Well, I got my answer. Thumbs up to owning 100 trained goats!
If rolling for initiative 101 times per combat is wrong, I don't want to be right. :-)
I tried Firefox on three computers (I use only Firefox, IE blows) to no effect. I busted out my old laptop and used Safari and it worked smoothly. Conclusion? (Firefox + PC) + DMTools = Frustration.
I had fun, thanks everyone for the questions.
Anyone know when the transcript will be up?
When it's done. I'm working on it right now. :)
Pathfinder Society Chat Summmary, July 30th, 2008
Many of our questions about Pathfinder Society games will be answered in the Players’/GMs Guide, due on August 8th. Thanks to everybody that showed up, but most especially to Josh Frost (JF) and Nick Logue (NL). Mod is me – I’ve grouped the questions and answers by topic.
Pathfinder Society Guide & General Questions
JF: The drop dead is August 8. If we can have it out before then, we will. We'll be sneaking a few key items into Friday's blog, though, as a way to stave off the ravenous hunger of the early devotees of Pathfinder Society.
Mod (Russ_Akred): "When will more information be up on the pathfinder society page?"
JF: Russ, Gary is working feverishly to get the code ready for 8/8 for the site and once I'm not focussed entirely on Gen Con and finishing the Guidebook, we plan to have much, much more information up.
Mod (Dorgar): "We have seen some pretty graphic content in the AP's will Pathfinder Society be younger gamer friendly?"
JF: PFS will be PG13 and we won't push the envelope like Pathfinder does. (And for the record, I love it when PF pushes the envelope but, yes, we're shooting for a younger audience.) Nick, for example, can't write about his ogres in PFS scenarios. ;)
NL: No ogres!!!
Nick Logue scraps development notes for next four scenarios...all of which just had two words on them: "Add Ogres."
Mod (Thelesuit): How much fan/community support is Pathfinder Society planning? Is there going to be a council/committee of uber-volunteers, etc.? If so, when will you be accepting applications?
JF: There is an as-of-yet-unannounced tier of volunteers we'll need for PFS, yet. Stay tuned.
Mod (Thelesuit): Interactives and mini-modules? Meta-gaming activities -- other than the factions -- what will be available (has someone started thinking about this yet)?
JF: Interactives are planned for Season 1. We are thinking about it. Can't not when Jason and Erik are within cat-throwing distance of your desk.
Mod (psymin): What costs would be involved for members of PFS? If the GM buys the pdfs, do the players need to pay anything additional?
JF: Players do not have to pay anything.
Mod (psymin): Is there any benefit for a GM to run a PFS game? (Aside from knowing that he/she is letting gamers have fun, and spreading the word of Paizo) Paizo swag perhaps? Forum recognition? Paizocon recognition? *shrug*"
JF: GM benefits -- outside of the cons we run, that's up to the cons.
Mod (psymin): I don't know anything about 'Living' campaigns, what are they and why do people play them?
JF: Read the guidebook as it addresses that very question more eloquently than I can in a chat room.
Mod (psymin): I'm interested in GMing and getting FLGS support! Tell me what to do!
JF: Read the guidebook about GMing and additional information about FLGS support that I haven't covered in this chat. The guidebook is exhaustive ... which is why it’s been delayed. (But there are quick start rules too!)
NL: Its true the Guidebook is HUGE!
Mod: Will the guidebook ever be printed, or is it PDF only?
JF: I'll never say never, cuz who knows? PDF at launch.
Player Registration
JF: On or before 8/8, we'll have a system go live at paizo.com/pathfindersociety where folks can sign up for PFS and register their first PFS character. The GM of your home group will need to register as the "coordinator" for that home game and then will be responsible for reporting the scenarios.
Mod: So, it will all be tied into the rest of the Paizo messageboard systems? Can an alias be used if you have a preexisting account, that sort of thing?
JF: Yes. Your character can even be a sock puppet on your account. (I believe. Don't quote me.) ;)
JF: Eventually, your home GM will be able to keep a calendar of sessions. I'm not sure when that feature will go live, though.
NL: Calendar! Sweet. I can't wait to see that feature.
JF: I should add that calendars for home games will be private and viewable only by the game group. We'll have a public convention calendar as well for convention coordinators around the world to announce their PFS events.
Mod: So FLGS, home coordinators, and convention organizers all use the same interface?
JF: Correct.
Mod (Mothman): Do people have to be PFS members to sign up to play PFS adventures at a con?
