Path Guide 211u4

Table of Contents • Guide Information ............................................................................................................................ 8 ◦ Introduction.......................................................................................................................... 8 ▪ Version History........................................................................................................ 8 ▪ Foreword.................................................................................................................. 9 ▪ Path]nder History and Reêctions By The Author .............................................11 • Gameplay Information ...................................................................................................................12 ◦ In-Game Tutorials ..............................................................................................................12 ▪ Basics ....................................................................................................................12 ◦ Characters..........................................................................................................................17 ▪ Amiri.......................................................................................................................17 ▪ Ekundayo ...............................................................................................................19 ▪ Harrim ....................................................................................................................21 ▪ Jaethal ...................................................................................................................23 ▪ Jubilost ..................................................................................................................25 ▪ Linzi........................................................................................................................27 ▪ Nok-Nok.................................................................................................................28 ▪ Octavia...................................................................................................................29 ▪ Regongar ...............................................................................................................31 ▪ Tristian ...................................................................................................................33 ▪ Valerie ....................................................................................................................35 ◦ Races..................................................................................................................................37 ▪ Human ...................................................................................................................37 ▪ Elf ...........................................................................................................................38 ▪ Dwarf .....................................................................................................................39 ▪ Gnome ...................................................................................................................40 ▪ Halîng ..................................................................................................................41 ▪ Half-Elf ...................................................................................................................42 ▪ Half-Orc..................................................................................................................43 ▪ Aasimar .................................................................................................................44 • Walkthrough....................................................................................................................................46 ◦ Prologue .............................................................................................................................46 ▪ The First Step on the Road to Glory .....................................................................46 ◦ Chapter 1 - Getting Started in the Outskirts.....................................................................71 ▪ First Night in the Stolen Lands .............................................................................71 ▪ Oleg's Trading Post ...............................................................................................74 ▪ Two-River's Field ...................................................................................................91 ▪ Nettle's Crossing ...................................................................................................96 ▪ Trail in the Hills......................................................................................................98 ▪ Waterlogged Lowland.........................................................................................100 3

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▪ Fangberry for Bokken - Fangberry Cave ............................................................103 Chapter 1 - Trailing Tartuccio and the Stag Lord ...........................................................108 ▪ Ancient Tomb ......................................................................................................108 ▪ Pine Patch ...........................................................................................................118 ▪ Thorn Ford ...........................................................................................................123 ▪ Oak-That-Strayed ................................................................................................130 ▪ Technic League Ambush ....................................................................................134 ▪ Abandoned Hut ...................................................................................................137 ▪ Technic League Encampment............................................................................143 ▪ Temple of the Elk ................................................................................................146 Chapter 1 - Old Sycamore ...............................................................................................151 ▪ Exploring the Old Sycamore ...............................................................................151 ▪ Old Sycamore Caves (Kobold Section)..............................................................172 ▪ Old Sycamore Caves (Mite Section) ..................................................................177 ▪ Old Sycamore Depths .........................................................................................182 ▪ End of the Rivalry ................................................................................................202 Chapter 1 - North Narlmarches Expedition ....................................................................210 ▪ Old Oak ................................................................................................................210 ▪ Tuskgutter's Lair..................................................................................................212 ▪ Glade in the Wilderness ......................................................................................216 ▪ Old Mesa..............................................................................................................220 ▪ Riverine Rise ........................................................................................................222 Chapter 1 - Claiming the Stolen Lands ...........................................................................224 ▪ Stag Lord's Fort ...................................................................................................224 ▪ Finishing Up Chapter 1 .......................................................................................244 ▪ Baronation ...........................................................................................................246 Chapter 2 - Dire Narlmarches Expedition .......................................................................249 ▪ First Day on the Job ............................................................................................249 ▪ A Ford Across the Skunk River ...........................................................................253 ▪ Overgrown Pool...................................................................................................255 ▪ Three-Pine Islet ...................................................................................................257 ▪ Ruined Watchtower.............................................................................................258 ▪ Claiming the Outskirts ........................................................................................265 ▪ Kingdom Rank Ups .............................................................................................268 Chapter 2 - Verdant Chambers Expedition.....................................................................273 ▪ A Just Reward .....................................................................................................273 ▪ Lone House .........................................................................................................276 ▪ Bandit Camp........................................................................................................279 ▪ Return to the Verdant Chambers .......................................................................281 Chapter 2 - South Narlmarch/Kamelands Expedition ...................................................283 ▪ Whitish Hills.........................................................................................................283 ▪ Swamp Witch's Hut .............................................................................................285 ▪ Troll Clearing .......................................................................................................305

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▪ Monster Den ........................................................................................................306 ▪ Secluded Lodge ..................................................................................................307 ▪ Wolf Lair...............................................................................................................309 ▪ Mud Bowl.............................................................................................................310 ▪ Bridge Over the Gudrin River ..............................................................................311 Chapter 2 - Troll Trouble..................................................................................................314 ▪ Baron's Business in Tuskdale .............................................................................314 ▪ Troll Trouble - Renowed Explorer .......................................................................320 ▪ Troll Trouble - The Nature of the Beast..............................................................322 ▪ Troll Trouble - A Score to Settle..........................................................................324 ▪ Troll Trouble - Dwarven Ruins.............................................................................327 ▪ Troll Trouble - Troll Lair .......................................................................................330 ▪ Troll Trouble - Troll Lair Depths ..........................................................................337 Chapter 2 - Questing After Troll Trouble.........................................................................344 ▪ Baronial Business after the Troll Trouble ..........................................................344 ▪ Lost Child.............................................................................................................349 ▪ Hodag Lair ...........................................................................................................354 ▪ Ratnook Hill .........................................................................................................355 Chapter 2 - Journey to Varnhold .....................................................................................356 ▪ Bald Stones .........................................................................................................356 ▪ Ironstone Gully ....................................................................................................357 ▪ Lonely Barrow......................................................................................................359 ▪ Ancient Mine .......................................................................................................363 ▪ Lake Silverstep Village........................................................................................364 ▪ Silverstep Grove ..................................................................................................370 ▪ Varnhold ..............................................................................................................372 Chapter 2 - Monster Invasion..........................................................................................374 ▪ Baronial Business after the Varnhold Expedition..............................................374 ▪ The Curse of Candlemere...................................................................................380 ▪ An Amusement for the Nobles...........................................................................384 ▪ The Hunter's Revenge .........................................................................................390 ▪ A Plague of Monsters .........................................................................................391 ▪ The Seed of Sorrow ............................................................................................392 ▪ Witch Hunt...........................................................................................................393 ▪ Lonely Mill ...........................................................................................................397 ▪ Goblin Ambush....................................................................................................398 ▪ Mother of Monsters ............................................................................................399 ▪ Return to the Bridge Over the Gudrin River........................................................403 Chapter 2 - Season of Bloom ..........................................................................................408 ▪ Season of Bloom - Unrest in the Streets............................................................408 ▪ Season of Bloom - Goblin Fort ...........................................................................411 ▪ Season of Bloom - The Bloom in Tuskdale .......................................................417 ▪ Season of Bloom - Womb of Lamashtu ............................................................419 5

▪ Season of Bloom - Other World..........................................................................423 ◦ Chapter 3 - Varnhold Vanishing ......................................................................................428 ▪ Investigating Varnhold........................................................................................428 ▪ The Varnhold Stockade ......................................................................................430 ▪ Overgrown Cavern...............................................................................................433 ▪ Kellid Barbarian Camp ........................................................................................434 ◦ Chapter 3 - Along the Cold Trail ......................................................................................436 ▪ Forsaken Mound .................................................................................................436 ▪ City of Hollow Eyes .............................................................................................437 ▪ Sepulchre of Forgotten Heroes ..........................................................................442 ▪ Sister's Reward....................................................................................................447 ◦ Chapter 3 - The Lost Relic ...............................................................................................448 ▪ Gates to the Valley of the Dead..........................................................................448 ▪ Vordakai's Tomb, Level 1 ....................................................................................450 ▪ Vordakai's Tomb, Level 2 ....................................................................................455 ◦ Chapter 4 - The Twice-Born Warlord...............................................................................459 ▪ The Traitor and the Invader ................................................................................459 ▪ Hour of Rage (Early)............................................................................................460 • Advanced Gameplay Information................................................................................................464 ◦ Path]nder Rules and ............................................................................................464 ▪ Advanced Gameplay Information ......................................................................464 ▪ Ability Damage ....................................................................................................465 ▪ Acrobatics ...........................................................................................................467 ▪ Armor Class.........................................................................................................468 ▪ Attack Bonus (Attack Roll) .................................................................................470 ▪ Attacks of Opportunity .......................................................................................471 ▪ Base Attack Bonus..............................................................................................473 ▪ Character Level (Class Level).............................................................................476 ▪ Charge Attack......................................................................................................477 ▪ Combat Maneuvers ............................................................................................478 ▪ Combat Round: Actions......................................................................................480 ▪ Concealment and Cover .....................................................................................482 ▪ Concentration (Casting Defensively) .................................................................483 ▪ Critical Hits ..........................................................................................................484 ▪ Damage Reduction .............................................................................................486 ▪ Energy Drain (Negative Levels) ..........................................................................487 ▪ Energy Resistance and Vulnerability..................................................................488 ▪ Experience Points ...............................................................................................489 ▪ Fighting Defensively............................................................................................491 ▪ Flanking ...............................................................................................................492 ▪ Hit Points (Hit Dice) ............................................................................................493 ▪ Initiative ...............................................................................................................495 ▪ Ranged Combat ..................................................................................................496 6

▪ Saving Throws.....................................................................................................497 ▪ Sneak Attack .......................................................................................................500 ▪ Spell Resistance..................................................................................................501 ▪ Threatened Area (Reach) ...................................................................................502 • Kingdom Information ...................................................................................................................503 ◦ Kingdom Development....................................................................................................503 ▪ General Info .........................................................................................................503 ▪ Kingdom Stats.....................................................................................................505 ▪ Leaders ................................................................................................................507 ▪ Events, Projects and Regions .............................................................................509 ▪ Building ................................................................................................................512

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Introduction

Version History Version 0.904 (September 29, 2018) • Added the The Traitor and the Invader page to the walkthrough. • Added the Hour of Rage (Early) page to the walkthrough.

Version 0.903 (September 28, 2018) • • • • •

Updated the Sepulchre of Forgotten Heroes page in the walkthrough. Added the Sister’s Reward page to the walkthrough. Added the Gates to the Valley of the Dead page to the walkthrough. Added the Vordakai’s Tomb, Level 1 page to the walkthrough. Added the Vordakai’s Tomb, Level 2 page to the walkthrough.

Version 0.902 (September 27, 2018) • Races section added to the guide.

Version 0.901 (September 26, 2018) • Typo ]xes • Tutorials migrated from walkthrough to the Tutorials section of the guide

Version 0.9 (September 25, 2018) • Launch Version

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Introduction

Foreword

The motivations that lead one to a life of an adventurer are endless: wanderlust, glory, power, wealth, fame, or opportunities to indulge your benevolence - or malevolence. Whatever your reasons are, you found the perfect means to attain your adventurous ambitions when a lord made an offer too attractive to ignore. A powerful bandit calling himself the Stag Lord has made himself ruler of the appropriately-named Stolen Lands, a dangerous frontier and no-mans-land. Bandits make for notoriously poor neighbors, and the offer is simple; whomever rids the Stolen Lands of this Stag Lord may rule those liberated lands with o_cial and recognition. Whether you want to defend the vulnerable trying to scratch out a living in the Stolen Lands, deprive the Stag Lord and other evils from imposing on the meek, spread lawful civilization into untamed lands, accrue wealth and power and subjugate others to your will (and, perhaps, more than a little bit of taxation), or if you just think that becoming a baron/baroness would be a fun adventure is yours to decide, and to shape by your actions and policies, and in no small part by the company you keep. While claiming a crown by one’s own hands would normally be the highlight of any adventurer’s career, there’s more at play than is initially apparent. The machinations of foreign states large and small, of slavers and barbarian tribes, and of conspiring factions within the state that endorsed your quest may all prove to be threats. Worse still, the lands you conquer didn’t remain untamed for so long for no reason - bandits and monsters abound and sinister forces conspire to ensure the Stolen Lands never have a master for long… Path]nder: Kingmaker is an isometric, party-based RPG that shares much in common with games like Baldur’s Gate, an obvious source of inspiration. Veterans of old-school Black Isle or Bioware CRPGs - or players of tabletop Path]nder or 3.5 Edition Dungeons & Dragons - will naturally feel quite comfortable with the ittedly dense rules. You’ll ]nd many of the more common rules and explained both in-game, and in the PathKnder Rules and section of the guide. You’ll start the game by creating a character (or selecting a pregenerated character), and before long you’ll be expected to control a diverse group of characters. What characters you bring to battle with you and how you equip them and utilize their spells and abilities are the key gameplay considerations in Path]nder. To that end, in the walkthrough you’ll ]nd suggestions regarding tactics, spells selection, skill point allocation and the speci]c strengths and weaknesses of troublesome enemies listed throughout the walkthrough. Aside from the typical fare of pointing out loot, traps, secrets, enemy locations and strategies and how to navigate quests and dialogues for desired outcomes, in Path]nder: Kingmaker there’s another important consideration - how to manage

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your kingdom e_ciently. More than just a minigame, the kingdom management aspect of Path]nder: Kingmaker regularly is the vehicle through which new quests are introduced. You’ll also assign NPCs and companions to various positions within your government, resolves problems and take advantage of opportunities to build up your kingdom stats to deal with internal and external threats to stability. The decisions you make determine whether you’re a cruel tyrant or a benevolent leader… or somewhere in between. Naturally you’ll ]nd information on how all this works in the Kingdom Development section of the guide. With any luck, you’ll ]nd the information presented here helpful in your own adventures - it’s sure been one writing this guide! – Nathan "Haeravon" Garvin (author of PathKnder: Kingmaker) and the Gamer Guides team.

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Introduction

PathInder History and ReJections By The Author It is with some shame that I must it, I’ve never played Path]nder before starting work on Path]nder: Kingmaker. Still, I’ve been asked to talk about Path]nder a bit at the beginning of this guide, and share some personal anecdotes, and fortunately my gaming history (some pretentious folk may call it "credentials") isn’t completely devoid of merit, despite a previous lack of familiarity with Path]nder. I have a long history with Dungeons & Dragons, and since it’s impossible to talk about Path]nder without talking about Dungeons & Dragons, it’s as good a place to start as any. While most kids my age were weaned on the Nintendo Entertainment System, I started playing video games on PC. It’s a bit odd to think that my ]rst game - at the age of four - was Pool of Radiance. I suspect most kids weren’t entering DOS prompts on their dad’s Tandy 1000 at that age, back when it took hours for games to install off a series of 5.25" ôppy discs. I remained an avid fan of video games and Dungeons & Dragons - although increasingly rarely both at the same time well into my teens. JRPGs ruled the market back then, and while some newer RPG franchises from the west like Diablo and Fallout were catching attention, it wasn’t until late 1998 that we ]nally got a great RPG based off of Dungeons & Dragons: Baldur’s Gate. If you played that hallowed game and subsequently are reading this, you don’t need to be told about the merits of Baldur’s Gate. That the folks at Owlcat Games think highly of it is evidenced enough by its ]ngerprints being all over Path]nder: Kingmaker. Sadly, while Baldur’s Gate was an exemplar of a new trend in western CRPGs, it was born in turbulent times for Dungeons & Dragons. TSR (Tactical Rules Studies - founded by Dungeons & Dragons creator Gary Gygax) was purchased by Wizards of the Coast in 1997 and had been moribund since 1996. Despite this fact, TSR’s logo appeared on Dungeons & Dragons products - including Baldur’s Gate - until the release of 3rd Edition books in 2000. Wizards of the Coast was, in turn, purchased by Hasbro, Inc in 1999. While it might seem extraneous, all these acquisitions and changes of brand were the wet nurses of the Path]nder game system. After Hasbro acquired Wizards of the Coast, Lisa Stevens left the company and founded Paizo Publishing. In 2002 Paizo gained the rights to publish two tenured magazines - Dragon and Dungeon - which supplemented the Dungeons & Dragon’s game system. As another anecdote, when I was a kid my father purchased many issues of Dragon Magazine, presumably to enrich his Dungeons & Dragons sessions with his friends. I have many of them to do this day… although ittedly I mostly just read the comics in the back (shout out to SnarfQuest). Paizo would also get in the business of publishing modules (called "adventure paths"), which ran from 2003-2007. In fact, Path]nder: Kingmaker is based on a series of such "adventure packs" - the aptly named Kingmaker Adventure Pack. When Wizards of the Coast announced the imminent release of 4th Edition Dungeons & Dragons in 2007, Paizo Publishing decided to go their own way with the Path]nder game system for a variety of reasons. One could go on at length about the shortcomings of 4th Edition Dungeons & Dragons, but su_ce to say there was a signi]cant section of the Dungeons & Dragons market who didn’t like the new direction and wanted an alternative. Fortunately for everyone, 3rd Edition Dungeons & Dragons has an Open Game License, which allowed Paizo to branch off that familiar ruleset. Thus, from the turmoil of corporate mergers, the discontent of former Wizards of the Coast employees and the desire for an alternative among gamers was the Path]nder game system born out of 3rd Edition Dungeons & Dragons.

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In-Game Tutorials

Basics Movement Click on the location you want to walk to, and your character will start moving toward it. The location will be marked with a special symbol. If the location is inaccessible, the symbol will instead appear in the nearest accessible section.

Camera To move the camera, use the WASD and ARROW KEYS or press and hold the middle mouse button.

Area Exit Click [the door] icon to exit the current area.

Basic Combat General: Combat happens in real time, but you can pause the game at any time to assess the situation and give orders to your companions. To pause or unpause the game, press Space. Click on an opponent to attack them. Dice Rolls: Most of the game’s mechanics are based on the Path]nder Roleplaying Game System, and use dice rolls to determine the results of actions. The most common die has 20 sides an is used for both checks and attacks. Initiative: When a battle starts, each combatant makes and initiative check. The higher their initiative, the earlier the character can act. Initiative scores can be viewed in the Combat Log. Combat is divided into rounds, with each round lasting 6 seconds. Attack Roll: An attack is a character’s attempt to strike an opponent. The result of an attack roll depends on many factors: wielded weapons, the combatant’s abilities, etc. An attack succeeds if the result of an attack roll equals or exceeds the target’s Armor Class. Damage: The amount of damage dealt in the case of a successful attack depends on the weapon’s stats and other factors, such as buff spells. Attack roll results and damage number can be found in the Combat Log. Armor Class: The higher a character’s Armor Class, the more di_cult it is to successfully attack them. It combines a base defense of 10 with other factors, such as equipment stats, Dexterity bonus, ive abilities, etc. :::

Loot You can interact with various objects, such as the bodies of dead opponents, by clicking on them. Interactive objects are highlighted with a blue outline when you hover your mouse over them or when you hold Tab.

Linzi’s Journal Linzi’s Journal contains your current quests and tasks. When their status changes, you will also see a noti]cation on the

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main screen. To open Linzi’s Journal press J.

Equipping Items You’ve acquired a ring. In order to equip it, open your inventory by pressing I.

Companions There are several companions in your party now. To select a single character, click on their portrait or press a corresponding key Alt+1 - Alt+6. To select multiple characters at once and give them the same order, draw a frame around them while holding down on the left mouse button. To select all characters, press Backspace.

Spells Linzi and Tartuccio are capable of casting spells. To use a spell, click on its icon in the action or in the spells menu, and then on the target (your companion or an enemy, depending on the desire effect). For Clerics, Druids, Magi, Paladins, Rangers and Wizards, spells are prepared in advance before casting it again. Bards, Inquisitors and Sorcerers can use their spells several time per day, but their spell repertoire is limited. Spells have various characteristics, such as range, duration, school, etc. To review all the spells available to a character, open their spellbook by pressing B. When a character acquires a new spell or ability, it automatically appears in the ]rst free slot on their action (for spontaneous casters it happens as soon as they get it, for casters who have to prepare their spells, it happens when they prepare it for the ]rst time). If you remove a spell from the action , it won’t appear there automatically again.

Abilities Most characters have usable abilities, which may be limited to a certain number of charges. To use an ability, click on the icon in the action or in the Special Abilities menu, and then on a target. (You might target a companion or an enemy, depending on the desired effect.) Some abilities do not require targeting, or can be switched on and off.

Attacks of Opportunity Some actions performed close to an armed opponent can provoke an additional attack upon your character even when it’s not the opponent’s turn. Such actions include, among other things, casting spells, attempting to move away from an opponent, and shooting ranged weapons.

Tactical Time Flow Tactical Time Flow (Advanced Combat Tutorial): By holding down "Shift" + "Spacebar" while the game is paused, you can make time move slowly, for better combat control.

Hit Points, Healing and Death Each character has a certain number of hit points (HP). When a character’s HP value drops to 0, they lose consciousness. After combat is over, the character will get up and can be controlled again. A character’s HP value can drop into negative numbers. However, if a character is reduced to a negative amount of hit

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points equal to its Constitution score, the character dies. To resurrect them, you will need a special spell. To restore lost hit points, you can use healing spells, potions, or rest. Healing potions can be bought from merchants or obtained as trophies after combat. Healing spells are accessible to the following classes: Bard, Cleric, Inquisitor, Paladin and Ranger. To use expendable items, such as scrolls, potions and rods, open your inventory and place them in the quick slots on their belt. Return to the main screen and click the Belt button on the action to access these items. You cannot use an expendable item on the inventory screen.

Skill Checks Sometimes interacting with an object requires a skill check. A successful check may be needed for a variety of tasks: unlocking a door, opening a chest, disabling a trap, moving a heavy object, reading and inscription in an ancient language, etc. Different skills are used for different checks. If multiple characters are selected at once, the character with the highest skill bonus will perform the action. Some skill checks, like trap disarming, can be attempted multiple times. Others, like unlocking doors or spotting hidden things, can only be retried after a character raises their skill rank. Some items and spells can give characters a bonus to a skill check, but applying this bonus doesn’t give you a chance to retry a failed check.

Highlighting Objects Press the Tab key to highlight all interactive objects in the vicinity.

Encumbrance Each character can carry a limited amount of weigh, based on their Strength score. Each character carries the weight of their personal equipment as well as a part of the party’s shared stash. There are three stages of encumbrance: light load, medium load and heavy load. Medium and heavy loads burden the character, limiting their abilities in battle. You can see the penalties due to their carried weight by pointing at the encumbrance gauge under the character’s equipment window.

Traps You will encounter many traps on your adventures. When any of your characters approaches a trap, they will automatically make a Perception skill check. On success, you will see the trap’s location and the game will automatically pause. Traps vary in effect as well as di_culty to detect. Having identi]ed a trap, you can click on it to order one of the characters to make a Thievery skill check to disable it. On success, the trap will be disabled. On failure, it will remain in place. However, if the result of a skill roll is less than the trap’s di_culty by 5 or more, the trap will go off as if the character had triggered it. All check results can be found in the Combat Log.

Scrolls You found a scroll - a single-use item that allows you to see the spell that’s written upon it. For a character to use it, that character must have the Use Magic Device skill, or be of a class which could eventually learn to cast the spell. For convenience, it is best to place things like scrolls into a character’s quick slots.

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Dialogue Checks Sometimes skills are checked over the course of dialogue - for example, when trying to convince a character of something. The check result will determine the way the dialogue develops. The character in the party with the highest bonus in the desired skill is usually used to determine such a check.

Spell Conversion Clerics and Druids can convert their spells spontaneously. A Cleric of good alignment doesn’t need to prepare healing spells: they can spend almost any prepared spell to cast a cure of the same level. In the same way, a Cleric of evil alignment doesn’t need to prepare inîct spells. During character creation, Clerics of neutral alignment can choose whether their converted spells cure or inîct. A Druid can convert almost any prepared spell into Summon Nature’s Ally of the same level.

Formations Group formations is half of any victory. The formation system will help you hold the line in combat. Click the button to select one of the standard formations, or you can create your own.

Hidden Items One of your character has detected a hidden object after rolling a successful Perception skill check. Objects found this way are highlighted with a purple outline. All check results can be found in the Combat Log.

Illustrated Book Episodes Some game events play out as illustrated book episodes. The decisions you make during these episodes can have drastic impact on the developments of the game’s plot. As with dialogues, you will often need to make various skill checks during these episodes. Depending on the circumstances, sometimes you will need to choose one of your party to perform an action, and sometimes an action will be automatically performed by the character with the highest skill bonus.

Conditions One of your characters is fatigued. This is just one of the negative conditions that can affect you during the game. To notify you that a character is under the effect of a condition, a symbol will appear near their portrait. To ]nd out more about the character’s condition, open their Character screen.

Fatigue A fatigued character cannot charge and takes a -2 penalty to Strength and Dexterity. Doing anything that would normally cause fatigue causes the fatigued character to become exhausted. After a complete rest, fatigued characters are no longer fatigued. You can also cure fatigue with a restoration spell or potion.

Moral Choices Sometimes your character has to make di_cult decisions, relying on their conscience (or lack thereof). Such decisions

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impact your character’s alignment, gradually shifting your character towards good or evil, lawful or chaotic. Some dialogues feature special options that are available only to characters with certain alignments.

Map Movement This is a map of the Stolen Lands and their vicinities. To set out, click on one of the arrows near your party token. you can learn the whereabouts of signi]cant locations by talking to characters or happening upon them during your journey. After learning about a location, you must ]nd the way there yourself. Along the way, random encounters await. You may be attacked by monsters, or you may meet new acquaintances. After exiting the location of a random encounter, you will not be able to return there.

Rest It’s high time to set up camp and rest. In camp, all characters will restore some of their lost hit points, and those capable of casting spells will replenish them. To camp, you need a special resource - rations. When you press R or click the "Rest" button, an outline of a camp appears under your mouse cursor. A green outline allows you to click to set up camp there, while a red one means that something is blocking it. After setting up camp, click on the bon]re to begin resting. Once everyone has gathered around the bon]re, you will see a special camp interface used to set the resting time an distribute up the following responsibilities among your party : Hunting - success will acquire additional rations Camp CamouLage - lowers the chance of an enemy attack on the camp the same way Night Watch does Cooking - preparing a successful dish will grant positive effect lasting 16 hours to the speci]c character or the entire party, depending on the recipe Special Ability - every party member has their own special ability You can assign more than one job to a party member, but be careful: that would prevent them from having a proper rest! While resting, your camp may be attacked by enemies. After dealing with them, click on the ]re again to continue resting. It is usually better to avoid camping in dungeons - in dungeons, you won’t be able to hunt, cook, or use certain abilities. Moreover, there is a higher chance of enemy attacks in such places.

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Characters

Amiri

How to Recruit Amiri Amiri can be found in the Prologue. A barbarian from the Realm of the Mammoth Lords, Amiri’s warrior pride chafed under the insults, scorn and derision her ambitions were met with. Instead of submitting to the constraints her society imposed on her gender, she instead left home in search of a new tribe - one she’s eager to prove her worth as a warrior to. Amiri’s a simple creature, in both ambition, manner of speech, morality and, most importantly, gameplay. She values strength and bravery and detests weakness and cowardice. Fortunately for her, she’s got the attributes to compete with the best in melee combat, boasting a high Strength and Dexterity and a able Dexterity score. Wading into combat with a massive - oversized, even - bastard sword gives her great damage potential, and generally speaking she’ll do ]ne so long as you give her a big weapon to swing at her foes. Her barbarian recklessness, limitation to medium armor and Dexterity score will all conspire to keep her Armor Class low, making her somewhat vulnerable in melee combat, and although she’ll have enough HP to take a few hits, if you allow her to become the focus of an enemy’s aggression, she’ll quickly suffer for it. If you keep Amiri on track as a Barbarian, she’ll have access to Athletics, Mobility, Lore (Nature), Perception and Persuasion as class skills, and she’ll get a fair number of skill points per level. She’s a able way to get the Persuasion you need, but Jaethal is much better suited for the task. On the other hand, you can take care of your hunting needs by investing in Lore (Nature). Of secondary importance, investing in Athletics will help you cover some skill checks, and Mobility will allow Amiri to ânk enemies without fear of reprisal. Amiri is the hardest-hitting companion you can recruit, but her staying power is somewhat suspect, so keep her in check and try to ensure she’s not drawing too much attention to herself.

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18

Characters

Ekundayo

How to Recruit Ekundayo Ekundayo can be found at the Ruined Watchtower during the Troll Trouble questline in Chapter 2. A ranger in search of vengeance, Ekundayo will arrive in the Stolen Lands in the wake of the creatures he hunts - Trolls. He’s a man of few words and even less joy, beingly morose and dedicated to his obsession. After you prove your worth to him, he’ll you, but be warned, he won’t react well to any deals with the beasts that plague the lands of men. Unlike many characters, he s the party later, starting out as a 5th level Ranger. Despite his brooding, Ekundayo’s talent as an archer is second-to-none, with an impressively high Dexterity score, and enough Strength to allow him to participlate in melee… or better yet, add more damage to his ranged attacks via a composite bow. His Constitution isn’t poor, either, giving him some staying power should he be required to engage in melee. His Wisdom may be an issue when he starts gaining Divine magics, but he’ll never be much of a spellcaster anyways. As far as skills go, Ekundayo’s high Dexterity gives him a great natural bonus to Stealth. He doesn’t have Sneak Attack, however, meaning he’ll mostly be useful in a scouting role, although you can use him to keep your camp hidden and avoid encounters. Considering his high Dexterity, he’s probably best off in light armor. That matched with his decent Strength score also makes him a good candidate for Athletics. His Wisdom isn’t great, so he won’t be spectacular at Lore (Nature) or Perception checks, although he starts out with points in both, but unless you want to boost his Mobility, you might as well just keep dropping points into the skills he starts invested in. If you want a top-tier archer, you need look no further than Ekundayo. His versatility may tempt you into working him into a melee role, but he’s best used at range, meaning you should keep your best armor and defensive items for your tanks. If needed, have Ekundayo equip a melee weapon with reach (such as a longspear) so he can participate in melee when

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arrows aren’t advantageous.

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Characters

Harrim

How to Recruit Harrim Harrim is ]rst met during the Prologue but if he leaves then you can ]nd him again either at the Ancient Tomb or by speaking to Chief Sootscale at the Old Sycamore when tracking Tartuccio. A dwarf from Larrad, a city all but devoted to the worship of Torag (and his extensive pantheon of relatives), Harrim is a failed priest of Torag whose ion and effort went unrewarded. Having repeatedly failed in his acts of pious craftsmanship, the shamed dwarf abandoned his homeland and set to wandering, where he encountered a deity whose tenets suited his newfound depressed pessimism and whiny fatalism. That’s right, Harrim’s a devotee of Groetus - he’s a professional doomsayer whose constant, melodramatic griping is divinely ordained! His charming personality aside, Harrim’s Strength and Constitution make him a competent enough warrior, although as a Cleric (and with his poor Dexterity score) one shouldn’t expect too much out of him. He’s more capable in combat than his fellow divine spellcaster, Tristian, but is probably inferior to Jaethal. While his melee prowess may leave something to be desired, he’s solid as a caster and can take a few hits. His high Wisdom score ensures his spell DCs are hard for enemies to resist, although he’s got fewer domain spells than Tristian, and should be viewed as an inferior healer, overall. As a Cleric, Harrim can invest points into the Knowledge (Arcana), Knowledge (World), Lore (Religion) and Persuasion skills as class skills. Sadly, his attributes ensure that he won’t gain many skill points per level, and he can really only excel in the Lore (Religion) skill. If you want a sturdy Cleric who will serve as a able caster and secondary warrior, Harrim will ]t in your party just ]ne.

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22

Characters

Jaethal

How to Recruit Jaethal Jaethal is ]rst met during the Prologue but if she leaves then you can ]nd her again either at the Ancient Tomb or by speaking to Chief Sootscale at the Old Sycamore when tracking Tartuccio. An elven hedonist who was exiled from her homeland of Kyonin for the despicable crimes she committed against her own family. During her aimless wanderings after her exile, she came down with a slight case of death, the cause of which is still a mystery to her. Whatever the cause, she’s now an undead in service to the goddess Urgathoa, although she’s not entirely satis]ed with the lack of sensation that has come with her undeath. Coming armed with a scythe, Jaethal seems primed to ful]ll the role of the undead, unholy inquisitor quite well. Her high Strength and Wisdom and able Dexterity (suitable enough for medium armor) ensures her attributes don’t disappoint. That said, abandoning the scythe for a one-handed weapon and shield will probably serve her better in combat at least in the short term, and one has to be mindful that her Base Attack Bonus won’t be as high as a proper warrior’s. All in all, she’ll perform irably as a secondary warrior who can also cast a few spells in a pinch, but she’s not a substitute for a primary warrior or a healer. One should also keep in mind her undead traits, which complicate matters somewhat. Jaethal, as an undead being, cannot be healed by normal healing magics. Healing spells like Cure Light Wounds will instead harm her, but on the other hand, damaging spells like Inîct Light Wounds will heal her. In addition, Jaethal’s Constitution score cannot be modi]ed, and doesn’t contribute to her Fortitude Save or HP. Instead, she uses her Charisma score for these purposes, so keep that in mind when divvying up gear. On top of that she’s immune to bleed, death effects, disease, paralysis, poison, sleep effects and stunning. She also can’t be permanently killed in combat, but she can still be disabled by having her HP reduced to zero, and her undying status won’t keep you from getting a game over in the event of a party wipe. As an Inquisitor, Jaethal gains access to a variety of useful abilities, including a variety of Judgment abilities that, when

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activated, can do anything from regenerating HP, increasing attack, damage, armor class, saving throws or physical and elemental resistances. She also gains access to a mix of divine and arcane spells, although her progression is slow and her selection is limited (like a Sorcerer). These spells are nevertheless useful, ideally including common buffs and healing spells, allowing Jaethal to serve as a secondary caster. Every skill is a class skill for Jaethal, and she actually gets enough skill points per level to meaningfully progress in several skills simultaneously, making her an even more useful addition to any party. Considering she receives decent attribute modi]ers due to her Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma scores, she can excel in many things, but you should be especially keen to invest in Perception, as her elven senses and high Wisdom will give great bonuses to this skill. She is, in fact, the premier character to use for such things, barring a specialized protagonist. Other than that, use her to bolster whatever skills your other party don’t have, just be wary that her Athletics, Mobility, Trickery and Stealth will all be hindered by any armor or shields she’s using. Jaethal is arguably the third best warrior companion you get, on top of which she possesses unique undead traits, a small but useful spell arsenal, and a wide variety of skills, making her a good utility character for any party.

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Characters

Jubilost

How to Recruit Jubilost You can ]nd Jubilost at the Ford Across Skunk River area during the main questline Troll Trouble - Renowned Explorer. Another character who s the party late and has a… less than stellar personality. Jubilost - as if you didn’t know the name already - is a world famous adventurer and writer, currently exploring the Stolen Lands and critiquing a certain êdgling baron(ess). If you play your cards right and help save his worldly possessions from a predictably bad combination of goblins and river, he’ll grace your barony with his unsured talent and intellect. Like Ekundayo, he’ll the party as a 5th level Alchemist. Alchemists are good for two things; throwing bombs and casting spells. In fact, if you think of them as a Bard who throws bombs and use mutagens instead of performing Bardsong, you’re not too far off. While his bombs are limited, he will get a fair variety of them (depending a bit on your feat choices as you level up). Given his high natural Intelligence, his bombs and spells will both be bolstered quite a bit. His low Strength precludes him from melee combat, however, and he’s strictly inferior to Linzi as an archer. Otherwise, you can consider the two to ]ll roughly the same niche in your party. He s the party invested in several skills: Trickery, Knowledge (World), Perception and Use Magic Device. Considering his Wisdom, one has to question his usefulness as far as Perception goes, but he’ll do ably well with Trickery and will excel at Knowledge (World)… and Knowledge (Arcana), should you feel inclined to invest in it. As far as serving as your rogue, however, both Linzi and Octavia will do a better job. Jubilost makes a able caster who doesn’t quite bring all the skills to the table you’d get with Octavia and Linzi. Still, the usefulness of his bombs shouldn’t be overlooked, allowing him to contribute signi]cantly in a ]ght even after the

25

initial spell buffs are cast.

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Characters

Linzi

Linzi is ]rst met during the Prologue but if she leaves then you can ]nd her again either at the Ancient Tomb or by speaking to Chief Sootscale at the Old Sycamore when tracking Tartuccio. This energetic Bard studied at the Academy of the Arts in Pitax, but after coming down with a case of wanderlust, she abandoned the pretentious con]nes of academia so she could put her talents to more practical use. You know, because it’s not really art unless you’re bothering other people with it. She may have large ambitions, but she’s aware of her own diminutive stature, and has accordingly opted to take a safer, more ive way of making her mark in the world - by chronicling (and perhaps embellishing) your deeds. Bards are naturally characters, and to this end, Linzi excels. Not only can you use her selection of Bard spells to supplement the arsenals of your primary casters, but she’s also handy enough with ranged weapons and can use a selection of Bardsongs (which will get stronger and more diverse as you level up) to aid your other party . Just keep Linzi out of melee combat, as her profession and Strength score will both conspire to limit her effectiveness in any sort of melee role. Fitting her role, every skill is a class skill for Linzi, and her high Dexterity and Charisma makes her ideal for Persuasion, Stealth and Trickery. If you have all those covered, consider leveraging her good Intelligence score by investing in Knowledge {Arcana} or Knowledge (World). Linzi is a consummate character. She’s useless in melee combat, mediocre at ranged combat, and her spells won’t remove the need for a proper arcane spellcaster or healer, but her bardsongs will make everybody a little bit better at what they’re doing, and her spells will take the pressure off other characters while her contributions in ranged combat are welcome enough.

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Characters

Nok-Nok

How to Recruit Nok-Nok Nok-Nok can be found in Goblin Village during the quest Mother of Monsters in Chapter 2.

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Characters

Octavia

How to Recruit Octavia Octavia can be found by freeing her and Regongar at the Technic League Encampment. Enslaved at a young age, Octavia was taught magic by her captors to increase her value. Along with her lover and fellow slave, Regongar, she gained her freedom when an adventurer - who was crossed by her masters - tracked the slavers down and defeated them. Despite her years of slavery, Octavia has managed to retain an optimistic, light-hearted demeanor - a stark contrast to Regongar. Octavia ]ts into a classic CRPG niche which veterans of the genre should recognize: the roguish mage. Her progression as a wizard may be somewhat stunted by her investment into the Rogue class, but the trade-offs are arguably worth it - not that there are any better arcane spellcaster companions, anyway. These trade-offs include superior ranged combat competence and having access to every skill as a class skill. More on the latter later, but her ranged prowess shouldn’t be pushed too far, as her low Base Attack Bonus will keep her from being terribly deadly with a bow. On top of that, her damage output with ranged weapons will always be suspect, as, although she’s got a great Dexterity score, her Strength is pretty unimpressive. This means she won’t be making much use of composite bows, and an extra 1d6 Sneak Attack damage will not be an impressive damage bonus for long. Fortunately, she excels as a Wizard, coming focused in Transmutation magic and with a wonderfully high Intelligence score that’ll keep her DCs high. Her Constitution is pretty low, however, so ensure she never becomes the target of enemy aggression, as she doesn’t have the HP to endure such attention for long. Where Octavia really shines is her skills - well, no, actually, it’s her spells, but she shines here, too! As mentioned earlier, she gets every skill as a class skill thanks to her Rogue level, and since her Intelligence is high, she’ll get plenty of skill points per level. All that said, her high Intelligence and Dexterity scores make her very pro]cient with the Mobility, Trickery,

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Stealth, Knowledge (Arcana) and Knowledge (World) skills, and if that’s not enough, her Charisma is high enough to make Persuasion a viable option, too. Having Octavia deal with your traps by investing in Trickery is a wise move, although actually detecting them may be something you leave to other characters. Filling that classic Imoen role in your party, Octavia can be your primary arcane spellcaster and trap disarmer, making her a good ]t in nearly any party or at least one that’s lacking a player-generated mage.

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Characters

Regongar

How to Recruit Regongar Regongar can be found by freeing him and Octavia at the Technic League Encampment. A slave of the Technic League along with his lover, Octavia, his magical talents were innate, and honed to dangerous aptitude by his masters. This, along with his unconquerable, violent demeanor, made him a most dangerous slave. After his masters crossed an adventurer, Regongar unexpectedly found himself a free man, eager to use his powers for his own end, for a change. Regongar is a Magus, which is something of a mix between a warrior and a mage. While not terribly skilled at either one, the synergy between a warrior’s melee prowess and an arcane spellcater’s buffs aim to close the gap and perhaps provide some extra versatility along the way. As such, you shouldn’t play Regongar as just another mage - while he can use his spells to supplement other casters, his Charisma isn’t quite comparable to the primary spell-casting attributes of other magically-inclined companions. If you need a Web spell cast, for example, Octavia’s will be noticeably more potent. That said, Regongar can amplify his combat effectiveness with personal buffs like Shield, Mirror Image and Blur. Furthermore, he can wield touch-ranged spells as off-hand attacks, and while this will burn through his spells at a rapid pace, his ability to provide a front-line presence and dish out physical and magical damage shouldn’t be underestimated. He’s a bit slow to get off the ground, and for the beginning of the game he’ll be a secondary warrior, at best. His spell-buffs will help somewhat, but they’re not a great substitute for armor. Once he hits the 7th level, however, and gains access to unrestricted use of medium armor he’ll be more well-protected. His high Strength score offsets a mid-range Base Attack Bonus, and all in all you can expect him to perform about as well

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as Jaethal in combat, with the caveat that he’s more vulnerable in the beginning due to his armor restrictions, and unlike Jaethal he can’t wield a shield without incurring the normal arcane spell failure penalties, not to mention the ability to use his off-hand to inîct damage via touch-range spells. Arcane Weapon Enhancement and Arcane Accuracy will further help bolster his melee competence, although they’re limited use abilities. As a fair mix between warrior and mage, Regongar’s class skills include Athletics, Knowledge (Arcana), Knowledge (World), Persuasion and Use Magic Device. His good Charisma score makes him a natural at Persuasion. Early on, Regongar will be a warrior of tertiary quality, capable of dishing out respectable damage, but not being terribly well-protected by Armor Class. Making use of the Shield spell will help, but it’s not until the 7th level when he gets access to better armor and more spellbuffs that he’ll move to the category of a secondary warrior, fully on par with Jaethal. If you can endure his slow start and relative lack of skill diversity, you’ll end up with a versatile - if temperamental - Magus ally.

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Characters

Tristian

How to Recruit Tristian Tristian can be found during the events at the Temple of the Elk . A faithful Cleric of Sarenrae, Tristian traveled to the Stolen Lands to discover why the area seems so prone to harbor nefarious curses. While investigating such a curse in the Temple of the Elk, he was caught off guard by a particularly strong guardian, and would have perished but for the timely intervention of an adventurer seeking to bring the land under their domain. Afterwards, Tristian offered to the adventurer who rescued him, as their goals seemed loosely connected. The Cleric is a very versatile class, and for a ]ne demonstration of this all you have to do is look at the two Cleric companions in the game - Harrim and Tristian - although technically Tristian is an Ecclesitheurge, a Cleric subclass. While Harrim is a sturdy character capable of holding the line in melee combat (if being somewhat lackluster on offense), Tristian is more of a caster - a mage who happens to mostly cast divine spells. As such, do not expect to play the two similarly and have good results. While Harrim will hold his own well enough as a caster, the same does not apply to Tristian’s melee skills. First, he can’t wear any armor unless you go out of your way to invest in an armor feat or pick up another class for him. Even if he could wear armor, his Strength is terrible, which is a ]ne argument to exclude him from melee combat entirely. In exchange, Tristian has more êxibility when preparing spells due to his Wisdom, more spells and high DCs on said spells. Give him a crossbow for when his spells aren’t needed, keep him out of combat, and play him as you would any mage and he’ll serve you just ]ne. As for skills, he’s got the typical Cleric selection of Knowledge (Arcana), Knowledge (World), Lore (Religion) and Persuasion.

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Since his Intelligence is nothing special, you’ll be best served by improving the latter two. If you’ve got plenty of front-line muscle and don’t need a tertiary warrior, Tristian will serve as an excellent healer with a smattering of ]re spells to bolster his offensive output, for good measure. Plus, since he possesses the "Selective Channel" ability, he can channel positive energy without harming Jaethal, so the two work well in a party together, despite their animosity.

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Characters

Valerie

How to Recruit Valerie Valerie is ]rst met during the Prologue but if she leaves then you can ]nd her again either at the Ancient Tomb or by speaking to Chief Sootscale at the Old Sycamore when tracking Tartuccio. Seemingly destined to be a paladin of Shelyn, Valerie found herself plagued by a most peculiar ailment: beauty. Unable to endure the fawning displays of numerous suitors nor continue to waste her time on vain artistic expression, she forsook the suffocating con]nes of aristocratic chivalry and took up the more practical profession as a warrior. That’s not to say she dropped all of her noble ideals - she’s a stickler for justice who is determined to bring order to the Stolen Lands and perhaps a bit too arrogant for her own good. Perhaps one of the most straightforward companions in the game, Valerie is your tank. As a Tower Shield Specialist, all you have to do is give her a one-handed weapon of some sort, strap on the biggest slab of a shield you can ]nd and suitably heavy armor, then let her lead the way. It’s quite possible that her Armor Class will be approaching thirty when the rest of your warriors will be doing well in the low twenties, so controlling the enemies and getting them to attack Valerie will often be a key to your early success. That said, she’s not the perfect warrior, as her Strength isn’t as high as it could be. This will lead to a somewhat mediocre offense and a tendency to get encumbered by the heavy kit she wears into battle. Fortunately her high Constitution will stave off fatigue and exhaustion somewhat, and further cement her role as a tank by supplementing her high Armor Class with a deep pool of HP. While wearing a tower shield will hinder her offensive capabilities, this will clear up when she gets the Tower Shield

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Specialist ability at the 5th level. Until then, she’ll be a step behind Amiri and Jaethal, offensively, a de]ciency you can remedy by swapping out her tower shield for a heavy shield, should you feel so inclined. Also, don’t feel married to the bastard sword she starts with - they’re in somewhat short supply in the early game, so like Amiri, be êxible, don’t specialize, and give Valerie the best one-handed melee weapons you ]nd. Valerie gets the typical Fighter class skills: Athletics, Knowledge (World) and Persuasion. Her heavy equipment will hinder her Athletics skill to the point of not being competitive, and her Intelligence isn’t all it could be, so invest in Persuasion, instead. It’s hard to imagine a party that wouldn’t be better off without Valerie in it, and if you need a solid, well-defended character to draw the enemy’s attention, you won’t ]nd a better companion than Valerie.

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Races

Human Racial Traits

Effect

Bonus Attribute:

At creation, the charater gets a +2 bonus to an attribute of their choice.

Bonus Feat:

Humans receive a bonus feat at 1st level.

Skilled:

Humans gain an additional skill rank at 1st level, and one additional rank whenever they gain a level.

Humans are perhaps the most common race in Path]nder: Kingmaker, and as far as gameplay goes their watchword is "versatility". They have no set roles, instead gaining bonus skills, attributes and a feat for you to distribute as you wish. They excel at nothing naturally, but their customization makes them capable of specializing wherever you need them to, making humans a good pick for just about any class, especially for players who have a speci]c build in mind.

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Races

Elf Racial Traits

Effect

Attributes:

+2 Dexterity, -2 Constitution, +2 Intelligence.

Keen Senses:

Elves receive a +2 racial bonus on Perception checks.

Elven Magic:

Elves receive a +2 racial bonus on caster level checks to overcome spell resistances. In addition, elves receive a +2 racial bonus on Knowledge (Arcana) skill checks made to identify the properties of magic items.

Elven Immunities:

Elves are immune to magic sleep effects and gain a +2 racial saving throw bonus against enchantment spells and effects.

Elven Weapon Familiarity:

Elves are pro]cient with longbows (including composite longbows), longswords, rapiers, and shortbows (including composite shortbows), and treat any weapon with the word "elven" in its name as a martial weapon.

As evidenced by their racial traits, elves are natural Wizards, having a bonus to both Intelligence and Dexterity - useful attributes for such a vocation. Their Elven Magic trait is also essentially a free Spell Penetration feat, and their Elven Weapon Familiarity will allow them to contribute to combat at range with superior bows. Granted, a Wizard’s Base Attack Bonus won’t be su_cient to make them a top-tier archer, but you won’t be casting spells every round, and the extra damage will be appreciated. They also make competent Rogues for many of the same reasons - the attribute bonuses suit that role well, and the wider weapon selection will come in handy. On the other hand, their immunity to Sleep will almost never come into play, but their +2 saving throw bonus vs. enchantments most certainly will. All in all, the elf can excel at a variety of classes, as their Intelligence bonus will provide more skill points and their Dexterity bonus is a boon for all but the most heavily-armored of characters. There may be better choices for front-line warriors and Charisma-based classes, however.

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Races

Dwarf Racial Traits

Effect

Attributes:

+2 Constitution, +2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma.

Slow Steady:

and

Dwarves have a base speed of 20 feet, but their speed is never modi]ed by armor or encumbrance.

Stability:

Dwarves gain a +4 racial bonus to their Combat Maneuver Defense when resisting a bull rush or trip attempt while standing on the ground.

Hardy:

Dwarves gain a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against poison, spells, and spell-like abilities.

Defensive Training Giants:

Dwarves gain a +4 dodge bonus to AC against monsters of the giant subtype. -

Hatred - Orcs and Goblinoids:

Dwarves gain a +1 racial bonus on Attack rolls against humanoid creatures of the orc and goblinoid subtypes because of their special training against these hated foes.

Keen Senses:

Dwarves receive a +2 racial bonus on Perception checks.

Dwarven Weapon Familiarity:

Dwarves are pro]cient with battleaxes, heavy picks, and warhammers, and treat any weapon with the word "dwarven" in its name as a martial weapon.

The dwarf’s Constitution bonus is all but a universal boon, while their Wisdom bonus and Charisma penalty are both somewhat less important. A high Wisdom will give them better Will Saves and bene]t their Lore skills, while Charisma will hinder them should they take a spellcasting class that uses Charisma as its primary attribute (Bard, Sorcerer, etc.), as well as retard their Persuasion and Use Magic Device skills. Like all shorter races, the dwarf has a base movement speed of 20 feet/round, compared to the standard 30 feet/round taller races have. Unlike their fellows, however, dwarves are a sturdy lot, incapable of being hindered by the armor they wear; they’ll maintain their movement speed however encumbered they are, which will make them more or less as êet of foot as any other heavily-armored warrior you may have. While their Constitution and reliable foot-speed may well make them good candidates for warrior classes (Fighter, etc.), the Dwarf’s Wisdom bonus is also a ]ne argument for a Cleric. In fact, dwarven Clerics make rather competent warriors in their own right, although a few of their class abilities may suffer from the lack of Charisma. Fortunately the game provides you with such a companion - Harrim - mitigating the need to create one of your own. Their other traits - Hardy, Defensie Training - Giants, Hatred - Orcs and Goblinoids - will also serve them well in a warrior capacity, as you’ll be expoed to plenty of trip attempts, giants (Trolls) and goblinoids throughout the game.

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Races

Gnome Racial Traits

Effect

Attributes:

-2 Strength, +2 Constitution, +2 Charisma.

Keen Senses:

Gnomes receive a +2 racial bonus on Perception checks.

Hatred Reptilian Humanoids: Defensive Training Giants:

-

Gnomes receive a +1 racial bonus on Attack rolls against humanoid creatures of the reptilian and goblinoid subtypes because of their special training against these hated foes.

Dwarves gain a +4 dodge bonus to AC against monsters of the giant subtype. -

Illusion Resistance:

Gnomes gain a +2 racial saving throw bonus against illusion spells and effects.

Gnome Magic:

Gnomes add +1 to the DC of any saving throws against illusion spells they cast.

Obsessive:

Gnomes receive a +2 racial bonus on Knowledge (World) checks.

Slow Movement:

Gnomes have a base speed of 20 feet.

Gnomes are easily contrasted with dwarves, the two both being shorter than humans and boasting a generous bonus to their Constitution. Despite these fundamental similarities, however, the two races are very different in of gameplay. Where dwarfs tended to make poor Charisma-based casters, Gnomes excel in those domains, being naturally suited to the Bard and Sorcerer classes. Their Strength, however, is suspect, which will make them less attractive in any melee capacity. They also don’t possess the rugged endurance of dwarves, and will be hindered by wearing heavier armor. While they possess the same dodge bonus against giants that dwarves do, their relative weakness in melee combat should compel you to keep them out of reach of such critters entirely. On the other hand, their Attack bonus against reptilian humanoids and goblinoids will serve them in any capacity. Further bolstering the suggestion they remain ranged combatants and preferrably spellcasters is the +1 DC bonus their Illusion spells receive, functioning as a free Spell Focus: Illusion feat. Illusion spells may not be quite as DC-dependent as, say, Enchantment and Necromancy, but there are a few standout spells that’ll bene]t from it.

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Races

HalJing Racial Traits

Effect

Attributes:

-2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +2 Charisma.

Fearless:

Halîngs receive a +2 racial bonus on all saving throws against fear. This bonus stacks with the bonus granted by Halîng Luck.

Slow Movement:

Halîngs have a base speed of 20 feet.

SureFooted:

Halîngs receive a +2 racial bonus on Athletics and Mobility checks.

Keen Senses:

Halîngs receive a +2 racial bonus on Perception checks.

Halîng Luck:

Halîngs receive a +1 racial bonus on all saving throws.

The third - and ]nal - of the smaller races, Halîngs sacri]ce the dwarven and gnomish boon of hardiness for agility, boasting a +2 bonus to Dexterity and Charisma, at the expense of Strength. This makes them similar to the gnome in many respects: they’re relatively poor choices for melee combatants (although Rogues with Weapon Finesse can still be quite effective) but great ranged combatants. In particular, their attributes ensure they’ll excel as Rogues (again, ranged or melee works ]ne - Sneak Attacks and Weapon Finesse overwhelm the Strength penalty), Sorcerers, and espescially as Bards. Su_ce to say, Halîngs are more or less ideal for roles in an adventuring party, something your companion Linzi will exemplify. With skill bonuses to Athletics, Mobility and Perception, and a natural bonus to all saving throws, (particularly against fear), there’s a lot to recommend the Halîng in a role. Keep in mind, however, that as spellcasters the Gnome’s racial traits make them superior, making the gnome the superior sorcerer… spell selection being ideal to make use of those strengths, of course.

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Races

Half-Elf Racial Traits

Effect

Bonus Attribute:


Keen Senses:

Half-Elves receive a +2 racial bonus on Perception checks.

Elven Immunities:

Elves are immune to magic sleep effects and gain a +2 racial saving throw bonus against enchantment spells and effects.

Adaptability:

Half-elves receive Skill Focus as a bonus feat at 1st level.

The Half-Elf is ]ttingly something of a mix between the human and elf, having the human’s player-chosen attribute boost, mixed with the elven Keen Senses and immunity to sleep and resistance to enchantments. That said, the extra skill point per level the human gets is superior to the half-elven "Adaptability" racial trait, nor do they possess the Elven Magic, natural Intelligence bonus and Elven Weapon Familiarity that make elves arguably superior Alchemists and Wizards. On the whole, half-elves lack a human’s versatility and don’t have enough of the racial traits that made elves interesting as Intelligence-based classes. This doesn’t stop them from making ]ne Rangers and Rogues, however - roles where their Keen Senses and Elven Immunities will come in quite handy.

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Races

Half-Orc Racial Traits

Effect

Bonus Attribute:


Skilled:

Half-Orcs gain an additional skill rank at 1st level, and one additional rank whenever they gain a level.

Intimidating:

Half-Orcs receive a +2 racial bonus on Intimidate checks due to their fearsome nature.

Orc Weapon Familiarity:

Half-Orcs are pro]cient with greataxes and falchions and treat any weapon with the word "orc" in its name as a martial weapon.

Orc Ferocity:

When a Half-Orc is brought below 0 Hit Points but not killed, he can ]ght on for 1 more round if disabled. At the end of his next turn, unless brought above 0 Hit Points, he immediately falls unconscious.

Like the half-elf, the half-orc has a blend of their human parent’s versatilty, and their other parent’s traits. In this case they’ll get an orc’s fearsome countenence, giving them a +2 bonus to Intimidate (Persuasion) checks, Orc Weapon Familiarity generally focusing on heavy weapons - and Orc Ferocity, which allows the half-orc to ]ght on for an extra round even when reduced to 0 Hit Point or less… provided they’re not slain outright. These abilities heavily favor warrior classes (especially Barbarian, Fighter and Ranger), as the weapons they gain pro]ciency with are of dubious value to non-warriors, as it the ability to stagger through another round of combat. That said, they can relatively freely focus on whatever vocation they wish, as they can allocate a two-point bonus to any attribute and gain one skill point per level, just like humans. Whether their orcish traits are more or less valauble than having a human’s bonus feat is debatable, but nevertheless their versatility is only somewhat diminished by it.

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Races

Aasimar Racial Traits

Effect

Heritage:

You can choose a heritage from the Hertiage table below (see below), which grants different traits to your Aasimar.

Light Halo:

Aasimars possess the ability to manifest halos. They can create a light centered on their head at will. While using a halo, they gain a +2 circumstance bonus on saving throws against becoming blinded or dazzled.

Celestial Resistance:

Aasimars have acid resistance 5, cold resistance 5, and electricity resistance 5.

Heritages

Effect

Uncertain:

+2 Wisdom and Charisma. +2 racial bonus on Diplomacy and Perception checks. Can use the Searing Light spell once per day.

Angelkin:

+2 Strength and Charisma. +2 racial bonus on Lore (Religion) and Use Magic Device. Can use the Lesser Restoration spell once per day.

Emberkin:

+2 Intelligence and Charisma. +2 racial bonus on Lore (Religion) and Knowledge (Arcana) checks. Can use the Burning Arc spell once per day.

Idyllkin:

+2 Constitution and Charisma. +2 racial bonus on Lore (Nature) and Perception checks. Can use the Summon Nature's Ally III spell once per day.

Lawbringer:

+2 Constitution and Wisdom. +2 racial bonus on Persuasion and Perception checks. Can use Hold Person spell once per day.

Musetouched:

+2 Dexterity and Charisma. +2 racial bonus on Persuasion and Mobility checks. Can use the Glitterdust spell once per day.

Plumekith:

+2 Dexterity and Wisdom. +2 racial bonus on Mobility and Athletics checks. Can use the Invisibilty spell once per day.

As beings with divine ancestry, aasimar have a variety of interesting racial traits - none more pronounced than those given by their heritage. Universally, all aasimar gain a Light Halo ability, which is… very, very rarely useful. Neat party trick, though. Their Celestial Resistances, however, are quite handy, although something easily replicated (and exceeded) by low-level spells like Resist Energy, Communal. Of signi]cantly more gameplay importance is the exact traits given to an aasimar by their divine heritage, which you choose during character creation. Each of these heritages give the same sort of bonuses: two attributes bonuses, two skill bonuses

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and a once-per-day spell-like ability, and these can vary signi]cantly based on the nature of an aasimar’s ancestry. An aasamir of uncertain heritage, for example, would make a great Cleric or Paladin with their innate bonuses to Wisdom and Charisma, as would a Lawbringer due to their bonuses to Constitution and Wisdom. The Musetouched, however, would arguably make better Sorcerers or Bards, the Emberkin wouldn’t be a bad heritage for an Alchemist or Wizard and the idea of a Plumekith Ranger is oddly appealing. Su_ce to say, the varying heritages of an aasamir make for a fairly versatile race, with different heritages being better suited to different professions.

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Prologue

The First Step on the Road to Glory

Warning!: Writing for this guide began during Beta Version 0.3.1. Some changes may have occurred between early writing and the game’s o_cial launch.

The Swordlord’s Offer Your adventure begins in the banquet hall of a rather massive mansion, having gathered here under the vague pretense that the "Aldori are looking for heroes". Whether your personal motivations involve doing heroic deeds for the sake of such deeds needing done, or because such heroics usually put one in a position to pro]t is, of course, your own business. Another, more impatient adventurer named Amiri complains about the tardiness of your hosts, only to be chastised by a rather obnoxious Gnome (as if there’s any other type) named Tartuccio. After a bit of expositional dialogue your hosts will be introduced to you: Swordlord Jamandi Aldori and Lord Mayor Joseph Sellemius, who will arrive and explain matters to you. As adventurers, your job, of course, is to embark on a grand adventure! Your reward for doing so in this case is lands, titles, and semi-autonomous rule of your own little domain. All you need to do is venture south into the Stolen Lands (apt name, given both its current "ruler" and your own intentions) and wrest control away from a bandit leader who styles himself as the Stag Lord. Ask what question you will, along with pertinent gems like which of the gathered adventurers will, exactly, become the head of this new state, and what your benefactors stand to gain from sponsoring such an effort, after which it’ll be time to rest up and prepare yourself for your aforementioned grand adventure. Even heroes need a good night’s rest, after all.

You'll be given a quest by Lady Jamandi Aldori (left); after which a Bard named Linzi will pester you, hoping to follow you and record your heroic deeds. (right)

Before you can embark on such a lofty task, however, you’ll be bothered by a Halîng Bard named Linzi, who seems keen on making friends with you. A born follower, she’s already got her eye on you as a potential leader and subject of future works of her… but at least she’s capable of spotting Tartuccio for the contemptible wretch he is. Respond how you will, after which you’ll ]nally be left to your own devices in the banquet hall. There’s precious little reason to talk to everybody, and they’ll all ]lter off to bed soon, anyways, so you might as well take this opportunity to learn some of the basics.

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Leave the Great Hall To start you’ll be presented with tutorials on movement, controlling the camera and using the area exit. Move a character around by having them selected (left-click on your character, or click and drag a box to encom them) and clicking on your destination. If you’re playing full-screen, you can move the camera by moving your mouse cursor against the edge of the screen, which will then pan in the desired direction, otherwise you can use the good old WASD keys, arrow keys, or by depressing the scroll wheel button of your mouse and moving the mouse. You can also use the scroll wheel of your mouse to zoom in and out. Clicking on other characters or objects while you have a character selected will cause that character (or characters) to interact with them. The action performed is context sensitive - clicking on a character talks to it (if non-hostile) or attacks it with your equipped weapon (if hostile), while most objects have a single, obvious function (open and close doors and chests, toggle levers, etc.). A touch more advanced, but imminently quite handy, if your character has access to spells (you picked a spell-casting class or a pre-generated character with one) you can prepare your spells now. You know, just in case for some crazy reason you need them soon. Press the "B" button to bring up your spellbook, where the spells you know/have access to will be on the book in the center of the screen, while the memorization slots will be on the bottom left. Simply click and drag the spells you want to memorize into one of your empty spell slots, or double click the spell in the book to transfer it. Spells must be memorized before they can be cast - simply knowing them isn’t enough… unless you’re a Sorcerer, or similar sub-class, in which case you can freely cast your known spells. Most spells - save 0 level spells - can only be cast a ]nite number of times per day, after which you’ll need to rest to replenish them. To cast spells, note the hotkey bar above your character’s portrait. These hotkeys do what you might expect if you played any computer RPG in the past twenty years: click on the icon and you’ll activate/select the indicated spell/ability/item. Above the hotkey bar you’ll ]nd three icons, with the left-most one bringing up an expanded window of spells (which has its own tabs on the right side of the window to sift between spell levels), the center one doing the same for abilities, and the third being additional belt items. Icons in these windows can be activated or selected by clicking on them, and if you wish to have easier access of a particular spell/ability/item from an expanded window, you can click and drag its icon down to the hotkey bar to assign it to a hotkey. With all that, it’s time to go to bed. Don’t worry, you’ll be presented with more info about gameplay as it becomes relevant. Like right now, for instance. One of the most useful bits of advice for the entire game is the Tab key. Hold it down and every interactable object will either be highlighted, gain an icon, or have its name displayed, making it a much, much easier task to navigate through the game. Case in point, scroll down to the southeastern corner of the screen to ]nd some large doors, beyond which you should a cute little door icon. Give the door icon (hence forth known as an area transition) a click and your character will move on to the next area.

Did You Know?: Back in the day, some classic CRPGs (the likes of which clearly inspired Path]nder: Kingmaker) there was no way to highlight interactable objects. That’s right, you had to wave the mouse cursor back and forth across the screen and carefully search (by watching for the icon to change) for things you could interact with. Dreadful times. The ability to highlight objects via the "Tab" button is much appreciated.

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Attacked by Assassins After you exit the banquet hall you’ll ]nd yourself in your room, where Linzi bursts in warning of some attack. Her attention will be shortly drawn away by someone screaming bloody murder - literally - only to be replaced by an Assassin, giving you your ]rst taste of combat. Combat in Path]nder: Kingmaker, occurs in real time - or at least, as a form of active, turn-based combat with no breaks between each round that makes a good enough facsimile of real-time as to not be worth quibbling over. Behind the scenes, your characters perform all their actions in seamless combat rounds each lasting six seconds in an order determined by their Initiative score. The character with the highest Initiative score (generally determined by a d20 roll + that character’s Dexterity modi]er) goes ]rst and performs one action, which for now can be simpli]ed to performing an attack or casting a spell. These sort of common combat actions are Standard Actions, one of which can be performed by each character each round.

Even though combat is in real time, you can pause and unpause the game (left); Dealing damage, dodging attacks and many other factors are based on a dice roll. (right)

In addition each character has one Movement Action they can perform each round, which allows the to move a distance up to their Movement Speed. The "base" speed of most medium-sized creatures not encumbered by armor is thirty feet during a combat round - smaller creatures move slower, as do creatures wearing heavier armor. Attacking in combat is pretty simple - you just click on the target you want to attack while having the intended attacker(s) selected. To cast a spell, simply select that spell’s icon from the hotkey bar (or the spell window you can open via the leftmost tab above the hotkey bar) and note that each spell’s range and area of effect is represented when you hover your mouse over or select it. Most combat actions in Path]nder are resolved with dice rolls (the results of which can be seen in the Combat Log on the bottom-right of the screen), speci]cally by a d20 roll. One character’s Attack Roll is opposed by the target’s Armor Class, while a spell’s Di_culty Check is opposed by a creature’s Saving Throw (either Fortitude, Reêx, or Will - the type of Saving Throw varies based on the spell/effect.) If an attack hits, damage will be dealt (subtracted from the target’s Hit Points) according to the attacker’s weapon and a myriad of other factors. A spell’s effects can be mitigated (damage/effect reduced) or negated if the defender’s Saving Throw roll matches or exceeds the spell’s Di_culty Check.

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Note: Despite being called the Combat Log, the menu on the bottom right of the screen shows all sorts of useful information, including state changes, rewards and skill checks. If you’re ever in doubt about what happened - or why - consult the Combat Log. You can sort the types of information displayed on the Combat Log by clicking on the tabs below it.

There’s much, much more to combat than that, however, especially if you’re a magic-, and some of it is immediately relevant. Attacks of Opportunity are going to be a sad fact of life for you, as performing certain actions - moving out of an area an opponent threatens, casting spells and using a ranged weapon (including Ranged Touch Attacks) in melee range of an opponent, standing up from a prone position, etc. - during combat lowers your guard, giving adjacent enemies a free attack on you. A magic- or archer is therefore in a fairly compromised situation in melee combat, which may make the ]rst few encounters somewhat more challenging.

Note: Magic-s will automatically attempt to cast defensively in combat, which, if successful, avoids provoking attacks of opportunity. In order to succeed at this, the caster must succeed at a Concentration check with a di_culty of 15. A caster’s Concentration score - which is also used to determine whether their casting is interrupted upon taking damage - is equal to their caster level (class level for the spell being cast, not overall character level) + the attribute modi]er they use for said spell. Therefore a level one Wizard with an Intelligence score of 20 (+5 modi]er) has a base Concentration score of +6… which means that character will, at best, avoid provoking attacks of opportunity about 50% of the time.

Defeat your ]rst opponent, then loot his remains by clicking on the treasure left behind to score a Dagger and a Chainshirt. You almost certainly started the game with a better weapon than a humble Dagger, but let’s take a gander at that Chainshirt for more tutorial purposes. Armor is divided into three categories: Light Armor, Medium Armor and Heavy Armor, which require different pro]ciencies to use. Generally, your tanky warrior types are going to be able to use heavier armor as a perk of that class, although anybody can pick up, say, Fighter levels later on to gain feats allowing them to wear said armor, or just purchase the feats later on when they get a feat from leveling up.

Before you can get any meaningful rest, you'll be attacked by an assassin. (left); Always be on the lookout for objects to loot and interact with. (right)

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Note: While it may be tempting to grab everything you see, keep in mind that items have weight, and carrying too much can slow your character(s) down. There are two considerations to be made when it comes to encumbrance; a character’s personal encumbrance load, and the overall party’s encumbrance. You can check both by pressing the "I" button to access the inventory screen. In the case of party encumbrance, look for the number on the bottom right of the screen. Party encumbrance is the sum weight of all the gear worn or carried by all characters, and your party’s max encumbrance is equal to the total of each character’s personal max encumbrance load. If your party is carrying too much gear, it will slow you down within areas, as well as effect how you travel on the world map… a matter that can be discussed later, when it’s more relevant. Personal encumbrance is a little more complicated. You can check this on the inventory screen, too, by looking at the numbers below each character’s avatar in the center of the screen. This amount is displayed as two numbers, with the number on the left being the current weight of equipped items, and the number on the left being the maximum weight for a light load. If an unarmored or lightly armored character’s personal encumbrance exceeds a light load, they’ll start receiving penalties to their movement speed, the maximum Dexterity modi]er they can apply to their Armor Class, and skill checks. Normally this is pretty easy to manage, but as fatigue and exhaustion lower your Strength score (which determines your maximum encumbrance), you may ]nd your characters hindered by loads that previously were bearable. Characters who are wearing medium or heavy armor (hence also suffering the aforementioned penalties, courtesy of their armor) will not face additional penalties from encumbrance until their encumbrance load exceeds that of their armor class. For example, a character wearing a Breastplate can carry a medium load without any extra penalties, and a character wearing Halfplate can carry a heavy load.

Not all characters will want to do this, however. Generally speaking, heavier armor provides higher Armor Class, which is good for obvious reasons, but heavier armor also slows a character down, reduces the maximum Dexterity modi]er they can apply to their Armor Class, imposes an Armor Check Penalty which adversely affects skill checks, and the bulk of heavier armor impedes arcane (but not divine) spell casting in the form of a ât Arcane Spell Failure chance. Rangers and Rogues will want to wear lighter armor so their skills aren’t hampered too much, and so they can get the best bene]t out of their higher Dexterity scores, while Sorcerers and Wizards may want to refrain from wearing any armor at all to avoid the chance that their spell-casting will be impeded. The Chainshirt - yes, merely an excuse for another tutorial - is middling armor, Light Armor on the edge of Medium Armor, giving a +4 Armor Class bonus while retaining a +4 Max Dexterity modi]er. Perfect for a Ranger or a more combat-prone Rogue.

Rescue Tartuccio Make your way northeast and interact with the door to you room to open it and head outside, where you’ll ]nd Linzi waiting for you. She’ll ask you to follow her, but neglect her for now and instead head through an open doorway to the southeast to reach another room, where its occupant never made it out of bed. Shame. No sense in letting their treasure go to waste, though. Search a chest near the bed to score a Longbow, a Dagger a Bloodstone and 12 Gold Coins.

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Note: Check the Encyclopedia section of the Journal to ]nd a glossary of used by the game.

Leave the room and follow Linzi to the northwest to ]nd her waiting in another hallway. If you want to scrounge for every bit of loot you can, stay south of her and you’ll ]nd a corpse you can loot for some baubles. In the room beyond this corpse you’ll ]nd moasre treasures on a bookshelf. When you’re done looting the dead, return to Linzi and head northeast down the hallway she stops at to spot two Assassins standing near an unfortunately unharmed Tartuccio. They ]nd him as contemptible as everybody else and decide to save him for later, instead turning their attention onto you. These Assassins are no stronger than the last one was, and for now you have the bene]t of a Linzi decoy, so let them attack her if possible. No sense in taking any damage now if you don’t need to.

Using ranged weapons or casting spells while in melee range will provoke an Attack of Opportunity. (left); After rescuing him, Tartuccio will give you a magical ring... ostensibly so you can defend him better. (right)

Once they’re dead, Tartuccio will express relief that the world isn’t yet going to be deprived of his presence, making sure to avoid doing anything resembling thanking you. Instead, he’ll attempt to adopt a leadership role with the stated purpose of rendezvousing with Jamandi in the banquet hall… and perhaps saving a few fellow adventurers along the way. Only one good thing comes of this encounter: in order to enable you to protect him, Tartuccio hands over a Tartuccio’s Present - a magical ring that boosts the wearer’s Armor Class. A suspiciously generous offering from him, but… don’t look a gift Gnome in the… oh whatever. Just open your inventory (press the "I" button) and double click the ring to equip it.

Fight Through the Mansion After this last ]ght you’ll ]nally ]nd yourself in a proper party, as Linzi and Tartuccio both put themselves under your control. Unfortunately, yes, that means there’s another tutorial. You can select individual party in a variety of ways: by clicking on them in-game, by clicking on their portrait under the hotkey bar, or by clicking and dragging a selection box over them. If you want to select/deselect speci]c characters, hold down Shift while you click on them or their portraits To quickly select your entire party, press the Backspace key. Double-clicking on a character’s portrait will scroll the camera to focus on them. Finally, you can select characters by press Alt + 1 for the ]rst character, Alt + 2 for the second, and so on. Selecting everybody is all well and good, but moving a group around strategically is another matter entirely. To sort this out,

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you have formations, represented as one of the icons on the bottom left of your screen by six dots. Click it and you’ll bring up the formation grid, which includes two tried-and-true classic formations, along with three you can customize by clicking and dragging icons. There’s usually not too much cause to get too fancy with these, so long as you keep your warriors up front and your ranged characters and arcane spell-casters in the back - letting Armor Class determine who is up front is a ]ne idea. When you give a character (or characters) a move command you’ll see their target destination(s) represented by a movement reticle. You can right-click and hold at the desired location, then move your mouse about to preview and rotate the move command, letting go of the mouse button when you’re satis]ed. Very useful for keeping your tanks oriented towards where you suspect danger may lurk

Note: Linzi s the party with a Scroll of Cure Light Wounds and a Scroll of Cure Moderate Wounds, and she can also cast Cure Light Wounds twice per day. Tartuccio possess two Potions of Cure Light Wounds (which you can immediately relieve him of) and can cast Mage Armor and Burning Hands ]ve times per day.

The path seems to fork from here, but you can rid yourself of an semblance of choice by checking the door to the northeast. Since it’s barred from the other side, you’ve got no choice but to proceed through the doorway to the southeast, then turn northeast to ]nd another doorway to the left. Be sure to loot a cabinet as you go for a pittance of coin and the odd bit of jewelry you can pocket. In the room beyond the doorway lie another group of Assassins - three of them this time.

Put together what you've learned so far to defeat three assassins (left); It may be tempting to pick everything up, but mind your encumbrance and only pick up items that are worth the trouble (right)

They’re mostly armed with ranged weapons, so if you’re a melee-competent character, you can take advantage of those aforementioned Attack of Opportunity rules. To refresh, if you’re adjacent to an enemy who performs an action that provokes an Attack of Opportunity (in this case, ]res a ranged weapon), you’ll get a free attack against them. If not… well, you can still get the drop on them in a shoot-out, provided you don’t rush in all at once and provoke them. It’s also worth noting that the enemies are clustered relatively closely together, and this is no accident, as it provides an excuse to share a spell tutorial… among others. To be fair, those three clustered Assassins do make an awfully tempting target for Tartuccio’s Burning Hands spell. With all the information that’s been dumped on you you can really get a grasp of how combat works in Path]nder: Kingmaker. Select Tartuccio and highlight the Burning Hands spell on his Hotkey bar (it’s assigned to "2") to see the range

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of the spell. With a range of 15 feet, you’ll have to get somewhat close, so select a spot near the enemy, press the "Space Bar" button to pause the game, then hold down Enter to carefully watch Tartuccio approach, stopping when you’re near enough. Once done, hover your cursor over the spell again to con]rm you’re in range, select the spell to bring up an area-ofeffect indicator, then left-click to con]rm. If Tartuccio is taking too much ]re, you can always with draw him quickly, and to improve your odds, you can have him cast Mage Armor before embarking. None of this is strictly necessary, but it is a ]ne way to test out for yourself some of the concepts being presented. After your foes are slain, loot their bodies for more basic weapons and armor, along with a generous selection of healing potions (Potion of Cure Light Wounds x5 and a Potion of Cure Moderate Wounds) in case you need to heal an injured character. through another doorway to the northwest, immediately beyond which you’ll ]nd two more doorways to search. In the one to the northeast you’ll ]nd a corpse with a pittance of GP on it and a bookshelf with some more minor treasures. In the room beyond the southwestern door you’ll ]nd an unattended chest, inside of which you can ]nd a Heavy Mace and some Hide Armor. Return to the hallway and continue ahead until you ]nd a kitchen to the west, inside of which you can score some foodstuffs. Leave the kitchen and continue up the hallway until you ]nd another chest, which you can plunder to score a Silver Ring and 35 Gold Coins. Go through a doorway at the end of the hallway to ]nd Amiri, who is recklessly raging against an assortment of Assassins. That yellow HP bar above her head lets you know she’s invulnerable right now, so don’t bother getting your hands dirty you get experience and plunder whether you lift a ]nger to help or not. After the Assassins are smote she’ll stop just long enough to threaten Tartuccio before running towards the sound of combat. Nice lady.

Help Amiri defeat some assassins (left); then witness the power disparity between yourself and your foes (right)

Loot the corpses left behind in Amiri’s wake, then follow her down the hallway to the southeast before turning northeast through a doorway to reach a large hall. Watch the scene that follows - a ]rm reminder on your place in the pecking order - and when the coast is clear make your way north to the opposite edge of the hall, stopping to loot the bodies of the slain as you go, of course. Doing so will get you two more Potions of Cure Light Wounds and a Potion of Enlarge Person as well as a few more arms and armor. through the door you ]nd and into a smaller hallway, where your way forward (southeast) will be immediately blocked by some rubble, which serves as another excuse for a tutorial! This time the tutorial is regarding skill and ability checks, which you’ll frequently have to perform to during dialogue or while interacting with the environment. These checks are frequently made while adventuring to navigate hazards or rough terrain, sometimes barring age, wasting time or dealing damage (or a combination thereof!) should you fail. Other types of checks abound, but the general idea, obviously, is that you’ll be better off if you them. When attempting such a check, the character with the highest stat/skill will be given priorty so long as you’ve got your entire party selected. Some checks can be retried when failed, but others require you to level up before you’re allowed another attempt.

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At times you'll have to succeed at various skill checks to navigate treacherous terrain.

Click on the rubble blocking your way to make the required [Dexterity 7] di_culty check, beyond which you’ll ]nd more Assassins waiting. Get the drop on them if you can and use the knowledge you’ve accumulated thus far to emerge victorious.

Loot the Armory You now have two ways to go, but again it’s a phantom choice, as the door further down the hall is currently locked. That being the case, head through the nearby door to the southeast [Trickery -1] to reach the armory. There’s no one - friend or foe - guarding the place, and survival is your top priority, so you shouldn’t feel any qualms about securing the arms and armor you may need… although if you go wandering around in front of the estate’s owner wearing her armor and wielding her weapons… well, she might not be too pleased. If you don’t care about the potential consequences (or trust your silver tongue to get you out of trouble), you can loot a weapon stad, two armor stands and a two chests to obtain a Composite Longbow, a Light Mace, a suit of Banded Mail, a Breastplate, a Tower Shield and a Watchkeeper’s Key. If you wish to indulge in as little larceny as possible, just grab the key and leave. The provisional gear you’ve collected thus far should su_ce to crudely satisfy all but the more specialized of builds, but there’s another, somewhat more controversial bit of loot you can pick up. On the table nearby is a small chest which, if you interact with it, you’ll be informed is the guard’s pay. Tartuccio is all too eager to pocket it - or rather, to encourage you to do so - while Linzi argues for morality.

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There are plenty of arms and armor available for plunder in the armory (left); Tartuccio will also encourage you to nab the guard's wages (right)

Throughout Path]nder: Kingmaker you’ll be presented with opportunities to make decisions both good and evil. These actions may have consequences, not the least of which are how your companions will react. Good characters will not approve of sel]shness, greed and wanton acts of cruelty, while evil characters will quickly grow tired of a spineless do-gooder who wastes time and potential pro]t with misplaced gestures of morality. More than that, however, some characters may be displeased by your lack of respect, focus and deference for tradition and authority, while others will feel oppressively constrained by those very same things. You can’t make everybody happy, and should strive to travel with likeminded individuals… and perhaps avoid blatantly doing things to provoke them from time to time. Respond to Tartuccio however you wish and do what you will with the coin - a pretty face and a quick tongue can get you out of whatever trouble you might get in later.

Jaethal When you’re ready, leave the armory (picking up all that heavy armor should have prompted a tutorial about Encumbrance) and head to the doorway further down the hallway, which is now magically openable. How about that… When you open the door you’ll ]nd another one of your fellow adventurers - Jaethal. You know, the creepy scythe-wielding elf? Apparently the hallway ahead is… somewhat less than safe, as attested by the corpses of her fellow adventurers lying about. Tartuccio wisely questions how she survived the carnage, which will prompt her to reveal her true nature.

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Jaethal will your party, warning you of traps ahead.

The game will auto-pause when you successfully detect a trap with a [Perception] check

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To disarm a trap you'll have to make a [Trickery] skill check, the result of which must equal or exceed the trap's Di_culty.Class (DC)

After the conversation ends, Jaethal will your party. Except for possibly your protagonist, she’s the best combatant you’ve encountered thus far, being an Inquisitor with fair combat stats, save some questionably low HP for a front-line ]ghter. She also has access to divine spells, although if you were looking for a healer… well, she’s pretty much the opposite of that, as she channels negative energy. This allows her to heal herself well enough (Inîct Light Wounds will heal undead, just as Cure Light Wounds - and similar spells - will harm them), but that’ll do precious little for the majority of your companions. On top of that her high Persuasion, Perception, Knowledge (Arcana) and Lore (Religion) skills may come in handy down the line. Or in the case of Perception, immediately. She mentioned traps ahead, ones that are harmless enough to her, but will wound the living. That being the case, send her forward to scout for traps. Their Di_culty Check is so laughably low [Perception 5] that she can’t possibly fail to detect them, although you’ll need to rely on Linzi to disarm them [Trickery 10]. Or failing that, you can just use Jaethal to trigger them, as she can’t be hurt by these traps.

Note: Now might be a good time to alter your party formation a bit. You can change the order of characters in the party by dragging their icon forward or backward on the party bar at the bottom center of the screen. Depending on your protagonist’s class, altering your formation so that either Jaethal alone, or Jaethal and your protagonist are leading the way - it’s safest to lead with characters who have higher HP and Armor Class.

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Now that your party is su_ciently large and diverse enough, it may be worth your while to customize your formation (left); Scrolls, like potions, can be used to apply their spell effect , although a character must have levels in a class that can cast the spell or have a su_cient Use Magic Device skill score (right)

Disarm the three traps ahead and enter the second door to your left, inside of which you’ll ]nd a chest you can loot. Grab the Fauchard and the Chainmail from within, then continue down the previously-trapped hallway. Loot a corpse to score a Scroll of Bless and a Scroll of Shield of Faith (which prompts a tutorial on scrolls), then proceed through the doorway to the northwest.

Find Jamandi’s Stash Beyond the doorway you’ll spot two Assassins who are apparently searching for Jamandi’s stash. You know somebody with a mansion this big and the title of "Swordlord" has to have some cool swag, right? Probably some swords, one would think. Exterminate the would-be thieves and take up their bid at larceny. Send one character into the ]rst room to the right, while the rest should head up the hallway and into a second room. In both rooms you’ll notice several statues: two in the southern room, four in the northern room. Half have their swords up, half have their swords down, and all can be interacted with. That’s right, a puzzle. Your goal is to get all the statues to hold their swords in either an upright position, or to put them down. The complication? Interacting with one statue will always cause others to change their positions, too.

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Statue puzzle, with statues marked #1 - #6, corresponding to the walkthrough text.

First, let’s map out these statues. Let’s label the ones in the southern room #1 and #2, with the southwestern-most one being #1 and the northeastern-most one being #2. In the northern room, again continuing the trend of numbering the statues from southwestern-most to northeastern-most, are statues #3, #4, #5 and #6. With that understanding, consult the following table to see which statues inûence each other:

Statue Interacted

Statue InLuenced

Statue #1

Statues #2 and #6

Statue #2

Statues #1 and #5

Statue #3

Statues #4 and #6

Statue #4

Statue #3

Statue #5

Statue #2

Statue #6

Statues #1 and #3

At the start, statues #1, #3 and #5 all have their swords lowered, which makes toggling statue #6 appealing, as it solves two of those issues. However, you must ]rst resolve two issues: Getting #6’s sword lowered ]rst, so you can ]nish with it (along with #1 and #3) and getting #5’s sword raised. This is simply done by interacting with statue #1 ]rst, and #2 second. Once those two statues have been toggled, you should have statues #1, #3 and #6 with their swords lowered. Just use a character in the northern room to interact with statue #6 to solve the puzzle. Easy-peasy.

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Interact with the statues in the correct order (1-2-6) (left); and you'll open a secret door, beyond which treasure awaits (right)

Alternatively, you can get all the statues to lower their swords. Starting out statues #2, #4 and #6 all have their swords raised. Interact with statue #1 to cause it to raise its sword, and get statues #2 and #6 to lower theirs. Then use statue #6 to end up with statues #3, #4 and #6 with their swords raised. Finally, interact with statue #3 to cause all three to lower their swords at once. When all the statues have their swords raised, go through the doorway that appears between statues #5 and #6 and loot a chest, which disappointingly doesn’t contain a single sword. So much for being a "Swordlord". It does, however, contain a Citrine an Agate and a Potion of Remove Blindness. When all the statues have their swords lowered, a door will open along the northeastern end of the room with statues #1 and #2, where you’ll ]nd a chest containing a Wand of Magic Missile and a Copper Ring. Both of these notable caches of loot are accompanied by a variety of other valuable trinkets. A full solution to get both of these doors open is: #1, #6, #3, #3, #6, #1, #1, #2, #6.

Help Harrim Leave the statue rooms and return through the doorway to the southeast, where you should next turn your attention to another doorway to the southwest. Through this doorway is a garden, where another trio of Assassins lurks. With Jaethal added to your party, they’re woefully outmatched, and it’s only going to get worse for your paltry foes soon enough. Dispatch them, loot their bodies, then note the dramatically "dying" dwarf lying on the ôor in the middle of the garden. Approach the poor sod and… well, since Groetus seems to be taking so long to take him your protagonist will decide to intervene.

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Make whatever dialogue choice you wish - there are often multiple ways to arrive at the same result (left); Selecting one will force Harrim to begrudgingly it he's not dying and your party (right)

Using a potion won’t actually use up one of your potions, nor will it convince the hypochondriac dwarf that he is not, in fact, dying. As the tutorial should have hinted, you’ll need to pick an option with a dialogue skill check. Either Diplomacy or Intimidate achieve the same results, and as the tutorial note promises, Tartuccio, with his +9 modi]er in both, will apply his bonuses to the rolls. One of them is bound to succeed (since the Intimidate check is DC 10, it’s impossible for Tartuccio to fail) after which the dwarf, Harrim, will your party. Harrim is a proper Cleric, capable of doing all that lovely healing that everybody loves Clerics for. The class is notably powerful in Path]nder and related game systems, too, as they also possess decent combat stats and an expanded spell arsenal compared to earlier editions of… related game systems. Harrim won’t rival Jaethal, offensively, but high Armor Class is nearly as good, and his HP are superior. His spotty Dexterity score may be cause for concern down the line, but for now he’ll serve you well as a front-liner.

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Be sure to use the TAB button to search for otherwise hard-to-spot interactable objects.

Some interactable objects require a Perception check to spot.

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You'll often be well-rewarded for ]nding hidden items.

Next search the southern corner of the area where you found Harrim to ]nd a door obscured by the foreground ( to press TAB to ]nd such sneaky objects!). In the door beyond this room you’ll ]nd an out-of-place stone block along the northeastern wall [Perception 1]. Behold, your ]rst hidden item! These are quite common throughout the game, and it really makes having at least one character with a phenomonally high Perception skill score a must. Fortunately, there’s no shortage of candidates, perhaps the best of which is Jaethal. Elven senses, and all. Interact with the block to open a secret door to the northwest, then explore the secret chamber you opened to ]nd a chest, which contains a Masterwork Longsword and some jewelry. Finding such hidden objects is often well-rewarded, as this serves to demonstrate.

Through the Fire Make your way to the northwestern end of the garden, where you’ll ]nd a handful of guards gathered, led by one Kesten Garess. Talk to him and after he ]nishes barking orders at his subordinates he’ll spare some for you, as well. Question him as you will, after which you’ll be directed to brave the ]res beyond, the last obstacle that lies between you and the embattled Lady Jamandi. Walk bravely into the âmes and you’ll be introduced to a new feature of Path]nder: Kingmaker - Illustrated Book Episodes!

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Illustrated Book episodes present you with a narrative-heavy alternative for navigating through certain aspects of the game.

Failing skill checks during these episodes usually has negative consequences

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While success leads to certain bene]ts - even if it's just avoiding an otherwise negative outcome

For this particular event, choose "drenched ourselves with buckets of water.", but avoid "tried to ]nd a less dangerous age", as the wasted time will force you to make one of several checks: [Reêx], [Mobility], [Athletics], or just take a bit of damage with one brave character (Tartuccio volunteers!). Failing one of these checks tends to have worse consequences for the party than just taking the damage with one character. After getting through the ]re, another section of the episode will force you make another choice: either help Valerie rescue some injured guards [Athletics] or convince Valerie to abandon the effort for the good of Lady Jamandi [Diplomacy]. The scores you’ll need to these vary, but seem to increase if you did not choose "drenched ourselves with buckets of water" and/or did choose "tried to ]nd a less dangerous age". Best case scenario, you make it through unscathed, worse case scenario, you take minor damage twice and emerge fatigued. Valerie s your party either way, and even if the rest of you avoid getting fatigued (save Jaethal, who cannot become fatigued - lucky girl) Valerie will start out fatigued. Don’t let Valerie’s arti]cially deâted attributes fool you (fatigue imposes a -2 penalty to Strength and Dexterity), she’s a tank. With an impressively high Armor Class and stellar HP to back it up, she’s a great defensive warrior, ]t for pinning down foes. Her offensive isn’t exactly top-tier, but this can be improved as she levels up.

Boss: The Assassin Leader Make your way to the end of the hall you’re in to ]nd an area transition. Before ing through, now might be a good time to use whatever buffs you have available. If your protagonist is a spell-caster, even if you selected spells earlier in the banquet hall, you haven’t had enough time to prepare them, so there’s precious little you can do. Harrim, however, can cast Bless, Linzi can use her bard-song, Inspire Courage, and Jaethal can buff herself with Divine Favor. Patching up any wounds you may have comes recommended, as well. In the next room you’ll ]nd Ezvanki Keeg and Jamandi Aldori squaring off against the Frost Giant that dispatched so many of your fellows with contemptuous ease, leaving you to ]ght three Assassins, two Assassin Bowmen, the Assassin Leader

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and three Rift Channelers. The latter trio won’t contribute much to the ]ght, while the ]rst ]ve are the normal fodder whose blood you’ve been using to paint this nice estate.

First, engage and eliminate the melee assassins that'll block your access to the Assassin Leader (left); Unfortunately, this delay will allow the Assassin Leader to cast Scare, but if his melee goons are dead, the spell's effects should be limited (right)

The Assassin Leader, however, is a spell-caster, and somewhat more troublesome than his subordinate. In particular he’s fond of starting out the ]ght with Mirror Image to protect himself, followed by Scare. There’s not much you can do about the latter save target him with Linzi and Tartuccio, neither of which are competent enough archers to inspire much con]dence. For your melee ]ghters, focus on cutting down the Assassins that charge you, as their Attacks of Opportunity against fearêeing characters are the most dangerous part of this ]ght. If you can chop them down before the Cause Fear hits, you’re in pretty good shape. If your party is in need of a quick heal, don’t be shy ing Harrim’s Channel Positive Energy Heal Living.

Recover from the spells and gank the Assassin Leader (left); then be sure to loot him and his minions before talking to Jamandi (right)

Once you’ve recovered from the spells of the Assassin Leader, killed his Assassins, and engaged him in melee combat, the ]ght should be pretty well in hand. Neither he nor his archers are wise enough to avoid provoking attacks of opportunity, and his Rift Channelers are complete non-threats. After the ]ght ends, before you talk to Jamandi, loot your fallen foes to score the usual Assassin junk. The Assassin Leader, however, is especially generous, as he’ll bestow some Alchemist’s Fire, a pair of Acid Flasks, a Potion of Cure Light Wounds, a Potion of Barkskin and some unidenti]ed Bracers, which, when picked up you should be able to identify as Bracers of Armor +1.

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Note: Identifying magical items in Path]nder: Kingmaker requires successful use of the Knowledge (Arcana) skill, and is automatically attempted when you pick up an unidenti]ed magical item. In this particular case, both Jaethal and Linzi have a +7 modi]er to this skill, which should be su_cient.

Finally, one last thing before you talk to Jamandi… make a hard save here. The choices ahead will determine your starting party, and if you end up with buyer’s remorse and want another shot at things, you’ll have a convenient way of doing so.

Picking Sides When you’re ready to put an end to matters in the mansion, talk to Jamandi and she’ll praise the leadership qualities of your protagonist and… Tartuccio? The deceitful little jabroni immediately takes the opportunity to slander you, accusing you of being an agent of "the vile king of Pitax, Irovetti", and use the ring he gave you as evidence. Well, at least that explains his "generosity" earlier. You have several ways to respond to his implausible accusations, including a [Diplomacy] check, a [Knowledge (World)] check, or by simply having the good sense not to be wearing the little git’s ring. In this case the choice - and the results of your check - are inconsequential enough, as Jamandi’s suspicious of both of you. At least Amiri seems to take your side, regardless of your true motivations or alignment. Other choices are somewhat more consequential, however, as Tartuccio will continue to use every major action during the attack to cast doubt on you. When he brings up the fact that you robbed the armory (or if you stole the guard’s pay, he’ll use that to attack you) you’ll be presented with two responses, each of which contains a skill check [Diplomacy] and a Moral Choice. It’s one thing to pick an alignment during character creation, but your actions during the game will either reinforce - or alter - your alignment depending on your actions. In this case you have a [Lawful Neutral] response and a [Chaotic Neutral] response.

Note: While your previous choices may âvor the conversation with Jamandi, the variable outcomes are all determined by what dialogue choices you pick and whether you succeed or fail at a variety of skill checks. The moral choices you pick will determine which possible companions you, while succeeding at skill checks will improve your relations with Jamandi.

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Tartuccio will do his best to undermine you, and spin every action during the tutorial in a nefarious light (left); During your conversation with Jamandi, you'll get many opportunities to de]ne the motivation behind your actions - and inûence your character's alignment (right)

Valerie or Harrim While these choices aren’t enough to signi]cantly impact your alignment on their own, they will send a clear message to your would-be companions. Valerie is inclined to lawful behavior, and choosing the Chaotic Neutral response will sour her on you… although considering the other choice is a Chaotic Evil Gnome, it’s hard to see how she expects to fare any better with Tartuccio. Harrim, however, ]nds the arbitrary constraints of law to be tedious at best, and folly at worst, and makes his opinion known. Simply put, if you pick the [Lawful Neutral] responses:

"Forgive me for my tres. In my defense, we were in the middle of a battle and in dire need of weapons." "We weren’t trying to take the money - we just wanted to keep it away from bandits." Valerie will you during your expedition into the Stolen Lands. On the other hand, if you pick the [Chaotic Neutral] responses:

"We were in the middle of battle and needed weapons! There was no time to run and ask permission!" "So what if we did? The guards weren’t able to handle their responsibilities, so we decided we should teach them a lesson." Harrim will you. You can’t have both, and regardless of what choices you make and of your successes or failures at diplomacy, you will not be allowed to keep the coin you stole. Drat.

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Depending on your responses, some of your former companions will opt to Tartuccio instead of remaining with you (left); At the end, the two groups will set out and you'll be given some provisions for the road (right)

Jaethal or Linzi Next Tartuccio has the audacity to accuse you based on your actions when you were navigating the burning section of the mansion, claiming you either purposefully wasted time instead of rushing to Jamandi’s aid, or that you mercilessly abandoned poor guards to their ]ery fate. There’s really no winning with this guy, eh? This, too, provides an opportunity to test your alignment, although this time on the Good/Evil axis rather than the Lawful/ Chaotic axis. Like the last two, the two remaining party - Jaethal and Linzi - will decide to stay with you, or Tartuccio based on your responses here. If you pick the [Neutral Good] responses:

"People were dying right in front of me. How could I just walk by?" "I regret that I couldn’t save everyone - I would have if I could! I’m sad for the perished, bu I had to decide between helping them and helping Lady Aldori. Forgive me if I chose wrongly." Linzi will you, so as to continue to record your heroic deeds. On the other hand, if Tartuccio’s accusations cause you to display your evil side by picking [Neutral Evil] responses:

"I wouldn’t have saved them without good reason. Dead soldiers are useless, but the wounded could still help Kesten defend the mansion." "Heartless? So what? I’m not going to worry about guards’ lives when their ruler’s life is at stake!" Jaethal will you, ]nding your distinct lack of morality an appealing trait for a potential leader. Again, you cannot have both. The single, large, effective party will thus split into two, while Amiri - blissfully unconcerned by the moral arguments everybody else engaged in - s you. "I don’t even need to think!", indeed, but whatever her intellectual faults, her muscle will prove invaluable. With that settled, Jamandi will give you Camping Supplies and Rations x4 and a Signed Scroll of Raise Dead after which she’ll set the groups on separate paths, with Tartuccio’s squad heading through Nivakta’s Crossing, and with you stopping by Oleg Leveton’s Trading Post. Finally, she’ll offer up a throwaway statement regarding who she currently ]nds more trustworthy (depending on whether you failed or succeeded at your Diplomacy checks) between you and Tartuccio before

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also mentioning that Pitax might not be the only one interfering in this expedition… apparently the Royal House of Surtova may also be opposed to your goals. With such forces arrayed against you, you’ll need to overthrow the Stag Lord in a timely manner: You have three months to complete your task, by her estimation.

Reward: For surviving the attack on the Aldori Mansion 125 XP / Camping Supplies and Rations x4 / Signed Scroll of Raise Dead

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Chapter 1 - Getting Started in the Outskirts

First Night in the Stolen Lands Moving on the World Map You’re ]nally free of the con]nes of Jamandi’s Mansion in Restov, your next destination being Oleg Leveton’s Trading Post. Right now there’s not much agonizing as to which direction to take on the world map; your route is more or less set and you can really only choose to go forwards towards your aforementioned destination, or back to Restov, which is a waste of time. That being the case, click the left arrow on the map to move in that direction and watch as you progress past a fork in the road. Beyond this fork you’ll be treated to a not-so-random encounter where you’ll face off against three Wolves.

Note: You can adjust your party’s equipment while on the world map by pressing "I", as usual. Might be a good idea if you stripped everybody before talking to Jamandi earlier. Plus, you might as well swap out Amiri’s Hide Armor with some Chainmail.

Note: The date is currently 11 Rova, the ninth month of the year. If Jamandi’s three month prediction holds true, that means you have until the beginning of the twelfth month (Kuthona) to overthrow the Stag Lord.

You can move on the world map by clicking the arrows, or by selecting an empty node (left); but be wary of random encounters (or not-so-random encounters, as the case may be) (right)

Setting Up Camp These are stronger opponents than the Assassins you faced in Jamandi’s mansion, and the game does you no favors with party placement at the start of the ]ght. Withdraw vulnerable characters to the rear while commanding your high Armor Class characters to engage, and as much as possible try to focus your attacks to take them down one at a time.

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The Wolves, for their part, will try to use Combat Maneuver: Trip on opponents, which, if successful, will knock them down. This wastes a turn during which the tripped character has to stand up, and standing up from a prone position provokes an Attack of Opportunity. Combat Maneuvers like tripping and disarming are opposed by a character’s Combat Maneuver Defense score, which you can view by pressing C to enter the Character menu, then picking the "Martial" tab. A character’s Combat Maneuver Defense is equal to 10 + their Level, Strength modi]er, Dexterity modi]er, size adjustment, and any applicable feats. Dispatch your lupine foes, after which it’ll be time to set up camp for the ]rst time! As the tutorial suggests, press the "R" button to bring up the camp outline, then move it to an unobstructed spot. If the camp image is green, you’re good to go, if it’s red, try somewhere else. Once done, select your party and click on the ]re place and they’ll move to the camp and begin preparing for their various roles.

Select your character to various roles, being sure to cover hunting, camouâge and cooking, at least (left); after which the outcomes of your camping session will be determined by skill checks. (right)

What’s not evident from the in-game tutorials is how much you can get done while camping (while camping, press the Manage button near the bottom of the screen), and some of the ]ner points of how things work. First, for every party member you’ll need a ration. Jamandi gave you four, and this ]rst bout of camping will take up all of them. When you hunt your hunter must make a [Lore (Nature)] check against the area’s DC, and the balance of the scores determines how many rations worth of food they return with. If you don’t meet the required DC, they come back empty-handed, and they’ll gain additional rations the higher their skill check exceeds the area’s DC. If they fail to bring back su_ent rations (or if you’re unable to hunt, given the area) you can always expend rations from your pack. Keep in mind, however, that you can’t use camp hunting to gain rations, only to offset the hunting cost (even to zero) the amount of rations you’ll need to expend. If you have insu_cient rations when you set up camp, your hunters will stay out until they secure enough rations, which may drastically increase the duration of a camp session. Amiri, with a [Lore (Nature)] skill modi]er of +5 has a good chance of bringing back something, but you can improve her odds drastically by having another character help. To do this, note the portraits at the top of the screen, which you can click and drag over to the empty boxes below that of each task’s primary character. Asg an additional character will add +2 to the skill check, regardless of their own skill modi]ers. You can also assign characters to Watch shifts, where they will add their full Perception scores to oppose any potential enemy Stealth checks… at least if their Perception skill modi]er is the highest, otherwise they add +2, as usual. Camp Camouâge is pretty self-explanatory: you make a [Stealth] check against the area’s DC, and if you fail, there’s a much higher chance you’ll be attacked while resting. Only if you get attack by resting do the Watch shifts even matter, so if you’re con]dent in the camouâge check, you may not even need to bother with watch shifts. If you do get attack without watch, the enemy will begin combat adjacent to your prone party. Cooking is also pretty simple, you make a [Knowledge (World)] check opposed by the meal’s DC. The default Hearty Meal has a DC of 20, and you can change what meal you’re making by selecting a different recipe from the list adjacent to the

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cooking tab. You learn new meals by ]nding or buying new recipes, and different meals offer different buffs… but you may need to provide ingredients for more complicated meals. Finally, the special abilities. Different characters can be assigned to different tasks while camping. Jaethal will summon some undead to help in case of an ambush, Amiri will sharpen her weapons, giving her an Attack and Damage buff, and Linzi will give all other campers a +2 bonus to their camping skill checks, for example. You can’t assign a character to use their special ability and undertake another camping task… not if you expect them to get any rest, anyways. All in all, never forget that your key ally when it comes to camping is saving and loading until you get the results you want.

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Oleg's Trading Post Trouble at the Trading Post Rest to remove everybody’s fatigue, if present, and be sure to go through spellbooks and select what spells you want readied, if you haven’t done so already. When you’re good to go, make your way either north or south to ]nd some area transitions which will take you back to the world map. Press the left arrow again and you’ll make your way to Oleg’s Trading Post. When you arrive, head northeast until you ]nd a gate to the northwest, beyond which you’ll ]nd Oleg being accosted by several bandits, who are in turn led by a bandit named Kressle. They’re here on a "tax" collecting mission, although the other bandits aren’t shy about making somewhat more repugnant demands.

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When you arrive at Oleg's Trading Post, you'll interfere in an in-progress shake-down

You can out-Bandit Kressle and extort Oleg yourself

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or you can be an obnoxious do-gooder and drive the bandits off... with a little bit of death involved

Afterwards, talk to Oleg to gain a reward

Approach the scene and the bandits will turn their attention to you, and shortly you’ll be given a chance to respond, notably with two different moral choices. If you’re evil, you can pick the corresponding [Evil] dialogue option that’ll cause you to cut in on the bandit’s business and shake down Oleg for money, scoring you 300 Gold Coins. In face of an even more rapacious bandit, the Stag Lord’s men will leave, vowing retaliation. If you pick the [Neutral Good] option (or just choose to attack) a ]ght will begin, in response to which Kressle will turn invisible and run off. This leaves you to ]ght three-on-four odds, with Oleg providing ranged . Although these foes are tougher than the assassins were, you should still have little trouble

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cutting them down.

Alignment in Dialogues (Tutorial): Some dialogues feature options that are available only to characters with certain alignments.

Reward: For driving off the Bandits 360 XP / 300 GP*

*if you made an [Evil] moral choice to demand money from Oleg you’ll shake him down for 300 GP Respond how you will and defeat the bandits, if necessary, after which talk to Oleg, who will complain about the imminent bandit reprisals. That’s a concern for the immediate future, but for the present, be sure to ask to see his wares. There’s not a whole lot worth buying just yet (not that you can afford, anyways), but it’d be a good idea to sell off excess arms and armor from the Jamandi Estate, not to mention the gear dropped by the three bandits you may have just killed. Don’t expect a mountain of gold, though - items tend to only sell for a quarter of their listed value.

Sell off accumulated items you don't plan to use, but be wary - they only sell for 1/4 of their listed value. Weapons are generally better items to haul about than armor, for selling purposes

Preparing for Reprisal Once that’s done, ask about the man you saw running from the outpost earlier and he’ll identify him as Bokken, a talented alchemist whose talents are in demand by the Stag Lord. Maybe he’ll use his skills to aid you? Before bothering with that,

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exhaust Oleg’s dialogue options, being sure to ask about the bandits that he fears are soon to return. This option will allow you to learn more about their numbers, which will get you some info on two particularly nasty bandits - Auchs and Dovan. Even more importantly it’ll lead to another moral choice, giving you a [Lawful Good] option and a [Neutral Evil] option. Pick whichever (if any) you wish, and be sure to nag Oleg ing Alchemist Fire, the deployment of which will greatly help during the ]ght.

Convince Oleg to spare some Alchemist Fire during the bandit attack (left); and succeed at a [Diplomacy] check to gain Bokken's , as well (right)

Next talk to Bokken, who is standing to the northeast of Oleg. If you ask for aid against the bandits he’ll fork over a Potion of Cure Light Wounds… not much help, ittedly. Afterwards you’ll get a chance to make a [Diplomacy 16] check to cow him into providing more substantial . After you’re done talking, it’s time to prepare for the inevitable bandit attack. Save your game before you do anything, as there are checks involved that you can re-roll if you fail them. First up, interact with a crate near Oleg and Svetlana and succeed at a [Perception 16] check to deploy some traps, then make your way to the southwestern end of the outpost, where you’ll ]nd a jar of tar you can interact with. a [Lore (Nature) 10] check to identify the useful substance, which will give you the option to spread the substance near the outpost’s gate.

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Examine some crates near Oleg

and succeed at a [Perception] check to ]nd the traps within.

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Investigate an urn

and a [Lore (Nature)] check to identify the substance within as tar.

There’s also a bit of loot to be had lying around. In the northern watch tower you’ll ]nd a crate with a Heavy Crossbow, a Longsword and two Bucklers. In the southwestern corner of the outpost (near where the tar was) you can ]nd two crates to loot, which will net you a Heavy Mace, a Jasper gem and 10 GP from one, and a Silver Spoon and 5 GP from the other. Feel free to sell any junk you pick up to Oleg. The most important preparation you can make is to level up all your characters. The XP gained in Jamandi’s mansion and

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from helping Oleg get rid of the bandits (one way or another) should be enough to get you there. This is especially important at such low levels, as leveling up now will, in many cases, give characters an effective HP boost of between 50% and nearly 100%. That extra reserve of resilience will make surviving the next ]ght much easier… and it can’t hurt to have better saves, attack, and all the other immediate perks that come with leveling up. To do this, press the "C" button to enter the character screen, then click the "Level Up" button on the top left of the screen, between the character’s portrait and name… or you can just click the yellow "+" icon on the character’s portrait.

Note: It may be a while before you acquire the services of a proper Rogue, but in the meantime, traps and locked chests abound. Simply put, you’ll have need of the Trickery skill, so be sure to invest in it. Linzi begins with a point invested in the skill, while Jaethal can ]ll the role surprisingly well with a single skill point spent. This goes for many skills in the early going: many of them will be checked at some point in the near future, so if you have a character with a * next to a skill (and an ability modi]er that’s not too low as to make the investment useless) invest a point, as they’ll get a signi]cant boost from doing so. Right now, ensuring you have reasonable modi]ers (+4 or higher) on a variety of useful skills (Athletics, Mobility, Trickery, Stealth, Knowledge (Arcana), Knowledge (World), Lore (Nature), Lore (Religion), Perception and Persuasion) will serve you well. You can have characters specialize further down the road, when you have access to more characters and when higher rolls are needed.

Repelling the Bandit Assault Finally, when you’re ready for the big ]ght, talk to Oleg and choose the [wait for attack] option, after which the bandits will shortly arrive. This is honestly quite a ]ght, easily the biggest battle you’ve engaged in thus far. There are about ten bandits, not including their leader, an archer named Happs Bydon, who is capable of doing some nasty damage with his bow from a safe distance. If you got Oleg to commit to using Alchemist Fire, he’ll start out the ]ght by tossing some, after which he’ll rely on his bow. Bokken, too, will chuck some Alchemist Fire later on if you secure his aid, and the traps will do some grievous damage to the bandits if you allow them to stroll over them. All in all, a bandit or two may die outright without you having to lift a ]nger, while several others will be severely injured.

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If convinced to deploy it, Oleg will make good use of Alchemist Fire (left); Traps and tar will further add to the attacking bandit's woes. (right)

Hitting the Bandits with a debilitating spell like Sleep can congest things further, and if you’re con]dent in your warriors (and the damage the bandits sustained, you may want to try a divide and conquer strategy. Sending somebody to aid Oleg may keep him in the ]ght longer (he can’t be permanently killed, so there’s no need to worry about protecting him, but he’ll tend to get himself picked off by archers if you leave him alone, not to mention the Attacks of Opportunity he’ll provoke if anything engages in melee), while another character - ideally your tankiest warrior - can stand just beyond the traps opposite the gate, ready to cut down bandits as they limp forward. Another warrior can be sent to the east, getting close enough until they can charge at the archers by the gate. Getting a warrior close to them - even if it means being isolated will allow you to cut them down with satisfying quickness, and lessen the likelihood of suffering unwanted missile ]re.

