Are there "key" SFS scenarios?

[FlorianF]

Obviously Paizo doesn't expect everyone to play all modules in e.g. Invasion's Edge. But if one were to pick part of it, say half of it, how can we know which one develop the main arc of the story, leading to the two finales?

IN the same vein, I've seen that there's e.g. 1-23 that follows up on 1-2. How can I know which modules are so linked? It seems some form of code would help. Or am I missing something?

[Squark]

Playing all the modules in the Invasion's Edge metaplot on the same character is unfortunately impossible, as there are 8 level 3-4 scenarios in the metaplot.

If you wanted to play as much of it as possible, though, the scenarios are

1-00 Collision's Wake (Level 3, Pregens only, chronicle can be applied to a level 1 character or a level 3)
1-01 Invasion's Edge (1-2)
1-05 Sloughscar Summit (1-2)
1-07 Search and Destroy (1-2)
1-08 Compliance Protocol (1-2)
1-09 Abduction (1-2)
1-11 Friends of the Forest (1-2)
1-12 Take the Bait (3-4)
1-14 Beasts of Bo pt. 1 (3-4)
1-15 Ruins of the Worldsoul (3-4)
1-16 Beasts of Bo pt. 2 (3-4)
1-18 Midnights in Maro (3-4)
1-20 Magic Unleashed (3-4)
1-21 Breaching the Wreck (3-4)
1-22 Rescue in the Wreck (3-4)
1-24 Final Gambit pt. 1 (5-6)
1-26 Final Gambit pt. 2 (5-6)

Other plotlines

The Cult of the Newborn/Mysterious Drift Phenomena
1-03 Disaster at Dreamlink labs (1-2)
1-13 Foul Humors (1-2)
1-25 The Hollowed Shell (3-4)

The Frozen Moon
1-02 Mystery of the Frozen Moon (1-2)
1-23 Psychic Echoes (1-2)

Vlaka Scenarios
1-02 Mystery of the Frozen Moon (1-2)
1-10 Rites of Rekindling (1-2)

Scenarios that are part of the metaplot list that in their description, but spotting the other follow-ups is mostly down to context clues. Also, having not played every scenario myself, I'm not 100% sure how tightly 1-25 is tied to the two scenarios I put before it. Those are the only scenarios I've played where the Big Dumb Object* of 1-25 appeared, but I don't know that it hasn't appeared in other scenarios.

*That's a technical term. It has a wikipedia page and everything!

[pauljathome]

Squark wrote:

Playing all the modules in the Invasion's Edge metaplot on the same character is unfortunately impossible, as there are 8 level 3-4 scenarios in the metaplot.

There is a workaround that I'm planning on doing. It feels kinda wrong but, in my mind, I'm doing this because Paizo is sort of forcing me to by both creating too many 3-4 metaplot scenarios and not allowing slow play in SFS.

I'm just going to create a brand new L3 character who is an exact clone of the character that was deliberately created to do only the metaplot scenarios (back before it was known that there was this issue). In my head canon the actual character did all the scenarios.

I'll hasten to add that I will NOT take any illegal advantage of this. That character will NOT have access to the boons, will say "no" if asked by the GM whether they played that scenario, etc.

But as far as I the player am concerned that character DID take place on all the metaplot scenarios.

[Driftbourne]

I've been wondering about doing the same with the same character, different levels concept. It's kind of almost like making your own pregen at multiple levels. Each level would have to be registered as a different character, and as you pointed out, boons would not carry over.

I like the idea of getting slow play back in SF2e, but not how it currently works. If you need to slow play just one session to let someone else catch up, then you're stuck with 1/2 XP.

My idea for slow play is that you only slow play on the chronicle you would level up from. Doing so, you don't get any XP and don't level up from that scenario. Some adjustment to income might be needed, but the rest is normal. Next game you decide to play normally, you would start getting XP again and level up, and there's no partial XP to deal with.

[FlorianF]

Thanks @Squark! That not only answers my question, but also the follow-up one and will help other GMs.

It's too bad a user has to do this compilation. Paizo could easily add e.g. a letter to scenario numbers to indicate what plot is is part of.

It's mighty useful because most players like continuity. NOW after playing through 01, 02 and 03, I can ask them (I'm playing with the same people) if they'd like to pursue one of those three sub plots and plan accordingly.

I don't know why it seems like a new issue to me. I used to do PFS1 a dozen years ago; I recall the slow XP thing, but not the plot issue.