Last One Out, Get The Light - Abomination Vaults

About the adventure

A day's ride from the clamor of the big city, the modest and hardworking folk of Otari carry on with their livelihoods. Lumberjacks fell trees in the hinterlands, fisherfolk haul in the day's catch, and scholars tend to the collected books of the Dawnflower Library. At day's end, all gather in the town's taverns and pubs to swap stories and enjoy a moment of respite after a hard day's work. Few bother to ponder on the abandoned lighthouse which stands too far inland to be useful for sailors, and fewer still have the inclination to go trudging through its moldering ruins. That is, until the Gauntlight starts to glow... Brave adventurers are needed to trek their way through the swamps around the light and see who's taken up residence inside. They'll have to rely on all of each other's strength, skill, and magical might if they hope to discover just how deep the mystery goes. But will these heroes succeed in illuminating the truth behind the lighthouse, or will they be swept away in the Gauntlight's terrible shine? This modified version of the Abomination Vaults takes adventurers from level 4-11, giving players the chance to kick off the action with an more advanced character. While the main quest centers around the massive Gauntlight mega-dungeon, the adventure leaves plenty of room for roleplay and a character-driven exploration of the friends and foes you'll meet along the way. With fully mapped dungeons and encounters, multitudinous mysteries, perplexing puzzles, and a host of colorful characters; Abomination Vaults showcases all the classic elements of a Paizo Inc. adventure. Pathfinder 2e is a system rich in combat and exploration mechanics. This game will feature a significant amount of tactical play. At the same time, I encourage roleplay both in and out of combat and encourage players to visualize and describe encounters cinematically. As always, I welcome players of any gender-identity, race, age, and experience level to the table. My only requirement is that you respect your fellow players and the rules of the table. To encourage this I implement certain safety tools in all of my games to ensure the comfort of all participants.

Additional Details

How to prepare

Game audio is conducted through my Discord channel. You will be invited once we have completed our pre-game meeting. Please ensure your settings are correct and your audio quality is sufficient to easily talk to and hear others. Webcams are optional, not required. You will also need an account with Foundry Virtual Tabletop to access the game. https://discord.com/ https://foundryvtt.com/ Gameplay experience is not required, but this adventure does throw you into the action. If you are new to Pathfinder 2e please take time to familiarize yourself with the basics. The core rulebook can be dense and a little intimidating. Don't worry. We can walk through the basics during our pre-game meeting to help get a handle on the main concepts. Below you will find the Archives of Nethys, which includes the full rules of 2e. I've linked the introduction chapter. I've also linked a video which can help you get started. https://2e.aonprd.com/Rules.aspx?ID=1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sP1HIWyv8DI Once your character is hashed out, please bring a portrait to represent your character in game. You can make a token from the portrait to act as your pawn, or I can make one for you. https://rolladvantage.com/tokenstamp/ If you are having trouble with any of the above, we can resolve technical issues during the pre-game meeting.

What I provide

By joining the game through Foundry and Demiplane, you will have access to all materials I have purchased.

