Pathfinder Adventure Path #3: The Hook Mountain Massacre (Rise of the Runelords 3 of 6) (OGL)

4.20/5 (based on 24 ratings)
Pathfinder Adventure Path #3: The Hook Mountain Massacre (Rise of the Runelords 3 of 6) (OGL)

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Them Ogres Ain't Right...

The Rise of the Runelords Adventure Path continues! The notorious Hook Mountain ogres, known for their violent and savage ways, have slaughtered the soldiers of Fort Rannick. The few surviving rangers need heroes to help them retake this key fortification before the ogres use it as a staging ground for further assaults on the region. Yet why have the ogres chosen now to launch this sudden attack? What sinister force grows in the surrounding wilderness, and what ties to the mysterious Sihedron Rune do the ogres of Hook Mountain hide? Are the rumors of an army of giants massing for war true?

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

  • "The Hook Mountain Massacre," an adventure for 7th-level characters by Nicolas Logue.
  • Advice and encounters to spice up the task of commanding a keep, by Mike McArtor and James L. Sutter.
  • An extensive gazetteer of the region of Varisia, including wandering monsters and more, by James L. Sutter.
  • The third installment of the Pathfinder's Journal, by James L. Sutter.
  • Six new monsters by Nicolas Logue.

ISBN-13: 978-1-60125-038-4

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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4.20/5 (based on 24 ratings)

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Good Issue

4/5

Strangely enough, the inbred, wonderfully disgusting "logueness" of this issue didn't repulse me as much as I thought it would. That makes me curious as to what type of content was excluded from the final text!

The best part of the adventure, I think, is the relative free-form management of a fort the PCs can take care of after liberating it from its monstrous occupiers. This goes along with some advice on how to run the upkeep of a fort in the game.

The whole plot is extremely detailed and vibrant. It's alive.

The roster of creatures included with this issue is extremely useful. Great value there as well.

I give it a "4", probably because I was somehow expecting more in the ways of horror and disturbing creepiness, as well as a more original plot (this adventure is all in all very classic for D&D), after the Skinsaw Murders.


Delicious Logueness...

4/5

Nick Logue set out to create a disturbing romp through a backwoods inbred group like the Hills Have Eyes and he was very successful. I suggest as a DM doing a bit of work on connecting it with the rest of the AP and especially what the party had been doing previously but other than that it was tough and disturbing for my group and that was the intent. Wonderful.


Ogrekin are disgusting

5/5

Inbred Ogrekin, disgusting. I really liked Skull Crossing for some reason. Probably because I never see dams used and the picture was great.


Another...Ahem...Classic from Nicholas Logue

5/5

I love Mr. Logue's work, and he's written another fantastic adventure.

Unfortunately, the graphicness of the gore and disgustingness of the inbred ogre tribe made me seriously consider not running the entire adventure path. While it's possible to gloss over it, it really does have the kind of feel of going off to battle the X-Files Home episode, only it lasts about EIGHT WEEKS. I don't know if my players would be willing to tolerate this, but I'll give it a shot.


An RPG Resource Review

5/5

This adventure has drawn on horror, and specifically the sort of hillbilly, remote, inbred sort found in such as Deliverance, with a measure of the intensity of The Blair Witch Project thrown in.

Basically, the adventure consists of the characters being hired by the Lord Mayor of Magnimar to go find out why there has been no word from a far-distant fort that is the base of a band of rangers employed by Magnimar to keep the area's ogres in check. Of course, there's the minor matter of some 450 miles to cover, and winter is coming on... not to mention what has really been going on, which is covered in a comprehensive background section.

Once in area, the adventure proper divides into five parts. Each phase has plenty of detail, with well-rounded NPCs - even most of the ogres have their own stories, even if they are really there to be fought rather than conversed with! Locations important to the adventure have clear maps coupled with descriptions that will make them 'come alive'... in some, characters (if not their players) will need a strong stomach to avoid being distracted from combat by a bout of nausea!

A good thing about this adventure is the sheer detail and complexity of what is going on in the area, and that's not only the bad guys' plots... there is a real feeling of events taking place and life going on whether or not there happen to be any player-characters around to take a hand. It develops well too, the characters' actions will have genuine consequences, as well as the opportunity to discover hints as to what more may be in store.

Overall, it is an exciting atmospheric adventure which should give the characters a real sense of satisfaction - there may not be much wealth to be had but they will have benefited the locals greatly, and done their own reputations no harm.


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Contributor

Yasha0006 wrote:
Mr Baron wrote:

**shudders**

I remember that X-files episode. Although, I am not sure I wanted to...truly demented.

