Pathfinder Society Quest: "Phantom Phenomena" [RPG]

NO SPOILERS

Phantom Phenomena is a series of six one-hour Pathfinder Society Quests.  If you're not familiar with the "Quests" concept in this context, essentially each Quest contains one role-playing encounter and one combat encounter.  The six are linked together by a shared story-arc, but (except for the last one) can be played in any order and for credit individually.  The Quests in Phantom Phenomena are themed around investigation of psychic and occult phenomena, and thus are perfect for players interested in the Occult Adventures classes like the Spiritualist, Medium, Psychic, etc.    I ran this for a group of experienced Pathfinder players using pre-gens, and we found it *very* easy in terms of combat encounters.  Still, it has some really nice flavour that sets it apart from standard sword-and-sorcery adventures, and I'd recommend it for players and GMs looking for someone a little more original and off-beat.

SPOILERS

The premise of Phantom Phenomena is that a university professor in Ustalav named Dr. Quolorum is investigating a series of strange (one might say "phantom") phenomena centred around the village of  Dunhob and the estate of a missing (and presumed deceaded) noblewoman who had an interest in the occult named Lady Illirigarde.  Instead of being members of the Pathfinder Society like normal, the PCs are actually paranormal investigators/graduate students of Dr. Quolorum.  Via a series of letters, Dr. Quolorum sends the PCs off to investigate the causes of the strange apparitions and, perhaps, lay them to rest.

Quest # 1, "Harrow", sends the PCs to Dunhob to investigate a supposedly-haunted tavern.  At the beginning, in a fun scene, the PCs are pelted by horseshoes by angry villagers who think they bring with them evil spirits!  It's a good way to show the "rustic superstitious villagers" element of Ustalav, and reveals whether the PCs can be trusted to role-play or are going to try to murder everything in sight.  Once they make it inside the tavern, the PCs encounter a mysterious robed figure who offers them a harrow reading.  Harrow cards are Golarion's equivalent of tarot cards, and if you manage to snag a deck to use during the game, your players will be impressed.  After the reading, the PCs are attacked by several floating skulls called "Beheaded" and "Flaming Beheaded."  Afterwards, the PCs can recover the harrow deck which is still infused with psychic power (it belonged to Lady Illirigarde, and was left behind when she had to flee a reading in the tavern that went wrong).  I think one of the challenges of this Quest series is that it's hard for the PCs to learn the backstory behind each one if they don't have one of the classes with particular abilities to interact with spirits or spiritual auras.

Quest # 2, "Lightning," starts with the PCs meeting Dr. Quolorum in person atop a remote hilltop in the Hungry Mountains.  He's assembled the group to help him investigate strange red lightning strikes that are linked to paranormal phenomena.  Once the lightning strikes, the PCs rush to the site of the crater only to restrained by a "Writhing Branches" haunt that was surprisingly effective against the group (they didn't have much in the way of positive energy or fire attacks, the only things that could harm the group).  Around the crater itself, a pool of ectoplasm takes the shape of humanoid creatures and attacks; their touch has the ability to convey brief flashes of what's actually behind all of the phenomena: a pulsing fungal creature brooding somewhere in a dark mountain cave.  After the ectoplasmic creatures are dispatched, Dr. Quolorum is able to obtain a sample of the ectoplasm.

Quest # 3, "Manor", has the PCs investigate Illirigarde Manor in search of psychically-sensitive "etheric compasses" that Lady Illirigarde was said to be developing before her mysterious disappearance.  I should note that the flip-mat for this one, Pathfinder Lodge, is out-of-print but worth purchasing on the secondary market because it would be quite time consuming to draw out (even though only a few rooms are actually used).  In investigating the manor, the PCs encounter a couple of haunts that convey what happened long ago: Lady Illirigarde was successful in developing the etheric compasses, only to be murdered by a homunculus she had created for the experiments.  PCs have to destroy the homunculus (nice drawing!) and a few mites in order to clear the house of its evil.   In doing so, they'll have a chance to communicate with the spirit of Lady Illirigarde before it departs, and she asks them to track down the true cause of the phenomena that has plagued the region.

 Quest # 4, "Monolith", involves the PCs exploring an ancient Kellid monolith and the tunnels underneath.  They discover that the tunnels lead to a well that was once covered by a heavy iron lid that has been recently pushed aside.  At the bottom of the well are dozens of sleeping morlocks!  I liked this encounter, as morlocks will periodically emerge from the well until the PCs manage to replace the lid and seal it with a protective ward (which involves some ability/skill challenges as well as player ingenuity).  Encounters that mix combat with other urgent things the PCs have to accomplish at the same time create a good sense of drama and make otherwise forgettable battles into something more memorable.

Quest # 5, "University", has the PCs sent to fetch an experimental herbicide from Dr. Quolorum's office at the Sincomakti School of Sciences.  As an academic, I'm a sucker for stories involving universities.  Inside Quolorum's office, the PCs have to deal with a reverse gravity trap only to discover that the herbicide is missing.  A magical book imprinted with the psychic essences of three past occult researchers can reveal what happened (someone entered the office, took the herbicide, and triggered the trap before escaping)--this bit can be a little silly if not handled carefully by the GM because there are multiple personalities imprinted in the book that try to talk over one another.  Afterwards, the PCs can track the thief to the university's gardens, where they learn that the groundskeeper (and his assistant) have fallen under the sway of something called Mindslaver Mold!  This was another solid encounter, as the PCs have to figure out how to defeat the mold without killing the innocent person it's taken possession of.

Quest # 6, "Epicenter", starts with the PCs escorting Dr. Quolorum up a dangerous mountain trail in the hopes of finally discovering the cause of the phenomena that has plagued the Hungry Mountains region.  Hallucinations (at GM discretion) provide an opportunity to make the PCs a bit paranoid, and there's a good challenge involving the need to cross a chasm while an illusory effect plays havoc with the PCs' senses.  Inside a cave, the PCs discover the source of the manifestations: a "cerebric fungus", an alien entity capable of broadcasting its nonsensical thoughts.  The terrain makes good use of the fungus' ability to use its tentacles to move people around, as it might drop them off a ledge.  Once the cerebric fungus is destroyed, the psychic episodes cease and life returns to normal--except for the PCs, who are offered membership in the Pathfinder Society!

Phantom Phenomena is definitely one of those scenarios that rewards GMs who are able to set a certain tone (in this case, spooky mystery).  The more atmospheric the surroundings, the better the investigation and encounters will come off.  I also wouldn't recommend running all six Quests in a single session, but breaking them up over a couple of sessions if possible to avoid player-fatigue (if you have the luxury.)  The combat encounters are pretty easy, and are better suited to new players who pick less melee-oriented classes (one of my players ran the Iconic Bloodrager and decimated everything with ease).  The major NPC in the series, Dr. Quolorum, was a fun character that I wish would reappear again--though oddly, we don't get a picture of him which is unusual given his importance in the adventure.  Anyway, all in all, I really enjoyed running Phantom Phenomena and the different vibe it lent to Pathfinder.

Starfinder Flip-Mat: Urban Sprawl [RPG]

I've used each side of the Urban Sprawl flip-mat in at least one Starfinder scenario and I have to say it's a bit . . . weird.  The idea is that one side is an "upscale, futuristic city center" while the other is the "dark and dangerous alleys of a dystopian megacity."  I frankly find both sides cluttered and confusing with terrain details that are hard to decipher without some serious thought.  The aesthetic is also a bit off on each in a way that I can't quite explain--though I'll do my best.

The brightly-lit, upscale side features a river meandering through the center, with gigantic lily pads (or lemon slices?) floating in it.  There are a few different multi-level buildings, though I can't quite discern the purpose of each one.  With its gentle stream, gardens, benches, and all-around organic feel, this looks to me more like "funky alien park" than it does "futuristic city center."  I was expecting something more along the lines of robot-cars than park benches.  It's not 100% bad--just not to spec and of limited usefulness because it is *so* distinctive.  A common complaint I have of Paizo flip-mats is they try too hard to be special when, for replayability, they need to be more generic.

