Welcome to PFS 5-08: The Confirmation. It will be my pleasure to guide you on a fun and dangerous adventure. In addition, I will attempt my best to guide you through the idiosyncrasies of Organized Play and Organized Play as conducted through Play-by-Post.
Since my table disclaimer is still under revision, I will summarize a few things here:
1. If you are color blind or have any other issue that will affect your experience with play-by-post play and use of GoogleDocs slides, let me know, publicly or via PM.
2. Bullying of either your fellow players or me, your GM, is not allowed.
3. I expect posts within 24 hours of an actionable post by me. E.g. combat rounds. Otherwise, at least one post per calendar day.
4. I no longer bot characters for absent players.
5. The exception to #4 is if you tell me ahead of time that you will be gone (or as soon as reasonably possible in the case of emergencies). However, my botting will be bare bones.
Now on to the details. I need the following information:
Name: This is the name you want me to put on your chronicle as the player (examples of what people have used online: their Paizo account name, first name and last initial, first name only, and some even use their whole name as you would in a live game)
Character Name: This is your character's name
PFS Number & Character Number: You should have a PFS number, since everyone has a green posting name, I assume this has been done. Your character number is the sequential number of the character in all the characters you may have made (you can find the specific number in your My Account > Organized Play
Faction: You will choose 1 faction to which you will assign each character you make. Available factions are listed in Season 10's guide available HERE if you do not already have it.
Dayjob: if applicable. Each character may--technically at the end of the adventure, but to avoid forgetting or slowing Chronicle generation we often (but not always) do it at the beginning in PBP--roll a Craft, Perform, or Profession skill that they have put ranks into to earn a little extra gold. There are ways to use other skills, but that goes beyond the scope of this tutorial session.
If this is your first character (often called a Dash 1 [-1]), then you may apply this boon found HERE.
You can only ever obtain one of these (per game system: PFS, SFS, PFS(2)), and they only ever apply to your numerically first character in that system (-1, -701, and wherever PFS(2) will start).
Once you have provided me with the details requested in the first post, go to the Gameplay thread and do what we in PbP call a dot-delete.
You make a throwaway post in Gameplay (e.g. just type 'dot'), submit it, and then DELETE the post. DELETE is found in the upper right of your post. It will take you to a screen to confirm the deletion. That confirmation in is the LOWER LEFT of this new screen.
Performing this process will add the campaign to your own personal Online Campaign page.
Once you have done that, make sure you have a character profile using a format as close to this one linked HERE as possible so that I can review your character sheets for accuracy and legality in Organized Play.
We have four checked in, including all 3 of the new players, so that is good.
I have opened up the scene in Gameplay so that you may begin introductions and interactions.
Common formatting:
"Represents in character speech."
[.b]"Represents in character speech."[./b]
Represents internal monologue/thoughts.
[.i]Represents internal monologue/thoughts.[./i]
[.ooc]Represents Out-of-Character comments such as requests for clarification or the occasional 'Good Job!'[./ooc]
Just remove the '.' from the code to make the formatting take effect.
I will Private Message the two stragglers.
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Hmm...a feral Hunter, a brutish Warpriest, a Calistrian Qedeshot, and a dastardly dark Wizard. Looks like you need someone to set a good example for you!
Name: I'm Hiding In Your Closet
Character Name: Ao Shoku
PFS Number & Character Number: 40025-30
Faction: Silver Crusade
Day Job:
DM, I am confused. I thought we were doing "What the Helms Hide". Is that someone else?
DM, I am confused. I thought we were doing "What the Helms Hide". Is that someone else?
I cannot say what other games you have signed-up for, IHIYC, but this HERE is the recruitment you volunteered for.
If you are not interested in this Confirmation run, however, we do have an alternate in the wings.
FYI: Due to the arrangements of my shifts, I probably will not have a post tomorrow as I will be spending extra time on this table doing sheet reviews.
Pathfinder Society Organized Play requires all players to own the resources in order to use content outside of the Pathfinder Core Rulebook.
