Pathfinder Tales: "King of Chaos" [RPG]

NO SPOILERS

Varian and Radovan are back!  It's hard to say much more without spoiling stuff, but I can say the hilarious banter, edge-of-the-seat action scenes, detailed incorporation (and development) of world lore, and a new NPC's point-of-view (alternating with Varian and Radovan) are in this novel.  Dave Gross' novels have been the mainstay of the Pathfinder Tales line, and King of Chaos definitely does not disappoint.  I do suggest first reading the free four-part web fiction "Killing Time", which serves as a prequel to the novel, on the Paizo website: https://paizo.com/store/pathfinder/fiction/tales/serial/killingTime  Things will make a bit more sense as Gross trusts readers to catch up as the story moves along.

SPOILERS

It's hard to summarise this novel concisely, because there's so much packed into it.  Varian's rivalry against the vampire Prince Kasiya, Radovan's rivalry with a unicorn (hilarious!), and the elven paladin Oppara's battle against an anti-paladin!  All of this is mixed into an incredibly exciting incursion into the Worldwound (a wasteland where the demons of the Abyss are able to pour forth into the Material Plane). King of Chaos ties into established continuity perhaps better than any other Pathfinder Tales novel, as it has characters from previous Varian and Radovan novels, setting details and monsters from The Worldwound campaign setting book, plot developments from Robin Laws The Worldwound Gambit, and clear tie-ins to the Wrath of the Righteous Adventure Path.  One of the things that Dave Gross does so well is integrate setting lore, but he's also fantastic at integrating the mechanics of the game so that what the characters do is "believable" if they were PCs.  But it's all done in a way that's interesting and seamless instead of clunky and bland.  The plot is complex, and I admit to getting lost a time or two (I'd like to re-read this one).  Still, I can't recommend this one enough for anyone interested in Varian and Radovan or The Worldwound.  It's a witty, intelligent, action-packed page turner.

Pathfinder Society Introductory Scenario: "First Steps, Part III: A Vision of Betrayal" [RPG]

NO SPOILERS

Although this scenario is retired for official PFS play, I ran my local group through it (and the previous two parts) just to help get a new player familiar with the setting and to give the others some deeper background insight into factions and leaders they would encounter later.  The original premise of the trilogy is that after playing through all three parts, players would then choose a faction for their PC.

I think A Vision of Betrayal is an excellent all-around scenario.  It has some good role-playing moments, makes excellent use of the settings terrain and environment rules, and provides a good introduction to overland movement.  The story is also interesting.  This one may have been retired due to some different material with factions, but it easily could have been salvaged with some minor changes.
 
SPOILERS

The scenario starts with a briefing by Drandle Dreng, who isn't particularly eccentric here.  He's accompanied by Lady Gloriana Morilla, leader of the Taldan faction.  Dreng explains that the Pathfinder Society has been given the opportunity to bid on a rare Azlanti artefact recovered by the Gillmen of Escadar.  However, the Aspis Consortium is interested as well, and has hatched a plan to intercept any PFS agents sent via sea.  Thus, the PCs are asked to travel overland from Absalom to the small fishing village on the Isle of Kortos' northern coast and then pay a local captain for the short jaunt across to Escadar.  The PCs are to escort an appraiser and relics broker named Nester Rees so that he can ensure the Azlanti relic is the real deal.  In a nice touch, Lady Morilla slips a note to a single PC (whichever was the first to offer her a hand up), asking them to deliver a secret message to the gillmen embassy on Escadar.  I always think it's fun when one player at the table gets something special to work with.

The interior of the Isle of Kortos is supposed to be incredibly dangerous, so in order to find a safe passage overland, the PCs are told to journey into the Siphons (the sewers under Absalom) and meet with Grandmaster Torch.  I love the whole deal with Grandmaster Torch, and his scepticism of the Decemvirate adds a great layer of complexity to the life of a Pathfinder.  There's no skill checks or anything required to obtain the map (which is quite attractive as a handout), so it's just a bit of flavour and a chance to introduce players to the then-existing "Shadow Lodge."  Afterwards, they can meet up with Nester Rees.  I like how he's given full stats, an interesting background and persona, and some ways the GM can use him during the rest of the scenario (as well as instructions on what to do if he gets killed!).  Too often, NPCs to be escorted aren't treated like "real" characters and are somehow immune to everything the PCs have to go through.

