GMs Guide to Creating Challenging Encounters

NOTE: EFFECTIVE 02/03/2014 THIS GUIDE WILL NO LONGER BE UPDATED. IT WILL NOT BE REMOVED. STARTING 2/10/14, THIS GUIDES CONTENT WILL BE EXPANED UPON IN BLOG-FORMAT AT THE NEW EVERYMAN GAMING BLOG. EVERYMAN GAMING IS UPDATED WEEKLY ON MONDAYS, WEDNESDAYS, AND FRIDAYS. NO INFORMATION IN THIS GUIDE WILL BE COPY/PASTED ONTO THE BLOG; IT WILL BE WRITTEN ENTIRELY FROM SCRATCH AND WILL CONTAIN AT LEAST 69% BETTER GRAMMAR AND PUNCTUATION. The Paizo thread will continue to function if you wish to discuss these changes. The Everyman Gaming blog also contains a Facebook page (there is a link at the bottom of each page on the blog. If you would like to submit ideas for future articles, please PM the author at the Everyman Gaming Facebook Page.
YoumaynowreturnyourregularscheduledGuideViewing. ~AlexanderAugunas

Table of Contents
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. Glossary DebunkingMyths TheActionEconomy TheMathBehindCR RecappingtheProcess CalculatingaPlayersCR DeployingtheLinearGuild RevengeoftheRecap MythicMathematicsDesigningEncountersforMythicAdventures DesigningEffectiveBossMonsters PracticeWhatWePreachTheHauntingofHarrowstone TakingAdvantageofTerrainandWeather TheRealGoal MiscellaneousTipsandTricks Summary

Glossary
Thisguideassumesthatyouknowwhatthefollowingtermsmean.Ifyoudont,thisiswhereyou shouldgoodtoreferencethoseterms. GMGameMasterthepersonwhorunsthegameyoureplaying. PCPlayerCharacterthepeopleplayinginthegamethatisbeingrun. APLAveragePartyLevelthisistheaveragelevelofyourparty. CRChallengeRatingthisishowdifficultthemonsteris. XPExperiencePointsanumericalsystemthatdetermineswhenPCslevelupisalsoused todetermineamonstersCR. DepletableResourcesAnythingthataplayercanloseasaresultofparticipatinginan encounter.TypicalDepletableResourcesincludehitpoints,abilityscores,spellsperday, magicitemcharges,dailyuseabilities,andsoon.

Debunking Myths
Beforewegetstartedonthisguide,theresomeimportantmythsthatneeddispelling. 1.Designingmyencountersinadvanceisthesameasrailroadingmyplayers,andonly poorGMsrailroadtheirplayers.Railroadingcanbelooselydefinedasforcingyourplayers downaspecificplotorstorylinewithoutgivingthemanychoiceortheillusionofchoice. Designingencountersinadvancecansometimesberailroading,butitisnotasuresignof thispoorGMingpractice.ThebestGMsplantheirencountersinadvanceandsprinklein spontaneitylater. 2.HavingFivePlayersinmypartydoesnotaffecthowdifficultIshouldmakemy encounter.ThisisperhapsthebiggestmythIhaveencountered,andtheproblemisthatit stemsdirectlyfromtheCoreRulebook,whichstatesthatyoudonotneedtoadjustapartys APLifyouhavefiveplayers.ThisissimplynottruebecauseofhowtheCRsystemis balancedandhowthegamesactioneconomyworks. 3.ACR4encounterisareasonablyhardchallengeforanAPL4party.No,itisnot.If youreadtheCoreRulebook,aCR4encountershouldonlydrainroughly25%oftheanAPL4 partysdepletableresourcesthatisnotadifficultencounter.WhenCRequalsAPL,itisan averageencounter. 4.Whydontyoutalkabouthowtodesigncreativeencountershere?Imansweringthis questionherebecauseIwasaskeditonthePaizoBoards.Thereisareasonwhythisguide doesnottalkaboutthecreativeaspectofdesigningencounters,andbelieveitornotbutitisnt becauseImlazy.Ultimately,youcanbetaughtMathematicsandtechniquesforhowto designchallengingencounters.Buttheabilitytodesigncreativeencounterscomesonlyfrom experience.Sogetoutthere,GMsomegames,playinsomegames,andearnexperience downanddirty.GMfornewplayersandhelpnewplayerslearntoGMthemselvesnomatter hownewsomeoneis,agoodencounterdesigner(andagoodGM)knowsthatthereare lessonstolearnfromeveryexperienceheacquires. 5.TheGunslinger/Magus/ZenArcherisbroken!Imwillingtobetthat90%oftheGMs whocrybrokendontknowwhatthephraseactuallymeans.Brokenisanoptionthatruins yourgamebygrindingittoahalt.Inotherwords,anyplayeroptionisonlyasbrokenasyou allowittobe.Fordifferentreasons,thethreeclassesIvelistedarethecommonsubjectsof complaintswhenitcomesto,Isthisclassbroken?Honestly,itmakesmelaughbecause [BrokenNova]classthreadsalmostalwaysexistalongside[Martialssuckcomparedto spellcasters]threads,andyettwoofthreemostcommonlycomplainedaboutclasseshave nospellcastingwhatsoever.Twist! InordertobeasuccessfulGM,youneedtobefamiliarenoughwiththerulesthatyoucan

easilyandeffectivelymodifyencounterstosuityourparty.Theresaverypowerful misconceptionbyRPGGamersnowadaysthattheFirstPartyPublisher(Hint:Paizo)is allpowerfulandallknowingandisthegoldenstandardbywhichalllesserproductsshouldbe judged.Thatsmalarkey,andhereswhy.PaizoneedstosellAdventurePaths,andoftenthat meansshootingforastandarddeviationofplayers.Manyoftheirencountersaretunedforthe iconicpartyoffour,whichwediscusslaterinthisGuide.Thefartheryoudeviatefromthat norm,theharderoreasiertheadventurebecomes. Thisiswhyitisabsolutelycrucialthatyoulearnhowtoadjustencountersforyourparty.Yes, theGunslinger,Magus,andZenArcherhaveanextremelyhighdamageoutput.Buttheyalso havetheirweaknesses.Welltalkaboutsomeofthoseweaknesseselsewhereinthisguide, butyouneedtoA)useavarietyofencountersandB)notewhichtypeofencountersyour playersarechallengedby. Tldr:AdventurePaths(andeventheXPtables,toacertaindegree)arebalancedassuming thatyourplayersareapartyoffourconsistingofaCoreWizard,aCoreCleric,aCore Rogue,andaCoreFighter.Thefatheryoudeviateawayfromthisstandardparty,themore youwillhavetoadjustyourencounters.Thisguidewillgiveyouexcellenttipstomake encountersharder,andmostofthemarebackwardscompatibletowardsmakingencounters easiertoo.Justtakeallofmysuggestionsandapplytheminreverse!

The Action Economy, or the Real Reason Your Encounters Are Trivial
IamnotgoingtogoindepthontheActionEconomyhereinthisguideitisquiteliterallyatopic thatdeservesitsownguide,suchasthefabulousguidewrittenbytheGeekIndustrialComplex here.MostGuidesonActionEconomyarePlayerOriented.IamabouttogiveyouaGMoriented guidetotheActionEconomy. 1.WhatistheActionEconomy?Putsimply,theactioneconomyisthenumberofactions persideinacombatthesidesbeingGMvs.PCs.Withsomeexceptions,everycharacterin acombathasaccesstothreeactionsaStandardAction,aMoveAction,andaSwiftAction. YoucanalsocombinetheStandardandMoveactionstogetherintoaFullRoundAction,with themostcommonofthoseactionsbeingtheFullAttackActionandtheFullMovementAction. 2.WhydoesthisaffectmeastheGM?Yourplayersaregoingtoconstantlylookforways toswingtheactioneconomyintheirfavor.Aretheybuffingbeforeafight?Thosespellsspent buffingarestandardactionsthatdonotneedtobecastduringthecombat,whichnetsthe PCsabonusontheirActionEconomy.Whenyouallowyourplayerstogainadvantagesinthe ActionEconomy,youaremakingtheencountereasierforthem.Thisisnttoimplythatyou shouldneverallowthePCstobuffbeforeanencounter,butyouneedtobeawarethatthe playersusingoutofcombattimetocastbuffsmeansthattheyaregoingtobeableto dedicatemoreoftheircombatactionstorippingapartyourmonsters. 3.Howdoesthisaffectmyencounterdesign?TheveryrealconceptoftheAction Economyisbasicallywhatmakestheiconicbossmonstersoincrediblyeasytodefeat unlesssaidbossmonstersignificantlyoverpowersthePCsintermsofitsCRtotheirAPL. Insteadofaroleplayinggame,lookatagameofPathfinderasifitwereagameofchess.If youplaceanAPL4partyoffouradventurersagainstaCR4monster,bothsidesofthe boardwouldthesamenumberofchesspieces.However,becausetherearefourPCstoone CR4monster,thePCssideiseffectivelytakingfourturnstheyaremakingfourmovesto everyonemovethattheCR4opponentgetstomake.MoreturnsperroundforthePCs meansthatitisnotlikelythattheGMssideisgoingtowinthisgameofchess.Thegameis designedwiththisinmind,soifyouwanttodesignadifficultencounter,youneedtoevenout thechessboardsomewhat,whichwillalwaysmeananencounterofahigherCR.

