The Lord of Lightning
Scourge of Cloudburst Coastside
T
Lightning Strike 7d6 Electricity
Falling Rocks 4d6 Bludgeoning
Wildfire Surge 3d6 Fire
Stampede 4d6 Bludgeoning and Knocked Prone
he Cloudburst Coastside is home to many perils: jagged shores of pillared rock, unstable runestone, exploding moss, and massive herbivores no less aggressive than their predators all await you should you venture here. But none of these compare to the storms. Violent displays of magical lightning have plagued this region for as long anyone can remember.
The one thing more intimidating than a region plagued by lightning, however, is a beast that's learned to wield it. After an
Escort Quest into the Cloudburst Coastside goes predictably wrong, your party encounters what the local Elves call a Raikunath, a name that once meant "Lord of Lightning". But whether or not you commence the hunt, try to flee, or if you can even survive such attempts, is up to you.
This module was originally designed for the Dungeonomicon Magazine as part of a Supplemental for the Cloudburst Coastside, which the author considers his first real dive into Monster Hunter style Regions, and is written for the PF2e system; albeit with a distinctive "This author plays Monster Hunter and Sonic the Hedgehog and his tastes in games reflects that" twist. "The Lord of Lightning" includes 1-2 Severe/Extreme Threat Encounters with built-in SCEs, 2 homebrewed monster Statblocks, 1 NPC you can easily fit into other Quests or even have join the party, 6 Magic Items, 2 Environmental Consumables, and an assortment of maps & illustrations to help you run your game!
Primer
Context & Lore
"It's an average, sunny day in Sakura Izakaya, albeit a little slow. Your party sits in your usual corner of the building, with full view of the front desk past the cherry blossom tree in the tavern's center. The sunlight hitting the cascading leaves casts a pink light over the dark red wood of the walls and floor, the smell of incense and alcohol fills the air between, and the only chatter around you is coming from your peers in the Guild.
You see someone walk through the entryway, he seems rather awkward as he looks around and stumbles over overgrown roots on his way to the front desk. A Knight from the looks of it, clearly a foreigner, on the taller side but with a gangly build, face hidden under a bucket helmet with glasses attached to it like a sort of visor, you can't determine if his clothing is formal or the adventuring type.
After discussing with the receptionist, who you know as Kyoku, she enthusiastically turns his attention to your table and, with a show of gratitude, he makes his way towards you. None of what just happened is unusual in the slightest, it's an average, sunny day in Sakura Izakaya."
"Lord of Lightning" takes place in the Eastern part of Oniran so I've written it with a much stronger focus on Elven vibes (Tell the players that Elves are Japanese Dragonborn). This next section is context that the party should be familiar with beforehand.
Sakura Izakaya
Sakura Izakaya is a popular tavern near the Northwest edge of Yasurun, the name comes from the large cherry blossom tree growing in the center of the building. The place is both indoor and outdoor as the tree would make it hard to have a proper roof, but it's nonetheless cozy.
Your party is registered with this tavern's Guild as Yatoudoshi, Comrades for Hire, and are essentially the Elven equivalent of Quest takers in a place like Stonewood. See, when it comes to Elves, things are a coin flip between significantly more professional and significantly more chaotic. The Izakaya provides the hub, the Guild provides the professionalism, you provide the chaos, and everyone makes their living off of it.
Usual Procedure
The way things usually go is that the adventuring parties all gather in their designated corners of the building and wait for any work that might show up. All parties get a hefty discount on food and drink, but for the well established and trusted everything is on the house. When a patron enters they meet with the front desk, describe their job, and are directed to the table with the most qualified for that job to discuss further.
As an extra tradition, its super common for a party to order for the patron and chill for a bit to see if they'd all get along well, since in this line of work that's actually kinda important. After this everyone gets up, goes to the front desk to lock in the quest, and then you're good to go.
