What do you want in your ideal adventure path?


Pathfinder Adventure Path General Discussion


What things would you make sure your perfect Adventure Path had?


I want a great story with interesting characters that is fun to play with a lot of different experiences and plenty of opportunity for each character to shine.

So basically, pretty much what we're getting now.


Pathfinder Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber

The biggest thing I want is for them to keep exploring some of the lesser known regions. My biggest desire is either an AP in the Land of the Linnorm Kings or the Realm of the Mammoth Lords.

Everything else I'd want Paizo already hits.


I agree, So far everything that Paizo puts out seems to really hit the spot. I'm more asking because I'm writing my own path right now, and am trying to gauge what people would like to see.


ya they seem to really get it. it would be nice to see some more APs in unusual settings. (mind you im not up to date on all of the aps) one set underwater would be nice. I know theres a 3rd party evil AP but it would be cool to get one from paizo. those are things players dont often get to do.


My wants:

- Sandbox. The story's progression can be linear, but immediate exploration and investigation must be non-linear. Every GM's had an instance where Gruffy the Dwarf decided to knock down a wall rather than solve the mirror puzzle.

- Humanoid NPCs and enemies. An occasional must-fight-this-critter encounter is fine, but when the group's running into vermin after aberration after vermin after dragon after vermin...it gets stale. APs aren't safaris. There is so much I've got to replace in Skull & Shackles...

- Non-mercenary hooks and motivations for nongood PCs. I know many players like heroes, but my group doesn't. If there's room for halflings, there's room for a sidebar covering "what if the PCs want to sell the slaves instead of freeing them". I'm not expecting an evil AP, just a little consideration for nongood characters.

- Non-combat scenarios. This isn't overlooked completely, but the idea of finishing half an AP part without fighting a single battle really appeals to me.

- Urban start. Megadungeons and frontier settings are fun, but urban campaigns featuring a lot of investigation, research, and social encounters are an excellent way to start the campaign off.

Ideas for perfect APs that will never take off:

- Mage's school or guild setting. All caster party, non-linear, investigaton and research, huge building with forgotten areas to explore, and so on.

- Thief-style campaign set in massive metropolis. No good vs. evil storyline, but frequent sidequests could support that theme.

- Dungeon Keeper AP featuring a lot of evil vs. evil and Kingmaker mechanics.

Sczarni

I'd like to see more travel to new and exotic places. That can include continents, planets, or planes. I suspect this is exactly what I'll get with Reign of Winter, though!

I'd also like to see some crazy magical artifacts and locations. Not so much magical "items" like the Sihedron. I mean stuff on a really big scale, like the Riddleport Cyphergate or Shory cities.

I'd also like underwater action, through I really don't expect Paizo to put it in the APs since I know it's not everybody's cup of tea.


Necromancer is my new friend

I have run an all wizard campaign for players up to about 8th in PF, set against the filth of spontaneus casters AND the petty god-worrying-types for the divine branch, with the backdrop of a grand structure, lost to time. now found

I love heavy urban stuff ....they need a wholly Absalom urban. Currently run a game like this on friday nites

Grand Lodge

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Agreed with an all urban AP. Curse of the Crimson Throne was supposed to be all urban, but at the last minute it threw in a weird and unnecessary wildness exploration.

Absalom would be the ideal location for an entirely urban AP.

However, for the OP's use, since he wants to write an AP, I would suggest an urban AP, using ancient Rome, London, Paris, and Constantanople as inspiration. Those cities each had some great features to draw off and twist into a great fantasy urban location.

But please please please, no thieves guild AP, or crazy death cult. They have been done to death. Something fresh, maybe drawing upon real world, modern themes...


urban trade war as various 'stuff' is suddenly in short supply


An all-urban AP with minimal dungeon material would be most excellent. I found myself quite disappointed with Crimson Throne because of all the dungeons.

Lots of chase scenes would be nice, though the chase rules need an overhaul first.

