Pathfinder Module: "The Midnight Mirror" [RPG]

NO SPOILERS

I ran The Midnight Mirror recently for three friends using PFS characters and I loved it.  It’s a dark module (in more ways than one) that has an excellent and evocative setting, memorable NPCs, and a “boss” fight that’s finally worthy of the concept.  There’s loads of role-playing and investigation available, but the combats don’t hold back: the PCs I ran it for were along the low range of levels (and fighting ability), and there were several points I thought a TPK was on its way before they managed to just barely escape or emerge victorious.  If you’re looking for a challenging but well-written module that will prove satisfying on all of the various joys Pathfinder has to offer, I would definitely recommend this one.  Even the cover is awesome!

SPOILERS

The Midnight Mirror takes place entirely in Karpad, a small village in Nidal.  If you don’t know much about Nidal (and there are not a lot of adventures set there), it’s the country where, thousands of years ago, the people swore to follow the tenets of Zon-Kuthon (the god of pain and darkness) in exchange for protection from the cataclysmic events of Earthfall.  Although the residents of Karpad are some distance removed from the most zealous worshippers of Zon-Kuthon, the religion’s influence still has influence there.  Two pages of the module are an appendix that provides an overview of the village, and it’s important because what’s happening in the village (particularly strains between its human and fetchling inhabitants) are a key part of the story.  In my game, the Temple of Zon-Kuthon was particularly memorable, as the priest offers healing in exchange for the infliction of pain!  (I should say as a general note that GMs should know their players’ tastes before getting too detailed in the S&M practiced by worshippers of Zon-Kuthon).

The PCs have been enlisted by a wealthy family in another city to look into why their daughter, who married the baron of Karpad, hasn’t written in several weeks.  The adventure hook requires some massaging for Pathfinders, and some ideas for that can be found in the forums (this part could have been developed more in general, as outsiders are generally forbidden in Nidal except in the port city of Nisroch).  Anyway, once the PCs reach the baron’s manor, they’ll quickly get the scoop.  The village is under quarantine due to the spread of a mysterious ailment the locals are calling Tallowthroat; it causes the swelling of the throat until it explodes and shadowy figures emerge!  The PCs obviously need to get to the heart of the matter and investigate the origin of the disease and how to stop it (especially if they catch it themselves, a real possibility!).

The NPCs who reside in the manor are a key part of the story, and all are well-drawn with strong characterization.  There’s Stepan Boroi, the Baron of Karpad, who is paranoid and withdrawn; Anya Boroi, his wife, who earnestly wants the best for the village and her husband; a creepy ghost tied to an iron maiden in the basement (who could be an ally for the PCs!), and more.  I would really play up the manor’s gothic vibe, as it’s a key location in the module and PCs will probably spend a lot of time there, especially if they make it their home base while conducting exploration elsewhere.

In the village itself, the PCs will witness a lynch mob about to hang three fetchlings on suspicion that they’re responsible not only for the Tallowthroat but also for the recent disappearances of some humans.  I like how this encounter was structured, as the PCs can do nothing and just watch, intervene with violence, or make a series of Diplomacy/Intimidate checks to try to get the mob to stand down.  (one of the PCs in my game was terrible at combat but a master negotiator, and was rocking out on these skill checks!)

The encounter leads to the PCs meeting the captain of the village watch, a man named Lucian Groy, whose daughter is among the missing townspeople.  He’s desperate and willing to get help from anyone, even strangers like the PCs.  If they agree to take part in the search, clues will lead them to a chandlery (candle-making shop) where the PCs have to fight through a wax golem and some nasty strength-draining shadows before confronting the villain responsible for the disappearances: a Lurker in Light (a sort of crazy evil fey) who is using his kidnapped captives to enact a strange ritual to bring more of his kind into Karpad.  It’s actually a tougher fight than it first appears, as the fey can fly, has DR, may be able to turn invisible, and may be able to blind and poison multiple PCs.  On the other hand, he doesn’t pump out much damage, so if the PCs can survive the first few rounds and have some ranged weapons, they should be able to tackle him.  The PCs I ran this for nearly TPK’d the first time  and were starting to flee just before they triggered the fey’s morale condition and it flew away first.  It was an exciting, edge-of-your-seat encounter.

