My (humble) suggestions to being able to run scenarios in loud rooms for an extended convention (GenCon, I'm thinking of you...): a) There are times that I take the extra prep time to print the Mission Introduction for handout at the start. Not only does this help the players 'hear' you as you read along, but it's also a nice thing for the players after 3+ hours in the same chair who are thinking, "What is it we were supposed to do again?" b) Knowledge or Geography rolls? Print them, then cut them and hand them to the players. That's supposed to be something the character knows, not necessarily the table. Another thing to save the voice. c) Doing the same with the mission summary, conclusion, and primary/secondary conditions gives your players something to read while you fill out Chronicle sheets. And it saves your voice for the slots you have upcoming. d) Having flip mats and map packs to lay out, or having your maps pre-printed: the sooner you're out of the noisy room, the easier it can be. e) I use a magnet board (from a company no longer active) to track initiatives. I also cheated and got a small easel used for those 8 by 10 desk pictures. I don't see initiative, but the players DO- that speeds up the game if they know when it's their turn to go. f) As I mentioned above, I can (and do) use cough drops. Even as a preventative measure. Anything to keep the vocal cords from closing up. g) 'Alternative' voices may help paint the picture, but they're hell on the vocal cords. I did Holgarin Smine for 7-02: Six Seconds to Midnight during GenCon for the first three slots; I didn't do him the final two, as I was forcing the issue. h) For those soft-spoken players, I have no problem leaving my chair and walking up to the player in question. Saves on your check to see if you can hear them.
I will not allow 'true' digital dice; I've had them in the past, and the ones I have observed and tested don't pass the CHI Square test. I *will* allow the physical d20s which light up; then again, I have a legally blind player who makes it to a few of my conventions that uses HeroLab on an iPad, a magnifying glass to read his iPad, and and that 'electronic' d20. -- S.
Re-arranged the deck chairs on the Titanic- here's a link to the file. Additional Class Decks & PreGens since Guide v2.1 release I'll keep it updated as Paizo releases class decks and pregen lists. -- Steve Mulhern
Gentle request here. I have a player coming from Colorado to Milwaukee WI and will be joining us at our Organized Play Adventure Card Game on December 23rd. We are currently battling the Demonic forces in Season 1, and have just succeeded (after much gnashing of teeth) in defeating the Defiled One (1-4B: With a Bit of a Mind Flip). Our party consists of Lem (Bard), Kyra (Cleric), Sajan (Monk), Seelah (Paladin), and Seoni (Sorcerer), that would theoretically leave him with choices of Fighter/Valeros, Ranger/Harsk, Rogue/Merisiel, or Wizard/Ezren if we do a special dip into OP scenario 1-5A: Dryad Dust so he could play the level 5 PreGen. My Druid class deck has shipped from Paizo's warehouses. On review, I noticed that there hasn't been a Pregen release of Druid, Monk, or Paladin as of yet (at least, not that I've found anywhere.) As long as I am requesting these, is there any way to combine things when it comes to the characters? For example, I have separate downloads for the Character Sheets, then another for the Monk deck list, and the pre-gens would theoretically be a third download I would have to find. Only the Monk Deck List is located on the Product page; there is no download for the Community Use Package: Pathfinder Adventure Card Game Character Sheets (had to find that elsewhere). -- Steve
We were down 2 players in our 5-player group, and then we had a last-minute new player to bring us up to 4 players. Rallying Cry came up during our run-through, also. With a (Tier 1) Seoni playing for the first time, (Tier 2) Radillo with Int +2 and two Mythic Charges, (Tier 2) Lem, and a (Tier 2) Kyra, we were able to acquire every ally and defeat that bane easily enough. Sacrificing Queen Galfrey at the Mongrel Village netted us three boons, and allowed us to see the monster, followed by Gangrel Fiendsplicer. We got into position, temp-closed three locations, and then did a two-turn explore to get to Gangrel. Two people did not reset, and took (1d4-1) 0 cards Mental Damage. Gangrel was defeated easily- Radillo punched him in the face first (three blessings = 4d6 vs. DC 8), and then spelled him for 30 vs DC 12. 12 blessings were left in the deck, but why milk it when we already knew we had enough boons (and only encountering 2 barriers) through 17 turns? (One blessing was burnt on a failed Ally check.) Our biggest worries were Seoni pulling a Carrion Golem (thank goodness for Caltrops!), then two DC 18 Deck2 monsters encountered during the exploration phases. Overall, we scored an Ally-1 for Tier 1 Seoni, a Spell-2 for Radillo, a Weapon-2 for Lem, and an Ally-2 for Kyra. The newest player loved the mechanics, and told us his Wednesday nights are free- so we're going to see what happens when we happen to have 6 at the table as we Roll Along, Merrily. (That may prove interesting- playing where you only get 5 turns throughout the game.) -- S.
