Being a Game Master

Paizo Organized Play games need more than characters and players–they need GMs to run the game!

GM Basics

Running Paizo Organized Play games is similar to running a home campaign with a few house rules established by campaign leadership. In addition to this section, familiarize yourself with the other sections of the Guide. You need to know what players know, what their expectations are, and how their characters are created, played, and advanced.

Who Can Be a Game Master

Anyone with a valid Organized Play ID can run Organized Play adventures. Local groups and the campaign as a whole benefit as the pool of game masters increases. The Venture Officer network provides support and guidance for all GMs and potential GMs. If you are not sure how to contact your local Venture Officer, contact your Regional Venture-Coordinator from the Organized Play regions list .

Duties of a Game Master

As a Paizo Organized Play GM, you have the following duties:

• Communicate with your local Event Organizer.
• Prepare an adventure to offer, including gathering the necessary supplies such as maps, miniatures, and reference materials.
• Provide a welcoming environment for players.
• Deliver session results to players via established recording mechanisms.
• Report the results of the game:
  • Ask your Event Organizer what reporting process they use.
  • If you are also the Event Organizer, report games directly on the paizo.com My Organized Play page.

Where to Buy Adventures

Paizo Organized Play adventures, including Scenarios and Quests, are available for purchase at paizo.com. They are usually released during the last week of each month. Current production rates include one or two new scenarios each month for each active program, with additional Organized Play content released periodically throughout the year. These adventures are written expressly for use in the Organized Play campaigns.

Paizo also produces additional adventures written for more general use. See Additional Adventures for more about these products and how to use them in Organized Play.

Preparing an Adventure

Because adventures are written for a variable number of characters across a range of levels, GMs need to adjust the adventure to their table as below. In addition, when preparing an adventure, remember that the Organized Play adventures errata forum houses the official errata and clarifications to Pathfinder Society adventures.

Table Size Scaling

Pathfinder Society adventures are written for four to six PCs. However, a GM can run a table with two or three players in some situations. In those cases, all four-player adjustments written into the adventure still apply. Make the following adjustments:

• Adventures with a minimum level of 5 or lower: can be run for a table of two or three players by adding Iconic Pregens at the appropriate level to meet the minimum table size of four PCs. The GM can either play these characters themselves or have one or more players play them, provided the player or players agree. Iconic Pregens are available for 1st, 3rd, and 5th level. See Calculate Challenge Points below for details on adding Iconic Pregens.
• Adventures with a minimum level of 6 or higher: can be run for a table of 3 players, but only if all players at the table agree. A "hard mode" playthrough like this is expected to be satisfying, but remember that adventures are designed for a minimum of four PCs. Players and GMs are cautioned that playthroughs on "hard mode" will be more difficult than normal.
• All levels: If there are still not enough players even with these adjustments and there is a player available who has already played the adventure, they can join the table, playing for no credit.

Challenge Points

The GM adjusts each adventure before play begins, following the steps below:

Calculate Challenge Points

To calculate the number of Challenge Points the party represents, take the following steps:

1. Record the lowest allowed level for a PC to play at this table of the adventure. For example, in an adventure written for PC levels 3-6, the lowest allowed level is 3.

2. Record each PC's level.

3. Convert each PC's level to Challenge Points. The number of Challenge Points that each PC contributes is based only on their character level. Use the following table:

Table: Challenge Points

For example, level 1 is the lowest level PC allowed at an adventure for levels 1-4. In that case, a 2nd-level PC is at the lowest allowed level + 1 and therefore contributes 3 Challenge Points. A party of five PCs levels 1, 2, 3, 4, and 4 would contribute 2, 3, 4, 6, and 6 Challenge Points, respectively.

4. Add up the party's Challenge Points.

5. Add pregens (if needed). If your table has fewer than 4 PCs, use the following chart to determine what level of pregens to add, and how many additional Challenge Points.

Table: Adding Pregens

* This table is only legal if all players at the table agree. While we expect this "hard mode" playthrough experience to be satisfying, we want to caution you that, as the adventures are designed for a minimum of four players, they will be more difficult than normal.

Determine the Level Range

Parties with up to 15 challenge points always play in the lower level range. Parties with 19 or more always play in the higher level range.