The Math Behind CR

ThePathfinderRoleplayingGameisbuiltupondecadesofspreadsheetsandmathematical calculations.Inordertodesignachallengingencounter,youneedtobefamiliarwiththemath behindthesystem,boththemaththatallowsCRtofunctionthewayitdoesandhowthesystem isintendedtowork.First,welllookattheimportantrelationshipsinencounterdesigningbefore wediveheadfirstintoNumberland. Relationship#1APLisalwaysbasedonafourmanband.Haveyouevernoticedthat developersalwaysmentiontheiconicadventuringpartyashavingaFighter,aRogue,a Cleric,andaWizard?OrthatallofPaizosAdventurePathartalwaysdepictsfourPCsnever more?Thisisnotaccidentalfarfrombeinganiconicadventuringband,theFighter/Rogue/ Wizard/Clericpartyisconsideredtobethestandardpartycomposition.TheCRisbuiltwith theassumptionthatyouhavethosefourclassesandthetoolstheypossessatyourdisposal. Relationship#2CRisbasedonExperiencePoints.Haveyounevernoticedthatall monstersofacertainCRawardthesamenumberofexperiencepointsandthatwhenyoukill amonster,youdivideitsExperiencePointstodeterminetherewardthatacharacter receives?TheamountofXPearnedafteranencounterisbasicallythePCsshareofthe treasurecompensationfortheworkheorshedid.Tothisend,amonstersexperienceis basedonitsCRasmuchastheentireencounterswealthis. Relationship#3XPtoAPL.Ifwetaketheaboveinformation,wecaneasilydetermine howmuchXPaplayershouldbeabletohandleinanencounterbasedontheencountersCR relativetotheplayersAPL.Thetableonthenextpagehasbeenconstructedbycomparing theaveragelevelofacharactertoanencounterwithaCRthatisequaltothatcharacters level,thendividingthatencountersXPawardby4.Thereasonthetotalisdividedbyfouris thatthegameassumesafourmanparty. HowtoReadThisTable:Accordingtothetablefoundonthenextpage,a1stcharacteris experiencingaaverageencounter(CR=characterslevel)ifsheisexpectedtohandle100 XPworthofmonstersorminions.TheCoreRulebookdefinesanaverageencounterasone thatexpends25%ofthepartysdepletableresources.Soifyouwantedtomakeanaverage encounterfor41stlevelPCs,youwouldmultiple100XPby4(thenumberofPCsinthe encounter)andtheneffectivelypurchaseupto400XPofmonstersforyourencounter.A CRencounterisworth50XP,soIcouldmakeanaverageencounteroutof8CR monsters.IcouldalsousefourCRmonstersoroneCR1monster. Thistableisgoingtobeyourbestfriend.Trustme.

Character LvL
01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

CR1
50 100 150 200 300 400 600 800 1,200 1,600 2,400 3,200 4,800 6,400 9,600 12,800 19,200 25,600 38,400 51,200

CR+0
100 150 200 300 400 600 800 1,200 1,600 2,400 3,200 4,800 6,400 9,600 12,800 19,200 25,600 38,400 51,200 76,800

CR+1
150 200 300 400 600 800 1,200 1,600 2,400 3,200 4,800 6,400 9,600 12,800 19,200 25,600 38,400 51,200 76,800 102,400

CR+2
200 300 400 600 800 1,200 1,600 2,400 3,200 4,800 6,400 9,600 12,800 19,200 25,600 38,400 51,200 76,800 102,400 153,600

CR+3
300 400 600 800 1,200 1,600 2,400 3,200 4,800 6,400 9,600 12,800 19,200 25,600 38,400 51,200 76,800

CR+4
400 600 800 1,200 1,600 2,400 3,200 4,800 6,400 9,600 12,800 19,200 25,600 38,400 51,200 76,800 102,400

CR+5
600 800 1,200 1,600 2,400 3,200 4,800 6,400 9,600 12,800 19,200 25,600 38,400 51,200 76,800 102,400 153,600 205,800 307,200 409,600

102,400 153,600 153,600 204,800 204,800 307,200

Recapping the Process

Letsquicklyrevieweverythingthatwevegoneoverupuntilthispoint. 1.ThereasonmostencounterssourisduetotheActionEconomy,whichcanbe simplifiedasthenumberofactionsthatallcharactersparticipatinginthecombatcan take.WhenthePCshavemoreactionsthantheiropponents,encountersendquickly. 2.TheChallengeRating(CR)systemisbudgetedthroughXPandassumesthatyour partycomposesoffourcharactersthatcantakeactions.Becauseofthis,thesystemis designedknowingthatwhenapartyfacesoffagainstamonsterofappropriateAPL,the playersreceivefourtimesasmanyactions.ThisiswhyanencounterwithaCRequaltoa partysAPLisconsideredaveragedifficultytheyoftenlackthesheernumberofactionsin ordertomatchthepartymoveformoveandenduplosingthecombatbecauseofit.. 3.PlayerssplitXPevenlywhenanencounterends.Becauseofthis,wecanassumethat playersaremathematicallyexpectedtoactandexpendresourcesatasomewhatequalrate duringanencounterXPearnedisliterallycompensationforactionstakenandresources usedduringtheday. 4.Forallofthereasonslistedabove,wecandividetheXPAwardforagivenCRby4 tofindtheamountofXPthatoneplayerisexpectedtocontributetoanencounter. ThesevaluesarelistedontheChartprovidedabove,basedonthecharacterslevel comparedtotheencountersCR.

Calculating a Players CR
Ifyourereadingthisguide,youprobablywanttolearnhowtochallengeyourplayers.Inorderto dothat,youneedtoknowhowtodeterminetheCRofyourPCs.Seemslikeanabstract concept,right?PlacingaCRontoyourplayerswhentheyrenotmonstersthatdoyourbidding? Well,youllbehappytoknowthatisquitepossibletodoifyouknowtherulesfordeterminingthe CRofhumanoidopponents. ClassLevels:WhendeterminingahumanoidsCR,useitstotalPCclasslevel1asitsCR. Forexample,a5thlevelFighterisaCR4encounter.ForNPCclasses,useitstotalNPC classlevel2.Forexample,a2ndlevelCommonerisaCRencounter.MulticlassingNPC classesandPCclassesismessyCRwiseavoiditifpossible. Equipment:YourcharactersequipmentfactorsintoitsCRaswell.IfthecharacterhasNPC wealthappropriateforitslevel,itsCRremainsthesame.Ifthecharacterhasnowealth, reduceitsCRby1.IfthecharacterhasPCwealth,increaseitsCRby1. ThismeansthatifacharacterhasallPCclasslevelsandisequippedappropriatelyfora PCofitslevel,itsCRequalsitsclasslevel.Thisiswhythewealthguidelinesareso importantifyoudonotkeepyourPCsuptodatewithtreasure,youactuallyreducethequalityof thechallengesthatyourpartycanfacebecauselikethetotalnumberofplayersinyourparty,the gamemakesassumptionsabouthowwellequippedyourplayersare.

Deploying the Linear Guild

Nowthatwehavethisinformation,letslookattheLinearGuild.Inthewebcomicseries,The OrderoftheStick,theLinearGuildisbasicallyanEvilOppositesgroupthatopposesthetitular heroes.TheyhavethesamenumberofcharactersatroughlythesameCRastheprotagonist. WhenwetalkaboutaLinearGuildencounter,weretalkingaboutmakingthePCsfight opponentsroughlyequivalenttothemselves. Torecap,aPChasaCRequaltohisCharacterLevelsolongashislevelsareinPC classesandhiswealthisclosetotherecommendedamountlistedforthePCWealth tableintheCoreRulebook.WhendesigningtheLinearGuildencounter,wellstartby evaluatingtheCRofa1v1matchanda4v4matchtolookforsimilarities. 1v1:Inouriconiconevs.onematch,wellpitRoyGreenhilt,a4thlevelFighter,againstThog,a 4thlevelBarbarian.Usingthehandytablewemadeearlier,wecanseethatifheisfightingon hisown,anAveragechallengeforRoyisanencounterworthabout300XPthisisabouthalfway betweenaCRandaCR1encounter,accordingtotheCoreRulebook.ButThogisa4th LevelBarbarianwhohaswealthequivalenttoaPC,sohisCRis4.AccordingtotheCore Rulebook,Thogisworth1,200XPthisis4timesasmuchaswhatwouldnormallyconstitutean AverageencounterforRoy.Ifyoulookatthechart,youllnoticesomethingstrange1,200XP hasaplaceonthechart.IntheCR+4column.Iftheyfight1v1,ThogisaCR+4encounterfor Roy. 4v4:Insteadofaskirmish,letslookatafullonbrawlbetweentheOrderoftheStickandthe LinearGuild.Thistime,wellpitRoyGreenhilt,HaleyStarshine,DurkonThundershield,and VaarsuviusagainstThog,Sabine,Helga,andDrzzt.Eachofthesecharactersisa4thlevel Character,andthereforeanaverageCRencounterforthispartyisworth1,200XP(300xpper playertimes4playersis1,200XP).However,eachmemberoftheLinearGuildhasPCwealth andfullPCclasslevels,sotheirCRisequaltotheirtotalcharacterlevel.Thismeansthatthe encounterwiththeLinearGuildisworth4,800XP(1,200XPperopponenttimes4opponents). Again,thisisfourtimesasmuchXPasisappropriateforanaverageencounterforanAPL4

