What If Scenario: Strength of Thousands level 1-10, 3 book AP

[WatersLethe]

I finished running my group through Strength of Thousands, and boy were there issues. It left me with the distinct impression that the "magical school AP" would have massively benefited from being a 3 book, levels 1-10 AP with graduation at the end.

So, if we took a trip to an alternate world where that was the case, what do you think the adventure would look like? What would be kept? What's the first to cut?

I'd like to imagine it would be much more tightly based in and around Nantambu, with more consistent NPC interactions. The first two books could almost stand as is with a significant amount of filler trimming, then the whole Red Planet and books 6 plot could be remixed and served up at a lower level.

Teachers would stay higher level than you, a graduation scene could be a climactic ending, and your fellow students scaling with you or not wouldn't be such a big question mark. It would then set you up to go off on a big 10-20 adventure as graduates, with all the bonus feats and skills showing off your alma mater.

[Mathmuse]

I have been changing the pacing of the beginning of Strength of Thousands, but I am still at the beginning, so I don't know how the later modules fit in. Rather than trimming, I have been adding material, such as River into Darkness Revisited.

Kindled Magic was the first semester of the PCs, taking place during Spring Season. The PFS module Student Exchange is the second semester, Summer Season, in which the PCs supervise the exchange students, who happen to be their former PCs from A Fistful of Flowers.

Spoken on the Song Wind will be their 3rd semester, Fall Season, in which the PCs will be promoted to conversant and asked to each teach a class. I will probably homebrew some material for Winter Season.

Though the PCs are supposed to be promoted to learned ones before Hurricane's Howl, I was thinking of leaving them conversants and presenting the adventure as their 2nd year that begins with field work in the Sodden Lands. Then they get promoted to learned ones for diplomatic work in Secrets of the Temple-City.

I was considering a time jump between Secrets of the Temple-City and Doorway to the Red Star. The graduates have gone off independently but happened to gather back at the Magaambya in order to venture through the doorway. I have no plans for Shadows of the Ancients yet.

The Life in the Academy system in Kindled Magic is designed to give the impression that the PCs are attending classes and studying lore while experiencing the adventures in the modules. But my players wanted some actual classes. Twenty-five years ago I was university professor, so I have the academic experience to invent classes and the GM experience to represent the classes with amusing field trips. Thus, the PCs are feeling like students and I should be able to keep this up until the end of Spoken on the Song Wind.

Then the tone will change. I am currently viewing Hurricane's Howl and Secrets of the Temple-City as graduate school. The PCs will gain field experience necessary to confidently present themselves as wise Magaambya mages to the outside world. Then they graduate completely; hence, I am considering a time skip to represent that they left the Magaambya.

I guess I envision a four-book adventure path as Magaambya students and a two-book sequel as high-level Magambya mages.

[Lawrencelot]

For a 3 book adventure, I think book 1 can remain largely the same. Book 2 you cut out either the Serpentfolk or Froglegs, and focus on one big bad while trimming half of the book. Then the second half could be some kind of exploration through the Mwangi jungle, possibly with the knights of Abendego still, ending with a dungeon and boss (prison of the Vacant Eye maybe).

Then for book 3 you could do a quick diplomatic mission at Mzali, followed by Dajermube, which somehow connects the adventure to the King of Biting Ants (maybe showing where Old Mage Jatembe is as thanks for birthing a new god). Then end the book with an expedition to the red planet to defeat the King of Biting Ants (skipping the Iobane and Cathedral) and bringing back Old Mage Jatembe.

I think this keeps the best parts of the AP but it will definitely feel rushed. Just staying endlessly on campus with all kinds of magical shenanigans happening there might be a better experience, depending on the group.

[Yakman]

...and you have to keep the fun bit of Book 6. It's too much fun.

[darn... i gotta come up with a freaky wizard [oh just as I'm typing it, I have one...] who can accidentally shrink the PCs in my Sky King's Tomb book]

[Joseph Collins]

I was thinking of something similar if I ran it for my kids. I want to really dive into classes, extra-curricular activities, and relationships with both teachers and fellow students.
I would like to add at least one (possibly yearly) dance or gathering (homecoming/prom) and field trips. For the later levels, I would like to extrapolate the school branch memberships into further integrating with the town, such as joining the Tempest-Sun Mages on patrol (tied to a small attack by the remnants of the Gorilla King), the Chime Ringers (tied to Froglegs), government internship (following the mayor stuff in book 2), Rain-Scribes escorting Cascade Bearers for a field study (and special research opportunity), Emeral Boughs negotiating with another culture (such as the Terwa Lizardfolk or any Garund-specific ancestry) or a hidden/insular community.
I felt that an adventure path in Garund should feature Usaro, as well as some of the Garund-specific ancestries, such as investigating the First Weave in Majabi.

[Mathmuse]

Joseph Collins wrote:

I would like to extrapolate the school branch memberships into further integrating with the town,

In my seven-member party I have 3 Cascade Bearers, 2 Tempest-Sun Mages, 1 Rain-Scribe, and 1 Emerald Bough. Since I want to keep the party together, I cannot have separate branch-related encounters.

Instead, the party is assigned a permanent job as a group for each season. We started with Spring Season during which the party was assisting Thema with caring for the leshies in the Leshy Garden. In Summer Season the party was assigned liaison duty to guide foreign exchange students in Student Exchange. Their former characters from A Fistful of Flowers were the exchange students. In Fall Season, they are deputized into the Chime Ringers. My plans for Winter Season is that they will assist a visiting scholar Kassi Aziril and protect her from assassins. Their second Spring Season will be the field expedition in Hurricane's Howl.

Joseph Collins wrote:

the Chime Ringers (tied to Froglegs),

I am currently teaming up the party with a Chime Ringer in the Froglegs subplot in Spoken on the Song Wind. The Chime Ringer is my playtest runesmith, Virgil Tibbs, so I am chronicling this.