Pathfinder 2 - Action in the Hinterlands - Need advice

[Eric Garvue]

Need some advice on tactics in Pathfinder #2

Spoiler:

My players just reached the Hambley farm, where they'll do battle with various ghouls and Rogors Craesby. I have 6 level 4 adventurers (plus a heavy warhorse, courtesy of the goblins of Thistletop). It seems to me that a handful of CR 1 ghouls and a slightly scarier dread ghoul will be pretty easy pickings; without breaking a sweat they already blew through the group of three ghouls that moved out into the fields on patrol. Thanks to some saving throw boosters they found at Thistletop (cloak of resistance, Sihedron medallion, amulet of resistance) they'll have to get pretty unlucky on their saving throws to be paralyzed. Plus 4 of the six are elves - so paralysis doesn't work on 'em anyway.

I already plan on adding a few more ghouls to the mix; I'm looking for advice on combat tactics - how could I make this fight more challenging to the party, seeing as I have so many elves?

Thanks in advance.

[blackcat]

Eric Garvue wrote:

Need some advice on tactics in Pathfinder #2

** spoiler omitted **

Actually Eric, I would leave it as is. One of the benefits of choosing Elves is the immunity to paralysis so let them work with it and feel good about playing elven characters. You don't often get to use it. They certainly won't be able to use it when they go up against ogres/giants in later modules etc. If one aspect of an adventure is easier for them they will really feel like heros and keep morale up. Later aspect of the AP will certainly test them.

If it is becoming too easy for them then you can throw more creatures at them in later rounds, attracted to the commotion they are making...especially if they just keep coming 2-3 rounds apart

But you know your players best so feel free to ignore what I say :-) I mean I often ignore myself, why not others :-)

Either way...i hope you and you players really enjoy it!

[Sir_Wulf]

In some ways, this fight really should be a cakewalk for the party. Just as druids get a plus in one of the earlier scenes, and paladins get a bonus in another, these scenes let elves have a pass.

Spoiler:

Since the description of the Dread Ghouls doesn't mention anything about elves having resistance to their paralyzation, I figured that they may come as an unnerving surprise to the elves.

In order to make the fight tougher, place the ghouls where they can surprise the party in close quarters, appearing suddenly from between rows of corn, lunging up from a storm cellar, rising from the waters of an irrigation ditch. Give a few of them agricultural tools as weapons: I recommend pitchforks (treat them as spears) and sickles (handy for trip attacks...). They can use these weapons in the first round of combat (when they aren't likely to get full attacks in anyway), dropping them later to tear in with claw and fang.

[Goroxx]

Thanks, this is the advice I'm looking for. I'm not looking to screw over my players or "win" in any way, just wanted to make the fight more entertaining. They'll have a much tougher time later on down the road...

Spoiler:

...in the haunted house of doom! <insert evil villan laugh here>

[Djoc]

I agree with blackcat there.

Spoiler:

It's a situation that look like the entry to Thistletop that might be easier for druids, and some small races will get benefits against giants later in the AP, elves will fare well against the ghouls.

Don't penalize players because the choices they made gives them some advantage in a specific part of the adventure. You wouldn't change goblins to kobolds if the ranger took goblins as his favored ennemy, would you?

As for tactics, I find that having monsters gang on one PC (the first meat shield that charges out) might be a good way to make an encounter difficult, since he will probably get hit down to more dangerously low HP and will have the healer(s) spend some of their magic instead of helping in the fight. A second wave coming from the rear might also catch a mage unaware and have some of his companions break from the main battle to assist him. Even better if said meat shield and/or mage are not elves themselves.

[Goroxx]

Djoc wrote:

I agree with blackcat there. ** spoiler omitted ** Don't penalize players because the choices they made gives them some advantage in a specific part of the adventure. You wouldn't change goblins to kobolds if the ranger took goblins as his favored ennemy, would you?

Nope, not looking to penalize my players at all, and I agree with you 100%; as my players can attest to, I am a very fair DM. It took more time to set up the minis and roll initiative scores than it did for them to kill the first bunch. I was just looking for more ways to make the fight more entertaining than just a dry exercise in dice rolling. Thanks for the tips and advice.

[The_PenDRaGoN]

Try to add as much flanking, bullrushing and sunder... you may also want to substitute a few of the feats, placing sunder and others to make the creatures slightly more powerful.

(or you can just double theyre HD)