Good evening,
My 10-year-old son is getting Pathfinder for Christmas. Although I've been on hiatus for several years now, but I used to game regularly. I see this as a great opportunity to guide him into the hobby.
Anyhow, I'm starting from scratch in terms of setting and campaign. Any advice? If there's a free "standard Pathfinder" setting available that anyone would recommend, I'd appreciate it.
(I know that there are tons of settings out there, but as often as not they are junk. I can also make my own, but time is not on my side at the moment...)
Thanks,
Alan
To be honest, I'd recommend getting him the Beginner Box (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/products/beginnerbox) over the core rulebooks to start. The entire box is set in Sandpoint and while Golarion is a pretty big mixed bag of different subsettings, there's nothing saying you have to jump right into the rest of the setting once you've reached the upper levels of the Beginner Box.
You might also think about getting the Pathfinder comics (http://paizo.com/store/byCompany/d/dynamiteEntertainment/pathfinderComics) as they're set in Sandpoint and the close environs and most have some useful material including battle maps.
Worse case scenario, if you have the old BECMI D&D sets - or the Basic and Expert sets at least, just use the setting of Threshold and the other info presented as the setting with either the Beginner Box or the core books.
Welcome to The RPG Site, Alan! :)
Later!
Harl
The first proper RPG I ran for my kids (as opposed to DnD board games, heroquest etc) was Pathfinder.
I grabbed the Pathfinder core rules and the first "Rise of the Runelords" Scenario, which is set in Golarion.
There ARE Golarion world books and stuff, but to get a start, the "Rise of the Runelords" scenario is great.
I agree with the comment that getting the beginner box is probably better, as it comes with everything you need to get a start in RPGs, but if you already have the Pathfinder core rules, then just grab "Rise of the Runelords" and you're good to go.
Let me echo that if you don't have a ton of time Paizo has probably 15 adventurer paths (sets of modules that are meant to be run in order for a full campaign) that can easily fill up a year of playing and don't take a lot of time to prep.
They're all set in Paizo's default world but the "grab bag" nature of Golarion means you can pretty much find an adventurer path that corresponds to whatever specific kind of setting you want to run.
Personally, I'd avoid the beginner box. If you're planning on gaming with your son, just go straight to the core rulebook and the Bestiary. For accessories, I'd go with the Bestiary token set and the starter flip mat set.
Have you played PF or 3.5?
Oh, and while "Rise of the Runelords" is a pretty nice adventure path it may not be age appropriate for a ten year old.
There's some pretty grisly stuff (at least in RPG terms) in some of the modules, especially three.
Quote from: tanstaafl48;715126Oh, and while "Rise of the Runelords" is a pretty nice adventure path it may not be age appropriate for a ten year old.
There's some pretty grisly stuff (at least in RPG terms) in some of the modules, especially three.
Yeah, Legacy of Fire is probably the most kid-safe AP of the bunch, but it was written under 3.5 rules and would need conversion.
Mummy's Mask might be similarly friendly. It'll be PF-rules right out of the gate and will probably start coming out around February or March. Jade Regent seems fairly safe too.
Going down the list and off of memory:
SPOILERS
3.5 years
Rise of the Runelords : Gore, serial killings, hillbilly rapist ogres, incestuous succubus and her daughters, etc.
Curse of the Crimson Throne : The sado-masochistic church of Zon-Kuthon plays a big part, PCs may likely wind up killing a bunch of brainwashed victims of the BBEG, great campaign that can easily be tweaked for taste
Second Darkness : Starts in a den of pirates with all that that entails, drow get played up for horror, could be easy to adapt, but this AP is admitted to have more problems in the middle with bad transitions between chapters and unfortunately unsympathetic allies. It's going to need work.
Legacy of Fire : Can't recall any possible sticking points. Too dungeon heavy for some that expected more desert-trekking adventure.
Pathfinder years
Council of Thieves : Starts as rebellion in decadent devil-worship country. Winds up being about saving your city from another threat. Geared towards more social characters, urban campaign, lots of pervading darkness but plenty to be invested in. I can't recall the semi-"snuff" stage play PCs can perform in being particularly bad.
