Pathfinder Adventure Path #2: The Skinsaw Murders (Rise of the Runelords 2 of 6) (OGL)

4.60/5 (based on 40 ratings)
Pathfinder Adventure Path #2: The Skinsaw Murders (Rise of the Runelords 2 of 6) (OGL)
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The Rise of the Runelords Adventure Path continues! A sudden string of brutal killings terrorizes the town of Sandpoint, and the killer's mark bears a familiar shape. Investigation leads to the Lost Coast's most notorious haunted mansion, a dilapidated ruin that has become the lair of a monstrous murderer. Yet this killer is but one of many, a member of a group of fanatic cutthroats calling themselves the Skinsaw Men. To defeat the cult, the PCs must travel to the bustling city of Magnimar to unravel the sinister source of these murders before they become the Skinsaw Men's next victims!

This volume of Pathfinder Adventure Path continues the Rise of the Runelords Adventure Path and includes:

  • "The Skinsaw Murders," an adventure for 4th-level characters by Richard Pett.
  • Details on Magnimar, the City of Monuments, by F. Wesley Schneider.
  • Information on the church of Desna, goddess of dreams, stars, and travel, by Sean K Reynolds.
  • The second installment of the Pathfinder's Journal, by Jason Bulmahn.
  • Six new monsters by Jason Bulmahn, James Jacobs, Richard Pett, and F. Wesley Schneider.

ISBN-13: 978-1-60125-037-7

Web Supplement: An additional map of Magnimar may be found in the Paizo blog entry for October 5, 2007.

Other Resources: This product is also available on the following platforms:

Hero Lab Online
SoundSet on Syrinscape
Archives of Nethys

Note: This product is part of the Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscription.

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This product is non-mint. Refunds are not available for non-mint products. The standard version of this product can be found here.

Are there errors or omissions in this product information? Got corrections? Let us know at store@paizo.com.

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Haunting

5/5

A series of grisly murders are associated with the PCs' names, and they must act to find the real killer and clear themselves.

I don't think I've ever been so excited about a module while reading it: this one is complex, moody, coherent, and downright fascinating. I couldn't wait to run it.

In play we found the relentless horror (following close on _Burnt Offerings_ which was also fairly horrific in play) to be too much for the PCs, but this will obviously vary from group to group. I would have liked to see the backstory of the haunted house connect more tightly to the proposed solution. But the first half, ending in the haunted house, was still a terrific, scary experience.

The second half was a little weaker because the writeup of Magnimar is sparse, and the city locations are not used richly (only a few set piece locations). The promised political intrigue in Magnimar is left purely up to the GM. The final encounter was also dangerously hard for PCs of this level. Still, a colorful and memorable scenario, paling mainly in comparison with the first half.

Supplemental materials include a useful writeup of the cult of Desna, a bestiary, and a sketchy writeup of the city of Magnimar. I was disappointed in the latter, especially compared to the excellent Sandpoint writeup. It was mainly a high-level overview with little in the way of adventure hooks or specific locations. (Anyone using this module should be sure to download the corrected map of Magnimar; the one in the module is mangled.)

Despite my criticisms, I think this is one of the strongest modules I have ever seen. Its emotional punch is so strong that it may well have to be adapted to meet the needs of specific groups, but the raw material is all there, and it's dynamite material.


Creep Factor

5/5

This chapter was pure genius, especially the haunted house section. My players were creeped out early - beginning on the way to the farmlands after the farmer had talked about walking scarecrows. The true test is not how it reads but how it plays and this Chapter played flawlessly.

My players would not leave the house once they had gone out and met a recreation of the birds. They felt trapped in the house with no escape. It was a beautiful thing to behold.

Thanks so much for a wonderful adventure and AP.


Pathfinder is on a roll...

5/5

Rise of the Runelords takes a turn for the grim with this installment. The back cover text starts with "They even ate the dogs!" which fits the tone of the adventure perfectly. Things start out in a fairly conventional manner, but end up in a best haunted house since the original Ravenloft, complete with clever new mechanics good enough to insert into the DMG (just be sure you download the update).

