paizo.com Recent Reviews of Pathfinder Adventure Path #61: Shards of Sin (Shattered Star 1 of 6) (PFRPG)paizo.com Recent Reviews of Pathfinder Adventure Path #61: Shards of Sin (Shattered Star 1 of 6) (PFRPG)2022-03-03T13:47:58Z2022-03-03T13:47:58ZPathfinder Adventure Path #61: Shards of Sin (Shattered Star 1 of 6) (PFRPG): Good adventure, even better for grognards (4 stars)Nullpunkthttps://paizo.com/products/btpy8tmh?Pathfinder-Adventure-Path-61-Shards-of-Sin2016-06-11T11:06:02Z<p><b>Pathfinder Adventure Path #61: Shards of Sin (Shattered Star 1 of 6) (PFRPG)</b></p><p>I ran a group of 4 players through this adventure on roll20 and we had a blast. The excellent maps by <a href="http://bigrin42.deviantart.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">bigrin42</a> over on DeviantArt in combination with roll20 dynamic lighting made this dungeon romp an awesome experience. Without the tedious slowdown of the GM having to sketch down the room you have just entered. The overall flow was excellent and we really got to delve into the scraps of story and lore scattered across the interesting dungeon described in the adventure.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, that's just what they are: scraps of story. There is not much of story going on, but our group had fun regardless. There are a few critters in this book that people probably haven't seen in a long time and the general look-and-feel of the module is very old school.</p>
<p>So if you want a fun time-travel to the good old days of gaming or just itch for a well-made dungeon that is easy on the GM, snatch this one up.</p>
<p>As an introduction to the Shattered Star adventure path, I think it does a good enough job. The major allies are established and the quest becomes clear. It does not go beyond that, but that is all we really needed.</p><p><b>Pathfinder Adventure Path #61: Shards of Sin (Shattered Star 1 of 6) (PFRPG)</b></p><p>I ran a group of 4 players through this adventure on roll20 and we had a blast. The excellent maps by <a href="http://bigrin42.deviantart.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">bigrin42</a> over on DeviantArt in combination with roll20 dynamic lighting made this dungeon romp an awesome experience. Without the tedious slowdown of the GM having to sketch down the room you have just entered. The overall flow was excellent and we really got to delve into the scraps of story and lore scattered across the interesting dungeon described in the adventure.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, that's just what they are: scraps of story. There is not much of story going on, but our group had fun regardless. There are a few critters in this book that people probably haven't seen in a long time and the general look-and-feel of the module is very old school.</p>
<p>So if you want a fun time-travel to the good old days of gaming or just itch for a well-made dungeon that is easy on the GM, snatch this one up.</p>
<p>As an introduction to the Shattered Star adventure path, I think it does a good enough job. The major allies are established and the quest becomes clear. It does not go beyond that, but that is all we really needed.</p>Nullpunkt2016-06-11T11:06:02ZPathfinder Adventure Path #61: Shards of Sin (Shattered Star 1 of 6) (PFRPG): A solid start to Shattered Star (4 stars)Olwenhttps://paizo.com/products/btpy8tmh?Pathfinder-Adventure-Path-61-Shards-of-Sin2013-04-06T15:21:37Z<p><b>Pathfinder Adventure Path #61: Shards of Sin (Shattered Star 1 of 6) (PFRPG)</b></p><p>Greg Vaughn's AP chapters have rarely disappointed me and the starting volume of the Shattered Star is no exception. The first part of the scenario, in Magnimar, is a good way for the PCs to start knowing each other before they move on to tackle the full exploration of the large dungeon that is the meat of this chapter.</p>
<p>Although it sometimes felt a tad long, the dungeon's exploration is varied, and the dungeon's ecology mainly makes sense. The many little touches of Thassilonian knowledge scattered throughout all the great boon to convey more information on Thassilon to the PCs.</p>
<p>My group and I had quite a lot of fun playing through this chapter!</p><p><b>Pathfinder Adventure Path #61: Shards of Sin (Shattered Star 1 of 6) (PFRPG)</b></p><p>Greg Vaughn's AP chapters have rarely disappointed me and the starting volume of the Shattered Star is no exception. The first part of the scenario, in Magnimar, is a good way for the PCs to start knowing each other before they move on to tackle the full exploration of the large dungeon that is the meat of this chapter.</p>
