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Moving hard east as the sun set on the forest, the group used the tracks of their opponent (who clearly had several prisoners in tow) as their guide.

Shaman Raknor was exhilarated by the chase, ever pressing the group for more speed, more endurance. This momentum came to an end when the tracks expanded into evidence of conflict--a few lumberjack remains were found littered across the forest floor. More disturbingly, a broken staff imbued with draconic magic was discovered as well.

The group found a large set of tracks turn north from the engagement, and decided to pursue. It wasn't long before they came to the mouth of a short cave, centered beneath a muddy forest hill and in front of a small, muddy pond. Bobel moved first into the cave, and inadvertently discovered a small trap--one which dropped him several feet into a pit layered with dung.

The commotion set off the local wildlife--a small pack of lizards. Fearing the unknown, Cleegan struck at one of the tiny creatures with his falchion, cleaving it into pieces and scaring the rest away. With that, the group moved into the mouth of the cave.

It was Bobel and Ag who moved forward first, with Vish and Cleegan not far behind. A torch burned at the end of a long corridor, partially revealing an expanse and capturing the echos of creatures laughing. Utilizing their stealth capabilities, the goblin and elf cautiously moved forward... coming upon the site of two Kobolds, armed with spears, the source of the laughter.

Cleegan, interested in the happenings at the far end of the corridor, moved forward in an attempt to surprise any enemies his human eyes could not yet see. But the darkness was too much for him. His hands lost the wall he used for stability and he fell to the ground, his metal armor clanking and echoing through the cavern (crit 1 on stealth).

The Kobold guards were plucked from their humor and, though they noticed Bobel, Ag escaped into the shadows.

The Kobolds fled, splitting up within the cavern's maze. Vish pursued the first, losing him in a large water basin that ran underneath a cave wall. Cleegan, Bobel and Ag ran down the other, defeating it just in time to hear a large horn blowing.

It didn't take long for the group to discover the source--exploring the cavern, they came upon a large well of stairs leading to a lower level, with massive horns set on either side. By the time the party headed down, over a dozen Kobolds were gathered at the bottom, promising defeat and suffering for invaders of the dragon's home.

The fight was brutal. Aglaron attempted to sneak around and attack from the shadows, but was seen by a stray Kobold and remained pinned against a cave wall while his friends battled the others. Bobel injured several in a successful first bomb attack, marking him a prime target. As a result, he was severely injured and fled to heal early on in the engagement. Vish displayed incredible feats of agility, dodging stones, spears and pebbles from the Kobold masses. Finally, Cleegan engaged the two leaders of the war party--strong, mighty Kobold warriors with notable skill with a blade.

Cleegan defeated many of the Kobold frontliners, using his cleave skill to daisy chain terror and pain into his enemies. The captains, fearing him more than anyone present, made him a target and inflicted injuries so severe Cleegan could no longer stand. Returning to the battle, Bobel--attempting to save his beaten party, tossed a bomb at the remains of the Kobold force. It blasted the draconic reptiles into submission, and victory was had. Not without a price, though...

The last bomb's fiery explosion shot burning debris in every direction--shards of which littered Cleegan's fallen body. The injuries were too severe and Cleegan was lost.

Enraged at both the Kobold's cruelty and the smug goblin's irresponsible act, Shaman Raknor struck Bobel--cutting off an ear. "No more bombs on friends, Bobel!"

With no time to mourn, the Shaman collected Cleegan's corpse and the group headed deeper into the cave, intent on resting before pressing on with their rescue. With Vish and Bobel both near death, Shaman Raknor sent Vish to collect Brother Aeron--his healing was needed now more than ever.

And that's where session 4 ended...

Episode 3: Southern Comforts

Character Introduction:
Aeron-- Human Cleric of Hanspur, the water god
--> Aeron received a letter from Shaman Raknor, detailing the need for Aeron's skills in healing. The Cleric arrived in the Troll's den just after darkness settled.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

The group awoke from their sleep within the troll's den to the sounds of commotion outside. As they emerged, their eyes set upon a fierce pack of wolves, wildly engaged with their host.

Bobel immediately went to work with his bombs, attracting the attention of one of two dire wolves leading the pack. As Cleegan engaged in melee with the charging dire, Bobel's bombs defeated a good portion of the pack... though his fire attack did spread to Cleegan as well.

