Ideas for a small side-trek...


Rise of the Runelords


One of my players is a ranger. They leveled up recently and he acquired a hawk animal companion. He found her on the road to Thistletop.
They've just cleared out Thistletop and are heading back to Sandpoint. I'd like to have a small side-trek explaining the origin of the animal companion.
I was thinking that the hawk was the animal companion of a local druid who was killed in the woods. My thinking is that, on the way back from Thistletop, the hawk will once again seek out the druid's body, leading the party to it.
From here, i was thinking of working it into the "Under Pauper's Grave" encounter in the back of Pathfinder COmics #3. It involves Ghouls, and I thought this would be some nice foreshadowing into the events of RotRL Chapter 2.
What do you all think? Is this a good idea? Will it give away some of the mystery of Chapter 2?
Thanks.


I don't think it would give away anything and would make for a nice bit of backstory... though I'm not familiar with 'Under Pauper's Grave'.

In our campaign I had a pair of druids come down from Churlwood with the intention of inhabiting Thistletop and starting a new Druidic Circle in the area. Their return allowed me to send the PC's back with them to 'clear they evil they sensed still lurked within'... their first trip they hadn't defeated the Barghest, the Tentamort or the Giant Hermit Crab, and I added some squatting harpies on the top level for good measure. It was a nice little return trip for them.

In between Burnt Offerings and Skinsaw Murders I also had the PC's track down Shalelu - she had gone off in pursuit of Bruthazmus when the villain had escaped and when she did not return Ameiko grew concerned for her friend. The group found her in Raven's Roost, a bluff that served as a wintering stronghold for a band of hobgoblins whom had been taken over by Bruthazmus (and his new Ettin enforcer). The group stormed the place - it really made for an exciting battle and a fitting denouement for Thistletop.


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Sounds like its a good time for a cut scene!

Run the encounter with the players playing a group of 3rd level non-optimal build characters - heck, make them 10pt stat builds.
Make the ranger player play the Druid with the Hawk companion.

Let the ghouls tear up the 3rd level party. When they start to run into ghouls in Skinsaw, you have a built in fear of ghouls and a good red herring for the Skinsaw Man, just be prepared for your PC to head straight to the Paupers Graves.

And I swiped Story Archer's dwarves - but I put a Forked-tail Wyvern in, instead of Harpies.


I'd caution against using ghouls at this early stage. My group headed there in thought of having discovered a shortcut to Thistletop and almost died due to paralysis mayhem.
I like the idea of Lorax, though. Give them the experience but without causing the actual plot to being disrupted by unfortunate player deaths.

Ruyan.

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