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 3: In The Crow's Nest
Once the adventurer's have encountered Natalya and acquired the Shard of Pride they
technically have begun part 3 of the adventure, but nothing of consequence happens
until they arrive at the Tower of the Crow, the outermost Irespan column. Though
it once supported the massive bridge, the section that covered this pylon is long
gone. It juts out of the water about half an hour of hard rowing away from the docks
of Magnimar.
Lady Sheila can provide a boat if necessary, but acquiring or renting a suitable
rowboat or equivalent in either Dockway or Beacon's Point should not be a problem
for a band of adventurers.
First Floor
B1: Boat Dock
One Is About 50 Feet Up The Other About 150, No Good Reason To Suspect Their Existence
Good At: Not Being Detected; noticing with a deliberate search requires mystical senses and the difficulty is Legendary (+8)
High up the outside wall of the Crow are a couple of windows hidden by an illusory wall spell that have managed to defy being discovered for about 10,000 years.
B5: Rostrum Hall
Lycanthropic Shapechanger, Rat Instincts
Good At: Sneaky (+3), Vicious (+3)
Bad At: Social Interaction (-3), Being Brave (-1)
Stress [1][2][3]
Mild (2)
Will try to flee and warn the other Tower Girls rather than fight, if she can.
Fourth Floor
B7: Upper Camp
A couple of out-of-favor Tower Girls dwell behind a secret door. If Sasha survived,
she might be here as well.
Easily Swinging, Unlatched
Good At: Not Being Detected; difficulty to notice with a deliberate search is Good (+4)
If the Tower Girls have not yet been alerted, the door is propped open and easily noticeable.
Has Lost Confidence In Ayala, Foul Mouthed
Good At: Forceful (+2), Sneaky (+1), Combatives (+2), Roguish (+1)
Bad At: Cooperating (-3), Social Niceties (-3)
Stress [1][2][3]
Mild (2)
Moderate (4)
Nayven is more of a thug than a thief and is an experienced in-fighter.
Tend to operate in packs of two (2), but they fight as individuals.
Note: this Tower Girl was toughened up a bit to offer a more interesting encounter.
Annoying Hygienic Habits, Petulant And Insecure
Good At: Acrobatics (+2), Roguish (+2)
Bad At: One On One (-3), Cooperating with Each Other (-1)
Stress [1][2][3]
Mild (2)
Embyr is not a fighter and will run away or give up if given the opportunity. She will beg and plead for her life if injured.
Tend to operate in packs of two (2), but they fight as individuals.
B8: Upper Entrance
A well picked over room.
Undiscovered for 10, 000 Years
Good At: Not Being Detected; difficulty to notice with a deliberate search is Legendary (+8)
Bad At: If someone notices the hooked pole on the platform down below (a Good (+3) difficulty), the difficulty drops to Great (+4) to spot the eyelet in the trapdoor and deduce its use.
If the adventurers get stuck on finding this door they wont get any further. If this happens, rather than bog the game down in an un-FAE like exercise in stymying the players, consider having one or two more Tower Girls exit from above on their way to the docks. If the Tower Girls have not yet been alerted to the adventurers' presence they can even get the jump on the hapless Tower Girls. Alternately you could offer 'succeed at a cost'.
B9: Shaft Apex
If, for some reason, one of the adventurers want's to take a swan dive off the tower
into the waters below, the difficulty is Fantastic (+6) for a character using Focused,
or Legendary (+8) for a character using Roguish or Combatives.
B11: Alarm
There is a simple trip wire based noise trap in this room.
Twine At Ankle Height, Alerts The Inhabitants Of The Next Room
Good At: Tripping Up The Unwary; difficulty to notice while Carefully Roguish is Average (+1), difficulty to notice while Quickly Focused is Fair (+2), otherwise the difficulty is Good (+3)
If the trip wire is seen, it is trivial to either step over the trip wire or disarm the trap by cutting the line.
B12: Guard Post
A couple more Tower Girls are camped out in this room. These two women actively
dislike one another and cooperate even less well than is the norm for this gang.
Hopes And Dreams, Means To An End
Good At: Burglary (+2), Charm (+2)
Bad At: Cooperating (-3), One On One (-1)
Stress [1][2][3]
Mild (2)
Yazlenda is not much of a fighter and will run if possible. Baring that she will surrender if she thinks she can charm her way out of danger.
Tend to operate in packs of two (2), but they fight as individuals.
