Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play: Guide 5.0 and Changes to Organized Play

In the top corner of the chronicle sheets is a scenario chronicle # box. You are suppose to number the sheets in the order you apply them to your character. First sheet is #1, next sheet applied is #2, etc.

Right, understood that one.

When the Inventory sheet asks for a character chronicle #, you put the scenario chronicle # from the chronicle that notes the transaction in the appropriate box on the inventory sheet.

Ah! For whatever reason, I thought the "Bought", "Sold" and "Expended" boxes were supposed to be check-marked, not the places for the "Character Chronicle #" (even though it is right above them). As I said, it is late here.

Thanks!

Ferious Thune wrote:

Mike Bramnik wrote:

The overall "success conditions" for the scenario now dictate how prestige is gained in season 0-4 scenarios.

Right, but what does that mean? Does that mean that you get 2 prestige for accomplishing the single goal defined as succeeding in those mission in the past? Or is a second success condition going to be published for each scenario?

They get 1 point for their faction mission per normal. They get another point for listening to the Venture Captain and doing what they say.

But that is not what the guide says. The guide says faction missions are no longer part of the success conditions.

Seasons 0-2:For the first three seasons of the campaign, only five factions were available for characters to ally with. Although faction missions no longer count towards the success conditions of a scenario, they may be used to add extra flavor to the game session.

Emphasis as it is in the guide.

So do I hand out faction missions or not?

Later, it says:

(Under the Season 0 section)

When running a Season 0 scenario with 1 Prestige available per PC, award a second Prestige Point to PCs who complete the overall scenario goal, as given by the venture-captain at the scenario's introduction.
Season 1 and 2 (Scenarios #29-#56 and #2-01 through #2-26): Completing the overall scenario in these scenarios awards 2 Prestige Points.

For Season 0, that's still confusing about whether or not faction missions should be given out. It the "1 prestige available per PC" the faction mission, as in the past? If so, that sentence contradicts the earlier one. If not, then it looks like 2 prestige for completing the overall mission.

For Season 1 and 2, it looks like 2 prestige just for completing the mission.

The section on Seasons 3 and 4 makes no mention of a change to faction missions or prestige. So do I hand out faction missions for Season 3 and 4, but only if I want to for Seasons 0-2? Do we hand out faction missions for all seasons, but tell the players their prestige isn't tied to them?

All we're looking for is a clarification that explains what to do for each season, because it's not clear from the guide.

We will make sure the Guide is cleaned up and made clear, and re released before Aug. 14. Thanks for the feedback.

What I understood (maybe inferred?) is that all PCs get 1 fame/pp for the scenario, with one additional one available if they accomplish the scenario's goals.

Meaning if, for example, they fail against the BBEG, they still get 1 Fame/pp. If they complete the scenario's goal as as stated in the briefing, BAM second fame/pp. But maybe it's just 2 per scenario... I can't really tell.

I hope it's the former, as I like to have the chance of "partial success"

We will make sure the Guide is cleaned up and made clear, and re released before Aug. 14. Thanks for the feedback.

Thanks Mike. It's the only change that's confusing to me. Everything else in the Guide looks great, and I'm excited about Season 5.

I would just like to say that I am very pleased with the changes that have been made. My online crew is already looking at the possibility of re-playing/running a couple of our early adventures that some of our newer members missed out on and never got a chance to play. We keep telling stories of those encounters, and they feel like they missed out - they'll be very pleased to get to live out the awesomeness that is Severing Ties, Gods' Market Gamble and Carrion Hill. (We'd also do it with Blakros Matrimony, but my group voluntarily redid that without credit for them.)

Nidome wrote:

Chapter 8 - Regional Coordinators......

I have noticed a few things here. I don't know if these were deliberate or accidental but I thought I'd mention them.
Global—Online Play: This is listed in the USA section of the list. Shouldn't it be international?
Dave Harrison and Rob Silk were listed as United Kingdom last year. They are listed as just England in the new release - what happened to the rest of the UK?
Belfast and Newtownabbey are in Northern Ireland (Part of the UK)
Dublin is in the Republic of Ireland (or Eire)

You are correct about Global - Online Play should be under International. I will get that fixed.

