TEXT: 1
  Pathways
  Pathways #21, December 2012
  Rite Publishing Presents
  
  2
  Pathways Magazine
  
  3
  Compatibility with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game requires
  the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game from Paizo Publishing, LLC.
  See http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG for more information on
  the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. Paizo Publishing, LLC does 
  notguarantee compatibility, and does not endorse this product.
  Pathways #21 © 2012 Steven D. Russell, Open Gaming License
  Copyright © 2007 Wizards of the Coast. All rights reserved,
  Pathfinder is a registered trademark of Paizo Publishing, LLC, 
  and the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game and the Pathfinder 
  Roleplaying Game Compatibility Logo are trademarks of Paizo 
  Publishing, LLC, and are used under the Pathfinder Role-
  playing Game CompatibilityLicense. See http://paizo.com/
  pathfinderRPG/compatibility for more information on the 
  compatibility license.
  Table of Contents
  Features
  Soulfire Creature Template
  The angels of heaven Redeem the 
  wicked by transforming them into 
  Soulfire creatures. 
  By Steven D. Russell
  Alternate 
  Treasure/Wealth 
  Level Rules
  Owen gives us optional rules for 
  treasure for our Pathfinder games. 
  By Owen K.C. Stephens
  Reavers of the Bloody Tears 
  Orc encounters need not be silly, 
  this encounter of orcs will give your 
  high powered characters a run for 
  their money.
  By Creighton Broadhurst
  Sigbin
  A creature from the Phillipines 
  drinks blood from your shadow!
  By Will Myers
  Pathways 21
  Publisher:
  Steven D. Russell
  Editor:
  Dave Paul
  Cover Artist:
  Lucilla Lischetti
  Layout Artist:
  Elton Robb
  Editorial  
   
  5
  Interviews  
                21
  Reviews  
               26
  7
  11
  14
  18
  
  4
  Pathways Magazine
  On Sale Now!
  
  5
  I
  ’m sure I’ve written about this before, though not necessarily here or 
  quite in this context. In my geographical region, we’ve had the dri-
  est November on record. This previous summer, we had one of the 
  driest summers, and, throughout my country, we’ve had several of the 
  “hottest years ever” again and again. Part of what all this does, for me 
  anyway, is mess with my sense of how things “are supposed to be.” There 
  are long stretches of human history during which people could take for 
  granted certain facts about the seasons, about the tides, about storms and 
  droughts. Much of that seems to be shifting right now.
  I wonder about all of this from a fantasy setting perspective. 
  How many of your characters have lived in a time when the world was 
  undergoing growing pains? Plenty of settings take place after something—
  after an age of dragons, after the rise and fall of an undead army, after a 
  war of the gods, etc. But, what is it like, from the point of view of the people 
  in that world, to be living through the change?
  One of the campaigns I played in for years (about which I’ve written 
  here before) was set in pre-Renaissance Europe, modified heavily by the 
  fact that magic was real, certain discoveries were never made, and some 
  important historical events turned out differently than in our own past. 
  In this campaign, our characters pretty much always bedded down for 
  the winter. The specific area our characters did most of their living and 
  adventuring was far enough north, and the world was assumed to be in 
  an era of cold-enough and snowy-enough winters, that even with the 
  advantages of some magic, surviving in the wilderness for several nights 
  in a row, with just blankets and tents, was pretty much out of reach for 
  characters below about 7th level. And, even higher level characters 
  wouldn’t put up with this. It was a constant throughout societies, a sort 
  of given, that people just took the winters off. In much of Europe and 
  the Americas today, a huge number of people just don’t go to work on 
  December 25, and this is widely accepted, known, and expected. When 
  I was a child, nobody ever went shopping on Sundays because no stores 
  were open for business on Sundays. There are expectations about how 
  things “are supposed to be,” some of them fit within the context of the 
  environment of the world, some within the environment of other people. 
  But, most folks have some sense for things (which is probably why so 
  many people, after certain holidays, will remark something like “I know 
  today is Tuesday, but it feels like a Monday”).
  Part of what it is to be in the world, part of what it is to have 
  relationships with others, part of what it is to work and live and become 
  educated, is this participation in how things “are supposed to be.” I’ve 
  always questioned it. I, for one, am quite skeptical of the claim that people 
  ought to do something on the grounds that it’s supposed to be done 
  that way. Nevertheless, I admit to having that sense. I understand when 
  I’m standing outside, in very northern latitudes, in December, and it’s 
  warm enough to go out without a hat or boots, that something feels off. 
  I understand when almost all of the birds that used to live in my area no 
  longer live here, that something feels off.
  Do PCs notice this? As a GM, do you ever fiddle with this element 
  of a game? Is there 
  enough 
  longevity 
  and consistency in 
  your games that 
  it 
  even 
  matters? 
  Or, is the focus 
  elsewhere? I don’t 
  know about others’ 
  preferences, 
  but 
  I really enjoy the 
  immersion. I prefer 
  very long-running 
  campaigns during 
  which my character gets to know dozens (maybe hundreds!) of NPCs very 
  well. I prefer campaigns that are so well-developed and so long-lasting 
  that when my character hears of some NPCs death at the age of 90, that I 
  (not my character) feel sad about it. When the GM points out to a druid PC 
  that the number of a certain species of butterfly seems inappropriately low 
  this spring, that might matter.
  I like GMing campaigns that have long-standing traditions. I enjoy 
  starting a campaign with enough background on everything that no matter 
  what my players have their characters do, no matter where they go, no 
  matter what they explore, I have sufficient context on how things “are 
  supposed to be” that I can maintain verisimilitude.
  Don’t get me wrong—I enjoy the modular convention approach too. I 
  like taking a break from a campaign and doing a few one-shots on the side. 
  And, of course, like most GMs, sometimes I burn out and need a break.
  But, the continuity is important to me. Probably this says more about 
  me than it says anything about anything else. And that’s fine, I don’t 
  mind revealing things about myself. But, for me, the world I live in feels a 
  little off these days. Especially the weather, the seasons, and the climate 
  generally. I don’t quite know how to place myself in it all. I’m accustomed 
  to winters with several feet of snow, I’m accustomed to several snowfalls 
  before the first of December. I haven’t seen that in several years now. A few 
  years ago, I was moving the lawn on December 7th. That just did not feel 
  right. When I was a child, I remember several Thanksgiving holidays that 
  required everyone to be bundled in coats, gloves and scarves. Recently, 
  people have been out jogging in shorts. And I haven’t moved. I’ve lived in 
  the same area, roughly for more than 40 years.
  Do our characters notice these things? Does it matter to them? 
  How would they respond to something “big” changing around them? What 
  if permanent magic items stopped being permanent, what if spells stopped 
  working the way everyone was used to? Would they says that things “are 
  supposed to be” a certain way and wonder what could cause the change?
  I’m curious.
  Editorial
  By Dave Paul
  
  6
  Pathways Magazine
   
   
   
   
   
  A Pathfinder Roleplaying Game adventure for 4-6 characters of level 1. 
  Goblins have been raiding the crops and livestock of “Pig’s Trotter” for the last few weeks now. Nobody knows 
  where they’ve come from or what they’re doing here but local farmers are sufficiently displeased with their 
  activities to have offered a 200gp reward to have them stopped. 
  Sounds like a nice little job for a neophyte group of adventurers out for their first taste of fame and glory. “I mean 
  it’s just a Goblin-Bash, right? What could possibly go wrong …” 
   
  Four Dollar Dungeons are standalone adventures designed to be logical, entertaining, challenging and balanced, 
  and easily integrated into any campaign world. 
  Each adventure has enough material to last two to three playing sessions and enough experience to raise four 
  characters of the appropriate level up by one extra level. Treasure is commensurate with the encounter 
  challenges faced. Scaling information is included for adventuring parties of five or six. 
  Although The Firemaker begins in a small village, most of the action takes place underground. 
  http://paizo.com/store/downloads/fourDollarDungeons 
  
