Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Jacob's Tower, Level 1: Classic


Level 1: Classic
4,500xp / Max 3,825gp (2 - 3 Hours)


Level 1 is formed mostly out of large blocks of tan stone. Except for Rooms 2 and 3, the area is dry and cool. Sconces with flaming torches provide excellent lighting throughout the entire Level, excepting Rooms 9 and 10. All rooms are separated with simple, unlocked wooden doors unless otherwise noted, and all doors open away from Room 1.

Room 1: Entrance

The entrance to Jacob’s Tower is empty of any hazards or traps, but it is not bare. Seven majestic red drapes with gold fringes line the walls, covering the tan stone blocks that make up the first Level of Jacob’s Tower. If the PCs are feeling extra cheeky, these drapes can be taken and sold for 15 gold each. Thick wooden doors lie to the east and west.

The wall to the north appears to be made of the same large tan blocks as the rest of the room, but a DC 15 Perception check will reveal that one segment behind a drape (1a) is actually hidden door. The door opens upward, but cannot be opened short of a DC 30 Strength check. If the PCs have discovered the door, they will also note two thin magical cords running along the wall to the east and west. Once the levers in Rooms 5 and 9 are pulled, the respective magical cords will glow. Once both levers are pulled, the hidden door will rise, revealing room 10.


Room 2: Lair of the Fuzzy Animals

Room 2 stinks to high Elysium, and, once the door is open, all those within 15 feet must make a DC 11 Fortitude save or be sickened for one round. The first time players outside that radius move within 15 feet of the the room, they must make that same check.  The room, which reeks with soupy rot, contains  a small pool of putrid water (2b) and a great deal of animal feces, handfuls of tiny bones, dirty and rotting bundles of hay which act as difficult terrain (2c). The animals inside, with blotchy fur and muddy faces, look like they are being starved and will immediately attack the adventurers.

In the room are one skunk (1d), one pig (1e), and one dog (1f) which will immediately attack the adventurers. There are also dozens of smaller animals such as hedgehogs, mice and rabbits, but these will not attack, instead fleeing into the hay when the PCs arrive. Once the skunk, pig, and dog are killed, the smaller animals will come to feast on their corpses.

These animals are not totally feral, and it is possible to woo them to the characters' side. A DC 10 Handle Animal check as a standard action on any animal will stun him for a round. A DC 15 Handle Animal check on any animal will cause him to slink away and abandon the fight. A DC 20 Handle Animal check on any animal will cause him to join the characters for the remainder of the Level.

With a Perception 10 check, our heroes can notice that the pool of water (2b) actually goes below the wall to the south. One brave soul can take a dip in this putrid water and wriggle his way into room 3. If the hero fails a DC 10 Swim check while in the water, he must make a DC 13 Fortitude save or contract Cholera from the filth.


Room 3: A Dead Adventurer

As the swimmer enters Room 3, he scares away a small group of rats which have been gnawing on a corpse. This is clearly the rotting corpse of an halfling adventurer, who wears masterwork leather armor and a masterwork long sword (both small) in addition to 30 feet of rope, a lantern, a masterwork backpack, an everburning torch, and a small diary that is mostly illegible due to the water and gnaw marks.  If a DC 15 Linguistic check can be made, diary can somehow be read, and it will reveal that this was an adventurer trying his luck within Jacob's Tower.

On his way back out of the room, the PC must again make a DC 10 Swim check. If he fails this check, he must make a DC 13 Fortitude save or contract Cholera from the filth.


Room 4: Trapped with an Angry Ghost

At first, Room 4 appears to be rather ordinary, a wide hallway made of tan stone with no discernable features. A wooden door at the end of the hallway is slightly ajar, but not open enough to see clearly into the next room.

A DC 10 Perception check will note scratch marks on the inside of both the south and north doors of this room.

Upon reaching the center of the room (4a), our heroes trigger a variation of the Slamming Portal Haunt. Both doors slam shut (perhaps shutting the slower heroes out), and remain closed as if affected by a Hold Portal spell. Any PC in the door's way must make a DC 12 Reflex save to jump out of the way or be dealt d4 bludgeoning damage and moved into the room appropriate square.  Moments later, a ghostly and flaming human apparition appears in the middle of the room, holds his head, and begins to scream. The walls, ceiling, and floors appear to burst into flame, although a DC 11 Will Save dismisses this as an illusion.  Illusion or no, the room suddenly becomes unbearably hot and stifling, dealing one point of fire damage to all in the room at the start of each character’s turn.

