I had fun doing this! There's a fair chance I'll do more. ASKING FOR SUGGESTIONS FOR -Level 0 monsters -Any suggestion for looking at another monster to look at in Monster Core when it comes out, and why? I plan to cover the dragon and maybe contrast it to 5E dragons (and possibly dragons in previous editions). Any others? ADDITIONS/ERRATA: -Someone mentioned adding traps to a Kobold encounter due to their bonus to crafting traps. Great idea! Feel free to add low-level snares to an encounter (and maybe Simple Hazards but WITH CAUTION... I think damage-dealing simple hazards undersell their impact with their XP award... consider the likely impact it will have on your particular group) -I failed to mention a GREAT tactic against zombies: kiting! Because there are no opportunity attacks and because zombies are Slowed 1 they are much less effective if you don't end your turn next to them.
@thewordywarlock71596 ай бұрын
Maybe one of the new constructs that will be replacing/taking the role of golems now that Golem Antimagic is being dummied out as a mechanic, such as the Brass Bastion.
@aspookyghost59696 ай бұрын
Since you want some suggestions, Here you go! Living Graffiti could be fun,It can inflict daze and critical misses causes attacks to hit the surface its attached too,Something a clever DM could possibly implement by having it create a hazard such as if it was on glass,Or by having it on a mcguffin the party needs to be careful to avoid damaging too much Farmers seem simple, But if the party is evil or just starts a fight with one,They have the ability to shove after a successful pitchfork strike,That can also cause prone! Can teach players the importance of positioning and how major those conditions are if you add a few other simple npcs like servers or dockhands with one,Who all also get pretty simple but fun traits like that! There's also entire categories of Wisps,Who are a bread and butter support monster that can also be used to spice up even later level encounters! They can never crit fail a Aid attempt,And their successes turn into critical ones! They can empower every ally with their trait in a 30 feet area,Giving them a +1 to all attacks and damage rolls! And what's more? If a ally they're buffing is attacked,They can detonate themselves to grant every ally temporary HP for a entire hour! A good lesson for PCs on not only how scary support can be,But that you have to prioritize some creatures! I could keep going,But you should really take a look at the Laborers List!
@bamfalu6 ай бұрын
@@aspookyghost5969 bruh, i found wisps while looking up elementals for a homebrew game and they're absolutely amazing support mobs! they can also help to make a single mid-ish enemy much more threatening just by way of giving it the temp hp, before even taking the buffs and better aid into account!
@ikaemos6 ай бұрын
My suggestion would be the classic Orc Brute. Other than that, most level 0 monsters are actually animals. Perhaps the Spider Swarm?
@aettic5 ай бұрын
OOOOOH Yes, please do a Dragon comparison! 2e Remaster Dragons are so unbelievably cool. I got ahold of the Monster Core PDF the other day from my subscription, and they're all so incredible. I'd love to see some discussion about some of the weirder creatures - Dominion of the Black creatures, or other bizarre and unlikely enemies. Or Mythological creatures, one thing I've noticed in Monster Core (though I believe it's true to an extent in Legacy) is that there are a lot of creatures which are directly lifted out of various mythologies from around the world (such as the Dulahan).
@Bloodfencer19906 ай бұрын
In regards to skeletons using military tactics: I like to pair them with a skeleton that has the Elite adjustment to act as their commander. As long as the commander exists the skeletons are more organized and use proper tactics, but once the party destroys the commander their ranks break down and much less efficient.
@grinningbuck6 ай бұрын
Great idea! Maybe if they had a Necromancer or dark priest with them, they could have similar or other benefits too! I do love how simple just having a martial commander can be, though.
@Bloodfencer19906 ай бұрын
@@grinningbuck Stole the idea from Star Wars: The Clone wars. Battle Droids aren't much smarter than a skeleton, but tactical droids or Super Tactical Droids around they become a force to be reckoned with!
