Pathfinder Society Organized Play

[ComaVision]

Hi! I don't play Pathfinder.

I understand what PFS is overall but I haven't really heard much positive about it. Is it as lame as people make it out to be? Anyone with any experience with it that would like to share an anecdote? What's the appeal?

[Elder_Basilisk]

The appeal is that you can show up at a game and continue playing a character. You don't need to find a regular group. You don't need to commit to a regular group. If you want to meet new gamers at a convention or in another city, you can do that. All with the same character and without worrying about fifty different sets of setting/house rules and creating fifty characters. And if you don't like the DM or the people, you don't have to show up again and there's not likely to be hard feelings because you "ditched" the group.

The downside: sometimes you won't like the people who show up so you will end up gaming with people you wouldn't necessarily want to be in a home group with. (Which is also true of home game groups--but there you will generally stick around once you find one you like. In PFS, a group you like won't necessarily be the same next time and a group that includes some people you don't care for might be better next time). Also the adventures while often well written are not always well written and are limited by the need to fit the single story in a 4 hour slot as well as appealing to different kinds of players. (In a home group even published adventures will generally be chosen to fit with your playstyle, but PFS includes adventures written to fit a variety of playstyles--some are more social, some more dungeon crawly, etc so if you have strong feelings about particular adventure styles, you may want to ask about the adventure beforehand).

I've enjoyed most of my PFS experience and have met some great players through it. It's been a good way to spend a Sunday or Tuesday evening when my wife has her friends over for some kind of bag/jewelry/essential oils or whatever party.

[Kurald Galain]

Hi! I don't play Pathfinder.

I understand what PFS is overall but I haven't really heard much positive about it. Is it as lame as people make it out to be? Anyone with any experience with it that would like to share an anecdote? What's the appeal?

The appeal is that you're really part of a larger world. On the one hand, there's the community: if you have 10-20 players in your region, then you'll meet their characters in various combinations and hear stories about them that you can be part of.

On the other hand, many scenarios feature an overarching metaplot, or tie-ins or callbacks to other scenarios. I've been part of four organized play campaigns now, and PFS is hands down the best of them.

It gets a bad rep only because on the internet, everything gets a bad rep. People on forums are far more likely to share negative stories than positive ones (e.g. check out all the "worst player/DM/session" threads here), and it's easy for some to conclude that if they had one bad experience, all of it must suck.

[Psyren]

It's organized play - think Living Greyhawk or RPGA. It lets you show up somewhere (usually a convention or your FLGS) and jump into a game with strangers.

It's less popular because it's much more restrictive in terms of rulings and what you can play. But that restriction allows it to be accessible to more folks and played with strangers no matter where in the world you find a table. So there's a tradeoff there.

[Kurald Galain]

It's organized play - think Living Greyhawk or RPGA. It lets you show up somewhere (usually a convention or your FLGS) and jump into a game with strangers.

It's less popular because it's much more restrictive in terms of rulings and what you can play.

Greyhawk was notorious for its extensive banlists. RPGA and PFS allow you to play 99% of all options in the rulebooks (and are generous with wealth and retraining), making them actually less restrictive than most DMs. Except exotic races, for reasons of worldbuilding.

[Psyren]

Greyhawk was notorious for its extensive banlists. RPGA and PFS allow you to play 99% of all options in the rulebooks (and are generous with wealth and retraining), making them actually less restrictive than most DMs. Except exotic races, for reasons of worldbuilding.

I meant much more restrictive than non-sanctioned play, not comparing it to its predecessors. Sorry for the confusion there.

[Kurald Galain]

I meant much more restrictive than non-sanctioned play, not comparing it to its predecessors. Sorry for the confusion there.

Precisely. Both RPGA and PFS are less restrictive than the average DM.

[Psyren]

Precisely. Both RPGA and PFS are less restrictive than the average DM.

I don't know which GMs you play with, but I find that things like banning crafting and requiring "boons" to use non-core races are usually not the approach taken at home tables.

[Kurald Galain]

Riiiiight. That's of course why every thread in our play-by-post forum has to start with a sixteen-question survey so that the DM can describe what's allowed and what's not :smallbiggrin:

[Psyren]

Riiiiight. That's of course why every thread in our play-by-post forum has to start with a sixteen-question survey so that the DM can describe what's allowed and what's not :smallbiggrin:

Thing is, I only play IRL at physical tables with my actual friends, who are quite flexible as far as what I'm allowed to do (and appreciate that flexibility from me in turn, when I GM.) I can't speak for strangers on internet forums :smalltongue:

[digiman619]

Riiiiight. That's of course why every thread in our play-by-post forum has to start with a sixteen-question survey so that the DM can describe what's allowed and what's not :smallbiggrin:

That and it lets people know if some of the awesome 3PP pathfinder has are available. I can't tell you how many PbP games I've applied to simply because they allow some of my favorite rulesets (looking at you DSP and Spheres of Power!)

