Starfinder Adventure Path #47: Nightmare Scenario (Drift Crashers 2 of 3)

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Starfinder Adventure Path #47: Nightmare Scenario (Drift Crashers 2 of 3)
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The Drift Crisis has flung the crew of the Primorata across time, space, and other planes. Now Desna—goddess of dreams, stars, and luck—has chosen them to help those imperiled by the Drift Crash. Soon they're rescuing a solarian cosomonastery from a colossal black hole and finding a family of explorers trapped on the Astral Plane and lost along the River of Souls. And although Desna may have welcomed them to Cynosure, her personal home inside a star, the crew quickly discover their enemies have followed them and now threaten Cynosure itself!

“Nightmare Scenario” is a Starfinder adventure for four 3rd-level characters, continuing the 3-volume Drift Crashers Adventure Path. Drift Crashers is part of the Drift Crisis, an event taking place across the entire Starfinder game line, in which faster-than-light travel breaks down and the galaxy is thrown into chaos. In addition to the adventure itself, this book includes an article expanding on Desna and her church in the Starfinder setting, a gazetteer of her home plane of Cynosure, and an Adventure Toolbox filled with new rule options and strange alien creatures.

Each bi-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 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-13: 978-1-64078-450-5

The Drift Crashers Adventure Path is sanctioned for use in Starfinder Society Organized Play. The rules for running this Adventure Path and Chronicle sheets are available as a free download (573.3 kb PDF).

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

Fantasy Grounds Virtual Tabletop
Archives of Nethys

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5 Paizo-com ate the review

5/5

short review Paizo at the long one:

Good AP volume, but I think the AP benefits from a more experienced GM and players that have previous exposure to the setting and game.

Maps, honestly not happy that the Hazards are burned in, but that is more of a production issue I suspect.


Not impressive

3/5

In brief:

Chapter 1 - seems to have a single point of failure for the investigation with a DC 25 check. Without the macguffin from the check you pass here, the investigation can't move forward and events (as written in the book) will not occur. So you either have to break with what the book advises, or just keep repeating the check until it works.

Chapter 2 - Meh. This may just be a flavor/content-dependent issue. I was really not interested in playing matchmaker/pretend-band/Yoshi's Safari with the inhabitants of Cynosure. The ending of Chapter 2 is rather vexing -- it's a knife fight in a phone booth with a virtual AI that can cast Arcing Surge 3 times. 10d6 line damage! Some of the NPC's and the content in chapter 2 are not appropriate for all tables.

Chapter 3 - Just kinda mushy. There were a lot more things that could have been done with the River of Souls than this, I think. You know that feeling of whiplash you get from the beginning of Episode IX where the Millennium Falcon jumps like a dozen times between landscapes that last only 3 seconds? That was sort of how I felt. The whole bit with the android ghost was so drawn out. Just let 'em drown in the River of Souls, it sucks, give him a sendoff. But no, roll DC whatever to figure out these are android psychopomps aaaaaa.

The stakes in chapter 2 and 3 felt so ridiculously insignificant compared to Chapter 1 (and what later happens in Book 3). Going from learning you may have inadvertently caused a galactic disaster in Book 1 to "...and now you're going to help these people solve their problems in little side quests" just felt like a whiplash in scope.


Paizo Employee Sales & eCommerce Assistant

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


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Woohoo! Desna!

Dark Archive

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Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

I wonder if she still looks like elf or if she went back to looking like moth :O Either way first time we meet god in starfinder so yeah this ap is getting more and more insane


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I wonder how 3rd-level characters meeting a god is going to feel.


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Pathfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber

With any luck it's a non-combat encounter.


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You got mail! Checking your inbox, it's from Desna.

_________________________________

Cynosure appears to have regular traffic of planar travelers. According to old PF lore, stellar travelers are welcomed in Cynosure. So I imagine it's going to be similar as a location compared to Triune's Alluvion, which is another location where travelers are welcomed and just happens to have one of the Core Starfinder Gods ruling the city. In SF lore, Cynosure is described as a demiplane and located in the Vast.

I'm looking forward to the Cynosure gazetteer. With more information on Black Butterfly and Pulura. Also.. Estonars!

Acquisitives

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Rulebook, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

this looks like a fun romp.


2 people marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Pathfinder Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber
keftiu wrote:
I wonder how 3rd-level characters meeting a god is going to feel.

