The PF2 Adventure Paths

[Salamileg]

So, uh... You gonna say why you think that?

[Fangtasmagoria]

I don't like licorice.

It's nice you have an opinion, some will agree, some won't.

[Ruzza]

Fangtasmagoria wrote:

I don't like licorice.

Well now we've got a real topic!

Counterpoint: I loathed licorice when I was younger, but it turns out that most of the licorice out there (especially in America) sucks. It's now my favorite treat.

[Tristan d'Ambrosius]

Nope no licorice. Don't remember much from when I was 3 back in the late 70's, but one of my memories does involve overindulging on Twizzlers. Then puking. Then explosively puking Twizzlers including out of my nose.

So I'm on the no licorice team.

[Bast L.]

I think they're a bit too PG, compared to Rise of the Runelords. I haven't finished any of them yet (starting book 5 of AoA soon), but I'm just not impressed with the enemies like I was in RotRL.

RotRL Spoilers:

Rooms of human meat with flies buzzing about, incestuous, cannibalistic ogres with deformities, dog murdering goblins, glass poured on people.

AP authors can make some fun encounters, in either edition, but I wouldn't mind if they turned things up a bit. Not the difficulty, but the horribleness of the enemies. I'm not looking for grimdark, just NPCs that the characters will really loathe.

I dunno, maybe they're going for family friendly APs.

[Tweezer]

Bast L. wrote:

I think they're a bit too PG, compared to Rise of the Runelords. I haven't finished any of them yet (starting book 5 of AoA soon), but I'm just not impressed with the enemies like I was in RotRL.

** spoiler omitted **

AP authors can make some fun encounters, in either edition, but I wouldn't mind if they turned things up a bit. Not the difficulty, but the horribleness of the enemies. I'm not looking for grimdark, just NPCs that the characters will really loathe.

I dunno, maybe they're going for family friendly APs.

I think the feel of Age of Ashes will fully depends on the GM running it.

That said, I wouldn't put an AP focused around a genocide in the "family friendly APs" section.

[Ruzza]

Bast L. wrote:

AP authors can make some fun encounters, in either edition, but I wouldn't mind if they turned things up a bit. Not the difficulty, but the horribleness of the enemies. I'm not looking for grimdark, just NPCs that the characters will really loathe.

So you haven't played/read AoE yet?

Also, stance on licorice? Pro or against?

[thenobledrake]

I find the PF2 adventure paths superior thus far to those that I have had experience with from PF1. Specific examples, boiled down to single sentences (but not in any particular order of importance):

1) Less "squick" content.
2) No NPC/monster design that highlights flaws in the game system and results in situations like full HP to immediately dead PC because the monster got it's turn first and rolled well.
3) Improvements in organization and layout.
4) The lower relative lethality of PF2 compared to PF1 gives an impression that the PF2 APs are more likely to actually see the initial set of characters make it to the end of the story, rather than having them replaced (sometimes to the point that the end-game party not only doesn't have any initial party members left, but also contains no characters that were in the party at the same time as any initial characters).
5) (note: this is probably mostly due to when I bowed out of playing PF1) The PF2 APs have more interesting unique traits - running a circus or being law enforcement, rather than 'typical adventurers' or 'shipwreck victims' and more constant in the campaign than 'there was a trial that once'.

Edit: forgot about the licorice! I have a general dislike of sweet-tasting things, preferring the more bitter or sour end of the flavor spectrum for candy/sweets. But I did develop a bit of a begrudging taste for the flavor of Jagermeister from attending house parties in my youth and young idiots picking liquor because they've heard the name, but realizing when they pour a glass and take a sip they can't handle the flavor, leaving me the option of watching the purchase be wasted as folks pour it down the sink or to have it be me that got wasted by finishing all the unfinished glasses of this licorice-flavored nightmare drink.

[Bast L.]

Ruzza wrote:

Bast L. wrote:

AP authors can make some fun encounters, in either edition, but I wouldn't mind if they turned things up a bit. Not the difficulty, but the horribleness of the enemies. I'm not looking for grimdark, just NPCs that the characters will really loathe.

So you haven't played/read AoE yet?

Also, stance on licorice? Pro or against?

Licorice is disgusting.

I've been running AoE, though I haven't read it fully yet (lazy), so I can't comment. I'm playing EC, so trying to avoid any spoilers.

