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I thought that I'd get a thread going here so we could have a venue for GMs who need questions answered about the games that they are running.
Here are some of the questions I have.
1: Will the PFS scenarios that haven't been published be out by Friday? Any chance that could be hurried up? (not a complaint, just a request.)
2: I presume that the Eyes of Ten senarios have no level 12 pregens so if the people with tickets don't have a 12th level PFS, they are out of luck?
3: Without going to deeply into spoilers, I posted some questions about The Eyes of the Ten part II: Maze of the Open Road a while back and it was said that there would have to be some corrections. Mostly this has to do with the scenario sheet and campaign points. Have there been any changes yet? Will we correct this on the fly?
All GMs are welcome to reply, but mostly I'm looking to Josh for some answers. If however anyone knows of a post where these answers have been posted, please feel free to point me in that direction.
1: Will the PFS scenarios that haven't been published be out by Friday? Any chance that could be hurried up? (not a complaint, just a request.)
2: I presume that the Eyes of Ten senarios have no level 12 pregens so if the people with tickets don't have a 12th level PFS, they are out of luck?
3: Without going to deeply into spoilers, I posted some questions about The Eyes of the Ten part II: Maze of the Open Road a while back and it was said that there would have to be some corrections. Mostly this has to do with the scenario sheet and campaign points. Have there been any changes yet? Will we correct this on the fly?
1. This is a concern every year and is a hard push to get them in GM's hands in advance. The same thing happened at PaizoCon.
2. There are no level 12 pregens. If they don't have a legitimate level 12 character, then they can't play at the table. I would imagine that they'd be first in line for any open seats at other tables (ahead of generics), but that's Josh's call. The problem is that a VERY high percentage of slots are completely full.
1. This is a concern every year and is a hard push to get them in GM's hands in advance. The same thing happened at PaizoCon.
For those that haven't been completely finished yet, would it at lease be possible to get the maps? I would love to be able to get those printed out and laminated to bring up with me. Specifically, maps for the Shadow Lodge Special and #57 Before the Dawn Part I: Bloodcove Disguise.
I can read the mods the night before, but printing their maps is going to take a day or two.
1. This is a concern every year and is a hard push to get them in GM's hands in advance. The same thing happened at PaizoCon.
For those that haven't been completely finished yet, would it at lease be possible to get the maps? I would love to be able to get those printed out and laminated to bring up with me. Specifically, maps for the Shadow Lodge Special and #57 Before the Dawn Part I: Bloodcove Disguise.
I can read the mods the night before, but printing their maps is going to take a day or two.
Have you gotten your #57 Before the Dawn Part I: Bloodcove Disguise. yet?
This is my first time GMing at GenCon (first time going to GC as well). I wanted some advice on if there was anything other than the standard GM's bag o' tricks I should bring to the table. I have been told breath mints and air freshener are a must :P
Bring your "A" game.
If it's anything like Origins and Paizo Con this year, there will be some amazing GM's at tables all around you.
This is my first time GMing at GenCon (first time going to GC as well). I wanted some advice on if there was anything other than the standard GM's bag o' tricks I should bring to the table. I have been told breath mints and air freshener are a must :P
make sure that you bring writing materails with an eye to lending some out to your players. Book mark areas of your books for easy access. If your using dry erase, consider bringing paper towels and water for cleaning your mats.
Last year HQ could not keep track of personal items so if you have to run to lunch, they will not watch them. (this isn't a complaint, and observation.) Think ahead as to how you manage your stuff out of game.
Bring your "A" game.
If it's anything like Origins and Paizo Con this year, there will be some amazing GM's at tables all around you.
Sure, scare the crap out of me now.
If I'm not already nervous as hell.
The reason were awesome is that we help each other out. This year maybe moreso than ever. Feel free to consult on your fellow GMs. The first step in being a great GM is wanting to be a great GM. That part is already done.
This is my first time GMing at GenCon (first time going to GC as well). I wanted some advice on if there was anything other than the standard GM's bag o' tricks I should bring to the table. I have been told breath mints and air freshener are a must :P
If you may be running low-level mods, bring a stack of character sheets in case there are new players at the table. Bring a stack of the pre-gens, as well, and an extra set of dice, just in case.
