 
Sign in to create or edit a product review. I can only agree with the other comments, this supplement is brilliant and inventive. Kaer maga is stuffed with unusual characters, sometimes weird, sometimes plain brilliant, able to move even the most jaded players. Every corner hides some oddity!
Recommended 
Nashan
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That one came pretty much as a surprise to me. A good one. I thought a demon war theme would be rather dull and redundant, but this first part had me change my mind. Wrath of the righteous is clearly more "mature" than most campaigns. It features more than linear events leading to some dungeon crawls, it really give the events a life of their own. NPCs are especially well covered, have a real personality, and furthermore interact with each others and the characters. They are more than disposable faces in the crowd, they have a life and a role to play. I also like the fact that the crusaders are not all shining and righteous warriors, some are just warmongers or gloryseekers, more like the historical crusaders. Running a game in the aftermath of a demonic incursion is like enjoying an apocalyptic movie. I only regret some downtimes in part 3. Many random encounters to be held to have the characters level up enough. However with some extra work, GMs can reshape the events and give them more flesh. That's a very good start, and I hope the sequels will follow the same lead! The intrigue is fine and the characters are ok. The downside however is that PCs don't really have a chance to connect the clues to the real villains. So they basically have to succeed their perception rolls to discharge the circus at each murder site, and that's it. Only by letting events unfold can they discover their enemy. I would have loved more proactivity and investigation. Good roleplaying and lively interactions with the circus crew can save they day and make the PCs enjoy the story rather than focusing on solving it.
Required some changes to be enjoyable
Nashan
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I liked the overall tone of city riots. On the other hand, I expected more events to fully exploit it. For instance, a mob attack on the castle (obvious target...) or the guard citadel seemed impossible to miss. Yet I found none of those, and had to design them myself.
The fishery and the butchery were nice. I loved the extended descriptions of the characters and their motivations. I regretted there were so few hints for the players to figure them out for themselves.
The shingle chase was a good idea, however. Liked that part very much. But completely skipped the dead warrens. I just couldn't see the point, except as a fill up, maybe. The conclusion of the adventure is very easily expected. It's too much of a happy ending, and I had the scapegoat executed to add to the despotism feeling. Blackjack still messed up with the queen, but had poor success. Edge of Anarchy is a good start for a urban campaign, although some more thinking would have made it better. The first half of the book definitely deserves 4 stars. It's dark, gloomy, and describes nicely the evil everyday living of Nidal. The characters are not caricatures, they're quite deep, with nuanced feelings, and you can hint the change they go through as they spend years in the harsh teachings of the shadowcallers. Thumbs up for the Joyful Things.
I had a hard time putting the book down. It's definitely very very good. For once, here's a real STORY with investigation, combats, and exotic journeys. It overall makes perfect sense, and blends wonderfully in the Pathfinder universe and heroic fantasy in general. Plus, the characters are nicely put and have a lot of substance. Really, an excellent reading! I feel a bit guilty to give it "only" 4 fours but there's a couple of useless chapters just filling up space with a bunch of "what the heck" feeling and nothing more. Editor choice to make the book bigger, maybe ? Otherwise, that book would have been perfect. It remains a must read nonetheless ! |
