Prepare for Free RPG Day: October 16, 2021

Huzzah!

Wow. I don't know which I want to GM more.

No more skittermanders? I has the disappoint

Hope to see more of the crew of Nakonechkin Salvage someday!

Yay! Can’t wait!

No more skittermanders? I has the disappoint

Not this year but never say never.

Thank God, no skittermanders

A little disappointed we're not seeing the Hookclaw Tribe for Pathfinder, but c'est la vie.

Will this be sanctioned for play in Pathfinder Society?

Will this be sanctioned for play in Pathfinder Society?

We intend to sanction both adventures for credit, yes!

Sorry, don't have a local game store. Wouldn't go there right now if I did.

I'm unreasonably happy that we're getting a holodeck gone deadly adventure for Starfinder.

Sorry, don't have a local game store. Wouldn't go there right now if I did.

That's why we are allowed to sell them about 30 days after the event.

More Vlaka?

Ludmila Volkova approve~

My local game store has given me a slot per session for either SFS or PFS. My question, do we know what maps are going to be used? I would like to order them prior to the game and have time to get them in. If they are custom maps, would it be possible to get the images 3-4 days prior so that I can print them out?

Will these be repeatable scenarios?

Will these be repeatable scenarios?

No.

My local game store has given me a slot per session for either SFS or PFS. My question, do we know what maps are going to be used? I would like to order them prior to the game and have time to get them in. If they are custom maps, would it be possible to get the images 3-4 days prior so that I can print them out?

Great! Free RPG Day adventures are self-contained and do not require other maps or books. I suggested working with your local game store to prep for the games. They are only available through retailers on October 16. I should think they would help you prep.

HWAskins wrote:

My local game store has given me a slot per session for either SFS or PFS. My question, do we know what maps are going to be used? I would like to order them prior to the game and have time to get them in. If they are custom maps, would it be possible to get the images 3-4 days prior so that I can print them out?

Great! Free RPG Day adventures are self-contained and do not require other maps or books. I suggested working with your local game store to prep for the games. They are only available through retailers on October 16. I should think they would help you prep.

Thank you Aaron. My local game store was able to get me both adventures. I will be scanning and printing the maps for the GMs during the event.

Having read the Starfinder one in preparation of GMing it for Free RPG Day, let me say that the writers knocked this one out of the park. It is freaking adorable.

I will not say more until after Free RPG day to avoid spoilers, but the Starfinder RPG adventure is an utter delight this year.

Hmm

Looks great but will have to wait the 30 days as the local store is not likely participating and I'm only running online anyway.

No local Free RPG around us, so guess we're waiting a month too.

The retrospectively applied shafting on table credits last year, and the herculean efforts involved in getting Free RPG games going though have somewhat put us off anyhow.

There should be scope for VCs to get electronic copies well ahead of time so the GMs can arrive prep'd, people should not be running showcase events cold with a scenario that they are running cold. What's worse is that we don't even know for sure the kits will arrive at the store for the actual day as shipping is random, so we could be merrily advertising an event that fails to materialise on the day.

I agree with you. We are fortunate that local Free RPG products usually arrive a week ahead so that the store can provide its GMs with an advance print adventure so that we can arrive and prep in advance. A good thing, too. I want to make minis, hand outs, gear cards and a sheet of spells for one of the pregens so that players who don't know Starfinder can jump in and play.

I am sorry that shipping to Australia is so dicey, Shifty. It does sound awful to try to plan events when there is such uncertainty baked into the process.

Hmm

November 19 is the day we can contractually release the products on Paizo.com. :)

I want to make minis, hand outs, gear cards and a sheet of spells for one of the pregens so that players who don't know Starfinder can jump in and play.

This.

And I want to print out the maps in full colour, and to do that I need to scan the map in the scenarios and blow them up to scale - and that often means a bit of editing to remove secret doors and generally tidy up, a challenge PDFs don't add to the already busy pile of prep.

VO's could use advance drops for prep, with an embargo from running prior to the day. Even if they just clear through the RVC it would save a headache.

