What does this do to characters that already are built with the age adjustments per the original post?
Are they grand-fathered in, or do they have to make adjustments to fit with the new interpretation of stat buys?
They'll need to adjust them out and rebuild their stats.
For those of us who've run at cons and stuff (and thus have the scenarios already), can we start running events at our FLGSes? Or do we have to wait until they're officially available? Also, when will the "report an event" option be made available?
Yes, please start!
The Report My Event features is Gary's #1 priority right now.
Josh, I think the next update should include some notes about lycanthropy as another poster noted and I mentioned to Nick at GenCon that you guys might think about banning awaken from the campaign too.
Mike
I'm not really going to worry about lyncanthropy until I allow a lyncanthrope into a scenario. So far: no lycanthropes. Awaken is already on our list of spells to review for update 1.2.
Can I use the Critical Hit/ Critical Failure decks in a PFS game?
Nope.
In fact, house rules stuff about critical failures or successes should also not be used. I know one GM used a critical failure house rule during the Gen Con games and I didn't catch it in time to stop it. All of these scenarios should generally be played on the same, level playing field and house rules or additional rules to the core remove that evenness.
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Josh, I think the next update should include some notes about lycanthropy as another poster noted and I mentioned to Nick at GenCon that you guys might think about banning awaken from the campaign too.
Mike
Based on the character creation rules, a PFS character cannot start play or choose to become a lycanthrope. Therefore the only way to become one is to meet one in a scenario, get bitten, and so on. However,
Josh mentioned somewhere that they would deal with the situation of lycanthropy if and/or when they introduced a lycanthropic character into a scenario.So if it becomes important, we'll know the answer as soon as we ask the question, thereabouts. :)
Edit: GEEZ! In the time it took me to write this, Josh had already responsed like four times!!!
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Based on the character creation rules, a PFS character cannot start play or choose to become a lycanthrope. Therefore the only way to become one is to meet one in a scenario, get bitten, and so on.
I was briefly a leper! I only got Cure Disease cast on me because I was pretty sure the PFS rules didn't take into account a PC with leprosy. It made my gnome sad not enjoy being a leper for a little while. My point is that as soon as a lycanthrope sneaks into a scenario, you'll need to think about rules for lycanthropic PCs.
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My point is that as soon as a lycanthrope sneaks into a scenario, you'll need to think about rules for lycanthropic PCs.
Based on the character creation rules, a PFS character cannot start play or choose to become a lycanthrope. Therefore the only way to become one is to meet one in a scenario, get bitten, and so on. However,
Josh mentioned somewhere that they would deal with the situation of lycanthropy if and/or when they introduced a lycanthropic character into a scenario.
Which is exactly what I said, and what Josh implied, when he said he'd figure it out if he ever decided to allow a lycanthropic NPC into a scenario.
:)
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How do I get a scenario chronicle number?
The chronicle number in the upper right corner of the sheet is dependant on the order the scenarios are played by the character. So if you play Hydra's Fang as your first scenario it's #1, if Frozen Fingers is the second one you play in it is #2 and so on. It's so GMs can look through your chronicle sheets and see the progression of things that have occurred in the character's past.
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Yesterday presumably the first PFS games were held in Finland. At least one question was raised.
Unlike in Living Greyhawk, PFS doesn't have a separate upkeep system. Thus do archers and other arrow-shooting types have to count every arrow they shoot and buy or are the mundane arrows a "refilling" type by nature? It is, after all, a micromanagement.
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Well I can honestly say i'm excited to play...but am not looking forward to the slow Character Progression.... :(Wait ... in a regular D&D game you would generally be 2nd level after 12 hours of game play. How is this slower other than we control the flow of scenarios to the public? Its actually faster at the higher levels. Have you ever gone from level 9 to level 10 in 12 hours of game play? :-)
I have PC'c go from 13 to 15 in a 12 hour session
Age of Worms
completed the last 3/4 of the Spire of Long Shadows adventure
At the time it was a 8 Man group and all encounter were scaled up to match an 8 Man group.
Granted 1/3 of them went from 13 to 14 to 13 to 14 ;-)
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Heh, I'm so sorry to bother you, Joshua, with all these examples of abuse, but I cannot resist.
