Adventure Path Subscription

[Feeroper]

I am considering picking up a sub for the upcoming AP Skulls and Shackles. A PDF and physical copy are great on top of the 30% discount. However, I've never played/run an AP. I know they are generally regarded as high quality as far as pre written adventures go.

I was wondering if anyone would suggest this route as I find the theme of Pirates and swashbuckling adventure to be quite tantalizing.

How have the previous AP's been quality wise? Are they very railroady or is there room to improvise? What are the best AP's?

I almost did this for Carrion Crown as that Ravenlofty theme really appealed as well, but didn't bite in the end. Is it better to get these via a sub or off the shelf of the flgs?

Lastly, how do the charges work in a sub? Monthly? Or per shipment? I ask because I know Skulls and Shackles was delayed and will get 2 releases in a month (April I think)?

Thanks!

 

[Steel_Wind]

The Adventure Paths are not "railroady", though some APs have stronger stories than others. They are, imo, the finest adventure products yet created for RPGs. Paizo's Pathfinder AP line is their flagship product and it is the success of their APs which have lead to the success of the Pathfinder RPG and its current leading position in the marketplace as a whole.

As for whether it's better to subscribe or buy at a FLGS, that is a matter greatly complicated by your living in Canada. Paizo's shipping rates are quite high to Canada, there is no question of that. Otherwise, I would definitely recommend the subscription and free PDF (which I use more than the books to be honest). If there are American users reading this reply, the answer is dead easy: subscribe via Paizo. The price is right and the PDF is excellent.

Whether the utility of a PDF is a bonus that makes potentially higher cost than Amazon.ca and equal with a FLGS attractive to you is a matter which only you can decide. I would point out that Paizo AP subscribers also get 10% 15% off of their other Paizo product purchases on Paizo.com - which comes in handy.

Paizo bills you when they ship the product and not before. If there is a double shipment month (which is rare), you might want to be sure your Credit Card has the room on it to accommodate that elevated charge in that month.

 

[Feeroper]

Yeah, I was concerned the shipping to Canada may be killer. What is the average shipping cost for an AP book to Canada roughly?

I'm on the fence about this method due to cost but It's such a convenient system to have. I personally like having PDF and physical copies myself. Although I'm generally good with one or the other. Given the option though, a book with a free PDF is a no brainer - shipping is the only wrench in the gears in this case.

Aside from the shipping to Canada issue, I have another thing I wanted to ask about. One thing I have found slightly confusing about the AP's (having never played in one): I know their story lines are connected in general, but are the stories all connected extensively throughout the 6 books of a given AP? Or are they stand alone adventures with loose thematic ties?

Some APs definitely seem to be ongoing stories based on the descriptions from Paizo, but others seem to be more tied together in theme than story (at least from my PoV having not read/played any of them).

 

[Abciximab]

As a current Subscriber, I have several APs from Paizo (4 complete APs, I think). Each book within an AP is connected to the same story, though sometimes the connection is not obvious. In each book there is something that ties the adventure to the overall story arc, though some sections within each book may be unrelated (traveling encounters, exploring a region, Etc). You could definitely run some of the books as a stand alone adventure if you wanted.

Some APs are more “Sandboxy” than others. I think if a GM offers to run an AP, the players have to understand that it is a journey from one chapter to the next, onward to the end of the AP, so there are always “rails” to some extent.

The PDF is a big advantage as you can easily manipulate/print images of places, objects or NPCs from the art work within the PDF for added effect during game play.

 

[Crothian]

I really like the APs. We are just finishing Kingmaker and soon will be going right to Council of Thieves. The APs are usually very well done and Paizo has done a good job with really making them each different. They are however all railroads. They have to be since the adventures are planned out from beginning to end. Most seem easy to add and subtract things and the adventures don't always obviously force the PCs along a certain path but each has its own set of assumptions and plan for the PCs.

 

[Feeroper]

What are the best AP's and why?

I've always heard lots of love for Rise of the Runelords and Kingmaker.

How was Carrion Crown? It sounded really appealing to me as it seemed like it would be reminiscent of Ravenloft.

I was at one point set to play in a Legacy of Fire campaign but that group fell apart very shortly after it was setup it seemed promising as well.

 

[BobROE]

Yeah, I was concerned the shipping to Canada may be killer. What is the average shipping cost for an AP book to Canada roughly?

I think it's about 6.50, but the AP costs $14 an issue so it comes out to a little over 20 plus exchange, which is pretty close to what you'd pay in stores, plus you get a PDF which is nice.

 

[Wycen]

How was Carrion Crown? It sounded really appealing to me as it seemed like it would be reminiscent of Ravenloft.

Here are two previous threads which might help you. They might be kinda spoilery, though it sounds like you are the DM.

1. http://www.enworld.org/forum/pathfi...ing-myself-haunting-harrowstone-analysis.html

2. http://www.enworld.org/forum/pathfinder-rpg-discussion/318263-adventure-path.html

 

[Feeroper]

For those of you in Canada who do the subscription: is it received via Canada Post? That is my preference as things like UPS charge a piece of your soul for cross country shipments.

 

[Henry]

Whether the utility of a PDF is a bonus that makes potentially higher cost than Amazon.ca and equal with a FLGS attractive to you is a matter which only you can decide. I would point out that Paizo AP subscribers also get 10% off of their other Paizo product purchases on Paizo.com - which comes in handy.

15% discount, actually -- even on PDFs! I've used it several times throughout the Jade Regent cycle.

Quality -- Paizo APs are awesome -- great production values, plenty of pictures for main NPCs, lots of background and supplemental material besides the adventure itself.

Sample from Jade Regent Issue #1 (#49 AP number):

--The 64-page adventure
--A Sandpoint and surrounding environs primer, to expand your adventuring around Sandpoint should your players want
--A short story chapter 1 of 6 set in Tien Xia, written by Dave Gross
--an NPC stat gallery of the major NPCs
--Writeups on all major magic and alchemical items in this book
--an iteractive PDF which has the maps from the book, where you can turn the grids and markers, secret doors, etc. on and off for printing for your players' use

This level of content continues throughout the AP.

I only subscribed for Jade Regent, but the 20 bucks I spend each month is trivial compared to my family's directv, internet, phones, etc., and I'm so impressed with it so far that I am tempted to just keep my subscription! At least till Skull and Shackles is over.