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Are you volunteering to write said Mega-Adventure? (Right now, were would you find the time?)
My only writing deadline right now is Nov. 30th. That's 18 days away. After that, I have nothing on the schedule. Besides, Paizo doesn't even have such a mega-adventure on their schedule either. And you can't just plop something like that into the product line at the drop of a hat anyway. So that should give me plenty of time to convince my wife to give me time away from the kids to knock out a 64-page module, right? ;-]
If you want to do an AP above 1st level why not base it off of one of the level one to 3 modules? That way a DM and group can start at level 1 and the AP can pick up where the module leaves off. OR they can just do the AP starting at level "X".
Edit:
Plus it allows you to keep the AP's at numbering 6.
If you want to do an AP above 1st level why not base it off of one of the level one to 3 modules? That way a DM and group can start at level 1 and the AP can pick up where the module leaves off. OR they can just do the AP starting at level "X".
Edit:
Plus it allows you to keep the AP's at numbering 6.
This has been suggested, basically they don't want to mix the two lines, and it's not really an ideal method for them.
This looks very very cool. Huge pirate fan, especialy if the setting in question is done in a very gritty manner. This will likely get me back subscribing to the AP line...whether I can afford it or not.
One thing I'm very curious on though, is the character on the cover. New iconic or NPC? Either way, makes me really wish someone in my area (beyond myself) would DM pathfinder, as I really Really REALLY want to make a summoner proficient with a whip and in the possession of a monitor lizard eidolon...
The motif of an evil snake god who gets decapitated but isn't killed is actually from my homebrew campaign... as is Ydersius, in fact. I used SOME of the elements of his backstory for the work I did on Elder Evils (but I wasn't really all that happy with how it turned out there, alas... too many restrictions on what I could and couldn't do), but what you see about Ydersius in Golarion is more or less exactly how he appeared in my homebrew world of Baria.
The motif of an evil snake god who gets decapitated but isn't killed is actually from my homebrew campaign... as is Ydersius, in fact. I used SOME of the elements of his backstory for the work I did on Elder Evils (but I wasn't really all that happy with how it turned out there, alas... too many restrictions on what I could and couldn't do) ...
That may be, but even so, that book is one of the bibles for my campaign :)
I am some what new to Pathfinder, I enjoy what my GM has run our group through. Reading about this new AP, I know I want to play through it. It says expected August 2010... I wonder if I will be able to pick it up at Gen Con...
Welcome! We intend to release it on the first day of Gen Con. See you there!
Hugo Solis
(Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, Adventure Path, Campaign Setting, Companion, Modules Subscriber)
This is the AP I've been waiting for...
Same here.
This line in the description, "an overview of the ancient serpentfolk of the Mwangi Expanse and their eerie magic," has me terribly excited.
I'm hoping the serpentfolk are a continual threat throughout the Adventure Path and not just reserved for one chapter or worse, a long dead race that have left behind only ruins and artifacts.
Bring on the snakey goodness Paizo!
I'm hoping the serpentfolk are a continual threat throughout the Adventure Path and not just reserved for one chapter or worse, a long dead race that have left behind only ruins and artifacts.
James can probably come along and speak to it in more detail, but for what it's worth, I think you'll ultimately be quite pleased with the Serpent's Skull adventure path.
I'm hoping the serpentfolk are a continual threat throughout the Adventure Path and not just reserved for one chapter or worse, a long dead race that have left behind only ruins and artifacts.James can probably come along and speak to it in more detail, but for what it's worth, I think you'll ultimately be quite pleased with the Serpent's Skull adventure path.
I know I'm looking forward to it. :D
I got to touch on the region and something related to the AP in my last assignment, so doubly looking forward to seeing where it all goes. Of course I have nothing on my plate at the moment, so I'm doing a good job on the waiting. ;)
logic_poet
(Pathfinder Adventure Path Charter Subscriber; Roleplaying Game, Campaign Setting, Companion, Modules Subscriber)
The motif of an evil snake god who gets decapitated but isn't killed is actually from my homebrew campaign... as is Ydersius, in fact. I used SOME of the elements of his backstory for the work I did on Elder Evils (but I wasn't really all that happy with how it turned out there, alas... too many restrictions on what I could and couldn't do), but what you see about Ydersius in Golarion is more or less exactly how he appeared in my homebrew world of Baria.
