An Endzeitgeist.com review

The third installment of the What Lies Beyond Reason AP clocks in at 69 pages, 1 page front cover, 1 page editorial, 1 page KS-thanks, 1 page ToC, 1 page SRD, 1 page back cover, leaving us with 63 pages of content, so let's take a look!

This review was moved up in my review-queue due to me receiving a print copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

First things first: As before, we receive scaling information, namely the required modifications to run this for 4th level or 6th level characters instead of the 5th-level default. The pdf includes pregens.

This being an adventure-review, the following contains SPOILERS. Potential players should jump to the conclusion.

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All right, so Damian's cryptic words at the end of module #2 should bring the PCs to the scorched ruins of his once noble family - unbeknown to anyone, the taint of the Machine has sent his family into the tragic downward spiral that gave rise to his obsession, but the PCs will find out how horrid this haunted place has become. Is Damian a bad guy? This adventure provides the answer, as the PCs explore the massive manor grounds, situated in the noble's district before the city's gates in a freeform horror sandbox.

Basically, you have the massive manor-grounds and while the PCs explore this place, direct and indirect storytelling will allow them to piece together Damian's background story - a tale of woe, of a father gone missing abroad, a mother spiraling into drug-dependency and an abusive stepfather, a monster who covertly hunted humans, one that was ultimately stopped by Damian.

As the PCs explore the manor grounds, they'll bear witness, through cinematic haunts (that do NOT screw over the PCs!) the tragic past of Damian, how his family's downfall came to be, how his illegitimate daughter, whom he loved with all his heart, was slain in a horrid accident that unleashed his sorcerous powers...and how he came to understand the evil festering in Anduria...in short, it shows how a good man can come to employ the horrific methods he was employing in module #2.

Oh, and it is structurally the best module by Pyromaniac Press - in fact, it may very well be one of the best haunted house modules I have read in a long while. You see, this behaves, in a way, like the games of the Clocktower series or Haunting Ground - the grounds are haunted by a basically unbeatable monster, a horrid amalgamation of the souls slain here. This monster can only be hurt by using items that meant something to the constituent souls...and figuring that out is part of the challenge. The M is encouraged to use this monster to put pressure on the PCs, alleviate lulls, etc. - and the suggestions included make this very cinematic. oh, and fret not: The thing is SLOW and DUMB...but about as inexorable as the frickin' Terminator. PCs are encourages by the presence of this threat to alternate between exploration and running, lulls and frantic activity...and from the OTHER threats here to the haunts, all those small clues they can gather can be pieced together to ultimately stop this thing. This makes the module behave in a different way than most and achieves, in combination with Micah Watt's great rose and differentiated character-portrayal, to generate an atmosphere not unlike that of a great survival horror adventure.

...oh, and have I mentioned that the PCs will sooner or later find the breach in the cellar, which will lead to strange subterranean caverns, where dark folk are worshiping an even stranger manta ray-like humanoid...and ultimately, find a strange keystone, whose mere presence seems to generate fugue states...though, at least for now, its wards seem to hold...placed by Damian...mind you...so ultimately, the module, when run successfully, should leave the PCs conflicted about Damian...and seriously contemplate redemption for the man...

There is one item that needs to die a fiery death - an infinite fast healing-granting parasite, which, while sporting a creepy imagery, is not something that makes any sense to me within the context of this AP. Still, that's one item and a limit can be added relatively easily. On the plus-side: If you're a fan of Rusted Iron Games' Deadly Gardens-series, you'll appreciate the crossover options included herein. (And yes, rules-relevant information included.)

Conclusion:

Editing and formatting are very good, I did not notice glaring issues. Layout adheres to a really nice two-column full-color standard and the module sports a lot of amazing, gorgeous full-color artworks. The module does come with a printer-friendly version, just fyi. The pdf also comes with amazing full-color maps, and excellent full-color player-friendly high-res maps are included in the deal. The pdf version comes fully bookmarked for your convenience. The softcover is nice and a bit darker than the pdf, which acts to the module's benefit as far as I'm concerned.

