Level-based pressure, complex hazards, influence, and victory points.
Campaign Range
Begin at 3rd level after San Telmo and finish at 8th. Standalone groups may begin the Aurora Ventus prologue at 2nd level. Use milestone advancement at the same act breaks as the Fifth Edition pack. Pathfinder’s encounter math is precise; use it for local danger, not to force every faction or fleet into encounter statistics.
Core Translation
| CAMPAIGN PRESSURE | PF2E EXPRESSION | GM USE |
|---|---|---|
| Faction pressure | Influence subsystem, reputation, or campaign clock. | Review credible off-screen moves between sessions; advance only when an established trigger occurs, including consequences of social scenes or accepted favors. |
| Negotiations | Influence encounters with discovered weaknesses and limited rounds. | Evidence unlocks skills, lowers DCs, or increases Influence gained. |
| Éterlumin instability | Environmental or complex hazard. | Warn first, provide disable actions, then escalate. |
| Source chamber | Complex hazard in initiative with multiple disable approaches. | Every round reveals a pattern, cost, or new rule. |
| Airship conflict | Vehicle scene with targetable systems and victory points. | Track Lift, Sail, Command, Guns, Frame, and Crew. |
| Battlefield | Victory point track plus troops or hazards. | Do not move every soldier. Track Cohesion, Pressure, and Position. |
| Legal pressure | Influence, reputation, access requirements, and downtime consequences. | The seal can be lawful and still dangerous. |
Faction pressure
- PF2E EXPRESSION
- Influence subsystem, reputation, or campaign clock.
- GM USE
- Review credible off-screen moves between sessions; advance only when an established trigger occurs, including consequences of social scenes or accepted favors.
Negotiations
- PF2E EXPRESSION
- Influence encounters with discovered weaknesses and limited rounds.
- GM USE
- Evidence unlocks skills, lowers DCs, or increases Influence gained.
Éterlumin instability
- PF2E EXPRESSION
- Environmental or complex hazard.
- GM USE
- Warn first, provide disable actions, then escalate.
Source chamber
- PF2E EXPRESSION
- Complex hazard in initiative with multiple disable approaches.
- GM USE
- Every round reveals a pattern, cost, or new rule.
Airship conflict
- PF2E EXPRESSION
- Vehicle scene with targetable systems and victory points.
- GM USE
- Track Lift, Sail, Command, Guns, Frame, and Crew.
Battlefield
- PF2E EXPRESSION
- Victory point track plus troops or hazards.
- GM USE
- Do not move every soldier. Track Cohesion, Pressure, and Position.
Legal pressure
- PF2E EXPRESSION
- Influence, reputation, access requirements, and downtime consequences.
- GM USE
- The seal can be lawful and still dangerous.
Baseline DCs
| PRESSURE | DC METHOD | USE |
|---|---|---|
| Routine | Simple DC or level DC -2 | A trained character acts under mild pressure; failure should cost time or position, not stop the route. |
| Pressured | Level-based DC | Weather, crowding, pursuit, time, observation, or ordinary faction resistance. |
| Dangerous | Level DC +2 | Failure causes harm, exposure, clock movement, or loss of access. |
| Severe | Level DC +5 | Ship, Source, reputation, custody, or life is at risk. |
| Catastrophic | Level DC +10 or narrative requirement | Rupture, court scandal, ship loss, atrocity, or war pretext. Require preparation or proof before rolling. |
Routine
- DC METHOD
- Simple DC or level DC -2
- USE
- A trained character acts under mild pressure; failure should cost time or position, not stop the route.
Pressured
- DC METHOD
- Level-based DC
- USE
- Weather, crowding, pursuit, time, observation, or ordinary faction resistance.
Dangerous
- DC METHOD
- Level DC +2
- USE
- Failure causes harm, exposure, clock movement, or loss of access.
Severe
- DC METHOD
- Level DC +5
- USE
- Ship, Source, reputation, custody, or life is at risk.