I list VC titles by what the VC or VL wishes to have their title read.

I only queried it due to the change from the previous listing and departure from the format used for the rest of the international listings.

Could the faction mission and prestige earned rules be clarified sooner rather than later?

As I prep for Gen Con I was planning to not use faction missions for several scenarios - not even printing them out. The current language makes me question whether I must provide them or if they are in fact optional.

*rolls a 19*

NOT GOOD ENOUGH

Rerolls with a +5 bonus: 1d20+5

You forgot the Ability bonus and whatever skill bonus, save throw base you were rolling with;)

The Baird has no other bonuses.

Just for clarity sake. Am I correct in thinking that the language saying that if you were just following orders, your actions aren't evil has been removed?

Just for clarity sake. Am I correct in thinking that the language saying that if you were just following orders, your actions aren't evil has been removed?

That is correct. Since faction missions are changing, so too will your future decisions and actions matter. Your character is once again responsible for all of their actions.

The last line of the Reporting sidebar on page 36 misspelt "you" as "your".

This seems pretty legit to me.

Michael Brock wrote:

Nidome wrote:

Chapter 8 - Regional Coordinators......

I have noticed a few things here. I don't know if these were deliberate or accidental but I thought I'd mention them.
Global—Online Play: This is listed in the USA section of the list. Shouldn't it be international?
Dave Harrison and Rob Silk were listed as United Kingdom last year. They are listed as just England in the new release - what happened to the rest of the UK?
Belfast and Newtownabbey are in Northern Ireland (Part of the UK)
Dublin is in the Republic of Ireland (or Eire)

You are correct about Global - Online Play should be under International. I will get that fixed.

I list VC titles by what the VC or VL wishes to have their title read.

I only queried it due to the change from the previous listing and departure from the format used for the rest of the international listings.

Will PFS be looking to recruit VCs for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland now?

This seems pretty legit to me.

Meh. I prefer this one, instead.

Care Baird wrote:

This seems pretty legit to me.

Meh. I prefer this one, instead.

Kyle are you arguing with yourself?

This seems pretty legit to me.

Steller

Quick question: With removing Shadow Lodge and Lantern Lodge faction, I need to somehow adjust one of my current players. Pathfinder Society Guide says: "Should a faction be retired, it will feature in a special scenario designed to wrap up its story." so I can hold a specific Scenario for him to understand why faction is no more valid choice and how to get another faction.

Could someone please pinpoint scenario names for Shadow and Lantern Lodge factions?

Is it OK for me to do this Scenario after August, 15, when rules about playing retired faction characters are effective?

What about "Intro: First Steps" adventure? Historically, it contains 10 missions for each faction... Will it be updated to reflect new faction interests?

Quick question: With removing Shadow Lodge and Lantern Lodge faction, I need to somehow adjust one of my current players. Pathfinder Society Guide says: "Should a faction be retired, it will feature in a special scenario designed to wrap up its story." so I can hold a specific Scenario for him to understand why faction is no more valid choice and how to get another faction.

Could someone please pinpoint scenario names for Shadow and Lantern Lodge factions?

Is it OK for me to do this Scenario after August, 15, when rules about playing retired faction characters are effective?

What about "Intro: First Steps" adventure? Historically, it contains 10 missions for each faction... Will it be updated to reflect new faction interests?

The Shadow Lodge retirement scenario is 4-23: Rivalry's End and the Lantern Lodge retirement scenario is 4-21: Way of the Kirin.

You can run both scenarios after August 15th however the boons that benefit Shadow Lodge and Lantern Lodge faction members will no longer be valid as the factions are no longer valid to be used by any characters. Any characters that are a part of either of those factions have to be switched to a new valid faction by August 15th, 2013. Members of either the Shadow Lodge or Lantern Lodge factions are allowed to switch factions for free one time prior to August 15th.

