Players can pool their gold to pay for a Raise Dead. Can a GM contribute to this?


Pathfinder Society

The Exchange 3/5

1 person marked this as FAQ candidate.

If, at the end of a scenario a dead character doesn't have enough Prestige or money to pay for a Raise Dead, players may (if they choose) pool their gold to pay for a Raise Dead on that character.

Can a GM also contribute to the gold pool, using his GM gold credits from that chronicle?

Grand Lodge 4/5 **

gold yes...prestige no. although one can pay for the raise and others the restorations. gm can not contribute I believe as they aren't actually there

Dark Archive 4/5 5/5 ** Venture-Agent, Australia—QLD—Brisbane

I would say no - the GM's character is not actually at the table (unless he's playing a pregen), so couldn't contribute.

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder PF Special Edition, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

I'm going to say yes, but the GM will have to debit the gold from the scenario sheet he's going to give to his character. If the GM is not getting a scenario sheet from running the module, he can not contribute.

Grand Lodge 4/5

This is an interesting question. The GM's character did go on the adventure, otherwise he wouldn't get the Scenario sheet. It would set in strange dynamic at the table though.

Would this lead to GMs "playing nice" so they don't have to be asked to donate gold to a fallen hero?

My feeling is that there should be an invisible wall between the GM character and the player characters.

I would be interested in getting Mike or John's thoughts though....

5/5

It should be the players at the table only. The GM doesn't have a character at the table to pitch in.

The Exchange 5/5 RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16

4 people marked this as a favorite.

I should say no.

An important principle of the GM Chronicle is that there's never any impact between the game session and the GM credit. The GM doesn't benefit from the party's success, nor from the party's failure.

This would allow such an impact. "If the ninja and ranger die, then I'll be expected to help spring for their raise deads. So, of course, I'll make sure they don't die."

Silver Crusade 5/5 5/5 **

Unfortunately no. As stated, it could skew GM decisions.

Also, don't forget that a lot of time the GM isn't actually getting money (the more one GMs the less one worries about the chronicle sheets. I often rerun scenarios). So you'd get the weird situation of wanting your GM to be GMing it for the first time :-)

On a related note, a player who isn't playing for credit can't contribute either. That actually came up at a table I was playing at a few months ago.

5/5

A pregen character is not able to contribute to a raise dead that is not for themselves. A GM's character who is not even there also should not be able to contribute.

5/5

1 person marked this as FAQ candidate. 1 person marked this as a favorite.
pauljathome wrote:


On a related note, a player who isn't playing for credit can't contribute either. That actually came up at a table I was playing at a few months ago.

Why not? The player who's not playing for credit can die, and will expend resources while playing, why couldn't they chip in for the group? That is a player playing one of their own characters rather than a pre-gen.

Shadow Lodge 4/5

Mahtobedis wrote:
A pregen character is not able to contribute to a raise dead that is not for themselves. A GM's character who is not even there also should not be able to contribute.

Can you cite that rule, please?

Liberty's Edge 1/5

Absolutely not. The GM chronicle is a nod to the campaign's desire to encourage GMing. Do not convolute this with the GM's character being there. You can no more contribute GM gold to expenses than you can ask players at the adjoining table to have their PCs contribute.

5/5

Mystic Lemur wrote:
Mahtobedis wrote:
A pregen character is not able to contribute to a raise dead that is not for themselves. A GM's character who is not even there also should not be able to contribute.
Can you cite that rule, please?

The Getting Started section of chapter 1 of the Guide, and the Legal Pathfinder Society Character of chapter 6 both mention this restriction.

When both sections mention how to use a pregen, they both mention the pregen can only sell gear to clear their own conditions, and not anyone else.

Scarab Sages 4/5

Selling gear to contribute to a Raise Dead and contributing gold earned from the scenario are two different things. I don't think there's any rule saying at the end of the scenario a player who played a pregen can't contribute from the gold earned on the chronicle.

