Starfinder Society Scenario # 4-01: "Intro: Year of the Data Scourge" [RPG]

NO SPOILERS

The first scenario in Season 4 starts off the "Year of the Data Scourge" with a bang.  It gets the PCs into the action immediately, and makes it clear that this season's metaplot won't be subtle.  As a scenario designed to be new-player friendly, it's a repeatable, has a good mix of skill challenges and light combats, and doesn't lore-dump heavily while serving as a bit of an impromptu tour of Absalom Station.  There are parts of the scenario that are just too "gamey" and I'm not a fan of rolls without consequences, but I may just be an old curmudgeon--the scenario is fine for what it is.  I played it via play-by-post with my "junkomancer", Nixxer.

SPOILERS!

Intro: Year of the Data Scourge does something I've long advocated as a change of pace: start off with the PCs thrown into a dangerous situation and dispense with a formal briefing.  Here, the PCs are riding on an automated train from the spaceport on Absalom Station to the Lorespire Complex.  Each player can decide for themself why they're on the train (there's a suggestion this could be run as the third part of the introductory series after The First Test and For the Factions), and there's an opportunity for the PCs to role-play with each other a little before the train abruptly screeches to a halt, the power flickers on and off several times, and then it starts accelerating at a frightening speed, as it's clear the autopilot is no longer engaged!  Someone better do something to get it into control before it crashes, and that sounds like a job for Superman the PCs.  A few Engineering or Computers skill checks should set things right, but there is limited time and the DCs are reasonably high.  Fortunately, if the train does crash, the damage is pretty minimal (1d6 at low subtier, with a Reflex save to halve even that).  I like that the scenario forces android and SRO characters to make a saving throw or get the Confused condition as the PCs realise that a virus has infected all electronics they possess: there's no using comms, datapads, or computers.  All those things are now so much junk (and perfect fodder for a junkomancer!).

After helping any victims of the train incident, the PCs find themselves at a deserted train station.  They need to make some skill checks to get their bearings and figure how which direction will take them toward the Lorespire Complex.  I like that there are bonuses for PCs who have previously played a scenario on Absalom Station and/or have Absalom Station listed as their home world on their character sheet, but it's annoying that if all the PCs fail the checks, they just "ramble aimlessly for a few blocks before finally getting their bearings and finding their way to the next area".  Why waste time having everyone roll (and look up old Chronicle sheets for bonuses) if it makes absolutely no difference?  Skill checks without consequences are one of my (many) gaming pet peeves.  *Anyway*, there's also a battle against some glitching security robots that are now hostile to everyone.  As an aside, I found it amusing that the PCs are allowed to "raid the vending machines" (i.e., break into them) to get a bunch of serums--one incident and the Starfinder Society becomes looters!

A few parts of the scenario are optional, as the PCs can choose to bypass them entirely.  In the Freemarkets, the group is flagged down by Dot, a stall owner NPC who has appeared in some previous scenarios.  As in at least one previous appearance I remember, she asks the PCs to do odd jobs in exchange for extraordinarily valuable treasure.  Here, the PCs are asked to fix her radio and move some crates from the back of her shop outside--in exchange, she gives them multiple spell gems, force field armor upgrades, and even a diamond-studded antique gold wedding ring that's a ring of resistance!  It's just plain stupid, and there's no need to have such awkward loot drops built-in a scenario like this.  Separately, the PCs can help emergency workers at an aid station set up in the Freemarkets; there are some skill checks for various tasks and the need to repulse some "polyphonic gels" (oozes) escaped from a local music store.  Another optional encounter is at the Security Resources Pavilion, apparently known as the "Merc Lurk".  The PCs are talking to a cool-looking shirren soldier named Lizisk when an AbadarCorp prototype mech suit switches into autopilot mode and starts firing indiscriminately.  You wouldn't expect low-level PCs to be fighting mechs, but it's scaled appropriately.  And finally, PCs will come to an intersection where glitching traffic lights have caused a chaotic scene of collisions, injured commuters, and so forth.

The last part of the scenario has the PCs reaching the perimeter of the Lorespire Complex.  There, they find it under attack from (cinematically) dozens of spider-like attack bots.  These are no mere "robots gone haywire", but instead part of a concentrated effort to deliver malicious code into the heart of Starfinder headquarters!  The PCs need to do their part by fighting off six of the "Scourge Harbingers".  It's a good way to help them feel like part of something larger, especially if the GM does some narrative description of other Starfinders fighting off other swarms of the robots.  After the battle, a cool "Battle Celita" briefs the PCs on what they know so far: most of Absalom Station is infected, the Lorespire Complex is safe (for now), and it's unknown whether other parts of the Pact Worlds have been infected by the computer virus as well.  It's a good, tense start to the rest of the season's metaplot.

I often mention scenarios that are likely to run a bit longer than a normal time-slot, but I'd wager Intro: Year of the Data Scourge is probably on the flip-side as a scenario that will run relatively quickly (there's not a huge amount of RP to do, the GM is encouraged to keep up a quick pace, and some of the challenges and encounters can be bypassed).  There are multiple things I found annoying about the scenario, but overall it should be a good experience for players.

Pathfinder Society Scenario # 1-11 (Scenario # 39): "Citadel of Flame" [RPG]

NO SPOILERS

As context for these reviews, I should confess that I'm writing many of them well after I first played or ran them.  I played Citadel of Flame nearly a year and a half ago (so far behind am I in my reviews!), and when I first saw it come up on my list, I had absolutely no recollection of it whatsoever!  After doing some research, I was able to reconstruct what PC I ran and who I played it with, and then bits of it came back.  But still, it's fair to say that this review is more based on my reading the scenario than it is recounting my actual experience of it.  As to that last bit, I played my bizarre android oozeshifter Genesix in a live tabletop game.  I can say that there's agreement from what little I do remember of playing it and my evaluation of the scenario as written: it's pretty forgettable.  There's nothing outright bad or broken about it, and indeed it has a somewhat interesting main location.  But the storyline and encounters are fairly vanilla, and there's probably only one short opportunity for role-playing in the whole session.  In short, Citadel of Flame is nothing to write home about.

SPOILERS!

The background section of the scenario presents a solid, interesting tale.  Three hundred years ago, the cult of Moloch (an archdevil and the so-called "God of Fires") began to spread through Qadira's Meraz Desert.  It was a time of the fiercest heat waves ever recorded, and some Qadirans were persuaded it was a sign of Moloch's power.  Preachers invited the converted to trek through the desert to reach paradise; most died in the attempt (which the cultists claimed as a sacrifice to their god) but a lucky few reached the Citadel of Flame, the hidden home of the cult deep in the southern Meraz.  But as the cult's strength grew, so did opposition from the Dawnflower, Sarenrae's dervishes.  They launched a crusade into the Meraz, seeking to destroy the Citadel of Flame.  The greatest sandstorm in a century rose up and swallowed both the army and the Citadel, with neither ever having been seen since!  Until now, that is--a Pathfinder Society wizard was flying (as one does) over the desert and saw the minarets of the Citadel from above.

This is where the PCs come in, with a briefing by the unfortunately named Venture-Captain Hamshanks.  Good ole' VC Baconthighs wants the PCs to trek to the Citadel of Flame and explore it; and more to the point, Swinehaunches wants the group to retrieve a bull-headed idol of Moloch said to symbolise the judgment of Moloch.  Smash and loot: that's how the PFS does archaeology!  Fortunately for the PCs (and unfortunately for this Kuthite reviewer who loves inflicting grueling environmental effects), the actual travel through the desert is handwaved.

Act 1 ("Heat of the Hoodoos") has the PCs following a path through a maze of cliffs when they're attacked by a pair of fire elementals.  It's about as generic as encounters get.  After the battle, the PCs can investigate some bull-headed statues, flame-carved hoodoos, and stone glyphs that line the cliffs.

In Act 2 ("The Ember Halls"), the PCs learn that the Citadel of Flame actually consists of two minareted (?) fortresses connected by a stone bridge.  The descriptive text is well-written, and the place sounds pretty cool (or--hot--as it were).  The first of these fortresses is the Ember Halls.  The gist of what happens here is that there's a secret central room with spyholes in the surrounding rooms.  A sorcerer named Gali Sinquil hides in the central room and uses illusions each time the PCs enter an adjoining room to try to get them to waste their resources and be frightened away.  It's a fairly clever concept, actually.  Neither The Ember Halls or the other fortress have anything approaching realistic architecture as a residence where people would actually live, but I'm not too fussed about that.  The Halls also contain "The Sacred Sauna" (a ritual prayer room for priests of Moloch, trapped with fire magic for unbelievers) and "The Bridge of Flame"--a covered bridge connected to the other fortress, here guarded by a small flying devil called a gaav.

Act 3 ("The Inferno Heart") has the PCs force their way into the second of the two fortresses.  There's a mention that the fortress is hot enough that the PCs need to make hourly saves against heat--at normal exploration pace, that probably means just one, but I appreciate the scenario throwing me a bone.  There's a massive forge here called the Volcanic Anvil, currently tended to by a single dwarf.  This fellow, Vulcus, is a weaponsmith hired by the newly re-started cult's leader to begin making weapons to outfit the cult.  Vulcus, however, has no particular loyalty to the Cult of Moloch, and is happy to chat with the PCs because his boss is a real jerk.  He'll even tell the group how to shut down certain heat vents that will otherwise trouble them as they continue their explorations.

