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) Dragons - I agree with everyone on making and keeping them something special. My 2 encounters with them made me gitty. The first one because it wasnt really, but I thought it was and went with it. In character that made it one of the best encounters with a dragon and it not being a "real Dragon" Epic. My second was this past Gen-Con with the Rd.2 Special. hehehehehehehehe.........My experiences and with what i have DMed has been good.
My one complaint from players: Where are the dragons? My experienced regular players want to know when they can fight one or encounter one. I tell them from personel exp, but i can see what they are wanting. A mid-level adventure with a dragon. that is something i want to give them. Not All the time AND they know that. Its special, but they are asking. I would like to see a 1-5 tier that has them fight a low tier BBG with a young(er) dragon and then in a later scenairo the mommy comes a calling. Giving them pause. THE DRAGON COMES FOR THEM. Not the lodge. THEM. That would scare any sane player. AN angry vengenceful, smart, BBG. It would give them a chance to shine with the Lodge in the back round. I know Year of the Shadow Lodge had a similiar deal. I am not talking about the Grand Lodge itself, but one of the lodges across the way.
2) Goblins - I have had a good time facing them. Keeping them as crazy, scary pyros is the way to go. I do not think its going the way of Drizzt clones, but it could easily. We Be Goblins gets replayed alot here. Players just like the bit of fire bug fun it gives them. Rise of the Goblin guild was fun to run. Keeping things dark and fun is easy to do with this scenairo. I would like to see less of them in the future.
3) Orcs - I have yet to fight an ORC as a player. Not one. I have fought a Half-Orc and run more scenairos with drow and dragons in them than orcs. I get "Unremembered Realm" is elbow deep in drow and orc Kingdoms, but we can have them too! Send me to DEEP GATE!! lol
4) Drow - This is a tough nut. Running with the story of the world.......I do not want to see them unless it is story right. I think it would be great if the Pathfinders took something from them of value and they came and took it back. That would be a fun 2 part scenairo. I think as is it has been handled well, BUT I would like to see more exploring of the jungles of forbidden places and the Darklands. Then bring on the evil cruel drow. Drizzt clones need not apply.
5) Dinosaurs - Good. I would like more though. The placing of certain Prehistoric animals has been great! Not just the dinos need love:D
6) Undead - It just makes sense that they would be showing up more in game than any other creature outside of core raced bad-guys. I loved Among the "series" still one of my favorite to run! When written and placed like that it gives me the chills.
7) Swarms - Hmmmmmmmmmm.............I think everyone has pretty much voiced my feelings on this one. In some they seem to be just placed as a pain. I should not be fighting a ant swarm in frigid temps. Now dont hate, but the idea of a river crossing with a swarm of flesh eating fish would be a fun thing to run. A nice little change of pace :D There be no cheap tricks out of that one. hehehehehehe. Proves that a change of terrain can make things interesting.
8) Outsiders - I have had some fun in season 3 while dealing with certain outsider types, but i noticed that their has not been much dealing with Elementals (and the Genie Connection) I would to see some encounters with both. Outside Of Legacy of Fire I have not run any thing in PFS dealing with the Genies. I think demons and devils get a good bump and the Oni got some love too!
9) Humanoid NPCs - We need to here some more from the other main races. Give me a Pathfinder Assignment of epic importantance. Example. A dwarf who joined the Society finds an obscure reference to the Axe of the dwarven Lords and has a lead with serious merit. The idea that the Society has a hand in this would be worth the risk of sending agents out. We travel to the Five Kingdoms deal with double dealing Dwarf Lords who want to be heros and Orcs who just dont like anyone :D I would like having to take on the Orcs of Blisterwell. Orc Oracles of Fire?? Yes please!
Shoanti- need some love too! I liked Shades of Ice, but it left me wanting. Maybe it was because you guys are getting ready for the new adventure path and wanted to do a theme release of PFS Scenairos like you did with The Jade Regent. If so....then i cannot wait!
Gnolls- I want to see some more dog face baddies. I have not fought one in PFS yet! Much like the orc they are legend.
Giants- I have to say while I have not had to deal with many as a player. When I did. It was great! Ice Trolls!!!!!! Ogres!!!!!
Wizards- ????Wizards???? I want a smart dangerous wizard to deal with. No Sorcerors or Magus. A cabal. No Necromancers :) Give me a Boom Stick who knows whats going on. One who is smart enough to play politics and place the blame on the players. Perhaps he hires the Society to do all the leg work and jacks the treasure for himself. We need to teach the outside world that you cannot just do that and expect no response. After all if the Asisp can do it why cannot they get away with it? :D Wizards make the obvious choice and they are under used in PFS as a good bad guy to deal with. Giving us the chance to smash a douche who deserved it. No teleporting or I will get you next time Gadget! I want a fight with no middle ground. Where we know there is no diplomacy with the bad guy. We have plenty of the other types to deal with. Also more from the other races organizations, perhaps organizations that dwell on other planes of exsistance. That would be a big step for the Society and make it an important contact for the Society. Stuff like that would be nice. A plane hopping scenairo with NPCs to back it up.
Just some general thoughts. Hope this helps.
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RPG Superstar 2011 Top 4
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1) Dragons - Yes, more, but not necessarily in combat. I'd like to see players engaging in negotiations and/or paying consulting fees for specialist knowledge. How much do dragons charge per hour?
2) Goblins - Keep at about the same number of encounters/scenarios. I love running goblin encounters, but don't want to see them overplayed. Same applies to kobolds.
3) Orcs - Yes and no. I wouldn't mind exploring the communities living closer to the Hold of Belkzen and the influence the orc presence has on daily life.
4) Drow - Not so much.
5) Dinosaurs - Tricky. I'd be happy with one good dinosaur-focused scenario.
6) Undead - Keep at about the same number of encounters, but with special focus on regional variants, especially those not based in European mythology, Bestiary options allowing.
7) Swarms - Only when used cleverly as part of a greater encounter (such as a super convoluted kobold trap).
8) Outsiders - Yes, but not necessarily just for combat. I'd like to see more devils trying to use PCs to manipulate or escape contracts and pacts, perhaps offering the 'easy' road as Kyle Elliott put it.
9) Humanoid NPCs - Yes, got to have them.
10) Other - More Dark Tapestry.
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Honestly, I like aberrations and animals as enemies. Nothing like beating a large freak-of-nature in combat. These, however, present a big problem for society play, as the 4-hour scenarios are trying to tell a story. Animals as opponents usually do little to help advance a plot, unless they were, as an example, sent to kill by someone else.
I would love to see a scenario based around a team of Pathfinders fighting against nature. A dangerous animal stalking them, weird natural forces, avalanches etc. Could prove to be an interesting and RP heavy scenario if done right.
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1) Dragons - Only if done right. I'm apprehensive about dragons at lower tiers because low level dragon encounters are difficult to get right. That being said, any dragon, if done well, and if it fits thematically into a scenario (BBEG or something along those lines -- it always feels like a cheat if dragons are used as mooks by the BBEG to show how awesome and powerful he is).
2) Goblins - Always! At least once per season.
3) Orcs - Again, hardly as mooks because any race can fill that role. But a scenario that has specific Orc flavor? Sign me up!
4) Drow - I'm torn between wanting to see drows in Golarion done right and never wanting to see drows again. They've been completely overused.
5) Dinosaurs - Hell yes! I would love to see more dinosaurs.
6) Undead - As a creature type they're ok. But I'm really sick of seeing ghouls and zombies everywhere. What happened to vampires, liches?
7) Swarms - Don't really care either way. They're a good teaching tool for new PFS players to get them to purchase more diverse goods so I guess I'm not that opposed to them.
