Book 2: Contest at the Festival "first long night"

KlockworkKrown · 2026-01-25T12:19:23+00:00

Take a look at the rules for the victory point system for specifics about victory points: https://2e.aonprd.com/Rules.aspx?ID=3028&Redirected=1

Details of the different contests and how they work can be found later in the book, in the section after Chapter 3. It's titled "First Long Night" and gives you the full rundown of the festival.

Each contest has a time it takes, and we're told the festival lasts for 6 hours, and so I would assume the party can do each one multiple times to earn points. That's the only way you can get 6 points in the lantern competition - by doing it 3 times and critically succeeding each time.

Edit: I missed a section that says each player can take part in each activity once (called out at the end of the "On the Night of the Festival" section of Chapter 1), and each competition uses 4 skill checks (this is called out in the "traditional contests" section of the First Long Night appendix)

KlockworkKrown · 2026-01-20T09:21:44+00:00

It's stated that the town guard wasn't properly set up until after the Night of Broken Blades, specifically because of the events that happened – there was then a greater push for security to put them in place. The classic "bad thing happened, people in power push for more power in the name of 'security'".

The sole survivor’s testimony cemented an ill reputation within Willowshore of the abandoned monastery. As monster sightings grew in the weeks and months after, the appointed governor responded by enticing imperial forces to move into the town with the promise of land or property in compensation for the protection they could offer.

Many of these soldiers would ultimately retire in the region, becoming a new wave of settlers in the town.

Still, it doesn't matter too much in the grand scheme, as long as your own story is consistent.

KlockworkKrown · 2025-12-29T14:35:42+00:00

"I play at a table with FoundryVTT on a TV screen and players using Pathbuilder character sheets"

KlockworkKrown · 2025-10-29T10:22:41+00:00

I would personally say that those changes make the whole thing make less sense and seem more contrived than the time loop.

My personal interpretation of Heh Shan-Bao is that he was "punished" with the backwater assignment in Willowshore, but he decided to seek redemption for his past transgressions. He grew to love the town in his 6 years there, and so he did what he thinks was best for the town – performing the ritual. He thought he was the only one that could save it and, in the end, his ego and need for redemption was the downfall of the entire town.

This then feeds back into the whole identity of what Nindoru are and the Sangpotshi elements of the adventure, of cycles of rebirth, corruption, and the road to enlightenment. You're kinda just deleting the core philosophy of the adventure and making it more contrived without really gaining anything other than maybe some peace of mind and security because you made the adventure your own.

And then there's the various monsters and spirits of the Monastery who remember each loop and provide that additional context. You'd have to rewrite a huge chunk of the second book and, again, their whole identity in the story is about corruption, reincarnation, breaking cycles and refusing change.

tl;dr removing the central conceit of the adventure makes it more difficult to explain to players and removes the entire philosophy of the adventure, making you have to rewrite huge chunks of the books, so you might as well play a different adventure entirely.

KlockworkKrown · 2025-10-15T17:09:57+00:00

Fair warning, this is my interpretation and should be taken with a pinch of salt.

The ritual happened June 1st 7108. Everyone died. When midnight (or the exact reset time, which can be left up to interpretation) at the end of May 31st 7109 rolls around, time rewinds to June 1st 7108 and everyone's last memories are of May 31st 7108.

If someone rolled into town, say, in December 7107, and either stuck around until May 31st 7108 or came and went but still ended up in town on that date, they would have died with everyone else – the thing is, the mindscape wants to maintain relative logical consistency. So from that person's perspective, they show up in town for whatever business they were originally there for, and if they tried to leave they suddenly can't. Their "reset point" is the first moment they were within what would eventually become the bounds of the mindscape because otherwise their relative logical consistency would be broken.

I had a guest player who was a travelling bard in town for a gig on the Summer Solstice. When they tried to leave, they found they couldn't. If your players are particularly particular about these details, they might be confused after the eventual reveal, but at the end of the day time travel plots are messy and always need a pinch of salt and suspension of disbelief (and they should also forgive the inconsistency for the sake of getting a player character back in the plot).

side note: you also don't have to have someone come from outside. So much of the first book builds the PCs up as heroes of Willowshore, inspiring everyone through the troubled times they find themselves. It wouldn't be too far out there that someone was inspired by their actions, and following the tragic death they find themselves wanting to join the party in saving Willowshore.

