pathfinder » Troll in the Corner

Drowning in Options

Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, Role Playing Games 9 Responses »

Mar 062012

I have noticed a trend in my gaming habits over the many years. As a system starts to release more rules supplements I slowly begin to lose interest in that system or at the very least begin to feel overwhelmed at the number of options. With the D&D genre as an example and a touch of Pathfinder thrown in my gaming pattern highlights this trend.

The Sea Grows Deeper

I stuck with 1^st Edition D&D right up until the 2^nd Edition of Advanced D&D came out. I played that during high school and early college and then the options increased with the release of numerous “splat” books. Some of them were actually pretty fun and did offer interesting options, but as time went on the sheer number of options became overwhelming. Coupled with other life events I took a break from RPG gaming.

I came back with the release of D&D 3.5, yes, I skipped D&D 3.0. D&D 3.5 was great fun. It scratched all the right itches. I really liked the flexibility and felt like I had the tools at my disposal with the class system, skill system, skill resolution and feats. The core books provided everything I needed. I even bought into some of the Complete series of books as well, though that did signal the start of option creep to me as well. Eventually as more option books and rule supplements were released I began to lose interest with D&D 3.5 as well.

I took a much shorter break from RPGs during the awkward 3.5 to 4e phase, made even easier as the 4e rule set just did not attract me to that release. When I sought to come back to the RPG table it was with Pathfinder. At the time there was only the core rulebook and Bestiary in the Pathfinder rule system. It was great – I was back to a core set of rules, there weren’t hundreds upon hundreds of options to choose from. It felt safe and the game felt less about the rules and options and more about playing the game. I really enjoyed my early days of Pathfinder gaming.

Next the Advanced Player’s Guide was released. I also enjoyed this book, it added just the right amount of options and choices in my opinion. A very solid product offering and I easily put it in with my core release assumption of the Pathfinder System.

Now it seems Paizo has started with the unrelenting release of rule supplements with the Ultimate series of books and the even more recently announced book with 30 new prestige classes due in the upcoming year. So once again I find myself trying to stay afloat in a sea of feats, classes, options, archetypes, spells and more. And once again I find myself intrigued by other systems as my life raft to regroup and refocus.

I think there are two seats at the table to look at the amount of options, that of the player and that of the GM. Let’s take a closer look from these two seats through the Pathfinder lense.

Finally – an Aruneus update!

Aruneus, Pathfinder, Role Playing Games No Responses »

Mar 012012

A rough from Aruneus module 1

With my shoulder finally cooperating again (I was knocked out of action for a bit of the old major surgery) I’m finally able to get back into writing, editing and layout.

Over the past few weeks I’ve been taking stock of everything I have written for the Aruneus project, and everything that still needs to be done.

I’ve added about 2000 words and done a lot of compiling, editing and moving around. I’m slowly being able to put more hours into this, which is a good thing. I want to get back on track and finish this first sourcebook as quickly as possible.

I’ve now got a bit of experience in doing print on demand as well, which will make layout and optimization of this book a whole heck of a lot easier (and faster).

I’m starting to get the last of the artwork I need to finish! I’ve made the decision that once Tim delivers the rest of the artwork he’s got on order, I’ll be using stock art I’ve already purchased to fill out the rest of the book where needed. I already have this on hand, and while it won’t be created on spec, it’s here already.

I’ve included an unfinished piece that Tim’s currently working on for the 1st module, because I like showing off new artwork and you all deserve to see some progress on this project! Note that this is an unfinished work and it will look a lot more polished by the time Tim’s done with it.

TrollTips 5: A cheap and dirty way to transport your minis.

Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, Role Playing Games, Table Top, Troll in the Corner, Video 4 Responses »

Feb 062012

Proprietary cases are a great way to give your minis the love that they deserve, but they can overkill tabletop RPGs. Here’s a quick and dirty way to keep them safe, while keeping your budget under $10

Pathfinder RPG Tools

Pathfinder, Role Playing Games, Technology 6 Responses »

Jan 242012

Last week I wrote about getting behind the screen with Pathfinder. The article served as an introduction to getting started running Pathfinder games for someone new to RPGs or just the Pathfinder system. This week I am going to take a look at some of the tools to help run or play in a Pathfinder game. Several of these have a more GM’s point of view focus, but several will be quite useful for players as well.

Character Generators

In this era, everyone always likes an electronic character generator. Character generators make generating a character much faster and often lead to more accurate characters in the end. I know they help keep me from overlooking small things during the process that I seem to have a habit of forgetting.

The first one we will look at is the Venture Captain Online Character Generator. This generator is web based and free. It is still in beta and unfortunately only supports basic character generation at the moment. Advanced Player’s Guide content has not been added yet. At the moment the developer is working to make it easier to manage on the backend to facilitate easier adding of materials to web application. It can be quite handy in a pinch though and well worth keeping an eye on as development continues.