There's a long ramp up to the fire temple that caps the second fortress, and along the way PCs could do various rituals to Moloch to gain some minor fire resistance, but it's really not worth it considering all the nasty side effects (interesting flavour, but not warranting the lengthy descriptions).  The fire temple itself is well-described and evocative, with rivers of slowly bubbling lava, an elaborate altar containing the bull-headed man idol that pours lava from its mouth, vents of hot steam from the floor below, obsidian bas reliefs, and more.  Probably, it'll all just amount to forgotten background as the PCs battle it out with the boss of the scenario, a cleric of Moloch who uses summons and whip-trips to give the invaders a hard time.

The Conclusion consists of two short sentences that essentially amount to "everything returns to the status quo."

So that's Citadel of Flame.  An interesting location, flat encounters, and a storyline that could have been randomly selected from a d100 list.

Pathfinder Society Scenario # 1-06 (Scenario # 34): "Encounter at the Drowning Stones" [RPG]

NO SPOILERS

Encounter at the Drowning Stones is a pretty good Season 1 scenario.  It's in the classic "pulp adventure/jungle hero" vein, and the author does a good job setting and presenting a Pathfinder version of the classic "greedy treasure hunter" tale.  Environmental rules are put to good effect, though encounters are more on the average side.  There's probably not a ton of role-playing opportunities.  The scenario is also longer than many from this time period, so the GM and players shouldn't expect a quick session--which is perfectly fine as long as its accounted for.  I played it with my dwarf Oracle of Groetus, Makras Vekker, in a live tabletop game.  Makras wears boots of the winterlands into the jungle, because that's just how he rolls.

SPOILERS!

The scenario, set in the Mwangi Expanse, has an intriguing background section.  It tells of an isolated, legendary site of monoliths carved in human-like shapes rising from a small gorge, where water from nearby streams pour into the figures' open mouths--thus, they've come to be known as the Drowning Stones.  However, they've also come to be associated with cannibalism and suicide, and are shunned by modern tribes.  The taboo is warranted, because the Drowning Stones sit above an ancient temple to Sifkesh, the demon lord of heresy and suicide, and her herald in the region, a succubus known as Sifkesh's Razor, still lures explorers to their doom.  Most recently, Wynard Lichten, a vile and ruthless treasure hunter working for the Aspis Consortium, has fallen under the sway of Sifkesh and has arranged for an entire expedition to be sent to retrieve the temple's treasures (and thus spread Sifkesh's madness more broadly).  However, the Pathfinder Society had a secret agent named Eiastor Wyrn join the expedition.  Unfortunately for him and the PFS, Eiastor sucked at his job and was discovered almost immediately.  I liked this line because it's so true: "Lichten forced Wyrn to send a final missive to his handlers in Absalom in the hopes that the Pathfinder Society would do what they always do: send another team to find their missing agent."  Sending good agents after bad is classic Pathfinder Society!

Osprey, who's one of the quirkier of an admittedly quirky bunch of Pathfinder Society leaders in this period, has (or is disguised as) a vagrant slip the characters a slip of paper giving them the location to meet for a mission: a mead hall of ill repute in Absalom called the Saucy Wench.  Osprey explains the mission (find Eiastor, keep the demon-linked stones from falling into Aspis hands) and has the resources to teleport the PCs all the way from Absalom to the Mwangi Expanse!

The PCs arrive at a Pathfinder jungle waystation that is near the lands of the Rumawa tribe (regrettably described in the text as "savages").  Dirch, a PFS agent at the waystation, is able to give the PCs information that the Aspis expedition went upstream and hasn't returned, and that following the river would be the safest way to make their way through the dense jungle.  He also provides them with flat-bottom push-rafts to help navigate the shallow rivers in the area. The scenario does a good job setting out why travel is difficult in the jungle, and expects the GM to impose environmental rules for heat, dim light (under the jungle canopy), slow travel through dense vegetation (if moving overland), and frequent downpours that then result in thick mists. I fully approve of making PCs' lives difficult in this way. 

Act 1 ("Rumawa Territory") has the PCs hear drumming from the forest as they slowly drift down the river.  PCs who make a Knowledge (religion) check here--and we didn't in my game--will realise that the drumming is a ritual request for trespassers to offer a sacrifice to the totem animal of the Rumawa: crocodiles!  If the PCs fail this check, the Rumawa emerge in person and offer the same request and warnings--but in the language Polyglot.  If the PCs again fail to learn the required information--like us--the Rumawa attack.  It's a perfectly fair encounter, as the PCs have multiple chances to avoid it.  Blood in the water attracts the aforementioned crocodiles, but I particularly liked this encounter because the Rumawa know their lands well and get the PCs to chase them into the jungle and right into some camouflaged spiked pit/poison spear traps.  Makras fell for it (literally).  It's nice to see traps actually integrated into combat encounters in this way as opposed to being freestanding, isolated threats.  Unlike us, a group able to communicate with the Rumawa diplomatically learns that four members of the Aspis expedition were killed by the tribe while the rest continued upriver toward the Drowning Stones.

Act 2 ("Crimson Soil") starts with the PCs several miles' upriver when they spot a bloated corpse floating in the river.  Investigation reveals it to be a member of the Aspis expedition killed by claw and blade attacks.  From the raft, the PCs spot a freshly-hacked passage into the underbush and can follow the path to a makeshift clearing where the expedition had set up camp.  But the camp is in ruins--tents shredded, possessions scattered--and even worse, there are gory husks of bone, blood, and hair strewn across it.  And even worse than *that*, a pack of dire boars is scavenging in the area and the PCs are going to have to deal with them.  After the battle, good Perception checks to search the ruins will find several intriguing clues to what happened: webbed footprints, a broken weapon with an unholy symbol to Sifkesh carved on it, a journal entry about another member of the expedition being lured into the jungle by a beautiful woman and not returning, another journal entry about finding the temple and taking some of the stones while leaving Eiastor behind, and yet another entry about Lichten acting more and more strangely.  And perhaps most oddly, a discovery that all the wounds on the corpses in the camp were self-inflicted!  Near the camp, in a crude cage-pit, the PCs will discover a member of the expedition alive!  This is actually Lichten himself, but he's been driven mad by the brutal attack on the camp (led by Sifkesh's Razor and her skum minions) and believes himself to be another member of the expedition.  (I find this bit unconvincing.) He offers to lead the PCs to the Drowning Stones.  I remember my GM did a really nice job with Lichten's crazy babbling.

Act 3 ("A Razor in Waiting") has the PCs going further into the jungle.  At one point, they'll find a canvas bag hanging from a tree, and inside is a single black stone--something intentionally placed by Sifkesh's Razor in the hopes that a member of the Pathfinder Society's relief team will find it and take it with them into the Drowning Stones--the reason being is that it marks them as one of Sifkesh's chosen (and gives them a -8 penalty to Will saves vs enchantment effects to resist self-harm!).  A little later, near a huge waterfall, the PCs see a "mermaid" sitting on a rock.  This is Sifkesh's Razor in disguise, and is frankly a pretty ridiculous disguise and attempt to lure the PCs in closer--I would think a succubus with an Intelligence of 18 could do better than that!  (a mermaid is one of the *last* things one would expect to find in the jungle; except maybe a polar bear, unless one has seen Lost).  Anyway, there's an ambush here as the Razor and her skum companions attack (though they leave the stone-carrier unharmed).  I remember thinking that was the big climax of the scenario, but there's actually a lot left!

Act 4 ("The Drowning Stones") has the PCs descend a shaft hundreds of feet below the Drowning Stones monolith and into the ancient temple.  There's some potential classic cinematic fun with a slide and a long, long fall if the PCs aren't careful.  (There's also a time-dependent optional encounter with advanced fiendish dire bats on the way down.)

Act 5 ("The Temple") has the PCs finally locate the missing PFS agent, Eiastor Wyrn.  Unfortunately, it's far too late, as Eiastor was sacrificed days ago and his bloody, bound corpse is on an altar.  A skum cleric of Sifkesh named Moglar-Tor is here, and uses darkness and invisibility magic (plus her skum minions) to make a potentially tough climactic encounter.  I remembered we really struggled before eventually succeeding.  There are loads of ceremonial treasures to find, as well as thousands of pounds of the demon-infused black stones (which, hopefully, the PCs are smart enough to leave behind).

Osprey will be waiting for the PCs back at the waystation, teleportation scroll in hand for the journey back to Absalom.

Encounter at the Drowning Stones isn't the most original and creative scenario, and I think in the past I've criticised some of author Tim Hitchcocks's writing for being derivative, but for whatever reason I liked the classic pulp jungle action in this one.  Lost temples, demon lords, sacrificial altars--what's *not* good about that?  This is a good scenario to play if you don't want to have to think too hard, and just want a good, solid night of adventuring.  But maybe leave the boots of the winterlands behind.

Starfinder Society Scenario # 2-17: "Cost of Living" [RPG]

NO SPOILERS

I ran Cost of Living at high subtier (5-6) via play-by-post.  It's a solid part of the Season Two "Year of a Thousand Bites" metaplot.  I thought the setting was well-conceived (and suitable for return adventures), the writer made full use of the Starfinder rules around non-combat dangers, and the social/political commentary on real-world events was done subtly but well.  I liked seeing the return of an NPC from a memorable Season One scenario.  I did think the combats were a bit vanilla, but on the whole, this was a satisfying experience.