JF: No - we'll have quick start rules right out of the gate for them to play characters in the beginning slots. This, of course, assumes your local con is running the beginning slots. Con coordinators will also get PDFs with blanket PFS membership #s to handout to new players. They can use the code on the card to register their character and selves once the con is over.
Mod: Membership on the spot, essentially?
JF: If they don't register at paizo.com/pathfindersociety, though, their PC doesn't really exist.
Factions
Mod (Lori B): Can your group change factions along the way? (Or can this only be done after they retire at 12th level and players start over a 1st level with new characters?)
NL: In the interim between Seasons anyone can switch the allegiance of their character to a different faction if they like. But not in the middle of a Season...only after it’s concluded.
JF: Characters can only change factions between seasons (in July) BUT when you change factions, you lose all of your Prestige Awards you have, which means who basically start over on the track to new and exciting gear. Your faction will have a "store" where you buy gear depending on your PA.
Mod (Eric Ludy): Is smack talking to be encouraged in-character as the factions try to outdo one another?
NL: Banter is always fun. As long as banter doesn't become direct confrontation, it is to be encouraged. Then again, you might not want to let the other players know what faction you are (up to you really).
JF: This is a delicate question, so I will delicately answer it. We won't allow PVP, first off. So we have to be careful that PFS isn't a "my team" sporting event where a raiders fan smashes a Jets fan in the face with a chair. As an in-game member of PFS, your character will have to follow the Society's three rules: Explore, Report, and Cooperate.
NL: It’s also helpful to think of yourself as a Pathfinder first, Faction Member second.
JF: Factions are generally secret, and they're the hidden and dirty little secret of the PFS members local to Absalom , i.e., there aren't a lot of secret shadow war Pathfinders in Mwangi, for example. It just happens that your character is both a pathfinder and part of the secret shadow war or struggle for control of Absalom.
NL: Cooperating with the rest of the team (as Josh mentioned) is tantamount.
JF: So, in-game, your PCs won't know if they dude next to them is the member of a secret faction. So, generally speaking, in-game smack talk probably doesn't make sense. Out of game smack, though ... well. That's up to the players. :P
Mod (Eric Ludy): How do you foresee players from various factions interacting at the gaming table? How do you see the faction rivalry enriching the Pathfinder Society organized play environment?
JF: The Guidebook will more eloquently put this than I'm about to... But we expect people to get along. You character is a Pathfinder first and they're a pathfinder because they want to be. How they're embroiled in the secret shadow war is entirely up to character background, but they're pawns in it and are just doing small favors for a faction boss in order to gain access to greater rewards. As for rivalry... Competition is generally healthy and I see players trying to figure out if the guy next to them is also doing a favor for someone ... maybe even the same boss. Generally, though, their missive should be a secret and serious smack talk should be reserved for out-of-game or on the message boards. So I can read it. :)
Mod: HAH!
Mod (Dorgar): Will there be a way to know if there are other members of your faction at the table?
JF: When your boss says, get me the red mcguffin and three dudes including you all try to get the red mcgufffin ... you'll know. Or at least have a pretty good idea
Mod (JohnathanShade): How does it work to have characters from different factions adventuring together? Wouldn't the characters know if someone was from a different faction?
NL: Also, you'll be able to follow your faction's progress (for which you and the other players of that faction are responsible for) via monthly newsletters called Pathfinder Missives detailing events on the Inner Sea related to the shadow war.
JF: Eh...no guarantee yet that they're monthly newsletters, but you'll be able to track each faction's Prestige Award progress at paizo.com/pathfindersociety
Mod: Will those be visible to everybody and all factions?
JF: Yes ma’am.
Mod (Ask a Shoanti): Why Faction X is the coolest?
NL: Ha! Andoran rocks cause its all about Freedom. ANDORAN...F%~* YEAH! You get the idea. Also I love their explorer/trailblazer/naval bent as well. During Chelish rule, Andorans were the ones sailing ships to colonize far shores and exploring distant reaches. They have a lot of classic American spirit (or at least a fantasy analogy). Cheliax is all about the devil-worship. They also have a real fascism-run-amok feel that could be incredibly fun to play with. Erik was awesome as a Chelish wizard in our playtest. He was superior and smug, and all about the Asmodeus. Playing a good or neutral apologist for Asmodeus is something I would LOVE to do. Osirion beyond the obvious awesome of playing an Egyptian analogy, is awesome because these guys literally INVENTED magic and history. They are the oldest civilization still around and kicking. They are coming off of a bad patch of history, but to them, its really nothing more than a faltered step. They see the big picture and they plan in long term. They see the finish line far off. Everyone thinks Osirion is washed up, but that's exactly what they want people to think. Never underestimate the culture that's been around for millennia longer than yours. Qadira is awesome because they are all about THE MONEY! Economics = power to them. They have no interest in expanding their borders or direct conquest. They plan to erode the economies of their enemies until they are just vassal states sending "tribute" to the satrapy every year anyways. Very cool stuff. Taldor is decadence personified. They are falling in on themselves and have been for years. They are so jaded. It's great. They are completely non-plussed by everything, and almost embrace their own downfall in this hedonistic completely oblivous fashion. Fun stuff. Taldor is also a land of fashion run amok, and a place where getting invited to the party of the season is more important than any sort of actual achievement. Taldor is a great place for duelists, fops, decadent wizards and all manner of fun characters.
