I love this idea. I spend a lot of time running/coordinating games, so the idea of building my own character from a staggering number of books is just overwhelming. This makes it to where I can actually enjoy being a player again. :)
tl;dr? You need PDF/book/printout from PDF. You need printed chronicle sheets and printed character sheets but can use HL "in-play". Why? Spoiler: Page 5 of the Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play assumes that every player has Core Rulebook and the Guide. Nothing else is required to play in Pathfinder Society Organized Play, unless you want to utilize content from an Additional Resource (e.g. "Races of" splatbook etc.) If you want to use content from an Additional Resource, you must have a physical copy of the Additional Resource in question, a name-watermarked Paizo PDF of it, or a printout of the relevant pages from it, as well as a copy of the current version of the Additional Resources list. As I understand the HeroLab partnership, you are paying for somebody to program the content from the Additional Resource into a format HeroLab can manipulate. You are /not/ paying for the content itself. As I understand the Guide and the Core Assumption, you need to meet the requirements on page 5 of the guide to use the material. This means (to me anyway), the guide requires you to have a PDF, book or printout from your PDF. Not all GMs check and there's not always a VO around to make sure you're table legal, but you're not table legal without one of those three content sources. The guide doesn't require printed sheets, but everything is phrased in "physical" language on page 9-10. "Jot", "initial", "provide", etc. On VTT, I email a PDF. When I GM, I only accept printed copies.
You know the GM is out to get you when... ...he pauses, says "let me look something up", and starts digging out books.
I would probably suggest a riff on The Mind of Madness Quest from Skyrim (http://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/The_Mind_of_Madness) with a Night to Remember (http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:A_Night_To_Remember) and a little Christmas Carol thrown in. Cayden appears to the players and explains that there is a particular brewmaster who will revolutionize something or other. There's just one problem: the brewmaster is a young, stubborn noble who has no interest in the craft. The PCs have to try all manner of disguise self and appear as apparitions (maybe as ghosts in the library ala Ruddygore?) so that the noble is truly convinced it is destiny, not the intervention of the PCs. Worst, the PCs have to let the brewmaster (who is not an adventurer) blindly stumble along on a quest while playing "guardian angel", making sure all the clues are obvious and nobody interferes. First, there's the "find the secret recipe" task. Then it's "convince the noble to brew something". Then it's "get all the ingredients". Finally, the brewmaster brews it exactly according to Cayden's lost scriptures. Turns out it's just a really vile hangover cure, not even a good brew. The worst part? They had to conceal their involvement and don't even get any credit!
I'm with The Fox and Dorothy. In my real life job, you get one shot to make an objection and it's handled right then and there: If the judge agrees, good.
If you forget to object, you probably have a few seconds to object afterwards and get it stricken. After that, you're out of luck. Dorothy sums up how that should apply in PFS. :) GMs should be moderators and storytellers, not players for the other side. If you're fair and consistent, play the NPCs and monsters the way that they are written, and aim for telling a good story, people will respect your calls. There are stories with epic battles and everybody makes it, and some have heroic last stands.. I like to be surprised about which one I'm telling as much as the players do. :)
While I appreciate Riv's willingness to provide some privacy and anonymity in his reviews, I received an email from Mike Brock about this post and am certain that it involves games at Wizard's Asylum in Tulsa, Oklahoma with me as the “first” GM. The second GMs were Don and Lisa Richardson, both players in my weekly “home” PFS game. As such, I think it’s important to address some of the concerns that Riv has and discuss PFS in the Tulsa region. My hope is that it will serve as a “lessons learned” for other Pathfinder Society GMs and Venture-Captains. There are some “lessons learned” as a result of Riv's post. Here's some history: The Oklahoma-Tulsa region is divided into Tulsa, with several sizeable universities (each with one or two weekly PFS games with 6-7 people), and Stillwater, which has Oklahoma State University Main Campus and a huge PFS base (40-80 people weekly). Riv's comments focus mainly on one game store in Tulsa (http://paizo.com/paizo/about/retailers): Wizard’s Asylum. It’s owned and operated by a small father/son team and has daily “special events” such as MTG (Monday), Warhammer 40k (Tuesday), MTG Draft (Wednesday), D&D 4th Edition Encounters (Thursday), and Pokemon (Friday) that have prevented them from opening the shop up to PFS. (By comparison, Stillwater has a PFS-exclusive game store, Knight’s Arms, that has twice weekly PFS and a mini-con every 2d Saturday of the month.) After months of talking with the owner’s son, he finally agreed to talk his dad into hosting a Pathfinder Society night. My plan was pretty basic: have the one night as a GM 101, get a local GM cadre together, and then run them through a session of First Steps so they can see how to prepare for a session and do session sheets. The goal was to make sure that Wizard’s Asylum had a sustainable GM cadre (rather than depending on me to run a game every week). Rather than scheduling it, the store simply selected a date, advertised it, and called that afternoon to let me know that they had “two or three people” but were looking forward to better