KestlerGunner's page

Perspective: GM’ed once. 3.75 stars.

This is a pretty fun Mexican train robbery. Spoilers ensue!

First off, stealing from the caravan carrying the fabled Sun Orchid Elixir is so, so, sooooo not a [1-5] tier mission. [7-11] would be more appropriate. Protecting one of these artifacts with dogs and long swords is stretching credibility, so with that slight impediment, let’s give it a red hot go anyway.

The Heist rules are heavy on the word count and heavy on the skill checks, but the writer has done a fantastic job in adding just enough detail to give each day of working infiltration enough flavour to be memorable and interesting.

The various magical security measures surrounding the prize are creative and memorable too! The problem is they seem a little bit too weak as they wear kiddy gloves. I rack this up to this mission being the wrong tier and the renowned squishiness of low level PCs. It would have been great to see real dangerous protections surrounding the prize which cannot be overcome unless you have creative/prepared players or success in infiltration. For future heists, I’d like the original protections to be bulked up a bit to make the infiltration more important.

I also think that some of the rewards for successful infiltration are a tad strange. For instance, I think that learning about the use of dancing lights is actually far, far more important than going out for a night on the town with the guards and learning humiliating secrets about them. It’s weird that the higher reward is worth less than the middle tier reward.
I did have one PC who was playing a low intelligence Paladin who had nothing to do during the infiltration section as he was too worried about creating complications for his party members (or his class abilities). It was a mistake to make 2+int skillpoint characters in PFS – something needs to address this.

So this scenario is the first attempt at something new, and despite an initial handicap about wrong tier, it does pretty well!
With some extra checks and balances set in place, I think heist rules could end up becoming an exciting new staple of PFS adventures. They need to be clearly identified, so we don’t have low skill point PCs getting bored for 75% of the scenario then leaving butt-hurt reviews.

Perspective: Played high tier, have not GM'ed.

This is one of the few Pathfinder scenarios I've played where my character was in constant fear of death and genuinely just wanted to escape the horrible situation. She felt like she'd been plunged into something hellish, far beyond her abilities. The horror starts slow but gradually ramps up higher and higher with every step into the labyrinth. By the last room, you'll just want to salvage whatever remains of your mission and run for your life.

Perspective: Played, have not GM'ed.

I think the Paizo developers need to think long and hard about what works in Special format and what does not. Legacy of the Stonelords and Diamond Siege worked. This does not work nearly half as well.

There are two conflicting stories in this Special. One tries a rush job to replicate Legacy, but with ancient serpent folk instead of demons. The second tells a muddled take about Pathfinders in an ancient society hours before certain doom will strike. The writer should have really focused on the second half and omitted the first. For a five hour scenario, or even a seven hour scenario, it attempts to do far too much.

What results is a slog of endless combat encounters which are either seemingly meaningless or silly. I've played all the specials - the specials written for the year of the serpent are the worst so far. More planning is required to keep the quality of gaming higher.

This scenario has a lot of problems.
The combats go from bland and easy to nightmarishly hard almost instantly.
The puzzle is an utter mess, stuffed with enough red herrings to open a seafood chain.
Having an 'eccentric' 12HD fey dealing around 0-72 damage per round (no crits) to a party of 3-4 tier adventurers if you roll badly on one diplomacy check is inexcusable.
The repetitive trap introduction is sleep-inducing.
Oh jeez, you guys.
This scenario needs to get all it's s**t. And get it together.
Get your s**t together, Six Seconds to Midnight.

A+ grade location
A grade encounters
A grade mission
C grade roleplaying opportunities

This mission really needed a hook for the PCs to talk and chat with one of the denizens of the Gloomspire. As it stands now, the party is expected to power attack everything in sight. Still, the rest of it is creepy as hell and very memorable. I'd love to see more from this author, especially if he started thinking up some roleplay challenges in addition to his terrifying dungeon challenges.

Yessssss, this is what we've been waiting for!

This is a great 'deep cover' mission for the Aspis Consortium to strike a decisive blow against the hated Pathfinder Society. It's full of chaos, incredibly damaging strikes and plenty of chances for murder and mayhem. There's even a incredibly significant boss battle thrown in for good measure. Some secondary missions are amazing (lanterns), others are not so hot (hey guys, whatchoo doing?).

My only problem is that the 4-player adjustments are a little too generous. The tigers lose a lot of their teeth with these adjustments, meaning what should be a very tough mission suddenly feels... easy. If these adjustments had been tweaked a bit, and the mission was less military style efficiency, and more the glorious fun of being evil, this'd be 5 star scenario.

As it stands, get a party of 6 together and definitely play this. It's great value. And the cert is lovely too!

