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Pathfinder Adventure Path #105: The Inferno Gate (Hell's Vengeance 3 of 6) (PFRPG)

1.30/5 (based on 3 ratings)
Pathfinder Adventure Path #105: The Inferno Gate (Hell's Vengeance 3 of 6) (PFRPG)
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Highway to Hell

The Thrice-Damned House of Thrune wants to seal the Inferno Gate, an uncontrolled portal to Hell, and the villainous adventurers are called to accomplish the task. To acquire the components and perform the ritual, they must first face down a hellspawn thieves' guild, the Hellknight Order of the Pike, and the knights of the Glorious Reclamation and their celestial allies. But before they can complete the ritual, the characters may be forced to examine their options—is closing the gate the best plan for the future? Will the villains obey their orders to close the gate to Hell—or might they make a deal with a devil for control of the portal? Or will they only become the latest in a long line of sacrifices to the Inferno Gate?

This volume of Pathfinder Adventure Path continues the Hell's Vengeance Adventure Path and includes:

  • "The Inferno Gate," a Pathfinder adventure for 7th-level characters, by Patrick Renie.
  • A foray into the faith of the archdevil Moloch, by F. Wesley Schneider.
  • Details on various types of magical portals, by F. Wesley Schneider.
  • A last-second rescue reveals an unexpected ally in the Pathfinder's Journal, by Josh Vogt.
  • Five dangerous new monsters, by Benjamin Bruck, Jason Keeley, Jeffrey Swank, and Mike Welham.

ISBN-13: 978-1-60125-827-4

Other Resources: This product is also available on the following platforms:

Hero Lab Online
Archives of Nethys

Note: This product is part of the Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscription.

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1.30/5 (based on 3 ratings)

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Really bad

1/5 —

This is a review for GMs. Spoilers ahead.

For the life of me, I don't know how this one got published. It has the most nonsensical plot I've ever read in all my 30 years of gaming. After the PCs disrupt attempts to conquer Kentaria in Part 2 of the AP and cause anarchy in the streets, they're summoned by Archbaron Fex. There, they learn that while they were stopping the Glorious Reclamation at Kentaria, the town of Senara has fallen. But rather than aid any efforts to help retake Senara, Fex first has you swear loyalty to House Thrune, and then...ride off on a ridiculous fetch quest to gain the components needed to close a gate to Hell.

No, seriously. I have no idea why anyone thought this would make sense. In a nation full of devil-binders - where the state-sanctioned religion is the worship of Asmodeus - why would anyone loyal to the ruling house want to SHUT DOWN a gate to Hell in the middle of an insurrection? Wouldn't it make more sense to gain control of said gate so it could pour devils onto the ranks of the holy knights threatening to overthrow Cheliax? The logic breaks down even more when the PCs meet some Hellknights of the Order of the Pike in a place called Citadel Ordeial. These guys are monster hunters and are at least dimly aware that an open gate to Hell causes random devils/monsters to romp about in the woods around the Citadel. Uh, okay monster hunters, when did you plan to get on that?

Sadcasual did a great job explaining how stupid the encounter with the "tired paladin" is. I can't imagine any party of evil-aligned characters would allow that guy to live. That's forgetting that the whole thing makes zero sense in the first place.

I think the author tried to salvage things in the end by opening the possibility that the PCs would find a way to take control of the Inferno Gate themselves. I think that's highly, highly unlikely. The encounter with Fex at the Gate is sure to spark a slog of combat that will only end with both the heresy devil and the wizard dead.

All in all, a very disappointing part of an AP that has a very weak start to begin with.

Worst AP book ever!

1/5 —

I wrote an in-depth review but the forum ate it.

GOOD: Nothing but a few illustrations and Seytiels father.

BAD: Everything else: maps, weak enemies, articles, bestiary.

UGLY: Patrick Renie clearly has not enough knowledge of the Pathfinder rules and the editors didn't catch the plenty mistakes he made.

This AP part is unplayable as it is.
Sadly the whole AP is.

Fails to live up to the premise of the Path

2/5 —

After two solid books, the third breaks down into a slog through a videogamey map, with the players having to wander at random at times to fill the fetch quest. Literally, the whole book is a fetch quest, and an extremely convenient one at that. I hate missions that describe themselves as sandboxes, especially when the book reminds the GM to throw the accuser devil at the party every time they do the reasonable thing and try to figure out where the hell you are going to find an azata in the middle of the LAWFUL good enemy forces, only to find there is just one hanging out, awkwardly making smalltalk with some archon.

