Hey all, first time posting but reading for a while now. I've been convinced to once more try my hand at being a GM after a 10 year hiatus after my local group abandoned thoughts of a DnD game for Pathfinder. Our local store doesn't have a PFS group yet so I thought I'd volunteer to start one.
I was originally going to run the first steps series over the next three weeks but I see now that they were retired last week. So now Im stuck in a pickle as to where would be a good entry pathway for players who haven't bet on the will of the dice in years.
I was thinking about starting with older modules but I believe some factions have now been retired and some of their NPCs no longer exist in Season 5, and the new line won't be up till 2014.
I was thinking maybe I just start with 5-01:Glass River Rescue, but then I'm at a loss for what to run the following week.
I'd like to schedule 1-2 months worth of games on the shop calendar but I'm at a loss as to what scenarios to purchase to A) let the core group feel like they are working thru a coherent story and B) allow brand new players to easily jump in.
Any advice you guys could give me to help grow the Northern VA PFS would be invaluable! Especially if its things I should do before running my first PFS game ever!
Thanks All!
~Don aka Dax
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Hi, Don!
First Steps Part I is still available; it has not yet been retired, but that should happen maybe by the end of the year, I think.
As for older scenarios and factions, that's really not an issue anymore as the faction missions really don't work the same way. That is, if you run any older module with faction missions, those missions won't generate prestige. You CAN give them the faction missions for flavor and whatnot, but it is no longer required to earn the 2nd point of prestige (all of this is covered in the new Guide 5.0.)
Good luck!
Mark
@Mark - Thanks for responding so quickly! I did read that part out of the guide about the mission conversion and the PP award based on success cons, and my issue is more towards the fact that I'm a sucker for immersion. Some of the older modules reference or interact with key NPCs from the Lantern and Shadow Lodges, which I cant find any reference as to where they ended up.
Do you know of any lines which don't have too much interaction with the two retired lodges, or is it really a non issue?
And if anyone can give advice(or an example schedule) on how I should schedule the next couple weeks I would be much appreciated. Is it reasonable to run Tier 1-5 scenarios for the next couple months or should I also try and squeeze in a higher level scenario here and there to account for PFS players that may show up above the tier limit?
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In my opinion, the fact that some of the NPCs are from those factions won't really make any difference. I mean, you could highlight that fact (maybe they are proud to belong to a faction that no longer exists, etc.) You could probably just not really emphasize it.
There are some really good low-tier scenarios. One of my favorites (good design, good mix of role-playing and combat) is The Temple of Empyeral Enlightenment (it's a Tier 1-5 scenario from Season 3.) It was fun to run.
So, maybe you can start with First Steps Part I as a "warm-up" and then jump into ToEE.
Mark
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Here's my recommendations, for what it's worth:
The Blakros Museum scenarios (Mists of Mwangi, Voice in the Void, The Penumbral Accords and Echoes of the Overwatched)
3-01 The Frostfur Captives
4-01 Rise of the Goblin Guild
The Quest for Perfection series (3-09, 3-11, 3-13)
Enough to get started. And I think these largely avoid interaction with the NPCs in question. At this point you can maybe run some 3-7 scenarios as some of your players will be level 3.
I would actually avoid Season 5 for right now; they're a little more complicated to run and I would try to get your players involved in the factions through the older scenarios first.
Try to avoid the trap of people starting new characters every time a new person joins the group; your level 3-5s can still play with level 1s. Once enough people hit level 3, start offering 3-7s. Once enough hit level 5, start offering 5-9s. I wouldn't necessarily start offering these until you know you have 5-6 players around at these levels. That way if one or two doesn't show, you can still get a legal table.
Just some thoughts, good luck!
@Mark Thanks to your post I think I have an idea of how to handle it should players express interest. Im adding ToEE to my shopping list
@Katie Thanks for the scenario advice! That should help get me going for next couple weeks. I was wondering about when to move the tiers and I think I'll do as you suggest as the core group levels.
I know they are going to ask me about slow vs normal advancement tho and my initial thinking is to tell them that slow ill keep them in the same tier longer and closer to new people, while normal will advance the group thru the tiers faster with new players needing to use pregens until we have time to run the lower tiers again. Is that about right?
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So...I actually asked a similar question about a new chapter I started at work (regarding progression rate). There are some negative consequences of running slow advancement that aren't immediately apparent. That being, you receive half the gold and half the prestige as well as half the XP. In effect, you are taking twice the risk for half the rewards. Less treasure each adventure also means less cash for consumables/resurection/cures etc.
