this so-called king really does exist, then he must be in the dungeon's lower depths, past the scorched devil statue and down the staircase, and that's where I must now go.

Turning from the room, you head back up the corridor to the chamber with the dead goblin. The only way left to go is to the east, down the cobweb-filled corridor.

The floor and ceiling of this room are scarred with burn marks, but the trap has already been sprung and is no longer a threat. The only way to go is forward, underneath the devilish sculpture and down the stairs into the darkness.

The ancient stone stairs are slick with moisture. At the bottom, you find that they end in a large natural cavern filled with stalactites and stalagmites. You can see shallow pools of water on the floor and a large crack in the far wall that looks like a passageway.

As you cross the room, something doesn’t seem quite right. You stop to look around the room.

Galden: Perception
Galden: #23 Details:[1d20+4 (19)]

Suddenly you realize what’s been bothering you and freeze in mid-step. Right where you were about to place your boot, a patch of yellow fungus clings to the stone floor. You’ve heard stories about such things before: yellow-colored molds that grow in dark caverns and seem harmless until they’re disturbed, at which point they release millions of poisonous spores that choke and sicken hapless wanderers. You draw back your foot and circle around, careful to give the mold a wide berth. Disaster averted, you make your way to the crack in the back of the room and find that it is indeed a passageway. From further along it comes flickering light and the rattle of dry bones.

Galden: I enter through the crack in the wall into the passageway.

The passageway ends in a huge chamber with an arched ceiling. Stairs on the far side of the room lead up to a small platform. Atop the platform looms a golden throne decorated with glittering diamonds and rubies.

Sitting in the throne is a skeleton dressed in the ancient and rusted armor of a king, a weirdly glowing longsword clasped in its bony hands. Suddenly the skeleton’s head turns toward you, and its empty eye sockets fill with red flames. Its jaw opens in a horrible smile as it raises the longsword and points at you.



“So,” it rasps in a voice like two stones scraping together. “Your pitiful town has sent a champion. How kind of them. Since you’ve clearly slain my goblin servant, it’s only fair that you take his place and join me—in death!” With a grating laugh, the skeleton stands and moves toward you, readying its longsword to attack!

Skeleton King
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9sqkfoX77k



Gripping your father’s longsword, you advance on the skeleton, ready for battle.

Galden: I drop my longsword to the ground, untie the mace from my belt, and, lifting it up, I rush towards the Skeleton King!

Galden: #12 Details:[1d20+6 (6)] MISS

Skeleton King: #18 Details:[1d20+4 (14)] HIT
Skeleton King: #1 Details:[1d8 (1)] DMG
Galden HP: 11

Galden: 25 ⟵ [19] 1d20 + 6 HIT
Galden: 6 ⟵ [3] 1d8 + 3 DMG

Skeleton King: 7 ⟵ [3] 1d20 + 4 MISS

Galden: 12 ⟵ [6] 1d20 + 6 MISS

Skeleton King: 10 ⟵ [6] 1d20 + 4 MISS

Galden: 15 ⟵ [9] 1d20 + 6 MISS

Skeleton King: 6 ⟵ [2] 1d20 + 4 MISS

Galden: 24 ⟵ [18] 1d20 + 6 HIT
Galden: 9 ⟵ [6] 1d8 + 3 DMG
Skeleton King: Destroyed

With one last swing of your mighty weapon, the skeleton's bones crack and crumble. Bones and armor fall to the floor like a puppet with its strings cut, and as you watch, the ancient corpse begins crumbling to dust and rust until only the softly glowing longsword remains. You have defeated the undead lord of the dungeon!

As you fall to your knees to catch your breath from the mighty exertion—with a perhaps slightly overdone theatrical flourish—you hear a slow, measured clapping sound coming from somewhere behind you. "Bravo!", a highly sophisticated, civilized voice intones. "That's a fine performance from a man standing on a stage alone with no props! I was dubious someone with no experience or training would give me what I wanted, but either you're a natural, or you really are a fearsome warrior. Either way, I am always glad to showcase local talent, and the role is yours for as long as you want it." And with that you're back in Sandpoint's massive playhouse, financed entirely by its larger-than-life owner, Cyrdak Drokkus, whose latest play has been hamstrung by several of its actors coming down with some rare disease. And now, thanks to you, he has one fewer vacant role to worry about.