After some time the group effectively routed the wolves and--thanks to Aeron's healing--suffered relatively little damage. As a personal thanks to Aeron for saving his life, the troll offered a large box unearthed nearby. Inside, Aeron found the embalmed remains of a female elf with druidic tattoos. Shaman Raknor, while convincing Bobel not to eat the remains, also noted that the troll's unusual kind manner must have been a result of this woman's care. Aeron kindly accepted the body and granted the troll a blessing of Hanspur and a sprinkling of seawater.

Once the troll was out of sight, Aeron, looted it for valuables. It rendered a simple map of Darkmoon Vale, a telescope with a riddling inscription and a set of leather armor. The telescope's inscription read "By Darkmoon Wood on Darkmoon Night shall what once was become True sight." Aeron buried the woman's body not far from her original grave.

Traveling southward, the group came to a treeline where the construction site came in view on the horizon less than a mile away. Cleegan recognized the red insignia of the Andoran Eagleknight training corps--the order of paladins he was evicted from at a young age. Utilizing the newly acquired telescope, the group also observed a series of cages holding all manner of forest sentients--Half Orcs, Gnolls, Men, Trolls etc. The hopes of Shaman Raknor sank as Aeron reported seeing no Orcs present however.

The group discussed their next move. Cleegan advised the group of the Paladin's significant combat capabilities and decided that a frontal attack was too risky. In the end, the group decided to turn back north and recruit aid from the Shaman's camp... then return to assault the construction site.

As this decision was minted, large black figures moved swiftly to attack the party. In seconds, dagger attacks had afflicted many party members. Recovering from their stammer, the party identified their attackers--a cadre of Bugbears. From the shadows came their first strike, but once their presence was known the large Goblinoids were open about their presence.

The group defended nobly against the onslaught. Sheathing their daggers, the Bugbears all turned to their most primitive weapon--teeth. Aeron got a glimpse of a disturbing sight in the Bugbear's smile before losing a chunk of his shoulder in a violent act of predation.

"Take em alive now, you see..." one of the Bugbears yelled. "Master likes his blood fresh!"

Vish fired his bow at the Bugbear barking orders, bringing down the first of three attackers. Rallying from their surprise, the group made quick work of the Bugbears, who refused to use anything but their teeth. After the battle, Aeron revealed his discovery--the evident vampiric fangs present in the Bugbear bite. Though he was not affected himself, the presence of the creatures disturbed the group.

Remaining whole and patching up some minor injuries, the group headed north again.

Their journey north brought them to the sounds of low grunts and cracking branches, accompanied by the distinct sounds of lumberjack axes. The group cautiously observed as a party of axemen engaged an off-balance Treeant in close combat, not 200 feet from their location. While discussing a course of action, a trio of rangers emerged from the east, firing arrows into the backs of their fellow men.

Having no love for either party, the group formed a quick plan to defeat both. Bobel and Aglaron sneaked up on the unsuspecting rangers, while Cleegan and Vish engaged the Lumberjacks.

Bobel swiftly attacked one of the rangers with his bombs, and prepped another as Aglaron carefully moved closer.

The lumberjacks were a short order for Cleegan and Vish, combat hardened and better armed than their opponents. The Treant thanked Cleegan for his rescue and retreated further into the forest.

Bobel destroyed another ranger with his bombs, and Ag moved closely to the last. His bow drawn, he offered surrender to the flanked fighter. The ranger accepted. Ag's merciful aura, however, stood alone in the party.

Shaman Raknor had the prisoner quickly tied to a tree and enlisted Cleegan's help in torture and interrogation. After some bloody afflictions (and with the help of a letter found in his possession), the ranger revealed the intel the group desired:

The Andoran Eagleknights were opening a new training academy just north of the foam river--the site the party had earlier observed. The academy is being financed by the Lumber Consortium and in return, the Eagleknights agreed to accept Lumberjacks into their order after three years of indentured servitude for the LC. It was a deal that would swell the ranks of the Eagleknights in the long term and end a labor shortage for the LC in the short term.

The lone Darkmoon ranger lodge was enlisted to capture misaligned sentients from the forest--they were to be used in upper level combat training as live practice. The ranger's agreed at first, but it cost too many bodies for them to continue. The group of rangers the party had encountered were all that remained of the lodge's membership.

