My Pathfinder 2E Beginner Box improvements

Watching a recent Ronald the Rules Lawyer Youtube video I noted his critique of the Pathfinder 2E Beginner Box potentially feeling too “basic” for more experienced players of Tabletop Roleplaying Games. While the adventure as written is a good introduction to many of the rules, and presented in a gradual format to avoid rules overload, the story and motivations behind the creatures encountered is rather patchy.

As befits my gamemastering style, I had already fleshed out aspects of the Menace Under Otari module for groups that I have run through this set. Below the show-more are my spoiler-filled tips for adding some depth to the adventure and further tying it into Otari and other possible adventures nearby. My regular players, or any potential Toronto D&D players who might want to experience this adventure should stop reading here!

I’ll start with some general tips for the adventure, and afterwards there’ll be a table of specific improvements I made to the numbered rooms and locations in the dungeon.

The adventure assumes the player characters start in the cellar exploring for the stolen fish. I’d argue a short scene with Tamily in the Fishery shop above might be good to get the players into the spirit. I even have the noise of wood splintering and stone falling alert the group to something being amiss. In that version of the intro Tamily opens the door to see the rats rushing into the space through the hole in the eastern wall – if the PCs don’t immediately offer to defend her and her Fishery, she’ll ask them to take on this threat as she’s unarmed!

I also had Wrin Sivinxi, proprietor of Wrin’s Wonders be present at the start – she has foretold the PCs coming and their role in saving the village from “the hunger in the dark”. She has sensed dark power somewhere underground for the last week, her scrying gave her visions of a clawed hand dropping a inky black crystal, a flash of baleful green light and shambling forms emerging from shadowed corners. Tamily and other Fishery workers will confirm that the village was built on the ruins of an older settlement, a monastery and that at one point it was also overrun by kobolds. This scene includes a vague hint at the future events of the Abomination Vault adventure path and introduces the main NPC to start that adventure – Wrin. Further clues and lore links to Abomination Vault are incorporated below to make this the perfect introduction adventure to that series and to give the PCs a chance to get invested in Otari and its troubles earlier on.

