When a Faction Turns Out the Lights

Well that kinda sucks, especially if none of the other lodges appealed to you.

Thanks for the clarifications!

Thank you for the clarification. Man, I have to accept the fact that I'm not going to make it. I don't see getting my character to the window in time.

The hard work is appreciated nonetheless!

thanks for the heads up!

I believe in you Chris Marsh

Might want to mention the possibility/impossibility of getting both the Lantern and Shadow boons.

Is applying a chronicle for GMing 4-21 or 4-23 to a level 8+ character limited to only Lantern Lodge and Shadow Lodge, respectively, or can it be applied to any level 8+ character?

Specifically, I would like to apply GM credit for 4-21 to a level 13.2 Osirion character to hit level 14 for some modules at Origins. Due to the oddness of it I would like to be sure this is a legal way to apply the chronicle.

Thank you for the clarification. Man, I have to accept the fact that I'm not going to make it. I don't see getting my character to the window in time.

The hard work is appreciated nonetheless!

I fail to see how you can't do it. It takes 6 scenarios worth of play to be eligible to play this scenario which can honestly be done in a week if you really apply yourself.

Honestly if you really wanted to you could do the module play as Lantern Lodge, play the special scenario THEN change faction to Shadow Lodge for a level (to fulfill the faction change requirement) play 4-23 as shadow lodge get THAT boon and THEN on the 14th of august freely change to any other faction and go from there.

If you REALLY wanted to game you could do this all on 2 different characters in a month easy.

Is applying a chronicle for GMing 4-21 or 4-23 to a level 8+ character limited to only Lantern Lodge and Shadow Lodge, respectively, or can it be applied to any level 8+ character?.

John will clarify, but I expect this is for Lantern/Shadow Lodge only. It's a way to let out-of-tier faction members in on the story, not a way to give any character extra XP.

Would also like clarification on switching from Lantern Lodge to Shadow Lodge or vice versa to collect both boons, though. Shouldn't be allowed.

What happens to a lantern lodge member that fails the mission the way of the kirin? I assume they don't get the boon but can they still switch factions for free?

They've said elsewhere that you can't get the boon from both factions on the same PC. I'm surprised that's not in this blog.

Feasts of Ravenmoor(as a second level PC)

Good luck with that!

Honestly if you really wanted to you could do the module play as Lantern Lodge, play the special scenario THEN change faction to Shadow Lodge for a level (to fulfill the faction change requirement) play 4-23 as shadow lodge get THAT boon and THEN on the 14th of august freely change to any other faction and go from there.

Thank Aroden that this cheeseball bull-poopy is not allowed.

What happens to a lantern lodge member that fails the mission the way of the kirin? I assume they don't get the boon but can they still switch factions for free?

Every Lantern Lodge and Shadow Lodge character gets one free faction change before Aug 14. Whether or not you play Way of the Kirin or Rivalry's End, and whether or not you succeed or fail if you do play them, you still get the free faction change.

I really wish that we had a bit more time, given how late Rivalry's End is being released in the cycle and how popular Shadow Lodge has been.

Hmm, one other question. I have Mayim, who currently exists as a blob of GM credit, though since I had to put a faction for the blob, it's been Taldor.

When I run Way of the Kirin, can I apply it to her 'solidify' her as Lantern Lodge, then change factions?

Thanks for this John!

According to the Pathfinder Society Guide to Organized Play, pregenerated characters are treated as members of the Grand Lodge. As a result, playing a pregenerated character does not grant a player access to the faction-specific boon.

After reading this, I have come to realize that I have a lot of mis-assigned credit...

Hmm, one other question. I have Mayim, who currently exists as a blob of GM credit, though since I had to put a faction for the blob, it's been Taldor.

When I run Way of the Kirin, can I apply it to her 'solidify' her as Lantern Lodge, then change factions?

If you never have played the character at level 2 or higher, it would qualify under the level 1 retrain rule.

