Rundown of adventure paths?

[Sammael]

Since I am currently working on my own revision of the D&D system (which is taking... a lot of time), and I have two ongoing playtest campaigns, I figured that I could save some time if I converted at least one of the campaigns to use an adventure path (I would still need to convert the creatures, but at least I wouldn't have to worry as much about the plot).

To decide which adventure path to choose and which of my playtest campaigns to convert, I would like to see a rundown of some past and current adventure paths. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find a website with sufficient information, so I'm turning to ENWorld for help.

Both of my campaigns are set in the Forgotten Realms. The first one is set in Waterdeep and the Savage Frontier, and the overall theme is the impending war with orcs from the Kingdom of Many Arrows. The second one is set in Amn (at the moment), and the overall theme is the ongoing return of elves from Evermeet and their efforts to re-settle their ancient empires.

Here are the adventure paths I am (vaguely) familiar with:

1. The 3.0 adventure path revolving around Ashardalon
2. Shackled City
3. War of the Burning Sky
4. Savage Tide
5. Age of Worms
6. Rise of the Runelords

I'm sure there are more, but if there are, I haven't heard of them. So, my question to you - which of the above adventure paths can be adopted for use with one of my two campaigns and what would be the best way to approach it?

I am fairly sure that I don't want to run #1, and #4 is a bit too pirate-y for my taste (and, IRRC, a large part of it revolves around the Isle of Dread - a fine site to visit occasionally, but not really something I've had in mind for these campaigns).

 

[Arnwyn]

Quick answer: None of the above.

Since you're already defined "themes" for you campaign, an adventure path - which of course has its own theme - is not appropriate for your campaigns.

With that said, Rise of the Runelords has a chance to be fit in with your Savage Frontier/orc war theme.

Spoiler Warning!
There is a giant attack in RotRL#3, and could be modified to orcs. You could have the orcs be led/controlled by the Runelord.

But all this would require HEAVY modification to the existing AP.

 

[Sammael]

The themes are not set in stone, of course.

Campaign #1 has just begun a new part of the plot arc which involves the PCs (level 3) spying on the orcs - over the course of that arc, PCs could easily discover something that leads them in the direction of the adventure path.

Campaign #2 has just concluded the first plot arc and the PCs (level 2) can go wherever they want to.

 

[haakon1]

I say play the adventure path as written, or steal and snatch what bits and pieces seem to fit for you, from any and every source, modifying some of the connective sections to make it fit your own plot. The latter is the approach I take, though I haven't actually lifted from any but the Ashardelon series so far.

Is there any hope of getting the Savage Tide or Age of Worms in book format? I think that's ruled out by copyright fights between Paizo and WOTC (as both adventure paths used Greyhawk as their default setting, and WOTC owns Greyhawk, but Paizo was allowed to use it as part of the Dungeon/Dragon publishing deals). I like the book format of Shackled City much more than the "find the right magazine issues" approach.

 

[amethal]

Is there any hope of getting the Savage Tide or Age of Worms in book format? I think that's ruled out by copyright fights between Paizo and WOTC

Its not a fight. Paizo had 2 licenses to publish magazines, whose content remained the property of WotC.

Paizo asked if they could do a Dragon Compendium and Shackled City AP in book format. WotC said yes.

Paizo asked if they could do Age of Worms AP in book format. WotC said no.

If Paizo asked about Savage Tide (not sure if they did), the answer was also no.

Its a shame, but perfectly understandable.

Things have moved on a lot since then. If tomorrow WotC said yes to Age of Worms, Savage Tide and Dragon Compendium 2, I think Paizo might decline on the grounds that they are too busy with their own projects these days.

 

[Herremann the Wise]

I have to say that I agree with Arnwyn here: none really. You would be best to just run one of the APs (I would recommend Age of Worms personally) and then look for ways to meld your 2nd campaign into it in some bizarre but interesting way. There would be a lot of fixing to do but from what I gather from your original post, you would enjoy the workload.

Best Regards
Herremann the Wise

 

[olshanski]

I would add

7) Castle Whiterock
8) Ptolus

to your list.
I would then rule out 8, and suggest that of everything you have listed to go wth Shackled City or Castle Whiterock.

 

[amethal]

Both of my campaigns are set in the Forgotten Realms. The first one is set in Waterdeep and the Savage Frontier, and the overall theme is the impending war with orcs from the Kingdom of Many Arrows. The second one is set in Amn (at the moment), and the overall theme is the ongoing return of elves from Evermeet and their efforts to re-settle their ancient empires.

Here are the adventure paths I am (vaguely) familiar with:

1. The 3.0 adventure path revolving around Ashardalon
2. Shackled City
3. War of the Burning Sky
4. Savage Tide
5. Age of Worms
6. Rise of the Runelords

I'm sure there are more, but if there are, I haven't heard of them. So, my question to you - which of the above adventure paths can be adopted for use with one of my two campaigns and what would be the best way to approach it?

This reminds me of the joke(?) in which a foreigner in Cork asks a local the best way to get to Paris. The answer he gets is "I wouldn't start from here".

The least worst option, in my opinion, is to run Shackled City in Amn.

It will involve completely ditching the Elves of Evermeet angle, and at some point Amn will be devastated by an unfortunate volcanic eruption. However, Amn does have the required level of seediness, and is sufficiently obscure that the bad guys could feasibly expect to succeed in threatening it.

 

[Mort_Q]

I would add

7) Castle Whiterock
8) Ptolus

to your list.
I would then rule out 8, and suggest that of everything you have listed to go wth Shackled City or Castle Whiterock.

Came here to add Ptolus. Ninjas!!

 

[DaveyJones]

http://www.enworld.org/forum/story-hour/22106-banewarrens-d20-angelsbois-party.html

i'll just say the same thing.
build your own adventure path.
the above link used B2 Keep on the Borderlands, Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil, Haunted Halls of Evermeet, a couple Dungeon Magazine adventures, and finally Banewarrens.
it was set in FR.