As far as qualifications go you're by no means rookies, but you still have a long ways to go before you gain any sort of status. It's rare that you're recommended to Beast hunting type quests but you do have experience with fighting creatures that could very easily overpower a small militia if they wanted to, which is why today you have been recommended for helping a Knight (who introduces himself as "Scholar") not from around here looking to travel to an infamously dangerous region along the northern coast. A region that he refers to as "Cloudburst Coastside".
The Quest
It's at this point that the real meat of the quest is presented to the party. This description isn't really necessary, like, at all; but it may make things more immersive, especially if you read it to a character who's not necessarily engaged in any roleplay with the NPC or just absentmindedly looking around the tavern. Also I just like writing descriptions.
"You notice something strange at the front desk. A look of concern flashes over Kyoku's face, as if she suddenly recalled something important. She almost immediately starts sifting through papers on the desk, then under the desk, then through the files on the bookshelf behind her. She stops. Whatever was on the file she remembered must not have been good, her face goes from disappointment to something more apologetic as she quickly approaches your table."
So here's the deal, the bait you start dangling if you will. The file that Kyoku had remembered was a report from a town near the Coastside, both a warning and a call for aid to be precise, that a particularly aggressive Raikunath had been antagonizing the locals recently and continues to get bolder with each passing day. As of right now the Guild is still waiting for their dedicated Beast Hunting group to return from their current quest, and until then Kyoku strongly advises Scholar and the party to either wait or to cancel any plans to go there entirely.
As adventurers in this Guild, there's a strong chance the players know what both the Cloudburst Coastside and Raikunath are. If you want them to work for it, however, characters who succeed a DC15 Recall Knowledge (Nature) know that the Raikunath is a large fanged beast, built like a sort of landshark, capable of using the lightning storms to its advantage; Characters who critically succeed know that its the apex of this region specifically, several tiers above anything they've fought before, and that its name originally means "Lord of Lightning".
Even without Recalling Knowledge, even without knowing anything about either the region or the Raikunath, the party knows at the very least that if the Guild is opting to wait for the hunters instead of sending a party immediately, there is a reason for it.
Look, Scholar is an intelligent and reasonable man. His immediate response is like "Oh well my apologies I do believe it's in everyone's best interest that I postpone, sorry for taking up your time" but come on we KNOW the party is gonna be like "Bet, we'll take care of it". In fact, we all know this context will make them engage MORE than if you just made the quest "Go hunt this monster". That's why we're all here in the first place, brother.
Assuming I was right and your players do in fact take the bait, we're now locked in. The Quest is simple: escort the Knight to the Coastside, protect him as he conducts his research, escort him back, that's all. However, if they encounter the Raikunath, which is described as being much larger than normal with prominent scarring in the face and a crooked dorsal fin, they are advised to flee but are authorized to begin the hunt if they wish or must; because of the circumstances the Guild is not responsible for anything that goes wrong. Also because of the circumstances, Scholar offers a significantly larger payment and makes half of it up front. According to him even if nothing ends up happening, the risk more than justifies him doing so.
Once on the quest, since it takes a few days to get there and I'm not about to describe fantasy travelling as if it wouldn't just be a montage of overhead shots as the party walks through New Zealand, I will now describe Scholar in detail since the party will definitely end up getting to know him.
Scholar Lore
Scholar himself is a very awkward but overall confident person who has an air of intelligence and professionalism about him. To some he might give the impression of a pretentious know it all, but it couldn't be farther from the truth. He makes an effort at getting to know the adventurers he works with as well as how they operate to ensure he makes the job as easy as possible on them. He has experience with Escort Quests and recognizes how troublesome they can end up being, so he puts great effort at compensating for it, which is also something you as GM should take into account when we get into the thick of it later.
