How to run an Adventure Path as it comes out?

[Rechan]

I'm trying to put together a new gaming group with people who appear to like roleplaying more than other parts of D&D. So, Curse of the Crimson Throne sounds great for them.

I just have two concerns:

1) I'm running the adventure as it comes out. So this means if the PCs move faster through the module, then I either need to fly into uncharted territory, or we sit on our hands. Or I run the adventure without proper prep because it just came out.

2) I don't know what I'm getting into. After all, the AP might take a turn that I don't care for, and now I'm committed to it for the most part. And there's also the matter of proper foreshadowing.

How have those running the Rune Lords or other APs dealt with this?

[Sean Mahoney]

I have to be honest with you, if your group enjoys the RP portion of things the most then you have a situation.

On the one hand, RP heavy groups tend to slow things down a lot. Your job would be to include as much as RP as possible with out them getting bored. This means that you want to run things like parts of their background and how they became a group even before you start the first adventure. They will like this a lot and be quite happy. If my groups rate of advancement is telling at all (we play for 8-10 hours every two weeks) the rate of release will exceed the rate at which you play.

On the other hand, knowing all the bits and details that will happen later lets you include foreshadowing and consistency through out the entirety of the path. Players that are high on RP really appreciate this... and it will be somewhat missing (other than what the authors include) if you don't have the next sets available to you.

I think as long as you guys move slower than the release you will be fine... but my honest gut reaction in your position would be to run something that has already completed its publishing cycle. Shackled City, Age of Worms, Savage Tide and Rise of the Runelords are all VERY well supported on these boards. You will find a tremendous amount of advice and additional material for them that an RP heavy group will really appreciate.

Sean Mahoney

[SirUrza]

My opinion, if you spend a lot of time Roleplaying out each and every scenerio, you'll probably find yourself still in the previous book when another comes out. Also, if Runelords is any indication, there will be plenty of time for you to insert your own little pieces. There's more then 1 point in Runelords were you time jump a couple of days that instead of time jumping, you as DM can actually play out by with your own little adventures/sidequests.

[tbug]

I started running Rise of the Run the week after the first volume was released. I pored over the section describing the arc, and I tried to set things up for days to come. (For example, I noticed a volume titled Hook Mountain Massacre so I threw an incentive to visit the Iron Peaks into character background.)

I fleshed out local NPCs in a big way, and started things out slowly with a whole whack of roleplaying. Things are going swimmingly. :)

Of course, we're doing everything backwards which also slows things down.: Birdcrunchers!

[Brian Van Wyk]

We play once per week with a 5 hour session. We started the same week I got the first book, and so far we are just starting book 3, and I have book 4 on my shelf. Unless you play several times a week there is no way you will catch up, especially if you have that holy grail of all groups that actually enjoys roleplaying, roleplaying takes longer than just whacking the monsters.

The AP's provide plenty of background information, including an outline of the entire AP at the beginning, you might ruin the fun a bit by giving away stuff a little too early if you arent careful, but I am certain you can foreshadow.

If you don't enjoy the path it takes, pick a dot on the map,make a reason for the party to go there, and starting making it up as you go along :)

RoTRL is very well done, and hopefully the next one will be even better (practice makes perfect), my only real complaint is that they assume that a DM has a crap load of time between sessions to memorize the book. Spending 5 minutes looking up answers to PC's questions (there is no index) kills the immersion somewhat.

[James Jacobs]

In Pathfinder #6, we'll have a four page plot synopsis of Curse of the Crimson Throne, so GMs will be able to see all six adventures' plots well in advance and will thus be able to decide if it'll work for their group. I suspect that we may make this plot synopsis available as a free PDF to check out as well... not sure about that yet though, but it makes sense.

Each Pathfinder's adventure is about 50 pages long, and covers 3 or so levels. That's about 40 or so encounters. There should be plenty of content in each volume to keep a group busy for a month, but if not, Curse of the Crimson Throne's getting a big "Guide to Korvosa" supplement that's filled with all sorts of other ideas for adventures in the city in which the campaign takes place. Needless to say the option of running other adventures from earlier Pathfinders or GameMastery modules or old issues of Dungeon or Goodman Games adventures or whatever... but the goal in what we're providing in a month's Pathfinder IS to give you more than enough content for your group for a month. At least.

[Rechan]

Thanks, James. I was thinking that the modules might be whizzed through, possibly. Appreciate the post.

[SirUrza]

Brian Van Wyk wrote:

If you don't enjoy the path it takes, pick a dot on the map,make a reason for the party to go there, and starting making it up as you go along :)

Not just that, but Kaer Maga and the Bloodsworn Vale aren't far away from Korvosa. So anyone running the next Adventure Path could run both Seven Swords of Sin and Conquest of the Bloodsworn Vale as part or as replacements for pieces of the AP a lot easier then people running Runelords.

The Hook Mountains from PF3 are much further away, but could still be used.

[SirUrza]

Wow... the forums just ate all the posts.

I suggested running Seven Swords of Sins and Conquest of the Bloodsworn Vale since both adventures are closer to the next AP then Runelords is.

[Host of Angels]

I have the self same plan in mind - but having seen the first Pathfinder booklet, I know it is going to take my group at least 2 months to finish each module. My big problem is that they want to get going NOW and I need to keep them off my back until February...

Any preview material - or an early release for the Players Guide would be nice :-)

[Cpt_kirstov]

Host of Angels wrote:

I have the self same plan in mind - but having seen the first Pathfinder booklet, I know it is going to take my group at least 2 months to finish each module.

I'm 3 months into Burnt Offerings, and maybe 2/3 of the way through, I've fleshed out one part (boar hunt) and we were playing once a week for these three months about 3-4 hours a time. I have moderate role players - they can, but don't fall in love with their Pcs enough, wanting them to be flashy and cool.

[SirUrza]

Host of Angels wrote:

I have the self same plan in mind - but having seen the first Pathfinder booklet, I know it is going to take my group at least 2 months to finish each module. My big problem is that they want to get going NOW and I need to keep them off my back until February.

Get Seven Swords and start them on that. :)