The doors will remain shut and the heat will persist for one minute, or 10 rounds. During this time, our heroes have a variety of options, one of which is breaking down either door. Our heroes can make a DC 18 Strength check to break down the doors, a DC which includes the +5 bonus from Hold Portal. The doors have 5 hardness and 10 hit points.  If our heroes are able to break down one or both of the doors, the haunt immediately ends.

It is also possible to deal with the Haunt directly. With only two hit points, channeling positive energy or throwing holy water will likely “kill” it, as well as a force spell such as magic missile.


Room 5: Making a Living

Room 5 is ornate to say the least. Lavish paintings cover the walls, piles of gold sit sparkling in the corners and a crystal chandelier hangs from the ceiling. Unfortunately, these are all permanent Silent Images and a simple DC 10 Will save will reveal them as such. There is also a pile of seemingly random items (5e), such as a shoe, a bow, a hat, a trap, a properly addressed letter with nothing but gibberish on it, and a lockpick. These items all look shoddy and quickly made, though they are not illusions. This pile is the previously crafted items of heroes to pass the “Craft for me” challenge.

At the north end of the room is a large stone statue (5a) with three closed eyes and three outstretched hands pointing to three squares on the ground. On each closed eyelid is a carved picture. Written on each of these squares is a phrase in common:

“Entertain me” (5b). The closed eyelid looking in this direction shows a man with a fiddle and a woman telling jokes at a bar. In this square, one of our heroes must make a DC 10 Perform check. Alternatively, he may make a DC 15 Diplomacy, Bluff, or Intimidate check to tell some sort of joke or story.  Succeeding at this check will cause the relevant statue’s eye to open. Failing will result in bolt of electricity dealing d4 damage to the person on the square (DC 12 Reflex save halves).

“Work for me” (5c). The closed eyelid looking in this direction shows a woman counting coins at a bank and a man teaching a classroom full of students. In this square, one of our heroes must make a DC 10 Profession check while somehow demonstrating his skill. If a hero has a backstory of making a living using some other skill, he may demonstrate that skill at a DC 15. Succeeding at this check will cause the relevant statue’s eye to open. Failing will result in bolt of electricity dealing d4 damage to the person on the square (DC 12 Reflex save halves).

“Craft for me” (5d). The closed eyelid looking in this direction shows a woman crafting horseshoes and a man fletching some arrows. In this square, our heroes must make a DC 10 Craft check while demonstrating his skill. Alternatively, he can make a DC 15 Disable Devise, Disguise, or Survival check to create something relevant to the skill. Succeeding at this check will cause the relevant statue’s eye to open. Failing will result in bolt of electricity dealing d4 damage to the person on the square (DC 12 Reflex save halves).

Succeeding at all three checks and opening all three eyes results in the statue also opening his mouth. Inside the mouth is a lever. Once flipped, a magical cord running from the lever into the western wall will illuminate. Back in Room 1, the cord running from hidden door to the eastern wall will also illuminate.


Room 6: Room of Statues

The room is fairly plain, except for a ten statues (6c) along the western wall. The statues are vaguely humanoid in form, though they have strange features and gemstones for eyes. A DC 12 Knowledge (Planes) check will reveal that these are statues of small Earth Elementals, not adventurers turned to stone. Our heroes may take the time to pry the gemstones out of each statue if they like. Each gemstone is worth 5 gold, meaning that the entire menagerie is worth 100 gold.

Three or four rounds after our heroes have entered the room, a Small Earth Elemental will burst from the floor for a surprise round. After he has been dealt damage for the first time, the torches in the room will go out. On his turn he will move to the statues with a stealth check, and attempt to blend in. The Earth Elemental has a +7 disguise for the purposes of blending in with these statues.

If a PC comes within melee range of the Elemental, the Elemental will leave hiding and attack the PC, continuing to attack until slain. If he is found and attacked, he will leave hiding and resume combat. If the PCs leave the room without killing him, he will follow them through the floor and attack them in Room 8.

Along the south wall of Room 6 is a hidden stone door that leads to Room 7. It takes a Perception 15 check to discover and a DC 15 Disable Devise check to unlock.


