Core Mode Corner Cases


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Sovereign Court 5/5 Owner - Enchanted Grounds, President/Owner - Enchanted Grounds

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Michael Brock wrote:
gnoams wrote:
Continuing the spell access to normally open spells train of thought, the same applies for weapons and armor. If you fight a guy with a normal earthbreaker, can you then purchase one yourself? Can you purchase a masterwork one? Can you upgrade it? If there's a +1 flaming chakram on a chronicle sheet can you buy that and then upgrade it? Can you buy a normal one instead, or only one exactly like you found?
If the weapon appears on the Chronicle sheet, then you can purchase it. Otherwise no.

Heh. I've always wanted to make a PC that only has items he found while adventuring (i.e., only off the chronicles or always available list with no upgrading, no items specific to his build, etc.). This seems like the perfect opportunity to explore that.

The Exchange 5/5 RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16

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A question has cropped up on another thread.

Liam the GM is not interested in playing in Core Mode, but he's willing to run games in Core Mode for his friends.

In March, Liam runs 5 different scenarios in Core Mode and registers the GM credit Chronicles to a new character. In April, he runs a game in Standard Mode and applies the GM credit Chronicle to the same character.

Liam now comes to a table with his new GM baby. By our understanding, that's now a 3rd-level Standard character. So if his PC were a Human fighter, it could have a teamwork feat (a non-core element) that he selected as the character's 3rd-level feat.

The question is whether or not his PC could have a non-core Trait, or for that matter be a Tengu alchemist, since those options would have had to have been selected at 1st level, which would have prevented more Core Mode chronicles from being applied to the character.

If you'd asked my opinion, I would have said that we don't track GM-credit baby characters from hypothetical level to level, and that coming to the table with any sort of Standard Mode character would be okay, but this is new territory.

Thanks.

Dark Archive 4/5

relevant Mike posts from blog comments:

Michael Brock wrote:
Sammy T wrote:
I'm glad it makes folks happy and I hope it works out but it's not for me (as a player). I won't mind GMing Core Campaign as long as the GM credit can be applied to a standard Campaign character. If Core Campaign GM credit must be assigned to a Core Campaign-compliant character, then it really puts a damper on my enthusiasm.
You can assign Core Chronicle GM sheets to a core character only. However, that character can then be switched to a normal mode character, So, you could GM 12 Core mode games, assign them all to a Core mode character, and then switch that Core mode character over to normal mode and go from there. Granted you wouldn't be able to assign him future Core mode chronicles, but it is an option.
Michael Brock wrote:
andreww wrote:
Michael Brock wrote:
You can assign Core Chronicle GM sheets to a core character only. However, that character can then be switched to a normal mode character, So, you could GM 12 Core mode games, assign them all to a Core mode character, and then switch that Core mode character over to normal mode and go from there. Granted you wouldn't be able to assign him future Core mode chronicles, but it is an option.

That does raise a GM credit baby question.

Lets say that I have those 12 chronicles on my nebulous GM character. He is technically level 5 but I haven't built him yet. Can I decide to switch him to non core at the point I build the actual character and make, say, a Magus or do I have to wait until he has played a non Core game before he can use non Core options?

You have to make a Core character with those Core Chronicles. You can't apply 12 Chronicles to a GM baby and then make a Magus from it.

Shadow Lodge 4/5

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On the other hand if you limit yourself to 3 core chronicles to a character, then apply normal ones after that, you could then use your free first level rebuild to make it whatever you want.

1/5

gnoams wrote:
On the other hand if you limit yourself to 3 core chronicles to a character, then apply normal ones after that, you could then use your free first level rebuild to make it whatever you want.

I don't believe this is the case. If you have a Core only sheet you must follow the rules of Core Rebuild.

Sczarni 5/5 5/55/5 ***

I asked that exact same question, and got the exact same response.

But there's something incomplete about it that I just can't put my finger on.

There will likely have to be something in the Guide prohibiting rebuilt GM credit babies.

