Are my daughter and I ready to join the PFS?

[AaronUnicorn]

I've been gaming for 30+ years (starting with the red D&D boxed set), although I hadn't touched much d20-based or fantasy-oriented for a good twenty years of that.

This past June I dove into Pathfinder feet-first. I've been running a Rise of the Runelords game for some friends and my 10-year-old daughter. And I've been having enough fun that I kind of want to play.

We found that there's a PFS group that meets at one of our FLGS every other week, and have decided we'd try to get into it.

I have downloaded the Guide. I've looked at the additional resources. And my daughter and I have both built our characters (using only Core + APG).

We're looking at being a pair of half-siblings. Me, the older brother half-orc air elementalist wizard, her the half-elf archery-based Paladin of Erastil (mom had it rough.)

Our character sheets are ready, we have dice, and we'll be stopping to grab minis today (and hopefully we'll have time to paint them before Feb 4).

What am I missing? How much backstory of our relationship/parentage is needed/will be relevant in a PFS game?

[Krell44]

I'd say you both are ready to go right now. If you have any type of backstory worked out/printed out you are solid.

My son and I started playing PFS when he was 9...he rolled a Cleric of Sarenrae and I played his big brother the Barbarian. We had a blast with those characters! I (as the big brother) was always protective of the little bro, but he ended up saving me with healing more times than I care to remember. They are both semi retired now after having completed Eyes of the Ten.

I wish you and your daughter all the fun in the world! Getting to spend several hours with your child having fun while playing a game is a beautiful thing.

[Gary Bush]

I also have a long history of playing, not quite as far back as you, and I introduced roleplaying to my son when he was 15. He now has two characters, a 10th Ranger who is deadly with a bow, and a 4th level tiefling rogue who is a twin brother to my 4th level Assimar rogue.

You are ready and the two of you will have many great adventures together.

[Hmm]

Well-behaved kids are always welcome in PFS. If you can, give the organizer a heads up that your plus one is a kid though. When I was organizing Dreamers on a regular basis I always liked to seat new kids with a great GM until we had a chance to see how they were at the table. Once they were established as a regular, then it didn’t matter. But I know that I liked the kids to get a good introduction to the society their first time out.

My son plays with me, and started when he was 11. He is 14 now, and loves it.

Hmm

[Azothath]

PFS has Kids Track, but honestly it may be a bit immature if she understands DnD already.
I'd normally suggest you start with a Quest, or We Be Goblin series.
First level characters are freely rebuild-able and death in PFS is relatively rare.
Ditto to Hilary's and other comments.

There are TWO campaigns; Standard and CORE. Core uses just the CRB and Bestiary(1). CORE is simple with fewer choices for Players compared to the Standard campaign.

Rise of the Rune Lords... tough and Evil. In PFS that would be Season 4.

Many of the Season 7+ scenarios are more rounded and part of the challenge will be skill based and 'negotiations', so it's not just combat.

[Chess Pwn]

PFS runs very similarly to a TV series. Each mission is it's own self contained story but the entire season does have an overall plot to it that each mission is helping to build towards. This helps with the ability to show up when you can and not really be missing if you can't make it. Downside is that the stories in the missions don't care too much about characters. Stuff about your backstories you'll need to weave into the story they already have.

[CrystalSeas]

To give your daughter a confidence boost, you might want to print out the Beginner Box Test linked in this post

Beginner Box Test

If she aces it, she can go in with a lot of pride.

If she doesn't, you and she can practice the points she's not clear on

[nosig]

Can anyone point the OP at a copy of the Beginners Boon? I have them printed to hand out to people starting, but ... it's kind of hard to hand someone a hardcopy on line...

[CrystalSeas]

nosig wrote:

Can anyone point the OP at a copy of the Beginners Boon? I have them printed to hand out to people starting, but ... it's kind of hard to hand someone a hardcopy on line...

Here you go

Boon

[Flutter]

Welcome to the institution

[AaronUnicorn]

Thanks for all the advice and comments!

A little more backstory about my daughter - she's been gaming since she was seven, and started mostly with Mutants & Masterminds, so she's pretty comfortable with d20 based systems. We've been playing Pathfinder since June (she's been playing a Druid, and is currently up to 5th level), and she played in a non-PFS Pathfinder game this past year at GenCon.

