Essential scenarios?

[uzaithemonki]

I want to run a series of scenarios that highlights the overarching storyline of pfs in regards to the specials. Starting with season 0, what are the scenarios that lead up to each special? Also, what scenarios would you consider essential to understanding what's going on with the society?

[kinevon]

For the most part, the Specials are actually the opener for each storyline, rather than the closer.

Specials:
Season 0 - None
Season 1 - None
Season 2 - Year of the Shadow Lodge
Season 3 - Blood Under Absolom
Season 4 - Race for the Runecarved Key
Season 5 - Siege of the Diamond City
Season 6 - Legacy of the Stonelords

Some of the essential scenarios, especially for new folk to PFS:
5-08: The Confirmation (1-2)
6-10: The Wounded Wisp (1-2)
3-I1: First Steps, Part 1: In Service to Lore (1)
These three are replayables, and introduce the Society, and some of the society's concepts, and some warnings about things likely to be found along the way.

Season 1:
51: The City of Strangers, Part 1: The Shadow Gambit (1-7)
52: The City of Strangers, Part 2: The Twofold Demise (1-7)
IIRC, these scenarios are the first time the general Society runs across the Shadow Lodge.

0-1: Silent Tide (1-5)
0-14: The Many Fortunes of Grandmaster Torch (1-7)
1-45: Delirium's Tangle (1-5)
These are some of the earlier scenarios that use Grandmaster Torch.

Season 2:
2-23: Shadow's Last Stand, Part 1: At Shadow's Door (1-7)
2-24: Shadow's Last Stand, Part 2: Web of Corruption (1-7)
More-or-less the end of the original Shadow Lodge arc.

2-26: The Mantis's Prey (7-11)
Grandmaster Torch and the Shadow Lodge...

I am sure I am missing stuff, and I am not going into the later arcs, due to memory failure...

[uzaithemonki]

I know I played at least one scenario in which you are trying to get a centaur to represent the society in the ruby Phoenix tournament. What scenarios are those?

Also, what are the building an army scenarios that build to assault on the wound?

And I've played one 7-11 in which there was something to do with sine words of power or something concerning a rune lord? What are those scenarios?

[ZomB]

uzaithemonki wrote:

I know I played at least one scenario in which you are trying to get a centaur to represent the society in the ruby Phoenix tournament. What scenarios are those?

The Kortos Envoy

Quote:

And I've played one 7-11 in which there was something to do with sine words of power or something concerning a rune lord? What are those scenarios?

The Refuge of Time

Words of the Ancients
The Waking Rune

In the same arc but not 100% necessary:
Cultists Kiss (strongly recommended)
Feast of Sigils (only for completists)

[uzaithemonki]

Are there any more? I would expect there to be more of an overarching storyline to the society than a handful of scenarios

[Kadasbrass Loreweaver]

Well, there are, but the thing is entire seasons often forum overarching storylines. Then within those seasons are smaller storylines tied together. There are also scenarios that can be tied together from across the seasons.

Now one thing I've been doing myself, is I formed a pre-Season 6 storyline using scenarios from season 1-4 that tie in with what I saw in early Season 6, or was mentioned that we might be returning too. But since those scenarios were tied in with a larger story arc themselves I've pretty much been running a lot of Year of the Shadow Lodge scenarios. I will throw a few scenarios from Season 3 or 4 on it at the end, and then I will finally be ready to start Season 6 soon without my players asking "Wait should we know this person?" Instead I will wait for the look on their face when they go "Wait! We know that person! Stop them!"

I did this since my group was relatively new to PFS, we started last March and except for a few Blakros based scenarios and some random modulars, had done hardly nothing outside Season 5 until we concluded the season back in November.

The question I guess is what storyline would you like to piece together? There alot of story arcs out there, what would you like in the story? If you search the forum for Story Arc you should find some ideas of where to start.

Story Arcs Connections

Pathfinder Society Module Selection

[Leathert]

Someone from our group had done the following lists, though wether all of those scenarios are "essential" or just somewhat connect to the storyline I cannot be sure of.

