3rd Party Modules for PFS?


Pathfinder Society

Liberty's Edge 1/5

Just wondering why no 3rd party modules are allowed for PFS even though they are written for Pathfinder play. I can understand 3.5 OGL, but there are many PFS modules out there just needing a sheet. 0one beginner paths series could even be a useful way of transitioning players into PFS from the beginner box rules.

I ask this because I like to host home games often, and having more modules to choose from for PFS credit would be nice.

Shadow Lodge 4/5 *** Venture-Captain, Michigan—Mt. Pleasant

Ellestil, you might notice from the Additional Resources page that PFS uses ONLY Paizo products. Their organized play campaign is also their biggest marketing campaign. They'll never allow 3PP modules or books of any type.


This is not entirely true.

There have been two PFS approved modules from Kobold Quarterly magazine.

Both modules were written by Paizo folks, though.

-k

5/5

Ellestil wrote:

Just wondering why no 3rd party modules are allowed for PFS even though they are written for Pathfinder play. I can understand 3.5 OGL, but there are many PFS modules out there just needing a sheet. 0one beginner paths series could even be a useful way of transitioning players into PFS from the beginner box rules.

I ask this because I like to host home games often, and having more modules to choose from for PFS credit would be nice.

Pathfinder Society is, at its core, a marketing tool. Paizo uses it to sell their own stuff. It's not that they don't like 3pp stuff, it's just that they don't make as much money of the sales of same, so PFS is dedicated to their own publications.

Shadow Lodge 4/5 *** Venture-Captain, Michigan—Mt. Pleasant

Jason Wu wrote:

This is not entirely true.

There have been two PFS approved modules from Kobold Quarterly magazine.

Both modules were written by Paizo folks, though.

-k

Ok, you do have a point... Though as you said they were both written by Paizo employees, and specifically for Pathfinder Society, though they were published by a different company.

[nitpick]And they're "Quests" not "Modules". There is a big difference between the two.[/nitpick]

5/5

Oh! I want to write a 3rd party module (published by Nani O. Pratt Games) that has triple gold and a vorpal sword! Me! Me!

After all, it *just* needs a chronicle sheet :-)

1/5

Nani Pratt wrote:
Oh! I want to write a 3rd party module (published by Nani O. Pratt Games) that has triple gold and a vorpal sword! Me! Me!

I would totally play this module. :-D

5/5

4 people marked this as a favorite.
Mike Mistele wrote:


I would totally play this module. :-D

There would be a 5-hour roleplaying section that would require players to have an elaborate Golarion based backstory that is both compelling and feasible (adopted by anything gives you an auto-fail), pronounce and spell their Faction correctly, solve a murder mystery, and answer a series of cunningly devised riddles.

Then, there would be an incredible urban dungeon complex which starts with trap that disintegrates any character with more than 2 classes or that didn't participate in the roleplaying (no save). All of the enemies in the complex would be undead, aberrations, spell casters, or outsiders, with devilishly clever tactics and unfair advantages. The players would be required to display extraordinary teamwork, courage, and the ability to adapt under pressure. Then, finally, they would face the final boss, who has the epic sword and probably a fortune witch cackling from a mile away.

Still want to play? :-P

Spoiler:
Oh wait, I just described Cult of the Ebon Destroyers but without the triple gold. Darn. I guess I'll have to come up with something else.


I think it has to do with the vast coordination needed to get these things into the hands of people:

- you have to enter it into the big database.. thing that you use to keep track of all the Chronicle sheets.

- you need to ensure that the VC/VL/tournament GMs have access to it.

Secondly, you have the mechanics part:

- everything has been vetted for correct stats
- everything has been vetted for balance
- everything has been vetted for core assumption use
- it plays well
- it plays in the time allotted
- the art/cartography/workmanship is decent
- there is no issue with copyright/licensing

Third, only the rules and some content is OGLed.. Check the "community use" thread. Hard to have all the Venture Captain personalities and such show up in places they aren't licensed. So.. major product identity and copyright issues.

