| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
So I'm bought the hard copy of Rappan Athuk and plan on DMing it to my players very soon, although there is a lot to read to read trough to make sure I get it all straight. We are a very experienced group of players (having played together since middle school, most of us are in our 40's now.) The old school dungeon like Against the giants, Temple of elemental evil are the foundations of our playing experiences.
That's said it looks like you start this dungeon campaign on about page 85 or so in Zelkors Ferry maneuver the player towards the Mouth of Doom. We have a large group of players ranging from 5-8 players in any given session. So I know that CR is geared towards parties of 4 making newer modules harder to adjust to such a large party. It looks like this is just the thing for our style and size that said, I'm looking for advice on when to move the players from area to area. I don't see them hanging around the Ferry for long just not their style. heading out directly for the Mouth. So should I start them at level 1 or allowing them to pick a character maybe 2nd or even 3rd level?
To keep it short (to late I know.) How have others started their players out in this massive dungeon crawl? Once they get going things tend to unfold by the players the actions but I want to make sure the Ferry to the Mouth is the "best start" for the players.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
I started my lads at 2nd level. Had 6 PCs (3 players, 2 characters each) and started them with a paid mission to explore and map the Mouth of Doom for a guild of mages seeking the healing fountain rumored to lay hidden within. Post clearing, the Mouth became a hermitage for the guild and a home base for my PCs. Good luck, it's a great adventure!!
I've varied my starts. My first group starting around 3rd or 4th level, while my second group started at 6th level. The first one was basically "hey, let's go to Rappan Athuk!", whereas the second group had a patron to try and rescue
I haven't gotten my campaign started yet but my plan was to start the PCs off at level one but not in the region of the ferry. I bought The Lost City of Barakus and was going to start the party out in the wilderness there, then move into that mini-campaign and include ties to the growing menace of RA. Finally once the Barakus thing was complete, putting the PCs around 5th level I was going to put in a level of "epic journey" up the coast from the Barakus region to Zelkor's Ferry.
You might not use Barakus but this might be a good way to pull it together. Have the party start in the hinterlands to the south, have a couple wilderness encounters and hit the Ferry at 2nd level. Have them take a couple cursory missions from there getting them to 3rd or 4th, then send them into the "Dungeon of Graves." All the advice I got from friends who'd played RA when I started planning was that sending in PCs lower than 3rd level either required compassion on my part as a GM or would require serious, hardcore optimizers willing to flee at a moment's notice from the players.
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
I started my group out at level 3 but they never really dove into the dungeon. They flitted around the surface world for a bit before we disbanded. I told them a bunch of the rumors and they got all skittish and intimidated and avoided going there, They were really funny when they went into the bee hive and found a back entrance. Little did they know that the surface areas are just as dangerous as inside.
I am starting a game this afternoon that is a big sandbox and Rappan Athuk is part of it, if they feel like exploring. I really hope they do some delving.
I got the pdf (and the 16 pages of Obituaries)Pathfinder rules My Setting.....
Campaign world of Greyhawk, Close to the hool marshes and dreadwood just south of Keoland. Greayhawk dieties.
I modified the sourounding area. Zelkor's Ferry is occupied by a Mecenary Cavalry company(The Longspear Lancers)80 From the Yeomanry
Owner and comander Lord Dolphine(Bored, rich Minor Noble's son)
Who cares not for the Town or his soldiers.
Zelkor's Ferry is a small, up and comming tradeing post with an incompleat Sawmill,and ship yard.(think Deadwood SD 1876, The 10 towns/Icewind dale).plus RP's original town
Another new sight I installed
Fort Hope walled city on a bluff new military camp to guard the workers who are building a north/south road
Mixed force from the Kingdom Of Keoland(Comanded By a Palidin of Heironious, Sir DeFloura) and 300 Caviliers,Palidins and Men at Arms 100 roadbuilders,Camp followers, quary workers. stone quary and fresh water lake to supply the fort.(think Old FT Detriot 1700's)With new temple to Heironious(semi-compleated.
High cliffs and marshes make the whole area very difficult to get acces by The Azure Sea (Better, new road from Keoland to the North, to Ft. Hope Or from Wild Edge river from yeomanry To Zelkor's Ferry)I made some modifications to the Outside RP souronding area. Pc's can have a huge impact on area if they wanted and they do(leaves more of a roleplaying/world building aspect to RP than just "the Dungeon" Plus new mineral/gem discoveries( GOLD,Copper,tin,darkwood ect,ect)
The Suel Brotherhood is also looking to "settle" this piece of land for themselves to futher thier slaver/so-called superior Empire From Westbrook in the Hool Marshes to the south. They have plans to make a forward base around this area so they can March on to Keoland or Yeomanry(not to mention mining/mineral rights
What do you think of my ideas?
(
Two different starting places