8) Outsiders - I think I agree with most that they need some heavy flavor to be represented well.
9) Humanoid NPCs - Aspis is close to a burn out, so if they're not retired after this season I would imagine that a lot of people are going to get awfully sick of them.
10) Contructs - Great at mid to high tier games but an absolute pain at the lower levels. A party of 1-3 lvl characters usually doesn't have the right equipment to deal effectively with contructs so fights end up being a slog fest that drags on.
11) Fey - Would love to see some proper fey scenarios. The Pallid Plague was an excellent example of Fey done right.
12) Kobolds - These little buggers could alleviate some of the goblin stress. A solid scenario with kobolds, traps and a weird kobold-modified dungeon sounds pretty nice. Same goes for lizardfolk.
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One thing to add: I want more NPCs/Villians to use Blue and Orange Morality . Yes, it can be confusing. That is also what makes them creepy. Bring on the Genies with crazy bargains. Bring out the devils, offering a boon and a curse. Let the Elves give you a sweet deal that turns you into a frog because you didn't read all the small print.
I want more things that challenge you. The Cyphermage Dilemma is beautiful because it really does force you to think (LG Cleric was no longer Good).
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I think fast zombies are overused. I ran a scenario with some normal zombies in it and when the party made their knowledge religion role I told them. "These are some of those mythical "zombies" that you have heard tales of, not fast-zombies. They are extra tough unless you cut them up and terribly slow." It got a laugh from the players.
Venture-Captain, Oklahoma—Oklahoma City
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I do not wish more swarms I think they are over used. I know in my home games over half the time I make my players fight other people/humanoids. I would like to see more Orc's , Gnolls , things of that nature.
I spent some time GMing some of season 4's scenarios this weekend for a lot of new-to-PFS players and found myself describing the theme(s) of this season to set the tone for their adventures in Varisia. I spent a fair bit of time describing the common "problems" PFS agents encounter. It all got me thinking about where we've been and what's next. On that note, I wanted to open a discussion about typical Golarion bad guys and how they've fit with PFS organized play. Bare with me, but ultimately, I'm looking for feedback on the types of enemies you most enjoy.
1) Dragons - There are approximately 4 scenarios that feature dragons to date (if you include RftRK Pt 2). These are perhaps the most iconic of enemies, but also one of the most rare. Should dragons be more frequent? Less frequent? Perhaps a large arc dealing with them (either directly or indirectly).
2) Goblins - These little boogers have been everywhere. How's the mix been? Who wants MOAR goblin madness? Anyone actually sick of these guys?
3) Orcs - Can their only place in PFS really be Echoes of the Everwar Part 1? Where else have these guys been? For such a classic monster, they should don't show up much (unless they're cross-bred).
4) Drow - I think these iconic foes have only been featured in a single scenario thus far. I think they suffer from a mainstream burn-out (Drizz't et al.) I know a lot of people love them and a lot of people love to hate them with equal passion. Thoughts?
5) Dinosaurs - They've made an appearance a few times, but never in any force. What say you, should we have more focus on our prehistoric cave-woman stealing enemies?
6) Undead - It seems like one out of every four scenarios includes something that's undead. That's why favored enemy: undead is probably one of the top 3 favored enemy choices (human, evil outsiders). Anyone getting tired of chopping up dead things? Anyone want more dead things? Perhaps there should be more to coincide with the ever growing zombie...
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Dragons: I agree with the one mentioning Hobbit coming out in theatres, dragons will be back into the movies, in a good way. There is nothing like a good dragon encounter to get the blood pumping. However, done right is the question. We are obviously not talking about old epic dragons, baby dragon pets, an overzealous intelligent juvenile, a maimed adult dragon (part of the adventure involves a chase scene to drop a pillar on it, or something as such weakening it).
Goblins: I love them everywhere. I use them as follower NPCs in my campaigns. I may be a bit too attached to them myself, but I can never get enough of a good goblin story. However, they are indeed everywhere.
Orcs: They need more representation. They need to make a comeback to the forefront. Their rage is growing, it will grow so much that even the scenerios won't be able to contain them
Drow: Overused when they come. There's only so much players can take when the drow come along.
Dinosaurs: I'm meh on this. I never liked Dinosaurs in my fantasy, nor have I met ... besides some people here ... people clamoring for them.
Undead: Vampire clans. Lich plots. Undead Dinosaurs :p There are so many other undead that want to come forth
Swarms: Another meh for me. Usually catches unprepared groups by surprise. Otherwise, never thought them necessary in a scenerio, everytime a swarm was involved, I've only seen dread in the eyes of some players. Maybe one of them went into epileptic shock (joke)
Outsiders: I will admit not having read every single scenerio yet, but more grey area outsider encounters may be quite a valid plot line. Fighting Lawful Good Angels, or insane ones at that.
Humanoid NPCs: They are the easiest to relate with. Motivations are clearer when the foe resembles you.
Constructs: I'd like to see intelligent constructs one of these days. A good plot of it. Not "warforge" race, just a unique example of an awakened construct plot.
Abberations: The poor aboleth feel neglected, they want an overeaching arch
1) Dragons - Yes, more dragons. A lot more dragons.
- When I was involved with LFR, they have what are called MYREs. That was an abbreviation of My Realms, which was a way for someone to write their own LFR mod. The understanding was that the MYRE would not be edited or audited by Wizards, so it was not considered to be canon, but these were templates that players and writers could use to draft up their own mods for private and public play.
Using that template, I wrote a fairly simple and straight-forward trilogy involving a distant island that was mostly populated with blue dragons. There were humanoid cities on the same island, and peace mostly prevailed - mostly because the dragons just kept to themselves...
...Until something wriled them up, and they started lashing out, and hordes of them started attacking and devastating entire cities. It was the party's responsibility to investigate and soothe the tensions, with some hiccups along the way.
I had it published on a website at one point, but now it's just sitting on my shelf. If anyone wants a copy, I'd be happy to forward it to them, although it's under 4th Edition rules.
2) Goblins - More goblins. Love 'em.
3) Orcs - Along with goblins, more orcs. They're like family!
4) Drow - Not just drow, but also duergar, and virfneblin.
5) Dinosaurs - Meh.
6) Undead - No more undead, please.
7) Swarms - Yeah, swarms suck, but in a good way. They make the frustration turn into reward when you finally strategerize (sp?) correctly and beat them. More, but sparingly.
8) Outsiders - Yes, more, but sparingly, especially at lower levels. They have the tendency to have special abilities that can catch low-level or inexperienced players off-guard. An outsider might be something that a mod or even a story arc might be focused around, so that the party realizes that the outsider is powerful, and that they have time to prepare.
9) Humanoid NPCs - I would like to see more humanoid on humanoid conflict, especially maybe between the factions. Until now, the shadow war between the factions has been mostly a cold war. Maybe a few flare-ups to spice it up?
10) Just to add, I would like to see details and enemies written into mods that emphasizes the use of special materials and substances - cold iron, silver, and alchemist's fire.
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Well, since you asked...
Dragons - Dragons shouldn’t be used carelessly (hey, anyone see where I left that dragon…), but they definitely should make an appearance now and then. I agree with the idea that they can be a major NPC in a multi-arc, perhaps even sending their own acquisition teams out in competition with the Pathfinders and Aspis. As an alternative, if a scenario needs some muscle, then it should probably send in a drake instead to make sure that dragons aren’t overused or watered down.
Goblins - I have a soft spot for goblins, so I will always approve of more :-) Hmm, maybe time to dust off We Be Goblins again for the troops…
Orcs – Yeah, I think orcs should get some more spotlight time. A daring Pathfinder recovery mission in the middle of a skirmish between orc tribes and Lastwall cavalry could be exciting.
