Pathfinder Adventure: The Fall of Plaguestone

3.90/5 (based on 20 ratings)
Pathfinder Adventure: The Fall of Plaguestone
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A Troubled Town

A group of new adventurers traveling through the village of Etran's Folly—also known as Plaguestone—must come together to solve the murder of a friend. What starts as a simple investigation quickly turns sinister with the discovery of forbidden alchemy, mutant animals, and a nearby forest rotting away due to a mysterious blight. It becomes clear that if these heroes don't intervene to stop whatever evil is brewing, the fall of Plaguestone is all but certain!

The Fall of Plaguestone is the first standalone adventure for Pathfinder Second Edition, designed for 1st-level characters. It tells the story of how a group of strangers band together to form a group of adventurers while saving the town of Etran's Folly from a terrifying fate, serving as a perfect introduction to a new Pathfinder campaign!

This adventure can be used with the Pathfinder Flip-Mat: The Fall of Plaguestone.

ISBN: 978-1-64078-174-0

"Fall of Plaguestone" is sanctioned for use in Pathfinder Society Organized Play. The rules for running this Adventure and Chronicle sheet are available as a free download (1.5 MB PDF).

Other Resources: This product is also available on the following platforms:

Hero Lab Online
Fantasy Grounds Virtual Tabletop
Pathfinder Nexus on Demiplane
Roll20 Virtual Tabletop
SoundSet on Syrinscape
Archives of Nethys

Note: This product is part of the Pathfinder Adventure Subscription.

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Not Good, Real Bad for New Players

2/5

After owning this for four years, I finally got to run this when my long time group decided to walk away from 5e.

As many have said, the combats are onerous, unbalanced, and tedious. While the caravan and town NPCs are good, and my group really loved the whodunnit aspect of the adventure, we liked little else. I changed gears after the Pen chapter, and just made my own ideas for the last chapter which is really just poorly put together if you run it as written.

If you're looking to bring new players into the 2e fold, avoid this module like the plague(stone).


Balance Issues, Plot Failed to Engage

2/5

The balance issues are definitely a problem. It's understandable that they exist, and it's not impossible to fix. However, If a GM goes into the game unprepared, these issues can really put a damper on the adventure.

However, my real issue is that the module didn't grab me or my group in an interesting, narrative way. It's set up to provide an introduction to the Pathfinder 2e game and world, so perhaps it's not surprising that the story feels a little basic; generic, even. When I ran it, neither my group nor my players were very interested in the mystery and story of the adventure.

So we found the story to be "meh", and when combined with the balance issues, I think you have a module that was fine for the time, but has since been left behind by other, better adventures that provide more interesting, and more balanced, games for low-level play.


Rip Tanner is a Bot or a Troll

5/5

I have played this. Tactical mistakes in combat will be punished severely if players take the old strategy of stand and swing swords. Teamwork is critical to success throughout the adventure. We had fun from start to finish.

Also, Rip Tanner is a Bot or a Troll...or both


1/5


Solid rural horror/mystery, that might need a few story / balance tune-ups

4/5

We ran this start to finish in 15 4-hr sessions and for the most part it was very enjoyable!

(Review will have SPOILERS obviously)

It has a fairly "slow burn" start that I find perfect at level 1, with meeting a bunch of NPCs, getting to know the town, before the hook happens and you begin your murder mystery. There's no explosions here in Session 1.

Encounters:

Good:

- Hallod's Hideout and The Pen are genuinely fun dungeons to explore. I have perfect "low-level adventure" memories from these, and yet the fights are quite dynamic.

- In F5, I had Hallod release his dogs on the players while shooting his crossbow through the barred window.

- In H2 and H4, there's a LOT of alchemical shenanigans, and surprisingly interesting creatures & environmental hazards for only Level 2.

- You can turn the outdoor part of Spite's Cradle into a *really* cool sandbox-y fight, with archers on the tower, Lord Nar as a melee threat, possibly even some PCs on the cliffs.

Bad:

- IMO, like most Adventures, it has a fairly high number of filler encounters. I definitely took out the Bear, and the Swarm of Bees... and half the stuff in the final dungeon (elsewise it has a risk of being like 2x longer than the other ones). But I admit that's personal preference.

