paizo.com Recent Reviews of Pathfinder Society Scenario #21: The Eternal Obelisk (OGL) PDF (Retired)paizo.com Recent Reviews of Pathfinder Society Scenario #21: The Eternal Obelisk (OGL) PDF (Retired)2022-01-10T02:25:29Z2022-01-10T02:25:29ZPathfinder Society Scenario #21: The Eternal Obelisk (OGL) PDF (Retired): Not unfair, but still mediocre (2 stars)Jhaemanhttps://paizo.com/products/btpy88ll?Pathfinder-Society-Scenario-21-The-Eternal-Obelisk2022-01-10T02:23:51Z<p><b>Pathfinder Society Scenario #21: The Eternal Obelisk (OGL) PDF (Retired)</b></p><p>NO SPOILERS</p>
<p><b><i>The Eternal Obelisk</b></i> is another of the PFS Season 0 scenarios that was retired from play. The reasons aren't hard to guess, as there is an opportunity for a TPK or (or at least some permanent negative conditions that can't be easily cleared). I recently ran it "just for fun" as part of my Roots of Golarion campaign that ties together a bunch of 3.5-era Paizo stuff. The scenario is a straightforward dungeon crawl and not particularly memorable. It has a really engaging backstory, though, and would be easy to insert as a side-quest in any desert-themed campaign. I also didn't think the difficulty was unfair to the players, as they know almost exactly what to expect from the very beginning and have plenty of opportunity to prepare for it.</p>
<p>[Spoiler omitted]</p><p><b>Pathfinder Society Scenario #21: The Eternal Obelisk (OGL) PDF (Retired)</b></p><p>NO SPOILERS</p>
<p><b><i>The Eternal Obelisk</b></i> is another of the PFS Season 0 scenarios that was retired from play. The reasons aren't hard to guess, as there is an opportunity for a TPK or (or at least some permanent negative conditions that can't be easily cleared). I recently ran it "just for fun" as part of my Roots of Golarion campaign that ties together a bunch of 3.5-era Paizo stuff. The scenario is a straightforward dungeon crawl and not particularly memorable. It has a really engaging backstory, though, and would be easy to insert as a side-quest in any desert-themed campaign. I also didn't think the difficulty was unfair to the players, as they know almost exactly what to expect from the very beginning and have plenty of opportunity to prepare for it.</p>
<p>[Spoiler omitted]</p>Jhaeman2022-01-10T02:23:51ZPathfinder Society Scenario #21: The Eternal Obelisk (OGL) PDF (Retired): An RPG Resource Review (5 stars)Megan Robertsonhttps://paizo.com/products/btpy88ll?Pathfinder-Society-Scenario-21-The-Eternal-Obelisk2016-02-15T11:51:13Z<p><b>Pathfinder Society Scenario #21: The Eternal Obelisk (OGL) PDF (Retired)</b></p><p>Enthralled by tales of an obelisk deep in the Qadirian deserts that confers eternal life, a young noblewoman infatuated by the whole concept of the Pathfinder Society heads off to find it... alas this results in her petrified head being found clutched in the arms of a dead mercenary. Her father lays the blame at the Society's door, and the party is sent into the wastes to discover the obelisk, find out what happened to the noblewoman and return her remains to her distraught family.</p>
<p>The DM's introduction lays out the true background to this tale, then the adventure opens with the party in the Pathfinder Society Lodge in Kadeera, getting their mission... and then jumps three days (assuming they take the offered camels) to set them at the entrance to the underground complex where this obelisk is said to be located. If you have the time and inclination you may prefer to cover the desert journey in more detail, should a spot of sun, sand and suffering appeal. The complex is well-described and a plan provided for your use, with a selection of puzzles, traps and hostile encounters for the party to contend with as they search for the obelisk, its current owner and its secrets. However the layout is a bit odd, with the plan and main description separated from the 'read aloud' text and encounter notes.</p>
<p>A nice touch is that, if the party wins through to the end, they'll find a text that explains everything - although they may have figured out some of it already. Faction missions are appropriate and offer a two-layered approach: a core task that garners one prestige point upon completion with an addition point available if a follow-up task is also performed. Overall it's a neat adventure, lacking in role-playing opportunities but full of the exploration and adventure that you join the Pathfinder Society to enjoy!</p><p><b>Pathfinder Society Scenario #21: The Eternal Obelisk (OGL) PDF (Retired)</b></p><p>Enthralled by tales of an obelisk deep in the Qadirian deserts that confers eternal life, a young noblewoman infatuated by the whole concept of the Pathfinder Society heads off to find it... alas this results in her petrified head being found clutched in the arms of a dead mercenary. Her father lays the blame at the Society's door, and the party is sent into the wastes to discover the obelisk, find out what happened to the noblewoman and return her remains to her distraught family.</p>
