Publisher: Paizo Inc
Authors: Brian Duckwitz, John Compton, and Michelle Y. Kim
Artists: Biagio d’Alessandro, Zach Causey, Cagdas Demiralp, Roman Kierszenbaum, Luis Salas Lastra, Robert Lazzaretti, Mayra Luna, and Firat Solhan
Year: 2024
Genre: First tale in the three chapter Pathfinder roleplaying adventure path Triumph of the Tusk
Pages: 92 pages
MSRP: $29.99 for the softcover or $19.99 in PDF
Structurally, The Resurrection Flood shares some commonalities with Pactbreaker, the opening act of the Wardens of Wildwood Adventure Path. Both see player characters arriving as participants to a grand event meant to foster a spirit of peace, if not unity. The party can embark on various side quests and encounters to build reputation, which will be useful later on in the story. A great cataclysm eventually elevates the party to players of far greater importance, setting the stage for the forthcoming adventure.
To be clear: there is nothing wrong with this formula. The challenges, encounters, and side quests are designed to offer a wide variety of characters a chance to shine. No matter what a player character’s talents may be, The Resurrection Flood ensures they’ll have a chance for a crowning moment of awesome.
Again, these are all excellent structural decisions that we have seen work before – and therein lies the snag. Paizo has spent so much time working to push the envelope and elevate its storytelling that when it delivers a fun, well-balanced, well-structured adventure that shares just enough with a recent release to ring a bell, it feels a little off – perhaps unfairly so.
Triumph of the Tusk sets out its own unique tantalizing question; can the existential threat of the Whispering Tyrant unite different disparate, violence-prone groups and, if so, what will it take to forge that alliance? While Pactbreaker leaned heavily on its real world allegory, The Resurrection Flood is instead far more concerned with its story world and with exploring the consequences of recent in-universe events. Neither approach is “better” or more impactful, and some groups may appreciate the step back from reality that The Resurrection Flood provides. Its battles and set pieces are almost guaranteed to be crowdpleasers and the lead-in to the second chapter is strong.
In short: The Resurrection Flood is a good adventure. It has obviously been designed with thought and care by a team with a clear vision and good execution. It’s an outing that balances player agency and GM manageability without calling attention to doing just that. Every element serves a purpose and there is a strong opportunity for roleplay. There is something here for just about every kind of player and that’s no small feat to accomplish. If this is a formula, then it’s a solid one; for the majority of Paizo fans less interested in the minutiae of narrative structure than in plain old enjoyment, this will be deeply satisfying time spent at the table – but don’t worry, there’s still a good time to be had for us sticks-in-the-mud, too.
