Z...D...'s page

Z...D... wrote:

And #2: Hesla's action "Betrayer of Demons", should it be a free action? It shows as a single action ability. The requirements are "Hesla critically hits a foe or critically succeeds at her Ember Spinner reaction"

To me it sounds as if it should be a free action based off how it reads. IMO sounds like a special critical specialization. I could also see it as a reaction as well.

If it is to be a normal single action, you would not be able to use it as part of her Ember Spinner Reaction, except in odd corner cases.

I plan to make it a single action where her reaction must have been used and critically succeeded since the end of her last round. I feel that is less of a change than making it a free action.

I left it as a free action and for once in a very long while, a severe encounter felt severe. My party persevered and succeeded, but was delighted with the tough combat.

Z...D... wrote:

No changes to the chase for more party members, only different tiers. I think adding an obstacle point for five and six players would have been suitable.

I am prepping this at the moment and the scenario is internally inconsistent on this. The chase cards set the successes at 4 but the text says you need a number of successes equal to the number of party members. I plan to use the second option.

Completely glossed over that. Will keep that in mind for future chase scenes though.

Read through a couple of times and the only things that is sticking out at me are:

No changes to the chase for more party members, only different tiers. I think adding an obstacle point for five and six players would have been suitable.

And #2: Hesla's action "Betrayer of Demons", should it be a free action? It shows as a single action ability. The requirements are "Hesla critically hits a foe or critically succeeds at her Ember Spinner reaction"

To me it sounds as if it should be a free action based off how it reads. IMO sounds like a special critical specialization. I could also see it as a reaction as well.

If it is to be a normal single action, you would not be able to use it as part of her Ember Spinner Reaction, except in odd corner cases.

Time to retire...jk

About an 1:30, but I tend to run fast and we had a small group.

Glad to see GENCON online. Thanks for making it happen.

I mean the Generalist's bombs scale. Why not allow the scrolls?

+1

Sounds right to me. The forced/reg/forced pattern would be the best pattern. Avoids fatigue due to no more than two consecutive days of forced march.

It is certainly an option. But this fatigue you can not sleep away.

Link

So at a minimum, you can forced march 2 days. On the third day, all of the characters with a +1 con modifier or less will have to spend an entire day of downtime resting.

Last weekend I had 3 new player sit down at my tables.

Two of the players are employees of the FLGS we run at and now I am in the process of setting up Beginner Boxes day in February, running a beginners only Second Confirmation run to introduce them to Society, and finally hosting a Character Creation day where experienced GMs and players will help answer questions they may have creating society legal characters.

As anticipated I had a low tier party, and two of the four had 25’ movement. As it was they found Star on day 15 without visiting a third ruin site or the western oasis (which cost them a treasure bundle). I was not going to spring this “gotcha” on my players without giving them the chance to buy a mount.

My group also didn't secure that TB.

I did remind them that scenarios are designed to award 8 treasure bundles. The other 2 are bonuses.

So they still came out ahead with 9/10.

Source

Which is my biggest problem with this scenario: it's main mechanical 'gimmick' is a 'Gotcha' for the PCs, and gives them no method to take steps to improve their ability to use the hexploration mechanic once they're 'locked in' to playing it. When playing I had a party where 5 characters all had 30+ feet of movement. Doesn't matter: none of our resources or options could speed up the 25-footer (we even had a longstrider wand on hand! But that 'slow' PC couldn't activate it...)

I do not see this as a "gotcha" moment.

Is it difficult? yes.

Is it frustrating? yes.

I do not think it was the intention to "get" anyone.

Sometimes supplies are scarce and you do not know what you are getting into. ie. lack of horses and supplies. The blurb does say you are sent to explore a desert and find a something at an unknown location. IMO expect a harsh environment and pick one of your agents that is best suited for desert travel if you have one. If not suited, you're gonna have a rough time.

I have a question about the "A Broken Promise Haunt." The statblock doesn't have a Routine, so do you just not ever enter Initiative? It triggers once every 10 minutes, and that's it?

