So, I am going to be running this Adventure Path for my group in the near future. The party composition seems to be...
- Human Ranger
- Dhampir Inquisitor of Pharasma
- Aasimar Monk / Paladin -> Champion of Irori
- Aasimar (Archon-Blooded) Zen Archer Monk / Sorcerer -> Arcane Archer
...and I planned to add an NPC Wizard who has a history with the dhampir, but who isn't exactly a DMPC due to not being with the party all the time.
My main question is roughly how much should I keep the campaign going by the letter of the books? It seems that running it as written has the party chasing around a very thin trail of evidence to find a surprise enemy at the end that they've never even heard of before (I ran into the same problem with Legacy of Fire, and my other group was not happy about it). Are there any other potential downfalls for the Adventure Path I should be aware of? Are there any popular additions people have made to make this AP even better as an experience? I just want to make sure I am properly prepared to run this, since I haven't been on the DM seat for a while now, and I have a new player in the group as well.
First, read the DM thread for the first book at the very least if not all of them. Many of the questions that you have are already covered there.
Examples:
You should introduce the BBEG as early as possible; there is an issue with the Trust mechanic in the first book which is covered a few different ways (3rd party add-ons, using a different mechanic); etc.
Could you link me to those fixes to the Trust mechanic?
Also, I have been told that the BBEG is too obscure when run as written.
Could you link me to those fixes to the Trust mechanic?
Thanks, tbug!
Also, I have been told that the BBEG is too obscure when run as written.
Yes, the BBEG as written is too obscure. When the players discover the mastermind, it is the first time they have ever heard the name. That works for some groups, but not for most.
Kendra will be the kidnap victim in books 5/6 which will give the party a real incentive to go after the BBEG.
Icyshadow, I totally second the notion of reading through the GM reference pages here. They are such a great repository of creativity and problem-solving they are always now my first port of call when prepping a new AP.
Below is a link to a post I put on here a while ago that talks about the influence of some of the people on these boards and how I adapted the books.
Very interesting stuff. I'll have to put these to good use, and plan out some things of my own as well.
Thanks for the help, everyone! The campaign is still a few weeks away, but I will prepare ahead of time just to play safe.
No problem, glad to help :)
CC is my favourite adventure path and it's quite likely I'll run it again on these boards after my current pbp game has finished, adapting it based on what I learned first time round.
You mean by PM or something else? XD
Glad to help. I took advantage of many ideas here, so I'm just paying it back. :)
Had the first session yesterday, and it went quite nicely. Still wondering if I'll recap here or on another thread.
So, before I begin with an actual recap, I figured I'd give the player characters an intro.
- First up is Maeve Oakwind, an Elven Ranger who's past is a mystery for now. She seems to be of a careful and calculating personality, but will step into action when the situation calls for it. She is Lawful Neutral and learned how to better combat the undead after learning more about them from Professor Lorrimor. (One small problem was that the player didn't have time to fully work out her backstory, but did mention her searching for someone in Ustalav who might have killed her family. She is listed as worshipping Ketephys but that might still change)
- Second is Celeste (last name unknown for now), an Aasimar Cleric of Irori from Jalmeray who had happened to rescue the professor from trouble back when he was still alive. She is a kind person of reason and Lawful Good in alignment.
- Third is Malthazar Therahel, an Archon-Blooded (signified by the mane-like hair he has and the fur on his ears due to having Hound Archon blood) Aasimar (of Elven blood instead of Human) Zen Archer from a family of guardians that trace their roots back to Kyonin. He himself has had a few journeys in his life by now, and also happened to save the professor from danger once during his many travels around Avistan. He is Lawful Good like Celeste, but seems to have a more no-nonsense attitude when it comes to adversaries and problems. As a side-note, he is a worshipper of Yuelral.
- Last but not least is Dampérenovich (nickname Dampé, first name unknown assuming he even has one), a Dhampir Inquisitor of Pharasma. He is the only local player character, born and raised in Ustalav but living distrusted and sometimes outright hated due to his vampiric heritage. He is a morose man with a dark sense of humor. His alignment is True Neutral and channels his fury towards fighting undead, which seems to be one of the few purposes he's found for his otherwise rather empty life. Aside from hunting undead, one thing he is fond of is elven blood. He is also a friend of Sotiria Spiros, a tiefling priestess and white necromancer of Pharasma who was planned to be a DM PC but got changed to a local NPC after the fourth player got recruited to the group.
Decided to hide the above information since I know at least one of my players frequents these forums on occasion. Also, I had forgotten the finer details on their appearances but those will no doubt come up later.
And the campaign can be followed here!