Tips For Unarmed Fighters in Pathfinder (Who Aren't Monks or Brawlers)

Those who fight with their fists, feet, and foreheads are a staple of fantastical tales. Most of us who want to embody someone who treats their body like a weapon will go to either the monk, or the brawler. However, there are times you don't really feel either concept truly embodies what you're going for... but building an effective unarmed fighter outside of those two classes can seem overwhelming.

The following tips don't encompass everything in the rules. They are, however, some useful places to start if you're looking for good ways to start stacking the numbers in your favor.

And they come in a lot of shapes and forms.

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First, What Are Unarmed Strikes?

First things first, it's important to note that all characters are capable of making unarmed strikes. They deal 1d3 damage, if you're a medium creature, and the damage is nonlethal unless you either take a penalty to that attack, or you have a feature that allows you to make your unarmed strikes lethal (such as the Improved Unarmed Strike feat). Unarmed strikes provoke attacks of opportunity from armed opponents without a feature that negates this. Unarmed strikes are light weapons, and the damage they deal is considered weapon damage for any features or abilities that increase weapon damage. That may be important for later, so tuck that away.

Also, consider these.

It is important to remember, as well, that attacks with gauntlets are still considered unarmed attacks. The only advantage they offer is that they allow you to deal lethal damage with your strikes, and later on they provide a convenient place to put a weapon enchantment (or to get metals like mithril or adamantine) to increase the damage your unarmed strikes are dealing.

Consider that a bonus tip! Now, let's get started.

Class Features

The bread and butter of any unarmed fighting build is going to be in the class features you choose to utilize. However, there are a lot of different options on the table that should be considered, depending on the approach you want to take.

Boot to the head, you say?

One of the first options that presents itself is the fighter. Because while the fighter may not gain bigger and bigger damage dice like a monk or a brawler, they do gain bonuses to hit and damage with their favored weapons (which can be unarmed strikes, gauntlets, and other weapons from the close group). So while the 1d3 damage die wouldn't change, that might not matter so much if you're stacking favored weapon damage onto it, along with your Strength modifier, and other bonuses from feats, magic items, spells, etc. If this were an option one wanted to pursue, I'd recommend the brawler fighter archetype (as opposed to the brawler hybrid class), as it gives you bonus attack and damage with your unarmed strikes, but it also allows you to penalize opponents in your threatened area, without making you trade in the defensibility of heavier armor.

Those who want to embrace dirty fighting in its truest form can use the sneak attack or sudden strike class features. The most common classes who get this are the rogue and the ninja (for those who are willing to deal with less-than-full BAB progression), and the slayer (for those who want a full-BAB precision fighter). While sneak attack won't apply to every strike, good positioning, proper use of abilities (like feinting against your foes), and other strategies can let you rock an enemy with a single kick. After all, your unarmed strike damage die is still 1d3, but when you're throwing 4-8d6 along with it, that doesn't matter quite as much.

The vigilante offers several devastating abilities one can use to increase the damage done when fighting unarmed (some of which we see in The Silver Raven Chronicles). Fist of The Avenger adds half an avenger vigilante's class level in damage to unarmed strikes (up to a +5 at level 10), or those made with a gauntlet. Lethal Grace is particularly useful for those who wish to fight with Weapon Finesse, but which still need extra damage dealt by their blows. Stalker vigilantes, of course, receive their own version of precision damage, which can make every blow devastating to their targets.

Keep in mind that spellcasters can incorporate unarmed strikes into their spells. As I mentioned way back in Playing By The Book: Some Rules Pathfinder Players Keep Forgetting, any spell that allows a touch attack may be delivered via an unarmed strike instead. However, it's no longer a touch attack at that point. That's a dangerous place for a wizard or a sorcerer to be, but it might be a solid place for a magus. It may be even better for a warpriest (whose damage die goes up as long as they have Weapon Focus for their unarmed strike), or even a paladin (with their smite damage and full BAB), as they can also add additional enchantments and bonuses to their blows (or to a gauntlet, should that be required).

Lastly, consider the swashbuckler. Their abilities are focused on using light or one-handed piercing weapons, and an unarmed strike normally deals bludgeoning damage. You could add a cestus or spiked gauntlet to overcome this issue, but both of these are weapons in their own right. However, there are feats like Snake Style (level 3) or Boar Ferocity (level 6) that you can take in order to deal piercing damage with your unarmed strikes. While not an ideal build option, this would allow you to get the benefit of your Swashbuckler's Finesse, Precise Strike, and other class features.

Feats

Feats are another important component of most combat builds, and an unarmed fighter is no different. While only dealing 1d3 as your base damage die might seem pathetic, keep in mind that it's really about how many other bonuses you can stack on top of it.

Trust me, you'll hit like a ton of bricks!

- Power Attack or Piranha Strike: Each of these feats lets you take a penalty to attacks for bonus damage on hits. Use the first for Strength, the second if you're going full Dexterity in combat.

- Weapon Specialization, Improved, and Greater: For those who have the ability to take these feats, they can stack a lot of damage onto your strikes. Especially if you're also adding precision damage from Precise Strike, or from Weapon Training as a fighter.

- Accomplished Sneak Attacker: If one multiclasses, or simply doesn't have the full benefits of sneak attack, this feat can add an extra 1d6 of damage to every time you deal this precision damage.

- Heavy Hitter: Technically a trait and not a feat, it still adds +1 damage on unarmed strikes.

- Boar Style: This style allows you to add 2d6 bonus damage whenever you hit an enemy with two unarmed strikes in one round.

- Two Weapon Rend: Deal a bonus 1d10 + 1.5 times your Strength modifier when you hit an enemy with your primary and off-hand weapon once per round. Best used with a two weapon fighting build, as this feat has several prerequisites, including a BAB of 11.

These are just a handful of options for dealing additional damage with unarmed strikes, but they can stack a lot of damage onto your blows... especially when combined with your class features!

Final Thoughts

There's enough variety in abilities and strategies that not everything is going to overlap. Some spells, like magic fang might be useful for you, and you might choose to seek out an amulet of mighty fists to ensure you have a way to enhance all your strikes. You might choose to grab an enchanted gauntlet with the glamered enchantment so it looks like you just have simple gloves on before you slam an iron fisted uppercut into someone's jaw. Belts that improve your physical stats, hand wraps that boost your damage output... there's all sorts of spells and enchanted items that may come into play. Sometimes they work on unarmed strikes, sometimes they expressly don't, and getting a full list of those will probably be its own, separate post.

However, the ability to hit harder, and to deal elemental damage, holy damage, etc., is where even a hard strike is going to turn into a serious weapon. Choose your magic items wisely, but remember that even without them you should still be able to pack a pretty solid punch. Or kick. Or headbutt.

And just in case you need even more...

Lastly, if you're looking for some extra wooge to add your unarmed fighters, consider some of the options I presented in Sellswords of Sundara recently! While there is a monk option for batting aside everything from swords to spells, there's 9 other martial archetypes ranging from the Widowmakers and their ungentlemanly forms of warfare, to the Gray Blades who've seen everything war has to offer, and done most of it at least twice. Check it out, and delve in for yourself!

