Kolyarut

NEONCON's page

Goblin Squad Member. Organized Play Member. 8 posts (130 including aliases). 6 reviews. 2 lists. No wishlists. 6 Organized Play characters. 3 aliases.




Hello,

Putting together a home game Pathfinder group to play/playtest a campaign setting I am considering publishing.

The setting is "The Hobbit" meets "Indiana Jones" meets "Canticle of Liebowitz". While it has its darker elements, it is intended to be mostly family friendly. The play style should be about 50/50 mix of skills/RP and combat.

The ideal group is mature, experienced players who are parents with kids age 7-12. My kids are 9 & 7. In a table of 6 players, a 3 parents/3 kids mix would work great. Kids do not have to have any RPG experience, mine do not.

Like PFS, the campaign is also designed to slot in a mix of players. So, if I had more than 6 players respond, we could accommodate up to 12, maybe 18 folks in a "player pool" with folks rotating in/out based on availability in a given week. The idea is to keep the game moving forward and not be slowed by schedules.

I'd like to start playing every other week and, as the group gels, expand to weekly.

Ping me here if you are interested.

Thanks,

V

The Exchange 1/5

A while back, folks raised some legitimate concerns about the state of the Pathfinder Society in Las Vegas since I took on the VC role. Wheels have been in motion, but I clearly needed to do a better job of keeping folks in the loop.

With that in mind, I've taken some time to prepare a the following update, which addresses those concerns and outlines about the steps we are taking to get the Vegas lodge back on track.

1) The Venture Team
****************************************************

I am only one person and, as noted before, I've been traveling a lot for work. To help fill in the gaps, I've been recruiting local GMs to form what I am calling the "Venture Team". I am happy to announce that, as of last night, Las Vegas has four new Venture-Lieutenants. Please make a point of introducing yourself to the crew:

Vegas Venture Team *
***********************************

* The listed email addresses were just created yesterday and may not yet be active on the mail server. Everything should be fully operational by Monday.

If my work schedule continues the way it has over the last few months, it may be that I'll hand over the VC reins to one of the VLs down the road. PFS is bigger than any one player, GM or VC/VL. If I cannot commit the time, I'll step down, but we are not there yet.

2) Vegas Game Day (VGD) moves to new location
****************************************************

Since stepping into the VC role in late October, we moved Vegas Game Day from the Las Vegas Library (LVL) to /usr/lib/, a tech library and coworking space. While it served us well in the past, LVL had many challenges, not the least of which were safety concerns, long drives for lunch which regularly interrupted gaming sessions and inconvenient hours of play. All of these issues (and more) have been resolved by our move to /usr/lib.

Most important to you, the Library only allowed us to play two PFS sessions/month. /usr/lib allows us to play up to six PFS sessions each month. This new venue also acts as a central location where folks can, and do, convene throughout the month for other pickup games.

Last month, we installed a complete library of Pathfinder books at /usr/lib. This games library includes two copies of the Pathfinder Beginner's Box and two copies of everything a GM needs to run a game (dice, maps, etc.) … all made available free of charge to the community throughout they year.

I am happy to report that VGD attendance is up dramatically as are the overall number of games run … especially for brand new players, which means a growing community.

As for VGD being nothing more than extension of NeonCon (my convention), I respectfully reject that notion. Do NeonCon volunteers attend VGD and play there? Yep, they are gamers too. Does the show get discussed there? Yep. But, those discussions happen as an organic and spontaneous byproduct of the fun folks have at VGD. THey ask about other events and NeonCon comes up.

In the past, we used to hold NeonCon volunteer meetings during the lunch break at VGD, because that's when most of the volunteers were all in one place. Now, we hold that meeting an hour before VGD and work hard not to delay play at VGD. We do that specifically to let folks focus on playing and not NeonCon. If they want ask about the show or volunteering, we'll discuss it with them, but we don't get in people's faces about it.

