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Greetings fellow DM's
I've been hard at work going over my upcoming Kingmaker campaign, and I decided to basically overhaul all of the encounters, in order to make them more challenging to the PC's. Halfway through his process, I realized that this could probably benefit some other DM's like me who lament the easy mode printed AP's seem to be on.
So in this thread I'll be posting links to my DM notes, where I update encounters, preroll random encounters in order to make them interesting and thematical, rework some BBEG in order to oooobe a bit updated with more modern classes and feats, or in order to give them more coherent battle strategies.
I don't expect anyone to benefit from it, and if Paizo wants me to remove this from the forums I'll understand. Feedback is appreciated.
First of all, the houserules this takes into account:
Feat Tax Fix: Feat Tax Fix
Weapon Finesse Fix: All finessable weapons (as defined in the feat tax fix) are eligible for the weapon finesse feat. Weapon finesse gives dex to damage with finessable weapons, Dex replaces str, but is always at x1.0, even for two handed or off hand weapons.
Rogues get finesse training at level 1, which works like weapon finesse but gives dex x 1.5 on two handed finesse weapons.
My group has something we call ''the gentleman's agreement'' in which we agree not to pursue some avenues of optimisation because they make the game boring, here is this list as of 2018-01-11:
-No DMPC
-Loot is ALWAYS split evenly, uneven distribution requires party approval.
-No PK, No stealing from PC's, no using the fact that the PC's can't kill you to be a dick.
-No outrageous shenanigans unless Dm approves (Anything doing over 1k damage in a round on average, anything that sounds silly)
-Can't take 20 on perception
-Standard fizzle gargazou rules (If the players ally with an NPC, that NPC will not participate in fights or gain loot/xp UNLESS the players specifically ask, knowing full well the costs. The players can ask by screaming fizzle gargazou)
-No campaign traits
-Blood Money is Baned.
For this campaign I will be using my own spin on automatic bonus progression, that you can find in the updated automatic bonus progression table document in the drive. All loot in the game has been stripped of it's +x bonus to account for this and prices have been adjusted accordingly. Named Monsters and NPC's use the normal ABP for their stat bonuses, unless they have PC wealth, in which case they use the updated ABP. The game assumes bottle economics, so only stuff that gets out in the PC's kingdom is available to trade, and the PC's can comission crafters they meet, or craft themselves during downtime if they so wish.
I use a variant on traps called the control box fix. Basically in ever encounter or dungeon where there is a trap that isn't incredibly simplistic (bear traps are simplistic) there will be a ''control box or rune'' that the players need to access in order to disable the trap. This adds a layer as sometimes the trap disarmer or the dispeler needs to use another skill to either see the trap or access it as it might well be behind the actual trap. I will also make liberal use of the enhance trap spell. Just like.. ALL THE TIME, and I will make traps more deadly, often by repetition (this trap shoots 1d4 darts at you? why not make it 3d4!!!) of the effect.
I will also be using the following template:
1) FASTER Roll 2 tracks of initiative, the highest is the full round in which the monster can perform, the lowest is a standard action and a swift action (no move, no full round).
At CR 13+, the monster gains a third standard action that automatically starts at the beginning of the round, with the following caveat: The monster can use any 1 action that can target only the monster, even if it could normally affect other or multiple targets. Spells cast in this way ignore somatic components and do not provoke attacks of opportunity. The monster does not need to have a free hand to cast a spell in this way. The Monster is still considered flat footed for the purposes of the first round.
At CR 20+, the monster has 2 initiatives, and 2 full round actions.
2)BETTERSolo monster can use their remaining movement at any time they could act. So if a monster has 50' movement, it could use 10' to move to an enemy and a standard to attack. It could then use it's remaining 40' of movement as it saw fit (basically this works a lot like spring attack in practice).
3)HARDER Maximize HP per die, add 2 Hp per HD, solo monsters get toughness as a bonus feat. The proper equation to calculate is : (HDx#HD)+((Cons mod+3)*HD)
Exemple: The Juvenile red Dragon has hp 149 (13d12+65) normally. You apply the solo monster rules and now his HP becomes:
(12*13)+((5+3)*13)=260 Hp. He will definitely last longer vs a group of optimised PC's
The solo monster also has fast healing/regeneration on every initiative count that he has, and as a standard action can heal an amount of HP equal to his Fast healing/regeneration *5.
