amethal's page

This is not a playtest review. It also concerns itself with running the scenario as a “normal” adventure outside the requirements of organised play. It also assumes that where it contradicts the Pathfinder Chronicles supplement Heart of the Jungle then HotJ will take precedence.

Overall, this is a solid scenario, but the end part shows signs of being written as a “generic” adventure conclusion and then ported to the Mwangi expanse afterwards. If (as I did) you buy it because of the Mwangi Expanse connection, then the end will either be a disappointment, or an opportunity to have a bit of fun converting the inappropriate elements.

The introduction, in Kibwe, has a Pathfinder representative giving the characters information about the Song of Extinction that the Pathfinder probably had no way of knowing. Hopefully, the players won’t think to ask him where he gets his information from.

The characters then head off to the ruined city of Dokeran. The subsequently published “Heart of the Jungle” has since seen fit to change city’s location (and spelling, but that isn’t an issue). Any players familiar with the geography of the Expanse may raise an eyebrow at travelling all the way from Kibwe to the Defaka River without incident.

The characters are then attacked by one of the few creatures in the Monster Manual but not in Bestiaries 1 or 2.

The next couple of encounters are pretty interesting, and then the PCs encounter the main bad guy, the renegade Mwangi witch doctor who brought the city to its knees. This is the bit I didn’t think was appropriate for the Mwangi Expamse.

I love the Mwangi expanse, but this adventure is actually set in Absalom. However, it does give a bit of background on the Gorilla King of Usaro.

Its a series of 5 imaginative "set piece" combat encounters in a museum, but it would be easy enough to expand it by adding a few more empty but spooky rooms, and/or a few more haunted exhibits.

The last encounter is EL 5 (Tier 1-2), which (even allowing for the imprecise nature of the CR system) seems a bit challenging for what could be a first level party - especially if they've just fought their way through 4 previous encounters.

I will be running this as a "normal" adventure rather than a Pathfinder Society game, so I'll have to think what the consequences would be if the party decides to rest part way through.