We don't get good gaming conventions -- at all -- in Vegas. We get every other kind of convention it seems, but not gaming. It really is a bummer. I really wish they'd do a GENCON - WEST or something like that. Or better yet, GENCON - VEGAS! We have more than adequate convention center space and plenty of lodging. I've even heard that San Diego Comic Con is considering switching to LV because their location is San Diego frankly sucks and isn't nearly big enough.
*crosses fingers*
Hi Zedth,
You might be interested in Meeplecon here in Vegas. Though they are focused on board games, they have expressed interest in volunteers willing to run table top role playing games.
I would say, "optimization rewards offense over defense." Optimization creates a game where PCs are required to one-shot opponents to stay relevant. In this kind of game, initiative and offense is 100%, and defense is irreverent. The GM can easily optimize monsters for similar offensive capability, however, frequently killing characters through rocket-tag is generally considered not fun by players, and is typically very disruptive to a campaign. The default for Pathfinder is that the GM is supposed to lose almost every battle, and optimization requires that lose to be immediate.
Since PCs and monsters have access to most of the same stuff, Pathfinder rules balance offense and defense fairly well, however it is fairly easy to disrupt this balance (within the rules) and encounter design and pacing can have a huge effect. Sadly, even many published adventures feature many single monster encounters or other recipes for disruption.
** spoiler omitted **
Experienced players will optimize the design of their characters to the typical design methodologies of scenario/module writers. In most combat encounters I read, the only creative attack most of the opponents can do is attack AC. Also, the number of opponents in an encounter are frequently less than the number of player characters. In other words, typical combat encounters have opponents who have little action economy and their most lethal attacks are against defenses that Player Characters can easily bolster against. If an opponent attempts to attack something other than AC, players take advantage of their action economy and overwhelm the opponent.
Seriously, when was the last time an experienced player picked the Elf race primarily because the player was afraid of being hit with the Sleep spell in combat?
So long as designers continue with the same combat encounter design methodology they've had for years, the optimization of offense over defense will continue.
Again, do you have data? Or are you just going by gut feel?
It's certainly possible. It seems judging by comments here that some areas have gone up and others are down, but I haven't seen enough to quantify it.
I've no way to prove it but we've got a dozen players in the last two months and have gone from 1 to 2 tables in our weekly games to 2-3.
Some areas will go up and some will go down I suspect in rural/lower pop areas it goes down and in city areas it goes up.
While we had the monthly Vegas Game Day, PFS play was consistent in Las Vegas, which I would consider a 'city area'. For Vegas Game Day, we consistently had 3-4 tables of PFS play. After Vegas Game Day closed its doors in December 2013 (one year ago), PFS play pretty much dried up. I agree that various posters have reported ups and downs in PFS participation, and I don't dispute the campaign coordinator's assertion that PFS play is up overall. However, I can't help but notice a dramatic increase in PFS play on the international level based on the posts of various Venture Captains outside of the United States.
So there is overall growth, but the next question is this: is there dropping participation in the United States? If there is dropping participation in the United States, and there is increasing participation outside of the United States, then what is the difference?
The rules bloat is a big issue. A few years ago I knew just about every character variation and rule, and now I can't keep up, there is simply to much out there so i simply have to trust the players that they got it right.
Word.
In other threads on this topic (and there are lots; clearly this is something people think about, one way or the other), "trust the players" is generally offered as the solution. And it is. However, even if you advocate that solution, you have to admit that it is different from how it used to be. Yes, even the Core Rulebook is massive, and it takes some level of obsessiveness to get a handle on all of it, but somebody potentially could do that. Now, it's going to be rare GM who really has a handle on all the possible player classes that could sit down at his table. (ACG followed rapidly by Occult Adventures playtest was a giant spike of this all at once.)
I hate to think about new GMs coming to Pathfinder now, and seeing the large number of RPG-line books on the shelf. Again, the Core Rulebook is intimidating enough, but now that there are so many books, it would probably seem prohibitive. I would probably hesitate myself before buying into this system, looking at it from the outside. In reality, yes, you can get by just knowing Core, especially as a player, but the perception of the system based on just how many rules are out there makes the whole thing seem a bit overwhelming now.
Which makes me wonder about the "growth" of PFS world-wide in different countries with different languages. Do those other countries have all of the bloat in their own language? If not, that would explain why they are gaining traction: they don't have to deal with the initial sticker shock of bloat.
Sigh! There you go again... treating me seriously.
Nah, I knew you weren't truly serious, and that Paizo has no desire to split the player base with multiple rules systems. Although I'd seriously play such a thing.
There. All the extra 'stuff' is trimmed off. PFS stays the same with the 1000+ options. BBBPFS could have conversion rules for converting PFS Scenarios to BBB style (remember the conversion rules from 3.5 to Pathfinder?). This could apply for Seasons 0, 1, 2, whatever. Now newbie GMs and Players can just start with an established minimalist rule set, and they can advance to join with the big kids later if they so choose. The big kids get to keep their ever-expanding 'stuff', and the new kids get to have their PFS without the extra 'stuff'.
And then the faction system can change AGAIN.
I like it! Though surely factions would be left out entirely?
Sigh! There you go again... treating me seriously.
There. All the extra 'stuff' is trimmed off. PFS stays the same with the 1000+ options. BBBPFS could have conversion rules for converting PFS Scenarios to BBB style (remember the conversion rules from 3.5 to Pathfinder?). This could apply for Seasons 0, 1, 2, whatever. Now newbie GMs and Players can just start with an established minimalist rule set, and they can advance to join with the big kids later if they so choose. The big kids get to keep their ever-expanding 'stuff', and the new kids get to have their PFS without the extra 'stuff'.
I'm going to be the dissenting voice here. I'm waiting for someone to just say 'Screw it' to this Gordian knot of a mess of PFS and then say 'Let's start over... from the ground up'.
I wouldn't expect that unless/until there is an edition change. Just my opinion. of course.
I'm going to be the dissenting voice here. I'm waiting for someone to just say 'Screw it' to this Gordian knot of a mess of PFS and then say 'Let's start over... from the ground up'.
Hello. I'm considering running Iron Gods, and I'm currently running Rise of the Runelords. A problem in my game is that the players are simply over-matching the content. The enemies can sometimes damage them, and even be lethal, but the players destroy everything they come across very quickly.
I'm hoping to see longer fights, where something other than "do the most damage possible, as fast as possible" is a viable strategy. Where buffs and debuffs mid-fight matter. With Iron Gods, I can't imagine disallowing Gunslingers (because of laser pistols and the like), but those touch attacks are too good. And ignoring gunslingers, other classes also have combinations for huge amounts of damage.
What can I do as GM to prevent the 1-3 round boss fights? Or is Pathfinder simply this way?
To provide some context, in RotRL I allowed the players 20 points for point buy (I didn't know it was supposed to be 15 points, and while this would make a difference, I think it wouldn't make a huge difference). I also allowed magic item crafting. I give significant downtime between chapters, but otherwise limit them a fair bit. The players are a gunslinger who ignores AC (touch attacks, a paladin who ignores DR (smite evil), a wizard who ignores surprise and always uses mirror image, and a shapechanging oracle who's new to the campaign.
The average DPR (damage per round) of each player is about 60 when they full attack or cast damage spells.
Hi there. 20 point buy actually makes a big difference, because that means that the CR for the encounter will be incorrect, which is one reason why the PCs are easily overcoming the challenges in RotRL. If the players are cool with scaling back to 15 point buy, then the CRs will get back in line. Otherwise, you can re-construct the encounters using the rough rule of the thumb of +1 CR for every 5 points over 15. In your case, you would need to increase the CR of the combat encounters by 1.
The other reason the party is easily overcoming the challenges is due to how combats are constructed in RotRL. Many of the combats feature 1-3 enemies, in which DPR is what matters most. The only way to fix that is by re-constructing the combats so that they're varied and feature different types of enemies and abilities.
If you're interested in re-constructing the combats, I wrote this article here:
http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2pph8?Combat-Encounter-Construction
We've got a solution coming to this that we discussed in a meeting last week. I'm not ready quite yet to reveal it, but I think a fair number of the player base and GMs will like it.
Generally, additional rules options don't add much for me personally -- other than unnecessary complexity. But I've (mostly) made peace with the fact that I'm in the minority in this regard. :)
You can try to contact your regional coordinator Ethan Cline. You can find his contact information on:
http://paizo.com/pathfinderSociety/about/regionalCoordinators
I also saw this post recently of another player looking to play Pathfinder. Maybe you can contact him?
http://www.meetup.com/Vegas-Game-Day/messages/boards/thread/46914882
There are games for PFS here in Las Vegas:
http://paizo.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/Store.woa/wa/findEvents?radius=50&p ostalCode=89032&findEvents=Search&WOSubmitAction=findEvents
That page also includes the contact information for the Las Vegas Venture-Captain, Chris Clay.
