Familiar Places, New Adventures

Wednesday, September 7, 2016


Illustration by Hugh Pindur

Many up-and-coming Pathfinders start their careers in one of the evergreen adventures designed for 1st-level characters. Our four current evergreen scenarios are First Steps—Part 1, The Confirmation, The Wounded Wisp, and The Consortium Compact. One of the goals of these evergreen scenarios is to include options for both players and GMs that keep the scenario fresh with multiple playthroughs. To that end, we just released an update to The Wounded Wisp, revising a particular handout to be relevant to upcoming events in Season 8. The new handout appears at the end of the scenario's handout section, along with the versions of that handout from Seasons 6 and 7.

Along with the update to The Wounded Wisp, we've also released a low-spoiler summary of Season 7's storyline. This summary is now included in the Story So Far document, which summarizes the major plot threads of each season since broad overarching plots started in Season 2.

Striking the right balance with scenario replay is a frequent topic of discussion, both on our forums and in person. At Gen Con 2014 and 2015, we distributed a boon called Expanded Narrative that allowed GMs to earn opportunities to run or play adventures a second time for credit. If you went to Gen Con this year, you may have noticed that Expanded Narrative was nowhere to be found. We did not include it in the rotation because we've decided to open this boon up to all Society GMs.

Download the Expanded Narrative Boon — (131kb zip/PDF)

Linda Zayas-Palmer
Developer

More Paizo Blog.
Tags: Hugh Pindur Pathfinder Society Pathfinder Society Scenarios
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Dataphiles 3/5

1 person marked this as a favorite.

Wow this is awesome. Thanks Paizo!

3/5

1 person marked this as a favorite.

I also had an expanded narrative boon, but still think this is a good change.

Add me to the list that is still hoping we'll see the return of First Steps 2 & 3.

Question for those who have used these in the past - if running an AP for credit in campaign mode, what is the "timing" on the season / scenario for purposes of filling this boon out? - when the chronicle is completed or when that AP segment began?

Grand Lodge 4/5

1 person marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Adventure, Rulebook Subscriber

I would say that you could declare the use of a replay anywhere from the start of the volume to when chronicles are being issued.

1/5 5/5

Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

This is *not* sour apples nor is it griping, but it is a question that does come to mind. If it was addressed in the wording of the boon and I missed it, please accept my apologies!

I judged once at Gen Con (bringing my total judged tables to two) and I'm on the schedule for Skal Con (if it fires, bringing my total to three).

Beyond that, I *might* have a chance to run a 'side game' or two, then *maybe* a table at Conception and *maybe* a table at Stuffed Cows if I'm lucky.

That still does not put me at the ten games to earn a star.

When do I start documenting?

After I earn the star?

Even if it is GenCon next year?

Apologies for being a bit confused on this, just seeking clarity.

5/5

3 people marked this as a favorite.

I think this is a good compromise between the original language of star replays recharging every year (that never actually happened) and the boon existing but being hard to come by for many GMs. A definite step forward in further rewarding GMs for doing what they do without opening up replay too far.

Grand Lodge 4/5

1 person marked this as a favorite.
Pete Winz wrote:
Thank you for making Expanded Narrative available to all.

^This. I've never been able to get to Gen Con. It's kind of in a different country. Getting this, considering how many scenarios I run (and how many scenarios I've re-ran), this is huge.

Grand Lodge 3/5

My precious Suli Boon on the back of my Expanded Narrative!
Nooo!

This will be nice for next year though.

Scarab Sages 4/5

Wei Ji the Learner wrote:


This is *not* sour apples nor is it griping, but it is a question that does come to mind. If it was addressed in the wording of the boon and I missed it, please accept my apologies!

I judged once at Gen Con (bringing my total judged tables to two) and I'm on the schedule for Skal Con (if it fires, bringing my total to three).

Beyond that, I *might* have a chance to run a 'side game' or two, then *maybe* a table at Conception and *maybe* a table at Stuffed Cows if I'm lucky.