Finally, there's a self-defeating aspect to it.. If 3d parties make it, there's no real impetus for Paizo to publish, so they yank support and no more PFS. :(

Those would be my ideas why this hasn't happened.

1/5

Nani Pratt wrote:

There would be a 5-hour roleplaying section that would require players to have an elaborate Golarion based backstory that is both compelling and feasible (adopted by anything gives you an auto-fail), pronounce and spell their Faction correctly, solve a murder mystery, and answer a series of cunningly devised riddles.

Then, there would be an incredible urban dungeon complex which starts with trap that disintegrates any character with more than 2 classes or that didn't participate in the roleplaying (no save). All of the enemies in the complex would be undead, aberrations, spell casters, or outsiders, with devilishly clever tactics and unfair advantages. The players would be required to display extraordinary teamwork, courage, and the ability to adapt under pressure. Then, finally, they would face the final boss, who has the epic sword and probably a fortune witch cackling from a mile away.

Still want to play? :-P

I was good, until you mentioned the danged cackling witch. ;-)

3/5 RPG Superstar 2013 Top 16

Nani Pratt wrote:
pronounce and spell their Faction correctly

Hey, what do you have against the Scazarzni?


Carrion Hill was also written by Kobold Press, but published by Paizo.

So there are 3 :)

5/5

RainyDayNinja wrote:
Nani Pratt wrote:
pronounce and spell their Faction correctly
Hey, what do you have against the Scazarzni?

They die first. Unless there are any Taldorans.

Webstore Gninja Minion

Cheapy wrote:

Carrion Hill was also written by Kobold Press, but published by Paizo.

So there are 3 :)

Carrion Hill was not written by Kobold Press... That was written by Richard Pett. You're probably thinking about From Shore to Sea.

Scarab Sages 5/5

There are also 3rd party monsters in some of the scenarios. More specifically from the Tome of Horrors.


Liz Courts wrote:
Cheapy wrote:

Carrion Hill was also written by Kobold Press, but published by Paizo.

So there are 3 :)

Carrion Hill was not written by Kobold Press... That was written by Richard Pett. You're probably thinking about From Shore to Sea.

Oh yea! I GMed Carrion Hill and then From Shore To Sea right after the other, so I've mixed them up in the past.

Liberty's Edge 1/5

I just see so many good modules made specifically for PF rules being sold here that in my mind I would think could qualify for PFS credit. As you can see, I love my PFS products and adding some 3rd party PFS modules isn't taking away from my subscriptions, just giving me more options for my players. Especially older PFS players that have seen it all lol.

I'm running Murders Mark next, followed by Fangwood Keep (for different characters) . After that we return to City of Golden Death. I also attend my FLGS for scenario PFS, but really enjoy at home module play for more in depth gaming, and beer! Good food also!

Shadow Lodge 5/5

Nani Pratt wrote:
Mike Mistele wrote:


I would totally play this module. :-D

There would be a 5-hour roleplaying section that would require players to have an elaborate Golarion based backstory that is both compelling and feasible (adopted by anything gives you an auto-fail), pronounce and spell their Faction correctly, solve a murder mystery, and answer a series of cunningly devised riddles.

Then, there would be an incredible urban dungeon complex which starts with trap that disintegrates any character with more than 2 classes or that didn't participate in the roleplaying (no save). All of the enemies in the complex would be undead, aberrations, spell casters, or outsiders, with devilishly clever tactics and unfair advantages. The players would be required to display extraordinary teamwork, courage, and the ability to adapt under pressure. Then, finally, they would face the final boss, who has the epic sword and probably a fortune witch cackling from a mile away.

Still want to play? :-P

** spoiler omitted **

I now need to go play this module, I was thinking, ME! ME! I'd even do it without the triple gold or Vorpal Sun Sword 6GP (limit 2)

4/5 *

Nani Pratt wrote:
Mike Mistele wrote:


I would totally play this module. :-D

There would be a 5-hour roleplaying section that would require players to have an elaborate Golarion based backstory that is both compelling and feasible (adopted by anything gives you an auto-fail), pronounce and spell their Faction correctly, solve a murder mystery, and answer a series of cunningly devised riddles.