Room 7: Choice of Gemstones

Behind the hidden door are two pedestals with one gemstone each (7a). A sign in Common reads “You may only choose one.” One gemstone is worth 500gp, and the other is worth 100gp. A DC 10 Appraise check will yield the 500gp gemstone, while failing the Appraise check yields the 100gp gemstone. The GM should make this roll in private, simply letting the PCs know which one they think is more valuable. Touching one gemstone turns the other to dust, so greedy heroes who try and grab both will wind up with neither.


Room 8: The Many Paintings of Malebolge

Room 8 breaks off into five short hallways, each with a painting at the end. In the center of the room (8a) is a small pedestal with a single word written in both Common and Infernal: “Malebolge.” If a character can identify the writing as Infernal, either by knowing Infernal or performing a DC 15 Linguistics check to recognize the writing, then all Knowledge checks regarding the paintings are made at a +2 bonus.

At the end of each of the hallways is a detailed and impressive painting. These paintings are magically attached to the walls, though they can be removed with a DC 25 Strength check and sold for 100 gold a piece. Our heroes may examine the paintings and make the relevant knowledge check without going down the hallway. Failing the knowledge check for the wrong hallways (8b, 8c, 8d, or 8f) will result in the players thinking that perhaps they have heard the word “Malebolge” in relation to the painting. Succeeding at the knowledge check for the wrong hallways will let the players know the painting has nothing to do with the word.

Beneath each painting is a lever. Switching a lever for the wrong painting activates an Arrow Trap down that hallway, while switching the lever for painting 8e reveals Room 9. 

Remember that Knowledge checks of DC 10 or lower can be made untrained.

8b: At the end of the hallway is a painting of a Dwaven cleric holding a war hammer. He has many rings in his beard, and is wearing an ornate white smithing apron. A DC 10 Knowledge (Religion) check will let the players know that this is Cleric of Torag, and probably has nothing to do with “Malebolge.”  Any worshipers of Torag in the party will immediately recognize this without any check.

8c: At the end of this hallway is a map of an island. There is a mountain range in the middle, two unlabeled cities along the southern coast, and a smaller island to the north. A DC 10 Knowledge (Geography) check will reveal that this is the Isle of Kortos, and likely has nothing to do with “Malebolge.”

8d: At the end of this hallway is a formal portrait of a great king. With a short brown goatee, golden crown and piercing green eyes, he is a slightly unnerving sight. A DC 10 Knowledge (Nobility) check reveals that this is Lord Gyr of House Gixx, Primarch of Absalom, and that he has nothing to do with Malebolge.

8e: At the end of this hallway is a painting of a disturbing scene. Injured and terrified people flee from giant red humanoids in a great forest where snow-like ash is falling. In the background is a giant flaming creature with spiked armor and gauntlets. A DC 10 Knowledge (Planes) check will reveal that this place is Malebolge, the 6th layer of Hell, and that the creature in the back is Moloch, ruler of Hell’s armies. If a PC goes to the end of this hallway, the painting will burn away revealing room 9.

8f: At the end of this hallway is a painting of meteor shooting through the sky and colliding with the planet, sending up a massive amount of debris and rubble. A DC 10 Knowledge (History) check will reveal that this event was known as the Earthfall, and probably has nothing to do with Malebolge.


Room 9: Corridor of the Dead

Room 9 has no lit torches, so heroes must provide their own light if they want to see. A DC 20 Perception check will reveal that the ground here has been worn down by countless footsteps (the two undead enemies slowly revolving around the center). As soon as our heroes enter the room, the Ghoul on 9b will begin to move clockwise and the Zombie on 9c will begin to move counter clockwise. They each move one square a turn. If an undead gains line of sight to the party, he will begin moving as normal and rush in to attack.  The Ghoul has no hesitations about coup de gras-ing paralyzed players, and one or two players could easily die in this fight if the rolls go poorly.

A small locked treasure chest is at 9d. The lock is simple enough, requiring a DC 20 Disable Device check. Inside is 200 gold worth of strange silver coins, a harrow deck, and one use of arsenic.

At 9a, there is a lever on the wall. If it is flipped, a magical cord extending to the eastern wall begins to glow. Back in Room 1, the cord running from 1a to the western wall has also illuminated.


