paizo.com Recent Reviews of Pathfinder Adventure Path #149: Against the Scarlet Triad (Age of Ashes 5 of 6)paizo.com Recent Reviews of Pathfinder Adventure Path #149: Against the Scarlet Triad (Age of Ashes 5 of 6)2023-08-02T22:16:24Z2023-08-02T22:16:24ZPathfinder Adventure Path #149: Against the Scarlet Triad (Age of Ashes 5 of 6) (3 stars)ThomLowhttps://paizo.com/products/btq02065?Pathfinder-Adventure-Path-149-Against-the-Scarlet-Triad2024-03-08T19:03:29Z...ThomLow2024-03-08T19:03:29ZPathfinder Adventure Path #149: Against the Scarlet Triad (Age of Ashes 5 of 6) (5 stars)UlfenTraderhttps://paizo.com/products/btq02065?Pathfinder-Adventure-Path-149-Against-the-Scarlet-Triad2023-12-28T10:54:55Z...UlfenTrader2023-12-28T10:54:55ZPathfinder Adventure Path #149: Against the Scarlet Triad (Age of Ashes 5 of 6): just here to offset the guy 1- & 2-starring all the PF2E products (5 stars)King Wedgiehttps://paizo.com/products/btq02065?Pathfinder-Adventure-Path-149-Against-the-Scarlet-Triad2023-03-11T17:33:24Z<p><b>Pathfinder Adventure Path #149: Against the Scarlet Triad (Age of Ashes 5 of 6)</b></p><p><b>Pathfinder Adventure Path #149: Against the Scarlet Triad (Age of Ashes 5 of 6)</b></p>King Wedgie2023-03-11T17:33:24ZPathfinder Adventure Path #149: Against the Scarlet Triad (Age of Ashes 5 of 6) (5 stars)elisaellihttps://paizo.com/products/btq02065?Pathfinder-Adventure-Path-149-Against-the-Scarlet-Triad2023-02-17T16:32:25Z...elisaelli2023-02-17T16:32:25ZPathfinder Adventure Path #149: Against the Scarlet Triad (Age of Ashes 5 of 6): Was expecting to like this book more than I did in practice (3 stars)neurogenesishttps://paizo.com/products/btq02065?Pathfinder-Adventure-Path-149-Against-the-Scarlet-Triad2022-12-19T06:14:38Z<p><b>Pathfinder Adventure Path #149: Against the Scarlet Triad (Age of Ashes 5 of 6)</b></p><p>This book is the culmination of the players' campaign against their main adversary so far and has some interesting points but ultimately ends up unfocused. The first chapter has players engage with a situation that is interesting but also very difficult to actually run in practice. While this first chapter does serve to introduce the players to a semi-important NPC, I found that it was difficult to build the connection I wanted with the NPC. I simply ended up hand-waving a large part of this chapter to move on to more interesting things.</p>
<p>Chapter two starts off interesting and has some concepts that an experienced DM can use to create interesting scenarios (like a heist!). However, as-written it simply ends up being a slog of skill checks and book-keeping without the contextual support to engage in extended roleplaying (like was provided in Chapter 4 with the Council of Kovlar). I ended up rewriting the heist to be a more dynamic scenario and cut a decent amount of the repetitive skill check stuff short.</p>
<p>Chapter 3 is amazing though, and is worth all the effort for that final hook of "wait, what comes •next•?"</p><p><b>Pathfinder Adventure Path #149: Against the Scarlet Triad (Age of Ashes 5 of 6)</b></p><p>This book is the culmination of the players' campaign against their main adversary so far and has some interesting points but ultimately ends up unfocused. The first chapter has players engage with a situation that is interesting but also very difficult to actually run in practice. While this first chapter does serve to introduce the players to a semi-important NPC, I found that it was difficult to build the connection I wanted with the NPC. I simply ended up hand-waving a large part of this chapter to move on to more interesting things.</p>
<p>Chapter two starts off interesting and has some concepts that an experienced DM can use to create interesting scenarios (like a heist!). However, as-written it simply ends up being a slog of skill checks and book-keeping without the contextual support to engage in extended roleplaying (like was provided in Chapter 4 with the Council of Kovlar). I ended up rewriting the heist to be a more dynamic scenario and cut a decent amount of the repetitive skill check stuff short.</p>
<p>Chapter 3 is amazing though, and is worth all the effort for that final hook of "wait, what comes •next•?"</p>neurogenesis2022-12-19T06:14:38ZPathfinder Adventure Path #149: Against the Scarlet Triad (Age of Ashes 5 of 6): Great example of what APs can be (5 stars)Sebastian Hirschhttps://paizo.com/products/btq02065?Pathfinder-Adventure-Path-149-Against-the-Scarlet-Triad2022-03-19T22:45:18Z<p><b>Pathfinder Adventure Path #149: Against the Scarlet Triad (Age of Ashes 5 of 6)</b></p><p>I enjoyed a lot of things in this AP, but to keep this one short and snappy, this volume hits the right notes. There are challenges but unlike some other PF2 offerings, I did not feel like I needed to hold back or change them. </p>