Correct, it does not put you into initiative. It happens and then you move on. If you detect it, you can attempt to temporarily disable it. The haunt then resets after 10 minutes and reactivate if you re-enter the circle of trees.

It is especially confusing because the Exploration paragraph immediately after the Haunt says "If the PCs disable the haunt. . . " Does this mean the PCs must detect the Haunt before it triggers, and disable it or get Lost In The Woods?

Yes...somewhat.

If they detect and disable the haunt prior to entering, they're golden. Do not get lost in the woods.

If they trigger the haunt, there is a chance to avoid getting lost in the woods. This is from the spellbook they find in the circle of trees. If the PC's are able to decipher the writing, trained check, they do not get lost in the woods.

The forced to flee, I am not sure about. Have not heard of why that would happen...

On page 5 of the scenario, it refers to bottled sunlight but doesn't say if it's lesser, moderate, etc. I presume for Tier 1-2 it's lesser, but what about tier 3-4?

I would still say lesser, but seeing as moderate is level 4, it is not a stretch to grant that one either.

GM variation?

I notice that Featherfall in the low tier has the following attacks:

Melee [one-action] fist +11 (reach 10 feet), Damage 1d12+5 bludgeoning plus Improved Push 5 feet

I notice that Featherfall in the high tier has the following attacks:

Melee [one-action] talon +12, Damage 1d10+7 piercing plus Grab
Melee [one-action] beak +12, Damage 1d12+7 piercing

I am questioning whether the low tier Featherfall is correct. It seems strange that an owlbear would use its fists. It has reach but its higher tier counterpart does not. Could somebody verify if these stats are correct or if they need to be fixed?

My thoughts are, not confirmed though, that the Low Tier Featherfall was built by reskinning a Zombie Brute and the high tier is legitimate zombie owlbear from the Book of the Dead. Which explains the differences in the style of attacks.

No, you can use it.

On the Character Options page we see that the item is not listed under Limited Or Restricted, so it is of standard availability for PFS.

The only restriction set is what is printed in the book.

Next we look at its trait, uncommon. All that means is you need to meet certain criteria to gain access to this item.

To gain access, like you mentioned, you have to be a member of the Society. If you are a member of the Pathfinder Society, which I believe your character is since you are posting on a Society forum, you have access and can purchase the item.

No boon required.

I hope I explained this clearly enough. It is still early in the morning for me.

Confusion on my side:
- It's mentioned on page 10 that an hour after reactivation, Star sends a pulse that scrambles all remaining signals. By that logic, if the PC's have not completed their goal on day 16, they wouldn't be able to locate the remaining ruins anymore because on day 17 has activated Star. It feels like this is not intended; Am I missing something? Or is this simply an abstraction to have team PC and team NPC arrive nearly at the same time counting only the time the party took to get there?
- The reporting screen displayed that this scenario was re-playable, but I didn't see that tag anywhere. Bug?

Hmm? I actually like how you are thinking about this. I originally thought that if they took more than 26 days, they would have missed out.

But maybe both teams arrive around the same time...may have to run it this way of I were to run it again.

When I ran this, I assumed the group would need to reconnoiter hexes D, E, F, and G to find the place of interest. Is this correct, or did I missing something?

That is how I understood it.

Not sure why it was restricted. It is not that powerful of a feat. It is a slightly better Guidance that can be used as a reaction instead and can only benefit the you.

I am also unware of any way to challenge/petition something getting looked at a second time and reversed in this way.

The other Kashrishi feat though, completely understand.

Correct on your assumption.

I personally like, and used, "to disrupt the signal"

When explaining it to my players, I gave them tWo options to stop the signal. Either destroy the thing causing it or finding a gentle way of disabling it.

It didn't happen at my table, but would also grant them credit if they studied it and then decided to break it, if they couldn't disable. Mainly because of the "or" hidden in there.

Ran this game for my group yesterday.

We were at 30 Challenge Points and party comp was 2 fighters, an inventor, a rogue, an alchemist and a warpriest cleric.

Resources-Was a non factor. Cleric prepped Create Water and Create Food.