<p>Although it sometimes felt a tad long, the dungeon's exploration is varied, and the dungeon's ecology mainly makes sense. The many little touches of Thassilonian knowledge scattered throughout all the great boon to convey more information on Thassilon to the PCs.</p>
<p>My group and I had quite a lot of fun playing through this chapter!</p>Olwen2013-04-06T15:21:37ZPathfinder Adventure Path #61: Shards of Sin (Shattered Star 1 of 6) (PFRPG): Urban Dungeon Romp (5 stars)Anorakhttps://paizo.com/products/btpy8tmh?Pathfinder-Adventure-Path-61-Shards-of-Sin2013-03-16T02:38:50Z<p><b>Pathfinder Adventure Path #61: Shards of Sin (Shattered Star 1 of 6) (PFRPG)</b></p><p>Not sure what Matt is talking about but Shards of Sin is the type of Roleplaying Dungeon adventure my group is looking for, with a detailed city, home base and roleplaying elements to support the party as they delve the secrets of the dungeon.</p><p><b>Pathfinder Adventure Path #61: Shards of Sin (Shattered Star 1 of 6) (PFRPG)</b></p><p>Not sure what Matt is talking about but Shards of Sin is the type of Roleplaying Dungeon adventure my group is looking for, with a detailed city, home base and roleplaying elements to support the party as they delve the secrets of the dungeon.</p>Anorak2013-03-16T02:38:50ZPathfinder Adventure Path #61: Shards of Sin (Shattered Star 1 of 6) (PFRPG): The Urban Adventure That Wasn't (1 star)Mattastrophichttps://paizo.com/products/btpy8tmh?Pathfinder-Adventure-Path-61-Shards-of-Sin2013-03-15T21:23:56Z<p><b>Pathfinder Adventure Path #61: Shards of Sin (Shattered Star 1 of 6) (PFRPG)</b></p><p>Skip this one. After reading through it, I found a promising urban-adventure prospect that dispensed with the urban part as quickly as it could in order to become a super-dungeon.</p>
<p>Video games handle this style of adventure better than this book does.</p>
<p>EDIT: Reviews that solely act as replies to other reviews are silly reviews. What is this, Metacritic?</p>
<p>-Matt</p><p><b>Pathfinder Adventure Path #61: Shards of Sin (Shattered Star 1 of 6) (PFRPG)</b></p><p>Skip this one. After reading through it, I found a promising urban-adventure prospect that dispensed with the urban part as quickly as it could in order to become a super-dungeon.</p>
<p>Video games handle this style of adventure better than this book does.</p>
<p>EDIT: Reviews that solely act as replies to other reviews are silly reviews. What is this, Metacritic?</p>
<p>-Matt</p>Mattastrophic2013-03-15T21:23:56ZPathfinder Adventure Path #61: Shards of Sin (Shattered Star 1 of 6) (PFRPG): Pulling my hair out over the maps... (4 stars)enaudiblehttps://paizo.com/products/btpy8tmh?Pathfinder-Adventure-Path-61-Shards-of-Sin2013-03-13T03:27:12Z<p><b>Pathfinder Adventure Path #61: Shards of Sin (Shattered Star 1 of 6) (PFRPG)</b></p><p>1 square = 10 ft... really? Since when? </p>
<p>I am not sure of the rationale behind it, but it is wreaking havoc on my ability to reproduce the map in a reasonable way that doesn't undermine what at first glance seemed like some fun and interesting maps...</p>
<p>I haven't made it through all the dungeon levels yet for my group, but I would otherwise probably rate it a 4/5 thus far based on writing and design.</p><p><b>Pathfinder Adventure Path #61: Shards of Sin (Shattered Star 1 of 6) (PFRPG)</b></p><p>1 square = 10 ft... really? Since when? </p>
<p>I am not sure of the rationale behind it, but it is wreaking havoc on my ability to reproduce the map in a reasonable way that doesn't undermine what at first glance seemed like some fun and interesting maps...</p>
<p>I haven't made it through all the dungeon levels yet for my group, but I would otherwise probably rate it a 4/5 thus far based on writing and design.</p>enaudible2013-03-13T03:27:12ZPathfinder Adventure Path #61: Shards of Sin (Shattered Star 1 of 6) (PFRPG): Not the best beginning, but respectable. (3 stars)Swordbornhttps://paizo.com/products/btpy8tmh?Pathfinder-Adventure-Path-61-Shards-of-Sin2012-12-06T00:38:37Z<p><b>Pathfinder Adventure Path #61: Shards of Sin (Shattered Star 1 of 6) (PFRPG)</b></p><p>I’ll admit that after getting into Pathfinder recently with Rise Of The Runelords and other Varisian material, I probably had outrageously high expectations for this, the spiritual sequel to that first, excellent campaign. Now, I’m not trying to downplay Shattered Star, but I have found that it has a slow start, and definitely seems to encourage more hack and slashing via dungeon crawl than roleplaying.</p>