<p>The adventure manages to show large parts of Katapeshi culture, while also giving players a lot of options to engage with the plot of this volume. </p>
<p>And after all that very interesting content in the city, it manages to avoid devolving into an endless dungeon crawl. Personally, I feel like the challenge hits exactly the right difficulty towards the end, while also setting up the next part. </p>
<p>While I feel like the author later refined the skills shown here (in Mark of the Mantis) I feel like this is a great example of what a PF2 AP can be.</p><p><b>Pathfinder Adventure Path #149: Against the Scarlet Triad (Age of Ashes 5 of 6)</b></p><p>I enjoyed a lot of things in this AP, but to keep this one short and snappy, this volume hits the right notes. There are challenges but unlike some other PF2 offerings, I did not feel like I needed to hold back or change them. </p>
<p>The adventure manages to show large parts of Katapeshi culture, while also giving players a lot of options to engage with the plot of this volume. </p>
<p>And after all that very interesting content in the city, it manages to avoid devolving into an endless dungeon crawl. Personally, I feel like the challenge hits exactly the right difficulty towards the end, while also setting up the next part. </p>
<p>While I feel like the author later refined the skills shown here (in Mark of the Mantis) I feel like this is a great example of what a PF2 AP can be.</p>Sebastian Hirsch2022-03-19T22:45:18ZPathfinder Adventure Path #149: Against the Scarlet Triad (Age of Ashes 5 of 6): Here's what you can expect (5 stars)Opsylumhttps://paizo.com/products/btq02065?Pathfinder-Adventure-Path-149-Against-the-Scarlet-Triad2021-09-25T23:38:34Z<p><b>Pathfinder Adventure Path #149: Against the Scarlet Triad (Age of Ashes 5 of 6)</b></p><p>Warning: spoilers ahead.</p>
<p>This 64-page adventure is set in Katapesh, a merchant state of northeastern Garund, and largest hub of black market activity in the Inner Sea region. While only loosely ruled by a council of mysterious, alien entities known as the Pactmasters, the swiftly-changing web of alliances that make up the nearly anarchic, everyday power structure of this nation's capital city is ever malleable. Upon entering the city, PCs will learn just how dangerous is their place in it — their quarry, the criminal syndicate Scarlet Triad — is protected by the ruling class of the city itself. To bring this underground slaving network down, the PCs must build a powerful web of alliances of their own, before mustering a final assault against the heart of scum and villainy that's played them since the very beginning. Along the way, the adventurers will brave supernatural storms, fight in gladiator tournaments, plot a daring heist, investigate crime scenes, fight the fire-breathing spawn of Xotani the Firebleeder, and maybe even romance a camel!</p>
<p>This swashbuckling adventure was written by John Compton, a really rad dude.</p>
<p>What's in the back?? John delivers a stellar look at the extraterrestrial ecology of Witchwyrds, their culture and social structure, technology and starships, and places across Golarion where their influence can hurl unwitting adventurers into conflicts of galactic proportion. Following this, James L. Sutter presents an article on the Lost Aiudara: deactivated magical gates that, when activated, can bridge disparate lands together across the planet — or perhaps even across planets.</p>
<p>In this AP's adventure toolbox, you'll find wares as strange as they are ingenious, rarely seen outside the city's endless sea of weird and beautiful bazaars: statuettes of bad luck, magic rings, alchemical grenades, poisons (lots of poisons), and even friendly animal companions. You'll also find training for poisoner feats, and an archetype to become one of Katapesh's very own Zephyr Guards. To bring a little more danger into the mix, a collection of dangerous adversaries are also introduced: the Aluum, Calikang, Crucidaemon daemon, Nalfeshnee demon, Cornugon devil, Immortal Ichor, Solifugid, Witchwyrd, and Xotanispawn, as well as a complete profile on the criminal mastermind leader of the Scarlet Triad — a jaded prodigy whose once grand hopes for humanity have burned to ash upon witnessing its capacity for evil. All these articles were written by John Compton and Tim Nightengale.</p>
