I am about to run Kingmaker for a group of friends and I am am reworking it in a few ways.
-I am setting it in the Land of the Linorm Kings (technically just inside the Irrisini border).
-I am using the reputation system from the LoTLK sourcebook
-I am using the investment rules, updated kingdom building, and updated mass combat rules from Ultimate Campaign
-I wan't to include military and mass combat themes much earlier on in the story than part 5
Any suggestions?
Been a while since I ran Kingmaker.
1. I take it you're running it with Reign of winter happening at the same time? Drawing the attention of the Jadwiga to other problems. Otherwise you'll have the Jadwiga and their forces crushing your starting adventurers.
2. Who is backing this move to take back old Linnorm kings land? You need the starting supply of settlers and material resources to get settlements and farms started.
3. There are Linnorms in the random encounters in the later books of Kingmaker. Which is good, as your groups chosen leader will have to kill one to get the right to call themselves ruler.
4. Book 3, Varnhold vanishing can be changed to have the big bad something the Jadwiga have been keeping asleep, until Reign of winter happens and the forces keeping it down are gone, leaving your adventurers to deal with the problem.
5. Book 4, Blood for blood. Change the Hags to Jadwiga and Armag the twice born to an ancient Ulfen hero resurrected and under the control of the Jadwiga in an attempt to destroy your new kingdom.
6. Book 5, War of the river kings. Pitax gets changed to Irrisen. One of the Jadwiga leading an army on your kingdom. I can't see anyway for the Rushlight tournament to happen in the new setting though.
7. Book 6, Sound of a thousand screams. You would have been replacing the Kingmaker fey with fey native to Irrisen and LOTLK so it could happen nearly the same.
Just a few thoughts to help.
DBH
-I wan't to include military and mass combat themes much earlier on in the story than part 5
Any suggestions?
Check out Dudemeister's RRR rewrite. There's stats there for troll and lizardfolk armies for Hargulka. You can edit them if needed to change to races that would be present in the far north (unlikely to get Lizardfolk there, for example). But they'll give you a good starting point.
And besides, Dude's RRR rewrite is made of awesome.
-I am having it take place during reign of winter, though the events and results of that adventure path will be largely ignored. The only real factor playing into it is that the heralds of summer's return have informed the linorm kings that the Jadwiga are distracted and now is the perfect time to gain a foothold. The kings however, are greedy and reluctant to aid one another in this venture and so it doe snot gain much support. Ultimately they decide to fund a small expedition to a trading post run by a spy for the HOSR, Oleg. If they can establish some sort of stability within the lawless frozen reaches of Irrisen's North Western expanse funding and backing will continue.
-Does anyone know if you HAVE to be Ulfen to be a Linorm King? In addition do you have to kill the Linorm on your own, or can companions and allies aid you?
-Varnhold Vanishing will likely get a massive makeover
-In blood for blood the Barbarian will either be an ancient Ulfen hero or a Kellid Mammoth Lord. The Gorum stuff is going to stay in as its very appropriate.
-I have not yet read part 5 but it will most likely be changed to better reflect Irrisen as an enemy instead of Pitax.
-I have read part 6 and intend to run it largely unchanged. Most of the Fey influence is from the first world so having it not be winter themed is fine. Narissa is way too cool a villain to pass up on and both the land of the linorm kings and Irrisen are fairly close to the first world.
As far as Dudemeister's write up. I like a lot of it and think he has some good ideas, but it does fall flat in some areas for me. I don't like Hargulka being that intelligent (unless a troll is from Kaer Maga I doubt they could understand the concept of cultural genocide, let alone spell it). I will likely use a lot of his rework as influence though and continue to post my own changes here.
So far Stolen Land is very easy to convert and I have only made minor changes.
-Sootscales are now the Rimescales
-Auchs is now an Ulfen called "The OX" and I am using him to test out the Brawler as an enemy
-Froze or removed most rivers
I don't like Hargulka being that intelligent (unless a troll is from Kaer Maga I doubt they could understand the concept of cultural genocide, let alone spell it).
Pity, that was part of the appeal for me.
Granted my Hargulka was a half-dragon on top of it.
It's not stated anywhere that you must be Ulfen to be a Linnorm king.
White Estrid didn't even kill a Linnorm, she claimed her defeated Linnorm as her living ally and rules the Ironbound islands with it beside her.
Opir Eightfingers, ruler of Southmoor showed up with a very decayed Linnorn head, claiming to have defeated it. This got him a kingdom, but there is a lot of talk as to if he really fought a Linnorm?
It's pretty clear that if you have technically defeated a Linnorm, and have enough people who respect you enough to call you King. Then you can be King.
The Ulfen aren't too worried about nobility, they prefer to follow bravery and ability. Plus you'll be taking back lands stolen from them and fighting their hated enemies.
The Player who claims Kingship should have no problems getting followers.
DBH
Worst comes to worst, you can make Ilthuliak into a Tarn Linnorm instead of a Black Dragon.