Paizo Top Nav Branding
Welcome, guest! | Sign In | My Account | My Subscriptions | My Downloads | My Wishlists | Shopping Cart   Shopping Cart | Help/FAQ
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game   Pathfinder Adventure Path   Pathfinder Modules   Pathfinder Campaign Setting   Pathfinder Player Companion   Pathfinder Tales  
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game

Pathfinder Society

Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Beginner Box

PaizoCon 2012!
Pathfinder Online Technology Demo by Goblinworks Inc. — Kickstarter
1,754
BACKERS
$110,793
PLEDGED
8
DAYS TO GO

Search
Links
Shop
Recent Reviews

GameMastery Flip-Mat: Dragon's Lair
***** by danmasucci

GameMastery Flip-Mat: Haunted Dungeon
***** by danmasucci

GameMastery Flip-Mat: River Crossing
***( )( ) by danmasucci

GameMastery Flip-Mat: Swamp
***( )( ) by danmasucci

GameMastery Map Pack: Boats & Ships
***** by danmasucci

   RSS Recent Posts
Pathfinder Adventure Path #26: The Sixfold Trial (Council of Thieves 2 of 6) (PFRPG)

Pathfinder Adventure Path #26: The Sixfold Trial (Council of Thieves 2 of 6) (PFRPG)
****½ (based on 12 reviews)

5x5
Add Print Edition: $19.99
Add PDF: $13.99
Facebook Twitter Email
5x5 5x5

Chapter 2: "The Sixfold Trial"
by Richard Pett

The Play's the Thing

To banish the monstrous shadows that stalk Westcrown by night, the PCs go undercover, joining the city’s chaotic theatrical community in an elaborate plot to infiltrate the estate of the decadent lord-mayor. Yet theater life turns deadly when they become players in a spectacle no actor has ever survived. Can the PCs endure their debut performance in a city where an actor’s first big hit is often his last?

    This volume of Pathfinder Adventure Path continues the Council of Thieves Adventure Path, and includes:
  • "The Sixfold Trial," a Pathfinder RPG adventure for 3rd-level characters, by Richard Pett
  • The Six Trials of Larazod, the complete and unabridged text of that infamously deadly play, by Nicolas Logue
  • An exploration of the faith of Iomedae the Inheritor, goddess of valor, by Sean K Reynolds
  • Pathfinder Varian Jeggare investigating death among the aristocracy in the Pathfinder’s Journal, by Dave Gross
  • Six new monsters by Darrin Drader, David Eitelbach, Sean K Reynolds, and F. Wesley Schneider

A Pathfinder Roleplaying Game adventure for characters of 3rd to 5th level. The Council of Thieves Adventure Path is the first to take full advantage of the new Pathfinder Roleplaying Game rules, and works with both the Pathfinder RPG and the standard 3.5 fantasy RPG rules set.

Pathfinder Adventure Path is Paizo Publishing's monthly 96-page, perfect-bound, full-color softcover book printed on high-quality paper. It contains an in-depth Adventure Path scenario, stats for about a half-dozen new monsters, and several support articles meant to give Game Masters additional material to expand their campaign. Pathfinder Adventure Path volumes use the Open Game License and work with both the Pathfinder RPG and the standard 3.5 fantasy RPG rules set.

ISBN–13: 978-1-60125-196-1

Note: This product is part of the Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscription.

Product Availability
Print Edition:
    Usually ships from our warehouse in 2 to 6 business days.
PDF:
    Will be added to your downloads immediately upon purchase of PDF.

Are there errors or omissions in this product information? Got corrections? Let us know at webmaster@paizo.com.


PZO9026


See Also:


<< Pathfinder Adventure Path #25: The Bastards of Erebus (Council of Thieves 1 of 6) (PFRPG) Pathfinder Adventure Path #27: What Lies in Dust (Council of Thieves 3 of 6) (PFRPG) >>


Product Reviews (12)

1 to 10 of 12 << first < prev | 1 | 2 | next > last >>

Average product rating: ****½ (based on 12 reviews)


***( )( )

Interesting, but haven't I played this before?


Other than the play at the begining (which is for adults) the rest of the adventure reminded me alot of a WFRP adventure(not a direct copy mind you just very similar). If your looking for something with that dark cultist sorta feel it wont disapoint. Hopefuly this path will continue to get better.



****( )

Theatre of mixed reactions


In my time time of G Ming, my PC's have made numerous public appearances, but never once as performers. While I was still in the process of reading the module, I saw this adventure as an opportunity to introduce another type of challenge to my game. Truth be told, things did not go quite as cleanly as planned. Interactions with the script and rolls became sketchy, and the damage count kept rising much faster than anyone expected. Still, this did not tone down the genius behind this adventure, and even if things went awry at some points, the content of the adventure kept the PC's into finishing the play, along with creating a hatred for Chelish nobility. There are plenty of interesting role playing experiences, and if you have a group that exists for combat alone (we all know how annoying that can be) this is a chance to change things up a bit.



