After seeing Joey Virtue's extensive POST on running the AP both for variable table size and with properly balanced encounters, I was motivated to write my own article on the subject. What subject is that, you ask...how is mine any different? Well, I'm running the AP through 13th Age.
I've been paying Pathfinder since the beginning, since this AP replaced issues of Dungeon magazine, and while I still enjoy the game, I do feel the rules often get in the way of the story, and this particular story deserves something special. With my current group we play a heavily modified Pathfinder game, mixing lots of 13th Age mechanics. Right now we're finishing up the first book in Iron Gods. After that I'm going to run Rise in a fairly pure 13th Age game.
Part One: Festival and Fire
These three combats are compressed into a single encounter, staggered by Escalation Die result. If all enemy combantants are defeated before the ED gets to the next stage, give the PCs a few seconds to catch their breath and then spring the next encounter, resetting the ED and beginning the following encounter one stage earlier.
Describe the chaos and fighting of the townsfolk fending off scores of goblin raiders. Goblins terrorizing the civilians at first, making sure to emphasize goblin antics. As the fight goes on, more and more of the civilians fight back, largely having the raiders defeated by the time Die, Dog, Die is wrapped up.
Initial Assault, ED: 0
3 heroes - 4 goblin mooks, 2 goblin slashers
4 heroes - 4 goblin mooks, 2 goblin slashers, 1 goblin tosser
5 heroes - 8 goblin mooks, 2 goblin slashers, 1 goblin tosser
6 heroes - 8 goblin mooks, 2 goblin slashers, 2 goblin tossers
Goblin Pyros, ED: 3
3 heroes - 1 warchanter, 1 goblin burner
4 heroes - 1 warchanter, 2 goblin burners
5 heroes - 1 warchanter, 3 goblin burners
6 heroes - 1 warchanter, 4 goblin burners
Die, Dog, Die, ED: 6
3 heroes - 1 Brunkel, 1 goblin dog, 4 goblin mooks
4 heroes - 1 Brunkel, 1 goblin dog, 8 goblin mooks
5 heroes - 1 Brunkel, 1 goblin dog, 8 goblin mooks, 1 goblin slasher
6 heroes - 1 Brunkel, 1 goblin dog, 2 goblin mooks, 2 goblin slashers
Normal 1st level Mook (humanoid)
Initiative +3
Club +6 vs AC: 4 damage
AC: 17; PD: 14; MD: 11; HP: 5
Normal 1st level Troop (humanoid)
Initiative +3
Dogslicer +6 vs AC: 6 damage if outnumbering enemies, 4 if not outnumbering
Nat Even Hit - goblin slasher makes a disengage check with a +5 bonus.
Nat Odd Hit - goblin slasher makes a disengage check with a -5 penalty.
AC: 17; PD: 13; MD: 12; HP: 22
Normal 1st level Archer (humanoid)
Initiative +3
R Tossed Junk +6 vs AC: 4 damage
Nat 16+ target blinded
AC: 17; PD: 13; MD: 12; HP: 22
Normal 2nd level Leader (humanoid)
Initiative +6
Salted Whip +6 vs AC: 5 damage
R Creepy Chant +6 vs MD: target Weekened
Nat Even Hit: One near by goblin mook makes an attack as a free action.
AC: 18; PD: 13; MD: 14; HP: 35
Normal 1st level Troop (humanoid)
Initiative +3
Torch +6 vs AC: 4 damage
Nat Even Hit: 4 on going fire damage
AC: 17; PD: 13; MD: 12; HP: 22
Normal 2nd level Wrecker (humanoid)
Initiative +6
Horse Chopper +7 vs AC: 9 damage
Nat Even Miss: 3 damage
AC: 18; PD: 16; MD: 12; HP: 34
Normal 1st level Spoiler (beast)
Initiative +4
Infected Bite +6 vs AC: 4 ongoing damage
Iritating Dander: Any non goblin suffers a -1 to hit while engaged with this creature.
AC: 16; PD: 13; MD: 12; HP: 22
The goblins have little in the way of treasure.
The goblins are armored better than is typical. The raid is made up of a variety of goblin tribes, something all but unheard of. These two clues can either be noticed with an appropriate background check DC:10 after the fight, or explained by Shalelu later on.
Any suggestions, comments, questions ar re welcome.