Rise of the Runelords Recap # 86 [RPG]

[13 Calistril 4708 continued]

The adventurers continue the hunt for the Scribbler.  Breaking down a concealed door, they find his inner sanctum.  With no place to run, he fights furiously but is no match for Jinkatsyu’s superior swordplay and falls quickly.  Kang reads the scribbling on the walls of the room and sees several mentions of Runeforge and runeforged weapons, something that the Scribbler believed would be quite useful against the Runelords and their allies.  Interestingly, Kang realizes that the Scribbler was, millennia ago, a sort of triple agent: ostensibly devoted to the Runelord of Wrath, but secretly reporting to the Runelord of Greed, while retaining true loyalty to Lamashtu!  The adventurers are also able to retrieve Bosk Hartigan’s body, which had been preserved by a gentle repose spell (presumably, for divinatory purposes).  Returning to the surface, the adventurers leave the body at the Cathedral for interment.

The adventurers teleport to Jorgenfist to check on Brodert Quink in the Therassic Library.  They find him doing well and excited about what he’s learned so far.  He reports that his research indicates that Runeforge was created as a place where agents of the seven Runelords could gather to study magic; complex wards were woven around it that barred entrance to the Runelords and saboteurs, and magical enhancements sustained those within without the need to eat or even sleep.  Brodert concludes by saying he found speculation that the Runelords had separately tasked their minions with developing ways to survive what they felt was the imminent end of Thassilon—but whether any or all of the various answers were successful, no one knows.

Returning via magic to Sandpoint, the adventurers continue lodging at the Rusty Dragon while they plan their next steps.  With rumors spreading that Mayor Deverin has been recalled to Magnimar on urgent business for several weeks and that Titus Scarnetti will be in charge during her absence, Ava is torn about whether she should advise her fellow gripplis to stay or go.  After much prayer and discussion with her friends, she concludes that Sandpoint is just too dangerous for them.  She anoints Mudwillow as their new Chief and watches sadly as they hop out of town and back toward the swamp.

[14 Calistril 4708]

Sister Celia is a talented artist who believes 

creativity and passion go hand in hand.

Strong winds and snow blanket the streets of Sandpoint.  Yuzo, noticing that Jinkatsyu isn’t around and didn’t sleep in his room last night, grows concerned that he may have been kidnapped by the group’s various enemies!  Yuzo asks around the inn and discovers that Jinkatsyu was seen in the presence of Sister Celia (the acolyte of Shelyn) the night previous.  Venturing out into the blizzard, Yuzo enlists Father Zantus’ and Sister Erica’s help, conveying his fears that perhaps both Celia and Jinkatsyu met with the same fate.  The three rush over to Sister Celia’s house and Yuzo puts his shoulder to the front door, shattering it open!  But inside are the two “kidnap” victims enjoying a cup of tea.  Yuzo apologises profusely for the mistake.

That night, the adventurers visit Veznutt Parooh for help in interpreting some of the Scribbler’s rhymes relating to Runeforge.  The gnome cartographer is delighted to help, and puts his knowledge of Varisian geography to great effect, identifying the second stanza’s reference to the eastern shores of a “steaming mirror” as a reference to Lake Stormunder in northern Varisia, a body of water known for its plentiful hot springs and geysers.  The “seven faces silent wait” are identified by Parooh as the mysterious circle of seven stone heads that stand on a hilltop near Lake Stormunder, just at the base of the western slopes of Rimeskull Mountain.  Ava is excited to have so much information, and thinks she may be able to teleport the group there even though they’ve never been there before.  Veznutt extracts a promise to be the first to map whatever the adventurers find (once it’s safe).

The next step on this epic quest to save Varisia has become clear: to Runeforge!

--------------------------------

Director's Commentary

The final battle against the Scribbler was probably anticlimactic, but I wasn't really surprised.  He's not intended as a stand-up fighter, and when he can't do hit-and-run attacks he goes down pretty fast.

This session gets the PCs headed towards Runeforge, which is the bulk of Chapter Five.  I liked how useful Veznutt Parooh was here.  PCs often neglect skills like Knowledge: Geography despite how crucial it can be in the right circumstance!

This session pretty much wraps up the "grippli in Sandpoint" subplot.  The bits with Yuzo interrupting Jinks and Sister Celia were some silly fun.

Pathfinder: "Beginner Box" [RPG]

Frankly, it just doesn't get any better than the Beginner's Box when it comes to an introductory role-playing product.  This sturdy little box contains an impressive assortment of materials, all play-tested with sample groups of RPG newcomers to ensure clarity.  I got this for my son when he was around eight, and I can safely say he's spent more time with it than any other gift I've ever bought him.

* PAWNS: Dozens of characters and monsters are represented in thick cardboard pawns designed to slot into little plastic bases (also included) so they stand upright.  There's a really nice assortment of possibilities for a PC, as well as at least one for every monster in the box's Game Master's Guide.  I've also used a few of them in my normal gaming tables because they're hard to find elsewhere!  These pawns are durable little things, and hold up well to heavy and repeated play.  They're really the nicest and most cost-effective alternative to buying (and sorting, and storing) dozens of plastic miniatures.

* FLIP-MAT: This double-sided mat has one-inch grids on each side (so the pawns fit like they should).  One side is blank so the Game Master can draw whatever scene they want (buildings for an urban encounter, trees for a forest, etc.), while the other side contains a dungeon that cleverly matches the introductory adventure.  This side has lots of little detail and features, and is very cool.  The idea with flip-mats like this is that that you can use wet erase markers or dry erase (whiteboard) markers and easily wipe your drawing away when you're done.

* PRE-GENERATED CHARACTER SHEETS: The game comes with four pre-made character sheets for a Fighter, a Wizard, a Rogue, and a Cleric.  These are lovely little four-page sheets that show exactly how the blank character sheets should be filled out.  But in addition, they have customized instructions in the margin to remind players what particular abilities or numbers mean.  There's a full-colour picture of the character on the front, and a background and personality section on the back.  A lot of time went into designing these for new players, and it shows.

* BLANK CHARACTER SHEET:  A very smartly laid-out sheet for players to make their own characters.  You'll want to make several photocopies of this before using it (or print out extras from the Paizo website).

* DICE:  A standard, quality set of dice.

