Pathfinder Society GM. Starfinder Society GM. 20 posts (24 including aliases). No reviews. No lists. 1 wishlist. 24 Organized Play characters. 1 alias.
As one of Jason's Hard Mode players, I'll throw in my two cents here.
Player: The reroll is an interesting resource. When to use it comes down to being a tough decision of is this roll critical, do I have a chance of making it if I reroll and would it be better to save it for later. That being said, I find I most often use it for my day job check.
GM: I pretty much ignore their existence. I do give time for them to be announced, but otherwise leave it up to the players as to when or if they want to use them. That being said, unfortunately, I tend to see rerolls amount to still a failed roll.
Overall: I find that at a tense moment rerolls can add a nice edge to the atmosphere. When a roll is critical and everyone is sure it was a bad roll, the reroll becomes a very intense moment.
I don't think there is to much off balancing about them due to it still being a matter of luck, the fact that you have to choose when to use it (based on the criteria the rules give us) and the fact that there are many other ways that the mechanics themselves can introduce rerolling.
A lot of good advice here. I'll toss in something we do at my store that has gone over well.
At the end of the month, for example we just did this last Friday, we have what has been dubbed by the community as the council of GMs. We all sat down and planned out everything that would be run in October. We did this after the games played for the evening. At the begging of the evening I handed out index cards to all the players, so that they could request any scenarios they would like to play.
I also print out copies of the PFS tracking sheet and hand it out to anyone who doesn't have one. I have found that this has decreased the amount of times people have signed up for a table only to realize once the game has begun that they have played it before.
One thing I have learned as a good rule of thumb is to always have a 1 - ? table for new players. I also always have a copy of the Confirmation prepped and ready to run just in case.
Also big shout out to my local VL Jason Hanlon who has been a big help to me in learning the ins and outs of coordination.
Interesting fact - my paladin joined the Sczarni with the intent to, in a nutshell, keep them in check with the forces of good, and take advantage of anyone in need of redemption.
Since Sczarni joined The Exchange, I can't find a good equivalent (it's certainly not The Exchange). I looked at both Liberty's Edge and, to a lesser extent, Silver Crusade - but I'm not quite convinced either of them fit.
Why not the Sovereign Court? That many nobles hanging out together can't be up to anything good :)
Character Name: Amiri
Role Card: Juggernaut
Skill Feats: Strength +4, Dexterity +1, Wisdom +1
Power Feats: +5 hand size, Heavy Armor, You may bury a card from your hand to add a 1d10+2 to your Strength, Melee, or Constitution check, When you are dealt Combat or any other type of damage, reduce that damage by one, When you play Blessing of Gorum, add d12 instead of the normal die.
Card Feats: Weapon +6, Armor +3, Item +5, Ally +3, Blessing +6
Weapons: Bastard Sword +1, Great Club +3 (x2), Longsword +2, Impaler of Thorns, Karzoug's Burning Glaive, Mokmurian's Club
Spells: N/A
Armors: Leather Armor, Lesser Bolstering Armor, Snakeskin Tunic
Items: Magic Spyglass (x2), Revelation Quill, Sihedron Medallion, Wand of Enervation
Allies: Father Zantus, Jakardros Sovark, Poog of Zarongel
Blessings: Blessing of Abadar (x2), Blessing of Gorum (x3), Blessing of Lamashtu
Character Name: Kyra
Role Card: Exorcist
Skill Feats: Strength +2, Wisdom +4
Power Feats: +5 hand size, Weapons, Instead of your first exploration on a turn, you may reveal a card with the Divine trait to choose a character at your location. Shuffle 1d4+2 random cards from his discard pile into his deck, then discard the card you revealed, Add 1d8+1 with the magic trait to your check to defeat a bane with the Undead or Outsider trait, When you play Blessing of Sarenrae, you may recharge it or place it on top of your deck instead of discarding it, If you defeat a bane with the Undead trait, you may shuffle 1 random card from your discard pile into your deck.
