Class Decks are mostly meant for Guild games (the PFACG's Organized Play campaigns). In non-Guild games you can just use the Characters and Roles if you want, or you can add all of the cards in them to your set, but you probably don't want to add too many and dilute the entire set.
You don't get the rewards listed at the bottom of the Scenario/Adventure/AP cards. You still get to use the cards you found during the adventure. (IIRC, you're not supposed to repeat scenarios you've completed in non-Guild play anyway, but it's your game. :)
It's your choice whether or not to play through the AP with new characters or with characters that have played the basic adventure.
Subscriptions only help with current product. I bought my S&S set when various parts were on sale at other places, not from Paizo's website.
Hope this helps!
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Class Decks. Before you start spending money on them, you don't need them. If you're fine with the characters that come with the base set and the add-on deck, you don't need to look at them.
Class Decks were designed for Organized Play. They can be used with the regular Adventure Path. There are currently seven class decks which cover the original iconic classes from the RotR base set: Bard, Cleric, Fighter, Ranger, Rogue, Sorcerer and Wizard. Each of these class decks have four characters. One of those four is a different variation of the iconic character from the base set (i.e. there is a Lem that is different from the Lem in RotR, and a Kyra and Harsk, etc.) Each of the characters in the class decks have their own role cards. You can't mix-n-match. The role cards for the above iconics are different than the ones from RotR. The cards that make up the rest of the deck (a deck contains 110 cards: 1 rules card, 4 tokens, 4 characters, 4 roles, 97 boons) are made up of some from RotR, some from S&S and some completely new ones.
If you want variation in your base game and want to try other characters than the ones that come with RotR, then you can purchase the class decks. Purchase them one at a time depending on the class you want to add. The cards are similar in that they have a B or 1 through 6 on them. So if you are using a character from a class deck, you can simply add the appropriate level cards from that deck to the deck box when to shuffle them up prior to playing. As you add Adventure decks to your set, add the appropriate cards from the class deck(s).
On the other side, if you play Organized Play and the Season of scenarios, then you need the class decks and they work differently. You don't add the cards to the base set. But all of that is explained in the Organized Play Guide which can be found off the Pathfinder Society page. But I don't think that's what you are wanting.
That's Class Decks.
Characters can only gain the rewards from scenarios when they complete them successfully. They only gain those rewards once. Doesn't matter if it is feats or a pick of cards. The only thing you can keep getting from replaying scenarios is upgrades. You get upgrades whether you succeed or fail scenarios. Or if you replay scenarios. Rewards only once upon completing it successfully. But upgrades are powerful things.
The base adventure can be played prior to the Adventure 1 scenarios or after. It is up to you. There is no rule about it. Personally, we played them after we completed Adventure 1. You don't get any feats from the base Adventure, just card rewards. (For RotR)
If you do decide to purchase everything ... for RotR, you just need the base set, add-on deck, adventures 2 through 6 decks. If you want to add class decks, there are seven of those. But again, not needed to play RotR. If you want the promos from RotR, you'll need to search eBay and other vendors for them. They're not resold by Paizo.
Same goes with Skull & Shackles. Base set, add-on deck, adventure decks 2 through 6. Promos are the same. Class decks optional.
Subscriptions only help with the current set which is Wrath of the Righteous. Adventure 2 is already been out at stores so subscribing now would start with Adventure 3. Subscriptions are a way of always getting the current promo cards with the sets as they are released. Like I said, they aren't resold by Paizo.
Hope this helps.
As others have pointed out, you don't really need class decks unless you want to participate in organized play (in which case you need one). If you just want to try out the characters from them, there are .pdfs of all the character sheets available for download from this website.
Honestly, if you're that hungry for more character options already, and you want to play with physical cards, I'd even advise picking up a base set of another AP (Skull & Shackles, Wrath of the Righteous) that you think you might want eventually, over the class decks (though again, you can try out the characters by downloading the .pdfs there, too).
You can/should use the same characters you played through the B scenarios with in the AP, though if you prefer you can start one or more fresh ones there as well. B > AD 1 > AD 2, etc.