Definitely bring a few extra pencils. Bring a stack of index cards for passing around for initiative tracking purposes, makes things MUCH easier, and also gives you a way to keep track of who plays at your table for future reference. I always try to get PC name AND player name.
For dry/wet erase goodness, I bring a stack of napkins in my bag, and a small squirty bottle of water. Also remember, Chessex mats and BLUE dry/wet erase markers do not mix. If you draw a stream in blue, it will always be a part of future gaming sessions.
Bring a water bottle for drinking, and some sort of quasi-healthy snack. We discovered that crystal light (and the generic wally-world version) comes in single-serve packs that mix up perfectly in a standard water bottle, in case you get tired of plain old water (Fruit Punch ftw!).
I always throw a stick of deodorant in my backpack, because after five hours at the table, and without time to run back to the room, your second session of players will thank you. Believe me.
Eye drops are a good idea, especially if you wear contacts, because the air conditioning in the convention center will dry out your eyes over the course of a day.
If you are going to wear sandals, throw a pair of socks in your backpack, especially if you are going to run a morning game. The convention center a/c is VERY good, and it's no fun to have frozen toes for four hours before the crowds warm up the room.
Bring a lot of patience, GMing a bunch of strangers ain't like your home group. 99.9% of the players I have encountered over the years have been fantastic, but every so often, you get that one guy that wants to argue the rules, or just doesn't know them. Be ready to explain them, or at least point them out.
That being said, don't worry if you don't have an encyclopedic knowledge of the rules. One of the nice things about PFS scenarios is that they do a much better job than some other (dis)organized play systems of actually giving you something that will run in the four-hour slots allotted. If you need to pause to look something up, look it up.
There are a lot of really good cheat sheets out there. Paizo's GM Screen is worth its weight in gold. Several folks have generated cards you can print out and hand to players with conditions on them. Printing the stat block for any foes in the scenario is a good practice; it can keep you from having to look it up in the Bestiary. If any of the critters have a crazy power or spell, you can print that out from the PFSRD and include it in your notes. Again, if it saves you from looking it up in the book, it makes you look smart and confident at the table.
Well, that was longer than I thought, just my 8 cents worth, apparently.
I'd really like to know what flipmats are used for the Pathfinder Special - Year of The Shadow Lodge and #58 so I can get the flipmats for them for GenCon. Any help from PaizoCon folks who may have seen 'em?
For Year of the Shadow Lodge, the Arena flip mat, City Market flip mat, the basic one (for large open area)are recommended. The Pathfinder Lodge one might be useful but isn't needed.
Alright, I've got a few:
Are we to supply faction handouts or would that be redundant? The email I received from Mr. Frost contradicts itself. ;P
Is there a PDF for Year of the Shadow Lodge? I don't have one in My Downloads like the other Scenarios I'm running, but a number of people on the boards are confident about certain flip-mats being helpful.
Alright, I've got a few:
Are we to supply faction handouts or would that be redundant? The email I received from Mr. Frost contradicts itself. ;P
Is there a PDF for Year of the Shadow Lodge? I don't have one in My Downloads like the other Scenarios I'm running, but a number of people on the boards are confident about certain flip-mats being helpful.
When we ran Year of the Shadow Lodge at PaizoCon UK we had a word document of the scenario as it wasn't complete. There are no faction handouts for that scenario.
If you may be running low-level mods, bring a stack of character sheets in case there are new players at the table. Bring a stack of the pre-gens, as well, and an extra set of dice, just in case.
Good advice, but you will find that at GenCon you will not have the time for someone to make a Character on the spot. You don't need to bring the Pregens yourself, they will be provided for you at the Society Table.
Yay to this! By chance, will the APG pre-gens from Master of the Fallen Fortress be in that group?
You don't need to bring the Pregens yourself, they will be provided for you at the Society Table.
There will Be APG Pre Gens, but not those, those where not made by Society Rules. Josh is working on them, he said they should be ready by GenCon.
Edit: But he may take from those PreGens the Names.
Check your downloads, i just got Before the Dawn, Part 1: The Bloodcover Disguise.
Ooooh, new colors!
I got nothing as of yet. And I am about to leave my workplace and my laser printer -- NOT TO RETURN before Gencon -- as I'm on vacation in one hour.
