|
Hi, just played in my first two PFS games today at Origins, and I just wanted to say, very awesome. I love the welcoming atmosphere and attitude of PFS GMs and players. I've had less than stellar experiences with unfriendly players and GMs in non-PFS OP campaigns in the past, so I was somewhat wary coming into this, but decided to give it a shot since everyone on the boards was so positive about PFS. I'm glad I did. This is above and beyond. I had a blast, and I'm going to try to squeeze into more games this weekend. This is what OP should be - friendly and organized. I and several other new players in the games I was in were treated very well, and everything was explained to me very patiently and in great detail. There is not enough room here to say all of the nice things I want to say. Thanks, guys.
|
I do have to agree with Face_POllution. The only real down side I have seen to PFS is the 3 mods to level rule. You do not have much time to get to know your character before leveling to new abilities and feats. I feel 4 would be much more reasonable. Joshua has already stated though that is probably never going to happen. I really missed LG and DND 3.5. I was very unhappy after the 4E change and with LFR. I gave up all RPGing for almost 2 yrs. Some friends started talking about Pathfinder and the beta test and even PFS. I was skeptical at first but what I heard was encouraging so I gave it a try not to long (couple months) before the core book came out. I really was happy with what I saw in beta and we even dove into PFS. I must say everyone in our group who has given PF and PFS a try has been very impressed and very happy.
I love the response we as customers see on these boards from paizo staff. I love how they seem to take to heart what the fan base wants and respond accordingly instead of ramroding changes down our throat. The core of the Pathfinder movement and 3.5 centric group and core PFS people are very passionate and involved with the products and systems. This whole Pathfinder system (core and PFS) seems to have a very family and grassroots feel. Likable friendly people trying hard to make a great environment for others to play in.
The only other change I personally would make to PFS play, other than 4 mods to a level, would be a regions type setup like LG had. Regions and triads to spice things up and encourage travel to different regions and different cons. Also it would produce more play opportunities to players and some extra flavor. I am very happy though to have an improved rules set and world to play in again like Golarion and specifically PFS opportunities. My hat goes off to you guys at Paizo. Here is to many many more years of great gaming.
/salute
..., and I just wanted to say, very awesome.
Nice. :-) Glad to hear you're enjoying yourself. Doug Doug and his GMs are outdoing themselves on every account.
|
|
..., and I just wanted to say, very awesome.Nice. :-) Glad to hear you're enjoying yourself. Doug Doug and his GMs are outdoing themselves on every account.
Just played "Mists of Mwengi" today (with Doug on the other side of the GM screen), had a blast again, hit 2nd level for my character and I'm most certainly coming back for more PFS.
My opinion on the pace of gaining xp might change when I start to get characters into the high levels and start to realize I'm going to lose regular access to them at 12th level, but the 3 mods to a level rule is really nice for someone like me who only has access to OP during cons. I played 3 games this weekend and I made it up one level - I'll likely not make it to GenCon, and might not make it to any con again until Origins next year. Even at that, I still get to feel a sense of advancement and accomplishment, having made 2nd level with my very own character.
I guess it's an issue of balancing casual against hardcore? 3 mods across Origins weekend gave me enough GP, XP, and PA to feel like I'm a cut above a starting character, and I still had time to play all of the Shadowrun and CTech I wanted to play, too.
For what my praise is worth, my hat also goes off to Paizo. Some of my fondest memories of Origins this year are with the awesome players and GMs of PFS. I feel that the writing, production values, and rules of the PF RPG books and supplements are more carefully considered and mature than most other d20 products I have purchased. I was about ready to quit D&D/d20 altogether when PFRPG came out and changed my mind, and PFS got me to reconsider my avoidance of OP in general. I also love your dedication to making dual ownership of print and pdf copies of products a viable option - my group demands print and I demand pdf, thanks for making the packaging of both together a sane and affordable experience. I was walking through the Columbus Convention Center today and turned to one of the members of my regular PFRPG game and said "I'm starting to suspect that Paizo taking over the 3.5 rules system is the best thing to happen to d20, ever."
I know that's a bit extreme as far as praise goes but you deserve it.
...but the 3 mods to a level rule is really nice for someone like me who only has access to OP during cons.
BINGO!
