This is a fantastic book that is a must for anyone who wants to have monsters with the feel of Golarion, Paizo's new world for their Pathfinder milieu.
Without a doubt, the best and most excellent part of this adventure comes early-on with a pair of Dwarf Brothers named Vekker, a Cabin, and the dreaded Wendigo! This part of the adventure paid for the whole price of the book for me.
The conclusion to Rise of the Runelords was very good. The lower city will cause many GMs to either gloss over it or spend hours (if not days!) of additional work making it playable. What is there is good, but not enough detail is provided.
The confrontation leading up to and with Karzoug was good, and Karzoug is indeed "one tough cookie."
The Bestiary contains fascinating creatures (especially the Denizen of Leng and the Wendigo.
Pathfinder's Journal and rules on high-altitude adventuring are also included.
The free PDF with the subscription puts this Pathfinder over the 5 Stars again!
The adventure is well done and follows the pattern of a dungeon crawl.
The rest of the book is loaded with an interesting set of monsters, fiction, an exploration of Thassilonian magic, and information on Lamashtu (a deity named the Mother of Monsters).
4 Stars for the adventure but overall the product is a solid 5 stars!
The free PDF that comes with a subscription is an over-the-top bonus!
The printing is high quality, and although the paper is thin, it works for this product.
I put my (non-poster) maps in an inexpensive presentation book with plastic sleeves, and it's perfect for having the maps available without having to flip back and forth through Pathfinder. While I could have printed my own copies from the (free) PDFs of Pathfinder that I get for being a Pathfinder subscriber, this is simply easier and cooler. (And, of course, I now have a PDF of this item from being a Pathfinder Chronicles subscriber, so I can print extra copies anytime I need!)
The adventure was different but strong. A map of the Black Tower was needed and should have been included. The overall adventure emphasized strange rather than hack and slash with Stone Giants, which was a surprise but worked out okay. The Stone Giant culture was interesting.
The Bestiary, Dragon section, and Pathfinder's Journal were the best parts, all top-notch work.
The free PDF lifts a 4 star work overall to an easy 5 stars! This is well worth having on your shelf.
Aspects of the module that presented worlds within themselves (like Rod Serling's Night Gallery TV show from those days of yesteryear) could have been expanded upon and would have added to the macabre nature of the adventure.
Overall, a creative exploration of what heroes might do in their spare time in the "Uppity" section of a large city along with some interesting creatures (egotistical elven painters) and magic items (paints and paintings) make this an adventure worth reading and playing!
Pathfinder #3 The Hook Mountain Massacre is an excellent value that could have been even better.
The adventure itself is well-written, descriptive, and challenging. Some parts of the story are too graphic for me to DM as is for my players, and I will either omit or modify some sections. However, the (in my opinion) objectionable part of the Ogrekin presentation is not so far over-the-top as to make this an adventure I would not want on my shelf. Probably a little more (self) editing on the author's part would have been a prudent idea.
On the other hand, the adventure is filled with an interesting series of challenges that makes the whole story flow very smoothly and is not as predicatable as some might think when an assault on a fortress is the storyline around which the tale is built.
The Bestiary is simply superb, and these creatures add enormous value to the book.
I agree with an earlier review where it was mentioned that the space on running a fortress would have been better used expanding on the nearby town of Turtleback Ferry in some way similar to Sandpoint from Pathfinder #1 Burnt Offerings.
The Pathfinder's Journal was not as compelling as the effort from Pathfinder #2, but it was still interesting and offers promise.
Overall, with the PDF that comes with my subscription, Pathfinder #3 earns 5 stars!
The Skinsaw Murders advances the Rise of the Runelords Adventure Path with natural, clever transitions in the encounters.
The Haunted House in this adventure is the best that I've ever seen and introduces a tool Hauntings that gives the whole production a cinematic feel. (Reminds me of John Cusack's problems in 1408.)
And the Villains are Evil and very Scary! An excellent Pathfinder opening by Richard Pett.
Plus the rest of the book has excellent features, and the overall production value remains very high!
I recommend the print version, which is great for reading away from the computer (my usual choice)!
This magazine has great articles and is a fun read. There is stuff I'll definitely use DMing, including a cool Ecology of the Barghest for those of you who need to know more about this Goblin Fiend for your Pathfinder adventure!