SPOILERS!

Venture-Captain Naiaj delivers the news: a pandemic has broken out on Zeyther-3!  A remote arctic planet in the Vast, Zeyther-3 is inhabited by only a single small mining colony named Glimmershield.  A disease called Gutmelt has caused severe stomach distress and led to those infected being quarantined.  The Starfinder Society has quickly assembled medicinal supplies to send (thanks to Fitch's connections with the Izalguuns from # 2-16), and the PCs' task is to get them there safely and assist with anything else the colony needs.  AbadarCorp also reacted with surprising speed, and sent a batch of supplies--though the PCs will later learn they had an ulterior motive.  It all sounds pretty straightforward, and time is of the essence, so the PCs hop a chartered freighter called the Tale of Sustenance and, apart from noticing blackouts of some Drift beacons (which adds to their travel time and foreshadows a future storyline), the journey is uneventful.

I've often said I wish there was more artwork of locations in PFS/SFS, and Cost of Living obliges with a great shot of Glimmershield from the outside.  Upon arrival, the PCs meet with an epraksa (a sort of birdlike species) named Firstsight Taksta, the colony administrator.  Taksta understandably has a *lot* going on at the moment, so in addition to unloading the supplies, she asks the Starfinders to see if they can repair some external generators that have gone down and try to calm down some of the residents that have gotten unruly due to the quarantine.  The two latter tasks can be done in any order. Getting the generators going involves some skill checks and a battle with some ice elementals.  I remember running this encounter and thinking it was maybe a bit *overwritten*, taking up a lot more word count than was really necessary.  Dealing with the civil unrest (from boredom, bad food, frustration, etc.) is a good role-playing opportunity, with success depending on various skill checks.  Successfully dealing with both tasks makes attaining the scenario's Secondary Success Condition a little easier.

Afterwards, Taksta introduces the PCs to Dr Monsylkis, a redeemed scientist who had been working on the wrong side of the law when the Starfinder Society first encountered her in # 1-13.  Monsylkis has come to Glimmershield to try to develop a vaccine and cure for Gutmelt, and tells the PCs she has a real chance: she just needs to obtain a specimen sample from the wild creature native to Zeyther-3, an "estri", that first bit a resident of the colony to infect them and kick off the pandemic.  However, a couple parts of this plan promise to be tricky.  First, Monsylkis says her best chance of success is with a sample obtained from a living estri.  Second, estris are only known to live around First Bore, an abandoned mine almost fifty miles from Glimmershield.  Because of the arctic conditions and a transitory weather phenomenon called Coilstorms, transport is unavailable: the PCs will have to go via skis!

I really like that the scenario doesn't handwave or nerf the challenges of journeying multiple days through arctic conditions; it applies the rules for cold, for forced marching (the PCs have to choose between being fatigued and getting there quickly, or being in top shape but risking infected patients dying from the delay), rations (yay!), and more.  I know some of my players were surprised and grudging about these things, but I really believe that if GMs and adventures don't require them, it only further encourages players to focus on combat, combat, combat over other importance choices (like being good at Survival, or stocking up on rations, or taking wilderness-related feats and class features).  Additional complications ensue when the PCs arrive at the base of the rock formation that First Bore is on and have to figure out the best way to get to the top (climbing the treacherous rock face, following meandering trails where it's easy to get lost, trying to repair a broken elevator, etc.).  It's all handled very well.

Once inside the mine tunnels, the PCs will notice a couple of vital things.  First, they'll come across a recent-looking campsite that investigation may reveal was from the AbadarCorp relief team!  In short, the Starfinders aren't the first to come looking for estris.  Second, they'll come across the estris themselves: interesting, multi-legged burrowing creatures with corrosive bodily fluids.  I remember my PCs struggled trying to take one alive to get the sample that Dr Monsylkis requested.  There's also a chance a PC will contract Gutmelt.

Fortunately, the PCs may be able to repair an old tram terminal so they don't have to repeat the laborious journey back to Glimmershield on foot (or skis).  When they return with the specimens and news of AbadarCorp's presence, Dr Monsylkis confirms their shuttle left just a day before the PCs arrived.  As she gets to work developing a cure and vaccine, news breaks on the infosphere: "AbadarCorp develops miracle drug for gutmelt!"  But corporations don't do anything out of goodwill, and they're selling it for thousands of credits for a single dose!  It's a nice commentary on "Big Potion" (what we call Big Pharma in the real world), and ties in really well to the more modern problems a writer can insert into SFS compared to PFS.  Oh, and I have to mention the Chronicle boon is pretty sweet--allowing for discounted pharmaceuticals--I know a certain Solarian who was very happy.

Cost of Living is a solid adventure.  And if any of your players whinge about having to keep track of rations, make sure you impose the starvation rules! :)

Pathfinder Society Scenario # 2-24: "Shadow's Last Stand, Part II: Web of Corruption" [RPG]

NO SPOILERS

Web of Corruption finishes the two-part story started in # 2-23 (At Shadow's Door).  In that scenario, mysterious forces affiliated with the Shadow Lodge launched an attack on the Grand Cathedral in Almas to capture Pathfinder Society leadership.  The PCs presumably intervened and rescued those at risk, and now in this scenario they have to finish the job by bringing those responsible for it to justice.  In my review of the earlier scenario, I criticised the blunt and clumsy execution of the Shadow Lodge, which was a great premise in principle, but I thought it should have been more like the subtle smear campaign leading to a big reveal like the Year of a Thousand Bites in Starfinder.  I think this second half of the story is better than the first, as it better mixes investigation and role-playing in with the action.  It shows the Paizo writers were getting better in these early seasons, even if they weren't quite at the standard they would reach in later ones.

SPOILERS!

Web of Corruption has a long but relevant background section on Dorianna Ouidda, the Almas Shadow Lodge cell leader who uses her secret alter ego as The Spider to run a secret slave-trading business.  Dorianna has long had a seething grudge against the Pathfinder Society and wants to destroy it, so she's launched a crusade to publicly undermine the organisation in the city by using her role as "upstanding member" of the Peoples' Council to besmirch it.  Dorianna and The Spider would have been a perfect use of the Vigilante class, had it existed when the scenario was written!

The adventure gets underway with a briefing from the rarely-seen Venture-Captain Alissa Moldreserva.  The scenario is carefully (though perhaps unnecessarily) written in such a way that it can be run before Part 1, so the briefing leaves out any specific mention of the Grand Cathedral and instead refers only to the general slander against the Pathfinder Society and the need to stop it before the group is run out of Almas.  Moldreserva explains the Society has it on good authority that Dorianna Ouidda is actually The Spider, but the problem is proving it.  This is where she needs the help of field agents, especially because Dorianna is scheduled to give a major speech before the People's Council in 48 hours.  If proof of her treachery isn't presented to the Council before then, it may be too late to ever save the Society's reputation.

Act 1 ("The Investigation") has the PCs hitting the streets to see what they can find out about The Spider.  This part of the scenario is handled pretty well mechanically, as it's not the usual "make one check and you're done" thing.  Instead, there are effectively three buckets of information, and each successful check reveals the top layer of the category--so the PCs can dig deeper into other layers of that cateogry or try a different one.  But with a Diplomacy (Gather Information) check taking 1d4 hours (per the Core Rulebook) and the adventure on a clock, the PCs need to be smart about how much time they spend.  It's also a nice opportunity for those PCs who have feats or class features to speed up Gather Information checks to get some value from them.  It's also fitting that Andoren PCs get a bonus on the checks--make those backgrounds count!  One thing I especially liked is the scenario's paragraph-long description of several NPCs for the GM to choose from that can be used to feed the PCs various pieces of information; it's always better for role-playing to have an idea of who a PC is talking to, and I'm not always the best at improv-ing a non-generic NPC on the spur of the moment.

Act 2 ("The Plot Thickens") has the PCs visit (in any order) three locations linked to The Spider that they learned about in Act 1.  Some careful persuasion, intimidation, or enchantment is necessary to get the proprietor of Jarovar Investments to admit he's an accountant and money launderer for The Spider's slave-trading business.  An ambush by dhampir fighters awaits the PCs if they board the Sailswift, the vessel The Spider uses to traffick in slaves.  And at a theatre cleverly titled The Captive Audience, the PCs will certainly be surprised when the eccentric director reveals himself as a doppelganger and attacks! (it turns out The Spider arranged for the actors to be charmed/enslaved and for it to become a secret brothel).  There are various pieces of evidence at the three locations--not all of them obvious--that the PCs can collect.  The more they have, the better, because persuading the People's Council that one of their own is a criminal mastermind won't be easy.

Act 3 ("The Unveiling") has the PCs arriving just in time to interrupt Dorianna's speech.  To persuade the Council that she's a crook, the PCs need to make a certain number of successful Diplomacy checks (the exact number depending on the number of PCs and the subtier they're playing at).  Each piece of evidence they've obtained gives them a particular bonus on a check, and the GM is explicitly authorised to add a small role-playing bonus.  It's a solid way of handling a social encounter, though I find the whole thing undermined by the fact that there's no limit to the number of retries the PCs can make--so effectively, they cannot fail.  And, Dorianna doesn't have any dialogue or arguments to counter the PCs.  This would have worked really well as "social combat" or using something like the verbal duel rules from Ultimate Intrigue (if it existed at the time, of course).  In any event, Dorianna is likely apprehended by guards and led to her quarters--but she kills them and drinks an invisibility potion!  The PCs have one last fight (which shouldn't be too hard; she's a bard and alone) before finishing the scenario.  In her quarters, they'll find loads of evidence to incriminate her as well as a captured Pathfinder Venture-Captain, Amenopheus.