Concerning the Shaman's brother, all orcs and other mighty creatures had been transferred to the far eastern lumber camp for manual labor purposes. The ranger noted he had personally delivered the orc they sought to a lumberjack party just that morning. They were merely half a day ahead of them and en route to the eastern camp.

With this news, Shaman Raknor executed the prisoner... and directed the heroes to find the trail of this lumberjack party. After some searching, they did... and the tracks indeed lead to the east.

That is where Session 3 ended...

Episode 2: Cabin Fever

Our heroes left off with the commitment to track down Shaman Raknor's missing--and presumably kidnapped--brother.

The PC's immediately headed south through the Darkwood forest and it wasn't long before Vish picked up the tracks (and Bobel, the scent) of a wounded enemy. Following the trail, blood splotches increased along the mud forest floor and it wasn't long before the PC's noticed a pair of rangers some 200 feet south of them.

One of the rangers, badly wounded, was leaned up against a tree with a crossbow bolt jutting out of his side and a pale tint taking over what little skin they could see. The other was tending to the wounds of his travel companion.

It was a quick decision by the group to swiftly and cautiously approach the pair and hastily attack the healthy ranger. With a pair of bolts from Bobel and Vish and the blood thirsty falchion of Cleegan all finding the ranger before he had his bearings, it was a decisive early victory for the heroes.

A short interrogation of the frightened, overwhelmed and dying ranger revealed that the rangers had orders to capture an array of creatures alive from the Darkwood Forest and bring them to a small, forward ranger lodge just across the river. The purpose or fate of these captives was unknown to him. This information granted him a swift death by Vish Kal.

Enraged by this news, Shaman Raknor insisted to press hard south in the forest to find his brother. This zeal came at the backdrop of the disturbing trend of increased ranger activity in the area. Though the mentioned lodge was merely a forward outpost, the PC's new what was ahead of them was a dangerous challenge.

When the group came upon the eastward running river that separated their home forest into northern and southern portions, the roof of the ranger cabin--along with a ranger on the roof--was visible above the treeline. Closer to them however, guarding the southern shores, was another ranger--discreetly patrolling and watching a nearby bridge. The group targeted him with simultaneous attacks coordinated by Raknor and struck him with an arrow and two crossbow bolts. Terminally inflicted by the group's ranged arsenal, the young ranger patrol reached for his horn to warn his comrades--but as his fingers clasped the instrument, he fell to the sand, bleeding and had no breath left to breathe into it.

The party moved forward cautiously under the cover of the forest, coming upon the sight of a pair of clerics in a clearing just outside the lodge. Clutching holy symbols and water, the clerics were hard at work healing several injured rangers laying atop long, wooden tables. Next to them was another ranger patrolman, too distracted by his hurt friends (nat 1 on perception) to notice Vish taking aim at the ranger on the roof and Bobel lighting a fire bomb in the treeline 30 ft away.

The bomb exploded directly underneath a table the injured rangers rested on, killing them and their two healers in one blow. The frightened guard hid behind the pile of debris formed by the goblin's bomb as Vish quickly killed the roof guard.

With Shaman Raknor safely behind his allies and Aglaron patrolling the river shores, Cleegan, Vish and Bobel were the only ones who saw the fast moving blur of black fur and weaponry emerge from the Lodge.

Atop a large black Rotweiler sat a feisty looking halfling, who already was drawing back a sling. Behind the small rider, a robed elderly man and an elf archer exited the lodge and turned south behind its walls.

The Halfling plagued Cleegan with his powerful sling, who sustained too many injuries from his stones and another ranger's arrows to continue the fight. Vish and Bobel turned their attention to the cabin roof, where the elf and mage were harassing the party from above.

The fight was bitter--with the mage attempting entrapments with web castings and the elf firing her dangerous sleep arrows. In the end, Bobel and Cleegan had fallen, with only Shaman and Vish left to route finish their enemies and revive their friends.

Inside the lodge, a disturbing sight struck the party. An iron cage faceted to one wall of the lodge had clear indications of a recent resident--blood stains on the floor and wooden wall, accompanied by scratch marks. Bobel confirmed it to be orc blood... and Shaman Raknor insisted the cage once held his kidnapped brother.

The group also found a note on the Lodgemaster's desk:

"Lodgemaster,
The reinforcements you requested cannot be granted at this time. Every extra hand is assigned to lumber yard work and construction for the academy. If the subjects are sent to the construction sites, perhaps the LC can be persuaded to see your case.
Signed,
Mayor Westiron"

Confused by this development, Bobel climbed a high tree (assisted with Spider Climb cast from Shaman Raknor) and, beyond the woodland canopy of Darkmoon forest, spotted an arrangement of treated Darkmoon lumber and a gaggling of men... both under the banner of an Andoran flag.

