Introducing the Core Campaign

Monday, January 26, 2015


Illustration by Grafit Studio

As the Pathfinder Society Organized Play campaign and the Pathfinder RPG itself has developed over the last several years, players have expressed increasing concerns about the availability of replay, new players being overwhelmed or overshadowed by over-optimized characters, Chronicle sheet rewards not having much meaning, and other concerns related to the sheer amount of information and options available to PFS players. With the help of our dedicated venture-captains, the team here at Paizo has developed a solution designed to solve all of these problems—and more. We call this solution the Core Campaign, a new mode of PFS play that utilizes all of the campaign's current scenarios and resources—only with a significantly lower barrier to entry. Here are some of the highlights:

  • The current Pathfinder Society campaign remains unchanged with use of all of Additional Resources. It is still named Pathfinder Society Organized Play. The new option will be titled Pathfinder Society Core Campaign. Both campaign "modes" use the same scenarios, modules, and other sanctioned adventure resources.
  • Every new and veteran player may participate in both the current and Core Campaign at the same time.
  • For players participating in the Core Campaign, only the Core Rulebook, Character Traits Web Enhancement, and Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play may be utilized for character creation.
  • At no time may any trait, feat, equipment, magic item, skill, animal companion, familiar, or any other character option come from a source beyond these three resources unless it appears on a Chronicle sheet. Race boons found on Chronicle sheets may not be used in the Core Campaign.
  • If an item appears on a Chronicle sheet, a PC may purchase and use it regardless of the book it comes from, with the exception of a boon that opens up a different character race.
  • Just like in the current campaign, a player may receive credit once for playing and once for GMing a scenario in the Core Campaign; this credit is independent of player and GM credit in the Pathfinder Society Organized Play campaign. This means a player can play once in each of the two campaigns and GM for credit once in each of the campaigns (four credits total, two per campaign), not including any limited replay opportunities established in the Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play.
  • At any point a player wants to transition their character from the Core Campaign to the existing campaign, they may do so. However, they may not bring that character back to the Core Campaign. As set forth in the current rules, a character may not have two of the same Chronicle sheet assigned to him, regardless of whether it was earned in the Core or existing campaign.

  • Illustration by
    Jason Rainville
  • GMs may utilize whatever books a scenario, module, quest, Adventure Path, or other sanctioned adventure utilizes.
  • The Core Campaign offers limited replay opportunities for players who have already experienced an adventure in the standard campaign. There have been comments that veteran players have limited opportunities to play with new players and "show them the ropes." Opening up every adventure for replay an additional time allows for veteran players to play a scenario with a new player and still receive credit.
  • This initative allows for an immediate influx of four new play opportunities every month—two new senarios playable in the existing campaign and the same two scenarios avalable for play in the Core Campaign.
  • Game mechanics outside of the Core Rulebook, such as reposition and dirty trick, are not allowed unless a Chronicle sheet specifically opens it as a character option.
  • Retraining may be utilized as the rules currently allow, but only when a PC retrains to take an option from one of the allowed Core Campaign resources.
  • GMs will receive star credit for GMing a game, regardless of whether it was an existing campaign or Core Campaign game.
  • If a Core Rulebook option advises that something found in the Core Rulebook is clarified in the Bestiary 1, then the player uses that specific option out of the Bestiary 1 to meet the requirement set forth in the Core Rulebook. That would include, but is not limited to, animal companions, special abilities, summon spells, etc... Only the Bestiary 1 is available for these extra options outside of the Core Rulebook.

The next question I think people will ask is: when we will be able to start playing games in the Core Campaign? We're planning to have this system publicly available and ready for you to use later this week! When creating a new event, the new system will allow you to select if a scenario is being run in the existing campaign, Core Campaign, or both (for multiple tables of the same adventure). Likewise, when reporting data from completed sessions, the system allows the person entering data to choose to report which campaign the session was run in.

We hope that this new initiative, along with the new faction journal cards highlighted in last week's blog, will bring an exciting new energy to the campaign on a global scale. I look forward to reading thoughts about the new Core Campaign and how it will help your local Pathfinder Society community.

