When I first started with the Know Direction Network, I was not a PFS player. Ryan and I even talked about it a few times on the Private Sanctuary Podcast, back when we cohosted it together. Shortly after I joined the Network, however, I joined Philly PFS. Just over two years later and I’m a Venture-Agent (which is basically a single-store event coordinator) with 3 GM Stars. Funny how that happens, eh?

Now, I want to preface by saying that I have nowhere NEAR played or run every PFS scenario in existence. That’ll talk me a crazy-long amount of time. But that being said, of what I’ve played and run, I do have my favorites. Today, I’m going to share my list of favorite PFS scenarios with everyone. I’ll do my best not to spoiler the scenarios mentioned too much, but if you want to go into every PFS scenario absolutely fresh, you might want to avoid reading too much of this article.

And with that, let’s get started!

 

7. Blakros Connection

First, its worth pointing out that in terms of quality, Blakros Connection leans on the shoulders of giants. You’re only going to get the full picture from Blakros Connection if you’ve played both Seige of Serpents and Serpent’s Rise—having all that background knowledge makes Blakros Connection MUCH more solid as a scenario. But that being said, Blakros Connection is pretty stellar in its own right. Season 7 generally relies pretty heavily on skill-based characters for making secondary success conditions possible, but Blakros Connection takes it one step further and places the bulk of progressing the story on the hands of skilled characters. Specifically, Blakros Connection relies heavily on the Research rules from Ultimate Intrigue, and Research as a means of storytelling is FANTASTIC. Its very fun as you move from library to library, searching for clues until you ultimately track your quarry down to an otherworldly realm. (This scenario also, to the best of my knowledge, started the trend of “Pulling the PCs off of the Material Plane,” which is pretty awesome in and of itself.) I ran this one and played it, and had a blast every time! Just goes to show you that there’s always something fun to do in a library.

6. Abducted in Aether

This is a follow up to Blakros Connection, and as with Blakros Connection its totally worth doing the full line of scenarios so you know what’s happening. But skipping right to the point, Abducted in Aether is esoteric in setting to the upmost degree. There is literally no pre-Season 7 scenario that managers to be as metaphysically out there as Abducted in Aether, and its glorious. The scenario is filled with strange sights and souls and strange creatures, some of which have never even been placed in Golarion proper before. The monsters you fight are likewise cool, new, and different, and they offer challenges to PCs that aren’t normally challenged. For instance, one fight involve a serious of creatures that gives a REALLY nasty time to gunslingers—that NEVER happens! This is another scenario that I’ve both played and run, and I’ve had a blast with it every time. Its cool and fun, the characters are well-designed and interesting, and it really uses the metaplot of Season 7 to its fullest.

5. To Judge a Soul

To Judge a Soul is a two-part scenario, and while it might be cheating to combine both volumes into #5, I can do what I want! As separate halves, To Judge a Soul is sort of average. It’s when you play them both together, back to back, that they are fantastic, however. Part 1 is very skill-heavy and involves seeing interesting sights and meeting interesting people. Specifically, you go to nations that have never been explored much in Pathfinder, so that’s refreshing. Part 2 is the pay-off for Part 1—the dungeon crawl filled with combat that you get for all of the exploration and intrigue you did in Part 1. As mentioned, alone they seem imbalanced—too much roleplaying and exploring in 1, too much combat in 2. But together they make for a fun, unique experience that includes great payoff and even a character arch or two. If you’re going to play to Judge a Soul, remember—do them together or don’t do them at all!

4. Bid for Alabastrine

So I ran this scenario twice at PaizoCon and played it once at home. Let me start by saying that it is an atypical scenario—there is one combat in the beginning, then the rest of it is all skill challenges and roleplaying. And let me tell you, it is GLORIOUS if you encourage pulling the PCs into the game with you. Both times I ran Bid for Alabastrine, I got compliments from people telling me that it was the best PFS scenario they ever sat down to play. That’s half from me, and half from this scenario. If you run this module to its strengths—its amazing opportunity for character exploration on both sides of the screen, you end up with a session that people will remember and talk about FOREVER. And the best way to do that is to use the scenario as an excuse to show the PCs that you care your character and are willing to have the world treat them in a way that suits said character. You do that, and boom. Every time this ends up as the best game anyone’s ever been a part of. This is a scenario that gives you, the GM, the space to really make the events memorable for the PCs, provided you just go for it.

