1 - Kindled Magic (GM Reference)

This is a spoiler-filled resource thread for the first volume of the Strength of Thousands AP, Kindled Magic by Alexandria Bustion and Eleanor Ferron.

The GM Reference thread for the other volumes are as follows:

Spoken on the Song Wind
Hurricane's Howl
Secrets of the Temple-City
Doorway to the Red Star
Shadows of the Ancients

Someone wasn't paying attention in orientation! The top of page 52 says the other group was exploring Warden House, next to Archhorn Library. But Warden House isn't next to Archhorn Library! Instead, they must have been exploring Verdant House. If only they had a campus map on them!

Dear Paizo,

Please stop making such awesome adventure paths. It is making it really hard to justify making my next campaign a homebrew adventure.

Kindled Magic looks crazy fun and I love the idea of classwork as a downtime activity.

Also, the maps in this volume are GORGEOUS!

What are people's ideas for the stat blocks of fellow students, should they be needed? I would have them be the same level as the PCs, and I guess just grab an appropriately scaled NPC?

I've been doing solo play to get the idea of the adventure and it is a LOT of fun. The non combat rewards and the RP ideas can keep some groups occupied for a long time!

The maps in the AP are beautiful! I love how colorful they are!

I have some thoughts/questions...

1. Where does Takalu Ot hold the group interview?

2. What do people think about giving all of the Service Projects upfront and letting the party decide how and when to do them over the 5 day period? I figure as-is it feels extremely railroady and fetch-quest-y. If they can plan out how to tackle them, they can potentially kill two-birds with one stone when out and about and not feel resentment for being sent to and fro without serious thought.

2.a. I'm also thinking of having the other students be less "quest givers" for the Service Projects and more "if you need some advice, come to us". As-is they come across less as fellow students and more as judgy order-givers.

3. How long have the other students at the Spire Dorm been initiates? It makes it seem like they've been there for years or months, but the Perquisite is supposed to be a year long, and they get their masks at the same time as the party.

4. I'm planning on letting the party take any free archetype as long as they have some access to Prepared Arcane or Primal casting. Does anyone see a good reason not to do that?

5. If everyone in the party is starting with some form of magic, would it hurt to skip the temporary bonus cantrips from the Magic Symbols step? It seems like a bit of unnecessary tracking without much use if everyone is already a bit magical.

6. The campaign is supposed to start in Arodus 4721, but when do the different Mwangi seasons fall on the Golarion calendar?

7. Is the gold cost of the Ojofiri Chicken chick correct? 4 gold per chick seems outrageous.

8. When should Umbo attack in the likely event that the party Mage Hands down the scarlet cap mushrooms?

9. How often do new initiates arrive? Do they come at a certain time of the year close to when the party does?

What are people's ideas for the stat blocks of fellow students, should they be needed? I would have them be the same level as the PCs, and I guess just grab an appropriately scaled NPC?

I've been doing solo play to get the idea of the adventure and it is a LOT of fun. The non combat rewards and the RP ideas can keep some groups occupied for a long time!

I'm planning on statting up fellow students only if the players decide to get very close, like, potentially bringing them on adventures and stuff.

Otherwise a standard NPC statblock should be more than enough for most things.

A: this looks amazing, i can't wait to run it even though we are only just finishing off book 3/6 for extinction curse.

B: Does anyone else's PDF have an issue where it only includes bookmarks for Frontmatter and the Adventure?

A: this looks amazing, i can't wait to run it even though we are only just finishing off book 3/6 for extinction curse.

B: Does anyone else's PDF have an issue where it only includes bookmarks for Frontmatter and the Adventure?

My bookmarks end at the Group Interview

Thrawn82 wrote:

A: this looks amazing, i can't wait to run it even though we are only just finishing off book 3/6 for extinction curse.

B: Does anyone else's PDF have an issue where it only includes bookmarks for Frontmatter and the Adventure?

My bookmarks end at the Group Interview

Yea thats where mine end also, so it's not just an issue w my copy.

Also I don't have answers to your list of questions, still reading through the book, but I'm eager to hear other peoples' answers.

a question mostly for Ron the next time he drops back in here:

Are there any school faculty members that play a particularly prominent roll in the adventure path as a whole? I'm thinking a hero forge model might be a cool way to put a spotlight on some important NPCs

There appear to be some higher level faculty members that we do not meet until a few volumes later, when the PCs have advanced enough to become their peers.

Good god, who's idea was it to put giant silverfish and swarms in this????? Vile!

Good god, who's idea was it to put giant silverfish and swarms in this????? Vile!

I have Reasons to believe nasty insects are the primary threat in this AP.

KarmaKollapse wrote:

Good god, who's idea was it to put giant silverfish and swarms in this????? Vile!

I have Reasons to believe nasty insects are the primary threat in this AP.

