My gaming group has a yearly "mini-convention" each year, and for this year I'm thinking of running a one-shot Pathfinder adventure.
I was looking at either Academy of Secrets or Tomb of the Iron Medusa. Any thoughts on whether these would be appropriate for a 4-5 hour gaming session?
Timothy, we do not have tracking available for the standard postal delivery that was on your package. Your estimated delivery time is 4 to 8 business days (March 17th to 23rd). While it is running late at this point, but it is not yet so late that we should give up on it. Please give it another week, and if you still haven't seen it by the end of the month, I will get you set up with a replacement. In the meantime, since it has been shipped, the PDF is available for download in the My Downloads area of your Paizo profile.
Most recent volume:
Pathfinder Adventure Path #43: Haunting of Harrowstone (Carrion Crown 1 of 6) (PFRPG) Print Edition shipped 03/11/11 via USPS Package Service (estimated 4 to 8 business days in transit
has not yet arrived. However, another order that was shipped on 03/14/11 has arrived.
Has an exact shipping date for subscribers been determined?
We hope to be able to ship copies in early August, but because of international shipping and customs, we never know exactly when things will reach our warehouse until a day or so before they arrive. So don't look for a firm date until then.
Any chance of it arriving at our homes before GenCon?
Every already sold book that they bring to GenCon is one un-sold book they have to leave in the warehouse. I don't know if that has anything to do with their decision, I mean being Paizo they are pretty good about treating their customers right. However, given the size and weight of the tome, I would be suprised if it was not at least a consideration. I mean they only have X amount of floor space at the show, and a few hundred pre-orders would consume a good part of that in what amounts to temparary storage.
Yep agreed - it will be some logistics work!
It's my understanding that purchasing it at the Paizo booth will not entitle anyone to a discount on the PDF or include the PDF. (Please correct me if I am wrong.)
So, then you have people who have pre-ordered or now belong to the new subscription who faithfully subscribe, but are not able to obtain the book at a convention where it is first unveiled ;-)
Just trying to please everyone.
For myself: If I can get the book there as part of a subscription, then I will subscribe. Otherwise, it's ~$18 cheaper at Amazon. No PDF that way, but $18 is $18!
Eric in another thread that there are more than several hundred preorders. I would imagine thousands... it maybe like Vic said that it might be hard to organise.
I agree, for the folks at Gencon, it would be nice.
I understand. However, as they are selling the book at GenCon, they are shipping them to Indy anyway. It doesn't seem to be that hard to have a list of those that plan to pick them up there with them as well.
Yes to the first. As for the second, you can certainly buy a copy there and get it signed, but right no there's no way to for you to pick up a preorder or subscription copy at Gen Con. (We know folks want it, but it's really not easy to do.) If that changes, we'll let you know.
Why not still charge the shipping option but allow people to pick up their books at GenCon? Require that the indicate prior to GenCon - say prior to 1-Aug - that they plan to pick up the book at GenCon. That way you know how many to bring as well as can create a list of those picking up the book. If for some reason they didn't pick it up, you've still collected the shipping fee to cover sending it to them.
It's a bit of work, but is certainly doable. (I picked up my copy of Ptolus at GenCon a couple of years ago. If Monte can manage it, I'm sure that Paizo can!)
I agree completely with the last two posts. Forcing people to dedicate a slot to pick up the book will pretty much guarantee I won't play PF at GenCon.
I've been GMing a Ptolus / AE campaign for a little over two years now and my players absolutely love it.
The combination of Ptolus with its wealth of detail and information with the well-balanced AE races & classes have made for the best campaign I've ever run.
(We've been playing together for 15+ years.)
When my current campaign ends (mid next year), I'm planning to run a Ptolus / AE / Pathfinder campaign -- with Ptolus set as the city of Absalom.
Should be lots of fun. I encourage anyone who hasn't done it to give AE a try.
I love Monte's stuff and am currently running a Ptolus / Arcana Evolved campaign. When that campaign wraps up, I'll be moving Ptolus to the Pathfinder Campaign setting as the main city (Aldoran if memory serves -- I haven't read the campaign setting yet) and running a combined Pathfinder / Arcana Evolved with Ptolus as the main city.
I see this as the best of all worlds. It allows me to take advantage of both the Ptolus and Pathfinder campaign settings and wealth of materials as well as allows my players to choose either AE or Pathfinder for their PCs.
I've been mixing straight 3.5 and AE in my current Ptolus campaign and it works quite well. The only key is to ensure that the magic systems don't mix. (Something that's easy to do. You're either an AE spell caster or a 3.5 spell caster, not both.)