The group decided to head south towards the site, believing it their best chance to find Raknor's kin.

In light of the group's injuries, they decided to rest with a friend of Shaman Raknor: A lone troll a few miles north of the Darkmoon forest treeline. In his mud denn many corpses of his enemies, which had clearly served him as meals, remained in the armor he seemed keen on collecting. The group was able to barter for such items as well as a nights rest on a bed he fastened for them... out of his giant loincloth.

And that's where session 2 ended.

Found this thread today. Hope it isn't dead forever. Love the read.

Episode 1: Ranger Danger

Cast of Characters:
Bobel Bugburner, Goblin Alchemist, Chaotic Neutral
Vish Kal, Dhampir Inquisitor, Chaotic Neutral
Cleegan, Human Anti-Paladin, Chaotic Evil
Aglaron Forvenor, Elf Rogue, Chaotic Neutral

Note: This is a dark hero campaign. The players are playing outcasts and misfits rather than typical hero archetypes.

Background:
The heroes began their adventuring in the company of friends--other residents of the forest north of Falcon's Hollow in Darkmoon Vale. Though the northern portion of the forest is home to outcasts, runaways and rejects, the heroes find that they fit right in. A forest troll along with her pet ferret, a handful of half-orc warriors and their full orc shaman have all developed a sense of tribal/familial belonging.

At the head of this odd band of creatures is the Shaman... a mighty full blooded orc named Raknor. He has a remarkable degree of common sense and tolerance for an orc-- the driving factor behind his banishment from the Belkzen Badlands. Shaman Raknor has noted an increasing frequency of ranger and druid raids into the forest. He suspects it has something to do with lumberjacks of Falcon's Hollow expanding their enterprise.

Session 1:
The session began as the unwelcome arrows of Falcon's Hollow rangers flew into the group. The group scrambled in the forest, taking up defensive positions, trying to determine where the arrows came from.

As Bobel and Cleegan moved forward to engage the long range enemies, Vish and Aglaron stayed behind and fired from a distance. Their half-orc allies engaged the rangers as well, while the forest Troll stayed behind to guard the Shaman.

Though Aglaron had some early troubles with accuracy, Vish's crossbow bolt found the belly of a ranger early. Bobel tossed a bomb into an advancing group of rangers, halting their progress--but burning a half orc companion in the process. The warrior turned towards the small goblin and growled, content to settle the matter later. Cleegan moved forward and beheaded an unprepared ranger with one powerful blow.

In a few quick strikes, the heroes had halted the ranger's forward advance. However, there remained a sizable forest a bit deeper into the forest.

In reaction to the heroes success, an accompanying mage summoned a pack of wolves to plague the party and additional rangers continued to strike at Cleegan. Leading the counteroffensive against these threats was Bobel--the small goblin sprinted towards the mage hidden behind a boulder and some foliage. What Bobel did not expect was two Falcon's Hollow rogues tasked to guard the mage from such threats.

The rogues struck hard and fast at Bobel, inflicting nasty cuts with their daggers on the goblin. Bobel managed to toss one of his beloved bomb's at the mage and catch the caster on fire, though the attack opened him up to two more strikes from the mages bodyguards... strikes that, this time, brought him down.

Not too far from Bobel, Cleegan struck a finishing blow to the last of the advancing rangers. Across the battlefield, Ag enjoyed the assistance of the troll and her ferret in defeating the last of the summoned wolves. Vish advanced forward, attempting to aid his fallen friend. And that's when Vish observed an eight legged black mass appear from nothing just a few meters away.

To the heroes delight, Shaman Raknor summoned the massive spider to aid Bobel in his time of need. The giant arachnid sprinted to it's fallen goblin ally and protected it under the direction of the orc Shaman. Raknor was then able to heal Bobel, who wasted no time in mounting the spider.

The two rogues were killed by Cleegan and Vish, while Bobel finished up the mage. After celebrating their victory, Shaman Raknor found a disheartening scrap of parchment on one of the rangers.

The parchment called for Raknor's capture alive, stating both him and his brother were needed for what was to come. A quick scry on his own brother revealed him to be in chains, and Shaman Raknor asked for volunteers to conduct a rescue operation.