Where's the Annhilator robot pawns?!
Numeria's most famous robot somehow missed out on getting into the set! Unforgivable!
But the rest of the pawns are all here, and they're all looking fantastic. There's even a whole bunch of artwork that never made it into the AP books. Definitely a steal for any Iron Gods GM.

This was the highlight of the Sky Key trilogy for me. Imaginative adventure idea executed well.

If you have any interest at all in genre fusion in your adventuring, this book is a must buy.

+1 star great setting.
+1 star intriguing mysteries.
+1 star handling of tech items.
+1 star dungeon design.
+1 crazy bestiary.

No stars removed for any slip-ups basically means this chapter is outperforming on all fronts. What a great genre fusion adventure!

Perspective: GM'ed once.

This scenario is a solid effort that puts a great deal of agency in the hands of the players and ups the ‘epic’ gauge considerably. Matt Duval has put in another consistent performance following his excellent work in Destiny of the Sands part 2. It is great to see that Duval’s signature style of dungeoneering adapts to high tier as easily as it succeeded at low tier.

Yet again, we have a rich dungeon environment that:
-Allows alert silver-tongued PCs to talk their way past the baddies.
-Allows a real choice in the PCs hands.
-Utilises flavourful baddies (with synergy!) that make sense for the locale while also packing a serious punch.
-Allows multiple play styles to beat the catastrophe.
-Allows Pathfinders to be Pathfinders and not brainless ravaging monsters.
-Allows the optional discovery of delicious mouthfuls of metaplot to keep players coming back for more.

The only reason why I have not given this scenario the full five stars is that I felt the formatting of the final challenge made it quite difficult for a GM to be aware of all the rules options and DCs available. There are a lot of balls in the air here and more effort could be made to deliver the information succinctly and easily for PFS GMs.

The scenario also suffers from using too many flip-mats. There are additional rooms that are wholly pointless, and it’s up to Duval to flesh out these extraneous spaces with information. These are erasable flipmats we are using here – can't we just use a black pen to cordon off sections of the map? Not all the rooms on the mat need to be used.

If you were a fan of the Destiny trilogy (and who wasn’t?) or solid dungeon design, this scenario is well worth your time and money.

Just ran this scenario solidly for eight hours + at PAX Melbourne 2014 for a diverse range of new Pathfinders. This very classy package exceeded my expectations for a free product. Some fantastic short games with a good mix of investigation, combat and interesting magic items.

-Colony. Yes! Razmiri awesomeness!
-Mausoleum. CSI Golarion done well.
-Mists. Great mix of mechanics fused together in a creepy setting.
-Webs was a bit dull. Too easy to get full trade points here, while monsters with a single +2 to hit attack are quite weak.
-Crash was quite exciting when I ran it but, by the Iron Gods, those are some scary foes to deal with. I've heard of TPKs happening.
-Haven't run Silverhex yet but it reads a little dull for the conclusion.

Overall, my biggest beef with this product is it's inability to weave all the Quests into one cohesive story. Webs and Mausoleum fits the story but the rest seem to just lily pad hop around the River Kingdoms without much care for plot.

I think Silverhex lays down a strong foundation for the future of Quests. I think some improvements can be made in terms of making all the Quests more cohesive, but overall this is an excellent option for level 1 play. I would also say that 6 Quests for full rewards seems a tad long. I'd be fine with 4 Quests giving scenario equivalent rewards and 5 Quests giving full rewards plus a flavourful boon as well.

Perspective: Played once on Hard Mode.

My best friend in the entire world got [REDACTED] into the Negative Energy Plane.
Our paladin was ripped in half by a [REDACTED].
If we didn't get lucky with [REDACTED] we would have been magically teleported to the surface of the [REDACTED] and be instantly incinerated by nuclear [REDACTED].
Any table that expects to faceroll this without any actual planning or strategy deserves what they get.

10/10 Would Krune Again.

Played once, GM'ed once.

This is a great example of a flavourfully epic dungeon delve and a reason why a decision to spend a year in Paizo’s favourite country ended up being a great thing for PFS. ‘Words of the Ancients’ is a ‘Collect A, get to B’ mission that provides plenty of opportunities for those with smarts and a rigorous beating for any murder hobos. I’d like more adventures of this high calibre for PFS. That said, Krune overlooked some details in crafting his conjuration tower. Spoilers ahead.

Perspective: GM'ed FOUR TIMES.

Some factions get more love than others. There, I said it. This ambitious and long special has some wonderful moments, but roughly half of the missions accomplish nothing and take us nowhere in the grand scheme of the PFS plot. It’s definitely worth playing, but only if you’re in the factions that have received some inspiration.

Mixed feelings about this one. SPOILERS ENSUE.

While I think the author has done everything in their power to make the combats challenging and scary, just like the other reviewers I am really disturbed at the power level of the boons being handed out here. Is it really a good idea to give boons of this power? I haven't done Waking Rune, so time will tell, I guess.