In order to use content from sources outside the Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook, a player must bring an accessible copy of the resource that indicates that she owns the resource. An accessible copy means one of the following: a physical copy of the book, a name-watermarked Paizo PDF of the relevant pages, or either a photocopy of the relevant pages or electronic access to the Pathfinder Reference Document at pfrd.info along with proof of purchase. Proof of purchase may include a receipt from a game store or a screenshot of your My Downloads page at paizo.com.
It is standard practice for GMs to periodically spot check these resources. However, due to the relative complexity (compared to saying, “Show me your resource, please,” when GMing a physical location), the online region has been comparatively lax in this practice. Unfortunately, the online venue is a venue where cheating is all too easy. If we want to keep our ability to play online, we need to demonstrate that we are following the rules. As a result, the Online Region Venture Officers have requested that GMs of online venues periodically spot check resources.
For this table, this is a good chance for the new players to learn how to do this and for the more established players to get used to doing this as it becomes a standard part of the online lodge.
There are different ways this can be accomplished:
1. Take a screenshot of your watermarked PDF of the requested resource (Print Screen on your computer, press the home and top (power) button on your iPad simultaneously while viewing your watermarked PDF).
2. Take a photo of yourself holding the requested resource.
N.B.: The follow two notations are my own PbP table rules.
Note: A screenshot of your My Downloads page is not acceptable because A) it does not display a unique identifier (my ‘My Downloads’ page cannot be distinguished from your ‘My Downloads’ page) and B) if you have the downloaded file, you can easily produce a screenshot of the watermarked PDF.
Note: A photograph of the receipt is not acceptable because A) the item could have been returned, B) if you have time to find and photograph your receipt you have time to photograph the actual item for a PbP table, C) I don’t want any part of your credit card numbers.
3. E-mail the image to gmblake.pfspbp@gmail.com with your Organized Play number in the subject line.
4. If you have concerns about sending e-mail, alternatively you can upload the image to a GoogleDrive and share that link with me in a Private Message through Paizo’s website.
Thank you for your cooperation with this “new” old protocol.
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Sheet corrections are also listed below.
Aite:
Scorpion whip should have the -4 non-proficiency penalty.
Resource spot check: Ultimate Magic and Elves of Golarion
Ao Shoku:
Resource spot check: Melee Tactics Toolbox and (Blood of Fiends or Inner Sea Races)
Jo Rooi:
Resource spot check: Occult Adventures and (Inner Sea World Guide, Adventurer’s Armory, or Pathfinder Campaign Setting)
Paltair:
Resource spot check: Advanced Class Guide and Ultimate Campaign
Rega Nin:
Resource spot check: (Alchemy Manual or Elves of Golarion) and (Inner Sea Races, Bestiary 4, Advanced Race Guide, Dragon Empire Gazatteer, or Dragon Empires Primer)
Talim Gall:
Resource spot check: Advanced Race Guide and Faction Guide
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What if I said the one thing I don't have is an easy way to share a photo? Not everyone has (nor wants) one of those horrible techno-narcotics people call "phones" these days.
I own pretty much ALL the books, that's for certain (including the ones mentioned).
Any chance I could let my reputation as a player speak for me? It's not like I'm a stranger around here anymore (well, Ao Shoku may still be, but his leering, lurking puppeteer certainly isn't).
I sent in my watermarked screenshots. I know I'm going to purchase an ink pen, ink, and paper. I'll sort all of that out first thing in the morning. Apologies again, very rough weekend.
Thanks! Good job! :)
What if I said the one thing I don't have is an easy way to share a photo?
I will confer with the Venture Officers. I have some ideas, including having a friend take a picture of you with the resource and e-mailing you the photo to e-mail to me, but I want their input first and will PM you with instructions.
Any chance I could let my reputation as a player speak for me?
I hope that you understand why the answer to that question must always be 'No.'