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Move to intercept the bandits as they head towards Oleg

Once all the melee opponents are felled, move in on the archers in the back

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When victorious, loot the bodies of the fallen to obtain a Cloak of Resistance +1

When the bandits are all dead, be sure to loot their bodies. The gear they’ll drop is largely mundane (save for generous Happy Bydon, who will leave behind a Cloak of Resistance +1), but since there’s a merchant standing right next to you, everything can be converted into quick cash.

Note: The Cloak of Resistance +1 boosts its wearer’s Saving Throws by one point. We suggesting putting such equipment on whatever character will usually be responsible for healing and clearing debuffs from your companions - usually a Cleric. Harrim is a ]ne ]rst choice, followed by Linzi.

Reward: For defending Oleg's Trading Post from bandit reprisal 165 XP / 100 GP*

*if you did not perform the [Evil] dialogue option earlier to shake Oleg down for money, he’ll reward you after driving off the bandits After the ]ght, talk to Oleg, who will offer to allow you to use one of his rooms to recover from your ]ght. Accept his generosity and head inside the inn, then go upstairs and loot the chests, two of which are locked. If you invested a skill point into Trickery for Jaethal, or if you have Linzi, you should have no trouble getting into these containers with a bit of save/loading. The locked chests contain a variety of valuables which serve no better purpose than selling back to Oleg, although the eastern-most locked chest contains a Scroll of Bane, while the southwestern-most check (the only unlocked one) to obtain a Potion of Vanish and a Scroll of Ray of Enfeeblement. When you’re ready to rest, interact with the bed.

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Note: While all scrolls can be used by characters who possess levels in a class that could normally cast the spell on the scroll (and by characters with a su_ciently high Use Magic Device skill score), arcane scrolls have another, even more useful function. Arcane spellcasters that must memorize speci]c spells before casting them (Wizard, Magi, etc.) rather than spontaneously casting any known spells from a limited selection (Bards, Sorcerers, etc.) can actually learn spells off of arcane spell scrolls. To do so, simply select that character, go to the inventory screen, rightclick on the desired spell, and if it can be scribed you’ll see the option "Write to Spellbook". A ]ne way for a caster to increase the depth of the spell arsenal without having to level up.

Side Quests at Oleg’s Trading Post Thrice, at least, you’ve attempted to rest, and two of those times you were interrupted. Not good odds, thus far. This time you’re troubled by nightmares of the worst sort… the ones that don’t go away when you wake up! Speak with the spirit and - regardless of your alignment - maintain some civility, as you’ll get more information out of her this way. She’ll talk to you about the Stag Lord, suggesting that your shared foe may be somewhat more than a common bandit lord.

If you've got a character versed in Trickery, loot the chests upstairs (left); Unfortunately, your rest will be interrupted by the Guardian of the Bloom, who points you to Thorn Ford (right)

To reach the stronghold of the Stag Lord and claim your rightful seat as ruler of this land (the land doesn’t know it has a master yet, but this isn’t a democracy, so its opinion doesn’t matter) you’ll need to dispel a malevolent fog that’s suffocating the land. To do this, you’ll need to ]nd some "old house" in the forest which "echoes with the remnants of a strange power". However, to ]nd this house you’ll need to go to the bandits’ camp near the Thorn Ford and squeeze the information out of some ne’er-do-wells. Looks like you’ve got your work cut out for you.

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Safe Location (Tutorial): There are no threats in this location. It is a sort of "headquarters" where you can prepare your party for a new expedition. In such locations, companions don’t follow you around and will go about their own business. You can speak with them freely to get to know them better. Once you exit this location and return to the global map, you will be able to choose the companions you wish to take with you, leaving the others here. Whenever you meet a new companion but don’t want to include them in your party right away, that companion will travel to this location on their own.

Not so much work that you can’t pick up some side quests, however. The Stag Lord is your goal, but you’ll probably want to scrape together as much coin and get yourself as prepared as possible for the battle that’ll serve as the preamble to your inevitable coronation. To that end, head downstairs (you only have control of your protagonist for now) where you’ll ]nd Svetlana behind the counter, and a new face - Anoriel Eight-Eyes. She’s an adventurer, a seeker, a path]nder… or at least she once was, now she’s a drunkard with a tale of treachery to tell who gets lost in the Stag Lord’s fog and an unsteady hand. She does, however, have connections, and she’ll promises to call adventurers to your aid should you have su_cient need… and by need, of course, that means cash. Paying Anoriel essentially allows you to hire a new adventurer, whom you get to create yourself as if you were creating a new protagonist. This adventurer then s your party for the rest of the game, so should you ]nd any of the premade characters lacking in prowess or your party otherwise needing a specialist, you can hire - and customize - what you need. As your level increases, the price of this specialist will increase, although they’ll always as a 1st-level character, albeit with enough experience for you to level them up to parity. You can hire multiple new adventurers, should you have the coin to do so, although they’re somewhat less interesting than the characters given to you by the developers. Talk to Svetlana, who sheepishly attempts to waste your time asking for a favor. Indulge her and she’ll ask you to recover her wedding ring if you ]nd it during your battle with the bandits… and more interestingly, she’ll beg you to spare the life of a "dark-haired woman who wields dual axes" if you should encounter her. Interesting… Good or evil, don’t turn her down and you’ll get the quest Svetlana’s Ring. Everybody can use the experience, after all. Next, ask Svetlana about the Stag Lord to get a [Lawful Good] and a [Chaotic Evil] moral choice, should you feel tempted to re]ne your alignment a bit more.

Talk to Svetlana to pick up the quest "Svetlana's Ring" (left); You can also chat with your companions, many of whom have moral choices you can make... just be wary of learning too much about your allies. (right)

Head outside and talk to Bokken near the ]re, and be sure to ask if there’s any way you can help him. Again, good or evil, it doesn’t matter, experience doesn’t care what alignment you are, and for offering your services he’ll tell you about Fangberry

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Cave. Bokken used to gather fangberries there, before the place grew infested with arachnids, and would like you to bring him a basket of the berries back. In addition, he’d like you to gather some moon radishes, which grow in habitats that are attractive to Kobolds. This starts the quests Fangberry for Bokken and Moon Radishes for Bokken. Sounds like things to kill and treasure to gain, eh? You can do business with Bokken and buy a variety of potions from him. Some of his goods may just help you complete his quest in Two Rivers Field, so if you don’t have access to area-of-effect spells (Burning Hands is the best you can hope for at this point) consider buying some Alchemist Fire. You’ll need 10-12 of them, two or three for each character you have now, which will set you back just over 200 GP. If you can’t be bothered to expend this money, you may just have to wait, as Bokken’s task does have a bit of a complication. This shouldn’t signi]cantly effect your travel plans, however, as you can still carry out the the following section almost entirely - just postpone the Two Rivers Field area for later. Oleg will chat about the Stag Lord, but say little of interest. Still, you can ]nally dump off all that gear you pried from the cold, dead hands of the bandits who attacked earlier. After that, search around the outpost for your companions, whom you can now chat with and learn more about their pasts and motivations, if you wish. There’s a decent amount of text to parse, and more than a few moral choices to make, should you fancy that sort of thing.

Returning to the World Map When you’re ready to leave, walk your protagonist to the southwestern end of the trading post area to ]nd an area transition. Once you interact with the aforementioned icon, you’ll get a party selection screen, allowing you to choose who, exactly, you want to bring with you - an easy choice at the moment. There are some things you should know about traveling before you go, however. First, some stages of the two major quests you’ll be doing in this chapter are timed… in addition to the overall three month time limit you have to deal with the Stag Lord. Leads go cold, trails are weathered out of existence, targets move on to new sites, and berries get moldy, just to list some examples that you may encounter shortly. Su_ce to say, you may need to prioritize your quests, but for the most part if you’re late to an objective you’ll just be forced to move on to the next - a task that often requires waiting for new leads, or blindly exploring the world map and hoping to stumble upon the next clue. Which brings up another complication: travel on the world map was greatly simpli]ed on your trek to Oleg’s Trading Post. You had only two options then, forward and back, but on the world map from now on, you can expect numerous, unmarked forks to arise as you explore, many of them leading off the beaten path and into the wilderness. Traveling takes time, of course, and there’s always the danger of random encounters, but it’s a necessary evil, as even if you know the rough location of an area, you still have to ]nd the way there manually… at least the ]rst time. That’s not to say exploring the world map is all bad, however, as random encounters can provide XP and loot, and unmarked areas can be discovered by venturing near them. Not all of them have quests associated with them, but most areas have monsters to kill and treasure to plunder.

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While you explore, you may happen upon random encounters (left); These encounters can provide you with extra experience and loot, but can be dangerous against a compromised party (right)

So, to summarize and to provide some extra tips and hits for the quests: – Pick your objectives and complete quests with stricter time limits ]rst. – Travel light so you’re wasting less time on the world map. Sell off any unused armor and all but the most exceptional of weapons, and when looting fallen foes, leave their armor unless you plan to equip it. (Anything with less than a 1:10 weightto-gold ratio may not be worth hauling around if you plan to sell it.)

Encumbrance (Tutorial): If your party encumbrance is higher than Light (1/3 of your maximum carrying capacity), your travel speed on the global map will be reduced appropriately. If your party encumbrance exceeds maximum carrying capacity, you cannot travel on the global map, and your movement speed on locations will be drastically reduced.

– Be wary of fatigue and exhaustion, and particularly their effects on encumbrance. When you start out on an expedition, you’re probably traveling light and are well-rested, but as you accumulate treasure and grow tired, your carry weight will increase while fatigue and exhaustion sap your Strength. This will slow you down while you travel on the world map, and may over-burden a character in area maps to the point where they may not be able to move. Together, it’s a recipe for frustrating random encounters on the road home.

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If you're encumbered, your movement on the world map will be slowed (left); Encumbrance can slow you down on area maps as well, and an over-encumbered character may be prevented from traveling on the world map (right)

– Don’t be shy about quicksaving on the world map in case you take a wrong turn and end up fruitlessly exploring, or run into a random encounter that is a bit more than you expected. – You do not have to be in a map area to rest. You can press "R" at any time to bring up the resting menu. – When resting on the world map, you can press the "Begin Resting" button, wait for the results of the various camping rolls to come in, and if you don’t like how things played out, simple hit "esc" to cancel the rest and try again. It’s cheap, but it works. – Camping on the world map is quicker than in areas, as your companions won’t engage in banter. Of course, if you want to see the banter, you’ll need to rest in areas. – You can press "Space Bar" to stop your movement along a path or to a destination. – You can travel to empty nodes (the yellow dots, usually at forks) and discovered areas on the world map by clicking on them. Your party will travel strictly along known routes when you do this, however, which may not be the fastest way to reach your destination. – Some areas on the map are hidden and require a check to discover. This check is made when you ]rst travel along a path that’ll lead you past the area, and if you fail your check, the area simply will not appear. You cannot make another check until you level up again, effectively locking you out of the area for a while. You can, however, save/load as you travel to ensure you discover these areas.

Note: While you may ]nd save/loading to be useful, it can cut down on challenge and undermine key aspects of the game. Abuse at the risk of your own long-term enjoyment.

– When you start getting fatigued, weigh your options. Returning to Oleg’s Trading Post and resting there may be a better option than camping out in the wilderness, especially if you have loot to sell. – Just because you can discover a location on the world map now doesn’t mean you belong there. Some areas will be populated by challenges that are simply too great for you right now, so don’t be afraid to it defeat and leave well enough alone.

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Finally, the very nature of the walkthrough will be seeing a bit of a shakeup going forward. Your adventure thus far has been pretty linear, but now you have options as to what to pursue. The order in which they’re listed is the suggested order of completion but you can - if you feel so inclined - skip sidequests. Unless you’re intentionally playing a maniacally incompetent character (Chaotic Evil or Chaotic Neutral, perhaps?) who intentionally sabotages quests, it’s probably a good idea to pick up and complete sidequests for the rewards they offer. Also, random events do occur during exploration and resting, to name a few mundane tasks, which may update main quests. There’s no tidy way to include all these while reêcting the way the average player is likely to go about things. If you leap around the walkthrough, you may miss out on such events. With all that in mind, click the area transition, select your party, and depart on your ]rst real expedition! While strictly optional, it’s suggested you embark on the journey to Two-River’s Field, as a story-related (not-so) random encounter is involved, and it’ll help you understand some of the ]ner points of traveling on the world map. Plus, it’s very tempting to complete the quest Fangberry for Bokken on the return trip.

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Two-River's Field A Word from Remus Once you’re out on the world travel south, then when you reach a fork, turn east. You won’t get far before you’re delayed by a random encounter, where you’ll meet with an odd old man named Remus. Listen to him babble cryptically for a bit, then when you go to leave he’ll mention that your rival, Tartuccio, is in an Ancient Tomb looking for an artifact. This marks the Ancient Tomb on your map and updates the quest A Bitter Rival. If you’re rude to him, you’ll get the same intel, albeit worded a bit more vaguely, and if you choose to attack Remus, you’ll get credit for performing a [Chaotic Evil] action, but there’s otherwise no reward for doing so.

As you travel, you'll shortly encounter a man named Remus, who will tell you about Tartuccio (left); Of course, if you're evil you can pick a ]ght, although Remus' "death" raises even more questions (right)

Discovering Two-Rivers Field Use the area transition to leave the locale where you ran into Remus, and when you’re back on the world map be sure to save your game. If you read the world map exploration tips earlier, you may recall that one of them warned you of hidden areas. Your destination, Two River’s Field, is one such location, and an unwary traveler could just walk by it none the wiser. Let’s make sure that’s not you, eh? Continue east from the encounter with Remus, only to ]nd the path bending south. When you reach an empty node, continue south and you should be prompted to turn west towards Fangberry Cave. Ignore it and continue south to another empty node, then head southeast along a path that ultimately terminates at the Shrike River. If you did not discover the Two Rivers Field area to the northeast of this path as you traveled along it, reload the game and try again. It may take several tries until you do. You’ll ]nd it marked by a black circle on the map, and if you have the "Show location’s names" option on, there will be no doubt as to what the area is.

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The location of Two Rivers Field on the map.

Travel back up the path if you need to, and when you’re adjacent to the now-discovered Two-Rivers Field area you should get an arrow prompt to travel northeast to the aforementioned locale.

Note: The RNG can be pretty brutal when it comes to discovering hidden areas on the map, and if one just refuses to appear for you, it may be better to just write it off for now and try again later. We can con]rm, however, that saving at an adjacent node before traveling along the path the hidden area is located off can cause it to appear, it just may take a few tries.

Note: Acquiring new characters (and traveling with them in your party) and leveling up can cause previously stubborn hidden map areas to appear on subsequent visits. Be sure to try again later when you meet the aforementioned conditions.

Exploring Two-Rivers Field Do so, and when you arrive in the area from the world map, search the western end of the area to ]nd a trap [Trickery 17] which can be disarmed so you can reach a pile of rocks hiding some loot [Perception 15], including a bunch of trinkets ]t for selling, and a Scroll of InLict Moderate Wounds.

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Another trap lies on the western side of the map (left); which covers a pile of rocks under which there is loot to be found. (right)

Next make your way to the eastern end of the map, where you’ll ]nd a Wolf mourning over the corpse of its companion. Reunite the two in death, then be wary of several traps [Trickery 17] that are placed to the north, between the Wolf and a campsite.

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Kill the wolf that stands over the body of its fallen comrade.

Be wary of the traps the lie hidden between the wolf and a camp to the north.

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Loot a chest near the abandoned camp to obtain some loot including an Ancient Rostland Coin.

Search the camp]re and a [Perception 15] check to ]nd a hidden sack behind the tent. Loot the sack for various foodstuffs, then plunder the more obvious box that yields an Ancient Rostland Coin and a Scroll of Hurricane Bow.

Note: Keep any Ancient Rostland Coins you ]nd on your travels. As the item’s description suggests, an "antiquarian" will indeed pay dearly for them - more than a merchant like Oleg will, in fact. This holds true for any item with a similar description. Don’t worry, they’ll be pointed out as you ]nd them.

With that, you’re done with the Two-Rivers Field. That wasn’t so bad, was it? Most optional map areas are pretty small, oneencounter affairs that allow you to score some loot. If you feel up to it, there are more encounters you can complete before returning to Oleg’s Trading Post to rest and recuperate, random encounters permitting, of course.

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Nettle's Crossing The next destination is more preventative than anything else, as after a day or so of roaming the Stolen Lands your protagonist may start having odd dreams. You have options for dealing with the situation the dream puts you in, but they all end the same way… with a summon to Shrike River. This summons carries coercion with it, as your protagonist will not recover spells or rid themselves of fatigue or exhaustion when this dream occurs. Might as well go see to the cause as soon as possible, even if that’s before you actually have such a dream. Having this dream - or completing the errand you’ll ]nd below - will start the quest Riverbed Nightmare. From Two-Rivers Crossing (or from the node south of Fangberry Cave, if you prefer) travel southeast to reach Shrike River, which you then need merely follow southwest to reach Nettle’s Crossing.

Note: If you go northeast from the empty node along Shrike River you’ll ]nd the Old Outpost. Despite the name, you can’t explore it.

With a su_ciently high Perception skill score, you can ]nd hidden loot under some rocks (left); and in the ruins of the burned-down house. (right)

Enter Nettle’s Crossing and follow the road southeast until it forks at a sign. Further southeast you’ll ]nd a collapsed bridge, limiting your exploration in that direction, but should you follow the cliffs to the west, you may spot [Perception 6] a pile of rocks which conceal An Ancient Rostlandic Coin. Since the path southeast terminates in a collapsed rope bridge, turn down a trail to the northeast and enter a burned-down house north of the road. With a high enough Perception skill score you can spot [Perception 20] a hidden item you can loot for a scroll, potions, and sellable loot.

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After enough time has ed, you'll start getting dreams in the form of a short Illustrated Book episode (left); In order for your protagonist to rest you'll need to head to Nettle's Crossing and agree to help the undead who is haunting you (right)

Leave the burned-out husk of a house and continue southeast to approach the shore, where a drowned corpse will pull itself out of the water to confront you. Ask the corpse who it was and how it died to recall a vision similar to the dreams you may have had. In any case, the corpse was slain by the Stag Lord, and wants vengeance… vengeance that’s beyond its power to acquire. Agree to avenge the corpse - it’s the only way to get the dreams to stop - and it’ll offer up the spear it still carries should you come back successful. Attacking will only temporarily buy you a reprieve from the visions, so even evil characters are subject to the corpse’s irrepressible wishes. With that, you’re free to exit the area and continue exploring. If your party is getting tired, don’t be afraid to rest, but generally you should let the stock of your healing spells determine when you rest. A little fatigue never hurt anybody, and if it did, you’ve got healing magics! Seriously, though, if you need to recover, don’t be shy about heading back to Oleg’s Trading Post. Assuming you don’t - and some fatigue doesn’t deter you - feel free to continue this expedition uninterrupted.

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Trail in the Hills From Nettle’s Crossing (which is a straight-shot southeast from Oleg’s Trading Post) follow the river southwest until you reach an empty node. Save your game, then travel west, where you’ll hopefully ]nd the Trail in the Hills area to the north of the path.

The Location of the Trail in the Hills area on the map.

Enter the Trail in the Hills area and from where you appear along the southern edge of the area, venture east to ]nd a pile of rocks, which hide a Scorched Fragment of a Necklace. Once that treasure is yours, return back west and then venture north until you reach a fork with two paths leading uphill, one to the east, and one to the west. It doesn’t matter which route you take, both lead to the same location. You might want to spell-buff, however, and lead with your strongest character, as a powerful foe awaits uphill.

Be careful when exploring the Trail in the Hills, as a sneaky Leopard awaits unwary prey. (left); Search a former victim of the Leopard to obtain a Shortbow +1. (right)

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While it may not be readily apparent, a Ferocious Leopard dwells here, although it’s fond of using Stealth to hide before it attacks. While this cat doesn’t hit much harder than most foes you’ve fought, it gets many attacks per round and has a relatively high Armor Class and Attack bonus. This makes it a dangerous foe, so consider preparing ahead of time with Bless and Shield of Faith, if you have them. Still, if you surround the beast you should be able to cut it down before it causes too much trouble. Once it’s dead, search the body of an unfortunate Kobold to claim a Shortbow +1. Not a bad prize for such a ]ght.

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Waterlogged Lowland From the Trail in the Hills travel to an empty node to the west, then head north to reach another, or if you prefer, travel to the empty node just northwest of Nettle’s Crossing. Save your game, as there’s a hidden area along the path between these two nodes. In the former case, travel east, while in the latter case travel west, and as you travel along the path you may discover the Waterlogged Lowland hidden area. If you ]nd it, travel to it and save your game outside. The entire area is covered in an Illustrated Book Episode, so you’ll have to make the right choices and hope the RNG is on your side if you wish to escape with as little damage as possible. For this event, you may want to remove your armor, at least from the character with the highest potential Athletics and Mobility skill scores - your Armor Class won’t be checked, but those two skills will be. Also note that in this generous Illustrated Book Episode you can abandon your journey to return to safety, allowing you to save your game, then return to the spot at which you left off with no penalty. There’s no reason you can’t ]sh for optimal rolls here. Below are the following choices you should make, in order:

"We determined that we should explore the lowland." "We would not retreat, and moved ever forward, toward the tall tree, determined to visit the big hut on our way there."

With luck on your side, you should be able to discover the Waterlogged Lowland (left); Succeed at an [Athletics] check to avoid being Sickened (right)

"[Athletics 14] Wary of another of us getting sucked into the bog, we decided to form a living chain. Standing next to each other and holding hands, we began to pull up our fellow traveler" If you fail the Athletics check, the randomly selected character who started sinking into the swamp will only be recovered after being sickened by the swamp water. The sickened status can be removed with a Remove Sickness spell (Harrim has access to it). Picking the other option ("We hurried to the rescue - sensing that time was short!") risks the rest of your party suffering what the one randomly chosen party member was facing, allowing a [Fortitude 15] save to prevent it. The original character will suffer, regardless, so this option is categorically worse than the previous one, even if you fail. Jaethal is immune to the sickened status, so if she’s randomly selected, you essentially get past that hazard for free. You are encouraged to retreat and save your game after successfully bying this hazard.

"We peeked inside the hut." Choosing this option - which can be byed - will score you a Shortsword, Leather Armor, and 137 GP. The [Knowledge (World 17)] check doesn’t contribute in any way, save âvor text.

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Be sure to check the hut to score some treasure (left); after which a [Strength] or [Mobility] check to reach your destination unscathed (right)

[Mobility 16] or [Strength 15] check, whichever is the most likely to succeed. An unfatigued Amiri or Jaethal will have a +3 Strength modi]er, requiring you to roll a 12 or higher to succeed. The same characters, if you removed their armor, may well have a higher Mobility score, if you invested in it, all things considered. If you fail, your party will take damage. The ]nal choice really depends on what you want out of this encounter. The moral choices are [Lawful Good], [Chaotic Evil] and [Neutral]. The [Lore (Religion) 15] check does nothing but provide âvor text.

If you pick the [Lawful Good] option, you may do what is right (left); but you'll suffer the effects of a curse for your trouble (right)

The Lawful Good action will net you a small amount of XP, but, as should be expected from desecrating the holy place of a male]c god, it’s not without consequences. In this case, your party will be aìcted with the "Curse of Feeble Body" debuff, permanently lowering your Constitution scores by two until you get access to the Remove Curse spell, which could be quite a ways off. A hefty price to pay for some virtue signaling.

Reward: For destroying the idol of Gogunta 30 XP

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The Chaotic Evil choice is far more lucrative, especially if you the Fortitude Save the action imposes

The Chaotic Evil action is far more rewarding, but potentially carries some temporary side effects if you fail a [Fortitude 18] save. Your protagonist will be the one to carry this feat out, so the odds of success can be highly variable. If you fail the save, you’ll earn 80 XP and score an Emerald, and will suffer a point of Wisdom damage for your trouble (you can recover this Wisdom damage by resting). If you succeed, you’ll emerged unscathed, with 200 XP and an Emerald to show for your effort.

Reward: For eating the blue dragonLy 60 XP or 200 XP / Emerald

Ability Damage: Some effects, usually spells, curses, poisons and diseases, can lower a character’s ability score. Provided the underlying cause of the ability score damage is cured, a character will recover damaged ability scores by resting. Restoration spells and effects also heal damaged ability scores.

The Neutral choice gets you nothing other than the satisfaction of doing a neutral deed; whatever odd form that satisfaction may take.

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Fangberry for Bokken - Fangberry Cave To the Fangberry Cave Now it’s time to ]nally head over to Fangberry Cave, which will be the last stop on this ]rst expedition. If you’ve been out in the ]eld this entire run, exhaustion may be setting in, and while fatigue is a minor impediment, exhaustion is another matter entirely, being too signi]cant of a drain on a character’s effectiveness to allow for all but the most trivial of tasks. Also, those Fangberries will spoil if too much time is wasted after picking them, so returning to Oleg’s Trading Post immediately afterwards makes good sense.

Exhausted: An exhausted character moves at half speed, cannot charge, and takes a -6 penalty to Strength and Dexterity. After a complete rest, fatigued characters are no longer exhausted. You can also cure exhaustion with a restoration spell or potion.

Return to the road that connects Oleg’s Trading Post and Nettle’s Crossing, and take one of two paths to the east from this road to reach an empty node either to the north or south of Fangberry Cave. From there it should be a simple matter for you to travel in the necessary direction to reach your destination.

Fauna Around the Fangberry Cave Despite being here for the ôra, there’s actually a bit of fauna to contend with in this area. From where you start on the eastern end of the map, head south to ]nd a trio of Young Deer, who will actually respond rather aggressively if attacked. Put them down for their delicious XP and meat, then search a Kobold corpse nearby to acquire some treasure, including a Potion of Cure Light Wounds. Was this critter overwhelmed by those deer? If so, it doesn’t speak too highly of the hunting prowess of Kobolds, eh?

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Dispatch a pair of venomous Monitor Lizards

and loot the stone slab they were guarding

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Loot a corpse near some Young Deer for more loot

Continue west and you’ll ]nd stronger foes - a pair of Monitor Lizards. While being fairly sturdy, the real threat comes from their venom (DC 11), which can inîct Dexterity damage.

Poison: Some enemies are venomous, and can force you to make saves (usually Fortitude) when they successfully attack to force you to resist the effects of their venom. If you fail, not only will you immediately take ability damage (the type varies by source), but the character will be poisoned. After a set length of time they’ll have to make another save, usually identical to the ]rst, and if they succeed they’ll no longer be poisoned, and will be able to heal any ability damage sustained. If not, they’ll take more ability damage and will remain poisoned. This will continue until they’re cured (by a successful save, spell or potion) or until their ability score reaches 0, which is usually fatal.

Cut down the Monitor Lizards - Jaethal is immune to their poison, and hence makes good bait, if you have her - then loot them for some more meat. Finish up by looting a nearby slab of stone to acquire some trinkets which can be sold, as well as some GP.

Fangs in the Darkness From where you encountered the Monitor Lizards, continue west until you hit the western edge of the area, then turn north to ]nd the Fangberry Cave, near the northwestern end of the area. Save your game before entering, and spell-buff as best you can (Bless or Bardsong or both will do nicely), then head into the darkness. The cavern is a bit dark, and although it’s not prohibitively so, it does bring up an opportunity to talk about a wonderful,

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humble spell: Light. Most casters should have it as a 0-level spell, and it has unlimited castings (although it can only be applied once per caster) and a duration of ten minutes per Caster Level. Yep, a long-lasting, in]nitely-resuable, cast-andforget source of illumination. It’s a simple thing, but welcome, and it won’t be long before it has some serious practical applications - and it’s much more convenient than a torch! Or, you know, you could just use the lantern Valerie came with.

Defeat the Spider Swarms with area-of-effect attacks like Burning Hands or Alchemist Fire (left); then loot the Fangberry bush - which lives up to its name! (right)

Light up as you wish, then head north and east, deeper into the cavern. Here you’ll ]nd the spiders Bokken mentioned, including a Giant Spider and two Spider Swarms. Giant Spiders are simple enough foes - although their poison can be a nuisance, they’re not otherwise di_cult opponents. Spider Swarms, however, can be troublesome, as swarm enemies cannot be killed by conventional tactics. Indeed, smashing a swarm of critters with a mace or sword may kill a few of them, but the majority of the swarm will persist undeterred by such a trivial loss of biomass. They have no mind (although they act collectively), and targeted spells will likewise bear no more fruit than melee or ranged attacks. Not only that, but their method of ]ghting is unique, as they occupy the space of victims and attack everything they encom automatically every round. The damage they do is slight, but the poison is more of a nuisance, and since you’re not terribly well-protected by HP at this stage in the game, even minor damage can add up and become a problem. So how to deal with these pests? Your only viable answer is area of effect attacks. Sadly, those can be in short supply in the early stages of your adventuring career, although an alchemist’s bombs or arcane spellcaster with spells like Burning Hands will be worth their weight in gold here. Failing that, employ the bottles of Alchemist Fire you bought from Bokken and have your characters hurl them at the swarms. One or two direct hits should kill a swarm, which fortunately don’t have many HP, but expect misses and hope for the best from splash damage. When two of these foes have been slain, expect a Giant Spider to spawn to the north, and another Spider Swarm to appear to the south.

Note: This may be a "better part of valor" situation where you might - depending on your party composition and resources - need to delay this quest until later. With some Alchemist Fire, it’s doable at the default di_culty setting, but you’ll be acquiring more ]repower shortly.

Defeat them, then loot an unfortunate Kobold to ]nd some treasure, including a Potion of Mage Armor. Finally, take the character with the best [Lore (Nature)] score, save your game, then interact with the Fangberry bushes to the east. These vile bushes didn’t get their name for nothing, and if you fail a [Lore (Nature) 20] they’ll deal damage to the would-be picker. Painfully persevere until you pick your prize, then depart the cave.

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Reward: For obtaining some Fangberries 12 XP

Should you delay too long, the Fangberries you picked will spoil (left); so save yourself some trouble and head straight back to Bokken to complete the quest. (right)

Next stop, Oleg’s Trading Post. You’ve got a fair amount of time before those berries spoil - around twenty-four hours, to be precise - but there’s no need to delay, and precious little you can do in that time without risking your hard-picked Fangberries. When you arrive back, talk to Bokken and give him his Fangberries to get your reward and complete this quest.

Reward: For giving Bokken some Fangberries 165 XP / Potion of Restoration, Lesser / Potion of Cure Light Wounds x2

Sell off any loot you may have obtained (the Emerald from the Waterlogged Lowland sells for 500 GP on its own!) then get some rest at the inn. If you visited Nettle’s Crossing already, it should be uninterrupted sleep. When you’re all rested up and ready for another bout of adventuring, hit the area transition and assemble your party. No sense in putting it off any longer; it’s time to go see what Tartuccio is up to. This is a rather lengthy segment of game that’ll likely require some resting out in the ]eld and/or some trips back to Oleg’s Trading Post before you’re ]nished, but there are many compelling reasons to prefer this over seeking out the Stag Lord’s goons in Thorn Ford, as you’ll soon see.

Note: Whichever of the two main quests you pursue ]rst - Stolen Land or A Bitter Rival - will affect how the other quest later unfolds. It’s recommended you to go the Ancient Tomb ]rst, for reasons which will soon become clear.

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Chapter 1 - Trailing Tartuccio and the Stag Lord

Ancient Tomb Coercing Companions To reach the Ancient Tomb, follow the path southeast from Oleg’s Trading Post (the path that directly connects to Nettle’s Crossing) and when you hit the third empty node, turn southwest. At the next empty node, turn northwest, and at this last empty node head south. Once inside the tomb, save your game, consider spell-bu_ng (Bless and/or Bardsong work well), then venture northwest looting the crate along the way - to ]nd Tartuccio berating his minions. It seems he’s added some mercenaries to his roster since you last saw him, although where he got the coin and clout is a question worth pondering. You can vent your anger at your deceitful rival and leap to the attack, or you can waste time calling him out on his apparent lack of interest in completing Jamandi’s task. Your words are better off being used to lure one of your former companions back to your side. The [Persuasion 10] check required for this is surprisingly managable - undoubtedly a sign of their frustration with the Gnome’s abusive personality and lack of progress - and having an extra character on board will make everything you do going forward that much easier.

If you went to the Ancient Tomb before Thorn Ford, you'll get a chance to lure back one of your former companions (left); Be sure to level up this new addition before starting the ]ght with Tartuccio's mercenaries! (right)

Note: If you encountered the bandits at Thorn Ford before coming to the Ancient Crypt, Tartuccio and your former companions will already be gone, and the mercenaries will simply be hostile enemies who will attack on sight. This means you cannot lure a companion to your side, forcing you to play with a four-person party for longer; a de]nite handicap.

Battle: Tartuccio’s Mercenaries After luring one of your two former companions back to your side, Tartuccio decides to êe, taking the character you didn’t woo with him and siccing his mercenaries on you - potentially leaving the character you just recruited in a rather compromised situation. Consider having the character retreat towards you, as these mercenaries are rather strong.

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The one to the north has a relatively high Armor Class that can keep him in a ]ght long enough to be bothersome, but the real threats are to the northwest. These two northwestern characters consist of a spellcaster (who will waste little time casting Enlarge Person on the allied warrior nearby) and a warrior armed with a Longsword +1 who can put up a fearsome ]ght. Send one character north to occupy the stranded, high Armor Class foe, while the rest of your characters focus on the other isolated mercenary to the west, hoping to remove him quickly. Once those threats are removed, focus your archers on the caster, and have your warriors occupy the combatant who accompanied the spell-casting mercenary. Now is the time to make use of your spells, targeting the aforementioned warrior. Not only is he a troublesome foe on his own, but the longer he lives, the more likely his caster buddy is going to cause mischief. Hit him with any debilitating spells you may possess - Sleep, Color Spray and Hideous Laughter all work well - until he’s out of action, then quickly gank the caster to put her out of commission. After that, you should just need to clean up the rest of the mercenaries.

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Divide your party up to occupy the mercenary to the north, and kill the mercenary to the west

then turn your attention to the spell-caster and the warrior who accompanies him

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Loot the aforementioned warrior for a Long Sword +1

Emerge victorious, then loot your fallen foes to obtain a variety of arms, armor and some valuable treasure. The choicest bit of loot you’ll ]nd here is the aforementioned Longsword +1, which is a ]ne replacement for Valerie’s Masterwork Bastard Sword. It might seem like more of a lateral change than anything else, but you’re going to want to be switching to enchanted weapons when the opportunity arises, as some creatures take signi]cantly less damage from non-magical weapons. Other than that, be sure to pick up the Scorched Fragment of a Necklace which one of them drops.

Note: Collect any Scorched Fragments of a Necklace you come across. As the description suggests, ]nding enough fragments may allow the artifact to be reassembled.

Looting the Ancient Tomb Now that the mercenaries are dead, it’s time to get to searching the tomb. If angry undead come after you for grave-robbing, you can always just blame Tartuccio! Start out by returning to the southeastern corner of the tomb if and looting a container just before the entrance to the room wherein you smote Tartuccio’s mercenaries if you didn’t do so earlier. Here you’ll ]nd a coffer containing various scrolls and trinkets. In the room where you fought the mercenaries you’ll ]nd numerous objects to examine, but for more practical objects to interact with, turn your attention to a container in the western corner of the room. Like the previous container this one will contain the odd scroll and assortment of sellable baubles.

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Loot in the Ancient Tomb


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Next head down a hallway to the southwest and two Perception checks, ([Perception 12] and [Perception 17]) to spot a tile you can interact with to reveal a secret room and a stone you can loot for an Ancient Cyclopean Coin, respectively. Finally, enter the secret chamber to the southeast to ]nd a container from which you can pilfer. Be wary of a trap [Perception 17] in the room, which will chastise yousd with Magic Missiles should you trigger it.

Note: Don’t sell the Ancient Cyclopean Coin you ]nd here, as it’ll be worth more to an antiquarian you’ll meet later on.

With that, you’re done in the Ancient Tomb. Take either of the area’s two area transitions to leave, after which you’ll immediately begin to pick up Tartuccio’s trail in another Illustrated Book episode.

Trailing Tartuccio "[Lore (Nature) 11] But we would not give up so easily. Whether the trail went cold or not, it was one we had to follow!" The ]rst option should be pretty self-explanatory, since picking "…we had more important things to do than to chase a îghty gnome" abandons the pursuit - not that you lose out on too much by doing so, although it will necessitate a trip to Oleg’s Trading Post (which may not be a bad idea, anyway).

"We stood a while in thought, then followed the single set of footprints, down into the gully." You’ve got a lot of options here, but most of them don’t matter much. ing the [Lore (Nature 14)] check will just get you info on what beasts you’re tracking. Examining the trails will prove one set of tracks to be duplicitous (the ones leading

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down into the gully), while the tracks that lead along - but not down into - the gully show non-clawed tracks being escorted away - perhaps as captives? - by the clawed tracks. As alarming as the latter is, the former is more immediately interesting, and indeed, the latter will just lead you to a fruitless ]ght with some Kobolds.

If you take the path along the gully, you'll encounter some Kobolds (left); Be wary of the area-of-effect attack the Kobold Alchemists will employ (right)

The ]ght includes two Kobold Alchemists, just to name the more interesting foes. The Kobold Alchemists will shamelessly pelt you with Breath Weapon Bombs after bu_ng up. They don’t do a great deal of damage at a time, but they can strike multiple characters, and if the two of them are allowed to harass you with these concoctions for a round or two, you’ll wish they hadn’t. It may be worth rushing one of them with your melee ]ghters (Mobility is a skill that will constantly come in handy for when charging vulnerable targets is necessary) while you try to debilitate the other with Sleep or Hideous Laughter, or perhaps disable the Kobold Sentinels with sleep so they can’t challenge you as you kill their alchemist friends. However you go about it, if you end up ]ghting these Kobolds, you’ll effectively lose Tartuccio’s trail.

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a [Lore (Nature)] check

then choose to head down into the gully and pick your most able character to a [Mobility] check

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If you succeed at both checks you'll manage to track Tartuccio down

"[Mobility 11] There was one brave hero among us, who decided to try her luck and climb the root." Nothing too surprising about this one. Depending on your party composition and equipment loadouts, you may need to unequip the armor from one of your characters to have a decent shot at this skill check. Once you it, however, you’ll have successfully tracked Tartuccio to the Pine Patch area.

Reward: For tracking Tartuccio down 160 XP

Should you fail any stage of the Illustrated Book Episode above, or simply abandon it, you’ll need to wait until later for another lead to show up, in which case skip ahead to the Thorn Ford section of the guide and follow linearly from there. You miss surprisingly little of any long-term signi]cance if you don’t ]nd the Pine Patch area. If you manage to track Tartuccio down, however, continue on with the Pine Patch area, below.

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Pine Patch There are two ways to reach this area, and both require you to head to the Ancient Tomb, ]rst. After exiting the Ancient Tomb you’ll get to partake in an Illustrated Book episode. If you succeed at all its stages (see the text under the text under the "Trailing Tartuccio" header in the "Ancient Tomb" page, above) you’ll arrive at the Pine Patch immediately. If not you’ll need to return to Oleg’s Trading Post after leaving the Ancient Tomb and talk to Kesten, who will tell you where the Pine Patch location is. If you have to go there, the directions are as follows:

South Southeast West South South South to reach landmark: Ancient Tomb South South Southeast

Interrupt Tartuccio to send the manipulative Gnome êeing (left); Unfortunately, he'll secure his escape by throwing some Kobolds at you (right)

However you get here, when you arrive head north to ]nd a disguised Tartuccio doing what he does best: deceiving others. In this case, a group of Kobolds. Whatever you say, Tartuccio will êe with the majority of his reptilian rubes, leaving just enough behind to distract you. Kill the woefully outclassed foes, and since there’s no bene]t to chasing directly after Tartuccio, stay and loot the area.

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Loot in the Pine Patch


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Search the southwestern corner of the area and a Perception (DC 7) check to ]nd a chest hidden under some foliage. Your diligence here is rewarded with three Potions of Cure Light Wounds. In the northwestern corner of the map you can ]nd An Ancient Rostlandic Coin should you a Perception check (DC 6), while near some boulders in the southeastern corner of the map awaits An(other) Ancient Rostlandic Coin. Another trio of Potions of Cure Light Wounds can be found in a chest in the northeastern corner of the map, right at the edge of the area. Finally, search a campsite near where Tartuccio performed for his victims, where you can loot two sacks for some food, and the Recipe: Haggis.

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Note: Keep any Ancient Rostlandic Coins you ]nd on your travels. As the item’s description suggests, an "antiquarian" will indeed pay dearly for them - more than a merchant like Oleg will, in fact. This holds true for any item with a similar description. Don’t worry, they’ll be pointed out as you ]nd them.

With that, it’s time to leave, and if you wish to continue pursuing Tartuccio you’ll ]nd him at the Old Sycamore. The Old Sycamore, however, is a pretty large, involved area with potentially a lot of combat - some of it quite challenging. You’ll probably want to have all the resources possible before you go there, and to achieve that it’s recommended you abandon the pursuit of Tartuccio for now and instead turn your attention back to the Stag Lord. This means traveling to Thorn Ford, which isn’t too far off…

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Thorn Ford Travel: Thorn Ford This location is more or less along the way to the Ancient Tomb, and distance (along with another signi]cant factor) make the Ancient Tomb a more promising ]rst target. In any event, to reach this location take the following steps from Oleg’s Trading Post:

• • • • • • • • •

South Southeast West South South, southwest to reach landmark: empty node north of Ancient Tomb Southwest Southwest Southwest Northwest

Alternatively, if you’re traveling right from the Pine Patch area, follow these directions:

• • • •

Northwest Southwest (to reach the edge of Thorn River) Northwest Northwest

The Stag Lord’s Right Hand Man You’ll arrive along the northern end of the map, from which you should immediately head east to ]nd An Ancient Rostlandic Coin hidden in a tree stump should you a [Perception 6] check. Return back west, then head southeast across a river, immediately after which head east along the southern end of the river until you reach the eastern edge of the area. At this point, turn south to ]nd a sack you can loot.

Search for Ancient Rostland Coin (left); and a sack of loot (right)

From here, just head south along the eastern edge of the area until you reach the bandit camp. If you came here before

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entering the Ancient Tomb you’ll ]nd a rather digni]ed man named Akiros Insmort. He’s obviously a higher-ranking lieutenant of the Stag Lord who seems to have a variety of traits the crude ru_ans you’ve encountered thus far don’t: composure, intelligence, diplomatic acumen, and possibly some genuine competence. He’ll start out onishing Kressle for her failures before turning his attention onto you. You can skip the chatter by attacking outright, but if you want to make some morale choices, respond with "And just what do you want to talk about?", at which Akiros will attempt to discourage you from your current task while also arguing for the Stag Lord’s legitimacy. He might have a point, too, but regardless of your alignment, you’ve got counter arguments. For the good party, the Stag Lord and his gang have committed their share of dastardly deeds - enough to cede the moral high ground and deserve to be deposed. For the evil party… well, might makes right, and the Stag Lord is only the rightful ruler of these lands so long as he can keep you from ripping the title - and his last breath - from him.

If you traveled to Thorn Ford before the Ancient Tomb, you'll meet the Stag Lord's right-hand man, Akiros. (left); You'll get a variety of dialogue options for Kressle, but only Good-aligned characters can talk their way out of a ]ght. (right)

The following responses - [Lawful Good], [Chaotic Good], [Neutral] and [Neutral Evil] - all have the same outcome: Akiros êes, and Kressle picks the ]ght she neglected to have back at Oleg’s Trading Post. Only if your protagonist is Good-aligned can you pick the [Requires Good] response, which seems to succeed because it points out the Stag Lord is the "wrong leader" for these lands. Akiros still êes, showing irable loyalty for a bandit, after which Kressle attempts to come to an understanding with you. Whatever moral choice you pick here has the same result (yes, even the [Neutral Evil] one): Kressle abandons the Stag Lord while refusing to come over to your side. As a parting gift she gives you Svetlana’s Wedding Ring and asks you to return it to her. That’s right, Kressle is the "dark-haired woman who wields dual axes" Svetlana asked you to spare, and you can only do so with a Good-aligned protagonist.

Note: If you went to the Ancient Tomb before coming here, Akiros Insmort will not be here, presumably already having visited Kressle. Things with Kressle play out remarkably similarly; you must have a Good-aligned protagonist to avoid a ]ght with her, and you’ll say your [Requires Good] line to Kressle, not Akiros.

Reward: For resolving your encounter with Kressle peacefully 210 XP / Svetlana's Wedding Ring

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You can get Svetlana's Wedding Ring via diplomacy (left); or through violence. (right)

Battle: Kressle and Bandits If your protagonist is not Good-aligned or if you simply didn’t choose the [Requires Good] response, a ]ght with Kressle will ensue. She’s got a lot of archers backing her up, and is rather fearsome with those dual axes of hers, which are of masterwork quality. She’s by far the most dangerous target, and you should focus your sole attention on her in an attempt to take her down quickly. If you’ve got debilitating spells, target her with Color Spray or Hideous Laughter, while saving Sleep for an opportunity to disable several of the other Bandits if they bunch up invitingly.

Looting Kressle’s Camp After you emerge victorious (or avoided combat), loot Kressle and her fellow Bandits and nab their weapons. Kressle in particular is well-equipped, having a pair of Masterwork Hand Axes, a suit of Studded Leather +1 along with Svetlana’s Wedding Ring. Once done, loot a crate in the camp to obtain some Written Orders and the Recipe: Sweet Pancakes. The former mentions an abandoned house in the woods the Stag Lord wanted his goons to burn down, which is the next objective in the quest Stolen Land, while the latter will allow you to cook different food while you camp. Just go into your inventory, right-click on the recipe, then pick the "Copy Recipe" option. Provided you have the proper ingredients, you should be able to attempt to cook this meal.

Loot Kressle's Camp to ]nd the Stag Lord's orders, giving you a new objective. (left); Be sure to talk to - and free - Jhod before you go to learn about the Temple of the Elk. (right)

Pocket these papers and your attention will be directed to one Jhod Kavken, who remains bound throughout your interaction with Kressle and company. This priest of Erastil will tell you of how he came to be in the position you currently ]nd him in, and will mention a place called the Temple of the Elk. Recognizing that the task of discovering this temple is currently beyond him, he’ll opt to lick his wounds back at Oleg’s Trading Post, where he’ll offer his clerical services, should

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you need them. Talking to Jhod about the Temple of the Elk will start the rather bluntly-named errand Find the Temple of the Elk. Next send your character with the highest Trickery score to the southeast to locate a locked chest [Trickery 15]. Save/load until you open it up if you wish, then loot it for a Scroll of Doom, a Scroll of Shocking Grasp and a bunch of other, mundane goodies. Another chest - not locked - can be found to the west, inside of which you’ll ]nd a Scroll of Corrosive Touch and some baubles.

Locate the Stag Lord's wine west of Kressle's camp (left); where you'll get the option to steal, destroy, or poison it. (right)

The Stag Lord’s Wine Up until now you’ve been able to do relatively little harm to the Stag Lord, but now you’ve caused Kressle’s defection or destruction, another opportunity to diminish your foe can be found west of the bandit watchtower, but more checks must be made, so save your game if you wish to try your luck. Investigate the stash and succeed at a [Perception 18] check, then a [Lore (Nature) 15] check. The latter check will only appear if you succeed at it, so if you don’t see it, reload and try again. The alternatives range from petty (smashing the Stag Lord’s wine) to pro]table (stealing said wine), but poisoning it is a far, far better alternative. You can sell the stolen wine for 125 GP, while destroying the wine will net you some experience, so if you feel poisoning an enemy is beneath the good party, at least you won’t have to leave empty-handed.

Reward: For destroying the Stag Lord's wine 72 XP

Bandit Booty You’ve completed your main objective here, but there’s still some treasure worth getting before you leave. Search along the river to the west to ]nd an Herb, some Edible Moss and another Scorched Fragment of a Necklace hidden away. Once that’s yours cross the river at a fordable spot west of Kressle’s Camp, being wary of the traps [Perception 17] [Trickery 17] on the road near the river. Once across, travel north along the river to ]nd two more Bandits lurking in the woods, one of which is content to stay on its watchtower, safely out of the range of your melee characters.

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Kill the two bandits west of the river (left); and search a stash nearby to ]nd a Ring of Protection +1 (right)

This is a good time to point out that you should endeavor to keep a ranged weapon equipped on all your characters, within reason. You don’t need to be an expert archer to perform well with a Composite Longbow provided your Dexterity isn’t abysmal. At the very least, it’ll allow you to operate with more tactical êxibility and keep you from being useless when faced with an opponent you can’t reach in melee. You can switch weapon sets by clicking on the arrow above the right-most hotkey slot. This will bring up the weapon sets menu, where you can switch between your equipped weapons by clicking on the Roman numeral above the desired weapon set. It’s also not a bad idea to give your archers a melee weapon, so they’re not constantly provoking Attacks of Opportunity if they get cornered in melee combat.

Note: These bandits will not be here if you convinced Kressle to leave peacefully.

Shoot down the sneaky bandits, if they were there, then loot a stash near the watchtower to ]nd a Ring of Protection. Give it to your front-liner who needs it the most - a very useful trinket, indeed.

A Boar Chore With that done you should be ready to move on. Once you’re back on the world map, look to the northwest, following the Thorn River, to ]nd the Abandoned Hut location marked on your map. Before you go there, however, you should return to Oleg’s Trading Post to claim your reward from Svetlana, and check on any new developments there.

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When you return to Oleg's Trading Post, Oleg will warn you of a mighty beast named Tuskgutter and Amiri wishes to hunt it herself

When you return to Oleg’s Trading Post, Oleg will decide to impose another task upon you, since you so ably handled those bandits. Seems darker things trouble the Stolen Lands than mere bandits, in this case "a vicious boar, as big as a bear and wicked as the devil!". Some pig, and with a name like Tuskgutter… well, no need to risk getting Baratheon’d by the thing! T’would be a terrible end to your barony. Fortunately, Amiri is keen to challe-nge herself by battling the beast. Agree to do so, but you really shouldn’t intend to go there any time soon - it’s a powerful beast that may be beyond your means to easily deal with right now, especially since Amiri entertains the desire of ]ghting it by herself.

Talk inside the Trading Post Next up, head inside the Trading Post and tell Svetlana the news about Kressle, after which she’ll open up about Kressle and reward you according to your actions.

Reward: For returning Svetlana's Wedding Ring and Sparing Kressle 214 XP / Camping Supplies and Rations x10

You can also ]nd Jhod loitering around outside now, if you wish to learn more about him, his faith, and this Temple of the Elk he seeks. More importantly you can use his services as a cleric, although at this time it’s currently limited to buying scrolls of Raise Dead and the like from him. The price isn’t prohibitive, but it’ll de]nitely hurt - a good incentive to keep your characters alive! After getting your well-earned reward from Svetlana, it’s time to ]nish up any mundane chores left at Oleg’s Trading Post - buy/sell items, talk to companions, and most importantly, sleep. The next part of the quest Stolen Lands requires you to venture a ways to the west, through the heavily wooded northern reaches of the North Narlmarches. Travel will be slow through such terrain, and hazards abound - and as usual, an opportunistic stop or two will be made along the way, RNG

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willing, of course.

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Oak-That-Strayed This area is along the way to the Abandoned Hut, and as such if you can get it to appear, you might as well attempt it. The directions to reach the Oak-That-Strayed from Oleg’s Trading Post are as follows:

• • • •

South West West Southwest

At the third empty node to the west of Oleg’s Trading Post, save your game, then venture northwest. If you’re lucky, the Oak-That-Strayed should appear north of the path you’re on.

The location of the Oak That Strayed area on the map.

Enter the area and head north from where you arrive, where you’ll ]nd the eponymous oak the area is named after. The tree isn’t alone, however, as a Dryad lurks nearby, and she’s not a fan of intruders. Her ]rst act in combat is to cast Spike Stones, making a large area unsafe to walk across. Moving on this area will force a character to make a [Reêx 20] save or take damage. After that, the Dryad will largely content herself casting Call Lightning on random foes, dealing a fair amount of damage with each of the strikes the spell calls down. Meandering about is not recommended, so make all your melee combatants charge the Dryad and hopefully avoid having to move over this spell effect - you may have to manually direct characters so they don’t get caught up on each other and pace around unnecessarily. Best case scenario, you’ll disrupt the spell as she cast it (although she’s smart enough to cast defensively, so don’t expect many free Attacks of Opportunity), and you should do everything in your power to facilitate this outcome even if it means removing the armor your warriors are wearing to ensure they reach her quickly. She won’t likely be using melee attacks against you, anyway.

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While simple and straightforward, simply charging with all your warriors has a high chance of success.

If you reach her before she casts any spells, you may just disrupt her casting and win an easy victory.

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Delay will result in a longer, more painful battle.

She may sound like a rough customer, but even a sloppy assault against her has a good chance to succeed, as her Armor Class isn’t terribly high. Her concentration score is decent, though, and she’ll resist ]ve points of damage from each attack due to Damage Reduction (DR 5/cold iron, in this case), which will further increase her odds of keeping her focus as she casts. Lacking any , she can usually be slain by rushing her and cutting her down, although she’ll probably inîct her fair share of damage, too.

Damage Reduction: Creatures with Damage Reduction ignore a set amount of damage from an attack, but fortunately most Damage Reduction can usually be overcome if the attack meets certain conditions. These conditions usually include being magical (attacking with a weapon that has an Enhancement bonus of +1 or higher), being made of a certain material (silver, for example), coming from a character of a particular alignment, or being the right damage type (slashing/ piercing/bludgeoning). Damage Reduction is usually displayed by the number the damage is reduced/the condition that overcomes said Damage Reduction, such as DR 10/magic or DR 5/ bludgeoning. Damage Reduction generally does not apply to damage dealt directly by spells.

After you consign the Dryad to the compost heap, you’ll still have to deal with the lingering effects of the Spike Stones spell she cast, which persists after her demise. Your only options now are to wait for the spell to expire (with a duration of one hour per caster level, this is going to be a wretchedly long wait), or to move your characters out of it, hoping for good Reêx Saves or, more likely, watching them take damage, ôpping over into unconsciousness, then quickly rising back up - you’re not in combat any more, after all. Even after you escape the Spike Stones area of effect, you’ll have to deal with persistent foot injuries slowing your characters down for a while. Truly a nuisance of a spell. Loot a stump near the oak tree the Dryad guarded to score a Keen Sickle +1 and a Scroll of Freedom of Movement. The former makes exploring this area worth it as the weapon itself is quite powerful at this stage of the game. Not only is

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the enhancement bonus something desirable enough, but the Keen property doubles the effective critical hit range of the weapon. Good stuff, and barring your protagonist needing such a device, Harrim will make good enough use of it. Failing either of those two things, however, it also sells for a whopping 2,075 GP, should you desire the cash, instead. If that’s not enough loot for you, make your way to the northwestern edge of the area to ]nd a pile of rocks, which hide a Restovic Sorceress’s Discharged Staff, another artifact that may interest an antiquarian. In the mean time, hold onto it. Once that’s done, be sure to heal your party and rest before moving on, if necessary.

Note: The Restovic Sorceress’s Discharged Staff is part of an item set - the Restovic set - that will interest an antiquarian. Such item sets can be found throughout the game, and if every item from the set is claimed, you’ll earn a signi]cant reward. Keep ahold of it.

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Technic League Ambush Slavery or Slaughter While you’re poking about in these forests, you may come across a random encounter that’s signi]cant enough to be worth mentioning and even if you don’t encounter it yet, you will almost certainly have to deal with it after crossing the Thorn River. You’ll be confronted by a Technic League Mage, led by another mage named Kalannah, who will suggest that one of you volunteer to replace their now-deceased slave. Resistance will be made with a quick death, or so they claim. Their boasts are somewhat beyond their abilities, but they’re still a tough ]ght. If you wish to defend the freedom of your allies, simply pick the appropriate [Lawful Good] or [Chaotic Neutral] moral choices.

While traveling in the Narlmarches you'll encounter some slavers - the Technic League (left); whom you can placate by surrendering one of your companions. (right)

If you contemplate subjugating one of your companions for fear of the enemy’s strength, you’ll eventually be given a variety of new options: pick the [Neutral Good] option and volunteer yourself, or volunteer a comrade, all of which are [Neutral Evil] choices - yes, even though Amiri all but volunteered. The best course of action here, arguably, is to attack immediately. You can’t volunteer as a slave (that damn snout of yours, you know), and forfeiting a companion might suit your morality, but it certainly is counter-productive to your goal of defeating the Stag Lord. Plus, if you want that companion back you’ll end up having to ]nd where the Technic League goes, and defeat them in force while you yourself are handicapped. Whatever you choose, this starts the quest A Warm Welcome From the League.

Battle: Kalannah and Company That being the case, decline their generous offer of mercy and servitude and consign yourself to an encounter. The most annoying foe here is the Technic League Mage furthest north, as she will constantly cast Blindness spells on you, which can only be cured if you have a Cleric in your party with the Remove Blindness spell, or with a Potion of Remove Blindness. It’s a signi]cant debuff for melee combatants, and ideally you should charge her with most of your warriors and hopefully prevent her from ever getting that spell off. This leaves the Technic League Swordsman, Kalannah and a Technic League Bowman for you to deal with. Ignore the Bowman for now and try to debilitate the Swordsman with Sleep, Color Spray or Hideous Laughter (having a mage of your own comes in handy here, as they’ll hopefully have a much better chance of stopping the Swordsman than Linzi will), and

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have one warrior attack Kalannah. Kalannah will êe after taking damage, and left unattended she’ll summon Wolves to aid in combat. If you’re lucky and the tactic works it’s entirely possible to chase off Kalannah, smite the Mage and incapacitate the Swordsman in short order, but the battle doesn’t always go so smoothly. Clean or messy, when you stand victorious, loot your would-be masters to score an Estoc +1 and a Masterwork Longbow, then save your game and leave the area.

Kalannah can be chased off by harming her, leaving only two non-mage of the Technic League (left); Focus on the Technic League Mage to prevent the caster from getting out too many Blind spells (right)

Tracking the Technic League You may have fought off the Technic League, but Kalannah is still out there somewhere, and such an assault can’t go unpunished! If you surrendered a companion, your need to seek out these slavers is even more dire. Either way, you’ll fortunately get an Illustrated Book episode, during which you can track down the Technic League. This varies a bit depending on whether you gave up a companion or not.

"[Knowledge (Arcana 20)] Tried to understand, based on what we’ve seen, what kind of spell Kalannah used to get away, and where it could bring her." or

"[Perception 15] Searched for signs or trails that our abducted companion could have left for us." If you allowed the Technic League to take a companion, you’ll get a [Perception] check, while if you defeated them and chased off Kalannah you’ll have a signi]cantly more di_cult [Knowledge (Arcana)] check. The only point either of these serve is to reduce the di_culty of the [Lore (Nature)] check by two.

"[Knowledge (World) 15] Tried to ]nd anyone who could have seen these despicable people." Like the previous check, this one won’t get you any closer to Kalannah, but if you’re successful here, it’ll lower the di_culty of the [Lore (Nature)] check by two.

"[Lore (Nature) 18] Without searching for other ways to simplify our work, we followed the trail of the Technic League."

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When you leave the area, you'll get an opportunity to track the Technic League back to their camp (left); The Technic League Encampment can be found southwest of Thorn Ford (right)

It doesn’t matter much if you succeed or fail here, and this is the only decision that even remotely matters in this Illustrated Book episode. You’ll ]nd the Technic League Camp whether you succeed or fail, and the di_culty of this check can be reduced by four - two each time you succeed at one of the checks above. If you succeed you’ll be rewarded with some experience.

Reward: For successfully tracking down the Technic League 160 XP

Fortunately, you don’t have to travel there right away, nor do you move there. It’s quite deep in the forest that covers the North Narlmarches, so travel will be slow and will take quite a bit of time. Don’t bother with such a diversion yet - you might as well continue on to the Abandoned Hut. Don’t worry, you’ll ]nd an excuse to head down to that area shortly.

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Abandoned Hut Travel: Abandoned Hut To reach the Abandoned Hut from the Oak-That-Strayed area is fairly simple; merely head in a westerly direction twice. If you didn’t discover the Oak-That-Strayed, however, the full route from Oleg’s Trading Post is as follows:

• • • • • •

South West West Southwest to reach landmark: empty node east of Oak-That-Strayed West Southwest

Note: From the empty node east of the Oak-That-Strayed you can venture south, then east to have a chance at discovering the Old Oak area. It’s not worth exploring yet, however, as the powerful Troll that lurks in the area is probably more than you can handle right now.

Exploring the Abandoned Hut From the southwestern edge of the area (where you arrive) head east to ]nd the Guardian of the Bloom, ghostly as ever. Follow her as she solemnly walks to the northwest and continue past her to witness a ghostly, father-son bonding scene play out. After the scene ends, a [Perception 8] check to look a nearby crate, inside of which you’ll ]nd a Potion of Enlarge Person and some trinkets.

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Shortly after entering the area you'll see some ghostly images play out an old act of cruelty.

Defeat some Ferocious Wolves on a hill - ]ghting them all at once is not advised if you can bottleneck them.

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While you'll ]nd Nugrah's Old Notes in an old well.

Search some stones to ]nd an Ancient Rostlandic Coin.

Continue northwest until the path forks, at which turn southwest, then south to ]nd a pair of Ferocious Wolves. Cut them down, then search a nearby well to ]nd Nugrah’s Old Notes - the writings of the Stag Lord’s father - which reveal some insights into their history. Another treasure trove can be looted with a successful Perception (DC 17) check; just be sure to save before you continue south, as it’s a rather high check and success is by no means guaranteed. If you miss it, never fret - it only contains An Ancient Rostlandic Coin.

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Return back north to the fork, and this time continue north to witness another scene. The power balance has clearly changed abruptly, and one has to wonder where the Stag Lord received this newfound power from. Loot a sack to obtain some more valuables, including a Potion of Vanish, then turn southeast to reunite with the Guardian of the Bloom. Ask her about the cache that was mentioned in Nugrah’s letter which has a rather odd security measure, about the Stag Lord’s troubled past, and about what steps to take next.

Find Nugrah's Lost Note (left); then the Guardian of the Bloom will direct you to the Temple of the Elk. (right)

When you’re done chatting, continue south to reach the ruins of the dwelling which gives this location its name. Southwest of the nymph’s projection you can ]nd a poorly hidden stash [Perception 6] containing a Token of the Dryad, and beyond that a crate full of baubles. Next, head over near the house and search some herbs to score some Edible Moss, then muster the depths of your perception to a [Perception 1] check to reveal a stash containing Nugrah’s Lost Note near some stonework. Seems this note mentions a "Temple of the Elk", or the Temple of the Stag God. Surely no connection to this Stag Lord, right? In any event, it’s your next destination, but you’ll get no help from the nymph, as the location lies outside her domain.

Note: Like Ancient Rostlandic Coins, Tokens of the Dryad will fetch more money when sold to an antiquarian. Hold onto them until then.

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Grab an Herb from the southern end of the area.

Put the Herb in the druid's chest.

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And you'll reveal the Druid's hidden treasure!

You can go looking for this temple shortly, but ]rst, let’s ]nish up this area. Continue east along the house to reach its eastern end, then turn south to reach the ruined interior. One has to wonder why the Stag Lord even cares to waste an act of arson on the crumbling ruins of the hut. Evict the Ferocious Wolf dwelling inside, then note an apparently empty chest. If you read Nugrah’s Old Notes, however, you may be rightly suspicious that this chest holds more than air. Make sure you have an Herb, which you can ]nd just northeast of this area’s southern area transition (where you entered the area), and place it in the chest to cause a Shortsword +1 and two Shambletus mushrooms to appear. With that, you’re done with this area. Time to head to this Temple of the Elk, which appeared on your map after ]nding Nugrah’s Lost Note. The Temple of the Elk is south of here, although working your way around the edge of the Thorn River will add time to your journey, and almost certainly ensure you encounter the Technic League, if you haven’t already. While the Temple of the Elk is your next destination, story-wise, it has a rather di_cult encounter in it, and you’ll want as much power at your disposal as possible before you go there. To that end, consider heading back to Oleg’s Trading Post, resting, then seeking out this Technic League Encampment. Not only is it near the Temple of the Elk, but you could use the experience and treasure you’ll ]nd there, among other things…

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Technic League Encampment Travel: Technic League Encampment First step, travel to Thorn Ford, which you should know the way to by now. From there you’ll want to go the following directions:

• • • •

West Northwest Southwest Southwest

With any luck you’ll make it to the Technic League Encampment without being fatigued, but if not, you can always rest when you reach the area. You’ll want to be fully rested, too, as a rather large ]ght awaits.

Battle The Technic League From where you start at the southwestern end of the area, head north until you reach the northern-most edge of the area. From here, turn west and you should spot a tent, near which two stragglers - a Technic League Bowman and a Technic League Swordsman - lurk. Pounce upon them and kill them, a feat which shouldn’t alert the rest of the camp, then carefully proceed to the west until the rest of your foes are in view.

Attack the isolated guards on the eastern end of the camp to easily wipe them out (left); Rushing the stronger western section of the camp will be more di_cult (right)

The majority of your foes still remain, and they include two Technic League Mages, a Technic League Bowman, a Technic League Swordsman and Kalannah. With any luck you should be able to rush the eastern-most Technic League Mage and put them down before they can cause you any trouble, but the second Mage and Kalannah are better protected. You’ll either have to risk an Attack of Opportunity by the Swordsman to reach them, let them wreak magical mischief unopposed, or try to debilitate the Swordsman with magic of your own. The last is arguably the best option, if it works, and once the Mages and Kalannah are defeated you should be well on your way to victory. You can sway the odds more in your favor by freeing some prisoners - Regongar and Octavia - who are bound west of the eastern-most tent. They’ll immediately leap to attack and spoil any element of surprise you may otherwise have had, but they’ll also hopefully draw ]re to themselves and spare you the attention.

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To even the odds you can free some prisoners (left); and let them engage and soak up enemy spells. (right)

Otherwise the enemies have the same abilities here that they had during the random encounter. The Mages will spam Blindness, Kalannah will summon some Wolves, and the Swordsman is just there to deter you from hindering the casters.

Decide Kalannah’s Fate After you defeat your enemies, Kalannah will immediately begin to beg for mercy, and in her current predicament, she’s far more forthcoming with information. Her former slave, Regongar, however, is hungering for revenge. Get what information you can out of her, then pick between three options: allow Regongar to kill her, kill her yourself, or let her go free (a [Neutral Good] act). There’s no immediate penalty for killing her, and if she doesn’t leave the camp alive you can loot her Wand of Expeditious Retreat and Headband of Vast Intelligence +2, making her demise a lucrative one.

Reward: For defeating the Technic League under Kalannah 200 XP

Defeat the Technic League and Kalannah will surrender (left); Whatever her fate, the slaves Regongar and Octavia will your party (right)

Decide what you will, and regardless of your choice Regongar and Octavia will offer to you. They were willing enough to ]ght at your side after you freed them, and look to continue in that line of work if you merely accept them. The unlikely pair are both spell-casters, with Regongar being an Eldritch Scion and Octavia being a Rogue/Wizard. Regongar won’t be of much immediate use as an arcane spellcaster, as his spells are suited to enhancing his combat abilities, and should ideally remain so. Octavia, despite her level in Rogue, is your typical spell-caster, albeit her high Dexterity and Rogue pro]ciencies will make her more competent than usual at ranged combat, for the short-term.

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Did You Know?: RPG veterans might suspect that Octavia was inspired by Imoen, as both are Rogues (or Thieves, in 2nd Edition Dungeons and Dragons) who augmented their skulduggery with magic. Both will be used largely the same as well, with Octavia standing back and lending ranged - either with a Short Bow or with magic.

With that, you’ve avenged the attack of the Technic League and have acquired two new companions. If you stole an ally away from Tartuccio earlier, you should now have six possible companions (not including your protagonist). Whomever you do not currently have in your party will return to Oleg’s Trading Post, and you’ll be able to select which characters you wish to bring with you every time you depart. Of course, if you put dedication to evil over practicality, you can pick the [Chaotic Evil] option to attack the two, if you wish.

Note: If Octavia is the only proper Wizard available to you, consider having her scribe all the scrolls you’ve found thus far including the Scroll of Reduce Person she comes equipped with.

Before you leave, it’s time to get to looting and liberating. Free any remaining prisoners - including your abducted companion, if applicable, then plunder the bodies of the slain to score a Masterwork Longbow from the Bowman, two Estocs +1 from the Mages, and from Kalannah you’ll acquire a Wand of Expeditious Retreat and Headband of Vast Intelligence +2 - if you killed her or allowed her to be killed, anyway. In a chest near the eastern tent you’ll ]nd a Scroll of Bane, a Potion of Mage Armor and a Potion of Reduce Person, while the two sacks (DC 12) in the camp contain trinkets and food. In the chest near the western-most tent you’ll ]nd another Headband of Vast Intelligence +2. Again, if Octavia is your only mage, this makes for ]ne headgear, as it’ll increase the DCs of her spells and give her another 1st level Wizard spell slot, at the very least. With that, you should be done in the Technic League Encampment. Return to the area transition in the southwestern corner of the map, as the Temple of the Elk beckons.

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Temple of the Elk Travel: Temple of the Elk From Thorn Ford you largely start out going in the same directions to reach the Temple of the Elk as you took to reach the Technic League Encampment:

• West • Northwest • Southwest From the Technic League Encampment, just head northeast once to reach the empty node the aforementioned directions take you to. However you get there, from this empty node head:

• • • •

North West Southwest Northwest

Such a long trek will probably leave you fatigued, however, so when you arrive don’t be afraid to set up camp and rest before entering the area; you’re going to want to be at your best for this area, and perhaps a little more than that…

You'll locate the Temple of the Elk south of the Abandoned Hut.

There’s a decidedly strong foe in the area which may just be too much for a 2nd-level party right now. Limited levels, limited companions, limited gear, limited tactical êxibility, and all that. Plus, your power increases substantially every time you level up for the ]rst few levels. This ]ght is, like the major bandit attack on Oleg’s Trading Post, a benchmark battle where

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there’s little substitute for just having dramatically stronger characters. If you’ve been following the guide and not been getting into too many unnecessary random encounters, you might be tantalizingly close to level three right now (we had no fewer than 4,500 experience in any of our playthroughs). Give the area a try, and if you ]nd it too di_cult, don’t fret - you’ll just need to train. You can do this by exploring and indulging in every random encounter you come across, or by skipping ahead to the Old Sycamore area just long enough to level up - there are plenty of monsters wandering about there to level you up.

Note (2nd-Level Spells): Upon reaching level three, some casters will gain access to 2nd-level spells, and even if your casters have slower spell progression, it’s worth considering what spells you might want to pick. For divine spell casters, Hold Person, Cure Moderate Wounds and Restoration, Lesser, are always good choices, while arcane spell casters should shoot for Blur and Web if they have access to them. Blur will give a target a 20% concealment bonus (20% of attacks will outright miss, regardless of the Attack roll or Armor Class), which makes bee]ng up a tank much more effective, while Web allows you to target an area and either retard the movement of creatures ing through, or immobilize them completely. While it’s not imminent, you’ll eventually need to implement more sophisticated tactics to deal with foes, and these two spells will both serve you well.

Defeat the Temple Guardians From where you arrive, head west to encounter the Guardian of the Bloom again, who will offer positive reinforcement and a warning. Beasties lurk about, and they must be exorcised to rid the place of the evil Druid’s inûence. Continue west and a [Perception 15] check to ]nd a Token of the Dryad in some foliage, then turn northwest into some ruins to encounter a trio of Primal Giant Frogs. These are the least of the foes here, and you should have no trouble dispatching them - if you do, you should seriously consider leveling up! Investigate a pool and a statue in the middle of the ruins, then turn southwest to face a more dire challenge. Three Primal Ferocious Wolves lurk just outside the ruins, and they ]ght like other wolves you’ve encountered in that they’re keen on performing trip attacks, after which they’ll get an Attack of Opportunity against the prone victim. With three wolves attempting this at once, it can get rather painful, so position your party just outside the entrance to the ruins and bottleneck the wolves. There’s no good reason you shouldn’t ]ght them with a six-on-one advantage.

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Attacking the wolves brazenly could lead to grief, as they can trip opponents and entitle each other to Attacks of Opportunity. (left); If you can manage to bottleneck them, however, you'll make the ]ght considerably easier. (right)

Defeat the wolves, then return to the center of the ruins and from there head northwest. The area outside the ruins here is the demesne of a Primal Dire Boar, and if you want any excuse to delay the hunt for Tuskgutter, this might give you a few. This boar hits hard and has a high Attack bonus, so expect to suffer some damage here. Still, if you surround the pig and heap punishment upon it with your entire party, it should fall before you do. Once it’s dead, continue northwest and loot some foliage to ]nd another Token of the Dryad. The last, greatest challenge lies ahead. Return to the center of the ruins, heal as much as possible, then turn your attention to some stairs to the northeast. At the top of these stairs you’ll ]nd a Treant-Like Bear ]ghting a man named Tristian. Don’t expect him to remain standing for long, however, after which the bear will turn its attention to you. Like the Primal Dire Boar, the Treant-Like Bear hits very hard and has a high Attack bonus. It’s also fairly well-protected with HP, Armor Class and Damage Reduction, and can perform Stunning Blow attacks. A level three party that is mindful to ânk, use spellbuffs (Bless, Shield of Faith) and/or bardsong should cut through it without too much trouble, but a level two party might struggle due to their lower HP and Attack bonuses. Ray of Enfeeblement can also slow down its offense a bit, and every advantage will help. If you have access to Color Spray the spell may hinder it for a short period of time, and the Treant-Like Bear’s Will Save isn’t really up to the challenge of resisting such a spell if cast by a competent Wizard.

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Ensure you're spell-buffed before engaging the bear.

Keep the Treant-Like Bear off balance with Color Spray, if you have it.

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After the battle, talk to Tristian and accept the cleric into your party.

Talk to Tristian Vanquish the Mutated Bear and talk to its victim, Tristian, who will identify himself as a priest of Sarenrae and be… somewhat less than honest about how he fared in the ]ght. He’ll also con]rm that defeating the temple’s guardian beasts should dispel the fog, but unfortunately the fog won’t dissipate immediately. More on that in a bit, but in the mean time, ]nish your conversation with Tristian and he’ll offer you his services. He’s not as battle-hardy as Harrim, but Tristian’s divine magics are signi]cantly superior. Loot a sack to the north to score two Potions of Remove Curse and some mundane goods, then search either wing of the ruins. On the end of the northern wing you can a [Perception 17] check to obtain some treasure, including a Potion of Cure Light Wounds and a Potion of Mage Armor, while you can search a root on the southern wing for some GP and gems. Now is a ]ne time to return to Oleg’s Trading Post, rest up, sell whatever treasure you’ve accumulated, and get prepared to ]nally resume pursuit of Tartuccio. After all, you have to wait for the fog to lift, and you might as well be productive while you wait. You can also use this opportunity to talk to your three new companions, if you wish.

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Chapter 1 - Old Sycamore

Exploring the Old Sycamore Travel: Old Sycamore From Oleg’s Trading Post follow the following directions to reach the Old Sycamore area:

• • • • • •

South Southeast Southeast Southwest South Southwest

It’s a pretty simple route that shouldn’t take you through di_cult terrain or really see you venturing far from areas you’re already familiar with. You’ll enter along the southwestern end of the area, and as soon as you enter you’ll meet your old friend Kesten Garess! Or rather, your one-time acquiantance you met under duress. Close enough. He’ll tell you that they discovered Tartuccio was everything he accused you of being, and once exposed he and his men set off in search of the duplicitious Gnome. Long story short, he failed, and now he’s ing the task of hunting Tartuccio down onto you, because you’re not busy enough already. Oh well, something to do while you wait for the fog to clear. Who wants to bet that fog’s not going anywhere until the very moment you deal with Tartuccio?

When you enter the Old Sycamore area, you'll ]nd your pal, Kesten Garess.

After Kesten leaves and before you get to exploring, some notes are in order. First, this area is much larger than any other place you’ve explored. Not only does it include a large surface area, but two sizable subterranean cavern areas. There are plenty of enemies to ]ght, much loot to grab, and honestly, it all probably can’t be done in one visit. If for any reason you need to rest or return to Oleg’s Trading Post (low HP, depleted spells, encumbrance, fatigue, etc.), you’ll be expected to do

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so without prompted. An unlucky critical hit or two could change how things play out for different parties, so you’ll have to make that judgment call on your own. To put things to scale, you should be getting enough experience in these areas to go from level three to level four… that’s right, you should just about double the experience you’ve earned thus far. It’s one reason why exploring the place in-depth was postponed until you had completed other tasks, most important of which was gathering more companions. Also note that while many encounters are easy enough on their own, there are some encounters here that will be simply beyond you, even on the easiest di_culty setting.

The Kobolds and Mites will argue over a relic (left); and you can choose which side you'll - or try to remain neutral with both. (right)

Kobolds versus Mites From where you enter the area, head north until you just so happen to intrude on a confrontation between the area’s local pests: Kobolds, led by Chief Sootscale to the east, and the Mites, represented by Seneschal Vaggik to the west. It seems the cause of their dispute is some relic the Kobolds misplaced… or that was stolen by the Mites. In retaliation the Kobolds attacked the Mites and stole their relic, urged on by a shaman named Tartuk - Tartuccio in disguise. The truth of the matter is in doubt, and a cool-headed adventurer not set on genocide or ready to jump to conclusions may be able to make a [Neutral] dialogue choice (provided they don’t [Attack] outright) which will cause both sides to let you in peace and hopefully ]nd out the truth of the matter. Of course, that doesn’t mean they’re calling a halt to the hostilities, merely that you won’t be physically involved as they murder each other. To qualify for this option your protagonist must have some form of Neutral alignment, be it Neutral Good, Neutral Evil, Lawful Neutral, Chaotic Neutral or True Neutral. Failing that, you can pick a side, although the choice at this point is fairly arbitrary. Tartuccio is actively manipulating the Kobolds, and you’ve come into conîct with them before, if that inûences your decision any. Whichever group you side with will be neutral towards you in confrontations, while the other side will, obviously, be hostile. For the evil party, however, they can indulge in some senseless slaughter by picking a ]ght with both sides, which will earn them much experience and loot. Either way, on the surface the two groups will generally battle each other, ignoring you until one side or the other is eliminated. This makes for fairly easy pickings, on your part.

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You could end up ]ghting both sides, one or the other (left); or neither. (right)

Make whatever decision you wish; it’ll affect how you proceed later, but as for exploring the rest of this surface area it won’t greatly effect how things play out save for whether you end up ]ghting Kobolds, Mites, both, or neither. Speaking of which, react appropriately to this ]rst group, which includes mostly melee varieties of Mites and Kobolds. Expect more diversity shortly.

Note: Regardless of your protagonist’s alignment, if possible you should pick the [Neutral] option, as it’ll allow for more tactical êxibility when it comes to dealing with both factions. Failing that, evil characters may want to side with the Mites, as you’ll get a better reward for doing so. As for good characters, if forced to make a choice… it doesn’t really matter. Both Mites and Kobolds are Lawful Evil critters by nature, and you’ll be making a Moral Choice that forfeits the aforementioned reward that compels the evil party to side with the Mites.

Find a concealed age (left); beyond which you'll encounter some hostile Mites who have absconded with some treasure. (right)

Steal the Mite’s Treasure After dealing with the ]rst group of warring Kobolds and Mites however you deem appropriate, head west from where they fought to ]nd a cubby littered with bones. Loot these bones to ]nd a variety of gold items and coins, then a [Perception 19] check to notice a age to the south. To safetly navigate this age you’ll need to succeed at an [Athletics 22] check, otherwise sustain a bit of damage. Get through one way or another, then continue south to ]nd some

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covetous mites hiding some treasure. After they spot you, they’ll attack, leaving you no opportunity but to put them down. Shame, that. What would be an even great shame is leaving the treasure they were hiding. Unlock [Trickery 20] the chest they were guarding to ]nd a Cold Iron Dagger +1 and some Bracers of Armor +1.

Kill a pair of Giant Frogs (left); then search for some submerged treasure to the east. (right)

Giant Frog Encounter Return back through the age to the north, then head east to return to where the Kobolds and Mites fought. From here, continue east and turn south when you clear some rocks. Continue south until you ]nd a group of Giant Frogs - familiar, and relatively unthreatening foes you should be able to easily dispose of. Do so, then search near some bushes to ]nd a chest you can loot. Venture further south to reach the southern edge of the area, then turn east until you reach some water. If you a [Perception 14] check you’ll locate a submerged, locked [Trickery 12] chest that’s more generous than the chest you looted earlier.

Talk to the Mite Hunter and he'll ask you to kill a worg which threatens them (left); the worg will have a counteroffer for you consideration, however. (right)

Death to Worgs! Continue east along the edge of the beach, cross some shallow water, and continue east until you ]nd a group of Kobolds and Mites who are strangely coexisting peacefully. Loot a pile of branches [Perception 12] to the north, then talk to the Mite Hunter and he’ll declare the area a "peace zone". If only that worked everywhere, eh? Turns out these critters are bound by the brotherhood of hunting, and by an external threat, a "fat wolf lord". Asking about these wolves and agreeing to hunt it down will start the quest Death to the Worgs!.

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Note: If you’re feeling evil, resist the temptation to attack them via the [Neutral Evil] dialogue option. You can always do so later, after getting a reward from them, or after pursuing other… opportunities. One of the bene]ts of playing the evil party is to take on jobs when the compensation is adequate, and indulging in a bout of senseless violence when it’s not, or better yet, after you get your reward…

The Worg in question can be found in the northeastern corner of the map, northeast of the old sycamore tree after which this area is named. Your fog of war is already dispelled in this area, so you should have no trouble ]ghting the landmark, and while it’s a long trek, the only potential obstacles on the way are two groups of Kobolds and Mites ]ghting each other and a trio of wolves. The ]rst group of Kobolds and Mites ]ghting are just north of the ]rst one you encountered, in a along the western edge of the map. Northeast of this group you’ll ]nd the second. The trio of wolves can be found east of the second group of Mites and Kobolds, just north of the hill that dominates the center of the area. If you have to ]ght the Kobolds, be wary of the Kobold Flame Shaman, who can cast a surprising number of Magic Missile spells. The damage isn’t huge, but it is unerring and it adds up fast. Handle the Kobolds and Mites in a way suitable to your actions earlier, kill the three wolves, then keep a lookout to the southwest of where you encountered the wolves, as a [Perception 17] check can reveal a branch hiding An Ancient Rostland Coin. Sadly, the trio of wolves you ]ght along the way aren’t your quarry - as the name of this quest gives away, your target is something older, more intelligent, and more dangerous than any mere wolf. Reach the western end of the map and turn north, keeping an eye out for another, more generous branch that’ll yield goodies after being revealed by a [Perception 14] check just north of the area transition. From this area transition if you explore to the south you can ]nd some more hidden treasure in the form of a stump behind some rocks [Perception 13]. Continue north until you ]nd your prey… at least, optimistically that’s how this encounter will play out. Keep your party a fair distance south of the Worg - named Grarrukh - and only move forward with a sturdy character, well protected by both HP and Armor Class. Keep the rest of your party in normal formation (warriors up front, squishy characters in the back) about half a screen away. When you near the Worg, the beast will speak to you, constantly reminding you of both its prowess and its cruelty. If you respond with "You say we could be useful to each other?" and it’ll propose you do the opposite of what the hunters asked, and instead bring the beast "three or four bodies", in return for which the beast promises to tell you where and old traveler buried his chest. Accepting is a [Neutral Evil] action. Alternatively, you can attack outright, which is a [Lawful Good] action.

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You can lure the kobolds and mites into the worg's maw by lying to them.

Or you can ]ght the worgs.

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Be sure to grab the Amulet of Natural Armor from Grarrukh.

In the latter case, immediately rush up with the rest of your party to assist the lone tank you brought up. The reason for this odd strategy is because not all your foes were content to wait in plain sight. Several subordinate wolves sneakily in service to Grarrukh start the encounter hidden, and will only appear after hostilities break out… unless, of course, your Perception skill is up to the task of spotting them ahead of time. They will hopefully show their hand by attacking your retreating tank instead of, say, surrounding your archers and casters at the beginning of the ]ght. Focus all of your offense on Grarrukh, as it’s a threat on par with the Mutated Bear back in the Temple of the Elk. It has at least twice as many HP as your strongest warrior, a respectable Armor Class, and an Attack bonus that’ll make it pretty easy to punish you. While strong, against a coordinated assault by a group of level three warrior Grarrukh should fall fast enough - a good thing, too, as you don’t need it tripping you and allowing its minions to get Attacks of Opportunity. After Grarrukh dies, the rest of the wolves should fall quickly enough. After killing Grarrukh, pick up the Amulet of Natural Armor +1 it drops, then continue north to ]nd a chest containing more loot, albeit nothing noteworthy.

Note: There are several different types of bonuses to Armor Class, the most common of which include Armor bonus, Shield bonus, Dexterity bonus, Dodge bonus, Deêction bonus, and Natural bonus. Each of these types of bonuses stack with each other, increasing your overall Armor Class, but they do not tend to stack with bonuses of the same type - only the highest of each bonus is counted towards your Armor Class. Wearing two Rings of Protection +1 (or items or spells that grant a similar Deêction bonus) will not stack with each other, but a Ring of Protection and an Amulet of Natural Armor will. Something to keep in mind as you accumulate varied trinkets that boost your Armor Class.

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With Grarrukh dead, return to the Mite Hunter on the southern edge of the map and report your good deed for a generous reward. If your appetite for death and destruction is not yet sated, now you can ]nish up with the [Neutral Evil] attack dialogue option.

Reward: For killing Grarrukh for the Mite Hunter 200 XP / 283 GP

Fetch a snack for Grarrukh and he'll reward you (left); More surprisingly, the worg actually lives up to its end of the bargain! (right)

If, on the other hand, you decide to appease Grarrukh (pick the [Neutral Evil] option) you’ll need to go get him some snacks. To live up to your end of the bargain, return to the Mite Hunter who told you about the Worg and succeed at a [Bluff 22] check, which is also a [Neutral Evil] action. So evil, in fact, that you need to be wary of goodly characters (like Tristian), who will spoil things if you have them in your party. If you manage to the check without anybody ruining things, however, the Mite Hunter will send off some subordinates to check the truth of your claim. Return to Grarrukh and the Worg will surprisingly come through, pointing you towards a chest "buried under a lonely tree to the west", which is otherwise undiscoverable. This tree is located just south of the haunted camp (see below) and southwest of the ramp leading to the Mite caves. Find it [Perception 0], then dig it up [Athletics 15] (failing the Athletics check will cause you to waste four hours of time on this trivial task). Before you get to looting, however, a word of caution: Grarrukh may have told you the location of the chest, but what the Worg conveniently failed to disclose was the fact that the chest is trapped. A Finger of Death spell (Fortitude DC 20) awaits those who tamper with the chest. If you can detect the trap, just pick the character with the highest Fortitude Save, ensure they’re at full HP, and save/load until you survive the trap. Once you get past the trap, unlock the chest [Trickery 20] to score a Lesser Phylactery of Negative Channeling, a Scroll of Slay Living and a Scroll of False Life, Greater. The phylactery might be useful if you have an evil Cleric protagonist, otherwise it’ll sell for 1,000 GP, which is something everybody can appreciate.

Reward: For securing a meal for Grarrukh 200 XP

If you wish to be truly evil and exploitative, you can now kill Grarrukh and return to the Mite Hunter and claim the reward for that, too. Hard to argue with 400 XP, 283 GP, and some magical items for a little lying and pest extermination.

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Kill some Tatzlwyrms (left); then loot the corpse they guarded. (right)

Ambush the Bandit Camp Whatever choice you made concerning Grarrukh and the hunters, return to where the Mite Hunter was (ideally the last quest would have ended with you near here, anyways) and loot some sacks behind a log to the southeast, then search some foliage to the north to ]nd some more treasure. Cross some shallow water to the northeast to ]nd a corpse you can loot, then search near some water to the west to ]nd a sack. On the corpse you’ll ]nd A Crumpled Letter, a Scorched Fragment of a Necklace, An Ancient Rostland Coin, and a Restovic Ranger’s Broken Arrow, while the sack contains less noteworthy treasure. You’ll probably have to fend off some Tatzlwyrms that lurk up here, but they’re not fearsome enough foes that their presence should deter you.

Note: The Restovic Ranger’s Broken Arrow is, obviously, another part of the Restovic item set. Don’t lose it.

a Mobility check to ascend a precious log (left); then loot the treasure you ]nd. (right)

Deal with Tatzlwyrms and you’ll have two choices for how to proceed: head north or south. Head south, ]rst, and shortly southeast of where you slew the Tatzlwyrms you’ll ]nd a pair of Giant Frogs. Exterminate the pests, then continue east along the southern end of the map until you come across a log. Loot the corpse of a Kobold east of the log to score some minor treasures, then turn your attention to the log itself, which you can use to reach an elevated section of ground to the north… should you succeed at a [Mobility 22] check, anyways. Failure will be met with pain, so save your game before

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attempting. When you ]nally succeed in climbing the log, loot two corpses for minor trinkets, then save your game again, as two chests await. The chest on the right [Trickery 21] contains a Wand of Lead Blades, a Potion of Enlarge Person and 311 GP, while the chest on the left [Trickery 14] contains more modest treasures. All in all, it’s well worth your time to make the climb. Fortunately, the climb back down isn’t so treacherous, as you only have to make a [Mobility 0] check - a freebie, by all standards. Return back to where you fought the Tatzlwyrms and from there turn east. The path will shortly split again, and while you can head uphill to the southeast to reach the caves the Kobolds have claimed as their own, ignore it for now and continue northeast, instead. Be careful as you proceed, however, as there are numerous Fireball traps waiting to explode. Even worse, a camp full of battle-hardened Bandits lies to the east, and they’re not keen on making friends. Set off any traps and they’ll rouse themselves, and you don’t want to have to ]ght them at less than your full strength. Painstakingly search for traps [Perception 22] and disarm them [Trickery 22], and when the way is clear, heal up, buff, and save your game.

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Fail to disarm the traps around the bandit camp, and you're in for a ]ery reprimand.

Be sure to spell-buff before attacking the bandits.

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Wake the sleeping bandits in a most unpleasant fashion.

Loot the corpses of your fallen foes.

There are four Bandits sleeping at the camp, including one Bandit Necromancer. If you by their traps, they’ll sleep through just about anything else you do, so don’t feel compelled to play it safe. The northwestern-most bandit is a sneaky little critter, who is only truly dangerous if ânking opponents, which will entitle it to sneak attacks. You don’t want to give this Bandit that extra damage potential. The Bandit to the southwest is a more straight-forward combatant, being a brutish Half-Orc warrior. The Necromancer sleeps to the northeast, and the forth Bandit - the one resting to the southwest - is an archer.

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It might seem like a good idea to kill the Necromancer ]rst - gank the mage is always a strategy worth considering but this time, the rogue is the greater threat. If you quickly chop down the rogue, you’ll signi]cantly reduced their melee strength, and can quickly turn around and kill the Necromancer nearby, who will probably help you by provoking Attacks of Opportunity. Surround the rogue, kill it, then take care of the mage. The Half-Orc warrior might manage to get a few good hits in, and he can hit quite hard, but once the two aforementioned threats are neutralized, you should be well on your way to victory. Exterminate the Bandits (never camp without somebody on watch, kids!) after which you’ll be entitled to loot your victims. Pick up the Leather Armor +1 on the ground near the Half-Orc, then search some camp supplies obscured by a tent to ]nd a variety of treasures. The Half-Orc has a Masterwork Greatsword, the Bandit Necromancer will yield a Masterwork Light Crossbow, a Potion of Cure Light Wounds, two bottles of Alchemist Fire and Bracers of Armor +1, and the rogue has two Masterwork Daggers, to just name the notable loot. Backtrack west to where you fought the Tatzlwyrms and ignore the [Athletics 20] option north of the bandit camp - there’s no need to take that shortcut right now. From the Tatzlwyrms, continue west and loot a branch to the north [Perception 6] to ]nd an An Ancient Rostland Coin. Otherwise, the only point of interest between this and where you ]rst encounter the Mites and Kobolds is another Mite and Kobold encounter. Fight whichever of the pests you’re not allied with, or wait for them to kill each other, then loot the remains.

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Kill the Shambler you ]nd along the eastern edge of the central plateau

then loot it for some valuable treasure.

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A corpse nearby can be searched to discover the truth behind the Shambler's nature.

Slay the Shambling Mound Just north of where the Kobolds and Mites were ]ghting you’ll ]nd another area where you can perform a skill check, speci]cally a [Mobility 20] check to climb the hill nearby and reach the hill that dominates the center of the area. Do so and once you’ve mounted the hill, explore to the east to ]nd a Shambling Mound. Such a beast is rightfully feared by veterans of Path]nder (and similar) game systems, but this is a relatively weak form of the monster, being on paper only slightly stronger than the Half-Orc Bandit you may have slain earlier. There is one thing to watch for, though: if it hits you, it’ll attempt to grapple, and on subsequent turns it’ll do massive damage (around thirty damage) to a grappled foe. It can do this damage even the turn after it’s dead, and the damage will persist until the grappled character es a Combat Maneuver Defense check (DC 17). Keep an eye on your icon, hope for the best when it comes to such rolls, and strive to chop the beast down as quickly as possible to prevent it from getting too many opportunities to ruin your day. Once victorious, loot the Shambling Mound to ]nd an Engraved Silver Pendant and an Emerald. The latter, of course, is worth a whopping 500 GP to a merchant, making it well worth your time to kill this creature. Northwest of where the Shambling Mound prowled you can ]nd a Token of the Dryad [Perception 13], and some nuts near a bush. At the far eastern end of the hill you’ll ]nd a mangled corpse - apparently the Shambling Mound’s victim. Loot a container near the corpse to ]nd a Lab Journal which explains the Shambling Mound, as well as two Potions of Restoration, Lesser, three Potions of Cure Light Wounds and a suit of Studded Leather +1.

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On the western end of the central plateau you'll ]nd a cultivated crop of Moon Radishes.

Either talk the kobolds into sharing

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or kill them and take the fruits of their labor.

Moon Radishes for Bokken Next head to the western end of the hill, where you’ll ]nd a group of Kobolds sleeping near some plants. Cultivated plants, perhaps? Attempt to take one and an elderly Kobold will yell at you. You can respond with violence, if you wish, forcing you to face off against a Flame Shaman, two Sentinels, and two Archers. After killing the Kobolds you can collect enough Moon Radishes for your purposes, the rest being damaged in the fray. Violence isn’t always the answer, however, and chatting with the Kobolds instead will reveal that these Moon Radishes have mind-altering effects… at least for Kobolds. To get the Moon Radishes you need without a ]ght you have several options. First, simply steal with with a [Trickery 19] check (which is also a [Chaotic Neutral] act), or pick the dialogue option "About that radish…" to get two more options. Offer to be a sport and give half the radishes you dig out to the Kobolds [Lawful Good], succeed at a [Diplomacy] (DC 18) check and convince them to share [Neutral], or threaten them [Intimidate 17] so you can take the radishes [Neutral Evil]. If you wish to be truly evil, there’s nothing that prevents you from intimidating the Kobolds to get what you want, then killing them for the heck of it. However you obtain the Moon Radishes, your reward is the same.

Reward: For gathering Moon Radishes 60 XP

Unlike the Fangberries, there’s no signi]cant time limit on the Moon Radishes, so you need not feel compelled to run back to Oleg’s Trading Post to turn them in. For the sake of continuity, however, the reward will be listed here for when you do.

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Reward: For bringing the Moon Radishes back to Bokken 165 XP / 200 GP

Loot the camp to claim the mysteriously-abandoned treasure (left); But don't rest at the abandoned camp 'lest you suffer the same fate as the previous campers. (right)

Nightmare at Camp Leave the hill by descending down a slope along its northern end, then note you have two directions you can go. With any luck you explored everything to the east during the quest Death to Worgs!, not that there was much else there besides Elk and a few hidden treasure spots, anyways. Head west, instead, and when you by a ramp to the northeast, note it and ignore it for now. Continue northwest instead until you ]nd some corpses near an abandoned camp. Curious… Loot the corpses if you wish (one of which has an Ancient Rostland Coin nearby), examine the southern-most one [Lore (Nature) 19] to gain more information, then plunder a chest [Trickery 13] in the campsite, along with some sacks. Be careful not to interact with the camp, however, as if you rest here, you’ll ]nd out exactly what killed the campers: a wisp called "Viscount Smoulderburn". This potent foe has an absurdly high Attack bonus and an Armor Class of 35. Even though it doesn’t do much damage, it can also repeatedly use Scare, after which it’ll try to pick off aìcted characters. Given how hard it is to hit, and how many HP it has, it’ll probably succeed at wiping out your party even on the lowest di_culty. Any ]ght where you need to roll a twenty to hit an enemy, and said enemy needs only to roll higher than a one is a ]ght you’re not winning. Spare yourself the headache and save this encounter for later.

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On the northern plateau you'll run afoul of some Giant Centipedes.

Be wary as you explore, as there are also Entangle traps underfoot.

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After disarming the traps and squashing the centipedes, search the plateau for treasure.

Explore the Northern Plateau Return back southwest to the ramp you ed by earlier and ascend it. When you reach the elevated plateau along the northern edge of the area that this ramp leads to, continue east until you encounter a new foe: a Giant Centipede. These insects are venomous, dealing Dexterity damage to any foe that fails their save [Fortitude 9]. Otherwise, they’re rather squishy, so long as you don’t let them attack a weaker character, or get into odds where you’re greatly out-numbered, you should be ]ne. You’ll only encounter them if you stumble upon them, or if you trigger one of the entagle traps in the area [Perception 22] [Trickery 22].

Exterminate a rather large group of Thylacines (left); then claim the treasure they guarded. (right)

At the eastern end of the plateau you’ll ]nd the entrance to the Mite’s subterranean domain, which happens to be under the massive sycamore for which this area is named. Before you bother with that, though, take care of one last bit of business above-ground. North of where the Giant Centipedes were you’ll ]nd a rather large pack of Thylacines. Exterminate them, and you’ll have cleared the surface area of enemies… well, aside from that nasty Nightmare Wisp, but it’ll leave well enough alone if you do. After killing the Thylacines, head northwest from where they were to ]nd some Kobold corpses in the

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bushes. Scavenged bodies, or the victims of Thylacines? In any event, if you a [Perception 19] check you’ll ]nd some rocks near the Kobolds you can loot for a Wand of Ear-Piercing Scream and four doses of Alchemist’s Fire. Next make your way east to the entrance to the Mite’s lair, from which look over a ledge to the south to spot some treasure on the narrow walkway below. Unfortunately, you’ll need to leave this northern plateau and run east along the cliff to ]nd a spot you can climb [Mobility 20]. Ascend the cliff and loot some branches to ]nd a Token of the Dryad, then continue west to ]nd a locked [Trickery 15] chest. Once that’s yours, return to the entrance to the Mite caves again and stand just west of the entrance. From here, look north to spot some sacks beyond some roots. The route to this treasure is navigable, just click on the sacks to send a character up there, where they’ll score another Amulet of Natural Armor +1 and other various baubles. Now that you’ve cleared the surface, it might be a good time to return to Oleg’s Trading Post, sell off the items you’ve accumulated, rest, and hand those Moon Radishes to Bokken if you haven’t already. You’re only just beginning with the Old Sycamore area, and there’s plenty more to loot and slay underground. Coming back fresh isn’t a bad idea. You may expect the exploration of the subterranean areas - which include separate Kobold and Mite areas - to be somewhat more complicated, but that doesn’t necessarily have to be the case. If you sided with one faction or another, you’ll obviously want to talk to that faction’s leader and bring the war to the other faction, but you don’t have to do that in any speci]c order. If you didn’t side with either, or you chose the neutral option and are hence on good with both, it also stands to reason that you’d like to either massacre both groups, or hear them both out, respectively. In any possible political scenario, you’ll want to explore each area for the experience and loot you’ll get from doing so. That all being the case, you need not worry about your particular political standing when it comes to determining which to explore ]rst, and for the sake of guide continuity, it’ll be nice to come up with a separate criteria… perhaps recruiting another companion to your cause? With that justi]cation in mind, the walkthrough will take you through the Kobold section of the Old Sycamore Caves, ]rst, followed by the Mites section, and ]nally by the second underground area, the Old Sycamore Depths.

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Old Sycamore Caves (Kobold Section) Traps in the Kobold Tunnels Make your way to the southeastern corner of the Old Sycamore area and search for some mines, where the Kobolds dwell. Depending on your reaction to the Kobolds earlier, you may have to clear out the guards in front of the mine before entering. Once inside you’ll be confronted by more Kobolds, namely a foursome on some abandoned mining platforms to the east. Kill them if you must, ignore them if you can, but either way search the southeastern end of this cavern to ]nd a crate [Perception 12] you can loot. If you’re friendly with the Kobolds (or at least, non-hostile), approach a Kobold Gatekeeper to the west, who will offer to lead you to the chief. He’ll also divulge some other useful information, like a age linking the Kobold caves to the Mite caves was destroyed during the ]ghting, at the expense of some treasure located there. Also, there are some "angry mite bugs" and "wild bugs" that dwell below. Good to know.

Traps line the tunnel the Kobold Gatekeeper guards, (left); and beyond that you'll need to navigate a trapdoor via an Illustrated Book Episode. (right)

Watch the route the Kobold takes closely down the tunnel, as he’s not winding his way down the tunnel for his amusement. There are, in fact, quite a few traps down this tunnel that he’s avoiding, traps you’d be better off disarming. After all, why bother with such traps every time you want to go down this tunnel? Plus, they’re worth experience to disarm. You know the drill, save your game, spot the traps [Perception 18] and disarm them [Trickery 18], saving after every success. Note that the traps are roughly located near the foliage strewn about the age;- possibly an attempt at camouâge? Some are also located in the darkness behind the foreground, too, making visual navigation questionable, at best. Another excuse to disarm!

Navigate the Hatch Clear the ]rst six traps, after which the Kobold - if you had him as an escort - will leave you to navigate the rest of the tunnel on your own. Only two traps now await, one of which is covered in foliage as most of the others were, while another is obscured by the foreground. Disarm them and continue down the tunnel until you ]nd another obstacle, a hatch on the ôor, beyond which a Kobold Archer paces, cryptically talking to itself. Interact with the hatch to bring up an Illustrated Book episode! This one is rather simple, as you only have three options: a [Trickery 14] check to make it across safely, pick "…surged forward, paying no heed to the dangers surrounding us!" to stupidly fall through the hatch, or "…decided not to push our luck and retreated." to pointlessly delay the decision. Save and attempt the [Trickery] check, as there’s nothing to gain by turning back, and even less by falling into the lower level. In

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the latter case, you’ll have to ]ght through several encounters without being able to rest and with no clear route to safety, which is a complication nobody needs. Don’t worry, you’ll get down to the next level soon enough, but via a safer, more lucrative route.

Reward: For making it across the hatch safely 90 XP

Search for Sootscale Make it across the hatch, earning an experience reward in the process. Once in the cavern beyond, turn north to confront an old, familiar foe - Giant Spiders. Eradicate the pests and push forward to the north, disarming some more traps [Perception 18] [Trickery 18] as you go. Also, be sure to search some scaffolding to the west the ]nd a pile of rocks [Perception 6] hiding An Ancient Rostlandic Coin.

While your relationship with the Kobolds may vary, Giant Centipedes (left); and Giant Spiders will pester you, regardless. (right)

Continue north until the path splits into three directions, with west leading up a wooden ramp onto the nearby scaffolding, east leading downhill and north leading into another chamber. Head north ]rst to reach a chamber occupied by several Giant Centipedes. Crush these unworthy insectoid foes, loot a sack, then ire a chasm to the northwest. This was the simplest fork, the other two are a bit more involved. Backtrack south to where you fought the Giant Spiders, and this time head down a ramp to the east, being wary of a trap [Perception 18] near the bottom of the ramp. Disarm the trap [Trickery 18], then continue into a cavern where another group of Giant Spiders lurk. Exterminate them, then continue into a large chamber to the north, which is crawling with Kobolds. If you’re at war with the Kobolds, good news! They’re just far enough apart that you shouldn’t have to ]ght the whole lot of them at once, which would be a tremendous struggle, indeed. Instead, you can usually get by with confronting small groups of four or so. Whenever possible, try to rush the more annoying Kobolds (Alchemists, Bone Shaman, Flame Shaman), even if it means provoking an Attack of Opportunity from their Sentinels - it’s usually a worthwhile trade for ganking the more troublesome Kobolds, ]rst. If the Kobolds are your allies - or once they’ve been dealt with - you can get to looting. There’s a crate and a sack you can loot near a Kobold shrine (look for the large, reptilian skull along the eastern wall), and a rather less lucrative sack against the western wall. Return to the southern edge of the cavern and continue down a tunnel to the east, which terminates in yet another fork

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guarded by another trio of Giant Spiders. Exterminate them, then continue east to ]nd a dead-end where you can loot a sack containing meager treasures. Backtrack to the fork, and this time head north, stopping when you spot some familiar foliage on the ground. Sure enough, traps abound, so carefully search for them [Perception 15], then disarm them [Trickery 12]. There are three in total. Once past the traps, enter a cavern to the north and note that there’s an area transition leading to the lower level to the southwest. Otherwise, the only object of note here is a Kobold Alchemist grilling another Kobold for a , which seems patently absurd in a race war. Fortunately, no such test hinders you. Go through the doorway the Kobolds guard and continue north to ]nd Chief Sootscale. If you’re hostile to the Kobolds, read the text under the header Battle: Chief Sootscale, if not, skip ahead to the text under the header Speak with Sootscale.

Battle: Chief Sootscale If you’re hostile to the Kobolds, this ensuing ]ght is an easy one, despite the opposition you face. An Alchemist, a Bone Shaman, several Archers on a ridge to the west, a pair of Sentinels and the Crier accompany Sootscale, and fortunately they’ll all too dumb to avoid making a severe tactical error. Assemble your party outside the door to the south, so that they’re protected by the wall and not standing opposite the doorway. With one well-protected, sturdy character, head north to provoke the Kobolds, then lure them south through the door. Once they start coming through the door, attack with your entire party, effectively bottle-necking them in the doorway. Pelt them with Sleep spells, if you’ve got them and be wary of allowing their mages and archers to pelt you from afar. Simply repositioning to use the wall as cover should force them to come close, and all in all, the terrain here makes this ]ght much easier than it otherwise could be.

When ]ghting Chief Sootscale, be wary of reinforcements appearing behind you. (left); Chief Sootscale's gear is well worth killing for. (right)

Strike down Chief Sootscale and you’ll get an opportunity to spare [Chaotic Good] or ]nish off your foe. You’re making a signi]cant sacri]ce for morality if you spare him, however, as it deprives you of his loot, which includes a Masterwork Light Mace and a Belt of Incredible Dexterity +2, the latter which will improve any character’s Dexterity score by two points. There’s no shortage of characters who can bene]t from such a device, as most warriors will enjoy the Armor Class boost, archers will enjoy the Attack boost, and everybody will gain from the higher Reêx Save. You’ll also need to claim the Mites’ Relic from his corpse, which you’ll need to chase down Tartuccio. If you spare him, the ]ght will immediately end, and you’ll be given the Mites’ Relic.

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Speak with Sootscale If you’re not at war with the Kobolds, you have more options for handling this encounter. Talk to Chief Sootscale and be sure to pick the dialogue option "I may need the relic to enter the hall, if Tartuk is already there.", which will cause Sootscale to simply hand over the stolen Mites’ Relic. If you also ask "How can I help you in your war?", he’ll ask you to kill the Mite Queen, promising a reward. Accepting will start the quest Death to Queen Bdaah!. Don’t worry, accepting this quest doesn’t lock you into an alliance with the Kobolds, nor does it provoke the Mites. Next pick the option "There is someone in your dungeon I wish to discuss." If you’re observant, you may have noticed that the companion(s) that accompanied Tartuccio can be found to the northwest, locked in a crude cage. Tartuccio rewards loyalty about as well as expected. Fortunately, in his absence his dim-witted Kobold associates are easily manipulated, and you can free your former companion(s) by picking the dialogue option "What need have you of this 'dumbhead', Chief? They’re just taking up space in your dungeon." or "Release them, Chief. How does holding a 'dumbhead' prisoner serve you?". Afterwards, talk to your companion and welcome them into your party - even if you don’t add them immediately, just bringing up the party select menu should su_ce. If you didn’t add them, you can ]nd them at Oleg’s Trading Post later.

You can conspire with Chief Sootscale to take down the Mite Queen (left); and also negotiate for the release of your ]nal companion. (right)

Finally, if you wish to use your neutrality with both factions as a means to safely reach one leader or another, you can do that, as well. Simply pick the dialogue option [Attack] "I need our alliance no more!" to open hostilities with Sootscale at your leisure. In this case, read the text under the header Battle: Chief Sootscale above, as events will play out identically.

Loot Sootscale’s Lair After vanquishing or talking to Sootscale (or both!), you’ll be free to loot his lair. Succeed at a [Perception 12] check to loot a bag of food behind the chief, while another [Perception 12] check will reveal another, more lucrative bag of goodies to the southwest. Search under a shelter west of the archers to ]nd a Taldan Warrior’s Dog Tag. Finally, head into a chamber to the north to ]nd a sack to the east, and a hidden crate [Perception 10] to the northwest.

Note: Like Ancient Rostlandic Coins and Tokens of the Dryad, you should hold onto any Taldan Warrior’s Dog Tags you ]nd. You’ll be able to unload them soon enough.

Whew. With all that done, it’s time to backtrack to where you ]rst encountered the Giant Spiders. If you want to side with

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the Mites, you’ve got plenty of incentive to leave these caves and claim your reward from the queen. Then again, there’s still exploration left to be done, and at the very least, you might as well ]nish the southwestern part of this area, as there’s experience to earn, loot to gain and another route to the lower levels to secure.

Don't be overly eager to engage a pack of Giant Spiders, lest you fall into their trap (left); Vanquish the arachnids, then search a pile of rocks for a Taldan Warrior's Dog Tag. (right)

Finish Up the Kobold Cave From where the ]rst group of Giant Spiders lurked turn west and climb a ramp - the only direction of the fork you’ve yet to explore. At the top of the woodwork turn west and enter some caves, where you’ll ]nd another pair of Giant Spiders. Further down the tunnel to the west is another cavern, where a larger pack of Giant Spiders lurk. Lure them east to you, as there’s a web trap [Perception 18] [Trickery 18] that will hinder you if you charge at them. Once all the spiders are dead, continue west and investigate a wooden cart at the top of a slope, a slope which leads to a rag-tag - yet effective - barricade. Nothing you can do about it yet, so loot a crate for some minor treasure, disarm another trap [Perception 18] [Trickery 18] then succeed at a [Perception 17] check at the end of these caves to ]nd a Taldan Warrior’s Dog Tag. Finally, note the area transition south of the cart, which leads to the Old Sycamore Depths. This area transition correlates to an area transition in the southwestern corner of the Old Sycamore Depths. Something to keep in mind when exploring that area, but for now, it’s time to leaves these caves, travel across the surface to the eponymous old sycamore tree and enter the Mite section of the caves, which is where the walkthrough will pick up.