I see you have banned the use of Polymorph, Reincarnate, and Permanency. Although I dislike the banning of reincarnate, I understand it, in a way. But that's not the point.
A certain spell, which was similarly banned from Living Greyhawk is not on the list. Nearing the end of the living campaign a spell called Alter Self was put to the list of restricted spells, for one reason: It could have been used for different kinds of advanced boosts.
An example can be given; a proficient melee fighter, who has the pleasure of getting to use a scroll of alter self (or by casting it as a 4th-level bard, or something). He gets +6 natural armor, 2 claws and 1 bite attack, and +4 to hide. With a 2nd-level spell, this is indeed powerful, especially the +6 AC part.
Just happy to bring this to your knowledge. Thanks!
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Well I can honestly say i'm excited to play...but am not looking forward to the slow Character Progression.... :(Wait ... in a regular D&D game you would generally be 2nd level after 12 hours of game play. How is this slower other than we control the flow of scenarios to the public? Its actually faster at the higher levels. Have you ever gone from level 9 to level 10 in 12 hours of game play? :-)I have PC'c go from 13 to 15 in a 12 hour session
Age of Worms
completed the last 3/4 of the Spire of Long Shadows adventureAt the time it was a 8 Man group and all encounter were scaled up to match an 8 Man group.
Granted 1/3 of them went from 13 to 14 to 13 to 14 ;-)
Ahem... If you were any level in Pathfinder Society and had two games since you last leveled then in a 12 hour session (3 games) you could advance a level and be one game away from your next level.
The reason you were able to advance the two levels in three sessions surely had a lot to do with the fact you had not just a couple hundred over the 78,000 needed for 13th level. I'm sure you were very close to 91,000 needed for 14th level when you played. Then with the experience points over the three game sessions pushing you just over 105,000 experience points. 27,000 points in Living Greyhawk would take you a lot of gaming to get to. My 12th level character had over ninety adventure records and some of those were doubles (eight hour sessions). Over six just to level on average. It ain't a race to 12th level for crying out loud.
Rustle
So we are not allowed to use the Polymorph spell, nor any magic item that gives polymorph. This is all fine and dandy. The question then, is do druids still get to wild shape? It's the most problematic and powerful class ability in the standard PHB. Do druids go down to clerics with different spells, less armor and an animal companion?
If Wild Shape is kosher, I assume we can only WS into something from the MM. Would that be correct?
Thanks.
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That's correct, Zeugma, at least this year. The Beta version of the Pathfinder rules is, well, the beta-test. Pathfinder Society isn't the place to playtest the rules; it's the place to play the game.
Great! Thanks for the information! That's what I love about this place; people in the know stopping by to help out the confused! Now to dash off and revise my PFS character!
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To be exact, Pathfinder Society is a test for how to form the best kind of global campaign. These small nitpicks and restrictions are essential for the process.
If Pathfinder RPG Beta would be included,... well, Joshua and the others have for numerous times told you people they don't want players to revise their characters every few weeks.
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I've seen the question asked a couple of times, but haven't seen a definitive answer. On page 23 of the PFs Guide it states that a group of items not listed in the 3.5 PH or PFCS can "always" be purchased, but previously it was stated that only items from these sources can be purchased at creation. For most of the items it doesn't matter as starting gold doesn't allow for their purchase, but say I want to start with a Cure Light Wounds potion. This is affordable at 50gp, but is it actually allowed at creation as pg 23 suggests or not allowed as pg 20 suggests?
I've seen the question asked a couple of times, but haven't seen a definitive answer. On page 23 of the PFs Guide it states that a group of items not listed in the 3.5 PH or PFCS can "always" be purchased, but previously it was stated that only items from these sources can be purchased at creation. For most of the items it doesn't matter as starting gold doesn't allow for their purchase, but say I want to start with a Cure Light Wounds potion. This is affordable at 50gp, but is it actually allowed at creation as pg 23 suggests or not allowed as pg 20 suggests?
I believe that at Gen Con, they were allowing people to buy potions and scrolls before their first adventure. Whether that counts as "at creation" or not, I'm not sure.
Any good advice for running a smaller group? I have two maybe three players interested in PS, I assume such a small party will make things rather difficult. What is a ruling on NPC party members or one player running two characters concurrently?
