I just picked up the first two modules for the Legacy of Fire AP and plan on running the first one tomorrow.
I've seen a lot of praise for this AP and I agree it's a great multilayered story, but I'd like to move away from the idea of a patron and make the story about the PCs from the beginning.
**************** Spoilers abound ****************************
Here's the key changes I'm planning to make:
1. Make the PCs the Pathfinder adventuring group, Lions of Senara
PC 2 sees this from the lookout at the chapel on the hill, already reclaimed by Almah's group. PC 2 managed to escape the battle market and was rescued by some of Almah's scouts. PC 2 agreed to help them retake the city to save the other Lions of Senara.
PC 3 has just arrived to town tracking down slaves taken from his village. PC 4 will take the place of the escaped bard stuck in town. PC 4 can run either one of Almah's mercenaries on guard with PC 2 or one of the hobgoblins.
2. Make Halruun the possessed evil leader of Kelmarane
I'll probably have to play with his stats a bit to make him a similar challenge to Kardswann, but mainly I see a moment in the battle where his real face struggles out and begs the PCs to help. I'll probably give him a penalty during the fight as he struggles with this. Maybe even a possible breather as he gains control for a few rounds and explains what is happening.
So in this version Halruun is being controlled by Xulthos and bringing Halruun's body to the old crypt will set his spirit free. This also saves the image of the big bad with the battleaxe for Xulthos.
3. Move pugwampis to an abandoned building in town
I'm thinking of starting of starting the PCs at level 2 since they'll miss out on the XP of the first few encounters. Plus a real adventuring group should be about that level anyway. Hopefully this will still let them get to level 5 before the crypt. If not I can send them off to the set piece. Maybe that's where the key to the crypt is being guarded instead of with Almah.
I'll let you know how it goes, but any feedback would be great.
I'm not sure about #1. I like my PC's to arrive at encounter #1 seperatly and get to know each other as we start the game. Having them already be an adventuring group would short-cut that. I find that my players really get into introductions, and enjoy getting to know the other character via role play.
#2 I like this idea. My group is now in the middle of investigating the village and the area around it. The more I hear about the troubles GM's are having with the banquet in Book #3 and the re-hash of plots in Books #4&5, I think that I may run a short campaign of just books #1&2. We'll move on from there with an unrelated adventure and let the players move away from Kelmarane and the mountains as they choose to do.
#3 I did both actually. I kept the pugwampis in the chapel, and added another batch between the old pesh fields and the destroyed buildings on the south edge of the village. By the time the players saw the second group near town, vials of Alchemist Fire and Sleep spells were readied.
I'm not sure about #1. I like my PC's to arrive at encounter #1 seperatly and get to know each other as we start the game. Having them already be an adventuring group would short-cut that. I find that my players really get into introductions, and enjoy getting to know the other character via role play.
#2 I like this idea. My group is now in the middle of investigating the village and the area around it. The more I hear about the troubles GM's are having with the banquet in Book #3 and the re-hash of plots in Books #4&5, I think that I may run a short campaign of just books #1&2. We'll move on from there with an unrelated adventure and let the players move away from Kelmarane and the mountains as they choose to do.
#3 I did both actually. I kept the pugwampis in the chapel, and added another batch between the old pesh fields and the destroyed buildings on the south edge of the village. By the time the players saw the second group near town, vials of Alchemist Fire and Sleep spells were readied.
Cool. Yeah, I think it went well. I had a couple of brand new players just learning the game, so I think it helped to jump right into the action. I made one of the more experienced players be the prisoner being hauled out to the pesh fields with no equipment (or boots...ouch). Another experienced player was a goblin cavalier (yes :P) tracking down some goblin slaves taken by the gnolls.
One of the new players saw his friend from the lookout at the monastery which had been secured by Almah's group already. I set it up that Almah's mercenaries tried a raid on Night 2 and in the confusion two members of the group escaped, but were separated. One was picked up by Almah's group and offered hospitality. The other hid out in an abandoned church and woke up a prisoner of the pugwampi tribe.
So once the group escaped the dust digger (by using cause fear and running away :) They also fed it a summoned dire rat, which was an unsatisfying meal ;) ), they united and headed to the east edge of town where they saw their friend flee the night before.
