Thanks. I have a readable character sheet I can send. I purchased a headset on Amazon. I signed up for one game in the AP Con thing which will be my first attempt. When the headset arrives I need to test things out. How would you recommend doing that? I heard I'll need a token. I read something about setting up macros. Is that a good idea? The event I signed up for has a pool of 36 players and 6 GMs or I'd send an email to the GM. Will the GM walk me through things or is is expected that I'll know my head from my nether regions?
Mike,
I'm a VC in Tulsa and am running an online game 6/17.
http://paizo.com/events/v5748mkg0b5xd
https://warhorn.net/events/tulsa-pfs-online
Log in with teamspeak3: pathfinder.typefrag.com:9975
You're welcome to try out your gear in teamspeak and Roll20.net or you're welcome to join as a player. I have six slots open as of 7pm today and run a new player friendly table.
Way to step up and take the reins for your group! :)
Hopefully you'll like GMing and we'll see a star on your name soon.
As a sort of incentive towards that star, I would offer to run a game for you in person.
Since I can't, I would be happy to GM my personal favorite (The Temple of Empyreal Enlightenment) over Roll20 and Teamspeak for you and up to five (5) other people in this thread if you'll PM me and we can find a mutually agreeable time.
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. :)
So Hero Lab is now an "official" partner of Paizo. Does this mean that someone with a laptop or tablet running HeroLab is table-legal even without a hardcopy of a book that their character is drawing upon? Say, someone has a trait from the "Races of" series for their character, but doesn't own the book, just the HL dataset. Is that legal, or do they need both?
Likewise, do players need hardcopies of their character, or can they use an electronic HL copy in play, on a tablet or laptop?
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.
It took nearly a full year, but I'm getting close to the 4 star mark. Honestly, I set out with the goal of being a 3 star by next PaizoCon because I thought it would look good on record if I volunteered to GM this coming year.
Needless to say, I've shattered my own expectations. Table #98 is today which is being run locally. After that, I've nothing planned. I thought about running a module for the last two credits to 100. I'm kind of looking for something a little on the "epic" side though.
So what did you run for table #100?
I did mine about a week ago.
I ran a Beginner Box session -- it's what I started with, so I got the chance to introduce a table of 12-13 year olds to the hobby 100 tables later. :D
Curious about how people came to the hobby, particularly about age dynamics in teaching & learning to play tabletop RPGs (which may or may not have been Pathfinder). Vote by favouriting the following posts, and feel free to elaborate by posting yourself.
What best describes your first experience in learning to play tabletop RPGs:
I learned with peers (friends, siblings, etc) who were also new to the game.
I was taught by peers who were already experienced players.
I was a child taught by adults in a game designed for or around kids (includes teacher/student groups, mom & pop + kids, or a group with multiple parents each bringing their own kids).
I was a child invited to play with an adult group.
I joined organized play.
Bonus: As an adult, I have run or played in mixed-age groups with kids learning to play.
All of them?
We did some choose your own adventure/Tunnels and Trolls in gifted class at school, then I learned with a First Quest box set (Intro to AD&D 2nd Edition) with peers who were new to the game (we were all in 4th or 5th grade), then with their adult parents and siblings who included us, then with experienced groups in college, then organized play.
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!
Without getting too into the specific scenario the OP played, I'd like to try to answer what I see as the question that applies more broadly:
If the scenario states tactics, [do] I as GM have to follow them even if [they are] silly to the point of idiotic?
The tactics are designed into inform strategy.
By this, I mean:
Strategy - the overall style/behavior (paranoid dungeoneer)
Tactics - the things I do to further my strategy (poke everything with 10' poles, summon monsters to walk down hallways first, throw powder everywhere looking for invisible creatures)
The tactics as written are designed to keep the GM from using all the knowledge she's gained as a GM and applying it to stupid villains while still giving a fair challenge.
(Would you want somebody like Kyle Baird his well-developed TPK skills to choose tactics for a cruddy goblin shaman..?)
If the tactics demonstrate an NPC who sticks to smart strategy, plan the BBEG's moves with cunning and have him work methodically through the party.
