Pathfinder Society - Scenario 3.05 - Tide of Twilight.pdf - Season 3 - pillowbookworm

A PATHFINDER SOCIETY SCENAR IO FOR TIER 1–5

Pathinder Society Scenario #3–05

T ide of

T wilighT

By Ron Lundeen

T ide of T wilighT

P athfinder S ociety S cenario #3–05

Author • Ron Lundeen

Contributing Artists • Dmitry Murmak

Cartographers • Corey Macourek and Sean MacDonald

Publisher • Erik Mona

Paizo CEO • Lisa Stevens

Vice President of Operations • Jefrey Alvarez

Director of Sales • Pierce Watters

Sales Assistant • Dylan Green

Finance Manager • Christopher Self

Staf Accountant • Kunji Sedo

Technical Director • Vic Wertz

Pathinder Society Campaign Coordinator • Michael Brock

Creative Director • James Jacobs

Senior Art Director • Sarah Robinson

Managing Editor • F. Wesley Schneider

Development Lead • Mark Moreland

Editing • Judy Bauer

Editorial Assistance • Jason Bulmahn,

Rob McCreary, Stephen Radney-MacFarland,

Patrick Renie, Sean K Reynolds, and James L. Sutter

Graphic Designer • Andrew Vallas

Production Specialist • Crystal Frasier

Special Thanks • The Paizo Customer Service,

Warehouse, and Website Teams

This product makes use of the Pathinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook , Pathinder Roleplaying Game Advanced Player’s

Guide , Pathinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary , Pathinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 2 , and Pathinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 3 .

These rules can be found online as part of the Pathinder Roleplaying Game Reference Document at

paizo.com/pathinderRPG/prd.

Pathinder Society Scenario #3–05: Tide of Twilight is a Pathinder Society Scenario designed for 1st- to 5th-level characters

(Tier 1–5; Subtiers 1–2 and 4–5). This scenario is designed for play in the Pathinder Society Organized Play campaign,

but can easily be adapted for use with any world. This scenario is compliant with the Open Game License (OGL) and is

suitable for use with the Pathinder Roleplaying Game.

The OGL can be found on page 21 of this product.

Paizo Publishing, LLC

7120 185th Ave NE, Ste 120

Redmond, WA 98052-0577

paizo.com/pathindersociety

Product Identity: The following items are hereby identiied as Product Identity, as deined in the Open Game License version 1.0a, Section 1(e), and are not Open

Content: All trademarks, registered trademarks, proper names (characters, deities, etc.), dialogue, plots, storylines, locations, characters, artwork, and trade dress.

(Elements that have previously been designated as Open Game Content or are in the public domain are not included in this declaration.)

Open Content: Except for material designated as Product Identity (see above), the game mechanics of this Paizo Publishing game product are Open Game Content, as

deined in the Open Gaming License version 1.0a Section 1(d). No portion of this work other than the material designated as Open Game Content may be reproduced

in any form without written permission.

LLC, the Paizo golem logo, Pathinder, and GameMastery are registered trademarks of Paizo Publishing, LLC; Pathinder Campaign Setting, Pathinder Module,

Publishing, LLC.

T ide of T wilighT

B y r on L undeen

T wo years ago, a group of Pathinders recovered a

lorestone from the druids of the Verduran Forest.

Complete mastery of the vast collective knowledge

stored in the lorestone is years away, but through research

into the lorestone , the Pathinder Society recently

unlocked the mystery of the Atavistic Splinter , an ancient

shard of charred bark believed to have been touched

by the enigmatic nature god Gozreh. The Pathinders

investigating the lorestone believe that the Atavistic Splinter

has the power to transform humanoids into bestial

creatures with preternatural strength, and would be a

valuable resource for the Society in its upcoming exploits

in the Ruby Phoenix Tournament in Goka.

Divination spells placed this relic near the remote

Verduran village of Wispil. The Pathinder Society tasked

a local operative, a gnome herbalist named Falbin, with

locating the Atavistic Splinter . Despite increased rumors

of werewolf activity in the forest around Wispil, Falbin

investigated and learned that the Atavistic Splinter is

held by a cabal of sinister druids in nearby Briar Henge.