Quote:

According to the Pathfinder Society Guide to Organized Play, pregenerated characters are treated as members of the Grand Lodge. As a result, playing a pregenerated character does not grant a player access to the faction-specific boon.

After reading this, I have come to realize that I have a lot of mis-assigned credit...

I could swear that the Guide says assumed to be Grand Lodge. And, of course, that makes for all sorts of issues when you use a pregen for an existing non-1st level PC of X faction which is NOT Grand Lodge.

Do you do the Grand Lodge faction mission instead of the correct one for the PC to whom the credit will be applied?

Since the credit is being applied to PC X, and, unless that is a totally new PC, that PC already has a default faction, do you still change the PP over to Grand Lodge for that report?

To be honest, that strikes me as both ugly, significant extra work, and non-productive.

Example:
Say I have a 6th level PC of the Andoran faction, who I am going to credit my playing a 7th level pregen in a 7-11 scenario, as that was the only game available to play at the time and place.

So, does the pregen still do the Grand Lodge mission, even though the PC to be credited is Andoran?
Does teh GM or Coordinator, when reporting said session, have to change the faction for my PC for that one scenario?
Do I therefore have to pay 18 PP to change actual factions, then pay 21 PP to change back?

Sorry to be such a pain, but, since I do run PFS locally, I want to make sure I understand this thoroughly, since that is not how I have handled it in the past.

Thank you so much for the dispensation for GMing the scenario if you have a level 8 or higher Lantern Lodge PC. My only Lantern Lodge reached level a week before the original announcement.

I would ask that the staff reconsider, especially for PFS players who have already finished half of the scenario (PBF/PBP for example) and were expecting to be able to treat this boon like any others.

Pathfinder really needs to start considering a grandfathering option for people that may not make a window. Some of us just dont get that much of a chance to play regularly and having a game option to see your character through would be nice. Especially for those of us who have a character 1/2 way through the process. There is more then enough material out there for us to complete.

Pathfinder does listen to its players right?

If you feel that strongly about getting the boon, focus that effort that you'd otherwise use to badger PFS management and instead do two things:

A. Organise and/or play Murder's Mark, Citadel of Flame or Master of the Fallen Fortress.
B. Organise and/or play Thornkeep: Accursed Halls (easily completed in a 6 hour session)
Voila! You now have a fresh level 3 character that can play WotK before August 14.

If you are already 50% through a play-by-post with a pregen, it would be a cruel and unusual GM who would refuse to not give you the chronicle.

Can I play a pregenerated character and get credit?

According to the Pathfinder Society Guide to Organized Play, pregenerated characters are treated as members of the Grand Lodge. As a result, playing a pregenerated character does not grant a player access to the faction-specific boon.

I have to say I don't understand this restriction.

Yes when playing a Pregen you are doing Grand Lodge faction missions but when the game is reported for the lower level PC it is reported with the faction of that PC not Grand Lodge (of course unless the lower level PC is grand lodge), in essence that PC gains fame with his/her faction not Grand Lodge.

Why not allow a player who does not have a level 3-7 character in Shadow Lodge/Lantern Lodge faction but only a level 1-2 PC of those 2 factions can the benefit of the boons? Playing a Pregen does not remove the fact they are still gaining fame with their chosen faction and not necessarily Grand Lodge.

What about this one: I have a PC with LL faction, and planning to play the Way of the Kirin in the following weeks, definitely well before the 14th of August.. The real question is SHOULD my PC change its faction immediately after the scenario OR can he continue to play under LL UNTIL the 14th of August?

What about this one: I have a PC with LL faction, and planning to play the Way of the Kirin in the following weeks, definitely well before the 14th of August.. The real question is SHOULD my PC change its faction immediately after the scenario OR can he continue to play under LL UNTIL the 14th of August?

I believe he can play as Lantern Lodge until the closing date, but he gets the other benefit of the boon when he completes the change to his new faction.

So, does the pregen still do the Grand Lodge mission, even though the PC to be credited is Andoran?