* TRANSITION GUIDE: This 16-page book is designed to help players who love the Beginner Box but are starting to feel ready for the "real thing" to make the transition to the full Pathfinder Roleplaying Game.  The guide goes over what books are the most important ones to buy when starting out (essentially, the Pathfinder Core Rulebook, a Bestiary, and perhaps a module).  The emphasis in this guide is on how to add what you like from the Core Rulebook without feeling overwhelmed by its size and options.  The guide spends four pages summarising things from the full game (like attacks of opportunities and combat maneuvers) in a very clear way, complete with page numbers.  Other pages show how to read a spell stat block from the Core Rulebook and a monster stat block from the Bestiary.  There's a section on how to take 5th level PCs from the Beginner Box up to sixth level and beyond using the Core Rulebook, and a really handy intro to using pre-made adventures with Master of the Fallen Fortress (a free download) as an example.  It's a really nicely-done guide that serves well as either an intro or a review.

* HERO'S HANDBOOK: This 64-page book is designed for players, and features excellent artwork and brilliant layout.  It starts with a solo adventure called Skeleton's King Crypt that teaches a player some of the rules by using a short "choose your own adventure" style experience.  The book then moves into character creation, presenting three races (human, elf, and dwarf) and four classes (fighter, wizard, rogue, and cleric).  It presents suggested "packages" of feats, skills, and equipment for players who want to get started quickly, but also allows individual choices for players who like to spend more time and thought on your character.  I especially like how the game limits options to reduce "choice paralysis" but doesn't change the rules of anything from normal Pathfinder (thus making a future transition far easier).  The last third of the book goes through things like moving and exploring, and spends several pages on combat.  I think perhaps this combat section could be better organised by emphasizing the most common options first.  The book concludes with a glossary of common terms and the back cover's Combat Reference Guide is great.

* GAME MASTER'S GUIDE: This 96-page book starts with a full introductory adventure, Black Fang's Dungeon.  The adventure includes tons of extra guidance to the Game Master on how to run it, as well as a good variety of encounters, traps, and puzzles.  After a clear overview on what it means to be the Game Master, the book goes into how to create a new adventure, using a follow-up to Black Fang's Dungeon as a natural starting point.  The remainder of the book presents useful resources to the Game Master, such as details on various environments and terrain features (I'm envious of how clearly this is all presented compared to the Pathfinder Core Rulebook!), magic items, a bestiary (stat blocks for monsters and other characters, with special abilities presented in a masterwork of concision), tables for rolling up random encounters, a introduction to a sample town (Sandpoint) that could serve well as the group's home base, and more.  It's important to realise that this book contains a lot that's useful for the Game Master, but it's not like the instructions to a board game--a Game Master certainly doesn't need to learn all 96 pages in order to get started and have fun!

It's really an impressive package--especially when compared to the cheap "starter sets" for other RPGs I've seen.  My kid has spent untold hours with the stuff in this box, and, a year later, still takes the Hero's Handbook and Game Master's Guide with him on trips and in his school backpack!  I always try to give balanced reviews with the pros and cons of a product, but I really can't praise this one enough.  As a side note, don't forget that the Paizo website has free supplementary material (like extra adventures and the barbarian class).

Kazmuk, Dwarf Nihilist [RPG]

Kazmuk was a character I played for a handful of sessions in the Starfinder Dead Suns adventure path.  I liked the concept and background for the character: a stolid, traditionalist dwarf who was born and spent generations within an elaborate artificial replica of dwarven life in old Golarion (based on the SFS scenario, Salvation's End).  Kazmuk took a very different approach to life when he learned it was all fake!  He became a nihilist and worshipper of Groetus (god of the end times).  To reflect this background, Kazmuk only spoke dwarven, didn't understand technology, and relished in the destruction of computers (since they were what created the illusion in Salvation's End).

The concept probably worked a bit better in theory than in practice.  Because he couldn't communicate with the other party members, he became a bit of a one-note PC who apparently just liked to smash random stuff.  I think it was an idea with potential that I just didn't quite manage to carry off.  He was quite the melee warrior, however!  He died after an epic battle against some elementals on the Kishalee homeworld.

Kazmuk
CN Dwarf Soldier 8 (themeless)
Homeland: Salvation's End      Deity: Groetus
Ability Scores: Strength +4, Dexterity +1, Constitution +4, Intelligence +0, Wisdom +2, Charisma +1
Initiative +5         Stamina: 88                 Hit Points: 55                  Resolve Points: 8
EAC: 19         KAC: 22                   DR: 8 vs kinetic
Saves: Fort +10, Ref +5, Will +8  [+2 saves vs poison; +4 vs spells]
Attacks: Sintered Greataxe +13, d. 3d6+14 S
Skills: Acrobatics +2, Athletics +10, Bluff +1, Diplomacy +0, Disguise -1, Intimidate +7, Mysticism +4, Perception +9, Piloting +1, Profession (miner) +8, Sense Motive +6, Stealth +0, Survival +7
Race Abilities: Darkvision, Slow but Steady, Stonecunning, Traditional Enemies, Weapon Familiarity
Theme Abilities: General Knowledge, Certainty                     Languages: Dwarven
Class Abilities: Fighting Style: Blitz, Rapid Response, Raw Lethality, Charge Attack, Melee Striker
Feats: Diehard, Blind-Fighting, Weapon Specialization (basic melee), Cleave, Weapon Focus (basic melee), Enhanced Resistance (kinetic), Lunge, Spellbane, Great Cleave
Equipment: Mining Jack II, Sintered Greataxe, Ring of Resistance Mk. 2, Resilient Jacket, Industrial Backpack, Manual Tool (mining pick), R2Es (x10), Instinctive Stabilizer, Homemade torches, Kish penis necklace, barathu tentacle belt, Flint & steel, 9240 credits        
Background: "A dwarf miner and former devotee of Torag who realized his Quest for the Sky as a mere illusion in Salvation's End (and that Torag is missing), Kazmuk has instead become a nihilist and worships Groetus because nothing matters and we're all going to die!" (4'5", 200 pounds, 375 years old)

Pathfinder Society Scenario # 4-12: "The Refuge of Time" [RPG]

NO SPOILERS

I played through The Refuge of Time via play-by-post, and did not have a good experience.  Part of that was a poor GM (which isn't the scenario's fault), but now that I've read the scenario I'm still not impressed.  It's a short, simplistic scenario with extremely challenging combats and a problematic reward at the end.  Unless you're set on playing through all the Season Four meta-plot scenarios, I would skip this one.

