Overview
Hey folks, here’s a nice little guide on how to easily complete Chapter One in thirty days, along with some handy tips on how to make your first few levels a lot less painful.SPOILER ALERT: This guide is littered with spoilers about Chapter One! Far too many to mark, honestly. You’ve been warned.
Introduction and Your First Three Runs
TL;DR: Hey folks, here’s a nice little guide on how to easily complete Chapter One in thirty days, along with some handy tips on how to make your first few levels a lot less painful. I normally play on Challenging Mode throughout Chapter I and up the difficulty to Hard once I get to Chapter II.
*** SPOILER ALERT *** This guide has numerous plot and items spoilers. Far too many to mark, honestly. You’ve been warned.
A full list of myhttps://www.reddit.com/r/Pathfinder_Kingmaker/comments/hoy0ob/singleclass_build_series_homepage/.
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THE MANSION: I won’t spend too much time on the intro tutorial at the mansion. My only tips are…
- Loot everything you can (including the bodies in the final room). This goes for every map you encounter in Chapter One, not just the mansion. You’re going to need the coin.
- Snatch those healing potions off Tartucio
- Take Harrim’s shield and equip it on Valerie so she can actually hit something until she gets to level five.
- Switch out your characters’ armor as soon as something better is available (for example, Linzi can upgrade her leather armor to studded leather almost immediately).
- Masterwork weapons are great early on, as they offer +1 to attack. Amiri will have a higher chance to hit with a masterwork weapon than with her massive sword.
- Make sure all your melee characters have at least one bludgeoning weapon in their inventory along with their main weapon. You’re going to run into some skeletons eventually, so best to have that mace-flail-hammer handy to bypass their damage reduction.
OLEG’S TRADING POST: Once you get to Oleg’s and fight off those pesky bandits, there are a few key things you need to do to complete Chapter One in thirty days. Think of Oleg’s as your home base. Your party is going to go out on “runs” to certain areas, then back to sell items and turn in quests, five or six times. So, let’s get started…
- Most of what Oleg and Bokken sell you do not need. But you do need camping supplies. Have at least 20 in your inventory. Whenever you rest, use your camping supplies! Otherwise, you’re going to waste precious time hunting when you don’t have to. This is essential to complete Chapter One in 30 days.
- Whenever you find a new merchant, always look for rope and crowbars. They are useful throughout the game. I believe Oleg has a rope that will come in handy for the Watered Down Low Lands area. It’s in one of the boxes around his Trading Post.
- Get Tiger the cat upstairs and make sure he’s equipped and toggled. There’s a lot to find in these areas. The higher your Perception, the better.
- Bokken has a Wand of Mage Armor. Drop the cash for it, because it’s +4 Armor bonus to AC (great for pets and casters) for one hour and has 50 charges. An essential buff for early in-game.
- I like stocking up on alchemist fire and acid, as well, and purchase a couple of reach weapons for my squishy melee toons.
- Get the quests from Svetlana and Bokken and head out for your first run.
RUN ONE: Oleg’s to The Ancient Tomb to the Pine Patch to Thorn Ford River to the Abandoned Hut and back to Oleg’s.
- If you don’t botch the skill checks after The Ancient Tomb, you reveal the Pine Patch Area.
- On most maps, you’re going to come across artifact pieces, coins, or items. Don’t sell these. Turn them into the Storyteller at the beginner of Chapter Two. Throughout Chapter One, you can find all of the pieces for the Necklace of Double Crosses and the Restovic Paraphanalia.
- Even though the Oak That Strayed is on your way back, I’d avoid it for now, as you’re only level two.
- After freeing Jhod, make sure to talk to him when you get back to complete his quest.
- At the abandoned hut, put Herbs into the final chest by the wolf for a nice little reward.
- When you return to Oleg’s, he and Amiri will give you the quest for Tuskgutter, which will be a part of run two.
- Purchase the Bag of Holding from Oleg, and make sure to talk to Jhod and Svetlana to complete their quests.
- An alternative to this is Oleg’s to Nettle’s Crossing to The Old Sycamore to The Ancient Tomb to the Pine Patch to Thorn Ford River to the Abandoned Hut and back to Oleg’s. By doing this, you knock out any complications with Nettle giving you bad dreams too soon and get a little more XP and gear from clearing out the top portion of The Old Sycamore. This will give you your companion with a bit more XP. I wouldn’t recommend this route for new players, though.
RUN TWO: Oleg’s to Technic League Encounter to Technic League Camp to the Old Oak to the Temple of the Elk to Tuskgutter’s Lair to Boggard Hunting Grounds, and back to Oleg’s.
- This is a long run with lots going on. You’ll pick up Octavia and/or Reg at the Technic League Camp and Tristian at the Temple of the Elk.
- Use (and use often) Tristian’s Blessing of the Faithful. Considering he’s fairly meek in combat, I’d rather have him giving +2 to attack, AC, and saves each round to Amiri’s crazy-ass than pew-pewing with a crossbow for two damage. Use it out of combat before picking locks and disabling traps.
- Want to fight that Troll at the Old Oak? I hope you remember some Alchemist Fire (or acid) from Bokken! Totally doable fight with the Grease spell, btw.
- Don’t forget Tristian’s Bonded Item Feature. It’s a free spell and works great with the Delay Poison for many enemies you’ll encounter.
- For nearly all of Chapter One, I recommend running with two clerics; healing can be quite scarce early on and critical hits can really knock down party members.
- Also, Remove Fear is one of your best low-level cleric spells: Ten-minute duration, suppresses fear effects, and offers a great bonus to save against Boggard wails and the Cause Fear spell.
