kraegar's page

I'm using hero lab to help them build characters, and being able to walk through the spell list with them on the screen is a big help. So far I've been able to steer them into good choices for spells, skills and feats, so I think that's working well. I'm not making the characters for them by any means, just helping them understand the consequence of a choice.

I'm printing out the Hero Lab character sheet, and the short spell descriptions, and putting them in transparent sleeves. We're going to use wet erase markers to track things like spells used per day & HP, etc right on the sleeves. I got some of the item and condition cards to help track things like equipment acquired during a session, and then we'll add those & the xp earned into hero lab after each session, and print out a new character sheet to put into the sleeve for the next round.

Just a general question here - when do you divvy out XP and allow levels to increase? For instance, I got the pdf of Crypt of the Everflame. I haven't read through it yet, but I'm guessing it'll take a couple weeks for the kids to get through. Do I wait till the end of the adventure to total up XP and level up? Or the end of a session? (Maybe it says somewhere in the module, and I missed it when I skimmed it)

How did your kids do with the cleric and wizard in the begginer box? If I was dealing with young children I would probably replace both of them with the sorceror and oracle, as I think those are much easier to handle. Prepared casting requires alot of forthought or you end up with a bunch of spells you cant use.

I helped them quite a bit. The clerics (we had two) ended up using channel energy a lot. The wizard was able to keep magic missile for the bad guys (we broke the game into two sessions, with a night of rest in the middle to re-memorize spells), and used the wand they found, along with orisons the rest of the time.

The fighter (and to a lesser extent the rogue) really carried the show for damage, but none of the kids seemed to mind.

I would be sad to see maneuvers go. They're more imaginitive than stand and hack... But they are sometimes complex.

Maybe under certain conditions on an attack you could let them pick from the maneuver list and add that effect to the attack? It would keep things dynamic.

I could always add it in after they get used to things some. They pick up on things quick, so perhaps after a few sessions I'll expand the actions they can do to include combat maneuvers.

I'm taking my kids (7,9,11 + 2 of their friends) through the Beginner's box now, and have picked up a bunch of material (core rule book, bestiary 1, gm guide, some maps, a module or two, kingmaker ap 1, etc) so we can move on to the "full" game soon. (Going to start with Crypt of the Everflame)

I want to simplify the game some for my kids, to make it easier for them to handle and enjoy.

I plan to:
Remove Combat Maneuvers
Remove Prestige Classes
Remove Attacks of Opportunity
Remove Multiclassing (And so just one favored class)
I'm undecided about encumbrance, and whether I'll track it or not.

Any other suggestions for simplifying Pathfinder for a younger group of players?

Stay away from Rise of the Runelords. Way too dark for children.

Good to know, thanks!

I also recommend Kingmaker, after playing it i can say that it's very PG-13, if you think that the kids can't manage the kingdom building thing just skip it. From what i have heard legacy of fire is also very PG-13 but it's an AP for 3.5, while we are on the subject rise of the runelords, second darkness, legacy of fire and curse of the crimson throne are the paizo APs for 3.5 all of their other APs are for pathfinder.

Do NOT run rise of the runelords, it would require too much editing.
The price of immortality chain of modules (Crypt of the Everflame, Masks of the living God, City of golden death) is also quite good, doesn't require any editing iirc and isn't a huge commitment.

I picked up the first volume of Kingmaker this weekend, it looks pretty interesting. I figure we can get as far as the kids want to in it, and switch adventures when they're ready, whether that's book 1 or book 6.

I'll probably also pick up Crypt of the Everflame soon.

There is some additional downloadable stuff for the beginner box including a supplemental adventure

GM Kit

Four mini adventures

Box Bash Demos

Also check out this page for Beginner Box related materials just about all of them free downloads.

I've downloaded and printed all of those!

Thanks for all the advice, doing a lot of reading to figure out what to do.

I think, for now, to a 9 year old experiencing an RPG for the first time, a level 5 wizard IS powerful :)

Can anyone explain what something like this: http://paizo.com/products/btpy8jor?Pathfinder-Society-Scenario-Intro-1-Firs t-Steps-Part-I-In-Service-to-Lore

Is compared to say a module or the first chapter of an Adventure Path?

Talking to the kids some, it sounds like modules might be more their style after all.

They're looking for things similar to the black fang adventure in the beginners box, where it's a short adventure they can get through in 1 - 2 play sessions. New stories every couple weeks, and the opportunity to play different characters every once in a while (this was a big point for them!)

For example, my one son said "Some weeks I want to be my rogue, but other weeks I could be a really awesome wizard!".

So, I'm thinking modules are the way to go then? (At least until they want to go with a bigger story arc)

If you want it to be Pathfinder I'd recommend not doing an AP earlier than Kingmaker, as the earlier ones were still in the 3.5e rules.

For a starting DM the Serpent's Skull AP is probably better than Kingmaker as there isn't any kingdom management to deal with (at least, not in the first few books). Haven't read up on other APs so I'm not sure how they play out.

Thanks for the heads up on the 3.5e AP's.

Anyone know if Serpent's skull is ok for kids (mostly wanting to avoid sex and torture, no idea if the PFRPG stuff has that kind of thing in it).

AP's are the way to go, then?

Something where I can start them out at Level 1 and grow their characters from there. With how slow the games seem to go for them, and the play time we'll have, it could take quite a while to get through a (campaign/adventure path). Which would be great :)

I ordered the beginner box recently, and am taking my 3 children + two of their friends through it (ages 7 - 11), and they're having a blast! I haven't played a Tabletop RPG in 18 years or so, so it's a lot of fun for me as well. The kids have been begging to play more, as soon as we finished up the black fang dungeon.

My question is, once we finish with the Beginners box, then what?

Ideally:
We'll play once a week on the weekends.
The kids would like a longer campaign using a single character to play through it.
It has to be kid friendly (I can edit as needed, too)
I want a pre-built campaign & story to take them through.

I've ordered the Core Rule Book, The GM Guide, and the Bestiary, and got the GM Screen. To start reading while we do more of the beginner box stuff.

So, what's the best next step for them for PFRPG?

Is it:
An adventure path? (If so, which one? I prefer not to convert a 3.5 one to PFRPG)
Modules and just chain them together?
Pathfinder Society scenarios, such as the First steps?

Also, what resources will I need with any of those to make it more interactive for the kids? Map packs? Campaign setting resources? Anything else?

I don't have a ton of time to invest in this each week, outside the time we're already putting aside to play, so I want something where I can jump in and run the game for them as quickly as possible!

Thanks for any advice!

Tony