First Steps and Character Registration

[sanwah68]

Hi,
I am introducing some players to PFS using the first steps scenerios next weekend. We did character generation last night, but when we went to register the characters, the registration page insisted that the characters had to have a faction. Is this going to be changed in some way for the first steps characters, or is there some other sneaky thing we didn't do??

[Doug Miles]

sanwah68 wrote:

Hi,

I am introducing some players to PFS using the first steps scenerios next weekend. We did character generation last night, but when we went to register the characters, the registration page insisted that the characters had to have a faction. Is this going to be changed in some way for the first steps characters, or is there some other sneaky thing we didn't do??

I assume the issue is that First Steps delays the choosing of a Faction until the end of the series. Or that it allows for the 5 new factions to be used, but the system doesn't have them available yet?

"Faction Missions

There are no faction-specific missions in this scenario, as PCs playing through the First Steps series have not yet chosen factions, so any PC who meets the scenario’s success conditions earns a second Prestige Point for
completing the scenario. When a PC earns her third Chronicle (after completing A Vision of Betrayal), all previously earned prestige will be reported to her chosen faction."

You should have their PFS membership numbers and you know their first PC will be #####-1. Just hold off reporting until you're done with the series.

[sanwah68]

Can do...I was registering a character for myself, but can hold off til all three are played.

That said, this is OK for me as we play a home game, but may be a bit awkward for those who need to report for players who will be playing the other scenerios elsewhere, as the players would have to get back to that particular organiser after they have choosen a faction to have them reported.

Edit: It also means that you don't have the number for the chronicle sheets, as there is no guarentees that they will be character nmber one. My players already have characters from their run through Fallen Fortress, so for them it is 2 and that is assuming they don't create anything in the meantime.

[Mark Moreland]

Go ahead and register with one of the existing factions and change it to your chosen faction once the system allows for the five new ones. Once that's in place, new PCs should default to Grand Lodge.

I'm also going to put details on this in the revised version of the Guide.

[sanwah68]

So, a question...what is the 'none' faction button for?? I thought it may be for the First steps and just not available to select yet.

[El Baron de los Banditos]

It's for non-PFS names and aliases that have little-to-nothing to do with any factions (or Society in general.)

More specifically, it is an option on PFS characters because of how registering a character functions mechanically, serverside. It is what I sleepily call an "extended alias." Note that each PFS character is technically an alias that shows up in green text, but functions on the boards exactly the same. It just is a storehouse for sessions, by tacking on a unique number (the character number.)

In short, it's there for the sanity and schedule of the Paizo programmer(s?)

[Runnetib]

Sorry for the necro, but I'm making a new character for this, and IIRC, the guide says characters need to be registered before you can play them, but we won't get a faction until we play through First Steps, so what am I supposed to do?

[Jiggy]

You don't have to be registered online, just have a number.

[Thorkull]

There's really nothing stopping you from choosing a faction before you play First Steps. It's just trying to be player-friendly because the three scenarios introduce new players to the 10 factions as you go. It gives them a chance to experience the factions before they choose.

But, like Mark said, go ahead and select one at random and then feel free to change it after you're done with the series.

[Runnetib]

I checked about changing with my old PFS character to see if that was am option, but it wouldn't let me.

[Thorkull]

That's odd, I just checked with one of my PCs (level 7) and I was able to switch the faction. That may be because I've got Super VC Powahs(tm), though. Still, you should be able to switch it as there's rules for switching your faction later in life if you need to.

I'm going to flag your question for a FAQ candidate to see if we can get an official response from the web team, but you should probably send a quick email to [e-mail] and reference this thread just in case.