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That's all for this week's Crunch topic! For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio! Or if you'd like to read some of my books, like my alley cat noir novel Marked Territory, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, head over to My Amazon Author Page!

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Here's How To Turn Floating Disk Into A Battlefield Spell (in Pathfinder)

If you've ever played an arcane caster in Pathfinder, then chances are you've had floating disk in your spellbook as one of those utility spells you learn, but don't have cause to use all that often. Maybe you cast it once or twice to haul particularly heavy loot out of a dungeon, or to carry that hulking-yet-unconscious party member back to camp, but generally speaking you probably didn't bother with it much past first level or so.

But what if you could do more with it than haul water in the desert, or use it as a sidecar for the halfling to ride in? Something like...

Death From Above!

You can't ride your own floating disk, of course. It says so right in the spell description. But the right feats can make a lot of difference, which is why the feat Magic Trick (floating disk) found in the book Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Distant Realms is so great.

Want To See A Magic Trick?

The Magic Trick feat, much like the Equipment Trick feat, unlocks more features the more prerequisites you meet. In this case, all you need to take the feat is the ability to cast floating disk. Once you have 3 ranks in fly, you unlock the ability Disk Rider, which allows you to ride any disk you create that will support your weight. The disc will remain 5 feet off the ground, unless you're using this ability in the astral plane, which allows you to go wherever you please as if you had unrestrained flying.

But wait, there's more!

If you have 3 ranks in fly, as well as shield proficiency, then you unlock Defensive Disk, where you can use your free hand to flip your disk up as a move action to gain the effects of the shield spell for one turn. If you have Mobility as well, then you can use that ability as a free action as part of a 10-foot move. If you also gain Improved Bull Rush or Improved Dirty Trick, then you unlock Force Check, allowing you to slam your disk into your target before pushing them back as part of a bull rush attack, dealing a bonus 1d6 of force damage. And if you have 6 ranks of fly you gain Spurn Gravity, allowing you to shoot up higher, but you fall back down at the end of your turn. Unless you reduce the duration of the spell to 1 round per level, which grants you a 50-foot fly speed and allows you to ignore the altitude restrictions on your disk.

The full list of abilities is laid out in the Magic Trick page on the D20PFSRD.

So What Can You DO With It?

While there is something satisfying about floating disk becoming a more useful spell, feats are at a premium for casters, so the question you need to ask is what are the benefits of this feat?

Well, I do have a prepared list, since you ask...

The first and most obvious benefit of the feat is that riding on a disc five feet in the air is enough to give you that +1 bonus to attacks you get from having the higher ground against any small or medium-sized opponents on foot. It can also negate the enemy's bonus if you're fighting enemies on mounts.

That right there might be enough to justify the feat, especially for the magi out there who want to grab any advantage they can while zipping around the battlefield. However, there are other benefits to having a disk to ride!

If you're up on your disk, then that means you don't have to deal with any of the flaws of the terrain beneath you. That means if there's difficult terrain, that's not going to be a problem for you. If there are weight-sensitive traps in a hall, or trip lines meant to catch your ankle, you can float right on by. Since it gives you a fly speed, rather than treating you like you're on a mount, it also means you don't take movement penalties to casting, which can be handy when you're trying to get an advantageous position.

Also, by the time you hit level 6, your ability to fly for several rounds atop your disk means that you are conserving a lot of mid and higher-level spells you'd otherwise be using to get yourself airborne. If you've also invested in the defensive tricks, then your 1st-level spells is now providing you with some not-inconsequential defensive bonuses as well, which can be very useful to have on-hand.

While it takes a bit of investment, this is definitely a magic trick you can build a character concept around. Whether you're rushing into melee slinging lightning and steel, or you just want to be an elevated fireball platform, there's a lot of potential for a disk rider.

Also, if you're wondering who might have taught your caster such an unusual trick, this could very well be the signature technique of a group of arcane mercenaries, using their position to maintain fire lines and to zip over blasted terrain and the bodies of the dead. If you're looking for inspiration, I'd recommend taking a look at some groups like The Acolytes of Arannis in my 100 Random Mercenary Companies.

Just some food for thought!

Edit: Using The Disk Without The Feat

When I first put this post together, it was with the assumption that most folks would use this spell to help boost their own efficiency in combat. However, due to a bunch of comments, I felt I should add another section down here to mention how you can use this disk to help boost your companion's abilities.

As an example, you can order the disk to move on your turn up to the limits of the spell. If you have a companion already on it, then that allows you to bring them into the action without using their turn; an ideal way for a fighter to get a full attack action without having to spend the movement to close the distance. Additionally, keeping a bodyguard or similar character on the disk would ensure they're always nearby, as the disk follows you. It would also allow them to ignore rough terrain, etc. which can be quite a tactical advantage.

And if you want someone to cart you around on a disk (someone like your familiar, for example), then all they need to be able to do is cast this spell, or use it from a scroll, wand, etc. Now you have someone pulling you out of harm's way and ferrying you about the battlefield, leaving you free to cast at your leisure. This is particularly useful if the individual casting the spell has a quick movement, a fly speed, or both, as it lets you zip around.

That's all for this week's Crunch topic! For more of my work, check out my Vocal and Gamers archives, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio! Or if you'd like to read some of my books, like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife, head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now on Pinterest as well! And if you'd like to help support me and my work, consider Buying Me A Ko-Fi or heading over to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron! Even a little bit of help can go a long way, trust me on that one.

Warrior Spirit, A Fun Trick For The Pathfinder Fighter's Advanced Weapon Training

Fighters are one of my favorite classes because there are so many different ways to play them. Are you a tactician, using placement and teamwork to enhance your battle plan? Are you a brute, swinging the biggest weapon you can and leaving a trail of bodies? A nimble fencer who relies on pinpoint precision over power? An archer? A one-man barricade behind your tower shield?

The list goes on.

And let's not forget the prize fighters!

I thought I'd seen most of the tricks you could pull off with fighters. However, there's always a combination out there that surprises me. That's why I thought I'd share this one with all the other folks who enjoy this class as much as I do.

Unlocking Your Warrior Spirit!

Weapon training is something of a fighter's bread and butter. The ability to be extra dangerous with a particular group of weapons is a lot of where both your flavor and functionality come from. Normally when you hit level 9 you can opt to choose an additional group of weapons you're skilled with... but you also have the option to take an advanced weapon training special ability. This ability typically applies to any weapon in the group(s) you already wield, and they allow you to bend (and sometimes break) the rules for what a warrior should be capable of.

That's where the advanced weapon training option Warrior Spirit comes into the picture.

You ready to do this?

Warrior Spirit allows a fighter to pick any weapon from one of his weapon training groups, and unlock its true potential via a spiritual bond. Every day he can select one such weapon, and bond with it. The fighter gains a number of points equal to his weapon training bonus +1. While wielding that weapon the fighter may choose to spend one of those points to add an enhancement to his weapon equal to his weapon training bonus. These enhancement bonuses stack up to a +5 with any bonuses the weapon already has, and the fighter may choose instead to add one magic ability to his weapon in exchange for an appropriate amount of his bonus. The weapon must already have an enhancement bonus of at least +1 for that to work. This ability lasts for 1 minute.

