This scenario is a superb conclusion to the Hao Jin Tapestry story arc. I ran the 5-6 Sub-tier with my group, most of whom have played the previous scenarios and understood the background. For starters, I must clear up the issue raised in a previous review.
To the scenario itself, I was surprised to learn in the mission brief that the tapestry was smaller than I had originally imagined it from previous scenarios. This did not detract from the adventure, however. Instructions were very clear and well presented, even the faction missions that raised some brows.
The first encounter opened with excellent role-play after the presentation given. When combat began the party found the map extremely confining, but I feel it added to the tone of the encounter. The design of the battle made it play out like a wuxia film, which I imagine was the intent. It made for a very exciting and involved battle for all players.
The investigative challenge that followed was somewhat bare, but could easily be embellished by the GM if desired. My players were not as hooked on it, so I relayed what information they needed as they made their individual rolls. The status conditions were a little unclear about application and should be studied during GM prep. They did very well in enforcing the flavor of the item however.
Once they completed their task and moved to the 'dungeon' of the scenario, we found it to be evocative and well used. The scenario does an excellent job of showing the story with imagery rather than telling it with exposition. The second encounter was less engaging tactically, basically operating on an empty plane. Further use of the rooms contents for difficult terrain and cover would have helped. The NPCs tactics were poorly suited to deal with my groups ranged focus and ended up being fairly easy. The role-play with the captured opponents made up for this thanks to the relevant faction missions.
The optional encounter would have greatly helped show the story had I the time to run it. The downside is that the table of DC modifiers to the initial interaction seemed likely to turn it immediately to combat. I look forward to using it the next time I run the scenario and testing my thoughts.
The final area was a white-knuckle knockdown brawl once the party figured out how to proceed. While the scenario says the party learns what to do, there is nothing mentioned about how to communicate that to the players. I recommend GMs come up with a good description to point them the right way. The combat that ensued was hard but winnable thanks to good tactics. Like the first one, the players were engaged in figuring out how to win, despite the same lack of strategic terrain on the map as the second encounter. Succeeding at the ritual afterwards was mostly a foregone conclusion but still had the players on seat edges when it was rolled.
Overall, an excellent conclusion that I will be keeping on my list of favorite scenarios. Proper prep and understanding of the encounters will help GMs avoid potential pitfalls, as always.
