Regional Venture-Coordinator, Appalachia 964 posts (7,433 including aliases). 111 reviews. No lists. No wishlists. 55 Organized Play characters. 14 aliases.
Part of the messiness here is the factions and the schools now occupy the same "space" lorewise.
They were initially semi official groups trying to dominate the society and then became fraternities vying for society resources and now are like...social clubs for agents of similar persuasion?
Its gotten lost in the sauce completely and the idea of the thing here has gotten all muddled and the LO book for PFS is easily the weakest one as a result.
Toss in the 10 and the various semi redundant VOs (why do we have 3 VCs in the same city in Qadira now and why are they operating in Jalmeray?) and yeh its not something most people have a way to connect to now.
As a total aside, we know the identity of several Decemvirate members now, right? Or at least know of their existence, I believe. Am I missing people?
** spoiler omitted **
** spoiler omitted **
My musings on the topic of decemvirate members.
All of PFS:
HERE is to my knowledge the full list of known 10 members past and present:
Category 1 - people who died in Eyes of the Ten and may or may not have come back
Odrian of Akiton
Eddington Keel
*Kyalla (we know for sure she retired after these events)
Category 2 -
Members of the 10 who definitely survived Eyes of the 10
Shemis (the titular diviner who is The Eyes of the Ten)
Eliza Petulengro
(Adrils scheme involved killing those 4 plus a 5th he was implied to have already killed or who he believed was killed* to make himself and his confederates have a majoritt vote in the 10 as it was implied The Spider had compromised the ones he didnt kill, which I guess included Vahlo. Its unknown to what extent Vahlo, The Spider and Hestram had their shit together.)
*This was probably Drandle Dreng in hindsight, given the events of Shadows Fall over Absalom and Season 2 of PFS2.
Season 10 -
Vahlo the graveknight who definitely is dead
*Eylisia, a founding member of the 10 who despite still being alive probably did not resume her role as a member but you never know
<insert your favorite pfs1 character who played Passing the Torch>
PFS2 category
Eliza (confirmed now instead of just heavily implied)
Drandle Dreng (though hes confirmed no longer in the picture)
Shrike (who may be Waterfall?)
322
In terms of on screen appearances of members of the 10 under masks we know Eliza was the briefer for All for Immortality, we know Eddington Keel was the briefer for the season 1 pfs1 missions, and we know Dreng and Shrike (who may or may not be waterfall/322).
This means the current make up is FOR SURE:
Shemis
Eliza
322
<insert pfs1 character>
The following are possible but unlikely:
Eddington Keel
Prince Odrian
Eylisia
People have long suspected:
Osprey
Muesello
Both are bare minimum super super trusted by the 10 and are in on the organizations deepest secrets.
I think this is mostly a "its season 16 of this particular soap opera" problem. Theres a lot of characters and a lot of dangling plot threads.
Especially since the jump from pfs1 to pfs2 ended up being more Naruto to Naruto Shippuden jump than a Naruto to Boruto or Dragon Ball to Dragon Ball Z style jump.
And all of that is fine except when you go to draw on history the authors assume people know and they dont and things dont land. You know like the entire Equal Exchanges plotline.
No easy answers here except obviously we need the Aspis to go on a winning streak.
Bring back the Species name its So Good and much more thematically appropriate for Starfinder (a Bantrid and a Entu Colony have really very little in common ancestrywise)
This has been an incredible journey, I have loved organized play since I happened across Living Greyhawk at a local game store when I was 16.
I love GMing for our community. I love being one of the first people who introduce the game to new people. I love GMing at the big cons, the little cons and the retail game days.
Ive slowed down a bit with a kid and all the extra responsibilities in my life but...
Id like to take this opportunity to congratulate the 3 newest campaign coin recipients and explain why the three were awarded since people seem to like knowing what people have done to earn these.
#880 - Amie Tracey
When Asheville Scarefest began, it was the sort of retail con that many of us have run and supported over the years. Amie had the vision of making it something more than that, she moved it to Montreat College and began to execute the vision of it being a community-enhancing event for the entire Appalachian region. The vibe of the con is campy, slightly off putting humor, with fun little skits. This con has been the pillar of our community for going on 5 years now and coming out of the pandemic this con helped pull our community back from dormancy.
