Ring Side Report- RPG review of Pathfinder Monster Core

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Product– Pathfinder Monster Core

System- Pathfinder 2nd Ed 

Producer– Paizo

Price– $59.99 here https://paizo.com/products/btq02ej4 

TL; DR-Another Solid Addition to the Core line. 97% 

Basics– We’re all gonna die!  Monster Core is the last of the three main books needed to play Pathfinder, providing the foes that the heroes will face in their journeys.

Mechanics or Crunch–  Paizo knows their math.  These monsters are the ones we know, mostly, and love.  The Paizo staff designed good monsters and this just gives them the 2.5 glow up new coat of paint the system needed to get them fully ORC compliant.  It’s well done. 5/5

Theme or Fluff–  The story of the monsters takes a tiny bit of a dip.  As we move from 3.5/SRD base to ORC/Paizo’s own world, we lose a few things.  A major example is alignment.  We have Demons, Daemon, and Devils.  We have three different groups that are basically out to destroy everything but all just end up with the bad guy banner.  There is a story, but it’s that part of the story supported by differences in alignment and motivations that really separate these different D-based bad guys (that and centuries of European occult history).  The same goes with different dragon types.  I want to reiterate that what’s here is good, but the theme of these different monsters does miss alignment. 4.5/5

Execution– Yeah, we all know this was gonna be a 5/5.  It’s a Paizo book.  It reads fast, well, and is pretty.  Monsters get art for me to show players.  I get a good layout and hyperlinks.  Heck, there are even a few player things like a few rituals to sell your soul or talk to god!  5/5

Summary-This is a good book.  My view might be tainted by the changes from 3.5 to ORC.  I love the ORC, but we do lose some things along the way due to the legalese.  Those are things you will have to bring with your own stories to the table now.  This book will easily give you the foes to make those stories full of conflict and victory.  97 %

Daily Punch 5-28-24 Careful Study positive quality for Shadowrun 6th Ed

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Let’s Learn!

Careful Study
If you pay attention you might just learn something!.
• Cost: 12 Karma
• Game Effect: As a major action, you can attempt a intuition+ perception(4) test. For each net hit, the character gains a point of edge that will only last through this combat, but can be given as a minor action to other characters. You or another character can only use one of these points of edge per turn per character.

Thoughts?

Ring Side Report- RPG review of Starfinder Society Intro: Year of Era’s End

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Product– Starfinder Society Intro: Year of Era’s End

System- Starfinder 

Producer– Paizo

Price– $8.99 here https://paizo.com/products/btq02ez9?Starfinder-Society-Intro-Year-of-Eras-End 

TL; DR-The start to the end! 93% 

Basics– New boss, new random magic thing, new place, who dis?  Year of Era’s End sets out to establish the next and final meta plot for Starfinder Society 1st edition.  The Starfinders have made new friends with the Anacites on their barren homeworld.  Will the Society understand how the latest found magic item works before evil robots try to kill us all?

Mechanics or Crunch–  This adventure is fairly simple and similar to the usual first adventures of a season.  You have a few fights, a few social encounters, and a few skill challenges as you explore.  It’s not crazy, but it all works well. 4.5/5

Theme or Fluff–  Much like the mechanics, this adventures is pretty standard for the first adventure of a season.  You will meet the new boss, meet some new friends/middle managers of the Starfinder Society, and a new adversary group.  The adventure is split in two, with two different goals in each as you try to understand the newly found device.  It’s standard, but decently well done.  4.5/5

Execution– Paizo knows adventure production.  Layout is good, text is easy to read, and organization is good.  The maps are all available, and the monsters and NPCs all have pictures that I don’t have to crop myself.  I’ve even adjusted to the increase in cost as nine bucks is about the price of a movie and this will take about three to four hours to play.  Solid work.  5/5

Summary-It’s the end of the world, and I feel fine!  Starfinder Society First Edition is going away, and this honestly is a decent start to that.  It’s some simple mini adventures that get a metaplot started, introduce new characters in the lore, and allow for some fun encounters along the way.  If all the final adventures work like this, it will be a good send off.  93 %