He's a certified Archivist who graduated from The College of Wizardry about a
decade ago, now he spends his time traveling the world and sharing his research and experiences with the Lorehaven Archive. If asked to he will very passionately lore dump for just about anything, he's joyful when people express a desire for knowledge and will always take them seriously, but for your sake we'll limit it to the College and the Cloudburst Coastside itself; if this comes up then just assume he knows everything present in their WA Articles/Zine Supplementals and that the purpose of this journey is to collect samples and record data on the specifics. Both to deepen the
understanding of the region as well as determining if there are any warning signs to look out for in other regions that might undergo a similar phenomenon.
Bonus Lore
Earlier I mentioned that because of the circumstances some in the party might actually be familiar with the region, if this is the case Scholar using the name "Cloudburst Coastside" would be confusing to them. This next bit is intended to just be extra lore you as a GM might like to give them if they ask, but you can also decide that Scholar DOES know this and explains it if he's asked. Whichever is funnier for you, personally it's funnier to me if he does know and the party gets flashbanged by this cinnamon roll with glasses dropping Elven swears.
The reason for this is because "Cloudburst Coastside" is a mistranslation. The locals never really gave the region itself a name, only a description, so what probably happened was the equivalent of some foreign researcher a hundred years ago hearing a local say in Elven "that coastline with all the fuckin' lightning", assuming it was named "lightfucking coastline", and then over time the name boiled down to "lightcuckning coastcloudlight". Is this actually how it happened? Who knows, but mistranslations sure are a wacky thing.
The reason for this is because "Cloudburst Coastside" is a mistranslation. The locals never really gave the region itself a name, only a description, so what probably happened was the equivalent of some foreign researcher a hundred years ago hearing a local say in Elven "that coastline with all the fuckin' lightning", assuming it was named "lightfucking coastline", and then over time the name boiled down to "lightcuckning coastcloudlight". Is this actually how it happened? Who knows, but mistranslations sure are a wacky thing.
The Setting
To set the scene, by the time this next description happens, the party has already arrived to the Coastside and Scholar's research is well under way. Though it should be noted that they have not yet experienced the storms the area is known for; and Scholar says as much, making a point to be transparent and let the party know his thoughts in order to minimize any risks and/or miscommunications.
"By all accounts the Coastside is a lot more peaceful than the stories made it out to be. At most the sky is just gray and the wind might be a little stronger than you're used to, but that couldeasily just be because of how high up the cliff face is from the shore.
Where you're standing, facing the ocean, is a beautiful field of grass waving erratically in the wind; though there are some spots that look to have been burnt recently. The grass and large patches of moss on the rocks are the only plants that seem to reliably grow here. You can also see a herd of Gomudon grazing in the distance. The field stretches out into the horizon on your left, but on your right the terrain gets noticeably rockier and more unstable.
Most of the rock here is a bluish-gray, and along with the massive boulders and rock formations you see large sections that look to be black pillars. Almost unnaturally so. But not as unnatural as the many, many chunks of bismuth runestone that juts out of both the ground and the cliff faces resembling the sculptures that form when sand is struck by lightning."
This section serves a purpose aside from setting the scene just before the real encounters start. At some point you need to describe Scholar collecting samples from one of the chunks of bismuth runestone. He does so with what looks to be a small pick, methodically thumping the runestone as he holds it steady with an unprotected hand. As he gets the sample he also recoils, hissing in pain while clutching his hand and looking down, revealing that he cut his palm along the unexpectedly sharp edge of the runestone. All he'll do in response is clean the wound and wrap it in cloth while quipping to himself over his own clumsiness.
It's narratively important that, even if anyone intervenes to properly treat the wound, Scholar has bled and the stain is somewhere on his person
and out in the open. It's probably best that this isn't pointed out to the party, or at most just a one off "Oh that'll be tough to wash out". (You see foreshadowing is a literary device wh-)
A DC20 Recall Knowledge (Crafting/Nature) or just asking Scholar will reveal that this specific runestone is unique to the region and especially potent when used for elemental magic, Lightning specifically. If Crafting was used, then you also know that a chunk of it can be used as an improvised scroll or talisman by charging it with a spell, you can also sell it for 5gm per chunk to the right buyer.
