Ring Side Report: RPG Review of Beyond the Blood Door Player’s Guide

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Product–  Beyond the Blood Door Player’s Guide

System– Starfinder 2nd Ed 

Producer– Paizo

Price– Free here https://downloads.paizo.com/OP-Files/SFS2+Beyond+the+Blood+Door+Players+Guide.pdf 

TL; DR– A good start. 99%

Basics:  WHY ARE THE BALLS OF BLOOD IN THE SKY!?  Absolom station is under attack, maybe?  It’s time to gear up and save the station.  This book is a guide for new and old players, with information about the Starfinder society, new backgrounds, a new race, religions to consider, and more to help players.

Mechanics or Crunch: This is a free book with lots of crunch.  There are whole new character options for players to try.  The fact that a whole race with feats is provided is amazing.  Solid start to the new season.  5/5

Theme or Fluff–  This book is short but gives enough info to get you started. The book can’t solve all the mysteries of the season.  But, I’m intrigued.  The book also builds out multiple world pieces to give me things to do and explore.  I’m interested in what’s here. 5/5

Execution: I like what’s here, but would like a bit more art.  The world, layout, text, and new materials are all well done.  But, I want single art of the main characters. Give me a way to easily show those characters off to the players.  It’s being eliminated from the adventures, so put those in the player guide.  4.75/5

Summary: I love society play.  Paizo has started to make player guides for the new season, and it’s a smart, well-done move.  The only thing I want is end pages with the pictures separated liek the old adventures.  But what’s here is amazing!  99%

Ring Side Report: RPG Review of Starfinder Society Scenario #2-01: The First Cut

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Product– Starfinder Society Scenario #2-01: The First Cut

System– Starfinder 2nd Ed 

Producer– Paizo

Price– $5.99 here https://store.paizo.com/starfinder-society-scenario-2-01-the-first-cut/ ! 

TL; DR– A crazy good start to a new season.  97%

Basics: Ah, a nice normal day  WHAT IN THE SARENRAE!  Balls of blood appear around Absolom station and pop out monsters made out of blood that attack everyone.  Can you save them all?  

Mechanics or Crunch: This scenario is combat-heavy with a bit of skill-based challenges where you attempt to stop all the violence.  It’s combat heavy, so a social character will be a bit out of sorts.  So will exploration-based characters.  Skill characters will have things to do.  It’s not bad, but you can’t do everything in 3 hours.  4.5/5

Theme or Fluff– Bad stuff happens, and you stop it.  That’s the theme, and it does that well.  It’s a solid year intro adventure.  The story is light, but you are rushing between different issues to try to save as many people as possible.  That’s a fun ton of problems to solve.  5/5

Execution: There are new monsters and enough pictures in this one.  The monsters have pictures for you to include in the adventure, along with stats for them.  There is enough new here that you don’t have to consult too many outside sources to play this one.  It also reads quickly and requires only two maps to run.  Good old Paizo polish.  5/5

Summary: I like what’s here.  It can’t be everything to everyone, but it’s fun.  You kill bad things, save people, and stop the problems.  All in a day’s work for the Starfinders.  It’s also well written and well laid out, so you can read this fast and easily.  A good start to a new season.  97%