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Think you're a hotshot PFS GM? Take Nani's Ultimate GM Test! Please reply with your own questions to this test. They can also include short answer format.
1. You are GMing a game and a player describes his character as wearing full plate painted white, complete with a face helm with breathing slots. He describes his favored weapon as a plasma blaster that makes pew pew noises (but it's actually just a composite longbow +1).
a) Nothing to see here! Move along.
b) Stand up and scream at the player to leave and never come back again. If he doesn't leave, snatch his character sheet and tear it into tiny pieces while laughing gleefully
c) All monsters in the scenario suddenly gain the "blaster immunity" special quality and make beeping noises
d) none of the above
2. Your players run into a town market square and immediately decide to rough up all the little old ladies and hungry orphans.
a) The little old ladies and orphans probably deserved it. Besides, you'd never want to curb your players' creativity and play style, right?
b) All little old ladies are balors and hungry orphans are pit fiends who were just about to have the epic showdown of the century. And a bunch of mortals just decided to step in the way.
c) Now they've done it. This is clearly the vilest act imaginable, and these players are the worst scum of Pathfinder Society. All of them should be immediately reported dead, banned from Organized Play, and publicly shamed by name on the Paizo forums so no one else will ever play with them again.
d) none of the above
3. A new player shows up at your table in a 7-11 scenario, as there wasn't room in any other game at the Con.
a) Turn him away. This is a game for L337 players only, and noobcakes are soooooooo not welcome. Go play My Little Pony RPG down the hall, lame sauce.
b) OUTSTANDING! He can be the first to die, as pregens don't really matter, right? Then the rest of the party can take his stuff, it'll be great.
c) Poor new player! Clearly they need to be treated with love. Let's spend an hour lavishing attention on this new player, helping him create a custom character and spending every combat round ensuring that the new player can add up all the widdle dice.
d) none of the above.
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See that locked door? You have to gather the Elements of Harmony in front of it, then give it a little "spark"...As much as I love PFS, I want to know where this hall is and how I can go down it.Go play My Little Pony RPG down the hall, lame sauce.
Then we clearly need to have 4 more new people show up to play Feast of Sigils, and hope they're not complete jerks (or are at least loyal, if they are.)
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1. You are GMing a game and a player describes his character as wearing full plate painted white, complete with a face helm with breathing slots. He describes his favored weapon as a plasma blaster that makes pew pew noises (but it's actually just a composite longbow +1).
a) Nothing to see here! Move along.
b) Stand up and scream at the player to leave and never come back again. If he doesn't leave, snatch his character sheet and tear it into tiny pieces while laughing gleefully
c) All monsters in the scenario suddenly gain the "blaster immunity" special quality and make beeping noises
d) none of the above
e) Spend the scenario having npcs comment about how he looks a little short for his platemail, and telling him 'This is not the McGuffin you are looking for'.
f) Ask how many Force Points he has left til he levels.*In the Star Wars Saga Edition rpg, all characters get Force Points. They act similar to Action Points in many respects, but if you hit 0 HP, you MUST spend a Force Point or you die. No negative HP in this game. Thankfully you refill whenever you level up, but if you run out before it's time to level, you better be careful not to get KO'ed.
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A brand new doe eyed player has sat down at your table, and they're talking about how they love Bambi, and littlest pet shop, and how they made Kitsune Boons they got from their best friend who gave them one, and how they like being a fox person because they're so hot and sexy. The game begins, and behind your screen you've rolled certain death. Do you:
A) Let the dice stand, and kill them off. The Dice Gods have spoken.
B) Fudge the dice to a negative score that on average they should be able to stabilize with, or at least last long enough for a healer to get to them after combat.
C) It's certain death because you didn't even bother to look at what you rolled and just made it up. This way they get over being special and death early. Two birds with one stone.
D) Other (Please describe)
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1. You are GMing a game and a player describes his character as wearing full plate painted white, complete with a face helm with breathing slots. He describes his favored weapon as a plasma blaster that makes pew pew noises (but it's actually just a composite longbow +1).
I ask him why he doesn't want to ever actually hit any of his targets.
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All answers are d.
1. Have a conversation with the player regarding themantics and fitting into the campaign.
If he wants a blaster, we can reskin a numerian wizard. If he wants to wear white full plate, not an issue. He probably won't get both.