@TheRulesLawyerRPG6 ай бұрын
That's sounds like a fun idea! With the Elite one somehow clearly giving them orders
@Bloodfencer19906 ай бұрын
@@TheRulesLawyerRPG And once they get used to the idea of Elite skeletons giving orders you mix it up with special Mage skeletons that can command them from a distance!
@TheGreatSquark6 ай бұрын
Skeleton Champions are designed with this in mind, but at Level 2 they're minibosses for a level 1 party. Elite Skeleton Guards are a nice alternative at level 1.
@nutluck6 ай бұрын
Megan the cat was just showing how to do a sneak attack on a distracted foe
@TheRulesLawyerRPG6 ай бұрын
I learn battle tactics from her
@Kiaulen6 ай бұрын
Megan's feeling feisty today
@Zhukov0876 ай бұрын
Dear god, yes please, please do more of these. The Monsters Know What They're Doing completely changed how I DM'd 5e and I have been looking for its PF2E equivalent ever since I started using this system.
@jagowestaway25036 ай бұрын
Would love to see a version of this going up through the levels! Would be cool to focus a bit more on what I see as maybe the best part of TMKWTD, the discussion of motivations and intelligence. You mention the latter a bit, especially with mindless creatures, but I think a bit more in general on how 'what the thing wants' and 'how good it is at planning to get it' should combine with its abilities to drive choices would be amazing.
@duncbot90006 ай бұрын
16:00 he said the thing!
@LightningRaven426 ай бұрын
It makes GMing far more fun to play as well, you get to use all kinds of cool abilities. If in other fantasy RPGs an encounter with Skeletons is just a slug fest with the occasional Turn Undead/Positive Spell to take everyone down, in PF2e these skeletons can have a lot of varied abilities that will surprise the party and keep them guessing. Nothing will surprise a bunch of newbies more than if they get a head thrown at them and all of their characters get freaked out by it. Or when they land a solid hit and take one down with a single attack, only to have it turn on them with the exploding damage. And that's just low level stuff.
@dnominic6 ай бұрын
Skeletons do retain some knowledge of combat in Pathfinder lore (I think Book of the Dead mentions it), hence skeleton spellcasters being able to use magic. So, (as you have been running it) Skeleton Guards would indeed know how to flank!
@KennyGDM6 ай бұрын
Loved this! I would love to see more! As a GM that switched to PF2e, monsters have been so much more fun to run. As for level 0 monsters, it is slim pickings unfortunately. Less than 30 across the 3 bestiaries. But if I had to choose, probably the Orc Brute, Lemure and maybe a giant maggot.
@zagzag61316 ай бұрын
This is an EXCELLENT video, thank you so much! And yes, you should absolutely do more! I'm new to PF2, transitioning from 5E, and as GM, I was getting pretty bored of simply "dealing damage" to the PCs. TBH, I probably have underused some cool tactics that were available, but PF2 makes it so much easier to add flavor to combat. Thanks again, I’m definitely using this video to inspire my next encounters.
@ikaemos6 ай бұрын
I took the Slowed ability off of the shambler and put it on all kinds of goons or henchmen. It lets me run pretty large hordes of creatures, more than PF2e is usually designed to handle, without much trouble. Missing one action makes their turns much simpler and prevents many of the more complex tactics. If PF2e had a 4e-style "minion template", that trait would be a great fundamental building block.
@aettic5 ай бұрын
Ronald, you really seem to excel in the Pathfinder world - I appreciate your attention to detail, especially with things like using the Remaster terminology, even as we're going over Legacy text blocks. It's something I'm always trying to do as I prep my adventures. This video has also got me thinking a lot about encounter design, so thank you!
@dylanhyatt57056 ай бұрын
Super useful guidance and clarifications - thanks Ronald. Yes please - love more on this. Though haven't ported over to the Remaster yet (still running Quest for the Frozen Flame) - looking forward to the new bestiary too.
