Pathfinder Society Scenario #5–99: The Paths We Choose (PFRPG) PDF

Announced for July! Keep in mind that it won't be available for normal purchase until just before Gen Con 2015 but is available for regional conventions and game days.

As this is specific to the faction changes occurring at the beginning of season 6, can I ask why the non-convention players have to wait a year before it is available. In a year's time it will be almost irrelevant, vs in a couple of month's time when it is very relevant.

What level of GM do you need to be to run this event? I would love to have this one and #6-00 run together as a special event in our area sometime soon after Gencon.

As this is specific to the faction changes occurring at the beginning of season 6, can I ask why the non-convention players have to wait a year before it is available. In a year's time it will be almost irrelevant, vs in a couple of month's time when it is very relevant.

Non-convention players should petition their local Venture Officers to organize a local game day that can meet the table requirements to allow this scenario to be offered.

If you do not have a local Venture Officer, I encourage you to organize the game day yourself so that you and your fellow players can enjoy this scenario as soon as possible.

sanwah68 wrote:

As this is specific to the faction changes occurring at the beginning of season 6, can I ask why the non-convention players have to wait a year before it is available. In a year's time it will be almost irrelevant, vs in a couple of month's time when it is very relevant.

Non-convention players should petition their local Venture Officers to organize a local game day that can meet the table requirements to allow this scenario to be offered.

If you do not have a local Venture Officer, I encourage you to organize the game day yourself so that you and your fellow players can enjoy this scenario as soon as possible.

^^This

What level of GM do you need to be to run this event? I would love to have this one and #6-00 run together as a special event in our area sometime soon after Gencon.

There is no GM level requirement. Anyone may run it at a game day or convention. Make sure to talk to your local VO to get it scheduled.

too bad that a capstone adventure for the season is set so low. most of the characters played though the season may be too high to play this!

too bad that a capstone adventure for the season is set so low. most of the characters played though the season may be too high to play this!

Good thing it isn't a capstone adventure and is the kick off for Season 6 then!

Last sentence of the first paragraph:

This adventure kicks off Season 6, The Year of the Sky Key and is for character levels 3-7

Mmmm...that doesn't actually answer my question. After all, what is the difference between a small convention and a game day with enough tables to qualify to run this.

What I am trying to point out, obviously not clearly, is that ALL the PFS players in the world could benefit from this scenerio, but only if it is offered at the time when the changes are taking place...not when the changes are a year old.

I normally don't complain about convention exclusives, and understand that the normal Gencon special needs a certain amount of tables to run correctly, but I stongly feel that this particular scenario has a certain time period when it would be incredibly helpful to the whole player base, not just those who can make it to games days, or conventions.

Mmmm...that doesn't actually answer my question. After all, what is the difference between a small convention and a game day with enough tables to qualify to run this.

What I am trying to point out, obviously not clearly, is that ALL the PFS players in the world could benefit from this scenerio, but only if it is offered at the time when the changes are taking place...not when the changes are a year old.

I normally don't complain about convention exclusives, and understand that the normal Gencon special needs a certain amount of tables to run correctly, but I stongly feel that this particular scenario has a certain time period when it would be incredibly helpful to the whole player base, not just those who can make it to games days, or conventions.

I will bring it up at the PFS meeting tomorrow. I understand your point and certainly wouldn't want people to miss out on it since there are such important fundamental changes to the campaign. But, there are some specific restrictions that make it a little difficult for a lone table of six different factions to just pick it up and run it. It is why we were gearing this toward conventions and game days of 15 tables or more. It is important to try to limit the tables to 3 factions or less (except for Grand Lodge and Silver Crusade).

Edit To clarify, by limiting to 3 factions or less, it includes Qadira, Taldor, Osirion, Scarzni, Andoran, Cheliax, and Osirion. Grand Lodge and Silver Crusade can be added as a fourth and fifth faction at the table with no problems. However, if you have four or more of the other factions, it could be very tough to finish the scenario in the allotted time frame.

Mmmm...that doesn't actually answer my question. After all, what is the difference between a small convention and a game day with enough tables to qualify to run this.

I believe the requirement is 15 tables over the course of the event. That's 5 tables a day for a three day weekend.

Edit: Thank you for that confirmation Mike and answering the question I couldn't.

sanwah68 wrote:

Mmmm...that doesn't actually answer my question. After all, what is the difference between a small convention and a game day with enough tables to qualify to run this.