<p>Pros: </p>
<p>Some opportunity for cool interaction with both the upper crust of society, as well as the Sczarni.</p>
<p>A HUGE dungeon (that’s fairly varied) with Thassilonian secrets!</p>
<p>Excellent bonus content for the city of Magnimar, and some quality fluff.</p>
<p>Cons:</p>
<p>Not a good roleplaying/action blend, at least not for the majority of the adventure, or unless you put in a supreme amount of effort as a GM.</p>
<p>A HUGE dungeon (that eats up the latter two-thirds of the chapter’s play time, and gets kind of tedious/boring in the middle).</p>
<p>Poor skill check balancing at times.</p>
<p>Kind of an anticlimactic end to the chapter.</p>
<p>The enjoyment factor of Shards Of Sin is thus balanced on a knife point. Does your party love classy dungeon crawls with only light to moderate roleplaying? They’ll dig this a lot. If, on the other hand, you wanted to see a lot of Magnimar’s streets, interact with its people, and generally spend more time not hacking your way through things, then you’re going to be at least mildly disappointed. I enjoyed it, but felt that it was ultimately a bit unexceptional for what I’ve come to expect.</p><p><b>Pathfinder Adventure Path #61: Shards of Sin (Shattered Star 1 of 6) (PFRPG)</b></p><p>I’ll admit that after getting into Pathfinder recently with Rise Of The Runelords and other Varisian material, I probably had outrageously high expectations for this, the spiritual sequel to that first, excellent campaign. Now, I’m not trying to downplay Shattered Star, but I have found that it has a slow start, and definitely seems to encourage more hack and slashing via dungeon crawl than roleplaying.</p>
<p>Pros: </p>
<p>Some opportunity for cool interaction with both the upper crust of society, as well as the Sczarni.</p>
<p>A HUGE dungeon (that’s fairly varied) with Thassilonian secrets!</p>
<p>Excellent bonus content for the city of Magnimar, and some quality fluff.</p>
<p>Cons:</p>
<p>Not a good roleplaying/action blend, at least not for the majority of the adventure, or unless you put in a supreme amount of effort as a GM.</p>
<p>A HUGE dungeon (that eats up the latter two-thirds of the chapter’s play time, and gets kind of tedious/boring in the middle).</p>
<p>Poor skill check balancing at times.</p>
<p>Kind of an anticlimactic end to the chapter.</p>
<p>The enjoyment factor of Shards Of Sin is thus balanced on a knife point. Does your party love classy dungeon crawls with only light to moderate roleplaying? They’ll dig this a lot. If, on the other hand, you wanted to see a lot of Magnimar’s streets, interact with its people, and generally spend more time not hacking your way through things, then you’re going to be at least mildly disappointed. I enjoyed it, but felt that it was ultimately a bit unexceptional for what I’ve come to expect.</p>Swordborn2012-12-06T00:38:37ZPathfinder Adventure Path #61: Shards of Sin (Shattered Star 1 of 6) (PFRPG): Competent but not particularly interesting (3 stars)Naviorhttps://paizo.com/products/btpy8tmh?Pathfinder-Adventure-Path-61-Shards-of-Sin2012-11-09T19:14:25Z<p><b>Pathfinder Adventure Path #61: Shards of Sin (Shattered Star 1 of 6) (PFRPG)</b></p><p>Read my full review on <a href="http://ofdiceandpenblog.blogspot.ca/2012/11/shattered-star-shards-of-sin.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">my blog.</a></p>
<p>I have to say that I’m not a big fan of dungeon crawls; however, I do acknowledge that a well-made dungeon can be a lot of fun, and I’ve certainly played through some dungeon crawls that have been very memorable and exciting. The problem with dungeon crawls is that if they’re not done well, they can become a terrible slog that just seems to go on and on. <i>Shards of Sin</i> presents a good, competent dungeon. There’s potential for roleplay and dynamic interaction. There’s a good cast of characters with motivations that help to make sure the adventure doesn’t just become one of going from room to room, killing monsters, taking their stuff, and moving on to the next room. Although the dungeon feels a bit disjointed at times, the problem with <i>Shards of Sin</i> isn’t with its dungeon; it’s that there’s not a whole lot to really grab your attention and hold on to it. Of course, this moves into the territory of personal opinion, so no doubt there will be those who disagree, but I find little in the adventure that really stands out and makes it unique. It’s a bog-standard adventure that is little different from the hundreds of other bog-standard adventures out there. As I said, it’s competently written and I have no doubt it would be fun to play, but it’s the sort of adventure that’s likely to sit on the shelf for a long time while all the other more interesting things get run first.</p><p><b>Pathfinder Adventure Path #61: Shards of Sin (Shattered Star 1 of 6) (PFRPG)</b></p><p>Read my full review on <a href="http://ofdiceandpenblog.blogspot.ca/2012/11/shattered-star-shards-of-sin.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">my blog.</a></p>