First Steps parts I & II are being retired. New adventures are being written for first level characters and should be released this season.

I see that Paracountess Zarta Dralneen will survive her troubles.

If you've got a character 3-7, try to get in a game this weekend. It should be going on just about everywhere

Okay...so I am seeing something funny with the tier selection bit. Why is the 5 players forced to play down? I can see the 4 people, but the 5? I am thinking there maybe some funny table mustering that may happen with that ruling....

Does the GM no longer have the choice of whether or not to allow a player to replay a scenario if the player is "cashing in a star credit?"

Will PFS be looking to recruit VCs for Wales, Scotland

They already are; those countries have been in the 'volunteers wanted' sidebar of the regional coordinators page for some time. Until then, the England VOs are the best contact.

and Northern Ireland now?

The VC for Ireland (both NI & the RoI) is William Boyle.

Does the GM no longer have the choice of whether or not to allow a player to replay a scenario if the player is "cashing in a star credit?"

I assume the language about metagaming and spoiling the adventure for others when someone plays a scenario after GMing it also applies here.

Disclaimer: I don't have the Guide v5 in front of me.

Quick question: With removing Shadow Lodge and Lantern Lodge faction, I need to somehow adjust one of my current players. Pathfinder Society Guide says: "Should a faction be retired, it will feature in a special scenario designed to wrap up its story." so I can hold a specific Scenario for him to understand why faction is no more valid choice and how to get another faction.

Could someone please pinpoint scenario names for Shadow and Lantern Lodge factions?

This blog entry contains the answers you seek: When a Faction Turns Out the Lights

Is it OK for me to do this Scenario after August, 15, when rules about playing retired faction characters are effective?

These scenarios are still legal to play after 13th Aug (the last day of Season 4) but the character will have already needed to switch faction, and won't get any special benefit from being the 'right' faction.

What about "Intro: First Steps" adventure? Historically, it contains 10 missions for each faction... Will it be updated to reflect new faction interests?

Parts 2 & 3 are to be retired imminently, and part I is to be replaced by a new introductory scenario towards the end of 2013.

Nidome wrote:

Michael Brock wrote:

Nidome wrote:

Chapter 8 - Regional Coordinators......

I have noticed a few things here. I don't know if these were deliberate or accidental but I thought I'd mention them.
Global—Online Play: This is listed in the USA section of the list. Shouldn't it be international?
Dave Harrison and Rob Silk were listed as United Kingdom last year. They are listed as just England in the new release - what happened to the rest of the UK?
Belfast and Newtownabbey are in Northern Ireland (Part of the UK)
Dublin is in the Republic of Ireland (or Eire)

You are correct about Global - Online Play should be under International. I will get that fixed.

I list VC titles by what the VC or VL wishes to have their title read.

I only queried it due to the change from the previous listing and departure from the format used for the rest of the international listings.

Will PFS be looking to recruit VCs for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland now?

Northern Ireland has two V.O.'s at the moment! Myself & Andrew Wilson. I decided PFS would be cross border organisation as I was not & we are not restricting efforts to spread the PFS gospel to either side of the border! To be specific the "Ireland" in question refers to the island that includes both jurisdictions, the Republic of Ireland & Northern Ireland.

I spent some time at PaizoCon UK chatting to some Scottish Pathfinders over a drop of fine Irish Whiskey (from Bushmills, N.Ireland!) about establishing more of a PFS presence in Scotland. One of my best GMs is as we speak moving to Scotland where he'll be working towards that too. So hopefully we'll see something exciting happen in Scotland soon.

Looking forward to the Year of The Demon!

W

Many thanks for this guide! I love most of the changes, and I'm greatly looking forward to playing season 5.

May I just point out a slight mistake in the coordinator list? It seems the VC/VL list for Switzerland hasn't been updated (our VL became a VC a couple months ago).

You all realize that the out of subtier gold calculation is totally communist "from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs"?

