Bael Hefthammer's page

Organized Play Member. 19 posts. No reviews. No lists. No wishlists. 8 Organized Play characters.


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Grand Lodge

Any chance there is a bundle pack possibility? Perhaps something that has the book and maps together?

Grand Lodge

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PFS is a great thing, if one truly understand what they are getting into. The record keeping was a bit confusing to me at first, as I got some conflicting answers. One of my local GMs help set me straight, and now I am off and running. That is one of the best facets of PFS, is the community - at least locally - seems quite eager to help new players out. (I think it has something to do with wanting more GMs :) )

At any rate, there are a couple things I have noticed when playing the few sessions that I have. Note, this is not meant to begin yet another argument for or against min/maxing or optimization. It is simply one guys opinion, that may help out some other new players out there.

Optimization (not an argument)
PFS, at least in my opinion, lends itself to optimization. This is not my preferred style of play, but I understand why it happens. Since the scenarios have to run as written, the dice mechanics become even more important than in a homegame. When you sit down at a PFS table, odds are one or more of the players have min/maxed or optimized their characters. If this is not your play style, don't worry about it. Have fun with your character, and play they way you want to play. We had a lot of fun in my last scenario with an awesomely played optimized monk, right up until we fought a swarm. That was almost a TPK.

Character Builds
Oh my, this is something that blows my mind. I sat down at a table once where my dwarf was the ONLY non Tiefling or Aasimar. WOW! Add on top of that, the builds were crazy combinations the likes I had never heard of. Don't as for specifics, I can't actually remember. What I do remember, was the that virtually everyone in the group, with 2 exceptions, had 5 CHA. So much for those Diplomacy checks right? In PFS, you have the ability to create pretty much whatever you want, and level it fairly quick. Keep that in mind. I liken it to playing a video game. There is no doubt you are going to come across some crazy stat heavy builds, made for a specific purpose. My advice? Go crazy! Have fun with it, and maybe you can get some good ideas for your next Homegame!

GMs
In PFS, the GMs are fairly restricted on what they can do. There is some wiggle room, but not much. As such, sometimes they will make mistakes. Remember, we are all human - despite what our characters say - and we are all at the table to have fun. If your GM makes a mistake, don't call him out and ridicule him. If it is not overly severe, then maybe let it slide and pull him/her to side after the game. Remember that sometimes these guys and gals are running a game for a table full of strangers, and that can be unnerving in and of itself. We all have different experience levels of gaming, but end result is still the same. We are all here to have fun.

So, if you are new to PFS - like I am - you are no doubt going to see and hear somethings that are going to make you scratch your head. Don't sweat the small stuff. Do your best to have fun, and try to keep it positive. Who knows, you might end up having the time of your life!

Oh, one more thing. I heard this the other night, and it cracked me up. You know what the best thing about PFS is? You can always just make another character! :)

Bael

Grand Lodge

I was reading up on what happens to the Chronicle sheet that I earned playing a LVL4 Pregen. If I am reading it correctly, the XP/PP is not applied until the character I am applying it to ACTUALLY reaches lvl4 correct?

The character that I wanted to apply it to recently hit level 2, due to Thornkeep, but I still can not apply anything from the previous Pregen session for 2 more levels, if I understand what I a reading.

Thanks.

BH

Grand Lodge

If a cleric is using a his/her favored weapon, do they actually start play with it? Or is this an item that must be purchased as with all other gear? I know this sounds a little out there, but I am still trying to wrap my head around all the PFS specific rules, and I did not see anything that covered this.

Thanks.

Grand Lodge

Thanks everyone for their input. I made some changes to the initial character concept, and thus the weapons changed. I will say, this is one of the best things about this forum; people willing to help.

Thanks again. Now I just need to get into a game, and all will be well!

Cheers!

Bael

Grand Lodge

Thanks. I guess that makes sense. Onward to character creation!

Grand Lodge

In our home game, a halfling is allowed to use a standard shortbow, though it is treated as a longbow for that particular character. Is this possible in PFS? Meaning, could a halfling use a standard shortbow instead of a small shortbow?

Thanks.

Bael

Grand Lodge

Hello. I am trying to find out what I should do to rectify this situation. I have two sessions showing on my character screen that I have not completed. Both are from different GMs and both are from towns I have never even been to. The PFS number is correct, and the character name is correct. I can only assume that the PFS number was incorrectly entered, thus awarding my account something I did not earn. What should I do to correct this?

