Hey all! I was looking for recommendations for the best third party adventures to use that could easily be slotted into a Golarion, Adventure Path-y type game. My requirements:
- "new style" - not looking for OSR dungeon crawls, but with story and characters and whatnot like Paizo adventures.
- "Golarion compatible" - not critically depending on wildly different things, or providing 200 pages on world background I'll just dump. I'm not afraid to mod to set stuff in the Inner Sea region (I stuck Freeport into Riddleport and and putting the Razor Coast south of Sargava), but for example Zobeck would be too much of a stretch.
- mature content OK, even desirable - my group isn't 13 so we don't need PG-13 limitations.
- Native Pathfinder or 3.2e with Pathfinder conversion notes is fine.
- Print or PDF OK, as long as I can lay my hands on it.
Hoping Endzeitgeist or Dark Mistress or others with really extensive experience will chime in...
Thanks in advance!
I'd gladly point you towards some modules, but I'd need a level-range/theme.
From your post I noticed a leaning towards the nautical, so three instant recommendations:
-Ship of Fools by TPK Games (gritty horror, screams RC-tie-in)
-The Sunken Pyramid by Raging Swan Press (Stomp out Sahuagin in a sunken pyramid -adventuring beneath the waves, twice as fun with Kobold Press Sunken Empires [convert Ankheshel to Azlant - there you go...] and/or Alluria Publishing's DEFINITE RESOURCE for underwater adventuring Cerulean Seas.
-When the Ship goes down by Adventureaweek.com - might not be too pretty, but oh boy, is the location awesome - the goal is to stop an upside-down crashing cloud (or was it storm?) giant castle causing all kinds of havoc. Imho much better than Curse of the Riven Sky.
I wrote reviews for all 3.
If you give me a level-range/theme, I can give you more precise pointers. What would you consider crawl, for example? Would Slumbering Tsar fall into that definition? It's not more or less a crawl than e.g. The Spires of Xin-Shalast... Okay, so Zobeck is too steampunky, got that, but what about alchemists and gunslingers? Do you ban those or are they fine? No crawls what about underdark-adventures? Is icy-themed stuff okay? Japanese Horror?
Gaming Paper's Citadel of Pain could be run as a dungeon crawl - but it works better when not played as "kill everything".
For high levels, there's no way past Rite Publishing's Coliseum Morpheuon and its Faces of the Tarnished Souk NPC-line, though that is based in the (easily accessible) plane of dreams...
On level one, there are two glorious modules - one that is a bit low on characters, but grand on environments/atmosphere, 4 Dollar Dungeon's Horn of Geryon. The other one I'd instantly recommend to just about anyone would be Raging Swan Press' Retribution.
Hope that helps and if not drop additional information and I'll help. (Btw.: If you want to directly contact me, shoot me an e-mail via contact on my homepage and I'll get back to you!)
Thanks! I'll look into those.
Nautical is definitely helpful for my Reavers campaign that's headed to the Razor Coast right now. I hesitate to specify more specific level ranges or themes though because we have a variety of campaigns going on in our extended group (Runelords, Carrion Crown, my pirate game, We Be Goblins 1/2 gone rogue, etc.) and so really anything levels say 1-15 could help me. I'm not looking for a specific gap "right this second," but to increase my war chest of high quality things I have ready to go. We allow anything that lives in Golarion - even if a given GM blocks PCs from gunslinger/alchemist, for example, NPCs using those are fine. Just needs to fit into canon Pathfinder/Golarion/Inner Sea region without enough work that it makes them not "best." Whatever you think the absolute finest ones are, we have somewhere we can slot them in...
I have Razor Coast and Coliseum Morpheuon, and the first Jade Oath already.
You can still use adventures from Kobold Press, especially those outside of Zobeck. If you are doing some sea adventures, Journeys to the West is an adventure anthology of exploration and a sourcebook. Additionally, if you are running urban-based adventures, there is no reason you can't use Streets of Zobeck and just ignore anything clockwork related.
Anything by Frog God Games should be good, as well.
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If nautical's the theme, Journey to the West (albeit with Midgard-flavor - though easily converted) and Frog God Games/Necromancer Games Dead Man's Chest (PFRPG-updated via RC-kickstarter - not sure if it can be bought yet...) would help with islands etc. Christina's Beyond the Ghostlight Reef can also be easily converted to Golarion and is worth a look.
Also: Island means you SHOULD check out Horn of Geryon. Best Island-treasure-hunt scenario and easily upgradeable to higher levels.