SPOILERS

The Refuge of Time ostensibly starts in Kaer Maga, but the PCs are only there long enough to get a letter and promptly leave.  The letter, from Venture-Captain Sheila Heidmarch down in Magnimar, tells the PCs that a cult is planning to bring back one of the Thassilonian Runelords.  In order to do this, the cultists need to find "refuge tokens" which (when broken after speaking the correct command word) will teleport them to where the Runelord is interred in a state of suspended animation.  A storehouse of these refuge tokens has been discovered in the Wyvern Mountains about 100 miles away from Kaer Maga, but the cultists have a two-day head start.  The PCs need to get a move on!  This scenario builds off of other ones in Season Four.

The journey from Kaer Maga to the ancient storehouse in the mountains is completely handwaved, so for all intents and purposes, this scenario is a pure dungeon crawl.  Getting into the storehouse is the first obstacle because it's guarded by, of all things, an angel!  The leader of the cultists used a planar binding spell to force the angel into his service and thus bar entrance to all non-worshippers of Lissala (an evil deity worshipped in Thassilon).  The PCs effectively have two options here.  First, they can fight a Lawful Good creature who is literally from Heaven itself.  Second, with a DC 34 (!) Diplomacy check they can remove all of their magical items and persuade the angel that they're not lying about having pure reasons for entering the storehouse.  When I played this adventure, my paladin certainly wasn't going to fight an angel, and was happy to take off his gear to be tested.  But other members of the group were extremely reluctant to do this (there's nothing some players hate more than risking their PC's gear), so the scenario was brought to a standstill almost right off the bat as we went back and forth on what to do.  From one perspective, the encounter is an original and interesting one.  However, there's no information on exactly the extent of the angel's knowledge of what it's protecting and the exact scope of its orders, nor on what it would take for the PCs to free it from the binding spell.  Unfortunately, it comes across more like "you know what the PCs never fight? Angels!  Let's toss one in and see what happens!".

Assuming the PCs make it inside, there are five rooms for them to examine in the storehouse.  The first has them encounter some random travellers magically charmed by the cult to help dig out the site.  There's some role-playing possibilities here, but mostly these individuals are here to help fulfil several of the faction mission objectives.  The second room is a simple battle against a very deadly undead--either a greater shadow or a bhuta, depending on tier.  The third room contains a magically-trapped statue that, depending on a die roll, may give an effect that is beneficial or harmful.  The fourth room is an ancient chapel dedicated to Lissala and has a battle against a graveknight with several fighter class levels.  This is an extremely challenging encounter--3 to 4 CR above the average party level.  The final room has the cult leader (a conjuror) and a handful of sinspawn.  It's also 3-4 CR above average party level.  Suffice it to say, this scenario is a good example of the view that Season Four is filled with deadly scenarios!

After defeating the foes, the PCs can find the refuge tokens they need.  In addition, they'll come across an evil-aligned ioun stone.  This ties into probably the most overpowered (and potentially problematic) Chronicle boon I've seen in PFS: it gives you a free feat!  Using the ioun stone is an evil act, but (at least how my GM handled it) you could deal with that by simply getting an atonement.  I think guidance needs to be given whether one can "atone" for something and continue to do it to receive benefits.  I've seen a *lot* of boons in PFS, and most range from ridiculously niche to handy to have in a pinch, but I've never seen anything like this one.  (actually, now that I think of it, there was another Season Four scenario that gave a permanent +2 profane bonus to an ability score--maybe it was a theme!)

I guess the good thing I can say about The Refuge of Time is that it is a very short and straightforward scenario to run.  A GM has very little prep to do, the layout of the dungeon is exceedingly simple, and the plot is extremely manageable.  The combats are very challenging, but depending on how strong the PCs are, this could also be a very fast scenario to complete if time is a factor.  Still, I think the scenario is underwritten, potentially unfair, and has a very problematic reward.  Although that my views may be coloured by my personal experience in the session, I still wouldn't recommend this one.

Pathfinder Flip-Mat: "Noble Estate" [RPG]

The double-sided Noble Estate flip-mat presents a top-down "roof on" view on one side and a "roof-off" view on the other side.  Both sides include the same large, central courtyard with a central fountain, statuary, and hedges.  The "roof on" view doesn't show where the doors to the interior of the house are, which is an admittedly minor thing but could be an issue during a game.  The "roof off" view is one I've used in a few adventures now, and it has a good array of interior rooms.  There's a multi-stall stable, an attractive parlor, a servant's wing, kitchens, and a main wing with posh sitting rooms and bedrooms.  The detail is impressive, with everything from paintings hanging on the walls to individual pots and pans in the kitchen.  The flip-mat works great for everything from a Pathfinder Lodge to a rich merchant's house, and could be used for drawing room mysteries, garden party assassinations, and more.  I think if I had my druthers I'd prefer the "roof on" view be replaced with another, different noble estate (I prefer more variety), but on the whole this is a solid flip-mat.  As with all Paizo flip-mats, this is fully-gridded on both sides and takes dry and wet erase markers just fine.

Starfinder: "Pact Worlds" [RPG]

If someone were interested in Starfinder, the first three books I'd recommend they buy would be the Core Rulebook, the Alien Archive, and Pact Worlds.  The first one gives the rules, the second one gives the adversaries and allies, and the third one gives the setting.  Pact Worlds is a 216-page hardcover book primarily intended to provide a detailed overview of each of the planets in the setting's main star system.  In addition, the book introduces several new starships, NPC stat blocks, and some player options like new archetypes, playable races, and weapons.  The artwork and layout are really pretty, though the book is a bit pricey given its length.  Still, I consider it a nearly essential buy for GMs looking to add depth and richness to their Starfinder games.

The book starts with a four-page introduction, "Welcome to the Pact Worlds", that provides a nice, readable summary of the general government, economy, and culture of the system.  Some key historical events are put into perspective, which is something I appreciated.  For example, the alliance with the Vesk is a relatively recent phenomenon after decades of war, and there are still some tensions there.  The description of the Stewards was interesting, and one gets the sense that they're essentially Jedi Knights, roaming the galaxy and settling local disputes.  Economy-wise, it seems capitalism runs unbridled, which probably makes for a good setting for adventurers even if it's a bit depressing to imagine.