[TiaC]

In some areas the pathfinder society can be pretty bad because it has to accept all comers. So you sometimes get groups made up of the people who were thrown out of the other groups in the area. This is where most of the bad stories come from.

[ComaVision]

In some areas the pathfinder society can be pretty bad because it has to accept all comers. So you sometimes get groups made up of the people who were thrown out of the other groups in the area. This is where most of the bad stories come from.

That's what I imagine when I envision it. I've played a couple convention games in my town and there's no way I could play with most of those people more than once a year.

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by TiaC
In some areas the pathfinder society can be pretty bad because it has to accept all comers. So you sometimes get groups made up of the people who were thrown out of the other groups in the area. This is where most of the bad stories come from.

I've dealt with some of those people who circulate from game to game, so that's a sobering thought.

That said--how do you find out if there's a PFS table in your area? There was a comic book store near me which used to run a 5E night, but they just went out of business, so I'm not sure where else to look. My area is a desert for gaming stores.

[Psyren]

I've dealt with some of those people who circulate from game to game, so that's a sobering thought.

That said--how do you find out if there's a PFS table in your area? There was a comic book store near me which used to run a 5E night, but they just went out of business, so I'm not sure where else to look. My area is a desert for gaming stores.

MeetUp, and also search out any conventions that might be in your area (or a nearby city).

[Arutema]

That said--how do you find out if there's a PFS table in your area? There was a comic book store near me which used to run a 5E night, but they just went out of business, so I'm not sure where else to look. My area is a desert for gaming stores.

The best way is probably to find the Paizo officer nearest you on their official list. (http://paizo.com/pathfinderSociety/about/regionalCoordinators) Drop them an email asking about play in your town.

[Kurald Galain]

That said--how do you find out if there's a PFS table in your area?
The Paizo forums, or Warhorn.net.


That's what I imagine when I envision it. I've played a couple convention games in my town and there's no way I could play with most of those people more than once a year.
While I'm sure some areas are like that, it's hard to believe that all or even most areas are like that, given how popular the setting is (it gets about 10,000 sessions per year on Warhorn alone). So it's worth a shot finding out what your area is like.


That and it lets people know if some of the awesome 3PP pathfinder has are available. I can't tell you how many PbP games I've applied to simply because they allow some of my favorite rulesets (looking at you DSP and Spheres of Power!)
I do agree PFS would be improved by allowing DSP in their games.

[Doc_Maynot]

I do agree PFS would be improved by allowing DSP in their games.

Like half of the stuff PFS GMs and Players complain about would go away if they add in SoP (but then Adventures would need to be made accounting for the easy access to teleportation, then again Arcanists with Dimension Slide are a thing)

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Arutema
The best way is probably to find the Paizo officer nearest you on their official list. Drop them an email asking about play in your town.

Extremely helpful link, thanks. Looks like there's several very close to me.


Originally Posted by Elder_Basilisk
Also the adventures while often well written are not always well written and are limited by the need to fit the single story in a 4 hour slot as well as appealing to different kinds of players.

So, each session is only four hours? Gawd. My last gaming group could barely get started in four hours.

Is each four-hour session a completely separate mission, or is there some sort of continuity?

[Florian]

So, each session is only four hours? Gawd. My last gaming group could barely get started in four hours.

Is each four-hour session a completely separate mission, or is there some sort of continuity?

Depends. Each "Mission" is designed to be done in a 4 hour slot when "played by the book". Each "season" has an overarching theme and there´re some missions that are split into 2 or 3 part affairs.
Certain APs are also offered via PFS and then you´re into the long thing.

[Kurald Galain]

So, each session is only four hours? Gawd. My last gaming group could barely get started in four hours.
Depends. If you have a roleplay-minded group and the store will be open all day, then taking five or six hours per session is normal.


Is each four-hour session a completely separate mission, or is there some sort of continuity?
There is lots of continuity and ongoing plotlines, as well as tie-ins to earlier events and characters. There are also two- or three-part missions.

Last year's main plotline began as an ancient dwarven city was uncovered for exploration (in a multi-team full-day special event; it was actually reclaimed from demons in the previous year) where it turned out to have time-shifting properties caused by a part of a powerful artifact. Throughout the year, the main plot was finding information about the remaining pieces, claiming them, and keeping them out of rivals' hands. Plenty of sideplots, of course, but most of the year's missions relate to the main plotline. By the end of the year, all pieces had been uncovered and it was activated to launch an expedition into the past.

This year's main plotline started out as the aforementioned rivals launched a massive attack on society headquarters. The ongoing plot is figuring out why and how they did this, how to block their resources against future attacks, getting society equipment (and one soul) back, and there appears to be a scheming third party behind it. Meanwhile, one of the long-lasting society members gets involved in a political tangle of her home country.

I'm being intentionally vague here to avoid spoilers, of course. More information here (http://pathfinderwiki.com/wiki/Year_of_the_Demon).