Hi all,
I'm going to run the Godsmouth Heresy and I had a couple questions and a general solicitation for advice on the module.
I'm looking at likely having 5-6 players for a 4 player module. I may be able to dodge the 6th, but the 5th would at least be an occasional (npc the rest of the time perhaps. maybe not even coming in until after the module).
What'd be your best advice on scaling for 5 players? I'm thinking of adding monsters, in most cases doubling (obviously not the CR 3's and likely not any CR 2's) and in probably all cases maxing out the creature's hitdie. Alternatively increasing the numbers of small enemies, but staggering their appearance accordingly. If this is overpowering, let me know, but I do want to make things dangerous enough to be challenging. So far, the group has no main melee (a monk and a rogue) so the brunt might fall on them or the strategy of getting out of encounters carefully and quickly and avoiding combat. There will be an Oracle of the Heavens for at least most of the module, so healing should be okay.
Party composition, as of right now, should be Monk, Rogue, Necromancer and Oracle of the Heavens, but I'm expecting a 5th, likely an Alchemist, or maybe a Witch down the line. They're restricted to 15 point buy and 2 traits (though not one of them being a regional).
This is my first module and second (or 2.5) time GMing, so I'd appreciate any advice on the module. I'm thinking about following it up with a 3rd level if they only advance that far, or skipping ahead to Carrion Hill with the appropriate fill-ins to get them to level 5. I want to run Feast of Ravenmoor, but looks like that won't be out until SEPTEMBER...so either not likely run that as my 3rd level module (ha!) or saving it for later, maybe do a time skip thing and come back to it ala' BPRD/Mike Mignola style- some continuity, but a lot of stand alone adventures. In any case, the game should have a bit of a horror flavor, partly why I'm doing Carrion Hill.
I'd like to run a 3rd level adventure to get them up to 5th that has horror/monster flair, but I may have to make it up myself.
Any suggestions? A 3.5 module is an option since it isn't that hard to
modify for Pathfinder (probably harder than I think though).
I've read through the Heresy a couple of times (haven't run it yet though). I don't know how much the extra player is going to make that much of a change. I'd say either add a mook or two to a few of the fights to see how they go. Some of those fights if there was much of anything added to it could be dangerous even for 6 1st level chars.
In regards to 3rd level horror, I'd say either Skinsaw Murders down graded a little bit. Might not even need to do that, since it was written for 3.5 at 4th level, and these would be PFRPG chars. I would change the bat to PF rules...you'll see if you read it. Either that, or run Harrowstone from the Carrion Crown first AP as a stand alone haunted dungeon w/out some of the backstory. You're supposed to be around 3rd level for most of that IIRC. Both are haunted locations with undead/ghosts/haunted type stuff.
I've read through the Heresy a couple of times (haven't run it yet though). I don't know how much the extra player is going to make that much of a change. I'd say either add a mook or two to a few of the fights to see how they go. Some of those fights if there was much of anything added to it could be dangerous even for 6 1st level chars.
In regards to 3rd level horror, I'd say either Skinsaw Murders down graded a little bit. Might not even need to do that, since it was written for 3.5 at 4th level, and these would be PFRPG chars. I would change the bat to PF rules...you'll see if you read it. Either that, or run Harrowstone from the Carrion Crown first AP as a stand alone haunted dungeon w/out some of the backstory. You're supposed to be around 3rd level for most of that IIRC. Both are haunted locations with undead/ghosts/haunted type stuff.
The Carrion Crown option isn't a bad one since I'll be running the Carrion Hill module more than likely...but I'll look into the Skinsaw Murders too.
Thanks!
Yeah, I'm not gonna double the CR 3 construct. I'm thinking about the 1/2 CRs and a couple of CR 1 creatures that are solo but there could be more of. I'm thinking of 1d4 creatures or one creature every 1d4 or 1d6 rounds in the case of the Crawling hand (maximum of 7 as represented in the art, that'd be horror-ific). Similar idea for the Rune Guardian (adding another one of another type- preferably an under represented Sin) Staggering monsters is how I weakened my first campaign- that and having powerful PCs, this time I plan on taking the best of both and running the module as straight as I can, throwing in an extra mook (as you put it) where I can. Again, I'll know how many players I'll have probably this Sunday.
Would anyone like to guess at the level progression, am I right in thinking this module will spit out the players at 3rd level? (especially if I add any monsters or CR)
I plan on doing the calculations, I just wanted to get a feel for it if anyone has run it.
