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RPG Superstar 8 Season Marathon Voter, 9 Season Marathon Voter. Pathfinder Society GM. 19 posts (20 including aliases). 215 reviews. No lists. No wishlists. 19 Organized Play characters.
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Pathfinder Society Scenario #3–23: The Goblinblood Dead (PFRPG) PDF
A very enjoyable scenario
TheDegraded — May 30, 2015, 01:39 pm
I GM'ed this scenario earlier today for 6 level 1 characters and I believe they all had a great time. They really got into the role-playing portion of the scenario and easily spend about 2 hours just talking and doing things. It helps that the NPC's all have different personalities that the players have a chance to interact with. It's nice and divers, making it also pretty fun for a GM. The first encounter took place after two hours, but it didn't seem to bother them in the slightest.
As for the fights, they proofed to be pretty challenging. Tough, but fair. There could have been some casualties, but the players had wisely stocked up on wands and potions of Cure Light Wounds. It was far from a cakewalk. They really had to work together and overcome a significant threat. Even the non-monster encounters were a nice touch, though one in particular is indeed pretty scary to deal with.
I do have to add that I was a bit confused by the optional encounter. The scenario tells you to skip it if there's less than a certain amount of time left. I was thinking of skipping it, but instead opted to ignore that message and have the players face it anyway. In the end, I really don't see why the scenario suggest you to skip an encounter that took this particular party a whooping 10 minutes. It was pretty funny, memorable and quick.
I digress. This was definitely a fun scenario from my perspective as a GM. I also think that it was enjoyable for the players as well, but I can't really rate it on their behalf. Instead I'll just rate it from my own perspective and rate it a well-deserved 5 stars out of 5.
Pathfinder Society Scenario #5–16: Destiny of the Sands—Part 3: Sanctum of the Sages (PFRPG) PDF
Nice conclusion to a three-part series
TheDegraded — May 28, 2015, 09:43 am
The idea of getting to play a beefed up character of mythic proportion just to finish of a storyline is a unique approach in itself. It gives the players a great sense of accomplishment after the previous two parts and is also more than enough to leave players wanting for more. Luckily this scenario is perfect to fill that void. Fierce opponents, environmental hazards, a chase scene, some role-playing opportunities and a puzzle: this scenario has it all.
In order to make the most out of it, you will need a well-balanced party. My party was far from optimal, but we managed to succeed either way. There were times we struggled, but there were also occasions where we had Lady Luck on our side – hello diplomacy roll of 36 without any aid. More importantly though, we had a lot of fun from the start until the finish.
If I were to point something out that bothered me a little, I would have to mention the puzzle. In my opinion it's a nice puzzle, but just too complex and complicated. Without some good rolls or help from the GM, you will find yourself utterly confused as to what to do, while at the same time also having to deal with another problem; a problem you can't really ignore.
Overall I have to say this was a great scenario and a nice conclusion to a great multi-part story-arc.
Pathfinder Society Scenario #3-13: The Quest for Perfection—Part III: Defenders of Nesting Swallow (PFRPG) PDF
Time to be a hero and save a village
I finally got round to play the last part of the Quest for Perfection yesterday. It had been something on my to-do list for quite a while now and I was neither impressed or charmed by it.
The idea is nice: go to a village, set up adequate defences and then try to weather the storm of onslaught. It sounds simple in itself. However the resource allocation mini-game can easily backfire. It's easier to play that portion out of character and address it more as a number's game. It can break the flow a bit and ruin the immersion. Needless to say, that's quite unfortunate.
In the end my party finished the majority of the tasks and set up a more than adequate defence. When the waves of enemies approached, we were then confronted by the fact that most of the enemies were unable to reach us in the first place. Those that did make it to the walls were vastly outnumbered and were dispatched off within a single round. It wasn't all that challenging. Even the final boss ended up being hardly a challenge. Create Pit really made him unable to do anything while our party had enough time to get ready to deliver the final blow.
If we hadn't done so well with the defences, the fighting would have been much harder. In hindsight I would have probably preferred to have done a worse job at the preparations just to have some challenging fights. This just felt too easy.
All of that said, it's a nice and potentially epic way to end a three-part storyline. Especially when the GM adds some flavorful descriptions it can be a really enjoyable session. And above anything else, and regardless of how easy or difficult the ending may be, you will feel a certain level of accomplishment: you will be an actual savior. You've done something that helped a whole lot of people. You will actually be a hero.
