Having met and GM'd for Ron, heard a lot of great things about him when he was a triad, and the "extra" month Mark had for development, I seriously expected better.
I've only run it once and will likely revisit this rating after I run it a few more times and get different table experiences under my belt.
What I liked:
It runs fast at tier 4-5
It touches on a previous (and popular) scenario
Renaming the main NPC "Regis" Falbin
What I didn't like:
Ron broke the cardinal rule of map design. There is a map in here that is not only too big for most tables, too big for most GM's to properly draw, it's also round making it even harder to draw on the fly.
The fights are very easy or difficult. Nothing in between.
The creatures used are really hard to have appropriate minis (both because of what they are, and their size)
Tiny and Diminutive creatures are a pain to deal with if their ranged tricks run out
Using "fancy" words that are difficult to pronounce instead of something simple and direct
Overall I found this more difficult to run and prep than it should be.
I've now had the pleasure of running this 8 times in addition to playing it.
The Midnight Mauler has the following qualities:
Extremely well written and designed.
Forces players to use skills often overlooked and come up with creative solutions.
Includes several iconic foes.
Set in one of the most richly flavored lands in all of Golarion.
One of the easiest and most enjoyable scenarios to prepare.
Fast paced, action packed.
Underwhelming encounters if the players are just looking to kill stuff and take their loot.
This scenario should definitely be on your "can't miss" list for low level scenarios. I recommend playing it at subtier 3-4 if at all possible. Second choice should be 1-2.
1) Good murder mystery and investigation
2) Opportunity to encounter a rarely used iconic creature
3) Includes urban, jungle, and dungeon type settings
Cons:
1) Unbalanced encounters
2) Poorly designed encounter layouts
3) Horrible final encounter
Overall it feels just like what Doug said, an arms race. A party of 4 or 5 level 8's with optimized characters who like to fight for their lives with every encounter might really enjoy this module.
As much as Mark will hate it, the full review will have to wait. :)
Summary: This scenario was clearly shorted on resources and development time. It includes a couple of great, unique elements, only one of which actually functions. The rest of this scenario is shoe-horned map packs, poorly designed encounters, and disappointing editing mistakes. This is NOT what I expect from the final scenario of a series.
I've run this twice now, both times at subtier 10-11. I'll do my best to assess the lower subtier, but w/o playing it, or running it, I may miss a thing or two.
[NON SPOILER REVIEW]
This scenario presents several unique encounters and environmental effects. It places the PCs just inside the Worldwound, better known as an extension of Abyss on Golarion. There are some great story elements that may or may not be appreciated by some players, and may be completely missed by others. There are a couple of roleplaying opportunities and an extremely challenging encounter (or two). The final encounter could be a memorable one if not for the poorly designed locale.
All and in, it's a decent scenario to play and a somewhat challenging scenario to run well the first time. If you're looking for a tier 7-11 scenario, this is definitely not one to miss.
I've run this a handful of times now, even with Neil overshadowing me, but I just can't like this one. For as well written as this scenario finale is (and it is WELL written), the encounters have never been able to grab the attention of the players no matter how evil my tactics are! ;-)
There are a few bright spots though including an interaction with a gynosphinx and the possibility of setting a Venture Captain on fire.
I think the biggest problem lies in the final encounter. After 12 hours of table time, the players are expecting an amazing final fight with the BBEG of this whole series. That just doesn't happen in practice.
I'll be running this at least 4 more times in November. I'm hoping that my experiences (and the players') improves before the month is through.
This scenario is by far the best of the Everwar series. Since you can run the first three in any order, I would suggest running Part 2 first, then Part 3, followed by Part 1.
It has an excellent mix of horror and insanity. There are great RP opportunities, well put together NPCs (Step Up FTW), and excellent cartography.
The final encounter can be a challenge for certain parties, so be careful!
I've run this one about 8 or 9 times now, and it's still a joy. Most of the time the GM who ran part 1 has left a lot of the City of Strangers unexplored. This allows me to properly introduce the players to the city proper. Be warned, however, that this scenario proceeds at the pace of the players. They may need gentle nudges from time to time to keep them on track.
I've had some memorable moments with this one, and there are a couple of well balanced encounters (and a couple of warts).
This series is definitely one new players shouldn't miss.
If it wasn't for the final encounter in this scenario, it would have fallen farther on the star-o-meter. On the positive side, this is the only scenario out of the first three in this series that directly offers some insight into the background of the series without the GM having go above and beyond. Overall the encounters are simply underpowered. (when will designers learn that a horde of low CRs are not an entertaining fight for level 10 characters?) The best time in this scenario is when the PCs spend time with the Watcher. I like to collect information about the character's backgrounds at the beginning, and when they reach the end, they realize that the Watcher has seen them grow up. Great effect!
Unfortunately this is my least favorite of all 4 parts to run.
I agree with Moreland regarding the repetitive nature of the foes in this scenario. I also agree that while this series has some intriguing background, it isn't presented to the players unless the GM works hard at it. Having run this several times now, I find that this scenario can be the most tactically challenging (at high tier) of all 4 parts of the series. The saving grace of this scenario is the amount of open roleplaying you can do in Whistledown. I typically spend the first 60-90 minutes of this scenario roleplaying the citizens of Whistledown. The cottage offers another great RP opportunity if properly prepared for it.
This scenario written reasonably well and flows very nicely. It's very simple and straight forward to run, even if a few of the encounters seem a bit contrived or out of place. A solid follow-up to one of Pathfinder Society's best scenarios.
This is one of the best written scenarios to come along. It's a shining example of the Pathfinder ruleset. Unfortunately for players not used to smart opponents using excellent tactics, this scenario can be deadly. This is in my top 3 of all time, and I expect it to remain there for years to come. My only complaint is that in the 5 times I've run this, only one group has made it all the way through. It's simply too long for a 4 hours slot.
Watching Jason run this at Dragon*Con was an amazing.
The feature encounter in this scenario overcomes all of this scenario's shortcomings despite its numerous stat block errors that can cut the encounter short. Beyond the big fight, the writing is average at best, and the other encounters seem like afterthoughts.
Excellent scenario, well written, and kudos on the awareness mechanic. The encounters were lacking overall, but the story line (and an excellent GM) made it a good time.
One of my favorite scenarios to run. The role playing opportunities are abundant (Gnome demonologist with facial palsy? Excellent!), and the combats provide for several unique experiences (WTF is that thing?!). Don't miss this one!
Overall this scenario is fun to run if you're properly prepared. The story is unique and the role playing opportunities are bountiful. There are a couple of encounters that can turn deadly. For details check out the GM discussion thread. It doesn't get much better than a Hag on Harpy love affair!
These cards are amazing. There's nothing better than the look on your player's faces after they open the sealed envelope full of actual treasure after defeating the BBEG.
These cards are great for player inventory management, DM magic item management, and keeping track of special plot items. The artwork and print quality are top notch. At only $10 these are a steal!
I have to say that the distribution was greatly improved over Item Pack #2: Hero's Hoard. I only bought one display box, and was only 12 cards away from completing a set. (Compared to over 20 for HH). After one single trade with someone on the forums, I'm now only needing 2 cards to have a complete set.
The cards themselves are excellent. The only issue might be that some of the items are pretty out there. So you have have less of the "standard" items found in RPGs, and have things like the Shrunken Head and Withered Hand.
My group used to use printed out index cards, and I must say that these are a big step up from that.
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