Chapter 1, "The Worlds", weighs in at 140 pages and is by far the longest chapter.  Each of the planets in the Pact Worlds receives ten pages of coverage broken down into the subheadings of Geography, Residents, Society, Conflicts and Threats, and Notable Locations.  A one-page map of each planet is provided, but there's something about them that just doesn't look right to me.  Each world-entry then concludes with a new character theme suitable for PCs from that planet.  Here are the worlds covered:

* The Sun:  Far from simply a source of light, heat, and gravity, the Pact World's sun is the home to the "Burning Archipelago", a collection of "force bubble" cities and tunnels of mysterious origin.  The various cities are controlled by different groups, and there are several mysteries (such as why the lashunta feel psychic emanations of paranoia, or whether institutions like the "Sun Atlas" or "Deep Cultures Institute" are correct that there may be civilisations within the sun itself).  Overall, it's a clever way to make the sun itself an interesting place to have adventures.  Now that I'm preparing the Dawn of Flame adventure path, I appreciate it even more.  As for the theme: the Solar Disciple has benefits so minor as to be completely forgotten by most players.

* Aballon: A world of megacities inhabited primarily by anacites--sentient robots.  Aballon is a major manufacturing center in the Pact Worlds.  Although I still don't have a very good picture of what individual anacites are like when encountered as NPCs, there are some surprisingly interesting plot hooks written into this section: the mysteries of the First Ones, the political ramifications of the Machine Court, or the riddle of PreceptumXIII, a megacity constantly built and destroyed.  I could actually see a campaign here.  The new theme, Roboticist, is one I've actually used for a character and it's reasonably good as far as themes go.

* Castrovel: A planet with an interesting mix of continents occupied by lashunta, formians, and elves, as well as an array of wild, dinosaur-sized beasts.  There are some potential political/intrigue plot threads a GM could work with, given that a war between some of the species just ended.  Stories involving any sort of wilderness theme could easily be set here, and setting elements like the Green Faith, the Xenowardens, and more are incorporated.  I have some fond memories of adventuring on Castrovel with my barathu envoy, and I wouldn't mind heading back.  The new theme, Wild Warden, has very useful and fitting abilities.  It's a good model for what themes can offer when done well.

* Absalom Station: This is the most crucial location for most GMs and players, as it's a sort of default setting/home base for a lot of adventures (both adventure paths & Starfinder Society games).  Unlike some of the other maps, I do like the top-down view we get of the station here.  Absalom Station has some important links to setting lore (the Gap, the Starstone, the Drift), but there's also some good discussion here of local politics and problems: everything from income inequality to gerrymandering to a "Strong Absalom" movement with unfortunate real-world analogues.  I particularly liked the Eyeswide Agency (providing psychic investigative services) and the Simar Communion (identical clones who work as spies and assassins!).  The new theme is Corporate Agent, which is a good concept and executed in an okay way.

* Akiton: This is the Mars or Tattooine analogue, a difficult rocky desert wasteland in decline.  It's perfect for some Firefly-style space cowboy adventuring.  An interesting mix of 5 species (hylki, ysoki, contemplatives, ikeshti, and shobhads) inhabit the planet.  There's a ton of great little adventure hooks littered throughout the section, such as extensive wrecks left sometime during the Gap, a flying tourist attraction called Five Tines Fortress, and (in a shout-out to an early SFS scenario), old thasteron mines.  The new theme is Gladiator, which is okay.

* Verces:  The most technologically advanced of the Pact Worlds, Verces is a place where human augmentation is extensive.  It's also the politically most advanced world, and served as the model for both the Stewards and the Pact Worlds system of government.  I didn't quite get a picture on what adventuring on the planet would be like, however.  The new theme, Cyberborn, is rarely going to be meaningful in practice.

* Idari: This world-ship was the means by which kasatha came to the Pact Worlds.  There's a surprising number of lakes and variety of ecosystems within the vessel.  A number of factions are in play in the Idari, which raises several natural story possibilities.  I like the feel of the place and there's a lot of material to work with, though there are few obvious adventure hooks.  The new theme is Tempered Pilgrim, which is what kasatha are called when they go on a yearlong walkabout to learn about new cultures.  It has pretty good features.

* The Diaspora: A huge, lawless asteroid belt full of tons of great adventure hooks.  My favourites are the Abattoir and the Hum, both classic science-fiction/horror set ups.  If you're interested in pirates, dwarves, or sarcesians, the Diaspora is the place to be.  I liked the write-up for Songbird Station and the shout-out to Strawberry Machine Cake.  It's nice to see crossover with SFS scenarios.  The new Space Pirate theme has some pretty useful abilities.

* Eox: This is a cool concept: a planet ruled entirely by intelligent undead after an apocalypse killed most of the living.  There's good places for exploring (like the Lacustria Sea), plenty of opportunity for random encounters (from feral undead), room for political machinations (with the Bone Sages), and the classic reality-t.v. horror of the Halls of the Living (plus Zo!).  I've used the Death-Touched theme in a game, and it was fine.

* Triaxus: Triaxus is one of those concepts that sounds interesting at first: a planet that has an erratic orbit, meaning winters last centuries and then summers last centuries).  But in practice, PCs are only ever going to encounter the long winter season unless they travel through time or something.  The natives are ryphorians, and dragons are a common feature (with dragon-kin sort of in-between).  There's frankly not much here that I found exciting or that stuck out at me.  The Dragonblood theme looks solid, however.

* Liavara:  Formally a protectorate (not an independent member of the Pact Worlds), this gas giant proved more interesting than I expected.  Some of its settled moons like Arkanen and Nchak have potential, and the adventure hooks here are solid.  The Dream Prophet theme isn't bad, especially the 12th level ability.

* Bretheda: Another gas giant, but this one is home to my favourite floating jellyfish aliens, the barathu.  Its moons hold kalo, haan, and some other important species.  The "kalo fashionista" pic on page 123 cracks me up.  I like the story seed with a creeping, fatal fungal infestation among barathu called the Laoe Araae that threatens to spread to other species.  I could see an adventure involving finding a cure for it.  I also like the moon Yashu-Indiri, in which monks have built shrines to abandoned, dead, or otherwise forgotten deities--including those that received widespread worship prior to the Gap, like Torag and Cayden Cailean.  The new Biotechnician theme is solid.

