I have an all new player group that started with Skulls and Shackle's, they made it through the first book and just finished squibbing their first ship. Once they ran into their first enemy ship they felt that adventure path was too open ended and that they all agree that they want to run a more "on the rails" adventure. I gave them a list of the paths I had and Shattered Star was their choice.
They are about to hit level 5 and don't want to start fresh. So my question to people who have ran the first few books is: where can I slide them in so I don't send them through the first book all OP. Or shoulld I let them walk through everything. I want them to do a few quick ennounters to get the first two shards then maybe start book 2 off normal.
They are on their way to Magnimar now, so I have some time before they get there.
Hook wise they received a letter to head to Magnimar to help find one of the characters missing sister (Vancasterkin).
Have them annihilate the Crow, it should go PDQ. Collect the "essential foes" into a few large rooms ... or, let them find the sister and her guardians all enthralled to some big nasty critter in the basement/sacrificial chamber, complete with non-"stoned" Shards (dealing with the curses accordingly).
Maybe there's a trail of carnage, bodies everywhere ahead of them until the end. Why this is ... ;)
I'd have the previous Pathfinder party have made it through the first adventure, exited near the Lisa Jane to rest and recover and gave Sheila a. updated map including that entrance and then have them make it to the derro and become prisoners or killed (be careful of too much loot here). Give the shard of pride to the magister and make her crazy mean. Finish out the adventure with the derro and the shrine, boom done.
Free the originals and PCs pick up from there.
For a more complicated approach, you could have the Shard Of Greed in Sheilas hands, but the goblin snake or Terisha have absconded with the shard of pride, meaning the only way to find it is with the Shard of Sloth.
You can then develop some high level content if you'd like, maybe bringing back another foe who escapes in one if the other paths. Gives you some time to work on it.