Options for Espionage / more RP


Ironfang Invasion


Hey Everyone. So my group and I recently took a blind vote for which AP i was going to run for them next, and Ironfang Invasion was the winner.

I am in the process of editing the players guide and the associated source-books on nirmathas etc. before submitting it to them for character conceptualization. I know my players get overly curious and will find it difficult to abstain from knowing as much as they can, so I really like to keep them in the dark about just about everything.

I also only just started reading book one, but cannot contain my curiosity. I've heard that this AP has alot of heavy hitting straight forward warlike combat and scenarios, but what I'm wondering if there are any large adventures or elements that require a little more tact and/or roleplaying.

Has anybody found ways to include some sort of espionage/infiltration/corruption/sabotage in this AP, even if customized? I know that's something my players would get a kick out of as a break from the militia/wartime role.

Perhaps infiltrating Molthune government/war council under the guise as foreign trade ambassadors in order to uncover more of the truth or simply to stick it to Molthune?

Open to suggestions and real experiences

-Thanks


we have just started book 6, i'm GM. It is a real kick in the door and slaughter goblins AP
Maybe you need to run War Crown instead. I am a player in WOTC and it is all about your list

it would take a lot of work and creativity on your part to add it to this AP

Acquisitives

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

if your players want a break from war/military/beat 'em up, this ain't the AP for them.

there's some RP stuff, but the fighting really is the highlight.

as @thenovalord says, if you want to do something else, War for the Crown is the way to go. There's combat, but the bulk of the game, really, is RP.


Thanks guys. I was more just checking to see if any other GMs had written in their own side plots, or saw any story opportunities to create something.

I'm not looking to replace a whole book, or change the type of AP it is. I really like the idea of very limited shopping opportunities in Ironfang. I want them to be scrounging and scrambling for their lives. Like, I totally want to see 5 level 3 PCs be ecstatic when they stumble across a loot haul of 23 rations, 40 gold pieces, a couple shovels, and nice tent. But even to me, 6 books of straight dungeon crawling can get tiresome out of repetition monotony.

So just speckling in some intense and meaningful role-play based agendas, every once in a while can make a world of difference.

maybe i'll just have to like... read the AP before I start getting overly creative

Acquisitives

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
christian kramer wrote:

Thanks guys. I was more just checking to see if any other GMs had written in their own side plots, or saw any story opportunities to create something.

I'm not looking to replace a whole book, or change the type of AP it is. I really like the idea of very limited shopping opportunities in Ironfang. I want them to be scrounging and scrambling for their lives. Like, I totally want to see 5 level 3 PCs be ecstatic when they stumble across a loot haul of 23 rations, 40 gold pieces, a couple shovels, and nice tent. But even to me, 6 books of straight dungeon crawling can get tiresome out of repetition monotony.

So just speckling in some intense and meaningful role-play based agendas, every once in a while can make a world of difference.

maybe i'll just have to like... read the AP before I start getting overly creative

the RP stuff in Ironfang is REALLY GOOD, esp in books 1 and 3. You get to do some fun RP stuff in 4 and 6 as well.

it's just that you aren't going to be doing much spy / espionage / mystery stuff.


Oh yeah. As @Yakman says there is loads of RP. Many things can be allied with or offer help/hindrance. Many fey creatures to party with, my group even made friendly with the trolls in the castle.

Book 5, as something of an annoying side trek, they turned into a big roleplay fest and I ended up really enjoying running that mod

We do the second session of book 6 on Wednesday. The vault looks to have stuff to banter with, and then a 40 room hack afterwards.

Kingmaker Spoiler

Spoiler:
My parry got ship-in-a-bottled in Kingmaker and Nyrissa still exists. I introduced her in the last room of Book V, as she had been asked to ship in a bottle Nirmathas/Molthune by Arlantia to keep the humanoids out. She instead made friendly with the players and invited them to visit her after they have finished their current quests.
Will be a nice way to get the PCs from 18-20th


Pathfinder Rulebook Subscriber

There's some counter espionage scenarios involved-- saboteurs the party has to root out and deal with, doing their darnedest to mess things up behind the scenes. Book 3 also tells you turnabout is fairplay, and let's the players use these tactics against the legion. There's also good opportunities for intelligence gathering-- several dungeons are actually enemy camps or forts, and it is highly encouraged that the party scout them out ahead of time. Finally, there's an optional militia system which includes a lot of espionage actions you can take, spymasters, and what have you. I've found the militia system doesn't always line up with the goals of the campaign-- lots of actions don't seem to work as written. But if you take a more narrative approach to them rather than strictly focus on the limitations of RAW it is pretty cool.

And as mentioned there is wonderful RP. If your party builds with diplomacy and wild empathy in mind and takes the right campaign traits, it is astounding how many enemies you can make into allies. The AP bestiary and random encounter tables are full of good aligned creatures as well that can be befriended. We refer to this campaign as playing Pokemon in my group.

All that is to say, you should absolutely read the whole adventure before trying to get overly creative. Or the very least, read the individual book before you start crafting new adventures for that section. There's lots of room to add stuff, but if you consult the back of the books in particular you will find lots of good inspiration.

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