Kingmaker Adventure Path
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3 out of 5 rating for Kingmaker Adventure Path
There are lots of good ideas in Kingmaker, but the actual game system is a pretty bad fit for the game, and the new systems don't work that well. It has some really good story design, but the implementation of the adventures often leaves a lot to be desired. Full review here: http://merricb.com/2014/11/21/kingmaker-adventure-path-review/
There are lots of good ideas in Kingmaker, but the actual game system is a pretty bad fit for the game, and the new systems don't work that well. It has some really good story design, but the implementation of the adventures often leaves a lot to be desired. Full review here: http://merricb.com/2014/11/21/kingmaker-adventure-path-review/
Waller
Legend
2 out of 5 rating for Kingmaker Adventure Path
Really did not enjoy this AP. It's sandboxy, but so much so that for the first couple of adventures it feels like a MMORPG as you just wander round endlessly getting quests from NPCs to clear out a monster lair or gather a thing. It got really boring really fast. I know sandbox games can be good, but an AP really needs a bit more momentum. Add to that an awful city building system and the result is one of Pathfinder's weaker APs.
Really did not enjoy this AP. It's sandboxy, but so much so that for the first couple of adventures it feels like a MMORPG as you just wander round endlessly getting quests from NPCs to clear out a monster lair or gather a thing. It got really boring really fast. I know sandbox games can be good, but an AP really needs a bit more momentum. Add to that an awful city building system and the result is one of Pathfinder's weaker APs.
4 out of 5 rating for Kingmaker Adventure Path
I am currently playing in this campaign and we are on the second book. My DM is doing a good job and the concept and story are interesting. The concept of alliances with monsters is also very interesting.
However (aren't there always some of these) the beta testing of realm management is predicated on luck (rather than skill). A few bad die rolls in a row and you wind up spending 9 game months digging out from a hole so deep you’re wondering if your fledgling kingdom will ever see the sun again. Fortunately, it seems that events do not run on a timeline but on milestones in your empire building and exploration odyssey.
The other issue is that the wandering monsters and encounters that occur in the first book are too difficult for characters of level 1 and 2. This campaign should start with level 3 characters due to the encounters being designed for sand box rather than linear game play. Level 1 and 2 characters are too squishy to survive without some inspired play or DM fiat.
I am currently playing in this campaign and we are on the second book. My DM is doing a good job and the concept and story are interesting. The concept of alliances with monsters is also very interesting.
However (aren't there always some of these) the beta testing of realm management is predicated on luck (rather than skill). A few bad die rolls in a row and you wind up spending 9 game months digging out from a hole so deep you’re wondering if your fledgling kingdom will ever see the sun again. Fortunately, it seems that events do not run on a timeline but on milestones in your empire building and exploration odyssey.
The other issue is that the wandering monsters and encounters that occur in the first book are too difficult for characters of level 1 and 2. This campaign should start with level 3 characters due to the encounters being designed for sand box rather than linear game play. Level 1 and 2 characters are too squishy to survive without some inspired play or DM fiat.
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4 out of 5 rating for Kingmaker Adventure Path
This is really two games in one. You have the standard adventures, which seem to have been well balanced and pose a significant challenge to most parties. The second element is managing the kingdom. This is kinda fun, but can be rather hard to manage without multiple spreadsheets...
This is really two games in one. You have the standard adventures, which seem to have been well balanced and pose a significant challenge to most parties. The second element is managing the kingdom. This is kinda fun, but can be rather hard to manage without multiple spreadsheets...
Grimstaff
Explorer
2 out of 5 rating for Kingmaker Adventure Path
We were initially drawn to this AP by the promise of a return to sandboxy play, but the execution left us cold. Fans of "role play" will be especially disappointed by this AP, as it is basically wandering in search of monsters to kill for xp. Most disappointingly, the domain system reduced what could have been a great kingdom-building experience rife with rich personalities and involved resource management to a seemingly endless series of rolls and modifiers. It's not all bad - Golarian is a great setting and exploring it up close is fun - but a resourceful DM with time on his or her hands will want to custom make a bunch of non-combat encounters to add, and just skip all the kingdom-building rolls in favor of more narrative-driven development.