The other side has some objects I recognize--crates, cool futuristic motorcycles, wooden plank bridges--and a lot of stuff that I again just don't understand what they're supposed to be (like the jagged square concrete structures).  Part of the map has a warehouse/scrapyard vibe, but I'm not sure if the rooms with all the beds are hovels or some kind of hotel.  It's also hard to discern the vertical levels of different elements at a glance.  It's cooler than the other side, but still cluttered with so much stuff that it makes for a claustrophobic, complicated place to have a battle.

Overall, this is a disappointing flip-mat considering how important it is to the line.  Hopefully Paizo will try again soon and come out with something more functional.

Starfinder Flip-Mat: Cantina [RPG]

I've always found it interesting that, thanks to the famous scene in A New Hope, one doesn't go to a "bar" in many space-fantasy settings: instead, one goes to a "cantina" (which is just the Spanish word for the same thing!).  Anyway, the Starfinder Cantina flip-mat is a really nice double-sided depiction of two very-different versions of the space-cantina concept.  I've used it now in a couple of different scenarios.

One side is like what you would find in Mos Eisley: a dirty, dimly-lit decrepit hive of scum and villainy.  It has private booths for whispered conversations (where someone could shoot first!), a curved bar where someone's arm could get chopped off, a stage for some (ahem!) jizz-wailing, and then some other sensible features like a private back room for high-stakes gambling, a dingy kitchen, toilets, etc.  It's a very good-looking mat with tons of little details for an evocative scene.

The other side is a well-lit, glitzy nightclub of the type you'd find on a fancy cruise liner or in an expensive section of someplace like Absalom Station.  Multiple bars, a large dance floor, back offices, and more make it useful for a wide variety of encounters.  I really like how you can see exactly where the queue would line up so the bouncers can judge whether people make the grade and are allowed in.  As we discovered the other night, the place would be a death-trap if there were a fire, but money can buy off safety inspectors!

In sum, both sides of this flip-mat are great, and I definitely envision using it for multiple SF games.

Starfinder Society Scenario # 1-15: "Save the Renkrodas" [RPG]

NO SPOILERS

I played Save the Renkrodas at low subtier with my favourite drug-addicted Solarian PC.  This review is based on that experience and then reading the scenario afterwards.  My overall feeling is that while the scenario has a strong premise and the seeds of a good adventure, it falls flat due to major plotting mistakes and mostly pedestrian encounters.  It’s not a terrible scenario, but there are definitely better ones out there at this stage in Starfinder.

SPOILERS

The scenario takes place on the planet Castrovel in a wildlife reserve operated by the Esowath Conservancy.  The Conservancy is holding a fund-raising gala to help save an endangered species: “feathered renkrodas” (essentially, T-Rexes with coats of rainbow-colored feathers).  The scenario starts with the PCs on a ship headed toward the gala, with Radaszam (head of the Acquisitives faction) giving the briefing.  In a bit of character development that kind of comes from left field, Radaszam turns out to be quite the philanthropist.  He’s brought the PCs along with him to mingle and make a good impression on potential allies of the Society.  In a bit of ironic foreshadowing, Radaszam tells the PCs they don’t need to worry about danger since there’s plenty of security already present—as if!  And, oddly, there’s no mention of Radaszam’s prominent role in the *last* gala the Starfinders participated in: the attempted assassination of the First Seeker in # 1-05!  Do *not* go to parties with this guy—he’s bad luck!

The next part of the scenario is the gala itself.  Essentially, this is a role-playing opportunity where each PC has time for one conversation with an NPC at one of five different locations in the gala (the bar, the security checkpoint, etc.).  Unlike a true social encounter, there’s nothing really riding on the outcome of these conversations, and limited intelligence to be gathered.    I don’t mind though—role-playing is its own reward, and doesn’t always have to be tied to a substantive goal.  The NPCs present aren’t as interesting or fleshed out as they were for the similar concept in # 1-05.  On the other hand, the map of the gala is quite attractive.

The first encounter starts with the PCs being summoned by Radaszam.  He explains that there’s been a potential security breach, with one of the guards on the outer perimeter failing to report back in.  Despite his earlier statement that the PCs needn’t worry about security, Radaszam quickly volunteers the PCs to go investigate.  When they arrive, they find the corpse of the guard, the corpse of the assailant (an eco-terrorist), and a swarm of tiny carnivorous venomous dinosaurs that attack!  It’s a good chance for players to be exposed to both swarms and poison, neither of which has been prominent in Starfinder Society scenarios.

When the PCs get (almost) back to the gala, they find they’ve missed all the important stuff--Radaszam (and the security chief) have narrowly escaped an attack by terrorists who have taken over the place and are holding hostages!  Now, here’s the part where I had the biggest beef with the scenario as both a player and a reader.  Radaszam wants the PCs to help him get to an emergency communications bunker several kilometres away so they can summon reinforcements.  In character, I kept trying to figure out how many terrorists there were, because unless there’s a *lot*, it’s not likely to be worth a long journey to send a message, wait for reinforcements to arrive at the isolated campsite, and then figure out whether to negotiate or try to forcefully free the hostages.  But Radaszam is insistent.

So, the PCs have to fight their way past some Formian (ant-people) mercenaries in a forgettable encounter to get into an equipment shed to liberate a couple of jeeps, drive to the communications bunker, send the message, learn that any help is hours away at best (duh!), and *then* hear Radaszam “seize upon the opportunity” for the Starfinders to “eliminate [the terrorists] before they execute any hostages.”  I told him that an hour ago! 

So then the PCs have to drive all the way back to the gala and (on the way) try to subdue a renkroda that the terrorists are mind-controlling with some sort of electric collar.  I didn’t participate in this encounter (my PC decided to stay behind at the gala), but it’s pretty interesting in concept.  It’s the first SFS scenario to use the vehicle chase rules from the Core Rulebook.  It turned out a bit clunky and forced during actual play, but that’s probably more of an artefact of everyone trying to figure out the rules for the first time (vehicle rules aren’t quite like normal tactical rules and aren’t much like starship combat, so there’s a learning curve).  Still, the idea of having a Jurassic World style "Jeep vs. Dinosaur" chase was a good one.

Anyway, after all of that, the PCs return to the gala to confront the legions of terrorists that must have invaded to take over the place.  Turns out there’s only four of them (or three if the four-player adjustment is in place).  In other words, the PCs (along with Radaszam and the security chief) outnumber the terrorists and *have always* outnumbered the terrorists (!), so what was the point in going for reinforcements?  Nor is there any need for overwhelming force to subdue the terrorists quickly before they can execute any of the hostages.  Despite what should be a tense encounter requiring careful, split-second timing, the hostages are never at any risk.  It’s just a standard battle against a terrorist leader and a couple of his mooks.

I think what frustrates me so much about Save the Renkrodas is that it has the elements of being a dramatic, memorable scenario but then mishandles things in order to coddle the PCs.  Instead of Radaszam *telling* the PCs they need to retreat and get reinforcements, the scenario should *show* the PCs an overwhelming number of assailants and make it quite clear that it’s a choice between retreat or death (and let them go out in a blaze of glory if they insist and refuse the obvious).  Similarly, the scenario should have set up a mechanism for the terrorists to start executing hostages round-by-round on a bungled attempt to liberate them—force the PCs to come up with a *good* plan that makes the most of whatever skill-sets they have (snipers, disguise, distractions, etc.) or face tragic consequences.  Because the scenario in its present form lets the PCs just walk up and duke it out with the terrorists, it makes both the original need for retreat and the concern about the hostages into threats that are proven to have always been false—and thus undermines future scenarios where the writers want the players to react “realistically” to perceived dangers.  Players need a fair chance to fail if they’re going to be proud when they succeed.

