Check that it isn't in its own group under Paizo Inc, rather than with the rest of the scenarios in the Season 8 group in your Downloads. That's where it is for me, and I thought I didn't have it initially.
i'd love to see a list of the maps we need for this - running it in a few weeks - eek
I'm in the process of developing this adventure now, and once I've confirmed exactly which maps are being used where (requires doing some close work on each section just to make sure there don't need to be any adjustments from the author's manuscript) I will be sure to post that information in the adventure's product thread.
Congratulations to all GMs who attained 5* status. Your dedication, and investment of time and money is appreciated.
A special congratulations to Chris, and big 'thank you' to her, Carol and all their minions for organising and running a throughly excellent ConTingency down in the New Forest a few weeks ago.
Much PFS was had by all :-)
Two interactives per year, with one available at UKGE 17 is much appreciated, so 'thank you' also to Tonya, John and the team for committing to this. I understand that they take a huge amount of staff effort to produce. Looking forward to hearing how it goes at PaizoCon and running this in Birmingham in June.
(In English in case anyone else has a similar question)
I don't believe that the database knows the difference between PFS scenarios, modules, APs and 'Evergreens'.
As I understand it, the reporting is largely for recording who played/GM'd what (perhaps a bit of where) and to track faction popularity. Chronicles are the authority for XP, etc, including fast/slow track. At this time, I don't think PaizoCon have the resources, desire or need to 'adjust' the database to the extant you might wish.
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M'envoye un mail si tu as des questions supplémentaire.
I'd like to prompt this question for clarification, as it rules out all the non-trait options on pages 22-23. This might be intended, but it might also be a oversight by lumping them all as 'Racial Traits', rather than 'Traits'.
I've clicked FAQ. Hopefully John or someone else from the team might swing by this thread to confirm that the non-Traits for Teifling, Ratfolk and Kitsune's are or are not legal.
So happy to see the Order back with an AP marathon. Inspiring stuff once again. I will be following your endeavours with interest over the next 9 months.
I think he was referring to time as in availability. It's hard to find Core in most areas. It's pretty big in France and online, but I'm not sure where else it really flourishes.
Hmm
Minor Thread Derail:
Hmm, I'd be interested in why you think that it is big in France? Is this simply from looking at games planned on paizo.com, or have you got that from a different source?
Core is pretty much all we run in public locations in Paris, but that is because the our Lodge has only been at this for 6 months, and in building a regular game calendar with a mix of a few folks who have played everything, and a great deal of those who are new to PFS, and new to GMing, Core has made it easy to get things off the ground. Admittedly, it is also my preference for a single rulebook for GMing and a 'traditionalist' view of races and classes which contributes ;-)
However, we are starting to programme Standard games as more Players are comfortable with the core rules, are starting a second or third Character anyway and GMs (including myself) are getting comfortable with an expanded ruleset.
Tall for a Halfling Guard 1/Scholar 3/Knight 12/Spy 2/Diplomat 4/Knight Commander 1
Ashka Halfshadow wrote:
Indeed, have fun, Kent! My son and I have made it to the last 4 PaizoCons in the US, and are dreaming of hitting PaizoCon UK some time.
This will be my first, and I'm taking the whole family. The four of us have spent the last four months playing once a fortnight or so, to get up to Level 3. We're getting to play together on Sat morning and afternoon, then they're at my table for the special on Sat night.
Anyway folks, let me know if any of you are in, or running any another PbP games, and need an extra Player. It's been fun, and I'd do it again :-)
Tall for a Halfling Guard 1/Scholar 3/Knight 12/Spy 2/Diplomat 4/Knight Commander 1
Cool thanks. Can I use Knowledge Engineering to Aid Another if any of our braver, and more dextrous companions try disabling it with Disable Device? You know, to point out where the weak points might be, where the power source is, etc.
Is there also a way that I can aid the Pathfinders who have presumably been struck by the machine and are lying around on the floor of this room?
Tall for a Halfling Guard 1/Scholar 3/Knight 12/Spy 2/Diplomat 4/Knight Commander 1
I moved Ashka.
In general Distraction causes the Nauseated condition for 1 round, which only allows a Move Action, so I think that Wolfie is now fine.....?
Not trying to be a pest, but as I understand it, pulling out anything other than a weapon is a move action, so one can't move, pull out an item, then use it in the same round.
