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Pathfinder Society Scenario #2-19: Shades of Ice—Part III: Keep of the Huscarl King (PFRPG) PDF

2.30/5 (based on 19 ratings)
Pathfinder Society Scenario #2-19: Shades of Ice—Part III: Keep of the Huscarl King (PFRPG) PDF

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A Pathfinder Society Scenario designed for 1st to 5th level characters (Tiers: 1-2 and 4-5).

Information in the Shadow Lodge headquarters in Whitethrone leads you into the Realm of the Mammoth Lords in search of an abandoned tower of a lost Ulfen king. The powerful weapon rumored to be there could be disastrous if it falls into the hands of those who plot the Pathfinder Society’s destruction; who will find it first?

Keep of the Huscarl King is part three of the three-part Shades of Ice campaign arc. It follows Pathfinder Society Scenario #2-15: Shades of Ice—Part I: Written in Blood and Pathfinder Society Scenario #2-17: Shades of Ice—Part II: Exiles of Winter. All three scenarios are intended to be played in order.

Written by Jesse Benner.

This scenario is designed for play in Pathfinder Society Organized Play, but can easily be adapted for use with any world. This scenario is compliant with the Open Game License (OGL) and is suitable for use with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game.

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Average product rating:

2.30/5 (based on 19 ratings)

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Underwhelming

2/5 —

My table sleepwalked through this one.

A lot of the encounters feel like filler, and the climactic battle is a joke. There's some nice roleplaying and lore here, but it's just too easy to be any fun.

Doesn't compare to P1&2

3/5 —

compared to the first 2 it falls short. There are some great parts, only 1 real RP moment (tho it is a great one). I could see some people getting bored playing this one.

Mixed opinions about this one.

3/5 —

Strange that the product discussion is mostly positive while the product reviews are mostly negative!

Minor spoilers for this review:

Spoiler:

The beauty of this scenario is really in one particular roleplayed encounter, where the rest of the scenario leads up to it without you really realising it.

The scenario doesn't take much into account from parts 1 and 2, but there is one hook - Skagni's map - from part 2, which you follow throughout the scenario. This, too, is pretty refreshing, because usually - maybe - you'd get to see a map of where you are briefly before the game starts, in the "Where In Golarion" section. Here, you follow that very important map throughout the scenario. In other words, this is not just a bunch of random events, it is a journey that happens to have random events happen.

So, yes, there's letdowns (maps, editing errors, other mechanical things that should have been better looked at), but if your GM is making sure you understand every word of what you come across, and making sure you play your part where it's needed, this can be a pretty valuable little venture. I even had one player tell me it was the best scenario he'd played to date.

FUMBLLLLE!

1/5 —

I played this series a year ago, and remember being underwhelmed by this finale. Having prepped it, now, that impression is very much reinforced.

The encounters feel like a series of random happenstance with no flow, including one specific one that comes out of left field and makes no sense, at all (see spoiler below). The last encounter is a pushover at either tier, with the unfortunate side effect of being very deadly if the bad guy gets off a lucky critical hit - which will only happen on a 20, and then she actually has to confirm it with her terrible attack bonus. There is nothing interesting about that kind of "danger" when you are fighting it.

Encounter details:
So, what in the world is up with the dinosaur encounter in the middle of the snowy wastes? I just can't get by that. Thermal vent explanation or not, it's just silly. Couldn't this have made a bit more sense? A crystalline cave with a crysmal that wants the gems the PCs surely have on them from previous encounters would make for a far more interesting idea. Or even a batch of ghouls/ghasts left over from trapped, starving barbarians. So many options exist that would make so much more sense and fit the flavor of the region so much better. This one encounter completely kills the mood of "arctic adventuring" and destroys immersion in story.

And by linking it to a faction mission the ability to punt it as an optional encounter and leave it on the sidelines where it belongs is removed, as well. Even worse, that faction's missions in the first two scenarios led us to believe that this mission would be the penultimate item for this faction member to get. A quote from the previous scenario's mission: "Should your journey to the north next send you to the Realms of the Mammoth Lords...no, the thought is too exciting to finish." So it finishes with, "Oh, by the way, get a piece of a dinosaur, would you? Not that you should find one in the snow and cold..." Ugh.

Then, to have the Snowmask Clan do their utmost to destroy the party with a stampede, at the end of which they say, "Hey, can we tell each other a story?" while surrounding them with an overwhelming force? I realize we're playing a fantasy game, here, but being asked to check my sense of realism at the door like that is going too far.

Considering the build-up in story to this point from the first two scenarios, I'm left with the impression that the author of the first two in the series decided to not write this one at the last minute and Paizo was sent scrambling to meet a deadline. Poor Jesse Benner was left holding the ball, and did his best, but didn't have enough information to work with to make a satisfying end to the arc. Unfortunately, it's his reputation that takes the hit, but I feel like it was just poor timing on a series of other events that led to this point. If that is not the case, then I sincerely hope Mr. Benner uses the criticism in these reviews, and the threads about this scenario, to improve his work.

Paizo, I know you have done better since this point in PFS scenario development, so I hope to never see another "fumble" like this, again.

Such a bad way to finish an arc

1/5 —

From my Gm experience of the 25 or so games I have ran this whole series twice now and part three is by far my least favourite out of all those games and such a disappointment when you look at parts one & two which loved running. The opening makes no sense and does very little to connect parts 2 and 3. With this in mind I had to do a re-write for my players to help reason why and how they go from a the city to the wilderness.

The combats are not really challenging and the final fight is total disappointing. The trap is a real death trap to most apl 3 party's playing up, but the knowledge hints might as well point to a big red "don't go down here sign".

Part 3 really disappoints, it feels almost like the writer gave up and I can't recommend it.

