Pathfinder Adventure Path #157: Devil at the Dreaming Palace (Agents of Edgewatch 1 of 6)

3.50/5 (based on 13 ratings)
Pathfinder Adventure Path #157: Devil at the Dreaming Palace (Agents of Edgewatch 1 of 6)
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Get ready to shine your badge and report for duty—the Agents of Edgewatch Adventure Path begins! In this thrilling new Pathfinder campaign, players assume the role of fresh recruits of the Edgewatch, the newest division of Absalom's city watch. Tasked with fighting crime during this year's Radiant Festival—a grand centennial gathering of exhibitors and wonders from around the world that this year celebrates the grand reopening of Absalom's treacherous Precipice Quarter, long a ruined haven of monsters and criminals. Soon after taking on the new beat, the detectives learn that the fair has attracted not only cutpurses and vandals, but also poisoners, ransomers, and even a sadistic serial murderer, and it's up to the Agents of Edgewatch to crack the case and bring these villains to justice!

“Devil at the Dreaming Palace,” by fan-favorite author James L. Sutter, is a Pathfinder adventure for four 1st-level characters. The adventure kicks off the Agents of Edgewatch Adventure Path, in which the heroes join the city watch to solve a series of crimes across Absalom, the City of Lost Omens, before the crooks can pull off the ultimate heist! This volume also includes an in-depth gazetteer of Absalom's Radiant Festival, thematically appropriate new monsters, and new rules designed to support the Agents of Edgewatch campaign!

Each monthly full-color softcover Pathfinder Adventure Path volume contains an in-depth adventure scenario, stats for several new monsters, and support articles meant to give Game Masters additional material to expand their campaign. Pathfinder Adventure Path volumes use the Open Game License and work with both the Pathfinder RPG and the world's oldest fantasy RPG.

ISBN-13: 978-1-64078-253-2

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

Hero Lab Online
Fantasy Grounds Virtual Tabletop
Roll20 Virtual Tabletop
Archives of Nethys

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3.50/5 (based on 13 ratings)

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This is the best edgewatch book, but...

3/5

...Its also giant meatgrinder with multiple overtuned encounters and tpk opportunities at level 1 and at the final boss.

Its still best crime solving book out of entire ap, even with its issues(the labor strike/hostage thing as written is yikes in many ways), because this is before Twilight Four's nonsense starts, but part of why later book suffers is problems starting from this book.

Like for example, this book's adventure toolbox article lacks campaign outline that actually explains what is Twilight Four's history and plan, so GM has to put it together from over course of reading multiple books... And their plan seems to be kinda poor for master criminals.

Its hard to review Edgewatch books as a player who is now reading the ap because biggest problems of Edgewatch relate to ap as campaign. Like its fairly clear the AP would have been better as 3 part one, timescale of AP makes no sense(why does it need to take place during Radiant Festival exactly and why couldn't festival be as long as chicago's worldfair festival it seems to be inspired by?)

While this is also only book in ap that remembers players should prefer to use nonlethal combat methods(ap was clearly written with different assumption than player's guide), its also the one that misses opportunity to use automatic bonus progression rules or create campaign specific loot rules and instead just handwaves it with "edgewatch is acting with privateer laws for duration of ap"

Its also feels like straight up false advertising when this ap was promoted as police procedural ap while book itself says "Since the focus of this Adventure Path is fast-paced action rather than legal paperwork,"... Well I really disagree with take that town guard ap should be cop action movie, it really should have put more focus on crime solving and investigation and etc thing than just rushing pcs into next action scene with tiniest amount of downtime and breathers.

Devil at the Dreaming Palace in itself is memorable and brutal adventure, but yeah its best ap because its self contained from later books weird issues.


5/5




Almost made us not play 2e.

1/5

With any kind of published adventure, especially one in a new system starting at level 1 the most important question is "can I pick this up and run it?" If the answer to that question is no, it's like a car missing a part. It doesn't matter what the engine torque is if there are no wheels. It doesn't matter how engaging the plot or setting are if you can't run this as a game.

The escaped critters encounter is an absolute meat grinder. Paizo's products tend to over estimate low level (especially brand new first levels) but this is n.v.t.s. nuts. Several monsters in a row can walk up to PCs, hit them twice and drop them without even critting. One of the hits is LIKELY to be a crit that will drop them.