Room 10: Bridge Over Troubled Rats

With the levers in Rooms 9 and 5 switched, the hidden door in Room 1 opens. In the middle of Room 10 is a rickety rope bridge (10a) that extends over a 20 foot deep pit to a narrow ledge (10b) on the north side. At the bottom of the pit is a Rat Swarm. As long as there are no PCs in the pit, the Rat Swarm gains regeneration 10 as rats will enter from the holes in the walls to replace their fallen comrades.  There is no light in Room 10 save what our heroes bring, but they can certainly hear the rats scampering and squeaking in the dark.

Crossing this rickety bridge requires a Acrobatics 10 check to move the PC’s speed. A PC may travel at half his speed or lower for an Acrobatics 5 check.   Fail these checks and the PC falls into the pit where he takes 20 feet of fall damage and must contest with the Rat Swarm. By using a length of rope and a DC 10 Knowledge (Engineering) check, our heroes can reinforce the bridge and decrease the Acrobatics DC by 2 each.

The PC may climb out of the pit by climbing up a rickety rope ladder (10c). This ladder has a Climb DC of 5.


Room 11: Posy the Enchantress

Room 11 has six columns with hard corners.  A female human named Posy hides in the shadows at 11b. She was once dressed in lavish furs and red ribbons, but these have long since been reduced to tatters. Long ago, Posy was an adventurer who failed to disbelieve the illusions of wealth in Room 5. She thought that she had come across great treasure, and killed her adventuring party to keep it for herself. She now waits in Jacob’s Tower for other adventurers, and loots their bodies to add to her imaginary riches. Little does she know that each time she is slain, the Tower brings her back to life as a challenge for the next adventuring party.

Posy will target the first person who enters the room with a charm person spell as covertly as possible. As long as she has not yet been seen, she will not yet suffer the -5 penalty to DC for being in combat.  If she succeeds, she will quickly attempt to bluff her new ally into thinking that the other PCs have been enchanted and need to be subdued but not harmed.  This order constitutes an opposed Charisma check.  As the fight progresses, she will cast invisibility on herself, move to a safe location, then begin to use bardic performance.  She may also switch to a heavy crossbow as appropriate.

Given that Posy does not actually have a Ring of Protection +1, her AC is actually 17, 13 touch, 14 flatfooted.

If Posy successfully subdues her enemies, she will instruct her “friends” to go get help from outside. As the last one crosses through Room 10, she will shake the bridge, incurring an Acrobatics 15 check to stay on. Posy will then start to shoot the remaining PCs with her crossbow. If she takes down her “friends,” then she will go around coup-de-gracing the fallen PCs.

Assuming the heroes live through this encounter, they can loot poor Posy. Ignore Posy's stated gear.  Instead, she has a masterwork dagger, a masterwork heavy crossbow with 20 bolt, a masterwork chain shirt, absinthe, a potion of invisibility, two potions of jump, and a wand of cure light wounds with 5 charges (CL1).

After defeating Posy, a stone staircase (11a) rises up from the ground.  This staircase leads to the second Level, Marble and Glass.

If our heroes are playing only in Jacob's Tower and ranking up to Level 2, then distribute 940 gold amongst them evenly.


Sleeping: Grimples

Each night our heroes attempt to sleep in Level 1, they will be woken up by the sudden and wholly unpleasant sound of screeching. The sound will get louder for two rounds until three Grimples burst into the room and attack.  Every additional night they will be attacked by one more Grimple: Four the second night, five the third night, and so on.


Bonus! Little Venecian has also created this battle grid for Roll20.



You may purchase printable PDFs of the entire dungeon, including the final level only available through the package, here for $9.99.

Jacob's Tower, Levels 1 - 13 ($9.99)

27 comments:

  1. This may sound like a really daft question, I'm about to run this for some friends, but I cannot see a scale any where.

    Am I right to assume that 1 square is 5ftx5ft?

    Thanks in advance.

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    1. Yup, 1 square is 5x5ft. Have fun, and let me know how it goes!

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  2. Hey man, me and my insomnia want to show you something =)

    http://i.imgur.com/7VaWPmv.jpg

    This one actually does have a really light grid, but still, you may want to add the 70px by 70px grid.