It was suggested to me to run everyone at regular speed, and have players start up new characters if the situation arouse where their "main" was out of level for a given table.
I thought about this some, and I think I agree now, even though I initially wanted these guys to run slow to keep pace with some folks I have that have spottier attendance.
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That is correct. One of the main points of slow advancement is to allow players who play more not to outpace their less frequently playing friends. (personally I just make another character)
Whether or not a player wants to be on the slow or fast advancement is up to the player. I do believe that you can only switch tracks when you have leveled. I don't think a person can go regular advancement for a level and then switch to slow for two scenarios.
@ahayford & Mahtobedis - Thanks for clearing this up. I think I'm going to do that and possibly have people play pregens if they dont want to roll a whole new char so they can at least hold the sheet for applying later.
Anyone have any input on whether I should still run the First Steps series in its entirety or should I just run step 1 and then jump into a t1-5 scenario? I really want players to understand that PFS is about so much more than just a combat/tactics game
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I just ran all 3 because I had scheduled them before they were retired. I think it is only possible right now to schedule and report events officially for the first module, "In Service to Lore". Its a shame really, because "In Service" is a really good city adventure with combat, RP, and investigation...."To Delve the Dungeon Deep" is a fun little dungeon crawl with a cool ending, and "Vision of Betrayal" was a cool little overland romp.
Long story short, I think the first scenario is the only one you can legally run currently
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It is, which is why I was wondering if anyone had advice on any scenarios which were similar in goal to the second and 3rd, so I can get my players a bit of experience with the crawl and "overland romping" (like that phrase, totally using it)
So here's what looks to be my initial scheduling
8/25 Week (-3) - First Steps: In Service to Lore [[SOFT LAUNCH OF PFS CHAPTER]]
9/01 Week (-2) - First Steps: To Delve a Dungeon Deep (no credit but get more familiar with system)
9/08 Week (-1) - First Steps: Vision of Betrayal (no credit but get more familiar with system)
9/15 Week 1 - Frostfur Captives (3-01) [[REAL LAUNCH OF PFS CHAPTER And Scheduled Event]]
9/22 Week 2 - Mists of Mwangi (0-05)
9/29 Week 3 - Rise of the Goblin Guild (4-01)
10/06 Week 4 - Voice in the Void (1-35)
10/13 Week 5 - Temple of Empyreal Enlightenment (3-21)
10/20 Week 6 - The Penumbral Accords (2-11)
10/27 Week 7 - FLEXIBLE TO BUMP SCHEDULE FOR THANKSGIVING else We Be Goblins
11/02 Week 8 - Echos of the Overwatched (3-07)
11/09 Week 9 - The Quest for Perfection Part 1: The Edge of Heaven (3-09)
11/16 Week 10 - The Quest for Perfection Part 2: On Hostile Waters (3-11)
11/23 Week 11 - The Quest for Perfection Part 3: Defenders of the Nesting Swallow (3-13)
EDITS - 1) Moved Temple to Week 5 based on reviews and sandbox nature
This schedule is an attempt to introduce the players to many different facets of the world but also give them a recurring theme. I like Katie's suggestion of the Blakros Museum scenarios so the PCs are headed there every other session to give them something familiar. I have the Quest for Perfection slated for the end of the tail end of the tier 1-5 scenarios, running three weeks in a row. For anyone who has run this line Is it possible to break this chain up or should I leave it as is on the schedule as I saw the scenario descrips say to play each after the other.
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Wow....your schedule is way more planned out than mine heh. I'm lucky if I'm scheduled two weeks out. This Monday I'll be running Silent Tide....not sure what after that. My current thoughts are just to trawl through the season 0 tier 1-5....maybe do the ones that are linked. I like your schedule though. I might steal it.
I actually might move some slots on the schedule. The reviews for Temple say its heavy role play sometimes to the point of slowness but a very interesting GM one, I might swap it for Frost Fur so theres two solid weeks before the possible heavy role play and a scenario that favors me.
@Andrew Thanks! I've been looking for a couple other scenarios to add to my pool in case I find that the core group make up would possibly hate a scenario. I'll probably slot one of the ones you mentioned into Week 7 and have another be the capstone of week 12 that bumps my group to the 3-7 tier. Any suggestions based on your experience of where to slot those?
