Wow what a difference a random encounter makes.
The party I GM for (All 8th level Paladin, Cleric, Druid, Alchemist) is on Carrion Crown 3 Broken Moon and they were traveling through the Shudderwood to Ascanors Lodge and I was rolling for random encounters. Rolled a 1 so I turned to the random encounter table and rolled a d100 and got a 100 and I looked at the result, a Witchfire.
Not being terribly familiar with the creature I look it up in Bestiary 2 and my eyebrows raised in shock (The PCs commented on this). This is a wandering monster? More like a wandering death sentence. Needless to say the Witchfire stalked the party (it is invisible at will flying incorporeal with a base +19 Stealth) and attacked them during the night when only one person (the Cleric) was on watch.
The Witchfire began focusing on the Cleric and kept using her range touch attack and flying mobility to remain untouched. Even when the party Paladin got a fly extract from the Alchemist he couldn't keep up with the Witchfire because he Fly skill was terrible and she could fly through the trees. While trying to chase her the Paladin crashed into a tree and fell to the ground.
After a few rounds with the Cleric down to single digit hit points and the characters already using 2 of their Harrow Cards (using the Carrion Crown optional system) I decided that this wasn't such a great "wandering" monster and reset the whole encounter by telling everyone that they all wake up from a terrible dream and that the Cleric had fallen asleep on watch. A will o wisp floated nearby and then it flew off.
My main comment is what in the world is a Witchfire doing on a Wandering Encounter table. This thing is a walking TPK unless your party is well prepared to handle it. My party could probably have defeated it by expending everything they had and even then its more likely that they would just drive it off given its hit points (115 base). This wandering encounter was by far the toughest fight to date in the adventure path including the Construct boss from the previous adventure (they defeated that without the help of the Beast).
Is this just an example of where the Challenge Rating system breaks down due to the specific special abilities a monster has? I see this fight being much tougher than a standard encounter for 4 9th level characters unless they are really built to defeat a creature such as this. I can see a Witchfire being the main boss type encounter of an adventure, but as a wandering encounter it just seems crazy. The other creatures on the encounter tables are things like bears, werewolves, other people, and some green hags.
This wandering Witchfire would be the undisputed ruler of the Shudderwood. Nothing in this entire adventure could possibly challenge it except maybe the Whispering Way leaders with some necromancy controlling it. Certainly no werewolf in the Shudderwood could challenge it. This creature would exterminate everything in the Shudderwood (and if there were more than one of these in the woods since it is a wandering encounter yikes!).
This is the one type of issue that I struggle with in Pathfinder (and some other games to). When a monster, spell or ability seemingly negates the setting itself. The Shudderwood as described and created would not exist given the existence of this monster inside it. Its like when a traveler brings a new animal into an ecosystem and it begins to take over. The Shudderwood is changed by the presence of this type of creature, no longer would the Shudderwood be about werewolves it would be about the Witchfire of doom. I understand that this is more of a personal point of view conflict than it is necessarily a problem of the game, I guess I am just wondering if other people have encountered this type of thing and what there thoughts on it are?
I am admittedly a heavily simulationist GM and simulation is largely how I derive pleasure from gaming so it may not be a big issue to others that get enjoyment from other aspects of gaming, but are there other simulationist GM's out there that struggle with these types of issues?
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I am in the simulationist boat right there with you. That thing is brutal.
Mechanics-wise, you are right - it should rule the roost.
I would probably introduce some motivational limitations to it if I were to keep it in the game - it is undead, so like a ghost it might be tied to a certain area, goal, or only attack those it perceived as being a threat to the plans it left unfinished at time of death.
The party encounters it only because they camped next to the hag's bones who spawned it, or one of the party resembles the person who slew it, or some such. If they can't beat it in a surprise fight, they can flee and the witchfire returns to muttering and haunting that portion of the forest....
Yeah, that thing is brutal.
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All of the random encounter tables in each of the modules goes from weak to strong... it's up to you to temper that encounter with some judgement. Those tables also work as a general guideline of what monsters reside in that section of Ustalav should you run a campaign there that isn't Carrion Crown.
--Stat-Vrock
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When I ran this encounter I also had a reaction when I looked it up (I think I even said something like "Holy Crap")and the group was anxious. But I let the encounter happen right then with the whole group rather than hunt them down and surprise one PC at night. My group did not kill it but they defended themselves and everyone survived the encounter. They eventually ran it off.
I first used them as a KM encounter, 2 in fact . they are brutal
wait until you can put three together as a coven!!! was a fun fight at level 12
i wonder what the worst encounter in an AP on a 100 is..KM spoiler..
.the d4 trolls for 1st level is a tad nasty in KM
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Nasty!
I'll say, I enjoy reading your description of the problem. I can think of some solutions.
Maybe it was just passing though the Shudderwood and doesn't live there? The party was just unlucky enough to be directly in its path.
I also like Nathonicus's solution that it's a very localized phenomenon, so very few things have ever encountered it. Or maybe it spends most of its time dormant, an only rarely comes out to attack someone.
Maybe the werewolves have a legend about it, but very few believe that it's anything more than a story.