My goal is for you to have fun while playing a balanced Pathfinder Society game.
Be ready to post at least once a day and once on weekends (however, if players want to keep things moving over the weekend, I'm game). I am more active than many other PbP GMs and am willing to post more than once a day to keep things moving at a good clip.
Maturity and communicativeness go a long way: 2E is a new system, so let's all be kind to one anotherm, and willing to have a good time while embracing potential learning moments.
Please check out these resources — while they are geared towards 1E, the fundamentals are still be relevant for 2E:
The Flaxseed Pathfinder Lodge
Painlord's Advanced PbP Play
Doomed Hero's Guide to PbP Gaming
Put your character's gender (so we know which pronouns to use), race, class (optional) and their status in the tagline labeled "Race". Status usually means current/maximum hit points, AC, TAC, Saving Throws, Spells, and Spell Points. The raw status tagline might look like this:
Female goblin bard | HP: 14/16 | AC: 14 TAC: 12 | F: +2 R: +4 W: +0 | Spells: 1: 2/3 2: 2/2 | SP: 1/1
In you character profile, please include the complete stat block as well, so the G can audit your character.
Include botting instructions in your profile. If you have a preference for who runs your character, write that down too. If you or your preferred botter have not posted in more than 24 hours, I may bot your character to keep the game moving. Generally, I will bot conservatively, keeping safety in mind!
To speed things up I ask the group for a marching order at the beginning of the adventure, and the tactics each PCs typically uses when in Exploration Mode.
I will roll all Initiative checks for PCs and NPCs, sort them, and organize them into blocks. I will bold the names of characters whose turn it is to act.
When it is your turn to act, post. Do not wait for someone else to post just because they had a higher Initiative in your initiative block. If you know what you want to do but want to wait for someone else’s action first, just say that. For example,
Mete Sheeld knows to stay out of Brock Enrol's way, so he'll attack after her. He strides up to Dee Monic and strikes twice!
To encourage timely posting and avoid unnecessary delays, I will include bonuses for allies who are in the same initiative block, even if one player posts before getting that bonus. For example, if a fighter posts right before the bard, and the bard uses the Inspire Courage cantrip, I will include the inspire bonus in the fighter's attack rolls even though the player didn't do so. Where possible, I will update initiatives and note the bonuses each player is receiving.
That said, if you want to change your initiative to another block (for example, going after a monster or after an ally within a different initiative block), you will need to tell me your are Delaying. You can then come in as a free action wherever you want. Remember, too, that Readying costs two actions and gives you a single reaction, so we move around a bit less often in initiative in 2E!
Reactions can be tricky in play-by-post. Please pre-roll reactions with the trigger on your turn wherever possible (it might help you to make a macro for this, or save text you can copy/paste somewhere). For example:
If someone moves through a threatened square:
If you have multiple reactions, note your preference. For example:
Brock has his shield raised and if the Big Bad hits, he will block. However, if Mook walks through a threatened square after Big Bad goes, he'll take an AOO:
AOO:
I understand how odious this can be, and will also work with the player to help keep the game flowing smoothly (for example, a defensive-oriented Champion might ask me to assume she shield blocks, and automatically reduce the damage for her and note her shield damage). We can work together to keep things flowing!
Let's look again at the post above. Perhaps Brock Enrol is a bard, and casts the Inspire Courage cantrip before Mete Sheeld strikes Dee Monic. Mete Shield knows the best way to format this — by noting the buff separately in both the roll description and the modifiers:
Mete Shield wrote Inspire Courage in both his attack and damage roll descriptions. He also included Inspire Courage's +1 bonus in the attack and damage rolls separately from his normal bonus of +2. In his second Strike's attack roll, he even included the -5 for the Multiple Attack Penalty. This is excellent! Every bonus and penalty to the d20 roll is clear, and we can understand how each total was achieved. Mete shield even included the damage type in the damage roll, for even more style points.
Clarity is important, but so is flavor and roleplay! You can use OOC text to highlight game mechanics, while keeping things flavorful in "normal" text:
Brock Enrol sings an arcane word and flicks dollop of butter at the aberration.
This is both flavorful from a story perspective, and clear from a mechanical perspective. This is my subjective opinion on how to
When asked to roll a save, it must always be the first dice roll on your next post. If you do not follow this roll, I will roll it for you.
Please fill out the Google sheet with any skills you want rolled secretly. I will not make rolls for you if you do not fill out the skill on the sheet. Yes, it looks like a lot, but it saves me a lot of time and your PC likely doesn;t want to roll EVERYTHING separately.