Mike Brock
Global Organized Play Coordinator

More Paizo Blog.
Tags: Grafit Studio Jason Rainville Pathfinder Society
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Dark Archive 3/5

This is cool I suppose. I personally will probably never play a character in the core campaign, if I wanted to restrict my self so much I'd just play other games.... That said it is a great way for people who are trying to get into GMing, as players will be restricted to a small amount of options thus making GMing much easier. Don't get me wrong you can do some ok things with the core book and stuff but I love me odd race characters. I would gladly run Core Campaign for folks if they were interested, I am all for the idea behind this. It is just not for me player wise.

Dark Archive 4/5

The AP players guides appear to be off limits, and any mechanics or items in there for adding campaign flavor look to be banned for core campaigns. Probably want to make access to the player guide a standard boon in the APs.

Hmm, are ethnicities (eg Shaonti) and even suggested names (eg Ancrym) from an AP guide non-core character options?

Grand Lodge 4/5 Global Organized Play Coordinator

Majuba wrote:

I fully anticipate "No", but I guess I have to ask and be sure:

** spoiler omitted **

No

Liberty's Edge 5/5

5 people marked this as a favorite.
Starfinder Superscriber

You have to figure it will be at least a week before somebody can get the 33 necessary xp in the Core campaign to play Eyes....

Grand Lodge 4/5 Global Organized Play Coordinator

7 people marked this as a favorite.
ZomB wrote:

The AP players guides appear to be off limits, and any mechanics or items in there for adding campaign flavor look to be banned for core campaigns. Probably want to make access to the player guide a standard boon in the APs.

Hmm, are ethnicities (eg Shaonti) and even suggested names (eg Ancrym) from an AP guide non-core character options?

You can name your character whatever you like. You can also be a Shaonti warrior for roleplay purposes. You just can't get any mechanical benefits from choosing Shaonti warrior from a book outside of core. As a matter of fact, your character can utilize any of the countries in the Inner Sea World Guide for RP flavor. They just can't take any of the mechanical options from the ISWG unless it appears on a Chronicle (or when we update the Guide if we add languages and the like).

That's similar to what exist now without a sourcebook. I've had a character at a table I GMed that claimed he was from Arcadia. He had absolutely no mechanical benefits from it and it was strictly roleplay flavor, but he advised his character was from Arcadia. The same applies when someone says their character is royalty or a Blakros family member and the like. If something is taken for fluff only, and strictly roleplay purposes, you can use any of the source material. You just can't take any mechanical benefit from it.

4/5

1 person marked this as a favorite.

Clearly clerics and paladins will be limited to the core 20 deities. I presume that other characters can worship non-core deities that appear in other resources as long as there are no mechanical benefits?

4/5

So I do apologize if I missed this point earlier in the thread. Can I take a core character and apply non-COre sheets to it as a GM before it is played? IE RUn 12 COre Sessions then 1 normal and then build the character?

Just trying to cover something that will come up.

Grand Lodge 4/5 Global Organized Play Coordinator

3 people marked this as a favorite.
Mimo Tomblebur wrote:
Clearly clerics and paladins will be limited to the core 20 deities. I presume that other characters can worship non-core deities that appear in other resources as long as there are no mechanical benefits?

Correct

Grand Lodge 4/5 Global Organized Play Coordinator

Shadowh3ll wrote:

So I do apologize if I missed this point earlier in the thread. Can I take a core character and apply non-COre sheets to it as a GM before it is played? IE RUn 12 COre Sessions then 1 normal and then build the character?

Just trying to cover something that will come up.

Here you go

Sovereign Court 5/5

two things

1st you stated that if a player gets a spell book from an npc they can copy it and it has to be noted, what if that player than plays with someone else in another game can player b get the spells from the spell book player a that are not core?

2nd- players transfering a character from core to standard everything would transfer, does that mean if a player had day of the demon on a character already then played it on a core and then decided to move the core does the day of the demon chronical still apply(allowing them 2 of the same chronical in non core) the character is still fully legal?