Rise of the Runelords Recap # 54 [RPG]

[24 Kuthona 4707 continued]

Skulls Crossing has stood for 10,000 years,
but nothing lasts forever . . .

Outside Skull’s Crossing, Artemis and Kang pause in their preparations for departure to examine the structure’s integrity once again.  Artemis is convinced that a total collapse of the dam would be catastrophic for the entire downstream region and suggests re-entering it to figure out how to open the floodgates.  Kang, however, says that it’s too dangerous and that their best course of action is to hurry back to Turtleback Ferry and begin a general evacuation of the town.

Meanwhile, in the Shimmerglens, Yap leads Katzumi northeast until they reach the southern banks of the Willow River.  Yap explains that they can save time on their journey by going directly across rather than backtracking to the Bitter Hollow ferry.  Katzumi is puzzled as to how they’ll get across until Yap says his friends will make it easy.  He calls out in a tongue that she doesn’t understand, and in seconds almost a dozen hand-sized river sprites appear.  They promise, to Katzumi’s wonderment, that they can arrange it so she can cross with no difficulty.  She’s nervous but agrees, and soon finds herself walking across the bottom of the Willow River, breathing water!  Thanks to Yap’s fey friends, miles have been shaved off of their journey.  Heading north with the Kreegwood to their left and the Skull River to their right, Yap and Katzumi soon find further assistance.  The plight of Myriana has touched many in the region, and word of Yap’s mission to find help has spread widely.  A river nixie reports that powerful adventurers are on their way back from Skull’s Crossing, having ousted the ogres and trolls that were making war there. The nixie suggests that they could be enlisted to help with the quest to recover Lamatar’s body from the Kreeg clanhold at Hook Mountain.

Vier has trouble trusting others . . .

With Yap and Katzumi heading north, and Artemis and Kang heading south, a meeting is inevitable.  But, unknown to both groups, a fifth person is present, hiding in the underbrush and listening to their conversation with interest.  Vier, a professional “trouble-shooter” from Riddleport, has been betrayed by his former adventuring party and has followed the trail of a rumoured band of warriors that he thinks could be quite useful in getting revenge.  But an uncontrollable sneeze gives away the pale, one-eyed spy’s position!  Vier explains his presence quickly, but wonders aloud if he’s made a mistake in enlisting the help of a group of warriors led by a pixie!  Yap, for his part, tries to persuade the group to head directly to Hook Mountain, but Kang and Artemis are adamant that Turtleback Ferry has to be warned before the dam breaks.  They promise Yap and Katzumi that, afterwards, they’ll join in on a quest to free the region from the ogre threat once and for all.

The adventurers cross the Skull River via ferry at nightfall, and head straight to the temple of Erastil.  The lower reaches of the town are still under a couple of feet of water, but the town seems to be recovering well from the flash-flood and attack of Black Magga.  Inside the temple, Artemis tells Father Shreed about the dam’s imminent collapse and the need to evacuate.  Shreed is persuaded that an evacuation is necessary, but Artemis isn’t able to convey the urgency of the situation as well as he would have liked.  Shreed says that he’ll begin preparations in the morning, but that it will take several days to get everyone (especially the sick and the wounded) moved safely to a location away from the likely path of such a devastating flood.

The adventurers find a warm place to rest on the temple’s upper level.  As a bedtime story, Kang tells Kat and Vier about the “psychopathic demon” trapped in the dam that may try to drag him to Hell if it gets free.

[25 Kuthona 4707]

In the morning, Artemis walks up the hill to the village schoolhouse, where some of the town’s displaced have found shelter, to speak with his cousin Fillias.  Fillias is on the road to recovery but suffering from survivor’s guilt over what happened to Fort Rannick.  Artemis kindly tells him that there was nothing more he could have done, and that surviving such a slaughter is a testament to the young man’s courage.  Fillias swears that he’ll do his duty as the last surviving Black Arrow and help lead the people of Turtleback Ferry to someplace safe.

Back at the temple, preparations for evacuation have started, but aren’t proceeding with great haste.  Vier dryly notes that if the townspeople are leaving, the adventurers should be on their way as well.  Katzumi asks Kang about the scar on his neck, and Kang explains how someone tried to kill him in his sleep during a recent boat ride.  The conversation is interrupted when Kang is verbally accosted by the local innkeeper for leaving a mess in his room on his first visit to Turtleback Ferry.  Kang shrugs it off, however.  All are forced to endure Yap’s attempt to “improve morale” by playing a flute (badly).  Katzumi suddenly realizes that she left her horse at the start of the Wicker Walk and asks if there’s time to retrieve it, but the others say it’s too far out of the way.

After Artemis arranges for four horses to carry the adventurers (though Vier insists on walking) and the bulk of the loot that had been stashed in Sir Roderick’s house, everyone meets at the ferry to cross the river and begin the journey north.  Artemis suggests following the river until it reaches the mountains, and then crossing the mountains west so that they’ll be on high ground if the dam should burst during their journey.

The ogre-kin of Kreegwood are a
horror best left alone . . .

Barely an hour into their march, the adventurers realize that they’re being stalked by creatures hiding in the trees of the Kreegwood.  Artemis scurries up a tree while the others dismount and take up battle positions.  With their presence discovered, horribly deformed humans with oversized arms and obese torsos emerge from the treeline.  Katzumi strikes first, stabbing one through the chest.  Fortunately, her instincts were correct as the others identify their assailants as brutish, degenerate creatures called ogre-kin.  Kang lobs bombs to devastate the attackers, but one explosive gets batted high into the air and lands near the adventurers’ horses!  A frightened Yap calls out for the plants to defend him, but the fighting is over seconds later as Vier uses a poisoned dagger to fell one of the attackers and Artemis, from his perch on a tree branch, plants an arrow through the throat of another.

The adventurers press on and soon reach the edge of the mountains where a broken trail leads to Fort Rannick.  They push past the lonely structure that is now more mausoleum than sentinel.  The going is quite slow through the mountains as jagged cliffs, snow-covered valleys, and boulder-strewn hills make travel an arduous process.  Two of the party’s horses are weakened by hypothermia, slowing the group even further, but, as they set up camp for the night, Artemis seems a miracle-worker when he digs out an almost-forgotten heatstone from the bottom of his pack.  The weary adventurers and their mounts are able to bed down comfortably for the night thanks to the warmth it provides.

[26 Kuthona 4707]

The heatstone continues to radiate warmth for the duration of the day’s march.  During a mid-morning break, a loud roar, like distant thunder, can be heard echoing through the peaks and valleys from somewhere to the east.  Artemis and Kang exchange looks, for they can guess the source of the noise: Skull’s Crossing has collapsed, and anyone still in Turtleback Ferry is probably dead.  Artemis keeps the group on track for the rest of the day, using natural landmarks and maps to make sure they don’t get lost.  The party’s ostensible guide, Yap, admits he doesn’t know *exactly* where Hook Mountain is and spends most of the journey snuggled warmly inside Katzumi’s backpack!  Knowing the heatstone won’t last much longer, Artemis and Vier keep their eyes open for any source of fuel during the march and are able to spot a couple of stunted trees.  It’s not much, but it’s enough to keep them alive through another freezing night.

Near sunset, the adventurers reach the base of a mountain that stretches nearly ten thousand feet into the sky.  “We’re here,” Artemis announces.  The adventurers set up camp.  Just after midnight, as Vier throws the last of the logs on the fire, howls spring up all around the campsite.  The adventurers’ presence has not gone unnoticed!

