A Pathfinder Society Special designed for levels 1-12+
An ancient Thassilonian artifact has been unearthed in Magnimar and is to be auctioned off by the city government. In order to maintain good relations with those in power in the City of Monuments, the Pathfinder Society must obtain the relic without simply stealing it, although employing any other means necessary. It falls to the PCs to infiltrate the auction, sabotage the other bidders' efforts, and call in favors from those in the Society's debt to ensure the Runecarved Key (and the secrets it unlocks) belongs to the Pathfinders when the adventure draws to a close.
Written by Kyle Baird and Tim Hitchcock.
Note: Race for the Runecarved Key is designed for play in the Pathfinder Society Roleplaying Guild. It may be run anywhere by anyone, as long as there are 4 tables playing the scenario simultaneously and are in contact with each other. To inquire about access to this scenario, refer to the Organized Play Convention Support Policy.
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I wouldn't recommend running this, or even organizing it.
This special is BAD, after Gencon I decided not to participate in any more specials because of this scenario.
Mike Brock told GM's before the event not to go easy on players, I can't figure out why. I think I had an average party, and could of killed them really easily with even the lower tier creatures.
I dont really have anything positive to say about any part of the special. Almost every part would get hammered.
So I will start with the positive things. At gencon the GM's got some flipmats and I think a chase deck.
If anywhere on there it says Paladin or even Lawful Good, take that character sheet and walk away from this scenario.
Its a decent scenario but it exists on the far shadier side of the Society and the law. This scenario, if successful will cost a Paladin 3 pp, you'll gain 2 pp for the mission and spend 5 pp for an atonement at the end, no way around it with anyone who has a decent understanding of the paladin code.
With all that said, this scenario would be an absolute blast with pretty much any other neutral, chaotic or semi-good character. Well built scenario, good combat, good "inquisitive-ness".
[Player] What are you ready to do for the Society?
My perspective on this scenario is as a player. For reference, I played it in the lower tier (1-2). Be warned, spoilers will follow!
Mechanics
This was my first special, and I loved the format and interactivity of the tables. The joined effort in the penultimate part was particularly thrilling! I also loved the chase scene, and the optional fight(s) at the end. There is a lot of room for player freedom - and there and numerous ways of solving every situation if you're creative.
To roleplay or not to roleplay?
Everyone's take on this scenario depends heavily on the moral conflicts arising as the Society asks you to do some reprehensible actions. In my opinion, it all boiled down to "what are you ready to do for the Society?" - and this was a source of some very interesting roleplaying between PCs, I loved it! Obviously some factions or classes will have a difficult time accepting to break the law, but that doesn't mean they can't do this special, far from it. Where some see difficulties, I see opportunities to roleplay your character fully, and not keep it one-dimensional.
Apart from this, there are numerous roleplaying opportunities present, and I loved all of them.
As a conclusion, I'll give this scenario a 4-star rating for this scenario. We had an excellent time, and it truly was a "special"!
Pure thuggery. I hate when I have to assure my players that carrying out the mandatory components of their mission will not negatively effect their alignment. Ever since we ran the Runecarved Key, Sheila Heidmarch's villainous streak has become a running gag in my area.
Just ran it at a game day in Aschaffenburg.
This is by far the worst adventure I came across.
Mechanically this scenario is sound, allthough tier 3-4 is significantly harder than all the other tiers.
What disappointed me was the plot, the motivation of the PCs and the Society as a whole.
The Venture Captain and the Society are acting like hypocrits, cut-throats, thiefs and liars (plain evil) in this scenario and every PC following their instructions should shift alignment (probably more than once). LG characters and Paladins especially should not be able to fullfil the goal of the interactive.
This Product should vanish in oblivion.
To clarify, there is only one tier for this special (Tier 1–12+). Tier indicates what level PCs may participate in the event. From there, there are 6 subtiers, which are based on APL and determine what set of statblocks and skill DCs the GM uses. In this special, there are: Subtier 1–2, Subtier 3–4, Subtier 5–6, Subtier 8–9, Subtier 10–11, and Subtier 12+. No character can play in a subtier more than 1 step away from the character's actual level. Thus, a 3rd-level PC can play in Subtier 1–2, Subtier 3–4, and Subtier 5–6 but not Subtier 8–9 or higher. A table's subtier is still determined by APL.
Has there been any official word on the minimum table size yet?
I know I read the policy on allowing these specials somewhere, but if a local game day meets the minimum table size, will they be allowed to run it? Or it reserved for only conventions through the next year?
Minimum table size is 4 PCs, maximum is 6. At Gen Con, this will run with 6 PCs per table to accomodate as many players as possible, except perhaps Subtier 12+, as we may not get an even multiple of 6 players.
We have not yet determined how many tables and event must be able to run in order to qualify to run this special at a local game day or convention.
Sorry, I meant minimum number of tables, instead of table size. But, you answered my question anyway. Thanks! Hopefully we'll find out in the next month or two.
How much XP is this going to award? IIRC Blood Under Absalom awarded 1, will this be the same? I have a budding level 12 in the works who has yet to play Eyes of the Ten so I don't want to ruin his chances of doing so...
