Shards of Sin GM Resources
Shards of Sin is part 2 of 6 of the Shattered Star Adventure Path; that book is necessary
to run the adventure but Pathfinder Fate Accelerated write ups are provided for
the various opponents and challenges faced therein. Use the linked
to documents as relevant to the published adventure.
- GM Resources:
discussion of milestones, tips, and useful resources
Part 2: The Seeker's Shard
Once the adventurer's know where Natalya is holed up, they have entered part 2 of
the Shards of Sin.
Tower Girl Ambush
Terisha Skiloni is accompanied by three (3) hirelings, a Heavy and a couple of Shooters.
The Szarni will put up a good fight, but will concede rather than let themselves
get taken out if it seems likely they would be killed. If Terisha runs or gets taken
out, they give up or escape immediately.
Similarly, Terisha will make a run for it if she can, if things go bad.
Street Enforcer, Tough And Mean
Good At: Thuggishness (+3), Shrugging It Off (+3)
Bad At: Blending In (-2), Strategy (-2), Being Nimble (-2)
Stress [1][2][3]
Mild (2)
Do not treat as a mob.
Run of the mill Sczarni Thugs are sometimes accompanied by one or two big hulking bruisers.
Street Enforcer, Aloof and Sinister
Good At: Crossbow or Shortbow (+3), Bladework (+1)
Bad At: Toe to Toe Fights (-2), Seeming Legit and Normal (-2)
Stress [1][2][3]
Mild (2)
Do not treat as a mob.
Run of the mill Sczarni Thugs are sometimes accompanied by one or two sinister beady-eyed marksmen.
Natalya's Hideout
A1: Guard Chamber
Natalya has a couple Sczarni hirelings working for her as well. They guard this
room. One is armed with a morningstar and a loaded crossbow, and wears chainmail.
The other has a pair of short swords and two pair of throwing knives, bracers, darkened
leathers and a deeply cowled short cloak.
Dirty Deeds Done For A Reasonable Negotiated Rate,
Hardened Criminals
Good At: Combatives (+2), Roguish (+3), Sneaky (+1)
Bad At: Polite Society (-2), Being Legit (-2), Resisting A Sweet Deal (-2)
Stress [1][2][3]
Mild (2)
Moderate (4)
Do not treat as a mob.
Big shots and named men among the Sczarni, and far more dangerous than oily street punks. Professional criminals, muscle-for-hire, underbosses, racketeers...they run the gamut. These are the kind of men and women who make people fear the term Sczarni.
The Sczarni will put up a tough fight and will assist each other for mutual benefit,
but they're also willing to make a deal if the adventurers prefer to go that route.
If things go bad for them, they will try to beat a fighting retreat out of here.
They are not willing to die or get maimed for Natalya.
A2: Entry
No Floor, Spanned By A Plank Bridge, Partially Collapsed Roof, Incredibly Noxious Sewer Pipes Oozing Below
Good At: Being Difficult To Cross. Difficulty to get to the other side without falling into the sewer pit is Superb (+5).
Bad At: Hindering nimble and atheletic people; difficulty to cross while Roguish or Focused is only Fair (+2)
- Depending on how granular a GM wants to get, this room can present a single overcome
or full-blown challenge. Clever use of magic or gear can circumvent it altogether.
- The simplest way across is to use the plank bridge that stretchs from door to door
spanning the pit below. It will break if more than about 500 lbs is on it at once,
but otherwise it will hold. The challenge presented above represents this.
- There is a ladder attached to the wall near the door that goes up into the attic,
but it is trap. It will break if weight is put on it. It is visibly in poor shape,
requiring only an Average (+1) difficulty to notice (if you force a roll at all).
- However, an adventurer could get into the attic by climbing the walls, which is
a Good (+4) challenge for a Roguish or Focused character and a Fantastic (+6) difficulty
for anyone else.
- If someone falls into the pit below, use the pit write up provided.
Three Foot Deep Slurry Of Filth, Oozing Earthen Walls, The Smell!
