How to play according to tabletop rules

[pilum]

My (vague) understanding is that this game is easier than the tabletop version because the treasure cards have more powerful variants of the base cards. Is that correct? Are there compensating things in the bad guys deck that make the game harder?

 

If I want the game to play the same as the tabletop game what do I need to do? Just not use any of the "Treasure Chest" cards? I assume those rune things aren't part of the base game either? (because they weren't in my original non-special-edition version of the game)

 

Sorry I know this is probably answered elsewhere in this forum, but I could not figure out what to terms to search for. Happy for someone to just point me to another thread.

 

Also I'm happy for everyone to enjoy the game however they like, so please don't take above as criticism of players who enjoy the new rules, I just prefer to keep the challenge level the same as the original design and would like to know how to do that.

[Splutty]

Short answer: You can't.

Long answer: You can't. Play the dead tree card game.

[Hannibal_PJV]

Mainly so as above, but You can get near, if you go to options and turn the treasure cards off from the settings. And if you turn on perma death. And if you don't use stash, and don't replay scenarios if you manage to win the scenario. There still Are some things that Are different from the tabletop though.

 

Better take this as an reasonable entertaining alternative to original. But those things above make it as near as it is possible at this moment.

 

Edit: replaying scenarios is permitted by rules. See below.

Edited July 4, 2017 by Hannibal_PJV

[Ethics Gradient]

Also I'm happy for everyone to enjoy the game however they like, so please don't take above as criticism of players who enjoy the new rules, I just prefer to keep the challenge level the same as the original design and would like to know how to do that.

It's not too impossible to get a near-vanilla experience.

 

1. Go to Settings, turn off "Treasure Cards in Story Mode"

2. Sell off all the cards in your Stash / Unclaimed Tab

3. Start a new campaign with new characters and Permadeath on

4. Play through each scenario on normal mode (do not replay completed scenarios!)

5. Sell all excess cards after scenarios; do not stash them

6. If a character dies, they can be replaced by a new character (that will probably be at a severe disadvantage due to missed feats and terrible cards)

 

Several of us around here have made the argument that the game could benefit from some sort of "Trial of Iron" mode to automatically manage tabletop-style rules.

 

As you've said, everyone is just trying to enjoy the game.  But I've got a feeling that whatever you see the app branch a little from tabletop norms, it is because the devs have collected enough gameplay data that such changes likely benefit the majority of players.

 

EDIT: Play through scenarios as many times as you want.  Rules do permit it, even if some of us around here seem to forget that...

Edited July 4, 2017 by Ethics Gradient

[Irgy]

People keep saying things like "near-vanilla" if you follow all those steps. What are the remaining differences? Just the various bugs? The fact that it's not a physical card game?

 

Also I'm amazed so many people want to replay scenarios. I'd much rather just play through the whole set more times. Though I do get a little sad when I get to the end and my party isn't useful any more. Maybe what they should do is make an extra game mode where rather than progress through a story you just grind through automatically generated scenarios, to suit that style of player.

 

Are there compensating things in the bad guys deck that make the game harder?

 

There aren't, but there are two additional difficulty levels that can provide that compensation instead. Which of course you also don't have to do. But I also find they compensate for the fact that the original game was way too easy in the first place (at least from the perspective of an experienced player).

 

Also be careful with permadeath. Personally I treat it as on but don't actually turn it on. In the real game, if you drop a d4 on the table while you gather your dice it won't kill your character. But in the app, misclicks, misunderstandings* and even occasionally (though generally indirectly) bugs can lead to character death.

 

* As an example of a misunderstanding leading to character death, I once saw a wisdom check when encountering a monster and assumed it was one of those "before you act, succeed at a wisdom [x] check or [a thing happens]", and just rolled it without bothering to try and pass it. Turns out it was actually the check to defeat. My own stupid fault, sure, but I'm just saying there's no way to make that mistake in the paper game.

[Yewstance]

A few notes that haven't been brought up yet.

