Zen

Source string Source string

entries.Outlaws of Alkenstar - Player's Guide.journals.Players Guide.pages.Contents.text
1006/10000 · 1006

The string is read only.

Key English Actions
entries.Outlaws of Alkenstar - Player's Guide.name
Outlaws of Alkenstar - Player's Guide
entries.Outlaws of Alkenstar - Player's Guide.caption
 
entries.Outlaws of Alkenstar - Player's Guide.description
<p><em>Sometimes, a bullet is best.</em></p><p>A gang of outlaws, each with their own grudge against the villains who wronged them, must join forces to get their revenge. In the steam-powered city of <strong>Alkenstar</strong>, where most business is as orderly as the hands on a clock, these rugged antiheroes will have to go against the grain if they’re to settle their vendettas.</p><p>Will the vigilantes have enough firepower to cut a path through Alkenstar’s soot-stained streets? Or will they, like so many others, get swallowed up by the ever-churning gears of the City of Smog?</p>
entries.Outlaws of Alkenstar - Player's Guide.journals.Players Guide.name
Players Guide
entries.Outlaws of Alkenstar - Player's Guide.journals.Players Guide.pages.Contents.name
Contents
entries.Outlaws of Alkenstar - Player's Guide.journals.Players Guide.pages.Contents.text

<img class="chapter-image"
src="modules/pf2e-ap178-180-outlaws-of-alkenstar/assets/art/PZO90178_Scene_Hellside_Chase_final.webp" alt="" />
<h1 class="no-toc chapter-heading">
<span>Player’s Guide</span>
</h1>
<h2 class="no-toc">How to Use This Player’s Guide</h2>
<h2 class="no-toc">
@UUID[JournalEntry.pf2ooalk01player.JournalEntryPage.01alkenstarcit00]{Alkenstar, City of Smog}
</h2>
<p>Places of Note</p>
<p>Sidebar: Where on Golarion?</p>
<p>Notable Personas</p>
<p>Map: Alkenstar</p>
<p>Magic in Alkenstar</p>
<h2 class="no-toc">
@UUID[JournalEntry.pf2ooalk01player.JournalEntryPage.01yourcharacte00]{Your Character}
</h2>
<p>Outlawed</p>
<p>Gunmetal Grudge</p>
<p>Sidebar: Running this Adventure</p>
<p>The Heist</p>
<h2 class="no-toc">
@UUID[JournalEntry.pf2ooalk01player.JournalEntryPage.01charactersug00]{Character Suggestions}
</h2>
<p>Alignments</p>
<p>Ancestries</p>
<p>Table: Suggested Character Options</p>
<p>Classes</p>
<p>Languages</p>
<p>Skills and Feats</p>
<p>Backgrounds</p>
entries.Outlaws of Alkenstar - Player's Guide.journals.Players Guide.pages.How to Use This Player’s Guide.name
How to Use This Player’s Guide
entries.Outlaws of Alkenstar - Player's Guide.journals.Players Guide.pages.How to Use This Player’s Guide.text

<p>Welcome to Alkenstar!</p>
<p>
If you’re reading this Player’s Guide, it means you and your friends have
decided to play in the Outlaws of Alkenstar Adventure Path. In this campaign
for Pathfinder Second Edition, you’ll create a 1st-level character and take on
the role of a criminal outlaw in a steam-powered metropolis. To get revenge on
the villains who ruined you, you’ll need to defeat clockwork creatures,
collect fantastic firearms, and navigate industrial dungeons, magical wilds,
and myriad social spheres. If this sounds exciting, you’ve found the right
Adventure Path!
</p>
<p>
To play in this campaign, all you need is the Pathfinder Core Rulebook and a
character sheet. With the permission of your Game Master (GM), you can also
use other Pathfinder Second Edition books and accessories to further customize
your character. While not required to enjoy Outlaws of Alkenstar, Pathfinder
Guns &amp; Gears is an especially useful supplement to have on hand, as it
contains a number of character options and rules elements specifically
designed for characters in Alkenstar, the industrial metropolis at the heart
of this Adventure Path.
</p>
<p>This Player’s Guide is organized into the following sections:</p>
<ul>
<li>
<strong
>@UUID[JournalEntry.pf2ooalk01player.JournalEntryPage.01alkenstarcit00]{Alkenstar,
City of Smog}:</strong
>
An overview of the industrial metropolis in which your story takes place.
</li>
<li>
<strong
>@UUID[JournalEntry.pf2ooalk01player.JournalEntryPage.01yourcharacte00]{Your
Character}:</strong
>
Important background details and inspiring lore to consider before creating
your character.
</li>
<li>
<strong
>@UUID[JournalEntry.pf2ooalk01player.JournalEntryPage.01charactersug00]{Character
Suggestions}:</strong
>
Additional guidance, practical advice, and specific tips for creating a
character tailored specifically for Outlaws of Alkenstar.
</li>
</ul>
entries.Outlaws of Alkenstar - Player's Guide.journals.Players Guide.pages.Alkenstar City of Smog.name
Alkenstar City of Smog
entries.Outlaws of Alkenstar - Player's Guide.journals.Players Guide.pages.Alkenstar City of Smog.text

<h1 class="no-toc">Alkenstar, City of Smog</h1>
<p>
In the heart of the war-torn Mana Wastes, a metropolis of industry,
innovation, and intrigue awaits travelers hardy enough to make the journey.
Beneath the towering gaze of brass spires and stone fortresses, amid a
tangle of oil-slicked streets and soot-stained alleys, human inventors and
their clockwork creations walk beside mutated gnoll scavengers,
bronze-masked religious zealots, and fire-fleshed geniekin merchants. Many
spend their days toiling without respite in grimy workshops or smoky
factories. Others patrol the cobblestone streets for their fortunes, one
hand firmly on their holstered sidearms, ready to confront a rival gang or
runaway bounty.&nbsp;All the while, pistons, gears, and cogs within every
machine and building turn as steadily as the hands of a clock, all
maintaining the mechanical rhythm of a settlement that never truly sleeps.
This is Alkenstar, the City of Smog.
</p>
<p>
Outlaws of Alkenstar begins in the eponymous city. Whether your character is
Alkenstar-born, a first- or second-generation immigrant, or a total
newcomer, it’s worthwhile to master some of the City of Smog’s basic
nomenclature. The following is some basic information about Alkenstar known
to most locals and visitors alike.
</p>
<aside class="sidebar">
<h1 class="no-toc">Where on Golarion</h1>
<p>
The Outlaws of Alkenstar Adventure Path starts in the city of Alkenstar,
an industrial and technological mecca in the Mana Wastes of eastern
Garund. For more information about the Mana Wastes and Alkenstar, see
pages 195–199 of Pathfinder Guns &amp; Gears or pages 74–76 of the
Pathfinder Lost Omens World Guide.
</p>
<img style="
shape-outside: url('modules/pf2e-ap178-180-outlaws-of-alkenstar/assets/maps/where-on-golarion.webp');
" src="modules/pf2e-ap178-180-outlaws-of-alkenstar/assets/maps/where-on-golarion.webp">
</aside>
<h2>Places of Note</h2>
<p>
Alkenstar is a large city in an arid desert environment built atop the edge
of the 400-foot-tall
<strong>Hellfallen Cliffs</strong>. Formidable stone walls protect the city
on all sides from wasteland raiders. The easiest way into the city is via
the steady-flowing <strong>Ustradi River</strong>, which naturally bisects
Alkenstar.
</p>
<p>
In the center of the city is <strong>Alken Falls</strong>, a massive
waterfall set several hundred yards back from the rest of the Hellfallen
Cliffs to the north. Thousands of vessels traverse Alken Falls each year by
way of the <strong>Screw</strong>, a technological marvel that can raise or
lower multiple ships at a time from one end of the falls to the other.
</p>
<p>
The wealthy districts and neighborhoods south of the Ustradi are referred to
as <strong>Skyside</strong>, whereas the polluted, industrial quarters to
the north are collectively known as <strong>Smokeside</strong>. Within these
two major regions, the city is further subdivided into loosely defined
wards.
</p>
<ul>
<li>
Smokeside is home to the quaint inventors’ neighborhood of
<strong>Steamhaven</strong>, peaceful <strong>Ustradi Heights</strong>,
and lively <strong>Ferrous Quarter</strong>.
</li>
<li>
In Skyside, one can attend swanky aristocratic galas in the
<strong>Capital District</strong>, peruse the many marketplaces of
<strong>Auburn District</strong>, or head to
<strong>Pilot’s Square</strong> to pay for passage aboard an airship or
dirigible bound for major ports along the eastern Garundi coastline.
</li>
<li>
A few city districts defy categorization into either Skyside or Smokeside,
including <strong>Hellside</strong>—a shantytown that literally hangs from
the side of the cliffs overlooking Alken Falls—and the monster-infested
ruins of <strong>Ironside Quarter</strong> along the city’s far western
wall.
</li>
</ul>
<p>
Alkenstar’s major institutions include
<strong>Alkenstar Castle</strong> (from which the city’s elected politicians
hold court), the <strong>Temple of Brigh</strong> (overseen by the highly
influential priests of the goddess of clockwork), and
<strong>Blythir College</strong> (the city’s only major magical academy and
a hub of higher learning). Of course, as in any city, Alkenstar’s most
important cultural movements occur among its people, not its leaders. In the
sky-scraping towers of <strong>Graeson’s Fingers</strong> in the Capital
District or upscale establishments like the
<strong>Longhorn Lounge</strong>, socialites mingle and make deals behind
closed doors at ritzy soirees and gaudy galas, whose electric luxuries are
made possible only by the skilled engineers at the
<strong>Tinwound Hydroforge</strong>.
</p>
<p>
All the while, criminals both organized and independent haunt Alkenstar’s
alleyways, sewers, and seedy taverns like the
<strong>Hotfoot Hippodrome</strong>, where untold quantities of illicit
wealth are pushed through the city like so much lifeblood. At popular
saloons like the <strong>Barrel &amp; Bullet Saloon</strong>, impoverished
factory hands and honest laborers hold court from the fortress of a taproom
table and wielding only a mug of watery ale.
</p>
<p>
Beyond the city’s walls lie the <strong>Mana Wastes</strong>—a turbulent,
craggy desert irrevocably altered by centuries of magical warfare from the
neighboring, wizard-ruled nations of <strong>Nex</strong> and
<strong>Geb</strong>. Emigrants from either country are common in Alkenstar.
Many such expatriates are wanted by talented spellcasters, and so they come
to Alkenstar to exploit the region’s strange ambient effects on magic and
hide from their aggressors. Others are spellcasters themselves who wish to
experiment with their craft in the heart of the Mana Wastes.
</p>
<p>
Two geographical regions occupy most of the Mana Wastes: east of Alkenstar
to the Obari Ocean is the arid, storm–wracked
<strong>Spellscar Desert</strong>. On the city’s other side is the
<strong>Western Ravage</strong>, a craggy badland which spans the many miles
between Alkenstar and the Barrier Peaks.
</p>
<p>
Just 50 miles west of Alkenstar is the <strong>Gunworks</strong>, a sturdy
outpost of innovative metallurgists, ambitious gunsmiths, and seasoned
wasteland rangers. Here, a massive cannon called the Maw of Rovagug protects
the city from roving bandits and violent monsters.
</p>
<p>
Closer to Alkenstar proper is the dwarven Sky Citadel of Dongun Hold. It was
from the inventors and alchemists of
<strong>Dongun Hold</strong> that the settlers of Alkenstar first learned
the secrets of black powder and firearm technology. As a result of the
settlements’ decades of comingling, many Dongun dwarves can be found within
Alkenstar’s walls.
</p>
<h2>Notable Personas</h2>
<img class="float-right" src="modules/pf2e-ap178-180-outlaws-of-alkenstar/assets/art/BLACKPOWDER_BERSERKER.webp" alt="" style="
shape-outside: url('modules/pf2e-ap178-180-outlaws-of-alkenstar/assets/art/BLACKPOWDER_BERSERKER.webp');
" ;="">
<p>
Though the city’s rulers prefer to believe that their laws and norms make
Alkenstar a safe, orderly place to live, the truth is that power of all
kinds—monetary, social, alchemical—swaps hands as a matter of course.
</p>
<p>
Most of Alkenstar’s citizenry can be divided into either the working class
or the aristocratic elite. The former labor ceaselessly to produce goods,
services, and wealth, while the latter live to consume these resources.
Alkenstar’s best-known aristocrat is also the city’s leader, the popular and
savvy
<strong>Grand Duchess Trietta Ricia</strong>. Beyond politicians, the
aristocratic class also consists of the city’s money movers and power
brokers, including notorious financiers like
<strong>Ambrost Mugland</strong> and infamous iron-fisted shieldmarshals
like <strong>Deputy Anjelique Loveless</strong>. Lower on the social ladder
but no less impactful are charismatic rumormongers disguised as humble
workers, including the Bullet &amp; Barrel Saloon’s own shotgun-toting
barkeep, <strong>Foebe Dunsmith</strong>.
</p>
<p>
Beyond humans, dwarves, and other beings of flesh and blood, Alkenstar is
home to a diverse and populous class of clockwork servants. Incapable of
thought, feeling, or even (in most cases) any sensation at all, these
mechanical drones serve their creators diligently and without question.
Private companies and well-off individuals build or buy their own clockworks
to perform repetitive labor, private security, or miscellaneous errands.
Likewise, clockworks commissioned by the Grand Duchy fill less-desirable
civil roles—trash collecting, late guard shifts, road maintenance—so that
working-class laborers can keep their heads down and focus on the job at
hand. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, clockwork inventors wage their own
shadow wars and arms races to devise ever more impressive clockwork
creations.
</p>
<p>
In addition to inventors, Alkenstar is home to creators of nearly every
stripe, particularly alchemists and gunsmiths. Among this class of tinkers
and scholars, technological news and rumors of new innovations spread at the
speed of sound—often literally, considering the booming explosions that can
be heard from workshops and factories at nearly every hour of the day. For
example, recently, an eccentric alchemist named Vashon Gattlebee stunned
onlookers at his ill-fated exhibition at Blythir College, where he showed
off a devastating new explosive called pyronite. The pyronite incident, as
the exhibition has become known, sent shock waves throughout Alkenstar’s
scientific community, with nearly every metallurgist, engineer, and
researcher speculating upon the implications of this dramatic new weapon.
</p>
<h2>Magic in Alkenstar</h2>
<p>
The City of Smog has a reputation for favoring technological innovations
over supernatural ones. This is partially as a result of the city’s origins;
the expatriates who emigrated from the nations of Nex and Geb to found
Alkenstar were mostly renegades and exiles. They eschewed the strong magical
traditions of their wizard-ruled homelands in favor of different approaches
to common societal problems. The emergence of black powder technology from
nearby Dongun Hold only exacerbated newcomers’ preference for alchemy and
machines over wands and spellbooks.
</p>
<p>
Another reason for Alkenstar’s relative dearth of spellcasters comes from
its climate: the Mana Wastes are infamous for the devastating magical
siroccos that regularly sweep across the desert—“mana storms,” in the local
parlance. When a mana storm rolls in, spells and magical powers are much
more likely to go awry, so wise spellcasters sheathe their wands and
travelers run for cover. During such storms, a well-aimed fireball is just
as likely to hit its mark as warp into a spear of ice that backfires on its
caster. Thankfully, the walls around the city of Alkenstar protect those
inside the settlement proper from the worst effects of mana storms. Local
forecasts called whispersheets also offer reliable predictions for times of
day when magic might not function as intended.
</p>
<p>
In the Outlaws of Alkenstar Adventure Path, magic is assumed, by default, to
function reliably and as described in the Pathfinder Core Rulebook. This
means that you can play as a sorcerer, witch, or any other spellcaster
without fear of being at a disadvantage. The rare mana storm might
complicate matters once or twice during the campaign, but your characters
will be made aware of these events well in advance, giving you plenty of
time to prepare for situations that could dramatically impact your
character’s abilities.
</p>
<p>
That said, your GM might have other ideas in mind, particularly if the rest
of the group is interested in playing a campaign where magic is relatively
rare. If you plan to play a spellcaster class, make sure you and your GM are
on the same page regarding mana storms, whispersheets, and what effect (if
any) these elements might have on your adventures.
</p>
entries.Outlaws of Alkenstar - Player's Guide.journals.Players Guide.pages.Your Character.name
Your Character
entries.Outlaws of Alkenstar - Player's Guide.journals.Players Guide.pages.Your Character.text

