 
Sign in to create or edit a product review. So this is a scenario set in a really neat locale that follows up on an NPC important to the OP story. Many people were rightly frustrated that their earlier characters wouldn't be able to follow through on the NPC's story because the first two parts of this were 3-7 and 5-9. I ran all three with one group by getting the party to 5th level simultaneously and then running this before they hit 6th. Was it worth the effort? No. Here's why (with spoilers)::
The entire party gets treated like gutter trash if everyone doesn't have Knowledge (Religion) trained at the start. The archons come off as bloodthirsty and callous, wanting to rip apart demons and unmoved by the plight of a victim of brutal, soul-rending torture. Instead of getting to see either of Valais's new forms, we get to see a couple of uninteresting archons. The encounters have brilliant creativity behind them but it doesn't translate mechanically. No matter what the party does, Valais gets her demonic taint excised. All the party can affect is what race she turns into as a result, which is contingent on acing some unforgiving skill checks with no chance to make up for it by risking life and limb. If you can run this one to aplomb, good on you. Just not sure how. 
Pathfinder Society Scenario #7–22: Bid for Alabastrine (PFRPG) PDFPaizo Inc.Our Price: $3.99 Add to CartAlmost three stars, but not quite. 
Aduaitam
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So, pros: Good artwork, fun characters, really interesting "all-RP" premise with one of the most shocking boons I've seen in a while. Cons: Intrigue rules seem even more complicated than they usually do, tough for new characters to keep track of--complicated by the Exchange-specific stuff. Within those, most of the discovery checks are identical between and within the NPCs. The scenario attempted to compensate for this with a handout to encourage player notes, which does help. Token combat was pointless. I dunno if there was a hard requirement to have some or what, but really? The encounter has nothing to do with the narrative, tone or flow. Buncha randos who aren't even sent by the big bad and have no ramifications on the story or its setting. Why is that there? Quite a few typos or redundant sentences. Overall: Lotta good potential, but it needed more content supported by a less complicated mechanic. I've used the intrigue system before to great effect, but there was too much up in the air for players to keep straight, which prevented them from engaging. That said, still a neat experience. If you're running this, consider printing out intrigue flowcharts or summat for your players. The villain, characters, boon and art are worth the hassle, but it won't be your favorite. 
Pathfinder Society Scenario #5–04: The Stolen Heir (PFRPG) PDFPaizo Inc.Our Price: $3.99 Add to CartApropos and succinct
Aduaitam
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It's a relatively quick scenario with decent roleplay opportunities and a neat plot hook. The choice presented gives players agency, though the plot itself progresses in a linear fashion which doesn't account for any deviation. Combat's light, but party dynamics might be tense if you have different schools of thought involved. As far as Season 5 goes, it's a neat way for low-tier characters to participate in the war effort as the Army of the Open Road marches northward. Pretty cool stuff! My experience:
Ran this with people from the Grand Lodge, the Sovereign Court and Liberty's Edge. Oh, and an alchemist from the Dark Archive who all but caved in the house where Thalia was being held. But so the first three really dug in their heels at the end about the proper course of action. GL wanted to stick with the mission, turn over the daughter and get the finances required. LE couldn't abide by that. SC figured out the connection with the Eagle Knight captain and saved the day. My players really enjoyed this one! That said, a lot of that is owed to the effort I put in as a GM, and to the prior reviewers who told me what to look out for. Here’s the good stuff: The setting is fantastic--remarkably spooky and dark, full of intrigue and history. Some neat mechanics come into play. Overall, the players can feel like they have true agency if you play it right. (I’ll put my vote in as disagreeing with previous reviewers who complained of railroading. They have a lot of ways to accomplish their task!) The villain, especially, can be extremely cool. Two nifty mechanics mix things up for the party: Spoiler:
the fire and the auction. Main issues: Plot holes/hand-waving:
You find the captain just randomly in the desert, and she’s the exact person you need to bypass the line. If the players don’t find her, they’re stuck. If they do, it seems like too great a coincidence. Then, you just happen to find in some random burning building four random items, including—I kid you not—a last will and testament hidden inside a painting? Kinda silly. The villain seems to have no real motivation to stick around besides playing games, especially with how little background the players actually get from the basic scenario. Lower subtier mobs get stomped in a heartbeat, but the upper-tier will TPK you in a heartbeat. Truly murderous special abilities.
