So I'm drawing up an encounter for my group and would like to maybe have someone look over the idea.
So the game is a Skull and Shackles run and I'm drawing up a pair of body guards to try and escort a VIP off the ship the team is raiding. PCs are mainly melee with 1 spell caster(Samurai/Barbarian, Rogue, Swashbuckler and caster is Sorcerer).
The idea is to have a strong front line hold/draw attention while the other guard uses a reach weapon to guard from the rear and stop people from taking the shortest path to the VIP. Here's what I've come up with;
Tanker
Level 4 Human Warpriest
STR 14
DEX 14
CON 16
INT 10
WIS 16
CHA 10
(25 point buy, throw the Human bonus into WIS)
Feats
lv1 -Combat Reflexes
Racial - Bodyguard
3rd level - In Harm's Way
Bonus Combat - Step up.
Designed to try and stay in the way or block for the Lancer. Uses Fervor to heal or self buff.
Lancer
Level 4 Slayer - Vanguard Archetype. Maybe Half Elf.
STR 16
DEX 15
CON 13
INT 14
WIS 14
CHA 10
(25 point buy, racial bonus into STR, level bonus can go into DEX or CON but not factored)
Feats
Lv 1 - Combat Reflexes
Lv 3 - Iron Will + Courage in Numbers
So Vanguard Slayer gives up a Slayer Trick for Tactician usage and a free Teamwork Feat at level 3.
Here's how I would LIKE to picture it. Tank sets up in front of Lancer, boosting them with a spell or Blessing. Lancer goes next and uses a Teamwork Feat to grant both of them an extra buff since they're going to be in base to base contact whenever possible. Vanguard also gives a bonus to Init and can allow them to pass off their Studied Target to allies so this can help boost the Tank some more when it comes to a problematic target.
I thought to put down Iron Will + Courage in Numbers because the PC's Samurai+Barbarian is running an Intimidate build and that has helped them chew through some mooks/chaff already.
This is still in the planning/design step and have probably a week to work on it. I could go Paladin and Fighter for a similar set up but I'm unsure. And the example is pretty fast and loose.
Thoughts if any?
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Why doesn't your front line Warpriest, your 'tanker', also use a reach weapon? That would be more effective and would take things up a notch. A reach screen generally provides more defensive value than does a shield.
Consider having your bodyguards be tactically smart enough to use reach tactics. This would take things up a notch. Under ideal circumstances, which PCs just might be foolish enough to supply, this approach yields a 3x to 6x combat effectiveness multiplier.
Consider having one or both bodyguards use readied actions. E.g. "I ready an action to attack a foe who comes within reach". This takes things up a notch.
They'll be getting two AoOs against each PC who rushes in. Consider tripping. This is safe to do, so long as the PC doesn't also have a reach weapon. This would take things up another notch.
Consider giving one or both the Enlarge Person buff, for 20' reach. Warpriest might be able to do this as a Swift Action, depending on build. Otherwise they can drink potions, which cost only 50 gp each. This would take things up another notch.
Consider giving both bodyguards the Paired Opportunist feat. This gives a flat +4 to hit if they are adjacent and both threaten. Teamwork Trip is another Teamwork Feat that's extremely effective against PCs. This takes things up a notch.
These are all things you can do to make your encounter more challenging. How far do you want to take this? Here's an potentially similar example from a published adventure that emulates the Broken Wing Gambit teamwork feat.
Two reach weapons might be overstretching it - especially on a crowded ship during a raid.
Reach weapons are not the answer to all problems, at least not in a typical Pathfinder module, where combat usually takes place in tight spaces.
The OPs original setup sounds more reasonable in this scenario.
These are all things you can do to make your encounter more challenging. How far do you want to take this?
I'll answer this first as it might help to set up my own expectations. Far enough to pose a threat, inflict some damage, not die in two swings if there's good rolls/crit, but not far enough to be actively trying to 100% murder a PC. There's also some RP/story reasons for wanting some NPCs working as a team rather than solo built characters that fight as a group. A pair(Or more) that actually feeds support into each other.
Why doesn't your front line Warpriest, your 'tanker', also use a reach weapon? That would be more effective and would take things up a notch. A reach screen generally provides more defensive value than does a shield.
Given the battlefield, a ship in the middle of a raid, I'm worried about how much room trying to set up a reach screen is going to take up considering then both characters will need to back up at some point. A ship doesn't have a lot of room, especially if the fight takes place near the railing(edge of it) and the ship due to RP reasons is actually smaller than normal anyway. Having the Warpriest in front to stall sounded better to me than double reach.
Consider having one or both bodyguards use readied actions. E.g. "I ready an action to attack a foe who comes within reach". This takes things up a notch.
Good suggestion, though dependent on Init and turn order.
They'll be getting two AoOs against each PC who rushes in. Consider tripping. This is safe to do, so long as the PC doesn't also have a reach weapon. This would take things up another notch.
Trip could work.
Consider giving one or both the Enlarge Person buff, for 20' reach. Warpriest might be able to do this as a Swift Action, depending on build. Otherwise they can drink potions, which cost only 50 gp each. This would take things up another notch.
The battlefield makes it rather hard to pull this off. Semi related, I rarely see APs let the enemy use Enlarge possibly for the same reason.
Consider giving both bodyguards the Paired Opportunist feat. This gives a flat +4 to hit if they are adjacent and both threaten. Teamwork Trip is another Teamwork Feat that's extremely effective against PCs. This takes things up a notch.
Pair Opportunist was thought of for the Vanguard Slayer. Teamwork Trip could also work too.