Pathfinder Society Scenario #2: The Hydra's Fang Incident (OGL) PDF
A fun and simple scenario
TheDegraded — May 9, 2015, 09:59 am
Today I GM'ed my first scenario, namely this one - big surprise, right? I agree with others before me that the story can be a bit thin, especially if the party ends up being unable to question opponents due to various reasons. A similar thing can be said about explaining what this 'city' looks like: unless the players ask questions, they'll likely end up being confused by the layout of the city and how it functions as a whole. For a GM this means some more work and at times it's a bit annoying that certain features (such as the height of a ship) are missing. While a certain level of improvisation is always needed, this scenario requires a lot of on the spot thinking. Thankfully it's not all that difficult.
That said, I had the feeling that the players had a fun time and as a result I enjoyed this session as well. From what I gathered the scenario was at times rather challenging. It was difficult, but not too hard, to overcome an obstacle or survive an encounter, but they managed to succeed without any casualties on their side. Tipping the boat is not as dangerous as long as you remember they're still in the shallow part of the bay. It's only really dangerous for the smaller races.
Would I recommend this scenario? I think I would. While it's true that you have to wing it at times, it's not awfully hard to prepare. I'm also convinced it caters to most players as well. The main focus in this scenario is on fighting with a few situations on the side where role-playing can shine. If you're looking for puzzles, you are best to skip this one as there are none. It's just a fun and simple scenario that doesn't really stands out, but it's enjoyable nonetheless.
Pathfinder Society Scenario #2-03: The Rebel's Ransom (PFRPG) PDF
Look no further if you like solving puzzles
TheDegraded — Apr 30, 2015, 04:45 pm
I have faced the occasional puzzle in a scenario and I typically end up enjoying them. They were typically just a small portion of the adventure though, not that it bothered me. This scenario right here though is the first scenario where puzzles were more than just a small interlude. In my opinion, I'd like to see more of these.
As we ventured into the ancient rooms and pressed onwards, we had to deal with a multitude of puzzles with different levels of difficulty. Each was different from the rest and, at times, related to a different skill. It was nice seeing skills that hardly get picked finally getting a time to shine. That is if your party has them, which wasn't the case for the group my character found herself in. However, that's not a real issue. It only made a challenging puzzle even more challenging, without making it impossible. We definitely felt challenged by them and we loved blundering around trying to solve them, with various degrees of success. Needless to say, we had a great time.
Yet the solution to one puzzle continue to eludes me. Like others before, I'm yet to understand the title of this scenario. It's something that really should get changed to give a better and more adequate first impression of this scenario to those who are yet to play or run it.
Pathfinder Society Scenario #6–16: Scions of the Sky Key, Part 3: The Golden Guardian (PFRPG) PDF
A worthy conclusion
After two great parts, it was time to play the conclusion of this trilogy of scenarios today. Given how much I liked the encounters in part 1 and the NPC's as well as the chase in part 2, I was more than just curious to see what this instalment would bring us. I was not disappointed.
Just like the previous two scenarios, I felt that a party with a wide variety of skills gets rewarded. Where other quests only require two or three different skills, this series makes sure that every skill has a use. It makes your characters become more alive, which allows for great role-play. Add in some interesting NPC's – the 'pet' was a brilliant touch of flavor – and it instantly becomes fun to play.
The emphasis in this scenario is indeed on role-play, exploration and investigation. Like others mentioned before, you're specifically asked to act as an actual Pathfinder. While you can just go on a rampage and butcher everything in sight, you will get punished for it. As someone who gets annoyed by the whole 'kill first, maybe ask questions later' attitude, I highly applaud that.
As for the encounters, allow me to say that the first one was nothing all that special, but the second one had everyone at the table more or less scared senseless. The GM did an amazing job at setting the mood. He added little details that really set the mood excellently. We were all on the edge of our seats and when we finally confronted 'it', we ended up laughing so hard that everyone in the room looked at us as if we were insane.
That said, I felt like the final combat was a bit anticlimactic. The whole 'defense point' system behind the scenes really worked in our favor as my party had the maximum amount of points in the end. Granted, we had some great role-play that led to this situation and we got rewarded for it, but it did make the final fight too easy. If we had known about it, we may have intentionally made it bit harder and challenging for us.
All-in-all it was a worthy conclusion to a great trilogy of scenarios, but in my honest opinion not as good as the two parts leading up to it.
Pathfinder Society Scenario #3-21: The Temple of Empyreal Enlightenment (PFRPG) PDF
Excellent setting, story and scenario.
TheDegraded — Apr 19, 2015, 11:34 am
This scenario was probably the one I've been wanting to play the most for about half a year now. Due to circumstances, I wasn't able to and so I waited and waited. Luckily my friends bailed me out and made sure I could play it before my planes-loving summoner became too high level. Friends are the best, aren't they?
