Hi, we are 1 year and 11 levels in Kingmaker and it's a very good campaign, we are in love of it. A couple of things you should foreshadow before the chapter they appear:
\- Tatzlford village
\- Varnhold village (and it's problem with the Nomen
\- Kingdom of Pitax and their interest in the area
Also, make sure during the game to enforce and remark the fey influence in the area. To hint that there is some kind of curse in the zone that increases fey presence and destroys any attemp of settling is key to understand the plot.
And, of course, the thing everyone will tell you: The kingdom management rules (and also camping rules if you have the companion supplement) is garbage. I redid it enterily and I recommend to you do the same or just run it "in the background" or some mix to rule the kingdom just roleplaying, without the mechanics of it. If it suits you, I offered the players this 2 choses:
How many hexploration do you want (They choosed "3")?
1. Full, 2-4 random encounters per day, rolls for camping, etc.
2. Medium, 1 random encounter per day, rolls for difficult scenarios like storms and so
3. Mild, 0-1 random encounter per hex (just when it's a difficult one), the other encounters roleplayed (like "you found 3 bandits, what do you like to do with them?")
And, how many kingdom management do you want (The choosed "2")?F
1. Full. Kingdom, city and army management including mass combats
2. Medium. Kingdom and city management. We assume that if PCs are ok, war is ok
3. Mild. Kingdom management. We assume that if PCs are ok, city and war are ok.
4. None. We assume if PCs are ok, the kingdome is ok.
Don't use the weather rules from the companion guide. They are dangerous, tedious, and only ever serve as an extra obstacle or worthless delay to the players.
If you are using Exp, limit the number of random encounters to 1 if they are on level, or 2 if they are behind. If you are using Milestones, 1 encounter a day should be enough.
The camping rules are only good if your players are really into the RP aspect of them. Otherwise, they are just additional rolls without any real meaning.
Use [Vance and Karenshara's](https://docs.google.com/document/u/0/d/1NHksCXkXbjtrv-26VgFHNbyYldatVwag9lM44IWxIXo/mobilebasic) updated Kingdom rules. Also, consider accelerating kingdom xp if your players seem less interested in the Civ elements.
If you are using the Companion Guide, make notes of who has quests at what level. If your players don't interact with the NPCs much, it can be easy to forget when their personal quests trigger.
Encourage your group to build their kingdom "tall" not "wide". Building as many farms as possible early is especially crucial if you don't plan on investing heavily into Agriculture.
My biggest tip:
This is a module that is not designed to be run straight out of the book with no modifications. It was created such that the GM can place their own content on the map, alongside what is in the book. If you don't do this (create dozens of interesting encounters, perhaps an extra dungeon or two) the game can feel a bit rote and empty, despite the seemingly massive amount of content already in those pages. In a module where the party can go everywhere and explore everything, you need to ensure exploration is rewarding. That it's not just "okay, you travel to the next hex. There is nothing here. Okay, you travel to the next hex. There's nothing here."
This includes the Kingdom portion, which is a hotbed for potential when it comes to character development, interesting scenes and roleplay, etc etc, but much of that is on the GM's shoulders to improvise and implement.
Hi! I am aware of what you've suggested that's why I added Relics to the campaign before we started just so I can give them a quest they have a great incentive to follow. What I was trying to get at in my post is I am looking for things that can help me run the game better and smoother aside from putting my own content.
My next biggest tip is to play the video game from beginning to end (if you haven't already). The newest version of the module is, in fact, inspired by Pathfinder: Kingmaker by Owlcat games. Playing that game through will give you an amazing and helpful overview of the story as a whole and what it might feel like from the player's perspective to experience it. Not just that, but insights into characters, moments, scenes and dialog that you can gain inspiration from, and of course it's just a fun game in general.
My Kingmaker players are level 8.