Like, I suppose, even considering what Mike has said (more than once), someone could still put 2xp of Core Chronicles on a PC, then play its 3rd game in standard, and then rebuild it however they want, since the PC still hasn't played above 1st level, and is now no longer Core.

And, further, it's still possible to show up at a table with a X-level Core credit baby, state you're playing in a standard game, and then dump all of your gold on non-Core items after the VC briefing.

I'm sure other wonky examples exist, too.

Shadow Lodge 4/5

Undone wrote:
gnoams wrote:
On the other hand if you limit yourself to 3 core chronicles to a character, then apply normal ones after that, you could then use your free first level rebuild to make it whatever you want.
I don't believe this is the case. If you have a Core only sheet you must follow the rules of Core Rebuild.

But as soon as you apply a non-core sheet it is no longer core and goes to following all the rules of the standard campaign. You might only be able to put 2 core chronicles on a character to do this and the 3rd be normal though, now I think about it more. With 3 your rebuild would still be as a core character, with two you are switching to normal while still first, so your rebuild should be under normal rules.


Nefreet wrote:

I asked that exact same question, and got the exact same response.

But there's something incomplete about it that I just can't put my finger on.

There will likely have to be something in the Guide prohibiting rebuilt GM credit babies.

Like, I suppose, even considering what Mike has said (more than once), someone could still put 2xp of Core Chronicles on a PC, then play its 3rd game in standard, and then rebuild it however they want, since the PC still hasn't played above 1st level, and is now no longer Core.

As I said in the thread where this question was originally raised, I'm not certain of the rationale or need for this restriction. If there are problems getting enough GMs for Core games, as some have suggested there might be, dropping this restriction might be an easy fix.

Obviously, you couldn't play such characters in a Core game, but I don't see the problem with letting Core GM credit being used towards Normal mode characters.

Grand Lodge 5/5

A problem with allowing CORE GM credits to be switched to Normal would be, cherry picking a bunch of scenarios you already have normal credit for. You GM them as CORE then you "rebuild" as Normal and then you have a 3rd set of these chronicles on a Normal character.

I realized while typing the above, that players will do the same thing. Replay a certain set of low tier games, that give a bunch of significant advantages then switch out of Core.

I don't think credit should be allowed to swap between campaigns at all.

Grand Lodge 4/5

Michael Thompson wrote:

A problem with allowing CORE GM credits to be switched to Normal would be, cherry picking a bunch of scenarios you already have normal credit for. You GM them as CORE then you "rebuild" as Normal and then you have a 3rd set of these chronicles on a Normal character.

I realized while typing the above, that players will do the same thing. Replay a certain set of low tier games, that give a bunch of significant advantages then switch out of Core.

I don't think credit should be allowed to swap between campaigns at all.

Except that it is already a written rule that you can take a Core character out of Core to Standard.

Would you then have that PC drop back to a new PC with no XP, PP or gold past the 150? And what if you were "sacrificing" a 7th level Core PC's Coreness to provide that last "real" PC for a 7-11 game?

The Exchange 5/5 RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16

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I strongly suspect that the ability to transfer a Core Mode PC to Standard Mode is one of the elements of the proposal that will make certain that we do NOT split the playerbase into two campaigns.

Grand Lodge 5/5

I'm not suggesting we change things. I really like core as a campaign. I doubt I'll take a character out of core. I hAve plenty of non-core characters to play.

But this idea is one of the reasons for not having replay, the farming of specific scenarios for the specific stuffs.

To Kinevon. I would play a pregen over sacrificing a character to make a table. Also, if I didn't want to play what was on offer for session I wouldn't show up.

My personal situation this would never happen, since I GM 7-8 games for every game I play, and I also heavily involved in creating the play schedule here. I also have characters floating around in every tier if necessary.

Scarab Sages 4/5 **

Pathfinder Adventure, Adventure Path Subscriber

While it is possible under the current system to "abuse" the ability to move from Core to Standard, we should also temper that by how likely that is to actually be abused.

