Nearly every nation has contributed to the Mendevian Crusade, but few are willing to send additional aid to assist the Pathfinder Society directly. Owed a favor the elves cannot refuse, Pathfinders travel to Kyonin to secure a force of some of the finest demon-hunters in Avistan only to find that the hunters are missing in action. Can the Pathfinders extract the lost elves from the depths of Tanglebriar, or will they become the latest casualties of Treerazer’s domain?
Written by Ryan Costello, Jr.
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.
Product Availability
Fulfilled immediately.
Are there errors or omissions in this product information? Got corrections? Let us know at
store@paizo.com.
1) Reading other reviews and comments, I think part of the problem is that each GM is seeing the primary encounter very differently. Perhaps an example run through of at least that encounter would keep the wildly differing experiences to a minimum. 2) Pregens should be highly discouraged. 3) Warnings of multiple TPKs should be given before game starts to alleviate post-death screaming. 4) Easy to break the module with a single spell.
I've been playing PFS for over 12 months now and this is by FAR the worst scenario I've ever played. I would have given it zero stars if possible.
Our party was optimized and we still TPK'ed 4 turns into the first encounter. My PFS group are now avoiding scenarios written by Ryan Costello as a result.
Other posters aren't kidding - that first encounter will put over-confident Pathfinders in their place, but it *is* survivable. GMs should definitely read the rules and GM threads around how this encounter *should* be run to give the players a fighting chance. A poorly run first encounter is absolutely deadly in this one.
That said, it's epic in feel, with an interesting variety of encounters and challenges with a definite lethal threat for Pathfinders that don't stay sharp.
The final combat has a lot of complexity that takes some work to prep and run, but provides a very satisfying experience.
GMs and players - bring your 'A game' and enjoy this great adventure!
This has to be the worst PFS scenario that I've played.
Two rounds into the first encounter, three members of our five-person group were dead, including me, a level 7 fighter. Once the creature appeared, there was basically no chance for our group to escape.
After that first battle, I refused to attempt finishing the scenario. If the first encounter is a monster that can slaughter our party in two rounds, what might we face in the second and third encounters? I was really looking forward to playing this scenario, but raise dead and restoration spells are expensive.
Spoiler:
After searching for other reviews of this scenario, I've read that the author intended for the creature to spawn 100 feet from the party, not right next to the party. I think that change would make a huge difference in a party's ability to survive.
Nonetheless, the setup was great and I loved the tie-ins to the Queen of Thorns novel.
Tanglebriar must be the size of my back garden because realism went out the window in the first encounter. As for the first encounter, I love it when the conversation with the GM goes: can I move out the way? No, you can stand there and take the damage. Can I make a saving throw? No, you can stand there and take the damage, and now you're lying prone on the ground, too. And your magic sword flies out of your hand when you hit the ground, etc... There's nothing worse for a player when you get locked out of the action because you can't do anything. I know there are players out there who like to go into these scenarios as if they were SEAL team 6 going after abu-ben-kabooby in Ta-jerk-istan but there are also some of us who like to treat the game as if we were strolling the forest path of Mirkwood and we don't expect Asmodeus to pop out from behind a tree and make you an offer you can't refuse. I'm all for tough encounters but gimme a break! I might whip up 50 such encounters in the next few hours (that will kill 80% of players and leave the power gamers on an adrenaline high) and sell them to Paizo to plug into their season 5 scenarios... As for role-playing content, give this scenario a miss, you won't be disappointed.
I've never played Pathfinder Society, probably won't get the chance to for the foreseeable future, but I think I'm going to buy this anyway. After listening to all of "Know Direction" over the summer, I'm really curious to read some of Ryan's writing.
While no motivation to buy this is unwarrented, Nate, I recommend you give PFS a try. Heck, if you're buying this scenario anyway, offer to run The Elven Entanglement at your FLGS. Most regions have a core group of veterans begging for higher tier scenarios.
Give it the Wild Speech feat. People so rarely expect an otyugh to talk; it would blow their minds to hear a bear talk and then find out that the bear is an otyugh...that can also talk.
I think I'm gonna buy this and work it into my home campaign -- the PCs just happen to be in the Tanglebriar right now, and in need of building some trust with the elves of Kyonin.
EDIT: And I am a Know Direction/Private Sanctuary fan, and want to throw some business Ryan's way!
Does this scenario have any recommended factions? I haven't seen any mentioned anywhere...yet.
If not, does this mean that Season 5 Tier 7-11 scenarios will follow a slightly different paradigm than the lower tiers have so far, or does this fall under the category of "one does not constitute a pattern"? :P
Does this scenario have any recommended factions? I haven't seen any mentioned anywhere...yet.
If not, does this mean that Season 5 Tier 7-11 scenarios will follow a slightly different paradigm than the lower tiers have so far, or does this fall under the category of "one does not constitute a pattern"? :P
TIA!
Not every scenario will have a faction-related opportunity. It so happens that #5–05 does not have such a faction goal, and I'm sure that there will be others—not all of them Tier 7-11—that will similarly have no faction association.
Does this scenario have any recommended factions? I haven't seen any mentioned anywhere...yet.
If not, does this mean that Season 5 Tier 7-11 scenarios will follow a slightly different paradigm than the lower tiers have so far, or does this fall under the category of "one does not constitute a pattern"? :P
TIA!
Not every scenario will have a faction-related opportunity. It so happens that #5–05 does not have such a faction goal, and I'm sure that there will be others—not all of them Tier 7-11—that will similarly have no faction association.
Except, of course, for those of us with Lantern Bearer characters who see this entire scenario as one big glorious opportunity to do some work for their true faction. ^w^
Thanks lastblacknight. And thanks to everyone who has reviewed the scenario so far. Sorry for those who fell victim to an early encounter, although from one of the write-ups, I can see an error or two the GM made that increased the lethality of the encounter exponentially. I’ve posted some advice for GMs thinking of running this scenario in the thread in the Pathfinder Society GM Discussion forum.
I'm running this tomorrow, and I'm really looking forward to it. I think I might bring a copy of Queen of Thorns to lend to anyone who seemed incredibly into the setting.
The Briarborn Juggernaut (a not quite advanced version of the Titan Centipede) Didn't have the fact that it can not be tripped in the CMB/CMD section. I assume that the same would apply as it did in the lower tier monster.
Animate Dead on Briarborn Juggernaut. It's a horsey!
You may need to consider how to handle that. Our GM had to take a break to figure out what would happen. And we still ended up effectively ignoring a large part of the module. Official ruling may be necessary.
You may need to consider how to handle that. Our GM had to take a break to figure out what would happen. And we still ended up effectively ignoring a large part of the module. Official ruling may be necessary.
Not official, but...
Spoiler:
Given how many reviews mention that the first encounter led to a TPK, I think this is a just reward for a well fought encounter.
I have personally witnessed that tactic once and read about it happening on two other occasions. It's not a tactic available to every party, and just happens to make a few parts of the scenario easier.
Developer
