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Hey everyone.
So I haven't been as excited about an adventure path as Ironfang Invasion since Kingmaker. Which means that JBE will most likely be coming out with a few products that are designed for it. I have a few ideas and tell us what you think:
Townsfolk: A collection of people that the players rescue and stay at their hideout throughout the adventure. This will add some color to the forest hideout.
Bounty Hunters: The description of the first adventure talks about talks about bounty hunters trying to track the PCs down. This would be 20, one for each level, each with their own style and suggestions for making the encounter unique.
Deadly Delves Adventure: A short sidequest adventure (or a small collection of them) for a night when the players need a break from the main story, are between adventures, or are going some way the adventure did not plan for.
Thoughts? Any suggestions for things you would like to see?
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I'm also really excited by the idea of this AP; ever since I first read the Pathfinder Chronicles Campaign Setting I kept the idea of a Nirmathas guerilla-style game and this promises to deliver exactly that.
Those all look really good, Dale, but I have one small suggestion about the bounty hunters:
Since solo encounters pretty much suck, I'd recommend making a small number of bounty hunting antagonist parties. Maybe one that's level 3, one level 7, 10, etc. Make them have compelling backstories that play off each other, and at least one member that might be redeemed/recruited after the battle (a down-on-his-luck mercenary that just took the wrong job, a person in a domineering relationship with another party member that is actually freed by the PCs, etc).
A couple suggestions: Low-level - A rival adventuring party (their patron gave them the false information that the PCs are bloodthirsty murderers and demon cultists), Mid-level - Highly trained bounty hunters working for the Lumber Consortium, High-level - A party of Red Mantis assassins (including warpriest, sohei monk, ranger and slayer).
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The Deadly Delves looks really promising. I think something along the lines of the latest modules - three short adventures that have tenuous connection (so that they may be ran separately or together) is preferable than a full-on adventure. I think you need a really interesting hook for these sidelines, but the overall structure should be short - a couple of encounters, some exploration/investigation/diplomacy and back to the track. The Witcher 3 has a lot of these really amazing, surprising sidequests that are mechanically simple but often leave you "whoah, THAT happened!".
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The Townsfolk idea is also interesting (specially considering the many Leadership-like feats), but I'd suggest adding some development ideas to the NPCs. Things like: Keira is an herbalist and apothecary. She is also the wife to Hank the Lumberjack, and her husband's company is missing. Hank may be found and rescued (a DM may put him anywhere in the adventure), or maybe they find just the body and bring back his wedding ring. Keira might ask a cleric PC to perform a funeral, and pay by providing local herblore to the PCs (a +2 circumstance bonus on Knowledge (nature) and Survival checks to identify and procure plants in the local region). Later she might name her child after a PC, or even find solace in his/her arms.
Please pretty please make sure to include at least one extremely excited local boy/girl that idolizes the PCs and offers to accompany the as a hireling-sans-payment or apprentice. Make him/her try to emulate the PCs' habits (if the rogue is brooding, the apprentice knits a cowl off his/her extra shirts for extra broodening).