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This
mega-module is 130 pages long, 1 page front cover, 2 pages of editorial, 1 page
ToC, 1 page SRD, 1 page advertisement, 1 page back cover, leaving us with a
total of 123 pages of content, so let's take a look!
This
mega-module Kobold-in-Chief Wolfgang Baur was originally released for D&D
4th edition, but I can't comment on that once since I don't have it - I only
have the PFRPG-conversion done by ennie-award winning designer Ben McFarland.
That being said - I'll break my usual format for adventure-reviews - to pieces.
I'm not going to go through this step-by-step - the review would become
redundant fast and extremely long to boot. Instead I'll just say one thing:
GET THIS
NOW. Seriously. Buy it. Give it as a gift to your DM. If you're a DM, get this
NOW. If you, for whatever reason, want to buy only one Kobold Press-adventure -
BUY THIS ONE.
...
..
.
You're
still here, aren't you? Ok, I guess I have to do better. First of all, let me
address that this book features skill-challenges, i.e. obstacles your combined
group can surpass by combinations of skill checks, with each player
contributing (hopefully) something to the fray - they are designed in a way
where even fighters will have something reasonable to do. Furthermore, above
and beyond and a great help for DMs a bit weak on the fluffy roleplaying side,
suggestions for the respective argumentations on why the skill in question
works/doesn't work are given. Beyond these even, class abilities, spells and
feats feature into the respective checks and get covered in a level of detail
I've never ever seen in any publication - without bloating the book. And if you
don't like skill-checks, you could still use these pieces of information as
simple roleplaying guidelines. The same holds btw. true for incantations,
which, while a part of the module, do not occupy a crucial role and can be
abstracted rather easily. Ben McFarland has done an astounding job of
translating the module into the context of Pathfinder-rules. It should also be
noted that the module is relatively light on Midgard-specific fluff, i.e. it
can be transported to Golarion or any other world you choose with minimum
hassle - you just have to switch out cosmetic terms like "Zobeck" for
another big city name and there you go.
And that's
about it regarding the formal qualities of the crunch - next up follows a VERY
BRIEF synopsis of what you can expect - and thus from here on out reign the
SPOILERS. Players, do yourself a favor and jump to the conclusion. You don't
want this one spoiled, believe me. I'd actually love to play this, but having
read it, that is out of the question.
All right,
we kick off when Zobeck (or another big city of your choosing) experiences a
swift occupation: One day, everyone wakes up and finds that the shadow fey now
run the town - and who violates their capricious decrees has to contend with
their harsh, humiliating repressing punishments. Turns out after some research
and diplomacy with the envoy of the scáthesidhe (shadow fey) and some reading
between the lines, that an obscure deal between the former ruling family and
the shadow fey has expired and that they now consider the city their domain -
with an almost unstoppable Statthalter on the way.
In order to
reclaim mortal sovereignty over the city, the PCs have to research a ritual to
send them off on the perilous journey towards the home of the shadow fey - and
should they survive this journey into the very heart of shadow, they'll be
surprised: The Scáthesidhe have made elitism a form of art and at first, the
courts seem empty - those of too low status actually can't even perceive the
upper ones of the layered, fey-glamour-clad echelons of the courts and in order
to gain an audience with the queen of the fey, they'll have to first rise in
status. From lowly goblin servants, lantern dragonettes and fey rakes to the
higher echelons of court, the PCs will require all their wits and capabilities
to survive the perils of the dueling season and slowly work their way up
through a court enamored with the theft of memories, illusions and deception.
Courtly intrigue and harmless and not so harmless pranks abound even before the
PCs become aware of the existence of the Demon Lord of Roaches as a fixture in
the court, of the various deadly factions (which include a celestial and old
weaving crones that are more than they seem) or of the alluring courtesans and
courtiers that can play a pivotal role in the rising through the ranks of the
courts - if the PCs can manage to win (and keep) their favor. And yes, the
affections of the shadow fey may very well turn out to be something rather
problem-laden, as some of the numerous NPCs, both mortal and immortal that
frequent the courts can attest to.
