A Review: Wrath of the Righteous #2: Sword of Valor

DISCLAIMER I've written this review as a player participating in the Wrath of the Righteous adventure path. I have not read the adventure or its backmatter, and so I cannot comment on the quality of the writing or specific mechanical elements of the adventure. Furthermore, it is quite possible that my GM has tweaked parts of the adventure to fit our group of players. I can, however, provide an account of my impressions of the adventure after a successful playthrough.

Also, this review contains spoilers for Wrath of the Righteous #2: Sword of Valor.

With that out of the way, let's see how this adventure performed at the gaming table.

As the second installment in the Wrath of the Righteous adventure path, Wrath of the Righteous #2: Sword of Valor continues the epic story of a righteous crusade launched against the hordes of demons that threaten to undo the world. The demons have been driven from the ruined fortress city of Kenabres, and the momentous events that wrapped up the first book have all but destroyed the wardstones. All is not lost, however, because the heroes are here to save the day, fueled as they are by mythic powers. The question is, did the heroes have fun?

FLUFF
The premise of the adventure is simple: With a mandate granted by Crusader Queen Galfrey, the heroes lead an army of paladins into the Worldwound. Their mission is to deliver the occupied city of Drezen and find the powerful Sword of Valor. As a result, the adventure is divided into three parts: the march through the Worldwound, the assault on the city, and the search for the Sword of Valor.

The first part, the march through the Worldwound was my favorite part of the adventure. It featured everything I hoped it might - mass combat, despair, evil machinations, betrayal, all of it set against the backdrop of the Worldwound. This part of the adventure offered plenty of opportunities for some fun roleplaying, and it gave another glimpse into the wickedness of the demons and their allies. More importantly for me, though, it showcased one of the strengths of the demons in the Pathfinder RPG - their different approaches to the concept of destruction.

It is easy to think of demons as one-trick ponies whose only modus operandi is SMASH KILL MAIM! That would be a mistake, though. During the heroes' march through the Worldwound, their resolve was tested as the forces of evil constantly sought to destroy the army through subtle means. Whispered suggestions and damning words of despair, infiltrations of the army camp, soldiers accusing fellow soldiers of crimes committed by agents of the Abyss.

The mass combat was a mixed affair. I had fun as I took an active part in the planning and execution of the battles. Our GM did a good job describing the battles. However, if you were to ask some of my fellow players, I fear their enthusiasm might not be as profound as mine. It seems to me that the mass combat system created by Paizo lacks something in the sense that, as written, it fails to provide an immersive experience for everyone at the table.

The second part of the adventure, the assault on Drezen, featured more mass combat as our army fought the city's defenders. We spent quite a bit of time debating how best to approach the liberation of Drezen, debates based on intel provided by scouts. Each section of town would grant us certain boons, so it was a matter of us to weigh those boons against the level of resistance present in each section.

For me, this part of the adventure featured one of the higlights of the campaign so far. The annihilation of our army of paladins. The paladins had crushed all resistance with a single army remaining - a band of disorganized cultists. Based on our GM's description, there was no indication that this army would present a significant obstacle, and so our army took to the field. A couple of abysmal dice rolls later, both armies were destroyed. The battle showcased another issue with the mass combat rules. It's entirely too easy for a poor die roll or two to destroy an army.

We turned what I felt was a low point in the campaign into the highlight it became through a great bit roleplaying. 100 men had sacrificed their lives to clear a path to the citadel for us. They had endured through several battles against a determined foe before the onslaught had become too much for even our valiant holy warriors. The impromptu memorial was one of the best roleplaying sequences I can remember enjoying in my many years playing roleplaying games.

Finally our heroes were ready to assault the Citadel of Drezen itself and avenge our fallen brothers-in-arms. This third part of the adventure contained a traditional dungeon crawl, and it started with a bang.

As our heroes approached the citadel, we were attacked by what I can only assume was a mythic chimera. What a fun encounter that was. Very cinematic and against an extremely tough opponent. The citadel had its share of demonic minions as well, and the first real Boss of the campaign - Staunton Vaine - was slain. All in all, the citadel was a relatively traditional dungeon, but enough demon taint was there to give it that extra flavor. I suspect that some of the encounters in the citadel were placed there by our GM, so I won't comment on those, just in case my suspicion is correct.

CRUNCH
As I mentioned earlier, I played through this adventure as a player, and as such I don't have any insight into the mechanical aspects of the adventure. However, I *can* comment on the general level of the challenges that were thrown at our characters. With a couple of exceptions, the encounters in this adventure felt a bit light. I didn't feel that we were really challenged. The exceptions, however, were brutal. The above-mentioned chimera brought my character to negative hit points and for a while we feared it might be a TPK. Another encounter, this one in the citadel itself, resulted in the deaths of two characters.