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Paizo Employee Director of Brand Strategy

Announced!
The Exchange RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16

This has a nice "Against the Giants" feel to the title. Presumably, though, the Venture Captains won't be sending their 1st and 2nd-Level operatives against frost giants...
The Exchange RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16

Speaking of which: What's a "huskarl king"? Huscarls are Norse nobles, something like a king's honor guard of earls. Is a "huskarl king" a combination-rank like a "lieutenant colonel" or more like "the king that the huskarls guard"?
Paizo Employee Director of Brand Strategy

This scenario's eponymous Huskarl King was a huskarl who used the riches gained in the service to his liege and set out to form his own kingdom deep in the savage Realm of the Mammoth Lords.
Contributor

Description updated!
The Exchange

And then?...
Doug Miles wrote:
And then?...

I refuse to play your Chinese food mind games!

The Exchange

Perhaps you would like to debate me regarding how intelligent a squirrel is then? I challenge you to a pointless argument!
Contributor

Now available!
Owner - House of Books and Games LLC
1 person marked this as a favorite.
Doug Miles wrote:
Perhaps you would like to debate me regarding how intelligent a squirrel is then? I challenge you to a pointless argument!
Liz Courts wrote:
Now available!

A pointless argument is now available?! Sign me up! This'll be even better than those epic level rulz warz.

Dark Archive

I got a chance to play this story arc, finishing with the third act just yesterday. I truly enjoyed the scenario with the story it provides and the game play elements implemented. This third arc, in my opinion, completes the story introduced in the first act which i enjoyed as it tied together from where we started. I also liked the expanded role-playing element with the story-telling aspect introduced in the third act as most scenarios, some scenarios more than others, favor combat over RP and I liked the balance with this story. Awesome job guys and keep up the good work!!
the Haunted Jester wrote:
I got a chance to play this story arc, finishing with the third act just yesterday. I truly enjoyed the scenario with the story it provides and the game play elements implemented. This third arc, in my opinion, completes the story introduced in the first act which i enjoyed as it tied together from where we started. I also liked the expanded role-playing element with the story-telling aspect introduced in the third act as most scenarios, some scenarios more than others, favor combat over RP and I liked the balance with this story. Awesome job guys and keep up the good work!!

+1 to HJ

I ran this for the first time yesterday. definitely the best of the trilogy. You can combat it, you can RP it, you can do both
Silver Crusade Contributor, RPG Superstar 2010 Top 8

Novalord, Jester...
Mad love for you both.
Thanks for the kind words, they are appreciated and I'm glad you and your Pathfinders had a good time and--hopefully--survived.
-JB
Shadow Lodge

There is one small error that I noticed in the PDF edition:

Spoiler:
The Beasts of Bygone Days has the map labeled as being part of the Temples map-pack, however the mushroom cavern is actually a part of the Caverns pack
Liberty's Edge

One question I had running it:

Spoiler:
If the PCs decide to give the axe back to the tribe, should I cross it off their chronicle sheet? That seemed correct, but nowhere on the sheet or in the adventure did it mention it, so I didn't.
Grand Lodge

Spoiler:
If it does not tell you to cross it off, do not. Chronicle rewards are a bit abstract, as shown by multiple people being able to have the same unique item.
Shadow Lodge RPG Superstar 2013 Top 16

I've just run Shades of Ice 3 a second time, after going through 1 and 2 with the same group. I just thought I'd reiterate what I said in my review: I think people are being unnecessarily harsh with this one. It's not as good as parts 1 and 2, but it is still a solid scenario. I've run two groups through it and they've both enjoyed it; some unfortunate rolls made it much more challenging for the second group. The impression from the reviews is that this is one to avoid and I simply don't think that's fair.
Grand Lodge

Running Shades of Ice while home in Ohio for the summer, my group consisted of my childhood best friend, his brother, my wife, my brother, and my brother's friends. They thought the entire series was a blast and enjoyed the huge amount of roleplay in this final installment. The problem of easy combats was mitigated by their party being varied in levels and having to play the high sub-tier. Table variation may be the culprit, but I have no complaints with this scenario.

Ooog... I don't plan to run this, I just want to use it as fodder for a solo campaign for my wife, the Barbarian Mammoth Rider yet-to-be (level 1).

I came across one part that I thought odd...

Spoiler:
The Snowmask Clan plans to use this area as a trap. What the heck? Does it bother to mention why the Kellids wanted to screw with the party and THEN invite them to parlay? Damaging your food base just to haze some stupid newbs? That doesn't make sense to me.

I hope Season 5 does more with Kellids and the threat of the World-Wound from the East. For my solo campaign, my wife has to decide if she's going to get a chunk of the Broken Shield of Aroden to the Pathfinders, try to remake it and claim it for herself, ditch the wood and pursue her own goals, fight the demonic threat in the East or what. Pre-written encounters I can use to get my Level 1 wife a good start are happy for me. :)
Grand Lodge
Romaq wrote:
I came across one part that I thought odd...

Spoiler:
Once the PCs survive the trap, the Kellids realize these outsiders aren't going to be dissuaded and seek to parley with them. If the Aspis agents hadn't outright attacked them when challenged the PCs might have been spoken to in the first encounter rather than attacked. If the PCs have spared or saved other members of the tribe in earlier encounters, this might also have helped convince the Kellids that they should finally speak with this separate band of outsiders.

Ah. I didn't quite read through the scenario at that point. In any case, I hope to see more Kellid material in Season 5. That might also force Paizo to come up with more "Mammoth Lords" map material. I'm not so enthused about the current winter offerings, but I lack the expertise to make up my own just yet. Thank you for commenting, TriOmegaZero! :)
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