RSS RSS Facebook Twitter Email
Pathfinder / Pathfinder Society / Past Seasons / Season 5

Pathfinder Society Special: Siege of the Diamond City (PFRPG) PDF

3.80/5 (based on 20 ratings)
Pathfinder Society Special: Siege of the Diamond City (PFRPG) PDF

Our Price: $3.99

Add to Cart
Facebook Twitter Email

A Pathfinder Society Special for levels 1-15.

After a recent discovery of a lost city in the heart of the demon-infested Worldwound, Pathfinder agents from around the world flock to Nerosyan, capital of the crusader nation of Mendev, to prepare for the coming adventure. When the city falls under attack, however, everyone within its walls must take up arms to defend against the Abyssal hordes. Do the Pathfinders have what it takes to hold back the demonic onslaught, or will their souls be among the first to be consumed when the Diamond of the North falls?

Designed to be run as an epic, multi-table event in which the actions of each table has the potential to turn the tide of battle, Siege of the Diamond City sets a new standard of interactivity for the fan-favorite convention special format. In addition to the adventure itself, the special includes a detailed gazetteer of the city of Nerosyan as well as a full-page map suitable for tracking the threat level throughout the city during the course of the event.

Written by Thurston Hillman and Jonathan H. Keith.

Note: Siege of the Diamond City is designed for play in the Pathfinder Society Roleplaying Guild. It may be run anywhere by anyone, as long as there are 5 tables playing the scenario simultaneously and are in contact with each other. To inquire about access to this scenario, refer to the Organized Play Convention Support Policy.

Product Availability

Fulfilled immediately.

Are there errors or omissions in this product information? Got corrections? Let us know at store@paizo.com.

PZOPSS0500E

See Also:

1 to 5 of 20 << first < prev | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | next > last >>

Average product rating:

3.80/5 (based on 20 ratings)

Sign in to create or edit a product review.

An epic cooperative event for all levels

5/5 —

After several years of PFS specials, this is the best large-scale event that I've played in, and a great start to the season five plot. The pathfinders are forced on the defensive for once as a massive host of demons assaults a city and the characters struggle to push them back. The scenario does a good job at pulling off the vibe of a panicked city under supernatural attack, and gives a wide variety of missions for PCs of all levels to assist and mount a counteroffensive. This also allows the GM some leeway to tailor the tasks to suit that particular table, which is good to have.

What makes the special particularly impressive is the interaction between tables. Many events on one table directly affect what's going on at another, so you strongly get the feeling of cooperating as you slowly turn the tables and clear the city. For example, a team of low-level characters get to liberate and then operate siege weaponry to take down oversized demons that are being held back by their high-level allies.

It'll require some organizing to get all the tables, but overall it's a joy to play with a satisfyingly climatic ending. Highly recommended!

Awesome special, defending a city is grand.

5/5 —

I've played this at a con last weekend, and it was terrific.

At first you are gathered in the city, then the abbyss spews forth the invasion, and action commences.

While we were rescuing people, fighting off demonic invaders, and avoiding traps, the repeated improvement or worsening of the situation in the several districts (and just outside of the walls) has you eager to finish your encounter and defend the city elsewhere.

There is chance to have your skills tested, not limited to social and knowledge rolls, though those of course come in handy.

Defending the battlements with a freaking large ballista is awesome, all the while defending against enemies coming from outside and within.

Though this will work in PBP, like previous specials, this one will truly shine in a F2F Multi tables game.

All in all, this is a must play, imo.
There is something to be said, about defending a city against demonic onslaught. Awesome comes into the direction...

A good example of what a special should be like

5/5 —

Multitable specials always bring something extra to an event. No matter what level you are, you are a part of something clearly bigger. You’re all trying to achieve the same goal; in this case saving a city.
In more recent years, say season 6 to 8, this basically means that groups have a couple of paths to choose from and that basically only the monsters you face are different. You still work together and it is still fun seeing districts slowly come under Pathfinder control, but it misses the real interaction between tiers.

That last part is something that this special actually does well during its final act. The tiers are divided in three groups and they all have different task to accomplish. When a group succeeds at their task, it has an impact on the other groups. If the high level tables are struggling, they can suddenly get a boost because the lower tiers successfully fired a siege weapon. Even though you as a low tier don’t fight the bosses directly, you indirectly have a big impact. In terms of interaction between tiers, this is an improvement compared to the later specials.

The highlight for me, however, is act 2. There are basically 5 districts you have to secure as they’re under attack. This is translated into 12 different, sometimes district-specific, events. These events are not just standard ‘here, have combat and here’s another one’. Instead there’s a mix of combat and social events, which all differ in nature. For example one combat requires you to hold a position and only shoot at targets, another have you check a house if it’s a safe refuge. One of the social events tasks you finding and bringing back pathfinders who are outside the wall, another has you acquire medical supplies as cheap as possible.

