Any chance for an AP with more or less than 6 volumes ?


Pathfinder Adventure Path General Discussion

Scarab Sages

We've already had this discussion years ago, but there'is something new !

I've just seen that the next Starfinder AP will be a 3 volume AP. OK it's not Pathfinder, but still it's a Paizo AP... So I start to hope again for a Pathfinder Campaign with less than 6 volumes.

Personnally, I would love a 4 Volume AP starting around level 5. That format would suit best my rythm and level preferrences as a DM.

Like many groups I think, I've experienced many campaign starts form level 1 to level 1d6+1, ending by a TPK. But not so many campaigns have run to the end. I'm not the only one :
http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2utzn?APs-Suitable-For-HigherLevel-Starts

I Know I could take a 6 Volume AP and skip the first volume, and maybe some part of the second, but that's not the same as having an AP designed that way : I requires some work, and worst of all it usually requires to skip one of the best volume in the serie. Again, I'm not the only one thinking that way :
http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2uq9t?Best-AP-to-start-with-book-2

Years ago when a discussion about this subject arose, I remember that one argument against changing the traditionnal 6 volume format was the need to announce the future Campaigns in summer, at GenCon.

Well I can understand that, but still, it doesn't prevent to have other formats, as long as they fit in a 12 month year.

So with 12 volumes, instead of having two 6 volume campaigns, we could have for example :
One 4 volume campaign plus an 8 volume one. The 8 volume campaign would be a good way to satisfy those wanting a full 20-level campaign without mythic :
http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2uiuo?More-level-20-andor-mythic-APs

But that's not the only solution. Maybe there can be 3 APs in one year.
That could be three 4-Volume APs !
But also one 3-Volume plus a 4-Volume plus a 5-Volume.
And Why not ?
I'm sure there are plenty of customers for shorter campaings :
http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2ul1b?Some-thoughts-on-AP-length

Oh yes, one could says there are probably more customers for the traditionnal 6-Volume APs. Yes, Maybe that's right. But those customers already have lots of choices ! From Rise of the Runelords to Ruins of Azlant, that's 21 campaigns so far, I bet most of 6-Volume customers haven't played all these 21 campaigns...

Edit : Making the links good.


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I will not buy shorter Adventure Paths.


If you want longer APs, just add modules as side missions. Plenty of advice on that. Given the sales for higher level modules and mythic, I don't think you're going to get longer APs. Shorter ones, maybe, though!


Yeah, I'd be fine with shorter APs or higher level starts. My group has finished about 2 of the 6 that we've started; tends to be about end of book three that things fizzle out. It's things like PC deaths making continuity too awkward or one of the books being awful (Reign of winter book 3, URGH) or sometimes just the threads of the plot being too disjointed between modules to give the characters or players enthusiasm to go on. The middle books just kind of tend to suffer for being middle books: No real start or end, and their relevance to the overarching plot can be rather strained.

The ones we have finished have actually been when they've been duos rather than a full party, and those are the ones that we've kind of wanted to go further with. Not completely sure why. Maybe it's that the whole party dynamic is different with only two PCs so it's not so harsh br

Level 1 is also just kind of a pain since you don't really have many (or any) fun things to work with and encounters are just inherently more lethal. I'd be quite happy to not have to deal with level 1 again, as a GM or a player. 3's a comfortable starting point, even if you're put on the slow xp track to compensate.

Scarab Sages

roguerouge wrote:
If you want longer APs, just add modules as side missions. Plenty of advice on that. Given the sales for higher level modules and mythic, I don't think you're going to get longer APs. Shorter ones, maybe, though!

Personnaly, I only need shorter APs, but I've some people asking for longer ones (look at the last link I pointed). That's why I mentionned the possibility of an 8-Book AP.

Again, adding content to a 6-book AP to make it reach level 20 requires a lot of work. I think people would be happy to have the job done in the books.
After all, that's why we all buy those AP, because all the work is already done.

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