  7
  “Soulfire” is an acquired template that can be added to any 
  creature.
  A soulfire creature uses all the base creature’s statistics and 
  special abilities except as noted here.
  CR: +2
  Alignment: Changes to any Good.
  Defenses/Qualities: Immune Fire SR 12 + soulfire creature’s 
  CR
  Heaven’s Purity: Reduce alignment-based damage by an 
  amount equal to the base creature’s hit dice.
  Soulfire Body (Ex): Soulfire creatures’ bodies gain some 
  of the qualities of elementals. Each time a soulfire creature is 
  exposed to a bleed, poison, paralysis, sleep, or stunning effect, it 
  has a 25% chance to avoid it. In addition, there is a 25% chance 
  that a sneak attack or critical hit deals no extra damage.
  Special Abilities: A soulfire creature retains all the 
  special abilities of the base creature, plus the special abilities as 
  described below:
  Breath Weapon (Su): A soulfire creature can breathe a 
  30-foot-long cone of soulfire (or substitutes an existing breath 
  weapon attack) once every 1d4 rounds. The breath deals 1d8 
  points of damage per two HD to each neutral creature or 1d6 
  points of damage per HD to each evil creature and causes it to 
  gain the blindness condition. Every creature in the area must 
  attempt a Reflex saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 the base creature’s 
  HD + its Constitution modifier); a successful Reflex save halves 
  this soulfire damage and negates the blindness effect.
  Rapture’s Burn (Ex): A soulfire creature deals soulfire 
  damage (+1d8 to neutral creatures +2d6 to evil creatures) in 
  addition to the normal damage it deals on a successful hit in 
  melee. Those affected by the rapture’s burn ability must also 
  succeed on a Will save (DC 10 +1/2 the base creature’s HD + 
  its Charisma modifier) or catch fire (though this is soulfire, not 
  normal fire), taking same amount of soulfire damage for an 
  additional 1d4 rounds at the start of its turn. A rapture creature 
  can attempt a new save as a full-round action. Dropping and 
  rolling on the ground grants a +2 bonus on this save. Creatures 
  that hit a soulfire creature or a burning creature with natural 
  weapons or unarmed attacks take the same amount of soulfire 
  damage and must make a Will save (same DC) to avoid catching 
  on fire (again this is soulfire, not normal fire).
  Gaze of Rapture (Su): The gaze attack of a soulfire 
  creature can cause ecstasy and damage to any non-good, living 
  creature within 30 ft. The target must make a successful Will 
  save (DC 10 +1/2 the base creature’s HD + its Charisma modifier) 
  or suffer awe-inspiring euphoria that inflicts a circumstance 
  penalty on attack rolls, skill checks and ability checks equal to 
  the soulfire creature’s Charisma bonus (minimum -1), and also 
  suffer soulfire damage (1d8 to neutral creatures 2d6 to evil 
  creatures) each round for 1 round per CR of the soulfire creature. 
  The flames can be put out as per rapture’s burn but the penalty 
  due to euphoria remains for the duration.
  Soulfire Substitution (Su): A soulfire creature can 
  modify any spell, magic item, or effect with an energy descriptor 
  to use soulfire instead as a free action. The effect’s descriptor 
  changes to good and fire—for example, a cone of cold composed 
  of soulfire energy is an evocation [good, fire] spell.
  Abilities: Increase from the base creature as follows: Str+4 
  (+2 to attack and damage, +2 to Climb and Swim skill checks, 
  +2 to Strength, and CMB checks, +2 to CMD), Dex +4 ( +2 to 
  ranged attack rolls; AC and touch AC, initiative, and Ref saves, 
  +2 to Acrobatics, Disable Device, Escape Artist, Fly, Ride, 
  Sleight of Hand, and Stealth checks, add +5 to any of the base 
  creature’s Dexterity-based DCs), Con +4 (+2 hp per HD, +2 to 
  Fortitude saves, and any of the base creature’s Constitution-
  based DCs), Cha +4 (+2 to Bluff, Diplomacy, Disguise, Handle 
  Animal, Intimidate, Perform, and Use Magic Device; attempts to 
  influence others, and Channel Energy DCs, +2 to any of the base 
  creature’s Charisma-based DCs).
  Skills: Soulfire creatures gain a +8 racial bonus on 
  Intimidate and Knowledge (religion) checks; both of these skills 
  are always considered class skills for soulfire creatures.
  O
  ur Smiling Lady of Hearth and Home and the sovereigns of heaven sometimes grant their champions special 
  powers or seek to redeem a vile foe, infusing them with the essence of celestial flame. These righteous powers 
  grant this gift only rarely, since its strength can remain in a bloodline for many generations. In fact, soulfire 
  creatures occasionally become races unto themselves. Soulfire creatures may have bodies enshrouded by fire and have 
  green-gold skin, hair, or scales, while some forms of soulfire radiate a blue, verdant green, brilliant gold or even white 
  flame.
  Creating a Soulfire Creature
  Soulfire Creature Template
  By Steven D. Russell; Illustration by Lucilla Lischetti
  
  8
  Pathways Magazine
  
  9
  Rapture’s Remains  
   
   
      CR 13
  XP 25,600
  CG Large dragon (water)
  Init +7; Senses dragon senses; Perception +24
  Aura frightful presence (180 ft., DC 21)
  Defense
  AC 30, touch 12, flat-footed 27 (+3 Dex, +18 natural,
  –1 size)
  hp 189 (14d12+98)
  Fort +16, Ref +12, Will +12
  Defensive Abilities heaven’s purity, soulfire body DR 
  5/magic; Immune acid, fire, paralysis, sleep;
  SR 25
  Offense
  Speed 60 ft., fly 200 ft. (poor), swim 60 ft.
  Melee bite +23 (2d6+13 plus rapture’s burn), 2 claws 
  +20 (1d8+9 plus rapture’s burn), 2 wings +17 (1d6+4 plus 
  rapture’s burn), tail +17 (1d8+13 plus rapture’s burn)
  Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft. (10 ft. with bite)
  Special Attacks breath weapon (80-ft. line, DC 22, 12d6 
  acid or 7d8/14d6 soulfire), corrupt water, gaze of rapture 
  (-X penalty, DC 21, 13 rds), rapture’s burn (1d8/2d6 
  soulfire, DC 21), soulfire substitution
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 14th)
  At will—darkness (60-ft. radius)
  Spells Known (CL 3rd)
  1st (6/day)—alarm, faerie fire, shield
  0 (at will)—dancing lights, detect magic, mending, 
  message, read magic
  Tactics
  Before Combat Rapture’s Remains prefers to use its 
  alarm spell to protect various areas near its lair in an 
  abandoned temple, and will cast shield before entering 
  combat.
  During Combat Rapture’s Remains prefers to attack 
  its target from stealth, often hiding from beneath the 
  waterways of its home. It always attempts to line up 
  multiple targets for its soulfire breath weapon attack.
  Morale When outmatched, which is rare, Rapture’s 
  Remains retreats to its lair, though it will not flee from 
  there, fighting to the death to protect its temple and its 
  treasure.
  Statistics
  Str 29, Dex 16, Con 25, Int 14, Wis 17, Cha 18
  Base Atk +14; CMB +24; CMD 37 (41 vs. trip)
  Feats Alertness, Improved Initiative, Improved Vital 
  Strike, Power Attack, Skill Focus (Stealth), Vital Strike, 
  Weapon Focus (bite)
  Skills Fly +14, Handle Animal +16, Intimidate +21, 
  Knowledge (arcana) +19, Perception +24, Spellcraft +19, 
  Stealth +22, Swim +34
  Languages Common, Draconic, Giant
  Ecology
  Environment warm marshes
  Organization solitary
  Treasure triple
  Special Abilities
  Corrupt Water (Sp) Once per day Rapture’s 
  Remains can stagnate 10 cubic feet of still water, making 
  it foul and unable to support water-breathing life. The 
  ability spoils liquids containing water. Liquid-based 
  magic items (such as potions) and items in a creature’s 
  possession must succeed on a Will save (DC 19) or 
  become ruined. This ability is the equivalent of a 1st-level 
  spell. Its range is 180 ft.
  Speak With Reptiles (Sp) Rapture’s Remains gains 
  the constant spell-like ability to speak with reptiles. This 
  functions as speak with animals, but only with reptilian 
  animals.
  Swamp Stride (Ex) Rapture’s Remains can move 
  through bogs and quicksand without penalty at its 
  normal speed.
  Water Breathing (Ex) Rapture’s Remains can 
  breathe underwater indefinitely and can freely use 
  its breath weapon, spells, and other abilities while 
  submerged.
  Soulfire
  Half the damage dealt by soulfire is fire damage, 
  but the other half results directly from holy power and 
  is therefore not subject to being reduced by resistance 
  to fire-based attacks.
  Any non-good, living creature that would be 
  killed by soulfire damage must make a Will saving 
  throw (DC 10 +1/2 the creature’s CR + the creature’s 
  Charisma modifier); failure renders the subject under 
  the effects of a sequester spell with a permanent 
  duration, caster level equal to the soulfire creature’s 
  CR.
  
  10
  Pathways Magazine
  
  11
  Alternate Treasure/Wealth Level Rules
  By Owen K.C. Stephens, Illustrated by Lance Red and John Wigley
  
  12
  Pathways Magazine
  T
  he standard assumption in the Pathfinder Role-
  playing Game Core Rulebook is that characters 
  will receive a certain value in gold, gems, and magic 
  items. The treasure characters are designed so that, on 
  average, if you face enough monsters to get from 1st to 
  2nd level, you will also have managed to put together 
  useful equipment and magic items worth 1,000 gp. The 
  difficulty of higher CR monsters is based on the idea that 
  characters will have a minimum amount of gear by the 
  time they get to those greater threats.
  Overall, this system works well, but it’s not perfect. 
  A host of other variables make it easy for a character’s 
  wealth by level to vary wildly from the values assumed 
  by the game rules. Additionally, for some campaigns this 
  strains credibility. Magic swords, rings, and staves are 
  fairly common in fantasy literature – a blue book where 
  such things are regularly valuated is not.
  The 
  following 
  alternate 
  system 
  takes 
  many 
  assumptions about random treasure and wealth tracking 
  out of the game, without altering the basic power 
  assumptions of higher-level characters. It assumes that 
  no one can buy or sell magic items for gp (and that the 
  amount of gold a GM gives characters only impacts their 
  ability to buy mundane equipment, hire services, and 
  build strongholds), but that heroes do somehow end up 
  with what they need, when they need it.
  T he Rules
  The system works on four points.
  1. No magic item can be bought or sold. The values of 
  items are not discussed in character, and are used only as 
  outlined below.
  2. At each character level after 1st, players are allowed 
  to equip their characters with whatever equipment they 
  wish, to a maximum value equal to the standard wealth 
  of a PC of that level (see the “Character Wealth By 
  Level” table in Chapter 12 of the Pathfinder Roleplaying 
  Game Core Rulebook). Magic items are limited to those 
  provided in the rulebooks in use for the campaign (no 
  custom magic items).
  Unless a character has earned an item voucher (see 
  below), no single item the character owns may have a 
  value greater than 20% of the character’s total wealth. 
  Items with multiple charges that cannot be recharged 
  (such as wands) have 20% of their maximum charges, 
  and no more than 20% of the character’s total wealth may 
  be spent on one-charge items (such as potions).
  3. Characters who take item creation feats may have 
  items worth 5% more than normal (25% without an 
  item voucher), and may buy custom magic items (using 
  the rules for Magic Item Creation in Chapter 15 of the 
  Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook) subject to 
  GM approval and the limits noted in point 2, above.
  4. When an encounter is defeated, the GM still rolls for 
  random treasure. If the treasure determines a magic item 
  is found, the GM notes what magic item slot the item is 
  (weapon, armor, shield, none, or body slot), and whether 
  it was rolled as a minor, moderate, or major item. This 
  becomes an item voucher, and characters take them as 
  they would a normal magic item. An item voucher allows 
  a character to spend a larger portion of their wealth on 
  the specific item defined by the voucher. If the character 
  has this item stolen, lost, or destroyed, it is the voucher 
  that is lost – at the character’s next level he still receives 
  the full wealth by level, but must stick to the normal 20% 
  of his full wealth for each level.
  A minor item voucher can have a value of up to 35% 
  of a character’s total wealth. A moderate item voucher 
  can have a value up to 45% of a character’s total wealth. 
  A major item voucher can have a value up to 55% of a 
  character’s total wealth. When a character receives an 
  item voucher, he can reduce the value of one other item 
  to allow them to reassign gp value to an item appropriate 
  to the voucher.
  For example, Swift is a 6th level elven rogue. She 
  has total wealth of 16,000 gp, but cannot have any item 
  worth more than 3,200 gp (20% of her total). When 
  Swift receives a major weapon item voucher, she can 
  immediately reduce the power of one item to give her the 
  value to go from her +1 shortsword to a % (worth 8,310 
  gp, less than 55% of her total wealth). If her new sword is 
  stolen, lost, or destroyed, she loses the voucher and must 
  go back to a +1 weapon. If she still has the voucher when 
  she reaches 7th level, she may select a weapon worth up 
  to 12,925 gp (55% of her new maximum wealth).
  