2. Unfortunatly, I've had something similar happen. The village priest took his formal complaint to the local lord, a paladin. The party members in question where branded outlaw, a substantial bounty was placed on their heads. The lord himself joined the hunt. The party quickly decided it was a very good idea to be elsewhere, very elsewhere.
3. The player is welcome to play, but will be encourage to take a cleric pregen. The other players will be asked to assist him during play.
As a side note: the comic store I visited over Thanksgiving weekend was hosting a My Little Pony party. A very awkward place to be if you're either male or over the age of 12.
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1. You are GMing a game and a player describes his character as wearing full plate painted white, complete with a face helm with breathing slots. He describes his favored weapon as a plasma blaster that makes pew pew noises (but it's actually just a composite longbow +1).
a) Nothing to see here! Move along.
b) Stand up and scream at the player to leave and never come back again. If he doesn't leave, snatch his character sheet and tear it into tiny pieces while laughing gleefully
c) All monsters in the scenario suddenly gain the "blaster immunity" special quality and make beeping noises
d) none of the above
A, but with droids
2. Your players run into a town market square and immediately decide to rough up all the little old ladies and hungry orphans.
a) The little old ladies and orphans probably deserved it. Besides, you'd never want to curb your players' creativity and play style, right?
b) All little old ladies are balors and hungry orphans are pit fiends who were just about to have the epic showdown of the century. And a bunch of mortals just decided to step in the way.
c) Now they've done it. This is clearly the vilest act imaginable, and these players are the worst scum of Pathfinder Society. All of them should be immediately reported dead, banned from Organized Play, and publicly shamed by name on the Paizo forums so no one else will ever play with them again.
d) none of the above
No hesitation: B
3. A new player shows up at your table in a 7-11 scenario, as there wasn't room in any other game at the Con.
a) Turn him away. This is a game for L337 players only, and noobcakes are soooooooo not welcome. Go play My Little Pony RPG down the hall, lame sauce.
b) OUTSTANDING! He can be the first to die, as pregens don't really matter, right? Then the rest of the party can take his stuff, it'll be great.
c) Poor new player! Clearly they need to be treated with love. Let's spend an hour lavishing attention on this new player, helping him create a custom character and spending every combat round ensuring that the new player can add up all the widdle dice.
d) none of the above.
Tough choice; if I had to choose between playing tier 7-11 game or My Little Pony, I'd pick My Little Pony. I've played the RPG and it is a TON of fun (I got to be Twilight Sparkle!). Thing is, Pathfinder is a team game where everyone needs to work together to overcome obstacles. The choice is B.
4. A brand new doe eyed player has sat down at your table, and they're talking about how they love Bambi, and littlest pet shop, and how they made Kitsune Boons they got from their best friend who gave them one, and how they like being a fox person because they're so hot and sexy. The game begins, and behind your screen you've rolled certain death. Do you:
a) Let the dice stand, and kill them off. The Dice Gods have spoken.
b) Fudge the dice to a negative score that on average they should be able to stabilize with, or at least last long enough for a healer to get to them after combat.
c) It's certain death because you didn't even bother to look at what you rolled and just made it up. This way they get over being special and death early. Two birds with one stone.
d) Other (Please describe)
Another tough choice (kitsunes are AWESOME), but eventually I had to side with A. Messing with the Dice Gods is chancey.
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RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32
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My Little Pony party. A very awkward place to be if you're either male or over the age of 12.
For the record, adult males comprise a large proportion of MLP's current fanbase. So much, in fact, that in response the show has started including movie/video game references that would be totally missed by little girls - like when one of the characters appears in a costume from Metal Gear Solid.
Yeah, you heard me. Metal Gear Solid reference in My Little Pony.
RPG Superstar 2008 Top 16
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You are GMing a game and a player (…snip…) describes his favored weapon as a plasma blaster that makes pew pew noises (but it's actually just a composite longbow +1).
d) none of the above.
I explain that he has made himself subject to “The Imperial Stormtrooper Marksmanship Rule”: His first shot of any combat automatically misses and opponents gain a +10 Luck bonus to AC against any others.