However, the Lurker in Light didn’t bring the Tallowthroat to Karpad, and his presence in the village to begin with requires explanation.  More poking around various avenues will lead the PCs to reveal that Baron Boroi has a major part to play in everything that’s happening in the village.  He’s not evil, but desperate, and his backstory is essential to the plot of the module.  In the manor’s basement is a midnight mirror, a magical device that allows passage to the Shadow Plane.  Almost 900 years ago, the Baron’s ancestors used the mirror to imprison several fetchlings and shae (natives of the Shadow Plane) in a mystical demiplane within the mirror because they were planning a revolution to liberate the subjugated shadow peoples in Nidal.  A decade ago, Baron Boroi made contact with the leader of the rebels, a shae named Nicasor, who still remains trapped on the other side of the mirror: Nicasor offered to help Boroi gain power in Karpad by providing a convenient place to dispose of rivals to his leadership (his brothers) in exchange for trading places with him once a year every decade.  Nicasor fulfilled his end of the bargain but now, ten years later, Baron Boroi refuses to fulfil his end!  The shadowy essence leaking out of the mirror stems from Nicasor’s cold anger, and it’s what is causing the Tallowthroat.  In other words, there’s no clear “good guy” to this story—just innocents being affected by the schemes of others.  It’s a type of grim realism that suits the story (and the Nidalese setting) perfectly.

The PCs will realize that the only way they can stop the disease is to go through the midnight mirror and destroy it from within.  This is the final third of the module and offers a great introduction to the characteristics of the Shadow Plane (and since it’s a fairly low-level module, may be the first time the PCs involved have ever visited another plane).  The particular demiplane on the other side of the mirror is a dark and distorted reflection of Boroi Manor.  Again, the flavour fits the tone perfectly.  There are threats within the demiplane, but what I really liked about the module is how it also allows more thoughtful PCs to form alliances with Nicasor and the other shae (and fetchlings) trapped there (depending on how good they are at Diplomacy, of course).  Indeed, I think the module is hard enough with just the absolutely necessary combat encounters, and groups that try to kill everything will have a *really* hard time unless they’re optimized combat machines. 

Anyway, in order to destroy the mirror from within, the PCs have to destroy its semi-sentient “heart.”  This is essentially a battle against a CR 8 shadow-infused tendriculos (a Huge-sized plantlike monster) that can paralyze PCs and swallow them whole!  In other words, it is *not* a pushover.  PCs will need a lot of luck or clever tactics in order to survive; my players used some fantastic teamwork, but even then one PC died.  After the heart is destroyed, the PCs need to leave relatively quickly because the deteriorating demiplane can be even more dangerous.  And when it’s completely destroyed (and every living thing within is expelled), the danger isn’t necessarily over!  Nicasor is bound and determined to kill Baron Boroi for his treachery, so depending on whether the PCs are inclined to intervene, they may think they’ve triumphed only to have another difficult battle on their hands.  It’s a module that really tests the morality and personalities of the PCs in a good way; there are no easy answers on what to do in this one.

It may be the coffee buzz, but I really can’t praise The Midnight Mirror enough.  I would love a sequel to return to Karpad.  It’s a hard module, and success for the PCs is definitely not guaranteed.  But great heroes can only emerge from great challenges, and this is definitely one worth experiencing whether the result is victory or defeat.

