paizo.com Recent Reviews by Kizanpaizo.com Recent Reviews by Kizan2024-03-28T20:57:37Z2024-03-28T20:57:37ZPathfinder Society Scenario #4-14: Shattering Golden Chains: What the heck is going on... (1 star)Kizanhttps://paizo.com/products/btq02eeh?Pathfinder-Society-Scenario-414-Shattering-Golden-Chains2023-08-06T18:25:32Z<p><b>Pathfinder Society Scenario #4-14: Shattering Golden Chains</b></p><p>TL;DR - Loved this plot arc. Hated the BBEG. What a joke to call this a skill adventure. </p>
<p>I think the reviewer Rhapsodic College Dropout and I might have been at the same table at GenCon 2023. As we had similar experiences. </p>
<p>The absolute pounding that the ONE combat we had was not survivable at 5-6 lvl, and the adventure tops out at 6th! The GM insisted that all was done "so the players would have fun", sha-right. By the end with two players bleeding out he told the table "take the L" (as in take the loss) and he'd give us chronicles. Yup, that's really going bring back those new players.</p>
<p>NOTE: If the GM doesn't modify the end combat or at least not insist on playing the BBEG it to the max... this is a combat adventure. Period.</p><p><b>Pathfinder Society Scenario #4-14: Shattering Golden Chains</b></p><p>TL;DR - Loved this plot arc. Hated the BBEG. What a joke to call this a skill adventure. </p>
<p>I think the reviewer Rhapsodic College Dropout and I might have been at the same table at GenCon 2023. As we had similar experiences. </p>
<p>The absolute pounding that the ONE combat we had was not survivable at 5-6 lvl, and the adventure tops out at 6th! The GM insisted that all was done "so the players would have fun", sha-right. By the end with two players bleeding out he told the table "take the L" (as in take the loss) and he'd give us chronicles. Yup, that's really going bring back those new players.</p>
<p>NOTE: If the GM doesn't modify the end combat or at least not insist on playing the BBEG it to the max... this is a combat adventure. Period.</p>Kizan2023-08-06T18:25:32ZPathfinder Society Scenario #3-08: Among the Gods (PFRPG) PDF: Wow this is a player abusive mod! (1 star)Kizanhttps://paizo.com/products/btpy8n0n?Pathfinder-Society-Scenario-308-Among-the-Gods2016-06-19T20:49:58Z<p><b>Pathfinder Society Scenario #3-08: Among the Gods (PFRPG) PDF</b></p><p>TLDR; Mod sucked, our GM great. Don't play if there's another choice. GM only if you have no ill intent in your soul (and are a generally kind GM by other peoples reckoning).</p>
<p>This mod was SO bad I felt compelled to write a review. The GM was very nice. He had suffered when he played it so he knew the players pain. I read the adventure through after playing it. </p>
<p>While it's true that there are many "not-often-used" rules that are "in the book". PFS (and many home games) tend to use a sub-set of the FULL RULES. I agree it CAN BE enjoyable when adventures use some of those parts of the rule set that aren't often seen. </p>
<p>However, this scenario is written and such a way that it begs the GM to abuse the players. There are rules in the GMG for the situations in the mod(traps, altitude and so forth), that the mod disregards the GMG in favor of the rules given in the mod. </p>
<p>"Mean" is a correct word to use when describing this adventure. It seems the author and most of the players/GMs that I've talked to or read about have a very different version of the word "fun" than the author does. PFS is supposed to be FUN first.</p>
<p>The basic theme appears to be: beat down the players with situations that are so uncommon or unannounced they won't be prepared for them. Then once they are beaten down use encounters that would normally be challenging. This results in what appears to be WILDLY over CR encounters (when counting in all factors and not use the CR of the creatures). </p>
<p>The amount of grey area wiggle room for the GM is very large. At a home game with known players and known GMs less of a problem. At a large con with very different players and GMs this could easily be a TPK (i.e. NOT FUN).</p>