group.Andinterestinglyenough,aCR8encounterisworth4,800XPaccordingtotheCore Rulebook.Evenmoreinterestingly,thisexampleperfectlyfollowstheHighCREquivalencies tableintheCoreRulebook,whichstatesthataddingfourmonstersofthesameCRincreasethe encountersCRby4.Inthiscase,fourCR4charactersmakesaCR8encounteroverall.Aside frombeingausefultoolforcalculatinghowmuchapartycanhandle,thisvalidatesthattheCR systemisdesignedfora4Personparty. IfwetakealloftheinformationfromtheLinearGuildexercise,thenittellsusthatifyouwantto designanencounterwherethePCsareevenlymatchedtotheiropponent,theencounterneeds tohaveaCRequaltoAPL+4.Atthispoint,theopponentsshouldbeabletomatchthePCsone foroneintermsofresources,andonlywhenyougettoAPL+5encountersdotheoddstruly starttostackagainstthePCsmathematicallyspeaking.Thisgivesusaplatformwithwhichto baseourchallengingencounters.

Revenge of the Recap

Letsreviewsomekeyinformationthatwevediscussedsofarinthisguide. 1.ThereasonBossMonstersdonotworkisthattheycannotkeepupwiththePCsin termsofactioneconomy.Inorderforthemtohaveastayingchance,theyneedtohave powerfulabilitiesandrawnumbersthatthePCscannotkeepupwith,whichleadstoshort, decisiveencountersinsteadofepic,challengingencounters. 2.APL+4representsaCRwheretheplayersandtheiropponentsareevenly matched.AsyouincreasetheencountersCRbeyondthispoint,theoddsslidemoreand moretowardstheopponentsfavor. 3.TheCRsystemwasoriginallydesignedassumingthatyouhaveafourpersonparty.

Mythic Mathematics Planning Encounters for Mythic Adventures

Ifyourelikeme(youmightnotbe),thenyouprobablystartedpanickingafterseeingallofthe commentsthatMythicisaRocketPoweredMachineGunofDOOM!thatarecurrently (8/21/2013)floodingthePaizoForums.DoesMythicAdventuresbreakmyguide?Iwondered aloudmanysleeplessnights?Idecided,Ohheckno!andstarteddivingintotheMathematics behindMythicAdventures.Imgoingtorestatesomekeyideasbeforewegetstarted,butthe pagethatisdirectlybeforethisonehasafullrecapofeverythingmentionedthusfarifyouneed therefresher. 1)APCsCRisequaltotheirclasslevel1. 2)ProperlyequippingaPCforitslevelincreasesthePCsCRby+1. 3)AcharacteraddshalfofherMythicTier(minimum1)toherclassleveltodetermine herCR.ThisrulealsoapplieswithMythicRanks(monsters). 4)AccordingtoMythicAdventures,onethirdofallencountersshouldusethepartys improvedAPL,onethirdshouldusetheiroriginalAPL,andthefinalthirdshouldfallin betweenthatrange.Forexample,a5thLevelPartyoffourheroeswith4tierseachhasa standardAPLof5(theaverageoftheiractualclasslevel)andamodifiedAPLof7(theirAPL+

oftheirMythicTiers).Accordingtothebook,onethirdoftheencountersshouldassumethat theplayersAPLis5,onethirdshouldassumeanAPL7party,andonethirdshouldassumean APL6party(somewherebetweenthosetwo). 5)Inaccordancewith#4,youshouldbevaryingencountersupinordertoproperly challengeyourfoes.Forexample,youcanuseaChallengingencounter(+1CR)appropriate forthePCsactuallevel(CR6intheaboveexample),theyreMythiclevel(CR8),orsomewhere inbetween(CR7). Inordertopullthisoff,weneedsomesortofbaselinetoworkfromwhendesigningMythic Adventures.AlthoughitneverwasreprintedinthePathfinderCoreRulebook,anold3.5Edition book(IbelieveitwastheDMG)mentionedthatonaverage,ittakes13encountersinorderto reachanewlevelassumingthat50%ofyourencountersareofanappropriateAPL,andtherest arewhateveryoufeellike.Itsnotthebestjumpingpoint,butitsgoodenoughforwhatwere goingtodiscuss. So,ifwetakethe13encountersnumberasfactual(itsentirelyopinionbased)thenwecan dissectthatnumberdownintotwosmallerparts:APLappropriateencountersandAPLvaried encounters.Inthiscase,wehave6encountersthatshouldhaveaCRequaltoyourAPL,6 encountersthatshouldbevaried,and1or2leftoverencountersthatshouldgowhereveryou feellike. Thisfirstcharttakesthisinformationandplacesitinadappertable.Andyes,IamawarethatI amneitherBritishnorqualifiedtousetheworddapperinasentence.Forthisexercise,were assumingthatyourpartyisa5thLevelpartyoffourplayers. APLAppropriate(NonMythic,50%) APLVaried(NonMythic,50%) Leftover SixCR5encounters Sixencounters,rangingfromCR4toCR8. 1to2encounters(any)

Nothingnewontheabovetable.ButletstakethosevaluesandapplythemtoMythic AdventuresusingthefourfactsfromtheCoreRulebookandMythicAdventuresthatIstated above.LiketheNonMythicexerciseabove,wereassumingthatyourplayersarecomprisedof four5thLeveladventures,butwellalsouse2MythicTierseachwhencalculatingCR..

APLAppropriate(Mythic,50%) APLVaried(Mythic,50%)

TwoCR5,TwoCR6,TwoCR5to6. TwoEncountersrangingfromCR4toCR8

TwoEncountersrangingfromCR5toCR9 TwoEncountersrangingfromCR4toCR9 Leftover 1to2encountersCR4toCR9

So,howdoesthisallaffectyouastheGM? Itdoesnt.Notmuch,anyway.TherealdrawtoMythicAdventuresisthatitallowsyou,asthe GM,tothrowbiggerchallengessooneratyourplayers,andeventuallyitwillallowthemto combatunspeakablehorrorsandrealityshakingevils.Mythicisdesignedtoletyouplayawhole newcaliburofhero,andifyouimplementMythicexpectingtokeepthestatusquo,youllbe disappointed.ImgoingtoendthissectionbydispellingsomeMythicMyths. 1)MythicPCswilldestroyeverythingintheirwake.Theycertainlywillifyoudontchallenge them.RememberanywherefromtoofyourencountersshouldnowbeaCRhigherALL THETIME.YouknowthatCR12dragonandboggardencounterwewantedtothrowatourPCs earlierontheguide?IfyourPCsareMythic,thatencountercouldbeamaximumofaCR13. Nowallofyoupeoplewhocomplainedaboutmewantingtothrow20frogpeopleatmyplayers canrejoicebecauseallofthosefrogpeoplenowgotONEEXTRACLASSLEVEL!Theyreliving largeandincharge!Orbetteryet,theyallgotPCWEALTH!Yourplayerswanttreasure?MAKE THEMDIEFORIT! Inaddition,MythicTiersdonotimproveyourBaseAttackBonus,soyoumightactuallymiss someofthosereallyhighACmonstersconsideringthateventhoughyoureMythic,yourAPLis still4levelslowerthanyouropponentsCR. 2)MythicPCsareunkillable.Thisisacommonmisconception.MythicPCsreceiveno bonusestosavingthrowsoutsideofdaysperusepowersandacoupleofreallyhandy,really expensivemagiccloaks.ThismeansthatmostMythicPCsaregoingupagainstungodlyhorrors withsomecoolabilities,buttheyrestilleasilyaffectedbythenastypowersofthoseHighCR creatures.ThisdoescauseMythicencounterstobefirefights,butletsfaceit,arentthe highpoweredbattlesthecoolestpartofmovieslikeSpartaandClashoftheTitans?Beforeyou complainaboutMythic,rememberwhatMythicistryingtohelpyouemulate:theMythicGreek andRomanheroesofold. Inaddition,MythicTiersdonotimproveyourACoutsideofahandfulofcoolGuardianPath abilities,sothosehighCRmonstersthatyourenowfightingwillprobablygettoattackyouon theirturn.