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Old Sycamore Caves (Mite Section) Talk to Gatekeeper Quoggy If necessary, ]ght your way through the Mites surrounding the cave under the old sycamore, setting the tone for the rest of your exploration of the future area. Once underground you’ll immediately be presented with a fork. Ignore the route east and head south ]rst to encounter a group of Giant Centipedes, which, along with Mites are your only potential enemies in this section of the caves. Clear out the ]rst wave of Giant Centipedes and continue on until you reach another fork. The path to the northeast links with the path you ignored earlier as, in fact, the ]rst fork was created by a column of roots. Head northeast and you’ll ]nd some docile Giant Centipedes, which are apparently the pets of the Mites, although not all of them are quite as well-trained as others. Speak to a Mite here named Gatekeeper Quoggy and pick the dialogue options "What lies ahead?" followed by "How do I get to this broken age?" to start the quest Mandible Jewelry. Apparently the Kobolds and Mites both sealed off a communal age when hostilities started, leaving some treasure behind in the process. If you acquire a particular giant bug’s mandible and bring it back to Gatekeeper Quoggy she’ll give you a lever to allow you to lower the bridge leading to this treasure-]lled no-man’s-land. Something to keep in mind as you explore.

Along with Mites, the northern section of the caves is ]lled with Giant Centipedes (left); Talk to Gatekeeper Quoggy and she'll give you a quest. (right)

Naturally if the Mites are hostile to you this quest won’t be available, as Gatekeeper Quoggy and her Giant Centipedes will both be hostile to you. You can also tank your relations with the Mites by picking the dialogue option [Attack] "I am your ally no longer.". Either way, if you happen to kill Gatekeeper Quoggy you can loot her body for a Masterwork Sickle and a Bridge Hoist Part, which will allow you to operate the aforementioned bridge.

Mite Sorting Room Backtrack to the southwest, then follow a age southeast to reach a large chamber occupied by Mites, who seem to be busy sorting junk. They seem to like man-made goods well enough, even if they don’t seem to understand the purpose of such treasures, nor their value. If they’re hostile, be wary of the Mite Priest, who is not above using Hold Person against you. You may have seen this spell on your own divine spell casters (Harrim and Tristian should both have access to it by now), and if so, you should know why it’s dangerous. Hold Person can paralyze a character for a number of rounds equal to the caster’s level, being effectively

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helpless for the spell’s duration. The fact that it’s opposed by a Will Save - an area where warriors are notoriously weak makes it even more dangerous to your front-line. A paralyzed character in melee range of enemies can be quickly chopped down, so always target enemy priests ]rst, if at all possible, and don’t be afraid to use this spell yourself. If that’s not bad enough, Mite Priests will also spam their ability to "Channel Negative Energy", dealing damage to all living foes within range. Guaranteed damage to your entire party every turn is not a good thing.

Mite Priests will use a variety of nasty abilities, like Hold Person and Channel Negative Energy (left); In a sidechamber off the junk room you'll ]nd An Ancient Rostlandic Coin (right)

Exterminate the Mites if they’re hostile, then a [Perception 12] check to spot a crate you can loot, which includes a variety of trinkets and a Scroll of Shield of Faith. After looting that, make your way to the western end of the cavern and cull a trio of Giant Centipedes, then turn north to ]nd a smaller side-cavern where another three Giant Centipedes lurk. Kill them, loot a crate [Perception 12] to ]nd some baubles, including a Scroll of Shocking Grasp, then loot some rocks you can search for An Ancient Rostlandic Coin.

Slaughter Giant Centipedes There are other tunnels branching off the larger, junk-]lled cavern where Mites are sorting garbage, including one to the south and one to the northeast. Ignore the southern age for now and take the northeastern age to reach a cavern where more Giant Centipedes dwell. Slay four of the beasts, then continue northeast and destroy another four Giant Centipedes. If that’s not enough slaying for you, head down a slope to the west to ]nd yet another group of four Giant Centipedes. Once all twelve bugs are squashed, you should ]nd yourself in a small chamber with an area transition leading down to the Old Sycamore Depths. a [Perception 12] check to spot a crate you can loot for a Potion of Vanish and a Scroll of Shocking Grasp. No sense in descending to the lower level now when there’s still much to do here, so backtrack to the chamber to the east and turn north to reach another, larger chamber, which of course is full of forks. If you go up the age to the northwest you’ll reach the chamber where Gatekeeper Quoggy tends to some Giant Centipedes, including one hostile straggler you can go out of your way to smite, if you wish. If you go northeast, however, you’ll reach a chamber occupied by a group of Mites, who are also poring over some junk. This group includes a Mite Priest behind a solid line of sturdy, melee Mites, making this a potentially tricky encounter. Kill the Mites and their Giant Centipede pet if necessary, loot a sack for some goodies, then continue down a large tunnel to the southeast.

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A small cavern to the east has a surprising number of Giant Centipedes dwelling inside it (left); You can also ]nd another Ancient Rostlandic Coin buried under some rocks. (right)

This tunnel eventually opens up into another large cavern, in which dwell numerous Giant Centipedes. Smite them, then continue south to ]nd a pile of rocks hidden behind some foreground, inside of which is An Ancient Rostlandic Coin.

Mites at Leisure As is the norm in these winding tunnels under the old sycamore, the path forks again. Take the age down to the southwest to reach a chamber where the Mites are socializing, including a rather poor stand-up comedian who is in the process of bombing. Tough crowd. If the Mites are hostile to you, this will be a rather mundane battle instead of a bit of levity, as several Mites will attack, south of which a Mite Priest lurks, waiting to complicate matters with its spells. After, or in lieu of a battle, loot a pile of rocks to the west to score a Token of the Dryad, search the tables for a Recipe: Shepherd’s Pie and a [Perception 12] check to loot some… butter?

A Mite tries his hand at stand up comedy, but his fellows aren't very receptive. (left); Grab a Token of the Dryad hidden under some rocks nearby. (right)

Next head southeast into a side cavern, where you’ll ]nd Mites, Mite Sentinels, and Giant Centipedes. No Priest to them, and no comedian to lighten the mood, so whether you’re ]ghting or not, the inhabitants of this room aren’t as interesting as in the previous room. Loot a sack to the south to score a Potion of Cure Light Wounds while a sack to the north yields some… potatoes. They all can’t be winners.

Battle: Warrior Queen Bdaah Backtrack to the chamber to the northeast where you encountered half a dozen Giant Centipedes, and from there continue down a slope to the northeast to ]nally reach Warrior Queen Bdaah’s chamber. The entrance is guarded by a Mite to the

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east and a Mite Scout to the west, while a Mite Sentinel and Mite Priest guard a root-barrier to the east. At the northern end of the chamber, Queen Bdaah, a Mite Butcher and Seneschal Vaggik round out the opposition. Warrior Queen Bdaah lives up to her reputation by being the sturdiest warrior on the Mite’s side, while Seneschal Vaggik is a Cleric, who will follow the traditional role of Mite Priests by starting ]ghts out with Hold Person, followed by repeated bouts of Channel Negative Energy.

The Mites can prove to be unexpectedly tricky foes due to their casters and the terrain. (left); Focus on Queen Bdaah and cut her down quickly where you can let her surrender to end the ]ght. (right)

Given that amount of spell power, and the winding route separating the southern end of the cavern (from which you presumably entered) from said spell-casters, a direct assault might not be the best option. If you resolve to risking saving throws against the inevitable Hold Person spells, you can just focus on Queen Bdaah when she comes within melee range, as you can spare her life [Chaotic Good] after defeating her, which will cause her and her minions to êe, and unlike Chief Sootscale, the only noteworthy bit of loot you surrender by doing so is a Scimitar +1. If you have multiple characters armed with ranged weapons, you should be able to quickly pick off (or at least provoke and lure away) the Mite and the Mite Scout near the southern entrance, which - if they’re eliminated quickly enough or far enough away - shouldn’t provoke the rest of the Mites, or you can approach until they attack, retreat back up the ramp, and dispatch them away from their fellows. Either way, eliminate both of these Mites, then prepare an ambush. Hide the majority of your party at the top of the ramp in the chamber to the southwest of Queen Bdaah’s chamber, hiding them behind the wall near the ramp to break line of sight from the ramp. With that done, send one character with a high Will Save into Queen Bdaah’s chamber to provoke the queen and her minions. Do not stand and ]ght, instead retreat back to the rest of your party while remaining in sight of the Mites at all times to keep their interest. Queen Bdaah will probably lead, making it easy to gank her if necessary, and if she’s the only one that follows you all the way there, so much the better - the rest will be more easily smote without their strongest warrior. If the rest follow, that works, too, so long as you remain shielded by the wall, forcing Seneschal Vaggik and the Mite Priest to come close to cast their spells. If they do, ignore any melee combatants in your way (even if it provokes an Attack of Opportunity) and rush the casters, hopefully putting them down quickly.

Banter with Queen Bdaah If you’re not hostile with the Mites, you can pursue diplomacy instead; or at the very least get close to Bdaah and her minions before starting the ]ght. In the latter case, be sure to surround Seneschal Viggik so you can gank him early, after which you can cut down the Butcher and Queen Bdaah before cleaning up the rest of the Mites, starting with the priest. All you need to do is talk to Queen Bdaah and choose the dialogue option [Attack] "It’s time to put an end to this alliance." Sneak attacks aside, if you want to work with Queen Bdaah pick the dialogue option "How may I help in your war?" followed by "All right. I will try to reach the Chief" to start the quest Death to Chief Sootscale!. Again, you can start this quest

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without committing to anything, even if you already talked to Chief Sootscale and started the quest Death to Queen Bdaah!. Whether you seek to start this quest or not, be sure to talk to her and pick the option "How do I get to Sycamore Hall?", which will cause the guards by the root barrier to move. If you obtained the Mites’ Relic from Sootscale earlier - whether through violence or diplomacy - you can now use it on the root barrier to the south of Queen Bdaah, which will allow you to ]nally confront Tartuccio - but before getting to that, you might as well explore the Old Sycamore Depths, then ]nish up this little war between the Mites and Kobolds.

Loot Queen Bdaah’s Chamber Before descending into the depths, however, it’s time to loot Queen Bdaah’s chamber. At the southern end of the chamber you’ll ]nd a sack containing some food-stuffs, while to the west of Queen Bdaah is a much more lucrative sack containing - among other things - a Scroll of Protection from Evil, Communal and a Scroll of Protection from Chaos, Communal. With that loot pocketed, use the area transition southwest of Queen Bdaah to reach the Old Sycamore Depths.

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Old Sycamore Depths

In the Old Sycamore Depths you'll encounter a new, spitting variety of centipede.

Spitting Centipedes Assuming you’re following the walkthrough chronologically, you should ]nd yourself along the northeastern edge of the Old Sycamore Depths. From where you start head south to ]nd more Giant Centipedes, this time ed by a new variant the Spitting Giant Centipede. As their name suggests, they attack by spitting acid, which only deals 1d4 damage, but it’s a Ranged Touch Attack, meaning your Armor, Shield and Natural bonuses to Armor Class do not apply, making your typical warrior much more vulnerable to them. To see what your Touch Armor Class is, press "C" to bring up your character menu, and ]nd the "Touch" entry under the "Armor Class & Saving Throws" section of your character sheet.

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Grab the Mandible of a Huge Bug off a monstrously large spider.

Search a submerged sack to ]nd the Recipe: Jeweled Rice.

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A Scorched Fragment of an Amulet also lies in the water.

Mandible Jewelry Shortly after the ]ght with the centipedes, the path will fork. Ignore the branch to the southwest and continue south until you ]nd… another fork! This time take the fork to the east and follow it until you reach a watery chamber guarded by two Giant Centipedes. Smite them, then loot a submerged sack to the east to ]nd the Recipe: Jeweled Rice and a pile of rocks further east (also submerged) to ]nd a Scorched Fragment of a Necklace. With that mundane loot ed for, turn yourself to the… ah… giant bug in the northwestern corner of the chamber, which you can search for the Mandibles of a Huge Bug.

Reward: For bringing Gatekeeper Quoggy a Mandible of a Huge Bug 200 XP

Treasure in No-Man’s-Land With the Mandibles of a Huge Bug in your hands, it’s time to leave the Old Syacmore Depths for a bit and ]nish up the caves above. Depending on your past actions, you can return to Gatekeeper Quoggy and claim the Bridge Hoist Part, should you not have claimed the device earlier through violence. However you managed it, now that everybody has this Bridge Hoist Part you can ]nally ]nish off the Old Sycamore Caves area and claim the treasure in the no-man’s-land. From Gatekeeper Quoggy head south to the cavern in which the Mites are (or were) sorting junk, and from there take a age in the southwestern corner of the chamber, which leads south to another chamber full of Mites. Combat-wise you’ll ]nd a Mite Sentinel, two Mites, a Mite Scout and two Mite Butchers, all of which are simple melee foes. Loot a sack near the center of the area and notice two pens in the chamber which reveal… well, war is a harsh teacher, and the Mites have been learning cruel lessons.

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Talk to one of the Mites near the northern cage where a live Kobold is kept captive and he’ll tell you that they’re playing a little game of target practice. Pick the [Neutral Good] option to save the Kobold, although the Mites clearly don’t learn their lesson, while if you pick the [Lawful Neutral] option you’ll grant the Kobold the mercy of a swift death. If you pick the [Chaotic Evil], [Dexterity 10] option you’ll partake in the game and win, earning a Gold Ring for your trouble, which will sell for about 25 GP. Finally, you can just pick the [Attack] option to abruptly end your alliance in light of this wickedness.

If you appeased Gatekeeper Quoggy you'll be able to lower a drawbridge (left); and loot the treasure in no man's land. (right)

Do what you will regarding the Mites, then head south to ]nd the raised drawbridge… a rather more elegant solution than the Kobolds had, truth be told. If you have the Bridge Hoist Part interact with the bridge, then cross to the south to reach a chamber which clearly saw a great battle in the recent past. Loot some rocks to the west to obtain a Scorched Fragment of a Necklace, then loot a chest along the eastern end of the cavern to ]nd some trinkets and a Greatsword +1.

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In some verdant chambers you'll ]nd a Token of the Dryad

and an Ancient Rostland Coin.

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Search a side-chamber for a chest containing a Headband of Wisdom.

Acquire the Headband of Inspired Wisdom Return to Queen Bdaah’s chamber and use the area transition to return back down to the Old Sycamore Depths, then follow the tunnel ahead of you south past the two forks, continuing on until you reach a large, surprisingly verdant cavern crawling with Giant Centipedes, both normal and spitting. Kill them, then a [Perception 6] check to locate some rocks along the northeastern edge of the chamber, in which you’ll ]nd a Token of the Dryad. There are two exits to this chamber, one to the east and one to the south. Go east ]rst, a [Perception 10] check to spot some rocks, then pick An Ancient Rostland Coin out of said rocks. If that doesn’t seem like a suitable enough reward for exploring down here, return to the age connecting this small chamber to the larger one to the west. Midway down this short tunnel you’ll spot an interact icon on the northern wall if you hold down the "Tab" key. Interact with this icon to squeeze through the rocks and locate a hidden chamber, along the eastern end of which is a chest containing a Scroll of Snowball and a Headband of Inspired Wisdom +2. This is a ]ne gift for your Cleric - presumably either Harrim or Tristian - as it’ll increase the DC of their spells and potentially give them a bonus spell, not to mention increasing their Will Save.

Slay the Southern Spiders Return to the verdant chamber to the west, then head down the previously neglected tunnel to the south to reach a chamber ]lled with corpses… and Centipedes. Engage them in the tunnel so you can bottleneck them, a tactic that’s less effective than usual due to the two Spitting Centipedes in the back. Once you massacre the bugs, turn you attention to the corpses scattered across the ôor of the chamber - obviously the site of a large battle between the Kobolds and the Mites. The winners in the end? The centipedes.

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You can ]nd a Miner's Lever in a chest (left); which you can use to propel a minecart into a barricade. (right)

There are numerous forks leading off this chamber, including one to the east, one to the south and one to the northwest. Go south ]rst and loot some rocks to ]nd An Ancient Rostland Coin, then head down the eastern tunnel. At the end of this tunnel hold down "Tab" at the end of the tunnel to ]nd another interact icon, which if used will take you up to a higher chamber to the east. Loot a crate to the north to score a Scroll of Scorching Ray, a Potion of Cure Light Wounds and a Potion of Shield of Faith, while to the south you’ll ]nd a Miner’s Lever. With this device you can use the cart near the Kobold barricade on the level above, which will destroy the barricade and allow you to access the no-man’s-land from the Kobold caves, if you should for whatever reason ]nd it necessary to do so. Speaking of which, if you use the area transition to the east you’ll surface in the Old Sycamore Caves, near Sootscale’s lair.

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Kill several giant spiders

and disarm the trap in the chamber beyond them.

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Be wary, however, as if you trigger the web trap, more spiders will come investigate.

Leave the chamber where you found the Miner’s Lever and head into a tunnel to the south, where you’ll ]nd a familiar old foe: Giant Spiders. Kill three of them and follow the age as it winds west, then turns southeast and opens into a chamber where another ]ve Giant Spiders lurk. Don’t ]ght these later ]ve spiders in the chamber they occupy, however, as there’s a Web trap in there that’ll make the ]ght much, much more complicated. Lure them into the tunnel where you have better numerical odds, then, when the last arachnid is smote, search for the trap [Perception 23] and disarm it [Trickery 18].

Kill the second group of spiders along the eastern end of the chamber (left); and plunder the treasure they guard. (right)

If you ]nd yourself unable to deal with the trap, just carefully move across the northern edge of the area to avoid it, but be wary, as another three Giant Spiders (including one double-sized monstrosity!) can be found along the eastern edge of the cavern. If you have the misfortune to fall afoul of this trap, those spiders will come to investigate their prey. Despite the hazards, the reward is worth the risk, as in a chest at the eastern end of the cavern you’ll ]nd an Restovic Swordlord’s Empty Sheath, a Wand of True Strike and a Cloak of Resistance +1.

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Note: The Restovic Swordlord’s Empty Sheath should be the third item - along with the Restovic Sorceress’s Discharged Staff and the Restovic Ranger’s Broken Arrow - in the Restovic set you’ve found thus far.

With that treasure secured, make your way to the western end of the cavern and take the southern of the two tunnels to the west. This is a long, largely uninteresting tunnel occasionally occupied by a trio of spiders. Fight your way west until you reach a fork, at which head down a slope to the northwest to reach a corpse-strewn cavern. This is where the hatch in the Kobold tunnels would have dropped you if you failed your Trickery check earlier. Loot a corpse to ]nd a Potion of Vanish, then backtrack to the previous fork. This time take the southwestern age and follow it west along the southern edge of the area, killing another trio of Giant Spiders as you go. There’s a cubby to the north you can explore, but aside from some âvor text stating the obvious, there’s little point. Venture west until you reach the southwestern edge of the area, where you’ll ]nd an area transition that’ll lead you up to the southwestern end of the Kobold caves, should you feel like using that Miner’s Lever for some reason. Loot a chest along the northern end of the chamber to ]nd a Scroll of Protection From Law and some other treasure, then note a tunnel leading northeast.

Kill a mob of skeletons lurking in the tunnels (left); then loot the shrine they protected. (right)

Tomb in the Old Sycamore Depths Line your warriors up along the mouth of this tunnel so as to bottleneck would-be attackers from the north, then send an unencumbered character north to reach another chamber crawling with undead, including four Skeletons and two Skeleton Champions. The latter are much more dangerous combatants, having a higher enough Armor Class to slow down your offense. Lure them all south to your waiting warriors and try to bottleneck them in the tunnel so you can bring more warriors to bear than they can. Defeat your undead foes, then head north into the chamber they occupied to ]nd a shrine to Shelyn - probably a shrine that served the miners who worked here long ago. Succeed at a [Perception 14] check to ]nd a chest hidden amidst the benches inside of which you’ll ]nd a Potion of Resist Acid, a Potion of Shield of Faith and a Scroll of Protection From Evil. Grab the treasure, then continue up a age to the northeast and kill two Giant Centipedes at a fork. After that paltry encounter, note the path to the southeast, then promptly ignore it and turn northwest to reach another fork guarded by Giant Centipedes - four of them this time. Once again, acknowledge the fork you intend to neglect (the tunnel to the northeast) and head west instead to ]nd an area transition the leads to the surface. Once you use this area transition, you’ll be able to

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return to the Old Sycamore Depths from the surface, which is useful. From this area transition head north, dispatch another cluster of Giant Centipedes, then continue north until you reach a most unusual dead-end. Instead of some natural stone wall you’ll come across an obviously man-made wall blocking your path, with no obvious means of ingress. Examine two investigation spots that’ll appear if you hold down "Tab" for âvor, then a [Perception 8] check to notice a hidden mechanism along the western end of the wall.

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Stand on two pressure plates so that a third character can press a button.

You'll have to ]ght off three Skeleton Champions which protect the tomb.

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Vanquish the guardians, then plunder the tomb.

Puzzle time! This one is quite simple, just look around the ôor to ]nd two pressure plates on the ground (locations marked on image) and position some characters on each of them. Once done, form a line with your warriors in front of the middle wall section, then interact with the hidden mechanism on the western wall. This should open the middle wall section your warriors are standing in front of. Rush them to bottleneck them in the chamber they were trapped in, and focus all your might on them one at a time. These are unusually strong foes, so it may not be a bad idea to buff up before the ]ght. Two of them wield Masterwork Longswords, Tower Shields and wear HalfPlate, giving them a high Armor Class, while a third has a bears a Masterwork Greataxe and a Breastplate. The two Skeleton Champions with Masterwork Longswords fortunately aren’t terribly dangerous, offensively, but their staying power makes them a threat. The Skeleton Champion armed with a Masterwork Greataxe hits harder and strikes truer, but it isn’t as well protected, so take it down ]rst. Once they’re smote, loot them for their two Masterwork Longswords and the Masterwork Greataxe, then enter the area they guarded - apparently a tomb - and plunder a corpse to obtain a Taldan Warrior’s Dog Tag and a Potion of Remove Curse, then loot a chest wherein you can ]nd a suit of Half-Plate +1 and a Tongi +1. How can grave-robbing be bad when the rewards as so good?

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Find the hidden entrance to the Mite Hermit's lair.

The Mite Hermit is a hermit for a reason - it's not fond of guests.

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Talk to it until you provoke it, then defeat the Mite Hermit and take its treasure.

The Mite Hermit It’s time to check out those forks which when neglected earlier, explore the center of this area, and ]nally be done with this business. Backtrack south to the area transition, then east to the second of the two forks that didn’t get fully explored. Head up the previously unexplored northeastern age and a [Perception 10] check to ]nd another hidden chamber, which you can access by pressing "Tab" and using the interact icon along the western wall. In the hidden chamber you’ll ]nd a Mite Hermit, which lives up to its name by being rather ornery. Try to talk to it three times, and after two warning hisses it’ll turn hostile and attack. While stronger than your average Mite, it’s nothing your party can’t easily handle. Cut it down, then loot it for a Masterwork Dagger, a Wand of Bane, and three Scrolls of Restoration, Lesser, among other, less notable loot.

The Centipede Lair Leave the Mite Hermit’s lair and explore to the northeast if you wish, where you’ll ]nd another area transition leading to the Old Sycamore Caves. That being the case, head southwest to return to the fork, then head southeast to reach the ]rst such fork. From this fork head southeast to reach a cliff, which you can climb down by pressing "Tab" and searching for an interact button. Once down head east and dispatch another four Giant Centipedes, including two Spitting Giant Centipedes. Shortly beyond them you’ll ]nd… another fork!

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Find the hidden entrance to the kobold's shrine (left); inside of which you can ]nd an Ancient Rostland Coin. (right)

This won’t take too long to resolve, fortunately. Head down the eastern tunnel ]rst and a [Perception 6] check to spot a cleft in the northern wall you can squeeze through (again, hold down "Tab" to summon the interact icon, then use it to into a hidden chamber). In the hidden chamber beyond this cleft you’ll ]nd another Kobold shrine, identical to the one on the level above. Not sure why the runts needed a secret one, but hey, at least they left a bunch of treasure lying about! Speaking of which, another [Perception 10] check to spot a sack you can loot to gain some food-stuffs, loot a pile of rocks in the corner to score An Ancient Rostland Coin and ]nally loot to obvious chest in the center of the room to obtain a variety of valuable baubles.

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Defeat a wave of smaller centipides

to provoke the arrival of more bugs, led by the Tremendous Centipede

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Loot a victim of the centipedes to gain some valuable treasure.

Leave the hidden chamber and go northwest back to the fork, and from there go north - going southeast from the hidden chamber just leads to a dead-end. At the end of this northern tunnel you reach a large chamber, where at ]rst only four Giant Centipedes lurk. Engage them, however, and more Spitting Giant Centipedes will show up down various tunnels, including one spawning behind you in the southern tunnel you came from. Adding to the reinforcements will be a Spitting Giant Centipede (coming from the northeastern-most tunnel) of unusual size, an aptly named Tremendous Centipede. Not only is this beast sturdier than most of its kin, having more HP and a better Armor Class, but its bite is also much more lethal, hitting harder and more often, thanks to its high Attack bonus. Worse still, it’ll start combat by lobbing poison at its target, potentially poisoning numerous characters at once. Once the dust (and venom) has settled, head to the northeastern-most age running off this chamber to ]nd the egg lair of the centipedes. Loot a corpse to obtain a Restovic Paladin’s Crumpled Helmet and an Agile Light Pick +1.

Note: The Restovic Paladin’s Crumpled Helmet makes the fourth item in the Restovic set.

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There treasure waiting for you in a water cave

but the Giant Frogs nearby are oddly materialistic.

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You can also ]nd a Token of the Dryad hidden under some rocks.

Oasis in the Depths Return to the larger chamber to the west, then head up a tunnel to the north and kill another trio of Giant Centipedes. Past them you’ll ]nd yet another fork. If you take the southern of the two ages to the northeast you’ll return to near where you started exploring this area, so ignore it and instead continue north and follow the northern of the two tunnels. This age shortly will deposit you in another verdant chamber, which is teeming with life due to a breach in the ceiling that allows sunlight to ]lter down into the depths. An island of surface ôra persists on a hill, around which several Giant Frogs pace, and a chest sits enticingly on the southern end of this little island. For whatever reason, the frogs are strangely materialistic, and they will become hostile if you attempt to pocket the treasures in their chest. Plunder the chest for a variety of treasures, including a Potion of Cure Light Wounds, ]ght off the Giant Frogs, then head to the northern end of the chamber and a [Perception 6] check to ]nd a Token of the Dryad hiding in some rocks. With that, you’re ]nally done exploring, time to ]nish up this area’s two major questlines, which are covered below, in End of the Rivalry.

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End of the Rivalry Resolving the War By now you’ve met both of the leaders of the Mites and Kobolds, and you should have had time to talk to or ]ght both of them. Below are a variety of options for resolving the war between the Mites and Kobolds, based on alignment. Pick the one which suits your protagonist’s inclinations (or your power-gamey goals) the best: – If both Queen Bdaah and Chief Sootscale have been slain, you’ve resolved the contest by simply eliminating both sides, and while no quest rewards await you, the loot and experience you gained by killing them more than makes up for it. This is a ]ne choice for any evil party, but it particularly makes sense for a Chaotic Evil character. – If you have a choice between which faction to serve and your primary concern is material wealth, kill Sootscale, loot his Belt of Incredible Dexterity +2, which is by far the better of the two prizes. Another good choice for an evil party. – Defeat either Queen Bdaah or Chief Sootscale and when they beg for mercy, spare them. Once done, report to the surviving leader for a reward. This is a able solution for a good protagonist who didn’t make the [Neutral] response when ]rst encountering the warring factions. An evil protagonist ideally sided with the Mites and hence got the better reward from Chief Sootscale, or just exterminated both, while a neutral protagonist has a better good option, ironically enough.

Reward: For defeating Chief Sootscale 200 XP / 100 GP

Reward: For defeating Warrior Queen Bdaah 200 XP / 100 GP

– If you’re trying to play as good of a protagonist as possible, well, it’s a tricky situation, considering that both races are predominantly Lawful Evil, as far as lore goes. Given the options for restraint and reconciliation, however, you should pick the [Neutral] option at the ]rst encounter (if not, see the above entry - the best you can do in this case is side with one leader and defeat and spare the other) and avoid provoking either side as you explore the Old Sycamore Caves and Old Sycamore Depths. Talk to both and get the Mites’ Relic from Chief Sootscale and get Queen Bdaah to remove her guards from the root-barrier, but otherwise leave the conîct unresolved as you go to confront Tartuccio.

Battle: Tartuccio After dealing with the Mites and Kobolds in whatever fashion you ]nd the most suitable, you should have obtained the Mites’ Relic from Chief Sootscale, and have cleared the guards out from the root barrier south of Queen Bdaah either by talking to the queen or by killing them, it matters not. Once both of those conditions are met, you’ll be able to interact with and open the door. Go down the tunnel that was blocked by the root barrier and you’ll witness Tartuccio - still in Kobold disguise - transporting the artifact he came here for via the contrivance of a magical portal. After he’s done he’ll turn his attention to you. You can question him about his disguise, reveal that you know he’s a Pitaxian spy, or ask about his mission; you can even try to

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avoid a ]ght. It doesn’t matter, Tartuccio is hell-bent on his own demise and will attack you regardless of what you say, not that you have terribly many options.

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You'll ]nd Tartuccio - in disguise - up to mischief behind the root door.

Withdraw with most of your party and take the Fireball with your strongest character.

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After Tartuccio eliminates most of his minions, charge him and cut him down.

Be sure to search a pile of rocks to ]nd a Token of the Dryad.

Tartuccio comes with quite a host of minions, including ]ve Kobolds, four Kobold Sentinels and two Kobold Archers, but he’s really biting off more than he can chew. Tartuccio is the only challenging foe here, but being a sorcerer, he’s got more magical might than brains. His strategy is to ]x you in place by having his Kobold minions charge, while he launches a Fireball which will eradicate most of his allies, and deal signi]cant damage to you. This is a painfully simple strategy to counter, although it will require

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one of your party to take one for the team. As soon as combat begins, retreat with all your characters save your most sturdy warrior, around whom the Kobolds should gather. After Tartuccio launches his attack, charge him with all your characters and cut him down, then mop up the surviving Kobolds, being wary of not leaving your archers and mages unattended, in case the Kobolds get smart and target them.

A Bitter Rival, Finale When you’re victorious, loot your vanquished foes for whatever appealing treasure they have. Tartuccio, unsurprisingly, has the only noteworthy gear, including a Ring of Protection +1, a Restovic Inquisitor’s Broken Crossbow and a Wand of Magic Missiles. Next loot a chest to the southwest, wherein you’ll ]nd a Scroll of Mage Armor, a Scroll of Divine Favor and a Heavy Shield +1. Finally, and perhaps anti-climatically, loot a pile of rocks in the southwestern corner to score a Token of the Dryad.

Note: The Restovic Inquisitor’s Broken Crossbow should be the ]fth and ]nal piece of the Restovic item set. Keep them all in your inventory until you can turn them in. It may be a while, but the reward is worth it.

When you leave the chamber where you fought Tartuccio, you may have the option to resolve the war - or lie. (left); You can use this opportunity to take out whichever faction you despise the most. (right)

Leave the chamber and, if you spared both factions up until now, they’ll have gathered outside, simultaneously eager to ]ght, and to hear what you discovered. You’ll immediately be given the choice to [Tell the truth] or [Lie], and in the latter case you can keep one of the sacred branches and hand the other one off to the faction of your choice. Of course, the other faction won’t stand for this, and will attack. If you wanted to kill one of the leaders, however, it was arguably more lucrative to have done so earlier, as you can’t get the quest reward now, and the merit of keeping one of the relics (which can sell for around 125 GP) is dubious at best compared to simply dealing with the quest another way. Alternatively, if you’re Chaotic you can rubbish the old tradition and replace those "sacred branches" with a new relic for these critters to squabble over your gloves. Su_ce to say, if you’ve come this far without ]ghting either of the leaders, you may as well tell the truth now, give back both relics, and watch as both sides agree to a truce. It’s certainly not the most lucrative way of resolving this conîct, but well, at least you avoided unnecessarily killing a bunch of evil little critters? A good deed is its own reward and all that rot. In any event, now that this matter with Tartuccio has been settled, it’s time to return to Oleg’s Trading Post and report the gnome’s demise to Kesten Garess although, as you leave the Old Sycamore Caves, you’ll witness a scene suggesting this rivalry may not be quite over.

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As you leave the Old Sycamore Caves, dark forces at work will set up the second stage of this rivalry.

Back at Oleg's Trading Post, the Guardian of the Bloom will reward you, and encourage further violence.

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Tell Kesten about Tartuccio for a reward.

Return to Oleg’s Trading Post and as you start to head into the palisade, you’ll be pestered once again by the Guardian of the Bloom, who will bestow the aptly named The Nymph’s Gift amulet to you. This little trinket gives its wearer a +2 Dodge bonus to Armor Class against ranged attacks, making it a ]ne trinket for both tanks that may be used to draw ]re, or mages who might otherwise be threatened with such attacks. Take care of any business around the trading post you need to attend to, then head inside the building and tell Kesten Garess about Tartuccio. He’ll whine about the outcome, but reward you nonetheless. Hey, not like he could do any better, right?

Reward: For telling Kesten Garess about Tartuccio 1,000 GP

Note: By now you should be hitting level four, if you haven’t done so earlier. Level four is a benchmark level in that it’s the ]rst time you’ll get to assign an attribute point, which you’ll do every fourth level. For most characters, this is a pretty simple assignment:- Wizards should focus on Intelligence, Clerics on Wisdom, Sorcerers on Charisma, etc. Indeed, most of your warriors should drop a point into Strength, as not only will it set them up for a modi]er increase at level eight, but it’ll help you carry more - a welcome quality of life upgrade. Other concerns (like boosting Valerie’s Constitution, for example) can wait until later.

You’ve ]nally settled the affair with Tartuccio, and the fog concealing the Stag Lord has been weakened enough for you to

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assault him. It’s nigh time to challenge this bandit and claim your crown or coronet? Whatever barons wear. Before that, however, your newfound strength opens up new possibilities for you like challenging Tuskgutter and clearing out optional map areas, like the Old Oak. The rewards are more than worth the trouble, provided your party is up to the challenge; the only real question is time. We were still in the ]rst week of Lamashan (month X) at this point in the walkthrough, leaving plenty of time to go exploring. If you’re down to the last two weeks in Neth (month XI) you may want to skip ahead to the Stag Lord, otherwise adventure awaits!

While the mist may have risen enough for you to ]nd the Stag Lord's Fort, it hasn't dispersed enough to allow for full exploration of the Narlmarches. (left); When you cross into areas currently choked by fog, you'll get an Illustrated Book Episode which largely only serves to illustrate (pun intended) how futile further travel is. (right)

The next few pages will cover this expedition, taking you on a loop starting with the Old Oak and moving on to Tuskgutter’s Lair, the Glade in the Wilderness, the Old Mesa and ]nally ending in the Riverine Rise area. As usual, many of these areas can be discovered randomly, and there’s no guarantee you’ll discover them when following the given directions. If that’s the case, you’ve no choice but to skip them, level up, and try again. Save regularly on the world map to avoid wasting time futilely traveling to areas that may not be discovered.

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Chapter 1 - North Narlmarches Expedition

Old Oak The Old Oak area is the nearest and most lucrative of all the areas you’ll be exploring on this end-of-chapter expedition. Not only will you be well-rewarded for success, but it’s a ]ne test of your abilities; if you struggle here, you’ll likely struggle during other ]ghts, too. To get there from Oleg’s Trading Post, follow these directions:

• • • •

South West South West

After going east a second time, you should reach an empty node, north of which is the Old Oak area.

The location of the Old Oak area on the map.

You’ll arrive in the southern corner of the map, from which head north - carefully - until you spot a Troll in the distance. Trolls are dangerous, giant aberrations, dealing hefty damage in melee due to their size and being reasonably sturdy. The real danger lies in their proverbial healing power, however, and even once downed in combat, they can’t truly be defeated until acid or ]re is applied as a coup’de’grace. Fortunately in Path]nder, virtually every arcane spellcaster has access to in]nite cantrips, including Acid Splash.

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Engage the Troll with your tank (left); and ]nish it off with an acid or ]re spell. (right)

Save your game and prepare ahead of time - you should have the power to defeat such a foe, but it may not be an easy ]ght. Buff your best tank with the Blur and Shield of Faith spells if you have them, and use Bardsong and/or Bless as a general buff, then engage, leading with the Blur-buffed tank to draw the Troll’s attention. After this, you just need to stay on top of things and hope the Troll falters before you do, and when it goes down, ]nish it off with Acid Splash, Burning Hands, or a similar spell.

Loot the Troll for a Belt of Giant Strength +2 (left); then loot a nearby corpse to ]nd a Light Crossbow +1. (right)

When the Troll is ]nally dead, loot it for some treasure including a Belt of Giant Strength +2. This does exactly what you’d hope it does: it gives the wearer a +2 bonus to their Strength score, an invaluable boon for any warrior. If you demand more compensation for your struggle, you’re in luck, as you can loot a corpse nearby to score a Light Crossbow +1. Next follow the water to the northwest to ]nd a chest near a tree, in which you’ll ]nd a Scroll of Protection from Chaos, a Potion of Mage Armor and a Scroll of Enlarge Person, among other trinkets.

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Tuskgutter's Lair To start, travel to Thorn Ford (the location of which you should, by now, know well enough). From there follow these directions:

• • • • • •

Southwest (cross the river) Northwest Southwest to reach landmark: empty node northeast of Technic League Encampment Southeast (path veers to the west, southwest) Southeast (to reach empty node east of Tuskgutter’s Lair) West

The Tuskgutter's Lair area on the map.

When you arrive, head north and Amiri will speak, telling you more of her customs which, despite being far from home, she still tries to emulate. Killing a monster serves as a rite of age into manhood in her tribe, and despite having no of her tribe present, and having already met with scorn for her past efforts - no matter how valiant - Amiri persists in trying to prove herself, perhaps not realizing that her failure to earn recognition in the eyes of her tribe isn’t due to her own want of strength, valor or prowess, but due to their lack of enlightenment.

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Amiri will tell you the purpose of this hunt (left); after which you should help her put down Tuskgutter. (right)

In any event, she’ll attempt to slay the beast alone, but despite her boasting, she’s no match for Tuskgutter in single combat at this time. The beast is reasonably well protected in of Armor Class and HP, although neither are stupendous. The same goes with its Attack bonus. All in all, it’s more than a match for a single warrior in your party (especially one with an Armor Class as shaky as Amiri’s) but it shouldn’t present a serious challenge to you as a group.

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Take Tuskgutter's Head off its corpse - the boar won't be needing it anymore

then loot a corpse for some choice loot.

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When you ]nd the time, present Tuskgutter's Head to Oleg to claim your reward.

Defeat the hog and Amiri will strike up another conversation, revealing that it’s not her old tribe she was trying to impress and gain legitimacy in the eyes of, but her new tribe: the adventuring party. D’aww… Take Tuskgutter’s Head, then continue north and loot a corpse to ]nd a Wand of Find Traps and An Ancient Rostlandic Coin. While it would be impractical to return to Oleg’s Trading Post now, given the distance involved, the reward for killing Tuskgutter will be included below for the sake of continuity. Just be sure to talk to Oleg and tell him of your mighty deed the next time you return to Oleg’s Trading Post.

Reward: For bringing Tuskgutter's Head to Oleg 200 XP / 400 GP / Masterwork Longbow

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Glade in the Wilderness To reach this location from Tuskgutter’s Lair, follow the directions below:

• • • •

East South East (to reach empty node north of Glade in the Wilderness) South

On the other hand, for a more generalized approach from Thorn Ford, use these directions:

• • • • • •

Southwest (cross the river) Southeast (along river) Southwest (veers south) South West (to reach empty node north of Glade in the Wilderness) South

The location of the Glade in the Wilderness area on the map.

From where you arrive, head northeast along the road to ]nd two Dire Wolves nearby. Better get used to them, as these are the main foes you’ll be ]ghting in this area. Despite their name, they’re only slightly stronger than other wolves you’ve fought thus far, which by now should make them rather underwhelming foes. Their Armor Class is paltry and their HP mediocre - the only thing they really have going for them is a decent Attack bonus and the ability to freely perform a trip attack when they hit a bite. By now, however, most of your warriors should have a high enough Combat Maneuver Defense score to make it unlikely (although by no means impossible) for them to be tripped.

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Further to the northeast you’ll ]nd three more Dire Wolves who happen to be guarding a cave. Kill them, then enter their cave and kill another pair of Dire Wolves. Continue north, then turn southeast to ]nd… a Beholder! No, seriously though, just another pair of Dire Wolves. Defeat this last pair of Dire Wolves and note another, larger group of canines (consisting of two Dire Wolves and three Ferocious Wolves) who can be found around the corner to the northwest.

Defeat some wolves near the start of the area (left); and another group near the entrance to a cave. Wonder what lurks inside? (right)

If this was a simple, straight-forward ]ght, rushing in and cutting them down would be a su_cient tactic, but it’s not, so a more sophisticated approach is in order. First, pick your best tank, buff them with Blur and/or Shield of Faith and buff your whole party with Bardsong and/or Bless, then send them to engage the Wolves to the north, leading with your tank, of course. After you exterminate some of the wolves to the north, another group of wolves (speci]cally two Dire Wolves) will spawn behind you, led by an Alpha Wolf - by far the strongest mutt you’ll face in this area. If you’re unprepared, this could be a devastating development, at the very least for your squishy characters hanging back. With this fore-knowledge you can prepare for, and hopefully counter, this ambush. To prepare for this inevitability, move your ranged characters northeast so they’re behind your warriors. Space might be tight, so be careful, but provoking an Attack of Opportunity might be a necessary risk to move your ranged characters out of danger. Once they’re behind the line of your warriors (who should be engaging the northern wolves still), your arcane spellcaster has one more trick to play before reg themselves to a /archery role. Once they’re safely to the north and not near enough to any wolves to provoke an Attack of Opportunity, cast Web (if you picked it for a third or fourth level spell, as suggested) to the south, near the entrance to the den the northern wolves inhabit, as the area of effect should be large enough to cover the entire entrance. Best case scenario, this will stop the southern wolves from arriving before you wipe out the northern ones, and force them to engage you piecemeal. If you have the capacity for it, consider casting two Web spells stacked on top of each other, as their effects stack, and forcing your opponents to make two saves every round will effectively prevent them from making it through the affected area. this strategy well, it may come in handy later.

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Sneak your casters and archers behind the wolves to protect them from future arrivals.

Cast a Web spell near the entrance to the cavern to delay the ambushing wolves.

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Loot a pile of bones for a hard-won Scythe +1.

If all the wolves are stuck by the Web spell, equip your characters with ranged weapons and shoot them down, although it’s usually a good idea to keep one character ready with a melee weapon to draw the aggro of enemies that break free from the Web spell, and to give the rest of your warriors time to switch back to melee weapons - an ideal role for your tank. If at all possible, kill the lesser wolves ]rst as while the Alpha Wolf is the greatest individual threat, it’s danger is multiplied by having other wolves around to take advantage of its trip attacks. Once the magically-aided slaughter is over, loot a pile of bones to the north to obtain a Scroll of Bane and a Scythe +1, among other treasures. Jaethal will ]nd the upgrade most helpful. Despite the lofty pretensions of this expedition, this is, sadly, the last bit of gear you’ll ]nd that’s a notable upgrade. That’s not to say there’s not treasure ahead, just nothing quite on par with what you’ve found so far. If time is tight or the spirit is wanting for motivation, now might be a good time to prepare for the assault on the Stag Lord’s Fort. If you’re good to continue on and want to clear the last of the areas that are both reachable and within your power, carry on with the next two areas: the Old Mesa and the Riverine Rise.

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Old Mesa Reaching the Old Mesa from the Glade in the Wilderness is a simple enough matter:

• • • •

North (to reach empty node north of Glade in the Wilderness) East East (turns northeast, Old Mesa is a hidden location south of the path) South

While from Thorn Ford you need to head:

• • • • •

Southwest (cross the river) Southeast (along the river) Southeast (along the river, again) Southwest (Old Mesa is a hidden location south of this path) South

The location of the Old Mesa area on the map.

When you arrive, head north, then northwest to ]nd an abandoned camp - abandoned, that is, save for the Werewolf that now guards it. This Werewolf isn’t too dreadful a foe, but it does have one major strong point that may give you trouble: Damage Reduction. In this case, the Werewolf likely has Damage Reduction 10/silver, or something similar. Whatever the exact resistance, chances are you have no means of overcoming it right now, so every attack you land will deal ten less damage. You can overcome this by using direct-damage dealing spells like Magic Missile to deal damage, or just by having warriors who can deal enough damage - Amiri is able, and the odd critical hit and sneak attack will help out tremendously, as will using feats like Power Attack. The Werewolf isn’t a terribly powerful foe, nor one protected overly well by HP or Armor Class, but

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if your offense grinds to a halt against it, feel free to abandon this area and come back later.

Kill the Werewolf and steal his Breastplate +1.

That all said, most parties should have a character capable of dealing signi]cant damage to the Werewolf, so it’s rather expected you’ll be able to take down this beast. If you buff your tank with Blur and Shield of Faith it’ll take the Werewolf that much longer to cause trouble, giving you plenty of time to swing for those critical hits. When it dies, loot its corpse for a Breastplate +1, a Potion of Invisibility and a Ruby, the latter of which will sell for a cool 750 GP, then loot a nearby chest for a Potion of Vanish. Further rewards can be found to the north, where a corpse will yield a Potion of Reduce Person and some baubles.

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Riverine Rise The ]nal area to explore, the Riverine Rise, is the only area east of the Stag Lord’s Fort. From the Old Mesa area, the route is as follows:

• • • • • •

North (to reach empty node north of Old Mesa) Northeast Southeast (along the river) Southeast (cross the river) Southeast (to reach empty node south of Riverine Rise) Northeast

From Thorn Ford:

• • • • • •

Southwest (cross the river) Southeast (along the river) Southeast (along the river, a third time) Southeast (cross the river) Southeast (to reach empty node south of Riverine Rise) Northeast

The location of the Riverine Rise area on the map.

Like the Old Mesa area, this location isn’t terribly busy, housing merely one foe, albeit a rather powerful one. From where you arrive, follow the trail north, then uphill to the northeast to ]nd a Large Water Elemental. Use the normal precautions and buff your tank, then lead with them to draw the elemental’s attention, and you should have no trouble with this foe. It again has Damage Reduction (a mere DR 5 this time, however), and while its HP are high, its Armor Class and Attack bonus

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are merely on par with what your best warriors should have - in other words, no match for a 6-on-1 ]ght. Kill the Elemental, then head northwest to ]nd a corpse, from which you can score two Potions of Restoration, Lesser and three Scrolls of Remove Blindness. What an odd combination… an itinerant healer, perhaps? And with that, there’s little left to do but return to Oleg’s Trading Post, sell off your loot, rest, and prepare to ]nally assault the Stag Lord’s Fort.

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Chapter 1 - Claiming the Stolen Lands

Stag Lord's Fort Travel: Stag Lord’s Fort You shouldn’t need any speci]c preparations before heading off to this place, although you may want to buy some rations - enough to rest twice without any hunting success should su_ce (you can’t rest inside the Stag Lord’s Fort area, but you can always exit to the world map and rest). If you want to be successful, you’ll disabuse yourself of the notion that you’ll be assaulting some keep and routing the defenders in one great action. At least, if you want to win, that is. Instead, routing the Stag Lord’s garrison will ideally involve in]ltration and the surgical removal of isolated pockets of bandits without any escaping to summon their friends. Only when all of these groups are destroyed should you make your move on the Stag Lord, himself. There’s a lot of ]ghting to be done, and you may have to burn through spells to ensure a clean victory, which may, in turn, require you to retreat and rest a few times during the larger operation - a good reason why you should have left yourself at least two weeks for the trek and the assault.

Note: Even with all the exploring listed above (and some extraneous exploration, besides) our date was 19, Lamashan, giving us nearly two months to complete our task, so time shouldn’t be a serious limitation.

Once those preparations are made, all that remains (you know, besides all the ]ghting) is traveling there, which you can achieve with the following directions (from Thorn Ford):

• • • • •

Southwest (cross the river) Southeast (along the river) Southeast (along the river, a third time) Southwest (along a different branch of the river) Southwest

Kressle’s Rebellion You’ll arrive along the southern edge of the map. From here, follow the path north where, if you spared her earlier at the Thorn Ford camp, you’ll ]nd Kressle. Her old loyalty to the Stag Lord is gone, and now she - and a group of her fellows seeks an audience. As far as strategy goes, Kressle is useless, and if you indulge her straightforward approach by picking the dialogue option "It’s a bold plan and I like it. It’s time to pay the Stag Lord a visit!" she’ll come to a bad end - and you probably will, too. The Stag Lord’s personal guards are enough of a ]ght, but if they end up ed by other bandits (not to mention the Stag Lord’s pet Owlbear) you could easily end up overwhelmed.

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If you spared her, Kressle will offer to help you with a frontal assault. (left); Not all options are good options, however, and the Stag Lord is quite di_cult to defeat in a head-on confrontation. (right)

That being the case, pick the dialogue option "Direct attack might not be the best option. I’ll look for other ways to enter the fort. Stay alert and me when you hear the sounds of ]ghting." Don’t worry about the wording, she’s not as impulsive as all that - you’ll only have to worry about her coming to your aid when you confront the Stag Lord, or if you slip up and the alarm is sounded.

Clear the Eastern Moat If you continue northeast along the southeastern end of the map you’ll eventually reach the fort, which consists of wooden walls behind a shallow ditch, inside of which lurk some Thylacines. It’s not terribly interesting, but you can ]nd a corpse in the moat, on which is An Ancient Rostlandic Coin and some other trinkets.

Defeat the Thylacines scavenging in the ditch around the fort (left); then loot a corpse to ]nd An Ancient Rostlandic Coin. (right)

The Front Door After turning down Kressle’s direct approach, it’s somewhat silly to try the front door, but the approach isn’t entirely without merit. Interact with the door and you’ll have a number of responses you can make, most of them being differing degrees of useless. Claiming to be a traveler will just make them raise their guard and keep the door locked, while threatening to attack will achieve the same dubious result. Picking the [Lawful Good] option will indeed gain you an audience with the Stag Lord, although you’ll be ]ghting the Stag Lord’s personal guards, this time without the aid of Kressle, making it an even worse option. Succeeding at a [Bluff 21] check might be worth the results, however, as it’ll get the doors open. Unfortunately you’ll be

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recognized by one of the guards, but with 6-on-3 odds, it’s too little, too late. This is a pretty straightforward ]ght that shouldn’t really be one you can lose (you may wish to rethink this whole "baron" thing if this battle presents you with any trouble). There is a complication, however, and it’s one that you’ll need to keep in mind for every ]ght in the fort. Once a group of bandits has been reduced to one survivor, that survivor will attempt to êe and sound the alarm. If you’re not positioned advantageously, they could very well succeed, given that most of the bandits are more lightly armored than your warriors, and hence can outrun them. That being the case, prepare for this inevitability ahead of time by switching your focus off severely wounded bandits in favor of stronger ones, and try to have several characters near the soon-to-be last bandit before killing their last remaining ally. Done correctly, Attacks of Opportunity should spare you some grief. If you fail and the alarm is rung, you may as well just reload, rather than attempt to ]ght the entirety of the Stag Lord’s forces. Spells like Hold Person are also invaluable here, as you can keep a bandit from running with it, deal with their allies, then ]nish them off at your leisure.

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Succeed at a Bluff check to get the bandits to open the gate.

Once inside, cut down the bandits when they recognize you.

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Be wary, however, as the last surviving bandit of any group will attempt to run away and alert the Stag Lord.

Feel free to talk your way into the gate and exterminate the gate guard - it’s honestly not a bad way to eliminate this group of Bandits and secure a way into the fort. Whether you do this or not, however, there’s merit in seeking out another approach as well, so after you defeat the gate guards, abandon your gains for now and leave the fort.

Slay the Zombies near the Western Wall In addition to the gate, there’s another way into the Stag Lord’s Fort that’s somewhat less direct, although you’ll have to ]ght to get there. Make your way northwest along the moat surrounding the fort, killing Zombies as you go. While they may be new foes, they’re not much of a threat, having a fair share of HP, but little to speak of in the way of Attack or Armor Class. Their only noteworthy feature (besides being undead and hence immune to mind-affecting effects) is their Damage Reduction 5/slashing or bludgeoning. Eradicate them and continue northwest along the moat until you ]nd a larger, more dangerous group of Zombies near some ruins, which are led by two Zombie Lords. While somewhat stronger, they’re still weaker than basically every bandit you’ll have to ]ght, but unlike normal Zombies, at least they’ll drop Masterwork Scimitars for your trouble. Once you’ve fought through the Zombies and reached the western end of the fort you should notice (hold down the "Tab" key) a variety of ways to interact with a less than well-maintained section of the wall. Succeed at an [Athletics 19] check to force open a satisfactorily large breach in the wall, or a [Mobility 21] check to climb over the wall. If you fail the Athletics check it’ll alert the fort, while failing at the Mobility will remove that as an option. On the plus side, however, once you succeed you can freely travel back and forth without incident.

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Dispatch numerous mobs of zombies near the ruins outside the fort.

Search a corpse to ]nd a cache of gold coins.

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Under some rubble you can ]nd a Taldan Warrior's Dog Tag.

Note this potential entry point, but don’t pursue it just yet, as there’s more undead to kill and loot to obtain. From the western wall, head southwest along the northwestern edge of the area, killing another group of Zombies near some ruins. When they’re all dead, loot some stonework north of the Zombies for a Taldan Warrior’s Dog Tag then a [Perception 6] check on some more ruins to the southeast to ]nd another Taldan Warrior’s Dog Tag. To the southwest of the Zombies you can ]nd a pile of corpses - properly inanimate ones, this time - one of which possesses a whopping 723 GP. On the other corpse you’ll merely ]nd some trinkets.

Sway or Slay Akiros Insmort Now that the exterior of the fort is cleared, return to the western wall and gain access, either through Mobility or Athletics. Once through the wall you’ll ]nd a man named Akiros Insmort, who you may have met before, if you went to the Thorn Ford bandit camp before going to the Ancient Tomb, and if you did so in a timely manner. Given the bene]ts of not doing that, however, you probably didn’t, so you may want to introduce yourself. Don’t want to be rude, after all. Akiros isn’t nearly as chatty here as he was (or would have been) at Thorn Ford, but you’ll largely get the same information from him, both textually and subtextually: he’s much more reasonable than the Stag Lord, and would rather legitimately rule than terrorize the area’s inhabitants. That said, his loyalty to the Stag Lord has diminished somewhat in recent days, making him susceptible to a [Diplomacy 23] check (which is also a [Neutral Good] act). Succeed at this aforementioned check and he’ll your ]ght against the Stag Lord under the same conditions as Kressle: he’ll only show up when you encounter the Stag Lord himself, or when the alarm is sounded. Still, he’s a sturdy warrior, and every bit of help is appreciated. You can also achieve this end by ing a [Lore (Religion) 18] check, which is done automatically at the beginning of the conversation. If you ]nd the [Lore (Religion)] option available, you ed the check.

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Try to coerce Akiros to your side or talk him out of ]ghting. (left); Or you can just kill him. (right)

If you can’t gain an ally, you can always try for an [Intimidate 18] check (a [Neutral] action) to convince him that this isn’t his ]ght. If your protagonist is Lawful, you can select a special dialogue option that convinces Akiros to leave and surrender himself to justice. If you fail either the Diplomacy or Intimidate checks listed above, Akiros will attack, a matter you can expedite by simply picking the [Attack] option. Should hostilities break out, Akiros won’t ]ght entirely alone, as his call will summon some nearby bandits: a group to the southeast and another to the northeast. You can delay these bandits with Web, as the ground to the southeast of Akiros - between the nearby stable and the fort’s wall - is just large enough to accommodate this spell. Cast the Web spell (or two) in the aforementioned location, gang up on Akiros and cut him down, and hope at least a few of the bandits to the southeast are caught by the Web spell so you can pick them off with ranged attacks. In particular, go after the Alchemist ]rst, as he’s the real nuisance in this ]ght. Just be wary of the ruined stone wall, as it can give your targets cover - a bene]t you won’t receive. Given all these complications, it may be easier to eliminate these groups of bandits that Akiros would otherwise summon before talking to Akiros.

Cutting Off the Reinforcements To eliminate the southeastern group, you may ]nd it easier to enter via the front gate (Akiros will spot you if you go through the western wall and don’t immediately talk to him) and turn west, where you’ll ]nd them hiding behind some wagons. These impediments make a direct ranged assault unlikely to succeed, and if you ]nd Web too messy, there’s another, arguably better solution. Approach with your Cleric just close enough to spot the Bandit Alchemist and hit him with a preemptive Hold Person spell. With his terrible Will Save there’s a great chance you’ll take him off the board with a single spell, after which you should rush him, cut him down, then deal with the others. This requires a little more planning that it may seem, however, as your character may struggle to navigate the terrain (and enemies) to get to their target in a timely fashion, plus you need to get past the Bandit Brawler, who is quite a bruiser in combat. Line up your warriors to the north, near the large tree in the middle of the fort, and buff one of them with Blur and Shield of Faith and make sure they lead the charge. Once the Hold Person is cast and combat begins, charge, and pay attention to your warriors to ensure they reach their target. Lastly, keep an eye on the Bandit Bard, as he’ll target your characters with Hideous Laughter. While only a [Will 14] save, he can still make a nuisance of himself with it, and should be smote immediately after the Bandit Alchemist. Failing that, simply spell-bu_ng (Bless, Blur, Bull’s Strength, Shield of Faith) and attacking may su_ce. Send your tank around the wagon to the north to occupy the Brawler (and draw the attention of the Alchemist) while the rest of your warriors move south between the wagon and the wall. While your tank draws ]re and takes damage, cut down the Bard and Alchemist, cast a Hold Person spell on one of the two surviving bandits, then clean up.

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Target the alchemist and try to take this troublesome bandit out quickly.

Left to its own devices, the bandit alchemist will pelt you with bombs.

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Search under the tree to ]nd a chest you can loot.

As far as loot goes, you can ]nd a satchel [Perception 22] [Trickery 17] under the large tree north of these four bandits who would have come to Akiros’ aid, inside of which is a Wand of Vanish and an Amulet of Natural Armor +1. Near the wagons those aforementioned bandits gathered around you can also ]nd a chest with a Potion of Shield of Faith.

Kill the Bandits Near the Alarm From the bandits between the gate and Akiros, head north around the large tree in the center of the fort. This tree may prove a bit of a distraction, as the next target group of bandits has a camp behind (to the north of) the tree. While the tree obnoxiously obscures them (fortunately you have red outlines to work with, at least), this ]ght isn’t all that tricky due to the bandits’ foolish decision to remain largely clumped up. Approach until you can see the southern-most bandit (a Half-Orc specimen whose size makes him clearly stand out) and cast a Web spell (or two!) just north of him. This should subject the entire group of bandits to the spell’s effect, and two such spells will all but end this ]ght outright. After the Web spell(s) are cast, have your characters use ranged weapons to pick off bandits preferentially, starting with the Bandit Illusionist, then working on the Half-Orc, if for no better reason than the fact that his high HP will make him hard to stop should he be the last one remaining. The two southern-most bandits (including the Half-Orc) are inclined to melee combat, and once they’re gone, it’s a straight shoot-out. Be wary of one thing, however: the straggler on patrol to the east. He should the ]ght soon enough, and after both melee bandits and the illusionists are down, target him, as well. So long as you eliminate him when he shows up, you should be ]ne. Otherwise, if you forget about him and he’s the last survivor, he’s right next to the alarm, and will be unimpeded by the Web spell(s) the rest of his fellows are suffering through. As always, when there are two bandits left, consider using Hold Person to neutralize one and save the held foe for last. Alas, unlike the last group of bandits, these ones weren’t the guardians of any great treasure. Not only is their equipment paltry, but the only container they guard is a chest, wherein you’ll ]nd a Potion of Reduce Person and a Potion of Enlarge Person.

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Once these two groups of bandits are gone, you can freely interact with Akiros and pick whatever ]ghts you wish. If you kill him, he’ll drop a Bastard Sword +1 among other, less-interesting treasure.

Clear the Southeast Find a new home for these items, then make your way back to the fort’s gate, as there are more bandits in need of a good smiting. You’ve cleared the gate and the western-most corner of the fort, now it’s time to head southeast from the gate and deal with the bandits in the southern corner of the fort. Here you’ll ]nd another three foes, including a Bandit Brawler, a Bandit Alchemist and a Bandit armed with a sword and shield. This time the Bandit Alchemist does you a favor by pacing from the camp]re her fellows are gathered at to the wall to the southwest. Get close enough to spot her, and when she approaches the wall, rush her and cut her down quick-like. After that, you just need to deal with the two remaining bandits, a comparatively simple affair, since it’s a straight melee ]ght. The Bandit Brawler can dish out the damage, while the other bandit is more sturdy. Either try to spread your damage out evenly during the ]ght to prevent them from êeing when isolated, or have a Hold Person ready to stop the last bandit.

Wait for the Bandit Alchemist to wander away from its companions before launching an ambush. (left); Kill some wolves in their pen. (right)

Don’t relax your guard after defeating these bandits, however, as more ]ghting awaits. Just east of their camp]re you’ll ]nd a pen where four Ferocious Wolves lurk. By now these are paltry foes, and you should need little instruction to deal with them.

Move the boxes out of the way (left); and claim the treasure hidden behind them. (right)

Kill the wolves, then get to looting. There’s a chest (Trickery 15) near some crates south of the watchtower in the corner of the fort which contains a Potion of Shield of Faith, among other trinkets. On the eastern front of a house northeast of the bandit’s camp]re you’ll ]nd a chest containing a Potion of Shield of Faith and a Potion of Enlarge, while on the

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northwestern end of the house you’ll ]nd some boxes you can move. Do so, but be careful, as bandits lurk both behind the house and further northwest, including a wandering archer who may spot you and start a ]ght. If you killed this wandering archer - whose patrol took him near the Owlbear cage - when you eradicated the bandits in the shadow of the fort’s large tree, you won’t need to worry about this nuisance. This can prove to be an opportunity more than a hindrance, however, depending on your luck and strategy. Cast a Web spell (or two!) north of the wagon that forms a barrier between you and the bandits, then equip all your characters with ranged weapons and start shooting the bandits behind the house, as there are two in sight who are easy targets. Don’t give them your undivided attention, however, as there’s a Bandit Priestess back there, too, who will make her presence known shortly by casting Bless. Her following spells aren’t as nice, and include Hold Person, so target her immediately and shoot her down, then focus on the bow-armed Bandits who will undoubtedly return ]re and who can score Sneak Attacks with their bows. At this point it should be your six characters shooting at two bandits, as the melee-inclined bandits (of which there are several) will either get stuck in the Web trying to get around the many objects between you and them, or they’ll take so long to get to you that you’ll have ample time to prepare a character to meet them. The only concern now is the potential for you losing track of a bandit, killing all his fellow bandits, and being unprepared to stop him as he runs for the alarm.

Carpet the area to the north with Web spells to hinder the bandits there. (left); Be prepared to intercept any ambitious bandits that make it through the Webs. (right)

Be aware of this potential and seek to eliminate it through vigilance - kill the Priestess and the archers to ensure that the only bandits left will be either stuck in the Web spell(s), moving to engage your party, or actively attacking in melee. Always focus on any bandits not stuck in the Web spell(s), and when there are two left, consider using Hold Person to neutralize one of the two, as extra insurance that they’re not going anywhere. While doing this, be sure not to have any characters too far to the northeast (in the wedge formed by the logs and the wagon), as if you provoke the wandering archer, he’ll bring in his ]ve friends. They’re somewhat less suitable for this strategy, as all but two of them will employ ranged attacks of their own, and many are too far out to be reliably stopped by a Web spell. If you wish to avoid provoking this second group of bandits to the northwest, just make sure their archer isn’t wandering nearby, and use the time when he’s away to loot the chests. You can also do this to avoid any confrontation here, if you wish to deal with the group of bandits behind the house in a different fashion. The large chest contains a Glaive +1, while the small chest (Trickery 21) holds a Cloak of Resistance +1.

Neutralize the Owlbear Now that most of the bandits here - all but the personal attendants of the Stag Lord - make your way back to the alarm bell. This device is just east of the bandits who camped north of the large tree, and unfortunately you can’t disable it. You

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can, however, deal with the Stag Lord’s pet Owlbear, which is penned up just south of the alarm bell (southwest of the aforementioned camp, northeast of the aforementioned tree). This large, dangerous aberration would have been all too eager to attack your ânk should you have neglected it in favor of confronting the Stag Lord. Having fought your way through the camp, however, you have a variety of ways to deal with this beast. Interact with the gate to bring up a dialogue box, where you can choose to make a [Lore (Nature) 18] check to calm the Owlbear down and convince it you’re not a bad guy, after which you can free the Owlbear (a [Chaotic Good] action) and let it wander its way to freedom. Not a bad idea for kind-hearted do-gooders who perhaps lack a bit of foresight. You can also simply perform a [Chaotic Good] action and free the Owlbear, but if you don’t pacify it ]rst, it’ll attack you. While dreadfully strong (it boasts around a +20 Attack bonus and will likely deal no less than twenty damage per hit), if you are fully healed, protected by Blur, engage with your tank, and have a bit of luck on your side, you should be able to cut it down. Your only reward for doing so, however, is some experience and a Bear Pelt. A hard sale, honestly.

Interact with the owlbear pen to get a variety of options for disposing of the beast. (left); Including the inelegant solution of just putting the beast down. (right)

A safer, more neutral option is to a [Trickery 14] check to simply seal the Owlbear in its cage. No animal cruelty, but also you won’t be letting this Owlbear wander around the countryside, or worse, attack you as you ]ght the Stag Lord. Finally, you can try to put the beast down by ing a [Stealth 19] check. A caged animal isn’t hard to kill, but failing the check will result in you doing so somewhat less than quietly, effectively alerting the Stag Lord and whatever surviving bandits he has left, which may not be much of a downside, depending on how many you’ve slain thus far.

Beat the Bandits Behind the House From the Owlbear pen, head east to get behind a house along the fort’s southeastern wall. You should have killed the bandits in front of the house earlier, and possibly the ones behind it, as well. If not, the tactics for cleanly doing so from this direction are similar to the tactics employed against the bandits camped in the shadow of the fort’s large tree or for dealing with this same group of bandits while behind the house to the south, for that matter. Creep forward to spot the northwestern-most bandits, cast a Web spell (or two!) just southeast of them, and shoot down webbed bandits starting with the Bandit Priestess followed by any melee foes. When you’re down to two targets, paralyze one with Hold Person and ]nish them off. Once the bloodshed has ceased, loot the Bandit Priestess for a Masterwork Club.

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Deal with Auchs and Rovan Mighty ]ne progress! With this much of the fort clear, there’s a good chance you can confront the Stag Lord directly and hope to win. Still, there’s more you can do to shift the odds further in your favor. Two of the Stag Lord’s top goons can be found nearby, northeast of the house the last bandit group (with the Bandit Priestess) hid behind. Here you’ll ]nd Dovan from Nisroch and Auchs, who were mentioned much earlier, then scarcely brought up again. They’re relatively strong opponents, but not so overwhelmingly strong that you should feel compelled to make use of debilitating spells like Hold Person or Web. Buffs like Bless, Blur, Shield of Faith and in Jaethal’s case, Divine Favor and Judgment should su_ce. Auchs ]ghts with a Greatclub, making him a somewhat heavy-hitting opponent, albeit one who has a laughably poor Armor Class (a weakness he’ll partially offset by chugging a Potion of Barkskin) and nowhere near enough HP to compensate. Dovan is more well-protected, and will play to his strengths by drinking a Potion of Invisibility and a Potion of Haste, and while this is enough to allow him to store a telling ]rst strike (via sneak attack), it’s not enough so to make him challenging. The only thing you need to watch out for with Dovan is allowing him any opportunity to make repeated Sneak Attacks, ânking with Auchs being the primary concern.

Dovan's weak Will Save makes him vulnerable to Hold Person (left); after which you can promptly smite him before he gets up to any trouble. (right)

If you can eliminate Auchs, Dovan won’t be as much of a threat, but there are other tactics you can employ and other things to keep in mind. First, there’s a trap [Perception 16] just west of Auchs and Dovan which you can easily avoid during the ]ght, then disarm [Trickery ] it later. Second, while Dovan is the clear threat and wily with his potion use, he’s got a fatal weakness: a joke of a Will Save. You can start this ]ght out with style by hitting Dovan with a Hold Person spell, after which it should be trivial to rush him and cut him down. This stops him from using his potions (although you won’t get to loot them) and from performing sneak attacks and otherwise making a nuisance of himself.

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When bested in combat, Dovan will have the good sense to surrender. (left); Surprisingly, he's honest about his stash. (right)

After defeating Dovan (whether or not Auchs is defeated yet) he’ll do what any sensible villain in his position would do: he’ll try to strike a bargain to save his sorry hide. This might seem like a classical good party vs evil party decision, but well, you may want to let the actual loot involved be your guide. If you spare Dovan (a [Lawful Evil] act) you’ll indeed ]nd his stash in the ditch to the left (northwest) of the gate. This stash contains a Diamond (sells for 1,250 GP) and an Amulet of Natural Armor +1. On the other hand, if you kill him you can loot his Agile Rapier +1, Chainmail +1 and Potion of Cat’s Grace. While the magical Chainmail is nice, and you probably have no shortage of characters who can use it, the Amulet of Natural Armor is more versatile but you’ll get more of them to the point where you’ll likely be replacing it before long, anyway. In either event, you can loot Auchs for his Greatclub +2 and Belt of Mighty Constitution +2. This club is a potential upgrade for Amiri, although it’s not an uncontested upgrade; it should raise her Attack bonus by +3, but lower her damage per hit by a good bit, as well. It really depends on what you want out of Amiri; if you’ve spent feats bolstering her bastard sword, you might as well stick with it, otherwise feel free to equip this weapon and make use of it. This doesn’t necessarily mean you should shift focus, feat-wise, especially since there’s plenty of great two-handed weapons out there you might want to alternate between as the situation demands. The Belt of Mighty Constitution +2 should go on a front-liner, either on a character whose HP are somewhat suspect (Jaethal) or a tank that’s expected to soak extra damage (Valerie). Don’t worry too much about it, though - it’s only four HP at this point. Deal with Auchs and Dovan however you deem suitable, then make a [Perception 16] check to spot a satchel you can loot behind a ladder south of the camp]re Auchs and Dovan were at. North of the same camp]re you can ]nd a barrel, while further north, near a building, you’ll ]nd a pack with a Scorched Fragment of a Necklace in it. With that, you’re done clearing out the fort, save for the Stag Lord. It’s about time you introduced yourself perhaps after a spot of rest to make sure you’re in top form.

Battle: The Stag Lord If you’ve completed everything listed above in the walkthrough, you should have a ]ne shot at defeating the Stag Lord. There’s no guarantee, however, as the Stag Lord still has minions to guard him, and he’s no slouch in combat, himself. When you approach the estate at the northern end of the fort enough to provoke one of his guards, the Stag Lord will be called for, and he’ll answer the call. After the cutscene he’ll move himself to a platform southeast of the estate’s door, from which he’ll merrily shoot at anybody within sight. He’s a deadly archer, with a high Attack Bonus and a healthy supply of HP, but the worst bit about this ]ght is how troublesome it can be to get your characters to move onto that balcony. You’re basically limited to attacking the Stag Lord and hoping for the best, as far as path]nding goes. Against an unprepared party lacking buffs, who get caught up in

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the Stag Lord’s minions, and who have trouble focusing on the Stag Lord due to the platform he’s on, he’s quite capable of wiping the entire party. And no, he won’t provoke Attacks of Opportunity if you close on him. On top of the Stag Lord himself he’s ed by a Bandit Priestess (on the opposite balcony) and a bunch of lesser bandits who either will engage in melee or with ranged weapons. They’re nothing you haven’t dealt with many times over by now, but with a foe like the Stag Lord taking advantage of every delay and distraction, they can be troublesome enough. Fortunately, there’s a simple way to deal with most of the Stag Lord’s minions: the Stag Lord is loathe to leave his platform, so you can simply provoke some bandits, retreat, then cut them down out of the Stag Lord’s sight.

Rout the bandits on the ground (left); then ascend to the Stag Lord's platform and kill him. (right)

Another possible solution - depending on your previous actions - is to simply let Kressle and/or Akiros help in the ]ght. They should appear after the ]ghting starts once the Stag Lord is summoned, in which case they’ll occupy the Stag Lord’s minions, allowing you to circle around to his platform and attack with your entire party.

Note: If you want to keep Kressle and Akiros alive through this ]ght, you may have to resort to trickery. In this case, provoke the Stag Lord’s minions to get the Stag Lord to appear, then retreat out of sight to the southeast. Buff a tank, then send them up to draw the attention of the Stag Lord’s minions, but don’t actually attack. Let them attack and lure them southeast to the rest of your party, where they can be safely cut down. Then just sneak up to the Stag Lord so he’s in sight and rush him with your warriors.

Vanquish the Stag Lord and you’ll get a series of moral choices ([Chaotic Good], [Lawful Neutral], [Lawful Evil] or [Chaotic Evil]). Choose whichever one you ]nd most ]tting, as the result is the same either way. Some odd magic going on there, and who is this "her" he’s talking about? Mysteries to be solved another time. After defeating the Stag Lord, vanquish all his minions, and when the ]ght ends you’ll be able to get to looting. Most of the lesser bandits have little of interest, but the Stag Lord, ]ttingly, is a treasure trove. Search his body to claim his Savage Bow, Reinforced Studded Leather, Stag Helmet, Boots of Elvenkind, Lesser Bracers of Archery, Cloak of Winter Veil and The Stag Lord’s Broken Charm. The Savage Bow is a Composite Longbow +1 that has the "Aspect of the Falcon" ability which, when used gives you a +1 competence bonus on ranged Attack rolls and an expanded critical hit multiplier. If your protagonist is an archer, you just scored big, but anybody with a high Strength score can bene]t from that Savage Bow and it’s not like you haven’t been switching to and from melee weapons regularly by now, anyway. The Reinforced Studded Leather is +2 Studded Leather armor that allows the to cast Barkskin once per day, which

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further grants the wearer a Natural bonus to Armor Class. Excepting your protagonist, the Reinforced Studded Leather will go well on any character who can wear light (but not medium) armor. Anybody who can wear medium armor likely already has a suit of armor that gives a +7 Armor bonus to Armor Class. Regongar will make ]ne use of it. The Stag Helmet gives its wearer a +1 Attack bonus against ânked and ât-footed foes. The Stag Helmet will ideally ]nd its way on a character who can regularly perform Sneak Attacks, although if you bestowed Precise Strike on your warriors, it’ll do well anywhere. The Boots of Elvenkind give their wearer a +5 bonus to Mobility checks. Any character who may make Mobility checks frequently - whether it’s a ranged character who may need to retreat from enemy attackers, or a warrior who might want to charge through foes to reach their vulnerable allies - will put the Boots of Elvenkind to good use. Failing that, put them on your character with the highest Mobility score to make future Mobility checks that much easier to . Lesser Bracers of Archery will bestow a +1 competence bonus on Attack rolls with ranged weapons. A character who uses ranged weapons almost exclusively (Linzi, Octavia, perhaps Tristian or possibly your protagonist) should get these. Give them to the most dangerous archer in your party, favoring your protagonist, then Linzi, then Octavia. They’ll get the most use out of it.

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Defeat the Stag Lord and make a moral choice regarding how to send him off.

Be sure to loot the Stag Lord for some fantastic loot.

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Loot some rocks near the Stag Lords house to snare a Kukri +1.

Finally, the Cloak of Winter Veil acts as a Cloak of Resistance +1 (+1 bonus to all Saving Throws) and gives the wearer Cold Resistance 10/-. Assuming you have all your casters covered, give this to your tank, as there’s a higher chance they’ll be used to draw the attention of critters that deal cold damage (or any damage, really) than any other character. Now that the Stag Lord’s loot has been covered, make your way northwest along the front of his stronghold to ]nd [Perception 21] a Kukri +1. Might not be the most epic bit of loot you’ve found thus far, but it’s a welcome treasure, nonetheless.

Search the Stag Lord’s Estate Unfortunately, you’re not quite done yet. After distributing the booty, head into the Stag Lord’s estate and put on your trap]nding goggles, as there’s plenty of them about. It takes a stable genius to lay booby traps all over their house. In the room to the southeast you’ll ]nd a trap stretching across the room [Perception 20] [Trickery 20], and another one on a hide rug [Perception 19] [Trickery 19] - not the rectangular carpet. Disarm them, then loot a chest [Trickery 23] near a bed to score 500 GP, and another container [Trickery 14] along the wall to the northeast.

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Disarm some traps in a room to the southeast (left); then loot some treasure. (right)

Return to the antechamber and from there head into a small room to the northeast, where you can spot [Perception 15] a chest [Trickery 15] which contains a variety of trinkets you can sell. Backtrack to the antechamber yet again and this time head northwest until you ]nd a doorway to the northeast, the room beyond which clearly serves as a prison. Disarm a large trap [Perception 18] [Trickery 18] on the ôor, then unlock [Trickery 15] the cell door to the northwest. The prisoner - Nugrah - will immediately turn hostile. No "enemy of my enemy is my friend" business going on here. He’s a fairly strong spellcaster who will start out the ]ght with Thorn Body, followed by Flame Strike, so rush him, and mind you don’t let your warriors bottleneck the doorway. Once he’s dead, loot him for a Masterwork Club and a suit of Hide +2 armor. Now that this druid is gone, the mist should vanish entirely. The last thing to do is loot the chest in Nugrah’s cell for… nothing. Ah well, they can’t all be winners.

Unlock the cell door (left); then kill Nugrah. (right)

With that, there’s naught left to do but return to Oleg’s Trading Post and tell him the good news. You may want to rest along the way, if you’re injured, as it’d be an awful shame if some random encounter did you in on the eve of your victory. There’s also another matter of business you can deal with along the way back, so be sure to swing by Nettle’s Crossing as you return.

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Finishing Up Chapter 1 Nettle’s Reward Drop by Nettle’s Crossing and head to the river, where Davic Nettle will pull himself out of the water, mummble to himself, and give you your rightful reward. Be sure to loot his body for a Longspear +1, to add some material compensation on top of the experience you earn. Spears have merit as a weapon due to their reach, allowing an otherwise vulnerable character (like, say, Tristian) to attack from a distance, ideally behind your front-line warriors.

Return to Nettle's Crossing and bid Nettle farewell (left); and more importantly, claim his promised prize. (right)

Final Business in the Trading Post Once you’re back in Oleg’s Trading Post, inform Oleg of your victory. After congratulating you, he’ll contemplate what this means for the Stolen Lands, then encourage you to return to Restov with the news.

Reward: For telling Oleg about your victory over the Stag Lord 800 XP

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When you're ready to leave Chapter 1 behind, return to Oleg's Trading Post and tell Oleg the news of your victory.

It’s not a bad idea, but you may want to consider your options. If you still have time left, you might want to spend more time exploring the Stolen Lands. There are always random encounters you get can into if you want to score more experience, but you should be especially keen on clearing all the areas listed above if you haven’t already. Whenever you’re done exploring the Stolen Lands, return to Restov by picking the appropriate dialogue option while talking to Oleg.

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Baronation Jamandi’s Scheme Time for your coronation as baron… your baronation! Talk to Oleg and set off for Restov, where you’ll shortly ]nd yourself chatting with Jamandi Aldori. Your conversation is more a matter of business than pleasure, however, as the rather generous for granting a title to anybody who happened to drive the Stag Lord out of the Stolen Lands have been wanting for an explanation for a while now. Question Jamandi to learn exactly the game she’s playing and she’ll give you a lengthy explanation of Brevoy’s history. While long-winded, it’s worth hearing out, as the politics of your much larger and more powerful neighbor will certainly impact your future. The short version? After the mysterious disappearance of the Royal House Rogarvia - who united the old warring nations of Rostland and Issia into what is modern day Brevoy - the old noble houses began intriguing against each other. the Issian noble house of Surtova currently rules Brevoy, but the Aldori family - rulers of Rostland - want their independence. Neither side wants war, but at the same time the Surtovas are unlikely to allow Rostland to secede peacefully, and the Aldori won’t remain yoked by an Issian monarchy unless bound by overwhelming might. Your role, then, is to indirectly serve Aldori interests by being a political counter-balance to the Surtovas. While Brevoy couldn’t claim disputed territories without causing an international incident, an enterprising third-party could. More importantly, once ascended if this new state were to ally with (or at least remain neutral to) the Aldori when they moved to claim independence from the Surtovas, it might dissuade the Surtovas from prosecuting their claim of sovereignty. Of course, there’s nothing to stop you from siding with the Surtovas, but Jamandi will make a rather casual threat about the future of your barony if you attempt such duplicity. Still, something to scheme about…

Banter at the Banquet When you’re done chatting with Jamandi you’ll be free to attend the banquet being held in your honor, which gives you the ability to meet other movers and shakers in the political quagmire of Brevoy. These include Lander, Maegar Varn, Natala Surtova, Joseph Sellemius, Ezvanki Keeg and Hannis Drelev. Talk to young Lander seated at the table and he’ll suggest you take him as your envoy, while disclosing as little as possible about his lineage and quali]cations. Maegar Varn is the ruler of Dunsward, your neighbor to the east - a fellow opportunist who claimed his crown by taking initiative in a disputed land, at the instigation of Jamandi Aldori. He’ll also warn you about another guest, Hannis Drelev, or rather, Baron Drelev, your neighbor to the west. Unlike you and Maegar Varn, he was born into the title, and views competent "homines novi" like you with more than a little disdain.

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Jamandi will recommend you take Kassil as your envoy (left); while Lander, and aspiring noble, will vie for the position himself. (right)

Ezvanki Keeg is the High Priest of Erastil in Restov, and if you a [Diplomacy 18] check while talking to him, he’ll offer to "help you build a shrine in your capital, free of charge". If you a [Lore (Religion) 18] check (the check is made as soon as you start talking to Ezvanki Keeg) and pick that dialogue option, you’ll earn an experience reward.

Reward: For praising Ezvanki Keeg's power 120 XP

Talk to Joseph Sellemius - Lord Mayor of the quasi-independent city of Restov - and as you go to leave he’ll also offer you some building supplies. In this case, his offer is less generous than Ezvanki Keeg’s was, as the ]ve hundred cartloads he sends you comes with the stipulation that you’ll "use the services of the Restov builders guild" until you’ve fully paid for the goods.

Note: All these cartloads of building supplies are a resource you’ll need for construction in your barony. Apparently the going rate is one cartload = one unit of Building Supplies (BP). You’ll learn more about this shortly.

Make whatever ]nancial decisions you wish, then introduce yourself to Natala Surtova, who, aside from her "sugary-sweet smile" wastes little time on pleasantries before jumping into politics. She’s well aware of the game the Aldoris are playing, and is less reserved about giving you "warnings" about what fate awaits your barony should you side with her enemies. Regardless of who you , it seems that the leaders of both factions are quite sure your lands will be exposed to the odd chevauchée, if not outright siege and conquest. Natala Surtova’s solution, of course, is the exact opposite of Jamandi’s, suggesting that if the Aldoris are faced with an inevitable two-front war, they’ll remain subservient.

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Talk to Natala Surtova and she'll recommend Shandra Mervey as your envoy. (left); Flattering Ezvanki Keeg and practicing some diplomacy - will earn you handsome rewards. (right)

In any event, the currency of your loyalty seems to be which envoy you allow to whisper in your ear - Kassil Aldori represents the Aldoris, while Natala Surtova will offer up the services of Shandra Mervey. Selecting Lander opens up the possibility of a more neutral approach. Finish this treacherous little banquet up by talking to Jamandi and be sure to pick which envoy you wish by picking the dialogue option "Before we begin, I’d like to talk about the envoy I’ll be taking with me.". This isn’t so much of a moral choice as it is a political one, so pick whichever faction you prefer by nominating their envoy, or attempt to remain neutral and pick Lander. Once done, watch the scenes that follow, which heralds the end of Chapter 1.

Talk to Jamandi to earn your due, and end Chapter 1.

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Chapter 2 - Dire Narlmarches Expedition

First Day on the Job A Baron’s Duties After the banquet ends you’ll ]nd yourself in your infant capital city, which stands on the site of the Stag Lord’s old fortress. They sure got to building fast, eh? Kesten Garess will be there to greet you, answer some initial quests you may have, and ]nally take you on a tour of the place. If you ask him about what peculiar citizens are about, he’ll inform you that Jhod and whatever emissary you chose are in the capital, as well as a blind elf named Desna. You’ll have to introduce yourself, but ]rst, allow Kesten to guide you about the city, such as it is, after which you’ll enter your residence. In your throne room you’ll be introduced to a new feature - the kingdom map. Your emissary will tell you - sparing every possible detail - what you can expect to ]nd on this map before urging you to appoint capable ministers from your pool of companions and followers. Last but not least, you’ll be reminded to return to your capital regularly to deal with o_cial business. Petitioners expect to be able to meet with the baron, and it’s a tradition you’d do well to maintain, for the sake of your realm’s stability. After the chatter is over you’ll be dropped onto the unfamiliar kingdom map, the basics of which are fairly well-covered by the in-game tutorials. For a detailed decription of how to manage your kindom, check out the Kingdom Development section of the guide. For now, however, you need only appoint some Leaders, as it’ll take a while for kingdom events, projects and claims to appear regularly. This isn’t to say you should ignore this aspect of the game - you’ll need to balance kingdom management with proper adventuring. Not only is raising your kingdom stats (typically done through building or completing events) essential to maintaining your realm, but many quests will also be introduced via Event Cards on your kingdom map. While exploring, get in the habit of checking your kingdom map (click the castle icon on the bottom right of the screen while on the overworld map) every day for new event cards that may have popped up. Most events can be resolved while you’re exploring, but some will require you to return to your capital city, and others may require you to invest some time into them, during which no other actions can be taken. You’ll have to be savvy with managing your time, and explore during the down time between major kingdom events.

Note: You can check the progress of kingdom events while exploring. To do so, when you’re on the world map just click the castle icon on the lower right corner of the screen. You can even assign characters to handle events and build structures in your settlements. Some events will require your physical presence, however, so it’s a good idea to return regularly and not over-extend yourself.

The Emissary and Antiquarian Now that you’re done - for a short while at least - with all this busy baronial business, it’s time to have a look around your throne room. First, direct your attention to that most wonderful of features to the northwest of your throne: a stash! Honest to goodness, you can store all the junk you’d rather not carry around in here, be it magical items you can’t bring yourself to sell yet, excess potions and scrolls, food, or other junk that you’re not willing to sell and would rather not carry around. Because what kind of baron doesn’t have their own stash of treasure?

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After that, you should notice plenty of people to chat with. You can talk to Jhod and Kesten to learn a little (very little) more about them, but the rest of your companions have nothing new to say, so turn your attention to your emissary. Whomever you chose, they can certainly tell you more about the relationship between the Surtovas and the Aldori, just don’t necessarily expect an unbiased . Exhaust their dialogue options, then turn your attention to the Storyteller, who can be found near the doors to the southwest. This is the blind elf Kesten told you about earlier, a collector of stories and a preserver of history, he’s keenly interested in such artifacts. Simply put, he’s the antiquarian whose services you’ve been in need of since Chapter 1, and he’s all too eager to buy up any Ancient Rostland Coins (200 GP each), Tokens of the Dryad (300 GP each), Ancient Cyclops Coins (400 GP each) and Taldan Warrior’s Dog Tags (300 GP each) you may possess. If you were diligent about hunting them down in Chapter 1, you every well see yourself become 7,800 GP richer by such an exchange. Alas, you currently don’t possess enough Scorched Fragments of a Necklace to turn in. You very may well have enough Restovic artifacts to turn, however, and doing so will earn you a story - and a hefty monetary and experience reward, as well! Hand over the Restovic Sorceress’s Discharged Staff (found in the Oak-That-Strayed area), the Restovic Ranger’s Broken Arrow (found in the Old Sycamore area, on a corpse near some Tatzlwyrms), the Restovic Swordlord’s Empty Sheath (found near some Giant Spiders in the Old Sycamore Depths area), the Restovic Paladin’s Crumpled Helmet (found near the Tremendous Centipede in the Old Sycamore Depths area) and the Restovic Inquisitor’s Broken Crossbow (donated to you by Tartuccio in the Old Sycamore Caves area) for the aforementioned tale and reward.

Reward: For giving the Antiquarian the Restovic item set 750 XP / 4,000 GP

Trade and Talk in Tuskdale Complete your business in the throne room then leave the building. Once outside note the variety of buildings you can enter, all of which have nothing of interest in them. If you exit the screen via the area transition at the southern end of the map and return you’ll get a choice to travel to the tavern, the main square and the throne room. You need not bother with the tavern just yet, however, as there’s little of interest there right now. That being the case, venture southwest from your throne room to encounter a pair of merchants. To the west is Hassuf from Absalom (simply known as "Merchant" outside of dialogue) and to the east is Verdel. Hassuf sells a stunning display of tantalizing equipment, including standouts like Trapspringer’s Gloves (+5 Trickery - succeed at unlocking objects and disarming traps more easily), Eyes of the Eagle (+5 Perception checks - spot traps and hidden items more regularly), Necklace of the Eternal Hunter (+2 attack and +4 damage vs. Magical Beasts - there are quite a few owlbears and manticores out there, especially later in the chapter), Cloak of Shadows (+10 Stealth, immunity to Blindness and Daze huge buff for sneaky characters) and Flameguard (a potent Tower Shield that protects the wielder from ]re - useful for mitigating your tank’s damage from, say, alchemists).

Note: Grab the Eyes of the Eagle. For 2,500 GP it’s a steal, considering how much of a bother failing Perception checks can make things. Have Jaethal wear these and she should have a great chance at spotting everything and anything for the rest of the chapter, provided you keep boosting her Perception skill every time she levels up, of course.

Much, if not all of this gear will prove quite useful in your future adventures. As for scrolls, consider picking up the Scroll of

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Fireball and Scroll of Haste. Keep them handy for when Octavia hits 5th level as a Wizard (or better yet, your protagonist does), as these are two keystone Wizard spells, and for 375 GP each, they’re a steal. Of course, you can ]nd both of these in the wilderness if you’re willing to wait, and if Octavia is your primary Wizard, you might as well, as she won’t be hitting sixth level (hence ]fth level as a Wizard) for quite a while yet. Verdel’s wares are more catered to the stouter sort of warriors, and it includes Adamantine Full Plate Mail +1 (heavy armor with Damage Reduction 3/-), Mithral Full Plate +1 (medium armor - thanks to being made of mithral - with the protection of heavy armor). These two suits of armor are some of the most expensive items you can potentially buy right now, but it is the sort of armor that’s ]t for a baron… Peruse their wares as you wish (at the very least it’ll give you some ]nancial goals to work towards) then head south to meet another familiar face - the Guardian of the Bloom. She’ll initiate conversation with you when you approach, suggesting that the lord of the realm should become more familiar with her, the living embodiment of the land. Deep in the woods you’ll ]nd a crumbling fortress, and in that fortress’s courtyard you’ll ]nd a tree, in the shadow of which the nymph will be waiting. This starts the quest A Just Reward. The promises of greater rewards, meeting in the êsh, and seeing her as she truly is are lurid enough, but her request that you come alone should inspire caution. At the very least trekking through the wilderness alone will be dangerous, but on the plus side this gives you an excuse to explore the wilderness to the west of your capital. Despite the fact that the nymph requested that you travel alone, your ]rst expedition should be more concerned with ]nding a route there and clearing other map areas along the way. That being the case, hit the area transition along the southern end of your city and assemble your team. The ]rst area of this expedition will be covered below, in the "A Ford Across the Skunk River" section of the guide. Before that, however, some pertinent notes…

Note: There’s often a good deal of down-time between important, kingdom-related activities, and you’ll frequently ]nd yourself waiting for new quests to start, for events to appear and to be resolved by your leaders, and for buildings to ]nish being constructed. Instead of skipping this time, you should consider exploring so as to earn experience, gold and items. This was mentioned earlier, but it’s worth repeating, as taking advantage of lapses in kingdom business and ]lling this free time with opportunistic adventuring during free time will be a key aspect of the game from now on. The exact time you’ll have (and hence the areas you can explore) will vary depending on how e_cient you are, and the di_culty level you’re playing at, your party make-up, and even something as unpredictable as dice rolls can skew time-tables between various playthroughs. Since a bad critical hit could force one party to rest while the absence of such a setback might allow you to continue without resting, this isn’t going to be an exact science. That being the case, you may not be able to accomplish everything listed during a particular exploration section, and you shouldn’t fret over it much. Alternative opportunities to explore will be pointed out to you as they arise.

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Note: After defeating the Stag Lord and claiming the lovely experience rewards at the end of Chapter 1, there’s a good chance your party will ascend to level ]ve. If so, and you have a Wizard protagonist, they’ll have access to third level spells, although Octavia will take a bit longer. Still, now is a ]ne time to discuss third level arcane spells so you know what to pick. Third level spells are where arcane magics start to get really interesting, although you’ve doubtlessly noticed how much better things go when you employ spells like Web and Blur wisely. Haste and Slow are fantastic party buffs and debuffs: the former will drastically increase your party’s offensive output and the latter will signi]cantly hinder enemy combatants. Fireball is a tempting damage-dealer, but you’ll likely ]nd the former two spells to be far superior. Dispel Magic is always useful, but you can delegate that responsibility to your Clerics, whose third level spells aren’t quite as good. Since you can simply buy or ]nd scrolls of Fireball and Haste, you need not use your level-up picks on them. In that case, pick Slow and Displacement, instead. Sorcerers should pick Haste and Slow. These suggestions, of course, assume Transmutation isn’t one of your prohibited schools, in which case, ouch; pick Displacement and either Deep Slumber (like Sleep, but 10 HD instead) or Stinking Cloud, instead.

Warning!: This and expeditions will be undertaken under the assumption you have some free time before more pressing matters arise. In this case, you should have the entry Troll Trouble in your journal, but this quest won’t really get started until the event card "Troll Invasion" appears. The time this takes to appear seems to be around a month after ]nishing Chapter 1, but whenever it appears, that’s a sign that you should start wrapping up whatever adventure you’re on and return to Tuskdale. This main quest will take you to a lot of the same areas you’ll be dealing with in expeditions covered below, and you’ll also get more free time during the main quest, as you have to neglect the main quest an awfully long time for the effects to become serious. That being the case, don’t worry if you can’t get around to everything, and be willing to skip around the walkthrough as necessary so you can complete areas when you get the opportunity. You’ll be reminded of this later.

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A Ford Across the Skunk River

Note: If you’re exploring this area after starting the event card "Troll Invasion", there will be another encounter in this area. This is covered in the Troll Trouble - Renowed Explorer section of the guide.

The ]rst stop on your journey is impossible to miss unless you go out of your way to do so. From Tuskdale, merely head:

• Northwest • Southwest Here you’ll ]nd "A Ford Across the Skunk River". Lovely name for a river. You won’t be crossing the river here, but it’s still worth checking out the area real quick. Enter the area and from where you appear near the southeastern corner of the map, head east to ]nd a camp. a [Perception 15] check to spot a chest, inside which you’ll ]nd a Rope (which you should keep ahold of, as it’ll prove useful later), a Scroll of Scorching Ray, a Scroll of Cure Light Wounds and a Soot-Blackened Brand, among other treasures. Just an easy cache of loot waiting to be plundered. Another, less lucrative cache can be looted to the north [Perception 15], where you’ll ]nd a Masterwork Dagger.

Note: The Soot-Blackened Brand is another item the antiquarian (Storyteller) in your capital will buy from you at a good price.

After looting the camp head west along the southern edge of the map. When you approach the southwestern corner of the map you’ll ]nd a pack of Ferocious Wolves; initially there’s only three of the mutts feasting on a corpse but they’ll soon be ed by a few more wolves lurking up north. By now they should be no match for you, so eradicate them, then loot the corpse they were chomping on to secure some trinkets. Next make your way north until you hit a river, then follow the river east until you ]nd a thoroughly ruined wall. Succeed at a [Perception 7] check to ]nd a stone you can search where you will ]nd a Shard of Knight’s Bracers. With that, you’re done on this side of the river. Head east until you ]nd a trail running to the north, which will lead to a fordable part of the river. Cross the water and continue along the trail until you ]nd a navigable section of forest to the west and continue westward into the wilderness until you ]nd nature playing out in the form of three Ferocious Wolves attacking two Kobold Sentinels. Play the spoiler and ensure both sides are wiped out, then loot the chest the Kobolds were guarding to score some treasure, including the Recipe: Galt Ragout. From this chest turn south and a [Perception 19] check to ]nd a container hidden behind a tree, inside of which is a Torag’s Pendant.

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Note: Torag’s Pendant is another item you should give to the antiquarian (Storyteller).

Sick of wolves yet? No? Wonderful! Return back east to the road, then continue east into another navigable patch of wilderness to ]nd three more Ferocious Wolves led by an Alpha Wolf. Fortunately the foliage nearby can serve as a bottleneck, which you can use to limit the number of wolves that can attack at once. While the wolves aren’t terribly strong, they’re more dangerous in groups, especially if the Alpha Wolf lands trip attacks and allows its lesser wolves to score Attack of Opportunity. Defeat the wolves, then continue east to ]nd a tree stump, hidden in which is a Ring of Protection +1. All in all, not a bad little area. You earned a few hundred Experience Points and scored another Ring of Protection +1. This should be your fourth such ring, enough to satisfy most - if not all - of your main combatants.

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Overgrown Pool From the "A Ford Across the Skunk River" area just head west along the river to follow it as it winds. The next node should be the "Overgrown Pool" area, and with any luck you may have discovered the "Bandit Camp" and "Ruined Watchtower" areas southeast of the Skunk River, too. All in good time. For now, enter the "Overgrown Pool" area. You’ll ]nd yourself along the northern end of the map, from which head south a short distance to ]nd Lumberjacks led by a man named Corax facing off against a Nixie named Melianse. The Nixie, while outnumbered, does have a trump card in the form of two bewitched Lumberjacks, whose lives she threatens in response to Corax’s aggression. Getting drawn into this stalemate starts the quest "Riverbed Nightmare". If you pick the [Neutral] option you’ll just watch as both sides butcher each other, and Jaethal will show she’s a poor gambler, as the Nixie does not, in fact, have a better chance of winning. After Corax and his Lumberjacks defeat their fellows, the Giant Frogs Melianse summons, and the Nixie herself, you can talk to him again and decide to ]nish what the Nixie started [Chaotic Evil] by attacking the grieving Lumberjacks. Melianse herself has little of interest to loot and Corax has a Greataxe +1. Alternatively you can pick the dialogue option [Solve the problem with force] "You know what? To hells with it…" after which you’ll get the option to attack Melianse, the lumberjacks, or both sides. The ]rst two actions are [Neutral Evil] while the last is [Chaotic Evil]. Resorting to violence hastily in this case is an evil act no matter how you slice it, and considering the rewards, there’s not much incentive to do so, you know, save for the joy of killing, experience, and Corax’s Greataxe +1. If carnage and violence doesn’t appeal to you, take a more diplomatic approach by picking the dialogue option "What’s going on here?", to ]nd out that the conîct has arisen predictably enough. A fey creature’s home is being ravaged by some hard-working men with axes, and both sides clearly view each other as an over-bred menace. Don’t bother trying to appeal to the Nixie, she won’t even consider disarming by surrendering her captives. Instead pick the dialogue option [Try to reason with the loggers] "Listen to me, guys…" to get a variety of checks where you can attempt to resolve the situation peacefully. These include a [Knowledge (World) 22] check, a [Diplomacy 22] check or an [Intimidate 22] check, the last of which is a [Lawful Neutral] action and a fair assertion of your property rights. Fortunately if you fail at one of these checks, you can attempt another, so unless you’re dead-set on a particular outcome you should be capable enough of ing at least one of these checks. After the lumberjacks have been convinced, you’ll have to negotiate with Melianse, who complicates matters by making more demands. It seems the lumberjacks leaving isn’t all the Nixie wants, she wants the restoration of the trees they felled. Pick the dialogue option "How are we supposed to restore a tree that’s already been cut down?" and she’ll tell you to gather some feather tokens, which are made by "you people’s mages" or by her cousin - a Dryad named Tiressia, who won’t be encountered for quite some time (you’ll ]nd her in the "Swamp Witch’s Hut" area, but she has her own issues you’ll need to resolve, ]rst…). To wrap this quest up without making it more of an ordeal you’ll need to an [Intimidate 25] check to suggest that Melianse may be pushing her luck too far, or by succeeding at a [Diplomacy 25] check to convince the lumberjacks to do as she says. If you convince Melianse to drop the last demand, talk to Corax afterwards for a reward, while if you convinced the lumberjacks to get the feather tokens talk to Melianse and pick the [Chaotic Good] option. Either way, the reward is the same.

Reward: For resolving the lumberjack-nixie dispute peacefully 60 XP / 600 GP

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If you end the conversation without resolving the dispute ]rst (most likely by picking the dialogue option [Leave] "Wait here. I’ll bring the feathers."), you’ll lose your chance to make the last two checks ([Intimidate 25] and [Diplomacy 25]). If you talk to Corax again you’ll get the opportunity to attack Melianse [Neutral Evil] or the lumberjacks [Chaotic Evil]. The same options pop up if you talk to Melianse, save they’re both [Neutral Evil] decisions. You’ll also have another option, provided you have a character capable of casting Dispel Magic (both Tristian and Harrim should qualify by now). Simply talk to either Corax or Melianse and pick the dialogue option [Use Dispel Magic to free the hostages] "I’ve lifted the enchantment! You’re free!" and you will indeed free the Bewitched Lumberjacks. This provokes a ]ght, and there’s no reward forthcoming from Corax for doing this, so it’s hard to recommend it. Whew. That was an ordeal. In hindsight, maybe the whole carnage and mayhem approach isn’t such a bad idea after all… Anyway, to ]nish up this area search some foliage to the south of the lumberjacks to ]nd a Token of the Dryad. More treasure awaits to the southwest, but you’ll need to kill a Dire Wolf and a Ferocious Wolf, ]rst. Once done, a [Perception 16] check to ]nd some hidden treasure - a Potion of Barkskin, some baubles and 286 GP - in a tree trunk. With that, it’s time to move on.

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Three-Pine Islet From the Overgrown Pool area heed the following directions:

• Northwest • Northwest (to reach empty node, can cross river to the south) • West (path loops 180 degrees) You probably won’t detect your destination, Three-Pine Islet, until you reach the end of the last step. Once you do, however, you’ll be able to enter. Do so and you’ll ]nd yourself along the southern end of the Three-Pine Islet area map, with running water to the north. Turn east and make your way to an area transition, near which you’ll ]nd three of the beasts that plague this area: Tatzlwyrms. Cut them down and be wary of their poison, then ford the river to the north of the area transition. Across the water you’ll ]nd a small stone pillar beyond (north of) which more Tatzlwyrms lurk. Stay well clear (west of) this pillar, as around it there’s a trap [Perception 20], which probably can’t safely be disarmed [Trickery 20] until you get rid of the Tatzlwyrms. Do so, but be wary of yet another trio of Tatzlwyrms that lurk to the west, which may well the battle if you tread too near them. Once the reptiles are dead and the trap has been disarmed you can get to looting. Loot the (formerly) trapped pillar to ]nd some coins and a Scorched Fragment of a Necklace, then two [Perception 8] checks to note stones you can search in the ruins to the west and north. Both hide some trinkets and a potion. To ]nish this area up, make your way northwest to ]nd an abandoned row boat, on which you’ll ]nd some food and the Recipe: Rice-n-Nut Pudding.

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Ruined Watchtower

Note: If you’re exploring this area after starting the event card "Troll Invasion", there will be another encounter in this area. This is covered in the Troll Trouble - A Score to Settle section of the guide.

To reach the next stop on this expedition, the Ruined Watchtower, follow the directions below (starting from the Three-Pine Islet):

• West (to reach empty node that fords Skunk River, path loops 180 degrees) • Southwest • Southwest Once you enter the area you’ll ]nd yourself along its northern boundary, with a large, paved road weaving invitingly to the south. Follow the road south, but keep your eye on the cliffs to the west, as you can ]nd Torag’s Pendant in some rubble. Continue south, but now turn your attention to the east of the road, as there’s a steep hill you can climb. When you ]nd it, ascend, then continue east to reach some rocky cliffs that apparently form a dead-end. Search some rocks along the southern edge of these cliffs, however, to procure a Dwarven Helm Shard.

Note: Like the Scorched Fragments of a Necklace you’ve been ]nding, these Dwarven Helm Shards can be reassembled into a functional artifact by the antiquarian, should you ]nd enough pieces.

From the last treasure venture north to reach the northern edge of the map. At this point turn east until you hit the eastern end of the map, then turn south to reach a dead-end, where you’ll ]nd a trunk you can loot should you succeed at a [Perception 22] check. It’s a lucky ]nd, should you manage it, as the trunk can be searched for an Amulet of Natural Armor +1. No fuss, no muss; just a little detour with some worthy loot at the end.

Bandit Ambush Not all treasure can be obtained without conîct, sadly. Return back west to the road and follow it south until it veers decisively to the southwest. At this turn in the road you’ll ]nd a corpse with a chest near it; an awfully tempting prize. Too tempting, in fact. Approach the chest to ]nd that it’s trapped [Perception 22], and if you ]ddle with the chest before disarming this trap [Trickery 22] you’ll be punished with a Fireball. Worse yet, this obvious lure is bait for a bandit trap, and the sneaky bandits will launch their ambush once the chest is looted. The most dangerous of these bandits are dual dagger-wielding foes that start out hidden south of the road, while some archers lurk in the bushes to the west of the chest. Not only will their ]rst attacks be Sneak Attacks if they manage to attack while hidden, but since you’re caught between two groups of bandits, any ânking attacks will be Sneak Attacks, too. That’s a recipe for pain.

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You can spoil their ambush by merely walking to where they hide, as there’s a good chance you’ll discover them if you wander close. Cast a Web spell at the bushes to to the west of the chest, then wander near the melee bandits to the south; circling around them to the south is ideal, as then you won’t begin the battle ânked. With the former group hindered by the Web spell, you should be able to cut down the melee bandits, after which the ]ght should be well in hand. If you have access to the Glitterdust spell you can blindly target the location south of the road to reveal the hidden bandits, or, more explosively, you can always lob a Fireball at them. After you emerge victorious, feel free to disarm and loot the chest that caused this whole mess to score a whopping… 1 GP. Oh, these bandits are going to pay.

Treasure in the Web-Covered Watchtower Venture off the road to the west of the bandit ambush to ]nd some ruins. In between two crumbling stone buildings you’ll ]nd some ancient stairs [Perception 0] you can climb by clicking on the interact icon [Mobility 19]. Note them, but be sure to head southwest along some ruins to ]nd [Perception 19] a Torag’s Amulet hiding under some rubble before you attempt to ascend them. Spell buff as best you can (you may even be able to add Prayer and Haste to the mix, depending on your levels) and ascend the stairs, where you’ll be confronted by a group of Giant Spiders. These aren’t the same bugs you’ve been squashing for a while now, as these ones have signi]cantly higher Attack rolls, HP and Armor Class than you’re used to. Fortunately, their venom doesn’t seem much stronger. Be sure to protect your casters and archers so the spiders can’t get around (there’s enough of them that you’re likely to be surrounded) and concentrate ]re as best you can. Eradicate the spiders, then head north until you ]nd a short set of ruined stairs. Turn southeast at these stairs and enter a web-covered tower, where you’ll ]nd a chest out of reach above you. Interact with this chest to start an Illustrated Book Episode. This one is pretty simple, starting with only two realistic options: try to build a ladder, or an [Athletics 17] check to climb up there. However you reach the chest you’ll then be presented with three further checks to get inside: a [Perception 25] check, a [Trickery 25] check or a [Strength 21] check. Failing the Athletics check will result in you taking some damage, while building a ladder will take time. Likewise the Strength check later is guaranteed to get the chest open, but failure will cause it to take longer. The ideal route, then, is to the Athletics check if you can, then attempt the Perception, Trickery and Strength checks, in that order. Once you get the chest down and open, you’ll be rewarded with some experience, and more importantly, you’ll be free to loot the chest. Inside you’ll ]nd a Black Cog-Wheel Ring, a Breastplate +2, a Heavy Shield, the magical Greataxe Trollreaper, and a Soot-Blackened Apron. The last item may be of interest to an antiquarian and Trollreaper is just a fantastic weapon well-suited for the task for which it was named. Keep it handy, as it may be worth putting on Amiri on the off-chance you need to battle such beasts.

Reward: For looting the chest in the watchtower 320 XP

Search some rubble along the southern end of the tower [Perception 17] to ]nd Torag’s Pendant, then leave the watchtower and return to the short îght of ruined stairs to the north, in front of which you’ll ]nd some rubble. Search the rubble to score another Torag’s Pendant, then continue north to ]nd a statue of Torag. This Torag seems pretty popular around here, eh? Loot a chest to the east of the statue to score two Potions of Cure Light Wounds (among other goodies) then examine the oddly pristine tower and a [Perception 20] check where you’ll discover a hidden . Alas, you’ll need three cogs like

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the one you found earlier to access whatever treasure this tower hides. Fortunately, there’s plenty of places to search in this area yet, so keep it in mind as you continue exploring.

Troll Treasures From Torag’s statue head west, then northwest to ]nd a Troll. Behind the Troll, out of sight, are a pair of Trollhounds, which are weaker than Trolls, but share its regenerative powers. Looks like that Trollreaper axe is going to get put to use rather quickly. Spellbuff if you feel it’s necessary, then head forward with your tank in the front. As you put down foes, be sure to hit them with Acid Splash, Burning Hands, or Trollreaper to ensure they don’t get back up. When the Troll and Trollhounds are well and truly dead, continue to the northwest and succeed at a [Perception 16] check to ]nd a locked, hidden chest [Trickery 16], inside of which is a Scroll of Fireball, a Scroll of Hold Person and a Dwarven Helm Shard. Follow the western cliffs to the south, where you’ll eventually ]nd several Ferocious Wolves ]ghting a Trollhound. Given the Trollhound’s regeneration, this probably won’t end well for the wolves, and there’s no reason to allow nature to proceed you could use that experience more than the Trollhound! Kill all the mutts, then turn west to ]nd a branch [Perception 16] under which you’ll ]nd 210 GP.