<p>Imagine an entire adventure filled with six-armed, grappling monkeys that see in the dark and can breath water. That's bad. Also the encounter takes place in the bottom of a magically darkened, water filled mine shaft. VERY Bad. That's a bit of poetic exaggeration, but you get the idea. </p>
<p>This mod needed WAY more editing and thought ESPECIALLY with the rewards given. I wish I could give a zero star review.</p>
<p>Kizan</p><p><b>Pathfinder Society Scenario #3-08: Among the Gods (PFRPG) PDF</b></p><p>TLDR; Mod sucked, our GM great. Don't play if there's another choice. GM only if you have no ill intent in your soul (and are a generally kind GM by other peoples reckoning).</p>
<p>This mod was SO bad I felt compelled to write a review. The GM was very nice. He had suffered when he played it so he knew the players pain. I read the adventure through after playing it. </p>
<p>While it's true that there are many "not-often-used" rules that are "in the book". PFS (and many home games) tend to use a sub-set of the FULL RULES. I agree it CAN BE enjoyable when adventures use some of those parts of the rule set that aren't often seen. </p>
<p>However, this scenario is written and such a way that it begs the GM to abuse the players. There are rules in the GMG for the situations in the mod(traps, altitude and so forth), that the mod disregards the GMG in favor of the rules given in the mod. </p>
<p>"Mean" is a correct word to use when describing this adventure. It seems the author and most of the players/GMs that I've talked to or read about have a very different version of the word "fun" than the author does. PFS is supposed to be FUN first.</p>
<p>The basic theme appears to be: beat down the players with situations that are so uncommon or unannounced they won't be prepared for them. Then once they are beaten down use encounters that would normally be challenging. This results in what appears to be WILDLY over CR encounters (when counting in all factors and not use the CR of the creatures). </p>
<p>The amount of grey area wiggle room for the GM is very large. At a home game with known players and known GMs less of a problem. At a large con with very different players and GMs this could easily be a TPK (i.e. NOT FUN).</p>
<p>Imagine an entire adventure filled with six-armed, grappling monkeys that see in the dark and can breath water. That's bad. Also the encounter takes place in the bottom of a magically darkened, water filled mine shaft. VERY Bad. That's a bit of poetic exaggeration, but you get the idea. </p>
<p>This mod needed WAY more editing and thought ESPECIALLY with the rewards given. I wish I could give a zero star review.</p>
<p>Kizan</p>Kizan2016-06-19T20:49:58ZPathfinder Society Scenario #4-EX: Day of the Demon (PFRPG) PDF (4 stars)Kizanhttps://paizo.com/products/btpy8v0o?Pathfinder-Society-Scenario-4EX-Day-of-the-Demon2013-08-19T05:09:08Z<p>Played this with a wonderful judge, had lots of fun. NEED a GM with lots of roleplay abilities I can see why it has to be a 4-star or more to pull it off.</p>
<p>Spoilers below!</p>
<p>Like several of the reviews above. There were so many red flags with the child that she never made it 10-ft from where she started. I think for anyone that's played lots of PFS the setup was too similar to other mods. We EXPECT any major-follow-the-PC's-through-the-mod NPC's met to stab us in the back. The second the kid said, "I'm going with you." Into the dark scary demon filled basement that was it. We knew. I know it's meta, but it practically slapped you in the face. You don't GET to be a higher than 1st level Pathfinder Society member without a healthy, well earned dose of paranoia. After that revelation there's the game of how to you prove the kids isn't what she says she is. All sorts of fun/trouble was (and was had) figuring that out. I don't think that was the writers intention, but it WAS fun. </p>
<p>We did the optional because the GM liked it, it links to year 5 plot nicely and we had two hours left to kill (figuratively speaking). It was a pain, but we slogged along and managed it. Without a daylight spell and without darkvision. It would have been NICE to have those. Three dispel magic's into it we realized that wasn't going to work, but by then the bad guys were cornered.</p>
