(Pathfinder)Rise of the Rune Lords

[Orsen]

Greetings Playground!
I'm going to be running the Pathfinder adventure path Rise of the Rune Lords within a month and have a question or two for anyone familiar with these adventures or pathfinder in general.
1. What XP rate should I be advancing the players at to keep them at the proper level for the encounters?
2. This will be my first time DMing pathfinder after several years of DMing (and playing, though less often) 3.5. Any specific things I should keep in mind?
3. Anyone got any helpful tips or experiences playing or DMing these adventures? I'd welcome all possible advice!
Cheers!

[Shadow Lord]

Rise of the Runelords is for 3.5, sir. However, indications point out that a Hardcover Rise of the Runelords update to PFRPG will come out in the Summer next year.

[subject42]

Greetings Playground!
I'm going to be running the Pathfinder adventure path Rise of the Rune Lords within a month and have a question or two for anyone familiar with these adventures or pathfinder in general.
1. What XP rate should I be advancing the players at to keep them at the proper level for the encounters?
2. This will be my first time DMing pathfinder after several years of DMing (and playing, though less often) 3.5. Any specific things I should keep in mind?
3. Anyone got any helpful tips or experiences playing or DMing these adventures? I'd welcome all possible advice!
Cheers!



I used the "medium" advancement.
Make sure that you read the descriptions for skills, feats, spells. A lot of just changed: not just power attack.
There are two specific encounters that will likely wreck your PCs if they aren't ready for them. The first is the quasit under Sandpoint. The second is the Lamia Matriarch. I think her name is Xanesha.

[ryzouken]

Fast xp progression maps closest to 3.5's xp progression track (which RotRL is written for). You could use Normal or Slow progression, but be warned that there is a specific fight in the first book (IIRC) that could end up TPKing your party if your players are a) underlevelled, b) unlucky, or c) ill prepared. Xanesha is a horrible, horrible creature.

I'd use Fast progression, but then, I want to do that with any game I run or play in. Just too used to 3.5's rate of progression I suppose.

[Blisstake]

I used the "medium" advancement.
Make sure that you read the descriptions for skills, feats, spells. A lot of just changed: not just power attack.
There are two specific encounters that will likely wreck your PCs if they aren't ready for them. The first is the quasit under Sandpoint. The second is the Lamia Matriarch. I think her name is Xanesha.


Yes, Xanesha is an absolute beast. My party was down to one disabled member when she was defeated. I don't think you can get closer. I'm not sure about the quasit though, because my party caved-in the underground passage rather than explore it.

A lot of the encounters in part 4 and 5 are going to be nearly trivial for a well managed party. Don't be afraid to have enemies use unusual tactics (like disarm, sunder, or counterspell) to catch players off-guard, putting them out of their comfort zones.

Some other places (way down the road) where PCs might have trouble, based on my gaming group:

The Ogre Keep (Part 3): If they manage to attract a lot of attention, they'll have ogres swarming all over them, including one that's a caster, and a barbarian with a human-bane weapon.
Mokmurian (Part 4): First boss with access to save or die spells. He's even tougher if he has some hounds to back him up.
Pinnacle of Avarice (Part 6): The sheer amount of enemies in here can catch the players off guard. Included is a high level fighter with many magical enhancements, and a transmuter with access to 8th level spells, as well as a cleric also with 8th level spells. They may end up fighting them all at the same time.
Karzoug (Part 6): This guy has 9th level spells, and if you build him scary enough, he can rip through PCs. Don't be afraid to give him disjunction for players who rely on buffs too much, or have him gate in creatures right on top of a PC who relies on magic or ranged attacks.

I recommend using fast advancement track, and rebuilding "boss encounters"

Or you could just wait until the 420-page Rise of the Runelords compilation comes out, updated to PF rules.

[Orsen]

Rise of the Runelords is for 3.5, sir. However, indications point out that a Hardcover Rise of the Runelords update to PFRPG will come out in the Summer next year.
I'm away from book so I googled RotRL Pathfinder and this came up:
"Originally published using the OGL 3.5 rules set, Pathfinder Adventure Paths converted, along with all other Pathfinder products, to the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game rules in August 2009. (http://pathfinder.wikia.com/wiki/Pathfinder_Adventure_Path)"
I was worried for a second I was going to try to run adventures with the wrong system :smalltongue:.

I used the "medium" advancement.
There are two specific encounters that will likely wreck your PCs if they aren't ready for them. The first is the quasit under Sandpoint. The second is the Lamia Matriarch. I think her name is Xanesha.
Did medium advancement keep your PC's at a proper level for the encounters? IF it was originally for 3.5 should I be using the fast advancement most similar to it? My PC's will also very likely by low Op (fairly new players), should I be expecting to power down some of those encounters mentioned?

[Shadow Lord]

I'm away from book so I googled RotRL Pathfinder and this came up:
"Originally published using the OGL 3.5 rules set, Pathfinder Adventure Paths converted, along with all other Pathfinder products, to the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game rules in August 2009. (http://pathfinder.wikia.com/wiki/Pathfinder_Adventure_Path)"
I was worried for a second I was going to try to run adventures with the wrong system :smalltongue:.

You are, sir. They changed the line to PFRPG after PFRPG came out, but those released beforehand did not get updated. However, Paizo is releasing a new Anniversary Edition of Rise of the Runelords Summer next year. (http://paizo.com/store/byCompany/p/paizoPublishingLLC/pathfinder/adventurePath/riseOfTheRunelords/v5748btpy8mqq)

[Blisstake]

I'm away from book so I googled RotRL Pathfinder and this came up:
"Originally published using the OGL 3.5 rules set, Pathfinder Adventure Paths converted, along with all other Pathfinder products, to the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game rules in August 2009. (http://pathfinder.wikia.com/wiki/Pathfinder_Adventure_Path)"
I was worried for a second I was going to try to run adventures with the wrong system :smalltongue:.