Kingmaker - Dark fairy tale violence is the roughest bit I remember for certain here. I think rape might have turned up in a backstory, but this is easily excised. Might actually be the best choice, come to think of it. Sanboxy.
Serpent's Skull - race through the jungle to find a lost city. Actually pretty safe too, though there's some racial strife that can drop in and out awkwardly if you don't lead into it and set the stage. Lot of people didn't like how it turned into an aimless crawl in the second half, though this could be used to turn reclaiming that city into Jungle Kingmaker.
Jade Regent - Trek across the world and war to save a country. Actually fairly safe I think. Strong all the way through, though you may want to drop the caravan rules.
Carrion Crown - Gothic horror. Dips into superdark from time to time, but it could be tweaked to spookhouse levels. The "Lovecraft" chapter might piss players off with the sanity check crap though.
Skull and Shackles - Pirates, ranging from Johnny Depp to gritty. The worst bits are easy to adjust, with the biggest "holy shit, no" elements being in book 5.
Reign of Winter - Batshit insane. Dark fairy tale violence and tons of child endangerment. And one chapter is set during WWI Russia where you fight Rasputin to save Princess Anastasia. So that might take some explaining.
Wrath of the Righteous - Unambiguously heroic AP, but it uses an extra set of rules and is coated in elements that are dark as fuck. It's simultaneously the brightest and darkest AP of the bunch. For point of reference: Redemption is a major theme. There's also a type of demon whose schtick is molesting animal companions and mounts.
So Legacy of Fire, Kingmaker, Jade Regent, and Serpent's Skull seem like the easiest to adapt. Kingmaker and Jade Regent both have subsystems that may overcomplicate things though.(kingdom rules and mass combat for Kingmaker certainly, hexploration not so much)
Quote from: worldeater;715089My 10-year-old son is getting Pathfinder for Christmas.
How bad was your kid this year? A lump of coal has more potential for fun.
You could always go with just building a small village with a dungeon nearby, or a small island, etc. and only design the setting as needed. Or use whatever older settings you're familiar with.
Quote from: tanstaafl48;715126Oh, and while "Rise of the Runelords" is a pretty nice adventure path it may not be age appropriate for a ten year old.
There's some pretty grisly stuff (at least in RPG terms) in some of the modules, especially three.
I just toned down parts as appropriate. I think I changed the bit where the Goblin was capturing kids and eating them or something. Can't remember much of the details now, but it's pretty obvious what needs changing, which isn't a lot really.
It's easy enough to do and there's some hilarious moments in it for kids as well.
The first adventure is a goblin attack on a town, which is choreographed in a humorous way.
I have to second the advice for starting with the Beginner Box. It's much more accessible than the bloated hardcover.
And I also have to second this advice:
Quote from: Bloody Stupid Johnson;715138You could always go with just building a small village with a dungeon nearby, or a small island, etc. and only design the setting as needed. Or use whatever older settings you're familiar with.
Building one's own setting is part of the fascination of GMing, and you don't need a fully detailed setting for the first handful of sessions. Start small, and expand. Everything else comes from play.
Useful links:
http://alexschroeder.ch/wiki/Microlite_Campaign
http://alexschroeder.ch/wiki/2009-12-02_Hexcrawl (with more links to detailed procedures from, among others, RPGsite regular poster Estar)
http://alexschroeder.ch/wiki/2010-02-24_Trying_To_Run_Wilderness_Like_A_Dungeon
Good luck with your game!
Quote from: Spinachcat;715137How bad was your kid this year? A lump of coal has more potential for fun.
Sorry for liking something that you don't like.
Quote from: Chairman Meow;715113Personally, I'd avoid the beginner box. If you're planning on gaming with your son, just go straight to the core rulebook and the Bestiary. For accessories, I'd go with the Bestiary token set and the starter flip mat set.
Have you played PF or 3.5?
