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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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Disappointed.

1/5 —

What a sad and disappointing finish to what was otherwise a great and fun story arc. The overall module was unengaging, the story felt rushed, and the finale was anticlimatic and unsatisfying. This was an uninspired event, with a final fight against an underwhelming and nonsensical opponent. Everything leading up to it didn't help either, as even the faction missions felt like tacked on afterthoughts.

I was expecting an epic finish to an enjoyable series. What I got was three wasted hours and a bowl of mashed potatoes.

Ice Poopsickles

1/5 —

This scenario was poorly edited. This scenario was filler until the end fight, and the end fight (to the series!) was disappointing as hell.

The encounters are memorable for all the wrong reasons, they won't challenge the party, but they have a chance of killing one character.

One encounter in particular, was sprung on us like a trap, like something blew up under our feet. We should have had at least a few rounds to prepare (especially since we made a 30+ Perception check). Hopefully that was a GM mistake and not the intent of the author. It was deadly enough to kill a pregen of the correct level, so beware, it could easily kill PCs "playing up".

The end fight was both bland and super easy. However, with a little bit of bad luck it can end with a PC death. Either way, it's not fun and was extremely disappointing. I was really surprised when I killed the boss, I thought they were just guards and there would be another encounter after that. And that lead to a "is that it" moment, which is not the best way to end a 3 part series.

Try looking at it as a stand-alone adventure

3/5 —

I got to run the entire 3-part series in one day this past weekend. And I understand the disappointment when you look at this adventure as the conclusion of the triad.
However, I ended up running this for a group of 6 players, with 5 newcomers to PFS, and they had a blast! And when I looked again at the encounters, there are a couple of clever encounters - the "trap" and the subsequent role-playing one.
I can't go higher than 3 stars because it has to be looked at as part of the series, and because of the apparent stat errors, but there is still a fun scenario lurking here.

Disappointing Finale to the Series

2/5 —

As much as Mark will hate it, the full review will have to wait. :)

Summary: This scenario was clearly shorted on resources and development time. It includes a couple of great, unique elements, only one of which actually functions. The rest of this scenario is shoe-horned map packs, poorly designed encounters, and disappointing editing mistakes. This is NOT what I expect from the final scenario of a series.

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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
Pathfinder Rulebook Subscriber

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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