Mechanics:
The auction has precious few instructions. My players bid too conservatively in the beginning because they really had no clue how much the others could bring to the table. The True Tragedy: The villain is awesome. Their backstory left me conflicted, feeling a sense of pity but also of danger and threat. Too bad the players, by the basic scenario, never get to see it! Here’s what I tweaked:
Have the players get to Azir and see the huge lines, then have the guards drop something about how this’ll never get moving until the captain comes back from her patrol. She’s late, which worries them. This allows players to feel like they have a way around their objective, rather than a random NPC drop that solves a problem that hadn’t yet arisen. DCs and mechanics, of course, remain unchanged.
Torvad gives them the seeds, having planned to use them at the auction to bribe Adenalar. They find the will at the museum—the Borkalik brother boasts about how much his family’s donated to it, and the sister quietly insists to the players that the will must be around here somewhere. Same perception DC. The statue’s whatever since Pateba doesn’t bring a lot of dosh to the table. Spreading out the finds, making some of them chance and some driven by interactions with the auction-goers, really makes it more natural for the party. Really play up the PCs options once in the city. Express to them the variety of leads they have to follow up on, even if they can only progress directly with one. Stress that they can work with the Pure Legion if necessary, or they can remain outside the law. Atmosphere. You gotta show the fear of the aurum death, with gold sellers having closed their booths in the Grand Souk (possibly under pressure of the Pure Legion). Bring up the Ul’Ravi family, maybe one of the auction items comes from their holdings and the disguised ghoul seems to have a special affinity for it. When they finally confront the boss, have her heavily hint at her past as a gamer. Mine flew into a rage when our trigger-happy gunslinger shot the shard out of her hand. “You’re just like them! Punishing me! All I wanted was to play a game!” Then the black lights start flashing. Folks, love takes work. You have to be ready to improvise and DM like a real dungeon master, transporting your players into the setting. But if you’re willing to meet this scenario head-on and go the extra mile, you’ll find a truly rewarding experience. And so will your players. Hey, we even finished in four hours! 
Pathfinder Society Scenario #10-12: Breath of the DragonskullPaizo Inc.Our Price: $4.99 Add to CartImmensely fun.
Aduaitam
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Spoiler: What I can say is that this was a blast. Diplomatic options to avoid combat encounters, fantastical creatures, cute (and useful) boons, great callback to an earlier scenario... My players were really impressed and had a wonderful time. As a GM, I took note of the attention to detail in certain areas: Seen a lot of talk about this being pro-goblin propaganda. Given how widespread the race is, I don't take issue with any of that. Spoiler: Overall, we had a great time with this one.
like how the wizard couldn't stay due to his health or how our druid couldn't interrogate the messenger bird to spoil the surprise because it was a token. 
Pathfinder Society Scenario #5–19: The Horn of Aroden (PFRPG) PDFPaizo Inc.Our Price: $3.99 Add to CartNailed it!
Aduaitam
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Rating this one as highly as possible in light of a few factors. The scenario, while straightforward in its progression, doesn't feel like as much of a railroad as other scenarios have. Combat actually proved to be a challenge as opposed to other scenarios that consist mainly of low-level mobs and one hard-hitting barbarian or sorcerer toward the end. Characters are really engaging and versatile. Does the villain fit a stereotype or do they come off as a likeable figure? Is the mother worried for her child's safety or exasperated with their behavior? Does the escort target have any redeeming qualities? Our experience left my players in a fine mood. They were annoyed as all get-out by them, laughed at their misfortunes, and actually felt their heartstrings tugged when Spoiler:
Lander insisted that the healer stabilize one of the axe beaks and our ranger move their nest further away from the bridge to keep travelers safe. Overall, this one is light but really vibrant and with some great art to boot. |
