Brand new GM starting PF2e

[quark12000]

I'm a brand new GM starting "The Fall of Plaguestone" for Pathfinder 2nd Edition for a group of 5 in a few weeks. Any resources I can be pointed towards or advice anyone can give would be greatly appreciated! I'm nervous as hell!

[quark12000]

Anyone? Please?

[weckar]

PF2 doesn't have a huge fanbase here, I'm afraid.

[quark12000]

PF2 doesn't have a huge fanbase here, I'm afraid.

Well, any general tips for a new DM would be cool. There is so much online that it's very daunting. I'm trying to whittle it down a bit.

[Ssalarn]

Well, any general tips for a new DM would be cool. There is so much online that it's very daunting. I'm trying to whittle it down a bit.

What in particular do you think might help you out?

PF2 is easier to run for a new GM than PF1, though it helps immensely to have the P2 GM's screen for quick reference of DCs and keywords. Enough of the rules have changed that if you've played a lot of PF1 or 3.5 you're going to need to try and forget a lot of what you knew; everyone has three actions now and they're not divided up into move/standard/swift, various spell names have changed, and only fighters and monsters that specifically have the reaction listed in their stat block get attacks of opportunity.

[exelsisxax]

Well, any general tips for a new DM would be cool. There is so much online that it's very daunting. I'm trying to whittle it down a bit.

My general advice are the lyrics to the song "whip it", except wing instead of whip.

[quark12000]

What in particular do you think might help you out?

PF2 is easier to run for a new GM than PF1, though it helps immensely to have the P2 GM's screen for quick reference of DCs and keywords. Enough of the rules have changed that if you've played a lot of PF1 or 3.5 you're going to need to try and forget a lot of what you knew; everyone has three actions now and they're not divided up into move/standard/swift, various spell names have changed, and only fighters and monsters that specifically have the reaction listed in their stat block get attacks of opportunity.

I have the GM screen! I do regularly play both 3.5 (monthly) and PF1 (biweekly), but I've also played 5e and Starfinder online, so I'll be able, hopefully, to keep the rule systems separately.

What I think would help me is tips about prep, mapmaking, if folks use PDFs and how they're integrated into their play. Just general stuff, or just useful videos. There are so many online it's difficult to know which ones are helpful.

[Ssalarn]

I have the GM screen! I do regularly play both 3.5 (monthly) and PF1 (biweekly), but I've also played 5e and Starfinder online, so I'll be able, hopefully, to keep the rule systems separately.

What I think would help me is tips about prep, mapmaking, if folks use PDFs and how they're integrated into their play. Just general stuff, or just useful videos. There are so many online it's difficult to know which ones are helpful.

Mapmaking probably won't be too different than any other d20 game, though it helps a lot to know your maps. PF2 rewards smart tactics in combat and has quite a few player tools for taking mobility 3D (especially if you've got a monk in the group), so knowing where the ledges, elevation changes, and nooks for cover are can help you be prepared behind the screen for when people want to use those.

I'll use a PDF of an adventure on my tablet or laptop for quick searches during a game, though typically I, personally, still use printouts or hard copies of the adventure so I can keep notes by hand. On the player side, I'm told Pathbuilder 2e is a really useful app, though I haven't used it myself.

Jason Buhlman, the lead designer at Paizo, has two actual play podcasts that he GMs, Oblivion Oath and Knights of Everflame. These might be useful watches, though I think the earliest episodes still occasionally refer to rules that were changed or replaced following the playtest.

[Psyren]

PF2 doesn't have a huge fanbase here, I'm afraid.

Hell, 3.5 is still popular here to this day, and P1 derived much of its popularity from being backwards compatible with that. P2 doesn't have that advantage, so it's kind of just... there.

@OP - have you checked the Paizo forums? I think the new edition's dedicated forum has, if not more fans, certainly more people actively playing that can give you practical pointers.

[quark12000]

Hell, 3.5 is still popular here to this day, and P1 derived much of its popularity from being backwards compatible with that. P2 doesn't have that advantage, so it's kind of just... there.

@OP - have you checked the Paizo forums? I think the new edition has, if not more fans, certainly more people actively playing that can give you practical pointers.

Yes, I go on the Paizo forums regularly. I'm just trying to accumulate as much useful information as possible before our first session.

[quark12000]

Mapmaking probably won't be too different than any other d20 game, though it helps a lot to know your maps. PF2 rewards smart tactics in combat and has quite a few player tools for taking mobility 3D (especially if you've got a monk in the group), so knowing where the ledges, elevation changes, and nooks for cover are can help you be prepared behind the screen for when people want to use those.

I'll use a PDF of an adventure on my tablet or laptop for quick searches during a game, though typically I, personally, still use printouts or hard copies of the adventure so I can keep notes by hand. On the player side, I'm told Pathbuilder 2e is a really useful app, though I haven't used it myself.


So you print out such things as stat blocks for monsters and NPCs? What kind of notes do you make?

[Crake]

So you print out such things as stat blocks for monsters and NPCs? What kind of notes do you make?

I imagine things like combat notes, monster HP etc, or for NPCs, a brief outline of the interactions the players had with them?

[Ssalarn]

So you print out such things as stat blocks for monsters and NPCs? What kind of notes do you make?

Mostly just quick tactics stuff and terrain reminders. There's less to keep track of with the monsters in PF2 since they use a streamlined stat block, so as long as you have the stats and know how the monster is supposed to play on the map you're using, you'll generally be fine.


I imagine things like combat notes, monster HP etc, or for NPCs, a brief outline of the interactions the players had with them?

Previous encounters is a great add to the list, whenever it's relevant.