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This is very cool. Thanks for finding more ways to improve PFS play.
I was looking the new chronicles over and I believe that From Shore to Sea might have a mistake. The Legal Pathfinder Society Characters section states that this is legal for 2nd through 4th level characters. The adventure is made for 6th level characters. Should this not be legal for play for 5th to 7th level characters?
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I’m really happy to see all these modules released for PFS play. It is definently a big thing I wanted to see done for PFS. This is basically the equivalent of 21 scenarios being released if each module counts as three scenarios. So lots of potential play for those of us who are having trouble finding stuff to run for our experienced players, or have played virtually everything already. I approve!
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This is very cool. Thanks for finding more ways to improve PFS play.
I was looking the new chronicles over and I believe that From Shore to Sea might have a mistake. The Legal Pathfinder Society Characters section states that this is legal for 2nd through 4th level characters. The adventure is made for 6th level characters. Should this not be legal for play for 5th to 7th level characters?
Fixed. Sorry about that.
RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16
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For convenience, here's the legal modules, in order of PC level.
Special Characters
We Be Goblins
Absolutely Beginning PCs
Master of the Fallen Fortress
Level 1
Crypt of the Everflame
Godsmouth Heresy
Level 3
Feast of Ravensmoor
Mask of the Living God
Level 5
Carrion Hill
City of Golden Death
Level 6
From Shore to Sea
Level 7
Cult of the Ebon Destroyers
Realm of the Fellnight Queen
Level 9
The Harrowing
Level 13
Academy of Secrets
Level 14
Tomb of the Iron Medusa
(Truth to tell, I'm looking forward to Witchwar Legacy.)
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If you give a mouse a cookie...
... Laced with aresnic, you can make a fashion statement.
Thanks for this Micheal! And the footnotes Chris.
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I thought that 12th level was the max for PFS characters. Did I miss a memo?
Currently for Academy of Secrets and Tomb of the Iron Medusa, you can play through those in 1 of 2 ways:
1. You can create a 13th / 14th level version of a PFS character with the wealth as dictated by the WBL table in Core, and not spending more than half your gold on any one item. You can then apply the XP & Fame to a PFS character. There are no adverse effects on your character in terms of death, disease, etc. when you end the module.
2. You can play with your retired 12th-level PC, using the restrictions of PFS (aka not buying higher than 6th level scrolls, etc). Upon completion of the module, you get the Fame, Gold, etc. but no XP. If you die, you have to resolve death like you normally would in PFS (by buying a raise dead or derivative thereof.
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Can you gain credit for Crypt of the Everflame more than once as a player or GM? It's a level 1 module, so I figure that means its replayable, but I didnt see it listed anywhere in the rules that print with the chronicle.
Yes it is. Any adventure that is designed for 1st level only (not tiered) can be replayed or rerun for credit as many times as a person wants.
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Unless I've misunderstood, while modules give 3 XP, they only count as 1 'point' towards GM stars despite the longer length; is there any chance of this changing to 2 or 3 in the future?
On my long list and already submitted to IT the first week here. It is a very low priority at the moment with all the other stuff I have saddled them with on top of what they already were scheduled to do before I arrived. It will happen eventually. :)
Venture-Captain, Missouri—Cape Girardeau
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On my long list and already submitted to IT the first week here. It is a very low priority at the moment with all the other stuff I have saddled them with on top of what they already were scheduled to do before I arrived. It will happen eventually. :)
Be kind to IT... its amazing the stuff they can accomplish if they like you! Conversely, its fascination how much they cannot seem to accomplish for you if they don't!
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Can you gain credit for Crypt of the Everflame more than once as a player or GM? It's a level 1 module, so I figure that means its replayable, but I didnt see it listed anywhere in the rules that print with the chronicle.
Yes it is. Any adventure that is designed for 1st level only (not tiered) can be replayed or rerun for credit as many times as a person wants.
Fantastic!
Not to say that Josh or Hyrum did a bad job as the campaign coordinator, but it seems like you have already accomplished a lot of stuff that was all in the 'we'll get to it eventually' pile. Keep up the good work. :)
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For convenience, here's the legal modules, in order of PC level.
%>-- snip
I know your post was listing the starting levels of modules. No problem -- it captures that well. To be more clear though for GMs not familiar with the modules, there is more to it than that in some cases.
When I took apart the original Price of Immortality Trilogy for the podcast, there were a few issues with level requirements on those three modules.
The biggest issue which screams out to me right now is Crypt of the Everflame. It's not a first level module -- it just looks that way. The XP awards in the module are designed so the party dings 2nd before they go down to the second level of the Crypt. This is not an accident as they will need to be at least 2nd level to fight the boss with a party of 4. Even then, that's a REALLY tough fight. 4 x 1st level for all of CotE? = TPK.
Should the matter be in doubt, I would STRONGLY recommend to play Godsmouth Heresy at level 1 and leave Crypt of the Everflame for PCs at level 2.
Fantastic news!
The XP awards in the module are designed so the party dings 2nd before they...