Sovereign Court 5/5

I noticed that Core Campaign traits uses only those from the Character Traits Web Enhancement.

I noticed that it had the trait 'Rich Parents'. Is that legal in current PFS? Granted It's being almost a couple of months since I'm playing PFS again.

I'm all for the Core Campaign Only!

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber
nightdeath wrote:

I noticed that Core Campaign traits uses only those from the Character Traits Web Enhancement.

I noticed that it had the trait 'Rich Parents'. Is that legal in current PFS? Granted It's being almost a couple of months since I'm playing PFS again.

I'm all for the Core Campaign Only!

Rich parents is not legal in PFS ... core or non.

Silver Crusade 5/5

Honestly, I think that you should either make non-core spells on scrolls available to all characters that have the chronicle for learning and preparing, or have spell scribing via found scrolls (in disallowed books) illegal. Otherwise Wizards will have a very strong advantage. But on the plus side, it makes scrolls on chronicles worthwhile!

Edit: BTW I may sound a bit negative, but I am definitely looking forward to this!

Grand Lodge 4/5 Global Organized Play Coordinator

Sarvei taeno wrote:

two things

1st you stated that if a player gets a spell book from an npc they can copy it and it has to be noted, what if that player than plays with someone else in another game can player b get the spells from the spell book player a that are not core?

2nd- players transfering a character from core to standard everything would transfer, does that mean if a player had day of the demon on a character already then played it on a core and then decided to move the core does the day of the demon chronical still apply(allowing them 2 of the same chronical in non core) the character is still fully legal?

Yes, as long as they own the appropriate sourcebook.

The rule still applies you can not have two of the same chronicle sheet on the same character. The precedent was set when day of the demon went from 4-EX to 4-16. That same hold true. You can't have two of the same Chroncile on the same character, regardless of whether it was earned in core or normal mode.

Grand Lodge

1 person marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber
Alex McGuire wrote:
Honestly, I think that you should either make non-core spells on scrolls available to all characters that have the chronicle for learning and preparing, or have spell scribing via found scrolls (in disallowed books) illegal. Otherwise Wizards will have a very strong advantage. But on the plus side, it makes scrolls on chronicles worthwhile!

How cool it will be to find a spell book with some choice spells in it.

Grand Lodge 4/5 Global Organized Play Coordinator

RyanH wrote:
nightdeath wrote:

I noticed that Core Campaign traits uses only those from the Character Traits Web Enhancement.

I noticed that it had the trait 'Rich Parents'. Is that legal in current PFS? Granted It's being almost a couple of months since I'm playing PFS again.

I'm all for the Core Campaign Only!

Rich parents is not legal in PFS ... core or non.

Correct. Same with crafting feats and the like.

1/5

I have read a number of posts asking for this and that to be included in the Core Campaign. My answer would be to simply say tough. If it is not in the Core Rules, PFSOC Guide or Trait Web Enhancement, then you can't use it. In my view, one of the key purposes of the Core Campaign is to limit extra resources and the accompanying bloat, which we see in the regular campaign. If a player doesn't like the limitations of the Core Campaign then don't play it. To give in to the requests for more resources is to recreate the existing campaign.

Grand Lodge 4/5 Global Organized Play Coordinator

Pink Dragon wrote:
I have read a number of posts asking for this and that to be included in the Core Campaign. My answer would be to simply say tough. If it is not in the Core Rules, PFSOC Guide or Trait Web Enhancement, then you can't use it. In my view, one of the key purposes of the Core Campaign is to limit extra resources and the accompanying bloat, which we see in the regular campaign. If a player doesn't like the limitations of the Core Campaign then don't play it. To give in to the requests for more resources is to recreate the existing campaign.

We aren't giving into requests. We are confirming that if it's found on a Chronicle (spell books and scrolls), it can be used. As for fluff like where the character is from, that isn't going to bog down gameplay by adding crunch rules from another book. It is strictly roleplaying, similar to if you advised your character was related to a character in a novel or some such.

