[Gameday IX] Sky Key GM Thread (Inactive)

Game Master Dennis Muldoon

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    Dennis, were you going to do up a spreadsheet that showed Success progress?

    Grand Lodge

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    Rusthenge || Spell Templates | Starship Roles | ◆◇↺

    I will eventually. It's not particularly relevant in part 2, since all the milestones are time-based rather than success-based. I'm busy running PFS/SFS at a (virtual) local con this weekend, so I likely won't have that up until next week some time.

    Grand Lodge

    Rusthenge || Spell Templates | Starship Roles | ◆◇↺

    Sorry for the delay getting the unlock posted (I meant to do that about 6 hours ago). We ran our special today, and time got away from me a bit.


    Spell Templates | Race for the Runecarved Key (Tier 1-2) | CORE 10-10 The Shattered Shield | TBD

    Wow, the pace of this game is FAST; it seems to way exceed a 1-post-per-day pacing.

    My table has yet to complete an encounter before the next House GM announcement drops in. I'm not really sure what I'm supposed to do when that happens. Should I fast-forward to the next section? Should I complete the encounters we're on and fall behind?


    Spell Templates | Race for the Runecarved Key (Tier 1-2) | CORE 10-10 The Shattered Shield | TBD
    GM Zin wrote:

    Wow, the pace of this game is FAST; it seems to way exceed a 1-post-per-day pacing.

    My table has yet to complete an encounter before the next House GM announcement drops in. I'm not really sure what I'm supposed to do when that happens. Should I fast-forward to the next section? Should I complete the encounters we're on and fall behind?

    Actually, now that I reflect on this, I seem to recall the same being my experience as a player when I played in the session of this that ran on these boards a few years back. We were constantly being shuttled from one encounter to the next, with no real sense of what was happening inbetween. We really missed a lot of the story.


    GM Zin wrote:

    Wow, the pace of this game is FAST; it seems to way exceed a 1-post-per-day pacing.

    My table has yet to complete an encounter before the next House GM announcement drops in. I'm not really sure what I'm supposed to do when that happens. Should I fast-forward to the next section? Should I complete the encounters we're on and fall behind?

    I have to agree about the pace, but... that's at least partly on the scenario. It's designed to shuttle you from encounter to encounter. Part of it's due to the length of the Con, though. It ends up being, what, 5-6 minutes per real-life day? That does seem faster than the posting rate I tend to see.

    If it helps, there's a bit of time between area D going active and area B being closed. Personally, I'm giving my table the choice of moving to area D or getting the other encounter in B.

    Sovereign Court

    I have to pace my discord table because they're an efficient swat team of archers and a gunslinger. I think the "you have unread messages" thing adds some urgency.

    Also, I do think one post per day for a Special is on the slow side. I mean as a GM I do more than that anyway but I'd say 2-3 for a player isn't extraordinary.

    Grand Lodge

    Rusthenge || Spell Templates | Starship Roles | ◆◇↺

    6 minutes of scheduled game time = 1 day in PbP. That's been our standard conversion for every special (at least as long as I've been playing or GMing them). That said, a couple things to keep in mind:

  • You can finish the encounter you're on before moving on if you'd like. You may end up skipping a section that gets controlled before you get there, but that's fine.
  • This is a timed thing in-world. The society only has a few hours to explore this place before it gets shunted back to the past.

    Also, depending what level you are GMing, only one of those two announcements should have affected you (one was in the lower levels, one was at the top).


  • Table Maps | Passing the Torch

    I recall my play through getting abruptly moved along as well, but part of that was having our barbarian killed in the first encounter and being down to three PCs.


    Another opinion that the pace is a little fast.

    (Run three PbP Specials on these boards - played another three)

    Though, the only concern I have is that the players get a fair chance to hit the Victory Point goals.


    Table Maps | Passing the Torch

    I have to be careful, I left it sit for a day thinking I was waiting on players when they were waiting on me.

    Grand Lodge

    Rusthenge || Spell Templates | Starship Roles | ◆◇↺

    Didn't mean my post above to dismiss your concerns. It is fast--probably too fast--and probably made worse by PbP. I just wanted to point out a couple mitigating factors. I also don't think missing any given section of the crawl from bottom to top is really going to affect the players' knowledge of the story too much, so feel free to finish encounters before moving on, even if it means skipping the next section. Given that high-tier tables might start at the halfway point, I don't think the intention was for every table to see every section of this place.

    I think part 3 will be better in this regard, too, since it's more about accumulating multiple successes in one area.