Good At: Mishap and Infection (+3), Hard To Climb Out Of (+3)
When a character falls in, attack them using Mishap and Infection. If they take a mild consequence it is called Covered In Biowaste; if they take a moderate consequence it is called Infected With Filth Fever; if they take a severe consequence it is called Septic Shock.
Attic (technically A7 & A8)
The adventure keeps throwing out options for the adventurers to get up in the attic.
The attic is cramped, and in various places the rafters can collapse. However, it
can be a viable strategy to avoid the rooms with the missing floors below, and a
pack of adventurers creeping through a crawlspace hunting down a thief is certainly
cinematic.
The attic is not an option for characters that are larger than normal however.
Cramped, Low Head Clearance, It's A Long Way Down
Good At: Interfering With Movement And Range Of Motion (all physical actions normal sized characters take in this space suffer a -1 penalty)
Use this as a general write up for any attic related environmental shennanigans.
Not As Solid As It Looks, It's A Long Way Down
Good At: Breaking To Send Someone Plummeting (+6)
When appropriate to the plot, engage a character on one of the attic rafters in a contest to see if they fall or not. If the adventurer gets to three successes first they make it across before the rafter gives way, if the rafter gets to three first the rafter breaks too fast for the adventurer to make it across and they plummet. Quick, Careful, Roguish, and Focused are the most likely traits to prevail here, but magic, gear, and narrative all have an impact as well.
A3: Sewer Goblin Lair
Three sewer goblins are in this area and will throw poo at invaders, then viciously
attack!
Filth Covered Blighters, Vicious
Good At: Throwing Poo (+3), Functioning In Sewers (+1)
Bad At: Avoiding Being Smelled (-2), Bright Light! (-2)
Hits: [1][1] [1][1]
Treat them as a mob, with +2 to attack while there are 3 of them and +1 to attack while 2 remain.
A4: Fortified Position
Two more sewer goblins are in this area but have traded in their poo grenades for
Heavy Crossbows!!! Better yet, they are perched behind respectable cover in the
form of a crate barricade.
Filth Covered Blighters, Vicious
Good At: Heavy Crossbow (+3), Functioning In Sewers (+1)
Bad At: Avoiding Being Smelled (-2), Bright Light! (-2)
Hits: [1][1]
Treat these two as individuals. They will take full advantage of the cover they are hunkered behind.
Good At: Providing Defensive Cover, Obscuring What Is Behind It
Invocations: [1][1][1][1][1][1][1][1]
This is a situational Aspect that can be invoked by anyone hiding immediately on the other side of the cover to gain a bonus when defending or hiding. Once all the invocations are gone, the cover has been shot to hell or otherwise busted up. This Aspect can be overcome with good narrative justification, but it is pretty sturdy and the difficulty is Superb (+5)
A5: Dead End
Another floorless room over a sewer pit with a bogus ladder. Reuse the pit write
up given for the Entry if someone falls in.
A6: Escape Route
Cyvis the Goblin Snake lurks above this room.
Vicious But Lazy, Nauseating Breath
Good At: Slithering and Sneaking (+2), Biting (+2), Sickening Belch (+2)
Bad At: No Arms (-4)
Stress [1][2][3]
Mild (2)
A9: Rafter Guardians
The adventure calls for a couple of stirges in this area. However, due to a bad
experience way back in the day in the Temple of Elemental Evil, I don't do stirges.
Not ever. Besides, I'm not going to waste my players' time with glorified mosquitoes.
For any who are using this material and want stirges, I'll just leave that as an
exercise for the reader.
A10: Natalya's Lair
Natalya and the Shard of Pride are ensconed in this area. Additionally two more
sewer goblins stand guard and will fight to the death to protect Natalya.
Filth Covered Blighters, Vicious
Good At: Throwing Poo (+3), Functioning In Sewers (+1)
Bad At: Avoiding Being Smelled (-2), Bright Light! (-2)
Hits: [1][1] [1]
Treat them as a mob, with +1 to attack while 2 remain.