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Alright folks, I made a contest to help name Outpost III! Please give it a look over.OutPost III: Title Yet to Be Determined will be coming to this space in early 2020 (other details also TBD).We should totally hold a contest to name OutPost III's subtitle. Maybe I can write a filk for the winner.
Don't forget to vote!
Did y'all see the most recent Lost Omens Humble Bundle? It's awesome for 1e books.
That's a very valid way to approach things, Top. I think the key to all of this is that there really isn't one true method. Each GM should figure out what style is most important to them and go with it. Of course this works best if it is announced before the game starts. Consent and communication are key with whatever plan you use to handle player absences.
I want to be on the ex-VC Pirate Ship and the aussie cruise! In my dreams I would have enough cash to make it to Australia! (I'm currently saving up for the Netherlands first.) Yarr, it's ex-VC island for me! Serving as a Venture Captain was one of the most meaningful things I did. But I am a firm believer in term limits to preserve sanity, and allow new ideas to percolate in the lodge. :) Hmm
On the subject of roleplay in PBP: I think that some of it depends on GM expectations up front. In all my scenarios, I tell people that they are going to roleplay when I recruit them as a GM. Then I tell them again in discussion. Then I have NPCs directly start drawing out individual player characters, and before we know it, we're all going wild! PBP has the most opportunity for roleplay. It just depends on the culture that the GM and the players establish. Hmm
Taking off my VC hat to put in a plug for my boyfriend's table of Doom Comes to Dustpawn. Bret is a solid GM, and the module is a fantastic adventure -- it would be especially rewarding to a roguish character, or anyone who likes to save the world from impending DOOM. Think about it if you're looking for an amazing adventure. Row 102!
How fast do you guys think you'll go? You could reserve the scenario after 10-12 for your Outpost gig, if you're moving fast enough. Hmm PS I'm posting as Doom Girl rather than in my offical GM Hmm persona because I wanted to just check in, casually. This isn't an official visit. I just wanted to see if I could figure out a way to have your group be part of Outpost. Very cool. I am in. How do we sign up for Outpost II (I am a total noob)? Yes, soonish. We're just sorting through GM applications now. Have you thought about GMing? We could put you on something low-level if it is your first time. Hmm
DG, I think they want to know what's important to you about how you GM. A lot of GMs have a philosophy in how they approach things. Are you about exciting combats? Quirky NPCs? Pacing? Making settings come alive? Bringing out moments from your players back stories and weaving them into your plot? What's most important to you? They can see some of what you are about from previous campaigns, but I also love hearing from GMs about what they think of their playstyles and what's important to them. I can understand groups trying to find a good fit for a long-running campaign. (With shorter scenarios that have been abandoned, sometimes groups just want to finish. With longer ones, they might be pickier, willing to wait for someone who's playstyle matches theirs. There are many great ways to play, but you don't want people with different playstyles to clash.) Like others, I think it's awesome you want to volunteer and help out! Keep that volunteer spirit! But if Playstyles might clash, it's better to make that determination early.
A mysterious woman joins the conversation. You can. In a PbP, you have the luxury of time before you start a game and can tailor it to the players. In face to face, I'd probably just have chosen it in advance, since placing monsters on the fly and having the right handouts requires a bit more prep work. I have made all my build-your-own-dungeons in advance, so that I can create a coherent story from them. When I do it for in person play, I try to ask folks what character they are bringing, and what that character likes to do. (We have advance signup, so I have that luxury.) I then tailor the dungeon to them, trying to give them fun challenges and interesting story moments. When I make up something for a convention, I go with a strong overall story with something for everyone in terms of challenges. But yes, prep in advance is the strong option here. It seems like some scenarios/modules might not be best for PbP. I love modules with their longer and more complex storylines, and all their roleplay options. That said, I think that GMs should go with their strengths. If you are good with complicated storylines and quirky NPCs, do modules. If you are not, go with something a little more straightforward. Hmm
Looking at the stealth skill, partial concealment will do. Yes, swarms can go after other swarms. It is very effective. I hope this helps. Hmm PS I am not posting in official VC persona. This is how I would rule these at a table, not a rules proclamation for the entire lodge.
As an outside observer... Guys, I think it’s time to do a nighttime ambush and just go. You have an idea of what Fat in Black is capable of, and there’s a whole temple that you haven’t explored. These snots in the robes don’t seem to be sharing knowledge or power with you quickly, and you’ve seen first hand how awful they are. Pick your time, set the situation to your advantage, and move.
Yeah, I think it’s a good move to hand waive the rest of the horrors of the daily routine here. Give them a taste, and then move forward to the much more fun infiltration and detective stuff. This is the module that caused one of my bards to invest in disable device, adamantine wire saws and thieves tools. She vowed to never be locked up again!
I am not a vigilante, but I love, love, love my secret identity. ______ A dark woman in a frumpy coat shambles up to the group. "Oh hey!" She says in a nasal voice. "I'm Doris, from Accounting!" She looks everyone over, shaking their hands. "Are you all REAL field agents? They moved me out from the stock room at the Grand Lodge! One moment, I'm inventoring Cure Light Wounds wands, and the next I'm touring a demon-infested ruin! Can I get your autographs?"
A woman in a frumpy coat and glasses shuffles in. "Hi! I'm Doris! I work for you... Um, in accounting? I'm the person who inventories your barrels of Cure Light and Infernal Healing wands. I work for you!" ___ Fromper, I would love that. Doris "from Accounting" is the alter ego of Doom Girl, my mysterious avenger swashbuckler. I would love for her to someday meet her "boss."
Funny thing..... No one misses my transformations. I come in with a really nasal Bronx accent, describing my character wearing a big frumpy coat. "Hi, I'm Doris from Accounting! Oh my gosh, are you real Field Agents? Can I get your autographs? Oh, I love the Pathfinder Society! One day, you're doing inventory in the Grand Lodge, the next you're investigating a demon-infested ruin!" I keep this up pretty much until danger rears its head, then I reverse my cloak (or activate my sleeves of many garments now that I have the fame for them) and suddenly boom out in a heroic voice, "Begone, you villainous curs!" The voice, the attitude... you just cannot miss when Doom Girl appears! Hmm PS She's a mysterious avenger swashbuckler rather than a vigilante. That secret identity is the best part.
Um, 'Sugi, this is a PFS game! Frankly I see more dips for flavor than I do for crunch. The ones for crunch unfortunately tend to be the same combos over and over again. I almost forgot to mention the swashigator: one level inspired blade swashbuckler, the rest empyrisicist investigator. I got so tired of seeing that build locally that I went with a much more lame archetype for Doom Girl. She's a mysterious avenger and trades off the swashbuckler's improved crit level for a secret identity and whip proficiency. Not optimal for anything save RP. On the other hand... Oh, she's wonderful in RP.
When Doom Girl appears, usually my party does a double-take. "Where did YOU come from?" "Did Doris go back to Accounting?" They LOVE acting out that bit. I love the dual identity of my masked avenger swashbuckler, especially since Doom Girl speaks in the pompous diction of Thor: "Begone, you scurrilous cur!" and Doris from Accounting sounds like she's from the Bronx: "Ooh, this is all so much more exciting than inventory!" I thought about going Liberty's Edge with Doom Girl, but Doris decided that the Exchange made a better cover story. :) Hmm
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