The section on Magnimar is awesome. Pretty map, flavorful description, just enough detail to run with as a DM without feeling boxed-in. Some map key issues should be resolved by downloading the new map on the paizo site...too bad the printed map has errors, but they jumped right on fixing it.

Pathfinder Journal's font and presentation problems disappear in this installment, as the format changes up a bit. After the Pathfinder organization overview in issue one, we shift gears into a "in-character" journal as recorded by one of the Pathfinders themselves, which was a great choice for immersion in the world. Really a useful tool for describing things as the players would see them.

The only downside I see to this issue is the mistakes that crept in and had to be fixed later on the website. However, this situaiton is understandable given the timetable they were facing. If this were Pathfinder 12 instead of 2, I'd be more concerned.

Once again, Pathfinder delivers. Recommended. (*****)


Very Good Issue

4/5

The adventure in itself is outstanding. Creepy, entertaining, well balanced between investigations, fights and exploration... that's all good.

There is one minor flaw: the very pretty Magnimar map with keys and locations that do not match, as well as problems of orientation (one text mentions a migration of an NPC south, and the map shows the district thus created in the West of the river).

There's also a small question of thematic: I really appreciated the description of Desna and her cult. This is a great job, really. I would have appreciated something more fitting the creepy/horror genre of the adventure though. Lamashtu, or Ghaur (or Ghauth? Spelling may be off - it's described as some sort of horrific mosquito half-god of bloodsuckers and sickenesses) would have been a better fit. Something more relevant to the rest of the volume.

These are both minor issues to me, but it's enough for me to award 4 instead of 5 stars for this volume. Got to start getting tough on the marking for further improvements, here! :)


An RPG Resource Review

5/5

Here in the second installment of the Rise of the Runelords campaign, we get the same mix as in the first: a splendid adventure along with background articles rounding out the campaign setting, new monsters and more. The Introduction talks not only about the talents of the adventure's author but how they are ideally suited to the darker turn that the campaign plotline is taking. For a vicious serial killer is loose in Sandpoint, and this adventure involves unravelling the complex background to his crimes as well as finding out who the murderer is - someone encountered during Burnt Offerings, the last person you'd think of as a brutal murderer.

The adventure begins as a classic murder mystery, with a gruesome murder which the characters - as known heroes around Sandpoint - are asked to investigate on behalf of the authorities. Like any good murder investigation, there are plenty of clues, and a good few red herrings as well. The clue chain is well-constructed and the characters ought to be able to find their way along it without feeling that they are being led by the nose. Several people the characters will encounter have been driven mad by what they have seen - a fine opportunity for the DM to enjoy a spot of ranting and raving, plenty of scope to bring the horror of the situation to life by demonstrating the effect it has had on the minds of those who have seen more than they ought.

If this isn't enough, following the clues will eventually lead the characters to investigate a haunted manor house. It's full of spectacular hauntings and things guaranteed to make everyone twitchy... a beautiful example of a sometimes cliched 'place to visit' within role-playing. A skillful system of 'hauntings' can bring both fear and real danger to the characters as they explore.

I gave 5 stars to the 1st episode, this one is better!

Read the full review at http://www.rpg-resource.org.uk/


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Scarab Sages

Dark_Mistress wrote:
Richard Pett wrote:
Twizz wrote:
Lisa Stevens wrote:

We are putting the final touches on a reprint of #2, and once we give the go ahead to the printer, it will take about 6 weeks to get here. I expect that we will give that go ahead this coming week.

-Lisa

I can't believe this book is $50.00 on the secondary market.

Since your company is supporting 3.5. I'm also gonna carry some 3.5 material in my retail store. So I went to restock on all the Pathfinder Runelord series. Only to discover #2 is out of print.
Makes it hard to carry the whole line when one issue is out of print.

Plz give the go ahead at the printer. Summer is coming and retailers need this on our shelves.

$50 - gosh!
Well someones head just swelled up to 10 times the normal size. :)

Just don't tell him how much people are trying to sell it for on the Amazon.co.uk marketplace, I made a lot of incoherent spluttering noises when I looked those up a few weeks ago.

