Can anyone recommend one of the adventure paths? Is it a problem to jump in the middle of one rather than start it at 1st level? We're pretty gamist leaning ... how hard are the pathfinder modules?
Thanks in advance for any tips =)
Hmmm ... depending on how comfortable the GM is, and with the fact you're already rolling your own, as it were, I think you should be able to jump into either Runelords or Crimson Throne part way in. I would still buy the first one, as each module builds on what went before so you don't want to miss out on any of the goodness.
I'm a player in Runelords, so don't know what is happening in volume two yet, but the first module is designed to wet the player's blades, get them involved in the city (or more involved if they are natives) and drop a bunch of clues to later things (I get that from the evil smiles my GM/Hubby gives me when I am trying to puzzle on 'em).
In Crimson Throne, I'm the GM, and there is plenty of combat to happen in two and beyond, all they miss by not doing number one is
Can't say much on Second Darkness as we haven't started that one yet, and our GM only has the first adventure in her mitts, but she's let drop that we need to save the world, and there are drow, so I'm looking forward to much mayhem ::chuckle::
As to how hard they are, there are puzzles and clues, but the GM can give out more or less info to match the players needs. For a GM, I'm finding them a total joy to run, as I need to know the adventure and such, but I don't have to make up as much on the fly as I've done in the past with other companies modules. Paizo gives you so much, I have to remember to NOT read certain bits to the players, though I do go back once we're done and give them some of the best bits that they don't get to know about before :)
Hope that helps!
I have read both of them and I really like Rise of the Runelords Great combats
I have read both of them and I really like Rise of the Runelords Great combats
Yes, some of the combats in Rise Of The Runelords will require quite a bit of resourcefulness on the part of the players. (This is a good thing.)
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Rise of the Runelords is the best in my opinion. CotCT sounds fun when I read it, but it doesn't inspire me like RotRL does. Second Darkness looks pretty fun too, but I'll have to reserve judgement until I've read more of the series once they come out.
Skinsaw Murders starts out aimed at 4th level, and Hook Mountain starts out aimed at 7th. You might want to do an abbreviated version of Burn Offerings and Skinsaw to bring the players up to 7th and then go from there.
Rise of the Runelords is the best in my opinion. CotCT sounds fun when I read it, but it doesn't inspire me like RotRL does. Second Darkness looks pretty fun too, but I'll have to reserve judgement until I've read more of the series once they come out.
Skinsaw Murders starts out aimed at 4th level, and Hook Mountain starts out aimed at 7th. You might want to do an abbreviated version of Burn Offerings and Skinsaw to bring the players up to 7th and then go from there.
I would agree, I'm prepping RotR for after STAP, and I think you could easily squeeze the first two into an abbreviated level for the pcs and send them on to book 3 on schedule.
I've played through all of Rise of the Runelords and it was great, especially chapters 1-3. It gets a bit grindy later on - good quality, but not as brilliant as the goblins (#1), haunted house (#2), and the ogres (#3). I've just started Curse of the Crimson Throne so it's hard to say, although I could say that RoTR is an example of the more traditional "mixed" campaign where it's 40% dungeon, 20% wilderness, 20% urban/town. So far, Curse of the Crimson Throne looks to be more urban, at least starting out. So perhaps choose based on the kind of campaign you're looking for. You could also leap into Second Darkness, which I assume is more Underdarkey.
Your players will love fighting the ogres!
Or at least love to hate fighting the ogres (and ogre-kin)... ;-)
Note, the following will contain spoilers. Pretty much everything here is a spoiler, so I won't bother with tags.
So far, all three Pathfinder adventure paths look very good - though number three is only into its second installment so far.
Rise of the Runelords does indeed have one weak point that actually works in your favour: The first two or three adventures in it aren't tied very closely to the overarching plot. That means that you can throw them right into the third adventure without missing too much. (Note, that one's for level 7 characters, so you might want to boost them a bit before you start).
You could also give them a very abbreviated version of the first two (basically a "in the last episode" part), though I think it might work fine even without it.
Runelords - especially the part where you get in - takes place in wilderness and dungeons (often ancient ruins or remnants of the distant past).
You're missing Burnt Offerings (mainly fighting goblins and their fallen aasimar leader) and The Skinsaw Murders (first half is a haunted house, the second is about taking out a death cult in a city).
The rest being The Hook Mountain Massacre (fight mainly against ogrekin and ogres, with some other giants thrown in for good measure, as you retake a wilderness fort), Against the Stone Giants (infiltrate a Stone Giant fortress to kill their evil leader, and find out about the ancient civilisation and its ruler who strive for resurrection), Sins of our Saviours (explore a sevenfold sin magic research complex left over from ancient Thassalion to find weapons for use against the wizard trying to return and conquer the region), and, finally, Spires of Xin-Shalast (find the lost city of Xin-Shalast, former Capital of your archenemy's realm, to fight his giant hordes and defeat him before he can return to the world).
The path contains plenty of fighting, but there's still roleplaying opportunity here: Calming down ghost nymphs, bartering with devils for information, negotiating with succubi for... very unwholesome things...
Curse of the Crimson Throne, on the other hand, takes place in the city of Korvosa more than half the time. That one I suggest you play from the beginning, as the first couple of adventures contain important events and revelations, and the campaign works best if the players either are from Korvosa or have a vested interest in the city's welfare.
The first three adventures take place in Korvosa, a city suffering from riots, plagues, tyrants, opportunistic crime lords, martial law, and more, continues through the deadly Cinderlands, to an old castle riddled with the undead, and finally back to the city for the showdown.
If you think that urban adventurers are tame, CotCT will show you the error of your ways!
The third adventure path, Second Darkness, looks quite good so far, too, but only the first two books are out, with those that would challenge 6th-level characters coming out in the next 4 months.
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I know you are interested in starting the AP with your current characters and levels, and while possible, I really really really really think everyone will enjoy Runelords better if they start off at level 1 and work through all of the encounters. It is almost like walking into the new Batman movie halfway into the movie.
Every encounter really builds upon the previous ones, adding more and more goodness. In my opinion, the Skinsaw Murders (the 2nd part of the AP) is the very best I have seen in years. Building upon it is the Massacre and between them they make what is likely the best two adventures in decades!
Consider the possibility of starting over when you start the AP. Tell the Players it's like starting a classic novel halfway through otherwise. I think they and you will get more out of it if you start from the beginning.
What might be a neat intro to RotRL is the adventure Conquest of Bloodsworn Vale. It looks about the right level for your group and could even serve as a draw to get those PCs to Varisia when the king of Korvosa puts out a call for aid in settling the Vale. As an added bonus, it would give your players a brief (brief) taste of Korvosa and its king so that if you decide to follow up RotRL with Curse of the Crimson Throne, your players will have something invested in the city.
At the conclusion of Vale, you have somebody important say "wow, you were a big help. How would you like your own keep?" and pack them off to Hook Mountain.
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Thanks for the info guys ... I think I'll look into Runelords then. I didn't specify it, but I will be GMing for the next few levels for our group. We trade off the GM duties so we can all play. Runelords does look really cool.
The shame is that I believe that some RotL issues are now out of print and will stay that way. Of course, pdf will remain available; I love pdf myself, but only as backup to the hard copy (which is why the subscription is so cool to have).