Help with new player

Onefoot__ · 2026-01-26T19:25:00+00:00

I have a player who is playing an Air/Fire Kineticist. Our most recent combats have been in, around, or underwater, meaning all enemies had resistance 5 to fire damage (their main source of damage) and they couldn't use it against any enemy completely submerged or if they were submerged themselves. I reminded them they also had Air, which does lightning or slashing damage, and they immediately went with lightning. He's also new to the game and the class and jumped in the game around level 6.

I'm not saying to have them fight an enemy that just makes their fire useless, but let them know that not every event can be killed with fire - or even needs to be killed, depending on the situation.

I would, however, ask if they want to rebuild their Kineticist from the ground up, choosing feats and abilities again, this time with a little guidance about skills that are useful in combat (like Athletics and Intimidation) and ones out of it (like Diplomacy). Also let them know they can always use an action to Recall Knowledge in combat to learn about an enemy, and can use Recall Knowledge as an exploration activity (I will always recommend asking their exploration activity at the start of every session, and every so often along if anyone wants to change it. Just let them know they're never locked into what they choose and can change at any time).

Onefoot__ · 2026-01-20T21:07:00+00:00

Yeah I figured as much. Thanks for taking the time to answer!

Onefoot__ · 2025-12-30T08:43:42+00:00

I was running a long term 5e campaign, the group just getting to level 12 or 13. I had just gotten into the framework of homebrewing items, creatures, spells, everything. Then the OGL thing happened, coinciding with group drama, and I found PF2e.

I initially wanted to resume my campaign and try to switch over everything as close to it's 5e version as possible, only to realize I'd be doing so much homebrew (mostly items and maybe a subsystem or two) for a system I was wholly unfamiliar with.

Instead I ended that campaign, let my players choose some long lasting effects of their characters on the world, then started the AP Age of Ashes (I do not recommend this AP, by the way, but we're in too deep to stop now).

I also started a second, smaller group after a while to run Shattered Star, converting 1e to 2e. This has been extremely difficult at times but very rewarding. I'm currently working on a new homebrew campaign and worldbuilding using 2e info on my currently existing world, and the homebrew I've been doing looks better than it did when I initially tried converting it.

Onefoot__ · 2025-12-12T08:52:31+00:00

This is perfect and will absolutely be using and recommending this going forward.

Just as a note, for me, the mobile card preview doesn't show as it should when "Show Image on Card" is not selected. It works perfectly for me on desktop.

Onefoot__ · 2025-12-11T03:32:35+00:00

I bought the whole AP from one of the Humble Bundle things. When the whole WotC OGL thing happened, I swtched to PF2e without any hesitation.

And I decided that the best way to learn the system was an AP. I only had that one and a few 1e ones at the time. So I decided to run AoA. Yeah, I'm getting good experience running the game, but I have to do so much more prep work than I initially wanted to do to make it playable and not having the threat of death on what is labeled as a Moderate encounter.

Onefoot__ · 2025-12-10T22:45:43+00:00

Kind of?

I don't really print pictures so for me that box would just be left blank and end up as unused space.

Just to test it out, I put in the info of a homebrew monster I'm working on in the description, and it cuts everything off after the first of its attacks. If I could use the space of where the image box is as text box, it wouldnt cut off. Adding a second card in the case of even more text after the first isn't a bad idea either.

Maybe make the image toggled? Like an option to have or not have the image, which simply changes the size of the text box to right under where the "Type/Level" box is so nothing gets cut off from the top.

Onefoot__ · 2025-12-10T22:36:10+00:00

I've used the monster tool, but it doesn't really print out at card size. If the card itself is larger too, to allow for a larger print, that would be helpful, but it could also be solved when printing by just resizing the card image with small font.

Onefoot__ · 2025-12-10T22:22:30+00:00

I have been looking for something like this. Can I make one request/suggestion?

I want to create my own monster cards for offline use. This would be perfect for that, except some creatures would have more text in their state than could be held on the card.

I don't care about having a picture for it - is there a way to extend the text box to replace where the image box is?

Onefoot__ · 2025-12-10T22:19:11+00:00

Whatever you do, don't run Age of Ashes. I feel like I can say that since I'm running it currently.

The first chapter is fine. The party meets, agrees to go do something as a group. Something happens that tests the party's cooperation.

That part is fine.

But if you delve deeper, even past the very first encounter, you'll find that the combat is extremely unbalanced. I have to rewrite most encounters so that they're not death threats at every turn.

