Cookies! Right, I'll get on that.
If I can offer a tip to new players and GMs, it's this: Know your preferred medium.
If you're the kind of person who has a laptop / netbook, are really good at multi-managing yourself with it, and prefer web resources to printed ones, you're probably better off with the cheaper PDFs. Good tips are to print out pages from the products that you're going to use (try to use black and white as preferred to color ink). It's also nice if you're older and it's hard for you to read small print; it's very easy to enlarge text in a PDF document.
However, if you don't have a laptop / netbook or you like being able to quickly skim through a product, you're going to want to splurge for a printed book. Depending on the speed of your computer, skimming can be a NIGHTMARE, and while Paizo products have bookmarks, they're usually very general; as in you may have a bookmark to the Spells section of the book, but you won't be able to add your own bookmarks to specific pages with specific spells. Also, you may not be comfortable with passing your netbook around from player to player (Realistically, not every player will have the rulebooks. It's a sad fact of life.) or you may not be comfortable with passing around your $500 netbook across a sea of greasey foods and beverages that can damage your computer. Also, staring at a bright screen for too long *could* hurt your eyes and give you a headache.
Personally, while I'm more than capable with the computer (I'm a faster typer then I am writer, for example), I prefer my books to be physically in my hands.
Now, for some of the products:
When you're looking at the GM Screen, it's very easy to say "Oh, I'll just grab some cardboard and use that!" It works. Believe me, I've used cardboard as my screen as well. However, I quickly bought the Pathfinder GM screen when I realized that cardboard boxes weren't designed for long-term use. Things quickly fall apart. Also, while you could print out your own game information and stick it on your board, there's a good chance that your glue is going to ruin your papers, and it can be quite daunting to figure out what exactly you should put on that screen! The Pathfinder GM Screen is top-notch, and definitely worth picking up.
Also, I personally love my copy of the GameMastery Guide, and while you don't need it to play the game, if you're a new GM I would make it my third hardback purchase, behind the Core Rulebook and any one of the three Bestiaries. Not only are the rules inside helpful for making your own campaign worlds and adventurers, but the most helpful thing about the book is the HUGE appendix filled with pre-generated NPC characters. I use a LOT of those enemies in my adventures, and to be honest, I would LOVE it if in the future there was an entire book dedicated to pregenerated enemies, with pre-build CRs and whatnot.
|
Hello there. I just picked up this beginner box and I'm loving it. I briefly dabbled with that other game, but decided Pathfinder is more my style. I'm loving the community here and Paizo's obvious dedication and care to the product, game, and consumers.
But I really am a total newbie. I have some questions in the early stages that are probably obvious to everyone else and wondering what a good forum to pose these questions would be.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Hello there. I just picked up this beginner box and I'm loving it. I briefly dabbled with that other game, but decided Pathfinder is more my style. I'm loving the community here and Paizo's obvious dedication and care to the product, game, and consumers.
But I really am a total newbie. I have some questions in the early stages that are probably obvious to everyone else and wondering what a good forum to pose these questions would be.
If I knew what the question was about I could direct you to the more appropriate sub-forum.
Sub-forum Advice for advice on things
Sub-forum Rules-Questions for Question about rules
Sub-forum Beginner Box for Beginner Box questions
For new groups (new to roleplay or Pathinder doesn't matter) I would recommend an Adventure Path after purchasing Core Rules and Bestiary 1. They take the GM by the hand, have all relevant stat blocks and information on traps, custom monsters, treasure and so on plus they are really fun and not too expensive.
Serpent's Skull oder Kingmaker are the most beginner-friendly APs in my opinion.
I quickly looked at various APs and found KingMaker is more in the intermediate GM level with Jade Regent (due to mechanic add-ons).
Curse of the Crimson throne, Rise of the Runelords, and Carrion Crown (provided a few tweaks on trust point system, and good at atmosphere) I think is more for beginner GMs in my Point of View.Though good beginner modules like; Hollows Last Hope, Crypt of Everflame, and Godmouth Heresy could be good practice pieces before going to an AP
Welcome Aboard Mr. Gerbik!
And thanks to Azure_Zero for providing some handy links. Those should get you started.
Thanks, guys. I'm going through the beginner box forum and there are some answers for me there.
Above all, don't panic!
Even if you wing it -- and manage to not follow the rules exactly as you're winging it -- if everyone has fun, you're still doing fine. You can always address it the next time a similar situation pops up. So no worries!
Also, welcome to our world!
RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32, 2010 Top 8
|
Actually I'd recommend Crypt of the Everflame, Mask of the Living God, and City of Golden Death. The mini adventure path isn't as detailed as a full blown AP. Plus the dungeon in Crypt is available as a Flip Mat.
Edit: Delayed blast ninja'd while getting links.
I think this post is going to confuse a lot of new people.
If you're new here, and new to RPGs, then the Beginner Box is what you want. And once you have that, you want to play the Solo adventure. And then the Black Fang adventure. And then, next up, is more adventures. Matthew has a good recommendations above. And then, more adventures! You don't need any of that stuff Jason is talking about. (Well, the adventures you pick may reference monsters in the Bestiary).
Once you've made it to level 5, and you've started over with new characters and made it to level 5 again, and then you start over with new characters and made it to level 5 again; and now you're ready for something beyond level 5? Then you're ready for the full Pathfinder game and the stuff Jason talks about above.
Cookies! Right, I'll get on that.FTFY.
I admire Nigella, but I gotta give props to Ms. Child first.