<p>
In the Outlaws of Alkenstar Adventure Path, you and your friends assume the
roles of wanted criminals who must operate outside the law to earn their
fortunes and freedom. Your ultimate goal is twofold: clear your name, and also
seek revenge against the villain responsible for your ruined reputation.
</p>
<p>
Read on to learn more about the implications of your outlaw status, the
nemeses responsible for your infamy, and the upcoming job that promises to
help you get revenge.
</p>
<h2>Outlawed</h2>
<p>
At the beginning of this Adventure Path, your character is presumed to be an
outlaw—a notorious roughneck, wanted renegade, or wrongly accused
runaway—currently at large and charged by the city of Alkenstar with breaking
one, two, or a dozen laws. The crime of which you’ve been accused might be
petty (such as trespassing, picking pockets, or breaking and entering), or it
might be grand (high treason, prison break, or murder), or it might land
somewhere between these two extremes. You might have committed the crime with
full knowledge of your misdeed, or perhaps you believed you were in the right
or had no other option. Maybe you didn’t do anything wrong at all, and the
entire matter is a grave understanding or a setup. Whatever the specifics,
you’ve caught the attention of Alkenstar’s organized guard force, the
shieldmarshals.
</p>
<p>
Now, to retain your freedom and eventually clear your name, you’ll need to
stay one step ahead of the law by operating outside of it. This means that you
must disguise yourself before appearing in public, you’d do well to avoid
drawing undue attention toward yourself, and any allies you have are either
wanted criminals as well or aid you only after thinking long and hard about
whether to do so. No one in polite society dares to be seen by your side, and
your opportunities for honest work are slim to none.
</p>
<p>
How did you get yourself in this predicament? The specific details of your
alleged wrongdoing are up to you to decide. For some inspiration and potential
ideas to help you build your character’s backstory, see the new
@UUID[JournalEntry.pf2ooalk01player.JournalEntryPage.01charactersug00]{Backgrounds}.
These backgrounds also provide you with an important hook: the name of the
betrayer responsible for your newly acquired criminal reputation.
</p>
<aside class="sidebar">
<h1 class="no-toc">Running this Adventure Path</h1>
<p>
Playing in Outlaws of Alkenstar is a blast, and running the Adventure Path
as a GM can be just as fun. If you’d like to run your own Outlaws of
Alkenstar campaign, doing so is as easy as picking up the first volume in
the series, <i>Pathfinder Adventure Path #178: Punks in a Powderkeg</i>, a
complete adventure for 1st- to 3rd-level characters. You can find this
volume and many more Pathfinder adventures at your friendly local game store
or <i>paizo.com</i>.
</p>
<p>
After the party has finished the first adventure, you can continue your
players’ exciting story in Alkenstar and conclude the campaign with the
second and third volumes in the Outlaws of Alkenstar Adventure Path: “Cradle
of Quartz” and “The Smoking Gun.”
</p>
</aside>
<h2>Gunmetal Grudge</h2>
<p>
Even if your character’s misdeeds were bound to catch up to them, the bulk of
the blame for your character’s ill fame rests firmly on the shoulders of one
of two infamous Alkenstar villains: the notoriously corrupt Deputy
Shieldmarshal Anjelique Loveless or the infamous business mogul Ambrost
Mugland. The backgrounds on page 11 are designed specifically to explain your
character’s grudge against either Loveless or Mugland, but you can pick either
villain as your sworn nemesis and tailor the reasons for your character’s
vendetta however you like.
</p>
<p>
Whichever of these wretches wronged your character, it’s an open secret in
Alkenstar that Loveless and Mugland are in league with one another, each using
their particular realm of influence to scratch the other’s back. Though this
makes them nearly impervious to the forces of law and order—few with the power
to do so are brave enough to take the pair to task—their alliance is useful
because it expands your character’s pool of potential allies. After all,
there’s a famous saying in Alkenstar: “A bullet for my enemy aims as true in
any gun.”
</p>
<h2>The Heist</h2>
<img
class="float-right"
src="modules/pf2e-ap178-180-outlaws-of-alkenstar/assets/art/FOEBE_DUNSMITH_PORTRAIT_FINAL.webp"
alt=""
style="
shape-outside: url('modules/pf2e-ap178-180-outlaws-of-alkenstar/assets/art/FOEBE_DUNSMITH_PORTRAIT_FINAL.webp');
"
;=""
/>
<p>
In the days immediately preceding the beginning of this Adventure Path, your
character received word of a potentially lucrative job opportunity.
Apparently, a mysterious job broker is looking for a party of outlaws to rob a
bank called the Gold Tank Reserve in Ferrous Quarter. The employer is Foebe
Dunsmith, a tavern proprietor and barkeep much beloved by the rough and rowdy
clientele of her storied watering hole, the Bullet &amp; Barrel Saloon.
Dunsmith’s promised payment for the heist might be tantalizing, depending on
how hard up your character is. More importantly, though, is the fact that the
Gold Tank is owned by none other than Ambrost Mugland, and some of the gold
that flows through it eventually finds its ways into the pockets of Anjelique
Loveless and her league of crooked shieldmarshals.
</p>
<p>
With the goal of hitting your nemesis where it hurts most—the coin
purse—you’ve decided to take up Dunsmith on her job offer. To pull off such an
audacious stunt, you’ll be working alongside a handful of other outlaws who
also bear grudges against Mugland or Loveless. If you’ve any hopes of
succeeding at all, you’ll need to befriend these fellow felons and coordinate
your tactics, at least until you’ve gotten your sweet revenge.
</p>
entries.Outlaws of Alkenstar - Player's Guide.journals.Players Guide.pages.Character Suggestions.name
Character Suggestions
entries.Outlaws of Alkenstar - Player's Guide.journals.Players Guide.pages.Character Suggestions.text