Tall for a Halfling Guard 1/Scholar 3/Knight 12/Spy 2/Diplomat 4/Knight Commander 1
Understood. Sorry, first PFS PbP, so just making sure I know what is expected of me. I'll see how the pace goes for now, but might post my 'considered' action in advance for you to move the game forward as I am in the last batch.
Ahh. Large finger-small phone syndrome. And I have exceeded my edit time. Could a kindly moderator remove my palm from my face by correcting my mistake. Even though PFS at Expo was indeed 'slik'.
Rob Silk, Venture Captain extraordinaire and grand master at 'Player Sudoku', led the organisation of PFS at UK Games Expo in Birmingham, which ran from Friday through to Sunday. He will have all the details about numbers and such, but personally I ran 4 slots of Pathfinder Society (The Bloodcove Disguise Pts 1 & 2, and Phantom Phenomena 1-6) and GM'd Richard Pett's multi-table A Taste of the Blight in lieu of a PFS special on Saturday night. This was supported in fine atmospheric fashion by world famous 'sound dude' Benjamin Loomes.
For myself, I had a great time, with many newcomers to PFS gracing my tables; hopefully not for the last time. I also had the chance to enjoy a few slots on the picturesque side of the GM screen, playing Rise of the Goblin Guild and Library of the Lion with Terry Thambipillai, and Veteran's Vault, right until Rob turned the lights out on Sunday, with William Cheung.
A big thanks to Rob for making me so welcome, putting up with me running Core games (probably for the last time at a convention!) and for 'opening the bottle' on Saturday night ;-) And thanks to the GMs for not killing Han and laughing at my appalling dice rolling (5 sixes in a row on a d20 in the last game, one of which was a t-shirt preroll!); cursed, I tell you, cursed I was...
For the next guide, could we get a page with all of the GM-friendly tables on it?
-Ability Score Costs
-Day Job Check Rewards
-Generic Prestige Awards
-Spellcasting Costs for Common Spells
-Fame and Item Purchases
-APL and Subtier (assuming there's a chart)
-Whatever other new sweet helpful tools will be in the new guide
I usually make my own, but I think this would help a lot of GMs, particularly new ones.
If this could be in landscape format, so that it could be printed out and pinned to a GM screen, that would be incredibly useful.
Andrew - OK, cool. I too appreciate the addition of items available, particularly as it is controlled at Developer level.
Jack, Kelly, EvilMinion - Yes, I feel using the PFS books avoids cherry-picking options or, more so, enhances Core, without a great deal of Developer/Coordinator work. Which is why I agree that a specific Core document is unlikely to happen in the short term. I'm not sure what the take up of Core is like Campaign-wide (games reported might be a useful metric), but does anyone think it is high enough to justify dedicating a campaign supplement too. If the PFS books were opened up to Core, perhaps that would generate interest in a 4th supplement/Player's Guide, which could be developed with the Core Campaign in mind; perhaps integrating it with Pathfinder Academy and the Library Programme.
I'll cast out a summoning to see if we might get a comment that we are way off base with what the team have in mind, or our musings have any value. It would be really interesting to get some insight into what they might want to do with Core, and where they see it fitting in with the other PFS projects.
Tonya Woldridge, Tonya Woldridge, Tonya Woldridge
John Compton, John Compton, John Compton
Although it might be a while; there is some sort of gaming gathering in Seattle next week ;-)
DM Beckett - Thanks for sharing some of your musings on Core. As I've played little Standard compared to Core, I can't yet comment on the things I'd miss :-)
I appreciate that over the years handy-to-have equipment has been introduced to Pathfinder that benefits the Character or the Player. The problem with cherry picking things to add is that it is always going to come down to personal preference; which is why I favour the addition of the Pathfinder Society books en masse, with perhaps seasonal or chronicle additions to reflect thematic additions. Your favourite 'must have' item is going to be different to mine, which might be different to those running the campaign (who would clearly get to choose what gets added, which would no doubt be upsetting to someone). Of course, there are ways to mitigate this; they could run a competition every few months, and the winner gets to add a single piece of equipment to the Core Campaign of their choice (which would also promote the Core Campaign - you've got to be in it to win it!). Another 'controlled' option might be a Boon that allowed you to write in one piece of mundane equipment that this Character could purchase and use. You would get your Mw Backpack, someone else their Spring Loaded Wrist Sheath and Andrew would get his Blunt Arrows. What I don't like about this, is that it adds books to the Core Campaign, which, inversely to yourself, I don't want to see happen. I think allowing even CRB plus one, changes Core into Standard Lite, which I believe would really push it as a option for replay, rather than an method for a streamlined introduction to PFS. It also creates a increase in complexity in terms of character management; you may as well play Standard.
