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I signed my girlfriend, her brother, and myself up for the PFS #5-00 Gen Con Special: Siege of the Diamond City event (that's the 1000 person mega dungeon). I've never done anything like this so I am curious if anyone else has done any of these previously.
My gf is VERY attached to her PC and her brother is new to pfs so I believe they would be very upset if their characters die. It would probably put a damper on the whole gencon trip (again, she's VERY attached). So how deadly are these events for level 3 PCs? and how are these things in general?
We are also signed up for the PFS 4-ex scenario- pretty much, is that crazy deadly too?
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My experience with the large -00 multi-table events is that they have not been harder than the other scenarios of a given season. Keep in mind that season 4 was markedly more challenging than seasons 2 and 3, and the season 4 special was proportionally more challenging than the previous seasons' specials as well.
Finlanderboy is quite right when he says that the details for the special this year haven't been revealed yet, but personally I'm anticipating a challenging but not deadly time, in line with previous seasons.
It's worth noting that generally the tiers for the special are 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, and so on. Odd-leveled characters will find things more challenging, and even-leveled less so, so it might be worth trying to get to level 4 before Gen Con if you want less risk. :)
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i know there aren't any details, but just based on past experiences. Thanks for the answers, i might try to get us to level 4 then, that sounds like a good idea.
If it is similar to other scenarios then i think they will have fun, as long as it isn't too crazy. I've basically done all the shopping for my gf's gear so she should be able to handle a lot of stuff. She is a bard after all, very adaptable.
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The EX scenarios are really just regular scenarios in many ways. They are not extra tough, as the following year they will be released as a standard scenario.
The special has not been released even to the GM's yet, I don't think. So it's hard to say, but having run some of them, I can say that it really just varies about how difficult they are, but you'll be running with people of a similar level, just like a scenario. So you won't be stuck with level 11's
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The biggest worry I can see you running into is the clock, remember that this is a simultaneous game with all the tables acting off each other so when enough tables complete a section EVERYONE moves on regardless of progress. Now this might have changed but in every season I've run (3 & 4) this remains true. So remember that you want to try to work smarter not harder in most of the scenes during the game as well as decide on plans quickly and don't waste a lot of time debating what you want to do. Other then that just remember the normal stuff, have a nice diverse party with a varying skills list, if you are a caster conserve your spells, and play to what your parties strengths are.
If it makes you feel any better when I ran quest for the runecarve key last year my table was a 1st level group composed of a dad, his 2 kids, and their mom (she seemed to be there less cause she was interested in pf and more because she was wanting to spend time with her kid), ohh and another father and his young son. Their group was mostly high cha clerics, a witch, and maybe a wizard (can't remember the last 2) and I watched them crush most of the encounters through well used diplomacy and some very interesting use of the witch stealthing.
The special will probably be above average for how tough season 4 was. Which is quite frankly a little scary.
Agree with Jeff, get to level 4 to mitigate some risk.
And make sure you bring cold iron weapons and weapon blanche for arrows. I have this feeling you may encounter a demon or two. :)
Thanks for the reminder on the cold iron, will be purchasing for my Ranger.
cruise, just a suggestion, if either yourself, gf or her brother use arrows and you decide to go with the cold iron option, it is cheaper to buy the arrows outright than purchasing Weapon Blanch as long as you have the carrying capacity.
20 cold iron arrows = 2 gp
20 arrows using Weapon Blanch = 40 gp
Ok, maybe I am putting in the wrong keywords (typed in ghost salt), but I can’t find info on ghost salt. What is it?
I’m guessing it is some sort of ghost touch ability?
Also, I only saw options on weapon blanching with adamantine, silver and cold iron.
Ok, thanks for the suggestion, will have to look into that later (don’t have the Field Guide easily accessible now).
Do you know what the price is by chance?
It’s too bad the weapon blanching is not all that useful for melee weapons.
Edit: Thanks for the link!
Ouch, that one is expensive, but worth it if you know you are going against incorporeal creatures.
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My experience has been that in general, the event is not markedly more difficult, they're just longer and more involved. This does add some difficulty as you'll need to manage resources to make sure they last you through the event.