The journey overland takes the group through a variety of different terrains: forests, foothills, mountains, swamps, and more.  The trip takes seven or eight days in game time, and the GM is given a handy chart summarising how much progress a group would normally make each day if they have all have a 30' move speed.  During the journey, there are several scripted events that take up the middle third of the adventure.  The events include a (peaceful!) encounter with centaurs, a nighttime attack by a krenshar (a creepy wolf-like monster), discovery of a frozen wagon and an old shrine, possible infestation by leeches (yuck!), and a battle against a kobold swamp druid and her pet alligator.  Unlike too many scenarios, A Vision of Betrayal makes excellent use of the detailed terrain rules in the Core Rulebook to make encounters more interesting and incorporates environmental effects like cold temperatures or fog as well.  I always appreciate this because there are a lot of traits, class abilities, feats, and spells that really only have application in specific situations where these features are invoked, and if scenarios never use them, it's too tempting to just go for another numerical combat bonus and call it a day.

The overland trip concludes at a village on the far side of the island named Pier's End, which receives a full settlement stat block (and which I don't think is discussed in other Paizo products, despite being a pretty useful location for campaigns set around Absalom).  Here, the PCs need to find a ship's captain willing to take them to Escadar for a reasonable price.  There are three possibilities, and PCs who take the time to ask around and react to their different personalities can get a much better deal.  In other words, the scenario handles Diplomacy checks well; though oddly, it seems to treat Intimidate checks as automatic failures with negative consequences.

The last part of the scenario is a meeting with the gillmen at a tavern called the Grindylow's Goblet.  The scenario's title is a bit of a giveaway here, as there is in fact a betrayal.  The gillmen who meet the PCs here aren't really relic-finders with something to offer the Society.  Instead, they're agents of the Aspis Consortium who have made up a fake relic and are only interested in tricking the PCs (and Nester Rees) out of the payment they brought.  It's actually possible for the group to get completely swindled (especially if no one is good at Appraise and Nester died earlier on the overland journey).  More likely, however, the ruse is discovered and a fight breaks out in the tavern.  I thought it was pretty exciting, as the gillmen are interested in escaping with what the Pathfinders' brought instead of just slugging it out, so the PCs have to work quickly.  It's odd that neither the purported Azlanti artefact nor the item that Nester Rees has bought to trade receive any detail, so I had to make something up on the fly. Once the encounter is concluded, the return journey to Absalom happens off-screen, though there is some additional role-playing that can be done with Drandle Dreng at the Grand Lodge.

It's not really relevant anymore, though I'm going to mention anyway that the boon on the Chronicle is terrible--a limited-use, tiny bonus vs a dragon's breath weapon that will puzzle most players about how it's even related to the scenario at all.

Quibbles aside, I thought this was an excellent scenario that showed great attention to detail and works really well to show off the various facets of Pathfinder.

Pathfinder Society Academy T-Shirt [RPG]

I bought this shirt for my kid to wear, and he proudly dons it for our biweekly home game.  I don't know much about what Pathfinder Society Academy was, but I really like the logo and the fun goblin.  In addition, it's cool to see a Pathfinder shirt that isn't black!  Like all Pathfinder shirts I own, this one has held up well to multiple washings.

Pathfinder Online: "Thornkeep Granite Plaque" [RPG]

When Pathfinder was at its height several years ago, Paizo decided to try their hand at an MMORPG called Pathfinder Online.  The setting for the game was to be a small town called Thornkeep.  From what I understand (this was all before my time), the project was a major financial flop.  The game still apparently exists online, even though few play it, and there are other artefacts such as a written module, a t-shirt, and this "granite art plaque".  The art by Wayne Reynolds is striking and perfectly. evocative of back-alley, cut-throat, low magic fantasy (of which Pathfinder isn't, but that's not the point).  The plaque itself is about the size of an open hand, and two plastic pieces serve well as a display stand.

The packaging contains some text on the back:  "Beware to all who enter the town of Thornkeep!  On its dimly lit streets, even the noblest hero may fall prey to the knife of a cut-purse.  And if the thieves don't get you, then perhaps the goblins will."  Inside the box is a certificate of authenticity indicating that this is one of a 250-run limited edition.  These things must not have been popular, because even discounted to $ 10, they're still available on the Paizo website seven years later.  Still, I'm happy with mine.  It's a nice way to spruce up a gaming bookshelf with some quality WAR art.

Starfinder Society Scenario # 1-30: "Survivor's Salvation" [RPG]

NO SPOILERS

Paizo forgot to update its website with a picture of the scenario's cover, 

so here's a pic of someone from the scenario.