Furthermore, there is wierd railroading at times. More than once, the book says "the [enemy] recognizes you as an agent of thrune immediately," despite the fact that the previous book heavily encouraged subterfuge, and, at least for my party, we're casting undetectable alignment like it was going out of style. Any betrayal feats you might have invested in, any Bluff or stealth skills, all gone in the face of the Glorious Reclamation's magical ultrasight. Another strange moment occurs deeper in the path, when the party is given a powerful option, but are told that they are just not smart enough to pull it off.

Finally, there is one moment that I reread twice to believe. A random encounter has the party run into one of said Glorious Reclamation intelligence agents whose detect evil and keen wit cuts through Bluff checks, disguise, polymorph, and undetectable alignment like a hot knife through butter. He is a Paladin of Iomedae, and is accompanied by a group of s!!#ty fighters, made s!~+tier by the fact that all of them are Fatigued. This Paladin of Iomedae hails you(!), acknowledges you as agents of thrune(!!!), and offers surrender, because his troops are so tired. In exchange for leading them back to the path, he promises the contents of a chest his idiot buddies are carrying ten feet behind him, as well as his solemn vow that he will go back and tell the other Glorious Dudes to back off, Thrune has this whole Gate situation handled. What casts this into the realm of complete and total insanity is that he is LYING. In this course of this adventure path, you will be lied to by a paladin of iomedae, with the game noting that he will seek atonement later. They do not say this causes him to fall.
Okay, what. First, the whole premise is bent from the very beginning, since the book assumes that the Lawful Evil, Bad guy, Puppy Punter, Back Stabbing maniacs in the party will EVER accept surrender. If the situation was reversed, and you were a posse of paladins who ran into an Antipaladin who had run out of underlings to cannibalize, you would be expected to murder him! What's more, paladins of Iomedae have specific tenets in Inner Sea Gods, two of which are "I will suffer death before dishonor," and "I will not be taken prisoner by my free will. I will not surrender those under my command." According to paizo, this particular example should have fallen THREE TIMES, once for lying, once for surrendering, and once for surrendering for his troops! Really, this path assumes the players are more LN than LE, and presents bonus exp for letting most of your potential victims live. Other than the most basic pathfinder evil act of all(killing a good creature/outsider), there isn't much wiggle room to work in anything else.

The book reclaims one star for having good production values, and solid work in the bonus section. I hope to God the next part significantly more evil, (Oh God, it's called For Queen and Country) or this path might be remembered as the one where you had to collect 4 boar asses to progress to an actual enemy.

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Paizo Employee Developer
4 people marked this as a favorite.
Eric Hinkle wrote:
Mike Welham wrote:
FallenDabus wrote:

Got it!

Bestiary:

Azata, Nualidu - CR 5, partially water elemental
Bagman - CR 4, Fey, uses people's fat to brew potions and can smell children
Lythirium - CR 11, Plant, looks kinda like the Grim White Stag had kids with a wolf.
Mederach - CR 9, Chaotic good spider Outsiders. Egalitarian, scholarly, and predisposed to peace. Looks awesome! I'm almost too busy squeeing over getting this thing to actually pay attention to the rest of the bestiary.
Waldgeist - CR 8, more incorporeal undead, this times with ties to forests and the ability to possess trees.

I can't tell you how happy I am at your reaction to the mederach, which I am certain was wonderfully developed by Amanda Hamon Kunz.

I'm looking forward to seeing it.

The whole 'non-evil spider monsters' part is what intrigues me I may be an arachnophobe, but it gets tiresome to have every spider-beastie be insanely evil and out for the PCs' blood.

Mission accomplished! :)

What's the story with the reprinted artwork from Wrath of Thrune on page 2. :-)

Just curious, seems like there's a story there. :-)

It is a very good piece of artwork. :-)
Sovereign Court Senior Developer
3 people marked this as a favorite.
captain yesterday wrote:

What's the story with the reprinted artwork from Wrath of Thrune on page 2. :-)

Just curious, seems like there's a story there. :-)

It is a very good piece of artwork. :-)

The story is that we made a giant error, and put the previous volume's art where a new piece of art should have gone.

