I'm creating this thread to help answer questions about the Rise of the Drow trilogy by my company Adventureaweek.com (now AAW GAMES).
Some folks have voiced concern over the vague description of our adventure as posted on Paizo.com. We're in the process of revising this so that GMs can get the feel for the adventure without giving away too much to players.
Regarding expanded content: This book can also be used as a setting in and of itself to launch other adventures in Aventyr's Underworld. Enough expanded material is provided to run a campaign in the Fungi Forest alone (world's biggest mushroom forest).
Please feel free to ask any questions you wish. If I can answer them I will or will have another member of our team hop in to elaborate when needed. If you have a question about the prologue, epilogue, player's guide, or encounter deck post them here as well; if those comments grow we'll start new threads where necessary encapsulating the previous posts for reference by other readers.
Respectfully,
-Jonathan
I apologize in advance for necro'ing this thread... I will try to be as succinct as possible.
To provide some context to my situation:
* I am still a new GM (but have played several paizo campaigns) and gearing up to run a RotD campaign
* I am not fully familiar with AAW's offerings and was only introduced to this setting when I jumped into the Kickstarter
* I do not have any Underworld Adventures materials other than what was bought during the Kickstarter (Prologue, Main Campaign, Epilogue, Player's Guide, Underworld Races: Ahool)
* I have not read all of this material cover-to-cover yet, but have paged through looking for the guidance that seems to be missing
Running this campaign has already hit a major snag. Hopefully you can help answer some basic startup questions that need to be answered from both a player and a GM standpoint.
1. What are the suggested races for PC's? The Player's Guide provides some teaser information and even goes as far as to suggest "Players are encouraged to create PCs using the species in Underworld Races for use in the adventure path", but it doesn't provide contextual information as to why players would be encouraged in that direction or what level of relevance/interaction the PC's will have with the campaign by choosing one of the Underworld Races versus an Upperworld Race.
Unless I missed it, I didn't catch any notes indicating "players can certainly play as X, but it will potentially make things difficult" or "while Underworld Races are all playable, it doesn't make sense in the context of this campaign for players to be of those races".
When I brought up Rise of the Drow to my playgroup, at least two players immediately started asking about playing as a Drow or even a Drow Noble...
2. As a follow-up to #1, would my players 'miss out' on immersion by not playing as an Underworld Race? Looking at the AAW website, there are quite a few Underworld Races, each with their own splat book. Beyond the potential of missing out on immersion, would I as a GM find myself struggling to connect dots or provide information for Knowledge checks throughout the campaign if I do not have access to all of this race information?
3. The Prologue suggests that the easiest way to place the PC's in Rybalka is by plying through AAW modules A0-A2. While A0 was included with the RotD kickstarter pack, A1 and A2 were not. Popping open A0, that module has a lot more of an explanation as to "Why are the PC's here?" in it than The Darkness Arrives. My concern in gathering A0/A1/A2 and playing through those in order to get to TDA is that those modules take the PC's from Levels 1-3, which is the same leveling path that was built in TDA. So I would either have to scale up TDA, which would scale the rest of the adventure up, or let 3rd level PC's power through content in TDA that's designed for 1st level PC's.
I already intend to read through all of the material that I have at least 2-3 times and take notes on NPC's, lore, and important plot information, but my concern is that I'm going to need to throw together 'house rule' information to get my players started.
I'm also a little concerned about the possible mounting cost to make this campaign happen. Beyond the initial investment in the campaign books, if it turns out that the Underworld Races and Classes books are needed then I will have to spend quite a few more dollars to get a campaign started that I won't even know that everyone will like.
4. What are the suggested classes for the PC's?
5. What deities/domains/etc are used in this campaign setting? The players guide mentions Balir and Mistress of the North Wind... but I have no information on those or any others.
Possible extra costs:
A1/A2=$5
Underworld Races=~$54
Underworld Classes=~$30
Guidance would be greatly appreciated.
