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You kidding Jason? The merc would be going along cause they got paid to go along. As for the faction zelots, well, obviously there is thought to be something to gain.
Other than loot, we never seem to get PAID though - I mean other than in the First Steps thingy - but even then, if we hadn't "liberated" the meds from the orphanage/sick house we might not have even broken even.
Well - I guess there was that Warehouse of stuff too... But that hardly counts. Most of that stuff was rotting and falling into the bay!
And the silver dagger - but hay she gave it to us!
Oh...And the stuff from those bodies in that ally. They clearly didn't need all that stuff anymore - and it WAS just laying there to be picked up... And anyway, they jumped us, so it was fair pickings.
But in that one we did get paid by the Paladin Lady - for checking out the old witch in the orphanage.
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But we do get paid. Mainly in the form of a finders fee for any artifacts and other treasure we find. Which then get reverse engineered by... someone. That way they can sell us copies of what we found. How else do you explain the (probably 1) haunt siphon you manage to bring back (cause the rest got used) allowing four to six people to buy two each of them?
This is even more evidenced in Core campaign since clearly the pathfinder society have to reverse engineer almost everything pathfinders bring back, right down to ice cleats.
I have seen far too many amoral mercenary type characters in other do-gooder style campaigns struggling to come up with in-character reasons why they should volunteer their time merely because someone asked them to support a just cause.
Inversely, provided the task isn't actually offensive to them, do-gooders can usually easily come up with reasons to take a paying job. Or in the case of the Pathfinder Society, company work. Everyone needs to eat after all. Well, nearly everyone. Fasting ioun stones are a thing.
PFS does mix it up a bit from scenario to scenario. But basing most opening hooks off jobs, rather than causes, tends to provide the greatest approachibility to the widest range of character personalities.
-j
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Let's see...
-1 Not a mercenary, enlightened warrior (slayer/cleric of Irori) seeking more Wisdom.
-2 Started as PTSD suffering drunkard stumbling from scenario to scenario, ended up discovering something amazing that turned his life around. (Scarab Sages, not Silver Crusaders)
-3 Feels a debt to the person who freed him from slavery.
-4 Half-orc escaping from the stifling confines of where she was raised, attempting to accomplish the nearly impossible task of getting orcs and dwarves to not kill each other before she dies of old age. Holy mission from her deity to bring the light of Torag to the orcs.
-5 Mercenary rogue/attorney at law
-6 Grandmother looking after the 'kids' (other Pathfinders)
-7 ADVENTURE seeking halfling with some dragon things in the family history.
-8 Humble pilgrim seeking vengeance after caravan she rode over the World Spine with was slaughtered.
-9 WBG blob, not formulated yet
-10 Bard trying to bring out the best in everyone, and more
-11 Man experimented on by sinister powers, seeking to cash in on talents he picked up on that while learning more about them.
-12 Blood-obsessed barbarian seeking the blood of certain parties and the Society is the best way to get information on them.
-13 Mercenary rogue
-14 Fellow who wants everyone to get along, and wants you to know that you, too, are special!
-15 Not formulated, yet
-16 Scandal-mongering reputation slayer of Calistria
-17 Blob
-18 Blob
-19 Person who underwent experiments via a sinister faction of the Society in order to 'pay' for future help recovering their parent from locale unknown...
So it looks like about a third are 'really mercs' and the rest are 'possibly mercs, possibly not'?
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The worst thing about Pathfinder, in my mind, is PFS. I think even Adventure Paths are more restricted than they should be, so they might possibly be registered for PFS play. Even if they're not, it becomes difficult for scenarios to deviate from a culture of roleplaying that I don't see anywhere else:
- Heavy preference towards RAW
- Modules and scenarios that are carefully designed for specific levels, with encounters that are designed to be overcome by a very specific power level.
- Modules and scenarios with specific methods of overcoming the encounters. Far less freedom to innovate and open-endedness than in many other games.
- Linear modules and scenarios. You can't accidentally jump ahead to higher challenges.Of course, all these things are possible to overcome and there are exceptions; but it is less 'normal' to see open-ended scenarios and a more free-wheeling approach to the system than in other games. I think this has a lot to do with the expectations built around PFS which requires standardized play across hundreds of groups. It's kinda crazy and I honestly think it hurts the game experience (but probably not the business).
I think that most of the stuff you're complaining about is necessary for a organized play campaign. If you don't like organized play, don't play it. If you think those things aren't necessary, you're going to have to make individual arguments for each one, since they're in the OP campaign for different reasons.
