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Pathfinder Adventure: Rusthenge

4.80/5 (based on 8 ratings)
Pathfinder Adventure: Rusthenge

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Rusthenge is a deluxe Pathfinder adventure for 1st-level characters.

The ruins of Rusthenge have stood silent vigil over the southern coastline of Chakikoth Isle for eons, dating back to the era of the runelords of ancient Thassilon. The town of Iron Harbor was built in Rusthenge's shadow, but now that New Thassilon has risen from the depths of the distant past, the old ruins are coming under unexpected scrutiny. Something sinister is afoot in Rusthenge, and it falls to a brand new band of adventurers to learn the truth of the ancient evil that stirs deep within its long-abandoned halls! This adventure also includes new items and character backgrounds, as well as a pair of new monsters tied to the region's notorious history.

Written by: Vanessa Hoskins.

ISBN-13: 978-1-64078-542-7

Rusthenge is sanctioned for use in Pathfinder Society Organized Play. The rules for running this Adventure and Chronicle sheet are available as a free download (968.3 kb PDF).

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

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4.80/5 (based on 8 ratings)

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3/5 —

Fun, well-written intro dungeon crawl with compelling characters

5/5 —

I just wrapped up a full run of Rusthenge and just want to sing it (and Vanessa Hoskins's) praises. It's a wonderful intro adventure, particularly for players who are familiar with d20 games in general and so don't need quite as much hand-holding as the Beginner's Box offers. The plot is compelling and feels epic while also being appropriate for 1st-level characters; the dungeon is evocative and intriguing (though as is often the case in published modules, a lot of the rooms feel kind of empty - my Weapon Improviser was a little sad about that); and the characters you meet are engaging, complex, and interesting to roleplay with (I had a great time with the amphibian possible-friends in particular).

While I haven't run a whole lot of 2e published content, I do also want to praise that this adventure seems to have cracked the edition's early problem of having too many Moderate-Severe encounters; a quick skim through the PDF confirms that the encounters are pretty much all Low or Moderate, with Severe reserved for the climactic fights. This works really well - the encounters in general still felt challenging, but the increase in threat for those big setpieces was palpable. There's also plenty of suggestions/guidelines for roleplay and interaction rewards. I sent my party an XP tally after each session breaking down how the XP awarded got added up, and I recommend doing so. My players were very appreciative to see that doing things like returning an animal to its carer or having a civil conversation with a potential enemy were getting them XP as well as combat.

My ONLY quibbles with this module (which might knock it down to 4.5 stars, but I'm on the fence about even that) are these:

The final fight feels a little anticlimactic, though that might be on me/my party's composition (I was playing with 6 and adding creatures to compensate; my party was barbarian, fighter, swashbuckler, monk, magus, and cleric, so also a lot of heavy hitters!). But the fight is variable and I was still using a nominally Severe encounter, so I have to imagine if the party manages to get the Moderate version it feels even more underwhelming.

The first dungeon level is really engagingly laid out and interesting - a nice semi-Jaquaysed dungeon with lots of different paths through it. After that, the next two levels are a tiny bit of a letdown, as both are much more linear (though one has a lot less space to play with as a map, and of course I have to assume page count is a factor).

Finally, for an adventure called "Rusthenge," my players commented on the relative lack of "active" rust-themed threats; there's one in the final fight, but otherwise it's mostly an aesthetic. I totally get this from a design perspective (if a player's weapon gets broken by a foe in the final fight that's dramatic; if it happens every other fight that's an obnoxious chore), but it was a glaring enough lack for my players to comment on it at the table, so I thought I'd mention it.

Overall, though (as you can probably tell from my arguing both sides of each of those quibbles), I really liked running this adventure and my players enjoyed playing in it! It's definitely a dungeon crawl so if that's not your style, your mileage may vary, but I can heartily recommend it as an intro to both PF2 and that style of play. Brava to Vanessa Hoskins and thanks to her and Paizo!

5/5 —


An absolutely wonderful Beginner Adventure! Better then beginners box!

5/5 —

Ran this for my players as a mini campaign and it was great!

Solid introduction to get peoples boots wet, followed by investigation, and multiple paths to their final destination. A dungeon that feels alive, with clear RP opportunities. Much better at showing a player what it FEELS like to be in a TTRPG with clear player agency, with a story that's much more interesting then 'Demi-humans in the basement' with far grander stakes that still make sense for your heroes to tackle.

