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Yesterday I tried to get a one-shot going for PF. I've only played once, but I think I've seen enough between PF 1, SF and D&D 5e that PF already makes sense to me behind the screen. It's meant as a one-shot that can lead into a full story line if the players want to go that way.

The idea was to build a hazardous dungeon that 1st levels can handle, but still feel some accomplishment from surviving.

It's organized like this: E1: The entrance passage opens into kind of a rectangular room, with no doors in sight. A dead end. Two torches (imagine something like one of those standing tiki torch things) with skulls on them are all that is noticeable (one on the left, one on the right), though a wall dead ahead from the entrance has a faded symbol on it (I think I'd have a DC 15 to notice it because it's so faded). Otherwise, it's nondescript stone walls.

The trick is that this is a basic puzzle. Removing the skulls from either torch opens up a passageway from the wall. The left one leads to a pit trap (DC 15 Perc. to spot, maybe Dis. Dev. DC 15 to disable, 1d4 falling damage if you fall in). Nothing too dangerous, but still a hazard. In the right one is a hammer that has a runic symbol on it (same as that wall). The solution is to hit that wall with the hammer. The hammer will shatter and the passage will open.

E2: Some human skeletons (depending on PC numbers). A chest in here has a key that is needed to open, as picking the lock isn't going to work.

E3: A torturer (I need to build a level 1 version of a torturer though) and his prisoner. Stop the torturer, save the prisoner. There's a stash of health potions and the key to the chest from E2. When saved, the prisoner cryptically says "Beware of the turning key". More on that later.

E4: The chest in the E2 room. It's a trap. If they simply move the chest, it reveals a ladder that they can climb down to reach the next encounter, but if they open the chest, the floor (in a 20ft area) collapses (DC 20 Reflex save to dodge, though I was thinking of dropping it to DC 10 or 15. 1d4 damage probably?) and anybody caught falls into E5 (everybody goes down there, but people who fell from the trap get surprised and have to get up).

E5: The end. A few zombies and a level 1 antipaladin. It's sort of a throne room, but with an altar rather than a throne. I suppose the antipaladin has been abducting locals so his master can raise them as undead slaves, though the master is going to be only a background detail (this is a level 1 thing…a suitable necromancer NPC would kill the PCs instantly, so instead they fight one of their servants).

Basically, fight some zombies, slay the evil knight, then go home. A basic undead-themed adventure, and if the players enjoy it, you could build a campaign where the adventurers eventually slay the evil necromancer that this antipaladin works for.

Is it too hard? I'm not too used to PF as a GM because I've never run it, so let me know if it's too much. But I think it could work.

It's probably worth noting that it was, admittedly, put together in the spur of the moment. My SF group didn't play, so I threw together a one-shot for PF. Now I just have it sitting around.