    I hope this maps bring not only more people to your blog, but also some of those awesome artists that do those amazing battlegrids =)

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    1. Ow damn, don't add that one, I forgot the doors!

      http://i.imgur.com/HILdFmp.jpg

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    2. This was the one that I actually played with my group, they all are veterans in the game, but still they seem to enjoy it. We were gonna start a new Adventure Path and they wanted to try the characters before playing it, so I just decided to play with them this adventure.

      They all got along very well, they didn't knew each other, and I only knew 2 of them, so it was a great way to start the group. Also they did learn something, even thought they are veterans, that their wizard is a better martial character than all of them together.

      I added extra monsters because I felt that it was kinda empty/they could handle it, and it actually went really smooth. I added 4 halfling skeletons at the start that are just standing there in every corner and only wake up if they are disturbed or they finished one of the puzzles. Also some zombie wolves and an extra elemental (that almost kill them).

      They loved the little squirrels and rabbits eating the bigger animals, thay are definitely going to make an appareance in my campaign, along with the living statues.

      They did one of the paintings puzzle by pure luck, they just thought "Malebolge sounds kinda infernal, so lets take the inferno painting". They thought that for the other puzzle they had to use the items that the other adventurers made. They succeded tho, they made the shoes dance, they sewed the hat and armed the trap.

      The only thing that kinda threw me off was the anticlimatic ending, they killed Posy in almost one hit, but that was actually my fault, I forgot to make her invisible.

      Loving this adventure, please keep them coming!

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    3. Great, and added! Yeah, a few more monsters may be appropriate for more optimized and experienced adventurers.
      People have had very mixed experiences with Posy - some near TPK's, some cakewalks. I may modulate that a bit, but sometime quick fights happen at level 1.

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  3. I'm running this this weekend and I'm curious, which bardic performance do you suggest with Posy? Fascinate is great (hey look at me while your buddy ties you up) but you're invisible and it states they have to see you. The others seem less useful (especially the one that gives +1 against charm) or are out of her level range.

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    1. Ideally, she will use inspire courage to help out her charmed allies.

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    2. I realized like an hour after I posted this that I could use Minor Image in conjunction with Fascinate to give the players a great challenge as well as fitting her backstory of being trapped by silent images.

      By the way, this whole thing is amazing. Great work! I cannot wait to see more.

      How far do you think you'll go? 20 levels with Jacob being some demon lord on level 20?

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    3. Glad you like it! I'll either go to level 20 or level 12. Dungeon crawling breaks down with high level spell casting, so we'll see what happens. If I go to level 20, it will likely be some sort gauntlet of the bestiary's baddest baddies - the tarrasque, balor and the like. Ending, of course, with Jacob himself.

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  4. I finally ran this level for my players the other week! And it was amazing. We had a slight issue when we realised nobody had brought a healer, but they managed somehow.

    The first player went down in the fight with the earth elemental. Fortunately he fluffed his sneak attack, or the monk would've been dead rather than unconscious.

    They say outside the undead room for a long time strategising, but made it through eventually, although the wizard got himself KO'd by an arrow trap immediately afterwards.

    None of them had ever seen a haunt before, and it was very cool to see them react to it. I love the way you've added parts of the system that are less well-known to the levels. They ended up speaking with the spirit briefly, which was neat.

    When they finally took on Posy, it was really tense. They decided that she was part of the same adventuring group that the haunt and the dead halfling were from, and used that as leverage to set her soul to rest, but not before a short and tense fight.

    Overall, this level was one of the best sessions I've run. Thanks for writing it, I'll let you know what happens at the next one!

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    1. I'm glad you liked it! Sounds like you did a good job running it and your players got a lot out of it. Look forward to the future sessions!

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  5. I just ran the first floor for my group, took them an entire 8 hours session, almost got TPK'd by the zombie and ghoul (I mean really, 3 critical slams in a row? COME ON!).

    They spent four full days with the paladin giving two of them full treatment, and the sorcerer of the party came up with a smart idea of defending them from the Grimples by simply tying the two door handles in the first room together... Only after 3 assaults in the night :D.

    They managed to only get electrocuted 4 times each by the statue in room 5. The Paladin accidentally crafted something when he was trying to do the profession check without moving from the crafting square.

    The Paladin also fell into the pit over the bridge, almost dying from the rats, luckily the sorcerer had his trusty rope and pulled him out of there.

