Venture-Captain, Missouri—Cape Girardeau
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Boon: Clean Living - while playing a scenario at an official convention, if you have taken a shower in the last 23 hours, you gain a +2 Convention bonus on Diplomacy checks and saving throws against poison and disease.
THIS Boon I would LOVE to be able to hand out! LOL!
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That's just surprising to me. Even a Con-goer only has a 10% chance of having a boon? That's exceedingly rare. But, it is what it is ... I'll go with it.Wade, it was actually a 30% chance when you rolled, or a 15% chance per token. ... Frankly, the sense of entitlement inherent in some of your comments disheartens me. I enjoyed meeting you in person at A-Kon and I felt like you had a good time based on your comments at the show and afterward.
Jon ... the 10% to which I was referring was the campaign standard that was set by Mike Brock in the above linked post. I specifically pointed out that the averages were slightly higher at A-Kon.
As far as a sense of entitlement goes, I would vehemently disagree. It's not that I feel owed something, it's that I had heard stories from Cons that amount to what Dragnmoon mentioned:
Every Con I hav been to, usually there is one, Non racial boon everyone gets. They even did that at GenCon.
Frankly, it's not that I feel entitled to anything. But, when it's put out there that it happens that way, one tends to expect that sort of standard to be present at every Con. I *did* have a good time. I enjoyed myself immensely. Aside from the ten hours spent, and the GM that was over an hour late for the mod that he was running, and ridiculous rules debates that drove at least one player from the game. Yes, despite all of that, I was thrilled with getting to level a character, and with getting to spend time with my favorite hobby, meet new people, and experience a Con.
But, when a precedent is set at other Cons, it's disappointing to find that I didn't get to play, play, play by the same rules as other PFS members.It wasn't you, it wasn't the campaign, it wasn't the players I was with. I ejoyed most all of that. It was simply that upon further reflection, I wish there'd been a different way to handle the boons.
Venture-Captain, California—San Francisco Bay Area South & West
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No con is ever going to be perfect. Even Kublacon (which was a first-rate con, as far as my limited experience can tell) had it's share of negatives; people unable to find a seat, a GM showing up late, table over-runs, one or two disruptive players, and last-minute changes of location (sometimes to a room a long way from the posted spot).
But these are just a few minutes in a four-day weekend; obsessing on the imperfections belittles the overall fun of the entire event.
There was a 5% chance of a boon if you just played at a single table; if you played at multiple tables the odds got better, peaking at around 15% per table played. If you played in all ten sessions you could guarantee getting a boon, or play the odds and try for two (or even three).
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No con is ever going to be perfect. Even Kublacon (which was a first-rate con, as far as my limited experience can tell) had it's share of negatives; people unable to find a seat, a GM showing up late, table over-runs, one or two disruptive players, and last-minute changes of location (sometimes to a room a long way from the posted spot).But these are just a few minutes in a four-day weekend; obsessing on the imperfections belittles the overall fun of the entire event.
There was a 5% chance of a boon if you just played at a single table; if you played at multiple tables the odds got better, peaking at around 15% per table played. If you played in all ten sessions you could guarantee getting a boon, or play the odds and try for two (or even three).
Just to let folks know, the system was that you earned one token per slot played. Each token could be used for a roll, burning extra tokens got you a +4 on the roll. 20+ earned you a random boon. I earned two, and gave one away. Kept the GM boon tho ;)
RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32, 2010 Top 8
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Ok, shower thought this morning.
A boon for one free rebuild. Faction and class(es) have to remain the same, (for bookkeeping) but archtypes, stat bumps, etc. Basically everything that's not tracked on the web page is good.
I thought of this for players who lament "Wow, book of X has something that would have been really fitting for my character, shame I can't take it."
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My question to you is, can you take a Grippli, Damphir or Catgirl and represent them with feats, traits, class selection and perhaps a mild bit of reskining. I think you can (and have helped with a half elven 'cat girl' for my niece).
In that case, what is the need for a spelled out cat girl race? I don't mind one cat girl in a game, with her being explained as a magical experiment or a curse. But on the other hand....a whole table of 'unique' Drizit clones can be off putting also.
