|
I wanted to get some clarification on something I read in the PFS game guide regarding replaying scenarios.
Let's say I have the opportunity to play a particular scenario, we'll call it "scenario A".
I play through Scenario A with my level 5 character, Random Dude the Fighter. At the end of the session, Random Dude gets 1 xp and 2 prestige points. I also get some gold and the chance to purchase magic items.
Some months later, Random Dude is retired, and I have a new character, Random Lady the Wizard. If I run Random Lady through the aforementioned Scenario A, does she get the 1 xp and 2 prestige points? Does she get access to the gold and purchasable items? Or does she get absolutely nothing, making there be no other reason to run her Through Scenario A other than fun?
The PFS rulebook seems to contradict itself a little on this point and I would love to know how it actually works. I understand not being allowed to get the gold or the magic items. I don't like it much, but I understand it. I totally understand if I don't get prestige points for it, but it would be nice if you did. I'm mostly wondering about the xp. If you can only get xp for a scenario the first time you play it, period, that kind of gimps the idea of having multiple characters. There are only so many scenarios to go around, and eventually you would run out, removing any reason to keep playing.
Anyone know how this works? Direct answers from PFS officials would be great, but anyone who knows the answer will be eternally appreciated.
Thank you in advance.
|
Each players (not character) may receive credit exactly twice:
1) Playing the scenario XP applied, Gold earned, access to the chronicle
2) GM the scenario: XP applied, gold earned, access to the chronicle
Each of these may be done once per scenario.
You may not apply both credits to the same character.
Any additional times you may play the scenario for any other reason, you are doing it just for fun and to help your fellow pathfinders achieve a legal table. You will not receive any XP, any gold, or any access to the scenario chronicle.
Bottom line, have fun playing with a great group of people.
|
Hi Deadrender,
I'll just quote the Guide (v. 4.2). Even though it technically doesn't go into effect until Aug 15th, these particular rules haven't changed since the last edition.
- You cannot receive more than 1 player Chronicle and 1 GM Chronicle for the same scenario, regardless of how many times you GM or play the scenario. You are free to replay a scenario in order to meet the minimum legal table size (see Chapter 7), but once you have reached that limit, you do not earn any additional rewards beyond having a good time.
- If you have already played a scenario and wish to replay it for any reason, you must inform the GM that you have already played the scenario. Some GMs may not be comfortable running an adventure for players who have foreknowledge of what is to come. If your GM is not comfortable with you replaying a scenario, you must find another GM who is. GMs have the right to deny players the opportunity to replay a scenario for any reason, but all GMs are encouraged to be as flexible as possible when replay is the only option that allows them to seat the minimum legal number of players at a game table.
- If you spoil the plot for the table, the GM has the right to ask you to leave the table and is under no obligation to award you a Chronicle sheet. Be very careful about character knowledge versus player knowledge. If you’re concerned about possibly spoiling something during the course of play, take the GM aside and ask how she would like it handled. Remember: the goal of replay is to make sure fun gaming happens, not to remove the fun from gaming.
There is one exception to these rules: All Tier 1 scenarios and Tier 1–2 sanctioned modules are available for unlimited replay with a 1st-level character for credit. The sanctioned modules can also be played with a 2nd- level character once for credit. You may continue to replay the sanctioned modules with 1st-level characters after playing through them with a 2nd-level character. GMs can receive another Chronicle sheet each time they run one of the Tier 1 scenarios or Tier 1–2 sanctioned modules. No character can ever have two of the same Chronicle—the Chronicle must be applied to a different character each time.
In plain terms, you can only get credit (meaning XP, Prestige, and gold/boons) for a scenario twice: once for playing it and once for GMing it. The chronicle sheet must go to two different PCs, as no single PC can get the same chronicle sheet twice (with the exception of 1st level scenarios and modules).
EDIT: DAMN!
|
|
Hi Deadrender,
I'll just quote the Guide (v. 4.2). Even though it technically doesn't go into effect until Aug 15th, these particular rules haven't changed since the last edition.
...
- You cannot receive more than 1 player Chronicle and 1 GM Chronicle for the same scenario, regardless of how many times you GM or play the scenario. You are free to replay a scenario in order to meet the minimum legal table size (see Chapter 7), but once you have reached that limit, you do not earn any additional rewards beyond having a good time.
