Ring Side Report: RPG Review of Pathfinder Society Scenario #7-20: The Strings of Hell

~ fineyoungmisanthrope ~ Leave a comment

Product– Pathfinder Society Scenario #7-20: The Strings of Hell

System– Pathfinder 2nd Ed

Producer– Paizo 

Price–  $5.99 here https://store.paizo.com/pathfinder-society-scenario-7-20-the-strings-of-hell/ 

TL; DR-Short, very short adventure. 87%

Basics- Where are the boys?!  Many Minotaur young have gone missing.  Can you find them in time?  A VERY short adventure for levels 1-2.

Mechanics or Crunch: This adventure is short, but the crunch is ok.  The basics are two fights and a haunt.  It’s not bad, but its designed for the new streamlined adventures.  It could use a bit more skill challenges, but overall it works. 4.5/5

Theme or Fluff–  The theme is good, but abridged again.  They introduce the four missing kids and even give them a handout.  But beyond that, there really isn’t a reason to dig too deeply into their individuality.  The story is good but not as developed as it could be.  Even the minotaur village is a short stop in what could have been a longer interlude. 4/5

Execution: It’s short, but decently polished.  The maps are all from one map.  The stats are ok, even if they assume I am using the stats from online.  There are pictures of most of the NPCs.  It’s good, but still misses some of the old Paizo polish. 4.5/5

Summary: I don’t hate this, but this feels like a quest.  It plays in under two hours.  That was the goal, so that worked.  But I expect more from the society adventures.  It’s not bad.  It works well with this new format.  But I want more.  Good, but held back by society’s new goals.  87%

Ring Side Report: RPG Review of Strigovia – A Slavic Darkfolk RPG

~ fineyoungmisanthrope ~ Leave a comment

Product– Strigovia – A Slavic Darkfolk RPG

System– Strigovia – A Slavic Darkfolk RPG

Producer– Dark Orb

Price–  Free preview here https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/dark-orb/strigovia-slavic-dark-fantasy-setting-and-adventure-for-5e/description

TL; DR– Dark European fantasy with a rules-light twist.  96%

Basics- The forest hungers!  Strigovia is a dark RPG where players attempt to survive in the horrors of the forest.  What will you pay to survive another day?

Basics- This is a D10-based RPG.  Players attempt challenges, and doing so reduces their dice pool.  A 7-10 is a success, but lower scores have implications.  A 1 to 2 causing repercussions that might be very bad to annoying.  A 3 means the forest notices you, and a 4 means civilization gains hold in you.  You can attempt anything, but the more you do, the more the game takes from you.

Combat- Combat is again simple.  The players roll initiative and count success, but the monsters have a set score.  Then you gain a number of actions based on your attributes.  Actions range from moving between combat areas or zones, doing damage, or anything else.  Different monsters need a different number of successes to put down.  Simple and fast.

Magic- Magic costs.  Magic is debt magic.  When you cast a spell, you make a deal with the forest.  This might be a bit of your own blood to having to sacrifice your or someone else’s firstborn.  You can get a lot, but it will cost more. This is not the magic missile magic, but something much more powerful and much more dangerous.

Mechanics or Crunch: This is a very rules-light system.  The game isn’t a crunch monster.  Its very rules light.  That’s not bad, but it is very narrative.  This means you and your GM have to have a lot of trust.  There is no rules lawyering in this one.  You and the GM are telling a story, and when you do stuff, it costs you as the dice pool keeps getting smaller.  That ties well to the theme.  4.5/5

Theme or Fluff–  The writers knew absolutely what they wanted out of this game.  This is a dark Eastern European folklore-inspired RPG.  Witches stealing babies, the forest taking whole kingdoms, and men attempting to civilize places that do not want them in there.  This game is exactly what it wants to be.  5/5

Execution: The quickstart is a solid product.  It goes setting first, then rules.  It reads easily, has amazing art, and a complete adventure with pregens.  I’d like character sheets instead of the written-out style, but it’s ok.  They have a full adventure that you can play before you get the book.  It’s a good book that is worth checking out.   5/5

Summary: This is a good product.  It feels like the fate system, but darker.  It might not be my favorite as I want a bit more crunch.  However, I can see the awesome in this one.  It’s dark, gritty, and something I would love to play or run in late October or November around a bonfire in the woods.  This will chill you to the bones in the right way if thats the experience you are looking for.  97%