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Ok, I will probably be volunteering to GM for PFS a lot more in the near future since there is a decent chance one of my home groups is going to die out (moving, jobs, etc…).
So I’m thinking of starting a new character that will mostly be GM credit at least through the mid levels.
So I have some questions. Yes, I read the guide. I’m just not entirely sure about some things. And what some people have told me seems to disagree with how I read the guide.
Do I have to apply the chronicle sheets in the order I GM’d the scenarios?
Does it have to be in order with the sheets I get from playing the character as a player instead of GM?
Can I wait to apply a chronicle until the PC is in the higher tier?
Can I do slow progression with GM credit?
For example A:
I was considering running the Emerald Spire series for PFS. Taking all my GM credit at slow progression (if allowed). That would leave me a few points scattered through it where I could play the PC some as he advances, since he wouldn’t be in tier for the next chronicle sheet.
But how can I do that? Do I have to stop GM’ing ES at those points and find a game to run the PC before I GM the next session? Or can I go ahead and GM the entire ES and run the PC for those middle chronicles later?
For example B:
Instead of ES I was considering running some ‘mini arcs’ of related scenarios. But the levels don’t line up if I did all of one, then all of the second, then all of the third. Can I run the mini arcs as a unit then apply the chronicle sheets in the order so that the levels line up? Or do I have to run the first of arc 1, then the first of arc 2, then the second of arc 1, then the first of arc 3, etc… That would be much more confusing.
Example C:
A chronicle sheet has something I would really like my PC to purchase on the 6-7 tier but not on the 3-4 tier. Can I just save the chronicle sheet until my 4th level PC is level 6-7? What if he was level 5, can I give him the out of tier chronicle sheet at 6-7?
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Do I have to apply the chronicle sheets in the order I GM’d the scenarios?
Generally, yes. You assign chronicle sheets immediately on completing the session, and if the PC having the chronicle assigned is in-tier, you apply it immediately too. The only time you hold the credit to apply later is if the PC hasn't reached the tier of the scenario; you apply the credit as soon as the PC reaches that level.
Does it have to be in order with the sheets I get from playing the character as a player instead of GM?
Yes, playing or GMing, you apply them in chronological order (except when you're holding higher level credit, as mentioned above).
Can I wait to apply a chronicle until the PC is in the higher tier?
No.
Can I do slow progression with GM credit?
Yes; as with playing, you can only switch between normal and slow track at full levels (i.e. XP is divisible by 3).
For example A:
I was considering running the Emerald Spire series for PFS. Taking all my GM credit at slow progression (if allowed). That would leave me a few points scattered through it where I could play the PC some as he advances, since he wouldn’t be in tier for the next chronicle sheet.
But how can I do that? Do I have to stop GM’ing ES at those points and find a game to run the PC before I GM the next session? Or can I go ahead and GM the entire ES and run the PC for those middle chronicles later?
I'm not an expert on ES, but it sounds like you'd end up with a ton of 'held credit' because your PC hadn't reached the appropriate level. That's not a problem, it just means that you'll end up levelling up in 'spurts'.
For example B:
Instead of ES I was considering running some ‘mini arcs’ of related scenarios. But the levels don’t line up if I did all of one, then all of the second, then all of the third. Can I run the mini arcs as a unit then apply the chronicle sheets in the order so that the levels line up? Or do I have to run the first of arc 1, then the first of arc 2, then the second of arc 1, then the first of arc 3, etc… That would be much more confusing.
You have to assign them in the order played. If your PC has already levelled out of tier, you'll need to assign credit to a different one.
Example C:
A chronicle sheet has something I would really like my PC to purchase on the 6-7 tier but not on the 3-4 tier. Can I just save the chronicle sheet until my 4th level PC is level 6-7? What if he was level 5, can I give him the out of tier chronicle sheet at 6-7?
No, you have to apply it immediately. Your other option (which works for some of the other cases above) is to decline the chronicle, and GM the scenario again when your PC is 6th level, and take credit that time instead.
I hope this helps!
Venture-Captain, Netherlands
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I'm not an expert on ES, but it sounds like you'd end up with a ton of 'held credit' because your PC hadn't reached the appropriate level. That's not a problem, it just means that you'll end up levelling up in 'spurts'.
Paz is correct. I dont know exactly where the level breaks are for Emerald Spire, but as an example:
You apply all credit of the full ES to one character.
Due to the level breaks, you end up with a lvl 5 character. The credit continiues at lvl 6.
You play three scenarios normally with the character, making it level 6. All the held credit applies then, and the character emediately levels to lvl 9, where the next level break is.