* Apostae:  Drow!  This artificial planetoid has a (mostly) inaccessible interior, and there's plenty of story to be had in PCs trying to figure out how to open one of the doors (and then exploring whatever fantastical things it leads to).  Special shout-out to Nightarch, site of an epic SFS scenario I ran that lasted until 3 a.m. and led to an 80% TPK.  Good times! The new Xenoarchaeologist theme has probably the best special ability of any theme I've seen: Trap Spotter (just like in Pathfinder, a free chance to spot traps just by walking near them).

* Aucturn:  This planet is not for tourists.  It's a mutating, pulsing, toxic planet that can change to fill whatever needs the GM has for it.  The site of battles between the Dominion of the Black and cultists of the Great Old Ones, this is a planet with a clear Lovecraftian theme.  Mad recluses, warlords, monstrous things, and more are here.  The image of Carsai the King is very cool.  I'm not a fan of the new theme, Cultist, as it comes across as very generic.

Chapter 2 is "Starships" and comes in at 16 pages.  We get a better explanation of the Drift, though I still find it's a feature under-utilized in the system (and I still wonder whether communication in or out of the Drift is possible).  Some new starship options are introduced, such as biomechanical ships (simple but cool), drift shadow projectors (akin to interdictor ships in Star Wars), and more.  Overall, I like the new options--some are necessary "bread and butter" ones left out of the Core Rulebook, while others show some good creativity.  Stats (and good artwork) are given for new ships for Aballonians, Hellknights, Iomedaeans, Vercites, and Xenowardens.

Chapter 3 is "Supporting Cast" and also weighs in at 16 pages.  This is effectively like a mini-NPC Codex.  It contains stat blocks (and alteration suggestions) for a variety of NPCs that a GM might need at a moment's notice: Cultists, Free Captains, Hellknights, Mercenaries, Security Forces, and Street Gangs.  I find material like this incredibly useful, and I like how it also saves space for writers of SFS scenarios and APs.

Chapter 4 is "Player Options" (35 pages).  There's a lot here: new archetypes, feats, weapons, armor, items, spells, and races.

Six new archetypes are introduced here, though (unfortunately, to my mind) no actual affiliation with the related organisation is necessary in order to take them.  The six are Arcanimirium Sage (really good, and perhaps most interesting for non-spellcasters), Divine Champion (kind of bland, though Divine Judgement is very useful), Skyfire Centurion (some good abilities, though it seems to demean the bonding process), Star Knight (interesting and I like the variations), Starfinder Data Jockey (bland and makes it easy to use an already overpowered skill, Computers, in place of other skills), and Steward Officer (Demand Surrender is too late and too weak).

Eight new feats are introduced.  Some are fairly underwhelming (like the stage magic line), but some of the Divine Blessings (which vary depending on which deity worshipped) are pretty awesome (one lets you overcome immunity to a particular type of energy!).

Regarding the new equipment, there were a few things that stood out to me.  Some of them have become almost commonplace in games, like magboots and library chips (way overpowered for their trivial cost).  Others just look fun, like magical energy drinks and motospheres.  This is the section that allowed my descent thruster-equipped character to *very slowly* fall into a pool of acid and die horribly.

As a preface to the new spells, a little blurb explains who and how they were created (in-game).  I loved this, and wish we got more.  It really adds to the flavour.  Anyway, this section introduces the "junk" line of spells and a few others.  One of them, control atmosphere, would definitely have its uses.

Finally, six new playable races are introduced: astrazoans, bantrids (cool origin and flavour), borais, khizars (kind of bland), SROs, and strix.  I've actually played two of these.

And that's the book!  It's not perfect, but on the whole I think it's an excellent overview of the setting and provides a lot for both GMs and players to take advantage of.  I'd definitely recommend it.

Pathfinder Tales: "Skinwalkers" [RPG]

NO SPOILERS

Skinwalkers is a tense, exciting novel and now among my favourites in the Pathfinder Tales line.  It's extremely rare in books like this that I'm genuinely concerned that the protagonist is going to die and that the darkest possible ending is about to happen, but I certainly was with this novel!  I was on the edge of my seat during some of the action scenes, perhaps because the threats the characters face are extremely creepy and somehow more "real" than one usually gets in a fantasy novel.  The author does an excellent job with the setting (the Ironbound Archipelago), making it feel like a place with a distinct geography and culture.  It's hard to believe that this was written by a first-time author, and if there's more with these characters later in the series, I'll be thrilled.

SPOILERS

Skinwalkers is told by the point of view of Jendara, a woman who grew up in the Ironbound Archipelago before leaving for several years after a mysterious massacre.  After several years as a pirate, Jendara has returned home with her son.  I mention the son because it's relatively rare that the main character in Pathfinder novels has family to speak of, much less children--but it's handled quite well here.  The main threat in the book are the legendary, cannibalistic Kalvamen of a distant island in the archipelago.  This is a dark and gory novel, and I thought Jendara was going to die at multiple points.  The book isn't all action, however, as the setting and characters are handled well. Particularly effective is the theme of Jendara's initial rejection and gradual acceptance of her homeland's spiritual beliefs.   And best of all, the writer sticks the landing: the ending is strong.  Coming into the book, I didn't have any particular interest in the "viking" cultures of the Ironbound Archipelago, but I have to say that this book was a delightful surprise.

Pathfinder Tales: "A Knightly Mission" [RPG]

NO SPOILERS

A Knightly Mission is a four-part series of free Pathfinder web fiction available here.  Set in the forest of Fangwood (which ranges from Lastwall to Nirmathas), the story has a theme that centers around what it means to be a knight.  There are some really exciting action scenes, and, although the characters aren't particularly memorable, it's a solid story overall.  I will note that the artwork is fairly mediocre.

SPOILERS

The story is about Marra Silvermoon, a village tanner.  While out hunting elk one day, she stumbles across the corpse of one of the famed Knights of Lastwall.  Because Molthuni bandits have been harassing the village for months, Marra decides she might be able to get the Knights to help by impersonating one of their members!  It's an original idea for a Pathfinder tale, and there are some good story details (like how cumbersome the armor is, or the knight's squire recognising the impersonation immediately but deciding to go along with it to get out of scrubbing dishes).  The story also has a satisfying ending.  I wouldn't place this tale among the best, but it's a decent value for the price!

