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I am using the Game Master's Apprentice (GMA) deck to emulate a GM for me so I can play a downtime heavy pathfinder game solo. I am doing this as I have had immense difficulty finding anyone interested in a downtime/kingdom building game as of late. I noticed many players like combat heavy games and downtime/kingdom building campaigns tends to focus more on social/skill encounters and less on combat. But this does not mean combat encounters cannot happen in such games.
I plan to play an ecclesitheurge cleric that worships an empyreal lord and has the ultimate goal of founding a mystery religion dedicated to them and spreading their faith. Constructing shrines, temples, helping out people, are all things to help grow his influence. I plan to have leveling up handled by every 5 or 10 rounds of downtime or every 2 completed random encounters/quests from NPCs gives 1 level. This of course means there may be some combat encounters depending on what cards are drawn and I wonder what monsters are appropriate for a solo cleric to fight?
I plan to start at level 1 and at level 7 will take the leadership feat and get a cohort warrior (maybe paladin) to be a defender/protector for my cleric. Until that point though, I am thinking I would have to have one or two enemies that my cleric faces and they would have to be very weak given ecclesithruge clerics cannot wear armor and are as squishy as a wizard. I read that the CR for a solo character is Level/4 so at level 1 that is a CR 1/4 enemy. That means at level 10 a CR 2 enemy is a fair challenge, but that seems low. Any advice or suggestions? I know a solo table top game is unorthodox, but it has been done before according to other solo rpg fans.
The APL of a single character is 4 less than that of a a 4-person party. So a "equal-CR-encounter" for you (a decent fight that you ought to win) is your level - 4. So CR6 at 10th level. It goes a bit funny at low levels, but essentially it's CR 1/4 at 1st, CR 1/3 at 2nd, CR 1/2 at 3rd, CR 1 at 4-5th. Or thereabouts.
But being a single character, you're extremely vulnerable to swingy results, especially crits and SoD effects. One bad roll can mean Game Over. The inverse issue is that all these feeble opponents are likely to have weak saving throws, be susceptible to low-level spells like Daze, Sleep and Colour Spray (or as applicable to a cleric) so it's going to swing a lot in both directions.
Best advice: mooks. Just as if you were a BBEG ,not a BGGG, get mooks. Call them followers or hirelings or guards or acolytes or whatever. Assume low-level warriors and commoners for the most part, and RP or roll your own recruitment. Then bump up the opponent CR to suit.
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The APL of a single character is 4 less than that of a a 4-person party. So a "equal-CR-encounter" for you (a decent fight that you ought to win) is your level - 4. So CR6 at 10th level. It goes a bit funny at low levels, but essentially it's CR 1/4 at 1st, CR 1/3 at 2nd, CR 1/2 at 3rd, CR 1 at 4-5th. Or thereabouts.
But being a single character, you're extremely vulnerable to swingy results, especially crits and SoD effects. One bad roll can mean Game Over. The inverse issue is that all these feeble opponents are likely to have weak saving throws, be susceptible to low-level spells like Daze, Sleep and Colour Spray (or as applicable to a cleric) so it's going to swing a lot in both directions.
Best advice: mooks. Just as if you were a BBEG ,not a BGGG, get mooks. Call them followers or hirelings or guards or acolytes or whatever. Assume low-level warriors and commoners for the most part, and RP or roll your own recruitment. Then bump up the opponent CR to suit.
That is good advice, thanks!