I realize there no completely satisfying answer to this, but I do believe you can do a lot more with what we have availible then we are using.
Thats a whole lot of hoops and hurdles your asking of the player of said catgirl, especially when there is a fully fleshed out Catfolk race in the Bestiary 3 and soon to be released ARG. Also as I understand it from reading the post battles involving the look of the synthasists and mounts, reskinning is frowned upon in PFS.
No one wants to play at a table full of Drizzt clones but I would still take that over a table full of flavour-of-the-month min/max builds. At least the Drizzt fanboy has put some thought into the personality of his character.
I agree with you on your last point, there probably is no satisfying middle ground between the Tolkienian Grognard's view on race in fantasy and a more inclusive one. Yet if you agree there is a lot of diversity in the races available, I would imagine you can also imagine the greater diversity in even greater inclusion. At the very least it would allow tables to move away from the proliferation of the tired bad Scots accented Dwarf, Im pretty because Im an Elf player to some new, soon-to-be tired stereoptyped racial characters.
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Thats a whole lot of hoops and hurdles your asking of the player of said catgirl, especially when there is a fully fleshed out Catfolk race in the Bestiary 3 and soon to be released ARG. Also as I understand it from reading the post battles involving the look of the synthasists and mounts, reskinning is frowned upon in PFS.
No one wants to play at a table full of Drizzt clones but I would still take that over a table full of flavour-of-the-month min/max builds. At least the Drizzt fanboy has put some thought into the personality of his character.
I agree with you on your last point, there probably is no satisfying middle ground between the Tolkienian Grognard's view on race in fantasy and a more inclusive one. Yet if you agree there is a lot of diversity in the races available, I would imagine you can also imagine the greater diversity in even greater inclusion. At the very least it would allow tables to move away from the proliferation of the tired bad Scots accented Dwarf, Im pretty because Im an Elf player to some new, soon-to-be tired stereoptyped racial characters.
I regret to say I've misjudged you. This post is full of good points and I can't discount them. Paizo employees definitely do not like the typical Dwarf Scottish accent. I think James Jacobs posted something along those lines, maybe Jason Buhlman, I'm not sure.
I would argue though, that a Drizzt fanboy puts zero thought into the personality of their character as it is just a clone of a character that already exists.
I do agree that a paradigm shift in fantasy role play is occurring. Look at all the hubbub over the Gunslinger class when that was first announced. Many in the community were in an uproar which has now died down. I think Paizo is on the forefront of being inclusive with new ideas. Think about those anime warriors with the larger-than-life swords and then look at the Core Rulebook barbarian.
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Paizo employees definitely do not like the typical Dwarf Scottish accent.
They'll be pleased to learn that a friend of mine has realized that dwarves are actually Canadian, not Scottish.
He wanted to create Wolverine as a PFS character. Wolverine is Canadian, at least in the X-Men movies. He is (in the comics) short, hairy, drinks a lot, and has a generally surly attitude, which obviously makes him a dwarf. Therefore, by means of terrible yet amusing association we get:
Wolverine = Canadian
Wolverine = PFS dwarf
Canadian = PFS dwarf
(No offense meant to real Canadians. No Canadians were harmed in the making of that character or this post.)
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Ok, shower thought this morning.
A boon for one free rebuild. Faction and class(es) have to remain the same, (for bookkeeping) but archtypes, stat bumps, etc. Basically everything that's not tracked on the web page is good.
I thought of this for players who lament "Wow, book of X has something that would have been really fitting for my character, shame I can't take it."
I think that would be an excellent boon. It's really not fun to realize that two months after you started a character, an archetype came out that fits that character PERFECTLY...and you can't take it.
In some cases I've been tempted to make another character by a nearly identical name so I can play the character closer to the concept I wanted.
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I regret to say I've misjudged you. This post is full of good points and I can't discount them.
Gasps at what the first impression must have been!!!!
I would argue though, that a Drizzt fanboy puts zero thought into the personality of their character as it is just a clone of a character that already exists.
