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I DM my son at times. What part of Golarion would make the best place to set a campaign for an 8-year-old and why? He plays lawful good characters and prefers to serve noble rulers and defend the downtrodden.
How about kid-ifying Andoran and making Cheliax the bid-bad, evil neighbor? Still more-or-less cannon, but pluck out some of the harsher elements. That would make it easier for you to mature the game world as he grows and matures himself.
-Skeld
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Other than in the campaign setting, what kind of elaboration have those two gotten?
I haven't purchased the Guide to Darkmoon Vale yet. Is is too dark? Any nobles to apprentice yourself to? Is Crown of the Kobold King too friggin' scary for an 8-year-old?
most of the other stuff for these two nations comes from the pathfinder society guide to organized play (which is a free download from the pathfinder society page)
Crown of the Kobold King isn't too scary, but most of the kids you go to save are 9-11, so it will strike a little closer to home.
Contributor, RPG Superstar 2008 Top 6
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Other than in the campaign setting, what kind of elaboration have those two gotten?
I haven't purchased the Guide to Darkmoon Vale yet. Is is too dark? Any nobles to apprentice yourself to? Is Crown of the Kobold King too friggin' scary for an 8-year-old?
LB1 Last Baron and LB2 Treasure of Chimera Cove are set on the Andoran frontier, and involve Cheliax. Note that LB1 is not one of the higher rated modules here, but some folks have had a lot of fun with it.
Three of the Darkmoon Vale mods (Hollow's Last Hope, Crown of the Kobold King, Return of the Kobold King) can be cleaned up for family fare. The other two (Carnival of Tears, Hungry are the Dead) appear to be a challenge to clean up :)
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Why not Mendev? He could serve the Queen there and defend the Mendevians (and by extension, the world) against the Demons. Of course, if you're uncomfortable with him fighting demons, just change the monsters.
You would have to take out the Inquisition idea amongst the Crusaders, but other then that, it should be a nice and clean Good vs Evil type game.
You could use sandpoint from Rise of the Runelords. It's a nice little town where your child could make friends with the townspeople. There are lots of interesting adventuring possibilities: Varisians moving through town, goblin kidnappings, exploring thassilonian runes, and traveling to the big city for the first time (Magnimar).
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This was a good question. I am starting a short campaign for my two kids - 10 and 8, and two of their friends (similar ages). I chose Darkmoon Vale as a starting point and then could move them around as I learn more about the setting. I already ran Hallow's Last Hope with a group of adults and it was fun, so with some quick modifications it will be a good one for the kids too. I wondered about the Kobold King adventure and thought about trading the kids out for the family dog or something. I'll cross that bridge right before I have to burn it.
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Turn Ustalav into a medieval version of a Gargoyles episode. Let them play monsters (were-critter fighter, changeling rogue, vampire bloodline spellcaster, etc.) who have to hide from the humans they are saving from *even worse* monsters.
Excellent idea. A few human allies (maybe from a small secret organization?), an ancient tutor, a secret base full of relics... very cool.
If you want to use this concept, the Darkmoon Vale is also useful, as there are a few non-evil lycanthropes and secret ties to various power groups (druids, Andoran families, etc.).
Director of Brand Strategy
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Is your son interested in any real world history? If he likes Egypt I'd go with Osirion, or if it's dinosaurs set it in the Realm of the Mammoth Lords. I think no matter where you set it you'll have to make some changes from canon to something a bit more kid friendly, so there's no reason that the nation in which the campaign takes place can't have at least one good noble to hire out your son's PC even if that's not in the CS. I'd use this as an opportunity to explore some real life themes that already inspire his imagination.
It doesn't matter where you set it, because often child-appropriate material is quite scary or suspenseful. The trick is addressing some of the adult concepts that are central assumptions of the D&D style: namely that glorious ultraviolence is the primary solution to all problems.
I would watch some of the really great kids adventure shows as well. Avatar is the only one that springs immediately to mind, but there are others. These shows use violence, but the good ones try to include moral relativism and rarely go as far as any grown player usually does in a typical battle.
Take any setting, even a scary one.
De-emphasize combat, keep it only for duels and plot.
Abolish initiative and the survival element.
Increase the number of puzzles and ridiculous traps.
Find a really good MacGuffin to drive things along with XP rewards. Save the princess is timeless if you can just update it a little and avoid competition between youngins.
Is your son interested in any real world history? If he likes Egypt I'd go with Osirion, or if it's dinosaurs set it in the Realm of the Mammoth Lords.This is awesome advice!
Agreed. Take the awesome and downplay the deadly. Or make it sunday-after-noon TV show deadly.
Actually, try to get the historical facts right for our world, and you end up teaching the guys something at the same time as giving them a great time!
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Is your son interested in any real world history? If he likes Egypt I'd go with Osirion, or if it's dinosaurs set it in the Realm of the Mammoth Lords. I think no matter where you set it you'll have to make some changes from canon to something a bit more kid friendly, so there's no reason that the nation in which the campaign takes place can't have at least one good noble to hire out your son's PC even if that's not in the CS. I'd use this as an opportunity to explore some real life themes that already inspire his imagination.
I'm Nerrat Dei, son of Tarren Dei. I like England. The reason why is England still has a Queen/King unlike most countries today. Also they used to have colonies
like...Canada,Australia (etc.) and I find that interesting. Where in Golarion ressembles England?|
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I'm Nerrat Dei, son of Tarren Dei. I like England. The reason why is England still has a Queen/King unlike most countries today. Also they used to have colonies like... Canada, Australia (etc.) and I find that interesting. Where in Golarion ressembles England?