<p>I have to say that I’m not a big fan of dungeon crawls; however, I do acknowledge that a well-made dungeon can be a lot of fun, and I’ve certainly played through some dungeon crawls that have been very memorable and exciting. The problem with dungeon crawls is that if they’re not done well, they can become a terrible slog that just seems to go on and on. <i>Shards of Sin</i> presents a good, competent dungeon. There’s potential for roleplay and dynamic interaction. There’s a good cast of characters with motivations that help to make sure the adventure doesn’t just become one of going from room to room, killing monsters, taking their stuff, and moving on to the next room. Although the dungeon feels a bit disjointed at times, the problem with <i>Shards of Sin</i> isn’t with its dungeon; it’s that there’s not a whole lot to really grab your attention and hold on to it. Of course, this moves into the territory of personal opinion, so no doubt there will be those who disagree, but I find little in the adventure that really stands out and makes it unique. It’s a bog-standard adventure that is little different from the hundreds of other bog-standard adventures out there. As I said, it’s competently written and I have no doubt it would be fun to play, but it’s the sort of adventure that’s likely to sit on the shelf for a long time while all the other more interesting things get run first.</p>Navior2012-11-09T19:14:25ZPathfinder Adventure Path #61: Shards of Sin (Shattered Star 1 of 6) (PFRPG): A solid start (4 stars)B_Wiklundhttps://paizo.com/products/btpy8tmh?Pathfinder-Adventure-Path-61-Shards-of-Sin2012-10-25T01:06:43Z<p><b>Pathfinder Adventure Path #61: Shards of Sin (Shattered Star 1 of 6) (PFRPG)</b></p><p>Picked up this on a whim, not subscribing to the AP as the dungeon-centric thing isn't my cup of tea. However, the reliable Greg Vaughn turns in a great start to an artifact hunting campaign with some investigation and of course dungeon-crawling. The Magnimar section is great with a host of memorable NPCs and possibilities. Now the dungeon here of course is the centre piece and I would say without a doubt as a player and a GM this one would be a lot of fun (and this from a not a big dungeon guy). Vaughn gives plenty of action and also some great opportunities for RPing. Its up to the players and the GM to pick up on the cues though. That said if I was to GM this I would still cut one level and give more prominence to the [Spoiler omitted] This is a great module to port into any low level campaign.</p><p><b>Pathfinder Adventure Path #61: Shards of Sin (Shattered Star 1 of 6) (PFRPG)</b></p><p>Picked up this on a whim, not subscribing to the AP as the dungeon-centric thing isn't my cup of tea. However, the reliable Greg Vaughn turns in a great start to an artifact hunting campaign with some investigation and of course dungeon-crawling. The Magnimar section is great with a host of memorable NPCs and possibilities. Now the dungeon here of course is the centre piece and I would say without a doubt as a player and a GM this one would be a lot of fun (and this from a not a big dungeon guy). Vaughn gives plenty of action and also some great opportunities for RPing. Its up to the players and the GM to pick up on the cues though. That said if I was to GM this I would still cut one level and give more prominence to the [Spoiler omitted] This is a great module to port into any low level campaign.</p>B_Wiklund2012-10-25T01:06:43ZPathfinder Adventure Path #61: Shards of Sin (Shattered Star 1 of 6) (PFRPG): A Monstrous Dungeon Crawl ! (4 stars)Pathblazerhttps://paizo.com/products/btpy8tmh?Pathfinder-Adventure-Path-61-Shards-of-Sin2012-10-21T17:37:02Z<p><b>Pathfinder Adventure Path #61: Shards of Sin (Shattered Star 1 of 6) (PFRPG)</b></p><p>As other reviewers have stated, Shards of Sin is a huge dungeon crawl in an enormous site, composed of numerous levels. Some levels have little or no relation with one another. Two of the levels have silly, inane creatures that made it difficult to hold the players' interest. These levels, running one on top of the other, could easily be replaced with encounters exploring/investigating Magnimar street, perhaps following a lead or clue that requires the PCs to find an entrance to the sewers below the city, leading into their next level of confrontation. </p>
