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So after one year and two months, playing near weekly for six hours at a pop, we completed the Kingmaker Campaign from start to finish! 325+ hours of high adventure, and it went down to our group as the most fun (if not, tied with RotRL) AP we’ve done.
I’m not really sure where to start without spoiling everything. At the last session I went back through the books and showed the players all the artwork (much of which was used during the game) and so we re-lived the whole campaign that night. To see where some throwaway NPC or situation became such an integral part of the campaign through player choice was fun. Remembering the battles that really stood out was a blast (and there were plenty).
I’ll say that using and mining the Guide to the River Kingdoms really helped this campaign stand out. Whenever there was a lull in the action or a month’s planning ended I’d occasionally have visiting dignitaries from other lands show up and spread news or gossip, letting the players know about what was going on around them.
I GM’d for four players, two men and two women who compose my long-time stable of dependable players. They portrayed a fighter, sorcerer, druid and zen archer monk. There were two near TPK’s averted with amazing luck and planning and three character deaths that suddenly didn’t happen thanks to Plot Twist Cards (another prop this game depended on). They ended the campaign at 17th level.
The girls painstakingly drew out the hex map as they crawled along to the point where the thing is huge and detailed and artistically rendered. The fellow who’s been playing D&D for over 25 years and always wanted to be a king finally got his wish.
From a GM point of view one of the things that made this AP great was the open spaces I got to toy with in both story and literally on the map. Of the five AP’s I’ve run this one left the most for me to work with and customize and my creative part relished that.
We’re actually taking a little break now because to start anything else so soon after PC’s they have portrayed so strong and for so long would be an exercise in futility.
If anyone has specific questions, feel free (it would help focus my thoughts on it all). I suppose we should spoiler-note much of it if it involves behind the scenes stuff!
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Congratulations to you and your players. Did you run the kingdoms rules from start to finish?
Thanks! We did run the game all the way through with the kingdom building rules, they rolled each month following the rules. We started on a kindgom sheet, and about a year of game-time in we switched over to the spreadsheet posted on these boards and the king player brought a laptop to handle calculation from there. Each city was crafted with the city sheet and tiled building cutouts.
The Nyrissa problem was unique. Even with Plot Twist cards, good prep and the like, she still gave them a real run for their money. We thought all may be lost, then the sorcerer and druid managed to corner her with antimagic, and the archer and king killed her with what ammounted to masterwork weaponry and their awesome array of combat feats.
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I hope he doesn't mind. Here is a little post the King player wrote to us all the night after the big mass combats.
-The town of Port Amboy is the most fortified in the kingdom. Lord Numesti was ordered to "hold", but Trent never expected they would be attacked by catapults and giants riding on mammoths equipped with battering rams. The strongest city in the kingdom is going to fall. Half of its warriors are dead during the first onslaught. There is only one choice. The Heroes of Port Amboy sally forth to take on the leaders of the opposing army, and versus overwhelming odds succeed. Then they turn the mercenaries to their side. The mercenaries attack the mammoth riders but look like they will fail, only to have the last defenders of the town charge out from the gates to throw the mammoths into confusion and save the day.
-Trolls are taking a sneaky route through the swamp to attack the undefended city of Tassleford. Our swamp allies warn us and the elves can try to stop them, but they don't stand a chance alone. Fighting a retreating battle the elves arrive at Tassleford to find unexpected allies in the kobolds who have marched hard from Trentown to make it to Tassleford in time. The kobolds dig holes and hide. The trolls charge into town and the elves try to hold on but are sure to be crushed. That is until the kobolds swarm out of their hiding spots taking the trolls by surprise, out numbering them 10 to 1 and dragging them down like a pack of wolves bringing down a bear.
-Now only one enemy force remains, waiting for allies that will never come, but it is the largest of the forces sent against Trent thus far. Three Redeemed Lands units converge on the barbarian horde from multiple directions. The horde can feel the icy hand of death closing about them. Victory seems imminent, but then the first wyvern appears over the horizon.
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I hope he doesn't mind. Here is a little post the King player wrote to us all the night after the big mass combats.
** spoiler omitted **...
Sounds awesome Jeff. Congratulations to you and the group. I've been frustrated that life has gotten in the way of our group playing regularly. We are only on the second book, but everyone including me are having a blast.
Tell us more about the PCs!
Congrats Jeff. Glad you guys had fun.
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Tell us more about the PCs!
From left to right:
Delaware the human sorcerer. She was a socialite and party hound who always got invited to the right parties. She always had a penchant for little magic tricks, but one night after one too many, she tried some drug and when an assault at the party broke out her sorcerer’s bloodline boiled up and she cast her first 1st- level spell. She was since convinced that taking a little hit before spellcasting was her ticket to arcane power. She was hired on reluctantly because there was no one else around in Restov at the time when Trent was assembling the team. She’s really good looking but as wise as a water slug.