If the tactics show somebody who monologues and acts more in like with a B-movie villain, they might act like the Monarch from the Venture Brothers. (He goes for high value targets, has silly and elaborate but ineffective moves, etc.)
If players do things that make the tactics ineffective, think about how that BBEG would adapt and take actions that are still in line with the overall strategy that the tactics suggest.
It's a society scenario, but I am all about Temple of Empyreal Enlightenment from Season 3 as a Level 1. It's one of the first ones I break out of the bag at cons. Also fond of the first Serpent's Skull, +1 on the first Kingmaker as well.
...and I haven't done this PFS thing before. It always seemed a little distasteful due to the particular strain of house rules designed around table invariance. However, I understand the reasons behind these decisions, and I like to try things that challenge my preconceived notions. And people have a lot of fun playing it. So since there's an event coming up, I figured, why not give it a shot?
So, I read over the Guide to PFS Organized Play, made a character using the Additional Resources page for reference, packed the hardbacks used by this character, printed a badge, and . Is there anything else I need to do to prepare for the event? Do I need to post this character sheet somewhere official or convert it into a particular format, or is a Hero Lab printout sufficient?
Thanks!
Here are some things that I would like to respectfully suggest:
- PUT YOUR NAME ON EVERYTHING. KEEP ALL YOUR STUFF ORGANIZED AND IN A BAG/CONTAINER SO IT DOESN'T WALK OFF.
- Have several copies of your character sheet and make sure that you do the following for everything in your character sheet:
* for any items that you have and use a lot, jot down a book/page so they can be quickly referenced (and photocopy that page)
* make an index card/table tent with any bonus/benefit/whatever from
that item, so that your GM knows when you're using it and what it does
* for any abilities that you have and use a lot, jot down a book/page so they can be quickly referenced (and photocopy that page)
* make an index card/table tent with any bonus/benefit/whatever, so that your GM knows when you're using it and what it does
* for any spells that you have and use a lot, jot down a book/page so they can be quickly referenced (and photocopy that page)
* make an index card/table tent with any bonus/benefit/whatever, so that your GM knows when you're using it and what it does
* make an index card/table tent that explains how you are doing things and what's in your hand, with perception bonus, saves, etc. all marked down. This keeps you from annoying the GM with "I'm moving carefully" or "Remember I am looking for traps" or "I HAVE MY CROSSBOW COCKED AND WILL SHOOT ANYTHING MOVING".
(Stealth, with crossbow R hand, cocked, Will x, Reflex y, etc. OR Moving carefully, prodding with 10' pole R hand, dagger L hand,
checking for traps as I move)
- Put your character sheets in a binder with plastic page protectors, and use wet erase marker to make notes on it
- Have all of your chronicle sheets organized in a binder behind your character sheet for easy review
- Have a set of condition cards in case you get a status effect (blinded, dazzled, etc.)
- Make sure you have plenty of dice and invest in a dice tower so they don't go everywhere. (Blue Panther LLC has a knockdown one)
- Consider a Hammerdog Games The World's Greatest Screen for yourself and put all your character sheet stuff in it. (It also keeps people from invading your personal space or messing with your stuff.)
- Have minis for your character and any companions.
- Bring water and some light snacks that are not too smelly/sticky/crunchy. Individually wrapped candies (individual lifesavers, mints, Starburst) are great to have on hand for passing out at the table and making friends quickly.
- Have lots of pens/pencils/wet erase markers
- Spend some time using 3m page tabs to mark heavily used sections of rulebooks or commonly referenced pages.
All of my advice really comes down to:
tl;dr? Your GM has no clue what your abilities and stuff do, so have a photocopy of everything to quickly point out what it is, what it does, and where to find it in her books. Keep all your stuff organized. Make sure you have all the stuff you might need. HAVE FUN.
I personally have been turned off from Online Play, due to how I have been treated by fellow players and how fellow players treat each other. The GM's here are great, but I have had too many negative play sessions to want to continue to invest in Online play anymore. Also, the lack of organization has kind of been driving me insane. We have no ONE page, website or unified front that is actively used where everyone can go to to find all the info we need. It's like a disorganized game day that you are trying to muster an hour before game. I don't have time to wade through 100 posts and websites to find a link to sign up for a game.