Parties with 16-18 play in the higher level range only if they have 4 or fewer PCs. If they have 5 or more PCs, they play in the lower level range. This allows small parties of high level adventurers to play in the higher level range, while large parties of low level adventurers play in the lower level range.

Mentorship and PC Level Bumps

To provide low level players a more fun and fair experience, PCs at the lowest allowed to play the adventure (such as a 3rd-level PC playing in a Level 3–6 Scenario) gain a temporary boost when playing in the higher level range called a "Level Bump," to represent the higher-level PCs’ mentorship and support. Apply the following adjustments:

• Increase every DC the PC has by 1.
• Increase the attack modifiers, attack damage, spell damage, saving throw modifiers, skill modifiers, Perception modifiers, and AC of the PC by 1.
• Increase the total hit points of the PC by 10 or by 10%, whichever is higher.

Apply the relevant adjustments to the PC's animal companions, eidolons, and familiars as well. If a value is already increased by applying the adjustment to a PC (such as a familiar's save modifiers and AC), do not increase the value a second time. Remind higher-level PCs to apply any Mentor Boons they might have purchased as well.

These adjustments are less beneficial than gaining a level, yet they provide the PC more survivability and more opportunity to contribute to the adventure experience, reducing the degree to which higher-level PCs might overshadow these less experienced Pathfinders.

Adjust the Adventure

Once you’ve determined the level range and Challenge Point total, apply the proper modifications to the adventure to provide a fair challenge.

Level Range: Nearly all encounters list two different sets of creature statistics, one for each of the two level ranges the adventure is designed for. The adventure often also refers to important skill checks and saving throws in room descriptions or during events, listing one DC for the lower level range and one for the higher level range. In each of these cases, use the numbers, creatures, and other information listed for the selected level range.

Scaling: Within a level range, the scenario will also contain instructions for adjusting the difficulty of the scenario based on the total Challenge Points. These scaling instructions are generally found in "scaling sidebars" but might also be in the text of the room description or encounter.

Early Scenarios: Some early scenarios were written before the Challenge Point system was fully developed. If you are GMing Scenario 1-00 through 1-11 or Quests 1, 2, or 5, consult "Converting Early Scenarios" in the Supplemental Materials.

Running an Adventure

Hero Points: At the beginning of an adventure, each PC receives 1 Hero Point. During play, GMs are expected to follow the normal GM guidelines and hand out additional Hero Points at a rate of approximately 1 Hero Point per hour of play. ^{GMC pg. 57, CRB pg. 507}GM Core page 57
Core Rulebook page 507
(click to close)

Secret Checks: Unless a scenario says otherwise, GMs are free to choose how to handle secret checks ^{PC pg. 405, CRB pg. 450}Player Core page 405
Core Rulebook page 450
(click to close) on a check-by-check basis and adapt based on the mood and pacing of the table.

If players rolling their own secret checks use information that their characters would not have to determine their actions, then remind them their characters would not have that information and encourage them not to use it. See Running Secret Checks for further discussion.

Permitted Table Adjustments

GMs are empowered to make certain limited adjustments at their tables.

GM Adventure Adjustments

The Paizo Organized Play program strives to provide a fun, engaging, consistent experience at all tables. GMs are required to run Paizo Organized Play adventures as written, but are empowered to make adjustments to suit the table and ensure all players have the best possible experience.

GMs must:

• Ensure players experience all major plot points and NPC interactions (excluding optional or bypassed encounters)
• Run combat encounters without substantially increasing difficulty, except as dictated by the scenario
• Maintain the presence and functioning of skill checks, subsystems, and similar challenges, while allowing for creative player solutions

GMs can:

• Adjust obvious typos or errors in a scenario
• Use alternate maps (or areas of provided maps) for encounters
• Reskin enemies to avoid phobias or for personal preference without altering mechanical traits

GMs must not:

• Change player-facing armor, feats, items, skills, spells, statistics, traits, weapons, or any other mechanics of player character options
• Disallow legal character options
• Add new encounters or NPCs with mechanical weight or influence

GM Discretion

As a Pathfinder Society GM, you have the right and responsibility to make whatever judgments you feel are necessary—within the rules—to ensure everyone has a fair and fun experience at your table.

