Pathfinder Society Scenario #23: Tide of Morning (OGL) PDF

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A Pathfinder Society Scenario designed for 1st to 5th level characters (Tiers: 1–2 and 4–5).

Venture-Captain Dennel Hamshanks sends you to convince an Andoren druid named Hemzel to allow the Pathfinder Society to study his recently discovered lorestone, a minor magical item that unlocks some of the mysteries of the ancient Andoren druid circles. When you arrive and find Hemzel murdered and the lorestone missing, you must race against time to recover the lorestone and stop Hemzel's murderers from using it against the druids of Andoran.

Written by Steven Robert

This scenario is designed for play in Pathfinder Society Organized Play, but can easily be adapted for use with any world. This scenario is compliant with the Open Game License (OGL) and is suitable for use with the 3.5 edition of the world’s most popular fantasy roleplaying game.

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2/5

NO SPOILERS

I ran Tide of Morning recently at low subtier via play-by-post. It’s got to be one of the fastest and easiest (from a combat perspective) scenarios ever published for PFS--honestly, I think an average level 2 PC could solo it. The story is no great shakes, and doesn’t really add anything of value to the setting lore. There is some opportunity for role-playing, which is always nice to see, but on the whole this is a slight, forgettable scenario whose only value is how quickly it can be completed if time is limited.

SPOILERS!:

As is often the case for Season Zero scenarios, the PCs start in media res: at sunset in the Verduran Forest in Andoran. Via flashback, they receive instructions from the rarely-seen Venture-Captain Dennel Hamshanks (ha!). Hamshanks explains that there’s a druid named Hemzel living in the forest who has sworn a blood feud toward Pathfinders, seeing them as nothing more than thieves. I tend to think Hemzel probably had some grounds for that view. Anyway, Hamshanks says Hemzel has recently come into possession of a magic orb called a lorestone that gives the possessor the knowledge of all the druids of the forest. Hamshanks charges the PCs with visiting Hemzel’s hut and persuading the druid to turn over the lorestone. I really don’t contemplate how this could be done without basically stealing from or killing Hemzel (given his well-established antagonism toward Pathfinders), but it’s a moot point--Hemzel is dead!

The PCs learn this immediately after the “flashback briefing” as they’re standing outside Hemzel’s hut. An invisible fey announces the news with a cackle, and charges another invisible fey with dealing with the PCs. What’s happening here is that an evil fey (a quickling) named Cyflymder has always hated Hemzel and decided to strike. Hemzel has just been murdered, his hut set on fire, and the Macguffinstone stolen with plans to destroy it by exposing it to sunlight come dawn. Cyflymder races away from the hut with the artifact, but has set another fey, an atomie named Gire, to deal with the PCs. The scenario presents Gire as a very reluctant combatant and someone very willing to talk (and explain the whole backstory of the scenario) if the PCs manage to turn her over to their side. The problem is that she literally has 2 hp, and isn’t likely to stay conscious for long once the battle begins! (invisibility could certainly stymie a lot of low-level groups, but my players cleverly used an animal companion’s scent ability to guess her location). There’s also a CR 1 spider swarm to deal with, but a good burning hands or some alchemist’s fire takes care of it.

However the situation with Gire is resolved, the PCs then notice that the hut is on fire. The idea here is that they race in, see Hemzel’s body, and have to find anything valuable (e.g., Hemzel’s journal that details what Cyflymder is going to do with the lorestone) while dealing with the spreading flames and another assassin that Cyflymder left behind, another invisible fey (an unseelie human warrior). The hut is very small, so it amuses me that the scenario describes the spread of the fire all the way up to Round 18. Anyway, my players had no difficulty dealing with the situation.

After exiting the hut, the next thing the PCs encounter is a band of gnomes loyal to Hemzel. They’ll be hostile to the PCs at first (believing them to be Hemzel’s murderers), but won’t attack right away, thus giving the PCs a few rounds to use Diplomacy to win them over. Assuming this is successful, the gnomes direct the group to where Cyflymder must be headed--a nearby druid circle where the lorestone can be destroyed. The scenario doesn’t provide the GM a lot to work with when it comes to the role-playing here, so I imagine in most groups it’s going to go pretty quickly.