<p>
Though you’re free to create any kind of character you like for the Outlaws of
Alkenstar Adventure Path, the following suggestions are designed to help you
make a character well suited for this campaign. These suggestions are
summarized on the table on page 9, which lists character options from strongly
recommended to not recommended.
</p>
<h2>Alignments</h2>
<p>
Because you and your friends will be taking on the roles of outlaws, it makes
sense that your character might be someone who lives outside typical legal
parameters or codes of ethics. Because of this, chaotic good and chaotic
neutral are ideal choices for your character’s alignment. Such characters
likely find themselves frequently at odds with Alkenstar’s highly regimented
powers that be, including the Temple of
@Compendium[pf2e.deities.vEMCpm7iidycRT5D]{Brigh} (most of whose devotees tend
to be lawful neutral), shieldmarshals (guards charged with upholding the
letter of the law), and the many famous guilds, private armies, and shadowy
corporations whose strict, regimented systems keep the city’s denizens in
lockstep with power brokers’ fiscal and industrial aims.
</p>
<p>
On the other hand, although your character ostensibly broke the law, they
might have been wrongfully accused, framed, or set up. Even if they did commit
the crime that’s led to their outlaw status, perhaps your character follows a
personal code that, while structured and methodical, simply doesn’t mesh with
Alkenstar’s conceptions of law and order. If so, lawful neutral or lawful good
are great alignment options.
</p>
<p>
As in nearly all Pathfinder Adventure Paths, evil alignments are best suited
for your party’s enemies, not your character. Though your character begins the
adventure as an outlaw and might even be a selfish antihero, the campaign
won’t put you in positions where you have to commit heinous or evil deeds.
Likewise, it’s assumed that the deeds that made your character a wanted
criminal weren’t motivated by greed, malevolence, or depravity (or, if they
were, your character has had a dramatic and sincere change of heart between
the crime and the beginning of the campaign). As usual, intentionally
committing atrocities or victimizing others will make it much harder for you
to work with your party and potential allies who don’t want anything to do
with evildoers.
</p>
<h2>Ancestries</h2>
<p>
Alkenstar is home to a wide variety of ancestries and ethnicities, though the
majority of its inhabitants are humans, particularly ethnic Garundi closely
descended from Nexian and Gebbite immigrants. Since the city’s founding over a
century ago, plenty of other diverse peoples have found their footing here,
including Mwangi from west of the Barrier Peaks or south of Geb, Keleshites
from as near as Katapesh or Qadira or as far as Kelesh, and Vudrani from
Jalmeray or elsewhere across the Obari Ocean.
</p>
<p>
Dwarves are the city’s second-most populous ancestry, many hailing from the
nearby Sky Citadel of Dongun Hold. It was Dongun dwarves who supplied the
first firearms to Ancil Alkenstar’s burgeoning community of technologists and
magic-weary refugees. Today, Dongun dwarves continue to be regarded as among
the best gunsmiths and explosives engineers in the world.
</p>
<p>
Jaric halflings and Vourinoi elves are far from unknown in Alkenstar—Ambrost
Mugland and Anjelique Loveless are only two of the most famous examples,
respectively. Roughly as common as these are gnolls and geniekin, the latter
of which are perhaps more common than usual in Alkenstar due, in part, to the
mysterious effects of mana storms on mortal bloodlines.
</p>
<p>
Finally, a notable number of Gebbite dhampirs and Nexian fleshwarps—comprising
a combination of temporary visitors, traveling adventurers, and full-blown
expatriates—also call the City of Smog home. Perhaps more than any other
ancestries, these individuals are uniquely suited to Alkenstar’s industrial
environment; hazardous pollutants and smog are of less concern to undead, and
fleshwarps too often boast anatomies that lessen the severity of environmental
dangers.
</p>
<p>
For more details on these ancestries and others that call Alkenstar home, see
the Pathfinder Lost Omens Ancestry Guide.
</p>
<h2>Classes</h2>
<p>
Alkenstar is the Inner Sea’s preeminent hub of technological and industrial
innovation. In the City of Smog, the quickest way to gain power, prestige, or
profit is to invent something that other people want; this holds as true for
adventurers as it does for aristocrats and common folk. Because scientific
experimentation and progress are keystones of daily life in Alkenstar,
alchemists and inventors (Pathfinder Guns &amp; Gears 15–33) do extremely well
as a general rule. Whether by mixing rare reagents collected from the Mana
Wastes or by tinkering with the literal tons of scrap that fill Alkenstar’s
junkyards, there are countless opportunities for old-time residents and
newcomers alike to practice the skills necessary to become accomplished in
either of these fields.
</p>
<p>
The same can be said for the gunslinger class (Guns &amp; Gears 105–119),
which is probably more common in Alkenstar than in any other corner of the
Inner Sea region. Alkenstar’s proximity to Dongun Hold—the birthplace of black
powder—means that firearms aren’t just easily accessible, but practically
commonplace. Mercenaries, monster slayers, bounty hunters, and criminals all
might call themselves gunslingers, though only a few ever exhibit the true
grit necessary to make it to the big leagues. The most talented shootists and
desperados command a high price as guns-for-hire or swiftly rise through the
ranks of organizations such as the shieldmarshals, making the gunslinger class
a natural fit for this campaign.
</p>
<p>
For the full rules on gunslingers and inventors, see Pathfinder Guns &amp;
Gears.
</p>
<p>
Beyond these three thematically suitable classes—alchemists, gunslingers, and
inventors—characters of any class well-suited for urban adventuring can hope
to succeed in the Outlaws of Alkenstar Adventure Path. Investigators and
rogues can uncover countless mysteries and hidden treasures on the streets of
the City of Smog, and swashbucklers and bards can likewise find opportunities
for escapades and entertainment at every turn.
</p>
<p>
For all of Alkenstar’s emphasis on technological novelties and progress, it’s
sometimes hard to beat a well-placed punch or a masterfully executed sword
swing. The fearsome threat of monsters encroaching from the Mana Wastes makes
adventurous martial experts of all stripes—such as fighters, monks, and
barbarians—always in high demand.
</p>
<p>
On the spiritual side of things, clerics, champions, and other pious
adventurers might strongly consider
@Compendium[pf2e.deities.vEMCpm7iidycRT5D]{Brigh}, the Whisper in Bronze and
patron goddess of clockwork inventors, as their deity. The Temple of Brigh in
Alkenstar is the largest organized church dedicated to the Bronze Lady in the
Inner Sea region. Ever-orderly
@Compendium[pf2e.deities.d56paSkcwvll2OhR]{Abadar} is also a popular deity
with Alkenstar’s most cosmopolitan believers. At the other extreme,
comfort-eschewing wasteland wanderers vastly prefer the age-old wisdom of the
divine hunter, @Compendium[pf2e.deities.mm1j6UbHqFCI8fwB]{Erastil}. Finally,
many Dongun dwarves pay stalwart homage to
@Compendium[pf2e.deities.sZrdzh0ANQnZGXJb]{Torag}, Father of Dwarvenkind, and
honor him with creative spins on ancient traditions.
</p>
<p>
Because of the surrounding region’s unique climate—magic-warping mana storms
are relatively common outside the city’s walls—druids, wizards, summoners, and
sorcerers don’t flock to Alkenstar as a rule, but they aren’t necessarily
unknown either. The few arcane spellcasters who intentionally travel to
Alkenstar often do so in the hopes of attending Blythir College, the city’s
only official academy of magic. Sorcerers and druids are more likely to dwell
on the city’s outskirts, where they can better tap into the mysterious powers
of so-called wellspring magic (Pathfinder Secrets of Magic 248).
</p>
<p>
Many spellcasters living in the City of Smog are exiles from Geb or Nex, where
they likely first gained their penchant for ancient necromantic secrets or
universal arcane truths, respectively. Witches, magi, and oracles similarly
travel to the Mana Wastes for their own mysterious reasons, and their
unorthodox relationship with esoterica makes them perhaps a bit more common in
the weird and wild Mana Wastes.
</p>
<h2>Languages</h2>
<p>
Owing to its cosmopolitan cultural makeup, the Grand Duchy of Alkenstar’s
official language is Common (Taldane), though the high population of dwarves
(especially dwarves from Dongun Hold) makes Dwarven nearly as ubiquitous. The
most successful merchants and travelers also take it upon themselves to learn
Kelish, a language commonly spoken in nearby nations like Geb, Nex, and
Katapesh.
</p>
<p>
In the wastelands beyond Alkenstar’s walls, roving bandits, violent mutated
giants, and horrific monsters tend to speak Gnoll, Jotun, Aklo, or a pidgin of
all three. Those who deal with evildoers could do far worse than to practice
one of these tongues as well.
</p>
<h2>Skills and Feats</h2>
<p>
Alkenstar is a city of inventors and makers; thus, virtually everyone has at
least a bit of training in the Crafting skill, which is useful not just for
making and repairing things, but also identifying the many different kinds of
clockwork creatures that roam the city. By the same token, anyone who expects
to be fighting or evading clockworks and their masters would do well to study
Thievery as a means of disabling devices.
</p>
<p>
Even for those with supernatural means of avoiding arrest, prowess in
Athletics or Acrobatics can often spell the difference between capture and
escape. Likewise, silver-tongued outlaws can benefit greatly from expertise in
social skills like Deception, Diplomacy, Intimidation, or Society. Although
Performance can be useful for creating diversions, a knack for Religion might
be even more practical in a settlement whose predominant church—the Temple of
Brigh—functions like an essential cog in daily goings-on. Of course, when all
else fails, there’s always pure and simple Stealth, an invaluable addition to
any outlaw’s skill repertoire.
</p>
<p>
Although Nature and Survival are of minimal use in Alkenstar proper, the
outskirts of the city are rife with animals and environmental dangers, making
naturalists and survivalists useful in certain situations. While Medicine and
Occultism are always useful skills to have on hand, neither will open any
special doors in this campaign.
</p>
<p>
Among the subcategories of the Lore skill, Alkenstar Lore, Brigh Lore, and
Engineering Lore are highly relevant throughout this Adventure Path.
</p>
<p>
Suitable feats include any that complement your character concept and/or play
into the above skills. As an outlaw, your character might particularly benefit
from feats that could help you survive on the outskirts of proper society or
without the assistance of the law. Likewise, because Alkenstar’s architecture
is so tightly packed together, feats that increase mobility in close quarters
will typically be more useful than those which require a Large animal
companion or mount to enjoy. The
@UUID[JournalEntry.pf2ooalk01player.JournalEntryPage.01suggestedcha00]{table}
includes lists of specific feats to consider for your character.
</p>
<h2>Backgrounds</h2>
<p>
Though you can choose any common background for your character (including the
ones starting on page 60 of the Core Rulebook; the criminal background is
particularly appropriate), the following new backgrounds are designed
specifically for the Outlaws of Alkenstar Adventure Path. You can use these
backgrounds to inspire personality traits and details that tie your character
to Alkenstar.
</p>
<p>
Additionally, each of the following backgrounds includes a reason for your
character to seek revenge against one of two villains who wronged you: the
nefarious mogul Ambrost Mugland or the corrupt shieldmarshal Anjelique
Loveless.
</p>
<p>@Compendium[pf2e.backgrounds.U1gbRkmZqJ7SmpeF]{Banished Brighite}</p>
<p>@Compendium[pf2e.backgrounds.eHfsMNiVeqwnrpG3]{Framed in Ferrous Quarter}</p>
<p>@Compendium[pf2e.backgrounds.UK40FVVVx6IKxipW]{Inexplicably Expelled}</p>
<p>@Compendium[pf2e.backgrounds.bxWID85noazU72O3]{Ratted-Out Gun Runner}</p>
<p>@Compendium[pf2e.backgrounds.4lbfPXwZEf3eE0ip]{Snubbed Out Stoolie}</p>
<p>@Compendium[pf2e.backgrounds.wZikbWmCWYpjFxQF]{Wanted Witness}</p>
entries.Outlaws of Alkenstar - Player's Guide.journals.Players Guide.pages.Suggested Character Options.name
Suggested Character Options
entries.Outlaws of Alkenstar - Player's Guide.journals.Players Guide.pages.Suggested Character Options.text

