Reign of Winter Adventure Path
lyle.spade
Adventurer
4 out of 5 rating for Reign of Winter Adventure Path
Disclaimer: I've only run Book 1 of this AP and don't know if I'll run any of the rest of it. I like the idea of a winter-based campaign - different feel, look, and foundational challenges - and Baba Yaga is an interesting character, as well. I'd bought Book 5, with Rasputin, and was very impressed by the story, encounters, and overall idea after reading that - and was looking forward to getting to it. Anyway, Book 1 starts out with a plausible hook, and presents problems and encounters that flow well from one to the next, eventually bringing the PCs to the climax of the book, and then the knowledge that there is more to come. I went a little easy on the cold weather rules, as they would have really slowed down and harmed the party, and thus would have gotten in the way of the story. I think it's enough to use them as a way to make the players think more about their environmental surroundings, rather than creating a subsystem that creates potentially story-sabotaging stat problems. Overall, it was a good story, made up of encounters, locations, and NPCs that made sense within that story and related to one another.
Disclaimer: I've only run Book 1 of this AP and don't know if I'll run any of the rest of it. I like the idea of a winter-based campaign - different feel, look, and foundational challenges - and Baba Yaga is an interesting character, as well. I'd bought Book 5, with Rasputin, and was very impressed by the story, encounters, and overall idea after reading that - and was looking forward to getting to it. Anyway, Book 1 starts out with a plausible hook, and presents problems and encounters that flow well from one to the next, eventually bringing the PCs to the climax of the book, and then the knowledge that there is more to come. I went a little easy on the cold weather rules, as they would have really slowed down and harmed the party, and thus would have gotten in the way of the story. I think it's enough to use them as a way to make the players think more about their environmental surroundings, rather than creating a subsystem that creates potentially story-sabotaging stat problems. Overall, it was a good story, made up of encounters, locations, and NPCs that made sense within that story and related to one another.
4 out of 5 rating for Reign of Winter Adventure Path
A good concept, sort of a twisted fairy tail, sort of. The whole premise is a great way to set the party up with a moral choice, a choice between two evils. Not opne most players want to make, but there are powersd beyond them at play. At times it can seem a little rail roady but the GM can easily deal with that by twisting and changing the encounters...the beginning of book two and most of book 3 need a little help. But with care and a little thought this AP will give most players a great ride into a terrible twisted world of Baba Yaga!
A good concept, sort of a twisted fairy tail, sort of. The whole premise is a great way to set the party up with a moral choice, a choice between two evils. Not opne most players want to make, but there are powersd beyond them at play. At times it can seem a little rail roady but the GM can easily deal with that by twisting and changing the encounters...the beginning of book two and most of book 3 need a little help. But with care and a little thought this AP will give most players a great ride into a terrible twisted world of Baba Yaga!
Lwaxy
Cute but dangerous
5 out of 5 rating for Reign of Winter Adventure Path
Baba Yaga needs your help? Oh yes, because if you don't help, worse things will crepp into the world, like a never ending winter. Book one really is a great start giving the group all the reasons needed to get going. The whole path is a little railroady at time, as most of them are, but it is not very pronounced. Book 2+3 had slight issues with continuity/logic/believability but they were easy enough to fix. GM will definitely need to read ahead though, and it is advised to own the whole AP and read through it before starting although the cross references are sufficient.
Baba Yaga needs your help? Oh yes, because if you don't help, worse things will crepp into the world, like a never ending winter. Book one really is a great start giving the group all the reasons needed to get going. The whole path is a little railroady at time, as most of them are, but it is not very pronounced. Book 2+3 had slight issues with continuity/logic/believability but they were easy enough to fix. GM will definitely need to read ahead though, and it is advised to own the whole AP and read through it before starting although the cross references are sufficient.