It has completely replaced Beginners box for me as my way to introduce new players to PF2, this adventure did not get the attention it deserved I feel.

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Paizo Employee Sales & eCommerce Assistant
3 people marked this as a favorite.

Announced for October! Product image and description are not final and may be subject to change.
5 people marked this as a favorite.

This sounds fun! As a fan who came in with 2e, I'm excited to finally get to touch some Thassilonian goodness.
Dark Archive
2 people marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

New Thassilon level 1 adventure does kinda count as varisian adventure right? :D Either way nice surprise
2 people marked this as a favorite.

Exciting! Not what I expected for "rust", but I love me some Thassilonian history.
Scarab Sages
3 people marked this as a favorite.

I love Thassilon stuff, and maybe I can tie it to Shadows at Sundown (also takes place in the Saga Lands).

Quote:
Rusthenge is a deluxe Pathfinder adventure for 1st-level characters.

What makes this Adventure deluxe?

2 people marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Maps, Pathfinder Accessories, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Maps, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber

I think "deluxe" is just the term they use for all their ~3 level spanning adventures. A holdover from when the pf1 adventures switched from a shorter to longer format.
4 people marked this as a favorite.

Is this a first solo outing for Vanessa Hoskins? If so I am excited! Love her work.

Any hints as to the themes of this adventure? As in, other than the setting, what separates it from the pack? Or can/should we speculate until it comes out?
2 people marked this as a favorite.
Vardoc Bloodstone wrote:

Is this a first solo outing for Vanessa Hoskins? If so I am excited! Love her work.

Any hints as to the themes of this adventure? As in, other than the setting, what separates it from the pack? Or can/should we speculate until it comes out?

The placeholder art shows a Sinspawn, so I assume this is some ancient Thassilonian nastiness escape to menace the folk of a new age. One can presume there are dungeons to delve.

Silver Crusade
1 person marked this as a favorite.

This is so silly I love it.
Liberty's Edge
3 people marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Pathfinder Accessories, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Maps, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber

Congrats to Vanessa Hoskins! Also, as a fan of Thassilon, this has me hyped!
Sovereign Court RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16, 2011 Top 32

What levels will this adventure cover? 1-5? 1-3?
James Martin wrote:
What levels will this adventure cover? 1-5? 1-3?

My guess would be 1-4, which is the range for the other level 1 P2 adventure.

Paizo Employee Creative Director
4 people marked this as a favorite.

It's for 1st to 3rd level characters.
Vigilant Seal
4 people marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Maps, Pathfinder Accessories, Rulebook Subscriber

Are these "one-of's" getting the Foundry treatment moving forward?

Nice! I'm always interested in learning about old Thasalonian ruins.
Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

Congratulations, Vanessa!
9 people marked this as a favorite.
James Jacobs wrote:
It's for 1st to 3rd level characters.

Can I make a hopefully constructive suggestion, that this be added to the official text at the top of the page? It's good information for everyone to have!

Director of Marketing
17 people marked this as a favorite.
SatiricalBard wrote:
James Jacobs wrote:
It's for 1st to 3rd level characters.
Can I make a hopefully constructive suggestion, that this be added to the official text at the top of the page? It's good information for everyone to have!

Yes, I have requested every adventure product page now say what levels it covers, above the line, both in the future and retroactively.

Aaron Shanks wrote:
SatiricalBard wrote:
James Jacobs wrote:
It's for 1st to 3rd level characters.
Can I make a hopefully constructive suggestion, that this be added to the official text at the top of the page? It's good information for everyone to have!
Yes, I have requested every adventure product page now say what levels it covers, above the line, both in the future and retroactively.

Thanks Aaron, that would be great!

Pathfinder LO Special Edition, Maps, Pathfinder Accessories, PF Special Edition Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Starfinder Superscriber

Where the heck is chakikoth island?
Paizo Employee Creative Director
11 people marked this as a favorite.
Ed Reppert wrote:
Where the heck is chakikoth island?

It's in the Ironbound Archipelago. Three islands northeast of the Mordant Spire, and west of the Mierani Forest in Varisia.

Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Pathfinder Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber

Will the first Standalone Adventure printed under the ORC License? If so that's very exciting!
Paizo Employee Creative Director
16 people marked this as a favorite.
Brinebeast wrote:
Will the first Standalone Adventure printed under the ORC License? If so that's very exciting!

