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But I really enjoyed this adventure. The theater aspect is presented as most social encounters are: a series of skill checks. The level to which the DM and players wish to ham things up is entirely up to them, and while roleplaying is certainly encouraged, it isn't necessary. And of course, the "Sixfold Trial" isn't just any old play... it's a murderplay. Which is to say, when actors die on stage, sometimes it's for real. For parties who absolutely refuse to participate in the play, an alternative option is provided.

Richard Pett gives us an intrigue-laden dinner party for the second part of this adventure, and ends with a great dungeon. The dungeon is spooky and filled with numerous cool effects that will keep a party guessing. It also continues CoT's "shadow" theme nicely.

The Sixfold Trial gives plenty of chances to foreshadow future events for the PCs. For example, numerous NPCs introduced in these pages will be reappearing later in the adventure path, granting PCs a great opportunity to form relationships with these individuals early on.

DMs will appreciate the effort made to keep them informed and in the loop. Lots of background information is provided, and perhaps more importantly, the author makes sure to note which NPCs are expendable and which have future roles in the adventure path. The DM is also given an ample head's up on what's coming in future CoT installments.

The article on the goddess Iomedae is solid, and the bestiary has some interesting beasties. I particularly liked Paizo's answer to the death knight, the graveknight. While clearly inspired by the death knight, this undead warlord manages to be a unique and interesting monster.

All in all this is a great adventure, and proof that Paizo is listening to its fans.

I own all the Pathfinder Chronicles books, and this one is my favorite so far. The "Revisited" line is as strong as ever, offering original, creative stories for some of D&D's most memorable beasties. As with its predecessors, Dungeon Denizens Revisited is rules-light, though what rules we have are certain to spark anyone's imagination; for example, there are feats for making creepy, ooze-friendly druids. The bulk of the book, however, is "fluff". And boy is it ever... fluffy.

I liked the mimic chapter the most. The author has given these formerly two-dimensional menaces a complex lifecycle, as well as a psychological impetus for sitting in a dungeon looking like a treasure chest. For the first time ever, we even get to see what a mimic looks like in its natural form! (Ugly as sin, if you're wondering). I also enjoyed the cloaker entry, wherein the creepy bat-things are revealed to be worshipers of HP Lovecraft's "Mythos". There are plenty of cool cloaker variants as well, including ones covered in dangerous symbiotic mold and primitive cloaker/manta ray halfbreeds. Heck, even the gelatinous cube (and to a lesser degree, oozes in general) gets some much-needed love. Ever wonder what happens when you toss alkali on acid-based slime dudes? Well now you'll know.

Not all the chapters are gold. The owlbear and bulette, for example, seemed lacking. Perhaps I'm biased, as I was never a huge fan of either monster to begin with, but I doubt it; I still don't like rust monsters, but I enjoyed their entry nonetheless. These chapters are by no means bad, mind you. They just don't measure up compared to, for example, the purple worm or roper. (Fans of Nicholas Logue will not be disappointed by his take on the roper, btw).

The illustrations range from adequate to awesome. I particularly liked the baby gelatinous cube. It somehow manages to be cute, even with the human skull suspended inside.

All in all, a fantastic product. I can't wait for the next installment.

The guide to Osirion is well written, has cool illustrations, and lots of ideas for adventures. However, there were a few key things I wanted to see, that never materialized. First and foremost, I would have really liked a map of Sothis, Osirion's capital city. You get a writeup of the place after all, so the lack of a city map seems to be a sore oversight. Another problem I had, was the inclusion of three Osirion-specific deities... except their alignments, favored weapons, and domains are not listed. Again, this is a real problem for me; why invent new deities without giving any concrete information on them? My final gripe is the lack of info on the elemental spirits of Osirion. They are alluded to several times, yet very little of substance is said about them. The genies and elementals appear to play a vital role in this land, yet we are told next to nothing about them.

The bad stuff aside, I did really enjoy this product's offerings. You get a list of several neat locales, with all the spinxes, lost and forbidden pyramids, and evil mummy kings that you can handle. There's also some great, distinctly Egyptian-flavored necromancy spells (seal your enemy in canopic jars? Yes please!), a prestige class to scare the crud out of any would-be tomb robbers, and a great write-up of Osirion's ruler. There's a section of new feats, but none of these impressed me.

All in all, I'm glad to have this sourcebook, but wish there was a bit more in the way of vital info and a few less adventure locations.

*EDIT: I decided to give this 4 stars instead of 3. I forgot that this book was meant primarily for players, rather than DMs, and was looking looking at it from the wrong perspective. For player's, it's great.

If there's one thing Paizo excels at, it's making products that feel familiar and classic, while at the same time being new and original. Guide to Absalom is no different.

The massive realm stacks up quite well to the great fantasy cities of past days, such as Waterdeep, Sharn, and Greyhawk City, yet it manages to have its own unique flavor. A melting pot in the truest sense, Absalom's citizens come from all parts of the world, and the place is by no means a classical, European-style setting. In fact, it feels quite a bit more like ancient Greece or Rome, with a native population of harpies, minotaurs, and centaurs, gads of political intrigue (et tu Hugen?), and even a legendary labyrinth that (may) exist beneath it.

The Guide covers a gamut of locations, from mighty cathedrals and fortresses, to kite shops and clockwork centipede-ship-classrooms. We even get an old fashioned Running of the Bulls... except with less bulls and more gorgons. And while there must be a hundred interesting places to every one detailed, we still have plenty of info to get a feel for the metropolis.

My only problem with GtA is that none of the NPCs are given stats or alignments. I suppose this gives a DM more flexibility when it comes to customizing the city as his/her own, but I personally like having an idea of a given character's morality and power level. That small complaint aside, for being a 64-page sourcebook, GtA is an excellent tool for any DM.

“Skeletons of Scarwall” is my favorite entry in the Curse of the Crimson Throne path so far (“Seven Days to the Grave” now officially being my second favorite). It’s a site-based adventure set entirely in the titular Castle Scarwall, an eerie, brooding place packed full of all sorts of goodies. Undead are the most plentiful bad guys here, but there’s a handful of other critters to keep things interesting.

Designed in the style of gothic horror, Skeletons of Scarwall takes its cues from classic films such as Dracula, and classic D&D adventures like Castle Ravenloft. Its winding halls, elegant yet creepy décor, undead guardians, and occasional “boss monsters” also reminded me very much of the classic Castlevania video game series. Speaking of bosses, there’s a nastily iconic surprise towards the end of the adventure that will be sure to strike fear into any veteran player. I won’t ruin it, but let’s just say that fans of the classic “Tomb of Horrors” will be pleasantly surprised.

My only problem with “Skeletons” was its map. A few of the rooms are incorrectly numbered (room 38 is labeled 28, room 26 is labeled as 24), while other rooms aren’t marked on the map at all (22 and 29). Furthermore, secret doors don’t show up on the map. That’s a little too secret for my taste. These are relatively small mistakes however, and considering the sheer size of the castle, not unexpected.

My favorite part of Pathfinder 11, however, is the article on Zon-Kuthon. The author pulls no punches here, giving us an unflinching look at the god of pain and his sick worshipers. As a big fan of Clive Barker, I can see his influences all over the Midnight Lord. Fans of Hellraiser will rejoice, especially when they see Zon-Kuthon’s illustration; the dude could practically *be* Pinhead. It’s a shame, then, that this article was smaller than that of the three prior gods. I would have loved to see a Kuthite prestige class...