The next generator receives mention on the Paizo forums often enough to warrant mentioning here. It is a pay for (demo mode available) Excel based generator called The Only Sheet. It has a one-time pay option or a subscription option which includes updates for one year at a time. It only runs on Windows systems according to their site. They are continually adding content based on their website. For people that prefer an Excel based format, this sheet might hold some promise.

Building a Better Short Game

Pathfinder, Role Playing Games, System Neutral, Troll in the Corner 1 Response »

Jan 232012

A Sample Flowchart

Short campaigns are a fairly common occurrence in my group. We have a lot of players, so it’s a good way to run part games, try new systems, let the regular GM’s have a crack at playing, and take a break from an ongoing campaign before the person running it decides it to murder the player characters in a barrage of fatigue-induced meteorites.

After the jump we’ll discuss some of the basic components of running a short campaign, anywhere from around one to six sessions. Most of these tips are fairly basic, but I’ve found them to be incredibly important fundamentals in running everything from party games to quick, bloody campaigns where the players dramatically shape and shatter the world around them.

Behind the Screen With Pathfinder

Pathfinder, Role Playing Games, Troll in the Corner 2 Responses »

Jan 172012

Pathfinder has been out on the market since August 2009. Many of us have been playing the game since its release or transitioned straight from D&D 3.x to Pathfinder. Sometimes it is easy to forget that some people wanting to try out Pathfinder are coming from another game system or are perhaps even new to RPGs in general. With that premise, this article hopes to focus on how those people can get started running Pathfinder.

We will look at this as two groups of distinct people – folks new to RPGs in general and those that might simply be new to Pathfinder. Let’s take a look at an entry point to running Pathfinder games for those completely new to RPGs.

New to RPGs

So you have heard about roleplaying games and have finally decided to get started with the hobby. You have your eye on a fantasy RPG and the Pathfinder system has caught your fancy. But you hit the Paizo site or your local bookstore and see all these rulebooks, campaign supplements, player supplements, and modules. Where to start!?

Paizo has recently released an excellent option for those interested in getting their start in RPGs with Pathfinder with the Beginner Box. The Beginner Box has everything in it you need to get started gaming. The box comes with a flipmat, an adventure, rules to get you as the GM and your player up to 5^th level, one set of dice and pawns to represent your characters and monsters on the flipmat.

The Beginner Box gives you exactly what you need to get started playing. It also does a wonderful job of simplifying the Pathfinder rules to the basics and the books walk you carefully through the process of creating a character step by step and how to run an adventure. The included adventure helps highlight various rule mechanics such as skill checks, diplomacy, traps, and more while still being an entertaining adventure. It also provides a well rounded starting point with the village of Sandpoint.

The Pathfinder Beginner Box makes an excellent introduction to the Pathfinder system. Make sure to check out the Beginner Box review here on the Troll in the Corner.

Fiat Lux! The top 5 ways to speed up your tabletop RPG game.

Table Top, Troll in the Corner, Video 3 Responses »

Jan 162012

Playing until 2am can be awesome… unless it’s because you’re still on the first encounter. Here are 5 ways that DMs and players can work together to keep combat moving quickly, making sure you’ve got a good balance of RP and tactics in your games.

Do you have your own way of keeping gameplay moving fast? Let us know in the comments below!

Ultimate glory: destination or journey?

Role Playing Games No Responses »

Jan 162012

Smile on 3! 1... 2...

As a DM returning to the table from a long absence I’d have to say it’s both. The journey is its own self-same reward, but there’s a lot to be said for the accolades and loot you find at the end of the road. Striking that balance can be hard, but it’s satisfying when you do.

I’m Graham, an old hat in tabletop but new to Troll in the Corner, and I’m all about finding that balance. As a DM I run a table bi-weekly for The Møtlëy Créw, the baddest bunch of heroes to ever toss dice in the Nentir Vale. I’m a platform-agnostic kinda guy, so I’m just as happy to throw down with 4e, Pathfinder, and any other system wherein you’d care to roll the bones. Combat is important, but RP is rewarded at my table.

I’m a writer by trade; over the past five years I co-created, wrote and edited 25 issues of Cellshop magazine, and released my first novel entitled 1666 (it’s historical fiction centering on the Great Fire of London in that year – available on Amazon!). I’m the head writer for the Canadian television show Get Connected, I blog at technogram.ca along with a few other sites, and I’m thrilled to be penning a column for Troll in the Corner called

Fiat Lux.

Fiat Lux will shed some light on gaming concepts, products, and projects; some that you might be familiar with, and some that are brand new to the scene. I’ll be covering popular systems, minis and mini painting, and boxed RPG games

It’ll be a fun journey and destination all wrapped up in one, so I hope you’ll check it out!

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