Drazulfel's page

Are the maps in the PDF layered for VTT?

Registered, signed up, and ready to roll some dice. Awesome!

Wow, lots of input overnight.

I must stress that... as I said in my OP... I do employ common sense and grace. This isn't something to thrust upon newbie players by any means. Also, I certainly don't force the players to spit out their plan for the round auctioneer-fast in order to beat the buzzer.

The idea behind the 6-Second rule is more important than the adjudication. When players know that the rule is in effect, it keeps them paying attention, thinking creatively, and ready to react. 99% of the time, the rule is self-governing and there's no need to cause a player to actually have to miss an action. As a side effect, it also helps combat to feel a bit more fluid and fast-paced.

The previous post by Sadurian captures the spirit of it.

It's pretty much a table top RPG cliché that 30 seconds of game-world combat can take up 2 hours of real-life game time. Dragging out turn based combat can really make a session feel dull and mechanical, and kill the excitement of battle.

It's truly a bummer when a player's turn comes up in the initiative and it's a total surprise to him or her, and you have to re-explain the entire scenario because the player hadn't been paying attention.

Several years ago, when DM'ing The Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil with a rather large group of 7 PC's, my threshold for pain was surpassed when players would go on smoke breaks in the middle of combat with a casual "No, don't stop. Just call me if it's my turn." ARGH!

That's when I initiated the 6-Second Rule. A single round in D20 combat represents 6 seconds in the game world. So, in order to make sure my players are paying attention, and in order to make sure that combat is fast paced, chaotic, and visceral, if things start to drag I announce that all players only have 6 seconds to respond when I call out their turn in the initiative, or else they end up losing their turn... essentially the player's indecision results in a Dazed effect for the PC.

Now, I'm not a total jerk. I utilize common sense and extend grace if there is a rules question, or a request for clarification on a circumstance, etc. But I find the 6-Second Rule to be a great cure for "Huh? Oh. Me? What did so-and-so just do?" as a response to "Your turn!"

Inevitably, when I invoke the 6-Second Rule, my players will groan with mock dread. But almost 100% of the time, it adds a tremendous level of fun and excitement to combat. It forces quick and creative thinking, much like a real-life combatant would face. Some of the most epic, most disastrous, and funniest encounter experiences I've witnessed in the past decade of gaming have come about as a result of this rule.

I'm a willing and (theoretically) able GM, but brand new to PF, and even newer to PFS. I'd like to get at least a couple PFS scenarios under by belt as a player before putting on the GM hat, but I'll get there soon. I'm comfortable and proficient with Roll D20 (which, I think, more of these enthusiastic players should become paying supporters of!), so maybe after the holidays you'll see me posting some recruiting threads of my own.

Thanks for the quick info. I think, since I'm brand new to PFS, I'll hold out for VTT day instead of tying up my first character in a PbP and juggling multiple characters right out of the gate. I'd like to get a feel for play before I start spreading myself too thin.

This looks exciting! Can I register with the same character that I already have in the PbP Game Day? Curious how that would work, since I could potentially play in enough games to level up a character several times over the duration of the PbP.

Thank you for all the quick and helpful responses!

I've been pouring over PFS materials for several days, and I'm planning on starting a group soon. I love the way First Steps 1-3 are presented, but I understand that parts 2 & 3 are retired and cannot be counted for credit. I wish I'd gotten on board a bit sooner. :(

Part 1 by itself feels quite incomplete, so I'm looking for a little bit of newbie GM advice. Would I be best suited to run First Steps #1 then launch into seasonal Scenarios, or skip First Steps altogether? Or... go ahead and run my group through First Steps #1-3 with the understanding that the second two Scenarios are for story & background only, without PFS credit?

How are other GM's starting brand new groups?

Funny how different groups operate. I ran my first PF session this past weekend. We started Rise of the Runelords. We had about 3 hours of very entertaining RP interaction between the PC's and the NPC townsfolk. My players enjoyed the heck out of their entry into Sandpoint, and were thoroughly amused by the goings on at the Swallowtail Festival.

Then, once the combat started, they quickly got rather bored, and they're looking forward to the next RP interlude next session.