The pugwampi encounter ended up being mostly frustrating for the players, though we had some fun with it. In the end one PC created water over the king which I ruled was enough weight to make a roll for a small sized creature to fall through the ceiling. Which he did and was quickly mauled to the PCs relief. And that's where we ended it for the night, just shy of level 3.
I used the Lions background of coming from Cheliax. I made Andrus (who still died violently on Day 3, but as revenge for the raid the night before) a member of the Pathfinders Guild who hired the others to come along on his expedition. I'm thinking Almah needs the PCs because many of her mercenaries died in the first raid and also because of a reading of the Harrow deck (Eloais survived).
Sounds like the PCs want to head to the ruined church next, so I think I might place Andrus there as an undead (animated by the spreading influence of Xulthos on the land). And I might also throw in some charred goblin slaves downstairs as failed attempts to open the crypt (ala Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade "...only the penitent man shall pass...").
I had some ideas of merging the second module with Red Hand of Doom, replacing hobgoblins with gnolls and using the Carrion King...I think I'll make a separate thread for that.
Hey, folks. I'm back again with an update. The games have been short and spread out, but we're starting to make some headway.
After fire bombing a stolen alchemist's cart outside the Battle Market, the PCs succeeded in luring out most of the gnolls and snuck in to go after the leader (Halruun in this case).
I had Halruun posing as a Jackal Lord (MM III I think), but the disguise quickly faded and after a prolonged battle (mostly because the DR and many crappy rolls) Halruun lay dead. Ugruk floated safely down to the arena floor after being pushed off (man they were pissed at that ring), where he started rallying the patrons of the bar and a nearby squad of gnolls outside.
The PCs held up on the third floor guard post using the same table trick as cover and one by one took down the incoming bugbear/gnoll/hyena squad. The bugbear bartender even reluctantly rushed in (after being pushed by Ugruk).
Ugruk managed to escape again along with one gnoll and the bugbear bartender. The PCs rushed after and found Ugruk on the second level standing outside a shop door telling someone to "keep the pups safe." I figure there's plenty of empty rooms for the 12 children the tribe should have.
I'm using Undrella here to protect the children, but as a gnoll/harpy, like a Marrash (MM III also I think). And I gave her a level of oracle of Lamashtu, her curse being a lame leg. I'm envisioning her floating out to the center of the market and using her captivating song to lure the PCs over the edge. Should be fun :)
Howl of the Carrion King into Red Hand of Doom
So the PCs mopped up the rest of the gnoll tribe (with a few exceptions). I even threw in some hyaenodons (man these are dangerous) since a gnoll tribe is listed as having a few and I pulled out some of the elements that no longer fit anyway, like the wandering demon, etc.
Now I'm looking toward transitioning into (a heavily modified) Red Hand of Doom, replacing hobgoblins with gnolls, Tiamat with Rovagug. I want to keep the year of building up Kelmarane so that they'll be something to conquer for the gnoll horde.
I'm using the Pale Mountain region instead of Elsir Vale, so the scale will be much smaller, but I'm thinking the horde marching through the mountains will slow them down sufficiently.
I'm translating Brindol into Kelmarane, Hook Ford into Elsircross and Dennovar into Thricehills (though I'm renaming it Talar which is one of the other towns in RHoD that sounds more Katapeshi :)).
I'm thinking of placing Drellin's Ferry west of Kelmarane along the Pale River in the mountains. And Skull Gorge bridge will be farther west near where the river crosses the tan line chasm.
For Rhest and the Tiri Kitor elves, I'm having to get creative. I'm thinking the Nowruz Vale west of Pale Mountain would work well thematically with the reclusive druid sect and lake nearby. This would force the PCs to go past Pale Mountain, though like I said the scale is smaller. I like this idea, but not sure yet.
For the Shadowlord there are a few options. Right now I'm leaning toward Onyx Hall in the south or Marudshar in the north. Or I could even using the Crouching Jakal off the map to the east, but that might be pushing it.
Any ideas or suggestions are welcome. My characters still have to deal with the temple first (I'm transplanting the monastery there and connecting the two crypts, which looks like could have been the original intent), so I have some time to plan. Thanks.