Running Encounters
Pathfinder Gamemastery Guide (Second Edition), page 10
Running engaging encounters can require you to track a lot of different information. Knowing what details to prioritize can make encounters easier to run and more fun to play.
This section provides tips to help you run encounters that are fast and entertaining to play. Though the Core Rulebook discusses running encounters starting on page 493, this section supplements that information. Though this chapter contains detailed advice about many topics, it’s important to remember that, as a GM, you should primarily focus on the following tasks.
- Answering questions quickly and decisively whenever possible.
- Building anticipation for what happens next.
- Emphasizing thrilling action and setting a rapid pace.
- Letting players know when they’re up, and preferably when they’re “on deck” to go next.
- Showing the immediate consequences of actions.
If you’re interested in building on the topics in this section, information on designing combat encounters appears on page 46. Additionally, Chapter 3 presents subsystems used in special types of encounters, such as the influence subsystem.
In this section
- Speed of Play Encounters should move quickly, giving the PCs just enough time to savor successes and lament failures. This requires effort from everyone, but you can make it easier by running creatures and NPCs efficiently.
- Initiative The rules for rolling initiative can be found on page 468 of the Core Rulebook, and the GM guidelines on 498. Below you’ll find specifics on how to run certain types of initiative or deal with problems.
- Ad Hoc Bonuses and Penalties This section covers a few ground rules for how to best respond to PC tactics, when to apply ad hoc bonuses and penalties, and when to use certain tactics for NPCs.
- Adjudicating Actions Some of the basic actions of the game require you to interpret how a rule should apply. Here, you’ll find advice the types of rules calls that can occur frequently.
- Maps and Miniatures A grid and miniatures can make it easier to visualize combat for players and give a visual centerpiece for the players to focus on. Some advice for drawing maps appears on pages 52–53.
- Special Battles and Movement The Core Rulebook covers the essential rules for mounted, aerial, and aquatic combat on page 478, but more complex battles can require specialized rules.
- Unexpected Difficulty What do you do when an encounter ends up being far more or less challenging than you anticipated?
- Social Encounters Sometimes you’ll want to run a social conflict in encounter mode. The basic guidelines on how to do so appear on page 494 of the Core Rulebook, and this section expands on them with additional advice and examples.