Gameplay details

Session 0 I always meet with new players one-on-one via Discord before their first game session. This meeting is an opportunity for us to get to know each other, discuss your character and sheet, ask and answer questions about your expectations, review any rules or technical questions, and to discuss any concerns about content or triggers. Typically these meetings last 45-90 minutes, depending on the depth of discussion. During the game’s first session, time is set aside for players to introduce themselves, resolve any lingering issues with their character sheets, review safety tools, and discuss content warnings and triggers. Typically this takes about an hour, after which we begin the gameplay proper. Session Length Sessions are 3 hours, with a 5 minute break at the end of the 2nd hour. I prefer to be punctual on both start and end times, though it sometimes takes a few minutes longer to bring the game to a natural stopping point. Ideally we are in-character and playing within 5 minutes of the start time. Therefore I encourage anyone who wants to socialize to sign on to the discord channel a few minutes early. Pace In general, I strive for an equal balance between combat and roleplay. I like to keep the pace of combat lively. Therefore I ask that players have their actions reasonably planned out by the time it’s their turn. I also enjoy when players sprinkle in the occasional brief but evocative description to spice up their actions, and I do the same with enemies. I am willing to take a brief pause to review rules when necessary, especially when the error is my own, but if an answer isn’t readily available I will make a ruling on the spot (with more in-depth review to follow after the game). At the same time, I like to give breathing room for players to roleplay between encounters. Roleplay that develops a character or encourages multiple players to participate is particularly ideal. If player engages in roleplay that does not include others or progress the game in some way, I typically try to resolve the roleplay quickly so that we can move on to a scene that involves the group. The upshot of this is that I strive for an equal balance between combat and roleplay In Character vs. Out of Character As much as possible, I encourage players to speak and act from the viewpoint of their character. In combat, I believe it is preferable to act on a PCs personality and imperfect knowledge of the world, rather than metagaming. That said, I also recognize the need for strategizing and more optimized gameplay when circumstances are dire; especially when a PC’s life is on the line. Telling another player how to play their character is out of line, unless the player is specifically seeking advice. Within reason, out of character jokes and observations are fair game. We’re here to have fun, after all. I do ask that players consider whether their words will disrupt the gameplay or “ruin the moment” before speaking. More extensive out-of-character conversation is welcomed in the Discord chat I run parallel to the game session. Lines & Veils There is certain content I handle sensitively, as a matter of personal preference. I draw a veil over sexually explicit scenes, torture, and self harm. Typically I draw a line at child harm and sexual violence, but since these themes sometimes come up as a part of published adventures they are occasionally included but veiled (with content warnings). Other lines and veils can be included based on player needs and preferences. Expletives I curse. You curse. It happens. Please use your judgment and keep it reasonable. Player Conflict Roleplay between players may sometimes include conflicts between their characters. This is fine, and can lead to memorable story moments that deepen the relationship between PCs. The key to inter-party conflict is to remember that while the PCs are at odds, the players should still be working together towards a good game environment. I do not, however, allow PvP with the intent to harm other PCs. Usually by the time PCs are swinging swords at each other, there has been some serious breakdown of communication among the players. These situations are resolved far better by holding an out of character discussion to work out differences. Safety Tools In addition to the lines and veils mentioned above, I employ several safety tools at my table. This begins with an understanding of your needs regarding content and triggers before your first session, and a discussion of the group’s collective concerns during Session 0. During sessions, I use X, N, and O cards—which can be typed into the Discord chat or direct messaged to me—to ensure players have agency to control the pace of the game, signal discomfort, or skip content entirely when necessary. The door is always open to step away from the table for whatever reason, without judgment or consequence. I also frequently hold brief post-session discussions so that players can say what they liked and disliked, and to voice suggestions for things they would like to see more of.

Content warnings

(none)

Safety tools used

Breaks
Debriefing
Lines and Veils
Open Door
Session 0
X, N, and O Cards

How will character creation work

Please include 2-3 character concepts with your submission to join the game. We will discuss your character during the pre-game one-on-one to make sure it will fit well into the campaign and the party. Once you have been given access to the game you can fill in your character sheet at your leisure. Please have it as completed as possible for the first session. You will also receive access to my Demiplane account and all of the content I have purchased there, which includes rulebooks and player options. PCs start at level 4. Standard ability boosts and starting wealth (140 GP lump sum; or 30 GP plus a level 3 permanent item, a level 2 permanent item, and a level 1 permanent item.). Free character creation rules (and everything else): https://2e.aonprd.com/Rules.aspx?ID=66 Demiplane sneak-peek: https://app.demiplane.com/nexus/pathfinder2e/classes Free character builder: https://pathbuilder2e.com/

Players can expect

• Find a game to join solo or search for a professional game master for you and your friends/coworkers/family.
• Book your session and wait for the Game Master to approve you.
• If you don't have a blast with your first game, your next game is on us.