Ingenuity, preparation, and luck have gotten the adventurers this far.  But do they have the inner fortitude to survive a climb up Hook Mountain and then face whatever terrible dangers within the Kreeg clanhold?  And even if they do, will they ever uncover the true reason behind the destruction of Turtleback Ferry?
----------------------------------------------
Director's Commentary (26/8/18)


Vier was the new PC for the player who had just lost the paladin to quicksand last session.  Alas, Vier (a dhampir rogue) would not survive long either.  The player had a long run of bad luck before finally landing a character midway through Chapter Four that would last (so far).

I was very curious to see where the PCs would be when the (randomly rolled) flood actually took place.  The poor people in Turtleback Ferry!  The loss of the village has become a somber note in the campaign, one that reminds the PCs of the price of failure.

Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Lost Kingdoms [RPG]

Golarion is often known as a "kitchen sink" setting, with areas (if not whole countries) effectively devoted to specific themes or genres.  I remember, years ago, being turned off by the notion, thinking that it sounded very generic.  But the more I've read about Golarion over the past few years, the more I've come to appreciate how much depth underlies the setting.  Lost Kingdoms is a perfect example.  The book, a 64-page entry in the Campaign Setting Line, provides an overview of six different ancient nations whose legacies continue to influence the "present."  Adventurers always need mysterious ruins, long-buried threats, and fantastical ancient treasures to encounter, and this book does a great job grounding the "present" of Golarion into its "past."


To get the formalities out of the way, the inside front cover shows the geographical extent of each of the ancient lands overlaid on a map of the Inner Sea.  The inside back cover reproduces the front cover sans text.  There is a two-page introduction that gives a one-paragraph nod towards some of the other "lost kingdoms" not covered in the book (notably, Azlant and Shory), as well as a timeline to help organize some of the major dates mentioned later in the book.

Now to the heart of the book.  Each of the ten-page-long country entries is divided into sections: how the area was historically, how it is today, its denizens and dangers (past and present), and the treasures and rewards that await exploration.  Each entry also includes a map of the ancient realm, general descriptions of some adventuring sites, at least one new monster or NPC, and a much longer, two-page description of a major locale.  The artwork throughout is impressive (in particular, look at the picture of Areelu Vorlesh on page 46--it just doesn't get any better!).  Six ancient empires are covered: the Abendego Gulf, Ancient Osirion, Ghol-Gan, the Jistka Imperium, Sarkoris, and Thassilon.

The Abendego Gulf is one of those topics I never really thought about: what existed before the massive, permanent, and cataclysmic storm known as the Eye of Abendego formed?  The answer is a nation called Lirgen, whose leaders and populace were devoted to astrology and fortune-telling, and its breakway region, Yamasa, whose residents had to eek out a much more practical life in a swampy land.  There's a thematic irony that the Eye formed when Aroden died and prophecy failed, meaning that an entire nation of fortune-tellers couldn't predict the destruction of their own nation!  Today, the region is littered with sunken cities in which great treasures can still be found (as 90% of the inhabitants of Lirgen and Yamasa died when the Eye of Abendego formed), but it's a dangerous land filled with small bands of ruthless scavengers.  The chapter introduces a thematically appropriate spell (Embrace Destiny) and details a flavourful adventure setting called the Dim Gate (an ancient observatory that, perhaps, can create a portal to Eox!).

The entry on Ancient Osirion covers the Egyptian-themed country's long, long history.  Fortunately, it's an interesting history, though I wonder if another "lost kingdom" should have been covered instead, since Osirion is already the subject of a Campaign Setting book ("Osirion, Legacy of Pharaohs").  On the other hand, a *lot* of modules and adventures are set in the region, as it's hard to resist the lure of recently-uncovered pyramids and the like.  A few things that stood out for me in this entry was the Ubashki Swarm (a swarm of undead cats!), a drug called mumia (made from  . . . you guessed it), and an NPC patron who often sends adventurers out on digs and explorations (except he's secretly a ghoul!).

Ghol-Gan is one of the lesser known lost kingdoms: an empire ruled by cyclops!  It has a classic rise and fall (into degeneration) arc, but it frankly doesn't sound that interesting for exploration.  It needs a cooler hook to set it apart from other, more flavourful areas.  And although I've already mentioned how good the artwork is, the portrait of a new monster in this section (a one-eyed sort of organgutan called a Ngoga) is a bit too much on the silly-side.

The Jistka Imperium, on the other hand, has a fascinating history full of founding myths (complete with scriptures), marvels of golem-building artifice, clashes with Ancient Osirion, and the terrors of unstoppable plagues.  Although largely invisible and forgotten to those living in Golarion today, there are some really great possibilities for adventure here.  Need I mention they once built a golem so large it carried a castle on its back?

I already knew a bit about Sarkoris from the Worldwound Campaign Setting book.  In essence, Sarkoris was what existed before reality was torn asunder to let the demons of the abyss pour into the area, rendering it a nightmarish hellscape.  Sarkoris is described as being the birthplace of the kellid peoples (before they spread elsewhere) and as having hundreds of faiths, cults, spirits, and village idols (a really different approach to "religion" that I wish appeared more in fantasy literature).  The section describes a surprising site: a small town named Gundrun that has somehow been reborn in the Worldwound and is populated by descendants of Sarkoris who dream that someday  the nation might rise again.

Last up is the area I have a special affection for since I've devoted the last couple years' worth of Sunday nights to running Rise of the Runelords: Thassilon.  It's great to see the whole thing laid out in such a clear overview and to see the forest for the trees.  So much fantastic lore (and cool monuments) are presented in this section.  A new monster, an "Inverted Giant", has the most awesomely perverse backstory, and I really liked the extended description of an monument called the Emerald Chambers (999 rooms of death, and 1 of untold wealth!).

Of the six entries, I would say the ones on the Abendego Gulf, the Jistka Imperium, and Thassilon are the most interesting and important.  Ancient Osirion and Sarkoris already have some historical coverage in other sourcebooks, and the Ghol-Gan empire just wasn't particularly interesting.  On the whole, however, this is a really solid book that has moments of brilliance and enough lore to add depth to countless adventure hooks and stories.  It's definitely worth purchasing.

Starfinder Society Scenario # 1-14: "Star Sugar Heartlove!!!" [RPG]

NO SPOILERS

I think it’s safe to say you’ve never played anything quite like Star Sugar Heartlove!!! before.  It’s a really clever, light-hearted scenario that has a memorable climax players won’t soon forget.  I ran this at Subtier 3-4 (with the four-player adjustment) and found that, although it was probably too easy and had a couple of technical flaws, the storyline was so much fun that any flaws could be overlooked.  Admittedly, it won’t be to everyone’s taste and I wouldn’t want every scenario to be like this, but I’m really glad to see Starfinder Society trying out the wide-variety of tones available in the setting.  This one alternated between hilarious and beautifully bittersweet, something I can’t think of adventures doing before.  Try it so you know what everyone’s talking about!

SPOILERS

The gist of Star Sugar Heartlove!!! is that the PCs are attending a massive concert by the “sugar-pop” band Strawberry Machine Cake.  When a secret agent working for a malevolent conspiracy linked to the Scoured Stars incident uploads a computer virus to kill everyone at the concert, it’s up to the PCs to uncover what’s going on before, in a dramatic finale, taking the stage to do battle with a holographic transforming mecha!

The scenario starts with something I’ve asked for in previous reviews, and I’m glad to see implemented here: a briefing that’s more than the run-of-the-mill info dump.  The PCs are on board a shuttle headed towards Songbird Station, the asteroid-temple devoted to Shelyn where the concert will take place, along with faction leaders Historia-7 and Zigvigix whose budding . . . something has been developing subtly for several scenarios now.  Zigvigix is stoked about the concert and exited that the PCs are there to enjoy it with him, especially since too many of the friends he originally invited have disappeared within the Scoured Stars system.  When Zigvigix heads into the shuttle’s cockpit to make final preparations, Historia-7 lets the PCs in on her ulterior motive for coming on the journey.  She’s identified one member of the conspiracy linked to the Scoured Stars debacle and has tracked him to the concert.  Because the conspirator, a man named Hira Lanzio, will be without his security entourage, it’s the perfect opportunity to kidnap him and pump him for information!  Historia-7 doesn’t want Zigvigix to know about the secret mission, and only if the PCs press will she reveal that he’s been suffering from degenerative injuries and really shouldn’t be in the field at all.  It’s all a really nicely done progression of subplots that rewards people who have been following along with the scenarios in order from the beginning.