Unless the boon is in Tier 1-7 or Tier1-5, you'll have to play (or GM) a lot of Core scenarios to get your boon. Then (assuming you are level 2 or higher), you'd have to retrain to switch over to the non-core options you want.

You'd be stuck with CORE races (and their abilities), and CORE traits. And retrain isn't free - it's very expensive in Prestige. You might need to retrain a class and/or archetype (or spells known). I would assume in most cases the retraining would be sufficiently expensive to counter any "benefit" from the boon.

And what boons are we really talking about here? I really can't think of anything game-breaking. And I fully confess to "farming" a boon by GMing a couple of adventures for the right PC. I assure you, the net result was not to the detriment of the campaign (it just made a PC mildly viable).

I just don't see this "loophole" being a big deal. I am a little concerned that normal PFS GMs won't see a "benefit" to getting GM credit on CORE scenarios if they only get CORE GM credits. But realistically, the types of GMs that GM only for credit, don't GM often - so they probably have a bunch of scenarios to GM in standard PFS to choose from still. GMs that are willing to GM a lot are motivated by more than just GM credits (they're a nice boon), and are less likely to care that a "core credit" is less useful to them.

just my 2 coppers.

Grand Lodge 4/5

Well, I could see some module-related boons as being fairly powerful, in their own way.

Spoiler:
Fangwood Keep, for example, which is only a 3-5...

1/5 *

I think I know the answer to this but I want to clarify:
Being very new to Pathfinder Society organized play; I have 2 normal campaign Chronicle Sheets, from play with pregenerated core characters.
I am about to build my character as a "real" character. Can I build the character as "Core" or do I need to build her as a standard campaign character?

My reason for asking is that I have two character concepts one of which fist completely in the core rules, and one which would probably need some non-core books to fully develop.

Sczarni 5/5 5/55/5 ***

If the Chronicles you've applied thus far are ALL Core Chronicles (earned by playing/GMing in a Core game, and reported as such), you may build your character as a Core character.

If even one of them was from the standard campaign, you cannot build a Core character with them.

Dark Archive 4/5

Michael Brock wrote:
Himokl wrote:
What do we do with spellbooks we find in game? (E.g. can we copy non-core spells from them?)
Look at my second reply in this thread for an answer to spell books

That's probably worth calling out some more as potentially extra annotation required by CORE GM and players to make sure its not missed - which might cause problems later.

GMs (or player's annotation signed off by GMs) are going to have to write on the chronicle all non-core spells in found NPC spellbooks and scrolls - which might be a long list (though unlikely).

Hmm, its likely to make any scenario with non-core spells a must replay scenario for wizards. Though offhand I can't recall any particularly "must have" spells in NPC spellbooks, create pit for example.

The Exchange 5/5 RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16

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A reminder that someone could play a scenario in Core Mode first, realize the boon or available item would be good for a particular Standard Mode PC, and replay the scenario in Stnadard Mode.

1/5

Chris Mortika wrote:

A reminder that someone could play a scenario in Core Mode first, realize the boon or available item would be good for a particular Standard Mode PC, and replay the scenario in Stnadard Mode.

The reverse is approximately 10,000% more likely since there are some GM's who have played everything or nearly everything.

Sczarni 5/5 5/55/5 ***

But, I think, that possibility can now, only increase.

Every day new players are joining PFS (literally).

Lots of those players are new to Pathfinder.

It makes sense that this new "generation" could start PFS by playing Core, and transition to standard as they acquire more books.

Or, instead of playing through one campaign, and then beginning another, as we're essentially doing, they could play through both at the same rate.


Nefreet wrote:

But, I think, that possibility can now, only increase.

Every day new players are joining PFS (literally).

Lots of those players are new to Pathfinder.

It makes sense that this new "generation" could start PFS by playing Core, and transition to standard as they acquire more books.

Or, instead of playing through one campaign, and then beginning another, as we're essentially doing, they could play through both at the same rate.

Though I assume most new players will prefer to play scenarios they haven't already played, as long as those are available.

Sczarni 5/5 5/55/5 ***

I'd assume so as well.

