I've looked at a lot of Paizo modules, AP volumes, and PS scenarios over the years, and I'm afraid I've found only a few of them to be all that awesome. I'm curious to know what 3PP PFRPG-compatible adventures people might recommend. (Mind you, if someone feels that a certain Paizo adventure is really exceptionally good, and meets some of my criteria, I'll consider that too.)
Here are some of my criteria.
For one thing, I usually prefer shorter adventures, less than 32 pages. For an exceptionally great module, I might go longer, even as much as 100 pages, but I'm not in the market of a big super-adventure or AP right now.
One big selling point for me is an intriguing back story or hook. In the days of AD&D, I was a big fan of "Dungeon" magazine, for that reason.
Also, my players and I can't stick with a single dungeon complex any bigger than 32 pages, and even 32 pages is pushing it. With bigger adventures, I prefer that they have SEVERAL small dungeon complexes, and enough of a plot in between them to give the players a reason to explore them. For that reason, I loved "The Speaker in Dreams", and I'm currently running the "Coins" trilogy (from the "Kingdoms of Kalamar" line) to give some examples. (And the first "Coins" module, "The Root of All Evil", also begins with a good example of an intriguing hook.)
Wilderness exploration is OK, but I detest naval adventures. I could live with a ship voyage with an encounter or two, but anything more than that I'd probably skip or replace.
Also, I don't want anything too difficult for players. Some adventures give puzzles and problems for the players to solve, or might force the PCs into some awkward situation, like having to infiltrate an enemy base and bluff their way through it. My players and I don't like that.
I prefer low-level adventures. The lower the better. I would never run anything higher than 12th level, and I'd prefer 6th or below.
Also, there's one kind of adventure I'd like even if it IS just a big dungeon, and even if it doesn't have such an intriguing back story or hook. If someone knows of some 1st-level dungeon crawl good for introducing players who are new to RPGs, I'd be interested. I'm afraid that "Crypt of the Everflame" wasn't my cup of tea. It was too contrived (even more so than usual for a dungeon crawl), too linear, and too difficult for new players without modification. I'm afraid that "Master of the Fallen Fortress" didn't do it for me either.
If a module is for an unusual campaign setting, I'd consider that a major drawback (although I might be more open to such a product in the future).
Does anyone have a suggestion?
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Retribution by Raging Swan Press is, as a whole, about 64 pages, but the adventure itself, not counting appendices and introduction, is about 40 pages.
"In the frozen depths of winter, murderous winds mercilessly batter the crumbling Priory of Cymer. Within, trapped by their duty and the heaped snowdrifts that render travel near impossible, the few remaining faithful huddle together and tend the sacred places of their forbears. With the weather worsening, nerves fray and tempers snap as the wind howls its mournful dirge for the forgotten dead of a fallen time. But the worst is yet to come. One of those trapped within holds a murderous grudge that only blood can expunge and as the storm reaches its savage height terrible revenge is wrought amid the frigid halls and faded glories of a bygone age."
“A fantasy roleplaying campaign can always use spooky, atmospheric low-level adventures, and RETRIBUTION is a solid, useful foray. It's "old school" in the best sense of that term: the adventure, its setting, its characters, and its new elements have all been carefully and lovingly detailed and thought through. The result is truly ready-to-use, and its elements lend themselves to easy re-use in an ongoing campaign. Recommended.” —Ed Greenwood, creator of the Forgotten Realms
Ready for VTT, ready for tabletop, it's 40ish pages of 8th level adventure with multiple 6-star ratings, maps from Jonathan Roberts and written by Ennie-award-winning author Ben McFarland (the humble poster).
I'm just saying it has a pedigree.
-Ben.
Raging Swan Press puts out excellent quality stuff.
Retribution (mentioned above) is just about the best first level module I've ever read.
I'm currently running a campaign centered around Shadowed Keep on the Borderlands, which dropped nicely into the Arthfell Forest in Darkmoon Vale, which let me use a bunch of my paizo fluff.
