Shaelrick - Player Introduction

Back in the days when we played with the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons rule set, I had a drow character who used her wealth to build a city named Shaelrick. The name was a combination of three aliases my disguised drow had used while adventuring with the party. 

Her primary disguise was a female elf wizard-thief named Shandral. Her second disguise was Rick, a human ranger. Her true drow name was Elsodia D’Hunnet. By blending these names, I came up with Shaelrick. 

 For our Pathfinder2E campaign, I decided Shaelrick would serve as the primary base of operations for the orphan characters. Here is the introduction to the campaign. 

  Player Introduction Welcome to the bustling city-state of Shaelrick, where shadows dance with the light of political intrigue, and secrets linger in every corner. As you embark on this journey, your characters will take on the roles of children who have faced tragedy and now seek refuge and new beginnings in the heart of the city. 

 Synopsis: Your characters were once residents of the coastal village of Eldrithorn, where your families lived peaceful lives. However, tragedy struck when the village was attacked by undead-like monsters, resulting in the loss of your parents. In the aftermath of this devastating event, you were brought to Shaelrick by Brother Aldric Shieldheart, a compassionate figure who took you under his wing.  

Although you were spared from the horrors of the attack, the memories of that fateful day linger in your minds. Now, as you settle into life in Shaelrick, you find yourselves assigned to different schools based on your interests and talents. Despite the challenges you face, you are determined to build new lives for yourselves in this city of opportunity and intrigue. 

As you navigate the bustling streets of Shaelrick, you will forge bonds with your fellow orphans, uncover secrets about your pasts, and embark on quests that will shape your destinies. Together with Brother Aldric, who serves as both a mentor and a father figure, you will confront the shadows of your past and embrace the promise of a brighter future. 

 Prepare yourselves, brave adventurers, for the City of Shadows awaits your arrival. May your courage be your guide as you embark on this epic journey. You can find more details about Shaelrick here: 

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4E Pre-Adventure - Creating the Orphans

To help transition our group from D&D 4E to Pathfinder 2E, I ran a 4E adventure as a prologue. The NPC Orphan survivors of that adventure become the player characters in our Pathfinder 2E campaign. 

 I felt this helped give the players a vested interest in the new Pathfinder characters they would create. 

 Below is the game log for the pre-adventure. 

20240127 Against the Necro Ghouls and the Old Ones - Helping the Temple of Torm 

DM- Ross 

Sonya (Half Elf Warlord) - Stuart 

Sagitarius (Human Rogue) - BK 

Hystan (Half Elf Ranger) - Vic 

Gizmo - (Githyanki Avenger) - Art 

Galbreath - Human Fighter - Steve T 

Chopper (Human Fighter) - Jae 

Ebok - Human Warlock - Kobe 

 In the coastal mission station of Eldrithorn, our brave party encountered a plea for help from Brother Aldric Shieldhart, a priest of Torm. The mission: to thwart undead-like monstrosities menacing the village. 

Promised magical rewards, the heroes agreed and were swiftly directed to meet at the beleaguered Eldrithorn.  

Upon arrival, the village appeared deserted, its homes ablaze. Unbeknownst to them, the missing villagers had been transformed into Living Ghouls, triggering a gruesome confrontation. Despite vanquishing most of the fiends, the elusive Ghoul King managed to evade the heroes. 

Tragically, all members, save for Sagitarius, were infected by the Ghouls' bites. Brother Aldric revealed the horrifying truth: they were doomed to become Ghouls unless their bodies resisted the transformation. Determined, the party embarked on a perilous journey to Newport's Library of Oghma, hoping for a cure. 

A night at an inn turned into a nightmarish revelation as signs of Ghoul transformation manifested. Arriving at Newport Library, a conclave of priests discovered the Living Ghouls hailed from another dimension. With no cure in sight, the clerics cast spells to enhance the party's bodies, fortifying them against the disease. Miraculously, the heroes resisted the affliction, returning to their former selves. 

 In the aftermath, Brother Aldric sought the party's aid to escort him and the orphaned children to the distant city of Shaelrick, home to a Temple of Torm. 

Aboard The Rogue Mariner, captained by Blackfin Morgan, the party faced a series of unexpected challenges. A surprise attack by inter-dimensional sea creatures, known as "Old Ones," hinted at a connection between the Ghouls and a mysterious book found by Brother Aldric. 

 With the dangerous tome secured in a Dimensional Box, the party completed their journey to Shaelrick, delivering the orphans and Brother Aldric to the safety of the Temple of Torm. The city's mysteries deepened, leaving the heroes with questions yet unanswered.

Switching to Pathfinder 2e

Our gaming group has primarily been playing Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition since its release. We've also dabbled in D&D 5E, Savage Worlds, and even tried Star Trek Adventures a bit. However, I've been feeling a bit bored with 4E lately, especially since there hasn’t been much new content for it. 

To shake things up, I decided to start a new series of adventures within our campaign world using Pathfinder 2E. 

 After exploring various character builder options, I decided to go with *Wanderer’s Guide* because it offered solid campaign management tools and an integrated encounter builder. 

Once we started using it, we realized we were working with the “Legacy” version, and at that time, the new version didn’t yet include all the latest information. 

Eventually, everyone had to remake their characters in the new version, but the transition went smoothly. 

With its three-action economy, Pathfinder 2E has a playstyle that feels reminiscent of D&D 4E, making it an easy adjustment for our group. 

I’ll be sharing our adventure logs in the next posts—stay tuned!