Rodger Graham |
I'm confused as to why the Hunters' Maze is presented as a combat-heavy dungeon crawl. At this point in the story, if things progress as assumed by the pervious adventures, the PCs have forged an (uneasy) alliance with the other urdefhans in Ilmurea, and in fact, may need to continue this alliance in order to have enough of an army to successfully distract the growing serpentfolk forces, as Kline suggests. Based on the description provided in the write-up, the urdefhans stationed in the Hunters' Maze were inadvertently cut off from their brethen and underseige by the serpentfolk flooding into the city. However, when the PCs meet these urdefhan, there are no serpentfolk around to hold them in, and the adventure states that they attack anyone wandering into their territory, including the PCs.
I can understand that these urdefhan would be on guard, but wouldn't it make more sense for the PCs to reunite the urdefhan and strengthen their alliance for the upcoming battle against the serpentfolk? As presented, the PCs have to destroy a signifcant force that could be of use to them, and who share with them a common enemy, in order to find the "weapon." Some groups, of course, will relish doing in the urdefhans and their daemon masters, but I don't understand how this section fits with the overall story.
Now, of course, every group will handle this differently, and I know that the writers cannot know how every group will react. After GMing in Golarion for a few years, I greatly appreciate and love all of the work the Paizo crew does. This instance, though, just seems like a dungeon crawl for the sake of XP-gathering, and a large one that deflates the impending doom of the serpentfolk rise. I feel like this page count could have spent developing the world-crushing menace that is the serpentfolk, something that for most of the AP is played out in history lessons and ancient tales than actual interaction with these insidious snakes.
I hate to complain. Just looking for some guidance. Thanks.