Doug Doug's page

Like the admins said, it's a numbers game. How many 12th level characters are there currently? No one knows exact numbers. If I had to guess right now, I'd say there are a hundred at the most. The admins only know if a Tier 12 scenario session has been reported, since I doubt they are tracking PC levels. Until a reporting threshold has been reached it doesn't make sense to plan to lift the cap. What will most likely happen is when the campaign has grown for a few more seasons and most of the active player base has a retired (completed a Tier 12 scenario series) PC, we'll see a "Retired PC Only" scenario offered at GenCon. Based upon participation we could see more "Retired PC Only" events. An across-the-board level cap raise though? I think it's wishful thinking.

It's like our mothers told us when we were kids--we have to finish our dinner or we don't get dessert. We can ask for dessert first, but Mom isn't going to fall for it. If she can plainly see were're not finishing our dinner, she's not going to waste her time making dessert. Mom worked hard to make dinner, we should eat it and be grateful. I leave it to you to imagine Mark Moreland wearing an apron and scolding a petulant gamer...

Welcome to the Society Hyrum, you have got your work cut out for you. We have high expectations and no shame!

The King is Dead...Long Live the King!!

I think there might be a ghost in this thread...

What, you can't see the original post? You need to get your eyes checked Kyle... It's right there above mine. Try reloading the page. No? Try rebooting your system. Still no luck? OK, this is a long-shot but try to limit your other senses to sharpen your eyesight. I saw this in a comic book once. Put a clothespin over your nose and stuff a sock in your mouth. Then take off all your clothes, try to balance on one foot and cover your ears with your hands. Then stare really intently at the space above my post and if my calculations are correct you should be able to see the original post by Qstor.

Is there a Chronicle included with the module to start a brand new PFS character?

Crypt of the Everflame has not been adapted for use with Pathfinder Society. Master of the Fallen Fortress is the only in-print adventure that currently may be used as a legal intro to Pathfinder Society.

I think Kyle's question was intended to ask if it's outside the OP guidelines *for role-play purposes* not to heal another PC that your character feels in-character antipathy toward, such as a Taldan-nationalist vs a Keleshite from Qadira. How far can a player take the rivalry? As far as allowing that PC to die by refusing to apply any healing or stabilization?

Lou, I can understand where you are coming from. I have been through it before. If you continue to come to PFS games with the expectations you currently harbor, you will continue to be disappointed. Which is going to change first, you or Pathfinder Society? Because that is what it is going to come down to. You need to change your expectations. What you are looking for is a home game setting (perhaps one of the adventure paths) something where the GM can customize the game to fit your expectations better. I find when I play Pathfinder Society scenarios it helps to avoid idealizing it as I would a home campaign. I see it as a way to play with new people with new ideas, in a short-term and low-consequence 4-5 hour game. The campaign has to be bland in some ways because it invites a wide variety of players to cooperate and play with each other.

You should also consider that your vision of a rogue might not fit into the Pathfinder Society philosophy. Pathfinders are supposed to be scholars and trouble-shooters, not sneak-thieves or cat burglars. Again, the character that you want to play is best situated in a home campaign where he can take up more of the GM's attention without the other players feeling shorted.

You are free not to agree with me, but at the end of the day the campaign is not going to change to give you your vision of rogue glory. You really should consider what you enjoy about this game and look for a campaign that comes closest instead of asking for a campaign to change to suit your needs.

seekerofshadowlight wrote:

ya you found the wine, and next plan stop is roughly 2-3 weeks.

was i able to get whiskey or rum? see the IC thread

Posters, sorry for the threadjack...

Bryan,

You mentioned in a different thread that you live in Clinton Township. There is a local Pathfinder Society group starting next month in Macomb, northwest part of the county. If you are interested in joining (the players are mostly still 1st and 2nd level) please consider joining our Yahoo! Group or contacting me at pfs.rc.detroit@gmail.com. This is my only means to contact you, sorry for the intrusion into your discussion.

Doug Miles

I'm just giving this event a bump. I expect to see lots of Toronto-area Pathfinders in November!

It depends on the players at the table. If they are experienced players and should know better I would let them have it. No intelligent enemy would leave opponents at his back.

If they are new players then it's not really fun to get killed when you're just learning the game.