Yeah but at least with a Drizzt clone, if my character speaks to their character Im probably going to get an IC answer instead of a diatribe about how they squeezed an extra +1 for the combination of this trait with that feat. But yeah, I agree, intolerable all the same.
I do agree that a paradigm shift in fantasy role play is occurring. Look at all the hubbub over the Gunslinger class when that was first announced. Many in the community were in an uproar which has now died down. I think Paizo is on the forefront of being inclusive with new ideas. Think about those anime warriors with the larger-than-life swords and then look at the Core Rulebook barbarian.
So true!!!! The strength of Pathfinder is that from the start they have promoted a broad sense of fantasy from races, to ethnicity while walking the line of old v new models of fantasy. I just love that those options are out there!
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Paizo employees definitely do not like the typical Dwarf Scottish accent.They'll be pleased to learn that a friend of mine has realized that dwarves are actually Canadian, not Scottish.
He wanted to create Wolverine as a PFS character. Wolverine is Canadian, at least in the X-Men movies. He is (in the comics) short, hairy, drinks a lot, and has a generally surly attitude, which obviously makes him a dwarf. Therefore, by means of terrible yet amusing association we get:
Wolverine = Canadian
Wolverine = PFS dwarf
Canadian = PFS dwarf(No offense meant to real Canadians. No Canadians were harmed in the making of that character or this post.)
We also go into a crazy bloodlust when people irritate us too much. Just like Wolverine. And dwarves.
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Thats a whole lot of hoops and hurdles your asking of the player of said catgirl, especially when there is a fully fleshed out Catfolk race in the Bestiary 3 and soon to be released ARG. Also as I understand it from reading the post battles involving the look of the synthasists and mounts, reskinning is frowned upon in PFS.
But there is enough, within the rules to actually make a catgirl (assuming you don't have a 'catgirl' boon). As for re skinning, it's on frowned upon if you take it too far. For example, no one would object if your elf had white hair and then you said they came from a cool climate. Few people would object to a little more hair being a birth defect. Here is another thread that came from that comment.
No one wants to play at a table full of Drizzt clones but I would still take that over a table full of flavour-of-the-month min/max builds. At least the Drizzt fanboy has put some thought into the personality of his character.
Not a fan of uber min max or Drizzt clones, but they are seperate issues. But when someone goes through the hurdles to make a PFS legal 'whatever' I'm impressed both by their rules fu and am confident of their roleplaying potential.
I agree with you on your last point, there probably is no satisfying middle ground between the Tolkienian Grognard's view on race in fantasy and a more inclusive one. Yet if you agree there is a lot of diversity in the races available, I would imagine you can also imagine the greater diversity in even greater inclusion. At the very least it would allow tables to move away from the proliferation of the tired bad Scots accented Dwarf, Im pretty because Im an Elf player to some new, soon-to-be tired stereoptyped racial characters.
With more races included, I fear people will simply come up with more versions of 'Scottish Dwarf' syndrome. If on the other hand, they are encouraged to to break the 'Scotish dwarf' or 'Elven fey' stereotype, perhaps they will. Basically, I think I'd rather see a well thought out elven puck rocker bard or a cowardly dwarven wizard, in preference of more 'new and exiteing!' races to stereotype. If we encourage people to twittle with what they got, something ingenious could result.
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We also go into a crazy bloodlust when people irritate us too much. Just like Wolverine. And dwarves.Paizo employees definitely do not like the typical Dwarf Scottish accent.They'll be pleased to learn that a friend of mine has realized that dwarves are actually Canadian, not Scottish.
He wanted to create Wolverine as a PFS character. Wolverine is Canadian, at least in the X-Men movies. He is (in the comics) short, hairy, drinks a lot, and has a generally surly attitude, which obviously makes him a dwarf. Therefore, by means of terrible yet amusing association we get:
Wolverine = Canadian
Wolverine = PFS dwarf
Canadian = PFS dwarf(No offense meant to real Canadians. No Canadians were harmed in the making of that character or this post.)
My next character will be a dwarf barbarian with Lesser Beast Totem and a yellow jumpsuit.