    Dark Archive

    |Negotiations for the Star Gun ◆|↺|◇

    It is definitely a tight squeeze especially depending on the posting of players. Hard to set a time for botting less than 24 hours when people are posting from around the globe but if you don't try to keep things moving then they can fall behind, a lot. Balancing them having a good time and seeing the full scenario is rough.

    Grand Lodge

    Rusthenge || Spell Templates | Starship Roles | ◆◇↺

    Again, I don't think the intention is for them to see all the parts of this section. A party that starts at the bottom has very little chance of seeing the plaza, for instance, whereas a party that starts at the top skips the animal pens and slave pits entirely.

    Sovereign Court

    Yeah when area B is controlled I think I'll march my folks right on through to D instead of gaping at the marvels of C.


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    "And if you'll look to your left, you'll see the main plaza of Sessegishoss, being looted by hordes of flying Pathfinders. Did you know a swarm of Pathfinders can strip a library clean in less than a minute?"

    "Please keep your hands and feet inside the cart at all times, and save your questions for the end. Our next stop is the temple of Ydersius, already under attack."


    Table Maps | Passing the Torch

    Thoughts on allowing companions to roll research checks? My standard policy is either the PC rolls or the companion rolls, not both, but it wasn’t clearly laid out at the start. Currently the deciding factor on a Victory Point.


    Grandmaster TOZ wrote:
    Thoughts on allowing companions to roll research checks? My standard policy is either the PC rolls or the companion rolls, not both, but it wasn’t clearly laid out at the start. Currently the deciding factor on a Victory Point.

    Personally, I tend to go with "if it's sapient, it can attempt a check." So eidolons and familiars would essentially be treated as extra PCs.

    EDIT: Well, for stuff not restricted to a single attempt per table, anyway.


    I have had an unexpected business trip come up from October 1 to 4.

    Is it possible for EM±GM or GM Fuzzfoot to cover me during that time?


    Knowledge | GSC | Mummy's Mask | WftC | RotR$ | Carrion Crown

    I can do it.


    Thank-you, GM Fuzzfoot!

    I will 'block out your time' for those dates in the Backup Calendar.


    October? That's eons from now! Who plans that far ahead =)


    It's a curse, I tells ya! ;)


    SoT (Year 4, Sem. 1): Maps & Slides, Handouts, Macros

    We just had plans change on a trip and I will likely need backup tomorrow afternoon through Wed morning due to no connectivity. We will be back in civilized lands on Wednesday afternoon.

    They are in the beginning of combat now with a slayer and 2 cobras. They are absolutely wrecking this content, and I will be back well before the scheduled beginning of area E on the 18th.

    @Dennis, I feel like we’ve already turned in a fair share of successes, so we could probably finish this combat and hold till E opens up. Is that thinking correct?

    Anyway, if any of the GMs can help, please let me know!

    Grand Lodge

    Rusthenge || Spell Templates | Starship Roles | ◆◇↺

    That's fine from a numbers perspective. My concern is that it's 4 days from now and I want to make sure your players stay engaged. You know your table best, if you think that's fine given the players and the timing of your current encounter, I have no objection.


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    GM Doug's the only one I can't help, as I'm playing at his table!

    Sovereign Court

    We've also been waiting for area B to become controlled, finished the encounters in B on Friday.


    SoT (Year 4, Sem. 1): Maps & Slides, Handouts, Macros

    So it looks like Fuzzfoot should help if possible.

    All I need is backup tomorrow as I can post again on the afternoon/ of the 16th. Added to the calendar!


    SoT (Year 4, Sem. 1): Maps & Slides, Handouts, Macros
    EM±GM wrote:
    GM Doug's the only one I can't help, as I'm playing at his table!

    I never knew!

    So it looks like Fuzzfoot should help if possible.

    All I need is backup tomorrow as I can post again on the afternoon/ of the 16th. Added to the calendar!


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    Knowledge | GSC | Mummy's Mask | WftC | RotR$ | Carrion Crown

    Sure, I can do that.


    Witch's Winter Holiday

    Wait, does a table earn a Victory Point for ending an encounter and then possibly a second with the skill check afterward? Or is it the encounter allows the skill check and then the Research encounter offers the possibility of a second Victory Point?

    Sovereign Court

    My understanding is that the combat encounter itself isn't worth a victory point, but opens up some quite easy skill checks to score a point; whereas the research encounter has somewhat harder skill checks but can earn you a point without first having to fight.


