My goal is for you to have fun while playing a balanced Pathfinder Society game.
Please review the below, which covers some special rules for the special as well as my expectations as a GM.
About Champion Mode
This event has two difficulties: Soldier and Champion. Soldier is slightly more challenging than a typical Pathfinder Society special event. Champion is this scenario’s “hard mode,” with increased challenge throughout. As usual for scenarios with increased difficulty, all players at the table must agree to that difficulty. Players who begin in Champion Mode who find the challenges too great can choose to switch to Soldier Mode.
This is a Soldier table.
Aid Characters
There are two kinds of character you can play during the special: a Primary Character (the PC who personally faces the scenario’s encounters and earns a Chronicle sheet at the end of the scenario), and an Aid Character, who helps with tasks and AiD Tokens throughout.
A player can designate up to 3 of their PCs of 5th level or higher as Aid Characters. Aid Characters must be different PCs from the Primary Character (the character playing the special). The player does not need all of their Chronicle sheets for their Aid Characters—they only need the Aid Character’s most recently earned Chronicle sheet. The only information from this sheet that is relevant is the Aid Character’s name, number, and level. The Chronicle sheet is also a place to record whether anything bad happens to the Aid Character in the course of the scenario. Note that all risks Aid Characters take are opt-in. Aid Characters have two functions in this scenario: to generate Aid Tokens, and to provide support in Aid Missions that occur during the adventure.
When the player designates a character as an Aid Character, the player chooses one of the following roles and assigns the character to that role. Each table may assign up to 5 Aid Characters to each role. This restriction represents the expedition’s need for agent to take on a balanced variety of roles, and also helps to ensure that there are enough Aid Characters of each type to succeed at Aid Missions.
Your Aid Characters cannot participate in other Pathfinder Society adventures while in the Siege, and risks death.
A character’s class and character build does not dictate what roles he can take, though players are likely to want to pick roles that fit with their characters’ themes. If a player does not have 3 Aid Characters available, she can fill any remaining slots with generic 4th-level NPC Pathfinders of any role. These 4th-level NPCs are less likely to succeed than PC Aid Characters at all tasks, but they give all players a way to participate in this scenario’s mechanics. The descriptions below give some examples of the types of routine tasks that Aid Characters in each role perform during the mission, but these characters also perform heroic actions when they grant Aid Tokens or attempt Aid Missions.
Guard: The combat encounters detailed in this scenario are handled by the Primary Characters, but there is still plenty of danger to deal with. A character assigned to this role helps provide security for the expedition. Characters in this role drive off minor threats that crop up, protect the rear of the expedition, and generally ensure the mission can continue unhindered.
Medic: Most of the healing resources in the expedition are wielded by the Primary Characters for the benefit of further advancing the mission, but the Aid Characters are likely to need healing too. An Aid Character assigned to this role treats wounds, cares for the bodies of the fallen, and dispenses medical supplies.
Muscle: Moving what is effectively a small army into hostile terrain is a challenging task. A character assigned to this role helps move heavy objects, clears passageways, and transports equipment.
Scout: Little is known about the Gallowgarden and the areas below Gallowspire, and what information does exist is often inaccurate. A character assigned to this role roams ahead of the main expedition, learning what threats are present and giving advice on how best to navigate them.
Spellcaster: The sheer number of Pathfinders on this mission presents a heavy demand for spellcasting, particularly spells that can protect agents from harm or remove conditions that they incur. Spellcasters meet up with Pathfinder agents between battles, helping prepare them for the dangers ahead. They may have their own innate spellcasting ability, or they might carry an arsenal of magic items for this purpose.
Aid Tokens
In this scenario, Aid Tokens work a bit differently from in past scenarios. Instead of having generic Aid Tokens that PCs can improve with their skills, each Aid Token represents the efforts of a specific Aid Character.
Each Aid Character role is associated with a specific benefit that Aid Character in that role can provide. After the players assign Aid Characters to roles, the Table GM should place the Aid Token Reference Sheet on the table, which details all of these benefits (Handout will be put on Slides after we assign). Table GMs should also distribute 3 Aid Tokens to each player, corresponding to their Aid Characters’ roles (see above). The player can then write in each of their Aid Characters’ names on the Aid Tokens. For the 4th-level NPC Pathfinders, players can invent names, or just write “Pathfinder.”
