I'm currently running a PbP of RotRL and we are a ways away from HMM (they're still saving the swallowtail fest.) but I've been brainstorming the rest of the AP to get some ideas and foreshadowing and have been mulling over Fort Rannick.
I think Rannick poses an excellent point to use the kingdom Rules established in Kingmaker. Obviously the PCs wouldn't be founding the kingdom, but they will become Lords and Ladies of the land, with holdings and what not, and I thought this could give way to some interesting sidequests.
I've read that a lot of people have said that they found Rannick to be too far away, to solve this I think I'm going to move the Fort to the Fogscar Mountains and change Turtleback to Wolf's Ear. Will this cause any unexpected problems?
I would note, I chose Wolf's Ear because it is a ways from Sandpoint, but not as far as Turtlback. I want to establish the the Black Arrows are there to protect the region and not just one town.
Another idea I had was, should he survive, that Kaven offer his service as repentance for his crimes, possibly becoming the castle's steward (depending on PC decision)
Sorry if this is all jumbled, its pretty late, but just looking for opinions and ideas.
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Whether or not the distance is a problem depends upon your group. I'm sure it will enhance the adventure for my gang.
Fort Rannick is wilderness on the edge of civilisation, I suppose that your group could tame an area of wilderness beyond the Fort to provide resources and a stable environment around which the rangers will patrol. However too much Kingdom-building could distract from the PCs' primary purpose (saving the world).
I would consider using Black Arrows as incidental characters in Magnimar to foreshadow.
Wolfs ear is full of wherewolves and was hounded by Magnimar and almost all of them were slaughterd at one point... they dont like outsiders... especially the law :)
Turtleback Ferry works well because of the settup for the whole adventure with the lakes and land and such playing a major role in the adventue. Then there is the fact that most of the last of the Rise of the Runelords is much farther away north and East of Turtleback ferry and so it makes a great launch point for the PC's :) Modules 1, and 2 are big at getting the Party to be very protective of their friends and family of Sandpoint and their contacts in Magnimar...
After that they get to expand and become true Varisian Lords and Run Fort Ranick and from there become True Indiana Jones style Pathfinders searching for lost cities and such :) north of the Stoval Plateau in the Kodar Mountains :)
So you can move it closer but, you will ultimately shoot yourself in the foot if you do, because it wont fit well with the adventure it is set in and wont help you in the long run :)
Just saying
Well first, to counter your arguments.
as far as Wolf's Ear goes; I'm the DM, Wolf's Ear likes what I say it likes. :p I picked it because I wanted it close enough that they could make Sandpoint in a couple days ride but far enough away that they still had some frontier to play with. I also picked it because it is on a path for the Storval Stair.
Now, that being said, I think I'm going to be rethinking my plans because I'd like the PCs to become heroes to much of Western Varisia and not just Sandpoint. So the Fort will stay where it is, and I think there will be some Thasillonian magic to one of the ferries or somesuch to let it travel downriver at faster speeds. The Black Arrows will also have a number of Guard Towers throughout the land, most of them sadly abandoned due to the order's dwindling numbers.
Sure, its your game :) Put it where ever you like :) Its just a perspective :)
You could use air or water elementals to speed up the ferries, and maybe a Thassilonian devise that controlls them or perhaps a Halfling Wizard with air or water domain controlling them.
I'm thinking something along the lines of that, However while I want to give the ferry some kick, I don't want to give the players a speedboat, kind of takes away from the whole "Lords of the Frontier" idea if they can ferry supplies to and fro within a day or so. I'm thinking a Thassilonian device built in that works the water wheel to a major excess, allowing the ferry to make it down to Magnimar in 2 or 3 days, but still takes a week or two to get back, because they are going against the river.
Another idea I stole off the boards :p was to foreshadow both Magnimar and Fort Rannick through any NPC villains who survive. After the adventure, these villains (Let's say Orik and Tsuto, as an example) are held in Sandpoint for a couple days, When the Sheriff asks the PCs to escort them to Magnimar for trial. Once there the PCs will be called as Witnesses in a trial proceeded over by Justice Ironbriar who, barring unforseen circumstances, will be given the "option" to swear allegiance to the Blac Arrows. The Party will then be asked to escort them to Castle Rannick.
This will foreshadow Ironbriar and give a reason for Shalelu to ask for the PCs help with Fort Rannick.
Cool, in mine Tsuto escapes and ends up further trains as monk and rogue and ends up becomming an assassin and will run into the party in a later module...
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To your original point about Fort Rannick as a Kingmaker kingdom, I am currently running a mashup of the two campaign threads (see my campign comments in the main thread). A few months back, I posted a similar idea of using Kingmaker as a ruleset for the Fort Rannick stuff and I discussed that idea in these two threads:
I have made hex maps with Kingmaker site locations on them for the areas around Fort Rannick. I have in mind a specific charter for exploration/pacification from Magnimar and in those threads, there are maps I made with germane political boundaries on them.
Maybe take a look at what was posted in those two threads and if you have something to add or discuss, come back to this thread and we can exchange ideas. I'm keen to hear what you think. My PCs are going to decide between the Catacombs of Wrath and Thistletop this Saturday so I understand planning and brainstorming ahead.
For what it's worth, I'm not worried at all about the distance between Sandpoint and Turtleback Ferry etc. I am planning on running Xanesha as hard as I can and hoping for a "fair" TPK ending up in the PCs working as slaves on her pleasure barge and ultimately escaping. If they don't get TPK'd, my players are already going to be more widely traveled because of all the side-treks I have planned and will likely be good sports about the move.