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1. What are the suggested races for PC's? The Player's Guide provides some teaser information and even goes as far as to suggest "Players are encouraged to create PCs using the species in Underworld Races for use in the adventure path", but it doesn't provide contextual information as to why players would be encouraged in that direction or what level of relevance/interaction the PC's will have with the campaign by choosing one of the Underworld Races versus an Upperworld Race.
Unless I missed it, I didn't catch any notes indicating "players can certainly play as X, but it will potentially make things difficult" or "while Underworld Races are all playable, it doesn't make sense in the context of this campaign for players to be of those races".
Any of the Paizo races should have a good time in the Underworld, particularly those with darkvision.When I brought up Rise of the Drow to my playgroup, at least two players immediately started asking about playing as a Drow or even a Drow Noble...
We're happy to help!
The basics for the Underworld Races races are all free to view on the website (which I see you noticed!), so you don't have to pick up the line (or have a subscription) to make use of them (though if you want the other several pages of class options, feats, magic items, equipment, spells, etc., you'll want a subscription or the PDF in question). Each Underworld Race PDF has ample information about how adventurers of that species interact with the rest of Aventyr, so there's the information you are referring to -- obviously I'm going to be treated differently as a drow than I would be as a human, right, and the dweorg are likely to be friendlier to one of their own (though if you're a gitwerc, that's another matter entirely - check the PDF!).The drow books have some great stuff in them and I strongly recommend both if you've got a noble (I am still very much enamored to the Master of the Web, but Mistress of the Web is probably most applicable for a noble). Here are Paizo's rules for drow noble characters.
2. As a follow-up to #1, would my players 'miss out' on immersion by not playing as an Underworld Race? Looking at the AAW website, there are quite a few Underworld Races, each with their own book. Beyond the potential of missing out on immersion, would I as a GM find myself struggling to connect dots or provide information for Knowledge checks throughout the campaign if I do not have access to all of this race information?
I wrote the entire Underworld Classes & Races lines after development on Rise of the Drow was wrapping up and while they integrate (quite well, I'd say!) with the adventure path, having them is certainly not required. I think you'll get more out of the game if you've got a hoyrall or funglet around and that it will absolutely positively enhance everyone's experience, but by no means is it necessary for you to do so.
3. The Prologue suggests that the easiest way to place the PC's in Rybalka is by plying through AAW modules A0-A2. While A0 was included with the RotD kickstarter pack, A1 and A2 were not. Popping open A0, that module has a lot more of an explanation as to "Why are the PC's here?" in it than The Darkness Arrives. My concern in gathering A0/A1/A2 and playing through those in order to get to TDA is that those modules take the PC's from Levels 1-3, which is the same leveling path that was built in TDA. So I would either have to scale up TDA, which would scale the rest of the adventure up, or let 3rd level PC's power through content in TDA that's designed for 1st level PC's.
I've notified another of the AaW crew better qualified to handle that question. :)
As for additional, hidden costs - don't worry. You can get a huge value out of only the Rise of the Drow core book and don't need the prologues, epilogues, or accompanying class/race product lines. These are enhancements, not critical structural pieces to the adventure path.
4. What are the suggested classes for the PC's?
Any of the core or base classes (or, obviously, the Underworld classes!) should be great. I wouldn't leave home without a healer and somebody dapper with the wilderness.
5. What deities/domains/etc are used in this campaign setting? The players guide mentions Balir and Mistress of the North Wind... but I have no information on those or any others.
There's a deities page for AaW subscribers, but from my recollection of the series the only god that plays a particularly large role is Naranaeus (who gets a pretty fair amount of detail in the end of RotD and the epilogue).
Possible extra costs:
A1/A2=$5
Underworld Races=~$54
Underworld Classes=~$30
Just want to emphasize this points so it comes across clearly: none of these books are required to play through Rise of the Drow, they are all products made to enhance the adventure path - in the same way that I can play through Rise of the Runelords without picking up all of the companion products for it. :)
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Let's see what I can help answer here...