    They had very little trouble with Posy, though, the first person to enter the room was the sorcerer... who had used up all his spells for the day... and somehow lost his crossbow... Posy got cornered by the dwarven paladin and the duergar fighter and got hammered unto oblivion.

    Overall, they enjoyed it, I set it up as a "dude, that's the worst hangover I've ever ha.... Why am I in a dungeon?" kind of opening, with a letter from Jacob giving them the deal, finish it and get rewarded beyond you wildest dreams (might be a lie, who knows what Jacob is like... Aside from you anyway) or perish and become a permanent obstacle in his gauntlet.

    The thing they loved the most though, is how I played Nine, I tried to channel my inner Masked Jim Carey for it, I mean, you have the power to summon anything in the known universe and only hang out with yourself all day... Of course he's going to be a bit bonkers!

    When the sorcerer asked to see his potion selection, Nine spun around, suddenly had a trenchcoat on and opened it and said in a raspy voice "Wotcha poisin?". Any time they asked about Jacob, he'd swoon a bit over him. They even were clever enough to ask for a map of the dungeon floors. At one point he was mixing potions, alcohol and appraising gear they wanted to sell all at the same time. It was good fun.

    Can't wait to run the second floor next week, I gave them a bit of a spook when I set up the page for them (on roll20) and they saw the PyroHydra.

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    1. Fantastic! I was giggling through most of that description. Hilarious combination of bad luck and funny choices. Looks like they need to invest in a wand of cure light wounds.

      Man, the Mask was my childhood. Sounds like an excellent frame of reference for Nine.

      Glad that you are finally running them! Very much looking forward to what happens in Level 2!

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    2. I'm probably just missing something obvious, but who is Nine? I see no mention of him on any of the floors...

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    3. Take a look at the Jacob's Tower Overview (http://zenithgames.blogspot.com/2013/08/jacobs-tower-overview.html) Nine is a inter-level bartender, shopkeeper, and general mystery man who provides supplies and sleeping quarters.

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    4. Ah, thanks. I totally missed the overview

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  6. I just wanted to drop you a line and say thanks / good job on writing up these adventures! I ran a party through level one (wrote it up as a dream sequence imparted by a cursed gem the suckers...er, adventurers, picked up previously.) For some reason, they were utterly paranoid about the skunk in area #2. As in, both characters and players nearly crapped themselves. It was an absolutely enjoyable experience for a DM. :)

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    1. Great, and I'm glad you had such a good time! Sounds like a blast (and I think the skunk can be the most dangerous creature in the first level). If you wind up running any other levels, please let me know!

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  7. Hello! I just started running this for a couple of friends, and the first session was a blast! My two players had two characters each: a draconic sorcerer, an unchained summoner & rogue, and an inquisitor...with no cure light wounds. Between them all, they had a single potion of cure light wounds.

    Needless to say, Posy posed quite a challenge. Between the sorcerer knocking out the eidolon, being knocked out, the inquisitor being knocked unconscious, it left the rogue and summoner to deal with her.
    The rogue got knocked out, and the summoner desperately started using their summon monster ability to get dogs. Posy dazed him, ignored the yapping summon, and coup-de-graced the rogue. The two were brothers.

    What followed was a made rush as the summoner desperately fired crossbow bolts at the deteriorating bard, while a dog barked at her heels. She almost killed the sorcerer too, but a lucky hit finished her.

    The three of us spent the next 10 minutes laughing over the craziness. We had a blast, and can't wait to do more.

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    1. Sounds like a blast! Glad they survived, and look forward to more reviews!

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  8. First Round!

    After meeting each other in the inn, my Group (Fighter, Rogue, Bard, Ranger) started on Level one.

    My two veteran players were a little bit scared of the drapes, because they had to fight animated drapes in another adventure. But soon they went over to the door to the Lair of Fuzzy Animals.

    Not much action here. Heavy greatsword hits killed the animals in three rounds. The skunk tried to spray his musk at the bard but he made his save. A long discussion about the waterpool happend, but in the end nobody wanted to dive into it.

    Everyone but the Bard got trapped in the next room, but after 1 point of firedamage the Fighter one-hitted the northern door. None of my players made a Knowledge Check, so nobody knows what a Haunt is yet. Thats good, since I'm planning to do RotRL after Jacobs Tower :-)

    Room 5 went pretty well. They didn't notice the Metagaming here, so they didn't exactly understand what the Statue wanted them to do. But luck and very good rolls got them through with only one electricity bolt (which only did 1 damage).