Designing Effective Boss Encounters

BossencountersareiconictoRoleplayingGameseveryonehasfondmemoriesof twentyminuteencountersagainstRPGbehemothslikeSepirothorLadyYunalescaanditisonly naturaltowanttoplanencounterssuchastheseforyourroleplayinggame. Thetruthofthematter,however,isthatdoingsoisexceptionallydifficultbecauseoftheAction Economy.YourpreciousBossMonsterseitherneedtooverpowerthePCsdrasticallywith defensesthataredifficultorimpossibletopenetrate(see:Tarrasque)oroneofthefollowing happens:thebossmonstergoesdownwithawhimperorthePCsareutterlyannihilatedina matterofturns.Sono,IamnottellingyoutobuildAPL+4dragonsforyourbossmonsters. Thatspunishingandcruel,andyourPCsarentlikelytoovercomethatencounter,especially afteralongdungeon.Instead,fleshoutyourencountersandaddminions. Letslookataclassicencounteragainstadragon.Forsimplicityssake,wellsaythatthe DragonwewanttousehasaCRof11andthepartyhasaCRof10thedragonisalittlebit tougherthanthePCs,butnotbymuch.Now,wedontwantthisencountertobeeasyforthe PCs,sowedecidetobumpuptheencountersCRto14thisisthepartysAP+4,whichwe havediscussedisthemagicnumberforabalancedcombatbetweenbothsides.Onhisown, theCR11dragonisworth12,800XP.Ourtargetgoal,CR14,hasanXPbudgetof38,400XP.

Aftersubtractingthedragonfromourbudget,wehave25,600XPtoworkwith. LetssaywereworkingwithaGreenDragon.Greendragonsliveinswamps,sowedecideto lookforsomerelativelyweakmonsterstotryandevenouttheactioneconomy.Iamafanof boggards,somaybetheGreenDragonisbeingworshipedasalivinggodbyalocalboggard tribe.YoullnoticethatIpickedahumanoidracethisissimplybecausehumanoidsareeasyto customizeandtheirCRiseasytocalculate.Forexample,ifIbuildabunchof4thlevelboggard fightersandequipthemasappropriatefor4thlevelPCs,eachboggardhasaCRof4.ACR4 boggardisworth1,200XP,sosomequickdivisionrevealsthatIcanpurchase21CR4 boggardsandonlyhave400XPleftoverIcaneitherdiscountthat,addsomerandomswamp animalstothecombat(afterall,thegreendragonmighthaveempathywiththeswamps serpentsortheboggardsmighthavegiantfrogsasmounts),orspenditonatrapornatural hazard. Youmightbeaskingyourself,Youcouldhaveaffordedtwodragons.Whydidntyoubuya seconddragoninsteadofanarmyofeasytokillfrogpeople?Theanswer,myfriends,isAction Economy.Asmuchworkasitmightbeforyoutotrack,youhavetheactioneconomyifyouare fightingwith22opponents(onedragon,plus21boggards).Atypicalpartyhasfouradventurers. Eachadventurewilltypicallyhaveninespacesadjacenttoit,meaningatotalof36creaturescan attackthepartyatonceinmelee.Yourplayerswillbesurroundedandswarmed.Their movementwillberestricted,leasttheyprovokeanattackofopportunity.Noteverypartymember willhavetheACofagodsomewillbewizardsandroguesandeventheCR4boggardwould haveachancetohitthem.Andeverycreaturehasa5%chanceofautomaticallyhittingwitha natural20simplemathstatesthatbyrestrictinghowthePCsmoveandbypullingresources awayfromthedragon,theboggardsaremoreofahassleandmaketheencounterchallenging withoutmakingitimpossibleinthewaythattwodragonsmight. ThisisjustoneexampleofhowyoucanmakeanencountermoredifficultbyworkingtheAction Economyinyourfavor.

Practice What We Preach Haunting of Harrowstone

WARNING:SpoilersforCarrionCrown,TheHauntingofHarrowstonewillbefoundinthis section! Okay,soletstakeallofthisinformationandactuallyapplyittoabossmonster.Formy example,ImgoingtousearelativelywellknownPaizoAdventurePath,theHauntingof Harrowstone.ThereareafewreasonsthatIchosethisone.First,itmostcertainlyendswith severalclimaticbossencounters.Second,itsbeenoutforawhilesoeverythingImgoingto mentionisintrinsicallylessspoilery.Andfinally,IactuallyownthisAdventurePathvolumefor quickreferencing!So,letsgoaheadandlookattheHauntingofHarrowstone. TherearetonsofawesomefoestopickasthebossmonsterinthisAdventurePathandthe Adventureremindsusthattheycanbeencounteredinanyorderatanytime,butformy purposesImchoosingtheSplatterMan.Why?Well,accordingtothestory,itwastheSplatter Manwholedtheprisonriot,threwtheWardenintoprison,andheisultimatelythehighestCR foeintheentireAdventure.NottomentionthetimelimitontheAdventurePathcomesfromthe SplatterManhimself.Prettysweet!So,basedonwhereheislocated,theultimateencounter, thePCsshouldprobablybearoundthebackendof3rdlevel,almost4thlevelwhentheyreach thisstageoftheAdventure.So,howcanwemakethisencounterintoatrulyepicbossfight? Well,wehaveseveraloptions: #1IncreasetheCR.RememberthatwecanincreasetheCRofanencountertomakeitall themoreepic.AtCR+3,theSplatterManisalreadyafairlydifficultencounterforthePCs,but thefactremainsthathisactionsareoutnumberedbythePCsteam.Tothatend,themaximum

youaregoingtowanttoraisetheencounterofthisCRtoisprobablyCR7,anincreaseof+1 CR.Thereasonforthisisthatanyhigherandyourereallypushingyourplayersabilitytobe preparedfortheencounter.AsaCR+4encounter,ourtableshowsusthatwehave800XPper playertoworkwith,foratotalof3,200XP.TheSplatterManhimselfisworth2,400XP,foratotal of800extraXPtomaketheencountermorechallengingfortheplayers. #2ReducetheSplatterMansCR.Neverforgetthatyoucanmaketheencounterharder bynerfingyourbossmonster.Inthiscase,wecouldapplytheyoungcreaturetemplatetothe SplatterManbutnotactuallychangehisphysicalappearance.Givehimalloftheadjustmentsof thistemplatewithoutactuallychanginghisphysicaldescription.Forexample,youdontneedto describetheSplatterManasbeingthesizeofahalflinginordertoapplythepenaltiesforbeing smalltohim.MaybehisattacksarefeeblehavingbreachedthisfarintoHarrowstone.Maybeyou justdontshowyourplayerswhatkindofdiceyourerolling.Regardless,theSplatterMansCR isnowCR5,meaningheisworth1,600XP.Thismeansyoufreedup800XPtoworthwith,just likeinthefirstexample. Soregardlessofwhichofmytwosuggestionsyoutook,wenowhave800XPtoworkwith.(Isnt mathematicsAWESOME?!)So,youmightbeaskingyourself,WhatsortofmonsterscanIuse tomakethisencountermorechallenging?Ithoughtyoudneverask.Sothequestionis,how miserabledoyouwanttomakeyourplayersusingthose800XP?Herearesomepointers: Pointer#1NOUNDEAD.Howmanyofyouwerelike,NOWHY?!Heresthereason:using undeadwillNOTaffectyourplayersactioneconomyiftheyhaveacharactercapableof channelingpositiveenergy.AndImwillingtobetthat90%ofpartiesgoingthroughthisAdventure Pathwillhavechannelenergy.TheundeadhorrorAdventure?Um,yeah.Needacleric.This meansthatsaidchannelenergycharactercanhurtyourbossmonsterANDtheundeadinthe samemanner,andbecauseyouonlyhave800xp,theyrelikelytokillyourextramonsterson Turn1withnodifficultywithchannelenergy.Mathematicallyspeakingtheyhavea50%chance todoso,sodontpickthingsthatsharetheSplatterMansweakness. Pointer#2Pickcheapmonsterswithdefensesagainsttheplayersthatarent impossibletokill.Icannotstressthisenough.Youneedtopickmonstersthatcandefend againstmostoftheplayersattacksandtakeahitortwo,butcanultimatelybekilled.Whyis that?Becauseifyourmonsterscannotbekilledsomewhateasily,yourplayersarelesslikelyto wastetimetryingtokillthem.Butiftheyhavenodefenses,yourplayerswilldestroylowlevel foes.Youwanttoshootformonstersthatwillsurvivefortwotothreeroundsonaverage.Taking twotothreeroundsawayfromyourplayersisplentywhenmakingachallengingencounter. Dontbegreedy. So,whoareourcandidatesforgoodmonsters?Well,heresmypersonalpick: BloodoftheSplatterMan:Soforthefirstchoice,IlookedintheCarrionCrownBestiary.One ofthemonstersyoucanfindthereistheSanguineOozeSwarm.AsaTinyswarm,itprovides