@Ghostonm8 күн бұрын
Hey, loved the video, it's really useful for me, since I'm starting to GM Pathfinder, and the content for PF2E GM's is pretty scarce. I do hope you continue those videos, since they're helping quite a lot!
@tedonica21 күн бұрын
This is a great series! We would really benefit from more of this stuff
@BharathanRajaram2 ай бұрын
I'd love to see more videos like this @Ronald! Thank you so much for making this one. As a beginner GM I loved it.
@mathieulefo66586 ай бұрын
Really love this approach to monster gming, Ill be trying it next game. I would like to see some more complicated monsters, spellcasters, or more complex encounters
@davidtripp21186 ай бұрын
I would love to see more videos like this for higher-level monsters. Thank you for doing this one, as I am trying to learn enough Pathfinder to make a good showing at running a campaign.
@lucamonticelli2676 ай бұрын
I think one of the best monsters I like to put against newer players are "grapplers" like the giant maggot. If the player go in and attack it they are at risk of getting grabbed and the gnaw flesh action inflict damage on a reflex save so they can use it without incurring to map. One of my fighters in AV ended his grabbed because he wanted to keep doing damage instead of escaping and it got hit by 3 consecutive gnaw flesh and went down from full, next fight he abused the abysmal speed of the maggot to hit it and then move away and finished and killed them whiteout taking much damage
@bretgregersen98266 ай бұрын
As a DM that is just starting out running pf2e this has been such an impactful video. Thank you for the amazing content!
@LamaQDOS6 ай бұрын
Super cool video! I really like trying to understand how creatures fight knowing their abilities. I played a river drake as a skirmisher who really got on the party's nerve using terrain to their advantage, as well as their ranged attack and their reaction to both inflict damage and increase their defenses. Quite scary!
@demonazgrael6 ай бұрын
I enjoyed this! I too get ideas from TMKWTD and would like further discussions on other iconic PF monsters. As a GM, I try to change how to play monsters so they don’t feel same-y.
@sgttau9774 ай бұрын
As a new Pathfinder GM, I find this video and others like it to be incredibly helpful.
@GameMasterDude2306 ай бұрын
This wan yet another great, informative video. I love this system, and your explanations truly help me understand the system better with each video. So thank you for what you do! And yes keep these kinds of video coming. I think one of the major reasons more don't play this system is its complexity. And your videos help reduce that challenge.
@shanedestroyer6 ай бұрын
started gming pf2 recently and this is definitely nice, definitely find my self getting overwhelmed at times with whether i think creatures would flank or skill actions and forget those skill actions exist entirely at times. It's been a pretty fun time even still though, also a kinda weird party comp my players chose with thaumaturge, monk, barb, and fighter so you saying any party has the light cantrip made me chuckle a little, though the thaumaterge is the lantern one so they still have plenty of light. seeing more vids like this i do think would be nice if you don't mind doing them, though can't say i know super well what monsters would be a good idea.
@HappyGoldfis5 ай бұрын
I've played pf2e,pf1e, some 5e, pbta games, fate, symbaroum, warhammer fantasy RPG, and the ease of this systems encounter building is one of its greatest strengths for me. I DEEPLY struggle with prep, but even at my worst headspace, when I can barely get out of bed. I can still get 2 encounters ready in half a hour before my players arrive.
@bergieberg6 ай бұрын
It would be really cool to see how you would write an adventure for pathfinder 2e, and definitely this video was very helpful for understanding how to read the statblocks. I had been running the grab ability wrong, and saying the characters were grabbed with the same action that the monster attacked with! Probably made a couple fights a lot more dangerous than they should have been!
@satiricalbard16 ай бұрын
That is a very common mistake! Most (if not all) other traits on strikes happen automatically. Now that the Remastered version of Grab involves an Athletics check rather than auto-succeeding, hopefully it will be a little clearer for new GMs.
