Publisher: Paizo Inc
Authors: Saif Ansari with additional writing provided by Matt Hardin, Jacob W. Michaels, Matt Morris, Brendan Perry, Jessica Redekop,Nathan Reinecke, and Darren Spurrier
Artists: Setiawan Lee, Gislaine Avila, Emanuele Desiati, Rael Dionisio, Jay Epperson, Vlada Hladkova, Robert Lazzaretti, Ian Perks, Christoph Peters, Luis Salas Lastra, and Ernanda Souza
Year: 2021
Pages: 100 pages
Genre: Final chapter of the Pathfinder Strength of Thousands roleplaying adventure path
MSRP: $24.99 for the softcover or $17.99 in PDF
After freeing Old-Mage Jatembe, the heroes return to the Magaambya triumphant. Named the new Magic Warriors, the celebration soon turns to a desperate battle for the school’s survival against a threat that has festered in the shadows since the heroes’ initiate days.
Adventures within the Strength of Thousands path have been at their best when they provide structured, inventive gameplay with organic emotional stakes. Shadows of the Ancients delivers on both, offering players three distinct challenges that require heart, wits, and quick-thinking to overcome. Shadows of the Ancients forces 
The standout section comes as the heroes are magically shrunk and must cross a debris-strewn table, battling hazards and enemies in the hope of restoring the shadow of a fallen faculty member and returning to their true size. It’s a wonderfully fun and inventive section, even as the stakes remain high. From the opening pages of Kindled Magic, it’s been clear that the Magaambya’s sense of wonder is an essential part of the experience; this delightful, left-of-center challenge keeps that front and center. The supplemental section on telling adventures with miniaturized heroes is a strong addition.
The first act also introduces a wonderful bit of rules-bending for players to use at their disposal: magical bracelets whose beads can be spent to earn an extra roll in critical challenges. It’s a neat callback to the bracelets player characters wore as initiates and, as the adventure unfolds, players to consider what, in an emergency situation, must take precedence — and what they can stand to risk losing. While a limited resource, it’s a design element that encourages players to attempt truly heroic feats with some kind of safety net without ever allowing them to feel overpowered.
One of the greatest strengths of adventures under the Strength of Thousands umbrella is the ability to allow characters of diverse skillsets to shine. While combat is always a solid option, these adventures have consistently valued the ability to talk, entertain, and display empathy. That remains true throughout Shadows of the Ancients, especially as it becomes clear that victory may not look anything like the heroes have envisioned.
The art remains lovely with the full-page illustration that bridges the end of the adventure with the start of the supplemental section on fables being a particular standout. Layout falls in line with the screen- and page-friendly standard of other Paizo adventures with supplemental illustrations fitting neatly alongside the text.
Kindled Magic introduced a magic school that felt fresh and a world that valued compassion, curiosity, and creativity — lessons it imparted with an open invitation to explore and values the path continued to visit time and time again. The Magaambya understood the tropes inherent to the setting, even as it made them its own, subverting them as it saw fit. Strength of Thousands’ clarity of vision and commitment to exploring a traditional narrative arc within a distinctly non-western setting made the path a standout, even when individual entries sometimes fell short of their lofty ambitions. With a clear commitment to the values of its story, the Strength of Thousands path models a fresh, varied approach to storytelling within the Pathfinder system. Shadows of the Ancients is a well-earned, deeply satisfying conclusion to a smart, heartfelt Adventure Path.