1. A00/A01/A02 - While this will take your PCs from levels 1-3 they are going to need the boost. The section of Rise of the Drow Prologue: The Darkness Arrives written by Steve Helt is a bit brutal and I've heard that most parties lost between 1-3 party members when working through that stretch (part 2 of the prologue). If they are level 2 or 3 it will increase their chances of survival while still allowing you to beef up encounters (by adding more enemies) if you so wish. Plus by playing through the earlier modules they will learn more about the region, make some friends, and find places to obtain equipment or information.
2. The Underworld Races & Classes books are not needed to play any books in the Rise of the Drow series. Players running one of these characters will have an advantage though as they are more properly suited to a life underground.
3. Most of the extra materials you are looking for are already included in Rise of the Drow. In the table of contents (main book) you'll find an entry for the dweorg god Balir and the drow god Naraneus. All the information on those deities is already contained within the core Rise of the Drow hardback.
4. If you want access to more deities, Vikmordere Valley locations, maps, races, classes, etc. simply subscribe to AdventureAWeek.com for $10 a month. You'll also get 2 free PDF downloads per month with your subscription so you can easily knock out any A-series adventures or Underworld Races & Classes you would like to obtain!
Hope this helps answer any loose questions. If it doesn't please feel free to post again. I'm more than happy to help!
-Jonathan G. Nelson
Owner/Publisher
AAW Games
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To provide some context to my situation:
* I am still a new GM (but have played several paizo campaigns) and gearing up to run a RotD campaign
* I am not fully familiar with AAW's offerings and was only introduced to this setting when I jumped into the Kickstarter
* I do not have any Underworld Adventures materials other than what was bought during the Kickstarter (Prologue, Main Campaign, Epilogue, Player's Guide, Underworld Races: Ahool)
* I have not read all of this material cover-to-cover yet, but have paged through looking for the guidance that seems to be missing
Long time DM here (since late 1980's). I have the three adventures only from AAW. I am running this at my home table, and on line as a PbP.
1. What are the suggested races for PC's? The Player's Guide provides some teaser information and even goes as far as to suggest "Players are encouraged to create PCs using the species in Underworld Races for use in the adventure path", but it doesn't provide contextual information as to why players would be encouraged in that direction or what level of relevance/interaction the PC's will have with the campaign by choosing one of the Underworld Races versus an Upperworld Race.
Unless I missed it, I didn't catch any notes indicating "players can certainly play as X, but it will potentially make things difficult" or "while Underworld Races are all playable, it doesn't make sense in the context of this campaign for players to be of those races".When I brought up Rise of the Drow to my playgroup, at least two players immediately started asking about playing as a Drow or even a Drow Noble...
At home, 4 players all human. Fighter, Sorcerer, Druid with Tyrannosaurus companion, and a Monk.
PbP, 6 players, 2 dwarves, 1 halfling, 1 elf, 1 half-orc, 1 human. Fighter, Paladin, Ranger, Cleric, Druid and Sorcerer.
2. As a follow-up to #1, would my players 'miss out' on immersion by not playing as an Underworld Race? Looking at the AAW website, there are quite a few Underworld Races, each with their own splat book. Beyond the potential of missing out on immersion, would I as a GM find myself struggling to connect dots or provide information for Knowledge checks throughout the campaign if I do not have access to all of this race information?
I am not finding that they are missing anything, and neither do the players.
3. The Prologue suggests that the easiest way to place the PC's in Rybalka is by plying through AAW modules A0-A2.
I started the home and PbP campaign with THIS post. Got them to Rybalka and the start of the adventure.
4. What are the suggested classes for the PC's?
This is really a depends on how you set it up. I let my guys have any two traits from any Paizo source, and suggested Seeker (perception as class skill) and Trap Finder (from Mummys Mask Players Guide, giving Disable Device as class skill). The Monk took it in my home game, and the Ranger took it in the PbP game. This way all the bases are covered, Warrior, Divine, Arcane and Skill. For the home game, I am creating Miah's cousin Gnok as an Oracle of Life who will be the Darklands guide and healer for the group since they are somewhat weak in that area.