attendance “next time”. I assumed that the group would be prospective GMs (and packed accordingly) and thought a small turnout for a first time GM event would be okay. Lesson learned: You should always control your own sign-up and scheduling and make sure you make it clear that unless you confirm a date and time by email that it will not happen. When I arrived, I found that the three person group was a very enthusiastic group of first time players (Riv and his two friends) rather than prospective GMs. I was also told that we had three hours until the store closed. That presented some challenges: new PFS players, less than four players for a table, constrained time limit, having only scenario on hand (First Steps I: In Search of Lore) with no pre-drawn maps since I was planning to use Chris Perkin’s very excellent “map-fu” tutorial to demonstrate how to use Paizo blank flip mats. Rather than just send them home, I tried to make the best of it (in hindsight, I probably should have explained what happened and offered a "rain check" for a proper game). Lessons learned: If you’re going to use a location, check to make sure you have the room for the time you will need it. Make sure you have access to bathrooms and wi-fi if you’re going to do online reporting (or be prepared to bring your own wi-fi with a cell phone/hotspot). You should always have two “go to” scenarios prepped and with maps drawn that you can run cold anywhere. (Icebound Outpost and Temple of Empyreal Enlightenment are my new “go to” scenarios now). Riv’s account is a fairly accurate one. We finished in 2hr 45min for First Steps: In Service to Lore after we did the introductions and I will readily admit to it being a pretty “railroad” series of fetch quests. (Riv’s group seemed to enjoy the Varisian shopkeeper as much as I enjoyed playing him, so I’m glad there was at least one “highlight” there.) Lessons learned: Having good NPCs and throwing in some voice acting is appreciated far more than I expected. I would have never guessed that some throwaway NPC interaction would be the highlight of an otherwise dismal night. Some of the comments also demonstrate that having additional time to add roleplaying interactions can easily turn a fetch quest scenario into something memorable. Following that game, I spoke with the staff at Wizard’s Asylum and offered to try again to do another GM 101 night and build a local GM cadre the following month. I found out through local players (the GM and significant other) that a game was up on Facebook; they offered to help me cover it since I had a work conflict. Lessons learned: Have a backup GM on hand who can fill in for events if you’re conflicted out with schedules. Given my experiences with the game store setting dates and advertising them without having confirmed GMs, I’m not planning to schedule any more events with them; I’ve been spoiled working with the Stillwater store using Warhorn, having a local GM cadre, and making sure events are confirmed before they are announced. Riv and I agree on a very crucial point: “The game thrives in my local area due to the popularity of the base ruleset and the Adventure Paths with at least me and two other GM's running a different AP at the same time for various groups. The player base is quite large and varied, but Pathfinder Society continues to struggle here.” Based on his remarks and my experiences, I think the cooperation of game stores is the critical point. Stillwater has an amazing PFS experience because it has a game store willing to open its doors, support the product, and make sure it has consistent dates/times with confirmed GMs.
I’ve discussed all this with the owner and his son, and he makes a very valid point: he has to keep on staff for a game that is free, that doesn’t have products he can sell (all the PFS scenarios are purchased online or given to GMs through VC/VL by way of Mike Brock), and that he doesn’t have people to run games for him. There is very little incentive for him, as a game store owner with utility bills and personnel costs, to try to schedule nights that work for one GM and a handful of players when he has other games and product lines that make more money and demand less of him. I can’t help but respect his position; I doubt PFS will be successful at that shop. Rather than trying to force it to work, I’m open to going to nearly any public venue in the Tulsa metro instead. I have a standing offer to put on a GM 101, running GMs through scenarios, building a GM cadre, and offering workshops/classes in any aspect of GM prep. Stillwater has been a wonderful place to play in and I would love to see Tulsa take off the same way. Riv: I know it took a lot of interest in making PFS awesome to post this. If you know of a local player base that is looking to make PFS happen, I’m willing to meet them and start gaming with them. I also think you would really enjoy meeting the local GM crew; if you can’t make it for one of the Saturday game days at Knight’s Arms one of my Thursday games in Muskogee, PM me and I will personally buy you a gaming pass for Tokyo in Tulsa 2014 and guarantee you a player seat so we can meet up and share ideas. Other Oklahoma players: My email address is tulsapathfinder@gmail.com. If you know of a good place to play or people who want to host a game in Tulsa (or some of the metro like Broken Arrow, Jenks, etc.) email me, PM me or reply. I would love to have PFS be as successful in Tulsa as we’ve been in Stillwater and Muskogee. Other GMs/VCs/VLs: I really need your constructive criticism. Riv has shared his experience as a player and I’ve tried to give a look at some of the things I have dealt with in finding a venue. Tulsa PFS really NEEDS to get better and have a more active playerbase, and I’m open to any suggestion that you may have. Please re-read Riv's comments, look at my post, and help me with some brainstorming! If you have tips or tricks, this is the place for them.
