I'm looking for a few brave souls to join me in Paizo's first official Pathfinder 2 adventure path, Age of Ashes!
Dramatic trailer video can be found here.
Sessions will take place over Google Slides using Discord for voice communication. Time slots are a work-in-progress but it's worth noting that I'm based on the West Coast and normally work remotely from 9-6pm during weekdays. I'm open to playing more regularly if it works for everyone's schedules but I'd expect to meet once a week for 4-8 hours.
Other items worth noting:
* As mentioned in the subject header, this game will be for PFS2 organized play credit. If you've never played PFS2 or are not interested in PFS2, please don't let that scare you away. We'll be playing this AP as if it were a normal home campaign. The sanctioned play credit is just a bonus for those that want it.
* I will be using this campaign as a test bed for some house rules I've been experimenting with. I'll post them in this thread as I put them to paper. I expect the house rules to come and go as we make our way through the AP but I promise not to spring them on you.
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If you read all that and I haven't scared you off, feel free to post your interest in this thread. Please include the following.
1) Your time zone.
2) What days/hours you're available to play.
3) What level of experience you have with PF2. Don't let this one scare you off either. Part of testing the effectiveness of the house rules I'm experimenting with is having players with a broad range of experience.
4) What class/role you'd like to play. I don't need details here. I expect this to change once the players are selected and the party starts to form.
Ooh, I would love to play this.
1. Time Zone is Pacific Standard or GMT-07
2. I am available to game at any time.
3. I have binged PF2 for the last month or so.
4. Probably some sort of frontline.
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I think I can swing this!
1) Time Zone is CST so 2 hours ahead of West Coast
2) Best days for me in order are Sunday, Thursday, Tuesday, and Monday. Would have to discuss the others with my wife.
3) Only a few games right now under my belt.
4) Not sure the class/role but am open to anything. Interested in maybe a Rogue or Champion.
I'll eventually move this stuff to a google doc. Dropping here initially for those posting their interest.
Hit Points
Hit Points granted by a character’s ancestry applies per level instead of just at character creation.
Design Notes: This does a couple things. 1) It brings back some of what was lost by PF2’s streamlining of the races. Smaller characters are generally more fragile but in exchange they get hit less (see below). With very few exceptions I won’t be increasing damage done in the AP so this should be solely a buff to character survivability. 2) It buffs character survivability. I’m told AoA was written early in PF2’s life cycle and a lot of the encounters are over-tuned as a result. I don’t mind dealing with character death but when it’s happening 2-3 times per book it starts to lose its dramatic impact.
Size Matters
* Small weapons deal damage one die size smaller. For example, a small longsword deals 1d6 damage.
* Small characters gain a +1 untyped bonus to armor class.
Design Notes: A halfling fighter should play meaningfully differently from a dwarf fighter. The tightly bounded math in PF2 should keep the +1 AC for small characters from making them unhittable which was often a problem in PF1.
Ability Score Boosts, Ancestries, and Classes
* Free ability boosts from ancestries cannot be used on the same ability score boost provided by the character’s class.
Design Notes: This is intended to bring some meaning back to choosing a race for your character. The half-orc barbarian was iconic for a reason. In PF2, that’s no longer the case as every race can easily have an 18 in any ability score. As with many of these house rules, this is intended to give some of the ancestries back their identities. Half-orcs will always be the strongest, halflings will always be the quickest, humans will always be well-rounded. To account for the impact this will have on player hit chances, I’ll be reducing ACs and saves by 1 across the board for all monsters and hazards.
Ancestries & Heritages
Gnome
Ancestry Hit Points: 4 Per Level
Goblin
Ancestry Hit Points: 4 Per Level (6 with Unbreakable Goblin heritage)
Half-Elf (Human Heritage)
Ability Boosts: Dexterity OR Intelligence plus one Free boost
Halfling
Ancestry Hit Points: 4 Per Level
Half-Orc (Human Heritage)
Ability Boosts: Strength plus one Free boost
Design Notes: This ties into the changes mentioned above.
