Carrion Crown Adventure Path
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dd.stevenson
Super KY
3 out of 5 rating for Carrion Crown Adventure Path
If this had been sold as a series of completely separate horror adventures I would probably give the entire set four or five stars. But instead it's a path, and the pathy-ness is where this series really falls down hard on its face. If your players have any aversion to railroading they are guaranteed to balk at the heavy handed tactics used to force the adventure into the next horror-themed area. And the themes don't always mesh well, lending the whole experience an amusement park quality.
If this had been sold as a series of completely separate horror adventures I would probably give the entire set four or five stars. But instead it's a path, and the pathy-ness is where this series really falls down hard on its face. If your players have any aversion to railroading they are guaranteed to balk at the heavy handed tactics used to force the adventure into the next horror-themed area. And the themes don't always mesh well, lending the whole experience an amusement park quality.
3 out of 5 rating for Carrion Crown Adventure Path
So AP started out great but it ended out being a little to much horror. When every day is horror...horror all the time you become numb to it. By the end the group was not even phased by all the horrible things that happened...so a little too much horror.
So AP started out great but it ended out being a little to much horror. When every day is horror...horror all the time you become numb to it. By the end the group was not even phased by all the horrible things that happened...so a little too much horror.
Fabio Andrea Rossi
First Post
4 out of 5 rating for Carrion Crown Adventure Path
Carrion Crown is a good tale: lots of well thought scenarios and situations. Not so much linked as a whole AP and some minor plot flaws here and there but overall excellent, perhaps a little too many combats for an horror adventure but well, this is Pathfinder, and at least most combats are pretty interesting!
Carrion Crown is a good tale: lots of well thought scenarios and situations. Not so much linked as a whole AP and some minor plot flaws here and there but overall excellent, perhaps a little too many combats for an horror adventure but well, this is Pathfinder, and at least most combats are pretty interesting!
lyle.spade
Adventurer
2 out of 5 rating for Carrion Crown Adventure Path
I played through all of books 1 and 2, and we made it about halfway through the 3rd volume before our group gave up on it. The Haunting of Harrowstone had enough flexbility in the plot, interesting NPCs and locales, and still pressure to move forward that it struck a good balance between player freedom and the demands of the story-as-expected. Book 2 seemed really forced - very much a typical "your patron wants this SO DO IT" approach to getting a party involved. It also became pretty transparent in terms of character advancement: the encounters are there to provide XP first, it feels, and story elements second. Seriously: you start the story and you know that the Beast is innocent...it's too obvious as a player...and so every 'clue' you're supposedly finding in character doesn't really help at all...there's no mystery. And the big trial is just a series of skill rolls. Our group found it, and the big battle at the end, to be very dry and predictable. By Book 3 we felt completely railroaded by the story, which again was made up of XP-generating encounters about which we did not care. For example, we wanted to skip the hunting lodge completely and keep moving after our real target...but the book demanded a long stay at the lodge, so there we were.The idea of a horror campaign really intrigued us, but good horror requires tension, and a predictable plot and obvious contrivances ruin any chance of that being maintained. I might pick up these books on sale or used for inspiration, but if you have a party that wants to be afraid or wants to unravel a mystery as players and characters, this - as written - will likely disappoint.
I played through all of books 1 and 2, and we made it about halfway through the 3rd volume before our group gave up on it. The Haunting of Harrowstone had enough flexbility in the plot, interesting NPCs and locales, and still pressure to move forward that it struck a good balance between player freedom and the demands of the story-as-expected. Book 2 seemed really forced - very much a typical "your patron wants this SO DO IT" approach to getting a party involved. It also became pretty transparent in terms of character advancement: the encounters are there to provide XP first, it feels, and story elements second. Seriously: you start the story and you know that the Beast is innocent...it's too obvious as a player...and so every 'clue' you're supposedly finding in character doesn't really help at all...there's no mystery. And the big trial is just a series of skill rolls. Our group found it, and the big battle at the end, to be very dry and predictable. By Book 3 we felt completely railroaded by the story, which again was made up of XP-generating encounters about which we did not care. For example, we wanted to skip the hunting lodge completely and keep moving after our real target...but the book demanded a long stay at the lodge, so there we were.The idea of a horror campaign really intrigued us, but good horror requires tension, and a predictable plot and obvious contrivances ruin any chance of that being maintained. I might pick up these books on sale or used for inspiration, but if you have a party that wants to be afraid or wants to unravel a mystery as players and characters, this - as written - will likely disappoint.