All's well that ends well, and the Shadow's Last Stand two-parter is indeed stronger in the second half than the first.

Starfinder Society Scenario # 2-24: "Cornered Rat" [RPG]

NO SPOILERS

Cornered Rat is the last scenario in Season Two, and the penultimate adventure in the "Year of a Thousand Bites" (which concludes in a multi-table Special).  Set for PCs of Levels 9-12, it does a nice job of giving such high-level field agents some recognition.  I played it via play-by-post (at low subtier) with my first SFS character, a drug-addicted Solarian named Troivayan.  The scenario didn't make a big impression on me while playing it, at it seemed like a pretty standard space-dungeon crawl.  Reading it for the purposes of this review, however, I can see it contains some nice touches, like numerous callbacks to previous scenarios, a well-implemented skills challenge, a bit of old school mapping, and an interesting final battle.  Plus, it's Luwazi Elsebo's final briefing as First Seeker!  I think with the play-by-post games, I'm often just so focused on posting my PC's actions and moving on with my day that I don't really take in the big picture of an adventure, and Cornered Rat is a good example of one that's better than I realised at the time.

SPOILERS!

First things first: wow, Datch has a cool backstory!  A poor physical talent in a school for assassins, she realised the only way she could win was through manipulation and making her fellow students look bad (even if they weren't).  In short, Datch became the ultimate character assassin, destroying reputations, using blackmail to coerce people, influencing entire communities through social media botfarms and trolls, etc.  I had known the general idea of "Year of a Thousand Bites"--that Datch was behind a smear campaign against the Starfinder Society--but I never put the pieces together that her doing so was just to provide AbadarCorp a "dangerous enemy" that she could then use to gradually work her way up in the organisation.  As this scenario starts, there's about to be a vote of no-confidence in AbadarCorp's current executive archdirector, and Datch has positioned herself to be the natural alternative (all while seemingly keeping her hands clean!).  It's all an effective commentary on modern politics and really excellent storytelling.

From the PCs' perspective, things start with a briefing by Luwazi Elsebo.  She explains that SFS agents have discovered the location of a hidden installation in the Diaspora established by Datch and currently inhabited by several worshippers of Lao Shu Po ("Grandmother Rat", the deity worshipped or feared by many ysoki).  Luwazi wants the PCs to lead a strikeforce into the installation to find information they can use against Datch in the upcoming AbadarCorp vote.  The briefing has some nice bits about this being Luwazi's final briefing, and the PCs being amongst the most senior field agents in the Society, a sign that this mission is of the utmost importance to the SFS.  The mission here shows the fruits of what happened in # 2-20 ('Shades of Spite'), where the PCs impressed a ysoki master assassin enough to gain information about the location of Datch's installation.  Throughout the scenario, there are references to several bits of lore from Season 1 and Season 2 scenarios, and the GM is instructed to highlight these for PCs with the relevant Chronicles--I really appreciate the efforts at continuity.

The Society is expecting trouble, so although the PCs are leading the strike force, several vessels are being sent with them into the Diaspora.  When the fleet approaches the asteroid where the installation is supposed to be located, a starship battle against several drones begins.  I'm a well-known critic of starship combat in Starfinder, but this one has some nice touches: hexes full of asteroids that have to be evaded (but can provide cover), fixed turrets providing alternative targets, and the interesting ability to direct other ships in the SFS fleet to attack certain targets.  Once the battle is won by forcing the enemy drones to pull back, the idea is that the PCs' ship will land on the asteroid while the rest of the fleet provides cover against further drone attacks.  In game, this translates to a fixed in-game countdown--90 minutes--for the PCs to get in and out of the installation; and if they exceed that timeline, they automatically fail the mission!  High-stakes make for good gameplay, and several later bits in the scenario explicitly take certain #s of minutes (and if the PCs are in the lazy habit of taking a 10-minute rest after every battle, this will come back to bite them).

Although the Society knows they're on the right asteroid, the actual entrance to the installation is hidden.  This portion of the scenario is a 5-step skill challenge as the PCs need to land safely, avoid falling debris from the starship battle, locate the entrance, maneuver across the asteroid in limited gravity, and unlock/blast through the doors.  Each of of these steps is accompanied by direct damage or negative conditions on a failed check.  A good mix of skills are used across different steps, and this isn't a skills challenge where one single Operative makes everyone else redundant (multiple successes by different PCs are necessary for the group to succeed).  It's a strong example of how to do a skills challenge right, and just needs a good GM to add a bit of colour in describing the events and their outcomes.

The next part of the scenario involves navigating the interior of the complex.  Here, the writer (Mikko Kallio) did something really interesting.  Instead of the traditional room-by-room crawl, the PCs have to navigate a literal maze!  Players who remember the "good old days" may make an actual pencil-and-paper map, because every wrong turn and dead end takes a fixed amount of time (usually five minutes) from their ongoing 90-minute countdown.  In addition, many intersections and dead ends have traps (explosives, toxic spores, flying daggers, etc.) or encounters (Laoite cultists, a "troll factory", etc.), so PCs who are poor at navigating the maze will find themselves more and more worn down before they finally get to the center.  It's also the first time I've really seen the potential of the flip-tiles, as the GM just needs to lay down the designated combination of tiles for the area/intersection where the encounter takes place (because drawing the whole thing on a flip-mat would be agonising work and lessen the point of it being a maze where the players can't automatically know where they are in relation to where they've already been).  I really liked the unique (for modern gaming) premise and execution.

Success in navigating the labyrinth leads to the installation's inner sanctum (and a very cool map!) where the PCs will encounter the master assassin Dispassion, Datch's former instructor.  Dispassion is willing to tell the PCs about Datch if they can defeat him.  He's a high-level Operative with some unique special abilities relating to having shadowy puppets that he can switch positions with and make attacks with.  As a very mobile foe, he'll avoid the "cornered and full attacked every round" problem, though I don't thing he really has enough pure offensive power to defeat the PCs (unless they truly got worn down on the way in).  Once defeated, Dispassion spills the beans about Datch before triggering a self-destruct mechanism that will consume the asteroid in a fiery explosion!  (the PCs' escape is hand-waved, however)

All in all, Cornered Rat is one of those scenarios that rewards looking beyond the surface.  It's a solid segment in the "Year of a Thousand Bites" and nicely sets up the big finale to come.

Curse of the Crimson Throne Recap # 89 [RPG]

[Sunday, 9 Arodus 4708 A.R. continued]

Somewhere in the depths of Castle Scarwall, the Harrowed Heroes find themselves face to face with flaming, ghoulish apparitions of ash and smoke!  The Reckoner destroys three of the monsters in short order, but a fourth slips past him and charges Yraelzin!  Lorien slashes at the creature and slows it down just enough for Yraelzin to finish it off with a magical spray of razor-sharp shards of ice.

The trio continue searching the first floor of the haunted fortress for any signs of the dragon they believe is the fourth and final spirit anchor that binds the chained spirit and keeps the curse from being lifted.  Unlike the slow and careful, room-by-room searches of previous days, this time the group moves speedily, throwing open doors and moving on quickly.  Lorien makes sure The Reckoner doesn’t dawdle, and Yraelzin expresses his full support for the new approach.  Still, the group can’t help but ruminate over some of their curious findings, such as an Orcish message scratched into a wall that reads “Ukwar Lives—We Die!”  Yraelzin relates that, while in Urglin preparing to come to Scarwall, he learned of a small tribes of orcs called the Deadwatchers that see it as their duty to stand watch over the castle.  Ukwar was an ancient chieftain of the Deadwatchers.  As the group explore, discussion is also had about the group’s fallen member—Anorak.  The decision is made to try to bring him back to life, and Yraelzin successfully reads a magical scroll to do so.  He starts to fill the confused, newly-alive dwarf in on everything that’s happened since the fatal battle against the banshee but The Reckoner interrupts to hurry the group along—his magical protections dwindle with every minute!

The explorers decide to try some of the rooms off the castle’s interior courtyard.  One room, an old livery, contains thick swaths of shadowy cobwebs that turn out to hide monstrously-sized pallid caterpillars!  Anorak, bereft of spellcasting powers since his revival, decides to charge into the midst of the foes armed only with a borrowed battleaxe!  The worms’ bites drip with acid that converts the dwarf’s flesh into shadowstuff!  Quickly overwhelmed, he goes down and only Yraelzin’s stabilising magic keeps him alive.  The Reckoner and Lorien are able to dispatch the beasts, and the latter is also able to heal some of the dwarf’s wounds.  The Reckoner uses a wand for further healing, observing that its magical power is almost depleted.  Time, it seems, is not in the Harrowed Heroes’ favour!