Drow – I have nothing against them but I was never excited by them. Could be useful as a foil for elven pathfinders though.
Dinosaurs – I think used sparingly they could be the focus of a Lost World type arc.
Undead – Good foot troops. Cleric has to choose between turning or saving the healing the later. But can definitely be overdone. I always preferred the image of the skeleton clawing its way out of the ground rather than the zombie horde. Intelligent undead would make another good choice as villainous multi-arc NPC.
Swarms – I feel they should be used to add spice to an encounter (flame the bugs or hit the gnome barbarian?) rather than be the focus.
Outsiders – A good enemy for the Silver Crusade pathfinders. Again, used too often takes the mystery away.
Humanoid NPCs – Well, they should common when adventuring in more civilised areas. And it gives more roleplaying opportunity than usually found when crossing the territory of the dreaded stenchbeast. But too many human-centric organisations can get boring.
RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32
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I appear to be late to this party. :/
Here's my two cents:
Undead: Undead are not being overdone, they're being done wrong. Undead are supposed to be dangerous/scary, and something that's supposed to be special about one of the core classes (clerics) is that they don't fear undead the same as everyone else because they're specially suited to purge them from the realm of the living. So on the one hand, we need to keep enough undead around that we don't kill the "clerics are heroes against undead" trope, but at the same time, we're already killing that trope by mostly using undead as mooks that everyone BUT the cleric is good at killing.
Take skeletons, for example: find a room full of them, and the 1st-level cleric can channel for 1d6 with a save for half. It's gonna take a couple of rounds to drop any of them. Meanwhile, if the 1st-level martial with a greatsword merely hits, his minimum damage will shatter that thing even with DR. So the problem is that instead of clerics being heroes against undead, any random martial PC is the hero against undead. Note that it's not that I think clerics need help. Rather, part of the identity of undead, part of what makes them feel different from random human thugs, is that thugs make you happy to have Mr. Greatsword around while undead are supposed to make you happy to have a cleric around. Stop filling scenarios with "mook-only" undead encounters where the normal "hit it until it dies" strategy is still the best, making undead feel no different than any other enemy. Use something interesting! Ghouls like to ambush anyway, give them rogue levels and some gear! Use a vampire sometime! Basically, use undead that matter.
Dragons: I've encountered two dragons. One was a baby in a box, and felt pretty lame. The other was a rather "nontraditional" underground dragon that didn't really give the "iconic" dragon vibe. I have yet to encounter it, in fact. Just sayin'.
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I appear to be late to this party. :/
Here's my two cents:
Use something interesting! Ghouls like to ambush anyway, give them rogue levels and some gear! Use a vampire sometime! Basically, use undead that matter.
I know of one mod that has a ghoul sorcerer. That was nasty, we were one caviler away from TPW (she hit him twice at the end to kill him, the only things she managed to hit in two game sessions due to COLD dice).
1) Dragons - There are approximately 4 scenarios that feature dragons to date (if you include RftRK Pt 2). These are perhaps the most iconic of enemies, but also one of the most rare. Should dragons be more frequent? Less frequent? Perhaps a large arc dealing with them (either directly or indirectly).
I would really like to see cultists trying to bring about a dragon, an arc in which a dragon is pretending to be something he's not (like a wizard under a hill) and getting the Pathfinder to accomplish his goals without breaking out of dragon guise (only to be forced into an epic dragon/dragon confrontation), or some other indirect involvement with dragons. Black Fang in the Beginner's Box made my players /want/ to get into it with dragons. They couldn't beat him, but they could at least fight him and hold off the destruction for a little while..
2) Goblins - These little boogers have been everywhere. How's the mix been? Who wants MOAR goblin madness? Anyone actually sick of these guys?
I love roleplaying them as a GM. They're so decidedly unhelpful to players.. Like really malicious, murdering children. How fun would a "Lord of the Flies" adventure be, with a group of goblins who wants to be civilized and allow caravans or traders to pass.. and that group trying to beat down a more murderous band..
3) Orcs - Can their only place in PFS really be Echoes of the Everwar Part 1? Where else have these guys been? For such a classic monster, they should don't show up much (unless they're cross-bred).
One of my favorite TNG episodes involved Riker on a Klingon ship; my favorite ST:OS movie involved the assassination of a Klingon ambassador and the cre getting framed? It would be fun to have the PFS get sent to be ambassadors to an orc stronghold or have to solve a murder or something that they're framed for.. Eating orc food, learning orc customs.. I think half-orc characters get the short end of the stick for roleplaying opportunities because of their bestial nature -- play it up!
4) Drow - I think these iconic foes have only been featured in a single scenario thus far. I think they suffer from a mainstream burn-out (Drizz't et al.) I know a lot of people love them and a lot of people love to hate them with equal passion. Thoughts?
Just a randow drow? Pass. A secret way into the Underdark with a two-parter about slave trading and turning people into driders? A really good kidnapping adventure? Would be fun.
5) Dinosaurs - They've made an appearance a few times, but never in any force. What say you, should we have more focus on our prehistoric cave-woman stealing enemies?
They have a big head and little arms. I don't think this plan is well thought out.
6) Undead - It seems like one out of every four scenarios includes something that's undead. That's why favored enemy: undead is probably one of the top 3 favored enemy choices (human, evil outsiders). Anyone getting tired of chopping up dead things? Anyone want more dead things? Perhaps there should be more to coincide with the ever growing zombie...
I would be okay with undead if it was part of a larger arc.. Like a lich!
Honestly, I would love to see some weresomethings. Nice quiet village, attacks of dire rats and kobolds, turns out there's a wererat who is trying to revive a temple or something under the streets.
Or bodies with strange puncture marks on the neck and everyone thinks it's a vampire, turns out to be some guy with a homemade dagger with two prongs and a backstory like
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1) Dragons - I like the idea of an arc dealing with Dragons with a really scary one at the end. The entire scenario would be a running fight with one that goes through multiple encounters. One per season works for these. They need to be big, iconic and scary. One per season is about right.
2) Goblins - Goblins are part of the Pathfinder identity and having one goblin scenario per season seems to work well. Interaction is a must. Goofy songs and psychopathic antics are a must. Don't make it so common that it gets boring.
3) Orcs - We could do with a few more orcs, but Pathfinders spend a lot of time in civilization and orcs are uncivilized. I would love to see a few scenarios in Orc territory. Bonus for the pathfinders having to interact with it more than just killing them.
4) Drow - These should show up from time to time when Pathfinders have a reason to be in the Darklands. For other reasons, I'd like to see a scenario that explains drow background to players so we don't have to keep explaining why you can't play them.
5) Dinosaurs - I would love to see a Land of the Lost style series below the Realm of the Mammoth Lords. As a side note, more expeditions into Mwangi would be great as well.
6) Undead - Getting tired of zombies and skeletons. As a GM, there is very little I can do to make these interesting or dangerous. Intelligent undead can get some more use. They make great evil masterminds. Given the fact that they don't get old and die, they would possess a lot of lore that Pathfinders could find useful. Moral quandaries about dealing with evil creatures are interesting.
- others
Goblinoids - The higher functioning goblinoids, especially hobgoblins are organized and scary. We got a touch of this in the Goblinblood dead. We could use a touch of hobgoblin Nazis.
Outsiders - I'd like to see some themed scenarios featuring various outsiders. We have a lot of them covered by various scenarios but there are others that haven't been touched yet. I'd like to see more scenarios that touch on planar travel.
Aliens - Creatures from or adventures going to the places described in Distant Worlds. Love it. Want more. Let's found a Pathfinder lodge on Akiton or Castrovel.
