Hi,
I'm fairly new to Pathfinder and d20 role-playing games in general. I recently started a Pathfinder group with the 'Crypt of the Everflame', we're currently in the middle of 'Masks of the Living God' and I have already bought the 'City of Golden Death'. After that, my players will be a group of 4 (warrior, cleric, monk, druid) level 5-6 characters.
Now I'm wondering what I should do next and failing to find a suitable module, I turned to Adventure Paths and RotRL in particular. I do know that they are intended to be played with fresh lvl 1 characters but I'm wondering if it is feasible to play it with already existing characters on higher levels.
The way I see it now, I'd have to start with #2 'The Skinsaw Murderers' level-wise and maybe tweak a couple of the early encounters a bit, since Pathfinder characters are more powerful anyway.
My problem is, that I don't want to read the AP because if I decide against running it in my group, I'd still like to be able to enjoy it as a player. So please don't post too many spoilers.
Does the story allow me to start the AP with #2 or do I miss the complete exposition by skipping #1. Has any one done this or something similar? What are your experiences?
Thanks for your advice!
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Hi,
I'm fairly new to Pathfinder and d20 role-playing games in general. I recently started a Pathfinder group with the 'Crypt of the Everflame', we're currently in the middle of 'Masks of the Living God' and I have already bought the 'City of Golden Death'. After that, my players will be a group of 4 (warrior, cleric, monk, druid) level 5-6 characters.Now I'm wondering what I should do next and failing to find a suitable module, I turned to Adventure Paths and RotRL in particular. I do know that they are intended to be played with fresh lvl 1 characters but I'm wondering if it is feasible to play it with already existing characters on higher levels.
The way I see it now, I'd have to start with #2 'The Skinsaw Murderers' level-wise and maybe tweak a couple of the early encounters a bit, since Pathfinder characters are more powerful anyway.
My problem is, that I don't want to read the AP because if I decide against running it in my group, I'd still like to be able to enjoy it as a player. So please don't post too many spoilers.
Does the story allow me to start the AP with #2 or do I miss the complete exposition by skipping #1. Has any one done this or something similar? What are your experiences?
Thanks for your advice!
The problem with RotR is that the individual APs are actually really disjointed. There is only a thin thread that connects the first three APs as a story (the recurrence of the sihedron rune) so you're actually probably perfectly fine with starting with any AP 1-4 as you don't need the previous story to understand what's going on in the AP as they are self contained stories with a larger background connection that the PCs aren't even familiar with.
Agreed. I would spend some time coming up with a way to achieve as much of the following as possible:
- Foreshadow later events and connections (it's possible this could be added into the adventures that you are running now depending on where you are in those adventures, as well).
- Make the character familiar with and care about Sandpoint, Magnimar and the surrounding area (unless you decide to move the AP to be near your current setting), and possibly get your characters to this part of Varisia.
- Try and introduce as many of the PCs who will play a role in the campaign later. RotRL doesn't really deal heavily with any of the NPCs so I found it helpful to play up as many of the personalities as possible so the players actually care what is happening to them.
And that is really it. Maybe mix in some rumors as to what happened in the first adventure that they missed... not all that important, but a few facts come back around so it will help with verisimilitude.
Sean Mahoney
Thank you! That is exactly what I wanted to know. ^^
One final question: Are there any good tactics for keeping the players level 'in check' while staying roughly within the Pathfinder rule framework? (I don't want to arbitrarily withhold levels)
My players will enter 'The Skinsaw Murderers' at arount level 5-6. How can I get them 'in sync' with the AP so that I don't have to modify each and every single encounter up to the grand finale in #6 (apart from the to-Pathfinder-conversion that is)?
The way I see it, I would use medium progression (or even slow progression?) in RotRL even though it was written for 3.5. Then again, I keep reading that RotRL was 'brutal' and that the extra power of Pathfinder-characters was welcome.
What progression do you suggest? What are common approaches to keep PC levels within the range designated by an adventure?
Thanks in advance!
Since I don't use the Pathfinder ruleset, but still use the 3.5 rule set, I can not comment specifically on how you would do this (though I vaguely recall slow being the choice in this case). That said, I am not using XP and just tell the players they are levelling up at certain points in the story. My players seem to prefer this approach, so it works out well for us and is a little less paper work for them. As you are already dealing with conversions and what not anyway, I would suggest talking to your players and seeing if this is an option for them or if that would just feel wrong. If it works, then there is another thread here that has suggestions at what point in each adventure to level up characters.
(this might be a useful resource even if you are just looking to see roughly where they should be at any given point as well)
Sean Mahoney
EDIT: Here are the level up points that I was speaking of.
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Thank you! That is exactly what I wanted to know. ^^
One final question: Are there any good tactics for keeping the players level 'in check' while staying roughly within the Pathfinder rule framework? (I don't want to arbitrarily withhold levels)
My players will enter 'The Skinsaw Murderers' at arount level 5-6. How can I get them 'in sync' with the AP so that I don't have to modify each and every single encounter up to the grand finale in #6 (apart from the to-Pathfinder-conversion that is)?
The way I see it, I would use medium progression (or even slow progression?) in RotRL even though it was written for 3.5. Then again, I keep reading that RotRL was 'brutal' and that the extra power of Pathfinder-characters was welcome.
What progression do you suggest? What are common approaches to keep PC levels within the range designated by an adventure?
Thanks in advance!
If you use medium advancement, you'll need a lot of filler material to keep their levels in line with the AP. This might actually work if you don't update the enemies to pathfinder as the PCs with pathfinder classes should be more powerful, so lagging a level or two behind would be okay. But if you want to stay within the level range of the AP then you need to stick with the fast progression otherwise by the beginning of hook mountain massacre, or at least by the end of HHM you'll be 2-3 levels behind the appropriate levels. Fast progression is the closest to 3.5 this game offers, and even it is a slower progression rate than 3.5
Levelling at pre-determined points is an idea yes, though I doubt that I can convince them to abandon XP. ^^
But that list is going to come in very handy. Thank you!
I'd actually say you could start anywhere in 1-3. By 4, you are into the main story line.
Also, the second half of Skinsaw Mudrers, particularly one specific encounter, IS brutal. I don't want to give away too much since you may play it. But you could start with #2. That way, that particular encounter I mentioned won't be quite so nasty.
This AP was written for 3.5. My players are playing Pathfinder characters. Pathfinder classes ARE more powerful, but that's ballanced by a slower progression. It should be OK. Although I haven't gotten very far into the AP, so maybe I'll change my mind later.