Pathfinder Society Scenario #8-05: Ungrounded but Unbroken (PFRPG) PDF

Don't pay too much mind to the negative reviews. This is a novel scenario, and if you go into it suspending some of your usual expectations it will deliver.

'Boot Camp' does need a sympathetic approach from the GM. It's fun when treated with humour - not too serious - and you don't need to 'win' every skill check. You're 'raw recruits' not professional soldiers. (Unless you are professional: soldiers of course).

I like to see different ideas and settings in PFS scenarios. Whilst this is at heart an investigation, it is a fun one.

This is a not standard scenario and should be warned about it.

I read sipnopsis and understand it:

The PCs travel to the magnificent Opaline Vault as the Society’s first envoys, but in doing so they must survive the otherworldly threats that lurk in both this strange environment and within their own ranks.

This is long away the sense of scenario. If you enjoy full metal jacket and Ironheaet Ridge, you can enjoy this game. But if you want magnificient city opaline vault and survive otherworldly threats (not mundane harassment), then this is not your scenario.

Also terrible all the limitations extra in the scenario, isnt for casters or companion dependants. But that is secundary.

The worst part is the harassment unwarned.

I played and suffer the game session, not enjoy. If i was were warned i should enjoy or choice another scenario to join.

At the start of the adventure you have to do a series of skill checks that no one in our party was good at (and I kept rolling low). We had to roll like 20 times. Despite me trying to ask the GM to please hurry up this part he didn't and one player just left he table in disgust.

The overall plot was pretty good once we finally figured it out but we weren't able to skip ahead or actively change anything.

How much of this scenario you enjoy might really depend on your expectations of military service...

I have played and run this and always had someone at the table who had experience with hazing and most of the things that are done to the PCs were regarded as usual practice.
Without adding an enormous amount of foreshadowing, players tend to be really surprised by the ending, and unless you do a very specific thing (one that seems like a very bad idea), you could be missing a very important bit of closure.

It's not a terrible scenario and some areas are pretty fun, but it requires a bit of work, and personally, I think a map of the main location would have helped immensely.

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Oh and the motivation of the antagonist was very disheartening or rather boring, so cliche that players even joked about it during the game (before they had a chance to learn it).

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If you are going to run this, emphasize a lot of things, mostly that things are not just hard, but unfair to a troubling degree.

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Ideally, I would like to give this one 3 stars, but it was honestly the scenario in this season, that annoyed me quite a bit after playing it. It sits at about 2.5 stars for me. If asked to do so I would run it again, but it is certainly not on the short list of 1-5 scenarios I schedule for new players.

Played this today and can say I will honestly never play another scenario by the author. Only reason this has a star is that I cannot give a zero.

From the beginning we are plagued with awkward encounters that do not provide clear mechanics. We move into the next act and find ourselves confronted with skill checks that everyone is asked to make with only single options of skills.

This goes into the stack of things not to run unless you do not like your players...