In short this means that there’s an event for everyone. While you should roll which event you get, it also puts a GM in a position to tailor the entire experience to the players at his table. If you notice they are bored of fighting all the time, you can toss in a social event. If you know your players just want to smash things, you can put the emphasis on combat encounters. It allows you to really adapt based on the situation and cater to the needs of the players at your table. If you do, they’ll definitely have more fun.

Compared to the latest special, the Sky Key Solution, this flexibility is far superior to the ‘pick one route with a single theme’. Players are likely going to have a better time and as a result the special will be more memorable. I’ve GM’ed both and can safely say that while a portion of what I prepared never got used, that portion is still considerably smaller than the Sky Key Solution. There were also less mechanics to keep track of, so this special is a clear sign that less can be better. I honestly hope that newer specials will be more like this one than some of the recent ones.

5/5 —

Absolutely wonderful.

5/5 —

I had an absolute blast playing this scenario on subtier 14-15. It was the single best experience I've had playing in a PFS game. The encounters reminded me of a good LG battle interactive, such as the battle for Niole Dra at the end of LG in Keoland. The story was extremely compelling; especially to my Paladin of Abadar. Nothing screams awesome like an abyssal siege on a metropolis. The final encounter I was anticipating for months, it did not disappoint. (Even though it got 1 rounded. It was still epic.)

I had a lot of fun running this special as well at a local convention later in the year. Did a bit lower subtier at 10-11, but the encounters still challenged my players and were a lot of fun. One of the randomly determined early encounters in particular seemed especially brutal with 3 flying critters that could unleash havoc backed up rounds later by a big guy. Had my players were scared; but didn't result in any deaths. Best experience for everyone.

Hope we go back to post level 11 gencon specials next year!

1 to 5 of 20 << first < prev | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | next > last >>
Search Thread

Search this Thread:

1 to 50 of 59 << first < prev | 1 | 2 | next > last >>
Webstore Gninja Minion

Announced for GenCon 2013—please note that this Special will not be available for purchase by the general public until NEXT year, GenCon 2014.

This sounds so cool. Too bad I'll be sitting thousands of miles away when this premieres at GenCon.
RPG Superstar 2012

I had a great time playing in last year's special, so I'm looking forward to this one.
Shadow Lodge
1 person marked this as a favorite.

Can't wait to help run this at GenCon... :D

And since its being written by Thursty, I know it'll be good. ;)
Shadow Lodge

Bring it, Thursty!
Paizo Employee Managing Creative Director (Starfinder)
Eric Clingenpeel wrote:

Can't wait to help run this at GenCon... :D

And since its being written by Thursty, I know it'll be good. ;)

Pfft, no pressure! :P

Shadow Lodge
Thurston Hillman wrote:
Eric Clingenpeel wrote:

Can't wait to help run this at GenCon... :D

And since its being written by Thursty, I know it'll be good. ;)

Pfft, no pressure! :P

Well, Blakros Matrimony is in some of my player's top five scenarios, if not higher. And I know you're putting as much effort if not more into this, so it should be fantastic. :D

Contributor, RPG Superstar 2010 Top 4
3 people marked this as a favorite.
Thurston Hillman wrote:
Pfft, no pressure! :P

Dear Arch-Foe (after Baird, no offense),

It says.. and I quote...

Friar Hillman wrote:
Siege of the Diamond City sets a new standard of interactivity for the fan-favorite convention special format

Golly, my mind reels. I can't wait experience interaction on an unprecedented scale. I'm expecting to have my own personal Disneyworld style parade while I'm driven around in a golf cart while the iconics throw rose petals before me.

And that's just the beginning right?

People will have to defeat members of the Blakros family at booby-trapped exploding backgammon just to use the restroom, right?

A new standard Thurston. We're counting on you.

:P
Silver Crusade

Challenge accepted Sir. I await your adventure.
Grand Lodge

Is there no special being released this year at all at Gen Con??
Deanoth wrote:
Is there no special being released this year at all at Gen Con??

Huh?!? This IS the GenCon Special kicking off the new season...

There will also be Ruins of Bonekeep: Level 2 released at GenCon as well I've heard.
Grand Lodge

If it is the special for the new season being kicked off.. Why is it only going to BECOME available until Gen Con of 2014?? Why not AFTER Gen Con of this year, 2013?
Grand Lodge
Pathfinder Adventure, Rulebook Subscriber

Specials and 4-star scenarios are not released to the general public until one year after their debut.
Grand Lodge

That does not actually make sense to me as Last years Special was released to us already. So a year is a little out of the ordinary then for the next special. I realize that 4 star GM's can do the specials and such before general release but it does not make sense that the general release is 6 months as before, and now it is a year??
TriOmegaZero wrote:
Specials and 4-star scenarios are not released to the general public until one year after their debut.

