Illustration by Fernanda Suarez
I check the messageboards with considerable frequency, even when I'm working on the considerable number of scenarios and other amazing adventures to debut at PaizoCon and Gen Con. What I see is that many people enjoy the challenge that Season 4 presents with some finding it a little tough and a minority claiming that it still isn't hard enough. Balancing encounters to present a respectable challenge without being unbeatable for a typical group is always on my mind as I outline, assign, and develop scenarios, but I can respect that there are players out there who want to face ever-stronger foes.
Imagine my delight, then, when I began developing Pathfinder Society Scenario #4–26: The Waking Rune! Here we have an epic finale to the Year of the Risen Rune, and the premise practically begs an almost impossibly difficult encounter, right? Well, I resisted that urge.
Somewhat.
Instead, I have built in an optional feature for this scenario as a tip of the hat to the diehard challenge-seekers. Season 4 introduced the six-player assumption with rules for scaling down encounters for tables of 4 PCs. The Waking Rune also includes rules for scaling up the encounters for added difficulty. This is an experiment and is intended only to enable a table to legally play on "hard mode" if everyone involved explicitly agrees to take on a tougher challenge. Doing the harder version does not grant better gold, XP, or Fame; it's just for bragging rights. You have been warned.
I trust that we'll all be good gaming citizens by not pressuring others into taking on this added challenge unless they really want it. Adding notes on scaling up encounters is something I'm willing to explore in future scenarios, but it depends on hearing feedback.
Allow me to make a polite request regarding the scenarios to be released in a few days. Excited as I am to hear what people think about these scenarios, be considerate in using spoiler tags on the messageboards and discretion in person. Many of the scenarios have big reveals that I imagine would be all the more exciting to discover during the adventure and not beforehand.
Happy adventuring!
John Compton
Developer
