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Second EditionPathfindermakes creating homebrew content incredibly accessible. Formulas are laid out for how to create critters and villains across all challenge levels and how to adjust them for different types of encounters, such as aggressive wild beasts or spell-slinging bandits.
The Pathfinder reputation for complexity does carry some weight and the process is laden with tables, cross-referencing and mathematics. Knowing which tools can simplify the process and where you can cut corners makes the ordeal easier to pick up until you’ve mastered the system’s homebrewing mechanics and the various third-party tools most people will run them through.
Tweaking An Existing Creature
The Easy Way
Before looking at handcrafted options, agood approachis to take anexisting creature and make changesthatdo not fundamentally affect the balanceof the creature. There is no power balance difference between an attack that deals 2d6 fire or 2d6 electric damage, so there is no worry that these changes will make an encounter unbalanced.
Here are a few ways you’re able to quickly create a unique character using the template of an existing bestiary entry and making minimal changes.
Diabolic (fire) Dragon
Languages, Skills and Elemental types.
Steam would most closely resemble fire damage, meaning the breath attack would be unchanged. The ability to ignore concealment from smoke also translates well to steam clouds.
Wereboar
Replace the unarmed attacks (tusk) with a bite.
Attack modifiers and saving throw DCs can be kept the same, except their curse would turn you into a beaver instead of a boar.
Living Landslide (earth elemental)
Replace all damage types with Poison
Ask players to make a fortitude save after combat but not explain why.
The asbestos elemental is guaranteed to be amore memorable encounter than an earth elementalwith identical stats.
A guy named Steve
Replace the farmer’s thrown weapon (an apple) with a banana.
Not all farmers run apple orchards.
Keep in mind the golden rule of DMing in any tabletop system:don’t give statsto anything you aren’twilling to let the players kill.
Creating Custom Creatures From Scratch
The Longer Way
This method will takelonger than palette swapping an existing creaturebut can be done quickly with practice and the right tools. Since the rules are broadly mathematical, it’s rather easy to createstandardised calculatorsthat can run through the process quickly.
Several good tools are available that reference theCreature Building Rules from the GM Coreor theequivalent rulesin theGamemastery Guide.
Otherwise, you can quickly assign categories to the stats and use the tables in the book to translate them into a level-appropriate threat. Focus on havingone thing that a creature is goodandbadat.
Choosing A Roadmap
Similar to player classes,custom creatures begin with a broad archetypethat is then tailored further to fit a specific concept. Rather than filling in party roles, these are designed specifically towards encounter types.
That means that you’ll sometimes want to massage the stats a bit from the baseline for narrative reasons (such as giving aSoldier Roadmapahigher charismaandintelligenceif they hold aleadershipposition).
Brute
Strength, constitution, and fortitude.Low AC and mental defenses.
Does what it says on the tin.This guy hits hardand don’t think too good.
If you’re going tocopy-paste a creature several times,this is the best go-to option as it doesn’t have any gizmos and widgets to fiddle with.
Spellcaster
Spellcasting attribute, low HP, and attack bonus.High DCs on spells.
Functionally, it is an equivalent levelled casterwith fewer bells and whistles.
Prepared spellcasters are challenging to DM in grouped combat, so keep these to leaders or give them a simple list of spontaneous spells.
Sniper
Dexterity, reflex. Low fortitude and HP.Either a high attack bonus or a high damage bonus.
A ranged striker. It won’t deal as good continuous damage as a brute, but the range allows it to present different types of challenges.
Depending on the encounter, you’re bettertreating them more like map hazards than combatants, making long-range attacks at intervals and surrendering when cornered into melee combat.
Magical Striker
High attack and damage, moderate spell DCs, few spells slots
It is slightly behind a pure caster but compensates with a bulkier chassis.
This makes a good choice for creatingbeasts with innate spellcastingor spell-like effects.
Soldier
High AC, fortitude, and strength.Limited access to fighter feats like Reactive Strike.
Functionally, it is an equivalent leveled fighterwith fewer bells and whistles.
Use this roadmap for more tactical opponents,good at formation fighting and holding defensive positions.
Skirmisher
High dexterity, speed and reflex.
Slightly weaker than the brute in a slugfest but compensates withbetter mobility and access to agile attacks.
This is good for creatingambush predators, assassins and other mobile enemies.
Skill Paragon
High skill attributes, lots of proficiencies, one or more feats to use their skills in combat
The closest road map to a non-combatant, they’ll have a plethora of skills paired with some way to leverage them in a fight.
Give this to non-combatant NPCsthat you don’t want to be completely helpless in a fight.
Customising A Roadmap
Once you have a roadmap, you can then adjust it up and down to be closer to your ultimate design goal. Here are some ways to do that, along with counterbalances to ensure they stay relatively balanced. Remember: Everything should have at least one weak point.
Decrease another attribute that has a similar importance in combat.
Apply A Trait or Template
An NPC raised as an undead will have the same attributes but gain thevoid healing trait.
They would gain the weaknesses of an undead, such asdamage from positive energyand destruction on 0HP.
Give Them Magic Items
Equip the NPC with some magic gear, adding it to their attacks, saves, and AC modifiers. If it hasspecial activation effects, include these on the character sheet.
Temporary magic itemssuch aspotency crystalscan keep this fromdamaging the loot economy, but give players some opportunities to use the cool stuff that you use against them.
Circumstance Bonuses
A Gallium elemental might momentarily melt when struck with fire,increasing its AC for a round.
A creature with eight limbs might have a+2 modifier to grappling attempts.
Mostcircumstance bonuses do not need a strong downsideunless they appear regularly.
Alternate Movement Types
Birds can fly, and fish can swim.
The action cost of maintaining flightensures that flying enemies are broadly kept in line.
Damage Resistances
A demon can partiallyresist damage from non-magical weapons.
They might have aslightly reduced ACto prevent combat from dragging out too long.
