Introduction.
Its been a while, two months in fact. After wrapping up twelve years of miniature painting commissions and dealing with long term health issues, I am now able to turn the page towards something new- my first full solo Pathfinder 2e adventure using the Beginners Box and its four pre-gen characters, set in the coastal town of Otari.
I will be playing through this short mystery as both player and GM, and trying out Copilot 365 to help keep things smooth and the story flowing.
The goal? To learn the sysytem, test out some new solo play techniques, and share the journey with anyone curious about diving into Pathfinder on their own terms.
The first session is a gentil introduction: a strange disturbance in Otari’s tidepools, whispers of glowing creatures, and a hidden cave that might hold more than just seaweed and crabs. It’s low-stakes , low-level, and designed to be played in one sitting-perfect for beginners, solo platers, or anyone looking for a bite-sized adventure with a splash of whimsy.
Let’s see what’s lurking beneath the waves…
Meet the Adventuring Party.
Before diving into the tidepools, let’s meet the four heroes stepping into the moonlit streets of Otari. These are the pre-generated characters from the Pathfinder Beginner Box—ideal for learning the system and exploring party dynamics in solo play.
🧙 Ezren – Human Wizard
“Knowledge is the lantern in the dark. I intend to keep mine lit.”
– Ezren the Wizard –
A scholar with a sharp tongue and sharper spells, Ezren is fascinated by ancient lore and magical anomalies. He suspects the tidepool lights are more than mere bioluminescence—and he’s determined to find out, preferably from a safe distance.
- Strengths: Arcana, Spellcasting, Knowledge
- Solo Role: Magical analysis, ranged support, and occasional grumbling
🙏 Kyra – Human Cleric of Sarenra
“The light of Sarenrae burns away shadow—and doubt. We walk forward, together.”
– Kyra the Cleric –
Compassionate but fierce, Kyra brings healing light and divine fire. She’s the moral compass of the group, though she’s not above smiting a crab if it gets too snippy. Her faith may be tested by the strange energies stirring beneath Otari.
- Strengths: Healing, Religion, Diplomacy
- Solo Role: Support, spiritual insight, and radiant wrath
🗡️Merisiel – Elven Rogue
“If it’s locked, I’ll open it. If it’s dangerous, I’ll dance around it. If it’s shiny… well, finders keepers.”
– Merisiel the Rogue –
Quick-witted and quicker with a blade, Merisiel thrives in the shadows. She’s agile, curious, and always the first to poke her nose where it doesn’t belong. Tidepool alley? Sounds like a perfect place to find trouble—or treasure.
- Strengths: Stealth, Thievery, Acrobatics
- Solo Role: Scout, trap-spotter, and impulsive instigator
⚔️ Valeros – Human Fighter
“I don’t need a plan. I’ve got a sword, and that’s worked out fine so far.”
-Valeros the Fighter
Brave, bold, and always ready for a scrap, Valeros is the party’s front line. He’s not one for subtlety, but when something crawls out of a cave with claws, he’s the one you want standing between it and the rest of the group.
- Strengths: Melee combat, Athletics, Leadership
- Solo Role: Tank, protector, and enthusiastic crab-smasher
Tools Used.
- Pathfinder 2e Beginners Box
- Copilot 365
- Simple d6 Yes/No Oracle
- d20 twist table
Oracles and other random tables
d6 Yes/No Oracle
1 – Yes (and)
2 – Yes
3 -Yes (but)*
4 – No (but)
5 – No
6 – No (and)*
* On a roll of 1 or 4 roll on the ‘Twist’ table.
🌪️ Twist Table for Solo Play in Otari & the River Kingdoms
Use this table when your d6 oracle gives a “Yes, but…” or “No, and…” result—or whenever the story needs a jolt of mystery, tension, or surprise. Roll 1d20 and interpret the twist in context. These prompts are designed to spark creativity, not constrain it.
