Malevolence: Locked in Nightmares from Beyond the Veil
Pathfinder 2e | Campaign
About the adventure
You saw it in your dreams, night after night. A lonely manor, shrouded in flame and cradled in a grove that opens up like a maw. Calling you home, away from the tragedies of your life to a hall of secrets that holds answers to your most burning questions. So you chased after every rumor, scoured every dusty tome, to find it. And now, standing at the gates, you need only cross the threshold to be welcomed home. Each day, you dig deeper into the manor's secrets, as the clock ticks and restless spirits moan. And each night, you wander the far shores of your dreams, leaving behind a precious memory when you wake. What strange dreamscapes have you wandered unaware? What takes your memories and replaces them with malevolent whispers? And will you ever be able to leave with your mind intact? Alone... locked in... You hear our hiss... O, What sweet fear... Leads you to bliss! 🔑 Explore a recursively unlocking manor 📒 Research the manor's sordid history 👽 Bargain with extraplanar and alien powers 🧠 Stake your memories on psychic duels 👻 Exorcise the ghosts of the past 🌗 Wrest back control of your dreams Expanded beyond the published material with: 🏞️ Dreams: In fitful sleep, echoes of the manor's horrors mingle with your personal demons, bursting forth to the surface in nightmare sequences tailored to your characters. Yet, revelations await those who survive their astral demons... 🌌 Cosmic Horrors: Venture behind the curtain of the universe and peer into realms beyond the veil of the known universe, where strange minds exert their grip of visitors. Fight their incursions, or seek power at a terrible price... 🌟 Immersion: Enjoy a premium VTT experience with sophisticated automation, varied soundtracks, and an extensive library of maps for original dreamscapes.
Game style
Rules as Written (RaW)
Games that are ran “Rules as Written” emphasize realism and stick to the letter of the rules, allowing players to explore creative solutions while still operating under a consistent rule set. Players have the ability to utilize the rules in creative ways to create awesome characters and moments in the game.
Dungeon Crawl
A “Dungeon Crawl” is a scenario where players navigate a dungeon or labyrinth-like environment for the entirety of the adventure. It emphasizes battling monsters, collecting loot, and avoiding traps to survive to the end!
◆ Progress: New table. Expected session count is ~14-20. ◆ Sessions run as long as 3 or more players can attend, unless the group arranges otherwise. ◆ New characters are 3rd and have: ⋄⋄ One 3rd-level relic ⋄⋄ Two ≤1st-level permanent items ⋄⋄ 25 gp currency ◆ Party Composition: ⋄⋄ Tootsie Starr: poppet gunslinger ◆ Additional character options in use: ⋄⋄ None chosen
1 year on StartPlaying
205 games hosted
Highly rated for: Inclusive, Creativity, Knows the Rules
Additional details
How to prepare
For the best experience at my table, you'll need: ◆ A desktop or laptop computer ◆ A Discord account ◆ A microphone I also recommend: ◆ A mouse and discrete graphics card ◆ Headphones or earbuds ◆ A video camera If you need any special accommodations for inclusion at my table, please reach out to me and I'll do my best to provide them.
What I provide
I run games on a richly customized Foundry server, complete with high automation, soundscapes, animations, and additional maps for minor scenes and improvisation. I'm also willing to tailor the adventure's scares and expand its surreal dreamscapes to better integrate the player characters into ongoing events.
Gameplay details
Besides typical Pathfinder action and adventure, Malevolence presents a fully detailed haunted house in the tradition of gothic horror—a place filled with tragedy and possessed of a sordid past, buried within. Players encounter the still-fresh scars of the dark deeds left to fester within, including body horror, filicide, domestic violence against adults and children, gore and mutilation, memory alteration, mental illness and trauma, and suicide. As a result, the table is for mature audiences only. New players should fill out the consent safety checklist, accessible through preparation materials.
Content warnings
Safety tools used
• Breaks
• Lines and Veils
• Monte Cook RPG Consent Checklist
• Open Door
• Session 0
• Stars and Wishes
• X, N, and O Cards
How will character creation work
Create a character of level matching the party and level-appropriate starting wealth: ◆ Chapter 1: Level 3, 25 gp currency, and three permanent items (2 1st-level and 1 3rd-level relic) ◆ Chapter 2: Level 4, 30 gp currency, and four permanent items (1 1st-level, 2 2nd-level, and 1 4th-level relic) ◆ Chapter 3: Level 5, 50 gp currency, and six permanent items (2 1st-level, 1 2nd-level, 2 3rd-level, and 1 5th-level relic) Variant Rules: ◆ Automatic Bonus Progression (https://2e.aonprd.com/Rules.aspx?ID=2741). Includes automatic bonuses for shields equivalent to reinforcing runes. ◆ Deep Backgrounds, optional (https://2e.aonprd.com/Rules.aspx?ID=1318). Players who elect to build a deep background may choose freely from the listed options or roll random results on the given tables, as they prefer. Subsystems: ◆ Relics (https://2e.aonprd.com/Rules.aspx?ID=3248 and https://2e.aonprd.com/Relics.aspx). Each player designs a relic for their character in collaboration with the GM, connected to their background and evolved by exploring the depths of the manor, taking control of their personal dreamscape, and reclaiming their memories of a forgotten past. Uncommon/Rare Option Access: ◆ All uncommon classes and their multiclass archetypes ◆ Uncommon character options from the Dark Archive source book ◆ All uncommon options from the Old Cheliax region ◆ Your choice of: ⋄⋄ One uncommon ancestry or versatile heritage ⋄⋄ One uncommon archetype ⋄⋄ One rare character option from the Dark Archive source book ⋄⋄ All uncommon options from one chosen organization or home region ◆ Others with GM approval Prohibited Character Options: ◆ Spoiler-marked options from "Malevolence" ◆ Options prohibited on a case-by-case basis for breaking genre or causing problematic play patterns. In some cases, the GM can provide a more suitable replacement upon request. Special Notes: A supernatural force prevents the party from leaving the adventure's manor setting. Player characters have limited options for selling treasures and buying equipment. Careful inventory selection, and possibly renewable ways to craft necessary items such as ammunition, is critical to the party's survival. Third-Party Character Options: In addition to Paizo-published character options, the GM has access to a selection of third-party character options: ◆ Paizo playtest materials for upcoming source books ◆ Ancestries from Roll for Combat's Battlezoo line of third-party sourcebooks So long as there is unanimous agreement from all players to introduce this material, the GM will make it available upon request. Check the adventure's recruiting notes for information on which third-party materials, if any, the table is using.
Players can expect
Combat / Tactics
Medium
Roleplay
Medium
Puzzles
High
Experience level
Beginner
Platforms used
• Discord
• Foundry VTT
$25.00
/ Session
Each player will be charged when a session starts.
Details
Weekly / Friday - 6:00 PM UTC
3-3.5 Hour duration
1 / 6 Seats filled
Requirements
Experience required: Beginner
Age: 18+