#881 - Robert Wiesehugel
Robert took over as Venture Captain in Knoxville at the tail end of the pandemic, not because he wanted to, but because he knew someone had to step up to lead his community. Knoxville is now a thriving and diverse community. If you've ever had a chance to game with the people from East Tennessee you'll be hard pressed to find a group that has more fun, more respect for one another than them. This community he has fostered is worth this coin twice over but Robert also helps a ton behind the scenes keeping us up to date with NDAs.
#882 Amber Howell - Amber has been a stalwart of our community for as long as Ive been involved in this campaign, which is by this point a damn long time. Amber does all the behind the scenes work for her Cookeville scene, and she and her husband Matt Travel all over the region, an almost completely reliable pair of gms at any con thats drivable for a pretty liberal definition of drivable. She has also been a relentless advocate for the campaign all over Tennessee.
Congratulations again to Amie, Robert and Amber and I am proud to have been able to award these coins to you.
I will say that the biggest challenge as an organizer in terms of getting people to GM are these two percieved factors
1) The rules seem really complicated and prospective GMs always seem to feel that "they just do not know the game well enough to run the games". There is an intimidatiom factor
1a) The game is completely asymmetrical. So just playing the game doesnt really prepare you for running the game.
2) It seems like a lot of work and a lot of money. Long-time GMs can take for granted that these scenarios are basically their own genre and things you read as second nature now can sometimes be near impenetrable for a new person. Toss in that each scenario requires 1-3 flip mats, maybe some flip tiles, and a drawn or printed custom map. From the outside, GMing looks pretty expensive both in terms of money and time invested.
There are three things I have seen done in my region that have put a dent in these two factors.
A) Some kind of reward always helps. The old boon system was great for this but there are other ways we can do this. One local VC gives every GM a free mini the first time they run a game. Another has name tags with spots for 5 glyphs. Run pnce and get the tag, get a glyph, you get a glyph on the tag.
B) Offering/promising as VO that youll be there the first few times to help with amy rules and to offer mentorship as theyre working through the scenarop. Plan ahead. Asking someone to run a game 6 weeks from now can give them a chance to take their time.
C) Have a library of resources available. One local lodge prints every adventure and every map from every adventure and lovingly cuts out and tapes together the maps. Those folders then can be lent out to whoever is going to gm. They still need to study the scenario but now maps, chronicles handours and printing are done and the investment is significantly lightened.
The downside to all this is that it DOES mean an increased investment in terms of time and treasure from the venture officers and not everyong can do all of this (including me, i barely have time to do any of this).
If my wildest dreams were to come true Paizo/OPF could offset some of this expense somehow or provide some of these resources.
First reaction:
holy crap EN World is still a thing?
Second reaction:
“The classes you will see will be unlike classes you’ve seen before," said Thurston. “The classes we are doing for Starfinder 2nd Edition are not just sci-fi versions of Pathfinder classes.”
I wonder if this means "unlike the PF2 classes that already exist" or "unlike the SF classes that already exist".
Ive been assuming the core 6 field test classes were going to be 6 of the 7 CRB classes but maybe the last two that havent been confirmed yet are going to be entirely new?
When PF2 was announced, within a month I had several pf1 players drop from my community because "What's the point if they'll be unsupported in a year?' I've ALREADY had one of my players say they're dropping from SF because of the same reasons.
I can say my scene has been on life support for some time. If I lose even 2 of these people we dont have a scene and the state of the current releases has made it hard to onboard newer people while still serving the surviving few.
The pandemic really kinda murdered SFS here hard in ways it didnt PFS2. I felt it really gathering momentum hard coming out of season 2 and the 2 years of online play just took the wind right out of the sails in profoundly disappointing ways. I myself almost resigned because it felt like the campaign was dead.
But the announcement does have people asking me about the game again for the first time since the pandemic. I think a lot of people had kind of left it for dead and are delighted to see that not be the case.