As for the scenario, I loved it. Considering I love role-play-heavy scenarios, that is no real surprise. There was role-play, investigating and combat, albeit that the emphasis is on the first two. There's just a brilliant atmosphere. First you have a suspicion that things are not what they seem to be. It's not before you know something is wrong and slowly you unravel an evil plot that may not be terribly original, but is still incredibly effective at telling a compelling story. Every little detail builds on it and makes it more and more creepy, until you finally are confronted by evil in its true form.
That said, I have to say that this scenario is not for everyone. Murderhobo's need not apply. Sadly I had one in the party and he complained about it a lot. It ruined the mood a bit, at least for me. It was still enjoyable, but it didn't live up to its full potential. That's not the scenario's fault though and I highly recommend it. Be sure to bring a full party, as the fights can be nasty without that, and tell the fight-only players to stay away. If you do, I'm sure you'll have a grand time.
Pathfinder Society Scenario #6–15: The Overflow Archives (PFRPG) PDF
A must-play scenario for everyone
TheDegraded — Apr 9, 2015, 02:15 am
Some scenarios stand out based on their premise alone. The Overflow Archives is one of them, at least to me. Delving into an archive to save whatever lies within is a nice twist on the whole 'go into a dungeon and retrieve item X'. I liked the prospect of having to fix an issue in order to save knowledge. And yet the premise, as fun as it may be, still fails to live up to the true nature of this scenario.
Without a doubt this is the most creative and original scenario I've played thus far. It's not a typical sandbox scenario that I typically enjoy the most, but it's the story and the NPC characters that really make this a memorable scenario. If you have a GM that is good at portraying quirky characters, you're bound to have a good time. Every NPC differs from the rest in character, but is funny in its own way.
It is however important to point out that even though this scenario is at times silly and hilarious, it's definitely no walk in the park either. There are plenty of ways a character can die and there is a chance of a TPK as well if the dice aren't in your favour. It's also a scenario where your surroundings are important and where every opponent brings something utterly unique to the table. Silliness can indeed be painful and at times may be a little too much to handle.
Should you now be scared and in need of avoiding this scenario as a result? No, you shouldn't be at all. Amazing is the best word to describe the plot, the characters and the overall level of entertainment. I highly, highly recommend this scenario. It's too much fun to ignore; just be sure to bring your swimming gear.
Pathfinder Society Scenario #6–14: Scions of the Sky Key, Part 2: Kaava Quarry (PFRPG) PDF
A short and exciting adventure in the jungle
TheDegraded — Apr 4, 2015, 02:18 pm
When last we left off, we had just finished a rollercoaster-ride in the form of part 1 and we were wondering if part 2 would be able to provide the same level of entertainment. After having played part 2, I would have to say that the Kaava Quarry is not that different. It's got action and interaction, with more of a focus on a 'retrieve item X' compared to the previous instalment.
Overall though it felt a bit slower paced and less lethal. The keyword there is overall. The beginning and the end somehow just appeared a little less stressful, but this is actually a blessing in disguise. It successfully accentuates the middle part of the scenario, which is a more than scary chase-scene that works rather well.
There are however two things that I found were a bit disappointing. The chase-scene was fun, but for a party of 6 the DC's were a bit too easy to reach. It could have been a little higher to further strengthen the aura of terror. It was simply too forgiving and kind for a party this size, though GM's can still make it appear more scary than it actually is.
My second beef is the fact that while the scenario featured an interesting location, we didn't get to do much with it. It's the first time I got to meet a (friendly) Grippli and I'd have loved to learn more about them, but we were more or less forced to set out of the village by the plot. Don't get me wrong, because of the plot and the mechanics behind it made sense. It just felt a bit like a missed opportunity to explore a unique location with a relatively strange culture. I think it could have been a little bit more fleshed out, especially since the scenario can be completed in under three hours.
Still, it was a worthy follow-up from part 2 and again did a good job making the jungle feel more alive and giving it a place in the world. It takes the suspense from part 1 and turns it into a great set-up for the third and last part. Compared to other 'part 2'-scenarios, this is a really good one and I can't wait to see what the third and final chapter holds for us.
Pathfinder Module: We Be Goblins! (PFRPG)
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Who doesn't want to be a goblin?
I could write a long wall of text to explain the 5-star rating I gave it, but it really is not needed. You get to play a goblin. You get to act like a goblin. You get to annoy your fellow goblins. You get to be as silly as a goblin. What is there not to like about that?
Ok, if you hate role-playing, this is nothing for you. Then again, why are you even on this page and reading this in the first place? I can only assume you're as silly as a goblin then, so you're bound to have fun with this module regardless.
So go on, embrace your inner greenskin and go nuts. You know you want to..