The thing is, it's not a plot point that makes a villain loathsome, it's the details. Someone said something about a genocide. I mean, all sorts of games may involve world ending events. But details, individual stories of rampaging demons tearing people apart, or a Texas Chainsaw Massacre ogre house, get people more emotionally invested.

AoA spoiler:

Slavery is horrible, but without seeing the misery of the slaves in AoA (maybe we see it in book 5?), it's hard to get worked up.

That said, I really prefer PF2, since the game doesn't become rocket tag at higher level. We're further along in AoA than we ever got in RotRL, and there have been some really good encounters. Maybe I'll play a conversion of RotRL, since it was such a fun campaign.

[thenobledrake]

Bast L. wrote:

But details, individual stories of rampaging demons tearing people apart, or a Texas Chainsaw Massacre ogre house, get people more emotionally invested.

Except for when they go just a little too hard on the "check out how gross this is" and fail to deliver anything else, which then gets people more un-invested and ready to do as the group of players I was with while playing through Rise of the Runelords (10th anniversary version) did and stop the campaign.

It's the same reason why people, like myself, that consider themselves to be horror fans will look at a film that claims to be horror and say "nah... that's not horror, it's just a 'squick test'" For example, Hostel. The film complete glosses over everything that could make it a genuine horror film and instead focuses on the spectacle of the gore, but not in the way that other films can deliberately go over the top and make the gore fun. There's a line, on one side of which is spooky/nasty/scary fun and on the other side is "lol I made you watch an actual snuff film"

Paizo has done well since deciding not to try and get so close to that line anymore.

[Deadmanwalking]

Bast L. wrote:

I think they're a bit too PG, compared to Rise of the Runelords. I haven't finished any of them yet (starting book 5 of AoA soon), but I'm just not impressed with the enemies like I was in RotRL.

Allow me to just say that, both the first book of AoE, and the second of EC have extensive details on some pretty horrible stuff done by the villains. Some of it's in the past and you can gloss over if you want...but not all by any means, and you can bring up as much of it as you like, too.

Even in AoA, it depends on what you focus on.

Spoiler:

It'd be really easy to make the encounter in Book 3 where the villain tries to drown a bunch of slaves as a distraction utterly horrifying if you 'cut scene' over to what the slaves are going through as the water rises and they desperately claw at their cells. You can also avoid anything graphic at all, but that's the GM's choice, not the AP lacking opportunity for something horrific.

Like, I'm not sure any of it quite hits Hook Mountain Massacre levels (though AoE comes real close), but that was always a bit of an isolated incident rather than something any other AP ever equaled, and a lot of it is way worse than just pouring molten glass onto someone.

[CorvusMask]

I mean everything is PG compared to Hook Mountain Massacre, none of the APs come close to "room with baby bones buried in it repeteadly" or "room with literal necrophiliac orgy" ;P

But yeah, whenever anybody makes these types of sweeping claims, I'm like "As someone who has actually read majority of aps, I think your perspective isn't complete"

[Ched Greyfell]

A lot of people don't like black licorice. But I guess I'm weird. I like it. And I like the black jelly beans too.

[Animism]

^ You should try some licorice ice-cream then!
(If you can find some...)

[Ched Greyfell]

Hook Mountain Massacre was horrific. Then again, so was The Skinsaw Murders.
I'm in book 2 of Age of Ashes. We're digging it so far.
While I do love ancient curses, reawakening old enemies from ages past, journeys to the center of the earth (and other worlds), and demons spilling forth from a crack in the earth to wreak havoc on Golarion.. it is fun to have a city-based campaign from time to time.
The first PF1 AP was a city campaign. Council of Thieves.
Three APs into PF2 we've had dragons and ancient elf portals, a circus, and an urban adventure.
I think it's just getting started, and we'll have something for everybody by the time the zombie apocalypse comes.

And I haven't tried licorice ice cream. That sounds... interesting?

[Charlie Brooks]

I've played Age of Ashes, and I've picked up Agents of Edgewatch.

Both of them have potentially graphic material (heck, just the existence of alchemical golems and wendigos is potentially horrifying if played up). Neither of them are in the Hook Mountain Massacre category, but I don't think any single volume has been at that level (and for good reason).