What I am trying to point out, obviously not clearly, is that ALL the PFS players in the world could benefit from this scenerio, but only if it is offered at the time when the changes are taking place...not when the changes are a year old.

I normally don't complain about convention exclusives, and understand that the normal Gencon special needs a certain amount of tables to run correctly, but I stongly feel that this particular scenario has a certain time period when it would be incredibly helpful to the whole player base, not just those who can make it to games days, or conventions.

I will bring it up at the PFS meeting tomorrow. I understand your point and certainly wouldn't want people to miss out on it since there are such important fundamental changes to the campaign.

Thanks Mike, I appreciate you listening.

Michael Brock wrote:

sanwah68 wrote:

Mmmm...that doesn't actually answer my question. After all, what is the difference between a small convention and a game day with enough tables to qualify to run this.

What I am trying to point out, obviously not clearly, is that ALL the PFS players in the world could benefit from this scenerio, but only if it is offered at the time when the changes are taking place...not when the changes are a year old.

I normally don't complain about convention exclusives, and understand that the normal Gencon special needs a certain amount of tables to run correctly, but I stongly feel that this particular scenario has a certain time period when it would be incredibly helpful to the whole player base, not just those who can make it to games days, or conventions.

I will bring it up at the PFS meeting tomorrow. I understand your point and certainly wouldn't want people to miss out on it since there are such important fundamental changes to the campaign.

Thanks Mike, I appreciate you listening.

I edited my post to include more info. Please take a look at it again.

Thanks again Mike.

I had listened to John's Know Direction podcast, so understood the three faction thing, but didn't think that though as why the game day restiction. I suppose that, from my point of view, it sounds so cool that I really want to play/DM it right now...ok, when it is released. I do "sort of" game days, but they are at our home, but can have more than one table running at once.

Thanks again Mike.

I had listened to John's Know Direction podcast, so understood the three faction thing, but didn't think that though as why the game day restiction. I suppose that, from my point of view, it sounds so cool that I really want to play/DM it right now...ok, when it is released. I do "sort of" game days, but they are at our home, but can have more than one table running at once.

Trust me, I understand. When I was a VC, we would host four simultaneous tables at my house in the first slot, and four or five tables in the second slot on every other Saturday until my wife threw us out.

I would like to echo some of the other posts about the availablity of the scenario.

I play in the Perth, Western Australia area, and while we have a nice little community going but there is no possiblity of anything close to a 15 table event. We managed 5 tables on one day for the Season 5 launch event and that was a real stretch for us. We are also very isolated from the other Australian PFS groups so it would be hard to join them.

I would like to echo some of the other posts about the availablity of the scenario.

I play in the Perth, Western Australia area, and while we have a nice little community going but there is no possiblity of anything close to a 15 table event. We managed 5 tables on one day for the Season 5 launch event and that was a real stretch for us. We are also very isolated from the other Australian PFS groups so it would be hard to join them.

Keep in mind, not just for this, but to receive boons, product prize support, etc... it just needs to be 15 or more tables over a three day weekend, not all in one day.

Thanks for the reply Mike!

Given our small player base and limited venues I don't think we would be able to get 15 tables over 3 days.

The effort to get 5 tables at once was quite monumental (but also good for getting new players) and I can't picture how we could replicate that over two more days.

We also don't have a venue that could accomodate 5 tables a day, for 3 days.

Obviously the job of our VC, Chris, is to work on changing the above cirumstances but Perth is (relative to the US or the Australian cities on the east cost) small and in the middle of nowhere. So just our population base is big disadvantage.

If it is at all possible for Paizo to consider letting smaller Society chapters play it, while the story is relevant, it would be amazing.

PS. boons and prize support are the thing of dreams for Perthfinder :)

Thanks for the reply Mike!

Given our small player base and limited venues I don't think we would be able to get 15 tables over 3 days.

The effort to get 5 tables at once was quite monumental (but also good for getting new players) and I can't picture how we could replicate that over two more days.

We also don't have a venue that could accomodate 5 tables a day, for 3 days.

Obviously the job of our VC, Chris, is to work on changing the above cirumstances but Perth is (relative to the US or the Australian cities on the east cost) small and in the middle of nowhere. So just our population base is big disadvantage.