Secret checks in Combat
I will nest spoilers, as it's a necessity of keeping combat moving in PbP. It's human nature to metagame — but not to cheat. I expect all my players to act maturely and not cheat at Pathfinder. Do not read spoilers, and lean into failure. In fact, embracing a crit failure will probably earn you a hero point, and help the whole table have more fun!
Please post rules questions in the discussion thread. Try not to interrupt the flow of gameplay. I am also happy to start a hangout on google hangouts, or a channel in Slack or Discord for ooc conversation. I am also happy to help you with any questions you may have, and always open to constructive suggestions!
In order to be able to generate a PFS chronicle, I ask that each character please provide me the following information:
Player Name:
Character Name:
PFS & Character Number:
Faction boon slotted:
Day Job/Crafting Roll/No Roll:
Please fill out all the info on the sheet here:https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1I-6x2nrXbmRX1pADB8JuK_FPrTP8ZMEwgMC 4XFlmZPk/edit#slide=id.p
Note that there are two pages.
It's really important to do this. I need your initiatives and your skills for making checks.
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Player Name: BretI
Character Name: Gurmire
PFS & Character Number: 141981-2002
Faction boon slotted: Envoy’s Alliance
Day Job/Crafting Roll/No Roll:
I am really looking forward to this as well!
My character is a Goblin Arson Investigator from Magnimar. He can be excitable and is a fervent follower of the Burning Lady (aka Sarenrae).
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A little gnome with bright green hair pops into the thread! "Hello everyone! I am Pip Hip Hooray, and I'll be your on-staff barrister for this adventure. I'm from the Envoy's Alliance legal defense team. We're here to help YOU!" Pip hands her business card to everyone on the team.
Player Name: Hmm
Character Name: Pip Hip Hooray
PFS & Character Number: 820-2001
Faction boon slotted: Envoy's Alliance
Promotional Boon Slotted: Service Award (Campaign Coin)
PFS(2) #1-A: Sandstone Secret
Boon: Sand Slide [reaction]
Uses 3 ▫ ▫ ▫; Trigger You would fail (but don't critically fail) a Reflex save to avoid a trap's effects; Effect You Step and then Drop Prone in your new location. You gain a +2 circumstance bonus to your triggering Reflex save. If this would have been enough to resist the trap's effects initially, you succeed at the save instead.
PFS(2) #1-01 Absalom Initiation
Boon: □ Society Connections (Downtime): Your connections with leaders within the Pathfinder Society help you find opportunities, both new missions and support for your other endeavors. Check the box that precedes this boon when you Earn Income during Downtime to attempt a task of level _____. If you critically fail the check, you still earn the result of a failure for that task.
PFS(2) #1-03 Into the Gravelands
Boon: Team Player: Your time in the Gravelands included many harrowing trials that required you to learn how to work especially well with your companions. [reaction] (fortune) Uses 3 □□□; Trigger An ally fails a check on which you Aided; Effect The ally can reroll the check and use the better result.
Day Job:
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Please fill out all the info on the sheet here:https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1I-6x2nrXbmRX1pADB8JuK_FPrTP8ZMEwgMC 4XFlmZPk/edit#slide=id.p
Note that there are two pages.
It's really important to do this. I need your initiatives and your skills for making checks.
Pip is now on both slides!
Regarding lore: I only listed Absalom and Bardic on the slide, but Pip also has Scribing and of course Legal. Pip will use Bardic Lore for just about any knowledge check that you allow for it!
I’ve filled it in for the skills I am trained in. Do you want us to fill it in for skills we are untrained in, such as Stealth?
I have also put headers in. Still working on the botting instructions.
Is there a reason to have TAC in our headers since with PF2 it is just AC -2?
Only fill in the lore you want me rolling secretly, if an opportunity comes up! Most players might only want to take chances on trained skills, but it’s up to you. If something requires trained I will check your profile or be able to remember once I know your characters better.
The TaC is a holdover from my 1e intro text. Please ignore, as there is no touch AC in 2e — and thank you for catching that!
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Bardic lore for Pip sounds good; thank you for filling out the slides!
Hi all!,
We kick this off in a week! Please make sure you're checked in. As always, please let me know if you have any questions or concerns!
Players Who've Checked In and Completed their Paperwork
1. BretI
2. Hmm
Players Who Have Checked in But need to Complete Initial Paperwork
1. Sedoriku, playing Ogren Bound
2. Shwurk the Greebler
Players Who need to Check in and Complete Initial Paperwork
1. Kate Baker, playing Lirabelle
2. Doug Henderson, playing Kipper Spoonshine
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Ogren's finished his quest and has the chronicle sheet to prove it. Also I'm sorry I never got the character information posted, blah!
