If I wanted to run only half the campaign ending with Test of the Smoking Eye, how would I have to adjust the storyline to do so? I am using most of the second half, from Secrets of the Soul Pillars to Asylum, as the second half of my homebrew campaign (with many flavor changes to match my world). I don't want to waste perfectly good, connected adventures that may work well as a short campaign. Thanks in advance for any suggestions!
If you're going to cut the AP off at the Test of the Smoking Eye I think you're going to have start building Occipitus up early on and give the PCs a reason to go there. Do you build up Kaurophon up early as some sort of BBEG?
I guess you could do it where the slavers were working for Kaurophon, raising funds so he could go to Occipitus and do dastardly things. Last Laugh and even Drakthar are part of this insidious plot. Zenith would be required for some sort of ritual. And they need Alek, or at least something he has, to stop Kaurophon before he completes the Test.
I think you're looking at some heavy retooling to get all the chapters connected and tight enough to have a finished story.
I've been wondering about this too. The whole AP is too long for my group (we play only a few times a year and don't like high level play).
Anyone done a short version?
We'll finish Flood Season at our next game.
I'm thinking maybe the short path is:
-- Life's Bazaar, Level 1-3
-- Flood Season, Level 4-6
-- Zenith Trajectory, Level 6-8
Players get a choice here to continue SCAP or switch to Kingdom of the Ghouls, as I've set up hints of that happening in the Underdark too. I've hinted about the Underdark existence to my players for eons and they are scared of it but haven't entered, so this is a "must play" for me.
-- Demonskar Legacy, Level 8-10
This seems absolutely necessary too, as I did the Demonskar Ball.
-- Foundation of Flame, intended to be level 15-16
Skipping way far ahead, but everyone knows the volcano is going off as soon as they see Cauldron. So another must have chapter, reduced in level to fit. The basic plot (volcano and dragon) sees fitting as a capstone for an AP that ends about 12th level, no?
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Hello Guys,
If it was me and I was attempting to shorten the Adventure Path I would stop at Lords of Oblivion. I think Orbius is the real arch villain of the campaign and the plot would not seem to be completed unless their was some resolution to his influence.
If you were only to choose 5 adventures I would make it -
1) Life's Bazaar - introduces adventure & Orbius
2) Flood Season
3) Demonskar Legacy (Demonskar Ball - biased here ;))
4) Secrets of the Soul Pillars
5) Lords of Oblivion/Foundation of Fire/Thirteen Cages -
I would not bother with Drakthar's Way (even though it is a good adventure) because it offers nothing to the story. 'Zenith Trajectory' and 'Test of the Smoking Eye' follow the Adimarchus/madness plot thread so unless you modify these adventures to link with the Vlauntru/Orbius theme somehow.
I would modify the 'Secrets of the Soul Pillars' to link back to Orbius obsession in finding clues to opening gates into the realm of Canceri.
With Lords of Oblivion, instead of having Orbius completing unholy rituals under his manor, I would fast forward and have this as the location of the Tree of Souls and the final conclusion to the Adventure Path.
I would use the beginning of Lords of Oblivion, then choice encounters from Foundation of Fire and then lead the players to Orbius house where he is has the Tree Of Shackled Souls beneath. Throw in a few allies and end with the dramatic battle between Orbius and the party.
To be honest this is probably what should have happened and the whole Adimarchus last third of the path removed. This was always a big bugbear of mine and the reason I decided to make the modifications/foreshadowing to try and make the last portions of the path more relevant and linked to the earlier parts.
Imo Orbius Vlauntru should have been the ultimate villain of the SCAP.
Cheers
Delvesdeep