Did Nick write that one?

No. Nick's exploits were perhaps the inspiration for it. His youthful misadventures I can only imagine were far more demented and sick compared to what he lets us see now. You see, hes in the public (by public I mean us folks here on Paizo.com, hardly a huge demographic, but hey...) eye now. He just pretends to be a slightly deviant fellow...the truth on the other hand....the basement...oh god.....

** spoiler omitted **

Ha, my youthful misadventures were very misadventurous. I can't believe I evaded jail as often I as I should not have been able to. ;-)

I just ran three Marvel Adventures back to back today, but as soon as I build up some more steam Yasha, you are most most welcome at my gaming table - any Paizoite is!


Kruelaid wrote:


I really liked that polygonal stuff. The rangers, the races of Varisia, the Thistletop merc with the huge sword in P1, and a few others. I don't find it cartoony--comic-booky, sure. Who did it?

Upon further consideration, I think "comic-booky" is a more apt description. I was incorrectly using the two terms "cartoony" and "comic-booky" interchangeably.


Nicolas Logue wrote:


Ha, my youthful misadventures were very misadventurous. I can't believe I evaded jail as often I as I should not have been able to. ;-)

I just ran three Marvel Adventures back to back today, but as soon as I build up some more steam Yasha, you are most most welcome at my gaming table - any Paizoite is!

Well should you ever find your way to the capitol city of the Govenator State let me know. That would be awesome.

Sacramento CA for those who don't know.

I appreciate the offer god sir! <--Hmm...I'm not even going to change that typo.... ^_^y


I just received Hook Mountain Massacre and the Pharoah adventure last night.

<best Homer impersonation>

"Mmm. New module smell."

Looking forward to reading them in the next few days. :-)


Varl wrote:
I just received Hook Mountain Massacre and the Pharoah adventure last night.

So did I! *squee*

Contributor

Yasha0006 wrote:
Nicolas Logue wrote:


Ha, my youthful misadventures were very misadventurous. I can't believe I evaded jail as often I as I should not have been able to. ;-)

I just ran three Marvel Adventures back to back today, but as soon as I build up some more steam Yasha, you are most most welcome at my gaming table - any Paizoite is!

Well should you ever find your way to the capitol city of the Govenator State let me know. That would be awesome.

Sacramento CA for those who don't know.

I appreciate the offer god sir! <--Hmm...I'm not even going to change that typo.... ^_^y

You never know where I'll land Yasha! I'll let you know if I'm headed out Cali-way!


JOIN US!!!

Celebrate Erik Mona Day!

Party if you love Paizo!!

Be green and ocularly challenged! You know you want to!

Can't wait to get the book btw...
Hillbilly Terror!!!
Suet!

Dark Archive

Just got my copy today. It looks great so far!


Loving every minute Nick! We depraved and sick individuals salute and applaud you.


Vic Wertz wrote:
You've always been able to pull out the map backgrounds *if* the cartographer submitted the map to us as a layered file (meaning the text is separate).

How do you pull out the backgrounds?

I seem to recall when I originally d/l Burnt Offerings, the maps were one piece. I had to reformat and re-d/l the files. When I did, they were chopped up in little pieces. I had to paste them together to make the complete map. What gives?

Paizo Employee Chief Technical Officer

CourtFool wrote:
Vic Wertz wrote:
You've always been able to pull out the map backgrounds *if* the cartographer submitted the map to us as a layered file (meaning the text is separate).

How do you pull out the backgrounds?

I seem to recall when I originally d/l Burnt Offerings, the maps were one piece. I had to reformat and re-d/l the files. When I did, they were chopped up in little pieces. I had to paste them together to make the complete map. What gives?

Early on, we had some issues with the process from layout to PDF. I know recent ones are correct, and images aren't split up, but we haven't had time to redo some of the earlier ones that do have that problem.


Pathfinder Starfinder Society Subscriber
Vic Wertz wrote:
Early on, we had some issues with the process from layout to PDF. I know recent ones are correct, and images aren't split up, but we haven't had time to redo some of the earlier ones that do have that problem.

Does this go for the GameMastery PDFs as well? Also, what is "earlier".

Thanks : )

Paizo Employee Chief Technical Officer

tdewitt274 wrote:
Vic Wertz wrote:
Early on, we had some issues with the process from layout to PDF. I know recent ones are correct, and images aren't split up, but we haven't had time to redo some of the earlier ones that do have that problem.

Does this go for the GameMastery PDFs as well? Also, what is "earlier".

Thanks : )

Honestly, I haven't checked them, so I don't know what PDFs it does and doesn't apply to, but I think we fixed it around Pathfinder 3, and it probably didn't affect a few things before that. (I don't have the files handy.)