- A few of the fights are also infamously "overtuned", possibly victims of "oops, it was the 1st Adventure, we didn't exactly know how to balance yet". Strongly beware of G2 (Mutant Wolves) and H8 (Blood Ooze). These fights can easily TPK a party. Perfect tactical play from you can TPK in *many* encounters. Consider giving your group +1 Level the entire time, a free archetype, a 5th player, or even a combination of these. Especially if it's the first time playing PF2 for some of you.

Story:

Good:

- The core mystery is pretty engaging, I think. A young alchemist named Vilree wants revenge on the town that killed her mother, and has been paying Bort (traveling dwarf merchant) & Hallod (local thug) for years for smuggled alchemical shipments. As she finally acquires enough ingredients to poison the town, she decides to eliminate loose ends by murdering Bort - but the party is there to see it, which starts them on a chain of investigation.

- There are side-quests that tie in to PC backgrounds! They're mostly not complex, but will make this town feel significantly more sandbox-y, and give RP opportunities to the group that wants it.

- The "small-town mystery" vibes really work, I think. All of the villains are basically small-time thugs. Nothing is over-the-top or "comic book"-ish. Hardly anyone in the whole book has access to magic. It's not grimdark, but it's gritty & grounded, like a good Witcher questline.

Bad:

- The orcs are a little simplistic in this, kinda cliche "savages" - a trope I would have preferred to leave in PF1. I gave them a slightly more complex motivation and had Graytusk order a surrender once Lord Nar fell.

- Vilree's ultimate plan doesn't entirely make sense to me, and the reveal that the Plaguestone is filled with actual poison seems more "trying to be clever" than good. If she had the capability to smuggle gallons of deadly poison to the center of town, she could have just dumped it in the town's wells and killed everyone already. I changed this such that the alchemical drudge is now actually filled with poison, a bloated walking bomb. It carries one of Silwyth's rings, and the other (left behind by Vilree 10 years ago) is entombed in the stone. When the two rings touch, they explode, releasing the poison from the drudge.

- Finally, like most Adventures, IMO the chapters in this feel a little disjointed, and can have that feeling of "we've found the exit to the next video game level". Certain players might feel like they're just being strung along until the next clue tells them where to go. If that's you (or your players), try to plant some fake clues and sprinkle hints throughout. Make the investigation a little more non-linear and non-obvious. A few examples of some changes I made are:

1. Introduce more hints that the environment is being poisoned by alchemical runoff. The boar the PCs kill in E? The Feedmill offers to buy the dead animal for meat - but discovers it's rancid & inedible. A few villagers are sick with mysterious illnesses. A PC that forages for food might need to make a Fort save.

2. There's no map to the stump in Hallod's Hideout, and the note isn't signed. Instead, Bort made a secret trip to a "stash point" outside of town, and his cart tracks can be followed there. From there, the tracks are the rather unnerving footprints of an Alchemical Drudge (leading to The Pen).

3. The players can find signs of Noala themselves instead of her just *showing up* in Chapter 2.

4. The Sheriff is crooked, knew (vaguely) about Hallod's smuggling, and can likewise be bought off for information.

5. Silwyth (Vilree's mother) lingers as a ghost/haunt in the ruins of their old house, and can give cryptic hints.

Summary:

Like everything, it might need some modification for your & your players' tastes, but overall, Plaguestone delivers a really gritty, mysterious, low-magic, low-level storyline that's sure to be fun for the right group.


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Dark Archive

1 person marked this as a favorite.

So Paizo is working together with Dwarven Forge now?
Neat.

Paizo Employee Chief Creative Officer, Publisher

13 people marked this as a favorite.

For this inaugural adventure, yes. We've been wanting to collaborate on a project for a long time, and this seemed like a fun way to kick off the new edition in style! :)

Sovereign Court

21 people marked this as a favorite.

Look I'm loving this and all, but if I lived someone called "Plaguestone" I'd immediately start looking for new living arrangements.

I'm not saying this is their fault, I'm also not NOT saying it either...

Dark Archive

1 person marked this as a favorite.

Where is Plaguestone located?

Paizo Employee Managing Developer

4 people marked this as a favorite.

