Introducing the Revenge of the Runelords Player’s Guide

Thursday, September 25, 2025

When the runelords of Thassilon went into hiding on the eve of Earthfall, they each expected to emerge not long after to a world ready and ripe for conquering. Yet so great was the devastation, and so misplaced was their trust in their underlings, that once they had stepped away from the world, they were left to languish for thousands of years. The first to rise from this self-imposed exile was Karzoug, Runelord of Greed. His return to the world not only thrust the runelord legacy into the modern era, but helped trigger the other six runelords’ returns as well.

Through this all, the most powerful runelord of them all, Xanderghul, runelord of pride, was ironically and continually caught off-guard. In the end, he was murdered before he could awaken, yet to the most powerful of all runelords, death was but one more indignity. One that only fueled his thirst for revenge against the world that, by all his own accounts, should be his to destroy.



In the Revenge of the Runelords Adventure Path, your characters are already mythic heroes—legendary figures who have accomplished more than most do in a lifetime. You’ve each answered a mythic calling and made names for yourselves—enough that you’ve attracted the attention of Queen Sorshen herself. Once one of the runelords, and arguably the only runelord who could stand toe-to-toe against Runelord Xanderghul, Queen Sorshen has seen her fellow six runelords stick to their natures and, time after time, be defeated by this new age’s heroes. Sorshen chose differently, in part after spending thousands of years in magical isolation with her own personal demons, and now she wants to help build societies rather than tear them down. And to do so, she admits she needs help from this era’s heroes—and who better to call upon than Golarion’s newest mythic adventurers?

Inside the Revenge of the Runelords Player’s Guide, you’ll find player-friendly, spoiler-free information and tips to help you make an exciting new 12th-level mythic character perfect for the Revenge of the Runelords Adventure Path!



This player’s guide contains:

  • Character suggestions, including recommendations for ancestries, classes, languages, skills, feats, gear, and mythic callings and destinies well suited for this Adventure Path.
  • Six new backgrounds tailor-made to not only set your PC up as a hero of the Saga Lands, but to help explain why and how Queen Sorshen chose you to ask for help.
  • Four new mythic callings tailor made to match Revenge of the Runelords’ themes, as well as brief notes about new mythic destinies designed to fit into this Adventure Path’s story.
  • Advice for you and your GM on how to run Revenge of the Runelords as a follow-up Adventure Path for a previous campaign, be it Seven Dooms for Sandpoint, Myth-Speaker, or something else.
  • A “Recap of the Runelords.” The saga of the runelords is one that’s played out over multiple Adventure Paths and, indeed, multiple editions of the game—this “runelords primer” intends to bring new players up to speed (or to remind established players of what’s come before) in as spoiler-free a way as possible as to who these runelords are and what they’ve been up to.
  • Finally, a brief description of the capital city of New Thassilon, known now as Xin-Eurythinia (once known not so long ago as Xin-Shalast), presents you with a brief gazetteer of the remote metropolis where this campaign begins, but details six unusual downtime activities your PCs can engage in as the campaign begins—or with your GM’s approval—even before!

Download The Revenge of the Runelords Player's Guide!

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Tags: Pathfinder Pathfinder Adventure Path Pathfinder Second Edition Revenge of the Runelords

GLORIOUS!!!


2 people marked this as a favorite.

*Narrowing eyes at the guy on the back of the mirage dragon, notably at his staff*

Is…. Is that…. Krune??


Maybe....

Scarab Sages

Neat.

Isn't Krune the Runelord that the PFS dealt with?


1 person marked this as a favorite.
Arkat wrote:

Neat.

Isn't Krune the Runelord that the PFS dealt with?

he got betta.

Dark Archive

I was wondering when a time-themed Mythic Destiny would show up!
Very interested to see how that plays out =3

Also considering the amount of different time-themed features in the player's guide, like a background, calling, and even a nod to the Dimension of Time Lore, I'm also very interested to see if there's some fun new spells/feats/items for aspiring chronomancers and time travelers outside of the Time-Wracked Destiny!


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Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Pathfinder Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

Well, I've been looking forward to this AP. I am very hesitant about the inclusion of the new mythic rules because as they stand I feel like they are just a poor imitation of what we had in first edition.

Too specific in their implementation. Not generalistic enough to be able to fit character situations just completely underwhelmed by them.

Maybe the addendums in this AP will improve them enough that I am merely whelmed and not underwhelmed


2 people marked this as a favorite.
Adventure Path Charter Subscriber; Pathfinder Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber

Reading through the guide (first pass) and the new mythic callings are interesting options.

