Publisher: Paizo Inc
Authors: Luis Loza, with James Jacobs and Jason Tondro
Artists: Loïc Canavaggia, Shafi Adams, Nicholas DeLuca, Rael Dionisio, Dariusz Kieliszek, Rob Lazzaretti, Christoph Peters, and Brooklyn Smith
Year: 2023
Genre: The finale of the Stolen Fate adventure path for the Pathfinder RPG
Pages: 94 pages
MSRP: $26.99 in softcover or $19.99 in PDF
After recovering from a pitched battle, the party has almost reassembled the Deck of Destiny, but things take a turn for the unexpected as the cards literally take on a mind of their own in Worst of All Worlds, the final chapter in the Stolen Fate Adventure Path.
Despite the grim title, the Adventure Path’s final act is tipped towards potential feel good moments rather than dire ones. Helping a performing troupe put on a successful show or stumbling through a magical romp in the desert aren’t especially tragic or fraught occurrences. Likewise, the party’s confrontation with the Norns, while pivotal, isn’t exactly a desperate last stand for free will and is full of potential for a positive, even productive, outcome. Even the final battle, compared to the onslaught of the previous chapter, feels relatively manageable. The grimmest outcomes -the worst of all possible worlds- tend to result from the player characters choosing violence as their preferred solution, rather than from any endemic narrative tension.
It’s in this final act that the pacing of the overall Adventure Path becomes a contentious point. While some will enjoy the comparatively leisurely opener and relatively unhurried second 
None of this, however, detracts from the fun to be had in the adventure. The decision to flip the script by transmuting the remaining cards into “living” harrowkin offers some standout storytelling moments and sets up a Chekov’s Gun that feels both natural and still satisfying to see in execution. Diverse skillsets once again shine here, as does impassioned, embodied roleplaying. In a rare twists, Worst of All Possible Worlds even opens the door for outside player knowledge to assist, allowing GMs to reward their table’s resident loremasters.
There is also something to be said for opening the door for the player characters to not only perform the reading themselves, but to stack the deck in favor of their preferred outcome. What this means is for individual groups to decide —should the option even be taken— but it’s a great final nod to the themes that have dominated the path’s metanarrative.
Worst of All Possible Worlds may not be the strongest conclusion, but it’s a delightful entry all the same. With plentiful opportunities for players to shine in unique ways and with a fidelity of vision to its core premise, plenty of fun remains to be had.