 

Soon, the group enter a large chamber, perhaps once a stable or kennel, that has been gutted.  Wooden partitions that may have been stalls lie shattered and burned, leaving only divots in the walls, floor, ceiling, and a few stone support pillars. The floor is a tangle of broken beams, dung heaps crawling with vermin, and the occasional gleam of polished bone. The whole chamber is shadowy and dim, the darkness an almost palpable thing.  Dead, on the floor, is the body of Laori Vaus.  Here, the Harrowed Heroes find what they’ve been searching for: a massive but sleek, dark-winged serpent moving with speed and grace: an umbral dragon!  The resulting battle will be remembered only as a blur of fangs, magic, and flashing blades, because the epic aftermath blocks out all else: with the dragon’s destruction, the floor of the chamber collapses!  Anorak’s foot gets stuck in debris as he tries to flee with the others, and when the ceiling caves in, the dwarf is crushed to death!  The curse of Scarwall is no mere legend, and the dreadful fate of all who enter is hard to escape.

The final battle against the chained spirit is a mere footnote, as The Reckoner dispatches it easily.  When the tremors begin again and the entire castle beings collapsing, it’s almost as if Anorak’s spirit shows his allies what to do.  Lorien’s windwalking magic allows the three heroes to survive a cataclysm that buries Anorak’s body, nightmares uncountable, and, finally, the curse of Castle Scarwall forever.

And with the connection between Scarwall and Ileosa’s Crown of Fangs broken, the Tyrant Queen of Korvosa has become vulnerable. 

 

The end has begun.

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

GM Commentary

This was the last session of Chapter Five, and a lot happened in it.  Moving quickly because of The Reckoner's predilection for having constant protection from short-duration, wand-cast buffs, the group expended some precious resources to bring Anorak back from the dead (he was killed by a banshee a session or two previously).  It was then the other players and myself realized that Anorak's player was secretly intent on bringing in a new PC, and so started having Anorak do more and more reckless things.  After another combat left him in negative hit points and he was healed up, he then died in a later combat in this same session.  It's a frustrating thing for the other players when they're working very hard to keep a party member alive and that player has a new shiny toy he's obsessed with and doesn't really care about the current one.

I don't honestly remember much about the battle with the shadow dragon.  From reading the forums online, I know Laori Vaus became a lot of groups' favourite NPC--but she only really appeared in a couple of sessions in mine (since The Reckoner turned down the alliance when the PCs first arrived at Scarwall) and she entered Scarwall alone to try to find Serithtial (with random rolls determining her fate inside).  It's another good reminder that you just never know what to expect when running an AP.

I added the collapsing building climax.  It was something I remembered vividly as a kid the first time I defeated the big bad in Ultima III and was shocked to realise I had to escape his castle as it started to collapse all around me.  I know the "building falls down when evil is destroyed" is something of a cliche, but I thought it would still be dramatic here and would make a clean ending to Chapter Five and set up Chapter Six nicely.

Starfinder Society Scenario # 5-03: 'Combatant's Concerto: Fugue of the Traitor' [RPG]

NO SPOILERS

I played Combatant's Concerto: Fugue of the Traitor via play-by-post with my Steward PC, Officer Swizzers.  The scenario is the third in a series (following # 3-11 Into the Veskarium and # 4-06 Prelude to Revolution) that deals with the rebellion on Pulonis ("Vesk-6"), a world where the native pahtra are trying to free themselves from the Veskarium.  I heavily criticised the first two scenarios for forcing the PCs to effectively take the side of the occupation.  This one is better in that regard and has a stronger story, even though it still has some flaws and perhaps tries to do too much (and could easily run overlong).  It's a good scenario in terms of mixing plenty of role-playing with some combat.  Overall, it doesn't quite clear the bad taste in my mouth from the first two in the series, but at least it didn't make the situation worse.

SPOILERS!

Fugue of the Traitor ties strongly into the first two scenarios in the series.  Ixthia the Unbreakable briefs the PCs that their mission is to assist Miiyu, the Near Space pop star who is secretly the leader of the Pulonis Liberation Front.  Ixthia doesn't know what form of assistance she needs, so the PCs will need to find that out themselves.  Two bits in this introduction really annoyed me.  First, Ixthia gives each PC a stack of "blue squares" that was "old tech found in the vaults" that can be attached to all of the PCs' equipment, allowing them to completely ignore electromagnetic interference that ravages Pulonis and makes electronic equipment unreliable.  I hate it when writers pull something out of nowhere that undermines a key setting feature (and, I *like* it when PCs have to struggle/improvise to make do when they can't use their favourite shiny tech).  Second, there's an odd bit where a cook asks the PCs if they liked their meal, and if they say yes, the cook gives them grenades and healing serums!  I find these *very clumsy* loot drops annoying; it's even worse here, because if the PCs instead insult the cook, Ixthia then gives the PCs the very same stuff.  A scenario should at least respect the consequences it sets up (aka, don't ask the PCs to make a check if you're not willing to let them fail).  Ok, deep breath Jhaeman!  It gets mostly better from here.

The PCs arrive on Pulonis just in time to locate Miyuu at a concert she's giving.  Again there's some meaningless checks for the PCs to get coded instructions to meet her at her hotel room.  There, they meet her entourage, which also serves as the inner circle of the Pulonis Liberation Front: her grizzled pahtra bodyguard Vokuvi, the scholarly pahtra Eshga, a vlaka field medic named Renvir, and an ixti priest named Alfey.  Miyuu explains the reason they've requested Starfinder Society support is that they plan to venture out into the planet's remote Holy Lands to locate an ancient bunker there that would serve as the perfect headquarters for the resistance.  However, once Miyuu sends the others way, she reveals the *real* reason she's requested SFS assistance: one of her inner circle is a traitor!  She says she knows one of the four is a violent extremist trying to undermine her efforts to purge the radicalized pro-terrorism faction from the resistance movement.  But, she doesn't know which one of the four is the traitor, and thought having outside assistance that she can trust (dubious to me, given the previous scenarios) would be a good idea.   It's a really strong story premise.  (coincidentally, my last SFS review--Bounty # 7--involved a celebrity who had a traitor in their inner circle!)

The next part of the scenario covers the multi-week journey into the Holy Lands.  Dangerous and potentially lethal weather is why the area is so unpopulated, and this poses multiple challenges for the travelers.  Event # 1 is a small skills challenge as lightning strikes hit the barge they're travelling on.  If the PCs do well, they impress Renvir and get some information from him about his past (in the form of a handout--you'll see a pattern soon).  Event # 2 has the barge stopping in a small town, and the PCs tasked with getting the precise coordinates of the bunker while the others load supplies.  It's another skills-focused challenge, and if the PCs do well, they impress Alfey and get information from him.  Most of the subsequent weeks-long overland journey into the Holy Lands is hand-waved, apart from one night when the travellers' camp is attacked by fiery flying balls called "Hungry Lights".  Vokuvi's cybernetic leg is scripted to malfunction during the battle, and if the PCs are able to assist him, they learn his background.  Event # 3 involves The Shriek, a powerful magnetic storm that flings razor-sharp metal fragments and unexploded munitions from a crashed vesk ship.  The PCs are tasked with getting a probe to function so they can gather data on it (which is their ostensible reason for being on the planet if questioned by the Veskarium).  The Shriek is dangerous though, and poor Alfey is killed by it!  If the probe is launched correctly, the PCs impress Eshga and she gives them a statement.

At this point, the PCs should have enough information about all the members of Miyuu's inner circle and enough clues to figure out who the traitor is and confront them.  Never trust bookish types (I am one), as the radical violent extremist is revealed to be Eshga!  She arranged for Alfey to be murdered because they had started suspecting the truth about her.  But in a nice twist, Eshga didn't kill Alfey directly; she did it by manipulating Renvir into thinking Alfey was the traitor and about to assassinate her.  The scenario has a nicely-written scenario for how all of this plays out (including what happens if the PCs accuse the wrong person), and earns major bonus points by including a picture and role-playing tips for each of the NPCs.  In one-shots like this where the PCs need to deal with several NPCs simultaneously, it *really* helps if they can put a name to a face.  (I will say I feel some sympathy for Eshga--it was the Starfinder Society that killed her brother by blowing up his ship in Into the Veskarium!)

The last part of the scenario has the PCs reach and explore the bunker, which was a pre-Gap, pre-Veskarium occupation pahtra military research facility.  I think this part is actually somewhat anticlimactic given everything else that's already happened in the scenario.  Or, it may be "abandoned complex as dungeon crawl" that Starfinder adventures struggle with.  In addition to some traps and robots, though, I have to admit the final battle is pretty cool: mechs!  Presumably inserted to tie into the release of Tech Revolution, the scenario has the PCs awakening an automated guardian mech and realising the only way they can possibly defeat it is to jump into mechs of their own.  A handy rules cheat-sheet to mech combat is included to help keep the scenario from stalling out as everyone tries to figure how the rules behind running them.

There's a lot of content packed in Fugue of the Traitor, and this is one that the GM should prepare for ahead of time and make sure it's run in a slot that allows some breathing room.  Although I have some quibbles (and grudges against its predecessors), overall it's a good scenario.

Pathfinder Tales: "A Passage to Absalom" [RPG]

NO SPOILERS

A Passage to Absalom is a four-part Pathfinder Tales story that can be ready for free on the Paizo website (https://paizo.com/store/pathfinder/fiction/tales/serial/aPassageToAbsalom) or as an e-book for just $ .99 (https://paizo.com/products/btpy8qg6?Pathfinder-Tales-A-Passage-to-Absalom-ePub).  It features Jeggare and Radovan (protagonists of several Pathfinder novels by Dave Gross) on a sea voyage.  This one has a "drawing room mystery" vibe, but there's some fun dialogue and action to keep the pace up.  If you like these characters, this is one worth seeking out.