Kinda bummed this isn’t digital as well. I get and applaud what you’re trying to do, but the pandemic is very much alive and kicking for many of us.

Kinda bummed this isn’t digital as well. I get and applaud what you’re trying to do, but the pandemic is very much alive and kicking for many of us.

Again, it releases digitally a month later.

Hilary Moon Murphy wrote:

I want to make minis, hand outs, gear cards and a sheet of spells for one of the pregens so that players who don't know Starfinder can jump in and play.

This.

And I want to print out the maps in full colour, and to do that I need to scan the map in the scenarios and blow them up to scale - and that often means a bit of editing to remove secret doors and generally tidy up, a challenge PDFs don't add to the already busy pile of prep.

VO's could use advance drops for prep, with an embargo from running prior to the day. Even if they just clear through the RVC it would save a headache.

Thanks for being so generous. Linda announced on last night's Paizo LIVE that Org Play was prepping to have both these adventures sanctioned on Free RPG Day.

We are contractually limited by this language:
"Print and/or PDF versions of the product may not be disseminated anywhere else until November 19, 2021 (Exception: You may use, give away, or sell printed copies of the product during any convention at which you are vending within the exclusivity period.)"

We are not vending at any cons.

This may be the reason VOs are not getting the support they want. I still think going directly to your FLGS is the only option. I will bring this to Alex's attention on Tuesday when we are all back in the office. Perhaps different language could be negotiated next year, since Org Play program is beneficial to retailers.

I still think going directly to your FLGS is the only option. I will bring this to Alex's attention on Tuesday when we are all back in the office. Perhaps different language could be negotiated next year, since Org Play program is beneficial to retailers.

And given the Org Play program is beneficial to, people, and people are…customers…the benefits actually go many ways. And to grow the Org Play…

Sorry Aaron. I get that you are being very helpful, and clearly pointing out the sticking point. So it’s definitely a good idea to definitely change the legal wording so everyone can get helped out.

Tell Alex HMM and Shifty asked for it, because, those guys are PFS stalwarts across two continents. Growing your player base. As far as you let them.

Where can we see these scenarios being offered to be played in our areas?

Where can we see these scenarios being offered to be played in our areas?

The "Find your retailer" at the bottom of the blog is a link to a place giving all the free RPG day participants

Stalwarts across two continents.... Those words made my day, Oceanshieldwolpf. Thank you.

However, I think that we have to understand that Free RPG Day is something that Paizo likely has little control over -- aside from making the adventures in the first place. The contract is not only between Paizo and the Free RPG Day organization, but is the contract that all publishers who make Free RPG Day adventures must agree to in order to be included in the event. If you can negotiate something else -- awesome! VOs would LOVE to be able to prep these events and make them wonderful. But I'll understand if this turns out to be something that Paizo cannot change.

Free RPG Day is only really free to the player base. Those vendors who participate (and I bet the majority are in the US and Canada) have to pay for their packets, which is a risk to them if the people who show up for Free RPG day just take the goodies and don't buy stuff. I have tried to get my local store involved (and even offered to go halves on the vendor packet) and they still did not want to take the risk.

At the moment, there is only one store in the Twin Cities Metro that participates due to the cost to vendors. So... In order to encourage those game stores to buy in, the Free RPG Day organization offers an exclusivity period for participating vendors. If you buy the vendor packet, your store gets the perk of being able to run the Free RPG day games during that entire month (and hopefully attract new customers in the process.) This means that I am volunteering to GM at a store that I otherwise don't usually go to, and will try to buy stuff there to reward them for participating. And who knows? If they do well, maybe I can convince my regular store to try it next year.

At least we'll all be able to get those free PDFs once the exclusivity period ends.

Hmm

It’s true, I have 0% knowledge about whether or not we can negotiate anything next year. Just wishful thinking on my part.

Well, I have the same sort of wishful thinking. You cannot get something unless you ask. So... I am happy if Paizo asks the question well in advance of next year's contracts. The answer will likely be no, but hey... we both could be surprised.

Hmm

Has the chronicles been released yet?

Can players use their on character?