<p>Age of Ashes is an Adventure Path for PCs from humble roots aspiring to greatness, and starry-eyed explorers eager to travel the wide world and uncover relics of the ancient past. All throughout this hundred-page AP you'll find yourself utterly submerged in gorgeous, evocative art, giving context and telling stories of its own about the people and places found within. Witness the legend of the Age of Ashes with your own eyes, and save the future from a dragon's fantasy yet to be fulfilled.</p><p><b>Pathfinder Adventure Path #149: Against the Scarlet Triad (Age of Ashes 5 of 6)</b></p><p>Warning: spoilers ahead.</p>
<p>This 64-page adventure is set in Katapesh, a merchant state of northeastern Garund, and largest hub of black market activity in the Inner Sea region. While only loosely ruled by a council of mysterious, alien entities known as the Pactmasters, the swiftly-changing web of alliances that make up the nearly anarchic, everyday power structure of this nation's capital city is ever malleable. Upon entering the city, PCs will learn just how dangerous is their place in it — their quarry, the criminal syndicate Scarlet Triad — is protected by the ruling class of the city itself. To bring this underground slaving network down, the PCs must build a powerful web of alliances of their own, before mustering a final assault against the heart of scum and villainy that's played them since the very beginning. Along the way, the adventurers will brave supernatural storms, fight in gladiator tournaments, plot a daring heist, investigate crime scenes, fight the fire-breathing spawn of Xotani the Firebleeder, and maybe even romance a camel!</p>
<p>This swashbuckling adventure was written by John Compton, a really rad dude.</p>
<p>What's in the back?? John delivers a stellar look at the extraterrestrial ecology of Witchwyrds, their culture and social structure, technology and starships, and places across Golarion where their influence can hurl unwitting adventurers into conflicts of galactic proportion. Following this, James L. Sutter presents an article on the Lost Aiudara: deactivated magical gates that, when activated, can bridge disparate lands together across the planet — or perhaps even across planets.</p>
<p>In this AP's adventure toolbox, you'll find wares as strange as they are ingenious, rarely seen outside the city's endless sea of weird and beautiful bazaars: statuettes of bad luck, magic rings, alchemical grenades, poisons (lots of poisons), and even friendly animal companions. You'll also find training for poisoner feats, and an archetype to become one of Katapesh's very own Zephyr Guards. To bring a little more danger into the mix, a collection of dangerous adversaries are also introduced: the Aluum, Calikang, Crucidaemon daemon, Nalfeshnee demon, Cornugon devil, Immortal Ichor, Solifugid, Witchwyrd, and Xotanispawn, as well as a complete profile on the criminal mastermind leader of the Scarlet Triad — a jaded prodigy whose once grand hopes for humanity have burned to ash upon witnessing its capacity for evil. All these articles were written by John Compton and Tim Nightengale.</p>
<p>Age of Ashes is an Adventure Path for PCs from humble roots aspiring to greatness, and starry-eyed explorers eager to travel the wide world and uncover relics of the ancient past. All throughout this hundred-page AP you'll find yourself utterly submerged in gorgeous, evocative art, giving context and telling stories of its own about the people and places found within. Witness the legend of the Age of Ashes with your own eyes, and save the future from a dragon's fantasy yet to be fulfilled.</p>Opsylum2021-09-25T23:38:34ZPathfinder Adventure Path #149: Against the Scarlet Triad (Age of Ashes 5 of 6): I really liked this book but it comes with several world building and mechanics (4 stars)demlinhttps://paizo.com/products/btq02065?Pathfinder-Adventure-Path-149-Against-the-Scarlet-Triad2021-04-12T13:01:27Z<p><b>Pathfinder Adventure Path #149: Against the Scarlet Triad (Age of Ashes 5 of 6)</b></p><p>I really liked this book but it comes with several world building and mechanics issues.</p>
<p>Finderplain worked really well so chapter 1 was great. The adventure opens up in chapter 2, similarly to how book 4 did it so you will get a lot of playtime out of it. In general there's a lot of variety and interesting RP encounters. The final chapter adapts based on the PCs choices. All in all I think this book even surpases book 4.</p>
