Okay, so I have taken it upon myself as a challenge to combine the three campaigns (Rise of the Runelords, Shattered Star, and Return of the Runelords) into a single campaign and have it make sense. I've read through all 18 books, some more than others. There will be fewer Shattered Star encounters used and I really consider this a combination of Rise and Return of the Runelords, with a few Shattered Star plots thrown in. If anyone has any thoughts on what I've done here, I’d love to hear them. Specifically if anyone can see in plot holes in this plan.
There will be spoilers for all three Adventure Paths in this very, very long post, fair warning!!!!
1) I want the PCs meet/fight all seven Runelords in one campaign (this includes Krune by using bits and pieces of the Year of the Rune Society Modules). The events of Awakened Rune have not happened yet, but I think the book where Zutha came back is fine to leave in the story.
2) I will be converting the campaign to the 2nd edition. Converting to 2nd ed is fairly easy; I've run a few modules from 1e for my group and converting to 2e was very simple. Hardest part will be the unique NPCs that don't have an exact version for 2e. I'm hoping these boards will catch up eventually and have some 2e stats for those unique NPCs sooner or later, but if not, easy enough to make a character. Treasure is super easy too, basically 1/10th of the value of the treasure in the books is what it is converted to. Magic items are trickier since magic really got an overhaul, and that honestly might be the part that takes longest for me as the GM.
I also realize that the leveling may be off from what is written in a few of the books. That is fine since I am converting to 2e anyway and it's not going to be a huge jump in levels either.3) I want to complete the campaign in around 18-24 months or so real time (running once a week for 6 hours). As much as I want to run all three campaigns in their full glory and in order, I get one shot to run a full length campaign with my...
Damn good stuff sir! I came up with the same idea as I was running the Rise of The Runelords AP and now having read the others I'm starting to mix them together. Here's what I came up with:
My outline of the campaign is a bit more stripped down. I'm leaving Krune and Zutha out as mere mentions or have them as one shots. The campaign will have two major villains, Karzoug and Alaznist. Alaznist was luckily foreshadowed in the Catacombs of Wrath so I think it works really well even though I already started. The only Runelords awake at the begining will be Sorshen and Karzoug. The Shattered Star AP as it stands is IMHO pretty bad. You gather the shards for really no reason and cause the evil to rise and get rewarded for cleaning up after yourselves? Scrap that. The Sihedron will be used to defeat Karzoug instead of the runeforged weapons and perhaps to activate the Cyphergate later.
I've ran the Rise of the Runelords up to Hook mountain pretty much as it is. Only change so far has been introducing Sheila Heidmarch at the end of Skinsaw murders, as our heroes joined PF society after defeating Xanesha and saving the Lord Mayors life. Sheila has aquired the shard of Pride and is tasking the players with finding more, no deeper plot here yet. Everything will change after Hook Mountain and the attack on Sandpoint.
During the attack on Sandpoint I'm replacing the red dragon with Cadrilkasta as Karzougs henchman tasked with finding Sihedron shards. Cadrilkasta will rip open Sandpoint and acquire the Shard of Wrath from the deeper levels of the Catacombs below. The destruction will also awaken Alaznist as the runewell in sandpoint gets powered up during the siege. Cadrilkasta will take the Shard of Wrath to Jorgenfist and then then continue to Guiltspur, getting stuck in Leng. After this it's The remaining shards in any order, and use any of the dungeons in all the adventure paths, Windsong, Guiltspur etc. Around these parts or even before I'll start foreshadowing the time shenanigans with hounds of Tindalos and visions, contacted by Sorshen and such. Runeforge will be the place to reforge the Sihedron and after that it's Xin-Shalast. Karzoug will hint the PCs at Alaznist and Xanderghul and the rest is all Return of the Runelords. Instead of the Sihedron Heroes I'll probably have them meet alternate versions of themselves and tell them what Alaznist has done in the __darkest timeline__ :D Then correcting the timeline, epic battle in the eye of Fury and it all ends with Yamasoth dragging Alaznist down to the abyss.
I'm running it in 2e. They're now at level 6 and I'm aiming for Karzoug at lvl 14-15 and defeating Alaznist at lvl 20, them getting their memories and experience from the alternate timelines being the thing that gets them to lvl 20.
This is all actually pretty much like Avengers: Sihedron shards are like infinity stones and in the end we have time travel. I wonder if Marvel writers are Pathfinder fans?