3) VGD to focus on new & lapsed players
****************************************************

More and more, high-tier adventures will be held in stores or home games. VGD is slowly being retooled as a place to showcase all games, particularly PFS, for NEW and LAPSED players, of which we are seeing a great number in our new venue. So, one should expect to see less high-tier adventures at VGD as we are trying to grow the PFS community, not create a monthly gaming clique that is inaccessible to players unfamiliar with Pathfinder or PFS. This does not mean that no higher-tier scenarios will be offered, but it does mean that Beginner's Box and "Intro to Lore" and other beginner and low-tier material will be given precedence at VGD.

This new focus serves us all. The more players we create, the more GMs we create. The more GMs we create, the more play opportunities ALL of us gain.

4) GM Recruitment
****************************************************

Towards the end of Living Greyhawk (LG), we had a pool of 20-25 GMs running games around town on a regular basis. When LG died, most transitioned to either PFS or LFR when that campaign ended. Over the last 18 months or so, most of the old GMs have stopped running games for one reason or another and not many new folks have stepped up.

A big part of my job is recruiting GMs, new and old, to the PFS cause. Part of the challenge has been getting former GMs to come back to the game. And, we've lost some of our best GMs to marriage or to relocation due to the terrible job market in Las Vegas. Without GMs, we cannot run games.

I've had to travel internationally a great deal since late November, so progress on this front has been slower than I would like, but it is moving forward. If you, or any other reader, is interested in GM-ing, please email me at pfs.doug@vegasgamers.org.

5) GM Development
****************************************************

Great GMs are made, not born. All of us have challenges as GMs, especially when it comes to Organized Play programs like PFS. There are slot lengths to be managed and we have to represent what Paizo looks for in GMs … for their brand. In the original thread, Marty/Callerack said a "challenged" GM cannot become a better GM unless he/she comes to understand why they have trouble running an exciting, effective game.

Historically, we have not done a very good job of helping challenged GMs get better. To that end, we will soon offer a "GM Workshop", where experienced GMs can help the nervous/shy, rules lawyer or otherwise challenged GM become better at running a successful game. Does an individual have to attend the workshop to run PFS in Vegas? No. Heck, they don't even need my blessing. There are plenty of game stores and home games where they can run PFS. They are free to log their own games. None of this requires my OK or that of any other VC or Paizo staffer.

As VC, I am responsible for the public face of PFS in Vegas. As such, I can and do evaluate and chose GMs to run games at the public events I coordinate. Some folks have been asked not to run public games. Some of them are really nice folks who run a really long game and have a hard time staying within the 5 hour slot. That is fine for a home game, but it is death to a public game, particularly when another group is waiting for a table or players.

Other folks have trouble being polite or respectful of their players, when GM-ing or playing themselves. That really boils down to the golden rule. If folks cannot be respectful of the other people at their tables or the other players in the room or the rules of the host venue, they certainly don't GM in public events and they may be asked not to play. Folks like that hurt the hobby and the PFS community. Again, home play is always an option.

Having said that, I always speak to these folks privately and encourage them to respect others. Some tell me to take a flying leap. Most listen and try to get better. And, as long as they are trying, I'll be glad to help them as much as I can.

To help get this ball rolling, we've created Vegas Pathfinder GMs, an open Facebook for all Pathfinder GMs in the Vegas Valley. If you are a GM or want to be, please join the group and participate.

6) The Game Stores
****************************************************

I am often asked why we don't hold Vegas Game Day in one of our Friendly Local Game Stores (FLGS). Well, in the beginning, several of the FLGS were not really interested in Pathfinder. They were turned off by the 3E vs. 4E debates that erupted in their stores. Some wanted to focus on Magic or Warhammer 40K, both of which generated more sales/revenue for the stores. Whether it is LG, LFR or PFS, organized play games usually suck up 4-5 hours where most players don't buy anything at the stores. This is not me guessing, this is direct word from most of the store owners.

So, that is one reason we started VGD … to put organized play in a store-neutral environment where people could play all day. Then, we encourage folks to play in the stores through out the month. This program has worked pretty well. And now, stores are asking about getting regular games going in their stores. So, we are working on that.

To make it work, we need folks who will be reliable and committed to running on a regular basis at their local stores, which brings us back to GM Recruitment. So, stay tuned. As we get more GMs, you'll see more in-store play.

