I'd like some spoilers targeted to the GM side of things


Pathfinder Second Edition General Discussion


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So we had his massive dump of spoilers that started to foreshadow how the game will be. I'm grateful and it's all fine and dandy. However I'd like to see some foreshadowing regarding the GM side of things too. I mean, I'm a big supporter of this new edition because I feel like, regarding 1rst edition, player material out scaled and power creeped GM material.

Some things I'd like to know are (all regarding the version presented in the playtest):

1) will encounter building rules stay the same?
2) will monsters keep having no math? Will they keep being an aggregate of numbers based on a level table of avarage values?
3) will NPCs follow the same phylosophy?

I'm particularly interested in the last question. As much as some players like to push the boundaries of what they can achieve with their PCs (numerically wise) some GMs like the challenge of thinking the right boss npc that leaves a dent but ultimately can be beaten.

This would be extremely easy with a "monster-level-determined-by-stats" or vice versa system. However it would wipe away the challenge.

On the other hand, a stat-based system would prevent power creep during the years.

If I know that the rule of thumb is that a +2 lvl monster is supposed to be hit the best attack only 45% of the times, that will stay true forever and I will adjust the numbers accordingly.


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Encounter building rules derive from relative power, so they're probably staying the same. We have had some monster reveals from pages of the Bestiary, and the recent tweet of the golems stats. So let's see...

-Encounter build is likely the same or similar, although I am hoping for less roundabout work in xp budgeting.
-monsters have no math, and statblocks look incredibly easy to read/run. While numbers are clearly derived from a level table, there's enough leeway due to proficiency changes, and monsters are mainly defined by their additional abilities anyways.
-NPCs by default have no math, but as we've been told, NPCs with math are an option if you want to follow PC rules instead.


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Ediwir wrote:

-monsters have no math,

-NPCs by default have no math,

The poor things. To live without math must be so sad. I will have to send them care packages of math.

(I will probably take apart their numbers to deduce the secret math of monster creation.)


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Mathmuse wrote:
Ediwir wrote:

-monsters have no math,

-NPCs by default have no math,

The poor things. To live without math must be so sad. I will have to send them care packages of math.

(I will probably take apart their numbers to deduce the secret math of monster creation.)

Do you have Discord and are you willing to share a few spreadsheets to work on it together?


1 person marked this as a favorite.
Ediwir wrote:
Mathmuse wrote:
Ediwir wrote:

-monsters have no math,

-NPCs by default have no math,

The poor things. To live without math must be so sad. I will have to send them care packages of math.

(I will probably take apart their numbers to deduce the secret math of monster creation.)

Do you have Discord and are you willing to share a few spreadsheets to work on it together?

Yes, I have Discord and I am on the Pathfinder Playtest server as Erin Schram, though I usually forget to look at that group. I hope to fan-convert some PF1 adventures to PF2, but recognize that that would be best as a group effort.


1 person marked this as a favorite.
Mathmuse wrote:
Ediwir wrote:
Mathmuse wrote:
Ediwir wrote:

-monsters have no math,

-NPCs by default have no math,

The poor things. To live without math must be so sad. I will have to send them care packages of math.

(I will probably take apart their numbers to deduce the secret math of monster creation.)

Do you have Discord and are you willing to share a few spreadsheets to work on it together?
Yes, I have Discord and I am on the Pathfinder Playtest server as Erin Schram, though I usually forget to look at that group. I hope to fan-convert some PF1 adventures to PF2, but recognize that that would be best as a group effort.

Didn't know there was a specific playtest Discord. There's a decent 2e community on the pathfinder reddit discord, however. You have PM.


Ediwir wrote:
Mathmuse wrote:
Ediwir wrote:
Mathmuse wrote:
Ediwir wrote:

-monsters have no math,

-NPCs by default have no math,

The poor things. To live without math must be so sad. I will have to send them care packages of math.

(I will probably take apart their numbers to deduce the secret math of monster creation.)

Do you have Discord and are you willing to share a few spreadsheets to work on it together?
Yes, I have Discord and I am on the Pathfinder Playtest server as Erin Schram, though I usually forget to look at that group. I hope to fan-convert some PF1 adventures to PF2, but recognize that that would be best as a group effort.
Didn't know there was a specific playtest Discord. There's a decent 2e community on the pathfinder reddit discord, however. You have PM.

I don't suppose we could share that Playtest Discord, could we? That sounds like fun. XD


I know the regular Pathfinder discord is discord.gg/pathfinder.


Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

This is a link to the Discord they're talking about. It's morphed from being Playtest-specific into a more general Pathfinder and Starfinder server.

https://discord.gg/CYtNwsc

The other server, that Edlwir linked, is much bigger and busier.

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