The same type of situation exists in Realm of the Fellnight Queen, as well. It's absolutely imperative that PCs hit 8th level before venturing into the Fellnight Realm to face Queen Rhoswen. Even then, look out! She's a potential TPK'er as well. And if the PCs show up still at 7th level, they'll all be singing songbird tunes in no time.
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RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16
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That's a good point, Steel_Wind. And I appreciate the comments, Neil.
So, what's the solution, then? Pathfinder Society doesn't allow a PC to advance in level half-way through a module. And there are two choices for, say, Realm of the Fellnight Queen:
- Build a 7th level Pathfinder Society character and play through the adventure, giving the experience to any of your existing PFS PCs, or
- Play the adventure with one of your existing PCs of 6th, 7th, or 8th level.
Neil, are you suggesting that the only really viable option is to use an existing 8th-level PC?
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That's a good point, Steel_Wind. And I appreciate the comments, Neil.
So, what's the solution, then? Pathfinder Society doesn't allow a PC to advance in level half-way through a module. And there are two choices for, say, Realm of the Fellnight Queen:
- Build a 7th level Pathfinder Society character and play through the adventure, giving the experience to any of your existing PFS PCs, or
- Play the adventure with one of your existing PCs of 6th, 7th, or 8th level.
Neil, are you suggesting that the only really viable option is to use an existing 8th-level PC?
The first option seems to be a bad idea in my opinion. You start at 7th level, have a challenging 1st half, and an impossible second half. Just seems like it has bad written all over it.
I propose that for PFS you have these options.
1) Make an 8th level character.
2) Use an existing 7th/8th/9th character. Players using 7th know they're in for a challenge, while 9th know they're getting it easier but should still be a challenge, and 8th being the sweet spot.
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...Use an existing 7th/8th/9th character. Players using 7th know they're in for a challenge, while 9th know they're getting it easier but should still be a challenge, and 8th being the sweet spot.
Personally, I'd go this route. And, while a group of 8th level PCs (optimized with 20-point-buy and possibly numbering more than four players at a time) would have a very easy go of the first couple parts in the adventure, Rhoswen (properly played) could still rock their world. Even the 9th level PCs would be greatly challenged (in my opinion).
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Personally, I'd go this route. And, while a group of 8th level PCs (optimized with 20-point-buy and possibly numbering more than four players at a time) would have a very easy go of the first couple parts in the adventure, Rhoswen (properly played) could still rock their world. Even the 9th level PCs would be greatly challenged (in my opinion).
Oh there's not much doubt that a party of five or even six 9th level PCs could all end up quite dead (or effectively so) after their date with Queen Rhoswen. That is one of the deadliest encounters I've ever seen in a module. We devoted our inaugural episode of TPK Theatre to that encounter at the end of Episode #011.
More generally, I think we have to recognize that with the stand-alone modules that were released before Mark Moreland became the developer, there were several modules under both the Pathfinder RPG brand as well as under the OGL that were targeted not at one level of play, but at several levels of PCs with planned level advancement within the module. That doesn't make these modules bad -- some of them are quite excellent. It does, however, make them difficult to slot in for PFS play.
I think if we all acknowledge this and are willing to take steps to deal with the challenges that these modules impose and share our experiences with them and the approaches we took to make them work -- we'll all be better off for it.
My other concern is the suggestion that these modules should take three sessions to run is, in my view, a fundamentally flawed assumption. It's a cookie cutter sameness applied to modules which often have very different running times.
Now please don't get me wrong. I'm not suggesting that we therefore alter the Chronicle sheet and award more XP as a consequence. I'm fine with 3XP per module (and I'll be fine with increased table credit for GMs when that is implemented at some point in the future, too). The part that has me concerned is the suggestion to some GMs and, especially newer players, that each of the modules "should" take three 4-5 hour sessions to play is what has me worried. Some of these modules should take much longer to play. For example, I think you'd REALLY be rushing to get through City of Golden Death in twelve hours. With other modules -- that might be realistic.
My worry is that GMs and players develop a flawed preconception and feel they need to "rush" through the module to do it “properly” for PFS play. It would be wiser, in my view, if the GM slots each module for four slots in a row and accepts that it may take that long (hell -- might be even longer for some) and doesn't feel pressured to rush through the module. Just let it unspool as it needs to and have fun with it. There is nothing wrong with stopping to smell the roses every now and then, either. Rushing through a module in accordance with some preconceived train schedule can lead to bad game sessions. These modules can provide PFS with a "next level" of play to introduce new players too. It would be a shame if that opportunity is lost out of some misplaced sense of a "schedule" that must be met, come hell or high water.
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My worry is that GMs and players develop a flawed preconception and feel they need to "rush" through the module to do it “properly” for PFS play. It would be wiser, in my view, if the GM slots each module for four slots in a row and accepts that it may take that long (hell -- might be even longer for some) and doesn't feel pressured to rush through the module. Just let it unspool as it needs to and have fun with it. There is nothing wrong with stopping to smell the roses every now and then, either. Rushing through a module in accordance with some preconceived train schedule can lead to bad game sessions. These modules can provide PFS with a "next level" of play to introduce new players too. It would be a shame if that opportunity is lost out of some misplaced sense of a "schedule" that must be met, come hell or high water.
