A Pathfinder Bounty designed for 1st-level characters.
A recent rescue mission led to the discovery of many ruined sites from an ancient civilization. Some of the ruins contain an abundance of strange mushrooms, and a curious explorer asks the PCs to help collect and identify them. This adventure ties to events in Pathfinder Society Intro #2: United In Purpose, though it does not assume the PCs are members of the Pathfinder Society.
Written by: Alex Speidel
Content sanctioned for use in the Pathfinder Society (second edition) Organized Play program.
Scenario tags: Repeatable
[Scenario Maps spoiler - click to reveal]
The following maps used in this scenario are also available for purchase here on paizo.com:
I ran this Bounty in Play-By-Post format with four players. The Blackwood Abundance sets out to do two things: introduce the Verdant Wheel faction and somewhat expand on the story created in The Second Confirmation/United In Purpose. That said, as a Bounty, it can't really add in any new elements that would make this required playing should the storyline continue, so what it does (essentially showing that there's a lot of strange things going on here) it does well. It also showcases the Verdant Wheel quite well - they're interested in plants and plant life. Cool.
On the mechanical side of things the adventure is fine. It's broken up into three encounters: a combat encounter, a hazard, and one that's more of a puzzle or skill challenge. I like this, but unfortunately it falls a bit flat due to the nature of Bounties. The combat is relatively easy enough and doesn't really provide much interest - it's a nova encounter for the characters (whether the players know it or not), but does very little with the environment or the creature. It's understandable as a 1st level encounter, so it gets somewhat of a pass.
The problem really comes with the other two encounters - which are both great, really. One is dealing with a dangerous hazard and the other is an interesting little puzzle to solve. I like both of these quite a lot, actually. It's just that it has the potential for one player to handle everything on their own, especially if they happen to have the talents to do so while the rest of the party doesn't. This comes up from time to time in games, but it's a bit more rough in a short-form game like a Bounty. I start to see the appeal of having something slightly more "railroad-y" in the form of having a large encounter at the end just to have the party feel like they've come together.
That said, this is a solid Bounty. You see the Verdant Wheel for what they are and enjoy a more peaceful side of the Society. Stakes are low and it's an enjoyable distraction. For home GMs, if you combine this with the Intro modules, you could craft a little narrative of your own about the strange things existing here in the Blackwood Swamp. For PFS, I do hope that this gets somewhat expanded on as the mystery of the Azlanti ruins is quite interesting!
Organized Play Associate
