I'm considering letting Tsuto become a recurring villain throughout RotR, as it looks like he is the only one of Nualia and her lackeys that will survive the PCs. Just looking for ideas and input from anyone who has experience with anything similar, of which I know there are many, since I've stolen a bit of material from these very forums. First time GM myself.
My group seemed to quite enjoy Tsuto as the supercilious ignoble. During their interrogation with him, they definitely left their mark, at least twice.
Second, they decided to for the approach commonly known as Charm Person. With a clever combination of Charm Person and Disguise Self, the party's cleric of Calistria quite easily convinced Tsuto that he was an undercover associate of Nualia's, and that he was going to help Tsuto escape. After amputating the broken foot and alleviating a lot of the obvious pain, Tsuto was more than helpful, answering almost any questions.
Obviously, the following escape attempt failed miserably, as planned by the party. But Tsuto managed to try to kill himself by plunging a caltrop into his throat. The party saved his life before he bled out though.
Development:
Now, Tsuto is on his way to Magnimar for trial, while the party is at Thistletop. He is marked with an amputed foot, and a terrible wound to his throat (which I may simply heal up). In addition, thanks to how the party acted out the escape attempt, he may still believe there is an undercover associate of Nualia's out there.
Preferably, I want to have the party be told that he commits suicide in the Hells in Magnimar before his trial, while he actually escapes with the help of a certain Justice. From there he should become an important Skinsaw Cultist (even though at heart, he still cares little for the gods and the like), and probably show up at the Seven's Sawmill. If possible, I want to have him escape the party at the sawmill as well, to return again even later. For others who have done something similar with Tsuto, has this played out well?
Obviously, he's badly damaged. Missing a foot gives him penalties to a bunch of skills, as well as move speed, but I've decided that giving him a sculpted foot should at least allow him the benefits of his monk speed, although he limps quite a bit. I'm also giving him the Zen Archer archetype, but keeping the shortbow (instead of longbow). Does this seem fair enough?
If he somehow manages to escape the party again and again, I will have him find his way through the different chapters. In the end, he may up as a flesh golem with the fiend-infused template, to humour Mokmurian/Karzoug once they learn of Nualia's own failed agenda. Am I being to hopeful here? Tacky? Railroading?
Certainly, Ironbriar could get him released and recruit him to the cause. Perhaps Tsuto gets used as a messenger and sent to some later stage in the adventure path? Though I'm not sure how much use he'd be to the giant foes that the PCs will mostly face later.
Even better would be if Tsuto tries to get Nualia raised from the dead. With a few additional levels, and a more demonic transformation for Nualia, they'd make a great threat later on.
In my RotRL campaign, Nualia got killed in a situation where the PCs barely escaped with their lives, and I hinted that they might regret not having secured her body to prevent her being raised. My Tsuto got thoroughly killed in Thistletop, so no backsies for him.
Use Tsuto repeatedly if your group really hates him. Recurring villains are great stuff, but at some point plan to give them the satisfaction of finishing him off for good.
Certainly, Ironbriar could get him released and recruit him to the cause. Perhaps Tsuto gets used as a messenger and sent to some later stage in the adventure path? Though I'm not sure how much use he'd be to the giant foes that the PCs will mostly face later.
Something like this is part of what I'm considering. Whether he stays with Ironbriar at first and then is sent away by Xanesha, or he is used as a messenger immediately, makes little difference. Except one of the options gives the party a chance to stop him.
Even better would be if Tsuto tries to get Nualia raised from the dead. With a few additional levels, and a more demonic transformation for Nualia, they'd make a great threat later on.
I've considered this as well, but I'll have to see how the group feels about Nualia. I'm not sure I want to have the main villain return later in the campaign. Even though stuff like having her ride Longclaw seems like a lot of fun, I'm afraid her return could make the party feel like the first chapter of the AP was largely a waste.
Still, it certainly makes sense that Tsuto would TRY to revive her.
He could try, and fail spectacularly... creating some kind of twisted tentacular monstrosity with only enough recognizable features for players to realize that *this* was once Nualia, *this abomination* was once a heaven-kissed aasimar.
Bwwwwa-ha-ha!!!
I have the same situation on my hands. I think I'm going to let Tsuto help out at the Seven's Sawmill, that should surprise my group at least a bit at the end of book 2 ;-)