I've had a very different experience from you in terms of the Core Campaign. I don't really want to digress too much, but I will explain briefly for context: Most of the experienced Players over here much prefer Standard. However, as I organise many regular games in English and French as I recruit new Players, it gives them the opportunity to join in. So for me it serves both intended purposes and without it I would have had a difficult time establishing and maintaining the group. As I said in my opening post, I've no doubt some of my Players will want to eventually switch across to Standard to take advantage of the options there. However, many are casual Players, thus don't want to invest in a wealth of material or don't play regularly enough to worry about more than one or two Characters.
I like your idea about rebranding, and maybe that's perhaps something that Tonya was thinking about when she commented on the Core Campaign during the interview. I had a similar thought when I highlighted the text in my original post in terms of the Pathfinder Society Core Campaign. Probably anything like Beginner, Basic, Introductory isn't marketable and implies that you will move on to Advanced, sorry Standard, after a couple of levels ;-) Practical, perhaps even true, but I believe doing the Core campaign a disservice. Perhaps, if Core is to truly focus on new Players, and with the Pathfinder Academy and the library programme being set up, the Core Campaign should be more about a campaign option 'between' them and the Standard Campaign. A Pathfinder Institute if you willl, allowing new GMs to run games with a limited ruleset, primarily for new Players, but with experienced ones participating in a mentor role. That should only change the flavour of the campaign (my desire), rather than the mechanics. Again, I feel option D is the simplest way of achieving this.
But I will think further.........
Zirlock
Core Campaign Champion (unofficial!) & Dean of the Pathfinder Institute (equally presumptive and extremely unofficial!)
Kelly - Yes there are Chronicles which offer equipment to the Core Player, outside of the CRB. However, all I have seen is equipment, and I'm not sure if this is a byproduct of Chronicle creation for that scenario or an specific intent for the Core Campaign. If John Compton or Tonya Wooldridge have the opportunity to stop by this thread, it would be great to get any insight to this.
I understand it negates the need to purchase other Paizo products, but I am very much in favour of the method used in:
Scenario:
7-05 School of Spirits for the Haunt Siphon
than that used in:
Scenario:
7-07 Trouble in Tamran for the Elixir of Thundering Voice
as the former allows you to use the Chronicle sheet rather than an additional resource, thus keeping the Core Campaign limited by resource and, oh I don't know, it just makes finding the equipment from the first scenario feel like a real treasure! However, it also takes up quite a bit of the Chronicle Sheet, which I often see John saying is a limitation for many initiatives.
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EvilMinion - Thanks for the positive reply. Yes, allowing the extra resources would give more options for spending PP, as well as giving the new Player an introduction into the lore and history of the Pathfinder Society and Golarion, and really feel like Pathfinder textbooks! In particular, the Society Suggestions entries in the Field Guide are an excellent resource for new Players, and by encouraging them to get the PDF in addition to a CRB, I feel that they would be both better prepared and more immersed in the campaign; leading to more fun all round.
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Andrew - A lack of deity options is not something I have run into, so I can't comment from experience. Adding a deity in a Chronicle might be possibility if you have encountered one of their adherents during the adventure and been 'converted'; perhaps allowing you to create a new Character of that faith even in the Core Campaign. Otherwise you are in to opening up the resources, which is the 'mission creep' danger I am aware of if even the three Society books were allowed.
Andrew Roberts wrote:
Pretty good care has been considered when putting items on chronicles in regards to Core campaign recently.
Can I just confirm, is that insight from your work as a VL for John and Tonya, or a personal opinion based on what you have seen in recent scenarios?
And finally, I agree with the enthusiasm to check a Chronicle in depth for anything mundane or magical that might benefit a Core Character. However, I'd rather that allowing a Character blunt arrows or other mundane or Pathfinder Specific equipment was not limited to a scenario Chronicle. It creates the frustration that if you did't play with the 'right' character you lost an opportunity you didn't know you might have had. Less fun all round!
