• What is Pathfinder?

    So you want to be a Pathfinder? Then step right in to a world beset by powerful magics and dastardly evils as you adventure through Golarion, forging your own path and making a name for yourself.

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  • What is Organized Play

    Pathfinder Society Organized Play is a worldwide fantasy roleplaying campaign that puts YOU in the role of an agent of the Pathfinder Society, a legendary league of explorers, archaeologists, and adventurers...

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Monday, 29 September 2014

Con Etiquette - Don't be that guy

"You're the reason the party failed."

Someone once said that to me after a game, because as the only arcane spell caster in the group, I didn't take the usual party spells in my repertoire. I was very upset and insulted by this person's accusations, partially because he wasn't even in my game to begin with. Secondly, the party survived and we did alright and my spell selection wouldn't have changed the outcome of the scenario and thirdly, I wasn't playing an optimized character and I had actual role playing reasons for my spell selection.

If I had been a bit younger, a bit more hot-headed and a bit less thick-skinned, I'd have yelled at him, yelled at my VC for 'endorsing' such a caustic Pathfinder environment and then promptly stopped playing PFS altogether. Lucky that this said player was someone whom I've gamed with on multiple occasions, and we're known to give each other a hard time, so no skin off either of our backs. However, had this been a new player, being told they are doing it wrong will most likely turn them off the hobby.

Unfortunately, there is a gamer stereotype that tabletop rpg players are dirty, basement-dwelling, obese freaks of nature with zero social skills and the want to escape into a fantasy world to deal with their real life issues. Yeah it's totally unfair, but when players get comments about how their build sucks, how their damage is pathetic, how their spell selection is stupid... it does nothing to help change this stereotype, nor does it attract new players.

With the upcoming convention, here are some vitals points to remember!

Deodorize heavily.

It's Singapore, you'll sweat, and as I assume all of us shower every day (or twice!) at least, please remember to deodorize heavily especially if you'll be taking public transport in the hot sun. You'll be meeting new friends from all walks of life, and making a good first impression and turning away from the greasy nerd stereotype can't harm you.

Besides, people that like you more, tend to be nicer, and if you're short of 2pp for that vital raise dead... better hope your friends like you.

Encourage not police.

Having a pure fluff character that cannot hold his own in combat is going to be brutal, especially in some of the scenarios where every move and character present is essential. Most of the time, it could be that the player him or herself doesn't know their class well enough, and thus are making sub-optimal choices (e.g. memorizing cure spells on a cleric when they can spontaneously convert cure spells). At a con, you're going to meet random players you never played before, and their sub-part tactics might end up leading to a party death...

Instead of "you're stupid" or "you're doing it wrong", try asking them to explain their spell selection. They might have a valid reason you're unaware of, or perhaps genuinely didn't know the mechanics due to it being a new class.

Don't be the roleplay - dictator.

We're all there to play together and have fun. Do avoid making decisions for other players. Everyone is there to play, and no one likes a dictator. We have a player in our group who loves doing this, and every time he disagrees with what a person wants to do, he'll immediately say "No! Don't do that, you will get us all killed. Do this instead" and then go on a whole speech about what the rest of the party is going to do.

That's when I look straight at my GM, ignore the said player and just do what I originally wanted to do anyway. There's a difference between offering tactically sound advice and being a dictator. Generally a kind "if you walk that way you will provoke AoO, why not go this way instead?" or a "I'd like to cast colour spray next round, can you 5 foot to the left instead?" is more effective than "No. If you move there you will die."

Be prepared!

Games at conventions have a strict time schedule, so during combat and roleplay, it is imperative you have all your information and materials at your finger tips. Make sure your character sheets are updated, and bring pdfs of your books, or photocopy / book mark items and feats that are seem less frequently so you have the information should your GM request a reference.

When it's your turn at combat, try and plan early or pull out whatever references you need to do before your turn. If you are stumped, delaying until the situation is more advantageous is always a good decision on a tactical level and also will not delay the game.

Don't be THAT GUY.

Each player has their own ideas, and PFS is supposed to be a cooperative one. Respect their space, both in terms of actual physical surrounding as well as metaphorically in terms of how they control their characters. Not everyone will agree with you, and conflict is present in real-world situations, why not in Golarion too? Instead of yelling about it, learn to let go, and sometimes you'll find out that the ride is that much more enjoyable.

BONUS! Convention Checklist!


  • Updated character sheets with chronicles attached
  • PDF or book references.
  • Miniatures (don't forget tokens too if you have animal companions or use spells that require tracking like dancing blade / flame orb etc.)
  • Writing implements and a note book  to take down notes, or jot down spells or important quest objectives (also good to take down the phone number of that cute girl at the registration booth)
  • Water bottles to keep hydrated!
  • Munchies! Do bring snacks you can share and are clean and won't leave a mess!
  • Wet wipes / tissue for after your snacks so you don't leave grimy fingerprints everywhere
  • Breath mints. Nuff said.
  • Deodorant / Antiperspirant. Nuff said.
  • A jacket in case it gets cold


Thursday, 11 September 2014

Sir, How do I become a Game Master?

That's a question that we've received on more than one occasion, with many players thinking that they need to undergo some form of 'test' or class in order to qualify as a GM. That's completely false! Anyone can be a GM, and in fact we have some PFS members that GM almost exclusively, as they seem to enjoy it more than playing.

Having said that, that doesn't necessarily mean you can waltz in without any preparation what so ever, there are a couple of things you might want to take note of in order to become a great GM.

