Hi everyone,
We are all getting ready for PaizoCon 2018 and we want to try our characters out before the convention.
Our local store only runs games on the first Saturday of each month, which does not work well with our schedules. We would like to run a few society games at our house, but I am not sure how to do this?
We have enough players and we are all very experienced with the game. The three people that are attending PaizoCon (me and two others) want to try a game this Saturday. A fourth member of our group is willing to run the game. He is experienced with the rules, but does not have a Society number. He is willing to get one of course.
What are the steps to turn this dream into a reality? Do we have to have the event sanctioned? Can we run the game at home or do we need to go to a local gaming store?
We only have three players, but page 11 of the PFS Guide says we could have the GM play an NPC (which we would rather not do).
The Guide also says we should work with a local coordinator to schedule are game, but since we are doing this with our group, is this necessary?
The Guide explains how to fill out the chronicle sheets, so we can all do that together after the game, right?
We are hoping to get in at least one game before PaizoCon with our characters, but hopefully two.
In addition, I was going to buy #8-16 for our GM to run. It has a 5 star rating and I was hoping by picking an earlier scenario it would not interfere with games running at PaizoCon. Is this a good one for three 1st level characters?
Thank you in advance!
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So, you can go into your Organized Play page, click the "GM/Event Coordinator" tab, and Create a new event at the bottom (just make sure you don't click the "public" box when you create it). Just name the event "somebody somebody home game at somebody somebody house", fill out the required information, and boom you have an event code. Later, when you're done, you report the scenario under that event using the "report" link on the right. In the future, when you play PFS at home, use the same event code to report the tables.
As long as you have a history of playing games at other store(s), it shouldn't be an issue. If you suddenly rack up 20 tables of play in 30 days, and you're only playing under that one event, it may raise eyebrows. Home PFS games in moderation should be a-ok. I've done it before, and that's how my buddies and I report Adventure Paths for PFS credit.
Thanks.
We definitely do not want to raise eyebrows or have someone uncomfortable with what we are doing.
We will do this and make sure we play at other spaces from time to time.
Thank you!
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You can set up your own "Event" under your Account. There's even a drop down to input your residential address. When you create an event it'll give you a 6 digit event code (probably 400,000+). Use all of that information to fill out the Chronicle.
If you only have three players, and don't want to bring a Pregen for the fourth, just have them "stand guard" outside of the dungeon or something. But since scenarios are designed for at least four players, I will warn you that three will find it difficult.
... I will warn you that three will find it difficult.
Fantastic, we like games difficult.
In the past, we have found Paizo products to be made on the "easy-side", so we are confident. The adventure paths are normally very easy, the one PFS game I played was also a cake walk and the Starfinder game we played I never even used any spells when I played the iconic mystic, except cantrips/orisons.
If this ends up being hard, we will be pleasantly surprised.
I have played one normal PFS scenario and the Starfinder into session. Both were not challenging.
I played one AP and it was usually not hard, but I have no idea if that was the play style of my GM or the AP.
I ran Wrath of the Righteous and it was really hard for my players, which I am running for a second time without mythic rules and some tweaking; it is going well this time around.
Most of my experiences is with home brew, which does not count.
The boards complain that everything is easy, but I take that with a grain of salt.
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My wife recently created a PFS home game so that two of our friends could get their gaming fix while both my PF campaign and their other group are on extended hiatus They have a 4-year-old, which pretty much rules out them playing PFS at our FLGS like we do. We've played two scenarios this way so far (one with a couple other friends joining us, too), and it's going well.
Some places may vary in how they handle the rule about using a NPC pregen to make a legal table of 4, but all of the GMs at my FLGS prefer to have one or more of the players run that pregen. The GM has enough data to manage as it is, especially if they're having to make adjustments for subtier or party size, or track plot points that a given scenario uses to determine success. (Putting that responsibility for the pregen on the players also encourages them to choose one that's easy and straightforward to run. For example, certain players I know *always* suggest investigator, but change their tune when no one else is willing to run Quinn.)
#8-16 is an excellent adventure. It was one of the first few scenarios that my two middle-school-aged kids played when they joined PFS recently, so I think they were only 1st level at the time. I'm not sure about how it would run with only three PCs, but with experienced players it should be fine.