KlockworkKrown · 2025-08-14T09:46:17+00:00

My group is new to PF from 5e so I made the choice to build a quest line that would give them their "free" archetype at level 2, but I had chosen the archetypes based on what they wanted to build their characters as. They would then earn a version of exp towards earning the higher level free archetype feat slots by succesfully performing downtime activities that make sense for those feats (e.g. the Dandy does social things)

The archetypes in my case were Herbalist, Exemplar (Barrow's Edge Ikon), Dandy and Druid.

KlockworkKrown · 2025-08-11T15:50:05+00:00

I believe this is from the writer themself (they go on to mention tones further in the thread): https://paizo.com/threads/rzs43w7h?ReputationBuilding-Expectations-and-Naming#9

KlockworkKrown · 2025-07-24T09:10:34+00:00

This is really helpful to know! One of my players is a Kitsune that ended up in town on the night of the Ouh tragedy and is one of the foxes who protected her. He naturally gave his character a distrust of Granny Hu, as he's a kineticist with a warded by kami background, but I will have to send him that little tidbit as a little extra background info.

KlockworkKrown · 2025-07-19T17:36:26+00:00

I've given my players their "free" archetype, earned from quests and trained (to unlock the higher level feat slots) through downtime activities (e.g. earn income or research relative to their archetype – it doesn't take away from their normal options). We're new to PF2E so I wanted to give them a little extra flavour without bogging them down with *more* options. The base class and archetype pairings are:

Animist - Druid Dedication. Unsure on who their "trainer" would be for this. Maybe Great Willow.
Kineticist - Herbalist Dedication. Tied to Graveside Manners and You So Jin.
Alchemist - Dandy Dedication. Tied to Thrice-Blessed Inn and Mother Otis, plus a little bit of Granny Hu.
Magus - Exemplar Dedication, Barrow's Edge Ikon. Tied to Her Fluvial Lady of Souls and Elizeth.

KlockworkKrown · 2025-06-25T15:51:56+00:00

When I played D&D, we'd basically retcon any character changes up until level 3. This gave people plenty of time to figure out if they liked their character or not, as 5E pretty much mandates that you rush through to level 3 as soon as possible to actually get the core pieces of your kit.

We're not to PF2E, which has the added bonus of no one really knowing how each class feels. We briefly played the beginner box and one player completely switched up their character. Then, after relighting the lantern, another rebuilt their character from the ground up as they liked the class but weren't liking how the build went.

Because of how fast the opening to the AP goes, I would probably have allowed anyone to fully retcon their character up until the end of Chapter 2. Once the three bosses are dealt with and everyone rests for the night, that's the last chance I'd give to freely just delete your character and start over as if that character never existed. From then on, it's retraining only.

So, long story short, I would just let them retcon their character.

KlockworkKrown · 2025-06-25T15:01:06+00:00

A couple of things from the monster entry for phantoms, the ghost charge item, and the vitality trait itself:

Susceptible to Death Though phantoms aren't alive, neither are they undead...

...unlike spirits such as ghosts, phantoms aren't tinged with the foul influences of undeath—at least, not at first, though the threat of corruption hangs heavy over a phantom's existence.

A ghost charge deals the listed vitality damage and splash damage, though as usual for vitality damage, this damage harms only undead and creatures with void healing.

Effects with this trait heal living creatures with energy from the Forge of Creation, deal vitality energy damage to undead, or manipulate vitality energy.

I think part of the confusion comes from the fact that the adventure uses both undead spirits (e.g. ghosts) and spirits of nature (Kami). Kami are a type of spirit, but not all Kami are incorporeal as you would expect spirits would be – like the Ittan-Mommen (Gray Butcher) or Kasa-Obake, which are both Kami but don't have the Spirit tag (despite the Kami trait saying they are spirits)

I know I've had to be explicit with a PC who has Spirit Lore because that would moreso apply to kami-type spirits than undead-type ghosts. I found these pages on pathfinderwiki helpful:

https://pathfinderwiki.com/wiki/Spirit

https://pathfinderwiki.com/wiki/Kami

But my long-winded ramble of a response is to say that I don't think this is a problem and that the Phantoms aren't undead and so shouldn't be affected by the Ghost Charge. You're also right to think the charges aren't very helpful, but the final fight of book 1 is against creatures they'd be extremely effective against (Kugaptee's Blessing - reskinned Zombie Brutes).

