| DoomMunky |
Hey all! I'm GMing Runelords for a 3-person group, and I've never played; I'm learning Pathfinder as I go. My skills lie in storytelling and tone-setting, and I'm finding Pathfinder crunchy in a way that I bet you get familiar with, but for now is just nuts. The PCs are going to encounter Erylium in the next session, and as I prepare to run her and that combat I'm TOTALLY OVERWHELMED by the skills and spells she has, the rules governing them all, and am hoping for some tips.
I've been studying for probably the last 1.5 hours and have this huge doc full of all the rules from around the PRD (for cause fear, command, ray of enfeeblement and more) JUST FOR ERYLIUM. I'm wondering how to organize myself or prepare to run the encounter in a way that doesn't take a million years.
For new GMs, are there management techniques you use to simplify thing? How did you start GMing? Do you have a rule of thumb you'd apply to skills/spells for monsters so I don't have to learn every in and out of the rules, but can still offer interesting encounters? I'm thinking something like:
Ray of Enfeeblement (DC 13) = PC loses 1d6+1 Str.
Cause Fear (DC 12) = will save; -2 on atk, skills; PC runs.
Summon Monster 2 = Wolf; move 50, AC 14, hp 13, bite +2 (1d6+1) + trip on hit.
Radically simplifying every skill/spell, basically. It still requires me to be basically familiar with them, but cuts down on the insane detail.
If you have any other tips or GM management strategies for a new GM I'd really appreciate them. Thanks!