I ran this adventure over the weekend and had a question about GM credit - is the "Exemplar of Falcon's Hollow" reward something a GM gets? I only ask because I'm not sure if it falls under the "regional

boons, or future bonus dice rolls" heading.

I'm guessing it does fall under this category and am not taking it regardless, but I'd like to know whether is does count?

Thanks in advance.

You are correct that a GM claiming the sceanrio reward does on receive any favors, boons, etc on the chronicle sheet.

Note, the favor you referenced is from PFS#43 The Pallid Plague and this is the thread for PFS#6 Black Waters :)

This is the Pathfinder Society section Heathy, so there are specific rules that apply to this case that wouldn't in a home campaign.

Sean, you're going to have to let your player down on this topic.

Scribbling Rambler wrote:

Joshua J. Frost wrote:

You know the drill Kyle. Table 38, stat.

Yes!! Table 38 is filled!!

Screw that. I'm taking my dice and going home. I hate you all!

Hey, keep it down over there. I'm trying to run a game at Table 1 :p

Doug, do you have a schedule when the GM assignments will be released?

I am working on it presently, could be sending out the confirmations tonight, if not by Friday.

Doug Doug wrote:

GMs only need to register if they wish to play in events, Pathfinder or otherwise. I will have the GM badges at HQ. I think (I haven't tried this myself) if you wish to purchase tickets via pre-registration you will need to buy a GM badge on the website and get it refunded at the convention.

Thanks, Doug! You're the best! ;-)

I'm only the best because I stand upon the backs of so many wonderful volunteers who shower me with praises that I don't come close to deserving, when the credit really belo-- wait, you winked when you wrote that. What does that mean? You don't actually think I'm the best? I only think I'm the best? Someone else is better, but no one's told me yet? What does the #*@%!$& wink mean?!

Doug Doug wrote:

Pre-Registration is now open! U-Con website

Do GM's need to register at all?

GMs only need to register if they wish to play in events, Pathfinder or otherwise. I will try to have the GM badges at HQ. I think (I haven't tried this myself, but it reads this way on the website) if you wish to purchase tickets via pre-registration you will need to buy a GM badge on the website and get it refunded at the convention.

Pre-Registration is now open! U-Con website

I'm the event organizer for our local con and we're getting things ready for our event this January. I'd like to have Society games at our con and was wondering if there is anyone like a regional Society coordinator in New England or someone I could contact about getting a bunch of Society games at our con.

Any info that folk could pass on would be wonderful.

Try contacting deathboy01@gmail.com, he lives in New Britain, Connecticut and is pretty involved in the Pathfinder Society.

As a GM, I don't look over character sheets all that often. Usually, I check at the PC's first session, whenever I need to stall until we make a legal-sized table, or if somebody's PC just makes me suspicious somehow.

But I check encumbrance, and I enforce the Pathfinder rules. The book supercedes "James said something about how he'd house-rule differently on an internet messageboard."

In any case, if we did allow for a weightless set of clothes, then that only pushes the bar further. "Well, food and water have to be weightless, too, or else you're forcing Pathfinders to starve in the wilderness." No, we're asking you to decide between starving, or going without that extra hand axe, or walking instead of charging.

And if you want to strip naked, be my guest, but understand that the Venture Captain will not be inviting you to the briefing. The PFS OP is supposed to stand as an example of Pathfinder for potential players, and I don't think that's the impression Paizo has in mind. "Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society" (Mark Twain)

+1

Maybe I'm just ready for my post lunch nap, but...

Is there no real requirement for dealing with expended scrolls and potions on the Chronicles? (Or wand charges even).

If I buy a potion at the start of a session it gets tracked on my Chronicle, sure. But if I don't use that potion until two sessions later, should that get tracked on the Chronicle under sold items for 0? Or is it supposed to work that way and I'm just late to the party?

Thanks!

There's no real requirement, just the expectation of each player keeping an honest tally. I don't think the rules require that you write down the number of hit points your PC loses, but every player does so in one form or another.

I just cross it off the Chronicle sheet on which I originally bought it. It I buy multiples I draw boxes next to the item and fill in the boxes as I use them up. If I buy a wand I indicate the number of charges in parenthesis and then make a hash mark every time I use a charge.

