Filosten's Frothing Alembic "Finest Brewhouse in Absalom"

Game Master Hawkwen Agricola

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

Cheers! Merry Christmas and happy holidays. Safe travels people!

I am looking for at least one to play #3-19 The Icebound Outpost. Preferably level 3-5. Anyone?.....

Would have loved to but Quiven has already played it.

Hmm, I have not played that one.

Aryk is 3rd level (despite what it says here).

Hmm, I have not played that one.

Aryk is 3rd level (despite what it says here).

link-Icebound!

Hi, I'm looking for a couple of 4 or 5 level PFS players for the Midnight Mirror

Link!

If I hadn't already played it, I would.

I will say that this one was a blast when I played it though. If you have a wayang, play it.

I threw my hat in; I just have to get my first level mashed out so I can get 4 AP chronicles on a character. Nidal is, like, the 2nd-best place to run the Bones Oracle I'm theorizing, barring Geb.

Drat, maybe after this weekend I'll have something close to 4th level. Even then I think I'll be short.

Just noticed Tek's Hangout! Hey everyone...

I didn't realize you were in Southern IN, Tektite. That's not too far away from me down here in Southern KY. I normally head to Louisville a few times a year for work and to eat at Jeff Ruby's!

And I'm (usually) in Bloomington, not too far from Tek. Although I've only got a few months there before I move out and head off somewhere else for grad school.

Ugh, EF, in the heart of Hoosier country! I'm a UK fan, so I am anti-Bloomington, lol...

I think I'm what my sister says is a "5-hour drive" to her college, which is then an hour to Indianapolis, so I'm not, like, across oceans or something. Its a damn shame she usually returns literally the weekend AFTER Gencon, thus being a further dissuasion from making the Mecca trip there.

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You gotta try this year Oinks! Talk Sethious into coming.

Yeah, Gerald. I'm literally one hour north of Owensboro. My wife's mother lives down near Knoxville, so we drive though southern KY (on I75) all the time.

I'm about to graduate from IU (done with classes really, just finishing up my honors thesis). I've gone to GenCon the past few years (I mean, it's only 45 minutes away) but I doubt I'll be able to make it next year. Wedding is in July and then grad school will start in August I think so it would fall right in that month where we'll be moving and settling in to a new house. Not good timing for us this year.

But then again, we'll be in NZ next winter so I shouldn't complain.

I'm about to graduate from IU (done with classes really, just finishing up my honors thesis). I've gone to GenCon the past few years (I mean, it's only 45 minutes away) but I doubt I'll be able to make it next year. Wedding is in July and then grad school will start in August I think so it would fall right in that month where we'll be moving and settling in to a new house. Not good timing for us this year.

But then again, we'll be in NZ next winter so I shouldn't complain.

Which would be their summer.

Congrats, EF.

Running a quick 1-2 Tide of Morning starting Monday, I'm not sure exactly how many slots I have available, go ahead and post there if you're interested.

Hey everyone! I'm running The Confirmation. Go HERE if interested.

Looking for one player for #2-18 The Forbidden Furnace of Forgotten Koor (Tier 7-11). No pregens please.

Hmm, I would love play that for sure if my Inquisitor was free (meaning, I didn't need to use him a week from Friday).

Sadness.

Presumably so he could heal all the bad guys. :3

That would be the plan, yes. :-P

Re: Toshi. A recent trip to Kaer Maga has given Amira the opportunity to contract combat training to an ex-caravan guard whom only needed the payment of "Remove my curse." DM said his weapon pool is likely a longsword, so now he needs use at least that (and maybe guide towards all martial proficiency.) 3 scenarios remain on Amira!

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Hey everyone I have a question regarding organized Convention PFS games. I have a friend attending Orccon in Los Angeles this weekend and the organizers for the PFS games there are not letting him sign up pregen characters in higher tier scenarios. He rarely gets to play PFS and has 1 character that is level 2, but enjoys the system and is getting discriminated against for basically being a new player.

