fine_young_misanthrope's page

Originally posted at www.throatpunchgames.com, a new idea every day!

Product- Starfinder Playtest Scenario #2: It Came from the Vast!
System- Starfinder 2nd Ed Playtest
Producer- Paizo
Price- 5.99 here https://paizo.com/products/btq067lz?Starfinder-Playtest-Scenario-2-It-Came- from-the-Vast
TL; DR- Almost perfect space horror. 97%

Basics- In space, no one can hear how good this is. It Came from the Vast! is the second Starfinder playtest scenario. In it, space truckers find an abandoned ship, decide to make money on it, and find it is much more than they originally thought. This time for level five characters!

Mechanics or Crunch- So far so solid! The mechanics on display for the 5th level pregens and the five level adventure all work well. There is a variety of things here that the characters encounter, from monsters to haunts to skill checks. It’s just a solid experience for two hours. 5/5

Theme or Fluff- You've heard the beats before, but this song is still different enough to be fun. I too love me some Alien, but this one gets elements of The Thing involved as well. Solid fun all around, and different enough that my players and I all had a blast, even though we knew what was going to happen after we read the adventure description. 5/5

Execution- I liked this adventure, but it’s missing a few pieces. The standard layout of the PFS adventures with pictures at the end are not here. It has a good layout and is easy to read, but the pictures help me show players the monsters and other creatures involved. Also, I like the stat blocks to be separate. These are small things, but it hurts the presentation a bit. This is exactly the same as what I said for scenario one, and I still stand by that. 4.5/5

Summary- This is exactly what I want to see in a Science-Fantasy space horror. You got monsters, you got areas dripping with goo, you got space horrors and discovery, you got magic plant ships, you got ghosts of the dead. This is a fantastic short adventure that is easy to run, and fun for all. Give me back some of the older layout and this would be perfect. 97%

Originally posted at www.throatpunchgames.com, a new idea every day!

Product- Starfinder Playtest Scenario #1: Shards of the Glass Planet
System- Starfinder 2nd Ed Playtes
Producer- Paizo
Price- 5.99 here https://paizo.com/products/btq067m5?Starfinder-Playtest-Scenario-1-Shards-o f-the-Glass-Planet
TL; DR-Dry but good intro. 90%

Basics- Go to new places, meet new people, and… make friends?! The drift crisis has opened up a world held in a glass bubble. This adventure gives a bit of world lore, a bit of mechanics, and a good chance to see how Starfinder 2nd Ed will work.

Mechanics or Crunch- This adventure works well mechanically. It has the basic breakdown of being a few skill checks to learn about the world that has been opened up, then some stuff happens, combat, trap, and final combat. It’s short, but all the DCs are within line of what to expect, and the combat is resonbably what I expected. You can not do anything too crazy in a level 1, so while short, it is expected and fun. 5/5

Theme or Fluff- This is a fun adventure, but not the most involved. As I said before, it's skill checks, combat, trap, and final combat. Short, but not that complex. Then again, it's level 1, so you can’t throw the PCs into too crazy an adventure. My players and I had fun, but be prepared to ham up roleplay. 4/5

Execution- I liked this adventure, but it’s missing a few pieces. The standard layout of the PFS adventures with pictures at the end are not here. It has a good layout and is easy to read, but the pictures help me show players the monsters and other creatures involved. Also, I like the stat blocks to be separate. These are small things, but it hurts the presentation a bit. 4.5/5Summary- This is a fun adventure, but maybe not the best Paizo has put out. It’s also a bit hard since it’s a level 1 adventure that is the same as a quest. Don’t expect multiple hours of crazy adventure, but do expect a short, fun intro to Starfinder 2nd Ed. It has a few faults, but that doesn't make it any less entertaining. 90%

Originally posted at www.throatpunchgames.com, a new idea every day!

Product- Pathfinder Adventure Path #182: Graveclaw (Blood Lords 2 of 6)
System- Pathfinder 2nd Ed
Producer- Paizo
Price- 26.99 here https://paizo.com/products/btq02asf?Pathfinder-Adventure-Path-182-Graveclaw
TL; DR-Why fight undead when you can fight the fey? 95%

Basics- Go to new places, meet new fey, and kill them! Graveclaw continues the Blood Lords adventure path as our heroes begin to track down the people who are involved in the poisoning plot and THEY ARE ALL FEY! Find the hags, kill them, and travel all around the land of Geb

Mechanics or Crunch- This adventure is a bit tougher for the players than most of what I’ve seen. The players had fun, but they took some beating compared to most of my Pathfinder experience. That’s not bad, but it can get discouraging as they have to keep fighting again and again to stay alive. It’s a fun adventure, but something that might turn away some players with some slight balance issues. Also, the faction system is broken. I like the general idea, but right now I and my players still don’t know what the points do. More guidance is needed to really bring this out for everyone. 4.75/5

Theme or Fluff- The story here is good, but disjointed. The major plot of finding who is responsible for killing everything is fully on display. That said, this adventure is more vignettes as the players learn where a hag is, go there, meet locals who hate her, go to her home, and kill her. Repeat till four hags die. It’s not bad, but a bit too disconnected for a full flowing story. But when hanging out with a magic drugged up Vampire lord on a bender is on the itinerary, who cares? 4.5/5

Execution- Overall solid work from Paizo with one problem that I will dock because I am petty. Solid lay out, eat to read, and good art all make this a great product. Things that would make me happy are maps that fit into Roll20, but Paizo backed Foundry instead. That’s understandable. It’s hyperlinked, so it’s nice for my tablet. The ONE thing that drove me up a wall was the last fight. The final boss is listed in one place, when you go there, it then references a second area. That annoyed me as the other creatures in the fight are listed in the first area. So, I end up bouncing between three places in a book. DON’T DO THAT! Aside from that one annoyance, Paizo makes a solid book. 4.95/5

Summary- Blood Lords continues to be some of the most fun I have had in Pathfinder that Paizo doesn't like to admit too.  It’s most definitely not a a standard hero story as the players often are not great heroes but aspiring evil lords.  This particular part is good, but misses a few too many things to be amazing.  The adventure is brutal, but not bad. The story is a bit disjointed, but still flows.  The execution as always is good.  I will definitely be returning for the third part of this path!  95%

Originally posted at www.throatpunchgames.com, a new idea every day!
Product- Starfinder 2nd Ed playtest
System- Starfinder 2nd Ed
Producer- Paizo
Price- FREE here https://downloads.paizo.com/PZO22000E.pdf

TL; DR- Want to play some Pathfinder in space? 95%

Basics- Pathfinder 2nd ed IN SPACE! Ok, let’s look deep into this deep space RPG.