Its a really fast way to level a character.
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Ok, so it looks like a 2 to 1 that I have to apply the chronicles in order and can not hold them until the higher subtier.
So if I want to run and apply a bunch of mini-arcs, I will have to carefully plan out the order to run them and will not be able to run them in sequence. That will be quite bit more hassle and not as storyline consistent.
Kind of a bummer.
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So if I want to run and apply a bunch of mini-arcs, I will have to carefully plan out the order to run them and will not be able to run them in sequence. That will be quite bit more hassle and not as storyline consistent.
I've mixed a lot of player and GM credit, and never really had this issue. Can you give an example of where you're expecting a problem? Generally, it's the players having PCs of the right level that's the harder part to coordinate.
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I don't have all the chronicle sheets in front of me. And I haven't yet got a huge collection of scenarios.
But say I ran the whole 'museum' arc. I have to apply all those chronicle sheets immediately. Then the character will be too high of level to get be in tier for the start of some of the other mini-arcs.
And I remember a couple of chronicle sheets had a unique item on the upper tier that I might like to purchase, but I didn't feel like the lower tier version was worth while. So I will have to time it so that the PC is in the sub-tier range when I run it or I won't be able to get the item.
It is not a huge deal. But it would be easier for me to keep the story line straight in my head if I run through a complete series before starting something else.
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Venture-Captain, Netherlands
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But say I ran the whole 'museum' arc. I have to apply all those chronicle sheets immediately. Then the character will be too high of level to get be in tier for the start of some of the other mini-arcs.
This is why GM's have several characters refered to GM credit babies. They are nothing but a PFS-number with some chronicles attached.
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Venture-Captain, Massachusetts—Central & West
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A GM may apply credit for running a scenario, module,
or Adventure Path in any of the same ways a player can, and
must follow the same rules as a player when applying credit
to a character. When you choose to take a Chronicle sheet for
GM credit, you must decide which of your characters receives
the Chronicle sheet when you fill out the tracking sheet for
that table. You must apply Chronicle sheets in the order they
are received. The only exception is when you hold a highertier
Chronicle for a lower-tier character.
You have to apply them in the order you run them for credit. That does not stop you from running a scenario for no Chronicle sheet credit, running other scenarios, and then running that scenario again at a later day when the character is at a higher tier though.
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Going to be starting GMing soon, and had a few questions:
When you run a game, you're to apply the credit of the tier that your PCs did, to your own character of choosing. So, a tier 3-4 can only be applied to a character of 3rd or 4th level. That is, unless it's 1st or 2nd and hasn't caught up yet. What if you're characters are 5th or higher and you're running a lower tier? Can't apply it so have to build a new character?
Players can only apply credit of a scenario once, unless it specifically allows you to (ie. The Confirmation). What happens when you're pigeonholed into doing the same adventure over and over because you get new players who haven't done that particular adventure, yet you've done it 10 times? (Assume it's not a "Confirmation" scenario.)
Do you still get credit for completing a scenario even if a party gets TPK'd?
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Venture-Captain, Netherlands
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When you run a game, you're to apply the credit of the tier that your PCs did, to your own character of choosing. So, a tier 3-4 can only be applied to a character of 3rd or 4th level. That is, unless it's 1st or 2nd and hasn't caught up yet. What if you're characters are 5th or higher and you're running a lower tier? Can't apply it so have to build a new character?
Yes. But you dont have to have actively build that character yet. It just needs a number for reporting.
So when character xxxx-1 and xxxx-2 are too high level, just assign it to xxxx-3
Players can only apply credit of a scenario once, unless it specifically allows you to (ie. The Confirmation). What happens when you're pigeonholed into doing the same adventure over and over because you get new players who haven't done that particular adventure, yet you've done it 10 times? (Assume it's not a "Confirmation" scenario.)
Not entirely true. Players can play a scenario like the confirmation multiple times, but it has to be with different characters. If you played it with character xxxx-1, you cant play it with that character again.
As a GM you only get a chronicle once, but you will recieve GM credit towards your GM stars every time you run. Doesnt matter if its the first, second or tenth time.|
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BigNorse: Basically all online reporting is done through our VC here and all games here are run and organised through the same VC. Thus all of our reporting sheets go through him. I seem to have a lot that have not been reported.
This in turn means that at least for my most recent games looking up when I ran them is impossible.
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When you run a game, you're to apply the credit of the tier that your PCs did
I THINK that was an older version?