The town, located in Isger, has it's own name, but outsiders derogatorily call it Plaguestone.


28 people marked this as a favorite.
Neume wrote:

Look I'm loving this and all, but if I lived someone called "Plaguestone" I'd immediately start looking for new living arrangements.

I'm not saying this is their fault, I'm also not NOT saying it either...

"We moved here from 'Lichmoot'. I'm not saying 'Plaguestone' is a safe town... just safer."


23 people marked this as a favorite.
Zi Mishkal wrote:
Neume wrote:

Look I'm loving this and all, but if I lived someone called "Plaguestone" I'd immediately start looking for new living arrangements.

I'm not saying this is their fault, I'm also not NOT saying it either...

"We moved here from 'Lichmoot'. I'm not saying 'Plaguestone' is a safe town... just safer."

Their other options were Cape Fear, New Horrorfield, Screamville, and Terror Lake.


3 people marked this as a favorite.
Adam Daigle wrote:
The town, located in Isger, has it's own name, but outsiders derogatorily call it Plaguestone.

The real name is: Festering Disease Pit. The residents get mad if you call it Plaguestone instead of Festering Disease Pit.


3 people marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Maps, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Maps, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber
Joana wrote:
Zi Mishkal wrote:
Neume wrote:

Look I'm loving this and all, but if I lived someone called "Plaguestone" I'd immediately start looking for new living arrangements.

I'm not saying this is their fault, I'm also not NOT saying it either...

"We moved here from 'Lichmoot'. I'm not saying 'Plaguestone' is a safe town... just safer."
Their other options were Cape Fear, New Horrorfield, Screamville, and Terror Lake.

Folks in North Carolina are tough. They are not afraid to live in and around Cape Fear.


Went looking at DwarvenForge.com to see pricing. Is there a specific or special set that could be purchased for this adventure? Their site isn't clear and I couldn't find a set called "The Pen" (I did find a set called "The Pit"). Am I looking in the wrong spot? Or do we need to wait to see a special set up at DwarvenForge.com ?


5 people marked this as a favorite.

There's also Hell which, being in Michigan, does freeze over.


Pathfinder Maps, Pathfinder Accessories, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Maps, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber

I know DF has a special announcement scheduled for 3/18. But most of us in the Dwarven Army are expecting it to be some live play related thing based on the other hints they've dropped.

From the brief description of the 'Pen' it makes me think it could be related to the Menagerie or a repackaging of some of those components.

Hopefully enough details would be known soon, their store sells out fairly quickly after each ~quarterly restock (of a subset of their offerings). There's a restock of Dungeon of Doom stuff landing any day now. After that would likely be summer, as they gear up for their next major Kickstarter.


Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Charter Superscriber

Very cool!


Is there a reason why a pdf is not included?
Will this be sanctioned for PFS2?

Silver Crusade

Terevalis Unctio of House Mysti wrote:

Is there a reason why a pdf is not included?

Will this be sanctioned for PFS2?

You'll most likely get one when the subscription line is live.

Otherwise you'll have to buy it separately like all the other PDFs.

RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32

Is this going to fulfill the same teaching function as Crypt of the Everflame?


6 people marked this as a favorite.
Lord Fyre wrote:
Is this going to fulfill the same teaching function as Crypt of the Everflame?

Yep! (Per Pathfinder Friday stream- similar to Crypt of the Everflame, it's not going to sit you down and teach you how to play, but it's designed with people learning to play in mind.)

Dark Archive

Pathfinder Maps, Starfinder Maps Subscriber

So, will this be sanctioned for Society Play.
Also, as a 64 page module is it 3 parts?

Thanks


2 people marked this as a favorite.

Do we know what level this will take players to?


1 person marked this as a favorite.

As a fan of the Everflame series, I'll have to get this so I can convert it back to PF.


Will it have new Monsters in it?


Pathfinder Pathfinder Accessories Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber

An earlier question wasn't answered and I am curious as well.

When we go to dwarven forge what are we looking for? Nothing comes up when searching for Pathfinder or anything. Would we just be buying generic pieces? Will there be a specific package they put together?


Pathfinder Maps, Pathfinder Accessories, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Maps, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber

There was a teaser image in one of DF's newsletter showing a circular cage (similar to the menegerie's square cages). That's all that's been hinted so far.