Though, it's possible we may witness a new culture of players who pick their scenarios and build their characters differently, as well.

Only time will tell what trends come of this.

(not being a doomsayer here, just mentioning an interest in studying a new population of people)

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder PF Special Edition, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
Chris Mortika wrote:

A question has cropped up on another thread.

Liam the GM is not interested in playing in Core Mode, but he's willing to run games in Core Mode for his friends.

In March, Liam runs 5 different scenarios in Core Mode and registers the GM credit Chronicles to a new character. In April, he runs a game in Standard Mode and applies the GM credit Chronicle to the same character.

Liam now comes to a table with his new GM baby. By our understanding, that's now a 3rd-level Standard character. So if his PC were a Human fighter, it could have a teamwork feat (a non-core element) that he selected as the character's 3rd-level feat.

The question is whether or not his PC could have a non-core Trait, or for that matter be a Tengu alchemist, since those options would have had to have been selected at 1st level, which would have prevented more Core Mode chronicles from being applied to the character.

If you'd asked my opinion, I would have said that we don't track GM-credit baby characters from hypothetical level to level, and that coming to the table with any sort of Standard Mode character would be okay, but this is new territory.

Thanks.

The problem is that Liam screwed up and added both Core and non-Core chronicles to the same character, which isn't kosher. Core characters are separate from Classic PFS characters and Core chronicles can only be applied to them, just as Classic chronicles can only be applied to Classic.


LazarX wrote:
Chris Mortika wrote:

A question has cropped up on another thread.

Liam the GM is not interested in playing in Core Mode, but he's willing to run games in Core Mode for his friends.

In March, Liam runs 5 different scenarios in Core Mode and registers the GM credit Chronicles to a new character. In April, he runs a game in Standard Mode and applies the GM credit Chronicle to the same character.

Liam now comes to a table with his new GM baby. By our understanding, that's now a 3rd-level Standard character. So if his PC were a Human fighter, it could have a teamwork feat (a non-core element) that he selected as the character's 3rd-level feat.

The question is whether or not his PC could have a non-core Trait, or for that matter be a Tengu alchemist, since those options would have had to have been selected at 1st level, which would have prevented more Core Mode chronicles from being applied to the character.

If you'd asked my opinion, I would have said that we don't track GM-credit baby characters from hypothetical level to level, and that coming to the table with any sort of Standard Mode character would be okay, but this is new territory.

The problem is that Liam screwed up and added both Core and non-Core chronicles to the same character, which isn't kosher. Core characters are separate from Classic PFS characters and Core chronicles can only be applied to them, just as Classic chronicles can only be applied to Classic.

No. That's legit. At least I think it is, by analogy with taking a Core character and playing a Classic game with it, at which point it becomes a Classic character.

You should be able to do the same with GM credit, you just can't go backward and you have to build your character 1 chronicle at a time.
So the first 5 Core chronicles need to be used to make a 2nd level Core only character. Then you apply the 6th, become classic and 2nd level and can start adding non-Core options.

1/5

LazarX wrote:

The problem is that Liam screwed up and added both Core and non-Core chronicles to the same character, which isn't kosher. Core characters are separate from Classic PFS characters and Core chronicles can only be applied to them, just as Classic chronicles can only be applied to Classic.

It's already confirmed that if you have 4 EXP and your 4th exp was Core only you must take your first level in a Core Only legal way.

The Exchange 5/5 RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16

Corner case: Season 6 and the Technologist feat.

In Standard Mode, PCs need the Technologist feat to understand Numerian technology well enough to use skills like Disable Device effectively. That feat is unavailable for Core Mode characters.

How should we proceed?

Grand Lodge 5/5

Pathfinder Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Society Subscriber
Chris Mortika wrote:

Corner case: Season 6 and the Technologist feat.

In Standard Mode, PCs need the Technologist feat to understand Numerian technology well enough to use skills like Disable Device effectively. That feat is unavailable for Core Mode characters.

How should we proceed?