1/5

Yes. I understand that and thank you for it. Just venting a bit.

The Exchange 4/5

Going to bed now Knowing will wake up and there be another 300 posts to read. Good thing is that with Mike taking a drink for every 10, wont have alot of his responses to catch up on. Cheers :)

1/5 **

1 person marked this as a favorite.
Pink Dragon wrote:
Yes. I understand that and thank you for it. Just venting a bit.

Seconded. I expect your job feels thankless sometimes, but we understand that without your efforts, PFS just wouldn't be what it is today.

Scarab Sages 3/5

If a player plays Confirmation as their first chronicle for their fisrt Core character, do they

Spoiler:

get the Wayfinder for free?

Grand Lodge 4/5 Global Organized Play Coordinator

Mike McFarland wrote:

If a player plays Confirmation as their first chronicle for their fisrt Core character, do they

** spoiler omitted **

Why wouldn't they get it?

Lantern Lodge 5/5

3 people marked this as a favorite.

Looking for group:

Waking Rune, Hard Mode, Core Camapign, 10-11 Tier, Party of Four

Like a boss.

1/5 **

Jayson MF Kip wrote:

Looking for group:

Waking Rune, Hard Mode, Core Camapign, 10-11 Tier, Party of Four

Like a boss.

Shouldn't you stipulate level 10 characters only, just for that extra challenge? :P

3/5

As core is being referenced as a separate campaign, does this mean it will have its own GM stars or will GM credits apply equally between campaigns to the same pool?

-TimD

Liberty's Edge 5/5

Level 10?! Go for level 9!

Grand Lodge 4/5 Global Organized Play Coordinator

TimD wrote:

As core is being referenced as a separate campaign, does this mean it will have its own GM stars or will GM credits apply equally between campaigns to the same pool?

-TimD

Addressed in the very last bullet point of the blog.

Liberty's Edge 5/5 5/5 *** Venture-Lieutenant, Indiana—Martinsville

I do think that the various languages need to be included in some way as well as some other little things, like Wayfinders, to update the Core Pathfinder so that the campaign won't loose that little bit that was not around when the Core book was produced. I know Mike didn't want to over complicate this, but there is a lot of scenarios, even as early as 2nd season, that have languages that are not in the core book.

Are Wayfinders in the PFS guide? I had though they were in the Primer/field guide.

4/5 Designer

2 people marked this as a favorite.
Andrew Christian wrote:
Level 10?! Go for level 9!

They'll be forced to play the 6 player version of low subtier, I think. Best challenge I can see is 1 11, 2 10s, and a level 7 pregen Harsk.

Grand Lodge 4/5 Global Organized Play Coordinator

Wayfinders are currently in the Guide.

Grand Lodge 4/5

thaX wrote:

I do think that the various languages need to be included in some way as well as some other little things, like Wayfinders, to update the Core Pathfinder so that the campaign won't loose that little bit that was not around when the Core book was produced. I know Mike didn't want to over complicate this, but there is a lot of scenarios, even as early as 2nd season, that have languages that are not in the core book.

Are Wayfinders in the PFS guide? I had though they were in the Primer/field guide.

Wayfinders were added to the Guide when the Pathfinder Society Field Guide was removed from the core assumption.

The Exchange 5/5

3 people marked this as a favorite.

WOW......

Now I fear going to sleep tonight, 'cause when I wake up this is all going to be a dream....

Silver Crusade 4/5 5/55/55/5

Pathfinder Adventure, Adventure Path, Maps, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Maps, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber

Splitting the audience is going to be tricky for our local VC to pull off because it's a small community, with two tables on average per timeslot, and PFS happening on one or two days a month. The natural approach would be to replace a low-tier table with a Core table. The downside is that that shunts low-tier players not interested in Core into other games. (D&D5, Shadowrun, etc.) I'm confident things will get worked out, but I bet putting the schedule together will be tricky for our VC for a while!

