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General typo in doubling/halving damage (p293):

Quote:

For example, if you critically hit with a +1 longsword,

you would roll 4d8 and add your modifier twice instead
of rolling 2d8 and adding your modifier once.

Longswords do 1d8 damage (no listed weapon does 2 dice of anything) according to p180

+1 weapons do an extra die of damage when they hit, which then gets doubled on a critical hit

I looked at the cleric, druid, sorcerer, and wizard, each of those classes is given a feat at 20th level to gain a 10th level spell slot and a choice of spells known. In the bard class there is no corresponding feat, this just looks like an oversight but wanted to bring it up

Also, at 1st level the bard only knows two spells, 1 free choice and 1 that is decided by their muse. This is less than the other spellcasting classes, even the sorcerer. Is this an oversight or intentional?

Fromper,
That is an amazing list to be put down that simply. Those are the things I always try to think about when making a character, I don't like being a one-trick pony at the gaming table.

Again, thanks for all the warm and positive responses. Looks like it won't be too costly to grab some of those things as PDFs, and just replace burning disarm with another spell if needed.

@RealAlchemy
Yeah, point buy isn't my strongest skill set yet, I'm accustomed to the older style of rolling for abilities. I'm pretty certain I have a 15 or 16 in Wis (not including racial bonus) and maybe one other 14? I wasn't sure if it was better to have an 18 in a stat, or a more balanced stat set overall. I think I might keep my Dex & Con low-avg and pump my Str and Wis.

Awesome, thanks for the tips guys. Looks like I'll be spending some coin on the books so that I can have him be a legal character. Might have to rethink some of the decisions otherwise, which actually sucks but I understand.

@BNW
I actually wasn't aware of that, I'll have to look into it to see what my character can wrangle out of it.

So I've decided to take the plunge and see what PFS is all about. So far from reading and talking to people that play, it sounds like a fun time. I'm just a bit "nervous", for lack of a better word, about bringing in a sub-optimal character to the table. Considering I'm only playing as 1st level, it shouldn't be too difficult to make a viable character, but 1st level characters also tend to be squishy. Also, I'm accustomed to making characters to fill in a missing role in the group, not just for the sake of making a character.

After much thinking last night, I decided on playing a Half-Orc Urban Druid. I switched out a few of the racial abilities for the Half-Orc to make him fit better in an urban environment. The point buy was the hardest time I had with everything, mainly because I didn't want a dump stat (personal choice). I took 15 in Wis and pretty much 12's across the board (at work and trying to do this off of memory).

With my trait selections, I was able to spread out my skills a little better. I took Diplomacy as my favored class bonus, Knowledge (local), Knowledge (nature), Sense Motive (class skill from Trait), Spellcraft, Profession (Brewer). Decided upon Toughness for my feat, was easier on my brain. And I chose Charm as my domain choice, fits my ideas for what this character wants to do) and am taking Thunderstomp and Burning Disarm for my 1st level spells.

I know I could RP the hell out of this character and make him come alive in a different setting, and that was what was causing me most of problems with making the character. Plus, most of my characters have been ranged and/or spell casters, so making a character that wades into melee (and I will have to do that with my Domain power) is a bit foreign to me. My thoughts behind the character were that he wanted to open a Beer Garden, to bring a bit of nature to the city. Plus, everyone loves ale and beer, so it would be easier to spread influence and gain rumors with said abilities I was picking.

As a character for a longer arching campaign, I would be all over making this character as awesome as possible. Unfortunately, that isn't likely to happen in PFS and I'm comfortable with that. I'm not married to this character for PFS, if he doesn't get played there I will bring him out in another campaign. Any alternatives that get thrown out there, I would gladly consider.

Thanks in advance,
Nervous New PFS Player

Last month I had the opportunity to play with the Order of the Amber Die at Philly GamesCon. Before going I looked around at their Facebook page, and was very impressed. Here was a group of guys that not just enjoyed playing the game, but made it their passion. The dedication and time that they put into their Crystal Spire marathon was something I had never seen before, so I went into the convention with pretty high expectations.