<p>I gave it four stars because while I don't "think" it went the way the writer wanted, it was fun and very differently paced than any other PFS mod I've ever played with the boss up front (well nearly). It sure made the GM earn his keep.</p>
<p>Kizan</p><p>Played this with a wonderful judge, had lots of fun. NEED a GM with lots of roleplay abilities I can see why it has to be a 4-star or more to pull it off.</p>
<p>Spoilers below!</p>
<p>Like several of the reviews above. There were so many red flags with the child that she never made it 10-ft from where she started. I think for anyone that's played lots of PFS the setup was too similar to other mods. We EXPECT any major-follow-the-PC's-through-the-mod NPC's met to stab us in the back. The second the kid said, "I'm going with you." Into the dark scary demon filled basement that was it. We knew. I know it's meta, but it practically slapped you in the face. You don't GET to be a higher than 1st level Pathfinder Society member without a healthy, well earned dose of paranoia. After that revelation there's the game of how to you prove the kids isn't what she says she is. All sorts of fun/trouble was (and was had) figuring that out. I don't think that was the writers intention, but it WAS fun. </p>
<p>We did the optional because the GM liked it, it links to year 5 plot nicely and we had two hours left to kill (figuratively speaking). It was a pain, but we slogged along and managed it. Without a daylight spell and without darkvision. It would have been NICE to have those. Three dispel magic's into it we realized that wasn't going to work, but by then the bad guys were cornered.</p>
<p>I gave it four stars because while I don't "think" it went the way the writer wanted, it was fun and very differently paced than any other PFS mod I've ever played with the boss up front (well nearly). It sure made the GM earn his keep.</p>
<p>Kizan</p>Kizan2013-08-19T05:09:08ZPathfinder Society Scenario #5–02: The Wardstone Patrol (PFRPG) PDF: Combat but non-linear (4 stars)Kizanhttps://paizo.com/products/btpy8xkg?Pathfinder-Society-Scenario-5-02-The-Wardstone-Patrol2013-08-19T05:01:15Z<p><b>Pathfinder Society Scenario #5–02: The Wardstone Patrol (PFRPG) PDF</b></p><p>Just played this at GenCon 2013. It had some fun combats and a nifty NPC or two. It's setup with some nice non-linear choices as the plot develops. There IS combat, but the players have some choices over when, how and most importantly IF.</p>
<p>Kizan</p><p><b>Pathfinder Society Scenario #5–02: The Wardstone Patrol (PFRPG) PDF</b></p><p>Just played this at GenCon 2013. It had some fun combats and a nifty NPC or two. It's setup with some nice non-linear choices as the plot develops. There IS combat, but the players have some choices over when, how and most importantly IF.</p>
<p>Kizan</p>Kizan2013-08-19T05:01:15ZPathfinder Society Special: Siege of the Diamond City (PFRPG) PDF: Missing a bit of the "ooh ahhh" (3 stars)Kizanhttps://paizo.com/products/btpy8xki?Pathfinder-Society-Special-Siege-of-the-Diamond-City2013-08-19T04:41:17Z<p><b>Pathfinder Society Special: Siege of the Diamond City (PFRPG) PDF</b></p><p>Played the event at a level 5-6 table with a level 7 (barb5/ftr2) grapple-monkey PC. </p>
<p>Seemed like while there WAS a battle going on, it felt like the PC's always got grabbed to do some side quest rather than getting to the battle (on the walls or in city streets or outside the city). Other people I talked to at the con after the slot had this feeling as well so it wasn't just my table.</p>
<p>Encounters we had were good, but the event was mechanically lacking in the "Ooohhh aaaahhhh" of a big show event. Maybe this is so that it plays well at home or at smaller shows with fewer tables. I guess I expected mass fighting in the streets and more and larger scale battles. We had an encounter in the street but with no seeming connection to other groups. I very much enjoyed playing last years at GenCon special (Race for the Runecarved Key) where other tables could effect our table. I really liked that. It gave the feeling that we were all in it together even if you couldn't directly "see" the other PC's.</p>