Hexploration-Slowest party member was 25 and which is one travel activity a day. As all but three hexes were difficult terrain, moving through the desert was very slow going. Luckily the PC's made their checks in the rocky desert terrain to get the discount on the recon activity.

Faction Missions-16 days for Vigilant Seal is no very feasible. You would pretty much have to make a b line for the ruins, destroy them and hope that you pick the right route.

Then for the Grand Archive, you have to hit all three ruins and manage to study or deactivate them with in 27 days, which is when Star sends out a pulse over powering the other signals. More doable than Vigilant Seal.

That being said, my group could not complete either.

Treasure Bundles-ended up getting 9 out of 10 since we did not meet the merchants in the far oasis or the the 3rd ruin.

Combats-Were actually challenging this time. Which was a change of pace from the first couple of scenarios this season.

Time-This one is definitely a 5 hour slot. Even with out meeting the merchants in the second oasis, not hitting one of the variable encounters, not exploring the third ruin, and handwaving 2 combats early, we were still close to 4 hours.

Alex Speidel wrote:

Tomppa wrote:

Does the Skeleton Boon answer the question "can you heal undead with Soothe?"

Soothe says it targets a LIVING creature, but book of the dead gives it as an example for healing undead creatures. Since this is an easy issue to houserule in a home game, but absolutely character breaking problem of table variation in Society games, is there any chance we could get a society rule, or at least a recommendation, for this?

In Pathfinder Society, soothe works on undead PCs (or undead enemies, I suppose). The design team intends to alter its target to "one willing creature" the next time the errata process starts up.

are the design team also going to remove the healing trait? as there's currently 2 reasons it doesn't work as written, the target line and the healing trait, as the undead trait says they are immune to healing!

Under Basic Undead Benefits in BOTD

The archetypes and skeleton ancestry that follow can give the basic undead benefits detailed here. These are somewhat different from the normal undead creature abilities to better fit player characters.

IMO this overrides the Benefits/Penalties of the undead trait. Especially since it explicitly overrides the whole being destroyed at 0 thing normal undead have.

Maybe the Design team omitting the "immune to healing" was on purpose?

Edit: Additional Reasoning Soothe now works.

Negative Healing: You are damaged by positive damage and aren't healed by positive healing effects. You don't take negative damage and are healed by negative effects that heal undead.

IMO that means the source of healing has to have the Positive and Healing traits. Soothe does not have the Positive, so is okay to use on Undead with Alex's statement from above.

Looking for a second opinion on this bit of information.

About an hour after Star is reactivated (see area G), they automatically and unknowingly send out a dampening signal that scrambles the remaining signals, preventing the PCs from locating any unexplored sites to finish the Grand Archive objective

and then

17 to 25 days: Sounrel reached Star first and reactivated them using the second dagger before noticing the PC's approaching the area.

26 or more days: Sounrel has not only activate Star, etc

Does this mean, they have 17 days to complete the Grand Archive mission, 26 days?

I am going the 26 day limit to get it done.

Other minor complaint is the use of Starfinder maps in Pathfinder scenarios...

Happy to spend ACP on the other halves.

OPM will have to outline what is allowed. I think what is provided in the CRB is a decent enough list.

You would need the 12 ACP one for unique boons.

Z...D... wrote:

Looking for a link to the CRB FAQ page.

This link Leads to the Errata lists.

A section of the 3rd Printing errata points me to the CRB FAQ page for examples, the only one I am able to find is the first edition FAQ Page.

Any help would be appreciated.

From what I heard:

The new FAQ system was supposed to be launched a long while ago, but they encountered a bug that prevent them from launching it. It's coming, but the tech team is small. :X

That is fine. I was just making sure I wasn't looking over it on the site.

Thanks for the response.

Looking for a link to the CRB FAQ page.

This link Leads to the Errata lists.

A section of the 3rd Printing errata points me to the CRB FAQ page for examples, the only one I am able to find is the first edition FAQ Page.

Any help would be appreciated.

Depending on start date, i either have a shadow caster build or a spellshot build ready to go.