 

1. Even ignoring treasure chests, there are some differences between cards in the digital version and the physical game, of which I believe were all initially greenlit by Paizo (original board game developers) designers to both improve the functionality in a digital interface as well as rebalance the game for the better. Some cards were rebalanced (Acid Arrow, Bandit Henchmen etc), some have been added (Blacksmith's Son, Stride), some have been removed (Levitate), all for a number of reasons. Changes were mostly to improve otherwise bad cards (Acid Arrow used to be identical in dice to force missile & lightning touch, but not basic), or to increase meaningful checks and decision making; such as making the Bandit Henchmen grow more difficult with the adventure deck number, so they don't remain as a difficulty 8 check even when fighting them as part of location effects towards the end of the game (when getting a +8 or more static bonus for any of your weapon checks should be the default).

 

These are changes that are generally for the better, and do not seriously adjust the game compared to the board game, besides making a couple of cards more meaningful.

 

2. You ARE allowed to replay scenarios in the board game, from everything I've read on the official forums. It's not necessarily encouraged, but it's within the rules to do so (you just don't get the scenario rewards more than once). A few people in this thread have stated differently. Perma-death is most certainly in the board game, however. Running out of time for a scenario (or forfeiting) is fine; just restart the scenario, same as in the digital game.

 

A small consideration is that the 'forfeit' command in the digital game is (at least in previous patches - I have not played the latest patch) has always been really shoddily implemented. "Forfeit" in the board game means "every player passes their turn until the blessing deck runs out". They still need to reset their hands (if they have more/less than their hand size), they still need to finish any checks in progress, etc. From all of my experience in the digital version, despite the warning message, you could frequently forfeit before or during certain checks and have the game end without worrying about potentially dying to a bad roll, which would be considered cheating in the board game to go "Oh, I might actually die in this check I'm already doing. FORFEIT".

 

3. You can also make the argument to not use alt-character equipment sets if you want to be closer to the board game balance/intent, but to be fair I would encourage using them if you're having more fun doing so.

 

4. Yes, bugs will always mean that the experience will not be as close as, perhaps, some people would like. Especially late in the adventure path, you will come across bugs; potentially extensively.

Edited July 4, 2017 by Yewstance

[Yewstance]

[...] and don't replay scenarios if you manage to win the scenario. [...]

 

 

4. Play through each scenario once on normal mode (do not replay completed scenarios!)

 

This was really bothering me, because these are two very active and extremely helpful forum-goers here, which is instilling a degree of doubt in me that both would say so...

 

...but the Paizo FAQ, and multiple statements from the developers, have always said that replaying scenarios in the board game is fine. See the following FAQ entry for Rise of the Runelords: http://paizo.com/paizo/faq/v5748nruor1gk#v5748eaic9r4h

[Ethics Gradient]

This was really bothering me, because these are two very active and extremely helpful forum-goers here, which is instilling a degree of doubt in me that both would say so...

 

...but the Paizo FAQ, and multiple statements from the developers, have always said that replaying scenarios in the board game is fine. See the following FAQ entry for Rise of the Runelords: http://paizo.com/paizo/faq/v5748nruor1gk#v5748eaic9r4h

 

 

Geez.  Yeah.  You're completely right.  The FAQ certainly permits that, even if the rulebook itself it a little vague on replays.

 

If anything, I suppose this is the difference I miss most between the Digital and Tabletop Pathfinder editions:  Getting into debates about rules with relative certainty you are correct, and then being informed you missed one detail that completely upends how you remember things.

 

When in doubt, read the text on the cards,...

then read the rulebook,

then check the paizo FAQ,

then search the internet for a post from Vic Wertz or Mike Selinker,

then finally make a post of your own and hope for an official response.

[Hannibal_PJV]

So true. The board game version is so much slover that you don't want to play scenarios again so we don't do it in real life. And so it has becoming kind of rule, but Yep the rules don't require it.

In reality replaying is a balance issue. If you lose scenario, you at least get some loot that can make your deck better and the next run is easier. If you win scenario your deck is good enough to push through the next one. Until you hit the wall next time

But Yewstance is very right in here.

[pilum]

Thanks to everyone who responded. I feel well informed going into it now. If I enjoy the game enough I might try both your suggestions (ie Play it through once as close to the tabletop rules as I can, then play it a second time with all the toys and increase the difficulty slider.)

Edited July 4, 2017 by pilum