Pathfinder Adventure Path: Serpent's Skull Player's Guide (PFRPG) PDF

For free you don't expect much, but in this case you get some evocative art/design and very clear guidelines for ways to hook or integrate characters into the campaign.

It's broken down into a geographical overview, then most of the 12 pages deals with each race and class, detailing how that type of character fits into the campaign and rationale for them being there. This is comprehensive and draws on the rest of the campaign material if you use it. Major politics, events and geography feature prominently and give the feeling that this path does not occur in isolation but as part of the 'bigger picture' of the world's events.

As it says:
>The following pages outline qualities of typical members of all seven core races, all 11 core classes, and the six classes found in the Advanced Player’s Guide. Characters of all alignments, religions, and homelands can play a vital role in this campaign, and the following suggestions should serve to spark a concept or background for your PC.

There is a section on character traits that ties in characters more closely to the storyline and offers minor game benefits. This adds a little more depth to the character and offers some roleplaying and mechanical advantage.

It closes with a one-page precis of the voyage of the Jenivire, including journey timeline and major NPCs on-board. While not really part of the adventure, storytellers can weave this into their tale, or be used to stitch together final elements of party back-story.

Regarding the comment from '3.5 Loyalist' the text about Fighters in Sargava says this (might have been updated since that comment)

>Fighters might want to avoid dedicating themselves to the use of heavy armor—or pursue ways of increasing their mobility in such armaments—as the heat and other challenges of the jungle can make such gear unwieldy, or even dangerous, to wear.

I agree with other reviewers that more artwork would have been nice. It screams for an old-style map of the region with the Jenivere's course plotted on it, or some pictures of people and places in the area. While the text is detailed enough, more graphics would have really fired up the imagination.

Overall a solid and well-produced introduction. It certainly makes me thirst for adventure in long forgotten jungles and temples!

Why 5 stars?
Well first off, this is free. Free. For free one might expect a cheap PDF with no art or background. This has both.
Also, the players guide does not give any of the story away, at all. Everything is left up to the GM and players to discover and hash out.
I thought it also gives detailed informative tips about developing each race and class so that they could be more successful.
Did I say it was free? This is one of those things that you can use if you want, or if you don't think it gives enough detail, as a GM, add more information

The art which opens this text isn’t very good, the intro which sets the scene is. This is why I run a game in and around Sargava, one of the most exciting regions in Golarion, too long neglected in Paizo’s early days. On page 6, claiming the fighter is suited to the dangers of Sargava is not actually true.

Wearing any armour lowers fort saves against heat and fatigue, and Sargava is a very hot climate. The typical fighter can be stuck on too many penalties if he adopts heavy armour and shield, and wear out swiftly without multiple great forts. Smartly it does suggest less armour and not to take great reductions to mobility. As a DM who has run games in Sargava for many months prior to this adventure path, a fighter without diplomacy, a common fate, can also get into more fights than they can handle. The players I ran an adventure game for were a little too combat focused with not enough skills or even moderate charisma to keep them socially afloat. Sargava and the Mwangi expanse are dangerous, but it is not pit fighting day-in, day-out, and a great fort and diplomacy can do wonders for survival. Oh and don’t forget to take survival and nature, that can’t be emphasised enough.

The campaign traits add great flair and a reason for a character to be in-bound for Sargava.

I give the small book a three, almost a four, for doing what it sets out to do well.

This Player's Guide does exactly what its supposed to: it not only helps my group structure their PCs, but it gets them revved up to play Serpent's Skull.

The download is free, so I didn't feel entitled to getting too much out of this file. If anything, it gives the DM the best gift of getting their player's excited for the game and for their PCs.

Mmmm, my love affair for Pathfinder is increasing...

The payer guide is 'only' 12 pages, contains information about races with some recommendations, the 'book' gives you also some info on the starting point,but does not show very much information. The good thing is that the starting point of this adventure opens a path for practical every race or class to start. so there is not much info needed. However, only 3 stars because i like to dream ahead and some pictures or drawings from some hidden temple or old buried tombe would have made it more 'book'