<h1 class="no-toc table">Suggested Character Options</h1>
<table>
<tbody>
</tbody></table><table style="width: 100%;">
<colgroup>
<col style="width: 5%;">
<col style="width: 5%;">
<col style="width: 20%;">
<col style="width: 10%;">
<col style="width: 30%;">
<col style="width: 30%;">
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr>
<th>Alignments</th>
<th><p>Ancestries</p><p>(and Ethnicities)</p></th>
<th>Classes</th>
<th>Languages</th>
<th>Skills</th>
<th>Feats</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="6">
<p style="font-weight: bold;">Strongly Recommended</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>CG</p>
<p>CN</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Dwarf (Dongun)</p>
<p>Human (Garundi, Keleshite, Mwangi, Vudrani)</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Alchemist</p>
<p>Gunslinger**</p>
<p>Inventor**</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Common</p>
<p>Dwarven</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Crafting</p>
<p>Lore (Alkenstar, Brigh, Engineering)</p>
<p>Thievery</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Alchemical Crafting</p>
<p>Crafter’s Appraisal†</p>
<p>Feather Step</p>
<p>Quick Squeeze</p>
<p>Steady Balance</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="6">
<p style="font-weight: bold;">Recommended</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>N</p>
<p>NG</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Halfling (Jaric)</p>
<p>Half-Elf (Vourinoi)</p>
<p>Geniekin*</p>
<p>Gnoll*</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Bard</p>
<p>Cleric</p>
<p>Fighter</p>
<p>Investigator</p>
<p>Oracle</p>
<p>Rogue</p>
<p>Sorcerer</p>
<p>Swashbuckler</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Gnoll</p>
<p>Goblin</p>
<p>Kelish</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Acrobatics</p>
<p>Athletics</p>
<p>Deception</p>
<p>Society</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Deceptive Worship</p>
<p>Experienced Smuggler</p>
<p>Lengthy Diversion</p>
<p>Pickpocket</p>
<p>Quick Coercion</p>
<p>Quick Repair</p>
<p>Streetwise</p>
<p>Subtle Theft</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="6">
<p style="font-weight: bold;">Appropriate</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>LN</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Dhampir*</p>
<p>Fleshwarp*</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Other common <br>classes</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Aklo</p>
<p>Halfling</p>
<p>Jotun</p>
<p>Mwangi</p>
<p>Osiriani</p>
<p>Vudrani</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Diplomacy</p>
<p>Intimidation</p>
<p>Performance</p>
<p>Religion</p>
<p>Stealth</p>
<p>Survival</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Bon Mot†</p>
<p>Charming Liar</p>
<p>Courtly Graces</p>
<p>Group Impression</p>
<p>Hobnobber</p>
<p>Intimidating Glare</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="6">
<p style="font-weight: bold;">Not recommended</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>LG</p>
<p>LE</p>
<p>NE</p>
<p>CE</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>—</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>—</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>—</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Medicine</p>
<p>Nature</p>
<p>Occultism</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Express Rider</p>
<p>Forager</p>
<p>Multilingual</p>
<p>Natural Medicine</p>
<p>Ride</p>
<p>Survey Wildlife</p>
<p>Terrain Expertise</p>
<p>Train Animal</p>
<p>Underwater Marauder</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="7">
* See Pathfinder Lost Omens Ancestry Guide.
** See Pathfinder Guns &amp; Gears.
† See Pathfinder Advanced Player’s Guide.
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
entries.Outlaws of Alkenstar - Player's Guide.journals.Players Guide.pages.Banished Brighite Background.name
Banished Brighite Background
entries.Outlaws of Alkenstar - Player's Guide.journals.Players Guide.pages.Banished Brighite Background.text

<h2 class="no-toc">Banished Brighite</h2>
<p>@Compendium[pf2e.backgrounds.U1gbRkmZqJ7SmpeF]{See background here}</p>
<p>
Once, you were a dedicated and important priest of @Compendium[pf2e.deities.vEMCpm7iidycRT5D]{Brigh}, goddess of
clockwork and invention, based out of the largest church to your deity, the Temple of Brigh in Alkenstar. Here, you
made important discoveries in the annals of your religion’s canon and furthered the Bronze Lady’s agendas of
innovation and creation. Your future seemed bright, and you predicted that it was only a matter of time until you
ascended to the rank of primary cog or, someday, grand cog.
</p>
<p>
Then, your years of devout service were undone in an instant. A man named Ambrost Mugland came to the Temple and
demanded not only access to the religious formulas you’d been uncovering, but exclusive rights to the precious
knowledge. When you refused, Mugland sent word to the church’s leaders that you’d been meddling in heretical
doctrine. He also implicated you in the theft of church funds that had mysteriously gone missing as of late. Sure
enough, you found yourself being asked to hand in your robes. Your church colleagues didn’t turn you in, but they
told you in no uncertain terms that you wouldn’t be able to find sanctuary for your alleged crimes in the halls of
the Temple of @Compendium[pf2e.deities.vEMCpm7iidycRT5D]{Brigh}.
</p>
<p>
On the run and with nowhere to turn, your faith has been thoroughly tested, though so far you’ve remained true to
your religion and maintained your sacred skills and divine powers. It’s unclear what the Bronze Lady has in store
for you, but at least one thing’s for certain: Ambrost Mugland will pay for what he did.
</p>
<p>Choose two ability boosts. One must be to Intelligence or Wisdom, and one is a free ability boost.</p>
<p>
You’re trained in the Religion skill and the Brigh Lore skill. You gain the
@Compendium[pf2e.feats-srd.IlOQuCQIhjJpig3S]{Quick Identification} skill feat.
</p>
entries.Outlaws of Alkenstar - Player's Guide.journals.Players Guide.pages.Framed in Ferrous Quarter Background.name
Framed in Ferrous Quarter Background
entries.Outlaws of Alkenstar - Player's Guide.journals.Players Guide.pages.Framed in Ferrous Quarter Background.text

<h2 class="no-toc">Framed in Ferrous Quarter</h2>
<p>@Compendium[pf2e.backgrounds.eHfsMNiVeqwnrpG3]{See background here}</p>
<p>
Everyone knows that Ferrous Quarter isn’t exactly the nicest part of Alkenstar. Hard-working laborers, gunsmiths
suffering from black lung, and red-eyed tinkerers alike can toil their entire lives on these grimy streets and still
wind up dead in an alley with nothing to show for it. You were once one of these humble artisans, until one day, out
of nowhere, things broke bad.
</p>
<p>
Maybe you hung out with the wrong crowd. Maybe it was just bad luck. Whatever the case, you were framed for a crime
you didn’t commit—larceny, smuggling, possibly even murder. You didn’t stick around long enough to find out what,
exactly, the shieldmarshals banging on your door were charging you with. Now, you’re on the lam, uncertain where
you’ll be able to get a good night’s sleep, let alone your next meal.
</p>
<p>
At least one thing’s for sure, though: before you turned heel and ran into the streets, you saw a telltale signature
on the arrest warrant. It was the scrawl of a corrupt shieldmarshal who’s framed countless other hardworking folks
in your neighborhood on the basis of cooked-up evidence. Yes, you’re sure of it—the crooked guard who took you down
is none other than Deputy Anjelique Loveless, and you’re determined to return the favor.
</p>
<p>Choose two ability boosts. One must be to Dexterity or Constitution, and one is a free ability boost.</p>
<p>
You’re trained in the Crafting skill and the Engineering Lore skill. You gain the
@Compendium[pf2e.feats-srd.QLeMH5mQgh28sa5o]{Specialty Crafting} skill feat.
</p>
entries.Outlaws of Alkenstar - Player's Guide.journals.Players Guide.pages.Inexplicably Expelled Background.name
Inexplicably Expelled Background
Key English Actions
entries.Outlaws of Alkenstar - Player's Guide.caption
 
entries.Outlaws of Alkenstar - Player's Guide.description
<p><em>Sometimes, a bullet is best.</em></p><p>A gang of outlaws, each with their own grudge against the villains who wronged them, must join forces to get their revenge. In the steam-powered city of <strong>Alkenstar</strong>, where most business is as orderly as the hands on a clock, these rugged antiheroes will have to go against the grain if they’re to settle their vendettas.</p><p>Will the vigilantes have enough firepower to cut a path through Alkenstar’s soot-stained streets? Or will they, like so many others, get swallowed up by the ever-churning gears of the City of Smog?</p>
entries.Outlaws of Alkenstar - Player's Guide.folders.Outlaws of Alkenstar
Outlaws of Alkenstar
entries.Outlaws of Alkenstar - Player's Guide.journals.Players Guide.name
Players Guide
entries.Outlaws of Alkenstar - Player's Guide.journals.Players Guide.pages.Alkenstar City of Smog.name
Alkenstar City of Smog
entries.Outlaws of Alkenstar - Player's Guide.journals.Players Guide.pages.Alkenstar City of Smog.text

