I'm in like Flint! Or maybe Lady Jaye ;)
Hi! I am building an Unchained Monk, straight up. I'd like some advice on which Feats to take at 1st level. The character is human,a nd is more STR heavy: 16 STR
The PC is now 2nd level, and since this is PFS I can retrain anything. Should I sacrifice some CON for extra STR? I am not interested in dropping INT. I am not interested in "old monk" archetypes currently, and I am not planning to buy the ACG, so brawler is not a choice either. Right now I have a +5 to hit at level 2. Maybe Weapon Focus? Toughness if I lower CON? Any ways to bump AC outside wands of mage armor? I could take a caster level (magus?) and get access to shield sacrificing some BAB... I want a strong build (not hyper-optimized) that draws on as few books as possible, though I can use CRB, APG, UC and Unchained as my "primary" choices.
Please be sure to note that you can change anything about your character before playing at level 2. That's where you are right now. After you play your next game, your choices about race/class/archetypes, etc. are "Locked In". That said, you can make make use of the retraining rules outlined Ultimate Campaign (and clarified in the PFS Guide to OP), but it'll cost both gold and prestige points. The reason I say this is that if you want to make the unchained rogue, do it now before you play your next game. Otherwise you may want to start a second character as the unchained rogue and retrain your first character into another class. But the PFS Guide will tell you more about retraining rules & restrictions.
About those "paired" items: Spoiler:
Someone.prompted me to read the description for Glorymane carefully. He won't abide another intelligent item. Too much ego. The two items should not go on the same character, and GM's should look for it. Sometimes cool combos don't work upon closer inspection. I've GMed and played a bunch of.games with cool stuff. Only one time did I play to earn a specific reward for a certain character. That is the only time to date I've purchased anything from a chronicle, and it was a PP vanity, not gear.
My other concept for Jasper is a bard, actually. I feel like I haven't given them enough of a chance. But It'll all come down to whether or not I have time over the weekend to build him out. If not, I'll withdraw from consideration. I'll let you know before Monday.
Talwin carefully inspects the door, looking it over for traps or other hidden dangers, using detect magic for a full 3 rounds as well.
-Posted with Wayfinder
Amazeballs! Just finished my seventh filing season since leaving school. My Abadarian inquisitor and I celebrate wholeheartedly. Still, an accountomancer archetype really should have been part of Inner Sea Gods...
Thanks for the feedback everyone. In the end, just getting my thoughts out here expelled some pent up bile. And it is interesting to hear about how the term originated. Makes me feel like part of the convention-going club, in a small way. Honestly, I was afraid it had its origins at Wizards, so hearing that it doesn't makes me feel much better. And I have nothing against other RPGS or their titles, but I don't play them. I can barely afford time or money to play the one game, let alone several (Though I've tried a few over the years). So go on using whatever term makes you happy, and I won't take offense, as I might have before. But I will still use Gamemaster or GM.
Thanks for the input thus far. I have not attended many conventions, and. if the term originated in that setting, that easily explains why it's new to me. I agree with other comments above in that the GM's role goes far beyond that of an impartial arbiter. We're there to tell a story, to share the lore of the Golarion setting and the Pathfinder Society, to help new players learn the game, and more as other have noted above. And yes, we must also adjudicate the rules. But if that's my number one job I, for some irrational reason, feel like I need to catch my players in breaking rules and shut them down when they do.
OK, so I have seen a great many posts that refer to PFS gamemasters as "judges". I personally have never seen this term for a GM used in any official Paizo document. I am still new, with only about one year in Society play. Is the term a holdover from earlier seasons? Or common jargon because of its use in other organized play campaigns that-will-not-be-named. See, I applaud the official discontinuation of the term "judge". I am not a judge. As a PFS GM I may do things that a real-life judge does, such as facilitate and adjudicate. But to me the term engenders an adversarial relationship between players and the person running the game. It does not, for me, foster an atmosphere of cooperation that is essential to a good gaming experience. But maybe the term "gamemaster" or "GM" is just as bad. Can anyone provide insight on how the term judge came to be used? I am just as curious about the history of the company and the PFS campaign itself as the in-game story, so I will read your replies!
Yes - I would have a specific recommendation - play #5-13: Weapon in the Rift. I am currently wrapping up that game as a play-by-post with my 7th level Iomedean cleric. Absolutely a must-play for any of her followers, in my opinion. And you're even in-tier! (it's a 5-9).
Mike said it before, but I think it bears mentioning: AP's can be run any way you like even when run for credit. Only have 2-3 hours a night? Fine! Want to play any race/class/archetype? Fine! (so long as you and your GM agree) Once you finish you can earn a chronicle(s) for the sanctioned content. I have not done this personally, but I have been trying to recruit AP players from my local PFS player base. They don't seem too interested, though. Even those who play PFS every single week. I personally think the style of AP play is incredibly different than that of scenarios. In my opinion it is highly preferable, but the modularity of PFS is a *huge* bonus, thus its popularity in my opinion. And yes, you do get boon hunters. I've only bought anything off a chronicle once. Those things are generally just a waste of time to me. But this puts me firmly in the minority of PFS players.
