Title: Pathfinder Adventure Path #210: Whispers in the Dirt (Spore War 1 of 3)

Publisher: Paizo Inc

Authors: Jason Bulmahn with James Jacobs, Michelle Y. Kim, Grady Wang, and Scott D. Young

Artists: Rodrigo Gonzalez Toledo, Wilmar Ballespí Escarp, Chris L. Kimball, Robert Lazzaretti, and Firat Solhan

Year: 2024

Genre: Initial chapter in the three part, Spore War roleplaying adventure path for Pathfinder

Pages: 92 pages

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

Recent years have seen Paizo spend more time engaging with what we think of as the hallmarks of classic tabletop gaming and finding ways to challenge them at scale. On the whole, it’s led to more interesting, more diverse material and scenarios that deliver on the idea of welcoming everyone to the table.

Even more recently, they’ve committed to finding ways to decenter heroes as the sole driving element of story arcs while still allowing them to remain at the center of the action and to contribute meaningfully to the development of the narrative. It’s not that player actions don’t matter, but rather that they have become part of a more complex tapestry. For some, it’s a move to a bigger and more sophisticated brand of storytelling; for others, it’s a frustration.

Whispers in the Dirt commits to this in a big way. It takes what has now become a standard Pathfinder opening of players working as delegates to maneuver socially and politically until disaster strikes and propels them into agents in a war against a terrifying foe where that maneuvering has real consequences. It asks players to commit to roleplaying the reality of those roles, not only the hack and slash of combat or the challenge of exploration. While Godsrain isn’t the driving factor here, it weighs heavily on events, reinforcing the sense of a world beyond the players’ comparatively narrow scope. The combined effect is a story that feels much more mature, even as it remains distinctly true to the flavor of Pathfinder.

Complexity and nuance can be a tough sell in games. Whispers in the Dirt’s opening act throws a fair bit of both at players and asks them to keep up. The Campaign Overview notes that this is a feature, not a bug.

Which makes the opening note that accompanies the start of Whispers in the Dirt so frustrating: chiefly, it suggests that if players are bored, to “fast-forward” through the opening chapter to reach the more action-oriented conclusion. While the temptation is always there to attempt to account for players whose playstyles don’t mesh with a given section, this gives the message that the events of the opening chapter are, ultimately, inconsequential. In turn, this sets a precedent that the only “important” sections in an adventure are the ones that involve combat and action sequences — a message that doesn’t seem to gel with the intent of the campaign as a whole.

If, on the other hand, the events of the bulk of the opening act truly are that meaningless to the overall plot, then why not restructure it? Why not have players do something else that contributes in a more impactful way to the story?

Whispers in the Dirt isn’t a bad adventure by any means. In fact, it’s rather good. There are real narrative stakes in play and the answers aren’t simple or straightforward. Trying to be an emissary in a time of crisis in the face of competing needs and interests puts players into interesting positions. It forces them to consider the consequences of their actions. Jason Buhlman fundamentally understands you cannot have bombastic set pieces unless you have taken the time to establish the groundwork that makes them feel bombastic. Tension should not just come from the risk of bad roll of the dice, but from the story itself — and Whispers in the Dirt absolutely delivers on that.

Adventure Paths are a tough proposition. There is no room for a break and every new arc needs to feel unique and novel, not just another reskin of something that players have already seen before. Narratively, Paizo seems interested in evolving, in telling stories that feel epic and in delivering story worlds that feel far grander than just what the players can see. Commercially, however, they don’t seem like they’re entirely willing to bet on it. Here’s hoping their audience gives them the go ahead to keep pushing their storytelling — and that they have the gumption to stick to it.

6.5

SUMMARY

Treerazer’s return plunges a Godsrain-shocked Golarion into deeper conflict as players struggle to forge alliances, investigate an attempted assassination, and save civilians in Whispers in the Dirt.

Summary

Treerazer’s return plunges a Godsrain-shocked Golarion into deeper conflict as players struggle to forge alliances, investigate an attempted assassination, and save civilians in Whispers in the Dirt.6.5

Source: View source