A Pathfinder Society Quest designed for levels 1–4 (subtiers 1–2 and 3–4).
Venture-Captain Calisro Benarry has arranged for the PC's transport to the pirate haven of Port Peril to make contact with Free Captain Stella Fane and negotiate a contract with her, facilitating Society movements through the pirate blockades in the area. The job seems simple: track down the the pirate captain, secure the agreement, and then return to Absalom. But few things are simple when a den of villainous pirates is involved, and it's unlikely the PCs will be able to leave Port Peril without throwing a few punches in a proper pub brawl!
The combat is quite cool, especially the water themed pub. I found it quite shallow though, with not enough meat to the situation to make it feel like anything more than a pub fight.
A part of a longer adventure I think this would easily hit 4 stars though, and I appreciate the attempt. Keep experimenting Paizo!
a good GM makes this a good quest. Someone who likes pirates or cayden calian themed things will do well in this. however it can be possible for it to be a little unfun if done incorrectly or not even roleplaying is done. A little roleplay goes a long way here
I ran this in a single session of quests 1-4, with the repeatables (Q1 and Q4) first, back-to-back. Comparing Q4 to Q1, it has a little more mechanical complexity and is more colorful lore-wise. I personally prefer Q4 to Q1 simply because of the lore (but Q1 would certainly be a better choice as an introduction to new players.) There are 3 encounters to choose from.
As a rule, I don't expect a lot of depth out of a quest, which is after all, only meant to run an hour. However, I really liked the setup and setting of this one, especially the way in which the party was delivered to the location, which was different and interesting. I also appreciated the (admittedly tenuous) connection to the campaign meta plot.
In the combat encounter, the modeling of the crowd as a hazard is a novel experiment, though both the implementation and the fluff justification are uneven between the 3 different encounter choices. The motivation for both the skill check section and the combat encounter is also a bit silly and relies a little more on worn tropes than on in-game justification, but that's ok - I think this quest should really be approached with a lighthearted touch and willingness to suspend disbelief.
Disappointing. The main combat is not challenging and a little too virtual, getting rid of much tactical challenge or choice. The fact that it includes an element that can just make a player twiddle her/his thumbs for a while does not add any joy. The rolplay encounters a little bit too straight and by the book, too.
Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Maps, Rulebook, Starfinder Maps Subscriber
I'm hoping for Tavern Multi-pack. So, well there be drinking rules? I'm thinking if running this one at home with my adult friends and turning it into Pathfinder the drinking game. Lol!
Huh? A two-star rating? Is there a more in length review about why?
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any suggestions on running this quest? Little confused when it comes to the bar brawl. Any advice would be welcomed.
The bar fight itself is basically a big hazard that abstracts the fight, instead of there being dozens of minis on the board. The first round, pick one of the dotted areas (usually the one with the most people in it, even if those are enemies), and roll the bar fight's general mayhem Strike against everyone in it. Then, with the second action, use its Port Peril Specialty wherever you think it'll cause the most chaos. The actual units in the bar fight work just like normal enemies--you can flavor these as patrons who specifically have it out for the party, rather than the bar fight going on in the background.
Since quests are much shorter than scenarios and simply don't have as much time to set up characters and backstory, my suggestion is to really lean into the tropes when running them. For instance, rather than saying "the bar fight rolls a Strike against everyone" each round, I'd suggest describing it with as many zany bar fight movie scenes as possible, such as "a halfling gets thrown sliding down the countertop, his mug Striking everyone along the way" or "A chandelier falls from the ceiling, knocking over a table and sending forks and knives showering in a cone." In that vein, I'd also suggest having the PC's discussion with Stella happen in between the checks in the skill challenge, rather than having an infodump up front as soon as everyone gets to the bar, to get that "let's talk over cards" kind of feeling.
Also, if you're worried about having too much to prepare, it's perfectly fine to just decide which of the three routes you want to run and prepare just that one ahead of time.