R4 rules are up

[Sean K Reynolds]

FYI

[Steven Helt]

I note the rules page lists "use a round three monster - whether yours or someone else's", though we are clearly forbidden from using our own. Just didn't want that to trip anyone up.

[Sean K Reynolds]

Can you gimme a link to the page that says that? I'm not seeing that text anywhere on the R4 rules page.

[Steven Helt]

Allowed Sources
Apart from your own original content, you are limited to using or referring to the following sources:

Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game GameMastery Guide
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Advanced Player's Guide
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Advanced Race Guide
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Ultimate Magic
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Ultimate Combat
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Ultimate Equipment
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 2
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 3
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game NPC Codex
Published content from Paizo's Pathfinder campaign setting
Content from the (Round 1) Wondrous Item round of this year's RPG Superstar contest (whether you created it or not)
Content from the (Round 2) Archetype round of this year's RPG Superstar contest (whether you created it or not)
Content from the (Round 3) Monster round of this year's RPG Superstar contest (whether you created it or not)
Content that is in the public domain (such as mythological references, etc.)
You may NOT use or refer to Open Game Content (or any other material) from other publishers.

[Sean K Reynolds]

Ah, I was looking for your exact text of "use a round three monster - whether yours or someone else's"... couldn't find "yours," "someone," or "else" in the vicinity of what you were talking about. I'll get it fixed. Thanks!

[Joseph Kellogg]

Sean, for the Round 3 monster we use, how do you feel about using templates, adding class levels, or otherwise creating variants of it?

[Sean K Reynolds]

The rules allow it (see under Reference, items 2 and 3) but remember that people are going to be playtesting your encounter, and you won't be including a full stat block for your monsters, so if it's not something a GM can add on the fly, that means they'll have to create a stat block for your monster, which means they're less likely to playtest it.

I remember last year there was some pushback on encounters from voters who didn't want to playtest an "incomplete" encounter for this reason. However, I also remember some playtesters (not anyone in the competition) posting their versions of what those monster stat blocks would be so that others could do the playtest.

So... it's up to you.

[Clay Blankenship]

The rules intro says to do a Location, a Map, and an Encounter, but the FAQ suggests that only a single Encounter is not enough. Can you clarify this?

[Clay Blankenship]

Sorry, I figured it out now.

[Effie Schwartz-Craighill]

What was the issue?

[Map Fu]

Time for me to wake up from my annual hiber-*yawn*-*stretch*-nation...

a) I want to see your symbol keys.
b) I want to see you have considered color blind (no red on green or green on red areas.)
c) I want to see scale consistency and scale bars (e.g. if main scale is 1 square = 5 feet, and you pull a room out like a zoom to 1 square = 1 foot, then I would expect the room dimensions to match at both scales, and be at the same orientation with access points in the correct places too.)
d) I want to see which way is north (not necessarily just a straight up the page arrow with all walls built to the compass points - although I also like old school too, so you takes your chances on this one. :p )
e) I want to see (or read in the encounter descriptions), the exact encounter placements if they are crucial to the encounter.
f) I want to see consistency between area numbers/labels and encounter numbers/labels.
g) I don't want to see rooms so small that the encounter participants, plus party, plus room for manoeuvering simply doesn't fit.

There, that should give you all some thoughts and pointers.

[Clay Blankenship]

Michael Pruess wrote:

What was the issue?

I did not realize the Location could/should have multiple Encounters but we only detail one of them.

[Effie Schwartz-Craighill]

Gotcha!
(I'm always curious about the questions of others; I often find the answers helpful.)
:)

[Pedro Coelho]

Hm, is there a way to find the page number for a monster if you don't own the book?

[Steven Helt]

ask me. i prolly have it.

[Sean K Reynolds]

Pedro, PM me about the monster page numbers you need and I'll tell you.

[Matthew Duval]

Is inquiring about the disposition of campaign setting elements ok? I'm nearly certain of some person/place/thing/etc's current situation, but I'd like to be 100% if I can be. Thanks!

[Sean K Reynolds]

If you're talking about the outcome of something relative to one of the APs, it's best to avoid specific discussion of that sort of thing. In other words, assume that the reader's group hasn't gone through that AP yet, rather that writing as if [bossname] has been killed.

[Matthew Duval]

That is really good to know. Thank you!

I was wondering though about some stuff that, as far as I know, is only broadly outlined, but I'm not 100% that the specifics don't exist. I'm diligently checking and double-checking, but I thought I'd see if I can ask.

[Sam Harris]

I had one question possibly related to Clay's. Assuming that our Location covers a wider area than the area in which the Encounter takes place, should our map cover only the relevant Encounter area? Or should it be of the entire Location (at least, to the extent possible, if it's a location as large as an island or forest), or a portion of it that fits logically on the map?

For example, if our encounter takes place in a single dungeon room, should we map just that room, or should we include nearby rooms like the orc barracks and the pie pantry, to the extent that they fit on the map?

[Sean K Reynolds]

The map should focus on your encounter. If you wanted to use an "unwalkable" part of your map (such as a solid rock section of a dungeon) to show a larger area (such as the island where the dungeon takes place), that's fine, but the focus of the map should be on the encounter location.

If your encounter is a dungeon room, yes, please show other areas on the dungeon rather than mapping just one room. :)

[GreySector]

Quick question. Does the catchall "Published content from Paizo's Pathfinder campaign setting" include the Inner Sea Bestiary? It does say "Pathfinder Campaign Setting" on the cover of the ISB.

[Sean K Reynolds]

Yes, it includes that (that catchall means we don't have to call out the modules, player companions, Pathfinder Chronicles, Pathfinder Campaign setting 64-page books, PFS scenarios, and so on).

[Steven Helt]

Alright..so maps are killing me. The link in the r4 rules seems to only print a 22*29-square map. My map fits in that space, but I don't others to have this problem or for some of us to be in trouble for not having exactly the correct map size. I have tried (with help) to get the correct size and dpi lined up and it doesn't.

Are we wrong about the map? Does it make a difference to Paizo? Am I the only one having that trouble?

[Scott Fernandez]

The paizo grid should be 24 by 30, exactly the same as a flipmat. It's a little smaller than a full 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper.

After you're done drawing it just scan it, the lower the dpi the closer it is to resolution on a monitor (72 dpi). If you were printing it you'd want a higher dpi (which is why the grid is 150 dpi).

--School of Vrock

[Steven Helt]

Thanks, Scott. It literally only prints at 22*29 squares, so as long as the map looks okay and fits in at the correct dpi range, I should be okay, right?

[Sean K Reynolds]

Yes, if it's just 22x29 that'll work.

But maybe you could try clicking the print option to "fit on one page"?

[Steven Helt]

Will do, Coach. Thank you.