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Pathfinder Adventure Path #4: Fortress of the Stone Giants (Rise of the Runelords 4 of 6) (OGL)

4.10/5 (based on 16 ratings)
Pathfinder Adventure Path #4: Fortress of the Stone Giants (Rise of the Runelords 4 of 6) (OGL)
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The Giants are on the March!

The Rise of the Runelords Adventure Path continues! Driven to battle by a maniacal warlord, the once-peaceful stone giants of the Storval Plateau threaten to destroy the sleepy town of Sandpoint. Will fast action and quick wits be enough to save the defenseless community?

Yet, even if the giants' initial raid can be repelled, only by striking at the heart of their titanic war machine—the black-towered fortress of Jorgenfist—can the menace be quelled. But who knows what mysterious bloodlust spurs the usually peaceful giants to war, or what mysteries lie beneath their ancient fortress?

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

  • "Fortress of the Stone Giants," an adventure for 10th-level characters, by Wolfgang Baur.
  • A study of the ancient history, harsh life, and nuanced society of stone giants, by Wolfgang Baur.
  • Details on the dragons of the Pathfinder Chronicles campaign setting, revealed for the first time by Mike McArtor.
  • The fourth installment of the Pathfinder's Journal, by Mike McArtor.
  • Seven new monsters by Wolfgang Baur.

ISBN-13: 978-1-60125-039-1

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.

PZO9004

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4.10/5 (based on 16 ratings)

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Giantish Goodness

5/5 —

Up until last night Skinsaw Murders was my favorite adventure in the path. Last night my characters reached the home of the giant responsible for the attack on their town and whose plan may take over all of Varisia. It was a fantastic gaming day. We all had a lot of fun and we are not finished yet. Buy the whole path and run it for your unsuspecting PCs - they will either never forgive you or never forget you... Either way you win.

Good Adventure Exceptional Articles

4/5 —

A really solid adventure it lack somewhat of the sparkle of some of the previous pathfinder adventures. I won’t rehash the plot and the blow by blow details. The only bit of the adventure which bothered me was the final level of the dungeon beneath Jorgenfist

Spoiler:
I feel that the bottom level was just a bit of a hodge-podge of various monsters and encounter and it just didn’t work for the area. I liked the idea of it being protected by weird ancient creatures summoned long ago but I felt there were too many different creatures and it just felt jumbled. When I run it I think I will only use the Hounds of Tindalos.

I felt the strongest part of this pathfinder was the other articles. The dragon article in particular was great. I really love the Golarion take on dragons. The art is particularly good as I really like the re-imagining of the dragons. The whole article was great.

I also liked the Stone Giant article as it really made an otherwise dull monster come to life. I like the fact that the way they were described made them seem generally peaceful and established their culture rather than making them into some evil villain that must be slain on sight. It made them more than just a CR 8 giant.

The bestiary also deserves a mention. The deathweb is a really nice impressive looking undead monstrosity with a low challenge rating. I really liked it. The bestiary also includes three weird alien outsider type monsters all of which I liked and thought had a genuinely creepy alien/weird vibe going for them.

All in all a great pathfinder but not their best. In fact the only reason that I haven’t given it five stars is because of the incredibly high standard Paizo has set itself.

Yes! Yes! Yes!

5/5 —

I thought this was the best adventure out of all six of them. It's classic, it takes the rarely used Stone Giant and gives it the same kind of Iconic feel as the old "Against the Giants" modules, and if you wanted to 3.5 those, you could hammer this in with very little effort as an additional piece.

I love the setup for the module, because it makes it abundantly clear that a direct assault IS PHENOMENALLY STUPID. I love adventures where if you outright attack, you deserve to die wetly in a thick spongy mass, and this one really delivered the goods.

Great addition to Rise of the Runelords

5/5 —

This adventure has it all. It starts off with a very nicely-designed encounter scenario, which features believable events that present a challenging, but very winnable "defense" task. The assaulting force is neither completely without tactics, nor unwinnably wiley. In short, it captures how i would imagine a giant raid to the t.

Following that is a short wilderness travel bit (in terms of play time), before the adventure proceeds with a classic counterattack, including a chance to do a bit of politicing for parties so inclined. There really is not much to complain about - it all fits neatly.