As for compatibility, I think a lot of people expected SF2 to use big chunks of the P2 "engine" but not, to torture the analogy, the transmission, brakes and power steering. And that is what "compatibility" hits a lot of ears as, including my own at first glance. I have now seen you in many places say its not your intention to make things 100% directly compatible. The former makes it sound like SF2 is like...a campaign setting for P2 a la Spelljammer and the latter makes it sound like SF2 might be to PF2 what SF1 was to PF1.
Two things I'm curious to get a benchmark on: lvl 1 telepathy, and lvl 1 blindsight/sense. Just like flight, they seem like things that could upset the PF2 balance, but are fairly common (and easy to add later via itemization) in SF species. Are there many species in PF2 that start with telepathy or blindsight/sense?
For the matter, I hope blindsight/sense gets some TLC in SF2. Currently, it's useable, but there's a lot of questions and grey areas about it. Does blindsight/sense (hereafter, bss) sound or vibration work in a vacuum, what's the difference between sound and vibration anyways, do more esoteric things like bss thought or emotion require a medium to work through, can non-mindless things that are usually immune to mind-affecting stuff (like necrovites or SROs) be sensed via bss thought, what blocks various bss, and so on.
There is a very real tension between keeping common SFisms in the game and allowing for clean porting from P2ERemaster
My guess is the soldier field test is just one example of what a Soldier can do and focused on testing new ideas for the class. The field test document refers to itself as a snippet of the soldier.
That is literally what it is, yes ^^. Though probably less "new" stuff (everything is new after all) and more the basic feel of the class.
I think people are heavily overestimating how far along SF2 is in development. Essentially anything that isn't the basic PF2 math and system is most likely subject to change.
Dustin said "a year" roughly on the keynote stream.
I think the Soldier is neat as a class for PF2e, but it's really narrow as one of 6 starting classes for a new game.
That's pretty much my take on it as well. Admittedly, we're only feeling a small part of the elephant right now, but "burly dude/dudette with big gun" seems more like a subclass than a full class to me. If you have a full class about that sort of thing, I wonder where folks like Ka D'Argo, Drax the Destroyer, Finn, Ronon Dex, Amos Burton, or Jayne Cobb will be. I mean, they can't all be Operatives.
I really think this "First level ancestry abilities" concern is quite overblown.
Humans in Starfinder get a bonus feat at level 1 and an extra skill rank each level.
Humans in PF2 can get the exact same thing, and then *also* awesome choices at 5, 9, 13, and 17, and a bonus one at 3rd if they take a general feat.
Androids in Starfinder get a bonus vs biological and mind affecting stuff, darkvision, penalty to social stuff, and an armor upgrade slot.
Androids in PF2 get a bonus vs biological stuff, low light vision, penalty to social stuff, a first level feat that could be an internal compartment, and a choice of much more impactful stuff from a variety of heritages, and then *also* awesome choices at 5, 9, 13, and 17, and a bonus one at 3rd if they take a general feat.
It's clear that there is quite a bit of room at level 1 for interesting stuff. We know early access to flight is already on the table, and yeah cheek pouches being kept back until later levels is weird, but I don't see all the upsides people are talking about.
Its mostly the same to be honest because you got all the stuff you got at level 1 and if you wanted more later racial feats were a thing.
The difference is you didnt often have to piecemeal together your basic features like your wings or darkvision etc so you had a pretty potent core of abilities, which you could then improve if you wanted to.
It sounds to me from further interviews that they plan to not be slavishly devoted to clean 1 to 1 ports of mechanics from P2e so we may yet see some loosening in areas where P2 is very conservative, including flight climbing and burrowing. So i will be very anxious to see what they cook up for the Kasatha and Kiirinta and the like
I mean it does genuinely feel like "its gonna be like P2" is the only real selling point which is meh. And I do play both games alot. *gestures towards his glyphs and novas*
Im not really happy or sad about the new edition.
I like P2 well enough but its old hat by this point. I know what it is at this point its not exciting or sexy or anything like that in and of itself. There isnt a whole lot of mystery waiting to be unfolded.