<p>However it required way more prep to make it work well: since the adventure is more loose, you will need to fill in the details. The backmatter however provides nothing usable: there's no real information about the Pactmasters, the law in the city, the guilds and locations. Instead you get some random information on aliens that should have gone into Starfinder and a couple few more elf gates that the PCs won't interact with. The adventure notes that you should instead buy the out of print "Dark Markets, A Guide to Katapesh" supplement. Don't get me wrong, the source book is great and IMHO absolutely required but come on, at least reprint it if you force people to use it.</p>
<p>On top of that some mechanics like the heist or the guild influence system aren't well described and will cost you a couple hours of figuring them out. I recommend to get the GMG and read up on the almost equally confusing infiltration rules since the mechanics seem to be almost identical.</p>
<p>If reading the Katapesh PDF is ok for you and you have a GMG you can consider this book to be 5 stars. Without it, it will cause you some headaches, therefore I'm rating it 4 stars.</p><p><b>Pathfinder Adventure Path #149: Against the Scarlet Triad (Age of Ashes 5 of 6)</b></p><p>I really liked this book but it comes with several world building and mechanics issues.</p>
<p>Finderplain worked really well so chapter 1 was great. The adventure opens up in chapter 2, similarly to how book 4 did it so you will get a lot of playtime out of it. In general there's a lot of variety and interesting RP encounters. The final chapter adapts based on the PCs choices. All in all I think this book even surpases book 4.</p>
<p>However it required way more prep to make it work well: since the adventure is more loose, you will need to fill in the details. The backmatter however provides nothing usable: there's no real information about the Pactmasters, the law in the city, the guilds and locations. Instead you get some random information on aliens that should have gone into Starfinder and a couple few more elf gates that the PCs won't interact with. The adventure notes that you should instead buy the out of print "Dark Markets, A Guide to Katapesh" supplement. Don't get me wrong, the source book is great and IMHO absolutely required but come on, at least reprint it if you force people to use it.</p>
<p>On top of that some mechanics like the heist or the guild influence system aren't well described and will cost you a couple hours of figuring them out. I recommend to get the GMG and read up on the almost equally confusing infiltration rules since the mechanics seem to be almost identical.</p>
<p>If reading the Katapesh PDF is ok for you and you have a GMG you can consider this book to be 5 stars. Without it, it will cause you some headaches, therefore I'm rating it 4 stars.</p>demlin2021-04-12T13:01:27ZPathfinder Adventure Path #149: Against the Scarlet Triad (Age of Ashes 5 of 6): A Smorgasbord of Adventure Options (5 stars)Charlie Brookshttps://paizo.com/products/btq02065?Pathfinder-Adventure-Path-149-Against-the-Scarlet-Triad2020-11-27T16:03:10Z<p><b>Pathfinder Adventure Path #149: Against the Scarlet Triad (Age of Ashes 5 of 6)</b></p><p>As the first adventure path in a new edition, Age of Ashes hits on a lot of familiar Pathfinder themes. However, that doesn't keep it from pushing the envelope and trying new things. If somebody plays Age of Ashes as their first adventure path, they find the full breadth of what Pathfinder offers—lots of exciting combat, but also a wide range of other challenges.</p>
<p>While each book in the adventure path offered up new challenges that showcased the depth of the new rules, Against the Scarlet Triad really presents an adventure with variety. Having tracked down the slavers that have served as the group's enemies for several books, the PCs first have to turn the sprawling city of Katapesh against them. This means more than just swaying some nobles, but luckily the adventurers are high enough level to have many options at their disposal. Through the course of the adventure, the group will find a mix of combat, social interaction, and some very interesting set pieces such as planning and executing a heist.</p>
<p>Those who desire combat first and foremost get their wish at the beginning and especially the end of this module, which features a sprawling dungeon with a variety of challenges.</p>