Peasant-Tree Continue south from where the wolves fought the Trollhound and through a ravine to ]nd yourself just west of the ruins that led to the spider-infested watchtower. Once you clear the ravine, turn west to ]nd three men standing around: Edgar, Calvert, and Alick, who are standing near an ancient pine tree. Talk to them and they’ll try - and fail - to hide that they’re here hunting treasure. The dialogue choices you make at ]rst don’t matter, though you’ll get a free moral choice (pick either [Neutral Good] or [Lawful Evil]), after which you’ll be exposed to a variety of potential solutions. If you the [Knowledge (World) 22] check you’ll recall that the barbarian chieftains (and presumably their treasure) are buried in cairns, and furthermore the geography is all wrong. Using a [Detect Magic] spell to check for treasure likewise doesn’t return any results, making the presence of any such loot dubious, at best. If you persist you can pick the [Lawful Neutral] option to waste your time helping them or the [Lawful Evil] option to force them to dig for you; you’ll gain an experience reward, presumably for con]rming there is, in fact, no treasure here. Pick the [Lawful Good] option to convince them that they were deceived, or pick the [Chaotic Neutral] to expose they were lied to, and mislead them with yet another lie. Finally, pick the [Chaotic Evil] option to simply drive the peasants off and claim their "treasure" as your own. However you resolve this encounter (even if you leave them to their business by picking the dialogue option "Farewell, then. Good luck in your search") you’ll gain some experience, and the peasants won’t learn anything from the encounter. Reward: For dealing with the treasure-seeking peasants 120 XP

Bandit Camp and the Troll Bridge From the ancient pine tree (marked on your map as a "Huge Pine") head southeast to ]nd a small bandit camp, occupied by three, easily-smote bandits. You do need to be wary of the Bandit Transmuter, who will use Slow on you - a potent debuff that you’ll employ to good use later. Cut them down, then loot their camp to ]nd 72 GP and a Cloak of Resistance +1. From this bandit camp head south and search for a locked [Trickery 16] chest under some trees, inside of which you’ll ]nd a Potion of Invisibility, 37 GP and a Shard of Knight’s Bracers.

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Note: Shards of Knight’s Bracers are another artifact you can reassemble if you bring all the pieces to the antiquarian.

Leave the sacked bandit camp and head north, then east around some nearby trees and stones to reach the road snaking through the area. In fact, you should be just southwest of where the bandits tried to ambush you earlier. Continue south to reach a bridge, but be wary as you travel, as a trio of monsters - three Trolls (including a Branded Troll) and a Kobold Boomsayer - lurk on the eastern end of the road, just before the bridge. Trolls near a bridge, who could have guessed? Trolls are still dangerous foes, but they’re not as intimidating as they once were. Yep, time to reêct on the progress you’ve made and indulge in a feeling of pride; what was once a beast fearsome enough to wipe out your entire party is now more or less a match for several of the monsters, as you’ll soon demonstrate. The Kobold Boomsayer is more troublesome, however - as its name implies, it’s fond of casting spells. Be sure to buff up with Bless, Blur, Prayer and Shield of Faith, then charge in. Have all your characters target the Kobold Boomsayer, otherwise he’ll merrily disrupt your offensive by casting Thunder Call and perhaps Hideous Laughter. Even if you have to take Attacks of Opportunity, putting down the spellcaster will make everything go much more smoothly. Having Tristian (if you have him with you) start the ]ght out with a Fireball isn’t a bad idea, either. After the Kobold Boomsayer is down, focus all your might on the Branded Troll, as it’s a bruiser who will regularly hit your tank. As dangerous as it is, however, it’s not much more hardy than its brethren, and a dedicated offensive should bring it down. Have your cleric get near enough to the ]ght to use their ability to channel energy, if necessary. Note that the Branded Troll cannot be slain with ]re, it requires something else - Trollreaper or Acid Splash will both do the job nicely. A kobold working with trolls, one of which being a ]re immune specimen of uncanny strength? That can’t be good, but so long as it’s an isolated incident… oh, well. Now that the trolls have ceased regenerating permanently, loot them and the corpses they were feasting on to score well, mostly a bunch of low-quality baubles. Collectively, however, they might be worth a bit of gold. If that’s not enough treasure for you, a [Perception 6] check to spot a Dwarven Helm Shard in some rubble along the eastern end of the bridge.

Wolves and Worgs More conîct and treasure awaits near this bridge, which seems to have drawn a variety of predators hungry for human êsh. Make your way to the west of the bridge to ]nd a trench in which a trio of Ferocious Wolves and two Alpha Wolves dwell. Unfortunately for the beasts, the eastern end of the area they occupy serves as a ]ne bottleneck, and if you’re willing to lure them into it (and keep your warriors in check as they cut down the wolves!) you shouldn’t have to ]ght more than one at a time. Reduced to a series of 6-on-1 battles, this should be nothing short of a rout. Kill the wolves, then continue west into their lair to ]nd a corpse on which you’ll ]nd a White Cog-Wheel Ring, a Masterwork Heavy Mace and a Bandit’s Letter. The cog-wheel, of course, is one of the devices you need to unlock the supposed treasure in Torag’s statue, and the Bandit’s Letter provides some backstory regarding the same treasure. Luckily for you, he became a wolf snack before he managed to hide the cog-wheel he carries. The next encounter may be the hardest battle you’ve fought thus far, and even if you use the terrain to your advantage and spell-buff, you may need some luck to come out victorious. To the west are more dangerous enemies, a pack of Worgs including four Ferocious Worgs led by an Alpha Worg. The former are manageable enough, having a decent Armor Class, a high Attack bonus and a decent supply of HP, but your warriors should have no trouble chopping them down if you lure them west to another bottleneck.

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The Alpha Worg is another matter entirely, however, having a huge store of HP (even two heavy critical hits likely won’t put it down), a slightly higher Armor Class than its lesser Worgs, and an impressive Attack bonus. If your Armor Class isn’t nearing thirty, you should expect to be hit more often than not, and its Combat Maneuver bonus is high enough that you’re likely going to get tripped every time it gets the chance. Since it hits often, trips almost all the time and deals around 15-20 damage per hit, it can chomp through your warriors with startling speed. Haste and Slow will greatly increase your odds of winning this ]ght, although you may wish to delay their casting until you’re about to engage the Alpha Worg. Bu_ng with Bless, Prayer and Blur are also highly recommended, and you really can’t overestimate the value of having a +2 bonus to all your attacks and a 20% chance for an enemy’s attack to miss your tank. Of course, focusing offensive magics at the Alpha Worg will help whittle it down, as well. The double Web strategy may seem appealing, but the Worgs have a high enough Reêx save to break free somewhat regularly, and since you already have a natural bottleneck, you should be facing them one at a time already. In addition, the Alpha Worg’s offensive prowess and relatively high Armor Class and HP will likely allow it to maul your tank well before your archers can whittle it down. Should you emerge victorious, continue west to ]nd two more corpses you can loot. There’s little of interest on the southern corpse, but on the northern one you’ll ]nd a Cypress Queen’s Quill (an item the antiquarian will be interested in) and a suit of Leather Armor +2. Perhaps not the epic reward you were expecting after such a ]ght, but, well…

Stranded by a Watery Dream Whew. After that fray, nobody will blame you if you head to the bridge, use the area transition, and rest to recover your HP and spells. When you’re ready to get back to adventuring, make your way east of the bridge (past where the trio of Trolls were) and continue east along the southern edge of the area until you ]nd a backpack and a chest [Trickery 21] you can loot near two logs. The beginnings of a camp? In any event, the backpack contains a Potion of Cure Light Wounds and some coins while in the chest you’ll ]nd a Potion of Blur, 76 GP and a Scroll of Cure Serious Wounds*. Ignore a collapsed tree to the northeast (it’s just a shortcut back north, and a dubious one at that, requiring a [Mobility 19] check to use) and continue east to ]nd a trio of Ferocious Wolves, glaring intently at a boulder. After the last few ]ghts, putting down these mutts should be child’s play. Defeat them, then continue east to spot some folks - Rook and Linnel stranded atop the boulder, apparently driven up there by the wolves. Talk to them and you’ll ]nd that reality is stranger than ]ction, as it wasn’t wolves that drove these hunters up this rock, but magic. Or so they claim. The dead Dwarf up there with them might not lend them too much credibility, but the corpse stuck in the rocks just might. In any event, you have several options when it comes to dealing with them, after you’re done asking your questions. If you use the Rope you found back in the "A Ford Across the Skunk River" area, they’ll climb right down and reward you for your kindness. You can spare your rope the strain (which for some reason you lose after employing it to this task) by instead ing a [Mobility 19] check to catch the hunters when they jump down. The reward is the same either way, but if you fail the check, Linnel will suffer the consequences, and the 100 GP she’d have given you will also be forfeited. Both of these are [Neutral Good] actions. Less benevolent characters can pick the [Neutral Evil] option to demand compensation before helping, and after Rook throws down the Golden Cog-Wheel Ring you can demand some gold, too. This second [Neutral Evil] check will secure you the 100 GP reward from Linnel, should she survive. All in all, it’s just an evil way to obtain the same reward you’d get for just being nice. After the evil options, you still have to use your rope or succeed at a Mobility check to get them down. Failing that, you can always pick the [Chaotic Evil] action, either at the outset, or after the [Neutral Evil] choices. This will cause the hunters to try their luck with gravity, and gravity is just as evil as you are. On the plus side, however, you can loot them for the Gold Cog-Wheel Ring and a Hunter’s Key.

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Reward: For helping both hunters down 240 XP / 100 GP* / Golden Cog-Wheel Ring

*Only if Linnel survives (use Rope or the [Mobility] check).

Taking Torag’s Treasure Now that you have all three Cog-Wheels, return to the statue of Torag and go to place the cogs in the statue. Unfortunately, another complication arises, as you’ve no clue in which order to place them, and only some obscure runes to guide you. a [Knowledge (Arcane) 20] check, or waste several hours ]ddling around with the cogs. It’s time well spent, either way, as once installed correctly you’ll get an experience reward, but even better, you can loot the statue for a suit of Full Plate Mail +2, 772 GP, a Belt of Physical Perfection +2, and the Recipe: Onion Soup.

Reward: For claiming the treasure in Torag's Statue 320 XP

The Full Plate Mail +2 is a great upgrade, and certainly at least Valerie can bene]t from it, provided you don’t have a protagonist who is inclined to wear heavy armor. The Belt of Physical Perfection, however, may be the better item, as it gives a +2 enhancement bonus to the wearer’s Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution, which greatly bene]ts almost any character, but particularly those inclined to physical violence. Just keep in mind that it won’t stack with any other gear providing a similar bonus, but it’s a small downside, especially since you’re probably nowhere near saturated with such items yet.

Note: Jaethal will not gain any Constitution from this item, or any other Constitution-bu_ng item. In addition, since heavy armor generally has such a low Max Dexterity, there’s a good chance that Valerie won’t bene]t from the increased Dexterity. All things considered, it may be somewhat di_cult ]nding a warrior who bene]ts from all these bonuses!

Finishing Up the Ruined Watchtower This area has already been pretty damn amazing in of loot and experience and you’re not done yet! Return to the bend in the road where the bandits attempted to ambush you, and from there head off into the woods to the east, where you’ll ]nd several Ferocious Wolves. For once, it’s just a pack of wolves: no alphas, no Worgs, no magically stranded hunters. Kill them, then head south from where they were and a [Perception 16] check to spot a log you can loot for some gems. From where you encountered this last pack of wolves, head north along the eastern edge of the area to ]nd another bandit camp, again with only three bandits around it. One is a Bandit Alchemist, and from experience you know they can be awfully annoying. This one, fortunately, wastes a turn casting Cat’s Grace, so if you can cut down the bandit between you and the alchemist, you should be able to gank the alchemist before he causes any trouble. Wipe out the bandits, then loot their camp, too, for two Potions of Cure Light Wounds, a Potion of Cure Moderate Wounds and a Scroll of Scorching Ray, among other treasures. Should you succeed at a [Perception 16] check you can also ]nd a chest hidden along the cliffs to the north. Unlock it [Trickery 18] and claim the gems and 212 GP within.

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Claiming the Outskirts The Way to the Verdant Chambers In this area you slew four Trolls, three Trollhounds, a pack of Worgs, numerous wolves, cleared out a nest of spiders, thwarted a bandit ambush, sacked two bandit camps, claimed an abandoned treasure in an ruined watchtower, restored and operated an ancient dwarven device to acquire the treasure hidden therein and rescued some hunters stranded by magic. This one area alone was a worthy adventure, and you certainly are leaving stronger and richer! That said, treasure can be rather heavy, especially when it’s enchanted full plate mail, so now might be an ideal time to return to town. Do not doubt you’ve accomplished your goal, however, as the "Verdant Chambers" area where the Guardian of the Bloom dwells is easy enough to reach from the Ruined Watchtower, merely head:

• Southwest • Southeast • East (along the Murque River) Having worked your way to the Ruined Watchtower, it shouldn’t be too much trouble for your protagonist to make their way to the Verdant Chambers on their own… not with a bit of luck, anyways. That said, there are also two areas between the Ruined Watchtower and Tuskdale left to explore: the "Bandit Camp" and the "Lone House" areas.

Annexing Oleg’s Trading Post You can get to those areas shortly, however, as aside from possibly needing to sell off some loot back at Tuskdale, there’s another important task you need to oversee while you’re there. Assuming at least a few days have ed, you should be able to visit the campaign map in your throne room. Do so and pick the "Regions" tab where you should ]nd the claim "Claim Oleg’s Trading Post". By all rights this location should belong to you, since you cleared the area of monsters and smote the Stag Lord. To prosecute this claim you’ll need to assign your Regent to the task, who will take two weeks to ]nish. In addition you’ll need 150 BP, which you should have, provided you didn’t build too much earlier. Unfortunately, this time you can’t take care of other business while this claim is being worked on, so when you pick the "Start the Claim" button prepare to skip ahead by two weeks. Make sure you don’t have any events you can send people on, and generally ]nd as much to do as possible so you’re not completely wasting this time. Don’t spend any more Build Points, however, as you’ll have a use for them soon enough.

Events’ Outcomes and Consequences: Every event may result in one of four: great failure (dice roll is 8 or more points lower than the di_culty level of the event), failure (dice roll is 7 or less points lower than the di_culty level), success (dice roll is equal to the di_culty level or 6 or less points higher), or great success (dice roll is 7 or more points higher than the di_culty level of the event). The outcome may affect the kingdom’s stats.

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Problems and Opportunities: There are two types of events: problems and opportunities. If a problem results in a failure, it decreases your stats. It has no effect if the outcome is a success. A success of an opportunity increases your stats, and normally wouldn’t affect them if the outcome is a failure. Each success or triump increases the stat that the Leader is responsible for by 3.

After the two weeks expire, you’ll add the Outskirts to your realm, accompanied by a satisfying image of the territorial absorption on your map. Groovy. It’s no time to rest on your laurels, as there’s a bit of development you can do with your new territory and some problems you’ll need to resolve. The event "Problem with Taxes" should have popped up, along with the new project "Build a Town", both of which will be covered now.

Problem with Taxes Exit the campaign map and you’ll have a familiar face brought before you. Apparently Oleg hasn’t been paying his taxes. Pick whatever you want the ]rst time you get a chance to respond, after which you’ll have several dialogue options which are actually meaningful. Picking the [Neutral Good] option will forgive Oleg and resolve to settle the matter with the Aldori. The [Neutral] option will cede taxation rights to the Aldori, which will please them, certainly. Finally, the [Lawful Evil] action will doubly burden Oleg with taxation this month and antagonize the Aldori. Pick whatever option matches your politics and/or alignment, but note that only the [Lawful Evil] choice doesn’t get an experience reward.

Reward: For resolving Oleg's tax dispute 240 XP

Harrim Has a Request Before you can get to the "Build a Town" project, there’s one more automatic bit of business that may occur. Harrim everybody’s lovably fatalistic dwarf - will bring up a matter of personal interest to him as a dwarf. These lands were once colonized by dwarves, and spots of their ruined infrastructure remains. Naturally, if you ]nd any substantial dwarven ruins, he’d like to see them, which may make it worth your while to drag Harrim along with you on a future expedition. This will be resolved when you actually have business exploring around such ruins, and starts the quest "

The Court Alchemist Another bit of business will pop up immediately after you claim the Outskirts, presumably after "Problem with Taxes" and "Harrim Has a Request". Jhod, the old busy-body, will pester you about Bokken, who apparently is idly wasting his time at Oleg’s Trading Post. Now that the area is civilized and he doesn’t have bandits to help keep things interesting, he’s in need of a distraction. Given his proven abilities to make alchemical decoctions (which he must also have run out of, if he’s bored) Jhod makes the reasonable suggestion that you hire him as your court alchemist.

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Build a Town With that messy bit of business out of the way, you can focus on something less political - building! Select the "Projects" tab and select the event "Build a Town", which will require you to advance time by ]ve more days. When done, you’ll have done the preliminary work to establish a settlement and can scroll to the Outskirts on the Campaign map (note, not with the "Map" tab) and pick one of the marked settlement locations you ]nd. It doesn’t matter too much which one you pick, their terrain is the same either way. just keep in mind that founding the settlement will set you back another 50 BP. Name your settlement and build whatever structures you can afford/are inclined to construct.

Note: To upgrade a settlement, you must have enough structures built there. When you do, click on the settlement on the map screen, then click the "Upgrade" button. This will unlock more building slots for you to utilize.

Once that’s done, check out what events you have and respond to them accordingly. This should free you up to get back on the road, and since you have found the way to the Verdant Chambers, you might as well meet the Guardian of the Bloom. Hit the area transition to leave Tuskdale and make sure you remove every companion from your party. You also might want to make a hard save, and bring a Camping Ration, and a Potion of Invisibility or two with you. You know, just in case you meet some trouble along the way… Before that, however, consider checking out the following section "Kingdom Rank Ups", which will discuss upgrading your kingdom stats from Rank I to Rank II - something that may happen quite soon!

Note: If you only have a few days before an event completes you might as well just skip a few days using the "Skip Day" button on the campaign map. The difference between succeeding at an opportunity or failing a problem can be a relatively large swing in kingdom stats.

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Kingdom Rank Ups While you claim the Outskirts, your buildings are constructed, and events are completed, you may raise some kingdom stats to that threshold of 20+ points, which will make you eligible for a rank up in that kingdom stat.

Stat Development: Meeting with a Leader: One of your barony stats has reached 20 poitns. It’s time you increase its rank. First of all, meet with your Leader and discuss the future of the state. To do so, return to your capital and click the button on the appropriate event card in the throne room. Whatever decisions you might take, : your Leaders may disapprove. If the current Leader realizes that you argue too much, they will quit forever.

You can raise a kingdom stat when you go over a certain threshold.

As mentioned earlier, when a kingdom stat reaches a score of 20 (and every 20 points thereafter) it will be eligible for a rank up. To do this, return to your throne room and you’ll ]nd a new project for you related to the Leader whose position’s kingdom stat is eligible to rank up (Military for the General, Economy for the Treasurer, Community for the Regent, etc.). This project is generally related to the precise workings of the leader’s position, perhaps serving as case studies for how your kingdom will operate going forward. For the most part, these events are about appeasing or displeasing your leaders by acting accordance with - or contrary to - their wishes. The outcomes of these Rank II events will be recorded below. :::Tip Stat Development: Rank Increase: After you talk to the Leader and take the decision, a new kingdom project will become

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available. It will increase the stat rank. You may ]nd it at the bottom and in the center of the screen, on the Projects tab. it will take you and your Leader 14 days to complete the project. The time will be automatically sped up until the project is completed. ::: After you deal with the aforementioned event, you’ll have another project that’ll take two weeks of your time. When this second project is completed, you’ll ]nalize your rank up. Below you’ll ]nd all the Rank I to Rank II events, but you probably won’t have many of these pop up just yet - if any. Also, be warned that there are SPOILERS below, as the rank up events mention how to appease/displease characters you may not have met yet, for positions you can’t ]ll yet either. Just skip on ahead if you don’t wish to be bothered by it and come back when you hit a rank up to see the consequences of each action. This section is a bit of a necessary evil due to the randomness of events, what you build, and the timetable for when you’ll rank up.

General Requests an Audience

Note: This event - and other leader-related events - will appear after your related kingdom stat (in this case Military) hits twenty. Since what events you attempt, the results of these events, what buildings you build and a host of other random factors determine this score, you could get this event card much later. They’ll all be listed here for the sake of continuity.

Your general - whomever you appointed to the task - is worried about the shape of the barony’s military, and with a horde of trolls possibly lurking in the forest, it’s a subject worth being concerned over. Unlike the "Troll Invasion" event, your response does matter here, and while the situation will be resolved whatever you pick, your general will be pleased or displeased based on the response. If you pick the option "Open unrestricted recruitment. Anyone with the will for it is good enough for our army." you’ll please Kassil and displease Amiri. If you pick "Select the strongest and most skillful recruits. I need real ]ghters." you’ll please Amiri and displease Regongar. Picking "Select those who have ambition. Soldiers who dream of glory and rank always serve better." will please Regongar and displease Kassil. Finally, if you tell your general to "Make your own decision." you’ll please all three of them, presumably encouraging them to pursue the speci]c action listed above that pleased them when you mentioned it. Meeting with your general on this matter, regardless of their pleasure or displeasure, will give you a Military +1 bonus. This will also start the " the General’s Endeavors" project, a repeating project that you can see to when there’s not more pressing issues for them to attend to. Completing this project will require two weeks of time during which you can’t do anything else. After which your Military will be upgraded to Rank II.

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Treasurer Requests Your Attention

Note: This event - and other leader-related events - will appear after your related kingdom stat (in this case Economy) hits twenty. Since what events you attempt, the results of these events, what buildings you build and a host of other random factors determine this score, you could get this event card much later. They’ll all be listed here for the sake of continuity.

Warning!: You can potentially pick up this event card well before you have access to all the possible leaders. It’ll be described below for the sake of continuity, but there will be SPOILERS. If you don’t wish to know about all the possible leaders, don’t continue reading.

After you appoint your Treasurer - whomever that may be - they’ll request an audience from you about two days after being appointed. This plays out very similarly to your General’s request in that there’s a problem speci]c to the position of Treasurer that needs to be resolved and each of the three possible Treasurers - Jubilost, Bartholomew and Maegar Varn have their own preferred methods. If you pick the dialogue option "These things don’t belong to me any more than they belonged to the Stag Lord. Order them returned to the people." you’ll appease Maegar Varn and displease Bartholomew, and will gain Loyalty +3. If you choose "The owners of these things might be dead or on the run. We will use them to revive the villages that suffered the most under the Stag Lord’s reign." you’ll please Jubilost and gain Community +3. Picking the option "Take these riches to the treasury." will earn you 30 Build Points and will appease Bartholomew, but displease both Maegar Varn and Jubilost. Failing that, you can just let the Treasurer decide, and they’ll pick whichever action would otherwise please them, earning you the attendant reward. This will also start the " the Treasurer’s Endeavors" project, a repeating project that you can see to when there’s not more pressing issues for them to attend to. Completing this project will require two weeks of time during which you can’t do anything else, after which your Economy will be upgraded to Rank II.

Counselor Awaits in the Throne Room

Note: This event - and other leader-related events - will appear after your related kingdom stat (in this case Loyalty) hits twenty. Since what events you attempt, the results of these events, what buildings you build and a host of other random factors determine this score, you could get this event card much later. They’ll all be listed here for the sake of continuity.

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This event is similar to the other leader events, where your Counselor (whichever one of three possible choices you’ve appointed) will come and bother you. Your barony is rather new, you see, so citizens of different social and economic classes don’t know exactly where you stand in relation to them. You can make the matter signi]cantly clearer by holding a fair to bene]t the people, or you can throw a swanky dinner party for the wealthier folks. While this obviously won’t change the autocratic nature of your barony, it will expose your disposition towards democracy or oligarchy. Pick the dialogue option "We shall hold a fair for the common people. I want them to know that I hold them closest to my heart." to gain Community +2 and Culture +2, which will also make Tristian and Tsanna happy, but annoy Shandra Mervey. The dialogue option "We will hold a luxurious dinner party for the merchants. The of our wealthiest citizens is essential." will earn you Economy +2 and Relations +2, but will displease Tristian and Tsanna, pleasing only Shandra. The "do it yourself" option, "I don’t care to arrange anything. We can do without festivities and feasts." will please or displease none of your potential leaders, who will do whatever would otherwise please them. Not only will you get the approproate kingdom stats, but you’ll also get 20 BP. This will also start the " the Councilor’s Endeavors" project, a repeating project that you can see to when there’s not more pressing issues for them to attend to. Completing this project will require two weeks of time during which you can’t do anything else, after which your Loyalty will be upgraded to Rank II.

Regent Demands Your Presence

Note: This event - and other leader-related events - will appear after your related kingdom stat (in this case Community) hits twenty. Since what events you attempt, the results of these events, what buildings you build and a host of other random factors determine this score, you could get this event card much later. They’ll all be listed here for the sake of continuity.


Similar to the other requested meetings, your regent will arrive and tell you of an amusing development. Apparently a local bandit still thinks the new master of the Stolen Lands is similar to the old one, and has come to pay tribute on similar . As usual, you’ll get three responses to which each possible Regent will react to differently, along with the "You know best what to do." response that allows the Regent to handle things as they please.

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If you pick the dialogue option "Drive this bandit from my lands, and from now on do the same to any similar petitioners!" this will please Octavia and displease Lander Lebeda, as well as give you a Community +3 boost. If you respond with "Arrest this bandit and clap him in irons. The same fate awaits any like him!" you’ll make Valerie happy, but annoy Lander and gain 25 BP for your trouble. Both of these responses also hinder the activity of bandits in the area. Finally, pick "I will accept this tribute. I hope this good lad and his colleagues will continue to share their revenue in the future." to promote banditry throughout your realm (so long as they know whose palm to grease). This will also set back your kingdom stats by Loyalty -2 and Economy -5, appease Lander and anger both Octavia and Valerie. This will also start the " the Regent’s Endeavors" project, a repeating project that you can see to when there’s not more pressing issues for them to attend to. Completing this project will require two weeks of time during which you can’t do anything else, after which your Community will be upgraded to Rank II.

High Priest Seeks Your Advice

Note: This event - and other leader-related events - will appear after your related kingdom stat (in this case Divine) hits twenty. Since what events you attempt, the results of these events, what buildings you build and a host of other random factors determine this score, you could get this event card much later. They’ll all be listed here for the sake of continuity.


Like the other leader events, you’ll be pestered by your High Priest and asked to resolve an issue. Apparently there’s an over-abundance of faith in Tuskdale, and while this might initially seem like a good thing for a priest, it turns out that the idols that drew your priest’s attention belong to some icky, unfamiliar god. Worse yet, those who are worshipping aren’t even the better sort of people! Pick the option "Grind these strange idols to dust. I’ve no wish to see strange shrines in the area." to gain Divine +3. This act of iconoclasm pleases Jhod, but displeases Harrim and Tsanna and also serves to squelch religious freedom in your realm. The dialogue option "Leave the idols where they stand. Someone worships them, and we’ve no right to interfere." will earn you Community +1 and Loyalty +2 and express your tolerance of religious freedom, much to the dismay of Jhod and to the approval of Harrim and Tsanna. Finally, the option "Do as you wish." will cause each High Priest to do whatever action pleases them, with the attendant kingdom stats and effects on freedom of religion. This will also start the " the High Priest’s Endeavors" project, a repeating project that you can see to when there’s not more pressing issues for them to attend to. Completing this project will require two weeks of time during which you can’t do anything else, after which your Divine stat will be upgraded to Rank II.

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Chapter 2 - Verdant Chambers Expedition

A Just Reward Travel: Verdant Chambers Make sure you leave your companions behind, leave Tuskdale and be wary of your inventory weight - loads that may have been bearable with six characters might be more of a burden with just one. You can mitigate the weight you’re carrying by equipping some of the heavier gear and excess wands and potions on your companions. They’re staying home, anyway, so they can be safely used as mules. Despite the tenuous excuse used to justify the previous bout of exploration, you’ll be taking a slightly different route to reach the Ruined Watchtower, and hence the Verdant Chambers. Follow the directions listed below:

• • • • • • • • •

Northwest Southwest to reach landmark: A Ford Across the Skunk River South (cross Skunk River) Southwest Northwest Southwest to reach landmark: Ruined Watchtower Southwest Southwest West

Be sure to quicksave at every node you reach. Depending on your class, your ability to handle random encounters may vary. A character with a high Stealth score might just avoid everything, a warrior might be able to ]ght through a low-quality encounter or two, and a Cleric might ]nd victory summoning minions and healing themselves afterwards. Most characters, however, will ]nd their healing options limited to drinking potions or relying on their natural healing rate from resting, the former of which is limited and the latter of which is painfully slow. Su_ce to say, this trip can be a chore depending on your class. When you arrive at the Verdant Chambers, risk resting so you’re in top form for your encounter with the Guardian of the Bloom. You’ll need your energy.

A Gift of Invisibility When you’re ready, enter the Verdant Chambers and make your way northwest to reach the ruins of a once mighty wall. Head up to the gateway, and from there turn northwest to ]nd a gap you can leap across with a successful [Mobility 22] check. If at all possible, consider trying to cross this gap until you this check, as it’ll make completing this area much, much easier. Once across, continue east to ]nd two Ferocious Wolves feasting on a corpse. Put them down by whatever means you have at your disposal, then loot their corpse they were munching on to score two Potions of Invisibility and a Scroll of Freedom of Movement. You’ll be needing these shortly.

Nature’s Wrath Return to the gap you jumped and the Mobility check again, or just use the nearby area transition to leave the area, then immediately return. However you go about it, return to the keep’s gate and under the ruins of a once-mighty stone wall. Sure puts Tuskdale to shame. Once you’ve ed under the gate, turn northeast to ]nd a large tree - presumably the one the Nymph calls home. Circle around and approach the tree from the northeast (you’ll see why soon enough) and sure enough, the Guardian of the Bloom will arrive.

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If you were expecting some great reward, you’re bound for disappointment, as, after interacting with the tree, a Young Hydra, a Ferocious Manticore and an Owlbear will be summoned to the southeast, while the Guardian of the Bloom will appear on the wall. Her wish is for the Stolen Lands to remain without a leader, although her reasons are anybody’s guess. Desperately ]ghting back against the forces of civilization that may develop the area at the expense of nature? Trying to ensure her own supremacy over these lands?

Survival Her reasons are less important than your survival, and you should follow the advice of the quest as it updates: survive. Even the strongest warrior isn’t likely going to be capable of ]ghting through all these foes, and fortunately you have options. If you interacted with the tree from the northeast, you should be far enough away from the monsters to the southwest that only the Young Hydra will attack, which a very strong warrior can defeat in single combat with a little luck. This will allow you to save/load, a useful ability to have, considering that to the northeast you’ll ]nd a wall you can climb with a successful [Athletics 20] check. Failure will knock you prone and deal damage, success will see you atop the wall. Depending on your class, you’ll either have to make a run for it and attempt the wall, Young Hydra be damned, or ]ght the young Hydra ]rst, then climb the wall. However you manage it, when you’re atop the wall venture southeast, being wary of the Redcap atop the wall as you go. The Redcap is a fairly strong foe in its own right, but matters are further complicated by a combination Glitterdust/Entangle trap which will hinder your movement and Stealth. If you can make it past these threats, turn southwest on the wall to ]nd a collapsed tree, which you can navigate with a successful [Mobility 15] check. Failure will get you down, albeit in the capricious hands of gravity, while success will facilitate a less painful descent. From here all you have to do is make your way past two Ferocious Wolves (if you didn’t kill them earlier) and exit the area. Frankly, it’s an ordeal if you have to rely on your combat prowess and skill checks alone. Fortunately, that’s where those potions and that scroll come into play. As soon as the enemies attack, drink a Potion of Invisibility to throw off the Young Hydra. Unfortunately, invisibility isn’t enough to get you out of this mess on its own, as approaching too near the enemies to the southwest will lead to them detecting you, and even if you can outrun them, there’s a more dangerous foe sitting near the main area transition - a Giant Flytrap. You won’t evade it, you won’t out]ght it, and since it’s near the area transition, you won’t be able to leave. That being the case, once the Young Hydra has lost interest, save your game and scale the wall to the northeast. When you make it up in one piece, you can use the Scroll of Freedom of Movement on yourself should you belong to a class that can use it, or should you have the Use Magic Device skill. If so, you won’t be hindered by the Entangle spell ahead. Otherwise, you’ll just need to make a run for the crumbled wall where you can jump/climb/fall down via a Mobility check and hope the Red Cap’s attack rolls are low, and your Reêx Saves are high. If you killed the Ferocious Wolves earlier, once you make it down alive, you’re in the clear - except for the long, dangerous trip home, that is. There are many ways your escape can play out. If you have access to spells, you might be able to neutralize the Red Cap on the wall with Web, or distract it with a summon. If you’re a Rogue, maybe you can disarm the trap and evade the Red Cap? A warrior of quality might - with luck - defeat any one foe here save the Giant Flytrap. Haste and Expeditious Retreat may make it easier for you to escape on foot. With the Potions of Invisibility you get and a little luck, everybody should be able to make it out, however injured. Make your way home node by node and when you get back, attend to any business via the campaign map. Ideally this entire endeavor would have taken around three days, so barring any extremely poor planning, you shouldn’t have missed anything important. Now that the Guardian of the Bloom - this hostile, pestilential fae creature that haunts the forest near your capital - has shown her true colors, it’s time for a revenge expedition. Gather your party and venture forth - with any luck this expedition won’t take a week to complete, and since you know the start point and end point already (Tuskdale and the Verdant Chambers) a rough window of 4-5 days is a fair estimate. Plan your next moves with that in mind, although if you’ve been quick enough thus far, you may have time to extend this expedition and hit a few more areas before returning to the capital. Assuming the bare minimum for now, you’ll be visiting the "Lone House" and "Bandit Camp" areas enroute to the Verdant

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Chambers.

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Lone House

Note: If you’re exploring this area after starting the event card "Troll Invasion", there will be another encounter in this area. This is covered in the Troll Trouble - The Nature of the Beast section of the guide, under the heading "Seek Bartholomew".

Travel: Lone House To reach this location from your capital, follow these directions:

• • • • •

Northwest Southwest to reach landmark: A Ford Across the Skunk River South (cross Skunk River) Southwest South

This area might not appear until you reach it, but never fear, once you hit the node it’s on, you’ll be able to enter.

Clearing the Road of Bandits When you arrive, you’ll hear a man whining in the distance - at least, if you pay attention to your text window at the bottom right of the screen. Anybody screaming that loudly can’t be all that hurt, but it’s something to keep in mind as you explore the area. You’ll start out in the southwestern corner of the area, so just venture east along the southern end of the map, following a dirt road that runs through the area. Eventually you’ll come across two bandits, who can do little but roll over and die when they’re confronted with the full might of your party. Further east you’ll ]nd another group of bandits, including a Bandit Conjurer who will relentlessly summon wolves, but again, they should be no match for you and should require no special strategy to defeat. When this second group of bandits is dead, loot a chest near a corpse to ]nd an Amulet of Agile Fists and a Merchant’s Letter. The amulet essentially gives the wearer the Weapon Finesse feat, albeit only when making unarmed or natural attacks - good for a high Dexterity Monk, and few others. Also be sure to loot one of the bandits to ]nd a Turquoise Necklace. Don’t sell it, as it’ll be useful shortly.

Traps off the Trail Further east you’ll ]nd an area transition. That being the case, it’s time for a change in direction. Note a sign along a fork in the road to the north which promises traps ahead. Fun. Sure enough, venture up the trail to the north and you’ll spot [Perception 20] your ]rst trap just off the road to the west. Disarm it [Trickery 20] and enjoy that juicy experience - a rather silly amount for such a trivial task, really. Continue north and disarm a second trap and loot a stump for some gems, then continue north to ]nd the estate of Bartholomew Delgado, along with the man himself. First ]nd [Perception 22] and disarm [Trickery 22] a trap along the front

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of his fence to the west, then head east of his house to ]nd [Perception 7] some rocks you can loot for a Dwarven Helm Shard.

Bartering with Bartholomew Once done, introduce yourself to the magically-adept hermit and chat a bit, if you must. He’s got little of interest to say, but he does sell a variety of interesting trinkets, including a Giantslayer’s Clasp (good against Trolls!), two Wands of Acid Arrow, and a number of arcane spell scrolls, including Hold Person, Fireball, Haste, Acid Arrow, Scorching Ray and the humble Recipe: Kameberry Pie. It’s worth noting that most of these items are useful against Trolls. Curious thing, that. When you’re done dealing with Bartholomew, continue north to his house and loot a chest [Trickery 18] which contains two Scrolls of Acid Arrow and some baubles. Next venture northwest to ]nd a barn which you can’t enter without a key, but you can disarm a trap on the ground nearby. Disarm it, then continue west from this barn to ]nd another pair of traps [Perception 22] worth dealing with [Trickery 22]. From this second trap turn south to ]nd a man named Waine standing amidst some trees, screaming for help.

Whining Waine This is the man whose screams caught your attention when you entered the area, and you might as well see what’s going on. Talk to him and, after he recovers what little courage he has, he’ll tell you a tale of explosive traps and the little merchant who was perhaps a bit too curious. Simply put, he had a close call with one of Bartholomew’s traps, and has been standing here screaming ever since. Apparently Bartholomew put too much faith in literacy. Eventually, after much whining on Waine’s part (and a bit of intense disdain from Amiri) you’ll be able to help this poor merchant through the power of dialogue. If you pick the [Neutral Evil] action, you’ll do nothing but convince him to stay put after which you’ll get nothing more out of him. Meanwhile, both Amiri [Chaotic Neutral] and Octavia [Neutral Good] have their own approaches that both successfully get Waine back to the road to the south in one piece. a [Diplomacy 15] check and you can convince him the way back is free of traps, while an [Intimidate 10] check will offer a boot-propelled solution to his problem. The former option is a [Lawful Good] dialogue choice, while the latter is, somehow, a [Chaotic Good] choice. If you picked Amiri’s [Chaotic Neutral] approach or the [Chaotic Good] choice, you can ]nish up with a [Chaotic Evil] dialogue option by talking to Waine again when he hits the main road to the south, sending him running off again. You can also tell him about the fate of his friend, Lesken, and give him Lesken’s Turquoise Necklace [Lawful Good]. Seems that when it comes to a choice between wizard traps and bandits, traps are the safer option. If you give Waine the aforementioned necklace, you’ll get a humble reward.

Reward: For giving Waine Lesken's Turquoise Necklace 200 XP

For more treasure, loot a chest [Perception 17] near the corpses of two bandits who had a bad encounter with some of Bartholomew’s traps to claim a Bastard Sword +1. Speaking of bandits and wizard traps, there’s one more encounter worth dealing with in this area. First, the traps. There’s numerous traps to the southeast and west of where Waine was standing, all of which require a [Perception 22] check to spot, and a [Trickery 22] check to disarm, yet give less experience for dealing with them. Amidst a cluster of trees to the southeast of where Waine was standing you can also ]nd a branch concealing some treasure. Yet another trap [Perception 20], [Trickery 20] can be found to the northwest of where Waine stood, near some bandits.

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Battling Well-Armed Bandits Deal with the traps, then turn your attention to the bandits. While the other bandits you encountered in this area have been worthy of little more than your contempt, these ones are strong enough to give you trouble if you just rush in and attempt to bully your way to victory. The Bandit Leader is incredibly well armored, boasting a ]ne Armor Class and capable of dishing out an unseemly amount of damage - a feat in which he’s aided by drinking one of his Potions of Enlarge Person. On top of this threat, there’s a Bandit Alchemist safely tucked away behind some rocks, who will make your life hell if you let them chuck bombs at you for any length of time. Haste, Slow, Bless and Prayer should decisively tip the odds in your favor, but the good old double Web strategy works ]ne here, too. In the latter case, keep your tank equipped with melee weapons and up front, as you’ll want to draw missile ]re to them. Have your archers target the alchemist ]rst, then the bandit archers, then the lesser bandits. If you have Tristian, starting out with a Fireball won’t hurt matters, either. The Bandit Leader’s Armor Class is high enough to be troublesome, and he should be saved for last, as you’ll have a much greater chance of quickly eliminating his goons. If he escapes from your Web spell(s), lure him far enough away that you can safely encircle him, then engage in melee - against the full might of your party, he should die fairly quickly. Hold Person can also help neutralize him, as he’s got a poor Will Save. Defeat the bandits, then loot the Bandit Leader to ]nd out what, exactly, made him such a tough nut to crack. The answer? His gear. He’ll leave behind a Masterwork Bastard Sword, a suit of Full Plate Mail, a Potion of Cure Serious Wounds, two Potions of Enlarge Person, a Belt of Mighty Constitution +2, Torag’s Pendant and the heavy shield Protector of the Unjust. This artifact is a Heavy Shield +2 that also gives its bearer a +2 Resistance bonus to Saving Throws. Furthermore, it imparts an additional +2 bonus to Armor Class and Saving Throws against outsiders of Lawful or Good alignment, and subsequently cannot be worn by Lawful or Good characters. Bad news for Valerie, but the shield will suit Harrim just ]ne. Also be sure to loot a corpse near the bandits, as on it you’ll ]nd a Wand of Fireball, 376 GP, an Amulet of Natural Armor +1 and a Shard of Knight’s Bracers, to just name the noteworthy loot. Maybe those bandits would have fared better had they equipped some of this stuff, eh? Oh well, their loss, your gain. You can also take a gander at a petri]ed rock troll standing nearby. Hopefully you’ll have some help from the sun if you ever encounter any of these photophobic monsters… To ]nish up the area, head south along the western edge of the map and you’ll spot a branch you can loot, which is a ]ne way to end this area. While perhaps not as lucrative as the Ruined Watchtower area, you did score some fairly nice loot here, and disarming all the traps in that area should have earned you a hefty bit of experience.

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Bandit Camp This area is northwest of the Lone House area, as the crow îes. Sadly, you’re no crow, and the only navigable routes there require you to go out of your way a bit. That being the case, since there’s no pro]t in retreading ground you’ve already explored, let’s be adventurous and get there by heading into the unknown. Follow the directions below:

• • • • •

Southwest Southwest to reach the Murque River Northwest (path turns north and runs along Murque River) North East

The words "bandit camp" are ittedly vague when it comes to conveying size, but if you were expecting some large, possibly forti]ed, multi-encounter affair, you’re bound to be disappointed with what you ]nd here. Instead of anything quite so extensive, this area consists of ]ve bandits - including one named Shortie, another named Berta and a Bandit Leader gathering around their latest plunder. Approach them with your tank (just in case) and the bandits will initiate conversation, with Shortie proving himself decidedly inept at his assigned task. While violence at ]rst seems inevitable, the Bandit Leader smells another opportunity and recognizes your authority. One must doubt their sincerity, but if you push on through the ]rst dialogue option (what you choose doesn’t matter) they’ll offer to your service. They see little difference between you and the Stag Lord, and hence little difference between being "bandits" and "tax collectors", which matches quite well with Oleg’s opinion on the matter, ironically enough. If alignment is any indication, the [Lawful Good] option is to put the bandits down by force. The [Neutral Good] option muddles matters considerably by allowing them to you if they "straighten themselves out and quit banditry". The [Chaotic Neutral] option is to command them to leave your lands and never return (which they surprisingly listen to), and the [Lawful Evil] action is to accept them into you service so long as they understand that any "taxes" they collect belong to you. Finally, the [Chaotic Evil] option will also allow them to enter your service provided they kill Shortie ]rst. This will initiate a ]ght with Shortie against both your party and the bandits. Should you choose to eliminate the bandits instead of ]ghting them, simple spell buffs (Bless and Prayer) should su_ce to see you to victory. They’re nowhere near as strong as the last group of bandits you fought back in the "Lone House" area, and you can easily out-muscle them in a ]ght. Your rewards for victory include the Bandit Leader’s Bastard Sword +1, and Light Shield +2, Berta’s Shortbow +1 and Shortie’s Shortsword +1 and Masterwork Shortsword, among other weapons and trinkets. It’s bound to be worth a few hundred GP, all things considered. In addition, no matter what choice you made, you can help yourself to the stolen goods contained in various chests and crates near their almost certainly plundered wagon. These include a Wand of Cure Light Wounds, a Masterwork Heavy Mace, two Scrolls of Haste, and Torag’s Pendant, among other, less interesting miscellaneous items. A more obscure treasure can be found to the southwest of their camp in the form of a tree stump [Perception 25] which can be looted for some gold. Deal with this event however your alignment dictates. Whether you’re a remorseless exterminator of bandits, a baron who believes in the reformation of criminals, a merciful ruler who is willing to accept the exile of bandits (not in my backyard, right?) or an unscrupulous ruler who is willing to accept the vilest of servants so long as they recognize you as the boss. All these options are available for your expression, depending on how you wish to âvor your rule.

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Note: Accepting these bandits into your service is a disreputable act that may cause unrest in your lands later on.

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Return to the Verdant Chambers The way back to the Verdant Chambers from the Bandit Camp shouldn’t be much of a mystery, but the directions will still be provided, just in case:

• • • • •

West Northwest to reach landmark: Ruined Watchtower Southwest Southwest West

When you arrive, be sure to rest before actually entering the area if you’re the least bit fatigued. The ]rst ]ght in this area will be by far the most di_cult, and if you can emerge victorious, you can always exit to rest up.

Battle: Giant Flytrap As soon as you enter the area you’ll be forced into a ]ght with the Nymph’s Giant Flytrap. This aggressive plant was a death sentence against your lone protagonist, but facing it with your entire party… well, it’s not much better, honestly. It’s got a high enough Attack bonus to hit most of your warriors over half the time it attacks (assuming your best Armor Class is around the mid-twenties) and it attacks frequently and hits hard, dealing 15-20 damage per hit. On top of that, its got plenty of HP and a decent Armor Class, and to add insult to injury, your entire party will start out surrounding it. This might seem like a good thing, and ânking the beast won’t be di_cult, but at the same time you’ll want to move your archers and casters out of the way quick-like, hopefully only enduring one attack of opportunity. Afterwards, immediately buff your party with Haste and Prayer and hope for the best - winning this battle could take a few tries and a bit of luck. Alternatively, you can try running northwest to the keep’s gate immediately upon spawning, veering to the northeast at the gate and placing your hopes on the [Mobility 20] check to jump the gap. If you succeed, you can heal, (the Giant Flytrap will certainly manage a few Attacks of Opportunity given its absurd attack range) buff up, save your game, then cross back over the gap to engage the beast on your . The outcome of the ]ght when this strategy was applied was considerably more favorable than simply ]ghting it at the beginning of the area.

Battle: Owlbear, Young Hydra, Manticore With your buffs still hopefully active, heal up and then make your way into the keep to confront the Owlbear, Young Hydra and Ferocious Manticore. There’s no reason why, with careful luring, you can’t end up ]ghting these critters one at a time. Just be wary of navigating your party through the gate, as the game likes to movement assignments to the top of the wall above the gate, rather than on the ground under the gate. Of these foes, the Owlbear is likely the most dangerous, but nothing a fully buffed party can’t handle, and certainly nothing compared to the Giant Flytrap.

Battle: Redcaps on the Wall After that, work your way up to the walls and kill the three Redcaps there, including the one on the northeastern walls that harassed you during your escape. The Entangle trap is still in effect, so you’d be well served by luring the Redcap away from that trap before engaging. Defeat the third Redcap and you’ll be done with this area. Unfortunately there’s no hidden treasure to be had, and the Guardian of the Bloom doesn’t deign to show herself, so you’ll have to be satis]ed with the petty revenge you gained

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by killing her creatures. It’s not all a waste, though, as these ]ghts should have earned you just shy of 1,000 experience, hopefully putting you perilously close to hitting level six.

Continuing the Expedition When you exit the Verdant Chambers, check the "Kingdom" tab on the map screen. Events will be moving along soon enough in your capital, things that you’d do well not to ignore. If you have the event card "Troll Invasion", you know it’s time to head back to Tuskdale to deal with it. You have a good bit of time to handle this matter, but if you let it linger for around a month or so, you’ll start losing kingdom stats. While not a massive hit to these stats considering it gives you a month of time before penalizing you, it’s something to keep in mind. This will be covered in the section "Troll Invasion" (and following sections), after which you’ll be exploring the southern Narlmarches to discover and deal with this event - and get some extra exploration out of the way. If the "Troll Invasion" event card hasn’t appeared yet, good news! You have more time to explore, if you wish. Anything that gets you richer and closer to level six is an undertaking worth considering, especially before you get embroiled in this chapter’s main struggle. It’s hard to overestimate how much stronger your party (especially the good party) can become at level six, as it’s when Octavia will ]nally hit 5th level as a Wizard, and hence gain access to those juicy 3rd level spells. If you have a protagonist Wizard, you’ve been playing the game on easy mode for the duration of this chapter, but every party stands to gain. Once your dedicated warriors (Amiri and Valerie) hit 6th level their Base Attack Bonus will likewise hit +6, at which point they’ll gain a second attack per round, albeit at an Attack bonus ]ve points lower than their ]rst attack. Still, this extra offensive output will put your warriors in another league of power, and if further buffed with Haste they could be belting out three attacks per round. It’s not a stretch by any means to say that some encounters which were party wipes before will become speed bumps to your party. Enough selling. If you have the opportunity and desire to explore further, consider hitting the following areas, and after every day rolls over on your calendar, check the "Events" tab under your "Kingdom" menu and assign leaders to deal with whatever comes up. Head back to Tuskdale when the event card "Troll Invasion" is available.

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Chapter 2 - South Narlmarch/Kamelands Expedition

Whitish Hills Your ]rst stop on the search for the Trolls is the Whitish Hills, which will require you to cross the Murque River. An ideal place to do this is the Ancient Crossing, an empty node that for landmark purposes has a name. To reach this area from Tuskdale, follow the directions below:

• • • • • • • • • • •

Northwest Southwest to reach landmark: A Ford Across the Skunk River South (cross Skunk River) Southwest South to reach landmark: Lone House Southwest Southwest to reach the Murque River Northwest (path turns north and runs along Murque River) to reach landmark: Ancient Crossing South (cross Murque River) Northwest (path veers southwest) Southeast

Lot of steps in this journey, and yes, there’s sadly no more direct a route than this. Not that you’ve discovered, anyway, although there’s an alternate route that takes you past the Ruined Watchtower. In any event, enter the Whitish Hills area to discover… an Illustrated Book Episode!

1. "Defying all danger, we followed the path." a [Lore (Nature) 15] check and you’ll get a variety of options, most of which just provide âvor text. If you still have some Rope in your inventory, however, you can pick the following option:

1. Precautions were de]nitely in order. We readied a rope to ensure the daredevil’s safety. This does not use up your rope, fortunately.

1. [Choose a character] We talked it over and chose a volunteer to try crossing the river. Rope or not, proceed with the crossing and you’ll see several scores displayed. Only Mobility immediately matters, the Strength and Athletics checks are just there to save you if something goes awry.

1. [Mobility 15] …jumped to the other side. If you this check, you’ll make it across the river and to the end of this illustrated book episode, if not, or if you pick the option …âil his/her arms about wildly, trying to regain his/her balance. you’ll be presented with further checks, either an [Athletics 15] or [Strength 15] check, with the latter only being available if you used the rope earlier. Fail either of those and you’ll have to a [Fortitude 20] check to try and mitigate the damage you take for your previous failure. If you fall into the water, you’ll still be able to make it to the end of the illustrated book episode by picking the option Refusing to give up, we went in search of another way to cross the river. followed by It wasn’t long before we found where the mysterious kobold path led. Whether you manage it via a successful Mobility check, or by taking the long route, you’ll eventually stumble upon an example of kobold craftsmanship the likes of which you’ve never seen before. To deal with this odd shrine you have three

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options: the [Neutral Good] decision to respect and repair the shrine will result in you ]nding an Emerald, the [Neutral] decision to leave it alone will bestow the good luck of running across some boars, which will net you Camping Supplies x6 and the [Chaotic Evil] option will allow you to pluck a Ruby from the shrine’s remains. Everybody wins, but the evil approach is the most lucrative.

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Swamp Witch's Hut Travel: Swamp Witch’s Hut Leave the Whitish Hills behind and venture onward - the next area will be more interesting. Follow the directions given below to reach the "Swamp Witch’s Hut" area:

• • • • • •

Northwest Southwest Southeast (no empty node, journey stops halfway along path) East South Southeast

Battle: Dire Boars and Worgs You’ll begin on the northern edge of the map, along a path that runs south through the area. Enough tra_c here to justify the existence of this path, or is the witch who supposedly dwells here just kind enough to make travel easy, just in case? Whatever the reason, follow it south until you encounter a trio of Dire Boars, who should be easy meat at this point. Not that they can’t do damage if they hit, but your frontliners should have a high enough Armor Class by now to make that unlikely. Carve up the boars, then abandon the road for a bit and head up to the northwest, where you’ll encounter a pack of Worgs, including a Ferocious Worg. Don’t fear these beasts, however - they’re nowhere near as strong as the ones in the Ruined Watchtower. Just ensure they don’t get around to your archers and casters and you shouldn’t have much trouble with these mutts. Continue northwest after putting the dogs down to ]nd a corpse, on which you’ll ]nd a Scroll of Cure Moderate Wounds, a Potion of Cure Light Wounds and a Scroll of Acid Arrow, among other goodies.

Dispatch the boars that block your way (left); then explore a Mudleaf-lined . (right)

Harvest Mudleaf Return back to the road and follow it south until you ]nd a tiny branch veering off to the east. While the trail might not make it far before vanishing, it does point you towards a to the northeast. Proceed to the northeast a short distance, but keep your TAB button ready, as there are plenty of Mudleaf plants along the way. Save before interacting with one, as they’re surprisingly di_cult [Knowledge (Nature) 25] to harvest, and you’ll want to harvest as many as you can. Yes, that

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means some save/loading is in order, but it’s worth your time. Be sure to obtain at least three of them for an quest. Slowly pick Mudleaves and work your way to the northeast until the path opens up in front of a stream. Search the western edge of the stream and a [Perception 18] check to spot a locked [Trickery 21] chest, inside of which you’ll ]nd a Potion of Cure Light Wounds, a Scroll of Cure Serious Wounds, a Scroll of Cure Moderate Wounds, a Potion of Enlarge Person, a Scroll of Cure Serious Wounds and a variety of trinkets.

Falchos and Tiressia Follow the stream east and you’ll ]nd a gathering of two fey lovers, the Satyr Falchos and the Dryad Tiressia - yes, the same Tiressia who is supposedly related to Melianse. Chat with them and you can learn some interesting things about the area, like the fate of the village that used to stand here… A good warning to avoid mingling with fey creatures, if the Guardian of the Bloom hadn’t already taught you that. She’ll also tell you about the daughter born by such a union, Elga Verniex. Something to keep in mind for later, no doubt. Assuming you avoid the temptation to just murder these two fey outright (a [Chaotic Evil] act which will only net you some experience and a Chainshirt +1), engage in dialogue with them. Be sure to pick the dialogue options "What happened to the village?" followed by "A girl from the village married a dryad?", as this will unlock more dialogue options later on. As for more immediate concerns, pick the dialogue option "What were you arguing about?" to pry into their business. Apparently the Scythe-Tree Tiressia mentioned earlier - the one that used to be Callistropsia before she turned on friend and fey alike now threatens Tiressia. Falchos isn’t inclined to let this stand, but neither does he have the power to prevail. This is where you come in. If you pick the [Neutral Evil] option, the untrustworthy fey will try to charm you [Will DC 26]. If you fail, you’ll be forced to pick one of several dialogue options agreeing to help them, after which you’ll be transported to the site of the Scythe-Tree and thrown into combat, while if you succeed, the miffed Satyr will attack. This is not a quest you want to miss out on, nor is the Scythe-Tree a foe you want to ]ght unprepared. The same outcome will occur if you pick the dialogue option "Maybe I could help… depending on what you’re offering" followed by "I won’t risk my life for such a meager reward."

If you outright refuse the fey's request, they'll charm you into doing their bidding (left); forcing you to ]ght the Scythe-Tree on unfavorable . (right)

Opting out entirely isn’t ideal, but you can convince Falchos to abandon the Dryad by ing a [Diplomacy 20] check, which is also a [Chaotic Neutral] action. As a way of thanks the Dryad will give you 500 GP. Alternatively, you can either demand a reward ("Maybe I could help… depending on what you’re offering" followed by "Fine, I will help you.") or be selêss and pick the [Lawful Good] option. These last two options start the quest Gnarled Branches. Since the alternatives are ignoring Falchos/Tiressia, killing them, or getting forced into a ]ght with the Scythe-Tree unprepared, you might as well pick a course that accepts the quest and allows you to ]ght the Scythe-Tree on your own

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. Whether you pick the [Lawful Good] option or extort a reward from Tiressia is up to you.

Battle: Greater Enraged Owlbears Leave the two fey behind and continue east to ]nd some foliage you can loot [Perception 0] to score a Narlbarb. Whatever else this plant is good for, it’ll sell for around 70 GP, so it’s well worth grabbing. Continue following the edge of the scrub to the southeast until you ]nd a spot where you can attempt an [Athletics 28] check. Beyond this demanding Athletics check is an Owlbear den, where you’ll encounter three Greater Enraged Owlbears. The "Owlbear" part is bad enough, but when you start a_xing adjectives like "greater" and "enraged", it just gets worse, and against three such foes at once? That said, a fully buffed party does stand a chance here despite the fact that the Owlbears have a relatively high Armor Class, an Attack bonus that won’t be deterred by anything you can likely muster, can deal 30~ damage per hit and have a respectable number of HP. It’s a testament to the overwhelming power of buffs and debuffs, really. Start out by bu_ng like you’ve never buffed before, starting with the longer-lasting buffs like Blur, Shield of Faith and Bull’s Strength, then through the bushes via the Athletics check (there doesn’t seem to be a penalty for failing this check). Once through, don’t move and apply the rest of your buffs, including Bless and Haste. Start the ]ght with the Greater Enraged Owlbears by casting Web at them, aimed northeast so the edge of the Web spell still encomes the closest Owlbear (the other two should be obscured by the fog of war). Don’t expect this to hold them, as their Reêx Saves are awfully high. Instead, it’ll slow them down and hopefully buy you time - ]ghting multiple such foes at once is a recipe for disaster. After the Web spell is cast and the Owlbears are lumbering towards you with murderous intent, cast Slow on them, then engage the ]rst Owlbear to cross the Web threshold. Be sure to send a warrior around wide to ânk them, then hope RNG is on your side. If you suffer a critical hit it could spoil the entire affair, while a fortuitous critical hit on your part might edge victory decidedly in your favor. Given your level, having a second Haste spell on-hand and ready to go after the second Owlbear falls might be the difference between victory and defeat.

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Aim a Web spell to the north of the Owlbears.

With any luck, they'll get stuck and make it through the Web individually, allowing you to focus on them one at a time.

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After defeating the Owlbears, loot one of their victims.

Feats like Precise Strike and Outânk can really shine here, if you have them, and as important as spell-buffs are to victory, ânking and positioning your warriors once the battle actually starts is important, as well. If you can engage with your tank(s) (the recipients of any Blur/Displacement spells you may have cast) you’ll increase your survivability, and ânking serves as a force multiplier. Repeat this process on the next two Owlbears and with any luck you might just emerge victorious, although don’t be surprised if you have to reload a time or two to get things right. Following the above strategy, we were successful in two out of ]ve ]ghts, and on each successful attempt nobody was brought to "Death’s Door". It really all depends on which Owlbears are affected by Web and Slow, when they reach you, if you or they score critical hits and if you can keep control of your Hasted warriors well enough. If you defeat these foes, not only will you enjoy around 2,000 experience - a huge boost - you’ll also be free to loot a corpse to the northeast. On this corpse you’ll ]nd Swordsman’s ion, a Dueling Sword +2 with the Agile property; something of a niche weapon, to be sure, but at the very least it can be sold to a merchant for 5,000 GP if you can’t ]nd a home for it in your party.

Battle: Worgs and Werewolves Leave the Owlbear clearing, heal or rest up if you need to, then continue following the eastern edge of the area south. Lead with your tank as you go, however, as there’s an ambush waiting not too far to the south. A pack of Ferocious Worgs lie hidden, and they’ll shortly be ed by a Greater Werewolf. This time, the word "greater" is somewhat misplaced, as it doesn’t fare any better in combat than the Werewolf you slew in the Old Mesa area. Indeed, only this monster’s DR 10/silver should give you any worry, a damage threshold you should be easily capable of battering through. The Ferocious Worgs will prove more troublesome, so concentrate your attention on them to eliminate them one at a time and consider throwing out a Bless or Prayer to put a thumb on the scales. After they’re dead, loot the Greater Werewolf for a Masterwork Longsword and a Breastplate.

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Be wary as you explore, as some wolves will attempt to ambush you. (left); Defeating them is well worth your time, however. (right)

From this ambush, continue south a short distance to ]nd a log you can search. Don’t disparage this humble log, however, as it hides a great treasure, including 1,011 GP, twenty-two Pearls, six Exquisite Pearls and a Taldan Warrior’s Dog Tag. If that’s not enough treasure, a [Perception 24] check to spot another generous log to the west, under which lies a Ring of Protection +1.

Battle: Will-o-Wisps on the Road Finally the northeastern end of this area has been explored. That being the case, return back west to the road you abandoned so long ago and continue following it south. When the road bends southwest you should encounter a new foe, the Will-o-Wisp. While appearing similar to the Nightmare Wisp you were humbled by earlier, these ethereal creatures are nowhere near as dangerous. In fact, you shouldn’t need any special strategy to defeat them, although they are noteworthy for having a high Armor Class and only needing a touch attack to hit your own warriors - and with an Attack bonus as high as theirs, they’re going to hit every time they try. Still, they don’t have a ton of HP and deal little damage, making this a slugfest you’re bound to win.

Battle: Dire Bears While you could continue following the road southwest, there are areas of interest to the south and east that should be explored, ]rst. Venture down south and you’ll ]nd the ruins of a village - most likely the village mentioned by Tiressia, which was destroyed by the Scythe-Tree. You’ll need to circumvent these ruins by continuing west for a bit, but before that, let’s clear up a small encounter to the east. Follow the ruins to the east, turning northeast when some rocks force you to do so. This path eventually will terminate at a rocky cubby, where two Dire Bears dwell. You’ve come a long way since the Temple of the Elk, and even lightly bu_ng should prove su_cient to defeat these creatures. Once done, loot some branches to score a Token of the Dryad.

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Kill some bears (left); then loot their cubby for a Token of the Dryad. (right)

Speak to the Forgetful Specter Return west to the ruins and make your way west along their northern edge, then turn south around the western-most house. As you turn south, however, note the cluster of trees further west. Along the western edge of this group of trees you’ll can ]nd a chest [Perception 20]. Unlock [Trickery 20] this chest and nab the loot inside, including a Potion of Cure Moderate Wounds, a Potion of Shield of Faith, a Scroll of Bless and a Scroll of Cure Moderate Wounds, among other baubles. Plunder the chest, then return back east to the western-most ruined house, from which continue south, then turn east once you clear the house. You should locate a small stone shrine enclosed by a short stone fence, inside of which you’ll spot a Specter. Talk to the forgetful ghost and he’ll provide very little useful information save that he used to be the village Hean, and has been denied his rightful rest by some malevolent "lights" in the village well. Whispering, hissing lights. While the Scythe-Tree lurks to the east, you might as well be kind to this old specter and deal with whatever lurks in the well, which is to the west. Ignore the urge to attack the Specter and instead a [Perception 19] check to pry a Taldan Warrior’s Dog Tag from some rubble near the specter, then loot a chest [Trickery 18] near the fence to score two Scrolls of Scorching Ray, a Scroll of Cure Light Wounds, a Potion of Cure Light Wounds and a Scroll of Bless.

Talk to a forgetful specter, who tells you about some spirits in a well. (left); Before you go, be sure to loot near the shrine to ]nd a Taldan Warrior's Dog Tag. (right)

Battle: Worgs in the Ruins Unfortunately, the way to the well isn’t without peril. Note the ruins to the south of the shrine the specter haunts and approach them. Head west along the edge of these ruins to spot some Ferocious Worgs behind a fence. There are in fact

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three such beasts, led by a Greater Worg. While they’re nowhere near as dangerous as the ones in the Ruined Watchtower area (leveling up saw to that), they’re not push-overs, either. When you spot them, cast Web to the west of your location, aiming the spell so at least one of the Ferocious Worgs is immediately effected by the edge of the spell. The real goal of the spell isn’t to catch them behind the fence however, but rather to slow them down as they run around said fence and approach from the west. Keep your tank ahead (west of) the rest of your party and intercept the Worgs as they arrive, their Reêx Saves are high enough to give them a good shot at getting through the Web, but unless your luck is horrid at least some of them will be stopped, and all of them will be slowed. Defeating them piecemeal is considerably easier than defeating them all at once, and a single Web spell achieves this irably.

Aim a Web spell to catch one of the wolves in the edge of its area, but mostly to block the path ahead of you. (left); When the provoked wolves attack and run through the Web, you should be able to pick them off piecemeal. (right)

Defeat the Worgs and strip them of their hides, then continue west to the edge of the ruins whence they prowled. In some bushes to the west of said ruins you can ]nd a hidden [Perception 19] Token of the Dryad. Other than that, the only bit of loot to be had is a check [Trickery 20] amidst the ruins, just south of the specter-haunted shrine. Inside this chest you’ll ]nd a Scroll of Bless and a Potion of Bull’s Strength along with a trivial amount of coins.

Battle: Wisps in the Well Continue west from the ruins and you’ll ]nd the village well. Don’t foolishly go opening it without prior preparation, however, as the specter wasn’t lying about what lurks within. Once the well is opened (you’ll get the option to perform a [Detect Magic] and [Will 20] check at the well, but they don’t really achieve much) you’ll be confronted by two War Wisps and an Ancient Will-o-Wisp. These foes are super]cially similar to Will-o-Wisps in that they are spectral foes with a high Armor Class but there the similarities end. Will-o-Wisps didn’t have much damage potential, but these Wisps will readily assume a "Lightning Form", dealing heavy (don’t be surprised to see 20-30 damage) electrical damage to all opponents in a line, essentially functioning as a Lightning Bolt spell. This damage is mitigated by a Reêx Save, not Armor Class, so your warriors will be particularly susceptible to it. Fortunately the Reêx Saves required are pretty low, and if you succeed you’ll only take half damage. If engaged in melee, the wisps are likely to resort to single-target attacks. These attacks also deal electrical damage, and only require a touch attack to hit. Thankfully they deal much less damage, but taking 15~ damage per hit on top of the Lightning Form strikes will quickly dispatch your warriors if they don’t have some aid. Speaking of aid, two spells will largely guide you to victory here: Haste (as usual) and Resist Energy, Communal. The latter is a 3rd level Divine spell which either Harrim or Tristian should have access to by now. Just be sure to cast the electrical variant to give all your characters Electrical Resistance 10/-. It’ll take the sting out of the wisps’ attacks, and every little bit will help.

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Protect yourself with the Resist Energy, Communal spell.

This protection spell will help weather the wisps' devastating lightning attacks.

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Defeat the Wisps and loot them for coins marked with names.

After those preparations have been made, situate your party north and slightly west of the well (be wary of the Greater Tatzlwrym and its lesser Tatzlwyrm buddies to the west - it may be a nuisance you need to get rid of, ]rst). The Ancient Willo-Wisp will spawn here, and since it’s the greatest threat, you should focus on it ]rst. Not only will starting out near it allow you to surround it and cut it down quickly, but proximity may also induce the Ancient Will-o-Wisp to use its less dangerous melee attack. When it’s dead, move east to the War Wisps and cut them down one at a time. Other than endeavoring to ensure your characters don’t form an attractive line, there’s little you can do but hope RNG is on your side. With those preparations, however, you should emerge victorious. Banish the wisps, then loot them for a pair of Coins with Wilber’s Name (War Wisps) and a Coin with Callistropsia’s Name (Ancient Will-o-Wisp). These are probably signi]cant, so you should hold onto them.

Battle: Thrash the Tatzlwyrms Before returning to the specter back east, ]rst head west and dispatch the Tatzlwyrms, in case you didn’t do so already. The Greater Tatzlwrym is another abuse of the word "greater", and while it is indeed more formidable than the lesser Tatzlwyrms around it, it’s nothing compared to most of the critters you’ve fought in this area. Once the Tatzlwyrms are dead, loot them, then search a log south of them [Perception 18] to ]nd a Scroll of Cure Light Wounds, a Potion of Enlarge Person, a Scroll of Scorching Ray and numerous less interesting trinkets.

Nyta’s Repose South of the Tatzlwyrms you’ll ]nd an area transition - potentially useful if you need to retreat and rest. More interesting, however, is a rancid-looking stream to the east, which you can cross via a [Mobility 22] check. Do so to reach a small island, on the eastern end of which you’ll ]nd a corpse and a chest, both of which you can loot. Investigate the corpse ]rst and when you interact with it you’ll notice it’s remarkably well preserved. This isn’t an accident, as the voices surrounding you will attest to. If you pick the dialogue option "Who is there? Show yourselves!" one of your

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companions will helpfully suggest that the voices probably belong to some of the fey creatures that inhabit the area, and given the the story of the corpse - Nyta - that seems to be a pretty good guess. If you choose the [Detect Magic] option, you’ll con]rm that enchantments are at work keeping the corpse from rotting; quite possibly a labor of love on the part of the fey that now threaten you. Once those options are stripped away, you’re left with a rare case of moral duality. Pick the [Neutral Good] option to honor the corpse by putting some ôwers nearby and the fey will leave you be. On the other hand, you can pick the [Neutral Evil] option to loot the corpse, in the process obtaining a Gold Ring, a Ring of Protection +1 and an Emerald. Not a bad haul. The penalty for this act of desecration? Threats. Threats that aren’t immediately ful]lled, mind you, but threats nonetheless. The nearby chest is less of a hassle, just walk up and loot it to gather a Potion of Enlarge Person, a Scroll of Cure Moderate Wounds and a Scroll of Bless, among other treasures. No fey, no threats, no desecration.

Wilber’s Release Return east to the specter near the shrine and inform it that you’ve cleared the well. Unfortunately that act alone wasn’t su_cient to rid him of whatever bonds tie him to this world, so show him the coins you found. The coins, it turns out, are the clue you were looking for, as they’re more than humble currency - they’re the tools of a curse. Not only was poor Wilber twice-cursed, but so was Callistropsia, Nyta’s bride which became the Scythe Tree. Seems the whole affair was caused by hatred and jealousy. There’s little you can do for Callistropsia now besides rid the world of the monster she’s become, but there may yet be the possibility of salvation for Wilber. Pick the dialogue option [Put the coins on Erastil’s altar] to free the tormented spirit, and in return it’ll reward you by telling you of a trinket it hid under a boulder. No need to search far, just hit the TAB key to spot some rocks nearby, under which you’ll ]nd a Phylactery of Positive Channeling. This useful device (which takes up the helmet slot) will boost a Cleric’s positive energy damage and healing by +2d6. Both Harrim and Tristian can bene]t from this greatly, since they both channel positive energy, and it constitutes a massive boost to their ability to heal the party. For a 5th level Cleric, it’ll boost their healing from 3d6 damage to 5d6, which basically counters a Fireball spell, or deals considerable damage to undead, should you ]nd yourself confronted with a group large enough to use this on. Worst case scenario, if you can’t ]nd a use for it, the phylactery will sell for 3,000 GP.

Note: There’s another being in these swamps who can also be freed by gifting them these coins. If you’re not completely sold on the Phylactery of Positive Channeling or just wish to test all your options, consider holding off on returning to Wilber’s specter for the time being.

Battle: Scythe-Tree You either have freed, or at least have the means to free Wilber’s specter, but there’s at least one more tormented soul left to liberate: Callistropsia. Make your way around the shrine by heading north, then east, stopping to loot a chest near a house to the north. This chest will leave you richer by one Scroll of Cure Light Wounds, a Scroll of Hold Person and some gold coins. Head south from the shrine and you’ll ]nd another chest near a fence, in which you can discover a Potion of Barkskin, a Scroll of Bless and two Scrolls of Cure Light Wounds. East of the shrine you’ll ]nd some ominous purple mist. Sure enough, it’s poisonous, so you’ll want to stay out of it lest you suffer damage from exposure. You’ll take damage each round you remain in the mist and for a few rounds thereafter,

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making it a signi]cant hindrance to further exploration. The poison mist’s coverage isn’t complete, however, and you should be able to spot three distinct paths through the mist which you can navigate single-]le. Su_ce to say, this isn’t an ideal formation for combat, which is a shame, because you’ll ]nd a pair of Giant Slugs to the northeast, and the Scythe-Tree to the southeast. Ignore the Giant Slugs for now, the Scythe-Tree is a more important objective, and you can focus on slugs later. Best to go after the Scythe-Tree while in tip-top form. Charging through poison to engage the tree probably isn’t the wisest idea, and again it’ll be buffs that turn this from a challenging ]ght to an utter rout - that and perhaps a bit of strategy on your part. There are two ways of going about this, either lure the Scythe-Tree to you, or protect yourself from the poison. In the former case, this can be done by taking Octavia (or any other mage) and heading through the southeastern fog-free path until you spot the Scythe-Tree. Keep the rest of your party well back, with plenty of room between them and the fog. When your mage spots the Scythe-Tree, hit it with Acid Splash, and when it advances, retreat. Continue pelting it with Acid Splash until it’s been lured clear of the fog, then surround it and cut it down.

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You can lure the Scythe-Tree by provoking it with a mage or archer.

Once it's out of the poison mist, hit it with a Slow spell and chop it down.

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Be sure to loot the tree for relics from its past life as a Dryad.

If you prefer a more aggressive approach, have your Cleric prepare several Delay Poison spells - one for each warrior you plan to send into the mist. This 2nd level spell will mitigate the effects of poison for the spell’s duration, and since that duration is measured in hours, you’ll be well clear of the poison mist before the effects kick in. Simply buff up your party and send them on the attack. Either way you go about engaging the Scythe-Tree, the normal buffs work ]ne here, and with the fog neutralized, the ScytheTree isn’t too terrible of an opponent. It attacks fast and hits hard, but its Attack bonus isn’t high enough to render your tanks moot, like the Greater Enraged Owlbears. It can inîct Negative Energy Levels when it hits, however, which is a status effect whose antiquity is rivaled only by how obnoxious it is. Still, if you buff with Blur, Shield of Faith, Delay Poison and Haste, then start the ]ght out by hitting the Scythe Tree with a Slow spell, you should chop it down with terrifying speed. Speaking of chopping the Scythe-Tree down, one last note - the Scythe Tree has Damage Reduction against piercing and bludgeoning attacks, so be sure you’re using slashing weapons. This should pretty much be the default for Amiri, Valerie and Jaethal if you kept them with their default weapons, but if not well, Trollreaper will work just as well against this tree as it will against Trolls. Bows are right out, of course, even though the double Web strategy otherwise shows some promise. Cut down the Scythe-Tree, then loot it to obtain an Ancient Wedding Ring and Nyta’s Letter, the last remnants of what should have been a merry occasion gone horribly wrong. More treasure awaits on various corpses in the mist, but aside from a Potion of Owl’s Wisdom, a Potion of Cure Moderate Wounds and a Wand of Burning Arc, there’s very little noteworthy loot.

Warning!: If you kill the Scythe-Tree before talking to Falchos and Tiressia, the quest Gnarled Branches may not start when you talk to them later, so be sure to talk to them before killing the Scythe-Tree.

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Note: If you don’t interact with Nyta’s corpse until after you have the Ancient Wedding Ring you can dispose of this ring at her corpse, but the end effect is functionally identical to just putting ôwers near the corpse.

Battle: Giant Slug Duo While your buffs are active, consider shifting your party to the north to encounter the Giant Slugs lurking in the poison mist. If you used Delay Poison, you should be able to navigate the mist just ]ne, but if not, luring the Giant Slugs out is possible, but dangerous. Unlike the Scythe-Tree, Giant Slugs have a tendency to spit acid, which can deal an obscene amount of damage (30+ damage!) if it hits, and it only requires a ranged touch attack, giving your warriors precious little defense. They’re no less dangerous in melee, having a high Attack bonus, but fortunately their Armor Class is laughably low. Protect yourself as best you can and either lure them, or charge through the poisonous fog and cut them down before they can do too much damage to your warriors. As usual, Haste will help immensely. Your reward for this display of slug-smashing prowess? Well, you can ]nd a Dizzyhead along the eastern end of the easternmost house [Perception 22]. There’s also a more obscure Dizzyhead [Perception 27] just east of the shrine, or a short distance southwest of the one near the Giant Slugs. A third, di_cult to ]nd [Perception 27] Dizzyhead plant can be found near some bushes southeast of the Giant Slugs. A fourth and ]fth Dizzyhead are easier to ]nd [Perception 18], one being located north of the Giant Slugs near some trees, while another can found along the eastern edge of the map just east of the Giant Slugs. They’re needed for an quest, so be sure to grab at least three, should your Perception checks be up to the task.

While squishy enough when you reach them, Giant Slugs do deal a lot of damage. (left); Eradicate the slugs, then search the area for Dizzyhead plants. (right)

Return to Falchos and Tiressia With that, your business with the Scythe-Tree should be ]nished so simply return to Falchos and Tiressia and tell them the news. If you didn’t ask for a reward, you’ll merely get experience, but if you did request a reward, you’ll earn 800 GP as well.

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Reward: For defeating the Scythe-Tree 800 XP, 800 GP*

*Only if you demanded a reward for defeating the Scythe-Tree.

Meeting the Old Beldame The mystery behind the village’s destruction and Callistropsia’s transformation into the Scythe-Tree has been well, more or less resolved. Falchos and Tiressia can continue living in sin, and Wilber can rest in peace. That said, there’s still more left to explore in this area. Return to the southern area transition near which you slew a group of Tatzlwyrms and from there head north to ]nd a pack of Dire Boars near a wooden fence. Defeat these relatively mundane foes, then turn your attention to the fence to the east. You’ve explored this area quite a bit, but thus far haven’t stumbled upon the "witch hut" after which the area is named. Of all the structures you’ve found thus far, this is the most promising to ]t such a description. Interact with the gate and you’ll get a variety of options, including two [Detect Magic] checks, one for the gate itself, and one for the ominous scarecrow in the front yard - both of which are con]rmed to be more than they appear. After that, you really have only four options for proceeding: calling out to the hut’s inhabitant, throwing a pebble at the window [Dexterity 15], ringing the bell near the gate, or rudely opening the gate. Throwing a rock can come with a bit of unintended vandalism followed by the hostility of the hut’s owner, making it a less than ideal approach, while simply opening the gate will end with a similar result. This can be a somewhat tricky ]ght, since the inhabitant of the hut - The Old Beldame - and her Scarecrow will use some of the same tricks you’ve been employing to secure victory. The Old Beldame will start out by protecting herself with Mirror Image, followed by two bouts of Slow before using a Fear spell. The Scarecrow will Haste itself and immediately leap to the attack, where it excels. Not only does it have a high Attack bonus (high enough to reliably hit a well-buffed tank) but it deals a hefty bit of damage per attack, too. Defensively, it’s Armor Class is good, it has a healthy supply of HP and Damage Reduction 10 to boot. Still, you can simply buff your way to victory so long as you rush the Scarecrow and cut it down while Hasted. The Witch on her own isn’t fearsome enough to hinder the ambitions of several violence-minded warriors. Your reward for murdering this old recluse? Some paltry experience and the Recipe: Shepherd’s Pie which you can pull off her corpse. That being the case, just ring the bell on the gate (or if you must test your luck, throw pebbles at the window) to draw the witch’s attention in a more cordial manner. When she arrives, chat with her as there are by now numerous things you can ask her given your previous exploits in the swamp. Pick the dialogue option "I’ve got a question for you…" and after her sharp retort respond with "How can I help you, good woman?" to start the quest Mushrooms from the Mud Bowl.

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You can pick a ]ght with the Old Beldame by tresing or unintentional vandalism, (left); but it's more pro]table to be polite and pick up some quests from her. (right)

If you grabbed the Dizzyhead plant earlier near the Giant Slugs, pick the dialogue option [Show the herb you’ve found at the swamp] "This seems to be an unusual herb. Can you tell me what it is?" and she’ll instruct you to ]nd three Mudleaf, Gloomberry and Dizzyhead samples to her. This starts the quest Swamp Bouquet. By now you should have found enough Mudleaf (if you save/loaded to ensure you get the number of plants you need at least) and as many as ]ve Dizzyhead plants if you explored near the poison mist along the southeastern edge of the level - provided your Perception skill score was high enough. This should only leave the Gloomberries, which you’ll get to shortly. Finally, if you pick [Tell her about the coins.] "I’ve learned what happened to the village, slain the monster, and freed a cursed soul…" you can muse about where guilt lies with the whole affair, but it ultimately goes nowhere. Make it through those dialogue options to pick up the two aforementioned quests. Looks like if you want to get anything more out of the Old Beldame, you’ll need to take care of her errand, ]rst. The Mud Bowl she mentions (the source of the Black Rattlecaps she wants) is actually to the northeast, not west as she states. You’ll ]nd it just east of Candlemere Tower, in fact, which might be worth hitting on your way back to Tuskdale. Now’s not the time to worry about heading home just yet. First you need to ]nish up this area, which you can progress towards by plundering the Old Beldame’s yard. In some crops near the Scarecrow you should ]nd a Token of the Dryad in some foliage. Along the fence to the north you’ll ]nd a chest containing a Scroll of Acid Arrow, two Scrolls of Bless and a Scroll of Cure Light Wounds among other trinkets. In addition, in a crate to the west you’ll ]nd a Potion of Invisibility and a Scroll of Bless. At this rate, you’re going to have enough Scrolls of Bless to bless the world without expending a single spell of your own…

Dorsy’s Release Leave the witch’s house and venture west past where the Dire Boars were to reunite with the road. Follow it north to reach a fork, at which venture northwest to ]nd the path forward guarded by another nest of Tatzlwyrms, led by a Greater Tatzlwyrm. Exterminate them, then search around for some plants growing nearby, including a Shambeltus mushroom to the east, for what that’s worth. Continue north and you’ll ]nd another intact hut, the inhabitant of which - a Ghoul named Dorsy - is even more unsavory than the witch to the south! Despite being quite dead, this corpse insists it doesn’t want to ]ght, and is capable of engaging in halting speech. Ask who it is to learn its name, while further questions will con]rm its role in the events that transpired at the village long ago. Seems Dorsy loved Nyta, and cast cursed coins into the well - symbols of his hatred - and he can only be freed from his undeath "when two coins serve as his eyelids".

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Talk to the ghoul that Dorsy has become and he'll tell you the riddle to his release. (left); Granting him the release he seeks will secure you a Cloak of Resistance +2. (right)

If you already gave the coins you got from the wisps to Wilber you won’t be able to give them to Dorsy and vice-versa, meaning one of these two souls is doomed to remaining in the land of the living. You can let morality or practicality guide you - in the former case Wilber is an innocent, but he hardly seems aware enough to be suffering, unlike Dorsy, although Dorsy kind of deserves it for cursing Callistropsia. In the latter case, Dorsy will reward you with a Cloak of Resistance +2, which you may prefer to the phylactery that Wilber will give you. Killing either of the undead the old fashioned way will not get you either of these rewards, but you can loot Dorsy for a Masterwork Scimitar. Whatever fate Dorsy is due to suffer, loot the chest by his house to score two Scrolls of Bless, a Potion of Cure Light Wounds, three Scrolls of Cure Light Wounds and a Scroll of Acid Arrow.

Battle: Giant Slugs Trio To ]nally ]nish this area up, head northwest from Dorsy’s house until you ]nd another area transition. Ignore it for now and head northeast instead, stopping to pick some of the Gloomberries that grow around here. This should be the third and ]nal ingredient you need to recover for the quest Swamp Bouquet. Before you return to the Old Beldame, however, note the Giant Slugs further north. You’ve fought two of these monsters earlier, so you know how hard they can hit. Even though they’re individually pretty easy to cut down, it’ll take time, and while you work on one of the slugs, the other two will be punishing you. Haste will, as always, help, as will buffs like Blur and Displacement. Your reward for besting these beasts? You can loot two Gloomberry bushes unopposed, getting you up to the three Gloomberries you need. If that’s not good enough, you can search a log for a Token of the Dryad and a Shard of a Knight’s Bracers.

At the far northern end of the map you'll encounter three Giant Slugs. (left); Slay them so you can loot the Gloomberries that grow nearby. (right)

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Swamp Bouquet If you followed this guide through the area you should have found three Mudleaf plants (along the that connected the road to where you found Falchos and Tiressia), Dizzyhead plants (near the Giant Slug duo in the poison mist along the southeastern corner of the map) and Gloomberries (northwest of Dorsy’s house, near the Giant Slug trio). If that’s the case, you can return to the Old Beldame and give her the herbs for some experience and gold.

Reward: For bringing the Old Beldame the herbs she asked for 400 XP, 400 GP

Reunite Elga Verniex and Tiressia After completing this quest for the Old Beldame, she’ll be ever-so-slightly more favorably disposed towards you, allowing you to ask a few more questions. Be sure to ask "What happened here?" and "As far as I’ve heard, a daughter of a human and a fey used to live here. Her name was Elga Verniex. Are you her?". You might not get the conclusive answers you were hoping for, but asking the latter question will allow you to complete another task before leaving. You’ll also be able to trade with the Old Beldame now, who sells a variety of potions, scrolls, and miscellaneous magical items. Of particular note she sells an Amulet of Natural Armor +1, a Belt of Mighty Constitution +2 and some Scrolls of Greater Invisibility. The latter spell is a helpful buff, albeit a bit out of your league right now, being a 4th level arcane spell. Still, consider picking it up if you have the coin. Better to have it early than need it late. You also may as well sell off any junk you don’t need or want, so it doesn’t end up burdening you later. When you’re done dealing with The Old Beldame, return to Tiressia. If you asked The Old Beldame if she was Elga Verniex you’ll be able to report to the Dryad about the location of the missing half-breed fey. Pick the dialogue option "Elga Verniex is back. She lives in a house outside the village." and Tiressia will give you A Letter from Settrex to His Daughter to deliver to Elga. Yeah, this sort of thing is beneath you, but it can’t hurt to appease them. Return to The Old Beldame and pick the dialogue option [Give her the letter.] "A dryad named Tiressia re you and would be glad to see you again. She asked me to give you this letter." to put her and Tiressia back in . With any luck, your schmoozing - or genuine acts of good will, if that’s how you prefer to play it - will pay off later. For now, however, you’re ]nally done with the Swamp Witch’s Hut area, and you should start planning your trip back to Tuskdale. If the event card "Troll Trouble" hasn’t appeared yet, or if you feel comfortable in letting it sit for a day or two longer, you should consider taking a different route on your return trip. After all, there’s no gain in heading back the way you came, and since you’ll get back to Tuskdale just as well by heading east and north through the Kamelands (as opposed to backtracking through the Narlmarches), you ought to consider it. If you want to just return back to Tuskdale as quickly as possible, heading north and east through the Narlmarches will take about twenty hours if you’re not encumbered. In this case, continue following the walkthrough by skipping ahead to the "Troll Invasion" section of the guide. Don’t worry, if you don’t have time to explore these areas now, you’ll get other opportunities later. On the other hand if you wish to go through the Kamelands, continue with the following sections (in order): "Troll Clearing", "Monster Den", "Secluded Lodge", "Wolf Lair", "Mud Bowl" and ]nally "Bridge Over the Gudrin River". This trip back will take about four days.

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Note: If you desecrated Nyta’s remains, you will indeed be ambushed by fey creatures as you traverse the South Narlmarches. This not-so-random-encounter begins with a Nereid (which can deal Constitution damage) and some Giant Frogs. The second wave of foes includes some Tatzlwyrms and a Giant Tatzlwyrm, while the third round consists of a Poisonous Shambling Mound, which has a poisonous aura and can deal Strength and Dexterity damage. Your only rewards for victory - beside survival - are a Scroll of Haste and a Potion of Cure Moderate Wounds.

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Troll Clearing The Troll Clearing area is quite close to the Swamp Witch’s Hut, and if you can discover it, it’s worth a quick stop. Find the area with the following directions (starting from the Swamp Witch’s Hut):

• East • Southwest (the Troll Clearing area may appear to the southeast as you travel this path) • Southeast When you arrive you’ll be treated to a simple Illustrated Book Episode. If you pick the option Having prepared our ambush, we waited., then We continued waiting. three times you’ll get a shot at a [Lore (Nature) 20] check. If you succeed, you’ll catch a boar. Not quite the same thing as a Troll, but it’s worth six Camping Supplies and Rations, as well as some experience.

Reward: For ambushing a boar 20 XP, Camping Supplies and Rations x6 Alternatively, you can avoid wasting your time by just picking We made note of the place so we could return later., after which you will indeed leave the area. Enter it again, then pick the option We stopped waiting and left the glade., which will earn you some experience for your good sense. If you pick the aforementioned option at any point, even after starting to wait to ambush the Trolls, you’ll gain this reward.

Reward: For having the sense not to waste your time 120 XP

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Monster Den Another very short trek, the Monster Den can be reached from the Troll Clearing by following these directions:

• West • Southwest (path bends west) • North Or from the Swamp Witch’s Hut, if you prefer:

• • • •

East Southwest Southwest (path bends west) North

You’ll arrive along the southern end of the area, from which just follow a trail north to reach a broken wagon. Loot two crates if you want to grab some grub, then head northeast to ]nd a Token of the Dryad lying in a pile of rocks. Finish looting, then continue north to ]nd the reason why a wagon might end up abandoned along the side of the road - an Ancient Wyvern. This reptilian foe provides another ]ne demonstration of the power of third level spells, as the Haste/Slow combo will probably be the difference between a party wipe and an easy victory. The Ancient Wyvern attacks fast and often, using all of its limbs to pick apart its prey. While its damage isn’t stupendous, when it’s landing several hits per turn (easily achievable thanks to its high Attack bonus) and dealing around 10-20 damage per hit, it can quickly whittle down any warrior. On top of that, you also have to worry about its venom (Fortitude DC 23) which inîcts Constitution damage. Buff with spells like Blur, Bless, Haste and Shield of Faith, send your tank forward to draw the beast’s attention, then hit it with Slow and Prayer. Barring any epic abandonment of luck, this should be su_cient to easily dispatch the Ancient Wyvern, and if the Slow spell works, it may just turn into a âwless rout. Grab some juicy Wyvern Meat off the wyvern, then loot two nearby corpses of less successful hunters. The eastern one will yield a Lucky Longbow, a suit of Scalemail +1, and 427 GP while the one to the west has two Potions of Cure Light Wounds, a Scroll of Scorching Ray, a Scroll of Acid Arrow and 195 GP. The Lucky Longbow is a +1 Composite Longbow that has a Critical Multiplier of x4 instead of the traditional x3. Finally, make your way west to ]nd another area transition, south of which you can ]nd some Sweet Syrup lying on the ground. Treat yourself, you deserve it, then leave the area.

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Secluded Lodge

Note: You’ll come to this location later as part of the quest Witch Hunt. Stripped of its questrelated content, it’s a pretty simple area, but there’s no harm in exploring - and looting - it early if you are so inclined.

From the Monster Den follow these directions:

• • • •

South East (path bends northeast) Northeast East

With any luck, you should arrive at the Secluded (Hunting Lodge) Lodge area. Make your way northwest to ]nd a bar tended by an elderly dwarf named Dumra, who believes in a more "don’t bother me" approach to running her lodge. You can chat with her to learn about why she chose such an unpro]table location for her lodge, and you can purchase items from her. Don’t expect much and you wont be disappointed, as this reclusive huntress will sell little of interest aside from Camping Supplies and Rations and a Torag’s Pendant. It’s expensive, but your antiquarian will refund you if you bring it to him. Do whatever business you wish with Dumra, head through a door into a back room, then turn southwest to reach another storage room. This room is packed with boxes and sacks you can loot, unlike the previous room, in which you could ]nd only milk. One box contains some Camping Supplies and Rations, two lengths of Rope, three doses of Alchemist’s Fire, a Potion of Cure Moderate Wounds and a Potion of Bear’s Endurance. The rest of the containers contain various foodstuffs. If you a [Perception 25] check you’ll ]nd a barrel you can plunder for 250 GP, the Hostess’ Room Key and a Masterwork Kukri. Return to the large room to the southeast, then head up some stairs to the southwest. Rather spacious for a secluded hunter’s lodge, eh? If you were looking for a bunch of quick loot that took very little trouble to get, this place is for you, as there are numerous locked doors upstairs (the keys to which you can ]nd in a later quest), behind which invariably lies a locked chest ]lled with treasure. The room nearest the stairs on the southeastern end of the hallway has one hell of a good lock, requiring a [Trickery 30] check to open. Inside this room you’ll ]nd a small chest containing Papers from Dumra’s Chest and 23 GP, but otherwise little of interest, unless you a [Perception 25] check. Succeed and you’ll ]nd a loose ôorboard to the southwest you can interact with, in which you’ll ]nd a whopping 1,922 GP. Hunting in these lands pays well, it seems. Pick the door [Trickery 20] to the central room along the southeastern end of the hall to gain access to a chest [Trickery 28], inside of which you’ll ]nd 250 GP and a variety of gems. The room further from the stairs along the southeastern end of the hall is the only room without a lock on this entire level. Just waltz in, open a chest [Trickery 23] and loot it for a Masterwork Shortsword, a Masterwork Light Shield and two Acid Flasks. Next turn your attention to the room further from the stairs on the northeastern end of the hall - opposite of the last one you entered - and once you get through the doorway [Trickery 15], plunder the chest [Trickery 25]. Inside you’ll ]nd a a variety of treasure, including 100 GP.

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Finally, turn your attention to the last door, the one just opposite the stairs. If you picked up the key from downstairs, it’ll come in handy now, otherwise you’ll need to by a [Trickery 28] check to unlock the door. However you manage it, once inside turn your attention to the large chest within [Trickery 25], which contains 78 GP and a Cloak of Resistance +1. Relieve Dumra of her worldly possessions, then leave her abode. Time to move on to the Kamelands.

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Wolf Lair From the Secluded Lodge, follow these directions:

• • • • •

East (path veers northeast) Northeast (path veers east along Shrike River) Northeast (cross Shrike River) Northeast (Wolf Lair should appear northwest of the path) Northwest

This will get you to the Wolf’s Lair area. No points for guessing what foes dwell here. You’ll arrive along the southeastern corner of the map, at the elbow of a trail that runs both uphill to the north and downhill to the west. The entire area is in fact a giant loop, but you might as well take care of the easier part ]rst. To that end, head downhill to the west, stopping long enough to crush three Wolves in the southwestern corner of the map. These mutts are horribly outclassed by now and should present no challenge. Once they’d dead, a [Perception 12] check to spot a rock you can loot for a variety of treasure, including a Scroll of Haste. Turn north and follow a trail running along the western edge of the map until you reach the northwestern corner of the area. An area transition lies in this corner, but you still need to search the hill that dominates the center and northeastern end of the area. Follow the path uphill to the southeast to ]nd a quartet of Wolves feasting upon a corpse. Don’t rush in blindly, as although these Wolves are easy enough to slay, they’re also cunning. During the ]ght, more Wolves will appear from behind you (to the northwest) so keep a warrior behind to protect your casters and archers while the rest of your warriors deal with the Wolves near the corpse. More Wolves will later come out of the caves to the northeast, and while they don’t bear a fancy name, they’re far stronger than normal Wolves, having a much higher Attack bonus, Armor Class and HP. While probably not too threatening to your warriors, they’re not complete push-overs like their lesser kin were, so be wary. After vanquishing all the Wolves, search for a stone to the west of the corpse to ]nd a Melted Shard of a Ring, another artifact the antiquarian will be interested in. Finally, loot the corpse the wolves were snacking on to gather a Potion of Cure Moderate Wounds, 74 GP and the Wolf Victim’s Book, the latter of which discusses wolves, worgs, goblins and barghests.

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Mud Bowl Leave the Wolf Lair behind and set your sights on the Mud Bowl area, which is to the northwest of your present position. Naturally, going straight there isn’t an option, so use these directions to reach your goal:

• • • • • •

Southeast Northeast Southwest Northwest West to empty node north of Mud Bowl South

The ]rst thing you’ll notice about this area is the nauseating fog that permeates the air here, forcing your characters to make a [Fortitude 17] save every round, becoming nauseated if they fail. A nauseated character is severely hampered, but fortunately you can simply wait out the effects of the nausea after which your characters will have acclimated to the environment. When you’ve got your churning innards under control, venture north and you’ll spot some Black Rattlecap mushrooms - the fungus the Old Beldame requested. You’ll need ten of these mushrooms, and unfortunately the area is home to a Tendriculos, a shambler-like beast that prowls around the center of the area. Not only does the Tendriculos hit for between 20-30 damage, but it gets multiple attacks per round and has a high enough Attack bonus to challenge whatever Armor Class you may possess. You know how this plays out: if you attempt to ]ght the Tendriculos without bu_ng, you’re probably going to have a bad time of it. If you buff yourself (including the all-powerful Haste) you might just come out of the ]ght completely unscathed. If you smite the Tendriculos you’ll be rewarded with a hefty inûx of experience, quite possibly enough to bring you within range of hitting level seven. You’ll also be free to search the area for the ten Black Rattlecaps you need. No need for instruction here, there’s fourteen of them spread about and you only need ten, so you don’t even need to be particularly vigilant. Grab the mushrooms you need, then search some foul water along the western end of the map to ]nd a pack near a corpse you can loot for two Potions of Enlarge Person, a Potion of Blur, 89 GP among other, less valuable items. With the ten Black Rattlecap mushrooms in hand, it’s time to leave. For the sake of continuity the reward for turning these mushrooms in to the Old Beldame will be listed below, but the delivery will be left up to your own initiative. Don’t bother going out of your way to do so now; you’ll get an opportunity to swing by later.

Reward: For giving the Old Beldame ten Black Rattlecaps 400 XP / 400 GP

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Bridge Over the Gudrin River

Note: Like the Secluded Lodge area, the Bridge Over the Gudrin River area becomes somewhat more lively later on, after the "Monster Invasion" event card. There’s plenty of incentive to explore it early, however - namely loot and experience gained from killing the monsters. Plus, it allows you to focus on the quests that appear there later without worrying (for the most part) about random monster encounters. These later encounters are covered in the Return to the Bridge Over the Gudrin River section of the guide.

Travel: Bridge Over the Gudrin River You’ve almost made it! Time to make your way from the Mud Bowl to the Bridge Over the Gudrin River, which you can reach by taking the following route:

• • • • •

Northeast Southeast Southeast North North

Explore the North Bank Your party will assemble along the northern edge of this area, whether you approached from the north or the south. Start out by heading south along the rocks to the west, stopping to search some branches covering a cache of treasure, including a Potion of Heroism, 100 GP and some… eggs? Return back north to where you began exploring the area and turn your attention to the east, this time making your way south along some cliffs. Be sure to grab a Melted Shard of a Ring hidden near some bushes as you go. Continue south until you ]nd a path to the east, which is guarded by a Bear. The quality of foes you’ll encounter in this area varies considerably, and this is an example of the lower-end of the scale. After disposing of the bear, search some bushes to the south to ]nd a hidden cache of gems and a Token of the Dryad, then continue east to ]nd more hostile wildlife in the form of three Ferocious Wolves, two Alpha Wolves and a Worg. These beasts shouldn’t be much of a threat even without spells, but a single Web spell will make things go much more smoothly. Put the canines down, then continue east to ]nd a Melted Shard of a Ring hidden in some rocks [Perception 7]. Return back west to the road that bisects the area and follow it south until it veers off to the southeast. At this point, head off-road to the southwest to ]nd a pack of Tatzlwyrms. There’s a lot of them, but they’re just not competitive anymore, so cut through them and continue west to ]nd a corpse near some bushes. For once, the corpse isn’t of much interest, but rather a chest hidden behind it in the bushes. a [Perception 10] check to notice the chest itself, and another [Perception 22] check to recognize that it’s trapped. Disarm the trap [Trickery 22] then plunder the chest for a suit of Half-Plate +2. While boasting an impressive +10 Armor Bonus, there’s a good chance you

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won’t need it, as it’s not better than a normal suit of Full Plate Mail when you consider the latter suit’s superior Maximum Dexterity bonus. It should still sell for well over 1,000 GP, though. Make your way south from this chest to reach the river, then turn east to ]nd some foliage near the road. Hidden amidst these plants is a pile of rocks [Perception 7], in which you’ll ]nd a Taldan Warrior’s Dog Tag. Pocket this trinket, then venture north to reach the road, along which you’ll ]nd another pack of mutts (]ve Ferocious Wolves, an Alpha Wolf and a Worg) blocking your path. Put them down with raw muscle or use magic to assist you, then save your game. Venture off-road to the east, and once you’ve cleared the road, immediately turn south and follow the edge of the road to ]nd a pile of rocks near some bushes, in which you’ll ]nd another Taldan Warrior’s Dog Tag. Continue south along the road until you reach the river, at which point turn east and follow the river until you ]nd another group of Tatzlwyrms, this time led by a Greater Tatzlwyrm. Put these relatively trivial foes down and continue east if you wish to see one of this area’s more substantial enemies, but you should save your game before you do. Along the river to the east of the Tatzlwyrm pack you’ll ]nd a Crag Linnorm, by far the largest - and most dangerous - foe you’ve yet encountered. This massive, primeval, wingless dragon is in all likelihood too much for you party to handle now, or for some time to come. If you wish to give it a shot, by all means, but even Haste and Slow likely won’t save you this time. In this case, discretion is the better party of valor. Live to ]ght another day and leave the Crag Linnorm alone. Return back west and the ]rst opportunity you get to turn north, take it, whereupon you’ll shortly ]nd yourself running afoul of several Bears. Kill them, then turn east and when the path splits continue east, as the northern fork is a dead-end bereft of anything interesting. Blocking your path you’ll ]nd yet another pack of hounds, this time consisting of an Alpha wolf, two Ferocious Wolves and a Worg. Defeat them, then continue east to ]nd their boneyard, where you can locate some branches obscured by the foreground under which waits a Scroll of Cure Serious Wounds and 100 GP, along with other trinkets.

Explore the South Bank Note here - False Stag Lord cutscene at bandit camp With that, the northern half of the area has been explored. Return west to the road and follow it southeast across the river, a trip which is surprisingly uneventful. Once you’ve made it to the southern side of the river, make your way east, then north to reach the river, which you should then follow east. When your way is blocked by bushes and boulders, turn south to reach a bandit camp, occupied by ]ve bandits all wearing Chainmail and bearing Heavy Shields and Longswords. They may have been a threat back when you were still stomping about the Outskirts, but by now, they’re simply outmatched and lacking diversity. Cut short the lives of these bandits, then search their camp for a variety of treasures. A bush to the northwest of camp will yield a Scroll of Hold Person and a Scroll of Haste, a sack near a tent on the northern edge of camp will make you richer by one unit of Sweet Syrup, and a Taldan Warrior’s Dog Tag is hidden in some rocks west of the camp [Perception 7]. Finally, along the southern end of camp you’ll ]nd two chests: the western one contains an Amulet of Natural Armor +3, while the eastern one [Trickery 25] can be unlocked for two Scrolls of Cure Serious Wounds and 200 GP, just to name the notable loot. That Amulet of Natural Armor +3 will serve your tank quite well for the foreseeable future. To ]nish off this looting spree, follow the foliage south of the bandit camp to the west, then south, keeping your eye out for a hidden chest [Perception 22] near the southern edge of the area. If you can get inside the check [Trickery 22] you’ll be further rewarded with three Scroll of Cure Serious Wounds, ]ve Peridot gems, two Potions of Heroism, and 100 GP. Quite a generous area, this. Follow the road back north to the bridge, then veer off the bridge to the west. Be sure to search the bushes west of the bridge to ]nd some branches, which conceal a Masterwork Heavy Mace and some other treasures. Once done, continue stomping off to the west, only to ]nd your way blocked by yet another pack of wolves. This group consists of two Alpha Wolves, four Ferocious Wolves and a Worg, and like the rest of the canines in this area, they can be managed more easily if you slow them with a Web spell.

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Kill the wolf pack, then search some rocks [Perception 7] to the south to ]nd another Taldan Warrior’s Dog Tag. After claiming this treasure, continue west until you reach a fork, at which turn north and follow the path ahead as it swings west and runs along the river. At the end of this path you’ll ]nd a cluster of branches which hide a variety of gems.

Owlbears on High Ground Claim these shiny stones as your own, then return to the previous fork and venture west, ultimately reaching a series of ât stone ledges. Climb them with a successful [Athletics 23] check to reach the high ground atop the rocks and loot a bundle of sticks to claim 300 GP and various other treasures. Be wary, however, as a pair of Owlbears lurk to the north, and while they may not bear the same adjectives as others you may have encountered, they’re still fearsome foes. Play it safe and buff yourself with Haste, while debu_ng them with Slow to ensure victory, then continue north to ]nd a hidden pile of stone [Perception 19] in which lies a Taldan Warrior’s Dog Tag. Having gathered that ]nal bit of loot, you’re done with this area. If you’re here ]nishing the expedition that took you from the Swamp Witch’s Hut through the Kamelands, this was your last stop before returning to Tuskdale. If you still don’t have the event card "Troll Invasion" well, you’re a top-tier adventurer, and there’s really not much else you should really bother with. You’ll just need to return to Tuskdale and take a breather until it shows up. To return to Tuskdale from the Bridge Over the Gudrin River, make use of the following directions:

• Southwest (path runs along the Gudrin River) • North • West

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Chapter 2 - Troll Trouble

Baron's Business in Tuskdale Troll Invasion When the event card "Troll Invasion" appears, return to Tuskdale to see what this is all about. If you’re following this guide closely and have had ample time, this may be after clearing the "Bridge Over the Gudrin River" area at the end of this chapter’s third expedition. If not, you may have just waited for this to begin from the start of Chapter 2 (not advised) or more likely you were caught in the midst of some adventure and had to return to Tuskdale. Either way, sell off your excess loot if necessary, then head on into your throne room. When you arrive, Kesten Garess will alarm you with reports from various settlements across the Narlmarches: hordes of unusually organized trolls, accompanied by Kobolds, have been moving through your lands. Trolls who are unafraid of ]re, at that. The reports are sketchy as of now, and Kesten doesn’t discount that the reports could be exaggerated… Respond how you will and note the quest Troll Trouble will have updated. Whether you choose to take the reports of the Trolls seriously or not, your quest log certainly is. In any event, there’s no harm in doing your due diligence and searching for clues in the Narlmarches. Merely meeting with Kesten about this issue will give you a Military +1 bonus. If you ]nd yourself in need of more incentive, let’s discuss how this threat will play out if left alone. After some time has ed (for the walkthrough in the guide, it was about a week) the event "Troll Sightings" will become available, allowing you to assign a leader to deal with the problem. This event will repeat after it’s resolved, and since it takes twenty-eight days, you’ve got quite a bit of time to do what you please. After nearly two months, however, the event "New Troll Sightings" will appear, requiring you to return to Tuskdale and talk to Kesten Garess. He’ll inform you that the troll attacks are no mere rumor, and the giants now rampage indiscriminately through your barony, with everything south of the Skunk River being dangerous due to the presence of the trolls. He’ll mention a wizard named Bartholomew who lives alone in the wilderness, whom you may have already met, which provides you with a ]ne starting point. After this, the event "Troll Raids" will start appearing, which likewise requires twenty-eight days to resolve, with success mitigating a loss of kingdom stats. After a month or two, multiple instances of this event may start to appear at a time, making it di_cult - if not impossible - for your general to keep up with all of them. This will slowly drain your kingdom stats (Military and Stability), along with "Trolls’ Rampage" events that appear later, which will reduce Stability and Community. As your kingdom stats plummet, your citizens will begin to grow demoralized in your rule before eventually starting to riot, which will reduce all the checks made by your leaders. This leads to a downward spiral that can ultimately cost you your realm. That being the case, you shouldn’t neglect the issue entirely, but on the other hand you have around three months (from the start of "Troll Invasion") before you’ll start taking hits to your kingdom stats (provided your rolls for "Troll Sightings" and "Troll Raids" checks are favorable), and six months before you’re at a crisis point. This should give you plenty of time to fully explore all the areas listed above even if you haven’t had the time or inclination to do any adventuring yet. If you’ve managed to complete some or all of the previous expeditions, you’re in very good shape, indeed. The quest Troll Trouble will be the next focus of this walkthrough, then, starting with the section "Troll Trouble - Seeking Bartholomew". While it requires a good bit of back-tracking, only new events (most of which are directly relevant to the completion of this quest) will be discussed. For example, you’ll be traveling to the "Lone House" and "Ruined Watchtower" areas in the following sections, but if you haven’t explored them previously, consult the sections where they’re covered earlier in the guide for general exploration and questing, as the following expeditions to these areas will only deal with encounters relating to the aforementioned Troll Trouble quest. Any additional exploration of areas covered in previous expeditions are highly encouraged, but will be left to your own initiative.

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If that’s not complicated enough, events in your kingdom will not stop just because you’re busy saving your barony from trolls. These may occasionally require you to return to Tuskdale to see to them, sometimes starting new quests in the middle of the existing engagement. For the sake of organization, the events which are likely to crop up in the near future will be listed in this section below, for you to peruse as they pop up. That’s right, there’s a lot of skipping around to be done, but just keep in mind the following: for areas explored in previous expeditions, consult their pages in the walkthrough when you get around to them (assuming you haven’t already!), when you see a new event that requires your presence in the capital, return to this section, and when you’re pushing ahead with the quest Troll Trouble, check out the pages that start with the words "Troll Trouble". That should help keep you on track.

Note: Other event cards may pop up depending on how long it takes you to ]nish Troll Trouble. Any such event cards that are not listed below will be covered after completing Troll Trouble, in the "Baronial Business after the Troll Trouble" section of the guide.

General Requests an Audience

Note: This event - and other leader-related events - will appear after your related kingdom stat (in this case Military) hits twenty. Since what events you attempt, the results of these events, what buildings you build and a host of other random factors determine this score, you could get this event card much later. They’ll all be listed here for the sake of continuity.