Pathfinder Society Scenario #2-02: Before the Dawn—Part II: Rescue at Azlant Ridge (PFRPG) PDF
Big fights, big surprise
TheDegraded — Mar 27, 2015, 04:34 am
The best summary for this scenario is the following: if you like playing Pathfinder and like 'big' surprises, you're going to really enjoy this one. Commenting on that any further would be ruin the experience. Suffice to say it's probably one of the best plot twists I've encountered thus far.
That said, this scenario is an interesting end for a two-part story arc. Compared to the first instalment, this scenario offers far less role-playing and way more fighting. The fights, I may add, are rather challenging. The first encounter can result in the death of a party-member easily. The final fight(s) has certain parts that are easier than others, balancing it out nicely.
Though the fights and the big surprise are enjoyable and truly memorable, I can not rate this scenario higher than 4 stars. The reason for that is because there's hardly any role-playing since you'll be going from one fight to another. Twice during the scenario I felt a bit disappointed there was no real interaction with NPC's and as such it had somewhat of a negative impact on the overall experience. Still, I highly recommend playing this scenario to anyone else.
Pathfinder Society Scenario #2-01: Before the Dawn—Part I: The Bloodcove Disguise (PFRPG) PDF
Failing to stay unnoticed was never more fun
Why the Decemvirate decided to send an alchemist and scholar on an infiltration and reconnaissance mission to a pirate-den is beyond me, but who am I to doubt our leaders? Surely they know what they're doing, right? .. Right?
Those, dear reader, were the thoughts of my alchemist as she walked through Bloodcove yesterday in what turned out to be a fun and entertaining scenario. As is normal, you find yourself tasked with multiple different objectives that you have to complete. Some you will know from the start, others you will randomly have to stumble across along the way. The good news is that this scenario allows you to tackle these minor quests in whatever order you see fit and however you see fit. You ahve a lot of freedom, but there will be consequences and it's best to remember that you should act like you're from this place at all times, even if it's against your nature. Interpret that as you'd like.
Now, my party wasn't exactly quite subtle as they made their way through town. We would have honestly just been better off simply stating we were Pathfinders as that would have had the same effect, but we can at least say we tried. As such we got to experience the full scenario as we ended up pissing off all the wrong people. That however isn't a huge problem, as you're still left with a lot of freedom when it comes to dealing with the many encounters, some more dangerous than others.
The tasks themselves made sense, though at times I wondered why some NPC's trusted us that quickly. I mean, we were supposed to be pirates and criminals, so why would you allow us to help, why would you believe us? Some of those segments and interactions felt a bit too easy or forced, but nonetheless enjoyable. That said, the rest was great fun and I'd recommend it to others, whether you'll be able to blend in or not. As for me, well, I'm just a little bit worried as to how aware the enemies are of us, but I can't wait to find out in part 2.
Pathfinder Society Scenario #6–12: Scions of the Sky Key, Part 1: On Sharrowsmith's Trail (PFRPG) PDF
Excellent first part
Personally, I'm a big fan of the idea of multiple scenarios being one complete story arc. In the past I've enjoyed the Quest for Perfection and the Destiny of the Sands series, so I was looking rather forward to this scenario. I was not disappointed.
From the moment we started until the very end, this scenario felt like a rollercoaster-ride. There was not a single part I didn't like. The whole convince a certain NPC part was rather neatly fleshed out. It was not the typical 'just do a diplomacy check'. Instead you're more or less forced or challenged to use different skills in order to get your point across. I actually really enjoyed the fact that non-face characters could contribute meaningfully while still staying true to their personality.
The fights, there are plenty, are pretty exciting as well and they're all significantly different. One is a straight up encounter and another is your party being ambushed by a scary foe even with decent perception checks. The third features traps and the last one is wave after wave after wave. On that note: if you're a level 1 character playing on high tier like I was, you really have to be extremely careful during that last encounter. There are a few spells that can instantly remove you from this plane of existence.
That said, I had a blast playing this scenario and not once did I feel bored or distracted. I was completely immersed and I am tempted to say that this was the best first part of a trilogoy of secenarios I've played thus far. I can only hope that the next two parts maintain this level of excellence and do not suffer from the typical weak part 2, pretty meh to decent part 3 issue that plague its predecessors.
Pathfinder Society Scenario #6–11: The Slave Master's Mirror (PFRPG) PDF
Good role-play potential
TheDegraded — Mar 9, 2015, 09:45 am
Based on the description and the reviews below, you would assume that this scenario is a sandbox scenario. If you're still wondering, you can stop now because that is indeed the case. You basically get an objective and are relatively free on how you want to go about pursuing that quest.
And that's both a strength and a weakness. Having freedom is always a good thing if you like to role-play, but sadly not every player will do so. If that person just wants to fight, he can more ore less negate that aspect for the others. At the same time, it also means that the GM really has to prepare every little detail, or it'll not be a smooth experience and can easily break both the immersion and momentum.