I played through Survivor's Salvation with my skittermander Steward character, and it was right in her investigatory wheelhouse.  There's a mystery to solve in this scenario, though it's a pretty straightforward one despite a twist here and there.  I really liked the premise and how it builds organically into the events of the Season 1 interactive special.  I guess I'd say that, all in all, some clunky writing distracts from an otherwise potentially excellent scenario.  It's definitely very playable, however.

SPOILERS

The scenario starts out at the Exo-Guardians' headquarters, and it's fun to see the base coming along after getting a chance to help the warehouse's procurement in The Commencement.  Fan-favourite faction leader Zigvigix delivers the briefing, and he's his usual quirky-cool self despite having some heavy news to drop on the PCs.  In the wake of the Society's expedition to the Scoured Stars System (in # 1-99), many of the Starfinders who returned suffered from what (in the real world) would be called PTSD and have had difficulty returning to normal life.  A shobhad member of the Society named Hurondo started up a clinic for returnees like himself.  The clinic is called the Respite, and has helped dozens of agents who suffered trauma.  But just a week ago, Hurondo didn't turn up for work--and people are concerned.  Zigvigix assigns the PCs to walk over to the Respite, talk to Hurondo's business partner Jiwalla Zarvim, and see if they can figure out where Hurondo is.  As an adventure hook, it's a classic missing-persons case, but works especially well because it's integrated nicely into the season metaplot and takes place in an interesting and unusual setting.

When the PCs reach the Respite, things get pretty complicated for the GM.  This section is structured as seven different events that progress in different orders depending on what the PCs do.  In other words, there's a lot of "if/then" statements to interpret on the fly quickly, and I think it's probably over-complicated.  Anyway, most of the events involve interaction with former Starfinders who have come to the Respite for counselling.  Questioning them about Hurondo brings clues to the surface, and although each one is interesting on its own, they all point quite obviously to the Spike and a mysterious memory-modification clinic that has been set up there.  When the PCs get a chance to speak to Jiwalla (co-operator of the clinic), she has surprisingly little information about Hurondo but immediately asks the PCs to participate in a series of physical exercises (for their mental health) that include endurance rowing, a sprinting race, and weight-lifting!  It's laughably bizarre given the context, as is the result that Jiwalla is more willing to help in investigating Hurondo's disappearance if the PCs win the competitions.  Similarly bizarre is how many people at the clinic want to give the PCs extremely valuable pieces of technology or even credits.  The writers of these scenarios really need to figure out a more organic way to satisfy loot expectations in ways that don't take the players out of the story.

When the PCs leave the Respite, they'll encounter a pair of street gang members distributing flyers for the mysterious new medical clinic in the Spike.  If persuaded to talk, the gang members say that they're part of the Uniters gang which is actually holding Hurondo captive at the Uniters' headquarters in the Spike!  The clinic they're passing out flyers for is called the Open Collective clinic, and it seems the Uniters often take on odd jobs for local concerns.  Having the gang members appear conveniently right after the PCs leave the clinic is clunky story-telling, and I guess it was a "belt-and-suspenders" way to get the PCs to head to the Spike and start poking around for a kidnapped shobhad.  It cool that both my PC and another PC at the table happened to have the special boon from Incident at Absalom Station that gives bonuses when dealing with street gangs.

The Uniters gang is run by (I think) one of the first Vlakas to appear in an SFS scenario.  Bargai is joined by two other gang members, and although she doesn't put up much of a fight, the interesting thing is that she can be persuaded to join the SFS later on.  Another interesting twist is that Hurondo is there, perfectly healthy, and busy talking to his "captor", a nuar named Orghuun who has just been persuaded to quit the Uniters and go to the Respite for treatment!  It turns out that what happened is Hurondo originally came down to this area of the Spike to investigate missing patients from the Respite who might have gone to a mysterious clinic in the area, heard it was affiliated with the Uniters, stumbled into their HQ and got captured, and then the Uniters decided they might hold him for some sort of ransom but hadn't figured out what yet.  Hurondo can head back up to the Respite, but implores the PCs to investigate the Open Collective clinic.  The PCs, having nothing better to do with their lives than impersonate Stewards, decide to agree.