Ladies and Gentlemen: I know that I haven't had a lot of dealings with the Customer Service team- but Every. Single. One. have been the epitome of courteousness and professionalism. Two Mondays ago I telephoned the Customer Service office as I had yet to receive the 2nd Adventure Deck from the Wrath of the Righteous box. Gave the CSR my order number, they took a look and said, "Yes, the shirts are backordered- let me move them to a sidecart." I received a change of order notification while I was still on the phone with him, a shipment notification within the hour, and I received the Adventure Decks before the week was out. Two days ago, I emailed into Customer Service with some questions on the Class Deck Subscription. This afternoon, I received a response that answered all of the questions I had asked, as well as some that weren't asked. (Thank you, Diego.) Diego's thoughtfulness, professionalism, and suggestions were enough for me to pull the trigger on a second subscription. I believe that, from what I experienced on the five interactions I've had with them over the last 6 years, that this is the norm for Paizo. And, I'm calling them out on it, standing, and applauding them for it. -- Steve Mulhern
Ladies and Gents, I'm pleased to announce that two new Venture Lieutenants have joined the ranks for the Southeast Wisconsin area. The first is Dan Ziermann, Venture-Lieutenant, Milwaukee WI. Dan has been a regular for the last two-plus years at the Game Universe-Greenfield, now Game Universe-Franklin store. He brings a lot of enthusiasm and Pathfinder Society knowledge to the table. The second is Joe Millsaps, Venture-Lieutenant, Kenosha WI. Joe has tirelessly promoted Pathfinder Society at the Board Game Barrister- Greenfield location for the last three-plus years, and brings a tireless enthusiasm about all things Pathfinder. You can see what tables are being run at both stores at the Metro Milwaukee Organized Role Playing Guild Meetup boards. Now that I've posted this, I'm going to be driving to their respective stores and handing them brand-new Venture-Lieutenant shirts so that they can dress the part. :) -- Steve Mulhern
Ah yes. The Dragon Empires. I know them well. The lands I grew up in. The language I, natively, speak. My First Steps in the Society (10-Aug-13) were completed mere moments before Amara Li formally closed the doors of Absalom's Lantern Lodge. Otherwise, I may have served her with distinction; instead, I find myself allied with Ollysta Zadrain, instead (since Season 5; 18-Aug-13). And, now many of my brethren have recently been recruited to the Pathfinders; those shapeshifting kitsune, the sibelent nagaji, those acquiring Tengu, and the dark and mysterious wayang. To educate those gajin unfamiliar with my lands, my people, and my abilities... well, I would applaud. With honor,
Ladies and Gents, new Venture Captain here (RPG side) who has played a single game of Rise of the Runelords ACG. I see 5 Adventures (0-1 Lost at Sea, etc.) and 25 Scenarios (0-0A On The Horizon, etc). I know that Wrath of the Righteous is right around the corner, so the lady and I would like to try to get through a few series to get some experience for our characters, get to learn the ins-and-outs of the game, etc. The only question is, with 30 different possibilities, where to start? And I'm making an assumption here- is the Adventures similar to a Module on the RPG side, getting more boons and rewards? (RPG Side, a Module gives 3 XP and 4 PP, while a Scenario gives 1 XP, 2 PP). -- Steve
You set up your GM screen; your module is printed and highlighted for the important bits; you've printed out every important NPC's character sheet; you've pre-signed all of the Chronicle sheets. Then you look over the table as the players place their miniatures. Six combat-trained Tigers to go with the six players. And an eidolon (bipedal skill monkey). And two familiars (oh, but they're non-combat). And three horses. Then, two of the casters have five various "Summon Monster" scrolls they're letting you know about ahead of time. What you thought was going to be a relatively enjoyable GM'ing session can now be compared to a football team trampsing through a scenario. -- Steve Mulhern
My Google-Fu has found it; here is the link and the relevant quote: Treat a monk without the fast movement class feature as a 0-level monk for the purposes of determining the bonus granted by the braid.
I found it at one point and time, but my Search-Fu is apparently weak at the moment. I have a level 5 Monk (Flowing Monk). Normally, the Flowing Monk does not get Fast Movement (getting Unbalancing Counter instead). I believed that I saw a post indicating that, when you purchase the Braid of a Hundred Masters, if you do not have Fast Movement as a Monk class skill you instead are considered a Monk (0 level), which will give you the necessary +3 Levels for an additional 10 feet of movement. Hoping that someone official can sign off on it, or someone else who has stronger Google-Fu can link to the original Rules thread question. Thank you! Braid of a Hundred Masters: (From Scenario #3-13: The Quest For Perfection, Part 3: Defenders of the Nesting Swallow) (5,200 gp; If the wearer of this necklace has levels in monk, his fast movement and unarmed damage are treated as a monk of 3 levels higher. If the character is not a monk, he gains the fast movement and unarmed damage of a 3rd-level monk. This fast movement functions just like the monk’s fast movement class feature. These bonuses do not stack with those granted by other items or effects. In addition, as a swift action three times per day, a character with the flurry of blows class feature can use the Braid of a Hundred Masters to apply 1-1/2 times his Strength bonus on damage rolls for successful attacks made with flurry of blows. This ability must be activated before the damage from the attack is rolled, though it may be activated after the attack roll is made and before the damage roll. Once this ability is activated, its effect lasts for 1 round.) |
