Gary Bush's page

Which is once again though goes back to my question. Very often to get a neurodivergent person to participate and play you have to help them. Not even GM just play.

And if your already helping them then why the hell would you not help them prepare a scenario. Scenario preparation is probably the easiest thing to deal with out of the whole situation.

I am not seeing anyone saying they will not help someone, especially if they are aware that the neurodivergent individual may need help.

But what if it is a new adventure? Someone has to do the prep work. It is not reasonable to expect someone else, who may never GM the adventure or maybe wants to play it, to feel good about helping someone else.

I am glad I am not in your lodge. We would likely clash and clash often because of your almost hostile and confrontational attidude.

Congrats John on your coin! Well earned and it was an honor to present it to you at NukeCon!

<<snip>>

I am confused by your almost hostile approach to people not happy with the change and who are trying to get it reversed.

Please keep the debate friendly, ok?

Thank you

I am old school with regards to "run as written". I see the adventures needing to feel as similar as possible for each group of players. Adding encounters is a no-no. Removing an encounter, or reducing its importance, is ok if time constraints are in play.

This is a hard one to answer. With all adventures becoming repeatable, and the adventures so short that alternatives are not built into the scensrio, I fear that this are going to become stale for players and GMs after the adventure is played multiple times.

This is for organized play adventures. Modules are ran in "campaign mode" and thus can have whatever the GM wants provided the main points are covered.

I've had some players in Play-by-Post games use their campaign coins. In a live game, is it an actual coin? Also, is a campaign coin good for all games and editions, or are they given out for each game/edition?

Yes, it is a physical coin. Pretty cool looking coin in fact.

Coins are Paizo Organized Play wide, but controlled by the various guides shown on the Lorespire. Right now, there are no promotional boons (which is where the coins fall) listed for SFS2e.

Until it gets added to the Lorespire there are no accessory boons. I do allow a campaign coin to have the extra hero point. To do otherwise is disrespectful of what that coin represents.

<<SNIP>>

it is good you are use prepping for adventures. That is good.

The point is not prepping, the point is the extra time that it is going to cause GMs ton have to do. And the possible barrier it will cause for new GMs who dont understand how to prep or where to look for mob details.

Of the 3 SF adventures I have ran, 1 used stars from the NPC core. So I had to got there to find the stats because they were not in the PDF.

I agree with the wolf (know better than not too!) that the decision will likely have a negative impact on organized play.

I guess I missed something. We can ADD stuff the adventure now?

Oh your talking about the adjustments. Got ya.

But that is not new.

Can’t say I have a stake in this argument having been out of OP for awhile, but I do think the stat block removal will be a problem that gets revisited.

This is my hope as well.

Looking at the experience on display by the commentors,hopefully that will come into play. Lots of Stars, Novas, and Glyphs shown here.

We are on the same page. So after so many years, the only conclusion I come to is that they are trying to save a little money by not paying an editor, or proofreader, or whomever, to put the appendix together.

It comes down to the dollars. And with the mess that the world economy is in because of stupid policies, it is hard for me not to understand. Don't like it but there is very little I can do about it.

I am still playing.

I dislike the changes.

Remove stat blocks for common mobs, the special ones are suppose to be continued, pushes more prep time onto GMs. Now GMs have to have to access to NPC Core, Monster Core (n-1 as more monster cores comes out), and Alien Cores. And now stat blocks are going to span multiple pages or be pages away feom the actual encounter location. Ao flipping back and forth, just like in PFS1e. So the reduction in adventure length doesn't mean less time for GMs to prep.

I understand the AP argument. APs are bigger and have limited space. And they are PRINTED while PFS/SFS adventures are not printed. So I dont buy it when someone says that APs don't have stat blocks. Yes they do. For the special entities.

I also don't believe adventures ever made money. They are given away to venture officers and to GMs that receive Con support from Paizo. That is a hugh number of free digital copies.

The decision to reduce the size and time is purely an economic decision that I suspect was fought hard but the people who don't play the game and only look at the numbers made the decision.

I am fearful that this decision will kill Oranized Play as we know it now.

Continued the lack of love for the Omaha Lodge by not including Shay joining us at Nuke-con in early October. We are a small con so I guess that is the reason.

Come join us in any case!

check for an update to the Gun and Gears PDF. I am pretty sure that they updated the PDF with the Remastered content so you shouldn't have to rebuy.

you should be good to go with Sivanah. What source were you using before Divine Mysteries? Depending on the book, you might be ok to use that source. You only need to own Divine Mysteries if you are using items only found in that source. so yes, you can still worship and use spells and feats from sources you own.