The book is already wrapped and under the tree, but even if it wasn't I think I'd skip the box set. It's a fine idea, but I have plenty of RPG experience so I can provide the same sort of guidance that an intro set would.
I've played DnD from 2nd to 3.5 and have tinkered with PF a little bit. It's been 5 years since I played anything, so I'm a bit rusty.
Thanks everyone for all the resources and links and whatnot. I'm sure that he and I will have fun. I can probably get my daughter as well - Santa's got three sets of dice to put under the tree this year.
First off, that's really cool. I hope your son has a wonderful time with Pathfinder!
Have you checked out the Kingdoms of Legend setting from IPG? I've flipped through it, and it seems pretty cool, and largely age-appropriate, I think.
http://www.interactionpoint.com/kingdoms-of-legend (http://www.interactionpoint.com/kingdoms-of-legend)
Merry Christmas!
P.S.--Dice under the tree are always a good thing! Fun! :)
Quote from: worldeater;715161The book is already wrapped and under the tree, but even if it wasn't I think I'd skip the box set. It's a fine idea, but I have plenty of RPG experience so I can provide the same sort of guidance that an intro set would.
Fair enough. The boxed set does have stand-up cardboard figures, but you can get those in spades with the pawns boxed set if you choose later on. :)
QuoteI've played DnD from 2nd to 3.5 and have tinkered with PF a little bit. It's been 5 years since I played anything, so I'm a bit rusty.
It's always good to oil up the wheels from time to time. ;)
QuoteThanks everyone for all the resources and links and whatnot. I'm sure that he and I will have fun. I can probably get my daughter as well - Santa's got three sets of dice to put under the tree this year.
Glad to be of help. Sounds like you're set for some awesome adventures together. :)
Later!
Harl
Quote from: worldeater;715161The book is already wrapped and under the tree, but even if it wasn't I think I'd skip the box set. It's a fine idea, but I have plenty of RPG experience so I can provide the same sort of guidance that an intro set would.
I would print up a copy of the Swords & Wizardry Quick Start, wrap it, run one or two sessions using the included dungeon and then proceed on with Pathfinder. I am involved in Webelos in Scouting and I had a couple of kids over the past two years ask me how to get started.
They had copies of 4e, 3.5e, and Pathfinder the full core books and were a bit lost at how to start. So I give them copies I had of the Quick Start. Told them to run that for a session or two and then jump into the books they had. It seemed to work for them.
Swords & Wizardry Quick Start (http://www.black-blade-publishing.com/Store/tabid/65/pid/24/Swords-Wizardry-Quick-Start-pdf-.aspx)
Paizo has some free pdf products on their website. If you go to the Pathfinder section and into the Adventure Path listing (http://paizo.com/pathfinder/adventurePath), a lot of them have free Player's Guides if you look at their product listings. While they are focused on whatever area that Adventure Path takes place in and more for the players, there are some GM aids in there (a map or two, maybe an NPC and an organization write-up, a brief description of the area, etc). I mean, it's not a lot, but they are free.
Also, under their modules heading there are the Free RPG Day (http://paizo.com/pathfinder/modules/freeRPGDay) adventures up as free pdfs.
You may also find the Golariopedia (http://pathfinder.wikia.com/wiki/Golariopedia) useful.
This - http://paizo.com/products/btpy89c9 - Crypt of the Everflame.
Not only is it a first level adventure, but it assumes the PCs are youngsters starting their adventuring careers. Just read it before the characters are rolled up, so you can implant their backstories in a more natural way.
And, one of the flip mats has that exact dungeon on it, if that's your style. So you can replicate that part of the BBox, too.
Once they tire of those characters and have more experience, I also recommend Rise. Great stuff, that.
This is one of those circumstances where I wish it was legit to resell pdfs.
Quote from: danskmacabre;715149I just toned down parts as appropriate. I think I changed the bit where the Goblin was capturing kids and eating them or something. Can't remember much of the details now, but it's pretty obvious what needs changing, which isn't a lot really.
It's easy enough to do and there's some hilarious moments in it for kids as well.
