Super stoked to pour through the monster creation guidelines for PF2! As I am currently running a playtest of the rules for the next few sessions, I am in need of a boss level encounter for our next session.
The party is Level 2, 6-7 PCs. I am looking to design an encounter with a being called the THRENODY OF FATE, based off of this image from Gustave Dore's Rime of the Ancient Mariner, https://drive.google.com/open?id=1lrq7YBDBGLMSl35F9_AaL927y4jao2id
I am thinking it will be a 100(ish) XP encounter; somewhere between 100-120XP. It will comprise of three skeleton-based creatures (I've already introduced them to a few low-level skeletons); two of them will play musical instruments that will buff the third one, who will be melee-based, and it will also debuff the PCs; kinda like the Demoralize effect of the Skeleton's skull toss, but more effective.
So, here's the scene: the party enters a large chamber and, after appropriate clues have been dropped (such as a room with dead adventurers that have pierced their own eardrums), come face to face with the Threnody of Fate standing upon a dais. The room seems to darken and fill with a chill air as two of the skeletons begin playing a violent, madness-inducing tune. The third draws a bastard sword from its scabbard and charges the party ...
How would you design this triple-threat using the guidelines in the PDF?
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!
where might i find the pdf of the monster creation rules?
Your encounter would be between Moderate and Severe, with that amount of players that would be 160xp worthy of creatures, with 3 creatures that could be:
2 Skeletons lvl 3 and 1 lvl 2
1 Skeleton lvl4, lvl 2 and lvl 1.
I like the last one better, this way the party can making the encounter easier for them by killing the weaker to stronger.
The lvl 1 one you could use Goblin War Chanter as base and add something from the Bard, change stats as you see fit with the monster creations rule, the lvl 2 use the stats of the first skeleton but add +1 to everything.
Don't forget to add the weakness and resistance usual for Skeletons and one skeleton ability.
The last one make using the monster rules (I would personally just use Gnoll Seargent stats...), an physical attacker template will do. The stronger skull toss could just work like something similar to Dirge of Doom, the players can't reduce the frightened condition while the head don't return to the body.
Don't use the highest values in the tables for this encounter or will only lead to frustration (for the players).
Kyrone, we are definitely thinking along the same lines! Thanks for your input!
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After giving this some thought, I'm now thinking about making the ACTUAL MUSIC the monster; the skeletons are playing instruments that keep it on the material plane; so something like a summoned/elemental creature.
Occult spells fit the mood, as do the fear & sonic spells on that list.
So you could start with a 3rd level Bard & make it into some sort of ghost or spirit. That should make it durable unless there are a lot of Magic Missiles in the party, in which case they'll smoke it fast!
For an elemental, you could start with Air as a base (so likely Zephyr Hawk, though perhaps Mephit if you add enough other stuff). Then make the spells innate & boost its level & stats up to 4th.
A Will-O'-Wisp could work well too, decreasing its level and maybe making its attack sonic. Its ability to disappear would aid vs. such a large party as would flight, plus feeding off fear is cool. Even though it's immune to most magic, the casters can still target the skeletons to contribute.
If it's reliant on the skeletons, you could make it a bit tougher, as in they can't stop it very easily, so have to focus on the skeletons to break its link to reality. If extraordinarily strong though, be wary of its ability to drop a PC every round, yet it does have to inflict comparable damage to hold its own vs. so many enemies. Maybe have a way to spread out damage, most likely with AoEs. These shouldn't be too hard to Heal, especially since the caster will enjoy hitting the skeletons too.)
Or probably better and easier to balance, the skeletons could be Bards casting Soothe on it while using Compositions & other spells to buff it (while also hopefully getting in a Strike per round). So maybe several 1st-level Skeleton-Bards & a 4th level boss. (While I lean toward more minions due to the size of the party, the fact they're undead might make them too vulnerable to Heal.) As much as they'll want to kill the boss, as soon as a skeleton casts Soothe, that'll draw some ire for sure!
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Increase the number of monster to 4, the fourth one is the music.
The Exp budget would be 3 skeletons of the same level than the party (the 2 musicians and the swordsman) and the music itself being party lvl +1, this uses a total of 180XP, for 7 players this is between an Average and Severe encounter, Severe for 6.
Makes the music a swarm but the size is the entire field of battle, it doesn't have the 3 actions by default only one but the skeletons musicians can spend one action doing performance every turn to increase the number of actions of the music by 1 for a total of 3 max, then you play around with it.
Example of cool stuff to do, the one action will be weak but the 3 actions devastating.
1 action - Will save or be frightened 1 or fascinated plus 1d4 mental damage.
2 actions- Will save or be sickened 1 plus 2d4 mental damage.
3 actions - Will save or be stunned 1 plus 4d4 mental damage.
And when all the musicians are destroyed that "swarm" is destroyed as well.
Some great ideas here! Thanks!!