Okay, so listen. I just panned the first half of this storyline because it was intensely frustrating. That being said, this half--especially jumping right in to it after the frustration of the first--was good cathartic fun. Things stand up, things fall down, badda bing badda boom. Not much of an intellectual strain, but definitely fun.

Only 3 encounters but many parts. Lots if Rpg opportunities and lots of serious combat. Downside is for tier 1-2 if you run a party of 4 chances are there will be a TPK. A solid adventure with challenge. Do not play if you do not want a character to die.

EDIT: Allow at least 5 hours to run this scenario.

In short, this module's combats are way too difficult at Tier 1-2. The ACs are just too high for new players' PCs to touch, and two of the combats feature simply-overpowered foes.

It's really a failure of the Pathfinder itself, though, because of the rules for humanoids with class levels, and how their CR is lowered by one. A Fighter1 with masterwork equipment, 10+Con hit points, 20 points for stats, and a favored class +1 HP, is *not* the same challenge level as a Human Zombie, even though they're both CR 1/2.

But that failure of the system does not excuse the module at all. The author, who was at the time the campaign coordinator, did not have to place such overpowered combats into Tier 1-2. But he did.

Avoid running this module at Tier 1-2.

-Matt

This adventure was more combat focused and linear than part 1 of the series, however, the PCs still must interact with prominent & re-occurring NPCs although they don't figure prominently into the meat of the adventure. More than other multi-part adventures, the two parts of this one complement each other not just in finishing a story, but also in player activity. Players who aren't as interested in role-playing may have been bored at times with the first part, but they will find their interest in combat satisfied here. Played back to back, these two parts form a strong coherent whole providing time for varying styles of play.

Many of the NPCs which were introduced in the first part reprise their roles here to guide and direct the players. As before, many are memorable and unique enough to help the players make a strong connection to the city.

Combats were varied and balanced with some being standard fare, while others made good use of interesting NPCs and tactics. Initially, combat encounters seemed easy, however others were more of a challenge and that helped to keep the PCs on their toes. Only one of the faction missions really stood out, and while the others weren't particularly noteworthy, neither did they feel out of place or tacked on without connection to the story.

Overall, it was a solid module and while it was lacking a strong plot & role-play, it works well with the first part to provide a strong finish. I definitely look forward to future adventures set in Kaer Maga.

I've run this one about 8 or 9 times now, and it's still a joy. Most of the time the GM who ran part 1 has left a lot of the City of Strangers unexplored. This allows me to properly introduce the players to the city proper. Be warned, however, that this scenario proceeds at the pace of the players. They may need gentle nudges from time to time to keep them on track.

I've had some memorable moments with this one, and there are a couple of well balanced encounters (and a couple of warts).

This series is definitely one new players shouldn't miss.