They are the only monster type called out by a Lore in the AP PG, which has traditionally been an indicator of frequent or prominent enemies in other APs.

keftiu wrote:

KarmaKollapse wrote:

Good god, who's idea was it to put giant silverfish and swarms in this????? Vile!

I have Reasons to believe nasty insects are the primary threat in this AP.

They are the only monster type called out by a Lore in the AP PG, which has traditionally been an indicator of frequent or prominent enemies in other APs.

I'm super interested in that background to0. I hope one of my players takes it, it just screams "SUSPICIOUS!"

I also have a player who wants to play an Anadi so i expect that will be lots of sneaky fun too

Shisumo wrote:

keftiu wrote:

KarmaKollapse wrote:

Good god, who's idea was it to put giant silverfish and swarms in this????? Vile!

I have Reasons to believe nasty insects are the primary threat in this AP.

They are the only monster type called out by a Lore in the AP PG, which has traditionally been an indicator of frequent or prominent enemies in other APs.

I'm super interested in that background to0. I hope one of my players takes it, it just screams "SUSPICIOUS!"

I also have a player who wants to play an Anadi so i expect that will be lots of sneaky fun too

That Background is about

Thrawn82 wrote:

Shisumo wrote:

keftiu wrote:

KarmaKollapse wrote:

Good god, who's idea was it to put giant silverfish and swarms in this????? Vile!

I have Reasons to believe nasty insects are the primary threat in this AP.

They are the only monster type called out by a Lore in the AP PG, which has traditionally been an indicator of frequent or prominent enemies in other APs.

I'm super interested in that background to0. I hope one of my players takes it, it just screams "SUSPICIOUS!"

I also have a player who wants to play an Anadi so i expect that will be lots of sneaky fun too

That Background is about ** spoiler omitted **

Oooo I thought it was

What Jatembe was doing between –3502 to 4455?

What Jatembe was doing between –3502 to 4455?

Getting those damn kids off his damn lawn!

Thrawn82 wrote:

A: this looks amazing, i can't wait to run it even though we are only just finishing off book 3/6 for extinction curse.

B: Does anyone else's PDF have an issue where it only includes bookmarks for Frontmatter and the Adventure?

My bookmarks end at the Group Interview

Same, it's a bit of a mess. Is there anyway to change/edit/add bookmarks? Or is that locked in these?

WatersLethe wrote:

Thrawn82 wrote:

A: this looks amazing, i can't wait to run it even though we are only just finishing off book 3/6 for extinction curse.

B: Does anyone else's PDF have an issue where it only includes bookmarks for Frontmatter and the Adventure?

My bookmarks end at the Group Interview

Same, it's a bit of a mess. Is there anyway to change/edit/add bookmarks? Or is that locked in these?

Theres a hard lock with a randomized password on all paizo PDFs. No adding or removing bookmarks, no hiding layers, no pulling out images of individuals or creatures to use for herolab or VTT. You get to read the book as is and like it.

Hopefully Ron who is good at popping into these threads sees this. It's kind of hard to use an adventure pdf with no meaningful bookmarks.

Yea I expect it will get fixed pretty quickly. It's certainly not their intended design, their bookmarking is usually really excellent.

In the Branches subsystem described in the Life in the Academy chapter, the 3rd level benefit Dedicated Attendant states that "you gain the Magaambyan
Attendant Dedication feat (Pathfinder
Lost Omens Character Guide 101) as
a bonus feat (even if you haven’t taken
enough feats with a previous archetype to take another dedication feat)."

But that Dedication feat, as all others, has that Special part :" Special You cannot select another dedication feat other than Halcyon Speaker Dedication until you have gained two other feats from the Magaambyan Attendant or halcyon speaker archetype."

This will prevent PCs from getting other dedications, which I think was not intended.

I believe this is an oversight and was not intended to bar PCs from taking other dedications, just like the free archetype.

It would be nice to know what was intended here : does the Special part of the Dedication feat applies or not?

EDIT : Ron answered that in another thread. I repost it here.

The Raven Black wrote:

thejeff wrote:

Boardgamer88 wrote:

** spoiler omitted **

So by default players do end up quite skilled.

** spoiler omitted **

Indeed, ** spoiler omitted **

I think this is an oversight and was not intended to bar PCs from taking other dedications, just like the free archetype.

This is not meant to bar anyone from taking a dedication feat in the usual way. It's like a free archetype in that regard.

a question mostly for Ron the next time he drops back in here:

Are there any school faculty members that play a particularly prominent roll in the adventure path as a whole? I'm thinking a hero forge model might be a cool way to put a spotlight on some important NPCs

Oh, goodness yes!

Koride Ulawa, most of all. But every faculty member mentioned in the Campaign Overview has some interaction with the heroes at some point.

If you were only going to do one model, though, Koride Ulawa would be my suggestion. She has a particularly big role to play in the sixth book.

