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Howdy all...virgin poster here, so be gentle :)
I just got the Core Set and the Bestiary. I plan to try and introduce Pathfinder to a small group with somewhat limited time to play...but not limited experience in RPGs, several have played 3.5 quite a bit, and one is in a current group that plays pretty regularly.
We've been playing Descent lately (with and without the co-op mode that someone posted on BGG). Everybody likes it, and being able to bang out a game in 4 or so hours is a great feature, but we'd like to do something that's much meatier in the RP department, but something we could break into similar time chunks.
Is it even *remotely* possible to play a 1st level adventure like Crypt of the Everflame with one of the players also acting as the GM? I know it might not be optimal, but with a small group like we've got, no one really wants to be stuck being the GM all the time. I got the PDF for this yesterday, and after I quick glance, it seems like it might lend itself to a player GM. I already own some of the flip mats, and if I'm not mistaken, some of those can be used with some of the adventures like Everflame, right?
I'm interested in hearing if anybody has tried being a player GM (at least for lower level "out of the box" adventures), and how it worked out. Thanks for any input.
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Our group pretty much desintegrated earlier this year. My wife and I still play, currently a very intense Rise of the Runelords campaign, often just the two of us. So I run not one but two "DMNPC's", they are very much my PC's. It works as well as a DM will let it, I find that I am harder on the characters I run than I am hers, that and the stories tend to be more focused on her PC's, she runs two, with my Ranger/Rog and Fighter taking more support roles in the tale. A small group can be a great thing if you like story driven campaigns, as it is much easier to craft a story around the lives in game without detracting from the actual adventure. Don't know if this is what you were looking for but hope it helps.
Welcome to the boards. Lilith should be around soon with the "Welcome" cookies. Just don't eat too many, they are addicting.
About your question, I don't have any experience, but perhaps someone else does and will answer you. My thought is that it would depend on the players ability to separate player knowledge from GM knowledge. It shouldn't be too much different from playing in a campaign/adventure/module you had played before with a different group of players.
Just my 2 cp.
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RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16
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Welcome, John. It's good to have you.
I'd suspect that any adventure where there's a mystery --and "Crypt of the Everflame" is a good example-- will feel like a dud to the player who's also GMing. As others have pointed out, it'll feel like playing a GM-NPC, rather than playing your own PC.
(Does anybody else remember the modules from the 1980's where information was concealed with invisible ink or covered with colored noise that could be uncovered with "magic viewer" acetate filters? )
My recommendation would be to look through the Season 1 Pathfinder Society scenarios. They're designed for the Pathfinder rule-set (as opposed to Season 0, which were written for D&D 3.5), they're supposed to take four hours or so, and they are pretty straight-forward beat-up-the-bad-guy adventures. They each have information for five "secret societies" actng through the in-game Pathfinder Society, but you can ignore those without damaging the rest of the adventure.
I play and DM in the same game in a play by post game I am in, but I don't think it would work as well on tabletop. What about taking turns DMing? For example if you were to run one of the 6 part adventure paths, your group could each take one or more of those 6 parts each to run. The DMs character could then be run as a support or second char by someone else while it is that person's turn.
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Thanks for the responses! Chris, I've just d/led The Devel We Know pt 1: Shipyard Rats from the Pathfinder Society Season 1. I think it will be perfect for what we have in mind.
I play most of my boardgames solo, so I'm pretty good at remaining impartial, and screwing myself when it would be the "fair" thing to do, so I think we'll be ok if we play this with me GMing as well. I'm heartened to hear Moorluck and his wife are able to enjoy this under similar conditions.
So, I'm off for more binder sheets. Will need them by the truckload if I start printing the Bestiary :) and a quick run by my FLGS to see if they have either of the flipmats this adventure uses.
Once again thanks for the replies.
in 15 years everyone of our group Dm'ed and had a DMPC along, every friday we play,
never in 15 years there had been any problem with DMPC's
just used these simple rules:
-the DMPC plays by the same rules as every other PC
-the DMPC should be of a helpfull class, rouges and wizards are bad choices, cleric, bard the best once
-the DMPC choses items last but gets the same share of money as everyone else
-DMPC spellcasters have a standard choice of spells, if he should learn something else, the other PC's have to think of it and ask him to learn that spell
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Don't switch out during an adventure.
I agree with that, for sure. Switch it up between adventures.
just used these simple rules:
-the DMPC plays by the same rules as every other PC
-the DMPC should be of a helpfull class, rouges and wizards are bad choices, cleric, bard the best once
-the DMPC choses items last but gets the same share of money as everyone else
-DMPC spellcasters have a standard choice of spells, if he should learn something else, the other PC's have to think of it and ask him to learn that spell
All good advice. In that same vein, let your overall goal be that the DM's pet NPC never steals the spotlight from the other PCs. Let them be the ones delivering the killing blow, discovering the big secrets, and doing all the social-interacting with NPCs.