No, Rise of the Runelords is still in 3.5. That sentence is worded a bit funny... I think they mean when the PF rules came out, future adventure paths were made using the Pathfinder rules. If you want to run in the Pathfinder rules you're either going to have to convert it yourself, or wait for the Rise of the Runelords compilation to come out.

[Andorax]

Running it now.

I second (third, fourth) the comments about Xanesha, and even commented about it in another thread. When things got desperate, the party's knight tried to bull-rush her off the top of the tower.

I didn't mention that she had fly cast...she dropped out of sight (they did this at about 3:00 AM) and vanished. I figured that even at near-full health, a party of adventurers including someone suicidal enough to try a tactic like that wasn't worth hanging around to face.



As for the XP question...I took a semi-radical departure, and it's worked out exceedingly well. I banished XP from the campaign entirely. No crafting, no XP-cost spells.

Leveling up occurs exactly where and when I want it to, and the characters all stay even. Occasionally, two levels are a bit too close together, so I've been known to toss an extra Dungeon adventure in here and there.

L6 was awarded when the Skinsaw men were defeated.
L7 is scheduled to occur en-route to part 3, after I run a quick side adventure (Tealpeak's Flood, Dungeon 137, refluffed to Desna) along the way.

L8 after the Grauls, L9 after the Haunted Heart, L10 after Harrowing the Hook. etc.


Ymmv, but I've found it a very convenient way to handle things, assure all leveling occurs at conveninent down-time points (and involves everyone, so nobody's left behind and there's less disruption).

[subject42]

Did medium advancement keep your PC's at a proper level for the encounters? IF it was originally for 3.5 should I be using the fast advancement most similar to it? My PC's will also very likely by low Op (fairly new players), should I be expecting to power down some of those encounters mentioned?

I had a party of 5 players who were all fairly well optimized. At medium advancement they were fine, but smaller groups with less optimization might want to use "fast".

[Blisstake]

As for the XP question...I took a semi-radical departure, and it's worked out exceedingly well. I banished XP from the campaign entirely. No crafting, no XP-cost spells.


That's pretty much how I always do exp. It works better for PF since you don't need experience for things like item crafting. However, with using this method, you want to make sure the party members are still in the exp ranges recommended by the book (which in Andorax's examples it sounds like he did).

[Orsen]

You are, sir. They changed the line to PFRPG after PFRPG came out, but those released beforehand did not get updated. However, Paizo is releasing a new Anniversary Edition of Rise of the Runelords Summer next year. (http://paizo.com/store/byCompany/p/paizoPublishingLLC/pathfinder/adventurePath/riseOfTheRunelords/v5748btpy8mqq)
And so I was wrong twice in a thread. Like Blisstake said, the wording confused me. Thanks for setting me straight Shadow Run :smallsmile:.
I really would like to play pathfinder though. What would converting take?
Use the monster entries from the Bestiary and convert the important NPC's (which it sounds like I might need to do regardless)?

[Golkiwu]

And so I was wrong twice in a thread. Like Blisstake said, the wording confused me. Thanks for setting me straight Shadow Run :smallsmile:.
I really would like to play pathfinder though. What would converting take?
Use the monster entries from the Bestiary and convert the important NPC's (which it sounds like I might need to do regardless)?

If you use the Herolab PC Generator, I have converted all of the creatures through the third module. I would be glad to share them. Conversely, if you happen to be using D20PRO, I have all of those 3 modules available for download, with creatures and maps, on the D20PRO Forums under "User Created Content".

[Orsen]

If you use the Herolab PC Generator, I have converted all of the creatures through the third module. I would be glad to share them. Conversely, if you happen to be using D20PRO, I have all of those 3 modules available for download, with creatures and maps, on the D20PRO Forums under "User Created Content".

Unfortunately I don't have either programs. Thanks for the offer though! Did the program do most of the conversion work for you?

[Golkiwu]

It made it a little easier. Especially with the import to the maps and being able to share the finished product. It was more expedient for sure than PnP.

[Kenneth]

The only thing I have ever found ot be scary is teh lamiah matriarch Xanehsa. a quick fix though, later on I think in part 4 (could be wrong) theres another lamia who I think is like Xanehsa's sister or cousin or some such, and at that level the heros are supposed to encounter her well.. its extremely one side, like she is down before the end of teh firstr ound fo combat. I just swicthed those 2 and it is completely perfect.

as for teh imp.. If you have new players or players who one think one dimensinally yeah she is a bit hard, but it should come down to hard to hurt the imp and the imp doing ineffectual damage to your party.

the best time the encounter with the imp was the Bard tossed a bag full of glitter, dirt and flour on the imp while she was invisible. Just try to think on your feet and other than Xanehsa and that other lamia chick, Ive found that all encounters are pretty balacnced.

[Blisstake]

The only thing I have ever found ot be scary is teh lamiah matriarch Xanehsa. a quick fix though, later on I think in part 4 (could be wrong) theres another lamia who I think is like Xanehsa's sister or cousin or some such, and at that level the heros are supposed to encounter her well.. its extremely one side, like she is down before the end of teh firstr ound fo combat. I just swicthed those 2 and it is completely perfect.

Yeah, Lucrecia is in Part 3. However, unless the PCs are exceptionally stealthy, she probably won't be fought alone.