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Hello everyone! I am new to the whole Pathfinder Society thing and wanted to ask some questions.
I got my first taste of society play in at Gen Con and loved being able to play for the first time in literally years, even if it is a really restrictive and cut down version of the game.
Which leads me to the first of my questions. (I will use spoilers to keep this from being a post with giant blobs of text.)
Now I try to put a positive spin on it saying that it is the cost of being able to drop into any game and that the rules are there to keep it fun for everyone and keep cheating to a minimum. I also tell people that their actions and decisions help to shape the future of the factions in the society play story. And while I have a group of players willing to accept those rules, it is only four of them and I need/want to be able to encourage new people to game in society play; How do you guys/gals sell society play to people and make them think it is a good idea and a fun one?
Those are my biggest questions.
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Answer 1: Perhaps your opinion will change over time, but if you believe there are "harsh restrictions of Society play", then lying to your friends that there aren't isn't going to work. Having worked in sales for 15+ years, I know I can't sell something unless I believe in it myself.
Start off by playing a bit more and seeing the Campaign in action. I disagree there is a "massive list of banned content". Most options are legal, and if people keep asking you about illegal combinations then they're most likely out to game the system anyways.
Answer 2: I believe it was stated earlier in this forum that you can try to split up games into two halves if you know everyone will be showing up for both sessions. That way you can start later, and have everyone play. It gets messy, but it's doable. Having someone show up two hours into the game not only breaks continuity and verisimilitude, but it can be bothersome to the players you already have.
Answer 3: You do not have to own or have access to the Pathfinder Society Field Guide. That was an old assumption, and that particular book is no longer part of the Core Set for Society. Downloading the Free Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play is all you need, plus whatever books you are using material from.
I'm sure others will chime in shortly with their suggestions as well.
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1) Its not as restrictive as you'd think. Unless your players are always and immediately going right for the most
2) If you can delay the enounters by extending the role play a bit and then get three encounters with him there he can get credit.
3) They removed the field guide as a required book a bit back.
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Most are severely turned off by the massive list of banned content, and when asking me about valid builds I find my answer being more often than not "no".
Hi Pyris Magmus!
Could you elaborate more on what builds your fellow players are coming up with?
Just so we have a better ideal on why and what they are considering as restrictive.
Venture-Captain, Germany—Bavaria
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Regarding question 1, just propose it a a challenge ^^ it is easy to build great characters with all the resources at your fingertips, but with a limited pool or choices it is way harder.
And frankly I understand why some things are banned (synthesist) and while I personally lament the loss of some things (primal companion hunter... I will argue for a change, once I find the proper argument that it isn't completely broken... ) it kinda has to be this way.
Once you and your players have some nice scenarios under their belt, word of mouth should help you to attract more.
RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32
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Welcome to PFS! I won't reiterate the good thoughts others have shared, but I have one exercise to suggest:
I recommend counting up the total number of sources listed as having legal content on the Additional Resources page, then say (out loud) "PFS allows content from [number] sources." Then, after you've said it out loud, think about whether or not it's too restrictive.
;)
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Welcome Pyrus,
1a. Play the game and have fun. People seeing a group having fun is the best way to interest other people to join the group and have fun. I hang flyers around town, but a consistent group enjoying themselves is the best way. If the game shop's game room is hidden in the back, you may have to be loud and energetic when other customers are around.
1b. Restrictive is a relative term. If people ONLY want to play evil or ONLY want to play half-dragons or ONLY want to play (insert class here) are losing out on the other six alignments, the 10 playable races, and the hundreds of class/archetypes that ARE available.
2 & 3. What BNW & others have said.
Welcome :)
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Considering that I GM much more than a play I have always gotten a good laugh from this line - "the harsh restrictions of Society play". I'm not sitting in front of my shelves of books right now, but between the harcovers, campaign setting, and player companions there has to be roughly 100 books to work from. And not that I would ever want to actually do the math on this, but I would guess that around 90% of that content is PFS legal.
