Trail in the Hills

Discover the best route to Trail in the Hills in Pathfinder: Kingmaker. Learn how to find hidden treasures and prepare for the challenging Mature Leopard encounter.

Alright, let's get you to the Trail in the Hills in Pathfinder: Kingmaker. It's a bit of a trek from Oleg's Trading Post, but there are some goodies to find if you know where to look.

Getting There:

From Oleg's, you'll want to head generally south and then southeast. Keep going southeast for a good stretch until you hit a landmark called Nettle’s Crossing. From there, it's a series of southwest turns, sticking close to the Shrike River. You'll pass by Ratnook Hill on this path. After a few more southwest legs along the river, you'll need to make a southeast turn to cross the Shrike River itself, and then one final southeast push to arrive at the Trail in the Hills.

Exploration and Treasure:

Once you arrive, stick to the southern edge and head east. You're looking for a pile of rocks. Give it a good search, because it's hiding a Scorched Fragment of a Necklace. Grab that, then head back west and then north. You'll come to a fork with two paths going uphill – it doesn't matter which one you choose, they both lead to the same spot.

Warning: Before you head up, it's a good idea to cast any helpful buffs you have. A pretty tough enemy is waiting, and you'll want to be prepared. Leading with your strongest character is also a smart move.

The Mature Leopard Encounter:

As you reach the top, watch out! A sneaky Mature Leopard is lurking here, and it loves to use Stealth. This isn't your average early-game critter; it's got a lot of HP, hits hard, and attacks multiple times per round. While its damage and AC aren't amazing, it can absolutely wreck a low-level party, especially if you're missing a character or two. Seriously, try to tackle this with at least a full party of four, and ideally level three characters. Buff up with spells like Bless and Shield of Faith before you engage. If you can surround it and focus fire, you can take it down before it becomes too much of a problem. Debuffs like Color Spray can also be super helpful here.

Loot:

Once you've dealt with the leopard, make sure to loot the body of a poor Kobold nearby. You'll find a Composite Shortbow +1, which is a pretty sweet reward for surviving that fight.

A Note on Difficulty:

This area used to be easier, but the Mature Leopard here is a significant step up. If you're finding it too tough right now, don't sweat it! You can always come back later when your party is stronger, or even skip ahead to areas like the Stag Lord’s Fort if you're really struggling. If you're on the Northern Shrike Expedition, your next logical step would be Ratnook Hill, but be warned, that can also be a bit tricky.