  13
  On Sale Now!
  
  14
  Pathways Magazine
  A
  s they journey through a mountainous region, the 
  PCs encounter a small band of renegade orcs. Led 
  by the antipaladin Gork, the group are the survi-
  vors of a failed attempt to overthrow their tribe’s chief-
  tain, Lerg. 
   
  The encounter starts when the two groups are 
  4d10 x 10 ft. apart. When the PCs spot the orcs, read:
  A half-dozen orcs crest a rise ahead of you. Four wear 
  chainmail and carry longspears while another wears full 
  plate armour and rests a greataxe on her back. The final 
  orc wears nothing but travel-stained clothes. 
  Surprisingly, the orcs don’t immediately attack. 
  Rather Gork attempts diplomacy. Her plan is to woo the 
  PCs to her cause and use them to attack the Bloody Tears. 
  To this end she tells terrible stories of Lerg’s atrocities.  
  Gork
  Gork lusts for bloody revenge against Lerg, after the 
  chieftain forced himself upon her. She revels in the dark 
  powers granted to her by her unholy faith. She is Brak’s 
  lover. Obviously, she plans to betray the PCs later, but for 
  now she hopes to dupe them into attack the Bloody Tears’ 
  lair by painting herself as a victim and highlighting Lerg’s 
  many atrocities.
  Brak
  As devoted to Gork as he is cunning, Brak loves 
  burning his enemies to death. He revels in their death 
  throes and cackles when he slays an enemy. Brak is 
  incredibly arrogant and believes orcs are a master race 
  destined to conquer the world.
  Tactics
  Using typical orc tactics, the spearman drink their 
  potions of shield of faith, charge into battle using their 
  longspears in conjunction with Power Attack and pole 
  fighting.
  Brak: At the first sign of trouble, Brak casts mage 
  armour, shield and fox’s cunning. He hangs back 
  from melee and uses his spells (typically fireball and 
  scorching ray to burn his enemies). Before battle begins 
  he casts keen edge on Gork’s greataxe and haste on his 
  companions.
  Gork: A fearless warrior, Gork rushes into battle to 
  support her men. She uses magic weapon and fiendish 
  boon (to add the flaming weapon quality to her greataxe) 
  and simply hacks away at the nearest opponent. If 
  surrounded and outnumbers she 
  repeatedly 
  channels 
  negative 
  energy. She saves smite good 
  for the enemy’s champion.
  Area Features
  The area has several 
  features of note:
  Rubble 
  (Dense): Rocks 
  cover the ground. 
  It costs 2 squares 
  of movement to 
  enter such squares. The 
  rocks increase the DC of 
  Acrobatics checks by 5 and 
  the DC of Stealth checks 
  by 2. 
  Slope (Gradual): This slope does not impede 
  movement, but it grants the benefit of higher ground (+1 
  on melee attacks) to characters fighting opponents below 
  them.
  Slope (Steep): It costs 2 squares of movement 
  to move up hill by one square. Characters running or 
  charging downhill must make a DC 10 Acrobatics check 
  or stumble and end their movement 1d2 squares later. A 
  character failing this check by 5 or more falls prone in 
  the square in which it finishes this movement. The slope 
  increases the DC of Acrobatics checks by 2. Characters 
  on a slope gain the benefit of higher ground (+1 on melee 
  attacks) against opponents below them.
  Orc Spearman (4) 
   
    CR 1 (XP 400)
  Clad in studded leather armour, this orc wields a 
  long, slender spear.
  Male orc fighter (polearm master) 2 
  CE Medium humanoid (orc)
  Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +0[0+0 
  Wis], Sense Motive +0[+0 Wis]
  Defense
  Speed 30 ft.; ACP -5; Climb +3, Swim +3
  AC 17, touch 11, flat-footed 16; CMD 17 (+6 armour 
  [chainmail], +1 Dex)
  Weakness light sensitivity
  Reavers of the Bloody Tears 
  (EL 8; XP 4,800)
  By Creighton Broadhurst of Raging Swan Press
  Illustrated by Eric Quigley, Tamas Baranya, and Jeff Ward
  
  15
  Light Sensitivity (Ex) Orcs are dazzled in areas of 
  bright light or within a daylight spell. 
  Fort +5, Ref +1, Will +0 
  Offense
  hp 24 (2 HD); ferocity
  Ferocity (Ex) An orc spearfighter remains conscious 
  when its hit point total is below 0. It is staggered and loses 
  1 hit point each round, and dies when it reaches -14 hp.
  Space 5 ft.; Base Atk +2; CMB +6
  Melee longspear (reach 10 ft.; Power Attack [-1/+3]) +7 
  (1d8+6/x3) or
  Melee dagger (Power Attack [-1/+1]) +6 (1d4+4/19-20)
  Atk Options pole fighting
  Pole Fighting (Ex [immediate]) The orc spearman 
  can shorten his grip to use his longspear against adjacent 
  targets (but with a -4 penalty on attack rolls). He can use 
  an immediate action to return to his normal grip.
  Combat Gear potion of cure light wounds, potion of 
  shield of faith (+2)
  Statistics
  Abilities Str 19, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 6
  SQ weapon familiarity
  Feats Power AttackB, Toughness1, Weapon Focus 
  (longspear)B
  Skills as above
  Languages Common, Orc
  Gear as above plus 1 gp
  Gork   
   
             CR 5 (XP 1,600)
  This orc wears battered, blood-splattered full plate.
  Female advanced antipaladin 5 
  CE Medium humanoid (orc)
  Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +2, Sense 
  Motive +2
  Speed 20 ft., base speed 30 ft.; ACP -5; Acrobatics -3 (-7 
  jumping), Ride +4
  Defense
  AC 23, touch 12, flat-footed 21; CMD 24 (
  +
  9 
  armour [mwk full plate], +1 Dex, +1 dodge [Dodge], +2 
  natural)
  Immune disease; Weakness light sensitivity, smite 
  evil 
  Light Sensitivity (Ex) Orcs are dazzled in areas of 
  bright light or within a daylight spell.
  Smite Evil (Su) A paladin using smite evil on Gork 
  deals bonus damage equal to 2 points per paladin level on 
  the first successful hit.
  Fort +11, Ref +6, Will +9
  Offense
  hp 57 (5 HD); ferocity
  Ferocity (Ex) Gork remains conscious when her hit 
  point total is below 0. She is staggered and loses 1 hit 
  point each round, and dies when she reaches -18 hp.
  Space 5 ft., aura of cowardice (10 ft.); Base Atk +5; 
  CMB +11
  Aura of Cowardice (Su) While conscious, Gork 
  radiates an aura of dread that causes enemies to take a -4 
  penalty on saving throws against fear effects. Creatures 
  immune to fear lose their immunity, in the aura.
  Melee mwk greataxe[+5 BAB, +6 Str, +1 weapon, +1 
  Weapon Focus] +13 (1d12+9/x3) or
  Melee Touch touch of corruption (5/day) +11 (2d6 plus 
  shaken [DC 15 Fort save negates shaken])
  Ranged mwk sling (range 50 ft.) +8[+5 BAB, +2 Dex, +1 
  weapon] (1d4+6)
  Atk Options fiendish boon, smite good
  Fiendish Boon (Sp [standard]) Gork can enhance 
  her weapon for 6 minutes by increasing its enhancement 
  bonus by +1 or by adding the flaming, keen or vicious 
  weapon properties.
  Smite good (Su [swift; 2/day]) +3 attack, +5 damage 
  (+10 damage on first strike against good-aligned cleric, 
  paladin, outsider or dragon), +3 deflection. Smite good 
  overrides the damage reduction of the target
  Special Actions channel negative energy 
  Channel Negative Energy (Su) 3d6 negative energy 
  (DC 15 Will halves). Using this ability consumes two uses 
  
  16
  Pathways Magazine
  of Gork’s touch of corruption.
  Antipaladin Spells Prepared (CL 2; concentration 
  +5)
  1st—magic weapon, protection from good
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 5th; concentration +8)
  At-will—detect evil
  Combat Gear +1 human bane bullets (7), potion of cure 
  moderate wounds, potion of protection from good
  Statistics
  Abilities Str 23, Dex 14, Con 18, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 16
  SQ cruelty (shaken), evil aura (strong), plague bringer, 
  weapon familiarity
  Feats Dodge, Improved Initiative, Weapon Focus 
  (greataxe)
  Skills as above plus Intimidate +11, Knowledge (religion) 
  +4
  Languages Common, Orc
  Gear as above plus belt pouch, 12 gp skull drinking cup
  Brak  
   
