Creature types by PFS scenario?

[Pax Miles]

Just wondering, has anyone put together some sort of speadsheet with a breakdown of which creature types (and subtypes) are in each scenario? Or a graph that shows how common a given creature type is in PFS?

Mainly asking from a Ranger Favored Enemy stance. I'm of the mindset that a favored enemy should be one you struggle against, but choosing one that is ridiciously uncommon (or non-existant) in PFS scenarios would be a huge waste of a class feature. I don't feel that Favored enemy Undead or Human is really needed, due to the surplus of alternate ways to fight those creatures. Dragons, for example, is a great favored enemy, but if the creature type never shows up, it's just a wasted class feature.

On the one hand, this kinda metagaming, but at the same time, I don't think the intention is to have Rangers use Favored enemy on a creature type that simply doesn't exist in PFS scenarios.

[Belafon]

Mark Moreland wrote:

As has been stated upthread, the Pathfinder Society Organized Play campaign is one in which we hope that players are not reading ahead (either adventures or Chronicle sheets) in order to cherry-pick adventures based on a checklist of monsters they'd like to encounter or equipment they'd like to receive. As such, we consider discussion of such spoilers to be against the spirit of the game.

[Jeff Morse]

Kevin Willis wrote:

Mark Moreland wrote:

As has been stated upthread, the Pathfinder Society Organized Play campaign is one in which we hope that players are not reading ahead (either adventures or Chronicle sheets) in order to cherry-pick adventures based on a checklist of monsters they'd like to encounter or equipment they'd like to receive. As such, we consider discussion of such spoilers to be against the spirit of the game.

Having experienced such things in other campaigns most of us agree with this. I understand the frustration of not getting to use a class feature. maybe go with the more common ones.

[cavernshark]

Many scenario descriptions do give hints on the kinds of things you can expect to encounter without spoiling encounters of the scenario itself. You can reasonably use those to steer yourself into predictable encounters if you really want to. I will say I've had some of the most fun when my characters are thrown well out of their element. My enchanter always seemed to end up in undead heavy scenarios; my psychic's nemesis has been plants. It's always an accident but it does make for interesting stories.

Favored Enemy seems balanced largely by it not always being on. As a GM in a Giantslayer game, we joke that it's basically our Ranger's cheat code. So maybe just pick one you can expect to encounter and maybe some you can reasonably expect to encounter from time to time, even if not every scenario. That way you shouldn't be locked out, but also not feel pigeonholed into 1-2 options.

My gut says it's probably something like:

Good Chance of Encountering:
Humanoid (Human)
Undead
Outsider (Evil)

Reasonable Chance of Encountering:
Fey
Construct
Outsider (Chaotic)
Aberration

[Pirate Rob]

Human
Undead
Construct
Evil Outsiders

are probably your best choices if you want your FE to be commonly relevant.

[Ascalaphus]

Pirate Rob wrote:

Human

Undead
Construct
Evil Outsiders

are probably your best choices if you want your FE to be commonly relevant.

Yeah, without looking for spoilers into any scenario, these are good bets. I'd push evil outsiders a bit higher on top of the list though.

It's not surprising either. Plots (as in, someone is plotting) tend to involve humans a lot. Evil outsiders also like to plot.

Meanwhile, undead, constructs and outsiders have the lifespan to sit in a dungeon for centuries waiting for you to stumble in.

[Pax Miles]

Kevin Willis wrote:

Mark Moreland wrote:

As has been stated upthread, the Pathfinder Society Organized Play campaign is one in which we hope that players are not reading ahead (either adventures or Chronicle sheets) in order to cherry-pick adventures based on a checklist of monsters they'd like to encounter or equipment they'd like to receive. As such, we consider discussion of such spoilers to be against the spirit of the game.

I don't really feel that this and that are the same thing. The context of that quote is in regards to specific creatures or to cherry pick specific items. I was thinking of a more overall speadsheet, which tallys how common a given creature type is, not even the specific creature, just the general type.

If this were a homebrew game, I'd talk to the GM about what I can reasonably expect. Or, the GM would just insert my favored enemy into the rotation just to make me feel included. Seems like a basic part of character creation.

But for PFS, there's no guide (for rangers). I could pick a perfectly legal choice from the CRB and never get to face it. And that's not reasonable. If certain creature types are not found in PFS enemies, then PFS should really ban them as ranger favored enemies so as to avoid this issue.