@JobbutBlade5 ай бұрын
Good video, TMKWTD is a cornerstone of post-D&D 4e encounter design and I'd love to see more videos following in its footsteps.
@Mitchenzo2824 ай бұрын
This video is great. I’m a first time GM preparing for the beginners box which is very kobold heavy. Being aware of the ‘skill’ actions ahead of time will be very useful!
@kevindaniel13375 ай бұрын
I'm new to pf2e, having come over from 5e. Please keep up with these monster videos. I learned a few things I didn't know in this one.
@satiricalbard16 ай бұрын
Excellent video Ronald! This will be a great "Intro to GMing Pathfinder 2e" video to link to in future. A couple of small suggestions: 1. You touched on it, but the Mindless trait really should be foregrounded for GMs when considering tactics. I think your "ex-soldier skeletons remembering to flank" idea is fine, but in general mindless creatures should just walk right up to PCs even if they don't have the action economy to then strike on that turn (contrasting with low-Int beasts, which I think really should use basic tactics that represent 'real' ways beasts fight, like flanking, step, etc). 2. On the other hand, Mindless also makes creatures immune to many spells targeting Will saves, undercutting that being their weakest save. It's another reason for why RK is so helpful! 3. Following Keith's Monsters Know What They're Doing methodology, it's also good to look at the creature's Intelligence and Wisdom scores when determining how sophisticated their tactics should be, and how readily they should change their 'default routines' if that isn't working. And considering these stats, the circumstances behind the encounter, and the creature's flavour when determining if/when the creatures will try to run away to avoid dying. 4. For future videos on this theme, I'd love to see you showcase a 3rd-4th level creature as (a) a solo boss (or mini-boss with a minion or two) for low-level PCs, and then again as a group of PL-2 creatures against higher level PCs.
@ZoneofA6 ай бұрын
This is fantastic guide for novice GMs.
@Sunny_Haven6 ай бұрын
This was very enlightening! I've read through the first two volumes of the Bestiaries and though I had some idea of how I would run certain monsters in combat, this definitely helps clear things up for me. Especially with your step-by-step guide of going through a stat block. I completely forgot that monsters can also use skill actions so I didn't pay much attention to them, honestly.
@thomasshea3086 ай бұрын
Thank you for making this, you just made goblinoids way more interesting
@TheVastator6 ай бұрын
Thanks a lot, this was extremely useful! I've only recently got into PF2e and your videos are very very helpful. Also, kitties :D
@philopharynx79106 ай бұрын
We need a video on how Megan relies on you being distracted by producing a video before attacking! I would like to see further videos of this. Perhaps monsters with unique fighting styles or monsters who can change their operating procedure.
@luckymikemadziar5 ай бұрын
Excellent video. I almost exclusively dm and this is right up my alley. I would like to see a video on building challenging encounters
@pontchristophe39386 ай бұрын
Video for GM, love that! Need a video on how to end a fight (other than fight to the death). How to handle the foes try to escape etc
@numimio6 ай бұрын
If I had to GM for DnD, I think I'd hate it to be honest. Pathfinder feels so fun to GM, combat is always interesting for me and I always enjoy finding cool monsters to throw at my players as some penultimate boss.
@mogscugg26396 ай бұрын
We finding the path with this one boys
@DangerBoy4406 ай бұрын
More! More!
@claytonthompson7006 ай бұрын
Love this video. There is so much focus on player options. It's nice to showcase monsters too!
@jamespuckett97536 ай бұрын
Nicely done. I really think this will help my GMing. Just having a simple plan will lead to unique low level monster play, which I have been lacking. Thanks
@sotech106 ай бұрын
Would really love a GM tips series! This video is awesome to start with
@mousewifegames27 күн бұрын
This was such a good video for educating in a way that sticks! Maybe one of your best!
@gunrugger6 ай бұрын
More of these please! I would love to see more monster videos!
