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.