SPOILERS!

I must confess: I'm writing this review too long after having read the story, I read each part of the story too far apart and got lost, and my notes are sketchy.  My general impression is that it starts off with a somewhat slow pace, but picks up in Chapter Two when a merchant gets poisoned at a fancy dinner.  Jeggare gets to play Hercules Poirot and question each witness to the death before announcing his verdict when the ship docks.  But who the killer was, and what their motivation was, I have no recollection: so this is a Spoilers section with very few actual spoilers!  If were giving stars on the quality of this review, I'm afraid it'd be a 1.  But the story itself is surely much better . . .

Starfinder Bounty # 7: "Voyage on the River Between" [RPG]

NO SPOILERS

I played Voyage on the River Between via play-by-post, using the Iconic Soldier, Obazaya.  I wouldn't say this is a stand-out adventure in any way, but it's a perfectly pleasant way to spend an hour or two.  The story is a bit pedestrian, but there's plenty of opportunities for role-playing, multiple skill usages, and a combat that should be doable for Level 1 PCs.  I tend to prefer lore- and setting-heavy adventures, but if you want to introduce new players to the game, this Bounty is very accessible and they won't feel lost about what's happening or what they're supposed to be doing.

SPOILERS!

Voyage on the River Between sees the PCs hired to be bodyguards for a famed athlete (a "brutaris" player) named Visavra.  (for Starfinder Society games, the hook may need to be adjusted slightly to make sense.)  Visavra, a sarcesian, has been convinced by her friends to finally take a holiday.  Visavra has decided to go on a sort of river-cruise with a couple of her friends (a dwarf named Cyrus Skyshatter and a human named Desir Anbali).  Only, this is no ordinary river and no ordinary cruise ship: the adventure takes place in the Diaspora asteroid belt on the River Between, a magical river encased in a forcefield that connects many of the larger asteroids, and the ship (the Watani) is a special private-charter luxury liner that can adopt a submersible mode!  However, what Visavra (and the PCs) don't know is that she's about to be the target of a kidnapping & ransom attempt and one of the villains is part of her entourage!

The Bounty starts with three short events, each of which poses a simple skill-based challenge and an opportunity for the PCs (if successful in dealing with most of the problems) to impress Visavra--a factor that influences how she acts in the adventure's climax.  Event # 1 sees a drunk pilot corkscrewing the Watani through a turbulent part of the River Between, potentially injuring passengers unless the PCs can take over the helm with a Piloting check or help the NPCs keep their footing.  Event # 2 has an extravagant banquet interrupted by a pack of curious "glotters"--otther-like mammals with glowing fur--who swarm the ship searching for food.  PCs are given several skill options for shooing the glotters away before the meal is ruined.  Event # 3 has the ship running into (literally) a Diaspora wyrm, a massive serpentine creature.  PCs have to leap into action (with Computers or Engineering) to activate the ship's emergency systems to protect hull integrity.  As part of, and in between these events, there's actually a lot of opportunities for little moments for the PCs to get to know Visavra and her friends--indeed, I imagine that for some groups, this Bounty could run overlong if they really get into the RP.

When the ship docks, the PCs only need to escort Visavra safely to her hotel to finish their task. Cyrus assures Visavra she's safe and the bodyguards can be dismissed, and here's where it's important whether or not the PCs impressed her.  If they didn't, she agrees, and the PCs are figuratively flat-footed when there's an ambush!  The assailants are dwarf pirates under the banner of the Skyshatter clan.  It turns out that Cyrus had been roped into into the kidnap/ransom plot by his parents and feels tremendous guilt about his role in the matter.  Assuming the PCs save her from the kidnapping plot, Visavra rewards them with three weeks in a luxurious resort!

That's the Bounty.  Like I said, nothing astounding and a bit too Saturday morning cartoon (like most Starfinder) for my tastes, but there's nothing wrong with it.

Pathfinder Society Scenario # 5-02: "The Wardstone Patrol" [RPG]

NO SPOILERS

The Wardstone Patrol is an interesting and thought-provoking scenario.  Set in Mendev, no one will be surprised that there are battles with demons--but the real story involves how those battles change who we are as people.  In other words, this is a deeper scenario than the standard set of combat encounters, and role-playing choices definitely alter how the storyline progresses.  I think in the hands of a good GM, this one can really pop and be a memorable adventure.  I'd recommend it.

SPOILERS!

The Wardstone Patrol centers around an NPC named Ilivan.  Ilivan is a half-elven crusader who has lived a turbulent life.  He grew up in Erages, the town set aside for half-elves in the elven nation of Kyonin, and like all half-elves there, faced discrimination and treatment as a second-class citizen.  He joined the elven military, where the discrimination continued, before drifting into life as a smuggler in the shores of Lake Encarthan.  Finally, he found a purpose in life as part of the Mendevian Crusade and was even knighted for his bravery in battle.  But now, after nearly twenty years of constant fighting, Ilivan has seen so much carnage and depravity that he has become cold and cynical.  The PCs spend the entire scenario in the company of Ilivan, and the story revolves around whether or not they're able to reach him emotionally to put him on a better path forward.  If they can't, another brave knight effectively falls prey to the endless onslaught of the Worldwound.  The scenario contains several paragraphs of text detailing Ilivan's background, how to role-play him, and how to track (through "Empathy Points") whether the PCs are getting through to him.

The scenario starts at the Pathfinder Lodge in Nerosyan (Mendev's capital city) with a briefing from Venture-Captain Jorsal.  He explains that he wants the PCs to take part in a patrol along the border of the Worldwound under the command of Ilivan.  It seems there have been a series of attacks on the wardstones that have weakened the nation's containment of the demonic armies.  I would normally remark that this doesn't really sound like a job for Pathfinders, but the scenario smartly anticipates this objection by having Jorsal explain that in Mendev, the Society is tolerated only because of an agreement with the Queen that all Pathfinders will volunteer some of their time to take part in the defense of the realm.  It makes sense.

The patrol takes the PCs along the River Road, following the bank of the West Sellen River (a natural border).  Soon, Ilivan and the PCs come to an abandoned village, but out in the middle of some fields they see a heap of bodies and a group of commoners struggling with one another.  Ilivan adamantly refuses to intervene, assuming the villagers are cultists and outside the scope of his mission.  If the PCs follow orders, they might bypass this encounter entirely.  What's really happening, however, is that body-possessing demons called vermleks have taken over some of the villagers and are planning to torture and kill the others.  This is the first situation where the PCs might be able to gain an Empathy Point through their interactions with Ilivan.

Whether the PCs intervened or not, their patrol next takes them to Fort Portolmaeus.  The fort has recently come under heavy attack, and a cavalry sortie fell into a trap and several soldiers were taken captive.  This is explained to them by the fort's commander, and short-handed, she requests Ilivan and the PCs mount a rescue expedition.  Ilivan accepts the task in her presence, but once outside dismisses the notion as foolish--the prisoners are as good as dead, in his mind, and going after them is naïve.  I'm not sure how much it intends to, but the scenario raises some really interesting moral and practical issues.  I think we're supposed to see Ilivan as being unduly cold and callous, and the PCs are expected to try to persuade him to come along on the rescue out of compassion for his fellow soldiers.  But one could also reasonably take the perspective that the PCs are outsiders, dropped into a complex situation that the battle-hardened and experienced Ilivan is an expert in, and that following his orders is not only the lawful thing to do, but the most pragmatic thing to do.  In a way, it encapsulates the difference between Lawful Good and Lawful Neutral alignments.  PCs have a tendency to think they automatically know better than everyone else, but what if they're wrong?

Whether the PCs decide to mount a rescue or not, they'll face some additional challenges, including demonic wasp swarms and mind-altering rageweed spores.  If the PCs do go after the captives, there's a battle against an intimidating brimorak demon and his dretch minions.  The scenario certainly "gets" the depravity of demons, as the dretches use coup de graces on the prisoners every round unless and until the PCs stop them!  If the PCs have gained enough Empathy Points with Ilivan that he accompanies them on the rescue, he actually heroically sacrifices himself to stop demonic reinforcements from arriving.  However, on the branching path where the PCs decide not to mount a rescue, Ilivan feels mounting shame (and rage) and decides to slay those who witnessed his inaction by attacking the PCs!  Definitely a twist, and potentially an interesting fight versus a mounted lance-expert if the GM knows how to run one.  The epilogue to the scenario of course depends on which choice the PCs (and Ilivan) made).

I'm not sure I like "Empathy Points" per se, as it seems a bit too "gamey", but the general idea of focusing the adventure on how the PCs are influenced by, and influence in turn, Ilivan was really good.  His background and personality show a more realistic side of soldiering than we usually see in Pathfinder.  If anything, the story concept might have been better in a module or AP chapter, where the PCs get more time with Ilivan.  The other elements of the scenario were strong, so I'd definitely recommend it.  The Worldwound: Hard Choices in a Hard Land!