I will say that I think Age of Ashes is a work of art. Yes, there are a few glitches caused by the fact that it was developed before the rules were fully final, but it is easily the best edition-opening set of adventures I've seen.

Despite being a "traditional" adventure path, Age of Ashes nicely illustrates the depth of the game. It could have been a series of dungeon crawls or a rip off of Rise of the Runelords. Instead, it's a well-organized globe-trotting quest that gives something new with each volume. The end of the campaign is fascinating with an antagonist who is incredibly deep and nuanced. It gives encounters for high-level characters that feel appropriately epic without getting overly complex and difficult to run.

I would go as far to say that Age of Ashes is a better overall campaign than Rise of the Runelords, which I consider high praise. It's a great campaign, and I hope the future adventure paths live up to that level of quality.

[CrystalSeas]

Try licorice the Dutch way: salted.

[Ched Greyfell]

CrystalSeas wrote:

Try licorice the Dutch way: salted.

Oh, man. I just can't.

[Project: J-ko]

I'd just like to offer my assistance in eating all the licorice for the people who hate it. You don't need to trouble yourselves, friends, I'm here to help.

I'd also like to hear OPs top two and a half's APs from 1st Edition, since that's all we've got right now for 2E. I think we could get a better comparison if we compare equal amounts of content.

[Themetricsystem]

Not to continue the derail intentionally but...

Spoiler:

I used to think I hate licorice until I had something other than black L, Red Vines, or Twizzlers and tried some watermelon, apple, blueberry, and peach licorice made by a small candy company and I realized that it's just the mass-market stuff that's awful.

That said, back to the topic at hand: I would like to just say that I, for one, really enjoy when APs include elements of horror and tell stories that revolve around atrocities of one kind or another. GMs can always dial things back but the benefit of including those elements in print is valuable since it really can add whole new layers to the adventure if it is appropriate for the group.

[thenobledrake]

Themetricsystem wrote:

GMs can always dial things back but the benefit of including those elements in print is valuable since it really can add whole new layers to the adventure if it is appropriate for the group.

Alternatively, a GM could be responsible for dialing things up and GMs in general not be put in a situation where they are assumed to be fully willing to tolerate the full-on dose of a subject that they'd rather gloss over if not skip entirely or just not be able to run the AP they likely didn't realize was going to have such subject matter until after they paid for it (since the content warnings are inside of the AP book, not on the product page or cover).

[Rysky]

I'm not big on sweets barring certain things but I'd love to try licorice, actual licorice, one day.

[Elorebaen]

I try not to feed trolls, but I was thinking about the PF2 APs recently, and the following came to my mind

I appreciate that they have not played it safe, and that all of the APs have these really distinctive and cool motifs. I mean, playing as a traveling circus member? What?? Or part of a city guard? For a campaign??

This is ultra cool and creative stuff, and I hope they continue to think outside the box with AP ideas!

Whether you dial up certain aspects is up to the GM and party, what matters is the great stories and concepts, and they have been presenting really inventive ideas with these APs.

Anyway, just a thought that crossed my mind recently. By all means, carry on with the trolling =)

[Zaister]

Rysky wrote:

I'm not big on sweets barring certain things but I'd love to try licorice, actual licorice, one day.

What's keeping you? Is it banned in jurisdiction or what?

[Rysky]

Zaister wrote:

Rysky wrote:

I'm not big on sweets barring certain things but I'd love to try licorice, actual licorice, one day.

What's keeping you? Is it banned in jurisdiction or what?

Lol, I don't go looking for sweets on a whim, and all I've ever seen here is Twizzlers.

[Cydeth]

I like licorice, but the smell of anise bugs my wife, so I don't have it very often.

That said, the Pathfinder 2e APs thus far have fallen completely flat for me. Boring, choosing subjects (or locales) that I don't care about, and all of that. Mind you, I felt that way about the entire Strange Aeons/Cheliax/Ironfang Invasion/Tyrant's Grasp sections of PF1, so it isn't like that's new. But none of the first five APs of Pathfinder 2e have been something I'm interested in, so since I canceled my subscription back in January or February, I've had no interest in re-upping.

The Ruby Phoenix tournament one might be interesting, but I find myself really skeptical. Recent design decisions in PF2 have me hesitant to continue investing in the system, despite the fact that I really like the Core Rules/APG/GMG.

