Actual Play – Destiny of the Sands, Part 2: Race to Seeker’s Folly (5/24/2014)

PathfinderCoreCoverGM: PFS GM
Characters: Murder Hobos for Hire
System: Pathfinder
Module: Destiny of the Sands, Part 2: Race to Seeker’s Folly

This post continues from the discussion started in Confirmation and Master of the Fallen Fortress.

Game three, in which I lost faith

My third and final game felt like it was the exact same experience I had from 11 years ago. The players were experienced (2nd-5th level characters so they had played at least 3-15 games in the past, but probably many more) and invested primarily in their own characters.

In a couple cases, I was got upset at the bullshit happening at the table. There were gratuitous descriptions of consuming everything we killed including just foul depictions of the undead “meat”. When I finally protested at cannibalism (for which there was absolutely no need for, food was never an issue) the GM turned to me and asked if I was a vegetarian. When I said no he didn’t understand the difference between eating meat and eating human remains. I was flabbergasted.  I spent pretty much the rest of the game feeling frustrated with my fellow players and GM.

The module itself had some interesting elements and three potentially cool social encounters. One with a bound elemental, another with a spirit, and the last one with a group of other not-so-like-minded grave robbers. In play though, each of them was kind of a call and response situation. We had to figure out the right thing to say before we accidentally said or did the wrong thing. Success meant going about our lives peacefully and or gaining information, I presume failure would have meant (it didn’t happen so I’m not sure) being attacked. It cements the idea that the worst thing that could happen to us would be to lose our characters.

Thoughts on this Game

I’m so frustrated. I want to like Pathfinder Society, but the more experienced the player at the table, the more I felt they were there to do awesome things with their character instead of play a game with six other people.

When I asked the table if anyone plays non-PFS games at the con there was no response. Weird really, maybe they didn’t hear me. I didn’t want to push it.

Later in the con I had the time available to sign up for a 4th game. I would be 2nd level with a +1 Base Attack Bonus and another spell! But that all felt pretty hollow, like I’d just be showing off.

Unrelated to my game experience, one thing I really do love about the PFS modules is how much they call for knowledge checks. I gives the wizards and the bards a lot of opportunities to be awesome.

I won another boon in this game. A Moment of Glory. I was excited at the time (start of the game) but feel a little bad now that someone else didn’t get it.  PFS players, are these transferable (it doesn’t have any society numbers written on it)? If so, I’d be happy to donate to the cause.

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