Hopefully Ron who is good at popping into these threads sees this. It's kind of hard to use an adventure pdf with no meaningful bookmarks.

Let me check on that bookmarking issue.

I have some thoughts/questions...

1. Where does Takalu Ot hold the group interview?

2. What do people think about giving all of the Service Projects upfront and letting the party decide how and when to do them over the 5 day period? I figure as-is it feels extremely railroady and fetch-quest-y. If they can plan out how to tackle them, they can potentially kill two-birds with one stone when out and about and not feel resentment for being sent to and fro without serious thought.

2.a. I'm also thinking of having the other students be less "quest givers" for the Service Projects and more "if you need some advice, come to us". As-is they come across less as fellow students and more as judgy order-givers.

3. How long have the other students at the Spire Dorm been initiates? It makes it seem like they've been there for years or months, but the Perquisite is supposed to be a year long, and they get their masks at the same time as the party.

4. I'm planning on letting the party take any free archetype as long as they have some access to Prepared Arcane or Primal casting. Does anyone see a good reason not to do that?

5. If everyone in the party is starting with some form of magic, would it hurt to skip the temporary bonus cantrips from the Magic Symbols step? It seems like a bit of unnecessary tracking without much use if everyone is already a bit magical.

6. The campaign is supposed to start in Arodus 4721, but when do the different Mwangi seasons fall on the Golarion calendar?

7. Is the gold cost of the Ojofiri Chicken chick correct? 4 gold per chick seems outrageous.

8. When should Umbo attack in the likely event that the party Mage Hands down the scarlet cap mushrooms?

9. How often do new initiates arrive? Do they come at a certain time of the year close to when the party does?

Lots of these aren't answered in the adventure, so you can make it up! But here's what I think:

1. Someplace nice, and out of the rain.
2. Sure, that works. The key piece is that the heroes learn first-hand about all the branches and meet their peers.
3. Months, maybe years (like for Chizire, the slacker)
4. I've talked elsewhere that this might end up limiting you down the road: later encounters assume everyone has Arcana or Nature, and there are some capstone feats for people with those two multiclass options only in the last adventure.
5. Wouldn't hurt. We just wanted to make sure that even the dwarfiest fighter felt magical from the beginning.
6. The seasons fly so fast with the academia subsystem that this will change a lot from table to table. It's rainy to start. In other adventures, it's assumed to be hot and sunny. So it varies.
7. Yes, they're really rare.
8. As soon as they pluck one, I think. Umbo wouldn't want them to get away!
9. Throughout the year; there's not a single "new freshmen orientation" time of year at the Magaambya.
I hope this all helps!

Very helpful indeed! Thanks!

That's helpful to know about the capstone feats for those multiclass options. That might change how I think about and present the free archetype option.

That's helpful to know about the capstone feats for those multiclass options. That might change how I think about and present the free archetype option.

Yeah, I'm definitely going to let the players know there are likely a few goodies much later on that they might miss out on if they want to go elsewhere.

It does help that having Arcana or Nature is relatively easy to ensure.

anyone any idea what the stories at the start of the chapters are for? tell the players them? are they general fables? foreshadowing? spoilers?

Is it just me or is the Map inconsistent?

In the blog posts and the Nantambu section of the expanse guide, Magaambya should be all stone and slate and silk in its construction.

However, the map in the front of the book (and used as the main map in the Roll20 version) is very... Thatch?

It's a little annoying because I'll be showing that map a lot, and the aesthetic feels off

Is it just me or is the Map inconsistent?

In the blog posts and the Nantambu section of the expanse guide, Magaambya should be all stone and slate and silk in its construction.

However, the map in the front of the book (and used as the main map in the Roll20 version) is very... Thatch?

It's a little annoying because I'll be showing that map a lot, and the aesthetic feels off

I think it depends on how you look at it. the colors of the roofs, especially the green one, seem more like old style ceramic tile than thatch to me.

I know we're not supposed to talk about the exploding nose incident, but I kinda want to talk about the exploding nose incident.

I know we're not supposed to talk about the exploding nose incident, but I kinda want to talk about the exploding nose incident.

Ah yes, the Great Bantrid Massacre. Such a sad day.

More seriously, I do have a question about the academia system. What happens the second time a PC reaches level 3 in their branch (presumably their secondary one)? I can't imagine they get the feat a second time. Is it as simple as them adding the second branch to their feat for prereqs and such, or do they get a bonus feat, the way the other "if you already have this feat" features work?

More seriously, I do have a question about the academia system. What happens the second time a PC reaches level 3 in their branch (presumably their secondary one)? I can't imagine they get the feat a second time. Is it as simple as them adding the second branch to their feat for prereqs and such, or do they get a bonus feat, the way the other "if you already have this feat" features work?