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RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32, 2010 Top 8
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More Shower thoughts.
Combat training - Your character trained in a combat intensive environment. You are proficient in all martial weapons.
a) It would be a coveted boon for non-fighter types.
b) It would serve the purpose of making a character stand out. "Your witch carries a great sword? And can use it?"
c) It wouldn't be game breaking (well it would make Eldrich Knight more tempting) since your BAB wouldn't go up.
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The value of boons is in the ability to do what can't be done normally. Racial boons are the most obvious example, and this is what puts them ahead of boons that give out +2 perception or things of that nature, if I wanted to play a high perception character, I could do so, but there is no way I can play a tiefling without the boon.
Which isn't to say that a boon that gives a bonus to skills isn't good, its just that I think most people would be disappointed if they got the +2 perception boon while everyone else got to play Tengu, Kitsune, and Tiefling PCs.
I like the idea of boons that allow things that aren't normally allowed, but I can understand if some of those things are banned for game breaking reasons (Not needing to let Gunslingers get Revolvers and things) or just simple common sense reasons (Not having every magical pathfinder have rich magical beasts parents, which is what you'd have if you had Rich Parents and Magical Knack).
I think the idea of a boon that gave a bonus skill focus feat would be good, as it wouldn't be useless to anyone. It'd be more useful to some, but everyone has a skill that they could use a +3 to, as opposed to say, all the diplomacy boosts my 7 charisma barbarian has gotten.
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To be honest, I would rather they do away with Con (specific) Boons all together. Not everyone can go to cons for one reason or other and to say "Hey you are not good enough to go to a con and among the elite that CAN should get something special because they are able to".
The little events should be encourage more and yet those are the ones that seem to be the least supported so far.
I like the ideas for the GM awards but when some people come in this thread from some of what I have read in here is pathetically elitist and arrogant to to actually berate someone for not participating the way someone else wants them to and trying to get something for the people that do NOT attend cons like some of the others and even go so far as to tell them not to talk (and go away) in this thread as well.
One of those elitist people being a venture lieutenant to boot is bad form and not saying much for the venture lieutenant position in my opinion. The VL's should be assigned by Mike Brock and not the VC's then.
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To be honest, I would rather they do away with Con (specific) Boons all together. Not everyone can go to cons for one reason or other and to say "Hey you are not good enough to go to a con and among the elite that CAN should get something special because they are able to".
The little events should be encourage more and yet those are the ones that seem to be the least supported so far.
I like the ideas for the GM awards but when some people come in this thread from some of what I have read in here is pathetically elitist and arrant to to actually berate someone for not participating and trying to get something for the people that do NOT attend cons like some of the others and even go so far as to tell them not to talk in this thread as well.
One of those people being a venture lieutenant to boot is bad form and not saying much for the venture lieutenant position in my opinion. The VL's should be assigned by Mike Brock and not the VC's then.
Boons can be earned at smaller events. 15 tables of the course of an event is the current benchmark for boon support. I know Mike has sent out boon support for local events lately. If you want a boon, but can't get to a convention, set up a local event! If you don't have a real PFS presence, talk to Mike about boon support to try and get PFS off the ground in your area.
Boons are cool, and getting one for going the extra mile isn't a bad thing.
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Venture-Captain, Michigan—Mt. Pleasant
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I kind of agree with Deanoth. If all you can manage is a one day event, getting 3 slots of 5 tables is very difficult to pull off just in order to qualify for prize support. two day events are a little easier, but still takes a lot of work to manage.
On the other hand, I used to think that there weren't any conventions near me big enough for gaming, yet the last year or two I've had my eyes opened. There are four-five within 3 hours of me that are quite big and easily large enough for boons. Take a look around you might be surprised.
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Ok here is the thing. Instead of having a 15 table limit set for one event on ONE weekend why not something like a 15 table limit for an ongoing event over say a month? If the event happens on a regular basis and you are able to get 15 tables over a period of a month but not more then that in one weekend why not support something like that too?
It is not like it has to be a special boon that is made for things like Gen Con or Paizo Con. For those that go to those conventions should have something special but there is nothing that says that the boons could not be recycled for those that do attend get first crack at them then later others.