Base Mechanics- Do you remember pathfinder 2nd Ed? If you are proficient in a thing, it's proficiency bonus (trained, expert, master, or legendary) + ability modifier + level + d20. Not proficient? D20 + ability modifier. This is versus AC or some static number from another character. That’s it! If you love Pathfinder 2nd Ed, you can instantly play this one.

This is a full RPG, but honestly if you have the Pathfinder basics down, then you are ready to go! Let’s look at my thoughts.

Mechanics or Crunch- I love Pathfinder 2nd Ed, so this is perfect. This feels a bit better balanced from small things like cantrips doing damage based on level. The changes that were imposed to make the 3.5 to Pathfinder 2nd ed transfer are solid, like Aim for the Operative class making them equivalent Pathfinder 2nd Ed ranged rogues. All the new changes from the standard Pathfinder 2nd ed formula work well adapted to the space opera of Starfinder. It’s what I expected, but still enjoyable. 5/5

Theme or Fluff- This is solid, but things are missing. We have the basics of the world, but some things are lost and have to be lost. A big one for me is the notion of stamina. I loved stamina and hit points being different. Now, you just have hit points. That changes the flavor a bit. It needed to go for Starfinder to work in Pathfinder 2nd Ed’s mechanics, but it's a change that loses some of the originality of Starfinder. Other things work well like the mystic, Starfinder’s cleric-ish character, having a giant pool of hit points that it can use to heal any character in the group. This feels like a fun new addition to the Pathfinder system. The changes are good, but some flavor is lost in the transition. 4.5/5

Execution- Starfinder 2nd ed is well done, but I feel I want a few changes. The layout and PDF is well done. Also, given this book is free it is instantly amazing. You can easily speed read through any section and skim to find the information you need. But I want more summary tables. Skill feats have nice tables, giving summaries of each of the different feats and the full feat is below with its full write up. Class feats are not written that way. Archive of Nethys does this better; it has all class feats in nice tables that you can read via hyperlink. Make those tables for each class to make it easier to read! Also, this may be a bit petty, but Pathfinder 2nd Ed started using titles in their PDF files. This document does not. PLEASE DO THAT. I don't want to have to memorize long strings of digits to know what files I need to open for game night! And last but not least, missing are the major rules I was hoping for: space ships. Ship combat in Starfinder was fun, BUT you had to want it. And most players did not, based on how the adventures are written. This book does not have spaceship combat. I know Paizo knows how to make Pathfinder 2nd Ed work. They do fantastic jobs on Pathfinder 2nd Ed, but I don't know how they plan to handle space ships. The absence of these rules is something experienced Starfinders will feel. 4.75/5

Summary- Go get this PDF! It’s free, so I need to tell everyone to check this out. I love Pathfinder 2nd Ed, and I watched Star Wars Ewok adventures on VHS so many times as a child I broke the video tape. Starfinder is the system that was built for the Starfinder game, but saw a few issues. Starfinder 2nd Ed is a solid progression of the Starfinder brand. There are issues, and some of those will be fixed when the full rules come out and others are just growing pains of the system. Others are just CHANGE HOW YOU NAME THINGS! But, even with a few small issues, this game is a solid RPG that you should check out. 95%

Ring Side Report- RPG review of Pathfinder Howl of the Wild

Originally posted at www.throatpunchgames.com, a new idea every day!

Product- Pathfinder Howl of the Wild
System- Pathfinder 2nd Ed
Producer- Paizo
Price- $64.99 here https://paizo.com/products/btq02f09?Pathfinder-Howl-of-the-Wild
TL; DR-Solid nature materials with a layout misstep. 98%

Basics- Who let the centaurs in the sub? Howl of the Wild is a character options book with new races, spells, items, and archetypes for characters who want a bit more animal in their characters. In addition, the book has a framing story about an expedition to uncover the guardians of the wild and the monsters they encounter, providing GMs with new monsters and story hooks for them to dig into.

Mechanics or Crunch- Paizo knows their math and it shows here. The new items, options, monsters, and characters all expand Pathfinder into fun new places. And the new grafts allow characters who are plain human to even get into the action. Some archetypes require the characters to have some animal parts, but with the right addition, anyone can play. It doesn't feel exclusionary, but lets people specialize into something new at the same time. The monsters are fun and bring some old creatures back into the mix as well. 5/5

Theme or Fluff- Howl of the Wild feels like it fits in Golarion and adds to it at the same time. I love the new races, and since its set far away from the main setting areas, they don't feel like they are tacked on. The new stuff all fits into the world and has fun descriptions and art to help you see what the authors wanted to add. I also enjoyed the story the book told as the explorers try to find the guardians of nature. They do, AND THEY ARE BIG. If you want some end bosses for a nature based game, here you go! 5/5

Execution- This book is good, but feels like a step back for Paizo’s normal work. What’s here is good. I like the flow and pictures, but this book doesn't have the short tables and descriptions of feats, spells, and items. It honestly makes it a pain. Also, while there are dividing pictures, the different sections are not as well defined. One change to a new subject was so jarring, I redownloaded my copy thinking I missed some pages in an error. I figured it out, but the older layout decisions are a better way to display the materials. I'd rather have less stuff and more tables to summarize all the pieces than too much to really take in. 4.5/5

Summary- This is a good book with a single error. I love the new crunch; it adds new character options and even tools for the GM to get to play with. These are all great additions to the game. I love the new story. It's fun to see a new part of the world and to see the new characters who live in it. It also builds out the world for the GM, so they can make new stories and monsters to challenge the players. My one issue is the layout. What’s here is good. It reads fast and easily, but the lack of tables makes skimming hard. As both a GM and a player, I want to be able to skim character feats, spells, and items quickly. Bring those back! But, overall this is a good addition to the world of Pathfinder. Check this out if you want to walk on the wild side. 98%

Originally posted at www.throatpunchgames.com, a new idea every day!

Product- Starfinder Society Scenario #7-02: Zo! vs. Zo
System- Starfinder
Producer- Paizo
Price- $8.99 here https://paizo.com/products/btq02eza?Starfinder-Society-Scenario-702-Zo-vs-Z o
TL; DR- Fun, logic be damned! 87%

Basics- What’s ya name!? In Zo! Vs. Zo, the Starfinders are asked to help Zo! Defend his semi-good honor as his name is threatened by a city called Zo. How will your group of Starfinders fare as lawyers and in combat?