Adventure Path Charter Subscriber; Pathfinder Lost Omens Subscriber

I'm just about to wrap this one up with my players. I'm curious how a particular encounter I describe in the spoiler played out with others. In the last session...

Spoiler:
...my players met the Pit Fiend trapped in the magic circle. He first tried asking them to free him, then offered to tell them how to activate the floodgates in exchange for freedom. They deduced that they needed to put a summon in the other circle on their own, but felt that whatever they put in there would not last long enough to be a real, long-term solution. So the Pit Fiend offered to put something longer lasting into the circles.

I decided beforehand that since it said in the description that the devil could still Greater Teleport, I decided that he could still use all of his powers. One of the players had a high enough Knowledge planes that he would already know something about devils in general and Pit Fiends specifically, so I told him that Devils always keep the letter of their word.

After more negotiation, Avaxiel offered to give them a wish. To my surprise though, my players did not seem to want it in the slightest. There was some joking about asking for lots of treasure or some powerful magic item, but when it finally came down to it, they agreed to dispel the circle in exchange for a promise from Avaxiel to agree to never attack them, to put two Erinyes into the circles "Strong enough to last 1,000 years," and to use the Wish to restore the Dam to the way it was when it was new, then finally to leave the plane using Greater Teleport, never to return. Their requests were so unselfish and reasonable, that I did not even bother trying to pervert the request. I also decided that the Devil was more than a little afraid of destruction in his weakened condition and was content to keep to the spirit of the request without bothering with betrayal.

During their negotiations, Avaxiel mentioned that he had been put there by a wizard named Karzoug. I was considering trying to think of some way to perhaps have him later offer some kind of reward, through a proxy, to the PCs in exchange for Karzoug's head, once word reached him that Karzoug still lived.

Anyway, sorry that was long. Anyone else offer their players a wish?


*spoilers ahead*
I am sorry to voice hard words, but just finished the module, and it probably killed my Rise of the Runelords Campaign. I am burnt out and my players got frustrated hacking through tons of always the same ogres, not seeing the point of it in relation to the Campaign. Linking of the episodes were rather illogic and without some tweeking, the glitches in the timelime would have set-up my players completely. In the end they laughed at the ridiculously overused gore and grime theme and the Blackarrows, who just seemed to have survived, because they were just not challenged before and fell to the first real threat, because of sending away half the fort on patrol regularly.
I laughed about rooms not even 30 by 30 ft which are stuffed with three large monsters, protected by a punny (for 9th lvl characters) wight, which are supposed to cast force-cage on the PCs filing in by a 5ft wide tunnel and try to escape by the very same way. And I cried about the wasted real role-playing episode (e.g. Paradise, Whitewillow and the witches) degrading the associated NPCs to yet another monster with a short speech to be slain. They seem to have been cut in order to tell unnecessary stories about the motivation and history of unimportant cannon fodder monsters (Ettin, ogre cook).
I tried my best to modify the adventure, get rid of the glitches and involve my players by interweaving their character backgrounds. As it stands I didn't succeed much. Moreover I buy adventures because I am low on time to come up with them myself. Enjoying part 1 and 2 I know that there are much better adventures in the Pathfinder AP series.
Hopefully after a break, we can give Part 4 a try or start CotCT.

Sovereign Court

Belfur wrote:
*spoilers ahead*

When you post, there is a button marked "BBCode tags you can use:" clicking on it will show you them all, including that for spoilers.

It's basically [spolier]your text here[/spolier] but with 'spoiler' spelt correctly.


Wait, wait -- I just ordered the non-mint copy of this that was for sale (at least it was yesterday), there was a problem with my payment (for some reason only the PDF got authorized, and it tried to hit my debit card twice over for the AP... so it got an 'insufficient funds' response and my buy was refused, though the money for it is still in electronic limbo), I was told to wait until 'Tuesday or Wednesday for this to clear up' and now I find out it's gone?

*Groan* So much for patience.

Paizo Employee Chief Technical Officer

Eric Hinkle wrote:

Wait, wait -- I just ordered the non-mint copy of this that was for sale (at least it was yesterday), there was a problem with my payment (for some reason only the PDF got authorized, and it tried to hit my debit card twice over for the AP... so it got an 'insufficient funds' response and my buy was refused, though the money for it is still in electronic limbo), I was told to wait until 'Tuesday or Wednesday for this to clear up' and now I find out it's gone?

*Groan* So much for patience.

No worries—when you submitted you order, a copy was earmarked for you.