Your general - whomever you appointed to the task - is worried about the shape of the barony’s military, and with a horde of trolls possibly lurking in the forest, it’s a subject worth being concerned over. Unlike the "Troll Invasion" event, your response does matter here, and while the situation will be resolved whatever you pick, your general will be pleased or displeased based on the response. If you pick the option "Open unrestricted recruitment. Anyone with the will for it is good enough for our army." you’ll please Kassil and displease Amiri. If you pick "Select the strongest and most skillful recruits. I need real ]ghters." you’ll please Amiri and displease Regongar. Picking *"Select those who have ambition. Soldiers who dream of glory and rank always serve better." will please Regongar and displease Kassil. Finally, if you tell your general to "Make your own decision." you’ll please all three of them, presumably encouraging them to pursue the speci]c action listed above that pleased them when you mentioned it. Meeting with your general on this matter, regardless of their pleasure or displeasure, will give you a Military +1 bonus. This will also start the " the General’s Endeavors" project, a repeating project that you can see to when there’s not more pressing issues for them to attend to. Completing this project will require two weeks of time during which you can’t do anything else, after which your Military will be upgraded to Rank II.

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Treasurer Requests Your Attention

Note: This event - and other leader-related events - will appear after your related kingdom stat (in this case Economy) hits twenty. Since what events you attempt, the results of these events, what buildings you build and a host of other random factors determine this score, you could get this event card much later. They’ll all be listed here for the sake of continuity.


After you appoint your Treasurer - whomever that may be - they’ll request an audience from you about two days after being appointed. This plays out very similarly to your General’s request in that there’s a problem speci]c to the position of Treasurer that needs to be resolved and each of the three possible Treasurers - Jubilost, Bartholomew and Maegar Varn have their own preferred methods. If you pick the dialogue option "These things don’t belong to me any more than they belonged to the Stag Lord. Order them returned to the people." you’ll appease Maegar Varn and displease Bartholomew, and will gain Loyalty +3. If you choose "The owners of these things might be dead or on the run. We will use them to revive the villages that suffered the most under the Stag Lord’s reign." you’ll please Jubilost and gain Community +3. Picking the option "Take these riches to the treasury." will earn you 30 Build Points and will appease Bartholomew, but displease both Maegar Varn and Jubilost. Failing that, you can just let the Treasurer decide, and they’ll pick whichever action would otherwise please them, earning you the attendant reward. This will also start the " the Treasurer’s Endeavors" project, a repeating project that you can see to when there’s not more pressing issues for them to attend to. Completing this project will require two weeks of time during which you can’t do anything else, after which your Economy will be upgraded to Rank II.

Counselor Awaits in the Throne Room

Note: This event - and other leader-related events - will appear after your related kingdom stat (in this case Loyalty) hits twenty. Since what events you attempt, the results of these events, what buildings you build and a host of other random factors determine this score, you could get this event card much later. They’ll all be listed here for the sake of continuity.

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This event is similar to the other leader events, where your Counselor (whichever one of three possible choices you’ve appointed) will come bother you. Your barony is rather new, you see, so citizens of different social and economic classes don’t know exactly where you stand in relation to them. You can make the matter signi]cantly clearer by holding a fair to bene]t the people, or you can throw a swanky dinner party for the wealthier folks. While this obviously won’t change the autocratic nature of your barony, it will expose your disposition towards democracy or oligarchy. Pick the dialogue option "We shall hold a fair for the common people. I want them to know that I hold them closest to my heart." to gain Community +2 and Culture +2, which will also make Tristian and Tsanna happy, but annoy Shandra Mervey. The dialogue option "We will hold a luxurious dinner party for the merchants. The of our wealthiest citizens is essential." will earn you Economy +2 and Relations +2, but will displease Tristian and Tsanna, pleasing only Shandra. The "do it yourself" option, "I don’t care to arrange anything. We can do without festivities and feasts." will please or displease none of your potential leaders, who will do whatever would otherwise please them. Not only will you get the approproate kingdom stats, but you’ll also get 20 BP. This will also start the " the Councilor’s Endeavors" project, a repeating project that you can see to when there’s not more pressing issues for them to attend to. Completing this project will require two weeks of time during which you can’t do anything else, after which your Loyalty will be upgraded to Rank II.

Regent Demands Your Presence

Note: This event - and other leader-related events - will appear after your related kingdom stat (in this case Community) hits twenty. Since what events you attempt, the results of these events, what buildings you build and a host of other random factors determine this score, you could get this event card much later. They’ll all be listed here for the sake of continuity.


Similar to the other requested meetings, your regent will arrive and tell you of an amusing development. Apparently a local bandit still thinks the new master of the Stolen Lands is similar to the old one, and has come to pay tribute on similar . As usual, you’ll get three responses to which each possible Regent will react to different, along with the "You know best what to do." response that allows the Regent to handle things as they please.

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If you pick the dialogue option "Drive this bandit from my lands, and from now on do the same to any similar petitioners!" which will please Octavia and displease Lander Lebeda, as well as give you a Community +3 boost. If you respond with "Arrest this bandit and clap him in irons. The same fate awaits any like him!" you’ll make Valerie happy, but annoy Lander and gain 25 BP for your trouble. Both of these responses also hinder the activity of bandits in the area. Finally, pick "I will accept this tribute. I hope this good lad and his colleagues will continue to share their revenue in the future." to promote banditry throughout your realm (so long as they know whose palm to grease). This will also set back your kingdom stats by Loyalty -2 and Economy -5, appease Lander and anger both Octavia and Valerie. This will also start the " the Regent’s Endeavors" project, a repeating project that you can see to when there’s not more pressing issues for them to attend to. Completing this project will require two weeks of time during which you can’t do anything else, after which your Community will be upgraded to Rank II.

Letter from Brevoy

Note: This event took place two weeks after the "Troll Invasion" event card was completed.

Depending on how you handled the situation with Oleg, the Swordlords of Brevoy are either angry you took their tax base from them (you collected taxes from Oleg), annoyed that you’re challenging their jurisdiction (waived Oleg’s taxes) or happy that you rolled over. Naturally the emissary you chose also âvors the reporting of the Aldori reaction according to their own politics, with Kassil being the most pro-Aldori, Shandra being positively hostile, and Lander being somewhat opportunisticly ambivalent towards the Aldori. It’s all pretty complicated, but the results ultimately boil down into three stances towards the Aldori. If you angered the Aldori by collecting taxes, you pay them to stay on their good side (see "Pay Aldori", below), or send troops to Oleg’s Trading Post and turn it into a military outpost (see "Fortify Trading Post", below), sending a very clear message of belligerent independence to the Aldori. If you annexed Oleg’s Trading Post but temporarily neglected to collect taxes you can appease the Aldori by building a road to the economic bene]t of both sides (see "Build Road", below), or fake such construction to buy yourself some time (see "Fake Construction", below). Finally, if you left Oleg’s Trading Post under Restov’s jurisdiction you can continue to surrender your own interests in favor of the Aldori (see "Aldori Friendship", below), or insist they build a road there (see "Aldori Build Road", below). Your response will start a variety of new Projects, as follows:

Response

Project

Cost

Time

Effect

Build Road

Road to Oleg's Trading Post

80 BP

30 days

Economy +2, Relations +2

Fortify Trading Post

Return of the Past Glory

125 BP

30 days

Military +2, Economy -3, Relations -3

Pay Aldori

Diplomatic Crisis

65 BP

15 days

Relations +3

Aldori Build Road

Road to Oleg's Trading Post

35 BP

30 days

Economy +5, Relations -2

Fake Construction

Phantom Road

15 BP

60 days

Community +1, Loyalty +1, Relations -1

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Response

Project

Cost

Time

Effect

Aldori Friendship

Union with Restov

50 BP

20 days

Loyalty, Economy +1, Relations +5

Obviously these vary a bit in cost, time required to complete, and overall outcome, but at this point you probably only really have two options based on your earlier interaction with Oleg. Make what choice you will with the information provided.

Visitor Waits in the Castle

Note: This event took place roughly seventeen days after the "Troll Invasion" event card was completed.

Return to your throne room when this event card is in play and you’ll be bothered by a petitioner named Jenna, who beseeches you for aid in her "darkest hour". Melodrama aside, she’s a mother with no options left and nowhere else to turn. Apparently her son Tig ran away and hasn’t been heard from since, which might just mean he was successful at the whole "running away" bit, or perhaps got eaten by some monster or some such. Jenna’s own theory is that some "old hag in the Narlmarches" might have something to do with Tig’s disapperance. Ask what questions you wish, then either offer to look for the child or dismiss it as beneath your station. Either way, the quest Lost Child will start. This quest will be covered after you’re done with Troll Trouble, as it’ll give you plenty of time to deal with that other, more pressing matter, and perhaps give you time to deal with the "Swamp Witch’s Hut" area and related quests, if you haven’t already.

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Troll Trouble - Renowed Explorer Jubilost Provided you’ve dealt with the event "Troll Invasion" by meeting with Kesten Garess in Tuskdale, your ]rst stop should be the "A Ford Across the Skunk River" area in the Narlmarches. Not like this is much of a diversion, as you’d have to go out of your way to avoid this area if you want to explore the depths of the Narlmarches. If you haven’t already been to this area, read the page A Ford Across the Skunk River to catch up on the general encounters. Now that Troll Trouble has started, however, there’s a new encounter worth checking out. To reach this area from Tuskdale, use the following directions:

• Northwest • Southwest to reach landmark: A Ford Across the Skunk River When you arrive, simply follow the road northwest until you ]nd a Gnome standing around. Approach and he’ll beseech you for help, leading you into the river where some other Gnomes - led by one named Jubilost - are ]ghting several kobolds. By now, these Kobold Sentinels and Kobold Archers aren’t any threat to you, so wipe them out without worrying too much about tactics. After the kobolds in the river are defeated more kobolds will appear on the northern bank, while their leader - the so-called King Tartuk - will appear on some cliffs across the river. It doesn’t matter what you say here, Tartuk is determined to ]ght, or rather, to have his minions ]ght you for possession of Jubilost’s cart. Kill these kobolds, which aren’t any stronger than the last few you killed save the inclusion of a Kobold Sniper, which is slightly stronger than your average Kobold Archer. Once this second wave of kobolds has been slain, Tartuk will vanish and Jubilost will fret over his cart. What the kobolds failed to do, the river now threatens, so interact with the cart to start an Illustrated Book Episode:

1. [Choose a character] One of us tried to jump onto the cart to untie the ponies still standing in the water. This option will allow you to pick a character, who will then have to two skill checks, a [Mobility 15] check and a [Lore (Nature) 10] check. If your character fails the Mobility check, the subsequent Lore (Nature) check’s DC will be raised to twenty, so picking a character with a high Mobility check is imperative, as the Lore (Nature) check should be easy enough for most characters to with a bit of luck. If you don’t do this option, you’ll fail at retrieving the cart. In fact, you won’t even be allowed a check.

2. Gathering our strength, we began pulling the cart from the river. 3. We tried to pull the cart out. If you failed (or didn’t attempt) the ]rst option, this will automatically fail without giving you any options. Calming those ponies down is simply a necessity if you wish to resolve this successfully. If you succeeded at the previous Lore (Nature) check, you’ll get three options for saving the cart: [Lore (Nature) 19], [Athletics 20], or [Charisma 15], so you have options if you’re smart, strong or pretty. Hard to be more fair than that. Furthermore, if you pick the option We tied a rope to the cart earlier, you’ll also get a [Strength 14] option. Pick whichever one your party is most likely to succeed at to save Jubilost’s cart. Save the cart if at all possible, then talk to Jubilost. The arrogant gnome wastes little time arguing with your companions and complaining about the lack of infrastructure and security in your domain, while constantly ]shing for recognition of his supposed celebrity. After the contentious introductory sparring is out of the way, you’ll be free to ask him some questions. Assuming you’re not out for blood, be sure to say "You said you were famous, but I don’t know you. What are you famous

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for?" followed by "So what is such a famous person doing that far from civilization?", then "What is this dwarven outpost you’re searching for?" and ]nally "I’m looking for the troll’s lair. Maybe we’re looking for the same place? Let’s our efforts and start looking together". If you saved his wagon, he’ll trust you enough to travel with you. If not, you’ll have to leave him where he is until you’ve discovered the ruins yourself, then return and tell him what you’ve found, after which he’ll you. Jubilost is an Alchemist, a ranged class that more or less ]ts a similar niche occupied by Linzi and Octavia. He can be trained up to meet your Trickery needs just ]ne, but his arcane spell progression is a bit slow to be your primary arcane spell caster. You can also appoint him as your Treasurer, if you feel so inclined. There’s a good chance the position has been vacant thus far, and while it seems silly to nominate somebody you’ve hardly met well, the position is doing you no good un]lled, either.

Note: The event card "Treasurer Requests Your Attention" will begin two days after you appoint a treasurer, but since you’ve only met one candidate for the job, you may want to wait before starting this event if you wish to have more options. This, in effect, means you’ll need to avoid appointing a Treasurer, or failing that, entering your throne room until you earn the loyalty of more candidates.

In any event, you now have a goal, albeit a vague one. You’ll need to ]nd these dwarven ruins to satisfy Jubilost, and with any luck they’ll contain some clues about these trolls that prowl your territory… and possibly Tartuk’s kobolds. The last thing you need is a would-be kobold kingdom popping up along the southern expanses of your territory.

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Troll Trouble - The Nature of the Beast Continue your search by heading across the Skunk River (travel south from the "A Ford Across the Skunk River" area), then turn southwest after you cross the river. Here you should be subjected to a not-so-random encounter, stumbling upon the scene of a merchant and his guards being attacked by some Trolls. Cut down the ]rst Troll you spot and let the Merchant’s Guard occupy a second Troll and once one of the Trolls dies, a Branded Troll will appear to the west and attack you. This giant is a stiffer challenge than normal Trolls are, having a much higher Attack bonus, more HP and slightly higher Armor Class. More worryingly, they’re not deterred by ]re, so be sure to use acid damage - either Trollreaper or a humble Acid Splash cantrip will work. This curious trait will be mentioned by the merchant, Dalton, who will strike up a conversation with you after the Trolls are dispatched. He’ll also bring up the shoddy ruler of these lands who can’t seem to keep the roads clear. Pick whichever moral option you wish, as either way the merchant ends up mentioning a nearby mage named… you guessed it, Bartholomew. According to Dalton, Bartholomew is an "expert on trolls", which is certainly a useful expertise to have at this present moment. Ask whatever questions you will about this Bartholomew to learn a bit about him, then ask "Any other dangers on the road?" to learn of a Hodag Lair, which he’ll mark on your map. This will please Amiri, who has been searching for another conquest after Tuskgutter. If you want to coerce Dalton into sticking around in your lands and helping the local economy, pick the dialogue option "I can see you’re an experienced trader. Would you consider operating exclusively in my barony?". He’s clearly not a fan of standing in your… rather under-developed lands, but succeeding at a [Diplomacy 15] or [Intimidate 15] check will convince him otherwise, with the former being a [Lawful Good] action and the latter being [Neutral Evil].

Reward: For convincing Dalton to trade in your lands 120 XP

Finally, if you’re truly an evil wretch you can try to hold Dalton up [Neutral Evil], or evil kill him and steal his wares [Chaotic Evil]. In the latter case, you’ll have to ]ght Dalton and his guard, who are tough, but shouldn’t be any match for you. This is inadvisable, however, as all you’ll get are three Potions of Cure Light Wounds, 100 GP and a Wand of Acid Splash from Dalton, which he planned to give you (sans the wand) for saving him from the trolls. You’re probably better off just getting him to do business in your lands and parting on those . This doesn’t preclude you from looting his wares, especially the chest by his wagon, which contains a Token of the Dryad. When you’re done with Bartholomew - and his loot - continue on to the Lone House area, which you can reach by following these directions from the "A Ford Across the Skunk River" area: South (cross the Skunk River) Southwest South

Seek Bartholomew When you arrive at the Lone House area, make your way to Bartholomew’s house, which is in the northeastern corner of the area. If this is your ]rst visit, consult the page Lone House for information about the area, including encounters, traps, treasure… all that good stuff. Talk to Bartholomew (assuming you’re done doing everything else in this area) and ask him about the "local trolls who are resistant to ]re?", to which he’ll seem surprised before immediately mentioning that just such a troll was caught in one of

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its ]re traps. Perhaps studying its corpse will give Bartholomew some insights? The only problem is, you’ll need to make it a corpse, ]rst, as the mage’s traps are clearly not suited for the task. Assuming you’re ready, pick the option [Accompany Bartholomew] "Lead the way.", then kill the Branded Troll when you arrive. After this easy ]ght, Bartholomew will use his magic to locate a hammer-encircled-by-thorned-vines on the beast’s chest. Too bad you can’t get one of those, eh? A brand seems a small price to pay for ]re immunity. Bartholomew will excise the brand, then hand you a key to his laboratory, instructing you to go there while he does… whatever he’s going to do. Loot the Branded Troll when Bartholomew leaves, then head north to reach the mage’s laboratory, the entrance to which is disguised as a humble barn. Enter the laboratory, head down a ramp and note a secret door [Perception 15] along the wall to the northeast. Open the door (provided you ]nd it, of course) to ]nd a trapped [Perception 22] check inside, which you should carefully disarm [Trickery 22], unlock [Trickery 20] then loot. Your prizes include a Cloak of Resistance +1, Bracers of Archery, two Scrolls of Fireball and 371 GP, among other, less interesting treasures. Leave the room, through a gate to the southeast, then turn northeast to reach a proper dungeon. This Bartholomew character might be a little more morally dubious than he originally let on. Continue northeast and you’ll be pestered by a troll named "Dimwit", who croaks variants of "Bor-ba" at you from behind the bars of its cage. Why did Bartholomew send you here, knowing you’d ]nd evidence of his cruel experiments? You’ll get a chance to question him soon enough, as he’ll arrive and tell you what he discovered about the branded troll.

Reward: For learning about the troll's Kre immunity 200 XP

Apparently these ]re-resistant trolls are being mass-produced by some artifact. What artifact, and who is using it? Questions Bartholomew can’t answer, unfortunately, but some answers are better than none, and if you can cut the head off this particular serpent, perhaps the body will wither? In any event, Bartholomew rewards you with a Wand of Acid Arrow, just in case you don’t have enough ways to rid yourself of trolls yet, after which you’ll get the chance to confront him about his dungeon. The crux of the… misunderstanding seems to be that Bartholomew doesn’t view trolls as sentient beings. Your character’s view on the matter (and perhaps the issue of slavery) can serve as a ]ne guide for your actions here, or failing that, just following the alignment values and the whims of your companions. Picking the [Chaotic Good] or [Chaotic Neutral] responses will force Bartholomew to release or kill the troll, respectively, but it’ll also anger him. On the other hand, the [Lawful Neutral], [Neutral] and [Lawful Evil] responses will allow Bartholomew to keep his subject. If you have Octavia in your party, she’ll object at any outcome that keeps the troll alive and behind bars, forcing you to pick a [Neutral Evil] action to keep Bartholomew appeased, otherwise leaving [Chaotic Good] or [Neutral] options that side with Octavia and anger Bartholomew. If you side with Bartholomew, Octavia will not hold a lingering grudge against you, but Bartholomew is another matter entirely… Aside from leaving Octavia behind before exploring Bartholomew’s laboratory, there’s no way to avoid this conîct and keep both sides happy. Whatever decision you make, continue northeast and loot a chest on a shelf to score a Token of the Dryad, then pick two books off some bookshelves, including "Temple of the Roses" by Elestin of Sinaria and Bartholomew’s Diary. Time to leave this area and get on with the search. You have have learned something of the troll’s nature, but you haven’t gotten any closer to ]nding out where they are, and who is behind their artifact-induce immunity. Next stop, the Ruined Watchtower.

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Troll Trouble - A Score to Settle Ekundayo’s Vendetta Once again, if you haven’t been here yet, refer to the Ruined Watchtower page for the general encounters that can be found here. At the very least, be sure to get your hands on the Trollreaper weapon, as its unique properties will be invaluable for the battles. As for the events related to the quest Troll Trouble, follow the road that bisects the area until you ]nd a dog. This dog will bark at you before running to the southeast, and will periodically stop so you can keep up. Take the hint and follow the dog as it leads you off the road and up a hill to the east, ultimately stopping at a man named Ekundayo. Talk to this Ekundayo and pick whatever dialogue options you wish (provided you avoid the nearly universal [Chaotic Evil] option to just kill him) to get him to reveal he’s hunting trolls, speci]cally a specimen named Kargadd. Perhaps his ultimate goal will intersect with yours some day, but for now he seems content to kill any trolls he ]nds, and you’ve got plenty of trolls in need of killing. This shared goal should make you naturally allies, so exhaust his dialogue options to learn more about him and ]nish with "I’m hunting the trolls too. Would you like to our efforts?" to get Ekundayo to your party. Not only will you get yourself a stellar archer (fortunately you get to level him up, so you can spec him into whatever skills you need), but he’ll mark "all the places where troll feet tread the land", but speci]cally some Dwarven Ruins. Unfortunately, he’s not at full strength when he s, and he does make a request: he’s been waiting for some trolls, and he wishes to ]nish his hunt. Either coax another answer out of him (you can just wait until the next time you’re in Tuskdale to talk all you wish), send him back to the capital, or wait with him for the trolls to appear. In the latter case, note that you do not actually have to accept him into your party, which effectively sends him to the capital while also indulging his desire to wait for the trolls. If you do wait for the trolls, a few hours will in-game, after which two Trolls and a Branded Troll will show up downhill from you. Merely head down and slaughter them to appease Ekundayo. After the trolls are slain, leave the area and have a look at your map. If you completed the expedition into the Southern Narlmarches earlier, you’ll notice some changes. The area previously called the "Whitish Hills" is now called "A Kobold Trail", and just below that, in between "A Kobold Trail" and the "Swamp Witch’s Hut" is a new area, the "Kobold Camp". Southwest of the "Swamp Witch’s Hut" you’ll now ]nd the "Dwarven Ruins" that Ekundayo marked for you. If you haven’t yet explored the "Whitish Hills/Kobold Trail" area, head there now and take care of it (you’ll ]nd it described under the page name Whitish Hills). You can reach this location by using the following directions from the Ruined Watchtower:

• • • • •

Southeast South to landmark: Ancient Crossing South (cross the Murque River) West (path veers southwest) Southeast

After you deal with the "Whitish Hills/Kobold Trail" area, use the following directions to reach the "Kobold Camp" area:

• Southwest • Southeast • South 324

Kobold Camp When you arrive at the Kobold Camp, you may be surprised by the friendly - or at least, non-hostile - reception you get. Led by an elderly Kobold, they’ll express as best they can that they are looking for their king, Tartuk, and that they want to be friends. So long as you don’t pick the [Chaotic Evil] option (shaking the kobold’s hand or not doesn’t matter) you’ll eventually get a chance to a [Wisdom 15] check. if you fail this check one of your allies (Octavia, for example) may be able to help you out, otherwise you’ll have no option but to end the conversation, peacefully or not. Assuming you this Wisdom check (or have the kobold’s words explained to you), you’ll be presented with numerous moral choices. Picking the [Neutral Good] option will only scare the Kobolds before leading back to the dialogue list, whereas both [Neutral] options, the [Chaotic Good] option and the [Chaotic Neutral] option all lead to the Kobolds leaving but at least you get an experience reward out of it.

Reward: For parting with the kobolds on good 240 XP

Swamp Witch’s Hut Well, that was an odd encounter, and those kobolds claimed to be friendly with both humans and trolls, which frankly seems impossible in the current situation. Oh well, at least you can loot their camp for some goodies. In the camp itself you’ll ]nd a barrel containing some gems and jewelry, and a chest with some Rope, Camping Supplies and Rations and a Scroll of Cure Light Wounds. In the northwestern corner of the area you can spot [Perception 20] a chest with a Potion of Cure Moderate Wounds and some jewelry inside, while a stump in the southwestern corner of the map yields a Token of the Dryad. The next stop on this troll hunting expedition is the "Swamp Witch’s Hut" area, the direction to which (from the "Kobold Camp" area) are as follows:

• Southeast • Southwest If this is your ]rst visit, it’s highly suggested you read the page Swamp Witch’s Hut and explore this area thoroughly, as you’ll earn a good bit of loot and experience for doing so. If you’ve already been here and have cleared out the "Mud Bowl" area, take the opportunity to give the Old Beldame the Black Rattlecap mushrooms she wanted while you’re here. At the very least, the "Swamp Witch’s Hut" area is a ]ne landmark enroute to the "Dwarven Ruins" area, the directions to which (from the "Swamp Witch’s Hut" area) are:

• West, southwest (path veers west) • Southwest (path veers south) • West Or you can head:

• Southwest (path veers south • West • West The paths from the Swamp Witch’s Hut to the Dwarven Ruins are a triangular loop, so, as long as you’re heading in a

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westerly direction from the Swamp Witch’s Hut, you’ll get to where you’re going.

Troll Shaming Kobold Random Encounter There is, however, a not-so-random-encounter that may take place down here. While it’s more ]ckle than some scripted encounters in that it won’t take place at the same time (you may be able to make it all the way to the Dwarven Ruins without encountering it, for example) if you wander around down here long enough you should ]nd it. This encounter begins as an Illustrated Book Episode which initially presents you with three options, although the last choice Losing no more time, we turned back. just avoids the encounter. That being the case, pick either the [Stealth 16] or the [Lore (Nature) 16] check to observe the scene undetected, after which you’ll get a shot an an [Intelligence 12] check or a [Perception 17] check to interpret what’s going on, or a [Charisma 13] check to start the ]ght with a farfetched bluff. If the Charisma check works, you’ll scare off all three Trolls and begin the ]ght with an abandoned Kobold Flame Shaman, which is very bad odds for the kobold. Alternatively, if you interpreted what you saw, you’ll be able to follow up with a [Strength 13] check or a [Dexterity 13] check, the former of which will remove one of the trolls from the ]ght, while the latter will daze the kobold. In any case, there’s no reason to go into this ]ght without attempting to skew the odds in your favor, so ignore the option We daringly charged into battle. Not only is it directly sub-optimal, but it’ll result in you being ambushed by another troll! Make what choices you will, after which a ]ght will ensue. The base encounter includes a Kobold Flame Shaman and three Branded Trolls, but depending on your actions you could end up removing one or three Branded Trolls from the battle, or incapacitating the Kobold Flame Shaman. Worse case scenario, you charge in blindly and end up ]ghting another Troll, which will appear behind you. Not ideal. Kill the Kobold ]rst if it’s any condition to ]ght, as you don’t need it pelting you with Magic Missile spells. At this point in the game, one Magic Missile of your own might be enough to take it out, or get awfully close. As for the trolls, concentrate your ]re on one of them at a time and ]nish them off with acid. Should you emerge victorious, loot the trolls for random treasure, and search the Kobold Flame Shaman for a Cloak of Resistance +2 and a Wand of Bless. Not bad for such a minor encounter. In addition, you can ]nd some food in a sack to the west of where your enemies were, and under some rocks to the southeast is a Torag’s Pendant. On top of the material wealth, you also may have overheard the kobold talking about one of the trolls’ leaders, named Hargulka. A very worthy encounter, indeed. With that, there shouldn’t be anything impeding your march on the Dwarven Ruins to the southwest.

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Troll Trouble - Dwarven Ruins Speak with the Troll PaciIst When you arrive, head uphill to the northwest, then turn northeast, following the path until you encounter a well-groomed troll (well-groomed for a troll, in any case) named Jason. To summarize this strange encounter, Jason claims to be a representative of the cleverly-named kingdom of Trobold. Trobold is led by two kings, the troll king, Hargulka, and the kobold king, Tartuk. This alliance was forged by Tartuk’s bestowal of ]re immunity (which Jason incorrectly conâtes with immortality) to the trolls. While he claims that Trobold’s goal is peaceful relations with the borba (civilized humanoids yourself included), Tartuk’s earlier antics at the Skunk River ford and the rampaging trolls in the area tell a different story. To emphasize this point, Jason will warn you about exploring any further, as apparently the process of civilizing the rest of the trolls isn’t quite complete yet. Surprisingly there aren’t many pitfalls in this conversation. If you pick the dialogue option "All right, what do you want from me?" you’ll unlock the dialogue options "Tell me more about Trobold" and [Lawful] "All right, take me to your kings and we’ll see if trolls can hold a civil conversation. I’m the king/queen of the lands your Trobold stands on, and as such, your kings and I have much to discuss.", which will by the rest of this area entirely. There’s quite a bit of enemies worth killing and some loot worth picking up, however, so you might not want to make use of this [Lawful] dialogue choice, even if you can. On the other hand, if you picked the dialogue option "Tell me more about Trobold" and follow it up with "So trolls aren’t eating people anymore?" then continue pestering Jason about the trolls’ diet, you’ll eventually get a [Chaotic Neutral] dialogue option. This, ]nally, will frustrate Jason to the edge of rage, and only a [Diplomacy 20] check will avert violence. Other than this [Chaotic Neutral] option and a blatantly offensive [Lawful Evil] option, there’s a good chance Jason will leave you alone even if you persist in your desire to explore Trobold despite Jason’s misgivings. Make what decisions you will with Jason; if you kill him you’ll be able to score a suit of Hide +3 from him, which well, it’s debatable whether it really competes with the Breastplate +2 you found earlier, but it’s certainly better than any Chainmail +1 you have still in use.

Jubilost Discovers the Dwarven Ruin If you brought Jubilost along with you, he’ll pester you shortly after entering the area, recording the location of the ruins on his map before sternly informing you that he can’t give your barony a good review. You can inûence his writing by picking the [Chaotic Good] (moderate review), [Neutral] (positive review) or [Lawful Evil] (negative review) responses, but it’s mostly just âvor, so feel free to act as your protagonist would. Either way, Jubilost will choose to stick around until he’s done writing up his article (possibly a dangerous decision, given the article’s contents!) and in the meantime he’ll continue traveling with you. Win.

Reward: For Knding the Dwarven Ruins with Jubilost 300 XP

Clear the Western Reaches Continue north after parting ways with Jason (or his corpse), then turn west, following the trail that runs along the outside of the fort. You’ll shortly run across a group of hostile kobolds blocking your way, which shouldn’t provide any challenge to your party, but it’s not a good sign for Trobold/Borba relations. Kill them and continue west, stopping only long enough to

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dispatch a second group of kobolds before the path turns north. Continue north around the western edge of the castle until you ]nd representatives of the other species that occupies Trobold: a Troll and a pair of Trollhounds. Cut them down, then note a gate to the east. Before you enter the keep, let’s clear out all the enemies outside. Continue northwest until the path splits. The northern fork will lead uphill, where you can locate a crumbling section of wall which you can then scale with a successful [Athletics 20] check. This possibility will be considered further when it comes time to actually enter the castle. Instead make your way down the western fork to encounter three Ferocious Wolves and a Kobold Sentinel, enemies that are woefully underpowered by now. While not much of a challenge, the kobold will drop an Old Dwarven Chest Key, so be sure to grab that, then search a nearby log [Perception 7] to score a Token of the Dryad.

Scale the Wall Now turn your attention to the castle. Either way you enter you should witness a scene where the kobolds you encountered at the "Kobold Camp" area ]nd - and are accepted into - Trobold. How nice for them. The rest of the trolls and kobolds here won’t be as accepting of you, and Jason’s warning of their hostility towards "borba" seems understated, if anything. Not really looking like peaceful relations with Trobold are going to be be possible if "peaceful coexistence" on their part takes the form of "attack on site". If you climbed the walls, start out by heading towards some nearby stairs, where you’ll ]nd a trap [Perception 22] that you’ll need to disarm [Trickery 22]. If you go down these stairs you’ll ]nd yourself ]ghting the strongest enemies in the courtyard, starting out with two Trolls and two Trollhounds. After these are defeated, two more Trollhounds and a Greater Trollhound will show up. All of these foes can be bottlenecked quite well on or near the stairs, which will give you a great advantage, and really it’s the only tactic you should need but some spell buffs won’t hurt. You do need to be wary of the Greater Trollhound, however, as its howl (which it’ll invariably use when it approaches in melee) can paralyze all characters within a radius if they fail at a [Will 16] check. Other than that, it’s got a respectable pool of HP, a high Attack bonus, and the ability to trip characters more or less at will. Because the Greater Trollhound has the ability to chew through any two warriors, the Will Saves you make at the beginning of the ]ght will likely determine how things play out. Should two or more of your warriors be paralyzed for any length of time, things could turn very badly. Feats like "Shake It Off" can make a huge difference here, as can the spell "Remove Paralysis", if you have it ready. Failing that, bottlenecking the enemies and hopefully keeping the Greater Trollhound behind a lesser Trollhound might give your warriors time to recover. The rewards are well worth the effort, however, as the Greater Trollhound can be looted for an Amulet of Natural Armor +3. The barrels and crates nearby will yield a Dwarven Helm Shard and some baubles, a Rope and Camping Supplies and Rations. After killing and looting the ]rst group of monsters, continue downstairs and make your way northeast across the ruins near a gate to the interior, ultimately making your way up some more stairs to the keep’s opposite battlements. Turn southeast and slaughter two Kobold Archers and another Troll (this one is fond of throwing boulders), which should be the last of the monsters in this area. The demise of your foes allows you to loot the battlements in peace. Atop the tower near the boulder-throwing troll (the eastern-most part of the castle) you’ll ]nd a crate and a chest, the latter of which is locked [Trickery 20]. Get inside to grab a Scroll of Fireball and some coins. On the southern-most tower you’ll ]nd a trap [Perception 22] [Trickery 22], behind which lies a chest, which you can open with the Old Dwarven Key you found earlier. Inside you’ll ]nd the Heart of Valor, a Dwarven Helmet Shard and 623 GP. The Heart of Valor is a Mithral Breastplate +2 that gives its wearer a +4 morale bonus on saves versus fear effects, making it a wonder suit of armor for a Cleric or Jaethal. Granted, Clerics tend to have high Will Saves, but they can also remove fear from your other party , making it imperative to keep them from being hindered by mind-altering effects.

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The last bit of loot in the courtyard is near the gate, where you’ll ]nd a chest [Perception 20] lying near the rubble just north of the gate. Unlock it [Trickery 20] then loot it to score a Scroll of Haste and some coins.

Breach the Gate Things play out a little differently if you just go through the gate. Make your way through the gate and venture northeast through the courtyard. When you near the wall opposite the gate, the rock-happy Troll atop the battlement will shout at you, alerting reinforcements, before throwing a boulder that falls just short. Because of the troll’s alarm, a host of Kobolds will come from the keep and attack, ed by the odd Troll. Like the enemies atop the wall, they can be bottlenecked fairly easily, just retreat back through the gate and slay them there. Be wary, however, as many of the kobolds (and at least one of the trolls) will use ranged attacks. After this, things will play out more or less the same, with two Trollhounds and two Trolls guarding the entrance to the interior, who are reinforced by two more Trollhounds and a Greater Trollhound. The loot is the same, either way, although you do get a bit more experience by going through the front gate due to the extra kobolds. However you go about doing it, the way to the interior of the dwarven ruins should now be clear. Before you head inside, however, consider calling for Ekundayo and/or Jubilost, as both have quests that can be resolved in this area. Jubilost’s quest, Renowned Explorer, is as simple as bringing him to the Dwarven Ruins area, whereas the object of Ekundayo’s vengeance, the rock troll Kargadd, can be found inside the dwarven ruins. You can secure vengeance for Ekundayo without him (don’t worry, he’ll get over it), but if you want to see things play out in a more personally satisfying manner well, it’s your call.

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Troll Trouble - Troll Lair Hargulka’s Diplomacy When you enter this area, you’ll immediately be confronted by Hargulka and four subordinate trolls. If you got Jason to bring you here, Hargulka will lose little time dismissing him (with a rather ]sty reprimand) before turning his attention to you. While you’re presented with numerous dialogue options, there aren’t too many different ways this encounter can end. Picking the [Lawful Good] or [Attack] dialogue options will get you quickly into conîct. On the other hand, if you respond with "I’m guessing you’re Hargulka." or "Your common is exceptional.", you’ll get to hear Hargulka boast about the troll’s newfound "immortality". After he’s done pu_ng out his chest you can respond with an [Intimidate 20], or a [Lawful Neutral] option, among other less interesting options. All of these lead to to Hargulka retreating and siccing two of his minions on you, but the [Lawful Neutral] choice is at least a moral choice and the [Intimidate] check does get you some âvor text. No matter what you do, Hargulka will end up stomping off (indulging in some petty vandalism as he goes), leaving you to face the two Trolls ânking you. They’re relatively weak as far as trolls go, so just occupy one with a tank and focus the rest of your party on the other. Given the troll supremacist talk by Hargulka, his contempt for Tartuk’s more peaceful designs, and of course his outright hostility, it seems that diplomacy isn’t going to be an option. Trobold must ]rst be humbled, and perhaps annihilated, to secure the safety and integrity of your barony. While seemingly a wanton act of vandalism, Hargulka’s destruction of the statue of Torag did disperse enough debris to block the way forward. This means you’ll have to ]nd a roundabout, giving you a convenient excuse to explore the rest of the area, secure the ]rst level of Trobold, gather more loot and experience, and generally just be in a good position to ]ght Hargulka later. He might be a smart troll, but he’s still just a troll. You have two options available to you, either head northeast or southwest. Go southwest ]rst, as there’s a key encounter you’ll want to quickly get out of the way, as well as some choice loot that’ll make the rest of your adventure much easier.

Battle: Kargadd As you head down the hallway into the ]rst chamber on the southwestern side of the level, Ekundayo will speak to you… provided he’s in your party, of course. Kargadd is near, and since a ]ght with his arch-nemesis is imminent, he feels it’s time to tell you about this adversary. Detailing the painful secrets of his past are apparently a worthwhile trade-off if it enhances your chances at victory. You can ]sh around for the more painful details of his past if you wish, or avoid them with a [Neutral] dialogue choice, but the most useful bit of information he’ll relay is that Kargadd - like all Rock Trolls - is fatally allergic to the sun. Continue southwest and you’ll spot a conspicuous patch of sunlight in the chamber you reach, covering the central part of the room up to the door to the northwest. Open the door and send your tank forward, only to be intercepted by two… complications. Kargadd is indeed nearby, and he brought his family, namely his children, Karga and Argadd.

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As you explore Trobold you'll come across Kargadd's children. (left); Kill them or spare them, after which you'll be forced to ]ght their father. (right)

Your options will vary a bit here, depending on whether you have Ekundayo with you or not. If you do, he’ll draw his bow and aim at the children of his hated foe. If your protagonist’s alignment is any [Good] you can pick a dialogue option to talk Ekundayo into not becoming a monster similar to Kargadd. Alternatively, you can approve his attack [Lawful Evil], or attempt to stop him [Neutral Good]. In the latter case, Ekundayo will size up the rock troll children and judge them based on the "rock troll" aspect of their nature, rather than the "child" bit. an [Intimidate 20] check to command Ekundayo to stand down and give the young rock trolls a chance to run - with a warning against future mischief (a [Lawful Good] act), or you can endorse Ekundayo’s murderous intent (a [Lawful Evil] act). On the obscure chance your character is an adherent of Calistria, you’ll also have a unique option to endorse Ekundayo’s violence. If Ekundayo isn’t with you, your options are simpler. You can either tell the young rock trolls to skedaddle, or you can declare that your lands are no place for trolls… living ones, anyway. In combat, the juvenile rock trolls aren’t much of a threat, having a pathetic Armor Class and only moderate HP. Their Attack bonus is able, but their damage output is miserable. Your party should have no trouble cutting them down. As far as pro]tablility goes, you’ll get slightly more experience for killing them than for sparing them, along with a few gems and/or gold.

Reward: For sparring the Rock Troll children 90 XP

After dealing with the children (one way or the other) Kargadd will show up, and he’s in a violent mood regardless of whether you slew or spared his offspring. As Ekundayo promised, Kargadd is a bruiser, although not signi]cantly more powerful than other foes you may have faced. He gets multiple attacks per round, and his Attack bonus is high enough to ensure he has a good chance of hitting your tanks. Against less well-protected characters, Kargadd will chomp right through them. Haste and Slow should be enough to decisively swing things in your favor, but if that’s too simple and direct for you, you can always try luring him into the sunlight. To do this, retreat southeast into the previous room and make your way to the southwestern corner of the room, leaving your tank out front. Hopefully Kargadd will be dumb enough to follow you into the light although he makes a able effort to avoid it - only by hiding along the southwestern-most wall can you lure him close enough. Against foes that êe into the light, he’s content to switch from melee to ranged attacks, ]nding an inexhaustable supply of boulders to toss at you. Fortunately, he’s nowhere near as dangerous with these, and a well-armored tank is unlikely to get hit often by them. On the other hand, the sun is apparently weak, allowing Kargadd a [Fortitude 20] check against petri]cation. The DC for this check increases by one each round Kargadd is exposed, but with a +20 Fortitude Save, it could very well take a while for Kargadd to be affected by the sun. Once he fails his save, however, he’s done.

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Against foes that retreat into the shadow, Kargadd will resort to throwing boulders.

Should Kargadd remain in the light of the sun too long, he'll eventually become petri]ed.

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However you defeat the rock troll, loot him for some excellent treasure.

Given the bother that petrifying the troll entails, you may be better off simply bu_ng, then pulverizing him. However you do it, once you emerge victorious Ekundayo will muster one last painful show of contempt. Better still, you’ll be able to loot your fallen adversary for a Belt of Physical Might +2 and some Soot-Blackened Gloves, the latter of which are an item the antiquarian would certainly like to take a gander at. The belt will boost the Strength and Constitution of its wearer by +2, making it a useful item, even if it’s not as good as the Belt of Physical Perfection you may have obtained earlier.

Reward: For helping Ekundayo avenge his family 600 XP

Kargadd’s corpse is just the ]rst of the loot you’ll have access to now that the rock trolls have been dealt with. In the sunlit room you can ]nd a chest containing a Potion of Cure Moderate Wounds along the southwestern wall. In the chamber Kargadd occupied you’ll ]nd three cells along the northeastern wall. In the southern-most one [Trickery 20] you’ll ]nd a chest containing two Scrolls of Divine Favor, a Potion of Fox’s Cunning three Potions of Barkskin, a Recipe: Seasoned Wings and Thighs and a Dwarven Helm Shard. Nice. a [Perception 18] check and you’ll also ]nd a ôor tile you can search for a Scroll of Fireball and a Torag’s Pendant. In the northern cell you’ll ]nd a sack [Perception 7] containing a Bronze Dwarven Key and another Torag’s Pendant among other less interesting loot.

Dying Dwarven Priest In the central cell you’ll ]nd a chest containing three Scrolls of Bless, a Potion of Cure Moderate Wounds, a Scroll of Cure Light Wounds and some Camping Supplies and Rations. With a successful [Perception 15] check you’ll also be able to ]nd a horribly maimed - but still living - dwarf stuck in a pile of corpses among livestock and humanoids. The trolls of Trobold are indiscriminate feasters. You’re left with several options, including the option to [Examine the dying dwarf], which just con]rms that the moribund

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dwarf will, indeed, not likely survive. If you pick the [Chaotic Good] option you’ll put the dwarf out of his misery, while the [Neutral Evil] option leaves the dwarf to a slower, more miserable fate. The [Neutral Good] option will heal the dwarf, giving him enough energy to start casting… something. This prompts more possible responses, including two new options to put the dwarf down, one being an appeal to your allies ("Somebody do something!") while the other is a [Chaotic Neutral] moral choice. If you pick the option [Retreat towards the exit] "Let’s run! Hurry before he ]nishes!" or the [Lawful Neutral] moral choice, the dwarven chew-toy will waste the last of his life cursing you, although the effects of this curse aren’t immediately apparent. On the other hand, if you pick the [Neutral Good] option and heal the dwarf again, he’ll bless you, giving you the "Good Hope" buff which will help you for nine minutes - enough time to make signi]cant progress through the level.

Reward: For recieving the dying dwarf's blessing 120 XP

Kobold Painter When you’re done tormenting dying dwarves and scouring the area for troll treasure, continue into another, smaller chamber to the northwest. In this room you’ll ]nd an elderly "Kobold Artist" doing, what can generously be called, painting. Probably not any less technically inept than your typical Jackson Pollock "painting". If you talk to the engrossed painter and choose the options to yell at the kobold or watch him work (followed by yelling to get his attention), you’ll annoy him and he’ll refuse to answer any questions. If at any point you choose to leave him be (a [Neutral] action) you can talk to him again and directly ask him about the painting… which he also refuses to answer. Oh well. Failing that, you can attack him (a [Lawful Evil] act) or just leave him be without pestering him ([Chaotic Good]). All you’ll get for killing him is a Dirty Paintbrush.

Secret Treasure Room Before you leave this room, search the wall near the Kobold Painter to ]nd a hidden [Perception 20] which you can interact with to move a section of wall to the northeast, revealing a secret treasure room. Inside you’ll ]nd an obvious chest and a hidden chest [Perception 7], the latter of which is also locked [Trickery 7]. In both chests you’ll ]nd a collection of gems, jewels and coins, but you’ll also ]nd the Cypress Queen’s Goblet in the locked chest. If that’s not enough, search the wall to the northeast to ]nd a hidden wall [Perception 14], which is also locked [Trickery 20]. Get it open and you’ll ]nd more gems, 371 GP and a Headband of Vast Intellect +2.

Devourer of Metal Return back to the Kobold Painter’s room, then head up a hallway to the northwest to reach a tiny chamber where you may be pestered by a suicidal Kobold Sentinel. Crush the patrolling reptiloid, then turn down another hallway to the northeast where you might ]nd another Kobold Sentinel scuttling around. The kobolds are the least of your worries, however, as a trio of trolls - two Branded Trolls and a normal Troll, to be speci]c - lurk in the larger chamber ahead. Fortunately, you can lure them down the tunnel to the southwest and effectively bottleneck them so you only ever end up facing them one at a time, or you could just cast Haste, charge them, and cut the trolls down. Once the trolls are dead, occupy the room they lurked in. Note the strange, rotatable dwarven device on the ground, which you should leave alone for now. Instead, search a wall to the northeast to ]nd a hidden [Perception 18], inside of which you’ll ]nd three Scrolls of Cure Light Wounds and a Torag’s Pendant.

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Other than the hidden , note the stairs down to the northwest and a collapsed bridge to the northeast, the ]rst of which you’ll be neglecting for a moment, and the second of which is, sadly, imable. Instead, turn your attention to a door to the southwest of the area transition. You can open this door with a Steel Dwarven Key you’ll ]nd later, or you can just pick the lock [Trickery 20]. Inside you’ll hopefully spot a ôor tile of interest [Perception 20], which is also trapped [Perception 22]. Disarm the trap [Trickery 22] then search the ôor tile to ]nd the Devourer of Metal. This Composite Longbow +1 bears the Oversized and Extreme Corrosion properties, the formor of which increases the weapon’s base damage from 1d8 to 2d6 at the cost of a -2 Attack penalty, and the latter adds 2d6 acid damage to attacks. Simply put, it’s an excellent troll-slaying weapon, and belongs in Ekundayo’s hands if you have him. This weapon is the reason you explored this half of the area ]rst, as it’ll make everything ahead that much easier. Speaking of which, it’s time to backtrack to the entry hall and from there explore the rest of the level. Before you leave, however, plunder a chest in the room where you found the Devourer of Metal to score another Torag’s Pendant along with a variety of baubles…

Explore the Northeast Return to the entry hall and head northeast this time to ]nd four Trollhounds in the room just off the entry hall. Smash these underpowered mutts, then search the northeastern end of the chamber to ]nd [Perception 18] a locked container [Trickery 18] inside of which is a Potion of Heroism. Open a door to the northwest to ]nd another small room in which three Trollhounds and a Branded Troll lurk. Nothing special about this ]ght, just avoid the dark, decorative ôor , as it’s trapped [Perception 24]. It can be disarmed [Trickery 24] after the ]ght is over. After defeating your foes and disarming the trap, unlock [Trickery 20] a door to the northeast to reach a balcony from which you’ll be treated to a scenic view of the surrounding area. Of more tangible bene]t is the chest [Trickery 17] along the northwestern end of the balcony, in which you’ll ]nd a variety of baubles and some Camping Supplies and Rations. Return to the room with the trapped ôor decoration and head up a hallway to the northwest, stopping long enough to dispatch a group of foes identical to the ones that originally occupied the previous room (three Trollhounds and a Branded Troll). Once smote, continue northwest until you’re forced to turn northeast, branching off of which you’ll ]nd numerous ages to explore. Ignore the stairs to the northwest for now and instead search some dead end cubbies to the southeast to ]nd a chest [Trickery 17] containing a Potion of Cure Moderate Wounds and 50 GP, then loot another chest near the aforementioned stairs to score a Rusty Dwarven Key, the Commandant’s Journal (First Half) and 110 GP, among other trinkets. Dwarven keys have treated you well in the recent past, and hopefully this one will be no different. The Commandant’s Journal, on the other hand, provides some interesting - if not useful - history of the dwarves in the River Lands. Their failure might be worth learning from, lest you make the same mistakes they did. Continue up some stairs to the northwest to reach a chamber that is larger than it initially seems due to a few isolated walls between the stairs you used and the more open part of the chamber. Conîct is inevitable, as a Troll stomps around up here, and behind him lurk several Trollhounds and a Kobold Sentinel. It’s quite possible that you can detach the Troll and kill it seperately, leading to a somewhat simpler ]ght. After you’re victorious, turn your attention to some doors to the northeast, exit out onto another balcony, then loot a corpse to the northwest to obtain a Steel Dwarven Key, a Torag’s Pendant and some trinkets. Be sure to take that Steel Dwarven Key and use it to obtain the Devourer of Metal if you haven’t already done so.

Battle: Nagrundi Grab the loot, then return to the large chamber adjacent to the balcony and venture west past where you fought your last

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battle. On the ôor of this chamber you should ]nd another rotatable dwarven device. Of more immediate interest, however, are the Trollhound and a troll named Nagrundi waiting to the northwest. Nagrundi and the Trollhound are both unusually strong specimens, having a higher Attack bonus, damage Armor Class and HP than your normal trolls and trollhounds. In fact, Nagrundi isn’t too much weaker than Kargadd, all things considered. While they might not be strong enough to justify a Haste/Slow combo, they’re strong enough that you should exercise caution, ensure your warriors don’t start the ]ght too injured, and expend some of your less limited buffs. Defeat them and you’ll be able to loot a Potion of Cure Moderate Wounds and a Dwarven Helm Shard from Nagrundi. Let’s hope other trolls don’t get the bright idea to start wearing armor, eh? More treasure can be found to the west of where Nagrundi stood, including a chest containing two Potions of Cure Light Wounds and a Torag’s Pendant and a more well-hidden chest [Perception 20] that holds two Potions of Cure Moderate Wounds and a Heavy Shield +1. Finally, behind (northwest of) Nagrundi you’ll ]nd stairs descending to the next level. This is the îght of stairs you want to go down, as they’ll give you access to a majority of the level below.

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Troll Trouble - Troll Lair Depths Enter the Troll Lair Depths When you arrive on the next level, continue downstairs and into the ]rst room where you’ll be warmly welcomed by a Trollhound and two Kobold Sentinels. Wipe out the weaklings, then turn southwest to ]nd a lock door to the southeast you can’t open. Looks like there are still more keys out there. a [Perception 16] check to ]nd a ôor tile with some gems hidden under it, then loot a board to score a Token of the Dryad. With that loot secured, return back northeast to ]nd two more doors, one to the northwest and one to the northeast.

Jason’s Last Stand The northwestern door begs for a key to open, but unlike the other locked door to the southwest it can be opened with a [Trickery 30] check, which may take a little luck to manage. It doesn’t really matter anyway, because the door to the northeast will allow you to circumvent the door to the northwest. through the northeastern door to enter a room where Jason - if you spared him - now lurks. The paci]st troll is understandably distraught at your assault on Trobold, and while he’s decided he must now defend his home from you, he refuses to compromise on his civilized ideals. He’ll even condemn - with more justi]cation than is comfortable - your concept of justice as genocidal if you pick the [Lawful Good] response! Oh, Jason, if only all the trolls of Trobold were like you… A ]ght here is inevitable, and while Jason is stronger than your average troll, he’s not powerful enough to warrant special action on your part. Target the Kobold Flame Shaman with your archers to hopefully knock him out of the ]ght quickly and engage the trolls with your warriors. Thrash these foes, then loot Jason for a suit of Hide +3 and the Kobold Flame Shaman for a Belt of Incredible Dexterity +2. The suit of Hide +3 is roughly comparable to a Breastplate +1, being lighter and allowing for a higher Maximum Dexterity Bonus, lower Armor Check Penalty and lower spell failure, which may make it more appealing to secondary warriors like Regongar or Ekundayo. Be sure to loot a slab of rubble near a ]re to the east of Jason to ]nd a Dwarven Helm Shard, then note the dwarven rune on the wall to the northeast. Alas, the two adjacent symbols have been successfully vandalized by the trolls. Continue northwest and you’ll ]nd a door to the southwest, and if you a [Perception 1] check you’ll ]nd a poorly hidden door to the northwest. Go through the northwestern door ]rst to reach a small room with three chests in it. Loot the easternmost one ]rst to ]nd a Shock Light Crossbow +1 and 191 GP, the central chest contains three Potions of Cure Light Wounds and some gems and gold, while the westernmost chest is exclusively full of shiney stones and gold coins. Leave the room and head through the previously neglected door to the southwest to ]nd yourself in the hallway beyond the locked door that connects back to this level’s entry chamber. Watch your step, however, as there’s a trap [Perception 22] down the hallway a short distance to the northwest. Spot it, disarm it [Trickery 22], then seach back down the hallway to the southeast to ]nd a hidden wall [Perception 16] which shelters two Scrolls of Acid Arrow and some gems and jewelry. Loot the hidden coffer, then turn back around and head northwest down the hallway. Tread carefully and keep your high Perception character up front, as there’s another trap [Perception 22] along the way that you’ll need to disarm [Trickery 22] in order to safely continue. At the end of the hallway you’ll ]nd more foes waiting for you in the form of a Branded Troll, three lesser Trolls and three Kobold Archers. Deal with this threat as you see ]t, then occupy their position at a fork in the hallway. The path to the southwest leads to the more populated depths of the ruins, but you can wrap up the northeastern

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path quickly, so head northeast ]rst.

Giant Spider Chamber You’ll immediately ]nd yourself confronted with a trap [Perception 28], which isn’t just more di_cult to spot, but also to disarm [Trickery 28]. Whatever lies beyond this trap, it must worry Trobold. Remove the trap, loot a pile of rubble beyond it to ]nd a Torag’s Pendant, then turn northwest to ]nd a chamber occupied by Giant Spiders. While numerous, these spiders aren’t much of a challenge anymore, and there’s a good chance they won’t be able to hit your tank without rolling a twenty or near it. You can further simplify this ]ght by forming your party up in the hallway to the southeast and luring them down to you, where they can be bottlenecked and cut down one at a time. The only complication is a Kobold Flame Shaman that dwells with them, who will merrily needle you with magic. Devote an archer’s attention to him to limit the damage the kobold can do while you work your way through the spiders. After the ]ghting is over, loot the Kobold Flame Shaman for a Silver Dwarven Key, then look for two chests at the back of the Giant Spider chamber. The eastern one holds some gems and jewelry, while the western one [Trickery 21] will yield a suit of Chainmail +1.

Explore the Hallways Backtrack to the fork where you slew several residents of Trobold, then proceed down the hallway to the southwest, stopping when you ]nd [Perception 22] a trap [Trickery 22]. Disarm it to be safe, but before you continue down the hallway further, note two side chambers, one to the northwest and another to the southeast. You’ll be coming back to these rooms when you’re done exploring this hallway. Continue down the hallway to the southwest, and when the hallway turn southeast stop long enough to dispatch a Trollhound, two Kobold Sentinels and a Kobold Archer. As you explore down this second hallway, keep your eye out [Perception 28] for another di_cult trap [Trickery 28]. Once past this hazard you’ll ]nd two more doors, one to the southwest and one to the southeast. They’re both locked, and the former requires a key, while the latter can be opened with a heroic effort on the part of your Rogue [Trickery 30]. If you get this door open you’ll ]nd yourself in the chamber the other set of stairs on the upper level led to, for what that’s worth. Aside from the area transition, the only thing of note in here is a locked [Trickery 32] chest that you may just want to leave alone until you get a key that opens it. Even a relatively highly skilled Rogue will likely struggle with this lock at this point in time, but if the save/loads aren’t too tedious you’ll be rewarded with a Soot-Blackened Hammer (will go well with those gloves you found earlier!), two Potions of Cure Moderate Wounds and a Shock Frost Heavy Mace +1. Any weapon that adds 2d6 elemental damage per hit is a weapon to take note of, and Harrim and Valerie are both capable of putting it to good use.

Classroom Clash Return back up the hallways to where you found the two rooms and enter the southeastern room ]rst to ]nd a class in session. Fittingly, a Kobold Teacher is instructing the class on words in the common tongue, and when he spots a "meat" specimen interrupting his class, he’ll sic his pupils on you. The collection of students includes the Kobold Teacher (an arcane spell caster who ]ghts similarly to a Kobold Flame Shaman), a variety of Kobold Sentinels and Kobold Archers, and some Trolls. None of these foes should present any signi]cant di_clty, just focus on the Kobold Teacher to limit his casting. When they’re dead, search the northwestern wall to ]nd a hidden [Perception 21] which is also trapped [Perception 22]. Disarm the trap [Trickery 22] then loot the coffer to score two Potions of Cure Moderate Wounds and a Headband of Inspired Wisdom +2. In the center of the room you’ll ]nd a pair of sun and moon statues, which you’ll get to gawking at

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later. For now, concentrate on the loot and search to the northeast of these statues to ]nd two chests, one of which is hidden [Perception 16]. In the larger, unhidden chest you’ll ]nd a Potion of Cure Moderate Wounds and some gems and gold, while the hidden chest will yield a Scroll of Hold Person, a Potion of Aid and some coins.

Solve the Celestial Puzzle Now turn your attention to the statues you neglected earlier and note the runes on the ground near them. To the southwest of the moon statue is a rune shaped like an abstract angular ]sh (or a diamond with a "V" attached). Northeast of the sun statue is another rune shaped like an angular "S" (or "Z"). These almost certainly correspond to the rotating ôor symbols on the level above.

Did You Know?: The "dwarven" runes used above were popularized as such by J. R. R. Tolkien’s "The Lord of the Rings", where the abstract "]sh" rune stood for the letter "U" and the "S"-shaped symbol stood for the letter "Y". Everybody stands on the shoulders of giants, however, even Tolkein, who derived these "dwarven" runes from an ancient Anglo-Saxon script. The "dwarven" "U" rune symbolizes the "œ" sound in Anglo-Saxon while the "dwarven" "Y" (the "S") was originally the letter for the "S" sound in Anglo-Saxon.

Might as well go sort this out now, and if you cleared the route to connect both area transitions on the second level of Trobold, the running around you’ll have to do will be signi]cantly diminished. First head out the southwestern-most area transition to arrive on the western end of the upper level. The rotating ôor device near this area transition is the moon, as close inspection of the device will reveal. Rotate it twice until the northeastern "]sh" rune is revealed, then head back down to the Troll Lair Depths, work your way to the northeastern-most area transition and manipulate the sun rotating ôor device twice until it reveals the southeastern "S" rune. When that’s done, return once again to the celestial statues in the classroom and a on the ôor near them should have moved, revealing a container you can loot. Inside you’ll ]nd a whopping 2,122 GP and the Blessed Path suit of armor. This Full Plate +2 also has the "Blessed" property, giving its wearer a +2 bonus to Wisdom and Charisma, as well as a +4 Sacred bonus to Saving Throws against compulsion effects and poison. Furthermore, if equipped by a Paladin, that Paladin will gain the ability to Smite Evil twice per day. While it might be a little heavy for Tristian (although it would bene]t him quite a bit), it’ll also serve Valerie well provided you don’t have a protagonist more deserving of it. At the very least that +2 Wisdom will boost its wearer’s Will Save, easily making it the best suit of heavy armor you’ve found thus far.

To the Throne Room Well, that was certainly worth running around for. With that puzzle solved, return northwest to the adjacent hallway and continue northwest into another, as of yet neglected chamber. Inside you’ll be met by a Troll and a Trollhound, which should be little more than speed-bumps by now. Crush them, then follow the rubble to the northwest, then north to ]nd some trolls and kobolds arguing over some plunder. Seems the residents of Trobold have the same aesthetic sense as the Mites under the Old Sycamore did, and despite the object of their quarrel being junk, that won’t stop them from threatening to tattle. After they’re done arguing you’ll be free to engage the group of monsters, including two Trolls, three Kobold Sentinels, two Kobold Archers and a Kobold Sniper. None of these foes are particularly dangerous, but their numbers - and the lack of favorable terrain - may cause trouble. Still, it’s nothing a little spell-bu_ng can’t resolve, and if you lead with your tank and focus on the trolls you shouldn’t suffer too much.

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Defeat the residents of Trobold then loot some rubble [Perception 7] near the mounds of pilfered "treasure" lying around to obtain a Dwarven Helm Shard. Follow the northwestern wall of this chamber to the southwest until you ]nd three chests, two apparent, one hidden [Perception 16]. The eastern-most chest contains a gem, 65 GP and the Commandant’s Journal (Second Half), the central chest contains some gems and jewelry, and the third yields an Old Dwarven Chest Key, a Scroll of Haste and… some fruit? Follow the nearby rubble to the south and you’ll come across another group of monsters, including a Branded Troll and no fewer than seven Trollhounds. You’ll need to be wary here, as the Trollhounds may be too numerous to be easily intercepted by your warriors, which may tempt them to slip around behind your line and attack your squishier characters. A well-placed Web to the northeast of the nearby pillar may protect your ânk, as will keeping your archers and casters back until the enemy has fully engaged your warriors. Dispose of your opposition, then loot a pile of rubble [Perception 7] to the south of the ]re to ]nd a Torag’s Pendant. Obtain this trinket, then venture southeast along the wall, stopping long enough to spot [Perception 22] and disarm [Trickery 22] a pair of traps. When you reach an apparent dead-end, turn southwest to spot a door you can open, beyond which await three Branded Trolls ready to challenge your age. Cut them down, then consider retreating, resting and healing, as beyond you’ll ]nd the lair of Trobold’s two leaders.

Battle: Hargulka and Tartuk This can be a pretty rough battle, and yes, a ]ght is guaranteed (although evil characters can make things signi]cantly easier on themselves) no matter what you’ve done up until now. Hargulka is spoiling for violence, and he’ll get it, as Tartuk will quickly conclude that there can be no peace while violent borbas oppose them. There are only two enemies you’ll have to face, but they both compliment each other well. Hargulka’s Armor Class isn’t very impressive, but he’s got enough HP to weather an assault, and his offensive powers are brutal. He sports around a +20 Attack modi]er and can perform multiple strikes per round, dealing around 25-30 damage per strike. Hargulka can easily ]ght his way through any warrior you put in front of him; he’ll even hit tanks regularly, and take them out of the ]ght in two or three rounds on average. Tartuk, for his part, is less well-endowed with HP, but his Armor Class more than makes up for it, frustrating mid-tier warriors like Jaethal and Valerie. A well-built protagonist warrior, Amiri or Ekundayo may ]nd their attacks landing more regularly, but Tartuk has an answer for this, too, as he prefers to start the ]ght out with Stoneskin. This will shave off ten damage from every attack that lands, and while there’s a limit to the damage this can deêct, its primary purpose is to slow you down and allow Hargulka more time to wreak havoc. After Stoneskin he’ll likely cast Haste (which won’t bene]t them as much as it does you, but Hargulka doesn’t need to be even more dangerous!), followed by several rounds of Hold Person. Be sure to ânk Tartuk, as the bonuses this provides to your Attack rolls is signi]cant. Simply put, everything Tartuk does is to make it more likely that Hargulka will be able to wipe out your warriors. If he succeeds at this, there’s a very good chance of suffering a party wipe. This battle will likely be won or lost before it’s ever even started, and spell-bu_ng will be key to the outcome. Normally Blur would su_ce to protect your tank, but for this ]ght, you might want to drop a third level spell slot on Displacement to provide extra protection. Slow is incredibly effective, too, and Hargulka’s Will Save isn’t high enough to regularly prevent the spell from functioning, but Tartuk will, of course, try to counter it with Haste. As for your own Haste, ensure you’re Hasted when you start the ]ght, as you’re not going to want to waste a round casting it. Other than that, load up with whatever buffs you can manage, including Shield of Faith, Bless, Prayer and Bull’s Strength. Apply the longer-lasting buffs ]rst, then the ones with a shorter duration, and save your game before engaging. No need to waste time re-bu_ng if something goes wrong, after all. Send your tank up alone to confront Tartuk and Hargulka to ensure the troll focuses on them and they’ll enter into dialogue with you (don’t worry, your buffs won’t be winding down during dialogue). What you pick here doesn’t make much

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difference, so use it as an opportunity to de]ne your protagonist’s alignment or to accuse Tartuk of being a certain Gnomish rival of yours… The only unique option requires you to have an evil protagonist, who can pick the dialogue option "I see you haven’t taught your pet to heel, Tartuk. Serves you right - these trolls may be strong, but the village dog has more obedience and sense than they do.". After this, the well has su_ciently been poisoned and whatever you say afterwards will result in Hargulka turning on Tartuk - a supremely stupid move on the troll’s part, as he’s a likely match for your fully-buffed party without Tartuk interfering. While the intro conversation might not be too meaningful for most characters, you’ll get more options when you’re victorious, but how you choose to prosecute the ]ght will heavily inûence your choices. Whichever foe you defeat ]rst will be well and truly dead, while the second one to bite the dust will surrender when depleted of HP, allowing you to negotiate with them. This may inûence how you decide to carry out the ]ght, although if the end result doesn’t interest you too much, it generally seems easier to dispose of Hargulka ]rst, as he’s a softer target and is individually more dangerous. Whichever of the two you save for last and hence end up negotiating with, the conversation goes quite similarly. You have a few more background questions you can ask Tartuk to learn about the Tartuk-Tartuccio crossover (some of his answers may require you to an [Intimidate 10] check, which should be nothing more than a formality at this point) but your choices ultimately boil down to: ]nishing off your foe, sparing them and letting them êe, or accepting them as a vassal. The last of the three options requires your protagonist to be [Chaotic] - it’s certainly not traditional to allow Kobolds or Trolls to remain on your lands as subjects! - and will not make Ekundayo happy, possibly to the point of abandoning your party, especially if you haven’t killed Kargadd yet. Make what choices you will, but take into consideration the loot each of the two monsters will leave behind, treasures you won’t gain by sparing them. Tartuk will leave behind a Headband of Alluring Charisma +4, a Ring of Protection +3 and a Ring of Luck, while Hargulka forfeits a Scroll of Cure Serious Wounds, a Scepter of Denial and a Belt of Physical Might +4. Most of these items are self-explanatory, although the Scepter of Denial is a Heavy Mace +3 that deals 2d6 base damage and gives the Free Action (by far the best weapon you’ve found) and the Ring of Luck gives a +1 Luck bonus to all Saving Throws. Both will also drop an Iron Dwarvern Key, which will make getting back out easier, as this key opens all the doors you couldn’t open without a key earlier. Having permanent Free Action on your Cleric is a wonderful idea, but the potency of a weapon like the Scepter of Denial is somewhat wasted on Harrim and Tristian, when Valerie could make much better use of it. On Valerie it’ll also allow her to freely wade into Web spells, giving that aging strategy some new legs. The Headband of Alluring Charisma will go great on Regongar, should you have no other home for it, while the Belt of Physical Might +4 can replace the lesser +2 version you found earlier, which in turn can replace a Belt of Giant Strength +2.

Finish Exploring Trobold If your appetite for loot is not yet sated, continue northwest to ]nd Hargulka’s throne, next to which you’ll ]nd two small chests (to the northeast) and a large chest (to the southwest). The smaller chests contain merely gold and gems, while the largest chest holds an Amulet of Natural Armor +2, some Soot-Blackened Tongs and another Iron Dwarven Key. Secure this loot, then make your way southeast opposite the forge to ]nd a locked door, which the Iron Dwarven Key will open. Beyond is a large, abandoned hall that houses some more treasure. Loot two chests along the northeastern wall (one of which is locked [Trickery 16]) to ]nd some gems, gold, and a Scroll of Cure Serious Wounds. As you explore the chamber, note the hallway southwest of the large ]re in the center of the room, which leads to an area transition. There’s an encounter waiting for you if you exit via this tunnel, but before you leave Trobold, there’s more treasure to collect. Along the southeastern end of this room you’ll ]nd three more doors, including two doors to the southeast and one to the northeast. The latter leads to the hallway that connects to the Trobold classroom (with the sun and moon statues), while the northeastern-most of the two southeastern doors leads to the chamber immediately beyond some stairs

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leading back up to the ]rst level (the chamber where you’ll ]nd the chest with the Shock Light Crossbow +1). Go through the southwestern-most of the two southeastern doors to ]nd yet another small treasure room, occupied by two chests and a secret wall [Perception 16]. Just because the chests are out in the open, however, don’t be quick to trust them, as one of them is trapped [Perception 22]. Open the wall [Trickery 16] to get at two Potions of Cure Moderate Wounds, then disarm [Trickery 22] the trapped chest to safely plunder a Masterwork Greataxe, two Masterwork Daggers, a suit of Half-Plate and a Longsword +1. In the ]nal chest [Trickery 16] you’ll ]nd two Scrolls of Scorching Ray and two Potions of Shield of Faith. Now, there’s one more closed door left which you can now open. Make your way through the nearby tunnels to the northeastern-most area transition (the stairs down which you originally descended) and from this area transition head southwest to ]nd this locked door. Open it with your Iron Dwarven Key, ascend the stairs beyond, then make use of the area transition they lead to. This will take you back to the ]rst level of Trobold, namely the depressed central area beneath the broken bridge. When you arrive make your way southeast, stopping only to loot a chest (inside you’ll ]nd a Scroll of Aid and a gem) just past the bridge, along some rubble to the northeast. Another lootable container lies amongst some pilfered treasure to the south of this chest, but before you go after it, there are some more foes to attend to. Continue southeast to ]nd a large group of enemies, including three Branded Trolls and ]ve Trollhounds. With any luck you won’t have to ]ght them all at once, but if you do, some Web spells may slow their approach and allow you to defeat them piecemeal. Once they’re defeated, loot the aforementioned container [Trickery 17] to ]nd a Scroll of Cure Serious Wounds. A ]nal bit of loot can be ]shed out of some ]re, just make your way to the east to ]nd a bon]re burning and loot the chest [Trickery 20] within to grab a Scroll of Raise Dead. With all the loot in the area secured, return back to the Troll Lair Depths (the second level of Trobold) and make your way back to the hall just southeast of Hargulka and Tartuk’s throne room. Once here, head down the tunnel to the southwest and exit the area to ]nd a group of Kobolds waiting for you. Pick the dialogue options "What are you doing here? What do you want?" then "Do any of you speak common?". After this you’ll get more options including two [Intimidate 18] checks, one of which varies based on whether you spared Tartuk or not, while the other, a [Lawful Evil] moral choice, just boasts of your capacity to cause them more grief. Either inform them they can live in peace with Tartuk, warn them of the consequences of attacking humans in your lands, or exile them. Provided you succeed at your Intimidate check, the kobolds will move on and you’ll get some experience.

Reward: For intimidating the Kobold citizens 240 XP

Plans After Troll Trouble You’re now done with your quest to rid your lands of the troll menace. Yep. That’s it. No fanfare, no parade, no gratitude… Nobody ever said it would be easy being baron. If you have an oustanding event card related to the troll raids (e.g., Troll Sightings) those will still play out as normal, the results varying depending on the check made by the leader assigned to handle the event (if indeed any were assigned at all!). Thankfully, however, no more of these events will pop up, giving you time to work on more kingdom events or projects, explore, or really do whatever you wish without fear of trolls devastating your domain. The next section of the guide, Baronial Business after Troll Trouble will be similar to the Baron’s Business in Tuskdale section earlier in that numerous events will be discussed as they happen. You’ve got quite a bit of free time on your hands, and there’s a lot of freedom with how you can spend it, so the guide will paint with broad strokes. Any of the areas covered above that have not yet been explored should be tackled as you wait for new events to appear and old events to resolve, while new side quests, companion quests and areas will be covered as they become available.

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Those who were more adventurous earlier may ]nd some free time that just needs to be ed, which is perfectly ]ne as well. You’ve actually covered quite a bit of ground already, and there’s no harm in burning some time in the capital. The ideal way to both be productive and advance time (aside from exploring new areas, that is) is to deal with various projects that require you stay in Tuskdale. These include projects such as " the General’s Endeavors" and similar leader-based projects that pop up, which will require you to advance through two weeks to see them resolved. Unlike events, during these projects you won’t be able to do anything else, so if you have any exploration yet to do, see to that ]rst.

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Chapter 2 - Questing After Troll Trouble

Baronial Business after the Troll Trouble Retain Bartholomew The ]rst task you should see to is enroute to Tuskdale. On your way back, stop over at the Lone House area and pay Bartholomew (who is still in his laboratory) a visit. You’ll ]nd him packing, as it seems the troll menace has grown too great for him to risk. He’s ]ne with a few stragglers, or a helpless prisoner, but groups of organized trolls who can ]ght back? Not so much. Despite Bartholomew’s moral failings, he’s still a talented mage and could serve you well at your court. If you wish to keep him around, all you need to do is pick "Packing? Are you leaving us soon?" followed either by "Could I persuade you to stay? I could use someone familiar with magic." or "I’ve an offer for you: stay as one of my councilors. There are so few people who see things in such a critical and rational way.". In the former case, he’ll stick around the Lone House area, ready for your visits when you need him, otherwise you can peruse his services in Tuskdale, where he can be appointed as a Treasurer. This will work well enough if you let him keep his troll earlier, but if not Bartholomew will have decided he’s seen more than enough of your heavy-handed rule. In this case, only if your protagonist is [Neutral] can you convince him to stay by picking the dialogue option "I regret what I’ve done. I shouldn’t have meddled in your affairs. If you agree to stay, I promise to never do so again." If you can retain Bartholomew’s services, so much the better. If not, there are other options out there.

Events and Quests After Troll Trouble After dealing with Bartholomew, return to Tuskdale and deal with whatever events require your attention in your throne room. If you have new leader-related events or projects now is a good time to see to those, especially the time-consuming " [Leader]'s Endeavors" projects. Not only do these permanently improve your BP accumulation and upgrade the related kingdom stat’s rank, but it also is a ]ne way to îp the calendar should you lack anything better to do. Speaking of "something better to do", the event "Visitor Waits in the Castle" should have started the quest Lost Child, which has thus far been avoided in favor of dealing with Troll Trouble and general exploration. Now is as good a time as any to see to that quest, as well as another quest in the same general area. If you recall your encounter with Dalton - the merchant who was attacked by trolls shortly after resolving the "Troll Invasion" event card - he mentioned a Hodag that has a lair in the Narlmarches. Not only is this a beast any worthy baron would exterminate, but it’s a chance for Amiri to prove her prowess. These quests will be covered in the pages Lost Child and Hodag Lair, respectively, for you to peruse as you ]nd the time and inclination. The rest of this section will be devoted to covering the new event cards, projects and claims that pop up in the months. The next main quest event card is "Letter from Maegar Varn", so take care of other events, complete side quests and catch up on any exploration you weren’t able to do previously until that event pops up, at which time head back to Tuskdale to deal with it.

Story of the Singing Anvil If you found the Soot-Blackened Apron, the Soot-Blackened Brand, the Soot-Blackened Gloves and the Soot-Blackened Hammer in Trobold, talk to the Storyteller in your throne room and he’ll reward you magni]cently for the complete set, then offer to tell you the "story of the singing anvil". This is a signi]cant amount of gold and a nice head start towards level nine, so it’s well worth your time to turn these in.

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Reward: For hearing the Story of the Singing Anvil 2,000 XP / 10,000 GP

Claim South Narlmarches

Note: This event card appeared roughly three days after dealing with the troll menace.

After securing the safety of the Southern Narlmarches and clearing out a good deal of the monsters therein (at least, if you’ve following this guide), it should be no surprise that you’ll shortly be given the opportunity to claim these lands for yourself. This works similarly to when you claimed the Outskirts in that you’ll get to found a new settlement in the area, which you’ll be able to build up when you have su_cient funds. Speaking of which, to proceed with this claim you’ll need to gather a whopping 400 BP, which could take quite a while to accumulate. Still, you’ve got quite a bit of free time ahead of you, so providing you don’t go spending all your BP, you should save enough up to set this claim in motion eventually. Keep in mind that seeing to the " the [Leader]'s Endeavors" projects will not only advance time, but it’ll earn you a permanent boost to your BP accumulation per week. This is a long-term goal you should keep in mind and work towards as you explore, complete quests and deal with events and projects.

Jaethal in a Fury

Note: This event card appeared roughly six days after dealing with the troll menace.

When you spot this event card in your events tab, know that you’re in for a bit of trouble when you return to the throne room. Jaethal will have apprehended a merchant - Enno - who had been doing business in Tuskdale for a quite some time up until now. Unfortunately he made the mistake of selling Jaethal’s dagger, a relic from back when she was living, which naturally leads to her concluding that the merchant knows how she died. Indulge her by saying "Let him speak, Jaethal. Anger will not help to learn the truth.", after which you’ll be able to question him more thoroughly. The merchant claims he found the weapon in the carcass of a boar, which he found near the Old Sycamore, between the ancient tree and Thorn River to the west. Been a while since you’ve been up that way, eh? Exhaust his dialogue options to start the quest Investigate My Death, another task you can get around to during this bit of post-troll calm.

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Visitor Waits in the Castle

Note: This event card appeared roughly twenty-six days after dealing with the troll menace.

There’s not much to this event aside from establishing relations with neighboring powers. A Pitaxian noble by the name of Stefano Moskoni will show up and waste little time demeaning your barony. It seems that Tartuccio was, unfortunately, fairly representative of your average Pitaxian. There’s not much for you to do to change the tone of this conversation aside from make a few moral choices. Pick whatever you want the ]rst two chances you get to respond (the second of which will be a moral choice) after which things get a bit interesting. While most responses end with Stefano ]nishing his petty, rehearsed insults, if for the third response you pick the [Chaotic Neutral] dialogue option "Sir Stefano, please be frank with me - have you ever had the pleasure of being acquainted with the hooves of a jackass? Other than your own feet, I mean." you’ll undoubtedly win the little sparring contest. You can continue to press your advantage by extorting - then threatening him with the dialogue options "Now, allow me to - personally - tax your cortege, so as to help improve my economy. And as taxes are especially high this year, I do hope you’ll be able to pay - the punishment for failure to pay is imprisonment." and "Ah, yes - King Irovetti. Worry not - I’ll be sure I send him a melancholic missive relaying news of your tragic fate.", ]nishing with "Yes, the tragic fate you met after you attempted to escape your chains. Now, if there’s nothing more, I’d suggest you go replaster your face with whatever makeup you’ve been using - your cheeks are so bright, the red glow must be visible from Absalom.". Is this petty exchange unbecoming a baron? Perhaps, but man, does it feel good watching him wordlessly stomp out of your throne room. Stefano may be right when he points out your barony doesn’t have much bite, but at least the baron can make up for it somewhat with bark!

Letter from Maegar Varn

Note: This event card appeared roughly ]fty-six days after dealing with the troll menace.

This event card - being one that might prompt you back out into the wilderness - takes place roughly ]fty-six days (eight weeks!) after dealing with the trolls threatening your barony. This should give you plenty of time to spend appeasing your leaders and upgrading the ranks of some kingdom stats, as well as completing a few quests and getting in the odd bit of exploration. Return to Tuskdale when this shows up and your emissary will give you Maegar Varn’s Letter. If you recall, you met Maegar Varn during your baronation ceremony, and like you he’s an opportunist who seized his province at the invitation of the Aldori. Seems he’s got an alliance in mind and invites you to his capital city, Varnhold. This is a ]ne excuse to get back to exploring, this time setting your sights on the Kamelands to the east. This also will add the project "Trade Agreement with Maegar Varn", which costs 75 BP and will take two weeks of time.

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Note: While this endeavor is ultimately rather inconsequential, it’s nonetheless suggested that you start exploring the Kamelands, speci]cally the areas listed in the "Chapter 2 - Journey to Varnhold" section of the guide. Assuming you’ve completed everything previously mentioned in the guide, this should give you roughly three months of time before the next major quest to leisurely explore out east, clear areas, deal with the odd minor event card and project that may pop up and ultimately make your way to Varnhold.

If you’ve got a mind to set out for Varnhold, you might as well take care of this project ]rst. Fortunately it doesn’t require your continuous attention, so you can start it up, then immediately hit the road. New areas explored as part of this trek will be covered in the section "Chapter 2 - En Route to Varnhold" below. Deal with the quests Lost Child and Investigate My Death and explore the Hodag Lair (the sections for which can be found below), then, should you ]nd the time and inclination, consider exploring the areas listed in the section "Chapter 2 - En Route to Varnhold". Event cards (and the quests they lead to) after that will be covered in yet another following section "Chapter 2 - Monster Invasion".

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Tip (4th-Level Spells): During the exploration of the Narlmarches or while dealing with Troll Trouble, you probably ascended to 7th level, which for a single-class Cleric or Wizard should gain them access to 4th-level spells. A divine caster can, with few exceptions, prepare anything they wish, having access to the entire catalog of spells, but an arcane caster has to be more picky. Can’t always count on ]nding or buying spell scrolls, after all. They, then, will remain the focus of this note. Generally speaking, you should tone down your expectations somewhat after 3rd-level. It’s hard to compete with just how game-changing spells like Haste are, and while you probably won’t see any power shifts like that again, you will continue to add useful tools to your spell arsenal. The clear winner of 4th-level spells is Stoneskin, as it’s a long-lasting powerful defensive spell that will become nearly as much of a staple as Haste has. Shaving off 10 damage from nearly every attack is so bene]cial, it’d probably be insulting to belabor the point. Phantasmal Killer is also an interesting spell, as it can instantly kill a foe that fails a Will Save and a Fortitude Save. This is quite a limitation, as it’s fairly unlikely anything worth casting this on will fail both saves, not to mention it’s presumably limited to only sentient creatures who are susceptible to necromancy (hence excluding undead and constructs), but it’s still a decent "Hail Mary" spell for when the need is great. Obsidian Flow is essentially an improved Web spell with some direct damage on the front-end; almost a good mix of Fireball and Web, honestly. In some situations, it may just be a good ]rst strike spell that can be used in lieu of either of the other, lesser, aforementioned spells. Greater Invisibility works like normal invisibility, save with an important feature: it isn’t dispelled when you attack. This allows you to keep those great bonuses from being invisible (50% concealment, immunity to sneak attack damage, +2 Attack, ignores opponent’s Dexterity bonus to Armor Class), making it an incredibly powerful spell buff. You can buy this from the Old Beldame in the Swamp Forest.

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Lost Child Witch Runaround Your ]rst stop in this quest is the Swamp Witch’s Hut, where you’ll need to ask the Old Beldame about the missing kid. In response, she’ll instantly bring up cannibalism, which… doesn’t exactly make her look less guilty. If you succeed at a [Perception 26] check, however, you’ll be able to discern whether the witch is lying or not. Well, that was a waste of time. Nothing to do now but return to Tuskdale and have a chat with Jenna, who should still be waiting in your throne room. When you talk to her, she’ll seem genuinely surprised that the witch didn’t abduct the boy before. By process of elimination, she concludes that an altercation between the two may have caused the scamp to run off to Candlemere Lake.

Searching Candlemere Lake

Note: Before you leave Tuskdale, be sure one of your characters knows the Glitterdust spell. It can be purchased from Hassuf in Tuskdale for 150 GP.

Leave Tuskdale once again and note that Candlemere Lake is south, southwest of Tuskdale, just south of the larger body of water, the Tuskwater. Looks like you’ll just need to explore the coast of Lake Candlemere and hope you stumble upon a lead. Follow the directions below:

• • • • • • • • •

West Southwest to reach landmark: A Ford Across the Skunk River South (cross the Skunk River) East to reach empty node from which you can reach Candlemere Tower Southwest (along Candlemere Lake and the Murque River) Northwest (path veers north) Southwest (cross the Murque River) South East

There are two random encounters you’re likely to ]nd along this journey, which is the primary purpose of all this running around, along with other practical aims such as treading new ground and moving closer to your ultimate objective. If you don’t get these encounters (the second one is the one that really matters) just roam the coast of Lake Candlemere and along the Murque River until you get it. In one random encounter you may ]nd a trio of trolls near a river. When the trolls spot you they’ll recognize you and comment on your recent feats before wisely deciding to êe. You can attempt to chase them down and with a bit of luck you’ll pick some of them off, but otherwise there’s little else to do with this encounter. The more interesting encounter involves two groups of Lizardfolk ]ghting, the smaller of which is led by an individual named Rashor. Fight off the hostile Lizardfolk, then talk to Rashor afterwards (perhaps helping Rashor out with a [Neutral

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Good] moral choice to get some experience) to learn that there are two types of lizardfolk, the "Longtail" tribe and the "Thickskin" tribe. Rashor belongs to the former and claims to be no enemy to humans (save for the odd tasty traveler, of course) and paints the Thickskins as irredeemably belligerent. Most importantly, Rashor will have invited you to his village, which is on the southern end of Candlemere Lake. Having no other leads, perhaps you can look for Jenna’s son there? If you choose the standard [Chaotic Evil] action to attack Rashor, you can nab a Greatclub +1 off of him.

Reward: For tending to Rashor's wound 120 XP

Lizardfolk Village - Kagar the Rattler Sure enough, near where the Murque River empties into Lake Candlemere you should ]nd the "Lizardfolk Village" map marker, which to be fair was on your map for quite a while. But now you have a reason to visit! When you arrive you’ll immediately be pestered by an elderly lizardfolk named Kagar, who wastes little time con]rming that the "youngling" you’re looking for is here. Since it seems you’re bound to be searching this area in depth - which will doubtlessly involve dealing with lizardfolk tribal politics - you’d be well served by questioning Kagar thoroughly and learning about their past glory and present problems. Apparently a "Great Ancestor spirit" claiming to be the invincible hero Strishchak came from the "Forbidden Island" in the middle of Lake Candlemere and convinced their leader - Chief Vesket of its authenticity. Naturally the spirit has made some… esoteric demands, but its aid in battle with the Thickskins has thus far earned it the loyalty of the Longtails. Unfortunately for you, Jenna’s son, Tig, is in the lizardfolk village, forcing you to meddle in this business.

Lizardfolk Village - Entering the Lizardfolk Village There are two ways to get into the lizardfolk village: either via the front gate, or by sneakier, less direct means. If you want to try your luck with diplomacy, continue north to reach a bridge leading to the Longtail village where you’ll be called out to by the lizardfolk guarding the gate. If you rescued Rashor earlier, he’ll have made it back home and will get you inside. Otherwise, you’ll either have to succeed at a [Diplomacy 15] or [Intimidate 15] check, or give the guards ]ve Rations and Camping Supplies to bribe your way inside. If you wish to sneak in, make your way east, then north along the moat and walls respectively that surround the village, stopping to dispatch several Greater Monitor Lizards as you go. When you spot a damaged section of palisade, approach and a [Perception 15] check to spot a suitable ingress point. When you interact with it you’ll get a short Illustrated Book Episode where you need to pick the option [Athletics 15] We climbed over the palisade. then Without wasting any time, we entered the hut. If instead of the latter option you pick We came out to meet the lizardfolks., you’ll be forced into a dialogue similar to the one you’d ]nd at the gate, allowing you to bribe your way to meeting the Lizardfolk King with ]ve Rations or an [Intimidate 15] or [Diplomacy 15] check. Avoiding the lizardfolk after sneaking into the village will allow you to reach Tig quickly, which will be covered under the heading "Lizardfolk Village - The Great Ancestor", below.

Lizardfolk Village - An Audience with the King However you manage it, once inside you’ll be granted an audience with the Lizardfolk King, Chieftain Vesket. Ask him some questions if you wish; he’ll largely tell you more boastful versions of what Kagar said. More importantly, if you a [Perception 20] check (checked automatically during dialogue) you’ll notice that the Lizardfolk King, despite all his bravado, is a bit worn out. When you’re done listening to the reptile boast, be sure to say "Your tribe is holding a human child. I came to take him

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back.", which will elicit a prompt denial from Chieftain Vesket. You’ve got many possible ways to resolve this, but if your protagonist is [Lawful] or [Evil], you’ll get alignment dialogues that’ll get you what you want, otherwise you’ll have to a [Diplomacy 20], [Intimidate 20] or [Lore (Religion) 20] check to achieve the same end. Failing all that, you can simply resort to violence, which will pit you against the Lizardfolk King, two Lizardfolk Stalkers (armed with bows), and two Lizardfolk Sentinels. The lesser Lizardfolk are little threat to you, having stats you’ve long since outgrown, but the Lizardfolk King is a bit stronger, having a decent Attack Bonus and a respectable number of HP. By now, however, his Armor Class is barely a hindrance to your best of warriors, and he’ll struggle to hit your tanks. Debu_ng them with Slow and bu_ng yourself with Haste should be all you need to overwhelm your foes. Just be wary, as, after the ]ght progresses for a bit, the lizardfolk in the king’s dwelling will be ed by some reinforcements, including some Lizardfolk Patrolmen and two Greater Monitor Lizards. Don’t let them catch your squishy characters by surprise. Should you emerge victorious from a conîct with the lizardfolk you’ll be able to loot the fallen king for Bound Thunder (a Shock Trident +1 that deals +1d6 electrical damage and can be used to cast a 10d6 Lightning Bolt once per day), a suit of Hide +1 an Amulet of Natural Armor +1 and King Vesket’s Key. Each of his Lizardfolk Stalkers will also leave behind a Composite Longbow +1 and a suit of Studded Leather +1. Further treasures lie in a nearby chest [Trickery 35] (also unlocked with King Vesket’s Key, including a Diamond, an Emerald and a Shard of Knight’s Bracers, among other, less valuable gems. Keep in mind that you don’t have to ]ght the lizardfolk to loot this chest, should your Trickery skill be up to the task. They won’t attack if you pick the lock and plunder the chest. If you kill the king, you’ll have to ]ght the rest of the lizardfolk in the village when you leave the king’s hut, which is honestly not that tough of a ]ght. This of course will void any potential interactions you could have had in the village which, honestly, are less lucrative than simply killing them all would have been. Oh well.

Lizardfolk Village - Explore the Lizardfolk Village Assuming you didn’t kill the Lizardfolk King and talked him into letting you speak to this Great Ancestor spirit that’s been terrorizing the village, you’ll be able to leave the king’s hut at your leisure (after hopefully looting his chest!). At this point you’ll ]nally have free reign to explore the village, which is fortunate as there’s some loot worth grabbing and conversations worth having before you meet the Great Ancestor. First, loot a weapon rack near the king’s hut to score some Masterwork Longspears, a Masterwork Shortspear and a Masterwork Light Shield, all of which will fetch some worthwhile gold from any merchant. Various ]shing racks are less lucrative, but you can score some Rope, Acid Flasks and other marginal treasures from some sacks near a hut to the west of the king’s hut. Speaking of which, enter the hut west of the king’s hut (marked on your map as the "Clutch Hut", inside of which you’ll ]nd a lot of broken eggs and a wounded lizardfolk named Virish. Talk to Virish and question him to learn that the Great Ancestor apparently lied about an impending famine, in response to which the Longtails cannibalized their young. While a necessity in genuine lean times, since there’s no actual famine this just constitutes the eradication of a potential generation the Longtails couldn’t afford to lose. After learning what you can from Virish, either put him out of his misery [Chaotic Neutral] or heal him [Neutral Good], the latter of which will earn you some experience and demonstrate your goodwill to this wretched creature.

Reward: For healing Virish 45 XP

With that done, loot some containers to the west for various food items, and a crate for a Potion of Cure Light Wounds, some Acid Flasks and some gems. Once done, head back outside and continue southwest to ]nd an urn you can loot by another lizardfolk hovel, inside of which you’ll ]nd a Taldan Warrior’s Dog Tag. Further southwest is another lizardfolk,

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Fashor, whom you can talk to, and like most lizardfolk you’ve met he’s instantly suspicious of your motives. Question him about your missing "youngling" and he’ll reveal the sadistic side of the Great Ancestor, which disturbingly seems to have plans for the poor child. You can also a [Diplomacy 20] check to get Fashor’s sincere opinion on the Great Ancestor, whose actions seem to have caused quite a bit of quiet discontent among the Longtails. End the conversation with either a [Lawful Evil] or [Neutral Good] response to âvor your relationship with the Longtails and earn some experience.

Reward: For chatting with Fashor 45 XP

Finally make your way to the east to ]nd a small garden, near which the lizardfolk TTassath and Shalur argue. Interject yourself into their conversation to ]nd out that the Great Ancestor’s reign of arbitrary bad advice has continued, this time targeting the Longtail’s crops. Instead of useful "heal-herb", the Great Ancestor has demanded the crop to be replaced with "dope-weed", instead. After hearing both sides of the argument, you’ll be given a chance to comment: either pick the [Lawful Evil] action to recommend following the advice of a supposed elder no matter how stupid it is, recommend they just îp a coin to decide [Chaotic Neutral] or urge them to apply some common sense, even if it means rebelling against authority [Chaotic Good]. Picking either the [Lawful Evil] or [Chaotic Good] options will earn you some experience.

Reward: For advising Tassath and Shalur 90 XP

Lizardfolk Village - The Great Ancestor After you’re done pestering the poor Longtail reptiles, make your way to the hut east of the king’s hut (marked on your map as the "Spirit Hut". Inside you’ll ]nally ]nd Tig, but when you talk to him you’ll quickly notice that something is amiss… the fact that Tig refers to "the boy" as a separate entity. Pick the dialogue option "Who or what exactly am I talking to?" to get a [Knowledge (Arcana) 20] check that lets you know that whatever you’re speaking with, it’s external to Tig. Fortunately it doesn’t seem to be possessing the boy, but rather it’s using lesser magic to conceal itself somewhere nearby. If you have the Glitterdust spell prepared you’ll get the dialogue option [Make the spirit visible and attack] "I don’t negotiate with monsters!". The statement itself is probably untrue, but hey, it’s clear this being, while malignant, isn’t omniscient. This will cause the spirit - Count Shimmerglow - to appear behind Tig. It’s a pretty simple combatant, using Shield to boost its already high (but not insurmountable) Armor Class, after which it’ll repeatedly cast Searing Light. The spell hurts, but nowhere near as much as some foes you’ve fought, and isolated, Count Shimmerglow really doesn’t have much of a chance. The only possible complication to this ]ght is if you ended the conversation (pick the dialogue option [Leave] "Goodbye.") before attacking, in which case Count Shimmerglow will summon the Lizardfolk King and his lackeys. You’ll end up ]ghting the same assortment of lizardfolk here as you would have had to ]ght if you picked a ]ght in the king’s hut earlier, but with the added disadvantage of Count Shimmerglow pelting you with magic during the ]ght. There’s absolutely no reason you should put yourself in this position, as you can pick a ]ght with the Lizardfolk King any time you wish via dialogue, and you can expose and attack Count Shimmerglow at any time as well. If you do end up in this unadvised situation, Haste and Slow should be enough to muscle your way to victory. Either way, be sure to talk to Tig after defeating Count Shimmerglow to send him on his way back to Tuskdale. Your business with the lizardfolk isn’t quite over yet, however, as when you leave the Spirit Hut you’ll witness an altercation

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between Kagar and the Lizardfolk King. Despite his acquiescence earlier, it seems that he’s since changed his mind about the authenticity and/or benevolence of the Great Ancestor… or maybe he’s just not on board with you killing the spirit? In any case, he chooses to vent his anger out on you, and the fact that this time none of the other lizardfolk him is essentially a vote of no-con]dence on Chieftain Vesket and the Great Ancestor. Kill the Lizardfolk King and loot him for his Bound Thunder weapon, a suit of Hide +1 an Amulet of Natural Armor +1 and King Vesket’s Key. Before leaving the village grounds you can talk to Kagar one more time to inquire into the fate of the Longtails and their future plans, if you wish.

Lizardfolk Village - Exploring the Wilderness Now that you’ve resolved the issue of Jenna’s missing son (one way or another), ]nish up this area while you’re here. Leave the Lizardfolk village via the front gate and immediately turn east and work your way clockwise around the palisade. Kill several Greater Monitor Lizards when you ]nd them, then a [Perception 25] check to spot a chest half-buried in the muck. Unlock it [Trickery 20] then grab a Cloak of Shadows from inside, a useful cloak that’ll give its wearer a +10 bonus to Stealth checks as well as immunity to blindness and dazzling. Not a bad start, but there’s more treasure to be had. Continue clockwise around the palisade (it gets tight along the northern end of the screen, but you can ]t!) and when you reach around 1:00 o’clock keep an eye out for a stump which hides a Token of the Dryad. Finally, around 6:00 o’clock you’ll ]nd Kagar (he’ll have moved east after your initial encounter), near which is a cluster of foliage that hides a second Token of the Dryad.

Tig Returned Whew. With that ordeal resolves, return to Tuskdale and talk to Jenna in your throne room. If something went amiss and Tig didn’t make it, the traumatized mother will leave the throne room without a word, but you’ll still get some experience for your effort. If you successfully rescued Tig, however, you’ll be treated somewhat more warmly and more importantly you’ll earn double the experience for it.

Reward: For failing to rescue Tig 600 XP

Reward: For rescuing Tig 1,200 XP

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Hodag Lair You should have discovered this area during your chat with Dalton, a merchant whom you encountered shortly after dealing with the "Troll Invasion" event card. The Hodag is another trophy monster Amiri wishes to hunt as part of the ongoing quest Prove Your Worth, so if you’ve got time to spare, it’s certainly worth your while to go out of your way and hunt this critter. To start out, make your way to the Abandoned Keep area, which you should have long since explored by now. The directions to the Hodag Lair will start from there.

• • • • •

East (along the Murque River) South (cross the Murque River) South Northwest Northwest

When you arrive, head northeast until Amiri speaks to you. As with Tuskgutter, she wants to face this Hodag alone, and unlike Tuskgutter, she probably has a shot at taking the thing on alone. Not that her solitary inclinations are enforced even the slightest, mind you. At this point in the walkthrough (if you’re following chronologically you should be at or very near level eight) the Hodag is a push-over, sporting a hefty amount of HP relatively uned by an Armor Class worth mentioning. Its Attack bonus is probably not high enough to worry your tanks much, although Amiri will almost certainly fare worse. Against a full party, there’s little the Hodag can do but roll over and die. After it does so (and Amiri is done celebrating) continue northeast to ]nd [Perception 7] some foliage you can search for a Shard of Knight’s Bracers. More loot can be found to the east on a corpse (two Potions of Shield of Faith and 172 GP, among other goodies) and two crates (one of which contains four Potions of Cure Light Wounds and a Potion of Heroism while the other just houses some food).

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Ratnook Hill Before you return to Tuskdale, consider clearing out the Ratnook Hill area, which can be reached by heading east and south from the Old Sycamore area. Ratnook Hill was probably too much to handle back in the day when you were exploring around the Old Sycamore the ]rst time, but by now it should be relatively simple, and since you’re already up here well, you might as well clear it out real quick. You’ll arrive on the southwestern edge of the area map, from which you can head either north or east, ultimately aiming to head uphill to reach the northeastern edge of the area. Along the way, however, are numerous dangerous traps [Perception 24] [Trickery 24], which are both a hindrance, and a cheap source of experience. If that’s not enough of an indicator of the danger that awaits you, the corpses lying around should be. The one near the southwestern edge of the map indicates feeding by rodents, while the one to the northeast, near a cave, possesses An Ancient Rostlandic Coin. Disarm the traps, loot the corpse, then enter the cave to ]nd the critters that call this area home - a pack of Wererats. While they once would have made dire threats, these Wererats offer little for you to fear. Their Armor Class isn’t better than most enemies you ]ght, and their Attack bonuses will struggle against your tanks and your less well-protected warriors. Should they land a hit early, however, there’s a chance they’ll score a sneak attack, which will do damage far above what their normal attacks will deal. Avoid getting ânked and you should do ]ne, just be wary of their damage reduction, which will give them more staying power. Once those two Wererats are dead, another, more dangerous Wererat will the fray. This critter will likely have buffed itself with displacement, making 50% of your attacks miss outright. This, on top of its damage reduction, will make it a hard foe to put down. While you struggle, it’ll merrily lob explosive bombs at you, dealing minor damage that nonetheless adds up quickly. Spell-bu_ng probably isn’t necessary, but Haste will shorten the ]ght considerably, as usual. Exterminate the wererats, then loot the two by the door to score a Shock Sai +1, a Masterwork Sai, Padded Armor +1, and a Belt of Incredible Dexterity +1 from one of them, and a pair of Shortswords +1 and a suit of Leather Armor +2 from the other. The bomb-throwing rat leaves behind a Masterwork Club, a Headband of Vast Intelligence +2 a Potion of Resist Cold and a Potion of Remove Curse. Finally, loot a crate at the northwestern end of the cave to ]nd a variety of gems, a Potion of Vanish, miscellaneous goods that a merchant will pay good coin for, and a variety of cheeses. Har. Once that crate is emptied you should also ]nd a chest containing a Wand of Shield.

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Chapter 2 - Journey to Varnhold

Bald Stones The ]rst (and easiest to reach) of the two areas along the southeastern-most edge of the Kamelands is the "Bald Stones" area, which you can reach from the Bridge Over the Gudrin River via the following directions:

• • • • • •

South (across the Gudrin River) Southeast East South East (along Little Sellen River) North

As a change of pace, you’ll collect yourself on the eastern edge of this area’s map, with a stream running invitingly to the west. Follow it until you ]nd a break in the rocks to the north, beyond which is a clearing where a Greater Nightmare dwells. This hellish horse isn’t terribly well-protected by Armor Class or HP, but you do need to be wary of its breath weapon, which will deal ]re damage (damage numbers above 50+ aren’t impossible!) to foes in front of it. Protect yourself with Resist Energy, Communal to lessen this damage, and be sure to ânk it. Haste and Slow might help, too, but shouldn’t be strictly necessary. Should you vanquish the infernal equine, investigate a crate behind it to ]nd a Flaming Glaive +2, a suit of Full Plate Mail and some jewelry.

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Ironstone Gully To reach the Ironstone Gully area from the Bridge Over the Gudrin River, follow these directions:

• • • • •

South (across the Gudrin River) Southeast East East (along Gudrin River, path veers south along Lake Silverstep) East (across the Runoff Creek)

Scour the Spider Chambers You’ll appear on the southern end of this area, from which you have little choice but to head north up a linear tunnel. When this tunnel opens into a larger chamber turn northeast to ]nd a nest of Giant Spiders. These foes present no new challenges, being roughly as strong as the ones you fought at the Ruined Watchtower in the Narlmarches. Squash them, then continue down a tunnel to the east to reach a fork in the path. Turn south ]rst, and when this tunnel terminates in another chamber send a tank into the room alone to provoke the Giant Spiders dwelling there. Lure them back to the mouth of the tunnel to the north not so much to bottleneck them, but to secure your ânk. When the ]rst batch of Giant Spiders fall, another group will spawn around the room and attack, potentially threatening your squishier characters if they were left exposed. Forming a line at the mouth of the tunnel prevents any unfortunate mishaps. When the second squad of Giant Spiders is smote, a third group will arrive, this time led by a Primal Giant Spider. This monstrous arachnid is not only much larger than its fellows, but it has the stats to match, boasting a higher Attack bonus, Armor Class, and a relatively deep HP pool, although in all honesty this only puts it on par with other large foes you’ve slain thus far. Eradicate these bugs, then search a chest along the western end of their chamber to obtain a Token of the Dryad and some Camping Supplies and Rations, along with a variety of treasure you can sell.

Clear the Centipede Chambers Backtrack up the tunnel to the north to return to the fork, and this time continue north along the previously neglected northern tunnel to ]nd another large chamber occupied by insects. This time you’ll be facing off a host of centipedes, including numerous Giant Centipedes led by two Tremendous Centipedes. The larger centipedes are so large, in fact, that their girth impedes, making it easy to bottleneck them near the mouth of the tunnel. At the very least, you should be able to kill one of them before most of the lesser centipedes can squirm their way past. Don’t play too ive, however, as these larger centipedes can spit venom at you, which deals little damage but forces all characters in an area to a [Fortitude 19] save or suffer Dexterity damage. Banish this batch of bugs, then burgle a box beside a body to become richer by a Potion of Resist Cold and another Token of the Dryad. Once done, turn your attention to the west, where another cavern full of centipedes awaits. This time there are four Tremendous Centipedes, and they writhe behind a mass of smaller bugs, meaning you’ll likely have to weather repeated venom blasts from them before you can engage. This is one of the few times where a blasty area-of-effect spell like Fireball makes good tactical sense. Clear out this second group of centipedes, then a [Perception 20] check to notice an ore vein on the northern end of the cavern. Probably useful information, no? This cavern also houses a chest [Trickery 10] to the west which will leave you richer one Taldan Warrior’s Dog Tag and a Headband of Alluring Charisma +4. To leave, just make your way south and climb down a cliff to return to the area’s ]rst chamber.

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Lonely Barrow You’ll be able to explore this area, more or less, along the way to your destination. From Tuskdale, heed the following directions:

• • • • • •

East (cross the river) East (to empty node north of the Bridge Over the Gudrin River area) Northeast Northeast East South

You’ll ]nd yourself in a proper interior structure clearly constructed by beings of intelligence. From the western edge of this barrow (where you entered) make your way into an empty room to the northeast, unnoteworthy save for the soot-covered pillar [Perception 21] within. Turn down a tunnel to the southeast and loot an empty basin on the wall before the stairs to score a Token of the Dryad.

Bandits in the Barrow Continue down some stairs to the southeast to reach another chamber, where some ne’er-do-wells can be found casually looting the body of their employer. If you pick the dialogue option "Who are you and what are you doing here?", you’ll learn their poorly-veiled version of the story, laced with blunt innuendo and open threats. Depending on which allies you have (and hence, how they respond afterward) they might pick a ]ght on your behalf after the bandits get done talking. If you say "Forget this, I’m leaving." you’ll ensure you end the conversation without anybody picking a ]ght. Alternatively, you can succeed at an [Intimidate 22] check to chase the bandits off. If you ended the conversation without a ]ght, you’ll be able to respond with a [Diplomacy 28] check ([Neutral Evil]) as well, and if you say "What is this place?" you’ll also get access to a [Bluff 22] check. If you want to kill them, but you want more control over the battle before picking a ]ght, you can always just say "Forget this. I’m leaving.", then spell buff and arrange your party however you wish before talking to the Bandit Leader again and starting a ]ght. Honestly, however, they’re probably not strong enough to warrant serious consideration. Kill them if you wish, then loot the leader for a Potion of Cure Moderate Wounds and Scroll of Haste. On the body of their benefactor you’ll ]nd a Torn Book and a Melted Shard of a Ring.

Cyclopean Sarcophagus Note the door to the northeast, which is also sealed. No way of getting it open, but fortunately if you look at the eastern corner of the room you’ll ]nd a blue diamond pattern on the ôor. Examine it and you’ll open another door to the southeast. Tread carefully, however, as there’s a trap [Perception 25] [Trickery 25] just beyond the door. Continue southwest to reach another chamber, in the center of which is a free-standing pillar. Find [Perception 25] and disarm [Trickery 25] another trap just northeast of the pillar, then investigate the pillar and a [Knowledge (World) 22] check to interpret the designs as depicting some cyclops building a tomb. Quite a feat considering their likely ah, impaired, depth perception. Continue northeast to reach yet another chamber, this one housing a proper sarcophagus and everything. That’s not all you’ll ]nd here, however, as there’s a trap [Perception 25] [Trickery 25] in the southern corner of the room, along with several

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containers near the sarcophagus. The ones to the southeast freely yield their treasures, including a Potion of Cat’s Grace, a Potion of Eagle’s Splendor, two Scrolls of Bless and a variety of other, minor treasures. The northwestern one, however, is trapped [Perception 22] [Trickery 22] and contains a Scroll of Haste, a Potion of Enlarge Person, a Scroll of Cure Light Wounds a Potion of Shield of Faith and some baubles. Finally turn your attention to the sarcophagus itself, which will give you a variety of checks when you interact with it. A [Knowledge (World) 28] check that’ll provide more lore about an "ancient cyclopean empire" capable and willing to brutally suppress humankind. A [Perception 28] check will allow you to notice that the lid has been moved recently, while a [Perception 22] check reveals that somebody has been here recently. Finish up by ing an [Athletics 22] check to provoke several Skeleton Champions into attacking. They’re not the threats they used to be, just send your squishy characters to the southeast to keep them out of combat, as two spawn to the northwest, while three arrive from the southwest.

Explore the Southern Crypt With that, you’re done exploring this tomb, right? Well… not quite. Backtrack southwest, then northwest to the room where you fought (or scared off) the bandits. Along the way, keep your eye out for a hidden [Perception 20] compartment in the hallway linking the aforementioned bandit room and the room with the cyclopean pillar in it. If you ]nd it, loot it for a Scroll of Haste, two Potions of Shield of Faith, a Scroll of Cure Light Wounds, a Potion of Enlarge Person, a Scroll of Bless and a Potion of Cure Light Wounds. Back in the bandit chamber you’ll notice that things have… changed since your last visit. The door back to the beginning of the tomb is now sealed, but two new doors have opened to the southwest. A more immediate concern, however, are the trio of Skeleton Champions and the Skeleton Champion Archer that now guard this chamber. Put these undead down, then head through the southern of the doors to the southwest, turning southeast down some stairs. At the bottom of these stairs you’ll ]nd another trap [Perception 25] [Trickery 25], beyond which a second trap with identical traps can be found in the center of a small chamber, surrounding a ôor rune. Disarm the traps, then loot a sarcophagus to the northeast, and another to the southeast, both of which will yield a Ancient Scrap of Script-Covered Leather. If you’re perceptive enough you’ll also notice a hidden ôor tile [Perception 22] which is locked [Trickery 20]. these two checks, however, and you’ll leave richer one Scroll of Scorching Ray, one Scroll of Hold Person, one Scroll of Acid Arrow, one Scroll of Cure Light Wounds, and one Potion of Shield of Faith. For the last bit of loot, plunder a container northwest of the ôor tile to secure a Scroll of Cure Light Wounds, a Scroll of Fireball and a Scroll of Bless. Finally, interact with the ôor rune to disturb the slumber of four Skeleton Champions. Put them down, then leave the chamber and return to where you encountered the bandits earlier. It’s time to explore the northern of the two ages to the southwest.

