Reviews of Pathfinder Modules
Posted: Mon Jul 27, 2015 8:29 pm
Finally catching up on reading some of my scores from the Great Golem sale (this past year's sale AND the year prior's). Figured I might as well post my thoughts.
Carnival of Tears
Well, it's certainly not "our" Carnival, that's for sure. A roguish adventurer reforms after falling in love with a constable, but when her soul is captured by dark ice-themed fey, he falls into depression, taking over a travelling carnival (because that's what one does in that situation, surely). Then the carnival returns to same logging town where he first joined them (conveniently, I suppose, so you can get some backstory from the locals), at the same time that a local dryad decides to ask the dark fey to take revenge against the townsfolk on behalf of the trees. But the dark fey get out of control and take over the carnival. Carnage ensues as the patrons are charmed into not noticing that the fey are making the carnival into a bloodbath, and the PCs have to save the day, preferably by freeing the constable's soul and getting her lover, the carnival master, to help out against the fey.
It's not a bad adventure in isolation, though some of the backstory seems forced, as I mentioned. Also, the gore factor is really high, to the point where the charmed victims not noticing it becomes comical rather than scary. (There's actually a chart of how many deaths happen per hour in each "attraction"). But I'd be hard-pressed to use it in the same campaign as Ravenloft's Carnival, as it would be a little repetitive. Of course, if you don't mind that, or if you don't plan to use Isolde and friends, or I suppose if you want to do a themed campaign involving multiple rival carnivals or something, you could drop it into any isolated area of Ravenloft, preferably somewhere cold and forested. Maybe Lamordia, Sanguinia, the Balinoks, or just Verbrek or Kartakass in the winter time. You could tie the fey to the Shadow Fey, but these fey are more overtly sinister. Alternately, it's a somewhat useful source of inspiration for attractions for Ravenloft's Carnival or other travelling shows or festivals. One might also plunder the handful of freaks for Twisting ideas, or use the few included dark ice fey monsters for other purposes. (rules are 3.5e, but could be adapted). Overall, not really what I was hoping for, but just "OK." 3/5 blood drops.
Carnival of Tears
Well, it's certainly not "our" Carnival, that's for sure. A roguish adventurer reforms after falling in love with a constable, but when her soul is captured by dark ice-themed fey, he falls into depression, taking over a travelling carnival (because that's what one does in that situation, surely). Then the carnival returns to same logging town where he first joined them (conveniently, I suppose, so you can get some backstory from the locals), at the same time that a local dryad decides to ask the dark fey to take revenge against the townsfolk on behalf of the trees. But the dark fey get out of control and take over the carnival. Carnage ensues as the patrons are charmed into not noticing that the fey are making the carnival into a bloodbath, and the PCs have to save the day, preferably by freeing the constable's soul and getting her lover, the carnival master, to help out against the fey.
It's not a bad adventure in isolation, though some of the backstory seems forced, as I mentioned. Also, the gore factor is really high, to the point where the charmed victims not noticing it becomes comical rather than scary. (There's actually a chart of how many deaths happen per hour in each "attraction"). But I'd be hard-pressed to use it in the same campaign as Ravenloft's Carnival, as it would be a little repetitive. Of course, if you don't mind that, or if you don't plan to use Isolde and friends, or I suppose if you want to do a themed campaign involving multiple rival carnivals or something, you could drop it into any isolated area of Ravenloft, preferably somewhere cold and forested. Maybe Lamordia, Sanguinia, the Balinoks, or just Verbrek or Kartakass in the winter time. You could tie the fey to the Shadow Fey, but these fey are more overtly sinister. Alternately, it's a somewhat useful source of inspiration for attractions for Ravenloft's Carnival or other travelling shows or festivals. One might also plunder the handful of freaks for Twisting ideas, or use the few included dark ice fey monsters for other purposes. (rules are 3.5e, but could be adapted). Overall, not really what I was hoping for, but just "OK." 3/5 blood drops.