The Flaxseed Pathfinder Lodge: Explore, Report, Cooperate!

Game Master Redelia

Ahhh glorious New South Wales...

I could go in for hours here as well, but frankly good old Sydney is 'default Australia' - the place every tourist shoots for as the primary destination and with good reason. NSW not only has bountiful shining beaches of world renown, but great wilderness, the rolling plains of winery country, the splendour of the southern highlands, the dairy country of Nowra, top fishing and scuba diving on the Central Coast and around Port Stephens... why what is lacking in our glorious state?

In answer to that... 'affordable housing' for starters. Sydney is as beautiful as it is expesive / one of the most expensive cities to live in on the planet. I still consider it value for money.
It has its downsides of course - don't go to the western suburbs unless you are a fan of crime shows and procedural courtroom dramas and have always longed to be addressed as 'the witness'. They only shoot each other though so it's a lot safer than it sounds. We lose more tourist to the crocodiles and sharks...and snakes... spiders...jellyfish.

I have travelled widely and lived in a few places now, but will always return to NSW.

Heh. I know you are (probably) joking about Western Sydney, but for the record, I have lived there for years, and the worst that has ever happened to me, is that a drunk on a train asked me for a carrot from the bag I had with me at the time.

That said, I acknowledge that there are places you shouldn't wander around late at night by yourself, but I dare say that is true for every major city...

October the weather is still not quite settled in New Zealand. Should be nice. If you are worried about earthquakes, then Matamata is one of the more geologically stable bits of the country. By which I mean it is only an hours drive from the volcanoes :-)

For New Zealand, read Shifty's Tasmania entry above. Tassie is wonderful.

I'd add that I was in Adelaide (SA) a couple of weeks ago, and while I missed out on the German sausage (we tried) the wines are wonderful.

Personally I like Melbourne as well, but I come from Wellington. If you think of Auckland as a wannie-be Sydney... well Melbourne is a wanna-be Wellington :-) More coffee shops than any other business as far as I can tell.

Actually, I was planning a trip to NZ in Dec. Just the north part of the north island, i.e. Auckland, Rotorua, Hobbiton. I know the earthquake struck primarily Kaikoura and Wellington, but wondering what the situation is like up in the north.

Been to NZ once and that was primarily the South Island. Really love your country, and hope I won't have to cancel.

Up north is fine. Wellington is really fine too, just a few buildings we can't get into. My walk into work is pretty disrupted, but it goes down the line that the damaged buildings are all in.

North of Wellington everything is pretty much untouched.

So...I've won a few Boons this time around, but none of them have made it to me yet. Anyone have any idea why not?

Jesse and James are likely waiting to do a bunch of mailings all at once when the gameday closes.

Hmm

Jesse and James are likely waiting to do a bunch of mailings all at once when the gameday closes.

Hmm

But what about Meowth?!?

GM Hmm wrote:

Jesse and James are likely waiting to do a bunch of mailings all at once when the gameday closes.

Hmm

But what about Meowth?!?

Preparing for Trouble.

I thought they were blasting off again.

And the boons often take a month or two to come up. They are gravy.

I'd echo that.

Expect boons after the GameDay concludes, and a month or two is not uncommon.

It is a particular gripe I have with the boon process.

I did just receive one of mine.

Some of the players in one of my groups received theirs from the first half of the event a week or so ago. Like Shifty said, I'd wait until the event is over and maybe give it some time after that before getting worked up about anything.

It's on my list of things to work out - I suppose when/if I become aware of the whole process I may see a few gaps - but as an organiser of events the Boon system (and support process) is a bit opaque and difficult to work with.

Similarly, at some point I would like to ascertain the difference between a 'convention' and a 'game day', as that is also a touch nebulous.

For my third and final trick, I will grasp how to turn a PbP Multi-special into a larger event, like our regular 'Game Days'

Or I might never find out.

I'll just keep doing what I am doing.

The last is an excellent plan.

Hmm

It's on my list of things to work out - I suppose when/if I become aware of the whole process I may see a few gaps - but as an organiser of events the Boon system (and support process) is a bit opaque and difficult to work with.

Similarly, at some point I would like to ascertain the difference between a 'convention' and a 'game day', as that is also a touch nebulous.

For my third and final trick, I will grasp how to turn a PbP Multi-special into a larger event, like our regular 'Game Days'

Or I might never find out.

I'll just keep doing what I am doing.

Are you doing another multi-table Pbp special?

Question about the boons that we win during the Gameday. Can we apply it to any character, or only the character that won boon?

Any character.

Are you doing another multi-table Pbp special?

January is the next one, I don't have the rest of a timetable as I dont have a timetable of the VO Online crew - I am trying to deconflict timings so we dont cut across each other.

How does one attain Venture Agent-ship? I'm trying to get a local game shop more involved with pathfinder society, and they aren't satisfied with just a regular GM running the schedule and games, they want me to at least be a Venture Agent so they'll feel like it's "more official". I have a rather large player base that's interested and wants to play, and this is the only local game shop and they like meeting there because of the convenient location and multiple tables for space.

I'm more than happy to do this for all these players, but the game shop is making it hard.

Talk to your local VO about being submitted for the position. They will be able to get the required information and submit it through proper channels. If you've been coordinating games at that store, that is the best evidence that you deserve the position.

The only problem is that there is absolutely no other society play around here. The closest Venture Captain is in Tampa, about two hours away. Do I just find them on paizo and contact them with the information on here and explain the situation?

Absolutely. That's why we have our email listed on the coordinators page.

