Pathfinder Society Scenario # 9-22: "Grotto of the Deluged God" [RPG]

 NO SPOILERS

 

I got to play Grotto of the Deluged God via play-by-post with my Prophet of Kalistrade character, Nistivo Cirek.  The scenario takes place in the Shackles, a pirate-infested chain of islands near the infamous Eye of Abendego hurricane.  The scenario has a nice connection to a Season 7 adventure (# 7-19: The Labyrinth of Hungry Ghosts).  As a whole, I found it about average.  Artwork and maps are good.  The individual encounters are fine (if a little cliched at times) and I like that there are some non-violent ways to bypass some of them.  The plot can seem a little random in sort of “and then this happens, and then this happens” way.  In sum, Grotto of the Deluged God isn’t going to win any awards, but I imagine most players will have a good time.

 

SPOILERS!

 

We don’t often get a ship-board briefing in Pathfinder Society, so it’s interesting to start off on board the Grinning Pixie—the mobile Pathfinder lodge helmed by Venture Captain Calisro Benarry.  The ship is moored off Tempest Cay, the northernmost island in the Shackles, and Benarry explains that strange winds around the area have altered currents and tides and made visible the wreck of a ship called the Pride of Aspenthar.  As told in PFS1 # 7-19, the Pride of Aspenthar was sent on a mission to the Gloomspires but never returned.  Benarry wants the PCs to board the wreck and try to figure out why it sank.  To help them out, she provides the group with some potions of water breathing, a feather token (swan boat), and a wand of touch of the sea.  By Season 9, the Pathfinder Society takes a lot better care of its agents compared to the early seasons!

 

The wreck is visible on the outer edge of a coral reef.  As the PCs cross the reef on foot, they’re attacked by the traditionary giant crabs (and a crab swarm, which might prove more challenging to a low-level group if they’re not prepared for fighting swarms).  Exploration of the ship itself requires fighting off some zombie sailors (been there!) before discovering of the captain’s log and why the ship sank: a mutiny followed by a collision with the reef!  Importantly, the log contains the captain’s suspicions that someone or something had been manipulating the currents around the reef with magic.  The PCs are expected to follow another vague clue (found by peering through a spyglass on the rail) to a nearby sea cave, but if they miss the clue (which seems likely) the currents take them to the sea cave anyway when they try to leave!  A bit of forced plotting there.

 

The sea cave features two encounters that can be resolved through either role-playing or combat.  The first is with an injured triton named Nalu and his hippocampus mount.  Nalu was on a diplomatic visit to another undersea community when the currents pulled him in and he was dashed against the rocks.  The second (and the one more likely to start a fight) is with a young brine dragon named Tempest Monarch.  Tempest Monarch, like many brine dragons, is ambitious and bombastic, and wants the PCs (“lesser beings”) to “swear fealty” to them. I liked this encounter because it’s a good way to seeing just how prideful most PCs really are.  Tempest Monarch’s “lair” is near a planar anomaly, which is why wind and currents have been so strange.

 

When the group leave the sea caves, they may assume they’re done with the adventure, but they haven’t counted on the Cult of the Eye!  The cultists consider the sea caves sacred, and unless the PCs do some fast talking, there’ll be a battle.  After getting past them one way or the other, the group can then return to Venture-Captain Benarry to report in.

 

As a final note, one bit I really liked on the Chronicle is that if you do “swear fealty” to Tempest Monarch, you get a rare “negative boon”—you’ve got to bring her treasure or she spreads word that you’re an oathbreaker, costing you Prestige Points.  A fun addition.