Trent the human fighter. Trent was the first of three brothers. Up until recently he learned that his father was not his father, that it was some masked man at a costume ball. His father figure still married his mother thereafter and they set up a blacksmithing shop. He yearned for more and to get OUT of Restov and Brevoy altogether. With the right connections and minor skill at adventuring, he was one picked to colonize the lands south. He’s really strong, and smart in only the most simplistic way.
Phos the elf druid. He was a minor envoy from Kyonin looking into the wayward elf lands of the River Kingdoms when he stopped at Restov. Meeting with Trent and discovering the mission at hand, he immediately saw an opportunity to guide the humans first hand into a successful land. Dispensing invaluable wisdom and loads of thoughts within the first few minutes, Trent immediately hired him on as a guide and advisor. Phos sees balance in all things and is wise, healthy and quick.
Vera the human Monk Zen Archer. Vera grew up in a monastery of Pharasma on the shores of the Lake of Mist and Veils. Having quite a cruel streak she soon realized her skills could be put to hunt down anything that opposed the religion (or her)…not just the undead. Soon she escaped with a book of her teachings and fled south after one too many white arrows (her signature killing shot) was found in one too many locals. Realizing he would need someone skilled at tracking, hunting, and dispensing control, he hired her on when Phos saw potential in her no one else did. Vera is strong and very, very quick.
What makes this party work so well? Well, the boys Phos and Trent are good and neutral with a good bent, respectively. The gals Vera and Delaware are evil. Everyone had very strong ideals. With that the kingdom was able to get things done that others of weaker will might not. The others all saw Trent as the one to lead, but with their own skills Phos was able to guide and mold the kingdom, and Vera and Delaware were able to keep it safe by doing anything the “must be done” for the security of the land.
Can you post your final Excel sheet for the Kingdom? Would be interesting to see what the end product looked like.
Can you post your final Excel sheet for the Kingdom? Would be interesting to see what the end product looked like.
Same here!
yeah
congrats. i thought our mapping was pretty detailed but you have drawn in every stalk of corn
we are just starting book 5
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I shall pass on the map compliments! I know some other folks here thought the exploration was tedious but I used the Gamemastery Guide, Ultimate Toolbox, and the articles by Ed Greenwood in the AP to flesh out locations and make every place interesting to see and explore. They had a great time making it their own.
Also, I am working on getting the Kingdom Excel sheet from the King. He's been very busy lately!
If you'd like to see the Kingdom Excel sheet just send me your email at ocasek50 at hotmail dot com and I'll send it along. Until I can figure out where to host files online without a hassle. :-)
If they are small, or if you are willing to rewrite some of them manualy? Google Docs. Up to 1 GB of uploads free of charge. More if you are willing to pay. Unlimited for files created from scratch on Google Docs instead of uploaded but their editors are quite poor when it comes to features and quality and edition.
Until I can figure out where to host files online without a hassle. :-)
I use DropBox. They have a little app to upload but anyone you share the location with can download it. Its easy enough that I can do it from my phone (which I did last night with the Book of the River Nation Building Images).
OK, here is a try, the Kingdom Excel Sheet on Google Docs...
(edit: super, it works - THANKS for the advice folks!)
You just linked to the home page, not to the document itself. (Look at the URL) Click on the document (not just the list its title appears on) then post that URL.
Ah, the perils of copy-paste ;)
You might also want to make sure share settings of the file will be set to "anyone with the link" or "public on the web" instead of default "private"- about half the people sharing their first google doc file forget to change it.
OK. Now Google is saying it can't display the file at this time.
Frigate.
OK Dale, let's try DropBox.
How's that?
Works great for me!
89 Hexes, hrm?
Thanks for posting that, we are about to start RRR. When do you think your kingdom rolls; stability, Loyalty, etc, became 2 or greater rolls? Did this impact your campaign? for example did your players reach a kingdom building point where they just weren't that careful about what they built?
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There was a noticeable shift toward the beginning of book 5 in wealth.
Up until that point there was still major decision-making about what to build and a strategy I enjoyed watching at the table. By book 5 some of the magic items generated for their territories really shifted the wealth value and by book 5’s end they were swimming in BPs and built all sorts of stuff without worry.
Also, monthly events – in the earlier parts of the game they rolled pretty poor in general for events, but as the game went on their luck with these really turned around as well.
You make me wish we could play every week! I have about 1 year of play done and we're only beginning the Varnhold Vanishing.
I enjoyed reading your comments and feedback on your campaign.
Did you deviate from the books in any point? Did you include any stuff from 3rd party publishers (such as Tales of Old Margreve)?
What would you do differently?