*shrugs* Personally, I'll see how it goes, and if necessary, I'll focus on building my own content/adventures, or move to another system. I was on the verge of doing that anyway around the time of Ultimate Wilderness.

[Ched Greyfell]

I find PF2 so easily convertible that I don't need the latest AP to be the best thing going. If there's not a current one out that I like, I'll just run Legacy of Fire or Serpent's Skull or something. Or even an old D&D adventure like Against the Giants or Egg of the Phoenix.

I feel the same way about licorice. If the newest flavors don't grab me, I'll just stick with my old favorites.

[Elorebaen]

Ched Greyfell wrote:

I find PF2 so easily convertible that I don't need the latest AP to be the best thing going. If there's not a current one out that I like, I'll just run Legacy of Fire or Serpent's Skull or something. Or even an old D&D adventure like Against the Giants or Egg of the Phoenix.

Thank you for mentioning this Ched! With regards to converting, I wholeheartedly agree.

[Cintra Bristol]

Re. converting, I mostly agree too. I really want to convert several of the late-PF1 APs because I didn't get the chance to run them yet. (I am aware of the folks doing conversions of past APs on Discord, but I just don't understand that platform enough to participate.)

I do wish there were a wider selection of NPCs to make conversions easier.

So I'd LOVE it if Paizo would announce something like the NPC Codex for PF2.

Or partner with someone to offer official (or officially-sanctioned) conversion documents. I'd gladly pay something reasonable* for a set of converted-to-PF2 stat blocks if that were an option.

*Obviously, what someone counts as "reasonable" will vary widely. And I know Paizo developers et.al. have way too much on their plates already to make this an in-house project.

[Deriven Firelion]

I think Age of Ashes was disjointed and not well-connected. Extinction Curse is better constructed and more cohesive. I like the Xulgath theme.

Not going to play Edgewatch. Sounds too weird and the whole nonlethal rules made the whole thing seem lame from the start.

I'm looking forward to the Kingmaker remake. I like they scale to 20 now too. Feels like I get more bang for the buck if I can buy an AP and play it to 20.

[Helvellyn]

There is very much two kinds of liquorice in Europe. Sweet liquorice which is popular in the UK where it is mixed in with large anounts of syrup (Think Pontefract Cakes, liquorice allsorts and laces) and salty liquorice which is common in Germany, Easter Europe and Scandinavia. Main problem with salty liquorice is that the salt taste builds up and they become saltier with each one.

We tend to pick up liquorice for our gaming group whenever we travel anywhere for us to sample around the table while we play. Sadly with Covid, we have not been able to do this as not only have we not visited anywhere new, we have yet to identify a way of sending liquorice through the internet while we play online.

I would also like to give a shout out to Iceland where we got some awesome chocolate which contained salty liquorice pieces. That was a good day.

[The Gleeful Grognard]

James Goodman 960 wrote:

The PF2 adventure paths suck compared to what was available for PF1.

I mean, sure compared to the best ones I guess, better balanced mechanically though. But at the same time I don't think that is fair given that the vast majority of PF1e adventures are way worse or equal.

My judgements so far

Age of Ashes
Awful first book and weak second book but picks up and as long as the GM did further reading / prep work they can make books 3+ really shine. Book 3,4 and 6 are probably the highlights for me and it is one of VERY FEW paizo APs I have read that doesn't have a weak last book.
Weakest element is the gate system and jumping to places that somehow connect with the plot, Mwangi made sense, the other locations feel very coincidental outside of maybe Promise.

Extinction Curse
Reading this one atm and doing meticulous prep for when I run it, the overarching plot is a mixed bag, but it is a bit more grounded than AoA and I feel like they have a way better grasp on the mechanics and presenting them clearly. Add to this some REALLY awesome setpiece locations half way into the adventure and I am looking forward to running it.

Agents of Edgewatch
Only skimmed the first two books, awesome theme, I will ditch the non-lethal rules and just inform my players to build non-lethal capable characters so it is actually a choice. I don't live in America it isn't the same sort of hot topic here and I trust my group to handle the RP well enough. My biggest concern will be how to hand out look, and I will be going with flexible merit pay vs bounties (that way people won't feel as much of a pull towards false arrests and I can tailor it as necessary). Conceptually I think this looks the most solid so far and I haven't seen any of the connective issues that the former two had.