Mechanics or Crunch- This is a fairly simple adventure with some combat, some social, but no exploration. It’s all set in cities as the Starfinders have to prove they can do the fighting, then attempt to set up a legal defense, and finally a real defense in legal combat. It’s a bit on the rails, but still good. The mechanics are well done and felt fair and fun. 4.5/5

Theme or Fluff- The story is a bit off here. The basics are to prove you can fight, do legal skill checks, do more legal skill checks, and then fight no matter what. The legal stuff felt off. I would like the option to just not do the second fight if the characters succeed enough or for them to just push for combat. That’s how I would run this for a home group, but for Society, the flow makes the adventure feel strained. It works, but the logic is a bit off. 3.5/5

Execution- Yeah, we all know this was gonna be a 5/5. It's a Paizo book. I keep saying this exact sentence when I write about Paizo. They know layout, text, and art. It’s an easy to read adventure. Maybe the one thing that would help is having separate art from the other legal combatants, but that's extremely nitpicky. This is well done. 5/5

Summary-This is a fun adventure, but maybe not the most logical adventure. Any group of guys and gals will enjoy the adventure, but it's a bit linear and a bit nonsensical. That said, it's an adventure to a world that most Starfinders have not been to and some courtroom drama that almost no players outside of those brave profession (barrister) players do. You will have fun, but maybe don’t think too hard about why things are happening. 87%

Originally posted at www.throatpunchgames.com, a new idea every day!

Product- Pathfinder Monster Core
System- Pathfinder 2nd Ed
Producer- Paizo
Price- $59.99 here https://paizo.com/products/btq02ej4
TL; DR-Another Solid Addition to the Core line. 97%

Basics- We’re all gonna die! Monster Core is the last of the three main books needed to play Pathfinder, providing the foes that the heroes will face in their journeys.

Mechanics or Crunch- Paizo knows their math. These monsters are the ones we know, mostly, and love. The Paizo staff designed good monsters and this just gives them the 2.5 glow up new coat of paint the system needed to get them fully ORC compliant. It’s well done. 5/5

Theme or Fluff- The story of the monsters takes a tiny bit of a dip. As we move from 3.5/SRD base to ORC/Paizo’s own world, we lose a few things. A major example is alignment. We have Demons, Daemon, and Devils. We have three different groups that are basically out to destroy everything but all just end up with the bad guy banner. There is a story, but it's that part of the story supported by differences in alignment and motivations that really separate these different D-based bad guys (that and centuries of European occult history). The same goes with different dragon types. I want to reiterate that what’s here is good, but the theme of these different monsters does miss alignment. 4.5/5

Execution- Yeah, we all know this was gonna be a 5/5. It's a Paizo book. It reads fast, well, and is pretty. Monsters get art for me to show players. I get a good layout and hyperlinks. Heck, there are even a few player things like a few rituals to sell your soul or talk to god! 5/5

Summary-This is a good book. My view might be tainted by the changes from 3.5 to ORC. I love the ORC, but we do lose some things along the way due to the legalese. Those are things you will have to bring with your own stories to the table now. This book will easily give you the foes to make those stories full of conflict and victory. 97 %

Originally posted at Throat Punch Games, a new idea every day!

Product- Starfinder Society Intro: Year of Era's End
System- Starfinder
Producer- Paizo
Price- $8.99 here https://paizo.com/products/btq02ez9?Starfinder-Society-Intro-Year-of-Eras-E nd
TL; DR-The start to the end! 93%

Basics- New boss, new random magic thing, new place, who dis? Year of Era’s End sets out to establish the next and final meta plot for Starfinder Society 1st edition. The Starfinders have made new friends with the Anacites on their barren homeworld. Will the Society understand how the latest found magic item works before evil robots try to kill us all?

Mechanics or Crunch- This adventure is fairly simple and similar to the usual first adventures of a season. You have a few fights, a few social encounters, and a few skill challenges as you explore. It’s not crazy, but it all works well. 4.5/5

Theme or Fluff- Much like the mechanics, this adventures is pretty standard for the first adventure of a season. You will meet the new boss, meet some new friends/middle managers of the Starfinder Society, and a new adversary group. The adventure is split in two, with two different goals in each as you try to understand the newly found device. It’s standard, but decently well done. 4.5/5

Execution- Paizo knows adventure production. Layout is good, text is easy to read, and organization is good. The maps are all available, and the monsters and NPCs all have pictures that I don't have to crop myself. I’ve even adjusted to the increase in cost as nine bucks is about the price of a movie and this will take about three to four hours to play. Solid work. 5/5

Summary-It’s the end of the world, and I feel fine! Starfinder Society First Edition is going away, and this honestly is a decent start to that. It’s some simple mini adventures that get a metaplot started, introduce new characters in the lore, and allow for some fun encounters along the way. If all the final adventures work like this, it will be a good send off. 93 %

Product- Pathfinder Society Scenario #5-04: Equal Exchanges – Necessary Introductions

System- Pathfinder 2nd Ed
Producer- Paizo
Price- $ 8.99 here https://paizo.com/products/btq02esl?Pathfinder-Society-Scenario-504-Equal-E xchanges-Necessary-Introductions
TL; DR- Good with a few issues. 90%

Basics- Let's go make friends! The Pathfinder society wants to make friends with a dragon, and YOU get to make the introductions. Don't mess up, because you can be flamebroiled and are tasty with ketchup!

Mechanics or Crunch- The adventure has all the pieces where they should be and they generally work well. There are about 3 fights, a couple traps, and a skill challenge. Those are all mechanically done well. The skill challenges are not as much fun as they could have been, because my players tend to feel like they want them to just end by accomplishing X solutions before Y events. I can dress that up, but the repeated challenges can get boring in a hurry, so I just let them succeed if they do well enough. Overall what's here is good, but it has a few issues. 4.5/5

Theme or Fluff- This adventure is a pretty simple story where the normal dungeon crawl is flipped. Instead of going into a place where you are NOT supposed to be, you are invited into this one. However, some elements feel a bit crammed in. I like the goblins making kimchi, but they are not really needed and it detracts from the overall flow. My players didn’t really explore much; why would you just explore a person’s house if they are waiting for you? Also the last fight just doesn't need to happen. Maybe having a hallway fight with OTHER robbers would be a better way to endear the kobold butler to the players? Something to consider. 4/5

Execution- Pathfinder by Paizo? Yeah this is gonna be a slam dunk. I might not be crazy about the 9 buck price tag, but for five people to get 3ish hours of entertainment, then I'm a bit more ok. 5/5

Summary- This is a decent adventure that will tie to something bigger. And that's the whole hope of organized play. It's a fun ~3 hour adventure where the players get some fights, some social encounters, and some skill tests. It's well put together, but a few issues crop up along the way that prevent perfection. Some are system choice issues and some are flow issues. None are going to hurt this in a fatal way, but maybe change an element or two to make this a better experience. 90%

Originally posted at www.throatpunchgames.com, a new idea every day!

Product- Pathfinder One-Shot #3: Head Shot the Rot
System- Pathfinder 2nd Ed
Producer- Paizo
Price- $ 9.99 here https://paizo.com/products/btq02aoq?Pathfinder-OneShot-3-Head-Shot-the-Rot
TL; DR-This is what I want more of. 100%

Basics- AIM FOR THE HEAD! Head Shot the Rot is a one-shot drop-in game for four PCs set in Alkenstar. It’s a glorious “Kill the bad guys, save everyone!” kind of adventure.