Explore the Southern Crypt As you make your way through the northern of the two doors to the southwest, you’ll ]nd another development waiting for you in the hallway beyond - a Ferocious Skeleton Champion. Its stats aren’t nearly high enough to be truly threatening - not alone, at least - but you should still be wary of its higher HP and superior offensive capacity. It’ll be ed in combat by a Skeleton Champion Archer, who will merrily shoot at you from beyond the fog of war to the west. Exorcise the undead, then proceed into another chamber with a ôor rune surrounded by a trap [Perception 25] [Trickery 25]. There’s also a second pillar in here you can notice with a successful [Perception 25] check, this one showing signs of acid damage. Loot two containers to the north to ]nd a suit of Chainmail +2 and a cache of 364 GP, then spot [Perception 25] a hidden ôor tile, which will open a secret door to the northwest. Beyond this secret door you’ll ]nd another two containers, one of which holds a pair of Potion of Enlarge Person, a Potion of Scroll of Faith, two Scrolls of Cure Light Wounds, a Scroll of Bless a Scroll of Scorching Ray and some other, minor treasures. The other container holds a Belt of

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Mighty Constitution +4. Now that the area has been well and truly plundered, make your way back to the larger chamber to the southeast and interact with the rune in the middle to open the previously-sealed door along the northeastern end of the bandit chamber.

Golem Guardians of the Dead Return back to the bandit chamber, along the way hopefully noticing another secret [Perception 22] wall that hides a Scroll of Cure Light Wounds, two Scrolls of Bless, a Scroll of Scorching Ray, a Potion of Shield of Faith, a Potion of Enlarge Person and a Potion of Owl’s Wisdom. Beyond the newly-opened door you’ll be immediately met with a pair of traps [Perception 25] [Trickery 25] beyond which you’ll ]nd a Skeleton Champion and three Skeleton Champion Archers guarding a rare fork in the path. Punish the undead for not respecting the boundaries of mortality, then turn down the southeastern fork, heading up some stairs at the top of which waits yet another trap [Perception 25] [Trickery 25]. An even more dire threat awaits in a chamber beyond these stairs, wherein you’ll ]nd two Ancient Golems. These Clay Golems have DR 10/adamantine and bludgeoning (there’s no way you’re bying this right now) and decent - but not insurmountable - Armor Classes. While their HP are only moderate, their other defenses are enough to keep them in the ]ght longer than you’d like. They’ll also start out by using Haste on themselves. They can’t be Slowed, so you’ll just have to counter with a Haste of your own and focus on other means of improving your survivability, such as Stoneskin, Bless, Prayer, Blur and Shield of Faith. On top of all this, Clay Golems have the ability to inîct Cursed Wounds, which do not heal naturally and can only be healed magically if the caster succeeds at a DC 26 Caster Level check. While you can save/load through this nuisance when you’re not in combat, it’s still a complication you don’t need. That being the case, making use of summon spells here to draw the attention of the Golems may be a better idea than just hoping you don’t take any hits, especially since a cure for this aìction is out of the means of a reasonably-leveled party at this point in the game. Worse comes to worse, you can just ignore these Golems and their room - they’re not guarding anything terribly valuable, nor is this diversion required to complete this dungeon.

Tip: The better part of valor when it comes to these golems. There’s no need to carry around the Cursed Wounds ailment for a signi]cant amount of time on an encounter so trivial and avoidable. You can always come back later and show them what-for.

Deal with the golems if you can, then loot them for a variety of gems, unfortunately mostly low-quality ones. Oh well. Turn your attention to more mundane dangers, like a trap [Perception 25] [Trickery 25] to the northeast. After that’s been disarmed, search a bas-relief to the northwest and a [Knowledge (Arcana) 28] check to decipher its depiction of ancient cyclopean magical might. Finally, loot a container to the north to score a Potion of Shield of Faith and a Potion of Owl’s Wisdom.

Battle: Greater Skeletal Champion Berserker When you’re done in the golem chamber, return northwest to the fork and head down the previously neglected path to the northwest. As you go, keep an eye out for a hidden wall [Perception 22], inside of which you’ll ]nd a Potion of Blur, a Potion of Shield of Faith, a Scroll of Cure Light Wounds and a variety of gold and gems. Loot this hidden cache, then follow

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the age ahead north, then northwest, stopping to disarm another trap [Perception 25] [Trickery 25] before you reach another door. Interact with a glowing square on the ôor to open the door, then on through. Tread carefully, as there’s no fewer than two traps [Perception 25] [Trickery 25] immediately past the door. Other than the traps, there’s little to see in here, so turn southwest to ]nd another trap [Perception 25] [Trickery 25] waiting for you at the entrance to another, larger room. Disarm the trap, make sure you’re healed up as much as possible, then spell-buff your tank and send them into the room alone. As you near the center of the chamber a variety of foes will pop up, including a Greater Skeletal Champion Berserker. Unlike the Ferocious Skeleton Champion you faced earlier, this foe is a signi]cant threat on its own, having a high enough Attack bonus to threaten your tanks even when spell-buffed, a high supply of HP and a good Armor Class. Haste and Slow will make this ]ght much easier, but keep in mind that the Greater Skeletal Champion Berserker will not remain alone for long, being ed by three Skeletal Champions and three Ferocious Skeletal Champion Archers, two of which will spawn behind you to the northeast. Despite the trouble this might put your archers and mages in, don’t give into the temptation to divert focus away from the Greater Skeletal Champion Berserker, whether that means holding a warrior back in anticipation of these archers or delaying your Slow spell to include some of the other skeletal champions. The Greater Skeletal Champion Berserker is the key threat and deserves all your attention, just consider moving your archers and mages to the southwestern end of the larger room when the lesser skeletal champions appear to keep them out of trouble. When your foes are all smote, grab the weapons the lesser skeletal champions carried (if you’ve still got a mind for the slow accumulation of wealth via the sale of mundane weaponry). The Greater Skeletal Champion Berserker will be somewhat more generous, yielding a Frost Greatsword +1 and a suit of Full Plate Mail armor. Fortunately, you’re nowhere near done gathering loot, as this area is ]lthy with containers to plunder. Two containers along the northeastern end of the chamber are ]lled with low-level scrolls, potions and the odd gem and handful of gold. The containers along the western end of the chamber are more lucrative, but may prove trickier to get into. The northernmost container is both trapped [Perception 22] [Trickery 22] and locked [Trickery 22], which is more protection than its contents - low level scrolls, potions, and a bit of gold - demands. Finally, turn your attention to the westernmost containers and unlock the square one [Trickery 28] to ]nd the Greataxe Second Execution, a Greataxe +1 that gives a +3 Attack bonus and deals 2d6 extra damage against undead. Would have been nice to have earlier. If you have Amiri using Trollreaper, equipping Second Execution alongside it is a ]ne idea. Just switch it out whenever you encounter pesky deaders that need a… Second Execution. The round container nearby may not be locked, but that doesn’t stop it from holding a Ring of Luck and a Taldan Stirrup, another set of items your antiquarian would love to take a gander at. Pillage the room for all its considerable treasures, then investigate a pillar in the middle of the chamber and a [Knowledge (World) 25] check to piece together this place’s story. With that, you’re ]nally done in this wretched barrow, just head up the stairs to the southwest to return to the chamber you ]rst arrived in, from which you can easily access the exit.

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Ancient Mine Like the Lonely Barrow area, this is one of the few areas in the Kamelands that can be explored on the way to your destination. To get there, start from the Lonely Barrow and follow these directions:

• • • •

East Southeast (to reach Lake Silverstep) East (along the northern shore of Lake Silverstep) Northwest

If you’re traumatized by the harrowing Lonely Barrow area, don’t fear - the Ancient Mine is a relatively short area, comparable to the Bald Stones area. You can head east or north, but both paths lead to an elevated area to the northeast, where an Ancient Wyvern dwells. This beast is similar to the one you may have encountered at the Monster Den area, and while it’s not stronger, you certainly are. That being the case, you probably don’t need any spell-buffs; just try and ânk it and watch out for its poison. When it dies, loot it for an Amulet of Natural Armor +2, then leave the area.

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Lake Silverstep Village Travel: Lake Silverstep Village This isn’t your ultimate objective, but it’s along the way, and there’s plenty to see and do here, so if you have the time, you might as well pay this location a visit. To get there, you can just use the following directions from the Ancient Mine (a ]nd end-point if you’ve been exploring the previously-listed areas in the Kamelands):

• South • Northeast (path veers southwest) • Southwest On the other hand, if you want to get right from Tuskdale to Lake Silverstep Village, just make your way to the Bridge Over the Gudrin River:

• • • • • • •

East (cross the river) East (to empty node north of the Bridge Over the Gudrin River area) South to reach landmark: Bridge Over the Gudrin River East (along Gudrin River) East (to reach Lake Silverstep) North (along western shore of Lake Silverstep) Northeast (across Lake Silverstream)

Corpse on the Coast Ironically, it doesn’t matter if you arrive via boat or by traveling through the mountain es on foot; you’ll appear in the same area either way. Starting from the eastern edge of the map, just south of center, make your way south to ]nd a cliff. Even a dullard can the [Perception 0] check required to notice a spot you can climb down [Mobility 23]. Do so, then ]ght off a pack of Tatzlwyrms led by two Greater Tatzlwyrms, which have gathered around a corpse. Once the reptiles are dead, examine the- corpse to ]nd some incriminating red fur, then search a pack near the corpse to score 121 GP and the Talon of the Wise, a Kana +2 with the Agile property. This place is already proving to be pretty lucrative! Follow a path to the west and hang along the cliffs to the north as you go, as an observant character might spot a branch [Perception 18] hidden near some trees. Hidden under this branch you’ll ]nd a surprisingly large cache of treasure, including numerous scrolls, gems and jewelry.

Aisel and Brevis Continue west from this hidden treasure cache until you reach the eponymous village on the edge of Silverstep Lake, in the southwestern edge of the area. Near a house on the eastern edge of the village you’ll ]nd a ]sherman named Aisel, or rather, a former ]sherman. Ask who he is and about this "Dragon Feast" he’s babbling about and he’ll tell you an improbable story of a silver dragon commanding ]sh for the bene]t of an incompetent ]sherman. Continue along this line of questioning to learn more about this silver dragon of theirs, in the process hearing the name of one "Ivar", who bears the title of "Dragon’s Voice". Being the representative of such a powerful, supposedly benevolent being would be quite the position of power in such a meager village, and one well worth seeking out. At the very least, maybe Ivar can formulate his own opinions about things instead of waiting for some "dragon" to tell him what his opinion is, unlike Aisel.

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From Aisel, turn southwest to ]nd another man, Brevis, standing in front of his shop. His appearance and accent gives him away as a foreigner, and while his wares aren’t anything to get excited over, you can use him to sell off any excess loot you may be carrying around. Do what business you need to do with Brevis, then ask him about the commotion to hear a skeptic’s version of this "silver dragon" business. He’s also got some opinions on this Ivar fellow, although you’d be wise to note that he doesn’t disregard the man’s effectiveness, nor his peculiar effect on the local monster population. Finish up your hitherto pleasant and informative conversation by asking him "I’m surprised to see a trader in such a remote place." and an under-the-hood [Perception 18] check, after which you’ll get an [Intimidate 25] option. Succeed at both checks and he’ll suddenly discover both his poker face and a curious desire to donate to the barony. Queer timing, that. Be sure to say "Why don’t you start with where you acquired those goods of yours?" to learn about some bandits lurking in the mountains nearby, whose stolen wares Brevis sells. Brevis tries to defend what honor he has left - as if facilitating banditry isn’t just as bad as participating in it - leaving you with a variety of moral choices you can make in response. You can pick a [Lawful Good] option to chastise him, [Neutral Evil] will collect a cool 450 GP bribe from the dishonest merchant, and the [Lawful Neutral] option will impose some heavy-handed justice. Whatever your decision with Brevis, and before you wander off in search of this Ivar, search the village for loot. You’ll ]nd a variety of containers lying around, some of which hold scrolls, potions and the odd bit of gold. The westernmost chest [Trickery 21] contains a Recipe: Grilled Silver Eel, while another chest to the north of this one (the northwestern-most chest) will yield Wand of Burning Hands, a Taldan Warrior’s Dog Tag and 799 GP. The only tricky treasure is in a chest south of Aisel and east of Brevis, which requires a [Perception 27] check to spot. If you ]nd it, plunder the chest for an Amulet of Natural Armor +2.

Ivar’s House With the village explored, all that’s left is to ]nd this Ivar fellow and pick up whatever choice loot is worth grabbing along the way. Head to the village’s easternmost house and head north from the eastern fence of this building. Atop a short, rocky hill you’ll ]nd a cluster of branches hiding a Token of the Dryad. From here you’re only a short distance west of Ivar’s house, which you ed by earlier. Just head northeast to ]nd a lonely house in the woods, just northwest of the area transition along the eastern end of the map. When you ]nd it, searching the door should make it clear that you’re unlikely to ]nd Ivar in the area. Loot the chest in front of his house to score some scrolls (and other, less noteworthy loot), then examine the table in the back of the house to ]nd a Hunter’s Letter, which is not only miraculously untouched by the weather, but it also exposes Ivar’s penchant for story-telling and the tragic unintended consequences it can have.

The Nereid’s Puddle Leave Ivar’s house alone and make your way around the building to the north, where, in a curiously humble body of water, you’ll ]nd a territorial Nereid. That such a creature would live so threateningly close to Ivar’s house is just more evidence that the hunter doesn’t come by very often. As for this foe, she’s not much of a threat. At a distance she’ll spit at you, and in melee combat she’ll attempt to make touch attacks, both of which can inîct Constitution damage via the Nereid’s venom [Fortitude DC 19 and 21, respectively]. That said, if you lead with your warriors there’s not much the Nereid can do, as these characters have both high Fortitude Saves and plenty of Constitution to spare. Run up and gank the Nereid, then deprive her of the Scroll of Haste and Potion of Cure Moderate Wounds she possessed. She won’t be needing them any more. Search some rocks to the south of her shoddy little pond to ]nd a chest [Trickery 28], inside of which rests a Light Shield +2.

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Worgs and Water Venture north from the Nereid’s puddle to ]nd another, even less impressive body of water. Along the northern end of this watering hole dwell a pack of Worgs, including one Greater Worg and four lesser Worgs. You should be around twice the level you were the last time these foes were a threat, but you can make this encounter even easier by circling around to the western end of the pond, and then attacking from that direction. Focus your warriors between the northern end of the water and the nearby bushes and the Worgs should make things easier by meeting your attack in the narrow space between the foliage to the north and the water to the south. Murder the mutts, then make your way north to ]nd a chest resting against some rocks along the northern boundary of the area. Inside this chest you’ll ]nd a variety of now-mundane potions and scrolls along with the odd pieces of gold. If you make your way east to the northeastern corner of the map you’ll ]nd another area transition, should you need a means of egress.

Acquire the First Mageblade From the Worg-infested pond make your way west to ]nd a ravine, which just so happens to be bridged by a log. Make a token [Perception 0] check on either side of the log to notice that you can, in fact, climb across the log [Mobility 21] if you’re careful. Or you can just go the long way around. Either way, be sure to search the corpse north of the log’s eastern end to ]nd a variety of potions, scrolls, gems and a Token of the Dryad. Speaking of "taking the long way around" the ravine, don’t tempt gravity and walk south of the log, crossing to the west when you have the chance. When you see two stacked stone formations on the western end of the ravine, search along them to hopefully spot a chest [Perception 26]. If you can ]nd and unlock [Trickery 28] this chest you’ll ]nd the First Mageblade. This Scimitar +2 has the "Runic Mageblade" property, which improves its bonus by another +2 when you have a touch-range spell charged in your off-hand. It’s the upgrade Regongar has long been waiting for, or a protagonist Magi, should you have one.

The Nereid and the Hydra Make your way to the western end of the ravine, and from the log that bridges the gap, make your way north. Near some bushes you should ]nd [Perception 0] a cluster of branches hidden within which is yet another Token of the Dryad. Dryads had a lot of favor to leave around this place, eh? Of all the female fey lurking around this area, dryads are the least of your problem. Venture west along the nearby trail and you’ll encounter another Nereid, and this one has the good sense to have a Hydra accompanying it. By now, a hydra shouldn’t be too much of a threat, largely lacking the ability to strike your tanks, or do much to worry them on the odd chance they do land a blow. The Nereid has more staying power, but is almost as feeble in the face of your warriors. Cut them down and have the odd Restoration spell handy in case anybody suffers any attribute damage, then grab the Scroll of Haste and Potion of Cure Moderate Wounds from the Nereid’s body.

Hunter on the Cliff If you have a taste for more mundane scrolls, examine the bushes to the west of where you encountered the Nereid and Hydra to ]nd a stump [Perception 20] which hides a Scroll of Hold Person. From here you need merely continue uphill to the northwest to ]nd Ivar at the edge of a cliff, and given the nature of the encounter, you might as well get it out of the way. Continue uphill to the northwest and talk to Ivar and you’ll immediately be presented with a moral choice. The

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consequences of this choice are virtually non-existent save for providing another way to de]ne your character’s personality, so respond as you will, after which you’ll be free to question Ivar more freely. He’ll fully play up this "Dragon’s Voice" nonsense, generally viewing you with cool disdain, and his are fairly clear: as long as you’re not a threat to the village, he doesn’t really care about you one way or another. He also makes it clear that in his mind, your jurisdiction ends where his begins. Make of that what you will. No matter what you say (save for the ubiquitous [Chaotic Evil] option) Ivar will end up walking away after the conversation. The only really interesting exchange is if you learned about the "Silver Dragon" scales he gave the villagers and read the note you found by his house, in which case you can call him out for the fraud he is. He’ll it to it if exposed, but it affects the course of events very little, and the deception is clearly only a means to an end for Ivar. If you kill him he’ll drop a Longsword +1, a suit of Chainmail +2 and a Belt of Physical Form +2. Granted, it’s a good bit of loot, but there’s clearly more to this story than meets the eye; might be a good idea to keep him alive to see how things play out.

Wolves and Boards Backtrack southeast to where where you fought the Nereid and Hydra and from there make your way southeast to reach an area just west of the rocks near where you found the First Mageblade. Here you’ll ]nd around a half-dozen Dire Boars prowling, which by now are little more than meat and experience dispensers waiting for you to claim them. Due west of here you’ll ]nd another familiar foe, a pack of wolves. These canines include three Dire Wolves, an Alpha Wolf and a Ferocious Worg. These creatures should have long since stopped being a serious threat, and you can allow your disdain for their power reêct itself in your strategies. Just send your tank up alone, let the wolves engage, then send the rest of your warriors up to lend a hand. Next venture south and slightly west to ]nd another pack of Dire Boars, this time led by a Greater Dire Boar. Don’t let its fancy adjective fool you - while it may be capable (with a good bit of luck) of hitting your tank, it shouldn’t be much of a threat. Get yourself some bacon, then continue downhill to the west.

Tatzlwyrms By the Lake You should reach the shore of Lake Silverstep in short order, where you’ll ]nd piles of dead and dying ]sh lying on the beach. Examine the poor creatures to surmise they may have been driven to the harsh shore by… fear? Something that can drive schools of ]sh to leap out of water probably isn’t something that’ll be bene]cial to a ]shing village in the long-term. Even in the short-term there are unwelcome consequences that a dullard like Aisel can’t appreciate. Follow the shoreline to the north to ]nd such a complication - a group of Tatzlwyrms, including three Greater Tatzlwyrms. These reptiles have apparently been lured by the easy meals here, and they represent arguably the greatest threat you’ve faced in this area thus far. Greater Tatzlwyrms can, at least, hit your tanks with some regularity, and will deal respectable damage when they do hit. Kill them, then search for the prize they were guarding - some Fish from the Silverstep Lake. Be sure to also search some bushes to the east to ]nd a Token of the Dryad hidden under some brush. With that, you’re done with the exterior portion of Lake Silverstep Village. Continue north along the shore, then turn east at some cliffs to ]nd a cave, which is your next destination. Consider healing and resting before you enter this cave, however; the foes within are much more dangerous than the ones you fought outside.

Lake Silverstep Cave From where you enter, make your way north to ]nd that the path ahead quickly splits. First loot the chamber you’re in to ]nd a variety of scrolls, potions and lesser treasures in the two smaller chests, while in the larger chest [Trickery 17] you’ll ]nd

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621 GP. Along the eastern edge of the chamber you’ll ]nd a pillar attached to the cavern wall, on the western edge of which you can ]nd a Pile of Notes if you search carefully. Read these notes if you want to learn about the lake’s supernatural menace, and about a monster that attacked the bandits in this cave. Score this loot, then venture northwest into a watery chamber that apparently opens up to the lake. Such a secluded cave must be a bandit’s dream, and sure enough, two boats are docked nearby. Loot a chest to ]nd some treasure, including a Taldan Warrior’s Dog Tag, then return southeast to the entry chamber. Some preparation is in order before you venture into the chamber to the north, as there are quite a few enemies in there. While they’re not overwhelmingly powerful, the difference between going in with the correct spell-buffs and without them is stark. Use longer-lasting buffs (Bless, Blur, Stoneskin, Shield of Faith) and shorter buffs (Haste, Prayer) as they’ll all come in handy. When you’re well-protected, head into the chamber to ]nd some bandits complaining about a beast. You may not be the beast they fear, but they’re still not pleased when they ]nd out they’re being intruded upon by a potential plunder-stealer instead. The barbarian bandit with the greatsword might seem like the greatest threat - and he’s certainly the one most likely to trouble your warriors in melee - but you should start the ]ght out by charging the Bandit Necromancer. This black mage will attempt to cast multiple Enervation spells at you, inîcting Negative Energy Levels on a character. This is bad enough on its own, but he’s quite capable of removing all a character’s levels with repeated castings, which will kill a character outright. He shouldn’t be too hard to cut down, after which focus on the greatsword-bearing bandit barbarian. Other than him, there are a few sneaky bandits that’ll try to make a big ]rst impression with some sneak attacks, but nothing you really must worry about. Once they’re dead, loot them for their meager possessions, then ignore the rest of this treasure in the room and focus on the large sarcophagus - you’ll want to attend to this task ]rst, before your buffs wear off. Be sure to send the rest of your party south to the narrow age connecting this chamber to the larger one to the south and only have your tank up front when you interact with the sarcophagus. When you examine the sarcophagus - a cyclopean sarcophagus, on closer examination - you’ll get a variety of options. a [Lore (Religion) 26] check to get some insight into a cyclopean version of a deathly ]gure depicted on the sarcophagus. You can also use a [Detect Magic] check to determine that, indeed, there be magic about this sarcophagus. As for getting inside the sarcophagus, you can waste a great deal of time forcing it open (about four hours will ) or you can a [Knowledge (Arcana) 26] check to open the sarcophagus more elegantly. Unfortunately, the sarcophagus is still inhabited, and the occupant isn’t happy about being disturbed.

Battle - Dread Zombie Cyclops Having opened the sarcophagus you’ll have earned yourself the ire of a Dread Zombie Cyclops, which has a fair amount of HP, a respectable Armor Class and a high enough Attack bonus to hit your tanks. While a character with an Armor Class of around thirty won’t be getting hit regularly, the Dread Zombie Cyclops’s high damage (around 30~ per hit) will ensure that when it does hit, you’ll feel it. On its own, this probably wouldn’t be much of a ]ght, but when the sarcophagus opens two things will happen: ]rst, everybody in the area will be exposed to an "Ancient Curse", which forces a [Will 18] check or else the aìcted characters will run around in fear. This is why you hid the majority of your party earlier, as two or three characters failing their save could result in a party wipe. As it stands, you’re only risking your tank, and even if they run around in fear, there’s a chance they’ll still draw enough enemy ]re to serve a somewhat less than useless role in battle. The second development you need to be wary of is that the opening of the sarcophagus will cause the dead bandits in the room to reanimate as zombies and attack. None of them are terribly powerful in a straight ]ght, but their primary purpose is probably to distract you from the true threat - the Dread Zombie Cyclops - and to take advantage of fearful characters. Whether your tank is affected or not, cast Haste (which almost certainly wore off since the last ]ght) and charge the Dread

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Zombie Cyclops with the rest of your party. Five hasted characters should be able to cut it down without too much fuss, after which cleaning up the rest of the zombies will be a relatively trivial task. Loot the massive zombie to grab a Greataxe +1, then turn your attention to the rest of the containers in the room. Now that you don’t need to preserve your buffs, unlock [Trickery 18] a chest to the east to score a variety of scrolls and gems, while a container to the west contains a healthy stock of potions. Finally, search a crate to the southwest to ]nd a Cypress Queen’s Quill, another item an antiquarian (the Storyteller) would be keen on see-- err… bring it back to him.

Note: If you want, you can return to Aisel in the village and tell him that the unnatural goings-on around Lake Silverstep was due to the cyclopean zombie. A dense as ever, he’ll merely ask if they can get another zombie to scare the ]sh ashore…

Tracking Ivar Now that you’ve thoroughly explored this area, it’s time to investigate Ivar further, provided you didn’t kill him earlier in a ]t of Chaotic Evil expression. Make your way to his house and a simple [Perception 0] check to notice some tracks along the southern edge of the house. Examine them, then follow the road north to ]nd a second [Perception 0] set of tracks near some bushes. With additional powers of observation [Perception 17] you may notice the supernatural dexterity of whatever you’re chasing. Assuming you’ve killed all the monsters on the way, this should be a relatively simple job of tracking down your quarry. Continue north to the southern end of the worg-wolf pond (veer off the road to do so) to ]nd [Perception 0] a third set of tracks. Venture northeast to reach the area transition in this corner of the map to ]nd a fourth and ]nal set of tracks [Perception 0] in this area. Examine them, then yet another [Perception 23] check to discover the destination of these tracks - Silverstep Grove.

Note: Should you have trouble following these tracks, you can talk to Aisel in the village and ask him "Let’s talk about this hunter - Ivar was it?" followed by "Do you know where he is now?". a [Diplomacy 19] check and he’ll point you in the right direction. Failing either of those two things, however, you can start the project "Find Ivar’s Location", which will take two weeks of time and 30 BP.

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Silverstep Grove Exit out to the world map to spot the Silverstep Grove area, provided you unlocked it by following the tracks in the Lake Silverstep Village area. From this aforementioned area, you need only head east, then north to reach Silverstep Grove.

Wolf and Worg Welcome You’ll arrive at the southern end of this relatively small area, and you’ll quickly run afoul of the local wildlife in the form of an Alpha Worg, two Alpha Wolves and two Dire Wolves. These mutts dwell along paths to the northeast and northwest, and if you provoke one group, the other will attempt to ânk you. While their power deserves your contempt, their ability to trip and maul characters is something you should be wary of, especially if they get to your weaker characters. You can solve this problem easily enough by stu_ng your party behind the rocks along the southeastern and southwestern corners of the map and provoking the wolves with your tank. However you manage it, kill them, then loot a branch amidst some bushes to the north to score a variety of potions, scrolls and baubles. Another, more obscure cache of treasure can be found along the southwestern end of the area map. If you ]nd it you’ll score some gold, gems, potions and scrolls.

Battle: Ivar Follow the trails as they meander uphill to ]nd Ivar, who is standing in front of some graves, accompanied by three Alpha Worgs. When you approach, he’ll warn you off, and if you persist he’ll eventually attack, aided by his canine companions. While Ivar is a able warrior in his own right, his Alpha Worgs are the real danger here, as their Attack bonus is high enough to regularly hit your tanks, and their Combat Maneuver checks are nothing short of absurd. Tripped opponents will suffer further damage due to Attacks of Opportunity - you know how this goes. Fortunately, you can set up the ]ght however you wish by approaching with only your tank(s) until Ivar and his worgs turn hostile. Prepare ahead of time with the usual buffs (including Blur, Haste and Stoneskin) then start out the ]ght with Prayer and Slow to seal the deal. The Alpha Worgs don’t have a great deal of staying power, but you also don’t need to kill them the ]ght ends when Ivar is defeated. If you want to squeeze out around an extra 1,000 XP, though, kill the Alpha Worgs ]rst. After besting Ivar, he’ll regain his humanoid form and engage in desperate, defeated diplomacy. You can ]nish him off outright with a [Lawful Neutral] moral choice, or you can sate your curiosity by picking the dialogue option "Tell me the truth about what happened to you.". In the latter case, you’ll learn his sad story, which is much the same as what you found on his note earlier with the addition of how he became aìcted with lycanthropy. Once that story is done, you can question him about his dubious claim to have "served" his fellows at the Lake Silverstep Village to learn about a bandit gang in a nearby cave, which you should have already dealt with. Finish up by asking him what his future plans are, should he leave with his life (you can also make a futile offer of employment) before ultimately deciding whether to kill or spare him. If you ]nish Ivar off, you’ll have to continue ]ghting against his Alpha Worgs, should they remain alive. The experience they give might be a slight incentive should you have refrained from killing them earlier, but sparing Ivar is also worth a hefty bit of experience, plus you get his gear (a Longsword +1, a suit of Chainmail +2 and a Belt of Physical Form +2) either way! From a purely lucrative standpoint, it’s most bene]cial to kill his Alpha Worgs during the ]ght, save him for last, defeat him, then spare him.

Reward: For sparing Ivar 600 XP

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Note: You can return to Brevis after dealing with Ivar to tell him about Ivar, but nothing comes of it.

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Varnhold With that, you should be done in the Lake Silverstep area for now. There’s plenty more to do in the mountains to the north, and you can still journey northeast to reach Varnhold - ostensibly the purpose of this expedition. In reality, however, the journey was more important than the destination. To ]nish up and travel to Varnhold for the uneventful meeting with Maegar Varn, you need merely follow these directions (from Lake Silverstep Village):

• • • •

East (to empty node south of Silverstep Grove) East East (across the river) Northeast

After you cross the river to the east of Lake Silverstep Village, you may want to save your game and check your kingdom events, as the trip to and back from Varnhold will take about three days. With that out of the way, make your way northeast after you cross the river for an Illustrated Book Episode. Seems Dunsward - the province which Varnhold is the capital city of - has a bit of a bandit problem. Maegar Varn isn’t taking this lying down, however, and has his soldiers patrolling the roads to keep the vital trade-lanes safe. Having a neighboring baron suffer an attack on their lands would be a bit of an international incident, so Maegar’s guards will offer to escort you to Varnhold. That’s right, you really can’t explore much of Dunsward right now, but you’re spared the tedium of walking to Varnhold, at least.

First Visit to Varnhold Accept the escort and you’ll appear in the humble city of Varnhold. Your barony might not be the most spectacular of states, but… at least you’re doing better than Maegar Varn. Venture north and you’ll ]nd a tavern, outside of which stands Cephal Lorentus. He has little to say right now, but you can search the southwestern end of the building to ]nd An Ancient Rostlandic Coin. Been a while since you nabbed one of these, eh? Make your way around the tavern to ]nd Maegar Varn arguing with a merchant to the north. Seems like he’s not on great with Restov, and given the exploitative interactions you’ve had with them yourself, it’s hard to blame him. Before you talk to Maegar Varn, you might as well explore the rest of the town, ]rst. Start out by searching a crate along the side of the house near Maegar Varn to ]nd a Ancient Scrap of Script-Covered Leather. The next bit of loot can be found east of Maegar Varn, where you’ll ]nd a crate containing 96 GP, a Masterwork Javelin nine Turquoise gems and a variety of foodstuffs. Continue east until you hit the shore of a body of water, then follow the coast southeast and east to reach the eastern edge of the map. From here, head south around a building, then turn west around the front of the building to ]nd another crate, inside of which you’ll ]nd a Masterwork Handaxe, a Masterwork Scythe, a Potion of Bear’s Endurance and a variety of food-stuffs. Finally, turn south to reach the southern edge of the map, then head west through a cemetery, adjacent to which is a very humble shrine to Erastil. Along the western edge of this shrine is a fence, which you can loot to score a Taldan Warrior’s Dog Tag. With all that done, return to Maegar Varn and talk to him. You can learn about his political views regarding Restov and your own barony, vague glimpses of his future plans and about "his wizard", Cephal Lorentus. That’s pretty much all there is to discuss with Maegar Varn. No quests, not even a single moral choice. Was the trip here worth the effort? Again, it’s the journey that counts, and the random artifacts you gained in Varnhold didn’t hurt. To make this trip less frivolous, talk to the merchant who is causing Maegar Varn distress and peruse his wares. He’s got a variety of scrolls you might ]nd interesting, including a Scroll of Summon Monster I, a Scroll of Snowball and a Scroll

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of Controlled Fireball, among others. Buy any spells that interest you, especially with the intent of writing them to your spellbook. That done, it’s time to leave Varnhold. When you exit the area, you’ll ]nd yourself back by the river east of Lake Silverstep Village and roughly three days will have elapsed. Now is a ]ne time to return to Tuskdale, rest up, sell items and attend to any business of state that may have arisen in your absence. Of course, if you haven’t completed any areas listed previously in the guide, now is a good time to do so - any other areas are a bit far a]eld to bother with now, and will be saved for later when other quests give you an excuse to explore them.

Tip (5th-Level Spells): If your character didn’t ascend to ninth level during the Varnhold expedition, there’s a good chance they will during the early quests in the "Monster Invasion" section of the guide. That being the case, it’s a ]ne time to discuss 5th-level arcane spells. Stoneskin, Communal obviously. The original Stoneskin is a good enough buff, and a version of it that buffs the entire party is just stupidly good. Sure, you usually only need your tanks to have it, and they’ll also lose it more often, so you can still bene]t from having a few lower-level Stoneskin spells, but considering how long this buff lasts, it’s never a bad idea to cast it when you arrive in a new area. Blade Barrier and Cloudkill are both interesting spells that can combo with Web (or Obsidian Flow, for that matter). In the former case, you can cast it at a choke point you plan to lure enemies through, then case Web to provoke them. While not a devastating cast, Web will slow the enemies down and serve to instigate hostilities, and Blade Barrier will ensure that whatever does reach you, does so with fewer HP. Obsidian Flow is even better, as it has the slowing effects of Web with additional damage on top. Cloudkill can be used to roll over enemies, and if they can’t move through it (in this case, by being stuck in a Web spell or similar effect) they’ll take more Constitution damage from Cloudkill. Even on its own Cloudkill is interesting, as its duration and mobility allows you to, say, cast it at some enemies off-screen or down a hallway, and wait for it to reach them. Hold Monster might seem like a useful spell, as it has the same effect as Hold Person, minus the "person" restriction. If that interests you at all, however, consider Constricting Coils, instead, which also deals damage to the aìcted creature for as long as the spell remains in effect. Sure, 1d6+6 damage isn’t exactly impressive, but why not have it if you can? Clerics gain access to it as well, but there are many useful 5th-level Cleric spells that make it worthy of consideration for your arcane spell casters. Break Enchantment is a good debuff-remover, superior to Dispel Magic in that it can affect more than one spell on a creature, and it can affect your entire party. Best of all, it does so without disrupting debuffs on enemies, although it can cancel out your own buffs. It should be considered a spell of secondary interest, however, as Clerics can gain access to it, too.

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Chapter 2 - Monster Invasion

Baronial Business after the Varnhold Expedition Assuming you’re following the walkthrough chronologically, you should have just returned from Varnhold, hopefully previously dealing with Jaethal’s quest "Investigate My Death", Amiri’s desire to kill the Hodag, and the quest "Lost Son". Even with all that done, there’s a good chance you’ve got a whole month before the next major event (one that leads to a quest) begins! Use this free time to do whatever you may not have had the opportunity to do before, or failing that, to complete event cards and improve your kingdom stats and ranks. Speaking of which, there’s a good chance your kingdom stats will be getting high enough for your stats to go from Rank II to Rank III, provided you’ve met with your leaders (via the event cards "[Leader] Requests Your Attention", or similar) and given them direction. Your kingdom stats will start hitting Rank III when the relevant kingdom score is around 40, and one of the bene]ts of this is better checks from the leader that stat represents. Something to aspire towards, considering that as you advance in the game, the random event cards will start having higher checks. In any event, the interactions with your leaders you’ll have when you hit Rank III in their related kingdom stat will be listed below, for you to make use of as necessary.

Linzi Has Something to Say

Note: This event card appeared roughly sixty-six days after dealing with the troll menace.

Important Essay Published

Note: This event card appeared roughly thirty two days after the letter from Maegar Varn, or eighty-eight days after the end of Troll Trouble.

You’ll get this event card assuming you took Jubilost with you to the Dwarven Ruins at some point (hence completing the quest Renowned Explorer). It may have taken a while, but he ]nally got his magazine, the "Independence" published, and his writing varies depending how you responded to him after completing his quest. All of this is fairly inconsequential, but it does allow you to pick a new dialogue option with him after reading it.

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Counselor Awaits in the Throne Room (Rank III)

Note: This event - and other leader-related events - will appear after your related kingdom stat (in this case Loyalty) hits forty, provided you’ve completed the Rank III event card and the subsequent project.

Your Counselor will arrive to tell you a bit of news. It seems one of your supposedly honest traders has a bit of a checkered past, as prior to doing business with you, he was just as willing to trade for the Stag Lord’s ill-gotten gains. This is an opportunity to show off your sense of justice and prove that things are different under your rule - or to send a different sort of message. Pick the option "Arrest that shifty merchant immediately! He’ll answer for selling stolen goods, even if it happened before my time." and you’ll gain Loyalty +2, Economy -3 and 15 BP. This will also please Tristian and displease Shandra Mervey. If you respond with "I’d prefer to forget about this minor matter." you’ll displease both Tristian and Tsanna, for different reasons. If Shandra is your Counselor, she’ll suggest you offer a general pardon, which will please her and give you Loyalty -2 and Economy +4. Finally, if you have Tsanna she’ll suggest a more… primitive form of frontier justice. If you let the Counselor decide, Tsanna and Shandra will both pick the options they advocated, while Tristian will detain the merchant. In addition to the aforementioned effects, you’ll inspire loyalty among the peasants if you detain the merchant, and you’ll inspire loyalty among the merchants if you ignore his transgression or offer a pardon.

General Demands Your Presence (Rank III)

Note: This event - and other leader-related events - will appear after your related kingdom stat (in this case Military) hits forty, provided you’ve completed the Rank II event card and the subsequent project.

This rather simple rank upgrade event has to do with the matter of hiring more personnel to meet the demands of your growing military. Too many soldiers and not enough o_cers won’t make for much of an army, and you haven’t exactly had time to create many locally-grown professional soldiers. That being the case, you’ll need to import talent, and will be presented with two options by your general: hiring Aldori Swordlords, and hiring wizards. If you opt for Swordlords, you’ll please Amiri and Kassil Aldori (no bias there), while displeasing Regongar. If you hire wizards, the opposite will occur - Regongar will be pleased, while Amiri and Kassil will be displeased. If you let them choose, they’ll pick whichever pleases them. In addition, picking Aldori Swordlords will give you Relations +2, while picking wizards will give you Arcane +2.

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Regent Demands Your Presence (Rank III)

Note: This event - and other leader-related events - will appear after your related kingdom stat (in this case Community) hits forty, provided you’ve completed the Rank II event card and the subsequent project.

It seems that your enlightened rule has ]nally convinced your citizens to trust you with important matters. In this case, the ownership of a cow. With varying degrees of amusement and exasperation, your Regent will tell you of the dispute and leave the decision up to you. If you pick the option "Return the cow to the shepherd." or "Give the cow to the neighbor." you’ll please Octavia and displease Lander. Valerie, despite her complaint about the latter option, is neutral either way. If you pick the option "I will not deal with such triês! Send this petitioner away, and don’t waste any more of my time." and decide the matter is beneath you, you’ll displease Octavia and please Lander. Finally, if you have Lander as regent he’ll suggest con]scating the cow, which will please him, give you a Loyalty -2 penalty, and +5 BP. If you leave it up to the Regent to decide, Lander will pick his own unique option, Octavia will give the cow to the farmer, and Valerie will give it to the shepherd… with some grumbling.

Treasurer Requests Your Attention (Rank III)

Note: This event - and other leader-related events - will appear after your related kingdom stat (in this case Economy) hits forty, provided you’ve completed the Rank II event card and the subsequent project.

The Rank III meeting is a little more complicated than the Rank II one was, and in this case your Treasurer wishes to discuss the matter of taxes - speci]cally raising them. In reality, as in fantasy, nobody likes paying taxes, but they’re a necessary evil for a functioning state, and your Treasurer will have their own opinion on what, exactly, you should do. In this case, however, pleasing your Treasurer might be a secondary consideration to the effects your tax policy may have. First, you can opt for a low tax rate by picking the dialogue option "We will raise the taxes slightly. We must keep the needs of the common people ]rst in our minds and hearts.", which will hinder your BP accumulation by -1 BP per week. If you go for moderate taxes ""We will raise the taxes by one third. I think this will be a fair solution.", you’ll suffer a -1 Community and -2 Loyalty penalty, but gain +3 Economy. More importantly, your precious BP will not suffer. High taxes "Let us double the taxes. The barony needs all the money it can get." will cause signi]cant unrest in your barony, which could present a threat to your rule should something go amiss in the future. On the plus side, this will earn you +1 BP every two weeks. Low taxes and high taxes will also inûence the nature of your economy in ways that may not be immediately apparent… On top of these options, Maegar Varn will also suggest a work initiative program, a fancy way of leveraging the labor of your citizens while leaving their money in their pockets. Sneaky. Unfortunately, however, it has an odd mix of consequences, including a huge negative impact on unrest, a -1 BP penalty per week, but it does also carry the same "focus on the everyman" effect that a low tax rate has, and your focus on public works may pay dividends down the line.

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On top of these considerations, the work initiative project proposed by Maegar will please him. The low tax option will please Jubilost and displease Bartholomew. The moderate tax option will neither please nor displease nobody. The high tax plan will displease both Maegar Varn and Jubilost, but please Bartholomew. If you let the treasurer decide, Maegar will opt for his work initiative project, Jubilost will implement the low tax option, and Bartholomew will the high tax option.

Dragn Woradash’s Demands

Note: This event seems to occur when your Community score reaches forty - enough for Rank III.

When this event pops up, you’ll need to return to your throne room to resolve it. Do so and you’ll meet a dwarven petitioner named Dragn Woradash, who has a rather odious demand to make of you. As you possibly discovered while exploring the Dwarven Ruins, this area used to be under the protection of dwarven settlers, and although they’ve long since abandoned their claim, Dragn still has the temerity to request compensation for the bene]ts your people have secured from his ancestor’s labor; despite the deplorable shape of this infrastructure and the fact that a land crawling with monsters and bandits can hardly be called "lawful". Despite how you might (rightfully) bristle at this claim, you should consider acquiescing ([Lawful Neutral]). After all, he doesn’t want money out of your pocket, rather he seeks a shop that’ll allow him to ply his trade, and having a skilled artisan in your lands can only improve the economy, and perhaps provide some useful services for the adventuring sort of baron. If you ]nd his demands too odious, you can always just dismiss him out of hand, or bury him in bureaucracy to the same effect ([Lawful Evil]). If you wish to make a more heavy-handed statement, you can also introduce him to the gallows ([Chaotic Evil]).

Doomsayer Scares Townsfolk

Note: This event card appeared roughly sixty-eight days after receiving the letter from Maegar Varn.

This is another event that requires your presence in your throne room, and when you arrive you’ll be introduced to an old acquaintance by a ûstered Jhod. Seems a man has been spreading "false" prophecies and riling up the peasants, and this man is none other than Remus, who you met shortly after leaving Oleg’s Trading Post for the ]rst time. Given your ]rst interaction, it’s not all that surprising that Remus would be spewing such nonsense, and he’ll even indulge you in some of his dire warnings about a "Goddess" when provoked by Jhod. His guilt is beyond doubt - all that’s really left is for you to talk to him and come to a decision. First, you can remind Remus of your past encounter, which may be revealing if you were violent back then. Otherwise, it’ll just transition into allowing you to come to a decision. You can let him go free [Chaotic Good], drive him off your lands [Lawful Neutral], punish and imprison him [Lawful Neutral] or execute him [Lawful Evil]. The best option, arguably, is to ask him "Let’s talk about your prophecy, Remus.", after which you’ll get a variety of questions you can ask to learn more. Ask him "Tell me about this Goddess, I would know more about her.", then a [Diplomacy

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25] check ([Neutral Good]) to ûster Remus and earn some experience. This will stop Remus from his undesirable behavior without dirtying your hands while also getting you some information about his so-called prophecies.

Reward: For talking sense to Remus 320 XP

Note: While it may seem trivial now, talking sense into Remus may help you later on.

The Curse of Candlemere

Note: This event card appeared roughly ninety-four days after receiving the letter from Maegar Varn.

The next major quest appears as a generic "Visitor Waits in the Castle" event card. When you satisfy the requirement of appearing in your throne room in person, you’ll be treated to the whining of one Willas Gunderson, who claims to have been robbed by some knaves he sent to Candlemere island. Exhaust his dialogue options to learn more about his complaint, and especially be sure to say "Which ghostly lights are you talking about?", which, with a [Knowledge (Arcana) 20] check, you’ll be able to identify as Will-o-Wisps. This should help you prepare for the challenges you’ll face on Candlemere island. Once his dialogue options are exhausted, agree to help him out to start the quest The Curse of Candlemere. This will be the next major event covered in the guide. Don’t get too excited, however, as it’s just a side quest, and not too far from Tuskdale, so aside from Candlemere itself, you won’t be exploring that many new areas. This quest will be covered below in the section The Curse of Candlemere.

An Amusement for the Nobles

Note: This event card appeared roughly one hundred and twenty days after receiving the letter from Maegar Varn.

The next quest-starting event takes place roughly three weeks after The Curse of Candlemere begins, taking the form of the event card "Invitation for the Baron(ess)". Return to the throne room to start it, upon which your envoy will tell you that magical beasts have been terrorizing the countryside. On the plus side, a group of hunters named The Embeth Travelers have heard about the menace, and are keen to come trophy hunting for very reasonable . Exhaust the dialogue options available to learn more about these hunters and the situation, then invite them into your lands. There’s no reason

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not to do this, as it’ll start the quest An Amusement for the Nobles. Once you get this quest, you’ll want to make it a priority, as it is connected with the next, kingdom-threatening series of main-quests. The sooner you get started on it, the better off your realm will be. If you for some reason declined the offer of the Embeth Travelers, the next major event card will be "Monster Invasion", which is directly connected to "An Amusement for the Nobles". While not strictly required, "An Amusement for the Nobles" does provide some details for "Monster Invasion", serving, perhaps, as a prelude quest. On a more practical note, it’s also an opportunity to gain more loot and a great deal of experience and will likely only take up several days of your time. The "Monster Invasion" event card will be covered in the section "A Plague of Monsters".

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The Curse of Candlemere Travel: Candlemere Island Before you set out on this journey, you’re going to want to make sure you’re prepared for the monsters that await you on Candlemere island. Should you have learned the nature of the "lights" on the island - will-o-wisps - you’ll know that protection from the elements is a key defensive buff you’ll need. Be sure to prepare multiple copies of both Resist Energy, Communal, and Protection from Energy, Communal. The former will reduce the damage you take from a chosen source by ten, while the latter will absorb ten points per caster level of damage. Together, they’ll provide long-lasting protection against the elements that should signi]cantly help you get through Candlemere. Once those preparations are made, leave your capital and follow these directions to reach Candlemere island:

• • • • •

West Southwest to landmark: A Ford Across the Skunk River South (across Skunk River) East (path will veer south, then west, running along lake Tuskwater and lake Candlemere) Southeast (across lake Candlemere)

Fight Through the Wisps of War Candlemere Island is gloomy, desolate and foggy - everything you’d expect of a haunted, isolated island with spirits so brazen they put on light shows for mainlanders. The time to teach whatever haunts this island some humility has long since ed. First make your way east along the coast and a [Perception 28] check to ]nd a box you can loot for 231 GP, a Masterwork Dwarven Waraxe and a Potion of Bull’s Strength. You can also loot the boat you came in on and a nearby barrel for some food-stuffs and a Note Wrapped in an Oiled Leather. Grabbing this note will update the quest The Curse of Candlemere, or start it, if you aren’t following the walkthrough chronologically and happened to come here of your own volition. Read the note and refuse to heed Morry Focrey’s advice - this island was meant to be explored, and you’re no novice adventurer anymore. Make your way north and note that the path turns east over some vines, which are convenient landmarks. At this point, be sure to buff with Resist Energy, Communal and Protection from Energy, Communal (choose electrical damage with both spells). They both have a fairly long duration, so you shouldn’t need to recast them, just be prepared to re-apply Protection from Energy, Communal, should enemies manage to do enough damage to break through it. Once you’re protected, venture east, then southeast to ]nd another cluster of vines swarming the road. As you approach these vines a War Wisp will appear and ambush you with its Lightning Form attack. With the aforementioned buffs in place, these attacks should bounce harmlessly off, and without its damage-dealing capabilities to worry you, this wisp should be easy to dispose of. Continue east past a third set of road-clogging vines, then follow the road as it turns northwest. As you round the corner, three more War Wisps will appear, one in front of you, and two behind. Here is where you’ll learn the value of preparing ahead of time, as if you don’t have those spell protections, you’re in for some pain. Split your party up to engage each of them in melee, as this will coerce the wisps to use a less damaging attack instead of their Lightning Forms. You’ll still have to suffer through the initial barrage - which your spells should absorb - and if you engaged them all in melee you should emerge victorious without them zapping through your spell buffs. Defeat this trio of War Wisps, then explore off the road to the east. If you a very di_cult [Perception 30] check, you

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should notice an abandoned tent, inside of which is a Wand of Crushing Despair. Grab it, then return to the road and follow it to the northwest until you ]nd a camp]re off the road to the north. Just past this camp]re you’ll ]nd yet another War Wisp, so walk the extra distance and banish the wisp, then search the camp]re to ]nd a Torn Damp Page, which continues Morry Focrey’s of his time on Candlemere Island. It seems that Gunderson’s plan was fundamentally âwed - even if the adventurers he hired were trustworthy, they all seem to have had different ideas as to what counted as "treasure".

Ascend to the Tower There are two ways to proceed from here, you can either follow the road to the northwest, or you can attempt a shortcut. Search northwest of the camp]re to ]nd a di_cult path through the dense thicket, which you can through with a successful [Lore (Nature) 25] check (if you try to leave, you’ll need to an [Athletics 25] check to return through the brush). This will take you north to the tower - your destination - but when you arrive you’ll immediately ]nd yourself in conîct with four War Wisps. You can deal with these four wisps the same way you defeated the three you encountered earlier, just try to engage as many possible in melee to deter their Lightning Form attack, and hope your electrical resistance buffs last the duration of the ]ght. Once they’re defeated, you’ll be able to search around the tower, but ]rst, we might as well cover the longer route up. Not only for those who ]nd these skill checks a bit hard to , but for those who just want to complete the entire area, kill as many monsters as possible, and grab whatever loot there is to be found. Continue following the road north and west from the camp]re until you hit the western edge of the area, at which turn north to ]nd an Ancient Will-o-Wisp blocking your way. It’ll be ed by two War Wisps when combat starts, so be wary. Despite the venerable status of this will-o-wisp, the same protections and strategies that worked against the War Wisps you’ve fought should hold for it. You know the drill: weather the initial lightning attacks with the aid of your buffs, engage in melee, and cut the wisps down. After the ]ght, loot the remains of the Ancient Will-o-Wisp for a Token of the Dryad, then continue north to ]nd a corpse you can search for a Masterwork Heavy Flail, 129 GP and a variety of Jade and Agate gems. From here, the road will veer south and you’ll ]nd yourself in another encounter similar to the last one, this time facing off against three War Wisps and an Ancient Will-o-Wisp. Same strategy applies: engage in melee and hope they don’t break through your spell buffs. As usual, Haste will help if you need some offensive power but honestly, if you survive long enough to engage them, you should be in a good position to win. Heal up afterwards, then loot a corpse to ]nd a Dirty Travel Log the last, sad words of one of the adventurers who challenged Candlemere Island. Continue south from here and you’ll ]nd another Ancient Will-o-Wisp. This one is well and truly alone, so don’t be afraid to engage it. Once it’s vanquished, loot the chest it guarded [Trickery 30] to ]nd the Noble Warhammer, which is a Warhammer +3 with a fancy name. Backtrack to the north where you found the Dirty Travel Log and search the cliff near the corpse to ]nd a spot you can climb. This will get you up to the tower, albeit to the north of where you’d be if you made it through the secret route.

Explore Around the Tower However you got up to the tower, kill the four War Wisps, then head north along the edge of the cliffs to ]nd a pair of Ancient Will-o-Wisps. Not only are they well worth killing for the tremendous experience they reward you with, but behind them you’ll ]nd a chest with some gems and scrolls to loot, and a sack containing some Sweet Syrup. Now make your way south past where you encountered the four War Wisps and follow the cliffs south and east until you reach the eastern end of the area. Here you’ll ]nd a chest behind some Edible Moss, but be wary, as an Ancient Will-oWisp and two War Wisps dwell in the ruins to the north. Exorcise the wisps, then plunder the chest to obtain 158 GP, a Masterwork Heavy Repeating Crossbow, and a Masterwork Rapier. You can, ah, also grab the nearby moss, should you have the munchies.

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Next make your way north along the eastern edge of the map to reach the tower itself. a [Perception 19] check to notice a slab of stone you can loot for a Token of the Dryad, then search a nearby corpse to identify Gunderson’s paladin, who apparently fell to treachery. On that dour note, venture west along the perimeter of the tower to ]nd an entrance, but before entering the structure, search the wall to the west to ]nd some runes. a [Knowledge (Arcana) 25] check to decipher it, although its meaning is still pretty cryptic.

The Creature Beyond the Portal Enter the tower and you’ll ]nd Rismel standing in front of a glowing portal. Talk to the cleric, and if you have no patience to deal with this mystery, you can just attack him. He’s not a dangerous combatant on his own, nor will the "Mysterious Will-o-Wisp" that s him provide much help. On the plus side, you can loot the wisp to ]nd the Cypress Queen’s Flute, while Rismel himself will leave behind a Quarterstaff +1 a Breastplate, and a Cloak of Resistance +1. This isn’t a great way to go about completing the quest, though, so engage in dialogue with the priest by asking who he is, to quickly determine that, well, he’s kind of bonkers. Exhaust his dialogue options before ]nally picking the option "Rismel… no matter if this island is cursed or not, you’re not in your right mind. You don’t know what you’re doing.". This leads to an automatic [Lore (Religion) 20] check, which you must to advance the conversation in any meaningful way. Assuming you the [Lore (Religion)] check, follow up by telling him about the corpses of his companions, which you should have found on your way up. You can also mock his claims to be the chosen of Nethys - any two of these dialogue options will su_ce. After picking any two of these dialogue options, he’ll come to his senses and lament his unsavory deeds. Whatever Rismel’s failings are, they can be dealt with later, and he’ll turn his attention to whatever creature lurks beyond that portal… and presumably compelled him to commit his crimes.

Reward: For talking sense to Rismel 180 XP He’s willing to confront the beast beyond the portal, with your help. Should you turn on him (pick the dialogue options "I’m not sure if I’ll help you or not, but I’m not done talking with you". then "You’re a threat to yourself - and others. I’d best kill you.", followed by one of three moral choices) he’ll defend himself, and the beast beyond the portal (the Mysterious Will-oWisp) will appear and attack as well. Assuming there are no shenanigans on your part, you can either choose to prepare before dealing with the creature beyond the portal, or you can ]ght it immediately. The Mysterious Will-o-Wisp isn’t a terribly dangerous foe, although it’ll regularly cast some high-level Magic Missile spells at you, as well as deal electrical damage with its touch (melee) attacks. Neither of these attacks should trouble you too much. It has a respectable amount of HP and a high Armor Class, but if you ânk it with your warriors, you should have no trouble cutting it down. Vanquish this foe, then loot it to ]nd the Cypress Queen’s Flute, after which you can talk to a more lucid Rismel. He’s somewhat more terse than before, and won’t offer up much information save his resolution to remain here, and his claim that, despite Gunderson’s ambitions, there’s no treasure to be found here. If you haven’t killed him yet, you’ve got another opportunity, although the only reason to do so at this point is for his meager loot. Whatever Rismel’s fate, leave the area and return to Tuskdale, where you’ll ]nd Willas Gunderson in the throne room. Talk to him and tell him what you learned about Candlemere Island and he’ll seem more worried about a potential curse than by the… dozens of other things he could be more concerned about. Most responses play out more or less the same way, as far as rewards go: the [Neutral Good], [Neutral] and [Neutral Evil] responses will earn you 2,400 experience and 1,500 GP.

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Reward: For telling Gunderson about the Candlemere expedition 2,400 XP, 1,500 GP

If your protagonist is [Chaotic], you can pick the dialogue option to indulge in a well, a chaotic rant before ultimately asking for a reward. After being dazzled by your rant, Gunderson will reveal himself to be a kindred spirit, and give you the normal reward along with a Ring of Protection +1. Hey, sometimes crazy works.

Reward: For subjecting Gunderson to a chaotic rant 2,400 XP, 1,500 GP, Ring of Protection +1

Lastly, you can blame Gunderson for the fate of his mercenaries and for the trouble you had to suffer on his behalf. Succeed at a [Bluff 28] check and the ûstered man will throw extra gold at you - to the tune of 3,000 GP to try and appease you.

Reward: For scaring a better reward out of Gunderson 2,400 XP, 3,000 GP

Whatever you say, Willas Gunderson laments this failed operation. Having learned no lessons, however, he resolves merely to try his luck somewhere else. Hopefully the fools he hires have a better end than those at Candlemere Island.

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An Amusement for the Nobles Hunting Lodge This quest requires you to take a trek to the newly-founded Hunting Lodge area just to the east of Tuskdale. All you need to do is leave your capital and head east twice, then north once. When you arrive, a man named Jamel Visser will give a little speech: you won’t be hunting mere vermin, but rather owlbears, hydras and wyverns, and to make this already high-stakes hunt more interesting, they’ll be engaging in a bit of friendly competition. Of all the monsters prowling about, there are three "dire monsters" of special interest. The team who bags the most of these beasts will earn themselves a "valuable prize". When he’s done talking, inspect your rivals, then commence the hunt, which will reveal the "Hunting Grounds" area. Talk to Jamel Vissel again and ask what questions you will, then search behind the counter to ]nd a chest [Perception 20], which you can unlock [Trickery 22] and plunder for 221 GP and two Potions of Bear’s Endurance. Of more interest is the Servant standing near the ]replace, who seems to have caught a bit of a cold. This leads to a moral choice, with which you can express a kind, but useless [Neutral Good] wish for him to get some rest, you can rudely demand he leave to safeguard your own well-being [Neutral Evil], or you can ask him to try and sabotage your rivals by spreading the illness [Chaotic Neutral]. When you’re done causing whatever mischief you’re up to, leave the Hunting Lodge, then head north to reach the Hunting Grounds area, which should have appeared on your map.

Enter the Hunting Grounds You’ll arrive on the southwestern edge of this area, and if you head north along the western edge of the map, the tone for this area will be set very quickly. Here you’ll ]nd a pack of worgs waiting in ambush, including one Alpha Worg and three Great Worgs. All are threats, what with their high Attack bonus and ability to trip, and they can probably even hit your tank(s) regularly enough to be worrisome. You can bring back the tried and true Web spell and cast it at the bushes the Worgs hide in while you keep your party to the south, in a narrow space between some rocks and the edge of the area. Polish off these wolves, then make your way to the northeast where you’ll ]nd some Owlbear ]gurines along some rocks. A curious ]nd in an area recently overrun by such monsters, and to drive the point home, you may well be accosted by an Owlbear which lurks to the southeast. Owlbears aren’t quite the threat they used to be, but these ones can still pack quite a punch, being even stronger than the Greater Worgs. For that reason, consider applying long-lasting spell-buffs (Bless, Bull’s Strength, Shield of Faith, Blur, Stoneskin) to boost your combat effectiveness. You’re in a timed competition, after all, and the less you need to heal the better off you’ll be. You’ll get a chance to further test yourself against the critters dwelling here soon enough. Venture north to ]nd several Owlbears, which are trouble enough on their own, but in a group they have the potential to deal serious damage. Use Web to (hopefully) slow them down and deal with them one or two at a time. Heal up if you must, then continue north. Be wary, however, as another pack of worgs - three Greater Worgs - lie in ambush in the scrub to the west. Dispose of them, then search the trees to ]nd some elevated claw marks, which suggest the age of a massive Owlbear.

Exterminate the Enraged Greater Owlbear Sure enough, if you continue north you’ll ]nd this beast. A Greater Enraged Owlbear dwells up in the northwestern corner of the area, and it’s not alone. It seems the Mivonian hunters found it ]rst, but they’re no match for such a foe. Be sure to

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hit it with Slow (bu_ng yourself with Haste also won’t hurt, but may not be strictly necessary anymore) before engaging. Kill the beast, then loot it to obtain the Owlbear’s Head - your rightful prize. Afterwards, talk to the Aldori sisters to hear them bicker at each other over the ]asco. If you insult their ]ghting skills, this will allow you to make a [Chaotic Neutral] moral choice to defuse the situation, or a [Chaotic Evil] choice to provoke a ]ght. Both will drop Dueling Swords +1, two Potions of Cure Light Wounds each, a suit of Studded Leather Armor +1 and a Cloak of Resistance +1. Before you continue on, search the cliffs to the west to ]nd [Perception 24] a chest [Trickery 22], inside of which you’ll ]nd 86 GP, a Potion of Invisibility and three Jasper gems. Not much of a reward for all this effort, but better than nothing.

In Praise of Lamashtu Venture east from where the Greater Enraged Owlbear was worrying the sisters from Mivon, turning southeast as the terrain demands. Along the way, stop to ]nd some arms and armor amidst a pile of bones, the signi]cance of which may not be immediately clear. The ubiquitousness of dangerous wildlife in this area has been well established already, after all. To further reinforce this point, continue southeast to ]nd a trio of Dire Bears, which are roughly as dangerous as the Great Worgs are, save they can’t perform a trip attack. Eradicate the ursine menace, then continue southeast to ]nd an interesting interaction taking place. A group of goblins are celebrating a Ferocious Wyvern, praising its more dangerous traits in the name of one "Lamashtu". Whatever makes goblins happy can’t be a good thing- not that a wyvern on your lands is good thing, goblins or not. Once the goblins êe, rush on in and cut down the Ferocious Wyvern, which is probably the least dangerous foe you’ve encountered in this area, all things considered. Continue south along the cliffs to ]nd a tree which shows the sign of a large beast abusing the poor plant. Unfortunately, any number of monsters in this area could for the damage. From here head east, killing two more Ferocious Wyverns as you go. When you ]nd a path leading uphill to the north, ascend the slope, and when that path splits, veer off to the northwest. Be sure to lead with a tank, as another pack of worgs (an Alpha Worg and three Greater Worgs) await you. Kill them, then continue northwest until you reach a dead-end, where you can ]nd [Perception 7] a stone you can loot for a Taldan SnaNe. You guessed it, another relic for the antiquarian. Backtrack to the southeast, then head up the previously neglected (and worg-free!) northern path. Your ascent will be complicated by a trap [Perception 22] [Trickery 22], beyond which you’ll ]nd some enormous paw prints. Hopefully another dire beast can be found nearby!

The Embeth Travelers Continue north until you hit the northern end of the area, then turn east to ]nd another band of rival hunters. This group the Embeth Travelers - are more competent than the ladies from Mivon, as evidenced by their strategies for taking down their prey. You can attempt to them in their ]ght, if you wish, but you’ll need to disarm another trap [Perception 22] [Trickery 22] to get there safely, after which the ]ght will probably be well in hand. Unlike the Mivonian sisters, the Embeth Travelers will certainly succeed in vanquishing their prey, an Ancient Wyvern. Even if you reach the beast before they kill it, land the killing blow yourself, or even deal a majority of the damage, the leader of this group will claim the Wyvern’s Head for himself. If you tripped the trap on your approach, the leader of this group will chastise you, otherwise he’ll boast about their accomplishment. Either way, the conversation thereafter will be mostly the same: in the latter case you can make a [Chaotic Neutral] choice to try and demand the prize from them (and will be promptly refused), leaving only congratulation or conquest [Chaotic Evil] your only options. Should you choose to take the trophy by force you’ll ]nd that the Embeth Travelers aren’t terribly strong, as their leader

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isn’t any stronger than the staple monsters you’ve been ]ghting in this area. If you defeat them, loot their leader for a Masterwork Longsword, a Scroll of Haste a Potion of Cure Moderate Wounds and the Wyvern’s Head, of course. You need not resort to violence, however - you only need two of the three trophies to claim the prize, after all.

Note: If you kill the Embeth Travelers here, you’ll eventually run afoul of the random encounter "The Hunter’s Revenge", which will be recorded after this quest, although in practice you may encounter it later.

After your encounter with the Embeth Travelers, explore south from where the Ancient Wyvern was slain to ]nd another trap [Perception 22] [Trickery 22] to the southwest. Beyond this trap waits two chests, the larger of which is locked [Trickery 27], in which you’ll ]nd a Wand of Searing Light and the Recipe: Hunter’s Roast. In the smaller chest you can collect a Melted Shard of a Ring. Another, greater threat lurks just southeast of this trap, a Primal Giant Flytrap. You may have fought something similar in the Abandoned Keep, and you should be well aware that naming conventions like "Greater", "Enraged", "Dire" or in this case "Primal" suggests a more serious threat. This plant’s Hit Points may not be incredible, but it’s further protected by a high Armor Class, a 20% concealment bonus (similar to Blur) and Damage Reduction, which will keep it in the ]ght for quite a while. From your previous experience, it should be no surprise that this creature hits hard and strikes often, with a high enough Attack bonus to regularly hit your tanks. Against lesser warriors, it can tear through them with startling speed. Su_ce to say, Haste and Slow may be warranted here, along with whatever other buffs you deem necessary. Pull this weed and not only will you gain a great deal of experience, but you can search its remains for another Melted Shard of a Ring.

Pitax Picnic Backtrack downhill to the area just east of where the goblins were praising a wyvern and notice the abundance of options. You already explored to the north and northwest, but you can further explore to the southeast and southwest. There’s plenty left to kill, but before you run off in search of extraneous game to hunt, you might as well take down the third dire monster and claim your trophy. After this, you’ll have more time to spend on the rest of the area. First venture southeast, where the path will promptly split again. Examine some bones at the elbow of this split to notice the feeding habits of another dangerous predator, then continue east to reach a dead-end. To the south you can spot [Perception 25] an abandoned object covered by the foreground. Unlock it [Trickery 26] and claim Kneesplitter as your prize. This Heavy Pick +2 has the "Giant Bane" property, making it count as a +4 weapon against giants and dealing an extra 2d6 damage against them. Shame you didn’t have it when trolls were rampaging throughout the land, but you’ll probably ]nd an excuse to use it sooner or later. Next search some rocks to the north to ]nd a Torag’s Pendant, then backtrack west to the fork. Now take the western fork to the south and follow the rocks until you ]nd a humble camp to the east. Seems the Pitaxians - led by Annamede Belavarah - are taking a somewhat different approach to hunting. Speci]cally, they’re of the "life’s too short to get chewed on by nasty monsters" persuasion, and they’ve accordingly set up a picnic to better enjoy the day. Chat with them if you like and when you’ve exhausted the rest of their dialogue options, you can choose to attack them [Chaotic Evil], them (this will ]nish the hunt with whatever progress you currently have) or just leave and get back to business. If you’ve a mind to win this competition, choose the latter - the Pitaxians are certainly not going anywhere any time soon. If you want to spare them some trouble down the road (literally!) continue east and you’ll ]nd some worgs hiding in the brush. This includes an Alpha Worg and three Greater Worgs, making it a fairly standard ]ght for this area, but by no means a push-over. After you smite them, search some brush behind (east of) them and to the north of the trail to score a Token

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of the Dryad. Return to the Pitaxian camp and follow the trail nearby to the west and southwest until you ]nd an abandoned cart. Well… not so much abandoned as… let’s just say its former owners probably won’t care if you loot it for some scrolls, coins and gems. West of this cart you can spot [Perception 8] a rock under which is hidden a Taldan Warrior’s Dog Tag.

Poach the Poisonous Hydra The ]nal ]ght - should you care about winning this tournament, anyway - is just to the north (and possibly a bit to the west) of this cart. Make your way downhill into a depression, where you may ]nd a Ferocious Hydra prowling about. Be sure to exterminate it ]rst, as this beast is just a warmup for the real - much more dangerous - threat, the Poisonous Hydra. You don’t need another hydra showing up mid-]ght to spoil things. You’ve dealt with hydras and with poison before, but those experiences may (provided you didn’t stumble upon an incredibly unfortunate random encounter in the Kamelands) not have prepared you for this foe. The Poisonous Hydra doesn’t just inîct poison with its bite (although it does that, too), it’ll also spit clouds of poison at its foes, potentially poisoning numerous characters. There are a few ways to deal with this hydra’s venom, the least ideal of which is to simply weather it. If you have plenty of Restoration spells handy, you can recover from the ability point damage well enough to go throughout the rest of the area without being too hindered, but there are other, somewhat more elegant solutions. Speaking of which, if you have Jaethal in your party you can have her engage the hydra while the rest of your party sticks back and provides ranged , but there’s a good chance she’s not capable of weathering - even if buffed - the hydra’s attacks. If you’d rather expend magic at the start of a ]ght, rather than at the end, you can always prepare several Delay Poison spells and apply them to your warriors. Finally, you can simply avoid the attack by being wary, as the Hydra won’t use it unless there’s several characters nearby it can hit with it. Just keep an eye out for the purple action icon that indicates this attack is coming and withdraw your characters. You’ll provoke an Attack of Opportunity, but the Hydra will abandon the attack, and you can just re-engage, repeating until it falls. Whatever strategy you adopt, Haste comes highly recommended. Emerge victorious and loot the Poisonous Hydra for a Melted Shard of a Ring and a Hydra’s Head, which should be enough to secure you victory in this little hunting competition. There’s still more creatures to ]ght and treasure to gain, however, so the rest of this section will be dedicated to ]nishing up the area. If you don’t care to do so for whatever reason, skip ahead to "The End of the Hunt".

Clear the Hunting Grounds From the watery depression the Poisonous Hydra occupied, venture south up a hill to ]nd a rock you can search for a Taldan Warrior’s Dog Tag. That’s a nice little appetizer, but other treasures won’t come as easily. If you’re sick of hydras, you’re not going to be keen on the next task, as it requires you to venture back down into the watery depression these multiheaded reptiles seem to thrive in. From where you fought the Poisonous Hydra, make your way northeast to ]nd a trio of Primal Hydras. While not the most formidable of foes on their own, they’re serious enough that three of them at once may present some problems if you don’t spell buff. It’s another ]ght where Haste and Web (or something like Obsidian Flow - a 4th level arcane spell that can start replacing Web) will make all the difference in the world. Defeat them, then continue northeast to ]nd the body of a dwarf lying against some rocks, on which you can ]nd some gold coins and gems. Return back to where you fought the Poisonous Hydra and from here continue north and somewhat west to ]nd [Perception 25] a tree stump you can loot for some gold, gems, and potions. Northeast of here you’ll ]nd a Giant Flytrap, which is a stout foe, but nowhere near as powerful as the Primal Giant Flytrap - you shouldn’t need any more re]ned tactics than rushing with your warriors and perhaps ânking it. Search its remains to discover a Shard of Knight’s Bracers.

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Note: If you approached the Poisonous Hydra from the north, you’d have seen a scene with three goblins praising the Hydra’s death-dealing qualities, all in the name of Lamashtu. Witnessing this isn’t necessary, but it’s an interesting development, nonetheless…

Continue north and you’ll ]nd the ]nal encounter in this watery, sunken pit - a trio of Owlbears. Respect their damage output, spellbuff sensibly and engage with your tanks and you should win without too much trouble. After they’ve been culled, search a rock to ]nd more statues, this time of hydras preying on humans. What a, ahem, strange coincidence. Make your way back south to where you fought the Poisonous Hydra (last time, promise!) and from here head southwest to ]nd a trio of Greater Dire Bears. Don’t let their adjectives fool you, they’re no stronger than the Owlbears you’ve been cutting up throughout this area. Dispatch them, then head through a narrow between some rock formations to the southwest, stopping to search some rocks hiding a Token of the Dryad. With that, you’re done with this area. All you need to do is ]nd an area transition (there’s one in the southeastern corner and southwestern corner of the map) and travel back to the Hunting Lodge. Or, if you prefer to be more sociable, spend some time with those Pitaxian nobles and enjoy the rest of the day.

The End of the Hunt Whether you cleared the Hunting Grounds or not, and regardless of how you ended the hunt, return to the Hunting Lodge and report your exploits to Jamel Visser. Should you have acquired two of the heads (and there’s no good reason why you couldn’t have) you’ll win the mystery prize which turns out to be a hefty 2,500 GP and twelve Exquisite Pearls. If your protagonist is evil or chaotic, you can make [Evil] or [Chaotic] checks to claim the prize for yourself - deserving or not. This naturally doesn’t please Jamel Visser much, since it amounts to little more than simple robbery but you’ll get the prize, and Jamel will leave after making a subtle threat.

Reward: For winning the hunting competition 2,500 GP, Exquisite Pearl x12

Note: Unfairly claiming the prize will also subject you to "The Hunter’s Revenge" random encounter, which you’ll ]nd listed below.

After you’re done talking to Jamel Visser, the servant’s sickness will ]nally progress to its ]nal, horrifying stages. Now transformed into a Ferocious Owlbear, it’ll express the mindless hostility which is a staple of this wretched species. Put the beast down, then contemplate what just occurred. A magical beast infestation is enough of a threat, but an illness that transforms people into monsters? That’s a far more startling development, one that may very well threaten your entire kingdom, should the plague spread. Before you leave, talk to your envoy - whomever that may be - and you’ll get several moral choices to make for how to

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handle the news of this plague. You can try to keep the details of this plague quiet [Lawful Evil] or [Lawful Neutral], or you can be more open about it [Chaotic Neutral] or [Chaotic Good]. Make what decision you will, then return to Tuskdale. There’s a storm approaching, but for now there’s little you can do but manage your kingdom and wait for more developments. Be sure to rest and save your game, as when the next major event card appears, you’ll be forced to deal with a bit of business before you get the opportunity to gather your party, rest, and explore freely.

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The Hunter's Revenge If you killed the Embeth Travelers during the quest An Amusement for the Nobles, or if you stole the prize for the competition via an [Evil] or [Chaotic] dialogue option, your sociopathic chickens will come home to roost sometime as you’re exploring. While this may very well happen later during one of the numerous quests that’ll pop up a month or so after ]nishing An Amusement for the Nobles, this encounter will be listed here for the sake of continuity. When this encounter happens you’ll be stopped by a group of armed men and women, who introduce themselves by saying "Jamel Visser sends his regards." You had to have known your murder wouldn’t remain a secret - the difference between the wounds left by a wyvern and by your weapons and spells would be obvious to the trained eyes of a hunter. If you pick the dialogue option "You and your band had best leave while you still can." you’ll immediately provoke them, although their method of prosecution is a bit odd. They’re not here to kill you themselves, instead they’re going to let the forest judge you. If you can overcome the trial ahead, you’ll earn your right to live. In this case the trial involves ]ghting a Ferocious Wyvern - the same beast whose trophy you deprived the Embeth Hunters of. This isn’t a terribly challenging opponent, although it can attack quite fast and its attacks are venomous. Haste and Stoneskin should overpower it quite dramatically. If you want to try to talk your way out of trouble, pick the dialogue option "Who are you and what do you want from me?", after which you’ll get a variety of options. Picking the [Chaotic Neutral] or [Chaotic Evil] response will both lead to them summoning the Ferocious Wyvern, while the [Bluff 35] and [Diplomacy 35] checks both offer a chance to avoid conîct. In the case of the [Bluff] check, you need merely succeed, while with the [Diplomacy] check you’ll further have to pay 3,000 GP in restitution. Should you have not killed the Embeth Travelers during the hunt itself and merely strong-armed the prize from Jamel you’ll have an optional [Diplomacy 20] dialogue option. Like the higher-di_culty [Diplomacy] check, words won’t be su_cient recompense for your deeds - you’ll also have to forfeit 1,000 GP or ]ght the Ferocious Wyvern to prove your worth. Whether you have to ]ght the Ferocious Wyvern or not, after you’re done paying for your crime, continue west until the path splits. At this point turn north and search a rock hidden by some bushes to ]nd a Token of the Dryad. Not a bad trinket to pick up, all things considered.

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A Plague of Monsters Monster Invasion

Note: This event card appeared roughly one month after "An Amusement for the Nobles".

You’ll have roughly a month between the potential start of "An Amusement for the Nobles" and the next major event card, "Monster Invasion". Do what you can in that time, whether it be claiming new territory, appeasing your leaders, or catching up on quests and exploration. When the "Monster Invasion" event card appears, you’ll need to return to the capital to resolve it, and like with the "Troll Trouble" event card, it’ll eventually be accompanied by other, repeating event cards that serve to sap your kingdom stats until the issue is resolved. Don’t leave it unattended for too long, and when you return to your throne room after this event card has appeared, your envoy will brief you on the matter. He pulls no punches, the plague is spreading and people are êeing your lands. The very future of the barony is at stake. On the plus side (and this is a dubious "plus side" if ever there was one), goblins have started appearing in the wake of the monsters, cheering the return of one "Lamashtu". While the goblins are likely just cheerleaders for Lamashtu rather than active collaborators in the current catastrophe, there’s still a chance they know something useful so at least you have a lead. This starts the quest Mother of Monsters.

The Autopsy Immediately after your envoy departs, Jhod will arrive with more, related bad news. He’ll give you the details of the disease’s progression and reveal that him and Tristian have established a ]eld hospital in an old prison, presumably so they could study the disease and treat patients or more accurately, perhaps, so they could isolate victims. Fortunately (another dubious upshot), a patient has volunteered for vivisection, which is a sign of just how desperate the situation has become. Whatever the outcome (and for whatever reason), Jhod wants you to be present during the operation. This starts the quest The Seed of Sorrow, which you have no choice but to complete. Before you go watch one of your citizens get cut up by a priest of Erastil, Jhod will also give you a letter from Kesten Garess (Kesten’s Letter), which starts the quest Witch Hunt. Seems there’s no shortage of issues vying for your attention. After this letter is handed over, you’ll ]nally be able to question Jhod in-depth. The most meaningful of these dialogue option (aside from a [Neutral Evil] moral choice to suggest making vivisection somewhat less elective) is to suggest calling on the services of Bartholomew, should you have convinced him to stay in your lands.

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The Seed of Sorrow Agree to go oversee this operation and you’ll ]nd yourself in the prison/hospital, where more dialogue will ensue. The takeaways here are Jhod and Tristian’s disagreement over the cause of the illness, or rather, whether it’s actually an illness, parasite, or curse. Exhaust their dialogue options, make a moral choice concerning the previous nature of their operation room, then follow them southwest through the prison. On the way you can talk to the patient, Madla Stasek, to learn about her humble life and selêss motives, but it’s not necessary. When you’re ready to continue on, speak to Jhod and elect to start the surgery, which is played out as an Illustrated Book Episode.

The Surgery As you saw in a previous interaction, Jhod and Tristian can’t agree on what the cause is. This is reiterated at the beginning of this episode, with Jhod wanting to look at the lungs and Tristian desiring to focus on the stomach. Both are basing their plans on the victim’s symptoms, and both seem to have merit, but only one, obviously, is right. If you want to ]nish this cleanly, e_ciently, and with as little death and misery as possible, follow the instructions below:

1. …to side with Tristian and search for the source of the disease in the patient’s stomach. Sorry, Jhod. This doesn’t actually effect the outcome too much. Either way, the surgery proceeds much the same, as you’ll need to assist with an [Athletics], [Mobility], [Lore (Nature)] or [Persuasion] check. The difference is the di_culty. If you start cutting the wrong thing by siding with Jhod, these will require a check of thirty. Otherwise, if you side with Tristian (or consult Bartholomew) it’s a check of 10. You can also just kill the patient [Neutral Evil] and spare the moral conundrum entirely. Succeed at the check and the patient will survive; fail and the patient will die. Either way, you’ll ]nd what you’re looking for… which may turn out to be more than you bargained for! A seed in the woman’s stomach seems to be the cause of her ailment, and your suspicions are con]rmed entirely when the seed matures into a Ferocious Owlbear. This ]ght can be a bit tricky, as you only have control of your protagonist. Tristian, Jhod, the odd guard and Bartholomew (if you summoned him) will also help out, but expect to do a lot of the work yourself. You can still win the ]ght if your protagonist falls, but if Tristian dies as well, you’ll have to reload. Use potions, scrolls, wands, whatever you need to use to win.

Reward: For discovering the cause of the monsters 600 XP

Put down the Ferocious Owlbear and Jhod will strike up conversation again, where he and Tristian will recap what happened. Tristian was right at nearly every step - it’s a parasite, not a disease or a curse, and of vegetative origin. Something that wants to destroy your barony, which is knowledgeable of - and capable and willing to use - monstersummoning seeds as the tool… This certainly sounds like the handiwork of your old friend, the Guardian of the Bloom. While it’s a promising lead, speculation, however plausible, doesn’t get you any closer to stopping this onslaught. Even if you can remove this parasite, you can’t possibly have enough surgeons and priests for the task. You’ll need to ]nd the source of these seeds, and ]nd out how they’re infesting their hosts. To this end, you can continue with either the quest Witch Hunt or Mother of Monsters. Witch Hunt will be listed next, and is recommended ]rst, if for no other reason than it’s the simplest of the two quests to complete.

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Witch Hunt Travel: Shrine of Lamashtu Read Kesten’s Letter, which Jhod should have given you after visiting the throne room while "Monster Invasion" was active. In it, Kesten will explain what he’s been up to since leaving your castle (did you even notice he was gone?) and after justifying himself and giving you an update on the morale of the citizenry, he’ll divulge what he’s discovered. As previous allies have suspected, it seems that Lamashtu cultists belonging to move civilized races than goblins may be involved, and Kesten has not only located their shrine, but deduced their routine. To get there, head to the southeastern edge of the South Narlmarches, where the "Shrine of Lamashtu" area should be revealed on your map. Both the "Secluded Lodge" and "Lizardfolk Village" areas are fairly close, just head east, and southeast from the Secluded Lodge to get there.

Note: through the Kamelands to reach this location quicker. Also, as you head from the empty node near the Hunting Lodge area to the Bridge Over the Gudrin River area you should spot the "Goblin Village" to the east. This will come in handy later.

Diseased Refugees During your travels you may run afoul of a new random encounter, which will be recorded here just in case you ]nd it but also because it’s topical. You’ll appear along the northern edge of a wilderness area, from which head southeast along a path. When the path veers west, search some rocks to ]nd a Taldan Warrior’s Dog Tag, then continue west to ]nd a small camp of refugees, lead by one named Urkhed… or Uhrked? In any event, if you question him he’ll claim they’re êeing to Galt "in search of protection", although from the look of one of their companions, they may be carrying their troubles with them. Ask about this aìcted youth - Verdrin - and a [Lore (Nature) 17] check to identify his symptoms and recognize how little time he has left. If you leave things be, you’ll get to see a familiar scene play out - these travelers had no chance of making it to Galt with Verdin. You can also try to execute the youth, which will provoke a ]ght with all the refugees if you’re insistent. Alternatively, if you’re just being nasty you can pick the [Chaotic Evil] option to just slaughter those who are perhaps justi]ably êeing your lands. To resolve things more peacefully (and to provide the refugees with their only chance at leaving alive), you must the aforementioned [Lore (Nature)] check, then pick the [Diplomacy 18] option to talk some sense into them. Surprisingly, they listen, and shortly thereafter a Greater Enraged Owlbear will tear its way out of Verdrin. Kill the beast, then talk to Urkhed, who uses the opportunity to vent his frustrations, giving you a variety of moral choices to make in response. Any dialogue options that don’t have [Attack] in them will lead to a [Persuasion 16] check, which you can succeed at to talk the refugees into staying in your lands, for what that’s worth. Otherwise, your options are basically limited to letting them leave for Galt, or attacking them as part of another moral choice or as a [Chaotic Evil] option. Whatever you do regarding the refugees, ]nish up the area by looting a nearby chest to score some gold, gems, jewelry and food. Once that’s done, head to the southern border of the area, then turn east to ]nd a hidden [Perception 5] stump, where

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you’ll ]nd some potions, gold and more food-stuffs.

Raid the Cult When you arrive at the Shrine to Lamashtu, head north to ]nd Kesten Garess hiding behind some rocks. Kesten’s here to chew bubblegum and smite cultists, and well, bubblegum probably doesn’t exist in Path]nder. Learn what you can from Kesten, then tell him when you’re ready to start the ambush. The cultists will conveniently show up afterwards, head to the shrine, then babble about the supposed works of their goddess. Curiously enough, given the monsters rampaging throughout the land, they seem to focus on relatively trivial matters. No sense worrying about cultist priorities. Garess will begin to stir, so let him engage, then follow him into the fray. One of the cultists will immediately êe, leaving you to engage three Cultists and a Priest of Lamashtu, the latter of which should be your priority, as the priest will cast spells and channel negative energy. The cultists - armed with swords and shields are capable warriors, but nothing compared to the beasts you’ve been ]ghting lately. Cut them all down, then loot the priest for a Bloodstained Piece of a Manuscript, which says all you really need to know about the goals of this cult. Before you run off in pursuit of the escaping cultist, you might as well search the area. Don’t worry, you’ve got just as much of a chance of catching them, either way. First head southeast of where you fought the cultists and ]nd a Taldan Warrior’s Dog Tag in some rocks, then head west to ]nd a pile of branches hiding a Token of the Dryad. Once those treasures are yours, head north and exit the area to pursue the runaway cultist which of course takes the form of an Illustrated Book Episode!

Catch the Cultist This is a relatively simple Illustrated Book Episode in that there’s arguably no "wrong" way to do it. If you can succeed at the checks, you’ll get some experience, if not, you won’t. Either way, you’ll end up where you need to be. The ]rst choice you need to make is a either a [Dexterity 17] check or a [Mobility 21] check, the latter of which is probably easier. After all, even a character with a phenomenal Dexterity score still has a good chance of failing, but your highest Mobility score could end up being twice as high. If you fail the initial checks, you’ll get a [Reêx 18] or [Reêx 10] check (respectively) to recover. If you somehow manage to fail both the initial check and the save afterwards, you’ll end up in the "Secluded Lodge" area in pursuit of your quarry. If you picked - and ed - the Dexterity check (or at least the Reêx Save afterwards) you’ll get two more options. Either a [Perception 20] check (or failing that, an [Intelligence 13] check, or an [Athletics 20] check. any one of these three checks to successfully track down the cultist. Fail both the Perception and Intelligence checks, or the Athletics check and you’ll fail to track the cultist. Alternatively, picking the Mobility option at the start will - assuming you it or the Reêx Save afterwards - enable you to follow up with two pairs of checks. Either choose the [Strength 18] and [Intimidate 20] pair, or the [Dexterity 18] and [Perception 20] pair. one of the checks in any pair and you’ll track down the cultist, fail both of any pair and you won’t.

Reward: For tracking down the cultist 360 XP

Either way, succeed or fail, you’ll arrive at the Secluded Lodge run by Dumra, which you may have visited before. It’s somewhat busier now than it was then, and it seems like there’s no shortage of suspects, although simple process of elimination should make this painfully easy. Immediately inside Kesten will pester you again, giving you three options. You

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can trust his instincts and let him harass the people here (his instincts, as it turns out, are terrible), you can go through a lengthy search, or you can simply pick the [Chaotic Neutral] option, which surprisingly works quite well. If you conduct an investigation yourself, you’ll need to go talk to people and collect clues. Getting keys from the Tedrims is as simple as a [Perception 10] dialogue check, while Olika will simply hand hers over, albeit reluctantly. If you search her room (upstairs, middle room on the southeastern side of the hall), check her bed and succeed at a [Perception 20] check, which will open up dialogue options. Her story is sad, and there’s probably no need to expose matters - the cultist clearly wasn’t encumbered by pregnancy. If you question the Tedrims, say "Tell me about yourself", then a [Bluff 10] check. Also be sure to ask him "Far from Brevoy, are you not?", then ask about his hunting to ]nd out he doesn’t have a clue what he’s talking about. His response to "An odd place to rest for the night." is also curious. While they’re clearly up to something, a know-nothing city-dweller and his wife - neither of which could probably survive the night in the Narlmarches - match the pro]le of the cultist you were chasing earlier. That leaves Tsanna, who is in the kitchen. Investigate the stove [Perception 10] to ]nd out that whatever is cooking was modi]ed recently. Head past Tsanna and check out the back door to discover [Perception 15] that it was used recently. Once you’re done snooping, talk to Tsanna and a [Stealth 10] check to notice that she’s limping… just like the cultist you were chasing. Go through her dialogue and pick [Peek into the stewpot]. to see that Tsanna is either the worse cook you’ve yet encountered, or a very imaginative poisoner. Ready to bang the gavel yet? Tsanna is the only person here who remotely matches the pro]le of the cultist you’re after. Head over to Kesten and say "There is someone who seemed especially suspicious to me." followed by "Tsanna, Tedrim’s maid." to expose the cultist. If you leave it up to Kesten to interrogate, he’ll ]nger the wrong suspect, while simply picking the [Chaotic Neutral] option will get the cultist to expose herself after some chatter. If you accuse the wrong suspect, Tsanna will grow annoyed at your buffoonery and will attack, but not until after she summons four Redcaps, which by now are scarcely a threat. Either way, you end up having to ]ght Tsanna; the only bene]t to successfully conducting an investigation or picking the [Chaotic Neutral] option is avoiding the Redcaps. Not much needs to be said about the ]ght itself - Tsanna is woefully outmatched, and once her HP are depleted, she’ll surrender. Go through her dialogue options and she’ll deny Lamashtu being involved in the matter at all. You can also learn about Lamashtu from the perspective of a cult member, which isn’t unbiased, but it is biased in the opposite direction of every other opinion you’ve heard (as an aside, having both Octavia and Valerie in your party is worth it for the line "Could we please by the theological debates about which cult has better orgies?"). When you’ve made it through the rest of the dialogue options you’ll have the opportunity to pronounce judgment on Tsanna. You can simply let everybody go [Neutral Good], banish Tsanna [Lawful Good], execute Tsanna [Lawful Neutral] or execute the lot of them [Lawful Evil]. In the case of banishment or execution, Olika will - perhaps brazenly, given your verdict beg you to allow Tsanna to perform her ritual. The cultist of Lamashtu will agree to perform it readily enough if she was banished, otherwise she’ll demand you commute her death sentence, ]rst. The fate of Tsanna and of Olika’s unborn child depend on your decisions here.

Reward: For investigating the cult of Lamashtu 1,200 XP

Whether Tsanna ended up free, banished or executed, you’ve at least determined that this sect of Lamashtu isn’t behind the monster-seeds plaguing your peasantry. One lead down, one to go.

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Note: You should have been able to ]nd the Goblin Village on your journey through the Kamelands enroute to the Shrine of Lamashtu, but if not, there’s another way to discern its location - by completing the Lonely Mill area, which should appear in the Kamelands between Tuskdale and Lake Silverstep, northeast of the Bridge Over the Gudrin River area. If the Goblin Village area is already on your map, feel free to skip the Lonely Mill and go right to the "Mother of Monsters" area. Failing either of those two options, you can learn the location of the Goblin Village via the "Goblin Ambush" random encounter.

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Lonely Mill From Tuskdale follow these directions to reach the Lonely Mill area:

• • • • • • •

East (across the river) East East (to empty node north of Bridge Over the Gudrin River) Northeast Southeast East Northeast

When you arrive, you’ll ]nd that this area is resolved entirely through an Illustrated Book Episode! Witness the goblins frolicking amidst their ill-gotten gains.

1. [Chaotic Neutral] Smiled, muttered "why not," and took a place near the ]re. This is the only option that doesn’t immediately end the encounter, making it a no-brainer. After this, the goblins will attempt to initiate you into their tribe. The goal of this episode is to ingratiate yourself among the goblins well enough for them to divulge the location of their village to you. In order to do this, you can simply pick the following options:

1. Answered that he/she doesn’t feel like it. 2. Firmly rejected to drink THIS. 3. I’m too tired to sing. You sing. I’ll listen. That’s right. The goblins greatly appreciate being irredeemably lazy and unsociable. This will get you the information you need, even if it’s not the most interesting way of interacting with the goblins. If you’re inclined to take a more active approach to things (keeping in mind that there’s no reward for it whatsoever), you can accept their ]rst trial to steal food from the miller’s dog. Literally any option works to accomplish this. The drinking competition is a bit more challenging, as it’s one of the few ways you can fail this encounter save from simply not interacting with the goblins. You’ll have to up to three [Constitution] checks, starting with a DC of 10, then 11 and ]nally 12. You can safely back out at any time, but if you fail, the encounter will end without you getting the information you desire. Finally, you can help the goblins sing. If you pick the ]rst option every time, that’ll please the goblins enough to make it to the end of the song, but if you give a line they don’t like you’ll still successfully end the encounter - they’ll just end the song prematurely.

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Goblin Ambush This random encounter can occur during or after the quest Mother of Monsters, and it’s yet another way to ]nd the location of the Goblin Village, should other attempts fail, somehow. You’ll appear on the southern end of an area map, from which just follow the road north until you overhear [Perception 23] some critters hiding behind a rock to the west of the road. Advance with your most perceptive character to spot [Perception 24] a trap [Trickery 24] on the road, which the overly-chatty would-be ambushers gave away. Disarm it, then weigh your options. There’s a coin purse on the road you can investigate - part of a painfully juvenile trap. If you interact with it, you can get the best of the ambushers - several goblins, unsurprisingly - by either ing an [Athletics 14] check, hopefully teaching them that there’s no sense in starting a tug-of-war with something stronger than themselves. Should you fail this check, you’ll get a chance to make a [Reêx 12] check, which will introduce the goblins to your pal, Newton. Fail both and they’ll have, despite all the odds, managed to successfully ambush you. Succeed at either and you’ll expose the goblins and spoil their ambush. Alternatively you can simply sneak behind the rocks they hide between (make your way to the west while staying south of the larger rock) to spot the goblins. Once you see them, you’ll get a few options assuming you a [Stealth 10] check, the most amusing of which is to scream "LOOK OUT! GOBLINS!", which for some reason frightens them. Either way, once exposed, the goblins will complain about your poor sportsmanship. Respond with "It was a trap? For whom?" then a [Diplomacy 17] check to learn where the Goblin Village is located. After this, you can decide the fate of the goblins. Should you let them go ([Neutral Good]) you’ll gain a fair experience reward and the little monsters will scamper off, undoubtedly destined to cause more mischief. The [Chaotic Neutral] action may be the more honest approach, but unlike the Neutral Good alternative, it doesn’t come with an experience reward.

Reward: For sparing the goblin ambushers 660 XP

If for any reason you end up having to ]ght the goblins, whether you pick one of the [Attack] options after exposing them, or if you… well, simply walk into them at some point, be warned that they’re not exactly harmless. While you probably don’t need to spell-buff or anything fancy, their sneak attacks can hurt, at least initially. On the plus side, you’ll get more experience for killing them than for any other solution, and you can sell their weapons, should you need further encouragement.

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Mother of Monsters Travel: Goblin Village With the quest Witch Hunt complete, there’s now nothing distracting you from paying this Goblin Village a visit… and there’s a good chance those little buggers are going to regret crossing you before you’re done with them. With any luck you were able to spot the Goblin Village area just by traveling through the Kamelands earlier, but if not, you can get the location by completing the "Lonely Mill" area or the Goblin Ambush random encounter. If you’re traveling from the Lonely Mill, just follow these directions:

• Southwest • West • Southwest If you’re fresh off of completing Witch Hunt, make your way to the "Bridge Over the Gudrin River" area, from which you’ll want to follow these directions:

• • • •

North Northeast Southeast Southwest

Note: Along the way you may discover the "Lonely Mill" area, which is just northeast of the "Goblin Village" and southwest of the "Lonely Barrow". This must be a lonely area, eh?

Hydra and the Half-Wits You’ll arrive along the southwestern end of this area’s map, and there’s not much to see to the north save the fence of the goblin village, so head east. Along the way you’ll ]nd some goblins trying to befriend a Primal Hydra, which ends about as you’d expect. After snacking on its would-be friends, the Primal Hydra will turns its attention to you. Must be hard to feel full with that many heads. Cut the hydra down to size, then continue east until you can venture no further in that direction before turning north to ]nd an entrance into the goblin village.

Goblin Quest-Giver Enter the goblin village and you’ll ]nd a Goblin Horseslayer standing near a gate. Talk to the little critter and he’ll claim to have a quest for you, which upon further explanation seems awfully like a mundane chore. So yeah, a quest. Seems that good help is hard to ]nd, as his "fren" - who got the unequal task of feeding the beastie in the pen - has abandoned this task. Since this goblin can’t possibly open the door and feed the monster within, he’ll need your help, and guess which task you get? You can, of course, decline the goblin’s generous offer, or you can outright attack him, but it’s more fun (and somewhat

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more lucrative) to play along and head inside the pen. Approach the creature in the pen - another Primal Hydra - and it’ll attack, predictably enough, and the goblin outside will quickly scamper off. What exactly were you planning to feed this hydra with? Oh well, the only acceptable meal for it to consume now is whatever lengths of steel you have handy. Cut it down, then loot a chest along the southwestern wall of the pen to score some gems and food-stuffs, then exit the pen. The goblin quest-giver êd north when the hydra attacked, but fortunately he didn’t go far. You’ll ]nd him standing near a goblin statue, and if you interact with him, he’ll play dumb. Well… dumber. If you choose to leave, you’ll get a small experience reward, which is the same amount you’ll get by just killing him. If you have Jaethal in your party, she won’t give you a choice, provoking hostilities on her own.

Reward: For sparing the quest-giving goblin 120 XP

Through the Goblin Village Continue northeast from the goblin statue to ]nd another monster pen. The goblins beside it aren’t nearly as subtle as the quest-giving goblin was, as they’ll simply free the Primal Hydra in the pen, then êe its wrath. Kill the hydra, then loot a pile of rocks south of the pen to ]nd a Token of the Dryad. Northwest of the goblin statue, in front of a goblin hut, you’ll ]nd another pile of rocks which conceals a Taldan Warrior’s Dog Tag. Finally, between this goblin hovel and the hydra pen is another pen occupied by a Primal Manticore, which you can free and kill for some experience. Kill the manticore, then search the fence west of the door to its pen, where you can ]nd [Perception 23] a well hidden cache of loot containing 500 GP, some gems and other treasure. With the eastern end of the village explored, make your way west through the center of the village, ing between the goblin hut to the north and the goblin quest-giver’s Hydra pen to the south. As you go, some goblins will arrive with another pet - a Primal Manticore - which they gleefully sic on you. Dispatch the beast, then note the path to the north, where you can ]nd a large stone structure - clearly not of goblin make - guarded by two Goblin Alchemists and two Goblin Horseslayers. Ignore them for now and focus your attention to the west, instead. Make your way west until you ]nd another monster pen to the north, where you can slaughter another Primal Hydra, should you desire the experience for doing so. Whether you kill the Hydra for sport or not, keep venturing west until you ]nd some cliffs blocking your way. At these cliffs, turn south and maneuver around a small hut and continue south until you reach a dead-end, where you can ]nd [Perception 23] another well-hidden cache containing some scrolls, potions and… a spider leg? Goblins, right?

Goblin Trap-Taunter Leave this pro]table dead-end and make your way northwest from the last Hydra pen you ed to ]nd another goblin. This one has a rather novel approach: instead of setting a monster on you, it’ll stand back and taunt you. Head towards the goblin taunter and you’ll discover the nature of its game, as it has trapped the ground in front of it. Fortunately, its trapmaking skills leave much to be desired, as the traps are not only easily spotted [Perception 6], but trivial to disarm [Trickery 6]. To its credit, though, the traps can deal signi]cant damage if you stumble onto them. Take care of these traps and chase the goblin north, dealing with another pair of traps (with identical checks) as you go. After this, it’ll turn west and retreat to a dead-end, leaving you one more trap to deal with. Disarm this fourth and ]nal trap, then confront the goblin, which tries to talk its way out of trouble like the goblin quest-giver. If you spare it, you’ll gain a pittance of experience, while if you kill it, you’ll gain the same amount. As before, Jaethal will limit your options by engaging in violence.

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Reward: For sparing the trap-laying goblin 120 XP

Deal with this goblin however you wish, then loot the nearby chest to ]nd Beastrender, a Falchion +2 that has the "Animal Bane" property, acting as a +4 weapon and dealing +2d6 extra damage against its designated foe. Do what you will with this weapon, then continue west and north past a ruined stone fence and around a small goblin hovel before making your way uphill and to the east. You’ll ultimately reach a dead-end cliff overlooking a large stone structure below you, but you’re not here for the view. Instead, loot a pile of rocks to the north to ]nd a Melted Shard of a Ring. Return back to where you caught up with the goblin trapper, then make your way around a fence to the south to reach the abode of a Goblin Merchant. While he still lives up to what you’d expect from a goblin - being an absurd parody of a real merchant - he does actually have some wares to sell. It’s not quite "everything you be needing for adventures, spell-casting, sword-swinging" unless food, Potions of Enlarge Person and Everburning Torches ]t that description. It also should be noted that his prices are downright absurd. 123,457 GP for a Masterwork Club? Leave the silly goblin to his trade and make your way up a steep hill to the south of where he does what he calls business. Atop this hill you may ]nd [Perception 7] a pile of rocks wherein a Taldan Horseshoe is hidden.

Rescue Nok-Nok Now that the western end of the goblin village has been explored, make your way back to the center (where some goblins unleashed a Primal Manticore on you) and head north from there. Time to deal with the goblins guarding the archway leading to the stone structure beyond. They’ll be peaceful enough so long as you keep your distance, but approach too close and they’ll attack. Target the Goblin Alchemists ]rst to prevent them from unleashing too much mischief with their bombs, and when they’re dead loot them, as each alchemist holds a Ring of Protection +1. Enter the ruined, circular structure the goblins were ]ercely guarding and they’ll try to entice another animal - a Ferocious Owlbear - to feast on a captive goblin, Nok-Nok. This goes about as well as most of their monster-handling efforts (much to Nok-Nok’s delight), and the goblin king and goblin shaman who were spectating from above will êe, leaving you to defeat the rampaging Owlbear. Do so, then talk to Nok-Nok (not to be confused with the less phonetically correct "Knock-Knock"), who claims to be the Seer of Lamashtu. His proof is more than a little coincidental, but he will tell you what he knows about the plague of monsters that threatens your land, as well as his antipathy with the goblin shaman. It’s an enemy the two of you share, and accordingly Nok-Nok will offer his services for the mutual bene]t of both parties.

Reward: For rescuing Nok-Nok 1,200 XP

Accept him into your group if you want - he starts out as a 4th-level Rogue with an absurdly high Dexterity score. He can ful]ll your thieving needs well enough (Stealth, Trickery, Perception), but he’s also inclined towards melee combat. With his two-weapon ]ghting style, the optimal use for him involves ânking, then letting his sneak attack damage make up for what his weapons and Strength score may be lacking. Just keep him using light weapons to make use of the Weapon Finesse feat and never attempt to have him go toe-to-toe with any competent combatant and he’ll do well enough. Before you leave, you have one more decision to make. Head to the northern end of the structure you’re in to ]nd a huddled mass of terri]ed goblin villagers. All the chatter here boils down to one decision: spare the goblins, or massacre them.

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Make what moral choice you will, but in this case it’s more pro]table to show mercy. At least, you’ll get more experience, but you can take the weapons the goblins drop and sell them, for what that’s worth. Finally, before you leave, loot a chest near the goblins to score 200 GP, a Potion of Cure Serious Wounds and a Recipe: Taffy.

Reward: For sparing the goblins 600 XP

This ends the quest Mother of Monsters, and assuming you’ve completed the quests The Seed of Sorrow and Witch Hunt, the quest Season of Bloom should now begin. Before you go running back to Tuskdale, however, there’s another area you should revisit, as it’s now populated with new events and it’s close by! That’s right, time to return to the Bridge Over the Gudrin River. Who knows? Helping some folk here might just end up being bene]cial for you shortly…

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Return to the Bridge Over the Gudrin River As usual, you’ll arrive on the northern edge of the area. The entire area map has been revealed previously, and most of the loot and random beasties should have been cleared out by now, hopefully leaving little to distract you from the new encounters.

Deal With the Greedy Merchant Follow the road that winds through the center of the area until you ]nd some Hungry Peasants who are facing off with a merchant named Tigni Jusmert. Talk to the merchant to witness the exchange, where the peasants will accuse the merchant of predatorily marking up the prices of his desperately-needed wares. When you get a chance to speak, pick the dialogue option "What is all the commotion at the bridge? Where have all those people come from?" to learn that the Stag Lord - or more likely, an impostor calling himself such - is charging for age over the bridge. Peasants who can’t pay have subsequently been stranded, at the mercy of somewhat less violent thieves like Tigni. Let’s stay focused on this price-gouging merchant, ]rst, then you can see to this so-called Stag Lord. Pick the dialogue option "Your prices are three times higher than those of other merchants!", which he’ll off as simple supply and demand. This leads to a more diverse array of dialogue options to resolve the situation. The [Neutral] option washes your hands of the situation entirely, offering no gain for yourself and no relief for the hungry peasants. Picking the [Lawful Neutral] option will compel Tigni to pay you the "taxes" he owes you - a sum of 512 GP. If you pick the [Neutral Good] option and succeed at a subsequent [Diplomacy 24] check you’ll shame Tigni into lowering his prices and will earn an experience reward for your efforts. You’ll get the same consequences by picking the [Chaotic Neutral] option and ing the attendant [Intimidate 18] check. Finally - and most lucratively - if you choose the [Neutral Evil] option and an [Intimidate 18] check you’ll scare Tigni into lowering his prices and paying you 512 GP.

Reward: For shaking Tigni down for taxes 512 GP

Reward: For convincing Tigni to lower his prices 300 XP, lower prices

Reward: For threatening Tigni into compliance 300 XP, 512 GP, lower prices

Note: If you have Tristian in your party, he’ll step up should you fail your skill check, and succeed at chastising Tigni into changing his ways, however momentarily.

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After dealing with Tigni, peruse his (hopefully now reasonably-priced wares), although he probably doesn’t have much of interest to seasoned adventurers such as yourself. Continue off-road to the south to ]nd his wagon, on which you can ]nd a chest [Perception 22] which you can unlock [Trickery 22] to ]nd a Shock Dagger +1.

Elederian Pearls While this Stag Lord impostor is concerning, let’s focus on the troubles north of the Gudrin River for now. Not like the bandits on the bridge are leaving their lucrative post any time soon, anyway. Make your way northeast from the hungry peasants to ]nd a Fugitive Girl standing near some cliffs. Chat with the sobbing woman and ask what troubles her to hear about how she was robbed by a "forest monster". Strange is the forest monster who is interested in grandmother’s pearls, and her intent to spend them to gain age across the bridge is yet another reminder of problems yet to be resolved. Exhaust her dialogue options, being sure to say "Describe this forest monster.", which you can identify with a successful [Knowledge (World) 18] check. This starts the quest Elederian Pearls. That done, you need merely track down this beast and recover the pearls. Simple enough, right? Head west, then north around some rocks, then turn east to ]nd a Goblin Prince. What, exactly, quali]es him as royalty? Whatever, talk to the runt and ask "Are you alone here?" to learn that other goblins are about the area looking for a "greatbeast". Good to know. More to the task at hand, ask about the stolen beads he’s wearing, then either pick the [Neutral Good] option and forfeit a unit of Camping Supplies and Rations, a [Bluff 10] check, or an [Intimidate 22] check ([Neutral Evil]) to get the beads without a ]ght. Alternatively you can an [Intimidate 22] check without asking him about the beads to scare the goblin off, gaining the beads in the process. Should all that fail, you can simply kill him and take the Pearl Necklace by force. However you manage it, once you have the pearls return to the Fugitive Girl and give her back her pearls. If you wish to be petty and evil, you can pick the [Chaotic Evil] response to keep the pearls, but there’s little bene]t in of experience or wealth for doing so. Alternatively you can pick the [Diplomacy 28] response to try and convince her to remain in your lands, hopefully in the process securing a loyal citizen willing to speak for your good nature, should you be in need of such . If you’re unable or unwilling to do either of those options, you can simply pick the [Lawful Good] dialogue option to hand over the pearls, after which the woman will lament handing them over to the bandits on the bridge. You can follow this up with a [Neutral Good] option to also provide the money she needs, leaving you 200 GP poorer.

Reward: For keeping the pearls 60 XP

Reward: For convincing the woman to stay in your lands 1,260 XP

Reward: For giving back the pearls 1,200 XP

Battle the Greatbeast From where the Fugitive Woman stood, venture east until you hit some rocks, at which continue east along the northern side of these rocks - down south lurks the Crag Linnorm, and while you’re stronger now than you were when you ]rst

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explored this area, you’re likely not strong enough for that. Continue east and you’ll ]nd the lair of the "greatbeast", which is being pestered by some goblins. The greatbeast - an Owlbear - once roused isn’t in the best of moods, and it’s at this point one must wonder if the goblin population is kept in check largely due to their fascination with monsters. Naturally, when the greatbeast stirs the goblins will êe, luring the Owlbear back to you in the process. Cut the beast down for some easy experience, then return to the bridge the area is named after.

Fake Stag Lord Cross the bridge and about halfway across you’ll ]nd an Old Man. This place seems absolutely littered with peasants in need of aid these days. Ignore him for now, as his quest requires you to go hunting around on the southern side of the bridge, and before you bother with that, you should really deal with this bandit business. Speaking of which, as you reach the end of the bridge you’ll be accosted by a bandit. He’ll quickly recognize you, however, and given the fate of the bandits who have crossed thus far, decides not to press you for cash. Feel free to question him as you wish to hear their excuses and justi]cations for their little operation. Ultimately, though, you’ll make little headway with these goons - if you want results, you’ll need to talk to this Stag Lord impostor. To that end, ]nish crossing the bridge and turn east to ]nd a camp, which is now well-populated with bandits, including a "Fake Stag Lord" character. Talk to the Fake Stag Lord and you’ll quickly identify him as the shoddy impostor he is - he couldn’t even bother to get a halfway decent out]t! Identify yourself and accuse him of being the fraud he is, after which you’ll get a variety of moral choices (paired with skill checks) to choose from. Pick the [Chaotic Good] option and an [Intimidate 22] check to convince the "Stag Lord" it might be best for his health if he give up the charade and never let you hear of him again. If you fail, the emboldened impostor will attack. A [Neutral] option (with an accompanying [Diplomacy 28] check) plays out much the same way. The [Lawful Evil] response (provided you also an [Intimidate 22] check) will scare the phony Stag Lord into leaving as well as secure you the 2,137 GP he’s stolen from your subjects thus far. Finally, if you pick the [Neutral Evil] response and also a [Diplomacy 17] check, you’ll recruit this so-called Stag Lord to tax the bridge for you. As long as you’re getting a cut, right? This will get you the more modest reward of 500 GP. Should you recruit the "Stag Lord", you can talk to him again and renege on your earlier deal by picking the [Neutral] or [Lawful Evil] response, which have the same results as the ones listed above.