Due to circumstances, such as a lot of background noises making it hard to hear one another, my play-through of this scenario was far, far from optimal, which makes it hard for me to properly rate this scenario. Therefore I feel inclined to stay as neutral as possible and can only give it 3 stars.
If I were to try and be objective and forced to make a guess, I would say this scenario is great as there are many roads that lead to Rome, or in this case many ways to acquire a mirror. Creative players will have a blast as creative thinking gets rewarded. If you only want to fight, then this scenario will still be okay for you, but you might ruin it for some others. The encounters can be challenging and the riddle is hard, but not too hard. However I do have to say that on low tier the final fight was actually pretty easy. On a higher tier, this changes dramatically as there actually will be double threat that fight. If the other players and you are all on the same page, chances are you will enjoy this scenario.
Pathfinder Society Scenario #5–02: The Wardstone Patrol (PFRPG) PDF
Challenging, fun and potentially lethal
TheDegraded — Mar 8, 2015, 02:09 pm
Oh boy, oh boy, what a fun scenario this was! And no, that's not sarcasm. Let's start by saying that the scenario does an excellent job grabbing your imagination from the start and pulling you in instantly. You just feel immersed rather easily, which is always a good thing. Too bad that the main NPC is just pretty bland and rather tough to actually role-play as for a GM. A few more notes would have been appreciated as that would have significantly improved the role-playing portion.
And then there's the encounters. Now, I was warned in advance that we would struggle playing this on the high tier with a level 3 and two level 4's around. The GM wasn't kidding. The fights were extremely tough and challenging, but it did give quite a few memorable moments, which itself means the scenario is solid and entertaining. To give an example: our level 6 barbarian almost died in the first fight. He was unable to move and a coup de grace happened. By sheer luck he somehow managed to live. A natural 20 was never a more pleasant sight.
All-in-all, this is a fun meatgrinder that definitely is dangerous and lethal. Compared to other scenarios, I'm left with a feeling that I actually accomplished something important. As a result, I'm fond of this scenario and would still recommend it.
Pathfinder Society Special: Blood Under Absalom (PFRPG) PDF
A meatgrinder Special that's fun, but also has issues
I played this special today, together with around 26 to 28 others today in the Netherlands. As is the case with all the specials, you're bound to have a lot of fun simply because you can interact with other tables, as well as creating mayhem and mischief for everyone else. It's silly, it's hilarious and based on that alone I have to recommend this special in general.
That aside, I do have some issues with this special, three issues to be precise. The first is the fact that the amount of time per section is simply too short. We barely had time to actually roleplay things, something we would have liked to do. Now things just ended too quickly and honestly ruined some of the fun. This is more problematic if you take issue number two in account: other tables crushed their opponents so quickly, that we only had one round against our opponent before we already got to move on. So there we were, ready to swing at the big guy since we had just buffed ourselves, we move in for the kill and.. the guy surrenders and we get to move on already. Yea, that's no fun.
My third issue is that the plot seemed utterly random and didn't make a lot of sense. Maybe this was because of stressed for time we were, but to me it seemed as if they had a lot of fun ideas for encounters and just decided to put them all together, only to create some story to make sense of it later. That said, certain parts were unique and a lot of fun. It's a shame it needed a fair bit of explanation and if you combine that with a small time window, you might not get to get the full experience (and entertainment) out of it, which really is a shame.
So, it's essentially a meatgrinder that can be really fun, but really suffers on the time-aspect. For a scenario, that's a mere 3 stars. However if you want to have a good time, participating in a Special is always a recommendation. This might not be the best Special out there, but you are still guaranteed to have fun.
Pathfinder Society Scenario #3-11: The Quest for Perfection—Part II: On Hostile Waters (PFRPG) PDF
A bit dull
Let me start by saying that this second part of this trilogy is distinctively different from the first part. The first scenario had an emphasis on scenery and was more linear with forced fights, whereas this part was less linear (except for the river) and had actual encounters you could role-play your way through. It made for a nice change and while I had a great time due to great players and a hilarious GM, I'm not as big a fan of this scenario as I could (or should) have been.
The issue is that the scenario lacks a bit of immersion. The descriptions of the surroundings, regions, politics, religions and such are all lacking. It comes down to the GM to come up with details the players can act on in those role-play sections. While this means there's a lot of potential, it still somehow feels a bit more limited than it should be.
The fights also felt either a bit too forced, or too random. It didn't feel natural or logical, and especially one fight was nothing more than a pointless speedbump that added absolutely nothing to the scenario. Those tiny things served no purpose other than giving the Grand Lodge a not-so-worthwhile faction mission. The final fight, is not to be underestimated and can be lethal. Nevertheless, our party managed to take only 7 damage in total due to good tactics from our side, and poor dice rolls from the GM.