CONCLUSION
For the most part, Wrath of the Righteous #2: Sword of Valor was absolutely stellar and dripping with flavor. Lots of roleplaying opportunities (including meeting Crusader Queen Galfrey herself), interesting locations, NPCs with incredible depth, and some fun encounters. While this adventure did have a weakness - the mass combat - my overall impression is that this is a very well written adventure. Thank you, Neil Spicer, for another fine installment in the Wrath of the Righteous adventure path.

This Just In!

We interrupt this regularly scheduled program (is that even a thing when this blog only has two posts?) with this special message. As you may or may not have noticed, this blog now has a new top banner. The Heine laughing maniacally was drawn by Michelle Sørensen, talented artist and dear friend of mine.

You can find more of her work on her DeviantArt page and her tumblr page. I highly recommend you check out her wonderful artwork.

A Review: Wrath of the Righteous #1: The Worldwound Incursion

I've long been a fan of the concept of demonic invasions into the mortal realm, and the many opportunities such a concept adds to the gaming table. War, horror, desperation, heroism, and more. As such, it was with great glee that I saw the announcement of the Wrath of the Righteous adventure path (or The Demonblight Crusade as it was called before creative director James Jacobs asked the community to help figure out a more fitting name). I was excited. Demons. The Worldwound. The Mendevian Crusades. All three aspects of the Pathfinder campaign setting that I enjoy immensely.

Since the release of Wrath of the Righteous, I've been fortunate to join an amazing group of players in their adventures in Mendev and the Worldwound, and our band of heroes are currently near the end of the adventure path's second book - Sword of Valor. How, then, did the first book - The Worldwound Incursion - fare at our virtual gaming table? Well, let's find out.

Before I dive into the actual review, a wee spoiler might be in order. This review mentions specific names of characters and locations featured in the adventure. If you want to avoid possible spoilers, head on down to the CONCLUSION section for my final words on the book.

Also, this review is written from the perspective of a player. I haven't read the adventure or the book's backmatter, so I can't comment on specific stat blocks or other mechanical aspects of the adventure.

FLUFF
The adventure starts off with a description an assault on the fortress city of Kenabres by a horde of demons, in the aftermath of which our heroes found themselves under the city, saved by a dying dragon. Normally I'd consider such a start a letdown, because it didn't give us an option to interact with the invasion, but it was well written and gave me a sense of dread and wonder. The scope of the demonic invasion was well conveyed. There are plenty of ways for GMs to alter the opening parts of the adventure, but that wasn't really necessary, I felt.

The adventure itself started beneath the city, and it was in many ways a traditional dungeoncrawl in the sense that we moved through the underground tunnels as we tried to find a way back to the surface. The trek through the underground was sprinkled with interesting encounters, and the NPCs that had been placed in the opening scene by author Amber E. Scott added color to the experience. They were interesting and had differing motivations and demeanors. I particularly enjoyed our encounters with the mongrelmen that lived beneath Kenabres, and the lore surrounding them was rich.

After their first real interaction with the demonic forces via a battle against a servant of Baphomet, our heroes reached the surface, and this part of the adventure was my favorite part. Our GM did a great job desribing the destruction and horror that was Kenabres, and as our heroes tried to find any surviving Mendevian crusaders, they encountered demonic vandals, madness-stricken crusaders, desperate survivors, and more. Having linked up with survivors in the inn named Defender's Heart, our heroes struck back against the Baphomite infiltrators in an assault on their safe houses, aided by clues found in the underground. As mentioned, this part was really well done. The horrror and devastation was vividly painted by our GM and the encounters fit with the general mood of the story. They made sense.

The final part of the adventure was basically an assault on the demonic stronghold in the fortress city, a place called the Gray Garrison. It too was well done, I think, and the demons' desecration of the place was detailed in a manner that made me want to bash in the head of every single demon and mortal demon-worshiper we found. The encounters were somewhat challenging, but not excessively so. A couple of encounters brought one or two characters down to negative hit points. The most rewarding segment of this final part of the adventure, however, was the destruction of the city's wardstone. It was the event that added the mythic subsystem to the game, granting our characters their first mythic tier. The adventure's ending was as epic as its beginning, as the heroes received visions of times past as well as potential future enemies.

CRUNCH
As I mentioned earlier, I played through this adventure as a player, and as such I don't have any insight into the mechanical aspects of the adventure. However, I *can* comment on the general level of the challenges that were thrown at our characters. The encounters were varied in their deadliness, and, with the exception of one encounter in the underground, I felt that the real challenge started when our heroes reached the Gray Garrison. It was here that some of the encounters sent a few characters into negative hit points. It wasn't really my impression that the encounters in the adventure were designed to be challenging for our heroes as much as they were there to add depth to the story, and I liked that. They all made sense in the context of the story and the atmosphere, and they *were* taxing for our heroes.