When the PCs get into the concert hall itself, their search for Lanzio is structured in a really interesting way.  In essence, there are six mini non-combat encounters that they can experience, each of which might just be a fun role-playing opportunity, a chance to earn a boon, or a chance to get information about Lanzio’s whereabouts.  My favourites include a couple of vesk teenagers who are outwardly haters of Strawberry Machine Cake (because they think hating whatever is popular makes them cooler) but secretly love the band; an “uber-fan” who has every piece of SMC merchandise except for the one thing a PC might have and trade them (a great pay-off of an earlier boon); and, perhaps my favourite, a security guard whose job is so completely redundant that he's depressed because of it.  The idea with this last part is that the guard’s job is to check concert patrons for weapons and ask them to turn them over; but he has no legal authority to search or detain anyone, and is routinely ignored.  To further his misery, there’s a magical field that prevents lethal violence being done within the concert hall, so even if he does collect any weapons, it’s probably unnecessary.  And finally, he has merciful fusion seals to give out--but because of the magical field already in place, they won’t do anything! (and even if they did, they can be turned off and on easily!)  GMs who play the guard as the saddest sad sack in the world should have a good time.  (the one bit about this that I’m not sure was intentional or not is that, by the book, fusion seals take 24 hours to activate; there’s a big debate in the forums and I think clarification is necessary; if they don’t even activate in time for the concert to start, then the guard’s job is even more hilariously useless.)  Anyway, these little encounters should end up with the PCs getting two crucial bits of information: Lanzio’s address (in the residential section of Songbird Station) and the fact that the station’s reactor cores are glitching and need to be stabilized or the concert might have to be cancelled.

The take-down of Lanzio is pretty easy, as he’s a low-level Envoy guarded by one (or two) security robots.  The PCs will probably be at full health and outnumber him and his entourage.  There’s a bit of drama with him setting his computer to self-destruct and the PCs trying to stop the countdown in time (which, oddly, allows for Engineering, Computers, or Mysticism skill checks to stop), but unless they’re really negligent at adventuring, they shouldn’t have any trouble.  Lanzio doesn’t say much, but does admit to putting a magical virus in the reactor core.

PCs investigating the reactor core (before or after encountering Lanzio) discover that it’s infested with hespers.  Hespers are fey who congregate near major power sources for motives that are as mysterious and alien as their origins; sometimes they help maintain and improve the sources, but sometimes they’ve been known to sabotage them to cause drama.  This was an interesting encounter because the PCs could easily assume the hespers are to blame for the reactor glitches and go in guns blazing, and, even if they don’t, the hespers may try to mess with them in an ultimately non-harmful way (through their “mutating touch”) that might be interpreted as hostile by the PCs.  Through either violence, diplomacy, or (in my PCs’ case) distraction and speed, the Starfinders have to extract a sample of the alien virus so that Historia-7 can analyse it and figure out what’s going on.  I liked that the encounter had multiple ways of resolution.

Once Historia-7 has information from Lanzio and a sample of the virus from the reactor, she realizes that Songbird Station is under threat and will have to be evacuated unless a plan (so crazy it might just work!) can be implemented: using Strawberry Machine Cake’s holographic concert projectors, she can temporarily give the magical virus physical form on stage so that the PCs can battle it!  It’s really technobabble hogwash, of course, but plot-wise it succeeds in setting up a great final encounter.  First, so as not to alarm the audience, the PCs have to dress up in costumes appropriate for SMC “background performers”: the four choices are hilarious (like a heavy metal one, a glam one, etc.) and it was really fun to imagine each PC dressed up in their choice.  Once on stage, Historia-7 makes the virus manifest, but it takes the form of a massive mecha that can transform into a freaking (pink) tank!  My one regret is that I didn’t have it transform into tank mode because it would have been tactically disadvantageous.  The PCs’ chosen costumes given them particular bonuses in certain rounds depending on what riffs SMC is playing, which adds to the effect.  This, more than any other scenario I can think of, is one in which the GM should find some good music to play during the final encounter.  (BabyMetal’s “Chocolate” was a consensus favourite on the forums, and I agree.)

Assuming the PCs are successful, they’ll each get a chance for the spotlight and a shout-out while on stage.  Holograms of Zigvigix’s missing friends are displayed, and there’s a really well-written wistfulness to the moment.  I don’t know what’s going to happen next in the storyline, and I’m invested in finding out!  Overall, there are a couple of nit-picky things that could have been improved (like the whole fusion seal confusion) but I wouldn’t let it detract from an awesome experience.  If your players don’t get a kick out of this scenario, they are made of stone.

Rise of the Runelords Recap # 53 [RPG]

[24 Kuthona 4707 continued]

Although there’s a welcome respite from the rain, a chill fills the air as Innes Falkenrath and Katzumi venture deeper into the Shimmerglens, guided by the pixie Yap.  Yap keeps up a constant barrage of chatter, not even noticing that his charges are falling behind in the treacherous landscape that he so easily flies over.  Barely a mile into the swamp, tragedy strikes in the form of a pool of quicksand.  Both Innes and Katzumi walk into it unaware, and then realize they’re stuck and slowly sinking!  Katzumi somehow manages to swim to the edge and pull herself out, but Innes’s full-plate mail pulls him under in seconds.  Katzumi desperately runs for a nearby tree, cuts down a branch, and extends it over the quicksand, but to no avail.  Innes is lost in the darkness deep below the surface, and, despite his valiant efforts, eventually succumbs without ever again reaching the surface.  Yap, who had flown far ahead and had no idea what was happening behind him, breaks down in tears to discover his saviour is dead.  He says that maybe “mistress” could help.  Katzumi builds a pile of sticks to mark the spot, and lets Yap lead her further into the swamp.

Meanwhile, at the massive dam known as Skull’s Crossing, Artemis, Goragar, and Kang enter a dome-shaped superstructure.  The first chamber they see is clearly a recent battlefield, as it’s covered in bits of flesh, broken weapons, splashes of blood, and dead ogres torn limb from limb.  Thick sheets of ropy fungus grow along the walls, but Kang’s eye for detail allows him to realize that large creatures are hiding behind the fungus: trolls!  The master alchemist hurls a bomb into the room as the green-skinned, bestial creatures charge forth with claws extended.  Goragar, who stands in front of Kang, receives the brunt of their attacks but his stout armor and magically-enhanced defences turn aside every single blow!  The battle spills over into the spillway, but the experienced adventurers work well together and suffer nary a scratch before emerging victorious.

Wet Papa Grazuul is Chief of the Skulltakers for a reason!

