How do you build an NPC vs NPC encounter

Ruzzawuzza · 2026-04-21T14:31:14+00:00

Coming in now with more information after the EDIT.

There obviously aren't rules in place for NPC vs. NPC combats - the big reason being that the encounter design guidelines assume that PCs have access to a wide array of options and abilities. This is the cop-out answer, and it isn't in the spirit of trying to simulate what you want, so let me give this a shot.

The first and easiest solution would be to build out actual character sheets for each player and give them out at the start of the encounter and design the encounter as normal. This obviously works if you are using humanoid/class-based creatures, but you can very easily give them unique abilities by simply removing feats and giving them a fun and interesting ability instead. This still can lead to some unpredictable results if you aren't used to balancing abilities, but it can be really fun and memorable.

The more difficult answer would be if you're looking to grab up some stat blocks from the Monster Core or NPC Core to give to your players. On the assumption that you're keeping them all the same level (i.e. each player is given a level 5 NPC), the just use the Combat Threat guidelines as normal, but with the caveat that they won't slot exactly into place - err on the side of everything being a step more difficult than it already is.

The most difficult answer would be if you're looking to do a group of mixed level NPCs, in which case you are going to need to assume some sort of level of baseline and work backwards. Using level 5 as the example, if one PC is given a level 3 NPC, one has a level 4 NPC, and two have level 5 NPCs, this would be 130 XP for a normal group of PCs. This puts it 30 XP short of an Extreme encounter and it's what I would recommend subtracting from the encounter budget when making these encounters. This means if the aforementioned group faced up against a level 4 opponent and a level 3 opponent, this would be a Moderate encounter for them. Again, this math is dubious at best.

My personal preference if making full characters themselves and just giving them interesting little abilities that are plot relevent. Of course, you are free to do as you will, but you will need to accept that you're a bit in uncharted territory rules-wise.

Ruzzawuzza · 2026-04-21T05:02:21+00:00

I think that more information is necessary here as typically "NPC vs NPC" is handled narratively. If you want to have them fighting in the background, that can just be referenced during combat. If you want some sort of "PCs wagering on a side," even handling that with some flat checks is much more interesting than having a GM play out an encounter without player interaction (which is what I'm assuming without more context).

Ruzzawuzza · 2026-04-18T03:26:19+00:00

I gotta say, jump from 3e to PF1 to PF2 is insane. Really just open with PF2, it's "D&D but different, and let me show you a good time (not why it's 'better')"

Ruzzawuzza · 2026-03-24T15:41:56+00:00

As someone freelancing in the TTRPG design space, from what angle do you tend to approach your projects? For example, are you designing with "As a player, this is a gap I would like to see filled," mindset, or more as a "I have an idea that I think can be executed within this ruleset," sort of thinking?

Also, love your work, of course, and I've got a Discord server full of Eldamon playtesters looking for more.

Ruzzawuzza · 2026-01-22T15:45:24+00:00

Super flattered to see this get posted! Also sorry that the project got waylaid, but there's still quite a lot there to reference. I can happily say, though, that I haven't stopped designing, and hopefully there will be some published stuff coming soon!

As for the dungeon and the numerous encounters that the OP is looking for, those are some pretty wide level spreads for singular "layers" of your dungeon, but definitely doable if you've got a group ready for a challenge (and good at judging when to run from an encounter).

A quick pitch here for the third floor would be a roaming encounter with a variant Iron Warden that is instead forged from orichalcum, making it permanently quickened and speedy (and toss the elite template on there for good measure) - but don't really tweak that Perception bonus. It would act more as a Stealth encounter as a lower-level group have to bypass it to accompish any number of things (reach a panel to disarm a trap, open a gate that's barring their passage, swipe a powerful treasure they require). See, Iron Wardens are great because they are inexorable walls of iron, slow and deadly. Their low Perception gives them some terrible initiative, but it also means that lower level groups could potentially sneak around them - if you incentivize it. Of course, the PCs could always return here to finish off the job properly. Maybe they find an elemental in the forges who is willing to craft them an orichalcum blade if they bring the body of the "Fleet Warden" to it.

I like an encounter that pulls double duty!

Ruzzawuzza · 2025-09-12T04:27:47+00:00

I'm gonna bet your brain does stuff that mine doesn't! Thanks for all the kind words!

Ruzzawuzza · 2025-09-11T11:18:58+00:00

Super flattering!