There are chronicles, but I had to ask my VOs for them. I assume that means that they're on the VO-only Discord. Although players could use their own character, I recommend that everyone uses the pregens, and that we limit to groups of 4 players where possible for the SF adventure. I have not read the PF adventure as I am not GMing it.

Hmm

There are chronicles, but I had to ask my VOs for them. I assume that means that they're on the VO-only Discord. Although players could use their own character, I recommend that everyone uses the pregens, and that we limit to groups of 4 players where possible for the SF adventure. I have not read the PF adventure as I am not GMing it.

Hmm

Really? Do is Discord the official channel now?

Really? Do is Discord the official channel now?

Pretty much for the last 1.5 years.

The PFS2 adventure is designed for five 1st-level characters. The scenario contains 5 L1 pregens. It does not say anything about using the pregens only, but obviously you will want to for new players. The maps are custom for the scenario.

Hilary Moon Murphy wrote:

There are chronicles, but I had to ask my VOs for them. I assume that means that they're on the VO-only Discord. Although players could use their own character, I recommend that everyone uses the pregens, and that we limit to groups of 4 players where possible for the SF adventure. I have not read the PF adventure as I am not GMing it.

Hmm

Really? Do is Discord the official channel now?

The chronicles will likely be posted publicly the end of this week (The standard Thursday blog post would be a perfectly timed spot, wouldn't it?) The ones Hilary references are most likely a convenient early bonus for VOs to use.

Im really excited
This mission looks like a lot of fun, good amount of adventure and combat for FRPGD
Seems like a bit more prep work for the GM than usual… but overall a good one
Im kinda glad its a departure from the Skitters

My local game store has given me a slot per session for either SFS or PFS. My question, do we know what maps are going to be used? I would like to order them prior to the game and have time to get them in. If they are custom maps, would it be possible to get the images 3-4 days prior so that I can print them out?

Custom maps for sure

Can I ask what the PF2 pregens are?

Can I ask what the PF2 pregens are?

Pathfinder Second Edition: Core Rulebook

Amiri: Human Barbarian (Levels 1, 3, & 5)
Ezren: Human Wizard (Levels 1, 3, & 5)
Fumbus: Goblin Alchemist (Levels 1, 3, & 5)
Harsk: Dwarf Ranger (Levels 1 & 5)
Kyra: Human Cleric (Levels 1, 3, & 5)
Lem: Halfling Bard (Levels 1 & 5)
Lini: Gnome Druid (Levels 1 & 5)
Merisiel: Elf Rogue (Levels 1, 3, & 5)
Sajan: Human Monk (Levels 1 & 5)
Seelah: Human Champion (Levels 1 & 5)
Seoni: Human Sorcerer (Levels 1 & 5)
Valeros: Human Fighter (Levels 1, 3, & 5)

Pathfinder Advanced Player's Guide

Feiya: Human Witch (Levels 1 & 5)
Jirelle: Half-Elf Swashbuckler (Levels 1 & 5)
Korakai: Tengu Oracle (Levels 1 & 5)
Quinn: Human Investigator (Levels 1 & 5)

Can be found here.

Can I ask what the PF2 pregens are?

If you mean in Threshold of Knowledge:

For the Starfinder adventure we have the following pregens:

Speaking of the pregens, I scanned the SFS pregens so that I could print them, but I am hoping that Paizo releases a better quality PDF of the pregens well in advance of the event. My current printouts aren't as readable as I like them to be.

Hmm

In case this helps other GMs:

I made a very quick cheat sheet of Err0r's spells that I will include with the pregen to help newcomers to Starfinder just jump in and start casting their spells.

Hmm

keftiu wrote:

Can I ask what the PF2 pregens are?

If you mean in Threshold of Knowledge:

** spoiler omitted **

Thank you...I completely missed the question with my earlier response...sigh...

keftiu wrote:

Can I ask what the PF2 pregens are?

If you mean in Threshold of Knowledge:

** spoiler omitted **

Thank you!

One minor error I noticed in one of the pregens for Threshold of Knowledge:

Fun little note: the pregens from the PF2 scenario are briefly called out as potential NPCs in book 4 of Strength of Thousands.