So, I admittedly love the genre. Pathfinder #2 made me stick with the Pathfinder modules back in the day. That being said, this also means that I have read a metric TON of haunted house modules and this is, frankly, one of the best I have read in a long, long while. You see, a haunted house requires a) detail, b) threats and c) above all, tragedy that you can empathize with. This module delivers all of these in spades. In fact, it could be called the pay-off module for what has gone before; up to this module, we have been setting the stage in various ways - for the AP, the city, the NPCs...and this is where the pay-off begins. And, OH BOY does it hit hard!

The story and portrayal of characters is amazing, the atmosphere genuinely creepy. The plot-device monster and various ways for the PCs to defeat it is genius and manages to ramp up the tension really well. The use of cut-scene-haunts, direct and indirect storytelling all conspire to make this module a really impressive, amazing experience that even jaded ole' me enjoyed. In short: Micah Watt brilliantly showcases his strengths as an author here and the passion obvious on every page means that my final verdict will clock in at 5 stars + seal of approval. If this level of quality is an indication of the shape of things to come, I can't wait to see more from this AP!

Endzeitgeist out.

The third full adventure in the series was something a lot closer to a "traditional" dungeon. Following directly on from the previos adventure the party will decipher a riddle and find thier way to the ancestral home of one of the main antagonists. Once there, through a series of haunts the party will learn the history and motivations of this main NPC.

This is a classic haunted house scenario that does its best (and succeeds) to ratchet up the tension and fear in its audience. Through the use of surprise, traps and mosters and feeling of paranoia intensifies and ratchets up and up until the final scene... and for god's sake don't try to cut to the end!

If you're just after a hackfest with a pile of loot at the end then you may get a little bored. This is not an adventure for kids, in fact the whole adventure path is designed to make you think rather than just romp about. If you want emersive entertainment then this is for you.

This, the third adventure in the What Lies Beyond Reason Adventure Path, seeks to scare the living daylights out of the party, if not their players as well. The introduction starts in on this theme as the author muses about how the adventure began as a stand-alone haunted house scenario... which never got run! The reasoning behind this leads to a discussion on how to do 'scary' at your gaming table. It can be hard - the communual nature of a gaming group mitigates against the isolation of something genuinely scary, the threat of loss is not as great when you can roll up a new character and carry on, and - well, what's new? Your players will have seen it all before, even if their characters have not... or will they? No cheap thrills here, but solidly thought-out building of threat...

The adventure consists of the exploration of a long-ruined building, once the manor of a respected family. The adventure background provides the low-down of the family history right up to the present day. Aimed at 5th-level characters, there are notes on adjusting it up or down a level depending on where your party actually is levelwise. It is a location-based sandbox, the party are free to wander around as they will within (and under) the ruined manor house and its grounds. Interestingly, although information gleaned here is useful in understanding what is going on as regards the adventure path as a whole, this adventure isn't strictly speaking necessary so don't worry if the party does not pick up on everything that might be found here. However, there is real danger here too, and the ramifications of that are discussed... after all, the purpose of this adventure is to give even the most jaded party a true jolt of fear!

The adventure opens with the party actually going to the house, something that ought to happen fairly quickly, a matter of days, after the previous adventure (Ignorance is Bliss). The opening scene depends on how quickly they go there, a neat reminder that the world goes on around them. With information and rumours to gather before they go, and plenty of detailed description to go with the maps and plans (replicated in player-friendly format in the accompanying map pack), you are provided with everything you need to cope with the party wandering around the place (although thorough study before you actually run the game will repay you with a deeper understanding of the significance of all that is to be found).

This is a thought-provoking adventure providing a wealth of background about one of the major antagonists of the adventure path. Some may find it dull but it will repay perseverence, even for those who are not enamoured of traditional 'horror' adventures, with opportunities for creative thought as well as giving opportunity for creative approaches to combat. It's a very mature adventure - as in grown up, not smutty(!) - that has the potential to become a memorable part of the party's history.