The next Vegas Game Day is October 19 and you can register for a seat here:
https://www.warhorn.net/events/vegas-game-day/schedule/2013/10/19
You can also check for PFS online games here:
http://paizo.com/pathfinderSociety/events
The games are listed at the top. One of the items, "Marty's Online PFS Games", is run by Marty Weil, a Las Vegas resident.
I can be contacted at:
Snowfrost571 AT yahoo DOT com
@Rerednaw, I'm sorry about the mess. You're right: a personal issue came up for Chris that he had to handle. You should have the scenario in your downloads by now.
******* GENTLE REMINDER *******
We have moved to Warhorn Version 2! If you have not already done so, please create an account on the new warhorn site and then register for Vegas Game Day.
https://warhorn.net/events/vegas-game-day
*******************************
On September 21 we will be hosting the Vegas Game Day at the /usr/lib Tech Library on the second floor of The Beat cafe. Whether you're interested in learning a new game or meeting new gamers, this is the place to be. There will be table-top role-playing games and board games.
We are all guests for this event thanks to the kindness of The Beat cafe and Work In Progress. Please do not bring outside food to the event; The Beat has a great selection of food to offer, and there are plenty of places to eat within easy walking distance. Those who bring in outside food may be asked to leave. For people visiting for the first time, you can ask The Beat staff for directions to the stairs that lead to the usr/lib Tech Library.
To reserve your seat for a particular game, please go to:
https://warhorn.net/events/vegas-game-day
At 9 AM I will open the doors for the meeting area (one hour before gaming officially begins) to prep for the game day. If anyone would like to volunteer, I will need help moving tables, folding fliers, and posting events on the board. It's also a good time to get to know one another and ask questions of the upcoming games.
At 10 AM we kick off with gaming! Marshall Nix will be hosting the D&D Next Playtest. Help participate in the playtest and give your opinion of the latest iteration of the popular Dungeons and Dragons line.
http://dndplaytest.wizards.com/
Jerry Grayson will be hosting "Heads on the Door" using the Atlantis: The Second Age ruleset. The heroes are sent to the frozen wastes of hyperborean to deliver supplies and to escort prisoners back to the empire. What they find at the far flung fort is horrific and grisly. Stalking the waste among the feral northern tribes is something primordial and hungry.
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1269000670/atlantis-the-second-age-rpg? ref=card
Jeremy Olson will be hosting Shadowrun Missions 04-12 Showcase. The players are lined up. The goals are clear. The waiting is over. The ultimate rush is beginning, and it’s going to pull a lot of dangerous elements closer and closer together until they explode. The shadows of Seattle have been heaved this way and that in the Great Seattle Artifact Rush, and a fair number of artifacts have been collected (in exchange for a handful of deaths and a helping of destruction). The powers of the magical world have been alerted, and they ready to get their hands on as many artifacts as possible. This means shadowruns, which means plenty of runners are about to be caught up in one of the worst mana-based drek-storms to hit the city in a long while. What starts as an investigation into a museum heist rapidly grows into a conflagration that could consume a good part of the sprawl. Clever players will need to see if they can survive, and how much nuyen they can wrangle out of the fight. Hopefully they'll get enough for a nice vacation or significant medical treatment, because chances are that they're going to need both.
http://www.shadowrun4.com/missions/
Marty Weil will be hosting the Pathfinder Society Scenario 02-11 The Penumbral Accords. The daughters of Absalom's mysterious Blakros family have long been among the most pursued maidens in the Inner Sea. Now the family's matriarch approaches the Pathfinder Society to help her break a centuries-old pact with the denizens of the Plane of Shadow to save her twin daughters from a life of servitude at the hands of the Onyx Alliance. Heading into the fan-favorite adventuring location of Blakros Museum, the PCs have only a short amount of time to break the Penumbral Accords and solidify the Pathfinder Society's ties to the powerful Blakroses. This is a Pathfinder Society Scenario designed for 1st to 5th level characters.
http://paizo.com/pathfinderSociety
Mike Ma will be hosting the Pathfinder Society Scenario 05-01 The Glass River Rescue. A Pathfinder leading a diplomatic envoy from the dwarven holds of the Five Kings Mountains has gone missing, and the balance of power in a time of war hangs on her rescue. The Pathfinder Society's divinations indicate the agent was waylaid in the theocratic nation of Razmiran, when one of her escorted diplomats failed to pay a requested tithe. Now it falls to the party to enter Razmiran, locate the missing Pathfinder and the dwarven diplomats, and escape with their lives. This is a Pathfinder Society Scenario for characters of 1st to 5th level.
http://paizo.com/pathfinderSociety
At 2 PM we have a meal break. Please be back in time for the next slot!
Continuing with the 3 PM slot, Jerrod Gunning will be hosting "Flight of the Living Dead" using the Savage Worlds rule-set. Outbreak at 40,000 feet! A B Movie scenario for 1-6 mature players trying to survive a zombie outbreak on a 747 night flight from Chicago to Las Vegas. Pre-gens provided.
http://www.sincitysavages.org
Ethan Cline will be running the Pathfinder Society Scenario 03-23 The Goblinblood Dead. More than a decade has passed since the Goblinblood Wars left the nation of Isger in shambles, and the Pathfinder Society uses the many abandoned roads through the county's interior to smuggle valuable relics. But when a series of attacks on the Varisian caravans carrying the illicit cargo puts the route in jeopardy, it falls to the PCs to investigate and rid the region of the threat to the Society's operations. This is a Pathfinder Society Scenario designed for levels 1–5.
http://paizo.com/pathfinderSociety
Chris Clay will be running the Pathfinder Society Scenario 05-02 The Wardstone Patrol. All-out war has erupted on the long-contested border between the crusader nation of Mendev and the demon-infested Worldwound. With the magical defenses that once held the demons at bay failing, defense of the region now falls to small patrols of mobile soldiers to resupply, reinforce, and communicate between the border's many fortresses and outposts. With so much at stake, the Pathfinder Society has enlisted many of its agents to assist in the war effort, both to protect its own interests and to prevent the onrushing tide of demonic attackers from plunging the entire Inner Sea region into chaos. On one such wardstone patrol, however, the party may find itself facing an enemy of an entirely different nature. This is a Pathfinder Society Scenario for characters of 3rd to 7th level.
http://paizo.com/pathfinderSociety
At 7 PM, Chris Clay will begin closing down the room. Volunteers can help by picking up trash, moving the tables back into their original positions, and wiping down the whiteboards.
Please reserve your seat on Warhorn and plan on arriving fifteen minutes early! This allows our volunteers to start their games on time and provide the experience that they've worked so hard to create. To register, please visit:
https://warhorn.net/events/vegas-game-day
If anyone has questions, comments, or other feedback, I can be contacted at Snowfrost571 AT yahoo DOT com.
Finally, I would like to give a big thank you to all of our volunteers for making this event happen.
FAQ:
Q. What's Game Day like?
A. Brant Polkowski has reviewed the Game Days several times on his site, and the reviews describe a typical game day better than I can (Thank you Brant!). You can visit Brant's reviews at:
http://cravengames.com/category/battle-reports
FAQ:
Q. What about Comic Expo on September 28 & 29? Is there going to be any gaming going on there?
A. Yes, there will be gaming at the Comic Expo. Once I have a schedule, I will send another newsletter to our Meetup group.
On August 17 we will be hosting the Vegas Game Day at the /usr/lib Tech Library on the second floor of The Beat cafe. Whether you're interested in learning a new game or meeting new gamers, this is the place to be. There will be table-top role-playing games and board games.
We are all guests for this event thanks to the kindness of The Beat cafe and Work In Progress. Please do not bring outside food to the event; The Beat has a great selection of food to offer, and there are plenty of places to eat within easy walking distance. Those who bring in outside food may be asked to leave. For people visiting for the first time, you can ask The Beat staff for directions to the stairs that lead to the usr/lib Tech Library.
To reserve your seat for a particular game, please go to:
http://v1.warhorn.net/lasvegas/schedule/day.php?date=2013-08-17
At 9 AM I will open the doors for the meeting area (one hour before gaming officially begins) to prep for the game day. If anyone would like to volunteer, I will need help moving tables, folding fliers, and general cleaning. It's also a good time to get to know one another and ask questions of the upcoming games.