What does that mean in common speech? Well, say that your fighter is 9th level, and picks up a regular old longsword, a weapon that is in their weapon training group. So in addition to their normal attack and damage bonuses they get with that weapon, they also have 3 points per day to activate this ability. So they can choose to spend one of their points to make that regular longsword a +2 longsword, or they could make it a +1 flaming longsword spending one enhancement bonus point to add a +1 magic ability to a weapon.

But what if the fighter already had a magic longsword? Well, then he could, say, make it a keen longsword by cashing in his enhancement bonus for that +2 magic ability. Or he could make it a holy longsword. Or add a +1 to the enhancement, and pick a +1 magic ability like shock, keen, flaming, etc.

In short, it allows the fighter to enhance their weapon the same way a paladin's holy bond or a magus's arcane pool would. However, unlike those classes, the fighter can add any weapon property they want, instead of picking off a specific list. Which is handy... but that isn't where this particular trick ends.

A Little Extra

This trick works best if you're going to focus on a single weapon group. Or, if you want to pick only a single weapon by taking the Weapon Master archetype, that works too.

So what you do is, as soon as you gain weapon training (5th level for standard fighters), you also take the feat Advanced Weapon Training. This allows you to add Warrior Spirit to your character at 5th level instead of 9th level, where you're going to get a lot more bang for your buck. If you're a Weapon Master, you can take this feat at 4th level.

If you want to add a little extra damage to your swings, you should also invest a few of your skill points into Use Magic Device (and if you're going to sling wands and scrolls, consider taking the background trait Dangerously Curious, too, to make it a class skill and to get a +1 trait bonus on your checks). Then at your next opportunity, take Weapon Evoker Mastery. This item mastery feat allows you to supercharge any elemental damage a weapon you wield deals. You spend a swift action to activate the feat, and then for the next round you add 1d4 of elemental damage to every successful strike (the element in question corresponding to whether your weapon deals acid, cold, fire, electricity, or sonic damage). The sheer number of attacks you can make as a fighter (and the number of types of elemental damage you can have on your weapon) can quickly add up... even if an enemy isn't weak against a particular element.

A Handy Trick

As with a lot of the mechanical tricks I have here in the Crunch section, this isn't something that will completely re-invent the fighter. And, at least by itself, it won't destroy an encounter. However, the ability to spontaneously alter your weapon to have the abilities you really need it to have when the chips are down is something that can pull your bacon out of the fire. Especially if you combine this trick with an already-solid build geared toward a particular fighting style.

Just a little food for thought!

For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, or head over to my Gamers profile to see only my tabletop articles. And if you'd like to check out some of the videos I've put together with other gamers, stop in and have a listen to the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter! If you'd like to help support me you can give me one-time tips by Buying Me A Ko-Fi, or if you'd rather become a regular, monthly contributor you can sign up at The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page. Lastly, you could also support me by going to My Amazon Author Page to buy some of my books... like my new fantasy novel Crier's Knife!

Where There's A Whip, There's A Way (Advice on Whip-Wielding Magi)

When it comes to exotic weapons, we so often overlook the humble whip. Given almost exclusively to bards, it has an impressive reach, but using it provokes attacks of opportunity if you're being threatened. Worse, it deals non-lethal damage, and can't hurt anything with a +1 armor bonus, or a +3 natural armor bonus. Given that it's just a bunch of leather strips bound into a cord, there really isn't much average characters can do with a whip.

A magus, on the other hand, can make the sound of a whip-crack into his enemies' personal nightmare.

How much could it hurt, they said. Watch this!

Also, if a magus isn't quite your bag, but you still want to use a whip, then might I suggest checking out my Tips For Building A Whip-Wielding Swashbuckler over on Vocal!

Building A Whip-Wielding Magus

For a magus, the weapon you're using is often a secondary concern; the real power in your strikes is going to come from your spellstrike, and other class features. And while a lot of people will just tell you to take a scorpion whip, we're actually not going to go that route (though you can, if you want to).

The first thing you're going to want to do is to take the kensai archetype for a magus. This isn't required (you can just go straight magus, if you wish), but it gives you proficiency in the whip at level 1, as well as free Weapon Focus in your whip. Both good things, since you're going to need your share of feats to make this concept really shine. In order to utilize all your class features, you'll want to go a traditional Strength-based magus, but it is possible to go a Dex-based route if you wish. If you go the Dex route, then for your first level feat you should probably invest in Weapon Finesse, since you'll need all the Dexterity you can manage when it comes to keeping your AC high. This one is optional, but not required. If you have a human bonus feat, consider Combat Expertise (Threatening Defender is a useful trait to have with this one) or Combat Reflexes (no your whip doesn't threaten at level one, but we'll get there, trust me. In the meantime, wear a spiked gauntlet, or a cestus, or something for people who get in your personal space).

At level 3, you choose your first Magus Arcana. Shield Arcana is great, but Wand Wielder is equally useful if you want to preserve your spells while still getting your licks in (especially if you stow the wand in your whip using the spell Weapon Wand). Alternatively, if you want to build yourself to trip, disarm, etc. with your whip, you might want to take Maneuver Mastery just to give yourself an edge.

At level 3 you also qualify for Whip Mastery as a feat. You no longer provoke attacks of opportunity with your whip, and you can deal lethal damage to any foe regardless of armor bonus. Now we're getting somewhere. So now your weapon of choice is lethal against any foe, you can wield it as you will, and you can deliver your spellstrike with 15 foot reach. Particularly useful for those who want to lash out with shocking grasp, deal their target a lot of damage, and then get the hell out without provoking attacks of opportunity.

At 5th level you gain your first bonus feat. If you went the Dex-based route, take Slashing Grace (though it should be noted that spell combat won't work with this feat, as it's the same as two-weapon fighting, so keep that in mind). For your normal feat, you might want to consider Combat Reflexes if you haven't taken it yet.

At 7th level you now qualify for feats as a 4th-level fighter. Improved Whip Mastery gives you 10-foot reach for the purposes of attacks of opportunity, though, so it should be something you invest in. Then at level 9 and 11 you should take Weapon Specialization (Whip), and Greater Weapon Focus (Whip). By level 13 you should have room for Greater Weapon Specialization (Whip) as well. Additional magus arcana that will help, including Arcane Accuracy, Arcane Edge, and Bane Blade (if you get that high).

But Whips Just Don't Deal A Lot of Damage...

A lot of people get turned off by the 1d3 of damage a whip deals, as well as the amount of time it takes to get lethal using these feats. Those are both fair points, however, it's important to remember your arcane pool, your dex modifier, and your spellstrike are what matters, here.

The whip's actual damage is just icing on the cake. The important thing is that you can deliver your spells from far enough away that your foes won't be in your face immediately, allowing you to maintain tactical distance. Between the bonus dice of damage your weapon abilities deal, the damage of your spells, and the sheer amount of hurt you can add using things like Arcane Edge or Bane Blade, that 1d3 is going to be insignificant.