Get adamantine weapons and smash everything you don't understand. Just like in medieval times, destroy all the heretic stuff and drive all those heretics away. :P

While not having someone with the Technologist feat hasn't really been much of an issue in the season 6 scenarios I played it's a very good question.

Shadow Lodge 4/5

Alex McGuire wrote:

I believe that all PCs, regardless of class should have the same or nearly the same access to spells, even if they gain spells in different ways. Here is some suggested wording for the Guide to Organized play, specificically for the chronicle sheet items section of the Core campaign rules:

"If a player comes across a scroll of a spell found outside of the core rules that is on their spell list during an adventure, the player may purchase the scroll for the standard cost after the adventure for the purposes of gaining access to the spell. The scroll is considered expended, and a Wizard can perform the normal process of adding the spell to their spellbook, and can take 10 on the spellcraft check to do so. Clerics, Druids and Rangers can choose to prepare the spell as normal from that point on. Bards and Sorcerers can choose to add the spell as a spell known any time they gain a spell known of the appropriate level, and can retrain spells of that level into the spell on the scroll, spending the normal prestige and gold costs to do so. The GM should notate on the chronicle that the player has gained access to the spell."

Also, I think that wizards trading non-core spells back and forth is detrimental to the spirit of the Core Campaign. I think that you should only get access to a spell if you encounter it yourself. Suggested wording for the guide:

"Wizards may not copy spells that are found outside of the core rulebook from other PC wizards' spellbooks. They may still copy non-core spells from spellbooks found as treasure."

I agree. Wizards really shouldn't have any special advantage to add non-Core material, and it either needs to be disallowed entirely, or handled equally for each spellcasting class.

However, even with a ruling like this, I think divine casters would still be screwed, as Chronicle Sheets don't hand out much (if any at all) special spells on scrolls and there are no "prayer books" to be found. The base spell lists are already heavily skewed towards arcane casters, so I'd be more inclined to suggest that either any spell encountered is free game or NO Non-Core spells at all, even if it's on a chronicle sheet. Can't learn it from the book, and can't even purchase the scroll. If you find the scroll, you can use it, but only n that one scenario. The later, I think, would also stop any future issues that might come up round spells (or whatever) and unforeseen consequences down the road.

4/5

The main issue to watch for when transferring a character from Core to Standard is that you can only earn credit for a chronicle once in each campaign.

Let's say Liam has GM credit in normal mode for scenarios A, B, C, and D.
He runs scenarios A, D, E, F, and G in core mode and receives core chronicles/credit for those scenarios.

He cannot apply the core chronicles for scenarios A and D to a character and then transition that character to normal mode, because he already has GM credit for those scenarios in normal more and can't get credit for them twice.

Theoretically, he could apply the core chronicles from scenarios B and C to a character and then transition it to normal more, but then he can't ever get GM credit for those scenarios in normal mode.

The same applies to player credit, too. You can't "double up" on your chronicles by replaying a scenario in core and then transfer your character to normal mode. (That, I think, is one of the main reasons to make sure the campaigns stay as separate as possible: this can cause a lot of confusion.)

Now, I have a lot of empathy for Liam. He's running scenarios in core mode and doesn't ever plan to benefit from the GM credit. (I anticipate ending up in the same situation: since I run a lot of our "new player intro" games at cons, I will probably end up running in core mode, but I haven't decided whether I want to play anything in core mode.)

My best solution for that is to be really, really nice to Liam and other GMs who end up in the same boat. Technically, they're not any worse off, credit-wise, than if they ran the same scenarios multiple times, but they are going to have to do that extra brain adjustment to the core rules. And if they actually dislike the core mode (instead of just not being excited by it), they can lose some level of enjoyment running the scenarios.

Silver Crusade 2/5

I still don't see how running CORE is any different than running regular mode, since they aren't changing the scenarios. I'll run it, but I don't see why I'd ever play it. I looking forward to the TPKs in season 4+, personally. I'm not giving people a "CORE break" on enemy tactics. All hail the King of Storval Stairs.