At 10 AM we kick off with gaming! Jeremy Olson will be hosting Shadowrun Missions 04-12 Showcase. The players are lined up. The goals are clear. The waiting is over. The ultimate rush is beginning, and it’s going to pull a lot of dangerous elements closer and closer together until they explode. The shadows of Seattle have been heaved this way and that in the Great Seattle Artifact Rush, and a fair number of artifacts have been collected (in exchange for a handful of deaths and a helping of destruction). The powers of the magical world have been alerted, and they ready to get their hands on as many artifacts as possible. This means shadowruns, which means plenty of runners are about to be caught up in one of the worst mana-based drek-storms to hit the city in a long while. What starts as an investigation into a museum heist rapidly grows into a conflagration that could consume a good part of the sprawl. Clever players will need to see if they can survive, and how much nuyen they can wrangle out of the fight. Hopefully they'll get enough for a nice vacation or significant medical treatment, because chances are that they're going to need both.
http://www.shadowrun4.com/missions/downloads/
Jerrod Gunning will be running Ugh World! (Savage Worlds). Players no use big words to play... players will take on the roles of prehistoric humans with limited vocabularies and resources. Pre-generated characters provided.
http://www.sincitysavages.org
Michael Ma will be hosting the Pathfinder Society Scenario 00-23 Tide of Morning. Venture-Captain Dennel Hamshanks sends you to convince an Andoren druid named Hemzel to allow the Pathfinder Society to study his recently discovered lorestone, a minor magical item that unlocks some of the mysteries of the ancient Andoren druid circles. When you arrive and find Hemzel murdered and the lorestone missing, you must race against time to recover the lorestone and stop Hemzel's murderers from using it against the druids of Andoran. This is a Pathfinder Society Scenario designed for levels 1–5.
http://paizo.com/pathfinderSociety
Ethan Cline will be hosting the Pathfinder Society Scenario 04-14 My Enemy's Enemy. Someone in the city of Magnimar is committing crimes and leaving evidence implicating the Pathfinder Society. It falls to the Pathfinders to get to the bottom of it, and what they find may signal the resurgence of an enemy thought long defeated. This is a Pathfinder Society Scenario designed for levels 3–7.
http://paizo.com/pathfinderSociety
At 2 PM we have a meal break. Please be back in time for the next slot!
Continuing with the 3 PM slot, Jerrod Gunning will be running Star Wars: Conclave at Kessel (Savage Worlds). Dark days lie ahead for the galaxy. The Repubilc has fallen. The Death Star nears completion in orbit over Despayre. Meanwhile, Darth Vader leads the 501st Legion in hunting and destroying Jedi wherever they may be found. In a desperate move to restore balance to the Force, Master Jedi Shadday Potkin establishes contact with other survivors of Order 66 and calls a conclave in an abandoned spice mine on Kessel. There, they will decide the future of the Jedi Order and the fate of the galaxy. It is rumored that Obi-Wan Kenobi will attend...
http://www.sincitysavages.org
Kihapiilani Akui will be hosting the Pathfinder Society Scenario 03-08 Among the Gods. The Pathfinder Society sends the PCs to the mountaintop mausoleum and monument known as Antios's Crown in search of a long-lost relic believed to be contained there, but all is not as it seems. Can the Pathfinders survive the denizens of the remote mountain complex and the sinister plot of a powerful cultists who plans revenge on the Society that has foiled their plans one too many times? This is a Pathfinder Society Scenario designed for Levels 3–7.
http://paizo.com/pathfinderSociety
Chris Clay will be hosting the Pathfinder Society Scenario 04-18 The Veteran's Vault. While many Pathfinders meet unfortunate fates in their ongoing explorations of the dangerous world of Golarion, some retire with decades' worth of treasure in their coffers, and their lives still intact. When one such Pathfinder approaches the Grand Lodge with the hidden location of her treasure vault, it falls upon a new generation of Pathfinders to retrieve from within a valuable keepsake. This is a Pathfinder Society Scenario designed for levels 1–5.
http://paizo.com/pathfinderSociety
At 7 PM, Chris Clay will begin closing down the room. Volunteers can help by picking up trash, moving the tables back into their original positions, and wiping down the whiteboards.
Please reserve your seat on Warhorn and plan on arriving fifteen minutes early! This allows our volunteers to start their games on time and provide the experience that they've worked so hard to create. To register, please visit:
http://v1.warhorn.net/lasvegas/schedule/day.php?date=2013-08-17
If anyone has questions, comments, or other feedback, I can be contacted at SnowFrost571 AT Yahoo DOT com. Further, Brant Polkowski has reviewed several Game Days, so if you want a general idea of what the game day is like, you can go to:
http://cravengames.com/tag/vegas-game-day
Finally, I would like to give a big thank you to all of our volunteers for making this event happen.
-Perry Snow
Vegas Game Day Organizer
Q. What about board games?
A. We will still have open tables for board games in each slot. If someone would like to volunteer and lead the board games section of Vegas Game Day, please let me know.
Q. What is the street address of the meetup?
A. Here it is:
Emergency Arts Bldg
520 Fremont Street
Las Vegas, NV 89101
When I perform a search for 'Vegas', I get all results including 'Vega'. If I exclude 'Vega' in the search, it also excludes 'Vegas'. Is there a way to search just for 'Vegas'?
Ixnay on the -eginner's Box bay. After coming to the realization that I can have just the reading material and still be able to GM a great game, I canceled my order.
Still gonna get some sweet dice, though.
Tyeal,
Welcome to Pathfinder! We have a Game Day once a month at the usr/lib Tech Library (second floor of the Beat Cafe on Fremont Street), so it isn't as far as Henderson. July 20 is our next date, and it looks to be a major one for Pathfinder Society:
http://warhorn.net/lasvegas/schedule/day.php?date=2013-07-20
I'll be sending you an email as well with my contact information.
On July 20 we will be hosting the Vegas Game Day at the /usr/lib Tech Library on the second floor of The Beat cafe. Whether you're interested in learning a new game or meeting new gamers, this is the place to be. There will be table-top role-playing games and board games.
We are all guests for this event thanks to the kindness of The Beat cafe and Work In Progress. Please do not bring outside food to the event; The Beat has a great selection of food to offer, and there are plenty of places to eat within easy walking distance. Those who bring in outside food may be asked to leave. For people visiting for the first time, you can ask The Beat staff for directions to the stairs that lead to the usr/lib Tech Library.
To reserve your seat for a particular game, please go to:
http://www.warhorn.net/lasvegas/schedule/day.php?date=2013-07-20
At 9 AM I will open the doors for the meeting area (one hour before gaming officially begins) to prep for the game day. If anyone would like to volunteer, I will need help moving tables, folding fliers, and general cleaning. It's also a good time to get to know one another and ask questions of the upcoming games.
At 10 AM we kick off with gaming! Jeremy Olson will be hosting Shadowrun Missions 04-12 Showcase. The players are lined up. The goals are clear. The waiting is over. The ultimate rush is beginning, and it’s going to pull a lot of dangerous elements closer and closer together until they explode. The shadows of Seattle have been heaved this way and that in the Great Seattle Artifact Rush, and a fair number of artifacts have been collected (in exchange for a handful of deaths and a helping of destruction). The powers of the magical world have been alerted, and they ready to get their hands on as many artifacts as possible. This means shadowruns, which means plenty of runners are about to be caught up in one of the worst mana-based drek-storms to hit the city in a long while. What starts as an investigation into a museum heist rapidly grows into a conflagration that could consume a good part of the sprawl. Clever players will need to see if they can survive, and how much nuyen they can wrangle out of the fight. Hopefully they'll get enough for a nice vacation or significant medical treatment, because chances are that they're going to need both.
http://www.shadowrun4.com/missions/downloads/
Jerrod Gunning will be running Super Pets Save the World (Savage Worlds). What do the adorable animals of the Fur Get Me Not Pet Shop do when the store closes for lunch? Use their Super Powers to save the world of course!! It’s the ‘Just Us League” with pet super heroes like Hamster Hulk, Super Puppy, Dash the Speedster Turtle, Wonder Kitty, and more!! An original “Savage Daddy” adventure for 1 – 6 players using Savage Junior (a demo of Savage Worlds lite for young children). (Pre-generated characters provided).
http://www.sincitysavages.org
Michael Ma will be hosting the Pathfinder Society Scenario 00-23 Tide of Morning. Venture-Captain Dennel Hamshanks sends you to convince an Andoren druid named Hemzel to allow the Pathfinder Society to study his recently discovered lorestone, a minor magical item that unlocks some of the mysteries of the ancient Andoren druid circles. When you arrive and find Hemzel murdered and the lorestone missing, you must race against time to recover the lorestone and stop Hemzel's murderers from using it against the druids of Andoran. This is a Pathfinder Society Scenario designed for levels 1–5.
http://paizo.com/pathfinderSociety
Kihapiilani Akui will be hosting the Pathfinder Society Scenario 04-21 Way of the Kirin. 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. This is a Pathfinder Society Scenario designed for levels 3–7.
http://paizo.com/pathfinderSociety
Ethan Cline will be hosting the Pathfinder Society Scenario 04-23 Rivalry's End. The Pathfinder Society's conflict with the Aspis Consortium in the frontier region of Varisia has come to a head, and the time to secure dominance of the ancient land is now. But despite mounting victories on the Society's part, the Aspis Consortium still has a few tricks up its sleeves, including several powerful agents from the Pathfinders' past who could prove too challenging an obstacle to surmount. Can the PCs end the ongoing struggle for control of the flow of ancient Thassilonian artifacts out of Varisia's ports, or will the Aspis Consortium succeed in keeping the Pathfinder Society ever in its shadow as it profits on the exploitation of the millennia? This is a Pathfinder Society Scenario designed for levels 3–7.
http://paizo.com/pathfinderSociety
At 2 PM we have a meal break. Please be back in time for the next slot!
