Friends,
I will be playtesting the Beta rules by running a Curse of the Crimson Throne campaign starting this September at the Comic Book Store in Glassboro, New Jersey. Sessions will be once or twice a month on Fridays from 12:30pm-4:30pm. I realize this time is terrible for most working folks, but I can't swing an evening time due to my family obligations (two young kids at home). In any event, I have three slots available out of six total. For more information, click on the spoiler and/or email me at carrigan@rowan.edu.
The King is ill and near death, and the city of Korvosa is in chaos! Riots, banditry, monsters, and mayhem are turning the normally safe streets of the city into a war zone. Desperate to regain control of her city, Queen Ileosa seeks heroes to aid her in reclaiming control before the largest city in all Varisia consumes itself from within….
Overview
In September 2008, Bill Carrigan will be launching a biweekly campaign using the rules for the new Pathfinder Roleplaying Game (PFRPG), an open gaming license product published by Paizo and designed as an alternative to the fourth edition of the world’s most popular roleplaying game. It seeks to correct some of the problems with 3.5 (see attached sheet) while maintaining backwards compatibility with existing 3.5 products. Some folks refer to it as 3.75. Beginning this August, Paizo will begin a year of playtesting with the Beta version of the rules (available in softcover). Feedback from players throughout the world will help produce the final version of the game rules, a hardcover rulebook that will be released in August 2009. This campaign will be one of those playtests and regular reports will be posted online at paizo.com.
Time and Place
The game will be held twice a month (when possible) on Fridays from 12:30pm to 4:30pm at the Comic Book Store in Glassboro, New Jersey. The first session is scheduled for September 5.
If you are interested or want more information, feel free to email Alex Mattson at thecomicbookstore@gmail.com or Bill Carrigan at carrigan@rowan.edu.
Products Required for Play
Participation in the game requires a 3.5 Dungeons and Dragons Players Handbook (PHB) or access to the d20 System Reference Document (SRD) and the purchase of two new items:
• The softcover Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Beta rules ($25)
• The Curse of the Crimson Throne Players Guide ($2)
Please buy these items from our host, The Comic Book Store! In addition, individuals will be expected, though not required, to put forward $2 per session to underwrite the costs of purchasing miniatures, flip mats, and other products used during gameplay. Such products will be divided up among all the players at the end of the campaign. In addition, each player will receive 100 experience points or one re-roll of any d20 for every $2 contributed.
Recommended Product to Purchase
In addition to the above two products, players may be interested in purchasing the Pathfinder Chronicles Gazetteer ($18), which is a 64 page full color overview of Golarion, the setting of the Pathfinder role-playing game. While focusing on the nations, gods, and timeline of Golarion, the Gazetteer also includes important information about the core races and classes. The history, worldview, and contemporary circumstances of each race are covered, and the major cultures of the human race are explored individually. These include the Azlanti, the original human race, now long-vanished; the democratic Andorans; the ancient Garundi and Osirions; the conceited Chelaxians; savage Kellids; hospitable Keleshites; mysterious Mwangi; decadent Taldans; plundering Ulfen; the isolationistic Tians; nomadic Varisians, an exotic Vudrani. Very important for players is that each class receives a setting-specific rule: fighters, for example, have extra class skills and skill ranks while sorcerers can continue to cast spells after using up their spell slots if they're willing to suffer fatigue or even exhaustion as a consequence. (Note: Some of this summary cribbed from Joel Arrellano’s summary on RPGnet.)
Creating Characters and Rules of the Campaign
1. Due to the limitations of time, no more than six players will be allowed in any game session. Preference will be given to players who are not playing in another DND game at the Comic Book Store. A waiting list will be kept, and individuals on the list will be contacted if a slot opens up.
2. Only the races and classes in the Beta version of the PFRPG are available, and no characters of evil alignment are allowed.
3. 3.5 splat books are compatible with the PFRPG rules and are largely welcomed. I do want to keep the focus on playtesting, however, so please check with me about any thing from a particular splat book that you would like to use.
4. During the first session, character ability scores will be generated through a unique, collective process involving dice rolls and the drafting of ability scores. Each character will have the same ability score modifier total as every other character, but there will be an ability score incentive for the group if it develops a strong, unifying storyline for their working together. Once a player has all of his scores, he or she will be able to assign ability scores as they see fit. Note: this process should produce higher scores than the standard array.
5. Characters begin at first level and possess the average starting gold for a character of their class as detailed in the PHB. Characters joining the campaign after the first session (whether because an experienced player is creating a new character or a new player is joining the campaign) will begin play one level below the lowest level member of the existing party and with starting wealth to be determined by the DM. New characters will be able to draft their ability scores from a pool of scores that will include both those left over from the initial draft and the scores of any characters that have perished or retired from the game.
6. Characters receive maximum hit points at first level plus their Constitution modifier plus the following bonuses depending upon their race: +4 hit points to gnomes, halflings, and elves; +6 hit points to half-elves, humans; +8 hit points to dwarves and half-orcs. At second level and above, characters receive average hit points (rounded down at second level, rounded up at third level, etc.).
7. Characters will advance using the “fast” column on PRPG Table 4.1. In order to fulfill as many of the playtesting goals as possible in limited time, experience points will be distributed in a manner that allows the party to rise from first to twelfth level in about one year of real time, approximately every two sessions.