@DawidSikora6 ай бұрын
Great video, I'd love to see more like this for various foes of higher levels
@arzhmael77996 ай бұрын
Let's make a new series of this! I would enjoy you revisit every classics and new monsters for Pathfinder 2e from -1 to 20 ! I am personnaly running an homebrew campaign versus Mites (& insects) and Velsarc within Ustalav, would love to see how you would play them.
@CakeDayZ6 ай бұрын
Great video and would love to see more. I currently am running abom vaults and thinking about "what would a cultist do?" Each turn.
@RahvunTheWhite5 ай бұрын
This was excellent! MORE PLEASE!
@CraigSteinhoff5 ай бұрын
These are great!!!! More please
@theprinceofawesomeness6 ай бұрын
as someone who loves Kobolds and their lore and and ecology and stuff, i can tell that Kobolds would prefer Skirmishing / Guerrilla fighting and they want to incorporate traps, a Kobold would only want to instigate melee if they need to stall the target from advancing or if their current tactic require someone to "Sacrifice" them self
@block_the_6 ай бұрын
Yes we want more of these! 😊
@20catsRPG6 ай бұрын
Very good video, thank you! I have a suggestion for another video - how would you go about creating / modifying a custom monster? Example: I just started running a homebrew 2e campaign and one of the extended quests / arcs revolves around a Fey Prince who travels the world for fun and always somehow ends up causing trouble. For example, he gave an innkeeper a couple of cockatrice eggs to help increase his egg production and he told him to keep them “well fed”. Unfortunately, the innkeeper couldn’t keep up, the cockatrices hatched and were completely ravenous, slaughtering and consuming all his chickens, cows and other livestock, even attacking him. Now his back yard is overrun by them, and knowing it’s only a question of time until the beasties escape, he has asked the party to sort out the mess. All the party know there’s some “new chicken breed” too aggressive to keep as livestock that needs ‘taking care of’. My problem is, the party is only lvl. 1 and the standard cockatrice is too powerful. Especially the DC20 fort save is harsh, my players will absolutely crit fail it and become permanently petrified. I was thinking about reducing the effect to simply apply a non- stacking Slowed 1 for 1 turn but I also don’t want the party to face just one monster - the inn’s back yard is meant to be overrun by them after all. So ideally I’m looking for some sort of ‘young cockatrice’ stat block, ideally at lvl. -1 but I’m not sure how to go about modifying the standard cockatrice’s stats to make the encounter somewhere between easy and challenging. The objective is for the party to have fun, no one should be dying during this encounter. The idea for the quest arc is that the players will have to fix several ‘errors of judgement’ of the mysteries stranger, none explicitly ‘evil’ but perhaps misguided and definitely inconvenient, before finally realising what he is and either returning him to his fey Elder father or helping him start a new life in the True World. How would you go about it? I’m sure other GM’s out there would also appreciate your help and a glimpse into your way of thinking.
@camiloguadalupetorres24426 ай бұрын
This is a great video!!! Thanks a lot!! Any possibility to make it a series until level 20+ creatures?
@TStirlingLittle6 ай бұрын
I would love to see about low level boss creatures! The cutthroat boss in the aldori manor in kingmaker was a real challenge for me to run because her big axe attack seemed so likely to massive damage any of my players to instant death, so i didn't use it when i could have. Felt weird about it afterwards
@SirMoribund6 ай бұрын
This is great! please more!
@danrimo8266 ай бұрын
Yes more please. Please do one with creatures with spells
@cajeb53965 ай бұрын
Great video Ronald!
@memyselfishness6 ай бұрын
While I love the idea about doing this at a level by level basis, it makes more sense to group them by type.
@JoshuaFargason6 ай бұрын
Great content Ronald! I do feel like something important was missed with the kobold - the Craft Traps skill. Any GM running kobolds on their home turf really should have part of the XP budget reserved for lots of traps & snares. Continuing with the theme of the Kobold Warrior, I feel like homebrewing a low-level snare that causes Off Guard on a failed save would be completely on-theme. It's exactly the kind of thing a kobold tribe would use to maximize their advantages.