All level 3 players who join a subtier 4-5 table and manage to defeat the boosted boss and extra mooks are awarded with a lesser share of gold. This makes no sense to me at all especially when playing up on season 4 scenarios is extremely dangerous. Take a much higher risk of dying and now get a tiny reward!

It's like this. Person 1 who is filthy rich risks $20,000 on spin on roulette, if they win, they win $700,000! If he looses, big deal; he spends that much every week flying his airplane around. Person 2 has only $20,000 to his name, is mortaged up to his neck and risks loosing his car and his house. If he wins he only gets $50,000. If he looses, he's on welfare!

It's not right.

Are our animal companions also eligible for retraining?

One thing that did not get noted in the Changelog is the very last page. There is now an inventory tracking form. This should make optional GM audits much easier.

Is there a reason that it is titled Inventory Track Sheet instead of Inventory Tracking Sheet?

I love the idea of 1 prestige for playing and 1 prestige for completion, but I think the first prestige should be tied to experience...otherwise (I dunno who would do this, but...) people could get so much prestige at 0 XP by simply starting a scenario and not doing anything.

I know that's not the intention at all, but right now it's very unclear.

So I am now confused about how conditions are going to be dealt with. In the Baleful Polymorph debacle we had a new rule that says that all conditions must be cleared by the end of the scenario, no matter how minor, or you are reported as being dead.

In the new Guide at pg22 under Conditions, Death and Expendables it says that all conditions except permanent negative levels, ability drain which doesn't reduce an ability to 0 and conditions which apply no mechanical effect must be cleared or you are reported as dead.

In the same guide however at pg24 under spells says that afflictions and harmful conditions obtained during a scenario remain until healed and carry over from scenario to scenario.

So I am now totally unclear about what can and can not carry over from one session to the next.

Edit: Also pg36 on Dealing with Conditions when filling in the Chronicle sheet specifically talks about clearing conditions obtained in previous scenarios.

I am now totally unclear about what can and can not carry over from one session to the next.

All conditions except permanent negative levels, ability drain which doesn't reduce an ability to 0 and conditions which apply no mechanical effect must be cleared or you are reported as dead.

Other afflictions and harmful conditions (i.e. permanent negative levels, ability drain which doesn't reduce an ability to 0 and conditions which apply no mechanical effect) remain until healed and carry over from scenario to scenario.

I believe the baleful polymorph blanket statement was an interim ruling while the wording for the new guide was being finalised.

Except that page 24 doesn't say "other afflictions". It simply says the "afflictions and harmful conditions obtained during a scenario remain until healed and carry over from scenario to scenario".

Both pieces also contradict the ruling made in the Baleful Polymorph thread that all afflictions must be cleared regardless of severity or you are reported as dead.

The statements on pages 22 & 24 are complementary.

Paraphrasing:

Page 24: Diseases, ability drain and other nasty stuff doesn't just magically go away at the end of the scenario.

Page 22: You need to deal with some of the nasty stuff that doesn't go away automatically, otherwise you can't play that character again. There are a few things you can live with though (e.g. negative levels).

All clear?

I understand what you are saying I just don't think the Guide is necessarily as clear as you make out. It also contradicts the ruling we had in the Baleful Polymorph thread which is liable to lead to more confusion.

Having the issue be dealt with in 2-3 different places in the Guide also isn't helping.

mjmeans, while you might feel that way, being pressured to play up because one or two people at a table want to isn't right either. If people really want to play up, they can, but WBL will be more closely maintained now and you can't do it just to gain money or get carried to gain a huge chunk of money. That's not right either. This has been discussed at length, as there are entire threads about it. It is more forgiving than it was originally talked about being and frankly, for those of us who have ever lost a character or spent 5-10 hours bored because we couldn't do anything due to being forced to play up and our characters weren't power builds this will help prevent those situations. For PFS, this is a good change.