Awesome-sauce. Thanks TOZ. Also, thanks for running School of Spirits. I've been wanting to get that chronicle on Lucky while he was still in tier for a while. Well run game, and much fun. :)

Quite welcome. Lucky was the reason you guys managed a perfect diplomatic run, as some of those other checks were about to start a fight. ;)

GM Evil --

I became a Venture Agent because I was organizing a store location (though I'm part of a triumverate now) and I kept being really visible and asking lots of questions of my Venture Crew. Eventually, I asked them, 'How does one become a Venture Agent?'

The next thing I knew, I was one.

I also got tagged with the 'Poker of Beehives' title in my local Meetup group. So I showed up at the next con in a bee suit, passing out tiny jars of honey. If you get a title, you better own it. That's my theory, anyway.

Hmm

I want a title.

The only problem is that there is absolutely no other society play around here. The closest Venture Captain is in Tampa, about two hours away. Do I just find them on paizo and contact them with the information on here and explain the situation?

We did exactly that in Northeast Ohio. I met the person who organized a store in Toledo, 90 minutes from the nearest V-O. The guy didn't even know there was such a thing as the V-A position. I put him in touch with our Cleveland V-L, who was able to facilitate everything without any problems.

I want a title.

Your wish is my command.

:D

The only problem is that there is absolutely no other society play around here. The closest Venture Captain is in Tampa, about two hours away. Do I just find them on paizo and contact them with the information on here and explain the situation?

Out of curiosity, where in Florida are you? I used to live in southeast FL, and we never had anything publicly organized when I was there. I know the Tampa area venture-officers from attending conventions in central Florida, so I know the people you'll probably be talking to in that area.

I would love to get more involved with cons and gaming store events, but it looks like the only way to get that going in my town (three town area, actually, it's very dead here) is to do it myself. Ah well. Hopefully I can get this moving and get these guys some gaming going on. A few of them are 13-16 age range and are just looking for something to keep them out of trouble. They're good kids.

Often organizing is the only way to get things going. Build it and they will come!

Hmm

GM Evil wrote:

The only problem is that there is absolutely no other society play around here. The closest Venture Captain is in Tampa, about two hours away. Do I just find them on paizo and contact them with the information on here and explain the situation?

Out of curiosity, where in Florida are you? I used to live in southeast FL, and we never had anything publicly organized when I was there. I know the Tampa area venture-officers from attending conventions in central Florida, so I know the people you'll probably be talking to in that area.

Holiday, Port Richey, New Port Richey, and Tarpon Springs. That little tri-city area where all three connect. There isn't anything at all publicly organized here. I haven't found anything at all until Tampa, and it isn't that much there. I'm trying to basically start Pathfinder Society from the ground up here.

I seem to recall pathfinder society being advertised at a few gaming stores in Clearwater, but I haven't been up much farther than that. I'm from California but used to have frequent business travel to Clearwater FL.

Clearwater is a decent amount of distance away too, but not as far as Tampa. I think it's like 45 mins to an hour. I'll check it out though, I haven't checked up on Clearwater in a while.

Clearwater is a decent amount of distance away too, but not as far as Tampa. I think it's like 45 mins to an hour. I'll check it out though, I haven't checked up on Clearwater in a while.

Clearwater sounds like one of those fantasy places I've played in RPG.....

Trust me, it's not lol.

I'm sure by now the construction on hwy 19 has slowly progressed up towards you. I haven't been there in a year but I swear it moved about a mile a year...

Yep. Its right around Port Richey now. Thankfully, I don't have to go that far up very often.

How does one attain Venture Agent-ship? I'm trying to get a local game shop more involved with pathfinder society, and they aren't satisfied with just a regular GM running the schedule and games, they want me to at least be a Venture Agent so they'll feel like it's "more official". I have a rather large player base that's interested and wants to play, and this is the only local game shop and they like meeting there because of the convenient location and multiple tables for space.

I'm more than happy to do this for all these players, but the game shop is making it hard.

What are the benefits of having a Venture Agent in a community?

Honestly the only reason I'm even interested in a title at all is because the local gaming shop wants me to have some sort of "title" in order for me to run games in their store. Where I lived before I moved here, I ran games at several different stores and the local college with no issue.

It's mostly just a hurdle to have to deal with in order to get Pathfinder Society going in this area. A feat tax, if you will.

Can shifty bestow the title of Venture ninja-trainee?

The reason I ask is that I am part of a community that had a VA, but that VA has been been absent for months. The community is still going but I was wondering if there was any reason to address the missing VA.

Can shifty bestow the title of Venture ninja-trainee?

I would accept such a title with great honor and respect. Train me, Shifty-San! I shall become the greatest Venture Ninja Florida has ever known!

The primary benefit is free scenarios. VAs get them all, and are allowed to share printed copies.

First rule of Venture Ninja club....

All cheekiness aside, one doesn't need a Venture title to pretty much trek off and do their own thing. I have run normal scenarios, multi-tables, cons, and 'large group gaming BBQ events (my 'Pirates by the Sea' TLAPD events have been grand!) and it is a case of "If you build it...", and hence that was part of the reason I didn't even think about joining the Venture Officer team, also my work schedule just made it too hard to work around this strange habit all the lodges have of starting sessions at 10am-ish on weekends. Hence I decided that rather than be a special snowflake, it was up to me to organise my own timings and events.

With that said, a Venture title (any really) has a bit of gravitas for being able to speak with FLGS or help organise players. Being able to get access to the scenarios is also a bit of a winner as well.

So on balance, yeah it is probably a worthwhile deal.

Worst that happens is you decide it isn't your bag and you change your mind.

Happy American Thanksgiving, everyone.

Michael Hallet... If a VA has gone absentee, yes that should be addressed. Contact your VC and help them be aware of the situation.

Hmm

Oh yeah it's turkey feast day!

Happy Thanksgiving... enjoy your big meals or whatever it is you all do! :)