Introducing Monsters in Pods

Monsters in Pods is my attempt to make it easy for Pathfinder 2e GMs to insert combat encounters into their games.

The pods are listed at the top of the post so they are easy to look up. The rest of the post describes easy-to-use tactics to use with each pod. The goal is not to deeply understand each monster, but rather to make them as easy to run as possible.

The pods are listed by level of the party and assume a party of four. Adjustments are provided for stronger or weaker parties.

Select a pod, read the General Tactics section, then read the specific tactics section for the selected pod.

If you have any questions or feedback, you can post a comment under the post or hit me up @AvtrSpirit@dice.camp on Mastadon or @AvtrSpirit on Twitter.

I hope you find this useful. Happy Gaming!

- Utkarsh

Comments

Dero Pods, L1-5

The Dero are small, vicious underground folk who use ambush and poisons to take down bigger opponents. Pick a pod from the list below, read the general tactics, then read the specific tactics for that pod. L1 Pod - 1 Dero Stalker + 3 Flash Beetles (120xp) L1 Pod - 1 Dero Strangler + 1 Hidden Pit Trap (86xp) L2 Pod - 1 Dero Strangler + 1 Dero Stalker (100xp) L3 Pod - 1 Dero Strangler + 1 Dero Stalker + 1 Slurk (100xp) L4 Pod - 2 Dero Stranglers + 2 Dero Stalkers (100xp) L5 Pod - 1 Dero Magister + 2 Dero Stranglers + 2 Dero Stalkers (110xp) General Tactics Dero never fight in the sunlight as it actively hurts them. To use their darkvision effectively, have them fight either in the darkness of the underground or during the darkness of a moonless night. With their high stealth scores, they should ideally be hiding in ambush before combat starts. They can hide behind low cover like a stalagmite, or in bushes, or just around a corner. Have them use lures to draw PCs (Player Characters) into...

Goblin Pods, L1-3

Goblins in Pathfinder 2e are small sized miscreants. They are not the scariest monster in the bestiary, but they certainly establish a baseline threat against which other more dangerous creatures can be measured. Pick a pod from the list below, read the general tactics, then read the specific tactics for that pod. L1 Pod - 1 Goblin Pyro + 4 Goblin Warriors (120xp) L1 Pod - 1 Goblin War Chanter + 4 Goblin Warriors (120xp) L2 Pod - 1 Goblin Pyro + 1 Goblin Warrior + 2 Goblin Dogs (105xp) L3 Pod - 2 Goblin War Chanter + 2 Goblin Commando + 2 Goblin Warriors (100xp) General Tactics Goblins have darkvision but their dogs only have low-light vision. Use the Goblin pods without dogs in dark caves and night time. Goblins are also ambushers and prefer to be hiding before combat begins. Remember that a target is flat-footed when attacked by a hidden enemy. That said, there is a good chance one or more will fail to hide from the PCs. Expect one goblin warrior to die before they even get their fi...

Orc Pods, L1-3

Orcs in PF2e follow the standard soldier archetype. Unlike the previous two monster pods (Dero and Goblin), there aren't many pitfalls in using the abilities of the orcs. Still, they have a couple of unusual traits that make them fun to run. Three orc pods are presented here, one for each level from 1 to 3. General Tactics Their key trait is Ferocity. Because they can ignore going unconscious with a reaction, they have much more effective HP than what is listed. But since it uses their reaction, clever players will damage the same orc before it can regain its reaction. So how can the GM get the most uses of Ferocity? By reducing the number of hits an Orc takes per round. One way to do this is to divide up the battlefield into multiple duels. A PC engaged in melee with an Orc is unlikely to leave its position to go and attack another Orc that has already used its Ferocity reaction. This tactic only gets better when Attack of Opportunity is in play. Ferocity also makes Orcs good a...

Monsters In Pods

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