Stareyes's page

So, long-time game master, first time running a Paizo adventure path. Two sessions so far, on evenings and via Discord so they tend to be short (especially as two of my players are a time zone ahead, and a third works the early shift on many days, and I can't start earlier due to my own job).

Anyway, the first session was entirely the circus show, and the second started the investigation. They found the tracks and started making calls on what to investigate first. The group discovered the dream pollen pods in the ringmaster's wagon, and were menaced by Bardolph. They want to explore the Kanbali wagon next before heading out to the forest. As folks who have this AP know, that's where Chapter 1 Boss FIght Nemmia Bramblecloak is hanging out, watching the mayhem (or lack thereof).

I worry that this is anti-climatic, even if the adventure clearly allows for it, and offers suggestions to get the PCs to explore everything else. I also want to give the PCs more practice at combat before I throw a more than medium-difficulty encounter at them.

Has anyone else had that happen, or have to change some things around to make it avoid happening? How did your players take it?

The context might be that the "rules for alternate domains" are in Lost Omens: Gods & Magic rather than reprinted information for the Toil domain. So all the information about the Toil domain, in particular, is in the AP, but the difference between alternate domains and regular ones, and how you get an alternate domain are in Gods & Magic.

That being said, there is the feat Splinter Faith for clerics and champions that lets you trade out a domain for one that isn't on your deity's main or alternate list, as long as it isn't obviously anathematic to your deity. The downside is that any domain spells from the domain you added are cast at 1 level lower than they'd otherwise be.