Worse, these druids are using the Atavistic Splinter in a

weeks-long ritual to preserve the primitive sanctity of

their forest, turning any humanoids near Briar Henge

into savage half-animal beasts, resulting in the increased

presence of what seem to be lycanthropes in the area.

Falbin reported to the Pathinder Society that he had

discovered the location of the Atavistic Splinter and the

truth behind the rumors of lycanthrope activity, but

could not recover the Atavistic Splinter himself.

WHERE ON GOLARION?

Tide of Twilight takes place in and near the Taldan town

of Wispil in the Verduran Forest. Wispil is a lumber town

populated primarily by gnomes. The Verduran Forest

outside Wispil is an ancient and wild forest, the domain of

druids and fey currently at an uneasy peace with the nation

of Taldor. To learn more about Wispil and the Verduran

Forest, check out Pathinder Companion: Taldor, Echoes of

Glory or Pathinder Campaign Setting: The Inner Sea World

Guide , available at your local game store or online at paizo.

com . For more information from the events preceding this

adventure, check out Pathinder Society Scenario #23: Tide of

Morning , available at paizo.com .

W ispil •

• B riar H enge

r dura

provides several important pieces of information about

Briar Henge and the druids ritual. Falbin encourages the

PCs to hurry, as Briar Henge is almost 2 days away and

the ritual will ends at sundown on the second day. He

also warns the PCs that unscrupulous hunters like those

who attacked him are in the area.

The irst leg of the journey to Briar Henge brings the

PCs to a logging camp. As they arrive, the PCs might

sufer the initial efects of the druids’ experiments with

the Atavistic Splinter . PCs who fail a Fortitude save take on

animal-like characteristics, gaining the bestial simple

template, though PCs with the wild empathy class feature

are immune to this transmutation. The camp appears

abandoned, as the loggers have already succumbed to the

SUMMARY

The Pathinder Society assigns the PCs to journey to

Wispil, contact Falbin and obtain information regarding

the Atavistic Splinter , and recover it from Briar Henge.

During the adventure, the PCs might experience minor

temporary transformations due to the druids’ ritual

brought on by the Atavistic Splinter ’s power.

The PCs arrive at Falbin’s garden to ind opportunistic

lycanthrope hunters intent on burning the garden. The

PCs must rescue the unconscious Falbin, extinguish

the blaze, and defeat the hunters. When revived, Falbin

PATHFINDER SOCIETY SCENARIO

druids’ ritual and become feral animal-men. The former

loggers ambush PCs passing through the camp.

The next obstacle the PCs face is at a river crossing.

Here, the PCs encounter a ruthless hunter and the traps

she has set. The PCs must again resist the efects of the

druids’ experiments as they get closer to the center of the

Atavistic Splinter ’s inluence.

Briar Henge is a thorn-walled complex with several

encounter areas. The PCs must defeat or evade two groups

of fey guardians. Among the megaliths at the center

of the compound, the PCs encounter the Briar Henge

druids engaged in a ritual with the Atavistic Splinter . The

malevolent druids do not tolerate intruders; the PCs

must defeat the druids to recover the Atavistic Splinter and

reverse their own bestial transformations.

Venture-Captain Brackett has already arranged for the

PCs’ transportation to Wispil (overland to Bellis, then

across the Sellen River by riverboat, and overland along

logging trails due east to Wispil).

The PCs are likely to have questions for Venture-

Captain Brackett before they go. Here are his answers to

some of the most likely questions.

What does the Atavistic Splinter look like? “It is sheet

piece of charred bark about two feet long, ten inches wide,

and an inch thick.”

What are these animal-men like? “The ritual robs them

of their wits but imbues them with physical power. That’s

really all we know. Despite their bestial appearance, these

animal-men aren’t lycanthropes. Falbin will know more.”