<h1 class="no-toc">Alkenstar, City of Smog</h1>
<p>
In the heart of the war-torn Mana Wastes, a metropolis of industry,
innovation, and intrigue awaits travelers hardy enough to make the journey.
Beneath the towering gaze of brass spires and stone fortresses, amid a
tangle of oil-slicked streets and soot-stained alleys, human inventors and
their clockwork creations walk beside mutated gnoll scavengers,
bronze-masked religious zealots, and fire-fleshed geniekin merchants. Many
spend their days toiling without respite in grimy workshops or smoky
factories. Others patrol the cobblestone streets for their fortunes, one
hand firmly on their holstered sidearms, ready to confront a rival gang or
runaway bounty.&nbsp;All the while, pistons, gears, and cogs within every
machine and building turn as steadily as the hands of a clock, all
maintaining the mechanical rhythm of a settlement that never truly sleeps.
This is Alkenstar, the City of Smog.
</p>
<p>
Outlaws of Alkenstar begins in the eponymous city. Whether your character is
Alkenstar-born, a first- or second-generation immigrant, or a total
newcomer, it’s worthwhile to master some of the City of Smog’s basic
nomenclature. The following is some basic information about Alkenstar known
to most locals and visitors alike.
</p>
<aside class="sidebar">
<h1 class="no-toc">Where on Golarion</h1>
<p>
The Outlaws of Alkenstar Adventure Path starts in the city of Alkenstar,
an industrial and technological mecca in the Mana Wastes of eastern
Garund. For more information about the Mana Wastes and Alkenstar, see
pages 195–199 of Pathfinder Guns &amp; Gears or pages 74–76 of the
Pathfinder Lost Omens World Guide.
</p>
<img style="
shape-outside: url('modules/pf2e-ap178-180-outlaws-of-alkenstar/assets/maps/where-on-golarion.webp');
" src="modules/pf2e-ap178-180-outlaws-of-alkenstar/assets/maps/where-on-golarion.webp">
</aside>
<h2>Places of Note</h2>
<p>
Alkenstar is a large city in an arid desert environment built atop the edge
of the 400-foot-tall
<strong>Hellfallen Cliffs</strong>. Formidable stone walls protect the city
on all sides from wasteland raiders. The easiest way into the city is via
the steady-flowing <strong>Ustradi River</strong>, which naturally bisects
Alkenstar.
</p>
<p>
In the center of the city is <strong>Alken Falls</strong>, a massive
waterfall set several hundred yards back from the rest of the Hellfallen
Cliffs to the north. Thousands of vessels traverse Alken Falls each year by
way of the <strong>Screw</strong>, a technological marvel that can raise or
lower multiple ships at a time from one end of the falls to the other.
</p>
<p>
The wealthy districts and neighborhoods south of the Ustradi are referred to
as <strong>Skyside</strong>, whereas the polluted, industrial quarters to
the north are collectively known as <strong>Smokeside</strong>. Within these
two major regions, the city is further subdivided into loosely defined
wards.
</p>
<ul>
<li>
Smokeside is home to the quaint inventors’ neighborhood of
<strong>Steamhaven</strong>, peaceful <strong>Ustradi Heights</strong>,
and lively <strong>Ferrous Quarter</strong>.
</li>
<li>
In Skyside, one can attend swanky aristocratic galas in the
<strong>Capital District</strong>, peruse the many marketplaces of
<strong>Auburn District</strong>, or head to
<strong>Pilot’s Square</strong> to pay for passage aboard an airship or
dirigible bound for major ports along the eastern Garundi coastline.
</li>
<li>
A few city districts defy categorization into either Skyside or Smokeside,
including <strong>Hellside</strong>—a shantytown that literally hangs from
the side of the cliffs overlooking Alken Falls—and the monster-infested
ruins of <strong>Ironside Quarter</strong> along the city’s far western
wall.
</li>
</ul>
<p>
Alkenstar’s major institutions include
<strong>Alkenstar Castle</strong> (from which the city’s elected politicians
hold court), the <strong>Temple of Brigh</strong> (overseen by the highly
influential priests of the goddess of clockwork), and
<strong>Blythir College</strong> (the city’s only major magical academy and
a hub of higher learning). Of course, as in any city, Alkenstar’s most
important cultural movements occur among its people, not its leaders. In the
sky-scraping towers of <strong>Graeson’s Fingers</strong> in the Capital
District or upscale establishments like the
<strong>Longhorn Lounge</strong>, socialites mingle and make deals behind
closed doors at ritzy soirees and gaudy galas, whose electric luxuries are
made possible only by the skilled engineers at the
<strong>Tinwound Hydroforge</strong>.
</p>
<p>
All the while, criminals both organized and independent haunt Alkenstar’s
alleyways, sewers, and seedy taverns like the
<strong>Hotfoot Hippodrome</strong>, where untold quantities of illicit
wealth are pushed through the city like so much lifeblood. At popular
saloons like the <strong>Barrel &amp; Bullet Saloon</strong>, impoverished
factory hands and honest laborers hold court from the fortress of a taproom
table and wielding only a mug of watery ale.
</p>
<p>
Beyond the city’s walls lie the <strong>Mana Wastes</strong>—a turbulent,
craggy desert irrevocably altered by centuries of magical warfare from the
neighboring, wizard-ruled nations of <strong>Nex</strong> and
<strong>Geb</strong>. Emigrants from either country are common in Alkenstar.
Many such expatriates are wanted by talented spellcasters, and so they come
to Alkenstar to exploit the region’s strange ambient effects on magic and
hide from their aggressors. Others are spellcasters themselves who wish to
experiment with their craft in the heart of the Mana Wastes.
</p>
<p>
Two geographical regions occupy most of the Mana Wastes: east of Alkenstar
to the Obari Ocean is the arid, storm–wracked
<strong>Spellscar Desert</strong>. On the city’s other side is the
<strong>Western Ravage</strong>, a craggy badland which spans the many miles
between Alkenstar and the Barrier Peaks.
</p>
<p>
Just 50 miles west of Alkenstar is the <strong>Gunworks</strong>, a sturdy
outpost of innovative metallurgists, ambitious gunsmiths, and seasoned
wasteland rangers. Here, a massive cannon called the Maw of Rovagug protects
the city from roving bandits and violent monsters.
</p>
<p>
Closer to Alkenstar proper is the dwarven Sky Citadel of Dongun Hold. It was
from the inventors and alchemists of
<strong>Dongun Hold</strong> that the settlers of Alkenstar first learned
the secrets of black powder and firearm technology. As a result of the
settlements’ decades of comingling, many Dongun dwarves can be found within
Alkenstar’s walls.
</p>
<h2>Notable Personas</h2>
<img class="float-right" src="modules/pf2e-ap178-180-outlaws-of-alkenstar/assets/art/BLACKPOWDER_BERSERKER.webp" alt="" style="
shape-outside: url('modules/pf2e-ap178-180-outlaws-of-alkenstar/assets/art/BLACKPOWDER_BERSERKER.webp');
" ;="">
<p>
Though the city’s rulers prefer to believe that their laws and norms make
Alkenstar a safe, orderly place to live, the truth is that power of all
kinds—monetary, social, alchemical—swaps hands as a matter of course.
</p>
<p>
Most of Alkenstar’s citizenry can be divided into either the working class
or the aristocratic elite. The former labor ceaselessly to produce goods,
services, and wealth, while the latter live to consume these resources.
Alkenstar’s best-known aristocrat is also the city’s leader, the popular and
savvy
<strong>Grand Duchess Trietta Ricia</strong>. Beyond politicians, the
aristocratic class also consists of the city’s money movers and power
brokers, including notorious financiers like
<strong>Ambrost Mugland</strong> and infamous iron-fisted shieldmarshals
like <strong>Deputy Anjelique Loveless</strong>. Lower on the social ladder
but no less impactful are charismatic rumormongers disguised as humble
workers, including the Bullet &amp; Barrel Saloon’s own shotgun-toting
barkeep, <strong>Foebe Dunsmith</strong>.
</p>
<p>
Beyond humans, dwarves, and other beings of flesh and blood, Alkenstar is
home to a diverse and populous class of clockwork servants. Incapable of
thought, feeling, or even (in most cases) any sensation at all, these
mechanical drones serve their creators diligently and without question.
Private companies and well-off individuals build or buy their own clockworks
to perform repetitive labor, private security, or miscellaneous errands.
Likewise, clockworks commissioned by the Grand Duchy fill less-desirable
civil roles—trash collecting, late guard shifts, road maintenance—so that
working-class laborers can keep their heads down and focus on the job at
hand. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, clockwork inventors wage their own
shadow wars and arms races to devise ever more impressive clockwork
creations.
</p>
<p>
In addition to inventors, Alkenstar is home to creators of nearly every
stripe, particularly alchemists and gunsmiths. Among this class of tinkers
and scholars, technological news and rumors of new innovations spread at the
speed of sound—often literally, considering the booming explosions that can
be heard from workshops and factories at nearly every hour of the day. For
example, recently, an eccentric alchemist named Vashon Gattlebee stunned
onlookers at his ill-fated exhibition at Blythir College, where he showed
off a devastating new explosive called pyronite. The pyronite incident, as
the exhibition has become known, sent shock waves throughout Alkenstar’s
scientific community, with nearly every metallurgist, engineer, and
researcher speculating upon the implications of this dramatic new weapon.
</p>
<h2>Magic in Alkenstar</h2>
<p>
The City of Smog has a reputation for favoring technological innovations
over supernatural ones. This is partially as a result of the city’s origins;
the expatriates who emigrated from the nations of Nex and Geb to found
Alkenstar were mostly renegades and exiles. They eschewed the strong magical
traditions of their wizard-ruled homelands in favor of different approaches
to common societal problems. The emergence of black powder technology from
nearby Dongun Hold only exacerbated newcomers’ preference for alchemy and
machines over wands and spellbooks.
</p>
<p>
Another reason for Alkenstar’s relative dearth of spellcasters comes from
its climate: the Mana Wastes are infamous for the devastating magical
siroccos that regularly sweep across the desert—“mana storms,” in the local
parlance. When a mana storm rolls in, spells and magical powers are much
more likely to go awry, so wise spellcasters sheathe their wands and
travelers run for cover. During such storms, a well-aimed fireball is just
as likely to hit its mark as warp into a spear of ice that backfires on its
caster. Thankfully, the walls around the city of Alkenstar protect those
inside the settlement proper from the worst effects of mana storms. Local
forecasts called whispersheets also offer reliable predictions for times of
day when magic might not function as intended.
</p>
<p>
In the Outlaws of Alkenstar Adventure Path, magic is assumed, by default, to
function reliably and as described in the Pathfinder Core Rulebook. This
means that you can play as a sorcerer, witch, or any other spellcaster
without fear of being at a disadvantage. The rare mana storm might
complicate matters once or twice during the campaign, but your characters
will be made aware of these events well in advance, giving you plenty of
time to prepare for situations that could dramatically impact your
character’s abilities.
</p>
<p>
That said, your GM might have other ideas in mind, particularly if the rest
of the group is interested in playing a campaign where magic is relatively
rare. If you plan to play a spellcaster class, make sure you and your GM are
on the same page regarding mana storms, whispersheets, and what effect (if
any) these elements might have on your adventures.
</p>
entries.Outlaws of Alkenstar - Player's Guide.journals.Players Guide.pages.Banished Brighite Background.name
Banished Brighite Background
entries.Outlaws of Alkenstar - Player's Guide.journals.Players Guide.pages.Banished Brighite Background.text

<h2 class="no-toc">Banished Brighite</h2>
<p>@Compendium[pf2e.backgrounds.U1gbRkmZqJ7SmpeF]{See background here}</p>
<p>
Once, you were a dedicated and important priest of @Compendium[pf2e.deities.vEMCpm7iidycRT5D]{Brigh}, goddess of
clockwork and invention, based out of the largest church to your deity, the Temple of Brigh in Alkenstar. Here, you
made important discoveries in the annals of your religion’s canon and furthered the Bronze Lady’s agendas of
innovation and creation. Your future seemed bright, and you predicted that it was only a matter of time until you
ascended to the rank of primary cog or, someday, grand cog.
</p>
<p>
Then, your years of devout service were undone in an instant. A man named Ambrost Mugland came to the Temple and
demanded not only access to the religious formulas you’d been uncovering, but exclusive rights to the precious
knowledge. When you refused, Mugland sent word to the church’s leaders that you’d been meddling in heretical
doctrine. He also implicated you in the theft of church funds that had mysteriously gone missing as of late. Sure
enough, you found yourself being asked to hand in your robes. Your church colleagues didn’t turn you in, but they
told you in no uncertain terms that you wouldn’t be able to find sanctuary for your alleged crimes in the halls of
the Temple of @Compendium[pf2e.deities.vEMCpm7iidycRT5D]{Brigh}.
</p>
<p>
On the run and with nowhere to turn, your faith has been thoroughly tested, though so far you’ve remained true to
your religion and maintained your sacred skills and divine powers. It’s unclear what the Bronze Lady has in store
for you, but at least one thing’s for certain: Ambrost Mugland will pay for what he did.
</p>
<p>Choose two ability boosts. One must be to Intelligence or Wisdom, and one is a free ability boost.</p>
<p>
You’re trained in the Religion skill and the Brigh Lore skill. You gain the
@Compendium[pf2e.feats-srd.IlOQuCQIhjJpig3S]{Quick Identification} skill feat.
</p>
entries.Outlaws of Alkenstar - Player's Guide.journals.Players Guide.pages.Changelog.name
Changelog
entries.Outlaws of Alkenstar - Player's Guide.journals.Players Guide.pages.Changelog.text
<h1><a href="https://support.metamorphic-digital.com/changelog/pf2e-ap178-180-outlaws-of-alkenstar">Outlaws of Alkenstar - Basis Pack Changelog</a></h1>
<h2>12.0.0 v12 Release</h2>
<ul>
<li>Updated to v12 compatibility</li>
<li>added teleport regions</li>
<li>adjusted ambient sounds</li>
<li>updated roof tiles</li>
<li>improved some macros</li>
</ul>
<h2>2.0.4</h2>
<ul>
<li>clean up adventure importer styling</li>
<li>clean up Compendium folder colors</li>
</ul>
<h2>2.0.0</h2>
<ul>
<li>Updated all content for use with v11</li>
</ul>
<h2>1.0.4</h2>
<ul>
<li>Chrome/WebKit Browser should no longer be freezing on resizing of journal sheets</li>
</ul>
<h2>1.0.3</h2>
<ul>
<li>fix Player's guide Permissions</li>
<li>add readaloud functionality</li>
</ul>
<h2>1.0.2</h2>
<ul>
<li>Added support for shared macros</li>
</ul>
<h2>1.0.0 Initial Release</h2>
<ul>
<li><strong>Journal Entries</strong> for the entire contents of the player's guide.</li>
</ul>
entries.Outlaws of Alkenstar - Player's Guide.journals.Players Guide.pages.Character Suggestions.name
Character Suggestions
entries.Outlaws of Alkenstar - Player's Guide.journals.Players Guide.pages.Character Suggestions.text