The situation is set up so that you probably shouldn't be taking short rests to heal up, much less take the long rests you're going to need to recover from each encounter. There are clever system agnostic adventurer shenanigans you can do to avoid engaging with the system, but as far as "lets try out pf2" goes you get the impression that the adventure and system want to turn you into a fine red mist.


Good start to a fine AP.

4/5

This is a well-written first book to get the players and characters interested in the promised themes of the adventure.

Our player group all really enjoyed the Dreaming Palace and the House of Planes which we made the most of. The name-dropping for later is also a nice addition.

Unfortunately, the Adventure Path starts going down hill in the later books which makes starting this as a long-term game not as attractive a recommendation as a GM or player.


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Paizo Employee Webstore Coordinator

7 people marked this as a favorite.

Announced for July! Product image and description are not final and may be subject to change.


8 people marked this as a favorite.

Are we there yet? Are we there yet? ARE WE THERE YET?!

This may be the most excited I've been about an adventure path since Strange Aeons, and I absolutely love these very specific concepts the two latest adventure paths have presented (detectives and circus members).

Dark Archive

1 person marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

Woo! :D


8 people marked this as a favorite.

Hold up while I queue up Law and Order music and sfx.

Silver Crusade

2 people marked this as a favorite.

Love the name.

Love Sutter.

I’m in :3


Can't wait!!!!

Contributor

23 people marked this as a favorite.

Oh hey! I see this is announced! :D


1 person marked this as a favorite.
James Sutter wrote:
Oh hey! I see this is announced! :D

I'm not crying, you're crying!

(excellent to see you back amongst the adventure path authors, sir!)

Silver Crusade

1 person marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

I didn't know that there was an upcoming City Watch based campaign, which is a dream campaign concept I've wanted to run for years. This is incredible.

Dark Archive

4 people marked this as a favorite.
Heine Stick wrote:

Are we there yet? Are we there yet? ARE WE THERE YET?!

This may be the most excited I've been about an adventure path since Strange Aeons, and I absolutely love these very specific concepts the two latest adventure paths have presented (detectives and circus members).

would love to have Strange Aeons for PF2


1 person marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Maps, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Maps, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber

Just to confirm that I have not been misled by unconfirmed rumors -- This is the adventure path where you can advance all the way from 1st to 20th level without ever leaving Absalom City, correct?


Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Charter Superscriber

REALLY looking forward to this!

Dark Archive

Pathfinder Pathfinder Accessories Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Starfinder Charter Superscriber
David knott 242 wrote:


Just to confirm that I have not been misled by unconfirmed rumors -- This is the adventure path where you can advance all the way from 1st to 20th level without ever leaving Absalom City, correct?

That was the plan that was announced at Gencon (since the books aren't to the printer I expect that Paizo wouldn't be willing to say absolutely now in case there was some plot requirement that forced you out)

Paizo Employee CEO

34 people marked this as a favorite.

Many years ago, I proffered the idea of doing a CSI Absalom adventure path. Now, all these years later, I am thrilled to finally see this being done. It will be my first full-fledge PF2 adventure path and I can't wait!

Silver Crusade

2 people marked this as a favorite.

Yay!

Dark Archive

29 people marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber

In the Precipice Quarter criminal justice system, the people are represented by two separate but equally important groups: the Edgewatch, who investigate crime; and the Pharasmins, who bury the offenders.

These are their stories.


And I'm already planning to turn maps black and white so I can run this in noir style. Anybody know someone who does jazz on their lute for background music?

Dark Archive

Lisa, I can't wait to see what you have come up with! And the first module is written by The Magnificently Scroundelous James "the Lip" Sutter. Fantastic! :)


Pathfinder Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber

Yes! I've been wanting something like this for a very long time.


My players and I were hooked when it was first announced and its getting closer!!!

Ha Ha, CAN'T WAIT!!

I do hope there is a quest or two that could take the party out of the city as an optional choice please :)

Tom

Dark Archive

1 person marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber
TRDG wrote:

My players and I were hooked when it was first announced and its getting closer!!!

Ha Ha, CAN'T WAIT!!

I do hope there is a quest or two that could take the party out of the city as an optional choice please :)

Tom

Well, you can always go to Bosco.

Silver Crusade

1 person marked this as a favorite.
N'wah wrote:
TRDG wrote:

My players and I were hooked when it was first announced and its getting closer!!!