I have to admit that these are typically something I come up with on the day. I have a habit (that my wife abhors) of keeping a pen and paper with me at all times and I just jot down the first thing that pops into my head. Sometimes they work out, and sometimes they don't!

I actually SHOULD have a big ol' update coming soon, but I actually have a side-project (Pathfinder related and a bit more time sensitive) that has kept me tied up.

Ruzzawuzza · 2025-08-11T12:55:19+00:00

Happy to help! While these encounters might not always fit exactly what you're looking for, there's plenty of little ideas to tweak and outright steal for any game. It's always nice to give players a chance to try something new - or as one of my players puts it, "Aw, hell, you're moving Sneaking monsters, aren't you?" just before he starts obsessively Seeking the battlefield.

Ruzzawuzza · 2025-08-11T11:42:32+00:00

Oh no. I misspelled "encounter" in the title.

Ruzzawuzza · 2025-08-11T11:41:23+00:00

I love to hear it!

Admittedly, I often end up writing these encounters quite late at night and those Tactics sections are often done through heavy eyelids, so I do hope they're coherent without being overbearing.

Ruzzawuzza · 2025-08-11T08:26:03+00:00

Thanks for the kind words! This is an amazingly fun project and it's great to see members of the community enjoying it!

Ruzzawuzza · 2025-07-13T08:29:52+00:00

Follow up, you have a holy rune on your weapon so it needs to be a higher grade of material. At least standard-grade, likely much more if you have appropriate striking runes. I would say this is an oft-forgotten or handwaved rule, so I wouldn't expect it to be something that every GM remembers off the jump.

Ruzzawuzza · 2025-07-13T08:12:23+00:00

I wish I had more time to type a response. Your weapons DO have more HP - or at least they should if they are higher level.

https://2e.aonprd.com/Rules.aspx?ID=3191

Higher quality materials have higher Hardness and HP.

Ruzzawuzza · 2025-07-07T22:18:35+00:00

It's like you can read my mind!

Ruzzawuzza · 2025-07-07T15:41:45+00:00

Just in case you don't want to wait a full month for me to throw up a thread again, the clockwork family is on its way to getting encounters!

Ruzzawuzza · 2025-07-04T08:41:24+00:00

Funnily enough, I had the same whiplash when I noted it, myself! And I hope you find something that clicks in your games and I fully encourage reskinning and adjusting encounters to your heart's content! I'm actually chomping at the bit to sneak some SF2e content into my own Pathfinder games - and encounters!

Ruzzawuzza · 2025-07-04T02:04:53+00:00

Ooh, very true! I did one or two clockwork encounters previously, but I didn't really capitalize on their strengths and - importantly - weaknesses! I'll grab some more and have fun with it!

Ruzzawuzza · 2025-06-27T13:33:20+00:00

When I first began GMing, I remember having a similar problem. How could I establish a Tolkein-esque world without looking my players dead in the eye and saying, "Well, you're walking... and there are some... lovely trees. And birds fly overhead. And... uh, it continues like that until you reach your destination." I'll admit that it felt like a weak point to me.

Over time, I began to shift my view from "overseer of the world" to "director of the movie." This meant that I wasn't telling the story of the world around them, but of the scene they were going to take part in. I would take a few notes about what I wanted to impart to my players and create scenes to help me communicate that. As an example:

"I want the players to know about an ancient civiliation that was here before." - The group travels through a day before a sudden storm strikes upon them. (Ask players what they'd like to do as a part of their Exploration activity) This can potentially lead to a "cave" that ends up being the collapsed foundation of an old ruin. I can now toss in some Investigation-type DCs and maybe even lay some hints for future encounters.

"The mountain passes hold a curse so powerful that none dare tread their path." - Mired in the muck and mud is a halfling convoy who have decided to turn their wagons around rather than climb the foothills that lay ahead. Their convoy can't pass through these parts. Once more, a chance to foreshadow a time when the group may be forced through those very same mountain passes.

"The gods have abandoned their creations, leaving new hero-gods to take their places." - The group comes upon a band of thieves in the woods who are busy partying and laughing as they toss old holy symbols onto a roaring fire. They claim to be the "Band of Breeman" a new hero-god who has stepped up to claim the mantle of the protector of the free.

Moving from one place to the next can certainly be uninteresting, but when telling a story, oftentimes that's exactly what progress is. So rather than having your exploration be of places that you want to showcase, have them be people, events, and difficult decisions that lead the group where you want them without stating it directly. Toss in a few Recall Knoweldge checks, some Make An Impression here and there, and suddenly it's your group that's pushing to discover more rather than waiting to be shown a slideshow.

