Product– Nightfell
System- Pathfinder 2nd Ed
Producer– Grim Moon Studio
Price– Coming soon! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/grimmoonstudio/nightfell-a-grimdark-fantasy-setting-for-pathfinder
TL; DR-Almost perfect grimdark for Pathfinder 2nd Ed. 97%
Basics– In a world ruled by the moon, there is only darkness! Nightfell is a grimdark setting. Previously it was published for DnD 5e. Now they are making a Pathfinder 2nd Ed port. It has multiple new character options, a new world with many new dark elements, and even two new classes.
Mechanics or Crunch– What’s here is good. This is a grimdark world, so EVERYTHING is dark. But their classes are a spiritualist (a spellcasting summoner type), and a lunar cultist, (possibly a paladin-like fighter). I like what is presented. There are spells, actions, and even a whole insanity/possession system set up to reinforce the world. There is even a free, decently sized adventure with multiple characters. You get to try a spiritualist, but not a lunar cultist. I am pretty impressed with what they are giving away for free. The crunch works here. 5/5
Theme or Fluff– This is an interesting world, but I am missing a key piece. The world is presented in GREAT detail for a preview. You get such detail as lunar phases and how that affects characters. There is a new religion, new races/ancestries and a whole host of information. But I don’t really know any history. Why is everything so grim and dark? Were things ok, then they started to suck? Tell me a few pages on how we went grimdark and you will hook me more. 4.8/5
Execution– This stands on the edge of greatness, but misses one key thing. The book reads well. I love what I see. The layout is good, the text is great, and the pictures are dark and amazing. But no hyperlinks. This is a 90+ page book and I have to jump all around trying to find where the parts are. That’s fine in a simple book, but this is longer than most published Paizo one-shot adventures! That’s the one stumbling block that hurts this. 4.75/5
Summary– This review is the definition of me looking a gift horse in the mouth. What’s here is very well done. Even I, who gets a bit tired of grimdark being just the darkest of grim, am interested in the Pathfinder port of this work. My issues are things I absolutely expect to be in the main book. If they fix that up in the final, then I am in! Check out their upcoming project and the free book located here: https://www.grimmoon.com/nightfellpf2quickstart 97%
Throat Punch Games 