<p>At the end of Against the Scarlet Triad, the PCs reach a level at which most 1st edition adventure paths end. For experienced players, it's a bit weird to reach this point without feeling the exhilaration of a campaign's climax. However, this installment feels grand in scope, offers a lot of game play, and sets up the dramatic final volume with aplomb.</p><p><b>Pathfinder Adventure Path #149: Against the Scarlet Triad (Age of Ashes 5 of 6)</b></p><p>As the first adventure path in a new edition, Age of Ashes hits on a lot of familiar Pathfinder themes. However, that doesn't keep it from pushing the envelope and trying new things. If somebody plays Age of Ashes as their first adventure path, they find the full breadth of what Pathfinder offers—lots of exciting combat, but also a wide range of other challenges.</p>
<p>While each book in the adventure path offered up new challenges that showcased the depth of the new rules, Against the Scarlet Triad really presents an adventure with variety. Having tracked down the slavers that have served as the group's enemies for several books, the PCs first have to turn the sprawling city of Katapesh against them. This means more than just swaying some nobles, but luckily the adventurers are high enough level to have many options at their disposal. Through the course of the adventure, the group will find a mix of combat, social interaction, and some very interesting set pieces such as planning and executing a heist.</p>
<p>Those who desire combat first and foremost get their wish at the beginning and especially the end of this module, which features a sprawling dungeon with a variety of challenges.</p>
<p>At the end of Against the Scarlet Triad, the PCs reach a level at which most 1st edition adventure paths end. For experienced players, it's a bit weird to reach this point without feeling the exhilaration of a campaign's climax. However, this installment feels grand in scope, offers a lot of game play, and sets up the dramatic final volume with aplomb.</p>Charlie Brooks2020-11-27T16:03:10ZPathfinder Adventure Path #149: Against the Scarlet Triad (Age of Ashes 5 of 6): Trying to be short again (4 stars)CorvusMaskhttps://paizo.com/products/btq02065?Pathfinder-Adventure-Path-149-Against-the-Scarlet-Triad2019-12-14T10:03:44Z<p><b>Pathfinder Adventure Path #149: Against the Scarlet Triad (Age of Ashes 5 of 6)</b></p><p>So let's see if I succeed at being short: I like the adventure a lot, it has return of many cool things(such as variant monsters like dust wendigos!), it has lots of different things PCs can do to convince guilds to vote agaisnt scarlet tried(like a heist and for example finding a magic camel) and provides a lot of roleplaying opportunities. Did I mentioned that vast majority of art in Age of Ashes is super great? Well if I didn't, I did now. I do feel like red pyramid's first and second floor map somehow feels less fancy than other maps(even when compared to basement) in the book or ap but can't figure out why.</p>
<p>I like the AP's overall "here is which ancestry you help in this book!" theme, but gnome ancestry comes least through in all of those books. Like sure, you help gnomes in Finderplain from super powerful monster(btw, it is cool to show case how powerful monster could wipe out entire settlement if they wanted to without powerful heroes to rescue! Also I like in general this book show cases lot of sidequest like tasks that high level characters get up to) and first guild leader you can help and ally with is gnome, but otherwise adventure isn't really tied thematically with gnome stuff. Though book does high light the weirdness of high level guard npcs, it still did good job with establishing that even high level characters wouldn't wipe out capital of nation by themselves.</p>
<p>But yeah, cool stuff, but still have to dock one star for kinda noticiable editing weirdness and because I think book could have been even better.</p>
<p>So what random stuff I did like... Well besides heist(and alternate solutions during it and obstacles and random steel falcon cameos), student loan! Lobbying!(I think I mentioned that already, but had to mention me liking downtime/exploration/similar stuff a lot) Bird in a box! Possibility to become guild leader! Speak with plants being taken in account! Not gonna say any more in detail!</p>