Mythos Creatures - Every now and then we need some cosmic horror. Pathfinders are in a good place to learn things that humanoids are not meant to know. Finding those things or dealing with the consequences is creepy and fun.
Cyclopes/Aboleths/Azlanti - Let's investigate the remains of the ancient civilizations. The creatures here can have an interesting mix of ancient power and serve as object lessons about pride and the fall from that power.
Kobolds - I love the development done with urban kobold tribes. I'd like to see the relationship between the Pathfinder Society and the Sewer Dragons explored. The line between civilization and uncivilized creatures is interesting to me.
Unique Monsters - I would like to see something new and different appear from time to time. One or two completely new or modified creatures per season will help keep players on their toes.
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1)Dragons - I cautiously agree we could use more of them. Would love to see them as more than just a bad guy, though - big dragons beyond the CR of the players have been used to great effect in a previous scenario, and it really made the dragon seem scary. A dragon where a "win" is escaping with your life (or the item you were sent to find).
2) Goblins - yes, fine, but not as fodder. Goblins are entertaining when they are around a while and can play out their zany pyromaniac antics. With goblin racial boons out (in limited supply), maybe there is a role for goblins as allies rather than enemies or prisoners?
2a) Kobolds - yes please!
3) Orcs - I agree, more orcs!
4) Drow - I like the secret organization ideas, but this should be used sparingly.
5) Dinosaurs - While I *love* dinosaurs, I think you'd need a whole "Lost World" scenario to make this work, I think (which actually sounds like a great idea, and exactly the sort of place Pathfinders would go.)
6) Undead - I agree with Jiggy on this - and you know that makes my head hurt... ;) but undead have been the fodder of choice for too long. I want important undead, big undead, undead that are actually worth channeling energy against instead of just letting the fighter hack them down. SMART undead. Incorporeal undead. Vampire overlords. Mummy high priests. Interesting liches (like the druid lich from Red Hand of Doom... he was fantastic!)
7) Swarms - Most are lame, but some can be a real challenge and cross the line between creature and trap. Swarms of leeches underwater, for example... but these should be higher-tier threats, not lower-tier speed bumps (if you brought alchemist's fire) / deathtraps (if you didn't).
[8]Outsiders[/b] - Personally I'm indifferent on them.
[9]Human/humanoid NPCs[/b] - Humans are far too common as foes - often for good story reasons, but still. Love to hate the Aspis, but it's sometimes hard to make each encounter seem memorable when it's "UsSe the stats on Page 5" over and over again. And humanoid NPCs all need a stat block, which takes up word count.
10) More... Dark Tapestry! Aberrations! Environment-based encounters, and not just the "bridge over the chasm" type, which is moot for anyone with a potion of fly (and that should be anyone at 3rd level or above).
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1) Dragons are cool and I want to see more of them. I definitely would like to see weaker ones at lower tiers as well as the really nasty ones at higher tiers. More dragons please :)
. . . other good stuff.
For me, I don't want to see scaled dragons. No, wait, they all have scales so that's not what I meant. Low level characters should not be fighting dragons, they should be running from dragons, all dragons, every time. I have been gaming a long long time now. I sort of miss the old days where you would occasionally run in monsters that you wouldn't be able to best and would have to find a different way to survive. One example in PFS comes to mind.
But especially for dragons, if your team is able to best a dragon it should be a story that you tell and retell around the cook fire or in the pub and that people WANT to hear retold. Not something that someone fresh out of their first adventure can boast about. Those dragon skin boots that your character wears better have a tale that includes the names of those lost in the attempt.
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I spent some time GMing some of season 4's scenarios this weekend for a lot of new-to-PFS players and found myself describing the theme(s) of this season to set the tone for their adventures in Varisia. I spent a fair bit of time describing the common "problems" PFS agents encounter. It all got me thinking about where we've been and what's next. On that note, I wanted to open a discussion about typical Golarion bad guys and how they've fit with PFS organized play. Bare with me, but ultimately, I'm looking for feedback on the types of enemies you most enjoy.
Let me say for the record – I do not like responding to these types of threads. I typically feel I should keep my opinions to myself. But I was asked to so here goes:
Where we’ve been – Season three: Missed potential. Where were the ninja’s? So the PFS goes up against their Moriarty, their Belloq, the Aspis Consortium and the AC doesn’t call in the ninja’s? IMHO every YotRP scenario should have had an optional encounter brew-ha-ha-super-rainbow-ninja-hit-squad in it that would show up and harry the Pathfinders, kill them, steal their stuff and if they had anything that would help the AC in the tournament – take it and leave a note that reads “Ha! Ha! Love, AC.”
Where we’re going – Seasion four: Who knew the Pathfinders were masters of the high seas? Where are the pirates? I was stoked about the potential with season four having the PFS operating in Varisia! Pirates and sea faring, bully elves from the Mordant Spire! So yet again the PFS is going up against their Moriarty and the AC has missed an opportunity to hire pirates to harry the shipping lanes and toss Pathfinders overboard on their incoming ships and throw their supplies into the sea and then spike the ball? COME ON! What about the elves? Are we seriously going to say that the elves of the Mordant Spire aren’t going to send the PFS a memo that reads “Hey, by the way, since you weren’t around for the whole Rune Lord thing, we just wanted to let you know, BACK OFF! If you think we are going to let you dig around a bunch of ruins uncovering long lost artifacts and relics that could bring about the Rise of the Runelords or some of the latent evil that may have been covered up for thousands of years – You’ve got another thing coming!” Where are the elven ninja’s robbing all the artifacts from Heidmarch Mannor? Last I heard the security for that place kinda sucked and the artifacts were just laying around in crates. Where is the bully elven wizard who pops up and says, “You’ve got just three choices. Give me the artifact, put it back where you found it and never return here again, or die!?”
OK. I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt. Maybe they are getting supplied from the Grand Lodge through a more or less overland route which means; what? Wouldn’t the fastest trip be a short boat ride across Lake Encarthan, then up river through the Fangwood and then through the Mindspin Mountains. From there things get easier; down the Runtash, across Lake Syrantula and down the Yondabakari. No opportunities for the AC to harry them there, nope, none at all. If I were comparing the PFS success to a football game I would say that so far in Season four it seems like the PFS is just running the ball all over the place and just dominating the AC defense. Looks to be a 70-0 route for the PFS. Oh, and that is with their bench.
Idea’s for season five: Let’s go to the Mwangi Expanse and not run into any demons, apes or dinosaurs. Sorry to be sarcastic but I hate to see missed opportunities.
1) Dragons - There are approximately 4 scenarios that feature dragons to date (if you include RftRK Pt 2). These are perhaps the most iconic of enemies, but also one of the most rare. Should dragons be more frequent? Less frequent? Perhaps a large arc dealing with them (either directly or indirectly).
Large arc? Long, long ago there were three things that dwelled in the nightmares of men. Demons, devils and dragons. Kings, popes, the bravest warriors of some of the toughest civilizations of mankind feared the legends of these creatures for hundreds of years. If you are going to go with any of the three I would expect no less than a creature so fearsome that it leaves the PFS shaken to its very core that they may have garnered the attention of one of these creatures. I would expect it to be either undefeatable (without extraordinary circumstances) or to leave the Pathfinders who come after it, beaten and broken at the feet of its master. Who would be even scarier than the minion? Throwing these creatures into scenarios as fodder doesn’t do them justice. If that were to be the case I would be sad.
2) Goblins - These little boogers have been everywhere. How's the mix been? Who wants MOAR goblin madness? Anyone actually sick of these guys?
If demons, devils and dragons are the things that keep kings and the most pious holy men awake at night. Goblins and kobolds are the things that make a Pathfinder wake up screaming, “Lumpy boots! Blue eggs! No more scorpions!”
