To banish the monstrous shadows that stalk Westcrown by night, the PCs go undercover, joining the city’s chaotic theatrical community in an elaborate plot to infiltrate the estate of the decadent lord-mayor. Yet theater life turns deadly when they become players in a spectacle no actor has ever survived. Can the PCs endure their debut performance in a city where an actor’s first big hit is often his last?
This volume of Pathfinder Adventure Path continues the Council of Thieves Adventure Path, and includes:
"The Sixfold Trial," a Pathfinder RPG adventure for 3rd-level characters, by Richard Pett
The Six Trials of Larazod, the complete and unabridged text of that infamously deadly play, by Nicolas Logue
An exploration of the faith of Iomedae the Inheritor, goddess of valor, by Sean K Reynolds
Pathfinder Varian Jeggare investigating death among the aristocracy in the Pathfinder’s Journal, by Dave Gross
Six new monsters by Darrin Drader, David Eitelbach, Sean K Reynolds, and F. Wesley Schneider
A Pathfinder Roleplaying Game adventure for characters of 3rd to 5th level. The Council of Thieves Adventure Path is the first to take full advantage of the new Pathfinder Roleplaying Game rules, and works with both the Pathfinder RPG and the standard 3.5 fantasy RPG rules set.
Pathfinder Adventure Path is Paizo Publishing's monthly 96-page, perfect-bound, full-color softcover book printed on high-quality paper. It contains an in-depth Adventure Path scenario, stats for about a half-dozen new monsters, and several 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 standard 3.5 fantasy RPG rules set.
I really enjoyed this module. It's not without its flaws. The play isn't for everybody. A lot of the encounters in the first part are very, very difficult to the point of being unfun. The mansion is a lot of space devoted to not a lot of actual content.
But I can tolerate more flaws in modules that are trying to do something interesting, and the play is very interesting. I loved the entire scenario. Learning lines, getting to know the other actors, schmoozing with the Westcrown upper crust. I think this scenario would really shine with a remaster that incorporates some rules that would be published later, such as influence points and social combat. But a GM can work to fix mechanics, and it's a lot more fun to do so when the source material is so much fun.
The dungeon crawl at the end was pretty good too, so there's something for the combat-oriented players as well. Just a very well-designed, balanced adventure that will appeal to players with a lot of different tastes.
...and had the time of our lives. The play really is much better read in character than as a dry read. Lots of fun was had by all.
This is not something for everyday play (or we'd all be acting buffs rather than role-players), but even the shy people at our table had lots of fun with this script! Hats off to Mr. Logue!
Easily one of the best AP scenarios. This books is unconventional, puts the players through strange situations, and is exactly the kind of thing I couldn't come up with in a home brew. A good model for any adventure: A quirky set of scenes and challenges that test the players in bizarre ways, followed by a hilarious set of NPC encounters and roleplaying opportunities, and finally a non-repetitive dungeon crawl in a weird, supernatural environment. Perfect balance of elements, lots of flavor. A+ all-around
Only downsides: The first third of the book is dangerous, and could kill players without them getting much say in the matter. Also, as with most of Council, tends to be a little railroad-y at times. If you and your players like the story and follow the cues, or you are adaptable as a GM, there shouldn't be any problems.
Other than the play at the begining (which is for adults) the rest of the adventure reminded me alot of a WFRP adventure(not a direct copy mind you just very similar). If your looking for something with that dark cultist sorta feel it wont disapoint. Hopefuly this path will continue to get better.
In my time time of G Ming, my PC's have made numerous public appearances, but never once as performers. While I was still in the process of reading the module, I saw this adventure as an opportunity to introduce another type of challenge to my game. Truth be told, things did not go quite as cleanly as planned. Interactions with the script and rolls became sketchy, and the damage count kept rising much faster than anyone expected. Still, this did not tone down the genius behind this adventure, and even if things went awry at some points, the content of the adventure kept the PC's into finishing the play, along with creating a hatred for Chelish nobility. There are plenty of interesting role playing experiences, and if you have a group that exists for combat alone (we all know how annoying that can be) this is a chance to change things up a bit.
Looking forward to seeing what Nick Logue has in store for us. I think it's FANTASTIC! that Paizo is having him write an article for the game within his area of specialty and expertise.