Crthesis, First, welcome to the world of GMing! I don't want to discourage you from jumping right in, but I have found that the best place to start GMing is face-to-face. I usually urge new GMs to buy a beginner's box and run through it with real live people. It really helps to be able to look over the material together and learn from reactions, timing, etc. Second, I would watch the very excellent Chris Perkins videos when he runs D&D for the writers or Robot Chicken. It's on Youtube and very informative not for game mechanics, but for the concept of GM as storyteller. Next, I like to suggest the following (whether PbP, virtual tabletop or in person): I have a couple things that I like to do: 1) Read the scenario several times and print it off. 2) On an index card, make a list of key "points" that happen in the scenario so you can keep track of the plot. 3) Draw out your maps ahead of time. I have three blank Paizo flip mats and use wet erase markers to have my maps made. Chris Perkins has excellent articles on maps:
4) Go through the printed scenario and highlight your skill checks, traps, etc. I like to make notes of NPCS who are friendly in green highlighter and enemies in pink highlighter. 5) Print off all your monsters and NPCS. If your NPCs interact with the players, try to come up with a voice acting plan for them. It can be simple like: Surly dwarf, sounds like Captain Haddock from Tintin (etc.) 6) Print off all of your spells with a Spell Card Generator:
7) Print off all your feats and abilities that may be used. 8) Make sure you have all your pawns/minis/etc. I also like to have a small bag of Fantasy Flight tokens in various colors (green, gold, silver, red, blue) just in case I need to mark things unexpectedly. If you're using a virtual tabletop, do this with all your PNGs and GIFs and JPGs or whatever graphics you plan to use. Make a generic 1" colored square graphic for random stuff you didn't think to have a graphic for. 9) Read the scenario again to make sure you have everything you need. 10) Get your "kit" together. Make sure you have a stapler, 3-hole punch, some wet erase markers, pencils, etc. and have a session sheet and the chronicle sheet ready. 11) Make sure you posted the event, have the event number, and know your own GM number. Write all that down on the chronicle sheets. 12) Bring snacks. 13) GM! Finally, Jacob Savage usually has loads of games going on Roll20 and I GM for him fairly often. Hit up some of the other virtual tabletop GMs, ask them to run a game for you, to be your "GM wingman", and then play as a player. That way, you've seen it, done it with a safety net, then done it all on your own. PM me if I can be of further help -- good luck!
The Fox and Andreas are both right about the intro: Spoiler:
The bells atop the Temple of Erastil toll their midday song, echoing throughout the quiet town of Kassen. As the peals begin to fade, the first of the townsfolk make their way into the square, dressed in black, as if attending a funeral. They slowly fill the square, moving quietly across the cold, hard ground, their eyes downcast and mournful. After a few moments, a murmur passes through the crowd as it slowly parts to let Mayor Uptal through. He leads the way with a tarnished silver lantern. Behind him, an old pony drags a cart laden with backpacks and supplies. Once he reaches the center of the crowd, Mayor Uptal stops
There is a generic reference to heroes, and you're there. The only change is in the flavor text that only the GM sees: Spoiler:
This book assumes that this is the first adventure for all the PCs, and that they know this is their year to reclaim the fire from Kassen’s crypt. Each one should have some sort of tie to the town of Kassen and should be living in the town when the quest starts. The way I usually run it is as follows: Spoiler:
It has been several weeks since you have returned home after leaving for basic training with the Pathfinder Society and the promise of real adventure now awaits. You have heard rumors from some of the older cadets that the village of Kassen sends out a call for new Pathfinders to go on a dangerous journey. Each of them have been sworn to secrecy, and so the quest takes on all the aspect of a ghost story: perhaps a training mission, perhaps another test, perhaps a chance for honor and glory, or perhaps something much worse.. All you know is that on the last day of your training, you and a handful of other students were given a small piece of parchment detailing your first mission: "Report to Kassen." Now, after a long journey and a chilly morning, you have arrived in Kassen. The last pack is barely unloaded from the wagon that brought you here before the driver quickly brings the wagon about and tears down the narrow path. Without a ride back, you must face whatever awaits you in Kassen head on. That flows into the premade text: Spoiler:
The bells atop the Temple of Erastil toll their midday song,
Once he reaches the center of the crowd, Mayor Uptal stops
Hope that helps.