Mod (yoda8myhead): How will players in a game know their faction objective for that scenario? Will there be handouts for the GM to give out? And will each player know the goals of the other factions, or just their own?
JF: Handouts and they will only know their faction's objective. The objectives are generally designed to avoid bizarre entanglements that will lead to the PvP realm.
Mod (DamSadar): If being part of the winning faction is advantageous, what's to prevent everyone to switching to the "top" faction between season n and n+1?
JF: GOOD QUESTION. Next. Just kidding. :) There will, indeed, be a small advantage to being on the winning team after each season. Right now, we're thinking about a unique chronicle reward. But that's not set in stone. You can switch if you want ... but you lose your Prestige Reward and have to start over on a new faction's gear reward chart. And also every faction goes back to 0 Prestige when I new season begins. So everyone has an equal chance to once again vie for the top spot.
Mod (Russ): "Other than Pathfinders, are the plans for PC-joinable (and possibly runnable) organizations?"
JF: Are there plans? No plans at this time. That doesn't mean they won't someday exist.
Scenarios
JF: The scenarios presented at GenCon will be released for home play on Monday, August 18th. From then on, scenarios will release by the end of the month. 28 scenarios per year, two per month except Gen Con and Origins where we release 4.
Mod (TrentLivingDice.com): Will these be produced entirely in-house or will you be using the "volunteer writer" system used by other persistent campaigns?
JF: A little of both. Come to our panel at Gen Con about writing for Paizo to find out more.
NL: The first several are in-house, but there will be chances to get involved in the writing. It won't be "volunteer" writing like pre-existing campaigns though. The development and editing and whatnot will be in-house at Paizo.
JF: I don't want to give away too much on writing as we're debuting that at Gen Con.
Mod (Rambling Scribe): What are the next PFS scenarios after the four at Gen Con? Who are the writers?
JF: Stay tuned. I hope to have the first quarter worth of them on paizo.com shortly.
Mod (Lori B, TrentLivingDice.com): Has the price point been set yet for the module downloads?
JF: The price point has not yet been put through Lisa's magical pricing calculator. Under $5 is the target, though. I've personally been shooting for $3-4, but we'll see. I'm not the pricing guy.
Mod (Insert Neat Username Here): Will scenarios be available for purchase to those who aren't in the Society?
JF: They sure will.
Mod (Russ_Akred): How long do you have to play a game once you order it?
JF: There is no time limit to scenario play. There may have once been a good reason for that at some time in the deep, dark past of Org Play, but I frankly can't see it.
Mod (yoda8myhead): “ How long will specific scenarios be available for purchase? weeks, months, per season, or forever?"
JF: no specifics, yoda, but we reserve the right to retire scenarios. They'll at least be available for a full season, but I see them available for longer unless something is busted in one of them and we have to kill it. I'll try to avoid THAT scenario.
Mod (Pygon): “If PFS scenarios are released the day after US Gencon, how does this affect the players of UK Gencon, since they could get access to them before they play in them?"
JF: If they want to cheat and spend money to buy them and then read them before the show, well, I can't stop that but its seriously LAME.
Mod: JF, yeah, you don't want to be all Ezren-like and cast "Power Word: Denied" on 'em.
JF: That brings up something else: For con coordinators and in-store coordinators the scenarios will have an exclusivity period. So the scenarios that are released end of month in December, say, will be available to con coordinators and in-store coordinators around the middle of the previous month.
Mod: Oooh! Neat! So they get a chance to snag goodies as a draw for events?
JF: And now you're asking ...Why can't I just lie and say I'm a con coordinator and get them early?
Mod: JF, of course!
JF: Great question! Once 200 people show up at your house and wonder why you're not a con or a store, or show to the publically announced JoshCon that I lied about to get early access to a scenario and find a junk yard instead ...once they inform me, the individual who falsified a con to get early scenarios will get booted from PFS. So yeah, don't try it please.