GM Tiger wrote:

Will the following Pathfinders please check in HERE for B10-Hillcross Roundup:

Tinsley Tyler The Tamperer
Jinakka
TDM Gunslinger Experiment
Professor Bun Bun

Two seats left if anyone else wants to join!

One seat left!

Posted in your discussion.

I've now ran this twice, and both times the players insisted in not activating the strange devices and heading straight to the boss room... Even after I hinted that two of the Pathfinders they were searching for were on the Shadow Plane.

I've had this issue as well. I had to point out how they only came across one for the pathfinder's needing rescued.

They also destroyed the first two right off the bat since they were able to discern that they were what were causing the weakness.

Is it me or do the pocket editions keep getting pushed back to a month after a hardcover release?

This happened with a couple of my orders, most recently Guns and Gears Pocket Edition.

I am still here. Life kind of got hectic for a minute.

As far as discord, I am up for trying something new, but I barely can keep up with "fast" games as it is on PBP. If discord is faster, I will definitely fall behind and badly.

With Hammerjack on this one. I had my players make daily prep before breakfast...still ended in a TPK though one time though.

I have an Orc and can confirm, no Riding Drake access.

Other than access to this additional ancestry (and any common-rarity options with the orc trait available in the campaign), all character creation rules are the same as those provided in the Organized Play Guide

Hello GM. I was invited here by Qstor. Some basic questions. Are we rolling for HP or we taking the average like PFS did. Same question for starting Gold.

I have an investigator fleshed out, so my +1 book will be the advanced class guide. He will be using the trait "Intrigued by Thassilon".

I am actually in the process of getting my local scene into it. Once I get the game, I am bringing it to board game night to try to rope in some players.

2e 2-6: Crashing Waves is good too. Monastery vs the Sea Devil incursion. I might put my hat in for that one as well.

I ran as if they end their movement next to a square with lava. Otherwise it gets too deadly for the PC's.

Oof....why would they do that to us.

Thanks for doing the hard work. I am running this via VTT and this will make it a hell of lot easier.

My prep, somewhat the same, but different order.

In-person and real time VTT

1) Step one print scenario, keeping stat block separate. Print additional copies of handouts, art, sign in sheet and chronicle. sorry trees, maybe Santa can bring me a fancy tablet this year

2) Look at the Primary and Secondary Success Condition and reporting notes (if applicable). Read the scenario (story part) and figure out where the former fit into scenario, making sure to note it in the margins.

3) Re-read the scenario, with highlighter in hand, looking for DCs, TBs, or any subsystems being used.

a) Look up an specific subsystem being used.

4) Finally look at stat-block, making note of any special abilities. Also note moral conditions or tactics used from story section.

a) Locate appropriate pawns and bases.

5) Locate appropriate maps. If they are custom, grumble, draw them out and expose my players to my bad art work.

6) Take extra chronicle and fill out with game information. Make six (6) copies. Or if I already GM'd and not a repeatable, five(5) copies.

So much paper...I'm sorry

7) Day/Night before, I read through of entire scenario again, including stat-blocks and any additional rules used in game.

8) Play game. Try to relax and remember, like pizza, the cheesier the better.

May have to add in making additional handouts for the some of the unfamiliar rules and subsystems. Nice touch and definitely better than repeating myself over and over

edited forgot the maps.

Z...D... wrote:

Personally, if I was just a GM and this occurred, I would instantly stop offering to run. No more benefit to GM vs Play.

So, GMing for you is only about whatever benefit you (as the GM) receive, not about players at the table having a chance to play, or having a good time?

It is not only about the benefit. However, after I take the time and effort to prepare a game and the possible cost associated to make it happen, I think I warrant a little benefit. ie reaching ACP cost associated to getting a new ancestries quicker and/or other ACP boons. Shadowcaster looks fun :)

Are saying that players only have a good time if they get to play the uncommon/rare ancestries? I like to believe the players in my area have a good time. Some of them are happy to just get to roll dice with friends/acquaintances.

EDIT: That sounds confrontational and I didn’t mean it to be. I’m trying to clarify what is important to you as a GM.