This does not mean you can contradict rules or restrictions outlined in this Guide, a published Pathfinder RPG source, errata document (like the Pathfinder FAQ and Errata), or official FAQ (like the Pathfinder Society FAQ) on paizo.com. It does mean that only you can judge what is right for your table in situations not covered in those sources.

As the GM, you are empowered to make changes at your discretion including the list below. Note that the actions listed are explicitly allowed, but this is not a complete list of every possible situation that could require GM discretion. You can make changes including:

Table Rulings

• Interpret situations or player actions not covered by the rules.
• Interpret unclear rules.
• Determine the effects (if any) of terrain or environmental conditions described in the adventure but not given mechanics.

Content Adjustments

• Change aspects of the scenario’s description and story as appropriate for the players at the table as described in "A Welcoming Environment." GMC pg. 6, CRB pg. 485
• Make changes to satisfy the Acceptable Content section of the Community Standards and Expectations.
• Modify creature tactics when invalidated by errata or official clarifications

Responses to PC Actions

• Modify creature tactics when invalidated by PC actions.
• Interpret reactions of NPCs to good roleplaying, including effects on the outcome of an encounter.
• Interpret the use of alternate skills or creative solutions to bypass or overcome traps, skill checks, and obstacles.
  • DCs and results of a check are part of the mechanics and cannot be changed.
• Move missed plot points to areas where they can be encountered.
  • This does not include moving missed Treasure Bundles except those bypassed with a creative solution as below.

Unless an encounter is marked as optional, it is required. This does not prevent players from circumventing encounters with clever play. Otherwise, the only generally valid exceptions are due to time constraints: a venue closing imminently or a convention slot ending. If your table skips or bypasses encounters that award treasure bundles, players are not penalized; award the treasure bundles at the end of the adventure.

If a particular issue comes up repeatedly or causes a significant problem in one of your games, please raise any questions or concerns on the Organized Play GM Discussion forum where Venture-Officers, members of Paizo’s Organized Play team, or fellow GMs can help you resolve it.

Death and GM Discretion

Given the dangers characters face once they become Pathfinders, character death is a very real possibility (and a necessary one to maintain a sense of risk and danger in the game). However, GMs are asked to consider the player's experience when deciding whether to use especially lethal tactics or target a character in extreme danger of death, especially when the player is new to the game.

Creative Solutions

Sometimes during a game, your players might surprise you with a creative solution that the adventure did not anticipate. Rewarding the creative use of skills and roleplaying makes games more fun for the players. If your players find another solution that resolves or bypasses an encounter, give the PCs the same reward they would have gained by resolving the encounter as the adventure anticipated.

The Pathfinder Society never wants to give the impression that the only way to solve a problem is to kill it.

It is also possible that the PCs will kill an NPC with an important piece of information or destroy a critical clue. Unless the scenario specifically instructs you to withhold that information, you are free to improvise an alternate way for the information to survive and reach the PCs.

For additional discussion and examples, see Advice for Running.

Concluding an Adventure

Once the game is finished, issue Chronicles to the players and GM.

Filling Out a Chronicle

The sections of a Chronicle are detailed below. Sections marked with an asterisk (*) include some element that GMs must address before players leave the table, either by filling it in themselves or asking the players to fill in the appropriate information. Players can fill out other sections between sessions.

Table: Sample Chronicles by Season

• (A.) Adventure Name/Number: Preprinted on the form.
• (B.) Character Name: Name of the hero who took part in this adventure.
• (C.) Character Number:* Unique identifier for the character played, including the player's Organized Play ID and the character's number.
• (D.) Partner Code: A unique code that identifies the Chronicle that can be used by third parties to reference the Chronicle.
• (E.) Adventure Summary: A brief summary that can include checkboxes to help remind you which choices you made during the adventure.
• (F.) AcP Pointer: Where to find Achievement Point totals on paizo.com.
• (G.) Treasure Access:* Uncommon or high level items found during the adventure.
• (H.) Variable quantities:* Quantities that depend on character’s level or successes during the adventure, such as treasure, Reputation, etc.
• (I.) Event Name:* Name given to the event on paizo.com. This can be useful when the event number is incorrect or illegible.
• (J.) Event Number:* Unique identifier for the event where the game was played; provided by the Event Organizer.
• (K.) Date:* Date the adventure was completed.
• (L.) GM Number:* The GM's Organized Play ID.