Rusthenge is an OGL adventure, but you'll notice one particular result of the whole thing in that there are no rust monsters in this adventure. We do different things with rust instead.

We have not yet announced any ORC adventures or any adventures that will be written with the expectation that the bulk of readers will be using the remastered rules. That day will come, but not this year, since integrating ALL of those changes isn't something we can really do until we've got the Monster Core book off to the printer and know its contents aren't going to change.

Of course, OGL 2nd edition Pathfinder adventures and ORC 2nd edition Pathfinder adventures will be compatible with each other, so whenever whatever comes out you'll still be able to run the one of your choice with no fuss.
2 people marked this as a favorite.

Was brainstorming the idea of Edasseril third partying the Linnorm Kingdoms and remembered that King Opir Eightfingers was currently unaccounted for. Was considering the idea that he might be brainwashed or swapped, so I decided to read through the Saga Lands section of the Lost Omen World Guide again. Lost my s#~$ when I read that it's rumored that he's locked away in a cell in the "island reaches of western New Thassilon" specifically. Given that adventures for Pathfinder can often include unexpected twists, I might pick up this adventure just to see if this is where that plot bunny is picked up.
Pathfinder Adventure, Adventure Path, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

Ooooo, that cover art from the PazioCon panel is rad!
Scarab Sages
Pathfinder Maps, Pathfinder Accessories, PF Special Edition Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Charter Superscriber; Starfinder Superscriber

Did anyone catch any details about the new backgrounds at PaizoCon? If not, maybe someone could ask Vanessa if she's in a panel today.
logic_poet wrote:
Did anyone catch any details about the new backgrounds at PaizoCon? If not, maybe someone could ask Vanessa if she's in a panel today.

JJ mentioned that they’re all “what is your role in Osprey’s Cove (your hometown)?”

Nice!
Paizo Employee Creative Director
3 people marked this as a favorite.

Yup... the backgrounds are meant to contextualize what role your PC plays in Osprey Cove, your hometown, and also to contextualize why the town elders choose YOU all as the ones to go on this adventure.
Scarab Sages

Seven Dooms for Sandpoint might be a fun follow-up to this. How far is Sandpoint from Osprey Cove? Are there ties between the two?
Paizo Employee Creative Director
9 people marked this as a favorite.
NECR0G1ANT wrote:
Seven Dooms for Sandpoint might be a fun follow-up to this. How far is Sandpoint from Osprey Cove? Are there ties between the two?

It's a boat ride, but not SUPER far. The original settlers of Osprey Cove are from Riddleport.

THAT SAID.

There is a very deliberate tie from Rusthenge to Seven Dooms for Sandpoint that GMs can use to tie the two stories together. The Seven Dooms for Sandpoint Player's Guide will give more context.
Scarab Sages
1 person marked this as a favorite.

Great! Rustenge + Seven Dooms sounds like a great 1-11 Adventure Path!
5 people marked this as a favorite.

As someone who came on with 2e and so has no Runelord/Sandpoint/Varisia nostalgia, the chance to have an introductory storyline that plays with those classics is really exciting.

It's also very cool that Howl of the Wild means those Varisian Centaurs are finally PC-playable!

Will Rustenge be an OGL or ORC adventure?
Silver Crusade
Pathfinder Adventure, Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Pathfinder Accessories, Rulebook, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

This is a hardcover?
Pathfinder LO Special Edition, Maps, Pathfinder Accessories, PF Special Edition Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Starfinder Superscriber
Cori Marie wrote:
This is a hardcover?

At 25 bucks, I doubt it.

Paizo Employee Creative Director
Kelseus wrote:
Will Rustenge be an OGL or ORC adventure?

Rusthenge is an OGL adventure.

Paizo Employee Creative Director
1 person marked this as a favorite.
Cori Marie wrote:
This is a hardcover?

It's a softcover adventure.

Silver Crusade
Pathfinder Adventure, Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Pathfinder Accessories, Rulebook, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

Ah today's blog said it was hardcover.

Yup, was just coming in to double-check that. (Though a hardcover version would be Nifty, just sayin'. Or maybe a hardcover collection of Rusthenge + Dooms? Maybe a bit early for that, tho.)
James Jacobs wrote:
Kelseus wrote:
Will Rustenge be an OGL or ORC adventure?
Rusthenge is an OGL adventure.

Do you know if it will be updated to work with the Remaster like Rage of Elements?