My advice is to keep module play to local events. They are not really conducive to convention play with the varying degree of time. I would keep them to run with groups where you have control of how many "slots" it will take.
In a convention environment, you need to schedule at least three slots for a mod which is a huge investment for players where there are a lot of "shiney's" to see & do.
If the mod runs quick and you're done after two slots, the players can feel cheated as they likely paid for three slots of gaming. Then they have to scramble to find a seat for the 3rd slot and likely have to pay for an extra event ticket. OTOH, if the module runs long, you risk having to rush through the final encounter/s to finish or to cut the game short of its finale. Either way, the players will feel cheated on their experience.
IMO, run this at PFS home games or local venues where you can more easily adjust the game time. If you are playing over the course of 2-3 game-days and need more time, you can easily extend the game for an extra session. If you finish early, simply schedule a new mod/scenario for the following event.
YMMV
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If the mod runs quick and you're done after two slots, the players can feel cheated as they likely paid for three slots of gaming. Then they have to scramble to find a seat for the 3rd slot and likely have to pay for an extra event ticket. OTOH, if the module runs long, you risk having to rush through the final encounter/s to finish or to cut the game short of its finale. Either way, the players will feel cheated on their experience.
IMO, run this at PFS home games or local venues where you can more easily adjust the game time. If you are playing over the course of 2-3 game-days and need more time, you can easily extend the game for an extra session. If you finish early, simply schedule a new mod/scenario for the following event.
I agree. I expect over time there will be some modules that after the tires have been thoroughly kicked by fifty plus PFS GMs, that they might have their time spans quite accurately estimated via feedback on the forums.
We're not there yet, imo. Until we can reach a point where we have enough feedback on a module that we can estimate the time required with a very high degree of accuracy (assuming we ever can), Bob's advice is sound advice.
I would suggest that if at all possible (yeah, I *know* -- only so many IT "zots" available) it would be a useful exercise to add a spot in the Event Report sessions when reporting back on a PFS sanctioned module on how much time it actually took to play it, start to finish. My guess is that sort of feedback will prove useful to Michael and Mark over the course of time.
The Everflame Trilogy has been sanctioned! Yay!
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You know, I really think this is going to be a case-by-case thing. Last year at a local con, they ran Godsmouth, I believe starting around 2pm Friday afternoon (when the first slot started) and planned for around 8-10 hours for it, and from what I remember, made it in that time.
However, the GM had run it before, prepped well, and had maps made out already - which, if anything like this is to be tried, I would only do it if that were the case.
When will the sanctioned modules page be updated?
It's been updated. :)
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Well the best part of this wonderful change is I can now take a character all the way from 1st level to 11th without ever doing a faction mission and doing it in barely more than half the time (10 days/20 sessions instead).
I look forward to them making the Demon within or the Guardians of Dragonfall legal so I can go 1-12 and never have to meet a venture captain or choose a faction. :)
(Purely for bragging rights, I love/fear my Para-Countess)
*stuff*
Steel_Wind's reviews are great on the Price of Immortality Trilogy. There is a concern (that he brings up) about the premise of the second module Masks of the Living God. It can be a problem for some home groups; as a PFS mod I can't imagine that it'll make things better. Just a heads up.
This is awesome stuff, keep 'em coming!
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Venture-Captain, Ireland—Belfast
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Credit where it is due! The modules have been a tantalising, rich source of content for ages and Mike has done the necessary in record speed. There is now route to play only mods which is cool. Given the way things have panned out we have only really done low tier scenarios part from a couple at PaizoConUK.
I was wondering if there was a mix of mods and scenarios that those wise in the ways of these things see as having a particular synergy.
W
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When will the sanctioned modules page be updated?It's been updated. :)
Ummm, Miss Gninja...? I think there are sanctioned module mixups in PFS web resource land.
1. The Witchwar Legacy is listed on the PFS Sanctioned Modules page, however it is not yet flagged as sanctioned and does not have a rules/chronicle pdf (that I know of). I'd like to believe that it will be sanctioned in the near future, but have heard nothing on this subject aside from this:
For convenience, here's the legal modules, in order of PC level.
<<list omitted>>
(Truth to tell, I'm looking forward to Witchwar Legacy.)
...to which I did not see a response.
2. The Additional Chronicle section at the bottom of the PFS additional resources page (really should be labelled: the PFS Fantastic Resources page, but who am I to complain?) does not have any of these newly sanctioned modules listed (yet?).
Hope these implied requests don't burden you hard-working folks over-much. :P
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Where are the chronicles people are talking about? I've checked the additional resource page several times and don't see any for the new modules?
They're only on the individual module product pages at the moment. It takes a little more to gather them, since they haven't been added to the additional resources page yet. I'm sure they'll get gathered and added with the next update though.
EDIT:And links to all of the product pages are in the blog post above.
Hope this helps.