Does teh GM or Coordinator, when reporting said session, have to change the faction for my PC for that one scenario?
Do I therefore have to pay 18 PP to change actual factions, then pay 21 PP to change back?

Sorry to be such a pain, but, since I do run PFS locally, I want to make sure I understand this thoroughly, since that is not how I have handled it in the past.

You put on the reporting sheet the faction of the character you are applying credit to, and that character's faction.

During play with the pregen, you do the faction missions and receive the letter for grand lodge. At the end of the session, the GM writes on the reporting sheet how many PP/fame you got for that session (although you did the GLodge missions, they get reported as the faction your character is) in the reporting sheet.

Basically, with pregens you do grand lodge missions, but they get auto-converted into whichever faction you are applying it to.

We are allowing GMs to do something special for these two scenarios. Anyone who GMs the scenario can apply the sheet to a character of level 8+ even though the character would not normally be eligible to receive credit. This Chronicle sheet includes the experience point, Prestige Points, items, and gold for Subtier-6–7.

Emphasis mine.

Are you purposefully not mentioning the boon because level 8+ members of the factions who get the GM credit dont get the boon?

You put on the reporting sheet the faction of the character you are applying credit to, and that character's faction.

During play with the pregen, you do the faction missions and receive the letter for grand lodge. At the end of the session, the GM writes on the reporting sheet how many PP/fame you got for that session (although you did the GLodge missions, they get reported as the faction your character is) in the reporting sheet.

Basically, with pregens you do grand lodge missions, but they get auto-converted into whichever faction you are applying it to.

That's a bit counter-intuitive. Let's say in a particular scenario, there are a number of reviews saying that the Taldor mission is damn-near impossible. Mark or John looks at the reporting and sees that lots of people of that faction have got 2 PP, and dismiss the reviews as outliers, without knowing that a number of these people with 2 PP actually did the Grand Lodge mission, but had the prestige reported to Taldor.

I think pregens should do the Grand Lodge mission and have the prestige reported online and on the chronicle as Grand Lodge, whatever the faction of the PC getting credit.

John Compton, Blogger Extrordinaire wrote:

We are allowing GMs to do something special for these two scenarios. Anyone who GMs the scenario can apply the sheet to a character of level 8+ even though the character would not normally be eligible to receive credit. This Chronicle sheet includes the experience point, Prestige Points, items, and gold for Subtier-6–7.

Emphasis mine.

Are you purposefully not mentioning the boon because level 8+ members of the factions who get the GM credit dont get the boon?

I would assume more it's because the boons are not related to level of subtier, and everything he called out is. Without a post stating otherwise, I'd treat it as any other normal GM chronicle, which does include boon access.

Seth Gipson wrote:

John Compton, Blogger Extrordinaire wrote:

We are allowing GMs to do something special for these two scenarios. Anyone who GMs the scenario can apply the sheet to a character of level 8+ even though the character would not normally be eligible to receive credit. This Chronicle sheet includes the experience point, Prestige Points, items, and gold for Subtier-6–7.

Emphasis mine.

Are you purposefully not mentioning the boon because level 8+ members of the factions who get the GM credit dont get the boon?

I would assume more it's because the boons are not related to level of subtier, and everything he called out is. Without a post stating otherwise, I'd treat it as any other normal GM chronicle, which does include boon access.

Good point. I had not thought of that. I had intended to play it that way as well, anyway, but figured I'd go ahead and ask, just in case he had intentionally meant to leave the boon access off. :P

Incidentally, Mike and John, I want to offer kudos to you for the way you're handling this.

Even ignoring the pretty bauble for Lantern Lodge PCs, we are given the news well ahead of time, with clear directions, flexible direction about how to accomodate different people, and a "high note" to go out on.

While my zen archer is sorry to see her ties to her homeland fade further into the backdrop, this could have been handled much less well.

Going to lvl. 7 with my Lantern boy, to get that +2 to initiative, before it disappears. And get that free boon.

