I'm torn on this new sanctioning idea. I'm all for faster sanctioning and more ways to play PFS, but am torn on this implementation.
It'll be the wild west for convention play with this system. Will GM's make all pregens for players, will players just play their pfs characters, or will convention GM's/players have to communicate before a convention to confirm characters? Any of this is possible, but puts more burden on the table GM/organizer to work out these details.
Keepsakes system seems limited. What if I'm applying the credit to a level 12 character, how does that level 1-5 item from the first module even effect the character?
Level free for any assigned level also feels bad. In pfs1, there were a limited number of ways a character could go 1-20. That made those high tier players feel that they had accomplished something. With the current proposal, play campaign mode modules and get to 20 with relative ease.
A final random thought: Since sanctioning seems like a time drain for developers, why not crowd-source it? There's lots of volunteers who are passionate about organized play that could be a resource/starting point for developing a sanctioning document.
That sounds like a very reasonable policy and I heartily endorse it. Locally, we were first told that they would not be approved for conventions held in a retail location, then that they would not be approved unless it was a new event because the RVC wanted to get his VCs to expand out of their comfort zone, then that they would only be approved for events with 100-150 attendees for a new event and 250+ attendees for an established one. Tonya did indicate that she would be looking into establishing more uniform guidelines for approval
1) Any comment concerning the moving goalposts for convention support?
Delbert Collins II wrote:
By the way two of the events I have turned down for support were "Invitation Only Events" where someone was getting thousands of dollars of support and boons for 40 or so of their friends. Give you one guess where one of them was at and I had the full support of the OPC to deny this support.
2) So, it's ok to mention why support was denied in this case but not in general? How did the NDA not apply to this?
Come out for 3 days of RPG and tabletop gaming at the beautiful Montreat College conference center just north of Black Mountain, North Carolina.
This will be the second year for Asheville Scarefest as a multi-genre mini-con. Last year's feedback was overwhelmingly positive, and we're only adding more great games and options this year.
Our goal is to bring together as many different gaming traditions as we can, so that we can play our old favourites as well as finding out about new games.
To register to attend, get a room/mealplan, etc. click here
Come out for 3 days of RPG and tabletop gaming at the beautiful Montreat College conference center just north of Black Mountain, North Carolina.
This will be the second year for Asheville Scarefest as a multi-genre mini-con. Last year's feedback was overwhelmingly positive, and we're only adding more great games and options this year.
Our goal is to bring together as many different gaming traditions as we can, so that we can play our old favorites as well as finding out about new games.
To register to attend, get a room/mealplan, etc. click here
I decided as the GM that the maenads would hear the fight and so would the final boss. While they killed the golem and explored the middle rooms, I had the boss pull her maenads back into the last room with her and cast fly and invisibility on herself while the maenads cast bull's strength on themselves.
I would agree that this was what made the final combat harder. Going directly through the middle rooms the mesmerist would probably buff/lay a trap while they took care of the maenads.
variation:
At my table that day (the other gm John mentioned), the group stayed ethereal and went directly from the entrance down the hallway towards the forbiddance. She spotted them (party decided to congregate at the ethereal barrier and kept trying to attack the field. When she spotted them she yelled a warning. Then the party went thru the walls into the center rooms, looked around, and immediately returned to the prime when they stumbled upon the maenads.
All of this took 3+ rounds, plenty of time as written for the maenads to open the door and make it a joint fight. It was tough and although 2 pcs were knocked unconscious (no deaths) they were victorious in the end. I think players should make wiser choices "that's a lot of things, let's wait until we have an advantage or at least until their spell casting buffs wear out"
Two other things to remember - even if the maenads do go into her forbiddance room, they have to make the saves vs gaze and they take damage for entering from the forbiddance (not LE), softening them up a bit.
We're going to try a slight change in the schedule this week, starting both slots 15 minutes earlier so that we're not running over store closing time!