Mod: Is that kinda like the "thou shalt not miss thy scheduled scenarios" pep talk? Earning your wroth and all that?
JF: Hahah, something like that Lilith.
Mod (Russ_Akred): If you order a scenario can you run it several times or do you have to re purchase it for each running?
JF: I'm going to be blunt here, Russ: I think requiring people to buy a scenario multiple times to run it multiple times is the stupidest thing I've ever heard.
Mod: *rofl*
Russ_Akred: just checking
JF: Once you buy it, by all means, travel the world and run it a thousand times for ten thousand people. We want players.  (AND GMs!)
Mod: Doo eet! Spread the Pathfinder word! :D
Russ_Akred: Does thaat mean you are charging for each running? };{>
JF: No. >< How would we even track that? Anyway, next question!
Mod (Mothman): "How long will a PFS adventure be? How long would you expect it to take to be played?"
JF: The scenarios are written to be played in 3.5 hours in order to be run in a 4-hour time slot at conventions. A con GM's job is to keep the game fun and moving. Players get cranky when they can't finish a scenario, no matter how much fun RPing at the bar is
Mod: Also good for an afternoon at the FLGS. :)
JF: Yup. Home games will have no assumed time limits, FYI. But we'll expect cons and stores to stick to the 4-hour limit.
Russ: Will it be acceptable to take longer at 5 hour slot cons? That's a fairly common slot length outside of the big three
JF: Good follow-up and yes. We're doing 5 at Gen Con UK, for example.
Mod (Lori B): Will scenarios contain spoilers for other scenarios? Could a group have 1 DM one scenario, and then another DM for another scenario? (I am thinking in the context of a home game here where we have the same group of people from game to game.)
JF: I view the scenarios as OP scenarios AND side treks for your home game. No spoilers. The scenarios are standalone ... but. You may find something in one scenario that rewards you again later for having it, or making the right contact earlier -- we reserved the right to loosely link scenarios with easter eggs. Though they do not have to be played in any order. Each scenario's only restriction is its tiering but we can get to that later.
NL: Easter Eggs for the Win!
Mod (Russ): You referenced the home GM earlier for home play. What about home games where people take turns GMing?
JF: Each time someone acts as GM, they'll need to be responsible for reporting results at paizo.com/pathfindersociety -- at least for season 0, though, someone has to eat the scenario with no rewards. So, yes, they can switch around GMs .
Mod (Uzzy): “Will there be Metaplots running through the year, other than the 'Take over Absalom'? Will there be ongoing effects on the campaign world with our actions in game? Could some PC's, if they have a huge influence, perhaps get 'canonized' and brought into the world?"
JF: There is a sub plot that loosely connects the scenarios that won't be revealed until the end of the season. There will be some effects on the world from the campaign. PCs will not have a huge influence on the world (factions might) and PCs will never be canonized and brought into the world officially.
Mod: Will GMs be required to play, or can they be GMs only if they so desired?
JF: GMs can be GMs. No requirements to play. As someone who pretty much only GMs, I love it and I wouldn't want to be forced to play.
Mod: Can GMs play in scenarios they've ran, or is that a no-go?
NL: No go
JF: You can play then GM a scenario, but you can never GM then play a scenario.
NL: Word.
Mod (Mothman): "PFS players will get bragging rights about their characters and their achievements ... any goodies or rewards for PFS DMs?"
JF: If they choose to just GM ... not really, not for season 0 at least. We'll work on a system for making the eating of a scenario less painful in Season 1. Though we reward our volunteer GMs at shows we're at ... and most cons offer some reward structure for GMs as well
Mod (elorbaen): "How are GMs/Players to know if a player has GMed a particular scenario (about to be played)?"
JF: (1) we expect people to be honest and (2) when the GM goes to report the scenario at paizo.com/pathfindersociety and the site says, "hey that dude already GMed this" that dude will get a warning and possible booting from PFS. At the table, though, there is no way to find out and we can't police it. Beyond the tracking mechanisms online, that is.
Mod (yoda8myhead): “Can players run through the same scenario twice, or just once per character?"
JF: Once.
Mod: As in, can a player have multiple characters, or just one in PFS?
JF: Run it twice and the second time is considered cheating. And cheating = bad. You can have multiple characters but you're going to level soooo sloooooow. Because once you as the player have run a scenario, none of your characters can run it again and yeah that'll be tracked on your pathfinder society account.