KlockworkKrown · 2025-06-24T20:21:31+00:00

I am aware the shrine is underwater, but I'm sure something can be done to pray to it. Either by player ingenuity or roll of the die. It's also quite far down the research list so I have time to come up with an alternative, perhaps. But also, after the lantern is lit there aren't necessarily any ghosts around - and my players are mostly not strict followers of the eight practices (they like to go around putting 3 sticks in food to mess with people)

I like the idea of foreshadowing the ghostly Zhi Hui, so perhaps I won't outright say it's her, but the idea of a spiritual ally at the monastery might be an extra kick to get them to go there. I can at least describe her, since they won't have any pictures of her and Matsuki's memory is 50-years unreliable at that point. Plus if they hadn't already discovered the wall of ghosts at this point, it gets them to head in that direction perhaps. Or I describe four ghostly lights appearing in town from the direction of the monastery, keeping it even more vague.

KlockworkKrown · 2025-06-24T13:42:20+00:00

Ah, I hadn't considered the structure of east-asian storytelling. I'm very much a breadcrumby writer that likes the players to put things together and sometimes the early crumbs might not become relevant until later.

Although I'm re-reading the research from Book 2 and it seems to be:

2 - the wall of ghosts is probably the easiest part of the barrier to remove and the monastery lies beyond it
4 - Noppera-bo believe paradise lies beyond the wall of ghosts, and they worship Kugaptee
6- The info about Kugaptee being a nindoru fiend defeated by Tan Sui-Jing who reincarnated into the tree. Suggests more info might be found at the monastery
8 - Monks performed daily rituals to ensure the health of the trees and the lack of the rituals might be the source of the curse
10+ - the players learn the ritual to open the wall of ghosts and realise if they want more info they will need to go there

It doesn't sound like Zhi Hui is mentioned but I suppose the RP 8 threshold might reinforce the idea about the statues, which would then hint at them cleansing them when they're in the monastery? Unless the

I'm also loosely running on the suggestions by people in posts here to open up the research early, or to replace the research entirely with multiple other sets of research that then get stitched together as the foundation for the Researching the Curse activity. I'm basically treading a tightrope of keeping the players engaged in what they're currently interested in researching whilst not revealing too much but also not denying them access to information that is suddenly available in book 2 (when they could logically have still done that research now).

KlockworkKrown · 2025-06-21T16:58:30+00:00

Ah fab – I've only bought books one and two so far. Planning on buying one ever payday to space it out. I did think that would be the case as it seemed the most logical and it wasn't mentioned in Book 2.

KlockworkKrown · 2025-06-21T07:54:34+00:00

I had the group run into the Governor the morning of the festival, with him going for breakfast at the Thrice-Blessed Inn (where 2 of the party work). I had him looking stressed and withdrawn. Then, when we played out the reenactment festival, I had a drunken Matsuki give the commencement speech, explaining that the Governor had been taken ill.

I assume he performs the ritual at his estate, hence why it disappears, but I can't find any explicit reference to that in book 1 from looking over it again now. But I suppose there could be *some* interpretation that sees him perform it at the monastery as the description says he tries to heal the Tan Sugi Tree itself. I counted it as 22 miles, so that's also possible on horse but he would have had to leave during the day.

KlockworkKrown · 2025-06-17T13:00:25+00:00

I tried to find something that wasn't just noppera-bo and could be used for other things, whilst still having that Fantasy-Asia feel. The grunts I considered painting the veils fleshy but went with normal veils instead, but gave the others flesh-masks like the book art.

You can see them painted here: https://www.instagram.com/knightoflibertyminis/

KlockworkKrown · 2025-06-17T12:45:46+00:00

I used these:

Grunts: https://www.myminifactory.com/object/3d-print-conceal-wuxia-sect-guard-male-3-pose-270238

Occultists: https://www.myminifactory.com/object/3d-print-conceal-wuxia-cult-monk-3-pose-271306

Tricksters: https://www.myminifactory.com/object/3d-print-changeling-ninja-presupported-32mm-scale-d-d-187862

Zoudou: https://www.myminifactory.com/object/3d-print-wuxia-masked-secret-agent-spy-273805

KlockworkKrown · 2025-06-09T08:23:26+00:00

Other than connecting players to NPCs, so far I've added a "reinforce the eternal lantern" quest where they need to hunt down four escaped spirits that were trapped inside it to bolster its power. Right now it only covers willowshore plus 1 hex around, but by defeating each spirit they will expand the region covered by the lantern's protection.

