Rise of the RuneLords – Chapters 1-3, what I’ve changed.
I required all my players to have characters from Sandpoint or the immediate area, and they were all at the age of maturity.
Part 1: Crypt of the Everflame
I started the campaign off with the premise of Crypt of the Everflame. This took some rework. I used the same general story, replacing Kassen with Sandpoint and adding Ekat Kassen as a person of note in Sandpoint’s origin. I put the crypt in the Hinterlands just a tiny bit into the Whisperwood Moor. I replaced other personas with people from Sandpoint – Mayor Deverin doing the ceremony, etc.
Ilsoaria Gandethus did the initial illusion encounter; one of my characters was from the orphanage and recognized his pipe smoke.
When they crossed cougar creek they found goblin tracks and a goblin dagger. Shale (I never called her Shalelu) met them on the path to give some history of Wisher’s well. They told her of the goblins and she worriedly went off to investigate.
Point out the creepy sign to the sanatorium on the way.
They meet Horran and Lettie Guffmin headed to Sandpoint with a wagonload of apples. The party chats with them and buys some apples. Portrayed as some nice kids. (Night of the Ghouls)
The last stop is to have lunch at the Grump Farm; they meet Maester Grump and his family. A storm is kicking up, but they must press on to the crypt.
The survivor that they find in the crypt is Alergast Barett (Monster in the Closet). He’s a local carpenter and helps setup the crypt for the “trial”. Play up his rescue and return with the group and reuniting with his wife Amele and their kids. Makes it more personal later.
The Crypt / reawaking I reworked because Nuallia and Co. broke in to steal a relic, and inadvertently they caused the restless dead. There are tracks that can be identified as a bugbear if someone gets a good Survival check.
Part 2: The party, now ‘adults’ has some history and a reason to be hanging out. I really played up the festival and let them play a variety of festival games and earn prizes. They particularly enjoyed the dragon races. Important detail – introduce other NPC’s at the fair. I had them notice Banny and Katrine making out in an alley; the gossip is the two are an item but her dad doesn’t know.
I changed the Raid up quite a bit. I doubled the number of goblins seen, but had half a dozen major NPC’s partake in the fight (some of whom were character mentors).
Importantly, when Aldern Foxglove is in danger, Rogor’s Croesby is with him. Aldern is ever so thankful, but poor Rogor’s gets largely ignored.
The following investigation has a number of clues. The wagon can be identified as being from Lonjiku’s estate. Also the ladder outside the wall has the local Sandpoint carpenter guild symbol. That leads them logically to Alergast again – and he recalls making the ladder and selling it to the general store. Ven Vinder is not so helpful. With a diplomacy check he’ll recall selling a tall ladder last week to a worker from the Kaijitsu estate. They should go to the Kaijitsu estate. Lonjiku is busy, have them meet some staff and the butler and armed guards, and with some diplomacy they can meet him. He’s irritable and will not admit to either the wagon or the ladder. Our fighter carried the damn ladder around all day – it was amusing.
Sherif Hemlock announces that he’s headed to Magnimar to get aid.
The Boar Hunt
Aldern invites the party to go hunting. I made it a half day event. I also had Rogor’s Croesby go along. He doesn’t say much; Aldern is the chatterbox. Rogor’s helps haul the boar back. They bring the boar back to Ameiko, who makes the preparations for the evening feast.
Play up the party and ingratiate the characters with Ameiko. Have fun with the dramatic entrance of Lonjiku.
Desecrated Vault
I gave Father Zantus a few extra levels. Let them explore the graveyard. I made Tobyn’s grave a large above ground mausoleum. I also added a nearby grave for Nuallia (that was an idea that I got from this forum). Add tracks around that grave, as if someone knelt down by it. (Tsuto appreciating the irony).
Monster in the Closet. Definitely use this now that you’ve had multiple interactions with Alergast. My players were pretty bummed.
Aldern hangs out at the Rusty Dragon for most of this, pestering the characters here and there. I do make a point of them watching him give Rogor’s instructions at a wagon before Rogor’s heads off to the manor to do some ‘renovations’.
Glassworks
I doubled the number of goblins. I also kept Lonjiku alive but unconcious. In the chair as presented, with melted glass across his face (which will be a permanent scar).
I did my best to get Tsuto out of there. He had a horse tethered in the sea cave and he got away. It’s more interesting IMO if he escapes, but you get what you get.