deliciousbenefitslikethedistractionability(makeyourcasterscry!),automaticdamageifyou areinitsspace,achancetobecomestaggeredjustforbeinginitsspace,andontopofallthis, ittakeshalfdamagefromallweaponattacksandcantbedirectlyaffectedbyspellsthatdeclare atarget.AtthisstageoftheAdventure(Hint:theend),yourspellcastersarentlikelygoingto havemanyareaattacksleft,meaningthatyourfightersaregoingtoneedtoeffectivelydeal14 damagetotheoozeinordertobreakitup.Thatsactuallychallengingat3rdlevel.Tomake mattersworseforyourplayers,theoozeliterallystealsawaytheiractionsduringaround.Adding morethanoneoozeswarmmightbeoverkill,butitisasurefirewaytodamageyourplayers actioneconomyduringtheSplatterManencounter. GruesomeEntry:SinceCarrionCrownisallabouthorror,Iwouldntstarttheencounter withalloftheoozesbeingattackable.Instead,addtheoozeatthebottomofinitiativeduringa roundaplayerA)dealsdamagetotheSplatterManorB)isdealtdamagebytheSplatterMan. Usecreepyimagerysuchas,Themomentyourbloodtouchestheair,itquivers.TheSplatter Mangrinsasyourredichorentershisareaofinfluenceandyourbloodanimalsintohundredsof small,amorphousblobsthatswarmtheroom,attemptingtosiphonevenmoreofyourblood fromyourwitheringveins. HowMany:At135XPperswarm,itmightbetemptingtothrowallofyourXPintooodlesof oozeswarms.Iwouldntrecommendthis.Whileyoullgetanimpressivefourtofiveswarms dontso,havingthatmanyoozeswarmsisboundtoagitateandfrustateyourplayers.Because ofallofthenegativeeffectstheoozeshave,itllquicklygrowfromachallengingencountertoa punishingencounter.Idontrecommendmorethantwooozeswarmsunlessyouhaveaparty thatisverywellequippedtodealingwithoozesand/orswarms. Monster2EctoplasmicElemental:AlsofromCarrionCrownsownbestiaryisthe EctoplasmicCreaturetemplate.ThereasonIchooseelementalisforflavorpurposesitmakes alotofsenseforanectoplasmic,amorphouscreaturetoappearfromnowhere.AtCR2,itsa relativelystrongchoiceweighinginatahefty600XP.Slashingweaponsarepopular,sotheDR/ slashingwillnotbeextremelypowerful.TheelementalsHitDicedropfromd10stod8s,butit gains1extrahitpointperHitDie,whichoffsetsthissomewhat.Moreimportantly,ifyoupickFire Elemental,yougettokeeptheburnattack,whichisprettysweet.Iwouldexplainthiscreatureas agiantmanifestationofboiling,ectoplasmicbloodtomatchtheoozesthemeandbasicallyuse ittotryanddebuffasmanyPCsaspossiblewiththeshakenconditionusingitshorrifyingooze attackwhileputtingonthehurtwithburn.Havingtheelementalgoafterlowarmored,lowWill savefoesiskey,becauseitsattackbonusisgoingtobeprettyterribleandyouwanttomake themshakenifpossible. HowMany:Youcanaffordnomorethanone. Inshort,IwouldusetheSplatterMansthemeofbloodtoexpandupontheencounter.Althoughit goesovermyXPlimitby70points,Iwouldthrowtwosanguineoozeswarmsandan ectoplasmicfireelementalatmyfoesinadditiontotheSplatterMan.Thesemonstersare immunetomostoftheweaknessesoftheSplatterManandcanchallengetheopponentswho aremostlikelytohurthim,enemyspellcasters.Theencountergivesmartialswhomightnotbe abletohurtincorporealcreaturessomethingtodowhileforcingspellcasterstorelyonmartial

characterstosavetheirbacongettingcaughtintheareaofanoozewillhaveahighchanceto shutdownaspellcaster(orevenamartial)andgettingstruckbytheelementalcausesafair amountofdamage(potentiallyupto2d4+1)withthechanceofinflictingtheshakencondition ontothetarget. Thesechangesdonotmaketheencounterimpossiblyhard,andyourplayerswillstillhaveafair chanceatdefeatingthem.Whattheydoaccomplish,however,ismakingtheencounterlonger, morechallenging,andrequiremoreteamworkwhilemakingtheoverallexperiencemore memorable.

Taking Advantage of Terrain and Weather

Originally,Iwasntgoingtomentionterraininmyguide.MyreasoningisthatA)terrainisvery easyforplayerstocircumventandB)switchingterraintypesshouldbeaveryimportantstoryline eventnotsomethingthatisdonespontaneouslytomakeaterrainmoredifficult.Ihavegotten requeststotalkaboutterrain,however,soIamgoingtogooverthevarioustypesofterrainand howtheyimpacttheActionEconomy.Rememberregardlessofwhattypeofterrainyoupick, employingterrainthatisadvantageoustothePCsdecreasestheencountersCRby1while employingterrainthathindersthePCsincreasestheencountersCRby+1.

Aquatic Terrain
AquaticTerrainisanythingwaterbased,specificallyanythingwhereyourcharacterisfully submergedinwater.Typicallyspeaking,youcanfightunderwaterorfighterabovewaterinto water.Bothcarrymanynastypenalties. Encounter:Inanencounter,theaquaticterraincarrieswithitmorepenaltiesthananyother type.Itplacesheftypenaltiesonattacking,moving,andvirtuallyeveryaspectofthegame.Ifyour playersarenotpreparedforit,aquaticcombatisincrediblydifficult.Ontheotherhand,ifyou giveyourplayerstimetoprepareforit,aquaticcombatisalmostlaughablyeasy.Forthat

reason,IrecommendtreatingAquaticterrainasothertypesofterraintoo.Addanunderwater forestofkelpandrunitlikeaforestorunderwatercavesforthebenefitofpoorlightning.Many playerswillforgetthattheyareallfightinginathreedimensionalbattlefieldunderwater,souse swimmingaboveorbelowyourPCstoyouradvantage.Perhapsthemostdangerous(and smartest)tacticthataGMcanrelyonistheabilitytoremoveaplayerspreciousunderwater survivaltoolswhileunderwater.Dispelmagicchangesfromaninconveniencetoliterallyfatal spell,especiallyifyourplayersdidntthinktopreparemultipleusesofwaterbreathing.Forextra destruction,dispelthecharacterscapableofcastingwaterbreathingfirst.Tryingtocastaspell whileunderwaterandunabletobreathrequiresamonstrouslyhighconcentrationcheck,afterall. Ifyoudontkillyourspellcastersoutright,youforcethemtowasteanentireturncastingwater breathingagaininordertopreventtheirowndeathswhilerewardingthecharacterssmart enoughtopreparea4thlevelsilentwaterbreathingspell.Thiswillbeatrickthatworksonceon them,butnever,everagainandfeelsawfullycheapwhenyourplayerdiesinthismanner.Still, youwantedchallenging,right?

Bog/Marsh/Swamp Terrain
Thistypeofterrainisanysortofwateryenvironmentthatislandboundandnomorethan severalfeetdeep.Unlikeaquaticterrain,bogscanbeincrediblynastybecausemostplayers wontthinktopreparespecificspellstodealwiththistypeofterrain.Goingunderwater?Of courseyoubringsbunchesofwaterbreathingwithyou.Goingintoaswamp?Pssst,no,why wouldIneedTHATspell!Inshort,useaquaticterrainforstoryandbogterraintoactually challengeplayerswithwater. Encounter:Bogsareawakingnightmare.Itstrue.Theyreduceyourmovementspeedby halfifyoureMediumorlargerandtheyforceyoutoswimthroughpartofitifyouareSmallor smaller.Inaddition,ambushinginaswampischildsplay,andentirespeciesofanimalsevolved toutilizethistactic.Primeexample:crocodiles.Whenusingbogstotheirfullest,capitalizeon theirambushingpoweralongsidetheirdifficultgrounds.Rememberthatmostbogdwelling animalscanholdtheirbreathlongerthanyourplayerscanandwillliterallyattempttograppleand drownenemyplayersastheircombattactic.Everythingfromcrocodilestolizardfolkshouldbe usingthisstrategygrabthemandusethefactthattheycanholdtheirbreathlongerthanyouto drownyou.Forcrocodiles,theyllgoafterwhateverisnoisiest/closest/shiniestbutcreatures likelizardfolkareintelligentandwillhideoutinthemuck,waitingtoambushunsuspectingPCs. Likealways,whenambushinggoforthelightlyarmored/physicallyweakerguysfirstand snuffemoutsoyoucanswarmthetougherlookingopponents.Thisisaverycommontactic andisntmetagamingagainstyourwizards,althoughtheycertainlywontfeellikegodswhen theyrepinnedunderseveralfeetofmud,chokingtocastaspellwhilealizardfolkissmashing theirskullintotheground. Terrain:Neverforgettwothingsaboutabogtreesandquicksand.Thegroundisnotyour friend,andwhileitismean,havingyourlizardfolk/boggardsidentifyquicksandandposition themselvessotherearepitsofitbetweenthemattheopponentstheyareattackingisan excellentcombatstrategy.Atthispoint,youarecontrollingyourplayersabilitytoactbyeither forcingthetwohandedgreatswordtottingfighterwhonoticesthequicksandtofeeblywastehis

roundsdoingpitifuldamagetoyouandyourcoverbonusinthetreesoryoucontrolyourplayers abilitytoactbytrickingthemtochargeintoquicksand.Bonuspointsifyouareabletoshootthem withStrengthsappingpoisonsotheycantescape.

