Pathfinder Society Rules v2.1 FAQ


Pathfinder Society

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This thread is for rules clarifications and questions that specifically relate to how Pathfinder Society Organized Play functions after the 2.1 Guide update on 12/4/09.

This thread has three rules:

1. Please read the 2.0 FAQ thread first to see if your question has already been answered.

2. Then read the 2.1 version of the Guide to see if your question is answered there.

3. Then post your question as plainly and succinctly as possible.

DO NOT:

* Post generic Pathfinder RPG questions. Your question must apply to the rules of Pathfinder Society Organized Play. If you wish to ask a rules question about PRPG but unrelated to the Society, then click here and ask.

Dark Archive

1 person marked this as a favorite.

On page 30 it states that none of the feats from the Pathfinder RPG Bestiary are legal. Is that true only for PC's or may Eidolons and Animal companions also not take those feats?


Pathfinder Maps Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Starfinder Charter Superscriber

In Gods & Magic, in the description of the 20 major gods, the last paragraph has variant spells available as well as a couple of other options (like Erastil clerics being proficient will shortbows and longbows).

Are these variants legal in Organized Play?


YuenglingDragon wrote:
On page 30 it states that none of the feats from the Pathfinder RPG Bestiary are legal. Is that true only for PC's or may Eidolons and Animal companions also not take those feats?

None of those feats are legal for any aspect of your character (companions included).


Mistwalker wrote:

In Gods & Magic, in the description of the 20 major gods, the last paragraph has variant spells available as well as a couple of other options (like Erastil clerics being proficient will shortbows and longbows).

Are these variants legal in Organized Play?

They are not legal, no. (Which is why they're not listed under the Gods & Magic heading in Chaper 13.)

Liberty's Edge

Molech/W E Ray was recently wondering about consequences for ex-clerics and ex-barbarians for PFS. Specifically, are there any?


Reading your clarification for Game Master rewards pg28. Why not change the rule and create Sub tier gold amounts for all sub tiers that are a roughly 50% of average gp expectaion for that level. That way judges who lack characters that can play that scenario are still being rewarded for "eating" a mod.


In the section on Animal Companions, the FAQ wrote:

This means

if you’re a Ranger 5/Druid 5, you’ll need to pick which
animal companion is your combat animal.

I was under the impression identical Class Abilities stack, meaning a Druid/Ranger multiclass would normally have 1 Companion equivalent to that of a Druid of level (Druid Level + (Ranger Level -3)). Am I horribly wrong, or is this sentence superfluous? (Or is there normally the OPTION to treat each Class' Animal Companion distinctly and thus gain 2 Companions, barring this rule for PFS?)

Also, and this may well be an issue for Core Rules & Bestiary Errata, how exactly are the expanded Bestiary Companions to be treated? From the Core Rules (and Paizo posts here on the boards) Rangers have a restricted list (though Paladins don't per RAW), but the Bestiary specifically mentions Rangers as those being able to access the new Companions. This is really an issue beyond just PFS, but what should be done in the mean time before the Core Rules/ Bestiary are amended/clarified?

Dark Archive

How would meeting the requirements for Hellknight be met? Namely the slaying of a devil of equal or greater hit dice with a Hellknight witness. Will it be between Scenarios or will this have a potential to come up in play?

Inquiring Chelaxans wish to know.


Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber
Joshua J. Frost wrote:


None of those feats are legal for any aspect of your character (companions included).

Erg. Do animal companions not get multiattack feat as a bonus feat at 9th level? What about improved natural armor/improved natural attack which both appear in the Animal feats section of the core rule book.

What is the process for taking these feats away if the animal companion already has them?


deathboy wrote:

How would meeting the requirements for Hellknight be met? Namely the slaying of a devil of equal or greater hit dice with a Hellknight witness. Will it be between Scenarios or will this have a potential to come up in play?

Inquiring Chelaxans wish to know.

I have a friend in the same boat with Living Monolith witch takes meeting a Spinx or another Living Monolith.

Also, I know how you said I could meet the crafting pre-reqs for Pathfinder Chronicler (by paying 50gp). Other people may be interested in that P-Class as well Is that still the case?

Thanks!

2/5

Can we play a cleric who worships an evil deity? The character would be LN, while the god is LE (Zon Kuthon).