Ha Ha, CAN'T WAIT!!

I do hope there is a quest or two that could take the party out of the city as an optional choice please :)

Tom

Well, you can always go to Bosco.

I love that place.

Dark Archive

1 person marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

So I just realized, where the heck THIS character art is from? Just like with Extinction Curse's part 6's placeholder art, I have no idea where the character art is from in this one either ._.;


2 people marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Maps, Pathfinder Accessories Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Charter Superscriber; Starfinder Charter Superscriber

He's from the Villain Codex, p.204. I have no idea about the other one.

Dark Archive

Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

Ah I see. Villain Codex is cool book, but I use it relatively rarely so I don't remember all the pictures that well :'D

Paizo Employee Developer

2 people marked this as a favorite.

The background art is also from the Villain Codex. It's the introduction piece for the Savage Marauders section on page 174.


11 people marked this as a favorite.

We'll have dhampir releasing in time for this.
Homebrew werewolf-lite should be manageable.
Adopted dwarf is covered, and can be done at first level on a human.
Trolls… that'll be tricky.
Nobby Nobbs is definitely a unique homebrew ancestry.

(That is to say, I'm looking forward to Commander Vimes of the City Watch, The Adventure Path.)


Pathfinder Maps, Pathfinder Accessories, Starfinder Society Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber

We're going to have blackscaled vigilante investigator kobolds releasing in time for this!

Diligent police kobold by day, cowled caped-crusader kobold by night!

I can see the bat-signal on the walls of the Starstone Cathedral already...

;)

Liberty's Edge

4 people marked this as a favorite.

This will be my first GM module and making old school by way of the movie " Police Academy ". I mean using the soundtrack , including the Blue Oyster and using the characters . For fun, I will use movies and TV shows characters (Kojak , Police Squad , Colombo , Dirty Harry , Lethal Weapon , , Die Hard , etc ). I guess I shown my age with my references.

Grand Lodge

2 people marked this as a favorite.

I am so looking forward to this Adventure path.

Hmm


1 person marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Pathfinder Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

I'm really excited for this. Just imagine the number of favours Lisa could call in. I suspect Sutter won't be the only fan-favourite involved.

Silver Crusade

1 person marked this as a favorite.

You’d be correct.

Liberty's Edge

12 people marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber
Feros wrote:

We're going to have blackscaled vigilante investigator kobolds releasing in time for this!

Diligent police kobold by day, cowled caped-crusader kobold by night!

I can see the bat-signal on the walls of the Starstone Cathedral already...

;)

A cool concept, but I think I'd prefer my Kobold in this AP to be...

Copper.

;)

Liberty's Edge

2 people marked this as a favorite.

The ultimate heist can only mean one thing in Absalom : the Starstone itself.


Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Pathfinder Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

I wonder if it will be easy to convert to Starfinder. I can run it twice then.........


Pathfinder Adventure, Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

Tribute to Devil in the White City by Eric Larson?


3 people marked this as a favorite.

Is it terrible I want to try this out with an all Barbarian party?

Dark Archive

Uchuujin wrote:
Is it terrible I want to try this out with an all Barbarian party?

If you want my opinion: yes, it is.

City campaigns have a place for a maximum of one barbarian, in my experience.
Maybe two if one is an urban barbarian.

If you asked about an all-rogue or all-wizard Party, i'd say it's much more feasible.

Of course you can probably play this with an all-barbarian party, but the social parts and spellcasting will have to be adjusted and probably won't work as written.
You will also need lots of money for healing items. ;-)


4 people marked this as a favorite.
Marco Massoudi wrote:
Uchuujin wrote:
Is it terrible I want to try this out with an all Barbarian party?

If you want my opinion: yes, it is.

City campaigns have a place for a maximum of one barbarian, in my experience.
Maybe two if one is an urban barbarian.

If you asked about an all-rogue or all-wizard Party, i'd say it's much more feasible.

Of course you can probably play this with an all-barbarian party, but the social parts and spellcasting will have to be adjusted and probably won't work as written.
You will also need lots of money for healing items. ;-)

Multiclass dedications are a still a thing.

Silver Crusade

8 people marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber
Marco Massoudi wrote:
Uchuujin wrote:
Is it terrible I want to try this out with an all Barbarian party?

