Ring Side Report: RPG Review of Starfinder Society Scenario #1-03: Disaster at Dreamlink Labs

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Product– Starfinder Society Scenario #1-03: Disaster at Dreamlink Labs 

System– Starfinder 2nd Ed

Producer– Paizo

Price–  $5.99 here  store.paizo.com/starfinder-society-scenario-1-03-disaster-at-dreamlink-labs/ 

TL; DR– Space Horror Story! 95%

Basics- What was that?!  Dreamlink Labs found …something.  And someone else wants it. Where are the scientists?  Are they alive?

Mechanics or Crunch: This is a pretty simple one for crunch. It’s only a few fights.  There is some craziness in the second fight, but you can tell this was designed to fit in two hours.  The fights are fun, but short.  4.5/5

Theme or Fluff– This is a short one, but a good one.  It’s space horror.  We have some Aliens mixed with Lovecraft, and some Predator thrown in.  I love all those, so it’s a solid fun experience.  5/5

Execution: I like this one a lot, but I have a few minor issues.  It’s got great layout, fun extra bits to add tension, and pictures of most of the parts.  I don’t like that the pictures are in the middle of the book, not in the end, but I can deal with that.  It’s short, but there’s enough to get at least two hours of stuff done! 4.75/5

Summary: I love cosmic horror and good space-station horror.  This is that.  It’s that, but short.  But, its still those things.  I would like it a bit longer, but I am ok with what’s here.  I can’t see where they go with the new god and the remains of a planet it broke out of.  95%

Ring Side Report: RPG Review of Dungeon Crawl Classics #110: The Sacrificial Pyre of Thracia

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Product– Dungeon Crawl Classics #110: The Sacrificial Pyre of Thracia 

System– DCC RPG

Producer– Goodman Games

Price–  $5.99 here  https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/539158/dungeon-crawl-classics-110-the-sacrificial-pyre-of-thracia?affiliate_id=658618 

TL; DR– Either add more or remove to help with this one. 93%

Basics- Where are they!?  Cultists are attacking your lands.  Find where they are, make friends along the way, and route them out from their caves!

Mechanics or Crunch: Standard fun for DCC in this one.  Lots of low-level enemies to fight and kill.  There is a bit of socializing, a bit of exploration, and lots of combat.  All as balanced as random can be!  5/5

Theme or Fluff– I love the pieces, but I either want more or less of them.  This adventure has a hex crawl.  This goes without saying-THERE IS NOT ENOUGH HEX CRAWLS IN THE WORLD!  But the hexes are kind of empty.  There are random encounters, but I’d like more storytelling with finding specific things along the way. Give me more staged stuff to do.  You wonder and find things, but you don’t get much of a story till you find a village.  Events and findings outside the village will help a bit.  This might also save on the other problem of the adventure-time.  Hex crawls with random encounters are either the most amazing thing ever, a snooze, or a slog.  It’s random, so you don’t get the sweet spot of the number of encounters the creators hoped for often.  I’d either add more to the hexes or just cut that and have a combat and a social outside the volcano to save time.  The volcano lair is fine.  Nothing beats a fight with bad guys in a dead volcano.  4.5/5

Execution:  This is DCC.  It’s got the best part of old school, but it’s got a few warts of old school with the layout.  If you know how to read these, then it’s completely fine.  If you are new, this might be a bit harder.  Not bad, but less clean than your WotC-produced adventures.  But I go to tons of less pretty places with amazing menus, so for a bit of atmosphere and disarray, you will be fine here.  4.5/5

Summary: This is a solid, fun adventure that randomness can completely mess up.  I love a good strange hex crawl, but those hex crawls can be a pain if the dice roll weird.  I’d like a bit more story in some hexes to really amp up the overall story, but what’s here is solid enough. Good fun for you and your friends as they enter Thracia! 93%