Would you consider Yig to be a big influence on Ydersius? Is Ydersius an incarnaion of Yig - does he (the Father of Serpents) even have presence on Golarion?
Answersss please.
The motif of an evil snake god who gets decapitated but isn't killed is actually from my homebrew campaign... as is Ydersius, in fact. I used SOME of the elements of his backstory for the work I did on Elder Evils (but I wasn't really all that happy with how it turned out there, alas... too many restrictions on what I could and couldn't do), but what you see about Ydersius in Golarion is more or less exactly how he appeared in my homebrew world of Baria.Would you consider Yig to be a big influence on Ydersius? Is Ydersius an incarnaion of Yig - does he (the Father of Serpents) even have presence on Golarion?
Answersss please.
Absolutely. They both have the same first letter of their name, and in appearance they're pretty identical (save that Ydersius has no head or no body, depending on where you're at). At one point I considered just using Yig, since he's in the public domain and all, but decided against it because Yig is really closely tied to Earth and it would be weird to have him on Golarion. Someone like Azathoth or Yog-Sothoth, on the other hand, they're all over the place. But Yig? He's a local guy.
Well yeah, you are right about Yig and his ties to earth. I was thinking sword and sorcery/Hyboria - but that still is ancient earth isn't it?
Maybe Ydersius as an avatar/incarnation of Yig on Golarion? Yes, that will do the trick.
I have to say I have not run one single AP or module from Paizo yet - I do use the creatures. It's the Serpent folk or the occasional old school monster write ups which keeps me hooked. HOOKED.
I might have just have to run this AP as a tribute to the Isle of Dread (first module I owned - my other buddy had the basic set, I bought the expert boxed set).
I might have just have to run this AP as a tribute to the Isle of Dread (first module I owned - my other buddy had the basic set, I bought the expert boxed set).
If you liked "Isle of Dread," you should check out the "Savage Tide" adventure path we published in Dungeon from issues #139 to #150... particularly issues #142–#145.
James,
Will this whole AP have a lot of travel on ship, seeking treasure, etc? That was the biggest let-down with Savage Tide. It eventually devolved into this "stop the world from impending doom from demons" thing. BTW...Savage Tide was still awesome.
I for one would like this AP to be nothing but high seas, high seas, treasure hunt, and high seas with plenty of backstabbing and mistrust within the story arc. That includes the players as well.
:)
I for one would like this AP to be nothing but high seas, high seas, treasure hunt, and high seas with plenty of backstabbing and mistrust within the story arc. That includes the players as well.
Clearly, I'm not James. But I'll give a go at answering your question. Sadly, I'm afraid Serpent's Skull won't meet your wish. The initial chapter includes a seafaring scene to it, but I believe the action swiftly moves inland for most of the rest of campaign. Rather than imagining this as a high seas campaign, reimagine it as more of an Indiana Jones, Tomb Raider, jungle safari, ancient ruins exploration kind of campaign.
James,
Will this whole AP have a lot of travel on ship, seeking treasure, etc? That was the biggest let-down with Savage Tide. It eventually devolved into this "stop the world from impending doom from demons" thing. BTW...Savage Tide was still awesome.
I for one would like this AP to be nothing but high seas, high seas, treasure hunt, and high seas with plenty of backstabbing and mistrust within the story arc. That includes the players as well.
:)
There's pretty much zero ship travel adventure in this adventure path. An adventure path set entirely on the high seas would be cool, but it's absolutely not what "Serpent's Skull" is about. "Serpent's Skull" is more about jungle exploration and lost cities and the like.
I have a few bits about the pirates that may or may not be in this adventure.
How much does this have to do with pirates?
If it is quite a bit can we not have pirates that are similar to the common misconception of them? I would much rather have an adventure that had a pirate atmosphere that is more historically accurate. Not only would it be much cooler than the romantic version of them... but it would surpise most players.
But, if pirates are a short-lived aspect.. keep the romatic version as delving deep into actual pirate character would make more sense if they're only around for an adventure or two.