You know the only thing better than goblins? Kobolds. You know the only thing better than kobolds? Goblins with wings. What’s better than goblins with wings? Kobolds with scorpion tails.
3) Orcs - Can their only place in PFS really be Echoes of the Everwar Part 1? Where else have these guys been? For such a classic monster, they should don't show up much (unless they're cross-bred).
**** Getting into character **** (A mousy, doe-eye, green pathfinder stands before VC Drang) ***breathlessly nervous*** Sir, I grew up reading the stories of the adventures of Eando Kline. I always knew there was something left out of the stories regarding his travels through Belkzen, I stand at the ready to walk in the shadow of the greatest Pathfinder to ever live.
4) Drow - I think these iconic foes have only been featured in a single scenario thus far. I think they suffer from a mainstream burn-out (Drizz't et al.) I know a lot of people love them and a lot of people love to hate them with equal passion. Thoughts?
Ha, ha, ha.
Del – “Conan what is best about Pathfinder?”Conan – “It’s not D&D!”
Whenever I think about Drow I laugh and think about this scene from Aladdin Drow are stupid. After thousands of years of dwelling in the underdark, brooding and plotting their revenge. The one thing they couldn’t figure out – SUNSCREEN! Ha, ha, ha. Stupid Drow!
5) Dinosaurs - They've made an appearance a few times, but never in any force. What say you, should we have more focus on our prehistoric cave-woman stealing enemies?
Send Pathfinders to the Mwangi Expanse to battle demonic dinosaurs. The herd needs thinning! YES!!!
6) Undead - It seems like one out of every four scenarios includes something that's undead. That's why favored enemy: undead is probably one of the top 3 favored enemy choices (human, evil outsiders). Anyone getting tired of chopping up dead things? Anyone want more dead things? Perhaps there should be more to coincide with the ever growing zombie popularity in mainstream society?
Well, that sure would give all these new aasimar clerics and paladins something to do. Time for more sarcasm – Maybe we could spend a whole season in Geb not fighting undead, that could be fun.
7) Swarms - Right up there with undead. Every seasoned Pathfinder knows to keep a vial of alchemist's fire or acid handy for these buggers. heh. Buggers. Overdone? Anyone want an all swarm scenario? I kid, I kid!
Overdone?! Nope, anything that dwindles a pathfinder’s budget makes me smile! The only thing better than swarms is an area infested with them and a shortage on the alchemical means to beat them. Mwa Ha Ha!
8) Outsiders - Outsiders have been included here and there, but never really en masse or with any real lengthy purpose. Most of the time the Society is dealing with more terrestrial threats. Perhaps Season 4 is different (the whole Lissala stuff), but assuming it's not, what say you about dealing with an Outsider-based threat?
See dragons.
9) Humanoid NPCs - These guys give the biggest variety of foes and often the smartest foes with the most complicated plots. However, sometimes you just want to bash the face in on some freakish monster, you know? Tired of humanoids? Sick of humanoid organizations (Aspis for example)?
Ninjas and pirates!!! What happened? IMHO Season three missed an obvious opportunity for ninjas and season four is missing a common sense opportunity for pirates. The AC is a great bad guy organization, but they just seem more like daffy duck than Moriarty or René Emile Belloq. If the pathfinders are going to have a nemesis, please make them worthy of the title and have them take advantage of obvious regional resources to wreak havoc upon the society.
What am I missing? Which of the above did my brain not recollect properly?
Constructs – Season four is in Magnimar – I expect to see golems and constructs and lots of them. So far, so good.
Animals – Magical Beasts are great for low level encounters and make for great semi-intelligent pets of BBG’s.
Ooze – I love ooze. What’s more fun that the thought of dropping a character into a pit with an ooze? The thought of dropping a character into a spiked acid pit with two ooze.
Fey – Not the frilly foo-foo butteryfly-winged tinkerbell fey, but the baby stealing, grind your bones into bread, corrupted by evil, pull your teeth out and eat them kind of fey. Tee hee, makes me giggle.
Aberrations – alien and bizarre meets wild, weird and wacky + evil mind controlling genius intellect = fun.
Plants – These are underrated and can be beautifully deceptive opportunistic bad guys.
Vermin
Rool: “Rats! Big rats!”
Franjean: “What? What? Oh, Rool, you and your stupid rat dreams.”
Buttercup: “Westley, what about the R.O.U.S.'s?”
Westley: “Rodents Of Unusual Size? I don't think they exist.”
Vermin are some of that classic dungeon dressing and horror iconography that we just don’t get enough of. I recommend if you’re gonna go vermin – go BIG! What happens to all those evil wizards’ pets that were awakened only to have their masters punked by a group of adventurers? I submit to you that they are out there. Biding their time to seek their revenge!
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1) Dragons - Dragon opponents should remain rare, IMO. And each encounter with one should be memorable and very, very dangerous.
2) Goblins - Goblins get everywhere. They're more like germs than sentient beings and should be treated as such.
3) Orcs - Yes, we need more orcs. They're conspicuously absent so some serious inclusion at some point would be nice. Encounters with them at low levels can be dangerous because they can put out a lot of damage. They're under-represented as higher level minions as well.
4) Drow - I'm ambivalent. If they're introduced more often, then their flavour should be focused each time. Drow shouldn't become a substitute for <insert random monstrous humanoid>. Encounters with them should remain dangerous.
5) Dinosaurs - I prefer them to remain rare unless the scenario is set in an untouched, isolated place: the middle of vast jungles, lost valleys, and so on.
6) Undead - Undead are common but that's a result of Pathfinders continually breaking into ancient crypts and so on, and the fact that undead, along with constructs, are suitable very long term guardians for ancient items/artifacts. Probably can't get around that and it's a result of the set-up of the focus of the Society.
7) Swarms - Yes, they've been done quite a lot but I think the commonness of monsters faced in scenarios should represent their commonness (to a certain degree) on Golarion. I have no problem with swarms per se, but swarms of different types should be used.
8) Outsiders - I like Outsiders but, like drow, their flavour needs to be a focus as well as their effects on the environment around them, including the attitudes and behaviours of the people that they interact with. I don't like it particularly when they're treated like minions, or just summoned in as roadblocks.
9) Humanoid NPCs - Should remain the most common type of enemy IMO, and enhanced by the multitude of flavourful opposing organisations and religions on...
I am, as usual, in agreement with Al Rigg (and love the goblins comment!). The scenarios are being true to their environment/location on Golarion as they should be. This consistency with Golarion as envisioned by its creators is admirable.
I do not want to see more drow UNLESS we're in the Darklands. I do expect to run into orc patrols in the eastern reaches of Varisia this year, because they are neighbors. We should only encounter orcs in the vicinity of the Horde of Belkzen simply because they have been hunted to extinction by civilized races everywhere else.
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We got some AWESOME organizations in the setting that would seem to clash with the Society over some mcguffin or another.
I would LOVE to see a 2 or 3 parter built around the Whispering Way in Ustalav.
Replying without fully reading the thread:
Not sure how they're going to clash against anything when they're getting schooled by my home group in Carrion Crown :P
I actually would like to see the Whispering Way OUTSIDE of Ustalav. They're supposed to be only in force because the Whispering Tyrant is there, but are supposed to have a LARGE following in Osirian.
Heck, a season arc surrounding the Whispering Tyrant would be cool, or if James Jacobs is paying attention, a Mythic/Epic AP taking him on in his little tower would be cool.
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...1) Dragons - Dragon opponents should remain rare, IMO. And each encounter with one should be memorable and very, very dangerous.