4)STRONGER
Pick one of the following as a defensive measure for your solo monster.
Tenacity (SU)
The lone wolf can spend a move action to remove any action inhibiting status (Frightened, Cowering, Stunned, Dazed, Nauseated, Dominated, Charmed) by paying a number of hit points equal to his HD. This move action can be spent even if his normal move actions cannot be used.
Immunity (SU)
The lone wolf has a barrier that protects him from action inhibiting statuses (Frightened, Cowering, Stunned, Dazed, Nauseated, Dominated, Charmed). this barrier can be taken down by a successful sunder or dispel magic attempt aimed at the barrier. This sundering attempt does not provoke attacks of opportunity. This barrier can be refreshed as a move action.
Willful (SU)
A Solo Monster has a pool of 3 Solo Points. It regains 1 SP per round just before its turn but never has more than 3 in its pool.
In between players' turns, it can spend SP, similar to coming out of Delay. It cannot spend SP directly before or after its turn; if it wants to spend SP when its turn comes up then it has to Delay its turn until at least one player has gone.
It can spend 1 SP to remove a temporary condition , or suppress a permanent/long-term one one (like a curse or disease) for the rest of the encounter. It can do this even if the condition normally prevents action or decision-making. It can use this to stand up from Prone without provoking AoOs.
It can spend 1 SP to cast a spell/SLA on itself without provoking, like a war priest.
It can spend 1 SP to take a standard or swift action. This also entitles it to single-speed charge and withdraw actions and 5ft steps. This also refreshes its pool of AoOs.
Here is the link to my google drive where I keep my stuff:
Here is the link, if it doesn't work just copy paste the URL bellow it should work
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1UGwSEpYSEf3KdrWK11Z8dAbQptn7G65o?us p=sharing
Each area is gonna be labeled as such, except the various 1 encounter areas which are gonna be grouped in one document. I will also post updates on expected strategies. This is a Hard mode campaign, but Paizo assumes standard xp in their AP, so I suggest you DON'T give additional xp for the solo monster template or the liberal use of other templates over regular encounters, in order to keep the xp progression at normal and not have overpowered PC's. Do give them full xp if they manage to thwart a particularly difficult random encounter (such as my vital striking, intimimancy will o wisp solo monster)
Feel free to comment. Right now this is an ongoing process, i'm not even done with stolen lands. Once I'm done with it I'll post a synopsis of it and explain why some things are there.
I've also taken the liberty of making monster cards with pictures i got on google, if you have problems with my use of the picture, just tell me and I'll take it down. If you're a DM and love the idea, print it, use it, tell me about it.
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If you want to make some of the named encounters harder, you can just use mythic versions on some of the monsters that your party failed to find/eliminate in the first book, ie - Tuskgutter, Crackjaw, etc. This makes them more of a challenge later on and does many of the things you seem to be going for with your solo monster template. There is a bit more flexibility with the mythic rules however as there are different paths that may fit different monsters better.
Since in my game the fey courts are in play, I made many of the named animals enlightened and advanced fey templates in order to emphasize the fey aspect of the AP and increase the challenge level some. My party had more than enough political issues to handle that they didn't need mythic monsters also!
Also imma be honest with you, I haven't read the mythic rules and they seem unappealing to me, so I don't think I'll bother, they give offensive and defensive power ups rather than just action economy and toughness, so I'd be afraid of killing my players, and my players are harsh enough with the world that I don't want to give them mythic levels.
What's the state of the fey courts in golarion? Is there seelie and underlie? I'd love to make the campaign more feyish
To make my game a little harder for the players I added the simple advanced template to very nearly every single encounter in the books.
(The only exceptions were when the AC's would become too high. And even then I usually added the template but left the AC as published.)
Oh, and I didn't have the BBEG of each book sitting around waiting to be killed. In all but the first book they joined in on (usually) the final fight before the players are supposed to encounter them.
Yah if you look at the encounters I used the advanced template literally. The only exceptions being in cases where the monster is way above the party's level (will o wisp and troll ), or in the case of the bandits at Oleg, bandit camp , kobolds and mites, since I suspect these will be the level 1 encounters and I don't want to tpk. As soon as the PC's hit level 2 I'll be applying the advanced template on the leftover encounters.
