|
So I live in Germany and havent found a local gaming group since moving here and online games are somewhat challenging due to timezones. I have almost all APs but have never actually run any of them. My questions are:
1. Which AP would you recommend running?
2. How many characters should I try to run though the adventure?
3. If the answer to Q2 was 1 or 2, which class(s) would work best?
4. Should I mix in Mythic to make it more survivable?
5. Any other tips?
I can't tell, do you mean YOU are the only PC and the DM? or there is someone else to be the PC and you're the DM? and it'd be taking something from 3E but you can always let the PC be gestalt to give them survivability without giving them too much extra since it's still 1 turn per turn. and maybe give them the leadership feat free, but restrict it to only 1 person (like their sibling or blood brother/sister) so it'd make sense as to why they basically know what the other is thinking (on account of them being the same player)
is you're the DM and the player when things come up there you have to make a roll in secret from the player use a dice rolling app and don't look at it until it says it is relevant. so you don't do something like (I'm gonna be super sneaky right here for no real reason other than a "gut" feeling)
as for classes that work best just look at the class tiers I'd suggest one of the top 3 tiers if you aren't doing gestalt since they're basically the gods in the game at 1st tier, demigods at 2nd then heroes at 3rd, below that it's imho pretty much average joes with a single talent or two
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
If you are the GM and the only player all rolled up into 1, perhaps you might enjoy making an adventuring party of say 4 adventurers.....the fighter, Mage (Wizard), Cleric, Thief (Rogue).
I have done this exercise a couple of times where I ran 4 characters through a module, and it helped me familiarize myself with the rules in the core rule book. I was often looking them up.
So yes you can. I have only done it by making a team of 4 adventurers and running them through a module.
I hope this helps
|
|
To the original O.P:
Have you tried Play by Post, which is not so time zone dependent? So long as you make the requisite posts per day, you should be fine.
Also... Have you considered starting a PFS chapter in your area? The one in my area runs through Meetup.
1) Pick a time that works for you, and set up your first event somewhere public. If you don't have a local gaming store, a library or some other place with a free or cheap meeting area might work.
2) Schedule the event on the Meetup site when you start your group. Give your group a good picture, and a fun description of what PFS is.
3) Hope like heck people sign up.
I know that Meetup is an international thing, but if there is some other software alternative that is used more in your area, by all means do it. I like Meetup because it actively drives members to your group... If you have a few good meetings, you can usually grow pretty fast.
If you need help doing this, ask me. (I used to work for the company a few years ago, and am very familiar with their software.) I also run 2 Meetup groups of my own -- but neither of them is PFS. I'm just a member of the PFS one!
Hmm
1. Run the AP that most interests you.
2. As few or as many as you are comfortable bookkeeping on
3. Keep in mind that you aren't just a player, you are an entire party. However many and what classes you pick should be dictated by their ability to cover every hazard they come across in an adventure.
4. Don't waste your time with 200 pages of templates/optional rules, you already have a party to manage resources for and an adventure to run.
5a. Read the adventure cover to cover before you even begin, or you will constantly be interrupting the flow of events.
5b. If you want to try and maintain a separation between dm and player decision making, write a few sentences about each characters personalities. Define how they act under pressure, while calm, in social situations, ect.
5c. I'll say it again: preparation is key. The more familiar you are with the builds/books/module, the smoother it will play out.
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
I used to do something similar when I first started role-playing back in the 1980's. I found it useful to understand a module or campaign for when I came to run it properly.
Dancing with yourself isn't as fun but it is doable. I did so as a thought experiment with a Summoner and kingmaker.
I'd highly recommend looking for an online group though, I didn't think it would be as fun but it really really was.
Duke where are in Germany? Do you speak german? How old are you?
While other RPGs are quote prevalent in Germany you should be able to fin a PF game somewhere. There's loads of Germans on these boards here and I can imagine some at least playing in English even.
I can't imagine soloing a whole AP as DM and player. Too much spoilers. Now there are alternatives, let me dig up some links...
The Mythic Game Master Emulator is a product that has received high praises. It is a system-neutral campaign/adventure generator and GMing assistant that facilitates 1 player no DM play.
Also check out Word Mill Publishing's other products (esp. Mythic Variations), that can help any DM very much. (Here's a review on RPGnet.)
For online use check out the Flash-Based-GM-Emulator, you'll need the GMulator pdf (and from what I've read the Variations pdf too) to get the hang of the system though.
I would not try to run APs, but rather run some shorter adventures
Here are some solo adventures which are designed to be run alone, but you could also adapt 1 on 1 adventures
Both links are from this thread about solo play i.e. no gm
I'd reccommend seeing about joining a play-by-post game. If the game isn't too fast-paced (most aren't), it handles the time-difference nicely.
If you don't like the playstyle on this forum (I've had periods where the community put me off, so I get that it can be like that sometimes) there's also this site, and this. I think that's pretty much the top three of d&d pbp sites.
Fair warning, myth-weavers are REALLY serious about their character applications, it can be a little intimidating at first.
Seeing someone who lacks for gaming makes me sad. This should be alleviated. If you can deal with waiting untill january, I'll even run you a pbp game. No promises that it'll be excellent quality, though.
|
|
Duke where are in Germany? Do you speak german? How old are you?
While other RPGs are quote prevalent in Germany you should be able to fin a PF game somewhere. There's loads of Germans on these boards here and I can imagine some at least playing in English even.
I can't imagine soloing a whole AP as DM and player. Too much spoilers. Now there are alternatives, let me dig up some links...
Im in Freiburg, 27, and yes I speak German.
