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I setup an event at my local comic book store for this Sunday. This is completely new at the location and for the PFS community in the area. Further, I'm a new GM and this will be my 1st PFS session. This event will be CORE. I've been running PF home games for years. I don't know who or if anyone will be showing up, so wanted to get some ideas on what scenarios to prep for. Should I select a level 1 scenario since this is the 1st event at this location? Or should I select something higher level? Will that get more participation? Any specific scenario recommendations? I'll be sure have pregens printed for this event, but not sure what I should list in the event itself. Want to it be successful so it can continue. Thanks!
EDIT: Also how do peeps sign up for this event? I don't see how they would do that on the event webpage to let me know if they plan to attend other than emailing me.
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Welcome to the society. I will try to answer your questions in order.
Before I begin, I need to confirm that you have downloaded and read the Guide to the Pathfinder Society and read it cover to cover. You as an organizer are responsible for understanding the rules of PFS. Bring new player ID cards. Make sure your sign-up sheets for the event are properly configured prior to your first session so you can report properly.
Good Scenarios to prep for:
This is easy. Since this is your first session, with likely some fresh players, The Confirmation is your best bet. Intro to society, straightforward, and perfect for the situation.
Should I select something higher level?
Until you know if your local players even have higher level characters, no. All new players need to start out at level 1, so assuming based on your statements that this event could include anybody, you need to start with a 1-5 scenario. The beauty of The Confirmation is that even experienced players can replay it for credit.
Should I list the event?
Yes! If there are players that know PFS, they will want to know what's being run. If they don't, the blurb about the adventure is a great way to get people interested in the game and what story is about to be told.
How to peeps sign up?
Well that's up to you. There is no way to do that here on the Paizo site. That's the responsibility for each organizer. Some use Warhorn. Some use meetup (see our lodge for our local sign-up system). Others rely on sign up sheets at the store. Regardless, you're going to have to track sign-ups yourself (such as you noted, via e-mail).
Good luck!
Venture-Captain, Nebraska—Omaha
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Have you contacted a Venture Officer in your area? They are a great resource on what you need to do.
Have you setup a PFS number for yourself? As GM, that number is used to get table credit.
You will need to setup an event here on Paizo under the Pathfinder Society area so the table can be reported. This allows the players and you to get credit. You can also get a block of 10 PFS numbers to hand out as needed.
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Before I begin, I need to confirm that you have downloaded and read the Guide to the Pathfinder Society and read it cover to cover. You as an organizer are responsible for understanding the rules of PFS. Bring new player ID cards. Make sure your sign-up sheets for the event are properly configured prior to your first session so you can report properly.
I've downloaded a copy and have been reading through it. I'm getting a decent understand of PFS. I'm just anxious making sure I do well with this venture and not mess anything up.
This is easy. Since this is your first session, with likely some fresh players, The Confirmation is your best bet. Intro to society, straightforward, and perfect for the situation.
Thank you. I'll purchase a copy and prepare to run it. I'll also update the event posting to indicate this is the adventure being used.
Have you contacted a Venture Officer in your area? They are a great resource on what you need to do.
Yes. He's been really helpful. I just come to the forums to ask questions since I don't want bother him (he's busy with his RL and running his own games in his area).
Have you setup a PFS number for yourself? As GM, that number is used to get table credit.
Yes. This was the 1st thing I did.
You will need to setup an event here on Paizo under the Pathfinder Society area so the table can be reported. This allows the players and you to get credit. You can also get a block of 10 PFS numbers to hand out as needed.
The event has already been setup.
Thanks for your MS and GB.
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I've downloaded a copy and have been reading through it. I'm getting a decent understand of PFS. I'm just anxious making sure I do well with this venture and not mess anything up.
You will mess up.
And thats ok. Everyone does. Especially when starting out. Even when not starting out.