-Matt

Liberty's Edge

I would like to see a good base of operations for the PCs. We enjoyed our pirate ship in S&S and Fort Rannick woulda been cool if it it wasnt so secluded.

I love npc friends/allies. Sister Jenya, the striders, Ameiko, Shalelu, Cressida. Even better when they are friends and allies rather than patrons. Heidmarch hasnt been as well received by my players.


If you're looking for ideas, I'm imagining a War AP here.

Levels 1-3: either new recruits or formation of resistance fighters
4-6: The party is a special ops squad behind enemy lines
7-9: The party commands a large unit
10-12: The party commands an army
13-15: The party attempts to occupy
16-18: The party attempts to retire but pulled into losing occupation


I like the APs when they flesh out a new area (be it a city, a nation or a region).

I'm less enthused by those with new rules subsystems, purely because I find them something of a barrier to reading comprehension. Most APs I own I'm never going to run, reading them when they keep referring to AP-specific rules subsystems isnt as smooth as reading an AP which sticks to the 'vanilla' rules.

Contributor

I so totally want a planar AP. Either something involving Shadow Absalom and the shadow plane, or something involving lots of travel in and out of the Maelstrom hinterlands and a few other planes of the outer sphere.

Dark Archive

My ideal adventure path would be an equal mix of Mendev and the Worldwound. Like Wrath of the Righteous, my ideal adventure path would focus heavily on the demonic presence of the Worldwound but I think I'd go about it a bit differently.

I'd split the adventure path into two distinct parts. The first three adventures would take place in Mendev. Adventures #4 and #5 would take place in the Worldwound. Adventure #6 would take place in the Abyss.

So, a rough idea would look like this:

#1) This adventure would be part Season of the Witch, part Malleus Maleficarum, and part Solomon Kane, taking a look at the paranoid witch hunts going on in Mendev as well as the cultists working to thwart the Mendevian Crusades in the name of their Abyssal masters. The overarching plot is hinted at in this adventure.

#2) This adventure would be all about war, having a very Heroes of Battle'ish feel to it. Demons and/or their servants have gathered in force and it's up to the PCs to wrangle the many factions that make up the crusades (mercenaries, holy warriors, etc.) to stand against the threat. The heroes learn more about the overarching plot.

#4-#6) These adventures would go into territory covered by Wrath of the Righteous, taking the heroes into the Worldwound and the Abyss itself.

That's a rough idea of what I'd like to see. It's possible that some ideas don't work out as well around the gaming table as they do in my noggin and some things might have to be switched around. With Wrath of the Righteous being a Mythic adventure path, some of these ideas would almost certainly not work as well.


yep, the way we where playing this at home was not even going into the WW until mod 5 really.....not so keen on one in the WW from the off? Will there be any npcs a party would be able to talk to, or would it be filled with insane monsters from other planes


Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

I want an AP with moral ambiguity- not because the PCs are evil, but because their enemies aren't.

Liberty's Edge

I would love for the APs to get the PCs even more imbedded in their world as movers and shakers, so that they could be motivated by political power, social responsibilities and so on. So that most every NPC they meet knows of them (in good or in bad).

I would love an AP based on the Resistance : starting in a place that has just been defeated/invaded by another power and becoming freedom fighters with all the twists this can take (organizing railroads, planning and executing decisive actions, rivalry with other Resistance networks, dealing with counter-insurgents, traitors, hostage situations).

Based on the history of the Resistance in France, it should not be very hard to find a lot of interesting plots, getting the PCs from would-be maquisards to full-fledged leaders of their people.


Cole Deschain wrote:
I want an AP with moral ambiguity- not because the PCs are evil, but because their enemies aren't.

yes indeedy. I love this sort of stuff. Even if the party are CG they can have run ins with LG over many issues

Sovereign Court RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32

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Just off the top of my head:


  • Tight focus on a limited locale that evolves with the party
  • Good integration of the single chapters, recurring characters both good and bad
  • Options for the paladin crusader and the tiefling summoner to both enjoy the storyline
  • Moderate to low dungeon content

Grand Lodge

Todd Stewart wrote:
I so totally want a planar AP. Either something involving Shadow Absalom and the shadow plane, or something involving lots of travel in and out of the Maelstrom hinterlands and a few other planes of the outer sphere.

