Hey all! So, I'm currently in the midst of a move, and that will take me away from my usual playgroup which is NOT part of PFS. I AM looking to get involved with a game shop near me that currently runs some PFS games, but I've heard that I need the actual physical books in order to participate. I do no have any physical books other than the core and the Advanced Race Guide. In addition to those, I have a bunch of other books in PDF form that were gifted to me by friends in my current group. I was wondering if those PDFs would suffice and be legal for use in PFS
The PDFs need to either have your name or that of soemone in your household's to be considered "yours". Otherwise, they're just pirated software.
That's irksome...most of the PDFs I have have my friends name on them. We mostly just shared all of our resources. I might have to keep myself out of PFS for now, because I don't have the money to shell out for so many books -_-
Since you do have a copy of the core rules and ARG, you could just make your characters based on those two books until you add to your collection. Go the PDF route and you'll probably be able to fill in your collection faster since they are considerably cheaper.
I should try to find my ARG. I also realized that my buddy planned on giving me the Advanced Class Guide as a parting gift, so there's that. I guess I could get the rest in PDF form considering they're only about $10 each.
Forgive me for asking so many questions, but what is the rationale behind requiring players to have all the books? Is it just that so the GM has the materials to check?
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I should try to find my ARG. I also realized that my buddy planned on giving me the Advanced Class Guide as a parting gift, so there's that. I guess I could get the rest in PDF form considering they're only about $10 each.
Forgive me for asking so many questions, but what is the rationale behind requiring players to have all the books? Is it just that so the GM has the materials to check?
Yeah - it's meant to be that the GM has to know only the CRB and anything in the scenario that they're running. If you come with something outside of that, you're expected to provide your own copy of it so that the GM can read through it. There's also the element of money making I'm sure - all companies need to make money, and this helps them.
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Well, partially, yeah.
If someone brings this super-obscure feat/trait/item, and the GM doesn't have the book at hand, things can be ground to a halt as they wait for the page to load or whatever.
Having the book be provided by the player using the option
It's also because PFS is a marketing strategy for Paizo: and a highly successful one at that. It's almost exactly like a "pay-to-win" online game.
Since the Core Rulebook and several other smaller pieces are considered part of the "Corr Assumption", you can always build characters who only use Core options.
Besides, chronicle sheets can open up non-Core items for your PCs without you needing to present the book itself, so there is also the choice of playing more to get more options.
Hope this helped!
Ahh understood. Thank you for clearing that up!!
Now some more question...the PFS handbook says this:
"Select your character’s class and race from the choices
offered in the Core Rulebook. You may also select kitsune,
nagaji, tengu and wayang as your character’s race with
access to the proper Additional Resources book. Other
races are not legal unless the character’s Chronicle stack
includes a race boon. Additional class and race options
from resources like the Pathfinder RPG Advanced Player’s
Guide, Pathfinder RPG Ultimate Magic, Pathfinder RPG
Ultimate Combat, Pathfinder RPG Advanced Race Guide, and
Pathfinder Campaign Setting: The Inner Sea World Guide are
generally available with few or no alterations, as well."
Highlighting the part about race selection...it says that you can choose Core races, Nagaji, Kisune, Tengu, and Wayang, but other races from different books are allowed...so what's the deal? Lol can I choose other races, or are those just what can be selected with boons? And can I select alternate racial abilities, or do I have to use the stock race?
Venture-Lieutenant, Netherlands—Leiden
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Races you can pick, and what you need:
- Core rulebook races
- Wayang, kitsune, tengu, nagaji; provided you own a book for them, like the ARG.
- Other races if you have a race boon for those races; you also need the appropriate book.
- Other races if you made the character during a season when those were allowed races; you also need the appropriate book
- In the future: also ifrit, undine, sylph, oread. These races will be allowed without needing boons in season 8. You still need a book, but they're in the ARG.
You can use alternate racial abilities, provided:
1) You have the appropriate book, and
2) That alternate racial ability is allowed; check the Additional Resources to be sure. For example, pretty much no alternate elf options related to drow are allowed.
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Venture-Lieutenant, Indiana—Martinsville
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There is also much discussion about the interaction between Racial Heritage and Adopted with the Additional Resources wording on races outside Core assumptions. Other than the Goblin book, witch is clear cut about needing a "goblin race boon," the wording can be made to go either way as to if a character can or can not use the additions feats/traits for outside races. The wording is also different in some areas than others.
The best policy is to use Racial Heritage and Adopted only for those races that are legal, which would be the core races and the Eastern races listed in the Guide right now.
At Gen Con, the elemental outsider races will be added to that list.
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You should probably tell your friends that their "gifts" are technically illegal. Not just in the PFS sense, but as in illegally distributing digital media under U.S. Law.
There are ways to gift PDFs legally that result in your name on the watermark. I'd just go back to your friends and ask them to actually "give" you your gift.
