Where to start with new players?

[Valentius]

Hey guys, I've just convinced a couple of friends to give Pathfinder a try and I would like to pick the brains of more experienced players/GMs on the best place to start the game. I've only got 2 players right now, so I don't want to start any APs. So far as I know, they will be playing a Gnome Rogue and a Human Fighter, although characters haven't been created yet so that may change.

What I'd like advice on is where in the world to place them? The players know little to nothing about Golarion and I don't want to have to do a massive info-dump on them. Any ideas on what part of the world would make a good "starting zone?" Any other advice would also be appreciated.

[Kelseus]

Just have them start in a generic small town anywhere. Be it Taldor or Varisia or pretty much anything in between.

[CrystalSeas]

How connected do you want their characters to be to the place they start?

Are you looking for a home base for them when they finish their first adventure, or will they just keep traveling to the scene of the next one?

[Valentius]

I want the characters to be connected enough to stick around for the first few levels. Ideally I'm looking for an area of the world that is generic fantasy enough that the players will recognize it easily and without a lot of explaining from me. Right now I'm thinking Taldor, Andoran or the River Kingdoms currently.

[CrystalSeas]

There's a lot of good information in the "Age Of Lost Omens" chapter of the Core Rulebook.

If you want details on a particular town, I'd suggest "Sandpoint, Light of the Lost Coast"published last summer.

It was the last setting book published with the details of a particular town, and was written with the conversion to PF2 in mind.

Varisia, the country it is in, is also one of the most versatile possibilities for backgrounds and adventures.

There isn't any setting book that details either a city or a country using PF2 mechanics planned until next fall.

[Seisho]

For generic high fantasy place a random town in taldor or andoran

if you want them to don't exactly like the place where they are and change it put them into cheliax or nidal

if you want them to visit the wildside with occassional big cities the place you are looking for is varisia

and if there are many elves in your campaign you might want to consider greengold, but be careful as non-elves are very limited in the sorrounding area

[Valentius]

Thank you guys(and gals?) for the advice and help. I decided to go with Andoran, close to the border of Cheliax.

Here is what I've come up with (with the help of the Gamemastery Guide) so far. It is however, a work in progress.

Tythus-By-The-Sea: Settlement (Level 3)
LN, Town

Tythus is situated on the coast of Andoran beside a river, near the border of Cheliax. Primarily a fishing town, it is situated on a minor trade route and over the years has developed a small but profitable port. A few miles inland are the Tythus Fields; the hub of the small farming portion of the community which is made up primarily of Halflings.

In addition to the town guard, there is a small garrison of soldiers (about a squad), with a full fort situated much closer to the border. An Eagle Knight by the name of (Insert Name Here) is stationed at the fort and makes frequent trips to the town.

Government: Elected Council
Population: Human (70%), Halfling (23%), Dwarf (6%), Goblin (1%)
Languages: Common, Dwarf, Halfling

Religions: Abadar, Erastil, Pharasma
Prohibited Religions: Asmodeus
Threats & Problems: The River is known to be a breeding ground of River Drakes closer to its source and occasionally becomes a problem for those downstream. Unbeknownst to the majority of the town, The Bellflower Network operates in the town and regularly moves freed slaves from Cheliax through the town’s small port.
Other Characteristics: Port Town

Notable NPCs:
Ifriam Caldus (LN Male Human): Current head of the town council. In his 70’s, he has been re-elected to his position 7 times and is generally perceived to be a fair and wise leader, even if he is constantly scolding the local children and goblins for loitering in places he feels they ought not to be.

Tala Honeythistle (CG Female Halfling): Bellflower Agent, Runs a small farm outside the Town and sells her fruits and vegetables to the townsfolk like many of the other local farmers. She is a sweet lady who is friendly whith most everyone in town although her family (husband and 3 children) and employees almost never leave the farm.

Jakka (N Male Half-Orc Sage): Potion & Talisman Maker. Neither likes, nor trusts, owner of the general store. Has a gruff, and abrupt manner but is an exceptional judge of character. Often hires people to gather the ingredients he needs for his potions and talismans.

Gadry Grom (LE Male Half-Elf Charlatan & Shopkeeper): Charming, pleasant and everyone’s friend; Gadry is an a+!##*@. Currently he is the owner of the Town’s general store but before that he was a traveling salesman and charlatan. He knows a smattering of level 1 alchemical recipes that he peddles in the store.

Roarke Ironcask (N Male Dwarf Alchemist & Bartender): The Ironcasks are a wealthy Dwarf family/clan of brewers & distillers. Roarke is the youngest son and works the family bar “The Ironcask Taphouse” while working on his ideas of combining alchemy with alcohol.

Nish-Nash & Neeka Strongnoggin (N Male & Female Goblin Tinkers): A married goblin couple who run the local dump and a tinkering workshop.

That is it so far but I have more ideas to add. Thanks again for the help!

