In fact, there's an entire subforum just for Carrion Crown! One thread per book, lots of discussions, ideas for modifications, and my favorite - an obituaries thread! (why yes, I was the GM for the AP, how could you tell?)
Lots of tips are found there.
Yes, it is messed up; there are tips in the first book thread for ways to handle it.
Not really; just add a monster here or there if you feel a need. We ran with five and the most I did was add minions to the big boss fights (at least starting in book 3), but that's good even with 4 characters.
Arcane user is important; any will do (including several from the Advanced Class Guide, due in August).
I can give you a player's perspective on the first two books:
* Don't worry overmuch about the reputation system. As far as I know it only has any effect in Ravengro, the starting village.
* There is some quite nice treasure in the first book, but be prepared to beef up loot in the second. Seriously, it involves things like high-quality padlocks, a weather vane, engineering textbooks and (if your party elects to rob the home of someone they've been invited to visit) tobacco, spices, fine clothing, etc.
* The party should expect to run into a lot of undead, as well as constructs with DR/adamantine. With no cleric to channel the hurt, the party could be in trouble; and get some adamantine blanch for the Zen archer's arrows.
* Diplomacy will be critical in Book Two. Maybe your suggested sorcerer-as-face PC could do that, but sorcerers get so few skill points.
We're playing with a party of 6 and have been beaten into the ground more than once (no PC deaths yet, but some very close calls):
- Aasimar Cleric of Ragathiel, optimized for Diplomacy, Intimidate and Sense Motive
- Human Cleric of Pharasma
- Ratfolk Ranger (FE Constructs and Undead, FT Urban and Underground)
- Ratfolk Rogue
- Human Wizard
- Half-Orc Fighter
First of all yes the reputation system is broken (also iirc the amount of money promised by the lady something in book 1 is also wrong, it has 1 zero too many).
Now to the party, the races of the PCs are going to cause A LOT of problems with the people of Usalav (seriously an Orc?). What's the mystery of the oracle? if it's not life mystery then the player's are going to run into a lot of problems in the first book (the lack of channel energy really hurts).
Assuming the oracle won't fight into melee then the last player should make something that can fight in melee well if not great.
Make sure you take advantage of the Letters from the Main Villain that Loki_Thief and I made. They can be found in this THREAD.
Hey Im about to start GMing this in about 2 weeks. My group is also made up of 5 PCs.
How is your game going so far? Any tricks/tips you found helpful?
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This is something I've run into now that I'm heading into the sixth book. It's a bit of a controversial topic on the boards but this is less about why it's controversial and more about informing your player's motivations.
Haunts.
I have discovered in running the path and running games in general that my party is primarily focused in killing the bad guys and saving the day. The problem with haunts is that there is an underlying moral premise in their existence as foes.
Sure, you can in fact just blast down a regular haunt with positive energy and move along but ultimately it's going to return and haunt/potentially harm others.
My party kind of ignores the fact that haunts are tormented souls and that the good thing to do is to help them pass on.
If I could go back I would try and instill that in them from Harrowstone so that now when I'm heading toward an even more heavy haunt section at Renchurch there is more gravitas to their existence. Maybe they might even consider trying to help the spirits move on...
I would also suggest checking out some of the big threads and suggestions by folks here on the CC boards. I have gotten loads of good advice from just reading threads or comments by JoeyVirtue, MurphysParadox, Rakshaka, Zhangar, Voomer, Windspirit, EvilPaul and others.
One final thing I would suggest is something I ran with after seeing it suggested in some old thread. If you use the Harrow Card system from the players guide institute a system where your players can use three cards to ignore a source of damage that would have otherwise killed them. Max of five cards.
Wait is that actually in the Player's Guide? It's been so long since I read it.
Especially if they are new. If I would have not used that system I would have killed all my player's characters many times over.
+1 to the Harrow Cards. They've given my game that extra thematic cool-ness, especially when the cards used match the encounter they are in artisitically or thematically. Also, the extra Harrow awards are pretty awesome, and with the wrong party composition, the one in the third book could be a necessity.
Hi all! In about 3 weeks I will begin GM'ing the carrion crown adventure path and I have some questions.
A tiefling rogue (will later go arcane trickster)
Str:10/Dex:16/Con:13/Int:19/Wis:8/Cha:5
(Skill points in acrobatics, appraise, bluff, climb, disable device, disguise, escape artist, know (arcana,local), perception, sleight of hand, stealth)A dwarf zen archer
Str:14/Dex:14/Con:12/Int:7/Wis:19/Cha:5
(Skill points in acrobatics and escape artist)An orc barbarian
Str:21/Dex:14/Con:15/Int:5/Wis:6/Cha:5
(Skill point in perception)A dual cursed merfolk oracle who has not yet finished his character sheet.
One player who still has to decide on a class and asks for suggestions.