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As long as you have a history of playing games at other store(s), it shouldn't be an issue. If you suddenly rack up 20 tables of play in 30 days, and you're only playing under that one event, it may raise eyebrows. Home PFS games in moderation should be a-ok. I've done it before, and that's how my buddies and I report Adventure Paths for PFS credit.
Actually since PFS is perfectly legal to play at home games it isn't an issue at all. If you and your friends want to play 20 tables in 30 days go for it. If you only ever want to play at home with your friends, go for it. The eyebrows of others shouldn't be raised if you are following the rules.
Venture-Captain, Minnesota
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Given that all online games outside of conventions are “home games” you guys running twenty games in thirty days should prove no problem at all.
If you guys are looking to level fast before PaizoCon, why not run the whole arc of Gallows of Madness after House of Harmonious Wisdom and Confirmation*? It’s a cute little series of PFS legal adventures that will get your group to level five in three 5-6 hour sessions. If you run it campaign mode (which you can do because the module has that option for those who run the whole thing) you can adjust the challenge for your friends.
Hmm
* On Confirmation: It is fun the first time you run it, but boring on repeats. Still, it is a nice first or second adventure for a party. That with Gallows of Madness would give your whole party a nice start.
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I have played one normal PFS scenario and the Starfinder into session. Both were not challenging.
I guess my question would be, what is your definition of "challenging"?
If you build three combat monsters, I agree that the vast majority of scenarios will not be "challenging" in that way, but there are several scenarios with no combat at all, or entirely different objectives (such as subterfuge, gathering evidence, disabling an evil artifact, acquiring allies for the Society, and so on).
Having one less d20 at the table can sometimes make a skills challenge impossible.
Yes, on the skill side I agree 100%.
I suppose I meant challenging in a combat sense and not the role play side. Since I have not experienced many PFS adventures I have yet to experience a penalty for failure. When I played the only other scenario, we failed all the social rolls and still went on the mission. I am uncertain what we would have gained by making the rolls.
That is not a slight on the adventure or the GM, just an observation as a player.
The combats were all extremely easy. I never really took any damage and the opponents dropped fast. It was a speed bump and nothing more. Granted, I admit not having much experience and am looking forward to being tested at PaizoCon.
Regarding the “fast leveling”, we are really only planning on running these characters a couple times before PaizoCon.
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Cool cool.
Yeah the intro scenarios generally have to be "soft" when it comes to combat. When six people sit down to a Tier 1-5 scenario, you may have five of them at level 5 and one of them at level 1, so the encounters can't have the punch that higher Tier scenarios can.
I would just recommend having the three of you split up skills and magical abilities as best as you can. A generalist does best in PFS. Put max ranks in the Big 5 Knowledges, all 4 social skills, and 1 rank in everything else.
Party composition could be:
Magus (melee, arcane and Knowledge)
Warpriest (melee, divine)
Unchained Rogue (melee, skills, traps)
Venture-Captain, Nebraska—Omaha
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For the purpose of a "legal" table, there must be 4 characters. It is possible to play with 3 live players and 1 pregen. As suggested, if you wanted the pregen to just stand back and heal, that is the party call. The PreGens are free downloads.
Otherwise others have covered the process for you.
There are certain things that need to be filled out on the chronicles so take the time to look at the Guide to see how to fill them out correctly.
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I suppose I meant challenging in a combat sense and not the role play side. Since I have not experienced many PFS adventures I have yet to experience a penalty for failure. When I played the only other scenario, we failed all the social rolls and still went on the mission. I am uncertain what we would have gained by making the rolls.
I have played in a scenario or two where failing all the social rolls would definitely cost one (or both) of the prestige points/goals. (Both being a case where you didn't get enough info and thus the combats then don't lead you to towards the goals.)
It could be your judge was taking it easy on you. While there are goals in PFS scenarios to get prestige points, the real goal is for everyone to have a good time.
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Cool cool.
Yeah the intro scenarios generally have to be "soft" when it comes to combat. When six people sit down to a Tier 1-5 scenario, you may have five of them at level 5 and one of them at level 1, so the encounters can't have the punch that higher Tier scenarios can.
