Adventure Path Three: You'd Do...

[JoeGKushner]

So thinking about the Adventure Paths, the Age of Worms still has a few miles to go but should be winding down before '06 is out. Very curious to see if they do a compendium of that. It'd be bigger than Shackled City due to all the add ons and Wormfood supplements but at the same time, it'd be better. And as a GM of the Shackled City right now, I say that's awesome.

But what path do you think they'll take for the third adventure path? I suspect we'll get another default Greyhawk/generic setting. While I love Forgoten Realms and think Eberron a little too esoteric to make specific adventure path qualities for, I think that a whole adventure path in that vein would not be a good thing but rather, a bad one as it would force a person not using one of those settings to do some possibly heavy conversions.

I wouldn't mind seeing them try to tie the D&D minis into the paths a bit more. Not anything where they were required to play, but some blown up maps of taverns (which would've been awesome for the Lucky Monkey in SC), or something along those lines and perhaps even working with WoTC or a 3rd party to do some bundles of miniatures. For example, with SC, I'm surprised they didn't package, since they sell individuals anyway, some of the various miniatures that would've been handy for the book.

I also wouldn't mind seeing the adventure path go past 20th level into the epic level reaches. That would be fantastic as it would allow some more epic level play. While the big bad fights in Shackled City are great, then expanded notes on what to do afterwards are a little on the 'm'eh' side of things. A big bang ending at 25th level or something along those lines after the core rules would be great!

 

[diaglo]

sounds to me like you want something to tie-in Heroes of Battle and/or the Miniatures Handbook.

maybe a castles like scenario. where the PCs are higher level building their own estates, towers, temples and then having to do a resource management (using the DMGII).

 

[Mercule]

So thinking about the Adventure Paths, the Age of Worms still has a few miles to go but should be winding down before '06 is out. Very curious to see if they do a compendium of that. It'd be bigger than Shackled City due to all the add ons and Wormfood supplements but at the same time, it'd be better. And as a GM of the Shackled City right now, I say that's awesome.

Agreed.

But what path do you think they'll take for the third adventure path? I suspect we'll get another default Greyhawk/generic setting. While I love Forgoten Realms and think Eberron a little too esoteric to make specific adventure path qualities for, I think that a whole adventure path in that vein would not be a good thing but rather, a bad one as it would force a person not using one of those settings to do some possibly heavy conversions.

Since I won't buy anything with the FR name on it, I definitely don't want an AP set there. What I'd prefer is better FR/Eberron conversion notes on the next one. AoW did "okay", in terms of filing the serial numbers off and changing some names to make sense. I'd love to see some full-out "replace NPC/encounter ABC with XYZ", though. I wouldn't have to be that often or that drastic, but it would make things feel a lot more integrated and native. (They may have done this with some of the more recent Web Enhancements. My group is using AoW as an intermittant game with my homebrew, thus moving a bit slower than some -- but when my current campaign is done, sign me up for pure Adventure Pathing.)

I wouldn't mind seeing them try to tie the D&D minis into the paths a bit more.

Oh, please, no. Never. I don't want to see any more "use this mini for this critter" or regular fold-out battlemats, etc. I don't mind the occasional battlemat, but it isn't something I'd pay more than the current cover price for or loose any current content for (except maybe Downer -- that's a confusing mess of a comic).

I also wouldn't mind seeing the adventure path go past 20th level into the epic level reaches. That would be fantastic as it would allow some more epic level play. While the big bad fights in Shackled City are great, then expanded notes on what to do afterwards are a little on the 'm'eh' side of things. A big bang ending at 25th level or something along those lines after the core rules would be great!

There are quite a few people who don't much care for the epic rules and/or don't have the ELH. While I, personally, would love to see the occasional epic adventure -- especially as the cap to an AP, it'd probably be best to do it in an optional manner. In AoW, for example, whatever the capstone macguffin is, there could be a sidebar that says, "If you want to carry this on for two more adventures (to 25th level), the PCs winning this climax gives them the opportunity to go after the source of Kyuss' power, so it doesn't just use some other insane schmuck, later."

With something like that, the GM can decide whether Kyuss was self-made, or not.

 

[Vascant]

1-20 works well for me, would I like to see an Epic level thrown in yeah but thats not what I enjoy about the AP series anyways.

Both story lines have rocked; the history, the flavor, the PC's interaction with locals not just banging down the next door and killing something.

AP 3: Iggwilv, she has it all to create a huge storyline and plot. If you read some of the recent material you will also note they have done a great job at not killing her off or even an unknown, they state is has returned and working behind the scenes.

I also think the next logical step for this series are novels, I think they would add so much more depth to whats already available.

 

[RodneyThompson]

Agreed.
In AoW, for example, whatever the capstone macguffin is, there could be a sidebar that says, "If you want to carry this on for two more adventures (to 25th level), the PCs winning this climax gives them the opportunity to go after the source of Kyuss' power, so it doesn't just use some other insane schmuck, later."