Starfinder Condition Cards [RPG]

Cards that summarize various conditions that affect characters aren't exactly an innovation in RPGs, but they're as handy as ever.  Starfinder has a lot of conditions, so the Starfinder Condition Cards are a product I never play without.  It's far easier to flip through the deck and hand someone a card to prop up in front of them than to read out effects from the Core Rulebook and expect the player to remember.  This deck of 53 cards (plus two cards with ads, introduction, and the OGL) has fairly clever depictions of space goblins affected by the condition, like one shining a flashlight in his face to represent "Dazzled" or vomiting in his own space helmet to represent "Nauseated."  The rules have to be summed up concisely, but so far (after a year's use) I haven't noticed any major discrepancies between the card text and the condition summary in the book.  Each card is double-sided and consistent (so Bleeding/Burning will always be one card, Deafened/Blinded another, etc.).  There are multiples (usually 3) of each the cards, so there's almost always enough to pass around to each player at the table.  There's not really much else that needs to be said: this deck does exactly what it promises, and it's a tremendously useful game aid.  Unless you're playing exclusively online, I'd consider it an automatic purchase for Starfinder fans.

Starfinder Society Scenario # 1-16: "Dreaming of the Future" [RPG]

NO SPOILERS

Dreaming of the Future is a linked series of four Quests and is one of the few Starfinder Society scenarios with the Repeatable tag.  I ran it at low tier for a mixture of three experienced players and two players new to the game.  Although I think it was great to see some long-time members of the Paizo community get a chance to write for the company, unfortunately I wasn’t very impressed with the results.  Although there are some exceptions, for the most part the Quests are underwritten and lack the flavour and encounter creativity that I was hoping to see.  It’s okay, and because it runs short, it could be a good way to introduce new players to the game if they’ll need extra time to figure out basic rules.  But otherwise, I’d give this a pass or do one of the better introductory scenarios like The Commencement.

SPOILERS

The backstory behind Dreaming of the Future is that the Starfinder Society has long relied upon mystical means of research to help develop their goals and mission planning.  One of these mystical means is a Liavaran Dreamer, a sort of off-shoot of the Barathu of Bretheda (floating sentient telepathic jellyfish-like creatures).  The Dreamer, “Whisperer of Solar Winds”, often has visions that it relates through cryptic tales.  If the tales are interpreted properly, they often lead to important discoveries.  In this series of Quests, the PCs are sent by Venture-Captain Arvin (whose personality still hasn’t been developed yet) to recover three stone tablets on three different worlds that, once combined, form a map leading to an ancient mausoleum of a former Dreamer; and inside that mausoleum, relics can be taken which will augment the abilities of the current Dreamer.  I never thought about while prepping or running the session, but I’ve just realized the SFS is going to engage in what is (despite its description) some tomb-robbing!

One of the criticisms I’ve had of other Starfinder Society scenarios is too much “telling, not showing.”  The concept of the Liavaran Dreamers is a really interesting and evocative one; wouldn’t it be cool for the PCs to actually meet one?  And get a chance to interpret its visions themselves, perhaps with the aid of some skill checks if they get stuck?  Similarly, jumping to the very end, the relics the PCs are sent to retrieve have nothing particularly interesting or exciting attached to them—they’re just “strangely shaped bottles and cryptic devices.”  The PCs can’t find anything else out about them, why they’ll help the Dreamer, etc.  In other words, they’re a MacGuffin purely for the sake of a MacGuffin, and RPG storytelling has evolved past that.

Anyway, on to the Quests.

Quest # 1, “Megaplex” has the PCs going to the Towershadow Megaplex on Aballon (the planet of constructs called anacites).  The PCs are told that the Dreamer’s first vision requires them to find “some form of artificial or partially artificial life, likely an anacite or android, on the run from legal woes.”  That’s all they have to go on—searching a city of countless thousands (or millions?) of constructs to pinpoint one “on the run from legal woes” who has the tablet?  The Quest doesn’t provide any info on how this search would realistically work; it just list a few skill checks PCs can make in what essentially boils down to “ask around or Google it.”  Gamers are used to the necessity of the suspension of disbelief, but this came across as just lazy writing and I was a bit embarrassed to run it as a GM. 