Mod (yoda8myhead): How level dependent are the scenarios going to be. Assuming one levels up after three scenarios, the four (?) level one scenarios per season will remain the same, and anyone starting a new character in, say, January would be using a 6-month-old scenario? Or will there be scaling information to use scenarios from any point in the season for any level of play?
JF: Our tiers will be as follows ... but first. With the scenarios loosely linked, they are totally playable at any time. We reserve the right to retire scenarios, but in theory, anyone can run the August scenarios anytime later. The tiers are all 5 level tiers: 1-5, 3-7, 5-9, 7-11, and then the mythological 12 tier. For the 1-5, the encounters are broken down 1-2, 3*, 4-5 based on Average Party Level, the party is either low tier or top tier or, if they're exactly middle tier, they get to choose -- lower tier for guaranteed rewards, or upper tier for a challenge but better rewards. 3-7, 5-9, 7-11 are broken down similarly and 12 is, well, 12.
Mod (Cpt_kristov): Will be a Pathfinder Society Scenario subscription?
JF: *gets up and walks over to Lisa's office*
Mod: Tell her "Gotta Catch 'em ALL!"
JF: Answer unclear, ask again later.
Mod: Magic 8 Ball FAIL!
JF: We can't think of any reason why we wouldn't have one, but we're also not Gary so we'll need to ask him tomorrow if any technology prohibitions would stand in the way of said sub. It’s a damn fine idea, though, Cpt.
Mod: Would the subs be print and PDF, or PDF only?
JF: Scenarios are PDF only.
Mod: In theory, if Gary can set up a PDF only sub for the scenarios, he can set it up for the APs and other materials, as some people have requested.
Mod (Mothman): "PFS modules will be distributed as PDFs, correct? Can you make them with clear background and limited graphics for ease of printing?"
JF: Yes and we already have. I told Drew Pozca that for every PDF I can't clearly print, I'll kill him. So we're shooting for a much more clean and clear design than our books -- they'll be pretty plain, but Drew is the man and he'll make them cool even though they're simple.
Mod: Will there be any plans to use Pathfinder Modules or Adventure Paths for credit in PFS, or just the scenarios?
JF: APs, never. Modules, we've talked about it, but I'm unsure when that might happen as it seriously explodes my tier schedule right out of the universe.
Mod: LOL. :P
JF: Not to mention you have to re-write swaths of the existing ones to fit and count
Mod (yoda8myhead): "Will the scenarios have "tags" like the modules denoting their order of release or type or anything (like D0, W1, LB1, etc)"
JF: Nope, they'll just be scenario 01 etc. We will most likely create a tag to distinguish seasons once we're in season 1, though.
Mod: When will GMs get their scenarios for prep at GenCon?
JF: On or about 8/8 is my goal. I wish it could be sooner.
Mod: So...5 days [for prep]?
JF: Yeah, sorry . Had to rebuild the treasure system this last weekend ... that delayed stuff. The first scenario hits layout tomorrow though ... so it could be before 8/8.And they're relatively quick to layout (relative to a 96-page pathfinder, anyway)
Convention & Game Store Play
Mod (Mothman): How would I organize some PFS adventures to be played at a small local con?
NL: If Mothy is willing to coordinate them, all he has to do is put the con director in contact with us and register as a coordinator, at which point we can make that month's Scenarios available to them. If he needs help tracking down volunteer GMs our messageboards are a good place to get the word out. Josh is the man to contact for convention directors. josh@paizo.com
JF: we'll have an interface on paizo.com/pathfindersociety where you can sign up your local con's coordinator can sign up the show -- including, eventually, the ability to sign up tables and have people sign up for those tables ...something like gencon.com
Mod (Mothman): Do people have to be PFS members to sign up to play PFS adventures at a con?
NL: If you just want to get down on an event and have some fun, we'll have pregens available (the Paizo iconics most likely), or you can whip up a character and play and never register them, and that's okay too. The only thing is that your Faction Prestige won't be tracked. So if you decide later that you like PFS you'd have to register.
JF: There will be a convention calendar, too, so your local con coordinator can essentially advertise her con to all registered PFS players in her area.
Mod (Mactaka): How does one get their local FLGS involved?
JF: Look for that info after Gen Con UK -- but they'll be able to do so via paizo.com/pathfindersociety and someone at the store will have to act as a coordinator for any sessions of PFS run in-store.
Mod (Djoc): "My FLGS manager wants to be involved, but has no time to delve the info and say I'm more knowledgable anyway. Should I contact you (Josh) and say I'm responsible for FLGS X? And is there a minimum number of modules that need to be played each month for a FLGS to qualify for the "get it before others" and possible other goodies?"