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"I usssed to be quite mercssenary in my businessss dealingsss, because I thought I had to. Banished from my homeland asss a child, forcssed to sssurvive in the wildernessss on my own, I sssold my ssservicesss asss a jungle guide. I learned how to fight, and grew to be big and ssstrong, and eventually became a warrior for hire."
"It wasss honorable Venture-Captain Amara Li who recruited me to join the Sssocssiety. My firssst few missionsss were sssimple errandsss, and dealing with odditiesss, but nothing heroic."
"Then, I returned to Tian Xia for the firssst time sssincsse Amara Li first sssent me to Absssalom, and helped defend the sssmall village of Nesssting Ssswallowsss from banditsss. It wasss a great feeling to know I defended thossse ordinary commonersss from a terrible fate! That wasss the type of heroism that had inssspired me to become a warrior as a child. That is the type of hero I alwaysss try to be."
Details in the most detailed back story I've ever written for a PC
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Sometimes heroism is in what you do, not the reasons you did them. Four men defend a family from bandits.
The first does so simply because the family is in trouble. To him there is no greater goal then the protection of innocents.
The second does so because the bandits also killed his family. His rage demands vengeance, the family he protects is incidental to him.
The third does so because he wishes for death, but only against a worthy foe. He hopes one of these bandits proves to be skilled enough to end his life.
The fourth has been paid by another to safeguard the family. He thinks of nothing more then earning his gold.
Which of these four would the family thus protected consider a hero? Or would they all be heroes? For reasons both selfish and noble all four stepped in to save the family. But the fact remains that regardless of why they did so, they did protect the family.
Or consider the caravan guard. Is there fending off danger any less self sacrificing for the fact they were paid to do so?
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Sometimes heroism is in what you do, not the reasons you did them. Four men defend a family from bandits.
The first does so simply because the family is in trouble. To him there is no greater goal then the protection of innocents.
The second does so because the bandits also killed his family. His rage demands vengeance, the family he protects is incidental to him.
The third does so because he wishes for death, but only against a worthy foe. He hopes one of these bandits proves to be skilled enough to end his life.
The fourth has been paid by another to safeguard the family. He thinks of nothing more then earning his gold.
Which of these four would the family thus protected consider a hero? Or would they all be heroes? For reasons both selfish and noble all four stepped in to save the family. But the fact remains that regardless of why they did so, they did protect the family.
Or consider the caravan guard. Is there fending off danger any less self sacrificing for the fact they were paid to do so?
Or the fifth defender, who does it because he's polishing his combat skills, perfecting his technique, and currently needs to work on "fighting multiple enemies". There is no other available fights in the area...
Here's the thing.. the central unifying conceit of all characters is that you chose to join a society of adventurers whose prime mission is to get knowledge.
If your character's prime motivation was profit beyond all other considerations, you'd have joined the Aspis Consortium. The Aspis are about profit. They don't look to despoil or harm, they simply don't care if they do so in pursuit of the bottom line. The main reason they've gone so activist against the Society lately, is because their profit schemes have put them on a collision course with Society aims, which frequently involve helping groups of people against Aspis predation in order to secure aid or access for their goals.
Nor did your character join one of the Scarzani gangs.
You became a Pathfinder instead. Now you may have a membership with another group which splits your loyalties such as the do-gooder Silver Crusade, the mercanitile exchange, or the Scarab Sages, but that central conceit is the foundation of your character.
If you're not on board with this conceit, than you have some serious thinking to do about your character concept.
Nor did your character join one of the Sczarni gangs.
...only because Uncle G decided a 'merger' was in the best interests of the Family...
The gangs I'm referring to those of the Scarzani who were never part of the PFS faction.
Factions are a good way of explaining what the heck your character is doing here
Absolutely, but you're not just a Silver Crusader, as there are Silver Crusaders who have nothing to do with the Society. You're pledged to both groups.
Eyes of the Ten has an interesting moment where you're forced to make a choice between your Faction and your Society. What's great about the Scenario, is that neither choice is "wrong".
I think it's also time to take away the stigma of 'mercenary'. It's not really a 'bad word'. it really is an excellent description for most rpg advneturers.
I remember in Kingmaker once, when some bandits accused us of being mercenaries and one of the players took offense at it. "We are NOT mercenaries!!" she screamed.
My Paladin stepped up quickly and corrected her. "Actually, we are being paid to free this land of bandits... so technically... YEah, we're hired soldiers. The term fits."
Caravan Guards, Scouts, defenders on the wall... If you have a weapon and are offered a reward/payment to fight... you're a merc.
