The Hook Mountain Massacre
The Hook Mountain Massacre, an adventure by Nicolas Logue with support articles by Mike McArtor and James L. Sutter and fiction by James L. Sutter, is the third chapter in the Rise of the Runelords adventure path and was released on November 14, 2007.
“Them Ogres Ain't Right…The Rise of the Runelords Adventure Path continues! The notorious Hook Mountain ogres, known for their violent and savage ways, have slaughtered the soldiers of Fort Rannick. The few surviving rangers need heroes to help them retake this key fortification before the ogres use it as a staging ground for further assaults on the region. Yet why have the ogres chosen now to launch this sudden attack? What sinister force grows in the surrounding wilderness, and what ties to the mysterious Sihedron Rune do the ogres of Hook Mountain hide? Are the rumors of an army of giants massing for war true?
This volume of Pathfinder includes:
- "The Hook Mountain Massacre," an adventure for 7th-level characters, by Nicolas Logue.
- Advice and encounters to spice up the task of commanding a keep, by Mike McArtor and James L. Sutter.
- An extensive gazetteer of the region of Varisia, including wandering monsters and more, by James L. Sutter.
- The third installment of the Pathfinder's Journal, by James L. Sutter.
- Six new monsters by Nicolas Logue.
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Contents
This volume of Pathfinder Adventure Path puts the PCs up against a force of backwoods, inbred ogres, and also features rules for maintaining and running a castle, a gazetteer of the wilderness region of Varisia, and several new monsters perfect for plaguing PCs who tread too far into these haunted mountains. It also provides an account of Eando Kline's first visit to the ruinous and magic-filled city of Kaer Maga.
Paizo Editor-in-Chief James Jacobs reveals a glimpse into the twisted mind of author Nicolas Logue and discusses the role movies have on RPG design, including three suggested films.
No one's heard from the rangers of Hook Mountain for weeks, and the nearby town of Turtleback Ferry has been strangely quiet as well. Everyone knows that ogres live in the deep parts of the woods and atop the rugged peaks of the nearby mountains, but what if they've organized? What if someone—or something—has galvanized these brutish, inbred thugs into an army? Would anyone know before it was too late to mount a defense?
It's one thing to rescue a fortress from ogre occupation. It's quite another to get the same fortress back on its feet. What sort of problems await an industrious band of heroes who find themselves suddenly in charge of a remote mountain keep, and are they up to the bureaucratic nightmare of juggling visiting elven nobles, surly dwarven tradesmen, impish gnome entertainers, and the odd hungry troll while trying, at the same time, to remain adventurers?
Take a journey through the wilds of Varisia in this in-depth gazetteer. Gaze into the bottomless pit of the Mobhad Leigh, and study the flickering ghosts of other worlds in the steel Forest of Mundatei. From the abandoned elven capital of Celwynvian to ancient Lurkwood where the seasons obey no calendar, from the steaming depths of Ember Lake to the iron-walled dwarven stronghold of Janderhoff, this guide details Varisia as never before.
Eando Kline reaches the sinister streets of Kaer Maga, where his quest for an ancient ioun stone forces him into an uneasy alliance with one of the city's shadiest merchants. Surrounded by troll augurs, leechcovered bloatmages, and even stranger sights, just how far will Eando go to secure information for the Pathfinder Society?
Adventure overview
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The PCs receive a desperate call for aid from Hook Mountain, where a tribe of ogres has slaughtered the garrison of a small keep, including the famous retired war hero stationed there. The few surviving rangers need the heroes to help them retake the key fortification back. Once the ogres are driven off, the PCs are awarded stewardship of the keep. Yet as the heroes begin the task of repairing and expanding their new stronghold, a sinister force grows in the surrounding wilderness. What ties did the slaughtered commander have to these vengeful ghosts, and what terrible secrets do the ogres of Hook Mountain hide? Are the rumors of an army of giants massing for war in fact true?
Characters and creatures
- For a list of characters and creatures appearing in this work, see the Meta page.
- Real-world articles
- Works by Mike McArtor
- Works by James L. Sutter
- Works by James Jacobs
- Works by Nicolas Logue
- Artwork by Ben Wootten
- Artwork by James Zhang
- Artwork by Andrew Hou
- Artwork by Wayne Reynolds
- Artwork by Rob Lazzaretti
- Artwork by John Gravato
- Artwork by Kyle Hunter
- Artwork by Jeff Carlisle
- Artwork by Arnold Tsang
- 2007 adventures
- Adventures
- D&D 3.5 adventures
- Pathfinder Adventure Path
- 7th level adventures
- Infiltration adventures
- Adventures in Turtleback Ferry
- Adventures in Varisia
- Rise of the Runelords adventures