In any event (whether they succeed or fail on those skill checks!), the PCs will find the fellow with the tablet, an android from Verces named Latrecis.  Latrecis discovered his employer, a nightclub owner named Karelite Bogdin, was trafficking in illegal android smuggling.  But before Latrecis could act, his boss framed him for a murder and he had to go on the run; he stole the tablet from Latrecis as a sort of insurance policy.  However, like real-world insurance companies, coverage is never as much as you’d like: Bogdin has sent thugs after Latrecis, and they stole the one piece of evidence that Latrecis had to prove his innocence (this whole sequence of events is weird, but the PCs thankfully will learn little of it).  So, in order to get the tablet, the PCs have to deal with the thugs that are menacing Latrecis.  This requires the classic “boss and two minions” battle on a cramped flip-mat.  It’s rather forgettable.

The second Quest, “River Rat”, has the PCs being sent to the Diaspora (a massive asteroid belt with a variety of inhabitants).  I found (running these in order) that little was done to tie the Quests together smoothly, and I had to improve some connective tissue.  This Quest is all about a starship battle against a ship of ysoki pirate/salvagers that have taken over a dwarven outpost.  There’s the possibility for some role-playing with the captain of the other ship before the battle, which I appreciated and tried to make the most of even though it can’t change the fact that combat is inevitable.  The starship combat itself is ship vs. ship with some asteroids scattered around, with the big gimmick being that the ysokis have hidden some gun turrets on a couple of the asteroids.  This could have been a cool surprise for the PCs, but it’s very easy to find and then (automatically) disable them, so they never got used in my game.  Apart from that, the starship combat itself was of the type that I had hoped the devs were moving away from: a “pew-pew” slog of pea-shooters where the PCs' ship clearly outmatches the enemy ship and there’s no real threat.  It’s just a matter of playing the rounds out and waiting for the rolls to confirm what everyone knows.

The third Quest, “Bad Chameleon”, ended up being more fun that I thought it would be.  The PCs have to infiltrate a nightclub (run by Latrecis’ employer from the first Quest) to steal a third piece of tablet from a safe.  What’s supposed to happen is that the PCs get into the nightclub, chat with some bartenders and patrons, and then sneak through an alarmed door to where they can pop the safe and get the tablet.  Then, on the way out, Bogdin (an augmented verthani) and his two vesk bodyguards (SFS trope!) try to stop the PCs from leaving.  Hilariously though, the PCs I ran this for were uniformly terrible at Deception and Stealth and just could not make it through to the room with the safe without being repeatedly obstructed by the regular guards on duty.  So after about 45 minutes (real-time), they decided to just wait until Bogdin showed up to try to trick/force him into giving them the tablet.  It made for a surprising and fun conclusion.  Also, I have to give props to the flip-mat used for the scenario—it fit the needs of the mission quite well.

As written, my favourite of the Quests is the fourth one: “Nightmare.”  It has a very evocative (and creative) setting and a suitably atmospheric tone to match.  The PCs are sent to Preahan, one of the “shepherd moons” of Liavara.  But Preahan is no ordinary moon: it has low gravity, an atmosphere of methane, and an inner core of liquid methane.  So the PCs have some interesting and difficult skill checks to make as they descend into the core of the moon to find the mausoleum.  Inside, a “nightmare dragon” pretends to be the guardian of the relics and this was a solid story choice: it fooled my PCs, and the guardian’s later sneak attack was a surprising twist.  The battle was suitably difficult as well (including a PC death, something I’ve never seen during a Quest!).  My only complaint about this Quest was, as I mentioned previously that the relics were so poorly described and inconsequential.  When PCs do a lot of work on a fetch quest, make it cool for them when they succeed.

All in all, Dreaming of the Future is a mixed bag.  Hopefully, it’ll serve as good practice for the writers and developers, and we’ll see stronger storytelling next time around.