Continuing with the 3 PM slot, Jerrod Gunning will be running The Tomb of Terrors (Savage Worlds). The town of Socanth has been fighting undead for days. A group of great heroes has gone off to destroy the necromancer responsible. But a band of younger adventurers learns of a trap and must battle the necromancer themselves— before he is able to complete his vile transformation in to a liche! A Fantasy adventure in the vein of Dungeons & Dragons for 1-6 players using the Savage Worlds core rule. Pre-generated characters provided.
http://www.sincitysavages.org
Marty Weil will be hosting the Pathfinder Society Scenario 03-05 Tide of Twilight. In researching a recently recovered druidic lorestone, the Pathfinder Society learns of a powerful artifact with the power to turn men into bestial abominations. Amid claims of increased werewolf activity in the region, the PCs travel into the heart of the Verduran Forest to retrieve the valuable relic from a cabal of evil druids believed to currently hold it. This is a Pathfinder Society Scenario designed for levels 1–5.
http://paizo.com/pathfinderSociety
Ed DeAngelis will be hosting the Pathfinder Society Scenario 04-21 Way of the Kirin. 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. This is a Pathfinder Society Scenario designed for levels 3–7.
http://paizo.com/pathfinderSociety
Chris Clay will be hosting the Pathfinder Society Scenario 04-23 Rivalry's End. The Pathfinder Society's conflict with the Aspis Consortium in the frontier region of Varisia has come to a head, and the time to secure dominance of the ancient land is now. But despite mounting victories on the Society's part, the Aspis Consortium still has a few tricks up its sleeves, including several powerful agents from the Pathfinders' past who could prove too challenging an obstacle to surmount. Can the PCs end the ongoing struggle for control of the flow of ancient Thassilonian artifacts out of Varisia's ports, or will the Aspis Consortium succeed in keeping the Pathfinder Society ever in its shadow as it profits on the exploitation of the millennia? This is a Pathfinder Society Scenario designed for levels 3–7.
http://paizo.com/pathfinderSociety
At 7 PM, Chris Clay will begin closing down the room. Volunteers can help by picking up trash, moving the tables back into their original positions, and wiping down the whiteboards.
Please reserve your seat on Warhorn and plan on arriving fifteen minutes early! This allows our volunteers to start their games on time and provide the experience that they've worked so hard to create. To register, please visit:
http://www.warhorn.net/lasvegas/schedule/day.php?date=2013-07-20
If anyone has questions, comments, or other feedback, I can be contacted at SnowFrost571 AT Yahoo DOT com. Further, Brant Polkowski has reviewed several Game Days, so if you want a general idea of what the game day is like, you can go to:
http://cravengames.com/tag/vegas-game-day
Finally, I would like to give a big thank you to all of our volunteers for making this event happen.
-Perry Snow
Vegas Game Day Organizer
Q. What about board games?
A. We will still have open tables for board games in each slot. If someone would like to volunteer and lead the board games section of Vegas Game Day, please let me know.
Q. I really want to participate in the ending scenarios of Rivalry's End and Way of the Kirin, but my character level is too low.
A. Keep checking the events calendar at Paizo:
http://paizo.com/pathfinderSociety/events
So far Marty Weil has this on the schedule:
July 13 - Feast of Ravenmoor @ Little Shop of Magic. This is a Tier 2 module, and if successfully completed the reward is up to 3 XP.
For Little Shop of Magic, their sign ups are at:
http://shopofmagic.com in their Events area.
Say what? I moved my game from the 6th to the 13th because I am going to be out of town at PaizoCon that weekend.
Just checked Little Shop's event calendar, and the PFS event on the 6th is not there. Rob's non-PFS ongoing game is listed, but that one isn't me. I specifically used the event from the 6th and just changed the date for it in their calendar, so it would no longer exist on the 6th at all.
Maybe your browser is working on an old cached version for the 6th? It used to be there, before I moved it because I am going ot be out of town that weekend...
Edit: Found what you meant, updated my event here on the Paizo site. Sorry for the confusion.
No problem! I'm glad we got it cleared up before I sent out the newsletter. So I'll list Feast of Ravenmoor for July 13.
@Perry: You forgot to include Las Vegas in the title. ;)
Also, I wish it were even that easy to do. My Shattered Star group is, yet again, looking for at least one more player. Someday, we'll finish the first book.
And the only one I have heard back from on my 7/13 game is Mike M.
Didn't you say something about publicizing our other games in order to facilitate the run-up to Game Day? That's why I am planning on running Feast of Ravenmoor, since it is open to 2nd level PCs...
I plan on publicizing later this week by sending a newsletter out on the Meetup site, posting here on the PFS forums, posting on the Shadowrun forums, and posting on RPGNet. The reason for the delay is that I was waiting for feedback from the other PFS GMs. I see on the events that you've scheduled a July 6 game, so I will mention in the newsletter that there will be a July 6 game of The Enigma Vaults (3-5) or The Devil We Know, Part 1: Shipyard Rats (1-7), and also on July 13 the Feast of Ravenmoor.
2.) GO buy about 30 D20s at a local gaming store if you got one, or on ebay or something. Make an Excel spreadsheet and roll them 50 times each on paper. Try to use the same hand rolling method each time. Keep combat in your mind. Now hold on to the two with the highest average. Sounds crazy, but it's legit dude. I've got a yellow one with green speckles that really loves 20s, 18s, 15s, 11s, and 10s. The average for it on 12...
Game Science makes dice that approximate true randomness very well, since they're made like casino dice, with sharp edges and very controlled weight factors, but they're rather expensive, so most of the time, they're not worth the expense unless you're really paranoid, since you're using them in a friend's living room, not in a high stakes vegas table.
I have three sets of Game Science. When I GM a game and one of the players says I'm rolling 'hot', I swap out the set. If one of the players is rolling poor, I offer to swap out their set with Game Science (just for the session). This usually calms feelings down at the table.
If I were just GM'ing a home game it probably wouldn't matter as much. However, I organize a Game Day and I run/play games with different players all the time.
...And it's just coincidence that I live in Vegas.
For me it would have to be either have to be KQNG radio or FM 97! :) I live on Kauai, and those are our two major radio stations...
The only time that I have actually done an organized event for PFS was Paizocon 2012, and it was a blast! We just don't have the interest here to do more than one table and even then, I have a hard time filling that one!
Organizing play tables is a tough job; it's taken us years to get where we are right now, and this is our most ambitious game day to date. Keep plugging away!
I'm really excited to announce that our local player base has really stepped up to help run PSS 04-23 Rivalry's End and PSS 04-21 Way of the Kirin at our local Vegas Game Day on Saturday, July 20. We'll have both scenarios available in both morning and afternoon slots.
Directions and reservations are available:
http://www.warhorn.net/lasvegas
Contact information can be found here:
http://paizo.com/events/v5748mkg0aezl
On May 18 we will be hosting the Vegas Game Day at the /usr/lib Tech Library on the second floor of The Beat cafe. Whether you're interested in learning a new game or meeting new gamers, this is the place to be. There will be table-top role-playing games and board games.
We are all guests for this event thanks to the kindness of The Beat cafe. Please do not bring outside food to the event; The Beat has a great selection of food to offer, and there are plenty of places to eat within easy walking distance. Those who bring in outside food may be asked to leave. For people visiting for the first time, you can ask The Beat staff for directions to the stairs that lead to the usr/lib Tech Library.
To reserve your seat for a particular game, please go to:
http://www.warhorn.net/lasvegas/schedule/day.php?date=2013-05-18
At 9 AM I will open the doors for the meeting area (one hour before gaming officially begins) to prep for the game day. If anyone would like to volunteer, I will need help moving tables, folding fliers, and general cleaning. It's also a good time to get to know one another and ask questions of the upcoming games.
At 10 AM we kick off with gaming! Jerrod Gunning will be running "My Little Pony: Cupcake Justice" using the Savage Worlds rule-set. Disaster strikes the annual Cupcake Cotillion when Pinkie Pie’s prize winning cupcakes disappear. Princess Celestia is on her way to Ponyville to judge the Cupcake Completion. What’s a pony to do!?! It’s up to the Mane Six to solve the mystery and save the day from disaster.
http://sincitysavages.org/
Richard Blakely will be hosting Shadowrun Mission SRM 04-01 – Hiding in the Dark. When the law puts a bounty on a small time crime boss, it’s time to go collect a payday. The hunt leads down into the Ork Underground where the Tourist Highway is still trying to recover from a devastating fire just a couple short months ago. When your bounty turns out to be more than he seems, there’s a choice to be made. Turn him in, or help him out?
http://www.shadowrun4.com/missions/
Ethan Cline will be hosting the Pathfinder Society Scenario 03-07 Echoes of the Overwatched. When a Pathfinder agent working in the famed Blakros Museum in Absalom falls victim to a terrible, ancient evil, if falls to the PCs to hunt down the released terror before it can retrieve a relic of the mad astronomer Ralzeros the Overwatched. This is a scenario for character levels 1-5.
http://paizo.com/pathfinderSociety
Perry Snow will be hosting the Pathfinder Society Scenario 02-15 Written in Blood. When the Decemvirate sends the PCs to the Viking city of Trollheim in the frigid northern Lands of the Linnorm Kings to deliver a package to an allied scholar there, the Pathfinders soon find themselves unwelcome visitors. Forced to navigate the rugged, isolated city and interact with the standoffish natives, can they deliver their cargo to its target, or will they find themselves exiled from the city... or worse? This is a scenario for character levels 1-5.
http://paizo.com/pathfinderSociety
At 2 PM we have a meal break. Please be back in time for the next slot!