Based on the overwhelming turnout this year, I suspect securing a larger space will not be a problem.
Good news on securing more space. I played several games over at Union Station and the noise level was much better -- although the rooms were far less packed.
You may want to check in to Edison North or South. Saturday afternoon (4 - 8pm slot) there were only 2 tables being used in North and South was completely empty. Both had 8+ tables in them.
I thought I'd share a few comments from GenCon. My gaming group and I played in two events (#1 & #2). In no particular order:
- marshaling / organization was very well done
- the adventures were overall fun to play, with opportunity for each faction to "take a part in the adventure"
A few comments and suggestions for improvements:
- the room was very very noisy -- at times we simply could not hear the GM
- the adventures were relatively short - we finished #2 in under 2 hours. I'd suggest adding some optional elements that the GM can throw in as needed due to time.
- the faction specific goals were far too simple. It would have (perhaps) been more fun if they were a bit harder to accomplish.
That's all. Overall a resounding success! I can't wait for next years GenCon.
I thought I'd share a few comments from GenCon. My gaming group and I played in two events (#1 & #2). In no particular order:
- marshaling / organization was very well done
- the adventures were overall fun to play, with opportunity for each faction to "take a part in the adventure"
A few comments and suggestions for improvements:
- the room was very very noisy -- at times we simply could not hear the GM
- the adventures were relatively short - we finished #2 in under 2 hours. I'd suggest adding some optional elements that the GM can throw in as needed due to time.
- the faction specific goals were far too simple. It would have (perhaps) been more fun if they were a bit harder to accomplish.
That's all. Overall a resounding success! I can't wait for next years GenCon.
I'm excited as well -- but disappointed that this is coming so late. This gives 5 days to create a character. Not bad, but when trying to coordinate with the rest of my gaming group -- that gets together on Friday's -- it's too late.
How much effort does creating a character take? You can come up with the concept, fluff, and basic numbers now, and then drop in whatever tweaks are needed once the info's released.
Most experienced players can probably knock-up the crunchy bits of a 1st level SRD-only character in 5 minutes off the top of their head and get it virtually all correct (probably just check a couple of racial abilities and equipment prices). Particularly if they've got a pre-printed character record sheet to work on.
Give an inexperienced (but non-virgin) player half and hour + the PHB, and have somebody more experienced look over it.
So all of the fluff and 95% of the crunch can be done easily in advance, then just drop in the minor PFS-specific details later -- nothing to worry about :)
Yep -- that's the plan. Likely won't be able to take advantage of any campaign specific feats or bits of information, just a straight off the shelf PC. Of course, can't do any of the stats, equipment, skills, etc. as we don't have the creation rules yet -- e.g., how many points can we assign, etc. etc.
...along with the rest of the Pathfinder Society website will go live sometime tomorrow afternoon. No, we don't know when exactly. "End of day" is our target. :-)
I'm excited as well -- but disappointed that this is coming so late. This gives 5 days to create a character. Not bad, but when trying to coordinate with the rest of my gaming group -- that gets together on Friday's -- it's too late.
I hate to say it again, but this is very much like RPGA - and needs to be better.
According to the blog, the guidelines will be released on 08 Aug 2008, at the latest.
The Blog wrote:
"The drop dead [to release the Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play PDF] is August 8. If we can have it out before then, we will.
Thanks. I was hoping that it would be earlier. Just a bit of compliant: this is very late given that the convention is the next week. Late responses was the reason I stopped GMing for the RPGA (modules showing up a week before the con, etc.).
I hope that this is not an indication of similar issues to come.
When are the guidelines for character creation for GenCon going to be released?
If they are not released in the next couple of days, I assume that each slot at GenCon will include character creation time -- probably at least 30 minutes.
Do the modules / adventures allow for such creation time?
The sound of the hammer clanged constantly inside the blacksmith's tent. Tokmak was talking to his son while finishing a sword.
-These are instruments of death, Tipene. It is not something to be treated lightly.
-Then why are you forging them, father?
Tokmak looked at his son, thinking he was quite clever and bold for a seven year old. No wonder most people called him "Poki", The Fox.
-It's my duty to the clan. Warriors need swords and, sadly, we need warriors.
-But father...- Tipene complained, -I want to be a warrior too!
-Silence!- his father interrupted. -I swore I would never use a weapon, and I will never teach you how to use them.- He wasn't going watch his son die for anyone's whim. -I forbid you to ever use a weapon while I live. You'll learn the crafts of iron and steel, and continue my work.
