Category: Pathfinder 2nd Ed.

Ring Side Report- RPG review of Nightfell A grimdark setting for PF2

~ fineyoungmisanthrope ~ Leave a comment

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%

Ring Side Report- RPG review of Pathfinder Society Scenario #5-04: Equal Exchanges – Necessary Introductions

~ fineyoungmisanthrope ~ Leave a comment

Product– Pathfinder Society Scenario #5-04: Equal Exchanges – Necessary Introductions

System- Pathfinder 2nd Ed

Producer– Paizo

Price– $ 8.99 here https://paizo.com/products/btq02esl?Pathfinder-Society-Scenario-504-Equal-Exchanges-Necessary-Introductions 

TL; DR– Good with a few issues. 90% 

Basics– Let’s go make friends!  The Pathfinder society wants to make friends with a dragon, and YOU get to make the introductions.  Don’t mess up, because you can be flamebroiled and are tasty with ketchup! 

Mechanics or Crunch– The adventure has all the pieces where they should be and they generally work well.  There are about 3 fights, a couple traps, and a skill challenge. Those are all mechanically done well.  The skill challenges are not as much fun as they could have been, because my players tend to feel like they want them to just end by accomplishing X solutions before Y events.  I can dress that up, but the repeated challenges can get boring in a hurry, so I just let them succeed if they do well enough. Overall what’s here is good, but it has a few issues.  4.5/5

Theme or Fluff– This adventure is a pretty simple story where the normal dungeon crawl is flipped.  Instead of going into a place where you are NOT supposed to be, you are invited into this one.  However, some elements feel a bit crammed in.  I like the goblins making kimchi, but they are not really needed and it detracts from the overall flow.  My players didn’t really explore much; why would you just explore a person’s house if they are waiting for you?  Also the last fight just doesn’t need to happen.  Maybe having a hallway fight with OTHER robbers would be a better way to endear the kobold butler to the players?  Something to consider.     4/5

Execution–  Pathfinder by Paizo?  Yeah this is gonna be a slam dunk.  I might not be crazy about the 9 buck price tag, but for five people to get 3ish hours of entertainment, then I’m a bit more ok.  5/5

Summary– This is a decent adventure that will tie to something bigger.  And that’s the whole hope of organized play.  It’s a fun ~3 hour adventure where the players get some fights, some social encounters, and some skill tests.  It’s well put together, but a few issues crop up along the way that prevent perfection.  Some are system choice issues and some are flow issues.  None are going to hurt this in a fatal way, but maybe change an element or two to make this a better experience. 90%

Daily Punch 2-26-24 Divine Moment divine spell for Pathfinder 2nd Ed

~ fineyoungmisanthrope ~ Leave a comment

Six seconds in heaven!

Divine Moment one-action Spell 4

Concentrate
Traditions divine
Range 30 feet; Targets 1 willing creature
Duration 1 round

You ask and your god provides a rapid escape for a target. The target is teleported to the realm of your god for exactly 1 round, returning at the start of your next turn. They are unharmed and return to the exact spot they left or the nearest unoccupied square. they lose their turn, but can not be harmed by any effects that occur within that turn including any persistent effects or damage. They do roll the normal check to see if a persistent effect ends and any other conditions reduce as normal except the target is unharmed by them.


Thoughts?

Daily Punch 2-21-24 Mental Scan spell for Pathfinder 2nd ed

~ fineyoungmisanthrope ~ Leave a comment

Who’s out to get me….

Mental Scan one-action Spell 3

Concentrate Mental
Traditions occult
Range 30 foot radius around you; 
Defense Will Save; Duration 1 round or sustained up to 1 minute

You scan all creatures around you. Each target that bares you ill will must make a will save. You see if a target is friendly, helpful, indifferent, unfriendly, or hostile. In addition, you see if the target is under the effect of a mental spell influencing their actions.

Thoughts?

Daily Punch 2-12-24 Remove Animus spell for Pathfinder 2nd Ed

~ fineyoungmisanthrope ~ Leave a comment

Can’t turn them, so let’s make them just stop being alive!

Remove Animus two-actions Spell 5

Concentrate Incapacitation Manipulate
Traditions arcane, divine, occult
Range 30 feet; Target 1 undead creature
Defense Will

You rip the moving force from an undead and cause it to fall into pieces on the floor. The target must attempt a Will save. You can spend an extra action while Casting
this Spell and add a cost to the spell to give the creature a –2
circumstance penalty to its save. The cost must be a specially
gathered object that is anathema to the creature such as a phylactery to a lich or dirt from the grave of a vampire.
Critical Success The target resists being banished and you are
stunned 1.

Thoughts?