             CR 5 (XP 1,600)
  This 
  powerfully-built 
  orc 
  wears 
  faded, 
  mud 
  splattered clothes. He carries a longbow and has many 
  pouches at his belt.
  Male advanced orc wizard (evoker) 5 
  CE Medium humanoid (orc)
  Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +6, Sense 
  Motive +1
  Defense
  Speed 30 ft.; ACP 0; Climb +7, AC 19, touch 13, flat-
  footed 17; CMD 20 (+4 armour [mage armour], +3 Dex, 
  +2 natural)
  Weakness light sensitivity
  Light Sensitivity (Ex) Orcs are dazzled in areas of 
  bright light or within a daylight spell.
  Fort +6, Ref +5, Will +6
  Offense
  hp 45 (5 HD); ferocity
  Ferocity (Ex) Brak remains conscious when his hit 
  point total is below 0. He is staggered and loses 1 hit point 
  each round, and dies when he reaches -18 hp.
  Space 5 ft.; Base Atk +2; CMB +7, Melee mwk 
  falchion +8 (2d4+7/18-20) 
  Ranged force missile (range 150 ft.; 7/day) hits as magic 
  missile (1d4+2 force)
  Ranged mwk composite longbow (range 110 ft.) +6 
  (1d8+5/x3)
  Wizard Spells Prepared (CL 5; concentration +9 
  [+13 casting defensively or grappling]; arcane bond 
  [masterwork ring], intense spells)
  3rd—fireball (DC 19), haste, keen edge
  2nd—flaming sphere (DC 18), fox’s cunning, scorching 
  ray (2)
  1st—expeditious retreat, mage armour, shield, true 
  strike (2)
  0—detect magic, mage hand, message, read magic
  Intense Spells (Su) When Brak casts an evocation 
  spell that deals hit point damage, he adds 2 damage of 
  the same type as the spell. This damage is only applied 
  once per spell, not once per missile or ray.
  Combat Gear arrows (20), potion of cure serious 
  wounds, scroll of fireball, scroll of invisibility
  Statistics
  Abilities Str 21, Dex 16, Con 18, Int 18, Wis 12, Cha 10
  SQ weapon familiarity
  Feats Combat Casting, Greater Spell Focus (evocation)3, 
  Spell Focus (evocation), Scribe ScrollB
  Skills as above plus Knowledge (arcana) +12, Knowledge 
  (dungeoneering) +12, Knowledge (engineering) +12, 
  Spellcraft +12
  Languages Common, Draconic, Giant, Goblin, Orc, 
  Undercommon
  Gear as above plus spell component pouch, cloak of 
  resistance +1, 15 gp
  Spellbook (enchantment, illusion) as above plus 3rd—
  lightning bolt, 2nd—false life, resist energy; 1st—magic 
  missile, protection from good, shocking grasp; 0—all 
  Scaling the Encounter
  To modify this encounter, apply the following changes:
  EL 7 (XP 3,200): Remove the orc spearmen.
  EL 9 (XP 6,400): Add four orc spearmen. 
  
  17
  On Sale in January!
  
  18
  Pathways Magazine
  Sigbin  
   
   
             CR 10
  XP 9,600
  CE Large aberration
  Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +9
  Aura Stench
  Defense
  AC 25, touch 11, flat-footed 23 (+2 Dex, +14 natural, -1 
  size)
  hp 128 (15d8+60)
  Fort +4; Ref +2; Will +10
  Weakness light sensitivity
  Offense
  Speed 30 ft.; fly 50 ft. (poor)
  Melee +16 bite (2d6+4)
  Melee +14 2 slams (1d6+2)
  Ranged +14 4 spines (1d6 plus sigbin’s sleep)
  Special Attacks shadow bite, shadow pin
  Statistics
  Str 18; Dex 14; Con 18; Int 11; Wis 15; Cha 13
  Base Atk 12; CMB +16 (+20 on pin attempt with 
  surprise); CMD 28
  Feats Ability Focus (shadow pounce), Acrobatic, 
  Improved Initiative, Improved Natural Attack, 
  Improved Natural Armor, Multiattack, Skill Focus 
  (Stealth), Stealthy
  Skills Acrobatics +22, Climb +11, Fly +22, Intimidate 
  +13, Knowledge (pick one), Perception +9, Stealth +16, 
  Survival +9
  Racial Bonus Fly +8, Stealth +4
  Languages none
  Special Qualities betwixt and between, invisibility
  Special Abilities
  Betwixt and Between (Su): A sigbin is made up of 
  the slightest bit of shadow stuff, which allows it to treat 
  shadows as solid. The sigbin can affect the real world as 
  usual. This grants no concealment benefits nor does it 
  grant the shadow drinker the ghost touch ability for any 
  of its attacks.
  Invisibility (Su): The sigbin can make itself 
  invisible as per the invisibility spell. Due to its centuries 
  of hunting humans, the sigbin’s invisibility is particularly 
  effective against humans, increasing the DC to detect 
  the sigbin by 5. This ability does not negate the sigbin’s 
  Stench aura.
  Light Sensitivity (Ex): A sigbin is dazzled in areas 
  of bright sunlight or within the radius of a daylight spell.
  Shadow Bite (Su): If the sigbin begins a round 
  with a creature’s shadow pinned, it can take a bite of 
  that shadow, dealing 2d6+4 points of damage and 1d4 
  Constitution damage to the creature. For every point 
  of Constitution damage it causes, the sigbin gains 5 
  temporary hit points. The shadow of the creature bitten 
  has pieces missing from it, evidence of the Constitution 
  damage. This Constitution damage can only be healed 
  naturally, not by heal, lesser restoration, restoration, 
  or any other magic that heals ability damage. The bite 
  damage heals normally and by magic. This attack can 
  only be made against corporeal humanoids, animals 
  and magical beasts that cast shadows. Creatures made 
  of shadow or creatures from the Plane of Shadow are 
  immune to this attack.
  Shadow Pin (Su): If the sigbin pounces on a 
  creature’s shadow, the shadow drinker can attempt a 
  grapple check without incurring an attack of opportunity. 
  If successful, the creature is considered pinned and cannot 
  move. If the sigbin has surprise, it gains a +4 bonus to its 
  grapple check. The pinned creature can escape with a DC 
  21 Escape Artist check, a successful grapple check, or a 
  DC 24 Strength check. The DC is Constitution-based.
  Sigbin’s Sleep (poison) (Ex): Sting - injury; save 
  Fort DC 21; frequency 1/round for 2 minutes; initial 
  effect unconsciousness for 1 minute; secondary effect 
  Sigbin
  by Will Myers, 
  illustrations by Carrie Muir, Jason Rainville, and Torox
  Y
  ou feel a pinprick on your neck, and as you turn, you notice a horrible smell. There’s a blur, and then a large, 
  goat-headed monster is standing on your shadow. You try to run, but you can’t move. The last thing you see 
  before falling unconscious is this horror taking a bite of your shadow, your blood dripping from its lips.
  
  19
  unconsciousness for 1 hour; cure 2 consecutive saves.
  Spines (Ex): Four times per day, once every 1d4 
  rounds, the sigbin can whip its tail in an arc, sending 
  a long, thin spine at a single target up to 40 feet away. 
  Each spine deals 1d6 points of damage (only one spine is 
  released per attack) and affects the target with the poison 
  sigbin’s sleep.
  Stench (Ex): The sigbin is surrounded by a noxious 
  cloud. All living creatures within a 30-ft. radius of the 
  shadow drinker must make a DC 21 Fortitude save or 
  become sickened for 4 rounds. The DC is Constitution-
  based.
  No one is entirely sure where or how the sigbin 
  originated, but there are two prevailing theories. The 
  first is that at some time in the past, a creature from 
  the Plane of Shadow came to our world and bred with a 
  large blood-drinking creature, creating a lineage of these 
  vampire-type monsters. The second is that a shadow 
  mage purposefully created this beast, but didn’t count on 
  it being able to breed. This second theory also holds that 
  breeding did occur, somehow, creating an entirely new 
  population. The truth, as it usually is, is more terrifying.
  Under the right circumstances, a vampire’s shadow, 
  stripped from the vampire’s mortal form and flung into 
  the universe, takes on a life of its own as a sigbin. This 
  shadow, discarded because it was no longer linked to a 
  soul, remembers nothing of its previous life. The only 
  remnant of its former host is the vampire’s unquenchable 
  thirst for blood. The sigbin searches for the being that it 
  once belonged to. It is uncertain what would the result 
  would be if this happened.
  The sigbin, also known as the zegben or shadow drinker, 
  is fifteen feet long and weighs about 400 pounds. It has 
  dark gray fur covering its body, large bat-like wings, 
  short arms, and long legs that end in curved claws. 
  Its face resembles that of a demonic, hornless goat, 
  with a mouthful of sharp, red-stained teeth. The long 
  serpentine tail is tipped with poisonous spines.
  The sigbin is a predator that seeks out the living for its 
  sustenance, in a way similar to its vampire parent. Due 
  to its unusual connection to the Plane of Shadow, the 
  sigbin can attack a person not only physically, but also 
  through its shadow. While the sigbin can harm someone 
  physically, it receives no benefit from this, other than 
  possibly incapacitating the victim allowing it to then 
  drink from the victim’s shadow.
  The sigbin hides in the darkness far enough away from 
  prey so that its stench aura is not detected. It prefers 
  to attack creatures that are alone. Using its invisibility, 
  the sigbin will sometimes stalk its prey for hours before 
  acting. Attacking from the darkness, the sigbin will first 
  attempt to use its poison spine to cause unconsciousness 
  and then use its shadow pounce in case the victim wakes 
  up. If faced with a large number of foes, the sigbin uses 
  its invisibility and tries to fly away.
  