@TheRulesLawyerRPG6 ай бұрын
IIRC I mention using snares? I didn't deep dive into it because I'm so prone to gabbing on too long lol. I'll add a note that people should feel free to add low-level snares to an encounter (and maybe Simple Hazards but WITH CAUTION... I think damage-dealing simple hazards undersell their impact with their XP award... consider the likely impact it will have on your particular group)
@boris_bulletdodger91096 ай бұрын
Positive comment
@briansouvey11006 ай бұрын
Love this
@WilliamTaylorII6 ай бұрын
If I hadn't already liked and subscribed, you'd get it just for the cat. So now you get a comment as well.
@franciscoteixeira1746 ай бұрын
Would be cool how to read/use a monster as a boss, maybe how to think hazards to create lair actions
@AdrianLParker6 ай бұрын
@21:55 Flanking isn't instinctive, it's learned, and if your undead is mindless... 🙂
I'd love to see low-level commented example combats actually. I struggled as a GM to make good combats when we started pf2e because I had bad tactics and the players would one-shot all -1 enemies due to their low hp (looking at you Valero).
@henridehaybe5256 ай бұрын
I mean commented combats centered around monster tactics.
@haydongonzalez-dyer27276 ай бұрын
Nice
@PadanGedowitch6 ай бұрын
Zombies and skeletons should be immune to piercing. Stabbing is used to make one bleed and they are bloodless.
@adrian00v6 ай бұрын
Very cool
@peniswrinkle-jr6 ай бұрын
Dang, new vids from you AND Seth today! Edit: I have the -5 INT skelly men stand in place and ONLY attack when a player tries to walk by. Or alternatively, they only shoot at one square as a player passes through it. You know... because they're mindless.
@johngleeman83476 ай бұрын
Are there rules for making your own monsters from scratch and improving existing monsters? Those two activities are where the current D&D Monster Manual fails the hardest.
@TheRulesLawyerRPG6 ай бұрын
The 5e rules for this are in the DMG, but they're pretty hard to use and not very reliable. Here are PF2's rules, with charts: 2e.aonprd.com/Rules.aspx?ID=995
@thomascm93466 ай бұрын
Are the "monster abilities" like disgusting pustules present on the monster sheets in Foundry VTT? I can't seem to find them, but when I search the compendium for disgusting pustules, I do find it.
@scotttemple9395 ай бұрын
Yes I like
@scotttemple9395 ай бұрын
Do more videos like this one
@sotech106 ай бұрын
Also would love a 5e vs pf2e monster comparisons
@PhilipBenz3 ай бұрын
You skimmed over the difference between "vitality healing" and "vitality damage". Not the same thing, although the Heal spell does both.
@lucamonticelli2676 ай бұрын
Never understand where the trope of skeletons are more intelligent and can use weapons where zombies are just rotted mindless carcasses came from. Justice for my fleshy boyz
@matthewparker92766 ай бұрын
Zombies are mindless, but skeletons are quite literally brainless.
@TheRulesLawyerRPG6 ай бұрын
For me it's that they're almost always raised soldiers, complete with warrior gear. The zombies not so much
@aimanbenkhadra6446 ай бұрын
Would you recommend the book even if it’s targeted at DnD monsters? Is there an analogue book for Pathfinder monsters?
@TheRulesLawyerRPG6 ай бұрын
I'd say yes. Though check out his blog of the same name which got him the publishing deal in the first place. It has similar advice which you can see for yourself: www.themonstersknow.com/
@borlugtroll24836 ай бұрын
Merci
@bl00dywelld0ne6 ай бұрын
Moar pls.
@ShandiMisek6 ай бұрын
Megan the cat was just showing how to do a sneak attack on a distracted foe. 😼