Catastrophic
- DC METHOD
- Level DC +10 or narrative requirement
- USE
- Rupture, court scandal, ship loss, atrocity, or war pretext. Require preparation or proof before rolling.
Degrees of Success
| RESULT | CAMPAIGN MEANING |
|---|---|
| Critical Success | Gain the objective and reduce a clock, improve Position, or create a safe route. |
| Success | Gain the objective; the existing pressure remains. |
| Failure | Choose or apply one: advance a clock, take a condition, lose time, reveal position, or worsen footing. |
| Critical Failure | The scene changes: reinforcements arrive, a hazard enters initiative, command breaks, or the Source answers. |
Critical Success
- CAMPAIGN MEANING
- Gain the objective and reduce a clock, improve Position, or create a safe route.
Success
- CAMPAIGN MEANING
- Gain the objective; the existing pressure remains.
Failure
- CAMPAIGN MEANING
- Choose or apply one: advance a clock, take a condition, lose time, reveal position, or worsen footing.
Critical Failure
- CAMPAIGN MEANING
- The scene changes: reinforcements arrive, a hazard enters initiative, command breaks, or the Source answers.
Negotiation Influence
Run major summit scenes as Influence encounters. Each faction has a starting attitude, discovery skills, and weaknesses. Evidence determines which skills can generate Influence. A rescued witness may unlock Diplomacy with Montoya, Society with Calderón, Intimidation against Smit, or Legal Lore against van der Zee. Repeating an unsupported argument should not generate Influence.
| TARGET | STARTING ATTITUDE | WEAKNESS / DISCOVERY | THRESHOLD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montoya | Indifferent or Friendly | Proof of coercion, protected testimony, Melenko evidence. | 4 Influence for sanctuary; 8 for open intervention. |
| Calderón | Indifferent | Military risk, civilian safety, organized Albion action. | 4 for delay; 8 for naval support. |
| Lysander | Friendly in appearance | Deniability, professional respect, leverage against Valdegracia. | 4 for information; 8 creates dangerous obligation. |
| Juliette | Friendly | Protection of people and sites before access. | 4 for public support; 8 for delegation split. |
| Van der Zee | Indifferent | Contracts, scandal, proof of illicit route. | 4 for concession; 8 for recorded break with Smit. |
| Project Custodian (DeLuca by default) | Unfriendly once threatened | Office, record, current leverage, and control of the project. | Influence buys time or terms, not trust. |
Montoya
- STARTING ATTITUDE
- Indifferent or Friendly
- WEAKNESS / DISCOVERY
- Proof of coercion, protected testimony, Melenko evidence.
- THRESHOLD
- 4 Influence for sanctuary; 8 for open intervention.
Calderón
- STARTING ATTITUDE
- Indifferent
- WEAKNESS / DISCOVERY
- Military risk, civilian safety, organized Albion action.
- THRESHOLD
- 4 for delay; 8 for naval support.
Lysander
- STARTING ATTITUDE
- Friendly in appearance
- WEAKNESS / DISCOVERY
- Deniability, professional respect, leverage against Valdegracia.
- THRESHOLD
- 4 for information; 8 creates dangerous obligation.
Juliette
- STARTING ATTITUDE
- Friendly
- WEAKNESS / DISCOVERY
- Protection of people and sites before access.
- THRESHOLD
- 4 for public support; 8 for delegation split.
Van der Zee
- STARTING ATTITUDE
- Indifferent
- WEAKNESS / DISCOVERY
- Contracts, scandal, proof of illicit route.
- THRESHOLD
- 4 for concession; 8 for recorded break with Smit.
Project Custodian (DeLuca by default)
- STARTING ATTITUDE
- Unfriendly once threatened
- WEAKNESS / DISCOVERY
- Office, record, current leverage, and control of the project.
- THRESHOLD
- Influence buys time or terms, not trust.