3. Siege of Serpents

This scenario is the 2015 PaizoCon multi-table interactive, and let me preface by saying that by far, this is my absolute FAVORITE multi-table interactive. The gist of the scenario is that the Aspis Consortium attacks the Grand Lodge (the Pathfinder’s HQ) while they’re holding their yearly fancy dinner party; at this one, they’re patting themselves on the back for their successes throughout Season 6.

There are a couple of reasons why I love this scenario, and rather than simply having rose-colored glasses, I can safely say that I both played in and ran this one, and had an absolute blast every time. First, the air surrounding this one is HUGE. Normally we, as Pathfinders, are doing the exploring or assaulting, but Siege of Serpents has us on the defensive, and that’s honestly a very exciting prospect. The very mechanics of the scenario reflect the idea that the Pathfinders are scrambling to defense the Grand Lodge from the attackers, and the chaotic, energized atmosphere that characterizes a multitable event really captures this. The threats are real, and every time you think you’re winning something terrible happens to further complicate things. Better still, the Pathfinders manage to defend the Grand Lodge, but the ending of the scenario is bittersweet just like a good assault should be. Personally, I found this to be the best multitable event I’ve played in, both in terms of content and story. It deserves a high ranking in my favorite list of scenarios.

2. Out of Anarchy

So of all of the games on this list, Out of Anarchy is the only one that I haven’t both played and run. For Out of Anarcy, I’ve only ever actually GM’ed it, but despite never getting to be a player at an Out of Anarchy table, this is still one of my favorite PFS scenarios. The best way to describe Out of Anarchy is that it is a scenario that wanted to be a module. The amount of detail they give you in this module is INSANE. Absolutely INSANE. They practically reprint the entire town of Pezzack’s entry in Towns of the Inner Sea for you in this one. As in Bid for Alabastrine, this gives a strong GM the ability to customize the setting to the PCs. More importantly, there’s a strong sense of urgency and hostility in this one—the PCs have infiltrated a blockade and they have a very short amount of time to “do the thing” that they need to do and escape before they’re all going to be taken in by Cheliax. The plot is strong, the action is strong, and the stakes are high for the Pathfinders, as they’re up against the hyper confident and super scary Chellish Navy, and a GM who runs the scenario well keeps the action fast-paced while also tense, making it one of my absolute favorite PFS scenarios.

1. Overflow Archives

Overflow Archives is 100% my favorite scenario, but for everyone who’s played it, it isn’t for the reason you think it is. (NO SPOILERS.) The NPCs in this module, freaking ALL of them are super strong and possess amazing personalities. When I ran this, I had some amazing voices that I worked hard to perfect when delivering lines to the PCs, and the characters themselves are so distinct that making different voices for different characters is easy. The plot for this game is basically moved forward by a puzzle, which is both fun and interesting, and the game itself has a very awesome vibe to it that is a delightful, “Jumanji, except the denizens of Wonderland of Alice in Wonderland fame came into the world through the game board,” feel to it. And if you’ve played the game right and learn everything there is to learn about the characters by the end of the scenario, you’re left completely unsure of whether or not you (the players) were actually the heroes or the villains of the story.

 

So, there you have it! My current Top 7 Pathfinder Society scenarios. Hopefully with time this list will change—after all, I’ve easily played/run less than half of the scenarios available thus far, and two new scenarios come out every month. I’m hoping that there are still more gems out there to fine, but for now these are my favorites.

But what do you think? If you’re a PFS player, what are your favorite scenarios? If you’re not a PFS player, do any of these fancy your interests? Leave your comments below, and I’ll see you next week for another bit of Guidance! Take care.

Alexander “Alex” Augunas has been playing roleplaying games since 2007, which isn’t nearly as long as 90% of his colleagues. Alexander is an active freelancer for the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game and is best known as the author of the Pact Magic Unbound series by Radiance House. Alex is the owner of Everyman Gaming, LLC and is often stylized as the Everyman Gamer in honor of Guidance’s original home. Alex also cohosts the Private Sanctuary Podcast, along with fellow blogger Anthony Li, and you can follow their exploits on Facebook in the 3.5 Private Sanctuary Group, or on Alex’s Twitter, @AlJAug.