<p>
Though you’re free to create any kind of character you like for the Outlaws of
Alkenstar Adventure Path, the following suggestions are designed to help you
make a character well suited for this campaign. These suggestions are
summarized on the table on page 9, which lists character options from strongly
recommended to not recommended.
</p>
<h2>Alignments</h2>
<p>
Because you and your friends will be taking on the roles of outlaws, it makes
sense that your character might be someone who lives outside typical legal
parameters or codes of ethics. Because of this, chaotic good and chaotic
neutral are ideal choices for your character’s alignment. Such characters
likely find themselves frequently at odds with Alkenstar’s highly regimented
powers that be, including the Temple of
@Compendium[pf2e.deities.vEMCpm7iidycRT5D]{Brigh} (most of whose devotees tend
to be lawful neutral), shieldmarshals (guards charged with upholding the
letter of the law), and the many famous guilds, private armies, and shadowy
corporations whose strict, regimented systems keep the city’s denizens in
lockstep with power brokers’ fiscal and industrial aims.
</p>
<p>
On the other hand, although your character ostensibly broke the law, they
might have been wrongfully accused, framed, or set up. Even if they did commit
the crime that’s led to their outlaw status, perhaps your character follows a
personal code that, while structured and methodical, simply doesn’t mesh with
Alkenstar’s conceptions of law and order. If so, lawful neutral or lawful good
are great alignment options.
</p>
<p>
As in nearly all Pathfinder Adventure Paths, evil alignments are best suited
for your party’s enemies, not your character. Though your character begins the
adventure as an outlaw and might even be a selfish antihero, the campaign
won’t put you in positions where you have to commit heinous or evil deeds.
Likewise, it’s assumed that the deeds that made your character a wanted
criminal weren’t motivated by greed, malevolence, or depravity (or, if they
were, your character has had a dramatic and sincere change of heart between
the crime and the beginning of the campaign). As usual, intentionally
committing atrocities or victimizing others will make it much harder for you
to work with your party and potential allies who don’t want anything to do
with evildoers.
</p>
<h2>Ancestries</h2>
<p>
Alkenstar is home to a wide variety of ancestries and ethnicities, though the
majority of its inhabitants are humans, particularly ethnic Garundi closely
descended from Nexian and Gebbite immigrants. Since the city’s founding over a
century ago, plenty of other diverse peoples have found their footing here,
including Mwangi from west of the Barrier Peaks or south of Geb, Keleshites
from as near as Katapesh or Qadira or as far as Kelesh, and Vudrani from
Jalmeray or elsewhere across the Obari Ocean.
</p>
<p>
Dwarves are the city’s second-most populous ancestry, many hailing from the
nearby Sky Citadel of Dongun Hold. It was Dongun dwarves who supplied the
first firearms to Ancil Alkenstar’s burgeoning community of technologists and
magic-weary refugees. Today, Dongun dwarves continue to be regarded as among
the best gunsmiths and explosives engineers in the world.
</p>
<p>
Jaric halflings and Vourinoi elves are far from unknown in Alkenstar—Ambrost
Mugland and Anjelique Loveless are only two of the most famous examples,
respectively. Roughly as common as these are gnolls and geniekin, the latter
of which are perhaps more common than usual in Alkenstar due, in part, to the
mysterious effects of mana storms on mortal bloodlines.
</p>
<p>
Finally, a notable number of Gebbite dhampirs and Nexian fleshwarps—comprising
a combination of temporary visitors, traveling adventurers, and full-blown
expatriates—also call the City of Smog home. Perhaps more than any other
ancestries, these individuals are uniquely suited to Alkenstar’s industrial
environment; hazardous pollutants and smog are of less concern to undead, and
fleshwarps too often boast anatomies that lessen the severity of environmental
dangers.
</p>
<p>
For more details on these ancestries and others that call Alkenstar home, see
the Pathfinder Lost Omens Ancestry Guide.
</p>
<h2>Classes</h2>
<p>
Alkenstar is the Inner Sea’s preeminent hub of technological and industrial
innovation. In the City of Smog, the quickest way to gain power, prestige, or
profit is to invent something that other people want; this holds as true for
adventurers as it does for aristocrats and common folk. Because scientific
experimentation and progress are keystones of daily life in Alkenstar,
alchemists and inventors (Pathfinder Guns &amp; Gears 15–33) do extremely well
as a general rule. Whether by mixing rare reagents collected from the Mana
Wastes or by tinkering with the literal tons of scrap that fill Alkenstar’s
junkyards, there are countless opportunities for old-time residents and
newcomers alike to practice the skills necessary to become accomplished in
either of these fields.
</p>
<p>
The same can be said for the gunslinger class (Guns &amp; Gears 105–119),
which is probably more common in Alkenstar than in any other corner of the
Inner Sea region. Alkenstar’s proximity to Dongun Hold—the birthplace of black
powder—means that firearms aren’t just easily accessible, but practically
commonplace. Mercenaries, monster slayers, bounty hunters, and criminals all
might call themselves gunslingers, though only a few ever exhibit the true
grit necessary to make it to the big leagues. The most talented shootists and
desperados command a high price as guns-for-hire or swiftly rise through the
ranks of organizations such as the shieldmarshals, making the gunslinger class
a natural fit for this campaign.
</p>
<p>
For the full rules on gunslingers and inventors, see Pathfinder Guns &amp;
Gears.
</p>
<p>
Beyond these three thematically suitable classes—alchemists, gunslingers, and
inventors—characters of any class well-suited for urban adventuring can hope
to succeed in the Outlaws of Alkenstar Adventure Path. Investigators and
rogues can uncover countless mysteries and hidden treasures on the streets of
the City of Smog, and swashbucklers and bards can likewise find opportunities
for escapades and entertainment at every turn.
</p>
<p>
For all of Alkenstar’s emphasis on technological novelties and progress, it’s
sometimes hard to beat a well-placed punch or a masterfully executed sword
swing. The fearsome threat of monsters encroaching from the Mana Wastes makes
adventurous martial experts of all stripes—such as fighters, monks, and
barbarians—always in high demand.
</p>
<p>
On the spiritual side of things, clerics, champions, and other pious
adventurers might strongly consider
@Compendium[pf2e.deities.vEMCpm7iidycRT5D]{Brigh}, the Whisper in Bronze and
patron goddess of clockwork inventors, as their deity. The Temple of Brigh in
Alkenstar is the largest organized church dedicated to the Bronze Lady in the
Inner Sea region. Ever-orderly
@Compendium[pf2e.deities.d56paSkcwvll2OhR]{Abadar} is also a popular deity
with Alkenstar’s most cosmopolitan believers. At the other extreme,
comfort-eschewing wasteland wanderers vastly prefer the age-old wisdom of the
divine hunter, @Compendium[pf2e.deities.mm1j6UbHqFCI8fwB]{Erastil}. Finally,
many Dongun dwarves pay stalwart homage to
@Compendium[pf2e.deities.sZrdzh0ANQnZGXJb]{Torag}, Father of Dwarvenkind, and
honor him with creative spins on ancient traditions.
</p>
<p>
Because of the surrounding region’s unique climate—magic-warping mana storms
are relatively common outside the city’s walls—druids, wizards, summoners, and
sorcerers don’t flock to Alkenstar as a rule, but they aren’t necessarily
unknown either. The few arcane spellcasters who intentionally travel to
Alkenstar often do so in the hopes of attending Blythir College, the city’s
only official academy of magic. Sorcerers and druids are more likely to dwell
on the city’s outskirts, where they can better tap into the mysterious powers
of so-called wellspring magic (Pathfinder Secrets of Magic 248).
</p>
<p>
Many spellcasters living in the City of Smog are exiles from Geb or Nex, where
they likely first gained their penchant for ancient necromantic secrets or
universal arcane truths, respectively. Witches, magi, and oracles similarly
travel to the Mana Wastes for their own mysterious reasons, and their
unorthodox relationship with esoterica makes them perhaps a bit more common in
the weird and wild Mana Wastes.
</p>
<h2>Languages</h2>
<p>
Owing to its cosmopolitan cultural makeup, the Grand Duchy of Alkenstar’s
official language is Common (Taldane), though the high population of dwarves
(especially dwarves from Dongun Hold) makes Dwarven nearly as ubiquitous. The
most successful merchants and travelers also take it upon themselves to learn
Kelish, a language commonly spoken in nearby nations like Geb, Nex, and
Katapesh.
</p>
<p>
In the wastelands beyond Alkenstar’s walls, roving bandits, violent mutated
giants, and horrific monsters tend to speak Gnoll, Jotun, Aklo, or a pidgin of
all three. Those who deal with evildoers could do far worse than to practice
one of these tongues as well.
</p>
<h2>Skills and Feats</h2>
<p>
Alkenstar is a city of inventors and makers; thus, virtually everyone has at
least a bit of training in the Crafting skill, which is useful not just for
making and repairing things, but also identifying the many different kinds of
clockwork creatures that roam the city. By the same token, anyone who expects
to be fighting or evading clockworks and their masters would do well to study
Thievery as a means of disabling devices.
</p>
<p>
Even for those with supernatural means of avoiding arrest, prowess in
Athletics or Acrobatics can often spell the difference between capture and
escape. Likewise, silver-tongued outlaws can benefit greatly from expertise in
social skills like Deception, Diplomacy, Intimidation, or Society. Although
Performance can be useful for creating diversions, a knack for Religion might
be even more practical in a settlement whose predominant church—the Temple of
Brigh—functions like an essential cog in daily goings-on. Of course, when all
else fails, there’s always pure and simple Stealth, an invaluable addition to
any outlaw’s skill repertoire.
</p>
<p>
Although Nature and Survival are of minimal use in Alkenstar proper, the
outskirts of the city are rife with animals and environmental dangers, making
naturalists and survivalists useful in certain situations. While Medicine and
Occultism are always useful skills to have on hand, neither will open any
special doors in this campaign.
</p>
<p>
Among the subcategories of the Lore skill, Alkenstar Lore, Brigh Lore, and
Engineering Lore are highly relevant throughout this Adventure Path.
</p>
<p>
Suitable feats include any that complement your character concept and/or play
into the above skills. As an outlaw, your character might particularly benefit
from feats that could help you survive on the outskirts of proper society or
without the assistance of the law. Likewise, because Alkenstar’s architecture
is so tightly packed together, feats that increase mobility in close quarters
will typically be more useful than those which require a Large animal
companion or mount to enjoy. The
@UUID[JournalEntry.pf2ooalk01player.JournalEntryPage.01suggestedcha00]{table}
includes lists of specific feats to consider for your character.
</p>
<h2>Backgrounds</h2>
<p>
Though you can choose any common background for your character (including the
ones starting on page 60 of the Core Rulebook; the criminal background is
particularly appropriate), the following new backgrounds are designed
specifically for the Outlaws of Alkenstar Adventure Path. You can use these
backgrounds to inspire personality traits and details that tie your character
to Alkenstar.
</p>
<p>
Additionally, each of the following backgrounds includes a reason for your
character to seek revenge against one of two villains who wronged you: the
nefarious mogul Ambrost Mugland or the corrupt shieldmarshal Anjelique
Loveless.
</p>
<p>@Compendium[pf2e.backgrounds.U1gbRkmZqJ7SmpeF]{Banished Brighite}</p>
<p>@Compendium[pf2e.backgrounds.eHfsMNiVeqwnrpG3]{Framed in Ferrous Quarter}</p>
<p>@Compendium[pf2e.backgrounds.UK40FVVVx6IKxipW]{Inexplicably Expelled}</p>
<p>@Compendium[pf2e.backgrounds.bxWID85noazU72O3]{Ratted-Out Gun Runner}</p>
<p>@Compendium[pf2e.backgrounds.4lbfPXwZEf3eE0ip]{Snubbed Out Stoolie}</p>
<p>@Compendium[pf2e.backgrounds.wZikbWmCWYpjFxQF]{Wanted Witness}</p>
entries.Outlaws of Alkenstar - Player's Guide.journals.Players Guide.pages.Contents.name
Contents
entries.Outlaws of Alkenstar - Player's Guide.journals.Players Guide.pages.Contents.text

<img class="chapter-image"
src="modules/pf2e-ap178-180-outlaws-of-alkenstar/assets/art/PZO90178_Scene_Hellside_Chase_final.webp" alt="" />
<h1 class="no-toc chapter-heading">
<span>Player’s Guide</span>
</h1>
<h2 class="no-toc">How to Use This Player’s Guide</h2>
<h2 class="no-toc">
@UUID[JournalEntry.pf2ooalk01player.JournalEntryPage.01alkenstarcit00]{Alkenstar, City of Smog}
</h2>
<p>Places of Note</p>
<p>Sidebar: Where on Golarion?</p>
<p>Notable Personas</p>
<p>Map: Alkenstar</p>
<p>Magic in Alkenstar</p>
<h2 class="no-toc">
@UUID[JournalEntry.pf2ooalk01player.JournalEntryPage.01yourcharacte00]{Your Character}
</h2>
<p>Outlawed</p>
<p>Gunmetal Grudge</p>
<p>Sidebar: Running this Adventure</p>
<p>The Heist</p>
<h2 class="no-toc">
@UUID[JournalEntry.pf2ooalk01player.JournalEntryPage.01charactersug00]{Character Suggestions}
</h2>
<p>Alignments</p>
<p>Ancestries</p>
<p>Table: Suggested Character Options</p>
<p>Classes</p>
<p>Languages</p>
<p>Skills and Feats</p>
<p>Backgrounds</p>
entries.Outlaws of Alkenstar - Player's Guide.journals.Players Guide.pages.Credits.name
Credits
entries.Outlaws of Alkenstar - Player's Guide.journals.Players Guide.pages.Credits.text