Seriously, I'm so glad it's being reprinted, I'd have ended up spending a fortune just to get rid of that damn hole in my collection

Paizo Employee Director of Brand Strategy

Illessa wrote:

Just don't tell him how much people are trying to sell it for on the Amazon.co.uk marketplace, I made a lot of incoherent spluttering noises when I looked those up a few weeks ago.

Seriously, I'm so glad it's being reprinted, I'd have ended up spending a fortune just to get rid of that damn hole in my collection

If my rudimentary economics education serves me well, (and I seriously doubt that it does) these extremely high prices forthis book lead me to believe that the demand for the Pathfinder line as a whole is a lot larger than I had ever guessed. Which is great! Then again, no one seems to be willing to pay $50 or more for the book, so maybe the demand isn't yet that high amd thus the equilibrium price has not yet been reached.


Will there be a print version anytime soon again?
I just threw my group at this great Adventure PAth and now part 2 is unavailable - save for horrendous prices om Amazon(.de) :(

Contributor

yoda8myhead wrote:
Illessa wrote:

Just don't tell him how much people are trying to sell it for on the Amazon.co.uk marketplace, I made a lot of incoherent spluttering noises when I looked those up a few weeks ago.

Seriously, I'm so glad it's being reprinted, I'd have ended up spending a fortune just to get rid of that damn hole in my collection

£105 - flippin eck!

Scarab Sages

Heimdall wrote:

Will there be a print version anytime soon again?

I just threw my group at this great Adventure PAth and now part 2 is unavailable - save for horrendous prices om Amazon(.de) :(

About halfway down the previous page

Lisa Stevens wrote:

We are putting the final touches on a reprint of #2, and once we give the go ahead to the printer, it will take about 6 weeks to get here. I expect that we will give that go ahead this coming week.

-Lisa

Assuming it all went ahead without a hitch then I guess it will be available again from early June, perhaps late May if we're lucky.

Contributor

Hmm...and having just checked number 3, I feel an email to louge coming on.

aha ahahaha

Scarab Sages

Richard Pett wrote:

Hmm...and having just checked number 3, I feel an email to louge coming on.

aha ahahaha

Oh dear


Illessa wrote:

...About halfway down the previous page...

Assuming it all went ahead without a hitch then I guess it will be available again from early June, perhaps late May if we're lucky.

Thanks Illessa - should have checked the forums before posting.

Maybe it was the shock after looking it up on amazon ;)
But 105GBP that's hilarious. Maybe I should buy the ones in .de and sell them in .uk for a nice profit :D

Sovereign Court Contributor

Today at CanGames, I noticed several copies of this for sale at one of the dealer booths. I'll try to remember to look in here in the morning before I go back, and if anyone wants one at the regular price plus shipping from Ottawa, Canada, post here and I'll try to grab some copies. You can pay me by paypal and I'll ship them out in refurbished Paizo mailers.

Sorry fot the short notice, but it is what it is...


I thought this was going to be reprinted?

Paizo Employee Chief Technical Officer

Andre Caceres wrote:
I thought this was going to be reprinted?

It's being reprinted now. I believe we're expecting to have in in our warehouse in July.

Scarab Sages

*does the backorder dance*
Soon that annoying gap in my collection will be gone, soooooooooon...

Liberty's Edge

Vic Wertz wrote:
It's being reprinted now. I believe we're expecting to have in in our warehouse in July.

"Just" reprinted or?

Paizo Employee CEO

Stegger wrote:
Vic Wertz wrote:
It's being reprinted now. I believe we're expecting to have in in our warehouse in July.
"Just" reprinted or?

Just reprinted. We wanted to have this in stock for GenCon, so it is exactly the same as the first printing.

-Lisa

Sovereign Court

Lisa Stevens wrote:
Stegger wrote:
Vic Wertz wrote:
It's being reprinted now. I believe we're expecting to have in in our warehouse in July.
"Just" reprinted or?

Just reprinted. We wanted to have this in stock for GenCon, so it is exactly the same as the first printing.

-Lisa

Cool, that's the hole in my collection too. It's funny that Pathfinder followed the same path as comics when it came to pricing and demand.

Liberty's Edge

Thank you Lisa

Contributor

Huzzah!


