Greetings,
My friends just recently bought the Pathfinder game and I volunteered to be the GM. None of us have experience playing PnP RPGs. The only reason why we understand the dice system is because we play Warhammer and Warmachine/Hordes and the PC game Neverwinter Nights. I have zero experience as a GM. I ran the starter box campaign and it went rather smoothly. However, I have a couple of questions that I can't seem to find clarification on in the rule book or on the internet.
The major issue I am having wrapping my head around is monster detection or monster encounter detection.
Monster detection:
- How far away do players have to be for monster encounters to begin?
- For exaple, in broad day light, monsters should be seen 40 feet away unless they are sneaking up on a PC and able to pass their sneak check?
- In dim light (say in a cave) PCs can see 20 feet in front of them unless they have a torch, in which case the spaces between 20 feet and 40 feet monsters would have to pass a stealth check?
- Do I just keep track of where the monsters are supposed to be and ask PCs to roll an initiative check when they get close enough and I detect them with a perception check (vs their stealth if they are sneaking), or ask them to roll initiative when the PCs are close enough?
Hit Points:
- Some monsters (ie: the bugbear) have hit points listed like this: 16 (3d8+3) in which case I assume I roll 3d8, add +3 and add the base 16?
- So if I rolled three 8s, it would read 16 (8+8+8+3) = 43 HP?
I'm not sure if my questions make sense, but these are the main issues that I am concerned about.
Please let me know if my questions are unclear or if I should elaborate.
Thank you for your time!
RPG Superstar 2014 Top 32
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Welcome! Is this a Society game or a homebrewed adventure?
In regards to Society scenarios, usually there will be some trigger that will be rather obvious for the initiative roll. Home games are a little different.
In regards to the HP, the amount given outside of the parenthesis is the amount of HP the monster has - the amount in parenthesis is used to show how that number is reached. That is also the monster's HD, which is relevant for some spells and abilities. Hit Dice (HD) is the monster equivalent of a level, and each die is essentially one level.
Thank you for the response!
I am running home games but following Pathfinder scenarios from Pazio.
To clarify on the bugbear HP, I would read it as 16 for HP (because it is the value outside of the parenthesis) but use 3d8+3 for HD if called for?
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RPG Superstar 2014 Top 32
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Thank you for the response!
I am running home games but following Pathfinder scenarios from Pazio.
To clarify on the bugbear HP, I would read it as 16 for HP (because it is the value outside of the parenthesis) but use 3d8+3 for HD if called for?
Ah, sorry about that. It has 16 HP and 3 HD. Take, for example, Color Spray. Color Spray affects creatures based on their number of HD. Because it has 3 HD, a Bugbear would be blinded and stunned by a color spray, but not knocked unconscious.
If you're running PFS scenarios, have you considered sanctioning? It's not difficult, and it would allow you to play your characters at other venues or conventions.
Ah, I understand the HP/HD now! Thank you for clarifying.
As for sanctioning, I have no idea what that is. I decided to attempt to take up the mantle of GM after we played a game at a local gaming convention (Gottacon on our area). The GM was great and I took up the mantle of GM within my group of friends when we bought the game. So, I'm not really focused on playing in the game because I've been doing a lot of reading about running a game as a GM. :)
Also, I highly doubt there are any conventions (aside from Gottacon once a year) or venues in my area to support the transference of characters to a new setting. We live in Victoria, BC, Canada, and there is probably one gaming/internet cafe, four comic book stores, one trading card game store, one hobby store (like model trains and cars), and one war gaming store (Games Workshop run by one guy and open 5 days a week). ;)
@Bigb:
Thanks for asking to make sure I understand.
I think it roughly translates to this formula:
level X d3 + CR
For example, if I had a level 4 Bugbear it would be:
4d3+4
Is this correct?
Would this also mean that his HD would be 4?
@Netopalis
You're probably right, but none of us would be willing to travel to Washington for a convention. :(
@Bigb
So the Hobgoblin HP stat reads: 11 (1d10+6) which should translate to 11 HP, 1 HD and +6 for Con checks?
In the case of generating or editing characters, I will learn how to do it at a later date. For now, I am just trying to understand the campaigns that Pazio puts out. :)
Also, any one have any insights to my questions about the monster encounters? I am having issues understanding how to run these correctly. I don't want to be doing them one way and learn that I am doing them totally wrong later. ><
Thanks again for your time!
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So the Hobgoblin HP stat reads: 11 (1d10+6) which should translate to 11 HP, 1 HD and +6 for Con checks?
Mostly right. 11 HP, 1 HD. The hobgoblin has CON 16, so its CON modifier is +3.
Monster detection:
- How far away do players have to be for monster encounters to begin?
- For exaple, in broad day light, monsters should be seen 40 feet away unless they are sneaking up on a PC and able to pass their sneak check?
..
- Do I just keep track of where the monsters are supposed to be and ask PCs to roll an initiative check when they get close enough and I detect them with a perception check (vs their stealth if they are sneaking), or ask them to roll initiative when the PCs are close enough?
In a dungeon, monsters begin where the GM or scenario put them, or if unspecified, appear around the nearest logical corner. Each type of wilderness terrain has a "Stealth and detection" entry in Chapter 13 of the core rules giving a dice roll for starting encounter distance.
If either side is hidden or difficult to see, Perception checks are in order. If PCs or monsters can perceive their opponents at that distance, they can react accordingly, otherwise one or the other party moves until they are detected (or if moving away from each other, until they leave the area and avoid the encounter).
- In dim light (say in a cave) PCs can see 20 feet in front of them unless they have a torch, in which case the spaces between 20 feet and 40 feet monsters would have to pass a stealth check?
PCs can see in dim light and receive Perception checks. In darkness, it works as you describe: 20 feet bright light, then another 20 feet dim light from the torch-holder.
Creatures or characters with low-light vision can see twice as far (or can see the whole area clearly if in dim light), while those with darkvision can see clearly (in greyscale) to the extent of their darkvision regardless of lighting.
So the Hobgoblin HP stat reads: 11 (1d10+6) which should translate to 11 HP, 1 HD and +6 for Con checks?Mostly right. 11 HP, 1 HD. The hobgoblin has CON 16, so its CON modifier is +3.
The extra +3 HP are probably from the Toughness feat.
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The extra +3 HP are probably from the Toughness feat.So the Hobgoblin HP stat reads: 11 (1d10+6) which should translate to 11 HP, 1 HD and +6 for Con checks?Mostly right. 11 HP, 1 HD. The hobgoblin has CON 16, so its CON modifier is +3.
They are definitely from the Toughness feat. The Bestiary hobgoblin actually has 1d10+7 hp, adding a favoured class bonus since he has a PC class.
Awesome!
I think I fully understand the answers to my questions. :)
Thank you all very much for your time! I really appreciate your help! I feel more confident knowing how these things work now. :)
A Bugbear has 3 hit dice and a constitution score of 13 (a +1 modifier). You add your constitution modifier to your hit points for every hit die you have, so those two features bring you to the figure of 3d8+3, which averages out to 16.
You can choose on your own whether to use average hit points or to roll them. I like to just take the average hit points -- it's easier -- but there are certain players who will track the damage a monster takes during a fight and then use that information to try pinpointing how many hit points the rest of them have -- an advantage I see as unfair. If I had that kind of player, I could see randomizing hit points to warn against doing that.
As to the question "why does it have three hit dice" or "why does it have 13 Constitution", you'll have to learn about designing monsters to find out! You can find that information in the back of the Bestiary.