Continuing with the 3 PM slot, Jerrod Gunning comes back to host The Matrix: Piece of Mind using the Savage Worlds rule-set. The Nebuchadnezzar is dispatched to ascertain the fate of the hovercraft Ethos. They find the entire crew dead and the hovercraft’s captain still jacked-in, but missing inside the Matrix. This is a demo adventure of a Savage Worlds setting conversion for the Matrix for 1 – 5 players. Pregens (including Neo, Trinity, and Morpheus) will be provided.
http://sincitysavages.org/
Chris Clay will be running the Pathfinder Society Scenario 04-EX Day of the Demon. The Blakros family, long an ally of the Pathfinder Society, has come into possession of a manor house in the imperial nation of Cheliax, where a once prominent noble family was known to practice diabolism before the Age of Lost Omens. The Pathfinders' task is simple: clear the abandoned manor of any remaining threats before the Blakroses move in. Unfortunately, the estate hasn't sat empty as long as the Blakroses think it has, and its recent inhabitants were anything but the devil-worshipers who originally built the manor. This is a scenario for character levels 3-7.
http://paizo.com/pathfinderSociety
Adam Mickelson will be running the Pathfinder Society Scenario 02-17 Exiles of Winter. Following the trail of the insidious Shadow Lodge from Trollheim to the icebound city of Whitethrone in the witch-ruled nation of Irrisen, the PCs must locate the hidden lodge of their contact’s kidnapper. Can they get past the city’s defenses, infiltrate the Shadow Lodge headquarters and rescue the Pathfinder Society’s valuable ally, or will they—like so many before them—find their bones ground to make Baba Yaga’s bread? This is a scenario for character levels 1-5.
http://paizo.com/pathfinderSociety
At 7 PM, Chris Clay will begin closing down the room. Volunteers can help by picking up trash, moving the tables back into their original positions, and wiping down the whiteboards.
Please reserve your seat on Warhorn and plan on arriving fifteen minutes early! This allows our volunteers to start their games on time and provide the experience that they've worked so hard to create. To register, please visit:
http://www.warhorn.net/lasvegas/schedule/day.php?date=2013-05-18
If anyone has questions, comments, or other feedback, I can be contacted at SnowFrost571 AT Yahoo DOT com. Further, Brant Polkowski has reviewed several Game Days, so if you want a general idea of what the game day is like, you can go to:
http://cravengames.com/category/battle-reports
Finally, I would like to give a big thank you to all of our volunteers for making this event happen.
Is the Roc from Bestiary 1 a valid animal companion for a Druid in PFS? I assume it is, but it is entirely possible that I missed that section in the PFS Guide. Thanks!
For this APL 4 Scenario, a Half-Elf group allied with the local Goblin Tribe is attempting to reach a magical artifact before the PCs in a marshland. There is plenty of difficult terrain and small pools.
Combat Encounter 1: Horde
CR 5 for Four PCs
Goblin Warror Level 1 (CR 1/2) x6
Minimum Hit Points: 1d10 + 1 Favored Class = 2 HP
Weapon: Crossbow, Shortsword
Feat: Rapid Reload
Goblin Adept Level 1 (CR 1/2) x2
Minimum Hit Points: 1d6 + 1 Favored Class = 2 HP
Spells: Bless, Command
For Five or more PCs, add three more Goblin Warriors and one more Goblin Adept to increase the CR to CR 6
Combat Encounter 2: Infantry & Artillery
CR 5 for four PCs
Half-Elf Ranger Level 2 (Skill Focus: Intimidate) (CR 1) x2
Favored Enemy: Humanoid(Human)
Average Hit Dice
Half-Elf Cleric Level 2 (Gozreh, Skill Focus: Acrobatics) x2
Average Hit Dice
Domains: Weather, Plant
Spells: Doom, Entangle
For Five or more PCs, add one more Half-Elf Ranger and one more Half-Elf Cleric to increase the CR to CR 6
Combat Encounter 3: Solo
CR 6 for Four PCs
Gibbering Mouther with the Advanced Template (CR 6) x1
Maximum Hit Points: 4d8+36 = 68 HP
AC 24
For Six PCs, change the terrain from normal stonework to all muddy (difficult terrain) and add one Young Gibbering Mouther. This increases the CR to CR 8
Gibbering Mouther with the Young Template (CR 4) x1
Maximum Hit Points: 4d8+20 = 52 HP
AC 20
For this APL 2 Scenario, Halfling terrorists have obtained incriminating letters. The PCs mission is to supply something other than what the Halflings want. I designed the scenario to have three combat encounters.
Combat Encounter 1: Infantry and Artillery
CR 2 for Four PCs and because this particular encounter the PCs have surprise. (Surprise lowers the CR by 1)
Human Cleric Level 2 (CR 1) (Pharasma) x1
Since this is the commander, Max Hit Points: 2d8 + 2 Con Bonus + 2 favored class = 20 HP
Spells: Cause Fear
Halfling Adept Level 1 (CR 1/3) x3
Since this is Artillery, average Hit Points.
Spells: Cause Fear
For Five or more PCs, add three more Halfling Adepts to increase the CR to CR 3.
Combat Encounter 2: Solo
CR 3 for Four PCs
Owlbear with the Young Template applied (CR 3)
Max Hit Points: 5d10+10 = 60 HP
AC 16
For Five or more PCs, add another owlbear to increase the CR to CR 4
Owlbear with the Young Template applied and two reduced Hit Dice (CR 1)
Max Hit Points: 3d10+6 = 36 HP
Combat Encounter 3: Horde
CR 4 for Four PCs
Halfling Rogue Level 1 (CR 1/2) x4
Minimum Hit Points: 1d8 + 1 Con Bonus + 1 Favored Class = 3 HP
Feat: Blind-Fight
Halfling Bard Level 1 (CR 1/2) x2
Minimum Hit Points: 1d8 + 1 Con Bonus + 1 Favored Class = 3 HP
Spells: Obscuring Mist, Hideous Laughter
For Six PCs, add four more Halfling Rogues and two more Halfling Bards to increase the CR to CR 6.
For this APL 1 scenario, Varisian thieves had stolen a magical object. Unfortunately, their escape leads to nothing but trouble for everyone. Since this was an APL 1 scenario and I wanted the PC Party to delve into the world of Varisia, I made three encounters story/skill and only two as combat.
Combat Encounter 1: Infantry and Artillery
CR 2 for Four PCs
Human Rogue Level 1 (CR 1/2) x2
Average Hit Points
High Dex, Average Strength, Low Wisdom
Feats: Two-weapon Fighting
Gnome Sorcerer Level 1 (CR 1/2) (Fey Bloodline) x1
Average Hit Points
Spell: Sleep, Magic Missile
For Five or more PCs, add another Gnome Sorcerer to increase CR to CR 3
Combat Encounter 2: Solo
CR 3 for Four PCs
Giant Crab with the Large Template added (CR 3) x1
Max Hit Points 3d8+12 = 36 HP
AC 19
For Six PCs, add these two Crabs to increase CR to CR 5:
Crab with one reduced Hit Die and the Young Template added (CR 1) x2
Max Hit Points: 2d8 = 16 HP
AC 16
I developed this for a home campaign and decided to share with the community. I ran through these types of combat encounters and found them to be much more challenging, interesting, and fun than those I found in most products (you come across three goblin warriors wielding short swords... again!).
To construct a combat encounter, I broke down the (general) types of opponents that I wanted the party to face. The first key design decision was the manipulation of the hit point values.
• Infantry
Infantry units are the melee troops and they use their abilities to block their opponents from attacking the artillery. They have average hit points per hit die.
• Artillery
Artillery units are the ranged troops and they use their abilities to assist their allies and hinder their enemies. They have average hit points per hit die.
• Minion
Minions are similar to infantry and artillery, but they are typically so far below the level of a player character that a one-on-one match would be clearly uneven. In addition, minions have minimal hit points (e.g., one hit point per die, so a Zombie from the Bestiary would have 5 hit points (2d8+3)).