  20
  Pathways Magazine
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
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  21
  1. Could you tell us a little about yourself?
  Sure! I’m a game designer, editor, and publisher of 
  long standing, starting out with Dragon and Dungeon 
  Magazines at TSR in Lake Geneva. I’m currently the 
  publisher at Kobold Press. Most of my work has been for 
  D&D and Pathfinder, with occasional ventures into Call 
  of Cthulhu or other systems.
  I like fairly traditional fantasy, with dark elements 
  drawn from European myths and from the work of Clark 
  Ashton Smith. Lovecraft was OK and all, but C.A. Smith 
  was the real master of high macabre weirdness. Read 
  Xothique and tell me I’m wrong.
  2. What is your home game like?
  My home game isn’t a long-arc game, but a series of 
  short campaigns, playtests, and one-shots. The fantasy 
  campaign is set in the Midgard Campaign Setting and 
  we play at least one adventure there every year. The 
  Call of Cthulhu campaign consists of a rotating Keeper 
  running published adventures like Red Eye of Azathoth 
  and the Goodman Games stuff. The playtests cover new 
  Pathfinder material like the Mythic Adventures Beta, the 
  D&D Next open playtest, and 13th Age.
  Heck, I ran Empire of the Petal Throne a year ago as 
  a one-shot, and we had a blast with a game from the 70s. 
  The main thing for me is having great players and a fun 
  set of characters with room to roam.
  3. What is your favorite Paizo product and 
  why?
  Probably Fortress of the Stone Giants for Rise of the 
  Runelords, because I wrote it the way I like adventures 
  to work: big risks, big rewards, and some dilemmas that 
  aren’t solvable without extreme cleverness. And the 
  new Collector’s Edition is a thing of pure amazingness, 
  a book that should really be 
  called a tome. Great work on 
  that edition by the whole Paizo 
  staff.
  If we’re talking about books 
  I didn’t write for Paizo, then 
  probably the Mythic Adventure 
  playtest document. It’s deep 
  magic and bigger stories that 
  suit the Midgard setting very 
  well.
  4. 
  You 
  are 
  currently 
  doing 
  a 
  good deal of work 
  for 
  Kobold 
  Press; 
  how did that start 
  and how would you 
  characterize 
  your 
  relationship with the 
  company today?
  Well, 
  I’m 
  the 
  publisher, so I guess my 
  relationship is that I’m 
  responsible for Kobold 
  Press’s 
  releases, 
  even 
  the ones I don’t design or edit. I started out writing all 
  our products, but that role has declined quite a bit: these 
  days, I spend most of my time helping others publish 
  their designs. This includes talented game designers like 
  Christina Stiles, Ben McFarland, and Richard Pett (all 
  Gold ENnie winners with Kobold Press releases), as well 
  as relative newcomers.
  I’m always looking for a way to offer gamers something 
  fun and something useful. It’s quite a challenge to keep the 
  schedule together and we don’t always hit our deadlines, 
  but I think the quality of work we put out is among the 
  highest for the 3rd party publishers of Pathfinder RPG 
  adventures and sourcebooks.
  5. Which Pathfinder compatible product you 
  worked on is your favorite and could you tell us 
  a little about it?
  I think my favorite is usually the most recent project, 
  and in this case, that’s an adventure called To the Edge of 
  the World. The PCs go off on a voyage of discovery into 
  unknown lands, and quickly get pushed around by some 
  power player types like a lich queen. But the beauty of it is 
  that the PCs get the last laugh, if things go well. If they go 
  poorly: well, might be time for a new character!
  The design goal was to give low-level PCs something 
  more interesting to do, something sort of epic, really, 
  and throw them into the deep end of the heroism pool. 
  It’s ideal for playtesting the Mythic Adventures rules, 
  actually. The results have gotten love-it-or-hate-it 
  responses, with about 80% on the love it side. I’ll take 
  those odds.
  Twenty Questions with 
  Wolfgang Baur
  By Steven D. Russell; Illustrations by Bruno Balixa
  
  22
  Pathways Magazine
  6. What was your best moment working on 
  To the Edge of the World?
  Playtesting it with some very smart players, Chris 
  Lozaga, Carlos Ovalle, Christina Stiles, and Ben 
  McFarland. GMs everywhere know that the adventures 
  you think you are going to run are not quite the same 
  as what happens at the table, 
  and 
  sometimes 
  you 
  miss 
  big, obvious stuff. Well, that 
  playtest was a great reality 
  check for some elements of the 
  design.
  I know some designers 
  think playtest is a drag and 
  just generates more work, but 
  for me, the playtest is where 
  the design work proves itself in 
  actual play. I tend to love them, 
  especially when they highlight something I would never 
  have noticed from the text alone.
  7. What do you feel was the most ingenious 
  part of the To the Edge of the World adventure?
  I think the use of the Midgard cosmology and flavor 
  while still making it generic enough to fit into anyone’s 
  home campaign or Golarion is probably the most 
  ingenious part of it. It’s not difficult to make an adventure 
  portable, but you have to be conscious of that aspect.
  Mechanically, I think the use of compressed stat 
  blocks is pretty great, but you know, some people hate 
  those. The emphasis, though, is meant to be on mythic 
  adventure, not grinding tactical combat, and that means 
  less time and space for big stat blocks.
  8. What was the most challenging aspect of 
  working on it?
  The hardest part of making a low-level adventure 
  feel awesomely heavy-metal epic is that, of course, the 
  characters don’t have a million powers, feats, and hit 
  points. They can’t even bluff very well. So the fluff was 
  very hard, creating that sense of wonder and possibilities 
  while working with a limited range before a TPK was a 
  sad inevitability. Some of this was designing for player 
  psychology as well: making sure that the lich-queen 
  is so dangerous-looking that even the dimmest-bulb 
  hackmeister would decide to maybe kick her ass some 
  other time.
  9. Did you learn anything while working on 
  it?
  I learned all the ways that a dim-bulb hackmeister 
  can be persuaded that maybe, just maybe, this is not a 
  good idea and –Look! 
  Squirrel! 
  Over 
  there! 
  --- how to distract the 
  distractible into doing 
  something that won’t get 
  the whole party killed. 
  That’s one of the GM 
  skills I used to have in 
  abundance, but I lost it 
  a bit when my campaign 
  moved into the higher 
  levels for a while.
  10. 
  Other 
  than 
  your own work, what is the best Pathfinder 
  Roleplaying Game compatible product out there?
  Hm. That is a tough one, and it really depends on 
  what you like best. There’s some great material from 
  Super Genius like the Bullet Points and DungeonADay. 
  For me, I think whole variant systems are the way to go, 
  things that Paizo would not necessarily tackle. The Pact 
  Magic releases by Radiance House are at the top of that 
  list. I’m also very fond of the retro throwback Frog God 
  material, like Rappan Athuk, which feels like a refugee 
  from the 70s (in a good way). It makes me laugh in that 
  maniacal way that all GMs know and players fear.
  11. What in your opinion makes a good 
  Pathfinder 
  Roleplaying 
  Game 
  compatible 
  product?
  I’m fond of adventures and bestiaries far more than 
  anything else, because that’s the stuff I find myself 
  using. So to me, the best Pathfinder Roleplaying Game 
  compatible products are those that enhance play and 
  speed up prep time, rather than just another throwaway 
  PDF with six feats in it. More most of all, to me, the best 
  ones are really meaty supplements.
  I like the big ambitious efforts like Rappan Athuk and 
  Pact Magic, or even the unsuccessful Pathfinder Modern 
  Kickstarter. These are people looking to show a style, 
  expand options in a big way, not afraid to try something 
  really, really big.
  Sure, some of these efforts disappoint, but some of 
  them change the way we think about Pathfinder RPG 
  rules and possibilities. I love those projects.
  12. Who is your favorite designer of Pathfinder 
  Roleplaying Game compatible products?
  I am currently extremely impressed with at least a 
  dozen writers, all of them turning out superior work. And 
  there’s probably a dozen more I just don’t know about. 
  The field is rich in talent.
  Until recently, I would have said that Adam Daigle 
  was my favorite, since he wrote the Midgard Bestiary for 
  
  23
  Pathfinder RPG, but now he’s gone to work for Paizo I 
  suspect that he won’t write 
  many 3rd-party books.
  So… 
  Of 
  the 
  current 
  freelancers, 
  I’m 
  most 
  delighted by Dan Voyce, 
  who wrote Dark Roads 
  & Golden Hells as well as 
  the incredible Northlands 
  book. 
  He 
  took 
  really 
  difficult topics, and nailed 
  them 
  completely. 
  The 
  reviewers on both made it 
  clear that he’s working at a 
  level exceeded only by the 
  Paizo staff.
  13. What advice would you give to would-be-
  freelancers?
  Write something every day, even if it is just for 
  yourself between assignments. Writing is a muscle, and 
  it’s worth keeping in shape. Every time I forget this rule, 
  it takes me time to get sharpened up again—and that’s 
  usually on a project with a quick turnaround!
  14. Who is your favorite illustrator?
  Just one? If it’s a historical illustrator, probably 
  N.C. Wyeth, but his work is all from 100 years ago, and 
  predates the invention of roleplaying games.
  Of the modern, living illustrators…. It’s very hard 
  to choose. I’m extremely fond of William O’Connor for 
  his strong design sense and compositions, I love the 
  faces and realism of Mark Nelson, I’m enchanted by 
  how Tony DiTerlizzi makes lines dance and characters 
  both whimsical and creepy. Every artist has strengths 
  and weaknesses (just like game designers, I suppose). 
  Sometimes I’m in the mood for one thing, sometimes it’s 
  something else.
  If I gotta pick just one today, I think I’m going 
  with Aaron Miller, who did the cover for the Midgard 
  Campaign Setting and the Midgard Bestiary for 
  Pathfinder RPG. He’s got a great eye for animals and 
  landscape, and I love his color choices. I fear he’ll soon be 
  working just for video game companies!
  15. What has been your most memorable fan 
  response to your work?
  The one that cracked me up lately was someone who 
  accused me of swiping Ed Greenwood’s material from the 
  Forgotten Realms because Midgard mentions something 
  called “orichalcum.” I read it and was happy about that 
  comment for weeks: orichalcum is one of those bits of real-
  world history that predates both me and Ed Greenwood 
  by at least 1,000 years, maybe more like 2,500.
  The other, more positive fan response I got lately made 
  my week. Someone wrote “I purchased the [Midgard] 
  setting and the players guide so far and I have gotten that 
  old time feeling, which to some may be a bad thing, but 
  rest assured in my case it is a grand thing! This setting, 
  this wondrous creation … is a thing of immense beauty.
  “Not since, well, not since I was a teenager and first 
  peeled back the plastic that had been wrapped around my 
  first Forgotten Realms campaign boxed set have I felt the 
  giddiness that I feel right now... a feeling that many 43 
  year olds have to shell out a sum for more than what I 
  paid to obtain.”
  Well, damn. Gamers often complain about negativity 
  in the hobby, the piracy and complaints and the way that 
  we often tear things down. But you know, that post is the 
  sort of thing that makes me just want to bear down and 
  work even harder on the next one. Good fan response is 
  crucial to keeping (largely underpaid and overworked) 
  game designers working. Say something nice to your 
  favorite Pathfinder RPG designer.
  16. Could you give 
  us 
  an 
  exclusive 
  hint 
  or 
  teaser 
  about 
  an 
  upcoming product you 
  are working on?
  Sure! 
  The 
  upcoming 
  Journeys to the West and 
  the associated Pirates of the 
  Western Ocean are seafaring 
  supplements, 
  new 
  islands 
  and adventures and spells 
  and items.
  There’s a ton of great stuff in these, but one of my 
  very favorite bits is something I wrote for one of these, a 
  leviathan island that submerges beneath the sea. There’s 
  several related adventures, items, and bits of lore around 
  the leviathan, but my favorite part of it is that it is totally 
  portable to any setting with an ocean full of islands!
  17. Do you have any goals as a game designer 
  that you have yet to obtain?
  I still haven’t written a humorous adventure that 
  satisfies me. I still haven’t designed a core system from 
  scratch that satisfies me. And I would love to tackle a card 
  game design one of these days. I have these notes for it…
  I think every designer probably has more ideas and 
  goals than they have time to finish them. I’ve gotten 
  pickier about my projects as I get older.
  