I ran this one again Sunday. After the player with the cube fell unconscious and then emerged as a golem, another player ran over and picked the cube up out of his hand. The player was thinking, There's four of us, there's four golems, and that's a big four-armed ape. We need reinforcements! He was hoping that each member of the party could control one of the golems, and they'd need all four to beat the champion. There wasn't a mechanic for this type of action, but I had the original controller wake up and his golem powered down. Then a second golem powered up, until the original controlled grabbed the cube back and said "Don't do that again!". Kind of comical, from the GM's perspective, as the players want to experiment in the heat of battle.

Doug Doug wrote:

U-Con staff reports that their web utility can't accomodate events that start on the half-hour so there have been some time slot adjustments to the schedule (we are now scheduled for 10AM/3PM/8PM slots).

Ouch! Wish the slots could have been moved earlier instead of later. I'm a morning person. Plus, been at many conventions where the security people try to push you out the door when the clock strikes midnight.

So #2-03: The Rebel's Ransom didn't make the cut? Have heard it's a good one.

I'll be there. Going to try my hand (rolls) at GMing too it looks like. Looking for a place to sack out. Email swiftbrook at hot mail dot com.

-Swiftbrook

RE: Rebel's Ransom, you can always recruit a table of victims and ask for a Wildcard GM. In fact, I'll offer you Kyle Baird as your GM if you really want both barrels.

There's nothing stopping anyone from making their own.

The search page works fine for locating events in my area by zip code. Must be the pugwampis in the server room...

Sooooooooooo when will registration be open?

*only 62 more days ***bounce bounce**** til U-Con*

The convention staff were supposed to have the schedule up by now. I received some e-mail traffic today that indicates they're getting it into gear.

Doug Doug, my leave is approved in principle (I have to apply on wednesday but it's all good) and I will be there - with Amy. Let me know what you want me to run, and if there's anything Amy can do to help.

My hope is to put on a con that is worthy of your globe-spanning involvement in this hobby. Your lodging here is secured. There should be lots to keep Amy occupied, too.

I have GM volunteers coming out of my ears. There will have to be some who want to play instead of GMing all weekend long, for crying out loud!

U-Con staff reports that their web utility can't accomodate events that start on the half-hour so there have been some time slot adjustments to the schedule (we are now scheduled for 10AM/3PM/8PM slots).

Friday, 10AM
PFS2-01 Before the Dawn, Part 1: The Bloodcove Disguise (L1-7)
PFS#5 Mists of Mwangi (L1-5)
PFSI Master of the Fallen Fortress (L1 only)

Friday, 3PM
PFS#2-02 Before the Dawn, Part 2: Rescue at Azlant Ridge (L1-7)
PFS#55 The Infernal Vault (L1-7)
PFS2-06 The Heresy of Man, Part 1: The First Heresy (L5-9)
PFS#7 Among the Living (L1-7)

Friday, 8PM
PFS#45 Delirium’s Tangle (L1-5)
PFS#29 The Devil We Know, Part 1: Shipyard Rats (L1-7)
PFS2-07 The Heresy of Man, Part 2: Where the Dark Things Sleep (L5-9)
PFS#49 Among the Dead (L1-7)
Wildcard Table

Saturday, 10AM
PFSI Master of the Fallen Fortress (L1 only)
PFS2-01 Before the Dawn, Part 1: The Bloodcove Disguise (L1-7)
PFS#30 The Devil We Know, Part 2: Cassomir’s Locker (L1-7)
PFS2-06 The Heresy of Man, Part 1: The First Heresy (L5-9)
PFS#38 No Plunder, No Pay (L7-11)
Wildcard Table

Saturday, 3PM
PFS#2-02 Before the Dawn, Part 2: Rescue at Azlant Ridge (L1-7)
PFS#41 The Devil We Know, Part 3: Crypt of Fools (L1-7)
PFS2-07 The Heresy of Man, Part 2: Where the Dark Things Sleep (L5-9)
PFS#50 Fortune’s Blight (L5-9)
PFS#40 Hall of Drunken Heroes (L7-11)
Wildcard Table

Saturday, 8PM
PFS Special: The Year of the Shadow Lodge (L1-11)