Vic Wertz wrote:
Eric Hinkle wrote:

Wait, wait -- I just ordered the non-mint copy of this that was for sale (at least it was yesterday), there was a problem with my payment (for some reason only the PDF got authorized, and it tried to hit my debit card twice over for the AP... so it got an 'insufficient funds' response and my buy was refused, though the money for it is still in electronic limbo), I was told to wait until 'Tuesday or Wednesday for this to clear up' and now I find out it's gone?

*Groan* So much for patience.

No worries—when you submitted you order, a copy was earmarked for you.

Thank you for explaining that. Now I just gotta wait for the payment to clear.

BTW, about how many individual copies of the 'scratch-and-bent' Pathfinder books are there? Just one each?

Paizo Employee Chief Technical Officer

Eric Hinkle wrote:
Vic Wertz wrote:
Eric Hinkle wrote:

Wait, wait -- I just ordered the non-mint copy of this that was for sale (at least it was yesterday), there was a problem with my payment (for some reason only the PDF got authorized, and it tried to hit my debit card twice over for the AP... so it got an 'insufficient funds' response and my buy was refused, though the money for it is still in electronic limbo), I was told to wait until 'Tuesday or Wednesday for this to clear up' and now I find out it's gone?

*Groan* So much for patience.

No worries—when you submitted you order, a copy was earmarked for you.

Thank you for explaining that. Now I just gotta wait for the payment to clear.

BTW, about how many individual copies of the 'scratch-and-bent' Pathfinder books are there? Just one each?

It varies. There were a couple of books that our printer didn't pack well, so we have lots; other books, just one or two.


The book just arrived, and only a date after my birthday. Thanks, Paizo!

BTW, considering that the books is supposed to be "damaged", it looks to be in better shape than some books I've seen being sold on the shelves in bookstores. Great job and thanks.

Though now, after reading the intro, I am wondering just what was cut to keep Nick out of jail protect our tender eyes. :D


I've managed to collect all the parts of this AP in physical copy except this particular one. I'm not a huge fan of laptops at the gaming table and I'd much rather have the physical product. Are there still physical copies of this available through Paizo?

Paizo Employee Chief Technical Officer

highpriestrsw wrote:
I've managed to collect all the parts of this AP in physical copy except this particular one. I'm not a huge fan of laptops at the gaming table and I'd much rather have the physical product. Are there still physical copies of this available through Paizo?

Nope—it's completely sold out; even the non-mint copies are gone.

Scarab Sages

highpriestrsw wrote:
I've managed to collect all the parts of this AP in physical copy except this particular one. I'm not a huge fan of laptops at the gaming table and I'd much rather have the physical product. Are there still physical copies of this available through Paizo?

It seems you can find it in ebay for about $30 right now


Is it safe to assume that any Kreeg ogres that fled Fort Rannick due to the PC's defeating Jaagrath and displaying his head for all to see (the bard scored a '40' on his Intimidate skill check, including the +15 bonus for the severed head), would head back to the Hook Mountain Clanhold? Or would they fear Barl's wrath for failing to hold the Fort?
Karly-Lop, Jolly, and Minktuck Kreeg survived along with nearly 20 ogres - that might make for quite a battle royale if the party were to meet up with the lot in the foothills leading up to the Clanhold!

Liberty's Edge

We just got done with the Graul farmstead today and I must say there were some feelings in our group that it was too over the top and possibly offensive. Is Graul more or less the peak of depravity for the AP, or should we expect even worse stuff ahead?


Pathfinder Maps, Pathfinder Accessories Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Charter Superscriber; Starfinder Charter Superscriber
Samy wrote:
We just got done with the Graul farmstead today and I must say there were some feelings in our group that it was too over the top and possibly offensive. Is Graul more or less the peak of depravity for the AP, or should we expect even worse stuff ahead?

The Grauls are the peak of depravity in the whole Pathfinder Adventure Path line, so you should be safe now. Interestingly, the adventure was actually toned down from what Nicholas Logue originally delivered...


Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Charter Superscriber; Pathfinder Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber
Samy wrote:
We just got done with the Graul farmstead today and I must say there were some feelings in our group that it was too over the top and possibly offensive. Is Graul more or less the peak of depravity for the AP, or should we expect even worse stuff ahead?

The Grauls are pretty much the peak of depravity. The editors pulled back from that edge after the Hook Horror Massacre chapter, and there's nothing quite like that in any of the other volumes or AP's afterwards. That's not to say that there isn't distrubing stuff in later AP's, just that it's not so saturated and it's usually treated more delicately.

Liberty's Edge

Thanks guys. Looking forward to the upcoming stuff then.

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