This. Race for the Runecarved Key (which kicked off Season 4 in 2012) is set to become available for the general public to purchase this GenCon.

It allows smaller/regional conventions to offer the special over the course of the year too. Even though it's not available for general purchase, convention/event organizers can request the scenario for specific events during this time frame.
Shadow Lodge

Yeah, take a look at Race for the Runecarved Key, it says its not available until August 6th. In order to run the current season's special, you HAVE to get it through Paizo as part of the prize/scenario support for an event.
Grand Lodge
Pathfinder Adventure, Rulebook Subscriber

I may have been mistaked about the time period. I believe it may be fluid depending on playtest reports and volume of events.
Deanoth wrote:
That does not actually make sense to me as Last years Special was released to us already. So a year is a little out of the ordinary then for the next special. I realize that 4 star GM's can do the specials and such before general release but it does not make sense that the general release is 6 months as before, and now it is a year??

I think you might be interchanging the GenCon specials, that normally involve multiple tables all playing the same event at that same time, and the 4 star GM specials.

The GenCon specials come out in August (GenCon), and are available for public purchase one year later at the next GenCon season.

The 4 star specials have been coming out in February/March (The Midnight Mauler, The Cyphermage Dilemma, and now The Day of the Demon), and are available to the general public the next year in February/March.

Each one has a 1 year delay in release to the general public, but they are 5~6 months apart from their individual release.
Sovereign Court

Any idea when the GM's running this at GenCon will be able to download this. Not looking forward to a 12 hour prep time for such an anticipated special...
Paizo Employee Developer

We'll have it available well before 12-hours prior to the show. Except in cases of extreme circumstances, we generally aim to have all convention scenarios in GMs' hands at least 1 week prior to the start of the show. Since this adventure is still being written and will be playtested at PaizoCon, we're unlikely to have the final version of the special to Gen Con GMs until late July or early August.
Grand Lodge
Pathfinder Adventure, Rulebook Subscriber

Booyah, playtester status! :)
Silver Crusade

I rarely, in fact, almost never, write in all caps...but

SO EXCITED FOR THIS!
Liberty's Edge
1 person marked this as a favorite.

Have I really volunteered to GM this at PaizoCon UK? Oh boy...

D fense (doom doom) D fense! (doom doom)

We're gonna need more than seven samurai...
Paizo Employee Managing Creative Director (Starfinder)
1 person marked this as a favorite.
BigNorseWolf wrote:

D fense (doom doom) D fense! (doom doom)

We're gonna need more than seven samurai...

Several hundred should suffice... :)

Sovereign Court
Mark Moreland wrote:
We'll have it available well before 12-hours prior to the show. Except in cases of extreme circumstances, we generally aim to have all convention scenarios in GMs' hands at least 1 week prior to the start of the show. Since this adventure is still being written and will be playtested at PaizoCon, we're unlikely to have the final version of the special to Gen Con GMs until late July or early August.

Cheers. I was hoping to go all out for the maps for this. May have to curb my enthusiasm.

Scarab Sages
Paz wrote:
Have I really volunteered to GM this at PaizoCon UK? Oh boy...

Oh yes. Sounds fun doesn't it?

Grand Lodge

*cackles* This is looking like so much fun already!
1 person marked this as a favorite.
Thurston Hillman wrote:
BigNorseWolf wrote:

D fense (doom doom) D fense! (doom doom)

We're gonna need more than seven samurai...

Several hundred should suffice... :)

Sounds like enough dead bards to hide behind...

Liberty's Edge

What are the subtiers of this special scenario?
Sovereign Court
Pathfinder Rulebook Subscriber

If it's like the previous ones it will be sub tiers:
1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9, 10-11, and probably 12+.
Liberty's Edge
Pathfinder Battles Case Subscriber; Pathfinder Maps, Pathfinder Accessories Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Charter Superscriber; Starfinder Charter Superscriber

What are the chances we will see this for PaizoCon GMs before this weekend?
Paizo Employee Developer

100%
Liberty's Edge
Pathfinder Battles Case Subscriber; Pathfinder Maps, Pathfinder Accessories Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Charter Superscriber; Starfinder Charter Superscriber
Mark Moreland wrote:
100%

Woot!