Artemis concludes that the trolls must have been fighting the ogres, and that the two forces weakened each other.  A thorough search of the superstructure reveals little of interest apart from a hidden cache of valuables and a set of massive stone doors that have a message on them written in dried blood in the language of giants:  “BELOW DWELLS WET PAPA GRAZUUL!  ALL HAIL WET PAPA GRAZUUL!”  The hinges on the doors are old and gritty, but with great effort the adventurers push them open to reveal a flight of stone steps leading down into darkness.  The trio descend to a large, damp chamber dominated by a rectangular pool of water set into the floor.  Goragar starts to head to one of the sets of doors on the western side of the room when a massive shape rockets out of the pool and stabs him in the face with a strange-looking trident!  The adventurers have stumbled unwittingly into the lair of the chief of the Skulltakers, Wet Papa Grazuul!  Having expended most of his defensive magicks in the battles above, Goragar is sorely pressed by the sudden frenzy of attacks, and in instants only the legacy of the Orc blood that runs in his veins allows him to stay standing.  The war priest of Gorum tries to withdraw, but with one final thrust of the trident, Grazuul stabs him in the chest and pulls out the half-orc’s still beating heart!  Artemis is the next target of the troll lord’s ire, and the master archer finds his rib-cage almost pulled apart from Grazuul’s rending claws.  Artemis collapses in a pool of blood, barely alive.  Kang stands alone, but his steady and consistent flow of bombs have weakened Grazuul considerably, and one last explosive blows the villain apart!  Kang rushes to Artemis and force-feeds him a magical elixir to stabilize him.  Unfortunately, it’s too late to do anything for Goragar.

Myriana's spirit cannot rest until
she is reunited with Lamatar.

Back in the Shimmerglens, two grieving travellers push on into the area known as Whitewillow.  A cold, dark mist looms within the canopy of bone-bare branches on twisted black trees.  Strange murmurs can be heard on an unnatural wind while dying birds twitching in the shallows and slithering things with too many eyes seem to lurk out of the corners of their eyes.  Yap whispers that Whitewillow wasn’t always like this—that the area is reflecting Myriana’s (his mistress) anger and heartache.  The journey into the heart of Whitewillow is a foreboding one of bleeding trees, ghostly parades, and even a mysterious derelict ship from which a beautiful, haunting melody can be heard.  Eventually, the pair reach a clearing ringed by decayed willow trees.  In the center of the clearing is a calm pool of unnaturally still water.  Yap whispers that his mistress is just ahead, but he’s too scared to approach further.  Reluctantly, Katzumi walks towards the pool and is startled as a ghostly nymph, almost blinding in her hate-filled beauty, rises with a howl from the waters.  “You have failed me!” Myriana shrieks.  “They took him to their mountain lair, despoiled him, and now his soul will not return to this plane!”  Katzumi doesn’t comprehend at first, but manages to placate the raging nymph long enough to understand that she and her lover, Lamatar Bayden (commander of Fort Rannick), were ambushed by the ogres and murdered.  Myriana demands that Katzumi find Lamatar’s remains—even if only a single finger or lock of hair—and return them to Whitewillow so that the lovers can be reunited in death forever.  Katzumi promises her help, and, as they leave the clearing, Yap says he knows where the Kreeg clanhold is and can lead her there.  And, if they’re successful, he says maybe his mistress will bring Innes back to life!  He shares some of his enchanted pixie dust with Katzumi, saying the voyage to the Kreeg clanhold will be a dangerous one for just the two of them to make.

Skull Rippers are fearsome foes, but they
follow their master's instructions to the letter.

At Skull’s Crossing, Kang and a magically-healed Artemis discuss what to do with Goragar’s body.  They decide that burial at sea is a fitting end for a warrior who died in battle, but the two argue over what to do with Goragar’s possessions.  Artemis prevails, and the body is stripped before being floated into the Storval Deep.  Kang says a nice eulogy, while Artemis reads an entry from Goragar’s book of Gorumite war prayers.  After the solemn ceremony, Artemis suggests resting but Kang urges further scouting, and this time the latter prevails.  Using alchemical means to turn them each invisible, they return to the scene of Goragar’s death.  Doors to the west lead to an unremarkable chamber, but the doors to the east give way to a strange sight.  In an alcove against the wall sits a fantastically detailed scale model of Skull’s Crossing guarded by a lumbering, scorpionlike construct composed of skulls!  Kang remembers reading about so-called Skull Rippers, guardians of tombs and other important places in ancient Thassilon.  This construct must have stood on guard for several thousand years!  The two adventurers, still invisible, retreat stealthily and breathe a sigh of relief.  

Kang and Artemis had better hope that Avaxial never
gets out...

Only one path lays before them: to the south, an impressive mound of skulls lies heaped against the wall, partially blocking a large stone door.  Kang clears the skulls while Artemis watches to ensure the Skull Ripper doesn’t emerge from its chamber.  Once Kang finishes, the two push open the door to see a narrow chamber that ends at two curved alcoves to the east and west.  Each alcove is blocked by a dull iron portcullis, and beyond each portcullis a circle of runes glow with a faint orange light on the floor.  Although one circle holds only a pile of crimson ash, the other holds a winged creature that looks weak and dying, but that in its prime would have been something to behold: a massive denizen of Hell itself!  The creature rouses and feebly reaches for one of them, whispering “freedom.”  Standing a safe distance away from the portcullis and the magical circle that binds the fiend, Kang and Artemis are told that the floodgates of Skull’s Crossing require life energy to operate, and that over several millennia the denizen of the other chamber perished.  Because the fiend, who says his name is Avaxial, is so weak, he’s no use to the dam’s mystical generators either.  He begs Kang and Artemis to set him free, promising them great riches if they do so.  When they balk, he adds that unless other living creatures take his place, the floodgates will never open and the entire dam will burst!  When asked how he got to be in this position, Avaxial says he remembers only a name: Karzoug.  Artemis and Kang confer, and decide that Avaxial is probably trying to trick them.  When they tell the fiend that they’re leaving, Avaxial rages and says that if they don’t set him free, the circle that binds him will break when the dam collapses, and then he’ll make it his immortal mission to hunt them down and take them back to Hell to be his eternal playthings!  Despite the threat, Kang and Artemis leave and make plans to load up the horses with as much treasure as they can and return to Turtleback Ferry.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Director's Commentary (August 6, 2018)

Innes drowning in ordinary quicksand was not something I anticipated.  I've never actually seen a character die from the drowning rules, because PCs can hold their breath for so long (twice Constitution) and inevitably they get pulled out or rescued somehow as the rounds go on.  But Innes couldn't make a Swim check to (literally) save his life, as that armor had a huge penalty.  The player was really upset, and it was a bummer at the table.  On the other hand, I thought it was a good lesson to everyone that, especially at the level the characters were, they have to be prepared for common dangers (like water).

Goragar's death was a shock, because he and the others had been curb-stomping everything they came across.  It was a lesson to all of us how much weaker a Warpriest is when they get caught by surprise and don't get a chance to buff themselves.  Artemis was nearly another victim as well.

The negotiation with the demon was extremely important.  I think the exact mechanisms of how the dam's floodgates could be closed wasn't apparent (in part because neither of the two PCs had the requisite Knowledge skills), but their decision to just walk away will of course have major implications later in the campaign.

Pathfinder Society Scenario # 2-21: "The Dalsine Affair" [RPG]

NO SPOILERS

I played The Dalsine Affair at Subtier 4-5 and then read the scenario a couple of times for the purpose of this review.  I think it's a good example of how much variation there can be between what's seen at the table and what's in the scenario.  While playing it, I thought it was an average, somewhat forgettable adventure.  But reading through it, I see excellent world lore, plot development, and interesting combat/non-combat encounters that offer multiple ways to resolve problems.  It's a scenario, however, in which a good GM with an attention to detail is necessary in order to really make it pop.

SPOILERS

The written scenario starts with a *really* long (but really good) backstory.  It involves a Taldan noble named Chalfon Dalsine who, like many of his social class with lots of money and no responsibility, fell into carousing, gambling, and near ruin from debt.  But then Chalfon joined the Pathfinder Society and things . . . didn't change!  He got kicked out of the Society for various misdeeds, and has harbored a grudge ever since.  After learning the art of the magus from a reclusive hermit, Chalfon has returned to Oppara, ingratiated himself with his family, and set forth a (fairly complicated) scheme to destroy the Pathfinder Society in Taldor by setting its Taldan and Qadiran factions against each other with the help of the Shadow Lodge.  We've often seen adventures with fantastic backstories that are never glimpsed by players, but this scenario actually offers a couple of opportunities for different NPCs to deliver parts of it to the PCs.  It's definitely worthwhile for GMs to do so, as it helps explain what the heck is going on in sections of the scenario.