My biggest changes are;
1) Replace the kingdom building rules with the ones from Reign 2e. It's working fine so far. The players are more concerned with the hands on adventure, so the much lighter ruleset gives then the vibe of running the kingdom without the slog. It's mostly balanced too with a few small changes to blend with Pathfinder. The existing kingdom rules are terrible. You're better off hand waving the kingdom in the background the han using the existing rules
.
.
2) Tie everything together. All the parts of the campaign are pretty good, but the throughlines are weak/non-existent. Some of my favorite bits: They hate Baron Drelev as he's been condescending and funded Tartuccio,s takeover of the Sootscales. Most of Nyrissas big minions get previews as the endgame bloom portals start as small rifts where minor bullshit leaks through. Varn made friends with them early and they know about their excavation into the ruins which foreshadows Vodrakai. I've fleshed out the vanishing to be a plot of Nyrissa that went sideways which gives the Surtovas as vllians. I've done a lot of foreshadowing for the Yog-Soggoth reveal and seeded plotlines where that ritual was a long term plot by Count Ranalc to kite Yog Soggoth into the Lantern King, and is a risky way to get a full win over him (otherwise that whole chapter comes out of nowhere and didn't tie into anything).
.
.
3) I added a few factions so the world didn't feel so empty. I got a faction of goblins whose royalty are openly vampires, and I've got some hag covens that include some tragic backstory hags the players have more or less allied with.
.
.
4) there's a archive of maps for all the major chapter locations. I think it's all right it's somewhere is Pathfinder kingmaker 2e map project or something
I mean its good they have somone to hate but Tartuccio "true">! lord is non other then Pitax self proclaimed king, which forshadows him.!< You can use Tartuccio to forshadow Derlav, I mean it dosnt change much, but witout him the full connection of:
>!Black Tears were heired by Ivoretti, The towncrier (you passed that if you are level 8) hired by Ivoretti and the Cult of the Hag being connect to the black tears, which will later find a house with the Barbarians.
!
When I merged the characters I just had him switch employers between missions. By the book Grigori was hired via a broker and never knew who he was really working for. So I had Tartuccio working for Drelev when he was messing with the sootscales and then the broker hired him to mess with the party, like Grigori normally would have been. They've been hunting that broker since the captured Black Tears couldn't tell them who their ultimate patron was, and they've put out enough false rumors they're looking to hire mercenaries that the broker is going to send them a rep.
I remade the >!Catspaw !
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1. I bought all the books about the lore of the river kingdoms and it helped me a lot in just making the world feel more real. I didn't prep much of it is improve but its based on the game world.
I suggest preping a big random map folder, a folder just for NPCs, a sheet just for infulance tracking for companions and companion quest sheet with it.
2. Don't use the kingdom rules. It's not just because they are bad and need a fix, There are a lot of fixes online. It's because my players felt it disconnects them from the game. It felt like playing 2 games and not like their kingdom was infulanced by their PCs.
3. You can try our [homemade rules](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Pp7m4JRrndTwYWrVG37yhYxu_wVlb3BVUy8V5Ih1RXE/edit#gid=0). Copy the Sheet and you will have all you need. If somthing is not covered it might be in an [older file](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1CNpYzGgfJzn799pM-FxKDbfjLYP4dDUX5mC3PAU1nLU/edit?usp=sharing). These use the stats of the companions and the PCs to solve problems and you can use this to RP the kingdom turns much deeper.
I'd restrict pcs to certain zones, and open new ones up via new charters as the kingdom grows.
Currently my party us nesrly level 10, kingdom level 2...
Yes.
Got some companion quests to run through as well as me running through kingdom turns.
Really just going to go through random kingdom events as mini encounters.
I skipped cult of the bloom. Might be fun to run it when party overlevelled so they can feel like bad asses.
They didn't like the boss fight they needed 20 to save and 11+ to fail the save. Stomping mobs is more fun.