At this time, each player has the opportunity to commit any number of their PC Aid Characters to a more challenging, heroic task. This task provides greater benefits, but it also introduces a risk that the Aid Character may come to harm and therefore be unable to help out during later opportunities in this scenario.
Tasks are particularly difficult for lower-level Aid Characters, who are likely to be injured in the process. The 4th-level NPC Pathfinders are unwilling to attempt the heroic tasks.
My Table Expectations
Post Frequency
Be ready to post at least once a day.
Since this is a special, I will bot you if you do not post once every 24 hours.
Maturity and communicativeness go a long way! Please post here or in any supplemental channels, the group decides to use.
Botting
Include botting instructions in your profile. If you have a preference for who runs your character, write that down too. If you or your preferred botter have not posted in more than 24 hours, I will bot your character to keep the game moving.
Marching Order & Maps
To speed things up I ask the group for a marching order at the beginning of the adventure. Unless otherwise noted I will begin your PCs on the map in this order, where the scenario says to.
Initiative
I will roll all Initiative checks for PCs and NPCs, sort them, and organize them into blocks. I will bold the names of characters whose turn it is to act. I will include status of HP, etc.
When it is your turn to act, post. Do not wait for someone else to post just because they had a higher Initiative inside your initiative block. If you know what you want to do but want to wait for someone else’s action first, just say that. To encourage timely posting and avoid unnecessary delays, I will retroactively include bonuses where it makes sense for allies who are in the same initiative block, even if one player posts before getting that bonus. For example, if a fighter posts right before the bard, and the bard always Inspires Courage, I will include the inspire bonus in the fighter's attack and damage rolls even though the player didn't do so. Where possible, I will update initiatives and note the bonuses each player is receiving.
Rolling Saves
When asked to roll a save, it must always be the first dice roll on your next post. If you do not do this, I will roll the save for your PC.
Character Taglines & Profiles
Put your character's gender (so we know which pronouns to use), race (so we know what we see), class (optional) and their status in the fields labeled "Race" and "Class." Status usually means current/maximum hit points, ACs, Saving Throws witj modifiers, Spells or spell slots, and other resources. The status tagline might look like something this (copy/pasted from my oracle) — note that I have not only included spell slots and spell-likes, also important consumables (albeit abbreviated) such as the once-a-day mnemonic vestments and the character's current disguise (which might have an impact on how NPCs interact with them):
Gen. Neut. Oracle (they) | HP 56/56 | Init+ 5 | F:+9 R: +9 W: +10 (+18 vs chm/compul.; +12 vs illus/fear/desp.) | AC 21 T 16 F 19 | CMD 14 | Speed 20(30) | M. Bridge: 7/7 | Etern. Hope: 1/1 | Vest. 1/1 | V. Pool: 9/10 | Spells: 1: 6/8 2: 6/8 3: 6/7 4: 3/4 | Current disguise: Vonner Flay, Dogcatcher | Rerolls: 0/1 Active: Siv. Veils, Longstrider, Heroism, 6 Mirror Images, Shld. Faith, Death Ward
In your character profile, please include the complete stat block as well, so the GM can audit your character. Be prepared to scan or take pictures of any chronicle sheets or boons upon request.
Chronicle Information
In order to be able to generate a PFS chronicle, I ask that each character please provide me the following information here, in the discussion thread. I would also like you to provide the names and numbers of all Aid Characters, along with a link to their profile. You can fill in the Aid character info piecemeal, just as long as it's there.
Player Name:
Character Name:
PFS & Character Number:
Faction:
Day Job Roll:
Aid Character 1:
Aid Character 1 Character Number:
Aid Character 1 Profile link:
Aid Character 2:
Aid Character 2 Character Number:
Aid Character 2 Profile link:
Aid Character 3:
Aid Character 3 Character Number:
Aid Character 3 Profile link:
Rules Questions and OOC Information
Please post rules questions in the discussion thread. Try not to interrupt the flow of gameplay. Don’t hesitate to correct me if I make a mistake and/or PM me.