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As the title says. A friend and I have been playing with very modest 2 person PF group(as in just the 2 of us as none of our other friends wanted in) and am looking for more people to game with. As a result, we looked into the Pathfinder society and thought it might be a nice way to meet other people we can play PnP RPGs with. However, before we join, I have a few questions I want answered for my friend and I so I've decided to post them here for those knowledgeable on the topic to answer...
A) While evil characters are disallowed, are [evil] spells still ok to cast in moderation? Could a character who is neutral on the good/evil axis cast a few [evil] spells every now and then if they needed to? Likewise, what happens if a character starts out as good or neutral, but falls/turns evil at some point during their lifetime? Do they become unplayable and are you forced to roll a new character if the fallen PC was your only one?
B) Is there a grand database where you can find locations of PF society games near you? If not, are there non-Paizo sites that would have such a database? Baring that, is there an easier way to find PF society games near you other then going to your game store and hoping you picked the day when the PF society players happen to be there?
If anybody could address these questions/concerned I'd be grateful.
RPG Superstar 2013 Top 16
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A) Currently, casting [Evil] spells is not an evil act. The only thing stopping you is how you role-play your character. If you commit otherwise evil acts, such as senseless murder, the GM can shift your character's alignment, and if that would make it evil, the character is removed from play (unless you pay for an atonement). However the GM should A) warn you if he thinks your action is evil and B) mark it on the chronicle sheet/check previous chronicle sheets to determine if it's a pattern of evil acts. A single evil act shouldn't shift your alignment unless it's absolutely heinous. You can read the free Guide to Organized Play for the details about this.
B) You can contact your local Venture-Captain/Lieutenant (the list is in the Guide to Organized Play), or do a search for Events.
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Ok, thanks for the information. I am so used to operating by hard rulers where casting an [evil] spell is considered an evil act so it's nice to know that's not the case with PF society. The character I plan on making would be an undead bloodline sorcerer and at higher levels they would be making use of the create undead line of spells, so the first question was asked because I was afraid that if I cast create undead/create greater undead too much I would lose my character. So your answer makes me happy since now as long as I'm careful with it I can make use of create/create greater undead.
As for the other answer, again thank you for the information. It's a big help.
RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32
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Ok, thanks for the information. I am so used to operating by hard rulers where casting an [evil] spell is considered an evil act so it's nice to know that's not the case with PF society. The character I plan on making would be an undead bloodline sorcerer and at higher levels they would be making use of the create undead line of spells, so the first question was asked because I was afraid that if I cast create undead/create greater undead too much I would lose my character. So your answer makes me happy since now as long as I'm careful with it I can make use of create/create greater undead.
Do keep in mind that although the [evil] descriptor on the spell isn't an issue in PFS, said undead in PFS are inherently-evil creatures that you're adding to the world; that is, you're causing the world to have more evil in it than it did a minute ago. Most people (including NPCs whose good opinion might be important to your mission) will react accordingly, so be careful to play in such a way as to avoid risking both mission failure and interparty conflict. Also, some GMs will call the creation of undead an evil action.
Not saying don't do it, and certainly there are folks who are having a grand old time with their necromancers, but be aware going in that you've got a bit of a tightrope to walk.
RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 8
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Another place to look for nearby events is warhorn. Hope you find some merry adventures this holiday season!
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The Pathfinder Society Guide to Organized Play (get it here, free) has a fairly complete list of Venture Captains around the world. Find one near you, and you can get information on the local places to play Pathfinder Society.
Are you in the SF Bay Area?
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No, I'm not, sadly. In fact, I am far, far from it. Still in the US, just on the totally opposite side of the continent. I'm actually in central NY/Upstate NY, if you want a general region. Also, I have the guide already, but I think mine may be outdated(Lantern lodge, which will soon be non-existent, is still in there as a faction.).
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A) While evil characters are disallowed, are [evil] spells still ok to cast in moderation? Could a character who is neutral on the good/evil axis cast a few [evil] spells every now and then if they needed to?
Eyup. As long as you're not a cleric of a good deity you're good.
Likewise, what happens if a character starts out as good or neutral, but falls/turns evil at some point during their lifetime? Do they become unplayable and are you forced to roll a new character if the fallen PC was your only one?