🎲 Roll 1d20:
| Roll | Twist Prompt |
|---|---|
| 1 | A secret is revealed. Someone slips up, or a hidden truth surfaces unexpectedly. |
| 2 | A familiar face returns. But they’ve changed—or they’re not who they claim to be. |
| 3 | Nature intervenes. Sudden weather, a wild beast, or a strange omen disrupts the scene. |
| 4 | Magic misbehaves. A spell fizzles, flares, or leaves behind a lingering effect. |
| 5 | Something is stolen. An item vanishes—or a memory feels tampered with. |
| 6 | A bargain is offered. From a stranger, a spirit, or even a dream. |
| 7 | A location transforms. The terrain shifts, or a structure reveals a hidden level. |
| 8 | An NPC acts oddly. Helpful becomes evasive. Hostile becomes friendly. Why? |
| 9 | A message arrives. Cryptic, urgent, or from someone presumed lost. |
| 10 | A rival appears. With conflicting goals—or a personal grudge. |
| 11 | A prophecy echoes. An old tale aligns eerily with current events. |
| 12 | Time slips. You lose or gain hours—or glimpse a possible future. |
| 13 | A haunting begins. Strange sounds, visions, or lingering emotions. |
| 14 | A pact is broken. An ally falters—or a promise is undone. |
| 15 | A trail goes cold. Clues vanish—or a lead turns out to be false. |
| 16 | A new faction emerges. With unclear motives and sudden influence. |
| 17 | A relic activates. It glows, speaks, or alters reality briefly. |
| 18 | A dream bleeds into reality. Symbols or figures from sleep appear. |
| 19 | A portal opens. To somewhere dangerous, wondrous, or deeply personal. |
| 20 | The twist is internal. Doubt, temptation, or a sudden urge grips your character. |
🧭 How to Use It
- Interpret freely. The twist can affect the environment, NPCs, or your character’s inner world.
- Layer it in. Use it to deepen scenes, complicate choices, or inspire new threads.
- Adapt to tone. Whether your game leans whimsical, grimdark, or folkloric, these prompts flex to fit.
🎯 20 Random Verbs for Solo RPG Prompts
- Uncover – a secret, a passage, a motive
- Whisper – a warning, a spell, a name
- Shatter – a bond, a relic, silence
- Linger – in a place, on a thought, near danger
- Forge – an alliance, a weapon, a lie
- Evade – pursuit, truth, responsibility
- Summon – courage, a creature, a storm
- Twist – fate, words, a knife
- Reveal – intentions, scars, prophecy
- Bind – a pact, a wound, a soul
- Observe – quietly, obsessively, too late
- Corrupt – a ritual, a leader, a dream
- Illuminate – a path, a memory, a deception
- Challenge – authority, destiny, yourself
- Escape – confinement, guilt, the past
- Transform – physically, emotionally, unwillingly
- Confront – an enemy, a fear, a mirror
- Entangle – in politics, vines, relationships
- Offer – aid, temptation, sacrifice
- Collapse – a structure, a plan, composure
You can roll a d20 to pick one randomly, or just scan the list and grab whatever resonates with your current scene.
“Feel free to borrow the oracle, twist table, or character prompts for your own Otari tales. If you do, I’d love to hear how it unfolds.”
A sort of session Zero
This adventure will leans into quiet mystery and small-town strangeness, with moments of warmth, danger, and the occasional – crab shaped surprise.
This is Pathfinder, it will be whimsical and laced with humour. I will be keeping clear of grimdark themes and leaning into character driven drama, but the will be some combat and things will get hurt.
Scene one. A Request from the Mayor.
Otari’s tidepool alley—a narrow stretch of rocky coast just below the town’s cliffs—is usually a peaceful spot where locals gather seaweed, crab, and gossip. But lately, strange lights have flickered in the tidepools at night, and a fisherwoman claims her nets were slashed by “something with claws and a glowing shell.”
🌊 Scene One: A Request from the Mayor
The Crook’s Nook is unusually quiet this morning. Outside, gulls wheel over the misty harbor, and the scent of salt and seaweed clings to the air. Inside, Mayor Oseph Menhemes leans forward at a corner table, his fingers steepled, his brow furrowed.
“I wouldn’t call it panic,” he says, voice low, “but Otari’s nerves are fraying. Tidepool Alley’s been peaceful for generations. Now we’ve got flickering lights, shredded nets, and talk of glowing creatures with claws. I need someone to look into it—quietly, and soon.”
Valeros leans back in his chair, arms crossed.
“Sounds like a crab with a bad attitude. I’ll bring my sword. That usually settles things.”
Ezren adjusts his robes and raises an eyebrow.
“Glowing shell, you say? Bioluminescence is rare this time of year. I’d wager there’s arcane interference—or something older.”
Merisiel grins, twirling a dagger between her fingers.
“I like quiet jobs. Especially ones that start in the dark and end with treasure.”
Kyra nods solemnly.
“If something unnatural stirs beneath the tide, we’ll find it—and cleanse it.”
Mayor Menhemes exhales, relieved.
“Good. Speak to Liska, the fisherwoman who saw it first. She’s shaken, but she’ll talk. And if you find anything… strange, come to me before word spreads. Otari doesn’t need ghost stories right now.”