Dorothy Lindman wrote:

The main issue to watch for when transferring a character from Core to Standard is that you can only earn credit for a chronicle once in each campaign.

Let's say Liam has GM credit in normal mode for scenarios A, B, C, and D.
He runs scenarios A, D, E, F, and G in core mode and receives core chronicles/credit for those scenarios.

He cannot apply the core chronicles for scenarios A and D to a character and then transition that character to normal mode, because he already has GM credit for those scenarios in normal more and can't get credit for them twice.

Theoretically, he could apply the core chronicles from scenarios B and C to a character and then transition it to normal more, but then he can't ever get GM credit for those scenarios in normal mode.

The same applies to player credit, too. You can't "double up" on your chronicles by replaying a scenario in core and then transfer your character to normal mode. (That, I think, is one of the main reasons to make sure the campaigns stay as separate as possible: this can cause a lot of confusion.)

Has that actually been explicitly stated anywhere?

It didn't seem to be implied in the initial Blog post.
Quote:
At any point a player wants to transition their character from the Core Campaign to the existing campaign, they may do so. However, they may not bring that character back to the Core Campaign. As set forth in the current rules, a character may not have two of the same Chronicle sheet assigned to him, regardless of whether it was earned in the Core or existing campaign.

It seemed to me you could always transfer a character to normal, regardless of what chronicles he had.

Grand Lodge 3/5

"Devil's Advocate" wrote:
Alex McGuire wrote:


Also, I think that wizards trading non-core spells back and forth is detrimental to the spirit of the Core Campaign. I think that you should only get access to a spell if you encounter it yourself. Suggested wording for the guide:

"Wizards may not copy spells that are found outside of the core rulebook from other PC wizards' spellbooks. They may still copy non-core spells from spellbooks found as treasure."

I agree. Wizards really shouldn't have any special advantage to add non-Core material, and it either needs to be disallowed entirely, or handled equally for each spellcasting class.

However, even with a ruling like this, I think divine casters would still be screwed, as Chronicle Sheets don't hand out much (if any at all) special spells on scrolls and there are no "prayer books" to be found. The base spell lists are already heavily skewed...

It certainly would have been simpler if the leadership had just ruled that core mode characters simply couldn't learn spells outside of the core rulebook unless a boon specificly gives access to it, not just learning from scrolls or books. So if you have a non core scroll on a chronicle sheet you can buy it and use the scroll, but you can't learn it. It seems like it would have been more fair at least, and it sticks closer to what I see as the intended flavour of core.

I imagine it's a little too late for them to go back, if they even wanted to now.

Scarab Sages 4/5

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thejeff wrote:
Dorothy Lindman wrote:

The main issue to watch for when transferring a character from Core to Standard is that you can only earn credit for a chronicle once in each campaign.

Let's say Liam has GM credit in normal mode for scenarios A, B, C, and D.
He runs scenarios A, D, E, F, and G in core mode and receives core chronicles/credit for those scenarios.

He cannot apply the core chronicles for scenarios A and D to a character and then transition that character to normal mode, because he already has GM credit for those scenarios in normal more and can't get credit for them twice.

Theoretically, he could apply the core chronicles from scenarios B and C to a character and then transition it to normal more, but then he can't ever get GM credit for those scenarios in normal mode.

The same applies to player credit, too. You can't "double up" on your chronicles by replaying a scenario in core and then transfer your character to normal mode. (That, I think, is one of the main reasons to make sure the campaigns stay as separate as possible: this can cause a lot of confusion.)

Has that actually been explicitly stated anywhere?

It didn't seem to be implied in the initial Blog post.
Quote:
At any point a player wants to transition their character from the Core Campaign to the existing campaign, they may do so. However, they may not bring that character back to the Core Campaign. As set forth in the current rules, a character may not have two of the same Chronicle sheet assigned to him, regardless of whether it was earned in the Core or existing campaign.
It seemed to me you could always transfer a character to normal, regardless of what chronicles he had.