    Room 6 was tough! Really tough!
    The Ranger was the first victim, immediatly taking full damage from the first hit. Another full damage hit in the second round sent him unconcious. The bard used CLW on him, only to see him fall in the next round again.
    The PC's rolled quite bad, so the elemental scored a third full damage hit on the Rogue, before the fighter was able to one-shot it. Good for the group, because I don't think they could have managed the sudden darkness.
    Sadly all healing was used, so the Rangers Player couldn't participate for the rest of the level.

    The secret door wasn't found.

    The paintings were quite funny. At least for me :-)
    The fighters player, playing the good old "dumb fighter" cliché, walked straight into the first trap for sweet sweet max damage again. They didn't really think about knowledge checks, but the rogue was quite succesful with finding and disarming the traps. A lot of talking and confusion happend, but they finally found the right painting. Of course they didn't think about trying to remove the paintings...

    They went left in the next room an ran into the Zombie. The Rogue managed to tumble through it's space, just to find himself right between a Zombie and a Ghoul. The Ghoul instantly hit twice (I couldnt find my third d20 so I thought it was time for some mildness and didn't use the bite attack). He missed his Saving throw and was lucky that the bard ran around the corner and attacked the Ghoul, so I spared the Rogue from a Coup de Grace.
    It was a hard fight, but even when the Fighter was finally paralysed, the Bard scored a lucky hit and killed the ghoul.

    Heavily damaged the group chose to finish the level and went over the pit without much trouble.
    Posy didn't manage to charm the Rogue and had to take some hits from the party. She used invisibility and CLW, but when she tried her second charm she became visible and was instantly sent to the ground.

    The group wanted to take a rest, but they splitted so the Rogue and Fighter were in Posy's room and the Bard and unconcious Ranger were in room 1 when the Grimples came.
    But this last fight didn't take long and the group went up the stairs into Nine's Inn.

    It was a nice evening and my group really liked level one!
    I noticed, that I wasn't well prepared, even though I read the adventure over and over again over the last two years.

    Level 2 is coming soon!

    Thanks so far
    Pascal

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  9. Hey dude, wanted to give you a huge thanks for making this and having it available to the public for free. This is very well done and I am very excited to try it out. We are doing the first floor today! I also just bought the pdf as well. I am happy to contribute to something like this.

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    1. Glad you like it, and my pleasure! If you would like to contribute, it would be great to leave a review on Paizo if you get the chance (http://paizo.com/products/btpy9ls6?Jacobs-Tower)

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  10. Hi! Thanks for the module, I read through it a while back and instantly loved the idea. Now I'm running it with a group of 4 (a witch, paladin, bard, and a weird monk who plans on multi classing into sorcerer. So far I've done only the first floor. They didn't really have too much challenge with this fight, outside of the ghoul fight, which almost wrecked them. The ghoul managed to paralyze the monk right away, and almost got the paladin (if she rolled 1 less, she would have gone down). The bard the the witch both had almost no capability of fighting it, so it probably would have been a TPK. Posy though was super super easy for them. She opened with charm person, which failed. The paladin used the feature that gives her information as if she had used detect evil for 3 full rounds and saw that posy was evil aligned, instantly turning against her. the witch covered Posy in adhesive spittle, the spell, entangling her and rooting her in place. both melee characters surrounded her. she tried to cast defensively to charm person, failed, and the witch correctly identified the spell she was trying to cast and told everyone else, who promptly decided to murder her, without taking a single point of damage. Oh yea, also the witch had darkvision, which made the earth elemental room laughably easy. Even if she didn't the bard was able to cast dancing lights before the first turn the elemental had since being damaged, lighting up the room anyways. Well, looking forwards to the next room! just one question about how things are supposed to be run, they can only sell the stuff they find for 1/2 price, right? like the +1 full plate worth 3000 gp they can find on floor 3 they could sell for only 1500, correct?

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    1. Oh one last hilarious thing, the only two characters that got trapped in the room with the haunt that deals 1 fire damage a turn was the paladin and the monk, who also happened to be the only characters who both had fire resistance!

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    2. Sounds like a good time, and I'm excited to hear how they progress through the rest of the dungeon! Yes, your question about treasure is correct.

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