All-in-all, it's a scenario that has potential, but doesn't feel fleshed out enough. I'll only recommend it if you plan on playing the entire trilogy of scenarios.
Pathfinder Society Scenario #4–02: In Wrath's Shadow (PFRPG) PDF
Disturbing and tough, but still a lot of fun
TheDegraded — Feb 26, 2015, 08:47 am
Less than a day ago, my level 4 Summoner embarked on this excursion together with a level 3 Warpriest, Archer and Paladin. It is safe to say that this scenario is mainly focused on fighting and I'm quite certain that the fights can be rather obnoxious and challenging, especially the last fight.
The fact that we were with a small party actually made this scenario a whole lot easier, or so we were told after we had killed the final boss. I honestly am tempted to agree. During the final fight we had less speed-bumps blocking our path, and combined with Haste from my Summoner and solid, yet lucky, tactics, we managed to avoid the majority of painful spells from the BBEG.
Even though combat is the main focus of this scenario, there's also a fair amount of puzzle-solving and exploring to be done. It's not as linear as it might appear and while there isn't a lot of interaction with NPC's, you still get to role-play in what can best be described as a very disturbing dungeon. Normally I'd miss this interaction-aspect, but in this particular case I didn't miss it all. The environment gives enough role-playing opportunities that force you as a player to instantly act in-character. It really adds to the overall experience.
In short: tough and challenging fights in an excellent dungeon. I highly recommend considering playing this scenario, but make no mistakes: you need to be well-prepared.
Pathfinder Module: Crypt of the Everflame (PFRPG)
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Great if you're only looking to fight
TheDegraded — Feb 15, 2015, 02:16 pm
Earlier today I went through this module in one setting with a party of 5 level 1 characters. Our glorious party of outcasts featured a medium, brawler, monk, witch and a rogue. Back to the module: I think it is safe to say this is one big dungeon crawl with encounters that can all be lethal, but we managed to survive every single room and rarely were knocked unconscious. Some fights were obviously harder than others due to us lacking some magic, but we had enough blunt damage to fight our way through.
Speaking about fights: every single encounter differs from the rest and no trap is the same either. This makes for a fair amount of diversity in that aspect. Actual role-playing potential with NPC's however is pretty much non-existent. Even though I'm a rogue who prefers to avoid talking to people, it is something that I as a player really missed. It now felt like we were stumbling from one room to another just fighting whoever was in our way. Story-wise it made sense, but it didn't make for the most enjoyable session for me.
If you're purely looking for a good fighting challenge, this module will serve you well. If you want more of a balance, I suggest looking for something else to play.
Pathfinder Society Scenario #5–09: The Traitor's Lodge (PFRPG) PDF
A creepy delight
This scenario was a lot of fun. From the description it's pretty obvious that this is a scenario where you are tasked with finding evidence and proof of mischief. You know there's some sort of mystery you have to unravel. This means that it comes to whether or not this evil plot is strong and fleshed out enough to last the entire session. In other words: is it not only interesting enough, but also able to tie everything together in a logical way?
Without a doubt I feel comfortable saying that this is indeed the case for this scenario. The first word that comes to mind when thinking back to this scenario is the word unique. It really stands apart from other sinister plots I've encountered so far. It is a kind of evil that I hadn't faced before, yet that completely makes sense in the end. It is twisted, yet believable. It is creepy, yet tasteful. It's simply a delight to play.
This feeling of immersion only gets stronger every step of the way during this investigation. You'll encounter some rather interesting opponents and NPC's along the way and they will definitely be something you'll remember months or years from now. There's amazing roleplaying potential if the players want to, and the fights can be rather challenging as well. If you're not careful and refuse to listen to the not-so-subtle hints of your GM, you will even die.
Simply put: this scenario has it all and deserves to be recommend to everyone.
Pathfinder Society Scenario #5–15: Destiny of the Sands—Part 2: Race to Seeker's Folly (PFRPG) PDF
A tough dungeon crawler that tries too much
TheDegraded — Feb 5, 2015, 06:36 am
I played this scenario last night on the high tier with a party of four characters. We had a level 5 bloodrager, a level 2 ninja monk, a level 3 cleric and me as a level 4 mesmerist. Given how things went, I'm honestly surprised we are all still alive. I myself got hit for 31 damage by two attacks in the same round and was lucky that a potential crit wasn't confirmed or I'd have been dead, while our cleric nearly ended up being devoured. It was utter carnage and we barely lived through it. This scenario could have easily been a TPK.