That still does not put me at the ten games to earn a star.

When do I start documenting?

After I earn the star?

Even if it is GenCon next year?

Apologies for being a bit confused on this, just seeking clarity.

I asked a similar question when I was about to get my (or had just got my) third star. HERE is Linda's response.

I believe that means you're eligible to start filling it out once you've earned your first star, not before, and you can only fill it out enough to recharge that first star. Once you earn your second star, you can continue to fill it out until you've recharged that. Etc.

3/5

Great news! Thanks Linda, John, and Tonya!

Shadow Lodge 4/5

Ferious Thune wrote:
Once you earn your second star, you can continue to fill it out until you've recharged that. Etc.

Solution: Get on my level, bro. ;)

5/5 5/55/55/5

2 people marked this as a favorite.
TOZ wrote:
Ferious Thune wrote:
Once you earn your second star, you can continue to fill it out until you've recharged that. Etc.
Solution: Get on my level, bro. ;)

Profession: miner?

4/5

1 person marked this as a favorite.

I'm happy for more people to get this boon.

I'm sad for all the local GMs that took expanded narrative as their reward for helping out a Con near the end of season 7 that now feel like they got no reward for helping out.

An advance notice would have helped soften the blow and not made those GM's feel like they ended up with less rewards than other GM's who worked the event.

Grand Lodge 3/5

Yeah, being able to use the Race boons on the back of Season 7 Expanded Narratives would be awesome.

Grand Lodge 4/5

1 person marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Adventure, Rulebook Subscriber

People printed Expanded Narratives and Race boons on the same sheet? I just printed separate boons...

Grand Lodge 3/5

All of our local Season 7 Con boons had a Race Boon one one side and 2016 GM Boon - (Alternate) Expanded Narrative on the other. Maybe they were just saving paper and we were supposed to choose between two different sheets when we got the boon?

4/5

Markov Spiked Chain wrote:
All of our local Season 7 Con boons had a Race Boon one one side and 2016 GM Boon - (Alternate) Expanded Narrative on the other. Maybe they were just saving paper and we were supposed to choose between two different sheets when we got the boon?

Yes, it's suppose to be a choose one of the two. I had about a third of my local GM's choose wrong at my most recent convention...

Grand Lodge 3/5

Huh. I might have screwed mine up then, because I would have picked the race boon. But then I ended up needing another replay because of scheduling, so I used it for a recharge. Ah well.

4/5 5/5 * Contributor

8 people marked this as a favorite.

Proposed solution to the, "What about people who already have the boon?" problem that a bunch of people in the thread are having—add the following to the new Expanded Narrative boon:

Seasoned Chronicler: You may attach this boon to an Expanded Narrative boon earned at a convention prior to 8/4/2016 in order to empower your previous Expanded Narrative boon for 1 year. You cannot attach this boon to an Expanded Narrative boon that does not have at least 1 scenario dated before 9/8/2016 already recorded on it. You treat your total number of GM stars as being 1 higher for the purpose of determining the total number of replays that you can gain from the attached Expanded Narrative boon. If you were a 5-Star GM on or before 8/16/2016, you may use the boon to recharge a sixth GM star after you have used all five of the boon's GM star recharges.

Since every Expanded Narrative boon prior to today was from a convention, they're all dated on the top of the page with the exact convention used to run them. Something like this would essentially do to Expanded Narrative what the new suli boon's "elemental dillette" line does for people who were stockpiling geniekin races when that boon was released—keep the old reward relevant while making it available to everyone.

Hopefully this idea helps!