Is this is ok for the organizers to do? Seems to me the PFS system, and Paizo, would not allow this kind of exclusive behavior.

That doesn't sound right to me. I understand wanting to give preference to people with 'real' players but he should be allowed to sign up just like anyone else. Alert the PFS messageboards and I'm sure people will chime in.

There's nothing solid rules-wise about how to run a convention, and for good reason; no two conventions will be the same. What works for one may be the worst idea for another.

If the high-tier tables are filling up without pregen activity, then this notion might work out. High tier tables (in my experience) are the most likely to never fill up, and the VCs Pratt (at the time) would HIGHLY discourage high tier pregens and direct them to lower-tier games. If the staff isn't big enough to teach multiple players how to adequately play the 7th level characters in front of them, then that might be their rationale for restricting them.

I've also partied with both Pregen Wizards that saved the day and Pregen Wizards that literally almost TPK'd us. While I understand not everyone whose played a 7th level pregen needs assistance, the ones that do need a LOT of it, and dying because someone with zero investment in a character can't utilize all their abilities is a killer and detriment to filling high-tier tables. (Fun fact: Hand of the Acolyte is a bad option vs Air Elementals when you have a wand of Magic Missile, regardless of how fun it is to say "Pimp Cane!")

Your best option for you and your friend is to go to the event coordinator and plead your friend's case. If they refuse, then they've lost a player they could have had at their table (which at the end of the day, should be the point of the game.) Spread the word about it to Venture Captains or higher (if possible), or maybe offer to run something low tier for them in that slot. Either way, there's nothing in the guide that says they HAVE to take everyone; they're just being 100% direct about their stance on High Tier pregens, possibly to the detriment of their own event.

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I have no affiliation with OrcCon and/or its organizers. However, looking at their Warhorn site, they appear to have wait lists for most of their slots, so that may be part of the issue. I don't claim to know either way, I'm just speculating.

If your friend does feel as though he's specifically being excluded, he should bring it up with the local Venture-Captain for that area, Robyn Nixon. If he doesn't feel that's getting him anywhere he can try to email Mike Brock directly. My experience with Brock is that he is very busy but does his best to get back to people when he can.

I do know some players who consider the pregens to be worse than playing with an empty chair, but typically those players aren't controlling sign-ups. Regardless, they're offered as an option for players in your friend's situation.

I'm not at the con, so I don't know what the deal is with the games, but I believe the low tier scenarios are full in the time slot he's looking for a game in. Since the only scenarios available are higher-tier it seems wrong to refuse a pregen if a seat is available. As to contacting VC Robyn, she's actually the one who told him this. It just makes me think they are being exclusive.

Also, it's not a matter of experience of my friends part. They wouldn't need to teach him anything. He knows the rules very well. He just hasn't had the chance to play many PFS games yet and advance a character.

There could be more to this restriction as well. The GM's may not want to run 7th level pre-gens because the GM may have to instruct the pre-gen player how to play their character. Orc Con may have a history with people who play pre-gens slow down the game to the point where they have to call the scenario short. Maybe players complained to the organizers about the effect Pre-gen players have on their Con experience and outcomes.

Now it sounds like your friend doesn't fall into this criteria, but he is most likely the exception to the norm. And if Orc Con made an exception for him, then why not for somebody else. Then the rule would be useless.

Many of situations above can be argued for not allowing a 7th player to the table. Just because we can, doesn't mean we should.

It is hard enough to play higher tier game with a random group of strangers. Its even harder play with a stranger who doesn't even know what his character is capable of.

* I believe PFS should do away with 7th level pre-gens all together.

I can see how they might justify taking that stance, but I think it goes against the spirit of PFS Organized Play. In the situation where it might be a person new to Pathfinder, I think there are plenty of 7th level pregens that could be played without too much game knowledge (barbarian, paladin, fighter, even a sorcerer. A good GM or coordinator should ask about experience, explain the pitfalls of playing a higher level PC if they don't have much experience, and urge them to play something that won't slow down the game.