When I say that my expectations were surpassed, it's a bit of an understatement. Sitting down at the table I was struck by just how much they enjoy playing Pathfinder and Crystal Spire in general. The table was draped with a large green cloth, they had their flip-mats ready to go as well as miniatures separated out by type and the ones they knew they were going to use for that floor were in their own box. Not only did they bring all of these accessories to the game, they had 3 GMs running the slot so that we could try and slog through two levels of the Spire during the first evening. From the initiative board to the printed pictures of the monsters and NPCs we faced, these guys knew how to deliver an unforgettable gaming experience. Even when the convention closed the ballroom down early and we weren't anywhere near finished, they brought us back to their hotel room to set up the game and continue onwards. We ended up playing until almost 5 am, and even though those two floors ended in a TPK, it was a memorable and enjoyable evening that will stay with me for a while. I'm glad we got to finish up the levels, even if it did end in defeat and I had to bury my first character of the weekend.

Saturday night I sat down to the table, thrilled to be playing with these guys again. We had one of their Order join us for that evening's session, and you could see the camaraderie immediately, but they made everyone that came to their games feel like part of the group. That was one of the awesome things about this group, they get so much enjoyment from playing and are passionate that anyone that shows the same kind of energy is more than welcome. Even when faced with inexperienced players, their patience and excitement to be able to expand someone's experiences were contagious. This evening was more intense than Friday, considering that during the first encounter one of the PCs ended up being killed. Mind you, it was an epic death and the person playing said PC was not bothered in the slightest. Thankfully they had pregen characters with them and we were able to continue forward and try to plow through the rest of the dungeon. The rest of the adventure was definitely challenging to the group; a near TPK during the basilisk encounter sobered everyone at the table and reminded them just how dangerous the Emerald Spire actually is. My favorite encounter of the entire evening was when we faced the Succubus sisters. Thankfully there were 3 GMs for this encounter, it added a whole other level to the experience that would have been lacking otherwise. Two of the GMs took the personality of the sisters, and didn't flinch when it came to trying to seduce the players at the tables. I know many a GM who would have been awkward of uncomfortable in that situation, but these guys were fully prepared for all of this, I found out later that they had spent much of the afternoon going through the encounter to make sure that they were fully prepared. This is what I call dedication, forgoing the exploration of the convention to guarantee that they were as fully prepared as possible. Even though my favorite character of the weekend was buried during that encounter, this will rank as one of the most memorable gaming experiences.

By Sunday, convention exhaustion had begun to settle into my bones. Plus, having buried three characters in 2 days, my enthusiasm was faltering. That didn't matter when I finally sat down to the table though; the Order was able to inspire me to put aside everything and give my all to the game. Unfortunately, we didn't have the time necessary to complete the last level of the Spire but they did their best to get us through as much as we could. It truly was an epic finish to a fantastic weekend, the guys brought an energy to the table that was able to wash away everyone's exhaustion at the table. Most of that afternoon is a blur for me, but that's because exhaustion had finally kicked in for me. Even so, I walked away from that session with a sense of accomplishment and a desire to make sure the next time I play a character of that level I am fully prepared.
Not only did the Order of the Amber Die deliver a truly epic and unforgettable weekend, they did something even more important for me. They awoke the desire inside to jump back into the game and explore. I hadn't had the opportunity to play much over the past 5 years, and every group that I played with seemed to be lacking something that I couldn't put my fingers on. After my time with the Order during the weekend, I realized what it was. I needed to find a group that was as passionate about the game outside of gaming sessions as they were during. This was a group that brings their all to the game, regardless of if they are running an adventure or not. It was my honor and pleasure to have played with them throughout the weekend, especially since they were the only RPGs I actually played during that convention. Even so, I don't feel like I missed out on a thing; honestly, I got more than I had bargained for and then some. I salute all the members of the Order for their passion and dedication and sharing it with the community. Hopefully your efforts will inspire gamers for generations to come!