Pathfinder Society Scenario # 1-03 (# 31): "Sniper in the Deep" [RPG]

NO SPOILERS

I ran Sniper in the Deep at high sub-tier via play-by-post last year.  It's a scenario that takes some preparation by the GM to run well, and some patience by the players for complex combat wrinkles.  The storyline is a bit pedestrian, but some attempt is made to tie it into and build upon setting lore.  There's little-to-no role-playing opportunities, however.  This isn't a scenario to run on the fly, but nor is it a scenario for deep RP enthusiasts.  All of that being said, it's okay, and even somewhat memorable.  So I wouldn't put it high on my "to play" list, but not at the bottom, either.

SPOILERS

The backstory to Sniper in the Deep is relatively straightforward.  About a century ago, a group of young Taldan nobles foolishly talked themselves into launching a nautical invasion of Absalom.  They were (predictably) utterly crushed by Absalom's navy, which sent the invasion fleet to join thousands of other shipwrecks in the so-called Flotsam Graveyard.  One of those ships was Vaydren's Might, captained by a young noble named Vaydren of House Lasar.  He had stolen a family heirloom--an idol to Erastil known as The Sniper--and brought it aboard, so when the ship sank, so did the precious gold artifact.  Two weeks ago, a pair of Pathfinders gathered clues to the location of the shipwreck.  The youngest of the pair, a secret cleric of Norgorber named Dargo Mar, hired killers to off the other Pathfinder (his mentor, Airk Jarigan) and just hours ago set off to get The Sniper for himself.

The scenario begins with the PCs receiving a briefing from Venture-Captain Hestram.  Hestram says Airk Jarigan hasn't reported in for a couple of weeks, and he wants the PCs to find him and this artifact he's seeking.  He directs the PCs to Jarigan's last known location, a seaside tavern/inn called the Lusty Mermaid.  I liked (and surprised the players with) the fact that Hestram has absolutely no time for questions or conversations, and loudly berates the PCs for asking or dithering.  This is a "you've got your orders, now go!" briefing, a fun twist compared to others I've seen.

Act 1 starts with the PCs' arrival at the Lusty Mermaid just after dawn.  The establishment is a disreputable, rough-and-tumble place, currently occupied by normal fishermen catching breakfast before a long day at sea.  In addition, the proprietor, a shady guy named Larro, and some of his thugs are present.  It was Larro and his cronies who were hired by Dargo Mar to kill Airk Jarigan.  There's almost certainly going to be a fight here, and I liked that there were some innocent bystanders who could inadvertently get in the way.  I had to roll my eyes at the classic D&D cliche of (at high sub-tier) the innkeeper being a Level 10 Fighter with a +4 greatsword!  Smart PCs will keep some of the foes alive for questioning (mine didn't), but additional information can be gleaned by tossing Dargo's room upstairs.  The PCs should obtain clues indicating both where Dargo went (to a shipwreck in the Flotsam Graveyard) and to the location of Airk Jarigan's body.

Act 2 relates only to the secondary success condition, as it involves trying to retrieve Airk Jarigan's body from a submerged coastal cave near Absalom.  As canny Pathfinders know, Venture-Captain Hestram would rather have a precious artifact than the corpse of a dead agent; so not every group will pursue the lead--mine didn't, for example.  Groups that do will need to overcome some swimming obstacles or be bashed against the rocks and then fight off some giant crabs and crab swarms in order to retrieve the body.  As a side note, I'll mention the module makes excellent use of Pathfinder flip-mats, and that the original cartography for the next act is also really well-done (especially presenting a side view of the shipwrecks).

Act 3 takes place in the Flotsam Graveyard and is the longest part of the adventure.  The PCs will need to hire a boat to get out to a shipwreck named the Iron Tide.  But wait, what about Vaydren's Might?  Well, it turns out that some time in the last century, the Iron Tide sunk on top of Vaydren's Might!  It's kind of a cool idea, and actually makes sense considering how cluttered the Flotsam Graveyard is supposed to be.  The Iron Tide sunk at an angle and its prow remains above the waterline, but is currently occupied by some of Dargo Mar's henchmen.  If the PCs are able to approach quietly, they may get a jump on them--otherwise, they may have to board under fire.  The rest of this act involves descending decks and crossing over from one wreck to another.  Most of the compartments are partially or wholly underwater, so as the PCs fight undead (lacedons or spectres, depending on sub-tier), sea creatures (sharks or giant eels), skum, and eventually Dargo Mar himself (controlling the ghost of Vaydren Lasar), the underwater combat rules will have to be deployed.  This is where it's important for a GM to prepare themselves for the complicated ruleset, and to prep some handouts for the players (especially because their PCs may have a mixture of primitive and advanced ways to breathe and maneuver underwater).  I know some GMs are tempted to just handwave this sort of thing, but I always hate to see that because it really undermines players who just so happen to have a good character for the situation (like an undine, or a druid with wildshape, etc.).  This doesn't mean there won't still be challenges, as 3D combat in Pathfinder is always hard to track on a flat surface like a Google Slide, but it's worth it.  As another aside, I was puzzled by whether incorporeal creatures that only have fly speeds (like spectres and ghosts) count as "swimming", have restrictions for moving through solid objects (does water count?), or completely ignore any movement restrictions--I went with the last interpretation.

And that's pretty much that for Sniper in the Deep.  The morale of the story: don't team-up with secret evil clerics while pursuing ancient relics!

Pathfinder Society Scenario # 1-09 (Scenario # 37): "Beggar's Pearl" [RPG]

NO SPOILERS

Admittedly, I played Beggar's Pearl a while ago, but I have to say it didn't make much of an impression on me.  It's pretty much a standard dungeon crawl scenario, notable only for a dungeon that's surprisingly large (in terms of number of rooms) for a PFS scenario.  Depending on how the GM runs it, there are some potentially fun role-playing opportunities with NPCs.  The flavour and setting lore is fine, but nothing particular noteworthy.  The encounters are fairly pedestrian, and the main antagonist's special power doesn't really apply in a combat encounter so might not even be noticed by the PCs.  I guess in sum, there's nothing particular bad and nothing particularly good about the scenario, so we'll have to classify it as "fine"--play it if you've got some extra time for the session and don't have anything else lined up.

SPOILERS!

There's a bit of a convoluted backstory to Beggar's Pearl, only some of which the PCs will learn about.  The thrust of it concerns a dwarven prospector named Torvic Scrathmane.  One of Torvic's ancestors was a renowned dwarven craftmaster named Barek Triongger, famed for creating the now-lost Gallery of Wonders (a sort of display area for his artistic creations) deep in the Candlestone Caverns in the Aspodell Mountains.  Torvic came into possession of a luminescent pearl and fragmented manuscripts which he believes originated from (and pointed the way to) the Gallery of Wonders, and set off on a quest for it.  Along the way, a bandit named Beggar stole the pearl and manuscripts, while Torvic (and some of his associates, Aspodell Rangers) went on to discovery the Gallery.  However, they didn't know it had been taken over by a dark fey creature named Lady Morilaeth, who uses nightmare powers to reshape dreams and torture those she imprisons.  

As the scenario starts, Venture-Captain Brackett from the Almas Lodge has bought the pearl and manuscripts from Beggar.  He and librarian Wystorn Telfyr ask the PCs to see if they can find Torvic (his location divined magically) and the Gallery of Wonders (presumably, so the Society can pillage it for all its worth!).  The weeks-long journey from Almas into the Aspodell Mountains is handwaved, and the action starts when the PCs locate Torvic in a cave he's sought refuge in since escaping Lady Morilaeth's clutches.  But Torvic isn't alone: he's being attacked by mites riding giant ants!  After the PCs defeat the foes (a pretty trivial task, especially with modern builds), they'll realise Torvic is suffering from confusion and poor memory.  He reveals he found the Gallery of Wonders but can't remember much about being there; he insists on accompany the PCs, and fortunately (conveniently) remembers just enough to lead them to the entrance but can't remember anything about what's inside.

The scenario has some nice background exposition for the GM on the Gallery of Wonders, detailing its construction and abandonment during the Empire of Tar Khadurrm.  From the PCs' perspective, however, it's pretty much just a standard dungeon--but a large one for a PFS scenario, numbering 13 rooms!  (The cartography is nicely done)  Not all of these rooms have encounters, of course, but if the players adopt standard cautious exploration tactics, it's easy for the scenario to blow out of the normal time limits just from exploration and a bit of role-playing.  Encounters in the dungeon include more mites and giant ants, derro (or goblins and trolls at higher subtiers), and some traps (which can mostly be disarmed if the PCs think to use the phosphorescent pearl--apparently it's a magic key of some kind).  Prisoners can be rescued, though like Torvic, they aren't able to meaningfully assist the party--still, some role-playing opportunities in a dungeon delve is a good thing.  The big bad, Lady Morilaeth, is a cleric of Lamashtu with a special template giving her nightmare-themed powers.  The powers are pretty neat, but her tactics during the big battle are pretty much to just channel negative energy--a bit of a yawn.

And that's pretty much that.  Assuming they're successful, the PCs gain a bit of celebrity with dwarves from the Five Kings Mountains.  As far as I can tell, Paizo has never done anything with the Gallery of Wonders since, so that might something for an enterprising GM to homebrew on.