5. What deities/domains/etc are used in this campaign setting?
I am using the standard Pathfinder / Golorian deities.
The only other book that I am using is the Pathfinder Chronicles "Into the Darklands" which gives some nice background and flavor HERE, but I have had that for a long time.
-- david
If you have any other questions post here, and I will try and give you advice / answers.
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Wow, when it rains it pours! Thank you all for putting together this wealth of information! I'm going to compile all of this (and the notes from the product thread) and put my prep work into full swing.
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I have officially made it through my first full read-through of The Darkness Arrives and begun referencing/notating places/people/etc from the main Rise of the Drow book. I have some new questions and a request for input on some of the notes I've put together for the PC's as a supplement to the official player's guide.
Question 1:
Are there stat blocks somewhere for Myharl Gryphonwind, Goldsneezer, Gregor Hawthorne, Thyron Warstriker, Sven Silvermane, Miah, and Alexandria Galekin? As yet I've only found information on their alignment/class+class level/race.
Question 2:
I am trying to come up with some campaign traits and/or feats that the players can pick up as part of character building to create more initial immersion (or I may provide them as rewards for particularly well-done character bios). However... I'm drawing a blank. Any suggestions? Worst case I figure on throwing together some traits that give bonus class skills, but I'm trying to avoid doing anything that feels overdone. I would love to have tie-ins to races/places, but without all of the source material I am limited.
Question 3:
I've thrown together 10 possible reasons for the PC's to be in / heading to Rybalka. Just looking for a review on whether or not these are workable, and asking if there are any others that can be offered to PC's as suggestions.
1. You wanted to make a living hunting, fishing, or mining
2. You heard of the evil lurking in Dark Wood and wanted to make a name for yourself in vanquishing it.
3. You heard rumors of a mysterious glowing magic rock that hte High Priest presents to his congregation every year during the longest night of the year.
4. You had a relative who was skilled in masonry and construction that came to this area around 8 years ago and never returned. It's high time you found out why.
5. You happened to be traveling this direction while following one of your life goals and decided to take shelter in town when the nights started growing darker and ominously dangerous.
6. Your chartered ship came to port here, ending your original journey short due to ice floes blocking your travel path.
7. You are researching an obscure topic and hope that Sage Yuri has a book in his library containing your answers.
8. You are a historian and want to hear firsthand accounts of the Klavekian takeover of the townw. Perhaps you want to seek out Quorron.
9. You have a particular hatred for Vikmoredere for one reason or another and are hoping to find some to kill in this region. Maybe the townsfolk saw some?
10. You have a hobby of exploring abandoned forts/castles and read that there were two in this area--Krelgar Keep and Adrik's Folly.
Question 4:
I am trying to edit the official Rise of the Drow Player's guide to redact certain sections, but my digital copy is very locked down. Is there a download available without all of these protections on it or can I email you my document with the redaction requests on it and you approve and mail it back? I'm trying to redact all of the text on classes/races that I don't have source books for, as well as the "Recent Events" section on page 11 (which only applies directly to Rise of the Drow, it basically sums up the prequel that the PC's are starting in, which will be confusing to them). I really don't want to have to take the low-tech route of printing it, marking it with a sharpie, and scanning it just to block sections...
Question 1:
Are there stat blocks somewhere for Myharl Gryphonwind, Goldsneezer, Gregor Hawthorne, Thyron Warstriker, Sven Silvermane, Miah, and Alexandria Galekin? As yet I've only found information on their alignment/class+class level/race.
No there isn't. I used the stat blocks from the NPC Codex (the online version of the PRD), except for Miah and I created him as a Paladin (instead of Fighter) and made him 6th level which is when the PCs met him.
Question 2:
I am trying to come up with some campaign traits and/or feats that the players can pick up as part of character building to create more initial immersion (or I may provide them as rewards for particularly well-done character bios). However... I'm drawing a blank. Any suggestions?
I allowed any campaign trait from any Paizo AP, plus one other regular "basic" trait.