7) Better communication
****************************************************

We regularly communicate via the community website (vegasgamers.org) and twitter. Still, we obviously need to do a better job of letting folks know what is going on and when. We will do so in the future.

8) Do you want to be part of the solution?
****************************************************

I'll close with a question.

Are you a "do-er"?

Are you committed to and passionate about PFS enough to do something to help it grow? If you are, then I really want to talk to you.

Like any community, PFS needs do-ers.

Thanks,

Doug Daulton
Venture Captain, Las Vegas Lodge

The Exchange 1/5

Time is drawing near for NEONCON 2011. To help ease the pain of the down economy, we've dropped our ticket price from $60 to $50 for the 2011 show. If you GM 4 scenarios/slots for us, you get your badge for free.

Here are a few links to important information about Pathfinder Society events at the show:

Thanks,

Doug Daulton
NEONCON 2011

PS: If you are interested in playing the "Eyes of the Ten" retirement arc at the show click here. Given the scope of the arc, we are only planning to one group through the entire thing. But, if there is enough interest and folks are willing to help judge other events, we'll consider adding another group/table.

The Exchange

1 person marked this as a favorite.
Paizo Publishing wrote:

Many customers have asked Paizo to offer PDF editions of our GameMastery Maps products, and we've always said that we're worried that a significant number of gamers choosing the PDF edition exclusively could hurt our ability to continue producing printed maps.

Well, we've decided to test that theory. The next two GameMastery Map products, Map Pack: Magic Academy (due this month) and Flip-Mat: Haunted Dungeon (due in July) will also be available in PDF form.

We've also decide to release the out-of-print GameMastery Maps in PDF form as well. The following products are now available:

GameMastery Map Pack: Village PDF
GameMastery Map Pack: Countryside PDF
GameMastery Map Pack: Dungeon Chambers PDF
GameMastery Flip-Mat: Tavern PDF
GameMastery Flip-Mat: Woodlands PDF

Note that, because this is a test, the GameMastery Map subscription benefits are not changing at this time. As a GameMastery Maps subscriber, you'll continue to get 20% off the MSRP of each month’s map product, any previously released Flip-Mat or Map Pack (excluding backorders) at 15% off the cover price. The PDFs are not currently part of the subscription offer, and must be purchased separately.

After this test period, we'll revisit our plans regarding future GameMastery Map PDFs, and keep subscribers updated.

Please feel free to give us your thoughts on the matter on our messageboards.

Thanks for your continued support of the GameMastery line!

—Paizo Publishing

I received this email a couple of days ago but just got around to reading it today. I don't know about you, but I am very excited by this market test and hope the community jumps in to support it.

A few years back, Erik spoke publicly about the future of pen & paper RPGs in the 21st century. He discussed the fact that more and more, P&P games would be supported by digital tools. Supported by; not replaced by. Along with other initiatives, like PDF books and HeroLab support, this test is part of Paizo's emerging leadership in the digital support arena.

Not sure how PDFs of flip-mats and map packs can help you? Read on.


  • GMs can now carry more resources (digitally) than they can with paper maps. More resources on hand mean more options for play. I carry the entire PFS library and all of my PFRPG books on my iPad ... whenever I go out to run games. This means I can make a table just about anywhere.
  • These maps can be used with digital tabletops like Infrno and d20PRO to promote more online play, which not only builds a larger community but further interconnects the community.
  • iPads (and other tablets) provide a near perfect form factor for displaying Map Packs. And, as tech progresses, we'll see tabletop touch PCs emerge at reasonable price points, which should further extend the market for PDF maps and, eventually, digital minis/pogs as well.

There is only upside to the consumer for this product line. The only potential downside is for the publisher ... if the community resorts to piracy. Let's not let that happen.

Paizo ... thanks for leading the way

Doug Daulton

The Exchange 1/5

Apparently, some folks are wondering who I slept with at Paizo to be rated a 5-Star GM. ;) Truth be told, it was Jason Bulmahn.

Why else would I ask him to attend NeonCon. It couldn't be the fact that he is the lead designer of the game we all love! It has to be that manly goatee, his love of beer and his lederhosen!