Kyra folds her arms, her holy symbol glinting in the morning light.
“Where might we find this Liska, Mayor? If she’s seen what others haven’t, her words may guide our path.”
Mayor Menhemes nods, grateful for her directness.
“She’s usually down by the docks this time of day, mending nets near the salt sheds. Look for the red scarf—she wears it even in summer. And… be gentle. She’s rattled. Said the thing hissed at her from the water.”
Ezren scribbles a note in his journal.
“A hiss, you say? Curious. That suggests lungs—or mimicry.”
Valeros cracks his knuckles.
“Or it’s just mean. Either way, we’ll find out.”
Merisiel flashes a grin.
“Red scarf, salt sheds. Got it. Let’s go before the tide turns.”
The companions rise, the quiet tension of mystery pulling them toward the sea. Outside, the gulls cry again—shrill and distant, like warning on the wind.
Outside, the tide begins to rise. The alley awaits.
The characters walk the short distance from Crook’s Nook, past the Otari Market down to the Fishery and docks in search of Liska.
Question – Do they meet anyone on their way to the docks? Yes, but…
Roll on Twist table – d20 =14, A pact is broken, (an ally faulters).
I read that as they meet the fisherwoman, will she talk?
🌊 Scene Two: A Fractured Trust
The companions make their way down Otari’s winding cliff path, gulls shrieking overhead. The scent of brine thickens as the sea draws near. Just before the docks, they spot a hunched figure sitting on overturned crates, red scarf fluttering in the breeze.
Liska doesn’t look up as they approach. Her hands work a tangled net with practiced speed, but her shoulders are tense.
Kyra has +Cha, she has the best chance of getting Liske to open up. As the fisherwoman is less that willing to talk I set a DC of 15. Kyra rolls 10 +2 for her Cha bonus, not enough.
Oof! that’s a deliciously awkward turn.
Kyra steps forward, her voice gentle.
“Liska? Mayor Menhemes said you saw something unusual. We’re here to help.”
Liska’s hands pause. She glances up, eyes shadowed and wary.
“Help? Like the last time? When I warned the town about the reef lights and they laughed me off? When Oseph promised protection and sent no one?”
Ezren frowns, sensing the bitterness.
“A pact broken,” he murmurs. “She feels betrayed.”
Valeros shifts uncomfortably.
“Look, we’re not here to mock or dismiss. Just tell us what you saw.”
Kyra kneels beside her, placing a hand on the crate.
“Please. We need your voice to guide us.”
But Liska pulls the net tighter, her jaw clenched.
“You want stories? Go ask the gulls. They’ve seen more than Otari’s council ever cared to.”
She turns away, leaving the companions with only the sound of waves and the sting of rejection.
Merisiel looks over Liskas gear to see if spots anything unusual. I roll on the d6 oracle, Yes, But…
I am going with Merisiel spotting an obsidian shard.
Merisiel lingers behind as the others begin to drift toward the tidepools. Her eyes scan Liska’s gear—nets, crab pots, a weathered satchel, and a bundle of driftwood charms tied with seaweed twine. Everything looks ordinary at first glance.
But then she spots it.
Tucked beneath the netting, half-hidden in a coil of rope, is a small obsidian shard—smooth, sharp, and etched with faint, curling lines. Not something a fisherwoman would use. Not something from Otari’s shores.
Merisiel crouches, pretending to adjust her boot, and whispers to herself,
“That’s not crab bait.”
Liska notices the glance and stiffens. Her hand moves protectively over the satchel.
“You’ve seen enough. Go poke at the tidepools if you want ghosts. I’ve got nets to mend.”
The rogue straightens, eyes narrowing. The shard is real—but Liska’s story is still tangled.
Options (roll d6). 1/2 Merisiel trys to pocket the shard, 3/4 Ezren recognises the markings, 5/6 the characters carry on to the tiedpools. d6 roll = 3.
Ezren makes an Arcana check to see if he knows what the markings are or mean. He easily makes his check.
Merisiel deftly takes the shard before Liska can prevent her.
Ezren squints at the shard in Merisiels hand, asking her to turn it gently in her fingers. The curling lines etched into the surface shimmer faintly in the light—not decorative, but arcane script, written in a dialect of Thassilonian glyphs used to bind elemental forces.
He takes it from Merisiel before brushing away a layer of salt crust from the shard.
Ezren attempts a deeper Arcana or Occultism check to determine what kind of entity was bound. I set the DC to 17, he rolls 11 +7 so just makes his check.