I suppose there could have been a nice amount of roleplaying, but somehow our party messed up those opportunities. I guess a cleric with three zombie bodyguards and a bloodrager casting spells on himself in the middle of a conversation tend to have that effect on people. As such I can't honestly say what the role-playing could have been like. I'm also still a bit overwhelmed by the massive amount of information we were given through numerous knowledge checks. While I like detail, there was just too much to keep track off and too much to appreciate. Flavor is nice, but this amount of detail just did more harm than good in my honest opinion.
As a final remark, I'll just put emphasis on the fact that even though it was scaled down to four players, the encounters are pretty intense and can easily be lethal. As such, it definitely was a challenge - which really is not a bad thing - but I do deem it to be a little over the top. I think that's a nice way of summarizing this scenario: a tough dungeon crawler that tries too much, which in the end sadly made it less enjoyable for me.
Pathfinder Society Scenario #4–01: Rise of the Goblin Guild (PFRPG) PDF
A challenging low-tier dungeon-crawler
TheDegraded — Feb 1, 2015, 12:55 pm
A while back a friend recommended this particular scenario to me and added the words 'especially if you're an alchemist'. Now, I had been wanting to play an alchemist for a while and I immediately jumped at the opportunity to test-run her today. I was not disappointed.
Now, I see a fair few reviews complain about the chase scene. When the GM described how we were to handle that section of the story, I too struggled with how much fun that would be. It didn't sound like fun and mostly just dice-rolling without a sense of action. Luckily for me, the NPC made my alchemist angry by going through her stuff and jumped out the window, only to get hit in the face by a bomb upon landing. My alchemist clearly wasn't amused and instantly solved the whole chase scene with a single action. None of us complained.
After applying some.. creative.. interrogation techniques to this rather hilarious NPC, we entered the dungeon-crawling portion of this scenario, bringing her with us just because we could. There's little story after this point and the fights are a bit random, but they sure are fun and diverse. Our party was lacking damage and everyone but me managed to roll below 10 most of the time, so we were challenged more often than not.
A special mention should go out to the BBEG, who is absolutely brutal on low tier. A crit send our makeshift tank to -10 health and our cleric was quick to follow after a normal attack. I'm convinced that it would have been a TPK had my alchemist not been around. Like my friend said, this is a good scenario for an alchemist, as they are likely to get a lot of goodies. Being able to set the enemy on fire and forcing them to try and extinguish the fire instead of actually fighting, really prevented a lot of pain and helped us avoid a massacre.
Honestly, I really like this scenario. I am going to disagree with some other reviews and say that due to the enemies and their tactics, newer players can easily bite the dirt. The scenario also does not have a great storyline, and while some NPCs are quite frankly a hoot to interact with, I wouldn't say it has amazing role-play potential.
However, it is certainly a better than average dungeon-crawler, albeit one that can be considered a little bit too linear. Looking back I have to admit that if I hadn't played an alchemist, I probably would have had less fun, even on characters I really enjoy playing otherwise. Taking all of this into account, I think a final rating of 3.5 Stars is fair. As that's not an option, I'll round it up to 4 instead.
Pathfinder Society Scenario #6–09: By Way of Bloodcove (PFRPG) PDF
Great sandbox scenario
TheDegraded — Jan 31, 2015, 12:20 pm
I played this scenario today with a party of five. Unless my memory is playing tricks on me, we had a level 6 rageprophet, a level 4 warpriest, a level 5 bloodrager, a level 4 swashbuckler and a level 3 mesmerist (me). As a result, we played on the lower tier. The start was a bit slow, but that was mostly in-character discussion of how we wanted to keep a low profile and due to us getting stuck on a puzzle as we struggled with the cypher.
After that small hiccup, we were placed in what can best be described as a sandbox-situation with a couple of assignments we had to take care of. Let me be honest and say that there's indeed a lot of dice-rolling to be done. However it's worth noting that it's not a bad thing as you can be extremely creative for most portions of the scenario. I don't think I've ever seen so many different skills be relevant in some way, though diplomacy seems to be the most useful out of the bunch.
The tasks themselves were fun, and the fights were challenging. Granted, one of the fights ended up being a cakewalk for us as we quickly took care of the biggest threat, making the rest flee. From what I've been told though, she can nevertheless be a rather annoying individual to deal with. That said, she is not nearly as scary as the last encounter. A low tier group that isn't tactically savvy risks getting completely killed. Seriously, that individual and his unorthodox companion are really not to be underestimated. Consider that to be a warning, if you will.
Overall I really enjoyed the scenario and appreciated every single aspect of it. There's a lot of role-playing and sneaking, with some puzzle-solving and fighting on the sides. I recommend this scenario to those players that prefer role-playing and talking over fighting. If you just want to fight, you'd best stay away from this scenario.