I don't believe Kitsune have their own language. None is listed in the ancestry section for them. all it says is:

Common and additional languages equal to your Intelligence modifier (if positive). Choose from Elven, Gnomish, Goblin, Halfling, Dwarven, Sylvan, and any other languages to which you have access (such as the languages prevalent in your region).

Maybe the regional language of Tian?

: )

See you're enjoying this tread. :)

A lot of Venture Officers (volunteers who organize and run tables) read these forums. If post the area that you from, I am sure someone point you in the right direction.

Well to the fun!

There is a problem for those of us who don't use Foundry and, therefore, don't even know there is a change to an adventure.

Agree to what Pirate Rob is suggesting.

Great fun. Time to rest and prepare for 2025. July 31st will come quickly!

Congrats to the new coin holder and the new 5-glyphs/novas! Thank you for all the time and energy you have given to your players!

I flagged this post as being in the wrong place. It really needs to be in the GM forum because of all the spoilers.

Congrats Kate on the Coin!

Congrats to the 5 Glyph honorees. Thank you for the time and effort you have given for your players!

The challenge point adjustments are in every adventure. Just need to remember how to calculate the challenge points. It is the same regardless of the level of the adventure. How to calculate may also be included in the adventure.

A big part of Society play is the reporting sheet. If not provided by the con, make sure to have one for players and You to complete your information. Some con will also provide chronicles. If you, you will need a minimum of 6 for the players. One for you but can always take care of your chronicle later.

Make sure the reporting sheet is complete and all the numbers are easily read. Not everyone's writing is good. If you need, you can write and numbers not clear so the person reporting can read them.

Always give your reporting sheet to the con lead and wait to see if they have questions. They should take a moment to check that it is complete.

Finally, you are not on an island. Sont hesitate to ask questions of other GMs.

Good luck and have fun!

The Legacy backgrounds are listed in the Guide found on the Lorespire at https://lorespire.paizo.com/

Congratulations to the new Service Coin holders!

Way to go Wally! Better have it on you because I will make you buy the drinks! Well earned.

Gary Bush wrote:

I am not looking forward to rebuilding any of my characters. This will be a major pain.

You continue to not be required to do so :)

I will still have to update spells and other class features even if I sont do a rebuild. That means looking at the character from the ground up, just like I would with a rebuild. Just not as indepth.

I am not looking forward to rebuilding any of my characters. This will be a major pain.

I am in the same boat. I should have 4 stars and 2 novas.

Congrats to the new members of Five Island! Thank you for all your hard work.

And thank you Alex and OJ Pinkerton for the honor of the campaign service coin. It was hugh surprise when OJ presented the coin during Nukecon at the 4-99 PFS special. Even bigger than the surprise of the special firing with four full tables!

I am humbled by the recognition.

The adventure lists the map incorrectly. It says Flip-Mat: Haunted Dungeons. In fact, it uses the Multi-pack Haunted Dungeons.

Gary Bush wrote:

Both are woman and non-binary.

You might want to spend some more time learning about people who are nonbinary.

Guess I show my ignorance. It is a long journey for someone who has spent the vast majority of their life in different frame of reference.

I am trying. Will I fail? At times, yes. But I am willing to try.

I have not encountered the behavior described. I am older, white guy so many I just would see it. Hard to say.

To recruit new GMs they need to feel supported and provided with timely feedback. If a new GM makes a mistake, I don't usually jump in to correct because that would be taking control of the table when I am just a player.

I provide brief feedback with lots of encouragement.

I know I will be tested soon as a VC because my lodge is looking to have an influx of new players and at least 2 players expressing the interest to GM. Both are woman and non-binary.

So I will hope to give positive feed back on my lodge in a couple of months.

The best way to skip 1st and or 2nd level is to gm and make a gm baby

Gary Bush wrote:

Ohrns wrote:

My most memorable table was a family of 6 with generics. Two 10ish year- old boys, their father and his two brothers, and their dad/grandpa. A three-generation table!

Did they all have the same shirt on? I saw a 6 person table that everyone had the same shirt on.

Not that I remember. Our table was right next to the HQ stage next to one of the muster points.

That is where I noticed a 6 person table with all of them wearing the same shirt. Look like a fun table.

I would like to see another Convention Hero boon added to an adventure. I suggest at one adventure per season have one.

I played all 10 slots. I was able to play many of my high level PFS and SFS characters. My SFS 701, Haan Solo, made it to Seeker Level!! Oh wait, not in Starfinder. :)

All the GMs were great, and the players were outstanding.

I would like to say that I witnessed some people being approached rudely because they had brought food into the room. I understand the policy, as usual bad actors ruins it for everyone else, but the manner that people were approached was rude and "jerkish".