1/5

Baronjett wrote:

This is an interesting question. The GM's character did go on the adventure, otherwise he wouldn't get the Scenario sheet. It would set in strange dynamic at the table though.

Would this lead to GMs "playing nice" so they don't have to be asked to donate gold to a fallen hero?

My feeling is that there should be an invisible wall between the GM character and the player characters.

I would be interested in getting Mike or John's thoughts though....

+1

3/5

No. The other players actions or inactions had the ability to cause that persons death.

A character not present at the adventure can not contribute.

Sczarni 5/5 * Venture-Lieutenant, Washington—Pullman

I see bruised feelings coming from this in the form of "Well you killed me you NEED to help pay for my raise." Maybe so far as players just stating. "You killed me you raise dead me!"

I wouldn't be in favor of this as I know a GM or two that are very easily pushed into doing it against their will.

1/5

While I think it best the GM not have the option to help raise players for the reasons mentioned, it does raise an interesting point on how much he counts as a player in the scenario. For example, on some of the scenarios where you are supposed to track which people you gain influence with, is he considered a player like everyone else and only marks the people influenced on the chronicle that the players did, or does he automatically get endorsements with all of them. I don't remember seeing this brought up anywhere.

Grand Lodge 4/5

In all honesty, especially since the GM character getting credit for this scenario, if any, may not even be getting credit for the same sub-tier as was being played, there is no way to justify, in an in-game way, that George Henry, who was not along for the ride, would even know that Kevin McMurtry died while exploring site X.

Shadow Lodge 4/5 Venture-Captain, California—San Francisco Bay Area South & West

Nothing that happens in the play of the scenario affects what is on the GM chronicle; the GM gets influence with every listed NPC, just as he gets access to every item (and, now, boon) shown on the chronicle, and full GP, XP and PP, no matter what the players receive.

The only restriction on GM rewards is that the GM receives only those appropriate to the level of the character to whom the chronicle is assigned (with, presumably, out-of-subtier characters receiving out-of-subtier gold, but access to the low subtier items).

If nothing in the play of the scenario affects the GM character, it's hard to see how the GM character can be considered to be a participant.

Grand Lodge 4/5

Pathfinder Adventure, Adventure Path, Pathfinder Accessories, Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

There's nothing in the guide to allow this, and I can't see allowing it to be a good thing.

The Exchange 3/5

I asked because I was running a rather difficult scenario tonight at 3-4, which is often on the fringe of people being able to raise themselves with prestige, and knew there was definitely a chance of someone dying. It wasn't going to prevent me from playing the tactics as written, but I just figured I could help out from my character's chronicle is someone died.

As it turns out, because I told everyone at the beginning that it was going to potentially be difficult and to come prepared, I had three of the five players play Level 5 characters (thus between 3-4 and 6-7) and of course nobody even dropped unconscious and they murdered everything.

I can see your arguments though.


Logistics of whether the GM character is deemed to be present or not aside, from what I understand the process is this:

- Characters need to be raised (or whatever) before the end of the adventure.
- Adventure ends. Anyone not raised is gone gone gone.
- The GM's chronicle sheet is then applied to one of the GM's characters, after the adventure.

Which means the GM's character's gold doesn't technically exist until after it would be wanted anyway, making it impossible to use.

I have zero experience with this, so I apologize if I've got that process wrong, and feel free to correct me (please do, so I can get it right when it matters! :) )

(What am I saying? This is an internet forum, of course people will correct me! ;) )

Liberty's Edge 4/5

Matt Thomason wrote:

Logistics of whether the GM character is deemed to be present or not aside, from what I understand the process is this:

- Characters need to be raised (or whatever) before the end of the adventure.
- Adventure ends. Anyone not raised is gone gone gone.
- The GM's chronicle sheet is then applied to one of the GM's characters, after the adventure.

Which means the GM's character's gold doesn't technically exist until after it would be wanted anyway, making it impossible to use.