<p>The DM's introduction lays out the true background to this tale, then the adventure opens with the party in the Pathfinder Society Lodge in Kadeera, getting their mission... and then jumps three days (assuming they take the offered camels) to set them at the entrance to the underground complex where this obelisk is said to be located. If you have the time and inclination you may prefer to cover the desert journey in more detail, should a spot of sun, sand and suffering appeal. The complex is well-described and a plan provided for your use, with a selection of puzzles, traps and hostile encounters for the party to contend with as they search for the obelisk, its current owner and its secrets. However the layout is a bit odd, with the plan and main description separated from the 'read aloud' text and encounter notes.</p>
<p>A nice touch is that, if the party wins through to the end, they'll find a text that explains everything - although they may have figured out some of it already. Faction missions are appropriate and offer a two-layered approach: a core task that garners one prestige point upon completion with an addition point available if a follow-up task is also performed. Overall it's a neat adventure, lacking in role-playing opportunities but full of the exploration and adventure that you join the Pathfinder Society to enjoy!</p>Megan Robertson2016-02-15T11:51:13ZPathfinder Society Scenario #21: The Eternal Obelisk (OGL) PDF (Retired): Down Deep, Salty and Blind (4 stars)3.5 Loyalisthttps://paizo.com/products/btpy88ll?Pathfinder-Society-Scenario-21-The-Eternal-Obelisk2012-12-07T03:27:38Z<p><b>Pathfinder Society Scenario #21: The Eternal Obelisk (OGL) PDF (Retired)</b></p><p>This I liked, unlike many of the other reviewers.</p>
<p>What I was looking for was a small dungeon, with some hard encounters, without much size to it. This is it and that is why I am so positive about it. The end boss is good, the stone monsters allow the medusa to fight on a more even footing the pcs. I liked the grimlock barb rogues.</p>
<p>Some have said it is too hard, I'm actually going to have to make it harder for the pcs, and add more in so they don't go through without a struggle. So I'll be putting in more grimlocks, xorns and xerans and allowing more statues to be animated.</p>
<p>A tight, small dungeon is not necessarily a bad thing. Not everything has to be the greatest and largest quest, or a gigantic story. For old-style D&D!</p>
<p>Thanks Robert Brown.</p><p><b>Pathfinder Society Scenario #21: The Eternal Obelisk (OGL) PDF (Retired)</b></p><p>This I liked, unlike many of the other reviewers.</p>
<p>What I was looking for was a small dungeon, with some hard encounters, without much size to it. This is it and that is why I am so positive about it. The end boss is good, the stone monsters allow the medusa to fight on a more even footing the pcs. I liked the grimlock barb rogues.</p>
<p>Some have said it is too hard, I'm actually going to have to make it harder for the pcs, and add more in so they don't go through without a struggle. So I'll be putting in more grimlocks, xorns and xerans and allowing more statues to be animated.</p>
<p>A tight, small dungeon is not necessarily a bad thing. Not everything has to be the greatest and largest quest, or a gigantic story. For old-style D&D!</p>
<p>Thanks Robert Brown.</p>3.5 Loyalist2012-12-07T03:27:38ZPathfinder Society Scenario #21: The Eternal Obelisk (OGL) PDF (Retired): The (almost) eternal boredom (2 stars)Endzeitgeisthttps://paizo.com/products/btpy88ll?Pathfinder-Society-Scenario-21-The-Eternal-Obelisk2010-02-20T16:40:09Z<p><b>Pathfinder Society Scenario #21: The Eternal Obelisk (OGL) PDF (Retired)</b></p><p>I tend to read the faction missions of a scenario first. The missions sounded nice, but ultimately, after reading the summary, all went down to fetch the gizmo.</p>
<p>And every faction has two generic fetch-the-gizmo-crap/ slay x missions with the associated awards. Great.</p>
<p>The nature of the BBEG is not foreshadowed, but constantly beaten over the heads of the PCs. It took my players not even a minute to accurately guess the nature of the antagonist.</p>
<p>The first encounter proved to be mildly annoying for my PCs.</p>
<p>The subsequent encounters screamed lightning bolt/fireball formation and, quite frankly make this scenario a classic kill everything with fire experience. That might be fun sometimes, but there is NOTHING to intrigue a Player or DM. No puzzle, no RP, this scenario is about mindlessly slaughtering everything.</p>
<p>The adventure does not consist of plot-holes, like "The Trouble with Secrets", but is, quite frankly, monotonous.
