Amazing.
It's not that I thought I'd use this blog a lot. It's that I'm amazed I left it up and running for so long. I'll be working on a new website for my gaming campaigns this week with my brother-in-law Dave, but for now, I figured I'd use this already working website to post the info on this weekend's game.

It's in the exciting world of the Pathfinder RPG. That name is a big disappointment. They obviously have plenty of creative talent over at Paizo Publishing right now and they choose a name that even a Japanese car manufacturer could come up with. Oh well. There's enough material in the stuff I'm reading to redeem them. I've heard it said that Pathfinder is Dungeons and Dragons 3.75. I disagree. It deserves the title of fourth edition much more than the current holder.

The first game this weekend is to help people get their characters started and to start the adventure. It's also to help all of us learn the Pathfinder system. Having never been very fluent with version 3, let alone 3.5, it's mostly new to me. I've been doing a lot of reading and studying and mental practice sessions to check balance, rotate the tires, etc. Combat is not my kid's father's combat system. It's more complicated: and more robust. I'm sure in the end we'll simplify some stuff, but to start with, we have to know what it is that needs to be simplified.

Since I'm way out of practice writing adventures, I'm wimping out and using a pre-fab. It's very good though and even includes a player's guide to help people get started: Council of Thieves Player's Guide. I've been reading and re-reading things to see not only how things are in that part of the world, but how things relate to other parts of the world. It's an interesting political setting. I hold to my belief in RPGs that nothing helps the PCs look more heroic than putting a very dark setting behind them and letting them shine. This adventure does that really well.

In addition to the information in the player's guide, the group might be interested to know that yes, the GM is allowing tiefling characters. I'm adjusting stats and abilities to fit the campaign. I'm also allowing aasinar (the celestial version of tieflings), but since the group already has one, I'll want to hear quite the back story on why I should allow two. Yes, someone already has their character ready. Magen is playing an aasinar ranger. Dave doesn't have his ready, but is thinking of playing a monk.

Some house rules to think about:
1. I don't restrict weapons by class usually. I don't allow exotic weapons unless you're from the region the weapon comes from, or use a feat to learn it. I will allow your rogue to carry around a two handed battle-axe, but I want to know WHY they carry it, despite the penalty I'll give on stealth checks. The only exception to my weapons rule is that monks are restricted exactly as outlined in the core rules.

2. There is no penalty to taking a profession skill. If your character wants to have a former profession as part of their background, they get one free point to spend on it. All additional points have to be spent as normal.

3. The feat table is a nice guideline for customizing your character, but isn't the end of that creativity. You can ask to add any feat you want for your character that you feel makes him or her unique. I'll work with you to balance the feat. For those that don't know what I'm talking about: don't worry. It will make sense when the time comes. Just don't be afraid to make up unique things about your character. Asking for a +1 one bonus to hit with the bow because they've been practicing archery since they could draw more than 5 pounds is perfectly acceptable.

4. I don't trust  others to make a barbarian that balances out. I will allow the players to choose a barbarian,but be warned, I'll tear away abilities and strip down rage stuff in a heart beat if I think it's interfering with game balance. Only choose that class if you're able to not take me being a turd personally.

5. All GMs we'll have for Pathfinder so far will not be using the Vancian magic system outlined in the rules. This means that if it says something about memorizing specific spells in advance, we don't do that. You choose your spells as you cast them. You still can only cast the same number per day as it specifies. I've been doing that for a long time and never run into balance issues. This means that a sorcerer and a wizard are just different flavors of the same thing. There's enough difference though, that I'm leaving both classes in my campaign.

You won't need the rule books to play with the group. I have both the printed copy and PDF versions of the core rulebooks and I'm printing plenty of copies of necessary tables and stuff. You can get the main books either at Hastur's Games on State Street, or from Paizo directly here. I recommend getting the PDF from the site first to see if you want to fork out the money for the printed copies.

I totally recommend against getting the Campaign Setting book. I have the older one and might be picking up the newer one in May. Campaign books are needed only occasionally and it's pretty easy to pass a single copy around. I have the PDF of the Beastiary already and just print up the monsters I need. I almost recommend the PDF over the print edition.

I'll start pointing everyone to the blog when I get back from lunch. =) Hope this helps.