A DC18 Recall Knowledge (Nature) or just asking Scholar will also let the party know about the presence of Rubbercaps as well as what they do.
Rubbercaps
When consumed they grant Resistance 5 to Electricity but a -2 Item Penalty to AC and/or Saving Throws when targeted by spells or attacks that deal Electricity damage, lasting for 1 hour after consumption.Where There's Thunder
So the vision here is for the party to make a run for the rocks, but if they don't do that then, uh, skip this part? I don't actually know.
"The world around you dims as the clouds above grow significantly darker. Despite the noticeably stronger wind it feels like an unnatural stillness has fallen over the area. Around you, bright blue embers of runic energy begin fading into existence, seemingly almost suspended in animation.
Scholar makes a move towards the rocks in the distance, in which you can see a narrow gap you can squeeze through. He yells for the rest of you to do the same, but before he can do so you hear the inklings of thunder cut him off; the first lightning strike touches down beside you, concerningly close and deafening. The storm has begun, and you're completely exposed."
Assuming your party does indeed see the vision and makes a run for the rocks, what follows is an SCE. This serves as both an appetizer for the
action, introduces them to the lightning strike
mechanic that'll be important for the hunt itself,
as well as herd them into the battlemap with the promise of cover from the storm.
This SCE goes for more of an "Every man for themselves" approach, requiring each player to gain at least 2 Victory Points (The vision here is that 1 victory point represents them getting halfway to the rocks and the second is them closing the distance). Every failure results in some form of damage, Lightning is obvious but in case you want some more ideas I also had falling rocks (caused by the lightning blowing up chunks of the cliff face), the strong wind causing the wildfires to suddenly flare up, and stampeding Gomudon in mind. The latter of which is noteworthy for the next section. I'll put a table here for damage numbers that sound about right, either pick them at random or base it off the degree of failure. That being said, take note of the Lightning damage for later.
Some modifiers I'd imagine are those wearing heavy armor, especially if they're made of metal, which I personally would give a -2 Item Penalty for each. Maybe the failure damage requires a saving throw of some kind, even letting the player gain a victory point if they critically succeed. And even though this is really just a simple transition you could always increase the complexity by requiring more victory points and allowing players to forgo their turn in order to aid an ally with theirs, such as an ally with heavy armor.
Spark of Blue
So for the most part the battlefield here is about as "boss arena" as you can get, surrounded by rocks with a few boulders sprinkled in the middle and a single entrance. The ground along the edge is Difficult Terrain but have small spaces between the rocks that the party can use as Cover, and players who succeed the SCE with more than 2 Victory Points have the opportunity to attempt to Force Open (DC20) a space in the rocks for Greater Cover. Or you could just give it to them for free. Force Open can also be used to create an emergency exit anywhere along the walls in case your party has a moment of "I owe you an apology, I was not familiar with your game".
Once the SCE has ended, make a point to describe Scholar as appearing uneasy to whoever happens to be next to him. If this is ambiguous then I guess just pick a player at random or whoever you think would be the most receptive to the following information: Scholar explains to them that Gomudon should not be stampeding over this, as even the males, who are gentle giants, are seldom phased by the lightning. They were being chased, and there's really only one thing that would be chasing them.
Apologies in advance for the long description I just like writing them.
"Just as he finishes that thought, you hear a rumbling unlike the rolling thunder above you. From the narrow gap in the rocks you see the stampeding Gomudon run past, all of them Male according to Scholar, as well as what looks like a burst of lightning unlike what the storm had been pelting you with thus far. Just before the stampede passes completely you see as the slowest of the bunch is suddenly dashed against the rocks and falls dead at the entrance.An almost shark-like beast, with coppery scales and large patches of bismuth, now stands over the body; its unnaturally large size, scars, and crooked dorsal fin matching it with the description you were given by Kyoku. As it begins tearing into the flesh, you see its head suddenly jerk up as it begins smelling the air; Scholar, worry painted over his helmet, looks down and quickly covers up his bandaged hand with an anxiously stifled "Oh dear".