<p>Most likely I will be running this adventure again with another group, but with a small variation. The adventure mentions that the site complex lends itself well for the players to make multiple forays into the site, but it is up to the GM to give the players something to spend their time on between forays. This is where an imaginative and creative DM can shine.</p>
<p>Overall, our group found Shards of Sin most enjoyable, with the only exception noted above, and introduced the players to the Pathfinder Society. Perhaps a bit less dungeon crawling, and more romping in Magnimar's streets would add some interest.</p><p><b>Pathfinder Adventure Path #61: Shards of Sin (Shattered Star 1 of 6) (PFRPG)</b></p><p>As other reviewers have stated, Shards of Sin is a huge dungeon crawl in an enormous site, composed of numerous levels. Some levels have little or no relation with one another. Two of the levels have silly, inane creatures that made it difficult to hold the players' interest. These levels, running one on top of the other, could easily be replaced with encounters exploring/investigating Magnimar street, perhaps following a lead or clue that requires the PCs to find an entrance to the sewers below the city, leading into their next level of confrontation. </p>
<p>Most likely I will be running this adventure again with another group, but with a small variation. The adventure mentions that the site complex lends itself well for the players to make multiple forays into the site, but it is up to the GM to give the players something to spend their time on between forays. This is where an imaginative and creative DM can shine.</p>
<p>Overall, our group found Shards of Sin most enjoyable, with the only exception noted above, and introduced the players to the Pathfinder Society. Perhaps a bit less dungeon crawling, and more romping in Magnimar's streets would add some interest.</p>Pathblazer2012-10-21T17:37:02ZPathfinder Adventure Path #61: Shards of Sin (Shattered Star 1 of 6) (PFRPG) (3 stars)Mort the Cleverly Namedhttps://paizo.com/products/btpy8tmh?Pathfinder-Adventure-Path-61-Shards-of-Sin2012-10-20T02:53:02Z<p>I ran this for some friends, and I have to say I had mixed feelings.</p>
<p>The adventure is mostly old-school dungeon crawling, and in many ways does an excellent job of it. Lots of interesting and varied locations, characters, and encounters. The support articles were also, as usual, interesting, and the whole thing has the standard, high quality Paizo art and layout.</p>
<p>That said, there were some downsides. Encounters were wildly variable, with many of the later ones being so easy as to feel like busywork rather than adventure. On the other hand, there are some things (especially related to skill checks) that are far beyond what even optimized characters of that level could do. There were also a greater than normal number of errors (mostly text referring to different numbers of enemies than stat blocks), but that didn't really impact our enjoyment.</p>
<p>Overall we had a good time, and there were certainly some fun, memorable moments. The mechanical issues hurt our enthusiasm for it as we worked our way through, but someone willing to put the time in to rebalance things could really make this adventure shine.</p><p>I ran this for some friends, and I have to say I had mixed feelings.</p>
<p>The adventure is mostly old-school dungeon crawling, and in many ways does an excellent job of it. Lots of interesting and varied locations, characters, and encounters. The support articles were also, as usual, interesting, and the whole thing has the standard, high quality Paizo art and layout.</p>
<p>That said, there were some downsides. Encounters were wildly variable, with many of the later ones being so easy as to feel like busywork rather than adventure. On the other hand, there are some things (especially related to skill checks) that are far beyond what even optimized characters of that level could do. There were also a greater than normal number of errors (mostly text referring to different numbers of enemies than stat blocks), but that didn't really impact our enjoyment.</p>