The scenario starts with a briefing provided by Venture-Captain Muesello in Oppara.  Muesello has gotten himself into a jam: hoping to save the Society some money by evading export taxes, he's been trafficking treasures and artifacts out of Taldor by using an underground cult of Sarenrae called the Dawnflower Blossoms.  (the worship of Sarenrae is forbidden in Taldor because of its links to Qadira, and the two nation-states are major rivals)  But a sudden raid led by a Taldan noble (Chalfon Dalsine!) left many of the Dawnflower Blossoms murdered, with the rest seeking refuge in Muesello's hideout.

Before he can continue the briefing, there's a sudden knock at the door--the authorities have arrived!  This starts a sort of time-based challenge to get the ten cultists out of the hideout (through a trapdoor in the basement into ancient catacombs) before the authorities can bust in the front door.  There are a variety of non-combat actions PCs can take to speed things up, but fighting is, ultimately, an option even though it's not what Muesello wants.  I think the encounter is a great way to spice up the standard mission briefing opening for PFS scenarios, and I liked how it got everyone into the action early.  As a player, it was a bit confusing as to what options were available to help the refugees get out faster, and perhaps some subtle hints from the GMs in this direction would be advisable.

Act 2 starts with the PCs escorting the cultists through the catacombs towards their place of refuge, an ancient underground cathedral.  This is mostly an opportunity for the PCs to ask questions and get some exposition (as well as do some faction-specific missions), though it has the requisite little battle against a giant spider.  A bit more creativity would have been nice there.

Once at the hidden temple, the PCs meet the cult's leader who, oddly enough, keeps trying to convince the PCs to stay in the temple and not investigate why Dalsine has been leading murderous raids on the cult.  It turns out the cult's leader has been replaced, weeks earlier, with a faceless stalker loyal to Dalsine!  I like how the lead-up to this encounter was structured, because it put the PCs in the weird situation of not being sure why they were being stalled, and whether initiating violence would lead to the death of an overly-cautious good man or uncover something more nefarious.  The only thing I would have liked to see when reading the scenario is some sort of consequence for the faceless stalker being successful and delaying the PCs for a significant length of time.

Act 3 takes place at Dalsine's manor.  Two of the Society's faction leaders have arrived, coincidentally, at the same time to confront Dalsine.  The leader of the Taldan faction, Baron Jacquo Dalsine (Chalfon's cousin) has been let inside, but Pasha Muhlia Al-Jakri, the Qadiran faction leader, has had her entourage stopped at the gate.  That hasn't stopped her, however, as she's a professional assassin and has secretly snuck in anyway!  From the PCs' perspective, they need to figure out a way into the manor, and they have a few different options, such as using multiple successful Diplomacy rolls on the guards, bribing the guards, or sneaking over the walls.  When I went through this session as a player, I didn't have any of the backstory on what was going on with the factions, etc., so the whole thing was kind of confusing and we just snuck in.

Once inside the mansion, the PCs witness a duel between the faction leaders (because blood is thicker than water, Jacquo has defended Chalfon) in which Jacquo dies and Al-Jakri teleports away.  Chalfon uses illusion magic to hide his presence before attacking the PCs.  When this scenario came out, it was right around the time of Ultimate Magic, so a lot of GMs didn't understand how the magus class operated and you can see a lot of concerns over TPKs in the forums.  When my group went up against Chalfon, it wasn't a particularly hard fight--he's still one guy against 4-6 PCs, so the action economy is definitely against him.  The part of this event that I still don't get, even after reading the scenario, is why Chalfon attacks the PCs and fights to the death--he's already achieved his goals of turning Pathfinder against Pathfinder, and his capture or death simply reveals his role in the manipulation and undermines everything.  His motivations as a villain just don't really fit.

But while there are some flaws in the scenario, I think there's a lot to like about it as well.  There are several encounters that can be approached in different ways, there's a real story behind the events, and (for players experience the scenarios in order) it contributes well to the overall story of Season Two.  Overall, it's a better scenario than I thought it was at first glance.

Starfinder Core Rulebook [RPG]

It’s been exactly one year since the Starfinder Core Rulebook was released. After playing the game steadily since then, the timing seems auspicious to do a full review.  Having read it cover to cover, I’ll be doing my usual chapter-by-chapter breakdown, but since this is a big book (13 chapters and 524 pages) I can’t be quite as prolix as usual. 

Before getting into the content, I have to draw attention to the art and design of the book—it’s simply gorgeous.  Paizo is the best in the business when it comes to integrating cool, “on-theme” artwork into their books, and the design of the book is clever and user-friendly, with a running border on the “right-hand” side so you instantly know what chapter you’re in, highlighted tabs at the bottom to tell you what you what section of that chapter you’re in, colourful sidebars and symbols to replace walls of text, and more.  I don’t what the art and layout budget for it was, but it must have taken the best work of some very talented people to achieve such results.

Chapter 1 (Overview) is the shortest chapter, and it gives you the sort of thing most gaming books do: an explanation of what a role-playing game is, a quick glossary, an example of play, etc.  When you’ve read a couple of these introductions to RPGs, you’ve read them all, but for people who have never gamed before, I imagine they’re pretty important.  The example of play was pretty entertaining, and I found myself disappointed when it was over—odd!

Chapter 2 (Character Creation) walks you step-by-step through the process of creating a player character.  It’s written in a very clear, straightforward way, and I know the developers spent a lot of time testing the chapter out on people unfamiliar with tabletop RPGs.  This chapter is crucial, as it details important game concepts like Stamina and Hit Points (two different “pools” representing health; I don’t really think the distinction is worthwhile), Resolve Points (a pool of points allowing you to activate special abilities or stabilize if you run out of health), and Themes, which are sort of like background character concepts (“Bounty Hunter” and “Icon” are examples); they provide some minor mechanical bonuses, but frankly they’re not really going to change what a character can do and are more for flavour.  Alignment is also covered in this chapter, but Starfinder is so wishy-washy on it, and it’s implemented in so few parts of the game, that it could be safely jettisoned entirely.

Chapter 3 (Races) introduces the seven core races of the game:  Androids, Humans, Kasathas (four-armed traditionalists), Lashuntas (natural psychics), Shirrens (humanoid bug-like creatures), Vesk (Klingons in disguise), and Ysoki (ratfolk).  I really like how attractively the two-page spread for each race is laid out, with male and female examples, highlighted special features, and other useful sections like homeworlds, role-playing tips, and how other races might view your own.  None strike me as amazingly original, but they’re all solid and well-integrated with the setting lore of the game.

Chapter 4 (Classes) sets out the seven core classes: Envoys (diplomats and leaders), Mechanics (techies), Mystics (clerics), Operatives (spies and rogues), Solarians (a sort of Jedi), Soldiers (beatsticks), and Technomancers (magic/tech crossover specialists).  A nice thing is that for each class, four build examples are given to help new players figure out what direction they want to take the character—so for Envoy, for example, builds are included for an Ambassador, a Military Officer, a Negotiator, and a Scoundrel.  I only have space for a quick line about my impression of each class:  1) Envoys are great characters when it comes to teamwork, but it’s weird that their list of special ability (“Improvisations”) stops at level six; 2) Mechanics are loaded with several cool features, and are a fairly complex class to play with two main options (an integrated AI or a drone companion); 3) Mystic is a good, broad interpretation of a cleric from Pathfinder, but much easier to play (the Healer Connection might be too good compared to alternatives); 4) Operatives are the best at anything if they want to be, second-best in the group if they don’t even try—in other words, overpowered with too many skill ranks and bonuses, plus a special ability (trick attack) that has them rolling to resolve something before every single time they attack—it’s annoying in play; 5) Solarian is the most original class, with some really interesting lore involving connections to super novae and black holes that are well-integrated into their gameplay mechanics; 6) Soldiers are mostly what one would expect, with “Fighting Styles” the main distinguishing feature; 7) Technomancer is a cool concept, a class with spells plus “Magic Hacks” that do interesting things to technology.  There are a lot of options within each class, they’re flavourful, and (with the exception of the Operative) they seem reasonably balanced with each other.  I almost forgot about Archetypes—that’s because they’re completely forgettable (the book comes with two, a Phrenic Adept and a Starfinder Forerunner, but both require a PC to give up so many of their core class features that they’re unlikely to be worth it).

