An open table for completing Pathfinder Society Core Campaign scenarios in a campaign format. This campaign focuses on Season 5 - The Year of the Demon.
An open table for completing Pathfinder Society Core Campaign scenarios in a campaign format. This campaign focuses on Season 5 - The Year of the Demon.
Campaign Rules and Expectations The following are expected requirements to play, they are non-optional. Anyone not following will be asked to improve and ultimately asked to leave. Please don't make me do that to you.
We Are Here To Have Fun:
This is a game! We are all meant to be having fun playing it. If something is making the game not very fun - be it forum issues, real life issues, character issues, scenario issues, player issues or GM issues please send me a PM and we will try to sort things out. If this can't be fixed, it's okay for you to leave.
This also extends to trolling or being rude to other players or myself. We are all here for fun - but that doesn't mean you can have fun at another person's expense.
Cheating:
Please do not read spoiler tags not meant for you. If you haven't passed a skill DC, don't open the spoiler tag. If a spoiler tag is for a different player or group of players, don't open the spoiler tag. This also extends to reading the scenario book or seeking explicit scenario advice to problems from others. Just enjoy the mystery!
Should you have completed the current scenario before, please do not use meta knowledge of the story or events to cheat. This severely diminishes the play experience for everyone involved. If you know the solution to puzzles or problems let others solve them. This extends to abusing known NPC responses and reactions, enemy/trap placement, loot locations and so forth too.
Post Every 24 Hours:
By applying to join the scenario you are confirming you will post once every 24 hours.
This doesn't mean you need to post nonsense for the sake of posting, but even if you just post your characters thoughts or feelings on the situation at hand that is okay.
Worst case, post in the Discussion Thread and explain why you can't or don't want to post in the Gameplay Thread.
Something come up and you don't have time to write a proper gameplay post? Simply say so in the Discussion Thread - we'll appreciate you letting us know, even if it's just a sentence.
Should someone not do this, I will either take your actions for you ("bot you") or ignore your character and assume they do nothing.
I will try to ensure I am able to post twice a day, to keep the pace of the game up. Once every 24 hours is the minimum, please feel free to post faster than this.
Do More Than Dice Rolling:
There should be almost no situation where all you do is roll dice in your post. Try to add something else, a thought or bit of dialogue. Even if it's just a snappy quip or a passing thought, try to make sure you are adding your character to each post.
On Rolling Dice:
I will make some rolls for your characters, to ensure that the pace of the game is not slowed down waiting for someone to make a roll. These predominantly will be;
1. Initiative
2. Perception
3. Sense Motive
4. Saving Throws
5. Group Diplomacy*
I may make the following rolls where appropriate, but you may request these yourself and roll them yourself should you prefer;
In addition, if you have not responded within the 24 hour time frame, I can and will make any other rolls I feel appropriate on your behalf (See Post every 24 hours above).
If in doubt then roll. Not sure if you need to make an acrobatics check to cross a ledge? Roll it anyway! There's no point asking if you should, then me saying yes you should, then you making the roll. That's just a massive waste of time. If you don't make a roll that is required and obvious (Climbing a cliff face without a climb roll for example) I will make this roll for you.
Worst case you roll a check that wasn't required... and spent 10 seconds typing the roll out. That's much better than wasting potentially an entire day of everyone's time because you didn't know whether to roll or not.
* Where the group is involved in diplomatic action and a diplomacy roll is required, I will roll using the PC who interacted with the NPC(s) the most as the primary roll and the next most active PC for an Assist. Depending upon roleplaying and other circumstances, I may allow multiple assists also, or require someone other than the most active PC make the primary roll. Otherwise, the players roll these individually.
Be Descriptive:
Please be descriptive on what your roll is actually for or who you are talking to. This avoids any confusion. Typically this should either be the reason you are rolling, or the weapon and target you are attacking. Use ooc to explain or clarify
Using a skill
[dice=Climb check]1d20+8[/dice] [ ooc]+4 morale bonus from Heroism[/ooc]
Attacking a foe
[dice=Longbow at Ghoul #1]1d20+6[/dice] [ ooc]Or Zombie #3 if Ghoul #1 is down[/ooc]
[dice=Damage]1d8[/dice]
Vital Statistics:
Put your vital statistics, active conditions and resources in your forum tag line. This really helps other party members get an idea of your current situation, such as knowing when to heal you because you are about to die.