That's more what I think Kish is getting at - its not got any real selling point for people who actually like Starfinder already beyond "hey your games not getting moth balled".
Itll maybe be nice to see some new faces at the starfinder table I guess but thats like two years away still.
First of all, I am not speculating; let me quote the FAQ for you:
Will new classes just be old classes IN SPAAAAAAAAAAAACE?
Classes in Starfinder are going to be their own bespoke classes that operate alongside the existing set of Pathfinder classes.
Theyre already explicitly telling us this is how its going to work and if you watched the announcement stream they really couldnt have been any more explicit about their intent.
Second while the fighter class is the same one used in Pathfinder its not like he is gonna use a holy avenger longsword. He is gonna use the same Reaction Cannon the soldier is or a doshko or something and still use Sudden Charge or Power Attack as normal.
I want to be clear I dont think this even necessarily is a bad thing, they still have a solid chance of nailing the flavor anyway even without their own mechanical engine.
But I think being in denial that its what this is gonna be is weird.
I mean they aren't going to require a SF2 player to pick up a PF2 book in order to fill out their core class or science-fantasy archetypical character lineup. Their goal will be to be able to buy and play SF2 completely independently from PF2, with the interoperability as a surprise bonus for new players who want to branch out later.
This is the part that I just dont think is true or else Soldier wouldnt look the way it does.
I mean it is very clearly the #1 design goal and percieved selling point for Starfinder that it be 100% cross compatible.
I would have much rather seen this game try to advance and improve on P2s engine rather than copy it myself. But easy and full compatibility is just so clearly the bedrock of the design philosophy they have done to this point and I do not anticipate any amount of feedback shifting them from that.
I do think as a design goal it is extremely disappointing; Starfinder has always had its own vibes and I dont think they match pathfinders 1 to 1. I think Starfinder will have to give up some of it's identity in order to be fully cross compatible with Pathfinder. But its gonna be what its gonna be, we can only hope they really nail the equipment/enhancements and tech aspects to help it still feel distinct from the fantasy game.
Back on topic somewhat, I anticipate all 6 classes are going to be the sort of niche experience the soldier is. I dont anticipate the 6 are necessarily even going to be 6 of the 7 from the starfinder core book.
After all we dont need a generic fightyman or generic magic-user; Wizard and Fighter are gonna be usable. So maybe technomancer doesnt make the jump. Do we need an operative when we have a rogue? We are gonna find out I guess. What does mechanic do that Inventor doesnt already do? Maybe we see Biohacker and Precog instead.
I would love to see the return of your so-called Vanity Boons.
I recognize they are a long shot because they require some developer work, but in PFS1 I loved having the ability to join the Ruby Prince's Undying Guard, or being able to buy a minor noble title in Taldor or to have my own pirate ship or a theater in Absalom. Really helped to pull together some character concepts.
I would like to be able to play as a Jinx halfling, something currently not possible because it is an uncommon option with no access condition
And since were talking shorties, a boon to make it so my pony doesnt become a full blown horse when I take the mount advancement feats would be much appreciated.
Any good news here is for me more than overshadowed by disappointment about no PFS1 orcs.
I have to chime in my agreement here. I have to register my disagreement with the characterization of pf1 orcs presented here.
There are multiple PFS scenarios, including a multi table special, where the society collaborates with good aligned orcs even in the "dark ages" of pf1.
I don’t have a stake in this debate, but a pony does remain a pony it’s whole life. Ponies are not baby horses, but small horses. They don’t grow up to be full-sized horses. You may be intending to say foal.
Right and this more than anything is my issue. The visual here is patently absurd to me. And so is the roleplay. My pony shouldnt just BECOME a horse.
The hobbits ride ponies not horses.
Merry could not possibly ride that horse he and Eowyn share.
Friend Corvus you miss the absolutely MOST important part! Under "Big Guns" Luwazi Elsebo all of those thing were good things! Its only under Ehu Hadif that people decided they were "bad". The difference is simple - effective Leadership! Wheeler slicks back his hair satisfied at the answer, handing the dragon man little pegasus class vitamins.