Yeah you would want that! lol

But yeah Shadow Absalom sounds freaking AWESOME

Grand Lodge

Cole Deschain wrote:
I want an AP with moral ambiguity- not because the PCs are evil, but because their enemies aren't.

Ever try an adventure where the bad guys are angels? A bunch of lawful good angels come down to wipe out an excessively chaotic neutral tribe of barbarians. The PCs have to try and stop the angels and their allies.

Grand Lodge

Something else I would like...

WAR!!!!!!!!

Other than the World Wound there is no conflict. Everyone exists on the edge of conflict, but heck even Geb and Nex are trading partners these days. Seriously?!

A the heart of every good story is conflict, and Golarion is about the most peaceful setting I have ever seen. I want to see Cheliax, Taldor, and Qadira go at it all out. This saber rattling stuff is boring. I want to see regiments of knights clashing with companies of devils and battalions of carpet riding-ifriti-possessed warrior fighting it out for complete dominance of the Inner Sea. Every country becomes involved, either directly or indirectly... As troops take conscripts from neutral countries, march through villages raiding for supplies, lay siege to enemy fortifications and supply lines.

LET THERE BE WAAAAAAAAAR!

:-)


TerraNova wrote:

Just off the top of my head:


  • Tight focus on a limited locale that evolves with the party
  • Good integration of the single chapters, recurring characters both good and bad
  • Options for the paladin crusader and the tiefling summoner to both enjoy the storyline
  • Moderate to low dungeon content

Ummm... okay. AFAIC, this thread just ended for me. Here it is, in a nutshell.

Mostly these points, which I'll reiterate:
- Tight focus on a limited locale that evolves with the party
- Good integration of the single chapters, recurring characters both good and bad
- Moderate to low dungeon content

This, this, this. (Where much of the Paizo APs fail for me right now.)


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thenovalord wrote:

Necromancer is my new friend

I have run an all wizard campaign for players up to about 8th in PF, set against the filth of spontaneus casters AND the petty god-worrying-types for the divine branch, with the backdrop of a grand structure, lost to time. now found

I love heavy urban stuff ....they need a wholly Absalom urban. Currently run a game like this on friday nites

As I think about it, more and more, I really want to write up a mage's school campaign setting--focusing entirely on the school/academy and the surrounding region.


Arnwyn wrote:
TerraNova wrote:

Just off the top of my head:


  • Tight focus on a limited locale that evolves with the party
  • Good integration of the single chapters, recurring characters both good and bad
  • Options for the paladin crusader and the tiefling summoner to both enjoy the storyline
  • Moderate to low dungeon content

Ummm... okay. AFAIC, this thread just ended for me. Here it is, in a nutshell.

Mostly these points, which I'll reiterate:
- Tight focus on a limited locale that evolves with the party
- Good integration of the single chapters, recurring characters both good and bad
- Moderate to low dungeon content

This, this, this. (Where much of the Paizo APs fail for me right now.)

I will second all this.

I also like APs that challenge the rules. I can throw together dungeons with almost no effort at all. I want people to show me new ways to creatively use the mechanics the core rule book has laid out for me. Inventive traps, compelling characters, interesting moral dilemmas, that is where the action is.

Liberty's Edge

Trinite wrote:
I'd also like underwater action, through I really don't expect Paizo to put it in the APs since I know it's not everybody's cup of tea.

One of the Top 4 from the last RPG Superstars proposed an underwater AP. Last time I saw him (when we playtested his scenario), he was mentioning that he had the outline and barebones of the AP laid out, and was filling things in. I might be seeing him later today, I'll ask about it.

