This is it, guys!  This is the beginning of our campaign with our new characters and my first game as a DM.  Hopefully, this won’t be the last.  The stage is set for this Saturday afternoon (February 5th) and it probably won’t end until later in the evening.  This post will serve as a last minute FAQ for anybody who wants to participate.  I actually meant to post this up on Tuesday but I got really busy.  Oh well.

What the hell is Pathfinder?
Pathfinder is a pen and paper RPG that split off from Dungeons and Dragon after the 4th edition came out.  It’s essentially Dungeons and Dragons 3.75 or what 3.5 should have been.

Wait, isn’t DnD like really nerdy?  Why should I care?
Well, I can’t really change your mind if you think the game is too “nerdy” for you.  If you don’t want to play then that’s cool.  I will ask that you refrain from passing any judgement until you’ve actually played a game or two yourself.  Personally, I’ve always wanted to play a pen and paper RPG like this for a while.  Until recently, there wasn’t really enough interest to justify learning the rules and going through the long process of making a character.  But now, thanks to Arkham Horror and Call of Cthuhlu, we can finally play a proper pen and paper RPG.  Exciting, isn’t it?

Okay, you’ve convinced me! I’ll meet up at your hou…
Whoa whoa whoa!  You’re going way too fast.  First, before you can play, you need to make some preparations of your own.  These preparations are for the benefit for the whole group.  There’s nothing more tedious than stopping a game in the middle of combat because somebody didn’t understand how attacks of opportunity work.  That said, you don’t have to read EVERYTHING since it is a lot to go through in one day.  Everything you need to know are available at this website: http://www.d20pfsrd.com/

That’s a lot of shit.  Where do I start first?
You don’t have to go through everything but you need to at least read the combat rules.  I can’t stress this enough.  You must read the entire combat section.  Some of it might sound confusing and that’s okay.  We can clarify everything once the game starts but you must at least know the basic concepts.  Then after that, if you have time, read the additional rules.  If you’re going to be a caster, read the magic section as well.  When you think you got the basics down, then it’s time to make your class.  Read this page and follow it step by step.  Contact me if you need help.  You can even bring over a partially created character and we can finish him/her off real quick.  Just make sure you know what you want before you come.   If you want, you can even create a back story for your character.

Hey, none of these questions applies to me!  I already know what I’m doing!  Tell me what do I need to know for this game?
Since this is my first game DMing, we will be running a module.  Let me warn you, though, that this module isn’t very sandbox friendly.  So, please bare with me.  For this particular game, I will allow one trait if you provide a back story that explains why you have the trait.  The first game will take place in a small town called Kassen.  It’s in Nirmathas.  A long time ago, a raider (Asar) kept attacking the town for two months until the town’s founder (Ekat Kassen) stepped in and killed the raider.  Unfortunately, Kassen was mortally wounded and died two days later.  To honor his death, the townfolks built a crypt for Kassen and with an eternal flame hanging over his sarcophagus.  It has become a tradition to journey to the crypt every year, now.  Adventurers must light a lantern using the everflame and bring it back to town, where a huge festival awaits.

Is that it?
There’s a lot of information that I’m sure that I’m missing.  In any case, if you have any questions, feel free to IM me and I’ll help you out if I can.  Again, this game is taking place this Saturday.  Please show up on time.  Thanks.