Familiar Places, New Adventures

I believe that last year, it was implied that we might see the return of First Steps 2 & 3. With an (the?) Evergreen this year being a 3-7, is there any chance we could see one of those two return? Perhaps 2. I think it would be very, very easy to rewrite the little bits of 2 to make it pertinent to the current factions and tweak a few words on the cert (I'm game to doing it if you need someone)

I believe that last year, it was implied that we might see the return of First Steps 2 & 3. With an (the?) Evergreen this year being a 3-7, is there any chance we could see one of those two return? Perhaps 2. I think it would be very, very easy to rewrite the little bits of 2 to make it pertinent to the current factions and tweak a few words on the cert (I'm game to doing it if you need someone)

I'd love to see all 3 parts of First Steps chopped up into Quests. It would be easy to file off the bits that are no longer relevant (like former factions).

Huh... well, I guess I better start using my replays.

I've still got 2 unused Expanded Narratives sitting around.

Hmm, I am not sure how I feel about the expanded narrative.

It is great for all the GMs out there, but this the second time this year that some of my GM boons became worthless (2 undine boons and 3 expanded narratives, that is nearly half of all GM boons I earned in my life). Some early warning would have been nice...

i think it is a great idea. Granted, I think that I have used three replays since the rule started, but it is cool. I am all for rewarding GMs for their hard work away from cons!

And, that's right, I don't need a boon for an Ifrit any more!

Nils, I fail to see how your previous expanded narrative boons are worthless. They still recharge your stars. The only thing happening now is everyone has access to this season's version.

We did not include it in the rotation because we've decided to open this boon up to all Society GMs.

WOOooOOOOOooOOOOooOOoooOOoooOOOOOOOTT!

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We did not include it in the rotation because we've decided to open this boon up to all Society GMs.

This is a terrific idea.

And that's speaking as someone who has completed one and has another that could be half filled out already, and hasn't used any of the stars. ^.^

I think BNW is being too restrained in his praise :-).

Thank you very much for this, it is much appreciated. I also think that this is absolutely the right thing to do. It encourages GMs to GM at the local level which is a wonderful thing.

For the computer geeks out there :

for(unsigned int i = 0; i >= 0; i++) printf("ThankYou WellDone YesYesYes ");

Nils, I fail to see how your previous expanded narrative boons are worthless. They still recharge your stars. The only thing happening now is everyone has access to this season's version.

Sorry, "worthless" might be a bit harsh, but everytime i took an expanded narrative, i could have taken a race-boon instead. So it feels sort of disappointing.

I have three Expanded Narratives, and I've used 15 replays out of 20. I highly approve of this change.

Excellent news about opening the Expanded Narrative boon.

Whoa.

Great!

Would someone explain how expanded narrative works? I don't understand the season limitations or... how do you get 3 and use them?

Hey, it's cool that they opened up expanded narrative up for everyone! I've thought it was something that should be done for a while. Thanks to Linda, John, and Tonya for all the hard work they put in!

Quote:

We did not include it in the rotation because we've decided to open this boon up to all Society GMs.

WOOooOOOOOooOOOOooOOoooOOoooOOOOOOOTT!

ThankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouThankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouThankyoutha nkyouthankyouthankyouThankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouThankyouthankyouthanky outhankyouThankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouThankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouT hankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouThankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou

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Would someone explain how expanded narrative works? I don't understand the season limitations or... how do you get 3 and use them?

Per season you can apply one such boon sheet. Each boon sheet can refresh a number of GM stars no more than the number of stars you actually have.

So I could earn a star refresh twice this season because I have two stars right now. Later this season when I earn my third, I can refresh a third time.

Next season, I can apply another EN boon and earn back another (3) stars.

Very nice.

Hmm, I am not sure how I feel about the expanded narrative.

It is great for all the GMs out there, but this the second time this year that some of my GM boons became worthless (2 undine boons and 3 expanded narratives, that is nearly half of all GM boons I earned in my life). Some early warning would have been nice...

We're in the same boat. I've got two EN's I've been saving for new seasons and now they do nada. Previously I built a Suli just for it to become a boon race and to make all the "Voltroned" boons useless too by virtue of becoming regular races.

*swears in Russian*

I welcome this change, yes I do have a 1-2 Expanded Narrative boons lying around, but this should be beneficial in the long run.

I'm a little bit confused why a boon available to everyone isn't just a rule. Couldn't we have just added GMs may replay a number of scenarios each season equal to their stars to the guide?

They probably wanted to add the caveat that you had to GM some more games to recharge them, thus getting more games played.

Awesome!

Oh, I'm so happy for BNW and all the local GMs that cannot make it to conventions!

Hmm

I'm a little bit confused why a boon available to everyone isn't just a rule. Couldn't we have just added GMs may replay a number of scenarios each season equal to their stars to the guide?