Classes that get feats they can't use are changed to either have new feats, or just not be able to take those class features. Why is this different?

[cavernshark]

Pax Miles wrote:

If this were a homebrew game, I'd talk to the GM about what I can reasonably expect. Or, the GM would just insert my favored enemy into the rotation just to make me feel included. Seems like a basic part of character creation.

But for PFS, there's no guide (for rangers). I could pick a perfectly legal choice from the CRB and never get to face it. And that's not reasonable. If certain creature types are not found in PFS enemies, then PFS should really ban them as ranger favored enemies so as to avoid this issue.

Classes that get feats they can't use are changed to either have new feats, or just not be able to take those class features. Why is this different?

We just gave you the cliff's notes version. There's no player's guide because you can expect to encounter every single ranger favored enemy at some point in your career. This also isn't an AP where there's a defined ending. There are common themes, but some creature types become more or less prevalent depending on the season. Season 6 was constructs, Season 5 was demons, Season 8 was elementals, etc. But even within those themes, you can expect to fight plants, magical beasts, lawful outsiders etc.

Asking for guidance was reasonable and most people here gave it to you to the best that's possible given there are hundreds of possible scenarios only a fraction of which this ranger you're making may play. Asking for leadership to ban specific favored enemies because they are uncommon right now isn't reasonable. Maybe you shouldn't play a ranger or pick archetype that swaps it out if this is bothering you that much.

[Pax Miles]

cavernshark wrote:

We just gave you the cliff's notes version. There's no player's guide because you can expect to encounter every single ranger favored enemy at some point in your career. This also isn't an AP where there's a defined ending. There are common themes, but some creature types become more or less prevalent depending on the season. Season 6 was constructs, Season 5 was demons, Season 8 was elementals, etc. But even within those themes, you can expect to fight plants, magical beasts, lawful outsiders etc.

Asking for guidance was reasonable and most people here gave it to you to the best that's possible given there are hundreds of possible scenarios only a fraction of which this ranger you're making may play. Asking for leadership to ban specific favored enemies because they are uncommon right now isn't reasonable. Maybe you shouldn't play a ranger or pick archetype that swaps it out if this is bothering you that much.

So all the creature types in the CRB list of favored enemies come up at some point in a PFS Scenario? I know, poorly worded, but that is the question I was trying to address in the OP.

So, if my favored enemy is, for example, Good Outsiders, it is reasonable to assume that there is a PFS scenario (somewhere) in which I will face Good outsiders as opponents, right?

[Keirine, Human Rogue]

Pax Miles wrote:

So, if my favored enemy is, for example, Good Outsiders, it is reasonable to assume that there is a PFS scenario (somewhere) in which I will face Good outsiders as opponents, right?

I know of at least one scenario where you face a good outsider in combat. Not a common favored enemy, but it is one that shows up.

[Belafon]

Pax Miles wrote:

So, if my favored enemy is, for example, Good Outsiders, it is reasonable to assume that there is a PFS scenario (somewhere) in which I will face Good outsiders as opponents, right?

Reasonable to assume you’ll encounter a good outsider? Sure. Reasonable to assume a good outsider is going to initiate a fight with you? Probably not.

Since PFS is not a campaign where you are “on the attack” (looking for things to kill) and where you never know where you are going to be sent, the question a ranger needs to ask is “What’s most likely to want to attack me?”

That’s why the various humanoids (especially humans since they are the dominant race on Golarion), evil outsiders, and undead are good choices. Beyond that it’s a grab bag. Animals and magical beasts are sometimes territorial. Elementals of the various flavors are often bound or summoned and forced to attack. And if the builder set his construct to guard a place there’s no reasoning with it.

Your question falls into this weird “optimization but not really optimization but it is really meta” area. It’s not really meta to pick undead, evil outsiders, or humans. They all attack people a lot. But you don’t want to pick those because you want something different. That’s fine - great in fact! Play a more unique character. Make something with a story. But then you’re asking for the “most optimal” choice of the remainder. Not only would that require someone doing exactly what PFS leadership has asked us not to do (read ahead and discuss what is in various scenarios) but is a fairly high level of metagaming.

I would suggest you pick one of the categories in the third paragraph. Come up with a good story for why your character dislikes them so much. Then it’s a big deal when you meet one!