Especially if you're hitting on touch attacks.

Bear with me here, because this is where things get a little sneaky. Because if you have an awesome whip that you've enchanted and kitted out to lay down a serious hurt, of course you're going to use that all the time. However, there are a lot of spells that create magical whips you can use. And these whips not only deal a slew of side effects, but they typically hit on your enemy's touch AC.

Which spells do I mean? Well, River Whip is a 2nd-level magus spell, and it creates a whip of water that hits on a touch attack. It also deals bonus damage to fire-based enemies, which is handy in a few distinct circumstances (and could you imagine a shocking grasp through a coil of water?). Rock Whip is a 2nd-level magus spell that creates a whip of crystal and stone that deals 1d8 bludgeoning damage, can pass through natural, unworked stone, and hits with enough force that you can make a free a bull rush attack that uses your caster level in place of your BAB, and your casting modifier instead of Strength. It doesn't work on outsiders of the earth subtype, but otherwise it's a handy weapon for slamming your enemies up and down the field. Whip of Spiders is not a magus spell (though you could get it with a wand or a magus arcana), and it turns a swarm of spiders into a whip that deals 1d6 points of damage, applies a spider's poison, and a swarm's distraction on the target, in addition to hitting on a touch attack. A bigger version of this spell (6th level) makes a Whip of Ants that deals 3d6 points of damage on a hit, plus poison and distraction, in addition to hitting on touch AC.

Then there's the chance that you get your hands on items like the Tracker's Whip (technological weapon that lets you entangle targets you hit) or the Whip of Life and Death (whip that absorbs positive or negative energy channels, and allows you to deal them as bonus damage against targets you strike). Or just your run-of-the-mill enchanted whips that pile on bonus damage from holy, flaming, frost, shocking, and so on, and so forth.

While it might take a bit of time to turn the humble whip into an instrument of death, remember that the investment is often well worth the wait.

That's all for this week's Crunch installment. Hopefully folks find something they like, and if you incorporate any of my advice into a character build I'd be happy to hear about it in the comments below. For more of my work head over to my Vocal archive (or if you just want more gaming stuff, go to my Gamers author page). You might also want to check out the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio, where I help out from time to time. To stay on top of all my releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter. Lastly, if you want to help support my work, consider Buying The Literary Mercenary a Ko-Fi, or heading over to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page. A little donation goes a long way, and I appreciate any and all help you can give!

3 Tips For Boosting Your Caster Level in Pathfinder

If you're a spellcaster in Pathfinder, you have two concerns. The first is the save DC of your spells, and the second is your caster level. While I talked about the former concern forever ago in my post How To Increase Spell DCs in Pathfinder, I realized I hadn't talked about the second. So I figured that today was a good day to address that one for folks who want to really flex their magical might.

1d6 per caster level, you say? Oh, you'd better make this save, son.

So, to begin at the beginning...

Your Caster Level (And Why It Matters)

A lot of us already know this one, but I'm not making any assumptions. So, to put it simply, your caster level is the number of levels of a particular casting class you have. So, if you're a third-level wizard, then all of your spells are cast as if you're a third-level caster. Ditto if you're a third-level cleric. However, if you have four rogue levels, and two wizard levels, then you still cast your spells as a second-level caster. This is why, most of the time, spellcasters don't multiclass; taking a hit to your caster level often isn't worth it.

Why is that, you might ask?

Well, because your caster level often determines how potent your spells are when you cast them. If you cast shocking grasp, for instance, you deal 1d6 of damage per caster level (with a max of five). So, while two characters might cast the same spell, the one who went straight sorcerer is throwing five damage dice, while the character who dipped is only throwing two. And the higher that cap gets, with spells like fireball or lightning bolt, the more important your caster level becomes.

This applies to spells that don't deal straight hit point damage, too. For example, if you cast buff spells like bull's strength, or defensive spells like shield, then those spells' duration depends on your caster level. The higher your caster level, the longer those spells endure. If you're attempting to use dispel magic, then you're pitting your caster level against the strength of the spell you're trying to dispel. And, if you're attempting to get through a target's spell resistance, then you're making a caster level check.

Long story short, your caster level is where a lot of your mystical muscle comes from.

Tip #1: Feats and Traits

Feats and traits are available to all characters, and there are several to choose from. However, many of them will only increase your caster level on a single spell, so it's important to choose one you think you're going to be using regularly. If you're a de-buffer, then dispel magic is a good candidate, but if you're an area-of-effect specialist you might want to choose fireball. Or, if you're going to be raising a lot of dead folks, then animate dead would allow you to bring back (and control) more skeletons, zombies, etc.

With that said, here are some options to keep in mind.

- Gifted Adept (trait): Pick one spell, and it manifests at +1 caster level.

- Magical Knack (trait): This increases your caster level by +2, but only up to your character level. Ideal for those who are going to multiclass, but want to soften the blow.

- Varisian Tattoo (feat): Increase your caster level by +1 for all spells of a particular school. This requires you to take Spell Focus, and you have to have the same school for both feats.

- Spell Specialization (feat): Select one spell from a school for which you've taken Spell Focus. Treat your caster level as +2 for all numerical aspects of that spell which depend on your caster level. So, this won't help you overcome spell resistance, but damage dice, duration, etc. are all affected. You can change this spell every even level.

- Bloatmage Initiate (feat): Cast spells from the school you selected Spell Focus in at +1 caster level. You also grow bloated, and act under a medium load, which can make mobility difficult.

Tip #2: Classes

While sorcerers have a more limited selection of spells, their bloodlines can often make them quite powerful. As evidenced by some of the bloodline options that increase your caster level for certain schools of magic. The aquatic bloodline, for example, increases your caster level by +1 for any spell of the water subtype you cast. The daemon bloodline grants you an effective bonus to your caster level the round after your cast a spell that killed a creature with an Intelligence of at least 3 (up to half your Charisma modifier in kills). The sanguine bloodline (technically an archetype) increases your effective caster level for all necromancy spells by +1.

In addition to the sorcerer, there's the arcanist. You can expend points from your pool to boost your caster level, and if you take Potent Magic as an exploit you can boost your caster level by +2 instead of by +1. A big difference, if stacked with other bonuses.

These boosts can only be used with very specific character concepts, but if you need a little extra oomph, then a bloodline arcana can make that happen.

Tip #3: Items

There aren't many items that increase your caster level, but there are a few worth noting. The big ticket item (about 30k gold) is the orange prism ioun stone. This increases your caster level by +1, but if you go cheap and get a flawed one it also imposes a -2 penalty on your primary casting stat. So there's some give and take, there.

Also, if you get desperate, there's always the drug mumia. This will increase your caster level by +1 on all spells for an hour, but there's a chance that use will turn you into a ghoul. It also deals 1d2 Wisdom damage. More on mumia and other substances in The Best Drugs in Pathfinder.

Intensified Spell

If you're boosting your caster level in order to do more damage with evocation spells, then you should also consider using Intensified Spell. This metamagic feat increases the damage dice of a spell by +5, which is useful if you max out early, but want to keep slinging big dice around for spells like shocking grasp or fireball.