What do you know about this ritual? “Only that it

takes several weeks. But as it will take almost two weeks

to get to Wispil from here, you’d better hurry on your

way. If these druids inish the ritual, they might take the

Atavistic Splinter away to some better-hidden location.”

In addition to questions for Venture-Captain Brackett,

some PCs may possess knowledge pertinent to their

upcoming mission:

GETTING STARTED

Read the following to get the adventure underway:

With a thump, Venture-Captain Brackett sets a rounded

granite stone on his desk. The stone is polished smooth and

veined with shallow carvings reminiscent of constellations.

“This is a lorestone , from the depths of the Verduran Forest.

It’s rumored to hold all of the secrets of the druids of that

ancient wood. Just over two years ago, a group of Pathinders

recovered this stone for us. We’re not much closer to cracking

its secrets than we were on the day those agents put it into our

hands, but we have gleaned one interesting bit of knowledge.

“The lorestone tells of a lengthy ritual using an artifact called

the Atavistic Splinter , a piece of charred bark touched by Gozreh

himself. The ritual transforms humanoids into bestial creatures

with preternatural resilience. We could use something with this

kind of power for the upcoming Ruby Phoenix Tournament in

Goka, so we need you to recover the Atavistic Splinter for us.

“We believe the artifact is near the gnome town of Wispil,

deep in the Verduran Forest. A Pathinder operative there—a

gnome herbalist named Falbin—was investigating increased

lycanthrope activity south of Wispil. Falbin discovered that

a sinister cabal of druids in a compound called Briar Henge

is using the Atavistic Splinter to perform the ritual, probably

to drive out the local loggers, but he couldn’t recover the

Atavistic Splinter from the druids by himself.

“Go to Wispil and contact Falbin there. He will provide you

with directions to Briar Henge and recent intelligence regarding

the situation around Wispil. Then use this information to

iniltrate Briar Henge and acquire the Atavistic Splinter .”

Knowledge (history)

Player characters with knowledge of the past may know

the following information based on the results of a

Knowledge (history) check.

15+ Taldor has been at peace with the druids of the

Verduran Forest for hundreds of years, since the Treaty of

Wildwood in 3841 ar.

20+ Some druid cabals in the Verduran Forest take a

dim view of civilized settlement in the forest, even though

settlements are protected by the Treaty of Wildwood.

25+ Taldor so values its lumber trade that even sinister

druid cabals are let unchecked by the authorities, so long

as the cabals’ depredations are fairly limited.

Knowledge (nature)

Characters with experience in the wild may have

particular insights into what to expect on their mission,

as indicated by the result of a Knowledge (nature) check.

15+ Small groups of druids oten occupy sites where the

border to the First World is thin. In these wild places,

druids oten ally with fey creatures.

20+ Lycanthropes are a dangerous menace in the

Verduran Forest. As a result, lycanthrope hunters oten

compete to earn lucrative bounties. Upon rumors of a

lycanthrope uprising, opportunistic hunters quickly

descend on the area.

25+ Briar Henge is constructed with living walls

of spiky briars. If the druids have allied with fey, they

might have good relations with twigjacks, malicious fey

creatures made of thorns.

Brackett is the Pathinder Society’s venture-captain

in Almas, the capital of Andoran. He is a middle-aged

swordsman who is fastidious and professional in his

duties. Brackett is also extremely busy; he has little time

for foolish questions and dislikes repeating himself.

TIDE OF TWILIGHT

Mission Notes : Osirion faction PCs should be interested

in borrowing the lorestone from Venture-Captain Brackett.

Brackett loans a PC the artifact for a few hours with a

successful DC 18 Diplomacy check. Otherwise, he is too

suspicious to accede. As Brackett is particularly busy, the

PCs may only make one attempt at this request. If they

can convince Brackett to let them look more closely at the

lorestone , award each Osirion faction PC 1 PP.

Litheria Blossom

Aura moderate necromancy; CL 7th

Slot none; Price 1,400 gp; Weight —

DESCRIPTION

The litheria blossom is a rare but naturally occurring lower

with large, pink petals. The pollen of the litheria blossom

bridges the gap between life and death, functioning like

an elixir, though inhaled rather than imbibed. A creature

that inhales the pollen gains the beneit of the death ward

and deathwatch spells. Both efects last for 10 minutes.

