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So the last two sessions have been around the seven's sawmill. My PC's through their great wisdom kicked down the door and split the party upon trying to investigate the sawmill. This resulted in a couple of the PC's being ambushed on the upper levels (D5) when separated. As things went on the group cleared the cultists but where low on health and nearly got wiped out by Justice Ironbriair's negative energy channels leaving just the fighter remaining. Who decided to heal the cleric who with a spark of inspiration cast fireball...The result being the sawmill burnt down, one PC and her animal companion failed to make it out.

Now with no leads to go on to find Xanesha, the party plans to fight in the coliseum I built for some much needed funds since they haven't been doing to well on looting. So now I am in need of some idea's and advice on how to lead the campaign forward.

The current standings is with all the evidence burned down and the death of justice ironbriar. And in addition the a captain of the guard who was largely involved in the skinsaw cult investigation who went missing after introducing the party to magnimar, justice ironbriar, and learning of the details about Aldern Foxglove from the PC's. The city will be a bit confused by the mystery of it all in addition with the murders coming to a halt.

So the city hires a highly acclaimed inquisitor to look into the situation. After sometime Xanesha takes the this chance to charm the inquisitor into framing the PC's behind the murder of justice Ironbriar and The Captain, which won't be too difficult given there is more evidence against them, than for them since it was all destroyed in the fire at the sawmill. PC's get imprisoned and sentenced to the gallows and leading to a prison break scenario to prove themselves innocent.

The main issue being is that I need give them a lead, one being the inquisitor who is being charmed. Should they figure out that they are charmed and break it, that would be a significant development. But I need another way they can find a lead, if they are having trouble figuring it out.

Some idea's I currently have in Xanesha tracking them down once they break out and trying to lure one of them away to her den using her charm. I could send the golem after them as the book suggests, but I don't see how that will produce leads, just more urgency.

I am kinda a bit stumped to be honest, I am still fairly new to DMing so please if you have any suggestions I would highly appreciate it.

Thanks in advance.

Yeah I had a feeling that was the case, most of the familiars won't be doing anything combat related however the PC's do have attachments to them. I feel as though fully allowing them to be affected would cause an the party to get side tracked in combat. However at the same time I am not sure if having this inconsistency would be considered unfair for those who want to use their familiars in combat.

I have been considering adding some sort of free action or reaction that would allow PC's to shield their companions at the cost of taking a -2 on their own will save, or something like that.

So I was wondering if there is any shielding effect against channeling? In particular I am thinking of the case an evil cleric going up against a witch. If the witch has a viper familiar that they keep hidden on them under their robes, Is the viper considered a target of the clerics channel assuming they are within 30ft.

This is coming up since I am DMing a Rise of the Runelords campaign and they are going to be facing Naulia soon and a couple of people in my party have familiars or just animal companions of some sort that they keep with them.