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Where should the PC's be (approximately) during the stories?
I finished reading Seven Day to the Grave and I am finding the last few encounters to be TPK's. (IMO)
(I have not gone through all the XP they should get and applied that yet, but it still does't seem enough...
This seems like a very tough adventure.
Anyone have any insight/tips on running this thing?
Creative Director
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Where should the PC's be (approximately) during the stories?
I finished reading Seven Day to the Grave and I am finding the last few encounters to be TPK's. (IMO)
(I have not gone through all the XP they should get and applied that yet, but it still does't seem enough...** spoiler omitted **
This seems like a very tough adventure.
Anyone have any insight/tips on running this thing?
The PCs should be well into 4th level by the time they finish Edge of Anarchy; there's a LOT of XP to be had in that first adventure, in other words. Enough so that they should probably be hitting 5th level soon in "Seven Days." Actually, you can probably hit 5th level on Edge of Anarchy alone if you do EVERYTHING.
Whenever we do a Pathfinder, I do run the numbers for XP and gold to see if they're more or less where I think they need to be. Alas, I threw out the chart I built originally for Seven Days... but according to my Edge of Anarchy calculations, the PCs are likely to end that adventure with about 7,418 XP.
So assuming that's where they start Seven Days, and assuming they tackle the adventure in the order in which the encounters are presented (not necessarily the case...), we see the following suspected progression (spoilered, since it gives away some encounters):
START: 4th Level
MIDDLE OF PART FOUR: 5th Level
START OF PART FIVE: 6th Level (there are a LOT of zombies and rat monsters to kill in the second half of Part Four...)
MIDDLE OF PART FIVE: 7th Level (once the PCs are getting into the depths of the temple of Urgathoa)
END OF ADVENTURE: 8th level
Of course, this method is by no means an exact science, since it assumes that the GM hands out XP either as the kills occur, or at the very least at the end of each game session, or at least after the end of each major section. There are indeed a few encounters in there that are particularly tough, but most of these are set up so that the "correct" way to solve the encounter isn't a stand up fight. For example:
The battle against the four vampire spawn at the start of Part Four could be a killer if the PCs just race into the situation in the dead of night. But if they're careful and go there during the day, it could be a cakewalk.
The encounter with Ramoska could easily be a TPK... if a fight occurs. It's set up to be a role-playing encounter though; a scene where the PCs should resolve a conflict without a fight against a foe that's probably too tough for them.
The Hall of Pestilence is a race against time type encounter. If the PCs can deal with the two relatively weak priests there quickly enough... they don't have to face the CR 9 leukodaemon.
The final battle is against a tough foe (two tough foes, in fact), but a single foe is always at a disadvantage against multiple PCs. We tend to skew battles against single foes toward higher CRs as a result. Even a 6th level party should be able to defeat Lady Andaisin, since she's only got one turn each round as opposed to four turns (or more) for the PCs.
Of course, you have the advantage over us in that you know your player's strengths and weaknesses better than we do. That's one huge advantage that pen-and-paper RPGs still have over, say, video game RPGs; they're moderated by someone who can customize the experience to their particular players. If you feel that Seven Days to the Grave is perhaps too rough for the PCs, two great ways to shore things up would be:
1) Add in a few more missions to Part Four so the PCs can get more XP. We've included three suggested events along these lines on page 44, all of which can give the PCs more XP and treasure and body count totals to aid them later in the adventure.
2) Give them some help; they're working for Cressida, and it's perfectly okay for her to give the PCs a few Korvosan Guards to follow them around and provide a little extra help.
Finally... keep in mind that the adventures themselves aren't on timers, and that the whole thing takes place in a city. Getting resources shouldn't be a problem; if the PCs get in over their heads, they can flee back to the street; in most cases, their enemies don't pursue them into public places, and the PCs can then rest, recover, and re-equip for a second attempt.
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Thanks for the reply James.
I'm completely new to running premade adventures, I've always run my own. I'm more familiar with my homebrew stuff than the modules. I'm reading the adventures multiple times before running them so I can keep it flowing.
2) Give them some help; they're working for Cressida, and it's perfectly okay for her to give the PCs a few Korvosan Guards to follow them around and provide a little extra help.
LOVE this idea... I may do it.
My group is 6/7 PC's. (So far only 6 have shown up with one being out) and I know they are getting less XP each. I also know that when there is a note in the adventure saying the PC's should be a certain level, it's there for a reason. Weather it's for having enough hp's to withstand an enemy or a high enough skill roll to deal with a situation.
I know they are not getting that total you gave above in XP since there is 6 of them and they Diplamacy'd Devargo.
I want to give them a good experience and not screw something up on my end that 'hoses' them later on...
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Creative Director
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Yeah; if you have a lot of PCs, they do tend to get less XPs. That there are more of them certainly helps offset this problem a little, since they can outnumber foes easier, but still... it's probably a good idea to throw in a few more mooks here and there to keep their XPs up.
Also... don't be afraid to award them full XP awards for using skills like Diplomacy or Bluff to handle an encounter. If they use Diplomacy to solve a problem with Devargo (or any bad guy, for that matter), they should get the full award as if they defeated him in battle.
(Necro) I reckon my PCs may be getting help for the end of Part II - from the Hellknights! :) The Hellknight they met when they defeated the Otyugh in pt I likes and respects them, and don't they all want Order and Justice for Korvosa? >:)