A review copy of the module was provided. Read more Roll20 Reviews and watch the video reviews on my YouTube channel.
Support my work via Patreon.
MAJOR SPOILERS – DM’s only!
“Escape from the Prison Moon” is the second module in the Against the Aeon Throne Adventure Path for Starfinder. Having liberated Nakondis Colony, the PCs continue their search for the android Cedona and the ancient drive, forcing them to infiltrate an Azlanti prison.
The following content is included in the $22.99 Against the Aeon Throne – AP2: Escape from the Prison Moon
- Level 3 Adventure, divided into 3 parts.
- 3 5-ft battle maps with tokens and dynamic lighting (Plus/Pro sub required).
- 1 black hexagonal space map.
- 1 Alphabetized token page.
- 14 NPC character sheets with matching tokens and player handouts.
- 1 Unique Named NPC character sheets with token and handout.
- 2 new starships with tokens and handouts.
- Over 50 magic item text handouts.
- Details and background information on the Azlanti Star Empire and its history, culture, and citizens.
The adventure picks up after the events of “The Reach of Empire,” with the party having freed Nakondis Colony from the Azlanti occupation, though their Android friend Cedona had been captured, and the ancient space drive missing.
“Escape from the Prison Moon” is divided into three parts, with part one bringing the PCs into Azlanti space and meeting with a friendly merchant on a passing ship, who directs them to an abandoned mining outpost on the edges of the Star Empire.
Outpost Zed is detailed in part two. Instead of a dungeon crawl, it’s a (mostly) friendly meeting with some nifty new alien creatures, most of whom are happy to sell some merchandise.
Colorful patrons include the insectoid Hasshachir, suffering from a terrible chitin-eroding disease, who could serve as a friendly translator. Half-red is a cuttlefish who communicates via color-changes and manipulating her water-bubble to sell goods, while the monstrous Paralith recently learned how to barter, but not how to ask permission.
All the NPCs are detailed in a helpful Outpost Zed Residents handout, and it looks like a fun area for lots of role-playing and socializing. None of these encounters necessarily lead to combat, save for a single dust-up with a bug nest, yet we’re given a lovely industrial battlemap to wander around in.
The goal is to find Talmrin, a helpful informant who knows how to get into the prison moon of Gulta, where the PCs will find Cedona as well as several of Talmrin’s friends. The party are given several options on hi-jacking an Azlanti ship so they can properly infiltrate the prison, leading to part three.
As a moon-colony, Cell Block J of the Gulta prison complex features a fun design of several domes interlaced by walkways. The prison infiltration relies heavily on social checks and disguises rather than crawling through air ducts or bashing in doors. There are lots of fun opportunities for social shenanigans, and the alertness level is an excellent way to track the players’ progress and consequences, without jumping straight to a high-alert, mass combat situation.
Unfortunately the prison is a bit mundane. We’re still in the lower levels and mostly facing human guards and a few drones and zombies. Compared to the alien marketplace at Outpost Zed, I was a bit let down with the relative normalcy of the prison. It doesn’t help that almost all of the non-human prisoners, who could potentially serve large roles at the end, lack token art.
I’m still enjoying this adventure, even if it takes awhile for low-level Starfinder to start providing interesting situations and exotic locations. The module includes tons of background information on the Azlanti empire and culture, and rescuing NPCs from a prison is a neat scenario with plenty of satisfying options and tactics for clever player characters to employ.
Pros:
- Full color battle maps.
- Multiple options for players to discover information, hi-jack a spaceship, and infiltrate a prison colony.
- Alertness level is a smart way to afford consequences and track progress through the prison.
Cons:
- Very few actual combat encounters.
- Many important NPCs, like the prisoners, lack token art.
The Verdict: Escape from the Prison Moon Continues the Starfinder ADventure PAth’s excellent battle map art design while providing lots of interesting tactical options for a stealthy prison rescue.
A review copy of the module was provided. Read more Roll20 Reviews and watch the video reviews on my YouTube channel.
Support my work via Patreon.
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