Liberty's Edge
Pathfinder Battles Case Subscriber; Pathfinder Maps, Pathfinder Accessories Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Charter Superscriber; Starfinder Charter Superscriber

Just downloaded it, thanks for getting out before the weekend!
Paizo Employee Developer

Thank John. He's the one who's been putting in the hardcore overtime hours to get everything ready for next week's show.
Grand Lodge
Pathfinder Adventure, Rulebook Subscriber

Oh man, I am stoked.
Liberty's Edge

Is this the version that will be used at PaizoCon UK, or is it expected to be updated before then?
Paizo Employee Developer

It's unclear at this time what stage development of this event will be in for that show. We know only that it will be completely done in time for Gen Con GMs to prepare. Beyond that, we'll have to wait until closer to PaizoCon UK to make such determinations.
Liberty's Edge
Mark Moreland wrote:
It's unclear at this time what stage development of this event will be in for that show. We know only that it will be completely done in time for Gen Con GMs to prepare. Beyond that, we'll have to wait until closer to PaizoCon UK to make such determinations.

Thanks very much for the update.

Shadow Lodge

Maybe a little too late to matter for PaizoCon, but what maps other than those included should be used?
Grand Lodge
1 person marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Adventure, Rulebook Subscriber

Minor playtest tip, not too spoilery but only for GMs.

Spoiler:
In Act 1, an NPC joins the group for roleplay during muster. While they provide example PCs for you to use, feel free to use your own PFS character for this part. I asked Mike and he confirmed that it was okay, and Thursty told me he had written Act 1 with that in mind.
Paizo Employee Managing Creative Director (Starfinder)

Toz > during th GM pre-meet, I indicted that there are several other maps suitable for use. The final product _should_ include a sidebar on applicable maps beyond those being handed out to GMs at GenCon.
Grand Lodge
Pathfinder Adventure, Rulebook Subscriber

Yeah, I completely forgot to use the various flip-mats I brought during the special. XD The Waterfront map pack came in handy, however. I look forward to seeing the final product!
Silver Crusade

*sigh* it gets a tad frustrating year after year to be unable to attend, then have to wait a year to play. I personally feel that this leaves those of us in PFS who do not have a pocket full of money, and what we do have still does go to paz, get left in the dust.

I feel that these events should be offered in each major metro area by the Venture Capt of that area. Mabye a month or so after GenCon. Even if its a one time thing. I play PFS to get away from my years of RPGA and their absurd restrictions,(and my personal though that 4.0 is a pile of trash)

I understand Gencon is special, but that makes us loyal PFS players no less important just because some of us are able to make it. I assure you I and most of the people I know would be there if we did not have money issues, jobs, or family.

This type of thing just feels wrong. I may not have all the information, as I became unhappy with PFS and quite from season 2 to 4 due to things like this. I suppose it all sums up to, why should I be left out because it takes me 2 months to save for the latest book?
Grand Lodge
Pathfinder Adventure, Rulebook Subscriber

That's the problem with advance screenings. If everyone were allowed to see them, they'd no longer be 'advance'.

I promise you that it was very much like seeing X-men without half of the special effects. Really enjoyable, but missing some things.
Silver Crusade

There is no reason at all, that this cant be run in major places on a one time run, with limited space. Like Washington D.C., New York City, and the like.
Liberty's Edge

Umm these things can be run outside of GenCon and PaizoCon. In fact they often do. I myself participated in Race for the RuneCarved Key and Year of the ShadowLodge at two local conventions. Both conventions took place in Minnesota.

If you are interested in your local VOs running these, get ahold of them. Hell, help them arrange the event if you can and they want the help.
Grand Lodge
graywulfe wrote:

Umm these things can be run outside of GenCon and PaizoCon. In fact they often do. I myself participated in Race for the RuneCarved Key and Year of the ShadowLodge at two local conventions. Both conventions took place in Minnesota.

If you are interested in your local VOs running these, get ahold of them. Hell, help them arrange the event if you can and they want the help.

Graywulfe, You are correct we have done them at a Convention here in MN. We have also done them occasionally at local game day events too in MN :)

StarcryX,
Just so you know, you do not NEED a Venture Officer to run the Specials, You just need more then 4 tables offered to do so is all. So that would be 5 GM's or more. Also, the specials do not take a year to come out after they release at Gen Con, on Aug 14th/16th. So if you got enough people you could possibly run it. :)

I wish you well.
Shadow Lodge

Deanoth, you're not completely correct. Check the date again under Product Availability. It releases to the public for purchase on August 14th 2014. There is an entire year where the special can only be run at conventions. You don't need to be a VO, but you do need Mike's permission to run it and I believe it would have to be a minimum of 15 tables over the weekend, just like any other Paizo support, in addition to meeting the minimum tables required for the special.
1 to 50 of 59 << first < prev | 1 | 2 | next > last >>
Community / Forums / Paizo / Product Discussion / Pathfinder Society Special: Siege of the Diamond City (PFRPG) PDF All Messageboards

Want to post a reply? Sign in.