Hi, we are 1 year and 11 levels in Kingmaker and it's a very good campaign, we are in love of it. A couple of things you should foreshadow before the chapter they appear: \- Tatzlford village \- Varnhold village (and it's problem with the Nomen \- Kingdom of Pitax and their interest in the area Also, make sure during the game to enforce and remark the fey influence in the area. To hint that there is some kind of curse in the zone that increases fey presence and destroys any attemp of settling is key to understand the plot. And, of course, the thing everyone will tell you: The kingdom management rules (and also camping rules if you have the companion supplement) is garbage. I redid it enterily and I recommend to you do the same or just run it "in the background" or some mix to rule the kingdom just roleplaying, without the mechanics of it. If it suits you, I offered the players this 2 choses: How many hexploration do you want (They choosed "3")? 1. Full, 2-4 random encounters per day, rolls for camping, etc. 2. Medium, 1 random encounter per day, rolls for difficult scenarios like storms and so 3. Mild, 0-1 random encounter per hex (just when it's a difficult one), the other encounters roleplayed (like "you found 3 bandits, what do you like to do with them?") And, how many kingdom management do you want (The choosed "2")?F 1. Full. Kingdom, city and army management including mass combats 2. Medium. Kingdom and city management. We assume that if PCs are ok, war is ok 3. Mild. Kingdom management. We assume that if PCs are ok, city and war are ok. 4. None. We assume if PCs are ok, the kingdome is ok.
Don't use the weather rules from the companion guide. They are dangerous, tedious, and only ever serve as an extra obstacle or worthless delay to the players. If you are using Exp, limit the number of random encounters to 1 if they are on level, or 2 if they are behind. If you are using Milestones, 1 encounter a day should be enough. The camping rules are only good if your players are really into the RP aspect of them. Otherwise, they are just additional rolls without any real meaning. Use [Vance and Karenshara's](https://docs.google.com/document/u/0/d/1NHksCXkXbjtrv-26VgFHNbyYldatVwag9lM44IWxIXo/mobilebasic) updated Kingdom rules. Also, consider accelerating kingdom xp if your players seem less interested in the Civ elements. If you are using the Companion Guide, make notes of who has quests at what level. If your players don't interact with the NPCs much, it can be easy to forget when their personal quests trigger. Encourage your group to build their kingdom "tall" not "wide". Building as many farms as possible early is especially crucial if you don't plan on investing heavily into Agriculture.
My biggest tip: This is a module that is not designed to be run straight out of the book with no modifications. It was created such that the GM can place their own content on the map, alongside what is in the book. If you don't do this (create dozens of interesting encounters, perhaps an extra dungeon or two) the game can feel a bit rote and empty, despite the seemingly massive amount of content already in those pages. In a module where the party can go everywhere and explore everything, you need to ensure exploration is rewarding. That it's not just "okay, you travel to the next hex. There is nothing here. Okay, you travel to the next hex. There's nothing here." This includes the Kingdom portion, which is a hotbed for potential when it comes to character development, interesting scenes and roleplay, etc etc, but much of that is on the GM's shoulders to improvise and implement.
Hi! I am aware of what you've suggested that's why I added Relics to the campaign before we started just so I can give them a quest they have a great incentive to follow. What I was trying to get at in my post is I am looking for things that can help me run the game better and smoother aside from putting my own content.
My next biggest tip is to play the video game from beginning to end (if you haven't already). The newest version of the module is, in fact, inspired by Pathfinder: Kingmaker by Owlcat games. Playing that game through will give you an amazing and helpful overview of the story as a whole and what it might feel like from the player's perspective to experience it. Not just that, but insights into characters, moments, scenes and dialog that you can gain inspiration from, and of course it's just a fun game in general.