Kyle Baird wrote:

Lady Ophelia wrote:

What I plan to do with this inventory sheet, is to attach it to the Chronicle sheets! If they purchase anything during/before/after on the chronicle sheet then it goes with that said chronicle. Now how they want to keep it after that, is up to the player. But if an audit takes place, the player can show the GM where everyhing came from, just from their chronicle sheets attached to the master chronicle. I may make copies of it on both sides. :D

What about printing it on the back of the chronicle sheets?

I meant putting on the back of Chronicle Sheets! But I know some people who are purists, and don't want their chronicle sheets all messed up with stuff on the back.. So for the older seasons, I'm going to attach it, but for Season 5 and on, I'm going to make a copy on the back. I also need extras now too for other GM's/Players.

Yeah that's been a conundrum for me. I think the back of the sheet is the perfect place, but I like to use the back of the sheet from my previous play to keep notes and list spell selection for the next thing I play.

I'm also liking the season 4-5 ruling allowing a party of 6 in between tier to play up with the party of 4 adjustments. I know I've played down a time or two the last few month as a level 6 character sat with several level 7 pregens.

It also contradicts the ruling we had in the Baleful Polymorph thread which is liable to lead to more confusion.

Surely people take the word of the Guide issued in August 2013 over a messageboard thread from July 2013?

I understand what you are saying I just don't think the Guide is necessarily as clear as you make out. It also contradicts the ruling we had in the Baleful Polymorph thread which is liable to lead to more confusion.

Having the issue be dealt with in 2-3 different places in the Guide also isn't helping.

The baleful polymorph ruling is unaffected. The new guide exempts certain conditions from the requirement that conditions be cleared so that PCs receiving negative levels from raise dead are not rendered unplayable just because they cannot clear those levels at the same time that they are raised from the dead. This was always the intent of the rule, but it is just now becoming the letter.

Nidome wrote:

Michael Brock wrote:

Nidome wrote:

Chapter 8 - Regional Coordinators......

I have noticed a few things here. I don't know if these were deliberate or accidental but I thought I'd mention them.
Global—Online Play: This is listed in the USA section of the list. Shouldn't it be international?
Dave Harrison and Rob Silk were listed as United Kingdom last year. They are listed as just England in the new release - what happened to the rest of the UK?
Belfast and Newtownabbey are in Northern Ireland (Part of the UK)
Dublin is in the Republic of Ireland (or Eire)

You are correct about Global - Online Play should be under International. I will get that fixed.

I list VC titles by what the VC or VL wishes to have their title read.

I only queried it due to the change from the previous listing and departure from the format used for the rest of the international listings.

Will PFS be looking to recruit VCs for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland now?

They've been listed on our active recruiting list for 18 months now.

I may of missed it but how does the Out-of-Subtier Gold work with 1-7 Scenarios?

Is it the average between the 1-2 tier and 6-7 tier?

OR something else?

Are our animal companions also eligible for retraining?

No, because animal companions don't have any prestige to spend.

I understand what you are saying I just don't think the Guide is necessarily as clear as you make out. It also contradicts the ruling we had in the Baleful Polymorph thread which is liable to lead to more confusion.

Having the issue be dealt with in 2-3 different places in the Guide also isn't helping.

The ruling made in the Baleful Polymorph thread was a temporary fix until we could get the next Guide fixed. It is null and void when the new season starts.

Rhys Proudfoot wrote:

Are our animal companions also eligible for retraining?

No, because animal companions don't have any prestige to spend.

Also, don't forget, an often underused ability of Druids is to let their animal companion go and find another more appropriate companion for the current scenario.

If you can get away with it (and you're not super-invested in training), there's nothing wrong with dumping Mr. Tiger and picking up Mrs. Octopus if you want to retrain.

;-)

I may of missed it but how does the Out-of-Subtier Gold work with 1-7 Scenarios?

Is it the average between the 1-2 tier and 6-7 tier?

OR something else?

I think they would have two out-of-subtier bands, one the average of 1-2 and 3-4 gold, the other the average of 3-4 and 6-7.