Thanks you for your candor. I appreciate the perspective. I really have had no exposure to Kickstarter. It was just one of those things I threw out there. I suspected this might be the case, too. Heck, I won't even give money to most people who ARE famous in the gaming community! The reality is, whatever I print I probably need to fund publishing myself. Right now, my working capital is nearly zero. But that could be changing in a relatively short time (still not a lot, but something!). Do I expect publishing something, even a meager 20-feat splatbook, to be just about the hardest thing I've ever done? Yes, I do. I have no delusions of grandeur here. This would be done to satisfy my own hubris and vanity, at first. And because I think I may have something fun to contribute.
It's all good guys. Last night at my LGS, my PFS ranger (also named Osric) confirmed no less than 3 longbow crits in ONE GAME! I think I rubbed every number from 8-13 off the d20...
I personally see no problem with allow rebuilds, complete or partial. If it's due to an errata, let it happen for free. It's true that this means some people may make stronger characters than they had before, but why should that be a problem? If someone comes with an overpowered summoner that's all of a sudden an overpowered barbarian, I'm still doing my thing. Maybe that person's next character would be just as OP. Maybe the next player (and we do see different players in PFS) would bring something just as OP. I enjoyed the development of a character from level to level. There's a reason there are 20 levels of power at which to play in this game. I even enjoy the early ones where characters are weak. So you could say that we don't allow complete rebuilds because the whole bent of the game is to play a character from bottom to top. Some games don't have scaling power levels. Some do. I enjoy this part of the game, but I suppose that if push comes to shove, I don't see it as essential.
My local PFS group has grown tremendously since I first began. Despite people coming and going, we generally seem to have 2 full tables every week. We have one lady who GM's every time, and several people who fill in as needed. I'm one of those. My schedule just doesn't allow me to make it out consistently every week. At our last game night we had two full tables of 7 players. Two new folks showed up and borrowed my CRB to build characters, but decided not to play. I'm hoping to get out next week and GM. But the other two guys who usually GM both really want to play. Further, we have clusters of players in different level ranges. Counting the standby GM's (me too) we have 8 or 9 players with characters in the 7-11 range. (At least 2 are just 7th level) We have 5 players with characters in the 5-6 range. Then we have up to three new people, plus others potentially playing new characters. Long story short, on a busy week we'll easily have the demand to fill three tables. Now I need to run a game. I have found 1-7's to be a huge pain when you've got a bunch of high level and a bunch of low level characters. Someone ends up with a pregen, and I still have to run a table of 7, which is problematic becuase we have AT MOST 4 hours to finish in - and that puts us a half hour after the store's closing. To my point - I'd like to prep a 3-7 or 5-9 game. This would be good for our regulars in the middle PFS levels (the 5-7's). But doing this means the newer people can't play their own characters. If I prep a 1-5 game, then the regulars can't play their fav characters either. I can't GM two tables, and I don't know if the other guys will be ready to go if needed. So do you have any advice? Who do I favor when selecting which game to prepare? My kids can get me or my wife sick at the last minute (it happened at least 6 times last year), so that I just can't get away for the night. I tried posting games on Warhorn, but literally half the time I had to back out of GMing. So advance signups just won't help here. Any other ideas?
I'll jump in here and hate on myself a bit. ...when you're playing Shades of Ice and the guy playing the level 4 ranger says, after the third encounter: "I have to leave to pick up my kids". And he was the one PC who pulled the table up a tier. Yes, I was the guy who had to leave, and yes, the rest of the party suvived. Barely.
Yes, yes they are both handy. Create pit is a level 2 spell, however, so can't do that. Level One spells that I'd love to have: Protection from Evil
As a sorceror I get to pick two to start off. And why choose something that gives your enemy a saving throw when you can pick something that doesn't? I always agonize over this when playing casters. Either you memorize a short list or know a short list. It's really hard to have a "right" answer at this point, IMO. Still, I may edit spells once again...
Merry Christmas everyone, even if I'm a bit late! I decided to move ahead to take advantage of a unique tactical opportunity presented by the present terrain. From my current position, neither ooze can advance to attack me without provoking an AOO. With Combat Reflexes, I get a chance to hit both before they can even get to me. That said, if Kryssa wants to advance and say, smash the one to the south, that would still be sound. And Willem can still shoot over my shoulder, taking the -4 cover penalty but still targeting touch AC. But really, if these are oozes, their AC really is not going to be an issue.
I would simply like to reiterate my perspective as a fairly casual PFS player: I'm not "traveling" to play this game, period. I am not impressed by or interested in expending real-life resources to take part in race boons, con specials, or regional specials. The idea just doesn't get me all hot & bothered either way. If I happen to be out of town and have the chance to play PFS at some other locale, that would be cool. Maybe. But is this going to incentivize me to travel or make me feel so excluded that I get upset, no. I'll still play PFS either way. If Paizo wants to do something that might make a difference to a few hundred people, so be it. But as I've asked before - can any of you 5-star GM's, VO's, or Paizo folks tell me in real numbers how many people this will really make a difference for? I think the pushback is coming from the vast majority of PFS players who just aren't that into this thing as much as you are.