EDIT: Bonus boost, pointed out by Will Brewer in a Facebook comment. If you're playing a dhampir, wizard, you can use your favored class bonus to add +1/4 to your caster level for spells from the necromancy school.

That's all for this week's Crunch topic. Are there any solid methods for increasing caster level that I missed? If so, put them in the comments below! For more of my gaming content, check out my Gamers archive, or head over to Dungeon Keeper Radio where I and some fellow gamers offer advice, skits, and lore on the world of Evora. If you'd like to keep up on all my latest releases, then follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter. Lastly, if you want to help support Improved Initiative (since tis the season), head over to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to toss some love in my tip jar. As little as $1 a month can make a big difference, 

The Saga of Majenko Part 10: Down With The Queen

Today we have the final installment of the whirlwind adventure that is The Saga of Majenko (or Curse of The Crimson Throne to give it the name on the cover of the adventure path). From dingy dock wards to undead castles, to fighting dragons in the streets, to slaying devils in the throne room, our party has gone above and beyond the call of duty in protecting their city, and trying to bring down the thing Queen Ileosa has become.

Before we get started, though, make sure you're caught up on all the previous installments.

Part One: Finding The Main Character of "Curse of The Crimson Throne"
Part Two: How Much Damage Could One Pseudodragon Do?
Part Three: Scourge of The Red Mantis
Part Four: Blood Pig Champion
Part Five: Brother to The Shoanti
Part Six: The Assault on Castle Scarwall
Part Seven: The Return to Korvosa
Part Eight: Re-Taking Korvosa
Part Nine: The Assault on Castle Korvosa
Part Ten: Down With The Queen

There, all caught up? Beautiful! Because now it's time for the grand finale!

Down in The Dungeon

We realized after fighting the infernal thing living in the Ileosa's bedchamber, that the queen herself was not in the castle. She had, in fact, left quite some time ago. With the Bloat Mage's notes, and the testimony of his spirit, we confirmed that the erstwhile ruler of the city had fled to a half-sunken temple for a purpose we couldn't guess. We were all confident that it was nothing good, though.

Before we left, however, we had one last promise to fulfill. So we walk in through the front doors of the now de-populated Castle Korvosa, and take the stairs down to the dungeon below. Our party, which doesn't even have a token human in it at this point, takes in the grim, brooding atmosphere, and the claustrophobic vaults. We also completely avoid a high-level trap whose trigger is that the room is filled with light, which was unnecessary between the dwarf, the aasimar, the two tieflings, and the pseudodragon. So, we explore, and eventually find the body that had been unceremoniously walled-up.

Like ya do...

We bring the bones back to the attic room, and the ghost of the tiefling merges with the gypsy in our harrow deck, and allows each of us to draw a card from a Harrow Deck of Many Things, with the special allowance that we could re-draw one card each. So, we all decide to draw. The dwarf gains a level, loses a level, and then gains a small team of followers in Blood Pig jerseys. Majenko gains the ability to automatically confirm a critical hit, though the same ability works against him. One of Egil's enemies has a change of heart and becomes his ally, though with the sheer number of arrested NPCs the DM never got around to choosing one. The paladin becomes immune to sonic damage. Cards chosen, we receive a blessing from the ghosts, and set off southward toward the final confrontation.

One Long Series of Unfortunate Events

We travel southward, following the map we were given. We make our way down rivers, and through swamps, until we find an ancient pyramid, half-sunken into a lake. Unfortunately, there's no bridge to that lake, and no guarantee that there isn't something awful lurking beneath the waters.

Something more awful than me, I mean.

So, we take stock of our options. We quickly realize, through burning a powerful scroll, that we can't simply phase through the stone. Apparently it is protected by ancient magics, and our modern-day shortcuts aren't going to hack it. Deciding that we are not doing another underwater combat in murky liquid we can barely see through, the cleric wind walks us all across the water, and through the vents leading into the upper floor. Everything's quiet, at least until the dwarf touches a stone, and gets sucked into it. That's when the paladin has to turn corporeal again, and start smashing away with his adamantine hammer until we crack the dwarf out of his soul prison.

Which, of course, means the level's guards are well aware of our presence. Which is why we have yet another pack of Erinyes trying to turn us into pincushions. The fight is frustrating, but we've taken down enough of these particular devils by now to know what we should expect. We emerge triumphant, for the most part, and only down a few, minor resources. We also find a massive pool filled with blood, and a dead body floating in it. It looks almost like Ileosa, but clearly isn't. This is around the time we all get a bad feeling regarding the blood samples that were being taken from the citizens of Korvosa before the revolution got rolling.

We come across a shaft, and Majenko stealthily slips up to take a look. What he finds is...

The Final Encounter

At the top of the shaft, waiting for us, is Queen Ileosa. Floating regally above the ground, she's admiring a floating ball of blood. The ball is, of course, constantly shifting and pulsing, with faces and even buildings pressing against the surface before receding. Even the highly-experienced magic users have no clue what it's for, but we have an inkling that we don't want to find out.

So we roll initiative.

Which may have been our first mistake.

The first thing that comes our way is a trio of powerful wraiths. No worries, since a charge from the staff of Necromancy makes them hold still for the paladin to walk by and dust. They get a few nasty slices in, but we emerge triumphant. Before we've dealt with them, though, a line of Ileosa clones appears, and they all start singing. Which is when the wand of silence starts getting plenty of use, since there's no Will save allowed if the spell affects an area and not a person. Ileosa flies higher, and Egil locks her behind a wall of force. Which she then dimension doors herself past.

Despite the chaos of the battle, it's soon down to just us, and just her. And that is where things started to get tough. Not hard, not deadly, but tough.

You see, the queen had plenty of time to buff herself, thanks to our less-than-quiet entrance. Given the level she's at, and the horror that lives inside her skull, she's got a lot of tricks. She's flying, she has freedom of movement (as we found out), her AC is buffed to a mirror shine, and she's throwing down magic like there's no tomorrow. Very little of her magic, though, actually does damage. Most of it's just a debuff, or an obstacle, meant to hamper us for a time. She even managed to get control of the dwarf for a bit, but a smoke screen rendered him ineffective as a threat to the party.

The problem we're having is that we're actually fighting to a standstill. None of the aid the cleric is summoning hits hard enough to get through the queen's defenses, and even the paladin wielding the relic sword is only hitting once a turn or so. Spell resistance, and various deafening effects, have eaten away most of Egil's spells, and even the great and powerful Majenko is little use against her. In a battle that lasted three, full sessions, we accomplished an ignoble goal that I doubt most gamers have ever sought.

Both sides started running out of magic.

The Conclusion

The party retreats with the intention of regrouping. Which is when a line of barbarian frogmen come out of the flooded depths, and we enjoy a brief round of wiping them off the map like a greasy stain. Ileosa follows, but now she's under the effects of greater invisibility. She still can't seem to do us any real damage, but she's getting down to magic items and bard tricks.

Well, shit, we've tried everything else...