Party tactics is usually the key, as well as your ability to avoid entire encounters through stealth, wit and social grace.
But without details on the specific event, it's hard to say really.
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Many consumables are worth just having on hand, for that time that they do come up. They're pricey for purchase at low levels, but when you DO need them, they're priceless.
By level two, my characters usually have a silvered weapon, a cold iron weapon, ghost salts and air crystals. They don't come up much, but I damn well want to make sure I have them when they do.
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I played Race for the Runecarved Key at Gencon last year at tier 1-2.
GM asked if we wanted to tackle the
Party response: Heck no! :P
Edit: So, yes, they can be a bit mroe difficult than your average scearnio, but all 3 of them have been pretty good so far.
Many consumables are worth just having on hand, for that time that they do come up. They're pricey for purchase at low levels, but when you DO need them, they're priceless.
By level two, my characters usually have a silvered weapon, a cold iron weapon, ghost salts and air crystals. They don't come up much, but I damn well want to make sure I have them when they do.
Question, would you say it is better to save up for a +1 weapon (Bastard Sword or even Composite Longbow) or to spend money on the ghost salts, cold iron (Bastard sword and arrows) or any other worthwhile consumables?
This is for my PFS Ranger, he is 3rd level now.
Agreed. And some great suggestions from both TetsujinOni and Victor, which I plan to follow.
Thanks!
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I was at the tier 1-2 winning table at last year's Gen Con special, we posted 2 fatalities (including my Inquistor).
The qualifying round was crazy, lots of skill checks but not overly dangerous.
The 2nd round.... ohhhhh boy....
There was no winning table in the tier 10-11 group... they were all TPK'd.
The winners at each tier received a cert allowing them to play a goblin character.
So high risk, cool reward possible. (The cert for the mod itself I believe was pretty generous as well, but I didn't get that one, having died.)
The EX special I have done was unusually tough but we had a 4 player 1st level table... well 3 1/2 player, one was a halfling... It took a couple heroic moments from us, and an extremely well timed great axe crit not to get TPK'd. A well balanced party will be tested...
(I might mention the two fatalities were at -1 then taking 10d6 fire damage, and at -9 then taking 10d6 falling then 10d6 fire damage - we weren't dead, we were way beyond all dead.)
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Things I Try to Buy For Every Weapon Swinger Out Of Starting Gold
(if they can carry it)* primary weapon they intend to use, in cold iron.
I hope you replace that by the time you make it magical! Enchanting cold iron is hella expensive!
Weapon blanches are a godsend for archers. I will gladly spend the cash on adamantine weapon blanch over adamantine arrows (60gp a pop!) any day.
Extra plus, if you are an alchemist or have levels in alchemist, you can make them yourself!
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Venture-Agent, Indiana—Valparaiso
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It's worth noting that generally the tiers for the special are 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, and so on. Odd-leveled characters will find things more challenging, and even-leveled less so
Actually the tiers have always been:
1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9, and 10-11.Last year's added 12+ as well.
So at higher level's it's better to be odd.
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Many consumables are worth just having on hand, for that time that they do come up. They're pricey for purchase at low levels, but when you DO need them, they're priceless.
By level two, my characters usually have a silvered weapon, a cold iron weapon, ghost salts and air crystals. They don't come up much, but I damn well want to make sure I have them when they do.
Question, would you say it is better to save up for a +1 weapon (Bastard Sword or even Composite Longbow) or to spend money on the ghost salts, cold iron (Bastard sword and arrows) or any other worthwhile consumables?
This is for my PFS Ranger, he is 3rd level now.
My characters tend to make their primary weapon masterwork and silvered, and buy a backup weapon (light mace, say, or dagger in a pinch) out of cold iron. The latter only ends up costing about 20gp. For a ranged warrior, I'd grab a couple of bundles of silver and cold iron arrows. Ghost salts are always worth it as a stopgap before magic.
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So I already bought a mwk longsword, what would it cost to make a cold iron spiked shield? (Twf sword and shield) just double the cost of spiking it? So +60gp?
