As the title says, I am looking for input on what campaign I am going to run on these messageboards.
I have every AP produced by Paizo, several other Pathfinder-compatible APs, several campaign settings, and a great deal of experience homebrewing settings, so just list what sort of campaign you are interested in and maybe I will pick yours!
This is my first venture on the forums under my own profile, but I have posted for friends before while they were busy at work or on vacation, so I have a copious amount of messageboard experience. So don't think just because it's my first PBP campaign that I'm a clueless newbie!
Because it is my first venture in creating a PBP campaign, I am being very indecisive regarding what campaign I want to run, hence my call for some campaign suggestions.
I'm still looking to join a successful Jade Regent or Reign of Winter campaign. Have fully fleshed out characters for both :).
For a first time GM, an AP is probably best. A fairly simple, but well written one.
For you, something like Rise of the Runelords is probably the best...however, RotRL games are so common that they've devalued from a dime a dozen to a penny a gross.
I've heard good things about Mummy's Mask, and its premise seems simple enough: Tomb raiding, pure and simple dungeon crawling. I'd be interested in playing in that one myself.
I have a hankering to play the White Necromancer class from Kobold Games' New Paths Compendium but I think she could fit in al out anywhere.
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
My suggestion to you would be to run a Module instead of an AP. PbP is a fickle beast and it plays differently than GMing at a table.
There are several fun modules that are free including this year's Free RPG Day entry Risen from the Sands.
What is your homebrew setting like?
and a great deal of experience homebrewing settings
If you like homebrewing but still want to run an AP, try Kingmaker.
Speaking selfishly, I have built characters for Rise of the Runelords and Wrath of the Righteous that didn't get into games.
What is your posting schedule like and could you tell us a little bit of what kind of GM you are?
The Mummy's Mask would be interesting. It caught my attention immediately, as I am a fan of the Egyptian themes. Reign of Winter would also be a good "cool" time.
I like Carrion Crown the most, but would like to try on a Skulls&Shackles, or Curse of the Crimson Throne too.
But I confess it's because I already got one ready character for each of these AP. ^^
Got characters in Kingmaker, Mummy's Mask and Rise of the Runelords currently, so I don't seek theses APs
Could be interested in Reign of Winter.
Not interested in Iron Gods (Technology mixed with Fantasy are not my thing) or Mythics APs.
That's it. ;-)
I would also love to get into a Rise of the Runelords campaign. I vote for either that or Jade Regent.
I'm agreeing with Aestereal here.
Im in for jade regent, or Wrath of the righteous.
GMs willing to run APs are in high demand around here. Whichever one you pick will attract more applicants than you have slots. My advice is to pick ones you think you can easily keep coming back to for weeks and weeks with slow progress being made to narrow down your list of options. If you expect any of them to poke at your impatience limits, avoid those.
For PBPs, I usually impose a "One post per day minimum" rule. Not a strict one, but a "We're moving with or without you" one.
Helps things run smooth.
I would definitely be interested in a Jade Regent game. That said, you may want to try a module first; I know a few people who thought they would really like PbPs, but burnt out on them within a month or two. A module, at least, will let you know if PbPs are right for you.
They're pretty awesome if they are, though.
Agreed on trying out with a module. They are long enough to get a feel for it if it what you want.
For starters, here's Painlord's guide to PBP GMing: lots of useful advices there. :)
Regarding what to run, I'll echo GM Niles in running a module: other than being nice for getting an hang of GMing a PBP, we don't see enough of them around here. There are a lots of good ones, ranging from level 1 modules to higher level ones: it's also reasonable to expect to be able to finish them in about a year, so that's another perk.
Either if you choose an AP or a Module, I strongly suggest you to pick what to DM: DM burnout is the first cause of PBP death, and picking something that you want to run reduces the risk of that.
|
If you opt to run a module, might I suggest Hangman's Noose?
So much of it seems to hang on RP over the tactics and battles, which PbP seems to favor on, plus who doesn't love a good haunting?
I have yet to actually see anyone run it on any board I've been part of, and I imagine you could draw a good crowd with it.