Pathfinder Society Quest: "Phantom Phenomena" [RPG]

NO SPOILERS

Phantom Phenomena is a series of six one-hour Pathfinder Society Quests.  If you're not familiar with the "Quests" concept in this context, essentially each Quest contains one role-playing encounter and one combat encounter.  The six are linked together by a shared story-arc, but (except for the last one) can be played in any order and for credit individually.  The Quests in Phantom Phenomena are themed around investigation of psychic and occult phenomena, and thus are perfect for players interested in the Occult Adventures classes like the Spiritualist, Medium, Psychic, etc.    I ran this for a group of experienced Pathfinder players using pre-gens, and we found it *very* easy in terms of combat encounters.  Still, it has some really nice flavour that sets it apart from standard sword-and-sorcery adventures, and I'd recommend it for players and GMs looking for someone a little more original and off-beat.

SPOILERS

The premise of Phantom Phenomena is that a university professor in Ustalav named Dr. Quolorum is investigating a series of strange (one might say "phantom") phenomena centred around the village of  Dunhob and the estate of a missing (and presumed deceaded) noblewoman who had an interest in the occult named Lady Illirigarde.  Instead of being members of the Pathfinder Society like normal, the PCs are actually paranormal investigators/graduate students of Dr. Quolorum.  Via a series of letters, Dr. Quolorum sends the PCs off to investigate the causes of the strange apparitions and, perhaps, lay them to rest.

Quest # 1, "Harrow", sends the PCs to Dunhob to investigate a supposedly-haunted tavern.  At the beginning, in a fun scene, the PCs are pelted by horseshoes by angry villagers who think they bring with them evil spirits!  It's a good way to show the "rustic superstitious villagers" element of Ustalav, and reveals whether the PCs can be trusted to role-play or are going to try to murder everything in sight.  Once they make it inside the tavern, the PCs encounter a mysterious robed figure who offers them a harrow reading.  Harrow cards are Golarion's equivalent of tarot cards, and if you manage to snag a deck to use during the game, your players will be impressed.  After the reading, the PCs are attacked by several floating skulls called "Beheaded" and "Flaming Beheaded."  Afterwards, the PCs can recover the harrow deck which is still infused with psychic power (it belonged to Lady Illirigarde, and was left behind when she had to flee a reading in the tavern that went wrong).  I think one of the challenges of this Quest series is that it's hard for the PCs to learn the backstory behind each one if they don't have one of the classes with particular abilities to interact with spirits or spiritual auras.

Quest # 2, "Lightning," starts with the PCs meeting Dr. Quolorum in person atop a remote hilltop in the Hungry Mountains.  He's assembled the group to help him investigate strange red lightning strikes that are linked to paranormal phenomena.  Once the lightning strikes, the PCs rush to the site of the crater only to restrained by a "Writhing Branches" haunt that was surprisingly effective against the group (they didn't have much in the way of positive energy or fire attacks, the only things that could harm the group).  Around the crater itself, a pool of ectoplasm takes the shape of humanoid creatures and attacks; their touch has the ability to convey brief flashes of what's actually behind all of the phenomena: a pulsing fungal creature brooding somewhere in a dark mountain cave.  After the ectoplasmic creatures are dispatched, Dr. Quolorum is able to obtain a sample of the ectoplasm.

Quest # 3, "Manor", has the PCs investigate Illirigarde Manor in search of psychically-sensitive "etheric compasses" that Lady Illirigarde was said to be developing before her mysterious disappearance.  I should note that the flip-mat for this one, Pathfinder Lodge, is out-of-print but worth purchasing on the secondary market because it would be quite time consuming to draw out (even though only a few rooms are actually used).  In investigating the manor, the PCs encounter a couple of haunts that convey what happened long ago: Lady Illirigarde was successful in developing the etheric compasses, only to be murdered by a homunculus she had created for the experiments.  PCs have to destroy the homunculus (nice drawing!) and a few mites in order to clear the house of its evil.   In doing so, they'll have a chance to communicate with the spirit of Lady Illirigarde before it departs, and she asks them to track down the true cause of the phenomena that has plagued the region.

