Pregens and Faction-End Scenarios

[Felix Gaunt]

So I'm trying to squeeze in a couple games before my gaming group runs Rivalry's End, but it looks like I'll be 1 scenario shy. Can I play a level 4 Pregen as Shadow Lodge then apply that credit when my character reaches level 4, complete with the boons given for a Shadow Lodge character?

[Sniggevert]

No, the pregen would be considered to be part of the Grand Lodge during play through.

See here

[Felix Gaunt]

Woah woah woah, hold the phone! lol I get based on that link that I can't play the pregen and get credit, but does that mean if anyone ever plays a pregen that they have to apply their Scenario as GL and not their actual faction? If so that's....just horrible. I had always assumed that the faction would be the same as whatever character they are applying it to.

[Sniggevert]

Felix Gaunt wrote:

Woah woah woah, hold the phone! lol I get based on that link that I can't play the pregen and get credit, but does that mean if anyone ever plays a pregen that they have to apply their Scenario as GL and not their actual faction? If so that's....just horrible. I had always assumed that the faction would be the same as whatever character they are applying it to.

I always thought that as well. They're putting more emphasis on the phrasing in the Guide about the 'assumption' of pre-gens being Grand Lodge than I had given it.

Maybe it'll be clarified in Season 5's Guide.

[Felix Gaunt]

In general people play pregens for 2 reasons, they are new and don't have a character, or a table really needs another player so a pregen is played to help everyone out. Forcing every pregen to be GL and apply the credit only as GL is frankly....a horribly awful idea and would essentially penalize people for playing a pregen. I quickly looked through the Guide and it didn't mention how to apply faction credit for a pregen, granted I just did a search on pregen so might of missed something.

[Sniggevert]

The only mention is on page 8.

Quote:

Step 6: Faction

Your character belongs to one of 10 factions (pregenerated
characters are assumed to belong to the Grand Lodge
faction).

Until this time, I was assuming you could have the pregens be the faction of the cahracter the credit was going toward, as that made the most sense to me...the pregen was just a stand-in at the time.

Again, I hope they look at the language, or clarify, for season 5.

[LazarX]

Felix Gaunt wrote:

So I'm trying to squeeze in a couple games before my gaming group runs Rivalry's End, but it looks like I'll be 1 scenario shy. Can I play a level 4 Pregen as Shadow Lodge then apply that credit when my character reaches level 4, complete with the boons given for a Shadow Lodge character?

Yes you can. This and Way of the Ki-Rin are special case scenarios. You still want to make the faction change for that character by Aug 14.

[Sniggevert]

LazarX wrote:

Felix Gaunt wrote:

So I'm trying to squeeze in a couple games before my gaming group runs Rivalry's End, but it looks like I'll be 1 scenario shy. Can I play a level 4 Pregen as Shadow Lodge then apply that credit when my character reaches level 4, complete with the boons given for a Shadow Lodge character?

Yes you can. This and Way of the Ki-Rin are special case scenarios. You still want to make the faction change for that character by Aug 14.

Really? I posted the link in the second comment on this thread to the June 10th blog by John Compton that specifically stated that no you can't.

Blog from June 10th wrote:

Can I play a pregenerated character and get credit?

According to the Pathfinder Society Guide to Organized Play, pregenerated characters are treated as members of the Grand Lodge. As a result, playing a pregenerated character does not grant a player access to the faction-specific boon.

[LazarX]

The OP intends on playing the pregen and applying the boon to a character THAT IS of the correct faction which what you would be doing with a pregen. Which is the character that he would be putting the number down on the signup form as to where the chronicle would apply.

This topic was addressed by the VC's of NJ and NY during last Dreamation and Mepacon.

[Sniggevert]

LazarX wrote:

The OP intends on playing the pregen and applying the boon to a character THAT IS of the correct faction which what you would be doing with a pregen. Which is the character that he would be putting the number down on the signup form as to where the chronicle would apply.

Yes, I understand that. That's what the blog addresses.

LazarX wrote:

This topic was addressed by the VC's of NJ and NY during last Dreamation and Mepacon.