:-)
Regardless, I'm thrilled that 99% of the feedback I'm getting from Origins is positive. Doug and his GMs really outdid themselves and they're telling me the players were 99% awesome in return. So my hats off to everyone who got to participate. :-)
|
|
I pretty much had to do the same thing in Olympia. We didn't have our own group down here, so I started up my own at our nearest FLGS. Definitely rewarding. :)
I lucked out...there's another player who has already expressed interest in joining PFS as a player and GM after listening to me rant about how much fun I had, and she's willing to basically alternate who sits in the GM's chair, so I'll be getting a lot of time on both sides of the screen in the near future, and we've got one player who has never played OP before and has already volunteered to join up as soon as the PFS game gets going. Assuming we three consistently attend, we only need one more player to hit the 3 player (plus ghost GMPC pregen) minimum and get PFS going already, and if it really explodes and we need to launch two tables at a time, I already have someone willing to be that second GM.
My experience with PFS is so much *friendlier* than other OP organizations. People just seem to be having more fun. I've played in OP games where the players acted jaded, were just running the scenario to "level grind" their characters, and took every opportunity to criticize players for even slightly less than optimal character "builds", much like the worst of what the PC/Console gaming community has to offer. On the other hand, GMs and players alike at Origins' PFS games seemed to be there to have fun and more fun. Doug Doug mentioned offhand that he had run Mists of Mwengi for several groups in the past, but despite that he was totally animated and excited about every scene and encounter. Even the players who understood the system more thoroughly and had higher level characters still roleplayed their character's quirks and never judged another player's choice of character or build.
If I read the rules right, it's possible to play a scenario as a PC, and then "eat" the same scenario for a different character as a GM? I think I want to bring my players into the fold with "Mists of Mwengi" but I've already played it with my Osirion Wizard. Could I "eat" the scenario for the benefit of my Cheliax Rogue?
|
If I read the rules right, it's possible to play a scenario as a PC, and then "eat" the same scenario for a different character as a GM? I think I want to bring my players into the fold with "Mists of Mwengi" but I've already played...
That is my understanding of the rules as well... granted I could be wrong (did i just say that? hrmmmm) so the higher powers that be feel free to slap me for speaking out of turn. But as long as the GM character is a different faction (or can it be the same?) you get to eat the mod once for GM credit.
|
|
If I read the rules right, it's possible to play a scenario as a PC, and then "eat" the same scenario for a different character as a GM? I think I want to bring my players into the fold with "Mists of Mwengi" but I've already played...
Unfortunately you can only get credit for the scenario once unless you meet special circumstances. That means if you play the game (as you did Mists of Mwangi) you can't get any type of credit if you GM it at a later date. If you hadn't ever played it and you GMed, or "ate it" for new players you would not be able to play it afterward. However, to soften the blow you are allowed to have a reward under the rules if you GM a scenario instead of getting to play it. Look in your Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play for "GM Rewards", pg 29.
The "special circumstances" have to do with limited replay of scenarios when eligible players are hard to find. See page 18 for more about that.
The organized play rules may seem complex when read for the first time, but soon enough you will find yourself answering questions on these messageboards that you once asked yourself :)
|
Teribitia
You ninjad me - had to wait for my 7 year old to GM her first freestyle game before being allowed to the computer.
Josh wrote on the 19th April:
Sounds to me like they're confused about the rule.
They can get GM credit for a scenario once. So if they already played it and then run it, they can apply their GM credit to a different character with a different faction from the character/faction with which they originally played the scenario. Having played a scenario doesn't mean you can no longer get credit for GMing it.
I'm also not thrilled to hear, "Oh, well you should GM it so I can replay it since we'd need me to make a legal table." Replay is an option of last resort only. You should try all other options, including switching the GM, first.
Here is the link: Go to Thread with post by Josh.
Hope the link works (fourth attempt)
So unless anything changed you are allowed to play once apply credit to a character and then apply it again as GM to another one with a different faction (oops - missed this one). If this is wrong, then I need to deduct two GM credits from my characters.
Jens
|
|
Wow... I hadn't noticed that change. I have yet to take any sort of GM credit, but with this, I think my level 12 Taldan "Noble" will be even easier to accomplish. (I want to make a level 12 character who has never played a single scenario. Ewwww! Blood! Wait? What's that creature! ahhhh!)
Neat. I was actually going to do something similar with a Cheliax Rogue who is going for the duelist prc. I wanted to bring him in at a higher level (3-6) because part of his backstory is a kind of "Trained by a master" story.