Tagged Questions

6
votes
2answers
103 views

Is a Bodak's Death Gaze an Energy Drain Effect?

My party recently ran into a Bodak. One of it's nastiest features is it's Death Gaze (Su) gaze attack which causes: 1d4 negative levels, 30 feet; Fortitude DC 18 negates. The save DC is ...
11
votes
2answers
183 views

Reducing a monster below CR 1

There are many instances in Pathfinder and other 3.5 based systems when you might need to reduce a monster below 1 or 1/2. For example, if I'm using a CR 1/2 monster from a 3.5 source in Pathfinder, ...
4
votes
1answer
144 views

How can I include Dresden-Files-style vampires in my Pathfinder game?

I have a concept for a campaign that uses a Dresden-Files environment in a medieval fantasy setting, but for reasons of familiarity and experience prefer to use the Pathfinder system. I specifically ...
7
votes
8answers
513 views

How can I tailor an encounter so that a low level, mostly mundane party can defeat a wasp swarm?

I'm GM'ing a game with a large, mostly mundane party where all PCs at level 2. The party is made up of a good aligned cleric (i.e. no damage spells), wizard, druid (with wolf animal companion), monk, ...
23
votes
3answers
549 views

Why is Survival not a class skill for animals?

Question in title. Seems odd that an animal isn't naturally inclined to get bonuses to Survival, which typically involves dealing with the wilds and it's associated difficulties (an animal's natural ...
3
votes
1answer
137 views

Attack Bonus question for Monsters with multiple attacks from multiple weapons

When a monster wields multiple weapons, and can attack multiple times with each, how do I alter (or should I leave) the given attack bonuses on each type of attack on the enemy's stat block? Take, ...
7
votes
1answer
143 views

How many attacks can an Olethrodaemon get with a full round attack?

I am a new DM having a little trouble understanding the monster stas blocks for higher level Pathfinder monsters. I get most of the lower CR monsters, but then I doubt myself when enemies seem to be ...
6
votes
3answers
248 views

The effects of saving throws on mind reading

A number of creatures in D&D systems (specific editions may not be necessary here, but let's use 3/3.5/3.75 for simplicity) have the ability to use spell or spell-like effects such as Detect ...
4
votes
2answers
154 views

Is the animating force of a golem always from the Elemental Plane of Earth?

I'm researching some homebrewed golem rituals not covered in WFRP 2e. My baseline ideas are coming from the D20 SRD. One thing struck me odd, but maybe to an experienced d20 player or DM it may make ...
8
votes
2answers
176 views

In 3.5/Pathfinder, what is the rough CR adjustment for Damage Reduction?

I have seen several breakdown and rough rules for adjusting a monster's CR according to various special abilities and qualities. The Pathfinder Core book and Bestiary has rules about things like high ...
5
votes
1answer
835 views

How many hit dice do monster player characters have?

Let's say we have party of humans and a minotaur(cr 4). Everybody is level 10, so according to Pathfinder's monsters as races rules minotaur should have 8th (let's say barbarian) level.And the ...
9
votes
1answer
147 views

How is the clockwork soldier priced?

I've been looking at the possible constructs in current Pathfinder bestiaries looking for options for a crafter character and I couldn't help but notice that the pricing of the clockwork soldier ...
7
votes
1answer
212 views

Can Monsters with class levels take Monster Feats instead of Regular Feats?

I'm designing a monster which through virtue of high intelligence and me being evil, that has 13 class levels. However, I also want to bump up the save DC on its special ability. The feat Ability ...
12
votes
3answers
11k views

Calculating and balancing challenge ratings

Are there standard rules for calculating CR of groups? For example, in my Pathfinder bestiary, a single Stirge is listed as CR 1/2, and a group of 2d4 (average 5) of them is listed as an average CR 4. ...