A synchronicity of play has brought both my long running campaigns to a brief reflective pause.
Pathfinder 2e is more than 40 sessions in, and we are enjoying Adevnture Path blending, exploring exciting sessions of play whilst delving into the considerable player facing depths offered by the system itself. The game provides a rich hokum of fantasy fun, with a deep array of options built around about 40 pages of actual rules.
We are bringing in some new PCs to give the players an opportunity to try out some new ability trees of thematic play. The established PCs at Level 8 or 9, are sorting out their estate in Isger, whilst new heroes arrive to continue with some elven gate business. “I’m having this atrium knocked through, and a fresco of our victory agaist the ‘Shards of Sin’ immortalised over there, overlooking the estate gardens…”
I’m excited to see what chaarcters they come up with and, when they return from the next lengthy segment, they will be of equivalent level to the established characters, taking us into a troupe play mode for possible adventures beyond. I’m wanting to get the game from 9th up to at least mid teens at some point so that I can stretch out the playability question into the high tiers. I continue to think that the game scales extremely well.
Foundry, with Forge hosting is amazing. The Pathfinder 2e implementation on there is as rich as the game itself. The fact that you can buy a Paizo PDF and get it imported as a series of game assets for Foundry is icing on the cake. Combne this with Pathbuilder2 Android app for character generation (with ALL the options) and that the outputs can also be loaded into Foundry, well it’s everything I could hope for. The VTT system automates just enough to give a great game exerience.
 |
As it happens, in similar vein, my 4th Edition Dungeons and Dragons game has also reached a pause point at 21 sessions. The heroes have recently completed The Reavers of Harkenwold and have emerged victorious, proclaimed as The Defenders of Harkenwold, with their reputation spreading to all parts of the Vale.
It’s been a fun and exciting game. We have taken a view to continue using Role VTT as it works for us, though not especially using the integrated character sheets. Generally good cameras and sound, and integrated shared dice rolling and some chat.
I’m trying to stay light on my feet with the follow-ups on this one and see how the Discord chat streams develop (both IC and OoC). Whilst keeping options open I’ve also been prepping some detailed encounters, confident that they will get used in some kind of way.
With Con4eR, my 4e pop-up online convention happening for a second time in a few weeks, I want to take stock and start to plan for the bonanza that is next retirement year! High on my list is a return to Traveller through a setting of my own making, Eventide, and played through the Cepheus Deluxe rules. I’m excited about that, and expect it will take expression in a published sub-sector book, Foundry VTT game and at conventions.
Taking a step back though, I’m not sure I would have expected to have been running a couple of ‘full on’ D&Ds for more than 60 sessions over the past 18 months. Crazy talk. But here we are. I’ve talked before about the long form play that the structure of D&D encourages. I’m on that train and it’s a great ride with amazing views. At the same time I’m also playing in a 5e Strahd game, so it is gaming central.
It’s good to look back sometimes, and my gaming has been great, even if expressed through a couple of systems that I would never have imagined. And now, onwards!