BUT if we are comparing to PF1e, boy were there some stinker adventures, and I wouldn't consider any of these three bad... Well except for Hellknight hill, I cannot imagine that being much fun if run without GM fixing a bunch of stuff for flow.

[CorvusMask]

Cydeth wrote:

That said, the Pathfinder 2e APs thus far have fallen completely flat for me. Boring, choosing subjects (or locales) that I don't care about, and all of that. Mind you, I felt that way about the entire Strange Aeons/Cheliax/Ironfang Invasion/Tyrant's Grasp sections of PF1, so it isn't like that's new. But none of the first five APs of Pathfinder 2e have been something I'm interested in, so since I canceled my subscription back in January or February, I've had no interest in re-upping.

I'm honestly bit confused about what do you find interesting since what you listed as being non interesting to you is actually really wide area <_< Like, I'm not sure if what is problem is that you don't like ustalav/last wall/cheliax/nirmathas/absalom or something else?

[Nik Gervae]

CrystalSeas wrote:

Try licorice the Dutch way: salted.

Salmiakki for the win!!

[Nik Gervae]

Themetricsystem wrote:

Not to continue the derail intentionally but... ** spoiler omitted **

That said, back to the topic at hand: I would like to just say that I, for one, really enjoy when APs include elements of horror and tell stories that revolve around atrocities of one kind or another. GMs can always dial things back but the benefit of including those elements in print is valuable since it really can add whole new layers to the adventure if it is appropriate for the group.

Please tell us the name of the derailing licorice company, please. I want to try this mythical treat.

[Ediwir]

AoA and EC have left me a bit meh for similar reasons, but the short trigger warning line on Agents of Edgewatch has me feel all tingly. Maybe give that a go.

And hey, if that still doesn't do the trick, there is a small discord server dedicated to adventure conversion. You might want to hop on and help with the work. After all, it's good material, no reason for it to go to waste.

[Decimus Drake]

Is it possible to derail a thread if it didn't have rails to begin with? Or maybe the rail is stating things we dislike?

I dislike people who state they/them cannot be used to refer to an individual. Whenever I encounter such an individual I tell them they are wrong and immediately say a sentence that uses they/them in the singular sense.

I've not tried liquorice in a long time but considering all the foods I didn't like as a child (e.g. olives, mushrooms, fried eggs) but now like as an adult, I' might have to give it a try.

[Cydeth]

CorvusMask wrote:

I'm honestly bit confused about what do you find interesting since what you listed as being non interesting to you is actually really wide area <_< Like, I'm not sure if what is problem is that you don't like ustalav/last wall/cheliax/nirmathas/absalom or something else?

Specifically regarding Ustalav/Lastwall, the reason I don't like Tyrant's Grasp is simple. I don't like survival horror, and I hate puzzles. I absolutely, utterly suck at them, and most authors/GMs I've seen require the players to solve them, so when I read through the first adventure of TG, it immediately killed the AP for me.

In no specific order, here are APs I found interesting, at least on the face of things (I should note that the execution fell flat on some of these, at least for me.) I'm not saying all APs other than these are ones I disliked, most of them I'm simply neutral on.

Rise of the Runelords
Return of the Runelords
Wrath of the Righteous
Jade Regent (I'm of mixed feelings on the journey aspect)
War for the Crown (Ended up overly fiddly for me to run, but I loved the concept)
Iron Gods (which I have to admit, I never expected)
Legacy of Fire
Second Darkness (despite the many, many flaws)
Kingmaker (Execution fell flat for me and my group)

Now, is it particularly logical that I don't care for all the 2e books? Not really. I'll try to elaborate, though.

The continent-bouncing design of Age of Ashes didn't sit well with me, it felt disjointed (I wish it had used the boat idea JJ mentioned), though it had some good adventures. In particular, I liked the overall way that the books about the Mwangi Expanse and about the dwarven sky citadel turned out, even if there are specifics I disagree with.

I got the first book of Extinction Curse despite not being fond of the circus theme, mostly to see if the encounter design was better than in Age of Ashes (which I felt it was). So I read it, and personally, I felt it suffered from whiplash. No, I don't have the rest of the books, but I feel that the focus on the circus and the Xulgath plot separately detracted from the story. Regardless, due to the circus aspect, it's not the AP for me.