The support material is solid as usual, and the ecology of the Stone Giant is spot-on. The only nitpick i can find that in places the dragon expose can be seen as a bit too shameless a plug for a certain gamemastery adventure.

All in all, it is a very worthwhile read and purchase.

An RPG Resource Review

5/5 —

The background to this adventure is really quite simple. Up to now, the stone giants up on the Storval Plateau have been a voice of quiet reason, a stabilising influence amonst more hot-headed races like hill giants and ogres. But now they have seemingly gone astray and acting as violently as anyone else...

This has led them to send out scouting parties, one of which has been sent to Sandpoint, and this is where the characters become involved. The battle itself is laid out clearly and should be easy for the DM to keep track of, while maintaining a realistically chaotic feel for the characters, who by now are of such stature that they will be expected to take a lead in the town's defence and then pursue the giants back to their base.

To get there, characters have an overland journey of some 15 days, and a few ideas for encounters are provided. The remainder of the action involves getting into the giants' fortress and exploring it and the caverns beneath.

The rest of the book contains a fine article on stone giant ecology (particularly with regard to their place in Varisia), and another devoted to dragon lore. Both these are fascinating, and bring their subjects to life within the alternate reality of Varisia far more than is necessary for the purposes of this adventure. The Pathfinder's Journal continues to follow the adventures of one one explorer, from which it is possible to glean atmospheric detail to use should your characters visit the places he does. The Bestiary section describes the new critters encountered during the adventure, including giant undead spiders, the fey redcaps and - fresh from the Cthulhu mythos - the hounds of Tindalos. Hey, they were supposed to come from another dimension, so why shouldn't they visit Varisia as easily as Earth?

This adventure is much more 'dungeon-bash' than previous ones in the series, but it has its place within the story-arc despite having little other than combat to offer.

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Liberty's Edge

When is this module expected to hit the warehouse?
Sovereign Court
Adventure Path Charter Subscriber; Pathfinder Adventure, Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

Better question: will December be the Month-of-Two-Pathfinders? That would make for a mighty fine Christmas present!

I figure everyone works so hard on this, it must be absolutely killer with two months filled with holiday chaos. I've been enjoying everything so far. No complaints about a delay or getting a double month. I hope the staff finds time to relax and have a great holiday season and refresh themselves.
Paizo Employee Chief Technical Officer
Mr Baron wrote:
When is this module expected to hit the warehouse?

In about two weeks. We don't have a delivery date for Pathfinder 5 yet, but I predict early January.

Liberty's Edge

Can't wait. Loving this adventure path thus far.
Liberty's Edge

Wait, we get a dragon in this one?

Awesome.
Dark Archive Contributor
Kassil wrote:

Wait, we get a dragon in this one?

Awesome.

No, Sir, you get multiple dragons in this one. ;)

Mike McArtor wrote:
No, Sir, you get multiple dragons in this one. ;)

Even better.

Liberty's Edge
Heaven's Agent wrote:
Mike McArtor wrote:
No, Sir, you get multiple dragons in this one. ;)
Even better.

I'll sign that agreement.

Mike McArtor wrote:
Kassil wrote:

Wait, we get a dragon in this one?

Awesome.

No, Sir, you get multiple dragons in this one. ;)

EGADS, the humanity!!!!! *commences drooling procedure*

Liberty's Edge

Any update on expected arrival into the warehouse?
Mr Baron wrote:
Any update on expected arrival into the warehouse?

Hopefully this week or next, according to tonight's chat.

Paizo Employee Chief Technical Officer
Lilith wrote:
Mr Baron wrote:
Any update on expected arrival into the warehouse?
Hopefully this week or next, according to tonight's chat.

More likely next week.

Liberty's Edge

Please tell me this book is shipping this week, that "Paladin smites with a Charisma attack against the target's AC" article has left me really needing a D&D booster shot right now.
Scarab Sages
Adventure Path Charter Subscriber

Woot! Got the advance notice email today!!
Scarab Sages

When will the downloadable PDF for subscribers hit?
Small Attention Span wrote:
When will the downloadable PDF for subscribers hit?

As soon as your credit card is charged, as usual, I imagine.