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Kahel is a Pathfinder because at heart, she's a scholar. True her knowledge skills are limited to Knowledge: Nature. But within that field she knows a lot, and has an intuitive grasp of the subject (skilled kineticist utility talent). In fact, she's done so much study into it that she's expanded into researching the elemental planes. And she's gotten to the point where she can identify, catalogue, and recall details of various air elementals.
Kahel works for the Dark Archive specifically because it lets her have access to all the tomes of knowledge the Pathfinder Society has been collecting for all these years. You know, due to her being a librarian for the Archive. No, she isn't exactly a heroic individual. But her innate goodness wont let her stand aside when she can help others.
Is Kahel a Hero? Maybe? It depends on who you ask. The survivors of a certain opera performance would certainly claim she is one. Then again she's no less heroic then some wizard who's only adventuring so he or she can pry arcane knowledge from the (usually dead) hands of those mages they meet. Okay, sure the wizard is stopping all sorts of evil despots and magical tyrants. But they did so only to steal said despot or tyrant's magical knowledge (aka spell books).
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Adventures explore ancient dungeons (crypts, temples, wilderness areas, etc.) kill random stuff and take any treasure they might find.
Mercenaries get paid first (at partially) to go into the same places and kill specific stuff then collect the balance of their pay.
Bandits look for rich people...waylay them and take their treasure.
Venture Captains recruit subordinates to go and kill specific stuff and loot specific treasures and then give it to 'Society.'
Hmmmmmm...starting to think I want to be a bandit.
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"I am Venture Captain Exiel, formerly of the Lantern Lodge, Snowbrother to the Kellid Snowmask clan, Bearer of the Black Mantle, Exemplar of Falcon's Hollow, Hero of the Fey of Darkmoon Wood, Hero of Sothis, Hero of the Skyfire Mandate, Savior of the Rahadoumi Riftwardens, Protector of Whistledown, Koboldfriend to the Sewer Dragons of Absalom, and personal friend of Zeeva Foxglove of the Green Market, Zahra of Kho, O-Sayumi of Sakakabe and the renowned sage Irskin Jayorass. I slew the Runelord Krune with his own spear, bested the Drakelands General Malesinder in single combat and slew the Dragonlord Yrax, so-called Lord of the Howling Storm, in the heart of his own citadel."
"But today, I am just a simple merchant here with my trading caravan to do business. Tell me friend, what goods are in demand in Korvosa this season?"
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"I am just an entertainer, but my titles stretch decently enough for those that would mark such things... Snowmask Brother Rae Alain Paight, Hero of Magnimar, Hoofbrother of the Cangarit, Icebreaker of the Jadwiga, Liberator of Crystalcrag, personal friend of the Yagevna family of Irrisen, the Blakros Family, slayer of Aralantryx, bearer of Gamin the Twice-Forged, blessed by Malikeen Heartsong and Confirmed Agent of the Pathfinder Society."
...there's a bit of a pause as a voice sounds out from Rae's hip.
"Raeeeee.... you wanted ME to do that for you, would you cut that out??!!"
...there's a clearing of the throat....
"Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for Gamin the Twice-Forged!"
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On a more serious note, all adventures are mercenaries. Think about it. How do many adventures start out in a home campaign? With the party in a tavern being hired by someone to do some task. Some wizard needs the McGuffin of Doom located and retrieved before some (insert evil badguy) manages to find and activate it? He hires a band of plucky adventurers, even though he probably could have done the entire thing on his own due to being far more powerful then the adventurers he hired. Yup, that's being a merc.
Party rescues the women from a village, and the village rewards them? This too is being paid for your work.
The list goes on and on. Few adventuring parties go after the dragon rampaging through a kingdom purely because it's the right thing to do. They got aimed at the dragon when the local ruler hired them to kill the dragon. It's a rare adventurer who isn't hired to deal with problems. Sure sometimes you just stumble across a situation. But more often then not, you're hired by someone else to deal with it.
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I ran across something just the other day...
Pathfinder Society Scenario #8-05: Ungrounded but Unbroken (PFRPG) PDF
expected 2016 Sep 28
A Pathfinder Society Scenario designed for levels 1–5.
The Peerless Empire of shaitan genies has warred with their fiery counterparts for centuries, and thinly stretched resources leave the shaitans in need of additional aid. They have founded a new state-sanctioned mercenary company known as the Ungrounded, which draws upon free agents from across the multiverse. One of the Society’s few friends on the Plane of Earth has recommended at least a handful of Pathfinders join the Ungrounded, knowing that even a few months’ service could dramatically enhance the Society’s reputation (and fill those agents’ pockets) in this distant realm...
I figured I'd just post this here...