But this one says that you get the Magaambya Attendant Dedication feat the first time and is completely silent about what happens the second time. I would have to assume that nothing at all happens the 2nd time you reach level 3 in a Magaambya branch.

Question from a new GM about to run SoT...

Would their be anything problematic to this? Sadly I don't have much info to go on at the moment, but I like the idea.

Question from a new GM about to run SoT...

** spoiler omitted **

Would their be anything problematic to this? Sadly I don't have much info to go on at the moment, but I like the idea.

I doubt that would be an issue, although I don't have access to later books, obviously. My biggest concern is that kobold culture (from what I recall) is very clan oriented, and a kobold who is out on their own like Xhokan might have some... *history*.

What I would recommend is to have Xhokan go out of his way to treat your player like anyone else, to an awkward degree. Xhokan seems to have some character traits that lean toward "everything MUST be done PROPERLY"

I haven't finished reading Book 1 (Damn jobs, which are required to fund my 2e addiction) but from what I did read a question came to mind. At the start of chapter 2, it mentions that you should use the downtime activity for Study ~2 times (or more if the GM wants more). I haven't read the chapter yet, but does it state exactly when in the chapter you should allow the downtime activities? Or is it more or less "You should do it 2-4 times this chapter, and points that feel right to you"?

Thank you in advance!

It gives no real guidance about when the downtime activities should happen except between and among the stuff listed in that chapter which can happen at different times.

It's intentionally vague so that you can stretch or compress time.

Personally, I'm planning everything out on a Golarion calendar so that I can definitively say what day it is, how many dorm-room game nights have happened, who's birthday it might be, and when bonus content I added in happens canonically in my game.

For me it's working out like so:
4721 Arodus 4th-10th: Chapter 1
4721 Arodus 11th to 4722 Erastus 28th: Chapter 2
4722 Erastus 29th-31st: Chapter 3

Quizzes or Exams every month, with 4 total Exams correlating to completion of a downtime study period. Quizzes are basically only roleplay opportunities.

I am not reading this thread hah since I am a player. But I do have a mechanics questions.

If you get one of the school feats like canny acumen or incredible initiative and it literally does nothing for your character (at level 8 canny acumen doesn’t help a lot of classes who are experts in all that anyways and fighters have built in incredible initiative) can you take a different lvl 1 feat instead?

Similar question about retraining canny acumen if it later becomes mechanically useless (until lvl 17).

Question from a new GM about to run SoT...

** spoiler omitted **

Would their be anything problematic to this? Sadly I don't have much info to go on at the moment, but I like the idea.

This would be a fun twist, I say go for it. It will pay off a couple of times throughout the AP (including near the end!).

anyone any idea what the stories at the start of the chapters are for? tell the players them? are they general fables? foreshadowing? spoilers?

They're meant to expand chapter summaries or backgrounds in interesting and visually appealing ways. Sometimes they'll be storybook stories; sometimes they'll be journal entries, or other things. We were looking to have a little fun with these, and let the authors get a little bit narrative in a way that normal adventure writing doesn't usually allow.

dharkus wrote:

anyone any idea what the stories at the start of the chapters are for? tell the players them? are they general fables? foreshadowing? spoilers?

They're meant to expand chapter summaries or backgrounds in interesting and visually appealing ways. Sometimes they'll be storybook stories; sometimes they'll be journal entries, or other things. We were looking to have a little fun with these, and let the authors get a little bit narrative in a way that normal adventure writing doesn't usually allow.

I love them. Huge mood and tonesetters for me.

I received an email saying that they had updated the pdf with bookmarks, but when I download it, it's the same as it was, still ends at the group interview. Has anyone been able to actually download the corrected pdf?

Edited: Ok, you have to download the file per chapter zip, and the full pdf is in there, updated with the new bookmarks.

I received an email saying that they had updated the pdf with bookmarks, but when I download it, it's the same as it was, still ends at the group interview. Has anyone been able to actually download the corrected pdf?

Edited: Ok, you have to download the file per chapter zip, and the full pdf is in there, updated with the new bookmarks.

I got it to work by pressing "Problem with this download" and it personalized a new one. Otherwise I was just getting the one I already had personalized

I have some thoughts/questions...

1. Where does Takalu Ot hold the group interview?

I decided to have them meet Takulu Ot in the Tireless Hall auditorium. That way while they wait they can describe their characters, and they have a first glimpse of the location.

I had my happen just over the bridge leading into the welcome walk, with Ot waiting for them by one of the struts in the walk.

I made it so that Ot is a touch showmanlike, with the rain not falling on him, and the magical symbols appearing in a pleasing manner.

When he walked away, the rain started down hard again, leading into the Esi scene.

While a more mechanical game would require him casting specific spells, I've taken the custom spells to mean that magic can be invented at this school, so some of the spells the NPCs do aren't going to be ones found in the book.

(am now wondering if SoM will include custom spell making..)