I would love to try a PbP. I have been reading a few in preparation for a real life campaign (Curse of the Crimson Throne), so I know how it's done, but I haven't really found any good openings.
If we are talking APs, I would love to play Council of Thieves or Legacy of Fire. Mummy's Mask sounds interesting as well, and seems to have more support here than the former two. :)
If you decide to go with a module, as some have suggested, I would be interested as well. Seems like a good way to get started.
Rise of the Runelords is good for a first AP, though you might want to start smaller. Try The Dragons Demand, a mini AP that should run a party of 4 to level 7
I suggest homebrew.
Thanks to all the people offering advice and pointers for me! That said, I already have the feel for PBP'ing, due to me choosing to help post on busy days. As such, I am aware of attrition rates, PBP etiquette, how to form a good player-GM dynamic, ect.
My posting schedule is usually 2:00 PM-3:00 AM, Eastern Standard Time (EST), so I think that fives a fair amount of leeway for posting, yes? Given that I intend to only run one or two campaigns, I should manage to hit multiple posts per day, player posting rates permitting.
Since the question was posed about what homebrews I have in mind, my current ideas are:
Humans are, of course, the dominant race and the majority of them have abandoned the gods of old, preferring a philosophy of progress, imperialism, and personal enlightenment.
Elves are much closer to nature in this setting, more like Lord of the Rings Elves or the Dalish from Dragon Age. The Elves are a people in decline, due to huge numbers of their race being wiped out by the Humans or enslaved with the Curse of Iron by Humans desiring slaves, a process which breaks their willfullness and reduces their lifespan to a measure of mere years. Some Elves have turned to dark entities that promise the renewal of their race and vengeance against the Humans, long since past caring what the cost may be. A very small portion of the Elves have chosen to serve humanity willingly as mercenaries, seeking to fill the empty void of their lives with the pleasures that coin can bring.
Dwarves are an odd race, birthed directly from the stone and possessing low natural fertility rates. Unlike the standard Wicked Fantasy depiction of the Uvandir, there are male AND female parts of the race, the women are just much more rare than the males, with 2 males existing for every female. The Uvandir are fanatics about whatever they take up as their chosen profession and pursue it relentlessly, since the abysmally low fertility rates of their kind make any legacy beyond what they make for themselves or leave behind in their work unlikely. Most Uvandir are dour, but loosen up after a round of drinks or when admiring something related to their profession.
Gnomes are strange beings closely tied to the world itself, admirers and protectors of nature in all its forms. Their mindset is very Feylike and often incomprehensible to the other races of the world.
Halflings, or Haffuns as they are called, have almost exclusively been incorporated into Human society as a servant class, a role they seem to be at ease with. Jovial, social, and unswervingly loyal to those they call family, including their Human masters, they carry out their duties with a vigor that many other races do not know. Unknown to the other races, the Haffuns carry with them a dark secret: they know of the dark entity that threatens the mortal world, the beast that stirs within the darkness. They have appointed themselves the guardians of this knowledge and work to protect the other races of the world from the knowledge of this entity.
Orcs, or Orks, are a savage yet strangely honor-bound tribal people. In the past, the Orks rebelled against their cruel gods and slew them, bathing their race in the blood of the divine. Freed from the unquenchable bloodthirst that plagued them for so long, the Orks move to make their place in the world. They view pain and scars as badges of honor, assuming they received them in some noble or glorious pursuit. The race often engages in 'Scartellings', where Orks gather and boast of how they got their scars. They have respect for anyone willing to suffer pain for their cause. They venerate the Ork heroes who were instrumental in slaying their dark gods, often trying to model themselves after one of the legendary figures.
Kobolds are strange, shapeshifting figures who have chosen to champion the Reign of Man. The Kuba-Chubisi prefer subtle means to manipulate society and individuals to achieve their maximum potential, viewing any sort of killing of the 'civilized races' (All player races, essentially,) as a mark of shame that cannot be erased. The Kuba-Chubisi are endlessly fascinated with Humans and must constantly strive to keep themselves separate from humanity, so that they may guide them with as impartially, and therefore effectively, as they can.