I recently took a bit of a plunge. I registered for my first-ever roleplaying convention. It's called Tablecon and will be held in Salt Lake City next month, about 45 minutes' drive from my place. I will be attending for only one day, and I've signed up for three slots of PFS goodness. Since it'll be the first one I'm going to I'd like to make it a good one. Any advice? Tips? Things to look for? I'll be asking the event organizer the same things, but I wanted to solicit thoughts from a broader community as well. Thanks!
This gameday has been great in a lot of ways. It's definitely given me more of a chance to play than ever before. And I did run follow-up games for both my gameday groups, though not under the event. I know it's silly, but I just don't like waiting on the reporting. I want my tables of credit when I can get them, becuase the star replays are very valuable for me. Nevertheless, I fully intend to support the next gameday by GM'ing one or two games again.
This has been an interesting read, especially since I've been seriously considering playing a gunslinger for the first time in PFS play this Monday. Mechanically, the class has advantages and drawbacks like most any class. One disadvantage often overlooked is that you're stuck dealing base die damage until level 5. I've seen level 5 fighters and such with +17 damage on their power-attacked two-handed weapon. Does Deadly Aim work for firearms? Also, rangers get Improved Precise Shot WAY earlier than gunslingers do. So yes, cover is more of an issue for them. Due to misfires, most gunslingers are going to invest in reliable weapon enhancements instead of other +1 enhancements like bane and seeking. This nerfs them a bit when compared with archers. As for flavor, I'm the first to admit I'm not a huge steampunk fan. I really don't like the Numerian sci-fi aspect of Golarion either. Still. it is part of the setting, which I generally enjoy. Some of us don't like Asian flavor in our fantasy worlds, and so dislike monks, ninjas and samurai. Others dislike Victorian era flavor, like our Dr. Jekyll alchemists. Who also hit touch AC with their bombs. As a GM, I'm still learning - and I can get a bit crusty at times, but when players are really getting into the game and their characters, I'm having fun too, and I really don't care what class they're playing.
Walter's keen senses turn up no other detials of interest. The Duskwarden turns ot Dimitra: "Our failure is indictment enough. One of the merchants here was killed. Yet refunding your fee would accomplish nothing except to prevent us from repairing the damage and hiring more recruits." After the fight, the Duskwardens gather the body of the one merchant who died in the ambush and continue to guide the group and the other travelers up to the top of the Halflight Path. Four hours after the fight, the party reaches a bunker-like complex just outside the entrance to Kaer Maga. The city is enormous. In all directions, you can see that every inch of it is covered in buildings: cliff side buildings, buildings built on the atop thin balconies around the interior of the walls themselves, and buildings crammed together on the floor of the ancient ruin. Except for the lake at the center of the city (even then, only at midday), the entire city is drowned in permanent twilight.
That could very well be the case. Without knowing any of you personally it is very difficult for me to gauge these sorts of things. I simply wish to foster an environment where everyone feels comfortable. Perhaps my post failed to achieve that aim. If so, please forgive me. I do not want to be in a position where I need to choose which players stay and which go because one group is offending another for whatever reason. I don't know how your characters "should" or "should not" talk except that I want everyone to feel welcome and comfortable in my games.
I don't understand why Lovecraft or ay horror writer is worth my time. I couldn't stand A Games of Thrones, the book, and I quit about halfway through. George R.R. Martin is a dirty old man. Yes, I am a bit prudish but sex can happen off-page, thanks. I've read the entire Wheel of Time series, and I really like Brandon Sanderson's efforts in concluding it. (This may be the prevailing opinion, but I don't know). I read the Silmarillion, and I liked it, but I don't lord it over others as the pinnacle of intellectual fantasy writing (As some elitist gamers do).
Wow and wow. This is why I stopped playing a cleric after just two scenarios. First, it is my opinion they are one of the most versatile classes out there. This makes things hard - you have to pick what you want them to do well. Optimizing a cleric can be hard, and take a few levels. I finally settled on what I want and have yet to get my new PFS cleric into a game. In the olden days, clerics cast spells and cracked heads. Guess what, if you're built around 4-man party, that's not a bad thing. At all. What if you have a table full of squishy casters? Suddenly that "battle cleric" with 16 STR in full plate who can still buff like mad doesn't sound so bad. Every blow that falls due even to my +1 bless at level one is MY blow, by other reasoning I've seen here. But that's not the point. I have played a number of scenarios. Many builds have been optimized. Some have been gloriously not. Like the elf barbarian with 14 STR who wanted to stay out of the way of little fey creatures becuase she was "scared" of them. Did I walk away? No. Did I demand that we find an optimized barbarian? No. In good fun I ribbed her barabarian's wimpy tactics, and we had fun with our group. Isn't that what the game's about?
My understanding is that a light shield allows you to still grasp another object in that hand. The +1 to AC isn't much, though and you might be better off with a bigger weapon. You can still hold it in one hand while casting, I believe, but you would need two hands free to wield it. It seems like if you have your holy symbol around your neck, reaching to grab it should be a free action. Not sure, though. |