To do so simply edit your character's profile and fill out the Gender, Race and Classes/Levels fields as follows:
Just remove the spaces at the start of each [ ooc] tag, it would unfortunately make them ooc if I didn't do that!
Please put your characters PFS number after your race, such as Human : 123456-1
Obviously change Spells left and Performances to your own tracked resources... this could be alchemical items, wand charges, class abilities (rage rounds, channel energies, storm bursts) or anything else really!
If you run out of room you can actually change it so you put gender and race in Gender, then you place your vital statistics first into Race and next into Classes/Levels.
If you need help or advice on what to include please don't hesitate to ask me via a PM.
Tips and Advice These pointers are designed to make the game more fun and consistent for everyone. The most important things are readable descriptions and helping game flow.
Posting Style:
Posts are to be made in Third Person Limited and should be Present Tense, such as... Sarainy walks over to the happy dog and pats it upon the head. Cheerfully she says, "Who's a good boy!"
Speech: Should be all in Bold including quotation marks - Sarainy laughs to the playful dog, "You'd never leave me, would you buddy?"
Thoughts: Should be all in Italics without quotation marks - Maybe all this dog talk is because I want another pet... Sarainy thinks to herself.
Psychic/Magical: Should be all in Bold Italics with quotation marks - "You really need to stop talking about dogs now," sent Atax via Message spell.
Asking OOC: If you require clarification or want to explain something, use "ooc" tags - Sarainy tries to rush through the narrow cavern. [ ooc]Assuming it's taking two squares of movement to squeeze, so have only moved 30 feet. If not please move me 60 feet instead.[/ooc]
If you have an OOC question or comment that doesn't relate to your post, please instead post it in the Discussion Thread.
Mega combination example post:
Entering the inn, Sarainy spots the man with a dog.
That must be the guy I'm supposed to meet, she thinks to herself as she walks over and sits opposite him.
"The weather is rather poor in these parts..." she says in an uninterested tone, "I would much rather be in Absalom."
Responding to the agreed code phrase, the man gives her a grunt, stands up and walks out of the building - his backpack left behind under the table.
"Got the package, will meet you all outside the city gates in ten minutes," Sarainy sends to her companions telepathically.
[ ooc]Can I tell whether or not they got the message?[/ooc]
Keep Play Moving:
Always provide a hook (pushing or pulling) for another character to pick up on and keep the game moving towards the goal. If your post doesn't provide a way forwards, consider revising it. This makes sure the scenarios don't take 6 months to complete!
Post that doesn't keep play moving
Sarainy walks into the room and takes a seat.
Modified so that it keeps play moving
Sarainy walks into the room and takes a seat, "So, where to next? I'd like to check out that suspicious mage guild."
Maps:
We will be using Roll20 for mapping purposes. A free account is all you need, and there's really nothing more required than dragging your character to where you want to move to.
Please make sure you count distances correctly (There is a Measuring Tool on the left hand side), being especially careful to remember that in Pathfinder every other diagonal is 10 feet and not the standard 5.
Please do not move other players tokens, under any circumstances. Even if you notice someone has made a mistake in their placement, just mention so in the Discussion Thread and wait for the player or myself to resolve things.
Final Words:
Thank you for taking the time to read through this. I know that my writing style is quite verbose! These tips should really help to make for an amazing gaming experience for all of us. Taking your time to read and understand them will hopefully increase your enjoyment and involvement with the games to come.
If you are reading this in order to apply for a scenario, please mention your favourite breed of dog in a PM to me (do not include it in your Recruitment Thread application form). This will increase your chances of me voting for you to play in the campaign. If you don't have a favourite breed of dog, due to being a cruel and heartless person, then instead mention how you could possibly not like dogs instead.