That's when the cleric pulls another friend out of her bag. She summons a creature who, while it can't penetrate the queen's defenses, does have invisibility purge as a constant aura. So, at least we can see her again. The paladin lays into her, and the rest of the party is rallying to make one, final strike. Unfortunately for us, though, her contingency spell goes off, and she vanishes. She is nowhere near the pyramid, and there's no way to tell where she went.

Not My Problem

The vanishing act Ileosa pulled seems like the worst sort of adventuring blue balls, particularly after such a knock-down, drag-out slog. However, the personalities of this particular party, and their definition of victory conditions, rendered expectations quite skewed. The ritual was stopped, for example. The citizenry was saved, and we lost no companions in the final fight. Not only that, but as far as we can tell, Ileosa fled from Varisia in its entirety, off to who knows where.

Out of my jurisdiction, that's what matters.

Egil, and by extension Majenko, have done their jobs as well as they can. With the city of Korvosa in ruins, and rebuilding taking place, that is where their duty lies. Balen has no real investment, now that the queen is overthrown, but would be just as comfortable returning to a life of drug use broken up by occasional bouts of Blood Pig. The cleric and paladin both feel that Ileosa should be pursued, in time, but as for the time being they hold a major relic of the church in their hands, and they want to know what the best use of it is. So, singed but triumphant, the party returns to the dockyards and waterfronts, sinking into the hustle and bustle to decide what they're going to do with themselves, and to try and restore what parts of the broken city, nation, and world they can.

And that, my friends, is the end of the Saga of Majenko.

If you enjoyed this story, and would like to hear some others, then leave me a comment and let me know! If you'd like to help support Improved Initiative, then consider stopping by my Patreon page to become a patron. All I ask is $1 a month to help keep the content flowing. Lastly, if you want to make sure you don't miss any of my updates, then follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter as well.

The Saga of Majenko Part 9: The Assault on Castle Korvosa

We're finally creeping up on the climax of this sordid tale of bloodshed and betrayal! If you've enjoyed it so far, then please leave some comments, and share it with your friends. If you're just now joining us, don't worry, the previous eight installments of this telling of Curse of The Crimson Throne are linked below for your convenience.

Part One: Finding The Main Character of "Curse of The Crimson Throne"
Part Two: How Much Damage Could One Pseudodragon Do?
Part Three: Scourge of The Red Mantis
Part Four: Blood Pig Champion
Part Five: Brother to The Shoanti
Part Six: The Assault on Castle Scarwall
Part Seven: The Return to Korvosa
Part Eight: Re-Taking Korvosa
Part Nine: The Assault on Castle Korvosa
Part Ten: Down With The Queen

All caught up now? Fantastic! Now then, let me see, where were we...

Fake High

As any experienced gamer worth his or her salt can tell you, nothing changes the game more than the ability to fly. And since our aerial assault on Castle Scarwall had gone so smashingly in the last book, we decided to fall back on our old tricks and fly up to the top floor of Castle Korvosa.

After casting invisibility. We're reckless, not stupid.

The castle's attic is oddly abandoned, used for little more than storage. However, after some handy Perception checks, one of them made by the party's true leader and actual rogue, we find the ghost of a tiefling being kept in the attic. Apparently his body was hidden somewhere in the dungeons, and to grant him peace we need to find it. Seems legit, and something we should have plenty of time to handle in between swinging the hammer to bring down the city's powerful monarchy.

So, grisly task from an unquiet spirit collected and filed away, we make our way down a floor, and fight some devils. Once that errand is complete, we take another flight of stairs down, expecting to finally find that overdue helping of trouble we've been waiting for. Instead, we run into...

The Return of The Red Mantis!

Yep, one floor down, taking up a combination luxury penthouse suite and wicked dance club, were more of the insect-imitating assassins who had been dogging us for several books now. However, instead of just sending a few underlings, as they had in the past, this time they brought one of their captains with them.

Oooh, I'm shaking in my stinger... with excitement!

The is the first, real taste of combat our archanist has gotten, and it doesn't go well for him. Instead of letting Egil and Majenko do their thing (between the two of them, the red mantis underlings were little more than puppies, since they couldn't catch us flat-footed, nor could they sneak attack us), the arcanist decides to run into the mix, and start kicking open doors. This got him a kidney full of saw-toothed saber, though he managed to teleport himself out of harm's way with a cleverly used class feature. What he didn't do was heal himself. Instead, he chose to keep kicking in doors, which earned him a saber up the briscuit from the invisible captain.

So, the arcanist is out, and now the game has gotten serious. Sort of.

That's when Majenko decides to stop faffing about, and the rest of the standard red mantis members go down, either in death or in sleep. Egil steps up to try and face off with the Captain, and our cleric starts calling in assistance from the heavens above. The Captain summons creatures of her own, including some particularly nasty swarms. While she's fast, and hard to hit, a lucky shot here and there began to chip away at her. Before we can deal the deathblow, though, she manages to escape. Disappointed, and more than a little frustrated, we bundle up our dead companion, and Majenko scratches a message into the glass pane of the parlor wall.

You've already lost 11. Run now, and I won't chase you.

Infiltrate Low

After some begging, we manage to return our erstwhile arcanist to the Material Plane. And, knowing that our entrance from above must have been spotted, we decide to go in low for our second attack. You see, there's a secret passage Sabina told us about that will let us infiltrate right to the throne room if we're careful.

What could possibly go wrong?

True to her word, the passage is there. We slip in stealthily, and it appears the coast is clear. At least until the party gets blasted into next week! The arcanist is dead, Majenko has been turned to stone, Egil is insane, and the only one totally unaffected by what happened is the cleric. In the corner, where he had been lurking unseen to us, is the Bloat Mage. An evoker of terrible power, it's clear we won't be able to survive another round of his power unleashed.

Fortunately, the cleric has friends in high places. With a bit of inter-dimensional support, and a breath of life, she manages to get the arcanist back to life. Spells are flying, and soon the magus is back from the land of the mad. However, given that his familiar has been turned into a lawn decoration, he is far from pleased. Which is why he uses every trick he has to try to bring down the Bloat Mage. Continuing the pattern, though, the fat, floating bastard manages to escape. So we retreat again, noses bloodied, to repair our wounds and heal our allies.

No More Nice Party

It's around this time that the arcanist, whose chief job seems to be to get killed, decides to aid the revolution in other ways. He is replaced by a paladin, who is so by-the-book that his name has managed to evade mention in the annals of his own adventures. So, beefed-up and ready to stop pulling punches, we head back to the castle for another crack, though we are wondering why, at this point, there has been so little alarm raised. The castle has been penetrated twice by known heroes of the rebellion, and not so much as a whisper?

That should have been the first clue that shit wasn't right.

We find, much to our pleasure, that the Red Mantis haven't returned. However, we do find a strange statue that wants to eat us, along with a room full of Erinyes who try to turn us into unwilling pincushions. A little lower down, we find a full contingent of Gray Maidens in the throne room, along with what looks like the queen, getting ready for a throw down.

We quickly realize that what we're looking at is not as threatening as it at first appeared. The Gray Maidens, while highly trained and dangerous, don't have the resources to truly penetrate much of our defenses. And while the thing that looks like the queen is effective, its efforts are quickly nullified by a Silence spell. It turns into a puddle of slimy goo, and we deal with the guards, who refuse to stop fighting even though they've clearly lost this battle.