I have a couple things that I like to do: 1) Read the scenario several times and print it off. 2) On an index card, make a list of key "points" that happen in the scenario so you can keep track of the plot. 3) Draw out your maps ahead of time. I have three blank Paizo flip mats and use wet erase markers to have my maps made. Chris Perkins has excellent articles on maps:
4) Go through the printed scenario and highlight your skill checks, traps, etc. I like to make notes of NPCS who are friendly in green highlighter and enemies in pink highlighter. 5) Print off all your monsters and NPCS. If your NPCs interact with the players, try to come up with a voice acting plan for them. It can be simple like: Surly dwarf, sounds like Captain Haddock from Tintin (etc.) 6) Print off all of your spells with a Spell Card Generator:
7) Print off all your feats and abilities that may be used. 8) Make sure you have all your pawns/minis/etc. I also like to have a small bag of Fantasy Flight tokens in various colors (green, gold, silver, red, blue) just in case I need to mark things unexpectedly. 9) Read the scenario again to make sure you have everything you need. 10) Get your "kit" together. Make sure you have a stapler, 3-hole punch, some wet erase markers, pencils, etc. and have a session sheet and the chronicle sheet ready. 11) Make sure you posted the event, have the event number, and know your own GM number. Write all that down on the chronicle sheets. 12) Bring snacks. 13) GM! Good luck. ^_^
I agree.. Remember that most of your characters are Pathfinders that (1) have gone through some sort of basic "academy" or "boot camp" type experience or otherwise earned a slot in the organization (2) would have some basic familiarity with combat tactics and stacking [tank, polearm/reach, ranged, mage, rear guard] and (3) would probably plan on how they would do things before they do it [think SWAT teams upon entering a room and quickly making a plan to make dynamic entry, despite never seeing it before]. If I have a core group (fighter, wizard, cleric, rogue) at my table and we're walking up to a dungeon, I already have a basic "battle plan": Fighter, rush up and hack at the BBEG.
You can't tell me that these guys, running around all other the place for hours of game time (even if it's seconds of real time) wouldn't come up with SOME strategy.. At my tables, I'm all for strategy sessions unless it disrupts the flow of the game or people start arguing..
I've played a /lot/ of PFS from Season 2 onwards (and cut my teeth with 2e) and have found that very, very few players were really in any sort of peril.. I've observed ONE character death in the entire time I've been involved in PFS, and it was from: 1) Bad tactics (LEEEEEEEERRRROOOOOOOYYYY JENKINS!)
Every other time, my players have stomped the BBEG. In Season 4, I saw an increase in zero and lower hit point counts. I will agree with the OP that you need:
I don't know that "hard mode" is the norm... I think it depends on how hard your GM is running it. I agree with Drogon that good GM coaching is key. I think that GMs sometimes know the party composition and don't think of what the BBEG would do if he saw a group of random people in armor.. and so they use excellent tactics and TPK people based on what they know in the party. My personal take on how to run harder BBEGs without using this GM knowledge is to "script" everything beforehand. In other words, regardless of what party is coming, I will make a round by round "action chart". As an example: 1) Cast buff spell/quaff potion
That's seemed to help temper the bloodbath problem in my area.
I'm weird, but I love playing first- and second- level characters.. I don't feel bad if they get squished, I like exploring new classes, and there /does/ come a point where you know you can wreck the scenario with your awesomeness at high levels and it gets boring.. Low level characters encourage more MacGyvering behavior in me. +1 on "Please more 1-5."
I love Ophelia's directness. ^_^ Painlord's thread should have been one of the first things we all talked about -- he's said all the key things, and probably better than I would. The things that tipped me into being a VC and GMing locally? 1) My players asked me to do it.
The easiest game to run is one you ran as a player, so Angra et al's advice about (1) running somebody through the scenario (2) letting them GM it to a peer group (3) letting them GM it with somebody close by to help and (4) running it solo is really good. It's really the same as being a teacher or professor in some ways:
If you replace the starbursts with self drawn paper minis, you not only train and encourage your kids (and adult friends) artistic skills giving them a boost in self-confidence, but you also break the vicious circle of giving them addictive sweets that are bad for their health, destroy their teeth and make them fat as a positive amplification which they will probably have to deal with for the rest of their life. Ken, Don't forget that Starburst made in the US has gelatin in it. I suppose since you could make do with a 1" square /anything/, you could make baked tofu squares: Recipe
http://www.thekitchn.com/try-this-baked-tofu-74358 Baked Tofu 1 (16-ounce) block extra firm tofu