We were initially drawn to this AP by the promise of a return to sandboxy play, but the execution left us cold. Fans of "role play" will be especially disappointed by this AP, as it is basically wandering in search of monsters to kill for xp. Most disappointingly, the domain system reduced what could have been a great kingdom-building experience rife with rich personalities and involved resource management to a seemingly endless series of rolls and modifiers. It's not all bad - Golarian is a great setting and exploring it up close is fun - but a resourceful DM with time on his or her hands will want to custom make a bunch of non-combat encounters to add, and just skip all the kingdom-building rolls in favor of more narrative-driven development.
5 out of 5 rating for Kingmaker Adventure Path
I've read some of the negative reviews, and I just do not agree with them. I usually go for more focused storylines in a large campaign, but I thought Kingmaker works in the extremely large sandbox that it is. If you go into the AP with the right expectations, this is one of the better constructed APs. The only blip is the last installment, but with the climax of Part 5, the question becomes, "What else are you going to do?" Part six either works for you or it doesn't. If it doesn't, there are plenty of other ways you can go and just ignore the last installment. If this sounds like a backhanded compliment, it is not intended to be.There is plenty of room for DMs to work with and work around. The bad guys are familiar and new at the same time. The "world" created by this AP is rich and evocative. I enjoyed working my way through the parts, as did my players. This is a great AP for anyone looking for a modern take on the "classic" DnD experience. (Unless you buy Frog God Games products, naturally).
I've read some of the negative reviews, and I just do not agree with them. I usually go for more focused storylines in a large campaign, but I thought Kingmaker works in the extremely large sandbox that it is. If you go into the AP with the right expectations, this is one of the better constructed APs. The only blip is the last installment, but with the climax of Part 5, the question becomes, "What else are you going to do?" Part six either works for you or it doesn't. If it doesn't, there are plenty of other ways you can go and just ignore the last installment. If this sounds like a backhanded compliment, it is not intended to be.There is plenty of room for DMs to work with and work around. The bad guys are familiar and new at the same time. The "world" created by this AP is rich and evocative. I enjoyed working my way through the parts, as did my players. This is a great AP for anyone looking for a modern take on the "classic" DnD experience. (Unless you buy Frog God Games products, naturally).
Remus Lupin
Adventurer
4 out of 5 rating for Kingmaker Adventure Path
Really good across the board, although I'd say that the "Kingdom Building Rules" are a bit clunky and not very much fun for my group, but if your group likes that kind of thing, I'm sure it's a lot of fun.
Really good across the board, although I'd say that the "Kingdom Building Rules" are a bit clunky and not very much fun for my group, but if your group likes that kind of thing, I'm sure it's a lot of fun.
Lwaxy
Cute but dangerous
5 out of 5 rating for Kingmaker Adventure Path
This AP lives and dies with the GM. The kingdom building system is very basic and needs some adaptions to your group's play style - more buildings and adapted costs amond a few other things. Yup, you need some spreadsheets and preferably someone who can map the cities and villages developing during the game. But that's all part of the fun.
The GM is also free to insert a lot of sidequests were necessary or wanted, and it isn't too hard to leave some stuff out if the players decide not to head down that road. If you don't like managing stuff, it's not for you.
This AP lives and dies with the GM. The kingdom building system is very basic and needs some adaptions to your group's play style - more buildings and adapted costs amond a few other things. Yup, you need some spreadsheets and preferably someone who can map the cities and villages developing during the game. But that's all part of the fun.
The GM is also free to insert a lot of sidequests were necessary or wanted, and it isn't too hard to leave some stuff out if the players decide not to head down that road. If you don't like managing stuff, it's not for you.
Fubbles the baby cow
Villager
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.
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.
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