Card Feats: Weapon +3, Spell +5, Armor +3, Item +2, Ally +2, Blessings + 8
Weapons: Shortspear +3, Vicious Trident +1, Fanged Falchion
Spells: Aid, Find Traps, Holy Light (x2), Summon Monster
Armors: Breastplate of Fire Resistance, Hide Armor of Fire Resistance, Reflecting Shield
Items: Emerald Codex, Robe of Runes
Allies: Pyromaniac Mage (x2)
Blessings: (card), (card), etc.
I see sleeves, especially those with a design on the back, will be very useful for helping to keep track of your cards.
As an organizer I will be definitely be following Vic's advice and try to muster the tables so as to have no multiples. I think I will also follow Mikes advice and have some paper available to help track at each table. Thank you both for the advice.
I think I might also print out a bunch of the tracker sheets when they are up, so I can hand them out to any players who do not have them.
FredericTheBandit and I are at mid point for another duo
Character Name: Amiri
Role Card: Juggernaut
Skill Feats: Strength + 2, Dexterity + 1, Wisdom + 1
Power Feats: + 5 hand size, Heavy Armors, You may bury a card from your hand to add 1d10+1 to your strength, Melee, or Constitution check. , When you are dealt Combat damage, reduce that damage by 1.
Card Feats: Item + 3, Ally + 3, Blessings + 5
Weapons: Dogslicer +1, Greatsword, Longsword +1, Shortsword +1, Impaler of Thorns
Spells: N/A
Armors: Arrow Catching Studded Leather, Snakeskin Tunic
Items: Headband of Vast Intelligence, Sihedron Medallion x2
Allies: Grizzled Mercenary, Vale Temros, Poog of Zarongel
Blessings: Blessing of Abadar x2, Blessing of Gorum, Blessing of Lamashtu, Blessing of Irori
Character Name: Kyra
Role Card: Exorcist
Skill Feats: Wisdom + 4
Power Feats: + 5 hand size, Weapons, Instead of your first exploration on a turn, you may reveal a card with the Divine trait to choose a character at your location. Shuffle 1d4+2 random cards from his discard pile into his deck, then discard the card you revealed., Add 1d8+1 with the Magic trait to your check to defeat a bane with the Undead trait., When you play Blessing of Sarenrae, you may recharge it instead of discarding it.
Card Feats: Spell + 5, Item + 2
Weapons: Flaming Mace +1, Longsword +2
Spells: Aid, Augury x2, Find Traps, Holy Light
Armors: Hide Armor of Fire Resistance, Magic Shield
Items: Holy Water, Wand of Enervation
Allies: Sage
Blessings: Blessing of Calistria, Blessing of Lamashtu, Blessing of Pharasma x2, Blessing of Sarenrae, Blessing of Zarongel
As this is our second play through I have noticed two things that I feel are good things for the game. With different characters, the flow of the game has a very different feel. Also, I am noticing that I have not seen some cards I relied on in my first play through and have seen some cards that I either didn't notice because I didn't need them, or that I just didn't run into.
I'm hoping we can button this play through up in time for the new set and organized play.
This is an interesting subject although, like some other posters, I don't think it is as black or white as initially stated. I find that character concept will guide mechanical choices and that Mechanical choices will in turn guide character personality choices. All of this is a much more organic process, rather than simply being I focus on stats or personality in exclusion to the other.
With that being said that doesn't mean that there are not extremes where people do just that. As long as everyone at the table has fun there is no problem in those extremes occurring.
Roleplaying comes about not because of stats, but because of choices. Stats are there to guide a character's choices as they are probably aware of what they are good at and what they are not good at. That being said sometimes overconfidence or lack of confidence are interesting character choices. At the end of the day though, I feel that stats and choices are the gestalt from which you achieve character and that everyone has a different mix of the two in that gestalt.
Hopping in as a voice for the above mentioned “Other” category – I'm a store liaison who …
1. schedules around the scenarios I know my regs have played (generally scheduled for the next 15 games out)
2. looks at the schedules for other stores to try to make sure my regs aren’t signed up elsewhere for scenarios that are in the works (and PM’s the ones who have signed up for things they’ve already played in)
3. tries to make sure my regular GMs (some of whom are VO’s) are able to run the games they would like as many are trying to “build up stars”, which means …
4. rarely GMs for PFS (and most of my PFS GM credit is for other areas where I’ve gone to help out, not my own store)
5. coordinates for a store which has a perpetual derth of Paizo product, but who loves having PFS players there (even though they carry so little product we’re only able to purchase snacks) – and who can and has handled 4+ tables running simultaneously.