Sunday, 10AM
PFS#43 The Pallid Plague (L1-7)
PFS#51 The City of Strangers, Part 1: The Shadow Gambit (L1-7)
PFS#48 The Devil We Know, Part 4: Rules of the Swift (L1-7)
PFS2-06 The Heresy of Man, Part 1: The First Heresy (L5-9)
PFS2-04 Shadows Fall on Absalom (L7-11)

Sunday, 3PM
PFS#47 The Darkest Vengeance (L1-5)
PFS#52 City of Strangers, Part 2: The Twofold Demise (L1-7)
PFS2-07 The Heresy of Man, Part 2: Where the Dark Things Sleep (L5-9)
PFS#56 The Jester’s Fraud (L5-9)

So, between #6 and #7, which one has more of a Halloween flavor to it?

Black Waters has a creepier tone to it. Tragedy, grief, decline, insanity, ghosts and darkness. Among the Living is Zombies-at-the-Opera. Fun, but bordering on silly.

New Question.

I understand that I can ply my PFS character in a play-by-post, but that I'm unable to play the character under any other circumstances while the play-by-post is ongoing.

The adventure in question is now dead in the water, with the adventure unresolved. The GM is unresponsive. We do not know how many Acts we've encountered.

How should this situation be handled? Are our PFS characters unavailable indefinitely? If the same adventure becomes available to play at a convention, under what circumstances can we run these characters through it?

Chris, I would say we should trust the players and allow them to replay the scenario as if they hadn't ever started it elsewhere. The same thing could happen with a player who sits down at a F2F table and begins to play, only to be called away by a family emergency. I would have the group all make the call that the PbP game is dead, reset my PC to before the session started and take it from there.

You might also e-mail Josh about the GM who flaked out on your group, just in case he ever tries to volunteer at GenCon or PaizoCon.

Can more than one person at a table play the same pregen? For example, two people show up needing to use pregens, but both want to play Ezren?

(Background: I'm planning to run Master of the Fallen Fortress for a "family con" coming up, and I'm planning to provide everyone with pregens, to save time. We have some old schoolers in the family, though, who I'm not sure will be interested in any of the APG pregens. Five players total; just wondering what I should do if nobody wants to try something new.)

Yes, more than one of the same pre-gen can play at the table. Obviously one of the names may need to be altered to avoid confusion during combat. Also, should they register for the Society, they'll need to use a different name as "Ezren" has already been registered. Making a slight change is all that's needed, such as spelling it "Esren" or "Ezren of Taldor" and the like.

I discovered organized play campaigns in 2006 and was instantly addicted. I too spent a lot of money traveling to conventions and leveling my characters. Sometimes I would make a specific character for the region I would be attending a convention in. I suffered over a dozen character deaths in the three years of Living Greyhawk that I participated in. I understand the frustration that comes with the hours of work and dollars spent advancing characters that end up lost forever. I can't tell your friends to not care about what happened, to shrug it off and try again. That's not going to connect with them. But if I wanted to play in a system where there were never any consequences I would play a game with a "save" function. I thirst for situations like yours, where the fight is desperate and it comes down to the actions of one player to save everyone. From what you have stated I think you feel the same way. After the sting of the loss begins to heal, I hope your friends will reconsider their decisions. The scenario was a very tough one, and theirs was not the only perma-deaths at the convention. The combination of a remote location and a dangerous opponent had unforeseen consequences. I wish there was a better answer to your situation. I hear what you're saying though, & your friends do have my sympathy.

Earlier this year I was GMing some players and they permanently lost their characters in the last act. Because they had multiple PCs the pain of the loss wasn't as great and they can laugh about it now. Perhaps your friends will try playing PFS at home and spread the risk over a few different characters instead of placing all their eggs in a single basket. I know that suggestion may not help because many feel the 'sweet spot' is reached in the levels around 5-7.

Doug Doug wrote:

jjaamm wrote:

about to run this and had question. since zombies are made by plants do i treat them as a yellow musk zombie- plant based not negative undead

The zombies were not made by plants, they died were animated then stuffed full of palepox-tainted flowers. They are as standard zombies with the changes as in the scenario. If you are wondering if they are vulnerable to positive energy or not, they are vulnerable.

thanks for the correction. hoped i had a way around my player taking them over

Don't let it bother you too much. The scenario is about arresting the spread of the disease, and failing that, simple survival. Having some zombie animals under the control of the PCs is not going to change that outcome. It may even implicate the PCs if they are observed controlling the monsters.

