Hi folks,
I hope I'll start playing a Paizo AP via Roll20.net soon, and to first get my players and myself somewhat accustomed to the new medium, I was planing to run a single module first.
I would like to let them keep their characters and use them for the long AP after that so A) the module shouldn't necessarily push them higher than Lvl 2 (3 could probably be compensated as well), and B) should possibly somehow make some sense in the context of the following AP.
Could anyone recommend a Module / AP combo that would work, given those parameters?
The APs I would fancy running most are:
-- Rise of the Runelords
-- Curse of the Crimson Throne
-- Second Darkness
-- Legacy of Fire
-- Council of Thieves
...Hehm... turns out, I am not very picky, am I? ;)
And as for the module, whether it's a PF Module, some PFS Scenario or anything else, makes little difference to me at this stage of my planning.
Any input highly welcome. :)
Are any of the APs you like set near Darkmoon Vale, or Taldor by any chance? I don't know the APs or the geography of Golarion very well (obviously) but I have used Hollow's Last Hope as an intro module a couple times. I've enjoyed it so much I went out and bought the region book for Darkmoon Vale. Otherwise the PFS "first steps" modules could work fine. Finally there's Master of the Fallen Fortress that I think is already set in Varisia; I'm pretty sure that's the area of Rise of the Runelords right?
Worst case scenario just make up your own 5-room dungeon and wing it. Good luck man!
Just to make sure, do you know that 3 out the 5 APs you listed are for 3.5 and not for PF?
Just to point this out: most APs start at level 1 and are extremely easy for the first level or so so the party just doesn't flat out die before getting started.
If you do want to run a module before hand then force them to pick NPC classes (Allow adepts to use Wis, Int or Cha for their casting depending on the actual character's end-goals) and allow the PC to level up to level 2. This puts them on par with the CR of a level 1 adventurer.
When they reach level 2 their NPC classes become heroic classes, but they do not actually gain a level.
So,
Level 1 NPC: The module.
Level 2 NPC: The first level's worth of XP for the Adventure Path, treat them as not having any XP and being level 1.
Level 2 and beyond PC: The rest of the adventure path. This will see a boost in power. Do not restrict where they can go as far as changing NPC to PC, but do limit changing Attributes and Feats--you want them building into the character they want to play from the start.
If you are iffy about the Module's difficulty then let them play PC classes for the first level, but have the second level be in an NPC class. At level 2 in the adventure path their NPC level graduates to a PC level.
If it's just to get used to the new medium, I'd run We Be Goblins and follow it up with Rise of the Runelords. They are both set in the same area.
It's not going to matter that We Be Goblins is technically a prequel to Jade Regent. It's a rip-roaring fun module. If you or your players make a mistake or mess something up, you can laugh about the Goblin goofiness of it all.
-Aaron
I ran our new group through Godsmouth Heresy, which is awesome, before embarking on Shattered Star. Going into that they were a mix of 3rd and 4th level (as they had some other adventures in between). Sure, the beginning was fairly easy for them, but it soon evened out and the party were nearly wiped out navigating the last two levels of the dungeon. Sure, I could easily have beefed up the earlier encounters, but was pretty happy with easing them into it. So, my advice would be - I don't think it really matters, just find a scenario you like that fits in with the overall theme of the AP you decide to run. Godsmouth was perfect for us as it introduced the concepts of the Runelords and ancient Thassilonian ruins / magic.
RotRL starts after the PCs get to Sandpoint right? Why not just a simple, 5-room adventure that gets them to Sandpoint? Just make it up.
Background: the party doesn't yet know one another but are part of a caravan of pilgrims and merchants bound for the festival at Sandpoint. Unbeknownst to anyone, one of the other caravan occupants is up to no good! Secretly a witch is trying to smuggle a few mites into the town. The mites in turn are planning to annoy, harass and ultimately bring anarchy to the streets of Sandpoint.
The action begins as the party is ambling along. The mites have grown restless and want to pester someone; they pick the PCs. They use prestidigitation liberally as the crew settles in for the evening: pick up a clod of mud (1lb) and dump it on a PC; use the "soil" function to make another PC's hands look dirty, cause the smoke from the fire to follow one character and annoy them, and of course make all their food super gross tasting. As the party interacts in character have some weird lights show up in the woods: fire beetles. The creatures come crawling out of the woodwork and begin spooking horses. Make them variant fire beetles with the Enraged template (+2 attack and damage, CMB, fort saves, and HP/HD; -2 to AC and Ref saves) but only when they smell offal... then have the mites put that smell on the PCs. So the dungeon looks like this:
Setup: lots of RP and annoyances as the PCs are making camp for the night. Dusk is falling, there is a campfire going and the caravan is in the midst of a copse of trees.
Room 1: Stenchrage Beetle Attack/CR 1
Monster - x3 Stenchrage Beetles. Note; once they appear their fire glands are subtle but flare to brightness and a red color when Enraged; one of the PCs is targeted by mites with a gross smell.
Room 2: Who did that!/CR 1
As the party settles after the Stenchrage Beetle attack, if they don't make their Knowledge: Dungeoneering roll someone in the caravan should explain about the beetles and how odd that was. The party should begin to understand that something's going on here and it's not them. They can do whatever they like to figure it out but all clues should lead back to the witch's traveler wagon.
Room 3: The Witch, the victim?/CR 1
The PCs confront the witch outside the cart but she explains she's only the victim here. She was forced to bring these reprobates along. Now they won't stop unless they get what they want and make it into Sandpoint. Of course, when the party goes to look for the mites they're gone - they've disappeared into the woods and the party has to follow them. Obviously the witch follows because...
