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I've heard more than one person mention their desire to see the uncommon races rotate out. I'm not necessarily against this, despite my love of the races. In fact, making these sort of races more "special" is something I'm all on board for.
But on more than one occasion, I've been in the unfortunate position of having to tell a new player an idea they had is not PFS legal because the race they want to play requires a convention boon. And I feel like it'd be a real kick in the pants if an enthusiast for one of the four or five races potentially on the chopping block has their first opportunity to Find Paths with us after they are retired.
Furthermore, I notice players jump on these characters during the summer because they are afraid of the race migration, and I wouldn't be surprised if the players aren't making the best use of the races in their rush to lock them in. (Not that PFS enforces locking in backstory or personality, but many of us enjoy it.)
That being said, it might help if there was a sort of universal boon that allowed (new) players a single uncommon race after they are retired.
I hope this thread doesn't just devolve into the endless debate of exclusivity as a form of marketing versus positive play experience...because it'll inevitably come down to personal preference.
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Pathfinder Society Lead Developer
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Even the possibility of a retirement without warning is kind of annoying, as the concern that they'll do it the same way they did last time forces which characters i need to get a game in with which is hard when you run more than play.
Let's be clear about one thing: the last time the campaign changed the list of Always Available races, we introduced the ifrit, oread, sylph, and undine. At the same time, we retired nothing, citing not only that the process of stepping back aasimar and tiefling access had caused more heartache than we care to repeat, but also that the looming spectre of race retirement encouraged an aggressive play style for reasons that ultimately benefited neither the campaign nor its communities.
Does campaign leadership have the ability to step back access to certain non-core character races? Yes, but that process is one that would be pursued rarely and with lengthy consideration of what its effects would be and whether it's ultimately a good move for the campaign.
Go play scenarios because you want to have fun, tell a good story, and spend time with great people. I personally do not recommend playing just so that you can accumulate a stockpile of sylphs or war chest of wayangs. Ultimately, how you spend your time is your call.
Contributor
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It'd be nice to think that the events of Season 8 are permanently increasing the number of geniekin joining the Society, making them just as much of a staple as the Tien races. (By the same token, it would be nice if the aasimar and tiefling population had remained high post-Season 6. It'd save me a lot of stress, at least.)
It would add a certain feeling of achievement and influence to the organized play campaign, in a way that insubstantial achievements like "complete the Sky Key" or "free an Elemental Lord" don't always do. After all, those don't really affect day to day life as a Society member the way that one's fellow Pathfinder agents do. We did this thing, and now elemental folk are more common!
Of course, that's just me. I freely concede that I don't have half the expertise in this matter that Leadership does.
For now, I'd like to lock in at least one of each. I'd not be able to forgive myself if I missed my chance, like I did with Season 6. Also, I hope aasimar and tiefling boons come around again soon - it may be expensive, but at least it's a chance.
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Let's be clear about one thing: the last time the campaign changed the list of Always Available races, we introduced the ifrit, oread, sylph, and undine. At the same time, we retired nothing, citing not only that the process of stepping back aasimar and tiefling access had caused more heartache than we care to repeat
And I was very happy for that but..
but also that the looming spectre of race retirement encouraged an aggressive play style for reasons that ultimately benefited neither the campaign nor its communities.
one solution to that quandary is simply to not tell anyone is what i was (am?) worried about. That's the option that was employed with the mystic theurge early entry loophole closure.
While not the aasimar baby boom by any stretch the uncertainty leads to a little extra push in the geek soduku to get a character with 3 xp and then played as gencon looms.
Does campaign leadership have the ability to step back access to certain non-core character races? Yes, but that process is one that would be pursued rarely and with lengthy consideration of what its effects would be and whether it's ultimately a good move for the campaign.
Good to know. From the outside looking in there were only 3 or 4 datapoints to try to guess how it's going to go in the future: whether the aasimar in and out or the eastern races sticking around would be SOP.
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Developer
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Even the possibility of a retirement without warning is kind of annoying, as the concern that they'll do it the same way they did last time forces which characters i need to get a game in with which is hard when you run more than play.Let's be clear about one thing: the last time the campaign changed the list of Always Available races, we introduced the ifrit, oread, sylph, and undine. At the same time, we retired nothing, citing not only that the process of stepping back aasimar and tiefling access had caused more heartache than we care to repeat, but also that the looming spectre of race retirement encouraged an aggressive play style for reasons that ultimately benefited neither the campaign nor its communities.
Does campaign leadership have the ability to step back access to certain non-core character races? Yes, but that process is one that would be pursued rarely and with lengthy consideration of what its effects would be and whether it's ultimately a good move for the campaign.
Go play scenarios because you want to have fun, tell a good story, and spend time with great people. I personally do not recommend playing just so that you can accumulate a stockpile of sylphs or war chest of wayangs. Ultimately, how you spend your time is your call.
Your post relieves a lot of my concern. But, for the record, my concern was with future Pathfinders. It'd really be a kick in the pants to learn your favorite race was legal, if only you knew about Pathfinder Society a year earlier.
This was an idea I proposed to someone who was complaining about how long the uncommon races have been legal, and it was a compromise that they thought was really clever: Give new players one-time access to retired uncommon races.
But this doesn't seem to be an issue, and your post makes me feel confident that we will have room for new players who will be persuaded to try Organized Play using their favorite Elemental or Eastern Races!
I honestly didn't mind the retirement of aasimar or tiefling when it happened, though, mainly because their presence was also breaking the game. Before the retirement, I regularly heard the advice to make whatever new character you have an aasimar/tiefling, because it was mechanically superior (if you just choose the correct background).
When your choices for being effective are so drastically reduced, something is wrong. I'm glad they're gone.
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One thing that would be good is if boon races got cycled back in after a while. If you don't GM at a convention in the quarter when a given race was the boon race, you might get another chance if that race comes back as a boon race in a couple of years.
The boon trading thread should help that.
I'm hoping that the skinwalker RSP "hey, i can name anyone a skinwalker, trading it for your X" will give gameday dms some skin in the game..ow ow owow sorry couldn't resiOWOWOWOW.