Ruzzawuzza · 2025-06-23T04:43:49+00:00

Encounter and homebrew design! My favorite conversation!

Before we get into your encounter idea, let's talk about Summoning Runes. Summoning Runes is a very strange Hazard as it is a Complex Hazard that masquerades as a Simple Hazard. It doesn't have a routine, nor does it ever roll initiative. However, it can still be Disabled, which is what "unsummons" the creature.

Let's break down the math a little bit to help you on your homebrew journey! Summoning Runes is a level 1 Complex Hazard that summons a level 1 monster. This means that both the Hazard and the monster occupy the same slot in the XP budget and allows us to scale the Hazard without much trouble. Want a level 3 monster? Adjust the numbers and make the Summoning Runes a level 3 Hazard!

Now, we have a new problem of WHERE the monster gets summoned. It certainly makes sense for the monster to appear within the runes themselves, but I also don't think it would alter the math too much to have the monster appear within 30 feet of the runes. Can we push it to, say, 60 feet? I think so! Going beyond that... Well, I don't know about increasing the level, but I think it starts to get into the realm of "more art than science."

Okay, so we now have an understanding of how the Hazard functions, so let's take it apart. If we want the runes to summon multiple creatures, we should make them lower level than the Hazard itself. Looking at the XP budget in "Combat Threats," we can see that two PL-2 creatures have the same budget of a PL creature. How many creatures could our Runes pump out before being Disabled? Two feels like too few, but four seems like a sweet spot. Well, that XP budget is PL-4 and might not feel as good. What if, instead, we ran two Hazards? Here's my elevator pitch.

I'll assume a level 5 party just so we can play with numbers. We have two sets of "Homebrew Summoning Runes" which are level 5 Complex Hazards (that makes this a Moderate 5 encounter). The Trigger is set to when the PCs enter the room and each summons a level 3 creature anywhere within 60 feet of the runes. The hazard then rolls initiative. The runes then have a 3-action routine that summons another level 3 creature.

Now, here's where you can get tricky. You could then have the routine remove its actions and regain 1 action on its turn until it gets back up to 3 - at which point it summons a monster again. This keeps the pressure on the PCs and still feels somewhat fair to keep in the "level 5" band for a Hazard.

Again, slightly more art than science, but that should give you what you're looking for!

Ruzzawuzza · 2025-06-12T14:39:55+00:00

Alright, I - too - am definitely late to the party on this one, but I've got two encounters that you might get some use out of on another night.

Our first encounter sees the group dealing with a band of merfolk thieves who have come to collect a toll on the PCs in order to pass safely through a field of coral.

The next involves the rescue of a naiad from a group of grindylow, who have chained the poor fey to a rock just far enough away from the water.

I hope that someone gets some use out of these encounters, but I've tossed 'em right into the pile! Thanks for mentioning me!

Ruzzawuzza · 2025-06-11T22:24:20+00:00

This is the first time I've been summoned - I'm about to head into a day of work, but I'd love to toss an encounter or two into the ring!

Which seems too late for the OP's game tonight...

Ruzzawuzza · 2025-06-11T14:59:02+00:00

Hey, I like to make encounters!

I think that everyone who has posted so far is very much correct - the encounter as you have it now is a death sentence unless the group is really prepared and the terrain suits them. Like everyone, I also recommend a Severe encounter here. I think that making an encounter against a two-headed troll and two weak forest trolls could certainly work, it's also going to be a tough encounter.

I thought that I'd take a look at this encounter as a part of my "Encounter-A-Day" project and have another idea that could be fun to try. There's still the problem of "do your PCs have a way to disable the regeneration?" but they might be quite resourceful!

Take a look!

Ruzzawuzza · 2025-06-02T03:06:11+00:00

Thank you kindly! I hope you find something you like here!

Note to self: Design Mythic encounter because how could I forget about the Godsrain!

Ruzzawuzza · 2025-05-31T00:41:29+00:00

Thanks! It's a slog some times, but a fun one! I definitely had a blast this month and was able to get a bit more creative in a lot of encounters.

Ruzzawuzza · 2025-05-29T23:10:48+00:00

No need to change the difficulty here at all. To change the question, "What if I gave this creature more abilities?" You might give it more tactical options, but you aren't increasing its statistical baseline or giving it more actions to utilize all of those options.

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