Pathfinder Society Scenario #3-06: Struck by Shadows

Perspective: I ran this one a few weeks ago for a 4-player party in the 5-6 range.

I always try to highlight the positive, even when I'm disappointed in a scenario, but for this one sadly that's just not possible.

Story wise, there are a few things going on that the players won't figure out until the next scenario in the arc (like 10 scenarios later or something). So my experience was that without any real story that the GM can convey, this is basically just a series of almost random encounters that offer a glimpse of the story's progression at the absolute least moment.
This could have been ok if the encounters were interesting, but I was also faced with disappointment there: If 90% of the creatures you face are level 3 (and recycled for every encounter except one!) against a lvl 5-6 party, the encounters are absolutely underwhelming.

It's nice to encounter some major PFS NPC's, since that usually brings a smile to the veteran players, but it doesn't make up for a somewhat boring scenario. Unfortunately it's a necessary one for the continuation of the metaplot.

Struck is a combat-based scenario that is very repetitious and uninspired. No roleplay, no investigation. And at no point was it challenging.

I was looking forward to the boss fight and thought it might present a challenge but he died in 1 round too. Sigh.

I agree with the incompetent review. One punch will leave the enemies crying for mommy.

Important information was missing from the scenario, such as what happens if the PCs rest 10 minutes? 20 minutes? 2 days? It also didn’t talk about light sources.

The scenario was easy to read, but several things could have been simplified even further. Such as the items that were given to the PCs.

This is one where with the right party, it could be a lot of fun, but for most thrown together PFS games, it was just kind of meh.

Being able to convince opponents to surrender was nice, but the DC was so low that if the party is moderately skilled, it was no challenge at all.

That is a fun one. You play. But it is more an episode.

I agree with Sliska Zafir, this scenario was not all that great. In-particular, the villains were treated as though they were completely incompetent, to a cartoony extent. It’s especially hard to feel any real sense of danger when the bad guys are constantly tripping over their own shoelaces and literally begging for their lives after you punch them once.

That typed, I have not been a fan of Season 3’s primary metaplot at all. Paizo seems intent upon presenting their shadowy S3 villains as a bunch of bumbling buffoons that pose no serious threat whatsoever to the Society whenever they show up in a scenario (similarly to how Paizo has treated the Aspis Consortium at times in the past). It takes a lot away from the experience in my mind, and I’d like to see enemies that are clever – not stupid. That way I (as a hero) can feel like I really achieved something when I foil their plans.

On the plus side, this scenario did at least have a fun introduction to the action, and the final boss was indeed an interesting concept. I’ll give it props for that. However, it’s still not enough to make up for the incompetence of this season's villains.