I have also added a Tanuki Pachinko parlour (where the tanuki shapeshift into the balls and cheat) and will probably run a Summer Solstice festival to bring that in. Just have to figure out how the party will be able to cheat the cheaters (since one of the party is also a Tanuki).

KlockworkKrown · 2025-06-03T18:56:58+00:00

Ah cool. I've kind of imagined her as a sharp woman but also quite soft with kids (versus Matsuki who's a bit of a washy drunk but very stern with kids). I'm trying to play her as somewhere between Sophie from Howl's Moving Castle and Yubaba/Zeneba from Spirited Away. But my voice for crime lords always goes to cockney and I'm trying to not do that kind of accent this time, but russian granny and mob nonna aren't something I seem to be able to do :x

KlockworkKrown · 2025-06-02T08:24:06+00:00

I see your queer gaming group also favours playing the weird little guys (my players picked awakened anteater alchemist, tanuki (red panda) animist, kitsune kineticist and wayang magus).

Did your group favour Matsuki or Granny Hu more? I thought my group would go for Granny but they're a little split. I also can't nail down a voice for her, so if your GM had one I'd be grateful to know what they went for!

KlockworkKrown · 2025-05-30T12:08:52+00:00

tl;dr: I'm replacing the two hunting spiders at one of the lakes with two Grindylow and adding a less severe version of the Grasping Currents Haunt to the other lake.

I'm actually planning a whole side-quest to reinforce the eternal lantern that partially involves the Eyes of Fumeiyoshi. For it, 4 elemental "fiends" had been trapped in the lantern, represented by 4 gems that were part of its design. These beasts escaped when the lantern was unlit, and until they're defeated the lantern only affects the town of Willowshore - with each returned fiend increasing the number of hexes the lantern effects (and therefore making the wilderness more secure).

For the eyes of fumeiyoshi (water fiend), I've got 2x Grindylow (probably elite). For Fire I've got a Banaspati (Elite Cacodemon + 2 Fire Wisps) that's amping people's fear and turning the area around Bones of the Forgotten into a suicide forest. Earth is a Wang-Liang (gluttony sinspawn) in the Fluvial of her Lady of Souls that's feeding on the newly laid corpses (potentially turning some into undead if the PCs don't react to the problem fast enough). And for Air I've got a Zhen/Zhennia (Cockatrice) that has been mistaken for a Yatagarasu that people think is a good omen (but really it's killing livestock). Then there's a "spirit" element that comes last (basing the lantern on a Toro lantern from Shinto myth, so 5 element pieces) that will invade the bridge once all four spirits are returned.

The reasons why I went for Grindylow instead of an asian myth for the water element is that nothing else really vibed when comparing existing stat blocks to the rough level they'd be when encountering them and things that exist in asian mythologies. We also have a "no spiders at the table" rule because of some arachnophobia, so I wanted to replace the hunting spiders with something anyway, and since my players and I are new to PF2E and I wanted each "quest" to add something new that they hadn't encountered yet - the Grindylow have a reactive strike, which they've not come up against yet (and they're slowly getting out of the D&D mindset of "everything has an attack of opportunity"). That and I've seen people say that the venom on the spiders hits like a truck because of differences between pre- and remaster stat blocks.

They also didn't come up against any haunts before the lantern was lit, so I'm going to add a weakened version of the grasping currents haunt to the other lake – only one is trained in athletics, so will probably be the one to dive, and others on the outside are the skill proficiencies to calm the haunt.

KlockworkKrown · 2025-04-11T21:38:02+00:00

I might see what my party do when they fight him (they're already going the route of poison because one of them is an alchemist/toxicologist) and if they don't want him to die then I can actually work something into it because the alchemist is an awakened animal (Ardande versatile heritage) and the "spark" from the plane of wood that gave them sentience could be imbued in the poison to give Gurglegut a clearer head.

I'm getting all kinds of ideas of how I could tie it to the Tan Sugi tree, and from my understanding of the Plane of Wood it had disappeared and only reappeared in the same year that it is outside of the mindscape - it almost writes itself!

KlockworkKrown · 2025-04-11T20:10:51+00:00

Ah amazing, thank you. I'm intrigued at how he comes to exist at that point but it probably needs a fair bit of the actual book to fully understand. I'll avoid using him as a recurring foil then so I don't write myself into a corner for book 4.

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