  24
  Pathways Magazine
  18. Can you talk a 
  bit about the Valhalla 
  Calling contest?
  Sure! The first 100 
  people 
  to 
  submit 
  a 
  proposal to Kobold Press 
  have a shot at a full-
  blown adventure design 
  contract and professional 
  publication. I’m looking 
  for an adventure writer 
  who 
  knows 
  his 
  way 
  around 
  the 
  Pathfinder 
  RPG and (ideally) the 
  Midgard 
  Campaign 
  Setting, though we’re taking submissions for generic 
  adventures as well as Midgard adventures.
  The deadline for submissions is mid-December. Hope 
  to see some of your readers pitch their concepts! The 
  contest guidelines are available now.
  19. With Kobold Quarterly magazine ending, 
  are you worried about the future of Kobold 
  Press, or a backlash?
  Oh, Kobold Press is fine. We have a roster of freelance 
  authors, designers, illustrators, editors and cartographers 
  that represents some of the best talent in this business. 
  We’re bursting with ideas for great new adventures and 
  sourcebooks. And now that I’m not spending my nights 
  and weekends running a quarterly print magazine, I can 
  devote more time and loving care to those projects. (Hey, 
  I’m German. Did you think I was just going to kick back 
  and relax?)
  I confess I was worried that people would be angry 
  over the news that Kobold Quarterly was ending. But 
  the response from fans has been amazing and deeply 
  touching. It has been a great run on Kobold Quarterly, 
  and about two years longer than I spent with Dragon 
  magazine. It’s a shame that KQ never got a huge 
  audience, but honestly it was fun to do something small-
  but-fierce, and the sense that not that many people were 
  watching was liberating. We experimented and ran some 
  completely awesome material, and I’m very grateful to 
  everyone who bought one or subscribed or contributed 
  to an issue.
  While I wish the magazine had turned into a gigantic 
  success and I could have quit the day job, I don’t regret 
  spending 5 years working on it.
  As to a backlash: Well, if people tell me that the hobby 
  needs a print magazine, I will wholeheartedly agree with 
  them and will be the first to subscribe to their title. But 
  nothing lasts forever, and KQ lasted about as long as 
  some editions of D&D. That ain’t bad!
  20. Is there anything else that folks should 
  know about you and/or your work?
  I’m fond of tricksters, I am starting to brew up a 
  standalone rule set for a one-night story game, and I have 
  a fondness for working with new writers and old friends.
  Come check out what we’re up to at Kobold Press!
  
  25
  On Sale Now in Print and PDF!
  
  26
  Pathways Magazine
  Reviews
  Legendary VII: More Legendary Items
  by Thilo “Endzeitgeist” Graf
  5 out of 5 Stars! 
  This pdf is 36 pages long, 1 page front cover, 1 page 
  editorial/ToC, 2 pages SRD, 2 pages advertisement, 
  leaving us with 30 pages of content for new legendary 
  items, so let’s check these out! 
   
  If by now you don’t know what legendary items 
  and pieces of equipment are, you should definitely 
  check out Purple Duck Games’ whole product range 
  - they essentially are weapons, armors, shields and 
  miscellaneous items that are not your run-of-the-mill 
  magic Walmart-crap, but unique items that improve 
  with your character-levels, gaining new and often 
  unique powers. If you are familiar with the 3.5-book 
  Weapons of Legacy by WotC, think Weapons of Legacy 
  minus penalties and suckage. 
   
  All right, this general introduction out of the way, the 
  items usually improve every second character level, 
  though the first slew of non-combat items provided by 
  PDG only had 5 improvement-steps instead of 10. Now 
  how do these new ones hold up in direct comparison? 
  Well, we’re off to a good start with an item so iconic I 
  was actually asking myself why no-one bothered to do 
  it before -we get an enchanted broom for witches! The 
  Broom enhances flying acrobatics, improves hex-DCs 
  and finally even allows witches to form coven sans 
  hags. Very cool! It should also be noted that each item 
  in this book is lavishly illustrated in full color, with the 
  broom being no exception and looking rather awesome. 
  The crusader’s banner, its fluff rooted in Prophyra’s 
  NewGod-war, is also interesting in that its properties 
  are a collection of knight’s pennon and lord’s banner-
  abilities - unique abilities instead of collecting several 
  others would have been preferable, though - as written, 
  the item lacks a unique signature ability that sets it 
  distinctly apart. 
   
  Next is the Eye of Plaetius, a crystal ball that provides us 
  with all the divinatory needs we’d expect to see (get it? 
  *EZG puts 2 bucks in the bad pun jar*) and while its fluff 
  is again interesting, the ball allows the user to combine 
  e.g. telepathy and true seeing with scrying, which allows 
  for nice gaslighting options for sadistic DMs. The item 
  also grants access to the new “Sun’s Brilliance”-spell, 
  essentially a lesser type of daylight. Now the Favor of 
  Kalashi is interesting 
  in all ways: This 
  quiver not only 
  comes with nice fluff, 
  produces ammunition 
  etc., it also grants the 
  user the option to deal 
  elemental damage 
  and grants a pool of 
  hunter’s points the 
  bearer can use to 
  temporarily enhance 
  ranged weapons 
  (even stacking 
  on preexisting 
  plusses!) and add the equivalent of progressively better 
  enhancements to the respective ranged weapons. Nice 
  ideas, mechanically solid and cool. Neat!  
   
  We also get a flagon that starts off as a decanter of 
  endless water and later allows its wielder to produce 
  sweet wine or oil, and later even tidal waves and the 
  summoning of water elementals. Two spells granted by 
  the item are part of the deal - including the option to 
  summon a fully statted water dragon that even gets a 
  neat full color artwork. For campaigns in the far north, 
  the boots of Giald should not be left under the polar 
  bear-rug - after all, they allow the user to raise igloos 
  and even castles of ice! Beware of Dwarven Ice Wights, 
  though! And what about a hat of tricks that may later 
  gate things and beings in? 
   
  There is also a sinister necromancer’s cauldron that may 
  raise the dead (though its use should drive sweat to e.g. 
  paladin brows), but where the items kick into full gear 
  is with the Mechanism of Torl that kicks off as a new 
  vehicle (again, with all required stats) and develops into 
  two other vehicles, one of which is an apparatus of the 
  crab and there also are special abilities. EPIC WIN! 
  The boots called Orphan’s Rise are all about acrobatics, 
  agility, tightrope mastery etc. - and perhaps it’s me, but I 
  immediately had a Dickens-style-story in the back of my 
  head after reading the entry - beyond that, the boots are 
  a godsend for catburglars. 
   
  There also are halfling gloves that deflect arrows 
  and make all weapons return to the owner as if they 
  possessed the quality. And then, there’s the Rod of 
  Bound Chaos, which deserves special elaboration: 
  Working as both a weapon and an improving rod of 
  wonders, this weapon spans more than 3 pages with 
  random enhancements beyond the versatility of the of 
  basic item-classes it’s based on, all but ensuring that 
  the weapon is not the same on any given day. Have I 
  
  27
  mentioned the vampire’s cloak that allows all the iconic 
  vampiric hovering and flying and multiple bat-related 
  abilities? Or the horn that can summon the legendary 
  boar of the Great Hunt, Goldenmane? 
   
  Finally, we get a severed hand that improves hand-
  related spells. 
   
  Conclusion: 
  Editing and formatting are top-notch, I didn’t notice any 
  glitches. Layout adheres to PDG’s 2-column standard 
  and the full color artworks deserve special mention - 
  at this price-point, the items are rivaled only by LPJr 
  Design’s Treasures of NeoExodus-line. The pdf comes 
  fully bookmarked and it should be mentioned that it is 
  relatively printer-friendly, sans background. 
  WOW! The Legendary Series never fails to satisfy 
  my constant hunger for more of these neat items and 
  this one in particular has some items that teem with 
  creativity, iconicity and coolness without resorting to 
  tried, true and boring territory. The mutable vehicle 
  in particular is pure gold - every adventurer group 
  should have one! Now while I’m still not a fan of the 
  5-level progression of many of these items, there also 
  can be found several in here that adhere to the 10-level 
  standard and thus, I won’t hold it against the pdf: Better 
  5 good abilities than 10 with a 50%-bland-quote. 
   
  I’m happy to report that this pdf fails utterly in being 
  bland, though - instead providing us with one of the 
  best installments of the legendary-series released so far. 
  Author Josh McCrowell did a great job and only due to 
  the banner e.g. falling slightly short of what it could have 
  been (it’s still good) will omit my seal of approval. My 
  final verdict thus clocks in at a very easily given 5 stars 
  and an all-out purchase-recommendation. 
   
  Endzeitgeist out.
  Faces of the Tarnished Souk: Nameless 
  Nil, the Beggar of Self
  by Thilo “Endzeitgeist” Graf
  5 out of 5 Stars! 
  The latest installment of the FoTS-series is 23 pages 
  long, 1 page front cover, 1 page editorial, 1 page SRD 
  and 2 pages advertisement, leaving us with a total of 
  18 pages of content . quite bunch, so let’s checkout 
  Nameless Nil! 
   