Drain and rinse the block of tofu. Set it on a clean dish towel (or paper towels) on a rimmed dinner plate. Place another plate on top and weight it down with something heavy, like a handy can of tomatoes or a heavy skillet, to press out some of the excess liquid. Let sit 15 - 30 minutes. Cut the tofu into pieces. You can do cubes for croutons, sticks for dipping, flat squares to layer on sandwiches, or any other shape you feel like. Put the cut tofu in a shallow dish, cover with marinade, and let sit for 15 - 30 minutes. Flip the tofu a few times so the marinade is absorbed evenly. The longer you let the tofu sit, the deeper the flavor will be. Pre-heat your oven (or toaster oven!) to 350-degrees. Cover a baking sheet (or toaster oven insert) with aluminum foil and coat with non-stick spray. Cook the tofu cubes for 10 minutes and then flip them over. Continue cooking and flipping every 10 minutes until the tofu is as baked as you like it, 20 - 45 minutes total. Then, to work off the tofu, you can do the following: While seated, hold your Core Rulebook with both arms over your head for 30 seconds, then rapidly tap your feet on the floor, football-drill style, for 30 seconds. Rest. Repeat 3-5 times. </spoiler> Back to the thread, however, I find that all of the uses of Starburst mentioned here are well worth the $1 price tag. ^_^
Wolfblood, Dorothy has some great advice for you! VCs and VLs are readily available to give you a hand and there are a lot of prep threads. That being said, here is what my ideal starter kit would be: Prices are approximate from either local big box store or online retailer: STUFF TO MAKE MAPS AND TAKE NOTES
- Two blank Paizo flipmats ($15/ea)
STUFF TO SHOW YOU WHERE YOU AND BAD GUYS ARE ON THE MAP
- Fantasy Flight Tokens, Red ($3/ea)
BOOKS
- Core Rulebook ($35/ea)
DICE AND SCREEN
I have BAGS of dice. I would say you need at least eight sets, preferably all different colors. $4 to $8/ea. Chessex is my favorite maker, and Noble Knight and Dark Elf Dice have both been excellent to deal with. Dragonchow is where I buy my bags. I'd say drop $10 for the Pathfinder screen (it's decent and has some useful tables, but the XP chart and treasure chart is stupid and useless) and spend the other $25 on plain, opaque Chessex dice. Total: $200.00 That's what I use three times a week as a VC and it has served me very, very well.. It's a bit of an investment but I think it's very minimalist. The blank flipmats allow me to draw four maps and have them ready to go, the wet erase doesn't smudge and I can draw the maps, add area effect spells, keep track of stuff, etc. My two dry erase boards would be marked up with non-eraseable Sharpie to make (1) a combat tracker [rounds, init, turn, etc] and (2) an effects tracker [conditions, HP, etc.], which is then marked up with wet erase. FF tokens are great for items (treasure chest, fire in a warehouse), large numbers of bad guys (undead, goblins, townspeople, etc.), whatever. BB minis are perfect for PCs that don't bring a mini. The starburst are there for risers.. Fly effects, I'm on a horse, etc. Bestiary box covers the monsters.. Even if it's a B2, B3 bad guy, at least you have correctly sized bases and can say "This whatever is really a something". You get the idea. Core assumption is included.. Pretty much everything you would need. ^_^
I like to do it by tasks.. Some of these things take very, very little time on some scenarios and lots on others. Here's my "punch list": 1) Read the scenario twice over so I have a rough idea of the plot. 2) Draw all the maps (usually on a blank flip-mat) for all the combats. 3) Draw all the maps (usually on a blank flip-mat) for all the RP sessions. Usually, there is a vague description of the room.. I do this so it's not "OH @#$% A MAP WE ARE IN COMBAT PLEASE LET ME BUFF EVEN THOUGH MY CHARACTER DOESN'T KNOW WE ARE IN COMBAT" from certain people at my table. 4) Find /all/ the monsters/BBEG, print the stat box seperately so I have a handy reference. 5) Make sure I have appropriate pawns/minis/colored Starburst/tokens/whatever for all the combats and RPs. 6) Research all the spells/abilities that will be used and print seperately. 7) Write down "voice acting" notes. (This guy talks like Morgan Freeman. This guy talks like Mark Hamill's Joker. etc.) 8) Print out all the handouts. 9) Print out all the faction missions. 10) Print out my session sheets. 11) Run through the scenario with a pregen. (I read this. What questions would I ask the GM? I try to grapple. Do I know the CMB? Somebody in this rp goes hostile. Do I know those stats?) I actually read this one out loud so I know it cold. 12) Make sure I have all the books, charts, dice, supplies, pens, whatever I might need. 13) Snacks. *At the table* 14) Introduce everybody, give the general "product description" so people know what we're running, what tier, etc. so they can select the appropriate character. 15) Check all PC character sheets for legality and make sure I know what their abilities do and how they interact with BBEG, etc. That's a rough punchlist by memory. Usually takes me two/three hours depending on complexity of scenario and the tier (low tiers are easier, less abilities and complicated math). Hope that helps.
I run my tables this way: 1) Everybody says hello and introduces the character they intend to play.
I do a lot of training where we grab people out of the middle of their day and have them do stuff; it helps them become adaptable (or learn to keep adequate kit close by). You were planning to do PT and are wearing running shorts? Well, you have a protective detail at a fancy event in an hour. You were planning to go to court in your suit? You just got a call out. I bet the Pathfinder Society would be like this.. Just because you're a mage and can decipher the secrets of the universe doesn't mean that some VC catches wind of an attempted theft or something and sends you off to go get it because you're the closest Pathfinder there. Likewise, you may be a fighter that can tear enemies apart.. until some very reclusive group decides that today is the day that they're going to try to make contact and work with the Pathfinder and everybody else is busy. That's part of the fun! Working outside your element, having to adapt and overcome. ^_^ "My character is not built for this.." is a crap excuse. Don't be that guy.