In all seriousness, I think some of the questions/critiques raised in this thread (sorry Twilight_Knight) are legitimate concerns for the future of PFS. So, as suggested by Liz, I've moved the discussion here.

As noted in the original message, my aim here is not to defend my own contributions. Whether or not others judge them to be insufficient, I know I bleed Paizo purple and promote the game whenever and where ever I can. I don't need the community or Paizo to acknowledge or reward me to continue my support of Pathfinder and PFS OP.

Rather, my aim in rebutting the initial comments were as follows:

  • First, to simply ask that people get to know me (and gather some facts) before casting aspersions (cereal box 5-star GM) on me in public.
  • Second, and most important, to call attention the the fact that there are many ways one can be a incredibly valuable member of the PFS community, even if they cannot GM 100+ games a year.
  • Third, and I admit this is a bit of a pet peeve, but we are all grown ups here. Throwing darts at one another on the Internet is pointless and only serves to further divide a community that is already too small as it is.

Kyle/Thorn: Just so we are clear, I was not demanding that anyone respect me. I was only asking that people get to know me and what I may or may have not done before accusing me of getting something for nothing, which is what was happening earlier in this thread.

With that said, I think this conversation is a valuable one to have and, I am confident that Hyrum, Mark and the rest of the Paizo crew will take it seriously. If folks taking shots at me leads to a better PFS, I'll gladly wear the target any time.

Peace,

Doug

PS: Thanks, in advance, to Jason Bulmahn for being a good sport. While he is dashing, he is, in fact, not the Rutowski to my Vilk. ;)

PPS: Good on Crystal Fraiser for adding a grown-up sub-plot to Midnight Mauler. We are, after all, all adults here.

The Exchange 1/5

The good folks at RinCon asked us to help them put together a schedule for Pathfinder Society, but as of this moment, none of us can make it to Tuscon to run games. So, the schedule is in place, we just need GMs.

If you are interested and available to GM at RinCon, please contact drop a line to ... Gaming@RinConGames.com

And, to check out the rest of the show, visit ...

http://rincongames.com/gaming.php

Thanks,

Doug Daulton
Executive Director
NeonCon & CreativeU

The Exchange

James,

I am really looking forward to this book. I've read and enjoyed the work of almost ever author on the roster. And the "behind-the-scenes" approach is really compelling. My only comment is the fact that I am religiously trying to avoid dead-tree books. I'll make an exception in this case, but would love to see "BTWG" and other Planet Stories titles in Kindle, iBook or other ePub formats.

Thanks,

Doug

The Exchange

Fellow Paizonians,

I am proud to announce that Pen & Paper Gaming in the 21st Century, the 2009 GamesU Keynote address by Erik Mona, is now live on YouTube. Whether you missed it at the show or were not able to attend Neoncon/GamesU 2009, you can now watch the entire presentation here:

www.youtube.com/neoncon

In the months to come, we will publish one presentation a week, including one by none other than Paizo’s own Joshua J. Frost. All of this content is completely free.

If you like what you see, visit us on the web, follow us on Twitter and friend/fan us on FaceBook. Links to all of these resources can be found below.

I am looking forward to seeing many of you at PaizoCon 2010, GenCon 2010 or Neoncon 2010. Until, then have a great time at the table.

Warm Regards,

Doug Daulton
Executive Director
Neoncon/GamesU

WEB: www.neoncon.com
TWITTER: www.twitter.com/neoncon
FACEBOOK: Fan Us! :: Friend Us!

The Exchange 1/5

You are cordially invited to attend Neoncon 2009, which happens in just under a month at the Palace Station in Las Vegas, Nevade. Paizo has been a friend of the show since our rebirth as Neoncon in 2007. This year, we are proud to welcome Erik Mona and Joshua J. Frost to Neoncon and GamesU, our game design unconference. Erik is our keynote speaker and Joshua will be discussing the value of Organized Play in game design.