 Quest # 4, "Monolith", involves the PCs exploring an ancient Kellid monolith and the tunnels underneath.  They discover that the tunnels lead to a well that was once covered by a heavy iron lid that has been recently pushed aside.  At the bottom of the well are dozens of sleeping morlocks!  I liked this encounter, as morlocks will periodically emerge from the well until the PCs manage to replace the lid and seal it with a protective ward (which involves some ability/skill challenges as well as player ingenuity).  Encounters that mix combat with other urgent things the PCs have to accomplish at the same time create a good sense of drama and make otherwise forgettable battles into something more memorable.

Quest # 5, "University", has the PCs sent to fetch an experimental herbicide from Dr. Quolorum's office at the Sincomakti School of Sciences.  As an academic, I'm a sucker for stories involving universities.  Inside Quolorum's office, the PCs have to deal with a reverse gravity trap only to discover that the herbicide is missing.  A magical book imprinted with the psychic essences of three past occult researchers can reveal what happened (someone entered the office, took the herbicide, and triggered the trap before escaping)--this bit can be a little silly if not handled carefully by the GM because there are multiple personalities imprinted in the book that try to talk over one another.  Afterwards, the PCs can track the thief to the university's gardens, where they learn that the groundskeeper (and his assistant) have fallen under the sway of something called Mindslaver Mold!  This was another solid encounter, as the PCs have to figure out how to defeat the mold without killing the innocent person it's taken possession of.

Quest # 6, "Epicenter", starts with the PCs escorting Dr. Quolorum up a dangerous mountain trail in the hopes of finally discovering the cause of the phenomena that has plagued the Hungry Mountains region.  Hallucinations (at GM discretion) provide an opportunity to make the PCs a bit paranoid, and there's a good challenge involving the need to cross a chasm while an illusory effect plays havoc with the PCs' senses.  Inside a cave, the PCs discover the source of the manifestations: a "cerebric fungus", an alien entity capable of broadcasting its nonsensical thoughts.  The terrain makes good use of the fungus' ability to use its tentacles to move people around, as it might drop them off a ledge.  Once the cerebric fungus is destroyed, the psychic episodes cease and life returns to normal--except for the PCs, who are offered membership in the Pathfinder Society!

Phantom Phenomena is definitely one of those scenarios that rewards GMs who are able to set a certain tone (in this case, spooky mystery).  The more atmospheric the surroundings, the better the investigation and encounters will come off.  I also wouldn't recommend running all six Quests in a single session, but breaking them up over a couple of sessions if possible to avoid player-fatigue (if you have the luxury.)  The combat encounters are pretty easy, and are better suited to new players who pick less melee-oriented classes (one of my players ran the Iconic Bloodrager and decimated everything with ease).  The major NPC in the series, Dr. Quolorum, was a fun character that I wish would reappear again--though oddly, we don't get a picture of him which is unusual given his importance in the adventure.  Anyway, all in all, I really enjoyed running Phantom Phenomena and the different vibe it lent to Pathfinder.

Starfinder Flip-Mat: Urban Sprawl [RPG]

I've used each side of the Urban Sprawl flip-mat in at least one Starfinder scenario and I have to say it's a bit . . . weird.  The idea is that one side is an "upscale, futuristic city center" while the other is the "dark and dangerous alleys of a dystopian megacity."  I frankly find both sides cluttered and confusing with terrain details that are hard to decipher without some serious thought.  The aesthetic is also a bit off on each in a way that I can't quite explain--though I'll do my best.

The brightly-lit, upscale side features a river meandering through the center, with gigantic lily pads (or lemon slices?) floating in it.  There are a few different multi-level buildings, though I can't quite discern the purpose of each one.  With its gentle stream, gardens, benches, and all-around organic feel, this looks to me more like "funky alien park" than it does "futuristic city center."  I was expecting something more along the lines of robot-cars than park benches.  It's not 100% bad--just not to spec and of limited usefulness because it is *so* distinctive.  A common complaint I have of Paizo flip-mats is they try too hard to be special when, for replayability, they need to be more generic.

