Is Pathfinder considering having interactives at conventions?
Is Pathfinder considering having interactives at conventions?Check Josh's blog for March 19th. I believe he says that they are having two at GenCon.
The question is will these intereactives be run at other cons such as Dragoncon?
We handle the writing of all events and scenarios in house. There are currently no plans to run interactives outside of conventions that we attend, though there are some very general ideas about how we'll handle things like this in season 1. Nothing to report yet.
And, yes, there will be two interactive events at Gen Con. There is also an interactive planned for PaizoCon that's an exclusive to PaizoCon.
|
Stupid question...
What the hell is an Interactive?
It's not a stupid question. Interactives are adventures designed to have an outcome that impacts the campaign setting and the plot arc(s) to come. They can come in all kinds of shapes and sizes. A "Social Interactive" is very close to live action role-playing (LARP) and may encompass a marriage, a coronation or a big social event. A "Battle Interactive" is a combat-intensive slug-fest that can decide if a city falls to invaders. Usually (but not always) these events happen at a big convention and are not open to re-play opportunities--thus everyone who plays will have the same outcome. So if the princess is kidnapped before her marriage, the next adventures released will have an ongoing theme where clues to her whereabouts are being sought. There are also "Festive Interactives" (my term) where PCs attend a big fair or carnival and can play games, compete in matches, shop for unique items, etc. Often all the PCs may mix and mingle--interact--regardless of level. This means that if your low-level PC was carrying a curse and needed a high-level cleric to remove it, another player (playing the appropriate PC) could remove the curse, break the enchantment, etc without your PC having to pay an NPC spellcaster. I hope this helps.
|
Stupid question...
What the hell is an Interactive?
Special games where many players gather for special events. Often with interaction between tables of different tiers. Role playing levels vary greatly, sometimes with amazing results.
A few examples I can think of off the top of my head:
Invasion of Dyvers.
Campaign: Living Greyhawk.
Premise: The port city of Dyvers is under attack by an evil group of wizards and their minions. The assembled players must fend off the attack as best they know how.
Table examples: Low level players helped to put out fires, others entered sewers to save 'endangered' gelatinous cubes. Higher level players attack dragon turtle riding wizards, others faced monsters teleported to the dockside.
Moment of awesome: Dread Pirate (super crappy prestige class) manages to 'raise the black flag' granting all allies (PCs) at the interactive +1 to hit and damage.
Save the Princess
Campaign: Living Greyhawk
Premise: Evil cult's plan to summon various monsters into the world through the use of a kidnapped princess.
Table examples: Low levels take on loads of summoned demons outside of caves. Mid levels go into caves to stop summoned monsters. High levels go after princess and to destroy evil alter on which she's to be executed.
Moment of awesome: After rousing speech from a noble PCs gather into tables and help each other with rumored information and borrowing/lending items.
Personal moment of glory: Rolling over 30 (first time) for initiative, and catching enemy flat footed (my character was part rogue)!
Interactives are adventures designed to have an outcome that impacts the campaign setting and the plot arc(s) to come.
To be clear, nothing in Pathfinder Society Organized Play overtly impacts the campaign world. Reporting results over a given season can have some influence over scenario and setting write-ups, but things that happen in PFS are not necessarily setting canon.
We view interactives for Pathfinder Society as social events where you get to use your character for a variety of uses that are outside a standard 4-hour scenario. For example, the interactive at Paizo Con will be a grand tournament and the interactive(s) for Gen Con are basically a LARP scenario blended with a scavenger hunt.
|
|
To be clear, nothing in Pathfinder Society Organized Play overtly impacts the campaign world. Reporting results over a given season can have some influence over scenario and setting write-ups, but things that happen in PFS are not necessarily setting canon.
Too bad. I really want to get that guy who sends us on Pathfinder missions kicked out of the society because he is a jerk and an embarrassment to all the other members - the warrior guy that sent us on Frozen Fingers and Mwangi Mists.
I don't really want him injured except for his pride, rank, and possibly most of his material possessions. I was beginning to think of some plans for it last session but the DM told me there was no way anything I did could carry over to another session.
We view interactives for Pathfinder Society as social events where you get to use your character for a variety of uses that are outside a standard 4-hour scenario. For example, the interactive at Paizo Con will be a grand tournament and the interactive(s) for Gen Con are basically a LARP scenario blended with a scavenger hunt.
Those both sound like great fun.
Chad
Will they impact the society organized play?
-James
In the sense that Org Play is it's own little bubble on Golarion, yes. That's why we've had recurring characters. In Season 1, we'll even have recurring locations and mini-story arcs.
