Ok so this will be my very first time running a game and i'm super scared and I have no idea which adventure path to do. I'm currently in a kingmaker and a carrion crown game so i don't really want to do one of those. Some of the other ones like legacy of fire sound really cool but since they don't use the pathfinder rules i'm not sure how hard it would be to convert. Any recommendations? :)
If you really are a first timer, I would suggest running some one-off modules first to get your feet until you feel comfortable. The advantage of running some one-off modules is if you screw up it will only be a short game. ;-) Start with some low-level stuff first.
I would avoid anything that was written for 3.5 as it will require extra work (not a whole lot, but you will still have your hands full).
I know you don't want to run a game that your a player in. But the advantage is that you will have seen the NPCs in action, so to speak. Although, I understand you want this to be your game not a replay of someone else's.
I know I might come off as a bit of a downer, but I don't want you to bite off too much and become frustrated. After some smaller games, when you feel more comfortable behind the screen, you can start your new campaign.
Good Luck.
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Ok so this will be my very first time running a game and i'm super scared and I have no idea which adventure path to do. I'm currently in a kingmaker and a carrion crown game so i don't really want to do one of those. Some of the other ones like legacy of fire sound really cool but since they don't use the pathfinder rules i'm not sure how hard it would be to convert. Any recommendations? :)
How experienced are your players?
If you've a group of 4 inexperienced players you can run those 3.5 adventures without any real need for conversion (except perhaps to use bestowed versions of stock monsters). It won't be a hard AP but it will be fun to get everyone's confidence up.
Otherwise run Council of Thieves it sticks to a fairly low level range and doesn't expect you to brush up on fancy rules like weather, survival and NPC morale like Serpent's Skull.
Ok so this will be my very first time running a game and i'm super scared and I have no idea which adventure path to do. I'm currently in a kingmaker and a carrion crown game so i don't really want to do one of those. Some of the other ones like legacy of fire sound really cool but since they don't use the pathfinder rules i'm not sure how hard it would be to convert. Any recommendations? :)How experienced are your players?
If you've a group of 4 inexperienced players you can run those 3.5 adventures without any real need for conversion (except perhaps to use bestowed versions of stock monsters). It won't be a hard AP but it will be fun to get everyone's confidence up.
Otherwise run Council of Thieves it sticks to a fairly low level range and doesn't expect you to brush up on fancy rules like weather, survival and NPC morale like Serpent's Skull.
All three players are very experienced and know the rules VERY well.
I would suggest running some one-off modules first to get your feet until you feel comfortable. The advantage of running some one-off modules is if you screw up it will only be a short game. ;-) Start with some low-level stuff first.
I agree. I would start with Crypt of the Everflame or, better yet Hollow's Last Hope, both are low-level and straightforward and have a follow-up module or two that can stick with the story line. For the money, Master of the Fallen Fortress is a good starting point too, especially as it is free.
All of the above are Pathfinder Rules, so no monkeying around with a 3.5 conversion. They would also fit the players who know the rules well and minimal prep by the Game Master.
From these mods, you could get onto whichever AP suits your tastes as they could be easily be blended into any campaign.
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Hmm, advice.
I would recommend something you've played before, but if you haven't finished those adventure paths, running them will just spoil them for you.
If you are worried about your experienced players knowing more than you (and/or they're in your KM or CC games), you might want to go for the Jade Regent AP- because this is new ground, it will put you on more of an equal footing with them. They will learn about Tien Shin through you, instead of them telling you the local lord over there will help them against the baddie for a fiver or Chelaxian law lets them do blah, or some such.
The trouble with experienced players who know the rules better than you is that they will probably use this tactically to outclass and beat up your baddies.
Ways to deal with this:
- Use their tricks against them. ("Wow, what's that combo?" scribble, scribble.)
- Ask what penalties they take for their funky new combo you've never heard of (often they remember the benefits much more clearly than the penalties, but being so knowledgable at least one will remember all the penalties when actually asked.)