The heroes stepped forward, and thus began their days of adventuring. 

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This campaign is being held over roll20... and most of the session time was sent setting up character details. Still, the one encounter we did have was lively and engaging... and roll20 did not disappoint us.

This is a story I wrote for a character I played as well as one of my friend's--we wrote our backstories together.

Tugmill is a goblin born into a heritage of witch doctors. At a young age, he studied under the witch doctor of the Snaptongue Tribe—an elderly goblin named Hugdud. Hugdud taught Tugmill the fundamentals of being a goblin witchdoctor which was wrapped up in one basic concept: enhance the image of the chief. Tugmills study of arcane magic equipped him to make his tribal chief—chief Brudewan—stronger, bigger and harder to kill in his duels. The tribe warriors made an event of capturing vicious foes for the chief to battle in their crude arena. Tugmill and Hugdud always made sure the chief won.

This primitive use of his power fostered a resentment in Tugmill. He was born naturally intuitive and curious, and Hugdud was unwilling to teach him anything beyond what was needed for their one task. Tugmill was enraged—and when the next fight was announced, the young goblin magician saw it as his way out. Dragged into the arena by goblin warriors was a demon. A small, curious looking demon lacking the ferocity that filled the tales of his kind. It was immediately clear that it had been drugged or beaten or both. Chief Brudewan confidently entered the arena with the grin of a combatant who had already won. This time, however, Tugmill used his skills to even the fight. He granted the demon resolve with his magic—enhancing its confidence and subsiding the effects of its previous treatment. Its exhaustion turned to anger, and as it turned toward the Goblin Chief responsible, Brudewans small body became even smaller. The goblin chief—which stood about 3 feet of the ground normally—shrank to the size of a large rat. The demon smashed Brudewan with a firm stomp. Fear and screaming filled the arena, and the victors’ enraged growls scared away any further engagements. As it fled the goblin encampment, Tugmill followed.

Outside the tribal lands, Tugmill took a great risk. Hiding in the shadows, he blinded the creature from a distance and shrunk him as he had done the chief. He then stepped into its path, holding a crude dagger. The small demon growled and Tugmill made his introduction. The two of them sat at standoff for a few tense moments. They discovered a mutual knowledge of the language common…. And the risky introduction eased up as the spells wore off and Tugmill sheathed his weapon.

Tugmill learned that this creature—named Sandor—was not a demon at all. Though he looked it, he was a member of the Tiefling species. He was never fully accepted by any society and spent most of his time outside of it, using his blade and his wit to adventure and to prove himself. Tugmill shared his own story as well and requested to adventure with him. After Tugmill’s involvement in the arena, Sandor could not refuse him.

**Alignment and Ideology:**
Chaotic Good—The duo both seek adventure and excitement outside laws or customs, but as an underlying and driving force they believe in the freedom of all sentient creatures to choose their own destinies. As such, they have no respect for the belief of fate or direction common in religion or for any society which honors nobility and family over personal merit. Slavery and even servant-hood also disgust the adventurers. This puts them at odds with powerful beings, which is how it has always been for them and how they prefer it.

**Combat Strategy:**
The offensive combat strategy for the two involves utilizing Tugmill’s stealth, then Sandors might enhanced by Tugmills magic. Most engagements initiated by the two will involve Tugmill looking for a sneak attack with his crossbow or his daggers. Then Sandor will engage with all his melee might and be boosted by spells such as Mage Armor or Enlarge Person. Late in the fight, Tugmill can use his crossbow (though it takes a full round action to reload) or his thrown daggers. In engagements with a large number of enemies, Tugmill usually kills what he can and hides or fights defensively.
On the reaction side, if the pair were surprised, Tugmill would open up with Mudball (which blinds the target) and then focus entirely on Sandor, using enlarge person and ward (a hex) to boost his abilities. Sandor would almost certainly go into rage and utilize all his stacked bonuses to kill numerous and fierce enemies while protecting Tugmill.

Hello All. I'm looking for some advice and critique on the first story arc for a new PF campaign I'm going to be running soon. This is my first attempt at GMing entirely separate of a published adventure in Pathfinder.