After an agonizing moment its head whips in Scholar's direction as if the cover was simply irrelevant. The heavy crashing of rocks follow as it hurls itself through the opening, a sudden burst of lightning striking its dorsal fin from above as it does so; it takes a moment to recuperate, and it lets out a bloodcurdling roar as the electricity dances through its bismuth runestone. The Raikunath, Lord of Lightning, has arrived, and it knows you're here."
Important Note If you don't want to read out that absolute novel I wrote: if there's anything that needs to be communicated to the players, it's that the Raikunath needs to be struck by lightning before it can do anything.
Now that combat has started it's time that I explain the Lightning mechanic, which is present up until the Raikunath loses about a quarter of its health (dw I'll elaborate).
At the start of each player's turn you as the GM roll a Flat Check in secret, on a 10 or lower they're struck by lightning and they must make a DC10 Basic Reflex Save. Players taking any form of Cover, which now includes the large rocks scattered around the arena, are safe from this. Though it should also be noted that the cover automatically fails to hide them from the Raikunath as long as they're missing any amount of HP (It smells blood real good).
The Raikunath runs on charges, starting with 1 at the beginning of combat. Unlike the players, its automatically struck at the start of each round, which triggers Lightning Rod.
Gaslight your Players
So here's the deal, and this is gonna be funny so I need you to trust me and let me cook. Imma need you to gaslight your players. Make a point to describe the lightning strikes every turn, especially whenever the Raikunath is struck, up until a few rounds have passed or the Raikunath loses a quarter of its health. From this point forward only describe the Raikunath charging up as usual, in the event that players ask why you stopped describing the lightning, uh, I don't know man that's on you I'm kinda banking on them either not noticing or thinking you just got tired of reiterating.
Essentially, the vision is that the storm actually stops a little ways into the fight without the characters realizing the Raikunath is still charging up regardless, or at least not without a cheeky little Recall Knowledge to have this change pointed out to them.
Just letting you know, there's NO way this shit is balanced properly. Like, the NUMBERS are balanced but I have no idea for the actions themselves without playtesting
NPC Behavior
The Raikunath for the most part is savage and bloodthirsty with not much in the way of strategy besides ripping and tearing until it is done. At most it will prioritize the most injured as well asmoving around the battlefield as often as possible.
If you decide Scholar should also get his own spot in the initiative order, and thus presenting the party with the knowledge that him dying is very much a possibility, I would personally treat him as a competent support who will prioritize staying out of the way and avoiding the Raikunath. I won't bother with a statblock, only note that he's an Expert at Medicine and can use the Battle Medicine action; he has enough Healer's Toolkits for everyone including himself. In addition, Scholar has the Monster Hunter/Warden class feats and can attempt Recall Knowledge checks without needing to Hunt Prey; he can grant bonuses once per player instead of once per day, but he needs to be within 15ft of the target player.
Once the Raikunath has reached half-health, proceed to the It's on Sight section where we will let the players know that this one shot is really about giving them the full Cloudburst Coastside experience free of charge.
It's on Sight
"The Raikunath staggers back, its chest heaving, and despite its expressionless face you swear you can sense an unbridled rage in the way it now moves. Beside you, Scholar makes a comment suggesting he may have deduced what makes this Raikunath so abnormal. It tenses, almost as if channeling an electric charge it doesn't have, but just before its able to let out its roar the rock walls near what used to be the entrance give way in a thunderous feat of strength.
