Zirlock
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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.
Your thoughts?
Zirlock
Core Campaign Champion (unofficial!)