First Slot: 12:15-4:45
6-01 Trial by Machine in Core mode (a 1-5)
6-02 Silver Mount collection (3-7)
6-10 The Wounded Wisp (1-2)
Second Slot: 5:15 - 9:45
5-08 The Confirmation (1-2)
6-03 Technic Siege (5-9)
There's still time to add another late game, send me a message if you're interested in running one! As usual, please use warhorn to gin up for games!
Come out on Friday 5:30-10:00 to play Voice in the Void, for levels 1-7. It's an awesome Cthulhu-esque time!
On Saturday from 2-8, we have our Asheville Anniversary event at Wyvern's Tale. We will be playing Blood Under Absalom - a special multi-table event for levels 1-11. There will be both core and regular campaign tables are available for play!
Please use our warhorn to sign up for these games!
All things that happened this weekend at a convention playing pfs:
When you sit down at a table and the gm says: "Oh, you're playing a life oracle, if you heal people then the enemies will start coup-de-gras attacks"
When you sit down at a table and the gm uses a string of profanity towards a player whom he's never met to introduce himself.
When you sit down at a table to play a Season Special and discover that the best tank in the group is the witch's bunny rabbit familiar. (This one worked out for the best, as the ranged inquisitor grabbed a shield and did a good job!)
When you play a social scenario and a player says "I'm going to the bar, i don't talk to anyone and will just drink until this silliness is over"
It's that time again Pathfinders! Gaming goodness all weekend at The Wyvern's Tale. Please use WARHORN to sign up for games!
Friday 12:30-4:30 The Devil We Know—Part II: Cassomir's Locker (levels 1-7) The Pathfinder Society dispatches you to the catacombs called Cassomir's Locker to find the source of a rat cult breeding monstrous vermin. After clearing Cassomir's dank sewers and delving into the dirty dungeons below, will you find the artifact that powers Cassomir's Locker or bring about the destruction of Taldor's most important port? There is 1 open seat
The Frostfur Captives (levels 1-5) Tasked with escorting a group of **redacted** prisoners from their camp to civilization for interrogation by the Pathfinder Society, you must protect them not only from the beasts and hazards of the wilderness, but themselves. This is a fun scenario, if you've not played it make a request for it! There are no open seats
Friday 5:30-9:00 Shadow's Last Stand—Part I: At Shadow's Door (levels 1-7) The Shadow Lodge’s assault on the Pathfinder Society has come to a head in the Andoren city of Almas, where renegade Shadow Pathfinders have taken over the Grand Cathedral of Aroden, holding the Pathfinders and Venture-Captain stationed there hostage. You must gain entry into the overrun Pathfinder lodge and put an end to the open warfare within the Society. This one is fun, but not for the faint of heart, it's the source of my first tpk. There is one seat available
In Wrath’s Shadow (levels 3-7) In the ruins of Xin-Bakrakhan—seat of power of the Runelord of Wrath—the Pathfinder Society stands on the verge of a great discovery, but first the brave agents exploring the ruins must survive ages-old dangers and contemporary threats to return with the knowledge and wealth they’ve unearthed. There are no seats available
Saturday May 24 12:30 - 4:30 Voice in the Void (levels 1-7) Mystery strikes again at the problem-plagued Blackros Museum in Absalom and its curator, Nigel Aldain, needs your help. When a famed Osirian tomb raider returns to Absalom and disappears in the museum's basement, Aldain fears the worst. When strange sounds echo from below and several of the curator's night watchmen go missing, he panics and begs the Society to investigate the mystery and save his museum from the darkness that infests it. This is a great romp back to that familiar museum with some Cthulhu fun waiting to happen. There is one seat available
The Heresy of Man—Part III: Beneath Forgotten Sands (levels 5-9) Beneath the desolate deserts of godless Rahadoum, the Pathfinder Society races against time to beat the traitorous Shadow Lodge to an ancient Jistkan citadel. But their rivals aren't the only obstacle in the PCs' way: the long-lost ruins teem with terrible outsiders set on manipulation and destruction, including a self-proclaimed avatar of the div god Ahriman. There is one open seat
Library of the Lion (levels 1-5) Few societies have so vaunted a tradition of leading crusades as Taldor, yet the constant revisions to its history by scheming factions leaves the truth obscured by countless acts of political modifications. Even the lauded Kitharodian Academy’s texts are riddled with these changes, so when a secretive ally approaches the Pathfinder Society with information about a hidden archive that contains the unaltered histories, the Pathfinders plan a daring infiltration to recover the secrets of Taldor’s past victories so that Mendev might benefit from the discovery. There are no open seats
Destiny of the Sands—Part 3: Sanctum of the Sages (levels 3-7) Uncovering the secrets of a Jeweled Sage reveals that the others are in grave danger, and the PCs set off after notorious jewel thieves before the criminals can disappear with another priceless treasure. When the trail leads to the sages’ hidden sanctum deep within the Pillars of the Sun, the Pathfinders must draw upon both their own resourcefulness and the ancient historians’ power if they are to preserve a millennia-old organization and Osirion’s past. This is an excellent romp through a major plot line with serious repercussions! There are 3 seats available!
