I was very tempted to give this scenario four stars: there are great role playing opportunities, good loot drops, room for combat or negotiation, and a seemingly simple adventure that spirals into something impactful for the world setting. Sounds great, right?
Unfortunately there are enough drawbacks to the scenario that I just don't think it merits four stars. The combats and hazards that do exist are lackluster at best. The hazards aren't well written and require some GM adjudication as to how they were supposed to function, the enemies are relatively weak (even for all level 1 parties), the book itself is rife with typos and grammatical errors, the social encounter mechanics feel awkward, and the game is so full of player choice and 'if then' statements that it is annoying to track and adjust for. As a GM I believe a game should be fun to play AND fun to run, and while I did like seeing how my friends would choose to resolve conflicts, the constant shifting and altering of encounters was irksome. Using Roll 20 to run the game means having to constantly adjust lighting depending on certain checks and circumstances which is a pain.
Spoiler:
For instance, PCs can be brought before a group of people rather than finding them on their own. In my mind, if you are brought to talk to someone, you don't generally stand sixty feet away from them... especially if a mutual friend is introducing you. So for what is likely to be the hardest encounter in the scenario, the strongest enemy in the scenario (a full caster) is almost immediately neutralized. Your PCs might not choose to be introduced, but given that it is part of their mission directive and the introduction falls into their laps, many teams choose to just go... especially because the people are characterized as open and friendly (both times I've run it this was the group decision). Further, with a good enough check, the PCs gain the effect of an invitation even if they don't go immediately. The only mandatory combat is also easily trivialized with the right class combinations... so that wasn't great.
This scenario is certainly worth playing because it has something for everyone: goblin high jinks for the more lighthearted adventurers, a moral quandary for those who appreciate a more serious adventure, sufficient combat challenges which almost all have non-violent solutions, and some worthwhile loot drops. It really doesn't get much better. The story is fairly linear while still allowing for significant decisions, plus the adventure itself is well written and edited. I would recommend it to most groups of adventurers.
