Varying combat encounters

[Lehmuska]

Most combat encounters so far in PFS are quite similar to each other in the sense that the objective for player characters and their opposition is to destroy each other. For most encounters this is just fine, but after too many repetitions it gets boring. Some varying would be nice in future scenarios.

Here's a few examples of combats that have objectives other than slay the enemy.

- Party tries to escort an informant to a safe location, but were ambushed by bad guys. Party tries to keep the informant alive while bad guys try to kill him and get away.

- One of Bad guys has information on McGuffin, and party has to take the informant alive for interrogation.

- Party has to reach a ship that's setting sail in 5 rounds to get away with McGuffin. Bad guys try to stop this form happening. Reverse would also work, so that party tries to stop bad guys from getting on board with McGuffin.

- Ninjas have captured the Governor. Are you bad enough guy to save him before he's coup de graced?

Some combats have or could have presented challenges like these already in PFS. Here's a list of those hidden safely behind spoiler blocks. Note that I'm not suggesting anyone change how these scenarios are ran in PFS, but instead how a scenario could be written to spice up encounters.

Silent Tide:

Spoiler:

First combat: rescue informant before he drowns. This is exactly what I'm talking about, although drowning rules make this one pretty hard to fail.

Hydra's Fang:

Spoiler:

Last combat: kill the ghouls and grab the McGuffin before the ship burns up and sinks down.

Murder on the Silken Caravan:

Spoiler:

Three words: Chelaxian faction quest

Frozen Fingers of Midnight:

Spoiler:

This one technically has one, in the sense that a character hit by McGuffin often enough will die unless the scenario is finished really quickly. Enemy tactics prevent this sort of situation, though.

Here's also an example of how a combat could be made to have an additional objective. First fight with the guards: one guard tries to rush to the cursed Ulfen in order to kill him and his servant, while the second stays to prevent party from running after his comrade.

Mists of Mwangi:

Spoiler:

Truthfully, I've forgotten if this one has any combat with more objectives than destroy the enemy, but if not, something surely could be worked out if sane museum workers were in harm's way.

Black Waters:

Spoiler:

I'm having trouble figuring out how to put any combats other than kill the enemy in this scenario, because most combats happen without any important NPCs or McGuffin.

Among the Living:

Spoiler:

I don't think this one actually had any time limit, but when I played it, there seemed to be a time limit before the zombie horde broke down the last doors between them and us. This could be made into an actual rule, where more zombies will come at party if they waste too much time.

Slave Pits of Absalom:

Spoiler:

This scenario has no actual combat objectives beyond killing the enemy, but this could be remedied simply by making the informant in the first combat be a target for attacks even after the party has arrived at the scene.

Eye of the Crocodile King:

Spoiler:

Three Words: Andoran Faction Quest.

Blood at Dralkard Manor:

Spoiler:

While this one has the wizard who tries to scare characters off, once combat is engaged everyone seems to care only about killing their opponents.

Lack of friendly NPCs and McGuffin in the scenario makes it difficult to put other objectives than destruction of enemy in combat encounters.

So, what do you think? Should PFS scenarios have more combats with objectives other than slay the enemy?