Story:
This story is a great continuation of one of the oldest storylines in PFS, and the author definitely does it justice. The lore and background are rich and deep, and the story the author told is one of the few in PFS that have ever provoked a genuine emotional reaction from me upon reading (it’s really pretty heartbreaking). However, like many other scenarios, most of the wonderful background and narrative is available mainly only to the GM, and it’s up to said GM to translate it to the players. While this is true in all scenarios, unless the GM is really good with storytelling and atmosphere, the players will most likely miss out on the narrative potential. Take some time with the prep and really get into the story to give your players the best experience.
Mechanics:
Whooooo boy. As others have said, there are a TON of things to keep track of in this scenario, and more skills checks and saves than I’ve ever seen, some of the effects of which may not even come into play until 2 or 3 acts later. Those effects can alter a wide variety of elements, such as check and save DCs, stat blocks, and even mission success conditions. Additionally, previous experiences with other Blakros/Overwatched-related scenarios add additional modifications and story elements, some of which may be double-edged swords for the affected players. This is not a scenario where you can just read through it a couple of hours before table time and expect to do it justice; expect to allocate more time than usual to prep in order to keep everything organized. Additionally, many of these things happen behind the scenes with little direct indication to the players of how they effect their outcomes (e.g. containment breaches), which can definitely lead to the potential for “gotcha” moments (which nobody likes). I would recommend that the GM find a way to explain the containment breach mechanics and time constraints, even going off script if necessary to give players a better sense of what’s going on. Most of the check DCs are challenging but not unrealistic for most parties, but to some extent success in the Library seems to be a function of whether or not the party happens to have the right skills available. In the end, this has the potential to add a variability factor some players may find off-putting. The combats are challenging, especially the end bosses in both tiers, but absolutely doable for a smart party. The chronicle sheet rewards, while not particularly strong mechanically and primarily oriented towards familiar users and arcane types, are supremely flavorful and worth it. Finally, because there’s so much cool story and action going on, this runs long. Both the tables I’ve seen of this scenario ended up skipping the optional encounter just due to time and still finished at 4.5 – 5 hours.
Summary:
I loved this scenario, and would happily run it again. It’s great as a stand-alone but really shines with players and a GM who know the lore and are familiar with the Blakros Museum storyline. For players, bring a lot of different skills and social ability, but also be combat-ready. For GMs, bring your A game, stay organized, and remember that the primary outcome should be that everyone has a good time.