And yeah definitely, the dungeons cannot be static, it makes no sense, the monsters will either want to group up in one room for a colossal fight or simply flee. Same goes for the BBEG
You messed up the Solo Monster Template - Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger is in the wrong order.
You messed up the Solo Monster Template - Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger is in the wrong order.
Well as a fidelity to the song, yes.
As a mnemonic device to help you remember the template, I think it's doing a splendid job ^^
Yah if you look at the encounters I used the advanced template literally. The only exceptions being in cases where the monster is way above the party's level (will o wisp and troll ), or in the case of the bandits at Oleg, bandit camp , kobolds and mites, since I suspect these will be the level 1 encounters and I don't want to tpk. As soon as the PC's hit level 2 I'll be applying the advanced template on the leftover encounters.
And yeah definitely, the dungeons cannot be static, it makes no sense, the monsters will either want to group up in one room for a colossal fight or simply flee. Same goes for the BBEG
Right! I didn't use it for the first book. Or, at least, not for the first half of the first book.... I don't remember when I started using it, but it was after I realized that the fights were way too easy for the group. (4 players, 25 point buy, some more optimized than others)
As for the BBEG, they'll be making their first appearance on Sunday!
Ok so here is the overhaul for the first chapter of kingmaker, I worked hard on this so I'd be very happy if it helped someone else ^^.
I'll tell you how it goes when I playrun it.
Trouble at Oleg's: This encounter is pretty standard, I simply modified the equipment of the bandits a bit and applied houserules. This gives them 14 hp and 17 AC with their shields on (15 without). I also gave them an alchemist fire to deal with pesky PC's that have high AC or to set fire to a building, adding drama. I kept Happs as a ranger but gave him a composite bow. This encounter will determine how my PC's should fare against what else I have in mind, and I plan to have the bandits throw at least one alchemist's fire on someone who is fire resistant just to validate their choice. The fire to the stables can be put out with create water and the barn repaired with mending (or you know buckets of water and a DC 15 Craft (wood) check).
Exploring the Greenbelt:I will separate this into two parts, random encounters and planned encounters.
Random encounters: I rolled two big monsters for random encounters, but my players should be warned against those creatures with appropriate knowledge checks (check the knowledge cards to have handouts to give to your players). One is a solo boss will o wisp with vital strike who does intimimancy in order to feed. The other is a troll who really wants to do non-lethal damage in order to ''properly tenderize the meat later on'' I built both of them to be terrifying but have a low kill ratio and give PC's a reasonable chance to escape should they be defeated, but also I tried to give them a good reward if they managed to take one out (arguably the troll is easier than the will-o-wisp). the rest are mostly minor encounters that use monsters from other areas, and 2 grigs diguised as ravens asking riddles because they find that hilarious. (look at me!! IM A WISE RAVEN!!!)
Planned encounters:
Fairy Nest:I really like the faerie dragon and grig encounter so I gave them their own file and a much needed boost, so that players are really discouraged if ever they attempt to kill them (Perlivash could easily TPK the party at level 1 if they're not careful) I boosted Perlivash's HD by one, gave him weapon finesse for dex to damage and the advanced template. tyg-Titter-Tut gets the advanced template as well as 1 level of Rogue. The pair will try to trick the party as much as they can, like usual, but will be much more efficient at it.
Rest of Greenbelt:
-Radish Patch: see sootscale tribe for updated kobolds.
-Giant trapdoor spider: Advanced and Solo template slapped on, still it shouldn't last long.
-Frog Pond: Made frogs advanced just cause.
-Temple of the Elk: Made the bear a divine guardian and gave him the solo template. I'm kinda worried my PC's will go directly there, but if they're level 2 or 3 they shouldn't have a problem. Plus nothing says ''oh S#$*!'' like a teleporting bear.
-Boggard Lair: Made Ubagug Large with the giant simple template in order to make him rideable, and made Garuum a level 1 fighter in order to give him more options and a rider feel.
