Gatewalkers

Gatewalkers sells itself as something different from what it actually is, and that will make lot of players feel deceived. It is NOT a bad campaign. It can become a escort quest if you play it as written, so it's important to make sure the PCs feel as the center of the story. The combat is pretty well balanced, there are lots of roleplaying opportunities, set pieces are memorable, there's a good campaign here, but reading ahead as a GM and managing player expectactions is key.

Gatewalkers is one of Pathfinder 2E’s most unique and intriguing adventure paths, blending cosmic horror, lost memories, and extradimensional threats into a surreal, character-driven mystery. Designed for levels 1 to 10, this campaign drops players into a world where they’ve all experienced an unexplained event—one that left them changed, but with no memory of what happened. The story is equal parts investigation, survival horror, and mind-warping exploration, making it perfect for groups who enjoy enigmatic storytelling, unsettling horror, and eldritch weirdness. The Good: ✅ Fantastic Mystery Hook & Character Buy-In – Right from the start, Gatewalkers draws players in with its shared amnesia hook. The idea that all the PCs experienced something strange but don’t remember it gives every character a personal stake in the story, making it feel more interactive and immersive. ✅ A Unique Blend of Horror & Adventure – Gatewalkers mixes survival horror, occult strangeness, and plane-hopping adventure in a way that feels fresh and different from most Pathfinder campaigns. Expect mysteries, bizarre creatures, and plenty of unsettling moments as players uncover the truth behind their missing memories. ✅ Incredible Atmosphere & Storytelling – The campaign nails its tone, from eerie dream sequences to unsettling NPCs and cryptic clues. The locations range from haunted ruins to otherworldly realms, ensuring a varied and unpredictable journey. ✅ Great for Roleplaying & Exploration Fans – Gatewalkers is highly narrative-driven, with mysteries to unravel, NPCs to question, and dreamlike sequences that encourage creative problem-solving. Groups that love immersive storytelling and roleplay-driven gameplay will thrive here. ✅ Weird, Fun, and Surreal Encounters – This isn’t just another “fight goblins and cultists” adventure. Expect alien horrors, cosmic anomalies, and strange magical effects that push players outside their comfort zone. Even combat encounters feel uniquely strange and unsettling. ✅ Play a Psychic! – With the Psychic class introduced in Dark Archive, this AP is perfect for characters who want to explore occult powers, dream magic, and mental phenomena. Many of the campaign’s themes align beautifully with the Psychic’s abilities. The Not-So-Good: ❌ Not for Players Who Prefer Clear-Cut Goals – This adventure thrives on ambiguity and mystery, which might frustrate players who prefer straightforward objectives. If your group wants a clear villain and a linear path, Gatewalkers may feel too abstract. ❌ Horror Elements Might Not Be for Everyone – While not full-on Call of Cthulhu levels of horror, Gatewalkers leans into cosmic dread, psychological horror, and mind-bending weirdness. If your group doesn’t enjoy unsettling themes or surreal encounters, this might not be the best fit. ❌ Shorter Than Other Adventure Paths – With a level cap of 10, this AP ends sooner than most Pathfinder campaigns. If your group is looking for a grand 1-20 epic, you might need to add some homebrew content or transition into another adventure afterward. ❌ Occult & Psychic Themes Are Strong (Which Might Not Suit Every Group) – If your players aren’t into occult lore, dream magic, or psionics, they might not connect as well with the themes of this campaign. ❌ Could Be Challenging for Newer GMs – The surreal nature of the campaign requires a GM who can handle abstract storytelling, dream sequences, and cosmic horror themes effectively. It’s not a “plug-and-play” dungeon crawl—it takes a bit more effort to set the right tone. Final Verdict: Gatewalkers is a fantastic campaign for groups who love immersive mysteries, occult horror, and eldritch strangeness. The personal character stakes, eerie atmosphere, and unique storytelling make it one of Pathfinder 2E’s most intriguing adventure paths. However, it’s not for everyone—if your group prefers traditional fantasy quests, clear-cut villains, or low-weirdness gameplay, this might be too abstract and unsettling. For those who love unraveling cosmic horror, exploring lost memories, and encountering the bizarre, Gatewalkers is one of the most rewarding campaigns in Pathfinder 2E.

I have successfully GMd this AP twice and both times the players were so enthralled with the Various exotic locales they had a blast. ALL the players in both groups decided to stick around for further adventures in Golarion (in both cases the parties went onto Stolen Fate to learn more about some items they found at the end of Gatewalkers) I will be frank though and let you know the AP has a difficult reputation amongst GMs because of the amount of additional work needed to make many of the encounters relevant. That being said there are many ways that most GMs end up handling these challenges well and this means the AP actually has more value to GMs who can see different stories each time they run it. I would love to play this sometime and see what other GMs have done because of this.