You aren't required to play through the B scenarios, but it's recommended, at least for a first playthrough.
And no, you can't freely banish cards from your character decks; at the end of each scenario, you're stuck rebuilding with the cards your party has collectively acquired (unless you banished more than you found of a given type, leaving you lower than you started). For spells specifically, however, you can use the option to give a card from your hand at the start of your turn to another character at the same location, such that a non-caster can play the spell, banishing it, which will give you a free pick from basic cards from the box if you then don't acquire any spells that scenario.
(Though as an aside, Augury is incredibly useful, to the point that part of the difficulty of later sets is due to its absence. Searching for monsters and putting them on the bottom, or Henchman/villain monsters on the top to quickly close the location, or villain on the bottom to get to loot the whole location if full of tasty stuff, is *really* handy.)
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philosorapt0r is correct about the "banishing" of cards that you don't find useful in your deck. But it should be noted that when you gather up all the cards the party has collected in the scenario, you can easily swap out cards you don't like with something else. But you can't go back to the box and swap out cards you don't find useful between games. Also, if you are picking something out of the collection, the card you are swapping it for goes into the collection so someone else has access to it.
Also, don't discount any form of scouting/examining of location decks by cards like Augury, Scry, Spyglass, etc. Like philosorapt0r said, it is a very powerful tool.
If you're looking to pick up things like already-out class decks (such that it's too late for a subscription to net you any promos), you can also look to retailers like coolstuffinc and the like, who have pretty solid discounts across the board. That way you can have more $ left to manage more subscriptions for current stuff :).
Mmm, yeah, small parties with few spellcasters make for hard choices. Still, augury is definitely better than guidance :). Card feats for more spells will help eventually.
And you're starting to encounter some of the short-vs-long-term tradeoffs inherent in the game: if you're planning to get weapon proficiency as your next power feat on Merisiel, carrying a good proficiency-requiring weapon for a couple scenarios may or may not be worth the cost. (On Merisiel in particular, you can just recharge it for her power when you draw a better weapon.)
Part of the fun of the game is making lots of risk-management decisions where you choose how much to risk losing a scenario (or sometimes even dying) in order to strengthen your party in the long run. Preferred playstyle varies quite a bit, from folks who try to never close anything early (because then they'd miss out on some loot!), and need the stronger, aggressive-exploring decks they end up with in order to manage more explores safely, to folks who spread out to efficiently temporary-close all the locations to corner the villain ASAP (easier to win the scenario, but results in fewer upgrades) which in turn reinforces the take-the-easier-route choice being correct in the future.
My suggestion would be to not purchase any class decks until you've had a chance to play with more of the main characters. Get a feel for how some classes play. Then, once you find a class you really like you can look for it's class deck.
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My suggestion would be to not purchase any class decks until you've had a chance to play with more of the main characters. Get a feel for how some classes play. Then, once you find a class you really like you can look for it's class deck.
That!
EDIT: Also, I can attest that if you have the Class Deck subscription, it says you get 20% off Cover price.
But try the characters out first before adding more characters. In fact, I'd probably suggest that if you're itching to buy something, buy the Adventure decks first and play it out with characters you have. Then go back and try with class decks if you wish.
My suggestion would be to not purchase any class decks until you've had a chance to play with more of the main characters. Get a feel for how some classes play. Then, once you find a class you really like you can look for it's class deck.
Except for the upcoming Paladin deck - who wouldn't want to play the *ONLY* Gnome Paladin!
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Agree on the concept of not getting class decks until you've played more of the main characters.
Further thoughts on class decks were discussed recently here:
http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2sek1?adding-Class-Decks
Chief Technical Officer
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Class Decks are mostly meant for Guild games (the PFACG's Organized Play campaigns).
This isn't accurate. When it comes to design, we consider the "organized play" function and the "accessory to standard game" function equally. Also, having compared sales figures to OP reports, I can guarantee you that *most* of the people who are buying them are using them as an accessory, not in org play.