It would be fantastic irony if the zombie animals were controlled and used in the next fight against their ex-druid masters who sacrificed them in the first place!

** spoiler omitted **...

Nicely done Chad.

about to run this and had question. since zombies are made by plants do i treat them as a yellow musk zombie- plant based not negative undead

The zombies were not made by plants, they died were animated then stuffed full of palepox-tainted flowers. They are as standard zombies with the changes as in the scenario. If you are wondering if they are vulnerable to positive energy or not, they are vulnerable.

So I heard that a table at GenCon was able to defeat the Angazhani Champion without the use of the Azlanti golem. I had a similar experience at Dragon*Con when a player saw the golems from the stairway and used his golembane scarab to destroy them at a distance because he thought they were a threat. It was a classic moment from the con when I thought that karma had come full circle and the metagamers would get what they had coming. They were playing tier 6-7 with seven players at the table. They dealt with the wraiths and bickered other over the now-useless cube. One player speculated out loud that he hoped they weren’t supposed to need the golems to finish the scenario. When they exited the complex and the Champion came through the wall I handed that player the golem’s stat block to let him see what they had missed out on. I counseled them that I had heard a table at GenCon had defeated the Champion without the golem, so they shouldn’t give up. They began to pelt the Champion from range while the rest started to buff. They strategized they could withdraw into the complex and make it squeeze to come after them. It D-doored right into their midst and severl players were cut off from the entrance. The anxiety level crept even higher. There was a gnome bard at the table who tried a Hail Mary hideous laughter on his turn at which point the rest of the table yelled ‘it will never work’, ‘stop wasting your actions’ and less kind things. I told him “You never know what might work, roll against SR”. He succeeded on the SR check and I rolled without even needing to look up the Champion’s Will save. When the die came up a ‘1’ the bard’s player literally fell out of his chair. The spell bought them nearly 2 rounds, with which they gave a good account of themselves. They ended up with a narrow victory, but the gnome bard was the real hero.

I have long felt that the Angazhani Champion was not statted properly so Kyle worked it out on our trip home. He’ll likely post his figures later this week. It would have changed the outcome at my table significantly, and made previous battles against the iron golem less of a one-sided beatdown. I still enjoy running the scenario but it would be a better fight if the Angazhani wasn’t at such a disadvantage.

If you show Doug Doug, we'll buy the beer.

I would love to drive down and play with you guys, but our own local gameday is scheduled for that weekend. After the 12 hour drive home from Dragon*Con this weekend, another roadtrip is not something I relish. Besides, how will you guys get to four stars if I keep volunteering at these conventions?

Michael, I hope your family is OK.

Fortunately the staff had sufficient GMs on hand and seating players went smooth. I don't think any of us GMed as much as we expected to. I only did 5 out of 8, and Kyle Baird did 7 out of 9 (that's not what you think, despite the number of Trekkies in attendance).

I appreciated the chance to meet players and GMs from places far from my regular stomping grounds. There were some really memorable moments. One of my favorites was when Jason Bulmahn had periodically swung by the gaming room to check on the PFS scene. Kyle Baird was in the midst of running "The Rebel's Ransom" for a table, and things weren't going well for them. Ultimately all but one PC was lost forever, but that's not my story to tell. Anyway, Jason had just walked into the room oblivious of what was occurring when Chad (Exile) pointed accusingly at him and hollered "You were the one who wrote this!". Jason, without missing a beat, took off in a mock 'expeditious retreat' that left the whole room roaring with laughter. I never saw Jason the rest of the con.

It was worth going to Dragon*Con to finally see what all the hoopla was about, but the 12 hour drive back after finishing the last slot on Sunday was a beast.

Thanks to all who organized, marshaled and otherwise contributed to PFS at Dragon*Con!

Arnim Thayer wrote:

I have a local convention scheduled in October that last year seated around seven tables... and this year looks even bigger! The Shadow Lodge Event would be a nice addition to the schedule.

Where is the CON?

Brewfest in Cape Girardeau, MO.

With there be a unique PFS Special at NeonCon like last year?