Mechanics or Crunch- This is Night of the Living Dead in Pathfinder. You have some zombies and you have some people. You get some skill checks, some combat, and some social. That’s all the pieces of the game I want. And I’m happy! It’s solid mechanics with 3rd level PCs and some monsters that can tear them up if they screw up, but enough firepower to make sure that doesn't happen. Finely balanced as all things should be. 5/5

Theme or Fluff- You start in a bar with your buds, bad happens, and you kill it. Save the people, get the money. That’s the story and there is enough in the adventure and maps to build that into a fun place to play and explore even if you don’t go far. The PCs and I had a blast with this one. 5/5

Execution- It’s Paizo. They know how to lay out a book, make nice art, make it easy to read, and get me the information I need in a hurry. It’s 10 bucks, which is a bit pricey, but it filled four hours. This beats the movie test of if I went to the movies with the same friends, would we spend more. So, I don't feel ripped off here. It comes with art, maps, and PCs - all the toys I need to literally just drop in Roll20 and play. 5/5

Summary- Some days you crave Game of Thrones level intrigue, and others you just want a bunch of zombies, a gun, and a goal. This is the latter. I loved everything here. It’s a fun one shot where all the players get what they want out of this, while I had fun and did not need hours of prep before. Hey Paizo! Make more of these, and then connect them to each of the adventure paths. I’d buy them! 100%

Originally posted at www.throatpunchgames.com, a new idea every day!

Product- Pathfinder Society Intro: Year of Unfettered Exploration
System- Pathfinder 2nd Ed
Producer- Paizo
Price- $ 8.99 here https://paizo.com/products/btq02eqo?Pathfinder-Society-Intro-Year-of-Unfett ered-Exploration

TL; DR- Too much money for a too short adventure. 77%

Basics- And we’re walking! This Pathfinder Society adventure features you as a tour guide to a multidimensional maze where you guide a new venture captain to a lodge, then help round up some little elementals all while trying to be on time for his party.

Mechanics or Crunch- Paizo understands its mechanics. The game itself works well here, but the adventure is a bit short. What is in this adventure is about two fights and several skill checks to help multiple different players feel involved with a bit of exploration thrown in. Solid work overall, but a bit short for my players as no players felt too challenged and a few checks cleared the adventure with no problem. 4.5/5

Theme or Fluff- The adventure works, but it feels off. We have a new guy who wants to see a place. Cool, but there is a random fight, some random elemental stuff, a kind of random handout, and a random place that doesn’t feel all that connected. It works, but my players and I felt that it was a bit disjointed. Furthermore, it didn't really introduce any major metaplot or content. It was a decent distraction and having more pure noncombat adventures would be fun, but this wasn't that nor was it pure combat adventure. It felt like too much of a mix. 3.5/5

Execution- I was the most disappointed here. The adventure works with classic Paizo layout and text doing their good job as always, but there is too much text and not enough guidance with some things being tried but not really working. First, there are random things that happen. Good! But use the random event charts that we had in previous chapters rather than just have three options for the GM to pick. Same goes with where the main NPC wants to go. Add in a chart where he says where to go, describe the location, and have a random dice roll. The main bulk of the adventure is in a maze. Which is fun, but doesn't have a massive location, but maybe just set pieces. There are places that I don’t feel were all that connected nor did the riddle handout really help me or my players with it. The price of the adventure is high, but they are now including all the information I need to run it. However, the map they give is too big and can't work on Roll20. It also has a grid, so I have to fight with Roll20 to line it up. PDFs can remove the grids, so I appreciate those. But, here I am paying for a product that isn’t quite getting me what I want. Honestly, if these were just set piece locations as they wander the maze, I feel that would make this run easier and make the maps small enough to upload to Roll20. I appreciate what they gave me, but for almost 1/3 the price of their regular adventures, this costs a bit too much. 3.5/5

Summary- Overall, this works. It's a fine enough adventure, but it's short, a little disjointed, and the add-ons are a bit wonky. I don’t hate this, but I feel some aspects hold this back. Some small changes in organization and flow could help this be a top notch adventure. You can easily run this, and you and your party will have fun. But, don’t expect this to run for the full five hours. 77%

Originally posted at Throat Punch Games, a new idea every day!

Product- Pathfinder GM Core
System- Pathfinder 2nd Ed
Producer- Paizo
Price- $ 59.99 here https://paizo.com/products/btq02eok?Pathfinder-GM-Core
TL; DR- Good but maybe not needed 97%

Basics- ORC TO THE RESCUE! GM Core is the new ORC version of the Pathfinder 2nd Ed GM book. That’s really it.

Mechanics or Crunch- What’s here is good and gives some solid advice for GMs. It covers everything from adventure building to treasure disbursement. I like whats here, but it needs more. I want a random item table. They have item tables, but throw in a random mechanic for what to give out. I can find it online, but if I'm dropping 60 for a book, I want to think a bit less. I also need a bit more guidance on some things. Crafting is ALWAYS a pain as players want free stuff and GMs need to keep the system from breaking. Some walkthrough would help a bunch here. What’s in the book is good, but I need just a bit more. 4.5/5

Theme or Fluff- Theme covers some ground in this book. You have everything here from how to deal with at-table situations to the world of Golarion. I may not need some of this but new GMs and new players to Pathfinder are going to find some use of this book. 5/5

Execution- It’s Paizo and they made a book. The book reads well, skims easy, and has hyperlinks. It’s all the things I need and want in a book. 5/5

Summary- This is a solid book. My main issue is what isn’t here compared to what is. I can find answers and tables online, but for the price I expect it here. Now, here is the issue- do I tell you to buy this book? And that’s a solid maybe. If you have the previous book, then you honestly will be ok without this one. It’s not bad, but Pathfinder 2nd Ed didn't really change in a massive way between the OGL and ORC in my opinion. And honestly, I think that was the goal. If you know what you’re doing this might be a pass, but if you are new or don't have a GM guide for 2nd Ed, get this book! 97%

Originally posted at www.throatpunchgames.com, a new idea every day!

Product- Pathfinder Player Core
System- Pathfinder 2nd Ed
Producer- Paizo
Price- $59.99 here https://paizo.com/products/btq02eoj?Pathfinder-Player-Core
TL; DR- Superficial but needed changes. 100%

Basics- It’s Pathfinder 2nd ed-AGAIN! Player Core is the ORC approved, non OGL version of Pathfinder. Spoilers for this one- If you liked Pathfinder 2nd Ed, you’re gonna like this. If you HATED Pathfinder 2nd ed, you're still not gonna like this! Let’s look at the parts.

