Exactly what it says in the title. I'm running a Way of the Wicked campaign and have been tossing around the idea of turning it into a Mythic Adventure Path. Making the PCs into the stuff of truly legendary villainy. Since the AP has the players serving a dark god pretty directly I think I'll have plenty of places to logically give the PCs Mythic Ranks, but I'm still not 100% convinced that it's worth taking on the extra complexity, how many Mythic Ranks I'd want to add, or where I would put all the Mythic trials.
So, that said, what do all of y'all think? I'm happy to take opinions on why this is, or isn't, a good idea, where good places to put Mythic Trials are, how many ranks to go up to, potential trouble spots if you see any, or just miscellaneous opinions. Thanks in advance for the ideas and opinions!
I also had the idea, haven't quite worked out the details, but I'd say their moment of ascension would be either when they sign the Pact of Thorns, or after they defeat the knight in Thorns nine trials (if you go with the first, I recommend letting them reach mythic rank 2 by the time they reach the Balentyne, and hit rank 3 before or after they cause the watch wall to fall)
If you can wait, I would suggest saving their rising to Mythic status as part of completing the ritual at the end of the second book. It's the first really impressive moment after all, and their mythic power becomes something they've earned for themselves. Getting it in book one would probably feel a bit rushed and maybe anticlimactic.
I can't really see Thorn giving minions Mythic power, after all, or imagine Asmodeus just handing it out to the members of the Knots just because they signed on with Thorn.
If you can wait, I would suggest saving their rising to Mythic status as part of completing the ritual at the end of the second book. It's the first really impressive moment after all, and their mythic power becomes something they've earned for themselves. Getting it in book one would probably feel a bit rushed and maybe anticlimactic.
I can't really see Thorn giving minions Mythic power, after all, or imagine Asmodeus just handing it out to the members of the Knots just because they signed on with Thorn.
True, but I meant it in a symbolic sense, the ninth knot was (as Thorn planned it) meant to be the most elite and capable of the knots. Extra bonus for the ninth of nine, with Asmodeus ruling the ninth level of hell.
Adding it in book one seems off to me. Completing the ritual in book 2 would be a fitting place to start. If you must use it in book 1, the lantern archon gestalt could be rebuilt as a rank 1 creature. Its destruction and the desecration of that temple would then be the act that unlocks mythic.
Useful touchstones for trials (if you're mythic at the end of Book 1)
plots from later books:
Book 2
The the death / sacrifice of the inquisitor.
The treant guardian if upgraded with a mythic rank or 2
The ritual's end in book 2.
Book 3
The destruction of multiple celestials in the attack on the Vale.
The true death of the phoenix.
Extinguishing all three flames of mitra.
Killing Ara Mathra, the Angels in Iron, and / or the Cloud giant.
Book 4
Desecrating the Catheral of Mitra in Daveryn
Killing the Lord of Eagles (add 3 or 4 mythic ranks depending on the party)
The final destruction of the demilich in the copper dragon's hoard.
Not sure if "just" killing the copper dragon is enough to count as a trial. Certainly if the party kills him with on or more of his consorts present if should count.
Reassembling Helbrand should definitely count, it takes you all book 4 to do it.
Killing the king, while important to the plot, should not be a trial in my opinion.
I have not run Books 5 yet, we start it next week. I'm sure there are good spots you could add trials or modify encounters I overlooked. Remember, these are not supposed to be just challenging. Mythic Trials should feel different from other fights. Unusual circumstances, direct divine (or more likely Infernal) intervention, or powerful magic should be present. Adding a rank or tier to the existing cast that our villains cut down goes a long way to letting the players know "Hey, this isn't a normal paladin."
Thanks for the advice so far! I was thinking of having them gain a mythic tier after the Nine Lessons (expanded from their present incarnation into something more mythic), but I am reconsidering now as that could be a little anti-climatic. I don't want to wait until the very end of book 2 for the PCs to become Mythic, though I agree that the ritual is certainly a great place to add a tier. I'd like them to end book 1 mythic with 1 tier which would roughly put the Way of the Wicked AP on the same track as the Wrath of the Righteous campaign (which I really, really want to read but also really, really want to play, curse you non-infinite time!), ending book one at level 6 tier 1 and continuing to level 20 tier 10 over the next 5 books (though I may stop short of tier 10, still up in the air).
I like the idea of adding Mythic tiers to the leader at the Watch Wall, I have thought of making the Watch Wall more than just a physical barrier but something mythic itself. Perhaps placed along a layline, blessed by a god, hardened by the sacrifices of it's defenders, or whatever. With that addition the burning of Balentyne and the breaking of the Watch Wall would be a suitable evil Mythic act in opposition. The PCs (and Sakkarot too that's a great idea!) would become Mythic then right at the end of book 1 with that act.
Love the mythic trial ideas James, thank you! I definitely want to make sure that Mythic gets added in to the various heroes and entities the heroes cut through along the way, and especially that the trials feel suitably mythic and not just like every other fight with a little extra power.
It didn't occur to me about using the breaking of the wall itself to be the trigger for mythic.
I'm picturing the leader having an amulet that is his badge of office. The PC's need to use it to open the gate (some kind of alignment detection spell prevents evil people from just opening the door). The PC's kill the paladin, take the amulet, and use that to force open the door. The gates explode in a burst of light leaving our villains forever changed.
Thorn could not have foreseen that kind of power going to anyone (that isn't him of course). That could further explaining his actions later.
Yeah, that could be one way. There could also be a magical keystone that can only be broken after the death of the leader, or perhaps it's the combined will of the defenders that breaks if the PCs do enough to weaken them. I'll play around with the specifics more. Perhaps even the wall breaking doesn't trigger their mythic power, rather Asmodeus himself sends the power as a reward for his newest knot. So many ways to potentially take it, and in all cases Thorn doesn't anticipate and surely doesn't like the fact that the PCs have gained such power.