Room 4: Battle royale/CR 2
Monsters - x3 mites, x2 Stenchrage Beetles, 1 CN female human witch 1. After following the mites for a few rounds the party is ambushed by the mites and the beetles. The beetles enter melee Entraged; the area reeks from a general smell in the trees. The mites then follow up with ranged attacks - slings, crossbows, javelins or what have you. The witch arrives on round 2 but immediately targets the party with her worst hex and goes from there.
The idea of the fight was to lure the party out here, kill them, then figure a way to smuggle the mites back into the caravan, explaining to the other travelers that the party was killed by their quarry. The witch will try to flee as will the mites; the beetles fight to the death. If the witch flees or is killed, the party can get a little treasure from her body or her wagon, but for the most part they are obligated to hand over the vehicle and animals to the merchant patrons of the caravan. Also the party will be seen with a mixture of gratitude and fear since most of their fellow travelers don't understand what just happened.
Just to make sure, do you know that 3 out the 5 APs you listed are for 3.5 and not for PF?
I know, but I personally am not overly bothered by it.
Just to point this out: most APs start at level 1 and are extremely easy for the first level or so so the party just doesn't flat out die before getting started.
I understand that, but again, nothing I'm too worried about it. Like theneofish described, I would imagine things to even out after a somewhat easy start. I'd probably reduce the amount of XP handed out in the AP to have the PCs at recommended Level by the end of the first book.
@Paz, I'd rather "reserve" Jade Regent for after having played RotRl. Seems to make sense, and I like the "Oh? Really?!" Factor that players get by it.
@theneofish: Yeah, that's sort of what I'm looking for, thank you.
@Itchy: Running We Be Goblins might just work, even though it takes out the "keep your char" factor. One COULD possibly even needle the "used" Gobos into the first book of RotRl, to make up for that.
@Mark Hoover: Thanks those are some valuable ideas. I think I'm builing a bit of a list here, neat.
I understand that, but again, nothing I'm too worried about it. Like theneofish described, I would imagine things to even out after a somewhat easy start. I'd probably reduce the amount of XP handed out in the AP to have the PCs at recommended Level by the end of the first book.
Don't bother reducing the XP, it isn't worth it to deal with it. The amount of XP required each level to get to the next almost makes the extra XP from the previous levels inconsequential. You could switch too the "slow" experience model until they are level appropriate, but, as stated, it isn't a requirement.
By the end of the AP they might be 1 or 2 levels higher than they should be, but in the grand scheme of things that isn't all that important since the sheer power of magic can almost always offset a level difference. Hold person is equally effective on a level 1 person who fails his saving throw as a level 20 person who fails his saving throw, and in the case of the latter he only has a greater chance of not being coup de graced the next round via breaking out of the hold in time.The Godsmouth Heresy is in the Tibetan Pleateu, and Second Darkness starts in India, I mean they both start in Varisa. It is completely possible that PCs could travel from Godsmouth in Kaer Maga to Riddleport.
I am playing through Second Darkness right now, it isn't half bad. Assassin Vines are bullshit and Harpies are horribly designed by the developers, but these are only modest gripes on my part.
RotRL starts after the PCs get to Sandpoint right? Why not just a simple, 5-room adventure that gets them to Sandpoint? Just make it up.
I like the idea of starting RotRl with a little "starter", and thank you a lot for the work you did there. I can't really come up with a good motivation for the witch to smuggle the mites into Sandpoint. And, especially if the witch should flee, and make a re-appearance later, I'd much like to have a reason.
Can you think of something?
Why not have the witch be part of [REDACTED]'s crew and be smuggling goblins instead?
Well yes DM Boka, there's that, but I figured the witch could be an alternate plotline completely separate from the goblin thing. The initial reason why the party is going to Sandpoint is the Swallowtail Festival right? Well, there's gotta be more than one person that wants to crash this event.
Mylevalent Hagsdottir has ever hated the city of Sandpoint. They spurned her when they learned the source of her power, misunderstanding fools. They even claimed that her family connection to the Late Unpleasantness made her a pariah of the town and gave her a choice; leave of her own and never return, or face a burning pyre.
Now it's been a year. She's learned to harness the powers whispered to her from her vermin familiar. Through her familiar's guidance she's even found others it responds to: mites. Creatures of the fey who hate the town as much as she does with their own hidden reasons. Now she's returning to show them what real power is. The Swallowtail Festival this year will end in a burning, but it'll not be at the magistrate's hands...
Run We Be Goblins, modify the purpose of the raid a bit, the PCs are going to get great fire weapons for a mighty raid on Sandpoint. Then run Rise of the Runelords.
LEGACY OF FIRE starts with an outstanding intro setpiece. Do check it out.
LEGACY OF FIRE starts with an outstanding intro setpiece. Do check it out.
You mean...
Yeah, if I run RotRL I'd like to stay off Goblins as adversaries in the intro. There's enough of those buggers later on. ;)
Right now it looks more likely we'll do Second Darkness, Legacy of Fire or Serpent's Skull anyway. :)
Serpent's Skull has one of the finest first modules -- no, probably *the* finest first module of any AP...
Hadn't thought of it from that angle yet, very true. Now, that will make life easier for me IF my group decides to go with SS for an AP. :D
LEGACY OF FIRE starts with an outstanding intro setpiece. Do check it out.You mean...
** spoiler omitted **
I mean
:)