<img class="chapter-image" src="modules/pf2e-ap178-180-outlaws-of-alkenstar/assets/art/OoA_Logo.webp" alt="">
<h1 class="no-toc chapter-heading">Player’s Guide</h1>
<h3 class="no-toc">By Patrick Renie</h3>
<p><strong>Author</strong></p>
<p>Patrick Renie</p>
<p><strong>DEVELOPER</strong></p>
<p>Patrick Renie</p>
<p><strong>Design Lead</strong></p>
<p>Michael Sayre</p>
<p><strong>Additional Design</strong></p>
<p>Mark Seifter</p>
<p><strong>Editing Lead</strong></p>
<p>Leo Glass</p>
<p><strong>Editor</strong></p>
<p>Simone D. Sallé</p>
<p><strong>Cover Artist</strong></p>
<p>Denis Zhbankov</p>
<p><strong>Interior Artists</strong></p>
<p>Rob Lazzaretti, Ilina Naydenova, <br>and Vladislav Orlowski</p>
<p><strong>Art Direction</strong></p>
<p>Sonja Morris and Sarah E. Robinson</p>
<p><strong>Graphic Design</strong></p>
<p>Sonja Morris</p>
<p><strong>Publisher</strong></p>
<p>Erik Mona</p>
<div style="text-align: center">
<img src="modules/pf2e-ap178-180-outlaws-of-alkenstar/assets/art/Correct_Paizo_Logo.webp" alt="">
<p>Paizo Inc.</p>
<p>7120 185th Ave NE Ste 120</p>
<p>Redmond, WA 98052-0577</p>
<p>paizo.com</p>
</div>
entries.Outlaws of Alkenstar - Player's Guide.journals.Players Guide.pages.Framed in Ferrous Quarter Background.name
Framed in Ferrous Quarter Background
entries.Outlaws of Alkenstar - Player's Guide.journals.Players Guide.pages.Framed in Ferrous Quarter Background.text

<h2 class="no-toc">Framed in Ferrous Quarter</h2>
<p>@Compendium[pf2e.backgrounds.eHfsMNiVeqwnrpG3]{See background here}</p>
<p>
Everyone knows that Ferrous Quarter isn’t exactly the nicest part of Alkenstar. Hard-working laborers, gunsmiths
suffering from black lung, and red-eyed tinkerers alike can toil their entire lives on these grimy streets and still
wind up dead in an alley with nothing to show for it. You were once one of these humble artisans, until one day, out
of nowhere, things broke bad.
</p>
<p>
Maybe you hung out with the wrong crowd. Maybe it was just bad luck. Whatever the case, you were framed for a crime
you didn’t commit—larceny, smuggling, possibly even murder. You didn’t stick around long enough to find out what,
exactly, the shieldmarshals banging on your door were charging you with. Now, you’re on the lam, uncertain where
you’ll be able to get a good night’s sleep, let alone your next meal.
</p>
<p>
At least one thing’s for sure, though: before you turned heel and ran into the streets, you saw a telltale signature
on the arrest warrant. It was the scrawl of a corrupt shieldmarshal who’s framed countless other hardworking folks
in your neighborhood on the basis of cooked-up evidence. Yes, you’re sure of it—the crooked guard who took you down
is none other than Deputy Anjelique Loveless, and you’re determined to return the favor.
</p>
<p>Choose two ability boosts. One must be to Dexterity or Constitution, and one is a free ability boost.</p>
<p>
You’re trained in the Crafting skill and the Engineering Lore skill. You gain the
@Compendium[pf2e.feats-srd.QLeMH5mQgh28sa5o]{Specialty Crafting} skill feat.
</p>
entries.Outlaws of Alkenstar - Player's Guide.journals.Players Guide.pages.How to Use This Player’s Guide.name
How to Use This Player’s Guide
entries.Outlaws of Alkenstar - Player's Guide.journals.Players Guide.pages.How to Use This Player’s Guide.text

<p>Welcome to Alkenstar!</p>
<p>
If you’re reading this Player’s Guide, it means you and your friends have
decided to play in the Outlaws of Alkenstar Adventure Path. In this campaign
for Pathfinder Second Edition, you’ll create a 1st-level character and take on
the role of a criminal outlaw in a steam-powered metropolis. To get revenge on
the villains who ruined you, you’ll need to defeat clockwork creatures,
collect fantastic firearms, and navigate industrial dungeons, magical wilds,
and myriad social spheres. If this sounds exciting, you’ve found the right
Adventure Path!
</p>
<p>
To play in this campaign, all you need is the Pathfinder Core Rulebook and a
character sheet. With the permission of your Game Master (GM), you can also
use other Pathfinder Second Edition books and accessories to further customize
your character. While not required to enjoy Outlaws of Alkenstar, Pathfinder
Guns &amp; Gears is an especially useful supplement to have on hand, as it
contains a number of character options and rules elements specifically
designed for characters in Alkenstar, the industrial metropolis at the heart
of this Adventure Path.
</p>
<p>This Player’s Guide is organized into the following sections:</p>
<ul>
<li>
<strong
>@UUID[JournalEntry.pf2ooalk01player.JournalEntryPage.01alkenstarcit00]{Alkenstar,
City of Smog}:</strong
>
An overview of the industrial metropolis in which your story takes place.
</li>
<li>
<strong
>@UUID[JournalEntry.pf2ooalk01player.JournalEntryPage.01yourcharacte00]{Your
Character}:</strong
>
Important background details and inspiring lore to consider before creating
your character.
</li>
<li>
<strong
>@UUID[JournalEntry.pf2ooalk01player.JournalEntryPage.01charactersug00]{Character
Suggestions}:</strong
>
Additional guidance, practical advice, and specific tips for creating a
character tailored specifically for Outlaws of Alkenstar.
</li>
</ul>
entries.Outlaws of Alkenstar - Player's Guide.journals.Players Guide.pages.Inexplicably Expelled Background.name
Inexplicably Expelled Background
entries.Outlaws of Alkenstar - Player's Guide.journals.Players Guide.pages.Inexplicably Expelled Background.text

<h2 class="no-toc">Inexplicably Expelled</h2>
<p>@Compendium[pf2e.backgrounds.UK40FVVVx6IKxipW]{See background here}</p>
<p>
Gaining admission to Blythir College is a difficult task, even for Alkenstar’s most well-to-do families. In the
magic-warped Mana Wastes, it’s next to impossible to fake arcane talents or alchemical aptitude. So when you were
accepted to the school, it was one of the most triumphant moments of your life.
</p>
<p>
Unfortunately, your victory was short-lived. Just as you were you making significant headway on a promising series
of explosive experiments, you found a letter on your desk informing you that, effective immediately, you were
permanently expelled from Blythir College. As bogus as the punishment was, the charges leveled against you were even
more puzzling: theft of property, both intellectual and physical. And just like that, you found your prestigious
honors replaced with a ruined reputation, and your colleagues and mentors became bitter rivals and accusers. In an
instant, you’d gone from promising scholar to wanted criminal.
</p>
<p>
You followed the money for answers and learned that a shady financier named Ambrost Mugland didn’t want you to
finish your research at Blythir. He’d learned that you were on the brink of a great discovery—one that even you
weren’t fully aware of—and he decided that your imminent breakthrough would be bad for business. Unfortunately for
Mugland, he chose the wrong student to destroy. Now, you’ll do whatever’s necessary to get your revenge on the
villain who stole the future you had worked so hard to build for yourself.
</p>
<p>Choose two ability boosts. One must be to Intelligence or Charisma, and one is a free ability boost.</p>
<p>
You’re trained in the Crafting skill and the Academia Lore skill. You gain the
@Compendium[pf2e.feats-srd.is3Oz9wt11lNq62K]{Alchemical Crafting} skill feat.
</p>
entries.Outlaws of Alkenstar - Player's Guide.journals.Players Guide.pages.Ratted-Out Gun Runner Background.name
Ratted-Out Gun Runner Background
entries.Outlaws of Alkenstar - Player's Guide.journals.Players Guide.pages.Ratted-Out Gun Runner Background.text

<h2 class="no-toc">Ratted-Out Gun Runner</h2>
<p>@Compendium[pf2e.backgrounds.bxWID85noazU72O3]{See background here}</p>
<p>
Sure, you’ve got a checkered past. Who doesn’t? It’s hard to make a living in the City of Smog, so you did what you
could to put&nbsp;silvers in your pocket and food on the table. You made a good deal of money selling firearms from
the Gunworks to people who perhaps shouldn’t have had them. You even worked with wasteland marauders a few times,
sticking up Ustradi barges plying the river between the Gunworks and Alkenstar. Of course, you never hurt any
innocents or did anything truly heinous; your criminal career was always just a matter of money.
</p>
<p>
One day, a corrupt financier named Ambrost Mugland—a true crook if there ever was one—approached you, demanding a
cut of your business. When you refused, he put in a word with the shieldmarshals that you’d be a certain somewhere
at a certain time with a certain large quantity of illegally obtained firearms. Even though you escaped arrest, your
identity was compromised, and your old accomplices have all turned their backs on you. Your gun-running days are
clearly over. Now, you’re just running.
</p>
<p>Choose two ability boosts. One must be to Dexterity or Wisdom, and one is a free ability boost.</p>
<p>
You’re trained in the Stealth skill and the Firearm Lore skill. You gain the
@Compendium[pf2e.feats-srd.t3btih0O5RUwWynt]{Experienced Smuggler} skill feat.
</p>
entries.Outlaws of Alkenstar - Player's Guide.journals.Players Guide.pages.Snubbed Out Stoolie Background.name
Snubbed Out Stoolie Background
entries.Outlaws of Alkenstar - Player's Guide.journals.Players Guide.pages.Snubbed Out Stoolie Background.text

<h2 class="no-toc">Snubbed Out Stoolie</h2>
<p>@Compendium[pf2e.backgrounds.4lbfPXwZEf3eE0ip]{See background here}</p>
<p>
You were once a distinguished informant for the shieldmarshals, working deep undercover to infiltrate gangs of
bootleggers and assassins. Then, one day, you discovered that the records of your service had all been completely
destroyed. In an instant, you were no longer an elite spy impersonating a criminal—you were just a plain criminal.
</p>
<p>
Now, not a trace remains of your work for the city. Not only is it as though you were never a shieldmarshal at all,
but you’ve got a rap sheet implicating you as a key member in the criminal organizations you spent your career
infiltrating. Luckily, no one could take away the skills you learned from your deep-cover missions, and your new
notoriety has earned you quite a reputation among Alkenstar’s criminal elite. Through your underworld connections,
you’ve identified Deputy Shieldmarshal Anjelique Loveless as the one responsible for your fall from grace. It seems
you were onto something that she didn’t want you to know about, but there’s only one way to figure out exactly why
Loveless ruined your reputation and gave you your outlaw status—find her.
</p>
<p>Choose two ability boosts. One must be to Strength or Charisma, and one is a free ability boost.</p>
<p>
You’re trained in the Deception skill and the Underworld Lore skill. You gain the
@Compendium[pf2e.feats-srd.Dvz54d6aPhjsmUux]{Lie To Me} skill feat.
</p>
entries.Outlaws of Alkenstar - Player's Guide.journals.Players Guide.pages.Suggested Character Options.name
Suggested Character Options
entries.Outlaws of Alkenstar - Player's Guide.journals.Players Guide.pages.Suggested Character Options.text