<p>Oh yeah and bonus articles on witchwyrd and aiudara were great. Also huh, we got the backstory curse reveal of that fay from reign of winter, its always neat when "mysterious curse from so long ago nobody remembers why" stuff gets answered :D</p><p><b>Pathfinder Adventure Path #149: Against the Scarlet Triad (Age of Ashes 5 of 6)</b></p><p>So let's see if I succeed at being short: I like the adventure a lot, it has return of many cool things(such as variant monsters like dust wendigos!), it has lots of different things PCs can do to convince guilds to vote agaisnt scarlet tried(like a heist and for example finding a magic camel) and provides a lot of roleplaying opportunities. Did I mentioned that vast majority of art in Age of Ashes is super great? Well if I didn't, I did now. I do feel like red pyramid's first and second floor map somehow feels less fancy than other maps(even when compared to basement) in the book or ap but can't figure out why.</p>
<p>I like the AP's overall "here is which ancestry you help in this book!" theme, but gnome ancestry comes least through in all of those books. Like sure, you help gnomes in Finderplain from super powerful monster(btw, it is cool to show case how powerful monster could wipe out entire settlement if they wanted to without powerful heroes to rescue! Also I like in general this book show cases lot of sidequest like tasks that high level characters get up to) and first guild leader you can help and ally with is gnome, but otherwise adventure isn't really tied thematically with gnome stuff. Though book does high light the weirdness of high level guard npcs, it still did good job with establishing that even high level characters wouldn't wipe out capital of nation by themselves.</p>
<p>But yeah, cool stuff, but still have to dock one star for kinda noticiable editing weirdness and because I think book could have been even better.</p>
<p>So what random stuff I did like... Well besides heist(and alternate solutions during it and obstacles and random steel falcon cameos), student loan! Lobbying!(I think I mentioned that already, but had to mention me liking downtime/exploration/similar stuff a lot) Bird in a box! Possibility to become guild leader! Speak with plants being taken in account! Not gonna say any more in detail!</p>
<p>Oh yeah and bonus articles on witchwyrd and aiudara were great. Also huh, we got the backstory curse reveal of that fay from reign of winter, its always neat when "mysterious curse from so long ago nobody remembers why" stuff gets answered :D</p>CorvusMask2019-12-14T10:03:44ZPathfinder Adventure Path #149: Against the Scarlet Triad (Age of Ashes 5 of 6): A big stumble (2 stars)SecSeibzehnhttps://paizo.com/products/btq02065?Pathfinder-Adventure-Path-149-Against-the-Scarlet-Triad2019-12-11T22:38:50Z<p><b>Pathfinder Adventure Path #149: Against the Scarlet Triad (Age of Ashes 5 of 6)</b></p><p>This book seems neat, but it is just deja vu for those of us who've played the 3rd book of Legacy of Fire. While other adventure paths that take place between 15-17 have the PCs transported to alternate planes, different timelines, through axiomatic gardens or freeing countries from oppression, this AP is about rubbing elbows with nobles to get permission to kill some guys in a pyramid. </p>
<p>While some of the tasks you undertake are very cool, and some of the encounters are magnificent, the book keeps routing you back to things that underwhelm. For every truly 16th level thing you do, you're ushered back to fighting clerks in office rooms, or battling giant insects— you do that twice— or worst, trying to get the leader of a slaver's guild to give you permission to kill the other leader of a slaver's guild... a real treat for the Liberator champions who heard "the anti-slavery AP".</p>
<p>Not a big fan.</p><p><b>Pathfinder Adventure Path #149: Against the Scarlet Triad (Age of Ashes 5 of 6)</b></p><p>This book seems neat, but it is just deja vu for those of us who've played the 3rd book of Legacy of Fire. While other adventure paths that take place between 15-17 have the PCs transported to alternate planes, different timelines, through axiomatic gardens or freeing countries from oppression, this AP is about rubbing elbows with nobles to get permission to kill some guys in a pyramid. </p>
<p>While some of the tasks you undertake are very cool, and some of the encounters are magnificent, the book keeps routing you back to things that underwhelm. For every truly 16th level thing you do, you're ushered back to fighting clerks in office rooms, or battling giant insects— you do that twice— or worst, trying to get the leader of a slaver's guild to give you permission to kill the other leader of a slaver's guild... a real treat for the Liberator champions who heard "the anti-slavery AP".</p>
<p>Not a big fan.</p>SecSeibzehn2019-12-11T22:38:50Z