  Following my format for the series, I’ll first examine 
  the new rules-
  content we get: 
  We get the bloody 
  maw, half-
  construct, hungry 
  nightmare 
  templates and Nil 
  uses horrifically 
  overpowered 
  feats from SGG’s 
  book of said 
  name, namely 
  the Gestalt 
  feat, which is 
  reprinted here. 
  Nil also makes 
  use of the autohypnosis-skill you might know from 
  Dreamscared Press without being psionically active 
  (psionic-haters may breathe a sigh of relief) and its 
  incarnations have multiple Savant-levels (KQ, if I’m 
  not mistaken) and sport 11 (!!!) feats in addition to 
  the horrifically overpowered one. Oh, and Nilcomes 
  with stats for scorpion whips and 9 (!!!!!) magic items 
  (including illustrious items like the Belt of Consuming 
  Teeth that can literally eat you up and a minor artifact) 
  as well as a Relic from SGG’s Relics of the Godling, the 
  7 league boots. Latter improve over the levels much like 
  Purple Duck Games’ acclaimed Legendary Items. 
   
  Oh, have I mentioned the steal combat maneuver? 
  Also, Nil’s mid an high-level incarnation can call upon 
  different versions of Rimeheart, a white dragon rogue 
  as support. Of course both come fully statted. And 
  finally, Nil also comes with two new unfettered eidolon 
  evolutions and two traits related to the dreamburning 
  mechanic of Coliseum Morpheuon. 
   
  At CR 6, 13 and 21, the incarnations of Nil span all 
  playstyles, so I guess it’s time to talk about the creature. 
  SPOILERS. Seriously. I usually don’t do SPOILERS in 
  FoTS-reviews, but here it’s justified - potential players, 
  jump to the conclusion. 
   
  Still here? All right! A being of masks, clad in ragged 
  robes would be a strange sight anywhere but in the 
  Tarnished Souk. Here, Nil, pitifully, is begging for 
  dreams of other people, requiring the consumption of 
  both dreams and magic items to sustain its existence. At 
  first, Nil may actually evoke pity, for it can be pleasant 
  and attach itself utterly to a person, a quest, whatever 
  seeking to emulate the heroics of characters or others 
  But if the boots, whip etc. were not ample clue enough - 
  this being is, among others, about making escape a nigh 
  impossibility, for Nil is a conglomerate of beings, each 
  
  28
  Pathways Magazine
  mask representing one personality buried in the vast 
  network of Nil’s jumbled mind. If you recall the undead-
  conglomerate One-as-Many from Mask of the Betrayer, 
  that would be an analogue - only that Nil can’t even 
  evoke the sympathy of a broken being that needs to be 
  put out of misery.  
   
  Nil is not broken. Nil was never whole. Born from 
  the imaginary friend of a summoner, its core is an 
  empty void, its emulation of life, humanity, feelings, 
  conscience being just that - a pantomime in search for 
  something it can neither attain, nor grasp. The horror 
  of Nil’s utter alienness (btw.: Its Masks can swallow you 
  whole...), once exposed, goes even beyond the chill of 
  Many-as-one: It is the horror of a mirror-image through 
  a darkened glass trying to eat you and replace you 
  without gasping truly what all of this entails. The advice 
  provided for the DM on using Nil, btw., is more than 
  sound. Oh, and have mentioned that Nil comes not only 
  with its basic statblock, but with 8 (!!!!!!!!!!) fully statted 
  ability suites for the different roles it can take on, each 
  with different powers, attacks etc.? There is much space 
  in the Hollow and it tends to consume all that encounter 
  it - will your PCs prevail versus such a versatile for? 
   
  Conclusion: 
  editing and formatting are top-notch this time around 
  - I didn’t notice any glitches. Layout adheres to RiP’s 
  old rune-bordered b/w-standard in 2 columns and the 
  artwork of Nil by Bran Brinlee is brilliant. The pdf comes 
  with extensive nested bookmarks.  
   
  Take a look at all the FoTS-reviews I’ve written, at 
  the vast array of 5-star + seal of approval-verdicts. 
  Nil blows them all out f the water. I can’t recall when 
  we ever had such a complex character with so many 
  different supplemental pieces of information and neat 
  combat options provided. Matt Banach and Justin 
  Sluder have transcended their usual great work and 
  married their mastery of complex crunch and far-out 
  ideas with a sense of wrongness the likes of one usually 
  only sees by the hands of Richad Pett or Nic Logue; 
  And even when compared to the oeuvre of these two 
  demented geniuses, Nil would stand out. This is hands 
  down my favorite FoTS-character so far. Hell, I’ll make 
  Nil a legend in my next campaign. I’m hard to excite 
  anymore, but this thing is gloriously demented, its 
  iconography so disturbing it’s a joy for my malicious 
  DM-heart. If I could, I’d slap 6 stars on this one - 5 stars 
  + seal of approval, easily earned: A new benchmark for 
  Character-pdfs à la FoTS, Infamous Adversaries etc. 
   
  Endzeitgeist out.
  A0: Crow’s Rest Island
  by Thilo “Endzeitgeist” Graf
  5 out of 5 Stars! 
  This module 
  is 23 pages long, 1 
  page front cover, 
  1 page editorial, 1 
  page ToC, 1 page 
  SRD, leaving us 
  with a total of 19 
  pages of content, so 
  let’s check this out! 
   
  Now this being an 
  adventure review, 
  the following 
  review contains 
  SPOILERS. 
  Potential players 
  may wish to jump to 
  the conclusion. 
   
  All right, still here? 
  After a short introduction to the area in which it is set 
  in the default campaign setting of AdventureaWeek.
  com - essentially, the PCs will be people of the Klavekian 
  kingdom, largest of the human realms and sent to the icy 
  frontier of the kingdom to help the settlement Rybalka, 
  which lies right at the border of Vikmordere-territory: 
  Feared savages that could be considered a wild blending 
  of Viking and Native American cultures. That out of the 
  way, the module kicks off without much ado - the PCs 
  are traveling en route to Rybalka for fame and fortune 
  and on their way, they’ll need to pass the notorious 
  “Crow’s Rest Island”. 
   
  When passing the island on their ship of Vikmordere-
  build (which comes fully mapped in gorgeous detailed 
  full color with maps (on deck, below deck, in a snow-
  storm and in full-blown snow-storm - awesome), they 
  are forced ashore by the weather and see a weird white 
  crow. In the island’s woods, they encounter a party of 
  kobolds and it is also here, the PCs can start to piece 
  together what has happened here. When kobolds were 
  washed ashore on this island, their shaman summoned 
  an ice demon to get rid of the local Vikmordere 
  population. The wild men, confronted with the demonic 
  entity faced annihilation and in order to save them, 
  an adopted Vikmordere attempted a ritual that was 
  interrupted by the kobolds. This ritual gone haywire has 
  
  29
  trapped the spirits of the Vikmordere on the island. The 
  lavishly illustrated village of the Vikmordere contains 
  the remnants of the kobolds and there, amid ghostly 
  visions, the PCs can secure the missing item for the 
  ritual and help the spirits of the dead find peace. 
   
  Conclusion: 
  Editing and formatting are top-notch, I didn’t notice 
  any glitches. Layout adheres to AaW’s latest 2-column 
  standard with its more streamlined boxes and easier 
  to read fonts and the artworks in full color range from 
  awesome (vista of the village) to not-so-awesome 
  (cover). As I’ve come to expect from AaW, the 
  cartography is simply stellar and especially the weather 
  and its effect on the ship is AWESOME. A great idea and 
  something I’d love to see used in other modules as well. 
  If you register at Adventureaweek.com, you can also 
  download for free all artworks (including a handouts 
  through a spyglass), profiles of the AaW-iconics, high-
  res jpegs of all the maps, png-tokens for NPCs and 
  adversaries and herolab-files. While usually I would 
  complain about a lack of a backgroundless version of the 
  pdf, this module is free, so it gets a pass on this one. The 
  pdf is extensively fitted with nested bookmarks. 
   
  There are sometimes modules that as written are not too 
  exciting, but spark the imagination via iconic locales, 
  nice presentation etc. and this is one of them: The 
  location presented in the module is cool, creepy and 
  offers quite some potential for expansion by the DM - 
  and expanded it should be, for the simple encounters 
  fall flat of the awesomeness of the backdrop. Indeed, I 
  wished this was not a free prequel module, but rather 
  a full-blown haunting-investigation. Think about it: 
  Traps in the wood, a deserted village, the sense of 
  being watched, mysterious crows, weather worsening 
  and keeping the PCs stranded on the place and then, 
  the strange hauntings begin - every DM worth his salt 
  can construct a complex investigation from this yarn 
  instead of handing out the solution to what happened 
  on a silver platter to the PCs. Were this a commercial 
  module, that would exactly be what I’d complain about. 
  It’s FREE, though, and every module that excites me 
  enough to even contemplate expanding it like I just 
  described is worth downloading and in fact, does a great 
  job. Were I only to rate the module as it can be seen in 
  the pdf, I’d probably go for 4 or 3 stars, depending on a 
  hypothetical price. But since this pdf is free, comes with 
  good production values and sparks one’s imagination, 
  I’ll instead settle on a solid verdict of 5 stars - come on, 
  it’s free and you know you at least want to scavenge the 
  maps. ;) 
   
  Endzeitgeist out
  Up From Darkness
  by Joshua “KTFish7” Guillion
  5 out of 5 Stars!
  Up From 
  Darkness, 
  Rite 
  Publishing’s 
  latest offering 
  in the 
  continuing 
  attempts to 
  punish PCs 
  everywhere, is 
  a tale woven 
  by Jonathan 
  McAnulty. 35 
  pages, with 
  the obligatory 
  page count 
  adjustments 
  made for 
  covers, OGL, 
  credit pages 
  such on and so forth give us a total page count for the 
  adventure of 22, with a 5 page section of GM aids...we’ll 
  get to those, you’ll like. The pdf also gives you 5 pre-
  generated characters to utilize, which in this case are an 
  extremely handy thing, which shall be explained. 
   
