CotCT or Second Darkness?

[Rithralas]

Having just finished RotRL, our group is starting a new campaign, and we have a mixture of play styles. I think most of the group is the "kick in the door and fight" type, and the rest are a little more prone to role play and problem solve.

I'm trying to decide which AP is best suited for our group.

Any help/insight is appreciated.

[hazel monday]

Hard to say since half of Second Darkness hasn't been released yet.
But we're running Crimson Throne and about half my group are bloodthirsty types who are always itching to start the next brawl. And they've been able to keep that urge in check (when they have to) for Crimson throne since they're so into the story and want to see it's resolution.

At any rate, I suggest waiting till Second darkness has been released in it's entirety before starting to run it.

[KaeYoss]

Both are great.

We just finished Edge of Anarchy, and everyone seems to have a blast.

Especially the player who plays a Paladin of Torag. After the last session, I got a big long email from him where he explains how his paladin feels right now.

It's always an accomplishment to provoke so much thought.

[Vic Wertz]

[moved to Pathfinder forum]

[Gray Eminence]

Well, I run CotCt right now, we are somewhere in Escape from Old Korvosa, and I must say that most of my players are really into the action right now. The story is quite solid, it is easy to run and both the places and the NPCs/Monsters are great. As far as I can see, it is really fun.

[Robert Hawkshaw]

I haven't run anything from Second Darkness. But Riddleport looks like fun.

CotCT with the guide to korvosa is awesome. I loved being able to give the players the guide.

[Susan Draconis]

Run Second Darkness. My group hit History of Ashes and started throwing things at me because of the most horrifically bad, terribly executed, blatant, boring, menial, pitifully obvious railroading any one of us has ever seen in our combined 50 years of gaming. Normally I'm all for paizo products but Ashes was phoned in. Badly.

I'm having to run Demonweb Pits with an on-the-fly conversion into the Pathfinder cosmology to give my gamers a chance to calm down a bit before skipping Ashes entirely and moving around to Scarwall. It was that or we were all just going to walk.

[Kevin Mack]

Susan Draconis wrote:

Run Second Darkness. My group hit History of Ashes and started throwing things at me because of the most horrifically bad, terribly executed, blatant, boring, menial, pitifully obvious railroading any one of us has ever seen in our combined 50 years of gaming. Normally I'm all for paizo products but Ashes was phoned in. Badly.

I'm having to run Demonweb Pits with an on-the-fly conversion into the Pathfinder cosmology to give my gamers a chance to calm down a bit before skipping Ashes entirely and moving around to Scarwall. It was that or we were all just going to walk.

Not really sure what you mean by railroading. Never had any problem getting my group to go along with it.

[Stewart Perkins]

its hard to say Ive just started running SD, and my players are having a blast. The riddleport underworld stuff has them extremely entrenched and I'm almost worried that when it switches gears to its actual focus they may lose interest but so far Riddleport is awesomeness. As for CotCT, I have to say I love that AP as its really well written and I love the feel of it. Previously I had expressed a different tune but that changed after reading it in better depth. It has alot of good ideas to mine if nothing else.

[Gray Eminence]

Susan Draconis wrote:

Run Second Darkness. My group hit History of Ashes and started throwing things at me because of the most horrifically bad, terribly executed, blatant, boring, menial, pitifully obvious railroading any one of us has ever seen in our combined 50 years of gaming. Normally I'm all for paizo products but Ashes was phoned in. Badly.

I'm having to run Demonweb Pits with an on-the-fly conversion into the Pathfinder cosmology to give my gamers a chance to calm down a bit before skipping Ashes entirely and moving around to Scarwall. It was that or we were all just going to walk.

Well, while I do not think that History of Ashes is so railroading, it is true that the "correct flow of events" does not leave too much choices for the PCs. However, they should keep in mind that actually they are in the weak position: they want to get some info from someone who does not any reason (no moral, no fiscal reasons, and also the PCs are not in the position to force him) to give this info to them, so if they still want the info, they must do as needed. I guess that this is something that happens sometimes in real life also, so it should not come to the PCs as totally surprising.

Anyway, it is true, that you might want to introduce some points where PCs at least feel that they are in control of the events, or you might want to introduce some real choices, it is not that difficult.

[KaeYoss]

Susan Draconis wrote:

My group hit History of Ashes and started throwing things at me because of the most horrifically bad, terribly executed, blatant, boring, menial, pitifully obvious railroading any one of us has ever seen in our combined 50 years of gaming.

Come again? I'm blind it seems. I don't see any blatant railroading there. But I've certainly seen worse. Much worse.

I must hook you up with a guy who tried to DM a couple of years back. He'll show you what railroading means.