JF: Stores can select anyone they want to be the coordinator for that store. No minimums. We just expect stores to use the scenarios to bring people in and play some good ol' Pathfinder.
Mod (Mothman): Any PFS members in Australia so far?
NL: I believe so! I'd have to check with Josh on that one though. I know a few people from Down Under have expressed interest in involving themselves with PFS!
Mod (Insert Neat Username Here): When will the question of online play for PFS be answered? There's been a lot of discussion about this, but no final answer.
JF: Unfortunately, for Insert Neat Username, we probably won't answer that question until Season 1.
Mod: The sooner the better...I know a lot a people are eager for online play via Virtual table tops, Map Tool, Fantasy Grounds, etc.
JF: To be fair, Lilith, the answer might be no. There are a lot of kinks to work out.
Rules & Mechanics
Mod (Russ Akred): If a character is taking a 20% reduction in experience because of multiclassing does it affect the progression of one level every three adventures? Will there be rules for Raise Dead or is it when a character dies just make a new one?
JF: For the first question: Anything that imposes an XP penalty to leveling, is just simply not allowed in Season 0. This is on the list of things that PRPG may fix for Season 1. There will be rules for raise dead as well as a variety of other spells you can purchase to have cast on you.
Mod (Thelesuit): How fast do you foresee characters advancing (XP-wise)? Is there going to be a level cap or some sort of forced retirement?
JF: Level cap is 12, if you play every scenario that's level specific for you in Season 0, you'll be level 9 at the end of the season
Mod (Brent Evanger): Why aren't we using the PFRPG rules to make characters for Season 0?
JF: We're using 3.5 in season 0 because the beta isn't a final rules set. Players also get cranky when we change their characters every month because of beta errata, so PFS is going to use 3.5 to playtest its own season and then we'll go PRPG with Season 1. AND we will have guidelines for character conversion that should be relatively easy given our stated goal of backward compatibility from PRPG to 3.5.
Mod (psymin): Will characters reset after Season 0 or will they be converted to Pathfinder RPG?
JF: no resetting of PCs, they'll convert to PRPG in Season 1.
Mod (Hogarth) "How detailed will the Pathfinder Society rules be (using the set of Living Greyhawk rulings as a benchmark)? Who will make rulings? Is there the equivalent of a Living Greyhawk "triad"?
JF: I don't know how to answer the first, other than: read the Guidebook. Rulings will be made by GMs and coordinators onsite -- any outside-the-con drama will go through me and a yet-to-be-announced system of super volunteers. No triad.
Mod (Hogarth): “Will there be a large list of Limited or Restricted spells, items, etc.? What about my wizard who wants to buy 100 trained goats -- will he be allowed?"
JF: There will be restricted and limited stuff for Season 0 -- see the guidebook on 8/8. As for the goats, if you can justify 100 goats as a pathfinder in absalom ... well, be prepared to annoy your table mates.
Mod (Dorgar): "How are magic items and loot going to be handled in Pathfinder Society? It has already been stated there will be no crafting of magic items in the society, but will there be opportunities to purchase minor magic items i.e. potions, scrolls, etc.?"
JF: There will be a list of purchasable consumables, yes. Items found in a scenario will be broken down into GP in development and the GM will hand out GP. You can then buy anything found in the last three scenarios (including the one you just ran) at market value.
Mod (psymin): I heard that item creation would be discouraged or forbidden in PFS. Is this true, and if so why? (I would assume economy concerns.)
JF: Item creation is gone for economic reasons, additional details on 8/8 in the guidebook
Mod: On the fact that item creation is not in PFS, what about wizards who get Scribe Scroll as a bonus feat (thanks Russ)
JF: Scribe Scroll automatically becomes Spell Focus
Mod (Thelesuit): "Is Pathfinder Society planning on using Adventure Sheets (like the current implementation of Living Greyhawk) or log-sheets and certs (like Living Kalamar, Jungle, Death, Force, etc.)?"
JF: We're basing ours on the current LG sheets that Paizo's own Jason Bulmahn designed. Ours are called chronicles, track less, and work rather the same.
NL: We are using Chronicles which are similar to Adventure Records from Living Greyhawk. Damn...so thought I was gonna beat you to the punch on that one Josh...:D
JF: AH HAW! I am on tonight.
Rumors and Factoids
JF: I should mention that in all likelihood I won't be the Marketing Director much longer ...
Mod: Organized Play Director? Coffee Monkey? WHAT ARE YOU!!! :P
JF: And I'm not going anywhere, Lilith. Just .... shifting. I suppose now is as good a time as any to let everyone know that Nick, for personal reasons, won't be with us after Gen Con UK.