I think a little more could be done to make the moral implications of the ritual choice important to the PCs. Perhaps if Miss Feathers had been implicated and there was a chance that the PCs damaged her in the ritual? Or the consumption?

Still, the final combat basically taught me how to make a high level divine caster be able to blast an enemy party to bits! And the second combat is rendered harmless with one spell, it's either an off or on switch. If it's off, the monsters are harmless, if it's on, you're guaranteed death.

This is a good shorter high level mod if you want to challenge your team. Good, but not great. It can't scratch Cultists Kiss.

CRobledo's review hit the nail on the head.

This booklet is riddled with information that has already been detailed in previous products. The magic items detailed inside are either not very useful, or shockingly expensive. The first aid gloves are an outlier, but they're an outlier that trivialises death consequences in the game and makes it okay to have combats where a PC drops every round. The authors did realize that the average Pathfinder only makes around 120k by the time they reach level 12, right? I only ask because having a 200k item is just wasting book space.

The prestige class is lacking in power and theme. The advancements to Wayfinders are pretty poor to boot, and forcing folks to spend prestige to gain them isn't winning any friends either.

I bought this pdf because I needed the spell *Sure Casting*. I was hoping there'd be something else in here worthwhile, but there really wasn't. Pick up Seeker of Secrets or Field Guide instead.

You won’t like where this investigation is taking you... (Perspective: Played once, GM'ed once)
Kaer Maga is one of the fan favourite locations for Varisia and the Inner Sea setting. It's definitely a city which has far more imagination in it than some I.S. nations have in their entire borders. The author has taken every opportunity to squeeze every drop of flavour from this locale in a long and harrowing investigation. It ends with a tough and grisly finale that shows off the author’s skill in writing an encounter that can challenge a number of parties.

PRO:
-Battles were very memorable and fell into the sweet spot of being scary but not impossible.
-Great use of the locale. Selling the sizzle of Kaer Maga.
-Beautiful artwork, and lots of it.

CON:
-Way too long. We could have done without Vargun and the Sweet-Talkers pretty easily.
-Little storytelling opportunities to describe the history between Guaril Karela and the Gael family. This should have been included in part on some player handouts or knowledge checks.
-The free men scene rubbed me the wrong way. Let’s decide our future by playing darts? Really? Who are these guys? Why are they strategically important? Are you making this up as we go along? I wanted to know more about Andoran corruption! Please don't let that storyline die.

This is a dungeon romp that squeezes some classic Egyptian flavour out of the locale. The dungeon is a little too large and the enemies have a little too much variance in powers and abilities, but overall it’s a great tough dungeon to recommend if your players are itching for a sustained difficult battle with some good backstory to splash on as well.

Perspective: GM'ed the scenario once.

This reads like an unimaginative mountain built from fantasy cliche upon cliche.
The setting of Brevoy, its awesome history and multiple noble families is utterly wasted here. So too is the history of Aroden.
The forced role play will be over with one subdual power attack from a murder hobo's two-handed weapon.
Meaningless random encounters in the forest equates to the laziest writing possible in the hobby.
To top it all off, there are plenty of editing errors with the chronicle sheet.
This scenario is inexcusably unimaginative. The one star that has been granted is for the fantastic artwork delivered by Marjorie Davis. More work for her, please!
Ugh! I really hate this scenario!

Perspective: GM'ed once.
Spoilers ensue.

In part one, the heroes dealt with the nefarious Grandmaster Torch and made brief attempts to undo his schemes in the face of assassins, ancient cultures and long-held grudges.

In part two, the heroes embark on a dangerous journey wherein using detective work, they learn the origins of Grandmaster Torch and the power of the jeweled sages.

In part three, mythic powers makes stuff

This scenario is very, very long and can get quite stupid. The PCs get to make an incredible decision, but are given next to no details about one of the two candidates, meaning the result is probably already predetermined. The mythic rules seem to work best when they're limited to the chronicle sheet powers - actually using the Mythic book will result in an incredible power jump for the PCs. There's some Lovecraftian crap wedged in awkwardly because THAT'S WHAT PAIZO LOVES TO DO.

The entire alienist subject matter should have been deleted and replaced with a previous home of the Diamond Sage. This would have allowed the PCs to learn something about her, while building anticipation to actually meet her. If the big finale is a decision, allow some research and build-up to that decision!

I can't comment on the handling of a certain Aspis duo, because I've only played the first in that series, and I felt that scenario, like this one, was just dumb violent fun.

I'm not feeling this one. There's continuing metaplot, but it all seems to be building somewhere else, while the trilogy finale flying tackles the left-field so fervently it literally reaches orbit. It's a pain to prepare as the module tells you what mythic templates to apply to what monsters, but it doesn't do it for you. Two point nine stars.