Meanstreak, Looks Out For Number One
Good At: Being Meanspirited And Spiteful (+3), Robbery (+2), Running Away (+1)
Bad At: Cooperating (-3), Social Niceties (-3)
Stress [1][2][3]
Mild (2)
Tellavee has a toxic personality and a poor reputation even among other Sczarni lowlifes. She will betray her supposed comrades if it comes to it, but the adventurers should beware as her nature would drive her to try to betray them as well. The parable of the scorpion and the frog comes to mind.
Tend to operate in packs of two (2), but they fight as individuals.
Third Floor
B15: Marshaling Room
By default nothing happens in this room, but if the alarm has been raised and Tower
Girls have managed to flee before the adventurers, a big encounter with the surviving
Tower Girls from below and the Tower Girls living on this level occurs in this room.
B16: Common Hall
The three Tower Girls in this room are good friends and fight together, trying to
retreat further into the Crow.
The Crow Is Ours!, Recovering From Defeat By The Wringers
Good At: Sneaky (+1), Quick (+1), Roguish (+2)
Bad At: One On One (-3), Standing Their Ground (-1)
Stress [1][2][3]
Mild (2)
Their names are Lisimandy, Derru, and Cassa. Treat as three individual mooks, not as a mob.
Tend to operate in packs of two (2), but they fight as individuals.
B18: Food Stores
A couple of rats of a size that is unusual are rooting around in the food stores
in here.
Really Big Rat
Good At: Very Sharp Teeth (+2), Eating Just About Anything (+2)
Bad At: No Thumbs (-2)
Hits: [1][1] [1]
Treat as a mob. Gains +1 to attack while two remain.
B19: Alaznist's Victory
There's stuff to be noticed in this room; a breeze coming from nowhere, and an ancient
Thassilonian fresco of historical significance.
Cool And Refreshing And Entirely Out Of Place
Good At: Not Being Noticed; difficulty to notice is Average (+1) for a Primal character, Fair (+2) for a Focused character, and Good (+3) for everyone else.
The breeze is coming from a illusory wall concealed window. This information doesn't really benefit the adventurers, however.
Alaznist, Thybidos, Runelords of Wrath, Ancient Thassilon
Good At: Being Obscure; difficulty for a Clever character to recognize Alaznist is Superb (+5), but if an Epic (+7) result or better is acheived they also recognize Alaznist's predecessor, the very rarely depicted Thybidos
Alaznist, Thybidos, Runelords of Wrath, Ancient Thassilon
If an adventurer makes a faithful representation of the fresco, they can later sell it to historians or turn it over to the Pathfinder Society for a reward. The difficulty to document the find well enough while being Carefully Focused is Superb (+5).
B20: Dormitory
Three more Tower Girls and two more donkey rats reside in here. If undue noise is
made, Karisa and her pets (from the Pack Mistress's Room) will join the fight as
well.
The Crow Is Ours!, Recovering From Defeat By The Wringers
Good At: Flashy (+1), Roguish (+2), Being Pretty (+1)
Bad At: One On One (-3), Cooperating with Each Other (-1)
Stress [1][2][3]
Mild (2)
Their names are Ulandia, Lerrisien, and Sadja. Treat as three individual mooks, not as a mob.
Tend to operate in packs of two (2), but they fight as individuals.
Really Big Rat
Good At: Very Sharp Teeth (+2), Eating Just About Anything (+2)
Bad At: No Thumbs (-2)
Hits: [1][1] [1]
Treat as a mob. Gains +1 to attack while two remain.
B21: Pack Mistress's Room
Another wererat, and trainer of the donkey rats, lives in this room. There are also
two donkey rats. A little better trained than most, the rats attack as individuals
rather than as mooks.
Lycanthropic Shapechanger, Rat Instincts
Good At: Sneaky (+3), Vicious (+3)
Bad At: Giving A Rats Ass About Much Of Anything (-2), Acting Against My Own Best Interests (-2)
Stress [1][2][3]
Mild (2)
Really Big Rat
Good At: Very Sharp Teeth (+2),
Eating Just About Anything (+2)
Bad At: No Thumbs (-2)
Hits: [1][1]
Up to three (3) may form a mob. Add two (2) hit boxes per rat. +1 to attack and defend for each additional rat remaining.
