GM playing scenarios that he GMed before

[Ravenath]

Hello, everyone:

Let's take this case:

-I'm a GM in PFS.
-I have 2 PC created in my PFS account.
-I buy one scenario and I play it as GM.
-I give my PC#1 a chronicle sheet for this scenario.
-A friend of mine buys the same scenario and prepare a game as GM for it.
-I play that scenario with PC#1

Now, the questions:
A) Is this cheating? I read the scenario before the actual game because I played it as GM.
B) My PC#2 takes his own Chronicle Sheet for this scenario, even when my PC#1 has it already?

Thanks for your questions.

[wesF]

Ravenath wrote:

Hello, everyone:

Let's take this case:

-I'm a GM in PFS.
-I have 2 PC created in my PFS account.
-I buy one scenario and I play it as GM.
-I give my PC#1 a chronicle sheet for this scenario.
-A friend of mine buys the same scenario and prepare a game as GM for it.
-I play that scenario with PC#1

Now, the questions:
A) Is this cheating? I read the scenario before the actual game because I played it as GM.
B) My PC#2 takes his own Chronicle Sheet for this scenario, even when my PC#1 has it already?

Thanks for your questions.

Depends on how good of a role player you are. Can you pretend not to know the secret door is there if you fail your perception check?

It'll definitely be harder.

[Thea Peters]

Ravenath wrote:

Hello, everyone:

Let's take this case:

-I'm a GM in PFS.
-I have 2 PC created in my PFS account.
-I buy one scenario and I play it as GM.
-I give my PC#1 a chronicle sheet for this scenario.
-A friend of mine buys the same scenario and prepare a game as GM for it.
-I play that scenario with PC#1

Now, the questions:
A) Is this cheating? I read the scenario before the actual game because I played it as GM.
B) My PC#2 takes his own Chronicle Sheet for this scenario, even when my PC#1 has it already?

Thanks for your questions.

According to the Official Replay Rule

It is not cheating to play, cheating would be (in my opinion) using your knowledge of the scenario to pre-purchase items that are crucial that may not be immediate thoughts, using your knowledge to avoid traps, defeat NPCs or otherwise breaking the scenario for the others that have not played it.

Now that you have your 2 chronicles -- 1 for GMing and 1 for Playing, you can no longer get credit for this scenario. If you replay the scenario it is for no credit, however, you have the fun of the scenario and knowledge that you helped others advance.

Thea

[Chris Mortika]

I concur with everything Thea said. And I'll note that the two chronicles (playing and GMing) have to apply to two different PCs.

So, if you only have one character, who you think you'll want to play through the adventure, you should start a new character and apply the GM-credit to that character, either immediately (if the adventure allows for 1st-level characters) or as soon as the character meets the tier requirements (5th, 7th, or 12th level.)

1st-level modules ("Master of the Fallen Fortress" and "Godsmouth Heresy") can be replayed repeatedly for credit.

[raylyynsedai]

Ravenath wrote:

Hello, everyone:

Let's take this case:

-I'm a GM in PFS.
-I have 2 PC created in my PFS account.
-I buy one scenario and I play it as GM.
-I give my PC#1 a chronicle sheet for this scenario.
-A friend of mine buys the same scenario and prepare a game as GM for it.
-I play that scenario with PC#1

Now, the questions:
A) Is this cheating? I read the scenario before the actual game because I played it as GM.
B) My PC#2 takes his own Chronicle Sheet for this scenario, even when my PC#1 has it already?

Thanks for your questions.

First i am assuming you mis-typed and meant you play the scenario with pc #2

I am new so i could be wrong here but It has been posted in several other questions that you get credit once for playing and Once for GM'ing a scenario. you can only apply a Chronicle sheet from GM'ing to one character once. and the same goes to Playing. and it has to be separate characters of different factions. Ie i have a Qadira monk who gets all my GM chronicles and I will soon make another character from a different faction for playing sessions at conventions.