2) Goblins - Goblins get everywhere. They're more like germs than sentient beings and should be treated as such.
3) Orcs - Yes, we need more orcs. They're conspicuously absent so some serious inclusion at some point would be nice. Encounters with them at low levels can be dangerous because they can put out a lot of damage. They're under-represented as higher level minions as well.
4) Drow - I'm ambivalent. If they're introduced more often, then their flavour should be focused each time. Drow shouldn't become a substitute for <insert random monstrous humanoid>. Encounters with them should remain dangerous.
5) Dinosaurs - I prefer them to remain rare unless the scenario is set in an untouched, isolated place: the middle of vast jungles, lost valleys, and so on.
6) Undead - Undead are common but that's a result of Pathfinders continually breaking into ancient crypts and so on, and the fact that undead, along with constructs, are suitable very long term guardians for ancient items/artifacts. Probably can't get around that and it's a result of the set-up of the focus of the Society.
7) Swarms - Yes, they've been done quite a lot but I think the commonness of monsters faced in scenarios should represent their commonness (to a certain degree) on Golarion. I have no problem with swarms per se, but swarms of different types should be used.
8) Outsiders - I like Outsiders but, like drow, their flavour needs to be a focus as well as their effects on the environment around them, including the attitudes and behaviours of the people that they interact with. I don't like it particularly when they're treated like minions, or just summoned in as roadblocks.
9) Humanoid NPCs - Should remain the most common type of enemy IMO, and enhanced by the multitude of flavourful opposing
Like Richard, I also find Alistair's comments to be in line with my thinking. Especially about Drow, Undead, and Outsiders. Some have made the point that undead seem overused, but they are the quintessential inhabitant of the type of places Pathfinders delve into. That being said however, I would like to see a little more variety in them.
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1) Dragons - Dragon opponents should remain rare, I think one a season is a good speed. It would be cool to have some show up in the distance while you climb a mountain or something though.
2) Goblins - I could take them or leave them.... They are really fun to GM, but as a player, they're starting to get old
3) Orcs - I would like more orcs in general
4) Drow - There are already more PFS scenarios with drow than I think there ever should be.
5) Dinosaurs - would be nice to see, but only if they fit the scene
6) Undead - Undead have to be annoying for mark to develop. Our local area most tables have at least 1 most likely 2 clerics. Undead don't stand a chance, unless they are EPL+4 or so they don't even act.
7) Swarms - Early on they were used a lot. Now they are better.
8) Outsiders - I like it when these show up because they are different.
9) Humanoid NPCs - I would be happy if there were a quest to kill all of the humans in Golarion. They Drow can go with them. But again, that's just me, as a player I refuse to play a human or half elf.
10) Derro - they were overused in devil you know series, I'm just now starting to get out of *yawn more derro* mode.
11) Elementals - great for optimized groups, stinks for under optimized... One fighter this was the one of two things he had faced in level 8-11 that didn't need to roll a 18 or higher to hit him (the other was using touch attacks)
12) Aspis.... the number of them that the Pathfinders kill vs the number of pathfinders killed by them.... I'm surprised there are any of them left.
The season 4 scenarios seem to have some magic that has been missing as far as storytelling.... Green Market and In Wrath's Shadow are great at making me picture the environment in the first read through. I think these are some of the best at this since the GenCon 2008 original 4 scenarios.
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Here is my opinion:
1) Dragons - I'd like to see them more coming in at higher levels and not something that is supposed to just be fodder.
2) Goblins - Hilarious little creatures, good for amusement value and for low level scenarios
3) Orcs - I want more orcs. I've hardly seen them! I'd like to take the PCs up against a horde or an outpost or something!
4) Drow - Nothing up on top of the face of Golarion, but maybe the PCs have to get to Sekamania somehow?
5) Dinosaurs - Again, maybe an underground adventure to Orv where there are dinosaurs or perhaps some in the Mwangi
6) Undead - I've had enough :P The occasional mummy in Osirion or some ghasts on top of a mountain are cool, but something more than fodder please.
7) Swarms - Eh, I don't have an opinion one way or another on swarms. I saw a lot of them in the early seasons, maybe enough for my fill.
8) Outsiders - Same opinion as dragons
9) Humanoid NPCs - To me, these should be the fodder that we see in scenarios with the above being the end fight or something similarly spectacular.
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6) Undead - Undead have to be annoying for mark to develop. Our local area most tables have at least 1 most likely 2 clerics. Undead don't stand a chance, unless they are EPL+4 or so they don't even act.Wow. That's pretty different from my area.
Yeah when you have 2 clerics that roll higher init than the BBEG undead (all of my dice hate me, ask any of the CT crowd), and they start in a room smaller than the channel radius.... undead that have been labeled as killers in reviews rarely act.
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1) Dragons - More. Intelligent, downright nasty encounters/scenarios.
2) Goblins - Seem to be about right as is. Annoying sapient rats.
3) Orcs - Not sure why these are being picked out more than any other monster in PFS. Though with The Hobbit movie probably a good time for a special or two.
4) Drow - Not sure why these are being picked out more than any other monster in PFS. I assume they are in some version of living that I didn't play or books I didn't read - along with many other new to living folk. (I have been role-playing since the little white books, but PFS is my first living campaign).
5) Dinosaurs - Not a big fan of dinosaurs in my fantasy, and being of animal intelligence probably best suited to an optional encounter, but for an overdue Mwangi expanse scenario it seems appropriate.
6) Undead - Always appropriate given the ruins pathfinders explore. More variety is of course welcome.
7) Swarms - Appropriate given the ruins and sewers pathfinders explore.
8) Outsiders - Given the number of PCs of outsider heritage (especially with the Aasimar and Tiefling books now legal and GM elemental race boons) it seems highly appropriate for season 4 to include their annoying pious parents.
9) Humanoid NPCs - Aspis is overused and overdue for a take down (in-fighting and tipped over the edge by judicious pathfinder interference seems like a scenario waiting to happen). More shades of grey with humanoid adversaries seems overdue.
10) Haunts - Always appropriate given the ruins pathfinders explore - though could be done much better.
11) As others have said a Mwangi Expanse scenario (Azlant Ridge done right) would be welcome - which could include dinosaurs and monkeys...
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My 2cp worth:
1) Dragons - Should be only in the very high tiers as combatants or possibly lower tiers as plot device Would love to see a VERY large dragon (like the green from Queen of Thorns) in a low level scenario where the PC's have to try and diplo it for info. They should be epic opponents and very rare.
2) Goblins - Two of the greatest adventures that Paizo has put forth for PFS are We Be Goblins and Frostfur Captives and both are goblin centric. Would love to see goblins with class levels at high tier scenarios. Think of the panic when a goblin barbarian one shots a 10th level PC.
3) Orcs - More would be nice but not a real necessity.
4) Drow - They can stay absent as long as you want (in my opinion)
5) Dinosaurs - Dinos are super cool and I would love to see more. (Maybe an awakened one)
6) Undead - Super intelligent undead as BBEG are cool. Mindless undead = boring.
7) Swarms - Swarms are ok in their place. It just seems that every sewer adventure has a swarm.
8) Outsiders - Outsiders are always welcome. Love to see the more obscure ones come up.
9) Humanoid NPCs - Given the world, these are a must. Would like to see more evil halflings and gnomes. I love laughing at a PC that got killed by a gnome because he didn't take it seriously.
10) Haunts - If I never see another haunt, I will be happy.
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1) Dragons I think we should see only one or two Dragons per season and they should be detrimental to the story being presented.
2) Goblins Always fun to see scenarios with Goblins. Aside from Humans, Goblins are the cockroaches of the universe. Maybe we could expand on their tribal clashes with other races than the PCs or Society.