Venture-Lieutenant, West Virginia—Charleston
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Some level 1 scenarios that I would recommend:
Combat-heavy:
Among the Living
Among the Dead
Icebound Outpost
The Veteran's Vault (It's very simple, so a good starter)
Roleplay-heavy:
Severing Ties
Murder on the Throaty Mermaid (Complicated to GM, but a TON of fun and a very memorable experience)
The Temple of Empyreal Enlightenment (Be prepared to fudge a few rolls or deal with character death)
The Gods' Market Gamble
The Night March of Kalkamedes (Be prepared for lots of off-the-wall solutions)
Balance of both:
Silent Tide
The Pallid Plague
The Beggar's Pearl (The boss is a bit complicated)
The Frostfur Captives
Rise of the Goblin Guild
I would recommend against First Steps 2 and 3. I've never liked either of them, and in my opinion, you should be running more credited scenarios in order to get your characters leveled up. FS2 is a basic dungeon crawl, and the Blakros scenarios are better for that. FS3 is a muddled mess, in my opinion. It tries to go somewhere, but it ends up being a series of unconnected encounters for no real gain. First Steps 1 is great, though.
You should have a Venture Captain in Northern Virginia - I'll see about shooting him an e-mail about this.
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I didn't think FS2 and FS3 were that bad...but its probably because I don't know any better. My group enjoyed them at least.
The only real problem with FS3 is the Kobold Druid. My party had a druid in it that really wanted to try and talk to her....They ended up hogtying her (we have a grapple specialist) and our Celestial Bloodline Sorcerer cast Heavenly Fire on her to see if she was evil (its kind of his Schtick...letting his deity decide his enemies fate). She died as she is evil....The driud was a little put out by it.
FS2 I enjoyed though...my players managed to schmooze the Kobolds into coming to their aid...the final battle was a big Kobold rush against a surprised Skulk.
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Lorddax, you are an inspiration. Are you going to run at your FLGS? You can pretty much start with any of the low tier scenarios. While First Steps gives the PC's good insight into the motives for the factions, and I have heard rumors of other first steps scenarios, I would concentrate on the low tier scenarios.
What you need to think, though, is you may have more people show up to play, as word of this spreads. So, you may need to talk to your players and ask if there are others who would be willing to take their hand at DMing, so you can play more tables as your chapter grows.
I would think for the first month or two, you could probably run nothing but Subtier 1-2 and Tier 1 modules. After that you may want to start preparing one Subtier 3-4 scenario once in a while as characters advance. Some people will play one character and ride it up in levels, while others will try out different characters.
I won't go through all the scenarios and give you the good and the bad. Others already have. Pick some that sound interesting to start and go. As you grow, your starting players can take up the GMship on occasion and run those scenarios they have played.
Good luck!
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Venture-Lieutenant, West Virginia—Charleston
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I didn't think FS2 and FS3 were that bad...but its probably because I don't know any better. My group enjoyed them at least.
** spoiler omitted **
FS2 is better than 3, but it's a straight dungeon crawl. Veteran's Vault, Mists of Mwangi, The Penumbral Accords, The Citadel of Flame and The Infernal Vault are better dungeon crawls.
FS3 tries to do too much. The storyline is really hard to follow, since the vast majority of your time isn't spent advancing it. It tries to be a bit more skill and RP heavy - but there are lots of better scenarios for that, too.
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The Temple of Empyreal Enlightenment (Be prepared to fudge a few rolls or deal with character death)
You've really planned out your game days to try to facilitate eventual leveling. Be prepared for ToEE to throw a complete monkey wrench into that. There's a damn good chance characters will die.
I've TPKed one table, and one of our local GMs has TPKed three I believe.
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The Temple of Empyreal Enlightenment (Be prepared to fudge a few rolls or deal with character death)You've really planned out your game days to try to facilitate eventual leveling. Be prepared for ToEE to throw a complete monkey wrench into that. There's a damn good chance characters will die.
I've TPKed one table, and one of our local GMs has TPKed three I believe.
Interesting. I didn't have this problem when I ran ToEE. The biggest challenge for the group was the
Northern VA.sent out an email to the DC venture captain since our store is accessible from the metro plus a bit of walking. I'm hoping to get in contact with someone who can actually stop by and chat for a bit. In the meantime you guys have been great. I think I will still go with the soft and hard launch but I think ill run some of the suggest scenarios for weeks -2 and -3. I think ill make a quick form for my players to fill out to get feedback to see which types of things they enjoy in their games. Will give me a good ideas for what to run in the non theme weeks.
Right now I'm making some game aids for first steps 1 that ill share in the prep folder. Working on the best way to make the map for the warehouse in printable size.
Don't you guys go anywhere, ill have plenty of other things I need help with ;)
@Akerlof - Thanks for chiming in! I think I am gonna change things up and run Silent Tide and/or Infernal Vault over First Steps as we head towards week 1.
