we be goblins.
that is all
Crypt of the Everflame is a good module though there's a particularly brutal encounter fairly early in the adventure, beware the
I think the REALLY brutal encounter in "Crypt of the Everflame" is the...
And so, Lex Starwalker, if you're going to put players brand new to RPGs through that module, I would suggest making it a LOT easier. For instance, you could...
Aaron:
The one time it wasn't, was the time the party got fixated on the whole key hole on the back thing and spent most of their actions trying to use the key to turn it off rather than simply beating it down.
Lex:
Magic Weapons do half damage against incorporeals and can be provided by scrolls/oils of magic weapon at low levels.
@Ninja in the Rye: Wow! I'll confess I only tried the module once, but I thought that...
But I'll admit that my knowledge and experience of PFRPG is probably nothing compared to that of the average user on these boards, so I'll concede the point.
Hangmans Noose is based in a huge city (Absolom). If you like to DM that kind of thing, that is the way to go.
CC
I haven't played Hangman's Noose but I've looked through it a few times and do like it. (I had plans to run it in a campaign I never got started.) However, it's not technically a Pathfinder module mechanically as it was written for 3.5e. If the GM is new to the game, and wanting to run a module for simplicity, starting with a 3.5e module that will need conversion isn't advised.
I haven't played through Crypt of the Everflame either. I've heard here and elsewhere that it's kind of hard, but I will mention that it does have GM-friendly sidebars in the module itself that explain aspects of game mechanics for the GM in some cases. (It was the first published Pathfinder RPG module so in some cases changes from the 3.5e rules are called out.)
A pretty easy one (IMO) that I have played through as a player was the FreeRPGDay module Master of the Fallen Fortress. That one has an added benefit that the PDF is free, so he can look at it himself before committing to a ($5) purchase. It is shorter than the average module though. It's set on the outskirts of Absalom, as I recall.
I'm going to be running some modules for a group for at least one brand new player--to both Pathfinder and RPGs in general.
Just considering Pathfinder modules starting at 1st level, which is your favorite?
Thanks!
I would go with Burnt Offerings, the first module of the Rise of the Runelords Adventure Path.
The module can easily stand on its own as a 1st - 4th level adventure, and as an added bonus if you hook your players they can continue on in the AP, all the way to 16th level.
Burnt Offerings has a scary rep, but I ran my two kids (ages 16 and 10) and my girlfriend who had never played an RPG before through this and they did fine. They had almost NO table top experience prior, and to make matters worse played without a cleric in the group; but they did fine and suffered zero character deaths (though they did have some close fights.)
One thing you can do to ease a group into adventuring is to stick a smart NPC in there to be your "voice." For Burnt Offerings, I chose Ezren, which gave me a great way to work in some exposition about the history of Varisia and a way to extend advice when they may have gotten lost or stuck. Obviously, you don't want to go too far with this as your PCs need to determine the direction of the game. Still, hints don't hurt.
If APs aren't your thing then you might try Crypt of the Everflame, which is a gentle introduction to RPGs.
Happy gaming! Good on you for bringing some new players into the hobby.
Kobold King is a good choice, but it's 3.5 material, so you'd have to covert.
I've seen the most success with We Be Goblins. Everything about it is dead simple without becoming dull.
I found Crypt of the Everflame to be more frustrating than fun for new players. It's possible the GMs I've played it with were just too rules-heavy for a good introduction. (The trap maze room in particular... just thinking back over how long something that uninteresting took to get through makes me shudder. It SHOULD be a fun room but when you have a party proposing solutions and a GM constantly explaining why something can't be done without being constructive, it loses its charm fast.)
Because some people are mentioning 3.5 material, and because drivethrurpg is offering some old D&D modules in PDF, I should mention that my favorite introductory 3.X adventure is "The Sunless Citadel". I'll confess that I've only run it in 3.0, for which the module was written, but I may convert it to PFRPG one day.
I'm now starting a new PFRPG campaign, in which one of the players is a newbie. Because I want to set this campaign in the Grand Duchy of Karameikos (in the hopes of leading into "Night's Dark Terror"), I converted most of "King's Festival" to PFRPG.
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Hangmans Noose is based in a huge city (Absolom). If you like to DM that kind of thing, that is the way to go.
CC
I haven't played Hangman's Noose but I've looked through it a few times and do like it. (I had plans to run it in a campaign I never got started.) However, it's not technically a Pathfinder module mechanically as it was written for 3.5e. If the GM is new to the game, and wanting to run a module for simplicity, starting with a 3.5e module that will need conversion isn't advised.
I haven't played through Crypt of the Everflame either. I've heard here and elsewhere that it's kind of hard, but I will mention that it does have GM-friendly sidebars in the module itself that explain aspects of game mechanics for the GM in some cases. (It was the first published Pathfinder RPG module so in some cases changes from the 3.5e rules are called out.)
A pretty easy one (IMO) that I have played through as a player was the FreeRPGDay module Master of the Fallen Fortress. That one has an added benefit that the PDF is free, so he can look at it himself before committing to a ($5) purchase. It is shorter than the average module though. It's set on the outskirts of Absalom, as I recall.
Yea, I dont even look at 3.5 differently anymore. When I ran a pathfinder group of PC's through "the tower of the last baron" it was a cake walk for PF pc's. Even when I added the advanced template to the npc's it was still easy shmeezy for them. But that is the only adjustment that I make to the 3.5 material out there. Advanced Template (+2 to everything, saves, to hit, cmb, cmd, etc..) For the player, this makes no difference. but for you, it could be alot more work to remember.
Plus, for the crypt, it has its own flip mat for the main dungeon. Maps tend to make gm's squeemish, so that should also be taken into account. New players might really like the premade map, and it will help with reducing your prep time.