About a year ago I picked up the Shackled City Adventure Path Hardcover. I really liked it and I was itching to run it. However I was a Forgotten Realms Campaign, we were mid way through the campaign and the group was around level 10, so switching the the SCAP was out of the question. When that campaign ended we switched to Privateer Press's Iron Kingdoms. About this time I purchased the Witchfire Trilogy Hardcover, which serves as a great introduction to the whole Iron Kingdoms world. Now that storyline is coming to a close and I was rattling my brain trying to think of what comes next, and then it hit me....The Shackled City!
Now granted the Adventure Path is not a perfect fit for many, many reason. Some of the story elements don't work (dragons, vampires, and the Outer planes for example), my PCs will be starting at around 7th or 8th level, and so on. I also plan to make some changes to make some of the story elements fit with my PC's personal stories.
I've got my work cut out for me, but this should be a labor of love.
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I've got my work cut out for me, but this should be a labor of love.
As a huge fan of the Iron Kingdoms, I'd love to hear how this works out for you. It seems to me that most APs assume that your players will have access to unlimited healing magic, teleportation, and resurrection. IK gives you none of these conveniences.
I'm contemplating placing the Cauldron in the area near Ternon Crag. Ternon Crag would replace the village of Redgorge and I can replace some of the outlying monsters with the Skorne, Trollkin, and the Circle of Orboros, using their conflict as part of the storyline. Also the dragon Pryo..... (I forgot his name) is going to take the place of Hookface, which will give the PCs dragonblighted to fight. The are around his lair might be a good replacement for the Demon Skar and powerful dragonblighted minions are a good replacement for demons.
I don't plan on having the PCs fight the dragon, a recent issue of NQ has an army of the Legion of Everblight coming into the region just for that purpose. I'll let them deal with the dragon while the PCs are dealing with the Cagewrights. The other dragon's will be replaced by a drake, Dragonblighted Wyvern, and a giant snake (Possibly dragonblighted).
Backstory....
A short time after the Orgoth left the shores of Western Immoren an Elven Mage discovered an Orgoth device left behind. From the writings it appeared as though the Orgoth were trying to bridge dimension in order to summon something forth. The Elf decided that the machine could be used to call forth the lost Elven Gods back to Immoren. After long study the Elf and his apprentices activated the device and opened the portal.
What he had hoped would be the salvation of his people turned to his doom. The portal created a small direct link to the Infernal Realm, and through it stepped an Executor. The powerful Infernal being was followed by several Umbral Reavers who dispatched the Elf's apprentices and drew their souls back into the demon realm. The Executor itself slew the elf, stealing away his souls. It stopped though, realising that it could not remain in our dimension to harvent the souls it desired. It decided instead to use the elf to grant it what it desired most, a multitude of souls all at once. It bound the Elf's soul back into its body. Executor did not return the elf to life though, but rather changed him into a powerful undead servent, an Eldritch.
It then task the Eldritch to find 13 special mortals. These mortals were the descendants of 13 slaves that the Orgoth had long ago promised to it in a ritual. These 13 mortal souls, imprisoned alive in special soulcages, could be used in conjuction with the portal device to allow the Executor to harvest a massive amount of souls at once, that is if the machine were to be placed beneith the heart of a massive gathering of mortals, such as a city. Once activated, the Executor and his minions could maintain their presence in the world indefinately and would be able to harvest the souls of an entire city. In exchange for this service, the Executor promised that he would return the Eldritch to life and show him the true path to restoring the Elven Gods.
To accomplish it's goal, the Eldritch has gathered together 13 other individuals whom it will need to complete it's mission. These individuals, known as the Cagewrights each have their own reasons for joining, but all hope to gain great power throug their part of the ritual.