I am creating an adventure and need some help with encounters

[Legioned]

Creating encounters has never been a strong point for me. What I'm looking for is some examples of encounters that are quite challenging for a party who contains a few characters who are power-gamer built.

The campaign begins at level 3.
4 - 6 players, only minor healing available.
To start with the world is devoid of magic, on both monster and player behalf.
I want encounters if played strategically or using environment that might tip the scales to make a monster overpowered.
I have many environments available where they are, where I could stage nearly any scenario.
Running away should be a reasonable strategy for players.

Some ideas to start off with or even beyond that would be helpful to help me get kick started. I do not yet have the Reign of Winter, but I've heard encounters in there are like this. Is there a source for things like this other than my fellow forum users?

[zylphryx]

APs, modules, PFS scenarios are all great sources if you are just wanting to be able to pull out individual encounters or even series of encounters. That said, the no magic aspect will need some encounters outright. For clarification, does it also mean no outsiders or other creatures with spell like abilities (and what about supernatural abilities)? If so, designing an encounter that will be challenging to the PCs will have a more limited selection of critters to choose from.

[SmiloDan]

2 sets of archers that are hard to get to (towers, trees, cliff sides, etc.), protecting another area (platform, portcullis wheel, treasure chest, alchemist alembic, etc.) the PCs want to get to.

Replace summoning with releasing wild or trained beasts. The releaser could have a high AC and be relatively far away, requiring archery to bring it down, but with fast charging beasts also providing tactically viable targets.

Underwater combat.

TRAPS!

Pits, balance beams, tightropes, narrow bridges, docks, walkable branches in a jungle or swamp or forest canopy.

Clockwork or alchemical environments.

Chase down a river filled with mining logs, canoes, crocodile backs, etc., to jump to and fro.

Ship to ship battles.

Wagon to wagon battles. Or carriage to carriage.

A fight on a steep slope?

Basically, swashbuckling goodness!

Also, mix different types of monsters. For example, a manticore might be lording it over a pride of lionesses. A ogre might be bossing a bunch of goblins. Even a bunch of warriors with some wardogs can be interesting. Giants can be fun because they can throw boulders first, then close for melee.

[Just a Mort]

Devoid of magic - please define - are the PCs not allowed to play any casters(even 4th/6th level ones)? How are you goimg to make the world devoid of magic? What do you mean by minor healing?

You'll need to take note that you recover your hp in lv per day. So let's see - a fighter with 14 con has 31 hp if he puts hp for all his FCB. Without healing, it will take him 10 days to recover all his hp, without any magical healing. There will need to be a lot of downtime between encounters. Unless you borrow the 5e mechanics of long and short rests.

I feel that pathfinder was not meant to be played without magic.Many portions of the bestiary become not useable without magic. I.e, you should never throw an incorpreal creature at your players if there's no magic, no swarms, anything that gives ability damage becomes very hard to fix, an invisible stalker with spring attack becomes almost impossible to pin down...

[Legioned]

Clarifications:
Native outsiders do exist, but for this world magic has been suppressed temporarily. As a result people have forgotten how to use it over time. This means PCs will not be permitted to take any class or race (at creation) that has access to spells or spell-like abilities, or emulate spells (such as the alchemist). Archetypes and alternate racial traits can be taken in order to make the class or race legal.

At level 4 casting will become available, which means the Rangers and Paladins (explained later why they were allowed) of the party would gain access to spells right then and there. Or a PC could take a pure caster level at that point.

Minor healing is the Paladin or any use of the heal skill, in addition to natural healing. I allowed Paladins given the nature of the gods in the setting and wanting a pure religious aspect to the military and government. This also gives the possibility of fixing ability damage and hit points - to a degree, to reduce the down time.
_________________________________

No magical monsters will be thrown at the PCs before the point at which they have the means to deal with them (IE incorporeal).

I do like the idea of essentially a Pirates of the Caribbean / Indiana Jones style of game play, at least to start. The 'boss' mechanic is good too.

5E mechanics...interesting idea. I may use that, as I am familiar with it.

[Just a Mort]

When magic becomes allowed at level 4, will you allow full retraining of their characters(stat arrays included)? Else the casters effectively will be functioning at CL -3 for purposes of spell penetration and spells used. I.e a lv 3 fighter who decides at lv 4 to start to take his first cleric level will always be 3 levels behind a full cleric, and spell progression will reflect as such.

If you throw them at lv 5 a wil o wisp saying oh lv 5 clerics have access to invisibility purge and resist energy now, shouldn't be a problem, there will be, if retraining is not allowed as the maximum number of cleric lvs a player can get is only 2.

Treat deadly wounds - the DC is 20. Unless someone starts as a half elf with skill focus heal(assuming 14 wis), taking 10 is not an option, and treating deadly wounds is only once per day, 1 hp per character level. Probably better to implement rest mechanics from 5e in terms of healing. I don't approve of shoehorning someone to be a paladin for heals.

TLDR: need to balance the power level of delayed casting progression with what you can reasonably throw at them.

[jfkg306]

Check some of my other posts. Hard to kill murderhobo powergamers are my speciality. Lvl 3? Try some of the New ghouls from the monster codex.

Specifically the ones with leather armor, stealth, and crossbows.
They can shoot, sneak , sneak attack, and have 3 melee attacks that paralyze.

Try the NPC Codex for basic sorcerors/mages and change the low level spells to these.

Cast Expeditious Retreat of Enemy Archers

Lvl 1
Snowball (touch ac)

Lvl 2
River whip (touch ac)
Spider whip (touch ac)
Acid Arrow (touch ac)
Protection from Arrows
Glitterdust
Stone call (Auto hit 2d6, difficult terrain)
spontaneous immolation 3d6 plus burn or save for 1/2
frigid touch 4d6 touch plus staggered
burst of radiance (blind)
Blindness/deafness (blind forever)
Frost fall (auto 2d6/ save for 1/2)
Burning arc (jumping flame save for 1/2 damage)
aboleth's lung
steal breath
agressive thundercloud (save or take 3d6 lightning)

Also, oracles for -ultra cheese -

oracle of flame (see through fog and smoke)
oracle of water (see through fog)

obscuring mist and crossbows
Touch attach ac 6/day fire bolts 1d6+2

OOPS SORRY FORGOT THE NO CASTERS THING

Try goblin Hunters[b] with
Outflank (+4 to hit)
2 The feat that lets you do 1d6 more damage when flanking
3 The feat that lets you flank from the front
The hunter has a cr, the pet doesn't, its part of the hunter.

and cats for [b]claw,claw,bite

so hunter 1 attack, +4 to hit, +1d6 sneak attack
cat 3 attacks, +4 to hit, +1d6 sneak attack

Create your own enemy npc's using a combination of their power gamer builds (75% same, different enough to not get called on it)