Pretty much the way you'd think any mortals meeting a god should usually feel.

Acquisitives

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Rulebook, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
CorvusMask wrote:
I wonder if she still looks like elf or if she went back to looking like moth :O Either way first time we meet god in starfinder so yeah this ap is getting more and more insane

moth


Starfinder Superscriber

A gazetteer on Cynosure! EEEEeeEEEEEEEeeEEEee!


You guys are not making the wait for this AP any easier.

Dark Archive

Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

Robo cable dredlocks :O


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Starfinder Superscriber

I'm guessing she's an Amrantah, first shown with a similar appearance in Attack of the Swarm #3.


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

What questions does anyone have about this volume? I will answer what I can tomorrow night.


What are the new critters?

Dark Archive

Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

Do we stay on single dimension/plane for this one? :D

Second Seekers (Jadnura)

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Pathfinder Starfinder Society Subscriber

Asking the important questions: on a scale from Sailor Moon to Puella Magi Madoka Magica, how would you rate the Magical Girl content?


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Starfinder Superscriber
Quote:
Do we stay on single dimension/plane for this one? :D

That depends on if you think Cynosure is a planar destination or a real destination (the backmatter probably clears this up)


Pathfinder Maps, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Maps, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber
Kishmo wrote:
Asking the important questions: on a scale from Sailor Moon to Puella Magi Madoka Magica, how would you rate the Magical Girl content?

I will have to leave that question to someone who understands it far better than I do.


Pathfinder Maps, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Maps, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber
Rysky the Dark Solarion wrote:
What are the new critters?

Mustyotal Agathion

Astral Leviathan
Chirosepia
Cynogerm
Glitch Dog
Hellhound (standard and ravager versions)
Luminix
Panic Psychemental


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Starfinder Superscriber
Kishmo wrote:
Asking the important questions: on a scale from Sailor Moon to Puella Magi Madoka Magica, how would you rate the Magical Girl content?

It's an archetype in the back. No real magical girl stuff in the actual adventure unless you include the Elton John-lookalike "Lovely Ria".

Based on Jenny Jarzabski's Twitter feed I think she had some stuff cut by editors.


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Starfinder Superscriber
Quote:

Do we stay on single dimension/plane for this one? :D

So after reading the backmatter about Cynosure it is apparently a star in the galaxy that always appears equidistant no matter where in the galaxy you are, like some sort of uber-pole star. Without a portal/gate you could never actually get to it, so I think technically that "counts" as a second plane.

So you go to 2 different planar locations in this.

Appearance-wise Cynosure is kind of like a futuristic version of Tir na Lia from The Witcher 3.


IS there any new mystic connection, operative specialization or soldier fighting style ?

Is there any character options tied to Desna or Cynosure ?

How exactly the archetype function ? Double identity ?

Dark Archive

Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
Leon Aquilla wrote:
Kishmo wrote:
Asking the important questions: on a scale from Sailor Moon to Puella Magi Madoka Magica, how would you rate the Magical Girl content?

It's an archetype in the back. No real magical girl stuff in the actual adventure unless you include the Elton John-lookalike "Lovely Ria".

Based on Jenny Jarzabski's Twitter feed I think she had some stuff cut by editors.

What tweet btw? Like was there implication of additional content? :O


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Starfinder Superscriber

I don't know. It was an off-hand tweet earlier this year about letting go when editors chop up the work you submitted because that's the way business is. Probably was about Paizo-related stuff but I don't know if it was specifically about this AP.

Quote:

Is there any character options tied to Desna or Cynosure ?

Yes as people have mentioned there's two archetypes, though neither is 1:1 linked to Desna or the Black Butterfly.

Quote:

IS there any new mystic connection, operative specialization or soldier fighting style ?

Yes there's a new mystic connection, Dreamer.


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Pathfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber

For the record, the backmatter includes:

* 3 new gear boosts for soldiers (meteoric speed, shooting star, and sidereal arc)
* 3 new archetypes (disciple of the Stillness, sleep researcher, and starsinger)
* 1 new mystic connection (dreamer)
* 1 new theme (gambler)
* 1 new weapon (chorister)
* 2 new magic items (paramour's prism and starshine serum)
* 1 new tech item (tactical pumps -- "pump" as in the shoe)

And 8 new critters:
* Agathion, mustyotal (which, intriguingly, look slightly like humanoid ilskitts)
* Astral leviathan (starship creature native to the Astral Plane)
* Chirosepia (tentacle-y critter native to the Drift)
* Cynogerm (minor heralds of Desna -- think in terms of the outsiders specific to deities presented in PF1E's Inner Sea Gods)
* Glitch dog (modern evolution of blink dogs)
* Hellhound (not technically the first time they've appeared in SF, but their first full bestiary entry - and a very slightly different, but not incompatible, take)
* Luminix (rat-like robots)
* Psychemental, panic (a manifestation of strong emotions from the Astral Plane; new to SF, but have more psychementals appeared in PF?)