Pathfinder Society Scenario #5–12: Destiny of the Sands—Part 1: A Bitter Bargain (PFRPG) PDF
A great start to a three-part story arc.
I played this scenario earlier today on the lower tier with a party of six. At the start of the scenario, upto the point where we had just received some tasks to take care of, we weren't really sure what to expect. I'd even go so far as to say that the introduction more or less failed to grab our attention and the tasks didn't particularly seemed like a lot of fun from the get-go either.
And then we started doing those tasks. Slowly but surely the scenario unfolded into a really flavorful masterpiece. Like others said before me: this scenario offers multiple opportunities to solve problems by fighting, sneaking or role-play. What's even better is that each of these three methods can be applied to every single task, providing the party with a lot of freedom. This makes sure that a party feels in control and not forced down a single road, as is the case in some other scenarios. It allows them to have fun and enables them to focus the scenario on what they consider to be the most fun.
We as a party attempted to role-play our way through most of the tasks, preferring diplomacy, bluff and intimidate over violence or sneaking around. Everyone chipped in equally - at times deliberately messing things up for certain other partymembers - and this made sure that the three characters with great social skills wouldn't be too overbearing and present and that everyone felt involved. Some of the harder checks were even successfully made by those with less charismatic natures. We avoided most fights, but we also didn't feel like we were missing out.
We were all having a great time and at the end of the scenario all of us wanted to play the next one, making this a great first part to this trilogy of quests.
Pathfinder Society Scenario #5–99: The Paths We Choose (PFRPG) PDF
Diverse and entertaining, but poorly structured
I played this scenario just a few hours ago with a party of 6 on the lower tier. Our GM was Kludde who already voiced his opinion on this scenario months ago and which can be found below. I wholeheartedly agree with everything he has said, especially his comment on the structure of this scenario. That is immediately my only issue with this scenario: it's a bit chaotic and unstructured at times. It's hard to keep track of everything, regardless of whether you're a player or the GM. I firmly believe that if it had been structured akin to the Silverhex chronicles, this would have been solved and made this scenario a must for every player out there.
That aside, I really enjoyed this scenario. I really appreciate the diversity it offers. You get learn about all current factions and get introduced to the city of Absalom and all its neighbourhoods. So many things to do, so many things to see. As for our group, we were planning to do the Sovereign Court, Scarab Sages and Exchange missions due to the characters present.
Starting with the Sovereign Court, I can easily see why people enjoy this part a lot. It simply is a lot fun and we had the right tools for the job. My mesmerist is build for situations like this and provided with enough distractions for the rest of the group to do the dirty work. What can I say, I just love intrigue and diplomacy. Seriously, sidequests like this are what I as a player am looking for, especially when playing my mesmerist. The final speech by lady Morilla actually convinced my character to consider switching from The Exchange to the Court – while at the same time making a different partymember leave this faction and possibly joining the Exchange. It's nice how things directly influence the way my character evolves.
Next up we ended up helping our Osirion friends. We had some initial issues convincing a travelling vendor of goods. Given the fact he had to flee, we had the brilliant idea of summoning a pit right under his feet in the middle of the street. Luckily my mesmerist managed to convinced the crowd that everything was fine and that they needn't worry. We followed the leads given to us and ended up in a nice encounter with some hostile NPC's. It was pretty straight forward, but still enjoyable.
When we were told what the objective was for the Exchange portion of this scenario, we stumbled across a little issue. A few of the characters didn't feel inclined to help because of in character reasoning. Half the party wanted to do this, two were simply against helping that individual and the last person was a bit hesitant as well. Let it be said that it's not a problem with this particular mission, but simply with our own characters and their personalities. Sensing this particular quest wouldn't really be enjoyable for everyone present – which is after all the main goal of playing this game - our GM suggested we'd do a different one instead: namely Liberty's Edge.
As it turns out, the Liberty's Edge quest he proposed was perfect for this group. The premise simply spoke to all of us. The swashbuckler already was part of that faction, while mentioning a corrupt noble was enough for the rest of us, albeit it for different reasons. We were all fired up instantly and didn't hesitate at all. The GM did a great job. As for this sidequest, I have to admit that we were lucky with our first few dice-rolls. This in turn made it end rather quickly. That's not to say it was disappointing as a result: we had a lot of fun with our less than optimal, yet highly successful apprehension of the suspect. Even though it ended early, this wasn't seen as an issue at all.
I could go on for a while more, but this is long enough as is. This scenario offers amazing diversity and will have something that everyone can enjoy. My only issue is the way it is structured, which is why it 'only' gets four stars out of five. Overall I highly recommend this scenario.