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Searched the messageboards and can't seem to find an answer. Is there any stance or anything said about how to convert season 0 scenarios? Choosing monster A from the scenario with equivalent monster B in Bestiary X is easy and done. Encounters with core races/class/levels I can pull from the NPC Codex, again, easy and done. What about custom stat'd creatures that are advanced with class levels (e.g. zombies with fighter levels, ghosts with barbarian levels). Do I convert that to PFRPG myself without worrying about violating something I'm not aware of?
Venture-Captain, Germany—Hamburg
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If there's a stat-block in the scenario, I usually go with the numbers presented there (unless there are some obvious parts that are handled completely differently in Pathfinder, in which case I use the Pathfinder rules for that ability/feat/etc. instead). If neccessary, I calculate the CMD for the creature/NPC.
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Let's see what the guide says:
Season 0 (Scenarios #1–#28): Season 0 scenarios were written under the 3.5 rules set of the world’s oldest roleplaying game, before the release of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. Scenarios are to be run with minimal changes by GMs, limited to adding CMB/CMD scores to NPCs and monsters and using newly combined skills such as Stealth and Perception instead of Move Silently and Spot. If a creature in the scenario also appears in the Pathfinder RPG Bestiary, Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 2, or Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 3 and maintains the same CR between both rules sets, you may use the Pathfinder RPG stats in place of the 3.5 stats. This is the only substitution allowed in these scenarios.
So, if the creature is in one of the Bestiaries, and has the same CR, you can use the newer version, otherwise use it as written.
Do not convert things, do not pull from the NPC codex. Just calculate CMB/CMD and don't worry that they may being doing something not fully supported with the current rules set.
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What if the encounter references a 3.5 monster Manuel for a creature's stats?
I am signed up to gm among the living in 5 weeks. What do I do if a level zero scenario refers to a 3.5 m.m. page # for a creature? I am currently at work so I am unable to look in the beastieries right now. I am not listing any of the creatures for spoiler reasons
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d20 v3.5 System Reference Document
I'd probably grab the ZIP file just in case it doesn't stay up forever. It's an editable format if you want to make versions with templates and the like.
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Between being optimized for 4 players *and* the fact that 3.5 PCs are about 1 level less powerful than Pathfinder PCs (based on the CR), Season 0 scenarios are generally not combat challenges for the typical 6 Pathfinder PCs (although many have great stories). Add to that the power creep of new classes and feats, and you may as well not run some of the encounters except as RP.
What if we treated PCs as one level higher for calculating APL when playing a Season 0 scenario? This would push people into playing the higher tier more often, offering more of a challenge and potentially higher rewards. Many of the S0 subtiers just add more creatures rather than more powerful creatures - it is usually just the boss who actually gets significantly tougher. I will have to look to see if this would actually work for all of them, but it might offer a way to make S0 scenarios more compatible. right now the easiest way to beat the WBL curve is to just play S0 scenarios because there is very little risk for reward.
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Venture-Captain, California—Sacramento
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I really don't recommend calculating parties as one APL higher. Most of the encounters in season 0-1 are trivial for pathfinders, but there are several that are unintentionally lethal because the writers were just learning their craft or because of some odd editorial decisions. Especially in the 1-7 scenarios, moving a party of 4 level 2 PCs up to APL 3 and into the 3-4 subtier is a recipe for TPK.
Just run them for the RP, and don't worry if the players slaughter the monsters.
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Flite, I was saying I'd *do* that, merely wondering if there was a way to make Season 0 useful given today's more poweful PCs. Most of the really lethal Season 0's are retired, but it is a letdown for players to cakewalk these combats. I would like to see a better way of handling APL for Season 0 so we can keep them useful.
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GM Lamplighter
Season 0 can be fantastic for a group of new players, starting with level 1, and no previous Pathfinder experience.
Just ran a group of 6 through Prince of Augustana, 5 of these PreGen characters, one will be up to level 2 now. They had a GREAT time.
The same scenario with one or two min-maxed level 2 could be a disaster as nothing might challenge them.
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Thats what I did locally. I wanted to put out a a lot of 1-5's for players to play so i concentrated on running Season 0's under the proviso
A) Nobody else was willingly to run them
B) Im not sure I wanted to play some of them
Sadly I did run some of these with more than 6 players and it was yes a walkthrough for some/all. But the stories Season 0 puts out are pretty darn good. I just wish some of the scenarios had not been retired.
RPG Superstar 2015 Top 16
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My experience is more that we have too many people to have a table of only 4, but no space (or no extra GM, or not *enough* extra players) to expand to another table to accommodate the extra people. Most coordinators are loathe to turn players away if there is any way to seat them, so we end up with parties of 6 even when we know it's not optimal for play experience.Rusty: Which imo is the only way you can run them. Sadly however a LOT of event organisers run on the view 'more is better' so will likely try to cajole you into running with 5 or 6.
Im off the same with later seasons too until we hit the seasons where 6 is standard.
Agreed. It often happens even if it is not ideal.