Pathfinder Adventure Path #32: Rivers Run Red (Kingmaker 2 of 6) (PFRPG) (based on
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Paizo Publishing, LLC
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Chapter 2: "Rivers Run Red"
by Rob McCreary
With the heart of the Stolen Lands explored and the bandits who ruled there scattered, the long-contested realm finally lies open for pioneers and settlers to stake their claims. Amid the rush of opportunistic travelers, the PCs find themselves stewards over a new domain, tasked with the responsibility of guiding and guarding a fledgling nation struggling to grow upon a treacherous borderland. Yet the threats to this new nation quickly prove themselves greater than mere bandits and wild beasts, as the monstrous natives of the hills and forests rampage forth to slaughter all who have trespassed upon their territory. Can the PCs hold the land they’ve fought so hard to explore and tame? Or will their legend be just one more lost to the fangs of the Stolen Lands?
This volume of Pathfinder Adventure Path includes:
“Rivers Run Red,” a Pathfinder RPG adventure for 5th-level characters,
by Rob McCreary.
Expansive new rules for running your own cities and nations, by James Jacobs.
Insights into the rugged faith of Erastil, god of the hunt, by Sean K Reynolds.
Pathfinder Ollix Kaddar and Phargas get themselves to a nunnery in the Pathfinder’s Journal, by Richard Pett.
Five new monsters, by Adam Daigle, Rob McCreary, Sean K Reynolds,
and James L. Sutter.
Pathfinder Adventure Path is Paizo Publishing's monthly 96-page, perfect-bound, full-color softcover book printed on high-quality paper. It contains an in-depth Adventure Path scenario, stats for about a half-dozen new monsters, and several support articles meant to give Game Masters additional material to expand their campaign. Pathfinder Adventure Path volumes use the Open Game License and work with both the Pathfinder RPG and the standard 3.5 fantasy RPG rules set.
This AP sounds truely awesome for so many reasons - can see huge scope for roleplay and rollplay; can't wait...
Zaister(Paizo Charter Superscriber, Pathfinder Battles Case Subscriber)
Callous Jack wrote:
Yay for the Erastil article!
I'm wondering which god will be the second for this AP. For now it was usually one more or less good god and one more or less evil god. I'm guessing it might be Gorum in #35.
I'm wondering which god will be the second for this AP. For now it was usually one more or less good god and one more or less evil god. I'm guessing it might be Gorum in #35.
We haven't 100% nailed that down yet. At this point it's looking like Gorum though.
This AP sounds completely different from anything done before. I'm curious how this AP will link with story, since all the former ones have had a very theatrical plot to them. This seems more free-flowing, like Chronicles adventures linked together rather than an AP. Not that I'm not excited, it will be nice to have something for the players who whine about railroading.
the product description reads: "by Paizo stuf". does this mean that what it sounds like (all of the stuff working togather to make the adventure) or that a writer havnt been assienged yet?
the product description reads: "by Paizo stuf". does this mean that what it sounds like (all of the stuff working togather to make the adventure) or that a writer havnt been assienged yet?
Writers have been assigned but not announced/solicited. Sometimes James or other Paizo editors reveal these things in the weekly chats. In this case, I believe it's Rob McCreary, but authors have been known to change during the writing or development of adventures, so don't take my word for it. When they're less busy or when they're ready to, this and all the other books with "Paizo Staff" and "James Jacobs" listed as authors will be changed to the actual authors.
This looks great. Domain management is something that has been absent from the game for a long time. I know I really miss it. The rules for running a kingdom are worth the price alone.
This AP seems really cool. Settlers of Catan meets dnd. Anyone got wood for sheep?
Only in Scottland.
1)Scotland, one T.
2) It's Wales that has that dubious reputation. The Scots are the drunkards.
Fixed.
Then why is the joke "Why do Scotsmen wear kilts? So the sheep won't hear zippers."
It appears to be a cross cultural celtic joke, as a Welshman I've heard a million and one versions of the same tired joke. Welsh, Irish, Scottish and even Cornish (I'm not even sure they have a sheep farming tradition).
Yeah, it's a british joke, all the other ethnicities are brnaded with it, but scots get the worst of it I think, and I'm Irish, so that's not woe is me bias.
That said there are probably still some 'no irish' signs floating around london and the U.S.
The green dude on the cover is a troll who thinks he's people, and wears armor and uses weapons, which is unusual for a troll. But being a troll, he can't do much about his tusks!
Wait wait, Sir Pett writes a piece of fiction and a NUNNERY is involved ?
This is ... so wrong ... on oh so many levels ... wait ... there's some movement outside the window, I shall light the lantern ... what ? No ... NOOOOOOOOOOARGHHHHHMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM'NAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR
Wait wait, Sir Pett writes a piece of fiction and a NUNNERY is involved ?
This is ... so wrong ... on oh so many levels ... wait ... there's some movement outside the window, I shall light the lantern ... what ? No ... NOOOOOOOOOOARGHHHHHMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM'NAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR
It's the lantern... light draws the Pett out of its cozy lair on the attic. Slithering and crawling the Pett stalks, always hungry for mortal flesh...
