After a long absence from gaming I have started playing PF for the past year and am really enjoying it. I have decided to give GMing a go for our group when the current campaign wraps up, within the next couple of months.
I had thrown out the idea of Way of the Wicked and the group seemed excited about it. It looks to present an engaging story within a framework that seems to try and prevent the "I backstab my Cleric" situations I remember from my junior high evil campaigns.
So I had pretty much decided on WotW until I received my hardback anniversary copy of RotRL and started reading that. It seems like a great AP and now I am really torn between which to run.
I obviously want an AP that will be fun for both myself and the players. If one is drastically more complex than the other I would probably avoid that since i have not GMed since the mid 80s(gasp!).
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They are both awesome, so presumably your question is actually which one you should run first :)
I am currently running Way of the Wicked. We have just finished Book 1.
So far, it has been a lot of fun. The story is very good, and the PCs have enjoyed it as a nice change of pace from our usual adventures.
However, the final part is quite open-ended and free-form, so I found it quite challenging to run. Basically, the PCs decided that causing trouble in town would advance their goals, but the town itself is described only in very vague terms. I had to make up NPCs and buildings on the fly, invent a town guard and decide what the response of the authorities would be to the PCs actions.
We also had to decide upon the level of Evil that we were happy with. The PCs have done some bad stuff, but it has all been at least slightly related to their overall goals, and we tend to skip the gory details.
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It really all depends on what type of game you and your players want to play.
I'm currently running a WoTW campaign and have run/played in a RoRL and they are two completely different kinds of game.
If you think your players will prefer a more action oriented reactive game with little downtime and a more linear plot then RoTRL is probably best for you. As awesome as the AP is, there are few options for your players to run it off the rails. Great for new or unsure GM's to get their feet wet and forgiving for less creative players.
WoTW is more of a pro-active type of game. The players are given a general goal and a framework of what needs to be done but all the details are left to their imagination. It's awesome if you have a group that likes to go it's own way or likes to take their time with the planning.
Both are probably the best AP's out there so you can't go wrong with either, it's just what type of players/GM you have.
It really all depends on what type of game you and your players want to play.
I'm currently running a WoTW campaign and have run/played in a RoRL and they are two completely different kinds of game.If you think your players will prefer a more action oriented reactive game with little downtime and a more linear plot then RoTRL is probably best for you. As awesome as the AP is, there are few options for your players to run it off the rails. Great for new or unsure GM's to get their feet wet and forgiving for less creative players.
WoTW is more of a pro-active type of game. The players are given a general goal and a framework of what needs to be done but all the details are left to their imagination. It's awesome if you have a group that likes to go it's own way or likes to take their time with the planning.
Both are probably the best AP's out there so you can't go wrong with either, it's just what type of players/GM you have.
Hmmm...interesting. I was a little apprehensive about RotRL looking at the combats in the last book. Then again having only read book 1 of WotW, I imagine the final combats in book 6 would be complex as well.
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Hmmm...interesting. I was a little apprehensive about RotRL looking at the combats in the last book. Then again having only read book 1 of WotW, I imagine the final combats in book 6 would be complex as well.It really all depends on what type of game you and your players want to play.
I'm currently running a WoTW campaign and have run/played in a RoRL and they are two completely different kinds of game.If you think your players will prefer a more action oriented reactive game with little downtime and a more linear plot then RoTRL is probably best for you. As awesome as the AP is, there are few options for your players to run it off the rails. Great for new or unsure GM's to get their feet wet and forgiving for less creative players.
WoTW is more of a pro-active type of game. The players are given a general goal and a framework of what needs to be done but all the details are left to their imagination. It's awesome if you have a group that likes to go it's own way or likes to take their time with the planning.
Both are probably the best AP's out there so you can't go wrong with either, it's just what type of players/GM you have.
You have no idea how complicated high level combats get especially in these 2 AP's. One of them has a 3 way boss fight with I believe it's 4 different CR20 opponents in the middle of a battlefield with up to 20,000 soldiers duking it out around the PC's.
All high level combats look insane when you see them cold but as you work your way to them and prep for them it's not that bad. Lots of moving parts and time consuming but doable. The really complicated parts of the game is keeping track of the craziness your PC's come up with. THAT'S what makes it a nightmare to rule on.
Karzoug is an awesome fight.
"You are correct, inconsequential wretch. And as a reward I will permit you to name any one household in your community. That household shall be yours, the people who own it your sevants, their children and possessions yours to do with as you please.
However, never forget: In the end, everything in this realm belongs to me, and me alone!"
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"You are correct, inconsequential wretch. And as a reward I will permit you to name any one household in your community. That household shall be yours, the people who own it your sevants, their children and possessions yours to do with as you please.
However, never forget: In the end, everything in this realm belongs to me, and me alone!"
Thank you Master. I Claim House Surtova as my own and all that it owns. May my house ever be at the service of the one true Runelord until I or my house be Claimed to further the Master's needs.
I am Dmi'ing WOW.
They are in the middle of book 2. It has some strong points. As has been said, some of it is a little vauge.
It depends on the players. For the most part, they have embraced the oppurtunity for "just this once" to be the bad guys.
They are at the "dungeon keeper" part of the game, it should be fun!
I am playing in the RotRL. We are about to start book 3. I have the Way of the Wicked adventures but I have not read them yet (in case I play).
I have some advice for playing evil characters (or any character for that matter): make a meta-rule that the PCs will never go against each other. No party fights, and in fact, they are all loyal to each other when it comes down to it. Sure, some rivalry is fine, but outright contention is destructive to the game.
If a character has a problem with that meta-rule, that character needs to leave the party, maybe become a NPC. If a player has a problem with that meta-rule, sorry but you are not welcome at the gaming table. You can watch and hang out, but you will not be gaming with us. This is a group activity and we need to remember that none of us are more important than the others.
With that rule you can play the most downright evil party and have fun with it. I know because I have done so many times. You can be the villain in a party of heroes. Or a hero in the party of villains. The game will move forward and you will all have fun.
Played both. Lots of fun.
Both APs have their shaky parts.
ROTRL was Paizo's first. Every module was written by someone else. That tells. Maybe the aniversary edition fixes some of that. But... not too hard on the GM.
WotW so far has had part 2 - defence of the dungeon - and part 3 - mega battle galore - both a bit out of the ordinary. Much fun but much harder on the GM. Being lawful (!) evil is so much fun with all the infighting and political positioning. And sacrificing of commoners.
So both are fun fun fun.
Way of the Wicked and Rise of the Runelords are both good adventures.
Rise of the Runelords should be fairly straightforward, and easy to run.
Way of the Wicked is great, but.. players need to be pro-active, and you as GM need to go over everything like 110% to make sure you understand everything, and no gaps are left open. As you progress thru the books, depending on the group, you could find yourself with alot of paperwork extra.
Way of the Wicked and Rise of the Runelords are both good adventures.
Rise of the Runelords should be fairly straightforward, and easy to run.
Way of the Wicked is great, but.. players need to be pro-active, and you as GM need to go over everything like 110% to make sure you understand everything, and no gaps are left open. As you progress thru the books, depending on the group, you could find yourself with alot of paperwork extra.
Not to mention legal contracts :-)
Not to mention legal contracts :-)Way of the Wicked and Rise of the Runelords are both good adventures.
Rise of the Runelords should be fairly straightforward, and easy to run.
Way of the Wicked is great, but.. players need to be pro-active, and you as GM need to go over everything like 110% to make sure you understand everything, and no gaps are left open. As you progress thru the books, depending on the group, you could find yourself with alot of paperwork extra.
Written in blood!....dun dun dun!!!