I've been prepping these items to add to the shared prep folder, let me know if there is anything I missed that would make my job easier or easier for the GMs that will come after me:
Initiative Cards for all combat enabled NPCs
Spell\Ability Cards for all combat enabled NPCs
Minis recommendations for all combat\interactable(traps,puzzles) enabled NPCs
Maps for all combat encounters
Player handouts
Item cards for any given/received items
I think I'll start creating a file that helps link forum threads to scenarios to make it easier down the line!
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We ran Silent Tide last night. I added some map-tiles to shared prep that are easy to print. They looked really nice on glossy card stock, but it was a bit more then I'd like to spend on prep stuff normally.
Good scenario with a pretty cool plot if you play up the historian as kind of a crazy archaelogist from pulp fiction. I added a bit of lore about how his guardsman friend and him were arguing about whether or not the Taldoran plot would have even worked, the guardsman saying that there is no way partisans in the city could see the signal lights telling them that the fleet had arrived and to start the series of sabotages....and that is why the old man rowed out into the middle of the bay and did the initial signals that awoke the Black Echelon. I thought it was a little weird that he did it "Just because"
Also, definitely reveal the fact that every marine on the sunken fleet also took the oath...and that the entire city swings in the balance. My guys started to dilly dally, and the old man broke out in an insane rant. "You just don't get it, EVERY MARINE SWORE THE OATH. We have to keep moving"...definite "oh craaaap" moment.
Anyway, with Pathfinder stats, and a few guys at level 2, my group cut through most of the monsters, but it was fast paced and pretty fun for them. They enjoyed the cathedral scene and jumping from key key.
The druid charmed Marrow Chomper and the dog actually got the kill shot on Nessian...kind of sweet revenge.
They had a good time, I think we are going to do Mists of Mwangi next week.
Updated New Chapter Schedule - Removed First Steps and Moved RP Heavy Scenarios to later weeks. Starting prep for Silent Tide and trying to figure out how to register Frostfur Captives in the system.
How do you guys handle combat maps, do you provide a map for all combat encounters or only when there is a flipmat/tile recommendation?
Schedule should grow a core player from 1-4/5 by the end of the scheduled games.
9/08 Week (-2) - Silent Tide (0-01)
9/15 Week (-1) - Infernal Vault (1-55)
9/22 Week 1 - Frostfur Captives (3-01) [[REAL LAUNCH OF PFS CHAPTER And Scheduled Event]]
9/29 Week 2 - Mists of Mwangi (0-05)
10/06 Week 3 - Rise of the Goblin Guild (4-01)
10/13 Week 4 - Voice in the Void (1-35)
10/20 Week 5 - Temple of Empyreal Enlightenment (3-21)
10/27 Week 6 - The Penumbral Accords (2-11)
11/03 Week 7 - FLEXIBLE TO BUMP SCHEDULE FOR THANKSGIVING else We Be Goblins
11/10 Week 8 - Echos of the Overwatched (3-07)
11/17 Week 9 - The Quest for Perfection Part 1: The Edge of Heaven (3-09)
11/24 Week 10 - The Quest for Perfection Part 2: On Hostile Waters (3-11)
12/1 Week 11 - The Quest for Perfection Part 3: Defenders of the Nesting Swallow (3-13)
Restarting with Silent Tide this Sunday. Looking for linked threads to add to this posting for whoever may come after me.
Any tidbits/tips from your runs that would be good information to have? Anything need extra attention?
Venture-Captain, Alabama—Birmingham
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I would shift either Empyreal Enlightenment or Rise of the Goblin guild after The Quest for Perfection series. If anyone plays all 13 weeks they will level out of QFP before the end, and you REALLY want to get that one all done on the same character. If you are the GM for all of this, you are definitely in danger for leveling out before the end. You might want to take your GM credit on slow progression for a level after hitting 2nd, which will slow you down enough to avoid leveling out of QFP
@Mike, thanks for that info. I'm probably going to shift Temple to the end since its the only 1-7 in the line, and its the RP heaviest from what I hear.
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Venture-Lieutenant, West Virginia—Charleston
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I would shift either Empyreal Enlightenment or Rise of the Goblin guild after The Quest for Perfection series. If anyone plays all 13 weeks they will level out of QFP before the end, and you REALLY want to get that one all done on the same character. If you are the GM for all of this, you are definitely in danger for leveling out before the end. You might want to take your GM credit on slow progression for a level after hitting 2nd, which will slow you down enough to avoid leveling out of QFP
I would agree with this and probably recommend moving Temple of Empyreal Enlightenment. Goblin Guild is better for new PFS players because it focuses more on the Society.