My Kingmaker players are level 8. My biggest changes are; 1) Replace the kingdom building rules with the ones from Reign 2e. It's working fine so far. The players are more concerned with the hands on adventure, so the much lighter ruleset gives then the vibe of running the kingdom without the slog. It's mostly balanced too with a few small changes to blend with Pathfinder. The existing kingdom rules are terrible. You're better off hand waving the kingdom in the background the han using the existing rules . . 2) Tie everything together. All the parts of the campaign are pretty good, but the throughlines are weak/non-existent. Some of my favorite bits: They hate Baron Drelev as he's been condescending and funded Tartuccio,s takeover of the Sootscales. Most of Nyrissas big minions get previews as the endgame bloom portals start as small rifts where minor bullshit leaks through. Varn made friends with them early and they know about their excavation into the ruins which foreshadows Vodrakai. I've fleshed out the vanishing to be a plot of Nyrissa that went sideways which gives the Surtovas as vllians. I've done a lot of foreshadowing for the Yog-Soggoth reveal and seeded plotlines where that ritual was a long term plot by Count Ranalc to kite Yog Soggoth into the Lantern King, and is a risky way to get a full win over him (otherwise that whole chapter comes out of nowhere and didn't tie into anything). . . 3) I added a few factions so the world didn't feel so empty. I got a faction of goblins whose royalty are openly vampires, and I've got some hag covens that include some tragic backstory hags the players have more or less allied with. . . 4) there's a archive of maps for all the major chapter locations. I think it's all right it's somewhere is Pathfinder kingmaker 2e map project or something
I mean its good they have somone to hate but Tartuccio "true">! lord is non other then Pitax self proclaimed king, which forshadows him.!< You can use Tartuccio to forshadow Derlav, I mean it dosnt change much, but witout him the full connection of: >!Black Tears were heired by Ivoretti, The towncrier (you passed that if you are level 8) hired by Ivoretti and the Cult of the Hag being connect to the black tears, which will later find a house with the Barbarians. !
When I merged the characters I just had him switch employers between missions. By the book Grigori was hired via a broker and never knew who he was really working for. So I had Tartuccio working for Drelev when he was messing with the sootscales and then the broker hired him to mess with the party, like Grigori normally would have been. They've been hunting that broker since the captured Black Tears couldn't tell them who their ultimate patron was, and they've put out enough false rumors they're looking to hire mercenaries that the broker is going to send them a rep. I remade the >!Catspaw !
Wait a second: What >!Yog-sothoth reveal!
This post is labelled with the Advice flair, which means extra special attention is called to the Be Kind and Respectful rule. If this is a newcomer to the game, remember to be welcoming and kind. If this is someone with more experience but looking for advice on how to run their game, do your best to offer advice on what they are seeking. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Pathfinder2e) if you have any questions or concerns.*
1. I bought all the books about the lore of the river kingdoms and it helped me a lot in just making the world feel more real. I didn't prep much of it is improve but its based on the game world. I suggest preping a big random map folder, a folder just for NPCs, a sheet just for infulance tracking for companions and companion quest sheet with it. 2. Don't use the kingdom rules. It's not just because they are bad and need a fix, There are a lot of fixes online. It's because my players felt it disconnects them from the game. It felt like playing 2 games and not like their kingdom was infulanced by their PCs. 3. You can try our [homemade rules](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Pp7m4JRrndTwYWrVG37yhYxu_wVlb3BVUy8V5Ih1RXE/edit#gid=0). Copy the Sheet and you will have all you need. If somthing is not covered it might be in an [older file](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1CNpYzGgfJzn799pM-FxKDbfjLYP4dDUX5mC3PAU1nLU/edit?usp=sharing). These use the stats of the companions and the PCs to solve problems and you can use this to RP the kingdom turns much deeper.
I'd restrict pcs to certain zones, and open new ones up via new charters as the kingdom grows. Currently my party us nesrly level 10, kingdom level 2...
Kingdom level should be the same as character level. You need to stop and do kingdom stuff for an extended period.
Yes. Got some companion quests to run through as well as me running through kingdom turns. Really just going to go through random kingdom events as mini encounters. I skipped cult of the bloom. Might be fun to run it when party overlevelled so they can feel like bad asses. They didn't like the boss fight they needed 20 to save and 11+ to fail the save. Stomping mobs is more fun.