If you want my opinion: yes, it is.

City campaigns have a place for a maximum of one barbarian, in my experience.
Maybe two if one is an urban barbarian.

If you asked about an all-rogue or all-wizard Party, i'd say it's much more feasible.

Of course you can probably play this with an all-barbarian party, but the social parts and spellcasting will have to be adjusted and probably won't work as written.
You will also need lots of money for healing items. ;-)

There's nothing, literally nothing about the Barbarian class that mandates Barbs being savage, uncivilized brutes with no social skills. They can get Trained+ in social skills. They are not mandatorily illiterate. They can learn languages, take dancing classes and write poetry. The only thing that makes you think otherwise is your inability to see the class in any other way than foam-mouthed "thrug smash" simpletons. Which is one way to play a Barbarian, but far from the only one.

Healing in PF2 is easily handled without spellcasting. And one or two Barbs could pick casting dedications to handle other challenges related to magic.

Dark Archive

5 people marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber

Got excited and made some printable Edgewatch badges this morning. Enjoy!

Agents of Edgewatch Badges


5 people marked this as a favorite.
N'wah wrote:

Got excited and made some printable Edgewatch badges this morning. Enjoy!

Agents of Edgewatch Badges

Badges? Badges?! We don't need... Sorry, force of habit.


3 people marked this as a favorite.
Marco Massoudi wrote:
Uchuujin wrote:
Is it terrible I want to try this out with an all Barbarian party?

If you want my opinion: yes, it is.

City campaigns have a place for a maximum of one barbarian, in my experience.
Maybe two if one is an urban barbarian.

If you asked about an all-rogue or all-wizard Party, i'd say it's much more feasible.

Of course you can probably play this with an all-barbarian party, but the social parts and spellcasting will have to be adjusted and probably won't work as written.
You will also need lots of money for healing items. ;-)

I guess you haven't seen a city with a frat/soror party.

Paizo Employee Organized Play Developer

4 people marked this as a favorite.
Gorbacz wrote:


There's nothing, literally nothing about the Barbarian class that mandates Barbs being savage, uncivilized brutes with no social skills. They can get Trained+ in social skills. They are not mandatorily illiterate. They can learn languages, take dancing classes and write poetry. The only thing that makes you think otherwise is your inability to see the class in any other way than foam-mouthed "thrug smash" simpletons. Which is one way to play a Barbarian, but far from the only one.

Healing in PF2 is easily handled without spellcasting. And one or two Barbs could pick casting dedications to handle other challenges related to magic.

For most of our playtest campaign with Mark, Linda's barbarian was the only healer we had in the party across multiple levels of play. And I was playing a 12 Dex Monk without Mountain Stance :P

In another group we have an Intimidate-focused barbarian who knew she was going to be pumping Cha and grabbed Diplomacy and Deception as well; she's the party face and the lead in most social encounters, except for those situations where the monk happens to be the right fit because he has Society with Streetwise and Courtly Graces.


1 person marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Maps, Pathfinder Accessories Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Charter Superscriber; Starfinder Charter Superscriber
UnArcaneElection wrote:
I guess you haven't seen a city with a frat/soror party.

We don't really have US style fraternities/sororities here in Germany. Most Germans are only familiar with them, if at all, via American movies or TV shows – depictions which may or may not be close to reality.


5 people marked this as a favorite.

^Reality is bad enough.

Dark Archive

1 person marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

I'm pretty sure wild college dorm room parties are only American thing? Over here at least they go to have those parties at night clubs instead :p


This could be very interesting


Pathfinder Maps, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Maps, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber
CorvusMask wrote:
I'm pretty sure wild college dorm room parties are only American thing? Over here at least they go to have those parties at night clubs instead :p

American college students can't do that because we pretty much have a universal drinking age of 21, and bars and night clubs check everyone's IDs -- so usually the oldest seniors go out to buy kegs of beer and bring them back to the dorms.

We also did that at my college back around 1980, but even though the drinking age for beer and wine was only 18 back then, we were in a state where selling alcoholic drinks by the individual drink was illegal. The only advantage we had over the current day was that anyone but the youngest freshmen could buy the kegs.

Liberty's Edge

Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Pathfinder Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber
Blood stained Sunday's best wrote:
Tribute to Devil in the White City by Eric Larson?

That is what I immediately thought of as well. ^_^

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