Pregens exist in PFS to open the system up for more players to participate, regardless of experience. Conventions often have support from Paizo, and are the best place to expand interest in the system. I believe denying players when a seat is available sets a bad example.

Coordinators have FAR too much to do to give a brief screening to every single player who wants to play a pregen, and I can't think of a single group of people who would pay for a convention badge (or utilize a comped one) to explain how all the 4th level cleric spell options or how Rage works over and over again.

Bad example or no; a few bad grapes will ruin the bunch, and a grape farm can't sustain itself nitpicking each bunch in fine detail.*

Seconded on "No More 7th Pregens." ESPECIALLY in Bonekeep; that was a bad time. I've seen far too many walk-ins (in a TIMED SPECIAL) sit down with a gunslinger and ask what Touch AC is.

*I know only what Harvest Moon taught me about farming, so I'm sure that analogy doesn't work somehow.

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I am GM'ing a low level PFS character that is a barbarian and he doesn't have a clue about his rage abilities and wants to throw hand axes most of the time. He has been playing PF for nearly a year. My girlfriend who has played by my side for years is playing a sorcerer currently and still doesn't know what half of her spells do even though she picked them and is an intelligent person.

There is no "easy" high level class, especially since the new scenarios are tougher in days past. The Season 4 & 5 authors are expecting people to either optimize their PCs a little bit or be smart enough to work around their faults.

I believe playing a high level pre-gen might be detrimental to the player should the scenarios turn sour. Does the cleric heal the the newbie/pre-gen or guy who's crafted his character over the years. The pre-gen dies and now has a bad first experience with PFS.

Ever play with a brand new player at the table? I'm sure you have, so you know how the story goes. Typically they don't want to "do something wrong" or "mess things up." At low levels, this can be expected and the table can rally around the new guy. With so many options at higher levels, it can be overwhelming. "Why aren't you Power Attacking?" "Cast Lighting Bolt" "Uh, how do I do that?"

A good GM or coordinator should ask about experience, explain the pitfalls of playing a higher level PC if they don't have much experience, and urge them to play something that won't slow down the game.

Orc Con has. They said no to any 7th level pre-gens. They just did it with out having to filter through every single player coming through the door. If you do this at game time, and find the guy isn't suited for high level play, then the pre-gen player took up a slot that could have gone to somebody else with the appropriate character level.

I've never had a hard time with 7th level Pregens but in any case, VCs have no such power to ban them. OrcCon's VC is precisely why I don't attend local cons much anymore.

I've never encountered any issues with playing a 4th or 7th level pregen at a con here in Houston. They even suggest the fact that I can if I want to join a table.

I am GM'ing a low level PFS character that is a barbarian and he doesn't have a clue about his rage abilities and wants to throw hand axes most of the time. He has been playing PF for nearly a year. My girlfriend who has played by my side for years is playing a sorcerer currently and still doesn't know what half of her spells do even though she picked them and is an intelligent person.

This illustrates a point that I believe backs my thoughts on this subject. Players come in all shapes, sizes, ability, etc. I've been running games about once a month since 3.5 came out and we transitioned to Pathfinder immediately upon its release. Some of these players still have not learned certain concepts of the game (for example, trying to make a full attack after moving further than a 5' step, or "forgetting" how to calculate the DC of a spell). They aren't dumb, but they are lazy when it comes to the rules, preferring the roleplay experience to roll-play mechanics.

With this in mind, you could have experienced players joining a scenario and cause just as many problems. You mentioned Bonekeep - I went to Orccon last year and the only Scenario available was Bonekeep II in the time I was there, yet I and 3 of my friends didn't have a PC in the correct tier for a table that was forming with a couple other players who did. The VC (same one) was hesitant to let us join with pregens, but we managed to get in somehow anyway, and it turned out that the 4 of us playing pregens did better than the two other players did with their personal characters. We didn't finish it, and we did have 2 deaths, but only one was a pregen (played by one of my friends with the "lazy" approach to gaming I mentioned above).

