Location Cherry Picking, good or bad?

[Matthew Morris]

Ok, this came up in discussion with a fellow Pathfinder player.

I have certain characters that I want to play certain scenarios, not because of boon picking, but because of location. My Jadwiga half elf bard, for example has a GM credit for Shades of Ice I, and has played II and III, as well as From Under Ice because they're all set in or around Irrisen.

Likewise, I asked for someone to run Midnight Mauler since I have an Ustalav psychic detective in tier. Is it wrong of me to play characters that regionally 'gel' with the scenario?

[Woran]

Absolutely not! Its always fun to play something that fits your character theme.

Also, most locations of a scenario are not secret, they are right in the scenario blurb.

[nosig]

Long as you aren't reading the scenarios before hand just to fit them to your PCs it should be fine! (and heck, reading them beforehand to RUN them, then fitting them location-wise to your PCs would be fine with me! just be sure to tell your judge you have run it and/or prepped it before).

[John Compton]

When a player sits down with a character from the adventure's region or with other thematic ties to that region, I as a GM usually get really excited. It is, after all, a player who is primed to respond positively and energetically to the adventure's setting and premise, thus making the experience all the more exciting for everyone else. After all, some adventures even have notes saying (for example) "XX has had several negative experiences when dealing with gnomes, so he snidely teases any gnome PCs" or "Elves created XX, which is designed to open at their command. Any elf PC that touches the door opens it automatically, bypassing the skill checks." It's personally rewarding when I am GMing an adventure and get to see that in action, and it can be all the more fun for the player who gets to see that her character is more than just a collection of mechanical design choices.

[James Risner]

This is an awesome idea.

[Muser]

Still waiting for my Gokan Elf to experience all the Tian scenarios from this season.

He's even got Height of Fashion, just for that rare moment with elven noble court shenanigans.

[BigNorseWolf]

We have an inner sea samurai who's "authentic tien armor" is stamped "made in Galt"

[Gleaming Terrier]

I'm planning on creating a Vigilante to play only in Absalom-based scenarios. I think that would be a very different, but fun, way to experience PFS, with Absalom basically being his version of Gotham City. Seeker level content will be his Justice League-type adventures.

[GM Lamplighter]

Well, if I was a Venture-Captain, I'd actually pick agents that were best-suited to a specific mission. (Unless I was Drandle Dreng - then I'd pick people at random and at the last minute.) So, players choosing scenarios based on location or expertise, while technically meta-thinking, actually gets closer to the desired situation, not farther from it.

[Serisan]

I would be totally ok with this as a GM or fellow player at your table. It's a great way to drive engagement in the events of the scenario.

[Nohwear]

When it was decided that shades of ice would be run, one of the regulars decided to play their Irisian Ice Witch because the first one was set in the Land of the Linorm Kings. I think that it really added to the game.

[Jessex]

GM Lamplighter wrote:

Well, if I was a Venture-Captain, I'd actually pick agents that were best-suited to a specific mission. (Unless I was Drandle Dreng - then I'd pick people at random and at the last minute.) So, players choosing scenarios based on location or expertise, while technically meta-thinking, actually gets closer to the desired situation, not farther from it.

I so totally want a multi table where the tables are randomly assigned. The premise being that some emergency comes up and Dreng just has whoever happens to be at the Grand Lodge dragged out of bed and sent into the fray. Yes, it probably wouldn't work but it would be totally hilarious if it did.

[Wei Ji the Learner]

Jessex wrote:

GM Lamplighter wrote:

Well, if I was a Venture-Captain, I'd actually pick agents that were best-suited to a specific mission. (Unless I was Drandle Dreng - then I'd pick people at random and at the last minute.) So, players choosing scenarios based on location or expertise, while technically meta-thinking, actually gets closer to the desired situation, not farther from it.

I so totally want a multi table where the tables are randomly assigned. The premise being that some emergency comes up and Dreng just has whoever happens to be at the Grand Lodge dragged out of bed and sent into the fray. Yes, it probably wouldn't work but it would be totally hilarious if it did.

That describes most of the tables I've sat at during GenCon specials...

EDIT: Forgot to put this down.

After playing

A given scenario:

Frozen Fingers of Midnight

And then sitting down for

A different given scenario:

From Under Ice

I realized during the briefing that my character might have a useful boon for the scenario based on the location of 'different given scenario'.

I showed it to the GM, who was both shocked, pleased, and cautious, and pointed out that improper application of the boon would be a *bad* thing and could get the party executed.

I was able to figure out the proper application pretty easily, and it made the flavor of the second scenario really come to life...

[Kalindlara]

I love doing this myself. ^_^

Similarly, some of my boon-race characters are associated with the scenario I ran at the convention where I earned the boon (and generally have the scenario as their first Chronicle).

[FiddlersGreen]

In a similar vein, I like boons that make reference to a particular achievement or status attained due to certain choices or actions i a scenario.

One of my characters (of Tian background) has the Snowmask Induction boon, which aside from the mechanical benefit states that my character was initiated into the Snowmask Clan for a certain service rendered.

Several levels later, he encountered an Ulfen glory-seeker who demanded we hand over whatever treasures we had found at a certain lost tomb, and threatened violence if we didn't. My character removed his hat and showed the mark that proved him to be a Snowbrother, and basically berated the Ulfen for acting dishonorably and bringing disgrace to the Ulfen people. The Ulfen replied that he was shamed that an inducted brother showed more concern for the honor of their people than he did, and backed down.

The boon's beenfit itself has saved me maybe only 100gp in scrolls over 13 levels. But the roleplay I've gotten out of it has made it one of my favorite and most memorable boons. I'd like more boons like that. Negligible benefit, but has a kickass story behind it and capable of becoming part of your character's very identity.

[Muser]

Good thing that Ulfen didn't know the Snowmask tribe to be Kellids!