The Codex of Worlds presents Joyview-5, which is not Golarionworld, but does seem to present some additional context for that upcoming Ports of Call entry. (Short version: Themed amusement park planets are a trend in the galaxy.)

Personal note on the archetypes: All three use the word "optional" when presenting their class features, but by my read only the disciple of Stillness archetype includes the option to take the alternate class features or not at each level.


Starfinder Superscriber

Where did Hellhounds appear previously?

Dark Archive

Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

Probably either in adventure or in society scenario

Psychelemental was from pathfinder 1e where it wasn't a group/category of monsters but a singular creature yeah.


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Pathfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber

Yeah, it was an early SFS scenario, where it was just a straight port from PF1E (with a minigun mounted on its back).


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Thank Leon Aquilla & John Mangrum.

Dark Archive

Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

I do have to say that I like Starfinder's increased art budget and we getting those beautiful article opening full page pictures pathfinder 2e aps have had since from start :3


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Read the bit about Joyview-5, and boy could that turn dystopian *real* quick.

Edit: Got to the end and oh boy things are gonna go so bad.


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Pathfinder Adventure, Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

Just want to sneak in here and thank Jenny Jarzabski for creating such a legendary encounter. I've wanted a direct interaction with Starfinder/Pathfinder's gods in an adventure for so long, and never thought it would happen. I'd been holding off on reading these books because I'm currently a player in a Drift Crisis campaign, but I couldn't help myself any longer and decided to just sneak a little peek. Beautiful stuff. No one tell my GM!


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Starfinder Superscriber
Quote:
I've wanted a direct interaction with Starfinder/Pathfinder's gods in an adventure for so long, and never thought it would happen.

???

You meet Iomedae in Wrath of the Righteous (and if you sass her she blows out your eardrums with lethal sonic damage)


Pathfinder Adventure, Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
Leon Aquilla wrote:
Quote:
I've wanted a direct interaction with Starfinder/Pathfinder's gods in an adventure for so long, and never thought it would happen.

???

You meet Iomedae in Wrath of the Righteous (and if you sass her she blows out your eardrums with lethal sonic damage)

Really? I only thought that was in the video game. Well...guess I need to acquire some new APs. Thanks for the heads up, Leon.


Starfinder Superscriber

Yeah she appears in Herald of the Ivory Labyrinth specifically


Pathfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber

Finally got a chance to sit down with this. Upon an initial read, this is a pretty strong adventure and buoys my hopes of running this AP someday. The hyper-episodic nature of the AP works well here, as the PCs zip through three very distinct scenarios. Compared to The Perfect Storm, Nightmare Scenario feels like it has more room to breathe. Semi-spoilery notes on that:

Spoiler:
The Perfect Storm had to engage in some intense heavy lifting, including setting up the premise of the AP, the PCs' home base, and two alternate realities. Meanwhile, Nightmare Scenario benefits from expanded non-combat encounters, requiring fewer page-gobbling maps, and a Toolbox article tackling big-picture scene-setting for the the central scenario included here. A majority of the creatures in the Toolbox also get direct use here; more canny use of limited space.

Also, nice to see dynamic hacking getting a little time in the limelight.

That said, tight space does raise its head again:

Spoiler:
It's a pity that we don't have room to include portraits for any of the NPCs encountered in the third scenario. Also--and this is hardly unique to this adventure--we once again encounter the problem of most locations PCs visit in Starfinder being physically tiny. A vital infrastructure location in this adventure is, once you piece it all together, presented as both the tallest structure in Desna's divine realm (aside from the space elevator featured on page 50) and an incredibly spindly, 7-story high-rise. But the actual layout of that tower isn't particularly important to the adventure (it's really just three encounter areas and connective tissue left to the imagination), so a GM could expand that building considerably in their descriptions to give it more "heft" without warping anything.