Quote:

Aaron Shanks comment on Rage of Elements

The rules in this book are fully updated to work with Player Core, GM Core, and Monster Core. If you’re using the Core Rulebook, Bestiary, and other older books, it notes the changes.

Paizo Employee Creative Director
4 people marked this as a favorite.
Kelseus wrote:
James Jacobs wrote:
Kelseus wrote:
Will Rustenge be an OGL or ORC adventure?
Rusthenge is an OGL adventure.

Do you know if it will be updated to work with the Remaster like Rage of Elements?

Quote:

Aaron Shanks comment on Rage of Elements

The rules in this book are fully updated to work with Player Core, GM Core, and Monster Core. If you’re using the Core Rulebook, Bestiary, and other older books, it notes the changes.

Partially. We worked to ensure the monster mix in Rusthenge skews strongly away from OGL content and toward our own monsters, but minor things like spell and item name changes from OGL to ORC was not an option at the time. There will be a period of time while we're still publishing OGL adventures after the Remastered rules start to come out, but you can still run these OGL adventures fine. You'll just need to continue referencing some elements from OGL books is all for a few things.

Shadow Lodge
1 person marked this as a favorite.
James Jacobs wrote:
Yup... the backgrounds are meant to contextualize what role your PC plays in Osprey Cove, your hometown, and also to contextualize why the town elders choose YOU all as the ones to go on this adventure.

Are Osprey Cove and Iron Harbor (mentioned in the blog) two names for the same place (one perhaps being the town and the other an institution within it or the geographical feature where it's built), or are these two separate towns?

Pathfinder Adventure, Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
zimmerwald1915 wrote:
James Jacobs wrote:
Yup... the backgrounds are meant to contextualize what role your PC plays in Osprey Cove, your hometown, and also to contextualize why the town elders choose YOU all as the ones to go on this adventure.
Are Osprey Cove and Iron Harbor (mentioned in the blog) two names for the same place (one perhaps being the town and the other an institution within it or the geographical feature where it's built), or are these two separate towns?

From the Paizo Con PF Adventures session they are two separate towns.

One is

Spoiler:
the original settlement (Osprey Cove)

And the other is

Spoiler:
a breakaway settlement founded by a group that left Osprey Cove.

Paizo Employee Creative Director
3 people marked this as a favorite.
zimmerwald1915 wrote:
James Jacobs wrote:
Yup... the backgrounds are meant to contextualize what role your PC plays in Osprey Cove, your hometown, and also to contextualize why the town elders choose YOU all as the ones to go on this adventure.
Are Osprey Cove and Iron Harbor (mentioned in the blog) two names for the same place (one perhaps being the town and the other an institution within it or the geographical feature where it's built), or are these two separate towns?

They're two different settlements. Osprey Cove was founded first by a pair of siblings who fled Riddleport, and then a little bit later they got angry and had a falling out and one headed east up the now-called Kindred Coast to found Iron Harbor, and ever since the two settlements have had a low-key feud going on.

Silver Crusade
Pathfinder Adventure, Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Rulebook, Starfinder Society Subscriber

James, sorry if you mentioned this elsewhere already but will the Dooms Player's Guide be out in time for this adventure, or at least the way to tie things together? I plan to run them back to back but I'd like to be prepared for the connection before running this.
Paizo Employee Creative Director
7 people marked this as a favorite.
Lesrek wrote:
James, sorry if you mentioned this elsewhere already but will the Dooms Player's Guide be out in time for this adventure, or at least the way to tie things together? I plan to run them back to back but I'd like to be prepared for the connection before running this.

Nope. Rusthenge will be out later this year. Seven Dooms For Sandpoint Player's Guide will be out closer to that release in/around March 2024.

That said, the connection you're looking for is mentioned in the text of Rusthenge, and my plan for the Seven Dooms Player's Guide is to set things up so that those who played Rusthenge will be able to transition their PCs over with ease.

So as long as you end Rusthenge at 4th level and with the PCs still on the Kindred Coast, your biggest complication will be how to stretch out Rusthenge until Seven Dooms is out! :-)
1 person marked this as a favorite.

I just want to go on record as saying that "Rusthenge" is one of the most evocative titles I've ever seen...I feel like it could give someone tetanus. :P

Hooray!
Dark Archive
Adventure Path Charter Subscriber; Pathfinder Adventure Subscriber; Pathfinder Battles Case Subscriber
smitty22 wrote:

Are these "one-of's" getting the Foundry treatment moving forward?

Good question!

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