Pathfinder 2E 'Work In Progress' NPCs from Gamemastery Guide

Paizo has shared a page from its upcoming Pathfinder Second Edition: Gamemastery Guide. "You will have a fair selection of prebuilt NPCs to fill your world! Or maybe, have one of them become the villain? How would you tie this NPC into your story?" The book is slated for January 2020.

 

[Campbell]

One of the things I really like in what I see here as well as the monster design in the Bestiary is the designers' willingness to break from the creature math to capture the essence of what they are designer. I like that we can have NPCs who are really good at a skill without being combat monsters. I particularly like how it notates that for the purpose of experience you can have say an envoy who is a higher level challenge in a social encounter, but would easily lose in a fight to the characters.

 

[Kaodi]

I am somewhat confused by the skills of some of Plague Doctor. I swear the Plague Doctor is just a Cleric with the serial number filed off, and the only thing on that stat block that is not compatible with a cleric of the same level is the number of skills and apparent master proficiency in Plague Lore.

Plague Doctor
versatile human field medic cleric 5, neutral
str 10 dex 12 con 18 int 14 wis 18 cha 14 (at level 1 str 10 dex 10 con 16 int 12 wis 18 cha 12)
feats
ancestral - natural ambition/healing hands
background -
class - domain initiate/healing, communal healing 2, improved communal healing 4
skill -
general - toughness 3
skills
trained - intimidation
expert - religion, medicine

 

[Campbell]

I am somewhat confused by the skills of some of Plague Doctor. I swear the Plague Doctor is just a Cleric with the serial number filed off, and the only thing on that stat block that is not compatible with a cleric of the same level is the number of skills and apparent master proficiency in Plague Lore.

Plague Doctor
versatile human field medic cleric 5, neutral
str 10 dex 12 con 18 int 14 wis 18 cha 14 (at level 1 str 10 dex 10 con 16 int 12 wis 18 cha 12)
feats
ancestral - natural ambition/healing hands
background -
class - domain initiate/healing, communal healing 2, improved communal healing 4
skill -
general - toughness 3
skills
trained - intimidation
expert - religion, medicine

The NPCs here are built like Monsters - not like PCs. The numbers are usually supposed to be pretty close, but you just give them the things you think they need. You can still choose to use the PC build rules if you want.

 

[CapnZapp]

This is sorely needed!

(Maybe you won't fight the good Doctor, but I'm assuming bandits, cutthroats, barbarian warriors...)

 

[Kaodi]

I have not seen the rules for how to build them. The Surgeon is more clearly built with Monster rules - their ability modifies add up to 11, not 9, as would be normal for a level 2 PC. And of course Medical Malpractice is unique.

 

[CapnZapp]

One of the things I really like in what I see here as well as the monster design in the Bestiary is the designers' willingness to break from the creature math to capture the essence of what they are designer. I like that we can have NPCs who are really good at a skill without being combat monsters. I particularly like how it notates that for the purpose of experience you can have say an envoy who is a higher level challenge in a social encounter, but would easily lose in a fight to the characters.

Well, I would agree (wholeheartedly) except the doctor has 73 hit points...

She's no inexperienced commoner that's for sure - that many hit points indicates a certain familiarity with violence. She might not have a minmaxed damage output but she certainly can "roll with the blow" (or however you explain hit points)...

A more direct test would if you can have a NPC with Commoner stats in everything (=dies in one blow) except the skill bonus a PC can only reach at 5th or 10th level...

 

[Kaodi]

Are the rules for building Monsters in the Bestiary or will they only be forthcoming in the GameMastery Guide? (I hope they just put the extra space in there and make it Game Mastery Guide this time around.)

 

[Campbell]

Well, I would agree (wholeheartedly) except the doctor has 73 hit points...

She's no inexperienced commoner that's for sure - that many hit points indicates a certain familiarity with violence. She might not have a minmaxed damage output but she certainly can "roll with the blow" (or however you explain hit points)...

A more direct test would if you can have a NPC with Commoner stats in everything (=dies in one blow) except the skill bonus a PC can only reach at 5th or 10th level...

With a few differences the Plague Doctor is definitely a straight up Cleric with all that entails.

If you can have a Surgeon who is Level 2 for purposes of combat prowess, but Level 6 for Medicine I don't see why you could not have an NPC that is Level -1 with say Religion of a 10th Level PC. Maybe a lay priest who knows a ritual the PCs need performed that they need to escort to a specific temple.

We have already seen multiple cases where monsters in the Bestiary are substantially different from others of their level. Zombie Shamblers only have 2 actions, have much lower than expected armor class and substantially higher hit points than most creatures of their level. Demons have higher hit points but a weakness to good damage. In a lot of cases where they would have used damage reduction in the past they increased hit points and used the weakness mechanic.

Are the rules for building Monsters in the Bestiary or will they only be forthcoming in the GameMastery Guide? (I hope they just put the extra space in there and make it Game Mastery Guide this time around.)

The monster/NPC building guidelines will be in the Game Mastery Guide, but they are also planning to release them in PDF form in October alongside the play test for the Investigator, Oracle, Swashbuckler and Witch.

 

[Kaodi]

Ah, good.

As an aside, have they said anything about what those classes are going to look like? I know Swashbuckler is "ultimate mobility fighter" aka something between a fighter, rogue, and monk, but is Oracle going to be a dedicated spontaneous divine caster, the Witch a dedicated prepared occult caster, and the Investigator some kind of rogue/alchemist? Because there are ways where one could take a page from the Sorcerer and give Oracle and Witch alternative spell list options.