One question: Where do I download the extra maps promised on pg.63? Is it a map folio I have to buy, or is it free content I can't seem to find?


Krisam wrote:
One question: Where do I download the extra maps promised on pg.63? Is it a map folio I have to buy, or is it free content I can't seem to find?

Here you are: Magnimar map.


Cormac wrote:


Here you are: Magnimar map.

Thank you, Cormac!


I also have come here fir the Magnimar downloadable content, but I see none.. has it gone or never was?

Scarab Sages

Lisa Stevens wrote:
Stegger wrote:
Vic Wertz wrote:
It's being reprinted now. I believe we're expecting to have in in our warehouse in July.
"Just" reprinted or?

Just reprinted. We wanted to have this in stock for GenCon, so it is exactly the same as the first printing.

-Lisa

Hurray! You guys just made some money. I have been putting off getting the APs until I was sure I could get all of them.

Now that I have #2 on backorder, I am heading to my FLGS to get 1 and 3-6 and the PGs.

Once I get caught up, I will become a subscriber with the new series!

Paizo Employee Chief Technical Officer

The reprint should be arriving in our warehouse any day now!

Scarab Sages

Vic Wertz wrote:
The reprint should be arriving in our warehouse any day now!

::Heart beating faster in anticipation::

Quick question (should probably be in website feedback, but I'll give it a go here):

If I have products to be delivered, and backordered products, and I ordered them at different times, is there any way to change the shipping so they go out simultaneously?

I know you can do this on a simultaneous order, but not sure about otherwise.

Paizo Employee Chief Technical Officer

Jal Dorak wrote:
If I have products to be delivered, and backordered products, and I ordered them at different times, is there any way to change the shipping so they go out simultaneously?

Currently, no, but we're working on it.

And we learned today that the Pathfinder 2 reprint will be arriving in the same shipment with Pathfinder 12 and 13, Pathfinder Companion: Second Darkness, and the Pathfinder Chronicles Campaign Setting, at the end of the month.

Scarab Sages

Any arrival yet on the reprint? My account still says it is backordered.

What am I to read until the PRPG Beta comes out? ;)

Scarab Sages

Jal Dorak wrote:

Any arrival yet on the reprint? My account still says it is backordered.

What am I to read until the PRPG Beta comes out? ;)

If what Vic says above is true, then I seem to remember mention in another thread a couple of days ago that PF 12, PF 13, the Campaign Setting and the Second Darkness Companion were all on trucks and set to arrive in the warehouse this week as they were hoping to start fulfilling subscriptions by Friday if not earlier, so hopefully that's true here too :).

Paizo Employee Director of Brand Strategy

Illessa wrote:
Jal Dorak wrote:

Any arrival yet on the reprint? My account still says it is backordered.

What am I to read until the PRPG Beta comes out? ;)

If what Vic says above is true, then I seem to remember mention in another thread a couple of days ago that PF 12, PF 13, the Campaign Setting and the Second Darkness Companion were all on trucks and set to arrive in the warehouse this week as they were hoping to start fulfilling subscriptions by Friday if not earlier, so hopefully that's true here too :).

Vic said last night in the PFS chat that everything was in the warehouse now and would start shipping to subscribers today and tomorrow. So they should have Skinsaw in again, but best to wait for an official confirmation of that before you get too excited.

Liberty's Edge

I would be interested to hear about this too. im after a copy but dont really fancy paying £150+ from amazon uk

will this be available at gen con uk or am I better off just ordering it from here?

Ta

Rich

Paizo Employee Chief Technical Officer

It is in stock now.

We're sending a *small* quantity to Gen Con UK. You may want to go to the Paizo booth early....

Scarab Sages

Vic Wertz wrote:

It is in stock now.

We're sending a *small* quantity to Gen Con UK. You may want to go to the Paizo booth early....

Thanks, Vic!

Liberty's Edge

Vic Wertz wrote:

It is in stock now.

We're sending a *small* quantity to Gen Con UK. You may want to go to the Paizo booth early....

nice one. I hope friday mornin is early enough though...whats the chance of pre ordering stuff for collection at the con to ya know avoid dissapointment.i got some overtime i gotta spend before the other half gets her hands on it : )

Liberty's Edge

Doh ignore my last!just found the answer in another thread!

