RHoD Addendum - Sandbox Play

RHoD Masterpost 

Hey folks!

So far in this remix, we've assumed you are using the Fast Advancement variant rule, where you only require 800 XP per level. I think stretching the established encounters all the way to 1,000 XP would be a bit of a grind, and this variant fits the core progression of the campaign better.

It also leave us a lot of room to play! We can add 200 XP worth of material every level - either one major side quest or a couple of smaller challenges - without bloating the adventure too much. Even better, if we seed tons of side quests, we can give the players a choice about what they pursue! This both puts the players more in the drivers seat in terms of what they want to pursue and allows us some leeway if they do end up skipping content (we don't want them to be a whole level weaker just because they didn't head to Rhest, after all).

I'll be updating this post as I add more side quests and sandbox elements rather than making new posts, though I'll be linking separate documents for each region to help keep things contained. 

Elsir Vale Map, by Antariuk

Towards Sandbox Pathfinder

I love Pathfinder 2e, but the thing that I like least about it is how strongly the rules lend themselves to linear play. You get XP for fighting, so you're incentivized to find and beat every encounter possible. The connection between level and balance means that if the players take on a threat too early or too late it will either immediately kill them or be a boring cakewalk, so the GM is incentivized to design encounters around the level the characters will actually be. Unfortunately, when it comes to published modules, this often means that the GM decides

My ideal of game design is the Alexandrian Remix of Dragon Heist. It has interesting factions of all sizes with realistic motivations, awesome bad guys and locations, and tons of tools for the GM to work with including both tons of interconnected locations, props/handouts that the players can find to help gather information, and response teams for when the villains take a more active approach. I have run this adventure twice now, once in 5e (for which it is designed, though I redid most of the monsters) and once in Pathfinder 2e (with proficiency without level). I might clean up and publish that conversion at some point if I have time and there's enough interest.

The same question has rattled around in my mind - how do we make an adventure (or adventure path) as free and open as that Remix using Pathfinder 2e? Especially adding level to proficiency?

The Pitch

I will outline a level 1-4 scenario featuring several competing factions all after the same goal in which the players will be free to pursue that goal however they want! If I have time, I will fully write out this scenario, and potentially even turn it into a full level 1-10 adventure path (with levels 1-4 focused on one district, 4-7 focused on the broader city, and 8-10 focused on a broader area).

Because I love this style, it will be a gritty urban struggle for power with a mix of criminals, corrupt cops, hapless do-gooders, and underground secret societies. There won't be a written story per say - merely conflicts, the resolving of which forming the seeds of the story that emerges through play.