The big finale takes place at the druid circle. There’s a whole story element about how the PCs will have to march all night to get to the druid circle before dawn, but the concept is handled poorly. First, the scenario doesn’t say anything about whether the GM should apply the fatigue (for not sleeping) and forced marching rules (which can be pretty painful to low-level groups). Second, it doesn’t really matter--even if the PCs don’t turn up until high noon, the convenient magic of the lorestone gives the PCs 10 rounds upon arrival to stop Cyflymder. Sigh!

Anyway, once at the druid circle, the PCs need to cross a slick log bridge guarded by snare traps and small vipers. Cyflymder himself will be (chorus!) invisible and will try to play keep-away with the lorestone as another 2 hp atomie ostensibly harasses the PCs. I love that Cyflymder, the climactic boss of the scenario, only has 7 hp and does 1d4-1 damage. It makes me giggle. Though that could be too much coffee. As I implied at the beginning of this review, the players would have to try *really* hard to mess up in this scenario! The epilogue is of the “thanks agents, we’ll study this amazing artifact you discovered; goodbye!” variety.

Although I considered giving this scenario one star out of five, I’m going to give it two because, hey--maybe you only have a couple of hours to game, maybe you’re running for kids and don’t want any character deaths, or maybe you just really think fey are cool. If any of those things apply, Tide of Morning could be alright, I guess.


Outdated and lots of omitted info

2/5

I ran this for my home group -- it didn't end well. If you are running this, first off find the updated monster stats (like the one for the gnome warriors for instance) in the GM group scenario thread in the messageboards. Then be prepared to wing it in the final Act as the text didn't do much to describe how it's supposed to play out. Or just choose another scenario to run.

There are good parts, mind you. I find that the monsters are not your typical fantasy RPG staples and it can be fun to run the encounters with unusual monster powers / tactics. The monsters are also thematic. Lots of room for creative players to complete many of the encounters than just 'kill all the monsters and take their stuff'.

Bottom line, can be fun, but don't run cold.


Fun, quick scenario but lacks challenge

3/5

The plot of the adventure is engaging, and interacting with fey and forest gnomes allows for a little bit of roleplaying.

Ran this as 1–2 with a party mostly out of tier. As expected there was little-to-no challenge. I'm not sure 2nd-level characters would face any issues. Definitely a scenario for new characters. Can't comment on the higher subtier, which does seems to have meatier foes.

I'd advise that the enemies from Tome of Horrors be replaced with their PFRPG versions to increase the challenge. Note though that the PFRPG version of one monster loses an important spell-like ability that is called out in their tactics.

The monster tactics in the second combat are mostly invalidated by the map (a common theme for season 0), and the final encounter falls a little flat.


An RPG Resource Review

4/5

There's a big forest in Andoran called the Verduran Forst, remnant of an ancient and even greater expanse which was cared for by druids unparalleled in their knowledge and lore. It's not surprising that the Pathfinder Society is interesting in acquiring said lore (and any of the riches and other loot the druids supposedly had) although up to now they've not had much luck. Maybe the party will fair better.

Like most adventures, this one starts with the party approaching their objective (in this case, a hut within the forest) with their briefing in a flashback. Apparently a druid from the Verduran Forest was poking around in an archive and following him around and seeing what he was looking at suggests he's got a lorestone... and of course, the Pathfinder Society would love to have it. Pity this particular druid regards the Pathfinder Society as nothing better than a bunch of thieves...

So, the adventures starts after the party has already been trekking through the forest for three days, never mind the time it took them to get there, with the druid's hut in view ahead of them. Of course, it's not as simple as wandering in and asking him. To start with someone else got there first... the party will have to fight faeries and a rat swarm even to get close enough to find out what's been going on, then they have to discover who has the lorestone now and what they want to do with it, and that's just the begining. Time gets tight as they chase after them and get it back, if they can. Oh, and there's a big fire as well.