If I'm reading the vibe right, this AP begins with characters in Sargava rather than traveling there from Cheliax or otherwise, yeah?
Just some idle curiosity of how this one kicks off. Savage Tide really had that traveling to a strange realm to explore vibe. I think that's what I enjoyed the most about it. I actually lost interest in the Path once things got pointed towards Serpent Cove and the Abyss. If this one's all-exploration, I'm super-stoked. Maybe I can fudge in some of Savage Tide for some "getting there" style adventures.
I have a few bits about the pirates that may or may not be in this adventure.
How much does this have to do with pirates?
If it is quite a bit can we not have pirates that are similar to the common misconception of them? I would much rather have an adventure that had a pirate atmosphere that is more historically accurate. Not only would it be much cooler than the romantic version of them... but it would surpise most players.
But, if pirates are a short-lived aspect.. keep the romatic version as delving deep into actual pirate character would make more sense if they're only around for an adventure or two.
The "Serpent's Skull" adventure path is about the PCs racing to discover and then explore a legendary lost city in the jungle. They're racing against several other factions that also want to be the first to reach and explore the city; those factions are the Red Mantis assassins, the Pathfinders, the Aspis Consortium, and the Free Captains of the Shackles. That's pretty much the major role that "pirates" play in the AP overall—they have agents as one of those four factions. The first adventure takes place entirely on a jungle island—there are a lot of shipwrecks to explore and some pirate-themed elements ON the island, but there's not any nautical battle or open seas element to the Adventure Path at all.
As for historical accuracy—while Golarion takes a LOT of cues and inspiration from history, it's not a world where we're trying to be historically accurate. The presence of magic more or less prevents that from happening.
If I'm reading the vibe right, this AP begins with characters in Sargava rather than traveling there from Cheliax or otherwise, yeah?
Just some idle curiosity of how this one kicks off. Savage Tide really had that traveling to a strange realm to explore vibe. I think that's what I enjoyed the most about it. I actually lost interest in the Path once things got pointed towards Serpent Cove and the Abyss. If this one's all-exploration, I'm super-stoked. Maybe I can fudge in some of Savage Tide for some "getting there" style adventures.
As I mentioned in my previous post, there's not really any nautical journey element to this AP. The AP begins with the PCs in Sargava (sort of... see spoiler below), with the "Serpent's Skull Player's Guide" describing the voyage south along the west coast of Avistan and Garund. Basically, the PCs will be able to pick their home ports where they boarded this ship, and in so doing will determine their Campaign Traits for the AP.
The Serpent's Skull AP has a LOT of exploration—be it exploration of lost cities or primeval jungles or sinister islands. There's no nautical voyage or nautical exploration to it though.
As for how the Serpent's Skull AP starts... Spoilers for the start of the 1st adventure follow!
In any event... keep up the feedback! The reason we're going to 17th or 18th in Kingmaker is 100% because of customer feedback, and if it turns out there's just as many or more complaints about going to 17th level as there were for NOT going to 17th level... we'll absolutely listen and continue to vary the length of the APs.
Not to derail too much, but just to throw my hat in the ring: Please remember those of us that can't do high-level play. I know some groups exist that can do it well, but we can't get combats to take place in under 2 hours, and the math just gets too complicated and there's just too many rules at work at once. The game breaks down for us just past 10th level or so. And cutting our APs short because of this is sad times.
What's doubly sad is that those of us that disdain high-level play are also those of us that LOVE the stories. And there's been this tendency with AP structure that the first book has nothing to do with the core plot, then the 2nd book just starts to tie you in. And you don't get the awesome showdown with the legendary BBEG until the final book. We'd like to do the awesome stories too, but that seems excluded to our skill set. We value the stories more than we do the grinding and number crunching. And the current AP format doesn't support our style of play.
Again, I mean to take nothing away from those wanting high-level play: they should be catered to as well. But I just wanted to throw my hat into the ring as well.
If I'm reading the vibe right, this AP begins with characters in Sargava rather than traveling there from Cheliax or otherwise, yeah?