Also, since the theme's Reavers - Is saving a city of ice from a horde of cannibals sounding good? With extensive Jonathan Roberts cartography? Then Rite Publishing's Breaking of Forstor Nagar is a must have - oh, and the print is drop-dead-beautiful. And it's by Ben "Gold Ennie for Streets of Zobeck-designer/conversion god" McFarland.
If fish out of water scenarios fit the bill, then Rite's Kaidan-series of Japanese Horror modules might be of interest as well.
Also: Do you know Lou Agresta & Nick Logue's Scorned? It's released by FGG under their one-night-stand series.
If Northlands (Vikings and Inuit) are an option, their Northlands Saga is also excellent.
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-The Sunken Pyramid by Raging Swan Press (Stomp out Sahuagin in a sunken pyramid -adventuring beneath the waves, twice as fun with Kobold Press Sunken Empires [convert Ankheshel to Azlant - there you go...] and/or Alluria Publishing's DEFINITE RESOURCE for underwater adventuring Cerulean Seas.
Thanks for the nod to The Sunken Pyramid! I am really super pleased with how this came out and I think it's an idea adventure to use in just about any campaign due to it's self-contained nature. Plus, in addition to the adventure itself (7th level or so, by the way) there is a big section on sahuagin culture, religion, history and ecology.
If you are running a nautical campaign, please check it out :)
You can still use adventures from Kobold Press, especially those outside of Zobeck. If you are doing some sea adventures, Journeys to the West is an adventure anthology of exploration and a sourcebook. Additionally, if you are running urban-based adventures, there is no reason you can't use Streets of Zobeck and just ignore anything clockwork related.
Anything by Frog God Games should be good, as well.
Well, I know about good "companies," but I'm hoping for a more specifically curated short-list of really ("top 10") good adventures. I backed Journeys to the West, but it's mainly useful out in Azlant, perhaps, and has as major themes whole races that don't usually exist on Golarion. For that and Zobeck, it's not likely "one of the ten best for Golarion" if I have to leave out or redo large swaths. Is there a specific Golarion city you had in mind that I could stuff Zobeck-sans-clockwork into?
Let's see... I have a lot of stuff I haven't even read from Kickstarters etc. Looks like I have Ship of Fools and Breaking of Forstar Nagar, both look good. I backed Journey to the West. Got Kaidan part 1, and the Desolation part of Slumbering Tsar.
Some of these, though, beg the question as to where they would slot in in Golarion - what could Tsar shell over?
Just saw Scorned earlier today while searching, that and the 0one Great City stuff.
Popped Geryon, Scorned, Retribution, and Sunken Pyramid into my cart, thanks!
RPG Superstar 2008 Top 4; Contributor; Publisher, Legendary Games
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All of the adventures that Legendary Games has produced have been designed as companion pieces to Adventure Paths, though they can certainly be played apart from them. They've gotten excellent ratings by reviewers here at Paizo and elsewhere.
If you're looking for short 1st-level horror-themed adventures in and around Ustalav, you could have a lot of fun with Greg Vaughan's The Fiddler's Lament or with The Murmuring Fountain by Clark Peterson and I.
Jim Groves' Road to Destiny is also for low levels, but is a massive sandbox set in a Viking-ruled coastal region. It would site perfectly around Varisia and the Land of the Linnorm Kings.
If you're looking for a 6th-level adventure you could drop in anywhere, as it involves a trio of vengeance-seeking witches pulling the PCs into their own nightmare realm, check out Matt Goodall's The Baleful Coven.
For fey-themed adventures, I created the Cold Mountain a 4th-level adventure exploring the desolate, mysterious, and wild barbarian lands at the frontier of civilization. This adventure would slot nicely in the region around Brevoy, Iobaria, and the River Kingdoms.
And if you want to go all the way to the north pole, the best-selling adventure we've produced is Under Frozen Stars, an 8th-level adventure focused around a strange alien ruin at the top of the world, with ties to the challenges that await travelers in the lands of the Far East.
Sure, I think our company's adventures are great, but don't take my word for it. Read the reviews and see if any of them appeal to the kind of campaign you're trying to create. About Under Frozen Stars, Endy wrote:
Give em a look. Hope you enjoy!
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Jason's right - Under Frozen Stars indeed is glorious! If you're looking for dark supplements, the whole Gothic Grimoire-series and CC-plug-in-line is more than worth a look.
