Campaigns in a box (a la SCAP)

[PaulKemp]

TPK last night in Shackled City as the party sought Triel Eldurast in the Kopru Ruins. The group alerted the whole complex and subsequently tried to hole up in a defensable position while they recovered spells and psionic points. Ultimately Triel and Skaven were able to convince (via a good diplomacy roll) Tarkilar to assist them in killiing the intruders and all three leaders (all buffed and ready to rock), together with many of the mooks, came crashing down on them. After a battle royale, the party lay dead, having managed to kill Triel, Skaven, and (finally) Tarkilar.

Anyway, after some discussion we decided not to pick up the SC story arc with new characters and instead opted to start an entirely new story with new characters. So, I need a new adventure path/campaign in a box.

I'm aware of Age of Worms, Mongoose's Drow War, and the unfolding Savage Tide. Are there others out there? Anyone have recommendations/thoughts regarding any I've named or any others?

We had fun with SCAP, but the limited geographic location and the very frequent dungeoneering (at least through fourth level) caused me to want a bit more variety in settings/scenarios.

 

[DragonLancer]

Age of Worms is very good but it is also quite lethal.

 

[meomwt]

Necromancer Games' Shades of Grey (released through Kenzer) takes a party from first level to about 12th level. There are a range of adventures, not just dungeon crawls - though they certainly do figure.

A PDF is available from your usual electronic vendor, and if the DM Day sale is still on, you can buy a stack of Necro releases in one bundle for a low price.

 

[sir_ollibolli]

Why not go back to Cauldron? Because you want to start with fresh characters?

There is enough to do that can be acquired from several other sources to bring your characters up to speed to switch over to the Shackled City path afterwards...

You can try to pick up the game with an introduction like Thieves in the Forest, and another jungle (or forest) based adventure or a plot helping some dwarves in a dwarven mine (or an abandoned Dwarven mine like "Forge of Fury", where the Bad Guy could be an offspring of Dorloth), where you get the connection to Zenith and the Next adventure.

Also possibly your players are find out something about the slave trade in the Underdark... that is also a good way to bring another group back to Cauldron.

There is enough going on, to bring characters up to 6th level and let them join up to the city. Perhaps they do not have such a strong bond to Jenya, but that should be easily replaced with some changes to the church of Pelor (perhaps one of the characters is sent to Cauldron to help rebuild the church).

It you didn't use the dreams of Adimarchus in the first attempt, do it now extensively... if you did not play Drakthar's Way, use it now.

(( Darn: read first: Type later... On the other hand, try EN World's Own Adventure Path - War of the Burning Sky, that one should fit better to your group's style of play.))

 

[Gregor]

We had fun with SCAP, but the limited geographic location and the very frequent dungeoneering (at least through fourth level) caused me to want a bit more variety in settings/scenarios.

***This may have spoilers so watch out***





I highly recommend the Savage Tide AP (STAP) for a number of reasons, the chief of which is that it responds to all the issues you had with SCAP.

First, STAP ensures that the PCs are never in one place for too long. Travel is a big part of the campaign, especially on the high seas (which is awesome).

Second, the PCs' travels take them to various locales and they encounter very different monsters and NPCs in each of the modules. This has helped to keep the game fresh for me as a DM and has also worked to constantly keep the players on their toes. Moreover, the STAP uses some monsters that I normally would not use so it has brought something new to me as well.

Third, the story is really interesting and there are many, many opportunities for the PCs to interact and roleplay with an ongoing cast of NPCs - despite their travels. So far, the major enemies have been pirates, demons, dinosaurs and the vile Kopru! ... how cool is that?

Fourth, each module has taken a different approach and none of them have been dungeon crawls which is refreshing (my group is about to start the 6th module and there still has not been a big dungeon crawl; rumour is that the 7th module will be one). Modules have included things like fighting mutated savage pirates in a pirate cove, a 3 month sea voyage to the distant Isle of Dread, attempting an overland march across lethal cliff-faces and jungles towards a distant colony while protecting NPCs, working to improve, defend and strengthen said colony, and fight to defend it in a mass battle against an evil pirate fleet.

All in all, its an awesome campaign arc so far and I highly recommend it.

 

[Nightfall]

*still thinks Age of Worms is cooler* But then I'm waiting for Savage Tide to heat up around...#9-#10...

 

[Cam Banks]

Do you have a requirement for it to be in a generic/Greyhawk setting? Because otherwise I could tell you all about the Dragonlance Age of Mortals campaign trilogy, which takes players from 1st thru 20th levels, completely self-contained, etc.

Cheers,
Cam

 

[DaveyJones]

Wilderlands Boxed set from Necromancer

or try DCC35 Known World from Goodman Games

 

[PaulKemp]

Do you have a requirement for it to be in a generic/Greyhawk setting? Because otherwise I could tell you all about the Dragonlance Age of Mortals campaign trilogy, which takes players from 1st thru 20th levels, completely self-contained, etc.

Cheers,
Cam

Cam,

No requirements at all. I'm open to any long term arc.


Gregor,

Thank you for that detailed response. STAP does sound cool.


Everyone else,

Thank you for the replies. Much appreciated.

 

[Cam Banks]

Cam,

No requirements at all. I'm open to any long term arc.

In that case, let me point you to Key of Destiny, Spectre of Sorrows and Price of Courage, which only require the core rulebooks and the Dragonlance Campaign Setting to play. You can follow the other links on those pages to additional material if you're interested. All of these books are also available as PDFs on DriveThruRPG, too, and there should be some example chapters on the site to download if you want to check them out ahead of time.

Cheers,
Cam