Creative Director
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Back in the first Kingmaker book it said, "Jhod, like Kesten, has a larger role to play in the Kingmaker Adventure Path." Is this still true (do they have some role in the last book, or did that change as the AP progressed. Can we get a spoiler if that is still the case?
Alas, those guys saw their "larger roles" atrophy and waste away. :( They do not have larger roles to play; at that early point we were still thinking there'd be a more robust meta-plot, but the sandboxy elements kind of took over instead.
However there is still the possibility that they could be part of your kingdoms ruling council so it's up to the DM now how big a part they play
Back in the first Kingmaker book it said, "Jhod, like Kesten, has a larger role to play in the Kingmaker Adventure Path." Is this still true (do they have some role in the last book, or did that change as the AP progressed. Can we get a spoiler if that is still the case?Alas, those guys saw their "larger roles" atrophy and waste away. :( They do not have larger roles to play; at that early point we were still thinking there'd be a more robust meta-plot, but the sandboxy elements kind of took over instead.
Can you give us some hints as to the types of roles they were going to have? We can still work cool ideas into the sandbox.
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Creative Director
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Can you give us some hints as to the types of roles they were going to have? We can still work cool ideas into the sandbox.Back in the first Kingmaker book it said, "Jhod, like Kesten, has a larger role to play in the Kingmaker Adventure Path." Is this still true (do they have some role in the last book, or did that change as the AP progressed. Can we get a spoiler if that is still the case?Alas, those guys saw their "larger roles" atrophy and waste away. :( They do not have larger roles to play; at that early point we were still thinking there'd be a more robust meta-plot, but the sandboxy elements kind of took over instead.
Since these roles were never developed in the first place due to a combination of the authors not taking up those threads in their adventures and us forgetting to add in those threads on our own during development... there's pretty much nothing more to say or add, alas.
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Since these roles were never developed in the first place due to a combination of the authors not taking up those threads in their adventures and us forgetting to add in those threads on our own during development... there's pretty much nothing more to say or add, alas.Can you give us some hints as to the types of roles they were going to have? We can still work cool ideas into the sandbox.Back in the first Kingmaker book it said, "Jhod, like Kesten, has a larger role to play in the Kingmaker Adventure Path." Is this still true (do they have some role in the last book, or did that change as the AP progressed. Can we get a spoiler if that is still the case?Alas, those guys saw their "larger roles" atrophy and waste away. :( They do not have larger roles to play; at that early point we were still thinking there'd be a more robust meta-plot, but the sandboxy elements kind of took over instead.
Maybe it's just that the sandbox style of the adventure has paid huge dividends already for our campaign, but I rather like not being nudged to make certain NPCs more important than others.
I loved the storyline of Crimson Throne and was thrilled when we started it last year, but certain elements like the drunken guard and some of the other recurring characters kept falling flat when my group just didn't care to interact with them, often becoming annoyed whenever they showed up again in the plot.
By contrast, the group has made some very interesting choices in Kingmaker and while Jhod remains on the group's list of friends, they have a much closer relationship with Kressle, who they worked very hard to befriend and, should her divided loyalties resolve themselves in the group's favor, could become a lasting ally. Kesten, on the other hand, rubbed them the wrong way and could eventually become hostile. I really love that about this AP because I get to be surprised by what the players might do instead of trying to find ways to work around the surprises.
If there's one thing I would love to see carry over into future adventures more than anything else, it's the way Kingmaker treats NPCs as characters living in the player's world rather than bookmarks for future plot events. I know some characters are always going to be "fated to play a larger role," but it would be awesome if player choices rather than plot necessities were the deciding factor. With all the great resources coming out of Paizo lately like the NPC Guide and the Gamemastery Guide, it's a lot easier to develop background characters and maneuver them into necessary places, provided the plot doesn't hang on it being the guy from Act 1 with the enormous plot hook hanging over his head and the reserved seat in the big scene in Act 4.
I know a lot of GMs can go with the flow and change things up depending on the group, but it wasn't until Kingmaker came along that I realized how rigidly I had adhered to past adventures, clinging to my copy of the AP like it was a shooting script for a movie the players didn't realize they'd been starring in(wondering at all the strange behavior around them like Jim Carrey in the Truman Show, slowly realizing there's only a traffic jam when they try to take a different road than the one prepared for them).
I guess what I'm saying is that Kingmaker is a game changer for me. I don't think I will ever be able to run an AP again without trying to slip in a little sand from here. I hope the authors of future adventures feel the same way.
*SPOILERS*
I actually am planning on having the two of them set up... not rival kingdoms but additional cities in the Greenbelt, and depending on PC actions they will become allies, enemies, or additional parts of the country. I am using them as quest rewards instead of handing out loot (which is a little low for what my group of 5-7 receives). Kesten is going to turn Oleg's trading post into a fort with levies of soldiers (Oleg gives it up when he becomes treasurer), Jhod creates a religious center with the help of his Church. They will be expanding their 'fiefdoms' slowly, and the PCs gain partial bonuses from these allies, and gain their full area when they absorb them into their kingdom. I am planning on using this to accelerate the time it takes to build the PC kingdom so the players spend less time in game (about 2-5 years worth of growth).
Greetings, fellow travelers.
I have never cared too much about Kesten, being only "another warrior-type NPC, filling the ranks", but your idea with letting him take over the trading post is nice and simple, WarColonel. This will give him a bit more significance... hm, interesting side plot options invade my mind *evil grin*
Ruyan.