Since they intended to anyways, they shouldn't have a problem doing it legally.
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You should probably tell your friends that their "gifts" are technically illegal. Not just in the PFS sense, but as in illegally distributing digital media under U.S. Law.Unless you are versed in the ins and outs of US intellectual property law, avoid making blanket statements about whether or not this is "technically illegal". Fair Use, for instance, may cover this.
Nah, these laws were written by the record companies, I'm sure it's illegal somewhere
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You should probably tell your friends that their "gifts" are technically illegal. Not just in the PFS sense, but as in illegally distributing digital media under U.S. Law.Unless you are versed in the ins and outs of US intellectual property law, avoid making blanket statements about whether or not this is "technically illegal". Fair Use, for instance, may cover this.Nah, these laws were written by the record companies, I'm sure it's illegal somewhere
Yep. Digital purchases are not usually purchases of a physical thing. You are actually purchasing a license to interact with a digital work through certain forms of media / programs. Not sure if this is how paizo sees it but the pdfs do come with the right to print one and only one copy. They can not be gifted (different from buying as a gift) or shared for free. Making a copy of them for sharing/gifting falls under the distribution clause of copyright law. The courts have even ruled that cutting/pasting a file from one owner to another breaks the law as you first have to make a copy of the file and transfer that before deleting the other. It's a complicated quagmire and currently owners of digital works have no rights in regards to gifting/trading/lending/reselling the work they bought.
You should probably tell your friends that their "gifts" are technically illegal. Not just in the PFS sense, but as in illegally distributing digital media under U.S. Law.Unless you are versed in the ins and outs of US intellectual property law, avoid making blanket statements about whether or not this is "technically illegal". Fair Use, for instance, may cover this.
I'm pretty sure fair use would not cover this since it's not about using an excerpt for making a review or educational use or making a derivative work for a parody or satire. It's more an abuse of fair use to try to justify distributing a whole work without the rights afforded by copyright or an license that explicitly allows that redistribution.
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Yep. Digital purchases are not usually purchases of a physical thing. You are actually purchasing a license to interact with a digital work through certain forms of media / programs. Not sure if this is how paizo sees it but the pdfs do come with the right to print one and only one copy
Fixed your link. Also that's an incredibly bizarre rule. I mean, I've randomly printed specific pages (for archetypes and specific feats) for inclusion with specific character folios. If I ever print a book in it's entirety, does Paizo honestly expect me to exclude reprinting those specific pages?
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Fixed your link. Also that's an incredibly bizarre rule. I mean, I've randomly printed specific pages (for archetypes and specific feats) for inclusion with specific character folios. If I ever print a book in it's entirety, does Paizo honestly expect me to exclude reprinting those specific pages?
Yep. Digital purchases are not usually purchases of a physical thing. You are actually purchasing a license to interact with a digital work through certain forms of media / programs. Not sure if this is how paizo sees it but the pdfs do come with the right to print one and only one copy
I was just using it to point out that when you purchase a digital file you are also agreeing to the publishers rules regarding use.
To your specific question, Probably not. Paizo is pretty understanding and open. That FAQ is probably there to allow professional print shops the right to print a copy for you but not print multiple copies for the purpose of distribution. However, that FAQ is pretty open ended and they could use it in the way you worry about if they wanted to.
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Also, a while back, paizo and humble bundle got together and did a charity donation deal...you donated money to charity, and depending on how much you donated, you got a bunch of books. I donated $18 and got...i want to say 15-16 rulebooks and a bunch of scenarios? They're all watermarked with your name/email at the top, so they're legal for play.
Chances are, if/when paizo and humble bundle do that again, they'll mention it here on their website. Also, used bookstores and garage sales work as well, if you're lucky enough to snag one there.
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The other thing to remember is that nobody plays copyright police at the table. If you're using things from 10 different books, and only own 2 of them, then someone might notice. But if you're new to Society play, have a "borrowed" copy of a book for one feat or spell, you can usually get away with it in the short term. But you really should buy the books yourself to be totally legit with it.
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Also, a while back, paizo and humble bundle got together and did a charity donation deal...you donated money to charity, and depending on how much you donated, you got a bunch of books. I donated $18 and got...i want to say 15-16 rulebooks and a bunch of scenarios? They're all watermarked with your name/email at the top, so they're legal for play.
That bundle is what I used to get into PFS. Just so you know they aren't 100% charity, it really is up to the buyer if they have the motivation to click a button and open a slider. Part goes directly to Paizo, party to a charity of your choice (There is a default one advertised and listed but you can -Change- to any of the listed charities), and part to the humble bundle tip-jar.
I personally looked through the charity list, couldn't find any of the really off ones that are legit on their list so... I changed the slider to 70% Paizo, 30% Tip Jar, 0% Charity.