I've been leaning into a sci-fi mode again lately and it has brought me back to Amethyst. Pathfinder is what I have been playing most recently so it seemed the simplest slide over into this game. I have read quite a few reviews and found no glaring issues to my eye but I haven't heard/read of anyone actually playing or running a game.
If anyone is currently involved one way or the other in a game of Amethyst or one that is using the new rules I would love to hear your thoughts.
Thank you as always for any input.
There are a few reviews posted, some quite thorough. Have you checked any of them out?
I'm currently not running a regular game, but for my review, my group and I played 3 scenarios I devised from the content of the Renaissance-book and the rules work out very well, leading to an interesting bland of standard Pathfinder and shadowrun in how the combats worked out with especially the vehicles feeling simply right. Personally, I enjoyed the technology-side more than the magic-side, but ymmv.
Mixed groups of techans/ecchans should be handled with care to avoid spoiling the fun for tecchans, though - while rather powerful via equipment etc., their abilities can be severely hampered by proximity to magic. In my admittedly limited experience, you'll have the best results by playing either ecchans or techans and focusing on one of the leitmotifs.
That being said, be VERY wary of introducing ANY other kind of content into the setting - standard PFRPG-balance does not apply in Amethyst Renaissance and the vast array of rules that are tweaked make conversion a process that neither could, nor should be handwaved.
Hope that helps!
[Dias Ex Machina] I have ready most if not all of the reviews and it is what got me interested. The only thing that seemed to be missing from those reviews was actual play so I was wondering if there were any current or past games going for the Pathfinder version.
[Endzeitgeist] Thank you for the input! I was wondering about mixed groups. They sound do-able with care as is.
Rules wise could the anti-tech of magic be left out, or is it well woven into the system? I was kind of leaning toward a post-apoc shadowrunish setting for a bit and this seemed pretty cool but fidly for a mixed group.
Thank you both for taking your time on an older post!
Well, I HOPE some people have been playing them. It was built off the architecture of our 2008 D20 book as well as elements from our later 4th Edition book which we bent and twisted for years until we got it perfect (admittedly, that didn't happen until AFTER Amethyst Foundations came out.
I had a co-writer insist that the anti-magic element be a game balancing effect. I whole-heartedly disagreed and the proof is in pudding. You can ignore the disruption rules and have them not affect gameplay. Hell, I ignore it most of the time in my own personal game. My groups have also all been mixed. As long as players don't mix gear, I look the other way.
If you are interesting in Shadowrun-ish rules, our next Pathfinder book is cyberpunk and uses the same structure as Amethyst, so they would also fit.
I will definately keep an eye out for it. I'm not too into the matrix stuff just thought the magic/tech mix could be interesting in a town/city building kinda game. Leaders of a frontier town kinda thing. Who knows.
Is there a character sheet in the book or does it just use the normal Pathfinder sheet for the time being?
I was happy to see the print version pop back up on Drivethru so I think I'll nab it +PDF this weekend.
Everything I have heard so far has been very positive.
Thank you for all the information!