  Formatting follows the standard dual column layout, 
  with embedded artwork, as well as a few pages with a 
  solo art piece tucked in here and there. The pages are 
  decorated in a pattern that will have invokes thoughts of 
  stylized oriental bamboo framework. Michael K. 
  Tumey’s cartography brings a very old school feel to this 
  project, and gamers with an appreciation for older 
  generations of RPGs, or even fans of the many nostalgia 
  clones on the market will instantly feel comfortable with 
  the mapping style used for most of the cartography used 
  in this adventure. Now, I say most as there is one 
  seriously odd duck in regards to the cartography. One 
  particular area has not only been done in the classic 
  style for the interior, but a 3 dimensional CG model has 
  been provided to show the exterior of the section as well. 
  The purpose behind it makes sense in that it helps 
  visualize the manner in which the rooms relate to each 
  other, but the two drastically conflicting styles really 
  make this particular map page look odd. 
   
  
  30
  Pathways Magazine
  OK....so all of the basics and non story-point specifics 
  out of the way, this is an adventure review...and we all 
  know what that means, now don’t we? That’s right. 
  Players, begone. Seriously, stop reading, forward the 
  link on to your GM, close the page and go peruse your 
  GM’s wishlist to see how you can further let them know 
  you appreciate all they do for you....OK, we alone now? 
  Just us GMs and such? Alright. Let’s take a look into this 
  story, shall we? 
   
  First off, this is not anything I would call a standard 
  adventure. The basic story idea is as follows...The PCs 
  are attempting to earn a spot amongst the Hakayami, an 
  elite unit of Shogun within the Kaidan setting. How 
  elite? Final initiation involves ritual suicide and 
  transference of one’s soul into a “loaner” body entombed 
  at the bottom of a pitch black dungeon. The PCs assume 
  the roles of these newly self assassinated initiates. They 
  awaken within stone coffins, alone, in the dark, with no 
  memories or clues as to how they got there, who they 
  are, and what the hell is going on. Throughout the 
  adventure there will be key times that the PCs will 
  trigger snippets of memory to surface, as well as 
  moments that they can trigger through roleplay (much 
  like a reward system, earning additional memory 
  snippets). Along with the loss of identity, and of course 
  their original bodies, comes the loss of gear....all gear. 
  The PCs start with kimonos, and must explore to put 
  together enough gear to survive the challenges that roam 
  the dungeon, as well as the obstacles through which they 
  must go on their upward ascent to escape the dungeon. 
  Surviving the dungeon and regaining their memories as 
  they go will earn them the coveted position amongst the 
  Hakayami...it goes without saying the ranks of the 
  Hakayami don’t often swell with new recruits. 
   
  So...what we have here, story-wise, is a self encapsulated 
  adventure. As a GM I would be hard pressed to sell this 
  to my players as something to incorporate into an 
  ongoing campaign or storyline. And, truth be told, I 
  think that is where this adventure’s strength lies. It is 
  not concerned with where the characters were before 
  this, who they were, or where they thought they were 
  going. By limiting the playing field down to what it is, 
  and stripping the PCs of their memories, it forces the 
  players to go back to basics and work as a team to 
  survive, period. The pregens supplied are recommended 
  to be used as they have been written with this adventure 
  in mind, and lets face it, most players are not going to be 
  to happy to hear that their characters killed themselves 
  to earn a right to be part of this adventure, so pregens 
  avoids that entirely. Now, are there potential issues with 
  this, yes. Right off the bat I find myself wondering about 
  spell casters...the PCs have no memories, why would a 
  spell casting character still have spells available to 
  them? And no, I’m not even thinking along the lines of 
  study time being lost to the whole dying situation, no I 
  am thinking why would I, as a person, try to cast a spell 
  unless I knew I could do it? Also, we have a pregen with 
  some physical enhancements, for lack of better wording. 
  Very cool concept utilizing a necrotic warrior (bone)....
  but I don’t see why the “loaner” body would 
  automatically get the bone spikes and spears abilities, as 
  I see that as more of a physical concept of the PCs body, 
  not an attachment to their soul...So, these would be 
  what I see as being hurdles to the idea of waking up 1) in 
  someone else’s body, and 2) amnesia...both can be 
  worked with and around, just giving a heads up to GMs, 
  as this would be something for me that I would want to 
  put some thought into to be prepared to answer when a 
  player challenged it at the table. 
   
  Now here is where those GM aids really come to bear, 
  with a selection of random memory snippets, as well as 
  finishing touches for the pregen characters. A very nice 
  touch in making sure that every time this adventure is 
  played through it will be a different game. There are a 
  few editing issues here with misspelled words though, 
  and that does not help sell these as well as they should 
  have been. 
   
  Now, right off the bat the PCs can manage to get 
  themselves into trouble, as the room within which they 
  awaken contains more than just the bodies they are 
  inhabiting. Opening any other stone coffins runs the risk 
  of allowing the creation of a tamashinaki, as an 
  elemental spirit may take control of the “empty” body 
  and immediately attack. Obviously this would pose an 
  interesting challenge for the group, as they are 
  weaponless at this point, but a great way to make sure 
  they understand what level of danger they are up 
  against. 
   
  Ghostly samurai, haunts, traps and hungry critters all 
  await the exploring PCs on the lower levels of this 
  dungeon...with areas set up to equip the PCs with the 
  gear they will need to survive. And thematically I am 
  really liking the feel of where the story is going at this 
  point as far as the over all vibe of the dungeon itself...
  crawling their way from the bottom to the top, facing an 
  ever growing level of difficulty in creatures that are not 
  your standard run of the mill grab bag of creatures, the 
  PCs are in for a gauntlet that will more than likely cost a 
  few of them their lives. The adventure is prepared for 
  that though, remember there are additional bodies in 
  the lowest level. Yep, if a PC dies they wake up and get to 
  start all over again, no memories, no clues...evil...love it. 
   
  
  31
  I am not a huge fan of adventures that are as self 
  contained as this one is, I will not lie. But this one 
  surprised me, pleasantly. The story idea is a good one, 
  the idea of this being a one off with pregens works well 
  for me and my playgroup, a nice break from our normal 
  game. I can easily see this being used as an opener for a 
  Kaidan campaign as well, if one were looking to attach 
  the PCs to a faction for story purposes. My point here, 
  this is a good story. An extremely good story. Which is 
  why the next part of this really sucks. The pdf has 
  several editing issues, odd spaces in the middle of 
  paragraphs, irregular underlining format to the 
  statblocks, misspelled words...and the map keys not 
  being present. I can overlook a great deal of editing 
  hiccups if they don’t truly cause issues with 
  comprehension...but being told in text that trap X is 
  marked on the map at location C, only to go to the map 
  and find no C...over and over...that I can not overlook. 
   
  -EDIT- 
  OK...take note folks...for this is an important thing to 
  realize. When things are not right, and people are willing 
  to listen and go back in and fix them, that is how 
  customers are won...period. This adventure is an 
  excellent story concept that for me was held back by the 
  original maps drastically. Not only have the maps been 
  updated with proper markings to tell you where the 
  author intends for encounters, haunts and traps to be 
  located, the secret doors and stairs have been properly 
  labelled. In addition, the second map’s odd style change 
  has been addressed, and I have to say the new map 
  showing the ascent path is very impressive. This type of 
  willingness to bring a product up to the bar it sets for 
  itself is to be commended. Well done, well done indeed. 
  Rating has been happily changed to reflect a well earned 
  and solid 5 star rating.
  T he Sinking: T he Mole
  by Thilo “Endzeitgeist” Graf
  5 out of 5 Stars! 
  This pdf is 15 pages long, 1 page front cover, 1 page 
  SRD, 1 page editorial, 1 page ToC, 1 page advertisement, 
  1 page back cover, leaving us with a total of 9 pages of 
  adventure, so let’s check this out! 
   
  This being an adventure review, the following contains 
  SPOILERS, so potential players should please jump to 
  the conclusion. 
   
  Still here? All right! When an earthquake makes it 
  possible to find a new way down the sinkhole via newly 
  discovered tunnels, 
  the PCs embark on 
  a visit to wealthy 
  widow Hassebruk 
  (who will be a 
  recurring character 
  in the happenings 
  around the strange 
  sinkhole) and 
  their best option 
  is to attend her 
  conveniently 
  soon to happen 
  masquerade. At the 
  party, the PCs will 
  have to navigate a 
  shark’s basin no less 
  dangerous than the typical dungeon, gathering favor 
  points to score said permission and engage in battles 
  of wits with a bardic agent of the Trypus Academe 
  indirectly sent to discredit the heroes. 
   
  Once they finally have managed to gain the permit to 
  enter the warehouse, they are in for the investigation 
  of a short-five-room-dungeon, where the brave 
  adventurers will not only have to fend off attacks by an 
  assassin root, but also by a multitude of draugr and a 
  guecubu (whose stats are provided, should you not have 
  Bestiary III), an undead spirit of earth and bone, who 
  will endeavor to seal the PCs alive in the tunnels, making 
  for a potentially deadly cool adversary and finally 
  allowing the PCs unearth a tragedy long past – but alas, 
  no entry to the lower levels of the sinkhole…. For now. 
   
  Conclusion: 
  Editing and formatting, while not perfect, can still be 
  considered good – I did not notice any glitches that 
  impeded my ability to understand the content or rip 
  me out of the narrative. Layout adheres to 0onegames’ 
  2-column standard and the b/w-artworks and map 
  provided are of top-tier quality. The pdf also thankfully 
  comes fully bookmarked. 
  It is rather interesting, how many ideas the authors of 
  the sinking-serials manage to cram into the precious 
  few pages the modules consist of – and David Schwartz’ 
  Mole is no exception, succeeding in providing a nice 
  social challenge as well as a cool mini-dungeon. While 
  lacking the utter brilliance of e.g. “Politics Unusual”, this 
  module still remains a very good purchase – in the end 
  one that I feel I can rate 4.5 stars and round up to 5 due 
  to the low price. 
   
  Endzeitgeist out.
  
  32
  Pathways Magazine
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  33
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SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Pathfinder/1st Edition/3rd Party/Rite Publishing/Pathways/Pathways - 21.pdf