I would just recommend having the three of you split up skills and magical abilities as best as you can. A generalist does best in PFS. Put max ranks in the Big 5 Knowledges, all 4 social skills, and 1 rank in everything else.
Party composition could be:
Magus (melee, arcane and Knowledge)
Warpriest (melee, divine)
Unchained Rogue (melee, skills, traps)
Please keep in mind, all of these require different books. Three different hardbacks at that. Pathfinder has a lot of character options, but not all of them are legal for PFS, so be sure to check the Additional Resources page when stepping out of the CRB. PFS also requires the player to own all the source material for any chosen options. This will be important when you take your characters to a different GM (such as at PaizoCon). In some ways it is more restricting than a home game, though in most ways it is less.
This (IMHO) is the second hardest part for Pathfinder players to adjust to when starting PFS, (1 xp & playing in tier being the first :) Players should be encouraged to play what they want to play, not to fill a gap (choosing a pre-gen should fill any gap). I would not suggest a warpriest or magus to a new player, though the OP sounds like they have experience with Pathfinder and are new only to PFS.
Since your FLGS has regular games, you could contact them to find a fourth (or fifth player). If one of you can make it to their game you can kind of screen players that you would be comfortable inviting into your home. Many locals use PFS to recruit people for their home games.
Finally, I realize the intended game day has come and gone. I hope it went well.
Welcome Globetrotter! O:)
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As long as you have a history of playing games at other store(s), it shouldn't be an issue. If you suddenly rack up 20 tables of play in 30 days, and you're only playing under that one event, it may raise eyebrows. Home PFS games in moderation should be a-ok. I've done it before, and that's how my buddies and I report Adventure Paths for PFS credit.Actually since PFS is perfectly legal to play at home games it isn't an issue at all. If you and your friends want to play 20 tables in 30 days go for it. If you only ever want to play at home with your friends, go for it. The eyebrows of others shouldn't be raised if you are following the rules.
Yeah, this is me assuming someone who audits the PFS event codes might find it suspicious. I have no actual basis on this.
I just find that it could be easily exploited by less than honest people.
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| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
As long as you have a history of playing games at other store(s), it shouldn't be an issue. If you suddenly rack up 20 tables of play in 30 days, and you're only playing under that one event, it may raise eyebrows. Home PFS games in moderation should be a-ok. I've done it before, and that's how my buddies and I report Adventure Paths for PFS credit.Actually since PFS is perfectly legal to play at home games it isn't an issue at all. If you and your friends want to play 20 tables in 30 days go for it. If you only ever want to play at home with your friends, go for it. The eyebrows of others shouldn't be raised if you are following the rules.
Yeah, this is me assuming someone who audits the PFS event codes might find it suspicious. I have no actual basis on this.
I just find that it could be easily exploited by less than honest people.
However, we should treat new players as honest players. I started with 1 real pfs game and then played 10 or so home games with my family. All as legal as i knew how.
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For the fourth pregen- just bring along the cleric.
Lots of heals and the players can play it collectively instead of the DM playing it.
You just have to print and sign the sheets, and then enter the results and follow the rules.
If you're trying to power level characters, I'd say that modules are a great way to get a level at a time. Emerald Spire level one is great, or Gallows of Madness for the 1st level.
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I love running PFS games at home. When my kids and their significant others are in town or my wife's brother I try to get a game together for them. We have a blended family and Pathfinder was a great way for me to get us all together around a table and bond. We regularly play at area Cons as well, but its always nice to play on your home court.
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LolIn Albuquerque?Yes. You and your friends.
I'm serious. This is exactly how PFS started here in Minnesota all those years ago. It was one person running sessions in his basement for his friends. It eventually expanded into the behemoth it is today all because one person went, "Let's get together at my house and play."
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I love running PFS games at home. When my kids and their significant others are in town or my wife's brother I try to get a game together for them. We have a blended family and Pathfinder was a great way for me to get us all together around a table and bond. We regularly play at area Cons as well, but its always nice to play on your home court.
Much more pleasant :)