Your players run into a town market square and immediately decide to rough up all the little old ladies and hungry orphans.
a) The little old ladies and orphans probably deserved it. Besides, you'd never want to curb your players' creativity and play style, right?
I do ask my players if this is why they wanted to play First Steps, Part I again and resolve to slaughter them in the last act.
A new player shows up at your table in a 7-11 scenario, as there wasn't room in any other game at the Con.
b) OUTSTANDING! He can be the first to die, as pregens don't really matter, right? Then the rest of the party can take his stuff, it'll be great.
After Jason dies, I ask him whether this was what he had in mind when he wrote the rulebook.
I think I'd be smurfed on this exam. -_-();
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A brand new doe eyed player has sat down at your table, and they're talking about how they love Bambi, and littlest pet shop, and how they made Kitsune Boons they got from their best friend who gave them one, and how they like being a fox person because they're so hot and sexy. The game begins, and behind your screen you've rolled certain death. Do you:
A) Let the dice stand, and kill them off. The Dice Gods have spoken.
B) Fudge the dice to a negative score that on average they should be able to stabilize with, or at least last long enough for a healer to get to them after combat.
C) It's certain death because you didn't even bother to look at what you rolled and just made it up. This way they get over being special and death early. Two birds with one stone.
D) Other (Please describe)
yuck, this is the worst situation imaginable. I roll out in the open so if they die, they watch the dice kill them... but it sucks :(
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My Little Pony party. A very awkward place to be if you're either male or over the age of 12.For the record, adult males comprise a large proportion of MLP's current fanbase. So much, in fact, that in response the show has started including movie/video game references that would be totally missed by little girls - like when one of the characters appears in a costume from Metal Gear Solid.
Yeah, you heard me. Metal Gear Solid reference in My Little Pony.
The specific event was heavily populated my young girls. Middle aged men, such as myself, were very out of place. My youngest daughter, on the other hand....
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A brand new doe eyed player has sat down at your table, and they're talking about how they love Bambi, and littlest pet shop, and how they made Kitsune Boons they got from their best friend who gave them one, and how they like being a fox person because they're so hot and sexy. The game begins, and behind your screen you've rolled certain death. Do you:
A) Let the dice stand, and kill them off. The Dice Gods have spoken.
B) Fudge the dice to a negative score that on average they should be able to stabilize with, or at least last long enough for a healer to get to them after combat.
C) It's certain death because you didn't even bother to look at what you rolled and just made it up. This way they get over being special and death early. Two birds with one stone.
D) Other (Please describe)
This situation wouldn't arise at my table, because I roll in the open. The dice gods must be appeased!!!
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Player shows up with a build that is illegal. Do you
A) Let them play
B) Tell them they may not play
C) Let them play and focus the entire module on killing them
D) Do nothing
E) If the illegality is minor, I work with them to fix it and let them play the now-legal PC. If the illegality is major, then I pull out the appropriate level pregens to let him play one of them, instead.
Sometimes, the illegality is so minor no one notices, until I look something up related later.
I am of the belief that I have to change the alignment of my Sorcerer to make him legal. I had made him CN, but I think he has to be LN in PFS to have the Razmiran Priest archetype...
TriOmegaZero,
I'm pretty sure it's Murphy's law..
1. d
2. b
3. c, but not to that extreme
And as I'm not a GM in Society, this applies to my home groups.
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1. D, and briefly explain some of the basic of Golarian lore to help them make their character "cool" while keeping with the setting. While this may be slightly devastating to the player, you can't let them continue with such a character going through games thinking this is an O.K. concept.
2. D, kindly remind them of what they are doing and the consequences. They are *most likely* new players who don't know that actions have consequences in this game. Tell them the likely circumstances that will happen if they follow through. If they *still* do so, despite your *very strong* urging not to do so, they face the consequences. Whether that be they are now evil and their characters cannot be in the Pathfinder Society, or whatever, so be it.
3. D, treat him/her with respect. Explain that this may not be the best first experience for the player and that they would be better off waiting for another game to have their first experience, but they are certainly still welcome to join if they'd like. Flat out tell them that the 7-11's can be hard and playing with pregens in a 7-11 as your first game may not the best of ideas. No sense lying to them. If they still want to join, things happen in the scenario. That really can't be helped. But at least you warned them, gave them an option, and then let them make a now educated choice. Also, talking to the coordinator may be a good option as well. Perhaps someone at a low tier table is willing to switch.