If it is at all possible for Paizo to consider letting smaller Society chapters play it, while the story is relevant, it would be amazing.

PS. boons and prize support are the thing of dreams for Perthfinder :)

We do. I make a case-by-case decision on all regions outside North America. I had dinner with Callum a month a go and we discussed the challenges with Perth specifically. I'm also working with Chris to hopefully help the region grow.

There *is* the option of hooking up with the Online Collective for an online Game Day event.

Question about the 15 tables thing... does this have to be 15 tables all playing THIS scenario, or can it be three slots of 5-6 tables each, playing this scenario, Siege of the Diamond City, and #6-00?

In other words, could I work with our local VC on putting together a game day in a venue with 5 tables to run all three of these special events, and have it count toward the number of tables required? Or do you have to run 15 tables of each scenario? Cuz that part would be tough.

From experience it is an event, over several consecutive days, that is hosting 15 PFS tables or more in any mix of offerings that are sanctioned for credit.

Yeah, the scenario itself may have its own limits of minimum tables (for example, 5 simultaneous tables for Siege of the Diamond City), but shouldn't be requiring 15 tables as once.

John,

I would like to add my voice to this not being an 'exclusive'.

While I've had great fun playing Race for the Runecarved Key, and Blood over Absalom (and likely Diamond City when it becomes available)* none of these have been as 'game changing' as The Paths We Choose sounds. Based on the limited data, I'd say please open it up and skip the exclusion period.

*

Exclusive or not I am definitely looking forwards to this one.

John,

I would like to add my voice to this not being an 'exclusive'.

While I've had great fun playing Race for the Runecarved Key, and Blood over Absalom (and likely Diamond City when it becomes available)* none of these have been as 'game changing' as The Paths We Choose sounds. Based on the limited data, I'd say please open it up and skip the exclusion period.

*** spoiler omitted **

Based on the information Mike's provided, scheduling sudoku for non-gameday-or-larger events seems like a potential for REALLY bad table mixes where there isn't time to accomplish all of the faction plugins for a modular scenario.

If those are plugins where the encounters are combats, having 1, 2, 4, 5, or 6 factions who contribute experience bearing encounters (GL and SC are either guaranteed or not present as EBE's based on above commentary), seating un-sorted players for this is not going to be amenable to a purely casual group of limited population being able to complete the scenario in a five-ish hour block. Marshaling for this for conventions is going to be a new experience in table-juggling. I suspect a STRONG admonition to self-muster by faction AND party comp for this one is in order....

(All, of course, based on the KD podcast and statements above, and my own observations of orgplays for the past bit....)

All of which,ironically, makes it actually easier for a home group where you have a lot more control over the players and factions at the table :)

Ok all. After discussing it at the meeting today, the team has decided this scenario is just too important to the fundamentals of the Society for anyone to miss. So, it will be available for open play with no minimum table requirements. Enjoy!

When would be the earliest that this scenario can be run?

Second day of Gen Con. So, August 16, 8 am EST.

Ok all. After discussing it at the meeting today, the team has decided this scenario is just too important to the fundamentals of the Society for anyone to miss. So, it will be available for open play with no minimum table requirements. Enjoy!

Awesome decision, guys. I was holding out on adding my feedback, and am very happy you circumvented it. I am looking forward to scheduling this in August.

Edit: One little bit of feedback I should still give you: this scenario should have been coded #6-00 while that scenario should have been coded #5-99. If this one launches Season 6 it seems strange to include it in Season 5's sequencing, while that is the finale of Season 5 and is included in Season 6's sequencing. A nitpick, but still, it seems some confusion is inevitable and could have been avoided.

Second day of Gen Con. So, August 16, 8 am EST.

Thank you Mike for both the reply and the change from the minimum table requirement.

Ok all. After discussing it at the meeting today, the team has decided this scenario is just too important to the fundamentals of the Society for anyone to miss. So, it will be available for open play with no minimum table requirements. Enjoy!

Great news! Thanks a bunch Mike, and all the team. Very much looking forward to this scenario.

Hopefully our community will grow enough to run 15 tables in the near future!

Thanks Mike. It makes a lot of sense to do it this way, it really does. It'll be quite interesting to prep for Gencon I'm sure. :) Can't wait.

