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Pathfinder RPG: Encounter at the Drowning Stones

Encounter at the Drowning Stones

Sending the party into the depths of the Mwangi Expanse in search of yet-another missing Pathfinder Society agent, this adventure deals with an Aspis Consortium associate's plot to find and raise an ancient evil from a long-lost jungle temple... real tomb-raider stuff. The background for the GM describes the temple, called the Drowning Stones because of a couple of effigies that look like they are drowning in a river, and the adventure synopsis lays out what's supposed to happen.

The actual adventure starts in a tavern, to which the party are summoned by an anonymous note. Even amongst the real dives in Absalom it has a bad reputation, but at least one Venture-Captain uses it to pass on orders to Pathfinders. The matter of it being a long way to the Mwangi Expanse is neatly dealt with but once there the party has to deal with the usual hazards of jungle travel including, of course, local tribes. Nicely, there's an opportunity to deal with them through diplomacy rather than combat, but deal with them the party must before they can proceed further.

And then things get difficult. The Aspis crew turn up dead and the party will have to figure out what is going on from what jungle scavengers have left. Then there are further perils before the Drowning Stones are even reached, followed by a delve into the tample beneath... it strikes me that this has the potential to overrun a convention slot with ease, although it could keep a home campaign entertained for several sessions.

What this does do is give a good impression of steamy oppressive jungle with perils around every corner, but the encounters are a little disjointed and there's little sense of life going on irrespective of what the party do. Finding out what's happened depends overmuch on die-rolling rather than reasoning, with the potential for the party being left standing bewildered if they don't make the right rolls to pick up clues. Handled with care, ensuring they do get the necessary information, it could be a good jungle romp, however.

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Reviewed: 17 April 2016