4 out of 5 rating for Kingmaker Adventure Path
I was a player in the Kingmaker AP, and while my review may be somewhat negative, let me say that I enjoyed the experience, particularly the kingdom building subsystem.Kingmaker is exactly what the title implies: A set of green adventurers are given a charter to explore and pacify a nearby wilderness area, with the eventual goal of founding and building a kingdom. Paizo makes an admirable attempt to set an AP inside of a sandbox-style setting, where the main story can still be told, but the characters are free to explore and build as their hearts desire. Pro's: The endeavor of making an adventure path with the feel of a sandbox campaign is admirable. In many AP's, players make choices of what to do next because they know what the AP expects of them. The assumption in Paizo's AP's is that the players know they are playing an AP, and that they will willingly follow where the story leads them. Not so in Kingmaker. As a player, I often had no idea of what direction the story was taking, and that lack of metagame knowledge was liberating as a player; I could feel free to pursue any plot hook presented by the GM, not knowing if it was integral to the main story, or just a side plot, or even a red herring. The kingdom building subsystem was a welcome addition to the rules, presenting a game-within-a-game feel, and allowing the players to guide the formation and growth of their fledgling nation.Con's: While the lack of knowledge of the true main plot was often a plus, the AP doesn't really do a good job of giving hints as to what that plot may be. We made it as far as the end of the third chapter (halfway through the AP) before a TPK from the end boss prematurely ended our kingdom-building days, and I still had absolutely no idea what the main plot was. The AP uses a "hexploration" mechanic with a very 1st edition feel to it, but it ultimately fails because the players quickly learn that they will only face one to two encounters per day, leaving them free to nova any opponents they face in the wild with little or no concern over conservation of resources. The 15 minute adventure day is a real problem for this AP; GM's should search the Paizo message boards for creative ways to overcome this obstacle. Lastly, the kingdom building mechanic as presented in the AP is clunky, and can be very difficult for players to manage without knowledge of how the system works. If players aren't very careful during the early stages of building, their kingdom will be plunged into anarchy and revolt within a year or two. I recommend using the revised kingdom building rules in Ultimate Campaign; it goes a long way towards fixing some of the more egregious problems in the original system.So, final analysis: A good AP, but as I never was able to finish it, take my review for what it's worth. Maybe the final half of the AP addresses some of the issues I highlight above. Kingmaker deserves at least a grade of C+, with a B- not being out of the discussion.