Which AP for a semi-experience GM to run for a NEW(like, zomg new) group.

[rorek55]

so I have access to get
1. Rise of the RUnelords
2. Wrath of the Righteous
3. Skulls and Shackles
4. King Maker
5. Reign of winter

out of these which would you choose to run for complete newbs into Pen and Paper?

[DM_aka_Dudemeister]

Rise of the Runelords is probably the N00B friendliest, I would put Kingmaker second (just because it's a pretty easy AP, since so many encounters are 1/day).

[Iziak]

I would recommend against Kingmaker (although cool, the kingdom building rules on top of the normal rules could be a bit much, and it may be too open-world for new players to really find a direction). I'd also recommend against Wrath of the Righteous because it uses Mythic rules and again, adding more complication isn't ideal with new players.

I can't say of Reign of Winter or Skull & Shackles, having not played or read through either.

Rise of the Runelords would probably work quite well. Players in it will usually know what their next "goal" is and it uses the base rules without too many additions. It is in many places quite "dungeon-crawley" though, so if that's not to your taste you may wish to consider others.

Hope that helps!

[LazarX]

I would recomend doing the 3 module series that ends in City of Golden Death, or Dragon's Demand and see if the group has the staying power.

[Avatar-1]

With newbies, you're better off running a Pathfinder Society scenario.

First Steps or The Confirmation would be ideal.

[Mister Fluffykins]

If you're dead set on running an AP or a campaign, I'd second the previous recommendation of Rise of the Runelords. I'm running a team of first-time players through it right now, and it's simple enough for them to ease into playing the game (though, poor planning and unlucky critical hits have already killed off three of them before we're even close to Burnt Offering's finale).

Kingmaker is a bad one to start new players off on - in my experience, most new players (and I've introduced thirty something people to the game) need a little more railroading to get into the swing of things. An AP that's so open ended, with mechanics as finicky as the Kingdom Building ones, is just begging for them to be overwhelmed.

[Makarion]

I would argue strongly against Reign of Winter. It is, in my experience, way too deadly for people that don't have a fair bit of system mastery.

[hippster59]

ALthough I agrees that RotRL is the best choice of the ones listed I would be careful with it. I am running through RotRL with a brand new DM right now and there have been multiple near TPK's. The new DM has had trouble recognizing when to scale some of the tougher encounters down due to the complete lack of optimization in our group.

If you can gain access to it I would think Curse of the Crimson Throne would be decent for a group of newer players and DM.