She is a ranged character and ill be sure to get her some ghost salts before hand (and for myself, just spent 2pp for mwk composite bow).
And not to derail the discussion too much, but do you think getting an Adamantine sword is a good idea for pfs?
So I take it you are buying a heavy steel shield? Yes, it would be 20 gp+10 gp for the spikes, and if you wanted to make it cold iron, you would double that for 60 gp.
Please note that if you wanted to make the shield masterwork, the masterwork cost is added after it’s doubled, not before.
And for the adamantine question, I am curious about this as well. I have a Ranger in PFS who went down the TWF route for his combat style and thinking about getting an adamantine weapon, also.
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You should get a masterwork weapon for your primary weapon asap. I would have a backup cold iron and a backup silver weapon at low levels. Just remember that silver is better on bludgeoning weapons (many just get a silvered mace) and cold iron of whatever your main weapon is.
So a 4th level longsword fighter, Id have:
masterwork longsword (no material, UG this to +1 soon; or save for adamantine, etc...)
cold iron longsword (maybe MWK as well)
silvered morningstar or lucern hammer (silvered longsword would deal -1 damage; lucern hammer would have bludgeoning, piercing and reach!)
CRobledo,
At 4th level, why not just skip getting a masterwork steel longsword and go with a mwk cold iron? It is only double the original price of the sword, which a 4th level Fighter can easily afford, and there is no drawback on using cold iron all the time. Also, it cuts down on having to carry an extra weapon.
Yes, there is a relatively expensive start up for enchanting it, but when you get to that point it shouldn’t be that much of a factor.
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The reason I usually go cold iron on a secondary weapon is that if I'm headed down the "enchant your primary weapon" route - and who isn't, really - then cold iron adds significantly to the cost of that first enchantment.
You never have to enchant a cold iron weapon. Just keep oil of magic weapon or oil of versatile weapon around just in case.
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Meat made it sound like a tournament, is it a tournament where other tables are dying etc? i guess i'm not sure how this thing even works.
so you have multiple tables of multiple level tiers trying to accomplish goals to help each other out? is there a huge common goal we're all trying to accomplish? or is it like we're sabotaging each other?
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You never HAVE to, no, but if I build a fighter around being able to use a greatsword - that is, if it's his primary weapon - I'm damn well going to want more than a temporary +1 on that by the time I hit level 12 and the retirement arc. Hence, my primary weapon is not cold iron.So when you need a magic greatsword, buy one instead of enchanting the cold iron one. But for low levels, there's no real reason to have 2 masterwork longsword, when the cold iron one is clearly better than the steel one.
But if you're ALSO going to buy a silver one, so that you have THAT covered, then you end up with 2 masterwork weapons anyway. So, you get a masterwork silver that the plan is to enchant and use as a primary, and a cold iron that is just a backup weapon, and may or may not even be masterwork.
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Because, for non-bludgeoning damage, alchemical silver as the weapon material gives a -1 to damage.
So, silver longsword is 1d8-1 instead of 1d8.
Silver mace is 1d8, just like the non-silver version.
For the archer, as mentioned, weapon blanches are amongst the go-to options, starting very early.
Along with regular arrows, cold iron arrows and blunt arrows, you can apply silver, adamantine or ghost salt blanches to any of these arrows, although only one blanch could be applied to any specific arrow.
For your GF's Ranger, one of the things to look at at 4th level, when her PC can start casting spells, are two fairly useful spells for archers:
Gravity Bow (changes the basic damage die for a longbow frmo 1d8 to 2d6)
Abundant Ammunition (recreates expended ammunition in your quiver at the beginning of the next round, including all mundane ammo types and any magical effects applied after AA is cast, like casting Fire Arrow will replenish the quiver with additional arrows enhanced with the effects of the Fire Arrow spell, as long as both durations are running.)
For other consumables of note:
Oil of Magic Weapon
Oil of Bless Weapon
Holy Water
Alchemist's Fire
Tanglefoot Bag
Ghost salt weapon blanch
Adamantine weapon blanch
Silver weapon blanch
Arrows
Cold iron arrows
Blunt arrows
Never forget a dagger or spiked gauntlets, in case of grapple