I vaguely remember them saying in the podcast that you could play a pregen to get the boon if your charcter is too low level.

Going to lvl. 7 with my Lantern boy, to get that +2 to initiative, before it disappears. And get that free boon.

I'm afraid not that fast.. You could claim the "master" rank only when you reach 40 fame points, which is impossible to reach at 7th level. Have a closer look to the Field Guide..

Eric Saxon wrote:

Going to lvl. 7 with my Lantern boy, to get that +2 to initiative, before it disappears. And get that free boon.

I'm afraid not that fast.. You could claim the "master" rank only when you reach 40 fame points, which is impossible to reach at 7th level. Have a closer look to the Field Guide..

40 Fame is only 20 scenarios, if you get 2 every time, so still 7th level, if my math isn't failing me....

0-1
6-2
12-3
18-4
24-5
30-6
36-7
42-8

Would be the last game played at 7th....

Ok, so silly question. I know it's been stated that you can't get both special faction boons on the same PC (ie play Way of the Kirin as Lantern Lodge, change to Shadow Lodge, then play Rivalry's End before switching to a third faction).

But can a Lantern Lodge PC change to Shadow Lodge until August, then change again? I just played my LL character in Way of the Kirin on Monday, and I'm debating what faction to put him in next, and Shadow Lodge is an option based on his personality.

The character doesn't know that the Shadow Lodge is going away, too, even though the player behind him does. And I'll probably be playing a different PC in Rivalry's End. Even if I do end up bringing him for Rivalry's End, I won't even ask if I can get the SL boon for that one on top of the LL boon I already got for this PC.

Ok, so silly question. I know it's been stated that you can't get both special faction boons on the same PC (ie play Way of the Kirin as Lantern Lodge, change to Shadow Lodge, then play Rivalry's End before switching to a third faction).

But can a Lantern Lodge PC change to Shadow Lodge until August, then change again? I just played my LL character in Way of the Kirin on Monday, and I'm debating what faction to put him in next, and Shadow Lodge is an option based on his personality.

The character doesn't know that the Shadow Lodge is going away, too, even though the player behind him does. And I'll probably be playing a different PC in Rivalry's End. Even if I do end up bringing him for Rivalry's End, I won't even ask if I can get the SL boon for that one on top of the LL boon I already got for this PC.

They've said you could...but you only get 1 free faction change. So, if your LL changes to Shadow Lodge, then you have to pay the prestige to change from Shadow Lodge to something else once the Shadow Lodge goes away.

This may have changed, but that was what I remember being posting from MMJ on the subject.

But can a Lantern Lodge PC change to Shadow Lodge until August, then change again?

Mark Moreland answered that in this thread.

Fromper wrote:

But can a Lantern Lodge PC change to Shadow Lodge until August, then change again?

Mark Moreland answered that in this thread.

Ahh, ok, thanks. I forgot about that, from more than a month ago.

Ok, so silly question. I know it's been stated that you can't get both special faction boons on the same PC (ie play Way of the Kirin as Lantern Lodge, change to Shadow Lodge, then play Rivalry's End before switching to a third faction).

But can a Lantern Lodge PC change to Shadow Lodge until August, then change again? I just played my LL character in Way of the Kirin on Monday, and I'm debating what faction to put him in next, and Shadow Lodge is an option based on his personality.

The character doesn't know that the Shadow Lodge is going away, too, even though the player behind him does. And I'll probably be playing a different PC in Rivalry's End. Even if I do end up bringing him for Rivalry's End, I won't even ask if I can get the SL boon for that one on top of the LL boon I already got for this PC.

THen go for it.

If the character doesn't know about the ending faction, and the faction fits, jump to it. Sure you're paying for one faction change in the end, but it's worth it if it fits the character...

Fromper wrote:

Ok, so silly question. I know it's been stated that you can't get both special faction boons on the same PC (ie play Way of the Kirin as Lantern Lodge, change to Shadow Lodge, then play Rivalry's End before switching to a third faction).