3) Orcs We haven't even touched base on Belkzin yet as far as I can tell. A good Orc story or two would do wonders.
4) Drow If we do something with the Drow it should be more than a single story. I can see them being used more as a secretive threat that threw out a major story arch they are only present in the shadows.
5) Dinosaurs If we are in an area where they exist, such as the Mwangi Expanse or other remote locations, then have at it. Maybe a good survival scenario trapped in a Dinosaur infested jungle is something we can work with.
6) Undead/Haunts Undead and haunts have been used more often then most. If we are going to use the undead from this point on, at least for awhile, it should be story specific. Haunts have become a regular occurrence and we might want to hold off using them for awhile longer.
7) Swarms Swarms at this point should only come into play if they are summoned or if it would make since that a swarm be in the location that they are. No one likes the random Swarm encounter and there are better monsters we can use for these encounters that we haven't.
8) Outsiders Shouldn't we be seeing more of theses at higher levels? And why hasn't the Silver Crusade made a stronger move to send Pathfinders to assist in the Worldwound threat?
9) Humaniod NPCs I would like to see a story arch which takes us to the lands of the Elves, as well as the lands of the Dwarves. We can incorporate an Elven story arch with the Drow, or the Aquatic Elves. A Dwarven story arc could include Goblins, Orcs and Giants.
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Basically, I don't care what we face, as long as the story, NPCs, and encounters are interesting. I like variety.
My players have been asking for more monsters instead of humanoids.
These are some of my personal favorites: Trolls, Demons, Devils, mind flayers (I know I know, lol), werewolves, giants, aboleths, dryads, wizards, rakshasa, winter wolves, golems, naga, genies, vampires.
Overdone: Goblins, darkness, monsters that don't make sense in the context of the scenario but are only there because Bestiary X came out.
Goblins: They're fun, they're good, and now they're extremely overdone. I like what we have, but no more please.
Orcs: I've overdone them in every campaign since I was 10. More? Sure, but not a lot.
Drow: Mainstream burnout? Yes. But I could handle seeing them in a scenario or two.
Dinosaurs: Only if a great story is built around them.
Undead: Undead aren't overdone yet, and they're iconic to the fantasy experience. Different kinds would be welcome.
Swarms: They're broken in the Pathfinder game. Often they're very hard to hit (even touch AC) and have amazing Reflex saves, so even AE spells (like Burning Hands) have trouble taking them out. In reality, they should be very easy to hit, but take relative minor damage from physical attacks. AE spells should almost outright destroy most swarms. So because of this, they're overdone, especially in subtier 1-2.
Outsiders: Love outsiders, especially demons/devils.
Traps: The current level of traps is ok.
Haunts: I'm ok with the number of haunts, I just wish many of them were done differently. I thought they were well done in a recent season 4 scenario.
Humanoids: I'm OK with PFS being a predominantly humanoid campaign. Two of my players are not.
I don't find the Aspis a credible enemy, or at least an enemy I can be passionate about. So they get artifacts and sell them for money, so what? We'd be rivals, but you'd think that we'd just want to stay out of each other's way most of the time. In any case, way overdone.
RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 8
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My stream of thought on these.
1) Dragons - I'm torn on this one. One part of me wants more of them, because I want a challenge, but the other wants less of them because people always complain at the games that have them. And with good right: dragons are broken. My lvl 12 can poly herself into one, and I'm here to tell you -- it's disgusting what you can do with that many attacks a round. Shudders I think that they should be the rarest foe you find in PFS. If they're in a scenario, they should be the main focus (like Kyles). Heck, maybe the only fight in one. And I don't think they should ever be easy (Shades of Ice 2, im calling you out). Ever.
2) Goblins - "Bones be cracked, flesh be stewed; We the goblins—you the food!" - I sang this song about 50 times at PAX, and loved every minute of it. Goblins are fun, great, well done in Pathfinder but dear god - sometimes it feels like PFS is beating a dead horse here (and then bringing them back to live with the Goblinblood Dead) when it comes to goblins. They were awesome in Rise of the Runelords because they were a new flavor. Now they're a reoccuring main course that's starting to taste bad.
3) Orcs - More of these are needed. As others have said: we're close to Belkzen, lets use that.
4) Drow - The game that featured them did it right, IMO. It was kind of sporadic in terms of difficulty, but with a solid GM, those drow were mean. And drow are mean, mean people. I think that any game that ventures into the [line]underdark[/line] darklands should have the a hinting of fear that drow could lurk anywhere. These are their lands, mostly, so new pathfinders best be on their toes.
5) Dinosaurs - More of these, and more games in the Mwangi Expanse. It's my favorite location. Everyone loved Temple of Doom (well, maybe not everyone) , Jurassic Park, Dinotopia, and King Kong. Lets have some games there!
6) Undead - skeletons, ghouls and wights are no longer scary. They're goblins 2.0. Let's get some specters, devourers, and vampires and watch people fear these creatures again.
7) Swarms - More interesting swarms. They could even have the same stat blocks, but if a swarm of scarabs makes more sense than spiders in an Osirion crypt, just tell the GMs to flavor them as such.
8) Outsiders - The closer we get to the Worldwound, the more of these there has to be. And outsiders need to be treated like undead in the sense that quantity > quality reduces their fear level. I still bear the brands of 2nd edition 9damn you Dark Sun!), and any demon/devil/outsider my characters encounter is treated as an unwinnable threat. Outsiders are freaking scary. Make them that by using more interesting/better/fewer of them.
9) Humanoid NPCs - Lets get different kinds of humanoids. Why haven't we seen any halfling archers since that one game? Where are the other gnome squads patrolling forests? Aasimar are elsewhere besides in that temple in Season 3. We need to intermingle these throughout enemy humanoid groups. Rangers with favored enemy human should only have 1 or 2 targets in an enemy party unless they're super racist foes.
--- added to your list Kyle ---
10) Constructs - Some are really cool, and serve to further the story (golemworks, king xeros, etc). But personally, I'm done with these. It's been a long time since we were fighting constructs and I thought "awesome, this'll be fun!"
11) Harpies - The goblins of the sky. I'm also done with these personally.
12) Elementals - Constructs 2.0. Lets get less of these, or more appropriate ones to the setting (perfectly done in Furnace of Forbidden Koor and Echoes of the Everwar pt. 2).
13) Gunslingers, Antipaladins, Assassins - I want to fight NPCs with these class levels. They're never around, and they'd be a fun challenge for players. (see how they like it on the otherside of that musket crit!).
That's all for now... but probably more later.
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So many good responses, it's hard to be original. I'll voice my short assent, and add what I can:
1) Dragons: Make them important, scary and part of a good story arc, or don't use them at all. Players should not kill dragons indiscriminately.
2) Goblins: I like goblins as much as the next guy, but unless we're seeing a massive goblin war, or some secret sub-plot where the goblins are being uses as special ops trained shock troops by the Aspis Consortium, maybe they should get a rest for a little while and bring them back when they're interesting again. let's not over-use them.
3) Orcs: I for one would LOVE to see some more orcs, but only if we see the culture and plot-lines that go with them. If we're doing anything Dwarven, these baddies need to be part of the story.
4) Drow: Bring them back, carefully, and tie them to Drow cultural motivations. Otherwise, they're just an evil elf with a tan. They are in it for the long haul, and are excellent for long-term plot lines.
5) Dinosaurs: Could be interesting, but need to be a challenge. Again, plot lines are everything. I would ask 'why dinosaurs?'.
6) Undead: let's move to the less-frequented undead, or heavily modified varieties. I like them as a theme, and are good for tomb raiders, but please make them more interesting than ghouls and zombies.