In addition to GamesU, Paizo/Pathfinder fans are running PaizoCon SW, a southwest regional PaizoCon within Neoncon. As always, Paizo is providing excellent prize support. Here is a current list of PaizoCon SW events:

  • Erik Mona playtests a future Pathfinder adventure at the show.
  • A full slate of Pathfinder Society scenarios, including the latest and greatest releases from Paizo.
  • Joshua J. Frost runs some of the Pathfinder Society scenarios he has written.
  • Cove of Secrets, a one round Pathfinder Society interactive event. Set in Katapesh, Cove of Secrets[/b] requires both investigative and combat skills to succeed.
  • Neoncon is also introducing two brand new events ... Adamantine Author and Death Dungeon ... which both use the Pathfinder RPG ruleset.
If you are interested in running a special PaizoCon event, use the events link below to submit your idea.

Because Paizo has been such a staunch supporter of the show over the past three years, we are extending a 10% pre-registration discount for everyone on these boards. Just use PAIZO as your promo code at check out and take an additional 10% off of your badge, your room and event meals & drinks.

Want to come into the show for free? Run four slots of Pathfinder Society and we'll give you a free badge. And, if you can pull together three other Pathfinder GMs willing share a room and run 4 slots each, we'll sweeten the deal with three free room nights for your crew. Email events@neoncon.com to take advantage of this offer. But act soon ... once our Pathfinder Society slots are fully-covered, the deal closes.

Finally, we are giving away two free badges and three room nights to one of our fans. To enter, simply friend us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter. Do both and you'll have two chances to win. On October 21st, we will select one of our Facebook or Twitter fans to win the prize.

For details on everything noted above, please see the links listed at the bottom of this post.

See you in November!

Doug Daulton
Executive Director
Neoncon 2009

LINKS:
--------------------------------
GamesU: www.neoncon.com/gamesu/speakers
Pathfinder Society Events: www.neoncon.com/play/110-pathfinder-society
PaizoCon Events: www.neoncon.com/play/submit-a-game
Register: www.neoncon.com/register

The Exchange

Folks,

I am happy to announce that we are extending a 10% discount to members of the Paizo Boards for what we are calling PaizoCon Southwest at Neoncon 2009. You can get all of the details here:

http://www.neoncon.com/promos/paizo2009/

Feel free to pass this info on to fellow Paizonians! However, please do not post the link or promo code on any public boards, Twitter, etc. as we'd like to reserve this deal for members of the Paizo community.

Thanks,

Doug Daulton
Executive Director
Neoncon 2009

The Exchange

This is an issue that comes up time and time again in my 3.5 game sessions. To me and most of the folks I've discussed it with, Intimidate should not only be based on CHA. Perhaps, dependent on race or class, STR is more appropriate.

Case in point, the typical have a half-orc barbarian is loaded for bear with lots of points place in STR. However, he has a very low CHA because (a) it does not fit the character concept and (b) half-orcs are at a -2 CHA. With this in mind, does it make sense that a diminutive gnome bard is more threatening and intimidating half-orc barbarian? No.

One can make the argument that the gnome bard is telling the opponent what his friend, the unwashed brute of a half-orc with the greataxe, will do to him if he does not capitulate; but it still does not ring true.

In the A-Team, if Face is not present, isn't B.A. Barracus (Mr. T.) still pretty damn intimidating? Can't he get people to do what he wants without Face? I think so. ;)

So perhaps in PF-RPG, certain races (half-orc & dwarf) and certain classes (barbarian, fighter & maybe ranger) can use STR as their base Intimdate attribute/modifier instead of CHA.

Now, I know this opens up a whole can of worms for race/class-based alternative base attributes for skill modifiers. But, as long as we are trying to fix 3.5, peharps this is one place to tweak?

Thanks for you consideration, comments and even flames. :) Most importantly, thanks for putting up with a 1980s pop-culture reference!

Doug

The Exchange

Jason,

We just bumped into one of the thorny issues with 3.5 grapple while running Chapter 4 of Red Hand of Doom. Looking at Alpha 3, I do not see the issue addressed, so I thought I'd kick it out for discussion.

First, let me set the stage.