But can a Lantern Lodge PC change to Shadow Lodge until August, then change again? I just played my LL character in Way of the Kirin on Monday, and I'm debating what faction to put him in next, and Shadow Lodge is an option based on his personality.

The character doesn't know that the Shadow Lodge is going away, too, even though the player behind him does. And I'll probably be playing a different PC in Rivalry's End. Even if I do end up bringing him for Rivalry's End, I won't even ask if I can get the SL boon for that one on top of the LL boon I already got for this PC.

THen go for it.

If the character doesn't know about the ending faction, and the faction fits, jump to it. Sure you're paying for one faction change in the end, but it's worth it if it fits the character...

It's something I was considering, but there are other factions that are at least as appropriate. The character is Lantern Lodge because he's from Tian Xia, but helping others appeals to him. So Shadow Lodge to protect his fellow Pathfinders is one option, but Silver Crusade and Andoran would also work for his personality. Since it's going to cost me, I'm likely to skip the Shadow Lodge for that metagame reason.

I managed to play Rivalry's End at PaizoCon UK this past weekend, I had signed up a while back on Warhorn with my Andoran character not realising that this was the Shadowlodge finale scenario (for some reason I thought that scenario wasn't released until August, but I was probably misremembering the August 14th ideal completion date).

So it was only at the briefing where Grandmaster Torch appeared that I began to suspect this was the Shadowlodge conclusion - alas I couldn't change to my Shadowlodge character as he had only just reached level 3 the day before (and I hadn't even levelled him) and we were playing subtier 6 to 7.

Still, it was an enjoyable scenario, and probably more relevant to my Andoran character as he had been played in past scenarios that tied in with Rivalry's End.

Anyway as I can't get a second player credit, and don't have anyone to GM Rivalry's End for, my Shadowlodge character won't get the bonus boon. So the next time I play, I simply have to assign him to a new faction correct? I don't have to pay Prestige Points equal to 3 times my character level, correct?

So the next time I play, I simply have to assign him to a new faction correct? I don't have to pay Prestige Points equal to 3 times my character level, correct?

Correct: just switch his faction before the first time you play him after 14 Aug 2013.

EDIT: Citation

Well my one and only Shadow Lodge character has been retired and waiting on my slacker friends to get to level 12 so he can play Eyes of the Ten for over 9 months now. I would not be able to apply this to him because then he would be totally ineligible to play Eyes (given the rules in the 4.3 Guide).

Sad panda.

If I could somehow run it and apply the money and boon without the experience...

Well my one and only Shadow Lodge character has been retired and waiting on my slacker friends to get to level 12 so he can play Eyes of the Ten for over 9 months now. I would not be able to apply this to him because then he would be totally ineligible to play Eyes (given the rules in the 4.3 Guide).

Sad panda.

If I could somehow run it and apply the money and boon without the experience...

nah, start a new guy... you have until the 14th to get him to 3rd, that would be what? 6XP?

You could do First Steps II & III and Crypt of the Ever Flame. That would be 5 right there! You could get those by next week!

Well, nosig, since you are one of the slackers I was waiting on, I will disregard your advice out of hand. :)

Seems I got into Pathfinder a year too late >.>

Would of really liked being part of the Lantern. Not sure what of the remaining lodges to join, none really stand out.

Well things are getting mixed up again, so don't worry too much; wait for the new Season 6 guide and see the revised non-nation oriented factions and see what tickles your fancy.

Personally, as a fan of Star Wars Old Republic era stuff, the Exchange (merging of the Sczarni/Qadiran factions) seems pretty awesome.

Well things are getting mixed up again, so don't worry too much; wait for the new Season 6 guide and see the revised non-nation oriented factions and see what tickles your fancy.

Personally, as a fan of Star Wars Old Republic era stuff, the Exchange (merging of the Sczarni/Qadiran factions) seems pretty awesome.

For extra points, play a Ranger or Druid in the exchange named Davik with a black feathered hawk animal companion.