I have contacted the GM's who completed the chronicle sheet, but is there anything else I should do?

Thanks for any help with this.

Bael

Grand Lodge

Anyone know if the Beginner Box Pawns are available for purchase separately? I am interested in having the various classes/races.

Grand Lodge

I am not sure if this is the right place to ask this, but I thought it couldnt hurt. I have been considering purchasing the Bestiary box set as a less expensive way to have the creatures I need for my games. In looking at it, I have found a couple of different pictures. My question is this; are there two versions, one with square 1 inch only bases, and another with 1 inch circular, and larger circular?

The two pictures I have seen show this, and I want to make sure that I get what I need. Having the large base is important, as it will help my newer players with facings and size comparison. Thanks for any help you can offer on this.

Bael

Grand Lodge

After reading the posts here, and speaking with several of my gaming friends, I have decided to run my next session with no screen. I am going to roll in front of the players, and see where things land. I think it will change the way combat works for me, since I have a very tactical mind. I am probably going to have to adjust the tactics of my monsters if they are pummeling the PCs too badly. If you are interested in how it worked out, I will post to this thread after the session so you can find out. :D

Cheers

Grand Lodge

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To everyone who has offered up opinions and such here, I want to thank you. I think, having been a DM/GM for too long, I have painted myself into a corner and become too comfortable in my own ways. I am going to attempt to open my mind a bit, and look at it like I think I should. The game is here for fun.. whether it be a character that is a generalist or a specialist, as long as my fellow players are having fun, that is all that matters.

So, with that in mind, I think I am going to make the second character in my first character's back story, his brother Bael. I am going to look at making him a little more specialized as a fighter type, and see what comes up.

Thanks again for all the opinions, and I mean that. Sometimes, a strangers perspective can help shape your own!

Cheers

Grand Lodge

From the Paizo Doc GMing 101

Gming 101 wrote:

When do you fudge rolls?

Fudging dice rolls should never be commonplace, but there is
a time and place for adjusting tactics: helping a low level and/
or inexperienced table group that has fallen on a streak of bad
luck. One of the fastest ways to lose a new player is to kill off
his character, so as a GM you have some leeway to help these
fresh faces succeed, have fun, and have a reason to come back
to play again.

This is all I meant by using the screen to hide rolls. It would be the exception, not the rule. I apologize if people were under the impression I prefer to cheat to make the game move in a certain way or make the game more fun. This is pretty much all I was thinking about when I posed the initial question.

Thank you everyone for your insights, and for not flaming me for asking questions. Seems a pretty decent community here. Thanks again.

Grand Lodge

Helaman wrote:
Sydney Australia :)

Hrmm.. I have always wanted to visit Australia. I think my books and dice would fit in my carry-on lol

Grand Lodge

Helaman wrote:


I think you and I would get along great - I like low powered 15pt play (eqiv of moderate rolls of 4d6, drop the lowest IIRC) and in some games a 16 is a 'wow - not bad' stat... 18s are rare.

Heh, well, if you are ever in the Asheville area, let me know. Maybe we can get a game together! :D

Grand Lodge

Jiggy wrote:
Welcome to the Society!

Thanks.

Quote:


Is it that they're nothing more than min-maxed machines...

I think it is just a playstyle I am not used to. And, the characters in question were most definitely min/maxed. It was brought up to me that certain skills are useless as they have not been used in scenarios, so putting points in those skills isnt worth doing.

As far as the boot camp thing, I understand that. I think I am just too oldschool, and it will take some time to break that for me. I was under the impression, again oldschool, that 10 is average. Anything above 10 is above average, so haveing 12, 14, 13, 15, 12, 13 is a great set of stats based on average vs above average. Several of the characters mentioned to me at the session, when I was chatting after the game, had stats of 8's and 9's to offset 17's and 18's. Difference of opinions I suppose.

I agree that it takes all kinds of s players to make up a community, and I was not meaning to sound like I was dogging or belittling anyone. We all have our own ways of doing things. Some mesh, and some don't. I was just trying to get more information on things so I can decide if PFS is going to be for me or not.