I have seen many posts from GM's playing a session first then GM'ing it for credit after having played it. I would avoid doing it in the opposite order myself for the reason of having read it before play. why would you want to play in a session you already know everything too. under the Play play play rules you have to basically sit back and let the rest of the party play and just be a combat robot. That would be no fun for me.

but this does not mean you can not (more experienced GM's correct me if I am wrong) do it in the order you suggested. But you would still be bound by the Play play play rule of not spoiling the session. and as a GM/coordinator i would let you sit at the table only to make it legal. I would also try to make sure there was a table you Could sit at running a session you had not played/gm'ed.

I as a local coordinator plan on running my GM's through new sessions (once i have a stable of GM's to do so with) in a home session before my events. this, to me, seems to be a great way to get them familiar with the session and get them both player credit and Gm credit (for another character). as well as allow them to play and GM both.

Hope this helps.

[raylyynsedai]

damn phone... got Ninjaed! but at least i was not wrong by those posts!

[Dragnmoon]

raylyynsedai wrote:

First i am assuming you mis-typed and meant you play the scenario with pc #2

I am new so i could be wrong here but It has been posted in several other questions that you get credit once for playing and Once for GM'ing a scenario. you can only apply a Chronicle sheet from GM'ing to one character once. and the same goes to Playing. and it has to be separate characters of different factions. Ie i have a Qadira monk who gets all my GM chronicles and I will soon make another character from a different faction for playing sessions at conventions.

Faction no longer matters, The PC that gets your GM credit and the PC that gets your Playing credit can be of the same faction.

[Thod]

Yes - it is legal to GM first and then play (with a character who hasn't received the chronicle yet).

That is the rules aspect. The other aspect is - do you want to do it - and under which circumstances. Or under which circumstances to avoid it.

First of all - there are players who have problems with meta-gaming. They will have problems with replay as well. Having GMed a scenario would make this aspect even more a problem. For such players - replay never is a good idea. No matter if as player, not for credit or as GM.

There are also some aspect that can help in case you replay.

The first one is time. If you GMed a scenario once a year ago then this is different to GMing it multiple times and/or just a short while ago.

The other aspect is the character you are playing. Playing a supporting, last row cleric, specialized on healing the group is much simpler as playing a front row fighter who scouts ahead.

In the first case you just stay quiet if you walk into a trap (and maybe heal afterwards the fighter who triggered it). In the second case it is more difficult as you know you walk straight into a trap.

So time and supporting character can mitigate some issues.

But in the end - replay needs trust in the replayer. So far I did it once when a group of GMs with a single newby couldn't find any scenario nobody had played/gmed before. Replay for a single person (me for slot 2 - one other player for slot 1) was the only option and playing a laid back cleric I still enjoyed it a lot.

It is nothing I would like to do on a regular basis - but I'm glad I have the option if I decide to do it due to lack of other options.

Thod

[Ravenath]

First of all, thanks to all the answers. All of you have cleared my mind at this respect. Thanks.

On the other side, I indeed have mistyped. It was PC#2 who played the module :D

[Ace Smith]

Ravenath wrote:

First of all, thanks to all the answers. All of you have cleared my mind at this respect. Thanks.

On the other side, I indeed have mistyped. It was PC#2 who played the module :D

With your clarification that you played with PC#2, you have met the rules.

On the Gm'ing before playing part:
I do this all of the time and have a great time with it. You just have to make sure that you don't give away anything to the others at the table that have not played it. Therefore, you may not get to participate in solving the riddle or deciding to open door A before door B but the reason people (or at least me) play this game is to have a good time with other like minded gamers. If that means playing a mod I already GM'd and not getting to completely participate in order for the others to have the best time that they can, then I will wholeheartedly do that. Though, if you are a person that can't roleplay a difference between what you know and what your PC knows, then you should probably stay away from the GM then play idea.

[Ravenath]

I always GM when I had a fisical group of gamers. So I'm used to it. I think the same as you.