Why do you think I bought the Rod of Seven Parts PDF last night?
I just have two hopes/requests for the next adventure path.

1. Let me write an adventure.
2. No cults.

If you break the last two adventure paths down, they bascially boil down to a planar/demon themed campaign (Shackled City) and an undead-themed campaign (Age of Worms). I'd really like to see maybe a war themed campaign, something where the players get caught up in a clash between kingdoms or city-states. I'm envisioning one whole adventure that would be nothing but a huge battle (maybe use Heroes of Battle for this one, in a similar vein to how Foundations of Flame worked in SCAP).

But, that's some wishful thinking. Hell, my players are only about halfway though Encounter at Blackwall Keep so the next one is a ways off.

 

[Lonely Tylenol]

[*]No cults.

I'd be happy with that too. Two paths full of "evil cult seeks to totally wreck world" is probably enough. One thing I'd like to see is a change in design to allow for multiple paths for different types of PCs. Here's a few ideas:

• Dragons are manipulating the world from behind the scenes, and now things are building up to a major conflict between the chromatics and the metallics in which the lesser races are merely pawns. The PCs are drawn in and must decide which side they support, or if they want to support either side at all. In the latter case, they might act to upset the power base of both sides to try to avoid war altogether.
  
• The Far Realms! Reality is starting to fray around the edges. The material plane bears the brunt of the damage as the expiry date on the multiverse looms and madness threatens to overwhelm everything with its corrupting influence. The PCs must figure out what's happening and why, and then figure out how to stop it. Lots of alienists, gibbering mouthers, and other agents of madness like the way things are going just fine, and oppose the PCs' efforts. This would probably work really well in Ebberon, what with the Daelkyr (or however it's spelled) already major villains. Lots of Lords Of Madness material available to cram in here.
  
• Githyanki Incursion. 'Nuff said.
  
• Or, for something a little more mundane, The Horde! Orcs, goblins, hobgoblins, ogres, and other humanoids and giants are massing for attack against the civilized races. Start off by knocking off goblin warbands, work your way up to seriously inconveniencing hill giants, and finish by facing down the elite armies of evil in a world-shaking conclusion that leaves a mountain of corpses and a river of blood.

 

[diaglo]

personally, i'd like to see a Holier Than Thou Crusade.

which would mean the inclusion of many of the elements JoeGK mentioned.

the good guys taking it to the bad guys for a change. a proactive assault against evil. a bunch of knight templars or similar stereotypes being the BBGGs.

an Inquisition style war. cleanse the country of all non-LGs. kick out the NGs and CGs or give them a chance to convert.

conversion by the sword type adventure path.
edit: maybe it is all the paladin hat i see on boards that makes this plan so feasible to me.

 

[Lonely Tylenol]

personally, i'd like to see a Holier Than Thou Crusade.

which would mean the inclusion of many of the elements JoeGK mentioned.

the good guys taking it to the bad guys for a change. a proactive assault against evil. a bunch of knight templars or similar stereotypes being the BBGGs.

an Inquisition style war. cleanse the country of all non-LGs. kick out the NGs and CGs or give them a chance to convert.

conversion by the sword type adventure path.

The all-paladin campaign. I think I'd rather put white-hot steel rods under my fingernails while listening to the best of Britney Spears and feeding my feet into a disc sander.

Erik Mona: Hey, guys! For our next adventure path, it's going to be an all Lawful Good crusade against everyone! Wait, what was that sound?
James Jacobs: Hmm...I think that was the sound of a thousand subscriptions simultaneously being cancelled.
Erik Mona: Okay. Well, what's plan B?
James Jacobs: The all Chaotic Evil crusade against everyone.
Dungeon subscribers: Hoody-hoo!

 

[diaglo]

The all-paladin campaign. I think I'd rather put white-hot steel rods under my fingernails while listening to the best of Britney Spears and feeding my feet into a disc sander.

Erik Mona: Hey, guys! For our next adventure path, it's going to be an all Lawful Good crusade against everyone! Wait, what was that sound?
James Jacobs: Hmm...I think that was the sound of a thousand subscriptions simultaneously being cancelled.
Erik Mona: Okay. Well, what's plan B?
James Jacobs: The all Chaotic Evil crusade against everyone.
Dungeon subscribers: Hoody-hoo!

no... not the PCs as the Paladins.... the NPC villians would be the Paladins.
edit: besides, in Greyhawk i can think of the perfect place to put this...

 

[J-Buzz]

I wouldn't mind seeing them try to tie the D&D minis into the paths a bit more. Not anything where they were required to play, but some blown up maps of taverns (which would've been awesome for the Lucky Monkey in SC), or something along those lines and perhaps even working with WoTC or a 3rd party to do some bundles of miniatures. For example, with SC, I'm surprised they didn't package, since they sell individuals anyway, some of the various miniatures that would've been handy for the book.

You know I would buy a box that had all the minis required to play Shackled City. Or at least the major bad guys, not sure if they could supply them all and keep it affordable....