Edit: One little bit of feedback I should still give you: this scenario should have been coded #6-00 while that scenario should have been coded #5-99. If this one launches Season 6 it seems strange to include it in Season 5's sequencing, while that is the finale of Season 5 and is included in Season 6's sequencing. A nitpick, but still, it seems some confusion is inevitable and could have been avoided.

You know... I had the same thought, Drogon... ah well.

Ok all. After discussing it at the meeting today, the team has decided this scenario is just too important to the fundamentals of the Society for anyone to miss. So, it will be available for open play with no minimum table requirements. Enjoy!

Awesome! Thank you for the revisit and the yummy goodness.

I just want to add all my thanks as well. I can't wait to run/play this.

Thanks Mike...I love you all for your willingness to listen to us.

Ok all. After discussing it at the meeting today, the team has decided this scenario is just too important to the fundamentals of the Society for anyone to miss. So, it will be available for open play with no minimum table requirements. Enjoy!

I'm not (yet) a regular PFS player but I must commend Mike and Co. on this decision. This is a great choice for the community and another example of Paizo's excellent community interaction.

Updated the release date!

One little bit of feedback I should still give you: this scenario should have been coded #6-00 while that scenario should have been coded #5-99. If this one launches Season 6 it seems strange to include it in Season 5's sequencing, while that is the finale of Season 5 and is included in Season 6's sequencing. A nitpick, but still, it seems some confusion is inevitable and could have been avoided.

I kind of agree Drogon, but that said remember this is the 26th scenario for season 5. Each season has had 26 regular scenarios since season 2. Moving this to Season 6 would make cause some to complain that season 5 was shorted.

Drogon wrote:

One little bit of feedback I should still give you: this scenario should have been coded #6-00 while that scenario should have been coded #5-99. If this one launches Season 6 it seems strange to include it in Season 5's sequencing, while that is the finale of Season 5 and is included in Season 6's sequencing. A nitpick, but still, it seems some confusion is inevitable and could have been avoided.

I kind of agree Drogon, but that said remember this is the 26th scenario for season 5. Each season has had 26 regular scenarios since season 2. Moving this to Season 6 would make cause some to complain that season 5 was shorted.

Ugh. Well that plan certainly backfired, then. I have to admit I didn't even realize that there wasn't a #5-26. I thought this was an extra, which really made me happy. Now I'm sad and feel like I've been shorted just that little bit more. /-:

Thanks for making this available to everyone.

Not only will it make for a great treat to play on Fargo PFS's 1st anniversary, more importantly it will be a chance to make factions relevant again. Without factions missions to help teach players the flavors of the different factions, they just haven't been a factor. I have no worry that there will be any problem of too many factions represented even if I only run 1 table since the vast majority of my players simply pick Grand Lodge because they don't see any reason to play another faction. Showing them the new flavor of the factions should help that.

Ok all. After discussing it at the meeting today, the team has decided this scenario is just too important to the fundamentals of the Society for anyone to miss. So, it will be available for open play with no minimum table requirements. Enjoy!

Kickass! Definitely look forward to running this one.

I think it's fantastic this will be widely available in time to be counted. Thank you!

Follow-up Question... Since this scenario becomes available after the start of Gen Con, how should the faction changeovers be handled? Our first local game day after this becomes available would be August 24th. Can we hold off switching to one of the new factions until after playing this scenario? My Osirion character, who is the one I'd most likely play this with, may hop over to Dark Archive for season 6. Would I play this as Osirion, Cheliax, or neither?

I wanted to add my voice to those who thank you for making this available to anyone! That's amazing news!

Quick technical question: is this considered as the retirement scenario for the nation-based factions?

As they are not being retired, no.

As they are not being retired, no.

To be fair, that point is still being debated on the boards last I checked with no input from Mike or John as yet. Unless there has been something that I missed.

This feels like a evolution of First Steps part 1. I really like it!

There are currently 7 Quests within the scenario, with the game only experiencing details of 3 of the 7.
With proper GM notations on the chronicle sheets, is it possible to play this scenario twice in order to experience 6 of the faction specific quests? With the proviso that no player gets to repeat a quest?

EG. Playthrough 1: Dark Archive, Grand Lodge, Exchange.
Playthrough 2: Silver Crusade, Scarab Sages, Andoran.
(Miss out on the Taldor mission)

This would double the play potential of this product and allow more PFS players to let their characters experience the changes in their factions.