I'm running Kingmaker right now and to streamline things a bit, I've randomly generated many things to do with the campaign so we don't have to do it on the fly.
My PCs had a "monster attack" event in the first year and I made it an advanced Wyvern. Unfortunately, due to a bad succession of rolls on my part, it didn't put up much of a fight despite the fact that the party was only 5th level and completely unused to fighting things which can fly.
I've noticed that there is another monster attack event coming up in a couple months and I've been trying to come up with something memorable that they won't just stomp on now that they're 6th level. As the party increases in power, I may also create monsters above the CR 7 recommendation but for the time being, CR 7 or 8 would probably be best.
At the moment, my top choices would be (in no particular order):
- Hydra with 8 or 9 heads (CR 7 or 8) (mostly because I love hydras)
- Half-Black Dragon Manticore (CR 7) (good tie-in to a certain future enemy here)
- Ettin Fire Sorcerer 4 (CR 9)
Note, for that last entry, I'm using slightly modified rules for Ettins since in Pathfinder it seems two heads aren't much better than one. You can find his stats HERE.
I'm a little worried that very soon the economy of action of the party will drastically outclass any single monster up to APL+2. Has anyone used this event for a small group of monsters? This is what prompted me to make the changes to the Ettin above. What have other people been using for their monster attacks? Anything memorable to note?
One word: Bulette.
Even without any jiggering, a cunning bulette can cause havoc on farmland and be very difficult to deal with.
If you are willing to bend the rules a bit, then I'd go with the Awakened Bulette...add class levels (of any kind) to add CR to taste, though any spellcasting Bulette is going to want Eschew Materials (and/or the trait that lets it use a 'birthmark' as a divine focus....can you say Bulette Druid?) Though in a kingmaker campaign my first thought as a player would be to attempt to get it as an ally.
You really don't have to have single wandering monsters show up -- it could be a band of them. Two shambling mounds, three young hydras, four Hellknights, five dozen kobolds (some with class levels)...
You can look through books 3 and 4 to see some things that might logically show up by wandering over from neighboring territories (a CR 9 roc, for instance, or a boggard hunting party).
One word: Bulette.
Even without any jiggering, a cunning bulette can cause havoc on farmland and be very difficult to deal with.
If you are willing to bend the rules a bit, then I'd go with the Awakened Bulette...add class levels (of any kind) to add CR to taste, though any spellcasting Bulette is going to want Eschew Materials (and/or the trait that lets it use a 'birthmark' as a divine focus....can you say Bulette Druid?) Though in a kingmaker campaign my first thought as a player would be to attempt to get it as an ally.
No rules bending needed. Slap the Advanced template on there and a Bulette becomes sentient immediately (+4 to INT brings it into the realm of sentience). At that point, they can take class levels if they are so inclined. Maybe a level of monk just for Wisdom to AC on top of everything else. A veritable tank...
You really don't have to have single wandering monsters show up -- it could be a band of them. Two shambling mounds, three young hydras, four Hellknights, five dozen kobolds (some with class levels)...
And a partridge in a pear tree?
And a partridge in a pear tree?You really don't have to have single wandering monsters show up -- it could be a band of them. Two shambling mounds, three young hydras, four Hellknights, five dozen kobolds (some with class levels)...
Ha! Of course, it would have to be an advanced giant half-fiendish partridge swarm to get closer to the CR7 mark (and that doesn't really roll off the tongue as well).
Maybe a dire partridge in a hangman tree.
If you are willing to bend the rules a bit, then I'd go with the Awakened Bulette...No rules bending needed. Slap the Advanced template on there and a Bulette becomes sentient immediately (+4 to INT brings it into the realm of sentience).
I've never been comfortable with the Advanced template breaking the Sentience barrier...otherwise every Heavy Horse and Mule is sentient.
I've never been comfortable with the Advanced template breaking the Sentience barrier...otherwise every Heavy Horse and Mule is sentient.
Well, the "animals" entry in the Bestiary specifically states that animals cannot have an intelligence above 2 so when you apply the advanced template, you're still stuck with at most 2 INT.
Bulettes, on the other hand, are magical beasts so it's a little easier to see an advanced version which could be capable of speech.
Is there a rule somewhere regarding a minimum intelligence to gain class levels? I suppose spellcasters would at least need to be able to speak a language but even that may be debatable. Off the top of my head, I don't see why a Bulette can't have class levels even without the advanced template. Heck, the Bestiary even suggests altering stats using +4/+4/+2/+2/0/-2 whenever you add class levels to a monster. You could just spend a +2 on INT so that it can understand common and you're good.
Hmm - this gives me the idea of restatting Kankerata from VV as having a class level rather than just the advanced template since it would leave him at the same CR. It could give him a couple tricks the PCs aren't expecting.
I've never been comfortable with the Advanced template breaking the Sentience barrier...otherwise every Heavy Horse and Mule is sentient.Well, the "animals" entry in the Bestiary specifically states that animals cannot have an intelligence above 2 so when you apply the advanced template, you're still stuck with at most 2 INT.
Bulettes, on the other hand, are magical beasts so it's a little easier to see an advanced version which could be capable of speech.
Is there a rule somewhere regarding a minimum intelligence to gain class levels? I suppose spellcasters would at least need to be able to speak a language but even that may be debatable. Off the top of my head, I don't see why a Bulette can't have class levels even without the advanced template. Heck, the Bestiary even suggests altering stats using +4/+4/+2/+2/0/-2 whenever you add class levels to a monster. You could just spend a +2 on INT so that it can understand common and you're good.
Hmm - this gives me the idea of restatting Kankerata from VV as having a class level rather than just the advanced template since it would leave him at the same CR. It could give him a couple tricks the PCs aren't expecting.
If there is a rule about minimum INT for class levels (aside from INT 3 for sentience), I'm not remembering it. And I'd likely ignore if it there was one, because class levels are one of the best ways to really throw PCs for a loop. Nothing beats giving a monster a level of rogue to make him just that much sneakier, or throwing a level of 3.5 Warlock on there to just make them really weird.