Complex Hazard: The Breathing Source
Build the Source as a level 7 complex hazard for a 7th-level party. It has five active nodes matching the chambers. Each node has at least two disable skills, one social or performative option, and one environmental option. When the hazard becomes active, roll its Stealth or another level-appropriate initiative modifier and let it act on that initiative each round. Each node requires two successful disable actions before two failures; a critical success counts as two, while a critical failure advances Source Disequilibrium and closes that approach until another character changes the conditions. Six total successful disable actions reduce the manifestation tier. Treat the manifestation as the hazard’s final consequence unless the characters choose to fight it; only then use the creature levels below.
| NODE | EXAMPLE DISABLE ACTIONS |
|---|---|
| Hall of Whispers | Occultism or Religion to identify the response; Diplomacy or Performance to name the memory; Thievery to brace the floor without striking the geometry. |
| Shaman’s Passage | Acrobatics to cross in rhythm; Survival to read vents; Medicine to control group breathing. |
| Living Echo | Nature, Diplomacy, Performance, or a relevant Lore to calm and guide it. |
| Chamber of Measure | Arcana, Crafting, Performance, or Engineering Lore to align the repeated pulse. |
| Source | Arcana, Occultism, Religion, Society, or a legacy-based action to choose which reference signal is broken. |
| PF2E HAZARD RULE | Use the obstacle’s level-based DC and circumstance adjustments rather than one fixed campaign ladder. The Source has an initiative and reactions like a complex hazard; it is not a Fifth Edition lair action at initiative 20. |
Hall of Whispers
- EXAMPLE DISABLE ACTIONS
- Occultism or Religion to identify the response; Diplomacy or Performance to name the memory; Thievery to brace the floor without striking the geometry.
Shaman’s Passage
- EXAMPLE DISABLE ACTIONS
- Acrobatics to cross in rhythm; Survival to read vents; Medicine to control group breathing.
Living Echo
- EXAMPLE DISABLE ACTIONS
- Nature, Diplomacy, Performance, or a relevant Lore to calm and guide it.
Chamber of Measure
- EXAMPLE DISABLE ACTIONS
- Arcana, Crafting, Performance, or Engineering Lore to align the repeated pulse.
Source
- EXAMPLE DISABLE ACTIONS
- Arcana, Occultism, Religion, Society, or a legacy-based action to choose which reference signal is broken.
PF2E HAZARD RULE
- EXAMPLE DISABLE ACTIONS
- Use the obstacle’s level-based DC and circumstance adjustments rather than one fixed campaign ladder. The Source has an initiative and reactions like a complex hazard; it is not a Fifth Edition lair action at initiative 20.
NPC and Threat Levels
| ROLE | LEVEL | USE |
|---|---|---|
| Custodian’s agent | 2 | Skirmisher, spy, or social obstacle. |
| Albion operative | 4 | Disciplined ranged soldier with coordinated actions. |
| Albion sergeant | 6 | Elite battlefield controller and commander. |
| Shadowed Tide infiltrator | 5 | Ally or rival with stealth and nonlethal options. |
| Moon-affected crew | 5 | Powerful senses, mobility, and transformation. |
| Lucian Vega | 8 | Named commander and solo threat with crew support. |
| Source echo | 4 | Hazard-creature hybrid that imposes visions. |
| Manifested correction | 7 / 9 / 11 | Weak, standard, or major campaign manifestation. |
Custodian’s agent
- LEVEL
- 2
- USE
- Skirmisher, spy, or social obstacle.
Albion operative
- LEVEL
- 4
- USE
- Disciplined ranged soldier with coordinated actions.
Albion sergeant
- LEVEL
- 6
- USE
- Elite battlefield controller and commander.
Shadowed Tide infiltrator
- LEVEL
- 5
- USE
- Ally or rival with stealth and nonlethal options.
Moon-affected crew
- LEVEL
- 5
- USE
- Powerful senses, mobility, and transformation.
Lucian Vega
- LEVEL
- 8
- USE
- Named commander and solo threat with crew support.
Source echo
- LEVEL
- 4
- USE
- Hazard-creature hybrid that imposes visions.
Manifested correction
- LEVEL
- 7 / 9 / 11
- USE
- Weak, standard, or major campaign manifestation.