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Any good advice for running a smaller group? I have two maybe three players interested in PS, I assume such a small party will make things rather difficult. What is a ruling on NPC party members or one player running two characters concurrently?
I'd imagine that:
* one player max. one character per scenario
* no NPC characters except for those provided in the scenario
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Well I can honestly say i'm excited to play...but am not looking forward to the slow Character Progression.... :(Wait ... in a regular D&D game you would generally be 2nd level after 12 hours of game play. How is this slower other than we control the flow of scenarios to the public? Its actually faster at the higher levels. Have you ever gone from level 9 to level 10 in 12 hours of game play? :-)I have PC'c go from 13 to 15 in a 12 hour session
Age of Worms
completed the last 3/4 of the Spire of Long Shadows adventureAt the time it was a 8 Man group and all encounter were scaled up to match an 8 Man group.
Granted 1/3 of them went from 13 to 14 to 13 to 14 ;-)
Ahem... If you were any level in Pathfinder Society and had two games since you last leveled then in a 12 hour session (3 games) you could advance a level and be one game away from your next level.
The reason you were able to advance the two levels in three sessions surely had a lot to do with the fact you had not just a couple hundred over the 78,000 needed for 13th level. I'm sure you were very close to 91,000 needed for 14th level when you played. Then with the experience points over the three game sessions pushing you just over 105,000 experience points. 27,000 points in Living Greyhawk would take you a lot of gaming to get to. My 12th level character had over ninety adventure records and some of those were doubles (eight hour sessions). Over six just to level on average. It ain't a race to 12th level for crying out loud.
Rustle
No it isn't a race to high level. I don't like much after level 11 anyways but the age of worms campaign one has to pay attention to party level. I have notced a extreme level death occurs when party members get to low on level. Age of worms has been a great campaign but almost to powerful. The lich battle was momentous.
The PFS progression seems to fast for me (4 xp/lv seemed better to me)but the first game won't be for at least a week or two. I just can't to run the scenerio's.
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Okay, so call me dumb, (don't jump on that too hard Tom) but here I got all excited about playing my cleric with the new stuff from the Beta, and then I learn that I am limited to the stuff from the PH.
After (or even during!) year 0, are their plans to convert our Society chracters to the class variants in the Pathfinder Chronicles Campaign Setting?
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Okay, so call me dumb, (don't jump on that too hard Tom) but here I got all excited about playing my cleric with the new stuff from the Beta, and then I learn that I am limited to the stuff from the PH.
After (or even during!) year 0, are their plans to convert our Society chracters to the class variants in the Pathfinder Chronicles Campaign Setting?
I believe that it was mentioned that the campaign would be converting during the first break, between years 0 & 1.
Now, I would love to understand the reasoning for the 150 gp for all characters, since that screws over fighters in general, and archers in particular.
With the 240 gp for a first level fighter in LG, you still couldn't afford to properly outfit a good fighter to start off with. With only 150 gp, fighters are going to be screwed, while wizards, as an example, are going to be scroll-heavy.
The starting gold ranges from the PHB are there for a reason, because some classes, especially to start with, are heavily dependent on starting equipment.
Also, will the starting equipment kit from PHB2 be allowed? All it does is give a 1 sp break on the cost of a standard starting gear kit...
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No it isn't a race to high level. I don't like much after level 11 anyways but the age of worms campaign one has to pay attention to party level. I have notced a extreme level death occurs when party members get to low on level. Age of worms has been a great campaign but almost to powerful. The lich battle was momentous.
The PFS progression seems to...
Honestly, I am a little disappointed with the level 12 cap.
I think level 14 is a better level cap, especially if our chracters are going to be leveling after so few adventures. You will barely get to know what they can do at a given level and Bang, they level up and get new shiny toy guns to play with.
We will have just really gotten into our characters when they are retired. Maybe I am a bit slow, but I don't really get to know my character- in terms of both roleplay and abilities, until around 7th or 8th level. That leaves maybe 12 adventures and bye-bye.
My suggestion would be to change the amount required per level:
3 xp (as is current) for levels 2-4, 4 XP for levels 5-7, 5 xp for 8-10, 6 xp for 11&12.
