Absalom Academy

Well, I GMed my very first session of Pathfinder last night. I was nervous as well as tired due to having worked all day, but it went better than I could have ever hoped for. Turnout was not what I had hoped for but there were still enough players to make for an enjoyable night. I was happy to do it and I hope to do it more in the future. However, I also learned a lot and I wanted to share with you what I have learned. 1.   Prep is not a big deal.   When I was first tapped to GM 2 Quests, I was a bit panicked. I was obsessed with getting everything absolutely right, convinced that I had to basically had to remember everything. I printed everything. Quest sheets, character sheets, pregens (I couldn't print out the level 5 Iconics as the printer ran out of ink and they weren't needed for last night anyway.) I learned that this was overkill. The pregens proved to be quite useful and was a good bit of foresight on my part. However, I learned that all you have to do is read through

  Fighter-Man, Fighter-Man, does whatever a fighter can. Wields a weapon any size, kills monsters just like flies. Look out, here comes the Fighter-Man! Is he strong? Listen, bud, he's got hit points in his blood. Can he swing from a rope? His 10 DEX says nope. Look out, there falls the Fighter-Man! Fighter-Man, Fighter-Man, Friendly Neighborhood Fighter-Man! Wealth and fame, he wants more. XP is his reward. To him, life is a great big rattle, wherever there's a battle, you'll find the Fighter-Man!-sung to the tune of the Spider-Man theme song. Soldiers, gladiators, guards, thugs, that bully who shakes you down for your lunch money after class, (I really should do something about him. I was left deafened after that last PTA meeting. Fixing that was not cheap. I suppose that's what I get for hiring a Cleric of Abadar as the school nurse.) they all have one thing in common. The ability to grab a weapon (or use none at all, much to the consternation of monks) and inflict g

So, I found out that I'm going to be a GM. Ever since I started playing, I've been waiting for this opportunity. Those fools have no idea what they have unleashed on their players. MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OK, now that I have taken my medication, allow me to clarify. I am thrilled with this opportunity. But with great power, comes a great migraine. Being a GM is not the same as being a player. There is a lot more to do and you want to make sure everything goes well so the players had a rewarding and challenging experience. If it wasn't fun, you did it wrong. So, here we go. 1. Have plenty of supplies. As a player, all you really need is a figurine, a set of dice, maybe pen and paper, and your character sheet. GMs need more. You need printouts, maps, Hero Point tokens, a notebook and pen. I haven't even mentioned figures and dice. You want plenty of both. Not just to represent the enemies. Keep in mind that your tabl

  I was thinking about what to write about for the blog. Should I write guides to classes and ancestries? That will come later. Should I write fanfiction or advice for novice players? That will come later. I came to realize that every story has a beginning and so it should be with Absalom Academy. I have always had an interest in fantasy and role playing. Ever since I was able to pick up a controller and play video games like The Legend of Zelda and Final Fantasy III, I felt the appeal of swords and sorcery. This interest extended to books like the Lord of the Rings trilogy, the Dragonlance Chronicles, and the Icewind Dale trilogy as a teenager. This passion continued into adulthood with PC game series such as Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale, and Neverwinter Nights. Why did I enjoy it? Maybe it was the coping mechanism of a bullied kid who dreamed of a way to crush his tormentors. Maybe it was a dream to become more than I was. Maybe I was just looking for an escape from a life I resen

Welcome to Absalom Academy. I am Professor Pathfinder, your new headmaster here at the Academy. I trust you will find your term here most enjoyable as I lecture about the world of Golarion . I will discuss classes, ancestries, mechanics, products, and conventions I travel to. I will offer commentary and discussion. I will try my best to make your time at the Academy entertaining and informative. With the introductory assembly out of the way, let us go over the rules and guidelines of the Academy.     Comments are highly encouraged. The Academy is not an echo chamber and there is nothing a teacher hates more than talking to an empty classroom. Liking and sharing is also encouraged. I am always looking to grow my student body.     Comments may be encouraged, but misbehavior is not. There will be no profanity, hate speech, sexually inappropriate comments, harassment, controversial comments (such as politics and religion), or disrespect in general. Violators will be warned. Repeat or seve