I'm assuming it will be (a?) pre-packaged bundles, possible broken out into a few smaller sets. We're getting close enough that I really think we should have some information -- size, cost, etc. Even if they don't want to reveal everything yet. I had hoped for more information at the PaizoCon Preview Banquet, but sadly nothing new was revealed on this product.

DF has added a Pathfinder section to their forums: https://www.dwarvenforge.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=69

but no real content yet. I'd expect more threads from fans to show up as information is released, before we see sets actually hit the store.


Also here to know what Level it goes up to.

Trying to decide if I should start my new 2E group with this or jump in straight to the AP.

Paizo Employee Managing Developer

7 people marked this as a favorite.
Unikatze wrote:

Also here to know what Level it goes up to.

Trying to decide if I should start my new 2E group with this or jump in straight to the AP.

If the PCs do everything, they should get to 4th level (or at least really close to 4th).


Pathfinder Maps, Pathfinder Accessories, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Maps, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber

Is there any information about the relative release timing of the module and the DF terrain? Since its sounding like the DF terrain will be Pre-Order (not pre-sale) at GenCon, so the terrain will be lagging the module?

Dark Archive

1 person marked this as a favorite.

This adventure and the flip-mat for it are the only august products which didn't receive an update yesterday.
There is also no trace to be found of the "Dwarven Forge" terrain for it.

That doesn't look good imo.
I want to play this adventure first, to decide if PF Second Edition is worth it being switched to, but if it still isn't ready 51 days before release that doesn't bode well.

Silver Crusade

4 people marked this as a favorite.
Marco Massoudi wrote:
but if it still isn't ready 51 days before release that doesn't bode well.

... did you sneak into the Paizo offices to discover what products have and haven’t been sent off to the printer?

Or is it more likely the webstore simply haven't updated this page due to lack of a webstore manager?


Pathfinder Maps, Pathfinder Accessories, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Maps, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber

I totally expect the module and flip nap to be available at launch. I was hoping the teased terrain would be too. But the tidbits I'm getting at the DF site suggests it's not slated for simultaneous release, which makes me sad.

Silver Crusade

1 person marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Pathfinder Accessories Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber
Rysky wrote:
Marco Massoudi wrote:
but if it still isn't ready 51 days before release that doesn't bode well.

... did you sneak into the Paizo offices to discover what products have and haven’t been sent off to the printer?

Or is it more likely the webstore simply haven't updated this page due to lack of a webstore manager?

It's 100% probably this. The Webstore manager is important, and asking other people to fulfill that role who have other responsibilities means things will get lost in the process. I understand it's frustrating not to have the updates we're used to, but try to remain calm and patient.

Dark Archive

Cori Marie wrote:
Rysky wrote:
Marco Massoudi wrote:
but if it still isn't ready 51 days before release that doesn't bode well.

... did you sneak into the Paizo offices to discover what products have and haven’t been sent off to the printer?

Or is it more likely the webstore simply haven't updated this page due to lack of a webstore manager?

It's 100% probably this. The Webstore manager is important, and asking other people to fulfill that role who have other responsibilities means things will get lost in the process. I understand it's frustrating not to have the updates we're used to, but try to remain calm and patient.

I don't know about that being the only explanation, as by now the september and october products have been created and (partly) updated too.

On the other hand, the second part of "Age of Ashes" - "Cult of Cinders", which is scheduled for late august doesn't have a product page yet.

It certainly doesn't look like the Dwarven Forge terrain for "the pen" will be available for pre-order before july.
They will showcase prototypes at Gen Con as i know them, but we won't be able to use them on august 1st in conjunction with this adventure and the flip-mat as it looks.

It's still 7 weeks and one day (50 days in all) until the street date of this product (which i pre-ordered through my FLGS), so plenty of time to update the art & description, but as this is going to be the product to decide for me (and likely a lot of other people) if i switch to second edition or not, one would think it has a higher priority to be updated.

Dark Archive

From Dwarven Forge.com

"We’ve had the pleasure of working with the team at Paizo to create a series of licensed sets for Pathfinder 2nd Edition. The sets – four exciting new Encounters - were specifically designed for the inaugural module The Fall of Plaguestone."

