...we run into a large amount of table variation. Lenient GMs will allow for more generous payments and stricter GMs for less pay. This is what PFS tries to limit by placing certain restrictions on player character creation options and taking certain decision making power out of GMs hands. PFS needs less variability in scenario outcome and rewards to ensure that scenarios can be written with a an assumption of players having access to X abilities, Y spells, Z consumables. The more power we put into the hands of GMs to change those variables the harder it becomes to write scenarios for players.
I don't believe we need any additional rewards for our characters. We have access to 'free' 3rd level potions or 1st level wands for 2PP; as well as a slew of boons that have several ways to increase our overall wealth. Aside from that:
Hello, I have read a couple of the thread's you've started. I understand you dislike certain aspects of the Organized Play System, when I first started I too disliked many aspects of the Organized Play System. I don't believe its feasible to make the changes you'd like while maintaining the balance of the system and health of the player base. Crafting and Leadership example:
In a Kingmaker AP I was taking part in a group of three of us decided to have intersecting backstories. There was a straight fighter, a Cleric/Stargazer, and myself an Arcanist. The cleric and I both took crafting feats with the Cleric also picking up Leadership. We made use of Leadership alternate rules from Knights of the Inner Sea to get a Blinkdog Companion, who we used as a courier after we figured out he could run at somewhere near 800miles per hour with various buffs on him, so if we ever needed anything he could pop back to our kingdom and pick it up and be back to us within minutes.
Near the end of the AP we took stock of our magical equipment and the fighter had roughly 5 times the wealth by level, cleric had roughly 2 times the wealth, and I had 3 times the wealth by level that was expected. The final book was overall unsatisfying because the AP couldn't not flex far enough to challenge us without breaking the story line. I mention this because if we allow crafting in PFS the older scenarios will be unable to bend far enough to allow them to challenge us without the GM taking great liberties with the rules as written. We already have the problem of many Season 0 to Season 3 scenarios failing to challenge groups consisting of many of the newer classes. I occasionally tell people some of what I felt were cool fights some of my characters took part in and they respond with how their Earth Kinetesist did their super Kamehameha Maximized Empowered Metal Composite blast and one shot it from full health to true dead and how boring of a scenario it was. Wealth by Level skewing Example:
There is a case of a person who played modules; quitting the module before participating in enough encounters to gain any experience points but AFTER completing an encounter or two. This resulted in them gaining wealth without increasing in level. Later on around level 11 they had significantly more wealth then any other player could have, in the realm of 100k+ more then the other players at the table . The result was at the beginning of a scenario they would hand out magic items that increased the groups ability to trivialize encounters to the point the GM had no way to challenge the party. If we allow players to negotiate with the society for higher wages we run into a large amount of table variation. Lenient GMs will allow for more generous payments and stricter GMs for less pay. A group of players that has someone that is consistently increasing the pay received is significantly more advantaged then a group of players that doesn't have access to that person. We might also see an increase in the formation of cliques and rigid group structures to game the system.
Hypothetical:
There are two tables of players about the play the same scenario. Player A has a Bard with a +17 diplomacy(which is used to negotiate higher pay in this scenario), while player B is a Wizard only has a +7. The tables begin discussing which of them should get the Bard and thus more money. I encourage you to speak with your fellow players and see if you can convince them to try out a homebrew or AP where the rules are more free form. If subtle hints aren't working, I suggest talking to a person you'd like to see run a campaign for you and suggest they do so.
He was extremely rude to literally everyone, and if you didn’t take the paper from him right away he would throw it on the ground to get you out of the way. He was trying to make the line move quicker and was frustrated to be... 1. I apologize to anyone who felt slighted by our interaction. If I was rude to you, please understand it was not my intention to be rude. I have a tendency to become terse when I am highly focused on something, which could be misinterpreted as rudeness as my regular countenance is rather cantankerous. 2. The line did last for approximately 4 hours and we handled over 1400+ people in that time(which I feel is quite a lot), many of those people had multiple rolls to resolve, and we had 28 boons between the two systems.
3. I told many people to step aside while looking at the boon packets, but I don't remember telling anyone to “Hurry up lady, get moving.” I remember saying 'Can I get you to move to the side' and variations of that. If the person to whom I supposedly told the first phrase to reads this, please contact me if indeed those were my words, I'd like the opportunity to say sorry. 4. Please take into consideration that mannerisms between friends can on the surface appear rather rude, but can be in good fun, as I did joke with several people I'm familiar with. 5. Don't tell the rest of HQ but when I grabbed boons from the wrong boon table and people came up to inform me they'd gotten the wrong boons; I'd get them the correct boons, and rather then restock the erroneously given boon and take valuable time, I'd instead throw them towards random people that were around. I understand how this could be interpreted negatively. I don't believe anyone was upset about receiving any thrown boons.
Explain to a person auditing you that the Stamper was very nearly out of ink and that I was required to slam the thing onto the paper to get it to make a stamp at all. In slamming it, my accuracy was not the best. They can always contact me if they are not satisfied with your explanation and I will explain to them as well. If that is unacceptable, come speak to me at GenCon 2018 and I'll happily restamp your boon then. TL;DR If you felt I was rude to you. It wasn't my intention, Sorry.
Well that was fantastic! I am so glad I was able to see those of you I've met in previous years. Those who I met for the first time please come back or better yet visit the Pullman region and play games with us here!
Your running of the delve has inspired an Elf that hunts goblins for their ears to replace her own... You will regret this mutilation! For any who had the misfortune of seeing me on Sunday, please forgive any unintended scowl that may have been leveled in your general direction, I was suffering for a most disagreeable migraine at the time. I assure you it contained no malice and in fact this was the best Paizocon I have experienced yet! Except of course my interaction with that loathsome knave Jon Dehning!