Adventure Path Charter Subscriber; Pathfinder Adventure, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
lojakz wrote:
Looking forward to seeing what Nick Logue has in store for us. I think it's FANTASTIC! that Paizo is having him write an article for the game within his area of specialty and expertise.
Not to put a negative spin on things, but actually I am not excited about seeing his name on it. Nick's Sinister Adventures has been a disaster - I don't mind all the delays but it is not cool how amazingly silent he is.
Looking forward to seeing what Nick Logue has in store for us. I think it's FANTASTIC! that Paizo is having him write an article for the game within his area of specialty and expertise.
Looking forward to seeing what Nick Logue has in store for us. I think it's FANTASTIC! that Paizo is having him write an article for the game within his area of specialty and expertise.
Not to put a negative spin on things, but actually I am not excited about seeing his name on it. Nick's Sinister Adventures has been a disaster - I don't mind all the delays but it is not cool how amazingly silent he is.
One must remember that Nick started the company before some major life changes hit him last September or so. He got his real-world dream job, and I'm sure his priority is to make sure that he devotes as much time to that as he needs. Sinister was started and the books were announced when he was in a very different professional place.
I agree with lojakz that this synergy between his professional expertise and passion and his rpg work is something I'm really looking forward to. I have hopes it will be both new and original, as well as evocative of the classic opera scene in Final Fantasy III/VI, which is still my favorite theater-based fantasy adventure of all time.
Looking forward to seeing what Nick Logue has in store for us. I think it's FANTASTIC! that Paizo is having him write an article for the game within his area of specialty and expertise.
Not to put a negative spin on things, but actually I am not excited about seeing his name on it. Nick's Sinister Adventures has been a disaster - I don't mind all the delays but it is not cool how amazingly silent he is.
Sorry Dithering! I'm going to do my very best to get everything back on track (and become my usually over-responsive hyper-yerba-mate-infused self) over the summer break.
I can't wait for this. Cheliax, Hellknights, and crumbling Westcrown are all elements of Golarion that intrigue me. To have another Pett adventure centered around real role playing, like the Prince of Redhand was, in this kind of setting is exciting. Zeech's feast was one of the highlights of my recently completed AOW campaign. I used some recipes found here on the Paizo messageboards and put on a real dinner party feast. It was great gaming fun, primarily because it was such a different kind of adventure. I hope the Sixfold Trial can replicate that kind of memorable role playing experience. I think I've just found the next Paizo AP I want to run...
I can't wait for this. Cheliax, Hellknights, and crumbling Westcrown are all elements of Golarion that intrigue me. To have another Pett adventure centered around real role playing, like the Prince of Redhand was, in this kind of setting is exciting. Zeech's feast was one of the highlights of my recently completed AOW campaign. I used some recipes found here on the Paizo messageboards and put on a real dinner party feast. It was great gaming fun, primarily because it was such a different kind of adventure. I hope the Sixfold Trial can replicate that kind of memorable role playing experience. I think I've just found the next Paizo AP I want to run...
TtO
The challenge with writing this adventure was to tip the hat to prince of redhand without it being a repeat experience, only time will tell if I've got the right feel but I'm hoping the experience echoes redhand in a pleasantly twisted way.
Certainly there are plenty of elements in the adventure that will allow some very serious roleplay, the least of which is the play logue has written a part of. I think there may be some fun and games around tables come the autumn (QE).
After getting the detailed plot overview of the whole Council of Thieves AP this weekend from James and Wes, I have to say this one sounds like the most fun/interesting of the six. Is it September yet?
Well, I just reupped my Pathfinder AP subscription, in no small part thanks to the description of this module. The whole idea of the play sounds so fantastic that I just had to see what it was all about.
Yeah, do we have to fight her, cuz what's the damage for rolling downhill...and does she have a higher CMB versus bullrush, also if you trip her does everyone in a 20' radius have to roll a balance check?
Wow... wow, cover. It's finally happened. But shouldn't this have been 6 of 6, not the second volume?
In Cheliax, the fat lady doesn't sing at the end. She sings all the time, especially when your PCs are being menaced and harmed by monsters for the public's entertainment!
Anyway, when I promised more cheesecake than ever with this cover, I was obviously talking about the cheesecake INSIDE the cover character.