NL: Tis true! I had a blast helping Josh set this up! Life is taking me in a different direction though.
Yay, thanks Lilith.
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I did not get this question asked before the chat ended:
For players who are new to Paizo and Golarion, will the Guidebook give them enough info on its own to jump into the setting (and give them a feel for the world)?
There is about 18 months, I think, of setting info out already. Does the guidebook have any "recommended reading"? For instance, read the Gazetteer, to give PFS players more info without overwhelming them with the entire product line?
Thanks again!
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Conclusion? (Firefox + PC) + DMTools = Frustration.
I had fun, thanks everyone for the questions.
.
Was that updated to the most recent version of firefox? I've found that the most recent one still has bugs in it, especially with performance times
There is about 18 months, I think, of setting info out already.
Pathfinder 1 came out at GenCon last year, so we are almost exactly one year into setting info (a little more if you want to start with when the Blog started)
Thank you for hosting and posting, Lilith!
Wow Lilith! Awesome job turning that chaos into an organized and useful document! You rule!
And it only took me two hours! :D
Thanks again, Lilith!
For Lori: recommended reading is either the Gazetteer or the hardcover campaign setting book coming out this month. There is a small blurb on Absalom and the Inner Sea in the Guidebook, but its very general.
Thanks again, Lilith!
For Lori: recommended reading is either the Gazetteer or the hardcover campaign setting book coming out this month. There is a small blurb on Absalom and the Inner Sea in the Guidebook, but its very general.
But the Guide to Absalom comes out later this year, right Josh? ;)
And "you're welcome!" :D
Huhn. Looks like I've got my work cut out for me....
:-)
It does look that way, your PostMonstrosity.
Gary is the man. :-)
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JF: I should mention that in all likelihood I won't be the Marketing Director much longer ...
Mod: Organized Play Director? Coffee Monkey? WHAT ARE YOU!!! :P
JF: And I'm not going anywhere, Lilith. Just .... shifting. I suppose now is as good a time as any to let everyone know that Nick, for personal reasons, won't be with us after Gen Con UK.
NL: Tis true! I had a blast helping Josh set this up! Life is taking me in a different direction though.
*readies his resume* I could totally be Director of Sales and Marketing, I had a whole year of experience selling car stereos for Sears!
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Pathfinder Society Chat Summmary, July 30th, 2008
JF: I should mention that in all likelihood I won't be the Marketing Director much longer ...
Mod: Organized Play Director? Coffee Monkey? WHAT ARE YOU!!! :P
JF: And I'm not going anywhere, Lilith. Just .... shifting.
"Shifting?" One square? Or do you have a special power that allows you to shift more? :)
Pathfinder Society Chat Summmary, July 30th, 2008
I suppose now is as good a time as any to let everyone know that Nick, for personal reasons, won't be with us after Gen Con UK.
NL: Tis true! I had a blast helping Josh set this up! Life is taking me in a different direction though.
Don't tell me he's pregnant again :)
Kidding aside, Nick, hope you still stay in the (rpg) biz. I want my Dark Vista (deadtree, please)!
You are...the WOMAN! (You are female, right? You never know with these avatars...!)
Yes, definitely female gender.
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You are...the WOMAN! (You are female, right? You never know with these avatars...!)Yes, definitely female gender.
its fun to see how closely people avatar resemble themselves in real life.... (in my case not too much... I don't have green eyes, and when its a full moon my fur grows in brown not black)
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its fun to see how closely people avatar resemble themselves in real life.... (in my case not too much... I don't have green eyes, and when its a full moon my fur grows in brown not black)You are...the WOMAN! (You are female, right? You never know with these avatars...!)Yes, definitely female gender.
Well i will confirm what you like this weekend kristov. =P
::mental note bring sharpie to genCon and write deathboy on my judges badge.::
Pathfinder Society Chat Summmary, July 30th, 2008
JF: I should mention that in all likelihood I won't be the Marketing Director much longer ...
Mod: Organized Play Director? Coffee Monkey? WHAT ARE YOU!!! :P
JF: And I'm not going anywhere, Lilith. Just .... shifting."Shifting?" One square? Or do you have a special power that allows you to shift more? :)
Pathfinder Society Chat Summmary, July 30th, 2008
I suppose now is as good a time as any to let everyone know that Nick, for personal reasons, won't be with us after Gen Con UK.