Also, if this is legal, its disappointing that I can't even use my god's spell. It's not on the list of available spells in "Gods and Magic".


I know of folks that play CN clerics of rovagug in PFS, so I say yes unless they outlawed em recently

Dark Archive

shieldknight01 wrote:

Can we play a cleric who worships an evil deity? The character would be LN, while the god is LE (Zon Kuthon).

Also, if this is legal, its disappointing that I can't even use my god's spell. It's not on the list of available spells in "Gods and Magic".

Should be legal as the Cleric is one step away in Alignment. I've seen a number of Priest of Asmodeus at GenCon who follow the rule.

*edit* seeker beat me to the post ....

Dark Archive 3/5

shieldknight01 wrote:

Can we play a cleric who worships an evil deity? The character would be LN, while the god is LE (Zon Kuthon).

Also, if this is legal, its disappointing that I can't even use my god's spell. It's not on the list of available spells in "Gods and Magic".

Yes, this would be good to know as there are a few cleics(and a

druid) of Asmodeus in my area that would need clarification. It
would be strange for Chelaxians to not be able to choose this
particular deity though......

Sovereign Court 2/5

Pathfinder Battles Case Subscriber; Pathfinder Maps, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Maps, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Charter Superscriber

More of a clarification... Raise Dead costs 16 prestige points and Resurrection costs 32 (p24 of the Society Guide). But according to p20, Raise Dead not longer results in "energy drain," i.e., no more 2 negative levels, right? So what's the point of Resurrection? That you don't need the whole body and the deceased can be dead for a long time? Is that really going to be a problem that often in Pathfinder Society? Maybe so. I assume the no negative levels thing applies to the 1 negative level you get from Resurrection too?

Sovereign Court 2/5

Pathfinder Battles Case Subscriber; Pathfinder Maps, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Maps, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Charter Superscriber

Pathfinders can purchase a Wayfinder for 50% the list price (p23). Is this only the standard issue Wayfinder, or does the discount also apply to the fancy new ones - the Ebon Wayfinder, the Wayfinder of Passage, and the Wayfinder of the Sleeping Eye - listed in Seekers of Secrets?


When the new rules came into effect I was still under using the older rules, please forgive me as it had only been a day since they have come under effect.

1)Is this why when reporting for a player whom has already played the same scenario that it does not come up in thier sessions?

(forgive me the new rules had been in effect for one day and I had not downloaded them)

2)Also how do you report benfits to your own character as GM?

I understand that I have not yet run one senerio three times so there may be an option pop up at that time.

Also on this I find it highly unlikely that I will run the same scenario more than once.
The only time I will ever be doing this is if I am doing additional GMing for a con.

This is more of a statement than a question but I would like to present it to the organizers.
I think your rules are unnessarily harsh on GMs, you must run an scenario three times before you get a point for use on your character?

For myself that means I must find an additional eight players to play a specific scenario.

Also on top of this I may never play this senerio even if my character has not it is considered cheating.
Which is fine you have made an executive decision on that and I agree.

Thus to GM is a big burden.
Not only have the ussal problems of being a GM but they have a number of additional ones in what I have stated above.

Each year I am going to try and take a break from GMing play at the GenCon but at the current rate I will have an extremely poor selection of scenario, so unless I only GM for games my character has played in things look grim.
And I do not only want to run events I have played in because that provides poor selection for the players I am playing with.

Sczarni 4/5

Caladors, your reading of the GM reward section a little off.... The first time you play the scenario, you get the rewards credit. The 'running the same scenario 3 times' example in the rules was to demonstrate that you only get the reward one time, and not every time you run said scenario.

to get your rewards, you add the character you wish to get the rewards when reporting. You also fill out a sheet for your character.


Cpt_kirstov wrote:
Caladors, your reading of the GM reward section a little off....

I see my mistake.

I apologise then the rant must seem a little off to say the least.

Grand Lodge 4/5 5/5 *

Alright I checked the forums several times and looked over the Society rules just as many times so I am 99% sure no one has asked this question pertaining to PFS in this line of PFS FAQs.