I am just saying the people that do not go to Cons should get something too. It is about promotion and it is the little events that DO the promoting for the most part that make the larger conventions more possible. Without the little events and venues the larger special conventions would not be as possible with the organized events then.
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I kind of agree with Deanoth. If all you can manage is a one day event, getting 3 slots of 5 tables is very difficult to pull off just in order to qualify for prize support. two day events are a little easier, but still takes a lot of work to manage.
On the other hand, I used to think that there weren't any conventions near me big enough for gaming, yet the last year or two I've had my eyes opened. There are four-five within 3 hours of me that are quite big and easily large enough for boons. Take a look around you might be surprised.
I have looked around and yes there is one or two large enough for prize support but unfortunately say you are handicapped... you might not be able to attend those conventions either but can the smaller events at say game stores because of mobility issues.. This is kind of how I look at things I try and include everyone equally and think of things for them as well as for me too.
Money and mobility should not be a factor for PFS in my opinion. Offering boons to those that make it to conventions is great but those same boons could be recycled to the smaller events too and be just as special to them too at a later date. Still giving those that attend Paizo Con and Gen Con the feeling that they got them "first" before everyone else.
Offering them to smaller ongoing events over a period of time thing where they get 15-20 tables a month would be a great way to keep promoting PFS in a better way and get MORE people to attend them as well. This making sense. It would also go a long way to eliminate the elitist feeling I was getting from some of the people in this thread which ticked me off to say the least :(
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RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32, 2010 Top 8
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Well I'm still tossing boon ideas when I think of them.
I do want to reiterate: I *don't* think convention boons should go by the wayside. I understand the need for a presense at a con, and if boons are really what get people to the cons, then so much the better.
(As an example, someone posted on the Columbus Ohio Pathfinder page that she and her son played at Origins. If not for the con, we'd not have two potential new members.)
I *do* think, for reasons I've said elsewhere, the convention boons need to be changed. The current races should be opened up, and new boons should rise to replace them. (Even if it's more races like Catfolk, Kitsune, etc). I'm not alone in this belief (as can be gathered by suggestions in this and other threads).
In letting boons give the goodies early, they're still desirable, and still do their job. They also have the potential to bring players to the cons. "You got a what? That's awesome! What are they going to have next year?"
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I think that with out the smaller local events that only have 2-3 tables a week/bi-weekly is what for the most part gets New players to play society with some joining just because it is a convention as well. They BOTH matter. and neither should be over looked. Yes Boons should be special for a convention to get them first but not ONLY there.. you might get them in 4 months down the line being recycled at a local event that is not a convention then too... and that in my opinion is how it should be to promote PFS at local events which is JUST as important.
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RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32, 2010 Top 8
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@nosig,
Actually opening them up was right there in the first post, so they are connected ;-)
Like I said, I won't repeat my arguments, they're easy enough to find, and I want to stay on topic.
Hmm, another one.
Friends in high places - You have made contacts with various scholars and spent long hours in conversation.
Once per scenario, you may make a knowlege roll even if you are untrained in the knowlege, with a bonus equal to half your level + your intelligence modifier. This represents a sudden bit of insight you read/overheard.
Doesn't seem like much, right up until you need it.
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Deanoth, think about it mechanically. I agree with your sentiment that it'd be great to support the little events and ongoing PFS groups more - but Paizo has limited resources (already stretched thin in many areas). We need to come up with a way to streamline the process so Paizo can help out - without spending tons of hours of support to do it.
AND at the same time ensure that boons are special and rare (in my opinion).
That's a tough combination. I'm wracking my brain trying to come up with something, but I don't have a good way to do it.
Maybe trickle boons to the VCs on a regular, but rare, basis? Let them give out boons at stores they attend during special events? I know we occasionally host special events at our store (like a mod writer coming to judge his own mod), and they are rare. If we could get our VC to attend them and bring a boon once in a (long) while that might work.
Any other ideas?