To answer your question:
I fit Tsar (And Rappan Athuk) actually next to the Wold Wound - and made it a secret. How? Essentially, I devised a Mendevian Crusade - that utterly failed (-> Army of Light) - but had it cover up. Rite Publishing introduced a spell that collectively wipes something from memory and documents, but commits it to paper. If said paper is destroyed, the knowledge instantly returns. So the PCs, by chance, destroyed said scroll - and suddenly many know about he desolation, that a whole army's worth of magical items and gold is waiting there - and that the evil there is still at large. Of course, a new crusade is starting to slowly build up - just as Orcus planned... The plus of this approach: PCs as driving force, ignorance is bliss vs. the more you know, unearth a conspiracy, give the PCs a reason to care and explore. ("We're first because we
Think about an adventurer's version of a gold-rush. ^^
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At some point I need to write an adventure for publication. Somehow I never have. :)
(It was going to supplement the in-house Kingmaker campaign. I don't know if it did, but the word was that it was going to.)
-Ben.
Ernest, Wolfgang always suggested Zobeck could go in the River Kingdoms. Alkenstar works for the city if you keep the clockworks and add guns.
--Ship of Fools by TPK Games (gritty horror, screams RC-tie-in)
Thanks for the mention, Endz!
TPK is releasing my "mega"-adventure The Reaping Stone very soon (it's in layout right now). It's for levels 1-6 and takes place in and under a very large port city (which could easily be switched with Magnimar or Absalom).
Also, I have to give a big bold to Under Frozen Stars. It is indeed glorious.
To answer your question:
I fit Tsar (And Rappan Athuk) actually next to the Wold Wound - and made it a secret. How? Essentially, I devised a Mendevian Crusade - that utterly failed (-> Army of Light) - but had it cover up. Rite Publishing introduced a spell that collectively wipes something from memory and documents, but commits it to paper. If said paper is destroyed, the knowledge instantly returns. So the PCs, by chance, destroyed said scroll - and suddenly many know about he desolation, that a whole army's worth of magical items and gold is waiting there - and that the evil there is still at large. Of course, a new crusade is starting to slowly build up - just as Orcus planned... The plus of this approach: PCs as driving force, ignorance is bliss vs. the more you know, unearth a conspiracy, give the PCs a reason to care and explore.
Wait a minute, what spell is this and where can I find it? (rubbing my hands together coming up with an amazing idea for an adventure...)
I would think any our of the Purple Mountain dungeon levels could be used in Golarion if you switch out a couple of gods.
If nautical's the theme, Journey to the West (albeit with Midgard-flavor - though easily converted) and Frog God Games/Necromancer Games Dead Man's Chest (PFRPG-updated via RC-kickstarter - not sure if it can be bought yet...) would help with islands etc. Christina's Beyond the Ghostlight Reef can also be easily converted to Golarion and is worth a look.
Also: Island means you SHOULD check out Horn of Geryon. Best Island-treasure-hunt scenario and easily upgradeable to higher levels.
Also, since the theme's Reavers - Is saving a city of ice from a horde of cannibals sounding good? With extensive Jonathan Roberts cartography? Then Rite Publishing's Breaking of Forstor Nagar is a must have - oh, and the print is drop-dead-beautiful. And it's by Ben "Gold Ennie for Streets of Zobeck-designer/conversion god" McFarland.
If fish out of water scenarios fit the bill, then Rite's Kaidan-series of Japanese Horror modules might be of interest as well.
Also: Do you know Lou Agresta & Nick Logue's Scorned? It's released by FGG under their one-night-stand series.
If Northlands (Vikings and Inuit) are an option, their Northlands Saga is also excellent.
Yes, Dead Man's Chest is now available for download and is a nice improvement over the 3.5 version. I just finished running Scorned and it was pretty good! Had some nice twists. Players commented they could have used some more role playing, but what do you want for a One Night Stand? The wife will be running the Northlands Saga so I have tried to not read it. A Ship of Fools looks definitely interesting, but I have so many options for the Razor's Coast game I am not sure yet what I am going to include and what not. I guess it depends on how the game goes.
@Louis: The spell's name is "Steal the Painful Memory" from Rite's 101 7th level spells. I made a level 9 greater version of it for the purpose of such a big cover up - and yeah, I think that might come in handy for intrigue-laden NeoExodus....
@Mark: Ernest wasn't looking for dungeons, otherwise I would have immediately recommended Purple Mountain.
I also just remembered RiP's Adventure Quarterly #3 - uncommon modules indeed, "new style".
Also, since the theme's Reavers - Is saving a city of ice from a horde of cannibals sounding good? With extensive Jonathan Roberts cartography? Then Rite Publishing's Breaking of Forstor Nagar is a must have - oh, and the print is drop-dead-beautiful. And it's by Ben "Gold Ennie for Streets of Zobeck-designer/conversion god" McFarland.
Thank you for the kind praise, End. :)
But he is right, Breaking is a blast.
-Ben.
Whoops, sorry.