Just some idle curiosity of how this one kicks off. Savage Tide really had that traveling to a strange realm to explore vibe. I think that's what I enjoyed the most about it. I actually lost interest in the Path once things got pointed towards Serpent Cove and the Abyss. If this one's all-exploration, I'm super-stoked. Maybe I can fudge in some of Savage Tide for some "getting there" style adventures.
As I mentioned in my previous post, there's not really any nautical journey element to this AP. The AP begins with the PCs in Sargava (sort of... see spoiler below), with the "Serpent's Skull Player's Guide" describing the voyage south along the west coast of Avistan and Garund. Basically, the PCs will be able to pick their home ports where they boarded this ship, and in so doing will determine their Campaign Traits for the AP.
The Serpent's Skull AP has a LOT of exploration—be it exploration of lost cities or primeval jungles or sinister islands. There's no nautical voyage or nautical exploration to it though.
As for how the Serpent's Skull AP starts... Spoilers for the start of the 1st adventure follow!
** spoiler omitted **
Exploration as in KM style exploration? I must say, while the exploration element is nice to have, it's not all that great for my group's playstyle. They prefer a more linear type story, so hopefully there will be less emphasis on exploration than there was in KM.
Exploration as in KM style exploration? I must say, while the exploration element is nice to have, it's not all that great for my group's playstyle. They prefer a more linear type story, so hopefully there will be less emphasis on exploration than there was in KM.
Not really Kingmaker style exploration. Serpent's Skull is a bit more linear than Kingmaker, but there ARE large areas to explore; those areas don't really overlap between adventures much though.
The AP we'll be doing after Serpent's Skull will be returning to an even more linear path. We'll be varying things up like that form now on, basically.
Again, I mean to take nothing away from those wanting high-level play: they should be catered to as well. But I just wanted to throw my hat into the ring as well.
Actually, I can't think of a single one of our APs where the first book doesn't have anything to do with the whole plot. That said, we do try to make each adventure somewhat closed so that, if you want, you CAN adjust things to end at any point along the AP rather than take things through to the expected end. Which for the most part, folks seem to be asking for higher level ends.
That said, we will periodically do "shorter" APs. Council of Thieves, for example, ends at about 13th or 14th level, so you might want to check that one out.
The nature of the AP, though, is that they're usually going to be heading into at least 15th or 16th level.
Again, I mean to take nothing away from those wanting high-level play: they should be catered to as well. But I just wanted to throw my hat into the ring as well.Actually, I can't think of a single one of our APs where the first book doesn't have anything to do with the whole plot. That said, we do try to make each adventure somewhat closed so that, if you want, you CAN adjust things to end at any point along the AP rather than take things through to the expected end. Which for the most part, folks seem to be asking for higher level ends.
For what it's worth, it doesn't seem that way to me. In RotRL, you saw seven-pointed stars and whatnot before then, but didn't really get into learning about the Runelords of Greed until the end of the 2nd book. In LoF, you really only learn of Jhavhul starting at the beginning of the 3rd book. In KM, the first book didn't have have kingdom-building, that comes starting in the 2nd. And here, in SS, it looks like the first book will be "prequel" material and the remaining books will actually be about going after the Seven-Speared City.
And I'm talking about "how it feels to the players" not "what it reveals in the GM notes." I dunno, maybe I've just played too much Final Fantasy in my day, but the "core plotline" seems to not really develop until the 2nd or 3rd book, giving the first book a standalone or prequel-style to it. Not that prequels are bad, but it'd be nice to have an AP sometime with a more "unified" plot.
And I understand "for the most part" people want it at the higher end. I'm just making sure you don't think it's everybody. :-p
But there's more to it than that. There are themes and elements and other stuff in all of those first adventures that inexorably make them a part of their Adventure Paths. I guess what I'm taking exception to is the concept that in order to have something to do with the "plot" an adventure has to have concrete ties to the main bad guy of the entire campaign.
An adventure path is much more than its big-bad-end-guy, in other words.
Rise of the Runelords is as much about the peril facing Sandpoint and by extension Varisia as it is about the Runelords itself. And Legacy of Fire is as much about the "legacy" of the old genie war (including the reason Kelmarane was founded in the first place and why the old monastery does what it does) as it is about Jhavhul.