Really Big Rat
Good At: Very Sharp Teeth (+2),
Eating Just About Anything (+2)
Bad At: No Thumbs (-2)
Hits: [1][1]
Up to three (3) may form a mob. Add two (2) hit boxes per rat. +1 to attack and defend for each additional rat remaining.
Second Floor
B23: Ayala's Quarters
The wererat leader of the Tower Girls makes this suite her home along with a couple
of donkey rat pets. There's another illusory walled window to detect in here, and
finally another secret door. The encounter in this room is basically a mini-boss
fight.
Really Big Rat
Good At: Very Sharp Teeth (+2), Eating Just About Anything (+2)
Bad At: No Thumbs (-2)
Hits: [1][1] [1]
Treat as a mob. Gains +1 to attack while two remain.
Cool And Refreshing And Entirely Out Of Place
Good At: Not Being Noticed; difficulty to notice is Average (+1) for a Primal character, Fair (+2) for a Focused character, and Good (+3) for everyone else.
The breeze is coming from a illusory wall concealed window. This information doesn't really benefit the adventurers, however.
Long Hidden
Good At: Not Being Detected; difficulty to notice with a deliberate search is Fantastic (+6)
B22: The Siccatite Doors
Beyond these puzzle locked exotic doors lays the real meat of the adventure.
Puzzle Lock, Ancient Thassilonian, Sky Metal
Good At: Burning Things That Touch Me (+4), Being A Conundrum; difficulty for a Cleverly Focused character to figure out the solution to the puzzle is Fantastic (+6).
Puzzle traps are the sort of things that can just grind a game session to a halt.
If none of the players can figure it out, the glorious adventure ceases to make
forward progress.
So, give the players a few minutes to figure it out for the cognitive satisfaction
if they can, but then transition to framing it in terms of what their characters
would know and how they would solve it. Any sort of knowledge of the Ancient Thassilonian
language or of the Thassilonian Empire would help here, as would any Aspect or ability
that specifically deals with puzzles or esoteric locks.
To simply try every combination is also an option, but the Siccatite burns those
touching the doors so the adventurer's might want to work with proxies like paper
first to make sure they minimize the impact of touching the doors.
Also, this is a good place to pull a cliffhanger ending if the timing is right.
While you could end the session on the puzzle and give the players until the next
session to figure it out, I would advise against it. A much more powerful and dramatic
cliffhanger is to let the adventurers get the doors open and then end the
session with the open doors enticing them to plunge deeper into the adventure's
depths, thus setting the hook deeper.
First Floor (Other Part)
B25: Ancient Bath
Oh look, a green scum covered pool. I bet there's some kind of ooze hiding in it...
A Shapeless Mass Of Living Liquid Protoplasm
Good At: Seeing Without Sight (+2), Enveloping Prey (+2), Resisting Physical Attacks (+2)
Bad At: Sentience (-4), Being Solid (-2)
Hits: [1][1][1]
B26: Cistern
Giant water spiders? When did that become a thing? There are two of them in this
area.
Sort Of Amphibious, Many-legged
Good At: Spinning Webs (+2), Poison Bite (+2), Swimming (+2)
Bad At: Sentience (-2), Resisting Blunt Force (-2)
Hits: [1][1][1][1][1][1]
B27: Dressing Room
And...now a bat swarm! Wouldn't the giant spiders eat the bats?
Carnivorous and Hungry, Bat Senses, Flying
Good At: Swarming (+4), Echolocation (+2)
Bad At: Sentience (-2), Resisting Area Of Effect Attacks (-4)
Hits: [1][1][1][1]
B28: Stairs and Secrets
Smurfs! No, wait, they're just mites. Three of them in fact.
Tiny Blue Fey, Vermin Empathy
Good At: Controlling Vermin (+3), Going Unnoticed (+2), Functioning Underground (+1)
Bad At: Physical Tasks (-3), Being Taken Seriously (-3)
Hits: [1] [1] [1]
Up to ten (10) mites will form a mob. Add one (1) hit box per mite. +1 while creating advantage and overcoming for every three (3) mites remaining.
Catacombs
B30: Ant Mounds
Five giant ants make their mounds in this area. They aren't very dangerous, but
they are tougher than they look. Should have brought a giant magnifying glass...
Strength Of An Ant!, Carapace
Good At: Ant Drudgery (+1), Bite (+1), Being Durable (+2)
Bad At: Sentience (-2), Resisting Blunt Force (-2)
Hits: [1]
Up to ten (10) ants will form a mob. Add one (1) hit box for each ant. +1 attack and defend for every three (3) ants remaining in the mob.
