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I'm in a bit of a tough spot it seems. Three members of my group have played up through the Skinsaw Murders before with a different DM and the whole mystery within the Skinsaw Murders isn't going to be quite as exciting. I was thinking of a few ways to change up things involving the Murders in Sandpoint and their time in Magnimar.
One thing I'm thinking of altering is Aldern Foxglove's part to play in all of the events. I want to keep him involved in the murders but maybe not as the primary perpetrator. I was thinking of having one of the Brothers of the Seven come to Sandpoint in the guise of a traveling jester and guide Foxglove along the path. Also I was considering making this Brother a Doppleganger so that through taking on the form of one of the PCs, the one Aldern's obsessed with, they can place suspicion upon them. This is just a beginning idea. Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
By doppelganger, do you mean faceless stalker? Those guys are already associated with the Skinsaw Cult, and they're delightful, in my opinion. If you were to go about it this way, you'd want to have some sort of dramatic climax in the Foxglove Manor, even if you moved Aldern out. If Aldern moves out, he could have killed Justice Ironbriar and taken over the Skinsaw Cult in Maginmar, using a faceless stalker to impersonate Ironbriar in his role as justice.
Yeah, faceless stalker! I don't know why they didn't cross my mind.
I don't really want to move Aldern out completely, I just want to throw in a little bit more to the mystery so that the PCs aren't so sure of themselves. They are great roleplayers but I don't want them to feel like they are just going through the motions. I want to add a bit more mystery to it for them.
Maybe the faceless stalker also impersonates Aldern in town and makes the PCs think maybe that Aldern isn't involved after all.
Also in Maginmar I wanted the murder mystery to continue and not have the PCs go almost directly from Aldern's townhouse to the Sawmill. One of the PCs already has some involvement with the murders in Magnimar previously as a partner of his was murdered by the Brothers Seven. I think maybe a continuation of the investigation would be nice. Maybe leading the PCs to a confrontation with the Skinsaw Men in the Golem Works as they attempt to murder a greedy "golemsmith" before they go to the sawmill.
Using the golem-works is definitely a good idea--it was an interesting name drop in Rise of the Runelords that hasn't been picked up since. And I like the idea of having a faceless stalker impersonating Aldern in Maginmar prior to the storming of Foxglove Manor. I missed that opportunity when I ran Skinsaw Murders; the party couldn't find Aldern in Maginmar, and so when bodies started piling up and notes with "His Lordship" arrived, they instantly decided that Foxglove was the murderer.
Also the idea of them being "crow-haunted" could bring more uses of the carrionstorm into play, which I think is a really interesting monster.
Thanks for the help, I think I see now what I can do to make things a bit more exciting for those PCs.