[PF] Help with a few baddies

[JadePhoenix]

I'm working on some challenges for my players and I want a few memorable baddies. Right now, I have two ideas:
- Half-giant Titan Mauler/Gunslinger dual wielding cannons
This should make for a fun encounter. The guy should have some mooks, so the Rogue in my party should be able to kill the mooks while darting forward safely (he has Offensive Defense, so he would keep decent AC against the cannons) while everyone else dives for cover.

- Crane Style Soulknife
I might use this guy in a 1-on-1 encounter with our Sword Saint (he uses a custom Order that makes Sword Saint not suck). Shtick is Crane Wing + Combat Slide - meaning the first attack against him always misses and he gets to move away. Might make him some race with a climb speed to make it more annoying. I don't know, maybe get the ability to take 5-ft steps in difficult terrain and fight there.

Do these ideas sound any good?
Also, any suggestions for duel-type encounters for the Sword Saint would be greatly appreciated.

[Toliudar]

Both of these sound very entertaining.

For the first: are these actual cannons? If so, what does the titan do once they've been fired? Pick up two more cannons? It's a great visual, but tough to sustain. Continuing to pull additional pre-loaded cannons out of an extradimensional space could be hilarious, though...

Movement and environment are indeed the key to fun duels. I think of the ladder fight from the otherwise-awful 2001 film Musketeer. If the soulknife is strong on defense and mobility but less than devastating in an individual strike, then introducing either a hunt-and-flee element (trees, clouds, etc) can build tension (and frustration) nicely. A time factor that prevents retreat - a room filling with water or smoke & flames - adds to the spice. Fighting surfaces that are dangerous - spikes, poison, fire - or unpredictable (patches of grease, machinery, etc - are also classics.

These both sound like great fun!

[Sylthia]

Your ideas sound good, but I'd be hesitant to have too many one-on-one encounters. Everyone once in a while to advance a character's development is okay, but if it becomes an every-session thing, the other players can become bored or jealous while one player gets all the glory. It also raises the question of why the other players wouldn't help out in the battle.

If you insist on having a one-on-one, a good way to go it is to have the party fall into a trap/get separated from their comrade and have them have two battles going on at the same time, then they can run over to help the other half of the party once they're done with their own encounter.

[JadePhoenix]

Both of these sound very entertaining.

For the first: are these actual cannons? If so, what does the titan do once they've been fired? Pick up two more cannons? It's a great visual, but tough to sustain. Continuing to pull additional pre-loaded cannons out of an extradimensional space could be hilarious, though...
As usual, the answer is a spell (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/r/reloading-hands).
Titan Mauler has been errata'd to work only on melee weapons, though, so I don't know if I should houserule it or just go with a single cannon.
EDIT: Or a single cannon plus this spell (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/e/energy-siege-shot).
EDIT 2: I'm not sure that works. He can be his own crew (since he counts as Large when it comes to weapons, he counts as a crew of 4), but even with Master Siege Engineer that would be 3 move actions to reload. No, wait, it works. They count as two-handed firearms. Yeah. It works. I think. "Firearms are further divided into one-handed, twohanded, and siege firearms." Hm, I think it works.


Movement and environment are indeed the key to fun duels. I think of the ladder fight from the otherwise-awful 2001 film Musketeer. If the soulknife is strong on defense and mobility but less than devastating in an individual strike, then introducing either a hunt-and-flee element (trees, clouds, etc) can build tension (and frustration) nicely. A time factor that prevents retreat - a room filling with water or smoke & flames - adds to the spice. Fighting surfaces that are dangerous - spikes, poison, fire - or unpredictable (patches of grease, machinery, etc - are also classics.
Yeah, I think I'll go with a cluttered battlefield.


These both sound like great fun!
Thanks! I hope they are!


Your ideas sound good, but I'd be hesitant to have too many one-on-one encounters. Everyone once in a while to advance a character's development is okay, but if it becomes an every-session thing, the other players can become bored or jealous while one player gets all the glory. It also raises the question of why the other players wouldn't help out in the battle.
The player does not get extra XP for the 1-on-1, I split all XP evenly. It's a fluff thing - he is a famous swordsman and every city has at least one guy trying to challenge him.


If you insist on having a one-on-one, a good way to go it is to have the party fall into a trap/get separated from their comrade and have them have two battles going on at the same time, then they can run over to help the other half of the party once they're done with their own encounter.
That sounds like a good idea. It doesn't really apply to the duel, but I could work something with it. Maybe start with everyone together, then a trap goes off and separates them.