It may be an all official sanctioned filled out in triplicate oooo look a game but its still a game. No one's actually going to die. Run the adventure, have some fun, and everything else is a distant second.
Yes. He's been really helpful. I just come to the forums to ask questions since I don't want bother him (he's busy with his RL and running his own games in his area).
Ask us anything. A) We've heard weirder and B) we have no life.
Thanks for stepping up.
If it takes off, add yourself to the map or poke me and i'll throw it up for you.
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I've downloaded a copy and have been reading through it. I'm getting a decent understand of PFS. I'm just anxious making sure I do well with this venture and not mess anything up.
You will mess up.
And thats ok. Everyone does. Especially when starting out. Even when not starting out.
It may be an all official sanctioned filled out in triplicate oooo look a game but its still a game. No one's actually going to die. Run the adventure, have some fun, and everything else is a distant second.
Yes. He's been really helpful. I just come to the forums to ask questions since I don't want bother him (he's busy with his RL and running his own games in his area).Ask us anything. A) We've heard dumber and B) we have no life.
Thanks for stepping up.
If it takes off, add yourself to the map or poke me and i'll throw it up for you.
LOL, thanks! I've already pinned my location on the flat map. :)
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Venture-Captain, Nebraska—Omaha
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Thanks for your MS and GB.
Then you are well ahead of the curve! I GM The Confirmation a recent Con. Fun adventure. Do yourself a determine and determine EVERYTHING that needs to be determined before hand.
Also go to pfsprep.com (I think that is the URL. if not look for it on the forums) to see what others have put out for that adventure. Was very helpful for me.
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As this is your first time GM'ing PFS, Confirmation is an excellent suggestion. For additional "first time" game content, First Steps, part 1 is a free download and is another "intro" both in and out of play scenario.
Random advise: so that your first game runs smoothly, I'd suggest pre-drawing what maps you can and making sure that you have any stats / miniatures / templates / etc. handy. When doing intro scenarios (and sometimes higher level scenarios) I also like to use 3x5 cards to write out some of the items that may be found on the adventure, especially as newer players may not be used to trying to track such things (Ex. Wand of Cure Light Wounds, caster level 1, 1d8+1 hitpoints, 8 charges: [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] ). If you are artistically inclined (or hilariously not so inclined), you could also sketch a picture on the back to flip it over when it is identified.
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As this is your first time GM'ing PFS, Confirmation is an excellent suggestion. For additional "first time" game content, First Steps, part 1 is a free download and is another "intro" both in and out of play scenario.
Random advise: so that your first game runs smoothly, I'd suggest pre-drawing what maps you can and making sure that you have any stats / miniatures / templates / etc. handy. When doing intro scenarios (and sometimes higher level scenarios) I also like to use 3x5 cards to write out some of the items that may be found on the adventure, especially as newer players may not be used to trying to track such things (Ex. Wand of Cure Light Wounds, caster level 1, 1d8+1 hitpoints, 8 charges: [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] ). If you are artistically inclined (or hilariously not so inclined), you could also sketch a picture on the back to flip it over when it is identified.
These are good suggestions, thank you. I actually already do some of these in my home AP game. I just read in the reviews of First Steps that it's recommended to run this scenario before Confirmation. Does it matter?
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Story wise it makes a little more sense to do first steps/confirmation. In first steps you're not quite full agents yet, you get to meet some faction players, and its a little more puzzley. First steps though, has an infamously killy end fight thats actually one of the more complicated in pfs. That halfling can easily kill crit a first level character. You may want to roll his damage behind the DMs screen if he crits *wink wink nudge nudge*
The confirmation can crit kill you, but generally only if you do something stupid.
Venture-Captain, Netherlands
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If you have a lot of people who are new to RPG's in general, it might be hard to get them to commit to a four hour game.
If people want to try the game out first, you can try out running some of the quests. They are a collection of six small adventures, which last generally about an hour. They showcase and teach the game as they generally have a bit of roleplay, and one or two fights.
