Pathfinder Maps, Starfinder Maps, Starfinder Society Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber. Pathfinder Society GM. 56 posts (911 including aliases). 2 reviews. No lists. No wishlists. 18 Organized Play characters. 2 aliases.
Priced at twenty dollars, this huge bundle is an incredible value!. It's also the perfect introduction to the world of Third Party Pathfinder support, because even if you are a GM reticent about giving players access to Third Party feats and spells, the collections of monsters in the Book of Beasts titles, pre-built NPCs found in The Book of Friends and Foes series are worth the price of admission all on their own.
Of particular note is Assassins in the River Kingdoms, a supplement originally created for the Kingmaker Adventure Path, intended to provide ready-made enemies when the random event table in that AP indicated an assassination attempt. While Assassins is perfect for that purpose, with assassins presented at a variety of CRs so that a GM is ready whenever that event is rolled, the book has plenty to offer a GM not running Kinfmaker. Each NPC assassin has a distinctive flavor and mechanical methodology, and includes roleplaying notes and tactics, each making for a perfect random encounter, or even the kernel of a short adventure.
Once you've gotten your money's worth out of the monsters and NPCs, take a look at the PC options, and judge their balance level for yourself. Whether you're a true believer in the vibrant world of Third Party support looking to dip your toe into the water, this bundle is a great opportunity.
I am not a big reader of RPG tie-in fiction, but having listened to (the first?) two Dave Gross interviews on the Know Direction podcast, I found myself more and more intrigued by Radovan and Count Jeggare, and Paizo's PDF Love sale was the perfect excuse to break down and purchase the series. The beginning seemed as good a place as any to start, so I blazed through Hell's Pawns over the past couple days.
This novella certainly delivers on all the promise in Mr. Gross's interviews, serving up a fun and compelling adventure tale. And though I leave this story feeling I know Radovan much better than I know the Count, those glimpses of the Boss that I caught left me curious for more.
And while I'm no expert on RPG tie-in fiction, Hell's Pawns seems successful there, too, giving me my first real feeling of "getting" Cheliax, a corner of Golarion that had never quite gelled for me.
