I recently got the first two parts of the Jade Regent adventure path from my retailer and just ordered the next parts through Amazon at the behest of two of my players. I DMed the Rise of the Runelords AP to them, but due to players moving out of the city that campaign is on a indefinite hiatus.
So to make up for it and keep us still playing, I've decided to DM this. Problem is: we have only two players. Both are really into roleplaying and are not optimizers. Their character ideas so far are: a Weapon Finesse Varisian rogue and an elf druid (focused on melee fighting and shapeshifting in the future) with a roc animal companion.
These last few days I started thinking how to make this work. My main goal is to provide a somewhat stable combat experience (not too easy, not too tough) so they could focus more on exploration, developing relationships, etc.
Would Mythic Adventures offer this? I believe the themes mesh quite well into the story (the Amatatsu seal is cloaked in mystical power and destiny after all), but I don't know about the mechanics. I know they improve action economy and general resilience, so that's a big plus. Maybe just use a higher point-buy (20 or 25)? Both?
Any suggestions? Will the lack of a proper arcane caster screw them somewhere on later adventures?
I'm also considering something along the lines of some RPGs (like Mass Effect or Dragon Age) where for each mission or objective they could carry one or two NPCs while the other ones stayed taking care of the caravan. But then the NPCs might overshadow the player characters for a good while (probably half the book 1 and most of book 2).
I never found that NPCs overshadowing PCs was a risk - they're pretty poorly optimized. Maybe you could have Koya following the PCs about in book 1 and healing them, so the PCs are the ones who actually defeat the enemies.
I gave a four player group 20 point buy and while we had balance issues later on, the stats weren't a big part of it.
I don't have the mythic rules so I don't know how much of a difference that would make.
Maybe you could replace Suishen with an Agile wakizashi to help out the rogue in book 2...
An arcane caster would be very helpful in many cases, but isn't essential. Taking one or two NPC's with you seems essential, though.
If you do go mythic, remember that Ameiko also qualifies for ascension as she is the true scion destined for greatness.
But since the ascension is at the end of Brinewall, surviving that first book with two players will be difficult. Having Shalelu nearby will be a boon. Just have her away from the seal when it is revealed so as not to have to many non-pc scions.
There are also tons of potential NPCs that can join the party.
Kind of joining the choir, use NPCs to help balance things out. Since your players are interested in role-play, ask them to run all/some of main NPCs. This gives them more chances to do what they love, reduces your work-load, and helps round out the party.
I like the mythic idea, though I'd be tempted to limit it to Ameiko, at least initially. Drawing on the continuing campaign section, there are four others seals to the imperial throne. To truly secure the throne and end the Oni threat, the other seals need to be found as well. Some are kept hidden by a royal bloodline, but others have been lost and their bloodlines extinguished. If found by one worthy of their power, these unclaimed seals will bestow their powers and create a new royal line.
Each royal line has different attributes/specialties that could be easily tied to a specific mythic path. This way Ameiko remains unique, and it gives more depth to your player's ascension. They aren't just spares riding on a friend's bloodline. They are walking their own path, and becoming heroes of legend. Who knows, they may actually be reincarnations of the line's founders. Legends from the Age of Heroes walking the earth once again. If you're interested, I can get you the rest of the information on each line/seal.
Hmm, reading that I'm strongly tempted to run my own Mythic Jade Regent.
I'd love that, Lloyd Jackson. I haven't dived in much on the lore behind the other families but that would be neat.
I toyed with the idea that the PCs are being watched and aided by the spirits of the Amatatsu family and their loyal court, and part of the mythic power would come from them. So the rogue PC would be watched by the shade of a ninja shadowy adviser that protected the emperor from hidden threats.
But I think your idea may work better. I don't like the reincarnation angle (since one is an ethnic Varisian and the other an elf), but I like the thought of them chasing the seals to create multiple royal lines as insurance. Maybe at the end we would have not only a Jade Emperor, but a full court set to rule for the foreseeable future.
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I had an idea very similar to that of Lloyd Jackson, but I have not yet formalized what challenges each would-be scion should face to receive the approval of the families' spirits.
The 5 Imperial families are :
- Amatatsu (Ameiko's family) : traders, explorers and reformers
- Higashiyama (previous emperor) : respected scholars and pious worshipers of Shizuru
- Shojinawa : a bloodline steeped in necromancy and dark magics, decadence and madness
- Teikoku : traditionalists, isolationists, militaristics
- Sugimatu : peacemakers and the family most in touch with the needs of the people