Social challenge Scenarios

[Tiaburn]

Hello, fellow DMs around here!

I just started a small Pathfinder Society as a secret lodge in distant lands of Latvia. I have several newbie players (new to DnD at all) as well as one experienced pathfinder and experienced player (DnD previously). We've gone through Varisian forest with 4-19: The Night March of Kalkamedes and they liked that, but one of newbies is pretty dissapointed in game battle mechanics and asked me to prepare something, which is more social, so he could demonstrate his wits and solve a mystery without lots of fighting.

I need your help in finding Scenario which involves lots of talking and other social actions, to make them feel more as part of sleeping cell of secret society, not just open adventurers, that fight goblins/monsters/thugs/badguys for gold and glory.
Remember, that they are mostly green (1st level), except the Quadirian representative, which is Ranger3.

[Aaron Mayhew]

Hello!

One of the early season 4 scenarios, The Disappeared, is a bit more roleplay oriented. It involves things like talking your way passed guards and blending in at a high society gathering. Also, it's for charcters level 1 through 5, so should be good for your group.

[Starglim]

It's not likely that they will get through a PFS scenario wth no combat at all, but he might like First Steps Part 1. The player at level 3 will need another character.

The Blakros Matrimony has a lot of social interaction (then a combat). It's tier 3-7 and they might enjoy it more if they've played some of the other scenarios that involve the same family.

Murder on the Throaty Mermaid is a mystery investigation with some combat as the title suggests.

The Bloodcove Disguise requires undercover work in a dangerous port. City of Strangers Part 1 also involves interacting with many peculiar characters in an outlaw city.

I agree with "The Disappeared".

[Paz]

Web of Corrpution has some combat, but also lots of investigation stuff going on.

However, it's part two of the 'Shadow's Last Stand' two-parter, and part one has a lot more combat, which might put your group off.

[Michael Meunier]

Another one that comes to mind is the mod I'll be prepping this weekend, The Temple of Empyreal Enlightenment

[Patrick Harris @ MU]

There aren't any scenarios that don't have combat, although God knows I'd love to see one. The ones I know that I can say from memory balance the social skills well are:

Spoiler:

The Blakros Matrimony
Fortune's Blight
Quest for Perfection Pt.3 - Defenders of Nestling Swallow
The Temple of Empyreal Enlightenment
City of Strangers Pt.1 - The Shadow Gambit
City of Strangers Pt.2 - The Twofold Demise
Before the Dawn Pt.1 - The Bloodcove Disguise
Before the Dawn Pt.2 - Rescue at Azlant's Ridge
The Frostfur Captives
The Disappeared

There are also several that aren't 1-5 that I can recommend:

Spoiler:

Wonders in the Weave, Part I - The Dog Pharaoh's Tomb
Hall of Drunken Heroes
Sewer Dragons of Absalom
The Frozen Fingers of Midnight
The Golden Serpent

Overall if Night March had too much combat for this player, PFS scenarios might not be the right product for him or her. Now, that said, it might behoove you to consider running a sanctioned AP instead--since you run those in "home game" mode, the players can socialize their way out of/around as many combats as the GM is inclined to let them, and then everyone still gets PFS credit once each book is complete.

[Netopalis]

You might want to flip Fortune's Blight and Frozen Fingers there, Patrick. Also, did you mean Wonders in the Weave 2?

I would also include Severing Ties as a great roleplaying scenario. There's a lot of combat too, but it has some great moments.

Gods' Market Gamble is a wonderful investigative scenario that will definitely keep players on their toes.

[Patrick Harris @ MU]

Netopalis wrote:

You might want to flip Fortune's Blight and Frozen Fingers there, Patrick.

Sorry, half asleep when I posted that. Too late to edit.

Quote:

Also, did you mean Wonders in the Weave 2?

Wonders in the Weave:

In WitW1 all I remember is puzzles. In 2 all I remember is combat. But it has been a while.

[Netopalis]

Wonders in the Weave:

WitW is a dungeon crawl with one good puzzle. WitW 2 has a decent sandboxy part, but it's honestly a bit bleh. I'm honestly not particularly fond of either.