Fubbles the baby cow
Villager
3 out of 5 rating for Carrion Crown Adventure Path
I'm completing the 5th book of this AP with my group, and we've been running the AP for over four years. I have mixed feelings about the AP. I believe that Paizo's design goal for this AP was to present a horror-themed adventure path which features iconic undead adversaries, and presents an overall feel of fear, dread and horror. To the good, the AP features a tour-de-force of classic horror monsters in the various chapters, focusing on one or two classic tropes per chapter. Ghosts, zombies, werewolves, vampires, witches and a lich end-boss are all well represented. If killing lots of undead in gothic settings is your cup of tea, have at it! The AP delivers this very well.To the bad, the AP does not deliver on giving the players an overall feeling of impending doom, as a good horror-themed game should. I think this is not so much a fault of the writing in the AP as it is a fault of the game system itself. The Pathfinder RPG is essentially a game of fantasy super heroes kicking ass and taking names. In my experience, the game works best when the players are allowed to be awesome, and face challenging opponents without too much worry about being annihilated by the opposition. This is not a good fit with a game that wants to instill a feeling of overwhelming odds, unbeatable opponents, and the threat of death (or worse!) at every turn. There also seems to be a lack of connection between chapters of the AP. As written, the main BBEG does not even become known to the party until chapter 5, and the party only sees him in person at the very end of the AP. I had to make a lot of modifications to the AP to make the BBEG more personal and despicable to the group (thanks Paizo message boards!). Paizo also has a severe crush on the Lovecraft mythos, which they tried to shoe-horn into chapter 4 of the AP. It did not work. The chapter seemed out of place, and was more of a side quest for the group; it didn't really contribute anything meaningful to the advancement of the main story. Final analysis: If killing undead is your thing, this is the AP for you. If horror themed games are more your style, skip this one, and play Call of Cthulhu instead.
I'm completing the 5th book of this AP with my group, and we've been running the AP for over four years. I have mixed feelings about the AP. I believe that Paizo's design goal for this AP was to present a horror-themed adventure path which features iconic undead adversaries, and presents an overall feel of fear, dread and horror. To the good, the AP features a tour-de-force of classic horror monsters in the various chapters, focusing on one or two classic tropes per chapter. Ghosts, zombies, werewolves, vampires, witches and a lich end-boss are all well represented. If killing lots of undead in gothic settings is your cup of tea, have at it! The AP delivers this very well.To the bad, the AP does not deliver on giving the players an overall feeling of impending doom, as a good horror-themed game should. I think this is not so much a fault of the writing in the AP as it is a fault of the game system itself. The Pathfinder RPG is essentially a game of fantasy super heroes kicking ass and taking names. In my experience, the game works best when the players are allowed to be awesome, and face challenging opponents without too much worry about being annihilated by the opposition. This is not a good fit with a game that wants to instill a feeling of overwhelming odds, unbeatable opponents, and the threat of death (or worse!) at every turn. There also seems to be a lack of connection between chapters of the AP. As written, the main BBEG does not even become known to the party until chapter 5, and the party only sees him in person at the very end of the AP. I had to make a lot of modifications to the AP to make the BBEG more personal and despicable to the group (thanks Paizo message boards!). Paizo also has a severe crush on the Lovecraft mythos, which they tried to shoe-horn into chapter 4 of the AP. It did not work. The chapter seemed out of place, and was more of a side quest for the group; it didn't really contribute anything meaningful to the advancement of the main story. Final analysis: If killing undead is your thing, this is the AP for you. If horror themed games are more your style, skip this one, and play Call of Cthulhu instead.
Lwaxy
Cute but dangerous
3 out of 5 rating for Carrion Crown Adventure Path
This AP has a really great start with the first adventure. The old prison needing to be cleaned out and the description of the town with all the small spooks etc really make for a great atmosphere. From there it slowly goes downhill. Too much horror makes for a boring, predictable game, and it is worse when the story is so disconnected you are forced to railroad (or be railroaded). If you run this, I advise to add other stories in between the main part, and think of a better way to connect the single volumes. Or ust run them seperately to begin with, with only a hint of connection so your players won't feel forced so much.
This AP has a really great start with the first adventure. The old prison needing to be cleaned out and the description of the town with all the small spooks etc really make for a great atmosphere. From there it slowly goes downhill. Too much horror makes for a boring, predictable game, and it is worse when the story is so disconnected you are forced to railroad (or be railroaded). If you run this, I advise to add other stories in between the main part, and think of a better way to connect the single volumes. Or ust run them seperately to begin with, with only a hint of connection so your players won't feel forced so much.
5 out of 5 rating for Carrion Crown Adventure Path
Had so much fun being a DM. Amazing NPCs, great locations (haunted prison, trial, lost-in-the-woods lodge, vampire underground). It s an horrific roller coaster, full of role playing opportunities, mixed with fun fights. The intrigue is pretty simple and linear but it's well balanced with very different atmospheres and memorable places to visit!
Had so much fun being a DM. Amazing NPCs, great locations (haunted prison, trial, lost-in-the-woods lodge, vampire underground). It s an horrific roller coaster, full of role playing opportunities, mixed with fun fights. The intrigue is pretty simple and linear but it's well balanced with very different atmospheres and memorable places to visit!
Starfox
Adventurer
5 out of 5 rating for Carrion Crown Adventure Path
Again, I've only read this adventure path, not actually played it. This is a series of six excellent horror adventures. There is an optional connecting plot, but it really only matters in parts one and six. The rest are separate adventures on different themes; gothic, vampires, werewolves, Cthulhuoid, we have it all! Each is good, but the connection between them is pretty tenuous. This is true to the genre - think of this like "tales from the crypt" or some other horror series, each episode separate but with an overreaching plot.
Again, I've only read this adventure path, not actually played it. This is a series of six excellent horror adventures. There is an optional connecting plot, but it really only matters in parts one and six. The rest are separate adventures on different themes; gothic, vampires, werewolves, Cthulhuoid, we have it all! Each is good, but the connection between them is pretty tenuous. This is true to the genre - think of this like "tales from the crypt" or some other horror series, each episode separate but with an overreaching plot.
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