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I'm keen to hear more feedback where Core has been successful and what opening up some more options, albeit in a limited fashion, might do.
I’ve just re-watched Tonya Woldridge and John Compton’s recent interview on Know Direction, where they mention, among many things, the Core Campaign. Tonya specifically mentioned a possible rebranding/initiative/brainstorming of the Core Campaign. As an avid GM and Player of PFS Core games in Paris, I thought I would put my thoughts out there for discussion, with the aim of giving the Pathfinder Society team some comments/anecdotal evidence/feedback on the subject. I'm looking for more of a discussion of enhancing Core for those who already play it, than perhaps getting Core to work where it isn't. I’m really interested in those who play or run Core in their areas, and if you feel any of the options below would enhance the experience for Players and GMs of all Levels of experience. I’ve not been playing PFS long enough to consider some of the longer term or indirect effects of the thoughts presented below, so would appreciate any insight there too.
Without going into a great deal of context as preamble, I started running PFS 6 or 7 months ago (at PaizoCon France), and have stuck with the Core Campaign for several reasons. The two main ones being: simplicity (ease of introducing new Players and simplifying my task as a GM who has spent the last 30 years running games using Frank Mentor’s basic D&D ‘rainbow’ books) and the ability to generate tables in a split community (a group of diehard PFS Players who have played almost every scenario available, but only in Standard, and a growing group of new Players, who have playing almost nothing). Core gives us all we need at present for the majority of our games.
Clearly, there will eventually be a point that some newer Players want more than is in Core, and will switch over to Standard, and plans are in place to deal with that evolution as it arrives. However, I feel the value of Core could be enhanced, and given more longevity by adding a bit of flavour. The challenge I feel it eventually faces is not that it has simply fewer options, but that it is rather bland when compared to what is available to connect it to the world of Golarian and the lore of the Pathfinder Society than that allowed by Standard. If the expectation of Core is that people will eventually switch across to Standard, I completely understand why commercially that is preferable. However, including more in-game Pathfinder Society themed options does not necessarily harm that transition; indeed it could make it smoother.
I’ve thought of four approaches to perhaps enhance the Core Campaign in terms of flavour and mechanics. I have also some thoughts on possible GM or Player Boons for Core adding some elements from outside the CRB in the same way that Race Boons do for the Standard Campaign, which was something John made a note to consider during the interview, but I will save that for another post. So for enhancing Core, very briefly:
A. CRB Core. Do nothing is always an option and should be considered. Don’t change anything about the key presumptions and books necessary to play Core. Perhaps future Chronicles could always look to include something of value to the Core Campaign (mainly minor equipment, possibly a spell, etc), without actually creating a large overhead of work. This currently happens as far as I can see in Season 7, although you get little value from the older seasons. Adds a (little?) more work for the team on a regular basis to consider Core when creating Chronicles. Does not change much with the theme of the Core Campaign. You still must own the books the extra content comes from.
B. Core+ (Guide). Use the Guide to add some additional options for the Core Campaign, as it currently does in allowing you to buy a Wayfinder or use Faction Traits without the requirement for additional resources owned . Given that it isn’t printed, I’m unsure if a handful of extra pages once a year creates extra cost, beyond the expenditure to create and layout the content. Perhaps themed minor mundane equipment could be added to the Faction writeup in the same manner as the Wayfinder (Blunt Arrows for Silver Crusade, Wrist Sheath for The Exchange, etc); perhaps the same for some vanities and Wayfinder enhancements. A (significant)? amount of work once a year for the team when the new Guide is published. Adds a little more in-game Pathfinder Society flavour to the Core Campaign. You would need no other books than the CRB to play as all additional elements would be in the Guide.
C. Core+ (Chronicle). Use scenario Chronicles (and I include Chronicle Boons from other sources such as Holiday Boons and Tales Boons) to add options to the Core Campaign. Use up any available space on the chronicle to add mundane equipment, vanities and other elements that would fit. Adds a (very significant?) amount of work on a regular basis to create each Chronicle, as well as consider the effect that adding each item has. Could add lots of Society flavour to the Core Campaign and would certainly make Chronicles very valuable to your Core Character. You must own the books the extra content comes from.