The other side has some objects I recognize--crates, cool futuristic motorcycles, wooden plank bridges--and a lot of stuff that I again just don't understand what they're supposed to be (like the jagged square concrete structures).  Part of the map has a warehouse/scrapyard vibe, but I'm not sure if the rooms with all the beds are hovels or some kind of hotel.  It's also hard to discern the vertical levels of different elements at a glance.  It's cooler than the other side, but still cluttered with so much stuff that it makes for a claustrophobic, complicated place to have a battle.

Overall, this is a disappointing flip-mat considering how important it is to the line.  Hopefully Paizo will try again soon and come out with something more functional.

Starfinder Flip-Mat: Cantina [RPG]

I've always found it interesting that, thanks to the famous scene in A New Hope, one doesn't go to a "bar" in many space-fantasy settings: instead, one goes to a "cantina" (which is just the Spanish word for the same thing!).  Anyway, the Starfinder Cantina flip-mat is a really nice double-sided depiction of two very-different versions of the space-cantina concept.  I've used it now in a couple of different scenarios.

One side is like what you would find in Mos Eisley: a dirty, dimly-lit decrepit hive of scum and villainy.  It has private booths for whispered conversations (where someone could shoot first!), a curved bar where someone's arm could get chopped off, a stage for some (ahem!) jizz-wailing, and then some other sensible features like a private back room for high-stakes gambling, a dingy kitchen, toilets, etc.  It's a very good-looking mat with tons of little details for an evocative scene.

The other side is a well-lit, glitzy nightclub of the type you'd find on a fancy cruise liner or in an expensive section of someplace like Absalom Station.  Multiple bars, a large dance floor, back offices, and more make it useful for a wide variety of encounters.  I really like how you can see exactly where the queue would line up so the bouncers can judge whether people make the grade and are allowed in.  As we discovered the other night, the place would be a death-trap if there were a fire, but money can buy off safety inspectors!

In sum, both sides of this flip-mat are great, and I definitely envision using it for multiple SF games.

Starfinder Society Scenario # 1-15: "Save the Renkrodas" [RPG]

NO SPOILERS

I played Save the Renkrodas at low subtier with my favourite drug-addicted Solarian PC.  This review is based on that experience and then reading the scenario afterwards.  My overall feeling is that while the scenario has a strong premise and the seeds of a good adventure, it falls flat due to major plotting mistakes and mostly pedestrian encounters.  It’s not a terrible scenario, but there are definitely better ones out there at this stage in Starfinder.

SPOILERS

The scenario takes place on the planet Castrovel in a wildlife reserve operated by the Esowath Conservancy.  The Conservancy is holding a fund-raising gala to help save an endangered species: “feathered renkrodas” (essentially, T-Rexes with coats of rainbow-colored feathers).  The scenario starts with the PCs on a ship headed toward the gala, with Radaszam (head of the Acquisitives faction) giving the briefing.  In a bit of character development that kind of comes from left field, Radaszam turns out to be quite the philanthropist.  He’s brought the PCs along with him to mingle and make a good impression on potential allies of the Society.  In a bit of ironic foreshadowing, Radaszam tells the PCs they don’t need to worry about danger since there’s plenty of security already present—as if!  And, oddly, there’s no mention of Radaszam’s prominent role in the *last* gala the Starfinders participated in: the attempted assassination of the First Seeker in # 1-05!  Do *not* go to parties with this guy—he’s bad luck!

The next part of the scenario is the gala itself.  Essentially, this is a role-playing opportunity where each PC has time for one conversation with an NPC at one of five different locations in the gala (the bar, the security checkpoint, etc.).  Unlike a true social encounter, there’s nothing really riding on the outcome of these conversations, and limited intelligence to be gathered.    I don’t mind though—role-playing is its own reward, and doesn’t always have to be tied to a substantive goal.  The NPCs present aren’t as interesting or fleshed out as they were for the similar concept in # 1-05.  On the other hand, the map of the gala is quite attractive.