C'mon Paizo.
I'm sure FedEx-Kinko's will appreciate your patronage.
In the interest of being prepared, I'm still curious about something, and don't want to bug Josh if I don't have to, he probably has enough cause for ulcers. I've bolded the part that has me stymied:
Please remember that as a Pathfinder Society GM, you are responsible to bring everything you need to run your scenarios. This includes GameMastery Flip-Mats or battle mats, the Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook, the Pathfinder RPG Bestiary, a copy of the most recent version of the Pathfinder Society Player's Guide, printed out copies of your scenarios and player handouts (excluding chronicles), dice, pencils, miniatures or tokens to represent opponents, and your happy, shiny, smiling self. We will NOT have extras of any of this stuff at HQ--it is your responsibility to bring it.
We will provide: print outs of chronicle sheets, player handouts, pregenerated characters for all tiers (for folks who just want to play and don't want to join), and Pathfinder Society membership registration cards. The pregens will be levels 1, 4, and 7 and this year will include the staple fighter, wizard, rogue, and cleric along with the cavalier, summoner, oracle, and inquisitor.
I'm confused. ;P
So, do I need to bring player handouts or not? Specifically, I need to know if I need to bring faction handouts because I'd like to put in the order ASAP if I need to print them.
Thanks a lot! :D
In the interest of being prepared, I'm still curious about something, and don't want to bug Josh if I don't have to, he probably has enough cause for ulcers. I've bolded the part that has me stymied:
** spoiler omitted **
I'm confused. ;P
So, do I need to bring player handouts or not? Specifically, I need to know if I need to bring faction handouts because I'd like to put in the order ASAP if I need to print them.
Thanks a lot! :D
I would say yes you should, just to be prepared. I am working on my stuff as I type.
See you at the show!
In the interest of being prepared, I'm still curious about something, and don't want to bug Josh if I don't have to, he probably has enough cause for ulcers. I've bolded the part that has me stymied:
** spoiler omitted **
I'm confused. ;P
So, do I need to bring player handouts or not? Specifically, I need to know if I need to bring faction handouts because I'd like to put in the order ASAP if I need to print them.
Thanks a lot! :D
At Paizocon, Josh had all the player chronicles that needed to be signed and given to the players ready for the GMs. But the scenario handouts and the scenario itself, we (the GMs) had to bring ourselves.
Player handouts:
* Faction missions
* player handout #1, #2, #3, etc (if the scenario had them).
And I believe that is what Josh was trying to clarify in his email to all of us.
In the interest of being prepared, I'm still curious about something, and don't want to bug Josh if I don't have to, he probably has enough cause for ulcers. I've bolded the part that has me stymied:
** spoiler omitted **
I'm confused. ;P
So, do I need to bring player handouts or not? Specifically, I need to know if I need to bring faction handouts because I'd like to put in the order ASAP if I need to print them.
Thanks a lot! :D
At Paizocon, Josh had all the player chronicles that needed to be signed and given to the players ready for the GMs. But the scenario handouts and the scenario itself, we (the GMs) had to bring ourselves.
Player handouts:
* Faction missions
* player handout #1, #2, #3, etc (if the scenario had them).And I believe that is what Josh was trying to clarify in his email to all of us.
+1
Last years Gen Con was the same.
I like to copy the info to word or publisher and then enlarge to fit a 8 1/2 x 11 sheet, and print on card stock so players with bad eyes like mine can easily read.
In the interest of being prepared, I'm still curious about something, and don't want to bug Josh if I don't have to, he probably has enough cause for ulcers. I've bolded the part that has me stymied:
** spoiler omitted **
I'm confused. ;P
So, do I need to bring player handouts or not? Specifically, I need to know if I need to bring faction handouts because I'd like to put in the order ASAP if I need to print them.
Thanks a lot! :D
At Paizocon, Josh had all the player chronicles that needed to be signed and given to the players ready for the GMs. But the scenario handouts and the scenario itself, we (the GMs) had to bring ourselves.
Player handouts:
* Faction missions
* player handout #1, #2, #3, etc (if the scenario had them).And I believe that is what Josh was trying to clarify in his email to all of us.