The party encounters a Huge Red Dragon. The L10 gnome druid antagonizes is by casting Binding Winds, which momentarily holds the dragon in place. The gnome fails a subsequent concentration check and Binding Winds drops. Having pissed off the dragon, it turns it's full attention on the gnome. On his next pass, he successfully bites and grapples the gnome; pulling him into his square/mouth.

This is where things break down. According to 3.5 rules, the dragon is now flat-footed to anyone not in the grapple, no longer threatens others for AoO and cannot do anything but maintain the grapple or go for the pin. Any other action breaks the grapple.

The D20 SRD wrote:

Grappling Consequences

While you’re grappling, your ability to attack others and defend yourself is limited.

No Threatened Squares

You don’t threaten any squares while grappling.

No Dexterity Bonus

You lose your Dexterity bonus to AC (if you have one) against opponents you aren’t grappling. (You can still use it against opponents you are grappling.)

No Movement

You can’t move normally while grappling. You may, however, make an opposed grapple check to move while grappling.

If You’re Grappling

<snip>

Attack Your Opponent

You can make an attack with an unarmed strike, natural weapon, or light weapon against another character you are grappling. You take a -4 penalty on such attacks.

You can’t attack with two weapons while grappling, even if both are light weapons.

This is a Huge creature holding a Small creature in it's mouth; which with big pointy teeth effectively forms a jail. ;) And, this does not take into account the fact that the dragon could just swallow or breath. Once grappled, keeping the gnome in his mouth is trivial. There is no way for the gnome to overcome his grapple check. As a druid, he cold have wild shaped into a tiny bird and flown out, but he did not think of that. :)

The druid made a concentration check and threw up Binding Winds again. The dragon failed the save and was effectively stuck in place to await the enlarged, charging, leaping, raging barbarian death machine behind him. Binding Winds aside, the dragon could not have moved (taken flight) effectively anyway while maintaining his grapple. In the end, the Barbarian dispatched the dragon with two timely critical hits that were unchallenged because, due to the grapple rules, the dragon could not take an AoO as he came in.

I don't begrudge the player his crits; was the saying goes, "crit happens". ;) But, the broken grapple rules set the table for making a major boss fight very, very anti-climactic.

One way to address the problem is with a feat specific to huge creature. Improved Grapple does not do the trick, as all it does is negate the AoO. Maybe, something like ...

Doug Daulton wrote:

Trivial Grapple

Upon successfully grappling an opponent two or more sizes smaller than itself, this creature can use one appendage (hand, foot, mouth, etc.) to maintain the grapple and use their remaining attacks on other opponents. It can also move normally while maintaining this grapple. This creature may also take attacks of opportunity with any appendage not engaged in the grapple.

Trivial Grapple can only be applied to one creature at a time.

Then, authors and monster designers could apply the feat where it makes sense; dragons, giants, titans, tendriculous and so forth. Alternatively, this could simply be written into the PF-RPG grapple mechanic, but that might invite abuse.

In either case, I think this, or some more elegant solution to the problem, is important enough to be part of the PF-RPG core.

Thanks,

Doug Daulton

PS1: Preemptive apologies if this issue was previously raised and addressed. I did a cursory forum search and did not find it.

PS2: For experienced RHoD nit-pickers ... Yes. I advanced the dragon. :) The party was over APL and needed more of a challenge.

Lantern Lodge

Jason & Company,

Congrats on "fixing" 3.5E. While I am looking forward to the more cinematic play style of 4E, I really enjoy the 3.5 rule set (for the most part) and the Pathfinder setting (wholeheartedely).

At first glance, it looks like you've begun addressing most of the major problems with 3.5 as it stands. I like the way Races are shaping up. And, the reworked Rogue is sheer genius. I'll have to think about the base HP issue, but I think you are on the right track.

So far, I have only a couple of minor quibbles.

1) Feat Listings - This is not a publishing, not a mechanic issue. Please list the variant or advanced feats as follows:

Sunder
Sunder, Improved
Sunder, Super-Duper

rather than ...

Improved Sunder
Sunder
Super-Duper Sunder

It makes referencing this information easier if it is all together.

Actually, that is my only quibble for the moment. I'll give it a more thorough read and comment more down the road.

Doug