SKR: can you spoil us a bit on the Erastil article? I'm going to take a (welcomed! :P) hit for the party by playing the cleric, and the god of farming and community seems a natural fit for this frontier-town type of setting.
How much "community" vs. "hunting" themes (i.e. cleric vs. ranger) are we looking at roughly?
What is the party size assumed in this (and for that matter any)adventure path? I already read that the rulership part has 11 possible roles, so that shouldn't be an issue.
However, we tend to play with a 6 PC party, and I was wondering to which extend I would have to beef up the monsters for that.
Also are there any monsters covered in (relatively) large numbers in King Maker 2, beside the trolls?
I am starting to collect some mini's for the adventure path, so would be glad to know what to collect.
Ravenmantle(Pathfinder Charter Superscriber; GameMastery Maps Subscriber)
I believe that the assumption in the Pathfinder RPG is that a standard party consists of 4-5 players. I doubt they'll move away from that particular number
What is the party size assumed in this (and for that matter any)adventure path? I already read that the rulership part has 11 possible roles, so that shouldn't be an issue.
However, we tend to play with a 6 PC party, and I was wondering to which extend I would have to beef up the monsters for that.
Also are there any monsters covered in (relatively) large numbers in King Maker 2, beside the trolls?
I am starting to collect some mini's for the adventure path, so would be glad to know what to collect.
All Pathfinder adventure paths assume a party of 4 PCs.
If you play with 6 PCs, you should probably add a few extra bad guys to most encounters, but be careful trying to beef up encounters by increasing monster HD or level or simply subbing in higher CR monsters. Even though your PCs are more numerous, they aren't individually more tough and a higher CR monster will bring a much-increased chance of killing PCs simply because it doesn't matter how many targets there are on the monster's turn... he's using his attacks against one foe regardless.
I've found that a great way to quickly, on the fly adapt an adventure for 6 players is to simply increase the hit points of all the monsters by 50%; keeps them in the fight a bit longer and keeps folks going pretty well.
As for other monsters in Kingmaker 2...
Spoiler:
There's the aforementioned trolls, lots of fey, a few undead, a fair amount of humans, and lots of variety otherwise... including a GIANT owlbear...
Zaister(Paizo Charter Superscriber, Pathfinder Battles Case Subscriber)
James Jacobs wrote:
I've found that a great way to quickly, on the fly adapt an adventure for 6 players is to simply increase the hit points of all the monsters by 50%; keeps them in the fight a bit longer and keeps folks going pretty well.
That doesn't really make up to the fact that the players have 50% more actions than the encounter is designed for, though. Especially in higher level campaigns this is an important factor.
I've found that a great way to quickly, on the fly adapt an adventure for 6 players is to simply increase the hit points of all the monsters by 50%; keeps them in the fight a bit longer and keeps folks going pretty well.
That doesn't really make up to the fact that the players have 50% more actions than the encounter is designed for, though. Especially in higher level campaigns this is an important factor.
Which is a good reason to also add in more targets for the PCs... or maybe up the hit points by 100%.
I'm wondering which god will be the second for this AP. For now it was usually one more or less good god and one more or less evil god. I'm guessing it might be Gorum in #35.
We haven't 100% nailed that down yet. At this point it's looking like Gorum though.
That would be appropriate. I think I'm really looking forward to this adventure path.
I've found that a great way to quickly, on the fly adapt an adventure for 6 players is to simply increase the hit points of all the monsters by 50%; keeps them in the fight a bit longer and keeps folks going pretty well.
That doesn't really make up to the fact that the players have 50% more actions than the encounter is designed for, though. Especially in higher level campaigns this is an important factor.
Which is a good reason to also add in more targets for the PCs... or maybe up the hit points by 100%.
(or maybe fire some players! :-P)
Personally we tend to just add 50% more monsters. That tends to balance out fairly well. Or sometimes a mix of extra hp and monsters if you can't add a even amount of 50% more... like if the encounter has 3 monsters. We would bump it up to 4 and then bump up all their hp by say 25%.
However, we tend to play with a 6 PC party, and I was wondering to which extend I would have to beef up the monsters for that.
I have the same problem with "too many PCs". I tend to find that simply adding more monsters isn't enough, they need to be more deadly as well.
A quick solution that works reasonably well for me is to add +2 to everything the monster has. +2 Attack, +2 Dmg, +2 Saves, +2 AC, +2hp/HD, etc. For me the problem isn't that there aren't enough monsters, just each individual monsters doesn't pose enough of a threat to my PCs.
Having a party of 9-10 players every week, plus a druid companion and a wizard who I frustrated by only allowing him to summon 1 creature at a time, I have similar issues. I discovered that often times, by adding a few levels of a core class or changing the terrain/environment of an encounter, I rarely had to do much else. It also keeps the players on their toes.
This works very well in my game because we are using level up points, I would imagine the XP increase may throw things off in a XP based game though.
I will have to experiment with the 50% hp increase and the +2 to all methods, they sound even quicker and easier for adjusting an entire AP.