Not sure when those were, but this topic was addressed by John Compton directly in the blog. VC's or no, directly changing how campaign leadership has stated a situation to be handled isn't really correct for organized play...

[SCPRedMage]

Bottom line, LazarX, campaign leadership has officially, and quite explicitly, ruled that playing the scenarios with a pregen means you can NOT gain the faction-specific boon.

If your VOs have stated otherwise, they are incorrect. VOs do not make the rules, they can only enforce them.

[Felix Gaunt]

This is kind of an aside but related, what happens if I GM a game that only has 3 players forcing me to play a pregen. Do I apply the GM credit based on my character level or the level of the pregen I had to play to make the table legal?

Example: Tier 1-5 Scenario (1-2 & 4-5)

Player 1: Level 4
Player 2: Level 5
Player 3: Level 3
Me as Pregen: Level 4

Do I apply that chronicle to my character now (he's level 2) or when he reaches 4? I expect it would be now when he's level 2 (as a Tier 1-2 chronicle sheet), just want confirmation.

Also I'm fine with whatever the higher-ups decided with regards to the faction-specific boon, makes sense. My bigger concern is that if you play a pregen in ANY scenario I've always assumed that it would be applied as whatever faction your character is you're assigning it to. Now I'm hearing it's GL because that's what the pregen is. I can't believe that's correct, it'd make no one ever want to play a pregen, basically penalizing anyone who isn't GL....

[BigNorseWolf]

Try to get in an online game to level up.

[Sniggevert]

Felix Gaunt wrote:

This is kind of an aside but related, what happens if I GM a game that only has 3 players forcing me to play a pregen. Do I apply the GM credit based on my character level or the level of the pregen I had to play to make the table legal?

Example: Tier 1-5 Scenario (1-2 & 4-5)

Player 1: Level 4
Player 2: Level 5
Player 3: Level 3
Me as Pregen: Level 4

Do I apply that chronicle to my character now (he's level 2) or when he reaches 4? I expect it would be now when he's level 2 (as a Tier 1-2 chronicle sheet), just want confirmation.

You character would get the GM credit and chronicle right away at the subtier 1-2 rewards in this situation. The actual playing of the table (and its subtier) never makes a difference in terms of GM credit, just the level of the character getting the credit.

In regards to the other issue...it's not as important outside of this instance where there's such a tempting faction boon available. I think leadership just didn't want a bunch of tables forming to run through this as LL with nothing but pre-gens, and characters being created to build to the boon level later. It'd skew reporting a lot for this type of situation IMO.

[SCPRedMage]

Felix,

The GM running a pregen is completely irrelevant to the GM's chronicle. The GM gets credit as if HIS character played it.

The "pregens are Grand Lodge" thing only matters if a PLAYER is playing the pregen; the GM probably shouldn't even bother with the pregen doing the faction mission (maybe providing help when a GL PC asks for it, but otherwise not even attempting).

[Felix Gaunt]

Ok, that makes sense what you both said and is what I was figuring. Thanks! With regards to playing a pregen normally (ie not GMing), I'm guessing while every pregen is GL and you are supposed to do the GL faction mission that when you apply the pregen credit to your actual character you apply it as whatever faction that character has. Otherwise playing a pregen would suck for everyone but GL people! lol

[SCPRedMage]

Felix Gaunt wrote:

With regards to playing a pregen normally (ie not GMing), I'm guessing while every pregen is GL and you are supposed to do the GL faction mission that when you apply the pregen credit to your actual character you apply it as whatever faction that character has. Otherwise playing a pregen would suck for everyone but GL people! lol

You apply prestige earned to the faction the character actually belongs to; so if you play a pregen and apply the chronicle to a Silver Crusade character, for example, you do the Grand Lodge faction mission, but apply the prestige to your Silver Crusade faction total.

Beyond that, if there is a boon that is faction-specific, you are considered to be Grand Lodge when playing a pregen. So if you play a pregen in Way of the Kirin, and apply the credit to a Lantern Lodge character, you do NOT gain the Lantern Lodge-only boon, you DO gain the "everyone BUT Lantern Lodge" boon, and you apply the prestige to your Lantern Lodge total.