Paizo PDF Sale: Recommend me some easily adapted One-Shots

[SilvercatMoonpaw]

I'm a semi-inexperienced GM who's looking for one-shot adventures to try and run so my chronic loss of focus isn't so likely to tank a game. I will likely not be using Pathfinder so I'd like to steer clear of any adventures that might somehow rely on Pathfinder-specific mechanics coming up (examples: scry-and-fry, magic items everywhere, swarms). It's not a requirement that the Golarion-specific fluff be adaptable, though that would be a plus.

Feel free to recommend individual AP adventures if you think they do a good job of standing alone.

[Caedwyr]

It isn't Paizo, but all of the 4 dollar dungeons are very well crafted adventures that taken together cover most of the various adventure types. They are also all highly detailed and contain about 99% of the material you need in order to be able to run them without any other resources.

[SilvercatMoonpaw]

Thanks for that suggestion, though my reason for asking is that I'd like to take advantage of the sale if I need to.

[Caedwyr]

Here are a few that I've found enjoyable and which can probably be adapted for another system fairly easily. As always, check out the reviews and product descriptions.

Conquest of Bloodsworn Vale
Crown of the Kobold King
Flight of the Red Raven
Tower of the Last Baron
The Harrowing
The Midnight Mirror

These are all pretty good and can probably be modified to work in other systems. They all have a lot of RP opportunities and ways for players to achieve success through non-combat approaches. They also tend to allow a greater degree of player initiative. They are more expensive than the Four Dollar Dungeons adventures, but are cheaper than normal right now because of the sale.

[SilvercatMoonpaw]

No one else?

[John Compton]

If you let me know a level range and/or a theme (or creature) that you might like, I would happily recommend a few Pathfinder Society scenarios to you.

[Haladir]

I regularly adapt PFS scenarios to my home game. Some of my favorites include...

Rise of the Goblin Guild
King Xeros of Old Azlant
Mists of Mwangi
The Golden Serpent
The Golemworks Incident

Some other excellent short adventures include:

"Dark Waters Rising" by Raging Swan
"The Ship of Fools" by TPK Games

[SilvercatMoonpaw]

John Compton wrote:

If you let me know a level range and/or a theme (or creature) that you might like, I would happily recommend a few Pathfinder Society scenarios to you.

Level range doesn't matter: the system I intend to use allows opponents to scale so I don't have to select only a narrow range in order to use any specific monster or opponent.

As for theme I suppose any where you could imagine the PCs as heroic agents of a governing power: stopping crime, protecting people, that sort of thing. Avoid exploration that's not about finding an enemy stronghold and try to avoid anything that might be dubious for a "good guy" to do.

Additionally anything that's not going to rely on casters to solve problems.

[SilvercatMoonpaw]

Haladir wrote:

Rise of the Goblin Guild

King Xeros of Old Azlant
Mists of Mwangi
The Golden Serpent
The Golemworks Incident

Those sound useful. Thanks.

[Haladir]

SilvercatMoonpaw wrote:

John Compton wrote:

If you let me know a level range and/or a theme (or creature) that you might like, I would happily recommend a few Pathfinder Society scenarios to you.

Level range doesn't matter: the system I intend to use allows opponents to scale so I don't have to select only a narrow range in order to use any specific monster or opponent.

As for theme I suppose any where you could imagine the PCs as heroic agents of a governing power: stopping crime, protecting people, that sort of thing. Avoid exploration that's not about finding an enemy stronghold and try to avoid anything that might be dubious for a "good guy" to do.

Additionally anything that's not going to rely on casters to solve problems.

Frankly, those criteria would apply to just about every PFS scenario I've encountered.

[SilvercatMoonpaw]

Haladir wrote:

Frankly, those criteria would apply to just about every PFS scenario I've encountered.

Well I'm new at this and am not quite sure exactly what I want to do other than find a basic plot/adventure design so I'm not doing all the work.

In my experience of being a player the most important thing is to keep the mood relatively light so that everyone can spend their time making quips; in my experience being a GM I get bored around the time anything feels successfully resolved. Combat is also kind of boring because it always gets cerebral for me: 3 combats is about my limit.

[John Compton]

#5–02: The Wardstone Patrol involves the PCs being the good guys working in conjuction with one of the most good-aligned organizations in the setting (crusaders fighting demons). It involves some deep roleplaying opportunities with an NPC who accompanies the PCs for much of the adventure.

#5–03: The Hellknight's Feast involves the PCs attending a party to win political support for a good cause, but someone at the party is working at very cross purposes to put an end to this movement. Very heavy roleplaying involved

#5–04: The Stolen Heir involves a rescue mission in a rural fantasy setting, leading to some political intrigue and one of the best hard choices that a scenario has ever presented to players. If you want to watch your players agonize between two imperfect choices, you'll love this one.

#5–09: The Traitor's Lodge is a atmospherically spooky adventure in which the PCs explore the abandoned base of a recently exposed traitor—only to find out the true depths of depravity involved in his clandestine research.

#5–22: Scars of the Third Crusade also takes place in the crusader nation, in this case with the PCs needing to confirm whether some upstanding agents are guilty of a recent crime. You could easily reflavor these agents to belong to another organization while still maintaining the investigation's leads.

#6–07: Valley of Veiled Flame sends the PCs into the mountains to find a lost expedition, and the adventure quickly involves the PCs in a semi-political scuffle against a supernatural tyrant. If you have freedom fighters in your group, they'll get a kick out of this.

#6–11: The Slave Master's Mirror sends the PCs to an island famed for its slave markets. The PCs get to infiltrate a slaver ring on the outskirts of town, kick the tar out of said slavers, and use a wide variety of tactics to get the job done. You might also look at #6–05: Slave Ships of Absalom, which is the prequel.

That should be a good start. I have many more favorites that I'd like to recommend, but these seem like a good fit based on the last two years of published adventures.

[SilvercatMoonpaw]

John Compton wrote:

#6–11: The Slave Master's Mirror sends the PCs to an island famed for its slave markets. The PCs get to infiltrate a slaver ring on the outskirts of town, kick the tar out of said slavers, and use a wide variety of tactics to get the job done. You might also look at #6–05: Slave Ships of Absalom, which is the prequel.

Thanks for those. This one especially sounds like fun: who doesn't like beating on slavers? :) They're like fantasy Nazis.