Desert Terrain
Adesertisanyplacewithanextremelylowamountofrainfall.Thismeansyoucanhavecold deserts,butnotsnowyones.Thisterrainispainfulforcharacterswhorelyonarmor,because bothhotandcolddesertsrequirealotofenduranceoutofyouaswellasAcrobaticschecks.As aresult,youmightbeabletocatchthepartyfighterpantsdownandarmoroff,sotospeak. Encounter:ReflexsavesandAcrobaticschecksareyourweaponsofchoicehere.From slipperyicetoshiftingsand,everythingrequireAcrobaticscheckstoavoidfallingprone.And guesswhat?ChancesarethatonlyyourswashbucklingroguePCtookranksinthem,asmost oftheheavyarmoredguysignoreAcrobaticsbecausethatattackllneverhitmeandmost rangedcharactersandspellcasterschimein,Illneverbeinmeleerange!Thisiswhereyou laughastheyfallontheirfaces.Thatsaid,desertsdontalteranencounterasmuchasother typesofterrain.Desertsshinewhenplayersvisitthemlongterm. Terrain:Illgetthisoutoftheway,dontcountondehydratingyourplayersinadesert.At least,notinitially.Iftheyrepreparedforit,theyregoingtostockuponallofthewatertheycan beforeheadingout,andsomeofthesavvyonesmighteveninvestinadecanterofendless water.Soinstead,simplyremindthemtotracktheamountofwatertheyhave.Peopleoften forgetthattherecommendedamountofwaterfordailyconsumptionis8cups,orhalfagallonof water.Halfagallonofwaterweighsalot,soyourplayersprobablywontcarrytoomuchofitor theyllrelyonthepartyclerictocastcreatewater.Sono,dontcountondehydration.However, youcanstillusewatertocatchyourplayerswiththeirpantsdown.Startmakingyourplayers makeWillsaves(DC10+thenumberofdaysinthedesert)anddescribeinexcrutiatingdetail howpainfulthelackofwateristotheplayerregardlessoftheresult.Iftheycaveanddrinkwater, rewardthemwithadescriptionofhowcoolandrefreshingitwastosplurgelikethat.Youllbe surprisedhowquicklyyoullgetintoyourplayersheads,andwehaventevenstartedtalking aboutdunesyet! Hotvs.Cold:Climateaffectsadesertmorethananythingelsebecauseofconditionslike heatexhaustionandfrostbite.RemembertorollFortitudesavesattheappropriateintervals,as youcaneasyslapthefatiguedandsickenedconditionsonmultiplepartymembersatonce, eitherforcingthemtostopandrest(andtherebysettingthemupforanambush)orforcethem toeatmajorpenaltiesfortherestofthedaythatonlygetworse.TheDCstendtobelow,butboy doyoufeelthemwhenyoufail.Again,dontcountonthisbecauseofrelativelyeasyDCs.Inhot deserts,yourPCsaregoingtobeassaultedfrombelowbyburrowingcreaturesandatnight. Capitalizeontheirneedtorestandinitiatesurpriseattackswhentheyaremostvulnerable.In contrast,enemiesaregoingtooftenadaptthemselvestousuallyfrigidenvironmentbyusing camouflageandstayinginthesunduringthedayandretreatingtowarmerdensandburrowsat night.PlayerscouldeasilycampinacreaturesdenandenteraGoldilocksscenario,exceptthe ThreeBeatsarecorneringtheminthedankcave.

Forest Terrain
Forestterrainisanyplacewithlotsoftrees.Doesntmatterifitsthinorthick,hotorcold,orany treefilledplaceinbetween.Forestshavealotofuniquepotentialwhendesigningencountersif theyareusedcorrectly,namely,theyallowbothplayersandenemiesthatareableclimbersto fightinthreedimensionssomewhateasilywhilemakingitmoredifficulttoflyinusingaflyspell, assumingthatyourforestisdense. Encounter:Likemarshesandbogs,forestsareexcellentplacestosetupambushes. Forestcreaturesoftengetjustasmanybonusesforhidinginthewoodsasmarshcreaturesdo, anddependingonanumberoffactorsforestscanbedeadlyplaces.Namely,forestswithahigh treedensitywillmakeyourplayerscringe.Thisissomewhatcumbersometodowell,asyou havetobecomfortablewithdrawingalargenumberoftreesonyourmap.Butwhenyoudo, treesprovidemanyunmentionedbenefits.Theirthickbrancheswillofteneasilyprovidecoveror concealmenttoanyenemieshidingwithinthemwhileprovidinglittletonobenefittothePCs beingpeltedwitharrows,bullets,orbolts.Inaddition,ahightreedensitycanmakeflyingintrees nearlyimpossibleanditisntafarstretchtogiveflierstheblindedconditionwhiletryingtoflyina forestscanopy.Forthisreason,mostfliesarerestrictedtobelowthebranchlineoraboveit, makingthemeasyprey.ClimbspeedsandClimbbonusesarepivotalintheforest,andlucklyfor youasaGM,ClimbisuptherewithSwimasoneofthoseskillsplayersnevertake.UnlikeSwim, therearefarlesswaystoacquireaClimbspeed.Andmanyplayersoftenchoosetoignore extremelyusefulspellslikespiderclimbonceflyisacquired. Terrain:Forestterraincanoftenbeincrediblydarkinregionswheretreesgrowdensely together,evenduringthemiddleoftheday.Thisinpartdependsonwhereyourforestislocated andwhatsortoftreesgrowthere,however.Forexample,dontexpecttoplaythelowlightcardif youareplayinginaforestofpinetrees,thosebranchesdontspreadwideenoughorthick enoughtoblotoutthesun.Thatis,unlesstheywereimpossiblytallpinetrees.Rememberthatit isdifficulttochargeinaforest,especiallywhenthegroundiscoveredinroots,andanyonewho haseverbeenhikingwillagreethatitisverypracticaltorequireAcrobaticscheckstomove acrossthegroundwhilerunningorcharging.Finally,dontforgetthatwhenweretalkingabout attackingfromthetrees,theattackerisalwaysgoingtoreceiveahighergroundbonus,whichis alsoaveryniceperk. Hotvs.Cold:Bothtemperaturescanbeveryeffectivewhencombinedwithforests.Hot forestsareusuallyjungles,andtheyhavetonsofuniquerolesforrunningthem.Coldforestsare alittlebitlesspunishing,butadoublewhammyofasnowstormplusaforestcanquicklyleadto lost,unsuspectingPCs.Inshort,junglesaregoingtoaffectyourencountersmuchmorethan coldclimateswill,butbothofthemhavenastywaystosoftenupyourPCsiftheyplanonstaying foralongtime.

Hills Terrain (In Progress)

YoucangettheHighGroundbonusprettyeasilyinHillterrain,butthisisreallytheterraintouse ifyouwanttopeltameleefocusedpartywithrangedattacks.Steephillsaredifficulttoclimband willcauseunbalancedmartialtypes(hint:alloftheoneswhodontwearplate)totumbledown. Smartarcherswillbeduckingdownovertheledgetogettotalcover(orconcealment)against

peskyspellcasterswhoaretryingtopeltthemwithrays.Rememberthatyouhavetheterrainon yoursidewhenyouarearangedcharacterfightingonthehills.Alsorememberthathavingone archerwhoisabletoidentifyspellcastersandinterruptthembyusingareadiedactiontoshoota spellcasterwhostartsmakingsomaticgesturesisaneffectivecountertoeventhemost studiousofwizards.Soyes,Hillsterraincanbevery,verynastyifyourplayersaretheones beingattackeddownhill.

Mountain Terrain (In Progress)

MountainTerraindoesntaffecttheActionEconomymuch,butitcanbeincrediblychallengingto fightinnevertheless.MountainTerrainisatitsmostdifficultwhenyoudealwithoneoftwotypes ofmonstersmonsterswithflyspeedsandmonsterswithburrowspeeds.Thereasonthese monstersaresoeffectiveagainstPCsinMountainTerrainisduetothesimplefactthat Mountainsfocusontheverticalaxisratherthanthehorizontalaxisthatis,theystretchuprather thanspreadacross.LandbasedPCsaregoingtostrugglewhenfightingflyingenemies especially,astheenemieswillhavefullmaneuverabilitywhilePCsareseverelylimitedinwhere theycanmove,thesheerdistancewilloftenpreventfullattacksasthePCsrelyonreadied actionstotakedowntheirfoes.Naturally,thisisnotaconcernforarangedfocusedcharacteror apartywithaccesstofly,whichiswhyatrulychallengingencounterisgoingtohavewaysto nullifymagicalorsupernaturalflight.Amountainsnaturalhazardsincludeavalanchesand slippingoffledgestoyourdeathwhiletheconsequencesofthesehazardsareespeciallyfatal, atthesametimethereisntmuchaplayercandoaboutthem.Playerswilloftencomplainthat encountersthatuseMountainTerraintocreateachallengeareexceptionallycheapespecially whenthevillaingrabstheirPCsandtossesthemoffamountain.

Plains Terrain (In Progress)

Plainsterrainistheabsoluteworstplaceforyoutochallengeyourplayers.Itssmall,flat,and thereisntmuchyoucanchallengethemwith.Sinkholesarecommonintheplains,asaretall grassesforhiding,butultimatelyyourplayerswillboreofthisquicklyandbothofthese conditionscanbefixedwithoutpenaltytoaspellcasterby3rdlevelspells(flyandfireball respectively).Theplainsoffersnocounterstothegamechangingspells,namelyfly,andmost creaturescanthidewellintheplains.ThebestwaytousetheplainsistousethePCs confidenceagainstthem.Thisistheplacetoambushthemwithbanditswhoareclearlyoutof theplayersleague,dragonattacks,andsoon.Basically,useplainsifyourpartyisalreadyover theirheadsandyoudontwanttopunishthemevenfurtherwithterrain.