So... Your job is to keep the dog alive while it does the fighting? That's hilarious. :) ..I'm a cleric for Frank the Pug over there..
I feel very conflicted by this thread. I've spent eight years as a LEO, four as a Constitutional law scholar and attorney, three as a professor.. most importantly, six years as a father. My professional work revolves largely around law enforcement and firearms law (it was my seminar in law school and my mentor just finished writing the first casebook on the subject), so it would seem natural for me to go straight there.. but when I heard the news, I thought about my daughter's own school. I've dropped her off every single day and never paid a bit of attention to how the school is locked, whether somebody needs to be "buzzed" into the building, whether or not it was easy to break into. I reviewed the VTRP report and wrote my college's comprehensive emergency plan.. why had that never crossed my mind? I looked over the VTRP report and came across this: "The campus is not enclosed; anyone can walk or drive onto it. There are no guarded roads or gateways. Cars can enter on any...road entrance[], many of which are not in line of sight of each other. Pedestrians can use sidewalks or simply walk across grassy areas to get onto the campus." This sounds like my college. It sounds like my daughter's school. It sounds a lot like Newtown. I don't know about you, but I'm not planning to dig out my Constitutional law or firearms law textbook. I'm going to my school board and asking for better locks, better fences. This is not the best solution, and I know that. Anybody who is /really/ determined can get through /any/ barrier or use /any/ weapon. Locking my door and putting the alarm on my house is going to stop a casual burglary, not a serious criminal who is willing to take the risks getting in.. Same goes for schools, I suppose. My only point is this: I need to do what I can /right now/ to try to make my home, school or workplace a little safer. For me, that doesn't mean keeping a patrol rifle by my desk or lobbying Congress to ban high capacity magazines. It means walking around and paying attention to things I took for granted: who can get in my building? what am I doing to control access? if I needed to lock down a building, could I? how am I handling mass notification? how am I making my workspace and my daughter's school harder targets? If you want to do something right now, go to your kid's school and look at the locks, doors, walls, fences; ask your school board to take safety seriously and fight for more funding related to safety and security measures.
I revisted this thread after playing Temple of Empyreal Enlightenment with some veteran players and some brand new, never played an RPG players (See http://paizo.com/products/btpy8qq1) The Old Salts
Spoiler:
These guys wanted to check every room, got whacked by a haunt, insisted on fighting to the death with the BBEG and nearly got a TPK. They loved it because they won, and because it was a hard fought victory. The Young Pups
Spoiler:
These guys got freaked out by the whole setup, spent as little time as possible exploring and trying to figure it all out, did their missions, unmasked the bad guy, realized that they were getting pounded. Once the first PC got taken down to negatives: "I pick her up. We run the f--- away. I throw her into her eddy. What do we need to roll to get away from this?!" They loved it because it was a huge mind game, they felt that they escaped with their lives, and the rush of a close shave with low level characters was engaging to them. This is a dangerous game but not every scenario is a meatgrinder. Not knowing which is which is half the fun; finding out the hard way is the other half of the fun.
I /would/ applaud the character who would voluntarily take a missing limb for roleplaying purposes.. but.. you know..
...Of course, training can't start until EVERYONE is equipped because our contract is a one-time only, train-everyone-at-once contract. Programming can't start until everyone has a radio. Etc, etc ad nauseum... [...]
I've also found that even in the complete absence of fraud, waste, abuse, or malfeasance that you have an inherent problem in having contract specialists and procurement specialists (who do a wonderful job of buying "x widget" and "y sprocket" at the best possible terms) buy exactly what they're told to buy in a purchase order, not realizing that this item requires other things (like training, spare parts kits, secure storage) because they don't need to, and no review of the finalized procurement contract by the end-users.
I thought it was a very nice thing to get a Christmas card -- reminds me that Paizo is a company run by real people and gamers and not a board game/action figure conglomerate. Makes me sort of nostalgic. ^_^
We steal stuff in faction missions all the time. (Taldor!) I think it's chaotic, not evil. If this happened at my table with four iconics pregens playing, there would likely be this discussion: Merisiel steals something. Kyra would probably ask "Why did you steal it?" Ezren would probably say "This will just attract attention." Valeros would probably say "Could you steal more?" If it was stolen, I'd put it on the sheet just like anything else you found in the course of the scenario and dump it at the end.. and then midway into the scenario there would be a quick encounter: "You are approached by a courier who delivers a note. A quick glance at his livery indicates he works for a firm often used by the Pathfinder Society to quickly deliver messages. The note reads: Items found missing, shopkeeper paid off to keep quiet. Instructions are to "explore, report, cooperate" not "loot, attract attention, create paperwork". Sticky fingers don't hang on to their wayfinders.." It's hastily scribbled and signed by the venture captain who assigned you the missions. You do not need a linguistics check to realize that it was very forcefully written.. perhaps in anger."