Golarion has several monarchies, but Taldor (which resembles renaissance era Italy or France) is probably the closest match. Taldor had many colonies, including neighboring countries such as Andoran, Cheliax and Galt, all of whom have gained their independence, making Taldor more like modern-day England, a country that used to have many colonies, but does not at this time.
The most commonly used language in Golarion is Taldane, the language of Taldor, making it again somewhat like English, a language that has spread so far because of it's colonies that it ends up being used all over the world.
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Yes, Mendev. There are also plenty of knights in Taldor.
I love Mendev, but the feel I've been getting from that has been more Crusades/WW1 (interesting and awesome mix mind you, but not Camelot-esque). And Taldor is far more courtly intrigue, plus their ruler doesn't come off as very chivalric and good. Andoran has a lot of those concepts, but not in a monarchy.
The lack of a "Camelot" is one of my biggest gripes with the Golarion setting. It appears to be the only fantasy style they missed out on >.>
On second thought, let's not go to Camelot. It is a silly place.
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Taldor's knights are the noblest. They believe in the dream of a strong Taldor once more, and silently pray their rulers will see the light, and enlighten themselves, and lead by example, etc. They don't plot coups against them, and they keep their hopes up...
Perhaps once such knight will one day reach out to the ruling monarch, or shake him out of his apathy... (I see a Gandalf with King of Rohan moment there...)
Wow, there's lots of good advice here, both in terms of content and style. Therefore I'll only add that I found it easy to adapt Hollow's Last Hope for my nevvies (7,8,10). If you're interested in playing up the chivalric side of things, you could have Nerrat passing through Falcon's Hollow on the way to a location attractive to his imagination, and give him the chance to be the savior of the town. While I didn't keep real strict track of time when I ran it for them, they responded to the pressure of "hurry up, people you met are dying" as they tried to make good decisions throughout the adventure.
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RPG Superstar 2009 Top 8
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Wow, there's lots of good advice here, both in terms of content and style. Therefore I'll only add that I found it easy to adapt Hollow's Last Hope for my nevvies (7,8,10). If you're interested in playing up the chivalric side of things, you could have Nerrat passing through Falcon's Hollow on the way to a location attractive to his imagination, and give him the chance to be the savior of the town. While I didn't keep real strict track of time when I ran it for them, they responded to the pressure of "hurry up, people you met are dying" as they tried to make good decisions throughout the adventure.** spoiler omitted **
That's what I've been thinking. Make Taldor a homebase and have his first mission take him to Falcon's Hollow. I haven't read the TC1 adventure but thought that sounded possible too. I really want to make use of some of the already established world so 'Darkmoon Vale' may be something I'll pick up soon.
Okay, now you've done it. I can't get the idea of "Golarion Island" out of my head!
Little Chibi Iconics in their humorous fight against Chibi Runelords, Mad Chibi Queens, and Chibi Drow. Of course, the Drow are sweet-toothed candy thieves.
Valeros wants to become the best swordsman in the world.... and also to peak under Seoni's skirt any chance he gets. He never succeeds, except to make her angry, and she whacks him with her magic staff, and his pants catch on fire.
This is crazy.
Yes, Mendev. There are also plenty of knights in Taldor.
I always saw Taldor as something very much like Britain. But not Lancelot's Britain, more like a Britain that remembers the good old days of Lancelot. Has-beens. But don't tell them I said that.
I can totally hear them speaking with an outrageous British Accent.
Still, I guess that Taldor can work as a good setting for kids: Have them be knights who set out for a great quest to find the real king. Some guy who can pull a sword out of a stone, maybe. Or maybe one who can put it in there in the first place. Always seemed the neater trick to me.
Extra points if the real king's been raised by dwarves.
On second thought, let's not go to Camelot. It is a silly place.
Not to mention TV reception.
Okay, now you've done it. I can't get the idea of "Golarion Island" out of my head!
Little Chibi Iconics in their humorous fight against Chibi Runelords, Mad Chibi Queens, and Chibi Drow. Of course, the Drow are sweet-toothed candy thieves.
Valeros wants to become the best swordsman in the world.... and also to peak under Seoni's skirt any chance he gets. He never succeeds, except to make her angry, and she whacks him with her magic staff, and his pants catch on fire.
This is crazy.
Looks perfectly sane to me.
Looks perfectly sane to me.
This is crazy.
It's worse than I thought.
Okay, now you've done it. I can't get the idea of "Golarion Island" out of my head!
Little Chibi Iconics in their humorous fight against Chibi Runelords, Mad Chibi Queens, and Chibi Drow. Of course, the Drow are sweet-toothed candy thieves.
Valeros wants to become the best swordsman in the world.... and also to peak under Seoni's skirt any chance he gets. He never succeeds, except to make her angry, and she whacks him with her magic staff, and his pants catch on fire.
This is crazy.
Send all ideas to Hugo!
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RPG Superstar 2009 Top 8
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Hehehe. I'm still trying to sell young Nerrat on the joys of Golarion. Like me, he fell in love with Greyhawk at the start of his gaming career and is reluctant to switch. I think that I know what might convince him though.
Tell him about your character. No, seriously. Tell him about your character, especially if your character is from Taldor.
Any noble knights from Taldor? What's your name? Do you have a family crest? What does it look like?
Tell him about your character. No, seriously. Tell him about your character, especially if your character is from Taldor.Any noble knights from Taldor? What's your name? Do you have a family crest? What does it look like?
What were his family's accomplishments in the distant past? How much more powerful was his house when the empire wasn't in rapid decline? How proud were they before Cheliax left and took their balls with them?
;-P