Ezren’s brow furrows as he traces the glyphs with a fingertip, lips moving silently as he deciphers the arcane script. Then his eyes widen—not with fear, but with recognition.
“This isn’t just Thassilonian. It’s Tidebound script, a hybrid form used by coastal mages who blended elemental binding with necromantic seals. Very rare. Very unstable.”
He turns the shard toward the light, revealing a faint shimmer—like trapped moonlight flickering beneath the surface.
“This fragment was part of a ritual lattice designed to anchor a liminal spirit—a soul caught between tides, unable to pass on. These spirits are drawn to places of tragedy… drownings, shipwrecks, broken oaths.”
Ezren glances toward the tidepools, then back at Liska.
“Where did you get this?”
Ezren makes an Intimidation check, he rolls 8 and fails.
Ezren’s voice sharpens, not cruel but insistent.
“This shard isn’t decorative. It’s part of a binding lattice—magic meant to hold something back. You found it near the tidepools, didn’t you?”
Liska flinches, her fingers tightening around the satchel. For a moment, her eyes flick toward the sea, then back to Ezren.
“It’s just a charm,” she snaps. “My grandmother wore it. Said it kept storms away. That’s all.”
Valeros shifts beside her, sensing the tension.
“You sure? Because it looks more like it causes storms than stops them.”
Liska stands abruptly, the crate creaking beneath her.
“I said that’s all. You want to chase ghosts, go ahead. But don’t drag my family into it.”
She turns her back again—this time with finality.
Merisiel watches her go, eyes narrowed.
“She’s hiding something. Or protecting it.”
Kyra sighs, brushing sand from her robes.
“Either way, the tidepools are calling. Let’s see what truth the sea holds.”
The four companions make their way to tidepool alley.
Question. Is the tide in? Yes…
Scene Three: The Tidebound Echo.
The party leaves Liska behind, her silence more telling than any confession. The path to Tidepool Alley winds through salt-crusted alleys and leaning shanties, the scent of brine thick in the air.
As they round the final bend, the sea greets them—not with gentle lapping, but with a full-throated surge. The tide is in.
Water floods the narrow channel, swallowing the usual stepping stones and revealing only the tops of barnacled posts. The alley itself is half-submerged, the tide pressing into cracks and crevices like fingers searching for secrets.
Ezren squints at the waterline.
“We’ll find nothing if it’s all underwater.”
Merisiel grins, already unfastening her boots.
“Then we dive. Or wait. Or watch.”
Valeros mutters something about soggy socks and cursed sea glass, but he’s already scanning the rooftops for a dry perch.
Kyra kneels, whispering to the waves.
“The sea is full. Let it speak.”
I roll for a random verb to see what the tide reveals and get ‘shatter’, an ominous verb indeed.
I read that as something fragile breaking under pressure, a ward maybe?
The tide surges, swallowing the alley in a frothy swell. For a moment, the party hesitates, watching the water churn and pulse like a living thing.
Then—crack.
A sound like glass breaking echoes beneath the surface. The water ripples outward, and something shatters below.
Ezren steps forward, eyes wide.
“That wasn’t stone. That was a ward.”
From the depths, a shimmer rises—fragments of something crystalline, spinning like broken stars. The tide has broken a seal, and whatever was held beneath is no longer bound.
The tide swells, then pulls back with a sigh, revealing a glistening figure rising from the shattered ward. It stands waist-deep in seawater, its form flickering like moonlight on waves—humanoid, but barely. Its limbs trail into mist, and its face is a shifting mask of broken glass and foam.
It doesn’t speak. It echoes.
Each companion hears something different:
- Kyra hears a whispered prayer, half-remembered and unfinished.
- Ezren hears a voice reciting arcane syllables in reverse.
- Valeros hears the sound of steel striking water.
- Merisiel hears laughter—hers, but younger, and afraid.
The creature raises one arm, and the water around it ripples violently. A shard of sea-glass spins into the air, hovering like a blade.
Ezren steps forward, voice steady.
“It’s not attacking. Not yet. It’s confused. Bound, then broken.”
Kyra raises her holy symbol.
“Spirit of the tide, we mean no harm.”
The Echo tilts its head, then lets out a sound like a wave collapsing into stone. The shard drops harmlessly into the water.
It begins to fade.
But before it vanishes, it turns toward the town—and a single word echoes across the tide:
“Menhemes…”
Next time: secrets surface, and the party must decide whether to confront the mayor—or follow the tide…
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