Pathfinder 1E Pathfinder: Encounter Design Simplified

[Primal]

I can emphatically say that I did nothing of the sort. CR still has its problems; it gets less and less accurate and predictive as CR increases.

All I did is show an Encounter Budgeting system that worked with the old CR assumptions.

If CR has any errors, they'll be baked right into my Encounter Budgeting, too.

Agreed, although I suspect (and hope) that PF Monster Manual will probably fix a lot of oddities in the CR system. Nonetheless, your Encounter Budgeting System enables us to build *more* balanced encounters than in 3E (I never liked the ECL system anyway).

No. I am sorry but I don't know what you are looking for. (I've never been particularly bothered about treasure in my own games, so it never even hit my radar. I just give out what I feel is right.)

Or did you mean Wealth by Level guidelines? I touch on that tangentially.

Actually, I meant a "non-random" system to place treasures in an adventure -- using a "treasure budget", a bit like those "parcels" in 4E. I'm a DM who doesn't hand out excessive amounts of treasure -- if the PCs have told me of how they're planning to invest their money (e.g. in equipment, spells, magic items, their own shops, etc.), I make sure that they more or less get to do that in the long run. Yet I'd like to see a consistent system I could use quickly for random encounters.

For example, if I place twelve CR 3 creatures and four CR 4 creatures in three encounters that are "challenging", I can just take a look at the "treasure table" to see that I need to place 4500 GP worth of mixed coins and gems, five potions or scrolls and two +1 items and another minor wondrous item as treasure (I just pulled those examples and numbers out of my head . It would be nice if it worked "in sync" with the 'Wealth By Level'-table -- or even replaced it.

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

For example, if I place twelve CR 3 creatures and four CR 4 creatures in three encounters that are "challenging", I can just take a look at the "treasure table" to see that I need to place 4500 GP worth of mixed coins and gems, five potions or scrolls and two +1 items and another minor wondrous item as treasure (I just pulled those examples and numbers out of my head . It would be nice if it worked "in sync" with the 'Wealth By Level'-table -- or even replaced it.

Honestly in the history of 3e, I have never rolled the dice even one time on the random treasure table. If I'm using a published adventure, I use what's there; and if I'm using something of my own, I place what I want.

But I will take a look at it.

 

[Scott DeWar]

i have not really ever been a proponant of random treasure. I like giving monsters things they can use against the pc's. Lots of fun doing that!

 

[DM_Jeff]

All I can say is...WOW. My Pathfinder Beta playtest for Curse of the Crimson Throne begins in about a month and I'd like to let you know I copied this work into a printout I can use with the game to fill in the encounters in-between. Good work sir!

-DM Jeff

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

All I can say is...WOW. My Pathfinder Beta playtest for Curse of the Crimson Throne begins in about a month and I'd like to let you know I copied this work into a printout I can use with the game to fill in the encounters in-between. Good work sir!

-DM Jeff

You did a little extra work for yourself. Scroll back a couple of pages, I put together a PDF and posted it for folks to reference.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

I am trying this system out this afternoon - so far so good. Mostly goblins and ogres so far, and I am breaking your guidelines for one huge goblin encounter - as much to use up resources as anything else, the temptation to take out fifteen or twenty goblins with a single fireball should prove near irresistible.

Most of the goblins are fireball bait, it is the leveled goblin characters that are the real challenge, and they should be pretty damaged from the spell too. It is the second encounter, so the odds are good that they will not have used their spells up by then.

Being able to have a wild mix of CRs in the encounter was nice. Being able to A. Use up one of their two fireballs and B. Make the players feel that it was well used is a good thing. Since the PCs are under a time limit with dawdling costing the lives of the folks they were sent to rescue they will not have much time to replenish spells, etc. - I expect the wizard to fall back on using his Reserve Feats rather than expend that second fireball until the climax.

I am facing the dread encounter Roomful of Younger Gamers, and 3.5/Pathfinder was my poison of choice. It has been the better part of a year since I have run D&D 3.5 - I am currently running two Spycraft games, one of which was intended to be a short run... nine months ago....

The Auld Grump

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

I am trying this system out this afternoon - so far so good. Mostly goblins and ogres so far, and I am breaking your guidelines for one huge goblin encounter - as much to use up resources as anything else, the temptation to take out fifteen or twenty goblins with a single fireball should prove near irresistible.

You should probably be ok if you're talking CR 1/3 goblins and CR5 or CR6 bosses.

If DMing is "auld hat" to you, you should have no problem spot checking for "asymmetric warfare" breakdowns in your encounter and bending the guidelines using your judgment.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

You should probably be ok if you're talking CR 1/3 goblins and CR5 or CR6 bosses.

If DMing is "auld hat" to you, you should have no problem spot checking for "asymmetric warfare" breakdowns in your encounter and bending the guidelines using your judgment.

Aye, thas nae schoole liken auld schoole.

Pretty much the mix I was talking about there, yes - with two ogres thrown in that I am not expecting to survive the fireball. (If they do they will be in sorry, sorry shape - there is a six die fireball coming down on them.) The party will have an elevated position, so they can choose where the fireball will land in the squealing mass of goblins.

The most likely point of difficulty will be if the party expends their second fireball as well - most likely not necessary, and hurting their chances later on. I can handle that by adding a scroll to the treasure, so no huge worries.

The Auld Grump

 

[TheAuldGrump]

Hmmm, I can't really call this afternoon's game a real test - the party did exactly what I planned for. Any system will work if all goes well, the tests are when things go wrong.

Maybe next game.

The Auld Grump

 

[Scott DeWar]

Ye Auld Grump:

don't take this wrong, but i hope you get you chance to see the elegen of siplicity in the design.