Pathfinder Society Scenario # 7-12: "The Twisted Circle" [RPG]

NO SPOILERS

Life has gotten busy, so it's nice to have a little time to write a much-belated Pathfinder review!  Today I'm tackling The Twisted Circle, an interesting and original scenario that I played via play-by-post many moons ago using my Prophet of Kalistrade character (he allegedly turns into a savage, bloodthirsty beast when harmed, but that's just a Society-wide prank that he resents!).  The Twisted Circle takes place mostly in the rarely-visited Mana Wastes and features an interesting setting, some open-ended investigation of a mystery, and a solid moral decision.  I think it's an especially good scenario for when no one's in a rush and folks are good to put their thinking caps on and look for clues.  I'd definitely recommend it.

SPOILERS!

The scenario officially begins with a briefing by Venture-Captain Roderus in the Winding Road Inn lodge in Katapesh.  Roderus explains that the PCs are being sent to a small village called Mercy in the Mana Wastes.  Their mission is to find out what's happened to a missing investigator named Amenira.  Amenira is a priest of Nethys (God of Magic) and she went to Mercy to investigate reports that it was somehow able to perfectly withstand a fearsome mana storm that devastated all of the surrounding area.  Amenira sent in reports regularly after reaching Mercy, but it's now been four months since the Temple of the All-Seeing Eye in Osirion has heard from her.  It's not made clear why the Pathfinder Society is getting involved in this matter, but it's a solid hook for an adventure.

The nautical journey from Katapesh to Alkenstar is hand-waved.  In Alkenstar, the PCs can gather some information about Mercy, and may learn that the village worships a god, Robori, that is not worshipped anywhere else.  There's not much else to do in Alkenstar, so soon the PCs will hit the road into the Wastes.  The first encounter is against an ambush by gnolls.  The encounter takes place in an "invisible magical fog" that (very subtly, likely unnoticeably) has some effects on certain spells, and this is the only tangible manifestation that the PCs are in the Mana Wastes--a boon for spellcasting PCs, but disappointing to me, as I would have loved to see some real chaos and confusion! (that's part of the fun of setting adventures in the Mana Wastes, after all).  Now, what the PCs are supposed to do is notice a nearby cave that the gnolls were lurking nearby and go explore it, as it holds some very early clues to help build an understanding of what's going on in Mercy.  My Prophet of Kalistrade was understandably against the idea of exploring random gnoll caves when a potentially-profitable mission needed to be pursued elsewhere, but unfortunately Pathfinder Society players are trained to never skip an encounter or piece of treasure, regardless of the role-playing ramifications.

The writer of The Twisted Circle (John Cazares) did an excellent job with Mercy.  Players will immediately notice some things that seem "off"--large weapons are prohibited, there's a strict nightly curfew, children are nowhere to be seen, there are a series of unspoken rules, and more.  That, and their one-of-a-kind deity, will likely put players into a Call of Cthulhu-style "we've stumbled into an evil cult" vibe.  While staying in Mercy, the investigation of what happened to Amenira is open-ended, as the PCs can talk to residents, explore her house, gain some insight into Robori ("God of Trees"), and more.  This is a section of the scenario that the GM will have to be flexible and well-prepared for (there's a lot of lore, and a lot of directions the PCs can take).  One bit that could have been improved is more NPCs to help the GM from having to improv who the PCs are talking to when they go around and ask questions. The scenario is well-integrated into the history of Golarion (with some intriguing connections to the origins of ghorans, a race that doesn't get a lot of attention in Pathfinder).

At one point, Mercy will be attacked by a bat swarm.  During the encounter, the PCs will notice a strange, child-like animated doll lurking around the edges of the village.  Following the doll will lead the PCs to an underground area outside of Mercy, and closer to understanding what's going on and what happened to Amenira.  It's a bit complicated and hard to explain, so I'll just say I really like the twist that the people of Mercy *aren't* evil cultists.  They've innocently misunderstood what's protecting them from the dangerous mana storms, and it's up to the PCs to decide whether to tell them the truth (and undermine their faith) or let them remain in blissful ignorance.  It reminds me a bit of some of the best of the Starfinder scenarios that verge on Prime Directive territory--how much should outsiders meddle with the affairs of remote cultures?

So all in all, unless you're looking for a simpler or more combat-heavy scenario, I'd definitely recommend The Twisted Circle.

Curse of the Crimson Throne Recap # 88 [RPG]

 [Sunday, 9 Arodus 4708 A.R. continued]

The battle against Castle Scarwall’s third spirit anchor begins!  Having gleaned from the song of the Sun Shaman that a powerful devil resides in one of the fortress’s towers, the Harrowed Heroes smash their way into the central spire.  There, they find a tall, hollow tower, silent and menacing.  Forty feet above, an opening at the tower’s peak lets in faint light, while at the bottom of the tower is a shallow pool of stagnant water, a wide bed swathed in rotten and moldy blankets, and a large gilt throne.  To Lorien, the tower reeks from the presence of foul and abhorrent evils, though no creatures are visible.  He and The Reckoner move inside cautiously, only to be set upon instantly by a pair of bony, nine-foot-tall scorpion-tailed devils emerging from nowhere!  And to make matters worse, the beating of wings and whisper of a blade slicing through the air alert The Reckoner that another monster is hovering just above him, invisible!

“I’ve been watching you, little manling!” cackles the voice from above.  “Little manling loves his toys—will he pout if they’re taken away?”  A moment later, one of The Reckoner’s orbiting ioun stones is shattered into pieces!  But the masked warrior focuses on a visible foe, and shatters one of the bone devils into dust with his hammer.  From the doorway, Yraelzin calls out “I’ve been waiting to try this!” and briefly opens a portal to Hell itself that pulls the other bone devil through!  Frustrated by The Reckoner’s layered defenses, the true danger in the room, still invisible, uses devilish magic to draw the moisture from the Harrowed Heroes flesh, nearly dropping Yraelzin.  The arrival of several imps harry the former priest of Razmir and keep Lorien distracted, but The Reckoner stays focussed and somehow avoids being trapped in a cage of magical force.

Using his mask of the mantis, The Reckoner sees beyond the visible spectrum and spots his foe: a twisted, contorted humanoid with as much iron as flesh to her body, flapping batlike wings, and holding a brutal glowing scythe.  Swooping and diving, the devil tries to destroy The Reckoner’s vast array of magical items, but can’t land a single blow!  For his part, the vigilante has his enchanted armor lend him the power of flight to take the battle into the air.  The outcome is never in doubt, and soon the devil is destroyed.  A keening wail from somewhere in the castle confirms that another spirit anchor has been destroyed—as does the tower almost collapsing on the Harrowed Heroes! Lorien and Yraelzin barely survive.  After extricating themselves from the rubble, the victors reap the spoils by recovering thousands and thousands of coins hidden under the bed, as well as a vast array of jewellery and precious artworks—so much treasure, in fact, that after hours of sorting much has to be left behind!

A return to the chamber where Anorak’s body lays shows that it fortunately remains unaffected by the curse of Scarwall.  Discussion is had whether to rest for the night or continue on, with Plate and Lorien swaying the other two into starting an immediate search for the fourth and final spirit anchor.  Despite having spent a week in Scarwall, the Harrowed Heroes discover many unexplored chambers: an elegant, well-preserved room with valuable bottles of wine, an abandoned workshop rigged to pull the corks out of bottles if the main doors to it were opened, a hallway that leads nowhere, and more.  One room contains perhaps the strangest sight of all: a battered and nervous-looking halfling trapped in a net hanging from the walls!  She pleads for help, claiming that a witch kidnapped her from the forest nearby and will be back soon.  The lies are blatant and transparent, however, and the group starts to leave before the halfling changes her story.  She says she can direct the group to the last spirit anchor if they’ll take her with them; but The Reckoner replies that they don’t need any help, and shuts the door with finality.

 

The Reckoner hammers a hole in an interior wall to reach a small room with rotting scrolls on a desk and a rusty iron footlocker near a bed.  He starts fiddling with it before Lorien reminds him the group is looking for a dragon, not valuables, and should continue on.  “Focus!” the half-orc says.  A nearby guardroom looks out over the tarn and contains a dead orc inside; Lorien is able to read the Orcish message written in blood on the wall: “Beware of Ukwar”.  With a shrug, the group continue on.

 

In the long hallway that runs adjacent to the courtyard, the trio spot some doors they hadn’t previously opened.  The first one they breach reveals what must have been the castle kitchen: three huge ovens loom to the west of the room, each covered in layers of char and bits of blackened bone.  Four outlines of humanoids in positions of agony and death are burned into the brick of the oven walls.  After rubbing himself with magical Shoanti war point from the Cinderlands, The Reckoner proceeds into the room.  He resists a spectral apparition of the ovens opening and filling the room with flames, but what happens next is very real: the four outlines on the wall suddenly peel away and ignite into horrifying monstrous clouds of burning ash and bone, reeking of scorched flesh and roaring like a wind-stoked fire!

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

GM Commentary

The invisible foe with the scythe and a predilection for sundering magical items had a little luck at first, but then The Reckoner's high CMD helped him avoid more loss.  When fully ready for a battle, he made for a pretty impressive combatant!

Yraelzin managed to use banish or dismissal (I can't remember witch) against one of the devils; a handy spell when it works.

If I remember right, the "halfling" was a hag of some type in disguise.  It didn't fool the PCs for a single moment.

The last, fiery creature are custom Curse of the Crimson Throne monsters called Cinder Ghouls.  Through the vagaries of exploration, the PCs ended up in one of the less dangerous areas of the of the castle near the end of their time there.  Perhaps a bit anticlimactic, but that's how things turn out sometimes in a free-form adventure.