• Commander
Commanders are usually of a base class (e.g., Cleric) and always have full hit points (e.g, a 5th level cleric with 14 CON with +1 HP for favored class would have 55 HP (5d8+10+5)). If they are of a melee class, they take the forefront of battle while their troops flank or perform ranged attacks. If they are a support class, they use their abilities to assist their troops in attacking.
• Solo
Solo units are higher level than a player character, have full hit points, and are not a base class (e.g., the Cockatrice from the bestiary would have 50 HP (5d10)). They are typically a large monster with multiple attacks, auras, and/or reaction abilities.
• Extra
Extras accompany Solo units if the party is greater than four characters. They are similar to a Solo unit in that they have full hit points, but they are always below the level of a Solo unit. Sometimes the Extra is not a unit at all; it can be an added weather/terrain effect that either hinders the player characters or aids the Solo unit.
With these opponent types I developed the following opponent party types. The key design decision for these party types is that the opponent party should be able to hit at least one other defense besides AC (the exception is Solo encounters). For example, the Cockatrice can hit AC and force a PC to make a Fort Save. Another example is a Warrior with a Ranseur weapon and the Improved Disarm Feat who can attack AC to do damage or attack CMB to disarm a PC. PC Parties are very good at beefing up AC; there is no reason that an opponent party should exclusively focus on AC.
• Commander & Troops
This party consists of a commander with a mixture of infantry and artillery units. Some parties may only have a commander and infantry; others may have only a commander and artillery.
• Infantry & Artillery
This party consists of infantry and artillery with no commander.
• Horde
This party consists entirely of minion units. Though the minions are lower level than the player characters, their real strength lies in their numbers.
• Solo
This party consists of one Solo unit and possibly Extra units. If there are only four player characters, then it is just the Solo unit. If there are five or six players, then the solo unit is accompanied by one or two Extra units.
Which then lead me to the development of constructing appropriate opponent party compositions. I decided each session should be designed for four hours (yes, inspired by PFS), and that each session should be one mission. Each session would have two or three combat encounters and the rest of the encounters would be story/skill encounters. Players could expect to increase in level every three sessions (yes, inspired by PFS again). The scenarios would be for four to six PCs (If only three players show up, the fourth PC can be controlled by the GM). These calculations gave me the XP budget for each session.
I won't get too detailed in the math, but if someone finds it important I'll post it. Since the PCs would be generated with 15 pt buy, the CR system from the Core Rule Book needed no adjustment and was used as-is. I came up with the following (encounter refers to combat, skill, or story, so don't jump to the conclusion that there are five combat encounters in one scenario!):
APL 1 Scenario
CR 1/2 Encounter --> If 5+ players, increase to CR 1
CR 1 Encounter --> If 5+ Players, increase to CR 2
CR 2 Encounter --> If 5+ Players, increase to CR 3
CR 2 Encounter --> If 5+ Players, increase to CR 3
CR 3 Encounter --> If 6 Players, increase to CR 5
APL 2 Scenario
CR 1 Encounter --> If 5+ players, increase to CR 2
CR 2 Encounter --> If 5+ Players, increase to CR 3
CR 3 Encounter --> If 5+ Players, increase to CR 4
CR 3 Encounter --> If 5+ Players, increase to CR 4
CR 4 Encounter --> If 6 Players, increase to CR 6
APL 4 Scenario
CR 3 Encounter --> If 5+ players, increase to CR 4
CR 4 Encounter --> If 5+ Players, increase to CR 5
CR 5 Encounter --> If 5+ Players, increase to CR 6
CR 5 Encounter --> If 5+ Players, increase to CR 6
CR 6 Encounter --> If 6 Players, increase to CR 8
...and I'll follow up with examples.
-Perry Snow
edited: I modified the AC argument to include Solo encounters as the exception to the design
On April 20 we will be hosting the Vegas Game Day at the /usr/lib Tech Library on the second floor of The Beat cafe. Whether you're interested in learning a new game or meeting new gamers, this is the place to be.
We are all guests for this event thanks to the kindness of The Beat cafe. Please do not bring outside food to the event; The Beat has a great selection of food to offer, and there are plenty of places to eat within easy walking distance. Those who bring in outside food may be asked to leave.
To reserve your seat for a particular game, please go to:
http://www.warhorn.net/lasvegas/
At 9 AM I will open the doors for the meeting area (one hour before gaming officially begins) to prep for the game day. If anyone would like to volunteer, I will need help moving tables, folding fliers, and setting up equipment. It's also a good time to get to know one another and ask questions of the upcoming games.
At 10 AM we kick off with gaming! Jerrod Gunning will be running "My Little Pony: Call of Cutie-thulhu" using the Savage Worlds rule-set. Disaster strikes. Strange things are afoot in the Everfree Forrest and the Cutie Mark Crusaders are on the case! An original Savage Worlds adventure for 1 - 6 players set in the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic universe.
http://sincitysavages.org/
Richard Blakely will be hosting Shadowrun Mission SMH 2012-01: Free Taiwan. There’s stuff—good stuff, important stuff, stuff a lot of people want—that’s stuck. Sitting where it can’t do anyone a bit of good. Plans are hatching to get the goods moving and out into the world.
http://www.shadowrun4.com
Ethan Cline will be hosting the Pathfinder Society Scenario 04-11: The Disappeared. A powerful ally of the Pathfinder Society has disappeared, and no one but the Pathfinders even remembers that she ever existed. Can the PCs discover the fate of their missing associate, or will all memory of her be erased completely from history? This is a Pathfinder Society Scenario designed for levels 1–5.
http://paizo.com/pathfinderSociety
Perry Snow will be hosting the Pathfinder Society Scenario 00-13 The Prince of Augustana. When an old beggar reveals a wayfinder and tells a tale of demons and portals to another world beneath the streets of Augustana, Wallace summons you from Absalom to investigate the sewers to uncover the truth. This is a scenario for character levels 1-5.
http://paizo.com/pathfinderSociety
At 2 PM we have a meal break. Please be back in time for the next slot!
Continuing with the 3 PM slot, Kris Anderson will be hosting StarCraft: Antigan Revolt. In recent weeks several of the outlying towns of the Barony have been wiped out by a platoon of mysterious golden soldiers. The Warden has decided that the golden-clad soldiers must be stopped before the entire Barony of Horn falls.
http://starcraft.wikia.com/wiki/Alternity:_StarCraft_Edition
Jerrod Gunning comes back to host Firefly: Dead Man's Hand using the Savage Worlds rule-set. While completing a job on a back-water world, the captain bumps into an old war buddy with a plan to heist a secret poker tournament held by rich and powerful Alliance uppity-ups each year on Unification Day. A Savage Worlds adventure for 1 to 5 players set in the Firefly ‘Verse.
http://sincitysavages.org/
Chris Clay will be running the Pathfinder Society Scenario 01-43: The Pallid Plague. 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. This is a scenario for character levels 1-7.
http://paizo.com/pathfinderSociety
Adam Mickelson will be running the Pathfinder Society Scenario 03-06: Song of the Sea Witch. When an unlucky historian in Absalom uncovers an infernal book from distant Tian Xia, he unwittingly unleashes a terrible evil into the city. Only the book's holy counterpart can end the threat, and the Pathfinder Society has been called in to assist. This is a Pathfinder Society Scenario designed for levels 3–7.
http://paizo.com/pathfinderSociety
At 7 PM, Chris Clay will begin closing down the room. Volunteers can help by picking up trash, moving the tables back into their original positions, and wiping down the whiteboards.
Please reserve your seat on Warhorn and plan on arriving fifteen minutes early! This allows our volunteers to start their games on time and provide the experience that they've worked so hard to create. To register, please visit:
http://www.warhorn.net/lasvegas/
If anyone has questions, comments, or other feedback, I can be contacted at SnowFrost571 AT Yahoo DOT com.
Finally, I would like to give a big thank you to all of our volunteers for making this event happen.
Thanks for the responses. Trying to address the replies at once.
I am in Las Vegas.
I have contacted the regional coordinators via the list on the updated Society guide for Las Vegas and Henderson.
Neither have responded. I will try again though.
By certified I mean getting a society number.
I am subscriber on roll20.net, have teamspeak and ventrilo installed, and signed up for online play via warhorn. Last game was yesterday and the DMs did not show.
Still I am open to doing sessions online since it seems like a better option.
Rerednaw,
I am sorry to hear that the venture officers did not respond to you; I will bring that to the Venture Captain's attention.
I am the organizer for the local Game Day here in Las Vegas and we have PFS on a monthly basis. We have another event scheduled for April 20. The venture officers will be running a couple scenarios at the event. I will be running a PFS scenario as well.
The warhorn page is:
http://www.warhorn.net/lasvegas/
Our meetup site is:
http://www.meetup.com/Vegas-Game-Day/
I believe Marty is coming back to run PFS and the Shattered Star AP at Little Shop of Magic. You can message Marty via the meetup site.
