
Que Viva Aroden! |
Hi:
I have some questions about the Rise of the Runelords adventure Path #2 The Skinsaw Murders... (I'm probably not "getting" the whole Pathfinder setting, with its high magics)
1.Why didn't the rich Foxgloves utilise resurrection magics to bring back to life their loved ones (after the original murders at the mansion)?
2.Couldn't the family's (original) murders (commited by the "lich") be investigated (& solved) w/divination spells?
I'm sure my players will ask these questions...
Please, be kind w/ a noob.
Thanks for the answers!
¡QVA!

wraithstrike |

1. They may not have had the money 5000 is a lot of money. Now to the PC's it is not too much, but even wealth NPC's can't afford the things the PC's do. That is why kings don't just get brought back to life if they are killed. There is also the issue of you needing to have a 5000 gp diamond at the least. The other issue is that the soul may not want to return to the body. I almost forgot yo need a 9th level cleric to perform the spell, and Golarion does not have a lot of high level casters around. 9th level is pretty high for a class level for an NPC.
2. Divination spells don't really give you the answers, but they can lead you in the right direction if used correctly.
As for number 2 I would say they have to try it to find out. I never tell my players which path is the right one to take.<---Ignore this last part if it is not fun for your group.

Evil Lincoln |
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In short, what the other two posters are saying is that you need to look at the availability of NPC casters.
When this comes up in my campaigns with players who don't yet know better, I calmly explain to them that most clerics who attain a high enough level to plane shift (Cleric level 9) go off to join their god on its home plane. There's a fine tradition in earth mythology of this happening. Those that stick around usually have a personal agenda that may or may not include accepting cash for raise spells.
In addition to that, use the "Highest Spell Level" entry on city statblocks to see where those high level spellcasters are. They're surprisingly hard to get to, you often have to go to a very big city to even get access to one, and there's nothing guaranteeing that they will cast the spell once you find them. Finding them can be a side quest. Convincing them can be another side quest.
Pathfinder is strange in that although magic is everywhere, if you dig into the rules they do a pretty good job of keeping these kinds of solutions away from players. Even if the players have 5000gp, they may not necessarily be able to find a diamond worth that much, and if they do, it may not be for sale. I'm sure people in that world who have 5000gp diamonds feel more secure than those with only 5000 gp.