We’re Dooooooomed! Pathfinder: Destroyer’s Doom Reviewed

Title: Pathfinder Adventure Path #209 – Destroyer’s Doom (Triumph of the Tusk 3 of 3)

Publisher: Paizo Inc

Authors: Kendra Leigh Speedling with John Compton, Michelle Y. Kim, and Genevieve
Rudat Olejnik

Artists: Biagio d’Alessandro, Robert Lazzaretti, Alexander Nanitchkov, Mirco Paganessi, Christoph Peters, Riccardo Rullo, and Riley Spalding

Year: 2024

Genre: Final chapter in the three part, orc-centric Triumph of the Tusk Pathfinder roleplaying adventure path

Pages: 94 pages

MSRP: $29.99 for the softcover or $19.99 in PDF

Ardax’s army is on the move, but it’s up to the player characters to clear the way and discover the source of the undead uprising in Destroyer’s Doom, the conclusion to the Triumph of the Tusk Adventure Path.

The adventure’s middle portion is the standout. Faced with infiltrating Wyvernsting, the party has broad latitude in how they choose to get in and set about pursuing their goals. Sabotaging the city may be in service of a “good” cause, but it’s a dirty business all the same, allowing even players who favor good-aligned characters to take a work on the morally dubious side. This in and of irself is rife with interesting roleplay potential, as these acts of sabotage range from securing allies and freeing prisoners to targeted assassination, forcing the party to consider where they’ll draw the line – if they’ll draw one at all.

One potential avenue for this skulduggery is the provisioning of dissidents with food and arms. Functionally, it’s a challenge to devise and execute a clever raid and it’s easy enough to leave it at that. If players are successful, the dissidents rally to Ardax’s cause; if they aren’t, they fail to convert the group into allies. It’s all very neat and tidy, but given Paizo’s tendency towards exploring real world parallels, the one feels a bit too clean when it so often isn’t.

It’s worth noting that profound failure is a risk in this section and the game is stronger for it. Player characters can blow their cover, finding themselves run out of the city with their efforts substantially, if not totally, undone. While they may be able to bluff or stealth their way in for another attempt, the damage can’t be undone. This creates a sense of real tension and serves as a natural counter to behavior that would otherwise be disruptive. It also encourages thoughtful planning and good communication among party members, intrinsically helping to keep everyone involved and working toward the same goals, instead of splitting off and pursuing their own ends.

Destroyer’s Doom also benefits from giving GMs latitude in resolving situations, assuming that they know their players best. While there are guidelines on the aforementioned raid, the specifics are left to the GM’s discretion. Likewise, an antagonist is meant to be killed by Ardax, emphasizing the players’ role as members of a coalition rather than as the singular driving narrative force; however, Kendra Leigh Speedling leaves the final call on this to the GM, providing an alternative for parties who would find the resolution unsatisfying.

While the text is clear and easy to follow, one typo stood out: the text references “Event 3: Blown Cover.” However, following a short calllout box in the same column on the same page, we can see that Event 3 is, instead, “Wrong Neighborhood.” In the overall experience, it’s a blip, but given the proximity of the error to its correction, this one feels like it should have been caught.

Ultimately, Destroyer’s Doom is a satisfying conclusion to the Triumph of the Tusk Adventure Path, combining exciting combat with compelling challenges while continuing to highlight the fallout of Godsrain. Players who have enjoyed the path to this point will continue to find a lot to enjoy while GMs will appreciate the balance between more and less scripted elements.