***( )( )

Mixed feelings – from epic to endurance test


Having now finished DMing the six fold trials I can tell you that it was a mixed experience. While the game went on quite well, I (and the players) did have disproval of the module planning.

The casting was much fun, and the limehouse had great potential for memorable fun times (had it not been for 7 rolls of 25 + on the bards behalf).

The trials are awesome and insane, not the encounters but the other ones! while a player carved his heart out in front of hundreds of nobles clapping their hands and enjoying the show was just bad luck, the trial in the belly of the beast was nasty for anyone wearing a heavy armor. The players had to resolve it trough a different solution than the one proposed by the adventure path. But other than that, this was a great and fun time. I’m sure this will be some of the most memorable things in my role-playing carrier.

After 8+ hours with two encounters the players and I needed to roll some dice for other things than skill checks, and here I will once again applaud the brilliance of the bastards of erebus, where they included side quests to be partaken at any point during the adventure. Had we went straight to the party without doing a little side quest on first we would not have been able to enjoy the 4+ hours we spent on the cornucopia.

The final dungeon like quest was far too long and we had to spend more than 14 hours of playing to get through to the other side. There was a few memorable encounters such as the boss and the agent, but the other 10+ encounters had little flavor. My players where extremely affected by stat drain, something that had a ruining effect on their fun. One thing is a few drains, but everyone had and str and con damage, something that resulted in 2 player Casualties.

A good start, with too few encounters, and a bad end with far too many random encounters, which weakened the party far too much for them to enjoy it.



*****

Original, Exciting, Fun


I have not seen anything this clever or original since the Wheel.

The players get to roleplay as much or as little as they want, they get the surprise of their lives when things get slightly out of control, and all of that happens before they actually hit the main storyline.
Awesome.

Also, great support for the GM; it's a complex module, but so many helpful tips and methods are provided that it remains easy to maintain the broader context while micro-managing the player's popularity.
Awesome. Awesome. Awesome.



*****

Simply Amazing


After being so utterly disappointed with the first adventure of the AP, I thought it would be near impossible to save this campaign. I was completely wrong. This AP was simply amazing. It contained the best mix of roleplaying opportunities and standard hack and slash I have ever seen in an adventure. I highly recommend the optional read through the play with the players, it added an element that was truly memorable.



*****

One of the best modules I've ever read or run


Without spilling all the beans for the potential would-be participant of the Sixfold Trial, I will do my best to describe how utterly wonderful this module is.

Our group was looking for a change of pace, and I offered to run a Pathfinder game to introduce the players to the system and to give our tired GM a chance to play for a change. I had just received the Sixfold Trial in the mail and on a lark I read through it; that one reading made me instantly think, "I absolutely have to run this module."

To say that the module is RP oriented would be an understatement. While combat is certainly not ignored, the real inspiration and focus of this adventure is the roleplay opportunities present in running the Sixfold Trial itself. The script is utterly fantastic (though as mentioned it is most certainly for the 16+ crowd), and even an amateur group of which no member had any interest in acting found the rehearsal, play, and estate infiltration, found the game sessions some of the most fun we've ever participated in.

Even the crunchy bits (where "adventuring" and combat are involved) are well written, fun, and poignant to the story with more opportunities for the players to find more creative ways to combat the situations than simply, "I pull out my sword". The Council of Thieves Adventure Path is fun enough as-is, but to climax so early with such an entertaining and fun module has all of us wanting more.



****( )

Good content, but why all the XP for meeting NPC's?


I really enjoyed the Bastards of Erebus. My group is now ready to perform the trials of Larazod! After reading the mod I'm really happy to see Paizo giving the game an ADULT atmosphere. Perhaps its just that Cheliax is run by Diabolists, so they have to be extra nasty!
The extra XP for meeting NPC's is probably there so the adventure path has the PC's advancing at a rapid pace so they can survive it. Any thoughts?



***( )( )

excellent writing - but needs a 16+ age rating


I'm impressed by the strength of the plot and writing, and hope someday to run this for my other group of players (all adult except for one mature 16) but I simply cannot run this for the group intended, as we have a 12-yr old and a *young* 16-yr old.

I was drawn by the lure of the very first Pathfinder RPG campaign series, by the strength of Paizo's writing, and by the fascinating idea of enacting the play - which is indeed well carried out but the acts depicted, and emotions portrayed are darker than Call Of Cthulhu - indeed they'd be strong even in a World Of Darkness Vampire campaign.