This magazine has great articles and is a fun read. There is stuff I'll definitely use DMing, including a cool Ecology of the Barghest for those of you who need to know more about this Goblin Fiend for your Pathfinder adventure!
I also recommend the print version, which is great for reading away from the computer (my usual choice)!
I am still reading and absorbing Pathfinder 1, but I can say now with certainty that this book offers intriguing reading and spectacular production quality.
The craftmanship and detail put into this project is producing results greater than I imagined, and I imagined an elaborate work. (Combined with my GameMastery Module subscription, I'm happier now than when I was just reading Dungeon and Dragon every month.)
Thank you, James, for all of your creative ideas, and thank you Paizo for making this happen.
And another thank you to Paizo for the great bonus PDF with my subscription!
This is an adventure with excellent ideas. The backdrop is very creative, offering an interesting vision of a city with concepts new to me. The dungeon delve starts out somewhat mundane, but then the interesting use of science fantasy elements sends this adventure to imaginative heights. Very enjoyable!
This GameMastery Module has a strong, cohesive storyline with a variety of episodic encounters the PCs must deal with to be successful.
It has great production value (love the cover!) with a challenging "wrap-up" encounter bringing a couple months of PC work to an exciting end.
An experienced set of players will be required to be successful in this adventure due to the many opportunities for distraction and the running timeline.
I am still reading and absorbing Pathfinder 1, but I can say now with certainty that this book offers intriguing reading and spectacular production quality.
The craftmanship and detail put into this project is producing results greater than I imagined, and I imagined an elaborate work. (Combined with my GameMastery Module subscription, I'm happier now than when I was just reading Dungeon and Dragon every month.)
Thank you, James, for all of your creative ideas, and thank you Paizo for making this happen.
I had already downloaded (and rolled 6 PCs for the group I DM using) the .pdf version -- which I thought was 5 stars! -- and now that I have the printed version in hand, I wish I could rate it 6 stars!
Top-notch printing complements the excellent writing to make this the best $2.00 value ever! (Or $10 value ever for 5 copies + 1 free for being a charter subscriber!)
Map Pack: Temples is very creative and usable for specific situations. For example, in the Map Pack: Temples pack, there is a fantastic HEALING TEMPLE that will have great use as well as a very-well done CULTIST WAREHOUSE and SPIDER GOD CAVERN. And there's even a place for Druids and a scary chamber for sacrifices!
This is just what I needed for a dirty, filthy place for my PC's to explore. A solid creative mix of tunnels and dead ends that make me remember to "good old days" when Geomorphs were the latest and greatest!
What a fantastic start to the GameMastery Module line! My son and his cousin (visiting from Washington State) each picked up this module at Game Alot in Santa Cruz today (where other games were purchased at the same time), and they were both very happy! After reading through my son's copy (mine is on the way from Paizo), I am very impressed with the high quality and engaging narrative. I am SO happy that I am subscribing to the GameMastery Module line and to Pathfinder! What a wonderful start!
Although this will not replace my regular battle mat, the tavern displayed and the smaller size will have immediate and regular use in my D&D gameplay.
If you need a quick and simple method of portraying tavern encounters but want to have some great visual aid in the presentation, this is for you!
It folds up easily and stores in my D&D Accessories binder right near the Combat Pad!
I have enjoyed DMing The Bullywug Gambit. It has had several twists and turns, savage pirates, and one of the most dreaded monsters to armor-dependant adventurers -- not to mention Ripclaw!
There Is No Honor is a fantastic start to The Savage Tide Adventure Path. With a great mix of encounters located in a big city, this adventure is a real challenge. (I gave my group a headstart using Siege of the Spider Eaters from Dungeon #137 -- and glad I did!)
This adventure is a challenge for experienced players!
Siege of the Spider Eaters is a great 1st level mystery adventure and a perfect lead into The Savage Tide Adventure Path. Although not officially connected to STAP, it fits the bill to give your players a little edge before There Is No Honor in Dragon #139. The village of Haven-Fara is a fresh spot to start PCs, especially lost ones who are on their way to Sasserine. Pirates and Spiders -- a great combo!
This book is excellent for those of us who have been playing for years! The opportunity to re-visit old ideas in the context of the new 3.5 rules is priceless.
Here's hoping there's a Dragon Compendium Volume 2!
The miniatures are worth the purchase alone, although the adventure is interesting. Orienting the tiles requires a little thinking, but thinking is part of this game!
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