... so there’s another example of the “Other” :)
I don’t feel bad about not GMing more as I think that encouraging and scheduling a crop of additional GMs who can both play and run at the store I coordinate for and then go and run at other stores or at conventions is far more valuable to the campaign as sitting down and saying “I want to GM this”.
That said, access to some way of verification for what players have played or GM’d what would be much easier than maintaining a spreadsheet of regular players & tick marks next to the names of scenarios & modules played/ GM'd. :)
-TimD
I envy your large stable of GMs. We tend to run a deficit in this area, although it has been getting better lately. And you do have a good point there. I would also like to be able to check for what people have played. I'm beginning to feel that most of us don't want rewards just more tools to do what we do :)
Just to throw my 2 cents in, I am a coordinator that falls into the other category. I have been doing this for less than a year now. This may not apply to everyone in my position but, I don't really need any rewards. I think most of us do this for the love of the game. After all the only thing better than an awesome hobby is getting to share that awesome hobby with more people.
I do admit having extra info to help with scheduling and the ability to access all chronicles for printing would be nice tools to have.
I'm also not sure how badly we need organizer rewards. In my experience the word organizer can easily be exchanged with words primary GM.
As for an idea for a reward, why not just put the title organizer on our pfs card. A small gesture like that can say a lot to people.
I'm sure it would be quite the different experience. We went through with Seoni and Sajan the last time. I just got home form playing some more tonight and we have Amiri and Kyra up to Adventure 2. The experience on that alone is quite different, well that and we didn't manage to snag an early holy candle like we did last time.
I figure that a lot of us are planning to set up a venue for organized play in our area. I figure it might be nice for us to have a compilation of areas that people plan to support. To that end I have started a google doc to make the information easy to access.
If you want to be included in this list just post here with
Country, Area, Name and email address. Please supply region information in the same groupings used by the regional coordinator list.
I just wanted to add my thanks as well. Me and my friend Eric have been running a duo through the game and just finished last night. We enjoyed it so much that we almost immediately choose 2 new characters and started again from the beginning. I'm looking forward to Skull and Shackles, not to mention future sets and am very excited for the coming in store play.
Oh, I just thought of a tip on something that caught me by surprise. The scenarios from before season 5 have faction missions. Those are no longer used. We use the secondary successes conditions from this instead.
http://paizo.com/products/btpy928k?
Just wanted to say and welcome to the campaign. As for advice, like has been said the organized play guide is your friend. People on the boards are very helpful and your local VO will be of great help.
I just started started as an organizer back in October and it has been a blast. I have met many interesting new people. If you already have a firm grasp of the rules, I would say just jump into it. I did and I don't regret it at all.
Excellent, I'll have to let my FLGS owner know that sign ups will be coming then. Thank you for the heads up. August needs to hurry up and get here already.
What if we don't have a local participating store? Is there any way to basically sanction a home group? I wouldn't mind signing up to be a local VO and forming an organized group here, but outside of my local Barnes and Noble, there isn't a store within realistic driving distance that I'm aware of that I could try to set something up at unfortunately.
Depending on how the scenarios are released for store play, non FLGS stores may be an option. I have heard of Pathfinder Society being run from a Steak 'N Shake.
Languages Celestial, Common, Draconic, Dwarven, Elven
Gear:
cat burglar's boots
elixir of spirit sight
holy weapon balm (6)
+1 agile glamered sword cane
amulet of natural armor +2
belt of incredible dexterity +4
eyes of the eagle
headband of inspired wisdom +4
page of spell knowledge (rope trick)
ring of protection +2
thieves' tools, masterwork
SQ bloodline tattoos, devoted guardian, familiar tattoo, hero points
Bloodline Tattoos (Ex) Bloodline spells are cast at +1 caster level.