Thats only 15 more xp until retirement, but lets face it, in a living game system that is the blink of an eye. I don't even kick out the cash and time to buy and paint up a metal mini on a character I play in less than 30 adventures.
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Now, I would love to understand the reasoning for the 150 gp for all characters, since that screws over fighters in general, and archers in particular.
With the 240 gp for a first level fighter in LG, you still couldn't afford to properly outfit a good fighter to start off with. With only 150 gp, fighters are going to be screwed, while wizards, as an example, are going to be scroll-heavy.
The starting gold ranges from the PHB are there for a reason, because some classes, especially to start with, are heavily dependent on starting equipment.
This would be a much more compelling argument if the PHB average starting gold for a fighter weren't 150 gp.
Also, given how much it sucks to be a 1st level caster, having a few scrolls tucked away for a rainy day hardly strikes me as a terrible idea.
Finally, each of the currently available scenarios grants over 400 gp to the PCs who achieve all their objectives, even at the low tier. So yes, you have to wait through a whole adventure before you can afford your composite longbow.
Having done it myself, I feel certain you'll manage to struggle through.
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Now, I would love to understand the reasoning for the 150 gp for all characters, since that screws over fighters in general, and archers in particular.
With the 240 gp for a first level fighter in LG, you still couldn't afford to properly outfit a good fighter to start off with. With only 150 gp, fighters are going to be screwed, while wizards, as an example, are going to be scroll-heavy.
The starting gold ranges from the PHB are there for a reason, because some classes, especially to start with, are heavily dependent on starting equipment.
This would be a much more compelling argument if the PHB average starting gold for a fighter weren't 150 gp.
Also, given how much it sucks to be a 1st level caster, having a few scrolls tucked away for a rainy day hardly strikes me as a terrible idea.
Finally, each of the currently available scenarios grants over 400 gp to the PCs who achieve all their objectives, even at the low tier. So yes, you have to wait through a whole adventure before you can afford your composite longbow.
Having done it myself, I feel certain you'll manage to struggle through.
I agree with Shisumo. I'm playing an elf rogue, and since her only odd score is strength, I'm tempted to hold off the shortbow to clongbow upgrade to level 4, even though I survived all four scenarios at Gencon.
Honestly, her main savings goal is a wayfinder.
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Speaking of gear, do you have to sell and buy anew every time you upgrade? For instance, when I want to convert from MW rapier to +1 rapier, do I need to shell out for the MW and rapier costs again? What about armor, and upgrading from +k to +(k+1) via PA? 'Cause if so, that's dumb.
Also, are darkwood and mithral unavailable? If so, out of curiosity, why? I can understand adamantine and dragonhide items being hard to get (because they're rare and in the case of ad., could lead to sunder-crazy parties and villains, which are not fun), but what's so bad about letting those with the cash pack light? Are they some future faction's shtick?
Last, I understand that you can only buy stuff off the last three chronicle sheets. But something was unclear:
Us long-lived ones have to know!
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Can someone clarify-so we retire when we hit 12, or when we level past 12?
This makes a big difference if you are playing a fighter 1/cleric X, or a gish, as it means no 6th level spells at all :(.
I definitely prefer a lower cap. Lower level characters are easier to balance and are more fun anyways.
To each their own, but having a higher level cap just gives those of us who want to play higher level the option to do so. Those who do not favor such play are welcome to retire their characters and start new ones.
Also I am sure there will be no shortage of participants who will want to write adventures for higher level characters.
As far as higher level characters going powermad and making too many waves, there are many ways to control this in a large shared world campaign, and 13th level characters are no more likely to break a campaign than 11th (especially if they keep the uber-rapid advancement rate of 3xp/ level; high level characters won't have a chance to break anything!)
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Is there going to be some option for creating characters at higher level as the season progresses, or can you only play a character from level 1? Two scenarios immediately come to mind where the ability to generate a higher level character would be useful.
1) A player in an established group has his character killed and a raise of any fashion is not feasible. They want to continue playing but the party is now 4th level or higher.
2) A player is new to an area/group and wishes to join but they're well past the lower tier challenges.
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RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32, 2011 Top 16
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Speaking of gear, do you have to sell and buy anew every time you upgrade? For instance, when I want to convert from MW rapier to +1 rapier, do I need to shell out for the MW and rapier costs again? What about armor, and upgrading from +k to +(k+1) via PA? 'Cause if so, that's dumb.