Saturday 5:30-9:30 We Be Goblins Too! (level 3) Can 4 heroes from the Licktoad tribe integrate into the mighty Birdcrunchers? Perhaps one of you might just become king of the goblins! This table has 10 available openings
The Pallid Plague (levels 1-7) Reports from Andoran's Darkmoon Vale indicate that a new plague is causing the deaths of untold fey. The Pathfinder Society sends you there to aid the nymph queen in stopping the plague and finding and destroying its source. When the plague spreads to the human population of Falcon's Hollow, the need to find a cure grows more frantic. Can you save the many denizens of Darkmoon Vale from certain death? This table has one opening
Feast of Sigils (levels 7-11) In Kaer Maga, the mysterious and dangerous cliffside City of Strangers in untamed Varisia, the Pathfinder Society will come face to face with a sect of the cult of Lissala who prey upon the city's most vulnerable denizens to increase their own power. To what end do they conduct the ancient Feast of Sigils ritual, and can the Pathfinders stop them before their evil plans come to fruition? This table has two openings.
Also, be on the lookout for all of June's action. There's Geekout on June 6-8 and Free RPG day events June 21. To sign up for Geekout, use the Asheville PFS Warhorn here. To register for Free RPG Day use The Wyvern's Tale WARHORN.
Hey Dain, it's almost that time again.... anything happening this weekend? I'm sure everyone's checking warhorn to sign up for Friday and Saturday events!
Top 3 Scenarios to Play
1. Rats of Round Mountain Series
2. Storming the Diamond Gate
3. The Traitor's Lodge (I wish I had played the Siege special before this one, but it was good without it!)
(although I'm noticing, each of these games were run by the same gm.....)
Top 3 Scenarios to GM
1. Frostfur Captives (ever wonder what happens when you eat a flask of alchemist fire...)
2. Portal of the Sacred Rune (one of my favorite traps to run!)
3. The Conformation (lots of options, some fun rp)
Top 3 Scenarios for New Players
1. The Night March of Kalkamedes (the newer the players, the more creative the solutions to various non-combat encounters!)
2. Mists of Mwangi (fun monkey time!)
3. Frostfur Captives (see above!)
Top 3 Scenarios for New GMs
1. Assault on the Kingdom of the Impossible (neat first encounter)
2. Citadel of Flames (straight forward encounters in a dungeon delve)
3. First Steps Part 1 (easy to run, variety of encounters rp/combat without templates to apply!)
In a related vein, and because I am curious, who in the APL has burned stars for replays? I am down to a single replay remaining (need to get that 4th star).
I used the first one to re-run Mists of Mwangi when we needed an extra table at Scarefest. Not sure what I'll use the second one on yet, but it'll get used!
In my current RotRL game I had a player drink from the waters and I bet he'll return to the shrine when they get back to town (currently starting book 3). In the meantime, I've had him undergo some minor physical transformations (looking more feral, for a tiefling) and having dreams/visions sent from Lamashtu. The player's been happy and it helps him add to his chaotic behaviors. If he takes sip #2, then me might just become more, blessed, by Lamashtu. Perhaps a free trait from worshipers of Lamashtu, an alignment shift, and stronger visions or blackouts where the character wakes up without knowing why he's lying with a pack of feral, misshaped wolves outside of town....