Pathfinder Society Scenario # 9-13: "The Lion's Justice" [RPG]

NO SPOILERS

I don't usually call out the cover art for PFS scenarios, but I have to give credit here: what an awesome image!  Anyway, The Lion's Justice is a direct tie-in/lead-in to the War for the Crown adventure path and a scenario of special interest for Sovereign Court faction members.  I played through it via PbP with a counter-intuitive character (my "caveman shaman", Gurkagh).  I had an okay time playing, but reading through the adventure afterwards, I think it's actually a really good scenario that just happened not to come across so well with the particular group I played with.  There are some interesting, creative encounters and the tie-in to War for the Crown is really cool and makes me want to run or play that AP some day.

SPOILERS

There's a pretty involved backstory here that has to do with Taldor's government and nobility.  The current ruler, Grand Prince Stavian III, faces a challenge from Princess Eutropia who is making a bid for the crown.  But Taldor currently doesn't allow females to inherit the throne, so she's trying to get the Senate to pass a bill to end primogeniture.  Seeing threats from various corners, however, Stavian plans to massacre his enemies in the Senate during a major event held there called the Grand Day of Exaltation.  There's a lot more, as well: the Lion's Blades (Taldor's spy network), the Ulfen Guard (Stavian's personal bodyguards), Lady Gloriana Morilla and the Sovereign Court faction of the Pathfinder Society (which tends to favour Princess Eutropia), and then some particular other nobles.  I can't summarise it all here, but suffice it to say that the PCs are stepping onto a rich tapestry of a storyline that has been developing in various adventures and sourcebooks for over a decade now.

The PCs assemble for their briefing with Venture-Captain Muesello at the Pathfinder Lodge in Oppara (disguised as a fishing shack!).  Muesello has just started his briefing when Bjarte Trolltooth, a member of the Ulfen Guard, bursts his way into the room and starts shouting!  Bjarte has become an ally of the Pathfinder Society after the events of a previous scenario (# 9-11), and he's now come with an urgent message: his employer, Prince Stavian, is going to murder everyone he perceives as disloyal in the Senate!  Bjarte says he can't personally interfere, and Muesello says there's no way the PCs would be able to intervene without creating an international uproar--unless they got the Lion's Blades on their side!  It's an exciting way to handle a briefing.

To enlist the Lion's Blades, the PCs travel to the group's secret headquarters, the site of a mission from # 5-11 (and there's a really cool bonus for PCs who played that one).  The Pathfinders are told that the Lion's Blades can't get involved unless they have proof, and that to get it they should investigate the home of Earl Calhadion Vernisant, an ally of Stavian who has been holding suspicious meetings recently.

While playing, I assumed this was leading up to an intrigue-based mission involving disguises and bluffs to sneak into the house (Gurkagh's offer to disguise himself as the Earl was rejected by the group!).  This part of the scenario actually turns out very differently, however.  The PCs are greeted by the Earl's chamberlain.  Unbeknownst to her, the Earl's staff has been replaced with agents of the evil Brotherhood of Silence (a group I don't know much about).  When they see the Pathfinders arrive, the disguised evildoers try to poison them!  The poisoning is handled well mechanically (doses are increased to raise the DCs, and suspicious PCs will be fooled by an obscure poison spell).  On the other hand, scenes like this are harder to run in practice with the GM having to ask "so who's eating the cookies?" which is sure to get everyone thinking (and meta-gaming).  Anyway, the whole sequence inevitably ends with a battle against the agents of the Brotherhood of Silence, all of whom have poisoned their blades as well.  If you don't have a good Fort save, you could be in trouble here.

After defeating the would-be assassins, the PCs will find the evidence they need locked in Earl Vernisant's safe.  The Lion's Blade promise to do what they can to halt the plot while asking the Pathfinders to head to the Senate to assist.

The first main sequence at the Senate starts with the PCs trying to burst into the main hall as they hear screams coming from inside.  The massacre has begun!  The PCs need to help everyone inside escape while simultaneously fighting a magus named Karina Deckland who has a grudge against the Pathfinder Society from way, way back in a Season 1 adventure!  The tricky part with this scene is that the crowd rules are in effect, making it difficult to move around and making it so that area of effect spells are likely to kill innocents.  I really like the encounter design, even though the battle was over before Gurkagh managed to get to it!

The big finale is a battle against Earl Vernisant himself and his resolute lion mount (pictured on the cover).  In the right circumstances, this battle could be really tough--Vernisant is a cavalier with some good charging feats, and could spike massive amounts of damage.  He's accompanied by three allips who likely target spellcasters.  Alas, when I played it, Vernisant lost Initiative and one optimized PC knocked him off his mount with a 55(!) on a reposition check and another optimized PC effectively killed him with a single fireball that did 13d8+30 points of damage!  The battle was thus over in a round or two.  I wish players with optimized PCs could realise the damage they do to the game and to everyone else's fun sometime.  But I don't hold this against the scenario--it definitely reads like a fun encounter.

The epilogue is more interesting than most.  The purpose of the Grand Day of Exaltation is to raise a single commoner to the nobility.  Stavian killed this commoner to start the massacre, but the PCs can chip in to have the main raised from the dead.  If they do, they earn a vanity boon that allows them to retire (if and when they're ready) in the man's home village.  I like this story touches like this.  As a (or the?) capstone for the Sovereign Court, members of that faction also get a cool boon--the chance to become a member of the Taldan Senate!

Overall, I really like The Lion's Justice.  Even though I never knew much about Taldan politics, the AP it links into, or the goals of the Sovereign Court, I could feel the excitement of everything the scenario was leading towards.  The encounter design was interesting and original, and it felt really cool to be part of a big event in the setting.

Pathfinder Campaign Setting: "Book of the Damned, Vol. 2: Lords of Chaos" [RPG]

Lords of Chaos, the second of three sourcebooks on the evil planes of the Pathfinder multiverse, covers the demon realm known as the Abyss.  It's written by Paizo Creative Director James Jacobs himself, so you know it's going to be chock-full of accurate setting lore.  This 64-page book details the various demon lords and their domains, while also introducing a demon-themed prestige class, some new spells, and some new demons.  I'll go through everything in more detail, but first we have to stop and admire the cover art--it's perhaps the best of any Pathfinder book.  Simply stunning!

The book opens with a little two-page creation myth.  It's intriguing and ominous.  Interspersed between each of the main chapters are more brief entries in this vein, all purporting (and stylized to look like) "real" entries from the legendary Book of the Damned.  One of my favourite entries is on the Realms of Repose, where slain demon lords go.  Fascinating stories!  Other useful entries include discussion of the qlippoths and on demon-touched places on Golarion.  The art design is excellent.

