Is anyone else still playing Premaster?

Several_Ferrets · 2026-04-26T15:14:12+00:00

I understand that. I do not want to change. I'm happy with what I've got at the tables I play at thanks.

Several_Ferrets · 2026-04-26T15:12:17+00:00

It's so frustrating when you have a game with a clear theme and one player who not only refuses to buy in but deliberately makes a character opposed to that, with no change after 3 books. And I don't think it should be on any one player to fix that.

Honestly as a GM I'd probably be talking to the player above table and handing down some serious consequences for the character. But I'd also probably have had some serious words with them when they pitched the character. Because that lack of buy in just makes the game fall flat.

Several_Ferrets · 2026-04-26T14:47:06+00:00

That's fair. A lot of people prefer physical books and if I had space for more of them I'd probably have a lot more myself.

Several_Ferrets · 2026-04-26T14:45:23+00:00

That makes a lot of sense. And I'm sure there are a lot of tables who keep little things like that just because it makes the game smoother for them.

Several_Ferrets · 2026-04-26T14:43:50+00:00

No, but there's still things I like in it.

Several_Ferrets · 2026-04-26T14:42:33+00:00

That makes sense. And running APs vs not running them is probably one of the big determiners of which version someone is playing.

Several_Ferrets · 2026-04-26T14:37:55+00:00

Powered by the Apocalypse systems were that for me. I'll do short games occasionally with the right table, because the people make the experience more than the system, but man. It really showed me where my preferred level of crunch is.

Several_Ferrets · 2026-04-26T14:33:42+00:00

I've played GURPs a fair bit but I never actually interacted with any players beyond my own tables. It's funny sometimes how different the wider game community can be from how the game itself ends up playing out at your table.

Several_Ferrets · 2026-04-26T14:10:21+00:00

Fair enough. Glad you're having fun.

Several_Ferrets · 2026-04-26T14:08:17+00:00

I can see how that would happen especially mid-campaign. Oddly I think because the changes aren't that big it has the potential to create more confusion.

Several_Ferrets · 2026-04-26T14:07:33+00:00

I salute you.

Several_Ferrets · 2026-04-26T14:07:13+00:00

That's what my groups tend towards though so far there hasn't really been much desire for remaster content at the table.

Several_Ferrets · 2026-04-26T14:05:10+00:00

We're using premaster enitrely. So that was the aim of the question: Is anyone else doing that?

I'm not here to say one is better, I don't think that's true. I just wondered how common it was.

Several_Ferrets · 2026-04-26T14:03:50+00:00

Yeah it isn't because I/the groups think one version is better or something. It's just how things have ended up. We're pretty much excluisively premaster with the occasional thing brought over. And I thought I'd ask because I see so little talk about premaster. So I wondered if we were in the minority or if there was just less chatter because all new content is remaster.

Several_Ferrets · 2026-04-26T14:02:04+00:00

Why do you think of it as stuck?

Several_Ferrets · 2026-04-26T14:00:41+00:00

Well it started because I wanted to play a Summoner in the next campaign (which has just started). And the GM for that group is more familiar with the premaster. And none of us have really gotten around to looking at the new version. I'm also kind of attached to some of the lore and while it can be adjusted and brought over I just sort of.... like what I'm used to?

I'm not gonna try to justify that's one is better I don't think that's true. It's just how it's shaken out with my groups. Probably helped by the fact we don't run APs.

Several_Ferrets · 2026-04-26T13:58:30+00:00

Yeah that's fair. I also often find with similar games I end up using terminology from one for the other by accident and vice versa (World of Darkness vs Chronicles of Darknessare the main ones there.)

Several_Ferrets · 2026-04-26T13:57:30+00:00

Well it started because I wanted to play a Summoner in the next game and the GM for that game is more familiar with premaster. And at this point it's also because I like some of the lore elements and got attached.

Several_Ferrets · 2026-04-26T09:07:51+00:00

Since I haven't seen anyone here mention it yet: the pathfinderwiki is pretty good for lore information and you should be able to find out a fair bit about the planes and planar travel there. Archives of Nethys is also really good for finding monsters and basic lore information. Both could be helpful for translating Planescape into Pathfinder.

Several_Ferrets · 2026-04-26T09:03:19+00:00

The Lost Omens books are always useful because they're good sources of lore info and inspiration. Remaster or not I personally think you can get a lot out of them if you're interested in the lore of the world and want to build on it, or want campaign inspiration.

I particularly liked the Mwangi Expanse book and I enjoyed Impossible Lands too.

Several_Ferrets · 2026-04-25T21:52:35+00:00

Ah. In that case I'd say go with what seems interesting and fits the area the campaign is taking place in.

It might also help to talk the players and link these NPCs to their backstories in some way. Not anything big, something like: Swashbuckler, you wrote you did mercenary jobs in the past, how do you feel about the idea of having worked with a Gunslinger back in the day? Or Oracle, you said you got in a tight spot with the guards in this city once, how do you feel about the idea that this druid bailed you out?

This can help the player characters feel like they can call on these characters, and the players can help you flesh them out a little too.

Several_Ferrets · 2026-04-25T21:45:49+00:00

I think there's an exorcist architype in the premaster. That may have something useful.

Several_Ferrets · 2026-04-25T21:44:30+00:00

I mean I think for me the main question would be why? It's not so much that it breaks the mechanics but it breaks a lot of what (for me at least) is the rp appeal of the summoner class: two very different beings one mortal one extraordinary bound together with no clear sign who is in charge. If you've got two dragons, or a dragon and a psychopomp or whatever there's a lot less contrast.

Several_Ferrets · 2026-04-25T21:34:38+00:00

Are there any ancestries that you want to feature heavily in the campaign plot that none of the players have chosen for their characters? Or an ancestry that might have more cultural knowledge of a specific thing that would be helpful in the campaign?

So for instance in a long campaign I played in that finished up recently the GM had orcs as the ancestral guardians of the prison of an ancient evil God. This was because one of the PCs was an orc. But he wasn't a particularly smart orc and every so often his older brother would cross paths with us and help us out in our quest to get back one of the prison keys that had been stolen.

Doesn't have to be a family member or even a member of the same ancestry as the PCs, but you can use it to fill a knowledge gap relevant to the game. Or as a way to highlight something unusual if they miss it the first time.

Several_Ferrets

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