Starfox
Hero
3 out of 5 rating for Reign of Winter Adventure Path
First, I've only read this adventure path, not actually played it. It is a series of adventures focused on the themes of fey and winter, held together by the bus that is a very central element of the plot. The players are taken willy-nilly to different exiting locations and have to solve whatever problem comes their way. All the while, they are working for one evil to stymie another evil. I know my players would not accept this premise, and you have to question yourself if yours would. Several of the adventures are very interesting, but the connection between them is tenuous. Perhaps this would work best for a party uninterested in plot, but to such a group several of the scenarios might prove quite difficult. Overall, this is not something I'd recommend as an adventure path, but the individual parts are very nice and can be used separately.
First, I've only read this adventure path, not actually played it. It is a series of adventures focused on the themes of fey and winter, held together by the bus that is a very central element of the plot. The players are taken willy-nilly to different exiting locations and have to solve whatever problem comes their way. All the while, they are working for one evil to stymie another evil. I know my players would not accept this premise, and you have to question yourself if yours would. Several of the adventures are very interesting, but the connection between them is tenuous. Perhaps this would work best for a party uninterested in plot, but to such a group several of the scenarios might prove quite difficult. Overall, this is not something I'd recommend as an adventure path, but the individual parts are very nice and can be used separately.
The Crimson Binome
Hero
2 out of 5 rating for Reign of Winter Adventure Path
This is typical Pathfinder fare. It's kind of rail-road-y, but the balance isn't too far gone in most places. The plot is simple enough to follow, and there are some really fantastical settings which aren't my cup of tea but YMMV. One of the last books is just loaded with guns, though, and Pathfinder firearm rules are horrendous. It's enough to kill an otherwise-decent story, if your players aren't willing to put up with the fact that all of their armor and shields are entirely worthless.
This is typical Pathfinder fare. It's kind of rail-road-y, but the balance isn't too far gone in most places. The plot is simple enough to follow, and there are some really fantastical settings which aren't my cup of tea but YMMV. One of the last books is just loaded with guns, though, and Pathfinder firearm rules are horrendous. It's enough to kill an otherwise-decent story, if your players aren't willing to put up with the fact that all of their armor and shields are entirely worthless.
Enrico Poli1
Adventurer
5 out of 5 rating for Reign of Winter Adventure Path
I absolutely loved it.
The Dancing Hut confers to this Adventure Path an old-school feel unlike any other.
The first two adventures have the taste of a Russian fairytale. The third one is an excellent dungeon of mythic scope, dedicated to the mythic aspects of mother, maiden and crone. The fourth one - I found it very weak in its development, but I loved the fact that was Pathfinder in Space! When it came out, I thought of a Pathfinder - Star Wars crossover; now I could think of a Starfinder transitional experience -. The fifth one - I was absolutely delighted of the setting: Earth, in an historically determined time and space! The adventure actually tries to merge the AP story line with historical facts! YESSS!!! The sixth and last is an average-to-good adventure, not at the exquisite level of the others but acceptable.
Plus, this incredible voyage through space and time hosts a number of memorable NPCs, monsters and new magical items.
My personal favourite of the Pathfinder Adventure Paths. Mythic (in the REAL sense of the world!)
I absolutely loved it.
The Dancing Hut confers to this Adventure Path an old-school feel unlike any other.
The first two adventures have the taste of a Russian fairytale. The third one is an excellent dungeon of mythic scope, dedicated to the mythic aspects of mother, maiden and crone. The fourth one - I found it very weak in its development, but I loved the fact that was Pathfinder in Space! When it came out, I thought of a Pathfinder - Star Wars crossover; now I could think of a Starfinder transitional experience -. The fifth one - I was absolutely delighted of the setting: Earth, in an historically determined time and space! The adventure actually tries to merge the AP story line with historical facts! YESSS!!! The sixth and last is an average-to-good adventure, not at the exquisite level of the others but acceptable.
Plus, this incredible voyage through space and time hosts a number of memorable NPCs, monsters and new magical items.
My personal favourite of the Pathfinder Adventure Paths. Mythic (in the REAL sense of the world!)