Mechanics or Crunch- This is the exact mechanics you saw in the original Pathfinder 2nd Ed book. The system’s basic mechanic is level based bonuses with ability bonuses to a d20. If you would like a deeper breakdown check out our original review here https://throatpunchgames.com/2019/08/18/ring-side-report-pathfinder-ruleboo k-2nd-ed/. It's a solid game. 5/5

Theme or Fluff- Like Golarion? If you liked 1st Ed and you like the previous 2nd Ed world, then you will like this. Nothing really changed in this book aside from switching out what classes made the cut: witch is in but paladin/champion is out. Things do not drastically change with this new book, but I liked the old book too. 5/5

Execution- Paizo does good books. Layout, text, pictures, and words all flow well. What this book does differently than the last one is some edits to explain some concepts better. I think this is the distinction between the two versions. Also, since we moved from the OGL to the ORC some game terms changed, and honestly despite it being mostly superficial, these are good changes I like. I can sum this up in one example spell LEVEL vs spell RANK. Those two things mean the EXACT same thing. BUT, too many new players get confused when you say level with spells, and anyone with any experience with games can tell you about a 3rd level wizard, shocked they only get 2nd level spells. Now, that's gone. That right there is worth this five out of five. 5/5

Summary- Welp this review can be summed up as “if you liked Pathfinder core rulebook you will like Player Core, and if you hate Pathfinder 2nd Ed, you won’t come back for this one!”. And that's about it. The elephant in the room is “was this needed?”. And honestly, not really and yes. Not really because this book’s biggest changes are cosmetic. The cosmetic updates are welcome, but are really just surface changes as the base mechanics haven’t changed. I like them, so that's not an issue. And completely needed because WotC hinted at major changes and this book makes Paizo stand on its own with its own rules and systems. So, your mileage will vary as you can get quite far with an old player book and have a blast, but if you have holiday money and want to get into Pathfinder 2.1 (since this isnt as big a change as DnD 3 to 3.5, not even close), then this is a great book to buy and play. 100%

Originally posted at Throat Punch Games, a new idea every day!

Product- Pathfinder Dark Archive
System- Pathfinder 2nd Ed
Producer- Paizo
Price- $41.99
TL; DR-New toys and adventures for things that go bump in the night. 97%

Basics- What goes bump in the night? Dark Archive focuses on all the stuff that gets thrown into your average Halloween party. It covers psychics, occult inquisitors called thaumaturges, archetypes, feats, spells, and a TON of adventures. Let’s dig in to this book!

Mechanics or Crunch- I love what’s here, but there are small problems that hurt things overall. The two new classes fit within the world of wizards, warriors, and clerics as now we have a mind wizard and an occult paladin. There may be a slight bit of power creep as these might be a bit better than the core classes, but it’s nothing absolutely game breaking. Feat, spell, and archetypes all fit solidly there as well. Interestingly enough, this book has almost MORE for the GM than the players. There are adventures and ways to upgrade monsters to add the occult feel like cryptids and secret societies. Aside from a bit of power creep, the other thing that I feel hurts this is the lack of inclusion into Pathfinder Society. PFS is the majority of the way I play an while I LOVE that adventures are included, new options that you only get when weird stuff happens to you are not given as options in the PFS documenting materials. What is here is well done, but balance and lack of inclusion into Paizo’s flagship gaming market hurt the book a bit. 4.75/5

Theme or Fluff- As a lover of ghost stories and campfire monsters, this book calls to me. I love the flavor here and the fact that crunch is being tied deeper into story. The new ways to add things like cults and monsters also helps. What’s here is amazing. I am slightly sad I didn't see much Lovecraft lore here. We can make it, but I still want my crazy horrors from beyond time and space to make more of an appearance in a book where time magic and feats get put into the system. Couple that with adventures that GMs can drop in instantly, this is a solid book on the Pathfinder occult. 4.9/5

Execution- This is a physical book and a PDF by Paizo, so I’m almost automatically going to love it. Solid layout, fonts, formats, hyperlinks make this a great book and a breeze to read. My one minor issue is this is a book with almost as many pages for the GM as the players. It would be nice to have a PDF of the maps and pictures that I can show to the players like they do with their adventure paths. But, if my criticism is that I want more, that's a good place to be in production. 4.9/5

Summary- I love me some crazy stuff, so I love me this book. I listen to too many podcasts about monsters, skepticism regarding monsters, and ghost stories to pass this book up. It has great additions to the system that might be a touch overpowered compared to things before. It has fun adventures with some amazing options that I wish PFS players could get their hands on. It has solid production, but a lack of web enhancements might hold it back a bit. What’s here is good, but I just want more ways to get at it. 97%

Originally posted at www.throatpunchgames.com, a new idea every day!

Product- Starfinder Beginner Box
System- Starfinder
Producer- Paizo
Price- $29.99
TL; DR- Good with a few issues 90%

Basics- To the stars! The Starfinder Beginner Box is the intro box for the Starfinder RPG, walking players through some basic character generation, how to play, and an intro adventure. It also provides dice, maps, and cardboard standees.

Mechanics or Crunch- What’s here is good, but is is missing a few key things. The walkthrough of how to play is a solid introduction to the game. But, and it’s a big but, it does leave out several things like starship combat. I LOVE Starfinder so that’s something that I think needs to be shown off. Also, as the GM, some of the skills are mislabeled. The skills that are used are simplified versions of the main skills to make life a bit easier for new players and GMs, but I feel that kind of handicaps the learning experience. That all said, it does work well and is a decent introduction to the system. 4.25/5

Theme or Fluff- The box set gives a solid introduction to the world and system, if a bit stifled. You get enough, but the adventure is a dungeon crawl. Not bad, but a bit simplified for an adventure. There are some social interactions, but I’d like more. The Pathfinder 2nd ed. Beginner box has two whole levels of dungeon, and I feel this was just a bit short. It works well, but I wanted more. 4.25/5

Execution- What’s here is fantastic. I love the maps, standees, and books. Everything that is included is done well. Solid work! 5/5

Summary-This is a good, if short, introduction to Starfinder. I like what’s here, but just need more. I want a short space shootout. I want more social. I want full skills,not simplified ones. But those are small wants compared to my friends who learned the system quickly from the box, and myself who was able to GM a game on the fly with minimal prep using this starter set. It’s good, but you will learn more when you buy the full book. 90%

Originally posted at www.throatpunchgames.com, a new idea every day!

Product- Pathfinder Adventure Path #165: Eyes of Empty Death (Abomination Vaults 3 of 3)
System- Pathfinder
Producer- Paizo
Price- $24 here https://paizo.com/products/btq024xm?Pathfinder-Adventure-Path-165-Eyes-of-E mpty-Death
TL; DR-Solid finish to the AP! 97%

Basics- Time to end this! Eyes of Empty Death is the finale of the Abomination Vaults adventure path. You’re DEEP underground and it's now time to deal with the evils that are rising to destroy Absalom. What horrors are this far underground?