But you and Cyrdak aren't the only ones in the otherwise empty theater, and as the two of you turn to discussing the finer details of your role and the upcoming rehearsal schedule, you're interrupted by yet more clapping, this time from a handsome young nobleman who seems to have been sitting at the back of the room the whole time! "Excuse me, but the door was half-open and as I reached out to close it I heard the performance and wandered inside. What remarkable delivery, in broad daylight no less, without costume or makeup! And you say it's your first jab at acting? I wish I was good at something other than business! There's something terribly attractive, but also more than a little offensive, about raw, natural talent." By this point the man has hopped onto the stage and is standing right next to you, cheerful and amiable as if he's known both you and Cyrdak forever, as he continues talking in a droning monologue as if he, too, is now putting on a show. "But don't let me disrupt your preparations; I'll be on my way, but first allow me to give you a little something to thank you for making my morning and speed you along in your new career, and maybe we can catch up in the weekend after the show?" And with that the man hands you a bulging pouch, heavy with coin, nods at Cyrdak, then hops off the stage, strides to the back rows, and disappears.

"He didn't even give me his name!", you at last turn and exclaim to Cyrdak, dumbstruck at the nobleman's generous gesture, and your sudden good fortune. The pouch contains dozens of gold pieces—more money than you've seen in your entire life!

"Foxglove. His name is Aldern Foxglove", Cyrdak replies, and you could have sworn you caught a shadow cross his face as he pronounced the name.

The Skeleton King
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUh7ogwSwSg



In the old town by full moon, old wives tell of a tale
Mad king who sought to bring, death on the realm
Once he ruled noble and beloved by all
Tragedy's embrace the mad king would befall

Accursed rule conceived in blood, wrought in bone
Demonic influence seeps, the pained mind to hold

Spiralled to madness by the loss of his love
Shortly thereafter executions began
Nobles and priests sought to placate his grief
Yet to his suffering, there's no relief

Accursed rule conceived in blood, wrought in bone
Demonic influence seeps, the pained mind to hold
Serpent of the gods, reanimate this tormented soul
The god-king's suffering would soon be felt by all

I can sense the warmth of life enter my tomb
Bring the foolish mortals to meet eternal doom

To this realm of shadows
Bound long after death
Awake from cursed slumber
Drawing fetid breath

I can sense the warmth of life enter my tomb
Bring the foolish mortals to meet eternal doom

Under my rule...

Accursed rule conceived in blood, wrought in bone
Demonic influence seeps, the pained mind to hold
Serpent of the gods, reanimate this tormented soul
The god-king's suffering would soon be felt by all


THE END

[Discord BOT]

[icycalm]

A few points to touch on to wrap up this scenario.

• The ending with the theatre plot was mine. All mine. This is what Paizo's ending was:
  
  
  
  Why did I change the ending?
  
  The short answer is because mine was better. You read the reactions on Discord, no one would have said "awesome" with Paizo's ending.
  
  The long answer is that something didn't sit well with me with this scenario. It feels very different to any Paizo scenario I have ever seen. It feels... childish. A "Skeleton King"... in the Sandpoint hinterlands? King of what? And guarded by just one goblin? And the town sends a 1st-level nobody? This is the Sunday morning cartoon version of Pathfinder, it's not the Pathfinder I know. Of course, it's all explained by the fact the scenario is meant for first-time players, and typically very young ones too. And that's why this scenario seems to not have passed through James Jacobs's hands at all, or anyone's hands who is involved with the metaplot and overall lore direction. I think it never passed through the "Beginner Box"'s creators' minds that anyone would try to integrate the 1-hour solo scenario into the Pathfinder setting and metaplot proper. Remember, this is made to be played without a GM, and it is GMs who run worlds and metaplots. How would a GM even verify the player wasn't cheating? Well, I verified it by running the scenario for SriK. And since I am going to all the trouble of running it, I am going to damn well integrate it into my world and metaplot!
  
  So, since the scenario's nature was childish, I needed some way to take all the seriousness out of it and basically discount it, and the Sandpoint Theater immediately came to mind. At first I planned for it to be a live production, and if SriK had won he would have received an ovation, and if he'd failed he'd have stumbled on the stage and been booed out of the playhouse. But then the plot seemed to me too childish even for the theatre! Even as a script for a medieval performance, it still seemed too simple, especially considering the Sandpoint playhouse is renowned for putting up ambitious productions that rival those of much bigger towns. So that's how I arrived at the idea of an audition.
  