4/5 *

Pathfinder Adventure, Adventure Path, Lost Omens Subscriber
Alexander Augunas wrote:

Proposed solution to the, "What about people who already have the boon?" problem that a bunch of people in the thread are having—add the following to the new Expanded Narrative boon:

Seasoned Chronicler: You may attach this boon to an Expanded Narrative boon earned at a convention prior to 8/4/2016 in order to empower your previous Expanded Narrative boon for 1 year. You cannot attach this boon to an Expanded Narrative boon that does not have at least 1 scenario dated before 9/8/2016 already recorded on it. You treat your total number of GM stars as being 1 higher for the purpose of determining the total number of replays that you can gain from the attached Expanded Narrative boon. If you were a 5-Star GM on or before 8/16/2016, you may use the boon to recharge a sixth GM star after you have used all five of the boon's GM star recharges.

Since every Expanded Narrative boon prior to today was from a convention, they're all dated on the top of the page with the exact convention used to run them. Something like this would essentially do to Expanded Narrative what the new suli boon's "elemental dillette" line does for people who were stockpiling geniekin races when that boon was released—keep the old reward relevant while making it available to everyone.

Hopefully this idea helps!

This is interesting. Thanks for throwing the idea out, AA.

Grand Lodge 4/5 5/55/55/55/5 **** Venture-Captain, Minnesota

^ An elegant solution.

* Applause! *

Hmm

Shadow Lodge 4/5

I was thinking about asking pretty much the same thing.

1/5

So is this a floating boon, or do you only count games run that are linked to the attached character?

Grand Lodge 4/5

Pathfinder Adventure, Rulebook Subscriber

I've always used it attached to my -infinity.

Silver Crusade 4/5

I've always treated it as being attached to the player/GM, not the character. I can't imagine it being useful any other way.

Liberty's Edge 4/5 *

Nohwear wrote:
So is this a floating boon, or do you only count games run that are linked to the attached character?

Unlike most boons, this one isn't attached to a character, just to you as a player. Record any game you GM on it, regardless of which character (if any) gets a chronicle from the session.

1/5

Thank you everyone for the help, and Paizo for making this available to all.

Shadow Lodge 4/5

1 person marked this as a favorite.

Just for posterity, and to play down my Finnish keenness for martyrdom, I support giving GM's more chances for replay. Just practicing the general negativity Finns are wont to do, is all.

Liberty's Edge 4/5 5/55/5 **

Pathfinder Battles Case Subscriber; Pathfinder Maps, Pathfinder Accessories Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Charter Superscriber; Starfinder Charter Superscriber

Can you add a link to the The Expanded Narrative Boon to the Roleplaying Guild Resources page with the other GM boon?

Radiant Oath 3/5 *

I'm not sure I understand one line of the boon. "You can never use GM star replay to earn credit for an adventure more than once." Does this mean that you must use a GM star if you want credit for both playing AND GMing the same adventure. Would you please explain this a bit for me? I am used to the OLD system where GMing was not rewarded in any way (no chronicle sheet) and “eating” an adventure (GMing without having played it) meant you gave up any chance to play it for credit. As I have understood it since I restarted last year, you can now get TWO chronicle sheets for each scenario – one for playing and one for GMing. This is a great boon, already.

BUT, I still don't understand how to use GM stars to "replay" a scenario and this makes it even more confusing. I thought that we were now allowed to play and GM a scenario and get a chronicle sheet for both, but the above sounds like you can only do that if you spend GM stars. So, do I have to use GM stars to get chronicle sheets for both playing and GMing? If not, how is this boon any different?

Grand Lodge 4/5

Pathfinder Adventure, Rulebook Subscriber
MARCIA SCHOONOVER wrote:
I'm not sure I understand one line of the boon. "You can never use GM star replay to earn credit for an adventure more than once." Does this mean that you must use a GM star if you want credit for both playing AND GMing the same adventure.

No. It means you cannot use two stars to earn another credit for the same scenario.

Effectively, you earn your play credit, then you earn your GM credit, and then you may use a star to earn one more play or GM credit, for a total of three chronicles from one scenario.

Radiant Oath 3/5 *

So, since I just just recently found out about this, but have already run 6 scenarios since Sep, can I get credit for those, or can I only get credit for FUTURE scenarios that I run?