Scarab Sages

As soon as your Hard copy gets shipped = as soon as you are charged = you get access to free PDF.
Sovereign Court

I think he was asking for a specific date.
Scarab Sages

Probably sometime this week, then. Precharges were sent, so it should ship any day now...
Scarab Sages
Adventure Path Charter Subscriber

I suspect sometime tomorrow. My last two were sent on a Wednesday.
Scarab Sages
Pathfinder Maps Subscriber

My anticipation level is high for this one. I cannot wait. I have been very patient - trying not to think about it but when I got the email yesterday saying they were getting ready to ship - now I am having a hard time waiting. Can't, Can't wait, Can't wait...
Scarab Sages

Vic updated somewhere that they were expecting PF4 to arrive at their warehouse Monday, but now, some random delay made it so they are now expecting to receive them today.
Silver Crusade

no pre-charge email so far with this Pathfinder. I hope things aren't screwy with this one, with the sales & holiday season upon us in all.

Actually wanting TC1 to come in more then Pf4 really, since it's holding up my first sale order (adv GR books, Freeport books, etc etc). Should have did seperate ships, but can't see shipping just 1 book.

RM
Haldir wrote:

no pre-charge email so far with this Pathfinder. I hope things aren't screwy with this one, with the sales & holiday season upon us in all.

Things are already screwy with mine. I got the pre-order email the other day. When I checked last night it showed my subscription and order both canceled.

Sovereign Court
Adventure Path Charter Subscriber; Pathfinder Adventure, Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

Guys, hang in there...Cosmo and Corey and the gang are doing an awesome job!

If you have any specific issues I would encourage you to send a supportive email or post over in the Customer Support area. They will take care of you.
Silver Crusade

As I said in anther pf related post, got my pre & charge email in one email today, skimming Pf4's pdf now.

I really like what I've read so far (I skim the pdf & save the hardcore reading for the book). Love the artwork, love the encounters. Looks like this will be a fun read, kudos Paizo!!!

RM
Scarab Sages

Haaaaa, so much to see at once! Too few eyes....

Giants article, Dragons article, Adventure seem full of both and even more fun things to do. And E1 on top of that.

Too many things to read! I don't know where to start! It's like Christmas is 3 weeks early this year!

I expected more of a visual distinction between the silver and gold dragons; if it wasn't for the color of their scales, they could easily be mistaken as members of a single breed.
Scarab Sages
Pathfinder Maps Subscriber
Shem wrote:
My anticipation level is high for this one. I cannot wait. I have been very patient - trying not to think about it but when I got the email yesterday saying they were getting ready to ship - now I am having a hard time waiting. Can't, Can't wait, Can't wait...

AAAAAHHHHHHHHH...

Thank you. I am loving it already.

Does somebody knows when do the PDF version comes out?
Dark Archive
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Charter Superscriber

Is it just me or are the stats for the pre-gen characters all screwed up? They're all still referred to as 7th level characters, but the Sorcerer has the spells of a 10th level character, and the Cleric has the spells, but her caster level is still listed as 7th.
Paizo Employee Chief Technical Officer
Hugo Solis wrote:
Does somebody knows when do the PDF version comes out?

Non-subscribers can purchase the PDF after the product's retail release date, which is December 19.

Paizo Employee Chief Technical Officer
Kvantum wrote:
Is it just me or are the stats for the pre-gen characters all screwed up? They're all still referred to as 7th level characters, but the Sorcerer has the spells of a 10th level character, and the Cleric has the spells, but her caster level is still listed as 7th.

The only error is that it says "7th" instead of "10th" in the PDF. It's correct in the printed product, and we'll try to correct the PDF tomorrow (but no promises!).

Can anyone tell me now large this fortress is? I'm not using the Pathfinder adventure path, but if the physical fortress is good enough I might by the product just to have the maps of the fortress to use for other purposes. Thanks! :)

Have all subscriptions been handled? If so, I think mine got somehow missed.

My Order of both PF#4 and E1 still says "Pending".
Paizo Employee Creative Director
Uzziel the Angel wrote:
Can anyone tell me now large this fortress is? I'm not using the Pathfinder adventure path, but if the physical fortress is good enough I might by the product just to have the maps of the fortress to use for other purposes. Thanks! :)

It's mostly underground; the above ground portion is a circular wall with lots of towers and buildings inside. I can't recall off the top of my head how big it is... but it's at least a few hundred feet in diameter. It IS a fortress made by giants, after all.