You can find the quests here
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If you have a lot of people who are new to RPG's in general, it might be hard to get them to commit to a four hour game.
If people want to try the game out first, you can try out running some of the quests. They are a collection of six small adventures, which last generally about an hour. They showcase and teach the game as they generally have a bit of roleplay, and one or two fights.You can find the quests here
These are perfect! I was reading through Confirmation and was worried with the number of combats about completing the scenario in 4 hours (store location is only open 12-6 on Sun, so need to be finished by 5 for Chronicle distribution and cleanup). These quests will allow me to run 1-2 of those scenarios in the same session.
Are the Silverhex Chronicles quests repeatable for players because it's a level 1 scenario?
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If you have a lot of people who are new to RPG's in general, it might be hard to get them to commit to a four hour game.
If people want to try the game out first, you can try out running some of the quests. They are a collection of six small adventures, which last generally about an hour. They showcase and teach the game as they generally have a bit of roleplay, and one or two fights.You can find the quests here
These are perfect! I was reading through Confirmation and was worried with the number of combats about completing the scenario in 4 hours (store location is only open 12-6 on Sun, so need to be finished by 5 for Chronicle distribution and cleanup). These quests will allow me to run 1-2 of those scenarios in the same session.
Are the Silverhex Chronicles quests repeatable for players because it's a level 1 scenario?
Yes - silverhex are repeatable. Combined as a package they can "create" a scenario, but far slower than actual scenarios.
Quests are a great way to introduce new players who have never played society before. If you think there's any chance of existing players showing up, they will be far less appealing.
If you're concerned about the Confirmation being too long, then you might be concerned in general. That is the "standard" length of a PFS scenario (designed for a full package in 5 hours).
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I just read in the reviews of First Steps that it's recommended to run this scenario before Confirmation. Does it matter?
Technically, no, they can be run in any order.
Many run a thematic "intro to PFS" by running Master of the Fallen Fortress, then First Steps, Part 1, then Confirmation. This allows PCs to "organically" transition into the Pathfinder society by (hopefully) rescuing a Pathfinder, being inducted into the Society by meeting some of the faction heads, and then having their confirmation completed and becoming full-fledged Pathfinders.The Silverhex Quests are also excellent for introduction as they lend themselves to "sandbox" play a bit more and can help transition new players.
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The latter: check the quests completed and then issue the chronicle. As long as they keep playing pregens and don't apply any other chronicles to that character, they can add other quests later. It's spelled out on pg. 3 of the Silverhex Chronicles.
Thanks. I just glossed over it last night after downloading. I was planning to complete the prep on Sat.
If you're concerned about the Confirmation being too long, then you might be concerned in general. That is the "standard" length of a PFS scenario (designed for a full package in 5 hours).
I'm now worried the location is not viable with it's store hours. It'll probably work for the 1-time quests, but dedicating 5 hours to a scenario, that store is only open 6 hours on Sun. Not a lot of time between set up, game, distribute Chronicles, and clean up. I may have to look to a new venue. :(
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A lot of us regularly game in stores with a 6 hour operating window, and it's usually not a huge problem.
+1 to this.
The venue I was the coordinator for (before complications from a flood caused them to shut down for good) had week night gaming that was much more time-constrained than most weekend gaming it and it was rarely an issue.In addition, you can also use this site as a resource regarding "shorter" or "longer" scenarios. It's often a comment in either the product description or GM threads about the specific scenarios. 1-7's for instance tend to be faster scenarios as page count was devoted to stat blocks for 3 tiers rather than 2, so there is less content and therefor can generally be done in faster time.
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Venture-Captain, Netherlands
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Six hours may seem short for everything, but once you get the hang of it, you'll save time on the setting up and the book keeping.
Also, while new (you and the players) stick to season 0 and 1. Those are generally shorter to run, and have less weird monsters/abilities in them, so you have more time to guide and teach your players.