CONCLUSION
I am very pleased with Wrath of the Righteous #1: The Worldwound Incursion. It is an extremely atmospheric and story-heavy adventure that manages to convey the horror of a demonic invasion without becoming excessive in its graphic depictions of its main themes. The encounters were all there to immerse us in the story, the NPCs were interesting, and the encounters adequately challenging. I played an Ustalavic tiefling inquisitor of Iomedae, and I got my money's worth, so to speak, with a character that was a part of both worlds - the demonic and the holy. I highly recommend Wrath of the Righteous #1: The Worldwound Incursion, and I count it among my best memories as a gamer.

Stars: 5 of 5

ROLEPLAYING and GAME - My perfect roleplaying game experience

During a post-session discussion, the topic of gamemastering alignment came up. Basically the idea is to categorize GMs based on the nine iconic D&D alignments. I was quick to categorize myself as a Lawful Neutral GM, but that's not why I'm typing this. See, the discussion evolved into a more fascinating debate on what makes a roleplaying game a roleplaying game. So here I sit, trying to define what a roleplaying game is for me, and I find that I keep focusing on the two words that make up this particular style of gaming - ROLEPLAYING and GAME. For me, these two words carry equal weight. Here's why.

ROLEPLAYING

I like playing a role. It's challenging, it's exciting, and it's the best medium for me to unleash my imagination. As a player, I enjoy taking on the role of a character in a fantastic world and a dramatic story that unfolds through his interactions and acts of heroism. As a GM, I take immense joy in bringing a world to life for my players through my narrative and the interactions of my many NPCs and monsters with the players' characters. It's a cooperative process that challenges everyone involved. Roleplaying awakens a mix of emotions similar to reading a decent novel or watching a engrossing movie. Horror, suspense, happiness. Every emotion in the book. Unforgettable memories are created. Roleplaying a character is, in short, a very rewarding experience.

GAME

If you choose to play a roleplaying game, you're playing a game. In particular, you've chosen to play an interactive game with a set of rules used to resolve conflict. You create a character based on a certain set of rules. You resolve conflicts rolling dice or playing cards or whatever method the system in question utilizes. Your character's aspects are chosen in accordance with this set of rules. For me, that's half the reason I play roleplaying games. It's not just a story. It's also a game, just like a board game or a computer game. I like the fact that the story's conflicts are resolved via game mechanics. The complexity of the system isn't the deciding factor for me. It can be a simple game with few rules (such as Call of Cthulhu) or a complex game (such as Pathfinder RPG or Shadowrun). For me, the randomness of dice rolling and the resolution of conflicts through a set of rules is fun.

THE PERFECT MIX

For me, the perfect balance is achieved when roleplaying and game play an equal part. I like unraveling a thrilling story through the use of rules. I'm what some people would consider a rules lawyer because I like to play roleplaying games by the book. A system might sacrifice realism for cinematic action, or it might be the opposite, seeking to emulate a high level of realism. Both work for me as they're there to represent a certain type story. Pathfinder RPG, for instance, represents a high fantasy experience and tactical gameplay. Call of Cthulhu keeps the rules light so it can focus on the horror. Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay supports a gritty and deadly (relatively) low-fantasy experience. Whatever I play, I play it by the book, because it's designed with a specific theme and genre in mind.

The story then springs from the rules and narrative assumptions are made based on those rules. For instance, in Pathfinder RPG, throwing an axe into melee comes with a penalty. This represents the attacker compensating to avoid hitting any potential allies who are engaged in melee. In the various Warhammer 40,000 roleplaying games, performing the same action comes with a risk of actually damaging your ally. Both scenarios work in the context of the games they're part of, and the resolution of the actions are easily narrated based on those rules. I don't feel a need to houserule something like this in the name of realism. I roll with it, wrapping the story around the rules.

That's not to say that the rules trump the story. As I see it, it's a matter of the two working together to create what I feel is the optimal roleplaying game experience. The rules are mostly there for conflict resolution purposes, and not every single aspect of the story needs to be resolved by the rules. And often, when rules are involved, they influence the story in different and unexpected ways, and that influence can itself lead to interesting story developments.

So, for me the perfect roleplaying game experience is an equal mix of roleplaying and game. I play by the rules and I play to create fun stories for me and for my fellow roleplayers. I respect that other GMs might have different preferences, and I can certainly play in games where rules are handwaved and still have tons of fun.