- If you have already played a scenario and wish to replay it for any reason, you must inform the GM that you have already played the scenario. Some GMs may not be comfortable running an adventure for players who have foreknowledge of what is to come. If your GM is not comfortable with you replaying a scenario, you must find another GM who is. GMs have the right to deny players the opportunity to replay a scenario for any reason, but all GMs are encouraged to be as flexible as possible when replay is the only option that allows them to seat the minimum legal number of players at a game table.
- If you spoil the plot for the table, the GM has the right to ask you to leave the table and is under no obligation to award you a Chronicle sheet. Be very careful about character knowledge versus player knowledge. If you’re concerned about possibly spoiling something during the course of play, take the GM aside and ask how she would like it handled. Remember: the goal of replay is to make sure fun gaming happens, not to remove the fun from gaming.
There is one exception to these rules: All Tier 1 scenarios and Tier 1–2 sanctioned modules are available for unlimited replay with a 1st-level character for credit. The sanctioned modules can also be played with a 2nd- level character once for credit. You may continue to replay the sanctioned modules with 1st-level characters after playing through them with a 2nd-level
See, that last bullet point is the one that confuses me. "If you spoil the plot for the table, the GM has the right to ask you to leave the table and is under no obligation to AWARD YOU A CHRONICLE SHEET."
If you have already played the scenario, you wouldn't be getting a chronicle sheet anyway, so why is this an issue. This seems to indicate that you CAN get one for scenarios you already played, but that the GM can refuse you.
Or am I reading that wrong.
|
|
...Hi Deadrender,
I'll just quote the Guide (v. 4.2). Even though it technically doesn't go into effect until Aug 15th, these particular rules haven't changed since the last edition.
- You cannot receive more than 1 player Chronicle and 1 GM Chronicle for the same scenario, regardless of how many times you GM or play the scenario. You are free to replay a scenario in order to meet the minimum legal table size (see Chapter 7), but once you have reached that limit, you do not earn any additional rewards beyond having a good time.
- If you have already played a scenario and wish to replay it for any reason, you must inform the GM that you have already played the scenario. Some GMs may not be comfortable running an adventure for players who have foreknowledge of what is to come. If your GM is not comfortable with you replaying a scenario, you must find another GM who is. GMs have the right to deny players the opportunity to replay a scenario for any reason, but all GMs are encouraged to be as flexible as possible when replay is the only option that allows them to seat the minimum legal number of players at a game table.
- If you spoil the plot for the table, the GM has the right to ask you to leave the table and is under no obligation to award you a Chronicle sheet. Be very careful about character knowledge versus player knowledge. If you’re concerned about possibly spoiling something during the course of play, take the GM aside and ask how she would like it handled. Remember: the goal of replay is to make sure fun gaming happens, not to remove the fun from gaming.
There is one exception to these rules: All Tier 1 scenarios and Tier 1–2 sanctioned modules are available for unlimited replay with a 1st-level character for credit. The sanctioned modules can also be played with a 2nd- level character once for credit. You may continue to replay the sanctioned modules with 1st-level characters after playing through
Your reading too much into it. The only way you could get credit in this scenario is if you GM'd it before playing it. More important point is that if you have played it 5 times the GM has the right to ask you to leave when you spoil it for everyone. Not assuming you would, but this is the purpose of this rule.
|
|
If I am reading that wrong, (and I have every reason to believe that I am), doesn't that make having additional characters a little problematic? I mean, what happens if you have run through every scenario? Are there enough scenarios out there to make this unlikely? If I have multiple characters, sooner or later, I'm going to get to a point where one or more of them can no longer advance in level because I have played every currently existing scenario. This would basically mean that I would be virtually unable to play until the new season comes out. This system seems to encourage players to only run a very limited number of characters, and discourages variety in character selection. What happens if I come up with a cool new character idea, but I am totally unable to use it because the only scenarios available are ones I already played? Am I just screwed? Do I have to quit until a new season starts?
All I'm saying, is that the current replay rule seems to be unfairly limiting for, to use an online gaming term, "altaholics". Maybe that's intentional, and if it is, I would love to understand the reasoning for it.