I have zero experience with this, so I apologize if I've got that process wrong, and feel free to correct me (please do, so I can get it right when it matters! :) )

(What am I saying? This is an internet forum, of course people will correct me! ;) )

As a note, Death is "basicly" a condition gained on the chronicle sheet of the player, a condition that needs to be cleared/resolved.

"PCs may use the rewards from the Chronicle sheet they earned in order to resolve any conditions, such as death."

however, if you are unable to do this
"PCs who ultimately do not return to the realm of the living receive no XP, 0 Prestige Points, 0 gp, and no boons for the scenario in which they died." -their character is also no longer playable.

It should be noted that
"PCs can also sell off gear, including the dead character’s gear, at 50% of its listed value to raise money to purchase a spell that will return their slain ally from the dead, though they can only do so in a settlement and they cannot sell off any items found during the current scenario that they haven’t purchased."

((quotes are from page 22 of the guide to pathfinder society organized play season 5))

Final note, pooling resources is encouraged but in no way forced.
_____________________________________________________________________

In regards to the actual topic, I would have to agree with many others that it poses a problem in regards to GM neutrality in the game.

Further he receives a GM chronicle sheet rather than a PC chronicle sheet ^^

And as pointed out many GM, actually GM the scenarios multiple times (especially scenarios they like), and thus do not actually gain any chronicle sheet.

Silver Crusade 5/5 5/5 **

Sniggevert wrote:
pauljathome wrote:


On a related note, a player who isn't playing for credit can't contribute either. That actually came up at a table I was playing at a few months ago.
Why not? The player who's not playing for credit can die, and will expend resources while playing, why couldn't they chip in for the group? That is a player playing one of their own characters rather than a pre-gen.

I slightly misspoke. I wasn't allowed to use the money was on the chronicle sheet for that session.

The character that was playing had essentially no wealth at the time. Which is just as well, actually. Losing significant amounts of wealth on a mission that you couldn't gain from would be unpleasant. As would feeling like a jerk for not contributing to the raise dead.

5/5

pauljathome wrote:
Sniggevert wrote:
pauljathome wrote:


On a related note, a player who isn't playing for credit can't contribute either. That actually came up at a table I was playing at a few months ago.
Why not? The player who's not playing for credit can die, and will expend resources while playing, why couldn't they chip in for the group? That is a player playing one of their own characters rather than a pre-gen.

I slightly misspoke. I wasn't allowed to use the money was on the chronicle sheet for that session.

The character that was playing had essentially no wealth at the time. Which is just as well, actually. Losing significant amounts of wealth on a mission that you couldn't gain from would be unpleasant. As would feeling like a jerk for not contributing to the raise dead.

OK, that makes sense. Yeah, if you're not getting anything from the chronicle, you couldn't use money from it to contribute.

I personally try and play a pregen when I make a table and replay for pretty much your latter sentiments there. I will try my best to help the table make and then succeed, but if something goes bad for whatever reason, then I'm not losing my character or resources in a no win situation.

Shadow Lodge 3/5

1 person marked this as a favorite.

That's absurd.

It's like asking the GM if they're willing (or the GM offering) to pay for some equipment at the beginning of the scenario with their character.

The GM's character doesn't go with you, the GM adjudicates the scenario and gets a chronicle as a reward for doing so so that their character can keep up with the party's level and still play with them.

Liberty's Edge 2/5 *

Im with Avatar. It's a definite NO.

Silver Crusade 5/5 5/5 **

Sniggevert wrote:


I personally try and play a pregen when I make a table and replay for pretty much your latter sentiments there. I will try my best to help the table make and then succeed, but if something goes bad for whatever reason, then I'm not losing my character or resources in a no win situation.

I most certainly see your point of view and am always tempted to play a pregen for precisely those reasons but the fact is that I strongly prefer to play my own character. Losing a few consumables is no big deal. Even dying is no huge deal since I basically have too many characters anyway :-)

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