Grand Lodge

Purple Fluffy CatBunnyGnome wrote:

So that begs the question back to you... is it better to experience the first death at level 1 or 2 because the GM was honest with you about the dice rolls, or to experience is later in "life" when you're level 7 or 8 and have invested even more time in the character and have developed a closer relationship.

I see your point. I have two new players thinking about joining PFS. Neither of them have ever played an RPG - tabletop that is - in their entire history of gaming. After checking out the PFS group here, I was thinking about trying to get them to come to the game with me. I am, however, a little worried about doing such with the possibility of character loss outright in their fist session. Maybe I am just a little too nice.

You see, I know these guys well, and they both work hard. They get very little time for themselves, but they have decided that they wanted to start playing an RPG. They have heard me talking at dinners and such about games I have run with a small group I had for a while. The PFS thing sounded perfect to me for them. That was one of the reasons I decided to check it out. But, knowing them they way I do; if they spend all day making a character only to have him/her slain by a die roll in the first combat ever, it would end the RPG possibility for them instantly.

I guess I need to be around PFS a lot more before I decide to commit to it as a GM and player. To me, the story is always more important than a mechanic. If the players are immersed in the story and having a great time, then it is all worth it.

I got way off what I wanted to say. :) Basically, as first level I think its a time for development. As a character progresses, the threats increase, as does the possibility for death. For me personally, losing a character I have not yet been able to develop is much worse that losing a character that has 5-7 levels under his or her belt. At least by that point, I have abilities, gear, and even experience to help keep him/her alive.

Grand Lodge

As a new player in the PFS, I am already noticing something that seemed a little off to me. I know character creation can be a very personal thing, and the way a character is played the same. I have noticed, however, that the characters I have interacted with seem to be nothing more than Min/Maxed Skill or killing machines. Sure, they have had some interesting names and ideas behind the characters, but the skill selections and stat allotments seem to be with one goal; getting the highest possible bonus so that the chance for failure is minimal.

As a GM, I have always had my players build characters that were story driven. There may have been one stat that was really high - when using rolling methods - but rarely a 17 or 18. As a player, I tend to try to build interesting characters, maybe a character who is rising the challenge of being an adventurer, and allot my stats accordingly. I actually had a player seem surprised that my cleric, at level 1, had a 15 Wis and 14 Con. He was truly baffled at why I wouldn't have chosen to spend more points to get one or the other higher.

This confuses me. I may be misunderstanding, but I thought the point of the PFS Campaign was a collective RPing community playing through the same scenarios. It appears, at least at this point, that it is more like creating a character on WoW or some other video game with the sole purpose of crushing combat and moving on to the next.

So, I am curious. Is Min/Maxing characters something that is common place or even recommended for PFS? Or is thins something that people are doing as their particular play style?

Grand Lodge

I have been running home games with various rule-sets for almost 20 years now. About two years ago, I got into Pathfinder, and have been quite happy with the products and system as a whole. Recently, I joined the PFS as a player, since I really have not been able to "Play" anything for quite some time.

I played in my first game last night, and it was interesting to say the least. Throughout the game, there several skill tests and combat tests, and all the while, the GM rolled every roll right in front of us. This seemed quite foreign to me, as I look at the game somewhat different than most I think. At one point, due to the luck of the dice on the GM's part, one of our party was almost instantly killed via a critical attack. Now, I understand death is part of the game. I don't, however, think that killing a level 1 character - run by a brand new player mind you- is a very effective way of getting people involved in the campaign. It can take several hours to build a character, and to lose that character in your very fist combat because of a Die Roll seems a bit much to me.

That brings me to my question, for all of you who GM, do you prefer to use a screen or not? Why one way or the other?

I mentioned this at the game, and was lead to believe that PFS prefers GMs not to use a screen. I can't seem to find anywhere that this is stated, but then again I am fairly new to this type of play.

I had planned on running a few scenarios, but I wasn't sure use of my screen would be very appreciated. Certainly, as characters become more powerful, more hit points, better armor, more experienced, etc. the need for "fudging" rolls becomes less and less. At lower levels, when a single strike can kill you, I think it advances the story much more to give the PC's a fighting chance by making the story the focus over the mechanics. So, that d10 damage roll may have ended up a 10, but the damage dealt... well maybe it was only about 4pts.