Hello all. Once I get a new computer (so...maybe next year sometime) I'm gonna be running either this or Iron Gods for my group. The only snag I have is, my group consists of me and two other players. Neither are big on optimization. Do you think a significant amount of reworking will be required to make this work? And what should I be on the lookout for as I prep? This will be the first AP I've ever run but I'm rather experienced in running homebrew material. Rules and the like come easy to me. So. Any tips?
I am GM'ing Iron Gods with just two players and I decided to have them be 2 levels above the AP expectations and play the AP as written. So starting at level 3 and leveling up at the expected points of the AP. According to the CR system, it should be equivalent, power-wise, and it does work remarkably well. So that's what I would recommend doing instead of rewriting the whole AP. GM'ing already represents a lot of work when playing the AP more or less as written.
That said, Iron Gods has the benefit of technology to replace magic, which mitigates the limitations of not having casters in the group (the 2 players decided to play a gunslinger and a barbarian/rogue). Strange Aeons may prove a little bit more tricky but a liberal use of summoning spells (if mainly caster characters) and/or UMD (if mainly front-one characters) should help mitigate a lot of the problems. The one difficulty I can see is the rituals (to access the Dreamlands, Carcosa, etc.) that are much easier with casters-related skills and get easier with more secondary caster. But it would be easy to lower the DCs, assume the research/books in the PCs hands allow them to do the rituals without rolling, and/or ensure a cast of lower level supporting characters can help/support them when it's not too dangerous.
Also, if you decide to go for a 2-PC group, be very careful with the confusion and fear effects in Strange Aeons. They are quite common and very deadly for a small group. Make sure to remove them or at least significantly lower their occurrences! For instance, make it so they impart penalties instead of removing player control.
Thank you That's great advice. I was talking to them about it and one of them suggested playing gestalt characters and using a higher point buy. I told them I'd think on this. It sounds like an interesting solution. Thanks for the heads up on fear