The first adventure is a goblin attack on a town, which is choreographed in a humorous way.
I think the first module is fine I was really thinking more the second and third modules- I'm not sure how you sanitize the "Hills have Eyes" inspired bits beyond basically rewriting the whole thing.
"Crypt of the Everflame" is a great starting point and if they like it there's two sequel modules (Masks of the living God/City of Burning Death)that form a kind of mini-campaign.
Paizo recently released a module called "The Dragon's Demand" that runs from levels 1-7 and is, if I remember correctly, pretty age appropriate (and it has kobolds, my personal favorite goofy enemies)
Quote from: mcbobbo;715190This - http://paizo.com/products/btpy89c9 - Crypt of the Everflame.
Yeah, I think that's a nice adventure to start with. We're all
long-time gamers but still had a good time with it.
At level 1, Pathfinder isn't that complicated. Get some pre-gen characters and you're off. I DMed some 10 year-olds last Christmas with the beginner's box and they picked it up really fast.
Quote from: tanstaafl48;715242I think the first module is fine I was really thinking more the second and third modules- I'm not sure how you sanitize the "Hills have Eyes" inspired bits beyond basically rewriting the whole thing.
"Crypt of the Everflame" is a great starting point and if they like it there's two sequel modules (Masks of the living God/City of Burning Death)that form a kind of mini-campaign.
Paizo recently released a module called "The Dragon's Demand" that runs from levels 1-7 and is, if I remember correctly, pretty age appropriate (and it has kobolds, my personal favorite goofy enemies)
Is the 3rd module the Mutant ogres type scenario in the hills like Hillbillies?
I don't remember the details very well. I did run that at one stage but not for my kids.
I got as far as (I believe) the haunted house scenario, which went well, I probably removed some bits, but really I can't remember running a scenario I didn't change quite a bit for tastes or to fit into the campaign in general.
I would rarely run a scenario verbatim, so maybe for it was easy work to change things as appropriate.
After that, we moved onto other RPGs, like Mutants and Masterminds, Dragon warriors etc.
Still, I did run the crypt of the Everflame as well, which went down very well.
It's a great intro scenario.
Have fun playing with your son, man. That's the first rule. If you coach your son into playing the game, everything will be okay. And if you run into some obstacle, that he finds the game too complicated or whatnot, you will be able to point him in the right direction (Moldvay B/X or whatnot). Don't wait for us to do your thinking for you. You're smart enough to do that.
Quote from: worldeater;715161I've played DnD from 2nd to 3.5 and have tinkered with PF a little bit. It's been 5 years since I played anything, so I'm a bit rusty.
In that case, I'd throw in a recommendation for Crypt of the Everflame or The Dragon's Demand for low level adventures. It'll be less to absorb and cheaper than buying an entire adventure path.
Dragon's Demand is a very good choice. It's also the first of the larger-sized modules they're doing, which makes it a good compromise between short modules and full adventure paths.
Crypt of the Everflame is a really good starter adventure, but the follow-up adventure might be a bit heavy for a ten year old with the whole deep-undercover cult infiltration bit. It's been a long time since I've read it though, so that might be easily bypassed.
Quote from: worldeater;715159Sorry for liking something that you don't like.
You are forgiven this once. Go forth and sin no more.
Make sure he grabs some friends. Much of the magic of rpgs in the interaction between people, not necessarily the module or rules.
Alternatively check out the free pdf Black Streams for interesting rules on running a solo game.
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/114895/
Cheers
Quote from: Evansheer;715136Going down the list and off of memory:
SPOILERS
3.5 years
Rise of the Runelords : Gore, serial killings, hillbilly rapist ogres, incestuous succubus and her daughters, etc.
Neat! Did Garth Ennis help write it?
JG
Quote from: James Gillen;716522Neat! Did Garth Ennis help write it?
JG
Obviously not, since it lacks greedy all - powerful yet surprisingly incompetent corp- merchant guilds ;). Though admittedly that might be just me being bitter over The Boys not turning out all what hype had them to be.