Thanks for the links.
|
|
I'd reccommend seeing about joining a play-by-post game. If the game isn't too fast-paced (most aren't), it handles the time-difference nicely.
If you don't like the playstyle on this forum (I've had periods where the community put me off, so I get that it can be like that sometimes) there's also this site, and this. I think that's pretty much the top three of d&d pbp sites.
Fair warning, myth-weavers are REALLY serious about their character applications, it can be a little intimidating at first.
Seeing someone who lacks for gaming makes me sad. This should be alleviated. If you can deal with waiting untill january, I'll even run you a pbp game. No promises that it'll be excellent quality, though.
Thanks for the links man. Ill look into PbP. I will admit that its never caught my eye before but Ill certainly look into it.
If you can play chess against yourself, then sure. The only thing is you won't get the problem solving aspect that the PCs get because you will have to know what is going on as the GM.
Thanael: Those links are actually quiet helpful. Thank you! I am going to check them out myself when I get home.
My snarky, completely unhelpful comment to the OP was going to be: Try not to metagame.
I did this a few times in order to learn 3rd edition quickly, so I can attest that it's totally do-able. I'd suggest that APs are actually ideal for this, because they tend to be very railroad-y and it's easy to stay on the railroad when you're telling yourself to do so.
That said, it's nowhere near as fun as playing with other people.
It's plenty doable.
You're basically GMing a game with only NPCs -- some of whom are heroic. You'll always subconsciously know things your heroes shouldn't, and you'll never have to deal with unpredictable player behavior.
I'd argue that without ignorance of the adventure, you're not getting a true player experience. This kind of gaming would not adequately prepare you to be a good player, and it would fail to hone certain improvisation skills you need to be a great GM. Conversely, a good faith effort might help you to practice impartiality, which is a crucial GMing skill.
But if this is the only appealing option, go ahead and try it.
You won't go blind or anything.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Roll20 is a great online resource. I'd advise trying to find an online gaming group and play on the virtual desktop with Skype over trying to GM yourself. Outside of a handful of simple modules, I imagine most of the fun would be taken out of trying to run any adventure path for yourself alone.
I played Neverwinter Nights (DD3.5 rules, or very close to) for over a year before getting a cheap internet connection and discovering an entire online community who I could play with - even to the extent of DMing real-time group roleplaying experienced with players from around the world.
Then NWN2 came out, the toolset was too hard for me, and I suddenly found a life with a beautiful woman and... we all know how fatal women can be for a hard-core gamer. <g> My apologies to female gamers (assuming such do indeed exist) but I'm sure you can empathize nonetheless.
I found NWN to be very close to the D&D experience. Moreso than Baldur's Gate. Playing paper-based D&D (or Pathfinder) would feel too... sad for me. Like when I was in high school and we used random dungeon generator tables to make adventures off the cuff.
Several people suggested play-by-post. That too would be better than solo play. But you definitely have my sympathies, after 10 years living in the Ardeche and 8 in the Berry (France) far from available gaming communities.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Yes, you can do it and you should feel comfortable exploring the new sensations in your role playing. Everyone does it, and it's perfectly natural. Yes, girls do it too. No, it won't make you go blind or have hairy palms.
I played Neverwinter Nights (DD3.5 rules, or very close to) for over a year before getting a cheap internet connection and discovering an entire online community who I could play with - even to the extent of DMing real-time group roleplaying experienced with players from around the world.
Then NWN2 came out, the toolset was too hard for me, and I suddenly found a life with a beautiful woman and... we all know how fatal women can be for a hard-core gamer. <g> My apologies to female gamers (assuming such do indeed exist) but I'm sure you can empathize nonetheless.
I found NWN to be very close to the D&D experience. Moreso than Baldur's Gate. Playing paper-based D&D (or Pathfinder) would feel too... sad for me. Like when I was in high school and we used random dungeon generator tables to make adventures off the cuff.
Several people suggested play-by-post. That too would be better than solo play. But you definitely have my sympathies, after 10 years living in the Ardeche and 8 in the Berry (France) far from available gaming communities.
Some of the best gaming experiences I ever had came about with DM'd NWN games. NWSigil was particularly excellent, I wonder what became of those people.
I'm still waiting for some new game to reach that level of freedom for content creators and DMs.
|
|
Online RPGs through Roll20 have a lot of European timezone players. I see them all the time. For example, for online PFS play you can look here.
Playing a PC group in a scenario that you are running is done for two reasons -
1. A sketchy test run of a created scenario.
2. Powergamer therapy.
For testing a scenario, it is only to get an idea of how things might work mechanically if combat breaks out. There is no way to prepare for outlandish ideas your players may come up with (good or bad). It is a first step in theorycrafting, yet shouldn't be the only step. It can't be used to show if riddles, puzzles, mysteries social interactions, and such are too difficult or easy as the sole GM / player knows the answers before the questions are asked.
As for powergamer therapy, this is to work out some "god character" so as to let go of such powergaming tendencies before working with a group. In such a way, they can work out their desire to win and be awesome, then come back to a gaming group (hopefully) satisfied and comfy to be a part of a group rather than the center of it.
You should contact the PFS guy from Freiburg: PFS Germany stellt sich vor.
Also there are other German message boards where you could post a seeking game message.
Finally try other systems too...
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
I took part in several PF games with old friends via Skype. The others gathered around the table and my place was the TV screen with the webcam on top.
I'm looking forward to playing giantslayer the same way when it comes out next year.
So that might be an option, too. For a whole game Skype was too bad. But a good TS or mumble server might do. I do not know roll d20 but that sounds like it is something similar?
And +1 for many Germans being here.
Google Hangouts has roll20 integrated into it.