I've got three more adventures (Gibbous Moon, Dark Waters Rising and Dwellers Amid Bones, which look fine) from Raging Swan lined up if the players choose certain paths. I'm also a fan of some of their GM aids, like the Random Encounters and the Swallowfeld village and treasure pdfs.
The adventures all have some nifty free downloads and the boss, Creighton Broadhurst, is responsive and friendly.
Really: I don't think you'll go wrong giving them a try.
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Contributor; Publisher, Kobold Press; RPG Superstar Judge
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Streets of Zobeck is a collection of many small adventures, and won the Gold ENnie in 2012 for Best Adventure of the year.
It's city and small dungeon adventures, for levels ranging from 1 to 10.
I think it might fit the bill.
If you would be interested in something more wilderness based, Tales of the Old Margreve has adventures for levels 1-10.
Streets of Zobeck is a collection of many small adventures, and won the Gold ENnie in 2012 for Best Adventure of the year.
It's city and small dungeon adventures, for levels ranging from 1 to 10.
I would second this-- even if it's an anthology, but I'm biased.
-Ben.
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Way of the Wicked—Book One: Knot of Thorns by Fire Mountain Games is a fantastic book. The backstory is very deep and allows you to introduce as much or as little as your want. The campaign is interesting, as it slowly evolves from rail-road at the beginning into semi-sandbox at the end. It's 1st-6th level. There are about 3 mini-dungeon crawls throughout the module.
The AP is 100 pages, but a ton of that is backstory, pictures, fluff. The adventure is much shorter than that. I would say that this AP would last you no more than 16 sessions (4 hour sessions).
This AP has kept my group very happy. We are about to finish up book one within the next couple of weeks.
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Frog God Games has a couple of lines of short adventures: Saturday Night Specials and One-Night Stands.
Try this one, its free.
Also, I'm rather partial to this one: Up From Darkness.
Full Diclosure: My father wrote both.
Try this one, its free.
Also, I'm rather partial to this one: Up From Darkness.
Full Diclosure: My father wrote both.
You know being the internet and all its is a pleasant surprise that you are honest about it being your father that wrote them. For that alone I for one will check them out.
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You know being the internet and all its is a pleasant surprise that you are honest about it being your father that wrote them. For that alone I for one will check them out.Try this one, its free.
Also, I'm rather partial to this one: Up From Darkness.
Full Diclosure: My father wrote both.
Thanks for giving them a look and I hope you enjoy them.
And thanks Caleb (aka Goblin Kid) for mentioning them.
Just downloaded Frozen Wind and hope I can convince my sweetheart to GM it for me (he's GMing a module for four 5th level characters for me in a few days, so if we end up enjoying the party I create, I for one might want to play another module with them) ;)
Thanks! :)
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Check out Midgard Tales for some good bang for your buck. I playtested one adventure at 7th level that my crew enjoyed greatly.
The 11th Hour fits the interesting hook part of your criteria (and it's (probably) short!) but it may not have enough combat for you. People do seem to dig it though.
Full Disclosure: I wrote it.
AdventureaWeek.com has plenty of good adventure modules loaded up here in the store. The Drow series is pretty good.
Thanks for the suggestions, everyone. I'll check some of them out.
Hollow's Last Hope is a free module and was alot of fun. I changed a few monsters but the story-line is solid and was my group's first module ever.
I intend for them to go back to Falcon's Hollow this year in the module Carnival of Tears.
Also, I did download Master of the Fallen fortress. The map is nice but I did make several changes to the story. Alot of fighting in that one.
Cheers and have a Merry Non-Denominational Winter Celebration of Chaos and Good.....or whatever you can say these days.
TPK Games was giving away some PDFs a few months ago, and I picked up "Ship of Fools." It was pretty good: if I ever run Skull and Shackles, I'll definitely add it as a side-quest.
Adventure A Week has a subscription plan as well as selling individual Products for sell.