Chapter 5 (Skills) has the same basic system for skills as Pathfinder, but with far fewer to choose from: only twenty.  But with every class getting at least 4+Int in skill points, it’s pretty easy to stay maxed out on the most important ones in the game.  Indeed, some classes (looking at you, Operatives) get so many skill points that they can be good at almost everything.  Designing skill lists must be a tough task in RPGs, as there are inevitably some that are going to come up nearly every session (like Computers) and some only rarely (like Swim).  Some skills are too broad (like Culture, which apparently allows one to be an expert on every planet in the universe) and others are too narrow (like Disguise, which won’t let you disguise yourself as a specific person).  There’s also still a lot of number-crunching involved in selecting the appropriate DC within each skill, so this is not a fast “rules-light” system.  All in all, I would say it’s okay, but not a great leap forward from D&D 3.0 or Pathfinder.

Chapter 6 (Feats) has a lot of good, original ideas, some of which take real advantage of the setting like Amplified Glitch.  There’s just over 100 feats in total, which seems like a lot, but many are, of course, really only useful for certain classes or builds, so I don’t think choice paralysis is going to be a problem yet.  The interior artwork continues to be excellent in this chapter.

Chapter 7 (Equipment) clearly had a lot of design work put into it, as it’s far more integral to the game than mundane equipment was in Pathfinder.  Every piece of equipment has a level attached to it, representing how easy or hard it is for a character to get a hold of it (with higher level pieces of equipment being better, of course).  It’s more reminiscent of a video game, but I think it works in context as an abstraction of things like licensing and black market connections, etc.  I really like some of the special properties and critical hit effects that weapons have, though I wish the tables would have been divided by level instead of weapon type.  There’s some problems I could go into here (such as how annoying batteries are, or how fusions and fusion seals are each good ideas standing alone, but having both doesn’t make sense), but I’ll generally just say that encumbrance has been simplified (for better or ill), there’s a lot of design space for future books, and the problem of every character having a billion magic items has been solved in a way that (to me) is satisfactory.  The way equipment is purchased, upgraded, and sold has had a surprisingly large impact on Starfinder gameplay, so this chapter shouldn’t be skipped over when thinking about the game.

Chapter 8 (Tactical Rules) is probably the most important chapter of the book, as it covers combat.  The Pathfinder chassis is used here, with some minor differences such as only two types of armor class (EAC and KAC) and thankfully simplified combat maneuvers.  Oddly, the dying and death rules are much *more* complicated, and I wish they had stuck with the intuitive negative hp concept (it’s pretty hard to die in Starfinder!).  For the most part though, things are laid out clearly and carefully; it’s obvious the writers have learned a lot from their experience with ten years of Pathfinder.  There’s also a section on vehicles, a part of the book that I must confess I’ve never used in actual play.  It looks okay at first glance, though the speed of vehicles means they will be very hard to integrate with “on-foot” combat.  The vehicle chase rules sound interesting, but it’s a whole new subsystem to learn and that’s a lot to ask for something that probably won’t come up too often.

Chapter 9 (Starships) goes through the very cool origin of the Drift (a hyperspace-like realm allowing faster than light travel), discusses how starships are built and modified from a gameplay perspective, and then introduces the important topic of starship combat.  I really *want* to like starship combat in Starfinder (I loved it in the Star Wars RPGs, for example), but after some trials I’ve just found it too slow-paced and unsatisfying.  It’s really almost a separate little board game in which the PCs aboard the ship don’t have much to do besides roll one d20 each round, and if the gunner(s) miss, the rest of the round doesn’t matter.  Ships have too many hit points, weapons do too little damage, and shields are too easy to restore, which means that battles are often a “plink-plink” slog.  Further, there’s no way to have cool things happen like starfighters strafing ground targets or being driven off by anti-aircraft, fire, etc.  Starship combat and ground combat must never mix in Starfinder, and the missed opportunity is a shame.

Chapter 10 (Magic and Spells) has a lot to like.  All spellcasting is spontaneous, there’s no material components, spellcasters only have access to spells of levels 1-6, and the different types of magic (arcane, divine, psychic, etc.) have all been reduced to simply “magic.”  Although I haven’t played at very high levels yet, I’m fairly certain we’ll see a lot less of the caster-martial disparity that plagued Pathfinder.  In terms of the actual spells, I would say that perhaps three-quarters are familiar from Pathfinder, which is a bit too high a proportion.  Some of the new ones are really fun, like “Battle Junkbot,”, “Crush Skull,” “Gravitational Singularity” (make a black hole!), and “Supercharge Weapon.”

Chapter 11 (Game Mastering) contains the standard rules and advice from Pathfinder on topics like experience points, wealth by level, challenge ratings, designing encounters, etc.  The system hasn’t really changed much.  The chapter contains some other sections as well, such as traps (which tend to be pretty nasty in Starfinder), environmental hazards (which, in a game with so much potential for dangerous environments, are negated 99% of the time by the environmental seals that come with *every* suit of armor), afflictions like diseases and poisons (which follow a very different set of rules and are quite deadly), and more.  It’s probably worth mentioning that there aren’t stat blocks for monsters or enemies in this book, and GMs will need to pick up the Alien Archive for that purpose.

Chapter 12 (Setting) is another crucial chapter.  I think it has a really solid backstory and set-up, introducing key concepts like the Gap (a period of time in which all records have been erased and memories lost), Lost Golarion (an entire planet missing!), the the Pact Worlds (the solar system of allied planets that is the “home” of the PCs), and more.  The chapter presents two pages on each of the planets of the Pact Worlds, including some beautiful, evocative artwork.  The planets offer worlds (pun!) of adventure, with everything from a planet ruled by the undead, a creepy Cthulesque planet, a John Carter of Mars-type planet, etc.  GMs will have a lot to work with here.  There’s also a section called “Beyond the Pact Worlds” that’s one of my favourite sections of the book, presenting so many awesome adventure hooks and campaign premises that I’d love to have time to use.  Several pages are devoted to various factions, organisations, and faiths, and again this is very well-done.  I know it’s controversial in some quarters, but I think integrating mechanics with a setting is a good choice.

Chapter 13 (Pathfinder Legacy) is surprisingly detailed.  I remember when Starfinder was announced how much attention Paizo gave to making sure it was backwards-compatible with Pathfinder, which is somewhat odd since they (secretly) had Pathfinder Second Edition in the works and it has nothing particular compatible with the first edition except the world lore.  Anyway, this section has the rules for “legacy races” (elves, halflings, etc.,) as well as some rough conversion guides for bringing Pathfinder classes into the future.

Last up, unlike some gaming companies, Paizo does not skimp on things like glossaries and indices.  The back matter is very professionally done.

The Starfinder Core Rulebook is an impressive accomplishment.  It deserves the attention and rewards that it has achieved.  There are still some clunky mechanics here and there as a legacy of Pathfinder, but there’s plenty of streamlining as well, and lots to love.  The kitchen-sink science fantasy setting provides something for everyone, even if it doesn’t have a mind-blowing singular vision.  Overall, I’d say if you want a space-themed RPG with enough depth and crunch to support years of gameplay, the Starfinder Core Rulebook is an excellent choice.