The maps provided cover the hut and a druid stone circle only, you'll have to come up with the rest of the forest for yourself. Otherwise, resources are reasonable if a bit limited.

This adventure is mostly combat although one encounter could become an interaction or negotiation if the party can manage it. It's pretty linear, but the tight timescale they have to keep to retrieve the lorestone makes that necessary. Overall it is the classic 'two groups after the same item with different ends in mind' situation that drives many a thriller and run well ought to live up to that reasonably.


Another nice jungle adventure

4/5

A short scenario easily fit into 3 hours. All combats with one roleplay opportunity.

Running after a burgler that you wouldn't see in normal adventures, well-paced actings, challenging but not deadly combats, highly recommended for casual players who enjoy jungle journies.

Followed with Tide of Twilight, but I think you'll be a little disappointed after playing Morning.


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Available June 24th!


I played this scenario in a Slot zero game.

Without giving any spoilers, all I can say is make sure you bring your pots of healing!

The party almost ended up in a TPK in the very first encounter! OK...ok...so we (the party) were playing with our dice of ineffable doom while the GM was playing with his Blessed Dice of DM Doom!

Still...quite a fun little scenario.

Sovereign Court

Played this at PaizoCon with a party of five 1st level PCs. Despite being, shall we say, "caught up" in some trees for nearly the entire last encounter, I had a blast with my barbarian. Could be really tough at first level without at least one heavy hitter and one arcanist in the group. Awesome scenario for the ranger/druid types!

Liberty's Edge

Played this at Paizo con on Saturday. The party had a cleric, wizard, rogue, fighter and monk. It was a slow grind. The swarms were hard to beat and the final villain battle took so long I was almost ready to fall on my sword. But I was playing the wizard so I had no sword.

You want a ranger or druid in your party for this one. And yes you want a healer or potions too. I will DM this for my home group and see how it plays with a different party.

I like the storyline and the encounters seem balanced. We did triumph in the end, but the players were exhausted from endless rounds of try and fail.

Sovereign Court

Hi

From the posts I'm already looking forward to this one already!

Hopefully there'll be a local convention I can get to, but the rules 'conversion' wil probably happen before then...

(Playing a Dwarf Druid, my Animal Companion is a Riding Dog with m/c Std Lthr Barding).

Cheers
Paul H


I ran this once for my home group, and then twice at PaizoCon. Each group played through quite differently. All had a challenging time, with some near TPKs (particularly for the smaller home group).

I'd avoid running this with fewer than 4 players (but the 3 person group *did* succeed).

Very exciting, and I had a lot of fun role-playing the NPC's from the introduction forward.

Liberty's Edge

Author question:
Why is this scenario called "Tide of Morning?"

I cant find anything in it to relate to this title.

just curious

Dark Archive

I just played through this at Mace (it was actually my first Society game) and I have to say it was a lot of fun. I actually played up to the 4-5 tier, so my poor little sorc spent a lot of time hiding, but the module seemed very well designed, especially in regards to making sure that all types of characters were useful.


Pathfinder Rulebook Subscriber

Thanks for the kind words, Jhasper (and others) - I'm the author...

Tom Green wrote:

Author question:

Why is this scenario called "Tide of Morning?"

Tom: sorry to have missed your post before! The "tide" is the...

Spoiler:
...morning light in the final encounter.

Paizo Employee Director of Brand Strategy

caelum wrote:
Thanks for the kind words, Jhasper (and others) - I'm the author...

Hey Steven, you're the only Pathfinder contributor missing a biography on the PathfinderWiki! A google search for your name comes up with a lot of stuff that I don't think is about you. Email me at this screenname at gmail dot com and we'll get you set up.

Grand Lodge

Has this scenario been converted from 3.5? As in if I pay $3.99 am I going to have to do the legwork of converting it myself?

Paizo Employee Director of Brand Strategy

Tide of Morning has not been converted to the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. As with any 3.5 material, however, only minimal conversion is needed to use the adventure using the Pathfinder rules set.

Liberty's Edge

Where can you find the stats of the monsters referred to as in the Monster Manual? There is no gnome warrior in the Bestiary!

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