Then, there would be an incredible urban dungeon complex which starts with trap that disintegrates any character with more than 2 classes or that didn't participate in the roleplaying (no save). All of the enemies in the complex would be undead, aberrations, spell casters, or outsiders, with devilishly clever tactics and unfair advantages. The players would be required to display extraordinary teamwork, courage, and the ability to adapt under pressure. Then, finally, they would face the final boss, who has the epic sword and probably a fortune witch cackling from a mile away.

Still want to play? :-P

** spoiler omitted **

When does the Nani O. Pratt Games kickstarter launch? :D

1/5

Ellestil wrote:
I just see so many good modules made specifically for PF rules being sold here that in my mind I would think could qualify for PFS credit.

Beyond the issue of them not being published by Paizo, I suspect another big strike against incorporating most third-party Pathfinder modules into PFS is fit with the campaign.

PFS adventures are set specifically in Golarion; I have no idea how much of Golarion's "fluff" is considered OGC (my suspicion is "not much"), but I suspect that most third-party adventures are either (a) set in a generic game setting / world, or (b) set specifically in a different game world.

Beyond that, members of the Pathfinder Society have a specific charter: locate and retrieve magic items for the Society. Most PFS scenarios are focused on this sort of mission; third-party adventures may or may not be at all appropriate for a PFS mission, for that reason.

2/5

Nani Pratt wrote:

There would be a 5-hour roleplaying section that would require players to have an elaborate Golarion based backstory that is both compelling and feasible (adopted by anything gives you an auto-fail), pronounce and spell their Faction correctly, solve a murder mystery, and answer a series of cunningly devised riddles.

Then, there would be an incredible urban dungeon complex which starts with trap that disintegrates any character with more than 2 classes or that didn't participate in the roleplaying (no save). All of the enemies in the complex would be undead, aberrations, spell casters, or outsiders, with devilishly clever tactics and unfair advantages. The players would be required to display extraordinary teamwork, courage, and the ability to adapt under pressure. Then, finally, they would face the final boss, who has the epic sword and probably a fortune witch cackling from a mile away.

Still want to play? :-P

** spoiler omitted **

Why do you hate my Rage Prophet??

4/5

Nani Pratt wrote:
Mike Mistele wrote:


I would totally play this module. :-D

There would be a 5-hour roleplaying section that would require players to have an elaborate Golarion based backstory that is both compelling and feasible (adopted by anything gives you an auto-fail), pronounce and spell their Faction correctly, solve a murder mystery, and answer a series of cunningly devised riddles.

Then, there would be an incredible urban dungeon complex which starts with trap that disintegrates any character with more than 2 classes or that didn't participate in the roleplaying (no save). All of the enemies in the complex would be undead, aberrations, spell casters, or outsiders, with devilishly clever tactics and unfair advantages. The players would be required to display extraordinary teamwork, courage, and the ability to adapt under pressure. Then, finally, they would face the final boss, who has the epic sword and probably a fortune witch cackling from a mile away.

Still want to play? :-P

** spoiler omitted **

Sounds awesome! I'd be happy to sign on as a developer, and my first suggestion would be to replace (or perhaps augment) the cackling fortune witch with having the BBEG be a dual-cursed oracle cyclops (with a great backstory that fits into Golarion lore about cyclops) who casts embrace destiny over and over until she gets a 20 and then ambushes the PCs with the vorpal sword, with two auto-20s available.

Grand Lodge 2/5 RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32

Drogos wrote:
Why do you hate my Rage Prophet??

Or pretty much every Prestige Class in the CRB. ;)

I'm sure she just meant "more than two non-Prestige classes".

Paizo Employee 4/5 Developer

Nani Pratt wrote:
...disintegrates any character with more than 2 classes or that didn't participate in the roleplaying (no save).

That would mean 3 or more. Perhaps with superior roleplaying participation she would grant you a saving throw.