Chapter 1 is "Lords of the Abyss".  Each of the major demon lords of the setting are summarized in half- to full-page entries that cover their interests, unholy symbols, personalities, mortal cults, and (for the purposes of the Demonic Obedience feat) boons.  There aren't any stat-blocks for these demon lords even though they all (with the exception of Lamashtu, an actual deity) could in theory be slain by mortals--this book was written prior to the introduction of Pathfinder's Mythic ruleset.  The information here is integrated nicely with Golarion, and there are a lot of little adventure hooks and ideas for a GM to play with.  The artwork is really good, and the boons and obediences seem well-balanced and flavourful.  The chapter covers notables like Dagon, Deskari, Pazuzu, Orcus and Nocticula as well as some more obscure ones.

Chapter 2 is "Demonkind".  It provides a brief description, "associated sin", and "preferred sacrifice" for each of the different types of demons in the game.  The writing is great here, as is the concept of the various types of demons having their origins in the manifestation of different mortal sins.  The chapter introduces the idea of "nascent demon lords" which are CR 21-25 threats suitable as end-of-campaign bosses.  The only one mentioned that I recognise from elsewhere is Treerazer.

Chapter 3 is "Demonology".  It starts with an interesting overview of whether or why members of the different classes in the game (Core Rulebook and Advanced Players Guide) would be involved in worshipping demon lords.  There's a single page introducing the concept of demonic implants, but they're not particularly interesting.  Another page covers a ritual for transforming into a demon, which I guess could be useful in an "evil PC" themed campaign.   Of more interest is a new prestige class, the Demoniac.  It looks solid and reasonably powerful, with early obedience boons, improved summoning abilities, extra resistances and ability score increases, spell progression, and a really cool capstone.  Granted, a PC would have to be Chaotic Evil to take the prestige class so I'm not likely to see it in play anytime soon.  The chapter introduces four new spells, one of which, rift of ruin, is really cinematic.

Chapter 4, "The Demonic Horde" concludes the book.  We get some very brief discussion of larvae and qlippoths (other inhabitants of the Abyss), but mostly the chapter consists of new bestiary entries.  There's vermlek demons (worms that inhabit corpses to serve as armor and disguises--gross but good!), brimorak demons (short fire-loving monsters), seraptis demons (suicide demons--the writing in this entry in particular is awesome, and I'm quite intrigued by the Dolorous Sisters), and vavakias demons (CR18 winged bull elephant-like warlords).

The inside back cover of the book is a handy list of all the demon gods, lords, nascent lords, and bhargest hero gods along with their alignments, areas of concern, domains, and favoured weapons.  Very useful for a GM who quickly needs a patron for a cult.

I used to think of demons as simply chaotic evil monsters (which they are!) but there's a lot more diversity and material to work with than I original thought. I can't think of anything to complain about with this book, but there's a lot to praise.  The writing is uniformly excellent, the artwork is great and fits the tone of the book well, and it will serve as a handy off-the-shelf resource for anything demon-related in the game.  Unless you're going with the more recent hardcover book that collects and revises all three of the softcovers, this is the best place for information on demons in Pathfinder.

Starfinder Flip-Mat: Asteroid [RPG]

Asteroid is one of those rare flip-mats that I've used one side several times, but have never used the other side.  The main side features the heavily-cratered surface of an asteroid, and I've used it in several Starfinder Society games.  It's nicely detailed with terrain features like crevices, boulders, cliffs, and even a pit that combine for some interesting tactical choices.  A GM should prepare ahead of time, however, for what sorts of DCs they want to set for climbing up or jumping over some of these features.  It's appropriately generic as well, so you can use it in multiple sessions with no sense of "this place again!"  The flip-side is (according to the text) "a grimy mining station nestled beneath the asteroid's surface."  It's actually really cool and would serve perfectly as a space pirate hideout, a rebel base, or anything else of the sort.  The purposes of the various rooms are easily identifiable (there are bunks, washrooms, a rec room, a computer room, a commander's office, and more).  The detail is also nice, with grease spots and dented flooring, sensible features like small gardens (fresh food would be a luxury in a place like this!), etc.  It would work well as a PC headquarters, but could also be pulled out quickly when a GM needs a "bad guy base" for the group to assault.  With both sides of the flip-mat quite useful, Asteroid is a winner.

Starfinder Dice Set [RPG]

Aesthetic preferences are purely subjective, of course, but I think the design of the Starfinder Dice Set is fantastic.  They're very cool black dice with clear numerals in blue and tech-themed borders.  The symbol of the Pact Worlds is the highest number on each die (except for the d4, where it's in the centre).  These have quickly become one of my favourite Paizo-related dice sets, and I use them for all non-AP Starfinder gaming.

Rise of the Runelords Recap # 85 [RPG]

[12 Calistril 4708 continued]

When the Scribbler was returned to life by Lamashtu, 

he emerged from the birthing pool.

Returning from their investigation into the grippli chief’s suspicious death, Ava, Jinkatsyu, and Erik go to check on their companions.  Yuzo is starting to awaken from his ordeal in the tunnels below Sandpoint, while Kang seems to have recovered from the supernatural fear that sent him fleeing (while tearing off all his clothes!).  Discussion is had about the strange magical effect that made Jinkatsyu and Erik almost turn on each other, and how there is still more of the catacombs to explore.  But first, the adventurers decide to continue looking into Elder Chief Cragpawmpum’s death.  Kang examines the four vials found under the deceased’s bed, and the tiefling reports to the others that it’s definitely some kind of poison but that he can’t pinpoint its precise nature.  The group decide that they’ll share their findings with Sheriff Hemlock in the morning, after the dawn funeral for Salma.

[13 Calistril 4708]

Salma’s funeral is attended by several notable residents of Sandpoint who felt a debt for her aid in defense of the town.  Father Zantus speaks about her heroism, while Cracktooth gives a eulogy about her enigmatic but friendly nature.  The adventurers take turns delivering a few words, with the highlight being Ava’s heartfelt remembrance of travelling with Salma before the two met the others.  When the ceremony is over, the adventurers update Sheriff Hemlock and Mayor Deverin on their suspicions about the elder’s death.  All agree that the matter merits further investigation, but no obvious leads remain.