Shadow Lodge 4/5

Marcia, yeah, no need to wait. Just start from the beginning of this season. Print it and fill it.

Do note that you need to have enough tables to earn that star before you start filling its "slot" on the sheet though.

4/5 5/5

I think you need to have used the star replay before you can start filling the scenarios on the expanded narrative boon.

Sovereign Court 5/5

I've long thought that Paizo would eventually have to begin having GM stars reset (probably coinciding with new seasons).

If you make this boon available every season, I'll have been proven wrong. And I'll be happy about it.

Liberty's Edge 4/5 *

Magabeus wrote:
I think you need to have used the star replay before you can start filling the scenarios on the expanded narrative boon.

I don't think that is true - I believe you can start filling it in at the beginning of the season, up to the limit of your current number of stars. Then at any time you can "cash it in" to reset. (I myself have simply kept mine from previous years to the end of that season, and just considered it a full reset at Gencon.)

4/5 5/5

My remark was based on the word "regain": it seems to me you can't regain something you have not used in the first place.

Sovereign Court 4/5

Happy Holidays what an awesome present !!! Thanks

Grand Lodge 3/5

You can start filling in lines before you regain anything though, right?

Liberty's Edge 3/5 5/5 **** Venture-Captain, Nebraska—Omaha

Magabeus wrote:
My remark was based on the word "regain": it seems to me you can't regain something you have not used in the first place.

True, but when you use it you can then regain it.

I read it to mean that I can work on regaining a replay for my 1 star even though I have not used my 1 replay yet.

Now I have 1 replay and will "regain" it when I choose to use use it.

Liberty's Edge 3/5 5/5 **** Venture-Captain, Nebraska—Omaha

Markov Spiked Chain wrote:
You can start filling in lines before you regain anything though, right?

Most believe so, yes. But you can't "regain" a star that you have not earned. So I can't start filling in lines to regain a second star until I have actually earned it.

Of course, I am still unsure that, once I do earn that second star, can I retroactively apply tables or do I just count the tables I run AFTER I have earned the second star.

My gut tells me to wait until I have earned the star.

Liberty's Edge 4/5

Can we use the boon at the start of each season?

Grand Lodge 2/5

Mike McKeown wrote:
Can we use the boon at the start of each season?
Expanded Narrative wrote:

Expanded Narrative: Some stories are best told a dozen times, and some adventure sites benefit from a second visit. When you GM a Pathfinder Society scenario or other sanctioned adventure, record the adventure’s name and date of completion on one of the lines below. When you fill all of the spaces in a section, you regain the ability to replay an adventure for credit or receive a Chronicle sheet from an adventure you GM—effectively “recharging” one of your free replay opportunities earned by achieving one or more GM stars. Each subsequent section you complete “recharges” another GM star’s replay potential. You can never use GM star replay to earn credit for an adventure more than once.

You can only use one Expanded Narrative boon per season of Pathfinder Society Organized Play, and you can only “recharge” a number of replay opportunities with this boon equal to the number of GM stars you have earned. For example, a 2-star GM could recharge both replay opportunities during a season. If she then earned her third GM star, she could use it to replay a scenario and GM seven more games to recharge the third star.

While it doesn't explicitly say one way or the other, the fact that it says you can only use one per season simply implies that your answer is "yes, you can use one per season".

Dark Archive 4/5 5/5

I just noticed there's a small typo in the boon. The last line says "seven more games" when it should be "four more games."

Liberty's Edge 4/5

Is a new one for season 9 going up?

Liberty's Edge 5/5 5/5 *** Venture-Lieutenant, Indiana—Martinsville

same question, or can we use the season 8 boon with the 8 marked out and 9 put in?

Dark Archive 4/5 5/55/5 ***** Regional Venture-Coordinator, Great Lakes

Same question as well - can we use a new copy of Season 8, or will there be an updated one for Season 9?

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