Agents of Edgewatch... it's a city guard AP. Sounded mildly interesting, then I read the description of book 5 and it was a hard pass for me. I don't like plot twists of that type, and the mechanics described in the PG felt clunky to me. I don't have strong feelings about it, just... meh. I don't especially like Absalom either.

The next few, I don't remember the names of the next two 3-parters, so I'll just give a brief summary. The megadungeon? My groups hate dungeon crawls, so this is absolutely off the table. Simple and straightforward.

The Ruby Phoenix one is the most interesting of the ideas to me, but everything would depend on the execution. I'm not fond of the Battle Royale on the island style of thing to begin with, so the first adventure's (basic) description has me wary. This is the only one I'm above lukewarm on.

And the AP that was announced... yesterday? I think so. I mean, it's great for everyone who wanted an academy AP in that area (I'd butcher the name, so I'm avoiding it), so I hope they have fun. For me, it's just not a specific location I was ever interested in through PF1e, so... another 'meh'.

What I'd like to see? A proper AP involving dwarves in the Five Kings Mountains or reclaiming a sky citadel. An AP that depicts elves of Kyonin properly rather than the dated, inaccurate version of Second Darkness. An AP about Holomog, or fixing the mess in Galt. An AP involving being in Qadira, or going into Iobaria.

[Barbaric Gug Swarm]

Hmmm, ice cream...

I like black licorice. There I said it. I feel better. I don't think that folks that dislike licorice are wrong or mistaken, just that they have different tastes than I do.

I also enjoy other flavors of licorice. I've seen apple, watermelon, etc. I remember coming across Kookaburra brand Australian licorice at some point and really enjoyed it.

When I go to my grocery store for licorice, I'll look for almost any brand (but will avoid the waxy Red Vines or bucket of red straw-like licorice unless it's the only one available or on sale for a better price).

As for APs, I haven't read or ran all of the 2e APs (as right now there are only 2 complete paths [Age of Ashes, Extinction Curse] and Agents of Edgewatch hasn't shipped my subscriber copy of volume three) to form an option that they are better or worse than 1e APs. (I still hold Council of Thieves in high regard, followed by a modified Strange Aeons, and wouldn't mind going back to those with a 2e coat of paint.)

[CorvusMask]

Umm. yeah I don't really see a pattern there ._. I mean part of it is that I have only explanation on the aps you didn't like, but regarding what types of aps you would like to see, I don't really see much there besides it being topics you are interested in.

Like that kinda comes across as "Either I'm interested in topic or I'm not" with rare exception where execution can sell topic you wouldn't normally be interested in

[Cydeth]

CorvusMask wrote:

Umm. yeah I don't really see a pattern there ._. I mean part of it is that I have only explanation on the aps you didn't like, but regarding what types of aps you would like to see, I don't really see much there besides it being topics you are interested in.

Like that kinda comes across as "Either I'm interested in topic or I'm not" with rare exception where execution can sell topic you wouldn't normally be interested in

And? Why does logic have anything to do with whether someone enjoys an AP or not? Personal preferences are just that. Personal. I just want to share when something doesn't work for me so that Paizo can take it into account.

[TheGoofyGE3K]

I think I get where Cydeth is coming from. I personally love adventure paths with strong themes that somewhat override the setting. Like Skull and Shackles. You don't need to know Golarion to enjoy pirating. Reign of Winter visits cold places. Iron Gods is all about that ancient alien goodness, though fits less with the others.

My group has mostly played in 2 non-golarion settings (megadungeon and a viking one) and the Shackles. I convinced them to try PF2, but I know they wont like AoA due to it being a big tour of a world they know nothing about. So I'm going with extinction curse to get them with carnies vs dinofolk, but it's on the edge of what can be played without knowing the lore.

With edgewatch being a big golarion-specific city, the Tournament being a sequel, and the other not running to 20, it makes it hard for a group looking got a big adventure unless they are ready to learn about the Golarion setting.

And while I like it just fine, it's a lot less easy to just drop in and run. And with the first few all feeling more like golarion-expanding APs than slightly more generic but easier to swallow APs, it can be a little upsetting being unable to find a place to start due to wanting a simpler (or just different) theme

[Jon Yamato 705]

The premise of Age of Ashes--going to different, unrelated locales, and glossing over the question of why the McGuffins happen to be there--did not interest me at all. Episode #1 seemed very disjointed and flat, as well as having a poor handle on difficulty level. Episode #2 also had a poor handle on difficulty, and felt to me like it treated its NPCs as stage props, which is a big turn-off.