With an almost triumphant roar, the tusks of a female Gomudon embed themselves in the shoulders of the now screeching Raikunath. After a moment of swinging the predator around, the Raikunath is flung in the direction of the cliff face, crashing through the other rock wall in the process. It claws at the ground as the momentum sends it tumbling towards the edge, roaring in pain as it does so, but the effort does nothing more than leave gash marks in the rock and stone as it plummets off the cliff into the ocean below.
You're granted little in the way of respite, however. The Gomudon turns to you with nostrils flared and a fire still burning in her eyes. It's now abundantly clear why Scholar made a point to distinguish the males and females, and it's now abundantly clear why Scholar has already begun running in the opposite direction deeper into the rocky terrain, all while yelling for you to do the same."
Gomudon OST
Bonus points for if you play the Mount theme specifically during the Chase
This is where you present a choice to the party, fight or flight. If it's fight then I wish good luck to your party and just use the Gomudon stat block. If it's flight then what follows is a good ol' Chase SCE, the Gomudon automatically goes last in initiative and the party succeeds if they clear 6 obstacles or get 3 obstacles ahead of her.
Some obstacle ideas I had in mind aside from the obvious "big rock in your way" include: having to run/climb through the basalt pillars (which will get more abundant the closer they get to the next area), having to cross a river by either swimming or jumping across rocks, having to traverse heavy patches of Sparkmoss that are actively exploding, and needing to jump down a steep drop-off in the rocks. Players who are able to scout for easier paths, for which the DC should be extremely difficult, may find narrow pathways in the rocks as well as cave entrances that the Gomudon won't be able to fit through. Although these paths should also include their own challenges, taking them will immediately put you one obstacle ahead of her but still eventually lead to the next area.
However the party ends up succeeding, the Gomudon loses track of them (momentarily) and they can see the next area ahead of them.
Clash of the Titans
"As you continue to run, having momentarily outpaced the Gomudon, you're able to scout the area ahead of you. From the distance it seems almost entirely rocky terrain now, and mostly the basalt pillars at that. The varying elevation of those pillars make it seem almost bowl-like, but it looks like you could climb over them almost like stairs to get over the wall if you must. In fact, as you get closer you immediately get a free demonstration of this.
The Raikunath furiously clambers over the other side of the arena and drops into the center, covered in dirt, grime, and dried blood. It stares in your direction, breathing labored, and then behind you.
Those who turn to look see the Gomudon, staring back at the Raikunath. It seems that, for the moment, they're only concerned with each other. The storm has long been over by now, but you see the Raikunath tense up as if charging something.
"Friends, I worry that I was correct in my theory towards this Raikunath's ferocity" Scholar mutters beside you. The Raikunath lets out an almost desperate sounding roar, as if whatever its about to do is a last resort, and an aura of lightning bursts from within its body. It crackles through the runestone scales as it stares you down.
"It no longer needs the storm. It has become the storm."
Raikunath OST
Gomudon OST
Bonus points if you just play the Mount theme with the drums and shit to represent the Raijikami mode
Personally I think I'd only swap back to this if the party successfully hunts the Raikunath and they choose to stay and fight the Gomudon
Fun fact: Raijikami is a scuffed mishmash of Japanese words (cause that's how I write Elves) that basically means "God of Lightning".
So yeah this is basically it, now or never. Take this as your opportunity to really go all out and put the fear of god into your players. If it were me I would treat it as if the Raikunath is no longer prioritizing, only lashing out, and as such it is constantly moving and trying to attack as many targets as possible. If anything the Raikunath probably views the Gomudon as the biggest threat, and the Gomudon has complete tunnel-vision on the Raikunath; both know what the other is capable of and will act accordingly, though it should be noted that the Gomudon is MUCH smarter in how it goes about fighting.
Bonus Idea I'm putting here that
isn't in the Zine.
