Brainstorming scenario ideas

[thistledown]

I'm sure this has been done before, but I haven't seen anything recently, so here we go. What are some things you'd like to see in scenarios? Places to visit, races to encounter, spells or artifacts to face, etc. I'll start.

Molthune. I hear this Prussia analog got an adventure path recently, but I know very little about the country. I don't think we've ever done a scenario actually set there.

Brevoy. Our Russian Game of Thrones analog could also use some love. My own Brevoyian has already retired, but I'd like to see more.

I know Mediogalti Island has some ruins on it, maybe Ghol-Gan, that it could be fun to try and sneak into while avoiding the Red Mantis.

Five Kings Mountains, & Hermea round out the list of Inner Sea Nations that haven't been visited. Hermea would be difficult to work in, but it's surprising that we haven't actually done anything in Highhelm or

Azlant! Sure, Durvin Gest went there while founding the society, but there's got to be more there that still needs exploring. We've been there in the ethereal plane (sort of), but that's it.

Shory Ruins. We've done some things in the Mwangi Expanse before, mostly dealing with Azlanti. But the ruins of the flying Shory Empire haven't been touched on. They lasted almost 2200 years, and 649 of that was AFTER Taldor was founded. Stupid Tarrasque... Still, maybe play up a Taldor connection, or something from Jatembe's school.

Absalom. Sure, we've done tons of stuff there, right? Well, we used to; there's been nothing there in season 8 yet. Season 7 had 3 games near the start of the season that were there, (School of Spirits, Blakros Connection, & Consortium Compact) but it feels like we're abandoning our home base a bit.

The Thriae have a lot of different types listed, and apparently have extensive archives, but I've never heard of any of them on Golarion. If there are, maybe the society could seek information from them, possibly in exchange for helping them in some fight against the Formians?

There's a lot of fancy intelligent Giants types out there. Maybe meeting some of them as something besides antagonists on the storval stairs.

Having all those gunslingers out there face a Pale Stranger could be fun.

A Fext seems like an interesting opponent that challenges PC's to most likely find something in the environment to permanently put him down.

Anything that lets Hats show up again. He was great.

[Chess Pwn]

I'd love to see scenarios where the caster isn't the big bad. Have a fight where there's a cleric or wizard at lv-2 to the party as a supportive role.

[Fromper]

James Anderson wrote:

Absalom. Sure, we've done tons of stuff there, right? Well, we used to; there's been nothing there in season 8 yet. Season 7 had 3 games near the start of the season that were there, (School of Spirits, Blakros Connection, & Consortium Compact) but it feels like we're abandoning our home base a bit.

From the upcoming Gen Con event schedule:

Scenario 9-00 Assault on Absalom wrote:

Glorious Absalom has stood against the greatest armies, yet 2 extraordinary forces have allied against the city. The Pathfinder Society & its factions unite to aid Absalom in its hour of need!

It's possible that helping the city pick up the pieces after a major battle could be a major theme for season 9.

As for my own requests, I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Orcs!!! I just remember back in 1st edition D&D, they were the default humanoid enemy that you saw all over the place. Full blooded orcs have only appeared in 2 or 3 PFS scenarios, but apparently, there are half-orcs all over the place.

Also, we haven't seen many goblins recently. We've had the We Be Goblins series, but nothing like Frostfur Captives and Rise of the Goblin Guild in a while.

[John Compton]

I'm always on board for hearing more adventure ideas and requests.

As for the lists so far, you might be surprised how many of these are already in the pipeline.

[Disk Elemental]

Horror. Horror Adventures is an incredibly mediocre book, all things considered, but I was hopeful for what it might mean for the direction PFS goes in. A direction that we've yet to see realized. Sure, there are scenarios with horror elements, occasional moments of scariness, but very few that really commit to it (the last one that actually succeeded, in my mind, was Traitor's Lodge way back in Season 5). I want another scenario where the party is overwhelmed, outmatched, and desperately clinging to life against something they're unprepared for. There are plenty of ruins and cursed places that the Society could send a team into; and an abundance of things from the HA bestiary that are ready, willing, and eager to strike terror into the hearts of the overconfident agents. Maybe Icerift Castle?