In our gaming group where I GM the games, we recently got a new member that is playing a Druid that uses a blowgun...but using said weapon as a way to deliver poisons. Now in some of the mods I have played in where members of the party where provided with poisons, find poisons, or obtain material that can be poisonous and use this in the scenario. Like I said I have looked and looked for an set-in-stone ruling on whether or not a PFS character can purchase vials of poisons from the Core Guide and as the prestige to purchase them if they are indeed allowed.

If not then I am pretty sure he's going to sell that blowgun in the next mod I run, because IMO any low damage weapon (blowgun, shurikens, etc.) is only meant to deliver poison.

Liberty's Edge 4/5

Yes your character can worship an evil god. But the character can't be evil. Clerics of Asmodeus are LN for example. Josh answered this before :)

Liberty's Edge 5/5 *** Venture-Captain, Missouri—Cape Girardeau

According to the Pathfinder Society Guide, all weapons, armor and equipment (as found in Chapter 6)are allowed for purchase. To the best of my knowledge, poisons are not considered equipment, being listed in the appendix. They DO have a price listing though. Interesting...


"Clarified how animal companions calculate their hit points"

I can't seem to find this in the Guide v2.1 can someone please give me the page number?


Dameragon wrote:

"Clarified how animal companions calculate their hit points"

I can't seem to find this in the Guide v2.1 can someone please give me the page number?

That was in another FAQ, or maybe it's own thread. Anyhow being a D8 it gains 4 per level/HD so 8+con mod at level 1 and 4+con mod there after(

Edit: Yep he says so here, 4.5 rounded down

3/5

seekerofshadowlight wrote:

That was in another FAQ, or maybe it's own thread. Anyhow being a D8 it gains 4 per level/HD so 8+con mod at level 1 and 4+con mod there after(

Edit: Yep he says so here, 4.5 rounded down

The 4.5 x HD Rounded down would mean that every even HD gained would give an extra hit point effectively, as you do not round each hit die first before adding it to the total. This is the standard format for NPC hit points in the PRPG, so it makes sense to use the same system for the Animal Companions.


Maezer wrote:
Joshua J. Frost wrote:


None of those feats are legal for any aspect of your character (companions included).
Erg. Do animal companions not get multiattack feat as a bonus feat at 9th level?

Note that it's largely irrelevant whether your animal companion gets Multiattack or not, because (as far as I can see) very few legal animal companions have any secondary attacks (only horses, octopuses and squids, I think).


Jagyr Ebonwood wrote:
Molech/W E Ray was recently wondering about consequences for ex-clerics and ex-barbarians for PFS. Specifically, are there any?

That's not really an issue I can see arising in Society play. Should it arise, I guess I'll codify it then.


Fred Golightly 227 wrote:
Reading your clarification for Game Master rewards pg28. Why not change the rule and create Sub tier gold amounts for all sub tiers that are a roughly 50% of average gp expectaion for that level. That way judges who lack characters that can play that scenario are still being rewarded for "eating" a mod.

It's entirely possible I'm not understanding your post, but what you're suggesting seems to indicate that a GM with a level 1 PC could run a Tier 7-11 scenario in sub-Tier 10-11 and get 50% of the gold for that tier, which would be roughly 7 times what a level 1 PC should have at that point.


Quandary wrote:
I was under the impression identical Class Abilities stack, meaning a Druid/Ranger multiclass would normally have 1 Companion equivalent to that of a Druid of level (Druid Level + (Ranger Level -3)).

You're correct. I used a poor example and shall clarify this is a future update. A Druid 5/Ranger 5 would have a druid animal companion at the equivalent of Druid 7. The main focus of that rule, and it's limitation on combat pets, still stands.

Quandary wrote:
Also, and this may well be an issue for Core Rules & Bestiary Errata, how exactly are the expanded Bestiary Companions to be treated? From the Core Rules (and Paizo posts here on the boards) Rangers have a restricted list (though Paladins don't per RAW), but the Bestiary specifically mentions Rangers as those being able to access the new Companions. This is really an issue beyond just PFS, but what should be done in the mean time before the Core Rules/ Bestiary are amended/clarified?

Rangers are still restricted to their list. The mention in appendix 7 of the Bestiary is a "GM's may allow..." type mention. For the sake of PFS, Rangers have a restricted list and that's the list in the Core Rulebook. Druids have access to the full list, including the Bestiary. I'll clarify this further in a future update.


deathboy wrote:

How would meeting the requirements for Hellknight be met? Namely the slaying of a devil of equal or greater hit dice with a Hellknight witness. Will it be between Scenarios or will this have a potential to come up in play?