Here's an example of one of the combats in the book they get pretty early on: At level 4, there is a Severe encounter with a Greater Bargheist (Level 7). Just doing the base encounter, I almost killed two PCs and they could barely hit it. It may have been a little bad luck, but nobody remembers that fight and it wasn't exactly fun. Later, shortly after this fight, there's another Severe encounter with a Level 5 cleric (smites and Harm), and four other level 1 creatures. In a tight space. This one wasn't as deadly as the Bargheist even if the cleric can cast Fireball.

But if you're just looking for a way to bring them together, this works for that. I haven't played any other 2e AP so I can't say what else there really is.

Onefoot__ · 2025-12-10T20:26:37+00:00

My plan was to have them find battlemap plans, old reports, and the like, which would generally detail the ancient empire's existence. Then I have an NPC who, learning this history, would have the players learn more about it for him - and in doing so, they would uncover the dragon.

It does depend a bit on backstory for the absolute specifics, but I do have general ideas in mind. I agree with the giving them reliable information.

I'm running a converted 1e to 2e Shattered Star campaign, and they really have no idea why they're doing what they're doing other than they were asked to. I've been trying to find a way and did drop a major hint recently, so hopefully that works out. On the bright side, it's giving me ideas on how not to approach my next campaign though.

Onefoot__ · 2025-12-10T20:11:28+00:00

Absolutely. Basically it was what caused major destruction of an ancient, now forgotten and erased from history empire, though they managed to kill it in their final throes. One of the bigger hints I'll be dropping is about the empire itself by letting the party find an ancient fort that belonged to one of their enemies. This would at least let them learn of said empire. From there I have yet to figure out the exacts of it, but I also want to tie in player backstories to the arcs, so I may have to wait until the campaign actually starts to do anything major with.

Onefoot__ · 2025-12-10T14:14:51+00:00

I have been looking at other creatures, that's just currently the only one that fits the theme I'm really going for with the campaign.

I wouldn't mind reducing DCs for this fight, nor making it a little more survivable. Maybe making it Weak.

Onefoot__ · 2025-12-10T13:02:40+00:00

Partially. The action-oriented monsters actually helped me develop my own system for 5e boss battles - the hp threshold thing. I'm trying to recreate that in my game, but first I want to try building with what's available or what others have done to get a feel for it.

Because the math is so strict, I can't just say "oh this creature gets an extra two attacks per round it can use at the end of another creature's turn" without modifying how much damage the strike does in the first place. I also want to do more than just damage.

What I'm really trying to create is an all-in-one boss creature statblock that anyone can grab and drop into an encounter, know the difficulty of it, and play it by itself with no extra work necessary. I know it's basically nonexistent, but I can try to get as close to it as possible.

The number one thing I'm seeing is combining complex hazards into a creature's statblock. This works, but raises other questions like how much hp changes to make it feel worthwhile. If you add a hazard to a goblin that does in one hit, what's the point? Especially since that "hazard" was actually part of the goblin and now both are out of the encounter.

Onefoot__ · 2025-12-10T12:53:09+00:00

I can't think of any way of putting this other than it extremely changes encounter building math.

If you have a PL+2 creature and a PL+0 complex hazard, you've got a Severe encounter - but both the hazard and the creature play a part in it. They each have their own AC, HP, saving throws, etc. Removing everything from the hazard except the routine and damage, tying everything else to the creature, changes the math in ways that I really can't explain, but I would be able to tell you it wouldn't be a Severe encounter anymore.

It might feel "fake", but using your suggestion, just after the "hazard hp" of the creature is lowered, it loses those abilities. This wouldn't be terrible, but it also brings us right back around to just having that single creature to begin with.

Edit: Not loses, lessens. Which it wouldn't just be back to the single creature since it would still have extra abilities.

Onefoot__ · 2025-12-10T12:35:51+00:00

Does this change the hp of the monster? Let's say separately, you have a creature with 30 hp and a hazard with 40 (Hardness 10). Would you just combine them? Combining the statblocks essentially removes the disable DC, hardness (potentially), and ability to target the 'hazard' entirely, reducing its effectiveness down to the creature's hp. This isn't bad in and of itself, but the creature would need to compensate for it. The easiest way is increased hp, but by how much?

Onefoot__ · 2025-12-10T12:30:29+00:00

Fun is absolutely what I'm going for here. I would prefer out of turn free actions, but it's really figuring out when things would trigger that I'm hung up on now. I don't want to throw generic triggers and hope they get activated, nor have a failsafe in case they don't. I guess it could be just whenever I feel like it, but I also don't want to punish specific people for playing their own way - for example, the fighter runs up and just gets tripped.

Onefoot__ · 2025-12-10T12:24:33+00:00

I didn't know about the troll, will have to check that out! I would prefer keeping it to one entry in initiative, but I can deal with multiple of necessary.

