I'm going to be running the new RotRL Anniversary Edition when I get my hard copy. I already ran the beginner box with my two roommates and a separate solo session with a friend. Now they are going to be joined together and starting the adventure path. However, the party make up is:
Dostaves - Level 2 Half Orc - Magus
Alimonty - Level 2 Elf - Summoner
Senku - Level 2 Tengu - Ninja
The summoner's eidelon is a biped with slam, improved armor, reach, magic attack and scent. Built to be a sort of meat shield. Since they are already level 2 I figured the start would be easy enough but later on with Erylium and the big baddies, is there anything I should keep in mind or adjust? The magus and summoner were the two that played the beginner box and didn't have a problem at all with any of the encounters. The ninja has ki charge and weapon finesse and can dish out good damage. Thanks
While the AP is intended for 4 1st level characters, 3 2nd levels is a good start and helps their survivability. As Stereofm stated, you could give them an NPC to join the group or you can modify treasures and magical weapons they find, making them selves powerful enough that they don't really need a 4th member. As far as the Erylium encounter goes, she does little damage, but is kinda hard to hit and has DR and Fast healing. You could have one of the PCs find a couple of Tanglefoot bags, She might be easier to hit stuck to the ground.
Get Valeros as a NPC and let your players run him
You mean let the players collectively play him? Or just assign him to be one of the players responsibilities?
You mean let the players collectively play him? Or just assign him to be one of the players responsibilities?
It might be easier to have him be one of the players responsibility, as if the player had the Leadership feat. Probably the Ninja or Magus, since the summoner has an Eidelon.
Instead of valeros, I would use the npc making rules in the core book; give the party a 2nd or 3rd level "warrior". These make a great meat shield: simpler to run since there aren't any class features to consider. His/her personality and backstory could be as simple or as complex as you'd want of course...maybe he is simply one of sandpoints guards or militia?
As far as not having a healer, I would just throw in a few more potions than what's presented.
I'm not sure how applicable this is to your RotRL game, but I'm currently GMing a Pathfinder homebrew with three players that started at first level: a human magus, an elf rogue and a dwarven ranger. Yep, no ostensible tank or healer in this bunch, just like yours.
When I brought this up to my players, one grudgingly suggested that he'd be willing to switch to a pally -- but I could tell that he really, really wanted to play his beardless, chaotic neutral dwarven ranger with a crossbow -- it's an RP-heavy campaign -- so I rolled up a cleric that I'm running as the party's healer. The last thing I wanted was a player saddled with a character he didn't really want to play.
So far, it's been going pretty well. I've never ran a character while GMing before, but it's not been as difficult as I thought it might be. Plus, it's allowed me to add some RP elements to the campaign that I otherwise wouldn't have been able to provide. This cleric is rather klutzy and physically a mess, which, in a campaign that started with military training requiring plenty of Str- and Dex-based DCs, was pretty hilarious. :)
Anyway, my point with all this is that running a character as a GM for the sake of party balance (and to avoid those awful TPKs) might not be a bad idea. It's more fun than you might think!
A. Hamon makes some good points. I would like to mention another advantage or two to running an npc in your party; mainly it allows you to give the party some direction if they are otherwise clueless. Of course, never let on thats what you're doing or that you'll ever do it again ...
That is all.
Bumborro
Thanks for the great advice, there was a point previously in my planning where I created an oracle and a paladin npc. Depending on the choices they made in the adventure path, one of those npc's would present themselves and request to join the party or offer up their service.
I already asked if they're okay with me running an npc and they were all for it as long it contributed to the smoothness of the game, so that's good. Perhaps a cleric or paladin that has traveled to Sandpoint to commemorate the new cathedral.
I would try it without the DMPC approach.
Do give them access to NPCs from the town and throughout the AP, like Shalelu an Ameiko. Let them convert on-the-fence bad guys like Orik. Have these NPCs run with the party until they die or feel like running off somewhere. They can always hire folks too.
Really, the best thing to do is feel it out as you go along. With a summoner in the group, you may well have a full party even though you only have 3 PCs.
I dislike NPC characters in a party. Your party actually sounds fine. The summoner's Eidolon will make a perfect tank. I think all you need to do is make sure to give the party a few extra cure potions and wands here and there. All three of the players have UMD as a class skill, they need to make use of it for healing wands.
If things look especially tough at points, just tone them down a little. Reduce the monsters to hit, or reduce the number of HP they have.
I would add one thing - be very aware of anything that takes a player out of action if you are not bolstering the party with NPCs... With a party of 4, losing one person (blinded, hold person etc) is a 25% reduction in ability for the party overall. With a party of 3, losing that one person is now a 33% reduction in party ability, a significant impact.
In this situation, I would probably run an NPC fighter. It can be quite fun, allows some further RP options etc. Primary rule of course is that the NPC must (almost) never be allowed to steal the spotlight from the players - he/she is there as a support for them, not the other way around (unless there is a story specific element that needs that kind of support - kind of "Yeah, my brother was kidnapped by a bugbear ranger type. He promised to release him when we paid the ransom, but not heard from him since.... You guys heard/seen anything about this guy?")
Cheers
Aiddar
The party can always convince Shalelu to adventure with them, or even Ameiko.
I would try it without the DMPC approach.
Do give them access to NPCs from the town and throughout the AP, like Shalelu an Ameiko. Let them convert on-the-fence bad guys like Orik. Have these NPCs run with the party until they die or feel like running off somewhere. They can always hire folks too.
Really, the best thing to do is feel it out as you go along. With a summoner in the group, you may well have a full party even though you only have 3 PCs.
+1
This. They're new to the game, but give them a shot without the GM intervention. Summoners do easily make up for a lack of a fourth player, and you never know how they might gel once they start getting into the game. If your three players figure out how to play off from one another in combat you'll find that they're more than capable of rising to the challenge!
Granted, RotR has some wicked encounters in it, but I'd seriously just give them an opportunity. They might surprise you! And, on the off chance that they don't, there are a plethora of NPC options that come along in the campaign already without your having to worry about making up someone special. Take advantage of them if necessary. You'll find this is much more organic for your players and the campaign.
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The summoner's eidolon (or summoned creatures) can easily make up for the "tank" role, so I wouldn't worry about that. If you let the Magus pick up the infernal healing spell I think you'll be ok for the first few levels.
Instead of Valeros, I'd say you should probably set them up with either a life oracle or a cleric as the NPC. A witch would work, too.