<p>Overall we had a good time, and there were certainly some fun, memorable moments. The mechanical issues hurt our enthusiasm for it as we worked our way through, but someone willing to put the time in to rebalance things could really make this adventure shine.</p>Mort the Cleverly Named2012-10-20T02:53:02ZPathfinder Adventure Path #61: Shards of Sin (Shattered Star 1 of 6) (PFRPG): Surprisingly Engaging Dungeon Crawl (5 stars)Mechaliburhttps://paizo.com/products/btpy8tmh?Pathfinder-Adventure-Path-61-Shards-of-Sin2012-09-29T00:49:50Z<p><b>Pathfinder Adventure Path #61: Shards of Sin (Shattered Star 1 of 6) (PFRPG)</b></p><p>From start to finish, Shards of Sin displays excellent pacing, a variety of encounter types, as well as plenty of social and puzzle encounters to test out your players' mental muscles. Even though the adventure is dominated by a single dungeon, it managed to keep my players' attention, and occassionally throw a few curve balls to keep them on their feet.</p>
<p>The support article provides useful background information about Xin, and details the artifacts your players will encounter, as well as descriptions and statistics for the seven skymetals, which were quite unique. The bestiary monsters are also interesting, especially the Bishop Agathian and Melfesh Monster.</p>
<p>All in all, an excellent adventure, showing that dungeon crawls don't have to be boring or repetetive.</p><p><b>Pathfinder Adventure Path #61: Shards of Sin (Shattered Star 1 of 6) (PFRPG)</b></p><p>From start to finish, Shards of Sin displays excellent pacing, a variety of encounter types, as well as plenty of social and puzzle encounters to test out your players' mental muscles. Even though the adventure is dominated by a single dungeon, it managed to keep my players' attention, and occassionally throw a few curve balls to keep them on their feet.</p>
<p>The support article provides useful background information about Xin, and details the artifacts your players will encounter, as well as descriptions and statistics for the seven skymetals, which were quite unique. The bestiary monsters are also interesting, especially the Bishop Agathian and Melfesh Monster.</p>
<p>All in all, an excellent adventure, showing that dungeon crawls don't have to be boring or repetetive.</p>Mechalibur2012-09-29T00:49:50ZPathfinder Adventure Path #61: Shards of Sin (Shattered Star 1 of 6) (PFRPG): Dungeons and Pathfinders (4 stars)Landon Winklerhttps://paizo.com/products/btpy8tmh?Pathfinder-Adventure-Path-61-Shards-of-Sin2012-09-17T13:58:40Z<p><b>Pathfinder Adventure Path #61: Shards of Sin (Shattered Star 1 of 6) (PFRPG)</b></p><p>Shards of Sin, at its heart, is a classic dungeon crawl and it does a good job at that. </p>
<p>The main dungeon is expansive, with a variety of distinct areas so you're not just slogging through the "Pit of all fire enemies" for four levels. It also captures a bit of that old-school Caves of Chaos/Temple of Elemental Evil magic with competing factions and dungeons that can be taken in chunks.</p>
<p>Outside the dungeon, the adventure serves as a good introduction to the Pathfinder Society and has a fun trail of investigation. I'd have liked a little more detail about what the NPCs know about the MacGuffin, but I can fill that in.</p>
<p><b>Update:</b> After running this adventure, I found I was largely right. The dungeon was cool and modular, the NPCs in and out of the dungeon were engaging, and much fun was had by all. I do feel, with the power of hindsight, that the dungeon was missing reasons to leave and mingle with the populace of Magnimar. Without those reasons, it became bit of a slog.</p>
<p>There's one special thing I'd like to call out: This is the only adventure I've ever seen with predominantly female NPCs. The adventure doesn't make a big deal out of it, I just think it's awesome that Paizo doesn't always default to guys.</p>
<p>Overall, I'd still suggest this without reservation to anyone who likes dungeon crawling, the (in-game) Pathfinder Society, or Thassilon.</p><p><b>Pathfinder Adventure Path #61: Shards of Sin (Shattered Star 1 of 6) (PFRPG)</b></p><p>Shards of Sin, at its heart, is a classic dungeon crawl and it does a good job at that. </p>
<p>The main dungeon is expansive, with a variety of distinct areas so you're not just slogging through the "Pit of all fire enemies" for four levels. It also captures a bit of that old-school Caves of Chaos/Temple of Elemental Evil magic with competing factions and dungeons that can be taken in chunks.</p>
<p>Outside the dungeon, the adventure serves as a good introduction to the Pathfinder Society and has a fun trail of investigation. I'd have liked a little more detail about what the NPCs know about the MacGuffin, but I can fill that in.</p>