I hope it changes, but for now I will be sitting out while better minds figure it out.
I'm on the fence about it, but agree strongly with Lady O:
- I don't see meanness and snark as much, but I do notice that people are engaged more in "parallel play". They don't interact, do stuff only when it's their turn, and don't cut up and BS like we do in face to face games.
What REALLY upsets me is GMing in a four hour block, getting done, having people ask me for a CS and then type "great game thanks bye" and leave. I like to talk about the game, visit for a little bit, and otherwise enjoy some interaction with my players.. not "chronicle sheet it and beat it!"
- there is no centralized signup sheet for online games and it's really hard to find one and be assured I've got a seat.
- there are three different formats that I see: Roll20, Hangouts, Fantasy Grounds. FG requires a license (I have an Ultimate and like it), Hangouts is flaky and Roll20 is bad with voice. This generally means Roll20 + voice solution like a teamspeak/mumble/ventrillo server. I have one with 25 slots and an annual subscription for a year, but there's a lot of complexity in setup and getting it all running that is a turn off.
If somebody could do what Prethen suggests and have ONE big calendar with a "session of the day" and could do pickup games, I'd be down. Otherwise, I GM if and only if people ask me and have date/time/group in mind.
My last complaint, and it's really stupid, is that there is no online chronicle sheet. I have to print the stupid thing out six times, scan it six times, and then email a correct copy to everybody who may or may not get it. I am NOT asking for a universal one, and I am NOT asking for an editable one.. Just a way to email one in PDF without having to print it and scan it. >_<
I made the first mistake of not clarifying my definition of "rules lawyers" and "power-gamers". That has since been defined and we will now just call them "jerks". If anyone is not okay with that just say so
*raises hand*
Jeff Way wrote:
Yes there are some gaps in the rules as said earlier and we do need to discuss them. But we should be responsible with our dialog with each other and how we use those gaps at the table.
I believe a good place to start would be to stop calling an entire group of people that you disagree with "Jerks".
Jeff Way wrote:
(please use above definition of jerk)
I see no reason to abide by your perception of reality.
Jeff Way wrote:
It is also the right of the GM to tell you to leave the table.
Seriously, how did you become a VO? The VOs I know aren't the type to announce in a public forum their disdain for 2/3rds of the player base. They arent the type to force their idea of "fun" onto other players, or attack them for enjoying their "badwrongfun". How can players possibly come to you with a problem if you categorize the world into Box A and Box B?
Make up all the arbitrary definitions of whatever words you want, but next time consider the impact they may have on people who don't share your mindset.
I would like to respectfully suggest that Paizo.com implement an effective tool that my wife made for her preschool class: the tattle turtle.
The tattle turtle is a laminated paper turtle with a mirror on his shell and he lives in the corner. When one is mad or needs to tattle, one can stand in the corner and tell the tattle turtle all about it for as long as you like. Wouldn't it be wonderful to have a "tattle turtle" page on this site?
I think that you have some great suggestions which I plan to steal and use immediately; having small denomination gift certificates will certainly encourage some local spending and hopefully get the FLGS to be a little more interested!
Bristor and Seth,
Jon has the link posted. I would also point you to a game session of his:
https://www.wizards.com/dnd/videos.aspx His maps are outstanding.
Joe,
My hardest part is getting a venue for weekday evening play. I have loads of local GMs that do it for free (or even buy pizza and extra books for some of the new players), but nowhere to really be organized and play at. Part of Riv's experience was a very hurried experience because of closing times and other factors involving the venue, and trollbill's post mirrors my experiences pretty closely. I think that merging your idea and Talabanus' idea of having an online pre-paid signup with funds going to the game store and a drawing for certificates might work out pretty well. I'm sorely tempted by the Steak and Shake/Golden Corral suggestion.
All great ideas that I'll try to put into practice! I'm hoping Riv can chime in, along with some other local players, with some ideas as well.
I think you're all hitting on something important that I missed; trying to match up timing and venue.