B31: Expansion Project
Two packs of three mites hang out here.
Tiny Blue Fey, Vermin Empathy
Good At: Controlling Vermin (+3), Going Unnoticed (+2), Functioning Underground (+1)
Bad At: Physical Tasks (-3), Being Taken Seriously (-3)
Hits: [1] [1] [1]
Up to ten (10) mites will form a mob. Add one (1) hit box per mite. +1 while creating advantage and overcoming for every three (3) mites remaining.
Tiny Blue Fey, Vermin Empathy
Good At: Controlling Vermin (+3), Going Unnoticed (+2), Functioning Underground (+1)
Bad At: Physical Tasks (-3), Being Taken Seriously (-3)
Hits: [1] [1] [1]
Up to ten (10) mites will form a mob. Add one (1) hit box per mite. +1 while creating advantage and overcoming for every three (3) mites remaining.
B32: Spider Ambush
A giant black widow spider dwells here.
Frightening Appearance, Many-legged
Good At: Spin A Web (+3), Poison Bite (+3)
Bad At: Sentience (-2), Resisting Blunt Force (-2)
Stress [1][2][3]
Mild (2)
Web: Because I can spin sticky entrapping webs, when I Spin A Web I am able to project a disgusting stream of sticky goo from my abdomen at targets within my zone or in an adjacent zone. To do this I create advantage vs a Mediocre (+0) difficulty; the target may defend. If successful I attach a Trapped In A Web effect to the target.
Disgusting Sticky Mess, High Tensile Strength
Good At: Holding Trapped Target Immobile (+4)
Hits: [1][1][1]
Totally Incompetent Attempt
Anyone can notice this door even on accident against a Fair (+2) difficulty
B33: Hall of King Zuuga
A giant black widow spider dwells here.
Zuuga's crown is actually half of a set of magical Bracers (the bracer detects of
moderate Abjuration); but it provides no benefit to him. The other bracer
to complete the set can be found later in the adventure.
Tiny Blue Fey, Vermin Empathy, Bat-shit Crazy
Good At: Controlling Vermin (+3), Going Unnoticed (+2), Functioning Underground (+1)
Bad At: Physical Tasks (-3), Being Taken Seriously (-3)
Hits: [1] [1] [1]
Up to ten (10) mites will form a mob. Add one (1) hit box per mite. +1 while creating advantage and overcoming for every three (3) mites remaining.
B34: Secret Door
Totally Incompetent Attempt
Anyone can notice this door even on accident against a Fair (+2) difficulty
B35: Mite Den
A bunch of Mites and a couple of spiders down here. The Mites attack in a single
swarm to protect their home, but the spiders attack in an uncoordinated way.
Tiny Blue Fey, Vermin Empathy
Good At: Controlling Vermin (+3), Going Unnoticed (+2), Functioning Underground (+1)
Bad At: Physical Tasks (-3), Being Taken Seriously (-3)
Hits: [1] [1] [1] [1] [1] [1] [1] [1] [1]
Up to ten (10) mites will form a mob. Add one (1) hit box per mite. +1 while creating advantage and overcoming for every three (3) mites remaining.
Many-legged
Good At: Poison Bite (+4)
Bad At: Sentience (-2), Resisting Blunt Force (-2)
Hits: [1][1]
Up to five (5) spiders will form a mob. Add one (1) hit box for each spider. +1 attack and defend for every three (3) spiders remaining in the mob.
Many-legged
Good At: Poison Bite (+4)
Bad At: Sentience (-2), Resisting Blunt Force (-2)
Hits: [1][1]
Up to five (5) spiders will form a mob. Add one (1) hit box for each spider. +1 attack and defend for every three (3) spiders remaining in the mob.
B37: Submerged Entrance
Three more giant water spiders are in this area. They fight as a mob.
Sort Of Amphibious, Many-legged
Good At: Spinning Webs (+2), Poison Bite (+2), Swimming (+2)
Bad At: Sentience (-2), Resisting Blunt Force (-2)
Hits: [1][1][1][1][1][1]
Dungeon
B39: Cell Blocks
Four giant crab spiders linger here. They fight as a mob.
Many-legged
Good At: Poison Bite (+3)
Bad At: Sentience (-2), Resisting Blunt Force (-2)
Hits: [1][1][1][1]
Treated as a mob, with every one stress representing one spider. +2 to attack while there are four spiders, +1 to attack while there are at least two spiders.