-Tuskgutter's lair: Tuskgutter is now a solo dire boar!! Cause an advanced boar was too easy. (75 hp at level 2 seems harsh but with a Barbarian estimated to hit in the 3d6+14 range with buffs and a swashbuckler hitting for 1d6+9-12 depending on level I think it's gonna be over quick. Not to mention color spray)
-Nettle's Crossing: Tried to give clues to the players in a knowledge card that this dude is weird and has a quest, cause otherwise I'm not sure they'll pick it up. Once again going intimimancy on old nettles to give him a scary feel, but not tax the party too much on his multiple hauntings. Switched his Ranseur to a merciful Ranseur to boost the player's WBL a bit. Made him a SOLO boss.
-Tatzlwyrm Den: Tatzlwyrm's are pushovers, so I made them advanced.
-Brush Thylacine: Made it a solo creature by principle, but honestly this seems like the most lackluster encounter in the campaign so I didn't bother much.
Bandits of the Greenbelt: Kept the basic bandit mods from Oleg's, but made kressle slightly better at fighting. Gave her Powerful Maneuvers in order to give her some options to counter the overall badness of TWF.
The Old Sycamore: Some basic modifications. Named mites are going to be advanced because they're almost always in lesser groups. Where the group needs to be careful is stealth. If even one mite gets away it will alert everyone who will meet up in a defensible position and send Quoggy to get the Giant Whiptail centipede and send him against the PC's first. Gave the mites the doom spell like to debuff PC's and made them smeer centipede poison on their darts, the combination should be fun ^^. Made the whiptail centipede a solo monster, giving myself the option of making him die dramatically if the PC's are overwhelmed. Grabbles is now a level 1 rogue and his weapon is an elven branched spear in order to give him that mounted feel. I put elven spear there for other people's reference but truly it's gonna be a pointy stick. A masterwork pointy stick. Grabble's goal is to wait for tickleback to catch a PC and then sneak attack them.
The sootscale tribe: I really like chief sootscale so I hope the players are going to keep him alive. I'm gonna RP him as a sort of like kamina (from gurren lagan) style Kobold, who just wants his people to be bettered! If the PC's bring him the statue he will go confront tartuk with them, all the while harboring a grim face because he knows how terrible Tartuk is. Tartuk himself is a solo boss encounter that focuses on misleading through illusions, invisibility and his familiar who is now a prankster archetype familiar. Tartuk by himself should be annoying but ultimatel manageable. However, if the PC's decide to go murder hobo Kamina chief sootscale combos REALLY well with Tartuk and could easily spell a TPK.
The Staglord's fort: oh boy, this is a really big encounter so I'm just gonna go NPC by NPC.
-Bandits: same
-Zombies: Same, assumed they were cursed in desecrated aura.
-Auchs: is now a Mutagenic Mauler with ''nom nom juice'' (mutagen)
-Dovan from Nisroch: Now a swashbuckler because I hate rogues.
-Beaky: Is just an owlbear
-Akiros Ismort: Switched to Bloodrager 4 with the Celestial bloodline who focuses on sword and board style. Now he can cast enlarge person too!
-The Staglord: Switched him from ranger 3 rogue 5 to slayer 8 (duh :P) and made him a fearmongering switch hitter. However, he has a glaring weakness in his will save. I fully expect the witch in our party to put him to sleep pretty fast, but if she doesn't he can cause some REAL damage with his pain strike talent and high intimidate score coupled with shattered defenses and his butcher's axe vital strike (can strike for 6d6+16).
-Nugrah: the ACTUAL boss of the place :P Made him a stormcaller druid and changed his tactics so he doesn't do the stupid thing and engage in melee. He'll use fog, stay hidden, and cast annoying spells. I'll try to give some sort of warning to the PC's about the dude in the cellar before hand. Maybe having a bandit or something go in the cellar and come out healed mid fight.
Tell me what you think :)
hmm very interesting thanks. I had hoped that the seelie unseelie system would have been squeezed in there, but I'll stick to canon lore for this time (My plot leans heavily on the eldest as they are).
Added tartuk's diary as well as the clawed tree with an X as a handout.
Finished stolen lands.
Updated all creatures with advanced template, solo template when needed.
boosted the werewolf's barb levels.
Made the old hermit a Hunter instead of a rogue, boosted the level by 1 to account for cat being an animal companion and not a standalone creature.
Gave tyressa and her satyr lover animal companions, just cause.
Made Grigori a wit archetype bard and framed the whole debate with him using verbal duel rules (he's pretty brutal at those so it'll be a team effort to beat him)
Made the cult of gyrona a cult of Milani to account for the evil party (made the peasants some level 2 inquisitors instead but I expect most of them to be fireballed to death)
Old beldame is now a witch, because she's a freaking witch.