I'll insert my motto as a supplement to the last question: Remember, you are not trying to kill the PCs, the enemies are.
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For question number 1, I would probably play on but have all the NPCs in the game treat that character like he was insane. Actually, that's the reaction I'd have as a player, too.
"You're making weird noises when you fire your longbow? Ooooookayyyyy.... I'll just go stand over here until you sober up."
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1) My choice is D. Every NPC would conclude the character is crazy, and see a regular bow in his hands (whereas the character sees a blaster). No NPC dares to correct him/her more than once in fear of him/her going nuts and killing everyone.
2) Again, D. They slaughter everyone and after the session they hear that the society has kicked them out. Bye bye characters, stamp death and boot the characters. No remorse.
3) D! Here's Valeros, now let's roll the dice. (Valeros is by far the easiest pregen to handle)
4) A. Fudging will anger the Dice Gods.
5) E? Since I don't to audits, I'd notice this midway at some point. I'd pause the game and make the player correct his or her character.
Question time!
6) A player in the group gets angry for whatever reason and begins being somewhat violent (dropping his own books from the table, rolling the dice a bit rough etc.)
A) Order the player to calm (the @#¤%) down.
B) Send the (@#¤%$£%) player away.
C) Fear and continue as if nothing happened.
D) Weep and leave the table, essentially ending the session altogether.
Bonus options:
E) Challenge the player to a duel.
F) Kill the player's character immediately (rocks fall, your character dies).
G) Pause the game and watch My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.
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6)B
If the player is angry I will politely ask them to take a 5 minute walk and we can talk when they get back.
If the player is upset, not angry upset (probably over character death), I will assure them that I will help them work out what to do after the game.
The difference is that an angry person, especially if they have started being violent is a risk for the table, but I have also found that taking a short break can help people get over being angry.
Being upset I have found to be a more persistent emotion which a short walk wont really help, and isn't necessarily a risk for other players at the table.
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1. D - All creatures will suddenly become able to use Shocking Grasp at will to test the veracity of such statements and claims (along with gaining ALL THE RANKS in Knowledge Arcana and Engineering) that their +1 Longbow is infact a Blaster. If it works after it was thoroughly shocked. it's not a blaster. Either it stops treating it like a blaster, or it gets the shock again.
2. D. reanimate the Hungry Orphans as Attic Whisperers, and the little old ladies as Witches with the vampire template at youthful peak. Vampires and Attic Whisperers... It'll be FUN they Said! Kill the little old ladies and the orphans they said; No harm done << Right.
3. D. Give a brief overview, then warn them of their fate, that all the players sitting there at the table are notorious for dying, and that by sittting down at the table, their soul is thus forfiet in the event of death.
4. A. - only by virtue that the dice won't kill them, as I haven't killed them yet. And so long as they don't put themselves at too much risk they should be fine. These days, even furries get to live. S4 dahs brutal.
5. Taking a Sixth Option (Audit the Sheet, if it takes longer then five minutes to fix. Pregen and dice go.)
6. C. Suddenly all monsters gain targeted Gaze-based GM Fear that wasn't revealed by a knowledge check. Surprise!
Except for 3, all of these seem odd. Do you guys really have players like questions 1 and 2? It doesn't make sense. Why are you trying to kill widows and orphans? Why make a stormtrooper in a medieval setting? Explain the madness of these players to me, for none of mine are like that, and I don't know what I'd do if they were.
For 3, D
For the rest, beconfused and try to figure out if this is some obcure joke, or has some deeper meaning that eludes me. Kind of like trying to understand modern art.
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1d) I'm unfamiliar with the Stormtrooper Archetype. I politely ask the player to show me his watermarked copy. If he can't produce one then I have to apply the rules as best as I know from memory. Aren't stormtroopers from the D6 system? He will therefore have to use a d6 for attack rolls and skill checks. In addition - if he is a gnome I will remind him to apply the bleaching rules to his character.
2d) I use the mob of beggars which you find in any market sqaure and apply the overbearing rules. Lucky me that I come prepared as an avid KODT reader.