So as not to bury the lede, the twist with the Open Collective is that it's a front for a group of "bodysnatcher slimes" that are exactly what their name implies.  They're malevolent creatures that have been taking over the bodies of patients at the clinic in order to steal their memories so they can eventually assimilate everyone on Absalom Station and the Pact Worlds!  The combats here are really easy, with the tricky part being keeping the innocent hosts alive while destroying the bodysnatcher slimes.  Once the slimes are defeated, the scenario concludes with the ominous possibility that other bodysnatcher slimes are still operating somewhere on the station.

Overall, the plot and setting of Survivor's Salvation are solid.  It's a logical progression from the Scoured Stars Invasion to have agents suffering from their ordeal.  The actual execution of the adventure is a bit clunky in places for the reasons outlined above.  It's also surprisingly easy from a combat perspective.  So I can't give it top marks, but it was fun nonetheless.

Rise of the Runelords Recap # 74 [RPG]

[5 Calistril 4708 continued]

In the cave that has served as their hidden base for attacks on Jorgenfist, the defenders of Sandpoint discuss what to do about the lamias that have defeated them handily in two consecutive battles.  A suggestion is made to simply bypass the lamias, but Salma worries that would lead to the party being attacked from behind while engaged with other foes.  The discussion of strategy continues until, with a loud “popping” sound, a pair of figures suddenly manifest in the cave!  One is a robed figure, while the other is a heavily armed dwarf holding a waraxe!  The robed figure nods to the dwarf and then teleports away, leaving the dwarf in a standoff with the adventurers.  Jinkatsyu breaks the ice by asking the dwarf what he thinks of giants.  “Kill them all!” shouts the dwarf.  The others relax, and allow the dwarf, Jemar Crowell, to explain he was teleported to Jorgenfist in search of a fellow group of dwarves from Janderhoff who went missing while prospecting on the Storval Plateau.  The adventurers decide not to look a gift horse in the mouth, and an alliance is quickly struck.  The rest of the day is spent in heated debate about what to do next.  Eventually, a consensus is reached to try to sneak past the lamias but to be prepared to fight if necessary.

[6 Calistril 4708]

The adventurers, with their new dwarf ally, try to move stealthily into Jorgenfist’s subterranean level.  But Jemar’s armor clinks with every step, and Jinkatsyu’s scabbard constantly scrapes along the wall.  The group doesn’t get far before they hear cackling laughter in the distance.  Deciding to quickly search some of the unexplored side chambers, the adventurers discovery a reeking (but unoccupied) tannery and a forge designed to allow prisoners in iron cages to work the bellows—and the cages are still occupied!  The five dwarves that Jemar came in search of are set free and given directions to the adventurers’ hideout to wait in until the threat of the lamias can be dealt with. 

The adventurers decide to backtrack to make sure they’re not being followed.  They see a massive dining hall that contains a large throne, and hear banging sounds coming from what must be a kitchen—but they decide to leave it alone for now.  Conna, the stone giant elder who earlier gave them advice, whispers to the group from around a corner that Mokmurian is still alive and that the tribes above continue their preparations for war.  Jemar erupts with fury when he realizes that the adventurers have befriended a giant, but although he scares Conna away, he doesn’t give chase.

After several more minutes of cautious exploration and backtracking to ensure they’re not walking into another ambush, the adventurers finally approach the unholy shrine to Lamashtu from the north.  The cloaked figure is still on the altar, but Jinkatsyu discerns it’s larger than last time—and he’s ready when the figure throws off its shroud to reveal one of the lamias!  Inexplicably without its magical duplicates, the lamia is stabbed multiple times in quick succession by the swashbuckling kitsune, and he resists the priestess’ attempt to paralyze him, thanks to Ava’s magical preparations.  In seconds, one of the lamia sisters that had caused the group so much heartache lays dead at their feet!

A column of flame announces the arrival of the second lamia, laughing with joy when she sees the fate of her kin.  Salma resists the lamia’s next wave of magic, and before it can try again, Jinkatsyu and Jemar have dispatched it.  The stunningly easy victory is tainted only by the realization that another figure stands further in the shadowy caverns.  The hooded figure is missing its fingers, and the adventurers are prepared for what they see when they remove the hood: Wystan has been turned into a cruel mockery of life—a zombie!  Although destroyed quickly, the lamias would no doubt believe they had the last laugh.  In what may be a sign of the greed that has infected them, the adventurers quickly and unceremoniously strip the paladin’s corpse of anything valuable.

---------------------------------------------
Director's Commentary (October 14, 2019)

Jemar was a temporary "loaner PC" from the NPC Codex for the player who had been running Wystan.  I didn't want the player to know beforehand whether Wystan was alive or dead.

