Pathfinder 1E Pathfinder #1: I have it. Spoilers.

[Simplicity]

Or at least I have the electronic download (for now). Anyone want to know anything about it? There will almost certainly be spoilers in this thread. If you plan on playing this adventure as a character DO NOT READ THIS THREAD.

I've read about 2/3s of it... and my impression is pretty favorable so far. The Goblins in here are, as a design note describes, "Stupid little freaks." Comical until they chew your face off. Much of the adventure deals with these little nasties, and that's a good thing.

The adventure takes place in four different areas: Sandpoint itself, the Sandpoint Glassworks, the Catacombs of Wrath (a "semi-optional" dungeon), and Thistetop (a goblin stronghold in the mostly sunken head of a statue).

Positives:
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Goblins.
Sandpoint seems very intriguing. Lots of opportunities for player involvement.
The Chopper backstory... Creepy.
Runewells. A very interesting idea... Magical sources powered by souls of sin.

Negatives:
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The Glassworks is mostly empty except for one or two large battles... Seems like a waste... Why bother to describe 20 rooms when all the action is really going to take place in one?
I could have had more adventure and less other stuff... But I guess that's what Pathfinder #2 is for.

And that's just the adventure and Sandpoint section. There's also a bestiary, the Pathfinder Journal, and a description of Thassilon.

 

[Awakened]

What's the Pathfinder journal like? Is this relevant to the adventure, or is it supplementary material for any campaign?

 

[Zurai]

It's purely supplemental.

 

[Treebore]

Supplemental for their world. I see it as easy enough to add to any world, especially mine. Every area of my world has their own gods, so even keeping the deity info will work for me.

As for the Glassworks, I see two reasons why they fully mapped it out.

1. People, like me, would have complained if they didn't.

2. There is plenty more action to happen in Sandpoint, and the Glassworks may be one of the areas needed in full detail for that future action.

 

[Simplicity]

What's the Pathfinder journal like? Is this relevant to the adventure, or is it supplementary material for any campaign?

Yeah, it's definitely supplemental only. I personally wasn't all that interested in that section. Though it sets up some world details.

 

[Darkwolf445]

I did not realize it until I read this thread, so...

...if you are subscribed to Pathfinder you should have this download sitting in your account section at Paizo.

D'oh

 

[Zaukrie]

What kind of articles are in there that aren't the adventure, that's what makes me curious.

 

[Zurai]

What kind of articles are in there that aren't the adventure, that's what makes me curious.

There's a (very) in-depth overview of the town of Sandpoint; an article on the ancient empire of Thassilon, which I havn't read yet; a general history of the area, nestled at the very start of the actual adventure; a bestiary, which includes monsters not used in the adventure; and the first Pathfinder's Journal, which describes the Pathfinders organization, notable Pathfinder Lodges, and gives descriptions of some famous Pathfinder adventures in the world.

There's a lot of fluff. Even during the adventure there's at least as much fluff as crunch.

 

[Simplicity]

There's a lot of fluff. Even during the adventure there's at least as much fluff as crunch.

Fluff is probably necessary at this point in the game. They're really creating this world from nothing. It's necessary to anchor people a little bit. However, if the level of fluff keeps up, it may get rather annoying.

 

[Zurai]

Well, the fluff:crunch ratio decreased pretty rapidly the closer I read to the end of Burnt Offerings. The first section is (intentionally, according to the text) at a very high fluff content, but the final dungeon is down to what I remember reading in the Age of Worms dungeons. Do note that there's always going to be a lot of fluff in the Pathfinder series; the adventures are only supposed to take up about half of each book, with the rest being background materials.

That said, the first section of the adventure is going to require either a lot of prep time or some good improv. Probably a bit of both in my case.