8. Based on the player’s choice of character background as detailed in the Curse of the Crimson Throne Player’s Guide, characters will receive a small bonus (for example, one background option gives the character a +1 to Will saves).
9. Players who have purchased the Pathfinder Chronicles Gazetteer will be able to use campaign specific rules for each class detailed there.
10. The DM will provide free copies of the PFRPG character sheet. Players should maintain two copies of these sheets and leave one with the DM at the end of every session. In the event that a player cannot make a scheduled session, his character will be run as an NPC by either the DM, a fellow player, or a surrogate player.
Update: There are now two spots available.
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To be perfectly honest, I wish I could play, I'm not far from there, but the timing is bad. However what really got me was this:
"During the first session, character ability scores will be generated through a unique, collective process involving dice rolls and the drafting of ability scores. Each character will have the same ability score modifier total as every other character, but there will be an ability score incentive for the group if it develops a strong, unifying storyline for their working together."
My curiosity is peaked! How's this work, if you don't mind my asking?
-DM Jeff
My curiosity is peaked! How's this work, if you don't mind my asking?
-DM Jeff
Jeff, I know the timing is bad for lots of folks! Unfortunately, this is my only option given my family duties. In any event, let me go over the character ability score generation system a bit.
First, every player (lets say there are four) plus the DM rolls 4d6 (drop lowest) six times.
Second, all players announce their results and total up the ability score modifiers. I will roll up some scores as examples.
Player One: 16 (+3), 15 (+2), 14 (+2), 14 (+2), 9 (-1), 14 (+2). Wow, really high rolls! Total bonus is: +10.
Player Two: 11 (+0), 11 (+0), 12 (+1), 7 (-2), 7 (-2), 14 (+2). Wow, really low rolls! Roll again because bonus is -1 in total.
Player Two Re-roll: 16 (+3), 15 (+2), 11 (+0), 8 (-1), 16 (+3), 12 (+1). Total modifiers: +8
Player Three: 4 (-3), 14 (+2), 16 (+3), 16 (+3), 17 (+3), 14 (+2). Total: +10
Player Four: 14 (+2), 12 (+1), 16 (+3), 11 (+0), 13 (+1), 13 (+1). Total: +8
DM: 10 (+0), 10 (+0), 7 (-2), 14 (+2), 6 (-2), 13 (+1). Another negative character. Crazy. Roll again.
DM Roll #2: 7 (-2), 13 (+1), 17 (+3), 11 (+0), 13 (+1), 12 (+1). Total: +4
Third, DM divides all the total bonus numbers by the number of rollers and comes up with an average total bonus (rounding to nearest whole number). In the above example, the average is: +8 (+40 divided by 5). The "cap" for all four characters becomes +8. A character cannot exceed +8 when drafting their ability scores. (As soon as they reach the cap, all remaining scores yet to be filled become 10s.)
Fourth, all rolls are collected together, separated from the player who rolled them and placed on a central board like this (added things up quickly so forgive any errors):
17 x 2
16 x 6
15 x 2
14 x 6
13 x 4
12 x 2
11 x 3
10 x 1
9 x 1
8 x 1
7 x 1
4 x 1
Fifth, the players roll a d20 and highest gets to draft first, second goes next, etc. However, it is a "snake draft" so person to go last in the "first round" goes first in the "second round" and so on. Players continue drafting until they have six scores. They then distribute them as they see fit and create their characters! Note that the DM rolls in order to insure that at least six scores will be left over at the end.
Reasons I love this system:
1. It involves rolling dice!
2. It creates balanced characters!
3. It lets other players fully cheer for their fellow players during character creation. Everyone wants a higher "average" so everyone benefits from the good rolls, not just the player getting lucky.
4. It creates unique ability score spreads instead of the cookie cutterish ones that you get with the array system and even the point buy system.
5. It encourages people to take negative stats because this helps with your "cap." Thus, lots of characters have a weak spot, and it has been chosen with love by the player. I must give up this in order to be stronger in this....
6. It allows me to reward certain builds during character creation without unbalancing the characters. For example, the campaign has a no evil characters rule, but I would also like to have good characters. Any player declaring that their character will be good gets an extra d6 to roll replacing a low die roll at any time during the rolling up process. This boost helps the entire group by bumping up the average while still encouraging particular players to go in directions I would like them to. No penalty, however, for those who don't do this (well other than party member bitterness "why didn't you become good? you could have re-rolled and impoved that 6,6,1,1!!!" I am also thinking about giving the d6 boost to players who come up with a good reason they love Kovosa even if they are good and the city is well, not so good.
Thanks for asking Jeff even if you can't make the game!
Best,
Marnak
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Hey, thanks for posting it! That's actually very unique and sounds like fun. For years now we've been doing point buy and it's not as exciting as the dice-rolling days but at least it doesn't let one PC outshine another from some lucky/unlucky rolling on what's to be a character for over a year.
I may have to give this a shot for my next game. Good job, and thanks again for posting it! Also, good luck with the campaign.
-DM Jeff
I may have to give this a shot for my next game. Good job, and thanks again for posting it! Also, good luck with the campaign.
-DM Jeff
DM Jeff,
No problem. I am glad you were interested and hope you give it a try next time you start a campaign. If you do, and you have a chance, drop in on my (yet to be started) Beta playtest thread and let me know what your players thought of it.
Marnak