The current head of donor relations, in his cheap Blue suit with orange accents quite literally throws his hat into the ring.
If it was up to me, we would re elect Luwazi Elsebo, the greatest first seeker of all time. he shows off his purple luwazi second seekers badge which has aged and has battle markings
But failing her...one of her disciples clearly now has to come in and save the society AGAIN
You strike me as the type of highly intelligent individual who walks into a McDonalds, sees with a keen observant eye that all the sodas are 1$, then angrily demands to see the manager and ask him why if he can sell a large soda for 1$ you can't get a Quarter Pounder for the same price.
Cope and seethe, boycott Paizo, whatever. Don't insult my intelligence by comparing a book publishing company with a model-producing company that releases books on the side.
Listen, I promote paizo products all over all the time - look at my profile check the profile before you accuse me of wanting to burn down the house.
The pdf coming with subscription but not the hardcover in the store has long been a sore point for retailers - anyone who is properly obsessed with Paizo is eventually gonna switch off buying from the retailer to buying direct from Paizo.
I believe it's been explained that the places where the PDF is provided gratis are boutique outfits. They certainly don't have near the level of output that Paizo does.
All the places I can think of off the top of my head (Modiphius, Free League) all maybe produce 1-2 books in a product line in a year.
That being said, you do get the PDF gratis, if you pre-order from them.
The famously boutique Games Workshop.
These price changes are fine mostly though I question charging 5 dollars for 1 hour of content with the quests and bounties when that used to be a free product that helped onboard new players
AC 19 Fort +6, Ref +9, Will +5 | HP 26/26 Ancient Elf Reputation Seeker Fighter 2 | Exploration Activity: Stealth +7 | Cane in right hand, left hand open | Conditions: None
I am at the hospital right now waiting for my son to be born. Please bot liberally.
AC 19 Fort +6, Ref +9, Will +5 | HP 26/26 Ancient Elf Reputation Seeker Fighter 2 | Exploration Activity: Stealth +7 | Cane in right hand, left hand open | Conditions: None
Sorry for the radio silence, I was traveling the last two days and was just tired.
AC 19 Fort +6, Ref +9, Will +5 | HP 26/26 Ancient Elf Reputation Seeker Fighter 2 | Exploration Activity: Stealth +7 | Cane in right hand, left hand open | Conditions: None
Serepns pulls open the door carefully and grunts This is...somehow still awful even without all the fascists.
I decided not to answer the survey because, honestly, I kinda feel like it's not my place, but I will use this thread to raise a couple of issues I have that this survey (which, itself, is great to see) raises for me.
Mainly, that after 5+ years of the Starfinder Society, the Lorespire Complex remains an amorphous mass, with features, or lack of features, that just bubble up or melt away as needed. While I do truly understand the motivation to not fully lock down your options, it would be nice if there was an internal baseline to work off in some areas.
This is my issue as well, its truly hard to imagine the Lorespire Complex not having a number of these options already and its weird to me that these features are being put in the giant prison that we also didn't really ever see mentioned much
AC 19 Fort +6, Ref +9, Will +5 | HP 26/26 Ancient Elf Reputation Seeker Fighter 2 | Exploration Activity: Stealth +7 | Cane in right hand, left hand open | Conditions: None
Mr Serpens checking in.
Everybody wants to be naked and famous - but I am quite partial to my clothes, so let's just settle for famous.
More seriously though, it really does feel like despite making all the "right" decisions as players that the society gets treated like a pariah no matter what.
Makes a guy really just wanna lean in and do all the selfishly motivated things he can.
I know after the scoured stars we had the whole Datch thing which was literally just propaganda and we as a society voted NOT to execute her live on television, so I'm not sure I get it.
After prepping the intro to season 5 you would think the society was living down a reputation of being war criminals or something. Even the way Ehu talks about the Society, one would think that Jadnura and Luwazi led with iron fists and that's really not at all what was portrayed so I am a little confused.
I am assuming this is because of what happened with the Data Scourge, but that's gonna be small potatoes compared to the drift crisis and not at all consistent with how the society is usually portrayed.
