Monsters & Backgrounds: New Pathfinder 2 Updates!

Over the weekend, Paizo posted two new Pathfinder 2nd Edition blogs. The first looks at backgrounds, with three examples (Blacksmith, Street Urchin, Pathfinder Hopeful); and the second looks at monsters and the way they are built in the new edition of the game.

• Monsters! The Bestiary has over 250 monsters.
• New signature abilities to differentiate things like bear owls and tigers. Tiger now has wrestle, bear owls can now gnaw on you and let out a screech. Pack animals do extra damage in groups, and predators get sneak attack etc.
• DR and energy resistance are now combines into a single resistance which which soaks a certain amount of damage, and weakness now increases damage by a set amount.
• Level 0 skeleton -- 14 AC, 6 HP, resistance 5 slashing/piercing.
• Level 0 zombie -- 11 AC, 20 HP, weakness 5 slashing.
• Monster abilities streamlined, removing redundant or niche stuff that doesn't get used and focusing on iconic abilities. Barbed Devil uses Warden of Erebus to create glyphs of warding.
• Multiattack -- Marileth's six blades fouled assault on one target does lots of damage, or six creatures for less damage, or attack piece and parry for a big AC bonus.
• Backgrounds -- two ability boosts, skill feat, lore skill proficiency.
• Examples are Blacksmith, Street Urchin, Pathfinder Hopeful.
• Playtest book has 19 backgrounds, playtest adventure has 6 more.
• Adventures can have backgrounds tailored to them.

 

[mellored]

I like the resistances/weaknesses. It gives a good reason to make 3 small attacks vs 1 big attack.

And making monsters more unique is good too.

 

[Pokelefi]

I really want to see the stat blocks


but as some one how hasn't played pathfinder 1e is the level = thing like a CR? or will there be Monsters with Levels for being what they are or if I add Class level ?
I'm mostly used to the monster stats from 5e and the CR (even if it is a bit of a flaud system to calculate things)
If the level 0 refers to class level how about other way to customize existing monsters?


What level dose a commoner have when the monsters have level 0
Is level = different for each monster?
How would I calculate an encounter?


But the is the dose the resistant lower the damage by 5 and the weakness increases the damage by 5? so will a skeleton not have weakness to bludgeoning or did they leave this out just to introduce the zombie as well?


And if you can test this right now with the current system are they 2e editions really that different?


I think I need to see some Mosnter stat Blocks

 

[Yaarel]

• Backgrounds -- two ability boosts, skill feat, lore skill proficiency.

If I understand that correctly, I like how lore (knowledge skill) proficiency comes from background. That makes sense.

It is a good place to locate knowledge skills, that tend to be less useful in combat.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

My doubt is abouth the bestiaries because only two were translated to Spanish languange by Devir.

 

[mellored]

but as some one how hasn't played pathfinder 1e is the level = thing like a CR?

As best as I can tell, yes. Level = CR
And a level 1 cerature will be a match for a level 1 character.

What level dose a commoner have when the monsters have level 0

A commoner is probably also level 0.
[quote[How would I calculate an encounter?[/quote]My guess would be the similar to 5e.
You get a budget, and pick some combination of monsters levels to match.

But the is the dose the resistant lower the damage by 5 and the weakness increases the damage by 5? so will a skeleton not have weakness to bludgeoning or did they leave this out just to introduce the zombie as well?

There is an indirect weakness for skeletons.
i.e.
Hitting a skeleton with bludgeoning will do 5 more damage than slashing or piercing.
Hitting a zombie with slashing will do 5 more damage than bludgeoning or slashing.

So that's the same difference, but it changes the feeling of the monster, as well as several other nuances.
Like making 2 attacks for 5 damage will add up differently than one attack dealing 10.
And zombies will survive magic missile better than skeletons.

 

[Yaarel]

As best as I can tell, yes. Level = CR
And a level 1 cerature will be a match for a level 1 character.

Level equals creature rating? Wow, that is useful!




If a ‘level 10’ monster and a ‘level 10’ hero fight, is there roughly a 50-50 chance of either winning?

If so, that is a very useful tool for the DM to decide how dangerous an encounter will be.

A level 10 party might come across, level 6 guards, and dispatch them quickly. Come across a level 18 dragon, and decide to negotiate or to stealth, rather than fight. And climax in a boss fight, where the odds a grim.

 

[mellored]

Level equals creature rating? Wow, that is useful!

If a ‘level 10’ monster and a ‘level 10’ hero fight, is there roughly a 50-50 chance of either winning?

If so, that is a very useful tool for the DM to decide how dangerous an encounter will be.

A level 10 party might come across, level 6 guards, and dispatch them quickly. Come across a level 18 dragon, and decide to negotiate or to stealth, rather than fight. And climax in a boss fight, where the odds a grim.

That's my guess anyways. I haven't actually seen it.

Also, given that you get +level to lots of stuff, the difference between a level 10 party and a level 18 dragon would be pretty extreme. Presumably, the dragon will have +8 to-hit over you, which means your taking a lot of crits (rolling 10 over your AC) for double damage.
Probably better to have the boss be a level 14 dragon.

 

[Yaarel]

That's my guess anyways. I haven't actually seen it.

Also, given that you get +level to lots of stuff, the difference between a level 10 party and a level 18 dragon would be pretty extreme. Presumably, the dragon will have +8 to-hit over you, which means your taking a lot of crits (rolling 10 over your AC) for double damage.
Probably better to have the boss be a level 14 dragon.

I meant that the way I intended for the party to ‘win’ versus the dragon encounter, would be for them to be smart enough to not fight it!

The boss would be a different encounter, be level 10, and be a ‘fair’ fight.

 

[dave2008]

Level equals creature rating? Wow, that is useful!

If a ‘level 10’ monster and a ‘level 10’ hero fight, is there roughly a 50-50 chance of either winning?

Wasn't that how it was done in 3.5e / PFe1? CR = lvl

Of course, 4e monsters were by level but had different difficulties built into that (minion, standard, elite, solo). Which is my preferred method; more so if you have scaling bonuses like PF.