Need Help With CR-Appropriate Encounter

[Palanan]

Owing to real-life issues, only two of my four regular players can make it to our next session. I could use some advice on the correct CR for a half-strength party—and I could also use suggestions for specific encounters.

The party has just reached second level, and the two PCs will be a dwarven ranger (TWF) and human unchained rogue (also TWF). The dwarf tends to charge at things (foes, illusions, walls, etc.) while the rogue is more restrained and analytical.

So, what CR would be appropriate for two second-level PCs? And what encounters would be challenging (but not lethal) for these two in particular?

[Mendicant]

Is the rogue melee-oriented? I would hit them with maybe three very low cr mooks--goblins or skeletons maybe--and a weak caster using illusions, obscuring mist or other misdirects to keep the pc's off balance and away from him. Give him somewhere to fall back to after the three minions drop, and give him reinforcements based on how tough it was to beat the first set. He should try to flee again when his backup fails. Make the challenge be catching him, not staying alive.

[souridealist]

The Pathfinder official advice is that for parties of three or fewer, subtract one from their APL - so CR 1 would be appropriate by that metric, I think. Maybe pick high-AC / low health and damage kinds of monsters so that fights don't feel over too quickly?

I recently threw a tooth fairy (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/fey/tooth-fairy/) at a low-level party. They're not very threatening, and even if they get your character helpless they won't be looking to deal hit point damage, but I had one pop out of invisibility right in the face of the character on watch, and then I provided a visual aid (http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NgESCZUHOqI/VfzazHYB2zI/AAAAAAAAALw/FSqxBxdnRmc/s1600/PZO1127_ToothFairy.jpg). Some extremely satisfying horrified shrieking resulted:smallbiggrin:.

I also liked that they're a low-level encounter with a few different special attacks; it made them fun to run. I only used one because I also have a party of two, but at second level you might want to throw two or three at them.

[Bucky]

You should be looking at CR 1/2-1 routine encounters.

[Sayt]

I agree with Bucky and Mendicant: CR1 encounters with fractional CR enemies.

It also gives you an opportunity to indulge the TWF fantasy and give them enemies they can drop one or two of each in one round (NPC class goblins, for instance).

Jade regent 1 had a neat little goblin fort myself as a slayer and a friend as a skald ran. Taking cover from the archers, death from two blades in melee, fun stuff.

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Sayt
I agree with Bucky and Mendicant: CR1 encounters with fractional CR enemies.

Okay, thanks—that helps narrow it down.


Originally Posted by Souridealist
Maybe pick high-AC / low health and damage kinds of monsters so that fights don't feel over too quickly?

Can you recommend any obscure Pathfinder creatures that fit these criteria?

I have some extremely game-savvy players, so the stranger the better.


Originally Posted by Sayt
It also gives you an opportunity to indulge the TWF fantasy….

…what fantasy do you mean?

.

[souridealist]

Sadly I can't. I wish I could; I'm procrastinating game prep for a similar party by poking around this forum. I've been getting a lot of use out of this monster search tool (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/tools/advanced-monster-search/), though - maybe if you go through and carefully select the weirder sourcebooks, that might help?

There's also always reskinning something, if you're up for that. They won't know it has the stats for a herd of sheep if you describe them as a bunch of shambling, fleshy horrors with grasping hateful beaks. I understand if that feels like a lot of work, though - or if it feels like a cheat for that matter.

[Mendicant]

So here's a little one-shot big bad I thought up that might work for you.

The ANT-AGONIZER (Alt: VERMIN SUPREME)
A goblin or other small 4th-level druid.
If a goblin, all FCB's are spent giving her ant animal companion more hp. Uses a sling as her primary weapon and uses her animal companion as a bodyguard, preferring to keep it out of combat.

All 2nd-level spell slots are devoted to control vermin and if switched for Summon Nature's Ally she summons a worker ant or a passel of beetles.
1st-level spells are Cheetah's Sprint (SPEED OF THE MANTIS!) Itching Curse (BITE OF ONE THOUSAND FLEAS!) Jump (LEAP OF THE GRASSHOPPER!) and Magic Stone (...UM...BEETLE.. BULLET!) Maybe swap Jump for Obscuring Mist, and then make a custom beetle with tremorsense or blind fight that she drops it on in while the two pcs are in melee. You gotta come up with an insect-themed name for it that she screams out while casting though.

The Ant-Agonizer hangs out in a mini dungeon or a wing of a larger complex among various large insects. The first encounter should find her lurking somewhere out of immediate reach. She sics the three or four cave crickets found here on the party with control vermin, and whips regular slingstones at them while they fight the cave crickets. The bugs themselves have a acceptable 15 AC but pitiful damage output. The given rules indicate that the crickets'chirp' ability increases wandering monster chance by 30%. I'd just have it draw something bad's attention if the crickets aren't killed in x rounds. As long as you make it clear that the crickets present a real danger of drawing something nasty, the players will probably prioritize killing them and not the nutjob hurling slingstones and shrieking about carapaces. She should book it if a PC gets too close, using either her ant companion as a climbing mount, or Cheetah's Sprint to do so.

After that, have them run across other CR 1 encounters, like a mining beetle and a flash beetle together, or an ant that she summons from a position out of their reach. She should use up all of her 2nd-level spells making the various fights happen, and only use 1 1st-level spell per encounter, either to escape or to aid a bug. When the final fight comes, if she's still alive she should be packing Magic Stone and that's it, so she and her AC are challenging but she isn't really a full CR 3 encounter.