It depends on what level the character that its being applied to is, not what you ran at. So if you apply the credit to a level 1 in a 1-5 you get level 1 gold, your level 5 gets level 5 gold, your level 3 gets out of subtier gold etc. (Not sure if it gets high or low boon rewards but it sounds like low)
If run a level 3-7 scenario and want to give it to a level 1, they wait till level three and then get the credit.
depends on the character’s level. If a GM with a 1st-level
rogue runs a Tier 1–5 scenario using Subtier 1–2, she
takes a Subtier 1–2 Chronicle sheet for her 1st-level rogue.
If she instead runs a Tier 1–5 scenario using Subtier 4–5,
she still takes a Subtier 1–2 Chronicle sheet, as her PC
clearly falls within the lower subtier.
If the GM with a low-level character runs any higher
tier scenarios that don’t include a subtier for her 1st-level
rogue, she takes the lowest subtier Chronicle sheet from
that scenario and holds it for her PC. Then, once her PC
achieves the appropriate level for that Chronicle sheet, it is
immediately applied. For example, if a GM with a 1st-level
rogue runs a Tier 5–9 scenario, she would take a Subtier
5–6 Chronicle sheet (the lowest subtier for that tier) for
running the scenario and set it aside. Once her rogue
reaches 5th level, she can immediately apply the Chronicle
sheet to her character. This means that GMs’ characters
can potentially level up in bursts.
Should a GM receive a Chronicle sheet that indicates her
character is between subtiers (for example, if she runs a Tier
1–5 scenario but gives a 3rd-level character the Chronicle
sheet), she must always receive the Out-of-Subtier gold
value. This rule is meant to balance the fact that the GM’s
character doesn’t have to expend any resources or risk death
while gaining a Chronicle sheet for running a scenario.
What happens when you're pigeonholed into doing the same adventure over and over because you get new players who haven't done that particular adventure, yet you've done it 10 times? (Assume it's not a "Confirmation" scenario.)
If you're running it you don't get credit.
If you're playing you can't play at all unless you're the 4th player.(and don't get credit)
What you should do is run a different scenario. If you have all new people you should have scenarios they haven't played.
By the time you get to that point, credit should be a pretty meaningless concept.
Do you still get credit for completing a scenario even if a party gets TPK'd?
Eyup./ So kill them KILL THEM ALL MUAHAHAHAHAHAAH... oh sorry. That was from my emmy speach...
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When you run a game, you're to apply the credit of the tier that your PCs did, to your own character of choosing.
You use the appropriate subtier for the character you are crediting when you apply the chronicle (which must be as soon as the character can receive it), regardless which subtier the PCs played. If your GM credit character is between subtiers you get out-of-subtier gold and other rewards for the lower subtier.
Players can only apply credit of a scenario once, unless it specifically allows you to (ie. The Confirmation). What happens when you're pigeonholed into doing the same adventure over and over because you get new players who haven't done that particular adventure, yet you've done it 10 times? (Assume it's not a "Confirmation" scenario.)
If it's not a replayable adventure, you can only take a GM chronicle for it once, with possibly one additional time as a GM star replay. Further runs only give you table credit towards your GM stars.
Do you still get credit for completing a scenario even if a party gets TPK'd?
Yes, full rewards.
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If it's not a replayable adventure, you can only take a GM chronicle for it once, with possibly one additional time as a GM star replay. Further runs only give you table credit towards your GM stars.
Can you elaborate on that last part? It almost reads like you're contradicting yourself. I read it as "you can play this twice: once for the PC credit, and one possible additional time for a GM star replay." But then you said that it can be ran more times after that just for GM stars. So, which is it? Did you mean that you can run it an unlimited number of times, but only once goes to a PC credit, and all the rest go to GM stars?
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If it's not a replayable adventure, you can only take a GM chronicle for it once, with possibly one additional time as a GM star replay. Further runs only give you table credit towards your GM stars.Can you elaborate on that last part? It almost reads like you're contradicting yourself. I read it as "you can play this twice: once for the PC credit, and one possible additional time for a GM star replay." But then you said that it can be ran more times after that just for GM stars. So, which is it? Did you mean that you can run it an unlimited number of times, but only once goes to a PC credit, and all the rest go to GM stars?
You can
- play it once for a chronicle
- GM it once for a chronicle on a different character
- use a GM star replay either to play it or GM it for one additional chronicle for a third character
- GM it as many times as you can stand it, each counting as one table towards GM stars but not earning a chronicle
- play it with a different character if there would otherwise be only two players, getting a chronicle granting zero XP, PP and gold, only to record any resources spent
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You can assign a new chronicle every time you GM it for 1st level character, but only once on a 2nd level character.
All Tier 1 scenarios and Tier 1–2 sanctioned modules are available for unlimited replay with a 1st-level character for credit. The sanctioned modules may also be played with a 2nd-level character once for credit. GMs may receive another Chronicle sheet each time they run one of the Tier 1 scenarios or Tier 1–2 sanctioned modules, but may only apply a Chronicle sheet to one 2nd-level character per adventure.
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Taking that into account what makes Wounded Wisp, and Confirmation, evergreen then? Specifically what makes them distinct from other tier 1-2 scenarios?
The wounded whisp and the confirmation are the only tier 1-2 scenarios.
Most of the level 1-2 play is a SUBTIER of a level 1-5 scenario.
If that sounds like gibberish, don't worry, you're still sane.
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Taking that into account what makes Wounded Wisp, and Confirmation, evergreen then? Specifically what makes them distinct from other tier 1-2 scenarios?
The fact that they are currently the ONLY Tier 1-2 scenarios in existence. (First Steps is a Tier 1, and everything else Tier 1-2 are modules.) Keep in mind the difference between Tier 1-2 and Sub-tier 1-2.
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So let me try and get this straight, because this might just be too silly to believe, the guide to organized play includes a lengthy paragraph that functionally applied, at the time of its writing, to 2 scenarios?
2 Tier 1-2 scenarios, 3 Tier 1 scenarios (two have since been retired), and 8 Tier 1-2 modules.
13 adventures, 11 now that First Steps 2 and 3 are retired, and with the intention that the number continues to grow as new evergreen scenarios are published. (The goal is to publish one a season.) Since the Guide to Organized Play is updated only once or twice a year, it must be written with future growth in mind.
I would suggest you moderate your tone when discussing campaign staff and how they perform their duties. Here in Phoenix we have had no trouble with new players finding the evergreen rules confusing.
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So let me try and get this straight, because this might just be too silly to believe, the guide to organized play includes a lengthy paragraph that functionally applied, at the time of its writing, to 2 scenarios?
Short answer Yes.
Longer answer: they plan on making more of these and want the language in place now so they don't have to redo that part of the guide every year.
Is English the first language of the author of that document? Was he trying to so thoroughly obfuscate matters that no new player/GM could possibly obey the rules?
No. Quite the opposite. Its very technical/legalistic/long because they're writing for a bunch of gamers, who seem to take perverse delight in finding alternate meanings, loopholes, jimmy hoffa, exploits, extreme pedanticism and outright fabrications in their effort to game the game.
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There are two exceptions to these rules. All Tier 1 scenarios and Tier 1–2 sanctioned modules are available for unlimited replay with a 1st-level character for credit. The sanctioned modules may also be played with a 2nd-level character once for credit. GMs may receive another Chronicle sheet each time they run one of the Tier 1 scenarios or Tier 1–2 sanctioned modules, but may only apply a Chronicle sheet to one 2nd-level character per adventure.
As always, each player may receive credit for each module or Adventure Path volume once as a player and once as a GM, in either order. Players must accept a Chronicle sheet for their characters the first time they play any sanctioned content. A player may replay sanctioned content at the GM’s discretion, but the player may not receive more than one Chronicle sheet per adventure. The only exceptions are Tier 1–2 modules and sanctioned Adventure Path content. A player may only play a Tier 1–2 module or sanctioned Adventure Path content for credit once with a 2nd-level character, but may use additional 1st-level characters to replay the same content for credit.
Ummmm. Not sure where you are seeing any obfuscation. Both paragraphs that reference Tier 1 and Tier 1-2 materials are fairly straightforward.
Tier 1 scenarios:
First Steps, Part 1: In Service to Lore (Active)
First Steps, Part 2: To Delve the Dungeon Deep (Retired)
First Steps, Part 3: A Vision of Betrayal (Retired)
Tier 1-2 scenarios (new option, Guide needs some updating for them):
5-08: The Confirmation (Active)
6-10: The Wounded Wisp (Active)
Tier 1-2 modules:
Crypt of the Everflame (32 page)
Master of the Fallen Fortress (Free RPG Day)
Murder's Mark (32 page)
The Godsmouth Heresy (32 page)
We Be Goblins! (Free RPG Day)
Thornkeep: The Accursed Halls (Pathfinder Online)
Emerald Spire: The Tower Ruins (Pathfinder Online)
Tier 1-2 Adventure Path segments:
The Half-Dead City (Mummy's Mask)
The Snows of Summer (Reign of Winter)