Story Background:
Long ago, a young Varisian girl named Naomi and an elderly man from a neighboring town named Karuun developed a friendship. As the relationship grew stronger, Karuun felt compelled to tell Naomi his deepest secret: He was not a man, but in fact a Dragon. Deep in the woods, he revealed his might to her as he transformed into the mighty silver beast. And instead of running, Naomi cherished him even more for it. The two fell in love.

The population of Varisia was unfriendly to the atypical romance, however, and a Dark Assassin was called to slay the dragon. In a bitter exchange, the assassin was slain--but Karuun was fatally poisoned. He could fight the disease but knew it would eventually take him.

After hearing the news, Naomi became obsessed with saving him. After long dabbling in various magical methods... she came upon a blood magic ritual that would save Karuun--or rather revive him healthily as a living dragon. She only need to perform the ritual on his gravesite... a ritual that called for her own life as payment.

When Karuun learned of the ritual she was to perform, he became angry and forbid her to do it. Recognizing he was powerless to stop her after death, he gathered all of his might and flew to a distant location. He nestled under a rocky outcropping and died, his last thoughts consumed with hope that Naomi would never find his grave.

Current Day:
The heroes are playing a misfit band of outcasts--one is a goblin, one is a Dhampir, the others are undecided... but you get the picture. They aren't necessarily evil, but they're not LG either.

The campaign opens in the Bakar Forest of Molthune, where the Ranger/Druid elements of the Molthune Imperial Army are making another raid against the forest creatures. Here, I'm hoping to introduce the characters to an equally odd oracle or sorcerer, a male. He will negotiate the heroes help in rescuing his counterpart--likely a twin brother--from the Imperial army.

The major campaign encounters will outlay something like this:

-Raid the Ranger Station to Find where Brother is being held (which is a sort of Asylum/Magic Lab where the Imperial Army seeks to militarize magic creatures it captures)
-Raid the Asylum, rescue the brother, who tells his brother and the group that he's found the gravesite (this is when the heroes will hear the tale, as well as learn that they are working for a mysterious master who has tasked them to find it).
-Fight their way to the gravesite (protected by the Dragons magic), where they can then contact their master who will teleport to them.

What I need some help with is filling in the gaps, as well as advice on what happens at the end.

Filling in the gaps:
I've only really mentioned 3 combat encounters here. I need more if I want the story arc to last longer. I was thinking that Half-Orc bounty hunters engage the group in an attempt to seize the brothers for some past heresy. I'll also trigger backstory issues as well. What else?

Ending:
I want there to be a twist. The obvious approach would be for the mysterious master to be Naomi and for the two to be reunited. I've also thought about Naomi being a total psycho, who has twisted the tale and is entirely unwanted by the Dragon--who poisoned himself and flew far away to escape her. I've thought about the master being the Dark Assassin who--in undeath--is seeking revenge for the Dragon slaying him/her. Also, how can the players PARTICIPATE in the ending rather than just observe it?

Thanks for reading. Thoughts and honest criticism--good or bad--are welcome.

I'm in Wichita and would love to start up a tabletop. Pathfinder more than DnD though.

I'm sure it's right in front of me, but how do I create a goblin NPC from the ground up? Are there race stat blocks somewhere?

Short question: Does your alignmnet have any effect on what spells a caster can or cannot cast?

Dungeon crawls pretty much require player buy in to work. If they're not fully immersed in the concept, they're not going to enjoy it no matter what you do. It's an old school feel--something newer players are unlikley to "get."

You really think a new group to this would have a hard time buying dungeon crawls? Our whole group, including myself, are rookies to fantasy and have never played a minute of D&D. Any tips for making this old school activity click with players who have spent nearly all of their RPG time in the school of d20 sci fi?

Captain Marsh, I echo your sentiment in every arena. I'm new to the fantasy setting, so dungeon crawls in general are foreign territory to me. Thank you Skylark and Marsh for your thoughts.

Brreitz--Thank you for that feedback. I will definitely look those up!

What type of adventures does your group perfer? Hack&slash? Diplomatic? have Roleplay? Black and white villans or grey area questions?

As for my group, I'd have to say they are looking for about 2/3 combat, with the remaining 1/3 a good mix of investigation and the exploration of the world setting. The majority of villains need be nothing other than classic evil... but the occasional grey area bad guy is not a bad thing.

Any thoughts on Rise of the Runelords? I saw that it's pretty much a full campaign, which wasn't my initial thought but I think I could work with it... considering this is all of our first time doing Pathfinder.