The Real Goal: Combats Where Fighting isnt the Objective

ImaparttimeWargamer(WarhammerFantasy,ifyoumustknow),andoneofthereasonsI gotboredwiththegamehasabsolutelynothingtodowiththerulesorthelackofperfectbalance ortheexpenseassociatedwiththehobby.ItwasthegamesIwasplaying.Basically,myfriends wouldsetupourarmiesperfectlyalignedfromoneanotherandwewouldfightheadtoheadto thelastmanuntilsomeonehadbeencompletelydestroyed.AndthatsomeonewasALWAYS me.Why?BecauseIcouldntouttacticsmyfriends,andasaGMthatisbasicallythereason youarereadingthisguide.Youwanttoouttacticsyourfriends.Butletsfaceit,youabsolutely CANTbeatyourplayersintactics.Theyvegotfourbrainsandyouvegotone,nomatterhow muchyoumightwanttoexaltyourintelligence,fourhumanbrainsworkingtosolveaproblemwill alwaysbeateventhemostgeniusbrainworkingalone.Asaspecies,wearehardwiredtoexcel atworkingtogether.So,ifyourefindingthatyourplayersaresimplybeatingyouatcombat tactics,thenstopmakingcombatentirelyabouttactics. GASP!Imaheretic!PathfinderisonlyaboutwizardsandCODzillasandtheabsolute dominationofyourfriendsinafantasysetting!Right?WRONG.Ifyouareplayingthisgamejust

toabsolutelydestroyyourplayers,yourenotplayingthegamecorrectly.IwishIcouldsaythatI wasbiased,butImnot.Nowhereinthisentireguideisthisideademonstratedbetterthanhere, intheCombatisnttheObjectivesection,becausewelldesigned,intelligent,andequippedPCs willbeatyourplanningwhenitcomestocombat. Butwhatiftherewasawrenchintheworks? OneofthebestexamplesthatIveeverreadaboutthissubjectcomesfromWizardsofthe CoastsBookofVileDarkness.Init,oneofthesamplevillainsgeneratedforthePCswasan antipaladinwhohonestlywasntthattough.Nohealing,Level10ish.Notadangerousencounter. Thatis,untilyoureadhistactics.Yousee,thisantipaladinworeabeltofmanacles.Dontgo lookinginUltimateEquipmenteither,thatsnotamagicitem.Itwasliterallyaniceadamantine beltwithabunchofmanaclesattachedtoit.Andattachedtoeverymanacle,occupyingallofhis flankingspaces,wereeightneardeadchildrenthathebeatandtorturedforhisownamusement. AndthatrightthereisoneofthehardestencountersinthegameforaspecifictypeofPCgroup. Howdoyouhithim?ThechildrenprovidehimwithacoverbonustohisACagainstranged attacks,worsenedifyourPCsdonthavepreciseshot.Thechildrencantbemovedbecauseof thebelt(whichmighthavebeenreinforcedwitharcanelock,ifIrememberright).Attackinghim withanythinglessthanareachweaponwouldsimplybeuseless,andheusedareachweapon himself.UpgradehimtoPathfinder,givehimSelectiveChanneling,andhecannuketheparty whilemakingattacksofopportunityagainstthePCswhousetheirroundstryingtofreethe children.Intheend,thebestsolutionIveseenistotryanddestroythosechains,butatthatpoint yourenolongerfightingatacticcombat.Yourefightingamoralcombat,andthatisexactly howyoucanmakeyourencounterschallengingANDremovethefocusfromfighting.Bymaking combatsthatmesswithyourPCs(andtheirplayers)senseofmorality. ThisisntsomethingIcanteachyou,though.Igaveyouanawesomeexample,butnowitsupto youtofigureoutwhatbuttonsyourPCshavetoexploit.Eventhecoldestpersonhasabuttonto press,andiftheydontoryoudontwanttogothere,maybethisisnttheencountertypeforyou. Butitisguaranteedtomakeamemorable,challengingencounterbecauseinsteadoftesting yourplayersbrains,youretestingtheirhearts.Justdontoverdothisone,oryourplayerswill flatouthateyou.Unlessyourerunningahorrorthemedgame,inwhichcasestufflikethisis partofthebaggage.

Miscellaneous Tips and Tricks

Thissectionisnotpartoftheguideitself,butherearesometipsandtrickstosolveyourneeds. 1.BeonthelookoutforspellsandabilitiesthatincreasetheActionEconomyinoneof theteamsfavor.Thebiggestexamplesofthesetricksarehaste,slow,andtimestop.Haste effectivelygivesafreemovementactionoranextrastandardactionwhenusedtoattackduring afullattackaction.Slowremovesoneactionfromitsvictims(eithermoveorstandard),andtime stopgivesaheapofextraactionstoonespecificplayer.Thesespellsworkforboththeplayers andtheGMandthegameassumesthatyourplayershaveaccesstothesepowerfulspellsat theappropriatelevels.Ifyouareusinganenemywizard,givingyourmonstershasteordebuffing yourplayerswithslowcanturnarelativelyeasyencounterintoachallengingone. 2.TakeadvantageofconditionsthatimpacttheActionEconomy.Creaturesthatcan paralyze,stun,stagger,orentangleopponentsarewickednastybecausetheyhamperyour playersabilitytocontributeactionsintheActionEconomy.Hereisaquicksummaryof underappreciatedconditionsandactions: Entangled:UtterlydestroysyourenemysabilitytouseMoveactions. Exhausted:Destroyyourenemysbattlefieldmobility. Grappled:LimitsanopponentsabilitytouseMoveactionsanddestroysaspellcasters abilitytouseStandardactionstocastspells.Evenmeleeattackershaveahardtimelanding blowswhilegrappled,andanongrappledfocuscharacterisgoingtoverystressedagainsta grapplefocusedone. Nauseated:TakeawayyouropponentsabilitytocontributeanythingtotheActionEconomy atall. Pinned:Asgrappled,butamilliontimesworseforthepinnedcreature. Prone:WasteaMoveactionstandingupyoutakehugepenaltiestohitwhileproneand enemieshaveaneasiertimehittingyouwithmeleeattackswhileyouredown.Mostofthebig monstersaremeleebasedratherthanrangedbased. Staggered:Removeofyourtargetsactions. 3.MakesureyourPCsarentalwaysbuffed.Thisoneseemslikeanobrainer,butmanynew GMsforgettomakesurethattheirPCsaretrackingbuffdurations.Castingbuffsbeforean encounterhasitsdownsidestheycaneasilyendprematurelyinanepicencounter.Asageneral rule,round/levelbuffswilltypicallylastoneencounter,minute/leveland10minutes/levelbuffswill

generallylasttwo,maybethreeencountersdependinguponhowquicklythePCssearchthe areaormoveontotheirnextchallenge,andhour/levelspellsenduplastingformostoftheday, especiallywhenthePCsstartgettingtohigherlevels.Ifyourplayersrelyonbuffs,take advantageofthatwithantimagiczoneandgoodolddispelmagic. 4.DealingwithMunchkins:Quickbitofinfo,IdefineaMunchkinasaplayerwhoutilizes systemmasterytobuildacharacterwhooverpowershischaracterforaspecificaspectofthe gameusually,Munchkinsarecombatoriented.Tome,thereisadifferencebetweensomeone whobuildsastrongcharacterandsomeonewhobuildsaMunchkincharactertheMunchkin charactertypicallyhasaverynarrowfocusanddoesnotcollaboratewiththeteamplayspiritof thegame.Munchkinsaretypicallyconcernedonlywiththeperformanceoftheirowncharacter andratherthanexcellingintheirgivensituation,theMunchkindominatesittothepointwhereno oneishavingfun.ThebestwaytotellifyouredealingwithaMunchkinwhowillnegativelyimpact yourgamingexperienceistorampupthedifficultyofyourencounterstocompensateforhis presenceninetimesofoutten,aplayerwithsystemmasterywillrisetothechallenge,butthe Munchkinwillcryfoulthatyouareadaptingtohischaracterchoices.Donotlistentothese complaintsadaptationisliterallythenameoftheGMsgame.Suchcomplaintsusuallymean,I designedmycharactertoplowthroughanythingyoucoulddoandyouaretakingthatawayfrom me.Becauseremember,theMunchkinbuilthischaractertodominateyourgame.Hedoesnt likebeingoutdesigned. So,youveidentifiedaMunchkin.Whatdoyoudo?Ifthisisntaplayeryouwishtocontinueto gamewith,askinghimtoleaveisanoption.Sometimesthisdoesntworkforpoliticalreasons. Sinceyourereadingthisguide,Icanassumeyoudontmindadaptingyourgametoproblems suchasthis.Asmentioned,usingtheActionEconomyagainsttheMunchkinisthemost effectivemethodtodealingwithhim.TakeadvantageoftheMunchkinsweaknessesinorderto challengehim,anditsokayiftheMunchkinsucceedsdespiteyourattemptsyouwanttoinstill theideathatsystemmasteryintermsoftacticsismoreenjoyablethanbuildingridiculously powerfulcharacters.YourhighpoweredgamemightonlyencouragetheMunchkin,however, andhonestlythatsnotreallyadownside.HighPoweredgamesareoftenthestuffoflegendthat gamerstalkaboutforyearstocome,afterall!