Reward: For evicting the Fake Stag Lord from your lands 600 XP

Reward: For threatening the Fake Stag Lord and taking his money 600 XP, 2,137 GP

Reward: For recruiting the Fake Stag Lord 600 XP, 500 GP

If you fail a check - or if you just don’t care to parley and pick the [Attack] option - a ]ght will ensue. There are numerous bandits, and you’ll do yourself a great service if you arrange your party tactically ahead of time. Surround the Fake Stag

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Lord and keep the unarmored bandit with a crossbow on his back within reach, as both are spellcasters, and will make your life hell if you let them. Place your squishy characters to the north of the Fake Stag Lord, behind the log, which is a fairly safe place for them to operate. With this planning, and perhaps Bless, Prayer, Haste and Stoneskin, the ]ght should be pretty easy to win, just be wary of another bandit spellcaster that prowls to the west, and the rogues who can deal heavy damage with sneak attacks. Either way, when you’re done, loot a chest to the east [Trickery 15] to score 100 GP and some cheese (yum!)

Second Breath With the Stag Lord dealt with, return to the bridge (one way or another) return to the bridge to ]nd the Old Man patiently waiting for you. Talk to him and sure enough, this sickly old man will ask you to ]nd him some black berries that grow along the coast. You can question him further if you’d like to know more about his travels. It’s an unfortunately familiar tale by now - peasants afraid of the disease êeing the lands of an incompetent baron(ess). Your rapport with the common folk could use some work. This starts the quest Second Breath. Make your way south along the bridge, then on the road beyond until you hit the area transition at the southern edge of the area. From here, turn west and move around a rock formation. On the northwestern edge of this rock formation you’ll ]nd the bushes upon which the black berries you’re after grow; just be wary of a Poisonous Hydra to the west. Not that you shouldn’t kill the beast - you should, the experience more than justi]es the trouble - but you need not do so now if you’re not ready. Save your game, then approach the bush the berries are on and note the [Lore (Nature) 20] check that’s automatically made when you approach. Be sure to this check, as it’ll vastly expand your options for resolving this quest. or fail, grab the Black Berries, then return to the Old Man on the bridge. Talk to him and if you didn’t succeed at the aforementioned check, he’ll eat the berries and reveal that he wasn’t seeking a cure - he was seeking a more digni]ed death.

Reward: For giving the Old Man some Black Berries 1,260 XP

While the experience reward for resolving the quest by being duped by the old man is satisfactory enough, you’ll be able to pursue other options if you noticed the berries were poisonous. Tell him as much, and if you still want to allow him to kill himself, pick the [Neutral] option, to get the same ending being ignorant of the berry’s nature would have achieved. Picking the [Chaotic Neutral] response achieves nothing but reducing the man to begging for them, while the [Chaotic Evil] action will give him the death he wants, although perhaps not as painlessly as he wanted it. The [Lawful Good] option is the most lucrative, both immediately and in the short-term. Having a direct bene]ciary of your benevolence in Tuskdale might be of value in the near future…

Reward: For sending the Old Man to see Jhod in Tuskdale 1,320 XP

Now, to ]nish up this area cross the bridge again to reach the southern shore, then head west to reach the Poisonous Hydra. If you didn’t kill it before, do so now. Either use spells like Delay Poison to protect yourself, or simply keep an eye out for the icon that signi]es a breath attack is imminent and retreat. Once it’s dead head north to ]nd a path leading down to the shore, where you’ll encounter several goblins, including a pair of Goblin Horseslayers, a Goblin Sneak, and a Goblin Eagle Eye.

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Finally, make your way back to where the Poisonous Hydra was and climb the ât rocks to the west. If you already came here, you won’t be bothered by any checks, but if you’ve neglected this area before, you’ll need to an [Athletics 23] check to climb up. Again, if you already were here and hence dealt with the owlbears you’ll have little to do but collect loot, otherwise kill the owlbears as a prerequisite. Once they’re dead, loot a corpse to ]nd a Jagged Key and a Dirty Notebook which mentions a "Ghost Stone" area. Might be worth looking into later, but it’s pretty far a]eld (southeast of Lake Silverstep Village), making it an adventure for another day. Of more immediate concern - it’s time to return to Tuskdale and see about this disease…

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Chapter 2 - Season of Bloom

Season of Bloom - Unrest in the Streets Unrest in the Streets Make your way back to Tuskdale and enter the throne room, where every mover and shaker in the political system of your barony has gathered to discuss the matter of these monster-spawning seeds. Recap with Jhod, Kesten and Tristian as you will (indulging or ignoring the [Lawful Evil] moral choice along the way), question Kesten’s ties to the militia and how Jhod stumbled across rumors of this curse, and ]nally summarize. After this, Tristian will take over and will point out the Gudrin’s river’s role as the likely disease vector. Kesten will become animated at the breakthrough, obviously eager to take action against this disease - the Bloom - and give the peasantry a chance to ]nd the cause of their misfortunes. You can let him run off on his expedition [Chaotic Neutral], order him to wait and follow your lead [Lawful Neutral], or simply delay. Afterwards, ask Tristian "Tristian, how did you ]nd the link between the disease and the river?", which will get him musing about the ruins you found him at. He’s interrupted by a returning Kesten, who brings the dire news that the peasants are tired of dying for what they perceive as a cursed and absentee baron. Looks like you’re going to have to manage some civil unrest before you can deal with the Bloom. This ]nally ends the long-running quest Become a Worthy Ruler!. You’ll automatically head outside, where you’ll be confronted with an angry mob. This can be a pretty complicated bit of dialogue, but if your protagonist is good you can simply pick the [Good] option to calm everybody down and end this encounter peacefully. Likewise, you can pick the [Evil] option to make a bold display of force and drive the peasants off before they can build their resolve. Failing either of those two options, you can try to command them to leave, foolishly ask them "what brings you to my door", or threaten them. Most of these go nowhere, although the latter option does give you the chance to actually pick a ]ght, if you’re so inclined. Aside from meeting the peasants with clumsy violence (as opposed to the more sophisticated [Evil] display of force mentioned above), you’ll end up having to led Jhod speak for you. The outcome of Jhod’s words differs depending on how you handled the "Doomsayer Scares Townsfolk" event card earlier. If you did anything other than talk sense into Remus - whether you killed, banished or imprisoned him - he’ll show up here to incite the mob. Otherwise, Jhod will be free to promote the virtues of Erastil, which will calm the crowd down somewhat. Respond to Remus how you will, it makes little difference, leaving you with the dialogue option "People aren’t dying from some curse, it’s from strange magical seeds that carry a fatal disease. We just need to ]nd out where they’re coming from, then…" or the choice to end diplomacy and attack. Assuming you don’t attack, other previous actions of yours will now come into play. If you kept the disease secret from the peasants at the end of An Amusement for the Nobles, they’ll grow angry, where if you told them about it ahead of time, they’ll trust in you more. The patient Jhod and Tristian operated on, Madla, will also speak up for you, provided she survived the operation. If not, the mob will reference her as a strike against you. Periodically these accusations will be interrupted by some [Intimidate] or [Persuasion] checks (with moral choices attached) that you can use to argue your case. A great number of the choices you made throughout this chapter will be brought up for or against you; whether you spared Tsanna or not, recruiting Nok-Nok, convincing the refugees to stay in your lands, it’s quite an exhaustive list. Not only that, but it doesn’t necessarily follow morality the way you’d expect. Showing mercy to the wrong person or simply missing an encounter can all end up used against you. There’s a reason "mob justice" isn’t a positive thing. The more condemnation that is against you will raise the next [Persuasion] or [Intimidate] skill check, while the favorable responses will lower it but, unless you have a silver-tongued protagonist, you might be in trouble, as the base checks are rather high. Fail enough of these checks and the mob will erupt into violence, otherwise you may just be able to talk them into dispersing. The following is a full list of the actions that inûence the crowd:

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Incites the Crowd During the "Doomsayer Scares Townsfolk" event card, either imprison, banish or exile Remus. After the hunt during **An Amusement for the Nobles**, refuse to inform the people about the disease. During the quest **The Seed of Sorrow**, if Madla dies. In the random encounter with refugees, you convinced the survivors to return. If you didn't clear the Fake Stag Lord's bandits from the Bridge Over the Gudrin River. During the quest **Witch Hunt** you spared Tsanna. You spared the goblins after rescuing Nok-Nok. You recruited Nok-Nok.

Calms the Crowd During the "Doomsayer Scares Townsfolk" event card, talk sense into Remus. After the hunt during **An Amusement for the Nobles**, inform the people about the disease. During the quest **The Seed of Sorrow**, if Madla survives. Told the Old Man from the Bridge Over the Gudrin River to seek out Jhod. In the random encounter with refugees, you let the survivors êe. If you cleared the Fake Stag Lord's bandits from the Bridge Over the Gudrin River. You returned the pearls to the Fugitive Girl and convinced her to return to Tuskdale during the quest **Elederian Pearls**. During the quest **Witch Hunt** you executed or banished Tsanna. You killed the goblins after rescuing Nok-Nok.

Resolve the situation however you’re able, whether it be through alignment-speci]c choices, dialogue options bolstered by your past deeds, or simple violence. While this is a complicated setup, the fact that two-thirds of the alignment spectrum have an easy out - and the fact that unless you have a decent Persuasion score (the checks can range from the teens to the thirties, depending on your past actions) the checks might just be out of your league regardless - serves to simplify matters in practice.

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Deal with the civil unrest however you are able, or willing to, then leave Tuskdale (assuming you’ve sold off excess loot you’ve acquired thus far and rested up). Once out on the world map, cross the river to the east of Tuskdale, follow the coast of the Tuskwater to the southeast and south to reach the Gudrin River, from which continue east to the Bridge Over the Gudrin River area. As you approach the aforementioned area you should detect the "Secret Sanctum" area to the south. Ignore it for now, as it’s currently empty, and instead continue east along the Gudrin River to discover a more interesting area - the Goblin Fort.

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Season of Bloom - Goblin Fort Defend Kesten’s Camp You’ll arrive on the western edge of this area, from which head east to ]nd a small camp. You won’t have long to take the sights in, as some Prisoners will come running up to you, asking you to save the camp from a goblin onslaught. Looks like Kesten’s expedition isn’t going so well and yes, he’s set up a camp here regardless of what you told him back in Tuskdale. Work your way east, slaughtering goblins as you go: you’ll face off against Goblins, Goblin Sneaks, Goblin Horseslayers and Goblin Lynx Eyes. Fortunately, they’re all distracted by Kesten and his men, so it should be a simple matter to cut them all down. Slaughter the goblins, then talk to Kesten who will tell you of the goblin fort in the distance, the speed in which it was created, the prisoners kept within and the foul rites they are subjected to, and most importantly that the goblin attacks have kept them too off-balance to mount a counter-offensive of their own. Looks like it’s up to you to shift the balance of power and end this stalemate. Also, given the goblin shaman’s shenanigans, it seems that he, too, knows about the source of The Bloom, and at the very least he’s spreading the pestilence out of blind loyalty to Lamashtu. If you want to take extra precautions against this blight, respond to Kesten by saying "We discovered the magic seeds are transported by water. If the shaman is infecting prisoners on purpose, then anyone who has consumed the water can give birth to a monster. There’s no time - I have to kill them all.", which will naturally distress Kesten. If you insist ([Lawful Evil]) this will turn the prisoners at camp hostile, allowing you to exterminate them. You can also end the conversation with one of two moral choices, if you wish: [Lawful Good] or [Neutral Evil], âvoring the nature of your assault on the goblin fort.

Assault the Goblin Fort Speaking of which, there’s little opportunity for ]nesse when it comes to this assault. Just follow a path east from Kesten’s camp and you’ll ]nd the shoddy palisade standing between you and the goblins who are party to your barony’s misery. Up next is a good bit of combat, so apply some long-lasting buffs like Shield of Faith, Bless and Stoneskin (Resist Energy (Fire) may also be handy to counter the damage dealt by Goblin Alchemists), then lure the two goblins by the gate outside and slay them. Once they’re dead, head inside with just a single tank, as a Goblin Alchemist lurks south of the palisade, and will likely get a bomb off on whomever enters the fort ]rst. the assault with the rest of your party and put down the Goblin Alchemist, then congregate inside the fort. Be wary of a trap [Perception 28] in front of a hut just beyond the gate, and when you’re gathered up, cast Haste before going deeper into the fort. A large group of goblins can be found further east, and Haste will help give you an edge over them. In fact, it’s two groups of goblins divided by a trap [Perception 28], but you should endeavor to kill most of the goblins west of the trap before retreating to lure more goblins further east across the trap so you can dispatch them without worrying about the trap. This group of goblins includes two Goblin Alchemists, which is another reason to make use of Haste to cut through the mob of accompanying goblins more quickly. Once the horde of goblins are routed, disarm [Trickery 28] the trap near the hut by the fort’s entrance, then loot two crates alongside the hut to score a Token of the Dryad in one and 141 GP some gems, potions and food in the other. Next disarm the trap along the path to the west and be sure to loot the Goblin Alchemists for Rings of Protection +1, which have to be worth selling, at the very least. When all that’s done, press on past where the trap was to ]nd two prisoners in cages, one to the north and one to the south. Free them both, then loot a crate between a hut and the northern prisoner cage to ]nd a 154 GP, a Masterwork Bowgun, some potions and a Melted Shard of a Ring.

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Drinkers at the Gudrin River Press on deeper into the goblin fort by heading west, where you’ll be treated to a scene of the goblins serving Lamashtu in their peculiar, depraved way. Seems the goblin shaman isn’t too concerned about ceremony, and is just as happy to force peasants to ingest water from the Gudrin river at spear-point, if need be. When prompted, pick the [Neutral Good] dialogue option to interfere with the forced drinking, or [Chaotic Evil] to watch and see what they do. If you choose to watch twice, the goblins will retreat back into the fort with their prisoners, while if you interrupt them you’ll be able to save the prisoners and kill this batch of goblins, which includes two Goblin Sneaks and two Goblin Eagle Eyes.

Slaying Goblins to the South From where the goblins forced their prisoners to drink, follow the river southwest until you ]nd another goblin hut, near which is a crate containing some masterwork weapons, a potion and a Token of the Dryad. From here, continue south along a trail until you ]nd more goblins willing to oppose you. The goblins here are numerous, but well spaced out, and more will appear as you ]ght, making it somewhat easy to get over-extended. This is exacerbated somewhat by the presence of the odd Goblin Alchemist, who should take priority over the other goblins. This ]ght may be sloppy by necessity, but Stoneskin, Communal should provide enough protection to ward off incidental damage your casters and archers may incur from a momentary lapse of protection. Smite this group of goblins, then loot a crate near the palisade to the east to ]nd a variety of useful scrolls and a Shard of Knight’s Bracers. Claim this treasure for your own, then continue following the trail to the southwest, eventually looping around to the northwest near a collection of prisoner cages and goblin hovels. As you go, be wary of another trap [Perception 28] [Trickery 28], and a surprisingly light goblin presence near the prisoner cages. Don’t bother freeing the prisoners when the area is secure, instead continue following the path northeast to ]nd another, larger group of goblins and their tamed (or at least, more hostile to you than the goblins) Dire Wolves, which stand their ground beyond yet another trap [Perception 28] [Trickery 28]. They’re content to stand their ground unless provoked, so lure them south by approaching the trap, or just blast them with an area-of-effect spell to teach them their position isn’t as safe as they think it is. When they’re all dead, disarm the trap and turn your attention to the prisoner cages to the south.

Tigni Behind Bars Most of the prisoners are random peasants you’ve never met before, but there’s one of particular interest - your old friend, Tigni Jusmert! That’s right, the price-gouging scoundrel of a merchant you encountered on your visit to the Bridge Over the Gudrin River. If you didn’t deal with him earlier, the other prisoners will be all too happy to let you know he’s a cheat, but this merely leads to a [Perception 15] check that exposes him when he tries to lie. For the matter at hand, you’ll get a [Neutral Good] option to let him out of the cage, a [Neutral Evil] option with a [Diplomacy 20] check that’ll get him to tell you about some treasure he buried back at the Bridge Over the Gudrin River area or a less imaginative [Neutral Evil] option to simply leave him in his cage. The cache you can extort from him happens to be a bundle of sticks concealing 500 GP. You’ll ]nd it south of the road, just before the northern end of the bridge in the Bridge Over the Gudrin River area. If you pick the [Neutral Evil] option that doesn’t involve extortion, you can talk to Tigni again and properly extort him, which now counts as a [Chaotic Neutral] act, presumably for changing your mind arbitrarily? If you extort him via either possible option, you can always then just renege on your offer and leave him in his cage - a [Chaotic Evil] act.

Reward: For freeing Tigni without extorting him 360 XP

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With the prisoners dealt with, make your way south of the cages to ]nd two hidden treasures. A crate [Perception 22] behind a goblin hut contains 242 GP, some gems and jewelry, while a rock [Perception 7] to the southeast of this crate holds a Taldan Warrior’s Dog Tag. For some less well-hidden treasure, head north to where the goblins and their Dire Wolves waited behind a trap, then search behind (east of) a hut to the east to ]nd a crate with two potions inside. Finally, search another rock near the cliffs to the west to ]nd another Taldan Warrior’s Dog Tag.

Drunken Goblins The goblins thus far have put up pretty stiff resistance, failing more due to their inherent puniness than to their lack of tenacity or discipline, well, save for the goofs near the river. Continue north and when the path splits in multiple directions, stick to the easternmost path and head uphill to ]nd some drunken goblins. These more common examples of goblin prowess are too far gone to put up any resistance, so you can safely ignore them and get right to looting. Near the ]rst goblin hut to the east you’ll ]nd a crate containing two potions. To the north of this hut is a rock [Perception 7] hiding a Taldan Warrior’s Dog Tag. Things seem to be under every rock in this area… A sack to the west holds some food, while a crate [Perception 22] in front of this alcohol-reeking building can be unlocked [Trickery 20] and looted for some potions and a scroll. From the house reeking of alcohol, venture southwest until you ]nd another group of drunk goblins near a crate, inside of which are some Bracers of Armor +4. These are as good as a Chainshirt with none of the downsides (weight, Armor Check Penalty, Arcane Spell Failure, etc.), making it very attractive for arcane spell casters and Rogues. Next head south to ]nd another rock hiding yet another Token of the Dryad. Return back north to the alcohol shack and from there follow the path to the west. North of the trail you’ll ]nd two escaped prisoners standing near a slope, and if you talk to them they’ll express bewilderment at how, exactly, they got free. Tell them the truth, then you’ll get two options for how to deal with them. The [Lawful Evil] choice will put them out of their misery, while the [Neutral Good] option will refer them to Kesten’s camp, promising a cure.

Battle: Goblin Shaman Time to get back to the business of killing goblins - and business is about to pick up! There are two paths to the west leading up to the top of the hill, where the most important goblins presumably dwell. Both slopes are protected by a trap [Perception 28] [Trickery 28], and if you take the northernmost path you’ll have to ]ght through a small band of goblins (including a Goblin Alchemist) and their Dire Wolves. Of note is a Goblin Commando who possesses a Melted Shard of a Ring. Other than that, it doesn’t really matter which path you take, although the southern is less busy and puts you at a better location from where to start another, larger encounter. If you went up the northern path, head south, while if you went up the southern path venture west to ]nd some goblins - led by the Goblin Shaman - performing their foul ritual at their Lamashtu totem. As with the prisoners at the river, you’ll get a chance to watch as they’re force-fed possibly infested water [Chaotic Evil] or you can interfere and stop the ritual [Lawful Good]. The Shaman will run off to the south when interrupted (or when he spots you, in the case where you just stand by and watch), and if you approached from the east instead of the north, you’ll be in a good position to intercept him. There’s no harm in eliminating him early, but if you attacked from the north, he’ll likely retreat far enough to the south to the king. If you do start a ]ght with him, give the Shaman your undivided attention, as he’ll repeatedly summon monsters until he has a veritable horde at his disposal. In addition to that, he’ll be ed by a Winter Wolf coming from the south and the goblins that prowl around Lamashtu’s totem. Of the foes arrayed before you, the Shaman is the most dangerous and also fairly easy to kill - there’s no good reason to let him cast in peace, even if it means presenting the goblins with some Attacks of Opportunity.

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The Winter Wolf is more troublesome, as it has the Armor Class and HP to be a more enduring threat. On top of that, it’ll perform Trip attacks like most wolves/worgs, and can probably hit your tanks fairly regularly. Worst of all is its breath weapon attack, which can deal hefty damage to all enemies in a rather short cone in front of it. Su_cient, at least, to hinder your warriors. You can bait it into using this, then withdraw, or you can engage with only one warrior and let them weather the attack. Resist Energy (Cold) will help somewhat. Kill the Shaman, then the Winter Wolf and ]nally mop up the rest of the goblins. Haste will prove useful in this ]ght, as will Stoneskin. Don’t be afraid to expend whatever resources you need to win, as the rest of this area shouldn’t present too much trouble, and you’ll have a good excuse to rest shortly. Rout the Goblin Shaman and his minions, then get to looting. You can’t loot the Shaman yet - you’ll need to pay the Goblin King a visit, ]rst - but there are plenty of crates and whatnot lying about. Make your way to the northern edge of this hilltop and kill the goblins and their wolves if you haven’t already. When they’re dead, disarm a trap [Perception 28] [Trickery 28] in front of the northernmost goblin hovel, then loot the two crates beside it. One holds a Shortsword +1 while the other [Trickery 20] contains a variety of gems. Southwest of here you’ll ]nd another goblin building - a meat storage shed, or garbage disposal shack, given the description. Hard to tell the difference with goblins. A sack out front contains some food, while a crate along the southern side of the building will yield some scrolls and… cheese. Next make your way south to Lamashtu’s totem and disarm the trap around it, more for the experience and safety of having it removed than out of any other real need. Once that’s done, loot a crate [Trickery 26] near the hut to the west to ]nd a Wand of Stinking Cloud. Ignore the prisoners for now - they’re not going anywhere, after all - and head to the entrance to the camp, from which head northeast to ]nd a hut. Search a crate near this hut to score a Taldan Warrior’s Dog Tag. With all the looting done, turn your attention to the previously-neglected prisoners and free them, or kill them [Chaotic Evil]. Only one more thing to do: deal with the Goblin King.

Battle: Goblin King The time has come. Baron(ess) versus Goblin King. Make your way southeast from the Lamashtu totem and through the palisade’s gate, then head southwest to ]nd the tent of the Goblin King. You’ll ]nd this mighty political force on his own and… well, this is actually rather anticlimactic. He’ll be alone if you intercepted and defeated the Shaman earlier, and he’s actually not all that strong, dealing at best moderate damage and possessing an Attack bonus low enough to struggle against your tanks. If you brought Nok-Nok, however, he’ll chomp at the bit to challenge the Goblin King in single combat, which takes the form of an Illustrated Book Episode! There are quite a number of ways to ensure victory in this event, especially since most of the checks are DC 10, which are practically impossible to fail at this point in time. If you pick the [Diplomacy 10] or [Bluff 10] responses to start (both of which use your protagonist’s Persuasion skill score - a restriction that won’t be kept for later checks) and , you’ll then get to choose between two different [Stealth 10] checks. If you pick [Stealth 10] …Nok-Nok climbed on the roof of the nearest hut. you’ll then get three more options. Be sure to pick …a wasp nest! here and the hidden [Dexterity 10] check to win the encounter. On the other hand, if you pick the other stealth option, [Stealth 10] …Nok-Nok hid right behind the king’s back! you’ll get to choose between a [Trickery 10] and an [Intimidate 10] check, both of which will end the encounter successfully and unlike the ]rst two Persuasion checks, this one uses the party’s highest skill. If you started this Illustrated Book Episode out by picking The baron(ess) did not deign to speak to the assembled goblins, demonstrating his/her contempt of the undersized vermin, or if you failed any checks or picked the wrong dialogue option (assume any options not mentioned above are "wrong") you’ll be presented with a [Mobility 10] and a [Dexterity 0] check. Failing another check at this point or picking something silly like …fall to his knees and beg for mercy. the encounter will

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end and you’ll have to ]ght the Goblin King - and perhaps the Winter Wolf and Goblin Shaman, if they weren’t dealt with earlier. Should you either of the two aforementioned checks you’ll get three more, an [Intimidate 10] check and two [Bluff 10] checks. any one of these checks to end the encounter successfully. However you manage it, there’s no reward for success. In fact, the only positive outcome from succeeding is removing the Goblin King from the ensuing encounter; well, and perhaps future bragging rights for Nok-Nok, for what that’s worth. In any event, when you’ve defeated the Goblin King and what subordinates he had around him, it’ll be time to loot the area. There are ]ve goblin hovels in the area, two to the west (including the king’s hut) and three to the east. Near the northern of the two western huts you’ll ]nd a crate containing 96 GP and some gems. Along the southern side of the king’s hut you’ll ]nd a crate, which is trapped [Perception 22]. Disarm [Trickery 22] the crate and unlock [Trickery 25] it to ]nd a variety of masterwork weapons. Near the center of the three eastern huts you can ]nd a chest containing a Torag’s Pendant, while near a southern hut you’ll ]nd a locked [Trickery 22] crate, in which is Mother’s Care. This is a Kukri +2 with the "Keen" and "Frost" properties on it, making it well, just a great light weapon. Once the Goblin King and Goblin Shaman are defeated and all the prisoners are freed, talk to the Goblin Shaman and he’ll gloat about his actions in the service of his monstrous deity. Or at least, what he thinks is the will of Lamashtu, anyway. It doesn’t matter what you say, the Goblin Shaman will die, but not before giving away invaluable information. Even better, you can loot the Goblin Shaman now, and he’ll leave behind Longshank Bane, a Breastplate +2, a Belt of Physical Form +4, the Paragon of Virtue ring and a Taldan Spur. Longshank Bane is a a Spear +1 with the "Bane" property, acting as a +3 weapon and dealing an additional +2d6 damage against "longshanks", a category which apparently includes Giants, Humans, Elves and Orcs. The Paragon of Winter Ring will give the wearer cold resistance 30, but will make the wearer vulnerable to ]re, taking more damage from that source of damage. A sensible bit of jewelry for a goblin who associates with a Winter Wolf to have.

The Bloom Begins Gather your battle-won spoils, then return to Kesten’s camp. Or rather, to the Goblin palisade just east of it (you can use the slope near the escaped prisoners to get there faster). There’s a lot of ]ghting and traveling coming up, and time will be of the essence. Do yourself a favor and stock your spellbooks in a way that favors amplifying brute force; prepare as many instances of Haste and Stoneskin as possible, to the exclusion of just about anything else. Party-wide divine buffs like Bless, Prayer and Burst of Glory will also help (provided they can be converted into healing spells, anyway), but generally speaking, now’s not the time for ]nesse or diversity, just raw melee power. Once you’re rested up, make your way to the camp, where the prisoners you saved from the goblins will start to… bloom. The seeds in them will summon a variety of randomly generated monsters, possibly including Primal Manticores, Ferocious Owlbears and/or Ferocious Wyverns. All beasts you’ve fought before, and ones that can do a bit of damage if you’re sloppy or unlucky. Fortunately for this ]ght you have plenty of guards and prisoners to distract them, which should limit the amount of punishment you endure, especially if you are patient and ensure the monsters engage NPCs before you attack them yourself. Win the ]ght and try to take as little damage as possible, then talk to Kesten who will give you more bad news. Normally the disease - the Bloom - progresses in a predictable manner, but this time the infected triggered simultaneously. If the Season of Bloom began, as the Goblin Shaman claimed, then the scene at this camp possibly may repeat at every concentrated pocket of civilization in your barony, including your capital. Tuskdale is in danger, and speci]cally Jhod, who directly deals with the infected at his clinic, but you can’t just ignore the source of this infection - the Womb of Lamashtu, which can be found upriver. Kesten will insist on searching for this "Lamashtu’s Womb" once he hears about it, suggesting you return to the capital and save the people - including Jhod - who may be dealing with a nightmare scenario. He will not be dissuaded from this task,

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and left alone, Jhod and Kesten are both in mortal peril. If you care about saving them, you’ll need to prioritize and it is possible to save both if you’re quick. This means you’ll need to refrain from resting if at all possible, and since there’s a great number of monsters to slay, that might make this something of an endurance trial. Both areas will be listed below in detail, as if you were intending to explore them in one go, but ideally you’ll do what you need to do to save one character, then leave the area and go rescue the other. In practice, Jhod has more time than Kesten, so you should go to Lamashtu’s Womb ]rst, help out Kesten, then abandon the area and return to Tuskdale to help out Jhod. You’ll be reminded as you explore these areas when to abandon it. Despite this advice, Tuskdale will be listed ]rst and Lamashtu’s Womb second, as it does make more sense - Jhod and Kesten aside - to ]nish them in that order. For optimal results, skip around as needed.

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Season of Bloom - The Bloom in Tuskdale Fighting Through Tuskdale Make your way back west to the capital city (you hopefully don’t need directions at this stage in the game), and when you arrive you’ll ]nd that it’s… seen better days. Sure, it wasn’t a bustling metropolis full of brick and marble, but it was more than a corpse-strewn wreckage! Make your way north from where you arrive and a guard will give you a brief status report, telling you little that a casual glance around couldn’t have informed you of. If you’re feeling generous, pick a [Lawful Good] moral choice to heal her, then venture north. Before you through a barricade made of debris, be sure to expend a series of spellbuffs, including Stoneskin, Communal, Bless, Haste, Prayer, and Burst of Glory, or as many of those as you have. Use individual, longer-lasting buffs like Blur, Shield of Faith and Bull’s Strength at your own discretion. Once you’re prepared, continue north to ]nd your ]rst batch of monsters, which likely includes Owlbears and Hydras. The guards nearby will help distract the enemies, and for this ]rst encounter, the most annoying part are the guards themselves, who can clog up the narrow lane of attack and waste your time. Kill the ]rst group of monsters and continue north to ]nd a second group, perhaps including Manticores, along with the usual Owlbears and perhaps a Wyvern. Eradicate them, and by now the ]rst of your spellbuffs should be wearing off. Reapply Stoneskin as needed, then venture north to reach the throne room, where you’ll have to put down another Owlbear, a Hydra and a Manticore.

Rescue Jhod Once this third group of monsters is slain, talk to the Guard Captain, who is quite relieved that you arrived to save them. Exhaust the captain’s dialogue options and make either a [Chaotic Neutral] or [Lawful Neutral] moral choice, if you wish. When you exit the conversation, the ground will shake and the mother of all Owlbears will appear to the south, quickly making its way towards your throne room. Egads! That’s where you keep all your stuff! Fortunately this house-sized monster isn’t much stronger than the Greater Enraged Owlbears you’ve fought, which is to say, it’ll put up a ]ght, but you should prevail handily enough, especially if you let your guards lead the way and only engage after they’ve caught its attention. After the ]ght, turn your attention to Jhod, who should have showed up during the ]ght, provided you made it in time, of course. The time is awfully generous, so unless you took a major detour (say, explored all of the Womb of Lamashtu), Jhod should be ]ne. Chat with him, ensure he’s okay, and learn what details he can spare of the attacks. With that, you should be done with the timed part of this trip to the capital, and if you already rescued Kesten (as suggested earlier, but contrary to the chronological order of the guide) you’re done worrying about time in general, at least in so much as you can rest if necessary without worrying about any major characters dying.

Finish Off the Monsters Anyway, there’s still a few things you can do in the capital if you feel so inclined. Make your way southeast from the throne room to ]nd more monsters attacking your guards. Exterminate them, then talk to Elina when she shows up to get several moral choices. None of these choices really matter save to help de]ne your protagonist’s alignment. When you’re done chatting with Elina, snake through some buildings to the southwest to ]nd Verdel near a guard pinned under an owlbear. Talk to the dwarven blacksmith and learn about his martial prowess and make a purchase, if the need to indulge in a bit of capitalism strikes you. Yes, even while one of your guards lies dying on the street. Speaking of which,

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you can pick two [Neutral Good] moral choices: - one to heal the guard, and another to help move the owlbear off him - and a [Neutral Evil] moral choice to refuse to help. To ]nish ridding your capital of monsters, return to the throne room entrance, and from there head west to ]nd more monsters attacking your guards. After they’re slain, continue southwest to ]nd another batch of monsters, which should be the last of these beasts in the area.

Deal With the Marauders Sadly, not all monsters have scales and claws. Make your way southeast from this ]nal group of monsters to ]nd some marauders busily looting houses, taking full advantage of the mayhem to enrich themselves. These marauders can be found just northwest of the area transition on the southern edge of the map. Talk to them and you’ll get a wide variety of moral choices, covering every possible alignment save Neutral Good. That said, most choices boil down to chasing the marauders off ([Chaotic Good], [Chaotic Neutral]), punishing them in some form ([Lawful Good], [Neutral Evil]), letting them go ([Neutral], [Chaotic Evil]) or killing them ([Lawful Neutral], [Lawful Evil]). If you do pick a ]ght, the marauders are generally lower-tier enemies by now, although one is an alchemist, and others are wedged in behind boxes that can make it di_cult for you to reach them. A nuisance of a ]ght, more than genuinely challenging, and not terribly lucrative, either. Deal with the marauders however you wish, after which you’re done with your business in Tuskdale. Time to head (back) to the Womb of Lamashtu and get to the bottom of this Bloom blight. Be sure to sell excess loot, rest and do whatever else you need to do before setting off.

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Season of Bloom - Womb of Lamashtu Travel: Womb of Lamashtu While a responsible ruler would head back to Tuskdale ]rst to deal with the monsters that may well be savaging their populace (hence why it’s listed ]rst in the guide) if you want to save both Kesten and Jhod, you’ll want to head to the Womb of Lamashtu, ]rst. To get there from the Goblin Fort area, follow these directions:

• • • • • • • • •

North East (along the Gudrin River) East North Northeast to landmark: Lake Silverstep Village (across Lake Silverstep) East East East Southwest

Rescue Kesten When you arrive, make your way down a age to the east, where you’ll ]nd Kesten. If you arrived in time to save him, some of his fellow guards will be alive, and they’ll be ]ghting a group of goblins, with melee combatants in the front and archers in the back (to the east). They shouldn’t present any trouble to cut down, especially with Kesten and his guards, but the Greater Enraged Owlbear that shows up after the goblins are smote may present a stiffer challenge. Kill the beast, then talk to Kesten to learn what little he discovered about this place, which he’ll implore you to explore more thoroughly. We can do. If you arrived too late to save Kesten (you basically did anything but come straight here after leaving the Goblin Fort) you’ll ]nd Kesten facing off against the Greater Enraged Owlbear alone, the rest of his companions long since fallen. It doesn’t matter if you stop the Owlbear from actually defeating an arti]cially weakened Kesten (say, with a spell like Hold Monster), Kesten’s already too wounded to survive, and will manage little more than to weakly inquire about the fate of the capital before expiring. At least he died a warrior.

Tip: If you’re trying to save both Jhod and Kesten, now is the ideal time to return to Tuskdale and save Jhod.

The Southern age When you’re ready to move deeper into the cavern complex, note that there are several ages you can explore, one to the south, one to the east and one to the northeast.

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Go south ]rst and halfway down the tunnel loot a chest to score 193 GP and some potions. At the end of the tunnel you’ll ]nd another lootable object containing a Taldan Warrior’s Dog Tag.

The Eastern age Return to the chamber where you met Kesten, then head down the eastern age to reach another chamber, inside of which are several Primal Giant Spiders. You’ve fought a few of these before, but now they’re in numbers. They have moderate HP and Armor Class, and a decent Attack Bonus - enough that they should miss your tanks more often than not, but they do a fair amount of damage when they do hit. All in all, they’re weaker than the owlbears you’ve been ]ghting for a while now, but they do come in greater numbers and have enough damage potential and staying power to be a nuisance, especially if you can’t keep them focused on your tanks. You also need to be wary of their poison, which most of your warriors will easily resist, but multiple hits and bad rolls can be a compounding nuisance. Use a tank to lure them to the mouth of the age where you can bottleneck them, then kill them with those favorable odds. You’ll be repeating this trick regularly in this dungeon. Stoneskin will reduce most of the damage they deal each attack, and spells that boost the Armor Class of your tanks even a few points will drastically reduce their offensive output, making Shield of Faith a great cast for this place. Haste, of course, will work wonders, but it’s best saved for situations where you can’t bottleneck the spiders easily. They tend to be somewhat… ambushy… Eradicate these pests, then note three chests that lie around this chamber: one to the north, one to the east [Perception 30] and one to the south. Also note the rock you can loot to the west [Perception 7]. The rock yields a Taldan Warrior’s Dog Tag, the northern chest [Trickery 27] will leave you richer by 197 GP and a variety of gems. The southern chest contains 166 GP, a Taldan Warrior’s Dog Tag, some gems and a Masterwork Javelin. Finally, the eastern chest [Trickery 30], which was so well-hidden, justi]es the skill checks by bestowing upon you a whopping 1,111 GP and a Headband of Inspired Wisdom +4. Before you leave, note the vine-covered ledge to the southeast - your destination. Well, a step on the way to your destination, at least. Shame you don’t have any îght or levitate spells…

The Northeastern age Return, once again, to the chamber where you found Kesten, then head northeast into a surprisingly large cavern. Kill several more Primal Giant Spiders, which are just an appetizer for the ]ghts that lie ahead. In the back of this cavern you’ll ]nd more foes, including an old friend, the Giant Slug, which is accompanied by more Primal Giant Spiders. Focus on the Giant Slug ]rst, as it has a higher Attack bonus and deal much, much more damage than the Primal Giant Spiders. Fortunately the Giant Slug doesn’t have terribly much staying power, so cut it down and mop up the spiders. When the invertebrates are all dead, loot a chest to the southeast to ]nd 294 GP and two potions. There are three ages branching off this second, spider-infested chamber: one to the north, one to the northwest and one to the south. Go northwest ]rst and you’ll spot a Redcap, which will quickly run deeper into the chamber. Suspicious? You’re right, as, if you chase the Redcap, several Primal Giant Spiders will appear and attack. Head forward with just your tank(s) and when you provoke the Redcap, retreat southeast to narrower terrain and dispatch the Redcap, even if it provokes an Attack of Opportunity. If you don’t lure the spiders, great - kill the Redcap then lure the spiders to you and give them the same treatment. Fighting them three at a time while keeping your squishy characters safe is a far better tactic than rushing on in. More carnage awaits, and this time you can’t do as much to avoid it. That said, you can - and should - spell buff, with your longer-lasting buffs, then wait in the middle of the chamber until a Giant Slug wanders in from a age to the northeast. Show restraint and let it come fully into the chamber where you encountered the Redcap and slay it, as you don’t need it

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slithering its way in during the next encounter. If you approach the treasure in this area, more spiders will spawn and attack, including spiders to the south and in the northeastern age the Giant Slug emerged from. To counter this threat, send your more reliable warrior (buffed with spells like Blur/Displacement/Greater Invisibility) south so they can single-handedly intercept the spiders there. Keep the rest of your ]ghters north, and your weaker characters in between the two. Be sure to cast Haste before moving everybody into position, and provoke the spiders by heading over to the northernmost chest in this chamber. Be aggressive and force engagements when they arrive so they leave your weak characters alone (whom you should promptly move to a safer spot - like to the northwest, near the aforementioned treasure chest). Keep an eye on the multiple conîcts and be ready to move characters around as needed, as the spiders aren’t above breaking off from your warriors to seek out softer prey. When you emerge victorious, note the two chests in the chamber: one to the southwest and another to the northwest, in between which is a rock [Perception 7]. The southernmost chest contains numerous scrolls, while the northern one [Trickery 28] will yield the Decapitator, a Falcata +2 with the "Keen" property - a good weapon, should you have a character who can wield it. Finally, loot the rock to obtain a Shard of Knight’s Bracers. Loot the spider-crammed chamber, then head up the northeastern age the Giant Slug used, being wary of a trap [Perception 24] [Trickery 24] at the end of it. This age opens up into another chamber, which at ]rst glance appears thankfully vacant. Along the northern end of the chamber you’ll ]nd some Edible Moss, and east of that sits a pair of chests. Treasure in monster-infested caverns rarely comes free, you know, save for that treasure you found unguarded earlier. In any case, caution is always warranted, and this case is no exception, as the ground in front of the chests is trapped [Perception 20] [Trickery 20]. With the trap disarmed, loot these chests for a Longsword +1 in the western chest, and 182 GP, a Masterwork Greataxe and a Scroll of Haste in the other. There’s also another rock [Perception 7] you can loot for a Taldan Warrior’s Dog Tag. This chamber also has three ages leading out, but since the western one leads back to the spider chamber, the southern one back to the, well, the ]rst spider chamber (lots of spiders in this place) that leaves only the southeastern age. Head over there and, of course, it’s trapped [Perception 24] [Trickery 24] at both its northern and southern ends. Disarm both traps and note the four Primal Giant Spiders waiting for you in the cavern beyond. The strategy here should be obvious enough: lure them into the age you traveled through to bottleneck them, using their size against them to enjoy two-to-one or three-to-one melee odds. Smash the arachnids, then spellbuff and move south into the chamber they occupied, leading with your tanks, leaving your squishy characters behind. As you approach the center of the small chamber you’ll predictably enough be ambushed by another batch of Primal Spiders (who are quite spread out, but do not spawn behind you this time) and two Redcaps, including a Redcap Trickster. This new Redcap’s damage potential is signi]cantly higher than his more common counterpart’s, as he can deal hefty sneak attack damage, so make him a priority, if possible. When they’re dead, loot a wellhidden, locked [Trickery 29] chest to the east to score four Scrolls of Cure Critical Wounds.

Twisty Little ages When you’re done looting, turn your attention to a age to the south, marked on your map as a "Twisty Little age". Enter it and you’ll ]nd yourself in a vine-covered chamber to the southeast, wherein rest two chests. One can be found to the east of where you appeared, and it contains a Composite Longbow +1. Another, sneakier chest [Perception 29] can be found to the southwest, and it’ll leave you richer to the tune of 377 GP and several potions. There are now two area transitions in this vine-covered chamber: one to the southeast and one to the southwest. Head through the southeastern area transition and you’ll ]nd yourself in another, larger chamber that’s as blessed with foliage as the previous one. Unfortunately, it also has some other residents… of the eight-legged variety. These mostly include Primal Spiders, this time led by a Primal Spider Matriarch, who has much more HP and a higher attack bonus, as well as 25% concealment, making her a far more potent foe than the lesser spiders.

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Spell buffs will be helpful here, but may not strictly be necessary. Just be sure to keep your position along the northern end of the chamber to protect your weaker characters and keep an eye on the crafty spiders, lest they ]nd themselves an avenue to attack your weaker characters. When the spiders are smote, continue south and loot a chest to the east to ]nd a Wand of Lightning Bolt. Other than that, continue west to ]nd another chest (which contains some gems and a potion) near an area transition overlooking a cliff. Use this western area transition to enter another small, vine-covered chamber, which is nothing more than a hub area. If you use the northern area transition here you’ll return to the ]rst vine-covered room you entered into, rendering moot the need to explore the southwestern area transition in that chamber. You can no longer reach the area transition you used to come here, which leaves only two area transitions to the west. Through the northern of these two western ages is a hellacious ]ght that’s going to require you to spell buff to the max - and perhaps a bit of good judgment and luck - to win. Start with the longer-lasting buffs like Bless, Blur, Shield of Faith, Bull’s Strength and Stoneskin, and work your way through the rest, ending with Haste and Burst of Glory. If you have the ability, protecting your warriors with Delay Poison won’t hurt, either. When you’re ready, save your game and use the area transition to reach a rather unassuming-looking chamber. While it may look innocent enough, should you venture forward (do so only with your strongest tank) Primal Giant Spiders will emerge and attack. Four at ]rst, no big deal, but when their numbers are reduced, another group will spawn - possibly in an inconvenient place for your weaker characters. This will happen repeatedly until a dozen Primal Giant Spiders have appeared (including another Primal Giant Spider Matriarch). While you shouldn’t have to ]ght too many at once, they’re sturdy bugs, and it’s nigh impossible to keep them focused on your tanks. Summoning monsters may help to throw enough bodies in their way to allow you to coordinate your party , but you’ll almost certainly have to scramble your weaker characters at some point to keep them out of trouble, so simply turtling up along a wall probably won’t work. Kill the dozen or so bugs that threaten you, then loot a chest [Trickery 28] to the north to gather 322 GP, some gems, scrolls, and… Silver Eels? Who keeps seafood in a chest?! Animals. Another chest to the west will yield an Amulet of Natural Armor +2, which you can certainly ]nd a home for somewhere. Whew. Nobody will blame you for resting after that one. When you’re ready to go, use the area transition to the south, which takes you to a chamber to the southeast, the same chamber that the southern of the two western ages in the hub chamber would have taken you to. Another needless travel option removed! When you arrive you’ll hopefully two Perception checks to note a rock [Perception 19] and a chest [Perception 30] to the west. Before you get too loot-happy, though, scout out a trap [Perception 24] [Trickery 24] in front of the chest and remove it. The chest in question holds 366 GP, some rings, a potion and a Masterwork Estoc, while the rock offers up a Taldan Warrior’s Dog Tag. Another, less secretive chest can be found to the east, but be wary of another trap (same checks as before). Unlock [Trickery 31] the chest to get at the masterwork weapons and potions within. With this last bit of treasure looted, make use of another area transition to the southwest (save your game, ]rst!) which leads to a Illustrated Book Episode! Don’t fret over this one too much, as it’s just a transitional device. There are no wrong answers and no checks to master, but getting out won’t be as easy as getting in was, so, again, save your game.

Warning!: Make a hard save before leaving the Womb of Lamashtu. You won’t be coming back until you resolve the following area.

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Season of Bloom - Other World Into the Other World When you emerge from the narrow cleft you found at the end of the Womb of Lamashtu cavern complex, you’ll ]nd yourself in another world. Or an Other World, as the case may be. This verdant world you ]nd yourselves in is quite a departure from the caves you were in earlier. Make your way north and kill two small groups of Primal Giant Spiders, then continue north and east to ]nd an iridescent bird on some vines [Perception 0] that clearly has no natural fear of humanoids. If it wasn’t painfully obvious before, this is not a natural environment. Take advantage of the bird’s naivete and pocket the Mysterious Bird. Next turn your attention to two bluish, swirling clouds of mist on the ground. While this may look uncomfortably similar to the poison mist in the Swamp Witch’s Hut area, it actually has an entirely - mostly benign - function. These serve as area transitions of a sort, although whether the mist is transporting you somewhere magically, or whether you lose yourself in it and emerge somewhere on the other side after an indeterminate period of travel is anyone’s guess. Not that the mechanic matters much - just know that if you walk into the mist, you’ll end up traveling elsewhere. The mist to the east merely takes you to the western mist, so since that’s a dead-end, just head through the western mist, instead.

A Goddess’s Fall You’ll appear in another section of the Other World area, where you’ll witness a ghostly image of the Guardian of the Bloom walking through a gauntlet of hostile humanoids who are also ghostly. You saw the origin story of the Stag Lord back in the day, now it looks like this nymph is getting her own. Follow her phantom to the north and you’ll be treated to another scene, this time with her being accosted by some Will-o-Wisps, burdened with the task of "making ruins of kingdoms", apparently to feed the "eldest". She aided you when you sought to topple the Stag Lord, then turned on you and attempted to destroy your barony immediately after you claimed it. While you’ve known for a long time that the Guardian of the Bloom wanted to keep the Stolen Lands lawless and uncivilized, what you didn’t know was how she’d set up - and then toppled - rulers and strongmen. Also, apparently she’s not working from the understandable motive of defending the natural order of the Stolen Lands, but she’s serving an even more powerful, predatory entity in search of atonement. What this "eldest" entity is and why she needs to atone are a mystery as of yet, but it does suggest that even should you end the threat the Guardian of the Bloom poses to your barony, it may be just the beginning of your troubles. When the ghostly images vanish, search the oddly-oppressive rock the nymph was standing on [Perception 1], then note the Treant-Enlarged Owlbear on a cliff to the north. You can be sneaky and shoot it with ranged weapons all you want, but it’s unkillable, so don’t waste your time.

Note: You can put the Mysterious Bird on this rock if you wish. Refrain for now - you’ll get around to this later, after properly exploring the area. Or not, it doesn’t really matter, but it won’t be covered until later.

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Instead, turn your attention to the mist portals that adorn this section of the Other World, including one to the east and west of the dais you saw the ghostly nymph on, and two (also to the east and west) along the southern end of the area. It’s all an illusion of choice, however, as the southeastern and southwestern mists will take you back to the previous area and the northern mists both lead to the same area, albeit two different parts of said area.

Claim the Magical Lantern Go through either northern mist to arrive at a section of the Other World unremarkable save for an Old Gnome, his camp, and another oddly-oppressive rock. Talk to the Old Gnome and exhaust his dialogue options. He’ll ramble on cryptically about the "Goddess" - presumably the Guardian of the Bloom you’re seeking, and give you vague advice for how to escape this place. More importantly, he’ll give you a Magical Lantern, which can be equipped like any weapon (or in this case, torch). While equipped you’ll be able to safely through the mist without being transported along the usual routes, allowing you to explore the Other World more freely. You can also rest at the nearby Hearth [Perception 1], which will certainly prove invaluable before long.

To the Everbloom Flower Equip the Magical Lantern and venture through the mist to the east to engage two Primal Manticores. Unlike previous manticores you fought, these beasts have 20% concealment, a slight amount of Damage Reduction, high HP, and higher Attack bonuses than you’re used to, from Manticores, at least. If you head south from here you’ll ]nd some mist to the west, which leads to the ]rst area of the Other World (where you fought the Primal Giant Spiders). If, on the other hand, you head west you’ll encounter an Owlbear (no surprising combat stats this time), south of which you’ll ]nd some ruins near a pool of water. Watch a phantasm of the Guardian of the Bloom lament, then interact with the water, if you wish - none of your choices here make a discernible difference. South of the still pool of bitter water you’ll ]nd two more Owlbears, which offer few surprises. Kill them, then search some mushrooms to the west to ]nd that they’re not exactly benign [Perception 25]. Disarm them [Trickery 25] and work your way west, disabling these hostile plants as you explore to the west and north. Work your way uphill to the northeast once you get past these trapshrooms and witness another ghostly scene play out where an accomplice (or perhaps a manipulated minion) of the Guardian of the Bloom will question her use of the "Everbloom Flower". His concerns are not shared by the Guardian of the Bloom, however, who has no use for inconvenient morality. Continue north after the ghostly ]gures vanish, vanquish two Primal Giant Spiders, and beyond them you’ll ]nd another cloud of mist. This time, do not equip the Magical Lantern and through the mist to emerge at a clearing where the Everbloom Flower grows. It’s not alone, however, being protected by three Owlbears, who should be fairly easy to cut down. Do so, then interact with the plant and choose to [Destroy the ôwer]. Alas, such primitive methods aren’t su_cient to eradicate this menace, as the ôwer will simply grow back! Looks like you’ve got more work to do.

Clear Plane B Keep the Magical Lantern stashed away and head through some mist to the north to seemingly travel back to where you last saw the ghostly images, near where you killed the last pair of Primal Giant Spiders. This is, in fact, a different version of the Other World than you’ve been traveling through, and here it’ll become apparent how this place works. There are actually two nearly identical planes that you’ve been traveling between, let’s call them Plane A and Plane B. In Plane A (the one you originally entered) there are two small areas in the center, with the northern one housing the Old Gnome and the southern one (where you initially appeared) being home to Primal Giant Spiders. In Plane B (where you saw

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two scenes with the Guardian of the Bloom) these two areas are connected. Both have a side area to the east that connects the northern and southern halves, while to the west both have a ruin, the pool of bitter regrets, and the trapshroom-lined hill. You are now in Plane B, meaning there should be new critters to ]ght. Sure enough, head downhill to the southwest and you’ll ]nd two groups of Primal Giant Spiders. On the plus side, the trapshrooms aren’t traps anymore, so no line of easy experience for you. Kill the arachnids, head downhill, turn east and reach the clearing where in Plane A two Owlbears lurked. No such threat is present here now, but if you head north to the pool of bitter regrets you’ll ]nd a pair of Primal Manticores. Lure them south and bottleneck them near the ruins, as they’re much easier to deal with one at a time. Equip the Magical Lantern again and head north past the pond of bitter regrets, then turn east past some more mist to return to where you saw the will-o-wisps accosting the Guardian of the Bloom. Continue east through some more mist to ]nd some Primal Giant Spiders. More importantly, you can ]nd a secret age [Perception 25] to the east. This will take you to the ledge where the Treant-Enlarged Owlbear resides… and the treasure it guards.

The Owlbear’s Treasure While this beast isn’t much stronger than, say, a Greater Enraged Owlbear, it does have the unfortunate perk of being immortal, which demands some preparation. First, note that you cannot use area transitions or loot anything while in combat, and if you don’t have a means for dealing with this owlbear you may ]nd yourself stuck in perpetual combat with it. Discretion may be the better part of valor in this case, so make sure you have a character with a good (10+) Stealth skill score and prepare the Invisibility, Greater spell. With those preparations complete, ascend through the secret age you found and when you arrive, hold your position. Cast Invisibility, Greater on your sneakiest character and press the Stealth button. Save your game, then head over to the owlbear, and more importantly, to the chest behind it. In this chest you’ll ]nd a Belt of Physical Perfection +2. A potential spot of di_culty may arise with the fact that the chest requires a [Perception 15] check to spot, which should be technically able by any character, but it may require some save/loading if your sneaky character isn’t particularly observant. Failing that, you can attack the owlbear, the Perception check in the progress, beat it into submission, retreat and hope combat ends (the further away you can get from the owlbear, the better off you’ll be). Sneak in, grab the treasure from the chest, then retreat back down to the lower levels. With this, you’ll ]nally be done exploring and ready to deal with this Everbloom Flower…

Poison the Everbloom Flower Make sure your Magical Lantern is not equipped, then head through the mist to the west to switch from Plane B to Plane A (where the Old Gnome can be found). Once done, re-equip the Magical Lantern and return to the Old Gnome’s camp and more importantly the oddly-ominous stone. Interact with the stone to [Place the bird on the dais], then use the hearth by the Old Gnome’s tent to rest. After resting, return to the oddly-ominous stone to ]nd that the beautifully singing bird is now gone, and in its place are some Bird Bones. Creepy. Collect these bones, then head west to return to the pool of bitter regrets near the ruins. When you interact with it, you’ll get a new option, [Throw the bird’s bones into the water.], after which select the option [Collect water from the pond] to obtain a Vial with Poisoned Water. That Everbloom Flower was resistant to brute force, but let’s see how it likes poison, eh? Make your way back to the Everbloom Flower and before you interact with it, you should be warned of what comes next. Sure, slightly spoileri]c, but you’ll probably want to be prepared. After dealing with the Everbloom Flower, you’ll have to split up your party, and while it’s a short duration, both half-parties will have to win a battle while divided before they’re allowed

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to regroup. That being the case, you may want to buff up everybody, as depending how you split the party, you might not be able to do so later. Sticking to the longer-lasting buffs (Bless, Bull’s Strength, Blur, Shield of Faith, Stoneskin) should be su_cient. When you’re ready, interact with the Everbloom Flower and select the option [Drop the poison from the lake on the petals] to ]nally hinder the Everbloom Flower. This will cause portals to open, out of which will emerge three Primal Manticores. Dropping a Haste here to preserve your other buffs (like Stoneskin) is a ]ne idea. Win this ]ght and you’ll ]nd out that the battle may have been won, but the war isn’t won yet, as the Old Gnome will show up to tell you (cryptically, as usual) what comes next. Respond to the gnome when he questions your motivations - a rare full-spectrum moral choice - however best suits your protagonist, then after some ominous, fatalistic commentary from the gnome, ask "I’ve solved your riddle. But what do I do next?"… or if you need to prepare ]rst (last chance to do so!) select the option "I still have some business to take care of here. We’ll talk later.". When you make the former of the two responses, the gnome will tell you that you must destroy the Everbloom Flower with ]re… in both the Other World and your own world. Both must be destroyed at the same time, but violence begets violence, and you can expect your attack on the ôwer to be met with equal wrath in the form of summoned monsters. This plant isn’t going down without a ]ght. A few ]ghts, as it turns out. When you get the chance to respond again, pick the dialogue option "It’s time to get to it, then. Let’s split up and destroy the ôwer in both worlds simultaneously." After this you’ll have to split up your party. Whomever stays with your protagonist will remain in the Other World and have the harder ]ght - three Owlbears - while the party you send away will ]ght a Giant Flytrap. Neither are easy foes, but the offensive power of three Owlbears easily sures the Giant Flytrap. If you have two tanks, split them up, otherwise keep your tank for the Owlbear ]ght. Of secondary importance is your arcane spellcaster(s), as any side which gets Haste will likely have more offensive power than the other.

Battle: Everbloom Flower Split your party and wait. The wait time will likely be long enough for any shorter buffs (like Haste) to expire, but after a moment more portals will open up, out of which three Owlbears will emerge. Lure them to your tank, concentrate your ]re, and ânk them one at a time if at all safe or possible. When the last Owlbear falls you’ll immediately shift focus to the other party. The second, non-protagonist party will appear in a vine-covered cave. Venture northwest, then north to spot the Giant Fly Trap and engage with your tank. Even un-Hasted, lesser warriors should have little trouble cutting this weed down to size. When the Giant Fly Trap is defeated, your party will reunite only to be immediately accosted by a Primal Manticore and a Primal Hydra. These two foes should be no match for your combined party, after which turn your attention to the Everbloom Flower. Without its animal defenders, the plant can do little but die, which surprisingly prompts debate on what to do with the vegetation. Good and pragmatic characters will argue for destroying it without further delay, while evil and sentimental characters will well, they don’t really offer much suggestion, just express regret at having to destroy such a beautiful - and useful - plant. Either pick the option to [Take a part of the ôwer’s root.] to gain a Root of the Everbloom Flower then/or opt to [Burn the ôwer]. Whether you take a souvenir or not, you’ll gain a hefty experience reward once the plant is dead and burned.

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Reward: For destroying the Everbloom Flower 1,920 XP

Before you leave via either the area transition to the south or southeast, loot a chest near the plant [Perception 28] [Trickery 29] to score 403 GP, some masterwork weapons and a potion. A rock [Perception 19] to the southeast of this chest, wellhidden by foliage, contains a Taldan Warrior’s Dog Tag. Another chest [Perception 32] can be found on the western edge of the chamber. Unlock [Trickery 30] this chest to obtain Graceful End, an Estoc +1 with the "Agile" property. Another chest to the south is less well-hidden, and it contains more masterwork weapons and a potion. Finally, pick up the Cypress Queen’s Crown the Primal Manticore dropped. With that, either use the southeastern exit to return to the previously-explored vine-covered chambers, or the southern one to reach the age to the south, which connects to the chamber where you met Kesten. Whether he’s alive or dead, ignore Kesten, as he has nothing new to say. Leave the dungeon and return to the world map and check your kingdom tab to ]nd the new event "Honor the Fallen". Looks like it’s time to return to Tuskdale, lick your wounds, bury the fallen, and start rebuilding.

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Chapter 3 - Varnhold Vanishing

Investigating Varnhold Message from Jamandi Aldori Now that the Season of Bloom has ended, rebuilding will begin apace. Fortunately it seems that the forces which conspired to end your reign are as spent as you are, giving you a bit of downtime to tend to matters of state. Take this generous reprieve and use the time to deal with any events that pop up, resolve projects, upgrade your kingdom stats and ranks, and perhaps indulge in a few companion quests. Eventually, however, trouble will loom its ugly head again in the form of the event card "Message from Jamandi Aldori", which will prompt you to action once again. Maegar Varn - another Aldori vassal, fellow baron, and would-be ally - has had a sudden, drastic change in demeanor, cutting himself off from the outside world. Naturally Jamandi wants an explanation for why one of her political agents went silent, and hence she’s turned to another one of her minions to go sort things out - that would be you. If your protagonist is [Chaotic] you can complain about being treated like a servant and have a nasty letter drafted up, but either way, it looks like you’re stuck doing Jamandi’s dirty work for now. This starts the quest The Varnhold Vanishing.

Travel to Varnhold When you’re ready, leave the capital city behind and travel out towards Lake Silverstep:

• • • • • • • • • •

East East East Northeast Northeast East East Southeast to reach Lake Silverstep East (along the northern coast of Lake Silverstep) Northeast

This will get you near Lake Silverstep Village - you can reach it by heading southwest from the empty node the above directions led to. This will allow you to rest up in relative safety and maybe sell off some items, if necessary. When you’re ready to continue, head east from the empty node north of Lake Silverstep Village or northeast from Lake Silverstep Village itself. From there, follow the directions below to reach Varnhold.

• • • • • •

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East (across river) North (path bends and follows the river) North West North (along the Kiravoy River) North (to Varnhold)

Exploring Varnhold When you arrive in town you’ll ]nd that, at ]rst glance, it’s quite bereft of human life. Head up to the tavern and loot a crate to ]nd an Ancient Rostlandic Coin, then venture east to ]nd a warehouse near the river, along the southeastern edge of the map. Flitting about the door are two Raven Swarms which, like the Spider Swarms you fought earlier will require some area-of-effect spells to properly damage. Fortunately by now you have easy access to Fireball and similar spells, both of which Octavia and Tristian should be capable of using. Notice some wasted grain lying about, then loot a chest to score a Masterwork Scythe, the Hodag Hide armor (Hide Armor +4 that gives the wearer an additional 2d6 damage on charge attacks) and a variety of potions and foodstuffs. Before exploring back up north, make your way southwest to ]nd a small chapel of Erastil, on top of which you may spot [Perception 20] a bird watching you. Is there some connection between the swarms of ravens you just fought and this oddly snoopy avian agent?

Reward: For noticing the spying bird 120 XP

Make your way back to the tavern and from there head north to ]nd a building behind the inn. In front of this building you’ll ]nd two crates, one of which can only be detected via a successful [Perception 25] check. In the larger crate you’ll ]nd an Ancient Scrap of Script-Covered Leather, while in the smaller one [Trickery 28] you’ll ]nd Vengeance of the Meek, a Sling +2 with the "Giant Bane" property. Against creatures of giant subtype this sling acts as a +4 weapon and deals 2d6 extra damage. Once that loot is secured, venture northeast to ]nd a group of Spriggans. Great, more fae creatures. No surprise there. Cut them down, loot them for a variety of useful - if not noteworthy - items (save perhaps a Cloak of Resistance +1) then loot a crate on the back of a wagon to obtain The Heart of Ira, an odd trinket that makes the wearer immune to fatigue and exhaustion, and allows them to surround themselves with a damaging (2d6 per round) aura that can also inîct fatigue (Reêx 17). Before you leave, investigate [Perception 18] a bird atop the nearby house to note that it’s watching you. There’s obviously something foul afoot in Varnhold.

Reward: For noticing the spying bird 120 XP

Make your way back to the inn one more time and follow the road northeast to reach the river, where you’ll be able to attempt a [Lore (Nature) 27] check. or fail you’ll notice numerous tracks crossing the river, but if you you’ll notice the track belong to humanoids of various sizes. Unless Maegar Varn made friends with some giants recently, this is probably a bad sign. Cross the river and continue following the road past the fort. If you check the walls of the fort you’ll be able to detect voices, but their nature is not disclosed. Make use of an area transition along the eastern edge of the map to travel to the Varnhold Stockade.

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The Varnhold Stockade Worgs in the Ravine From where you arrive, follow the edge of the area southeast to ]nd the lair of some worgs, including two Ferocious Worgs and an Alpha Worg. These mutts aren’t any stronger than the dozens you’ve killed previously, so you should have little trouble putting them down. Once you’re victorious, loot a corpse of a Spriggan to the southeast and pocket the trinkets you can ]nd upon it.

InIltrate the Spriggan Fort Make your way uphill to the north (there’s a slope you can ascend to avoid backtracking) to reach the walls of the fort. There are, as usual, multiple ways to proceed: you can either attempt the front gate, which is well guarded by Spriggans, or you can sneak around to the back of the fort. In the former case you’ll end up having to ]ght ]ve Spriggans, whose sole trick seems to be augmenting their size before attacking. Even while large, they’re not terribly fearsome, having at best moderate Armor Class and Attack Rolls, although they’ve enough Hit Points to have some staying power. The only thing you really need to watch out for is the Spriggan Rogue, who is fond of sneak attacking. Aside from the few hundred Experience Points you’ll get for this victory, the only rewards of note include some Masterwork Greatclubs and potions. On the other hand, if you choose to circle around the southeastern end of the fort, then venture northeast, you’ll ]nd a fallen tree, which leads over the wall of the fort. Not keen on maintenance, these Spriggans? Loot a pile of rocks near the fallen tree to score an Ancient Rostlandic Coin, then use the tree to in]ltrate the fort, which requires a [Mobility 18] check.

Reward: For using your Mobility to inKltrate the fort 60 XP

Sack the Spriggan-Infested Stockade The bene]t of sneaking into the fort is that you’ll be near the southern corner of the fort, in prime position to attack two unwary Spriggan Savages. Of course, if you killed the ones at the gate, you can simply enter the fort and turn right so, perhaps not so much of an advantage either way. But you get a pittance of Experience Points for sneaking in! Eh… Either way, kill the Spriggans, deprive them of their Masterwork Greatclubs (if you plan to sell them), their potions, and their Cloaks of Resistance +1. Now make your way to the western end of the fort, weaving through some buildings to reach a watchtower guarded by four Spriggans - two Spriggan Raiders and two Spriggan Crossbowmen. Dispatch them, loot them for their potions and weaponry, then search a pile of rocks [Perception 8] to ]nd an Ancient Cyclops Coin. To ]nish off the opposition in the stockade, you need merely head to the northern end of the area, where you’ll ]nd three Spriggans waiting, while two more can be found atop a watchtower to the southeast. After this last victory, search near the watchtower where the two Spriggan Skilled Crossbowmen lurked. Behind a house you’ll ]nd a sack full of mundane shields and a piece of jewelry, while atop the watchtower you’ll ]nd a locked [Trickery 26] chest containing gold, gems, a potion and some scrolls.

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The Stockade, Interior Now that the exterior has been cleansed, enter the large building at the northern end of the stockade (marked simply as "Stockade" on your map. Inside you’ll immediately ]nd yourself accosted by ]ve more Spriggans, including a Spriggan Savage, a Spriggan Raider and three Crossbowmen. While this ]ght shouldn’t pose any serious problems, you can make an easy ]ght even easier by debu_ng the Spriggans - something like Web will be more than su_cient, but Confusion or Phantasmal Web… well, they might be glorious overkill. Crush your enemies, see them driven before you, etc., then through some doors to the north, beyond which waits a trap [Perception 25] [Trickery 25]. A second such trap can be found in the room beyond, down to the northeast. When both those traps are disarmed, turn your attention to two rooms to the northwest. In the southern of these two rooms you’ll ]nd two chests, one of which contains junk, while the other contains some jewelry, 187 GP and an Ancient Scrap of ScriptCovered Leather. In the northern room there’s merely one chest, but it contains a scroll, some gems, a potion, 69 GP and another Ancient Scrap of Script-Covered Leather. Loot those rooms, then search a bookshelf at the northeastern end of the trapped hallway to ]nd well, junk, mostly. Next make your way through a doorway to the southeast, where you’ll ]nd another ]ve foes. This batch of enemies includes a Spriggan Raider, Spriggan Rogue and three Spriggan Crossbowmen. Cut them down, loot them, then note two doorways you can use to facilitate further exploration. Go through the northern door ]rst to reach a bed-lined room, now occupied by Spriggans. Kill the several Spriggans here and work your way northwest up some stairs to ]nd… another door! Nothing but treasure lies in the small room beyond the door, including a hidden chest [Perception 10] containing a potion, a gem and 72 GP. Backtrack to the room with the two doorways, and this time head through the southern door to reach a small room crawling with Spriggans. Again, the magic number seems to be ]ve, and they’re not any stronger than the ones you’ve killed elsewhere in this building. Exterminate them, then loot two chests and a weapon rack along the southern end of the room. The northwestern-most chest [Trickery 19] contains a Wand of Displacement, but the rest is mostly mundane weapons and a smattering of gold coins. With that, the bottom level is clear. Make use of the door to the northwest to ]nd some stairs leading to the second level of the stockade. Before you ascend, however, interact with a stuffed bear to open some doors opposite the stairs, giving you a clear route of egress, should you need to prepare for what lies above (hint-hint).

Battle: Agai Upstairs you’ll immediately be accosted by a Spriggan named Agai, who accuses you of crimes you did not commit. If you a [Diplomacy 30] check he’ll accuse "your kind" of chasing him from his cave-home. Whether you get this information out of the Spriggan or not, a ]ght is inevitable. This isn’t a tough battle, pitting your party against - once again - ]ve Spriggans. Agai is somewhat tougher than normal, but not enough to really call for special attention. A combination of Haste and Slow will put this battle in the win column pretty handily, and if you focus on Agai the ]ght will end even sooner. Once Agai has suffered enough damage he’ll resort to dialogue again. Take the opportunity to accuse the Spriggans of being responsible for the disappearance of the citizens of Varnhold, which Agai surprisingly denies. If you didn’t already learn the rough location of Agai’s old cavern home you’ll get another chance now by picking the dialogue option "Where’s

your former home?". After this you can pick the dialogue option "You’ve nothing to lose anyway, Agai, and I need to locate the missing citizens of Varnhold. Our troubles may be more closely related than you realize. Please, help me." which leads to a [Diplomacy 30] check, or you can say "Last chance, Agai. Talk, or you’ll regret your stubbornness." to bring up an [Intimidate 25] check.

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Succeed at either of these and you’ll get the location of the Spriggan’s former home. If you choose to resolve the confrontation with bloodshed, a Spriggan Rogue may appear in the southern corner of the room to complicate things. It’s not a terribly lucrative endeavor, either, as Agai will only drop a suit of Half-Plate +1 in addition to the usual Spriggan kit. Finally, you have three options for dealing with Agai and his fellows. Pick the [Chaotic Good] option to let them go - and warn them to stay away from human civilizations, while [Lawful Evil] will continue the ]ght. If your protagonist is [Lawful] you can sympathize with the Spriggans, try to tie both your interests together, and offer to resolve them both. However you dealt with the Spriggans, once they’re gone be sure to loot a chest to ]nd the Crimson Counselor, a Quarterstaff +2 that has the "Fire Gemstone" property. This gives the the ability to expend six charges (which replenish daily) to cast a variety of spells, including Fireball (3 charges) or Scorching Ray (2 charges). In addition you’ll ]nd the Owlbear Omelet recipe, and a Fallen Warrior’s Boot. You can also spot A Letter with Threats on the ground, which is from an anonymous source and Maegar’s friendship with you seems to be the cause of this unfriendly letter. Finally, search a stack to ]nd an UnKnished Letter from Maegar Varn addressed to you. Seems your mutual acquaintance, Willas Gunderson (the man who asked you to intervene in his tragic Lake Candlemere expedition) found an odd bracelet, which has thus far gone unidenti]ed. Maegar’s mysterious bracelet will have to wait until you ]nd the man himself, and the only lead you currently have is the Spriggan cave to the north. Leave the stockade and make your way back to Varnhold. On the way you’ll be accosted by a large raven, who will screech out the word "hypocrite!" at you or "Butcher!", depending on how you treated Agai. How dreadfully rude! You can respond in kind by chucking a stone at it [Dexterity 18], which will drive this rude raven off, hit or miss. If you choose to be a bit more civilized, however, and banter with the bird you’ll ultimately get the opportunity to comment on your actions regarding Agai (including a few more moral choices). Eventually, however, the raven will call the residents of Varnhold thieves - thieves who paid for their crimes - and refer to you as of the "lesser races". It won’t indulge too many questions before ^ying away, leaving you with more questions than answers. Obviously somebody in Varnhold transgressed against something powerful, and the entire city suffered for it. Maybe the Spriggans made an enemy of the same creature, and examining their abandoned home will lead you to answers? Either way, it’s still the only lead you have, thanks to the not-quite-chatty-enough raven. Leave "The Varnhold Stockade" area, then abandon the Varnhold area itself.

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Overgrown Cavern The Spriggan cave you’re looking for is to the southeast of Varnhold, and is marked as the "Overgrown Cavern" on your map. To reach it from Varnhold, follow these directions:

• • • •

South East South East

Immediately inside you’ll ]nd the probable cause of the Spriggan’s displacement in the form of some barbarians. Approach them and wait for them to start up a conversation, and if you have Amiri with you she’ll get you past peacefully. Amiri being a diplomatic boon? Guess there’s a ]rst time for everything. Without Amiri, you can still talk your way through the encounter peacefully - and if you want answers, you’d be well-served by doing so. If you claim to be the local baron(ess) they’ll believe you outright if your protagonist is a human, half-orc or dwarf. If you’re another race you’ll need to a [Diplomacy 20] check to convince them, otherwise their prejudices will lead them to deny your claim. If you fail this check and have Valerie in your party, she’ll talk some sense into them, otherwise you’ll need to look for other options. These include claiming to be a traveler (a [Diplomacy 20], which, if failed, has no consequences) try to threaten your way in ([Intimidate 25], and they’ll attack if you fail) or you can just bribe them for 100 GP. However you manage it, get past the barbarians (peacefully!) then continue north until you reach a fork. At the fork, search some ruined stonework to ]nd an Ancient Scrap of Script-Covered Leather. Loot it, then turn northwest to reach a sidecavern where the barbarians are encamped, including this group’s leader, Bolga. Talk to this Bolga and be sure to pick the dialogue options "What are you doing here?", "Who are these sisters?", and ]nally "Where might I ]nd Dugath and these Sisters?". This will get you the information on the location of the barbarian’s camp, which you’ll need to get around to exploring when you’re done in here. After this, exhaust the rest of her dialogue options. If you offered to help the Spriggans, pick the dialogue option "The spriggans who lived in this cave are under my protection. Please leave so they can return to their home.", which will lead to a variety of checks. Succeed at an [Intimidate 23] check, a [Diplomacy 22] check or a [Bluff 21] check, the ]rst of which will result in a ]ght if you fail. If you lose your nerve, you can always back out by picking a [Chaotic Neutral] option to pretend you were joking. If you succeed, the barbarians will leave immediately. Whether you succeed or fail, loot a crate nearby to secure the Cheese Crostata recipe. If you return southeast to the fork and from there continue northeast you’ll ]nd a dead end with two chests and a crate you can loot. The southernmost one [Trickery 28] contains a pair of Bracers of Armor +4, while the northern two contain a variety of gems, jewelry, gold, a scroll and some food.

Note: You can loot the cave freely if the barbarians have been convinced to leave, but if you get greedy while the barbarians are still around, they’ll object. You’ll either have to a [Bluff 20] or [Intimidate 22] check, or pay 100 GP go avoid a ]ght.

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Kellid Barbarian Camp Travel: Kellid Barbarian Camp Now that you’ve found the Striggan cave and learned the location of the barbarian camp, you’ve little left to do but head over there. If you killed the barbarians without learning the camp’s location, you’ll just need to follow the given directions blindly, but you should still ]nd your way there, regardless.

• • • • • • • •

West North East (to empty node near "Sepulchre of Forgotten Heroes" area) East (northernmost of three eastern options) East (to empty node near "Ruined Tower" area) Northeast (to empty node near "Blood Furrows" area) Southeast (path veers south) Northeast

The barbarians are in these lands searching for… something. All you know is that some "Sisters" seem to be the brains behind the operation, and that the barbarians have not yet found what they’re looking for. It doesn’t seem obvious how this connects with Varnhold, as the Spriggan’s ouster - and occupation of that already-vacant Varnhold - appears to be circumstantial. Unless you grow wings and chase down that black bird, however, you have no other leads.

Celebrating with the Tiger Lords When you arrive at the barbarian camp, head northwest to approach some guards near the gate. Without any fuss you’ll enter into an Illustrated Book Episode detailing your meeting with the barbarian chieftain - Dugath - who naturally demands you save any pressing business for the next morning, after a bit of merrymaking. Assuming you want to get on good with the barbarians, follow the instructions below:

1. …spilled his/her wine on the ground. The real choice here ultimately boils down to drinking the wine or spilling it on the ground… or in other words, pouring a libation. The latter is the correct move, and this can also be achieved by picking …placed his/her faith in Amiri and followed her example. or placed his/her faith in Jubilost and followed his example.. The character in question has to be in the party, of course.

1. …either didn’t notice her or just decided it would be better to ignore her. or …asked the Tiger Lords who she was. There’s no way to win favor here, only lose it. Fortunately, only one of the three options causes such an outcome. Avoid picking the [Lawful Good] option and all should be well.

1. …the tale of how we defeated the Stag Lord. or …a friendly sparring match. or …the bard’s song. The inverse of the last option, this has three ways to gain favor, and only one way to hurt your standing. For the Stag Lord option, you’ll need to a [Diplomacy 21] check, and for the sparring match you’ll need to succeed at an [Athletics 20] check. Success will earn you favor, failure will lose you favor. The bard’s song is less risky - the barbarians will enjoy it

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without reservation.

Dugath and the Defaced Sister Immediately after you ]nish celebrating with the barbarians you’ll witness a conversation between one of the Defaced Sisters - the spellcasting pariahs you weren’t allowed to dine with earlier - and Dugath, the leader of these barbarians. Her fellow sisters have apparently gone missing, and it is they who have the knowledge and skills essential to this expedition’s success. The rest of the barbarians here are more or less their muscle, although they (or at least Dugath) don’t seem pleased about their task. That’s not to say the Sisters are in charge, especially not with their depleted numbers. When Dugath throws his weight around and makes it clear that he’s not going to be helpful, the Sister will run off, leaving you to speak to Dugath alone. Exhaust his dialogue options and be sure to ask "What are you looking for here?" followed by "How did it go? Did you ]nd anything of interest?". This will reveal the "Ruined Watchtower" area and the "Overgrown Cavern" area on your map, if you didn’t discover them already. Mostly, however, you’ll just get some background information on these barbarians and a not-so-subtle suggestion that you may need to talk to this Defaced Sister if you want to ]nd out more about what these barbarians are looking for. This starts the quest The Lost Relic. Talk to the Defaced Sister and be sure to avoid giving out your name - a black bird is perched nearby, and you don’t need to give it information so freely. Other than that, freely peruse her dialogue options to learn a bit about her quest. She’s not willing to go into speci]cs on what, exactly, they’re looking for, but will readily tell you (if you ask "What were you and Dugath

arguing about?") about her three missing Sisters, each of whom went on a quest from which they never returned. Ask the sensible follow-up question "Do you have any idea where your sisters might be?" and she’ll give you three locations: the "Sepulcher of Forgotten Heroes", the "Forsaken Mound" and the "City of Hollow Eyes". Ask about Varnhold’s fate and she’ll promise her Sisters know more of the city’s fate… It looks like you need to ]nd these Sisters if you’re to discover what happened to your neighbor. She’ll end the conversation by telling you to the word "kheb", which might just come in handy when navigating the Cyclopean ruins that litter this land. This starts the quest Along the Cold Trail, which will be your focus once you’re done with the barbarian camp.

Searching the Barbarian Camp There’s not too much left to do here, but there’s a bit of loot to be had. Search a chest near Dugath’s tent to ]nd a potion, some gold, and trinkets of lesser value, then head east to ]nd Dag the Merchant. a [Perception 20] check to notice a chest between Dag and the nearby tent to the northwest which will yield [Trickery 15] some food, mundane weapons, a scroll and… some coal? Next talk to Dag, who unfortunately has little of interest to sell aside from the Smoked Trout and Hydra Pate Recipe. Oh well. Sell off any junk you may be carrying, then head to the southwestern edge of the camp to ]nd [Perception 8] a pile of rocks behind a tent. Plunder it for an Ancient Cyclops Coin, then cross the bridge to leave the camp. Before you leave the area, search the ditch west of the camp to ]nd a corpse, which you can loot for an Ancient Scrap of Script-Covered Leather, along with some other, trivial items. Exit out to the campaign map and have a look around to spot the areas marked by the Defaced Sister. The City of Hollow Eyes is to the north, the Sepulcher of Forgotten Heroes is to the west (just southeast of Varnhold), and the Forsaken Mound is a good hike to the south. You can go about clearing these in any order you wish - the directions given each time will be from the Kellid Barbarian Camp, which might as well serve as your base of operations for now.

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Chapter 3 - Along the Cold Trail

Forsaken Mound Travel: Forsaken Mound To reach this location from the Kellid Barbarian Camp, use the following directions:

• • • • •

West South South Southeast East

This entire area is resolved via Illustrated Book Episode, and this is a particularly simple one. While you have lots of options, you don’t need to succeed at any to complete the area. All you’ll get for going out of your way (aside from a triîng bit of danger) is experience, which invariably follows every successful check in this Illustrated Book Episode. The quickest way to get through this is:

1. We said the word given to us by the Defaced Sister. 2. …moved ahead down the corridor. There are lots of options here, and a few checks you can make, but none of them are conducive to achieving your goal. Sometimes the best option is to not poke around where you don’t belong and see to your business as quickly as possible. If you the [Lore (Nature)] check or the [Perception] check, you’ll gain some experience. Also, if you pick the option "…tried to clean the mold off the walls." you’ll get a [Knowledge (World)] check that also gives some experience if successful. If you want the most experience, give these checks a try.

1. [Knowledge (Arcana) 25] …examined the body of the Sister. Again, you’ll get experience if you the optional [Lore (Religion)] check, but it’s not necessary. The [Knowledge (Arcana)] option doesn’t need to succeed, but you’ll get more experience if you do. or fail, you’ll end up with the Cyclops Incense Burner for getting through this Illustrated Book Episode.

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City of Hollow Eyes Travel: City of Hollow Eyes To reach this location from the Kellid Barbarian Camp, use the following directions:

• • • •

West North Northwest East

Helping Hilla When you arrive, make your way northwest to ]nd a barbarian camp - more humble than the one where Dugath resides, but still occupied. Before you can make with the barbarians, they’ll be attacked by several Dread Zombie Cyclops. Unlike the one you may have fought near Lake Silverstep Village, these ones have no spells to thwart your battle line with, but there are a number of them. That said, their Attack Bonus isn’t high enough to be worrisome, and they’re not terribly well-armored nor do they have the Hit Points to have signi]cant staying power. Plus, the barbarians ]ghting them should provide a useful distraction. Insist the undead return to an inanimate state, then return back to the bandit camp and talk to Hilla. Be sure to say "What are you doing here?", then respond however you wish, as she’ll enlist your aid no matter who you say sent you, if you even say that much. She’ll tell you what happened - ruins best left untouched, followed by zombies attacking, the usual - then agree to help. Before you run off in search of some grave-disturbing barbarian witches, loot the barbarian camp. In a wagon near a tent northwest of the spit roast you’ll ]nd a Scroll of Raise Dead. East of this meal you’ll ]nd a crate containing some masterwork bows, 112 GP and the Kameberry Pie recipe. You can ]nd more treasure north of the tent this crate is near, although you’ll need to a [Perception 29] check to locate the crate it’s in. Find and loot the aforementioned crate to score 456 GP, two masterwork melee weapons, two potions and some food. Finally search in front of a tent to the southeast of the cooking deer to ]nd [Perception 28] a chest, which is trapped [Perception 28] [Trickery 28]. For good reason, too, as the chest contains Nobleman’s Amusement, a Longbow +1 that gives its wielder the "Elite Expertise" property - effectively allowing them to act as if they had the Point-Blank Shot and Precise Shot feats. The perfect bow for the part-time archer who doesn’t want to invest feats into the vocation!

The Cyclopes Pit Leave the barbarian camp behind and loot the corpses of the zombie cyclopes you helped send back to the grave. Most wear hide armor and bear masterwork weapons - worth some gold, if you can carry them. One also has an Ancient Cyclops Coin. While your goal lies beyond the river, to the northwest of the barbarian camp, there’s plenty of things to kill and loot in this area. That being the case, make your way northeast along the southeastern edge of the area until you ]nd some Dread Zombie Cyclopes - three in total. Engage the two which are readily apparent, but beware of a third which will rise from the northwest. When they’re even deader than they were before, search the pit they occupied to ]nd a crate [Trickery 29] inside of which you’ll ]nd 368 GP, some masterwork weapons, a potion, and some food. For more loot, leave the pit and head north to ]nd

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[Perception 28] a collapsed tent [Trickery 34] inside of which you can ]nd 226 GP and a variety of gems.

Bandits Ambushed by Worgs Now make your way northwest along the northeastern end of the area until you ]nd an ambush in progress. Eight Worgs (seven Ferocious Worgs and one Greater Worg) have surrounded some bandits; a predicament you can certainly sympathize with. The bandits can’t escape their fate, but you shouldn’t waste time worrying about them - once the worgs are done with the bandits, they’ll be after you, and there’s too many of them to take lightly. Cast a Web spell or two, one in the center of the combatants, and another between you and the worgs, then wait for the bandits to die. When the worgs turn their attention to you, hopefully most will get caught in the Web(s), and arrive in more manageable numbers. Cut them down a few at a time to score another victory, then loot the bodies of both bandit and worg alike.

Northern Cyclops Ruins Continue northwest along the northeastern edge of the map until you reach the area’s northern corner, where you’ll ]nd some ruins guarded by no fewer than ]ve Dread Zombie Cyclopes. The one furthest to the west happens to be capable of casting divine magics, starting out with Prayer before dabbling with Hold Person and ]nally using its ability to channel negative energy to hurt your living party . Given this complication, you may want to spellbuff with Haste to make shorter work of the melee Cyclopes, who aren’t slouches in those numbers. Adding other buffs to the mix will, of course, help immensely, and you can also target the ruins with Web to slow down a few of the melee cyclops, perhaps allowing you to deal with only one melee cyclops and the Cleric cyclops for a period of time. If that’s the case, you may want to just rush the Cleric cyclops and cut it down before it can cause too much trouble. Even if that’s not your goal, Web will hopefully reduce the number of cyclopes attacking you at once, making it well worth a cast. Secure victory, then loot the undead giants you just smote. Most have the typical equipment of hide armor and masterwork weapons, but the spellcaster will leave behind a Greataxe +1, a Breastplate +1, a Ring of Protection +1 and a Cloak of Resistance +1. Probably not anything you’ll want to wear, but it’ll fetch a pretty penny when you pawn it. With that bit of business out of the way, loot a branch to the north of the ruins to ]nd a Fallen Warrior’s Sheath and a Headband of Vast Intelligence +4. Search the ruins the undead guarded so ]ercely to locate some stonework on the southeastern edge of the ruins to obtain an Ancient Cyclops Coin. More lucratively still is a stone container near a large obelisk which you can spot with a [Perception 31] check. If you do, loot it to score an Amulet of Natural Armor +2.

Bandits versus Zombie Cyclopes From these ruins head due south until you ]nd some Dread Zombie Cyclops attacking some Bandits. These bandits just can’t catch a break, can they? Don’t feel too bad for these bandits, as they outnumber their opponents for once, and include an Alchemist, which should be made a prime target of yours, should you need to engage them. When they’re dead, loot the zombies for the typical fare, while the dagger-bearing bandit will drop two Daggers +1 and a Ring of Protection +1. In addition, you can ]nd a chest just off the path to the north, northwest of where you encountered these zombies and bandits, inside of which awaits 126 GP and a variety of gems. Continue southeast from these bandits to ]nd some more ruins, in the midst of which is a fallen Dread Zombie Cyclops which possesses a Greataxe +1. What kind of bandit leaves behind an enchanted weapon? Oh well, their loss, your gain. From these ruins head east to ]nd the incompetent bandits, which include a Bandit Transmuter, a sword-and-board bandit and two archers. Chop them all down, then note that to the south of the ruins is a fordable part of the river near the

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barbarian camp.

Worgs and Ruins Follow the river near the barbarian camp until you ]nd a fordable section of the river to the northwest. Cross the river, then follow the far side of the river to the southwest until you ]nd nature playing out in the form of four worgs (three Ferocious Worgs and an Alpha Worg) attacking two Bandits. The Bandits don’t have much of a chance here, but they can distract the worgs while you buff up and attack. Focus on the worgs ]rst and hopefully you’ll cut down at least one before the Bandits expire, after which it should become a fairly simple ]ght against three weakened foes you severely outclass. When your foes lie defeated, loot the Bandits for some weapons you can sell and a Ring of Protection +1, then skin the worgs. If you’re not sick of worgs yet, good news! There’s more waiting for you. Continue following the river southwest until you reach the edge of the area, then turn northwest along the area’s boundary until you reach the northwestern corner, where another pack of worgs await. At ]rst you’ll only spot two (an Alpha Worg and a Ferocious Worg), but further back are two more Alpha Worgs and three more Ferocious Worgs ]ghting a Dread Zombie Cyclops. Again, the worgs are clearly superior here, and it won’t be long before they’ve dealt with their prey, and this time there are enough mutts to be worrisome. Cast two Web spells near the engaged worgs, kill the two closest to you, then eliminate the rest as they escape your Web spells, using missile ]re to… encourage them. Defeat your foes, take any valuables you can ]nd (or skin) off them, including the Greataxe +1 from the zombie cyclops, then search the ruins north of where they fought. Search a container [Trickery 30] along the southern end of the ruins to ]nd 403 GP and some masterwork weapons, then continue northwest along the southern end of the ruins to ]nd [Perception 30] a collapsed tent. In this tent (which is also somehow locked [Trickery 29]) you’ll ]nd Rageclaw, a Longsword +2 with the "Furious" property, which acts as a +4 weapon if the wielder is raging.

The Greedy Cyclopes While skirting around the edge of the ruins has been safe - and lucrative! - enough, stiffer challenges await you amidst the ruins itself. Make your way northeast along the eastern edge of the ruins but avoid actually running on these stairs. You can deal with what dwells there shortly, but ]rst, a more challenging encounter awaits. As you move along the ruins, notice a stonework circle to the east of ruins, where two Greater Cyclops argue with each other. Unlike the other cyclops you’ve encountered thus far, these ones are very much alive… and barring any unfortunate random encounters, they’re the strongest foes you’ve met this chapter thus far. Before you draw too near, buff up with Haste, Prayer, Stoneskin, and whatever buffs you may ]nd useful. When you’re ready, approach the cyclopes and a [Knowledge (World) 30] to understand what’s going on. While it’s not important to understand, if you succeed you’ll interpret that they’re arguing over some artifact. When prompted, choose to [Move forward], at which you’ll be noticed. This prompts two more under-the-hood skill checks: [Perception 26], which will allow you to spot some recently gnawed cyclops bones near an obelisk and a [Knowledge (Arcana) 30] check, which will reveal the trap that caused those bones to be deposited there. those checks to get an understand about what’s going on, then pick the dialogue option "What are you arguing about?" followed by "What makes this 'treasure' so valuable?". This will unlock more options, including a [Chaotic Good] [Diplomacy 30] option and a [Chaotic Neutral] [Diplomacy 25] check. The ]rst will see the cyclopes fruitlessly cooperate, while the latter will see them ]ght for possession of the artifact. You can only choose one, however, so pick wisely. Failing either of those two options you can pick the [Use Dispel Magic] option, which will free the cyclopes from their predicament… but far from being grateful, their hunger gets the best of them.

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While complicated, the encounter boils down into a ]ght against one or two cyclopes. Either that, or useless abdication. If you let the cyclopes ]ght, you won’t gain any experience for the kill - and they’re worth enough to make this a signi]cant loss. The two of them are fairly powerful, however, having a huge store of Hit Points and a high enough Attack Bonus to worry even a well-armored tank. On top of that they can perform sweep attacks, hitting multiple characters at once, and they’re not above using Cleave, as well. With spellbuffs, however, they should be easy enough to dispatch… with a bit of luck. The buffs have already been mentioned, but as for debuffs, Slow will do much to secure you a victory. After you’re victorious, loot the dead cyclopes for a variety of trinkets and masterwork weapons. If that’s not quite enough for you, search to the south of the cyclopes you killed to ]nd the bodies of three bandits and a another zombie cyclops, which you can loot to ]nd a Greataxe +1, two Daggers +1 and a Ring of Protection +1.

Exploring the Ruins Return to where the the two cyclopes argued over their insidiously-enchanted artifact, and from there continue north to return to the ruins you skirted twice previously. You’ll want to use the stairs along the northern end of the ruins, as you’ll ]nd two Dread Zombie Cyclopes here, which will be ed by a third during the ]ght. If you would have engaged these foes along the southern end of the ruins, two of the cyclopes would have arrived from the north and complicated matters. Defeat these zombie cyclopes, then continue northwest and head through some pillars. Disarm a trap [Perception 28] [Trickery 28], then loot two stone containers, one of which contains some gems and the second [Trickery 30] holds a variety of scrolls and gems. Leave the pillar-enclosed chamber and turn northeast, venturing off the northern side of the ruins to ]nd another group of bandits. These bandits are perilously close to the ruins, and frankly, bandits have not fared too well in this area. No reason to let this group have any different fate, eh? You’ll ]nd yourself ]ghting a Bandit Chastener, a Bandit Bard, and three less important bandits - one with dual daggers and the others with bows. The Bandit Bard should be your chief concern, as he won’t be shy about casting nasty spells, like Slow. You know from experience how that spell can swing a ]ght, and you’re just are harmed by its effects as the enemy is. Once the bandits are dead, loot them for a variety of goodies, including the typical Daggers +1 and Ring of Protection +1 from the dagger-wielding bandit, a Chainshirt +1 and a Ring of Protection +1 from the Bandit Bard and an Ancient Scrap of Script-Covered Leather, 177 GP and a variety of lesser trinkets. Finally, loot a nearby chest to score a suit of Leather Armor +2. Now that the bandits are smote, return to and continue southwest across the center of the ruins, stopping to loot another cylindrical stone container for a variety of potions, a masterwork weapon and 157 GP. Further southwest you’ll ]nd two dead barbarians near a circular stone door. Ignore the door for now and continue southwest to the edge of the ruins, where you’ll ]nd more barbarians to loot, and another trap [Perception 28] [Trickery 28] behind some columns to the northwest.

The Cyclopean Tomb With that, you’ve explored these ruins thoroughly, and since they’re the last area of interest in this area, it’s time to head on into these ruins. Head to the center of the ruins and interact with the circular stone door. You can, with a successful [Knowledge (World) 30] check, examine some of the inscriptions on the door, but it doesn’t get you any closer to opening it, and neither will any amount of force you can must. Instead, pick the option [Speak the word "kheb"] and it’ll open up. Seems the words of the Defaced Sister proved useful, and it’s not the last time, as a voice from within the tomb will warn you to block the door so it can’t seal itself shut behind you. With that matter resolved, enter the tomb, where you’ll immediately be pestered by a Defaced Sister. Exhaust her dialogue options then - assuming you’re not going to wantonly act contrary to your own goals by attacking her - tell her to head back

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to camp. Before you depart, however, head down some stairs to reach a large chamber dominated by a gigantic sarcophagus… appropriate, considering the corpse it holds. Loot a container along the northeastern wall to score some gems, an Ancient Cyclops Coin and two potions. If your greed hasn’t be sated yet, continue northwest to reach the end of the tomb, where you’ll ]nd a false door. More importantly is the trap [Perception 28] [Trickery 28] in front of this false door, and the various containers along this end of the tomb. If you disturb the trap or the treasure, a Dread Zombie Cyclops will rise from the sarcophagus to attack you - and its Greataxe +1 will only add to the treasure you’ll gain from this looting spree. Put it down, disarm the trap, then loot the containers for a variety of gems, potions, scrolls and another Ancient Cyclops Coin. When you’re done in the tomb, leave and you’ll ]nd yourself pestered by your dark bird pal, who accuses you based on what your did in the tomb. There’s guilt to go around no matter what you did, and since it’s damned if you do, damned if you don’t, ignore the bird and carry on. When you arrive back at the barbarian camp, Hilla will thank you and leave. One witch saved, two to go.

Reward: For saving the Defaced Sister 300 XP / 1,220 GP

If, on the other hand, you killed the Defaced Sister in the tomb - a surprisingly di_cult ]ght, given the witch’s high Armor Class and Damage Reduction - she’ll leave behind some potions and a Cyclops Incense Burner. When you return back to the barbarian camp, however, Hilla will have some questions for you. You can outright lie [Bluff 30] and claim the cyclopes kill everybody… which honestly shouldn’t be that hard of a lie to sell. If you succeed at the Bluff check, you’ll get the reward listed above, if not, you’ll have a ]ght on your hands. Alternatively you can it to the murder outright, which will allow you to attempt a [Diplomacy 33] check to convince Hilla that the witch betrayed her, or you can say that Dugath ordered the Defaced Sister’s execution. In the latter case, she’ll be less than friendly, but not quite hostile, while if you succeed at the Diplomacy check she’ll be fairly nonchalant. Either way, you’ll gain the aforementioned experience reward, but no monetary reward.

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Sepulchre of Forgotten Heroes Travel: Sepulchre of Forgotten Heroes To reach this location from the Kellid Barbarian Camp, use the following directions:

• • • •

West West West Northeast

From where you arrive, head northwest to ]nd a door. None of your physical contrivances will convince this barrier to yield, but merely uttering the word the Defaced Sister taught you - "kheb" - will force it into compliance.

Brag the Blind and Bloodied Barbarian Proceed through the now-opened doorway to reach a small, dark room. Best crack out them lanterns and/or Light spells. Read some inscriptions on the wall by ing a [Knowledge (World) 20] check (which is worth a health bit of experience) then turn northeast, stopping to loot a container for 100 GP* and a masterwork weapon. Further down the hallway you’ll ]nd a moribund barbarian named Brag. Exhaust his dialogue options to learn about his illfated expedition to plunder cyclopean treasures. Given his words, you shouldn’t be surprised to see more zombie cyclopes in this area. After you’ve learned all you can, you have three options for dealing with the blind and battered barbarian: you can either put him out of his misery ([Chaotic Evil] or [Neutral], if you offer to heal him ]rst), leave him alone, or try to heal him ([Neutral Good] and [Chaotic Good]). Whatever happened to his eyes is beyond your ability to cure, but you, at least, save his life. He’s not initially happy with the prospects of life as a cripple, but he’ll come to his senses after he’s healed. More importantly, you gain experience for healing him.

Reward: For healing Brag 60 XP

Green/Yellow Switch - Zombie Cyclops Room After you’re done with Brag, continue northeast to ]nd another door and a ôor which opens it. Stomp your foot down on it to get the door to obey, then head down the tunnel behind to ]nd another door and another ôor halfway down. A third door can be found at the northeastern end of this tunnel. Doors remotely activated by ôor tiles… sounds like a puzzle! Sure enough, clicking on the ôor promises "doors opening and closing nearby". Wonderful. This particular doesn’t seem very complicated at ]rst glance, and pressing it is required to open the door nearby. If you’re perceptive, you’ll notice the ôor switch is colored green and yellow, toggling between the two as you interact with it. The doors, too, have colors on them, and the colors on the switch reference the doors they open. Interact with the switch and go through the nearby door (marked with a yellow diamond pattern) to ]nd three Dread Zombie Cyclops, although only two will initially be within sight. The third - a spellcaster - lurks further back, and conspires to

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complicate matters with spells like Prayer, Hold Person, and ]nally repeated uses of Channel Negative Energy. Given what a nuisance this Cleric-zombie can be, you may just want to rush him when he shows up, perhaps distracting the easternmost zombie with one of your tanks. Once they’re dead, loot them for a variety of masterwork weapons and the Cleric-zombie’s superior loot, including a Breastplate +1, a Ring of Protection +1 and a Cloak of Resistance +1. Also be sure to search for some loot in the western corner of the room [Perception 8], which includes a suit of Padded Armor +3 and a Fallen Warrior’s Buckle. Finish up the room by looting a container in the northern corner, then by examining an inscribed pillar [Knowledge (World) 30] in the center for some experience. Three doors now beckon, one to the southwest (green), one to the northeast (green) and a ]nal one to the northwest (yellow). The doors to the northeast and southwest are currently closed, but by toggling the switch you used to enter the room with the three zombie cyclopes you just smote (from now on, let’s refer to it as the Green/Yellow Switch) you can open these doors. Even so, there are two more doors beyond the ]rst northeastern door (both blue), and you’ve no means of opening them yet. Likewise with the two doors (orange) beyond the southwestern door. That being the case, you don’t have much choice except to go northwest, and that means leaving a character behind at the Green/Yellow Switch to activate it for the rest of your party.

Green/Yellow Switch - Trap Room Assemble in the room where you downed the three zombie cyclopes, toggle the Green/Yellow Switch to open the northwestern door, then head through the door to ]nd several barbarians lying in wait for you. Provoke them, then retreat back through the door and attack them when they chase you into the zombie cyclops room to avoid getting ânked. Their Attack Bonus is decent, and they’ve got plenty of Hit Points, but their Armor Class is rubbish, so you should have no trouble winning a slugfest with them. Once they’re dead, continue through the doorway to reach a hallway running southwest/northeast, with a door at either end. At its default state (the door to the zombie cyclops room opened by Green/Yellow Switch is open), the southwestern door will be closed and the northeastern will be open. Which way you choose to advance ]rst is somewhat arbitrary, but assuming you head through the door at the southwestern end of the tunnel ]rst (leave a character behind to manipulate the Green/Yellow Switch as necessary) you’ll ]nd a age running to the northwest, which bears two traps on the ôor [Perception 26] [Trickery 26]. Disarm them, then continue down the hallway to reach a room where a lone zombie cyclops lurks. Lure it into the hallway, smite it, then carefully proceed into the room it occupied, as there are numerous traps [Perception 25-26] [Trickery 25-26] lying about… with the more irregularly patterned ones usually having a slightly lower DC. Sweep the room for traps, loot a container [Trickery 24] in the northern corner for six Potions of Heroism, then note a closed door to the southwest. Alas, this door, too, is not controlled by the Green/Yellow Switch.

Green/Yellow Switch - Barbarian Room Once this room is cleared, continue to the northeast to reach another chamber, along the way stopping to disarm another trap [Perception 25] [Trickery 25] and check a wall [Knowledge (World) 19]. In the northeastern chamber you’ll ]nd several more Barbarians in need of some smiting, including three melee combatants and two archers, the latter of which have such a poor Attack Bonus with their bows that they’re all but incapable of harming your tanks. Chop them all down, loot the sword and shield armed barbarians for Masterwork Longswords as well as the Chocolate Icecream recipe… no, really. When that’s done, loot a container along the northwestern wall to ]nd some trinkets along with an Ancient Scrap of Script-Covered Leather. Most importantly, however, you’ll ]nd the Blue Switch in the middle of this chamber, which will grant you access to new

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areas. This is a good thing, as you’ve gone as far as the Green/Yellow Switch on its own can take you… in this direction, at least. Unlike the Green/Yellow Switch, the Blue Switch is on a timer, so you’ll need to move your party into position ahead of time to exploit what it opens, and keep a character behind to toggle this switch as necessary.

Green/Yellow Switch - Barbarian Room Make a note of the Blue Switch, but don’t make any plan to play with it just yet. There’s one more area the Green/ Yellow Switch can get you. Return to the ]rst hallway where you fought barbarians (the one running northeast/southwest), toggling the Green/Yellow Switch as necessary to get back and, more importantly, to get the northeastern door open. When you’ve manipulated the Green/Yellow Switch enough, go through the northeastern door, continue down a age to the northwest, then turn northeast again. Note a closed door to the northwest, which isn’t controlled by the Green/Yellow Switch, then continue into a room to the northeast, where you’ll ]nd another trio of zombie cyclopes. Again, there are two melee brutes up front and a Cleric in the back, so either weather the spells of the latter while you cut down the former, or rush past the melee cyclopes to attack the Cleric. Loot the slain zombie giants (they have the same loot as the previous three) then note a third switch on the ground - the Orange Switch I. Makes sense, given the orange doors you ed by earlier. Now that you know how to reach both these switches, it’s time to start using them to proceed deeper into this dungeon.

Orange Switch - Eastern Rooms Press the Orange Switch I, then return to the ]rst room where you fought the zombie cyclopes and from there continue into the hallway where the Green/Yellow Switch is located. Continue northeast to ]nd that a door at the end of the hallway has opened, and for the safety of whomever you plan to leave behind to activate the Green/Yellow Switch, you’d best clear it out ]rst. Inside you’ll ]nd your typical collection of three zombie cyclopes, including another cleric. This time, you’ve little choice but to exercise caution, as the cleric stand behind a trap. If you can lure the warriors into the hallway and kill them, wonderful. If the cleric follows, even better. If not, kill the warriors, disarm the trap, endure whatever spells the cleric casts, then cut down the third and ]nal zombie. Continue northeast until you ]nd a age running northwest, at the front and end of which are more traps. Disarm them, loot a hidden cache in a crumbling pillar, then continue to reach a T-intersection to the northwest. If you turn southwest you’ll notice you’re behind one of the doors leading to the room just beyond (northwest of) the Green/Yellow Switch. Continuing down the hallway to the northeast will terminate in a small room with close blue and orange doors. You’ll get behind them soon enough, but for now there are easier targets to explore. Return, once again, to the Green/Yellow Switch and position one character by the Green/Yellow Switch. Activate it to close the doors to the northwest and southeast (separating the character by the Green/Yellow Switch in the process) and opening the doors to the southwest/northeast. Head through the open door to the southwest and note that one of the two doors beyond - the southern one - is now open.

Orange Switch - To the Second Orange Switch Enter the room now available to you, kill two cyclopes, and press a button, which will open a door to the north. Head through the northern door and put down a group of barbarians, then continue northwest to ]nd more snooping barbarians, whom will probably come down a age in search of trouble. When you’re done battering barbarians, loot some ruins near a wall mural and continue northwest to ]nd a door to the northeast, midway down the hallway. Don’t be fooled by past experience in this dungeon - this door is conventionally locked,

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no switches necessary. Unlock it, then loot the containers beyond for a substantial inûx of cash. Leave the room, continue down the hallway to the northwest and eventually you’ll ]nd another orange switch… let’s call this one Orange Switch II, and unlike the previous Orange Switch, this one is timed. Alas, the switch doesn’t open the nearby door, so you’ll have to position a second character here and go searching for what it does unlock.

Orange Switch II - Northern Orange Door Fortunately, when you activated the switch in the room to the south with the two cyclopes you also opened several other doors, which you can now explore. Make your way back to the room just beyond (northwest of) the Yellow/Green Switch and continue through the door to the northeast, which should already be open. You should notice the two doors beyond it to the northeast are open… which allows the character you left near the Green/Yellow Switch to re your party. Huzzah! The southern of these two doors loops around to the Green/Yellow Switch, so go through the northern one instead, beyond which you’ll ]nd a large chamber occupied by several barbarians. Smite them, then look around to get a grasp of this area’s location… and how this dungeon will play out. To the northwest is an orange door which leads to the room with Orange Switch I which can be opened by Orange Switch II. You’ll get to this shortly, but ]rst, note the multi-colored door to the northeast, along with the blue door near it. Still some work ahead of you, it seems. Have the character you left behind - poor thing - hit Orange Switch II, then quickly move the rest of your party through the orange door to the northwest and continue past Orange Switch I to ]nd another orange door to the northwest. Activate Orange Switch II again and proceed through the door to ]nd yourself back in the room with the Blue Switch.

Blue Switch - Zombie Adventurers To proceed further you’ll need one character standing by Orange Switch II (which you should already have) and one by the Blue Switch, both of which are timed. Use the Orange Switch II to move the rest of your party south to the room with the sealed tri-color door, then use the Blue Switch to open the door south of the aforementioned tri-color door. Beyond this door you’ll ]nd yourself in the room with the blue and orange doors, both of which are opened by their respective, timed switches. Hit Orange Switch II, then continue northeast through the now-opened orange door, beyond which you’ll ]nd a party of zombies who conspired to be your equals. They’re a balanced bunch, including a Cleric and a Sorcerer, which will cause you some mischief if you allow them to. Spell-buff to the max before heading through the door (as much as you can, anyways, considered you’re down two party ) and rush the Sorcerer ]rst, then the Cleric. The other zombies may include some melee-competent warriors and a nuisance ranger, but they’re lesser threats than their spell-casting comrades. If this ]ght is proving troublesome, there’s an easy solution; the doors in this dungeon cut both ways. If you activate Orange Switch II and head inside with only your tank, you should be able to provoke the zombie adventurers. Flee back through the orange door before the timer runs out and bottleneck the zombies who follow you near the door, and when it closes it’ll separate the combatants… presumably their warriors from the spellcasters and the ranger. These two should be simple enough to cut down on their own, after which you can rest up, heal and buff up as necessary before opening the door again and cutting down the stragglers. However you manage it, when you’re victorious, loot the twice-slain adventurers for some gear including a Tower Shield +2, Penrod Hanvaki’s Letter, a Belt of Giant Strength +2 and a Composite Longbow +1. In the rest of the room you can also ]nd a hidden chest, a container holding Fury’s Legacy, a Falchion +2 with the "Furious" property, causing it to act as a +4 weapon when in the hands of a raging character. Hello, Amiri. Most importantly, however, is a white switch in the room, which unlocks white component of the tri-color door. To get this ]nal door open, you need mere press this switch, navigate back to the tri-color door (aided by your characters near the Blue Switch and Orange Switch II) then press the two aforementioned timed switches one more time to open the tri-colored

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door. In the room beyond the tri-color door you’ll ]nd a most welcome sight - a Tri-Color Switch. No points for guessing what this does.

Rescuing the Defaced Sister Activate it, reunite your party, then continue northwest to ]nd some ominously named Soul Eater enemies. Inform them your soul isn’t on the menu, then keep advancing to the northwest to ]nd a large chamber dominated by a sarcophagus, beyond which waits another Defaced Sister. Spellbuff generously before you approach her. Talk to the Defaced Sister and, if Amiri is with you, you’ll have to restrain her - she’s a bit touchy about barbarians being sent to their deaths by witches and all - then chat with her. She has little useful to say unless your protagonist is [Good], in which case you can utter a condemnation of her actions that shake her into revealing some useful information. More importantly she’ll give you a Cyclops Incense Burner. If you just convince her to leave, you won’t get the aforementioned relic. Either way, after you’re done with the Defaced Sister, the doors that line this chamber will predictably open, letting loose a horde of zombie cyclopes, including clerics and warriors. This is why you spell-buffed earlier. Fighting them here is a rough prospect, although if you can cut down two warriors quickly enough and get your vulnerable characters into the room they occupied, you’ll at least have a tenable defensive line. If your spell preparations included Haste, casting that should let you simply êe to the southeast, where you might ]nd better defensive prospects by bottlenecking them in the tri-colored door. Almost every workable scenario involves you enduring the spells of the clerics, however, so having something to counter Hold Person (such as Remove Paralysis) will prove quite useful. Once you’re victorious, loot a wall container at the northwestern end of the hall for some magical items, and search the southern-most cell (the cells from which the cyclopes emerged) to ]nd a hidden container with more treasure. Finally, head into the eastern-most cell to ]nd a quick way out of this dungeon.