Yes, I believe that you are correct thejeff. Even though the character transitions to the normal campaign, the chronicles are still noted as core, so the player does not, in fact, have a duplicate chronicle. Even though that character had transitioned to normal mode, the chronicle was earned while in core mode, and therefore counts as the core mode running of that scenario.

Silver Crusade 2/5

David Bowles wrote:
I still don't see how running CORE is any different than running regular mode, since they aren't changing the scenarios. I'll run it, but I don't see why I'd ever play it. I looking forward to the TPKs in season 4+, personally. I'm not giving people a "CORE break" on enemy tactics. All hail the King of Storval Stairs.

Glorious, I look forward to the challenge. I have only had one PC die in 3 years.

Liberty's Edge 5/5 5/5 *** Venture-Lieutenant, Indiana—Martinsville

Keeping in mind that the character still can not play those same scenarios played as Core as Normal, as he already has gone through the adventure. (The Player still can't have the character have the same chronicle twice, no matter what mode is played)

I had one PC die multiple times. The last time i shall ever play a straight up Monk.

Silver Crusade 5/5 5/5 **

David Bowles wrote:
I still don't see how running CORE is any different than running regular mode, since they aren't changing the scenarios. I'll run it, but I don't see why I'd ever play it. I looking forward to the TPKs in season 4+, personally. I'm not giving people a "CORE break" on enemy tactics. All hail the King of Storval Stairs.

Well, if you play hard mode then you really can't complain when the players play hard mode back and half the table are druids with Animal Companions.

Personally, I think the GMs should run Core a little easier. Not play softball, but at least don't play hardball.

5/5 *****

pauljathome wrote:
David Bowles wrote:
I still don't see how running CORE is any different than running regular mode, since they aren't changing the scenarios. I'll run it, but I don't see why I'd ever play it. I looking forward to the TPKs in season 4+, personally. I'm not giving people a "CORE break" on enemy tactics. All hail the King of Storval Stairs.

Well, if you play hard mode then you really can't complain when the players play hard mode back and half the table are druids with Animal Companions.

Personally, I think the GMs should run Core a little easier. Not play softball, but at least don't play hardball.

We played Murder on the Silken Caravan yesterday with a core group of 5 players including three druids, two with animal companions. None of us died but the first and last fights were very dicey in places, especially the first. I am sure David will be pleased to hear that both animal companions went down in the last fight although fortunately neither died. My own was taken out in a single critical hit from full HP. It could have been worse, it could have been on a PC.

Grand Lodge 4/5

Psst, we had 6 players. Three druids, a wizard, a sorcerer, and a barbarian.

5/5 *****

Jeff Merola wrote:
Psst, we had 6 players. Three druids, a wizard, a sorcerer, and a barbarian.

Doh. So we did. Clearly I missed Niddler what with him being so small.


Michael Brock wrote:
gnoams wrote:
Continuing the spell access to normally open spells train of thought, the same applies for weapons and armor. If you fight a guy with a normal earthbreaker, can you then purchase one yourself? Can you purchase a masterwork one? Can you upgrade it? If there's a +1 flaming chakram on a chronicle sheet can you buy that and then upgrade it? Can you buy a normal one instead, or only one exactly like you found?
If the weapon appears on the Chronicle sheet, then you can purchase it. Otherwise no.

So, IS there a chronicle that has a chakram listed on it?

Grand Lodge 4/5

Daeslan wrote:
Michael Brock wrote:
gnoams wrote:
Continuing the spell access to normally open spells train of thought, the same applies for weapons and armor. If you fight a guy with a normal earthbreaker, can you then purchase one yourself? Can you purchase a masterwork one? Can you upgrade it? If there's a +1 flaming chakram on a chronicle sheet can you buy that and then upgrade it? Can you buy a normal one instead, or only one exactly like you found?
If the weapon appears on the Chronicle sheet, then you can purchase it. Otherwise no.
So, IS there a chronicle that has a chakram listed on it?

I can't remember any, off the top of my head.

For earlier season stuff, before any Core chronicle changes, I would only expect it to show up in high sub-tier 5-9 or higher, since it would need to be at least +2 or equivalent to get listed, since anything lesser would be skipped over as Always Available.