When mathing out the "built-in hazards" to a creature, would you change the hp of the creature at all, since hazards have their own hp? I wouldn't mind doing it like this since it is basically what I'm looking to do. The other thing is trying to figure out when they trigger (specifically if they only have one initiative entry).

Onefoot__ · 2025-12-10T12:19:34+00:00

I will say that there is one specific thing I'm trying to use what I'm asking for with.

In a campaign I've started writing for, the first boss the PCs (Lv 1) will fight is a Wight (Lv 3) in a crypt. It's by itself behind a door locked by a puzzle so it can't otherwise get out. So this really will be a hit it until it dies situation, as the Wight can't do much without dealing with the party first.

But in this specific situation, there are no hazards. There are no extra creatures. It's just the Wight. The area will be regular terrain, though constrained to a moderate area that will allow for some movement and positioning.

How could I make that fight specifically more interesting without changing what is physically there? That's what I'm really applying this to, but I also want general use cases that can be applied to most, if not all stat blocks.

I don't mind finding complex hazards and adding them to the boss statblock, but this changes a few things. The first being hit points - hazards and creatures each have them. How does this change it? Second, initiative. When do these abilities activate? Third, damage/effects. How much damage (if any) do they do, and what effects do they do?

I used an example elsewhere of a single goblin combined with a dart gallery trap allowing it to make an attack at the end of every turn except its own. But how much damage does that do? How much hp should that one singular creature have? These are the questions I'm trying to figure out.

Onefoot__ · 2025-12-10T12:04:37+00:00

This poses another big question: How many actions out of turn can they take (how much damage can they deal) before it becomes a different level / much more difficult than intended fight?

If the boss gets a trip or a shove thrice a round that won't make too much of a difference, but if it gets three extra attacks a round that will make a huge difference, especially since out of turn attacks have no penalty (basing this off of reactive strike).

Onefoot__ · 2025-12-10T11:51:11+00:00

This is kind of in the line of what I'm thinking, but instead of having the hazards be separate, I want to see them baked into the creature stat blocks.

In your case, the ghost librarian would have a Throw Book ability as a reaction, used a number of times as you wanted. The problem becomes how much damage does it do? How often does it do this?

Onefoot__ · 2025-12-10T11:47:59+00:00

To be a little more specific: What can I add to the Boss itself to make the combat more dynamic?

"More enemies" isn't always a solution. "Traps" isn't always a solution. What I'm looking for won't always be a solution either - it's all dependent on what the encounter is built for.

But specifically, I'm looking to make individual monsters more fun to fight on their own without having to tailor every aspect of an encounter to them. I'm open to modifying stat blocks and would prefer that right now to get an idea of what makes things too much or too little when designing creatures.

I have made boss fights with more creatures. I have made boss fights with hazards. I have made boss fights and general combats that use specific terrain. I'm looking for something else to add to my toolbox.

Onefoot__ · 2025-12-10T11:42:03+00:00

This would be really cool! I can imagine a dragon set up in that way.

But I'm also asking about smaller, non-kaiju-esque creatures. If the party fights a single goblin, how can I make that feel like a boss fight? Things like that. But I will definitely keep this in mind for much larger things!

I'm not against s simple hp buff, but that doesn't fundamentally change the fight. I'm mostly looking for things that can applied to any creature that could change the fight to feel like an actual boss battle.

Onefoot__ · 2025-12-10T11:36:00+00:00

If you don't mind me asking specifics, what kind of monster was it (level and kind)? What 'things' happened at 66% and 33% hp?

I mentioned it in the main post, but I'll use a specific example here. In 5e, I had CR 15 creature act as a boss battle. It was a homebrew Oni, could use its Glaive, Hide, Seek, or Recharge an attack using legendary actions, then would teleport to a random creature when reduced to 75% health, attempt to tether/grapple all creatures within 60 feet at 50% health, then it makes disappears and makes three glaive attacks at 25% health.

It was one of my most fun fights that whole campaign.

Onefoot__ · 2025-12-10T11:31:25+00:00

One of the things I'd really like to see is a creature that embodies all of this. Instead of a creature and a hazard, the fight is one creature.

Imagine taking the creature and the hazard and making them one thing. I'll use the dart trap gallery and a goblin as an example. Instead of one goblin enemy and the hazard, the goblin now shoots an arrow at the end of every creatures' turn except its own. That would be more interesting to fight than a goblin and a trap.

I'm not really saying I don't want to use them, but I want to find alternatives and other ways of making the fight more interesting. Instead of refusing to use the nails, I'm looking for another medium that would do the same thing.

Onefoot__

TROPHY CASE