After /finally/ reporting all my past-due events, I got my first star! To help me celebrate: if you've never GMed, please PLEASE GM for somebody else. It's very rewarding to see your name on the Chronicle Sheet and know that somebody had a great time at your table. Let's see some stars after some names! ^_^
I agree that we need more flair. People can roll dice anywhere. I mean, Pathfinder Society is about the atmosphere and the attitude. That's what the flair's about. It's about fun. But only 15 pieces of flair? Well, ok, 15 is minimum, ok? But some people choose to wear more and we encourage that, ok? You do want to express yourself, don't you? I would love to see a Band Aid-style sticker with an iconic yelling "MEDIC" that you have to wear when your character gets knocked down to 0 hit points. You know. That would be expressing yourself. Flair. And a terrific smile.
From the GM perspective, I really like having a table tent with your name, your character's name, saves, and your perception. From that point, I treat it like the old school Mission: Impossible introduction. I ask what you bring to the table and then, as the NPC giving the "go do this" spiel, I explain why you have all been selected for this mission: "We've asked for the best and brightest of the Pathfinder Society to complete this mission. None of them showed up. Busy fightin' monsters, fixing broken bones, or attending funerals. Nasty business. You'll have to do. There might be traps. ______________, you deal with them. There will definitely be fighting. _______________, keep the party alive. Somebody needs to be there for last rites. Hopefully it won't be your own. ______________, see to the party's *ahem* spiritual needs. Don't forget to take a mage. Never know what kind of spellcraft you'll need to pull out of that pointy hat to stay alive. Besides, you need somebody to write all this down..." *mission briefing*
I'm a little old school and count squares, sketch with pencils/ruler, and ink with Sharpies. My alterations of maps generally happen because of three things: 1) My artistic abilities are subpar.
I have found that if you're drawing on the fly, it makes it /much/ harder to render a map correctly. My thought on altering map is that any alteration should either be inadvertent or done in the least disruptive way possible -- I would rather be spot on with the measurements and say "these X squares are difficult terrain full of Y material" rather than have awesomely drawn tables and bad measuring.
Hargoyle, I would like to suggest reviewing the following (if you have not yet done so): http://paizo.com/pathfinderSociety/pfsproducts/pfsFreeProducts Some other helpful resources (pregens!) are here: http://paizo.com/pathfinderSociety/playerResources Finally, I use the following in prepping spells/etc. and find them to be an excellent (and free) resource: http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/ http://www.d20pfsrd.com/ Here are some of my suggestions after running a convention table: - Register with PFS and have your number handy at all times.
Since you may suddenly find yourself at a table with four wizards or six people who ALL want to be a rogue, I think it's useful to have pregens handy: - Download (and print) ALL core iconic pregens at ALL levels (Cleric, Fighter, Wizard, Rogue) - Go to the PRD and print off /each/ spell, ability, piece of gear [alchemist's fire, acid flasks, etc.] listed on the character sheet for each of the pregens, so you know exactly what that stuff does. Regardless of whether you are playing your own character or a pregen, as a GM I love to see the following: - Character sheet in sheet protectors (plastic covering)
DIFFERENT color dice are helpful! You can roll attack, crit confirm, and damage together to speed up play. Having a miniature is also very handy. You could really sum up my advice as follows: Be prepared to have at least one character (either custom or pregen) for all four iconic classes so you can fit in at any table, and have all the character's feats/spells/abilities in a quick reference for yourself and the GM without having to dig through the book. Have fun and be yourself. ^_^
I just ran "First Steps: In Service to Lore" the other night. The female cleric played along with the Paracountess' monologue: Plot spoiler:
When she heard about the imp and got the silver letter opener, she did a knowledge (planes) check, did a Diplomacy check to see if the Paracountess had any other silver items. The scenario listed a silver-tipped riding crop, so she convinced the Paracountess to "demonstrate" its proper use, then asked if she could give it a try on the imp.. This was her character sheet reward: Reward:
"Promissory note for three (3) torn articles of clothing and one (3) enjoyable scar, personally signed by the Paracountess. Sealed with hot wax. Redeemable in person by a 'scrumptious teacake' or other bearer." You /have/ to see the looks when she (very proudly) busts out /that/ Chronicle Sheet at the table. HILARIOUS.
My favorite GM kept a small pencil case to discourage bad gamers. Inside was an OLD Snickers bar, a bar of used Dial soap, a set of grungy dice, and a chewed-up pencil. "If you forgot any of these things, you can use mine." ....Nobody needed a reminder after that.
I reward creativity by putting notations on the Chronicle Sheet: "Newspaper entry for 'Gnome Throwing Champion'"
That sort of thing.. some little nothing that begs to be explained (in hilarious detail) later.