There is, in fact, a Steak and Shake near the FLGS as well as a few other places that might be interested in hosting a PFS. I had never thought about using them.
I suppose a Golden Corral/Ponderosa/Sizzler type place might also be a good fit; if you were going to pay $5 for an entry fee, you may as well just buy dinner for a few dollars more!
(For Tulsa, there's a Golden Corral on 71st and Mingo that I will call this afternoon and get some group reservation info about.)
Weekend days might also be the best logical thing to consider, as well as just doing it once a month instead of once a week.
Everyone else,
Please keep ideas coming (especially if you are from Tulsa)!
...
GMs should be moderators and storytellers, not players for the other side.
...
I agree with all you said there, Robert, but I would add something more to this. Granted, I will admit, it has taken me a LONG time to get to this point (which PFS has helped immeasurably), but...
GMs should be facilitators for all of the crazy ideas that Players come up with. They should challenge them into making a great story, one that people will be talking about for years, if possible. But, above all, they are facilitators.
A good GM will allow you to try something he (or the scenario's author) hadn't thought of. A GREAT GM will take something you have described in prose (rather than in rules), and turn it into something unique.
** spoiler omitted **
I was a rules lawyer. A bad one.
(The comparison is a real one: I've shut down games with my badgering of the rule book and have been in court cases as an attorney with objections and sidebars so long that the jury and judge never remembered what we were talking about. In both cases, it ruined it for everybody.)
I had a great GM growing up who "reformed" me by doing what you said: he let me take something I have described in prose (rather than in rules), and turn it into something unique.
(Such as having a quadriplegic rigger in Shadowrun that had to be thrown out of a window to escape certain death, setting a fire in D&D 2d edition to successfully distract the guards only realize we didn't think about being trapped in a burning castle, jumping out of very tall castles ala Assassin's Creed only to have handfuls of d6 falling damage, etc.)
I think my group secretly enjoyed some of the failures more than the successes because of the way our GM made it happen.
Then, when I was being a rules lawyer, it was precisely mechanics and no fluff.
"You rolled a 13. Your action does not succeed."
I learned very quickly that if I trusted my GM, he would turn mechanics into story. If I didn't, he would just make it dry, horrible and inflexible.
(Which is how a Federal judge cured me of objecting all the time.)
When you're stuck firm to the rules by really strict "call BS on everything" rules lawyers, you lose some of that flexibility and fun that RPGs are meant to have.
There is a time and place for fixing bad calls, and unless it results in PC death/losing cool stuff, I've learned to offer the GM fiat as a tool and alternative to my old GM's anti-rules-lawyering "You rolled ____. Your action does/does not succeed."
As a reformed rules lawyer, I promise that approach works for people like me.
I too have some issues in my area getting the player base into PFS - They play pathfinder , but they rather play AP's and home groups that use the structured. I also have three locals that are not enthusiastic /or have no interest running PFS when MTG, and other type games are the real-money makers for the stores.
Perhaps we need to incentivize the FLGS in order to elicit local support. Maybe a quarterly Pathfinder Society Store Support Pack that has exclusive events, posters, Paizo swag is needed.
I'm working on a propsal for beginner player support pack proposal as soon as I wrap up a few details on it(look in the VC board soon).
June,
I think Riv's post made it clear to me that "looking behind the curtain" and sharing some of the issues we're having may help players understand some of these challenges and get them working /with/ their local VC/VL and game day coordinators.
Colleges/schools are usually very supportive of PFS: it's a student activity that don't spend any money on, they have loads of empty space at night, and have (practically free) student workers in libraries that are there anyway. Swag bags would be absolutely perfect for that setup.
FLGS are a different issue.
FLGS /usually/ have people that love games running them. However, PFS is not always their game of choice and love of the game isn't always a factor that goes above the need to pay people and bills.
The incentive needed to justify blocking off a day, paying employees, keeping the lights and heat on, advertising, etc. has to be financial, and product sales aren't going to do it because there just isn't anything to buy for PFS.
(And to be honest, I'm probably the worst one because I have all my books on my iPad and Kindle and don't buy physical product. A FLGS really can't expect to squeeze any cash out of me, so why should I get to complain that they won't pay people to babysit my friends and I when I play in the store and use their toilet paper and internet for free..?)
