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I recently ran an "Roleplaying Games for Beginners" event using the Beginner Box at a local game store. Everyone loved the game and asked me to run a campaign for them. I've decided on the updated Rise of the Runelords campaign, with (almost) all the bells and whistles (though I'll probably settle on the pawns over the minatures...tough choice, though), as I think that would be an awesome first RPG campaign experience. To keep things simple for them we're just using the core rules. I would like to run the adventure path with as few stat/encounter modifications as possible so I can spend extra time making Golarion come alive for these new players. I want them to have a great time, so I don't want the adventure to be too lethal, but also want it to be challenging. It looks like I will have 5, maybe 6 players.
What method of character generation would you recommend? 4d6, drop lowest, or a certain level of point buy?
I appreciate any help you can provide.
Point buy is the wisest choice as the CR system does not work well with dice rolled characters and thus the entire game will need a lot tweaking as you go.
Point buy of 15 is the default, but since they are new to it,
20 point buy should help them a lot.
Sticking to the Core is a good start for beginners so they don't get caught up in the options.
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With 5 players and you do not plan on upping/adding to the encounters I would limit them to a 15 point buy, possibly a 20 point if they are new/inexperienced players. Anything higher and they will have a good chance to steamroll a lot of the encounters.
What you really need to make sure is they have a good mix of character classes.
Yea. Make sure they have a cleric and an arcane caster. The 'FOur Man Band' of parties is a Fighter-Rogue-Cleric-Wizard group. With 5, someone can be a bard or another class.
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I recently ran an "Roleplaying Games for Beginners" event using the Beginner Box at a local game store. Everyone loved the game and asked me to run a campaign for them. I've decided on the updated Rise of the Runelords campaign, with (almost) all the bells and whistles (though I'll probably settle on the pawns over the minatures...tough choice, though), as I think that would be an awesome first RPG campaign experience. To keep things simple for them we're just using the core rules. I would like to run the adventure path with as few stat/encounter modifications as possible so I can spend extra time making Golarion come alive for these new players. I want them to have a great time, so I don't want the adventure to be too lethal, but also want it to be challenging. It looks like I will have 5, maybe 6 players.
What method of character generation would you recommend? 4d6, drop lowest, or a certain level of point buy?
I appreciate any help you can provide.
If they are all new I would recommend a point buy. It will keep things fair and let them more easily make the characters they want. Once they get more experience you can next time switch over to the 4d6 method. If they are all new I would go with a 20 point buy. It is easier to ramp things up later if encounters get to easy than it is to ramp them down, especially once the fights have started.
Hope your new players enjoy gory and grisly details. Because frankly, the AP is just bursting with these.
I am not sure playing this AP is the best way to welcome new players in the hobby (doubly so if they are young).
Mind you, I am not sure which AP would be best suited for this.
This. It took me a while, but I've become quite convinced that Rise of the Runelords is primarily a horror-themed Adventure Path, actually getting quite a bit scarier even than the deliberately-horror Carrion Crown.
Be sure your players will be okay with that.