<p>The end encounter was OK with the rescue part. At least I was AT the battlefield if not actually participating in the battle. We got was rescue duty. Sigh.</p>
<p>Gave it three stars because I've played every special (usually at GenCon) and feel like I have something to compare it too. This was OK. Prolly run great at a home/small con venue. You'll get the same experience we got at GenCon (maybe minus the overhead map? but your mileage may vary if your con organizer puts one up). The changing map they used at GenCon WAS pretty nice. It'd be cool to have the as a downloadable map app for people running that slot! That would be very cool for home/small con play.</p>
<p>Thanks,</p>
<p>Kizan</p><p><b>Pathfinder Society Special: Siege of the Diamond City (PFRPG) PDF</b></p><p>Played the event at a level 5-6 table with a level 7 (barb5/ftr2) grapple-monkey PC. </p>
<p>Seemed like while there WAS a battle going on, it felt like the PC's always got grabbed to do some side quest rather than getting to the battle (on the walls or in city streets or outside the city). Other people I talked to at the con after the slot had this feeling as well so it wasn't just my table.</p>
<p>Encounters we had were good, but the event was mechanically lacking in the "Ooohhh aaaahhhh" of a big show event. Maybe this is so that it plays well at home or at smaller shows with fewer tables. I guess I expected mass fighting in the streets and more and larger scale battles. We had an encounter in the street but with no seeming connection to other groups. I very much enjoyed playing last years at GenCon special (Race for the Runecarved Key) where other tables could effect our table. I really liked that. It gave the feeling that we were all in it together even if you couldn't directly "see" the other PC's.</p>
<p>The end encounter was OK with the rescue part. At least I was AT the battlefield if not actually participating in the battle. We got was rescue duty. Sigh.</p>
<p>Gave it three stars because I've played every special (usually at GenCon) and feel like I have something to compare it too. This was OK. Prolly run great at a home/small con venue. You'll get the same experience we got at GenCon (maybe minus the overhead map? but your mileage may vary if your con organizer puts one up). The changing map they used at GenCon WAS pretty nice. It'd be cool to have the as a downloadable map app for people running that slot! That would be very cool for home/small con play.</p>
<p>Thanks,</p>
<p>Kizan</p>Kizan2013-08-19T04:41:17ZPathfinder Maps Ongoing Subscription: Fun maps make the adventure more exciting (4 stars)Kizanhttps://paizo.com/products/btpy88r2?Pathfinder-Maps-Subscription2011-11-23T15:07:09Z<p><b>Pathfinder Maps Ongoing Subscription</b></p><p>My players and myself have found the GameMastery Map products a fun addition to any adventure. I keep a photo log of both sides of each map for when I am writing encounters. I can draw inspiration from them. My players find the details to be very fun and help with player immersion in the game world.</p>
<p>I could only wish that the PDF version of the product came with a .JPG or .PNG version of the maps WITHOUT grids for easier use in Virtual Table Top use (like d20Pro or MapTools). I know that the new maps that come with the APs have many of these features. I'm hopeful that those features will be added to new GameMastery Products.</p>
<p>Kizan</p><p><b>Pathfinder Maps Ongoing Subscription</b></p><p>My players and myself have found the GameMastery Map products a fun addition to any adventure. I keep a photo log of both sides of each map for when I am writing encounters. I can draw inspiration from them. My players find the details to be very fun and help with player immersion in the game world.</p>
<p>I could only wish that the PDF version of the product came with a .JPG or .PNG version of the maps WITHOUT grids for easier use in Virtual Table Top use (like d20Pro or MapTools). I know that the new maps that come with the APs have many of these features. I'm hopeful that those features will be added to new GameMastery Products.</p>
<p>Kizan</p>Kizan2011-11-23T15:07:09Z