Of course, it won't be official Paizo, but hey :)


I'd really like the "evolving locale (sandboxed) coupled with some exploration (of the region and local people thrown in.
An urbanized setting could be fun for this sort of "city at the egde of the world".. say.. a Kaer Maga based campaign taking some long looks at the SHoanti and Ork tribes (and Stone Giants ).

Authors could drop in some dungeons/locations for the outspoken "we need a dungeon crowd"

Oh, and a slightly more easy on the extra mini games (Sea battles, strategic army command )


In short:
1. A dramatic back-story that unfolds continually along the AP. Twists!
2. Challenges both to PCs (elaborate encounters) and Players (puzzles, information gathering, detective roleplay).
3. Devils

Well, I'm not that interested of either the possibilities with war, new exotic locations or some mix of monsters (exception: devils, aren't they the coolest and worst adversaries you can think of?). But – what I'd appreciate would be an overall more "player challenging" AP. That is – an AP that has lots of challenges/puzzles/choices for the Players to solve, and not only difficult and elaborate encounters for the PC:s (those are of course needed, but that would go without saying). A really good example of this is when the players have to interprete something. That would also highlight skilluse instead of fighting/magic-using, which would be something new.

I think of "Red hand of Doom" as a good role model for Adventure Paths. A feature I loved with that adventure was that the (game)world seemed to live on its own. It really mattered a lot what the players chose to do, and everything became much more intriguing (the opposite would be when you feel that the adventure is railroaded and that you as a player really don't have to decide what to do).

I consider the devils to be the best BBEG, since they lend themselves perfectly to the idea of someone scheming in the background and by it's potential as something that can evolve during the whole AP.


I don't know about entire APs, but here's what I'd enjoy DMing..

A mega-dungeon... A big Labyrinth of sorts. Not just rooms and monsters mind you. Something with a hidden logic, a puzzle of "DaVinci Code" proportions.

Also, my players and I really enjoyed the beginning of Book 2 from Rise of the Runelords... The detective, clue-searching, murder mystery aspect of it.

Not a big fan of underwater scenarios. I don't mind a one-shot mini-quest, but an entire AP of this would kill me.

Ultradan

Liberty's Edge

Krome wrote:
Cole Deschain wrote:
I want an AP with moral ambiguity- not because the PCs are evil, but because their enemies aren't.
Ever try an adventure where the bad guys are angels? A bunch of lawful good angels come down to wipe out an excessively chaotic neutral tribe of barbarians. The PCs have to try and stop the angels and their allies.

This reminds me of an idea I had some times ago.

The world stands on the brink of complete extinction because the sentients have exploited it almost beyond its ability to recover. The Druids of the world have convened and debated long and hard. Finally, the High Coucil of Hierophants gave its decision.

It is time for the sentient races to end, so that Nature can recover.

All Druids have their role to play.

The Evil Druids will deal with the killing.

The Good Druids will help the people die in peace and will protect Nature.

The Lawful Druids will organize everything and see to it that not a single sentient is left alive.

The Chaotic Druids will probe the plan for flaws and will act to correct it as needed, as well as confront any unexpected twist.

The True Neutral Druids will coordinate the actions of the whole and keep the objective clear in their brethren's minds.

And regardless of alignment, all Druids agree on both the goal and the means, distasteful as it may be.

The PCs are not Druids.


I love the war AP. I was just thinking the other day that Golarion was entirely too peaceful. I also loved the "war progression" up above from recruit to small unit to leading to occupying and finally establishing a new nation... awesome.

An AP based around a religion would be interesting, be it Iomedae, Sarenrae or something else entirely. I think hellknights / devils would be a great set of enemies for an AP like that, and it could involve that classic mix of exploration, investigation, dungeon crawling and innovative scenes that makes Paizo's APs so great.

Something else that would be interesting from Paizo would be for them to get the rights to the Queen of Spiders super module (against the giants - queen of the demonweb pits) and redo it Paizo style as an AP or maybe back to back APs. I don't know how willing WotC would be to part with those rights though, Paizo has a tendency to eat their lunch as it is.

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