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

NO SPOILERS

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

SPOILERS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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