I'm running a game currently with a 6 character 1st-lvl party. This was more due to group restructuring and size than planning. We planned two games for 8 people total switching Game Masters, each group had one opt out, mine just happened to also have one drop out later while in the Godsmouth Ossuary (a dungeon) with another player character getting introduced halfway through the dungeon (starting with 5 ending with 6 characters). SO I'm thinking APL 1, maybe +1 right now.
I will probably dump the character who dropped out by the end of the module, but may not since it is a monk and the party composition is Wizard, Rogue, Gunslinger, Oracle (who's missing a couple sessions, the empty shirt monk and the Witch who just joined. She had a plot hook already- but getting her in the dungeon was a fun write in. Survivability with 3 casters to 2 effectively melee combatants will probably work long run, but right now the 3 to 3 seems to help with survivability (At least with the 1st level case of Lethal). Maybe too much, not that there wasn't almost a TPK when the Gunslinger almost bit the proverbial dust. Any comments or updates on the Gunslinger front is welcome too. I'm sure someone in the group, possibly me, is getting Ultimate Combat when it comes out.
Anyway,
I've bought into the Carrion Crown Adventure Path, (they wanted Horror and I wanted to give it to them). Purchasing The Haunting of Harrowstone and subscribing to the adventure path starting with Broken Moon. Due partly to wanting to run Carrion Hill more and partly to liking the idea of running Trial of the Beast less after reading some messageboard comments on flavor and gameplay (Actual Lawyers, A Monster Class even getting a Trial- though he is intelligent and has Class levels. Since actually finding the adventure at my local shop I'm more endeared to it, but still not as much as I like Carrion Hill.
So.
I'm still tallying up XP and trying to decide if I should do a slow track- which isn't that bad with the fact that one of the group did an intro for the Kaer Maga flavor giving everybody ~500 xp.
So the options of just waiting until everyone leaves the dungeon or just leveling by plot comes to mind. But I'm still going to track XP properly (and split it amongst all characters, including NPCs- especially former PCs or no-shows). So far people seem committed to running the Adventure Path as a continuation with the same characters.
I'm obviously going with the flow as far as planning this, but I'd appreciate some advice on the XP and APL/CR issues from people who've run the following Adventures/Modules:
Godsmouth Ossuary, 1st lvl, the party, I know, comes out at 2nd level, but when does that normally hit? Right at the end? How much would allowing the ~500 pre-module bump affect the soon to be wonk XP track?
The Haunting of Harrowstone 1st lvl, someone has already addressed the issue a little since the PRE-Prison stuff puts the characters around 2nd level, putting the jumping into the crawl option on the table. Though I would rather build flavor and just track XP slower (possibly keeping the medium speed for the Godsmouth Module).
Carrion Hill, 5th lvl, I've gotten into this one a little and SPOILER, the cult in it might work it's way into Lorrimoor's Diary for me. Of course, there's always a cult, but I may or may not integrate them with the one in Carrion Crown.
And of course hopefully they'll end up at ~7th level for Broken Moon- which just came out, so if anyone's already running it, keep me posted? I have it and will be reading over it by the time I'm done with The Haunting of Harrowstone.
I wouldn't want any spoilers here for Trial of the Beast apart from the more glaring issues of omitting it from the Adventure Path. If things get kind of messed up I might end up running Trial of the Beast anyway. I might have to buy it anyway just to get plot points that I can integrate without running it- or to run later (which may happen).
I might even go as far as to emulate Hellboy's BPRD agency tendency to sends out specialists and have varying levels of continuity. That is I might jump them around at 5th to do both for the sake of continuing the Adventure Path more as written. IN anycase, I'm looking forward to running a game set in Ustalav as it is looking like tons of fun. I'm actually really excited about the rest of the Adventure Path (especially for Wake of the Watcher since Carrion Hill is also Lovecraftian). Though, on the topic of non-chronological gaming, I'm waiting for September when the Feast of Ravenmoor module comes out, almost wishing it was already out. I'd be at odds to work it in though.
I'll probably post other threads specifically about the Gunslinger's progress (he's the main damage dealer, duh, the Wizard is a Necromancer and we haven't gotten to the point where they can control Undead), ths campaign and another solicitation on incorporating Sanity points or a similar system by the time I get to the Lovecraft stuff. I think I read that there's an article in one part of the Carrion Crown AP.
Anyway, yeah. Slow XP, by Plot?
I wouldn't want to reboot them at 1st level, that's no fun. 5th, maybe...
I'm running a game currently with a 6 character 1st-lvl party. This was more due to group restructuring and size than planning. We planned two games for 8 people total switching Game Masters, each group had one opt out, mine just happened to also have one drop out later while in the Godsmouth Ossuary (a dungeon) with another player character getting introduced halfway through the dungeon (starting with 5 ending with 6 characters). SO I'm thinking APL 1, maybe +1 right now.
I will probably dump the character who dropped out by the end of the module, but may not since it is a monk and the party composition is Wizard, Rogue, Gunslinger, Oracle (who's missing a couple sessions, the empty shirt monk and the Witch who just joined. She had a plot hook already- but getting her in the dungeon was a fun write in. Survivability with 3 casters to 2 effectively melee combatants will probably work long run, but right now the 3 to 3 seems to help with survivability (At least with the 1st level case of Lethal). Maybe too much, not that there wasn't almost a TPK when the Gunslinger almost bit the proverbial dust. Any comments or updates on the Gunslinger front is welcome too. I'm sure someone in the group, possibly me, is getting Ultimate Combat when it comes out.Anyway,
I've bought into the Carrion Crown Adventure Path, (they wanted Horror and I wanted to give it to them). Purchasing The Haunting of Harrowstone and subscribing to the adventure path starting with Broken Moon. Due partly to wanting to run Carrion Hill more and partly to liking the idea of running Trial of the Beast less after reading some messageboard comments on flavor and gameplay (Actual Lawyers, A Monster Class even getting a Trial- though he is intelligent and has Class levels. Since actually finding the adventure at my local shop I'm more endeared to it, but still not as much as I like Carrion Hill.So.
I'm still tallying up XP and trying to decide if I should do a slow track- which isn't that bad with the fact that one of the group did an intro...
Sorry, with an intentionally inserted NPC the party only got ~450 xp, not ~500, which isn't much difference.