The Boon has lines for tracking your scenarios GMed.

Why would the lines be necessary though? If you took credit you would have the chronicle as proof already.

Why would the lines be necessary though? If you took credit you would have the chronicle as proof already.

IF you took credit. Not all of us take a chronicle sheet.

Why would the lines be necessary though? If you took credit you would have the chronicle as proof already.

Half of the scenarios filling out my Expanded Narratives are ones I ran again for no credit, because I had already gotten a chronicle for GMing them the first time.

I only put my not-for-credit scenarios on my Expanded Narratives. It makes me feel like I'm still getting rewarded for GMing. Of course, I don't take credit as a general rule, so most of my scenarios/module runs go on it.

Yay!

So a question or two.

When can we start recording? From the beginning of Season 8, which I believe began at GenCon. Thus I could record the tables I ran at GenCon?

Or can I start recording as of September 7th?

Right now I am 1 star, but I hope to get to 2 stars fairly soon. Can I keep recording my tables on the chronicle even if I don't have, and realistically will not obtain, higher stars this year?

Exciting news. Thank you very much for opening this up!

Just like the previous sheets, they're for the entire Season. Start your records beginning at GenCon.

I don't think I had any of my sheets until after I'd already GMed a few sessions, either. I just retroactively filled them in.

If you're one of those types that doesn't take credit, hopefully you still put down –0 or something so that you can find it on Paizo.

I had a fresh one from Phoenix Comicon, but I had already activated one during Season 7. I started the new one with my Gen Con sessions. (Already recharged three stars with the new one.)

(Already recharged three stars with the new one.)

You are a busy guy!

Just like the previous sheets, they're for the entire Season. Start your records beginning at GenCon.

I don't think I had any of my sheets until after I'd already GMed a few sessions, either. I just retroactively filled them in.

If you're one of those types that doesn't take credit, hopefully you still put down –0 or something so that you can find it on Paizo.

Well that is cool. That will recharge my 1 star and my "not yet here" 2nd star! lol

While I am also happy this opened up for everyone, I'm also a little bit perturbed, as Muser and Nils mentioned, this basically just made the majority of the DM Reward Boons I've kept for myself worthless/worth much less. On one hand, it's not a bad problem to have, but also makes me a bit meh about the idea of DM Boons in the future.

I was also wondering, as I can't download it and check at the moment, what was the change(s) to Wounded Wisp?

Can we get a description of what actually got updated for Wounded Wisp?

Also huge thanks for making Expanded Narrative publicly available. I really feel like this shows a huge appreciation for your GMs.

The archaeological find that the PCs uncover has been updated to reflect the current seasons themes.

The archaeological find that the PCs uncover has been updated to reflect the current seasons themes.

Thanks ^_^.

I'm glad I decided to take the last couple race boons instead of this. Even if I would had taken the narrative boon, this is a really good decision going forward. I support this.

I don't take race boons much, because I have no way to play them. :(

It look like the unspoken new policy for boons is: harder to get, and with what amounts to an expiration date. The goal isn't to keep them for years before using them.

Wounded Wisp... pffffffffft!!!!

I hear that scenario's for suckers. :)

my only lament might be if these sheets are only good for season 8. I got my first expanded chronicle at Origins and started filling it out with our mini-con we ran on the 7th of August

I haven't seen BNW this happy since... well, ever. I'm very supportive of this decision, which I think its the right way to go.

(And I have a bunch of race boons that became obsolete when the elemental races were made generally available, so I can understand the idea of those who feel their GM rewards have been devalued... but this boon was too important to be relegated to cons.)

Hey, it's cool that they opened up expanded narrative up for everyone! I've thought it was something that should be done for a while. Thanks to Linda, John, and Tonya for all the hard work they put in!

+1. Thanks guys!!!

I'm a little bit confused why a boon available to everyone isn't just a rule. Couldn't we have just added GMs may replay a number of scenarios each season equal to their stars to the guide?

As a few others referenced, we want our most accomplished GMs to continue running games. In order to get the maximum benefit out of the Expanded Narrative boon, we tie recharging this star benefit to continuing to do what earned you that ranking in the first place: being a GM. For a five-star GM, that boils down to running a game every 2–3 weeks on average, leaving plenty of time to enjoy (and to a limited extent, replay) the game from the other side of the screen.

Share the fun; reap the rewards.

This is probably very awesome for a lot of people^^

I can understand Nils though, this was the boon i just got at for gming at a major Con here. Had i known before i would have taken the other one.

Overall for the campaign it´s a good thing though and i´m happy for the many people this helps.

Thank you for making Expanded Narrative available to all.

Paizo, you rock. From someone who can't attend GenCon, you have my deepest thanks.