Cause sadly from the questions they've been asking they are not gonna read the player guide *grumbles a bit*. I put in:
-Please no backstabbing, pvp, undermining of party members. There's a lot of good guys out there to backstab, gutt n kill ; ) Also for whatever reasons your character wants to be part of this team.
-You may worship Asmodeus or not but you surely know to go along and keep your mouth shut, so that you can keep your head attached to your body.
-"Just like in adventures where you play heroes working together for the greater good, in Hell’s Vengeance you play villains working together for something larger than the individuals in the group—you’re fighting to save your nation."
And linked them to a video on how to play an evil character. They're good players so I don't expect much trouble. Anything other DMs thought necessary to clear up before the campaign starts?
On another note I am starting to wonder why LE characters would take a job that's basically a robbery in the start.
Just a note Ive got LE tiefling fighter wannabe Hellknight, LE dhamphir undead master and NE ranger (still undecided about the rest).
i would highly recommend that they read the player's guide. lotsa good stuff in there.
*mumbles more* I've send it out individually and posted it too. Its a great guide. The best I could think of is ask for them to select campaign traits (they haven't still) and I'm writing a "guide summary" now with bullet points.
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I think you may have covered it in your original post but I can not stress enough the importance of trying to keep players from playing 'stupid' evil.
When my group tried to play this path things just escalated into more and more atrocities to justify 'being evil' and eventually the game just died on the vine before the end of the first book.
I think you may have covered it in your original post but I can not stress enough the importance of trying to keep players from playing 'stupid' evil.
When my group tried to play this path things just escalated into more and more atrocities to justify 'being evil' and eventually the game just died on the vine before the end of the first book.
Thats sad... Im really excited about this hope it doesnt fall out. I have made a point but as you say will make it again.
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Hi, just came across your post. It's a shame that the players won't read the guide as it actually included some good information but what you listed in your original post should cover what the players need. If you don't mind a few suggestions:
1) Like with a group of good guys, give them a common theme or a good guy foe that may have been involved in their separate histories. Nothing brings a group of villains together like plotting to knock off a hated enemy.
2) I played in the first book as a player and our GM didn't spin it like a common robbery but for us to recover 'back taxes' that was owed to the Archbaron and the local government. Once we recovered, we were offered a percentage -- a pretty hefty one -- when this was turned in. This seemed to satisfy the LE players in the group. In OOC, sure -- we saw it as a robbery, but it satisfied keeping the plot train rolling.
Hi, just came across your post. It's a shame that the players won't read the guide as it actually included some good information but what you listed in your original post should cover what the players need. If you don't mind a few suggestions:
1) Like with a group of good guys, give them a common theme or a good guy foe that may have been involved in their separate histories. Nothing brings a group of villains together like plotting to knock off a hated enemy.
2) I played in the first book as a player and our GM didn't spin it like a common robbery but for us to recover 'back taxes' that was owed to the Archbaron and the local government. Once we recovered, we were offered a percentage -- a pretty hefty one -- when this was turned in. This seemed to satisfy the LE players in the group. In OOC, sure -- we saw it as a robbery, but it satisfied keeping the plot train rolling.
That's really helpful. They all selected characters from Longacre so (1) could very well work. And (2) is great! Much easier to get two LE characters to play along if I spin it like that!
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That's really helpful. They all selected characters from Longacre so (1) could very well work. And (2) is great! Much easier to get two LE characters to play along if I spin it like that!Hi, just came across your post. It's a shame that the players won't read the guide as it actually included some good information but what you listed in your original post should cover what the players need. If you don't mind a few suggestions:
1) Like with a group of good guys, give them a common theme or a good guy foe that may have been involved in their separate histories. Nothing brings a group of villains together like plotting to knock off a hated enemy.
2) I played in the first book as a player and our GM didn't spin it like a common robbery but for us to recover 'back taxes' that was owed to the Archbaron and the local government. Once we recovered, we were offered a percentage -- a pretty hefty one -- when this was turned in. This seemed to satisfy the LE players in the group. In OOC, sure -- we saw it as a robbery, but it satisfied keeping the plot train rolling.
You're welcome! If they're all from Longacre, may I suggest the Sheriff as a possible foil? It would also be a good tie in for Cimri.
You're welcome! If they're all from Longacre, may I suggest the Sheriff as a possible foil? It would also be a good tie in for Cimri.That's really helpful. They all selected characters from Longacre so (1) could very well work. And (2) is great! Much easier to get two LE characters to play along if I spin it like that!Hi, just came across your post. It's a shame that the players won't read the guide as it actually included some good information but what you listed in your original post should cover what the players need. If you don't mind a few suggestions:
1) Like with a group of good guys, give them a common theme or a good guy foe that may have been involved in their separate histories. Nothing brings a group of villains together like plotting to knock off a hated enemy.
2) I played in the first book as a player and our GM didn't spin it like a common robbery but for us to recover 'back taxes' that was owed to the Archbaron and the local government. Once we recovered, we were offered a percentage -- a pretty hefty one -- when this was turned in. This seemed to satisfy the LE players in the group. In OOC, sure -- we saw it as a robbery, but it satisfied keeping the plot train rolling.