  The next problem was what to do with the rewards. The official rewards are quite hefty, and I had to give something to SriK if he succeeded. So I hit upon the idea of an enthused nobleman giving him some gold. But there was no way to give ALL the gold the scenario gives, let alone the magic sword. So SriK gets less than Paizo would have given him, but on the other hand... there was no way for him to die and lose his hero. So in terms of risk/reward, I think I managed to maintain the balance, since the hero's life is worth way more than the forfeited loot.
  
  Finally, I had to pick a nobleman, and Foxglove was an easy pick. The Sandpoint Crew has already met him and spent considerable time with him... six months in the future, of course (six months and one week to be precise). Don't worry, it all ties perfectly with his background and character, and gives the Sandpoint Crew an extra vignette of insight into his personality, plus some foreshadowing there. It's all very appropriate and cinematic. Whoever follows that campaign would have felt it.
  
  In short, I believe my changes massively elevated this throwaway childish scenario, getting rid of the childishness entirely and neatly tying everything back to the Runelords metaplot and Sandpoint's history. And now the question is: Does it ruin the players' (and followers') immersion when I delve in detail to the mechanical and thematic changes I am making to some of Paizo's material? The reason I would like to reveal these things and discuss them in detail is because... I am proud of them, and want people to know of the work I have done so they don't mistake it for Paizo's work. Moreover, I want to teach people how to be better GMs, and my proposed "GM's Notes" would be the perfect vehicle for this education.
  
  Let me know your thoughts on the matter, if you have any. I am still experimenting with these things, and I do have reservations about revealing EVERYTHING I do in the background. But I suspect that, if I don't reveal anything TOO SOON, I shouldn't spoil future adventures and plot points, and in this particular case I waited a couple of weeks to allow the players and followers to savor the entire scenario before delving into the details of the work done to bring it to life.
  
  
• The dice notation changes halfway in, because we changed dice bots. Too much work to harmonize them, so I am leaving them as is.
  
  
• The entire combat notation is makeshift by me, because we don't have Fantasy Grounds to create it for us on Discord. The notation I quickly invented is simplistic but gets the job done, but I am certainly not keeping it for the more complex scenarios coming up. I am not sure how I will handle rules notation in the future: the ideal solution would probably be for me to learn exactly how Fantasy Grounds does it, and reproduce that on Discord. That would be a great learning experience for me, as it would require me to learn PF1 AND FG inside and out. The other solution would be for me to invent my own notation. What I will probably end up doing is start with my own, all the while learning FG's, and eventually phasing out my own and switching wholly to FG's. At which point I may or may not go back and redo all earlier chatlogs with FG-correct notation. We'll see how this plays out. In any case, the end result will be me becoming a complete master of both the PF1 ruleset and the workings of FG, and ultimately all VTTs we use—sorry I meant Cult Engines.
  
  
• As a final point, let me just say that I KNOW the ending song ISN'T good heavy metal music. I would give it 2/5 if I was rating it. But it's entirely appropriate for this scenario, because this is a quasi-humoristic scenario. If I had used some epic Blind Guardian ballad, it wouldn't have made any sense. If you want epic ballads for ending songs... finish an epic campaign. It would have been BAD DIRECTION to use an actually good song here. Keep this in mind while we're finishing scenarios and adventures, and you hear more and more ending songs. My job is not as simple as googling "skeleton song" and picking the best I can find. And note I have HUNDREDS if not THOUSANDS of adventures to score! I have to pace myself! Can't blow the entire load on the starting ones! There are only so many good songs to use, and even fewer great ones! (though more are being made every year, so I don't foresee me running out of them; still, it's a good idea to pace myself because the scope of the work is enormous and I am still very far from having a good grasp of it.) And for the love of God, don't think that just because icy posted a song, he actually loves it and listens to it every day! I love this song just about as much as I loved this scenario: they're just a cool little introduction to the Pathfinder rules and setting, and an interesting metaplot tidbit (that I created myself lol) that precedes the epic Rise of the Runelords campaign that I'm in the middle of running, and which is the thing I REALLY love, and will get the REALLY epic shit lavished on its production. The only reason I ran this tiny scenario is to ENHANCE my production of Rise of the Runelords—to enrich and deepen it; that is all. If I wasn't running Runelords I wouldn't have bothered with it. And of course it's also a perfect starting point for both my Master of Combat and Master of Heroes layers/modes/games.