Having learned that a dangerous contagion is hidden inside prototype biotech bound for mass production, the heroes must storm a dangerous manufacturing facility to prevent the spread before it starts! They eventually trace the source of the mind-controlling fungus to a seemingly quiet hospice, where a representative of the local planetary government is visiting. If the heroes don't prevent this agent from carrying the infestation back to their employer, an entire planet could fall! Unfortunately, the heroes' task is complicated by the return of a hidden faction looking to reclaim the PCs to dissect their minds!
“The Cradle Infestation” is a Starfinder Roleplaying Game adventure written by Vanessa Hoskins for four 9th-level characters. This adventure continues the Threefold Conspiracy Adventure Path, a six-part, monthly campaign in which the players unravel the machinations of insidious aliens who have infiltrated galactic society. This volume also includes an examination of the biology and society of the floating barathus, a catalog of biotech gear, and a selection of new and mystifying monsters.
Each monthly full-color softcover Starfinder Adventure Path volume contains a new installment of a series of interconnected science-fantasy quests that together create a fully developed plot of sweeping scale and epic challenges. Each 64-page volume of the Starfinder Adventure Path also contains in-depth articles that detail and expand the Starfinder campaign setting and provide new rules, a host of exciting new monsters and alien races, a new planet to explore and starship to pilot, and more!
ISBN: 978-1-64078-239-6
The Threefold Conspiracy Adventure Path is sanctioned for use in Starfinder Society Organized Play. The rules for running this Adventure Path and Chronicle sheet are available as a free download (6.7 MB PDF).
Other Resources: This product is also available on the following platforms:
I ran this for a group of 4 casual players as part of the adventure path.
DISCLOSURE: We skipped the entirety of part 1 for reasons I laid out in my review of the previous chapter. In hindsight, I would have cut the last part of the previous book and instead run part 1 of this one as written, because it looks like a lot more fun than the fairly straight-forward dungeon crawl in book 4.
Still, there was plenty left to enjoy of this book. Part 2 is a fun set piece where the party gets to walk into a location, taking in the scenery, and then fight their way back out.
Part 3 is another dungeon crawl, but a brief and entertaining one with some intriguingly horrifying locations.
Because of the way the PCs are thrown into the situation, the scenario does not really allow the party to take a long rest all the way through part 2 and 3. My players were weary enough of the situation to be economical with their resources. But a group of more forceful players may need to be reminded about the fact that they are a long way from getting help and behind enemy lines and should be careful not to blow through their powers too quickly.
All in all, this is a solid entry in the AP. There were no encounters that felt like filler in part 2 and 3 and the atmosphere was tight. From the looks of it, the sandboxy part 1 would have added to the fun. Given the fantastic first book and some of the truly out-there encounters and locations in the previous books, nothing in here stands out enough to warrant a five star rating, however.
But any group going through the AP is not going to be disappointed by this.
Oh yeah, speaking of the AP: There is a big revelation for the PCs at the end of this. I have to say it's not pulled off to the greatest effect and it also leaves a lot of blanks for the GM to fill in. In fact, only one PC's revelation really matters for the rest of the AP and the rest are just dangling plot hooks for the GM to expand on as they see fit. As a lazy GM who buys adventures to have the work done for him, I was very disappointed by this. As a player, I think I would have been irked to just be a sidekick to the one PC that actually matters for the story. Fortunately, none of my players felt like that and were fine with (or even curious about) the barebones explanation I whipped up for their characters.
Some people may feel like this should shave a star of the adventure's rating but given that we still had a great time and my players are all eager to start book 6, I don't think it impacts the party's enjoyment of the AP as much after all.
Once again the Barathu art leaves much to be desired. Too homogeneous. It's like the Outer/Occult dragons again. I would think as an artist or art director, it would get so boring using the same design with a few tweaks over and over again. Especially when there are so many possibilities. In direct contrast the art for the new Bud Drone feat is absolutely magnificent, and exactly what I was looking for in actual the barathu.
Speaking of which, the new character options are very fun a flavorful. The adventure is solid and exciting. The new equipment is interesting, albiet a bit underpowered. One thing that confuses me is the Encounter Suit powered armor. It seems to be...a jellyfish. There is no indication of anyone wearing it. It's Medium but the tentacles are four times longer than the "bell" where the pilot would feasibly be. And it only has a land speed, yet it seems to have no way to ambulate, it's just...floating. Just pointless observations on a random item, but it makes me curious what the developers envisioned for it.
Nobody ever posted list of bestiary monsters in this one huh.
BTW, noticed the extinction curse volume 6 was available in weird way: its only available in first page of messageboard but not page 2. Makes me wonder if same works here... Not gonna test it out, but weird bug
If they aren't going to hit the release dates with pdfs.. they should stop advertising release dates.
It pretty much always releases the day it's announced, it's just not until later in the day sometimes. It'll get posted soon Im sure.
It's always been 3 am EST until recently. I can understand being late with printed copies.. but this should be easy to not mess up on. It's not the biggest deal in the world, but when it happens it does cause people that have made plans around the material to have to change them. So it would be nice if they can figure out what the issue is.
Oki yeah last time this happened the pdf become available in same day to purchase. I'm getting feeling this is less about someone forgetting to push a button and more that there is some sort of error on website
Oki yeah last time this happened the pdf become available in same day to purchase. I'm getting feeling this is less about someone forgetting to push a button and more that there is some sort of error on website
Possibly related to the issue with folks not being able to purchase outside of incognito mode?
I mean to be fair, whenever this problem has happened in past few months, the starfinder ap has had it happen longer than pathfinder ap :'D But yeah, hungry customers be hungry