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Chief Technical Officer
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EDIT: Also, I can attest that if you have the Class Deck subscription, it says you get 20% off Cover price.
Because we just launched the Class Deck subscriptions, we're still working on some of the details, so we haven't messaged this very thoroughly yet, but PACG subscribers will continue to get 20% off on the first 7 Class Decks.
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EDIT: Also, I can attest that if you have the Class Deck subscription, it says you get 20% off Cover price.Because we just launched the Class Deck subscriptions, we're still working on some of the details, so we haven't messaged this very thoroughly yet, but PACG subscribers will continue to get 20% off on the first 7 Class Decks.
If someone just has the PACG subscription, will they get 20% off the new class decks coming out?
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Chief Technical Officer
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Nope. That discount was only in place because there was no subscription that covered class decks. Now that the class deck line has it's own subscription available, you to need to have that subscription to get a subscriber discount.
We'll continue to extend the existing discount on the first 7 Class Decks to PACG subscribers, and we'll *also* offer it to class deck subscribers. (I don't think that particular switch has been flipped yet; once everything is all settled, we'll send an email to both PACG subscribers and class deck subscribers explaining all this.)
- Class Decks. These are not required to play through the home game. If you want to use one of the characters from them, you have three options:
a) Download the free character sheets for the class decks here. This lets you play the character without purchasing anything, and also lets you evaluate the characters before any possible purchase to see if it's something you actually want to do.
b) Purchase a class deck to play a character from it and mix in every card from the deck of the appropriate level. They're balanced to be all-or-nothing, cherry-picking cards from the class decks to mix in the game box may change the balance of the game. I strongly recommend only mixing in class deck cards if you're playing a character from that particular class deck, otherwise you'll dilute the base card pool way too much and lose the flavor of the game with all the generic cards. Class deck cards are mixed in just like normal Adventure Deck cards; when you start out mix in only the B's. Then when you start Adventure 1, mix in the 1's. Continue that trend for 2's, 3's, etc.
c) Cherry-pick cards from the class deck(s) you like, knowing that it may change the balance of the game slightly. But hey, it's your game - do what you want with it. If going this route is what makes you want to really play a particular character or something, don't let anyone saying "it's not proper" stop you.
- By the rules, you cannot replay scenarios you have previously won (and you are required to replay it if you lost). Scenarios in any particular Adventure are meant to be played in the order listed on the Adventure card, and Adventures are meant to be played in the order listed on the Adventure Path card. The Base set (B) Adventure is not part of the Adventure Path so you can really play it whenever, but I'd recommend playing it either before Adventure 1 or immediately afterwards.
That said, it's your game so if you want to replay a particular scenario for whatever reason even if you already beat it, go for it. Don't take any of the scenario rewards multiple times though; rewards are in general quite powerful and double-dipping can greatly offset game balance. You can still get deck upgrades from cards you've acquired during the course of the scenario. If you decide to houserule replaying scenarios, my recommendation is to follow a similar rule as Organized Play: You can only replay scenarios within 1 Adventure Deck number of the highest card of your deck (so if the highest card in your deck is Adventure Deck 3, you can only replay AD 2, 3, or 4 scenarios; you can't go back to B or 1).
- The expectation is that you choose a single character and progress that character through the Adventure Path. The Base (B) Adventure can be a good way to test out characters to see if you like them before committing to the actual AP. If you take a character through the B adventure, you can keep that same character for the AP proper including any deck upgrades they have -- you don't need to restart.
- There are no bundles that I am aware of, however the Adventure Card Game Subscriptions will give you 20% off MSRP for existing ACG products purchased online on paizo.com, excluding new class decks and the Organized Play scenarios (you'd need the Class Deck subscription to get 20% off new class decks or the RPG Adventure Path subscription to get 15% off the Organized Play scenarios as part of the catchall "Pathfinder Advantage" discount). You may find better deals elsewhere as mentioned by other posters, however, so picking up a subscription to get a discount on existing products is probably not worth it unless you are also interested in getting all of the new products (and promo cards) associated with that subscription. Note if you purchase a subscription, the discount does not start applying until after the first subscription shipment.