We should be able to update the pdf of the adventure with the correct art, but print is print, so the hardcopies are going to remain that way. :(

Reads sadcasual's review

Whoa! This is going to cause some serious controversy, both from a lore and gameplay perspective. Did the writers realize the implications of these scenes when they designed them?
Dark Archive

To my understanding, can't paladins lie for greater good? Or is example in the book under category of "deceitful"? .-. I guess lying to your enemy isn't white lie even if its for greater good
2 people marked this as a favorite.

Paladinism:
The gentleman in question is straight up lying. No passing go, no collecting 20 pp, he promises the party something he not only has no intention of delivering, but instead of telling the Reclamation to back off, he writes the local commander that the party is coming for her. Also, because sadcasual makes it seem like the paladin is lying about the condition of his troops, let me say that he isn't. They are all fatigued, in no fighting condition whatsoever, and handing the party over some of their supplies will probably lighten their load enough to help them reach safety. The adventure also makes it clear that the paladin would not choose to offer surrender if he was alone, and that he would likely need an atonement later. Potentially sacrificing his own class abilities for the lives of his men will probably provide him bonus points with Iomedae, when the time for atonement comes along.

Also, I have to say that I don't think the writers intended for the party to accept that surrender. I think the Paladin's offer of a truce, of sparing the lives of his men in exchange for their supplies and for the reclamation to back off, all of that I think is meant to be whined piteously as the party lines the squad up for summary execution. You're fighting for team evil and these are enemy combatants. Apparently GUTLESS enemy combatants. The party could choose to let them go, and kudos to the writers for providing that what-if scenario, but I don't think it will be the popular option.

Overall, I really liked this adventure. Sometimes I wonder why the party would choose to automatically fight some enemies, but not others, and I'll echo sadcasual in saying that this adventure sometimes seems like it was adapted from an adventure written for a LN or even LG party (which would explain a lot, although I don't actually think this is what happened), but the plot is neat, the encounters look interesting, and there's a great mix of environments and enemies.
2 people marked this as a favorite.

So this scene is essentially there to provide a

"You said you would let them live!"

"I lied."

moment?
1 person marked this as a favorite.

"Should have gotten it in writing."

Well classic deals with the devil stories ALWAYS have the devil becoming a jerk genie and tossing the contract out.

That is something I have thought about, the laws of men and the laws of Hell are two very different things. While we see devils constantly breaking contracts or at least going "haha, you didn't read this obscure law that is on the 7th layer of hell in a building, in a basement behind a locked door with a sign saying 'beware of the leopard.'" Devils go by an utterly alien logic that allows them to do these things.

I am imagining that unless a character makes a very high Planes DC roll(combined with something else perhaps), they are unaware of the true laws. Making the roll gives them hints of the truth and might even force a SAN check.
Axial wrote:

So this scene is essentially there to provide a

"You said you would let them live!"

"I lied."

moment?

MannyGoblin wrote:
"Should have gotten it in writing."

More or less. That's what I'd probably do, based on previous experiences playing evil characters.

Dark Archive
Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

A bit confused about Order o' Pike's role:
Why do they care about the celestials (and the nymph) in the Whisperwood? Is it because, the celestials are attacking people, regardless of the victim's alignment? Seems an odd stance, as the celestials also protect travelers from the fiends of the forest.

Sovereign Court Senior Developer
DeciusNero wrote:
** spoiler omitted **

Celestials are monsters. The Order of the Pike hunts monsters. :)

Dark Archive
Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

Interesting, so alignment and motives do not matter to Pikes, just monsters in general.
5 people marked this as a favorite.
DeciusNero wrote:
Interesting, so alignment and motives do not matter to Pikes, just monsters in general.

"Kill anything with racial hit dice!!!"

RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 8
1 person marked this as a favorite.