Understood, I try avoid adding any emotion to text. Personally think it is the worst medium to have conversations in. As long as you see it the same way.

Considering the person is a VO and made it clear that if this changes to what I proposed, they would stop GMing since there is no more benefit to gm, I’d say it is black and white for them.

I think you misunderstood my statement. I said if I was "Just a GM" I would instantly stop running.

Since I am a VO, I would still offer to organize and run games in my area.

Would I try to push more games to other GM's? Yes.

Would I let the local scene die? Of course not.

As to suggested fixes:

1. Your first Uncommon Ancestry/Heritage boon is free or you get a free one once a year (maybe to celebrate New Years or GenCon).

2. Ancestry boons unlock the ancestry to your account, not just a specific character. You really like Orcs, play Orcs. I think this encourages more interesting play as folks with ancestry boons aren't gonna be as precious with them.

3. A free raise boon when your character hits a certain faction reputation level. Reward players for hitting secondary objectives and playing faction scenarios.

1. Could get behind for uncommon ancestries. Might be hard to keep in check though.

2. Could see this for uncommon, but not rare.

3. Totally agree. Once you get to admired, free get out of Pharama's boneyard card.

I want to ask if you could reconsider the ACP costs for new ancestries and ask that you either eliminate them or drastically reduce them.

While some might see the reward of getting more ACPs for GMing scenarios (especially at convention), I don’t think removing the ACP costs will suddenly cause you to lose GMs.

Strongly disagree with you there. Speaking for myself, I enjoy organizing games to help the community. I enjoy running games for the chance to get access to the new ancestries day 1. Hello automoton

Personally, if I was just a GM and this occurred, I would instantly stop offering to run. No more benefit to GM vs Play.

Would love to join in. I plan on running this myself sometime next year with my gaming group, but would love to sit on the player side first.

I already have a human monk theory crafted. I would take the second chance champion background, if allowed. So that would change up his story a little bit.

He is a strait ki user, meaning he does not use any of the monk stances, unless it has a ki component.

I originally had his backstory of him just travelling from monastery to monastery challenging others, just to prove himself to Irori. That just Irori's teachings of perfection was all he needed, not any special schools of martial arts.

But, a fighting tournament is better, right?

I would dock them the Primary Success Condition. PFS GMs are supposed to stick to the scenario as much as they can.

Stating again as it seemed to have been overlooked.

Same thing with the treasure bundles. Just because we do not like the fact that some TB are locked behind Critical Success and flawless skill runs, does not mean we should grant additional TB to players.

I would dock them the Primary Success Condition. PFS GMs are supposed to stick to the scenario as much as they can.

They could figure out that Jaggere wanted to meet with Sabina through their research, which would cause them to want to rescue her. Followed up Nan tells you that there meeting was interrupted. Leading to the assumption that the VC has unfinished business with her.

IMO they should have left finding out what happened to the VC as the primary and have what we decided to do with Sabina as a reporting decision. Like A-left her with Tascio, B-Saved her from Tascio

Looks like a decent enough product. However, will stick to HLO. I already know how to use the system and spent a substantial amount of money for the product.

I appreciate that Paizo is continuing to offer options to make gamers/GM's lives easier.

I was looking at the guns on Nethys and I noticed that under ammunition it says "firearm ammunition 10". What does the 10 mean?

Some of the guns, do not even list ammunition.

Do not have Guns and Gears yet, so not sure if it's clearer in there.

example: Dueling Pistol
example: Coat Pistol

I would like to play as Doc Featherton, the medic, if no one else takes her.

But if I'm in the fight then I don't have the actions or the hands to use it. Guess it stays in the bag."

They have the actions, they just choose not to use them. Unless the weapons are welded to the players hands, they can always stow the weapon (interact) or if your feeling lucky, drop the weapon (free) to get the hands available.

Players not using items mid combat is entirely the players choice. They normally choose to stomp the gas pedal instead of doing a tactical retreat and using the items that could possibly help.

Time to act as a Venture Captain and issue orders to send my specific agents to the location.

I think I got them where I want them.

Oooh. Drifter...i mean, if no one else wants them.