Question 3:
I've thrown together 10 possible reasons for the PC's to be in / heading to Rybalka. Just looking for a review on whether or not these are workable, and asking if there are any others that can be offered to PC's as suggestions.
No other suggestions, but I used #3 only for my guys. See the "opening" post of my PbP that I had in my last response to you.
Question 4:
I did not get the players guide, so that is something AAW will have to answer.
-- david
Another question! How do Liavous-Infused Materials interact with the Daylight spell?
They should behave exactly as any other items would, though you could certainly make a good case for them changing the color of the light that shines out!
This would be purely cosmetic however, and wouldn't have any impact on the spell from a mechanical standpoint.
Well the issue specifically with the Liavous-Infused Materials is that they lose their adamantine-esque properties if exposed to sunlight. So the question is if the daylight spell mimics sunlight well enough to ruin the items.
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The daylight spell is not actual sunlight but sunbeam or sunburst could potentially destroy the items (ultimately up to the GM). Really the way the text reads is as follows:
"If items infused with liavous crystal are taken above ground into sunlight they permanently lose all of their properties..."
So if you want to be specific you could say that in order to lose their properties the items need both of these things to happen together:
1. Be above ground
2. Be exposed to sunlight
Just like any rule it's up to the GM how they wish to handle the situation.
-Jonathan
I found the NPC resource you were asking about for Rise of the Drow. It was never released because soon after it was assembled Joshua Gullion (our friend, PDF/Print layout professional, and contributor to Rise of the Drow) fell deathly ill and departed our world. Through the mourning of his passing some things fell to the wayside and were forgotten.
Here is a link to download this Rise of the Drow NPC resource for free. It was never fully completed and is missing a cover but most everything you need is there. My apologies for losing track of this aspect of the project.
-Jonathan G. Nelson
AAW Games
The daylight spell is not actual sunlight but sunbeam or sunburst could potentially destroy the items (ultimately up to the GM). Really the way the text reads is as follows:
"If items infused with liavous crystal are taken above ground into sunlight they permanently lose all of their properties..."
So if you want to be specific you could say that in order to lose their properties the items need both of these things to happen together:
1. Be above ground
2. Be exposed to sunlightJust like any rule it's up to the GM how they wish to handle the situation.
-Jonathan
Well color me embarrassed about not fully reviewing the daylight spell prior to posting, but knowing about the sunbeam/sunburst spells is definitely a good note. I think I'll note it that a failed save against spells such as those will either remove the special properties from the item, or give the item its own save at that point.
2. Traits and feats - well, there are a few "bred and lived in the wilds"-type traits that seem best suited for in and around Rybalka, such as:
That is a great list! Thank you so much for that. I was starting to build my own list of 'suggested' traits including the ones that DM Papa.DRB mentioned earlier, but having traits suggested by the writers is fantastic.
3. As for being in Rybalka, or any other place like it, you have a great list!
Thank you! I am adding your information/suggestion into the list and my description of the town to help the players with immersion.
4. I'll check with Jonathan about this.
I would definitely appreciate that. Though it's not a big deal currently; I actually managed to rig up a way to redact the text that I needed to, but the process made some of the other text (mainly the credits and authors section) difficult to read. I'd rather not share the document for reading without all of the credits fully legible.
I found the NPC resource you were asking about for Rise of the Drow. It was never released because soon after it was assembled Joshua Gullion (our friend, PDF/Print layout professional, and contributor to Rise of the Drow) fell deathly ill and departed our world. Through the mourning of his passing some things fell to the wayside and were forgotten.
Here is a link to download this Rise of the Drow NPC resource for free. It was never fully completed and is missing a cover but most everything you need is there. My apologies for losing track of this aspect of the project.
No worries about the NPC resource; I'd say as far as reasons go, that's a pretty solid one (as well as tragic). I truly appreciate that you are offering that document even in an unfinished state (which makes me feel like I'm receiving a developer copy, kinda cool feeling). If a 'finished' copy becomes available, I would love to update my local resource with it, but in the meantime this pdf is more than sufficient for those stat blocks.