Shadow Lodge (season 2):
#51: City of Strangers Part I: The Shadow Gambit (Tier 1-7)
#52: City of Strangers Part II: The Twofold Demise (Tier 1-7)
#2-4: Shadows Fall on Absalom (Tier 7-11)
#2-6: The Heresy of Man Part I: The First Heresy (Tier 5-9)
#2-7: The Heresy of Man Part II: Where Dark Things Sleep (Tier 5-9)
#2-9: The Heresy of Man Part III: Beneath Forgotten Sands (Tier 5-9)
#2-8: The Sarkorian Prophecy (Tier 7-11)
#2-15: Shades of Ice Part I: Written In Blood (Tier 1-5)
#2-17: Shades of Ice Part II: Exiles of Winter (Tier 1-5)
#2-19: Shades of Ice Part III: Keep of the Huscarl King (Tier 1-5)
#2-20: Wrath of the Accursed (Tier 7-11)
#2-23: Shadow's Last Stand Part I: At Shadow's Door (Tier 1-7)
#2-24: Shadow's Last Stand Part II: Web of Corruption (Tier 1-7)
#2-26: The Mantis's Prey (Tier 7-11)

Which culminates in the Year of the Shadow Lodge special.

Hao Jin Tapestry (season 3): The tapestry is gained in Ruby Phoenix Tournament (module) and then the party enters it in the following:
#3-12: Wonders in the Weave, part I - The Dog Pharaoh's Tomb (tier 5-9)
#3-14: Wonders in the Weave, part II - Snakes in the Fold (tier 5-9)
#3-19: The Icebound Outpost (1-5)
#3-20: The Rats of Round Mountain, part I - The Sundered Path (7-11)
#3-21: The Temple of Empyreal Enlightenment (tier 1-5)
#3-22: The Rats of Round Mountain, part II - The Pagoda of the Rat (7-11)
#3-25: Storming the Diamond Gate (3-7)
#3-26: Portal of the Sacred Rune (7-11)

Where the last two are season enders and set up the plot of season four (Lissala arc).

[rknop]

Actually, doesn't the Year of the Shadow Lodge special go before most of those? As such, only the two City of Strangers scenarios would come before it, and the rest would go after it.

One should also probably include "Rivalry's End" in the Shadow Lodge arc.

[Muser]

Yeah, Rivalry's End is in the original, but not in list Mary provided. So was Frostfur Captives.

Also, that Hao Jin list, compiled by yoyrs truly, is missing #4-16: The Fabric of Reality and #4-7 Severing Ties.

Though I bet this has to do with listing those scenarios separately. They happen off-season.

[Dominick]

The Blakros Museum cycle
or
Why we need the society's Sphere of Annihilation for a few hours

PFS 0-05 Mists of Mwangi
PFS 1-35 Voice in the Void
PFS 2-11 The Penumbral Accords
PFS 3-07 Echoes of the Overwatched
PFS 6-02 The Silver Mount Collection

[Leathert]

Yeah I left out the ones that weren't directly on the lists, because I got lazy. Also derped with the special because it's listed at the end of the scenario list here at paizo.com.

[Zandari]

This is our current playlist for Core Campaign - takes you to level 11 and gets most of the good stuff completed. I did leave out specials, though. Does stuff in order, in tier, and completes several good arcs.

Mists of Mwangi 0-05
Voice in the Void 1-35
The Penumbral Accords 2-11
Written in Blood 2-15
Exiles of Winter 2-17
Keep of the Huscarl King 2-19
Echoes of the Overwatched 3-07
The Edge of Heaven 3-09
On Hostile Waters 3-11
Defenders of Nesting Swallow 3-13
Severing Ties 4-07
The Blakros Matrimony 4-09
The Dog Pharaoh’s Tomb 3-12
Snakes in the Fold 3-14
Icebound Outpost 3-19
The First Heresy 2-06
Storming the Diamond Gate 3-25
The Fortress of the Nail 4-13
Day of the Demon
Cairn of Shadows 5-23
Where Dark Things Sleep 2-07
Beneath Forgotten Sands 2-09
The Sundered Path 3-20
Pagoda of the Rat 3-22
Portal of the Sacred Rune 3-26
Fingerprints of the Fiend 0-22
Fury of the Fiend 2-10
Fate of the Fiend 5-17
The Cultists' Kiss 4-08
The Feast of Sigils 4-10
The Refuge of Time 4-12
Words of the Ancients 4-20
The Waking Rune 4-25