Excellent, ticks all the boxes - 4.5 stars.

This is a dungeon exploration, that, through creative use of magic, alchemy, lore and mythic rules, creates a lasting impression. The author has been given a rare chance to flesh out the back-story of one of the most notable PFS NPCs and they've done an admirable job. The vast majority of PFS scenarios do not allow the PCs to learn the reasons and history behind events, a site, or an enemy. This scenario changes all that while rewarding creative players.

The one downside is that I believe this mission is a little too punishing for 1-5 characters. It would have been wonderful as a 3-7, but I can see why PFS organisers need to produce more 1-5 adventures. As it stands, most of the meat and unforgettable roleplay moments are included at the 4-5 tier. To get the full experience, play it high tier.

If you are intrigued by the story of PFS, or even just have a character with an history with GMT, this is a must play.

Played once (mid tier), GM'ed once (low tier)

If I had a gold piece every time Season 0 or Season 1 mentions ‘slaves’, ‘a combat on board a ship’, ‘docks’ or ‘dire rat’ I would probably be able to afford an artifact or two by now. This is a fun, no-brainer “bash-them-til-they-squeal” combat mission that has you rescuing hostages via beating down anyone else seen in a room with hostages. It’s sheer dumb violence and I am guilty of enjoying it. 3.5 stars.

Perspective: Played once (high tier) (bad ending), GM'ed once (low tier)

An ambitious scenario like this is where the review system fails. Here’s all there is to it: If you have a wonderful, role-play focused GM, this scenario is five stars. Maybe even more. Maybe it could be one of the most memorable and intelligent scenarios you’ve ever experienced.

However if your GM is average, is phoning it in, is under-prepared, or doesn’t care about characterisation this scenario could be brief, disappointing and vague. You may feel cheated. You might wonder what the author was thinking. But this would be a mistake.

The author has given talented GMs every tool necessary to tell a memorable and paradigm smashing tale set in the very depressing and horrifying outskirts of the Worldwound. The enemy isn’t the dangerous, bloodthirsty demons (though this scenario has ‘em) It’s bigger than just those little gremlins. Draw your sword, check your companions and stay aware.

Perspective: Played once at high tier, GM’ed once at low tier. I was at Avatar’s table when I played.

TO THE LIBRARY! All the word of mouth surrounding “The Disappeared” has led to the second time-critical, mission impossible, murder hobo slapping infiltration investigation. Library of the Lion takes us deep into Taldor’s Kitharodian Academy, where ancient secrets need to be copied, and books need to be read. “Ugh!” I hear you say, “Sounds boring!” Well, I say, reading is cool! Give it a chance!

Big Kyle has developed a fun research based minigame that takes the characters academic skills and uses them to earn intriguing clues or helpful hints. Clues are the real treasure of the scenario, while hints are used on mission critical book collections to bolster your chance of finding a clue.

Secondly, it’s set in a library, so bomb-throwing alchemists, gun-blasting musket masters and any class with low int and 2 skill points per level or less are set up to fail. Some creative use of strategy can let you work around your weaknesses, but otherwise, you’re in trouble. This is one of the more class specific and puzzle heavy PFS scenarios I’ve seen in recent months. Thugs need not apply. I expect this ambition will lead to a number of barbarian and fighter players down-voting this scenario as they can’t use power attack to research history.

Here’s the thing. When I played with my Linguist Sorceress Tengu, if we hadn’t [REDACTED], we would have failed on our skill check rolls and probably failed the mission. There is a LOT of reliance on skill check rolls. When I ran it for a low tier table with both an Inquisitor and a Taldan Bard, they finished with ten minutes left on the clock. Despite my own close experience with failure, I do kind of think this scenario doesn’t have enough challenges for PCs…

Ultimately, I feel Venture Captain Muesello does most of the work for the PCs. They are given a medium collection of the perfect set of magical items, including a customised tool to distract any interloper, they are given an enormous musical concert to remove/distract all other library visitors and they are given a ‘get out of jail free’ scroll. I have heard of parties running through this scenario with no combats whatsoever, and I definitely haven’t heard of any parties actually encountering the armed [REDACTED]. I just feel like the kid’s gloves are on a bit too much here. Except for the Grand Lodge mission. That one is a doozy. I guess I wanted some harder infiltration elements. Make me think how to distract the clerk, don’t do it for me. Harder skill DCs does not equal harder challenge for the player's brains.

Ultimately, this is a wonderful puzzle-rich, Taldor setting infiltration with some unique rewards included. However I do wish VC Muesello hadn’t done such a very good job for the Pathfinders. If he molly-coddles them this much, they won’t learn anything for themselves.