Even before
the Black Prince's favorite quickling swordmaster challenges the PCs, even before
the factions start actively recruiting PCs, we actually get a codified, complex
and thoroughly rewarding rules-framework for the depiction of rising through
the ranks of a court, a system, which when reskinned towards mortal courts,
could be used for Song of Ice and Fire-like machinations. And I have only
scarcely touched upon what there is to come - what about e.g. a hunting trip
with the hostile and antagonistic Black Prince and a chase for the immortal
firebird, represented via a cool, mapped mini-game? The very best banquet-scene
I've ever seen in an adventure - easy to run, complex and thoroughly weird? A
roach-like, loyal warrior who just wants to find a nice place to lay eggs -
which have to unfortunately hatch from a body? The lists upon lists of events,
intrigues etc.? The glorious maps?
What about
the fact that the finale, when the PCs may finally get their audience with the
Queen, requires them to find the insane Moonlight King in a maze of light and
unique dangers and either kill him (in a fight that challenges brains and
brawns) or convince him to abstain from
the claim to Zobeck? Have I mentioned the potential to transcend the bounds of
mortality in the aftermath of this module?
Conclusion:
Editing and
formatting are the one weakness of this module - while not bad by any measure,
I did notice a couple of editing glitches that could have been caught and here
and there a small conversion relic in places where their presence is not
crucial in any way. Layout adheres to a beautiful 2-column b/w-standard and the
provided handouts and maps should water the mouths of any aficionado. The
artworks are original b/w-pieces that fit thematically well within the context
of the book, creating a seamless, unified impression. The pdf is extensively
bookmarked for your convenience, though I'd still recommend getting dead-tree
for this one.
Wolfgang
Baur and Ben McFarland are immensely talented designers and authors - that's no
secret. But even as a fan of many of Wolfgang's pieces, I can't recall any one
that blew me away like this one did. Not one. This is the 123 page refutation
of the claim that social interaction in Pathfinder is boring, the triumphant
sneer in the face of all who claimed that d20-based systems with their
combat-focus don't lend themselves to social interaction, court intrigue or any
scenario, really, that requires subtlety. "Courts of the Shadow Fey"
is a legend, one I slowly digested over multiple months, because every single
page herein had some idea, some spark that made me cackle with glee, a
pervading sense of jamais-vu pervading the pages - more of it than in the whole
catalogues of some companies. I have no doubt that this module will become one
of the must-have-played pieces of Pathfinder with its complex sandboxy
structure, its attention to details. Its inventiveness and its elegant, at
times beautiful, at times creepy blending of themes serve to more perfectly
evoke what being "fey" is all about, it redefines evil in the context
of fey as a form of elitism that may very well be justified.
Even if I
tried, I could have never conveyed the sheer scope and awesomeness of this
module, cover all the ideas herein, short of copying about 90% of the module.
This is the gold-standard of what an ambitious module should be like and while
perhaps not recommended for novice DMs, this is
incredibly good - almost painfully so. And much like its unconventional
ending that resounds so well with the theme of returning from the lands of the
fey, turning the last page of this book left me with a sense of loss that it
had ended, that there were not another 100 pages of shadow fey waiting for me.
If I could, I'd rate this 6 stars. I got this book this year, so it will
feature on my top 10 of 2013-list. It's one of my favorite Open Design/Kobold
Press-books released. It's one of the best adventure-resources out there,
either as module or setting and in scope, quality and detail on par with
Coliseum Morpheuon. I'll repeat it again: GET THIS. Even if you run Golarion,
not Midgard. Want a break from Kingmaker? Get this. Run another setting? Get
this. Don't have a group and want a good read that is inspiring? Get this. Need
ideas for fey tricks, hazards etc.? Get this. This is my unanimous
recommendation towards anyone who even remotely is interested in the topic of
fey: WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? GET THIS! Final verdict? 5 stars +seal of
approval - this might be the best things Wolfgang Baur has written so far - I
know I consider it the best one, and Ben McFarland has gone above and beyond to
make this work in PFRPG. When do we get the courtly intrigue handbook for
mortal courts?
You can get this superb mega-module here on OBS!
Endzeitgeist
out.
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