A Pathfinder Society Scenario designed for levels 3–7.
An elusive enemy of the Society has launched a campaign of espionage and intrigue from Stonespine Island, the homeport of the infamous Okeno pirates. The Society must sneak a team of agents through one of the largest slave markets on the Inner Sea and track the slippery mastermind to her base if they are to successfully capture the villain, and Venture-Captain Ambrus Valsin has just the team of Pathfinders in mind for the task. Can the PCs defeat this remote slave ring without becoming slaves themselves?
Content in “The Slave Master’s Mirror” also contributes directly to the ongoing storylines of the Liberty’s Edge and Silver Crusade factions.
Written by Sam Polak.
This scenario is designed for play in Pathfinder Society Organized Play, but can easily be adapted for use with any world. This scenario is compliant with the Open Game License (OGL) and is suitable for use with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game.
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Overall a sandbox module, you disguise to be slaves and slave masters to sneak in bad guys lair. Lots of roleplays, lots of combats, and depends on your decision may act differently. Also some interesing NPCs, range from slaves, gnolls, a genie, and Lady Darchana perhaps.
The combats are mostly gnolls and their friends, not deadly but not loose of challenge either. Beware the scenario is easily overtime, we just played more than 7 hours, lots to do with GM.
Strongly recommeded, especially for Liberty's Edge to do some dramatic tasks.
Rewards interesting PC strategy without punishing the straightforward approach
Charlie Bell
(RPG Superstar 2015 Top 16, RPG Superstar 2013 Top 16)
—
I've played and GMed this excellent scenario. Spoilers below.
Pros:
Good roleplaying opportunities that reward a deep-cover infiltration approach. But if you prefer to go in swinging, that works too.
PCs who are good at the less-used sneaky/social skills, like Disguise and Sleight of Hand, will get a chance to shine--yet the encounters are set up in such a way that PCs who aren't don't get hosed.
Combats match up interesting terrain and enemy tactics to shake things up a bit.
Good riddle/puzzle/social encounter that rewards players who have been paying attention to PFS metaplot, while providing a "safety net" for players who haven't.
Superb chronicle, including a new minor wondrous item.
One of the first scenarios to include full stat blocks for all referenced NPCs in the back.
Uses Flip-Mat: Desert Ruins and two custom maps. The custom maps fit easily on a blank Flip-Mat or 24x36 grid paper, with no 10 ft. squares (yay). The custom maps are an interesting place to adventure (a palisade guarding a fortified cliff dwelling, basically).
AP Easter Egg!
Lady Darchana returns (love that NPC).
Cons:
Could have just been my group, but it felt like the boss had a glass jaw at low subtier/4 player adjustment.
There's not a well-defined trigger that will initiate combat if the PCs dither about when to blow their cover. My PCs were so into the deep cover thing that the gnolls had to actually tell the ones disguised as slavers to leave the compound before the PCs decided to kick off the revolt.
This scenario is versatile, and could easily end up going many different ways. A lot of scenarios get called “sandboxes” just because they let you pick the order in-which you do tasks. This scenario can be whatever the table wants it to be, as long as the GM is prepared. With such a flexible, well-prepared GM and a table of players confident enough to push against the “rails” of the scenario.
I put “rails” in quotation marks because, while the scenario has a basic premise it hopes the players to follow, they are under no obligation to. If one table wants to play it like a covert infiltration and another wants to just hack-and-slash brute force it, both can be happy.
As a long-time fan of gnolls, I was really happy to see them done right in this scenario. The laziness that has always been an endearing trait of gnolls comes through without undermining their threat. The final encounter is particularly strong at high tier, and is just strong enough to provide a good challenge with a chance of death.
If you are playing this scenario you'll need to be engaged, think critically, and be prepared for the worst. An impulsive player or two could completely ruin your experience. The group needs to consider what is at stake from the very beginning and have very simple goals. If your character has concerns about their team then those concerns need to be addressed immediately before putting the group in danger. As the situation changes, plans might go out the window, each player must think on their feet. I like this scenario because it tests the players on what being a Pathfinder entails. Those who fail might end up slaves—or worse.
The first hit of the first round of combat of the first battle crit my 30 hp arcanist with 14 con for 53 damage. (For some reason the fighter shifted position on his turn, leaving both arcanists exposed to attacks.) 53 damage in one attack at tier 4-5 is too much.