Post Glassworks cleanup
Hemlock shows up with Justic Ironbriar and a dozen guards. They help secure the town; My party turned Tsuto over to Ironbriar. This was great irony, as I played that Ironbriar is Tsuto’s actual father (a well kept secret). Tsuto knows of course. That’s how he was directed to Nualia. Ironbriar plays up congratulating the party on their heroics, and tells the party to come see him the next time they are in Magnimar. When they left, Tsuto was in chains. Once they get back to Magnimar, Ironbriar gives Tsuto instructions – to make up for his failure in Sandpoint he is to go to assist Lucretia under the pretense of being sent to the Black Arrows. I ended up replacing Kaven with Tsuto. If Tsuto is dead for you, keep Kaven as is, but Ironbriar wants revenge for the death of his son.
Catacombs
I played this pretty straight. I used the description of the waters of Lamashtu from the Inner Sea guide; there’s a conflict between the books on what it looks like.
Thistletop
I did some major rework here. I moved the goblin fort into the thistles. There were thistle paths all around my fort and one of the ‘tunnels’ led to the rickety bridge. The top of my statue head was worn and covered in lichen and dirt and sea gull nests, with nothing else but a small shack. The shack had some goblin guards, and inside the shack were the stairs leading down. No other goblins were inside the ‘head’, just the main bad guys.
I also littered the forest next the fort with the remains of the statue, huge chunks of worn but clearly carved stone that had settled into the ground and was largely covered with mounds of dirt, but it could be identified as a statue and was hundreds of feet long.
I didn’t change the goblin encounters much at all. They weren’t that challenging for my party.
Thistletop Dungeon
I added half a dozen hobgoblin’s as extra floor guards, one of which was the jailer still present plus two more.
I got rid of the tentamort. It just didn’t make sense to me that the group would leave that thing alive in their base.
I broke the fight into groups; Orik, Lyrie and Tsuto. In the darndest luck, all three survived the fight and were captured. If you have Orik surrender at the right time, Lyrie will join him. Tsuto fought to unconsciousness but they let him live yet again. Which I had fun with this. My party actually let Lyrie and Orik free ( I don’t really know why – other than they convinced the group that they were unwitting pawns in Nualia’s scheme.)
Bruthazmus and two more hobgoblins provided the next line of defense.
Then came Nuallia and her Yeth hound. I Reduced the encounter to one hound; the fear effect was devastating at the low levels.
I got rid of the shadows, and made the place look far more like an archeological dig, with journals and books and equipment. I made it clear that the bad guys were stuck opening up the magic door. I had the key to the door well hidden behind the throne with the illusion.
I made room E10 larger so there’s 10’ all around the flame trough. My party opted to not open up the vault (and still hasn’t). I removed the binding of the barghest to the room so it could become a frantic running fight if need be. Perhaps later they will come back to kill it.
Chapter 2
I did some major reworking. Mostly because I found Aldern’s tortured character interesting and wanted to keep dragging him out. So, he’s not my Skinsaw man. Rogor’s goes to the manor and tries to catch a rat and gets bitten. Aldern finally leaves town and swings by the manor to see if the rats are ready, finds Rogor’s sick so he takes him to Magnimar. Ironbriar is upset that it took so long and that Foxglove is such an incompetent twit. Xanesha gets involved, sees what’s happening, and personally takes Rogor’s back to the manor so he can turn. Aldern gets locked up in his town home in the top room, with the faceless stalkers acting as his jailers and him as bait for the characters.
Most of the chapter plays out the same; I tweaked the notes so that it eventually looks like Aldern, but Rogor’s was really the bitter/jealous one watching Aldern get the attention, etc.
In the Manor I had a raging storm come on (lots of lead up to it). I did away with assigning haunts to people. I just had whomever went into each room first get affected. Remember to keep Aldern’s portrait clean and alive. I also made the haunts less deadly and more creepy and informative.
They find Iesha, and free her. It helped that she shrieked and sent most of the party cowering. This was a fun encounter – because Aldern wasn’t at the manor she heads out the front door in the storm. My group argued between chasing her down or pursuing the skinsaw man. It was very nice; they let her go, made their way to the caves and the final fight was rough. I moved the Skaveling to the main chamber so when they came in, Skinsaw plus all the ghouls plus the Skaveling doing flyby attacks was pure carnage.
Once Rogor’s was defeated, they found the same clues to lead them to the townhome. They reported in to the mayor and sheriff, and then raced off to Magnimar. I had Iesha be more discreet than a book revenant would be able to. She stayed off the roads and traveled by night.