For the new players--and I wish this issue had been raised in PMs, but I will use it for a teaching point as this is an "Introduction to PFS"--the rule requiring the ownership of the material outside the Core Rulebook (and only because the Core Assumption is that all players do own the Core Rulebook) has always been the rule. All players playing at an online venue have always been required to be able to demonstrate their ownership.
However, that doesn't mean we can't trouble shoot solutions for those with technological challenges.
This is not a referendum on any of you; it is merely clarification: You have until Saturday to show proof of ownership. If unable to do so by that time, you have the option to play a Pregen or, if you are level 1, change the problem features to an option from the Core book.
Thank you to those who have already sent me their proof of ownership.
An unfortunate case of multi-boxing. You are only allowed to have 1 PFS number and only allowed to play 1 character at the same table at a time.
EDIT: Also not a beginner's mistake. It was stressful enough dealing with it the first time around, so please let it lie.
I'd been assuming I was waiting for your next PM in our exchange.
PM sent.
However--this goes for all my audits--you are free to continue using your character 'As Is' until I am forced to rule (Friday in this case).
We will be continuing with these four with the four player adjustment.
For my sanity.
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I understand. I feel for you; you were trying to do good in running something primarily for new players, and from the start I almost felt bad being in a new spot. Numbers-wise yes I'm new, but as every day goes by I feel better and better about my grasp on Pathfinder, PFS, and PbP all three.
I commend you for trying to help the Paizo community and for helping newer players get a strong start. Is admirable. =)
Thank you. It's nice of you to say. :)
And you're doing a great job as a player. Don't let the bad apples you encounter ruin your enthusiasm (be they fellow players or GMs).
FYI: I will be on day shift tomorrow and Sunday, so your updates for those days will come in the evenings.
I'm flipping to nights tomorrow, so no update/post tomorrow.
I thought that free actions could only be done on your initiative, while immediate actions are the action type that can be done at any time.
I believe that is the basis for GMs ruling that you cannot speak while you are flat footed.
However...
Free Action: Free actions consume a very small amount of time and effort. You can perform one or more free actions while taking another action normally. However, there are reasonable limits on what you can really do for free, as decided by the GM.
Swift Action: A swift action consumes a very small amount of time, but represents a larger expenditure of effort and energy than a free action. You can perform only a single swift action per turn.
Immediate Action: An immediate action is very similar to a swift action, but can be performed at any time—even if it’s not your turn.
...it turns out Immediate Actions are Swift Actions that you can take outside your turn and not related to Free Actions.
You could quibble the nuances. E.g. Whether this sentence is meant to be exclusive or inclusive, "You can perform one or more free actions while taking another action normally." However, this makes it easier for me to adjudicate animal companions and Knowledge checks during combat, so I'm rolling with it in PF1. However, I won't complain when any other GM adjudicates it differently.
Starfinder and PF2 fix this ambiguity much to the consternation of lovers of pet classes.
Both SF and PF2 essentially divide 3 actions among two objects (PC and Pet).
In SF, the mechanic has 2 actions. He can spend 1 action to directly control his droid in order for it to do 2 actions or a full round action. The droid will also default to attacking or following after being commanded to do so.
In PF2, each PC has 3 actions. To get your pet to do anything, the master PC needs to spend 1 action commanding the pet to do something.
I suppose that simplifies it, but basically still nets out to a pet master getting nearly double the actions per round.
Apologies for my lack of posting this weekend. It's been a rough one.
I now have a dilemma.
It has been 5 days since anyone but Roxxie has posted. Given my no-bot policy--and even before my no-bot policy, I would not bot 75% of the party--Rega is unlikely to survive any of the encounters that remain.
You have obtained enough milestones to earn both prestige points. However, if I had you return to Absalom now, you would miss out on one boon on the chronicle sheet.
So, Roxxie, I leave it to you:
1. Retreat to Absalom now.
2. Push to the final encounter (the other one is optional and does not affect your chronicle at this point) and take your chances to survive on your own or that your fellow players return and begin actively posting before Saturday, knowing that you might be fighting the final fight on your own if they do not (although retreat is possible if you play it safe).