Rodduns, known as Ratfolk, are a close people who often live in the squalid parts of Human city. They arrange themselves into 'Warrens' and have a strong racial bond, though said bond still does not manage to overcome some selfish desires amongst the Roddun, for many have a distinctly criminal mindset. They often organize themselves into gangs that run non-violent criminal operations (Bear in mind that violence may still be needed even in non-violent crimes, so 'enforcers' and 'bodyguards' are often a thing, even if they choose to avoid actually using violence as a means,).
Gnolls are a tribal people who worship the moon in all of its phases and, like the Rodduns, are a close people, but take it to an even greater extent. They often view themselves as 'pack' and not as distinct individuals.
Lastly, the Goblins, or Gobbowins, are a nomadic people whose style is very similar to classical depictions of the Roma people in the real world (I dislike the term Gypsy, for it is viewed as derogatory by my Roma friends, hence I do not use it,). The Gobbowins have power over luck and misfortune and are viewed with awe and fear for their powers. Eager tradesmen and entertainers, Gobbowins travel in caravans to bring their wares and services to people far and wide. Their society is heavily matriarchal, with caravans being led by old Gobbowin women whose powers over fortune, misfortune, and sympathetic magic are almost unparalleled.
The way that the galaxy is divided is into 7 separate star systems. The one that will be receiving the vast majority of attention is Golarion's star system, for obvious reasons, but others are not out of the question for side quests and/or exploration.
There are numerous other homebrew ideas I am throwing around, such as an X-Crawl campaign where PCs are 'adventure-gladiators' going through insanely tough 'dungeon crawls', a post-apocalypse campaign with Kingdom-Building mechanics, a gestalt campaign where every character has some form of magical talent and lives in a magocracy, and several others.
As far as the pre-existing options presented thus far, the ideas I am feeling more drawn to are, in no order: Council of Thieves, Curse of the Crimson Throne, Reign of Winter, Hangman's Noose, and Jade Regent. Each of these scenarios would be changed to better suit my own tastes, of course.
I also have a strange interest in Iron Gods, for some reason!
I'd be down for a space opera one. I'd love to play some random guy from Gooarion plucked up and dragged around on a starship!
Currently running RotRL, Crimson Throne, Second Darkness, and Reign of Winter on the boards (and RoW in RL).
Second Darkness starts so slow, and is so hit and miss at first, I would not recommend it.
Crimson Throne seems to be a bunch of individual adventures loosely tied together and not a lot of continuity. The adventures are fun and challengeing though. I would give this a 3 star rating.
Runelords is action from the first step, but does get bogged down in dungeon crawling midway through the first book which can take FOREVER on a PbP format. I recommend this for GMing as it is a good mixture of lethality, problem solving, and backstory.
My favorite so far is Reign of Winter. The encounters are tougher, the environment is a factor, the monsters and situations are unique and challenging. I would highly recommend as far as fun to GM, especially if you are an experienced GM who can juggle many different factors/NPC's and still run a good game.
Space Opera sounds fun to me as well.
Space Opera sounds good to me, too.
I agree with some folks above amd would love to partake on a Rise of the runelords or Jade Regent campaign myself. I think am adenture path is the way to go but would also be interested in a module.
I will chime in on the space opera as well, but would also be interested in the horror campaign as well. Looking forward to seeing what pops up.
Horror or zombie for me.^^
Going to leave this thread open for a few days and then I will decide on 1-2 campaigns to run. If you have any other suggestions or ideas, feel free to post them!
I might well be interested as well. Not particular what though Jade Regent is one that does sound interesting.
Other options I have thought of:
Champions of Andoran: PCs are superheroes from Andoran who oppose the Chelish in an alternate present set in Golarion wherein Numerian technology was disseminated years ago. In Andoran now, there are several technological wonders that are considered everyday items and the capital city is an awe-inspiring testament to the determination and drive of the Andoran people. All of the people from Andoran are still present, obviously, since the time hasn't changed, merely the circumstances OF the times.