D. Pathfinder Society Core Campaign. Allow the three Pathfinder Society published Resources (Seeker of Secrets, PFS Field Guide and PFS Primer) to be added to the list of allowable resources for the Core Campaign. Although there is always the danger of ‘mission creep’ and petitions could be raised for other resources to be added too, I think these three naturally complement the Core Campaign without opening the door too wide to a Standard(-). They add the much needed Pathfinder Society flavour and lore, whilst retaining the very simple nature of the Core Campaign. Hopefully, it shouldn’t add a great of work for the team, since the Additional Resources document allows nearly everything in these books for the Standard Campaign, so I presume that the content is well balanced for PFS. You would need to own these books (mostly available on PDF only these days), but it doesn’t expand the resource requirement significantly if you wish to purchase a Vanity, learn a spell, buy an item or take a Pathfinder Society Archetype. Perhaps we may even get a new Pathfinder Society publication in the future to add to these illustrious three, which could take the Core Campaign into account from the outset.
I’m not advocating drastic change, nor the addition of huge amounts of extra content, I just feel the Core Campaign as it is at the moment would benefit from being enhanced a little with some the richness of Golarion and the Society. My personal preference is for Option D, as that seems like the least amount of work for the PFS team, given that the resources are already available, and has the greatest effect on the Campaign, but has a firm limit as the three additional resources are Pathfinder Society specific. I’d also like to draw attention to the Chronicle element of Option A, which could hopefully further enhance the Core Campaign in a relevant, limited and balanced way.
If memory serves it came out at around the time consortium compact was released. There awas a blog post but I cant remember when exactly this was. The timing made me think of something later than ancients anguish which was almost already out at the time but I havent played it so I don't know if that was intended scenario.
Edit looking at the update date it was last updated in Novemebr 2015 which is when the new text would have been added.Now not so sure about that blog post thoush
Thanks Jeff, that narrows the window for when I should look out for it.
Hope to see you again at UK Games Expo or PaizoCon UK :-)
Having just run it twice this weekend, I have a question I wanted to ask those in the know, or those who have been GMing PFS for a few seasons: when might we expect the Season 8 Early Revelation to be published for The Wounded Wisp (as I believe is the idea to keep them 'fresh')?
I believe the Season 7 Early Revelation from Wounded Wisp referred to:
Scenario:
7-11 Ancients' Anguish
Can anyone confirm if the Season 7 Early Revelation was issued towards the end of Season 6 or beginning of Season 7? I suppose was it before, after, or indeed, at GenCon 2015 might give me a marker.
I understand Tonya, Linda & John are very busy with con prep, so I know I may not get an official answer until later in the year; no worries. I just wanted to know when I should keep an eye out for it, as I suspect that I will continue to run it regularly.
All brave souls who can handle a sword, know a spell or two, or indeed bring other less obvious skills to the party are welcome to apply for a Field Commission or a scholarship in the Pathfinder Academy, before being sent into the field in missions to support the Society’s goals.
What is the Shady Dragon Lodge?
A small, but growing group of English-speaking Pathfinder Society Players based in Paris. We run games in English (but will also have the odd game in French) and are a sub-group of the larger group who run games in French. To see what our play programme is like over the next few months, visit our Warhorn page. We run scenarios every second Tuesday evening or so at UChronies Games in the 15e of Paris. To learn more about Pathfinder Society in Paris, including how to get involved, contact the local Venture Officer at:
We are running an introductory evening for folks who have never played Pathfinder Society at UChronies Games from 19h00 on Tue 24 May. If you'd like to try it out, come along for an hour or so and run a pregenerated Character through a quest for the Pathfinder Society. All you need to bring is your imagination (and some luck with dice is always preferable!)
I already offered my congratulations to Florent, but wanted to do so again publicly; and not just because he is GMing our a 3 PCs + Pregen CORE party through Emerald Spire at the moment... ;-)
And thanks to Jeff for the shout-out, and for helping me out all weekend at my first convention, running the initiative and quietly advising Players completely new-to-Pathfinder on where to find skills, HPs, attack bonuses and damage on their shiny pregen sheets made my life easier.
Unfortunately work commitments mean I won't be able to attend any other cons until later in the year, but PaizoCon UK is already in the diary and leave booked :-) Now, what to run......???
Oh, and congratulations again Florent. Well deserved.