I know this seems like a ranting complaint, but I honestly want to know the philosophy behind this. I'm not trying to be difficult, I just really want to understand.
Thanks again for listening.
|
|
Yeah, as he said the only case that sentence comes into play is if you got your GM credit first, which does happen from time to time. Re-playing as a player will never get you credit except in modules under the circimstances mentioned.
No matter how you get to your second or subsequent time at the scenario if you ruin it the DM can boot you from the table. I know the couple times I've done it I've simply sat back and did things only in combat or when requested by the party (or the GM if the party needs a nudge).
|
|
If I am reading that wrong, (and I have every reason to believe that I am), doesn't that make having additional characters a little problematic? I mean, what happens if you have run through every scenario? Are there enough scenarios out there to make this unlikely? If I have multiple characters, sooner or later, I'm going to get to a point where one or more of them can no longer advance in level because I have played every currently existing scenario. This would basically mean that I would be virtually unable to play until the new season comes out. This system seems to encourage players to only run a very limited number of characters, and discourages variety in character selection. What happens if I come up with a cool new character idea, but I am totally unable to use it because the only scenarios available are ones I already played? Am I just screwed? Do I have to quit until a new season starts?
All I'm saying, is that the current replay rule seems to be unfairly limiting for, to use an online gaming term, "altaholics". Maybe that's intentional, and if it is, I would love to understand the reasoning for it.
I know this seems like a ranting complaint, but I honestly want to know the philosophy behind this. I'm not trying to be difficult, I just really want to understand.
Thanks again for listening.
While I understand why the idea of unlimited reply is appealing, trust me in the end it's a rather bad thing. When I saw LFR doing it I thought it wouldn't be a bad thing. That was until a few months in and I end up at a table of people who have all played the module before, most of whom were playing it again for that one cool item they just HAD to have. After awhile all you could find were people re-running the same 4-5 mods over and over and over again. Even though LFR allowed GMs to, within certain guidelines, change modules in these circumstances (yes, the threads on the forums were as bad as you'd think they'd be when they codified those rules...) it still didn't help IMO.
With the addition of sanctioned modules I don't think there's ever going to be a real lack of material unless you're playing all the time.
|
|
With the addition of sanctioned modules I don't think there's ever going to be a real lack of material unless you're playing all the time.
Agree completely, unless your playing two mods a day, seven days a week it's going to be hard to run out of new material. There is plenty to do, I have been playing/running almost weekly for a year now and we have barely touched season 3
|
|
If I am reading that wrong, (and I have every reason to believe that I am), doesn't that make having additional characters a little problematic? I mean, what happens if you have run through every scenario?
Deadrender, although this does happen from time to time, there are enough scenarios out there that it doesn't happen all that often. In addition, once you run out of scenarios, you can also play in one of the 20 (and growing!) sanctioned modules that each take 2-5 times as long to run as the scenarios.
Are there enough scenarios out there to make this unlikely?
There are currently 108 sanctioned scenarios, and once GenCon hits, you'll have 5 more. If each scenario averages 5 hours of gaming, that's 565 hours (or 23 1/2 days) of straight gaming. It's going to take you a while to get through all of those, especially since each month they will be adding 2 more.
This system seems to encourage players to only run a very limited number of characters, and discourages variety in character selection.
It's actually the converse. Most people who play a lot have TONS of PCs.
All I'm saying, is that the current replay rule seems to be unfairly limiting for, to use an online gaming term, "altaholics". Maybe that's intentional, and if it is, I would love to understand the reasoning for it.
It's not intentional. Editing and developing PFS scenarios takes a lot of time and effort, and Paizo only gets $4 (or $3 during the current sale!) a pop for their effort.
|
|
Thank you all for the great responses! I guess I'm still adjusting to the organized play dynamic. I've been playing pen & paper games in one form or another for almost 30 years and the idea of limited replay is still new to me. I've only ever played home games with various groups of friends, and the current group has been together for almost 15 years now. We play a VERY casual style and I guess the switch to organized play is causing a bit of culture shock. I've only been involved with PFS for a couple of months now and I am still getting used to the new environment.
Thank you all for being patient with me. Despite my age (I'll admit it, I'm 37), I can still be a bit of a baby when I don't understand something. Hope I wasn't too whiny.
