starting a new Kingmaker campaign...leveraging much of Dudemeister's material (as well as smatterings of other GM's that have posted here - much thanks to the giants before me!)
PC's are;
Human Witch
Elf Druid (Eristal)
Aasimar Cleric-Archon (Iomedae)
Half-Orc Fighter-Unbreakable
Sylph Ranger-Archer (also the party "face")
25 pt build with 2 traits, plus hero points (previous campaigns were 15pt with 1 trait...I want this to be epic, since the party will become rulers of this land)
I plan to start with the PC's in a hostel (being foreigners and all, with the regular Inns full-up with festival goers, it being a festival week in Restov, and wanna-be mercenaries hoping for employment in the Lord Mayor's forces in the rumored upcoming civil war). The Lord Mayor is in a pickle, as the 4rth group of agents he recently hired to explore the stolen lands managed to get themselves killed in a steet brawl with Crown Loyalists. He sends his "Hand" to locate a group of strange foreigners newly arrived in the city (all mounted on Elks in a dream)...and since the Elk is the official "city mascot", the Lord Mayor took that as a sign from the gods (plus he is a bit hungover from all the festivizing).
The PC's will be advised to follow along the road to Oleg's escorting a merchant who is taking a load of goods there (merchant goes once each month or two delivering orders for Oleg and a few other farmhouses in the region). No aid or horses are available, as the Restov military is rapidly expanding. The PC's will also be advised that the normal patrols are being stopped (since the fort is being closed) and that they will "be on their own for some time". No mention is made of Oleg's request for troops.
They should arrive around noon on the 3rd day of travel...after they arrive, the Bandits will show up (on horses that the PC's will hopefully liberate). That night, a late spring snowstorm hits lasting till dawn (and making tracking difficult).
The next day the weather warms, and turns to a light rain. After that it improves for a few weeks (I have pre-rolled the weather for 3 months), then settles into summer. The following winter, however.....
from here, it is up to the PC's to decide!
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25 point build? be warned unless you buff encounters the party will breeze through the adventures which are designed for 4 person, 15pt builds.
Weather is a great foe at low levels, as is finding shelter and adequate food and water. Helps to make a GM cheat-sheet for such. Nothing like trying to hide from a spring tornado on short notice!
25 point build? be warned unless you buff encounters the party will breeze through the adventures which are designed for 4 person, 15pt builds.
Yep - numbers increased, and buffed.
Oh - I forgot to mention, of the 5 Gamers, 4 are Women!
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It's a plus to roleplay how the party gets to be headed to Oleg's. I treated it as a fact and we did a diceless "prologue" where everyone played out how they met and knew one another so as to end up heading to the trading post. Used it to introduce some NPCs who could feed them info later on, and used it as a primer to Brevoy's internal politics.
The more color you add to Kingmaker, the better it gets. Rocking adventure path.
My guys have/had rolled stats, something point-buy equivalent of A LOT :P
I simply keep them one level under the appropriate, buff the encounters some, and keep their WBL one level below their actual.
They are BRAWR, but death comes in many forms in Kingmaker :D
No PC deaths in the 1st session (although the leader caught an arrow for 8pts that dropped him to 2hp, with 3 archers shooting at him each turn!)
PC's spent a few days in Restov researching the stolen lands (Lord Mayor allowed access to the City Archives), then headed out travelling with a Merchant who knew where Olegs was. Last night (while camping along the highway) I roll a wandering monster during the 2nd watch - Bandits. I did not want to run 2 Bandit battles in one night, and really wanted to finish the Oleg Bandit encounter, so I brought in another plot element early - Mercenaries from House Surtovia setting an ambush on the highway for the bandits (disguised as merchants, sort of a "Q-ship"). A lone horse, carrying 2 bandits attempting to flee the Mercenaries. The bandits spotted the party (even though they had no fire), so started stealthing around the camp. Despite a brief chase, the bandits got away. The PC's just know a heavily ladened horse road by. The day after the attack on Olegs, this Troupe will come by, harassing everyone as "possible bandits". Oleg shows his charter from Restov, the PC's will probably do the same. This will prompt the Merc Leader to say "So, Restov is expanding into the Stolen Lands...very interesting." (The Lord Mayor, in my campaign, got broad authority from the King to build up the southern defenses, but not specific permission to expand the realm of Rostlandia. Likewise, House Surtovia is not supposed to be conducting armed excursions into Rostlandia without asking Restov first - if Restov hears of this it will create friction politically)
The PC's arrived at Olegs, everything ran pretty much per the book (I added 2 teenage sons and 2 dogs). Kressle was established as an unpleasant person, stealer of wedding rings and kicker of dogs, etc. The PC's put Oleg and Svetlana in the root cellar, and used the boys as lookouts hiding in the battlements (with hay piles to jump into for quick escapes down once battle started). I should note, I am using flipmat of the "Country Inn" for Olegs. The PC's arrayed themselves about the gatehouse (Cleric and Fighter down below, everyone else up on top hiding prone out-of-sight). Up comes the bandits, Happs shouts for Oleg to "Open up or I'll burn you out - remember our agreement!"...no response from the PC's (other than preparing to fight) as the bandits array for battle (they have a wagon, driven by a hafling, that carried the 3 archers and a half-orc warrior, and Happs plus 2 hafling rogues on a horse and 2 ponies - only Happs has ride skill, so the rogues dismount and try to go for the sides of the fort). The battle starts with the Ranger-Archer shooting one rogue, who then gets finished by the Witch. The Druid casts "Entangle" on the wagon and everyone but 2 of the bandit archers - many fail their save (including the half-orc who besides Happs was the only real threat). Happs (who stayed on his horse) frees his horse, rides over and throws alchemical fire onto the roof (which the Druid puts out), shouting "You've had it now - men, attack! and take no prisoners!". Several rounds of battle later, Happs and the Half-orc are dead, the Cleric has taken a horse and is riding after 2 archers and a rogue who are fleeing down the road, and the rest of the party chasing after (except for the fighter who grabbed the horses of the wagon). Two surrender, one foolishly fights and dies.
Except for the looting (and a nat 20 knowledge local check for the silver medallion, after religion and appraise checks showed it was not a symbol of a god or jewelry) that ended the session.
A brief sleet storm will hit in a few hours, followed by 2 days of rain. Unless the PC's get on the trail quickly, it will be lost (but doubtless the prisoners will tell them the location of the Thorn River camp). Kressle does not know what happened, and expects Happs and crew back by the next day...so before nightfall she sends out a scout who (after failing to find any tracks the party left defeating the bandits due to the rain will stop by Olegs as a travelling merchant getting his lunch and a beer before heading on to Restov). The PC's may defeat his bluff with a good roll (dc 18), otherwise he slips out and informs Kressle the next day. As soon as Kressle knows, she send word to the Stag Lord...and when HE knows about the PC's, he informs HER during the next dream session...then things start getting interesting)