Forging Triumphant Alliances! Pathfinder: Hoof, Cinder, and Storm Reviewed

Title: Pathfinder Adventure Path #208 – Hoof, Cinder, and Storm (Triumph of the Tusk 2 of 3)

Publisher: Paizo Inc

Authors: David Schwartz and Shay Snow with Leo Glass and Ruvaid Virk

Artists: Biagio d’Alessandro, Rodrigo Gallo, Robert Lazzaretti, Mylene Bertrand, Luis Salas Lastra, Justine Nortjé, and Jessé Suursoo

Year: 2024

Genre: Second chapter in the orc-centric Triumph of the Tusk Pathfinder roleplaying adventure path

Pages: 90 pages

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

Ardax needs allies and those allies will need weapons – so it’s up to the party to thread the needle on several tricky negotiations in Hoof, Cinder, and Storm, the second chapter of the Triumph of the Tusk Adventure Path.

Hoof, Cinder, and Storm returns to one of Paizo’s regular themes: in the face of great struggle, victories are not simply won on the field, but in every step along the way. For a system that traces its roots to wargaming, Paizo’s storytellers are endlessly interested in the events that lead to the battle and in the alliances forged behind the scenes – perhaps even more than in the combat itself. This second act sees the party working to secure the safety of the aurochs against the undead, resolving a decades’ long feud that’s taken a turn for the particularly nasty, and uncovering truly unexpected allies.

One standout design choice is that idea that failure is an option – right through the third act. While there is a path to recovery, it is not one without consequence. Especially in a campaign with truly heroic characters, the more common option is to provide GMs with advice on modulating difficulty downward to account for bad rolls; the idea that the heroes could properly fail and have to reckon with the consequences keeps things fresh and interesting, even if it’s not something every table will experience.

Paizo adventures are at their most compelling when the writers have something to say. In this case, it’s a confrontation of the (white) savior trope. After an opening note acknowledging the need to establish the PCs as one of only many competent and heroic groups working toward a common goal, David Schwartz and Shay Snow double down, plainly labeling that many of the cultures that inspired one of the adventure’s key allies are too often portrayed as “needing outside saviors or re-education.” To that end, Ruvaid Virk’s Belkzen Operations, explicitly designed for a secondary group of player characters, provides needed perspective and offers something all too rarely seen in gaming: a chance to experience the world beyond the narrow scope of the heroes’ experiences. It’s a fascinating counterpoint to the “Great Man” style narrative that tends to dominate these kinds of storytelling spaces; with any luck, it will be an idea Paizo returns to with future releases.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a Pathfinder adventure without some memorable combat and Hoof, Cinder, and Storm delivers. Among the standouts is a two-headed troll whose separate heads roll separately for initiative. While it’s a fiddly affair for GMs, it’s one that will delight players in action.

Hoof, Cinder, and Storm adds more pieces to the puzzle, setting up for an exciting conclusion. With failure a lingering possibility, it will be especially interesting to see how the team accounts for the potential diversity in table state as the third act dawns. Hoof, Diner, and Storm offers a good mix of challenges, but it is the decision to pull back and offer a broader view which makes the adventure standout.