I personally put a fair amount of time into materials prep for running a scenario, so I was hoping to take advantage of the incoming replayability improvements. My wife and I strongly prefer more options over fewer, so this isn't going to be for us. Is this the last word on increasing replayability for the foreseeable future?

I do hope this fixes some of the problems you guys run into with the bigger PFS communities, and revitalizes it in some of the areas it's been dying out.

The Exchange 5/5

Very minor corner case question....

Say I run a Core game and get a GM credit (or run an Iconic) for a higher level Core game (say a Tier 3-7 game). It is put on a PC number that is a Core PC - got that. But say this PC then makes the jump halfway thru level 2 to PSOP and becomes a non-Core PC. When he then levels up and get's the Core chronicle added, he would have chronicles that run (Core, Non-Core, Core). Is this going to cause a problem in the tracking?

Scarab Sages 2/5

Okay, I've read the whole thread and am quite surprised this question has not come up. Before I ask it let me make it perfectly clear that I am not trying for any particular answer (I'm leaning slightly towards a big fat No myself) but that I expect someone to ask the question at a table. If there's anything people are likely to become confused over then it's probably this and that is why I'm asking the question.

Let's say that I have a PFS character. Let's call him Character A.

Character A has played a Scenario. Let's call it The Scenario.

Later I create a Core Campaign character. Let's call him Character B.

Character B plays The Scenario. This is fine.

Later on Character B transfers to the main Pathfinder Society campaign. This is not confusing at all. Both characters A & B have the same chronicle sheet. One was gained in the Core campaign, one was not. It's perfectly fine.

If I create a third Core character (Character C) can Character C play The Scenario in the Core Campaign as well? Essentially, has transferring character B into the main campaign unlocked The Scenario for Core Replay or does the fact that Character B played it in Core lock it for Character C as well?

My assumption is that since B played The Scenario as a Core game, it still counts towards the Core Campaign. I can easily see people being confused by this 'though.

Dark Archive

Michael VonHasseln wrote:


I guess I missed that... and I'd been afraid someone might see something and take it that way. Specifics of which quote, please?

Because nobody answered this, Jiggy was referring to this post: http://paizo.com/paizo/blog/v5748dyo5lh0h&page=2?Introducing-the-Core-C ampaign#59

4/5 *

Pathfinder Adventure, Adventure Path, Lost Omens Subscriber
Rogue Eidolon wrote:
They'll be forced to play the 6 player version of low subtier, I think. Best challenge I can see is 1 11, 2 10s, and a level 7 pregen Harsk.

Playing with any level pregen Harsk is automatically Hard Mode. :-)

Scarab Sages 2/5

Chris Rathunde wrote:
Rogue Eidolon wrote:
They'll be forced to play the 6 player version of low subtier, I think. Best challenge I can see is 1 11, 2 10s, and a level 7 pregen Harsk.
Playing with any level pregen Harsk is automatically Hard Mode. :-)

I don't know. The special version of Harsk that comes with Dawn of the Scarlet Sun (and is PFS legal for that scenario and that scenario only) is pretty hardcore.

Silver Crusade 5/5 5/55/5 **** Venture-Captain, Germany—Bavaria

Jayson MF Kip wrote:

Looking for group:

Waking Rune, Hard Mode, Core Camapign, 10-11 Tier, Party of Four

Like a boss.

Without pouring more oil in that particular fire, would the core campaign limit GMs from using other sources unless they are already included in the adventure, like a caster using ilimited wish to replicate lead blades?

Liberty's Edge 4/5

Balgin wrote:


If I create a third Core character (Character C) can Character C play The Scenario in the Core Campaign as well? Essentially, has transferring character B into the main campaign unlocked The Scenario for Core Replay or does the fact that Character B played it in Core lock it for Character C as well?

My assumption is that since B played The Scenario as a Core game, it still counts towards the Core Campaign. I can easily see people being confused by this 'though.

Yes, but it uses one of your GM replay stars. If you have no GM replay, then no. There is no mechanism that "unlocks" a Core scenario when the character transfers.