If you would like to contact me offline, I can be reached at:
snowfrost571 AT yahoo DOT com
On March 16 we will be hosting the Vegas Game Day at the /usr/lib Tech Library on the second floor of The Beat cafe. Whether you're interested in learning a new game or meeting new gamers, this is the place to be. There will be table-top role-playing games and board games.
We are all guests for this event thanks to the kindness of The Beat cafe. Please do not bring outside food to the event; The Beat has a great selection of food to offer, and there are plenty of places to eat within easy walking distance. Those who bring in outside food may be asked to leave.
To reserve your seat for a particular game, please go to:
http://warhorn.net/lasvegas/
At 9 AM I will open the doors for the meeting area (one hour before gaming officially begins) to prep for the game day. If anyone would like to volunteer, I will need help moving tables, folding fliers, and posting events on the board. It's also a good time to get to know one another and ask questions of the upcoming games.
At 10 AM we kick off with gaming! Jerrod Gunning will be running "My Little Pony: A Dragon and Pony Show" using the Savage Worlds rule-set. A spell cast by Twilight during a sleepover at Golden Oaks Library goes horribly wrong; and it’s left up to Spike to fix it. An original Savage Worlds adventure set in the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic universe. Family friendly. 4-6 players. No experience necessary.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savage_Worlds
http://www.hasbro.com/mylittlepony/en_us/
http://sincitysavages.org/
Richard Blakely will be hosting Shadowrun Mission SMH 2012-01: Free Taiwan. There’s stuff—good stuff, important stuff, stuff a lot of people want—that’s stuck. Sitting where it can’t do anyone a bit of good. And to people who know how to make money from such things, the fact that the goods aren’t moving is incredibly upsetting. Upsetting enough to make even the most kind-hearted individuals want to punch a baby seal in the face. The goods aren’t going to sit there forever, though. Plans are hatching to get the goods moving and out into the world. This being the Sixth World, those plans involve twists, turns, and the kind of complications that keep shadowrunners on their toes. But if they’re brave and resourceful enough, they might be able to make some money off the cargo sitting on the good ship Free Taiwan.
http://www.shadowrun4.com/missions/
Ethan Cline will be hosting the Pathfinder Society Scenario 01-45 Delirium's Tangle. The Pathfinder Society owes Grandmaster Torch a favor and he's calling it in. It seems he misplaced Nuar Spiritskin, the famous minotaur prince of Absalom, and Torch needs you to find the prince before the city discovers that the minotaur is missing. He sends you deep beneath Absalom into a maddening maze of malign shapes, hideous creatures, and secrets that haven't seen the light of day for more than a thousand years. This is a scenario for character levels 1-5.
http://paizo.com/pathfinderSociety
Perry Snow will be hosting the Pathfinder Society Scenario 00-13 The Prince of Augustana. When an old beggar shows up filthy and injured on the doorstep of the Augustana Pathfinder Lodge in Andoran and demands to be recognized as Andoran's one true Emperor, Venture-Captain Wallace is inclined to chase him off. But when the old beggar reveals a wayfinder and tells a tale of demons and portals to another world beneath the streets of Augustana, Wallace summons you from Absalom to investigate. Will you make it through sewers, swarms, and sanctuaries to uncover the truth or will the dangers of the Augustana underworld consume you forever? This is a scenario for character levels 1-5.
http://paizo.com/pathfinderSociety
At 2 PM we have a meal break. Please be back in time for the next slot!
Continuing with the 3 PM slot, Kris Anderson will be hosting StarCraft: Antigan Revolt. There is much to worry about on Antiga Prime, but Baron Jemmas, Warden of Horn, has more on his mind than most. In recent weeks several of the outlying towns of his Barony have been wiped out by a platoon of mysterious golden soldiers. This force struck from nowhere and vanished without a trace when their deeds were done. Are these golden warriors a rogue unit from the Confederacy? A Kel-Morian splinter group? Or merely just a band of mercenaries looking to exploit the chaos of the guild wars? The Warden has decided that the golden-clad soldiers must be stopped before the entire Barony of Horn falls beneath their onslaught. The Antigans have lived under the rule of the Confederacy of Man for many decades. Perhaps this will be the crisis to ignite their full rebellion. As the turmoil boils over, agents from the Sons of Korhal will be dispatched to further enflame the Antigans’ ever growing intolerance of the Confederacy. And in so doing they may gain a powerful ally.
Jerrod Gunning comes back to host Savaged Thundarr the Barbarian using the Savage Worlds rule-set. The year: 1994. From out of space comes a runaway planet, hurtling between the Earth and the Moon, unleashing cosmic destruction! Man's civilization is cast in ruin! Two thousand years later, Earth is reborn... A strange new world rises from the old: a world of savagery, super science, and sorcery. But one man bursts his bonds to fight for justice! With his companions Ookla the Mok and Princess Ariel, he pits his strength, his courage, and his fabulous Sunsword against the forces of evil. He is Thundarr, the Barbarian! An original Savage Worlds cross-over adventure based on the 1980’s Saturday Morning television series. 4-6 players. No experience necessary.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thundarr_the_Barbarian
http://sincitysavages.org/
Chris Clay will be running the Pathfinder Society Scenario 04-07 Severing Ties. The Pathfinder Society has discovered a new Aspis Consortium base in the pirate city of Riddleport and sends a small team of agents to infiltrate the rival cell disguised as newly hired mercenaries from Magnimar. After proving their value to the Aspis Consortium by carrying out a number of tasks throughout the City of Cyphers, the Pathfinders can learn the location of one of the consortium's local allies and ensure that the support the Aspis Consortium is counting on from their friends won't come. This is a scenario for character levels 1-5.
http://paizo.com/pathfinderSociety
Adam Mickelson will be running the Pathfinder Society Scenario 04-03 The Golemworks Incident. When the Golemworks in Magnimar starts reporting some “problems” with their most recent batch of golems, the PCs are sent to investigate in the hope that the Pathfinder Society can get on good terms with the influential arcane organization. This is a scenario for character levels 5-9.
http://paizo.com/pathfinderSociety
At 7 PM, Chris Clay will begin closing down the room. Volunteers can help by picking up trash, moving the tables back into their original positions, and wiping down the whiteboards.
Please reserve your seat on Warhorn and plan on arriving fifteen minutes early! This allows our volunteers to start their games on time and provide the experience that they've worked so hard to create. To register, please visit:
http://warhorn.net/lasvegas/
If anyone has questions, comments, or other feedback, I can be contacted at SnowFrost571 AT Yahoo DOT com.
Finally, I would like to give a big thank you to all of our volunteers for making this event happen.
FAQ:
Q. Ack! What happened to board games?
A. I have reserved a table in both slots on Warhorn for board games; there is no specific board game scheduled for March. My regular roster of board game volunteers has moved on due to work and family, so I am interested in anyone who would like to host board games.
Q. I'd like to run a game! How do I do that?
If you'd like to reserve a table in March for your game, you can e-mail me and I can get you added to the schedule. You will need to e-mail me at least two weeks prior to the next Game Day; that way I can promote the game in the newsletter and provide promotional materials to interested parties. So, the deadline for reserving a table for the April 20 Game Day is April 5 (I send the newsletter out on April 6). Otherwise, any open tables are on a first-come, first-taken basis at the Game Day itself.
Q. What's Game Day like?
A. Brant Polkowski has reviewed the Game Days several times on his site, and the reviews describe a typical game day better than I can (Thank you Brant!). You can visit Brant's reviews at:
http://cravengames.com/category/battle-reports
On February 16 we will be hosting the Vegas Game Day at the /usr/lib Tech Library on the second floor of The Beat cafe. Whether you're interested in learning a new game or meeting new gamers, this is the place to be. There will be table-top role-playing games (e.g., PFS!) and board games.
We are all guests for this event thanks to the kindness of The Beat cafe. Please do not bring outside food to the event; The Beat has a great selection of food to offer, and there are plenty of places to eat within easy walking distance. Those who bring in outside food may be asked to leave.
To reserve your seat for a particular game, please go to:
http://warhorn.net/lasvegas/
At 9 AM I will open the doors for the meeting area (one hour before gaming officially begins) to prep for the game day. If anyone would like to volunteer, I will need help moving tables, folding fliers, and posting events on the board. It's also a good time to get to know one another and ask questions of the upcoming games.