Bloody-Handed Justice: Campaign that is a continuation of WotW's storyline, wherein the PCs are some of the unfortunate survivors of the Wicked's conquest of Talingarde. Fueled by vengeance and/or fanatical faith, they oppose the villains regime and fight to bring about the justice that has eluded the Dark Lords for so long. How far will the characters go to gain their vengeance and topple the unholy regime? Partially inspired by Middle Earth: The Shadow of Mordor. MAJOR SPOILERS FOR THOSE WHO PLAN ON PLAYING WOTW, SO CONSIDER YOURSELF WARNED IF YOU WANT THIS CAMPAIGN!
Bloody-Handed Justice is right up my alley. Hell yeah.
Bloody-Handed Justice sounds awesome...unfortunately I'm playing Way of the Wicked right now, and likely won't be done for quite a while (about 1/4-1/2 of the way through Book 4 ATM).
Thankfully, Champions of Andoran sounds awesome too, so I'll cast my vote there. =)
I change my mind. SPACE OPERA!
Actually, I would add WotW to the list of things I'd like to play.
If you are going to be running two campaigns, might I suggest that you do one AP and one homebrew? I don't have much interest in the latter, but I would really like to have chance to join an AP (if it happens to be one that someone in my IRL group hasn't called dibs on running). No offense, I just want to try something a bit more standard before jumping into anything too crazy.
You could always pick up an existing campaign partway through the second module. The players are quite the group! Fun folks, I assure you. The AP is Carrion Crown.
http://paizo.com/campaigns/DMCorvusTrialOfTheBeast
GM Storycrafter, after looking at threads, it seems someone has agreed to take up your Carrion Crown, which looks quite fun!
Without any further ado, here are my selections for the campaigns!
1. The Void Saga: Pathfinder in Space!
2. Bloody-Handed Justice: Down with the Dark Lords!
3. Council of Thieves
I am aware that is 3 as opposed to the 1-2 campaigns that I stated. However, I once posted for 2 of my friends, several times a week, in the combined 14 total campaigns of theirs, so I can handle it! :)
Start thinking up character ideas for the campaigns, if you are interested in applying. The basics of the campaigns, without getting TOO much into what will be covered in recruitment, are as follows:
Void Saga- Level 5, can play as pre-existing racial options, monsters, or create a unique alien race. The last two need my approval, since some things fit better in a space campaign than others, and with the last option, I have homebrewed options for build abilities, so don't feel constrained by the Race Builder options, we can likely work something out. Determine WHY you are on a starship of interstellar explorers.
Bloody-Handed Justice- Level 7, basic racial options. Determine WHY you are seeking vengeance against the Seven Dark Lords.
Council of Thieves- Basic level 1, basic racial options. Read the Player's Guide.
The recruitments will be up sometime in a few days, as it will be necessary to iron out all of the details for you all beforehand.
Keep checking this thread and the messageboard for links to the recruitment threads! :)
Never tried Council of Thieves, would like to play it.
I would like to third CoT.
Void Saga sounds fun. I want to play a Telekinetic of some kind if I can make it work. Are the Psionics classes allowed?
As for why he's traveling, hm. Simple interest in seeing what's out there would be what would motivate me personally, and I think it would be a believable motivation in anyone. I'll try to expand on that once I figure out class. A spellcaster might want to experience/learn alien magics, or a Gunslinger might want to spruce up his arsenal with advanced technology as well.
Research purposes, is the gist of it.
Council might be interesting.
I'd definitely be down for a Council of Thieves campaign.
I still would prefer Bloody Handed Justice, myself - if you choose that one I could play my paladin and be all righteous. The other two I'm less interested in, but have fun if you do choose them :)
Oh, I believe people misunderstand... I'm going to run ALL 3 campaigns I listed! :P
Rynjin, of course psionic classes are allowed, as is most 3PP material. With my approval obviously.
Don't feel like you have to pick between campaigns, because you can apply to any or all of them. If you make great characters for each, you may even get accepted in each one!
Hmmm... All of them sound like fun!