EDIT: Okay... I'm at work now... the structure's about 500 feet in diameter, it would appear.
James Jacobs wrote:
Uzziel the Angel wrote:
Can anyone tell me now large this fortress is? I'm not using the Pathfinder adventure path, but if the physical fortress is good enough I might by the product just to have the maps of the fortress to use for other purposes. Thanks! :)
It's mostly underground; the above ground portion is a circular wall with lots of towers and buildings inside. I can't recall off the top of my head how big it is... but it's at least a few hundred feet in diameter. It IS a fortress made by giants, after all.

Wow! A reply from the editor-in-chief himself! Now that's what I call customer service! You're a good fellow, James Jacobs. I recall discussing with you your final print Demonomicon articles on a thread over at the Wizards website. It's nice that you make yourself so accessible. The folks at Wizards could learn a lesson or three from you.

Speaking of your Demonomicon articles, I enjoyed your Graz'zt article in the DDI or whatever name they're using this week. Indeed your Graz'zt article is the only good item I've seen since they went digital.

Anyway, thank you again for your response. I'm actually looking for both a fortress and a fortified port. I don't have the best spacio-mechanical skills, so I often try to buy maps and adapt them to my own purposes. There isn't a preview of the fortress available anywhere, is there? Maybe I can buy the pdf when it becomes available, and if the fortress is suitable, then buy the print version. When will the pdf version become available? Thanks! :)

Edit: Oh I see from above that the pdf will become available on or after December 19.
James Jacobs wrote:
Uzziel the Angel wrote:
Can anyone tell me now large this fortress is? I'm not using the Pathfinder adventure path, but if the physical fortress is good enough I might by the product just to have the maps of the fortress to use for other purposes. Thanks! :)

It's mostly underground; the above ground portion is a circular wall with lots of towers and buildings inside. I can't recall off the top of my head how big it is... but it's at least a few hundred feet in diameter. It IS a fortress made by giants, after all.

EDIT: Okay... I'm at work now... the structure's about 500 feet in diameter, it would appear.

I'm now running SCAP and I'm planning a Dugobras attack to Redgorge. Do you think this adventure would be suitable for my plans? Thanks.

Quim (sorry for my bad english)
James Jacobs wrote:
Uzziel the Angel wrote:
Can anyone tell me now large this fortress is? I'm not using the Pathfinder adventure path, but if the physical fortress is good enough I might by the product just to have the maps of the fortress to use for other purposes. Thanks! :)

It's mostly underground; the above ground portion is a circular wall with lots of towers and buildings inside. I can't recall off the top of my head how big it is... but it's at least a few hundred feet in diameter. It IS a fortress made by giants, after all.

EDIT: Okay... I'm at work now... the structure's about 500 feet in diameter, it would appear.

Thanks. That's a nice, big fortress.

I just suscribed to both Pathfinder and Gamemastery modules starting with fortress of the stone giants and Carnival of Tears, when does the Pathfinde module ship's out to suscribers?

Thank you!
Paizo Employee Chief Technical Officer
Hugo Solis wrote:

I just suscribed to both Pathfinder and Gamemastery modules starting with fortress of the stone giants and Carnival of Tears, when does the Pathfinde module ship's out to suscribers?

Thank you!

Given that you chose to start with in-stock products, they should ship within a couple of days.

Just got mine in the mail (subscription). Love the Goblin Holiday card!!
Liberty's Edge

I live in WA and I know Paizo is located in Bellevue. Do they have a physical store?
Paizo Employee Chief Technical Officer
Plissken wrote:
I live in WA and I know Paizo is located in Bellevue. Do they have a physical store?

Nope.

Shadow Lodge
DarkArt wrote:
Mike McArtor wrote:
Kassil wrote:

Wait, we get a dragon in this one?

Awesome.

No, Sir, you get multiple dragons in this one. ;)

EGADS, the humanity!!!!! *commences drooling procedure*

the first one killed my dier bat I shall have REVENGE!!!!
Dragonborn3 wrote:
DarkArt wrote:
Mike McArtor wrote:
Kassil wrote:

Wait, we get a dragon in this one?

Awesome.

No, Sir, you get multiple dragons in this one. ;)

EGADS, the humanity!!!!! *commences drooling procedure*

the first one killed my dier bat I shall have REVENGE!!!!

This module has killed 3 of my 8 PC's in the game. I love it!

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