The scenario forces some of the party members to be slaves. This sucks because as a slave your choices and role-play options are limited. You sit there bored for an hour or so while the non-slaves have all the fun.
Sequel or prequel to Slave Ships of Absalom? And what happened to my new favorite author, Mark Garringer? ;-)
This one follows the events of Slave Ships of Absalom. And I can tell you that Mark has probably not been captured by vengeful slave-trading pirates and is most likely not being held in a secret location on Stonespine island.
Sequel or prequel to Slave Ships of Absalom? And what happened to my new favorite author, Mark Garringer? ;-)
This one follows the events of Slave Ships of Absalom. And I can tell you that Mark has probably not been captured by vengeful slave-trading pirates and is most likely not being held in a secret location on Stonespine island.
Glad that Mark is (probably) okay... and even gladder to hear that this is a sequel to Slave Ships! Loved that one and there was much unresolved stuff in it... perfect for a sequel or (dare I ask) series?
Take it easy, Deussu! Works perfectly from my perspective. In my opinion...
1) Tier 3-7 is highly appropriate for three reasons: there's about 2 months between, meaning many who played Slave Ships will have leveled up a little by now (those who haven't are welcome to do so); the difficulty should be getting higher as the PCs get closer to a confrontation with this mysterious foe; and, as you mention yourself, they are not marked as a series - at the conclusion of Slave Ships, the Decemvirate has much work to do while the PCs resume their "regular" Society work.
2) Liberty's Edge is represented in both, and Soverign Court doesn't make sense to me on Stonespire Island (whereas it made perfect sense while working for nobles in Absalom). Presumably, the Silver Crusade has more business there - it certainly "feels" right to me for that faction. On the other hand, arbitrarily sticking to the same factions to appease players who want to play only faction missions that benefit them, rather than enjoy a sequel for what it is, "feels" wrong.
Really can't wait to run this!
@Mark: I'm also, very happy to hear that you're free to wage your war on Eastasia (whatever that might be all about).
You know, TriOmega, I find myself feeling that way a lot recently with season six. When I read through the Segang Expedition, then with the Wounded Wisp or when I played Valley of Veiled Flame. In particular I'm liking the apparent effort that has been taken to ensure that scenarios have some sort of interesting surprise whether pleasant or unpleasant.
I started off feeling rather tepid about season six but now I'm increasingly excited to see what each new scenario brings.
Prepping this for a game next week and noticed an amusing misprint.
Spoiler:
The Lesser Pugwampi Braid is listed as having a construction cost of 21,000 GP, even though it's price is listed at 300 GP. This an obvious copy/paste fail from the Mirror of Treacherous Sight, which has a price of 42,000 GP. Of course, this same copy/paste bug made it's way into the chronicle sheet as well. :-)
Ok thought so. One thing I've always disliked with newer rpg products is the awesome maps in the book vs the crappy hand drawn ones made by your's truly :).
I ran this scenario last week.
All players enjoyed it, but one character died.
I have been scrutinizing the stat blocks from that encounter.
Is this an error?:
Stat block:
Subtier 6-7 includes some gnoll lieutenants (fighter 5). Their stats are on page 30 of the scenario, reprinted from page 96 of the Monster Codex.
The stat block says that the lieutenant's +1 scorpion whip deals 1d4+9 points of damage, but I count only 1d4+7:
+5 from Strength 20,
+1 from weapon training (flails +1),
+1 from the weapon's enhancement bonus.
Weapon Specialization (whip) would give +2 points of damage, but the lieutenant doesn't have this feat. Maybe an earlier version of the lieutenant did have the feat, but the designers changed the feat but forgot to change the damage.
Wielding most one-handed weapons in two hands would grant the lieutenant another 2 points of damage, but the scorpion whip is a "light weapon" (Ultimate Combat, page 145), not a "one-handed weapon", and light weapons don't deal any extra damage when wielded in two hands. (Side note: a normal whip, however, is a one-handed weapon, so wielding a whip in two hands would deal more damage.) Anyway, the lieutenant's calculated AC includes a +1 shield bonus from the masterwork light steel shield, so he doesn't have a free hand to put on a weapon.
Am I missing another bonus to damage or should the whip attack actually deal 1d4+7 points of damage?
RPG Superstar 2012 Top 8