Vesket is now a level 5 fighter lizardfolk instead of having more lizardfolk HD. This allows him to ''call on his ancestor's'' to add any +1 enhancement to his fauchard (including human bane). Also made him a trip fighter.
Riggs is now a slayer instead of a rogue, but I might change that to vivisectionnist as I think it fits him better (read it in the obits, thanks to whomever gave me the idea)
Boosted the lethality of all the traps in the module, the ray of enfeeblement stayed as is (cause it's really mean coupled with the immediate skeleton and lonely warrior attack) but the insanity mist trap has been modified to pour out the same gas for 5 rounds instead of just once, and the pitfall in the owlbear's den has been made harder to spot (we use passive perception rules, i like to keep some traps above take 10 value in order to keep my players paranoid). Finally, the portcullis trap has been boosted in damage (10d6) and will make the caught target helpless, prompting riggs to try to come coup de grace it.
Added 2 custom magic items to fit with my ABP progression.
Killjoy: the sword from the lonely barrow (is now a butchering axe) is a Fey Bane keen cold iron Butchering axe that gives the wielder tracking and perception bonuses vs feys it has hit and can cast protection from chaos on wielder once a day when targeted by fey abilities.
Trollfang amulet: Is a Keen Flaming amulet of mighty fists that can give fast healing 1 as a move action to the user (similar to earth boots) and is also one of the reasons Hargulka became a troll boss (flaming claws and the ability to heal from flames and acid is scary for troll underlings)
Made the owlbear act boss much MUCH tougher, any full attack from it is gonna be met with death and it has a LOT of Hp (advanced siege owlbear wearing a dragonhide breastplate barding, one of my players is a reincarnated red dragon and these will be his scales)(If you use the owlbear boss, make sure to stress the importance of tactics with your players as he can EASILY tpk a party that tries to go toe to toe with him, I will be dropping hints through divination and knowledge (architecture) checks to my party wizard)
Finished stolen lands.
Updated all creatures with advanced template, solo template when needed.
boosted the werewolf's barb levels.
Made the old hermit a Hunter instead of a rogue, boosted the level by 1 to account for cat being an animal companion and not a standalone creature.
Gave tyressa and her satyr lover animal companions, just cause.
Made Grigori a wit archetype bard and framed the whole debate with him using verbal duel rules (he's pretty brutal at those so it'll be a team effort to beat him)
Made the cult of gyrona a cult of Milani to account for the evil party (made the peasants some level 2 inquisitors instead but I expect most of them to be fireballed to death)
Old beldame is now a witch, because she's a freaking witch.
Vesket is now a level 5 fighter lizardfolk instead of having more lizardfolk HD. This allows him to ''call on his ancestor's'' to add any +1 enhancement to his fauchard (including human bane). Also made him a trip fighter.
Riggs is now a slayer instead of a rogue, but I might change that to vivisectionnist as I think it fits him better (read it in the obits, thanks to whomever gave me the idea)
Boosted the lethality of all the traps in the module, the ray of enfeeblement stayed as is (cause it's really mean coupled with the immediate skeleton and lonely warrior attack) but the insanity mist trap has been modified to pour out the same gas for 5 rounds instead of just once, and the pitfall in the owlbear's den has been made harder to spot (we use passive perception rules, i like to keep some traps above take 10 value in order to keep my players paranoid). Finally, the portcullis trap has been boosted in damage (10d6) and will make the caught target helpless, prompting riggs to try to come coup de grace it.
Added 2 custom magic items to fit with my ABP progression.
Killjoy: the sword from the lonely barrow (is now a butchering axe) is a Fey Bane keen cold iron Butchering axe that gives the wielder tracking and perception bonuses vs feys it...
My apologies, I did make the trap in the deadly barrows deadlier.
It is now a stinking cloud trap (CL 5 DC 19) that in addition makes targets fatigued and makes them lose 1d2 strenght everytime they fail a fort save (fatigued stacks to exhausted).
As well, i changed the lonely warrior to an unchained barbarian (rage powers work on undead in the unchained version) in order to keep with his fluff, and he has ABP npc progression as well as fighting two handed instead of with a shield.