Title: Pathfinder – A Voice in the Blight (Spore War 3 of 3)
Publisher: Paizo Inc
Authors: Rigby Bendele with James Jacobs
Artists: Rodrigo Gonzalez Toledo, Wilmar Ballespí Escarp, Kendal Gates, Robert Lazzaretti, Vira Linevych, Mayra Luna, and Gunship Revolution (Mico Dimagiba, Jen Santos, and Brian Valeza)
Year: 2025
Genre: Finale of the three part Spore War Pathfinder adventure path
Pages: 94 pages
MSRP: $29.99 for the softcover or grab the PDF for $19.99.
A Voice in the Blight finally sees players do battle with Treerazer himself in a desperate bid to end the threat to Kyonin once and for all. It’s tense and exciting and players should find no shortage of thrills in this finale to the Spore War Adventure Path.
But, the big question is: does the War Interlude/Triumph Point system pay off? Does Spore War deliver on its vision?
The answer is a resounding… “Sort of.”
On the surface, the point range resolution seems fair enough. A party left with 5 or fewer Triumph Points must contend with a nation badly damaged by war with a long, difficult recovery ahead. At 6-20 points, damage has been done, but ultimately, Kyonin will heal – certainly a reasonably world state in the face of large-scale conflict and destruction. Should players find themselves with 21 or more Triumph Points remaining, Kyonin not only emerges victorious, but strengthened. It’s an incredible accomplishment of an ending, and feels like a suitable reward for a job well done.
However, the War Interlude/Triumph Points system worked narratively to avert or soften disaster when players spent points or to let it run rampant should they refuse. Mechanically, this resolution largely fails to take the toll of these disasters or the lack thereof into account. Parties who only averted a few catastrophes and instead hoarded their Triumph Points should really not be left with a nation that has been strengthened, even with the out the writers have put in. Conversely, parties who may have been less successful in accruing points, but addressed each and every War Interlude shouldn’t necessarily be left with Kyonin in near total ruin.
Anyone with even a passing familiarity with the aftermath of real life war knows that outcomes are complicated. There’s a line of reasoning to be had for both of the scenarios mentioned above and, to be fair, neither really requires stretching suspension of disbelief. After all, in a world of magic, who’s to say that there isn’t some other group of nameless adventurers bravely diving to rescue those imperiled by the party’s refusal to act? And, conversely, who’s to say that even in the face of sincerest best efforts that, sometimes, it still won’t be enough?
That said, if the party can hoard Triumph Points and weather the extra challenges to pad their total at the end, it does somewhat lessen the narrative impact of those choices. What, in the moment, feels like a big and momentous decision can be reduced down to “things worked out anyway” – an outcome that feels insincere given the rest of the campaign. While tracking War Interludes addressed does add another mechanical burden onto the GM and another wrinkle into the design of the Adventure Path, it would have felt more fully considered.
Some other narrative edge cases are addressed much more fully, including the potential for the death of Queen Telandia and the failure of the party to defeat Treerazer. Queen Telandia’s death in particular is addressed thoughtfully and feels appropriately scaled for impact.
On its own, A Voice in the Blight is a strong adventure with interesting set pieces and exciting battles. There is a wonderful sense of tension and the stakes feel appropriately high. In many regards, it’s a strong conclusion to the Spore War Adventure Path – and Spore War itself should be applauded for its narrative ambition. While it doesn’t quite stick the landing in its ultimate resolution, it’s an exciting glimpse of what we may be able to expect in future Pathfinder titles.
SUMMARY
Summary
