Pathfinder Society Scenario # 0-16: "To Scale the Dragon" [RPG]

 

NO SPOILERS

I ran To Scale the Dragon at subtier 5-6 via play-by-post.  It's definitely a memorable scenario, with at least one gameplay element that probably doesn't appear in any other PFS scenarios.  Like many Season Zero adventures, it can be surprisingly uneven--easy in spots and quite deadly in others.  The plot isn't great, so overall it's a mixed bag.  I'd still recommend playing it, especially if the GM and players want a more wilderness-themed adventure, but with an understanding that there are some rough spots in the adventure.

SPOILERS

The background to To Scale the Dragon is simultaneously over-grand and under-utilised.  According to the scenario, the greatest mystic in Golarion's history was a man named Amao the Frost-Blossom.  Amao's spiritual journey took him to the top of Mount Cania (in southern Galt's Fog Peaks) where he discovered the Four Truths, "words of making and unmaking that he should keep for all eternity, until the time came that he was called to recite them."  That time has apparently come, as the Pathfinder Society needs to learn the Four Truths to avert a great, mysterious calamity that is about to come over Absalom.  To that end, a team of agents must be dispatched to Mount Cania to retrieve Amao's bones so that seers can contact his spirit and ask for help.  Unfortunately, Amao's bones are simply a classic Macguffin; nothing in the story depends on the particular nature of the bones' origin, nor are Amao, the Four Truths, or the impending catastrophe ever referenced again in Pathfinder lore (as far as I know).  As an aside, I wonder if the concept is based on the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism?

From the players' perspective, the adventure starts with them having arrived in the Fog Peaks at a waystation ran by a former Pathfinder named Rysam Aklon.  Aklon runs a remote waystation and, to fulfil an old favour owed to the Pathfinder leader named Osprey, has agreed to help the PCs with resources and directions to find Amao's resting place.  To this end, he supplies the group with some rations, some furs, a map to ascend a peak known as "The Dragon", and two dogsled teams.  Dogsledding is a major part of this adventure, and although the scenario promises simplified rules, there is still a *lot* for the GM and players to digest.  I always do a ton of prep, but even then I was glad that I ran this through play-by-post and had a lot of time between turns to figure out how it's all supposed to work.

When the PCs begin the ascent of The Dragon, there's a lot they need to contend with.  Although set in a wintry clime, the scenario doesn't mentioned cold temperature checks, but it does incorporate altitude sickness.  Each section of The Dragon has certain terrain features and associated risks, such as sharp turns, ravines, obstacles, etc., that require Handle Animal checks to bypass safely.  The PCs in the group I ran this for didn't have any skill in Handle Animal, and had a tough time with dogsledding.  On the other hand, I know the author intended this scenario as one that rewards nature-oriented characters like druids and rangers who take the time to specialise in skills like Handle Animal, Survival, Knowledge (nature), and so forth, and I can see the value in making sure every type of character gets a chance to be in the spotlight at some point in their careers.

When the PCs make it to the top of The Dragon, finding the cairn containing Amao's bones isn't difficult.  The hard part is getting to it, because the cairn is a sacred place to a local tribe of taers (primitive beastmen).  There's no chance of a peaceful resolution, so the PCs are classic foreign invaders intruding upon sacred tribal lands to steal relics for their own purposes, killing everything that gets in their way.  The Pathfinder Society in its early seasons was very different than it is today!  Anyway, once the PCs drive off the taers and start digging through the ice to retrieve the bones, they're likely to trigger a very nasty magical trap that could inflict mummy rot on a PC.  The digging also awakens a remorhaz, a type of massive ice centipede monster that that is deceptively dangerous because it generates an immense amount of heat (in game terms, any natural or manufactured weapon that strikes it takes 8d6 points of damage) and can swallow creatures whole.  Unless the group quickly discerns they need to back off and use spells or ranged weapons, a remorhaz can be pretty nasty (it killed one unfortunate PC in the game I ran).

The remorhaz was also venerated by taers, and with its death tribal drums start to echo around around the mountains.  In a very cinematic scene, the PCs will be chased by a veritable mob of taers until they escape the peak.  This is handled well, as the PCs are given every hint that they're facing an overwhelming force; but if they still want to stick around and fight, they can.  To me, events like this are a good corrective to the common misperception that every encounter is meant to be winnable.

When the PCs begin their dogsled-aided descent, the most memorable part of the scenario takes place.  They'll find themselves ambushed and chased by Aspis Consortium agents, also on dogsleds (Aspis is also after Amao's bones).  This can be a fast-paced, thrilling, pursuit through treacherous terrain and volleys of arrows.  Or, more likely, the dogsleds will crash quickly (they're hard to control) and the survivors will fight things out on foot.  In any event, I really like the premise of the encounter even if the dogsled rules are a bit clunky to implement in practice.

When the Pathfinders make it back to the waystation, one last surprise is waiting for them: the cabin is on fire!  A mob of taers have taken their revenge and are raiding the place, and its desperate residents are about to overrun.  There's a good balance between the need to simultaneously put out the fire and fight off the taers, and I always like encounters where there's more to do than just fight.

Assuming the PCs make it through all of the challenges and turn the bones over, Osprey transforms into a bird and flies away, leaving the PCs to make their own way home from the Fog Peaks.  I like how early Society leaders were real jerks, and it made storylines like the Shadow Lodge more plausible.

Overall, To Scale the Dragon takes place in a memorable setting and has some memorable encounters.  The background and plot are rather mediocre.  Still, as long as players are up for a potentially challenging time and the GM is prepped for the dogsledding, they'll likely have fun with this one.