More for Nani:
Nani's wording saves her shadowdancer from destruction. It would be no loss, though, as Charlotte the Shadowdancer wasn't a real rogue, anyway.


As an aside, I had a d20 star wars character with 10 classes.

His BAB was a whopping 2. He was fun as hell to roleplay, though. 3 foot tall upright marmot with the heart of a used car salesman.

Fortunately some classes in that game don't rely on BAB to be effective.

:)

-j

4/5

Rogue Eidolon wrote:
Sounds awesome! I'd be happy to sign on as a developer, and my first suggestion would be to replace (or perhaps augment) the cackling fortune witch with having the BBEG be a dual-cursed oracle cyclops (with a great backstory that fits into Golarion lore about cyclops) who casts embrace destiny over and over until she gets a 20 and then ambushes the PCs with the vorpal sword, with two auto-20s available.

Darn! I literally just typed this about the dual-cursed oracle and embrace destiny, and then realized you wrote the same thing...although you can't have more than one embrace destiny active at once, so no to two auto-20s. Anyway, to add to it: (I have -20 to my will save when oracles are involved...)

- Make it blind curse as the main one, and it will have blindsight.
- It has quicken and heighten spell, and casts a heightened deeper darkness beforehand and a quickened obscuring mist during battle.
- It then is dark tapestry and changes into an elemental and earth glides down, staying there casting embrace destiny until it gets another 20.
- It has a wand of greater invisibility and +19 UMD, too, and casts every single buff available before each ambush. Also, ranks in stealth.

4/5

Yiroep wrote:
Rogue Eidolon wrote:
Sounds awesome! I'd be happy to sign on as a developer, and my first suggestion would be to replace (or perhaps augment) the cackling fortune witch with having the BBEG be a dual-cursed oracle cyclops (with a great backstory that fits into Golarion lore about cyclops) who casts embrace destiny over and over until she gets a 20 and then ambushes the PCs with the vorpal sword, with two auto-20s available.

Darn! I literally just typed this about the dual-cursed oracle and embrace destiny, and then realized you wrote the same thing...although you can't have more than one embrace destiny active at once, so no to two auto-20s. Anyway, to add to it: (I have -20 to my will save when oracles are involved...)

- Make it blind curse as the main one, and it will have blindsight.
- It has quicken and heighten spell, and casts a heightened deeper darkness beforehand and a quickened obscuring mist during battle.
- It then is dark tapestry and changes into an elemental and earth glides down, staying there casting embrace destiny until it gets another 20.
- It has a wand of greater invisibility and +19 UMD, too, and casts every single buff available before each ambush. Also, ranks in stealth.

Cyclops is the cause for the other auto-20 ;)

5/5

2 people marked this as a favorite.

Wow, apparently I have a future in sarcastic game development :)

But seriously...Cult of the Ebon Destroyers.

3/5 Contributor, RPG Superstar 2010

You made me smile Nani, now I guess we'll have to collaborate on a Bonekeep style PFS scenario to keep the public satisfied. :-)

1/5

Jason Wu wrote:

As an aside, I had a d20 star wars character with 10 classes.

I remember that guy! Didn't you avoid having a +1 BAB until 8th level or so?


Mike Mistele wrote:
Jason Wu wrote:

As an aside, I had a d20 star wars character with 10 classes.

I remember that guy! Didn't you avoid having a +1 BAB until 8th level or so?

Yep! And a +0 til about 5th level.

But his Force skill checks were high enough to pull starships out of orbit. Just don't expect him to be able to shoot anyone or actually hit anything with that lightsaber he technically carried. There's a reason the saber was built into a hydrospanner, otherwise it wouldn't ever get used at all.

But I'll stop with the derailment now.

-j


Matt Goodall wrote:
You made me smile Nani, now I guess we'll have to collaborate on a Bonekeep style PFS scenario to keep the public satisfied. :-)

I'm down for having all the VC/VL work together to make a gigantic 100+ level megadungeon.. ^_^

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