If you play MTG or Warhammer, Wizard's Asylum in Tulsa is amazing. They have great games, lots of people, the staff play with you, they have painting and everything you could need for minis.. They're personally engaged and interested, PLUS they sell loads of cards/minis and supplies so they win on "personal interest" and "having money to stay open".
They're a great store, and they tell me they sell LOTS of Pathfinder AP.
But there's nothing that the players buy for PFS, the store doesn't have personal interest, so why divert their attentions? If I was running the store, after thinking about Riv's post and mine, PFS is actually /bad/ for Wizard's Asylum.
If they have people buying APs and splatbooks for home groups, what advantage is there to people playing Pathfinder with them instead of staying at home, buying books with non-legal stuff in it, and playing with that..?
That's exactly what Riv's comment points out to me:
"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."
My games are always free (and I usually buy pizza for my Thursday tables when I GM), but even assuming three tables a weeknight at $5/head and a full room, that's 3*6*5 = $90 for six hours (setup, session, "slack" for a long session, and shutting down the store afterwards). That's only $15/hr to pay for staff, utilities, etc.. breakeven at best.
That's why I'm stuck practically begging for ideas of how I can show a benefit to PFS organized play that offsets the cost for a FLGS; something that will make venues WANT to have PFS and hopefully avoid some of the problems I had with Riv's group (bad scheduling, limited time).
I'm not there yet. The more I think about it, the less sense it makes when I try to explain it to a FLGS. Maybe some owners can chime in with ideas for incentives...?
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 the judge agrees and shouldn't have, they fix it on appeal.
If the judge doesn't agree, tough.
If the judge doesn't agrees and should have, they fix it on appeal.
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.
They look at it from the viewpoint of “if you build it, they will come.”
Wizard’s Asylum has a fantastic store with lots of events that generate revenue: Magic, Warhammer, Pokemon all have an entry fee, a huge player base, and dedicated nights that people expect to play.
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.
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:
http://www.wizards.com/dnd/article.aspx?x=dnd/4dmxp/20120209
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:
http://www.thegm.org/perramsSpellbook.php
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.
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:
http://www.wizards.com/dnd/article.aspx?x=dnd/4dmxp/20120209
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:
http://www.thegm.org/perramsSpellbook.php
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 ROFLOL every time the comic book/gaming store owner touts me as a "professional GM", but after adding your bits that I am not already doing to my retinue I think I can finally believe them.
Marcus, I know you have already GM'd your game but I can tell you the first time I GM'd was at DragonCon. I was scared to death..."What if I ruin the game...
Having fun is the most important thing. If you have fun, they have fun. Most players don't care at all about technical mastery of the rules -- I always hear that people like that I am organized (so they aren't waiting for me to find stuff in the book) and that I have "funny voices". Picking out crazy voices for my NPCs and hamming it up makes it fun for me. :)
I really liked watching Chris Perkins run D&D for the writers of Robot Chicken (the video is on YouTube) and so I try to run my game so that people who play it remember having fun, and people watching say "That looks awesome and I want to play next!"
I'm curious, is "Alternate Class Reward" actually defined in any source?
Because if those exact words are not used in any other text, then by RAW, and thus in PFS, you cannot even choose your racial favored class bonus if you have this feat.
EDIT: Ok, the Core rulebook doesn't seem to use the text class reward, but the advanced players guide does.
Unless I have miscited, p 77 of ARG. Corrections appreciated!
Alternate Class reward is mentioned on page 9, the feat is page 77.
Thanks, Dylos! Was 50/50 on the page without the book handy ^_^
It makes no sense that one of the choices the feat would grant them is the alternate favored class reward, since PCs already have the option to take the alternate favored class reward. The only way the feat makes sense is if it's SP+HP, SP+AFCR, or HP+AFCR.
If the feat stopped after "you can gain both +1 HP and +1 skill", people would wonder if it took away the option of taking an alternate FCB, so they had to list that it was still an option.
Fast Learner
You progress gain extra versatility.