I stopped by the FLGS this past weekend during PFS time (before they started) and introduced myself to the GMs and organizers. The location seems pretty friendly, and in fact they had a table with three other kids there.

But Mira is used to playing with adults, and while I know that being my friends they're biased, I've only ever heard people praise her for being responsible and an asset at the table.

I do have a copy of the Beginner's Boon - but didn't know if we needed to wait until we had played that first game and gotten our number or not to apply that.

It sounds like our backstory will give us some RP to do, but obviously won't be able to be worked into the scenarios. That's fine.

I do like that Beginner's Box test. I might sit down with her with it tonight. Heck, it would probably help me make sure I'm up on all the rules. I'll admit to being a little free-spirited as a GM, and I'm sure there are rules I've overlooked while running my home group.

Thanks everyone!

Oh! One last question. I see that PFS has first level wizards getting Spell Focus instead of Scribe Scroll (because of no item creation, which makes sense). As an Air Elemental specialist, is an elemental "school" a valid target? Or do I need to take one of the traditional schools of magic?

[pauljathome]

I'll echo everybody else saying that you're almost certainly ready right now. Kids aren't overly common around here but they've always been welcome and always seemed to enjoy themselves. I've run a table with a 4 year old once :-) (admittedly, she wasn't "quite" playing by "all" the rules :-). But she and her dad seemed to enjoy themselves).

I'd put in one minor caveat. Some adventures can definitely be PG-13. Any half way decent GM and group will adjust the obvious "gotchas" when they see that a 10 year old is at the table but IF your daughter has some specific "please don't go there" areas it might be a good idea to check with the GM ahead of time. Conversely, if she has no problems with some areas that a GM might automatically censor then tell the GM that.

[Serisan]

AaronUnicorn wrote:

Oh! One last question. I see that PFS has first level wizards getting Spell Focus instead of Scribe Scroll (because of no item creation, which makes sense). As an Air Elemental specialist, is an elemental "school" a valid target? Or do I need to take one of the traditional schools of magic?

This is a remarkably interesting question. I had never considered that to be a possibility. In all likelihood, I think you have to pick a traditional school.

[SCPRedMage]

The Elemental Specialist rules allow you to specialize in an Elemental School, but does not say you can choose them for any other effect that requires you to select a magic school, such as Spell Focus; as such, I would think that they don't actually count as a magic school for anything else.

[GM Tyrant Princess]

AaronUnicorn wrote:

Oh! One last question. I see that PFS has first level wizards getting Spell Focus instead of Scribe Scroll (because of no item creation, which makes sense). As an Air Elemental specialist, is an elemental "school" a valid target? Or do I need to take one of the traditional schools of magic?

Unfortunately, you will have to choose a traditional school. (Though it would be interesting if, in the future, Elemental Focus were offered as an alternative.)

[AaronUnicorn]

That's disappointing.

That said, looking over the actual "Air Spells" list, it looks like most Air Elemental spells are either Evocation or Transmutation with a small dash of summoning and divination - and very little outside the Evocation actually ever calls for a Saving Throw, so Evocation it is.

I may pick up Elemental Focus as a feat in the future.

Thanks everyone! I'll let you know how things go after Mira and I go and play.

[Nefreet]

You could pick up Spell Focus (Conjuration), and immediately use it as a prerequisite for Augment Summoning, and later on Summon Air Elementals.

Oh, and welcome to the Campaign!

[EvilMinion]

AaronUnicorn wrote:

Our character sheets are ready, we have dice, and we'll be stopping to grab minis today (and hopefully we'll have time to paint them before Feb 4).

What am I missing?

You didn't mention it, but in case you haven't already, it helps to already have a PFS# registered and ready to go, for both of you. Saves some additional paperwork up front. You can do it yourself, on this web site! Though it would require creating an account on here for your daughter as well.

Also helpful to create the PC profile account on here (just the name). Makes it easier when reporting, for the reporter to know they typed in the right number.

Whenever I type in a number while reporting, and don't see a name pop up that's at least semi-related to what's on the form, I get nervous that I might have typed it wrong =)

I notice you have no PFS character's registered on here... so you may not have done this.

