Pathfinder 2E Creating Random Encounter Tables in PF2e

[Thomas Shey]

2. We started using the chase subsystem from the GMG as a retreat system, and made sure to use the version where the opposition advances at a steady rate so running away is always a more appropriate challenge than fighting a higher end creature.

This is quite what I was talking about. People who wonder why flight isn't an option are often making an assumption about its practicality that frequently doesn't sync up with the game mechanical reality; doing what you did here is addressing that.

3. We made it so everyone can sense everyone else's level directly, along with dungeons and such before they set out, everything is balanced for four players of the designated level, with some intentional exceptions. Regardless of the parties actual level or composition, players can adjust their play accordingly when they see that something is higher leveled than they are-- and higher level creatures are generally less aggressive toward lower level PCs because quite frankly, they aren't as much of a threat, which also makes the lower level PCs a bit safer.

The problem here I can see is with things that are, in one fashion or another, predators. The low-hanging fruit is always attractive.

We've been playing this way since late last year and its been working out super well barring some issues with my own depression making upfront prep hard, and recruitment for online community games always being a challenge, it sounds some of us came to some of the same conclusions.

At the very least the discussion in this thread has been pretty rational about it and shows everyone at least moderately understands the mechanical realities of the system.

 

[The-Magic-Sword]

This is quite what I was talking about. People who wonder why flight isn't an option are often making an assumption about its practicality that frequently doesn't sync up with the game mechanical reality; doing what you did here is addressing that.



The problem here I can see is with things that are, in one fashion or another, predators. The low-hanging fruit is always attractive.



At the very least the discussion in this thread has been pretty rational about it and shows everyone at least moderately understands the mechanical realities of the system.

The first thing is actually recommended by the rulebook, because having the opposition make steady progress is just easier and the difficulty of the chase is meant to be derived from the objectives-- it makes progress easier to track, it also just has this positive side effect. Paizo stumbled onto a really great system by basically having the GM shift the frame of reference when the players decide something is too much for them.

In terms of predators it just hasn't really come up because I take for granted that they generally still want to knock out foes that might threaten them as a matter of survival instincts, whereas just trying to finish off or drag away a PC is too inefficient and likely to get them killed due to the way dragging and such work, I know some GMs feel its something the monsters would do, but I haven't really seen it. So I think that would be rare, and would probably end up as a blunder by team monster, which is ok in its own right.

We had an interesting side effect pop up most recently, where there's been a push by players to pick up downed PCs once a retreat is triggered, instead of working towards the objective of escaping immediately, which is kind of interesting because it adds another layer of safety net if the PC hasn't actually died in the initiative, and theoretically just works, because they're making it harder to escape by wasting dice rolls they might need to overcome the objectives.