How much XP is this going to award? IIRC Blood Under Absalom awarded 1, will this be the same? I have a budding level 12 in the works who has yet to play Eyes of the Ten so I don't want to ruin his chances of doing so...
I'll be scheduling this for our October Long Weekend Con (that actually starts in September). Roughly how long will this take to run? Will it need a single or double Con slot (~ 5 hr slot)?
I'm developing Round 2 right now, and not everyone will die. I'm tuning down the evil a little bit because Kyle and Tim combined is worse than anything we've ever published in terms of lethality, and I want at least a few survivors to tell the horrific tale...
I'm developing Round 2 right now, and not everyone will die. I'm tuning down the evil a little bit because Kyle and Tim combined is worse than anything we've ever published in terms of lethality, and I want at least a few survivors to tell the horrific tale...
Damn you Mark! I want free beer!
Well at least I can promise that no one will survive the table I run. ;-)
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Mark Moreland wrote:
You're running the table of GMs that gets chosen at random.
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Care Baird wrote:
C'mon guys! You don't want to play at my table for part 2? :(
We already knew... You gave that info out a long time ago.
Mike, memory problems at your old Age?
;)
Oh, I know I mentioned it before. But, no one said anything so I wanted to reinforce it. By the way, I'm not old. The Core Rulebook, page 169, advises old for a human is 53. I've got a decade to go.
I wonder how old was the one who decided that age! :)
I'm developing Round 2 right now, and not everyone will die. I'm tuning down the evil a little bit because Kyle and Tim combined is worse than anything we've ever published in terms of lethality, and I want at least a few survivors to tell the horrific tale...
Bah!
First off, Night Two is never going to be published.
Second, its only as lethal as the monsters in the Bestiary.
and Third...
PYGON has pleaded to learn the art of TPK, that and he also complained Ruby Phoenix was TOO EASY. Night 2 should be the event, you wish you hadn't won your way into.
The slogan for Night 2 should be:
"Welcome To the PFS Saturday Night Special. We Make Gamers Cry."
Come one heros... chime in. Tell Mark not to work so hard to make things easy on you.
Tell him, you want to be champion. Tell him not to water down they deadly. Tell him you only want one Pathfinder survive round two (which of course will be you, and you alone)
Come one heros... chime in. Tell Mark not to work so hard to make things easy on you.
Tell him, you want to be champion. Tell him not to water down they deadly. Tell him you only want one Pathfinder survive round two (which of course will be you, and you alone)
While I appreciate the sentiment, Tim, the patient's still open on the table, and at this point getting all the sponges out before sewing it up is more efficient than adding the instant death back in.
And who said we're never going to publish it? We just said it was never going to be offered again for Pathfinder Society credit. Who knows what we'll do with this down the road...
Is the date available for this incorrect? August 6 of 2013? Or is that intentional? We were hoping to run this at the store I GM for this Saturday. Or, do we have to wait until after GenCon?
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tro1984 wrote:
Is the date available for this incorrect? August 6 of 2013? Or is that intentional? We were hoping to run this at the store I GM for this Saturday. Or, do we have to wait until after GenCon?
The Specials are not available to the public until a year after their debut at GenCon IIRC
If a store or convention can meet the minimum table requirement (4, in this case), you can run it during the special's first year by contacting Campaign Coordinator Mike Brock at mike.brock@paizo.com and he'll get a copy of the adventure to your GMs. It will go on sale for everyone to purchase when we launch the 2013 special.
It's not available to be run anywhere until after Gen Con.
PYGON has pleaded to learn the art of TPK, that and he also complained Ruby Phoenix was TOO EASY. Night 2 should be the event, you wish you hadn't won your way into.
The slogan for Night 2 should be:
"Welcome To the PFS Saturday Night Special. We Make Gamers Cry."
GAH! Don't tell them that! They know where to find me!
PYGON has pleaded to learn the art of TPK, that and he also complained Ruby Phoenix was TOO EASY. Night 2 should be the event, you wish you hadn't won your way into.
The slogan for Night 2 should be:
"Welcome To the PFS Saturday Night Special. We Make Gamers Cry."
GAH! Don't tell them that! They know where to find me!
But now we know who to thank!
Thanks Pygon! People have way too many PFS characters. :D
No. It is august 2013... The specials are released for sale a year after they debut at GenCon. It lets smaller cons run it too over the corse of the year as a draw.
If a store or convention can meet the minimum table requirement (4, in this case), you can run it during the special's first year by contacting Campaign Coordinator Mike Brock at mike.brock@paizo.com and he'll get a copy of the adventure to your GMs. It will go on sale for everyone to purchase when we launch the 2013 special.
It's not available to be run anywhere until after Gen Con.
I spent much of this nightmarish hell-storm prone, nauseated, covered in a mixture of my own stomach acid and the grease spell of multiple enemy spellcasters, then coated in a layer of chilling ice after being targeted with a sleet storm spell. All I could do was groan piteously and be paralyzed by the overpowering weight of my armor as dread creatures stalked the halls and slew my companions.
I lay there, helpless to react.
Carmina Burana is an appropriate thematic choice for music.
:(