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Carion Crown is NOT friendly to new players to Pathfinder.
It is however very rewarding to experienced players who grok elements of Golarion's setting (especially how the churches relate, and usefulness of reseach as a party skill). The AP outright rewards you for playing detetcives and so I got thinking...
...what is the most effective way to tie the PC's together besides the Professor. (Which is a good starting reason for the first AP, but a bad or at least weaker long term reason to keep the PCs together. IMO.)
So I came up with a rather cool idea. The party has a Gnome Ninja in their ranks. He was a old friend of the Professor but works for the Crown as one of their security agents. (CIA but more Castlevania.) Right now he's worried that the Whispering Way represents a direct threat to the stability of Ustalav and is staying in Ravengro more for his duty. Sending coded messages via couriers, investigating the more qustionable elements to find any Way agents.
Here is the kicker. He has the authority to recruit in times of emergency. It's a quiet meta-trait for the PC. It gives him light law enforcement powers but no real bonus in Ravengro (but maybe circemstance bonuses later in the AP.) Other little bennies is he has travel papers (for him and companions), the ability to speak frankly with local city and town guards, and is empowered to slay bandits and monsters in the name of the crown. (Personal rewards are fine but only if used for the continuation of their duties. And since the campaign is formatted around a grand chance/tour it works well.)
Added bonus. When they reach the 5th part of the adventure it gives me a reason for the PCs to have an audience with the Prince himself and to report on the ongoing mission. (And a quiet reason why having points in Knowledge: Nobility) comes in hand.
I've used this idea before, but have modified it so it works in Ustalav.
Thoughts?
I suppose that could work. I don't perceive a big problem with keeping the PCs invested, at least up until the end of Chapter 3, when they confront the Professor's murderer. But if you're concerned with keeping them on the railroad tracks, that's one way to do it.
Two potential concerns:
1) Other PCs may not take kindly to being pressed into service by the ninja. If the players are cool, and if it's role-played well, it might not be a problem, but in my experience, PCs like to develop their own agendas, not be told what to do by another PC.
2) Having law enforcement status, and "the ability to speak frankly with local city and town guards," may actually undermine some of the fun parts of detective work, to say nothing of the tone of the AP. Earning trust in Ravengro is a big part of Chapter 1, and it would be a shame if one PC got to cut through all of that just by waving his badge around.
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I like the CIA angle, but don't see it as necessary for the whole party.
I also agree with the above that "skipping" the Trust mechanism in Book 1 may be seen as favoritism for one player. Of course, if you're dumping it altogether, it sounds fine.
I plan on really playing up the background antagonists from the beginning, and get them to hate that group. This way, Books 3, 4, and 5 just flow as the primary AP enemies are Personal PC Enemies.
It also means they get to learn a lot of the lore about The Shining Crusade, Gallowspire, Ustalav in general, and background info they'd otherwise not learn til the end of the AP. If they learned it at all.
I'm not sure if a trust mechanic will work as well in the other adventures. The PC's will be on a strict time limit in Lepidstadt, as well as at the Lodge and Forest. Illmarsh... well, they aren't spending that long there and it doesn't make much sense in the outsiders being accepted by the townsfolk their either, especially when they start killing their priests and tearing apart their way of life.
Implementing trust in those places would cause more issues than may be worth it, since the time limits built into the adventures will keep them from getting very far in either direction.
The other issue with the Trust score is that making them agents of the Crown gives them a really strong tool. After all, it's reasonable for a Crown agent to demand to see records. It's reasonable for them to be treated courteously. Most importantly, it's reasonable for them to expect that they won't get thrown out of town. As agent's of the Crown, actions against them can be taken as actions against the Crown.
In other words, not only can the players rightly expect to get lots of help from the locals, they have the weight of the government behind them. And while the Crown has difficulties enforcing it's edicts too far, it's unlikely the local lords and councils will be able to ignore unprovoked attacks on the King's agents.
What happens when Trust says one thing happens and the players feel that their position should offer them some sort of bonus or protection?
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Hmmm. All good points. In thise case the order is more a undercover security force. If they pulled their credentials to uncover information it would be like putting up a Big Obvious "WE ARE HERE" sign for the Way. They are after all trying to catch the Way in the act. I'm sure there might be times with the PCs think pushing their weight around is needed, but I'll keep things from getting out of hand by having NPC handlers show up to advise them as needed.
But so far only the one PC is the agent, and I think he's keeping lowkey until he can figure out what the Way is after. The rest of the PCs are still working on the old friend of the Profs angle. We'll see if he pulls the recruitment card.
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I've got a similar problem. I had 2 players join after I had started and needed a ghood way to segue them in, one being a LG Orc Cavalier! Of course my other players run more chaotic and neutral so there will be tension.
I basically told him he was recently stationed in Tamrivena among the Foreguard under Captain Quin who was an old friend of Petros Lorrimor. As the Captain has too many duties (and has to keep an eye on his less than noble counterpart in the Wallguard) he sends the outcast warrior to Ravengro on his behalf.
--Vrockstar