7) Swarms: swarms are interesting as tactical complicators - they should be enemies that appear WITH OTHER enemies.
8) Outsiders: I like outsiders, but make them more 'outsider' than the typical devils/demons.
9) Humanoid NPCs: Absolutely - we only get moral ambiguity and complication in plot when we are against enemies that maybe have not-so-clear ethical motivations. Humanoids are most like us (hell, they *ARE* us) and give us the best chance of seeing ourselves in our enemies.
I'd like to see more uncommon creatures, and more slimes, oozes, molds, etc. - those are old-time classic mainstays of the genre. Just make sure that whatever is used, it matches the ecology of where they are found, and mean something to the story line. Let's have some thinking monsters with some deep plot motivations and with better tactics. I'm tired of seeing the awesome spellcasters getting beaten down before they cast because the PCs beat them on the initiative roll, and the tactics were too rudimentary to give them the advantages they would normally have if they were part of a PC group. Give them time to prep, give them meat shields, and for god's sake, don't put them in a tiny room with no cover!
I'd also like to see MORE TRAPS! More crypts with scary s**! taking off heads and dropping us into spikey pits! Walks in the woods with bear traps taking off our legs, crossbow traps shooting out our eyes, chests with poison darts. Come on, give the rogue some plot juice!
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I'd also like to see MORE TRAPS! More crypts with scary s*$~ taking off heads and dropping us into spikey pits! Walks in the woods with bear traps taking off our legs, crossbow traps shooting out our eyes, chests with poison darts. Come on, give the rogue some plot juice!
+1 Traps Rock!
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Venture-Captain, Missouri—Cape Girardeau
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1) Dragons - I agree with most of the others; these should be rare opponents. One thematic Dragon a Season is enough... unless they are the REAL architects of the last 4 Season's troubles...
2) Goblins - Used well, I like them! Used poorly, they are just fodder.
3) Orcs - We have yet to see them as a threat, despite their prevalence on Golarion. Time to change that?
4) Drow - Since this race has such a different history with Golarion, it would be nice to see them used... if used properly.
5) Dinosaurs - Yes, please! Enough said! (And my 9 year old will thank you if we can see more of them!)
6) Undead / Haunts: I put these together because they should be encountered mostly together, IMO. Done right (Among the Dead, Haunting of Hinojai, etc.), I don't mind them as much
7) Swarms - While these might be fitting in the environments the Pathfinders find themselves in, these have been so overplayed that they seem more of an annoyance than a challenge. These need a break.
8) Outsiders - We have seen these used well also, but... I would love a delve into the Worldwound again, where Demons are the prevalent bad guys. I am in favor of these if we use them to forward Golarion lore with them.
9) Humanoid Organizations - I would like the Aspis Consortium come across as more than just the chums we beat on. I REALLY like the idea of followers of the Whispering Way becoming an annoyance to the Society... and this would be a more fitting way for undead to be used.
10) Constructs - I have always expected to see more of these, given their role as guardians of tombs, ruins, etc.
11) Aberrations - To date, we have seen very little of these until this last Season. I would like to see more of them please.
12) Magical Beasts - Yes, please!
In all, Pathfinder Society has done a great job lately of mixing various monster types and making them make sense for the story. As long as the monsters fit the story being told, I have no issues with them.
I do agree that Black Tentacles and harpies though could use a rest. With all the background info Paizo has released for some of the outlier races (Gnolls, Orcs, Ogres... even flumphs!), it would be nice to see some of this come into play in scenarios. Most players never buy the "______ Revisited" books, and are denied how cool these creatures have been re-imagined.
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First of all great thread.
1) Dragons - I agree with the sentiment about dragons thus far. Keep them rare and special. That being said an adventure line with lots of kobold minions leading up to a dragon would be cool too. But please do not overdo what I feel is the most iconic of adversaries.
2) Goblins - Goblins are fun little monsters for a low level encounter. If used properly, set up and established with the care of a pc almost then a simple goblin band becomes memorable. Placing 3 or 4 goblins in the woods to attack the pc's when the sleep makes the goblins cannon fodder. Make the pc's attack a well thought out and trap laden lair with guard dogs and sentries makes them mean little buggers.
3) Orcs - Another race that suffers from poor planning. Make them as vicious and brutal as they are and don't pull punches with them. They are the usual next step up from goblins and kobolds.
4) Drow – To start off, I am completely against good drow. They are an evil race and should remain so like the vampire should ALWAYS be evil. A well thought out devious and sadistic plan by a drow matriarch can be a beautiful thing to GM. That being said drow have their place and should not be over used. They are like a high class dessert that should be savored. Besides most drow only show themselves when they have the advantage and the pc’s don’t not the other way around.
5) Dinosaurs - I never saw a place for dinosaurs in a fantasy setting personally. How many legends have a knight on a steed tilting against a stegosaurus?
6) Undead - I agree undead are overused but only mindless undead. Bring on the liches, ghosts, vampires (please to all that is holy the NON-sparkly kind), and other intelligent undead. Undead can be a great role play opportunity especially with ghost as you need to find out what is needed to put them to rest. Unintelligent undead is just another blender situation. Put them in and let the swords dice them up. Some players like to do mindless hack and slash and mindless undead is a good opponent for them. I use a good number of intelligent undead and outsiders in my home brew games because I value the pc's thinking of alternative ways to get through encounters.
7) Swarms - Annoying at best. Deadly at worse.
8) Outsiders - Ah outsiders a personal favorite. I adore devils and demons and the role play opportunity they afford. Nothing like trying to corrupt the party or get them to make a deal for the greater good with an evil outsider that will always come back to haunt them at the worst possible moment.
9) Humanoid NPCs – This is always going to be the most used boss type. It is the most varied and the easiest to stat up. Also most of the interactions on a meaningful level will be with the creatures pc’s see as equals and humanoids are the way to go for the emotional attachment that most players are looking for. It is hard, not impossible; to hate a winter wolf. However a den of thieves is much easier to form an emotional antipathy towards. Also in this category is this most common reoccurring villain. You can have an undead or an outsider as a reoccurring villain but the humanoid usually makes the most sense. They have the widest level range and you are not roped into having the CR set by the type of creature. So setting a human rogue or evil ranger or wizard up as a reoccurring villain at 2nd or 3rd level can be easily done. Great potential here to be exploited keep using them as much as possible and give them gear like pc’s and pc like abilities and have their strategies use them effectively.
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I see my players enjoy an adventure best if the theme is carried through consistently -- pyramid adventures with the right sort of challenges like the "Rebel's Ransom", gothic adventures that create a really threatening mood like "Midnight Mauler", cthullu-esque adventures like "Mists of Mwangi" and "Voice in the Void".
BUT if we're talking monsters I would like to see:
- a really interesting LICH villain who is manipulating minions and innocents.
- a deep jungle adventure with CANNIBALS and a king kong style lost valley of DINOSAURS.
- an urban based adventure with a really powerful MUMMY serial killer on the loose.
- a smart DRAGON who guards its hoard with LIZARDMEN minions and just loves toying with foolish adventurers
- more GOBLINS but just once a Season.
- more PIRATE adventures but just one a Season and no more dockside ship boarding.
- more transformation adventures where the PCs must magically change their physical form to undertake the mission (like in "Among the Dead"). A transformation by size, or form, or sanity, or corporeality.
- a fully formed VAMPIRE villain, with castle and coach and horde of bats and wolves and gypsy henchlings. Not just a vampire in a room.
- Fu Manch style RECURRING ARCH VILLAIN with genuine power, to give some personality to the Aspis Consortium.
Let's lay off the swarms, haunts, bearded devils, dretches and lemures for quite a while.