I won't go so far as to claim it is X-Rated (or R-rated in US?) but I must say it is 16+-rated.

I got The Bastards Of Erebus and Sixfold Trial together, and The Bastards hints at darkness but implies that the heroes (of light) can overcome it - a strong line but true DND - and is true to the Paizo summary.

The Sixfold Trial hints also of darkness, but does not give a fair representation of the level of that darkness.
The embedded theatre play encourages the players to have their PCs become the actors, and have the actors (PCs) work through scenes of torture and degradation, and to simulate what is essentially masochistic/drugged passion.
While it might be possible to bowdlerise the plot to make it PG rated, that's not really possible if the script/play is to be used - not without re-writing said play - which negates the point of using Paizo's fine writing. I want them to write this for me - if I had the time to write homebrew adventures, I would!

Now, I accept that *most* of the Pathfinder fans are (like me) old enough (and typically possessed of the resources to buy/subscribe to pathfinder, which in turn typically implies "employed"), but DND as a whole genre does aim at catching 'em young. I have successfully run games for my friends' family -- Sizfold Trial is my first experience of being caught out unwarned...



*****

Excellent !


I'll be brief here: this adventure firmly establishes Richard Pett as one of the best module writers out there. And this time, he has a support sidekick madman thespian Nick Logue to boot.

The concept is absolutely unique, and the execution is brilliant. The Sixfold Trial is a great way of showing that D&D is something more than a "kick the door open and kill the baddie" game.

Bravo, simply bravo.



*****

Bravo!


The heroes of Bastards of Erebus take the stage in The Sixfold Trial. This installment of the Council of Thieves AP really surpasses almost every other adventure or module I've ever experienced. To date, the only thing that approaches is my brief stint in Castle Amber.

This adventure has everything, and while it might be light on combat it is heavy on content. Great characters by the diabolical Richard Pett, incredible worldbuilding, impressive artwork by some of the best and brightest Paizo can retain and stunning playwright work by the infernal Nick Logue.


1 to 10 of 12 << first < prev | 1 | 2 | next > last >>

Messageboards

Merciel's RotRL Campaign, by HangarFlying

Kingmaker e-tools (software), by DJEternalDarkness

The Brinewall Legacy (GM Reference), by Belle Mythix

Things you've changed, and things you should have. [Spoilers], by thomrenault

So my players are going to war with Brevoy..., by DM_aka_Dudemeister

Help with Skulls and Shackles Mystic Theurge, by proftobe

Weather & Natural Disasters in KM, by PsychoticWarrior

Kingmaker Obituaries, by Lloyd Jackson

Auto pass, by Lloyd Jackson

So uh... About that arm..., by blindiebyrd

Paizo Blog

A Tomb of Winter's Plunder—Chapter One: Taking the Waters,

Pathfinder Society in the Netherlands (or Join the Crew of the Flying Dutchman),

Pathfinder Battles Preview: Big Bads (Volume 2),

Advanced Race Guide Art Preview,

City of the Fallen Sky Sample Chapter—Chapter Five,

Open Game License

Store Blog

Explore, Investigate, Survive—Just Another Glorious Day in the Society!,

These Bones Don't Rattle Easy!,

Roll Your Dice Like It's 1974!,

Out From the Deep!,

Cities in Dust!,

Sign up for our weekly store newsletter

News

Jim Zubkavich brings Paizo's "Pathfinder" to Dynamite,

Goblinworks Announces the Pathfinder Online Technology Demo Kickstarter Project,

Giochi Uniti to Publish Pathfinder in Italian,

Mike Welham Named RPG Superstar 2012!,

RPG Superstar Top 4 Pathfinder Module Proposals Now Open for Public Vote,



©2002–2012 Paizo Publishing, LLC®. Need help? Email customer.service@paizo.com or call 425-250-0800 Monday–Friday, 10 AM–5 PM Pacific Time. View our privacy policy. Paizo Publishing, LLC, Paizo, the Paizo golem logo, Pathfinder, the Pathfinder logo, Pathfinder Society, GameMastery, and Planet Stories are registered trademarks of Paizo Publishing, LLC, and Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, Pathfinder Campaign Setting, Pathfinder Adventure Path, Pathfinder Player Companion, Pathfinder Modules, Pathfinder Tales, Pathfinder Battles, Pathfinder Online,PaizoCon, RPG Superstar, The Golem's Got It, Titanic Games, the Titanic logo, and the Planet Stories planet logo are trademarks of Paizo Publishing, LLC. Dungeons & Dragons, Dragon, Dungeon, and Polyhedron are registered trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc., and have been used by Paizo Publishing under license. Most product names are trademarks owned or used under license by the companies that publish those products; use of such names without mention of trademark status should not be construed as a challenge to such status.