GM: "Tell me what your character's fears are."
Clever, but somehow I don't think that'll pass muster when we're brainstorming seminar topics for next PaizoCon! I would go to this panel so fast.
I believe that should be arch-nemeses.Andy's list of arch-nemesi is long.... Andy Christian (my arch-nemesis!) ...Hey! Andy's *my* arch-nemesis! Get your own! ;) I just call them his Fan Club.
It is a possibility that people could do that. My suggestion would be upon seeing this send someone over to those tables, inform them that your table is struggling and could really use an aid token. Stingy people are going to be stingy but I like to think most people in that situation would give theirs away.
Every Con I've been to used Warhorn. I've heard it said that GenCon is too large, but I don't see why that matters. 1000+ people per game slot. I've got about 20-80 regular players in my area, depending on the time of year, and getting them to sign up for a game 10 minutes before a slot starts is sometimes a challenge. Mustering at Gencon gets better every year.
I assumed 25 to 30 was Harsk which is roughly the same as playing no character at all. Pffft... Harsk is the best Pregen there is!
Alright I'm here. Geology:
No Pearls are not minerals. To be a mineral a substance must be: Naturally occurring, inorganic, solid, definite chemical composition, and an ordered atomic arrangement. Pearls are made up of CaCO3 an Conchiolin(which is a complex protein). This disqualifies it from being a mineral.
Gems?:
The question as to whether a pearl is a gem is open to some debate. Strictly speaking gems(gemstones) are 'a piece of mineral crystal'; however, that has not stopped people from calling semiprecious stones and organic materials gems. Examples:
Opinion: Pearl of Power=Gem=Faction Boon Qualification? In my opinion this is firmly at the discretion of the table GM. Cost: This is the cost in gold pieces to create the item. Generally this cost is equal to half the price of an item, but additional material components might increase this number. the cost to create includes the costs derived from the base cost plus the costs of the components. In the description for a pearl of power it does not call out the need for a material component worth enough to qualify for the Faction card boon. It is valuable for the magic it contains not for the gem. That is why at my tables I say no, same as an Elemental Gem would not count. That is how I rule it. If you do not agree, rule it how you want at your tables.
Oh lamentable tragedy! Woe to those that know not the simple joy of existing near the magnificent man that is Walter Sheppard. 'Tis my own greatest fortune to know him personally, and count him among the ranks of my closest companions. If I could change but one thing, it would be my last name. And my first name. Because if there is anything this world needs, it is a second Walter Sheppard.
Look Aldain, you may be right about the distracting part, , but I also have on occasion read a book or two, particularly about maps and animals and so forth. I also think I might start reading some more poetry. You shure seem like a handy fellow to keep around, and I would appreciate you helping Nili with her wizard training. It seems pretty important to her. I'll try to stay out of the way sometimes.I've certainly garnered some use out of my knowledge of magical devices. While not able of casting spells myself, I am training in the arcane arts. Hopefully with more time in the field, I'll be able to conjure up some form of magic that doesn't come out of a stick. I will pass on the drink, it dulls the mind. I can easily generate a list of books I believe you would benefit greatly from. Perhaps a book that focuses on overcoming challenges and managing ones flaws.
Oh, I should have seen that coming. He really is a clever devil.
Yup.
The save for the effect is clearly listed, it lists no modifiers to the save due to familiarity with the subject. There is no need to discuss this further that I can tell. You've convinced me! Since it is not explicitly noted what the modifiers are I am going to assign them for my tables. They got in a fight in the area. Likely some sort of blood on the ground and I'll say the unidentified creature could easily come down and scrape up some of it. Body part, lock of hair, bit of nail, etc. -10! Heck, since it has been doing this on average one out of five nights and there is an indeterminate amount of time between scenarios. Its been poking around in their heads long enough to know them pretty well. Familiar (you know the subject well) -5! Nightmare DC 32! Cheers!
Has it really been three months since my last confession? The time flies when you're in the presence of so much greatness, I suppose. With our week-long Pathfinder Society convention coming to a close, I find it poignant to once again remark on the importance of logging out of a computer once you are done with it. Especially when that computer is the laptop of your local VC. Fortunately, my own VC is an outstanding person who would never post anything ribald that might tarnish my own sterling character. So this holiday season I give thanks to all my outstanding GMs, players, and volunteers that make each PFS game days a smash hit. I give thanks to everyone that found it in their hearts to donate to our annual Toys for Tots donation drive. And lastly, to the pillar of our community I have the good fortune to address as friend, GM, and VC.
This is exactly how I spend my lawn time.I'm picturing Walter as Ezren throwing his walking stick at people now. "Get off my front lawn!" He actually tasks me with throwing the cane.
You know Walter and myself have a ton of boons that all you have to do is ask us for and make a case as to why you should receive one. Get on it sir!
Oh golly! I done goofed. When I left for my niece's birthday party, in my haste, I fear I may have forgotten something. But what? Oh right, I needed to log off my Paizo account. Fortunately, my amazing and handsome VC, Walter Sheppard is here to ensure nothing uncouth happens while I am logged in. I am without fear, for I know that through his eternal wisdom my reputation on this boards will not be slandered, but rather polished to a gilded sheen. So overcome with joy I am that his hands now write these words, and that his eloquence now flows from my digital lips. So hear me, assembled internet folk, when I say that he is the best VC I could ever hope to have. If he ever has call to draft us into battle against a hellish tide of trolls, let me be the first to say, "you have my sword." |