"Pre-sale means you pay now and we ship when it arrives. Just like with Kickstarter but without the KS platform/fees. We are currently at 100% focus on KS 6.66 since launch is only 11 days away. The PF pre-sale launch at Gen Con will be available to everyone, but those at the Con will get to see prototypes in person. In July we'll start spilling beans and more details."

Silver Crusade

1 person marked this as a favorite.
Marco Massoudi wrote:
It's still 7 weeks and one day (50 days in all) until the street date of this product (which i pre-ordered through my FLGS), so plenty of time to update the art & description,
Precisely.
Quote:
but as this is going to be the product to decide for me (and likely a lot of other people) if i switch to second edition or not, one would think it has a higher priority to be updated.

Paizo doesn't make products just for you.

As for "lot of other people" possibly switching to 2e the majority of that rests on the Core Rulebook, not the adventures (which Age of Ashes would also aptly cover over a standalone)

Customer Service Representative

8 people marked this as a favorite.

Hello Marco,

The others are correct. Usually this is a thing that is handled by the webstore coordinator. Since we don't have one at the moment it has fallen to other folks to do it in addition to their other duties. We are working on it and both new pages have been going up and updates have been being made to existing pages.

Additionally we do not have a set number of days prior to release that we update the product pages on. If there has been an exact number of days consistently that is more coincidence than intent.

Silver Crusade

5 people marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Pathfinder Accessories Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber

Thanks for all you've been doing Diego! I know the forums can be a minefield, and I'm sure added responsibilities also add to the stress level as well

Customer Service Representative

7 people marked this as a favorite.

Thank you! The thanks should all be going to Chris Lambertz though. She does a miraculous amount of things around here, including the recent product updates.

Silver Crusade

2 people marked this as a favorite.

*offers hugs to Chris and Diego*

Dark Archive

Very nice cover!
Thanks for the update!
Who's the artist?

Paizo Employee Managing Developer

2 people marked this as a favorite.
Marco Massoudi wrote:

Very nice cover!

Thanks for the update!
Who's the artist?

The artist is Setiawan Lie.

Silver Crusade

1 person marked this as a favorite.

Amiri! Puppers!

Silver Crusade

2 people marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Pathfinder Accessories Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber

Those don't look like friendly puppers


1 person marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Maps, Pathfinder Accessories, Starfinder Society Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber
Cori Marie wrote:
Those don't look like friendly puppers

I don't know...the one on top of the rock appears to be smiling! ;)


Cori,

Just because they LOOK unfriendly doesn't mean they're bad. They just might be hungry...

Silver Crusade

2 people marked this as a favorite.
Cori Marie wrote:
Those don't look like friendly puppers

Still pupper.


Pathfinder Pathfinder Accessories, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber

Has Paizo changed its policy of only showing hardcover cover art as canted, or is the second edition module line going to be all hardcovers?

Liberty's Edge

1 person marked this as a favorite.

Is this gong to be sanctioned for PFS?

Paizo Employee Organized Play Developer

3 people marked this as a favorite.
Qstor wrote:
Is this gong to be sanctioned for PFS?

That is extremely likely, though the specifics of timing and such are not something we've had time to address yet.

Dark Archive

1 person marked this as a favorite.

Update on the Dwarven Forge pieces:

"we've been working on a collaboration with Paizo on some sets for the release of Pathfinder 2nd Edition. We've built a really cool multi-part encounter for their introductory module. It's four different areas, which will each be sold as separate sets (and there will be some component add-on sets within each if you want to just grab specific pieces). Each area is a different environment, but will chain together into one large build on your table. Each set will contain a cool mix of existing pieces as well as a few new pieces. We'll reveal more as we get closer to release."

Circle Bars Cage picture


1 person marked this as a favorite.

Will this module be playable with the Core Rulebook alone? Or will one need to purchase the Bestiary to get the necessary monster stat blocks?

Grand Lodge

ThatTricksyGnome wrote:
Will this module be playable with the Core Rulebook alone? Or will one need to purchase the Bestiary to get the necessary monster stat blocks?

I was just coming here to ask this. :-) I'd love to find out as well.

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