Scarab Sages 2/5

EricMcG wrote:
Balgin wrote:


If I create a third Core character (Character C) can Character C play The Scenario in the Core Campaign as well? Essentially, has transferring character B into the main campaign unlocked The Scenario for Core Replay or does the fact that Character B played it in Core lock it for Character C as well?

My assumption is that since B played The Scenario as a Core game, it still counts towards the Core Campaign. I can easily see people being confused by this 'though.

Yes, but it uses one of your GM replay stars. If you have no GM replay, then no. There is no mechanism that "unlocks" a Core scenario when the character transfers.

That's exactly what I was hoping. I can see a few people trying to get away with a nonexistant "infinite replay" loophole.

Scarab Sages 4/5 5/55/5 *

Mike McFarland wrote:

If a player plays Confirmation as their first chronicle for their fisrt Core character, do they

** spoiler omitted **

I predict that this scenario will be run a lot to start off Core, as many Pathfinders will want access to that thing.

Now off to make a character named Corey and run him through The Confirmation!

Liberty's Edge 4/5

Sarvei taeno wrote:

two things

1st you stated that if a player gets a spell book from an npc they can copy it and it has to be noted, what if that player than plays with someone else in another game can player b get the spells from the spell book player a that are not core?

If Player B were Core and played a scenario that gave access to non-Core spells and then shared those spells with Player A, the source chronicle would need to be noted on Player A's current chronicle by the GM. I can't think of any other way to prove legal access.

If Player B is Regular Campaign, then he wouldn't meet Player A until that character transferred out of Core Campaign.

Silver Crusade 5/5 5/55/5 **** Venture-Captain, Germany—Bavaria

RocMeAsmodeus wrote:
Mike McFarland wrote:

If a player plays Confirmation as their first chronicle for their fisrt Core character, do they

** spoiler omitted **

I predict that this scenario will be run a lot to start off Core, as many Pathfinders will want access to that thing.

Now off to make a character named Corey and run him through The Confirmation!

I doubt that the item in question will be as popular, since their companion items... well there are way less of them and their partnership becomes less impressive.

Maybe some players will decide to run comfirmation in core and then go back to regluar mode and completely retrain their character... I am seeing a lot of barbarians taking the confirmation again.

Sovereign Court 5/5 Owner - Enchanted Grounds, President/Owner - Enchanted Grounds

2 people marked this as a favorite.

I'm pretty excited about this.

A simple solution to scheduling problems raised about players swapping from a Classic to a Core table (or the reverse): Just schedule them on separate days/venues.

I plan on offering Classic at one store and Core at the other, and do not plan on mixing. I predict good turnouts for both. I also predict lots of crossover with players due to this strategy.

Bravo!

PS - I can see the difficulty at conventions, of course. But I think that can be mitigated with good communication. Marking an event CORE vs Classic is a must.

Sczarni 5/5 5/55/5 ***

Corner case question (slightly different from the one asked up thread):

I play a Core PC in the Core Campaign and earn 1 Core Chronicle XP.

I then pile on 5 level's worth of Core GM credit.

But, then, I pile on 2 level's worth of non-Core GM credit.

Such a character would normally still be eligible for a complete rebuild.

Am I then allowed to rebuild him into a Magus?

Sczarni 4/5

This is probably an incredibly stupid question/point, but I will post it here to at least get an official reference to it should something arise in the future:

The point has been made that GM'ing a game regardless of Core versus Traditional will apply towards GM star accrual. However, does USING a GM star to replay a scenario remain equivalent between systems?

Example:

A: A 3-star GM uses 3 of his stars to replay three different scenarios as PC that he has already played in the Traditional System. He cannot use those stars to replay any scenarios he has already played in the Core System using the Core System, as they have already been used up.

OR

B: A 3-star GM uses 3 of his stars to replay three different scenarios as a PC that he has already played in the Traditional System. He may then replay 3 scenarios in the Core System that he has already played in the Core System, as those stars were not used in the Core System.

Once again, there is probably an obvious answer here, but I'm asking this now just to get out of the way now. Thanks!

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