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Stuff
Deanoth, the sole purpose of the boon system is to reward people for traveling and supporting conventions whether on a local or national level. It's cheap and easy for the Campaign staff to provide that are a big draw for players. It's not about 'being good enough' to go to a con, it's about rewarding people who make that commitment. I think a lot of people forget about the money, time and travel that goes into attending a convention (it ain't cheap and I doubt we all are wealthy). There should be a unique reward, ESPECIALLY for the small local conventions.
All you need to qualify for boon support is 12 people and a weekend free. One slot of 3 tables Friday, 3 on Saturday, 1 on Sunday (Or 3&2 Sat/Sun). Honestly, with a little bit of advertising at the FLGS, this shouldn't be a problem for the vast majority of non-con goers.
Frankly, I think a lot of gamers ARE elitist and they want to acquire boons specifically BECAUSE it is something to show off. Is there a fundamental issue with this? I'm not talking about waving a boon under someone's nose at a gaming table, that's being a jerk. I'm talking about feeling unique compared to other players because you did something they didn't. Why is that a bad thing?
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Not everyone can go to cons for one reason or other and to say "Hey you are not good enough to go to a con and among the elite that CAN should get something special because they are able to".
You dont have to be 'elite' to get a boon. You need to attend a con of at least 15 tables over the length of the con. That's all.
The reason for the table cap of 15 and the need for them to be all lumped together, instead of spread out over the course of a month, is so there can be something special about them. If every person who was going to host a game was able to get boons for their players every single time, the boons lose their coolness. It's the old 'Saying everyone is special is the same as saying no one is' kind of thing.
I have looked around and yes there is one or two large enough for prize support but unfortunately say you are handicapped... you might not be able to attend those conventions either but can the smaller events at say game stores because of mobility issues..
Wow. You are reaching incredibly far here, I think. I dont know what country you are from, but we have the Americans with Disabilities Act here in the states which would take care of this kind of situation in almost all cases.
Also, I dont know about anyone else, but if there was a situation where someone couldnt access a location to play in cause of a physical handicap (I'm going to assume you are meaning someone in a wheelchair, as an example), I would be more than willing to help the person in question inside, even if that means carrying them, to ensure they get to play just like everyone else.
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I have looked around and yes there is one or two large enough for prize support but unfortunately say you are handicapped... you might not be able to attend those conventions either but can the smaller events at say game stores because of mobility issues.. This is kind of how I look at things I try and include everyone equally and think of things for them as well as for me too.
Money and mobility should not be a factor for PFS in my opinion.
As a Society member who has a disabled sibling, I take a bit of offense to this. Every convention I have gone to is fully compliant with ADA standards. Every game store I have gone to has more than enough room for a wheelchair. My FLGS makes sure there is room for a wheelchair and extra space. Frankly, sir, you are creating an issue that does not exist.
As for money? I went to a convention, and it cost me a minimal amount of money. I carpooled it in, and split the gas cost. I volunteered for 5 slots, covering my con pass. And I packed food from home. Total cost? Maybe $50. I went to a con, as an unemployed college student. It is very doable.
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The racial boons should remain a reward for taking the time and effort to go to a convention, whether it's PaizoCon or a smaller local convention. The racial boons should be rare and keeping them at conventions will certainly help maintain their rarity. It will also provide a strong motive for people to band together to put on a convention and maybe fill a gap in service for people who cannot travel far because of physical and/or financial reasons.
I would like Paizo to offer prize support for smaller events to get local players excited about coming to play PFS at the game store or what have you. The prize for these smaller events should be non-racial boons. Those boons could be the +2 bonus to Perception or Weapon Training boons. These would be a great way to reward players for making the trip to the venue in addition to playing with good people and great adventures.
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RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32, 2010 Top 8
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I know this far into a thread is asking is a bit much, but can we keep on the topic of potential boons? I think there are a number of interesting suggestions, and I'd rather not see the thread devolve into me explaining why you're wrong about keeping the races 'boon exclusive' ;-) We've pleanty enough threads for that.
Another religion boon, - Brigh's blessing. Your worship of the construct goddess has forever changed you. You have a 20% chance to negate precision damage, as light fortification.