Of course, there are larger forces at work than we know. Such as the infernal creature lurking in the queen's bedroom, along with a rested and rejuvenated Bloat Mage, ready to give us everything he can.

The Power of Mind Control

Enchantment and compulsion are nasty things, particularly when most of the party succumbs to them. After the first two or three rounds, the paladin, the cleric, and Majenko all decided that it would be a better idea to report to their superiors about the presence of this awful thing than to actually fight it. While a dispell managed to keep Majenko on the scene, the brunt of our divine power just walked off the field. Fortunately, Balen was crazy even for a ranger, and charged right in to get some devil-slaying done.

It goes a lot better than expected, and soon the only threat left in the room is the evoker. He pulls the same trick he did before, and Majenko is turned to stone a second time. This wrings the last drop of what mercy Egil had left, and he pours all his remaining arcana, rogue tricks, and not-inconsiderable stock of wands into the mage's demise. It's a near thing, but when he can't escape the area of the silence effect, his head gets cut off by a dramatically-timed critical hit.

The Aftermath

With the cleric and paladin ashamed of their unwilling abandonment, we take the evoker's head back to our allies. While Majenko is still coughing out gravel from his second transformation back to flesh, we find out that the Bloat Mage had been enslaved to the devil. We also realize, thanks to some texts we located, that the queen is not in the castle, and hasn't been for some time. She's seeking a forgotten temple, where she'll be making a play for terrible power. And, while we need to stop that, we have one more errand to do first.

To find out how this game ended, tune in next time for the final installment, The Saga of Majenko: The Queen's Justice!

As always, thanks for joining me for Table Talk! If you have a gaming story of your own that you'd like to contribute, then contact me and I'll be happy to chat with you about it. If you'd like to help support me and my blog, then consider heading over to my Patreon page to become a patron today! Also, if you don't want to miss any of my updates, be sure to follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter as well.

The Intimidating Wizard

Before we get started on this week's unusual character concept, I'd like to get some news out of the way. First is an announcement that I'll be doing two character conversions a month, instead of just one, for the foreseeable future. Apparently you guys like them, and I try to keep doing things you like. This month's first conversion was Syrio Forel, the dancing master from Game of Thrones. Who will the second conversion be? Stay tuned to find out, but I'll warn you now, the character isn't from the Song of Ice and Fire series.

The other thing I'd like to bring up is that it's the holidays. If you're really into the giving spirit, I'd greatly appreciate your patronage. Just stop by my Patreon page, and give any amount you're comfortable with. You'd be amazed at how far as little as $1 a month will go, and how much it would be appreciated. And, because it's the season of giving, all of my patrons have the opportunity to get two ebooks from yours truly, no strings attached. Just pledge, and I'll contact you with the titles so you can choose your free gift!

Okay, I think that about covers the big news. So, let's move on to this month's Unusual Character Concept. What do I have for you?

The Intimidating Wizard

So, does everyone remember that scene in The Fellowship of The Ring? The one where Bilbo, in the grip of the ring's madness, started accusing Gandalf of trying to steal it for himself? Gandalf's response, that deep-voiced, booming rebuke, was enough to break the hold of a magic addiction that had been going for decades, and to bring Bilbo back to his senses just in time to stop his bladder from letting go.

Do not trifle with me, boy, or I'll have you vomiting spiders for a month.

 

Because really, when you think about it, why shouldn't wizards be terrifying? They are people who have mastered the arcane secrets of magic, and even a relatively weak wizard is capable of sapping your strength, enchanting your mind, conjuring fire and lightning from thin air, and putting themselves behind invisible barriers of force. That kind of power should terrify anyone who would cross a wizard, to say nothing of the common folk who might see them as something near to gods when they come into their full power.

But as most of us know, Intimidate is a charisma-based skill, and wizards tend to be short on charisma, as well as on skill points. So what is one to do? Well, if you're playing Pathfinder, this should get you started.

The Mechanics

To make this idea work, mechanically, you need to start with your traits. The trait Bruising Intellect is a must-have, since it both makes Intimidate a class skill, and it allows you to use your Intelligence modifier when you make intimidate checks. If you pair that with a regional trait like Viking Blood, or the combat trait Bully, both of which give you a +1 to Intimidate, then you're definitely on the right track. If you want to add a feat like Persuasive to the list, to say nothing of Skill Focus, then you'll start stacking some big numbers in a big hurry.

But what's the purpose of a high Intimidate? Well, when you're not throwing magic around, it can help you open doors and gain information. If you follow the advice of guides like The Bullyboy, you can use it to render enemies flat-footed. Given that your spells are already touch attacks, that's a big benefit for you. Assuming, of course, you're willing to eat the feats that lead you to abilities like Dazzling Display, and higher iterations like Disheartening Display. If you're intending on pursuing that strategy, it's a good idea to take the trait Magical Knack, and dip two levels into a class with a higher BAB and bonus feats, like the Fighter. It may also be a good trick for Magi, or for those who are considering pursuing the Eldritch Knight prestige class.

The Flavor

So who is this wizard who uses his tongue as a weapon? Is he a hulking Ulfen mage, whose mastery of storm and sleet is nothing compared to the cold contempt he brings down on those who earn his ire? Is she a battle caster from Nex, who can dress down soldiers so thoroughly and completely that they wish she'd simply hit them with her magic instead? Or is your wizard an illusionist, who uses tough talk to back up the seemingly impossible things that happen when he's confronted?

All of these are solid options, but they're far from the only ones. For example, a spellslinger who's won a dozen duels might let her reputation do the talking, instead of relying on raw spell power. A learned abjurer might look down his nose at his enemies, his raw confidence that they cannot hurt him enough to make them think twice about trying. The sly necromancer, knowing full well the legends and rumors that swirl around practitioners of her kind, may remind those who stand in her way that death is not the end of things, but merely the beginning of service.

"You there! Open that trapped door!" Urghgazzagl...

 

Of course, the method of intimidation your wizard prefers is just one part of the equation. The other question is why do you rely on browbeating others? Did you develop this habit when you were at university, and you realized that you were so much smarter than your classmates that it was quicker to just bark at them to do what you wanted instead of taking hours to explain your train of thought? Were you born in the gutter, and your brains allowed you to climb to the head of a gang, and you realized that it was only their perception of how smart you were that kept you on top? Did you cow your siblings with the capacity of your mind long before you'd ever cast your first spell?

For whatever reason you chose to use your brain to make people more compliant, and to strike terror into your foes, you should ask when the character started, and how it shaped the way they cast their spells. Perhaps an evoker with a flare for the dramatic (pun intended) builds up his spells before casting them, relying on the ignorance of those on the receiving end to have no idea what it was he cast, and how he cast it. A transmuter may use big, sweeping gestures to add a touch of theater to her spells, as if the reactions of those she touched weren't impressive enough.

Is intimidate just another tool in this wizard's toolbox, or has it become so much a part of them that magic is similar to a sword; scary, even if it isn't going to be used to hurt someone?