[Bbauzh ap Aghauzh]

While there are some difficult combats, Rebel's Ransom is not a combat scenario and requires lots of puzzle solving. Its a 5-9 though.

Additionally, The Halls of Dwarven Lore seems to be more of a puzzle scenario as well. It is also 5-9.

[Netopalis]

Andrew Christian wrote:

While there are some difficult combats, Rebel's Ransom is not a combat scenario and requires lots of puzzle solving. Its a 5-9 though.

Additionally, The Halls of Dwarven Lore seems to be more of a puzzle scenario as well. It is also 5-9.

I'm currently prepping Dwarven Lore and can't recommend it. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense until the very end, where the info dump happens. The puzzle is clever, but it doesn't solve the fact that the rest of the scenario is fairly weak.

[Tiaburn]

Great thanks, everyone for your suggestions.

I found that I need to buy, read and prepare for some of those scenarios now and then choose one which will blend better into plot and fit other party members as well.

It was not the amount of fighting player didn't liked, mostly it was a fighting system, because his 10+ aikido experience is not so easy to discard and translate into those rules... I believe, he understood my point about balance between system and real world, and will react easier on differences between two.

Despite any of this, I gonna prepare and lead social challenge flavored scenario and if he dislike it as well, probably I try AP or migrate his character for the homerule heavy games (without Pathfinder Society).

[NOG the Demoralizer]

We Be Goblins 2 has several activities that are not straight combat but involve some dice rolling.

Red Harvest (3-17) is an awesome season 3 scenario that sounds like it would be interesting to them, but it is a 7-11 so it will be a while for them.

As for lower level, look in to The Frostfur Captives (3-1) and Sewer Dragons of Absalom (3-2) for more role play scenarios.

[Tiaburn]

To resurrect old thread and do a mini report.
Thanks for everybody's comments, I choose The Frostfur Captives as party next mission. Basically, it took even more time for them then Night March, but was a big fun and party was satisfied. As DM I personally bit tired to be 4 sadistically lazy and vorations 7-year-old goblins all the time... Anyway, this was a good thing and we enjoyed that one.
Personally, I think The Frostfur Captives is a great adventure for many first-level parties, hold out in cold environment and if you haven't done that, consider that as an option. Lots of fun included.

[NumenorKing42]

The Immortal Conundrum is another 5-9 with some good social interaction, then some puzzles. A good balance of everything. But it's mid-high level.

[Varthanna]

I seem to recall the Midnight Mauler being light on combat... or am I mistaken?

[Cpt_kirstov]

Varthanna wrote:

I seem to recall the Midnight Mauler being light on combat... or am I mistaken?

MM can be light on combat, but it can also be combat intensive, depending on the party

[Netopalis]

I'd call it combat light.

Since the original post, I can now include Stolen Heir as a great social challenge.

[Avatar-1]

Shades of Ice, part 3 (1-5) actually breaks the trilogy if the social aspect of it isn't carefully portrayed by the GM, alongside the player's interaction.

Fortress of the Nail (5-9) is my personal favourite, which has an interesting mechanic that allows the game to get deeply philosophical if the social encounters are forced by the dice to be extended out.

Temple of Empyreal Enlightenment (1-5) is a great early roleplay one, but can be challenging.

[Rei]

I will always recommend Red Harvest (#3-17, Tier 7-11) when people are looking for social scenarios. Always.

[Tiaburn]

Just to keep this thread informative I'd like to mentioned, that new members of our lodge are very positive about "Murder's Mask". They build a good relationships with carnival workers and both Feldane, and they totally try to talk out everyone from current situation. Last night we left them in warehouse filled with some criminals, that came through underground passage, so Pathfinders now ready to move downstairs to find out who is one behind plot.

[Kigvan]

5-11 Library of the Lion is a fantastic infiltrate and explore a secret library scenario, with light to 0 combats.

[Tiaburn]

Oh, yes! I played that couple weeks ago, it was totally awesome. We had barbarian int 7, wis 7; sorcerer int 7, wis 7; ranger int 8 at our table. Barbarian str 20 was disappointed because only thing he killed was a book :)