Liberty's Edge 4/5 5/55/5 **

Pathfinder Battles Case Subscriber; Pathfinder Maps, Pathfinder Accessories Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Charter Superscriber; Starfinder Charter Superscriber
Chris Mortika wrote:

Corner case: Season 6 and the Technologist feat.

In Standard Mode, PCs need the Technologist feat to understand Numerian technology well enough to use skills like Disable Device effectively. That feat is unavailable for Core Mode characters.

How should we proceed?

How would you run it if no one at the table had the Technologist in a Normal game? I would suspect in Core you would run it the same as above.

5/5 *****

Steven Lau wrote:
Chris Mortika wrote:

Corner case: Season 6 and the Technologist feat.

In Standard Mode, PCs need the Technologist feat to understand Numerian technology well enough to use skills like Disable Device effectively. That feat is unavailable for Core Mode characters.

How should we proceed?

How would you run it if no one at the table had the Technologist in a Normal game? I would suspect in Core you would run it the same as above.

The most recent scenario with technology stuff in it didnt require people to have the teachnologist feat to interact with technology, you simply got a big bonus to checks if you had the feat.

1/5 **

andreww wrote:
The most recent scenario with technology stuff in it didnt require people to have the teachnologist feat to interact with technology, you simply got a big bonus to checks if you had the feat.

Correct; which is a much better way to handle it, imo.

The Exchange 4/5

What if you GM a module in which it says the spellbook of the wizard - add 2 level 1 spells, 1 level 2 spell, 1 level 3 spell of GMs choice, then apply the chronicle to your wizard. Does the spellbook have to contain only core spells, besides what the npc was statted out to have on that day?

Grand Lodge 4/5

Just a Mort wrote:
What if you GM a module in which it says the spellbook of the wizard - add 2 level 1 spells, 1 level 2 spell, 1 level 3 spell of GMs choice, then apply the chronicle to your wizard. Does the spellbook have to contain only core spells, besides what the npc was statted out to have on that day?

Yes, it can only contain Core spells, since it doesn't specify any other book as a possible source for the spells.

Scarab Sages 4/5 **

Pathfinder Adventure, Adventure Path Subscriber

Question:

I understand we're not allowed to use Race Boons in Core mode (it's answered somewhere else).

I recently got a boon called Xenophile, which allows me to stack multiple Race boons onto a "normal race" character in order to get Skill Specialization in a specific skill for that race. Can I use this boon in conjunction with Race boons for a CORE character?

(Example: I'd like to stack the Xenophile Boon with an Undine boon to give my Core wizard Swim Skill Specialization).

Does this work for CORE mode?

Thanks.

(there is also a XenoPhobe boon that works nearly the same way, so same question would apply to that boon).

Dark Archive *

grandpoobah wrote:

Question:

Does this work for CORE mode?

my understanding is unless the chronicle came from a CORE source (ie, a core scenario) you can't use it. season 6 boons are not core, so the answer is no.

The Exchange 5/5

melferburque wrote:
grandpoobah wrote:

Question:

Does this work for CORE mode?

my understanding is unless the chronicle came from a CORE source (ie, a core scenario) you can't use it. season 6 boons are not core, so the answer is no.

I do not beleave this is true.

When Core was anounced, Race Boon were selected out as "not valid in Core" - but not other non-race boons. If they were not legal, then the prohibition would have just said so at thatt time.

Sczarni 5/5 5/55/5 ***

melferburque wrote:
grandpoobah wrote:
Does this work for CORE mode?
my understanding is unless the chronicle came from a CORE source (ie, a core scenario) you can't use it. season 6 boons are not core, so the answer is no.

You're mixing up convention boons with scenario boons.

Convention boons do not inherently exist in either campaign. Characters do not earn them, players do, and players can assign convention boons to any characters they want.

Scenarios played in Classic mode can only have their boons applied to other Classic characters, and scenarios played in Core mode can only have their boons applied to other Core characters.

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