Thanks, all - I think we are going to go ahead and get an extra set. We've played non-organized play twice with six players, mostly new or people who have played once. The first time, it took us roughly 2 hours, the second time it was more like 3. If playing with 4 increases the chance we can get in 2 scenarios in an evening, I think that's worth it, not to mention the ability to easily accommodate 8 and even go up to 12 with walk-ins if needed.
For me, I'm subscribing partly to support Paizo and partly to have things come to me automatically without having to make a trip to the FLGS or remember to order it online elsewhere. Since I have Amazon Prime it's definitely costing me more, the timing of when it arrives seems to be a wash, and while the promo cards are nice, for me personally they're not essential and thus are not really a part of the equation. As others have said, whether the subscription makes sense comes down to what is most important to you.
Although this might not be your situation, I also found in my early games that I wasn't paying enough attention to my characters' powers, nor thinking strategically enough about the best order of locations and (in the case of 2 characters) when to split the party and when to join forces. Like many tabletop games, basic strategy comes with practice and exposure to the various ways the game mechanics can intersect, and then things get really fun! I concur that Merisiel is pretty able on her own. I recently got her through Perils of the Lost Coast without a loss or even a close call.
I've learned that Hawkmoon is every PACG player's best friend on these boards. I hear in the next printing of the game, they're just going to do away with the rulebook and include a clone of him/her in every box. The box will be a big bigger, and it will cost $150 instead of $60, but it'll be totally worth it. :)
I know that without a boon kobolds aren't a legal race for PFS play, but I was surprised to find that there are a variety of character options in Kobolds of Golarion that could be taken by non-kobolds and therefore might be usable in PFS. Does anyone know if this is going to appear on the Additional Resources list in the near future?
I just found the perfect mini for Kalkamedes. Seriously. I ordered it on Amazon so I can use it this Friday. :) Gotta love Lego minifigures!
Thumbs up for the idea of boons for regular players and GMs who do not get to attend cons often or ever. I don't have a strong opinion one way or another about race boons but agree the idea is to spread them out so that non con-goers get a chance a them, not to make them super common. If players love them so much, it must increase their enjoyment of and excitement for playing those special PCs and I think that this is a good thing for PFS. Someone mentioned human ethnicity-based boons and I think this is a great idea as it would help make the human race especially as culturally rich and interesting as it is in the various Golarion sourcebooks, which is something I'm not seeing at the tables. I don't mind odd races, but would love to see a little more roleplaying that highlights the uniqueness of the core races and ethnicities. And I must be an odd duck because I don't understand why people don't report sessions. I enjoy doing so, and as a GM it gives me a sense of accomplishment for our group collectively. But by all means, reward me for being obsessive about reporting immediately after the session!
So, I'm trying to sum up everything regarding the chronicle sheet, boons, and switching factions. It’s a bit complicated, so If we can get it all in there and accurate, I think it'll be a great help to both GMs and players. So, with that in mind… Playing 4-21 Way of the Kirin
Switching your faction from Lantern Lodge Lantern Lodge ceases to be a legal faction on August 14th. Lantern Lodge PCs can switch to a new faction without penalty (no loss of Prestige Points or Prestige Awards, traits and titles still apply). If you have a Lantern Lodge PC that is out of tier for 4-21 Way of the Kirin, they will also be able to switch their faction without penalty. GMing 4-21 Way of the Kirin How this works depends on the level of the PC you will be applying the chronicle sheet to:
This is my understanding. So what’s wrong and needs to be corrected? What should be added?
This week on Delver's Diary, I discuss the features, pros and cons of playing Pathfinder Society via play-by-post (PbP). You can check out the blog post here. Feel free to share your own experiences with play-by-post by leaving a comment on the site. Happy gaming,
The whole idea is to get people who may not have otherwise read Pathfinder Tales to give them a try, not to give a significant boost to your PFS character. I agree with nosig, I've enjoyed all of the books I've read (I think I'm on my 7th right now), even the much-maligned or at least divisive Worldwound Gambit. The Dave Gross ones are particularly worth recommending to PFS players since the main character is a Pathfinder Agent himself (apart from feeling that they're among the best anyway). Plus, I think I play my elf character in a home game better after having read Queen of Thorns and A Plague of Shadows.
I have someone who's playing a 1st level character in PFS play tomorrow and is playing an aasimar with the angelkin heritage, which grants alter self. She wants to turn into a troglodyte (ick). Her understanding of what happens in this case differs from my own. Here's what I think will change mechanically based on the spell description and polymorph entry in the CRB: - Her darkvision 60 ft. will remain the same (troglodytes have 90 ft., but the spell description is 60 ft. (the "listed benefit") so this is what she gets, not 90 ft.
Am I mistaken on any (or all!) of these? Also, I'm not sure if she loses her Celestial Resistance race feature, which is extraordinary. What makes me unsure is that on p. 212 it says that "you lose all extraordinary and supernatural abilities that depend on your original form (such as keen senses, scent, and darkvision)... While most of these should be obvious, the GM is the final arbiter of what abilities depend on form..." Since the examples above are sensory abilities, I'm inclined to say she would keep her energy resistances. Thoughts? Thanks!
Hi, all - Just an announcement that I have started a new blog focusing on Pathfinder Society play called Delver's Diary. I hope to update it at least once a week. Really, it's an excuse to get more Pathfinder since I only get to game twice a month. The blog is intended for the entire community (players and GMs alike) and will run the gamut of topics. The first two posts are up, one in which I explore the differences in playing PFS versus Pathfinder RPG, and the other in which I consider the GM101's very first tip (stand up while GMing): Stop by and have a look! Comments and suggestions are always welcome, of course. Thanks,
OK, here's the list of novels and short fiction by nation/continent/plane.
There are undoubtedly errors and omissions, and there are a half-dozen short fiction pieces that I couldn't place from the descriptions. Please send me a message if you note something that should be fixed or added. Hope this is helpful to others!
This seems to be the slowest site on the internet. I have a very fast connection and this is the only site that is always slow. I bet you can't find a slower site. Even back when I had just a 56k modem sites loaded faster than Paizo today. They really need to do something about it. Downloads have a good speed but pages load very slowly. Agreed. I'm no more impatient than the next guy, but I've noticed this for quite some time. The Paizo/Pathfinder experience has always been a enjoyable one for me, save this consistent (if not super-important) little annoyance. Has anyone from the staff ever discussed why this might be, and if there are any plans to work on it? This is all said understanding that the site serves so many people in so many ways. I do wonder how the addition of the Game Space (which I can't wait for!) might overburden a site that already seems burdened based on load speed. |
