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Hello all GMs. I will be starting this AP for my group in two months and was looking to see how many GMs jumped right into Roslars tomb or did session zero, or extensive background sessions before dumping the pc’s into the coffins.
I have been listening to two podcasts for this AP, and like the idea of doing significant character background to make the impact of part two more significant. My initial plan is to do a lot via email (who you know, what your link to town is, what they are doing on day -1) and start first live session with stuck in box.
Just looking to see how folks have started this AP off. Jumped right in or session zeros?As an aside, i have already run We Be Heroes goblin one shot and will be doing the PFS Reavers Roar and the Shattered Shield, as preludes. My head cannon will be that the recovered shard from Shattered Shild will be passing through town when WW sets off test fire.
I did not do anything before the blast.
I set the AP on the first day of the year. In Golarion, the last day of the year is a sort of 'day of the dead' where people celebrate those who have passed. I asked everyone to say where they were at midnight, someone said that they were looking out at the street, I said, oh, you see a guy walking down the street ... ALL OF YOU ARE IN DARKNESS ROLL FOR INITIATIVE.
Threw them right into it. They had no idea what was happening, and no idea where they were.
One thing I did was make up the Red Shrikes, so each one of the PCs had a 'fore-runner' Red Shrike whose coffin they woke up in. Turned out that was one of the best decisions I made in the whole campaign. I created little subplots tying them to the PCs... one of them was a half-orc dragonblooded bloodrager... his 'forerunner' was his ancestor, book 5's villain's lover, who was grabbed by TB's forces and sold to the orcs hundreds of years ago, and who gave birth to a half-draconic child... when they met up with the boss of book 5 it was readily apparent to him that he would be battling his descendent, and relished the opportunity... the oracle woke up with a holy symbol of Aroden around his neck, which was the holy symbol of the Red Shrike's cleric... that was a long and thoroughly awesome tale... The gear that they start with isn't their gear - it's the gear of the Red Shrikes.
One podcast [I just listened to the first episode] has the Red Shrikes being the ones who summoned Arazni to the mortal plane all those many years ago. Now the heroes, who are 'reborn' in the coffins of the deceased, have a chance to address the consequences of that action.
By doing this, you have the opportunity to add in some unique storytelling to the campaign which might otherwise be kinda dry at times.
I also went with the alternative bonus progression mechanic, since there is almost no shopping opportunity through large stretches of the campaign. Using that mechanic meant that the bloodrager went to the final battle wearing Roslar's breastplate, which was pretty awesome, while the gunslinger had the same gun that they started with.
Hello all GMs. I will be starting this AP for my group in two months and was looking to see how many GMs jumped right into Roslars tomb or did session zero, or extensive background sessions before dumping the pc’s into the coffins.
I jumped straight in because I wanted the party to be complete strangers waking up in complete bewilderment. A session zero would have killed that vibe.
I started the first session where every PC gave a brief description of themselves and why they were in Roslar's Coffer that night. Then I had them roll perception checks and whoever got highest woke up first.
I was able to use their brief backstories a little. The fighter was the only permanent resident, so when they got back to town in module 2 he visited his childhood home and found the remains of his family.
One thing I wish I had done was something I read here too late: a couple of GMs arranged it so that one of their PCs was visiting Roslar's Coffer to deliver a certain package, unbeknownst to them on behalf of the Whispering Way.