I'm starting the AoW campaign, but the group only consists of two players!!!! Both of them rolled well on their stats, and we're using Hero Points to give them further help. Both of the players bought "pets" out of their starting money, and I threw in an NPC... who is strictly a background character/knowledge repository. The party is currently:
- Half-Orc Monk, with a pet Snake
- Half-Elf Druid, with a pet dog and a Wolf familiar.
- Human Wizard NPC.
I understand that this party is exceptionally small, and am trying to recruit new players into the game... but I'm not expecting to find another player capable of making the time commitment.
Thus, my question is simply: How screwed are these characters? Are they going to stand a chance in this campaign? I'm considering letting them take Leadership early, or even as a freebie bonus feat, in order to help with survivability. Will that be enough, or will they need "real" characters?
Let them play gestalt characters with access to a supply of meat shields (torchbearers, trained mastiffs, rabid wombats, spearmen, etc) to help them get to Leadership at its mornal point. The DMPC more often than not is a bad idea, and AoW is notoriously lethal.
Other idea is to have each player run 2 or 3 regular characters. Less RP, but the combat encounters are nasty enough that they'll need the bodies...
Myself, I would let them go for it. Sounds like you've done plenty to augment their strength. On your end, you could consider applying the young template or otherwise nerfing things for the NPC's to keep balance and let them feel like they are accomplishing something. How awesome would they feel if just the 2 of them managed to defeat the BBEG. major ego-stroke for them and you get to make it happen.
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I know there new players. And they want to play the classes they picked. However they picked the two worst classes for this AP. There first encounter with the worms as real enemys will end in the death of the monk and durid's animal companion. So you might want to start there.
Things they will need in the party.
Channel Positive Energy: This is a very inportant ability to have all and will get used in almost every adventure. And not for healing.
Way to Cleanse Evil Spirits: Dose not come up all the time but with out this ability you come to a end of the AP.
Some one that can disable traps: There are a few that almost caused a TPK. Yes im looking at you the discintagrate trap in spire of the long shadow.
A method of geting from point A to point B fast: Like teleport helps alot in this AP. It is not needed but makes the characters lifes much easyer.
Cleric or Oracle of Life or Hosplitar Paladin is highly recomended. Did I say channel positive energy comes in to play alot? Yes I did.
For the AP.
Hosplitar Paladin and Cleric, Or 2 Hosplitar Paladins are you best options if your doing it with two players.
The DMPC more often than not is a bad idea, and AoW is notoriously lethal.
I'm fully aware, and have had to deal with, DMPCs in the past. I'm definitely not considering this character anything but another NPC... but the players have emotionally started to invest in the character. When things start getting really lethal, I'll probably end up killing off the NPC, to add gravity to their situation.
I really don't want to tell these two new players that they're not "allowed" to play the classes they really want to. In my first introduction to gaming, I was forced into the role the party needed (healer), and I ended up resenting Priest classes for quite a long time.
The tips on nerfing the opponents is a good idea, but I was hoping that, between the beefing up of the characters (high stats, Hero Points, pets) and that this is written for 3.5 (yet being played in PF), that I wouldn't have to do too much.
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The facts are with out channel positive energ, and the clense spell. You can't finsh the AP. The the monk is just going to die over and over and over. No mater how much you nearf them the genral nature of the worms of inflicting wis damage any time the monk hits them with unarmed will kill him. So you can pick a difrent AP if they want to play the monk and druid. But this one can not be done with the two classes they want to play.
Even with exp players. I let them know befor they start making them what character classes will and will not work. So they know if the class is going to work for the AP. Just saying talk to the players explan to them there are things in the AP. That make there choices of classes not work well with the adventure your running. And let them keap them or change them as they feal is best. But let them know why like tell the monk there are a specal type of monster throw out the AP that inflicts wis damage when you hit it with unarmed strike. And let the druid player know that with out the cleric channel positive energy and clense spell they can not finsh the AP. If they still want to use them they will need a NPC cleric or oracle of life.
Age of Worms is built around the concept of the balanced character party. And it's built to be hard for that party. A non-balanced party isn't going to make it.
Well, I've got two other players potentially joining, so that'll be a boon for them right there... They cleared out the mine office last session without any real help from the wizard NPC... but I'm being a little lenient in what their pets can do.