So my question to the other GM's is this: When was the last time that you ran an entire scenario without having to ask any players what book they found that spell/feat/ability that totally blind-sided you. BTW, a table full of pregens doesn't count!
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Welcome to the fold, Pyrus. I gotta say that I am impressed that you have your first star already, given that you just started doing it a few weeks ago. Took many of us much longer to get there!
To add to Jiggy's idea... print out the Additional Resource Page. You'll find it is QUITE long. Have it available (note, all players using Additional Resources (defined as anything not in the CRB or Guide to PFSOP) are technically required to have this with them. They'll quickly see the immense numbers of options.
@RCW - that's a good part of the reason that in my opening speil I ask players to let me know anything that might catch me off guard. I then make sure they know that if I don't know something, I will ask... and that I'd prefer to do that at the beginning, before we are in the heat of things!
As to question #2... I'd play it by ear. Ask the other players if they'd mind... and ask the player if he would mind missing out on half the scenarios. Maybe if he gets to play a few times, he'll try and adjust his work schedule!
Also, if at all possible, try and find a weekend date that you can run PFS, at least occasionally. This might help people's availability (weeknights can be rough). Of course, this assumes you are currently running on a weeknight.
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Thank you all for the replies. Sorry about taking so long to respond back but I have been really busy with work and today I just finished running my group through Trial by Machine. That last boss almost killed them.
As to the people requesting more information on the player's choices that have me saying no more often than naught; in large part it is related to the races allowed, race feats, and the occasional conversation about using archetypes that were not allowed. This is because some of my players have been looking for home games to use their pet character ideas in, that were mostly on the banned list; one of the others was simply bored with the majority of the core races and was not impressed with the ones they did allow straight from a book without a chronicle sheet. ( on that note why is the tiefling and asimar no longer allowed? It is my understanding you can be either with completion of the correct scenario, but still...) And in general they were saddened by the fact that pets can't be made sentient, anthropomorphic,or in anyway special to them. And loot... that was and is still kind of a headache.
All that said I think they settled on characters that do make them happy and they are slowly but surely getting used to the new way they have to think about loot. There are tons of laughs and they generally like the scenarios I have run them through I just wanted to make new players feel welcome too by saying no gently, when needed, and was hoping maybe someone would have a great line they use or something to that affect.
As to the player who just cant make it by start time; it is because of school, and well that comes first. As for me running on weekends, it just isn't an option I have two really bad days off for doing this kind of thing, Tuesday and Thursday, and my boss needs me on my set schedule too badly to let me get weekend nights off. The players who can make it are not to thrilled with the idea of having to split the game but are okay with BigNorseWolf's idea of letting him jump in late so he can get the three encounters, so I will pass the idea by him next time I see him.
As for my first star, well that is thanks to Skull and Shackles, I have GM'd through most of it with my home group on Tuesdays, and found out I can add it to my society credit, so I did. I only have two regular society games under my belt Confirmation and Trial by Machine.
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@Pyris Magmus,
Sounds like your players are all min-maxers that LOVE power classes/archetpes like the Synthesist summoner!
On why the Tiefling and Assimar no longer allowed, there are a couple of reasons,
1) Tiefling and Assimars were kinda tailored for season 5, which is all about the worldwound. With that season behind us, these 2 races are just not common anymore.
2) The more mechanical reason is that Tiefling and Assimars have "sub-races" with very different stats. With a wide variety to subraces of different stats to choose from, they are really like a dozen races under the name of a single race. With the addition of above average racial powers, they are high on the power curve and kinda flooding game tables.
3) They ARE flooding games tables. Making ever other class less attractive.
However, there are 3 new races (formally requiring boons.) The Wayang, Kitsune and Nagaji. They are open for all players to use.
There are hints that some scenarios this season will be in Tian Xia.