Cat burglar's boots (1/day) Has pocket to hold thief tools. Reroll a failed Acrobatics/Climb/Stealth check.
Combat Casting +4 to Concentration checks to cast while on the defensive.
Combat Reflexes (7 AoO/round) Can make extra attacks of opportunity/rd, and even when flat-footed.
Darkvision (60 feet) You can see in the dark (black and white vision only).
Devoted Guardian +0 (Ex) At 1st level, a sohei can always act in a surprise round even if he does not notice his enemies, though he remains flat-footed until he acts. In addition, a sohei gains a bonus on initiative rolls equal to 1/2 his monk level. At 20th level, a sohei's
Disruptive +4 DC to cast defensively for those you threaten.
Elixir of spirit sight This elixir seems to be made of thick vapor rather than liquid, and constantly emits soft whispers when uncorked. For 1 minute, the drinker gains the ability to see invisibility (as the spell), and his weapons and armor are treated as if they had the ghost touch special ability.
Construction
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, plane shift, see invisibility; Cost 500 gp
Empathic Link with Familiar (Su) You have an empathic link with your Arcane Familiar.
Empyreal Your heavenly power derives from insight rather than force of personality.
Associated Bloodline: Celestial.
Bloodline Arcana: Unlike most sorcerers whose innate magic is powered by force of personality, you use pure willpower to m
Energy Resistance, Acid (5) You have the specified Energy Resistance against Acid attacks.
Energy Resistance, Cold (5) You have the specified Energy Resistance against Cold attacks.
Energy Resistance, Electricity (5) You have the specified Energy Resistance against Electricity attacks.
Extend Spell Spell duration lasts twice as normal. +1 Level.
Familiar Bonus: +3 to Appraise checks You gain the Alertness feat while your familiar is within arm's reach.
Familiar Tattoo (Su) A tattooed sorcerer gains a familiar as an arcane bond, as a wizard equal to her sorcerer level. Her sorcerer levels stack with any wizard or witch levels she possesses when determining the powers of her familiar—this ability does not allow her to
Flurry of Blows +6/+6/+1 (Ex) As full-rd action, higher BAB and combo unarmed/monk wep as if two-weapon fighting.
Heavenly Fire (1d4 divine energy, 8/day) (Sp) Ranged touch attack harms evil and heals good. Neutral unaffected.
Heavenly Radiance (Sunbeam, 1/day) Gain an additional use of daylight sla, and also the ability to use another chosen spell in place of it.
Improved Unarmed Strike Unarmed strikes don't cause attacks of opportunity, and can be lethal.
Magical Knack (Sorcerer [Tattooed Sorcerer, Wildblooded]) +2 CL for a specific class, to a max of your HD.
Page of spell knowledge (rope trick) This page is covered in densely-worded arcane or divine magical runes. It contains the knowledge of a single arcane or divine spell (chosen by the creator when the item is crafted). If the bearer is a spontaneous spellcaster and has that spell on her class spell list, she may use her spell slots to cast that spell as if it were one of her spells known. A page of spell knowledge is priced based on the spell's cleric or sorcerer/wizard spell level, unless the spell doesn't appear on either of those spell lists, in which case it is based on the highest spell level as it appears on any other spell list. For example, a spell that is on the 4th-level inquisitor list and the 2nd-level paladin list is priced as a 4th-level spell.
Share Spells with Familiar Can cast spells with a target of "You" on the familiar with a range of touch.
Varisian Tattoo (Evocation) Spells from chosen school gain +1 caster level.
Wayang Spell Hunter (Battering Blast) Reduce spell level increase from metamagic for chosen spell by 1.
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Molly:
Female raven (Pathfinder Player Companion: Animal Archive; Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 133)
N Tiny magical beast (animal)
Init +2; Senses low-light vision; Perception +16
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Defense
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AC 15, touch 14, flat-footed 13 (+2 dexterity, +1 natural, +2 size)
hp 32 (1d8-1)
Fort +5, Ref +6, Will +8
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Offense
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Speed 10 ft., fly 40 ft. (average)
Melee unarmed strike +11/+6 (1-4 nonlethal) or
bite +11 (1d3-4)
Space 2 ft.; Reach 0 ft.