Prerequisites: Int 13, human.
Benefit: When you gain a level in a favored class, you gain both +1 hit point and +1 skill rank instead of choosing either one or the other benefit or you can choose an alternate class reward.
My read on it (and the way it's applied in the Tulsa area) is:
When you gain a level in a favored class, you gain:
a) both +1 hit point and +1 skill rank instead of choosing either one, or;
b) the other benefit or;
c) you can choose an alternate class reward.
Hopefully one of the devs will clarify.
I am very curious what a PC actually gets if they choose option B under that reading.
That is not a valid parsing of that sentence. The phrase "the other benefit" has to be referring to something already introduced in the text, but you're treating it as being an alternative to the only thing that's been introduced so far. Your reading of the sentence is self-disproving.
Jiggy,
Good catch!
My post should have read:
When you gain a level in a favored class, you gain:
a) both +1 hit point and +1 skill rank instead of choosing either one or the other benefit, or;
b) you can choose an alternate class reward.
I'm curious, is "Alternate Class Reward" actually defined in any source?
Because if those exact words are not used in any other text, then by RAW, and thus in PFS, you cannot even choose your racial favored class bonus if you have this feat.
EDIT: Ok, the Core rulebook doesn't seem to use the text class reward, but the advanced players guide does.
Unless I have miscited, p 77 of ARG. Corrections appreciated!
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
and calls out to the assembled townsfolk. “Once again the
winter winds blow through the Fangwood, marking the end
of another harvest. There are wolves in the woods, howling at
our walls, and serpents in our shadows, waiting to strike. Just
as it was one hundred and seventy-four years ago, when Kassen
himself left these walls to protect us, so it is today. Where are
the heroes? Where are the brave folk that will venture out to
Kassen’s tomb and retrieve the flame to keep this community
safe for another winter?”
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,
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
and calls out to the assembled townsfolk. “Once again the
winter winds blow through the Fangwood, marking the end
of another harvest. There are wolves in the woods, howling at
our walls, and serpents in our shadows, waiting to strike. Just
as it was one hundred and seventy-four years ago, when Kassen
himself left these walls to protect us, so it is today. Where are
the heroes? Where are the brave folk that will venture out to
Kassen’s tomb and retrieve the flame to keep this community
safe for another winter?”
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:
http://www.wizards.com/dnd/article.aspx?x=dnd/4dmxp/20120209
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:
http://www.thegm.org/perramsSpellbook.php
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.
Fast Learner
You progress gain extra versatility.
Prerequisites: Int 13, human.
Benefit: When you gain a level in a favored class, you gain both +1 hit point and +1 skill rank instead of choosing either one or the other benefit or you can choose an alternate class reward.
My read on it (and the way it's applied in the Tulsa area) is:
When you gain a level in a favored class, you gain:
a) both +1 hit point and +1 skill rank instead of choosing either one, or;
b) the other benefit or;
c) you can choose an alternate class reward.
Sorry for the delay in reply! We're going to start scanning all of the chronicle sheets moving forward to avoid those sorts of issues -- generally, if somebody loses a chronicle sheet and it's been reported, Nathan can reissue one with the information found in the session sheets (since he reports them at the cons) or I can look it up by your player ID and reissue one for you.
We have a pretty small (but dedicated and wonderful!) GM cadre that is happy to help.
I'm very glad that GCCG was a positive experience for you and that you're continuing to play. Nathan is an incredible guy and a fantastic asset to the Pathfinder community (even stepping in to manage GCCG when I had pneumonia), so I hope you'll plan on attending more of his monthly events at Stillwater.
Let me know if there's anything I can do to help!
Hyken,
As Jon said, we always love seeing new faces around the table. I've sent you a PM about some Tulsa games and will look forward to helping you get some characters rolled up. Since we don't have as big of a player base as other cities, you may also want to think about hitting up Jacob Savage on the Online Pathfinder Society Collective/Roll20 for some online gaming between physical sessions. Glad to have you aboard!
