I thought I'd follow up on this thread to let folks know that my Pathfinder experience is over (at least for now). I got to play three sessions in a fun Rise of the Runelords campaign before things fell apart. The GM was awesome, but he only recruited four players. When one of them decided he didn't want to play Pathfinder any more (he preferred 4e) and then my wife got sick and I had to cut back on gaming, that was it for the campaign.
I did have fun with the game, especially because of the awesome GM and the fun storyline. I enjoyed playing Father Beren the gypsy cleric. I think 4e is probably more my speed in the end, but I enjoy variety in my games, so I'm guessing I'll get the chance to play some more Pathfinder in the future.
I was a little disappointed for you to hear how your game cratered so early into a RotRL campaign, as I enjoyed your blog. Might I suggest a better alternative to you in terms of Pathfinder -- and one which can better accommodate an uncertain schedule?
The perfect answer for you would appear to be Pathfinder Society ("PFS"). I had a group of players from the Denver area at my PFS table at the past Gencon and they were a great buch of guys and very good players.
I also know from a quick Google that PFS is run from
Enchanted Grounds, a FLGS which appears to be near where you are located.
Pathfinder Society is similar to -- but imo, objectively superior -- to LFR. Living Forgotten Realms modules are written by LFR's community members but the program is not actively managed by WotC. There is no oversight of LFR modules by WotC and the community is essentially on its own. There is no cost for LFR modules. They are free to download.
In contrast, Pathfinder Society is tightly and actively managed by full time Paizo staff. The modules written for PFS are written by Paizo staff, and its freelancers -- many of whom are ENnie Award winning designers. As a consequence, they charge for their modules -- $3.99 per module. LFR GMs marvel and scoff at this -- but like most things in life,
you get what you pay for.
There is a full time staff developer and editor at Paizo who oversees the entire program and Paizo staff writes, edits and develops the PFS Scenario line. There is an overarching campaign storyline each season which develops over time. That metaplot is something which you can discover and experience as a player over the course of play -- but it is not so tightly plotted that you lose track if you should skip a night or three (or four) of PFS play.
The scenarios are professionally illustrated and the maps are prepared for each PFS Scenario by the best cartographers in the business. PFS scenarios also make use of Paizo's FlipMats in many of the scenarios, so there are very attractive color battlemaps to use during play. Eye Candy is Good; Eye Candy is FUN.
PFS has a more formalized structure for tracking scenario rewards than LFR has so as to enable players to ensure that their characters are fully portable between any PFS GM's table to another. This ensures that you as a player have an enjoyable and balanced play experience every time you play.
You can attend a PFS night when you are able --
and can miss one when you are not -- without a disability to your character or spoiling your own or somone else's play experience.
Lastly, WotC sees the main purpose of Organized Play as to provide new players with a venue to learn the rules and to be able to network with other players in order to become attached to a local group for playing D&D at home. This is good thing and Paizo shares those same goals. But unlike WotC, Paizo's objectives for PFS go further -- and that's why Paizo pays full time staff to create and develop products every month to actively support it.
Paizo wants you to contunue with PFS play
even after you have attached to a home group. Piazo believes that players and GMs in Organized Play campaigns are their best core customers and the greatest source of postive word of mouth about the game. That's why Paizo puts so much money, time and effort into their Organized Play Program. In turn, that investment by the publisher has real advantages for players because it makes PFS a more polished and fun game experience in and of itself.
As a consequence, Pathfinder Society is a great gaming experience in and of itself and isn't just a way to learn the game and meet fellow players. It's offered in your area with weekly games and PFS' play schedules will accommodate your need for a flexible schedule for when you can play and when you can't. It will
also expose you to a number of different GMs and play styles, which is something that I have found ALWAYS enhances my overall skills as a player and GM when running ANY RPG (not just
Pathfinder). PFS can make you a better 4E player and GM, too.
End Result: Sorry your campaign cratered -- but please consider giving
Pathfinder Society a try. It sounds like it is right up your alley.