Inquiring Chelaxans wish to know.

Generally speaking, roleplaying requirements for PrCs are hand-waved in Pathfinder Society. This applies to the Living Monolith as well.


Maezer wrote:
Joshua J. Frost wrote:


None of those feats are legal for any aspect of your character (companions included).

Erg. Do animal companions not get multiattack feat as a bonus feat at 9th level? What about improved natural armor/improved natural attack which both appear in the Animal feats section of the core rule book.

What is the process for taking these feats away if the animal companion already has them?

I shall clarify my clarification. Companions receive multiattack because it's listed as a special ability (bonus feat) in the companion table under the druid entry. However, even though imp. nat. armor and imp. nat. attack are listed as potential feats under the "animal feats" entry, they are not legal for play in Pathfinder Society.

I'll clarify this further in a future update.


Maezer wrote:
What is the process for taking these feats away if the animal companion already has them?

As for this question: select new feats.


Piety Godfury wrote:

Also, I know how you said I could meet the crafting pre-reqs for Pathfinder Chronicler (by paying 50gp). Other people may be interested in that P-Class as well Is that still the case?

Yep, that's still the case. I neglected to include that in 2.1. I'll make sure it's in the next update.


shieldknight01 wrote:

Can we play a cleric who worships an evil deity? The character would be LN, while the god is LE (Zon Kuthon).

Also, if this is legal, its disappointing that I can't even use my god's spell. It's not on the list of available spells in "Gods and Magic".

From page 16 of the Guide:

"You may choose to worship an evil god, but keep in mind that your alignment has to be within one step of your god’s alignment. For clerics, this is an especially important choice since their choice of deity influences their ability to either channel good or negative energy—a choice that can seriously impact play."

Note that this isn't a change in 2.1 and this rule has been in effect since 1.0.


Mosaic wrote:
More of a clarification... Raise Dead costs 16 prestige points and Resurrection costs 32 (p24 of the Society Guide). But according to p20, Raise Dead not longer results in "energy drain," i.e., no more 2 negative levels, right? So what's the point of Resurrection? That you don't need the whole body and the deceased can be dead for a long time? Is that really going to be a problem that often in Pathfinder Society? Maybe so. I assume the no negative levels thing applies to the 1 negative level you get from Resurrection too?

Resurrection has the line in the spell description that says, "..functions like raise dead..." and since raise dead functions differently in PFS, resurrection uses the PFS raise dead function as the beginning for the spell description.

Raise dead needs a corpse and has a time limit of 1 day per caster level.

Resurrection needs "some small portion of the creature's body" and has a time limit of 10 years per caster level.


Mosaic wrote:
Pathfinders can purchase a Wayfinder for 50% the list price (p23). Is this only the standard issue Wayfinder, or does the discount also apply to the fancy new ones - the Ebon Wayfinder, the Wayfinder of Passage, and the Wayfinder of the Sleeping Eye - listed in Seekers of Secrets?

Pathfinders may only purchase the base wayfinder for 50% of the list price.


Kyle A. Ashcraft wrote:
Like I said I have looked and looked for an set-in-stone ruling on whether or not a PFS character can purchase vials of poisons from the Core Guide and as the prestige to purchase them if they are indeed allowed.

Outside of possible poison listings on a chronicle sheet, there is currently no legal way to purchase poisons in Pathfinder Society. Making poisons legal for purchase opens a HUGE can of alignment arguments I currently don't want to explore.


Dameragon wrote:

"Clarified how animal companions calculate their hit points"

I can't seem to find this in the Guide v2.1 can someone please give me the page number?

Oh geez. I marked that off my list and then never actually put it into v2.1 of the Guide. I'll add that in a future update.

As other posters have stated, each level is calculated as 4.5 x HD round down.

For example,

1 HD 4
2 HD 9
3 HD 13

etc.


Joshua J. Frost wrote:
As other posters have stated, each level is calculated as 4.5 x HD round down.

Since summoner eidolons use d10 and not the standard d8 hit die for animal companions, does this mean they'd use 5.5 x HD?