If plucked, the lower remains vibrant and alive until the

pollen within the lower is inhaled, at which point the

lower wilts and dies. The pollen remains potent only so

long as it held within the lower or immediately thereater.

One round ater the pollen is removed from the lower,

both the pollen and the lower become nonmagical.

CONSTRUCTION

Requirements Crat Wondrous Item, death ward ,

deathwatch ; Cost 700 gp

ACT 1: THE GNOME AND THE

HUNTERS (CR 2 OR CR 5)

Wispil is a bustling town built on a small scale—although

humans and elves walk the streets, most buildings are built

to accommodate the gnomes who live and work in Wispil. The

scent of fresh-cut lumber wats through the town. Falbin’s

home is not diicult to ind. It is situated on the south edge of

the town, with a large garden spreading out behind it. Most

of the garden is obscured by high growth, but the sound of a

violent argument carries into the street. Although it is not yet

dark, irelight glimmers from within the garden walls.

Subtier 1–2 (CR 2)

Just before the PCs arrive at Falbin’s home, the gnome

met with some unpleasant company. A band of lycanthrope

hunters passing through the area had heard that the herbalist

possessed a large supply of belladonna. The hunters posed as

customers and asked Falbin about his supplies of the deadly

herb. When Falbin showed them his supply, the hunters

seized it and beat the gnome unconscious. They then set the

garden on ire to burn his belladonna plants, hoping to deny

any competitors access to the useful herb. As the PCs arrive,

the hunters are arguing about what to do next.

At the beginning of this act, the indicated squares on

the map are already on ire. PCs who begin their turn in a

square that’s on ire, or who pass through a square that’s

on ire, take 1d6 points of ire damage per square. Any PCs

who take ire damage in a round may also catch on ire.

The ire builds throughout this act. At the beginning of

each round ater the irst, each square that is adjacent to a

square that’s on ire has a 50% chance of catching ire as

well. The ire does not spread outside of Falbin’s garden

because of the wide gravel lanes surrounding his property,

but Falbin’s house may eventually catch ire as well.

The PCs may use a standard action and an appropriate

tool (such as a blanket, cloak, or waterskin) to douse a

square on ire as a standard action. Water or cold spells

might also extinguish squares within their area of efect,

at the GM’s discretion.

Creatures : A trio of lycanthrope hunters have just

robbed Falbin of his belladonna supply and knocking the

gnome unconscious. They spring into combat with the

PCs to cover their crimes.

Lycanthrope Hunters (3)

CR 1/2

Human ranger 1

LE Medium humanoid (human)

Init +2; Senses Perception +5

DEFENSE

AC 16, touch 12, lat-footed 14 (+4 armor, +2 Dex)

hp 13 each (1d10+3)

Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +1

OFFENSE

Speed 30 t.

Melee silver short sword +2 (1d6+2/19–20) and silver short

sword +2 (1d6+1/19–20) or

silver short sword +4 (1d6+2/19–20)

Ranged longbow +3 (1d8/ × 3)

Special Attacks favored enemy (shapechanger humanoids +2)

TACTICS

During Combat The hunters coordinate well, and prefer to

lank the PCs when possible.

Morale If two of the hunters fall, the third surrenders.

STATISTICS

Str 15, Dex 15, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 8

Base Atk +1; CMB +3; CMD 15

Feats Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon Focus (short sword)

Skills Climb +4, Handle Animal +3, Knowledge (nature) +4,

Perception +5, Stealth +4, Survival +5, Swim +4

Languages Common

SQ track +1, wild empathy +0

Combat Gear potion of cure light wounds , tanglefoot bag; Other

Gear chain shirt, longbow with 20 arrows, silver short swords (2)

Pathfinder Society - Scenario 3.05 - Tide of Twilight.pdf

Plik z chomika:

Inne pliki z tego folderu:

Inne foldery tego chomika: