How to prepare to play PFS at a convention?


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So I'm going to be going to my first gaming convention this weekend (WhosYerCon), playing PFS in almost every slot. I think I'm prepared, but since I've never done this before I'm fretting a bit, so I figured I'd bounce in here for advice from more seasoned con-goers.

Things I have/am going to do with my characters before leaving tomorrow:
* Character sheets updated, cleaned up, double checked for accuracy
* Chronicles double checked to be sure purchases are recorded
* Inventory tracking sheet updated
* Table tents printed out for characters

And in the "maybe taking things a bit too far" category, I am creating a pre-audit packet for my main two characters, with a cover page listing unusual abilities, watermarked PDF pages for various abilities, and a breakdown of more unusual stats, like unusually high initiative and diplomacy scores, so that I can just hand it off to the GMs before the sessions and satisfy them I have my stuff in order.

Any other things I should be doing tonight before the con or advice?

5/5

Sounds like you have a good handle on your characters. Don't forget your dice and your "gonna have fun" attitude.

In all reality, your GMs will more than likely be pressed for time and so handing them a huge packet while they are setting up may not be the best. I'd just let them know that you have a GM cheat sheet for your character if they want it. Most Gms are going to smile, say ok and that's that.

There may be the random GM that takes the packet and reviews it; so it never hurts to have the packet ready -- also helps to keep your characters organized.

Grand Lodge 4/5

Another thing, depending on whether you are going to be going home between days or not:
Having leveled up versions of your PCs ready, in case you wind up playing one of them after it levels, without being able to do your normal leveling procedure.

Also lists of anything your PC might buy, along with the rules text for it, if needed.

Don't forget water and healthy snacks, writing implement and scratch paper, and, most important, some way to transport everything without killing your back.

Silver Crusade 5/5 5/55/5 **** Venture-Captain, Germany—Bavaria

To repeat some excellent suggestions:

-something to drink, you can only drink so much coffee/energy drinks until you need proper hydration.
- proper food, not just sugary snack. Maybe a sandwich or two, nuts, berries, maybe beef jerky really anything portable and energy rich.
- obviously your additional resources, and a current copy of the additional resources document
- reserve character and inventory tracking sheet
- writing implements (like dice it is not unknown for them to disappear at conventions), paper, maybe a notebook for contact details
- If you plan to play a ACG pregen, print it yourself and have it ready.
- hand sanitizer, maybe something to deal with a headache/flue symptoms, paper tissues (nothing worse than a runny nose), maybe some juice or a smoothie... essential plan for going hiking (excluding the survival knife)
- and empty foldable back for impulse purchases
- something to represent your character (any mini or pawn will do)

Without being familiar with the convention in question, that is pretty much all I have got.

Silver Crusade 1/5

Don't forget the most obvious thing:
Dice. A friend of mine managed to forget his dice. As a penalty a dice seller there "forced" him to buy the most unreadable dice he had to offer. Yeah.

Also: Manners. I'm baffled how some people behave at a convention - I have seen people get irritated if you just grab their rule books while playing with them, how on earth do people think it's okay to take a book to have a look at it while the owner is playing?

Keep in mind that you will be thrown together with people from different regions with vastly different playstiles. You might need to adapt to different playstiles and there will probably one table where you have to chant "I only have to endure this guy for 3 hours, I can mange that" internally. There always is. Be flexible, endure him and be all the more grateful for the players in your home town.

I second the suggestion of planning your level-up - depending on the number of slots you're playing your character might reach quite a few levels.
Since you said "characters" (plural) I suppose you're prepared for the rare situation that a character you want to play in slot 4 happens to eat an axe-crit in slot 2 and dies a horrible, messy death by switching to another character.

(Sorry, but all the nice stuff was taken by the rest - SOMEONE has to be the pessimist here! But really, the few conventions I've been to have always been great fun.)

Grand Lodge 4/5

Heh. <<_>>_<< One of my fellow players had his PC die not once, but twice, or was it three times?, at a single convention weekend. And that same PC came close (0 hp) in yet another scenario.

IIRC, he was out of PP, out of gold, and looking at the resale price of all his potions.... And he shortly thereafter switched that same PC over to slow track....

Also, on a non-game note, please don't be that guy. You know, the one who is wearing the same outfit on Sunday night as he showed up in on Thursday afternoon, whose deodorant, if he was wearing any to begin with, has long since failed, and who loves to eat garlic and onion sandwiches.

Grand Lodge 5/5

It looks to me like you are well prepared for a convention. In addition to all the very good advice from other players, and it's sad that this has to be stated (though I know from experience not to you). A shower, every day of the convention.
A toothbrush.
Deodorant.

On the other side of things. I also suggest some cough drops (ones with honey and lemon or some sort of menthol work best IMO).
Food - (Personally I'm a fan of some bagels and peanut butter for transpotability.
Drink - Some sort of refillable container for water never hurts (or even gatorade powder)

Prepping any level ups/prospective purchases ahead of time is also a good idea (which I know I'm re-iterating)

Silver Crusade Venture-Agent, Florida–Altamonte Springs

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based on recent experience with Megacon. I came back with "Con Crud"

For Me Next year I'm bringing:
Airborne (or something similar)
Hand Sanitizer
Zip Fizz (Energy powder + Vitamin C) or something similar

5/5 5/55/55/5

ALL of your characters. Just because you didn't sign up to play Pterodacyles at dawn doesn't mean you won't wind up there somehow.

Organizer for your character sheets. Any papers that you get go into the folder asap where they belong, or they will vanish into the same place that all your left socks go when they hit the dryer.

Breathmints. Just put them on the table

water jug that can fit ice cubes in it but still have a sealable top

Powdered drink. Sodas add up, and you can't bring 5 gallons of mountain dew with you , so some powdered cool aid or 4c green tea do wonders.

Aspirin. Playing with a headache is not fun. Playing with someone that has a headache isn't fun either.

Calculator. Sure, you can add 1776 gold 893 in expenses and a 20 gold dayjob check in your head now. Sunday morning on 4 hours of sleep? maybe not

Minis. A small case will do

Super glue and nickles. Add stability to someone's mini for 5 cents.

Utility knife. Don't leave home without it. Has a bottle opener if nothing else. Sharpens pencils, stirrs coffee, opens bottles, removes flak from minis, cuts up handouts, opens stubborn food bags...

Lots of pencils. With erasers.

A first level or two character made up and ready to go in case your other tables fall apart.

Put paper book covers on your books. If your players handbook looks exactly like the player on your rights players handbook and you need to clear the table in 15 minutes your core rulebook may be going on a trip.

A can of chef boyardee or something you can chuck in a microwave. and heat up in a few minutes to add some variety to the pizza subway pizza subway pizza subway combo.

Pre level your characters if theres ANY chance of them leveling. Have a shopping list of things you want to get ready to go so that you don't have to choose between getting something you need and getting a pizza.

Toilet paper. Less said the better. You will thank me.

Sebastian Hersch wrote:
(excluding the survival knife)

Says you. You should see some of the areas I have to walk through to get to these things... :)

Liberty's Edge 4/5

While most of the other posters have mentioned what to bring and such, you also need to keep in mind the environment of play will most likely be quite different than standard PFS at your kitchen table or local gaming store.

1. If you're playing low level games, expect to meet new players. Assuming you have basic human decency, try your best to help them understand how to play their characters and what's going in the game, especially if they're really new to rpgs. If you want more people to join the game and have a good time, then helping newbies is a great place to start. Your GM will love you if you help to coach new players, as it speeds up the game and makes his job easier

2. In higher level games, I suggest you keep a cheat sheet of your buffs and various daily practices ("I cast mage armor as soon as I wake up") and make an additional copy for your GM if it's especially complex or if your character has a ton of book keeping

3. Be patient and forgiving with GMs. Many of the GMS are volunteers and are running tons of scenarios. Don't expect them to remember everything about you or your character; they have to deal with tons of people that day. If you're playing in a special or higher level games, this goes double given how complex they can be.

4. It's a safe assumption that you will meet players with wildly differing play styles or personalities than you, and some might play their character in a way that rubs you the wrong way. Now this is rarely out of malice, so keep an open mind and try your best to get along.

5. Be mindful of your other players. If you're more used to foul-mouthed sarcasm around your table try to keep it down until you find out the other player's demeanor. If children are present, maintain a filter as best you can

Grand Lodge 5/5

If you are a group buffer I also suggest the conditions card deck. At our local we are pretty good about reminding each other, but it does really help especially with a bunch of unfamiliar players.

Sovereign Court 1/5

(Most of this is advice for gaming in general and may have been covered)
1. Get up and stretch every once and a while. (Heading to the Bathroom? offer to grab a soda for the GM.)
2. A table tent is nice but introduce yourself to the GM/Players (and play with strangers. No use driving a few hours just to play with the same group that you do at home).
3. Switch tables if it looks like it is not going to have enough players (better for everyone to play).
4. Put characters in a binder to keep track rather than a stack of loose papers.
5. On the down side, just because you are gaming, you are still responsible for your gear. Ask that someone keep an eye on it while you step away from the table. (Do you really need to bring your laptop?)
6. Write down who has what (in case of an emergency) and keep good notes (have someone be the group scribe).
7. Make sure everything is correct on the chronicle sheet before you leave the table.
8. Have fun.


Level up your characters. No, you can't play that character yet, but you should have a sense of what you're doing next level.

That way, when you have an hour between slots, you can switch character sheets and eat lunch, instead of sitting there wondering what to do with the skill points.

Silver Crusade 4/5

Being aware of bathroom locations as well as a backup location is always a good thing to keep in mind.

Liberty's Edge 3/5 *

Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

I brought a large bag of vitamin C drops and a large bag of mentholated cough drops to the last con and dropped them on the con organizers' table. By the time the special rolled around, all the GMs (and many of the players) were happy to have them available.

Dark Archive

I think the biggest thing I learned this time was to come prepared with a lot of water. I brought some, but after things started warming up it wasn't nearly enough. The hotel vendors were making a killing on $2/can sodas >.< I figured I could get by on water fountain refills... but all the water fountains were broken, and while the hotel had water coolers, they were perpetually empty because everyone else had the same idea.

Oh, and bring snacks in sharable quantities for bribing GMs ^_^

That said, it was overall a great success - met and played with some awesome people, and by some quirk of cosmic fate, managed to get ambushed by Bone Keep 2 (I was supposed to play Slave Master's Mirror, but two tables were short and got merged, and they had more people!), and not just survive, but clear the damn thing. Although it was a close call. On multiple occasions, for all involved. I guess it wouldn't be Bone Keep otherwise :)

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