The first encounter starts with the PCs being summoned by Radaszam.  He explains that there’s been a potential security breach, with one of the guards on the outer perimeter failing to report back in.  Despite his earlier statement that the PCs needn’t worry about security, Radaszam quickly volunteers the PCs to go investigate.  When they arrive, they find the corpse of the guard, the corpse of the assailant (an eco-terrorist), and a swarm of tiny carnivorous venomous dinosaurs that attack!  It’s a good chance for players to be exposed to both swarms and poison, neither of which has been prominent in Starfinder Society scenarios.

When the PCs get (almost) back to the gala, they find they’ve missed all the important stuff--Radaszam (and the security chief) have narrowly escaped an attack by terrorists who have taken over the place and are holding hostages!  Now, here’s the part where I had the biggest beef with the scenario as both a player and a reader.  Radaszam wants the PCs to help him get to an emergency communications bunker several kilometres away so they can summon reinforcements.  In character, I kept trying to figure out how many terrorists there were, because unless there’s a *lot*, it’s not likely to be worth a long journey to send a message, wait for reinforcements to arrive at the isolated campsite, and then figure out whether to negotiate or try to forcefully free the hostages.  But Radaszam is insistent.

So, the PCs have to fight their way past some Formian (ant-people) mercenaries in a forgettable encounter to get into an equipment shed to liberate a couple of jeeps, drive to the communications bunker, send the message, learn that any help is hours away at best (duh!), and *then* hear Radaszam “seize upon the opportunity” for the Starfinders to “eliminate [the terrorists] before they execute any hostages.”  I told him that an hour ago! 

So then the PCs have to drive all the way back to the gala and (on the way) try to subdue a renkroda that the terrorists are mind-controlling with some sort of electric collar.  I didn’t participate in this encounter (my PC decided to stay behind at the gala), but it’s pretty interesting in concept.  It’s the first SFS scenario to use the vehicle chase rules from the Core Rulebook.  It turned out a bit clunky and forced during actual play, but that’s probably more of an artefact of everyone trying to figure out the rules for the first time (vehicle rules aren’t quite like normal tactical rules and aren’t much like starship combat, so there’s a learning curve).  Still, the idea of having a Jurassic World style "Jeep vs. Dinosaur" chase was a good one.

Anyway, after all of that, the PCs return to the gala to confront the legions of terrorists that must have invaded to take over the place.  Turns out there’s only four of them (or three if the four-player adjustment is in place).  In other words, the PCs (along with Radaszam and the security chief) outnumber the terrorists and *have always* outnumbered the terrorists (!), so what was the point in going for reinforcements?  Nor is there any need for overwhelming force to subdue the terrorists quickly before they can execute any of the hostages.  Despite what should be a tense encounter requiring careful, split-second timing, the hostages are never at any risk.  It’s just a standard battle against a terrorist leader and a couple of his mooks.

I think what frustrates me so much about Save the Renkrodas is that it has the elements of being a dramatic, memorable scenario but then mishandles things in order to coddle the PCs.  Instead of Radaszam *telling* the PCs they need to retreat and get reinforcements, the scenario should *show* the PCs an overwhelming number of assailants and make it quite clear that it’s a choice between retreat or death (and let them go out in a blaze of glory if they insist and refuse the obvious).  Similarly, the scenario should have set up a mechanism for the terrorists to start executing hostages round-by-round on a bungled attempt to liberate them—force the PCs to come up with a *good* plan that makes the most of whatever skill-sets they have (snipers, disguise, distractions, etc.) or face tragic consequences.  Because the scenario in its present form lets the PCs just walk up and duke it out with the terrorists, it makes both the original need for retreat and the concern about the hostages into threats that are proven to have always been false—and thus undermines future scenarios where the writers want the players to react “realistically” to perceived dangers.  Players need a fair chance to fail if they’re going to be proud when they succeed.