GMs are no longer required to sign or initial any part of a Chronicle, even though earlier adventures include boxes for that.

GMs are encouraged to add notes to Chronicles about interesting events that occur during the adventure.

Remember that certain permanent afflictions (including death), if not cleared at the end of an adventure, require a character to be marked as dead on the Chronicle Sheet and reported on paizo.com as dead. See Ongoing Effects for the list of those afflictions and options for removing afflictions, including limited exceptions.

Treasure Access

The GM must cross off the high level range items on the Chronicle Sheet if the party did not play in the high level range. The GM also must cross off items that the PCs did not encounter.

Variable Quantities

Advancement Speed: Players can use the slow advancement option, which they are expected to note on the sign in sheet. In this case, divide the Experience Points, Reputation, and Gold from Treasure Bundles described below in half; do not round. Slow advancement also awards half Downtime days, but the player is responsible for their own Downtime.

Experience Points (XP): Each Scenario awards 4 XP. Each Bounty or Quest (Series 1) typically awards 1 XP, while each Series 2 Quest (#14 and up) typically awards 2 XP.

Typical Adventure Rewards

The table below summarizes the typical rewards for completing each type of adventure. Check the Sanctioning Document for each adventure for details, including any variations.

Series 1 Quests are designed as roughly one-fourth the play time and rewards of a Pathfinder Society Scenario. Series 2 Quests are designed as roughly half the play time and rewards of a Scenario.

Table: Typical Adventure Rewards

Treasure Bundles

At the end of a scenario, the GM counts the Treasure Bundles (TB) the party found. The value of a Treasure Bundle depends on the level of the character earning it. Most scenarios are designed to award 8 Treasure Bundles, with 2 bonus Treasure Bundles available through exceptional play. See Advice for Running for further discussion.

The chart below gives the value of individual Treasure Bundles and pre-calculates the most common values.

Table: Treasure Bundles

Reputation: Each adventure lists how much Reputation to award, with typical amounts in the table above. If the player did not choose a Faction to represent, they gain the Reputation with the Horizon Hunters. Scenarios with the Faction tag often award additional Reputation with the named Faction(s) for completing their goals.

Fame: Adventures in Year 1 granted Fame as a spendable and trackable currency. As of Year 2, adventures no longer reward Fame. Fame was replaced with Achievement Points (AcP) for all games played after the beginning of Year 2 (31 July 2020), including tables of Year 1 Scenarios. If the Chronicle has a section for Fame, cross it off.

GM Chronicles

Game Masters earn GM table credits and Achievement Points each time they GM an adventure. You can earn a Chronicle for GMing once per adventure (unless the adventure has the Repeatable tag), typically the first time you GM the adventure. If you GM an adventure but do not take a Chronicle for it, report the game on paizo.com using your Organized Play ID number as usual, but leave the character number blank.

GMs have a few special rules for assigning and applying Chronicles:

• Chronicles earned by GMing must be assigned to characters when received.
• Chronicles earned by GMing provide full rewards. This includes 100% of all money, XP, Reputation (including any bonus reputation), Downtime, and access to items and Boons.
• A GM's character receives credit for the level range they are in when the Chronicle is applied, regardless of the level at which the GM ran the adventure.
• GMs can choose not to receive a Chronicle for any game they run, deferring it to a future run.
• GMs can assign Chronicles to characters currently playing another adventure. In this case, apply the Chronicle after the character completes their current adventure.
• Chronicles earned by GMing and playing count equally for the One Chronicle per Character rule.

When a Chronicle is assigned to a character who is below the lowest level allowed to play the adventure, treat it as if the GM had played a pregenerated character at the lowest level allowed to play the adventure.

The GM can choose any combination of checkboxes / Boons / rewards that could have been earned by a player. The GM is not limited to the results of the players at any particular table; however, they must select rewards that could have been earned during a single play of the adventure.

If the adventure requires players to choose among Factions to receive bonus Reputation, the GM must also choose one; GMs do not earn Reputation with each Faction that could be chosen. The GM's choice can be different from their players' choice.