Deciding on an adventure path

[molten_dragon]

I play a regular D&D game on the weekends with a great group. The only problem is all of us like playing the game a lot more than DMing. Which is why we all love the idea of the Pathfinder APs so much. It makes DMing a lot easier on whoever ends up doing it, and we still get a great story and fun encounters.

We've played a number of them over the years, and have found them to be kind of hit or miss as far as quality/fun goes. So far we have tried:

Legacy of Fire: No one really liked it very much and we quit in the middle.

Kingmaker: Everyone had a blast with this one, players and DM.

Serpent's Skull: The first book with the island survival was cool, but after that it stopped being fun. It just seemed like random encounters strung together and again, we quit partway through.

Carrion Crown: We're currently playing this one, and everyone is enjoying it a lot so far.

In a couple months, we're probably going to start up another one with me DMing, and I have several choices of what to run. I'll obviously involve the players in the discussion, but I'm hoping to get some feedback on which ones people have enjoyed and which ones they haven't to help base the decision on.

I own several of the APs already, and would prefer to run one of them, but if there's one that's really good that I don't have I might buy it. I have Rise of the Runelords, Jade Regent, Skull and Shackles, and Shattered Star. I'm also considering getting Way of the Wicked, since I love the idea of an all-evil campaign. Anyone have feedback on those, or any of the others?

[Scribbling Rambler]

Runelords: some great adventures, but greatly benefits from the additions people have come up with here. Which version do you own? I'm currently running it, and own both editions. However, were I to do it again I would have only purchased the pdf of the PFRPG version to supplement my original.

Jade Regent: I'm just about to start this one. I love the way it reads, but I know there are a lot of problems with the Caravan rules not scaling properly. May be divisive depending on people's taste regarding Asian-themed fantasy.

Skull & Shackles: currently playing. Hard to go wrong with pirates. However, a lot of the rules subsystems/combat tactics seem to be poorly executed (ex the Rum Ration). Note that we are only in Book 1.

I cannot comment on Shattered Star, except to say that I greatly prefer to have an entire AP before starting it.

Of others, Crimson Throne is great. So far, the only AP I have run in its entirety. Of course, it requires conversion to Pathfinder... tho a few versions are available here on the boards or thru d20PFSRD. I'm also not sure how many copies are still available (the Black Friday offer up now is a pretty good deal if you don't have all of the supplemental material).

[Coridan]

Crimson Throne is the best, but if your players loved Kingmaker I think Skull and Shackles would be right up their alley. The PCs get to act very independently.

[Haladir]

I've only ever played/run Runelords, and I'm having a blast with it. I started running the original (purchased on PDF), and did my own conversion to PF, and now am running the Anniversary Edition. The AE greatly improves the transition between books. Of course, I've been adding a bunch of supplemental material as sidequests and/or PC background-related adventures. I've spliced in three PFS scenarios and am working on a highly modified version of Seven Swords of Sin sprinkled with a bit of The Asylum Stone and a PC-background subplot as an interlude between Books 3 and 4 of Runelords.

We've probably got more than a year of play remaining with my Runelords campaign, but I'm looking at Crimson Throne as the next one.

[molten_dragon]

Coridan wrote:

Crimson Throne is the best, but if your players loved Kingmaker I think Skull and Shackles would be right up their alley. The PCs get to act very independently.

Is Crimson Throne the one that only goes up to like level 12?

[CaroRose]

Nah, it gets up to about 16. Your group should be 12th starting Chapter 5.