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First I see many problems with peoples thoughts here.
@ Seth I think the reference is for those who can't get to the con rather then those who can't go inside. Possibly because they can't drive and their kids/driver can't get away to take them to a con, etc
@Kerney
With more races included, I fear people will simply come up with more versions of 'Scottish Dwarf' syndrome. If on the other hand, they are encouraged to to break the 'Scotish dwarf' or 'Elven fey' stereotype, perhaps they will. Basically, I think I'd rather see a well thought out elven puck rocker bard or a cowardly dwarven wizard, in preference of more 'new and exiteing!' races to stereotype. If we encourage people to twittle with what they got, something ingenious could result.
never gonna happen. The number of people who actually roleplay character creation is minimal. Too many are used to playing video games and so use the same mindset for character creation which is choose a vanilla character add a few tweaks, then maybe roleplay what you have created.
The number of people who play tabletops like more expansive computer games is increasing. It was hard to find real roleplayers when I was military and going places(despite finding enough players to play six different groups a week). Now the only person I play with who actually roleplays is moving away, which leaves just the min-maxers and computer simulationists.
@ everyone Some people have compared getting boons from cons to getting better at basketball by playing. Problem is, racial boons and such are not "being better" at playing from spending more time on them. Going to a con means taking the days off from work/school (which not everyone has that luxury[and it is a luxury]) and spending ungodly amounts of money for travel/food/con things/hotel/gas/gas/ oh and gas. Not everyone is rich with 9-5 jobs that hand out vacation time like candy, some of us juggle 2-4 part-time jobs and still don't make enough to fill the fridge. So why can't I be considered good from years of playing?
So why should the rich kids get to play other races but not the poor kids? Sure let the rich kids get first crack at them but the poor kids should get a chance eventually.
And that is another group that gets forgotten. What about kids that need permission to go and someone to take them to cons but not the store since the store is next door?
edit; how I made that error and didnt catch it is beyond me.
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Another religion boon, - Brigh's blessing. Your worship of the construct goddess has forever changed you. You have a 20% chance to negate precision damage, as light fortification.
That sounds a bit *too* good for a boon.
What if we had this one:
Abadarian Connections: If you are captured, you may use this boon to be released from captivity, free of charge. Once used, cross this boon off.
For a party who just got caught doing something wrong/evil, being able to just say "I got this, guys." and walk on out with your party in tow? How awesome would that be?
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Folks I am not saying that attending a convention should not be supported.. to the contrary I want conventions to be supported. What I do NOT like is the elitist attitude that some are showing in this thread. Some have posted that others should not post for one reason or other in this thread.
The small local events are very important to PFS and without them PPFS would not be what it is today. If PFS were to just do their "events" at conventions and not locally in game stores and the like then it would not be nearly as supported as it is today. I want PFS to support it all and not just one aspect of organized play. Conventions should be supported and given boons the way they are now... but after say 6 months "THOSE" same boons could be given out locally and NO not just with Venture Captains or lieutenants but through the local event coordinators too. In this way everyone gets something regardless if you attend a convention or not.
This will go a long way to eliminate some of the elite attitudes some have shown in this thread and I do say "some" and not everyone. It would be even better on the promotion aspect of PFS too. Considering the local events is what attracts a LOT of people to PFS to begin with why not give them something to attract even more to the small local events and grwo them there?
BTW the Handicap remark was not offensive in any way or meant to be. It was to say that there are some that do NOT have the mobility to make it to the places they want to go. Not just the wheel chair bound but people with arthritis, breathing conditions, among other things. Conventions while are handicapped accessible do not make it simple still... a wheel chair is nice but not always the most comfortable and the like. It is more about comfort and relief of stress then it is about access. This is not always the case with Conventions.. trust me I do know.
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RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32, 2010 Top 8
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@Alexander I don't have my CRB up, so I didn't have the armor enhancement to compare costs. Maybe ignore one precision/crit per scenario? Along those lines...
Abadarinan Connections would be cool.
Desna Laughs Once per scenario if a critical hit does enough damage to drop you to negative HP, you may treat that hit as if it never happened. You take a -1 luck penalty to to hit rolls for the remainder of the scenario.