LOVE that Lythirium art! :)
Pathfinder LO Special Edition, Maps, Pathfinder Accessories, PF Special Edition Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Starfinder Superscriber

Knight Banneret Viona Kadarius is described as "a daughter of Taldan aristocrats". Her backstory says of her "her noble birth and martial prowess earned her the rank of knight banneret, and she soon began to lead … under her own banner, proudly displaying the Kadarius coat of arms". This is possible under the rules of armory, though technically the undifferenced Kadarius arms would belong to the head of the family, presumably her father, and she would bear those arms differenced by a mark of cadency (which mark would depend on where she stands in the succession). But the real question is "what are the Kadarius arms?" She's depicted in the article (page 59) bearing the arms of Iomedae, which would certainly be appropriate for a Paladin, and I suppose might be appropriate for a cavalier acting in a religious capacity. Or she could bear her own personal arms, altogether different from the Kardarius arms. Anyway, it's the Kadarius arms about which I'm curious.

I would have liked Anansi as the good-natured spider monster.

Otherwise can't wait to see this bestiary.

Best this far is the Jellyfish-folk, awesome.
2 people marked this as a favorite.

As long as my familiar can still conjure up an infernal contract detailing the deal with the paladin, with the clause that his soul is condemned to hell if he betrayes the spirit of the agreement. I'm totally fine with accepting his deal. this will be glorious!
Liberty's Edge Contributor, RPG Superstar 2012
1 person marked this as a favorite.
Eric Hinkle wrote:
Mike Welham wrote:
FallenDabus wrote:

Got it!

Bestiary:

Azata, Nualidu - CR 5, partially water elemental
Bagman - CR 4, Fey, uses people's fat to brew potions and can smell children
Lythirium - CR 11, Plant, looks kinda like the Grim White Stag had kids with a wolf.
Mederach - CR 9, Chaotic good spider Outsiders. Egalitarian, scholarly, and predisposed to peace. Looks awesome! I'm almost too busy squeeing over getting this thing to actually pay attention to the rest of the bestiary.
Waldgeist - CR 8, more incorporeal undead, this times with ties to forests and the ability to possess trees.

I can't tell you how happy I am at your reaction to the mederach, which I am certain was wonderfully developed by Amanda Hamon Kunz.

I'm looking forward to seeing it.

The whole 'non-evil spider monsters' part is what intrigues me I may be an arachnophobe, but it gets tiresome to have every spider-beastie be insanely evil and out for the PCs' blood.

Thanks, Eric! As Daigle posted, "mission accomplished."

I'm mildly arachnophobic, so it was definitely a stretch for me to design a benevolent spider creature.

Now, as a major coulrophobe, I would be hard-pressed to do the same for a clown critter. ;)
Liberty's Edge Contributor, RPG Superstar 2012
Nightterror wrote:

I would have liked Anansi as the good-natured spider monster.

Otherwise can't wait to see this bestiary.

Best this far is the Jellyfish-folk, awesome.

The mederach makes a nod toward Anansi.

2 people marked this as a favorite.
Mike Welham wrote:
Eric Hinkle wrote:
Mike Welham wrote:
FallenDabus wrote:

Got it!

Bestiary:
...
Mederach - CR 9, Chaotic good spider Outsiders. Egalitarian, scholarly, and predisposed to peace. Looks awesome! I'm almost too busy squeeing over getting this thing to actually pay attention to the rest of the bestiary.
...

I can't tell you how happy I am at your reaction to the mederach, which I am certain was wonderfully developed by Amanda Hamon Kunz.

I'm looking forward to seeing it.

The whole 'non-evil spider monsters' part is what intrigues me I may be an arachnophobe, but it gets tiresome to have every spider-beastie be insanely evil and out for the PCs' blood.

Thanks, Eric! As Daigle posted, "mission accomplished."

I'm mildly arachnophobic, so it was definitely a stretch for me to design a benevolent spider creature.

Now, as a major coulrophobe, I would be hard-pressed to do the same for a clown critter. ;)

That's because clowns are pure evil/ nightmare fuel!

:p

Carry on!

--C.
1 person marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber
Psiphyre wrote:

That's because clowns are pure evil/ nightmare fuel!

:p

Carry on!

--C.

Hey! When I was a much younger Goblin, I seriously contemplated Clown College...

Oh wait, I may be proving your point.

Disregard, Carry on!