Mechanics or Crunch- This is another solid Paizo adventure. Overall, the mechanics worked well and things felt balanced. There are a few things that I feel need a slightly better explanation like how some elements work during the final fight. But, those you can hand wave easily enough. It might not be perfect, but it worked well enough. 4.5/5

Theme or Fluff- This was a fun story overall with extra interesting bits of world lore. The story had new characters and twists with a crazy ending that the players enjoyed. There HAS to be a load bearing boss at the end, because I’ve played enough classic Nintendo games to know it must be. However, all those things just add to the charm of this one. 5/5

Execution- PDF? Yep. Hyperlinked? Yes! Solid Art? Yep. Good layout? Yes. It’s a book by Paizo, so I was never in doubt of the quality. For 20 bucks as a PDF, you get a lot of nice toys, art, layout, and a solid extra book of maps that you can change levels and elements on. Overall, this is all the things I wanted from a modern book! 5/5

Summary- This was a solid conclusion to the adventure path, and while well done, if you like it will entirely depend on if you want a dungeon crawl. The levels are only semi connected and it's a lot of random between them, but that’s the fun of a dungeon crawl. You do random stuff and have fun. I thought it was a well done version of that. So, if you want a nine level dungeon crawl, here you go! 97%

Ring Side Report- RPG Review of Starfinder Adventure Path #40: Planetfall (Horizons of the Vast 1 of 6)

Originally posted at www.throatpunchgames.com, a new idea every day!

Product- Starfinder Adventure Path #40: Planetfall (Horizons of the Vast 1 of 6)

System- Starfinder

Producer- Paizo

Price- $22.99 here https://paizo.com/products/btq026i0/discuss?Starfinder-Adventure-Path-40-Pl anetfall

TL; DR- Fun but it can drag if not careful! 87%

Basics- INTO THE UNKNOWN! Settle a planet and fend off the wildlife AND the friends you brought along the way in this Kingmaker in Space adventure!

Mechanics or Crunch- This adventure focuses on building and exploring a location. The problem with this and most other RPGs of this kind is randomness. Each hex has a random chance to happen there unless something is scripted. This problem can lead to you having way too many encounters to the point the book even says reduce the experience the players get. That feels a bit cheap. Couple that with the fact that there are only eight random encounters means players can get bored quickly with the encounters. There are scripted events and locations that do make things more fun, but be aware! It’s fun, but it can get a bit same-y for the fights. Most of the fun comes from the social and that is done well, but if a party just makes all murder hobos which are excellent in the bush, they will get decimated in town as they will be out maneuvered at every turn by the people they came to lead! 4/5

Theme or Fluff- Just like in the crunch, the story can get same-y if you are not careful. Depending on how players handle the world, they can spend tons of time just running around in circles exploring the same hexes again and again if they are slow. The town encounters and managing all the NPCs is the bulk of the story in this one. There is some toward the end showing the world is more than it might have seemed, but most of the time there is just town and other local claims to deal with as the bulk of the story. It’s fun, but this is an intro game that will help power level the characters more than dig deep into the story. 4/5

Execution- PDF? Yep. Hyperlinked? Yep. Solid Art? Yep. Good layout? Honestly yes. Paizo does books and adventures well. Paizo was a publishing company before an RPG company, and honestly that experience shows in a clean book that is easy to read. 5/5

Summary-There is a reason players wanted Kingmaker in space. You build a location and make it shine! This book sets the foundation for that, but like all foundations it takes time to set up. This one is a bit slow and honestly needs an expanded random encounter table as eight separate things is just not enough. Give me 20 or give me more set encounters in each place, even if they don’t advance the story! That right there would lift this WAY up in the ranks as even my players had almost memorized what the D8 meant for the coming encounter! The story that is here is fun and my players quickly learned to love and HATE some NPCs. That makes me happy as a GM. It goes almost without saying that I love Paizo’s bookmanship, so top marks there. It’s a good adventure that just needs a bit more for the random to keep things a bit more entertaining. 87 %

Ring Side Report- RPG Review of Pathfinder Society Scenario #4-05: The Arclord Who Never Was

Originally posted at www.throatpunchgames.com, a new idea every day!

Product- Pathfinder Society Scenario #4-05: The Arclord Who Never Was
System- Pathfinder
Producer- Paizo
Price- $6 here https://paizo.com/products/btq02dw7?Pathfinder-Society-Scenario-405-The-Arc lord-Who-Never-Was
TL; DR-Good overall story, but small issues in the middle beats. 83%

Basics- Who is the skull? You find a talking skull…what the heck is up with that? Find out who the skull is and continue the mystery of the fey who want it!

Mechanics or Crunch- The math is all balanced for this adventure, but the progression of it is a bit skewed. This adventure is basically several skill tests, a potential fight, skill test/fight, plot, skill tests, then end fight. Players who are combat monsters will be a bit bored as the goal of most damage will not be a major time sink for the game. It is all balanced for the numbers and skills used, but the game is moving to much more explore, report, corporate and less destroy all things. 4/5

Theme or Fluff- The overall story of this adventure is great, but the beat by beat is a bit off. The basics are to learn about the skull. Characters are introduced in throw away lines and given full pictures, but I don't honestly know who they are and how they fit into the flow. This leads to players asking questions that I honestly can’t answer. It’s nice to have, but it feels off. One example is a NPC who talked to the skull as a person, but that person is mentioned exactly four times. All four times are either in the paragraph saying he talked to her or his pictures. NO real description of who he is and why we care. The major pieces are fun and the second half of the adventure comes together well. The first half has good things that just don't fit true. 3.5/5

Execution- PDF? Yep. Hyperlinked? Yep. Solid Art? Yep. Good layout? Yep! This is what I expect from a Paizo adventure. I complained that there are TOO many pictures. That’s a good problem to have. 5/5

Summary- I like the metaplot between the starter adventure, this adventure, and the last of the trilogy about this magic talking skull. The crunch is good, but not even. If you just want to beat things, this is not your adventure. If you want to explore a magic town, this is a blast. As a GM, some pieces don’t quite work. I want more background on some characters. Help me use the NPCs and their pictures to fill out the social bits of the adventure. It’s physically well done, and the big story is a blast. I just need more flow in the middle. 83%

Originally posted at Throat Punch Games, a new idea every day!

Product- Starfinder Society Intro: Year of Fortune's Fall
System- Starfinder
Producer- Paizo
Price- $6 here https://paizo.com/products/btq02eg2?Starfinder-Society-Intro-Year-of-Fortun es-Fall
TL; DR-Welcome to the sixth season! 90%

Basics- LET’S GO TO THE… museum? The Starfinder society is partnering with many different groups to show off artifacts of the past. What wonders will be shown, what friends will be made, and who might want to mess with this display?

