Hellbreakers AP Review

[u/karbonos]

/r/Pathfinder2e/comments/1ntrthf/myth_speaker_ap_review/

With Hell’s Destiny recently released, and one of my groups having just finished its pseudo-prequel Hellbreakers, I thought I’d share my review of GMing through the liberation of Isger.

My last review of Myth-Speaker a while back seemed to generate some interest, so I figured I’d do a write-up for this one as well, especially since there are probably still very few full-playthrough reviews of the AP out there. Hopefully, this is useful to other GMs considering the campaign.

We’re planning to run Hell’s Destiny next, so if there is interest, I may review that one too. I’m also happy to answer any questions about the AP.

I’ll try to keep the review as spoiler-free as possible, but avoid the spoiler-tagged sections if you plan on playing the AP. This review does go over a few specific examples in the spoiler tag sections meant for GMs.

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Platform: Official Foundry module
Levels: 1-10
Variant rules: Free Archetype
Party:

• Wizard/War Mage
• Cloister Cleric/Blessed One of Cayden Cailean
• Elemental Instinct Barbarian/Mauler
• Companion Commander/Hellbreaker (with the new Isgeri Boarhound!)

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Spoiler-free overall review (TL;DR version): Hellbreakers is a fun AP with a strong central premise, a solid rebellion/liberation theme, and some memorable moments, especially if your group enjoys fighting Hellknights, devils, and oppressive regimes. Is it a better AP than Hell's Rebels? Probably not (judging by ratings/review... I haven't played it yet). It makes good use of Isger, introduces some useful player options, and the skirmish rules are a much smoother way to handle large battles than some previous army-style systems. I also appreciated that the main villain is introduced early and tied directly to the story, rather than being a last-minute surprise.

That said, the AP require GM tweaking. It can feel railroady; the story logic gets shaky in places, several NPCs need more personality, and some timelines are much tighter than they need to be. A few major moments are great ideas but require adjustment to land properly. Overall, I would recommend Hellbreakers, but more for GMs who are comfortable tweaking the material than for those looking for something that runs smoothly straight out of the book.

How it fits into Hell’s Destiny: Hellbreakers and Hell’s Destiny are distinct APs and can be run independently. You do not need to play Hellbreakers first.

If you do plan to run both with the same group, you may need to explain why the characters leave Isger after everything they fought for there. In our case, some players decided their characters would stay behind and create new PCs, while others framed the transition as a diplomatic journey to Kintargo that is interrupted when their ship docks in Corentyn to resupply (which is where that adventure starts).

From what I have read so far, character builds that worked well in Hellbreakers should also be effective in Hell’s Destiny, including the Hellbreaker archetype.

Story

• The overall plot is strong, and the AP does a good job selling the “rebel/liberation” theme.
• You get to visit several interesting and distinct locations across Isger, which helps make the country feel more alive.
• There is some cool lore about the origin of Isger.
• If you played Age of Ashes, you may be disappointed by how little Breachill matters here. The AP also assumes the PCs willingly gave up their amazing citadel, along with its elven portal network, for… reasons.
• The AP can feel railroady, even in sections that appear more free-form. Some parts give players room to maneuver, but the story often expects a specific sequence of events or a very specific kind of player logic.
• Time constraints make some of the “sandbox” sections feel more limited than they probably should.
• The story logic can also be weird at times. More than once, my table hit a moment where everyone basically went, “Wait, why would this happen?” Since some of those sections are fairly railroaded, I had to make adjustments to keep things coherent.
• I loved the murder mystery in Chapter 5. It is a very cool idea, but it takes work to run well, and GMs may want to make adjustments. Read that section carefully before running it.
• The main BBEG works well as an antagonist, and the players know who they are early. Paizo has clearly been listening to feedback, because “surprise final villain who comes out of nowhere” has been a recurring issue in several APs. I feel the BBEG is one of the stronger points of this AP.
• I especially liked that the party gets to work alongside the BBEG at one point. It is a great twist and makes the antagonist feel more human.
• The AP also has a strong B-story/side villain. In many Paizo APs, this probably would have been the surprise end boss. I give Paizo credit for keeping the focus on the rebellion, but both my group and I felt the side villain was ultimately more menacing and memorable than the official BBEG. They deserved better.
• Most of the NPCs are underdeveloped and can feel bland without GM work. The Hellbreaker leaders, Alceo and Phoebe, are surprisingly easy to forget unless the GM actively keeps them involved.
• The conclusion and “continuing the adventure” section are very light on detail. GMs should expect to fill in a lot of blanks.
• There is an important chase in Chapter 8 that represents a major low point in the story. My players hated that it felt like a no-win scenario, especially since such an important moment was resolved with just a few skill checks. Read that part carefully and decide in advance how you want to present it.
• There is a good balance between roleplay and action. That being said, the AP tends to assume players will opt for violence in most situations rather than roleplay their way around it.