Actually, you would be FAR FAR better off with a Cleric that has a high Charisma compared to having a Sorcerer. Especially since CC has lots of undead, and one of the few ways to damage Haunts is through turning damage. Both Clerics and Paladins REALLY shine in this AP, so consider encouraging your players to switch to them. Ex: Your Barbarian will be grateful he switched to Paladin once you hit Broken Moon, as curing lycanthropy is a stone cold b##%!.
As GM, I suggest giving all your players 900gp starting money, the same as one of the traits in the APG (alternatively just max out their starting money). They need it, because this adventure is cash shy in the extreme, with all the money in charged items, not all of which are useful.
As for the Reputation system, here's what I did to simplify matters: Just assume that after the town hall fire that the PC's saved enough people to kick up their Rep to its max value (which grants them a 20% reduction in prices of goods). That's how it boiled down the first time I ran this adventure, and so on the second time I just simplified things to the system you see above.
Finally, your party sucks in Knowledge checks, and so I recommend that you have the guy playing the dwarven archer (or the oracle) to switch to an elven Wizard. Research is hugely important in CC, what with granting lots of xp for successful checks.
For players, note that both Fortitude and ESPECIALLY Will saves are all important in CC. Thus you will need to pump up those saves via feats, even getting Improved Iron Will in time for Wake of the Watcher. Thus I recommend (for elves) the Forlorn trait and the general religion trait Indomitable Will from the APG.
Hi all! In about 3 weeks I will begin GM'ing the carrion crown adventure path and I have some questions.
-Are there any general tips you could give me about this adventure path?
-Is it just me or does the reputation system seem broken? It seems easy to lose and hard to gain.
-We will be playing with a party of 5, any tips on balancing encounters?
One player who still has to decide on a class and asks for suggestions.
Are there any skills/roles this party lacks and any suggestions for the fifth class (I suggested sorcerer for him since we lack arcane caster and face character)?
My general suggestion to you is to buy the entire adventure path plus Rule of Fear and read through them before you begin. Ustalav is a fantastic setting; Rule of Fear will give you lots of material to set the mood. Try to foreshadow later developments with events early on--the most popular improvement to the AP is to introduce the archvillain Adrisson Adrivant as early as possible, usually as a friendly rival of the dead professor, an estranged student, or a family connection of the Lorrimors.
It’s not too important that you follow the Reputation system in the first book exactly. It’s more important that you convey the essence of it to the players. Their characters should be distrusted the moment they set foot in Ravengro, and their roleplaying should determine whether things slowly get better, or deteriorate to mob-with-torches-and-pitchforks level. Your inhuman party members should face an uphill battle here, especially the orc--the lands around Ravengro have been terrorized by orcs for centuries, since before they helped the Whispering Tyrant take over the nation. If they screw things up diplomatically, let them! Let them be hated; set an expectation for the next adventure that they’ll need to win hearts and minds, not just slash and burn. Otherwise, the Trial will be pretty lame.
You have a fun combination of characters. Assuming they are not built badly, your party will be able to handle the AP without coddling. They’ll need at least one person with a high knowledge (religion) skill; perhaps the oracle will fill this role.
Balancing encounters is an ongoing process--you’ll have to see where your players go with their characters. Erring on the side of no TPK is probably a good idea; with five characters, you have a little wiggle room here. If the adventure is too easy for them--and by too easy I mean they aren’t having fun, don’t feel an obligation to knock one out every other combat--start gently ramping encounters up by maxing out monsters’ hit points in one fight, adding an extra monster to the pack in the next one, giving the next critter the simple advanced template, and so on, to see what works and what doesn’t.
Finding ways to deal with incorporeal threats is part of the challenge of the first adventure. There are plenty of resources available to characters. Give them fair warning that they’ll need more than iron to deal with the Lopper and the Splatterman...a nightmare or two should do...and let them figure out their own solutions. They’ll be prouder for it.
My suggestions for your fifth player would be to be human. Ustalav is superstitious and xenophobic, you’ll want at least one person able to relate to the locals. Though the oracle will be charismatic, his inhuman appearance should work against him. I would suggest this fifth player work towards being the party face. Many sorts of bards fit the setting--archivist, arcane dualist, good old bard classic--but a dirge bard would fit particularly well thematically and has many mechanical advantages in this adventure path (Disrupt Undead would be a great first necromancy spell for him). Alternately, a Cleric of Pharasma would be extremely appropriate and enjoy many roleplaying advantages, as well as be able to use Raven’s Head (found in Part 4) to its full potential. Other good faces for this AP would include an undead bloodline sorceror, a paladin of Iomedae, an infiltrator inquisitor of Pharasma, or a ninja reskinned as an Anaphexis assassin.
Finally, read more of this subforum than these replies to your query. The stickied threads for each adventure path are quite useful, and many folks have shared what worked and what hasn’t from their customizations.
Good luck! Let us know how it goes.