I asked Josh this at Gen Con, and he said that you can upgrade magic items per the DMG, i.e. that you can enchant your MW weapon for 2K gp, and then upgrade it to +2 for 6K, instead of having to sell what you have for 50% and then buy fresh. I think there's a mention of this somewhere burried in another thread, but don't have the link handy. Hopefully, this will make the next update for the PFS guide.
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1) A player in an established group has his character killed and a raise of any fashion is not feasible. They want to continue playing but the party is now 4th level or higher.
2) A player is new to an area/group and wishes to join but they're well past the lower tier challenges.
1) there are prices for raise dead (ect) in the PFS player's guide. They aren't cheap though.
2)thats sort of why the retiring at lvl 12 is happening I think. Plus, the group that has already been through the low level things now means that there are 4+ DMs for when the new person can fill out a group.
I believe that it was stated that you have to start at level 1, as the prestige awards may be unfairly skewed if everyone started in a high level adventure where they can get more than one prestige point.
Can someone clarify-so we retire when we hit 12, or when we level past 12?
I don't think they force you to "retire"; there just won't be any regular adventures past a certain point. It sounded like there'll be special events for higher level characters, though.
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1) A player in an established group has his character killed and a raise of any fashion is not feasible. They want to continue playing but the party is now 4th level or higher.
2) A player is new to an area/group and wishes to join but they're well past the lower tier challenges.
1) there are prices for raise dead (ect) in the PFS player's guide. They aren't cheap though.
2)thats sort of why the retiring at lvl 12 is happening I think. Plus, the group that has already been through the low level things now means that there are 4+ DMs for when the new person can fill out a group.
I believe that it was stated that you have to start at level 1, as the prestige awards may be unfairly skewed if everyone started in a high level adventure where they can get more than one prestige point.
I'm aware that there are prices for raise. Not being feasible would include there simply not being sufficient funds to pay for the spell. Easily believable if they have spent their money on equipment, prestige awards, etcera and the finances simply are not there.
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I don't think they force you to "retire"; there just won't be any regular adventures past a certain point. It sounded like there'll be special events for higher level characters, though.Can someone clarify-so we retire when we hit 12, or when we level past 12?
So, where is the information on character retirement at 12th level?
I don't remember seeing anything like that in the PS:GtPSOP book, but I may have missed it.
Faction feats: are these additional feats (example: 1st level fighter would have four feats. One from being human, one from being 1st level, one from being a fighter and one from being in X faction.) Or is it more like, in addition to the feats you get from race and class feats you also have these to choose from? I'm going with the latter, but the rest of the group is saying that it's an additional "freebie" feat that you get. Like what they've done in CotCT and SD.
Just to clarify, it's both: you get one free faction feat, and you can also select them as normal feats.
Note, however, that if you ever switch factions you lose your "free" feat permanently.
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Faction feats: are these additional feats (example: 1st level fighter would have four feats. One from being human, one from being 1st level, one from being a fighter and one from being in X faction.) Or is it more like, in addition to the feats you get from race and class feats you also have these to choose from? I'm going with the latter, but the rest of the group is saying that it's an additional "freebie" feat that you get. Like what they've done in CotCT and SD.Just to clarify, it's both: you get one free faction feat, and you can also select them as normal feats.
Note, however, that if you ever switch factions you lose your "free" feat permanently.
Yes, a human fighter would have 4 feats at first level. No, at first level you cannot choose a faction feat for anything other than the free feat slot. This part was answered by Josh in another thread, where someone was asking if their first level fighter could take all four feats as faction feats.
Hmm. Here's the exact wording:
"In addition to the usual feats listed in the PH, every
character in Pathfinder Society Organized Play has access
to faction feats and may select one from their chosen
faction as a bonus feat at 1st level in addition to feats they
are entitled to from race or class. A Pathfinder may only
select faction feats from their chosen faction's list. These
feats may also be chosen whenever a character of the
appropriate faction gains the ability to select a new feat."
I don't know why there needs to be a special exemption for level 1. Especially considering that the average faction feat is pretty weak (with a couple of notable exceptions).