Thanks again guys! This is why I love this stuff, everybody (well, almost) at least attempts to be helpful when they can.
Have a nice day!
|
|
Despite my age (I'll admit it, I'm 37), I can still be a bit of a baby when I don't understand something.
Kids these days, I swear. I'll have you know that, back in my day, you couldn't replay anything onced you'd played it -or- run it. In order for anyone to get to play, someone had to "eat" a scenario and never get to play it!
You kids have it so easy... Get off my lawn!
|
I've only been involved with PFS for a couple of months now and I am still getting used to the new environment.
I'm right there with you, junior :)
It was mentioned above, but I'll drag it back out since you were concerned about running out of available XP. You get XP and prestige for GM-ing a scenario as well as playing. So step up as a GM and you can have double the number of characters on the go at the same time. The only limitation is that you can't apply the credit to a character that played the scenario.
You can also run a 1st level character through a scenario that you have played before and get credit, so there is always a way to get a new character started.
Good luck, have fun, welcome aboard.
|
|
Despite my age (I'll admit it, I'm 37), I can still be a bit of a baby when I don't understand something.Kids these days, I swear. I'll have you know that, back in my day, you couldn't replay anything onced you'd played it -or- run it. In order for anyone to get to play, someone had to "eat" a scenario and never get to play it!
You kids have it so easy... Get off my lawn!
And don't forget the fact that the volunteer campaign leadership couldn't play much of anything without traveling!
And I would hate to have to eat a scenario. Paper cuts hurt bad enough without getting them internally
Well that's what made you want to kill the players so much more. "All the pain I went through for this and you still whine! Gah!!!" And those modules were longer (usually) :).
|
|
There are a few 1st level scenarios you can do this with, not all of them...You can also run a 1st level character through a scenario that you have played before and get credit, so there is always a way to get a new character started.
Good luck, have fun, welcome aboard.
Really? I thought that it was anything run at Tier 1?
|
|
Tier 1 is not the same as Tier 1-5. There are currently only 3 scenarios that are Tier 1 (First steps Pt 1-3). There are a couple of Modules that being 1st level modules you can run multiple 1st lvl chars through, but those aren't scenarios.
Ahh... thanks for the clarification. I've never seen anything that was just Tier 1, so I didn't understand the distinction.
|
I've never seen anything that was just Tier 1, so I didn't understand the distinction.
The First Steps trilogy scenarios are tier 1.
The tier 1-2 modules (e.g. Master of the Fallen Fortress, the Godsmouth Heresy) can be played with multiple 1st level characters for credit, but only once with a 2nd level character.
|
|
Tier 1 scenarios:
First Steps, Part 1: In Service to Lore
First Steps, Part 2: To Delve the Dungeon Deep
First Steps, Part 3: A Vision of Betrayal
All available for free from Paizo. On;ly playable/creditable to 1st level PCs.
Tier 1 modules (4 hours):
Master of the Fallen Fortress
We Be Goblins! (only playable using the included pregens)
Both available as free PDFs, originally Free RPG Day modules. Credit can be given to any number of 1st level PCs, credit can only be applied once for each to a single 2nd level PC.
Tier 1 modules (12 hours):
Crypt of the Everflame
Murder's Mark (scheduled out in Sept., IIRC)
The Godsmouth Heresy
All cost around 9.99 for the PDFs, IIRC. Credit can be given to any number of 1st level PCs, credit can only be applied once for each to a single 2nd level PC.
At present, every new month's scenario release includes a Tier 1-5 scenario.
For months with 4 scenarios released (July & August, IIRC) the other scenarios cover tiers 3-7, 5-9 & 7-11, typically.
For months with only 2 scenarios released, the second one is going to be in only one of the tier sets: 3-7, 5-9 or 7-11.
Typically, because of how an Organized Play campaign like PFS works, the number of scenarios available at each higher tier will be n smaller numbers than the tier below.
So, Tier 1-5 will have the most scenarios available, with 7-11 having the least number of scenarios available, other than Tier 12, which only has one set of 4 scenarios available.
That is because, since a significant amount of PFS play is at public venues, you will get a lot of churn, with new players joining, so, in some areas, even being able to run 3-7s can be problematic, much less getting a group together to play a 7-11. YMMV, but that is my experience here in Vegas.