Mechanics or Crunch- Paizo has a solid adventure here, with a decent balance of talking and combat. The flow is mostly talking for the first half and then combat for the second. There are a lot of NPCs to sway, so combat might get a little bit left to the side as its really only two fights. That said, it's done well. 4.5/5

Theme or Fluff- This is a one building adventure. You really only spend time in one museum for the entire adventure, schmoozing with different people learning about things that will happen later in the season's adventures. That is pretty standard for the first adventure in a Starfinder Society season. My one issue is the adventure is pretty short. Most of the time I run this it's less than three hours for a five hour session. The players have fun and the story is decent. Overall, its a good addition to the first adventures of each season. 4.5/5

Execution- PDF? Yep. Hyperlinked? Yep. Solid Art? Yep. Good layout? Yep! This is what I expect from a Paizo adventure. Things are not perfect, as they give good pictures for everything except for one enemy type, so you will need your own picture. It’s not bad by any means, but it's one small thing. 4.5/5

Summary- This is a fun adventure. It's short and a little unbalanced in story tempo if you are a combat monster, but overall it's a good one. I had fun, and so did my players. It’s not perfect, but definitely one that I will be gladly running for multiple groups this year! 90%

Originally posted at www.throatpunchgames.com, a new idea every day!

Product- Treasure Vault
System- Pathfinder 2nd Ed.
Producer- Paizo
Price- $56 here https://paizo.com/products/btq02eav?Pathfinder-Treasure-Vault
TL; DR-Make or buy something fun! 95%

Basics- IT HAS POCKETS! Treasure Vault is the TTRPG equivalent of a Toys r Us Christmas catalog. Lots of new toys for everyone to play with, from alchemists with new materials, to spell additions that give some extra umph to the fireball, or the fighter with the ability to add pockets to armor.

Mechanics or Crunch- Overall, this book has a solid crunch to the system. There are lots of new toys that everyone can use and enjoy. It's an item book and the items fit with the rest of the toys in the rest of the system. My one major issue is that some things are left out because they are covered in other books. Tell me where those are from so I can check the rules out in those books. It's not a major thing but it's enough so I was a bit confused on some new additions in this book and lead me to check out others books for the rules. Also, the newer rules on crafting are good, but they reference things without giving enough background so I was a bit confused there on first read. More links to the other materials and books would help. Good stuff but enough confusion that I was a bit lost as I read through some of the sections. 4.25/5

Theme or Fluff- I was surprised by the amount of theme present in here! There is a framing device where a dragon and a kobold discuss the new items and materials. It's enjoyable! In addition, all the new toys the book presents are honestly fun and more fitting to the world. 5/5

Execution- This is a slam dunk. Solid layout, easy to read font, hyperlinks, and solid art all make this an easy and enjoyable book for anyone to use. Well done book craftsmanship. 5/5Summary-This book is another solid addition to Pathfinder 2nd Ed. The book is crafted well from a technical standing. The new toys for players all feel fresh enough that players will enjoy them and they feel like they fit in the world. Even the new things all fit well within the mechanics of the world. My main issue is I would like more rules to help me understand how some things are used or how some things are done. If you or your players want more items to spend that sweet, sweet GP on, or or more things to make, this is the book you need for Pathfinder! 95%

Originally posted at www.throatpunchgames.com, a new idea every day!

Product-Pathfinder Adventure Path #164: Hands of the Devil (Abomination Vaults 2 of 3)
System- Pathfinder 2nd Ed
Producer- Paizo
Price- $24.99 here https://paizo.com/products/btq027jm?Pathfinder-Adventure-Path-164-Hands-of- the-Devil
TL; DR-Another solid piece of the Abomination Vaults puzzle 100%

Basics- How deep is the place? Hands of the Devil dives deeper into the lighthouse from Ruins of Gauntlight. Players meet new people, monsters, and horrors beyond time as they delve deeper into the lighthouse's history and people. Are your players willing to sell someone else to the devils?

Mechanics or Crunch- This is a dungeon crawler. You kill monsters and find loot. Monsters are fun and new but balanced at the same time. Solid work from Paizo. There are also new items and character options, so this book might not be for everyone, but it does try to have materials that everyone can enjoy. 5/5

Theme or Fluff- The first book of the adventure path was very much find stuff, kill stuff, and that was fun. This one has multiple factions and people all trying to one up each other. It's a welcome change of pace. Your characters can still kill everyone and take their stuff, but there is MUCH more here than the first few levels for story and interaction. This book also has players do a lot more in town, further strengthening the roleplaying aspect. It’s a welcome change of pace. 5/5

Execution- Solid art, layout, text, story, hyperlinks, maps, and flow all make this a BREEZE to read. Paizo knows good books and their adventure paths are where they really shine. 5/5

Summary- There isn’t much more to say than this is well done. Solid fun fights, good story, and excellent execution all typify this one. I like what's here as the players can now decide if they want to talk to the monsters instead of just kill them. They CAN just kill them, but it is still fun to see if the monsters now want to eat them or have my players just want to kill them. This is a solid intro dungeon crawl for Pathfinder, and one I’m glad I'm running with my group. 100 %

Originally posted at www.throatpunchgames.com, a new idea every day!

Product-Starfinder Society Intro: Year of Redemption's Rise
System- Starfinder
Producer- Paizo
Price- $5.99 here https://paizo.com/products/btq02c6r?Starfinder-Society-Intro-Year-of-Redemp tions-Rise
TL; DR- A simple, yet solid intro adventure. 93%

Basics- STARFINDERS! The society calls you to make friends? Year of Redemption Rise is the latest intro module for the 5th year of Starfinder society. Starfinders meet three new factions, learn the basics of these factions, and help each with a micro adventure. It’s the standard fare for a faction introduction adventure, so let’s see how it stacks up.

Mechanics or Crunch- This adventure is a solid balance of fights and fluff. Players will talk with just as many NPCs as they shoot at. The crunch here for both sections is well balanced and thought out. It’s not reinventing the society’s basics, but it does a good job with the pieces it does have. 5/5

Theme or Fluff- What’s here is good, but there is not much here. The major adventure beats are leading a tour group, clearing an abandoned house, clearing a greenhouse, and cooling a political discussion. Nothing bad and it does set up for the future conflicts of tech vs. self sufficiency, but don’t expect some crazy inversion of the adventure template. You meet new groups, make friends with them, and then finish pretty quickly. Short, simple, and sweet. 4.5/5

Execution- Short, simple, and sweet is a good description of the execution of this book as well. Good layout, good pictures, a map for those who don’t have the specific map for clearing the abandoned facility, and easy to master intro and outro pieces for GM in a hurry. Six bucks is a bit steep for this, but that is my only complaint for this module. 4.5/5

Summary- This adventure reminds me of many of the other faction intro adventures. Paizo does their execution well, but it's a bit pricey. The basic crunch in them all is well done and shows a mastery of the system. And while the story is basic, it does a good job introducing new major characters to the players. Overall is this is a solid adventure and introduction to the next year as the society heals its rifts and repairs who it is. 93%

Originally posted at www.throatpunchgames.com, a new idea every day!