If you want the tl;dr version, here's what I keep in my bag:
- Two blank Paizo flipmats ($15/ea)
- Two packs of Vis-a-vis wet erase markers ($5/ea)
- Two packs of Bic mechanical pencils ($3/ea)
- Pack of mini legal pads ($2/ea)
- Two cheap "dollar store" mini white erase boards ($1/ea) that I marked up like the GameMastery "Combat Pad" with a Sharpie.
- Fantasy Flight Tokens, Red ($3/ea)
- Fantasy Flight Tokens, Blue ($3/ea)
- Fantasy Flight Tokens, Gold ($3/ea)
- Fantasy Flight Tokens, Silver ($3/ea)
- Fantasy Flight Tokens, Green ($3/ea)
- Pathfinder Beginner Box minis ($12/ea)
- Boxes of Starburst candy ($1/ea)
- Bestiary Box pawns/minis ($25/ea)
- Core Rulebook ($35/ea)
- Bestiary ($30/ea)
- Bestiary 2 ($30/ea)
- Bestiary 3 ($30/ea)
- Advanced Player's Guide ($30/ea)
- PFS Field Guide ($15/ea)
- PFS Guide to Organized Play, printed and bound ($5/ea)
I used the tokens for everything: bad guys, statutes, dungeon dressings, height indicators for flying stuff..
Inner Sea is great, but I never use it. Likewise, I don't ever bust out the Ultimates unless a player has them, because no scenario I've GMed yet calls things out of it for NPCs or plots.. There's almost /always/ a statblock.
Smart play trumps mechanical choices every time. I think 1 or maybe 2 out of 9 characters I've got have 10+ CON.
Always character concept first, then see if/how it can be made to work.
I'm very curious about what this allegedly smart play boils down to. Usually it seems to me that folks playing "Smart" are creeping around safely while the rest of the party is getting their clocks cleaned.
Doing something every round that benefits the party. That could be casting Guidance on the fighter then moving into a flanking position while drawing an attack of opportunity from an enemy so someone else doesn't suffer it.
Or hitting the baddy with a two-handed sword.
(Double smart play is not doing option 1 when the enemy's weilding a sycthe instead of a sword)
Anyone can move and power-attack, but a smart player with a bard or (even better) a battle herald is a joy to watch.
:-)
"GET HER! That was your plan?! GET HER!?"
I agree with Funky Badger.. It's not always the most fun to play support, but people who do it well (bless, guidance, true strike, sneak attack, darkness) usually turn the tide of battle way more than an extra couple points of damage.
I don't get to play very much (always GMing) so when I do, I think about what kind of character I would enjoy playing and what I want to do.
I usually like running rogue/wizard combinations (I always liked arcane tricksters!) with high diplomacy, a penchant for magic missile from the shadows, and some mad bluff skills.. I don't min/max to do it.
Instead, I would just roll up something that looks survivable, make sure you can damage up close, damage at range, deal with the common DR stuff, and can work well in a party.
Its less of a track and more of a stream of collective consciousness.
row row row your boat...
Don't cross the streams.
Fudging dice in PFS..? Try to imagine all life as you know it stopping instantaneously and every molecule in your body exploding at the speed of light.
If I'm hosting, I usually provide some sort of light refreshments (pretzels/chips/cookies) and I look after the soft drinks (tea/water/soda) and either have everybody bring potluck or kick in for takeaway. If it's part of a long campaign, I ask that everybody choose a week that they're responsible for taking care of the food.
If I'm a guest, I bring drinks and some potluck or contribute to the food fund. If it's part of a long campaign, I choose a week that I'm responsible for taking care of the food (either takeaway or something my wife makes for me to bring since nobody has a high enough fort save for my cooking, or a good enough reflex to avoid everybody's reaction to it).
I would like you to join me in extending congratulations to Mr. Nathan Lindy for accepting the position of Venture-Lieutenant for Oklahoma-Stillwater.
Nathan just earned his first star as a GM and has been instrumental in coordinating three- and six- slot events in Stillwater.
He comes highly recommended from the local community and I hope you all have a chance to say hello and get to know him either in the local gaming circuits, online through VTT in Roll20, or at one of the cons.
tldr; I need help figuring out if some CR3 or CR4 creatures can be beat by solo 4th level iconics.