- Ask them for help in combat. ("How could the baddie best throw you off this cliff? Grapple, Bull Rush or use his blah ability?")
- Don't be afraid to check the rules. The number of experienced players that have a 'well known' rule wrong is huge.
So, yeah- if you can't run something you know a lot about, run something they know little about. You'll be able to use the new Jade Regent stuff and they won't know it backwards and use it against you quite as quickly as standard Golarian PF.
(My wife has just started running us experienced players. Be prepared, but most importantly be comfortable, be confident and remember it's your game too, not just theirs.)
Have fun.
$0.02
:-D avid
First off, definitely do not start your career as a GM with an adventure path. Start with a module.
I would start with Crypt of the Everflame or, better yet Hollow's Last Hope, both are low-level and straightforward and have a follow-up module or two that can stick with the story line. For the money, Master of the Fallen Fortress is a good starting point too, especially as it is free.
All of the above are Pathfinder Rules, so no monkeying around with a 3.5 conversion. They would also fit the players who know the rules well and minimal prep by the Game Master.
Maybe Master of the Fallen Fortress, it's free and Pathfinder edition.
Or maybe a two parter like Hollow's Last Hope followed by Crown of the Kobold King.
One word of advice: avoid Hollow's Last Hope. It's 3.5e, not Pathfinder, and that's more difficult to convert "on the fly" than people might lead you to believe. And conversion on the fly is not something you want to be doing as a first time GM. In addition, it's a very sandboxy adventure, which is not good at all for a starting GM.
Master of the Fallen Fortress is definitely the way to go. It's short and straightforward, it's actual Pathfinder rules, and it should let you get your feet wet in a simple way.
I haven't read Crypt of the Everflame, but another suggestion of a good second module might be The Godsmouth Heresy. I enjoyed that one and it's also a level 1 adventure.
Maybe once you've got that under your belt you'll want to start with an Adventure Path, but I won't make any recommendations about that yet.
A hint: if you start with the "slow XP" track, the PCs should be able to transition into an adventure path without being too overpowered. You can switch to medium once they're in the AP.
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I have to echo what others have said about not starting with an AP if you are DM'ing for the first time. I'd consider myself an experienced DM and APs are pretty daunting with all the information they provide someone running the game. The Price of Immortality Trilogy starting with Crypt of the Everflame is a perfect series of modules to get a newcomer's feet wet.
I started my DMing career six months or so ago with Rise of the Runelords, and things have gone relatively fine.
I've two reccomendations for you. If you ant to run a module first, like the folks above suggest, you really can't beat We Be Goblins (both for the fun factor, and leading in to Runelords or Jade Reagent).
Second, take things slow, get your bearings, don't rush over any bits. Get a feel for what your players want. If they're big on roleplay, dont rush into the encounters.
As for an AP reccomendation, Jade Reagent is looking very VERY polished, although I dont plan on running it. I'm very excited about a trip to Irrisen and the Land of the Linnorm Kings, but I'd rather the plot be based there. (We'll see how things look in the newer adventures)
I personally like RotR. It's a classic, and while maybe not as polished as newer releases, has plenty of variety (and a tonne of community content). RotR, however, is being rereleased in June, almost a year away, filled with new content. Life just isn't fair, sometimes.
Had I a group of willing players though, I'd love to run Legacy of Fire and (eventually) Skull and Shackles. If you think you can pull off an "Arabian Nights" theme, the former would definately be a lot of fun.
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I would second Rise of the Runelords. Yes its 3.5 format instead of Pathfinder, but its got by far the most community support in the form of player handouts, modifications by other GMs, pictures, adventure adjustments, etc. This was immensely helpful to me when I was running my game. Plus its very classic feeling adventure plots, which are quite a bit of fun. The starting town of Sandpoint has some incredibly detailed write up for NPCs, history, mapping, etc. and that alone makes it very worthwhile for a new GM in my book.