Also, there seem to be some thematic ties between three of the backgrounds and the brief descriptions of three of the new mythic destinies: Escaped from Time and Timewracked, Heroic Ancestry (or Local Savior) and Heroic Scion, and Runelord Researcher and Avenging Runelord (plus the Runelord's Calling to really focus on the theme).


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Very exciting. I'm hoping this is the next seasons of ghosts quality adventure path. The last few have been underwhelming.

Vigilant Seal

So happy to see Ayavah there!


I seem to be getting Access Denied errors when trying to download it.


Timewracked and Warshard Warrior both sound really fun! I had a blast with my timeline-correcting Aeon powers in the WotR videogame, and my homebrew setting has a bunch of cool magic swords whose wielders have demigod-like powers, so I'm quite excited.

Shadow Lodge

Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

The VA for this sounds exactly like how I'd expected Xanderghul to sound!
I'm excited to bring my player group into this one after we finish all the 1st Ed adventures we want to do. They've reminded me, "There's more to Golarion than Varisia," but I still want to watch them hit him in his smug face again.


Pathfinder Maps, Pathfinder Accessories, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber
ShadowFighter88 wrote:
I seem to be getting Access Denied errors when trying to download it.

I'm also getting access denied

Edit: clicking the picture instead of the link worked

Silver Crusade

1 person marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Maps, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber
The Shifty Mongoose wrote:

The VA for this sounds exactly like how I'd expected Xanderghul to sound!

I'm excited to bring my player group into this one after we finish all the 1st Ed adventures we want to do. They've reminded me, "There's more to Golarion than Varisia," but I still want to watch them hit him in his smug face again.

Paizo has given us characters with the "Paizo Punchable Face TM TM TM do not steal" for years now, but this is the first time we've gotten "Paizo Punchable Voice TM TM TM do not steal".


Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber

A background called Local Savior. Which is... My wife's online name and yet her PC is better suited for the one where you're the child of a previous runelords adventurer. A cruel choice by the gods!
This AP looks amazing.


Curious why was there no mention of Lissala, the runelord goddess. She got an entry in divine mysteries and war of immortals suggests IIRC she is getting supporters, including non-evil ones.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

vyshan wrote:
Curious why was there no mention of Lissala, the runelord goddess. She got an entry in divine mysteries and war of immortals suggests IIRC she is getting supporters, including non-evil ones.

Because...

Spoiler:
...she and her faith don't really play much of a role at all in this Adventure Path.

Radiant Oath

The guide claims this is the 'Final' Runelords story. Let's check back in five years.


1 person marked this as a favorite.
James Jacobs wrote:
vyshan wrote:
Curious why was there no mention of Lissala, the runelord goddess. She got an entry in divine mysteries and war of immortals suggests IIRC she is getting supporters, including non-evil ones.

Because...

** spoiler omitted **

Spoiler:
So the goddess of Runes who was basically one of the major deities of old Thassilon, has no relevance in a plot about taking down the biggest of the baddest Runelords? Yes I am aware that Xanderghul's domain had the peacock spirit(and that cult is not suitable for players) but considering that Rune Giants worship her and war of immortals include a passage about her gaining new followers, the fact she has no relevance at all is kind of disappointing.
Paizo Employee Creative Director

2 people marked this as a favorite.
vyshan wrote:
James Jacobs wrote:
vyshan wrote:
Curious why was there no mention of Lissala, the runelord goddess. She got an entry in divine mysteries and war of immortals suggests IIRC she is getting supporters, including non-evil ones.

Because...

** spoiler omitted **

** spoiler omitted **

There's a LOT of Thassilon-related stuff that doesn't play a role in Revenge of the Runelords, because the story I wanted to tell and directed the authors to write is about a pretty specific plot, and while...

Spoiler:
...Lissala's influence is indeed growing again, it's not tied to Xanderghul or the current significant events in the Saga Lands at this time. It may be something we explore in a different adventure in the future, perhaps, but there wasn't really a place or a need or a desire on my part to add a Lissala element into this one, which is very much a specific different story about runelords who never really had much to do with Lissala in the first place. Sorta like how there wasn't much about Lissala in Rise of the Runelords, I suppose.


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Adventure Path Charter Subscriber; Pathfinder Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber

Also, in Return of the Runelords it was revealed (IIRC)

Spoiler:
that Xanderghul was secretly the Peacock Spirit, and was trying to supplant Lissala as the "favored/official religion" in Thassilon.

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