Question About Table 8-1 Size Modifiers - usually already built into stat block?

[peterk1]

I'm a Pathfinder newbie running through some combat encounters solo just trying to get a handle on the combat rules (geez...has this stuff ever changed since Ad&d 1st Ed! It's much better now!).

I was just playing an encounter with the party against a bunch of goblins and I was applying all of the modifiers in Table 8-1 as I went with each swing. About 1/2 way through, I realized, after checking my bestiary, that the AC of the goblins in the stat-block for the encounter seemed to have already had the size mod for small built into the listed AC and likewise the stats for their weapon attacks also seemed to have their +1 added in.

Just wanted to double check that that's the way it's usually done. So in a typical case of no halflings or gnomes in party, there won't ever be a reason to apply any of the bonuses from Table 8-1?

[Claxon]

In per-generated enemies they should have those things properly factored in already. Sometimes there are errors so it doesn't hurt to double check, but the stat block will usually list it. Such as

Quote:

Kobold CR 1/4

XP 100

Kobold warrior 1

LE Small humanoid (reptilian)

Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +5

Defense

AC 15, touch 12, flat-footed 14 (+2 armor, +1 Dex, +1 natural, +1 size)

[Bruunwald]

I don't think I've ever seen an error in anything so crucial as a creature's attack bonus or AC in any of the Bestiaries (and when I suspected there might be one, I found in every case some ability or modifier that accounted for it), so I don't think you ever have to worry about errors in those cases.

I have noticed what might or might not be actual slight discrepancies regarding a skill rank or two. Or at least what might be the monster creator's artistic license for that particular creature (just because a thing has tons of skill points available doesn't mean they all have to be used, I guess).

On the other hand, I don't have a lot of experience with stat blocks in the various official APs, so I can't comment there.

But yes, 99.9999999999999% of the entries in the Bestiaries have their size modifiers correctly applied. I wouldn't waste my time double-checking them.

[peterk1]

Thanks guys. Good to know.
The product I'm fooling around with has quite a few careless errors in it, but none that I know of so far in the encounter stat blocks, so I probably will check a sampling in each encounter just to be sure. Gives me some practice at the rules too.