His father wasn't going to help him achieve his dream. He was going to be a warrior, anyway, so if he wasn't allowed to carry weapons, he'd learn to use his own hands if necessary.
Old Hawk:
-Soldiers! Tipene, run!
The ground shook with the hooves of the galloping horses. Everyone was running amok, trying to save themselves and their most beloved. Tipene heard his mother calling him, and he ran to her – she was not the fastest runner and might be in need of him. Together, they made it to a nearby forest, where the few survivors gathered to cry for their lost relatives and the sacking of their homes.
-Mother... where's father?
Both realised at the same time that Tokmak wasn't there. One of the neighbours nearby answered Tipene's question. -He... he refused to leave the forge. The soldiers recruited by force everyone they found.
The Fox Leaves The Hawk:
-Yes, uncle, I want to go. My mother is dead and my father was taken to the war. I need to find what happened to him.
Tipene knew it was his moment. It was hard to leave his family, or what was left of it, but he had to do this. He was going to find his father. Then it was his uncle who spoke.
-Poki, the younglings need to choose their own path. You are cunning as a fox, strong as a lion and The Hawk will fly with you.- He smiled, for he loved his nephew as if he was his own child. -I swear I will keep the forge working and, if you ever want to come back, you'll be welcome.
Tipene left his family lands, heading for the unknown. He had made himself a warrior, testing himself against the best he could find, learning new ways to defeat his opponents with no other weapon than his hands and his wits. He was soon going to find whether he was up to the challenge.
The Fox:
Tipene comes from a small village by the riverside, near Asmerade's Tears. He is a strong built young man, usually silent and introvert. He shaved his head when he began to lose his hair at a very young age, as most of his family's males, and has his arms tattooed: one with his clan's sacred animal, the hawk, and the other with his personal animal spirit, the fox.
His moniker was earned when he was a kid. His father wouldn't allow him to use weapons, so he had to learn how to outwit his opponents while fighting only with his shield and his fists.
After leaving his family, he wandered around with little aim, trying to find about his father, but in the end he found himself with no money. Luckily, some merchants offered him a good pay for escorting them to Tykren, and that he did. There, alone and hungry, he accepted a job as a bouncer in a popular tavern.
Tipene is well respected there, and his size and usually serious behaviour is enough to prevent any drunken halfling from causing trouble. But he still has his own goals, and he knows the more he postpones it, the harder it will be to gather news about his father.
Unbeknownst to him, there's a human blacksmith in town who fought alongside his father in the war, and might tell him how his father died. If only Tipene knew that and asked...
Intro, Defense & Offense:
"Poki" Tipene
Male Human Brawler 1
LG Medium Humanoid (Human)
STR 18 (+4)
DEX 14 (+2)
CON 12 (+1)
INT 10 (+0)
WIS 14 (+2)
CHA 8 (-1)
Languages:
-Common
Speed 30 ft
DEFENSE
---------------
AC 18, Touch 12, Flat-Footed 16
HP 12 (10 Class + 1 CON +1 Fav)
Fort +3, Ref +4, Will +3 CMD: 16
OFFENSE
---------------
Melee
Unarmed Strike: +6 1d6+4 B x2
Acrobatics: 2 (1 Rank +2 DEX +3 Class -4 ACP) Craft (Blacksmith): 1 (1 Rank +0 INT) Intimidate: 3 (1 Rank -1 CHA +3 Class) Perception: 6 (1 Rank +2 WIS +3 Class) Profession (Bouncer): 6 (1 Rank +2 WIS +3 Class) Sense Motive: 6 (1 Rank +2 WIS +3 Class) Swim: 1 (1 Rank +4 Dex -4 ACP)
Gear:
Gear (weight)
Heavy Wooden Shield (10)
Lamellar Leather (25)
Belt Pouch (0.5)
Knife (1)
Canteen (1)
Backpack (2)
Blanket (3)
Flint and Steel (0)
Bedroll (5)
Soap (0)
Gear Maintenance Kit (2)
Extra Outfit (5)
Total weight: 50
Purse: 48 gp, 4 sp, 10 cp
Goals:
Tipene's IC goals are to find his father (or what happened to him) and cultivate his fighting style into a new teaching.
OOC, he will probably take levels in Monk (Master of Many Styles), which perfectly merges with his fighting philosophy of adaptation, and possibly change race into Half-Orc (maybe fitting due to being quite a misunderstood guy).