I had my first "field trip" going out to a store to help set up Pathfinder Society, and I though I would share some "lessons learned" that might be helpful to others: 1) Ask for pictures of the inside and the parking lot BEFORE you go. My first field trip took me out to a game store that had been started in a parent company's store, which in turn had been started in a former single-story residence; the parking lot had three spaces. If I had known the size limitations and such before going, I would have been able to draw it out on graph paper, print out some posters or other materials that would help promote Pathfinder Society, and help them configure the small space. 2) Even if you have an appointment, make sure there's no other event scheduled. Despite having an appointment, I walked straight into a collectible card game tournament and was surrounded by twelve-year olds asking me about my decks and what I was going to play. My fault: I should have made sure there was no other event that was competing for my attention. 3) Bring extra stuff. When I arrived, the store's product line consisted of a single, unopened Beginner's Box. The manager had /seen/ Pathfinder and talked to people at Paizo and other VCs, but had not actually /played/ it. We cracked open that Beginner Box and ran a round, but it was far from ideal. I should have brought enough stuff to GM a proper Pathfinder Society game. 4) Don't judge a book by its cover. Even with these challenges, the manager was extremely enthusiastic and all of his regular customers had expressed an interest in playing. Having a demo game and leaving the Beginner Box set up as if a game were in progress went a long way in sparking curiosity, and I believe that they'll get a good group out of the visit. Finally, here are some tips that might be useful: I've gone through a ton of pregens over the past two weeks. I started putting them in a sheet protector and using wet-erase markers to make notes to keep them fresh for the next run. The map in the Beginner's Box, when flipped over, has a nice grid that is also very useful with wet-erase markers. Dry erase smudges. A lot. Graph paper can be cut out and laminated into templates for "area effect" spells. Putting spells on the pregen onto laminated index-size cards helps new players use spells without having to go through the book EVERY TIME they want to cast something. Noting page numbers on the sheets for every spell is also handy. Loaner dice will be lost. Ugly, bright colored dice do not walk off as much. Paracord can be used to make a "dice corral". Buy a good dice bag. Picking up dice out of a parking lot because your dice bag flipped upside down and wasn't tight = many failed perception checks to find all your dice. I'd appreciate having /your/ lessons learned added to this thread so I can take advantage of your experiences (rather than making mistakes and learning the hard way!)
The Goblin, Like SuperSlayer and you, I started with 2e and have that "Jedi" thing going on: the sourcebooks and boxed sets in my office are older than the undergrads who walk through it! I thought tabletop gaming was done with the changes at the other company and the closure of all the company stores in 2003-2004, but Paizo is taking up the torch in a lot of great ways and I'm stoked to see so many new players coming to the table along with so many old-school gamers pushing their chairs back up.
All: With my first post to the Pathfinder boards, I would also like to ask your indulgence (without a "cool story bro" or "tl;dr"). Tabletop gaming was a major part of my childhood until I went to college, "grew up", and became "too cool". I swapped my dice bag for a golf bag and started "enjoying" an activity based entirely on driving around in a cart and trying to impress people I didn't really like with amazing clubs that improved my "game" somehow. Rediscovering tabletop games was /not/ in my plans.. or at least it wasn't until I went up in my attic, I literally tripped on a box of the "world's oldest RPG" materials and almost fell right back out.. (*saving throw!*) I was really curious to see what almost sent me crashing into my garage floor, so I naturally looked in the box. When found all my old sourcebooks, I had this sudden flashback of childhood memories (it had to be nostalgia.. if it was my life flashing before my eyes, I seriously need to redo my "bucket list") and friends that have long since grown up and grown out of touch. I started reconnecting with friends on "that big social media website" and found that even though we had totally different lives and were thousands of miles apart, we all still had fond memories of being around a table, having snacks and swapping stories. My first set of dice was long gone and I decided to get a new set; 30 sets and a custom dice bag later, I was a little kid all over again. But the dice weren't enough. I suddenly wanted to play again. I dragged all of my old boxed sets and campaign materials down from the attic, loaded them into my car, and brought them to my office so I could sort through them. An incredible thing happened: other faculty members suddenly revealed a geeky and nerdy side of "I played that!!" and my students were shocked and awed by the collection in my bookcases. People I didn't really have a reason to talk to suddenly had volumes to say, and homesick freshman stuck for summer classes perked up at the idea of a game. I told a certain bearded, Canadian librarian about this by email and he sent me back the greatest message about not taking myself seriously and to enjoy the company and friendship that his writing and my gaming brought to life. I knew I had to pick a system and was sold on Pathfinder because of the online reference docs, the incredible Beginner's Box (which is way better than any "basic" set I ever had), and the forums here. The Pathfinder community is probably the closest thing to my middle school gaming crowd. Maybe I've been lucky, but I've yet to see the rules lawyers and min/maxers here.. I certainly enjoy the conversations more than what goes on at the clubhouse. With some luck, I've found people (like DFW Venture-Captain Jon Cary) who went above and beyond to hook me up with tips and ideas to start my own group or give me encouragement to get playing again. I would have been happy just to be able to find my way back to the table after so many years, but I feel like Pathfinder players have gone out of their way to pull out a chair and welcome me back. For reading my post and for making feel at home here: thank you. To adventuring,
|