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Sister's Reward After you’ve found all three Sisters - whether they were already dead when you found them, you killed them afterwards, or you shamed them instead of sending them back to camp (or a combination thereof) - return to the Kellid Barbarian Camp. If you were expecting a hero’s welcome, however, you’re sure to be sorely disappointed. Be sure to spellbuff as much as possible before moving anywhere upon entering the area. When you’re ready, approach the center of the camp to witness a scene, where the Sisters are proving themselves worthy of the contempt their fellows heap upon them by accusing you of wrong-doing. The outcome of this encounter depends on two factors; how you respond when you get the chance, and whether the barbarians are already biased against you enough to do the Sister’s bidding. In the latter case, their disposition towards you was determined during your ]rst visit to their camp, during the Illustrated Book Event. You had two options to gain favor and two options to earn disfavor, and so long as you didn’t didn’t pick both negative options - drinking the wine instead of pouring it out and arguing for the Sister to eat with the rest of you - you’ll be ]ne. Or at least, you’ll have a chance to reason with Dugath. If their opinion of you is negative, however, Dugath will command his barbarians to attack. Assuming a ]ght against the entire barbarian host isn’t inevitable, you have some options. First, you can attempt a [Diplomacy 25] check to talk some of the barbarians out of a ]ght. You’ll also automatically attempt a [Lore (Religion) 25] check which, if successful will give you a corresponding option that avoids involving Dugath and a few others. Finally, if your protagonist is [Neutral] you can pick an alignment-speci]c option to mitigate the ]ght. Some level of conîct is unavoidable as the Sisters and their loyalists will attack you regardless. The ]ght is, however, much easier without Dugath and his minions ing in although the strategy for this battle is the same either way. There’s a lot of barbarians, and you start out in a miserable position so retreating across the bridge to the south (a feat much less painful with Haste) is a mandatory ]rst step, although even then you’ll be hard-pressed to keep the barbarians from surrounding you unless you have a warrior-heavy party or summon some allies. Assuming you can break free to the south and form a defensive line, use debilitating spells like Confusion, Web and Slow to hinder your enemy, while putting up buffs of your own. The average barbarian will die readily enough, but the Sisters are more resilient nuisances, having high Armor Class and Damage Reduction. They’re hard-to-remove nuisances, and frankly, the more you killed out in the wild, the better off you’ll be. Should you emerge victorious, talk to Dugath, who will tell you where the Sisters were searching - the Valley of the Dead. If you fought him, he hopes you ]nd your demise there, but doesn’t help matters by forfeiting some high quality gear. If he didn’t ]ght you, he’s a bit more diplomatic about revealing the location of the Valley of the Dead. You’ll also get an option to attack him, so if you want his gear without ]ght all the barbarians at once… Either way, if you kill Dugath be sure to loot him for a Breastplate +2, a Cloak of Resistance +1, a Belt of Physical Perfection +4 and Endless War a Greatsword +5 with the "Vicious" property, which deals 2d6 damage to the opponent and 1d6 damage to the wielder. However you resolved matters, pick up the Cyclops Incense Burner from the Sister. Another fey creature. Seems you can’t get a reprieve from their machinations.

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Chapter 3 - The Lost Relic

Gates to the Valley of the Dead Travel: Valley of the Dead Now that you’ve found the Sisters - and survived their treachery - it’s time to head to the Valley of the Dead. Fortunately, in tracking the Sisters down you also claimed the Cyclops Incense Burners they held, which are the keys to gaining access to what they sought. If anything could bring ruin to a city like Varnhold, a place named the "Valley of the Dead" seems to be an appropriate place to search. To get there from the Kellid Barbarian Camp, follow these directions:

• • • •

West South South Southwest

Along the way there, you’ll be stopped by a not-so-random encounter, where your old friend, the black bird, will show up and bother you again. This time it has a generous offer for you: submit to its master, Vordakai, the Chosen of the Four Horsemen and the Keeper of the Oculus of Abaddon. After empty title-reading, the bird will it its master was indeed behind the Varnhold vanishing, and will instruct you that you need three incense burners - which you should already have. After that encounter, you can continue on your way:

• Southwest • South

Opening the Gate When you arrive, follow a trail north a short distance to reach a gate. Interact with it and pick the option [Light the three incense burners from the tombs and hang them on the hooks on the center of the gate] to open the gate in… somewhat dramatic fashion. Continue north past the gate to ]nd an area transition to Vordakai’s Tomb.

Warning!: Before you enter Vordakai’s Tomb, make sure you have plenty of rations - enough to rest several, perhaps half a dozen times. It’s heavy, but once you enter, you’re not leaving, and there are hordes of nuisance monsters in the dungeon ahead. Energy Drain and Ability Damage will be your constant companions, so spells like Delay Poison, Lesser Restoration and Death Ward are necessary and may require constant application. You have been warned.

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Warning!: If Tristian is your primary divine spellcaster and you’re dead-set on bringing him with you, you may want to adjust your party to include a secondary divine spellcaster… or at least a character with access to Remove Paralysis. Jaethal is an ideal candidate.

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Vordakai's Tomb, Level 1 Vordakai’s Tomb Alas, the area transition doesn’t lead directly to your destination - a bit of a walk over the map is required. It’s a short distance as the crow îes, but you’re no crow and the terrain is less than ideal. Don’t be surprised if you need to rest to ward off fatigue before you reach your destination. Speaking of which, follow these directions:

• Southwest • Southeast (the southern of the two options)

Escape the Cloudkill Chamber Rest up, then enter the Vordakai’s Tomb area. From where you arrive, head northeast down a age to reach a chamber, where you can investigate (via various [Perception] checks) a number of grates and corpses. As you poke about the room, the raven that’s been pestering you - now named Horagnamon - will again make an appearance. Respond as you will, then venture near the northeastern door. Approaching the northeastern door will prompt it to open, and the southwestern door to close. In case that’s not enough encouragement, the vents in the chamber will expel deadly gasses - the equivalent of several Cloudkill spells. If that’s still not bad enough, several zombie cyclopes will appear, and while they’re not bothered by the gas, you are. Given this unequal playing ]eld, you have only one sensible option; êe through the door to the northeast… likely as intended. Don’t stray too far, as a trap can be found in the hallway beyond the northeastern door. There should, however, be enough room for you to form up and turn to face the cyclopes.

Poisonous Hydra Den After defeating your foes and escaping the Cloudkill room, disarm the trap behind you and continue northeast and turn down another tunnel to the southeast. Disarm two traps as you go, and when you reach another bend, be wary of a trio of zombie cyclopes that will likely be marching towards you. Defeat them, then continue southwest until you reach some natural stone chambers, at which point turn south to reach a chamber occupied by three Poisonous Hydras. These beasts, of course, are all too keen to spit poisonous gasses on you, and given the con]nes and their numbers, there’s no real way to avoid their breath. You’ll just have to hope your warriors have a Fortitude Save high enough to weather the Strength-sapping poison they spit… and perhaps have a few Restoration spells ready, just in case. Carve the hydras up, then continue to the southern end of their den to ]nd some underwater stairs. an [Athletics 29] check to continue deeper into the dungeon, surfacing… somewhere to the southeast?

Horagnamon’s First Name When you surface, venture northeast to reach a chamber ]lled with urns. Loot two containers and press a button along the southeastern wall (just southwest of the door, easily obscured by the foreground) to open a nearby door. Continue through the door, down some stairs, and into a chamber to the southeast, where Horagnamon again awaits you. Endure the bird’s prattle until it asks you to name one of your companions, aiming to achieve this by various contrivances. Be wary, as this bird is all too eager to learn names, and you may regret revealing one. Fortunately, you can always refuse

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to answer… but this will just make a random character speak up and blurt out their name. Oops. When the bird is sated, it’ll ^y away, leaving you to deal with the room’s inhabitants - four cyclopes, including a cleric. Their numbers may be slightly higher than usual, but if you can defeat the groups in the Sepulchre of Forgotten Heroes, you can defeat these cyclopes. Once they’re dead - again - continue northeast and search the room for traps, as there are several scattered about. When they’re disarmed, loot some containers to the northwest, then press a button to open the door to the northeast.

Note: For reasons that’ll become clear soon enough, you’ll want to mention the names of your warriors when the bird attempts to goad you.

The Hatch-Roof Chamber Continue down some more stairs and ages beyond the door you just opened until you reach a large chamber with ominous hatches on the ceiling. Those hatches probably don’t serve any good purpose. Investigate a mural along the northwestern wall [Knowledge (Arcana)], then loot a container to the northeast. Along the eastern corner of the room you’ll ]nd another switch you can activate to open a nearby door… or so it seems, anyways. Before you activate the switch, sequester your party in the eastern corner of the room so your squishy characters are behind your warriors. Once done, spell buff, then activate the switch with one your trusty tanks. When you interact with the switch, you’ll be treated to an Illustrated Book Episode:

1. [Trickery 30] …open the door. or [Perception 26] …]nd the mechanism to disarm the trap. Picking the [Strength] option is only marginally better than failing one of the other checks. In fact, it leads to the same dialogue outcome, you just get some experience. If you succeed at the [Trickery] or [Perception] check (you should be capable of easily meeting both of these checks by now), you’ll be done with the book event in one go. If you fail, or pick the [Strength] option, another check must be made: an [Intimidate] or [Stealth] check to avoid taking signi]cant damage. If you one of the checks and thus complete the Illustrated Book Episode without trouble, you’ll appear in a chamber to the north. If not, you’ll be stuck in the large chamber with hatches on the ceiling, along with new friends: ]ve zombie cyclopes. In the former case, head northwest, disarm a trap, then loot two containers. Once done, return back southwest and use an area transition to return to the large hatch-roofed room. In either case, a ]ght with zombie cyclopes is unavoidable - you just get a lot more experience, avoid damage, and get a shot at some treasure if you the Illustrated Book Episode’s checks. Speaking of the cyclopes, this group of giant, one-eyed deaders includes four warriors and a cleric. If you failed the Illustrated Book Episode checks, you should be snug in your corner, which isn’t ideal, but… it could be worse. If you succeeded, you’ll now ]nd yourself near the mural along the northwestern end of the room. Not a good spot to ]ght. You can, however, run through the doorway to the southwest, which is a ]ne spot to ]ght. Either way, defeat the cyclopes - four warriors and a cleric - then continue to the door along the eastern end of the hatched chamber.

Horagnamon’s Second Name Well, that’s one ordeal survived. Still plenty left ahead of you, however. through the door on the eastern end of the hatched chamber, go up some stairs, then turn northeast to reach a chamber where another several cyclopes lurk. This

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time you’ll be ]ghting against three warriors and two clerics, giving them plenty of spell power with which to harass you, and rushing the casters might not be a feasible strategy here. As much of a bother as it is, form a defensive wall near the entrance of the chamber, cut down the warriors, then deal with the clerics. Crush your opponents, then head into the room they guarded. To the northwest you’ll spot that damn bird again. Let it âp around on its own for a moment, however, and search to the southeast to ]nd a hidden door. Open it, then descend some stairs and follow a tunnel beyond to the northeast, where you’ll ]nd a small, loot-]lled chamber. Plunder three containers to ]nd, among other goodies, a Tower Shield +2 and the Forsaken Edge, an Estoc +2 that has the "Unholy" property. Return to the chamber where you fought the last ]ve cyclopes and continue down some stairs to the northwest. You will, of course, be pestered by the raven once again, who will ]sh for another name. If you don’t supply a name, one of your dullard companions will, ensuring the forces at work get the intel they need.

The Astradaemon In the depressed chamber beyond the stairs you’ll ]nd a door to the northeast guarded by two statues. On the ôor opposite the door is a switch, which you should ignore for now. Instead, continue northwest to ]nd another switch near a door to the west. Loot a container, hit the switch, then go through the western door to ]nd a bound Astradaemon. Talk to the Astradaemon and before you go being righteous or îppant, know that this beast is quite dangerous. High Armor Class and Damage Reduction are present, as usual, which will hinder the offense of all but the most potent of characters. Unless you have weapon that’s both silver and holy, you’ll be doing ten less damage per hit, although to be fair the divine spell Bless Weapon will take care of one of those conditions. It also has the ability to automatically con]rming critical hits, which will likely be your only means of dealing signi]cant damage. If you were thinking of offensive spells like Dismissal, be aware that the ]end’s Spell Resistance is high enough to make such a tactic unlikely to succeed. It’s defense is bad enough, but what about its offense? Aside from spells like Energy Drain, Finger of Death and Vampiric Touch, its melee attacks are also quite impressive. It attacks fairly fast and has a high enough Attack Bonus to hit your tanks. Granted, not with great regularity, but its attacks also inîct Negative Energy Levels, meaning even the toughest warrior can only take a few hits before dying. The solution to most of its offense? Death Ward. While a tough ]ght, if you buff to the max - including Greater Invisibility, Haste, Stoneskin, Prayer and Death Ward - and you have a way to deal damage, you just might win. Granted, there’s a good chance you won’t have a better way of inîcting damage than by using Bless Weapon and hoping for critical hits, but it may just be su_cient. Failing any of that, you can always just say "Vordakai summoned me. I am here at his request." for now for a generous experience reward… the same amount you’d get for defeating the Astradaemon, in fact. You will not gain experience for killing the Astradaemon if you get the experience from this dialogue option, however, so keep that in mind.

Note: Given how much more powerful the Astradaemon can be than your party, there’s really no shame in just ignoring it.

Free the Captive Barbarians However you decide to deal with the Astradaemon, make your way past it to the west, loot two containers, then head down some stairs to the southwest. At the bottom of the stairs you’ll ]nd a room full of captive barbarians, who will tell you their tales of woe and horror if you indulge them.

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If you’ve killed the Astradaemon, you can pick a [Chaotic Good] option to tell them they’re free to êe. If not, be wary what you say, as you may commit yourself to a ]ght with the Astradaemon. If you say "Hold on, I have to take care of something else ]rst." you won’t provoke the Astradaemon, but picking the [Lawful Good] or [Chaotic Neutral] options will. Freeing the barbarians will just get you some experience, but you can loot a hidden container on the wall whether you free them or not.

Kill the Greater Cyclops Return to the larger chamber to the north and turn your attention to the ôor switch in the center of the room. If you would have activated this switch ]rst, the one that opened the door to the Astradaemon wouldn’t have worked, hence why you dealt with the Astradaemon ]rst. Now that you’ve given the Astradaemon a try, îp the switch you ignored earlier to open the door to the northeast. Don’t tarry, however, as the statues ânking the door will expel negative energy blasts, dealing damage to living creatures (you, mostly) trying to through. Continue down a hallway to the northeast to ]nd a lower room below you to the northwest, which requires a [Mobility] check to navigate. Climb down, disarm several traps… or more like a dozen. When the traps are dealt with, loot a container, then continue northwest to ]nd two ages, one to the northwest (which leads to a door) and one to the southwest. Head southwest ]rst, loot a container and investigate a pillar, then return to the trap-littered room. Activate a switch in the northern corner of the chamber to open the door to the northwest, beyond which you’ll ]nd a greater zombie cyclops. A warrior like you’re used to, this one hits harder, strikes truer and has more Hit Points than its smaller kin, and it’s not alone. Since rushing in is a bad idea, you might as well lure them to you, especially since you’re already in a ]ne position to bottleneck your foes at the doorway. Shoot at the massive cyclops, make sure you’re Hasted, then engage. When it falls and its allies (including more warriors and at least two clerics) show up, retreat to lure them southeast and bottleneck them at the door, too. Don’t rush in the room until no more cyclopes engage you, so you don’t end up ]ghting on two fronts.

A Dark Chamber Clear the room of cyclops, then continue north, looting the odd container as you go. Stay away from the door to the northwest, however, as there’s more you can do before you both with the encounter that awaits you there. Make your way to the southeastern end of the chamber to ]nd a doorway leading to a smaller side-chamber. Go through the doorway and disarm four traps on the ôor leading to another door. Before bothering with the door, turn northwest to ]nd two containers you can loot and a mural you can examine. One of the containers will yield the Hand of Damnation, a Scythe +2 with the "Keen" and "Death Reservoir" properties. The former increases the weapon’s Critical Hit Threat Range, which is wonderful, but the latter is somewhat of a liability, as it deals 4d6 negative energy damage to all nearby creatures when the wielder lands a critical hit. Search another mural to the southeast, then go through the door to the southwest to reach a large, circular room. If Tristian is with you, he’ll express discomfort, giving you the chance to make a moral choice in response. Search the bass relief in the center of the room for some experience, then leave.

Smite the Soul Eaters Return to the room where you defeated the greater cyclops and ]nally approach the northwestern edge of the chamber. Here you’ll be ambushed by some Ferocious Soul Eaters, who speak the names of their targets. This is why the raven was seeking out names - it was ]nding targets for these Soul Eaters. With any luck those targets are all warriors, as whomever has their name called will be locked in single combat with one of the Soul Eaters. Other characters cannot interfere in the ]ght directly, but the combatants can be aided by other character’s spells.

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While not too much trouble for a competent warrior, for a non-warrior they could be troublesome. These Soul Eaters have able Hit Points, a high Attack Bonus and moderate Armor Class. While their damage isn’t too impressive, they can inîct Wisdom damage when they hit, and unless the warrior they’re ]ghting is a Paladin, this might be something to keep an eye on. During the ]ght with the Ferocious Soul Eaters, secure your archers and casters in the northern corner of the room, as after the Ferocious Soul Eaters are defeated, a group of Ancient Soul Eaters will spawn and attack. These have somewhat higher stats than the ferocious variants, but on the plus side you’re not locked into single combat with them. If your squishy characters are protected in the corner, you should be able to win a straight melee without too much trouble - although Haste will, as usual, help seal the deal. With that, you’ve conquered this area. Go through the door guarded by the Soul Eaters, then turn southwest and proceed until you ]nd an area transition leading to the second level of Vordakai’s Tomb.

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Vordakai's Tomb, Level 2 Battle: Cephal Lorentus When you arrive you’ll be treated to a wonderful scene: numerous corpses ôating in a stew of slow-moving water. Lovely. Wonder how many Varnhold citizens ôat around your feet? Before you move an inch, you’ll need to cast Death Ward on your warriors, and buff them up with generic buffs like Haste, Prayer, etc. Keep your squishy characters near the area transition, summon some monsters to the southwest, then send your warriors - but not your summons - even further southwest. The reason for all this trouble will become apparent soon enough, as a zombie named Cephal Lorentus stands behind two lesser zombies. Names sounds familiar, doesn’t it? Don’t be fooled by the paltry opposition in front of you, however, as more foes lurk in the water, and will appear when you provoke Cephal Lorentus. For his part, Cephal Lorentus will start out by casting Mirror Image, after which he’ll summon a massive host of Zombies and Zombie Lords and content himself by pelting you with Enervation… Just because he wants to be a nuisance. If you have Death Ward, you should be safe against his energy drain, and his zombies aren’t really capable of threatening a warrior with a decent Armor Class - anything in the mid-20s is fairly safe. That being the case, rush Cephal Lorentus and try to kill him before he gets up to too much mischief, then exterminate his zombie horde. When you’re done, loot Cephal Lorentus for a Shock Quarterstaff +1, an Amulet of Natural Armor +1 and a Ring of Protection +1.

Navigate the Maze Don’t rest on your laurels, however, as you’ll need that Death Ward further on. Chop, chop! Continue west until you ]nd some stonework to the southwest, which at the very least promises some solid ground beneath your feet. On this stonework you’ll ]nd a switch, which will open a door to the southwest. Open the door, enter the chamber beyond, kill two cyclopes then loot a sarcophagus and a container. Continue down a age to the southeast, disarm a trap, descend some stairs, then îp a switch on the ôor to open a nearby door. Beyond this door you’ll ]nd a greater zombie cyclops, which shouldn’t be too much trouble to simply gang up on and cut down. Beyond this massive cyclops is a maze of sorts. Some devious mind clearly wanted to cram as much walking into as little space as possible. Despite that, the path is fairly linear for a while, so proceed until you reach a fork at which you’ll have the option to turn northwest or southeast. Turn southeast ]rst, disarm a trap, loot a container, activate a switch, then return to the fork and explore northwest.

The Central ages Follow the linear path ahead until you reach another fork, at which point you can continue heading northeast, or veer northwest. Head northwest ]rst, and, if you îpped the switch earlier in the maze this path should terminate at an open door. Head through the door, up some stairs and kill a greater zombie patrolling the hallway. Once that’s done you have another fork to consider - turn northwest or continue northeast. Subdue the suspense, if you continue northeast you’ll ]nd a wall you can loot and a circular chamber (very much like the one which may have made Tristian uneasy on the ôor above) with another container in it. Go northwest to ]nd a room with a button and a container in it… and a trap which consumes more of the center of the room. Disable the trap, activate the switch, loot the container, then head down a tunnel to the north. Along the way you’ll ]nd -

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surprise - more cyclopes. This group includes two warriors, a greater warrior and a cleric. Dispose of them, then continue north to reach the room they guarded, in which you’ll ]nd a container you can loot and a door to the west, which should have been opened by the switch in the previous room. Alas, another sealed door waits behind the ]rst one. Looks like you’ll have to return to the maze after all.

The Fate of Willas Gunderson Return to the maze and follow the unexplored northeastern path, which eventually terminates at a door. Disarm the trap near the door, then activate a switch to open it. Head southeast through a door and descend some stairs until the hallway bends northeast. At this fork, a [Perception] check to notice that the southeastern wall is, in fact, a secret door. Open the secret door to ]nd a small chamber ]lled with several containers, one of which holds the Cloak of the Winter Wolf which, if your character bites in combat is pretty damn good. Unfortunately that’s a pretty narrow niche. Return to the hallway and continue northeast, stopping to loot a wall along the way. At the end of this age you’ll ]nd a perpendicular hallway running northwest/southeast. In this hallway you’ll ]nd the ghost of Willas Gunderson, who shouts at you before êeing to the northwest. Guess you’d better go after him… Head down the hallway to the northwest, where it won’t be long until opposition rears its face in the form of zombies both human-sized and cyclops. The latter are more aggressive, whereas the lesser zombies aren’t always terribly inclined to participate in combat. Fight your way northwest in a chamber, then turn northeast and cut your way through irregularly spaced hosts of zombies. Save the looting for later, however, as you’ll want to ensure your Death Ward remains in effect. When you reach the northeastern end of these chambers you’ll ]nd Willas Gunderson, who isn’t as cowardly in death as he was in life. Naturally, being a specter means that he, too, can inîct Negative Energy Levels, which you’re hopefully immune too. Gunderson isn’t an otherwise impressive combatant, and once he’s wounded he’ll surrender. Question Willas Gunderson and he’ll tell you about the fate of Varnhold and its citizens, the petty bauble that doomed the city to fall, and of course, of the role he played in it. He’ll also tell you some interesting information about this Vordakai, which is apparently an ancient cyclopean lich. Exhaust his dialogue option, then make a moral choice concerning his fate. [Lawful Good] promises vengeance, [Lawful Neutral] condemns Willas Gunderson, [Lawful Evil] attacks the tormented ghost and [Neutral] leaves without offering up judgment. If your protagonist is [Good], however, you can forgive him, which is perhaps a touch more mercy than he deserved. Then again, what good are grudges held against the dead? Do as you will with Willas Gunderson, but don’t dwell on matters long. As far as undead go, he’s the least of your worries. More zombies will pop up in the chamber, southwest of where Gunderson is, and they’ll be ed by a host of Specters. Move your squishy characters to the northeast so they’re behind your tanks, cast general buffs like Haste and Prayer, and have your warriors focus on the Specters, as their Energy Drain makes them the greater threat. Continue southwest, but don’t lower your guard, as two more hosts of undead challenge your îght, including at least halfdozen more Specters. When you reach the southwestern-most chamber, loot the containers to the northwest, then go back down the tunnel to the southeast.

The Last Supper Return back southeast to reach the last fork, then continue southeast to ]nd your path terminated by two doors. The one to the southeast is currently unyielding, so press a ôor switch to open the northeastern door. Beyond you’ll ]nd the lively scene of many zombies feasting merrily away - the remains of the residents of Varnhold, according to Willas Gunderson. Head inside with your tank - and only your tank - while you keep the rest of your characters in a defensive line at the door. With your lone, brave tank, venture into the dining room under the zombie rouse from their meal, at which point êe back to your party and prepare to receive the zombie horde. There are a lot of foes, but they’re not terribly strong, so you shouldn’t

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have any trouble cutting them down. Honestly, however, this is one of the few instances where a silly, explosive, area-ofeffect spell like Fireball can really shine. Exterminate them how you will, then enter the chamber and kill any stragglers. There’s always one goofball who gets stuck between the tables, not to mention those gluttons who refuse to venture from their tales along the northeastern end of the hall. When the citizens of Varnhold have had their ]nal supper, explore to the northwest to ]nd a switch. Disarm the trap around it, then press the switch to open the door back at the northern end of the area, the second of a series of two sealed doors which previously remained de]ant.

Golem Guardians You’re almost done with this dungeon, but a little backtracking never hurt anybody, right? Make your way back to the previous sealed door and when you reach the ading room, spell buff. Include staples like Haste, Greater Invisibility, Prayer and Stoneskin, but also consider adding Delay Poison. Beyond the doors to the northwest you’ll ]nd golems. Two Iron Golems and a Golden Golem, to be speci]c. While their Armor Class is only good (instead of prohibitively high), they make up for this with exceptional Damage Reduction… which you likely have no means of overcoming. At DR 15/adamantine, even your critical hits will only do marginal damage. They are under no such handicap, of course, dealing twenty or more damage per hit and easily hitting all but the most sturdy of tanks. The Golden Golem is even worse, dealing more damage, hitting with greater frequency and sporting a higher Armor Class. If that’s not bad enough, the golems can also spew out poisonous mist. The only upside is, the mist has a relatively low Fortitude DC. If you can defeat these foes, loot the containers in the room beyond to ]nd the Royal Gift, a Dueling Sword +3 with the "Keen" property, and Bladeguard, a Buckler +3 that gives its wielder an additional +3 bonus to Armor Class against melee foes.

Battle: Ancient Water Elementals Return to the banquet hall and proceed up the stairs along the northwestern end of the room. After ascending them, head down a hallway to the northeast, which bends north. Disarm several traps as you go and when the corridor ends at a door, spell buff. For this ]ght, mainstays like Haste, Prayer, Stoneskin and Burst of Glory should su_ce, but you should throw in Resist Energy, Communal (Cold). When you’re ready, activate a switch and enter the room beyond. In the large chamber on the other side of the door you’ll ]nd two Ancient Water Elementals waiting for you. These massive beasts, water-incarnate, surprisingly don’t hit terribly hard, but they can inîct their foes with the freezing status. This will reduce their Hit Points every round should they fail a Fortitude Save, and is a persistent hazard you’ll have to endure (hence the Resist Energy, Communal). Other than that, they of course have Damage Reduction 10/-, greatly retarding your offense, and their Armor Class isn’t terrible either. When you provoke them, retreat back through the door and wait for one to come to you. With any luck, it may prevent its partner from attacking, but at the very least it’ll protect your squishy characters, allow you to withdraw warriors for healing, and prevent ânking. When you cut one down, don’t celebrate too much, as another will spawn behind it. So, too, for the second. You’ll have to kill a total of four of these foes, including the two that were waiting for you initially.

Battle: Vordakai Rest up and prepare as best you can. The common buffs you’re used to will all be worth-while casts, but be sure to add Remove Fear, Death Ward and Remove Paralysis to your arsenal, if they’re not already. Spellbuff as completely as you ever

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have before, including Bull’s Strength, Bless, Shield of Faith, Prayer, Greater Invisibility, Stoneskin… everything you can think of. When you’re ready, îp a switch in the northern corner of the room to open the door to Vordakai’s lair. When you approach you’ll be subjected to Vordakai’s fear aura, which has a high enough Will DC that your warriors have little chance of resisting it - you’ll just have to suffer through the ]ght with the penalties. Approach Vordakai - who is accompanied by his pet, Horagnamon, and engage in some banter. It doesn’t really matter what you say, a ]ght is inevitable. As soon as the ]ght begins, charge Horagnamon, as the bird will heal its master and prove a nuisance for as long as it’s alive. Plus, it’s by far the easiest of the two targets to cut down. With any luck you’ll dispose of the bird quickly, after which turn your attention to Vordakai, making sure to ânk him. His Armor Class isn’t terribly high, but his Damage Reduction will slow down your warriors. He’s not as sturdy as some foes you’ve fought, however, and it’s quite possible that a lucky rush could result in a surprisingly quick ]ght. For his part, Vordakai will start out by casting Shield to boost his Armor Class, followed by Finger of Death, four Boneshatter spells, some Fear spells, and ]nally endless bouts of Paralyzing Touch. Paralyzing Touch sound less dangerous than it actually is, as the effect is permanent unless dispelled via Remove Curse or Remove Paralysis. On top of that, it can be inîcted with a touch attack (your warriors have little defense against this) and deals damage every turn unless cured. The only positive is that its Fortitude DC isn’t stupendously high, so there’s a good chance any warrior worth the title will resist several attacks. If you brought Tristian along with you, halfway through the ]ght you’ll witness a scene involving him which will negatively inûence both you and Vordakai. Afterwards the ]ght with resume where you left off, but with one glaring omission. Su_ce to say, having a backup divine spellcaster may come in handy, and you were warned to bring one. If you ]nish the ]nal stage of the battle with characters permanently paralyzed and with no way to remove the debuff you’ll just have to let them die.

Varnhold Vanishing: Aftermath Defeat Vordakai, after which more dialogue will ensue. Your choices here are basically limited to exposition and determining the face of Vordakai. If your protagonist is [Evil], you can attempt to lure the proud lich into your service… offering Maegar Varn as a host. Otherwise you’ll get the genuine article. Once that decision is made, loot Vordakai’s mortal remains to obtain a Headband of Mental Perfection +4, an Amulet of Natural Armor +2, a Ring of Protection +1 and the Shroud of Abaddon. Nearby containers also contain notable loot like the Arcane Enforcer and a Fallen Warrior’s Flask. The latter is merely of interest to an antiquarian, while the former is a Dueling Sword +3 that deals an additional 1d6 damage. When you’re done looting, make your way to the west of Vordakai’s throne to ]nd a age running north. Hit a switch to open a door, then head on through for an Illustrated Book Episode. This isn’t a complicated one, you need merely make a [Neutral Good] or [Neutral Evil] choice regarding what to do with some soul jars. Do as your whims demand, then you’ll ]nd yourself in the tunnels near where the Varnhold citizens were having their feast. The door to the southeast is now ]nally open, and beyond it lies freedom. Before you can taste sweet daylight, however, Maegar Varn ]nds himself capable of chatting… assuming you didn’t give his mortal coil to some wretched cyclopean lich. As appealing as having a lich adviser, Maegar’s own offer isn’t half bad. Not only will you gain a good bonus to several kingdom stats, but Maegar Varn will swear fealty to you, recognizing your authority and benevolence as superior to that of the absent Swordlords who left him to rot. Lich or no, looks like you’re getting yourself a new adviser either way.

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Chapter 4 - The Twice-Born Warlord

The Traitor and the Invader With that, you’re done with Varnhold Vanishing. Nothing left to do now but head back to the capital, manage your kingdom, see to any sidequests or exploration you may be keen on, and wait for the next disaster you need to resolve… When you arrive back in your throne room you’ll ]nd that there’s no rest for the wicked this time around. As soon as you return to your capital, your envoy will inform you that Brevoy itself is under attack, and Jamandi is calling her vassals - that’s you - to sweat, bleed and die on her behalf. Seems some barbarians have invaded, and a major battle is anticipated on the Glenebon Uplands. If that’s not enough, apparently the Bloom has started again, this time being fortunately localized to the area around Candlemere Lake… small comfort when it’s so close to your capital. Other events abound, but the serious, kingdom-threatening matters are represented by two quests: Betrayer’s Flight, which has you investigating this second Bloom and your treacherous priest of Sarenrae, while Hour of Rage involves you ful]lling your feudal obligations to the Swordlords. You’ll ]nd both quests listed below, for you to peruse as you wish. Refer to the "Early" version for whichever you attempt ]rst and the "Late" version for whichever area you explore second. The differences between the two can be quite stark.

Warning!: If Amiri is a valuable part of your group, you may wish to do Hour of Rage ]rst.

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Chapter 4 - The Twice-Born Warlord

Hour of Rage (Early) Travel: Flintrock Grassland The site of the battle]eld for the skirmish between the forces of Brevoy and the barbarian hordes is the Flintrock Grassland, which lies a good distance to the northwest of your barony. To reach there you’ll need to make a long hike through the Narlmarches, across the western bend of the Skunk River, across the East Sellen River and to Glenebon. Directions from your capital are as follows:

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

West (along the Skunk River) West West Northwest Northwest North North (across Skunk River) East (path veers north along river) Northwest Northwest Northwest (to reach East Sellen River) West (across East Sellen River) Northwest Northwest Northwest West Southeast

Gwart’s Conspiracy When you arrive, venture a short distance to the west to ]nd some barbarians milling about - potentially including some familiar faces should you have not picked a ]ght with Dugath and his followers. Talk to a barbarian named Gwart and he’ll express the discontent he and his fellow barbarians are feeling and will make an offer for resolving the situation in a manner that bene]ts everybody. Armag and his "crazy witches" - presumably the fey Sisters who have already proven to be such nuisances - are showing distinct disrespect for the lives of the tribesmen. Not only does the battle before them seem suicidal, but they can’t even expect any decent plunder from it! Interestingly enough, Gwart is astute enough to recognize that the Surtovas stand to bene]t from whatever casualties the barbarians inîct on the Swordlords. If you ask "Why are you unhappy with Armag?" you’ll get a hypothetical question you can answer via a moral choice, but otherwise it’s all plot points.

Jamandi’s Orders When you’re ready to move on with the plan, inform Gwart and you’ll ]nd yourself teleported to the southwestern end of the map. Head north to ]nd Jamandi, but before you talk to her loot a sack and a chest between her and some horses.

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Exhaust Jamandi’s dialogue options, then tell her about the proposal forwarded by Gwart. Her solution is simple enough: she’ll command the forces (both yours and hers), if the barbarian deserters act as intended, all the better. You, on the other hand, will be sent to the barbarian camp. With any luck a military victory will follow, leaving you with little to do but observe how things play out. If not… well, Jamandi’s only solution for you is to "improvise". Wonder which one it’ll be?

Defeat the Manticore Pack After that, Jamandi will leave and in her absence you’ll be attacked by barbarians, ]rst from the east, then from the west. Their Armor Class is laughable, but they can hit pretty hard… all in all, it’s nothing compared to the horrors you survived in Vordakai’s Tomb. More ]ghts have broken out between the barbarians and the forces from Brevoy, but before you go bother with them, there’s looting to be done. First head east until you ]nd a pile of branches [Perception 24] you can loot. From there make your way southeast to reach the southeastern corner of the map, where a pack of manticores dwell. These aren’t just normal manticores, of course, they include Poisonous Primal Manticores and Venomanticores, and both variants attack quickly and have a high enough Attack Bonus to worry your warriors. Worse yet, they have high Armor Class, a mix of Damage Reduction and Concealment and may attempt to start out the battle sneakily ([Perception 33] can spot them). Spellbuff generously to boost your own combat effectiveness, and consider using Web or similar spells to break up their advance. Defeat them and you can loot the remains of their victims - mostly barbarians from the look of things. They’re not going to need their loot anymore.

Barbarian Skirmishes Make your way west and you’ll ]nd another active battle between Brevoy Soldiers and barbarians, the former of which are distinctly inferior to the latter. Kill the barbarians and the Ferocious Wolves that accompany them, then turn northeast to ]nd the scene of another skirmish. This time the barbarians include shapeshifters who turn into bears. Despite this transformation, they’re not signi]cantly more dangerous than their normal counterparts. After this second skirmish, head west along an imable ravine, where you’ll ]nd a stump [Perception 29] you can loot for a variety of mundane treasures.

Note: Be sure to loot the barbarians you slay, as many of them drop magical gear. Typically the low end variety of minorly enchanted weapons, armor and the odd Ring of Protection or similar fare. Still, it all sells well.

Return to the site of the second skirmish, then make your way northeast, as a third skirmish awaits… with an unpleasant development. Here you’ll ]nd some Barbarian Hill Giants, who, as their size implies, can deal hefty damage with their massive clubs. Not only is their Attack high enough to regularly threaten your tanks, but their Armor Class isn’t quite low enough to guarantee hits. Some simple spellbu_ng (Haste, Prayer) will help tilt the odds more in your favor, and really, what you don’t use in buffs you’ll likely have to make up for with healing. From the third skirmish site head southeast to ]nd another, larger ]ght that combines all the barbarian types you’ve seen thus far: Barbarian Hill Giants, Clerics of Gorum, shapeshifting Bear-barians, and the normal tribesmen armed with melee and missile weapons. The forces of Brevoy have also stepped up their game, now including casters of their own, who are quite effective at debu_ng the barbarians. Let the battle lines get drawn, then intervene and cut down the barbarians,

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hopefully letting the forces from Brevoy absorb most of the punishment. Be wary, however, as a few more barbarians will trickle in from the northeast as you ]ght, and they’re fond of charging at stray characters. Win another victory, and before you continue northeast, turn back to the southwest to ]nd another, humbler skirmish. While the skirmish doesn’t offer much in the way of challenge, search some carnage near a tree to the north to ]nd treasure, including a whopping 2,430 GP and a massive cache of Diamond Dust… enough to enable you to cast Restoration as much as you’ll ever need to. Continue east from the last skirmish to ]nd some Restovic soldiers, who have apparently already secured victory over some barbarians. Talk to a gnome named Dallirun Myrnas for some meaningless chatter, if you wish, then backtrack to the fourth skirmish. From the fourth skirmish, head east until you reach a hill, then worm your way around the southern end of the hill, stopping to loot a pile of branches [Perception 25] as you go. Further east you can ]nd some Barbarian Hill Giants led by Byrk, who seems disillusioned by the whole campaign. Fair enough, big guy. Work your way around the hill to the west, north, then northeast to ]nd a sacked wagon at the end of a dirt path. Whatever caused its demise wasn’t very keen on treasure, as there’s a trove of it to be found here, including your usual baubles ]t only for selling, the odd mundane gear, rations, and perhaps a nice magical item…

Loot the Barbarian Camp From this sacked wagon head northwest to ]nd a narrow strip of land between a ravine - the entrance to the barbarian camp. Naturally, it’s guarded by barbarians, including another giant and a cleric who is actually inclined to use their spells. Kill them, then proceed north into the barbarian camp. Once inside, loot the various crates and sacks you ]nd lying about, then turn east and open a gate. If you’re perception, you may also spot a chest [Perception 26] obscured by a tent. Loot your way west through the camp until the path running through the center of camp starts to bend southwest. At this point, veer south and follow the fence to spot a chest near some wooden racks. In this chest you’ll ]nd the shield Child of the Wind, a Heavy Shield +3 that increases the ’s speed by 10 feet. Perfect for a tank who needs to get to the ]ght sooner! Return to the road running through the middle of camp and keep following it southwest. Gwart can be found in the northwestern corner of the map, but by him for now in order to score some more loot. Along the western end of camp you’ll ]nd a wagon, under which is a chest containing Reaper’s Vest, a suit of Studded Leather +3 that grants the wearer a +3 dodge bonus to Armor Class against Shaken (a stage of fear) opponents. Finally, head over to Gwart. Before you talk to him, however, loot the various containers around his little enclosure to ]nd a variety of noteworthy gear, including Ancient Hunt, a quiver which provides an endless stream of arrows that count as lawful and cold iron for the purposes of overcoming DR, which grant a +2 attack and damage bonus against fey. Any dedicated archers will ]nd this very useful, indeed. You’ll also ]nd a Ring of Evasion hidden among other, mundane rings, which bestows the effects of the Evasion spell upon the , allowing them to negate area-of-effect damage if they their Reêx Save.

Gwart’s Coup Now that the camp has been thoroughly looted, talk to Gwart to get updated on the developments of their little coup. Success has been mixed thus far, while Armag has abandoned his army and the barbarians assembled her routed, Armag himself is still alive and has a legion of ers willing to die for him in Numeria. If he’s left to his own devices, another, more disastrous invasion looms, and worse yet, Armag himself may return from his little diversion even more powerful. Seems like the job for a small group of highly trained adventurers, no? Unfortunately, you don’t know where the tomb that Armag seeks is, but that detail will have to be attended to later.

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Make your way back east through the camp to ]nd Jamandi Aldori waiting for you. Oddly enough, Natala Surtova is also there, and depending on which side you’ve favored, their disposition towards you will vary. Either way, one of the two will suggest you elevate your position from baron(ess) to king/queen. The recognition of you as more or less an equal matters more than your response, which includes trying to appease one side or the other, showing contempt to both, or, if your protagonist is [Neutral], announcing your intentions to serve as a check on either side. With that, the two rivals will leave. Your coronation date is set for whenever you resolve the issues plaguing your land. In other words, after you ]nish dealing with Armag and the second Bloom. Speaking of which, the quest Hour of Rage is now over, but your entanglement with the barbarians will continue in a new quest The Twice-Born Warlord. The quest Coronation will also begin, but for now it’s mostly just a super-quest contingent upon the the completion of The TwiceBorn Warlord and Betrayer’s Flight. Either way, it’s time to return to your capital to mull over your next move, and fortunately an area exit can be found a short distance to the east of where Jamandi and Natala stood. You can now either return to your throne room and begin searching for Armag’s Tomb, or head back to Candlemere Tower and attempt to deal with this second Bloom (refer to the page Betrayer’s Flight (Late)). In the former case, Linzi will propose a solution… which isn’t very helpful at all. In the end, you’ll be left with looking for a lead by hunting down some ancient source in the Stolen Lands, blindly adventuring around Glenebon, or by sending scouts to do the footwork for you. Fortunately for you, dear reader, you have this handy-dandy guide, so you need not worry about the details - in the Armag’s Tomb page the location of the tomb will be laid bare.

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Path]nder Rules and

Advanced Gameplay Information In the following section you’ll ]nd gameplay rules and common for Path]nder presented in detail. Much of this information was compiled with the assistance of the o_cial rulebooks and online resources like The Open Gaming Network. It is worth noting, however, that the rules presented below pertain to Path]nder: Kingmaker, and some of these rules deviate from those of traditional tabletop Path]nder.

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Path]nder Rules and

Ability Damage Most attacks will merely reduce a target’s Hit Points, but some can also inîct a more lingering form of damage - Ability Damage. The most common source of Ability Damage is poison, but diseases, curses and spells can also cause this damage. As the name implies, Ability Damage will reduce one of a character’s Ability Scores. Ability Damage tends to be relatively low, compared to Hit Points, but then again so are most character’s Ability Scores, and unlike conventional damage, Ability Damage will reduce a character’s effectiveness until it’s cured. If a character suffers Strength damage, their Strength score will be lowered, possibly lowering their modi]er, which will lower all their derived stats related to that now-reduced ability score. While frustrating enough when a character suffers Ability Damage to one of their primary ability scores, characters are usually more vulnerable to damage to secondary attributes. Wizards tend to have lower Constitution scores than warriors, and will succumb more quickly to Constitution damage, just as a warrior is usually somewhat de]cient in Intelligence. If any ability scores are reduced to zero, that character will become incapacitated until the score is improved. The sole exception to this rule is in the case of Constitution damage - a score of zero is fatal. Ability Damage can be healed by resting, although it’s a much slower process when compared to Hit Points. If you want to remove such damage in any sort of an acceptable time frame, you’ll need to make use of Restoration spells or similar healing magics.

Disease and Poison The two most common sources of Ability Damage are disease and poison (especially the latter - damned Giant Spiders!), and both function similarly. When foes capable of aìcting these statuses successfully attack, the victim will usually be entitled to a Fortitude Save (the DC varies by the virulence of the disease or poison). Should they succeed, they’ll suffer no ill effects aside from whatever Hit Point damage the attack inîcts. If they fail, they’ll immediately suffer Ability Damage (which also varies according to the nature of the disease or poison) and become diseased or poisoned. When a character becomes diseased or poisoned, the truly insidious nature of these ailments reveals itself. Not only will you take whatever damage (Hit Point damage, Ability Damage, or both) the initial attack dealt, but you’ll take recurring Ability Damage until you ]nally succeed at a Fortitude Save. Diseases tend to inîct their damage more slowly than poison does, and both can be removed by divine magic should a character’s Fortitude Save not be up to snuff. The Ability Damage sustained by the disease or poison is not removed if the disease or poison itself is removed - you’ll have to recover such damage independently. It’s worth noting that you will not naturally start healing Ability Damage until the disease or poison causing it is ]rst removed. This information is more relevant for diseases, which tend to be signi]cantly slower about applying Ability Damage than poisons are. It’s possible to be inîcted by numerous diseases and/or poisons at the same time.

Curses and Spells While disease and poison are common sources of Ability Damage, some spells can also inîct Ability Damage. At the outset this Ability Damage is usually temporary - spells like Ray of Enfeeblement, for example, temporarily lower a target’s Strength score. Unlike diseases and poisons, spells typically do all their damage up front, pending a failed Saving Throw; unless it’s a spell that replicates the effects of disease or poison, of course. Ability Damage from a spell (assuming it’s not temporary, in which case it’ll be restored when the spell’s duration ends) can be cured with rest or restoration spells, as normal.

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Curses are somewhat rarer, but they can inîct Ability Damage. In this case, the curse must ]rst be removed (ideally with the Remove Curse divine spell) before the Ability Damage can be cured.

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Path]nder Rules and

Acrobatics A character can choose to activate the Acrobatics ability to attempt to use their Mobility skill to move through areas threatened by enemies without provoking an Attack of Opportunity. You’ll ]nd the Acrobatics ability in the Abilities tab (the middle tab) above the action bar, and it can be toggled on and off at will. A character using Acrobatics moves at half speed, but if they succeed at a Mobility (DC 15) check they’ll avoid provoking an Attack of Opportunity.

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Path]nder Rules and

Armor Class Armor Class represents how hard it is to land a damaging strike in combat, and a variety of factors play into determining Armor Class. A character’s size, Dexterity, bonuses from equipment (armor, shields and other, usually magically-enchanted, items) and circumstance modi]ers all affect their Armor Class. For most characters, their Armor Class is largely determined via the following formula: 10 + Size Modi]er + Armor Bonus + Shield Bonus + Dexterity Modi]er + Other Bonuses. A character’s Armor Bonus and Dexterity Modi]er are often at odds, and it’s rare for a character to have a signi]cant bonus from both. Armor hinders movement, including both movement speed and mobility required to dodge. The heavier the armor, the better the Armor Bonus, but the more restrictive it is. This is represented by a Max Dexterity rating each armor has, and generally there’s rarely a good reason to wear armor that doesn’t allow you to apply most (ideally all) of your Dexterity Modi]er to your Armor Class. Tower Shields and encumbrance can also reduce the amount of Dexterity you can apply to your Armor Class. In addition to the aforementioned bonuses to Armor Class you have Deêction Bonuses (typically gained from spells, or Rings of Protection and similar gear), Dodge Bonuses (typically gained from feats) and Natural Bonuses (monsters tend to have this but humanoid characters from playable races will have to use magical items like Amulets of Natural Armor and spells to replicate these bonuses), among others. Bonuses of the same type typically do not stack - the highest bonus is applied to your Armor Class and any other, lower bonuses are ignored.

Touch Armor Class In combat, a character’s Armor Class is opposed by an attacking character’s Attack Roll. If the attacker’s Attack Roll meets or exceeds a target’s Armor Class, they’ll hit with whatever spell, melee or ranged attack they’re attempting. Not all attacks are equal, however, sometimes (typically with spells) merely touching the target is enough - the bulkiness of their armor, thickness of their hide, nor size of their shield impede such attacks for both Touch Attacks or Ranged Touch Attacks. The Touch Armor Class formula is as follows: 10 + Size Modi]er + Dexterity Modi]er + Other Bonuses.

Flat-Footed Armor Class Also, on the ]rst round of combat before a character takes their turn, they are considered Flat-Footed. Flat-Footed characters are susceptible to Sneak Attacks, cannot make Attacks of Opportunity, and do not gain the Dexterity Bonus to Armor Class. Whether a character is considered Flat-Footed or not is almost entirely dependent on their Initiative Roll at the beginning of combat. If their Initiative Roll is higher than an opponent’s, the opponent is considered Flat-Footed on the ]rst round, otherwise, the character in question is Flat-Footed. The Flat-Footed Armor Class formula is as follows: 10 + Size Modi]er + Armor Bonus + Shield Bonus + Other Bonuses.

Applicable Class ModiIers by Situation Base

Size

Armor

Shield

Dexterity

Natural

Dodge

DeLection

Other

Normal AC

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Touch AC

Yes

Yes

No

No

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

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Flat-Footed AC

Base

Size

Armor

Shield

Dexterity

Natural

Dodge

DeLection

Other

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Creature Size

ModiKer to Attack and Armor Class

Fine

+8

Diminutive

+4

Tiny

+2

Small*

+1

Medium**

0

Large

-1

Huge

-2

Gargantuan

-4

Colossal

-8

Includes Dwarves, Gnomes and Halîngs Includes Elves, Half-Elves, Half-Orcs and Humans Defender's Condition

Armor Class ModiKer

Cowering

-2*

Blinded

-2*

Flat-Footed

0*

Helpless

-4*

Prone

-4

Stunned

-2*

The defender also loses their Dexterity Bonus to Armor Class in addition to any Armor Class penalties listed.

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Path]nder Rules and

Attack Bonus (Attack Roll) A character’s Attack Bonus is a derived stat that determines how likely that character is to successfully hit an opponent in combat, and is opposed by the target’s Armor Class. When attacking, you roll a d20 and add your Attack Bonus to the roll. This is your Attack Roll, and if the result equals or exceeds the target’s Armor Class, you hit the target. If you hit with a weapon, you roll damage and subtract the result from the target’s Hit Points (assuming their Damage Reduction doesn’t negate your damage). If you hit with a spell (usually by performing a Touch Attack or Ranged Touch Attack), you may then need to overcome their Spell Resistance, a Saving Throw or elemental resistances before applying damage or whatever other effects the spell may have. One of the primary factors determining your Attack Bonus is your Base Attack Bonus, a score that increases at varying rates depending on what classes you pick and ultimately determined by a combination of your class choice(s) and character level (see Base Attack Bonus). Attack Bonuses can be fairly complicated and situational, however. In addition to your Base Attack Bonus, other contributing factors include weapon choice, feats, bonuses from magical weapons and items, the use of various abilities, ability score modi]ers and circumstance bonuses (ânking, invisibility, etc.) and spell buffs. Melee weapons tend to add (or subtract) a character’s Strength Modi]er, while ranged weapons use a character’s Dexterity Modi]er. Some light melee weapons can, with the Weapon Finesse feat, allow a character to use their Dexterity Modi]er to inûence their Attack Bonus - a wise choice for, say, dagger-wielding rogues. You equipment also plays a signi]cant role in determining your Attack Bonus. Some varieties of equipment or ]ghting styles may actually lower your Attack Bonus (dual wielding, using a Tower Shield, ]ghting with an oversized weapon or a weapon you’re not pro]cient with). Generally, however, you’ll be dealing with bonuses, usually in the form of masterwork or enchanted weapons, which provide a +1 to +5 bonus to your Attack Bonus. Other gear may also increase your Attack Bonus, generally with speci]c weapons (Bracers of Archery) or against a type of enemy, and of course ability-boosting gear (Belt of Giant Strength) may increase your ability scores, in turn further increasing your Attack Bonus. Below you’ll ]nd a list of conditions that may affect a character’s Attack Roll:

Attacker's Condition

Attack ModiKer

Dazzled

-1

Entangled

-2

Flanking

+2

Firing ranged weapon into combat

-4

Invisible

+2

Shaken/Frightened

-2

Performing a single attack can be done as a Standard Action, while making multiple attacks (for characters with a su_ciently high Base Attack Bonus) requires a Full-Round Action.

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Path]nder Rules and

Attacks of Opportunity Characters armed with melee weapons (or with su_ciently dangerous natural weapons) threaten an area around them. If they can attack into it, they threaten it, provided that they’re not otherwise incapacitated or caught off guard. When an opponent lets their guard down in an area threatened by an enemy, that enemy may be entitled to an Attack of Opportunity. This is a free attack at the opportunistic character’s full Attack Bonus, and characters are typically limited to one Attack of Opportunity per round. A variety of actions provoke Attacks of Opportunity, including moving out of - but not into - threatened areas, attacking an armed character while unarmed, casting spells or shooting ranged weapons in melee combat, standing up from prone, drinking a potion or using a scroll. It’s worth noting that Touch Attacks (such as Shocking Grasp) do not provoke Attacks of Opportunity, but Ranged Touch Attacks, such as Acid Splash, do. Spellcasters can choose to Cast Defensively (in fact, in Path]nder: Kingmaker, it’s automatically assumed you’re casting defensively) to avoid provoking an Attack of Opportunity. This isn’t guaranteed, however, as casters must succeed at a Concentration check (DC 15) to avoid provoking an Attack of Opportunity. A variety of feats exist to mitigate Attacks of Opportunity in various circumstances.

Common Actions that Provoke Attacks of Opportunity Attack (ranged) Attack (unarmed) Attack (spell, touch)* Attack (spell, ranged touch)* Cast a spell* Drink a potion Move into threatened area** Move out of threatened area** Stand from prone position Use a scroll

*Casting a Quickened spell does not provoke an Attack of Opportunity. *While making a Touch Attack with a spell may not provoke an Attack of Opportunity, casting the spell itself might. *Casters automatically attempt to cast defensively, if they a Concentration (DC 15) check, they do not provoke an Attack of Opportunity while casting. **Taking a Five-Foot Step doesn’t provoke an Attack of Opportunity. **Characters will automatically attempt a Mobility (DC 15) check to move out of threatened areas without provoking an

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Attack of Opportunity. In most cases, Attacks of Opportunity can be avoided by knowing the rules and playing smart. If you keep your archers and casters out of reach and don’t try to heal in areas threatened by enemies you’ll avoid most preventable Attacks of Opportunity. Other scenarios are harder to avoid, namely moving out of a threatened area. Sometimes the risk is worth the reward, for example when you want to ânk an enemy. This is best done with a character with a high Mobility score, as they can perform an Acrobatics check (Mobility DC 15) to move out of threatened areas without provoking an Attack of Opportunity. This must be manually selected, and can be found in the abilities tab above the action bar. While Acrobatics is active, the character will move at half speed. Larger creatures or enemies employing weapons with reach (or both!) threaten more areas, making it harder to attack them without provoking an Attack of Opportunity. After all, if a medium-sized creature threatens a ]ve-foot radius and a large-sized creature threatens a ten-foot radius, the former will have to move through a threatened area to even reach the larger opponent. Aside from engaging a character using Acrobatics (who may not be the most well-protected, due to their presumably lighter armor) Five-Foot Steps do not provoke Attacks of Opportunity. This allows a character to manuever safely (albeit slowly) through an opponent’s threatened area in order to engage - or ânk - them.

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Base Attack Bonus A character’s Base Attack Bonus is pretty self-explanatory: It’s the total Attack Bonus they’ve received from leveling up in various classes. Other factors will go on to modify this role in combat, including weapon choice, feats, bonuses from magical weapons and items, the use of various abilities, ability score modi]ers and circumstance bonuses (ânking, invisibility, etc.) and spell buffs. While a lot of things go into your Attack Bonus to arrive at the ]nal score, the Base Attack Bonus is a relatively simple matter of tallying up the bonuses gained from your class levels. As with Saving Throws there are only a few different rates of progression: High Base Attack Bonus (warriors), Medium Base Attack Bonus (clerics, rogues) and Low Base Attack Bonus (arcane spellcasters).

Base Attack Bonus by Level Level

High Growth Rate

Medium Growth Rate

Low Growth Rate

1

+1

+0

+0

2

+2

+1

+1

3

+3

+2

+1

4

+4

+3

+2

5

+5

+3

+2

6

+6/+1

+4

+3

7

+7/+2

+5

+3

8

+8/+3

+6/+1

+4

9

+9/+4

+6/+1

+4

10

+10/+5

+7/+2

+5

11

+11/+6/+1

+8/+3

+5

12

+12/+7/+2

+9/+4

+6/+1

13

+13/+8/+3

+9/+4

+6/+1

14

+14/+9/+4

+10/+5

+7/+2

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Level

High Growth Rate

Medium Growth Rate

Low Growth Rate

15

+15/+10/+5

+11/+6/+1

+7/+2

16

+16/+11/+6/+1

+12/+7/+2

+8/+3

17

+17/+12/+7/+2

+12/+7/+2

+8/+3

18

+18/+13/+8/+3

+13/+8/+3

+9/+4

19

+19/+14/+9/+4

+14/+9/+4

+9/+4

20

+20/+15/+10/+5

+15/+10/+5

+10/+5

Growth Rate

Rough Class Multiplier

High

Class Level x1.0

Medium

Class Level x0.75

Low

Class Level x0.5

Class

Growth Rate

Alchemist

Medium

Barbarian

High

Bard

Medium

Cleric

Medium

Druid

Medium

Fighter

High

Inquisitor

Medium

Magus

Medium

Monk

Medium

Paladin

High

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Class

Growth Rate

Ranger

High

Rogue

Medium

Sorcerer

Low

Wizard

Low

Not only does your Base Attack Bonus play a signi]cant role in determining your Attack Rolls (and hence your prowess in combat), but every six points of Base Attack Bonus will allow the character to perform a second attack when attacking as a Full-Round Action. This second attack is made at an Attack Bonus ]ve points lower than the ]rst attack, and should a character gain a high enough Base Attack Bonus for a third attack, it’s made ]ve points lower than the second attack, and ten points lower than the ]rst. For example, a 6th-Level Fighter has a Base Attack Bonus of +6/+1; their primary attack has a +6 Base Attack, while their second attack receives a +1 Base Attack Bonus. A character’s Base Attack Bonus, then, is one of the primary factors that determines how well that character will perform in combat, with primary combatants (typically warriors) gaining a higher Base Attack Bonus, more attacks per round overall, and they’ll also gain these extra attacks quicker.

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Character Level (Class Level) When you reach a certain amount of Experience Points (gained from proving your competence at a variety of adventuringrelated tasks such as defeating foes, completing quests and successfully ing some skill checks) you’ll level up. When you level up, you can increase your Class Level in any class you meet the quali]cations for. Your cumulative Class Levels the total number of times you’ve leveled up - is your Character Level. Your Character Level, then, is a rough approximation of your character’s general level of experience, competence and power. When your Character Level increases, you’ll gain more Hit Dice and Hit Points, and depending on your Character Level and Class Level, you may gain Feats, better Saving Throws, a higher Base Attack Bonus and new class abilities, as well. Feat gains by Character Level are static - you’ll gain a feat at 1st level, and at every odd level thereafter (3rd, 5th, 7th, etc.), but you may also gain extra feats from your Class Levels. For example a Fighter gains a bonus feat at 1st level, 2nd level, and every even level (4th, 6th, 10th, etc) thereafter. These bonus feats from a Fighter’s Class Levels are in addition to any gained from a character’s overall Character Level. Most other bene]ts of increasing your level are highly variable by your Class Level, and are usually directly additive. You’ll always gain Hit Points when you level up, but your Class Level will determine your Hit Dice, and your Saving Throw and Base Attack Bonuses are determined solely by combining the bonuses gained by your Class Levels. For example, a 5th level Fighter would have a +5 Base Attack Bonus and +4 Fortitude, +1 Reêx and +1 Will and a 5th level Wizard would have a +2 Base Attack Bonus, +1 Fortitude, +1 Reêx and +4 Will. A 10th level (Character Level) who was a 5th level Fighter/5th level Wizard would thus have a +7 Base Attack Bonus, +5 Fortitude, +2 Reêx and +5 Will, not to mention ten Hit Dice (5d10 + 5d6).

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Path]nder Rules and

Charge Attack A Charge Attack is a Full-Round Action a character can perform which allows them to move faster and farther than normal and attack a target at the end of their charge. Even better, performing a Charge Attack doesn’t provoke Attacks of Opportunity, and charging gives a character a +2 bonus on Bull Rush Combat Maneuver checks. A charging character moves up to double their normal movement speed, and must move at least ten feet. They must also have an unobstructed route to their target - they cannot charge through one enemy to reach another. When the charging character reaches their target, they’ll get to perform a standard melee attack with a +2 Attack Bonus. Charge Attacks are somewhat reckless, however, and the charging character will suffer a -2 Armor Class penalty until their next turn. You’ll ]nd the Charge Attack ability in the Abilities tab (the middle tab) above the action bar.

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Path]nder Rules and

Combat Maneuvers Sometimes crafty creatures and characters can choose to attempt more sophisticated, less direct means of gaining the upper hand in combat. Instead of taking a normal attack, they may opt to perform a Combat Maneuver. Like normal attacks, Combat Maneuvers require a Standard Action, but instead of opposing an Armor Class value with an Attack Roll, instead the success or failure of Combat Maneuvers is determined by a Combat Maneuver Bonus rolls opposed by the target’s Combat Maneuver Defense score. If successful, the outcome is highly variable depending on which Combat Maneuver you were trying to perform, and while they tend not to immediately or directly deal damage, falling victim to a Combat Maneuver can be far worse than simply taking a hit in combat.

Combat Maneuver Bonus and Combat Maneuver Defense Before getting into the details of the different Combat Maneuvers, ]rst let’s get the structure out of the way. A character’s Combat Maneuver Bonus is much like an Attack Roll, although much less complicated; add your Base Attack Bonus, Strength Modi]er and size modi]er to get your Combat Maneuver Bonus. Naturally, this is checked by adding this bonus to a d20 roll in combat, and comparing the result to the target’s Combat Maneuver Defense score, which is similar to Armor Class but for Combat Maneuvers. A character’s Combat Maneuver Defense score is equal to 10 + Base Attack Bonus + Strength Modi]er + Dexterity Modi]er + size. Other - typically secondary - bonuses to Armor Class also tend to add to a character’s Combat Maneuver Defense, including Deêction, Dodge, Insight, Luck and Morale bonuses, but notably not including Armor, Shield or Natural Armor bonuses. This cuts both ways, however, as typical penalties to Armor Class also affect Combat Maneuver Defense. For example, just as buffs that add to Armor Class improve Combat Maneuver Defense, debuffs that decrease Armor Class will also lower Combat Maneuver Defense. In addition, any time you’re denied your Dexterity or Dodge bonuses to Armor Class this also denies those bonuses to your Combat Maneuver Defense score. To determine the success of a Combat Maneuver the attacker makes a Combat Maneuver roll in place of an Attack Roll, adding any bonuses they’d otherwise receive due to buffs or feats. If this roll meets or exceeds the target’s Combat Maneuver Defense score, the attacker successfully performs the Combat Maneuver in question. Miss chance due to concealment applies to Combat Maneuver attempts. Now that you know how Combat Maneuvers work in general, let’s look at each of the Combat Maneuvers in Path]nder: Kingmaker.

Note: Each of the following Combat Maneuvers has a feat - named after the Combat Maneuver - that you’ll need to purchase before you can perform said Combat Maneuver. This is a bit of a departure from traditional Path]nder rules, as you could normally use the Combat Maneuver without a feat, albeit while always provoking an Attack of Opportunity. To sweeten the deal, in Path]nder: Kingmaker you receive a +2 bonus to Combat Maneuver attacks rolls and your Combat Maneuver Defense with the selection Combat Maneuver when you get the relevant feat.

Bull Rush The attacker attempts to push back - without injuring - a target ]ve feet. If successful the target is pushed back ]ve feet,

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plus an additional ]ve feet for every ]ve points by which the attacker’s Combat Maneuver roll exceeds the target’s Combat Maneuver Defense.

Dirty Trick As the name implies, the attacker ]ghts dirty, managing to either Blind, Entangle or Sicken the target. If the attacker is successful, the target will be aìcted by one such status for one round, plus one extra round for every ]ve points by which the attacker’s Combat Maneuver roll exceeds the target’s Combat Maneuver Defense.

Disarm Disarming is a bit odd in Path]nder: Kingmaker. Instead of knocking the weapon out of the defenders hand (after which they’d have to try to pick it up again), Disarm now does the functional equivalent. If the attacker is successful the target cannot use their weapons for one round, plus one extra round for every ]ve points by which the attacker’s Combat Maneuver roll exceeds the target’s Combat Maneuver Defense.

Sunder Armor If the attacker is successful, the target loses their Armor Bonus to Armor Class for one round, plus one extra round for every ]ve points by which the attacker’s Combat Maneuver roll exceeds the target’s Combat Maneuver Defense.

Trip A nasty Combat Maneuver which you’ll unfortunately be on the receiving end of, the attacker attempts to knock the target prone. While not dealing any immediate damage, if knocked prone the target will have to stand up to continue ]ghting, which will provoke an Attack of Opportunity from all enemies that threaten the prone character. For every leg more than two, add +2 to the creature’s Combat Maneuver Defense. Some creatures - such as oozes, creatures without legs, and ^ying creatures - cannot be tripped.

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Path]nder Rules and

Combat Round: Actions The combat round seems simple on the surface, but under the hood the apparently real-time combat is split into a variety of turn-based actions. Understanding these actions will help you better understand how combat plays out and plan your actions accordingly. There are ]ve types of actions that a character can perform in a combat round: Free Actions, Swift Actions, Movement Actions, Standard Actions and Full-Round Actions. During any normal combat round, a character can usually perform an unlimited number of Free Actions, one Swift Action, one Movement Action and one Standard Action (which can be substituted for a second Movement Action). Instead of performing a Move Action and Standard Action the character can perform a Full-Round Action.

Five-Foot Step In addition to all other types of action, a character is usually entitled to make a ]ve-foot step once per round provided they haven’t taken a Movement Action in that same round. This can be somewhat tricky with the real-time trappings of Path]nder: Kingmaker, but so long as you move around the distance of the reticle beneath each character, you shouldn’t overstep the bound of a ]ve-foot step. Obviously you won’t be clearing much ground with this maneuver, but it’s purpose is more tactical than anything else. Taking a ]ve-foot step doesn’t provoke an Attack of Opportunity, so you can use it to safely move in combat. Use ]ve-foot steps to disengage characters without provoking enemies, to position yourself to attack different foes, to ânk enemies, or to make way for area-of-effect spells cast by allies.

Free Action The quickest of all actions, Free Actions take such an inconsequential amount of time that they don’t affect other actions. Free Actions include dropping items, performing Attacks of Opportunity, Cleave attacks, Power Attacks, or using the Combat Expertise Feat.

Swift Action Swift Actions take a marginal amount of time. They’re quick enough that performing one during any combat round won’t affect other actions, but two of them would. One of the few actions that count as Swift Actions includes casting Quickened spells (via the Quicken Metamagic feat), but activating some class abilities may also ]ll this role. Su_ce to say, unless you’re a caster that’s overly fond of Quickened spells (who isn’t?), you probably don’t have to worry about this too much.

Movement Action A character can move their full movement speed while performing a Movement Action. The default movement speed is usually thirty feet for a medium-sized character, while smaller characters have a movement speed of twenty feet. Wearing medium or heavy armor or carrying too much weight can reduce your movement speed, as can di_cult terrain (often temporarily created by spells). You can move up to your full movement speed during a Movement Action, but if you move further in a combat round you’ll expend your Standard Action taking a second Movement Action.

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Movement Speed by Race

Unarmored/Light Armor

Medium/Heavy Armor

Dwarf

20 feet

20 feet

Elf

30 feet

20 feet

Half-Elf

30 feet

20 feet

Half-Orc

30 feet

20 feet

Halîng

20 feet

15 feet

Human

30 feet

20 feet

Gnome

20 feet

15 feet

Despite being typically used for moving, a character can use their Movement Action for a variety of other tasks, including drawing or sheathing weapons, opening or closing doors or containers, picking items off the ground, readying a shield, loading crossbows, standing up from a prone position, or equipping an item from your inventory. Movement Actions are generally faster than Standard Actions.

Standard Action The most common type of Standard Actions are casting spells and attacking - the bread and butter of combat. Other Standard Actions include reading scrolls, drinking potions, using spell-like abilities, channeling energy, basically all of your major combat actions. You can also substitute a Standard Action for a second Movement Action, should you need to cover more ground.

Full-Round Action Early on in the game, Full-Round Actions aren’t too special, as your characters just aren’t talented enough to make use of that extra time. As the name implies, a Full-Round Action takes the entire round, during which the character can only take a ]ve-foot step, perform Free Actions, or one Swift Action. They cannot make a Movement Action or Standard Action, and doing so will prevent them from taking a Full-Round Action. About the only Full-Round Action you’ll use early on is a Charge Attack, which allows the charging character to move at double their movement speed and append their momentum with an attack.

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Path]nder Rules and

Concealment and Cover Cover Cover is a situation when an object physically impedes an attack, usually by blocking a portion of the target’s body. Standing behind a wagon or a low wall, or hiding behind a door are all examples of cover. Cover in Path]nder: Kingmaker is somewhat rare, although you will ]nd objects and the terrain obstructing your (usually ranged) attacks from time to time. Cover typically provides the protected character with a +4 bonus to Armor Class and a +2 bonus to Reêx Saves.

Concealment More common than cover is Concealment, a situation where a target’s exact location is obscured (usually by illusion magics or similar effects) but not physically blocked. Like Cover, a Concealed creature gains a defensive bonus, this time in the form of a chance for all attacks to miss them instead of a bonus to Armor Class or Saving Throws. This miss chance comes in two amounts, representing how concealed the creature is - 20% (Blur) and 50% (Displacement, Invisibility). To calculate whether an attack misses or not due to concealment, an Attack Roll is made as normal, and if that attack hits, a d100 is rolled. If the roll on the d100 Concealment check is lower than the creature’s concealment, the attack misses. Obviously having a 20% or 50% chance to negate any physical attacks that come at a character is a huge defensive boost, and fortunately these Concealment effects can be replicated with Arcane spells. You’d be wise to take advantage of such potent defensive buffs during your adventures.

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Path]nder Rules and

Concentration (Casting Defensively) Casting spells takes uninterrupted focus - not only can the caster not be mentally distracted from the task at hand, but generally they’re more successful at castings spells when their gestures and incantations aren’t hindered. Combat, then, is a particularly tricky place to cast spells, as the odd arrow to the chest or troll clawing your face off - common hazards of adventuring, don’t you know - can be somewhat distracting. Fortunately any spellcasting adventurer worth their salt has trained to concentrate on their magical business, allowing them to deploy their arcane and divine payloads in spite of these nuisances. When a caster in the midst of casting a spell is pestered, they must make a Concentration check to determine whether they keep their focus or not. Should they fail to do so, they’ll lose whatever spell they were casting - expending it as it if were cast, but without actually bene]ting from the spell’s effects. A caster’s Concentration check is equal to their Caster Level and the Ability Score which modi]es the spell of the class their casting. For example, Bards, Paladins and Sorcerers use Charisma, Clerics, Druids and Rangers use Wisdom, and Wizards use Intelligence (exceptions exist for class kits, of course). As with most checks, this Concentration check is added to the result of a d20 roll to determine success or failure.

Concentration Checks versus Injury The two most common events in combat that require a Concentration check are Casting Defensively, or maintaining your focus while taking damage. In the latter case, the character must make a Concentration check whose DC is equal to 10 + damage dealt + spell level. If a goblin were to strike a Cleric casting Cure Light Wounds (1st-level spell) for ]ve damage, the Cleric would need to succeed at a DC 16 Concentration check (10 + 5 + 1).

Casting Defensively It’s probably safe to say that avoiding that damage in the ]rst place would be more ideal than simply keeping your focus in spite of the pain. To that end, spellcasters will automatically attempt to Cast Defensively during combat, which will avoid provoking the usual Attack of Opportunity for casting a spell if successful. To do this, they’ll have to succeed at a Concentration (DC 15 + [spell level x2]) check. Failure means they provoke the Attack of Opportunity, as normal… which may necessitate another Concentration check if they take damage from said attack.

483

Path]nder Rules and

Critical Hits Natural 20s and Critical Hits Critical Hits are truly spectacular, well-aimed blows that inîct many times more damage than normal attacks. When characters make an Attack Roll (d20 + Attack Bonuses), if they roll su_ciently high they may threaten to score a critical hit. The actual numbers needed to threaten a Critical Hit vary by character (certain weapon enchantments and feats may increase this range) and by weapon type, and this range of numbers is known as the Critical Threat Range. Regardless, any natural roll of 20 (on a d20) made during an Attack Roll will automatically hit, regardless of the Attack Bonus or Armor Class of the characters involved.

Critical Threat Range The Critical Threat Range of a weapon are the numbers which - if naturally rolled on a d20 - will threaten a Critical Hit. Most weapons have a natural Critical Threat Range of 20 (meaning the character must roll a natural 20 to threaten a Critical Hit), but many (typically bladed weapons) have a Critical Threat Range of 19-20 (meaning a natural roll of 19 or 20 threatens a Critical Hit) and a few have a Critical Threat Range of 18-20. In addition to this, weapon enchantments like "Keen" or the feat "Improved Critical" will double the natural Critical Threat Range of a weapon. A longsword has a natural Critical Threat Range of 19-20, but a keen longsword (or a longsword in the hands of a character with the Improved Critical: Longswords feat) has a Critical Threat Range of 17-20.

Note: The effects of multiplier Critical Threat Range expanding feats/enchantments do not stack. Only one applies.

Note: Regardless of what your Critical Threat Range is, only a natural roll of 20 on a d20 is guaranteed to hit.

Critical Hit ConIrmation Assuming you’ve rolled a high enough natural number on your Attack Roll to threaten a Critical Hit, the next step is to con]rm that Critical Hit. This roll - a Critical Hit Con]rmation roll - is done by making a second roll which, in most cases, is identical to an Attack Roll. If this second Attack Roll is high enough to score a hit on the target (your Attack Roll meets or exceeds the target’s Armor Class), the Critical Hit is con]rmed. For example, assume a character armed with a dagger (Threat Range 19-20) rolled a natural 19 on their Attack Roll, and the resulting total was high enough to meet or exceed the target’s Armor Class; that attack threatens a critical hit. They roll a second Critical Hit Con]rmation roll (which is identical to the ]rst Attack Roll they made) and if that second attack roll is su_cient to hit the target, they score a Critical Hit instead of a normal hit. If the second attack roll is not high enough to

484

otherwise count as a hit, they do not score a Critical Hit - they deal normal damage, instead.

Critical Multiplier You know how Critical Hits are determined, all that’s left is to discuss damage. Most Critical Hits deal double the damage of a normal hit, and this is determined almost entirely by what weapon the character is using. Most weapons have a x2 multiplier (deals double damage on a critical hit), but some weapons have a x3 or even x4 multiplier. This Critical Multiplier, along with a weapon’s Critical Threat Range, is usually listed as 20/x2, 20/x3 19-20/x2, 18-20/x2 (Critical Threat Range/ Critical Multiplier). Most damage is multiplied during a Critical Hit, but there are some exceptions. Bonus damage from Sneak Attacks are not multiplied, neither is damage caused by a weapon’s enchantments. For example, an acidic weapon that deals 1d6 acid damage would not deal more acid damage on a critical hit unless otherwise stated in the item’s description.

Spells and Critical Hits Spells can not normally result in Critical Hits, which the exception of spells that require a Touch Attack or Ranged Touch Attack roll. Fireball might be fun, but it’ll never score a Critical Hit, meanwhile spells like Acid Splash, Ray of Frost, Ray of Enfeeblement and Disintegrate can. The Critical Threat Range and Critical Multipliers of spells are assumed to be 20/x2 unless stated otherwise in a spell’s description. Critical Hits with spells resolve identically to normal Critical Hits, including the natural 20 rule and the Critical Hit Con]rmation roll. If a spell deals Ability Damage, that Ability Damage will be doubled, as will (obviously) normal damage dealt by a spell. Keep in mind, however, that creatures still get their Saving Throws against such spells, although Critical Damage is applied before the save. For example, say a character lands a Critical Hit with Disintegrate, which normally deals 2d6 damage per Caster Level. Assuming the caster is a Wizard with the minimum Caster Level possible (as a 6th-level arcane spell, it would require an 11th-level Wizard to cast, hence at minimum a Caster Level of eleven), the spell normally deals 22d6 damage… now boosted by the Critical Hit to a whopping 44d6. The target, although critically hit, is still entitled to a Fortitude Save to reduce the damage dealt by half.

485

Path]nder Rules and

Damage Reduction On the surface, the term Damage Reduction is rather self-explanatory; it’s the amount of physical damage a creature will ignore from every attack. While uncommon, there are examples of ât Damage Reduction, including the sort of Damage Reduction a Barbarian may receive as they level up. Damage Reduction is usually displayed as the number of damage a creature can reduce followed by the type of damage that negates this Damage Reduction. For example, a high level Barbarian may ignore three points of physical damage from every attack, without exception. This would be displayed as 3/-. Most Damage Reduction is conditional, however, and can usually be overcome by employing a properly enchanted weapon or a weapon made of certain materials against a foe. For example, a Werewolf has Damage Reduction 5/silver, meaning it’ll ignore ]ve points of physical damage unless the source is a silver weapon. Much more common is alignment based Damage Reduction (DR 5/good, etc.), or simple Damage Reduction against non-magical weapons (DR 10/magic). Other creatures use Damage Reduction to show resilience to a speci]c form of physical damage, usually due to the nature of their body. Skeletons, for example, aren’t terribly receptive to slashing or piercing damage, but readily take damage from bludgeoning attacks. This is represented as DR 5/bludgeoning. It’s worth keeping in mind that Damage Reduction doesn’t effect all forms of damage. A creature with Damage Reduction will still be fully harmed by elemental or magic damage.

486

Path]nder Rules and

Energy Drain (Negative Levels) Direct physical damage isn’t always the only effect of being struck in melee combat, some truly loathsome beings (typically the more powerful sorts of undead, like Wights, Spectres and Vampires) can drain the very life-force from their foes. This sapping of vital essence is reêcted by Energy Drain, which inîcts Negative Levels upon those unfortunately enough to be struck by such beasts. Characters aìcted with a Negative Level suffers a -1 penalty to ability checks, Attack Rolls (including Combat Maneuver checks), Saving Throws and skill checks for each Negative Level that character has. On top of this, their Hit Points (both maximum and current) are reduced by ]ve per Negative Level. If a character is aìcted with a number of Negative Levels equal to or greater than their Hit Dice (or Character Level), they will die. The cumulative effects of Energy Drain and the relatively low Hit Dice characters have (compared to their Hit Points) means even the strongest of characters can only withstand a few hits from these monsters - and their ability to competently ]ght back will diminish every hit. Fortunately, creatures with Energy Drain tend not to inîct many Negative Levels per hit - typically one to three. The amount does not vary by hit, rather different creatures are capable of inîcting different amounts of Negative Levels per hit. Also note that a creature with Energy Drain can only inîct Negative Levels once per round, regardless of how many attacks it gets. These Negative Levels are rather persistent, however, only giving the aìcted character one chance to remove them per day, and only if a Fortitude Save (which varies by monster) is made. They can be removed in a more timely fashion with Restoration spells.

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Path]nder Rules and

Energy Resistance and Vulnerability Much like Damage Reduction, Energy Resistance is a creature’s resistance to a speci]c form of energy. The main types of energy to which a creature can be resistant to include acid, cold, ]re and electricity. There is typically no way to overcome a creature’s Energy Resistance aside from simply not using the form of energy they are resistant to. Some races - like Aasimir - have natural Energy Resistance, but otherwise characters will have to rely on items or spells. Fortunately, enemies rarely employ a wide variety of elements against you, so spells like Resist Energy, Communal or Protection from Energy, Communal should be more than su_cient. More uncommon is Energy Vulnerability, which indicates that a creature is especially susceptible damage from an energy source. A creature is either vulnerable to an element or not, and if they are they receive 50% more damage from that energy source. If a creature with Fire Vulnerability was hit with a Fireball, it would take 150% normal damage, for example.

488

Path]nder Rules and

Experience Points During your adventures you’ll gain experience points for defeating foes, completing quests, and succeeding at some skill checks. At certain Experience Point milestones you’ll level up, increasing your Character Level and allowing you to gain a level in a class you already have, or gain a level in a new class. Experience Points, then, are a crude approximation for how much your character has learned - and how powerful they are. Below you’ll ]nd a table of Experience Points required for each Character Level.

Character Level

Experience Points Required

1

0

2

2,000

3

5,000

4

9,000

5

15,000

6

23,000

7

35,000

8

51,000

9

75,000

10

105,000

11

155,000

12

220,000

13

315,000

15

445,000

16

635,000

17

890,000

18

1,300,000

489

Character Level

Experience Points Required

19

1,800,000

20

3,600,000

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Path]nder Rules and

Fighting Defensively A character can choose to Fight Defensively in combat, diminishing their offensive capabilities in order to focus on defense. While ]ghting defensively, a character gains a +2 Dodge bonus to Armor Class while suffering a -4 penalty on melee Attack Rolls and Combat Maneuver checks. This Dodge bonus to Armor Class is lost any time you lose your Dexterity Bonus to Armor Class (when Flat-Footed, held, prone, paralyzed, sleeping, etc.) If you have three ranks in the Mobility skill, this Dodge bonus to Armor Class increases to +3. Note that three ranks does not mean a +3 Mobility skill bonus, it means you must have spent three skill points on Mobility. You can activate the Fight Defensively ability in the Abilities tab (the middle tab) above the action bar, and it can be toggled on and off at will.

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Flanking Most defenders will be hard-pressed to defend against multiple attackers operating simultaneously from different directions, and wily combatants will take advantage of this fact to give themselves an edge in combat. A creature is considered ânked if it is threatened (characters threaten all areas they can make melee attacks into - usually around a ]ve-foot radius area around them) by two opponents roughly opposite each other. The exact rules of ânking in pen-andpaper Path]nder are a bit of a bother: if you can draw a line between the center of two attacking characters and it es through opposite sides of that creature, it’s considered ânked. The rules employed in Path]nder: Kingmaker are similar, and if you want to ensure you’ll ânk opponents, try to move your characters to opposite ends of the target. Flanking attackers gain a +2 bonus to Attack Rolls against ânked defenders, which can help your warriors cut down even well-protected targets. For rogues ânking is more than a moderate boon, as they can deal Sneak Attack damage to ânked defenders. Melee combatants who wear no, light, or medium armor that doesn’t have a high Armor Check Penalty may want to invest in the Mobility skill so they can ânk opponents without drawing Attacks of Opportunity via use of the Acrobatics ability.

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Hit Points (Hit Dice) Perhaps the most ubiquitous stat in RPGs, a character’s Hit Points determines how much damage they can sustain before becoming disabled, unconscious, or dying. When a character is successfully attack (see Armor Class) with a ranged or melee attack, or by some spells, the damage they suffer is subtracted from their current Hit Point total. If a character’s Hit Points drop to zero or below, they’ll lose consciousness - essentially taking them out of the ]ght until battle is over. If a character’s Hit Points are reduced to a negative number equal to or greater than their Constitution score (not their Constitution Modi]er) they may die. For example, if a character has a Constitution score of twelve, they can be reduced to -11 Hit Points without dying. Should they be reduced to -12 or lower, however, they may die.

Death’s Door Di_culty options effect what happens to unconscious characters when they receive deadly injuries (their Hit Points are reduced to a number below zero equal to or greater than their Constitution score). In the di_culty menu you’ll ]nd the "Death’s Door" option, which you can toggle to make the game somewhat less risky. With the Death’s Door option on, when a character receives a deadly injury they’ll avoid death and instead be put at "Death’s Door". If they should receive a second deadly injury while at Death’s Door status, they’ll die. You can remove Death’s Door status by resting in a safe place - usually Oleg’s Trading Post or the capital city. Death’s Door basically gives each character extra protection against death, so the odd critical hit might not be so worrisome - but it won’t help you in case of a party wipe.

Hit Dice A Character’s Hit Points are determined largely by their class, with each class giving a different Hit Dice per level. Hit Dice are the type of dice (d6, d8, d10 or d12) rolled to determine Hit Points. To this score the character adds their Constitution Modi]er each level. At ]rst level, a character gains the maximum number of Hit Points possible for their Hit Dice roll, thereafter receiving a random amount as per the value of their Hit Dice roll. The formula for determining Hit Points is [Hit Dice + Constitution Modi]er] x Character Level. A list of the different Hit Dice by class can be found below:

Hit Dice by Class Alchemist

d8

Barbarian

d12

Bard

d8

Cleric

d8

Druid

d8

Fighter

d10

Inquisitor

d8

Magus

d8

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Hit Dice by Class Monk

d8

Paladin

d10

Ranger

d10

Rogue

d8

Sorcerer

d6

Wizard

d6

Unconsciousness and Death A character reduced to zero Hit Points or less is unconscious, and can no longer participate in battles. Depending on your di_culty settings, they may automatically recover after battle (provided they didn’t die), but failing that you can always use healing magics to get them back on their feet. If a character dies, resting or healing spells won’t work to bring them back, you’ll either need to use items like Signed Scrolls of Raise Dead, pay for the services of a Cleric, or use spells like the 5thlevel divine spell Raise Dead.

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Initiative At the beginning of the ]rst round of combat, all participants make an Initiative roll: d20 + Dexterity Modi]er + Feats. A character’s Initiative roll determines when they act during a combat round. Characters who roll higher will cast spells, activate abilities and attack faster than other characters with a lower Initiative score. In addition, a character with a higher Initiative score will treat slower opponents as Flat-Footed, denying them Dodge and Dexterity bonuses to Armor Class and allowing them to perform Sneak Attacks. While almost exclusively a function of your Dexterity Modi]er, you can also signi]cantly improve your Initiative with the Improved Initiative feat.

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Ranged Combat Ranged Combat functions similarly to melee combat in many regards. Making a ranged attack is a Standard Action, and you use your Attack Roll to check against a target’s Armor Class to determine if you hit or not. As far as the Attack Roll goes, the biggest difference is that Dexterity contributes to the roll by default, rather than Strength, although Strength may still inûence the damage rolls of some ranged weapons. The most obvious difference between melee combat and ranged combat is… well, the range, of course. While characters armed with most melee weapons can attack creatures ]ve feet away (and hence they threaten that much area around themselves), ranged weapons have the ability to deal damage at a considerably greater distance. This distance is somewhat reduced in Path]nder: Kingmaker as compared to table-top versions of the game. Unlike melee weapons, ranged weapons are slower, more deliberate, and hence a character with a ranged weapon doesn’t actually threaten any areas - they simply can’t respond to lapses in an enemy’s defense as quickly as an adjacent melee character could. This means that characters armed with ranged weapons cannot normally make Attacks of Opportunity or ânk enemies. They can, however, perform Sneak Attacks on enemies who are vulnerable, so long as they’re within thirty feet of the target. Not only are ranged weapons incapable of taking advantage of opportunities the way that melee weapons can, their use in melee combat constitutes such a vulnerability. Firing a ranged weapon - be it a bow, crossbow, or performing a Ranged Touch Attack with a spell - provokes an Attack of Opportunity. That’s not the only complication when it comes to mixing ranged combat with melee combat, however, as it can be hard to hit your target in the chaotic shuè that is a proper melee. When shooting at a character engaged in melee combat you take a -4 penalty to your Attack Rolls. This penalty can be negated with the Precise Shot feat, which in turn requires Point-Blank Shot.

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Saving Throws The most common sort of danger you’ll encounter during your adventures will be the physical attacks of enemies - a broad spectrum of hazards that are united by their ability to be dodged, deêcted or otherwise mitigated by checking your Armor Class. For other threats against which Armor Class is not an effective mitigating factor, you have Saving Throws. There are three types of Saving Throws: Fortitude, Reêx, and Will, which reêct your character’s ability to endure, evade or resist a variety of different effects. Your Saving Throws are largely dependent on what class(es) you pick as you level up, as the training regimens each class represents imparts a variety of bonuses on characters. Warriors are usually more physically hardy, rogues are more deft and spellcasters tend to have great mental acuity. That said, there are only two different class-based rates of Saving Throw progression, as listed on the tables below.

Level

High Saving Throw Progression

Low Saving Throw Progression

1

+2

+0

2

+3

+0

3

+3

+1

4

+4

+1

5

+4

+1

6

+5

+2

7

+5

+2

8

+6

+2

9

+6

+3

10

+7

+3

11

+7

+3

12

+8

+4

13

+8

+4

14

+9

+4

15

+9

+5

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Level

High Saving Throw Progression

Low Saving Throw Progression

16

+10

+5

17

+10

+5

18

+11

+6

19

+11

+6

20

+12

+6

Saving Throw Progression by Class Fortitude

Reêx

Will

Alchemist

High

High

Low

Barbarian

High

Low

Low

Bard

Low

High

High

Cleric

High

Low

High

Druid

High

Low

High

Fighter

High

Low

Low

Inquisitor

High

Low

High

Magus

High

Low

High

Monk

High

High

Low

Paladin

High

Low

High

Ranger

High

High

Low

Rogue

Low

High

Low

Sorcerer

Low

Low

High

Wizard

Low

Low

High

In addition to your class, your race, Ability Scores and feats may also improve your Saving Throws.

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Fortitude Save A measure of your grit, health and endurance, characters with high Fortitude Saves are more likely to resist diseases, poisons, fatigue and death effects. The grueling training warriors endure generally bestows them with physiques less prone to duress than other classes. In addition to your class bonus, your Constitution Modi]er also inûences (positively or negatively) your Fortitude Save. Undead use their Charisma Modi]er to determine their Fortitude Save instead of their Constitution. The Great Fortitude feat will also bolster your Fortitude Save.

ReJex Save Armor is poor defense against ]reballs, lightning bolts and ice storms. Against threats like this, your only option is to get out of the way the best you can, and none are better at this than agile characters like Rogues. Naturally you’ll add or subtract your Dexterity Modi]er to your Reêx Save, and the Lightning Reêxes feat can also be picked to further supplement your Reêx Save. Succeeding at a Reêx Save typically halves the damage your take from sources that allow a Reêx Save, but some classes (like the Rogue and Ranger) gain the Evasion and possibly Improved Evasion. With Evasion, if you succeed at a Reêx Save to halve the damage you’d take from an attack, you’ll now take no damage. With Improved Evasion, you’ll still take no damage from a successful save, but only half damage even should you fail your Reêx Save. All in all, it makes these characters rather di_cult to blast with offensive magics.

Will Save Just as a warrior’s physical training leaves them with a body resilient to to the rigors of adventuring, a spellcaster’s training has likewise bene]ted their mental fortitude. Characters with a high Will Save are more likely to see through illusions and resist the effects of mind-affecting effects, presumably due to their own training and familiarity with such magics. A character’s Wisdom Modi]er is also added to (or subtracted from) their Will Save, and the Iron Will feat will further bolster their resilience.

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Path]nder Rules and

Sneak Attack Instead of following the relatively unsophisticated brute-strength approach employed by warriors, characters who can Sneak Attack - typically Rogues - instead employ ]nesse and ruthless e_ciency to punish vulnerable enemies. Against a foe whose defense is compromised they can add bonus Sneak Attack damage, a bene]t that represents the attacker has struck a vital spot. Attackers can apply Sneak Attack damage any time the target is denied their Dexterity Modi]er to Armor Class… regardless of whether they have a Dexterity Modi]er worth applying is irrelevant. This most commonly occurs when the defender is Flat-Footed, but characters who are held, paralyzed, sleeping or caught in a Web spell also are vulnerable to Sneak Attacks. An attacker can also deal their Sneak Attack damage to defender they’re ânking, and this is quite possibly the most common application of this form of damage. A melee-inclined Rogue would be well-served by investing in Mobility so they can sneak into ânking positions in relative safety. Sneak Attack damage is typically a variable number of d6 rolls added to whatever damage the attacker normally deals, and it can be added to any attack - even to multiple attacks per round! Su_ce to say, while a Rogue may normally not be a very impressive combatant, adding several d6’s of damage to their attacks changes things quite a bit. There are some limitations, however. This damage is not multiplied during critical hits, and a Rogue must be within thirty feet to add Sneak Attack damage to a ranged weapon (including spells with Range Touch Attack rolls - yes, even something as humble as Acid Splash can be used to Sneak Attack). An attacker can also not apply Sneak Attack damage to an opponent which bene]ts from any form of concealment, whether it’s from being shielded by terrain or from the effects of spells like Blur, Displacement or Invisibility.

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Path]nder Rules and

Spell Resistance Some creatures are innately resistant to magic, having an extra layer of defense against hostile spells that must be overcome before the spell’s effects can resolve. This extra defense - Spell Resistance - functions much like Armor Class in that it’s a static score that the caster must overcome with a successful Caster Level check (1d20 + Caster Level). A character’s Caster Level is generally their class level in the class relevant to the spell in question, but feats like Spell Penetration and Greater Spell Penetration can also improve your rolls to overcome Spell Resistance. Should a caster fail to overcome Spell Resistance, the spell simply doesn’t effect the target (although it may still effect other creatures, if it’s an area-of-effect spell). Even should Spell Resistance be overcome, the usual defenses against spells must still be checked, including succeeding at a Ranged Touch Attack or surmounting a target’s Saving Throw(s).

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Path]nder Rules and

Threatened Area (Reach) In combat, characters equipped with melee weapons (or creatures with natural attacks dangerous enough to count as weapons) threaten all areas they can reach. Essentially, if a character can make an attack against an opponent in a speci]ed area, they threaten that area. Characters who are off-guard or otherwise incapacitated (ât-footed, paralyzed, held, sleeping, etc.) do not threaten any areas. Generally speaking, most creatures in Path]nder: Kingmaker are Small or Medium-sized, meaning they’ll threaten a ]ve-foot area around themselves… or thereabouts. Characters with reach weapons (such as longspears) or creatures larger than medium-size may be able to attack targets further away, and hence threaten a greater area. This can make it tricky for smaller characters to combat larger ones, as larger creatures threaten more area, and can therefore perform Attacks of Opportunity from further away, making it risky to engage and disengage.

502

Kingdom Development

General Info At the end of Chapter 1 you’ll gain the promised reward for your victory over the Stag Lord, but such a reward - the title of Baron - comes with responsibilities. More than just mere real estate, your title obliges you to rule effectively; while you can choose to rule with a tyrant’s iron ]st or in a more benevolent, enlightened manner, if you fail to keep your barony solvent, the game will be over. You’ll face a myriad of threats to the stability of your kingdom, some foreign, some domestic. Whether the source is monstrous, criminal or political, the longer they persist, the more unrest they’ll cause. Should your citizens lose faith in your ability to rule, your kingdom will fall.

Kingdom in a Nutshell: Assign leaders to the positions of power in your barony. Send them to resolve events that happen in the kingdom and see results of their actions in growth or reduction in kingdom stats. Increase state ranks to solve events easier and receive more BP each week. Spend BP to claim the regions, found settlements and construct buildings within the settlements. Regions and buildings further increase your stats. Watch for Unrest; it should not fall to Riots or Crumbling state, if it falls below crumbling your kingdom will be destroyed, and the game will be over!

Some of these threats are more mundane than others, and can be dealt with merely by sending one of your Leaders - a representative you assign - to handle the matter themselves. Others require the direct intervention of your baron, whether diplomatically or martially. Most severe threats require more than a bit of both responses, and between these events you’ll probably want to ]nd time for some good, old-fashioned adventuring. Not all quests will work their way to your throne room, after all, and gaining personal power by killing monsters and plundering treasure will leave you more capable of dealing with threats. You’ll need to balance the management of your kingdom with the desire to explore, and to do that, you’ll need to learn the mechanics of kingdom development, which you’ll ]nd covered in detail below. Before you get into the speci]cs about how various aspects of kingdom development function, however, a brief overview is in order. You handle matters of kingdom development via your kingdom map, which you can interact with in two ways. You can either use the table in your throne room, or when you’re viewing the overworld map (the map that’s up when you travel between areas) you can click the castle icon on the bottom right of the screen. Many kingdom activities require your direct presence in the throne room, generally due to quest-giving petitioners desiring an audience with you, and some projects also require your oversight, but the vast majority of tasks - resolving most Event Cards, some projects, and building - can all be done while adventuring.

DiMculty Level of your Barony: You may change the di_culty level of your barony at any moment or set it to automatic. In this case, you won’t have to deal with most government decisions for they will be taken automatically, and your barony will never fail. However, you won’t be able to unlock any governance-related achievements, either.

When you’re on the kingdom map, you’ll ]nd a "Stats" tab on the top left of the screen, while on the right side of the screen

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you’ll ]nd the "Events", "Projects", "Regions" and "Leaders" buttons. To build, you need merely click on the settlement on your map (or the possible settlement location, as the case may be) to enter the building submenu. These features, then, will be the subject of the rest of this section.

504

Kingdom Development

Kingdom Stats Kingdom stats (which can be found by clicking the "Stats" tab on the top left while on the kingdom map screen) de]ne the collective health of your realm. There are ten kingdom stats which quantify how developed your kingdom is in various areas: Community, Loyalty, Military, Economy, Relations, Divine, Arcane, Stability, Culture and Espionage.

Barony Stats (1/4): The barony has ten basic stats, each supervised by a Leader. They are as follows: Population (Regent), Loyalty (Councilor), Army (General), Economy (Treasurer), Religion (High Priest), Foreign Affairs (Grand Diplomat), Stability (Warden), Magic (Magister), Culture (Curator) and Espionage (Minister).

You can improve your kingdom stats by constructing buildings, or by successfully completing Event Cards (Opportunities). On the other hand, you’ll lose kingdom stats if you fail or neglect Event Cards (Problems), and in particular main questrelated events, which tend to be more impactful and recurring until you resolve said quest. Should any of your kingdom stats be reduced too low, it’ll start affecting the level of unrest of your kingdom - should your unrest get out of hand, your kingdom will collapse.

Stat Development (2/4): Stats increase if your governance is successful and decrease if some events don’t end well or if negative factors are placed in your way. Don’t let your barony stats drop to zero or lower. At this point your subjects will riot, and your state will begin to crumble. Each stat has certain milestones or ranks within them. Every 20 points of a stat will increase your rank. Rank One unlocks a Leader in a corresponding position. Further development of the stat and upgrade of its ranks is possible only if you have a leader in the relevant position.

Obviously, then, your kingdom stats are fairly important. They’re the objective measure of your kingdom, and virtually every aspect of kingdom management (Leaders, Event Cards, construction) are important inasmuch as they affect your kingdom stats. Fortunately you’re not alone in managing your kingdom, as each of your ten kingdom stats has a leader overseeing all things related to that stat. Your Military is overseen by your General, your Economy is the purview of your Treasurer, your Population is governed by your Regent, the Councilor is tasked with the upkeep of Loyalty, the High Priest manages matters of Religion, and so on. Leaders will be discussed in greater detail, below, but they do pertain to kingdom stats in a variety of ways. First, what Leader you assign to resolve any particular event (many have two possibilities) determines, in part, the kingdom stats you’ll gain from completing said event. It’s also worth noting the Roman numerals beside each kingdom stat’s value - these reêct the rank of that particular kingdom stat. After every twenty points in a kingdom stat, that stat will be eligible to rank up, which can be done by returning to your throne room and resolving an event related to the rank up. After this, you’ll need to complete a project, to which you’ll typically need to devote your undivided attention (fourteen days will usually be automatically advanced). After this, the kingdom stat the Leader is in charge of will rank up, which generally increases your

505

ability to resolve higher di_culty checks and may unlock new projects that grant you other ive bonuses.

506

Kingdom Development

Leaders As mentioned above, your kingdom’s development in various areas is quanti]ed by your kingdom stats, and each of these kingdom stats can have a Leader assigned to oversee the maintenance and improvement of these vital state functions. The primary function of leaders - and at the end of the day, of all aspects of kingdom development - is to boost your kingdom stats, and they do this largely through the completion of Event Cards, which will be covered in greater detail below. While many Leaders (especially initially) are your adventuring companions, others can be found and recruited from outside the ranks of your fellow party . Whether they’re willing to you often depends on what choices you make during speci]c quests, especially if that choice possibly involves a violent altercation with said Leader candidate! Generally speaking, sparing NPCs and not being overly harsh in your interactions can lead to you having a somewhat fuller throne room in the long run. There are also instances where your Leaders can die in action, depending on the choices you make. Possible Leaders, how to recruit them and how to keep them alive afterwards will be explained throughout the walkthrough.

Leaders (3/4): It takes one Leader per each stat to govern your barony. You may appoint your companions and some of the Stolen Lands’ citizens to each Leader position. Three characters are quali]ed to be in each of the ten positions. Not all of them are willing to serve you straight away. You will have to talk some of them into it. Appointing others will require a completion of their assignment or rendering them a service. Every Leader acts of their own ideology. They have their own opinion on everything that happens in your domain. Therefore you may want to select the characters whose governance philosophy is consistent with yours. Open the Leaders tab on the right side of the screen, click an empty slot, and select one of the characters to appoint as a Leader.

More About Leaders (4/4): Every kingdom stat gains a bonus from a certain attribute of the appointed Leader. The exact size of the bonus is indicated in the upper right of the Leader’s card. Only Leaders may address problems and opportunities, the sudden events that occur in your domain and require your immediate attention. Don’t leave the positions vacant!

Leaders aren’t mindless automatons - they have their own traits and beliefs, and will act accordingly. Not only will the individuals you promote âvor your reign, but which Leaders you assign to handle events represents the nature of your response. Say, for example, that there’s civil unrest in your lands over some matter or another. If you send the General to deal with it, that indicates a military response - harsh repression of troublemakers who may or may not have legitimate grievances. Should you send your Regent, the issue is understood to have been addressed more peacefully, through diplomacy. In practical , this means the Leader you employ determines the statistical outcome of the event, usually by gaining your kingdom stats in the ]eld that Leader represents. As you complete events and raise your kingdom stats you’ll reach thresholds (every twenty points in a kingdom stat) at

507

which said stat can rank up. The bene]ts this bestows has also been covered above, but there are intricacies to the process that don’t directly affect kingdom stats, and that’s what this section is for. When a kingdom stat ranks up, the Leader responsible for the kingdom stat will request an audience with you, obligating you to meet with them in your throne room. During this meeting they’ll present you with a problem related to the area they represent - the Regent may need your help resolving a civil dispute, or the General may require your input in enlistment practices, as examples. Your input here will help shape the nature of your kingdom, but your Leaders may have their own opinions on the matter. While you can usually give them free rein to do what they wish (which will almost always appease them - they’re not inclined to act against their own inclinations voluntarily, after all) you can also make choices that please or displease them. If you consistently displease your Leader with these choices, they’ll quit, forcing you to ]nd another, hopefully more like-minded individual to ]ll the role. To avoid messy political spats and to ensure your chosen policies are implemented with as little friction as possible, it’d be wise to pick Leaders whom you ]nd agreeable. A full list of these rank up events and their Leader-inûencing choices can be found in the Kingdom Rank Ups section of the guide.

508

Kingdom Development

Events, Projects and Regions Now that leaders have been discussed, turn your attention to the other tabs along the right end of the screens: Events, Projects, Regions, and Map. These may have been mentioned a bit earlier when discussing leaders, but now it’s time to go over them in a bit more detail.

Events offer challenges to overcome and opportunities to help establish your kingdom (left); however, they are not without di_culty. (right)

Events are random occurrences that you can attempt to exploit for your bene]t (Opportunities), or that you must resolve lest you face some detrimental consequences (Problems). Individual events are represented by cards at the bottom of the screen, and many of them are random, appearing as time progresses. This gives you incentive to check your kingdom screen regularly and assign Leaders to oversee them, which you can fortunately do even when you’re away from Tuskdale. Succeeding at these events is one of the primary goals of a Leader, as doing so will either mitigate a penalty incurred by the event, or reward you for exploiting an opportunity. The currency of event cards is usually kingdom stats. To handle an event you’ll need to click on the event card and assign a Leader to the task. The Leader(s) available will vary depending on the nature of the event, and they’ll make a skill check in a relevant kingdom-related ]eld to determine success or failure of the endeavor. Fortunately, while a Leader is deployed on an event or project, they can still adventure with you (don’t ask why, just take the gift and be glad). Sometimes you’ll get to choose which Leader you wish to deal with an event or problem, and this reêcts the nature of your response. If you send your Regent, for example, the response is understood to be a diplomatic one, while sending your General is a military response. The nature of your response can inûence the di_culty of the task, as well as the reward, and it’s not uncommon for the reward to reêct the kingdom stat the selected leader represents - succeeding at a task with your High Priest will typically boost your kingdom’s Divine stat, for instance. While some event cards are random and will appear of their own volition (sometimes repeating several times - turns out religious festivals and bandit attacks aren’t always one-time affairs) others appear in response to speci]c events. Some quests may have events associated with them often being introduced by a stranger visiting your throne room and telling you about the problem (quest) they need you to resolve. Other time speci]c quest objectives - often optional - can be resolved via an event card. Event cards can also appear to reêct minor opportunities and problems that arise based on your actions and interactions with others. By far the most important event cards, however, are the ones that accompany main quests. These frequently take the aforementioned role of introducing a quest to you, but they can also serve as… motivation for you to resolve the next main storyline quest. Main quests are usually centered around something that’s a vital threat to the stability of your kingdom, and while the time you have to resolve these quests is usually generous (and usually measured in weeks, if not months), the time available can also be rather variable. The longer a main quest-related threat endures, the more damage it will cause, lowering your kingdom stats to reêct the loss of life, trade, stability and loyalty inîcted by these hardships. Ignoring

509

the problem entirely will cause the situation to deteriorate faster, but you can often send leaders to deal with event cards related to the quest, mitigating its effects and buying you more time, albeit at the cost of your leader’s time and always subject to the risk of failure. This will be covered in more detail when it occurs.

Note: Since the exact event cards that unlock - and when or whether events become available at all - can be random, their completion will be largely left up to your own initiative.

Projects often appear as a way to show for one of your leaders in their ambitions. (left); Regions can be claimed to expand your barony once their conditions have been met. (right)

Projects are generally longer-term than Events, giving you more time to deal with them. Otherwise they’re very similar, often requiring the investment of one of your leader’s time and/or some material resources. Select them via the cards at the bottom of the screen, which will appear when the Projects tab is selected.

Note: Some projects requires the undivided attention of your assigned leader and your protagonist. For these, you’ll automatically skip the time it takes to complete the project, so have your affairs in order beforehand.

For events and projects, your assigned leader will still be able to adventure with you (provided it’s not something that must be immediately resolved via time-skip), so don’t worry too much about that. In fact, you should see to whatever business is currently available at your barony, and once you’ve assigned as many tasks as possible and made a note of the completion dates of assigned tasks and the expiration dates of outstanding ones, use that time to get some adventuring in. Regions are the rarest of the three events, appearing when you’ve met the conditions required to claim a slice of territory. That being the case, don’t expect this to happen terribly frequently. Otherwise they function like events and projects: You’ll need to assign a Leader to prosecute the claim, which usually requires an investment of time (which you’ll automatically be forced to advance) and BP. Once a new territory is claimed you’ll be able to found a new settlement there, the mechanics of which is the same as building anywhere else, and can be learned about in the Building section below.

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Note: You’ll generally be able to claim new territory as you complete quests, explore areas and eradicate monsters in a province. Even more incentive to go exploring!

Map allows you to get a wider view of the area, from which you can select various icons representing events or settlements. Not much to say here, you can use this to take a gander at the map and scheme above regions you don’t yet control.

511

Kingdom Development

Building Running a barony isn’t all a matter of asg personnel, taking advantage of opportunities and dealing with problems. Successful rulers are expected to build monuments to their nation’s power and prosperity and having a functional purpose that bene]ts the peasants also helps.

Construction of Buildings (1/3): You may construct utility buildings to increase your barony stats. Each barony has a cost in BP and construction time. You may construct several buildings simultaneously. To start construction, select a building you need from the list on the right side of the screen and place it in an empty slot in the settlement.

Buildings: Special Bonuses (2/3): Buildings may grant you special bonuses if you meet certain conditions (most commonly, two buildings must stand close together to give you the bonus). Make sure you use this feature to your full bene]t when planning a settlement. Some buildings can be placed only in designated spots or areas. Thus, you can build a pier on water only, and there must be no other buildings around a mill.

Buildings: Moving and Demolition (3/3): Demolish a building to get rid of it and take back half of the resources you spent on construction. If you want to move a building, you will have to demolish the old one and construct it in the new slot. You won’t have to spend any extra BP. However, you will have to wait for the construction to complete in the new location.

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You will need to leave some time for buildings to be completed. Each one boosts a certain stat for your kingdom.

The currency of building is Building Points (BP), which are accrued on a weekly basis, although certain dialogue options, quests, events and projects can yield additional build points, and generally the more developed your economy is, the more Build Points you’ll earn each week. To check your kingdom’s current stats, hover your cursor over the "Stats" bar at the top left of the screen. The categories that appear under the stats bar lists your kingdom’s capabilities, resources and level of development in various categories. These can be improved by completing events and projects, but events are ]ckle, and a bad stroke of luck could just as easily lower these stats. The sure-]re way to improve them is by building cities, which requires time, Build Points, and planning. To start building, click on the selected settlement’s icon on the map to view its own personal contributions to your kingdom’s stats on the left, and the buildings comprising the city on the right. Click the "Enter" button (the one on the screen, not on your keyboard!) to get a view of your city - or rather, what will soon be a city, as the case may be. Note that there are buttons on both sides of the screen, with the left-hand buttons, "Stats" and "Built" providing identical information to what you saw on the previous screen. At the top of the screen some basic information is provided: - the name of the city, your BP, and the number of plots available. On the right side of the screen are more interesting buttons, "View" and "Build". View merely lets you look at the area without the clutter of the Build UI, so click on Build to get to work. Clicking on the "Build" button will bring up a list of structures available for construction, as well as a grid representation of where you can build these structures. Each building requires Build Points to create, as well as time to construct, another task you should endeavor to take care of between bouts of adventuring. In return, constructed buildings provide various bene]ts to the city they’re in, as represented by boosts to various kingdom stats. A Barracks will improve your Military might, a Shrine will increase your Divine rating, while Shops and Taverns will improve the Economy.

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Note: Building multiple buildings of the same type in each settlement will get progressively more expensive. For example, the ]rst Shop you build in an area will cost 20 BP, the second 30 BP and the third 45 BP.

This is all rather straightforward stuff, but to complicate matters, some buildings have greater effects when one is built next to another (an Adjacent Bonus) while others will bene]t so long as another building is located anywhere within the same settlement (Coexist Bonus). These bonuses can only apply once per pairing, so building a Smithy ânked by two Shops will not do you any good. Also, some buildings can only be built in speci]c spots, and are usually color-coded to make this simpler to plan out. Walls can only be built in green areas (at the boundary of your settlement), a Pier must be built adjacent to water (marked by a blue square), and Windmills and Watchtowers must be placed on isolated squares. As a further complication, as you build up settlements they’ll naturally get larger, for instance graduating from a village to a town. Larger settlements will allow for a more diverse selection of buildings to be constructed, and will also fortunately unlock more open building spots on your settlement grid.

Note: You can check the progress of kingdom events - including building progress - while exploring. To do so, when you’re on the world map just click the castle icon on the lower right corner of the screen. Some events will require your physical presence, however, so it’s a good idea to return regularly and not over-extend yourself.

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