I ask the people that have already played this path,can 3 PC's get through this adventure path without a lot of tweaking? What would you suggest to allow them to succeed without making it too easy?
Haven't played it yet but we might need some more information about your PC's. What classes are the players using and what stat generator are you using?
Haven't played it yet but we might need some more information about your PC's. What classes are the players using and what stat generator are you using?
I've got a necromancer wizard, an ancestor oracle and a archivist bard. all of their stats are really good. at least an 18 in their prime stats.
Haven't played it yet but we might need some more information about your PC's. What classes are the players using and what stat generator are you using?I've got a necromancer wizard, an ancestor oracle and a archivist bard. all of their stats are really good. at least an 18 in their prime stats.
3 casters are going to have a hard time at low levels due to no melee abilities. Even at higher levels things won't be easy. They had better be some very skilled players. These AP's have the occasional TPK-worthy fight sprinkled here and there. This one is skill oriented, but there are some dangerous fights.
I would suggest your PC playing the bard to consider a more combat oriented class. Although a bard would be incredibly usefully, there are some heavy combats in which another class would be more useful.
Make him/her aware that its just a suggestion though. If they are set on the classes chosen, I am sure that the idea of multiclassing will slowly sink in.
As far as stat generation: if you use point buy, use 20 pt.
If you roll your stats use a rolling method that is a bit better than one that your group would use with 4 PCs.
Again, I haven't run the AP yet. This is just what I gather from reading.
Running a DMPC for this is not a bad idea. I would just try to not steal the spotlight or offer input into decisions. They can hire him as a body guard who's payment is 1/4 of whatever the party finds or allow one of them to play a second character.
3 casters are going to have a hard time at low levels due to no melee abilities. Even at higher levels things won't be easy. They had better be some very skilled players. These AP's have the occasional TPK-worthy fight sprinkled here and there. This one is skill oriented, but there are some dangerous fights.Haven't played it yet but we might need some more information about your PC's. What classes are the players using and what stat generator are you using?I've got a necromancer wizard, an ancestor oracle and a archivist bard. all of their stats are really good. at least an 18 in their prime stats.
Wraith is dead on. You will definitely not want to optimize solely for combat. If you have the traditional roles covered in some fashion then numerous class combinations will work. I would consider a DMPC covering any role gap unfilled by the three. The one thing I would definitely recommend is one character who can channel positive energy, it makes the proliferation of haunts far more manageable.
I hate running DMPC's, it always ends up too much work to keep track of things that way. And I have to have him play dumb all the time.
I went with the gestalt idea and told them one had to play a fighter type.
I ended up with a necromancer wizard/cleric (he hasn't chosen a god yet), an ancestor oracle/fighter and an archivist bard/alchemist.
I feel much better about their survivability. Now if they die there is a better chance it'll be their own stupidness not just a random die roll.
Why did you force a fighter type into the group. It is not really needed, just someone who can fight well enough.
Why did you force a fighter type into the group. It is not really needed, just someone who can fight well enough.
hp
plus it wasn't to hard, one jumped at the chance, said its what he wanted to do anyway.
They'll be fine at the start, but I don't think this group is going to make it once you hit the harder ghosts later in the module, if you play them as written. I think it would be tough for any party of 3, but your players aren't optimizing their chances, with the bard/oracle/alchemist class picks. I agree with the DMPC suggestion, at least once they head into Harrowstone. There are probably folks in town you could consider writing up as a DMPC (Kendra, Jorfa, Jominda, the sherriff, etc). With such a small party I don't think your party will survive the AP as written.
Ap's never assume optimisation; in fact the pregens are often train wrecksfrom an optimisation standpoint. Three gestalt will be fine.
I don't think optimization matters in larger parties, but in a party of 3, everyone is going to need to be able to carry their weight in combat, at least once you reach The Lopper and TSM.
Ap's never assume optimisation; in fact the pregens are often train wrecksfrom an optimisation standpoint. Three gestalt will be fine.I don't think optimization matters in larger parties, but in a party of 3, everyone is going to need to be able to carry their weight in combat, at least once you reach The Lopper and TSM.
The Gestalt took care of my major worries, now they are just screwed because they don't have a true rogue. Which means stopping in every room and door so the bard can search for traps, at a lower chance than a rogue would. but that I don't worry about. I told them, they should work to have a rogue, a cleric and possibly a fighter type. they chose to ignore my suggestion and half-assed it with the archivist bard and the ancestor oracle. With the gestalt stuff and the wizard playing a "white necromancer" at least the cleric part is double stacked.
It won't help them as much in the second part of the second book, but hey, you get warned, you ignore it, you face the consequences.
I am running the Adventure Path with 1 rogue and 1 Inquisitor. Actually the perfect balance they are making it through fairly well. The healing from the Inquisitor is great and the rogue has a few opportunities to find healing potions in the adventure. I haven't had to fudge anything yet. They are in the middle of Harrowstone Prison, I have a feeling I might have to coming up soon. So if you have 3 PC's, I am sure you will be fine.
Ap's never assume optimisation; in fact the pregens are often train wrecksfrom an optimisation standpoint. Three gestalt will be fine.I don't think optimization matters in larger parties, but in a party of 3, everyone is going to need to be able to carry their weight in combat, at least once you reach The Lopper and TSM.The Gestalt took care of my major worries, now they are just screwed because they don't have a true rogue. Which means stopping in every room and door so the bard can search for traps, at a lower chance than a rogue would. but that I don't worry about. I told them, they should work to have a rogue, a cleric and possibly a fighter type. they chose to ignore my suggestion and half-assed it with the archivist bard and the ancestor oracle. With the gestalt stuff and the wizard playing a "white necromancer" at least the cleric part is double stacked.
It won't help them as much in the second part of the second book, but hey, you get warned, you ignore it, you face the consequences.
Traps can be overcome without a rogue if you have players with ingenuity. If the players can't think outside the box then....