GMs should know the rules well enough to manage a player who doesn't get them. As an example, if I'm GMing a game that has a gunslinger, I should know about the range for their weapons and when an shot qualifies as a touch attack, plus reload times, etc. Same goes for any other class really, archtypes aside.

I can't claim to know what was behind the pregen decision. I will say that it surprises me if Robyn was the one behind that decision, but then I don't know her well at all, so my surprise could be very much misplaced.

Rah, I would encourage your friend to reach out to Mike Brock if he is so inclined, if for no other reason than to register his displeasure at such a decision.

As my last remark on this matter, I will say that a GM can say, for example, that they don't want to run a table with 7 players; or that they don't want to rum with a particular individual at his/her table. As a VO or con coordinator, such a statement can leave you with no other choice except acquiescence in order to have a GM's scheduled tables go (and not disappoint the other players at the GM's table.

While you always have the option to decline to have that person GM at one of your cons again, you may find yourself in a position where you aren't fortunate enough to have other choices. I don't see declining to GM pregens as in the same ballpark, but that's just my opinion and i could certainly be mistaken. If the decision was made in such a context, it still sucks for the player who's been told he can't play, but it's possible that it's the lesser of two evils. (And maybe it's not.)

I can't decide what to run for the next Gameday. I was thinking of a three parter or something. Any suggestions?

Will the third Destiny of the Sands be available before the time period ends? I'm not sure if you've already run it.

Alternately, I'm thinking of running my first ever PbP for gameday. Any thoughts?

Take on something low-tier (1-5) for your first. Less to worry about messing up when combats roll around.

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I've got plenty of characters available and my profile is up to date!

I chose to do some modules for the free PDFs (already have the physical books but it's nice to have the PDFs for maps for PbP). I've also already played those two so they shouldn't be too hard to run.

Hmm, good thought. Maybe I'll run a second PbP of Fangwood.

Got a character currently in Black Waters. It's a fun scenario - I think I'll try running that. We're not done yet, but I like it so far.

It would be cool if someone would end up running the second book of the Reign of Winter or RotRL (purely for selfish reasons). Also for selfish reasons I would suggest some of the first level modules like Crypt of the Everflame. Again, merely being selfish here (since I'm already in a Fangwood Keep game). :)

Seriously, Fangwood Keep sounds like an excellent choice.

I'm in the same boat. I would like to run something for the cause, I just don't know what.

I've been itching to run something with a dragon. Of the PFS games I've played so far with dragons were not very epic though.

I've already played Fangwood Keep but it's certainly a great module (hence why I'm running it). If anybody's doing other modules that I haven't played though I'd love to jump in.

Fangwood's pretty much a straight-up dungeon crawl 1 great choice for PbP.

@Rycky: I won't be able to do it during this game day, but I'm willing to run RotR pt 2 for you. We might could rope Tek and EF back in to reprise their roles as the tag-team Magi too. :-)

EDIT: ...which reminds me, I owe ya a boon, don't I?

I'd be up for RotR 2. Although Tek is now in my RotR campaign so I don't know if he'll want to spoil himself that far in advance. Then again, it's going to be a long time until we get to book 2 so if he's anxious to get his PFS credit sooner rather than later maybe he'll be in.

Well, if we do get the band back together I'm all for it. We'd have to get farmer Carl and the others if we can. Quiven is in one of EF's games now and would be 4.2 after that.

Oh, thanks but don't worry about the boon. I managed to get one at OwlCon (Season 5 #8 player boon) and I have no idea what to do with it.

Ooh, maybe I will try to run Crypt of the Everflame and Black Waters. They both seem fairly straight-forward for PbP.

I'll need to post the recruitment stuff later tonight.