The party got to the townhome before her (they went on horseback). When the fake Aldern and Iesha answered, the jig was up and the party basically busted in after a short dialogue. They found Aldern alive but covered in filth upstairs; they got him cleaned up, he confessed to everything and spilled all that he knew. I made sure he DID NOT know any actual identities of the Seven. The party waited for Iesha to show up and smash in, and then they killed her while Aldern cowered and wept. Then, to my delight, they arrested Aldern and turned him over to Justice Ironbriar!
Ironbriar proceeded to do his best to thwart the characters. I used Dawn of the Scarlet Son as a side quest; Ironbriar sends them to meet with the captain in charge of that investigation suggesting that it was related the serial killers. This eats of some time and gives them another rough fight.
I kept the saw mill mostly as is; instead of it being their main base, it was more of a meeting place and occasional sacrifice area. I removed Ironbriar’s office (it became a small share space with actual ledgers related to the operation of the mill). My party snuck in at night and got ambushed by three cultists. I reworked the cultists, changed from 13 to 7. Stats below. I left the rookery as the link to the Shadow Clock. In the ledger I included clues to another side quest, totally unnecessary mind you. I planted notes alluding to an underground slave ring operating in the city sewers and hinting at the mistress running it. I made it either Sense Motive or Linguistics DC20 to see these were all recently written and meant to be a red herring. My party saw through the ruse, BUT I did prepare the Broken Chains adventure changing out the Qanat waterway with Magnimar Sewers. I thought it would be a significant interesting side question especially since it has the Lamashtu tie in. My group didn’t go after it though.
They traced the pigeon to the Shadow Clock.
I scrapped the Shadow Clock map entirely. It’s TERRIBLE. The worst map and picture in the book IMO. I made my own, using images of an actual clock tower.
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I kept Scarecrow as the main guard. The front doors were locked and had an official city sign condemning the clock, signed by none other than Ironbriar. He had essential acquired the clock as his own after numerous climbing deaths (some of which he helped stage).
I put his personal lair at the top. He had three cultists guarding the way up; I kept the bell trap. On the roof he greets them doing a slow clap, congratulating them on ruining his cult. The group SHOULD let him monologue, feeling the betrayal. If not, there will be notes. In addition to all of the book notes and loot, include a personal journal with entries about Tsuto. If Tsuto is alive, it should discuss his plans for sending Tsuto to the Black Feathers and his concerns about it. To add some pathos, he genuinely loves his son and is worried for him. He reveals that he is powerless and enslaved by Xanesha, who at this very moment is about to murder Lord Mayor Groboras and numerous other wealthy city officials. He has to fight them, but he resists enough to spill what he knows in angry resentment. Once the fight starts, a Yeth hound joins the fray (given to him by Xanesha). I re-statted him completely.
He either gives them the location or they find the missive directing the 7th cultist to Lady Baythorn’s private manor to assist her. (I stole that name from another post on this forum, along with other ideas regarding Xanesha. She’s been more of a public figure, a beautiful enchanting and wealthy woman. She’s been courting Groboras (to her distaste) and building up to this moment. A dozen of the city’s who’s who all to be sacrificed at once. The party has to race to find her estate in the wealthy district. It’s a small walled manor house with a line of fancy carriages out front. For me I had the singular joy of bringing back Lyrie and Orik. Both of them gave the “Not you again!” to the party. Lyrie followed after Tsuto, still having a crush on them. They got found out and recruited to be Xanesha’s estate guards. If you don’t have them, use some other tougher than usual mooks. Inside the ritual is getting started. Xanesha poisoned all her guests with sleeping poison, and is in the process of preparing Groboras with the rune. She has two serving staff and a butler who are faceless stalkers (but don’t reveal that right away) plus the 7th cultist who will hide and try to get the assassination shot in before joining the fun. Xanesha is beautiful, and may try to monologue, but once the party attacks she snakes out. I kept her upper torso the same gorgeous woman. She’ll slip on her mask and grab her spear. She might also use the sleeping victims as soft cover to complicate the fight.
Once the fight is wrapped, all of her notes and loot will be in her private study. The party can wake up all the people, Groboras will be shocked and then exceedingly grateful. Rewards should follow.
The party has two direct leads now to head north.
