Starfinder Adventure Path News!

The move to monthly APs is awesome news for my group! We're currently running two different APs on a biweekly schedule so we wouldn't run out of Dead Sun books. Couldn't be happier about that. :)

The second part with shorter APs... I'm not entirely sure about. If this was announced for Pathfinder APs I would be 110% in support of it - the variety of Pathfinder APs already on offer is huge, so having a few of them be longer or shorter than the norm wouldn't really be an issue, since you can always choose to run another storyline if whatever the developers are experimenting with at the time doesn't match your preference. I'm personally not a fan of late-game Pathfinder (for all the usual reasons) and find that running the last two books of an AP becomes a bit of a slog where both my players and myself start to lose interest in the game, so I'd personally love to run PF APs that end at level 9-12.

At times I feel that PF APs wander a bit more than necessary to make sure they fit in enough XP to make it all the way to level ~16. Having fewer books means you can write more focused storylines, which I would greatly enjoy. I also think shorter storylines makes GMing an AP much less daunting. Signing up to run a six-book AP means you're committing to be running a game for at least a year, which can be pretty scary for an inexperienced (or overworked) GM. Having "bitesize" APs is a great option there.

For all of these reasons (and more) I applaud that you're willing to experiment with the AP lengths.

My one concern is that Starfinder doesn't have the range of APs available that Pathfinder does. AFAIK Dead Suns ends at level 12, right at the cusp of the mid-game. Assuming the next two "short" APs both start at level 1 and run to the early teens (book 1: 1-4, book 2: 5-9. book 3: 9-13 seems wildly optimistic for 64 page AP books but let's err on the side of caution) we won't see a Starfinder AP that really explores the lategame system until summer 2019. I'm really excited to see if Starfinder will handle the late-game problem better than Pathfinder does, so finding out I have to wait another 18 months to go through the full leveling experience in a sanctioned AP is a little disappointing.

Then again, I've been watching the LFG chat on the Starfinder Discord, and I'd estimate 80-90% of the games are running Dead Suns. If you don't want to play society modules or the same AP multiple times, the pickings are very slim right now. Having more AP choices is definitely going to be great for that. :)

But I'm interested in seeing what everyone thinks once Against the Aeon Throne is out and whether or not it makes sense to do more 3-parters in the future!

The proof - as they say - will be in the pudding.

I'm looking forward to seeing the first 3-part AP, and we'll see how it works out.

Whatever they go with needs to include interactive maps for VTT play. Otherwise I don’t see it as worth my investment if I can’t easily drop it on roll20. So far the first adventure path that has been my biggest negative. I’m not going to buy adobe pro so I can move the maps without the tags.

I do not want to diminish the voices that are in favor of shorter (perhaps 3 part) adventure paths, however I do want to voice my opinion as to why I will always prefer a longer more in-depth (perhaps 6 part) adventure path. I love Adventure Paths that develop characters, story and skills through a longer campaign with higher leveling potential. This applies to both Pathfinder as well as Starfinder Adventure Paths. I am posting here in response to the announcement of the August and November planned 3 part adventure path format, and in response to the points I have read from other posts in this forum.

I am a big fan of Adventure Paths. I am not a “creative type”, and I count on the creative AP team Paizo commissions to create engaging and epic adventures for me and my friends to play through. While it would be an easier task for me to create a few low level adventures that tie together somehow, the value in the Adventure Paths substantially increases with the higher level installments which would be ultimately more difficult for an amateur like myself to story-board and balance encounters for.

I love character development and continuity. I love being able to play a character from first level to 16 and beyond and apply new skills earned with each level, to the increasingly complex problems and scenarios/encounters in the upper level Adventure Paths. And yes, you can read from the above that I am also a completionist. I would prefer to take a single character from level 1 through 16 (or more), than take 2 characters from level 1 through 10 in the same amount of time.

While in the past it could be challenging for a single group to go through an entire Adventure Path meeting every week or two in person at an individual location, the reality of FRP gaming is changing. With the increasing popularity of VTTs and proliferation of Paizo Adventure Paths available for those platforms, it is becoming easier to find committed and consistent players to play at scheduled times. I will always value the in-person, around the table playing sessions over anything on-line, but play in both formats and appreciate the advantages that each venue of play has to offer.

Finally, if a shorter AP is preferred for your group, it is likely an easy transition for that group to play through any X number of consecutive APs from any 6 part AP. They are written so that the end of any adventure path (part X of 6) could be modified to seem like the end of a campaign. That option will always exist for groups. It is (arguably) much more difficult for a less creative GM to somehow create extra (and higher level) content in order to extend a 3 part published AP into a 6 part AP campaign.

I am supportive of Paizo innovating and trying new ideas, and I will be playing through the 3 part AP format regardless, and maybe my opinions will change. As others have discussed in other forums, I have so far found the individual Strafinder Dead Suns APs to be a little thin on adventuring content and story compared to the Pathfinder AP’s. So a “half-sized” published Starfinder campaign has me more than a little apprehensive that the depth of the campaign may be less than its full potential.

I have always appreciated the Paizo Adventure Paths in their current length. Even at 6 parts, I find myself only wanting more, and never wanting less!

One thing which might be fun down the road is fleshing out the "CONTINUING THE CAMPAIGN" section which I assume will be at the end of Dead Suns and is at the end of all the Pathfinder APs.

A high level, 3 part sequel to an extant AP. It assumes that whatever happened happened - maybe your PCs are the heroes of the previous path, and maybe not - and goes on from there.

If you want to start running a high level campaign, it's an option. If you want to go back to characters which you bade farewell to maybe years ago, it's an option. If you want to run a mega - nine part AP all in a row, well there you go.

Just a thought.

If you want to start running a high level campaign, it's an option. If you want to go back to characters which you bade farewell to maybe years ago, it's an option. If you want to run a mega - nine part AP all in a row, well there you go.

Yes, agreed 100%, and this is exactly the type of thing I love to pay Paizo to create for me!

@jakemtl - now that they've opened the door to alternate campaign lengths, there's nothing that says they couldn't go the other direction as well, and do - say - a 9 book arc.

@Schoon - I agree with you as well and am glad for this forum for us to express such. However in this blog they announced 2 three-volume APs. Nothing says that they could not go in the other direction. They also announced returning to the six-volume APs afterwards, which I express my support and appreciation for!

9+ chapter APs ... very much nice. They can take a full campaign and not attempt to shoehorn everything into a smaller page count.

There is also the option to have a third, separate development team tasked with a series of 3-chapter 'continuing the campaign' 'AP conclusions'. Several of the APs are crying for such a treatment, with Carrion Crown as a prime example.