What are these Shadow Lodge events?

A "Special" PFS scenario was written by Tim Hitchcock and is available to most PFS members who can assure Josh they could pull together three or more tables of players for a single simultaneous event. This year's Special is entitled "The Year of the Shadow Lodge", and several organizers have or will offer the event as a draw to their conventions or large gamedays. I think it first ran at PaizoCon 2010 and again at PaizoCon UK and then at GenCon. Does that help?

I'm very happy Mark has joined the Paizo team, he's earned a place with the best company in the industry.

This is my description of the event:
Throngs of Pathfinders crowd the Irorium for the Passion of the First Siege of Absalom, yet an ominous warning from Osprey casts a pall over the celebration. As a feature of the event, the infamous Pathfinder Charvion Eater-of-Bones will showcase his newest discovery from the depths of the Mwangi Expanse, the Cage of Spirit Echoes. Is it truly a benign conduit to those in the afterlife, or is it a medium for a fell purpose? This is a special scenario for large scale organized play, allowing any number of participants to play simultaneously and all have an impact on the adventure’s outcome. This is a Pathfinder Society Special designed for 1st to 11th level characters (Tiers: 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9, and 10-11).

In a nutshell, it's a scenario that multiple tables may play simultaneously, each contributing to the ultimate success of the mission. Even a low-level table can sway the outcome.

However, without some bland experiences to compare to...

Sorry Kyle, I hope it wasn't too obvious who I was referring to!

(or were you making fun of my contrary need for/distaste toward attention to myself?)

chicago

I'm not seeing any events in Chicago, so it's not the PFS system that's not working. I just built Szarkel's Folly at Union Station 60606 and it shows up just fine. Are you sure you are completing all the steps and hitting Save down at the bottom?

It seems like the hullabaloo is the nature of the beast. PFS is getting pulled in two different directions like a tug-of-war. The desire to be all-inclusive and please everyone versus the desire to establish boundaries and hold to standards. Just my view.

How "big" does a convention have to be to qualify to run this event. I have a local convention scheduled in October that last year seated around seven tables... and this year looks even bigger! The Shadow Lodge Event would be a nice addition to the schedule.

I don't think you'll have any problem getting approval from Josh. The con I'm organizing only has 6 tables scheduled for the Special.

Checked the vents page nothing there. Nothing under my Gm either.

The only thing I can guess is you didn't completely fill out the event so it didn't generate a number. Let me search for your event to be certain. What city is it located in?

In fairness to the GM, I believe he was new to GMing and may not have had a lot of time to prepare since he had to constantly read from the module to tell us what was going on. Since there were 5 other groups playing at the same time in a relatively small space I believe he may have suffered from not being able to hear very well. Several times we said we wanted to listen at the door and then were magically able to tell what was in the room and the dimensions of it (as if we had already entered the room). :>

Sorry, I lost track of your ID and thought there was an issue with the 3rd table of Mwangi. It was a crowded slot in a small room. I wish I could have everyone sit at my table. With an increasing player base it becomes a challenge to keep the product quality as high. However, without some bland experiences to compare to, my GMing wouldn't seem so exceptional.

MisterSlanky wrote:

Ariadan wrote:

Played this module last weekend and it sounds like I got a different flavor from it then discussed here.

(And other stuff)

It sounds like your GM may have chosen to abandon a lot of the module's flavor. Mists is a great module because it drips with so much cleverness and oddities. It's supposed to illicit feelings of "A Night at the Museum" which can be done by playing up the non-combat elements (the monkeys for example).

He may have also been confused or frustrated with the mists. They require some player PvP, but the rules state player PvP isn't allowed. Some GMs (especially those that don't come here) often have problems with this.

P.S. - You probably didn't fight the croc because it was on a different tier.

In fairness to the GM, I believe he was new to GMing and may not have had a lot of time to prepare since he had to constantly read from the module to tell us what was going on. Since there were 5 other groups playing at the same time in a relatively small space I believe he may have suffered from not being able to hear very well. Several times we said we wanted to listen at the door and then were magically able to tell what was in the room and the dimensions of it (as if we had already entered the room). :>

Was your GM an older gentleman?

I created an event how long day it take to populate.

???

*casts Summon Mark Moreland*

Did you forget the material component?