Adventure Paths - tell me about them

Matrix Sorcica · Aug 19, 2007

I have never really been a Dungeon reader/user. However, I just got issue 150. And the Adventure Prince of Demons nearly blew me away.

So I'm late in the AP game, but please give me the low down. Which AP is in your opinion the best, and why? Are they all equally great?

Also, a big concern for me is that my players wiull lose interest in an adventure that stretches over 20 levels. How do the APs handle that?

Thanks

EricNoah · Aug 19, 2007

Savage Tide has run over the past 12 issues and features pirates, dinosaurs and demons. There is no plan that I'm aware of to have this published in a big book so you will have to look for back issues to complete your collection. http://paizo.com/dungeon/products/issues/savageTide

The previous adventure path was Age of Worms. Again, published over 12 issues I believe, and again no plans to publish in a book. http://paizo.com/dungeon/products/issues/ageOfWorms

The one before that was the first one, Shackled City. That one has since been published in a big book with additional material as compared to its magazine run. http://paizo.com/dungeon/products/books/v5748btpy7dx9

They all looked fun to me but you're right, 20 levels seems a lot for one story.

I have not run any of them. I have read most of the adventures for all of them, and they all seemed fun, but the higher the level went the less interested I became in the story and the more intimidated I was at the prospect of having to tackle that end of the path. I am simply not skilled enough as a DM to run the high end of D&D.

Paizo is now publishing OGL adventure paths that go from levels 1 to 15. The first series is Rise of the Runelords and will take the form of six monthly books starting this month. The next series is Curse of the Crimson Throne and should again encompass six monthly books starting in Feb 2008. Both of these paths take place in Paizo's new campaign setting. The monthly books feature a mix of adventure material and supplemental material. http://paizo.com/pathfinder

catsclaw227 · Aug 19, 2007

EricNoah said:
The previous adventure path was Age of Worms. Again, published over 12 issues I believe, and again no plans to publish in a book.

The one before that was the first one, Shackled City. That one has since been published in a big book.

They all looked fun to me but you're right, 20 levels seems a lot for one story.

There has also been the War of the Burning Sky, written by many skilled members of our own enworld community and published by EN Publishing. I am running this as a PbP.

There have also bee a few mega-campaigns that are like APs, but are packaged in single packages.

Drow War Levels 1-30 - three books by Mongoose Publishing -- I ran the first two books, good fun for all.
Ruins of the Dragon Lord levels 1-20 - boxed set by Mongoose (I have this but quite frankly, never run it)
Ptolus -- the multi-Ennie award winning campaign setting has adventures to run 1-20. This is the magnum opus of arguably the most well know 3.x designer. I am not even sure where to get the print copy of it. It's getting hard to find now.
Shades of Grey levels 1-12 - large adventure by Necromancer Games. -- this is sooo cool.
World's Largest Dungeon levels 1-20(??) - huge mega dungeon by AEG.
Warlords of the Accordlands levels 1-20 - actually 4 big books covering campaign setting, monsters, supplemental rules and a 1-20 campaign.

There are others -- can anyone else help list out the ones that exist for 3.x??

As for their utility, I can only speak for my self, but I love them mostly. I don't have time to home brew, mostly they give a lot of regional information, they are generally broken into chapters that you can end easily if the PCs want to go on to other things, they give greta ideas for side quests or other adventures entirely, and they help a harried DM like me get a game going quickly.

You don't HAVE to go 1-20, and they don't feel as railroady as you might thing. YMMV.

Matrix Sorcica · Aug 19, 2007

Could I get a run down of the various APs' plots and major villains? Please?

EricNoah · Aug 19, 2007

Wikipedia to the rescue!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age_of_Worms

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shackled_City

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savage_Tide

Jack of Shadows · Aug 19, 2007

Hey,

As far as ranking the AP's from Paizo I'd say they go as follows:

1. Savage Tide: Really, really good tight campaign that keeps the players interested all the way to a fantastic conclusion. The only failing, and it's minor, is that so much work is put into the setting of Sasserine but the players leave for good at the beginning of the third adventure.

2. Age of Worms: Very interesting campaign with some truly spectacular adventures. Suffers from some cognitive dissonance in that the Wind Dukes are strongly presented in parts through out the campaign but really have no part to play in the adventure nor any real connection to Kyuss from the party's perspective.

3. Shackled City: Still a very good campaign. However, a planar jaunt early in the campaign leaves the players scratching their heads until the finale. And the finale is very anti-climactic after the epic events two adventures previous. Shackled City works best if you have other stories going at the same time and can take an episodic perspective.

Jack.

Kae'Yoss · Aug 19, 2007

EricNoah said:
Paizo is now publishing OGL adventure paths that go from levels 1 to 15.

Runelords will be from 1-15, but as far as I know, the others might have other ranges. In fact, if Piazo will adopt 4e, the third Adventure Path might go from 1 to 30.

Agamon · Aug 19, 2007

Myself, I'd put Age of Worms before Savage Tide. Savage Tide is fun, and the second half looks like it'll be a blast when we get there, but there are three adventures in the first half that are just getting from point A to point B. That certainly makes it more focused, but I'm not sure that's a good thing.

There aren't really any standout adventures in Savage Tide (though I'm hoping Prince of Demons is one), whereas Age of Worms' Whispering Cairn, Champion's Belt and Prince of Redhand are all great adventures.

That said, both are pretty good. I've only played part way through Shackled City (the Dungeon version), and it was okay, but I've never actually read through it or played past the 3rd adventure, so I'm not too sure about it.

Mitchbones · Aug 19, 2007

I have tried running WotBS and Savage Tide, both expertly written and really cool campaigns. Yet they aren't for everyone (myself included) I always kind of felt "meh" as the DM. With pretty much pre-game done for me besides fixing the encounters or minor adjustments left me feeling like I wasnt' having as much fun as the players.

If you decide to run one, defiantly scale the fights...WotBS resulted in my first TPK

Glyfair · Aug 19, 2007

Jack of Shadows said:
<lots of snips>
As far as ranking the AP's from Paizo I'd say they go as follows:

1. Savage Tide: ...

2. Age of Worms: ...

3. Shackled City: ...