Player Name: Sedoriku
Character Name: Ogren Bound
PFS & Character Number: 108507-2003
Faction boon slotted: Vigilant Seal
Day Job/Crafting Roll/No Roll:
Ogren's finished his quest and has the chronicle sheet to prove it. Also I'm sorry I never got the character information posted, blah!
Player Name: Sedoriku
Character Name: Ogren Bound
PFS & Character Number: 108507-2003
Faction boon slotted: Vigilant Seal
Day Job/Crafting Roll/No Roll: [dice=Day job roll Lore (Library)]1d20+3
Glad you finished on time!
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Given the cruise ship and virus relationship, not going on a cruise is probably a healthy idea! Glad to hear you're staying safe and that you can join us at the beginning!
Also has anyone else noticed that the party seems to be entirely made of small size people so far? Of the four people checked in with profiles all of us are small, and Lirabelle looks like a halfling to be honest. This will be fun!
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Gurmire replies “I could get a ladder, or maybe some stilts! Yeah, stilts sound like fun!”
Cocking his head, he asks “Would it be too much if I made them flaming stilts?”
Ogren fumbles for what looks like a feather token of a ladder, before stopping and imaging the image of flaming stilts... He then sheepishly comments, "Ahhh... no? I kinda wanna see that."
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First Gurmire tries to make some stilts out of pine. He puts small buckets at the top and a funnel leading down the side to pails at the bottom of the stilts. He then tries them out.
Then he takes something from his belt and pours it into the buckets at the top. It immediately ignites!
He manages to keep his balance as the fire runs down the sides of the stilts! “Ouch! Oh the burning!”
He grins manically as he tries to move around. “I think it is working!” The alchemist fire is sloshing around, splattering the area.
“” he cries out.
He then hops down and stomps out any fire embers. Still grinning, he explains “Gotta clean up after myself!”
Finally, he takes some sort of potion from his belt and drinks it down to heal his wounds,
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Ogren gives a loud clap at the grand display. "Ha-ha! You're like a giant flaming goblin!" As the wreck comes crashing down, he eyes the singed stilts, rushing after Shwurk before she can completely take them away. "Can I try using them first?"
He pulls them up and tries to climb up them himself.
He balances for a moment before a serious look comes over his face. A second later he jumps off the long poles a giant grin plastered on his face. The goblin gets less than 10 feet in the air as he gives a hoot, flaps his arms and shouts, He then plummets to the ground. He hits, his body squashing in his armor a bit and rebounding some before landing on his feet unscathed and smiling. "I've always wanted to do that ever since some monks who could walk on air came to Kraggodan! Though if I could actually fly it'd be way cooler!"
As a level one rebuild Ogren is switching from following Pharasma to Ragdya, a deity in the back of the new Gods and Magic book, cause it fits him a bit better. As such Ogren is also selling his dagger (and all of the religious paraphernalia dealing with Pharasma) and buying a mace instead (and all the religious paraphernalia dealing with Ragdya; so no net change in value) He sold 2 sp and bought 1 gp for 8 sp net spent.
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Ogren happily picks up the stilts and hands them over. "Okay, I'll jump off a building next time. Won't be the first or the last!""It's a good thing that I brushed up on First Aid as well as my legal studies!"
Ogren gives an appreciative smile but comments, "Eh, I bounce really well, so it hasn't hurt much... so far. Did scare Meemaw enough I had to stop doing it when I was at home."
"But, oooh, legal studies? Is there a way I can legally call myself a dwarf? I've been adopted into a family already if that helps!"
Everyone has checked in but Packet.
I added the icons where needed and Hero Point Tokens on slide 2.
I have added a character reference slide at the top with your Hero Point tokens and info. This can be a good player reference, and I will typically position the slide below the current map!
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I forgot to give a caveat up front: I have not only GMed this myself, but I am actually credited as the lead developer! Paizo contracted me to do a dev pass on it, since it was while they were down an OP developer. As such, Lirabelle will step back from decision-making.
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Since she isn’t going to make decisions, guess she gets to be the Human in the play!
I agree, this scenario is a lot of fun from both sides on both sides of the table. I have GMed it once, it went well. I made sure to put the GM credit on my half-elf so I could play it with my goblin!
If you played last year's Free RPG day module, We Be Heroes!?, you might recognize the characters and narrative in Zusgut's play.
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I actually have a dog -- or Pip does. Can I call Bailiff back for the play?
Yes! Excellent idea!