Later that morning, the Heroes of Varisia re-enter the underground catacombs (choosing one of the distant entrances, since the sinkhole has been completely filled in).  On the way, Erik and Kang talk about the stanzas of the poem they’ve found hidden in the scribblings of the walls and agree that it must provide cryptic directions to Runeforge.  Exploration of the complex’s unvisited rooms reveals a shallow pool of water that glows softly in a chamber carved with large runes; Ava identifies it as a birthing pool dedicated to Lamashtu.  Other chambers are largely empty, filled with rubble, or otherwise of unknown purpose, and exploration of them only leads to Yuzo growing increasingly despondent that she’s not strong enough to bash down their doors.

Ava, Jinkatsyu, and Erik start leading the other two adventurers to the location where they ended their previous expedition.  But as they traverse a fog-filled corridor, a summoned demon appears at the rear of the party and claws Kang in the back!  Jinkatsyu rushes into the fray, and after Kang’s bomb of magical force knocks the demon to the ground, the swashbuckler is able to kill it.  The Scribbler emerges to skirmish with the adventurers, but they stand united and he’s forced to teleport away again.

Having defeated him twice, but failing to capture or kill their foe, can the heroes emerge victorious in round three?

----------------------------------------
Director's Commentary

This is one of the very few times I can remembering in gaming of an actual funeral for a fallen PC!

Somehow, the Scribbler survived again--he turned out to be a better foe that I expected.

Pathfinder Player Companion: "Black Markets" [RPG]

Black Markets is a Pathfinder Player Companion that I bought just so I could use some small option in a Pathfinder Society character.  I wasn't expecting much, but after reading through the book, I came away pretty impressed and with several ideas of things to incorporate into my games.  The theme of the book, as the back cover blurb indicates, is "Good deals, bad people".  In other words, the book is about unlawful items and activities that one might find hidden away in some seedy back alley.  But you definitely don't need to be playing an evil PC to find some worthwhile material inside.

Like every entry in the Player Companion line, Black Markets is a 32-page full-colour book.  The cover art is great, and gives a good feel for what's inside.  The art is reused, sans logo, as the inside back cover.  The inside front cover notes seven places of "Illicit Trade in the Inner Sea Region", and each place receives a brief description of what can be found there along with a little flavour.  Some of these places are described in further detail in the interior of the book, but not all of them are.

The first four pages of the book include a summary of what's inside for particular classes, a rules option index, and an introduction that contains a brief but good overview of how different nations in Golarion feel about black markets.  They're everything from an "unavoidable fact of life" in the River Kingdoms to "disgraces to proper society" in Cheliax.

From a GM's perspective, one of the major things the book does is create rules for black markets: how hard they are to find, what types of materials are available there, how much items will cost, and what risks customers face in visiting them.  This smartly takes the form of an adaptation of the settlement stat blocks from the GameMastery Guide.  The book introduces a handful of new feats for PCs who plan to interact regularly with black markets, and then proceeds to give sample stat blocks (and associated character traits) for six specific ones: the Dusk Market in Westcrown, Nightstalls in Katapesh, the Red Silk Route in Absalom, the Tarnished Hills in Numeria, the Wagons of Light in Geb, and the nomadic-fey-run Witchmarket.  I think it's a great idea, and I've used the rules to create a black market stat block for Korvosa in my upcoming Curse of the Crimson Throne campaign (because I know, sooner or later, somebody's going to want to buy something that's not quite legit)!

Next, the book supplements the Downtime rules from Ultimate Campaign by creating several new nefarious downtime activities: creating alibis, blackmailing someone, planning a heist, smuggling, and more.  I thought they were good, though some are far more likely to be an NPC sort of thing than a PC activity.  

Some characters, like my Norgorber-worshipping Siegfried of Daggermark, are into poisons.  The book spends two pages detailing the concept of "infused poisons"--which, with the associated feat, allow you to combine the effects of a poison with a spell effect.  For examine, the "liquid influence" poison both gives the target Wisdom damage and puts them under the effect of a suggestion spell.  It's a really clever concept.  There's also some new undead-themed poisons called "necrotoxins".

Two pages are then spent introducing "necrografts," a concept that may be familiar to Starfinder players.  Essentially, skilled necromantic surgeons implant new body parts or replace body parts with undead flesh to augment a living creature's abilities.  For examine, you could get a necrograft leg that allows you to travel overland longer than normal before becoming exhausted.  Although the concept is a fun one, I'd say most are way over-priced for what they do.

Cursed magical items have been in D&D and its heirs since the beginning, and Black Markets devotes two pages to them.  In particular, it gives rules for magic users intentionally creating cursed items.  Some new ones are introduced here, with my favourite being the spendthrift spectacles (that cause the wearer to wildly overpay for items) and the style-stealing vambrace that threatens to cut off the wielder's own hand every time they land a critical hit in combat!


Pesh, an addictive narcotic, is the subject of the next two pages.  There are a handful of new pesh-related feats and then some new pesh-related spells.  Given the severity of the addiction rules in Pathfinder, I don't think most of the options are very practical.

Next up: nonmagical, portable traps that will definitely appeal to some characters.  There's also one magical portable trap: portable pits that replicate the various pit line of spells.  These can be pretty nasty!

Evil clerics and anyone adventuring in Rahadoum might find value in the two pages on "hidden holy items", though I thought they were largely mediocre.

Two pages detail secret signs and spells related to the concept.  I liked a couple of the latter, but I'm guessing this is mostly an NPC section.

A section on smugglers introduces a few new archetypes.  I once had a Pack Mule character (a fighter archetype that allows a PC to carry a great amount of weight), but alas, he died.  I like the Relic Raider, a rogue archetype that specialises in dealing in curses and haunts--not something for an average campaign, but could be cool perhaps in something like Carrion Crown.

A section labelled "Duplicitous Archetypes" introduces two: The Eldritch Poisoner, an alchemist specialising in poison that does ability score damage, which could be really powerful against living foes (though anything immune to poison will be perfectly fine) and the Hoaxer, a fun concept that looks clunky in practice.

Last up is several new spells.  The only one that jumped out at me was curse of keeping, which prevents the target from dropping, selling, or giving away anything in their possession!  I could imagine some fun story ideas for that one.

Overall, I think the book is a really nice supplement for GMs and PCs.  Not everything inside is going to fit every campaign or concept, but on the whole the material is well-written and interesting.