I'd also recommend the freebie adventure where everyone plays goblins, for a sillier game. If your kid ever had a hold of MtG goblins, or just a pendant for rooting for the bad guys in toons, he should love it ;).
I was going to ask how it went, but it isn't Christmas yet, is it?
:)
OP, did you get the answers you were after?
As it turns out, I'm also running Pathfinder for my son and two nephews over Christmas - by their request. I've run three other short adventures for them on previous holidays.
I picked up The Dragon's Demand, and I'm seeing about adapting it to work a little better for them and their previous adventures.
Quote from: mcbobbo;716968I was going to ask how it went, but it isn't Christmas yet, is it?
:)
OP, did you get the answers you were after?
Yes, very much so. You guys have provided tons of good info; thanks for that.
I'll post after we start playing. In sure that it will be a good time.
Thanks again,
Alan
Did things go well?
Quote from: Teazia;720007Did things go well?
Progress has been slow, mostly because I've been stuck at work a lot and just haven't had time to kick things off. The boy has had a great time building the world. I started it but within about 5 minutes he was sketching things out and I was just an advisor. I think he'll make a heck of a GM (and maybe author?).
Hopefully work dies down soon an his paladin can venture forth into the world and give evil a run for its money.
If you're interested, there are a couple of pictures over on my blog, The Phlogisticated Mind (http://phlogisticatedmind.wordpress.com/2014/01/11/pathfinder-slowly/).
Thanks!
WorldEater
Read your blog. Wow! That's quite the setting your son is designing! Kudos to him and his imagination! :cool: Looking forward to hearing about his paladin's adventures! :)
Later!
Harl
It sounds like long term, you'd be trying to set an adventure that involves stopping the 'blight', but you wouldn't want to start that too soon.
The 'Rise of the Runelords' adventure path (published for 3.x, but there is likely a Pathfinder conversion available for free) might be a good starting point. The first adventure involves an attack by goblins on the starting town. The goblins are actually really fun - they're a lot like the Gremlins (a movie my six-year old adores) - as much comical as they are horrifying.
Since that would involve monsters 'penetrating' the shield, that wold indicate the protection is not as solid as the city elders have hoped. Finding out how they got in (and of course getting to their lair and making sure knowledge of the 'fissures' they used doesn't get out) could work really well.
Long term, the Rise of the Runelords is about the return of an ancient evil wizard-king, but the adventures with Stone Giants might not work as well. The PDF of Burnt Offerings is avaialble from Paizo for $13.99
The town may be smaller than Haven - it is called Sandpoint and is well described. Having that as an allied town might work. There's also a supernatural disease; tying it to the Blight rather than the return of the Runelords can work very well.
The reviews may help you decide if it would make sense:
http://paizo.com/products/btpy7zkr?Pathfinder-1-Rise-of-the-Runelords-Chapter-1-Burnt-Offerings
Quote from: jhkim;717009As it turns out, I'm also running Pathfinder for my son and two nephews over Christmas - by their request. I've run three other short adventures for them on previous holidays.
I picked up The Dragon's Demand, and I'm seeing about adapting it to work a little better for them and their previous adventures.
As a follow-up to this,
I ran Dragon's Demand with a few adaptations for the kids. One thing that really annoyed me about it was that there were constant references to "See Bestiary 3" or "See Ultimate Magic" and so forth - with no stats or description. I could look most of these up from the SRD, but more often I just substituted something from the core books. Also, the module is pretty skimpy on details in general.
The core plot is fine, though. I'm now looking at running a few session online with the nephews who live in Maine. I haven't run any games online yet, so I'm still figuring out what I want to use for that.
We made progress, albeit not much. The best part was when my son started describing the sounds of an orc ambush on one of the NPCs that was out of the scene. I think he'll make a good GM one of these days.
:)
http://phlogisticatedmind.wordpress.com/2014/01/24/pathfinder-into-the-wild/ (http://phlogisticatedmind.wordpress.com/2014/01/24/pathfinder-into-the-wild/)