That's also a good idea! We start in about 2 weeks so I got time to prepare. I got a warrior who currently does odd jobs in the town, a necro squatting in an abandoned building outside the town and a ranger who is doing escort, scouting jobs around town. So they're not close but have occasionally bumped into each other. I'll try to find a reason the Sheriff has annoyed each one of them :D warrior and ranger could have done some small job for Cirmi before, necro... I'll think of something :)
Awesome, I hope that both you and your players have a great time with the campaign. We're on the cusp of finishing Book 3 and loving it.
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I will also add one thing that may be perhaps more meta than some of the other suggestions.
Make sure the players buy-in to the understanding that a substantial amount of the arcs involve doing things other people tell you to do. This is not a sandbox (though a few books have some elements of it) and is possibly the second hardest railroad of the Pathfinder Adventure Paths. If the players don't buy into that style of game, you will have to do some not insubstantial rewriting.
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I will also add one thing that may be perhaps more meta than some of the other suggestions.
Make sure the players buy-in to the understanding that a substantial amount of the arcs involve doing things other people tell you to do. This is not a sandbox (though a few books have some elements of it) and is possibly the second hardest railroad of the Pathfinder Adventure Paths. If the players don't buy into that style of game, you will have to do some not insubstantial rewriting.
Aren't they all railroads? ;) Just kidding and Asurie is correct. I can definitely vouch for the first three books.
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Sort of by definition, they are all railroads! I would certainly agree with that assessment. However, with many of them, the railroad can be at least somewhat disguised under the veil of the players taking initiative where the clues tend to point with big glowing arrows.
Hell's Vengeance at many points you have higher-ups telling you exactly what to do.
Sort of by definition, they are all railroads! I would certainly agree with that assessment. However, with many of them, the railroad can be at least somewhat disguised under the veil of the players taking initiative where the clues tend to point with big glowing arrows.
Hell's Vengeance at many points you have higher-ups telling you exactly what to do.
Oh, thanks! Was not aware that it will feel like that. I will make the point to the players out of game.
Thankfully my last player rolled yet another LE character so its a full "We love Cheliax" party with tattoos of the flag and Asmodean symbols. Hope they will go along easy :)
A few more questions. Don't wanna start a new thread. This is the first time ever Im DMing for people I dont know so well so...
1. Im thinking of “point-buy” method. Which one though should I tell them? I usually go with the High Fantasy one. Is it appropriate here?
2. In Hells Rebels we leveled with the Experience Point Total -> "Medium" and that leveled the party VERY fast. Which one should I use here?
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A few more questions. Don't wanna start a new thread. This is the first time ever Im DMing for people I dont know so well so...
1. Im thinking of “point-buy” method. Which one though should I tell them? I usually go with the High Fantasy one. Is it appropriate here?
2. In Hells Rebels we leveled with the Experience Point Total -> "Medium" and that leveled the party VERY fast. Which one should I use here?
Adventure Paths are written assuming 15 point buy and a party of four characters. Usually going up to 20 point buy doesn't impact things too much (makes the SAD a little better, but really helps out the MAD more).
As for the experience track, I believe Medium is what Hell's Vengeance assumes.
A few more questions. Don't wanna start a new thread. This is the first time ever Im DMing for people I dont know so well so...
1. Im thinking of “point-buy” method. Which one though should I tell them? I usually go with the High Fantasy one. Is it appropriate here?
2. In Hells Rebels we leveled with the Experience Point Total -> "Medium" and that leveled the party VERY fast. Which one should I use here?
Adventure Paths are written assuming 15 point buy and a party of four characters. Usually going up to 20 point buy doesn't impact things too much (makes the SAD a little better, but really helps out the MAD more).
As for the experience track, I believe Medium is what Hell's Vengeance assumes.
Thank you! That was helpful!
Just popping to say the first session went very nicely. Quite impressed with my group! They killed the tanner and his dogs, and the old couple that came in right after cause they saw their faces. The fighter didn't buy too much into "collecting taxes at midnight" so he was a bit negative when they got called a second time but he loved the second job with the Cheliax sashes, and hopped right back in. At the gathering they just challenged the Knight. They spoke up saying she had no proof that the tanner was killed by agents of the regime and the necro started a discussion on the authenticity of the mask. The rest of the session went on without any killing either. They used non lethal on the deputies and threw them into a jail cell after accusing them of assault and treason.
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Just popping to say the first session went very nicely. Quite impressed with my group! They killed the tanner and his dogs, and the old couple that came in right after cause they saw their faces. The fighter didn't buy too much into "collecting taxes at midnight" so he was a bit negative when they got called a second time but he loved the second job with the Cheliax sashes, and hopped right back in. At the gathering they just challenged the Knight. They spoke up saying she had no proof that the tanner was killed by agents of the regime and the necro started a discussion on the authenticity of the mask. The rest of the session went on without any killing either. They used non lethal on the deputies and threw them into a jail cell after accusing them of assault and treason.
I'm glad to hear that it went well. Ah the sashes -- we had fun at that meeting near the church. The group of players that I played with actually had some decent social skills and we caused a lot of disruptions. One of the funnier parts was that my character kept mispronouncing the name of the Glorious Reclamation and at one point, called it the "Glorious Flatulation" when speaking up from the crowd.
Good times!