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How should one approach this? I'm used to running games with only 3 players but I'm worried about all the TPK stuff I've heard people talking about, especially in later books. What's the best idea? Just go in as is? Recruit a number 4, even if they're not usually part of the group? Allow NPC companions and run the risk of the GMPC issue? Make fights easier?
DMPCs aren't anything to be feared.
The most famous GMPC in the history of ever is Gandalf. Which doesn't take away anything from the real PCs (Aragorn, Boromir, Gimli, and Legolas). The problem with them usually spends with the GM wanting to be the spotlight. Roleplay either hired muscle, or something reclusive - basically someone that's here because it's his job to protect X and build him to complement the PCs. Control based Fighters or buff Bards would do well in that regard.
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Look in the Bestiary, p. 21 for the guidelines to scale encounters to different number of players.
Different party sizes
For each character in the party beyond the fourth, include additional creatures worth an amount of XP equal to the Character Adjustment value for your encounter on Table 5. Don’t adjust the actual XP the characters each gain for defeating the encounter. If you have fewer than four characters, use the same process in reverse: for each missing character, remove creatures worth an amount of XP equal to the Character Adjustment on Table 5 from the encounter, but keep the XP that the characters each earn the same. It’s best to use the XP increase from more characters to add more enemies and the XP decrease from fewer characters to subtract enemies, rather than making one enemy tougher or weaker. Encounters are typically more satisfying if the number of creatures is fairly close to the number of player characters.
On page 23 there's a "weak adjustments" section if removing creatures is not doable.
I played The Lost Star with my wife as the only PC (+1 GMPC) and it went pretty well, since the number of creatures in most encounters could just be halved.
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Look in the Bestiary, p. 21 for the guidelines to scale encounters to different number of players.
Different party sizes
For each character in the party beyond the fourth, include additional creatures worth an amount of XP equal to the Character Adjustment value for your encounter on Table 5. Don’t adjust the actual XP the characters each gain for defeating the encounter. If you have fewer than four characters, use the same process in reverse: for each missing character, remove creatures worth an amount of XP equal to the Character Adjustment on Table 5 from the encounter, but keep the XP that the characters each earn the same. It’s best to use the XP increase from more characters to add more enemies and the XP decrease from fewer characters to subtract enemies, rather than making one enemy tougher or weaker. Encounters are typically more satisfying if the number of creatures is fairly close to the number of player characters.On page 23 there's a "weak adjustments" section if removing creatures is not doable.
I played The Lost Star with my wife as the only PC (+1 GMPC) and it went pretty well, since the number of creatures in most encounters could just be halved.
Oh, this is SUPER helpful! I'd basically been having an anxiety attack over screwing over Paizo's data by only playing with 3 PCs (I'm a very, very nervous person) so knowing there's official advice for how to fix this up is a giant life saver
Thanks! ;]
Also, in the GM survey there's a question regarding the number of players in the party, so there should be no problem providing meaningful data.