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Statistics
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Str 2, Dex 15, Con 8, Int 6, Wis 15, Cha 7
Base Atk +7; CMB +7; CMD 13
Feats Skill Focus (Perception), Weapon Finesse[B]
Skills Acrobatics +6, Appraise -1, Diplomacy -1, Disable Device +8, Escape Artist +3, Fly +10, Linguistics -1, Perception +16, Ride +3, Sense Motive +3, Sleight of Hand +3, Spellcraft -1, Stealth +22, Survival +3, Swim +6, Use Magic Device -1
Languages Common
SQ improved evasion
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Tracked Resources
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-none-
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Special Abilities
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Flight (40 feet, Average) You can fly!
Improved Evasion (Ex) No damage on successful reflex save; half on failed save.
Low-Light Vision See twice as far as a human in low light, distinguishing color and detail.
Background story:
My name is Simon. I’m a killer for hire. I don’t really care who the target is if the price is right, but mages are my specialty. You’d be amazed what people will shell out for a dead mage. Most people think it’s hard, but not as much as you might think. Most of them are arrogant prats who think they’re above the rest of us. Hubris is far more their killer than I. I’m just the one who brings it to their attention. For a moment anyway, just before they go to the Boneyard.
See, the trick is to get close and keep them from getting a spell off in your face. When you look like I do and are as seemingly unarmed as I am that first part is easier than you think. Thanks to my bastard parentage I look goodly and nice. People will take a lot on face value. “You look angelic, so you must be nice.“ Trusting idiots, but it makes my job easier so who am I to complain?
I don’t know who my parents are, but whoever they are doesn’t matter. I was left on the doorstep of a monastery in the Minata islands. The monks raised me and taught me to fight. When I was old enough to ask questions the sensei told me I had blood of angels in me. Well, that’s nice and all, but it’ll only take you so far. I guess I enjoyed it while I was there, but once I got old enough to start understanding how the world really worked I had to go. Plus my magic started manifesting and there may have been an incident with an incinerated initiate. I decided it’d be better for me to leave in the middle of the night. Of course I made the body look like it was me and that the other kid ran off. Wouldn’t want a bunch of monks tailing me my whole life. Anyway, I digress. We were talking about killing mages.
The second part to killing mages is a little trickier, but again not as much as you’d think. Once you get in close and they decide they want to cast a nasty something-or-other in your face you punch them in the throat. It’s crude, but effective. You can also slice across a hand, box their ears, a sharp punch to the gut, break their nose, or that sort of thing. The throat punch is my favorite though. They never see it coming and the look on their face is priceless as their magic fizzles. Then you run them through with your blade a few times and that’s that. Search through their belongings, because mages carry some seriously good s**t on them, and go collect your money.
That brings us to how I ended up in this Gorum’s a**hole of a prison. Well, the details aren’t that important. Lets just say one of the downsides of killing mages is that sometimes they organize. Killing a cabal is much harder than killing one at a time when they’re not expecting it. Long story-short I killed the kin of one of this cabal and they came after me in a big way. The fight ended up leveling part of this city and a bunch of people died. Of course those Jacka**es blamed the whole thing on me. It wasn’t my fireballs that blew up the orphanage, but whatever. They convinced the magistrate that I tricked them into doing it, which is technically true, but I wasn’t the one who threw the fireball. That was actually kinda funny. I got the one mage to fireball his buddy on accident. The fact that it was an orphanage and caught fire was just a bonus. Anyway, as I was saying, they blamed the whole thing on me and called it “crimes against humanity” or some such. I’m not even really human so that shouldn’t even apply. Pansies. They were just afraid that if I were killed I’d get myself resurrected and come after them. So they stuck me in this cesspool instead. Charming, right? So here I am. Sitting in this cell talking to you. You’re not great company, but a man’s gotta keep himself busy somehow.
Pathfinder Society GM. Starfinder Society GM. 20 posts (24 including aliases). No reviews. No lists. 1 wishlist. 24 Organized Play characters. 1 alias. 