drgnmstr44's page

I've been running games for a bit, both society and adventure paths. I know how to get GM stars and that they can be used to gain an additional credit for scenario or module for either running or playing beyond the limit of 1 for playing and 1 for running. I know doing so uses the GM star. Until recently, I didn't know there was a way to get them back. I have been informed that through the expanded Narrative a GM can recharge his or her starts that have been spent. I've also been informed this season it was made available to everyone but I can't find it anywhere. Leads me to questions and issues with a better suggestion for recharging.

Question 1: It that actually available to everyone or only to those lucky enough to go to PaizoCon or Gen Con?

Question follow up: If it is available for everyone to get, where can I get it?

Thoughts:
If only available for making it to one of those conventions or only at conventions for that matter, that feels to me to be elitist. It should be available to everyone and not just those you have the money and time to make conventions. Again this is a thought based on the fact I have heard an unconfirmed rumor and searching on this sit for that thing has proven futile.

Recommendation:
Instead of a boon that's hard to get, why not change it so that everyone's stars recharge at the start of every Pathfinder Society season. They are good to replay for that year any scenario you wanted to replay. At the start of the next season, they will recharge again to be used automatically. Lots of people like to play and lots like to run games. so instead of only those lucky enough to get a boon at a convention or figure out where to download it or receive it through other means, why not change how recharge works so everyone benefits from it in an easier way

I've had this question come up a lot in games i'm running and playing in. i'm finding it difficult to have a clear answer on it. For games that aren't PFS, we leave it up to the GM however the issue has shown up in some of the PFS games I run and I'm not certain on rules as written for this. So I figured I'd start a thread on it and since I think pictures are better than text, i'm providing links to pictures on my google drive folder to help get some answers. It's going to be a long post covering different situations.

So the question is how does soft cover apply to combat with a ranged character, a melee character that has 10' reach, and Kineticist's kinetic blast? playing into this is the feats precise shot and point blank shot.

What I know:

Soft cover provides a +4 bonus to AC to the creature that has soft cover. This can be a low wall or another creature in the line of sight

When attacking with a ranged weapon onto melee, you take a minus 4 on the attack unless you have both precise shot and point blank shot. That is pretty easy to figure out and applies to all lines of sight from the character to the target.

So how do the two work together.

Example Image 1

In the picture, Valeros is in melee with the monster. Shalelu has out her longbow and wishes to attack the monster. The map is a wide open flat grassland with no obstecles. Shalelu does not have the required feats for firing into melee so from all possible lines of sight to the monster she takes a -4 to hit. This first question is what happens when she is attacking from the positions in the picture. Valeros, by rule provides soft cover to the monster but isn't that already taken into account with the -4 penalty to attack?

My thought here is that the -4 to attack is the same as the +4 AC from soft cover.

Follow up for this scenario, if Shalelu had both point blank shot and precise shot does the monster still get +4 AC from soft cover provided by Valeros?

My thought here is no becuase the -4 to attack is the same as +4 AC from soft cover and precise shot states is removed the -4 to attack with a ranged weapon into melee.

What do rules as written state on this? is it without the feats, Shalelu take a -4 on the attack and the monster get +4 AC when lined up like this and with the feats it's just the +4 AC?

Example 2

This one deals with melee and soft cover. Shalelu is on the opposite side of the monster. I know from here with out point blank shot and precise shot, she takes a -4 penality on attack rolls with her bow. The question this time is about the blonde character, a fighter with a reach weapon like a glaive or a dwarven longhammer. how do the attacks or AC get modified when the fighter attacks with reach and Valeros is in the square directly in front of him? does the monster get +4 AC from soft cover here?

Follow up: if the fighter with reach was in the square above here he is in Example 2, does the monster have soft cover from his attacks still?

Finally, I'm thinking these rulings while dealing with martial weapons also apply to spells that require ranged touch attack and abilities that require a ranged touch attack, i.e. scorching Ray or kinetic blast. how does the soft cover and firing into melee work for those types of attacks? is it the same as above or different because they are spells or class abilities.

If you can't see the pictures in the links, let me know so I can try to fix that.

OK this is a two part question. I'll start simple.

According to what I read in the current guide, it sounds like after the first scenario completed in tier you get a skill feat, after two you get a power feat, after 4 you get a card feat and the choice to tier up giving you the die bump. Is that accurate understanding? I wasn't sure since the example and the guide didn't seem to explicitly tell me this.

Second question involves converting characters to tier system. My rogue completed season 0-1 adventure so I know I'm tier 2 with a skil, power, and card feat. I played completed 0-2c and 0-3a but didn't get to finish those adventures. So I have two completed in tier still. Does that mean I get a skill and power feat under the tier system, giving me 2 skill feats, 2 power feats, 1 card feat and 1 die bump?

I'm slightly concerned with organized play's rewards from the scenarios and what that means going forward. I do understand this is the first season for OP and there are bound to be some things that need changed or tweaked. Having played through the compete Runelords Card game, and now doing season of shackles for OP, I'm really starting to wonder about the scenario rewards and how this will work going forward with Season of Righteousness.

When my group finished runelords card game (I know that wasn't OP but only thing I can compare to for the moment) We pretty much had most of the character cards filled out and powers selected. The end was still difficult but doable. With the Season of Shackles, I thought it started out ok but then paths 2 and 3 only had 4 scenarios and very little power, skill or card upgrades to be given. While random pulls for deck upgrades are nice, I think if you only give us 4 scenarios in the list we should be getting at least two of either power, skill or card upgrade. Otherwise why have all those things if only to tease people.

With Season of Righteousness coming, I'm wondering where this may be headed for those upgrades. Will I be able to take my rogue character that has played through all of the Season of Shackles and play that deck in Season of Righteousness? My initial guess here would be only the parts 5 and 6 because I would have an upgrade of <card type> 6 in my deck. Is the idea of the scenario rewards better realized when there are more seasons to use so that you could play through different scenarios part 1 for some character boosting then pay all their part 2 and so on?

I guess what I'm getting at here is what is the vision for scenario rewards? Are you considering tweaking them slightly? How will this tie into Season of Righteousness?

So I played a game with Merisel in the Skulls and Shackles Base set and then bought the Rouge character deck for use in the PACG play. I have a question that I haven't found the answer to yet.

In the rouge class deck, Disable Device was removed and Ranged was added. According to the rules, I can use disable device with a d4 only. Since I only get a d4, I can't recharge any thief tools since they need a disable device: 8 check. I could burn blessings but I think they would be better suited for exploring or use when really needed for dice. I have been told by some friends that I could just use Merisel from the S&S set since she is in the rouge class deck, however I can't find a rule that states such.

Is there truth to this and where can said rule be found. I would assume that if it was true that I would be permitted to do it only if I actually owned the set.

I'm looking for an answer on which parts of the Jade Regent Book 1 - The Brinewall Legacy that I should be preping for Society play over two sessions. In the chronicle sheets download, it states the sanctioned content is Brinewall of Winter (areas M-W2) (area A1-P5). I'm guessing that M-W2 is the Brinewall Castle. The Brinwall castle starts at T1 and goes to W2, so I'm a little confused as to what M is as well. Could that be the waterfront and the characters would be dropped off at Brinewall Village?

Also, what is the other area listed in the sanctioned content, A1-P5? I haven't found anything in those ranges aside from the goblin town and I don't think that's would be correct.