This blog is my first attempt to write an Adventure Path for the Pathfinder 2nd edition game by Paizo. I've been a GM and a player for 20 years, and I've always wanted to write a game that provided an open-ended structure, with a great sense of agency for the players, while having a strong narrative attached to it.
About 3 years ago, I started to check out a lot of game design content and last year I began to lay out the framework of my adventure. It is however a work in progress, and as my group and I continue to play, I hope that the final product can be something that different groups can enjoy multiple times.
I want this adventure to have replayability. I know that no two groups play the same adventure the same way, and yet most published adventures assume so. Therefore one of my main goals is to give the players a lot of options that are mutually exclusive, so the choices the group makes actually say something about their characters and shape the end result.
I am, of course, standing on the shoulders of giants - the massive community of GMs, artists, game designers and analysts that helped me, in one way or another, get the tools necessary to build this project. I will be referencing them whenever I can. All the glory is theirs, and the shortcomings are mine and mine alone.
In the first few posts, I will talk about the general idea for the Adventure Path, what ideas I've incorporated in it, and what I expect the game to achieve. I will lay out the master plan, the structures I've implemented, and what goals I intend to achieve with each adventure. I will also write about my system of wild exploration that can be easily transplanted for any game system.
Next, I will go over the specifics, starting with the first arc of adventures that encompass levels 1 to 4. I will be posting maps, design notes and the occasional custom creature. This is the "meat" of the Adventure Path, and if you're interested in running it, this should be your main focus on the blog.
I will also write a diary of my current group, what choices they made, and how that shaped the adventure overall. Since this is intended to be a game that you could run for your group at home, I always try to write a lot ahead of the game. In fact, most adventures were outlined before the players had even made their characters. But I think that the choices provided make the game much more personal - and I hope they will do the same for your group.
So, let's get ready to brave the northern frontier and look for danger, riches and glory!