Tips for Countering Classes

ThissectionprovidesspecificinformationthatwillhelpyoucounterspecificPCclassoptions. Thissectionwillonlybeexpandeduponrequest,soifthereisaspecificclassoroptionyouwant someadvicecountering,postinmythreadandIllpostananswerhere!

Gunslinger
OfallthenewPathfinderclasses,Ivepersonallyfoundthatthegunslingeristhehardestto counter.Agunslingeroperatesunderthreecardinalrules,whichIwilldelveintohere: 1>TheGunslingerusesafullbaseattackbonus. 2>TheGunslingerneedstohittheirtargetstouchAC,whichisusuallyalowvalue. 3>BecausetheGunslingerusesahighbonustostrikealowAC,theGunslingersgameplayis basedaroundtakingpenaltiesonattackrollsinordertoincreaseitsdamageoutputthrough featslikeDeadlyAimandRapidShot. Becauseofthesethreerulesaswellashowthegunslingerclassoperates,mostgunslingershit theirmaximumdamagearound7thor8thlevel.Acompetentgunslingerplayerisgoingtospend thefirstfewlevelsgrabbingDeadlyAim,RapidReload,andRapidShot,usuallyinthatorder becauseRapidReloadisnotimportantuntil6thlevelorsowhenthegunslingerneedsthisfeatin ordertosuccessfullymakeiterativeattacks. Itsatthatpoint,whenthegunslingercanmakeiterativeattacks,thatGMsusuallystart complainingaboutthegunslingershighdamagepotential.Andifyouthinkaboutit,thistrend makesperfectsense.Asyourplayersgetstronger,monstersgenerallygetbigger,andbig monsterstypicallyhavehighnaturalarmorandlowDexterityscores,leadingtomanymonsters thatyoucouldhitaseasilyasthebroadsideofabarn.Addinthefactthattakingpenaltiesfor multipleattacksdoesnthurtthegunslingerasmuchasithurts,say,thefighter,anditiseasyto seewhythegunslingermakessuchquickworkoutofSingleMonsterencounters. Asidefromtheadvicepresentedinthisguide(Hint:minimizesinglemonsterencountersand neverusethemforclimaticbattles),thebestwaytodealwiththegunslingeristohittheminthe numbers.Similartothefighter,gunslingersareallabouttheextranumbersandattacks,so usingcreatureswithdamagereducingabilitieswillhurtyourgunslingerplayer.Rememberthat thegunslingerisaYojimboshebasicallyshootsmoneyatenemieswithhowexpensiveitisto buyorcraftammunition.Makesureyourplayerisproperlycalculatinghowmuchthoselead bulletscosttomakeandweigh.Playerswillquicklyencumberthemselvestryingtostockupon toomanybullets,andeveniftheyhaveabagofholdingitsstillamoveactiontoretrieveastored item(thisisespeciallynoticeableforalchemicalcartridges).Finally,incorporealmonstersare amazingchoicesagainstgunslingersastheytypicallyhavestrongtouchACsthankstothe incorporealtraitthatallowsthemtoaddtheirCharismatotheirtouchACaswellastheir incorporealdefensethatsignificantlyreducesdamagedealttothem.TheColourOutofSpace

wasthemostchallengingmonstermygunslingerplayereverdealtwith!

Magus
ManyGMsstrugglerunningamagusPCintheirgamebecauseoftheNovaeffect.Ironically enough,aresomeoftheabsoluteworstnovacharactersinthegame.Bydefinition,Nova meansthatyouarespendingabunchofresourcesatonceinordertoproduceamassiveeffect. AclericusingChannelSmiteandaspellstoredinflictseriouswoundsisnovaing.Amagus spellstrikingwithanintensifiedshockinggraspisnotnovaing.Thatsjustonespell. Counteringamagus,however,isfairlyeasyifyourememberthecardinalruleofthespellstrike classfeature:themeleeattackisanalterationofaspecifictypeofspell.Thismeansthatcasting thespellstillprovokesanattackofopportunityandiftheattackofopportunitylands,thereisa fairlygoodchancethatthemagusisgoingtolosethespellheorsheistryingtocast.Thereare threewaysaroundthisthatyourmagusplaymight(andshould)employ:castingdefensively, holdingthecharge,andwhatIamgoingtostartcalling,springcasting. CastingDefensively:Whenaspellcastercastsdefensively,thespelldoesntprovokeanattack ofopportunity,butthecasterneedstomakeaconcentrationchecktoavoidlosingthespell.The casterismoreconcernedwithkeepingtheirguardupagainstthedragonsbitethangettingthe spelloffsuccessfully,ineffect.IfyoureallowingtheMagustocastthoseshockinggraspsin combatwithoutmakinghimcastdefensively,youreessentiallymissingoutonachancetohurt thePCsactioneconomyanddrainresourcesfromaplayer(apreparedspellandpotentiallythe arcanepointstorecallitviaspellrecall). HoldingtheCharge:Whenyouholdthecharge,thisessentiallymeansthattheplayeris castingthespellwhenitssafetodosoandkeepingthespellsenergystoredforlater.The magusmightcastthespellfarawayfromenemiesandthenrushintodeliverthespellvia spellstrikelater.Thisisafairlysmarttacticandtheonlypenaltyamagitakeswhenusingthis tacticistheinabilitytousespellcombat,gainingmultipleattacksplusafreespellcasting.Even so,thisdoesmeanthatyourplayerissacrificingsomedamagepotentialtomakesuretheydont getclobberedorlosetheirpreviousspell,sointheendthetacticshavestemmedthemaguss damagesomewhat. SpringCasting:SpellshoutouttoReyGarzaforpointingthisoneouttome,Page185ofthe CoreRulebooknotesthataspellcastercandeliveratouchspellasafreeactionatanypoint duringtheroundthatitiscast.Thismeansthattheplayercancastaspellasastandardaction, moveuptohisspeedwithinrangeofanopponent,andthendeliverthetouchasafreeaction.Its averyneattrick(andoneyourmagusplayershouldcertainlyemploy)butthiscomeswiththe samebasicdrawbackasholdingthechargeyourmagusispreventinganychancefromtaking damageorlosinghispreciousspellinexchangeforputtingacapontheamountofdamagethe charactercandoduringtheturn.

Inanutshell,themagusispowerful,butifusedatfullpowertheclassispronetotakingattacks ofopportunityinthefaceorlosingitspreparedspells.Ifthecharacterwantstoavoidthese determinants,doingsoislaughablyeasyatthecostofthecharactersdamagepotential. Spendingthatmoveactiontomakesurethemaguscandeliveratouchspellsafelyinsteadof riskingafullpoweredspellcombatcouldpotentiallysaveyourNPCsabucketloadofdamage, andthisisaperfectcaseofhowthatroomfullofboggardscouldsaveablackdragonslife.

Zen Archer Monk

Ifyouhaventheardofthischaracterclassbefore,ZenArcherisamonkarchetypethatheralds fromtheAdvancedPlayersGuide,theoldestofarchetypesources.TheZenArchermonkdoes exactlywhatitsnamesuggestsitadaptsthemonkstoolkittofunctionatrangewithabow. BeforeIgetstarted,Iwanttoacknowledgethatthisisanincrediblypowerfularcherbuild. Archersingeneralareastrongcharacteroptionbecausetheygenerallyreceivemore damageincreasingfeatsthanmartialsdoandthankstoarecentrulingthatfullroundattack actionsarealsofullattacks,theZenArchermonkcanbenefitfromallofthem.

Summary
Letssummarizewhatyouhavelearnedhere. 1.BossMonstersarenoteffectiveencountersbecausethePCshavethembeatinthe numberofactionsthattheycanperform.ThisisknownastheActionEconomy. 2.XPandCRarerelatedandtheCRsystemmakesseveralassumptionsaboutthe partiesthatfaceit,namelythatfourcharactersarepresentandeachplayersharesthe amountofresourcesdepletedevenly. 3.Becausethegameassumesthatplayersaresharingresourcesevenlyandthatthere arefourpartymemberspresent,wecandividethetotalXPAwardforagivenCRby4to determinehowmuchXPacharacterwhoselevelequalsthegivenCRisexpectedto contributetoaparty. 4.ThegameisbuiltwiththeassumptionthatthePCswillwinanencounter,anditisnt untilCR+4thattheencounterisafairfightbetweenthePCsandtheiropponents.We canprovethisbecauseplacingapartyagainstaLinearGuildpartyisalwaysaCR+4 encounter. 5.Themosteffectivewaytodesignchallengingencountersistooverwhelmtheaction economyintheantagonistsfavor.WhentheenemieshavemoreactionsthanthePCs orthePCsactionsarerestricted,encountersarechallenging.