The final engagement against the lamias was something of an anti-climax.

There's irony in the PCs cold-heartedly looting their fallen given that a major theme of the entire campaign is greed.

Next Recap

Pathfinder: "Seekers of Secrets" [RPG]

Seeker of Secrets is all about the in-world Pathfinder Society: its history, ethos, leaders, lodges, and more.  It's thus a great way for GMs to add more depth and description for the scenarios they run, while players can add better background for their characters and take advantage of the prestige classes and magic items in the last third of the book.   The book is a 64-page softcover with full color art (that's a mixed bag, to be frank, though there's a great illustration of noteworthy Pathfinder Eando Kline on page 4).

The cover is fun, with a classic image of a rogue paying too much attention to treasure while a monster sneaks up behind her (and her friends shouting in the background is a nice detail).  The inside front cover is a map of the Inner Sea noting the location of Pathfinder lodges.  It's interesting to see several in close proximity in some areas while other large regions have hardly any.  The inside back cover is a reproduction of the cover art, sans title and logo.  Running along the bottom of the pages throughout all three chapters are illustrations and capsule descriptions of various Venture-Captains in the Pathfinder Society.  These are the "face" of the organisation for most players, and it's good to have another way to make them come alive.

Chapter 1 ("Welcome to the Pathfinder Society") takes up 26 pages.  It provides a good general overview of the Society: the duties that every PFS player knows ("Explore, Report, Cooperate"), the organisation's internal leadership structure, a timeline history (which comes up in some noteworthy scenarios), the in-world application process to join (which seems much more rigorous than most PFS characters I've seen could actually meet!), and a lengthy discussion of the role that the Pathfinder Society could fill in a more traditional campaign (e.g., having the PCs be part of a team sent on expeditions instead of the cliched "you're in a tavern and there's only one table free" beginning).  The chapter spends several pages with a one or two paragraph description of how the Pathfinder Society operates in each region of the Inner Sea (including those where they don't have lodges or aren't legally allowed to operate, such as Hermea, the Hold of Belkzen, and Ilizmagorti).  It makes for interesting reading, and there's some great ideas there, like an all-undead team for secret missions in Geb, an all elf crew to investigate murders in Kyonin, etc.  There's a brief mention of rival groups (like the Aspis Consortium) and I wish this had been fleshed out much more.  Last, there's a few new feats and five new spells--the best of which, teleport trap, is perfect for a big bad guy's lair (as I can personally testify).

Chapter 2 ("Where Secrets Sleep") is 12 pages long, and focusses on detailing the various Pathfinder lodges around the Inner Sea.  Lodges are where agents receive their mission briefings, but they can also serve as places to rest, train, and do research in between missions.  Lodges definitely don't follow a uniform plan, and are very much a reflection of the locale and the venture-captain in charge: from a back room behind a bait-and-tackle shop to a luxurious estate.  Apart from capsule descriptions of various lodges, the chapter provides a map and detailed description of the Society's central headquarters (the Grand Lodge in Absalom) and of its first foray into Varisia (Heidmarch Manor in Magnimar).  There's a lot of very flavourful description that should help GMs (and scenario writers) bring these places to life.

Chapter 3 ("Tools of the Trade") finishes the book off with about 22 pages of new magic items and prestige classes.  The chapter starts with a one-page summary of various past volumes of the (in-world) Pathfinder Chronicles, and there's some really intriguing bits there.  Several pages in the chapter are devoted to an extensive discussion and list of ioun stones that I think is more complicated and less interesting than the space is worth.  A few new wayfinders are introduced, but they're so expensive I can't see PCs ever being able to afford them (or wanting to even if they had the cash).  Then, there's a complicated set of tables setting out various resonance abilities when ioun stones are implanted in wayfinders.  Just not my cup of tea.  Some other new magic items are included.  I think the best part of this chapter is the three new prestige classes: the Pathfinder Delver (archaeologists and dungeoneers), the Pathfinder Savant (spellcasters skilled in learning the magic of other classes), and the Student of War (an intelligence-based tactical fighter and leader; I used this for my sadly-departed PC Sarabian, and thought it was pretty cool).  None of these prestige classes are super-powered, but I think they're all solid and worth taking.  An NPC (complete with description, stat block, and artwork) for each prestige classes is also included--though I'm not really sure why.

Overall, Seekers of Secrets is a fantastic and under-used resource for players and GMs in Paizo's "Organized Play" division.  It's a really nice package and one I've referred to multiple times.