Average playtime for Paizo modules, adventure path books etc...


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Silver Crusade

Can any one give me an average play time for the modules Paizo puts out?

And also on average how long can it take to get through an adventure path book?

I am a new DM, and a new player. I finally am coming closer to getting a group together, so I will be buying some Paizo modules, and possibly an adventure path.


This is really wide open, but I'll give you a few specifics that MIGHT help.

I played through Carnival of Tears (which is a 3x rather than PF module) in about 8 hours of play, with two players. Adding additional players will increase the time, depending on how wordy they get.

The first module of Kingmaker will have taken something like 15 hours of play by the time I'm done, though it could easily take a LOT more depending on how into exploring and RP your group is. Thus, the whole AP will take somewhere in the neighborhood of 90 hours. It could easily be a lot more, but not, I imagine, less. So, assuming you can meet for 4 hours once a week, it should take you 22 weeks to get through. That said, I know several people on the boards have played KM for over a year.

Contributor

Moved thread.

Owner - House of Books and Games LLC

As has been mentioned, this varies greatly based on play style and experience.

I'm a relatively experienced GM, and am running a group of inexperienced players through their second module, Crown of the Kobold King (on the heels of Hollow's Last Hope).

We've had four play sessions, the first three with 4 out of 5 players, and the most recent with all five, with the sessions running from 4-6 hours, and they're over halfway done with the second module.

Assuming an average play session of 4-5 hours, I'd say a module is probably 2-3 play sessions and an action path is probably 4-5 play sessions.

But those are just ballpark numbers - your mileage will definitely vary.

Liberty's Edge

My tabletop group just finished the Rise of the Runelords AP. Based upon total sessions and session duration, I would say the campaign offered between 150 and 200 hours of actual playtime. It would likely be longer for a less experienced group, as this group has been playing D&D/Pathfinder consistently 2-3x each week for the last decade.

If you prefer an estimation of an online venue, my online group uses Maptool to play, and we completed the Council of Thieves AP in about 250-275 hours of actual playtime.

Obviously, for the typical 4 hour session, this means you'll likely get between 35 and 80 total gaming sessions out of an AP, possibly more for a newer or very RP intensive group. Put another way, based on the cost of the books you're looking at around $2 a session, or likely cheaper than what you pay for food or gas to drive to the session.


Triga wrote:

Can any one give me an average play time for the modules Paizo puts out?

And also on average how long can it take to get through an adventure path book?

I am a new DM, and a new player. I finally am coming closer to getting a group together, so I will be buying some Paizo modules, and possibly an adventure path.

My group normally plays for about 6 hours on average, and it normally takes 2 sessions to finish one book.


Pathfinder Society play allots 12-15 hours for playing a module, for what it's worth.

Silver Crusade

Sweet, thanks for all the replies. I definitely feel like I have an idea what to expect.

Thanks.


Me and my group are currently playing Kingmaker, we finish a book in about two sessions (6-8 each), that is without the kingdom building this AP has, which can take very little or very much time (as you want)


I'm running Legacy of Fire. After 11 six-hour sessions, we are I'd say 1/3 through the second module of the AP. This includes the group having been through both Set Pieces.

So 66 hours of gaming has gotten the group through 1.34 of the Adventure Paths and 2 Set Pieces. The Set Pieces took on average one full session.

At this rate it looks like the AP for LOF module itself are going to take an average of 40 hours per actual module. So 240 hours for the main AP, plus up to 36 additional hours in Set Pieces. Total potential gaming 276.


Wow, some of you guys run AP's on speed!

We take about 12 - 18 months to run through a full 6 book AP. We play for 4 hours per session [weekly] with 4 players.

Some AP's, namely Kingmaker, could take much longer if the players really get into the Kingdom building part of the game.

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