- Banishing cards between scenarios is not allowed. You are allowed to swap cards in between character decks between scenarios as part of rebuilding your deck after each scenario, but that's it.
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Chief Technical Officer
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...the Adventure Card Game Subscriptions will give you 20% off MSRP for existing ACG products purchased online on paizo.com...
It gives you 20% off of Ultra•PRO PACG Accessories at any time, but you only get a 20% discount on regular PACG products that are sent to you as part of your subscription, not on existing products.
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I am apparently getting 20% off the playmats coming with my subs this month, but I only have the regular card game subscription, so I guess either will do it.
To the OP, I say welcome to the world of PACG! I do not miss all the money that has gone to giving me decks and decks of awesome cards (and also cryptic runes and goose in the rigging and demonic horde). Everybody on the thread has given awesome advice. I add to it the caveat that if you are playing it (and not for organized play), you are free to alter the rules to whatever makes the game most fun for you, and it's always good to know what the actual rule is before you do that!
I wanted to keep Augury because I can totally see how useful it can be, but the fact is she had only one spell that could defeat ghosts (and the Rogue had no options for dealing with them) and they just KEPT coming up! So a second Inflict and a Guidance were more important than Augury and Detect Traps.
As a rules note, Guidance won't help you defeat a Ghost. You only get to apply a card's traits to a check if you're using it to determine the check. For instance, Inflict says "For your combat check...". Your Amulet of Mighty Fists doesn't determine the check, but it explicitly tells you to add 1d4 with the Magic trait, so that works.
Edit: What i meant to say is "Casting Guidance during a combat won't give you the Magic trait you need to defeat a Ghost". It'll certainly give you +1 , and that could make the difference if you're beating on it with your Amulet of Mighty Fists. Hopefully your Merisiel finds the Deathbane Light Crossbow, it's pretty much the best weapon for her at the moment.
Some of the Rise of the Runelords cards have redundant text, yes. Don't let it throw you, i.e. don't try to read something into the cards that's not there. Just remember that you can use ONE card to set what kind of check you are making. That card automatically adds all its traits. Other cards played on the check only add traits if they specifically say so.
I'll second what Vic said. I don't play the Guild games - and I love the Class Decks. While people may make Darago-tory comments about the Wizard deck - I think having a wizard with 2 Armors (even without proficiency) actually works out pretty well. (Darago is a Necromancer in the Wizard class deck).
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Chief Technical Officer
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Doesn't the card pass its traits to a die when it changes the die? (Not when it just adds to it, like Guidance. Now that I reread Guidance, anyway.) If so, isn't that text superfluous (and a little confusing)?
The rules about exactly how traits passed to the check weren't codified until after Runelords, so many of those cards specified things that they no longer need to have specified.
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Thanks, Mr. Wertz. I got one last question I think probably only you are going to have an accurate answer to: I subbed to both ACG subscriptions - when will the discount on the first seven Class Decks kick in? My guess is not until one of the subscriptions ships me a product, but if it's sooner than that that's awesome.
If you subscribed to the standard PACG subscription, you should have received an email confirming that. Once that goes through the system, once you add one of the seven class decks to your cart, you should see the price discount automatically. It does not wait until you actually have been shipped a product.
Actually, I think discounts don't kick in until you get your first subscription shipped. That way you can't "game" the system by subscribing, using the discount, and unsubscribing before you actually get a subscription shipment.
What you could do is ask Customer Service if the discount will apply if the class deck(s) is added to the same order as your first subscription shipment. I'm not sure if that works or not.
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Chief Technical Officer
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Actually, I think discounts don't kick in until you get your first subscription shipped. That way you can't "game" the system by subscribing, using the discount, and unsubscribing before you actually get a subscription shipment.
Right.
What you could do is ask Customer Service if the discount will apply if the class deck(s) is added to the same order as your first subscription shipment. I'm not sure if that works or not.
That should work.