Our GM (VC Richard) was very hard at work to prepare the awesome maps and minis for this epic battle in our Wrath of the Righteous Adventure Path.
1. Prepare!

With Pathfinder Society, your campaigns are pre-written for you. That doesn't mean you should run it cold (aka, without any preparation). Take an hour or two to read through the scenario and understand the goals of each character. Take time to rehearse hard-to-pronounce names (it's very distracting when you mispronounce an important NPC's name up to the point that players don't even know who it is!), look up stats before hand and jot down any notes you might need to take. Some monster stats might not be listed in the scenario requiring you to cross reference from the bestiary or NPCs might have spells that you don't often use, fumbling for information during game time not only looks unprofessional, its a big time waster. Knowing all these information at your fingertips is essential for a smooth game, also, it's important for one very big reason....

2. Dealing with Curved Balls.

Players don't do what you want them to do. In fact there are some players that crave the excitement in breaking your game. In one of the games I GM-ed, I had a group of players who decided they essentially wanted to skip the entire scenario and go find the BBEG (Big Bad Evil Guy/Gal) and kill her. You could always just say "sorry, that's not in the scope of this scenario" and drag the players on track, but they'll feel upset, cheated and very, very, railroaded (this is a free-form rpg, not a computer game with invisible walls). That's when proper preparation and a bit of quick thinking is imperative, how do you lead them back on track without seeming like it's too much of a railroad? In my case, the party wanted to hire some thugs to help them storm the mansion, so I threw in a random thug who happened to be part of the BBEG's crew and made off after accepting payment. Obviously no one lets thieves get away scot-free, and the party was led to the thug's headquarters instead of the BBEG's mansion, thus carrying on the story in a much neater way.

Another thing to remember is that this isn't a computer game, if players come up with creative ways to get past a problem, you should reward them, not shoot them down. Being a serpent-blooded sorcerer, one of our players wanted to charm the BBEG's pet basilisk and turn it against his owner. Well, why not? Not everything has to be dealt with with fire and explosions, rewarding crazy and risky antics makes for a more interesting game, and rest assured your players will try it again, and overall leading to good memories and fun times for everyone.


Handouts are useful and add a layer of realism and interactivity



3. Listen, Listen, Listen.

The game is about your players, not about you. If your speech dominates more than 30% of the game, you're doing it wrong! You're there as a facilitator, let your players decide what to do. You'll be surprised at what they can come up with when you ask questions instead of just dictating what happens.

This is also important in ensuring everyone gets a fair share of the action. Some players are quiet and tend to be overpowered by other players, take note of them, and once in a while throw a "so what would you like to do" down their way. They usually come up with really good ideas, and once the rest of the group start noticing that their companion has stuff to contribute, they'll naturally include them in discussions.


Pathfinder's Game Mastery cards are great for players to keep track of consumables and scenario-only use items. Feel free to create your own!


4. Manage your time!

Most players play Pathfinder Society because they like the ease of dropping in and out of games. So watch out for time limits. Keep the tangents to yourself, and if your players are gently straying off track, lead them back to the mission at hand. Combat usually takes up the most of time, because players can't decide what to do, or because of 'hard math' as some may call it. What we like to suggest is employ is a semi-realistic time limit. When it's their turn, each player has 10 seconds to decide what to do, if they can't, we move on and they can jump back in anytime (aka, force Delay Action). Another way to speed up game is to make things happen real time. Say a party is taking too long to search the room, secretly roll perception checks for the guards in the next room, and the longer the party takes, the higher the chance of the guards hearing them and coming over to investigate. That's a surefire way to let your party know that things are going to move on with or without them!

Incidentally, some GMs also mentioned that rule-lawyering has led to many delays in games. As a GM you have the right to make a decision on an unclear rule. If the player is unhappy, you can take it up after the game, but try not to waste too much time. What we usually do is get the player to pull up the exact wording of the feat/skill/spell in question from a resource that he owns (ie. hardcopy or watermarked pdf). If he doesn't have either, then we just rule that as per Organized Play rules, he can't use that skill. If he does have it, the GM can take a quick read, make a ruling and move on. It's not fair on the others to slow the game because of one person. If you can't deal with the situation, you can always refer him to a Venture Officer for clarification.

5. Admit if you're wrong.

We're all human, and we've all been guilty of mistakes once in a while. If you make a mistake, apologize and move on. It's not the end of the world, and people tend to forgive you as long as you're not the proverbial ass.






Thursday, 4 September 2014

SmiteCon 3

Drop by SmiteCon! The next Pathfinder Society convention held from the 4-6th October (long weekend fyeah!) at the Australian International School! 

Be the first to enter the fallen sky citadel of Jormurdun in the multi-table special scenario Legacy of the Stonelords (the tradition of dressing-up in character is still encouraged and rewarded!); be a part of the evolution of the Society's factions in the special scenario The Paths We Choose; Catch up on the final scenarios of Season 5: Year of the Demon; Get a head start on Season 6: Year of the Sky Key; or try to survive the totally unfair, character killing dungeon Bonekeep Level 3!

For new players, you can participate in the customized Beginner's Track to grasp the basics of Pathfinder and start your way to becoming a full fledged adventurer.

Ticket prices are set at $2 per session. Payment is by cash at the door. You may add sessions during the convention if spaces permit.

The convention is fully endorsed by Paizo so there will be opportunities to win convention-only player and GM boons as well as fabulous book and gaming accessory prizes. Back by popular demand there will be a Trivia Contest so make sure you brush up on your Golarion lore to compete for the title of Loremaster of the Con!

For more information and to register, please go to the Warhorn site at: https://warhorn.net/events/smitecon-3