3d) I tell him overpowered players are not welcome at my table. I just had Ezren lvl 7 single handedly prevent a TPK in my last scenario. I don't want this to happen again.
4d) I go into roleplay overdrive and describe how the black fetched arrow with the barbed iron tip enters through the left eye of the Kitsune, rips through it's body, severing an atery on it's way, gushing blood 5+d6 feet, blinding the fellow barbarian before piercing through the heart and being stuck in the spine.
A DC 15 heal check for all other characters around to determine if the kitsune is still alive.
5D) I'm an old fashioned GM. I can't think of a better example to apply the play, play, play rule.
6) Where is the open option? I throw my CRB at him. I have a +6 to hit, point blank, the GM screen gives me cover to prevent any AoO for him to retaliate. This will show him.
New - 7
You have a player at your table who wants to take 10 on attack and damage rolls.
A) The T10 rule is optional and isn't used in PFS at all. At my table we roll dice for everything.
B) Nothing wrong with it. I allow it as long as he has a T10 t-shirt.
C) He got the rule muddled up. I will allow it and then I will take 20 on the next attack and damage of the monster attacking him. This will teach him to learn the rules properly - if he survives that is.
D) none of the above - describe what you do yourself
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C) He got the rule muddled up. I will allow it and then I will take 20 on the next attack and damage of the monster attacking him. This will teach him to learn the rules properly - if he survives that is.
Oh boy! Every monster thereafter would 'take 10' on attack and damage. Even those diminutive pixies with 1d2-2 damage. SUDDENLY EIGHT DAMAGE!
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RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16
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These are amusing questions, but, like the "GM 101" scenarios, they don't strike at the meat of the situation: how can a GM -- or other player sitting at the table -- help everyone have fun and meet his or her goals?
Just to pick on the first question: is the guy with the stormtrooper character sincere, or just trying to yank people's chains? What's the important things about the character; what's going to make him happy? How do the other people at the table seem to be handling it? How open is he to minor tweaks? How much time do we have before things are supposed to start? Is he Kyle Baird?
There's a lot of good that comes from playing a stormtrooper:
* everybody has a hook for your character.
* you can probably find a pretty good miniature for it.
* a stormtrooper is a support character. You didn't bring in Obi-wan or Yoda.
* there are clear analogues in Golarion. If the player is open to some tweaking, it can fit in pretty easily.
These aren't selected response questions. And they're not situations where your first move is necessarily the one you want to stick with.
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3. A new player shows up at your table in a 7-11 scenario, as there wasn't room in any other game at the Con.
a) Turn him away. This is a game for L337 players only, and noobcakes are soooooooo not welcome. Go play My Little Pony RPG down the hall, lame sauce.
b) OUTSTANDING! He can be the first to die, as pregens don't really matter, right? Then the rest of the party can take his stuff, it'll be great.
c) Poor new player! Clearly they need to be treated with love....
For next month's Vegas Game Day, we will be having the My Little Pony RPG in both sessions alongside the PFS tables. Sign-ups are available on Warhorn:
http://warhorn.net/lasvegas/All players will be treated with love, whether they are playing PFS or My Little Pony. Pregenerated characters will be available for both.
-Perry
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The One, True, Ultimate GM Test:
Being a good player in a scenario you have both played & run multiple times.
The actual "test" is staying quiet when the GM runs things in a way so different from the way you would that you just want to take over. ;)
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yeah, been there. Last time it was 4 of the 5 players had run the game (First Steps II) and the judge attacked us with a (censored) that would normally only appear to help us ... A very hard fight! we came real close to running away. To our credit, we didn't point the judge error out until after the game was done and Chronicles handed out...The One, True, Ultimate GM Test:
Being a good player in a scenario you have both played & run multiple times.
** spoiler omitted **
The actual "test" is staying quiet when the GM runs things in a way so different from the way you would that you just want to take over. ;)
You're talking about *REDACTED*, right? I think that's supposed to happen. At least, the hate is implied there.
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Questions
e) I throw a gamer fit, yelling about how players these days have no idea how to role-play and are too indoctrinated into the MMO-generation and that in my day we didn't even use miniatures or mix SciFi and Fantasy and they are just soo badwrongfun and, and, and GET OFF MY LAWN!