And, if you're looking for more inspiration, you should check out 5 Tips For Playing Better Wizards!

Like, Follow, and Stay Tuned For More!

That's all for this installment of Unusual Character Concepts. Hopefully this one gave you something to chew over, whether you're a player, or a game master.

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The Saga of Majenko Part Six: The Raid on Castle Scarwall!

When last we left our intrepid entourage as they escorted the great and powerful Majenko toward his destiny, they had fled the city of Korvosa, and discovered the queen was possessed by the spirit of an ancient evil named Kasavon. They ventured into the Cinderlands to find important information from the Shoanti, but were told it was not knowledge for outsiders. So they tested their bodies, spirits, and patience to complete the rites of membership to join the Shoanti nation. Exhausted, they emerged victorious, and with a temporary pet bulette. Also, in case you're not up on everything that's happened so far, here is the chapter list for the epic saga of Majenko (referred to out of game as Curse of the Crimson Throne).

Part One: Finding The Main Character of "Curse of The Crimson Throne"
Part Two: How Much Damage Could One Pseudodragon Do?
Part Three: Scourge of The Red Mantis
Part Four: Blood Pig Champion
Part Five: Brother to The Shoanti
Part Six: The Assault on Castle Scarwall
Part Seven: The Return to Korvosa
Part Eight: Re-Taking Korvosa
Part Nine: The Assault on Castle Korvosa
Part Ten: Down With The Queen

Go on, we'll wait.

Caught up? Lovely.

Striking Out For Scarwall

Once we've officially been welcomed into the sun tribe, the shaman finally tells us the legend of Kasavon. A powerful servant of Zon Kuthon, he was laid low in a place called Castle Scarwall, an outpost in the Orc Hold of Belkzen. The body had been torn into pieces, and the evil creature's fangs had been buried beneath a ziggurat in a place that, many years later, would be the foundation of Castle Korvosa. The queen had obviously found the fangs, and the remnants of power in them had taken over her body and soul. In order to challenge that creature we would need to climb the death-haunted walls of Castle Scarwall, and seek the legendary sword blessed by Iomedae herself that had first laid the creature low.

And then we were attacked. A flock of gargoyles, a team of Red Mantis assassins, and a serial killer who'd been hunting Shoanti scalps all show up to crash our party. Fortunately we had our big, gray, peanut loving Shep with us, and we'd had time to recover from the previous day's exertions. Our assailants weren't long for this world.

Especially this guy. Fuck this guy.

With the next leg of our journey clearly in front of us, and our very presence causing our newly adopted family harm, we headed out immediately. Due to player moving plans our cleric bowed out at the city of Kaer Maga, replaced by a new, militant cleric of Iomedae named Validia; a tiefling whom Egil had known back in Egorian when they'd both been raised in a state-funded orphanage. We also ran into our old friend Leori, and an equal-but-different member of her church, Shadow Count Sial. It seems that the dread lord Zon-Kuthon has an interest in the remnants of Castle Scarwall as well, but his minions are not powerful enough to enter it alone. So we agree that, despite our mutual differences, we'll work together in this matter. We also managed to acquire a ranger, whose specialty, funnily enough, was in taking the un out of the undead.

Convenient.

Unexpected Tactics

Castle Scarwall was built on an island, and several outbuildings near the edge of the bridge were inhabited by a rough and ready gang of orc raiders. Bold enough to come within sight of Scarwall, but not stupid enough to try and cross its moat. They gave us a rough time, but when all was said and done we managed to come out of things with a trove of heavy armor, some scrolls, and a fully-armed necklace of fireballs.

We had a feeling that was going to come in handy.

Shake and bake, baby.

So, bold as brass, we decide to walk right across the bridge. A welcoming party comes to greet us; a horde of skeletons led by a champion mounted on a terrible, nightmarish charger. A web spell held back the cannon fodder, and though he charged through and dealt several, wicked blows, the champion went down hard when our fighter smashed her gauntleted fist through his mount's skull. Leori was sad that she didn't get a chance to ride the pretty pony, but we dispatched the rest of the minions in short order.

Behind them was a heavy door, arrow slits, and a lot of resistance. So, we decided to just sort of bypass all of that.

The Power of The Unexpected

We had a fairly magic-heavy party, between the magus, the cleric, the ranger, and the two NPC clerics. Slogging through heavy defenses was for lesser adventurers. So Egil popped the cork on his bottle of endless smoke, settled his fogcutter lenses onto his face, and led the way up over the walls.

Of course we all prepared some version of fly. What combat situation is not improved by your ability to do it in three dimensions?

You can't always have one of these in your bag of holding.

We fought some gargoyles, and thought we were being pretty clever... but because we'd come in aerially, it also meant we had to fight the shadow dragon. We hadn't been prepared for that, precisely, but we certainly couldn't outrun the damn thing, so it was pedal to the floor and hope we hurt it more than it hurt us.

We did. Barely, but we did. It took the biggest fireball from our necklace straight to the face, got filled full of arrows from the ranger (who was shooting at a handicap due to a lack of favored enemy), and only about half of Egil's spells were making it through the thing's thick spell resistance. However, the orc champion we'd killed happened to be carrying a dragonbane greatsword, and in the hands of our fighter, it carved a big hole through the dragon in quite a hurry.

It still nearly killed us... but we didn't have to go in through the front door.

Rinse, Lather, Repeat

The dragon was one of several guardians anchored to Castle Scarwall, which we'd had described to us in a poem from the nice Varisian ghost who'd followed us around in a possessed deck of cards. Each one of the guardians had their own schtick, and we discovered each of them was physically bound to a part of the castle. Convenient in that they couldn't all mob us, but with ancient protections laid down in blood and blasphemy, it took one of our two constantly-bickering NPCs to let us through a lot of the doors. We went toe-to-toe with a demi-lich, destroyed a skeletal commander, and in between bouts wiped out dozens of ghosts and hordes of skeletons. There was even a devil, relegated to service and trapped until we moved it along. Then, once the anchors were jerked out of the way, we fought the huge ghost in the center of Scarwall that was keeping the pile of stones and bones apart from the ravages of time.

This led us down a well. And in the well, we found a plot devil.

Story toll. That will be two evil NPCs, please.

Leori and the Shadow Count are being "promoted" by Zon Kuthon, yanked into the Midnight Lord's twilight realm. We had to go on alone... which we did. We dropped down a hole, fought several gugs (H.P. Lovecraft fans will know what I'm talking about), and just as we're catching our breaths we're confronted with a colossal abomination; the final guardian between us and the sword Syrithtiel.

Or at least it was, until Egil used vanish to make Majenko invisible, and he sped across the roiling lake to snatch the sword. He took a swipe at the guardian, failed, and then ducked and dodged his way through flailing limbs and tendrils to toss the blade to the ranger. With the relic in our possession, we go all out to end this thing's stewardship of the cursed castle.

It was a near thing... but we managed.

What happened next? Tune in next time for the seventh installment, "Return to Korvosa"! If you want to make sure you keep getting all of Improved Initiative's updates, then follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter. If you'd like to help support the blog, then click right here to visit my Patreon page!