At 10 AM we kick off with gaming! Jerrod Gunning will be running "My Little Pony: Daleks in Ponyville" using the Savage Worlds rule-set. The Doctor always comes to the rescue of humans, but what about ponies? An original Savage Worlds cross-over adventure for 1–6 players set in the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic universe.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savage_Worlds
http://www.hasbro.com/mylittlepony/en_us/
http://sincitysavages.org/
Jeremy Olson will be hosting Shadowrun Mission SRM 04-11 Election Day. When the campaigning is done, the debates are over, and the voters are heading out to cast their votes, it’s time for the final push. It’s Election Day in Seattle, and there’s plenty up for grabs, including the future of the Ork Underground. Whether Shadowrunners are being asked to start riots between voters or find an operative who is sitting on too many secrets, they’re going to have a busy day.
http://www.shadowrun4.com/missions/
Ethan Cline will be hosting the Pathfinder Society Scenario 01-47 The Darkest Vengeance. When a newly opened Ustalav Pathfinder Lodge goes silent, it's up to you to investigate and report back to the Society as to the source of the disappearance. The mystery deepens when you arrive and find the house silent but infiltrated by an old threat now in control of one of Ustalav's most powerful artifacts. This is a scenario for character levels 1-5.
http://paizo.com/pathfinderSociety
At 2 PM we have a meal break. Please be back in time for the next slot!
Continuing with the 3 PM slot, Jerrod Gunning comes back to host Hellas: A Cloak of Shadows using the Savage Worlds rule-set. After decades of warfare the Hellenic army has won its first victory against the Atlanteans — pushing them back into Zoran space. Half way across the galaxy, a Black Fleet Armada led by an Atlantean ship is spotted in Cretan space. Crete has been abandoned for centuries; what strategic importance could the region hold? The Heroes — accompanied by a small fleet of ships — are sent to investigate. This is a demo of a Savage Worlds conversion of the Hellas RPG. Pre-generated characters will be provided.
http://www.hellasrpg.com/
http://www.peginc.com/freebies/SWcore/TD06.pdf
http://sincitysavages.org/
Chris Clay will be running the Pathfinder Society Scenario 03-EX The Cyphermage Dilemma. In the shadow of the cyclopean Cyphergate that spans Riddleport's harbor, the PCs find themselves embroiled in a dangerous plot of deception that one could only find in Varisia's infamous pirate port. This is a scenario for character levels 1-5.
http://paizo.com/pathfinderSociety
Adam Mickelson will be running the Pathfinder Society Scenario 04-05 The Sanos Abduction. The Pathfinders are sent to the Sanos Forest in central Varisia to assist an agent researching the fey that inhabit the remote wood. But like many seemingly routine tasks in a Pathfinder's adventuring career, the simple support mission quickly turns into an adventure the PCs aren't soon to forget—presuming they survive. This is a scenario for character levels 3-7.
http://paizo.com/pathfinderSociety
At 7 PM, Chris Clay will begin closing down the room. Volunteers can help by picking up trash, moving the tables back into their original positions, and wiping down the whiteboards.
Please reserve your seat on Warhorn and plan on arriving fifteen minutes early! This allows our volunteers to start their games on time and provide the experience that they've worked so hard to create. To register, please visit:
http://warhorn.net/lasvegas/
If anyone has questions, comments, or other feedback, I can be contacted at SnowFrost571 AT Yahoo DOT com.
Finally, I would like to give a big thank you to all of our volunteers for making this event happen.
FAQ:
Q. What's Game Day like?
A. Brant Polkowski has reviewed the Game Days several times on his site, and the reviews describe a typical game day better than I can (Thank you Brant!). You can visit Brant's reviews at:
http://cravengames.com/category/battle-reports
3. A new player shows up at your table in a 7-11 scenario, as there wasn't room in any other game at the Con.
a) Turn him away. This is a game for L337 players only, and noobcakes are soooooooo not welcome. Go play My Little Pony RPG down the hall, lame sauce.
b) OUTSTANDING! He can be the first to die, as pregens don't really matter, right? Then the rest of the party can take his stuff, it'll be great.
c) Poor new player! Clearly they need to be treated with love....
For next month's Vegas Game Day, we will be having the My Little Pony RPG in both sessions alongside the PFS tables. Sign-ups are available on Warhorn:
http://warhorn.net/lasvegas/
All players will be treated with love, whether they are playing PFS or My Little Pony. Pregenerated characters will be available for both.
-Perry
Explosive Runes?:
No, we really do have a guy who will be running My Little Pony.
1. You are GMing a game and a player describes his character as wearing full plate painted white, complete with a face helm with breathing slots. He describes his favored weapon as a plasma blaster that makes pew pew noises (but it's actually just a composite longbow +1).
a) Nothing to see here! Move along.
b) Stand up and scream at the player to leave and never come back again. If he doesn't leave, snatch his character sheet and tear it into tiny pieces while laughing gleefully
c) All monsters in the scenario suddenly gain the "blaster immunity" special quality and make beeping noises
d) none of the above
A, but with droids
Nani Pratt wrote:
2. Your players run into a town market square and immediately decide to rough up all the little old ladies and hungry orphans.
a) The little old ladies and orphans probably deserved it. Besides, you'd never want to curb your players' creativity and play style, right?
b) All little old ladies are balors and hungry orphans are pit fiends who were just about to have the epic showdown of the century. And a bunch of mortals just decided to step in the way.
c) Now they've done it. This is clearly the vilest act imaginable, and these players are the worst scum of Pathfinder Society. All of them should be immediately reported dead, banned from Organized Play, and publicly shamed by name on the Paizo forums so no one else will ever play with them again.
d) none of the above
No hesitation: B
Nani Pratt wrote:
3. A new player shows up at your table in a 7-11 scenario, as there wasn't room in any other game at the Con.
a) Turn him away. This is a game for L337 players only, and noobcakes are soooooooo not welcome. Go play My Little Pony RPG down the hall, lame sauce.
b) OUTSTANDING! He can be the first to die, as pregens don't really matter, right? Then the rest of the party can take his stuff, it'll be great.
c) Poor new player! Clearly they need to be treated with love. Let's spend an hour lavishing attention on this new player, helping him create a custom character and spending every combat round ensuring that the new player can add up all the widdle dice.
d) none of the above.
Tough choice; if I had to choose between playing tier 7-11 game or My Little Pony, I'd pick My Little Pony. I've played the RPG and it is a TON of fun (I got to be Twilight Sparkle!). Thing is, Pathfinder is a team game where everyone needs to work together to overcome obstacles. The choice is B.
Daniel Luckett wrote:
4. A brand new doe eyed player has sat down at your table, and they're talking about how they love Bambi, and littlest pet shop, and how they made Kitsune Boons they got from their best friend who gave them one, and how they like being a fox person because they're so hot and sexy. The game begins, and behind your screen you've rolled certain death. Do you:
a) Let the dice stand, and kill them off. The Dice Gods have spoken.
b) Fudge the dice to a negative score that on average they should be able to stabilize with, or at least last long enough for a healer to get to them after combat.
c) It's certain death because you didn't even bother to look at what you rolled and just made it up. This way they get over being special and death early. Two birds with one stone.
d) Other (Please describe)
Another tough choice (kitsunes are AWESOME), but eventually I had to side with A. Messing with the Dice Gods is chancey.
Here's an idea for a slightly more survivable, IMO, archer-type. Wisdom dumping on a Fighter? Eek!
Someday I'll get your fighter to run away in fear! You were just lucky that one time...
-Evil GM
So, when are you planning on running Eyes of the Ten for Callarek, then?
If you need it, I can print them off to lend you....
Oh, and his Will save is only +9, +14 vs Fear...
Of course, once I am out of sight, I could just cast my Domain spell on myself and head on back...
I doubt that there are enough Level 12's in Las Vegas to pull off any of those scenarios. Hopefully we'll get another convention in town that's willing to have PFS tables.
The Las Vegas Comic Expo had PFS last September, so maybe this September they'll give everyone enough lead-in time to promote PFS. Let me know if you hear of any other conventions willing to have PFS.
And then... Callarek will know fear! Mwa-ha-ha-ha-ha!
The other great way that I know to encourage cleric-building is to emphasize the excellence that is the pantheon of Golarion and the associated domains. If a player becomes really excited about a deity, that player might also be more interested in playing a cleric — not because it's "taking one for the team," but because playing a cleric is fun.
I had fun with the "Gentle Rest" from the Repose Domain against a two-weapon fighter *snicker*.
Player death for 1st level newbies. I haven't killed a PC yet, but I have pulled punches. Some scenarios can easily kill 1st level pcs in one swing so I just put them at negt 1. Is this OK?
I feel your pain. Unfortunately, you have to follow the Core Rulebook when it comes to negative HP and death. Maybe one of the players will start playing a cleric.
FamilyMan wrote:
No one wants to run a cleric. I've come up with unique healing methods like pink paste that heals 1d6 but makes you glow neon pink. The more you use the brighter you glow. I do limit the amount to just under enough to heal everyone. How do I get someone to want to play a cleric?
I don't recall pink paste in the core assumption. Maybe a PF expert will be able to cite the page.
In PFS, you can't hand out free healing unless the scenario states otherwise ("you open a chest and find two healing potions"). If the players are in an urban setting, they can pay like everybody else for healing from a local temple. Anywhere else, the players can bring their own healing potions.
Clerics aren't the only source of healing; they're just really good at it. Druids can cast healing spells, use healing scrolls, and healing wands. I *think* the oracle can as well.... I'd have to check the PRD.