Rich

Paizo Employee Chief Technical Officer

Rich2346 wrote:
whats the chance of pre ordering stuff for collection at the con to ya know avoid dissapointment.

Sorry—our store just doesn't work that way.

Liberty's Edge

Vic Wertz wrote:
Rich2346 wrote:
whats the chance of pre ordering stuff for collection at the con to ya know avoid dissapointment.
Sorry—our store just doesn't work that way.

Yeah I saw the post on another thread sayin you didnt after i wrote that...sorry!

ah well fingers crossed that you got enough for me and my gaming group : )


Will you guys be resupplying B&N with this book as well or do we have to order it threw the paizo store?

Scarab Sages

Hurray! I've been away for a week, but I found out my copy shipped about 5 days ago. I can't wait!

Former VP of Finance

Bugoo2 wrote:

Will you guys be resupplying B&N with this book as well or do we have to order it threw the paizo store?

It will be available through all of our normal distribution channels. If you want to see it in your local FLGS or bookstore, be sure to request it!


Ok, its just I keep checking at B&N and they keep telling me out of stock, I don't mind ordering threw paizo but the extra shipping charge hurts and I'd rather spend that money toward the classic monster book =)

Former VP of Finance

Bugoo2 wrote:
Ok, its just I keep checking at B&N and they keep telling me out of stock, I don't mind ordering threw paizo but the extra shipping charge hurts and I'd rather spend that money toward the classic monster book =)

Hey Bugoo2,

Diamond Books' restock of PF2 left our warehouse on the 12th. They should have gotten it in the past few days. The Diamond website went down as I was trying to see if B&N has been shipped an order of it, so I don't know if their order has gone out yet. But, if they have it on order, it should have gone out in the past two days. I don't know what B&N's turnaround is from their warehouse to their stores, but I would expect it to be there in the next few days to a week. Assuming they ordered it already.


Can anyone tell me whether the maps in this are miniature scale? I'm particularly interested in the reputed corn maze?

Help?!?


Garjen Soulhammer wrote:

Can anyone tell me whether the maps in this are miniature scale? I'm particularly interested in the reputed corn maze?

Help?!?

No, it's more like a overland map.

Check out the community created stuff, it has a copy without the paths.
Link

It's the "Farmlands map without detail"


This post contains sort-of mini spoilers for one of the main villains' stats. Nothing important, but I just thought I'd include the warning.

I don't know if I should ask this here or in the rules section, but, I noticed that Justice Ironbriar has the Cat's Grace spell. I'm pretty sure clerics don't get the Cat's Grace spell, and it's not one of his domain spells. What should he have instead? Should his natural Dex be bumped up to 20, or should it be left at 18?


Shad0wdrag0n wrote:

This post contains sort-of mini spoilers for one of the main villains' stats. Nothing important, but I just thought I'd include the warning.

I don't know if I should ask this here or in the rules section, but, I noticed that Justice Ironbriar has the Cat's Grace spell. I'm pretty sure clerics don't get the Cat's Grace spell, and it's not one of his domain spells. What should he have instead? Should his natural Dex be bumped up to 20, or should it be left at 18?

If you're converting to PRPG, just leave that DEX at 20.


Turin the Mad wrote:
Shad0wdrag0n wrote:

This post contains sort-of mini spoilers for one of the main villains' stats. Nothing important, but I just thought I'd include the warning.

I don't know if I should ask this here or in the rules section, but, I noticed that Justice Ironbriar has the Cat's Grace spell. I'm pretty sure clerics don't get the Cat's Grace spell, and it's not one of his domain spells. What should he have instead? Should his natural Dex be bumped up to 20, or should it be left at 18?

If you're converting to PRPG, just leave that DEX at 20.

I am converting the campaign to Pathfinder actually, but Cat's Grace isn't available to clerics in 3.5 either, as far as I know. I have no idea why Ironbriar has it in the first place. Maybe a Bull's Strength spell would be a good replacement, considering how low Ironbriar's Str is, or maybe Owl's Wisdom.

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