RUN THREE: Oleg’s to Watered-Down Lowlands (if you want to brave it) to Riverine Rise to Nettle’s Crossing to Two-River’s Field to Fangberry Cave to Endless Plains, and back to Oleg’s. Important notes…
- Use that rope in the Watered-Down Lowlands quest you found at Oleg’s! The evil option at the end is necessary for the best rewards for this quest. Feel free to save scum beforehand. Take off the armor of your character with the highest Mobility for the best chance at completing this quest.
- If you cast Delay Poison (1 hour/level) on your front liners for Fangberry Cave, it should last throughout the map AND to the Endless plains to fight the manticore.
- DO NOT REST after you’ve picked up the fangberries, as they spoil and you’ll have to go back.
- After returning to Oleg’s and turning in the fangberries to Bokken, there are some very important items you’re going to want to purchase before heading off to the Old Sycamore.
Runs four through six are covered in the next portion of the guide.
Runs Four Through Six and Conclusion
RUN FOUR: Oleg’s to Old Sycamore to some of the Old Sycamore Caves (first lower-level) and back to Oleg’s.
- Before heading off to The Old Sycamore, you’re going to want to burn some coin and purchase some scrolls. I recommend at least one scroll of Resist Acid Communal and Resist Fire Communal (two of each is better). Centipedes spit acid in the lower levels and it’s quite annoying. Fire damage is common with kobolds and in the final fight.
- You can purchase Delay Poison Communal, but since I run two clerics for most of chapter one, I can get away with casting Delay Poison (level 2 cleric spell) on my front liners. Remember Tristian’s Bonded Item feature? Use it and love it.
- Delay Poison is a very important spell for at least your front liners throughout Chapter One. Poison can damage ability scores which can only be healed with a (Lesser) Restoration Spell or a rest. Centipedes, Giant Frogs, Spiders, Manticores, and Tatzlwyrms all have poison damage, and they show up basically everywhere in Chapter One. Keep at least two castings in your cleric spellbook until you have access to Delay Poison Communal.
- Now, here’s what I haven’t yet figured out. Sometime between levels three and four, a Lesser Rod of Extend Spell appears in Oleg’s Inventory (but from everything I can gather, it’s not there before meeting Kesten at the Old Sycamore). This is your other major purchase early on because it will help immensely with your measly, short-lived low-level buffs.
- This is actually why I like to do Old Sycamore in two runs. I basically clear the outside area and the lower area until I hit level four. Between that and encumbrance issues, it’s enough to head back to Oleg’s to sell, level-up, purchase the Lesser Rod of Extend Spell, and adjust my spellbooks.
RUN FIVE: Oleg’s to Old Sycamore Caves & Depths and back to Oleg’s.
- Clear both levels of the dungeon, loot everything, and head back to Oleg’s to inform Kesten of what happened. Sell as much as you can and head out for your final run.
- Ideally, I’d do all three Old Sycamore maps in one run, but there’s too much loot to haul back to Oleg’s.
- Also, as I previously mentioned, I believe the Lesser Extend Rod appears after you meet Kesten at the Old Sycamore. It’s great to have for the lower levels of that dungeon.
RUN SIX: Oleg’s to The Oak That Strayed to (just the entrance of the) Tranquil River Bed to Three Pine Islet to the Glade in the Wilderness to the Old Mesa to The Stag Lord Fort to a Trail in the Hills and (maaaaybe Ratnook Hill) to Nettle’s Crossing, and back to Oleg’s. Important notes…
- Okay, your final run! You should be level four and quite possibly level five by the time you reach the Stag Lord’s Fort.
- The Tranquil River Bend is far from tranquil. Those Boggard Brutes are beastly and will tear your party to pieces at lower levels. Did you know they have Favored Enemy (Humans)? Madness. Just dip in, snatch those Flaming Nunchucks +1 near the entrance and be on your way for now. The rest of the loot on that map is fairly meh anyway (Greatclub +2 and an Amulet of Natural Armor +2).
- After defeating the Stag Lord and taking care of his father, put another batch of herbs in that chest for a nice little reward.
- Although the Mature Leopard at the Trail in the Hills is a tough fight, it’s doable with pets or summons to take the first couple of rounds of attacks. Honestly, you don’t need to kill it, but you do want to stop in to get the final piece of the Necklace of Double Crosses.
- I’m not a fan of Ratnook Hill at level 5, but that’s just me. If you have a high enough Perception and Trickery, you may want to duck in there to take care of the traps for some good, low-level XP. I like to go back once I’m level 6 with the Trapspringer’s Gloves (+5 to Trickery) and Eyes of the Eagle (+5 to Perception). Both are sold from Hassuf in the Capital. It’s doable in Chapter One, but seeing and disarming all the traps are a pain. If you want to complete the combat in this encounter, make sure you have Fire Resistance Communal up (and you’ll probably cheese some Delay Poison Communal and Stinking Cloud to make your life a lot easier).
- Don’t forget to let Dark Nettle know the Stag Lord is dead on your way back to Oleg’s and get that lovely Short Spear +1 that you’ll most likely immediately sell.
FINAL NOTES: You made it! Congratulations!
- If you were thorough on all of your maps, you’ll have all the pieces to complete the Necklace of Double Crosses and turn in all of the Restovic Paraphanalia to the Storyteller at the beginning of Chapter Two.
- All of this takes about 18 to 22 days (ish).
- This run clears every area in Chapter One with the exception of the Tranquil River Bed and Ratnook Hill.
- You’ll receive a nice little bonus reward of a Dueling Sword +2 from Lady Jamandi and feel great about your cyber-accomplishment.
Okay, folks, that’s it! Hope this can help you complete Chapter One of PKM in 30 days!