Hi all,
I'm planning to run a Pathfinder Society scenario from Season 1 for some players, and need a clarification surrounding the official rules for minimum table size, since I haven't GMed Society games for a few years.
A player has mentioned that the minimum table size has been reduced to 2 players, so I'm checking how this ruling is officially applied to First Edition.
The first source I checked was the Pathfinder Society Roleplaying Guild Guide. Page 11 of the rules states the following:
LEGAL TABLE SIZE
The minimum table size for a Roleplaying Guild Organized Play session is four players. The recommended maximum is six players. In cases where you simply cannot seat four players, you may run a table of three players, and play an appropriate level pregenerated iconic character in order to meet the minimum table size of four PCs. Pregenerated iconic characters are available for 1st level, 4th level, and 7th level (see the Pregenerated Characters section on page 6).
The next source I checked was the Organized Play Legacy FAQ and Campaign Clarifications. Zero results for "minimum table size".
The next source I checked was this blog post on Organized Play Table Adjustments. This states the following:
For tables at levels that have pregens available. GMs can now run up to two pregenerated characters to fill a table up to the four-person minimum. The GM can control these pregens themselves or designate one or more players to control the additional character(s), so long as the player agrees to do so. This should help our smaller lodges and Society home groups participate in our program and continue firing and reporting games.
This blog post seems to be referring to Second Edition, given the immediate sentence following this states it's for Second Edition.
Finally, there's reply #65 in the comments on the blog, stating that a decision was made on a private communication channel that this applies to First Edition.
Can I please have some clarity on what the official ruling is for table size in First Edition Pathfinder Society, and where this official ruling is found beyond a comment on a blog post about a private conversation?
Venture-Captain, California—Sacramento
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Unfortunately the ruling was made after the final guide publication, so it was not incorporated into the guide. I can confirm that the ruling was made as described, and I can request that the current OPC confirm it, but I do not believe any of the PF1 documentation is still being updated at this time.
Okay, so what's the rules for 1st Edition Tier 6-7?
The blog post says it's okay to play with three players at the table for 7th level scenarios?
So if I run a Tier 6-7 scenario, I run it with three players and no pregens if three players are at the table?
Or if I run a Tier 6-7 scenario with two players, do I add just one?
Or do I ignore this part of the blog and add one pregen for a table with three players, and two pregens for a two players table?
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Venture-Captain, California—Sacramento
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Okay, so what's the rules for 1st Edition Tier 6-7?
The blog post says it's okay to play with three players at the table for 7th level scenarios?
So if I run a Tier 6-7 scenario, I run it with three players and no pregens if three players are at the table?
Or if I run a Tier 6-7 scenario with two players, do I add just one?
Or do I ignore this part of the blog and add one pregen for a table with three players, and two pregens for a two players table?
The rule is:
If there is a pregen available in the level range, you run with 2+ characters adding pregens to get to 4 characters.
If there is no pregen available in the level range, you can run with 3+ characters, adding no pregens.
In PF 1, this would only apply to Tier 9-13 or higher scenarios. (Which are pretty rare.)