Thanks all for your responses. Mikaze and Ciaran, thanks for your thoughts and knowledge! Weirdo... That's a very intriguing concept and it might find its way into my campaign. Much obliged all.

I'm new on the Pathfinder scene and have a good group of experienced d20 Star Wars players that are new also. Does anyone have any suggestions on what pre made adventures to purchase from Paizo Publishing? There seems to be an abundance.

Things to consider:
-My group of 4 is currently active in a homebrew adventure out of Sandpoint that will leave them Level 3 when finished. I'd like to stay somewhat close to the Varisian area.
-I'm not looking for a one shot. I'd prefer something that would occupy 3-4+ sessions and leave the heroes with contacts and, of course, treasure.
-If it helps, my group is a half-orc sorcerer, a human monk, a halfling rogue and one new guy who hasn't made a character.

Thanks all.

Sounds like a fantastic start! Have you considered any additional PF purchases?

I find it pretty interesting that some of your players have video game RPG experience... and that actually might be important for you to keep in mind as a GM. Think about what it is gamers, especially RP gamers, enjoy the most about video games.

Most (if not all) games of the such have very brief introductions to quests. In many RPGs, the story of a quest takes a back seat to walking, killing 12 trolls, and walking back. Other games, such as League of Legends or Heroes of Newarth, present storyline as a completely optional side dish... streamlining the process of plugging in and killing. Also, you'll observe in both types of games an affinity for going toe to toe with other human players

Some of these elements you can accommodate as a GM, and others you will have to culture them out of. I've listed a few ideas below.

-Provide in game bonuses (such as equipment or even possible allies) for getting to know certain NPC's, exploring areas that aren't mission critical etc. This is a good way to give all the players--gamer minded or not--to experiment with RPing... and soon the experience of playing in character will be enough of a reward in itself.

-Present NPC's that force your hack and slash (also called "roll playing") players to choose a reaction besides violence. Perhaps an NPC will seek out a friendship with those characters. Maybe a peasant pleads for their help and then showers them with gratitude and fealty. Even an NPC developing a romantic interest in a member of your party. The fact is that when they have a positive experience interacting with NPC's, they will continue to invest in similar relationships.

-Lastly, unite the party members by creating a common enemy. This a tactic used by many militaries across the globe--utilizing a foul and overly oppressive instructor or team of instructors to bond a group of initiates. You can do the same with an employer that shorts the heroes on their pay of a quest, a tough and recurring boss that swears to bring down the group... etc. It's an effective tactic to be sure.

Hope this helps.

Thanks all. That helps a lot. For the rules lawyers in my group... Where in the Core Rulebook is that found? Page number will be plenty.

Hello all. I'm a new player coming off years of Star Wars RPGing. All of my players as well as myself are new to pathfinder and the fantasy setting in general.

I have dozens of questions, most of which won't rise to the surface right now. But one big thing I'm struggling with is this: How do I, in game, introduce the subtleties of fantasy without killing my players via long-winded monologues?

For example, I want my players to resent and disdain orcs, to learn (eventually) all the history and lore their characters would know, to respect and/or fear dragons... etc.

One strategy I'm considering is pausing gameplay for storytime whenever necessary. EG- If an NPC references Earthfall (which they would clearly have knowledge of), pausing and telling my players about it before continuing the conversation. I think that will be at least a little bit necessary, but I'd like to keep it to a minimum because it's just so BORING... and IMO, the greatest adversary of the cinematic adventure experience is interruption for things like rules and history.

In Star Wars, this was easier to do because all of us had a premise on which to build new information. I just don't have that here. Any suggestions?

New player on the scene here. I'm having a hard time understanding touch attacks.

I know that they target the touch AC, which is AC without armor. But what does the caster roll? As in, what do they add to their d20 when they make a touch attack roll?

Thanks

Hello all! I'm a new player on the Pathfinder scene, coming from a long series of successful d20 Star Wars Saga RPG campaigns.

Being new to Pathfinder and fantasy settings in general, I'm unfamiliar with the concept of the half-orc. I'm having a hard time wrapping my brain around this species... and while I do find them to be fascinating, I am having a hard time locating much about them in the lore outside spotty, brief descriptions.

One question I have in particular is this: Is there a possibility (or even a cited example) of half orcs living together in society? What would this society look like... and how do you suppose it would be different than tribes of orcs or towns of men?

Thank you for your time.