Swashbuckler cheese will be incoming - luckily the play test is only until Dec. when they can hopefully fix it!
I'm torn on the Skald... I'd really like to like the class. Being able to make those around you rage sounds cool... except when you realize you're playing PFS and everyone at the table it a spell caster who wouldn't like to be angry and lose their spell casting ability!
Skald also feels like a class where you would have to be prepared with a set of 'buff-cards' to explain to all the other players what they're getting and how to quickly adjust their characters to the rage powers/etc they'd be gaining. At least with base bard it was a flat +hit/damage.
The bloodrager... now there's a combo that I think is better than the base barbarian class. You lose some rage powers... but Aberrant/Celestial and especially Arcane bloodlines are just OP and at very early levels.
Arcanist looks good on paper... but having to be prepared for your encounters with so few slots I think it works better in home games than in pfs.
Shaman has those nice crunchy bits without the really nasty witch curses. Definitely interesting but I think under powered compared to straight witch or oracle.
Slayer feels like a better fighter, ditto for investigator compared to rogue.... but not by much in either case
Warpriest/Hunter/Brawler are poorly thought out archetypes at the moment.. not better than straight cleric/druid/fighter respectively.
I'm running this game for some friends who play pathfinder societies. Since we're not bound to race/class selections of organized play, they chose to go a bit exotic with races
Sanara, Aasmair Paladin of Sarenrae who traveled to Sandpoint for the opening of the new Cathedral
Killiel Sekken, Tiefling Magus who's a member of the Sczarni gang in Sandpoint.
Quajit, Ifrit Wizard raised by catfolk. He's visiting the town for the festival.
Quorkrane, Tengu Rogue from a nearby tribe that visits Sandpoint regularly to trade. Admires Gorvi who helped him out of a tough spot when exploring Junker's Edge.
Vlăstar Beznă, Stryx Ranger who was also adopted/raised by Father Tobyn - often blamed for the prior cathedral's burning.
Coruscoruco, Half-Orc Priest of The Raven (player created deity, Trickery and Travel domains) who is a seeker of puzzles/hidden knowledge looking for Brodert Quink.
Unfortunately I've got some bad news - I've had an emergency happen and I'm going to be out of town and unable to run the game from the road :( I hope to list it again, or another scenario, in the near future!
In my first attempt to GM a game online - I am looking for players with a bit of patience and understanding! If you are interested in playing this scenario and willing to work with a new online game master, please send me a private message that includes your society number, class w/ level and their party role (damage, debilitate heals, etc.), your characters initiative, and a link to a picture you would like to use as your avatar.
Please be ready at time of game play with your macros ready. This is a PFS game so all characters must be legal and I will report at the end of the session so you will be able to get your credit.
Game Client:
Google Plus Hangout and the Roll20.net VTT
Description:
A Pathfinder Society Scenario designed for levels 3–7.
On the eastern continent of Tian Xia, the Pathfinder Society remains a small player in the greater political landscape, but Amara Li, head of the Lantern Lodge in the teeming city of Goka, has plans to change that. In order to secure the Pathfinder Society's place as an influential organization on the far side of the world from the Grand Lodge in Absalom, she must orchestrate an alliance with the mysterious Way of the Kirin. But the longtime rival of the Pathfinder Society, the Aspis Consortium, has plans to form an alliance of its own, and if the consortium succeeds, the Pathfinder Society's hopes of cementing their place in the Dragon Empires could be dashed forever.
Bryan, the map you need for the game you're running, I have printed up to scale for minis and it's laminated. I can let you borrow it and save you the time of drawing it.
Thanks for the map - it was great! What other scenarios use the Museum and I'll try to run those in the future.
I'd like to join the gaming this weekend (8/4) but have not played pathfinder before nor played in an organized gaming society. What do I need to do to get in on the action?