NL: Tis true! I had a blast helping Josh set this up! Life is taking me in a different direction though.Don't tell me he's pregnant again :)
Kidding aside, Nick, hope you still stay in the (rpg) biz. I want my Dark Vista (deadtree, please)!
Ha! Besides giving birth to healthy baby boy, I will be moving to England to accept a post at the University of Essex as their Head of World Theatre. Professor Logue...be afraid world.
And yes! I anticipate Sinister's schedule getting back on track fast once my Paizonian duties are at an end.
I also plan to freelance for Paizo as much as they'll have me. If they'll still have me...
::looks at James Jacobs with puppy dog eyes::
:-)
So Nick does that mean those of us in the UK can arrange the much anticipated fight to the death between your fine self and Mr Pett? Is this little country big enough for these two twisted people?
Oh and congrats on the post.
Poor Pett...he has no idea what's going to happen to him. England is just an island afterall...ain't near big enough for our egos...er...us, I mean. ;-)
Actually, I AM looking forward very much to throwing the dice with Rich finally. Can't wait to play with him!
It'll also make working on Ebon Shroud together much easier.
Thanks for the congrats! I'm bummed to be leaving Paizo, but super excited to be teaching in at University of Essex!
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*Contemplates returning to higher education*
Hmm probably not the best idea really but kinda tempting.. Still all the best in the world of British education. Hopefully it will increase the odds of you being at various Britcons although I think my players might get worried that such a twisted person is on our shores.
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I tried Firefox on three computers (I use only Firefox, IE blows) to no effect. I busted out my old laptop and used Safari and it worked smoothly. Conclusion? (Firefox + PC) + DMTools = Frustration.
I had fun, thanks everyone for the questions.
Firefox + PC + DmTools = no problems so far (tried it on two computers).
Maybe the settings of your os or your browser are incompatible with the chat? Or you turned off javascript support?- Günther
I blame it on a higher than usual number of users + Firefox + DM Tools Chat.
2.0.0.16
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Mod (Mothman): Any PFS members in Australia so far?
NL: I believe so! I'd have to check with Josh on that one though. I know a few people from Down Under have expressed interest in involving themselves with PFS!
Hi Mothman,
I've volunteered to run Pathfinder Society in Melbourne, and ran a session of Revenge of the Kobold King at MindGames on Free RPG Day. Which state do you hail from?
I've already submit a proposal to run Pathfinder Society at Arcanacon which has been approved for their Australia Day long-weekend convention in January. I've only held back from releasing the details on the Arcanacon website because I wanted to read the Pathfinder Society Guide, and check out the website features here before doing so. So I'll probably have something up next week.
So far, I've only committed to running one table per session, because I am only one person, but would like to offer more tables per session if additional GMs were available to run them.
From reading the chat transcript above, I'm hopeful that the new features on the Pathfinder Society website will assist GMs and Players getting in touch with each other, organising convention events etc.
One question I have after reading the chat transcript above: GMs can download Pathfinder Society adventures to run at convention events or local game stores, and there is an exclusivity period where these adventures premier at these events and are not yet available for home-games. Good idea - but can can GMs planning to run adventures at a convention first run a slot-zero (playtest) with his home-group or other GMs to familiarise themselves with the adventure before running it at a convention? And if so, can these games be reported online as home-games (or slot-zeros or something) for purposes of gaining faction prestige etc, even within the convention/store exclusivity period?
Looking forward to the launch! Cheers :-)
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Hey DarkWhite, I'm in Sydney.
Where's Arcanacon at? If its local to you I'm guessing its probably a bit for for me ... I'm tentatively looking into doing some PFS stuff at Sydcon in October, but not sure I can make it yet.
Arcanacon is in Melbourne. Conquest is the other big 4-day Melbourne convention, held over the Easter long-weekend. I've submit an expression of interest to run Pathfinder Society at Conqeust too.
I've been playing at Melbourne conventions for the last 4 years, and since the 3.5 campaigns I'm currently playing in (Living Greyhawk, Living Arcanis) are either retiring, or moving to a new system, I thought Pathfinder Society would be a great opportunity to jump the fence and start running sessions, instead of playing them. I'm currently running two home-groups through Burnt Offerings and Edge of Anarchy.
I haven't travelled interstate for a convention yet, I almost made it to Spring Revel Down Under in Sydney a couple of years ago after really enjoying it in Melbourne the previous year (that was my first ever con!), but the timing/finances just didn't work out (I was already traveling to Adelaide at the time). GenCon Oz was just a little out of reach too. But now my partner has started working, finances are a bit easier, and I might be able to consider traveling interstate for a con. We get a number of interstate visitors attending Melbourne convetions each year.