Questions about Monster Automation

[Stargrove]

As an experiment I crested a new PF2E (release 18b) campaign so that no extensions we active and added one character to the combat tracker and one monster (Viper Swarm from Bestiary 3).

I have not been able to actually get most of the automation listed under Viper Swarm Venom to work properly, but maybe I am doing things wrong.

Here is the text that shows up under Viper Swarm Venom:


- [Saving Throw]: DC 21 Fortitude;
- [Maximum Duration]: 6 rounds;
- [Stage 1]: [1d4 poison damage] (1 round);
- [Stage 2]: [1d6 poison damage] and clumsy 1 (1 round);
- [Stage 3]: [2d4 poison damage], clumsy 2, and enfeebled 1 (1 round)

Here is the Automation:
"Saving Throw"|Save: Fortitude[DC:21]
"Maximum Duration"|Effect: Viper Swarm Venom (Max Duration)[D:6]
"Stage 1"|Effect: Viper Swarm Venom (Stage 1): 1d4 poison[D:1][DC:21]
"1d4 poison damage"|Damage: 1d4 poison
"Stage 2"|Effect: Viper Swarm Venom (Stage 2): 1d6 poison; Clumsy: 1[D:1][DC:21]
"1d6 poison damage"|Damage: 1d6 poison
"Stage 3"|Effect: Viper Swarm Venom (Stage 3): 2d4 poison; Clumsy: 2; Enfeebled: 1[D:1][DC:21]
"2d4 poison damage"|Damage: 2d4 poison

The character is targeted properly. I first double click the "[Saving Throw]: DC 21 Fortitude;" in the combat tracker. That actually rolls properly as expected. I then manually apply the first effect: "Effect: Viper Swarm Venom (Max Duration)[D:6]" by double clicking on it. I then apply the next effect:""Stage 1"|Effect: Viper Swarm Venom (Stage 1): 1d4 poison[D:1][DC:21]" by double clicking on it. There are now two effects shown under the PC and things showed up properly in the chat window. When I cycle to the PC nothing happens except the counter for the first effect counts down. No savings throws happen and no damage is applied and n like I would have expected. I do see the individual damage entries in the combat tracker for the various stages and I can click on those to apply damage but I isn't the saving throw supposed to happen first?

Thinking that maybe Bestiary 3 monsters may not be quite setup up properly I tried a monster from Bestiary 2 instead, an Ether Spider. The various stages of it's poison also do not seem to work properly as I am not seeing saving throws, the damage apply, or any of the listed Effects like Clumsy:1 get applied to the PC. I also tried it's other various abilities like, Web Burst (no rolls happened after applied), Grab (no rolls happened after applied).

As a last effort I tried with a Bestiary 1 monster, the Bloodseeker. Now, this one seemed to be working properly in that the Attach effects rolled the PCs FLAT CHECK save automatically and applied the PERS 1 bleed damage properly when the PC save failed. When the save finally succeeded the PER 1 Damage went away as expected.

Maybe I don't fully understand how to work within the automation framework that has been built here and I am not managing my expectations properly. If that is the case, maybe someone could explain the proper steps that things are supposed to happen here. Maybe it is more to do with various stages for poisons that I either am not using properly or maybe they are not setup quite right.

[Trenloe]

Persistent damage is different from affliction save/damage and is automated using the PERS effect.

Save and Damage effect don't auto trigger saves or damage. You need to apply those manually as needed.

So, in the automation entries you have above:

Trigger the save by targeting the recipient and double clicking on [Saving Throw]
If the saving throw fails, double-click on Maximum Duration to set a tracking effect on the target. If it succeeded do nothing else.
If the initial saving throw failed, apply the Stage 1 effect for tracking purposes. If the save was a critical failure apply "Stage 2".
Roll the initial damage by double-clicking on 1d4 poison damage or 1d6 poison damage for a critical failure.
When it come back round you can either ask the player to roll the saving throw, or double-click on [Saving Throw].
Apply the appropriate stage tracking effect and damage manually based off the saving throw result.
Continue until there's a success on stage 1 or the 6 turn duration ends.


Affliction automation to handle this more smoothly is targeted for release 19 later in the year.

[ShadeRaven]

Yeah. The complexity of Afflictions with their stages and durations make is much more complicated than most creature automation that's come before it. As a temporary holding place, I tried to give a series of descriptive effects to mark each stage's properties. I've sought to smooth out the display aspect as I have worked deeper in each Bestiary.

Did I get it automated? No. Not really. That said, hopefully what is in place right now is enough to keep gameplay going until a more automated, permanent approach can be developed. The saves, effects, and the ability to deal the damages when appropriate are there, but there will still be the necessity to deal with each stage-end save, putting in the new (if any) stage effect, and so forth.

One thing you can be sure of, when Trenloe wrestles that beast into submission, I'll be as happy as anyone that turn over those processes to automation. I am also quite happy just dealing with the Bestiary/Adventure Path implementation of the automation and not the actual automation coding itself. Just thinking about what'll go into that makes curl into the fetal position and reach for my little Golarion Goblin plushy for comfort. :confused:

♫ Chase the coder, catch the bug. ♫
♫ Bonk the head to shut it up. ♫
♫ Bones be cracked, flesh be rend. ♫
♫ We be goblins, not be Tren! ♫