I can't judge #3 fairly because it's set in Kintargo, and depicts the things my Kintargo party worked so hard to establish as having gone by the wayside (what are slavers doing in the city? Why is the Bellflower operating in secret rather than alerting the authorities?) Paizo also did this to Westcrown (built up in Council of Thieves, trashed in Hell's Vengeance) and it prevented us from playing Hell's Vengeance. I really wish they wouldn't. Going back to a previous location is okay but I don't see why they like to depict them as worsened or wrecked. It's demoralizing.

I like the setting of #4 very much. I don't know that it would actually run well, and there's a dearth of run reports. I might try this one stand-alone sometime. I never read #5 or #6 as by this point I knew I wasn't really interested in the AP.

The circus part of Extinction Curse could work well for my group--we have actually done circus campaigns before. It seemed somewhat tacked on to the xulgath plotline, though, and my players had huge issues with the whole xulgath/Aroden thing. (And after I read #5, so did I.) #5 had some great color and flavor, but...ah well. I'll give this whole thing a miss. The circus parts are not very well developed, from what I saw in a partial readthrough of #1 and #2.

It also really underscores my inability to get any kind of handle on the game-world. Everything seems to float to the PCs' level, even worse than in 1st Edition--the sticking point for me was the small-town adventuring clan in Extinction #4, who are on a par with the teen-levels PCs for no apparent reason. The guy in Kintargo in Ashes #3 who casually summons a devil got the same reaction. Everything just seems to be what it needs to be for the immediate adventure, but the result for me is that there's no sense of a coherent world behind it all.

I really liked Agents of Edgewatch #1. It's far and away the best of the ones I've read, even though I think the privateer thing is a huge misstep and I would not run it that way. Reading the summary of upcoming modules, though, I doubt I could run this. My players do not take well to being railroaded and I doubt I could make those very specific plot twists come off as planned. Maybe just run #1, either in its native system or converted, then stop. (A bit scared to run it in its native system, because I think that once again it is not in control of its difficulty. I thought 2nd was supposed to make that easier?)

There is a kind of pattern of not really thinking about the morality of what you are asking/expecting the PCs to do. Using lethal force against the rival circus; accepting at face value that the xulgaths are more sinning than sinned against; financing your police operations by extortion; meddling in the love life of a perfect stranger in a culture you don't understand (Ashes #2). Any of these could work in a darker tone, but that doesn't seem to be the intent.

Compared to the better 1st Edition APs, these feel more like they're striving for color and splashy scenes at the expense of depth and world grounding. I can see how that could be really fun, but it is not at all my thing.

Favorite 1E APs: Rise of the Runelords, Council of Thieves (my GM did a bang-up job with this, about quadrupling its length in the process), Kingmaker, Hell's Rebels, Iron Gods. I like APs with a solid sense of place, ones that don't run all over. (Did not have good success with Jade Regent or Reign of Winter, as a result.)

[CorvusMask]

Cydeth wrote:

CorvusMask wrote:

Umm. yeah I don't really see a pattern there ._. I mean part of it is that I have only explanation on the aps you didn't like, but regarding what types of aps you would like to see, I don't really see much there besides it being topics you are interested in.

Like that kinda comes across as "Either I'm interested in topic or I'm not" with rare exception where execution can sell topic you wouldn't normally be interested in

And? Why does logic have anything to do with whether someone enjoys an AP or not? Personal preferences are just that. Personal. I just want to share when something doesn't work for me so that Paizo can take it into account.

I have incredibly wide tastes, so when I hear "I don't like most of the APs" I got taken back since I wasn't expecting it to come down to "Most of them don't happen to be personally interesting to me" rather than specific issues xD Like I kind of expected there to be trend in paizo's design you didn't like or something like that.

I mean yeah it makes sense, don't get me wrong. I'm asking only because I like trying to understand people who think differently from myself, but it's easy to ignore Occam's Razor when trying to do so.

(on sidenote, as result of liking almost everything, I really rarely have any kind of favourites and its much easier to note things I dislike :p When you like both apples and oranges, its kinda hard to explain why one would be better than another, but really easy to explain why you dislike pears)