Pathfinder Roleplaying Adventure
I’m entering the world of dice rolling, character exploring, friendship building, beast slaughtering, hit point counting roleplay. I’m bouncing in my chair like a toddler on too much candy. I can’t wait to start!
I played around a bit with Dungeons and Dragons when I was in high school. And we dabbled with another game whose name I don’t remember when we were in Utah. This time we’re playing Pathfinder over the magical interwebs.
Required Research
Most of you know how much I must research before diving into a new thing, even fun things like roleplaying. I’m in Austin trying to finish TARBIN’S FALSE PROPHET. (I’m so close. Don’t fret, Tarbin fans. You will see it soon.) My husband found a local game store called The Tribe. Now how could I turn down that name?
We purchased dice and two books: Pathfinder Core Rulebook and Pathfinder Advanced Player’s Guide. I’ve only touched the surface of these volumes, but I look forward to filling my brain with more useless…I mean, totally meaningful, information. Since I’m ACTUALLY going to play, it’s not useless at all, right?
- If you act outside of the natural inclinations of your designed character, your dungeon master will punish you. So, I really need to know about the gods and what they require and what my alignment should be and stick with it.
- I have an idea about what I want my background to be, but I need to make sure my inspiration matches the possibilities of the world.
- If Critical Role is any indication, things can get complicated in battle. I need to know what I can and cannot do without having to ask the dungeon master every action.
How to Keep it All Straight
Even though this is considered a “pen-and-paper” game, our group will be playing across states. I still need to hold the dice in my hand and flip through papers to make sure I’m doing things right.
That’s where this gorgeous journal comes in. No, I did not buy this piece of practical art on impulse because it’s so damn pretty and I couldn’t stop petting it. I totally planned on using it to keep all my notes for this adventure. Completely pre-planned. Quit looking at me.
Well, regardless of the reason it ended up in my possession, I AM using it to put all of my notes. It’s satisfying to write everything down and take notes of important information for quick reference instead of having to find the proper section in the manual or google searching every dice roll.
We’re also using Roll20.net so the dungeon master can see what’s going on and do his creative best to ALMOST kill us. I’m baffled and fascinated by the process.
Character Decisions
I’ve made a few decisions on my character and rolled her first stats. I didn’t roll as poorly as Wil Wheaton, but it wasn’t stellar either.
- Her name is Yadira, no surname. She was abandoned when she was young and searches for her family. When she introduces herself, she always uses a different last name.
- Her race is Half Elfen. She likes to dress up like a Tengu because one saved her when she was a child. I thought a Half Elf would be able to imitate that crow form the best. I am not, however, duel classing even though I’m allowed. I don’t think I’m ready for that kind of complication yet.
- I chose the Oracle class. Having visions sounds like so much fun, I couldn’t resist.
- As an Oracle, I had to choose a curse. Naturally, I went with Haunted. I didn’t even hesitate. As a storyteller, all of the possibilities rushed into my brain. I can rpg this one.
- I also had to choose a mystery. I went with Heavens. This was not as easy. I read EVERY spell under each mystery before I settled on Heavens. It’s going to take some getting used to, but I can do it!
Broadcasting Live
What’s really scary? The group is lead by the quick-witted and hilarious Stephen of 2DorksTV fame. (It’s never too early to kiss up to the DM, right?) But, seriously, he’s pretty awesome. I feel safe in his hands, except for this whole making the adventure into a stream on Twitch thing. I’m a bit terrified.
What if I look like an idiot? What if I make stupid mistakes and the internet attacks? What if they make silly memes of me? What if everyone loves it and now I have to become a big reality TV star? What if my gorgeous burnt orange walls look brick red from the camera? What if Kevin’s not home and nothing works and I have to figure out how to do it myself?
Well, it’s a good thing I don’t have anxiety or anything. I will say that I’m so excited to finally participate in a game that I’ve wanted to play for decades, that I’m trying to keep the irrational fears beaten down.
Do you play any roleplaying games? What have your experiences been like? Do you have any recommendations for a newbie?
