A repeatable Starfinder Society Scenario designed for 1st- through 4th-level characters.
In the aftermath of the Data Scourge, the Starfinder Society fractures along faction lines! Faced with the past mistakes of the Society, the betrayal and heinous crimes of former Starfinders (including the now notorious Historia-Prime), the grievances of active agents, and the weakening of external alliances, First Seeker Ehu Hadif embarks on a year of change, opening the floor to all agents, and giving them a platform through which to voice concerns, plans, ambitions, and lobby for change. Amid this turmoil, Ehu Hadif tasks a team of Starfinders with assisting three minor factions he believes are integral to the future of the Starfinder Society: the longstanding Manifold Host and the newly formed Advocates and Cognates factions, led by well-respected Starfinders Zigvigix and Royo. Take the first steps toward a brighter future in the Year of Redemption's Rise!
This is the first scenario in the ongoing story of the Year of Redemption's Rise. While it is recommended you begin with Intro: Year of Redemption's Rise, the remaining scenarios in the Year of Redemption's Rise can be played in any order.
This scenario felt as though it was aiming for a similar feel to 1-01, which introduced the original 4 (non second seeker) factions and even made some tongue in cheek callbacks to that scenario.
But the direct comparison begged here was not flattering. The nuts and bolts were there. Solid mix of combat and roleplay but the roleplay set pieces were truly underwhelming and there really is only so much you can do to spice up low level starfinder combat.
In the end, I cannot see myself running this again or as part of a routine intended to introduce new players to SFS and for that reason I must rate it below average.
Ring Side Report-RPG Review of SF Society Intro: Year of Redemption's Rise
Basics- STARFINDERS! The society calls you to make friends? Year of Redemption Rise is the latest intro module for the 5th year of Starfinder society. Starfinders meet three new factions, learn the basics of these factions, and help each with a micro adventure. It’s the standard fare for a faction introduction adventure, so let’s see how it stacks up.
Mechanics or Crunch- This adventure is a solid balance of fights and fluff. Players will talk with just as many NPCs as they shoot at. The crunch here for both sections is well balanced and thought out. It’s not reinventing the society’s basics, but it does a good job with the pieces it does have. 5/5
Theme or Fluff- What’s here is good, but there is not much here. The major adventure beats are leading a tour group, clearing an abandoned house, clearing a greenhouse, and cooling a political discussion. Nothing bad and it does set up for the future conflicts of tech vs. self sufficiency, but don’t expect some crazy inversion of the adventure template. You meet new groups, make friends with them, and then finish pretty quickly. Short, simple, and sweet. 4.5/5
Execution- Short, simple, and sweet is a good description of the execution of this book as well. Good layout, good pictures, a map for those who don’t have the specific map for clearing the abandoned facility, and easy to master intro and outro pieces for GM in a hurry. Six bucks is a bit steep for this, but that is my only complaint for this module. 4.5/5
Summary- This adventure reminds me of many of the other faction intro adventures. Paizo does their execution well, but it's a bit pricey. The basic crunch in them all is well done and shows a mastery of the system. And while the story is basic, it does a good job introducing new major characters to the players. Overall is this is a solid adventure and introduction to the next year as the society heals its rifts and repairs who it is. 93%
Please note that while this is technically a May release, it will not release to the public until June 1. More information can be found in this thread.
Pathfinder Pathfinder Accessories, Starfinder Accessories, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber
Story wise, I adored this scenario and loved the introduction to season 5! The mechanics are ...concerning for an introductory scenario though.
Commentary:
Everyone at the table I played at is an experienced player, but a rash of poor dice still brought us very close to a TPK. Everyone stabilized and the Data Scourge Remnant wandered off so no one actually lost a character... but it does have me concerned about running it with new players.
+11 TH, 1d6+6 damage is ridiculous in subtier 1-2. especially when the 4-player adjustment doesn't effect it