Room Improvements

Room #	Suggested changes or amendments
1	Have the rats break through before the PCs enter, this avoids issues with the map already showing the broken wall and tunnel beyond. The rats are in a panic, they had wandered into room 3 and the spider attacked, wounding one (it has 4 damage already and puncture marks on one flank)
2	I agreed with much of Ronald’s tips for this skill encounter, especially the note that the second 5′ doesn’t need a skill roll – so it’s only one per PC in effect. I also hint about using rope here to ensure new players are aware of their pregen characters’ equipment or skills.
3	I have this spider as an undead giant spider. Same stats but no poison and I describe it’s desiccated abdomen, white eyes and the missing lower portion of one foreleg. It had been killed some weeks ago by the kobolds as they secured access to the fish, but the Gauntlight’s baleful energy caught its corpse as well and raised it as a zombie giant spider!
5	This room is part of the sunken monastery, a crypt where Abadar’s faithful were put to rest as his symbol on the walls and sarcophagus attest. I prompt for a recall knowledge as skeletons have damage resistance (in Monster Core). The sarcophagus has an inscription: “Here lies the remains of the High Clerk of the Immen-Vault Monastery: Keloden Tremani”. One of the coffins is marked differently, it has the sword & sun symbol of Iomedae. The paladin guard of the High Clerk, Galona Taval was buried here – now she is a skeleton like the other monks also laid to rest here. A decahedral carved gemstone of onyx lies near the foot of the sarcophagus: a xulgath brought this here on the orders of a powerful necromancer (see Abomination Vault) several weeks ago. They were supposed to retrieve it afterwards but the skeletons fought them off and the xulgaths have only just recovered from their wounds.
7	First kobold encounter of the complex. All but one are of the more aggressive Stonescale clan from Gauntlight Keep to the North. They attack above-grounders without hesitation: any such humanoids are a threat to their “new-found refuge”. One of them is a smaller Quietclaw clan kobold called Zigig. He will hang back in the fight and will surrender, promising to go ahead and talk to the others to avoid further confrontations if they party let’s him go free.
9	On the altar front face is a crude inscription in draconic, written in red letters (rat’s blood): “Magic disappears foods! Beware!” The coins are old Absalom mint gold coins, all date from the 4210s – one from each year from 4211 through 4219. The current year is 4721. 4219 is the fake coin. Inscribed in antiquated common on the altar front is the following edict to would be acolytes of Abadar: “Oh Master of the First Vault, fakery is to thee a great sin, any who would enter thy sanctum, must first root out this evil. Offer it as a worthy sacrifice. Initiates must pass this test, afore their pledge to the Wealthy Father. The purity of their true value shall be weighed, the greater by his own hands.”
10	If the heroes listen, they can hear fragments of a quiet conversation between a few other kobolds. If they understand draconic they hear “the invaders new pet”, “the fish not enough to keep it fed.” and “Zolgran not strong enough, I take charge!”
11	Tovak, the trapmaster is the leader of the Stonescales in the dungeon. He wants to stage a coup and take over from Zolgran, leader of the Quietclaws and currently in charge of the combined kobold group. The Stonescales here will attack outsiders on sight – there is no sign of Zigig here.
12	If Zigig survived the fight in room 7 and was allowed to scamper off, he is tied up behind the right-hand barricade in this room. Tovak caught him trying to sneak through upstairs and had him brought down out of the way while she prepared her plans. The remaining Stonescale kobolds here will attack on sight as Tovak forced Zigig to reveal the party’s approach. Zigig shouts at the heroes in draconic “they not listen to Zigig, Tovak not obey Zolgran!”
16	The fountain bears an inscription on its eastern lip “Dedicated to the ever-faithful watcher of the waves: Igwen Tremani”. She cofounded the monastery with the Abadar clergy in 4210 to minister to the merchants and sailors that called at this natural harbour even before Otari was founded. Igwen was sister to Keloden the High Clerk of the Abadar priesthood.

Iconic pregenerated PC backgrounds or motivations

I usually run the Beginner Box with the standard selection of iconic pregenerated characters from the Pathfinder Society organized play website. To help new Pathfinder players feel like their chosen character has a personal stake in the adventure, I created a sample motivation for why each iconic character would happen to be in Otari and want to help Tamily.

Character	Reason to be in Otari / motivation for adventure
Ezren (Wizard)	He left Absalom after being rejected by the Arcanamirium (school of wizardry) a second time due to his age. He is looking for something to distract him from his frustrations.
Feiya (Witch)	She has travelled from the far north to seek the seer Wrin Sivinxi’s aid in divining the identity of her patron. Wrin had seen a name written in the stars, Nysima, a dread name from Feiya’s childhood that is somehow linked to events near Otari.
Harsk (Ranger)	On the trail of a pack of marsh giants rumoured to have moved into the Fogfen, he is seeking allies to take on this threat to Kortos Isle’s southern hills.
Kyra (Cleric)	She is in Otari at the renowned Dawnflower Library to rest before travelling on to Absalom study at the Temple of the Shining Star, Sarenrae’s centre of worship.
Lem (Bard)	Just arrived in Otari via a merchant ship, Lem is seeking a quiet place to disappear for a while after a long and arduous voyage.
Lini (Druid)	She was called to a meeting with the druid Worliwynn outside the village. Unnatural forces are gathering in the Fogfen, they must not be allowed to take root!
Merisiel (Rogue)	Stowed away on a merchant ship in Almas and got off at Otari to avoid the stricter cargo inspections at Absalom. She’s now looking for her next adventure.
Valeros (Fighter)	He received the message from Wrin, and is between mercenary contracts at present, so got on the next coach out of Absalom to find his next adventure!