<br />
The final boss, however, is damn cool, lethal and a fun and challenging fight after all the drudgery and the only saving grace of this adventure.
<br />
If your players don't feature enough ranged firepower, your PCs will die here. A lot of them.
<br />
I'd give this adventure 1.5 Stars with tendency towards 2.</p><p><b>Pathfinder Society Scenario #21: The Eternal Obelisk (OGL) PDF (Retired)</b></p><p>I tend to read the faction missions of a scenario first. The missions sounded nice, but ultimately, after reading the summary, all went down to fetch the gizmo.</p>
<p>And every faction has two generic fetch-the-gizmo-crap/ slay x missions with the associated awards. Great.</p>
<p>The nature of the BBEG is not foreshadowed, but constantly beaten over the heads of the PCs. It took my players not even a minute to accurately guess the nature of the antagonist.</p>
<p>The first encounter proved to be mildly annoying for my PCs.</p>
<p>The subsequent encounters screamed lightning bolt/fireball formation and, quite frankly make this scenario a classic kill everything with fire experience. That might be fun sometimes, but there is NOTHING to intrigue a Player or DM. No puzzle, no RP, this scenario is about mindlessly slaughtering everything.</p>
<p>The adventure does not consist of plot-holes, like "The Trouble with Secrets", but is, quite frankly, monotonous.
<br />
The final boss, however, is damn cool, lethal and a fun and challenging fight after all the drudgery and the only saving grace of this adventure.
<br />
If your players don't feature enough ranged firepower, your PCs will die here. A lot of them.
<br />
I'd give this adventure 1.5 Stars with tendency towards 2.</p>Endzeitgeist2010-02-20T16:40:09ZPathfinder Society Scenario #21: The Eternal Obelisk (OGL) PDF (Retired): Another of Many Scenarios that leads to TPKs (1 star)Dragon Primehttps://paizo.com/products/btpy88ll?Pathfinder-Society-Scenario-21-The-Eternal-Obelisk2009-12-13T07:14:14Z<p><b>Pathfinder Society Scenario #21: The Eternal Obelisk (OGL) PDF (Retired)</b></p><p>Okay this is another horrible scenario, I mean hell this thing was worse than Asmodeus Mirage in the sense of the encounters...and that means its really, really bad. I personally believe that creatures that cause effects that are pretty much irreversible is too powerful in any game. You going to have to provide some countermeasure, otherwise it will lead to a TPK which our game pretty much lead too. I will never purchase and/or run this scenario...I like to make the player's "sweat" but killing all of them...no I don't want that on my hands.</p><p><b>Pathfinder Society Scenario #21: The Eternal Obelisk (OGL) PDF (Retired)</b></p><p>Okay this is another horrible scenario, I mean hell this thing was worse than Asmodeus Mirage in the sense of the encounters...and that means its really, really bad. I personally believe that creatures that cause effects that are pretty much irreversible is too powerful in any game. You going to have to provide some countermeasure, otherwise it will lead to a TPK which our game pretty much lead too. I will never purchase and/or run this scenario...I like to make the player's "sweat" but killing all of them...no I don't want that on my hands.