<p><b>Update:</b> After running this adventure, I found I was largely right. The dungeon was cool and modular, the NPCs in and out of the dungeon were engaging, and much fun was had by all. I do feel, with the power of hindsight, that the dungeon was missing reasons to leave and mingle with the populace of Magnimar. Without those reasons, it became bit of a slog.</p>
<p>There's one special thing I'd like to call out: This is the only adventure I've ever seen with predominantly female NPCs. The adventure doesn't make a big deal out of it, I just think it's awesome that Paizo doesn't always default to guys.</p>
<p>Overall, I'd still suggest this without reservation to anyone who likes dungeon crawling, the (in-game) Pathfinder Society, or Thassilon.</p>Landon Winkler2012-09-17T13:58:40ZPathfinder Adventure Path #61: Shards of Sin (Shattered Star 1 of 6) (PFRPG): Light of a Distant Star Part 1: Old Friends (4 stars)Itchyhttps://paizo.com/products/btpy8tmh?Pathfinder-Adventure-Path-61-Shards-of-Sin2012-09-04T12:30:45Z<p><b>Pathfinder Adventure Path #61: Shards of Sin (Shattered Star 1 of 6) (PFRPG)</b></p><p>First, this is not a review of the adventure. It is a review of only the Pathfinder's Journal. Now that you know that (and knowing is half the battle), let's get to it!</p>
<p>Bill Ward, who previously wrote (among other things), the free web fiction, <i>The Box</i>, returns with <i>Pathfinder's Journal: Light of a Distant Star</i>.</p>
<p>This journal begins with a lone female wandering the streets of Riddleport. Not the wisest choice, but this character is tailing a loudmouthed gnome through the streets. The opening three pages are a phenomenal introduction to the bad Wharf District of Riddleport. </p>
<p>The reason the journals are included in the AP's is to give GM's and players a taste of the atmosphere of the adventure path without any spoilers, this opening journal does that job beautifully! We don't find out who the main character of the story is until the 4th page, but that's okay because in the meantime we learn that Riddleport's Wharf District is dangerous; home to pickpockets, pirates, sailors, gangs and other less desirable elements. We also learn a little bit about the Cyphergate, a giant arch over (circle around?) the entrance to Riddleport harbor. Finally, we learn that our main characters are engaging in a heist of some sort. This heist appears to be the main focus of the six-part story arc (story Cypher-arc?). </p>
<p>Editing is top notch (as expected). The story is well written with the main characters introduced gradually with a nice mix of action and exposition about each one that locks that character in your head so that you don't confuse them. Overall, the story is excellent worthy of 4 stars!</p><p><b>Pathfinder Adventure Path #61: Shards of Sin (Shattered Star 1 of 6) (PFRPG)</b></p><p>First, this is not a review of the adventure. It is a review of only the Pathfinder's Journal. Now that you know that (and knowing is half the battle), let's get to it!</p>
<p>Bill Ward, who previously wrote (among other things), the free web fiction, <i>The Box</i>, returns with <i>Pathfinder's Journal: Light of a Distant Star</i>.</p>
<p>This journal begins with a lone female wandering the streets of Riddleport. Not the wisest choice, but this character is tailing a loudmouthed gnome through the streets. The opening three pages are a phenomenal introduction to the bad Wharf District of Riddleport. </p>
<p>The reason the journals are included in the AP's is to give GM's and players a taste of the atmosphere of the adventure path without any spoilers, this opening journal does that job beautifully! We don't find out who the main character of the story is until the 4th page, but that's okay because in the meantime we learn that Riddleport's Wharf District is dangerous; home to pickpockets, pirates, sailors, gangs and other less desirable elements. We also learn a little bit about the Cyphergate, a giant arch over (circle around?) the entrance to Riddleport harbor. Finally, we learn that our main characters are engaging in a heist of some sort. This heist appears to be the main focus of the six-part story arc (story Cypher-arc?). </p>
<p>Editing is top notch (as expected). The story is well written with the main characters introduced gradually with a nice mix of action and exposition about each one that locks that character in your head so that you don't confuse them. Overall, the story is excellent worthy of 4 stars!</p>Itchy2012-09-04T12:30:45Z