As per sadcasual's review, what's the deal with the Glorious Reclamation being able to instantly point out the party as Thrune agents? Do they just have Sherlock Holmes-style ultra-deduction powers or something?
Dark Archive
Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

Yeah, unless the PC'S are being obvious (wearing matching armbands) or well-known in the region (which would contradict the Archbaron's plan), otherwise doesn't make sense. The pally would assume them to be bandits at worse, unalingEd travelerst at best.
Not explained, it's just assumed to occur.
DeciusNero wrote:

Yeah, unless the PC'S are being obvious (wearing matching armbands) or well-known in the region (which would contradict the Archbaron's plan), otherwise doesn't make sense. The pally would assume them to be bandits at worse, unaligned travellers at best.

Not explained, it's just assumed to occur.

A group of well armed travellers who detect as evil. It's safe to assume they are agents of Thrune.

1 person marked this as a favorite.
Bob790 wrote:
DeciusNero wrote:

Yeah, unless the PC'S are being obvious (wearing matching armbands) or well-known in the region (which would contradict the Archbaron's plan), otherwise doesn't make sense. The pally would assume them to be bandits at worse, unaligned travellers at best.

Not explained, it's just assumed to occur.
A group of well armed travellers who detect as evil. It's safe to assume they are agents of Thrune.

Not really. Lots of evil people in Cheliax, and not all of them serve Thrune. Many of them want to replace Thrune themselves! And who travels during a civil war and societal breakdown and chaos without being well armed?

It's reasonable to suspect and watch such people, but you can't assume a particular allegiance. In any case, if your PCs are using alignment hiding magic while infiltrating an area controlled by Paladins I don't know what to tell you.
Community Manager

Removed some posts and their responses. Keep it clean, please!
Dark Archive Vendor - Fantasiapelit Tampere
3 people marked this as a favorite.

I might be remembring this wrong but...

Spoiler:
Is that elf bandit Seltyiel's father?
Silver Crusade Contributor
3 people marked this as a favorite.
Rosgakori wrote:

I might be remembring this wrong but...

** spoiler omitted **

Sure is! One of my favorite Easter eggs ever. ^_^

Dark Archive Vendor - Fantasiapelit Tampere
1 person marked this as a favorite.

Hah! I was right. Cool addition, kudos!

So, what does the Thrune Trusted Agent feat do, what are it's prereqs, and is there anything else relevant about Trusted agents that the book tells us?
Dark Archive
1 person marked this as a favorite.
Mike Welham wrote:
Eric Hinkle wrote:
Mike Welham wrote:
FallenDabus wrote:

Got it!

Bestiary:

Azata, Nualidu - CR 5, partially water elemental
Bagman - CR 4, Fey, uses people's fat to brew potions and can smell children
Lythirium - CR 11, Plant, looks kinda like the Grim White Stag had kids with a wolf.
Mederach - CR 9, Chaotic good spider Outsiders. Egalitarian, scholarly, and predisposed to peace. Looks awesome! I'm almost too busy squeeing over getting this thing to actually pay attention to the rest of the bestiary.
Waldgeist - CR 8, more incorporeal undead, this times with ties to forests and the ability to possess trees.

I can't tell you how happy I am at your reaction to the mederach, which I am certain was wonderfully developed by Amanda Hamon Kunz.

I'm looking forward to seeing it.

The whole 'non-evil spider monsters' part is what intrigues me I may be an arachnophobe, but it gets tiresome to have every spider-beastie be insanely evil and out for the PCs' blood.

Thanks, Eric! As Daigle posted, "mission accomplished."

I'm mildly arachnophobic, so it was definitely a stretch for me to design a benevolent spider creature.

Now, as a major coulrophobe, I would be hard-pressed to do the same for a clown critter. ;)

On other hand, I'm happy about it since spiders are cute as kitten and oppressed by public media ^_^ So nice for them to get that deliciously meaty bone once in a while

Grand Lodge

Can anyone tell me what the Black whinnis poison in this book does?
Silver Crusade Contributor

Black whinnis:

200 gp
DC 14 injury
2 rounds; 1 save cures
First round: 1 Con damage
Second round: nausea for 1d4 rounds

Grand Lodge
1 person marked this as a favorite.
Kalindlara wrote:
** spoiler omitted **

Thanks

Hope to play this AP as a player. But I am already sad: there are no chronicles for use in Pathfinder Society Organized Play for this AP! Maybe it can still be sanctioned, despite being about evil villain protagonists? Some kind of Infamy\Disrepute mechanics?
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