Joshua J. Frost wrote:
Generally speaking, roleplaying requirements for PrCs are hand-waved in Pathfinder Society. This applies to the Living Monolith as well.

Not that I want it to be harder for people to take those PrC's, but I think it would be WAY cooler to require in-mod RP qualifications...


Jason Kossowan wrote:
Joshua J. Frost wrote:
As other posters have stated, each level is calculated as 4.5 x HD round down.
Since summoner eidolons use d10 and not the standard d8 hit die for animal companions, does this mean they'd use 5.5 x HD?

Correct.


Quandary wrote:
Joshua J. Frost wrote:
Generally speaking, roleplaying requirements for PrCs are hand-waved in Pathfinder Society. This applies to the Living Monolith as well.
Not that I want it to be harder for people to take those PrC's, but I think it would be WAY cooler to require in-mod RP qualifications...

If only I had the time to execute neat ideas like this. That's not a bad idea, it would just require a lot of thought and planning.


Joshua J. Frost wrote:
Quandary wrote:
Joshua J. Frost wrote:
Generally speaking, roleplaying requirements for PrCs are hand-waved in Pathfinder Society. This applies to the Living Monolith as well.
Not that I want it to be harder for people to take those PrC's, but I think it would be WAY cooler to require in-mod RP qualifications...
If only I had the time to execute neat ideas like this. That's not a bad idea; it would just require a lot of thought and planning.

Agreed. It creates problems with: What if I don't play the right character in that mod? What if I don't fit in the right level-range then I can't play it?

These are things easily remedied in home campaigns but I remember various info-slipping and other white-lie cheating in LG to fulfill story-based reqs, which, other p-classes didn't have. I think you are right with your first instinct Josh.

Thanks BTW Josh!

3/5

Joshua J. Frost wrote:

I shall clarify my clarification. Companions receive multiattack because it's listed as a special ability (bonus feat) in the companion table under the druid entry. However, even though imp. nat. armor and imp. nat. attack are listed as potential feats under the "animal feats" entry, they are not legal for play in Pathfinder Society.

I'll clarify this further in a future update.

If you could, it would be helpful to explain why. I see these feats as good, but not overly so. Especially since they are spelled out in the PFRPG as core access. I can understand, but not like, not allowing rangers to have expanded access to animal companions.

-Swiftbrook

Silver Crusade 4/5 ** Lone Wolf Development

The Improved Familiar feat is not on the list of restricted feats, but none of the improved familiar races from the Bestiary are on the allowed list from that source.

Are improved familiars allowed? If so, which ones?

(I found a post in the archive section that said evil-aligned familiars would not be allowed, but said that the answer of whether they were allowed or not couldn't be answered until the PFRPG was out).


The Improved Familiar feat did not need to be addressed as it's in the Core Rulebook and has not been listed as a feat not legal for play from that resource. You may select familiars from that feat's familiar list provided you follow the rules for doing so. I don't have a problem with folks selecting evil-aligned familiars on that list, so long as they're within one step on the alignment chart as their familiar and so long as players aren't, for example, selecting a LE imp as an excuse to get around the no evil alignments rules in PFS. Should I hear that players are using their evil familiars to commit evil acts, I'll rethink allowing them.


Swiftbrook wrote:
If you could, it would be helpful to explain why. I see these feats as good, but not overly so. Especially since they are spelled out in the PFRPG as core access. I can understand, but not like, not allowing rangers to have expanded access to animal companions.

Those feats in particular can be incredibly imbalanced in org play and based on a number of different people who played other org play campaigns and their feedback on these feats, I've decided to avoid the problems they can cause and make them not legal for play.

Just because something is spelled out in the Core Rulebook as core access, doesn't mean it will be allowed in PFS (see the Leadership feat, the item creation feats, etc.). I reserve the right to disallow anything that can slow down play or unfairly imbalance the play experience.

Shadow Lodge 4/5

With Leadership not allowed, what do Clerics with the Nobility Domain get at Level 8?


Beckett wrote:
With Leadership not allowed, what do Clerics with the Nobility Domain get at Level 8?

Page 14 of the Guide:

"Clerics or druids who choose the Nobility domain gain the Persuasive feat at 8th level as a bonus feat instead of gaining the Leadership feat, as this feat is not legal for play."

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