A Pathfinder Society Scenario designed for levels 5-9.
A recent attack on the Grand Lodge became all the more heinous when one of the invading agents employed an eldritch relic to abduct a high-ranking Pathfinder. In order to release the captive, the Society must understand the relic and track down the fleeing operative—a mission that leads the PCs into Absalom's most prestigious archives to uncover a dark secret.
Content in "The Blakros Connection" also ties into a special metaplot element from Pathfinder Society Special #6-98: Serpents Rise. Players who have completed that special event are encouraged to bring its Chronicle sheet when playing this adventure.
Written by Robert Brookes.
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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The Blakros Connection has somewhat of a reputation around this area and it’s a good one. Everyone here only has fond memories thinking back to this scenario and felt a bit left out for a while. At long last I finally had a chance to play this and I don’t regret doing so. This is especially the case as I had a certain connection to the NPC we were trying to catch due to a previous scenario. It really made her seem more alive, which I really enjoyed. However, some of the nuances are lost on others, which makes me wonder if this is a good thing or not.
The story is solid and there’s a unique way (or system) to gather information. That mechanic is bound to get mixed reactions. You more or less need specific characters to be successful at it in a timely fashion and I can imagine that you’ll either love it or hate it. The party I was with had three such people, so we just steamrolled through that portion. I enjoyed it, but having to do it three times was perhaps a bit too much. Twice would have been enough, though I will say it’s an effective way to tell this kind of story.
The combats and locations were great. I enjoyed the awkward dreamscape and certain enemies really gave us a run for a money. The dreamscape itself and the magical issues elsewhere were a nice touch that added a lot of flavor and suspense. The final encounter could have been really scary, but we had a few nice tricks up our sleeves to deal with this particular kind of enemy. We ended up showboating a little, much to everyone’s hilarity and enjoyment.
I personally had a lot of fun, but that’s partially because of circumstances. We had an optimal party for this and even had someone with a bond a very important NPC. While there are certainly aspects everyone will enjoy, such as the environmental effects, I can see other people struggle with the research portion and possibly feel left out, which honestly is a shame. Based on that, I can’t give it a maximum rating, but I will still recommend everyone to give this scenario a go.
This provides an important part of the plot between Siege of Serpents and several later scenarios, and allows you to figure out what's going on behind the scenes, and has a tie-in to a cryptic character encountered earlier. That makes it a pretty cool scenario, and the ending scenes in the dreamscape are very interesting to play.
Unfortunately the rest of the scenario is repeated library searches. The library mechanic is unnecessarily complicated, basically lets one PC do everything by himself (which takes a long time) while the rest stands around being irrelevant. And then there's a second library. And then there's a THIRD library. All in all this is aggravatingly tedious.
But in practice, a scenario is mostly judged on its beginning and its end, and these are both strong. Just ask your GM to go quickly through the boring middle part.
Had a great time. Good way to get info on the overarching plot. The research mechanic was nice and new, and even my poor skill deprived paladin could contribute by aiding.
Bonus points to the GM for making a physical prop for the research.
It's something I had hoped to use, but as Robert and I worked on this scenario, it became clear that the storyline just wasn't going to accommodate that map without substantial shoe-horning. You can bet that any time the Blakros Mueseum shows up in an adventure, I'm looking for ways to use that flip-mat.
Thanks John for post. I spent money on acquiring maps so yes, I like to use them. Also, I think they add level to adventure rather than me just drawing the map out. (Also, easier to prep ;) )
How has Nigel not quit or retired from all of the crazy Night at the Museum shenanigans that happen to him? :)
Considering all the weird stuff that happens in that museum, and considering how often the Pathfinder Society is expected to clean up after the latest disaster, I'm just waiting for a table of experienced players/PCs to be sent to the museum, open the front door, throw in all their alchemist fire/other expendables, cast all their high-damage spells, close and lock the door, then look at me as I hide behind my GM screen and say "Problem solved".
I love the Blakros Museum. My players love to hate it. Fun for all! lol
How has Nigel not quit or retired from all of the crazy Night at the Museum shenanigans that happen to him? :)
Considering all the weird stuff that happens in that museum, and considering how often the Pathfinder Society is expected to clean up after the latest disaster, I'm just waiting for a table of experienced players/PCs to be sent to the museum, open the front door, throw in all their alchemist fire/other expendables, cast all their high-damage spells, close and lock the door, then look at me as I hide behind my GM screen and say "Problem solved".
I love the Blakros Museum. My players love to hate it. Fun for all! lol
I can't wait to be the GM for that table and tell them that the building's made of basalt.
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