Spells
Heal
1-Action: The spell has a range of touch and heals for 1d8 + casting ability score.
2-Actions: The spell has a range of 30 feet. If you're healing a living creature, increase the Hit Points restored by their Ancestry or Class Hit Points value, whichever is better. If this is being used to damage an undead creature, increase the damage done by 8 instead.
3-Actions: You disperse positive energy in a 30-foot emanation. This targets all living and undead creatures in the burst. All heal or are damaged for 1d8 + casting ability score.
Heightened (+1) The amount of healing or damage increases by 1d8 + casting ability score. The extra healing for the 2-action version increases by the target’s Ancestry or Class Hit Points value, whichever is better.
Soothe
The target regains Hit Points equal to 1d10 plus their Ancestry or Class Hit Points value, whichever is better. In addition, they gain a +2 status bonus to saves against mental effects for the duration.
Heightened (+1) The amount of healing or damage increases by 1d10 plus their Ancestry or Class Hit Points value, whichever is better.
Skills
Medicine – Treat Wounds
Critical Success As success but the Hit Points regained are doubled.
Success The target regains Hit Points equal to 1d8 plus their Ancestry or Class Hit Points value, whichever is better. Its wounded condition is removed.
Critical Failure The target takes 1d8 damage.
Design Notes: 1) These changes make up for the general increase in hit points all characters will have due to how ancestry hit points have been changed. 2) This is intended to help address the ‘barbarian tax’ that high hit point characters impose on the party by requiring more resources to heal up after a tough encounter.
I haven't picked anyone yet. Feel free to throw your hat in the ring!
Modules and APs don't have to be run by the PFS campaign rules.
Pathfinder Adventure Paths are generally larger and have longer play times than scenarios and may take multiple sessions to complete. They do not contain specific faction-related elements, nor are they tiered for play by characters over a wide range of levels. Thematically, most Adventure Paths do not assume the characters are Pathfinders. These adventures are therefore offered outside of the standard Organized Play environment and can be played with characters who do not conform to Organized Play requirements.
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I'd be interested in joining in.
1) Mountain Time. (GMT-06)
2) Sunday - Friday from 8:00 on. (I have to get the kiddos in bed.)
3) I've played and GMed P2 for about 5 months now. I occasionally need some pointers, particularly on organized play, but I'm learning fast.
4) I've typically enjoyed tanking. Daring the monsters to hit me is something I enjoy. Still, I wouldn't mind trying something new, and I've been working on a Storm Druid for PFS2 over the last few days.
Thanks for being an awesome GM and hosting this!
Wow, I would have loved to be part of this, but I am in GMT+2 time zone :(
I'd like to give people to weekend to come forward.
Upcoming Milestones:
Monday PM 6/22 - Players Selected
Saturday PM 6/22 - Session Zero (Planning)
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I’d like to make one change on my submission. I’d like to play a cleric, since it would be something different from what I’m playing as my other two characters. Since my other two pc’s are frontline, I’d play a cloistered cleric instead, possibly of the human variety, very likely from the local area featured in the AP.
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Any open slots for this game yet?
In any case, my data:
1. GMT-3
2. Any day after 6 PM. Best days are weekdays.
3. I have playes several sessions and DMed 3 tables of PF2. One in Golarion, One is Dragon Age setting, and one on my own. I am kinda in love with the game atm :)
4. I would like to play a Melee striker, Dwarven Fighter Duelist (1H weapon + free hand)
I appreciate all the interest guys. There's a couple in this thread that I really wanted to include but I worry the timezone logistics would be impossible to maintain. If I ever muster the energy for a long form play by post again, I'll keep you guys in mind.
The following players will be getting PMs from me with a discord invite for further planning:
Amazing Red
graypheonix85
Clan Harvheim
Best of luck in everyone's' future gaming and stay safe!
