Picking a Pathfinder Path

[Archpaladin Zousha]

I'm going to try my hand at DMing a Pathfinder Adventure Path, and I'm trying to decide which Path I should run for my players first. I still need to start purchasing the Path books so I need to pick which would be the most interesting. Rise of the Runelords? Kingmaker? Curse of the Crimson Throne? I'm not sure what the themes and quirks of each are, so I was hoping to turn to the Playground for help.

Has anyone here played a Pathfinder Adventure Path? Which one was it and what was it like? Which do you think would be the funnest to run for a new group?

[Starbuck_II]

I've never played any path, but I've heard good things about Kingmaker.
Hope everything goes well.

[Archpaladin Zousha]

What good things have you heard about Kingmaker?

[Starbuck_II]

Mostly stuff I've read.
Here is a link telling about it:
http://pathfinder.wikia.com/wiki/Kin...adventure_path)

This blog tells a little more: http://gothridgemanor.blogspot.com/2...ture-path.html

When you finally get a kingdom (second part/book) it gets its own character sheet.

It reminds me of NWN 2

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(because ACT 2 you get a Keep).

I heard it is less rail-roady than some path/modules: can't know if true.

It basically opens up with the players all arriving in the village with a charter that tells them to 'strive against banditry and other unlawful behavior to be encountered'. The inside covers has wanted posters and 'side-quests' that the characters can do if they want, but have no real bearing on story (except for the gratitude of the townsfolk).

Oh, here is a free charter (if want a real one to hand players):
http://whodrewthis.deviantart.com/ar...rter-157090726

[Ravens_cry]

Kingmaker is a very different game. Instead of getting some title or the other at the end as a reward, you are the leaders of a country. Important note, it is very easy to get to the point where success or failure of rolls for nation running is "don't roll a one." This is in fact to be expected. I am not running it so I can't tell you much 'under the hood' but so far I have had a lot of fun.
My other favourite Pathfinder path is Legacy of Fire. One, there is a scientist of magic, You will know who I mean when you see him. Playing an Arabian Knights kind of setting has a fresh feeling, and some of the player rewards, though not worth as much crunch wise, felt much more worth it then simply been handed gp.

[Archpaladin Zousha]

Well I've done some research, and now I need to get Kingmaker! Apparently China Mieville, the author I wrote my senior thesis on, contributed to it!

[Amiel]

The earlier AP books within the Curse of the Crimson Throne and Rise of the Runelords product line are apparently rather difficult to find; AP#1 for example has been noted to fetch prices of upwards of 100 dollars or more.

I've also heard some good things about the newest AP, the Serpent's Skull as well as the Council of Thieves AP.

There's also the Carrion Crown AP due out soon as well.

[BobVosh]

I've just started playing in a Kingmaker campaign, and it is a very different feel for a module. So far it has been fun.

Curse of the Crimson Throne (played in) and Second Darkness (ran) were both decent, but seemed better on the low end and high end of the path. Both had a decent chunk of what felt like filler. That said the last book for SD had some really amusing encounters, with highly individualized fights.

[Kensen]

My group finished playing Rise of the Runelords a while ago. I liked the campaign, but one of the biggest issues the group (three tier 3-4 characters) had was that... (spoilers)

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Many of the adventures featured dozens of giant mooks (=made of hit points), which made the mook battles slow, tedious and unpredictable.

Other than that, no major complaints.

We started playing Kingmaker, and so far it seems really very good. You get a headquarters (a trading post) and you start exploring the surrounding region on a hex map. It seems to be a lot more sandboxey than most D&D campaigns.

[CapnVan]

The earlier AP books within the Curse of the Crimson Throne and Rise of the Runelords product line are apparently rather difficult to find; AP#1 for example has been noted to fetch prices of upwards of 100 dollars or more.

I believe they're all available as PDFs, if that's not a dealbreaker.

[Xealot7]

I've Played in Curse of the Crimson Throne and Rise of the Runelords, and I am currently running a Kingmaker Campaign that is in book 3 of 6 atm. Kingmaker is by far the best (according to me and my group lol). That being said the Serpents Skull looks interesting as well.

I'd say do Kingmaker.

[Archpaladin Zousha]

The earlier AP books within the Curse of the Crimson Throne and Rise of the Runelords product line are apparently rather difficult to find; AP#1 for example has been noted to fetch prices of upwards of 100 dollars or more.

Really? Curse of the Crimson Throne is actually the most complete of the Adventure Paths my local gaming store has, having all six books, while they only seem to have the latter four of the Kingmaker books, missing books one and two.

[Tyndmyr]

Having played in a Rise of the Runelords campaign, I feel it's probably not actually terrible, but it lacks anything really great about it. Very typical. The runelords and runeforged weapons reek of plotanium, and while the background has decent amounts of detail and the like, the encounters tend to be nothing special. They went for something like a mystery/horror motif at parts, but it really doesn't work out well. Horror only lasts until combat starts. Grinding through mooks pretty much removes any element of suspense.

You run through the typical selection of D&D adversaries, but it ends up feeling a bit grind-like at times. Probably not as bad for people who haven't spent so much time hacking apart goblins, giants, and the like, as these opponents will probably feel someone less typical for them.

All in all, I'd give it something like a B-.

[Archpaladin Zousha]

Perhaps you could explain a bit more about this plotanium? I'm not sure what you mean when you say these Runelords or swords or whatever are made of them.