<h1 class="no-toc table">Suggested Character Options</h1>
<table>
<tbody>
</tbody></table><table style="width: 100%;">
<colgroup>
<col style="width: 5%;">
<col style="width: 5%;">
<col style="width: 20%;">
<col style="width: 10%;">
<col style="width: 30%;">
<col style="width: 30%;">
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr>
<th>Alignments</th>
<th><p>Ancestries</p><p>(and Ethnicities)</p></th>
<th>Classes</th>
<th>Languages</th>
<th>Skills</th>
<th>Feats</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="6">
<p style="font-weight: bold;">Strongly Recommended</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>CG</p>
<p>CN</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Dwarf (Dongun)</p>
<p>Human (Garundi, Keleshite, Mwangi, Vudrani)</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Alchemist</p>
<p>Gunslinger**</p>
<p>Inventor**</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Common</p>
<p>Dwarven</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Crafting</p>
<p>Lore (Alkenstar, Brigh, Engineering)</p>
<p>Thievery</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Alchemical Crafting</p>
<p>Crafter’s Appraisal†</p>
<p>Feather Step</p>
<p>Quick Squeeze</p>
<p>Steady Balance</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="6">
<p style="font-weight: bold;">Recommended</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>N</p>
<p>NG</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Halfling (Jaric)</p>
<p>Half-Elf (Vourinoi)</p>
<p>Geniekin*</p>
<p>Gnoll*</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Bard</p>
<p>Cleric</p>
<p>Fighter</p>
<p>Investigator</p>
<p>Oracle</p>
<p>Rogue</p>
<p>Sorcerer</p>
<p>Swashbuckler</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Gnoll</p>
<p>Goblin</p>
<p>Kelish</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Acrobatics</p>
<p>Athletics</p>
<p>Deception</p>
<p>Society</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Deceptive Worship</p>
<p>Experienced Smuggler</p>
<p>Lengthy Diversion</p>
<p>Pickpocket</p>
<p>Quick Coercion</p>
<p>Quick Repair</p>
<p>Streetwise</p>
<p>Subtle Theft</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="6">
<p style="font-weight: bold;">Appropriate</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>LN</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Dhampir*</p>
<p>Fleshwarp*</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Other common <br>classes</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Aklo</p>
<p>Halfling</p>
<p>Jotun</p>
<p>Mwangi</p>
<p>Osiriani</p>
<p>Vudrani</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Diplomacy</p>
<p>Intimidation</p>
<p>Performance</p>
<p>Religion</p>
<p>Stealth</p>
<p>Survival</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Bon Mot†</p>
<p>Charming Liar</p>
<p>Courtly Graces</p>
<p>Group Impression</p>
<p>Hobnobber</p>
<p>Intimidating Glare</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="6">
<p style="font-weight: bold;">Not recommended</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>LG</p>
<p>LE</p>
<p>NE</p>
<p>CE</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>—</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>—</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>—</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Medicine</p>
<p>Nature</p>
<p>Occultism</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Express Rider</p>
<p>Forager</p>
<p>Multilingual</p>
<p>Natural Medicine</p>
<p>Ride</p>
<p>Survey Wildlife</p>
<p>Terrain Expertise</p>
<p>Train Animal</p>
<p>Underwater Marauder</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="7">
* See Pathfinder Lost Omens Ancestry Guide.
** See Pathfinder Guns &amp; Gears.
† See Pathfinder Advanced Player’s Guide.
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

Loading…

User avatar None

String updated in the repository

  1. PF2
  2. pf2e-ap178-180-outlaws-of-alkenstar.adventures
  3. English

<img class="chapter-image"
src="modules/pf2e-ap178-180-outlaws-of-alkenstar/assets/art/PZO90178_Scene_Hellside_Chase_final.webp" alt="" />
<h1 class="no-toc chapter-heading">
<span>Player’s Guide</span>
</h1>
<h2 class="no-toc">How to Use This Player’s Guide</h2>
<h2 class="no-toc">
@UUID[JournalEntry.pf2ooalk01player.JournalEntryPage.01alkenstarcit00]{Alkenstar, City of Smog}
</h2>
<p>Places of Note</p>
<p>Sidebar: Where on Golarion?</p>
<p>Notable Personas</p>
<p>Map: Alkenstar</p>
<p>Magic in Alkenstar</p>
<h2 class="no-toc">
@UUID[JournalEntry.pf2ooalk01player.JournalEntryPage.01yourcharacte00]{Your Character}
</h2>
<p>Outlawed</p>
<p>Gunmetal Grudge</p>
<p>Sidebar: Running this Adventure</p>
<p>The Heist</p>
<h2 class="no-toc">
@UUID[JournalEntry.pf2ooalk01player.JournalEntryPage.01charactersug00]{Character Suggestions}
</h2>
<p>Alignments</p>
<p>Ancestries</p>
<p>Table: Suggested Character Options</p>
<p>Classes</p>
<p>Languages</p>
<p>Skills and Feats</p>
<p>Backgrounds</p>

<img class="chapter-image"
 src="modules/pf2e-ap178-180-outlaws-of-alkenstar/assets/art/PZO90178_Scene_Hellside_Chase_final.webp" alt="" />
<h1 class="no-toc chapter-heading">
<span>Player’s Guide</span>
</h1>
<h2 class="no-toc">How to Use This Player’s Guide</h2>
<h2 class="no-toc">
@UUID[JournalEntry.pf2ooalk01player.JournalEntryPage.01alkenstarcit00]{Alkenstar,
 City of Smog}
</h2>
<p>Places of Note</p>
<p>Sidebar: Where on Golarion?</p>
<p>Notable Personas</p>
<p>Map: Alkenstar</p>
<p>Magic in Alkenstar</p>
<h2 class="no-toc">
@UUID[JournalEntry.pf2ooalk01player.JournalEntryPage.01yourcharacte00]{Your
 Character}
</h2>
<p>Outlawed</p>
<p>Gunmetal Grudge</p>
<p>Sidebar: Running this Adventure</p>
<p>The Heist</p>
<h2 class="no-toc">
@UUID[JournalEntry.pf2ooalk01player.JournalEntryPage.01charactersug00]{Character
 Suggestions}
</h2>
<p>Alignments</p>
<p>Ancestries</p>
<p>Table: Suggested Character Options</p>
<p>Classes</p>
<p>Languages</p>
<p>Skills and Feats</p>
<p>Backgrounds</p>
5 months ago
User avatar None

String updated in the repository

  1. PF2
  2. pf2e-ap178-180-outlaws-of-alkenstar.adventures
  3. English
<img class="chapter-image" src="modules/pf2e-ap178-180-outlaws-of-alkenstar/assets/art/PZO90178_Scene_Hellside_Chase_final.webp" alt />
<h1 class="no-toc chapter-heading">
<span>Player’s Guide</span>
</h1>
<h2 class="no-toc">How to Use This Player’s Guide</h2>
<h2 class="no-toc">
@UUID[JournalEntry.pf2ooalk01player.JournalEntryPage.01alkenstarcit00]{Alkenstar,
City of Smog}
</h2>
<p>Places of Note</p>
<p>Sidebar: Where on Golarion?</p>
<p>Notable Personas</p>
<p>Map: Alkenstar</p>
<p>Magic in Alkenstar</p>
<h2 class="no-toc">
@UUID[JournalEntry.pf2ooalk01player.JournalEntryPage.01yourcharacte00]{Your
Character}
</h2>
<p>Outlawed</p>
<p>Gunmetal Grudge</p>
<p>Sidebar: Running this Adventure</p>
<p>The Heist</p>
<h2 class="no-toc">
@UUID[JournalEntry.pf2ooalk01player.JournalEntryPage.01charactersug00]{Character
Suggestions}
</h2>
<p>Alignments</p>
<p>Ancestries</p>
<p>Table: Suggested Character Options</p>
<p>Classes</p>
<p>Languages</p>
<p>Skills and Feats</p>
<p>Backgrounds</p>
<img class="chapter-image" src="modules/pf2e-ap178-180-outlaws-of-alkenstar/assets/art/PZO90178_Scene_Hellside_Chase_final.webp" alt />
<h1 class="no-toc chapter-heading">
<span>Player’s Guide</span>
</h1>
<h2 class="no-toc">How to Use This Player’s Guide</h2>
<h2 class="no-toc">
@UUID[JournalEntry.pf2ooalk01player.JournalEntryPage.01alkenstarcit00]{Alkenstar,
City of Smog}
</h2>
<p>Places of Note</p>
<p>Sidebar: Where on Golarion?</p>
<p>Notable Personas</p>
<p>Map: Alkenstar</p>
<p>Magic in Alkenstar</p>
<h2 class="no-toc">
@UUID[JournalEntry.pf2ooalk01player.JournalEntryPage.01yourcharacte00]{Your
Character}
</h2>
<p>Outlawed</p>
<p>Gunmetal Grudge</p>
<p>Sidebar: Running this Adventure</p>
<p>The Heist</p>
<h2 class="no-toc">
@UUID[JournalEntry.pf2ooalk01player.JournalEntryPage.01charactersug00]{Character
Suggestions}
</h2>
<p>Alignments</p>
<p>Ancestries</p>
<p>Table: Suggested Character Options</p>
<p>Classes</p>
<p>Languages</p>
<p>Skills and Feats</p>
<p>Backgrounds</p>
9 months ago
User avatar None

String updated in the repository

  1. PF2
  2. pf2e-ap178-180-outlaws-of-alkenstar.adventures
  3. English
<img class="chapter-image" src="modules/pf2e-ap178-180-outlaws-of-alkenstar/assets/art/PZO90178_Scene_Hellside_Chase_final.webp" alt />
<h1 class="no-toc chapter-heading">
<span>Player’s Guide</span>
</h1>
<h2 class="no-toc">How to Use This Player’s Guide</h2>
<h2 class="no-toc">
@UUID[JournalEntry.pf2ooalk01player.JournalEntryPage.01alkenstarcit00]{Alkenstar,
City of Smog}
</h2>
<p>Places of Note</p>
<p>Sidebar: Where on Golarion?</p>
<p>Notable Personas</p>
<p>Map: Alkenstar</p>
<p>Magic in Alkenstar</p>
<h2 class="no-toc">
@UUID[JournalEntry.pf2ooalk01player.JournalEntryPage.01yourcharacte00]{Your
Character}
</h2>
<p>Outlawed</p>
<p>Gunmetal Grudge</p>
<p>Sidebar: Running this Adventure</p>
<p>The Heist</p>
<h2 class="no-toc">
@UUID[JournalEntry.pf2ooalk01player.JournalEntryPage.01charactersug00]{Character
Suggestions}
</h2>
<p>Alignments</p>
<p>Ancestries</p>
<p>Table: Suggested Character Options</p>
<p>Classes</p>
<p>Languages</p>
<p>Skills and Feats</p>
<p>Backgrounds</p>
<img class="chapter-image" src="modules/pf2e-ap178-180-outlaws-of-alkenstar/assets/art/PZO90178_Scene_Hellside_Chase_final.webp" alt />
<h1 class="no-toc chapter-heading">
<span>Player’s Guide</span>
</h1>
<h2 class="no-toc">How to Use This Player’s Guide</h2>
<h2 class="no-toc">
@UUID[JournalEntry.pf2ooalk01player.JournalEntryPage.01alkenstarcit00]{Alkenstar,
City of Smog}
</h2>
<p>Places of Note</p>
<p>Sidebar: Where on Golarion?</p>
<p>Notable Personas</p>
<p>Map: Alkenstar</p>
<p>Magic in Alkenstar</p>
<h2 class="no-toc">
@UUID[JournalEntry.pf2ooalk01player.JournalEntryPage.01yourcharacte00]{Your
Character}
</h2>
<p>Outlawed</p>
<p>Gunmetal Grudge</p>
<p>Sidebar: Running this Adventure</p>
<p>The Heist</p>
<h2 class="no-toc">
@UUID[JournalEntry.pf2ooalk01player.JournalEntryPage.01charactersug00]{Character
Suggestions}
</h2>
<p>Alignments</p>
<p>Ancestries</p>
<p>Table: Suggested Character Options</p>
<p>Classes</p>
<p>Languages</p>
<p>Skills and Feats</p>
<p>Backgrounds</p>
a year ago
Browse all string changes

Things to check

Multiple failing checks

Following checks are failing:
Starting newline: Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Simplified)

Reset

Glossary

English English
No related strings found in the glossary.

String information

Key
entries.Outlaws of Alkenstar - Player's Guide.journals.Players Guide.pages.Contents.text
Flags
read-only
String age
a year ago
Last updated
5 months ago
Source string age
a year ago
Translation file
en-US/pf2e-ap178-180-outlaws-of-alkenstar.adventures.json, string 6