I've read through the Heresy a couple of times (haven't run it yet though). I don't know how much the extra player is going to make that much of a change. I'd say either add a mook or two to a few of the fights to see how they go. Some of those fights if there was much of anything added to it could be dangerous even for 6 1st level chars.
In regards to 3rd level horror, I'd say either Skinsaw Murders down graded a little bit. Might not even need to do that, since it was written for 3.5 at 4th level, and these would be PFRPG chars. I would change the bat to PF rules...you'll see if you read it. Either that, or run Harrowstone from the Carrion Crown first AP as a stand alone haunted dungeon w/out some of the backstory. You're supposed to be around 3rd level for most of that IIRC. Both are haunted locations with undead/ghosts/haunted type stuff.
Oh, drat. I can't run The Skinsaw Murders, apparently that's part of the Rise of the Runelords and the other DM for our group(s) is running that already.
And apparently Harrowstone (Haunting of Harrowstone) is for 1st level characters. So that's a no go.
Ah, yeah Skinsaw is part of RotRL. I know the AP stories/levels better than the modules off the top of my head. Harrowstone had some really nice enemies and haunts. It depends a lot on if you like the haunt mechanic Paizo came up with. I really like it.
I've just looked through what they have, and nothing else jumped out and grabbed me in that level range unfortunately. The crypt of the everflame lower level isn't bad, and can be rough at 2nd, so at 3rd it'd be easier and would be easy to add some mooks to the easier fights.
For the modules I've run they generally gave enough xp for 2 levels, so Godsmouth should put you at 3rd, or really, really close.
Using the Harrowstone you'd be about 4th I think after it, so you'd need something to get you from 4th to 5th for Carrion Hill, but Ustalav is a wonderful playground for horror/monster related side treks.
And apparently Harrowstone (Haunting of Harrowstone) is for 1st level characters. So that's a no go.
The book takes you from 1-4, but the actual exploration of Harrowstone is around 2.5~3rd level and you end around 4th. There's more in the adventure than just the Harrowstone location (it's the big location, but not ALL the xp gained in the AP section.
I love to mix and match bits of pre-made adventures to make something bigger overall.
And apparently Harrowstone (Haunting of Harrowstone) is for 1st level characters. So that's a no go.
The book takes you from 1-4, but the actual exploration of Harrowstone is around 2.5~3rd level and you end around 4th. There's more in the adventure than just the Harrowstone location (it's the big location, but not ALL the xp gained in the AP section.
I love to mix and match bits of pre-made adventures to make something bigger overall.
Hmm. That's not a bad idea, afterall there is a Prison level below the Godsmouth Ossuary that the players might get themselves into, so having a ready made haunted prison, throw in some undead (mohrgs and zombies) and I've got a ready made continuation. I just don't want to step on the toes of the other DM is all, but Harrowstone isn't part of RotRLs. I'm hoping there's some of the Prison in City of Strangers though. Pplus I'm sure there is MORE THAN ENOUGH material in there for me to sandbox levels 3-5 if need be. Getting them to Carrion Hill could be a non-sequitur or a time jump or a casual and gradual shift in geography.
And apparently Harrowstone (Haunting of Harrowstone) is for 1st level characters. So that's a no go.
The book takes you from 1-4, but the actual exploration of Harrowstone is around 2.5~3rd level and you end around 4th. There's more in the adventure than just the Harrowstone location (it's the big location, but not ALL the xp gained in the AP section.
I love to mix and match bits of pre-made adventures to make something bigger overall.
Thanks for the input, I've committed myself to doing the Carrion Crown AP- with Carrion Hill instead of Trial of the Beast.
They're probably a bit more than half-way through the module now and closing on 2nd level by medium progression. But right now I'm thinking of doing slow XP progression with the intent of speeding it up when it becomes appropriate in the Haunting of Harrowstone (Rather than going back to back 1st level adventures with 2nd level characters blowing through the early challenges). I think by that progression they'll be ~2.5 or probably 3rd level by the time they hit the Prison proper. If it goes to plan I'll bring it back to medium for the Prison.
I might let them level in the Ossuary though not sure if the boss encounter is easy enough for 1st levels. But I actually don't see why I should drop the slow progression with the current size of the party (6) since the APL is higher. The size of the party though- splitting the XP so thin is partly why I'm worried about doing slow vs. medium XP. I want most, if not all of them to get out of the Ossuary alive. Sure one of the characters is an NPC now, and another is close from his player's turn out. So with the exception of the late comer witch the party should reach 2,000 pretty soon, and reasonably reach 3,000+ before they get to the hard stuff (Prison) in the Haunting of Harrowstone. IF my figures are off, let me know.
I have a lot of reading to do.