More general trend I'm seeing in this AP, really appreciating, and want to call out: No iconics in the art. Iconics are great for branding, but as a GM I have a constant utilitarian hunger for art I can show to the players with a simple "It looks like this" vs. "It looks something like this, but imagine your PCs here instead of these guys."

Dark Archive

Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

How ye would review the book?


Pathfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber

For now that is my review; personally I wouldn't want to submit a "real" review until I've actually run an adventure. There's always something that jumps out at you, for good or ill, at the "table."

Or in other words, I'd have to tweak my thinking quite a bit to provide a star rating. But it's on my mental "want to run" list.


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Starfinder Superscriber

Chapter 1 is rather vexing as it has a single point of failure for the investigation. We'll see how the rest comes in but Chapter 1 seems to hinge on a DC 25 diplomacy check, which for a level 3 character means a 25% chance of success.

BATSH**


GM's are quite free to change specific things if they think its a bit to tough for their party, easy fix and you should know that by now with all the games you run right?

Not a huge deal honestly to lower, or raise a DC or give them some other helping hand to not bottleneck the progress. We should all be old hands by now at this for Starfinder, PF I and PF II AP's by now, LOL

Not a snide comment but this is a basic thing you should also mention in all fairness.

"DC a bit High for X so I am going to lower it", or as I usually do if they RP it in a cool and different way before they roll the check I lower the DC. If they flub it or do no RP I tend to raise em, and all my players know this from the get go. :)

Especially for Diplo checks!! Ha Ha Ha

Tom


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Starfinder Superscriber

"If you don't like it, change it" is not a valid reply to a criticism of an AP. If it was, all AP's would be 5 stars since ultimately everything about them can be changed. The reason I buy them is so that I don't have to do as much prep - therefore the more I have to finagle it, the lower the score. I've been quite honest about that, it's in my profile.

Dark Archive

Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

Hmm yeah, review wise I think high score and changing AP mostly mesh together if ap INSPIRES further changes rather than requires them.

(that said arguably if your table experience is improved by extremely small change, I think its fair enough, but its kinda rare that book would jump multiple stars review wise with that kind of change and as reader you likely would feel like "why they didn't just do that from start?" especially if there wasn't sidebar suggestion to present it as alternate valid option writer is informing you of.

Still though, I do think it happens sometimes. Like let's assume ap book would be perfect, except that writer gave out loot that trivializes fun challenging mechanic of it right at the start. If you can improve adventure by just moving item to later point or to end of adventure, I think its confusing why it was given at start, but alright to give good review score anyway.)

So yeah, overall I agree that ye shouldn't review books based on your own changes, but it depends on context for me heavily so I'm unsure of agreeing with that as general rule.


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Leon Aquilla wrote:
"If you don't like it, change it" is not a valid reply to a criticism of an AP. If it was, all AP's would be 5 stars since ultimately everything about them can be changed. The reason I buy them is so that I don't have to do as much prep - therefore the more I have to finagle it, the lower the score. I've been quite honest about that, it's in my profile.

It's also relevant to point out because it could be a typo or the author wasn't aware they made a mistake.

Also I know a couple of people who "go by the book!" As they say.


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Starfinder Superscriber

Aaaand a knife fight in a phone booth at the end of Chapter 2. This was annoying in Signal of Screams 2 and it's annoying here too.


Pathfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber

There's an interesting moment in the finale that caught my eye:

Spoiler:

During the climactic starship chase scene (which turns out to be a recurring motif of the AP), the PCs briefly pop into the middle of a massive space battle between the Azlanti Star Empire and the Veskarium. But I glean that the Primorata is probably still in "our" multiverse at that point, so it'll be interesting if we hear more about this in the future.


Thing is Leon, just one DC thing that takes 10 seconds to change, not rewriting an entire chapter. So more a small bump on the road most of us are well used to in AP's by now.

I totally get you on what "I pay for I expect to run perfectly with no issues or changes I need to make at all", BUT

I hav'nt found an AP yet I did'nt tweek to better suit the party play style, or for me as a GM, make things easier, or harder and so on.

But I think in the end on not so good DC is not something to really super "Chapter one Vexing" if that was all their is honestly.

I guess its more of well Chap 1 has a wrong DC so chap 1 Vexing (worthless/not worth buying and GMing or running even?)

Thats kind of the impression/tone I got when I first read your post kinda thing.

I have mine but just paged through it as I'm super focused on Mod 1.

Tom

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