Cultists
Cleric 1, Rogue 4/Knifemaster, Assassin 1 with 15pt build
St 14 (started 13, 4th lvl +1), Dex 16, Con 12 Int 13 Wis 10 Cha 13
Human CE Norgorber Death/Trickery
Equipment +1 Daggers, Masterwork Lamellar, Drow Poison, Skinsaw Mask
Each of them also has one magical item:
Potion of Murderer's Silence, Thoqqua Snake, Boots of the Cat, Hat of Disguise, Belt of Tumbling, Deathwatch Eyes and Daredevil boots.
3 of them (at the Clock tower) have Masterwork Comp Strength bows +2. 3 are encountered at the Sawmill. One is with Xanesha.
Feats: Gang Up, Selective Channeling, Weapon Focus: Dagger
Key Skills: Acrobatics 10, Climb 9, Stealth 10, Sense Motive 6, Perception 9, Intimidate 8, and Knowledge Local 8.
Active Spells: Shield of Faith
Justic Ironbriar Elf CE
Rogue 3 (Roof Runner), Inquisitor 6 (Preacher)
Str 12 (14 with belt) Dex 18 Con 12 Int 16 Wis 14 Cha 13
Clever Wordplay / Warrior of Old
Weapon Focus Short Sword, Two-weapon fighting, Weapon Finesse, toughness, Dodge, Combat Reflexes
+1 Shortsword Keen & +1 Shortsword Bane/Human. Elven Chain. Ring of the Ram. Gelt of Giant Strength +2
72 HP AC24 /18touch /19flat / +8 Init / +7 Fort / +9 Ref / +8 Will / CMB 8 / CMD26
Shortswords +10 / +10 /+5 1d6+6, +2d6 sneak damage. Keen crit 17-20. Bane +2d6 vs humans. Yeth Hound will work to give him flank.
Inquisitor / Determination / Determination
Defense against magic Enchantment / Illusion
Domain Death (Murder)
Rogue Talents / Combat Trick (combat reflexes)
Buffs – Judgement (Destruction) to gain +3 Sacred bonus on damage
He’s watched the party advance. He’ll cast Resist Energy against whatever magic energy he sees them use, if none he might pick lightning.
Also has Shield of Faith going.
I gave him Alarm, Expedition Retreat, Command, Resist Energy, Weapon of Awe, Invisibility, Knock, Honeyed Tongue, See Invisibility and Shield of Faith.
Tactics: The Yeth Hound should bay the first round. I didn’t have it affect Ironbriar. If you need a reason, perhaps he has the hound bay at him every morning so he’s immune for 24 hours. Not completely unreasonable. The tower is in complete shadow, so the hound is find on the roof. I had the top of my tower be low parapets. If he can get a shot lined up, have him use the Ring of the Ram to knock a character off. 250’ fall. (My house rule is falling damage doesn’t cap until 25d6. No one fell, but it would have been squishy.) Other than that he wants to get flank and full round actions. He should be able to hit for a lot of damage.
Chapter 3
We are just starting Chapter 3. The party will need to find passage up the river, and I’m going to offer up a riverboat using material from River Into Darkness. I’m also considering some other distractions, such as Feast of Ravenmoor on the way. There are some excellent encounters in the forums that I’ve stolen as potentials. Once they get to Turtleback Ferry, I’m doing things differently.
The first main change is I’m going to have the Paradise NOT be sunk. There should be ample opportunities for roleplaying in Turtleback Ferry. Mission one will be getting onto the Paradise, which will be a large gambling boat. I’m planning on a dramatic confrontation with Lucrectia there (she’ll have at least half a dozen well-armed body guards) plus fifty or so townsfolk caught in the crossfire. I’m planning on having the boat be primed to burn (guards pouring oil outside) so when the fight breaks out, so does the fire. Imagine the chaos of screaming gamblers trying to get out (possibly with the doors barred if the setup works) and a dramatic showdown as the boat burns. If she escapes, she will flee back to Hook Mountain, if not no worries. The party still has plenty to do.
I’ll be re-statting the Graul boys and Mammy. She’ll be a higher level necromancer and she’ll have the The Kardosian Codex. Once their home is invaded, she’ll head outside. Since I still have Aldern, he’ll be a prisoner there with some of the other Black Feather’s and somebody to babysit which should be fun. I’m not using Shale as the hook at all, so she won’t be part of this.
I’ll be dialing back the battle at the Fort substantially in terms of scale. I’ll probably only have a dozen Ogres (including Pappy) and the main characters, but all the rest will be tougher fighters. So fewer, more intense encounters. As a side quest, the eagles didn’t join in the first fight so they are there if the party wants to climb up to seek some allies.
That’s what I have for sure so far. More to come.