Signage likely would have been a big help but there was none that I saw.

I knew Jack only briefly but remember his ready smile and laugh.
Prayers for his family and friends.

Thank you for stepping up to offer tables!

Good Luck!

Congrats to the coin holders and 5th nova and glyphs!

Zaister wrote:

So several older specials were now added to my account. I did not get access to these scenarios, however:

#8-99: The Solstice Scar, Versions A–D
#10-00: The Hao Jin Cataclysm
#10-98: Siege of Gallowspire

What is necessary to get access to those?

Currently you can only obtain them if a Convention organizer requests these to be added to your account.

It is unlikely you will ever gain access to #8-99: The Solstice Scar, Versions A–D as those are not allowed to be offered.

Gary Bush wrote:

Why so hostile? I gave my opinion.

Your opinion is you want people to have less content, for Paizo to put out less content. That’s bad.

Gary Bush wrote:

So my reason for not seeing the need to have all races in both systems is because I prefer a distinction between the two game system. Races is one way that is achieved. And I understand the mechanics are very different.

That’s a bad opinion.

Lashunta and Kasatha were in P1 before they were in SF.

How can you say my opinion is bad?

Oh wait, you have never liked my opinions and only consider your own as good and everyone else's as bad.

Gary Bush wrote:

Do we need the Pathfinder races in Starfinder? Should we have Starfinder races in Pathfnder?

I personally don't see the need to expand the options already present in the game.

So Paizo should stop producing SF in it’s entirely, genius marketing move.

Gary Bush wrote:

One can only play so many characters.

I don't see the point, or the need, to make every race available in both system in society play. That is what home games are for.

But I dont get to make decisions and my view seems to in the minority now days so if it happens, great. Either way it will not impact me.

Aka I got mine, screw the rest of you.

Why so hostile? I gave my opinion. Since I don't make decisions for Paizo I am sure they will do what people ask for because, as someone pointed out, it makes money.

It is sad how people will jump on someone who does not share their opinion.

If Paizo is going to do that they need to say so now. As a volunteer we would be expected to comply.

I will not wear a mask and if Paizo is going to require I need to know so i can withdraw from volunteering.

The pandemic has moved to an epidemic now. People are taking the necessary actions to protect themselves. I will get another booster before the convention.

I really like that maps are being included in the downloads. However, I use Roll20 and they have a limit of 20MB for an upload. One of the maps was about 21MB and it was not an overly large map.

So PLEASE pay attention to the size of the maps. Back down on the resolution or something to keep the size of the files down.

This is the second time I have ran into this problem.

As long as you keep the number one rule for society play in mind you should be ok.

Oh the rule, don't be a jerk.

Please, let's keep the debate on masks away from this?

You will use your same PFS number you used before. That has not changed or gone away. You will simply create a 2nd ed character. Those characters will start with 2000, so your first character will be 2001.

My opinion is that if you're going to be a Society organizer for a store on an ongoing basis, you will find it convenient to have all past and future games listed under a single Event, but you should talk to your Venture Captain and follow the standard operating procedure established in your area.

Keep in mind that event has different meanings on the Paizo website than on Warhorn. On Warhorn, you will have multiple events because each table is an event. But for Paizo, an event is simply a way to report tables, which is VITAL. All tables need to be reported on the Paizo website.

The advantage of posting tables on Warhorn is greater visibility. A lot of people know about Warhorn and use it find tables. This is likely why the VC asked for your tables to posted there. With all the open gaming license happenings, more and more players are looking at 2e with fresh eyes.

Talk with your VC. Helping to organize is what we are here to do. Your VC should be there to help you walk through this process.

Once you understand how Warhorn works, it is a great way to keep advertise your tables.

Guess I will have to ping Alex on the Discord server.

Bumping this again the the hope that Alex or someone else can answer. I have GM credit on Threshold of Knowledge but when I try to access the "Across the Threshold" boon, it says the character does not qualify.

When will this be fixed?

Hilary Moon Murphy wrote:

QUESTION FIVE: Will there be any more bounties published before Quests start on April 2023, or will there be a slight gap where we need to reuse the bounties and quests we already have?

For those that may not know, Bounties are categorized as Standalone Adventures. I believe Pathfinder Bounty #21: Against the Unliving is the last, and releases this month. The Quests are true Organized Play products. The next is in April as the blog says. There will be a gap. There are many sanctioned adventures of various lengths in the Standalone Adventures category. Crown of the Kobold King might be great to play in small bites for 18 weeks?

A'aron (sorry had to! Lolol), it is difficult for those scheduling to get a consistent group of players over 18 weeks. So while I appreciate the comment, from my stand point, it is not practical.