[Puna'chong]

Start them out in Breachill, the start of the Age of Ashes campaign. The town literally has a monthly adventurer job fair and is otherwise in Isger, a fairly generic fantasy location. If they like it you can transition into the AP proper

[LBHills]

If you want the characters to feel attached to the starting location (wherever you decide it to be), you may want to start the campaign by telling the players that they've inherited shares in a piece of property.

It could be anything from a farm with orchards or pastures, to a storefront. That gives the PCs a reason to gather, and to form a team: it also allows you to develop a few NPCs - neighbors or delivery people that can regularly interact with the players.

[Smallfoot]

Valentius wrote:

Tythus-By-The-Sea: Settlement (Level 3)

LN, Town

Tythus is situated on the coast of Andoran beside a river, near the border of Cheliax. Primarily a fishing town, it is situated on a minor trade route and over the years has developed a small but profitable port. A few miles inland are the Tythus Fields; the hub of the small farming portion of the community which is made up primarily of Halflings.

Government: Elected Council
Population: Human (70%), Halfling (23%), Dwarf (6%), Goblin (1%)
Languages: Common, Dwarf, Halfling

Religions: Abadar, Erastil, Pharasma
Prohibited Religions: Asmodeus
Threats & Problems: The River is known to be a breeding ground of River Drakes closer to its source and occasionally becomes a problem for those downstream. Unbeknownst to the majority of the town, The Bellflower Network operates in the town and regularly moves freed slaves from Cheliax through the town’s small port.

I think you've made a very nice starter location with plenty of opportunity for plot hooks. Just a minor suggestion: The Bellflower Network should be more of an 'open secret.' Practically everyone is aware that it exists and operates here, but they don't talk about it in public. The actual secrets are the identities of the Network members and supporters.

[Watery Soup]

I suggest engineering more flexibility.

Nobody knows what they really want when they first start playing, and explaining the mechanics of certain choices is cumbersome. Don't commit to a multiyear campaign as their first adventure; make a 1- or 2-session arc that lands them in a big city. They can meet NPCs, or even switch their characters, or find plot hooks there.

[Valentius]

Hey Thanks Smallfoot! And everyone else for commenting. I considered using Breachiil but decided against it. Mainly, the players don't want to run through an AP as their first experience of Pathfinder, and I'd rather save the town for when I do get a chance to run Age of Ashes.

We Just had our session 0 so I now have stats for the characters and brief backstories. We've decided that the characters have met before and since there are only 2 players I decided to add a GM pc. I made sure to ask the players if they were okay with that and explained my intent is not to pull focus with the character but support the players with some magic and the PCs are a Fighter and a Rogue respectively. I made him a Conjurer Wizard with the enhanced Familiar thesis. All 3 characters have the medicine skill (I made sure they understood it is their best method of healing with no magical healer) and gave each character 2 of the elixers of life from the equipment section for free.

So, currently I am working on a handout for the players with a brief description of the places and associated npcs I mentions in the setting briefing I gave them. After that I will be working on the first Adventure. I figured out the outline of the first adventure and the endpoint of the mini-campaign while watching some of Jason Bulmahn's videos on his youtube channel.

If there is interest, I can post my ideas for the adventures?

Thanks again for all the advice and ideas. Even if I didn't use yours it was helpful in deciding what I wanted to do.

[NECR0G1ANT]

For the GMPC, I recommend focusing on the Crafting and Medicine skills, along with the Alchemist Dedication and skills useful for identifying magic items.

[Valentius]

That is sort of my plan for him, minus the Alchemist dedication. I'm not sure I want him to go Alchemist. After watching Jason Bulmahn's lecture on running games for 1 or 2 players, I've already started to plan on them getting more consumable healing options than normal. We'll see how it goes once the game really gets rolling though.

[Valentius]

Here is a question you guys can help me with. The starting adventure is a little mystery in town. The players are approached by the potion/talisman maker to investigate a break-in at his shop (For his own reasons he doesn't trust the town guard to competently do the job). It was one of 3 places broken into overnight. What was taken were a few healing potions, a couple of potency crystals and a bunch of supplies used in treating & curing diseases.

The other two places robbed were the general store (some axes and alchemist's fire were taken) and the Church of Pharasma (an expensive Holy symbol and vials of Holy Water).

The thieves are hiding out in a local warehouse down by the docks and are preparing to leave town.

I know I want some sort of investigation skill challenge at the potion shop and general store (with a small fight against giant rats in the store's basement), and a social challenge at the temple where the town guard are already investigating. My question is 2-fold.

1.) As a player, what would you do to investigate these crimes.
2.) What kind of clues would you leave at each scene to guide the players to the warehouse?

[Timeshadow]

So I would leave tracks maby at one site. A mostly eaten body at the store basement (rats got him), and maby a strip of cloth from a tunic or something at the other. It really depends on who or what they are going after.

The body would identify the species or even the faction that they belong to (possably a guild sygil or a holy symbol), The cloth would be of a faberic not common in town maby a society check would identify the source, and finally the tracks would lead down to the river. All together it might give some idea what the culprits were planning after finding out what items they took.