An adventure on an aligned plane. Due to the themes of this season, we've had tons of adventures on the Elemental Planes, which only serves to highlight how much the aligned planes have been neglected. There are dozens of potentially interesting adventures just waiting to be written, from rooting out a spy in the armies of Heaven, to retrieving a soul unjustly damned to Hell, to striking against an Abyssal general on their home plane. Anything is possible!

[thistledown]

Disk Elemental wrote:

Horror. Horror Adventures is an incredibly mediocre book, all things considered, but I was hopeful for what it might mean for the direction PFS goes in. A direction that we've yet to see realized. Sure, there are scenarios with horror elements, occasional moments of scariness, but very few that really commit to it (the last one that actually succeeded, in my mind, was Traitor's Lodge way back in Season 5). I want another scenario where the party is overwhelmed, outmatched, and desperately clinging to life against something they're unprepared for. There are plenty of ruins and cursed places that the Society could send a team into; and an abundance of things from the HA bestiary that are ready, willing, and eager to strike terror into the hearts of the overconfident agents. Maybe Icerift Castle?

For Horror, I also hold up 5-23 Cairn of Shadows as a good example. 7-12 Twisted Circle can be run with quite a bit of horror too, but you have to work at it.

[wellsmv]

I'd love to see another scenario where you sneak into GEb on another mission.

Or perhaps a scenario that takes place underwater ? of course drendle drang would give us potions of water breathing that last 4 hours

[nosig]

My three favorite things (right now) Dragons, Goblins and Thassilonian treasures - all in one adventure

Late one evening, as you arrive a the Grand Lodge from a long trip, in rushes Ambrose Valsin in a panic. Seeing your team he say, "You lot, come with me!"
He leads you quickly out of the Grand Lodge, past the statue of Durvin Gest and into the Training Arena, briefing you along the way. "After long negotiations Grazz'ic has been convened to be was kind enough to loan us one of her treasures for study, a jewel encrusted tome of Thassilonian origin. She flew it here herself not twenty minutes ago. It is only one of several items she has that we would like to study more in detail." You enter the arena, and rush right up to the massive figure of a dragon. Which you only just now realize is a real dragon, and not some illusion cast as some sort of a practical joke. And judging from the lashing of her tail she appears to be greatly upset as she gazes intently at a nearby storm drain. Ambrose continues "No sooner did she pass the tome over to us, setting it on the table there, than it disappeared from sight."
The Dragon interrupts at this point. "I thought it was one of yours' Valsin. I'm still not sure this isn't some type of trick. You lot have been recruiting the vermin, so I figured it was one of those - how was I to know you couldn't see the pest."
Ambrose finishes "It appears the tome was grabbed by an invisible goblin, who ducked down the drain before we could act. I need you to get that tome!"
Grazz'ic reaches out a clawed forearm and rips open the stone drain, revealing a 5' wide drainage tunnel. Turning her eyes to you she says "That's one of MY things. I'll wait a little while, but if you take too long I'll just dig out the rest of the path to get it back."

[Disk Elemental]

James Anderson wrote:

For Horror, I also hold up 5-23 Cairn of Shadows as a good example. 7-12 Twisted Circle can be run with quite a bit of horror too, but you have to work at it.

I'd actually say those are two of the worst examples of true horror in PFS.

Cairn of Shadows has a good setting, but doesn't do anything with it, instead assuming that a few spooky shadows is enough to carry the scenario.

Twisted Circle has an excellent setup, and could have been truly chilling and memorable, had the ending not pulled the rug out from under the party.

Good horror is both planting and payoff; you can't have one without the other.

[RealAlchemy]

An adventure where instead of "You travel uneventfully by boat to X location" the boat is attacked by something (pirates, sea serpent, etc) on the way as one of the scenario encounters.

[Fromper]

RealAlchemy wrote:

An adventure where instead of "You travel uneventfully by boat to X location" the boat is attacked by something (pirates, sea serpent, etc) on the way as one of the scenario encounters.

*whistles innocently*

You obviously haven't played all of season 8 yet.