Product-Guns and Gears

System- Pathfinder 2nd Ed

Producer- Paizo

Price- $14.99 here https://paizo.com/products/btq029xk?Pathfinder-Guns-Gears

TL; DR- Solid new Pathfinder toys and toy based characters! 95%

Basics- BRING THE BOOM! Guns and Gears brings solid steampunk and introductory industrialization to the Pathfinder setting with new technology and themes, two new classes, a new race, and countless new character options and items.

Mechanics or Crunch- Paizo knows their system the best and they bring the best new materials for their toys. The new classes are fun parts of an ever expanding world. The Inventor is the steampunk inventor you may be searching for, with no magical background or ties like the alchemist. The Gunslinger brings pure boom to any encounter. The new race the Automaton is an interesting, but well supported addition to the world of Golarion. There is just a TON of materials with all kinds of new toys such as new guns, tools, and magic items that can help turn the tide of battle. My only complaints are that the Gunslinger feels a bit under-powered. It is an absolute crit machine, but guns can fall flat if a character spends a day hitting but not critting. That said, what Paizo has here is a FANTASTIC addition to the crunch of Pathfinder. 4.75/5

Theme or Fluff- Guns and Gears is not a small book and there is just an absolute TON of new stuff here. Now in a tool book you would think its just item lists, and there is that, but there is also a bunch of fluff to bring the new stuff into the old game. Pathfinder 1st ed is about 10 years ago in the world of Golarion, so this helps advance the world as the fantasy world gets a bit more pre-industrial. All that said, one thing sticks out and this may just be a me-problem: automatons. I always hate new races in old parts of the world as if we just magically found them in the same places we were. That and they feel out of place and honestly more like a warforged in PF2. Not a game breaker, but something I don’t think I would have wanted in my game. Another nitpick is there are no new spells here, and I feel that's a reasonable, but somewhat annoying choice. If you want some gun spells, look elsewhere. The writers wanted to focus more on mechanics and less on magic, so while I might want some spells, it's ok they are not here. 4.5/5

Execution- It’s Paizo- they know solid book production. Good layout, art, font, hyperlinking, and all the pieces I expect from a AAA RPG company. It's a 50 buck book, but as an evil millennial, I mostly like PDFs, so the 14 bucks for a digital file is extremely worth it. 5/5

Summary-I honestly love Pathfinder 2nd Ed. It's all the pieces of 4th, 3rd, and 5th Edition DnD I want. And differentiating itself from DnD by moving to a more steampunk and pre-industrial culture will help it grow by further making its own path. Guns and Gears is a solid step in that direction with amazing classes, items, and class options. The missteps I see are maybe more opinion; even if they are not my favorite things, they are done well. If you want less magic and more mechanics mayhem in your Pathfinder 2nd Ed, you need this book now! 95%

Originally posted at www.throatpunchgames.com, a new idea every day!

Product- Pathfinder Society Intro: Year of Shattered Sanctuaries
System- Pathfinder 2nd Ed
Producer- Paizo
Price- $5.99 here https://paizo.com/products/btq027s9/reviews&page=2?Pathfinder-Society-I ntro-Year-of-Shattered-Sanctuaries#tabs
TL; DR-A simple and solid adventure 86%

Basics- YOU ARE NEEDED PATHFINDERS! This is an intro scenario for new pathfinders and players of all ages. From a mushroom man trying to sort letters to uncovering a simple mystery can you, a new agent, help the Society in a time of need?

Mechanics or Crunch- This is a simple adventure that gets players rolling dice fairly quickly, but has a slightly slow start. It’s not a super risk taking adventure like the 2-01 intro, but it does introduce many society elements and grander plots. After learning about different adventures around the world, the game is a series of battles. Good for intro fun with some basic elements. It's not crazy-advanced crunch, but it’s solid fun for new players. 4.5/5

Theme or Fluff- Much like the crunch, the adventure doesn’t take risks, has a slow start, but is a decent intro to the world of Pathfinder society. Reading letters at the start is a bit slow, but it does introduce the wider world quickly. The fights are fun if a little standard for 1st level. This isn’t an adventure to push the envelope, but it also doesn’t aim to be. 4/5

Execution- Paizo knows adventures, but they are also the most pricey. I like this one. It has a solid layout, pictures, and design, but it's also an adventure that will only take about three hours, even with an uninitiated adventuring party. It's a bit expensive considering what other comparably priced adventures do. Not bad, but short. 4.5/5

Summary- The first adventure of a season is always a contentious adventure. Push the envelope too much and people get a bit lost as new players. Don’t do enough and you end up with just four smaller adventures showing off factions. This strikes a decent balance, but in doing so it doesn’t take risks in terms of scope or being adventurous. It's also a Paizo product and they put out well done, if expensive adventures. It works well, though it is a bit simple. 86%

Originally posted at www.throatpunchgames.com, a new idea every day!

Product- Pathfinder Society Scenario #2-02: Mountain of Sea and Sky
System- Pathfinder
Producer- Paizo
Price- $5.99 here https://paizo.com/products/btq024wz?Pathfinder-Society-Scenario-202-Mountai n-of-Sea-and-Sky

TL; DR-A better first scenario! 98%

Basics- Pathfinder! The Society calls! A new lodge is being built and new agents are needed to help with getting the area settled. You won’t be wielding a hammer. The land needs to be purified and the locals may help or hurt if you make enough friends. An intro adventure for levels 1 to 4.

Mechanics or Crunch-I love the crunch here. There are a ton of fights, but none drag on. Also, there are multiple things like social encounters, exploration, and some solid fights as well. Heck there is even a hard boss fight, but like all good RPGs, if you play smart and make friends, life is easier. This feels like a great introduction to the system and world, even better than 2-01. 5/5

Theme or Fluff- Story, combat, exploration, and social-all parts of a solid whole that make a fun adventure. When I run this I have a blast and so do my players. Nothing drags; there is always time left but you leave feeling full. More adventures like this are needed to pull new pathfinders into the fold. 5/5

Execution- PDF? Yes. Hyperlinked? Yes. Good layout, handout, and all the other basics make this a solid adventure. The only thing I don’t like are the maps that are marked up so I have to buy the other map somewhere else. That always feels cash grabby, but that is the only bad thing here. 4.75/5

Summary-I love this adventure. You get new locations, new characters, and solid fights that make a fun adventure. It's balanced well with a fun boss fight and great execution that makes running this a blast. Would like clean maps, but that is my only problem. If you want some intro to Pathfinder, you won’t go wrong with this one. 98%