You don't need to do this... but it can be helpful down the line.

Just click the "My Organized Play" link up at the very top of the page, log in... then get a number, and register a character to it, then fill in the Name slot to something close enough to be recognized =)

[Azothath]

AaronUnicorn wrote:

...

Oh! One last question. I see that PFS has first level wizards getting Spell Focus instead of Scribe Scroll (because of no item creation, which makes sense). As an Air Elemental specialist, is an elemental "school" a valid target? Or do I need to take one of the traditional schools of magic?

There are pregenerated characters here

As I play a lot of wizards, I'd suggest (depending on your boons in hand);
1) Talented Wizard: a human Diviner with spell focus evocation, traits magical lineage(shocking grasp) and wayang spellhunter(ear-piercing scream or scorching ray) or Resilient(+1 Fort). Bonded object amulet, opposed schools Necro and Enchant. Varisian Tattoo (evocation){RotRL Player Gd}, or Amateur Investigator{ACG}, or Point-Blank Shot. INT 18(or 20 but you make sacrifices), Dex 16... staff, sling, etc. 2 potions cure light wounds, 2 alchemist fire. Then Wand Infernal Healing(Prestige purchase), MW heavy crossbow & cold iron ammo...
2) just play the pregen Arcanist. Work up your Wizard later.
3) use an Elementary Ancestor (Air) boon to play a Sylph. It's much the same as 1) above.

[Aikio the Red]

GM Tyrant Princess wrote:

AaronUnicorn wrote:

Oh! One last question. I see that PFS has first level wizards getting Spell Focus instead of Scribe Scroll (because of no item creation, which makes sense). As an Air Elemental specialist, is an elemental "school" a valid target? Or do I need to take one of the traditional schools of magic?

Unfortunately, you will have to choose a traditional school. (Though it would be interesting if, in the future, Elemental Focus were offered as an alternative.)

Source please? My fire wizard has taken it.

Spell Focus says "Choose a school of magic." Elemental wizard says "Instead of specializing in one of the standard eight schools of magic, a wizard can choose to specialize in one of the four elemental schools of magic. Like a normal arcane school, an elemental school grants a number of school powers and one bonus spell slot of each level the wizard can cast, from 1st on up."

I may have an illegal character & after 4 Paizocon games & a handful of specials I would hate to think I messed up something so simple.

To the OP: I am sorry if I just hijacked your thread. The good news is that as a first level character you can rebuild it for free which gives you a chance to 'test drive' a character. Welcome to PFS!

Beside the episodic nature of organized play (OP) mentioned above, make sure to ask your coordinator about Prestige Points, Day jobs, and T-shirt rerolls. They are easy enough to understand from reading the guide, but having someone explain it is even easier.

[I'm Hiding In Your Closet]

Aikio the Red wrote:

GM Tyrant Princess wrote:

Unfortunately, you will have to choose a traditional school. (Though it would be interesting if, in the future, Elemental Focus were offered as an alternative.)

Source please? My fire wizard has taken it.

Spell Focus says "Choose a school of magic." Elemental wizard says "Instead of specializing in one of the standard eight schools of magic, a wizard can choose to specialize in one of the four elemental schools of magic. Like a normal arcane school, an elemental school grants a number of school powers and one bonus spell slot of each level the wizard can cast, from 1st on up."

Seconded; my understanding has long been that the Elemental Schools are all fair game for Spell Focus/etc.

Elementalists get meager enough "support" as is....

[Philippe Lam]

Curious to see how your first games will be going. Playing relax, not worrying too much on building your characters. You can edit them until they reach level 2.

Warning though : an organized play setting will pit you two with various kind of players, some accomodating, others might not.

[Azothath]

Aikio the Red wrote:

...chat about elemental school for a wizard...

Elemental Arcane Schools are in the APG and an allowed choice in PFS (remember you have to own the resource in PFS to use rules out of it). Some people like Metal or Wood. IMO Wizard(Evokers-Admixture) make better elementalists... ahh well...

I think if you play one of the elemental mixed races it is a more in theme choice and they have some abilities that make it work better.

There are many good choices... so play around with classes until 2nd level and find something with flavor that you want to play.