Because PFS is episodic it is very difficult if not impossible to slowly inch your way down the slippery slope to evil. Anyone can DM pfs, and you don't always have the same DM (the ability to trade out that duty is both one of the strengths and weaknesses) so while they may have see you callously fireball someone that may or may not have had one coming, they don't see you do it EVERY week to the point that you're sliding from neutral down to outright evil. It varies a bit from DM to dm, but for non paladins its more or less "don't burn down the orphanage and I won't move your alignment"
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Ok, cool. One more question. Can your first character for PF society be of a class not in the Core Rulebook, such as Oracle, Witch etc..? as long as you have the proper book or is there some perk you need to "unlock" non core rulebook classes? Secondly, what is the policy on "sharing" books? If , for example, I owned one book and my friend owned another could we share our books between us for sources or would we each need our own individual copies?
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RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32
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Ok, cool. One more question. Can your first character for PF society be of a class not in the Core Rulebook, such as Oracle, Witch etc..? as long as you have the proper book or is there some perk you need to "unlock" non core rulebook classes?
As long as Additional Resources lists it as legal and you have the source, you're good. There are some things (mainly exotic races) that you can acquire special access to, but such restrictions are mentioned in Additional Resources, so as long as you follow what it says you're fine. :)
Secondly, what is the policy on "sharing" books? If , for example, I owned one book and my friend owned another could we share our books between us for sources or would we each need our own individual copies?
Members of the same household can share resources (so my wife doesn't need her own duplicate library, for instance), but not just buddies.
Yes you are.
You simply need to bring the watermarked pages that have the item/spell/feat/class feature/etc.. on it.
You don't need to bring a print out of the full PDF.
Venture-Captain, Germany—Hamburg
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So your answer makes me happy since now as long as I'm careful with it I can make use of create/create greater undead.
Be careful about the following, though:
All spells and effects end at the end of a scenario with the following exceptions:
• Spells and effects with permanent or instantaneous duration that heal damage, repair damage, or remove harmful conditions remain in effect at the end of the scenario.
• Afflictions and harmful conditions obtained during a scenario remain until healed and carry over from scenario to scenario (except in specific instances as noted on Page 22).
• A character may have one each of the following spells that carries overs from scenario to scenario: continual flame, masterwork transformation, secret chest, and secret page.
This seems to mean you can't keep your created undead and would have to create new ones every time you want to use them, paying for the material component every time.
If I'm wrong on that topic, someone please correct me. (But please don't just say "no, you're wrong". Some proof for your point would be helpful ;) )
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If I'm wrong on that topic, someone please correct me. (But please don't just say "no, you're wrong". Some proof for your point would be helpful ;) )
You'd be correct on that assertion. Getting a Holy Symbol Tattoo for False Focus (Inner Sea Magic) is an effective way to get some 2HD zombies infinitely as an arcane zombie person without draining resources.
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Ok, cool. One more question. Can your first character for PF society be of a class not in the Core Rulebook, such as Oracle, Witch etc..? as long as you have the proper book or is there some perk you need to "unlock" non core rulebook classes?
Eyup. They're all legal choices. So are aasimar, tengu, and tieflings without unlocking anything.
The only unlock option I'm aware of is a wizard archetype.
Ok, I have another question in regards to sources. If I've purchased a source as a pdf directly from Paizo(aka off this site) and can prove I did so, am I allowed to use a printed out version of that pdf as a source or not?
Eyup. If you look closely at the bottom of the PDF it should have your name and email address there.
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Ok, cool. One more question. Can your first character for PF society be of a class not in the Core Rulebook, such as Oracle, Witch etc..? as long as you have the proper book or is there some perk you need to "unlock" non core rulebook classes? Secondly, what is the policy on "sharing" books? If , for example, I owned one book and my friend owned another could we share our books between us for sources or would we each need our own individual copies?
You can make use of any campaign legal material at any time as long as you own the source book/PDF printout. You can't share PDF files.
You and your friend can share books as long as you both are playing together at the same table. If the event you are attending is large enough to have multiple tables going at one time, and you are seated at different tables you are not able to share books or Printouts. Plan your characters accordingly.
