Module between Books 1 & 2


Rise of the Runelords


Since PCs end Book 1 at level 4, and need to be level 5 as Book 2 starts, I'm going to run a module in between. I'm torn, because "Feast of Ravenmoor" seems like the obvious choice (with some increase in difficulty), but I'm worried the plot will be a little redundant once we get into Book 2. Does anyone have any suggestions?

RPG Superstar 2013 Top 32

I don't have my book with me presently, but I don't remember any glaring discrepancy in levels between book 1 and 2. My suggestion would be to either start book 2 with them at level 4, or just pad out their exp so they hit 5.

Otherwise, if you're sold on a module, Fangwood Keep is for 4th level.


ubiquitous wrote:
I don't have my book with me presently, but I don't remember any glaring discrepancy in levels between book 1 and 2. My suggestion would be to either start book 2 with them at level 4, or just pad out their exp so they hit 5.

Book 1: "CONCLUDING THE ADVENTURE: The PCs should reach 4th level by the conclusion of this chapter."

Book 2: "4TH LEVEL: The PCs should be very close to 5th level when they begin Chapter Two; 5TH LEVEL: The PCs should reach 5th level relatively early in this chapter, perhaps even as soon as they start investigating the first set of clues left by the murderer."

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Otherwise, if you're sold on a module, Fangwood Keep is for 4th level.

Is that geographically adaptable? I can't come up with a compelling reason for them to leave ... or if they do, for them to come back to Sandpoint after.

RPG Superstar 2013 Top 32

Patrick Harris @ MU wrote:


Book 1: "CONCLUDING THE ADVENTURE: The PCs should reach 4th level by the conclusion of this chapter."

Book 2: "4TH LEVEL: The PCs should be very close to 5th level when they begin Chapter Two; 5TH LEVEL: The PCs should reach 5th level relatively early in this chapter, perhaps even as soon as they start investigating the first set of clues left by the murderer."

Right. They don't have to be fifth by the time they start book two.

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Is that geographically adaptable? I can't come up with a compelling reason for them to leave ... or if they do, for them to come back to Sandpoint after.

Actually, come to think of it, I wouldn't do Fangwood Keep, as Book 3 already has a "take back outlying wilderness fort from monsters" bit going for it.


ubiquitous wrote:
Quote:
Book 2: "4TH LEVEL: The PCs should be very close to 5th level when they begin Chapter Two; 5TH LEVEL: The PCs should reach 5th level relatively early in this chapter, perhaps even as soon as they start investigating the first set of clues left by the murderer."
Right. They don't have to be fifth by the time they start book two.

But the murders are the very first event of book two. There's no actual gap there.

RPG Superstar 2013 Top 32

I did a quick skim through book one, adding up all the quest and encounter exp. Got 43275, which is enough to put four PCs up to level five. So, unless your party misses large swathes of book one, you shouldn't need to worry about them hitting level five.


I haven't been using XP, I've just been using the level points noted in the intro. Hence the gap--I wasn't paying attention & we're almost done with Book 1. They're mid-dungeon, so I don't want to level them to 4 now, and even if I do, it'll be one boss fight later that they're five.


In lieu of a module you can run some one off escapades. For instance there's the Wisher's well by Habe's Sanitorium. You can work something in there dealing with the Sanitorium and things going missing, or disturbances there that seem to be coming from the well.

It would give them an introduction to Habe...which in turn would mean they wouldn't need a note of introduction to him at the beginning of Skinsaw and could mesh in nicely with what's to come. There's also the possibility of using the Windsong Abbey as a stop gap. Have the players sent there by Faustus (think that's his name..but seems off for some reason) to track down some potential needed supplies etc. Tie that into an intro of things to come in Skinsaw with talks of rising undead activity that may or may not make its way to Sandpoint.


Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber

Father Zantus is the Priest in Sandpoint.


Zantus...Faustus....ended with "us" anyway haha!

RPG Superstar 2013 Top 32

They could have a short side-quest to track down and defeat the terrifying beast that has haunted Sandpoint for decades: The Sandpoint Devil!

Dark Archive

Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

I'm at this point in the story as well. I'm planning on telling a few stories that I'm interested in talking about, as well as concentrating on telling stories that are prompted by what the PCs want to do.

One of my ideas? Cyrdak Drokkus goes missing, and Sir Jasper is understandably worried. He asks the PCs to try to find him, and bring him home. As they do some investigating, they find that he had become increasingly obsessed with a book that he found out was in the Chopper's possession. While much of his property was destroyed, the book survived the purge, and was sold to a private collector in Magnimar. He tracked the collector down and gained it back - and hasn't been seen since.

The book? A copy of The King in Yellow...


There is a quick little mini-quest printed in an early copy of Wayfinder called "Chopper's Isle" where the PCs investigate the Isle and it ties in well as a side quest during the first book of RotRL. I ran it, and my party had fun with it.

Liberty's Edge

Feast of Ravenmoor is a great module and I heartily endorse it. it is intended for level 3 but you can leave it as is without much of a change in experience for the party since it is not a combat-focused adventure. If you need to scale it you can add a few more cultists to the farmhouse and slap the advanced template on the two enemies at the end and you are good to go.

The party will likely also pass through Ravenmoor later on in the campaign so it might be neat for them to revisit and see how the town has fared since the events of the module.

Dark Archive

Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

Oh yes, "Chopper's Isle" is a great one! I actually ran a depowered version of that during Local Heroes, and it does a pretty good job of setting up what caused Stoot to go mad, and introduce haunts to the group. It was almost a bit too much for my level 1 group, but there were six of them, so they managed.


I did feast of Ravenmoor between the books, and I liked it because it has the same kind of feel as book 2. It also made my PCs very suspicious, so they ended up doing to a lot of extra investigating in book 2, and ran with the red herrings more which was fun for me.

I also added in the short add on (I forget it;s name) about the witch and the inquisitor, it is from Wayfinder 7 just like choppers Isle.

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