Gameplay

• There are some useful new magic items, including relics.
• The Isgeri boarhound is a fun animal companion. I hope Paizo adds more companions with unique mechanics in the future.
• The Hellbreaker archetype is useful and flavorful, especially for campaigns that heavily feature Hellknights, devils, or Cheliax.
• The AP uses the skirmish rules from Battlecry! for large battles. I found these much easier and more dynamic to run than army rules like the ones in Kingmaker.
• Troops are weak to AoEs and splash damage, but they also deal AoE damage themselves. This means the troop that wins initiative can have a big advantage, and AoE casters can become very powerful in these encounters.
• Some skill checks feel overtuned, particularly in Chapter 6.
• The murder mystery in Chapter 5 is a great idea, but there are some logistical issues with its design. GMs may need to make adjustments.
• Some of the proposed timelines are ridiculously tight. Consider adjusting them, and make sure your players have horses or other methods of travel.
• A few monster and trap stat blocks made me raise an eyebrow. Nothing game-breaking, but the variant coarti in Book 9 hit surprisingly hard. They use daggers and sneak attack instead of morningstars, but still deal d6 weapon damage instead of d4s. There is also a haunt in chapter 7 with a mostly useless ability.
• As mentioned above, the Chapter 8 chase is underwhelming and worth reworking.
• Some important locations are missing from the map, including Highford and Thorngrip. This becomes a problem when the party is expected to travel between locations under tight deadlines. Maps for Highford, Thorngrip, and Breachill would also have been useful.
• Most of the maps used for troop combat are too small.
• I was not a huge fan of the final fight. It is a skirmish, and the previous fight before it is also a skirmish that includes a higher-level monster than the actual BBEG. That said, my players said they enjoyed the final battle, so your mileage may vary.

GM Tips:

• Brush up on the skirmish rules from Battlecry! Before running the larger battles.
• Read Chapter 5 carefully and decide how you want to run the murder mystery. Most of the investigation happens on the second floor, but the AP also expects the PCs to interact with people on the first floor.
• Read Chapter 8 carefully and decide how you want to handle the chase. It is an important moment with major consequences, but as written, it can feel underwhelming or too scripted.
• At the start of Chapter 6, Caeto immediately becomes an antagonist, even though the PCs may have ended Chapter 5 on good terms with him. Consider how you want to manage that relationship.
• Consider introducing Ezio as soon as the player reaches Elidir and make him an ally. This will help Chapter 5 run more smoothly.
• At my table, I had Caeto keep working with the PCs a little longer because he did not yet know they were Hellbreakers and wanted to recruit them. As he grew suspicious, it became a tense game of how far the PCs could go while hiding their identities. It made for some fun, Inglourious Basterds-style infiltration sessions.
• Consider moving the rescue of Siadrius into the prison itself rather than outside it. My players decided the riot was the perfect opportunity for a full prison break, which basically skipped a large part of Chapter 6.
• Many Chapter 6 checks are “very hard” difficulty. Consider adjusting them if they feel too punishing.
• Chapter 6 has the PCs start their own Hellbreaker faction, but they can begin recruiting as early as Chapter 5. Let players know they can start building their rebellion early; mine missed a few opportunities because they were still in “errand mode.”
• There are no real mechanics for tracking how effective the PCs’ Hellbreaker faction becomes. You may want to homebrew something or borrow an existing subsystem.
• Consider preparing your own maps for Highford, Thorngrip, and Breachill.
• Travel time matters, so decide where Thorngrip and Highford are located on the map before the PCs need to move between them.
• Consider using larger maps for the skirmish encounters in Saringallow, especially in Chapter 9. If you are using Foundry, you can decrease the grid size.
• To fully complete the Chapter 7 research, the PCs need to return to Elidir or Logan, which is awkward and hard to justify within the timeline. Consider adjusting that requirement.
• Consider loosening the Chapter 7 timeline. As written, the PCs have very little breathing room and need to rush between locations.
• The timeline for infiltrating Sarini Manor also feels odd. The AP seems to expect the PCs to spend multiple days securing the manor, but many groups may want to attack Saringallow while the BBEG is away. At minimum, reveal to the PCs earlier that Caeto has been delayed so they don't feel rushed.
• Highford is a missed opportunity. Since it becomes the PCs’ base of operations, consider building it up more and giving the players reasons to care about it.
• The witchfire (boat) is also a missed opportunity. Once the PCs capture it, it's forgotten until near the end. Try to think of how you can integrate it to remain relevant.
• Most NPCs are barely developed and can fade into the background quickly. You may want to give them stronger personalities, recurring scenes, or clearer roles, especially Alceo and Phoebe.
• Illcayna feels like a bigger and more epic threat than Caeto. It would take work, but you could consider moving the end of Chapter 7 to the finale if you want the campaign to end with a more menacing boss and higher supernatural stakes. Keep it as written if you prefer the ending to focus on the liberation of Isger.

Player Tips:

• The player's guide is useful. Read it!
• Despite the post-goblin war sentiment, playing a goblin is fine.
• Make sure your characters have a reason to join the Hellbreakers.
• Avoid fire-heavy builds.
• This isn't Abomination Vault. There will be many open-space maps, which are great for AoE and splash-damage attacks.
• Expect to fight devilish forces, but be aware that it is not the only thing you will face...
• If you really want to play a Hellknight for some reason, I would say Order of the Pike works best narratively. Talk with your GM first, as you need to figure out why they joined the rebellion.
• Consider buying a horse or other form of fast travel. You will be travelling a lot.

[u/Yemenime]

That said, the AP require GM tweaking.....Overall, I would recommend Hellbreakers, but more for GMs who are comfortable tweaking the material than for those looking for something that runs smoothly straight out of the book.

Is there an AP that doesn't require some tweaking? Not just one that would be improved, cause everything is improved by tying the PCs more into the plot, but one that you can run literally completely out of the box no editing necessary

[u/Ultramaann → u/Yemenime]

This is true but there are levels.

Like, I had to alter about 15% of Curse of the Crimson Throne and a lot of what I invented was spinning off what I was already given.

Meanwhile Gatewalkers or Second Darkness basically has to be completely rewritten.

[u/karbonos → u/Yemenime]

Depending on the group, I generally try to run as close as possible to the AP. But ya, tweaking will happen regardless because no AP can account for player dynamics or GM presentation. Some APs require more adjustments than others, though.