Venture-Captain, Missouri—Cape Girardeau
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With the inclusion of so many modules for PFS play, I figured I would start a thread dedicated to ideas on how to integrate these into PFS play. If you look at the scenarios as "missions" you are sent out on for the Society, and down time as "period of no consequence," this helps. With that in mind, I figure I will present the modules I offer as "missions the Faction Leaders had no influence in." I think this is important for a character to experience... other wise the events of his play career seem to be one frantic Faction-related mission to the next.
Any thoughts? How will you "sell" the idea of module play to PFS players in your area?
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The Georgia circuit has incorporated roughly one module per 20 scenarios run - a number that will likely climb a bit with the release of the new sanctioned modules. Some of the players have played a large number of the existing scenarios, so new material helps to lure in otherwise inactive players.
Now that there are 13 retired characters in our region, we tend to incorporate one of the retired characters as the quest-giver. Much like Osprey with his strange connection to the Decemvirate, these retired characters act as liaisons and contacts for strange new Pathfinder interests. I've found that players really enjoy seeing a retired character being able to delegate missions to younger adventurers. Each one can imagine "Hey, one day that could be me!"
The other thing that might help you incorporate modules is writing a brief Pathfinder-flavored introduction or set of adaptation notes. For Godsmouth Heresy we have some basic notes about why Pathfinders might find themselves in Kaer Maga and doing an arguably non-Pathfinder style mission. So long as you can address how accepting a mission might benefit the Society, your players will have an easier time believing that the Society ever sent them on such a long mission.
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The other thing that might help you incorporate modules is writing a brief Pathfinder-flavored introduction or set of adaptation notes. For Godsmouth Heresy we have some basic notes about why Pathfinders might find themselves in Kaer Maga and doing an arguably non-Pathfinder style mission. So long as you can address how accepting a mission might benefit the Society, your players will have an easier time believing that the Society ever sent them on such a long mission.
Just to note, being a Pathfinder doesnt mean that Pathfinding is your only job. The down time between missions isnt neccessarily before they assign you a new task to do, but can be downtime before you go volunteer for another assignment.
In light of that, the players could just be on personal business in Kaer Maga and doing nothing PFS related at all while they are there.
Also, even if you want to say the PFS sent you on the mission, not all missions are the same length anyway. RL-time length, maybe, but not in-game time. For example, the mission you are sent on in Murder on the Throaty Mermaid lasts for over a month (I dont think this counts as a spoiler for anything), but you dont roleplay the whole thing. Godsmouth Heresy can be completed in as little as a day, and certainly less than a week of gametime.
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I’m hoping we can offer more modules in the Georgia region now that there are enough modules to run one each month and have no overlap. I try and present the modules as at least a somewhat special event for players to look forward to. It helps that we can get players to sign up for the modules well ahead of time.
One idea I have picked up is to take care of the character introductions and the handing out of the mission through play-by-post. I have found this to really help players get into character, get to know each other’s characters, and save time for the table. Considering all that introduction stuff like answering all the players’ questions about the mission is taken care of ahead of time you can just right into the mission. It really helps if you have a means by which players can sign up ahead of time, and some means by which to contact all the players. Such as through a message board or potentially email.
I’ll second John on the use of retired characters. Sometimes the players will have actually seen those characters while they were still “active agents” and I have seen positive responses by players towards those characters. Of course there is no reason why you cannot use the traditional Venture-Captains. But given we effectively have some creative freedom in this; it can be nice to just have some fun while keeping with the spirit of PFS. There is also the personal appeal of getting a little more use out of that retired character you can no longer play.
I also have a PFS style introduction ready for each of the modules. I find it quite easy to come up for reasons for Pathfinders to get involved in each of these scenarios. They are either after some artifact, piece of lore, rescuing another Pathfinder or ally, or trying to improve their relations with a government by doing that government a personal favor by taking care of some problem that they would have trouble dealing with for whatever reason. It is all about how doing the mission will help the Pathfinder Society and further its goals.