</p>Dragon Prime2009-12-13T07:14:14ZPathfinder Society Scenario #21: The Eternal Obelisk (OGL) PDF (Retired): Decent four-hour dungeon crawl (3 stars)Mark Morelandhttps://paizo.com/products/btpy88ll?Pathfinder-Society-Scenario-21-The-Eternal-Obelisk2009-12-11T17:47:17Z<p><b>Pathfinder Society Scenario #21: The Eternal Obelisk (OGL) PDF (Retired)</b></p><p>I enjoyed this scenario as both a player and a GM. It doesn't provide a lot of room for roleplay or problem solving, both of which can add nice variation within a dungeon crawl, but the scenario succeeds at what it sets out to do. I enjoyed some of the tactical situations the scenario presented, including a battle in a maze and one in a forest of statues. The scenario includes one encounter which I believe was incredibly overpowered, a relic of the imbalance in the 3.5 CR system, but my group managed to avoid a certain TPK by roleplaying the encounter, thanks to a generous GM. All in all, this is an average scenario with room for improvement, but it's far from the worst of the scenarios thus far.</p><p><b>Pathfinder Society Scenario #21: The Eternal Obelisk (OGL) PDF (Retired)</b></p><p>I enjoyed this scenario as both a player and a GM. It doesn't provide a lot of room for roleplay or problem solving, both of which can add nice variation within a dungeon crawl, but the scenario succeeds at what it sets out to do. I enjoyed some of the tactical situations the scenario presented, including a battle in a maze and one in a forest of statues. The scenario includes one encounter which I believe was incredibly overpowered, a relic of the imbalance in the 3.5 CR system, but my group managed to avoid a certain TPK by roleplaying the encounter, thanks to a generous GM. All in all, this is an average scenario with room for improvement, but it's far from the worst of the scenarios thus far.</p>Mark Moreland2009-12-11T17:47:17ZPathfinder Society Scenario #21: The Eternal Obelisk (OGL) PDF (Retired): Eternal Boredom (1 star)Deussuhttps://paizo.com/products/btpy88ll?Pathfinder-Society-Scenario-21-The-Eternal-Obelisk2009-08-24T09:03:02Z<p><b>Pathfinder Society Scenario #21: The Eternal Obelisk (OGL) PDF (Retired)</b></p><p>I could just copypaste the review I gave for Trouble With Secrets. This is practically the same; a nonexistant plot, boring combats, and absolutely no roleplaying moments.</p>
<p>If you like mindless dungeon crawls, this is for you.</p><p><b>Pathfinder Society Scenario #21: The Eternal Obelisk (OGL) PDF (Retired)</b></p><p>I could just copypaste the review I gave for Trouble With Secrets. This is practically the same; a nonexistant plot, boring combats, and absolutely no roleplaying moments.</p>
<p>If you like mindless dungeon crawls, this is for you.</p>Deussu2009-08-24T09:03:02ZPathfinder Society Scenario #21: The Eternal Obelisk (OGL) PDF (Retired): Foreshadow club and the power of box text (2 stars)Russell Akredhttps://paizo.com/products/btpy88ll?Pathfinder-Society-Scenario-21-The-Eternal-Obelisk2009-07-06T21:22:42Z<p><b>Pathfinder Society Scenario #21: The Eternal Obelisk (OGL) PDF (Retired)</b></p><p>My first complaint is the foreshadowing. Holy cow it is beating you over the head by the time you are a quarter of the way through. Second complaint is all encounters start the same way no matter how many precautions are taken. Maybe I'm just sore because we chose not to finish it, but the ending seemed a forgone conclusion. Don't go without a well balance group well inside the level tiers (in fact play DOWN). Some of the faction goals are impossible without very powerful resources.</p><p><b>Pathfinder Society Scenario #21: The Eternal Obelisk (OGL) PDF (Retired)</b></p><p>My first complaint is the foreshadowing. Holy cow it is beating you over the head by the time you are a quarter of the way through. Second complaint is all encounters start the same way no matter how many precautions are taken. Maybe I'm just sore because we chose not to finish it, but the ending seemed a forgone conclusion. Don't go without a well balance group well inside the level tiers (in fact play DOWN). Some of the faction goals are impossible without very powerful resources.</p>Russell Akred2009-07-06T21:22:42Z