My daughter and her friends want to play Pathfinder im going to be playing them through Pathfinder Basic but after that if they enjoy it want to continue playing I would like to run them through an AP. What Adventure Path do you think with content and story is the most appropriate for 13 to 14 year olds?
Pretty much all of them are good, except Hell's Vengeance, it mostly depends on what genre they're interested in.
If they want to be Robin Hood then Iron Gods or Skull and Shackles won't float their boat, but if they're into pirates or battling robots with a rocket launcher and chainsaws then those are the two you want to consider.
I have a 14 year old daughter myself, though we almost entirely play Starfinder.
I have experience with Rise of the Runelords, Kingmaker and Mummy's Mask.
I recommend AGAINST Rise, as there are some items that would be probably uncomfortable for you as Parental GM, or would need heavy editing/rebuilding. It's doable, I have a couple teenagers in my game, but it's extra work.
Kingmaker is wide open, with all sorts of room to add flavor, such as: Fairy Tale Princess Time can easily be added. Also, there's a thread somewhere around about using KM to teach leaders of the future here on the boards. Lots of teachable moments.
Mummy's Mask is solid, and safe. Watch the Mummy (likely any of them, but I prefer the 1999 version.), and if they like it, that's an excellent option.
Reign of Winter? I've only skimmed it so far (no immediate plans to run it myself yet), but it looks like fun to me.
Presumably the kids are old enough that child endangerment in classic fairy tale style (evil witches throwing people into ovens, etc.) is not a problem that will cause nightmares and psychological trauma.
There are a few non-traditional adventure locations, but that's part of the charm for many.
Like any AP, there are likely a few more adult spots that you might want to gloss over during play.
And the art is so pretty! :)
Hmmmm Reign of Winter is a good idea.
Yeah I love Rise but I have no interest in dealing with book 3 or 5 i was joking with my daughter about it yesterday.
I think Reign of Winter could be fun (with all the cool locals)
I love Rise of The Runelords but i dont want to change the adult themed encounters from book 2 3 and 5
Reign of Winter is good, I ran it for my kids.
There was a couple of parts I tweaked for a happier outcome but otherwise ran it as is.
Iron Gods was my kid's favorite, followed by Skull and Shackles, and then Reign of Winter.
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I think Reign of Winter could be fun (with all the cool locals)
Was that pun intended? :)
(The question stands, regardless of whether you meant "locals" or "locales".)
I cant Spell LOL
Second Mummy's Mask. It's solid and fairly forgiving at the lower levels.
I am sure they are already aware of the various Stargate and Mummy movies (old and new) and that can provide a fertile foundation to build on via AP storytelling.
Then again, I have not run and do not have Skull and Shackles, but the whole Pirates of the Caribbean vibe is also fairly fresh and pirates have an attraction all their own.
Organized Play Lead Developer
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The right Adventure Path is going to vary somewhat depending on what inspires your group. If they really like exploring places, figuratively kicking down doors, and punching ghosts, Mummy's Mask would be a good fit.
However, if the group especially enjoys roleplaying, I propose War for the Crown for consideration. It has plenty of court intrigue (I recommend printing out some of the pictures as references that the players can write on), lots of opportunities to interact with colorful characters, and opportunities for the players to feel powerful not just as individuals but as VIPs in charge of their own networks of agents and minions. On top of that, it's a great story about a highly capable and upstanding princess overcoming antiquated gender expectations/laws to become the queen her country needs. I think it could be a really rewarding fit for a group of teenage girls so long as they're story-motivated.
Just as one other big consideration, try running a 64-page module for the group after doing the Beginner Box material. Something like The Dragon's Demand can help the group get a feel for a larger story and the Pathfinder rules before committing to a full Adventure Path. It can also give you as the GM more opportunity to assess the players' interests so that you can make your best choice regarding an Adventure Path.
This is reaching back into the 3.5 days but Legacy of Fire had an Arabian Nights kind of vibe to it with genies and such. I don't recall there being any themes that would be problematic (though it's been awhile since I played it, so my memory could be failing me).
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Keep in mind that APs take a long time to finish, and your children will get older as you play. I’ve been running Rise of the Runelords for a group consisting of my wife and our kids and one of the neighbor kids for 4 years. When we started, they were 11, 12, and 14. We’re about halfway through book 5 now, and they’re 15, 16, and 18 (we’re going to make a big push to try to finish before my daughter goes away for college in the fall). I had to tone down some of book 3, and I was vague with my descriptions of a certain wing of that big dungeon in book 5 (because there are some things I’m not going to roleplay with my children no matter how old there are), but otherwise I haven’t had to change much.
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I think a huge part of it depends on the thematics they most enjoy. At this point there's an AP for just about every possible theme and playstyle out there so if they're particularly into one type or another that's probably your best indicator. While just about all of the APs deal with some mature subject matter, it's rarely something so crucial to the story that you can't hide it away somehow anyway.
Personally my go-tos for a younger group would likely be Dragon's Demand (as the good Mr. Compton mentioned, it's a solid introduction to long-form adventure format without committing to a full AP) or Hell's Rebels.
I mention Hell's Rebels for a few different reasons.
1. It's an AP that's really easy to conclude at book 4 (6 is the only one that gets into very dark territory; or at least the only one that's hard to rewrite those parts out of), meaning there's less risk of dropping it without a decent payoff.
2. It's very easy to turn the AP into a sort of hammed up Saturday morning cartoon style adventure. Actually when I read the main villain's motivation in the first book it was kind of hard for me not to ham him up a while bunch.
3. Chaotic Good is a pretty easy alignment to get into as a kid. If your players aren't into that though disregard this point and HR pretty much entirely.
4. There are a lot of ally NPCs to interact with that can help the players along, as well as offer plenty of roleplay opportunities if they're into that without making it an obligation for them (which is the reason I wouldn't recommend War for the Crown as much). Also if they like romantic stuff (and if my younger cousins have taught me anything about teenage girls, romantic drama is very much "on fleek"), there are just oogles of good candidates.
5. It being a semi-sandbox sort of adventure gives you a lot of wiggle room as the GM to add or remove stuff as you please. You know your players best after all.
All in all, if they like the traditional adventurer type stuff, Dragon's Demand is a good intro to a longer adventure. If they're down to do something bigger though, Hell's Rebels offers a lot of room to make it something they could get into.