The penalty might be a bit much, but I thought it would be thematic. You avoid a 'lucky' hit that could kill you, by burning your future luck. (Why yes, I have run Among the living recently. Why do you ask?)
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So why should the rich kids get to play other races but not the poor kids? Sure let the rich kids get first crack at them but the poor kids should get a chance eventually.
Um, I am not rich and I attended multiple conventions last year and am attending 3-4 this year. Alexander_Damocles just posted about being an out of work college student funding his way to a convention on $50.
It's not just the 1% attending conventions here people. People strapped for cash still attend conventions. They just make sacrifices. Like eating Ramen every day for a month type sacrifices.
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So why should the rich kids get to play other races but not the poor kids? Sure let the rich kids get first crack at them but the poor kids should get a chance eventually.Um, I am not rich and I attended multiple conventions last year and am attending 3-4 this year. Alexander_Damocles just posted about being an out of work college student funding his way to a convention on $50.
It's not just the 1% attending conventions here people. People strapped for cash still attend conventions. They just make sacrifices. Like eating Ramen every day for a month type sacrifices.
Todd not everyone is able to make those types of sacrifices though. No one is saying that you should NOT go to conventions either.. I enjoy them and have been to many. What I am saying is that the people that go to local events for PFS should be rewarded JUST as much as people going to conventions. It should not be just about boons for cons but promoting PFS in general and in this case no venue should be left out including the local events.
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Torag's Durability: If your character would take enough damage to put them at -con, they are instead stable at 0 hitpoints. Once used, this boon is crossed off.
I can just see a character take a massive hit that should drop them, but instead shrugs it off and lands one last barrage of swings on the target.
One more for Abadar (yes, he is my favorite)
Abadar's Balance: When an enemy hits you or has a spell affect you, you may have the effect apply to that enemy as well. This may not be reduced or mitigated. Once used, this boon is crossed off.
Massive save or suck spell? Sure, I failed my save. But....the BBEG gets to eat it too.
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The racial boons should remain a reward for taking the time and effort to go to a convention, whether it's PaizoCon or a smaller local convention. The racial boons should be rare and keeping them at conventions will certainly help maintain their rarity. It will also provide a strong motive for people to band together to put on a convention and maybe fill a gap in service for people who cannot travel far because of physical and/or financial reasons.
I would like Paizo to offer prize support for smaller events to get local players excited about coming to play PFS at the game store or what have you. The prize for these smaller events should be non-racial boons. Those boons could be the +2 bonus to Perception or Weapon Training boons. These would be a great way to reward players for making the trip to the venue in addition to playing with good people and great adventures.
Why lump racial boons all together as one? A kobald or goblin is weak compared to normal races, Tiefling has a trait to reduce their power, and then there are template creature like vampires.
With the ARG people can make races too. Let some weaker races play and maybe the gimped tiefling(or a 10 point race build), then hand out boons at smaller + events with the normal ungimped races like tieflings(or 15 point race builds), and have the template creatures and special cohorts and mounts and animal companions can be the full on con bonuses(the 20 point race build).
Then cycle them down so a few months after they come out they drop to the next lower level while new ones are made for the next go round of cons.
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IMHO new boons should be more balanced, - more Fluff and less mechanical advantage. If they are Mechanical advantages, make them "one shot", like the Boons you get on the Cronicals for the Novels.
Nosig, what do you think of the boons I've been bandying about? Some are powerful, but most are just thematic and one shot only.
I do *really* like that continual flame idea. Tho I'd probably end up using it on a cat. Flaming cat familiar? YES PLEASE.
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Nosig.. I said some people were displaying elitist attitudes in THIS thread not that people going to conventions were elitist. So please stop with the snarky remarks about boons and elitist with them ok!!
I do not quote the ones that were showing that type of attitude because I would rather not support that type of attitude by showing it over and over in a quote. if you would rather I did show the people that were being as such then please say so.. but do not think that I thought people going to conventions were elitists as that could not be further from the truth.. I go to conventions myself.