If you decide to do the SCE thing with bosses from the "Skill Issue" article, I would ABSOLUTELY let one of the bosses join in. Like, if you initiate the SCE against the Raikunath then the Gomudon would get its own turn. Now, this doesn't mean that they team with the party, this means that the party now has a chance to adapt to whatever the beasts are doing for a pretty unique and hype team kill.
isn't in the Zine.
If you decide to do the SCE thing with bosses from the "Skill Issue" article, I would ABSOLUTELY let one of the bosses join in. Like, if you initiate the SCE against the Raikunath then the Gomudon would get its own turn. Now, this doesn't mean that they team with the party, this means that the party now has a chance to adapt to whatever the beasts are doing for a pretty unique and hype team kill.
There are multiple ways this fight can go, and as such I have prepared multiple win conditions. Whether or not you tell your party these are all options is up to you.
Proof of a Hero
The Enemy of my Enemy is Temporarily not my Enemy
There are two ways to get this ending. The first is to help the Gomudon kill the Raikunath without directly harming her, after which she will be pacified and allow the players to leave. But it should be noted this is very much with a "Okay fine I'll leave you alone but you better get out of my sight before I change my mind" energy.
The second can only happen if anyone at any point, including Scholar, remembers they're in possession of Rubbercaps and knows what they do. If this happens, either you or Scholar can inform the players that the reaction can be forced if the mushrooms get hit by any of the Raikunath's attacks. The most obvious method is if the person holding them just gets attacked. If the reaction is set off then the Raikunath becomes Off-Guard for the rest of combat and the Gomudon will no longer see the party as a threat. Post-combat she'll even treat them as she would male Gomudon and express concern for their wellbeing, albeit with a hint of suspicion since it obviously knows that they aren't. It's not advised they try their luck and overstay their welcome.
Smash and Dash
If the party successfully kills the Raikunath but the Gomudon isn't pacified, the party has the option of escaping through a second Chase SCE with reduced DCs. This is the recommended option since the combat at this point would be a weakened party vs a full health boss potentially 3 levels above them.
I'm Sorry you WHAT
If your party somehow locks the fuck in and kills both??? Idk man give them double XP at that point. Or just give them a free level up. That should NOT have been possible.
I Owe You an Apology I was not Familiar with Your Game
If your party decides "Okay we're out" and then successfully dips through an SCE. Not a Chase SCE, but rather an SCE that involves the party trying to leave the arena as the two beasts start wailing on each other. So the vision is them needing to duck and weave through their attacks and avoid becoming collateral damage. I'm thinking 2 Victory Points per person, 1 representing the Gomudon's attack and 1 representing the Raikunath's, and if someone gets a crit success describing them weaving through multiple clashes all badass-like.
Loot & XP
I need you to bear with me here cause I still have little experience with making PF2e modules, this section is just me throwing shit at the wall and seeing what sounds cool vhbdfskjhv.
The first reward is the Quest Payment itself, after the Guild takes a small cut of course. The party earns 550gm, if they got the "Sorry you WHAT" ending that reward is increased to 875gm. Alternatively you could look through the Party Treasure by Level table and generously give them their corresponding "Total Value"; adding the "Party Currency" if they got the ending.
Scholar also gifts a ring with a fragment of the bismuth runestone affixed to it, this ring functions as a Jolt Coil (Greater) and grants the Armor bonus. You can also choose to have Scholar gift this ring at the start of the Quest if the party goes out of their way to ask him about the runestone he's collecting. If given this way it starts as the base version and becomes Greater after the combat.
If the party harvested a chunk of the runestone for themselves after succeeding the Crafting check, upon returning home they can refine it into a Conducting Rune for half the cost. It deals 1 additional damage per die if the energy type is Electricity. I think it'd be a cute RP interaction if on the way back Scholar notices a strange reaction between the runestone and one of the party member's weapons, which he then suggests that the
party should refine it into a rune.