    SoT (Year 4, Sem. 1): Maps & Slides, Handouts, Macros
    Page 9 wrote:
    Reporting Successes : During Part 2, it is important to report each Victory Point earned as a success to HQ Staff. One encounter allows the PCs to earn two Victory Points, which should be reported clearly to HQ Staff.

    I understood this as completing the combat being worth one and then the research as one, for a total of two.

    Sovereign Court

    So should I go back and report extra victory points for the fights themselves?


    Table Maps | Passing the Torch
    From Gameday V's run wrote:
    Each of the 5 regions in part 1 has a combat encounter first. Defeating the combat encounter is not what provides a success - each of those combat encounters has a "Victory Points" section afterwards which details what the PCs need to do in order to earn a victory point. There's only one encounter that is worth 2 successes, and that is E2.

    I have only been reporting points for the skill challenges, not the combat encounters. They don't learn anything about the history by murdering things.


    SoT (Year 4, Sem. 1): Maps & Slides, Handouts, Macros

    I understand the skill checks at the end are a bonus, but I’ve been wrong before. Dennis can let you know.

    Murdering stuff also makes the place safer and clears the way forward; that was my understanding based on the fact the encounters are worth up to 2 points (and the fact Paizo usually designs a way for non-skilled parties to contribute).


    Table Maps | Passing the Torch

    It says 'one encounter is worth 2 points'. That can either mean 'each encounter is worth 2' or 'there is one encounter that is different and should be reported carefully'. Based on past runs, they have treated it as the latter.


    SoT (Year 4, Sem. 1): Maps & Slides, Handouts, Macros

    The research after each encounter is specifically called out as 1 victory point, though (“If successful, the PCs earn 1 Victory Point“). So I’m just not sure where the other point is coming from.

    Overall it wouldn’t make a difference to my own reporting but it may mean others have underreported their points.


    Table Maps | Passing the Torch
    Encounter E2 wrote:
    Victory Points: By exceeding the Easy check DC by 6 or more for at least two of the social skill checks, the PCs earn 1 Victory Point. If they exceeded the Easy check DC by 12 or more for at least two social skill checks, they instead earn 2 Victory Points.

    The last encounter is the exception to the rule either way. It either is the one encounter that gives 2, or every encounter gives 2 and E2 gives 3.


    SoT (Year 4, Sem. 1): Maps & Slides, Handouts, Macros

    Yeah I thought it was all because the phrasing about two victory points is located is under the general table gm instructions for part 2, and not under any specific encounter.


    Table Maps | Passing the Torch

    And I honestly don't know which it is. I can only look at past runs as the GM discussion thread doesn't say either way. I will wait until we get some official House GM or OP guidance.


    My interpretation has been "One encounter (E2) can earn two victory points." If that isn't the case, I've got some more reporting to do.


    Table Maps | Passing the Torch

    Same


    SoT (Year 4, Sem. 1): Maps & Slides, Handouts, Macros

    Rereading it, I think you’re probably right; the “one encounter” is just referencing E3 and not saying (to paraphrase) “each single encounter is worth 2 victory points.”

    I wish it said “one encounter, E3, is worth 2 points” instead.

    I’ll wait for dennis too, now that I’ve sewn this chaos :)

    Dark Archive

    |Negotiations for the Star Gun ◆|↺|◇

    Yeah, I have under-reported by half if the case is combat gives a victory point. I looked over the scenario a few times and couldn't find a mention of it, only in the post-combat checks.


    SoT (Year 4, Sem. 1): Maps & Slides, Handouts, Macros

    Talked to dennis ooc and toz has the right of it. 1 VP if they get the check, with E2 being the only exception.

    Sorry to have sewn chaos!

    Grand Lodge

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    Rusthenge || Spell Templates | Starship Roles | ◆◇↺

    Chaos Doug strikes again :P

    Sorry for taking so long to answer here--it's been a busy day. Thanks Doug for relaying the info to everyone else. I believe that TOZ has the right of it, and I think the Victory Point milestone will bear that out. If we get to that point and we're way off later, we can revisit, but for now keep reporting 1 at a time as you have been.

    Grand Lodge

    Rusthenge || Spell Templates | Starship Roles | ◆◇↺

    The timing worked out quite nicely today: we got the success we needed to trigger the slave revolt on the same day the Slave Pits become controlled! You should all have a post from me announcing those two things; let me know if I missed you somehow.

    I will have the success tracking sheet up shortly.

    Grand Lodge

    Rusthenge || Spell Templates | Starship Roles | ◆◇↺

    Not the prettiest thing in the world, but here is a success tracking sheet.


    Looks good to me!

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