All,
I have a small project that I need some help with. Specifically, I'm working on some solo adventures and I need to build some combat models to see if an X level Y class can defeat certain CR ratings, ALONE, without getting killed or without it being a cakewalk.
It's something like this:
http://faustusnotes.wordpress.com/2012/06/24/the-epidemiology-of-dd-what-is -the-best-ability-for-a-fighter/
Is there any sort of model that I can use to predict survivability for the 4th level iconic pregens (Ezren, Kyra, Valeros, Meri) against various foes?
I'm hoping to see if it's survivable to put a single character against:
(SET 2) worg, berghest, gargoyle, owlbear, or minotaur
Any help building the model would be greatly appreciated. It doesn't need to be at all formal.. If you have some people willing to help, you could just record a single fight and post the results.
1) You may play as many times as you like but you can only apply credit when (a) you play as a player for the first time (b) you GM for the first time or (c) it's a Level 1 scenario/module (like First Steps).
2) Your GM or VC/VL should catch it in the reporting system because it'll be flagged.
3) If you accidentally violate the rules, you can fix it by removing the chronicle sheet and notifying the VC/VL.
The Pathfinder Society Guide to Organized Play has more details.
I would say that since Bertram was never a PFS character, he is an NPC at best and you can't use PP to raise/resurrect an NPC. I'm +1 on the suggestion that you keep Bertram dead until you retire, and then make an "epilogue" or something about it.
Fire up your base! From personal experience, the more people you can get to show and play PFS, the more freedom you will be granted at future cons. Take all comers. Offer kid track and beginner box bashes.
Your ideal goal will be for the con organizer to realize that all he or she has to do is allow you to organize the PFS portion of the con, let him or her know how many tables you need, and who your GM's will be. They then just need to grant passes to those GM's and give you the play space.
This really is to the con organizer's advantage. Running a con is a huge pain in the neck. Once he or she realizes that they don't have to worry about the PFS crew -- and that you will also welcome and seat any and all who may be interested -- it will be a big weight off their shoulders.
I would think, based on the experience of some of the VCs here, that you:
(1) have a solid idea of the price/value component.
(2) know how many slots you need to run
(3) understand the desperate need for advertising and coordination (presale signups are key.. having somebody pay $45 and then not have a seat is bad karma)
Some things I would note:
(a) running an AP means you are asking people to commit to 8 hours of gaming at a con when there is other stuff to do; this a failing point of mine at Tokyo in Tulsa (a regional 5000 participant con) when I ran a two-parter PFS scenario.
(b) there is some open question about timing in using an AP rather than a "tried and true" PFS scenario that fits the theme, can be replicated by multiple GMs, and gives you a wide range of tiers to play with.
(c) without knowing how many slots or GMs you have, there's not much indication that you have enough people compared to capacity (again, a failing of mine at Tokyo in Tulsa.. I only had 3 GMs * 3 slots * 6 players * 3 days = 162 people.. that's 162/5000 or roughly 3.23%)
My suggestions would be if I could do it again:
(i) I would make sure I did themed scenarios that were one-off so that I don't have people forced to pick between a panel and Pathfinder
(ii) I would run more exclusive stuff (like Day of the Demon!) that gave people a reason to pick between a panel and Pathfinder
(iii) I would run for STAFF at the cons and let people watch (like that celebrity Robot Chicken <other game system> game with Chris Perkins and offer signups for "townies" who would be around after the con at my local game store
(iv) I would pick one scenario a day and run it to death.. 6 GMs? Everybody is running that one. That way, the same guy isn't camped out at the table all day.
It's like trick-or-treating with children -- I'd rather give every kid that shows up /something/ than the first ten kids get a full size candy bar. (That way, nobody eggs my house).
Likewise, /everybody/ that paid $45 should get at least /some/ dice time and that can be accomplished by running easy, straightforward scenarios and running the SAME scenario MULTIPLE times.
(Bonus: "I played that Pathfinder thing and it was awesome! You should totally play it!" in the hallways. Everybody loves watching their buddy get killed by the trap they did.. "I went down the well" is a rite of passage elsewhere..)