We also have some bonus XP rewards. Succeeding in the Recall Knowledge checks for Cloudburst Coastside lore gives 10XP. Finding the alternate paths as well as getting critical successes during each of the SCEs rewards 30XP and a Hero Point each. If the party gets the Rubbercaps ending, toss them a bonus 100XP for being chads.
Raikunath
If the party decides to harvest materials fromthe Raikunath's body, they can refine it into a Raijikami Cuirass for 250gm. Functionally Scale Mail, covering both the front, back, and shoulders in the bismuth chunks and coppery scales as well as preserving the beast's distinct dorsal fin.
In addition to lacking the penalties normally given by Scale Mail, the armor gives the wearer access to the beast's Raijikami ability and a once per day use of Frenzied Surge. Though this doesn't include the charges mechanic.
Gomudon
If the party somehow gets the "I'm Sorry you WHAT" ending, the Gomudon can be harvested and refined into a Bulwark's Tuskplate for 375gm. Made completely from its hide and fur but still functioning as Full Plate, as well as her harvested tusks fastened in a way that covers the torso, curls around, and sits comfortably over the shoulders. The wearer of this armor is also granted the Gomudon's "The Fire in Her Eyes" ability, which they can use once every 1d6 rounds.
For half the cost, they can instead refine the materials into Tuskplate Pauldrons; losing the benefits of full plate armor in exchange for just the ability on its own.
Social Rewards
Scholar is now your friend and also your status in the guild goes up like 5 levels. Everyone thinks you're super cool.
Calm After the Storm
Since I provided multiple endings I'm gonna have toleave post-combat description and roleplaying to you. But I can tell you how things could go.
For starters, Scholar will be absolutely ecstatic, much to the party's surprise probably. The reason? Well, it's not like he's been travelling the world for just research, you don't tend to last too long exploring Oniran unless you're in it for the love of the game, brother. This journey in particular he'd say is one for the books. Also he's running off of pure hype and adrenaline and will crash momentarily.
If they ended up slaying the Raikunath, I think it'd be funny if the party ran into the Beast Hunters on the way back and got to tell them they took care of it. I personally would RP the Hunters with overwhelming amounts of gusto and bravado with a dash of healthy masculinity as they congratulate the party and join them on the way back, promising to throw a party in their honor for going above and beyond.
(Basically I would RP them as the Body Improvement Club from Mob Psycho 100)
In addition to the normal rewards, Scholar would also join them in returning to Sakura Izakaya, which he doesn't have to do, for the explicit purpose of leaving an absolutely glowing review regardless of which ending they got. Whether or not he joins the celebration is up to the party inviting him or not, I think that could set up a pretty wholesome moment.
Basically, the central theme of this one shot is that the party has overcome a challenge like 3 levels, potentially 5, above their pay grade and came back victorious; the Guild may be professional but we're talking about Elves here so you best believe they'll be celebrating accordingly.
(Don't let Scholar drink the Elven alcohol he'll immediately drop into a coma)
Details
Pathfinder 2e One ShotCodex
Primer
Context & Lore
The Quest
Scholar Lore
The Setting
Where There's Thunder
Spark of Blue
It's On Sight
Clash of the Titans
Proof of a Hero
Loot & XP
Calm After the Storm
The Lord of Lightning OST
Hell Hath no Fury Like a Woman Deciding
Sakura Izakaya
Cloudburst on the Coastside
Lord of Lightning
Hell Hath no Fury Like a Woman Deciding
It's On Sight
Themes
Going above and beyond to prove yourselves
Exploration through a dangerous environment
Going to great lengths in the pursuit of knowledge
There's Always a Bigger Fish
Rock Music
NPCs
Scholar
Enemies
Raikunath
Gomudon
Maps
Related Sauce
All the art is made by me unless labled otherwise!
I love all the different endings. I think that's what makes a really great oneshot. Your style is so fun to read, and I really love the maps. <3
Explore Etrea | Summer Camp 2025
Thanks so much!!!
While I would love to go on an adventure, writing them is enough for me.