B40: Torture Chamber
An ancient sinspawn of wrath has been trapped in this room for millenia. It does
not hesitate to attack.
B41: Assembly Hall
Yet more giant spiders await in this room.
Many-legged
Good At: Spin A Web (+2), Poison Bite (+2)
Bad At: Sentience (-2), Resisting Blunt Force (-2)
Hits: [1][1][1][1][1][1]
Web: Because I can spin sticky entrapping webs, when I Spin A Web I am able to project a disgusting stream of sticky goo from my abdomen at targets within my zone or in an adjacent zone. To do this I create advantage vs a Mediocre (+0) difficulty; the target may defend. If successful I attach a Trapped In A Web effect to the target.
Disgusting Sticky Mess, High Tensile Strength
Good At: Holding Trapped Target Immobile (+4)
Hits: [1][1][1]
B42: Perpetual Pool
A magic healing pool. Must be what all the spiders came here to see. Treat as a
Potion of Cure Moderate Wounds and a Potion of Lesser Restoration that each character
can benefit from once per day.
Potion In A Flask, Faintly Magical (Healing)
Benefit: A character may drink the potion as an action to 'cast' the spell Heal on themselves. Treat this as if the overcome attempt succeeded with four (4) shifts of effect.
Uses: [1]
Each usage box indicates a seperate use or application and each use expends a
usage box; when there are none left the item is expended.
Divine Spell (Healing)
While Carefully Divine I may attempt to clear a specific stress box or consequence by overcoming a difficulty equal to the numerical value of the stress box or Consequence.
Potion In A Flask, Faintly Magical (Healing)
Benefit: A character may drink the potion as an action to 'cast' the spell Lesser Restoration on themselves. Treat this as if the overcome attempt succeeded.
Uses: [1]
Each usage box indicates a seperate use or application and each use expends a
usage box; when there are none left the item is expended.
Divine Spell (Healing)
Overcome while Carefully Divine vs a Great (+4) difficulty to remove all debilitating situational Aspects currently affecting the target's health or normal functioning that have a difficulty to remove of Good (+3) or less. This does not work on environmental Aspects, scene Aspects, or other situational Aspects that affect the target externally, it only works against situational Aspects that affect them directly and personally such as poison, fatigue, curses, and so forth.
B43: Kitchen
Centipede Swarm!
Carnivorous and Hungry, Get Into Everything
Good At: Swarming (+4), Resisting Physical Damage (+2)
Bad At: Sentience (-2), Resisting Area Of Effect Attacks (-4)
Hits: [1][1][1][1][1]
B44: Main Storeroom
Six animated undead Skeletons.
Leg Bone Connected To The..., Corporeal Undead, Undead Animated Bonepile
Good At: Being Scary And Gross (+1), Attacking (+2), Resisting Damage (+4)
Bad At: Resisting Smashing Damage (-2)
Hits: [1] [1] [1] [1] [1] [1]
Treated as a mob, with every one stress representing one skeleton. +3 to attack while there are six skeletons, +2 to attack while there are at least four skeletons, and +1 to attack while there are at least two skeletons.
+1 attack for every three (3) skeletons remaining in the mob.
B45: Meeting Hall
Clickylegs, King Zuuga's missing pet, is in here. So is the other half of the Bracers
set.
If one of the adventurers has a Stunt slot free and wants to acquire a magic item
Stunt, the Bracers provide the following benefit.
Bracers of Defense: Because I wear magical bracers that protect me from damage, I may add +1 when I defend against abilities that directly harm me.
Frightening Appearance, Very Large, Many-legged
Good At: Adhesive Tongue (+4), Mauling (+2)
Bad At: Sentience (-2), Resisting Blunt Force (-2)
Stress [1][2][3]
Mild (2)
Cave Fishing: Because I can shoot a very sticky adhesive line and reel it in, when I use Adhesive Tongue I am able to project a long stream of sticky goo from my mouth at a single target within my zone or in an adjacent zone. To do this I create advantage vs a Mediocre (+0) difficulty; the target may defend. If successful I attach a On The Hook effect to the target. I can only have one of these effects active at the same time.
Very Strong And Sticky Thread, Reel Em In
Good At: Dragging Captured Target Back To Cave Fisher (+4)
Hits: [1][1][1]