Guide to defeating the Rotten Beasts in Pathfinder: Kingmaker's 'An Ancient Curse, Part Two' quest. Learn strategies for the Bald Hilltop battle and its challenging enemies.
Walkthrough
- 1When the "An Ancient Curse, Part 2" counter shows 14 days remaining, address the kingdom event "Rotten Beasts". Failing to do so will result in -2 Community, -2 Military, and -2 Economy every two days. Assign your Regent, General, or Treasurer to resolve this event.
- 2After resolving the event, travel to the Bald Hilltop, located northwest of your capital (directions from Tuskdale: North, then West).
- 3Upon arriving at Bald Hilltop, proceed northeast from your starting point. Before reaching the stone pillar, prepare your party. Summon monster companions and apply buffs such as "Inspire Competence", "Inspire Courage", and Haste. Buff individual characters like tanks with spells like Heroism and Barkskin.
- 4The first wave consists of a Quickboar (20% concealment) and a Bear-Like Treant (DR 5/cold iron). These enemies have low AC and HP but offer some survivability.
- 5After defeating one of the initial enemies, two Venomwolves will appear. Be aware that their presence can cause initiative to act erratically and potentially flat-foot your characters. They have moderate HP and power, with a disruptive trip attack.
- 6Upon defeating a second enemy, the final two combatants arrive: a Smilodon-Like Treant and a Lost Sister.
- 7The Smilodon-Like Treant is a powerful melee combatant with low AC, high HP, DR 10/Cold Iron, a high Attack Bonus, and five attacks per round. It can quickly defeat un-tanked characters.
- 8The Lost Sister is a spellcaster with high AC, decent HP, DR 10/cold iron and DR 5/magic. She uses Sorcerer and Druid spells, potentially starting with Summon Nature's Ally (to summon Leopards) and Haste. Her most dangerous ability is "Blinding Beauty", which forces humanoids within 30 feet to make a Fortitude DC 21 save or be blinded.
- 9To counter the Lost Sister and the Smilodon-Like Treant, use spells like Animate Dead to summon skeletons for distraction and damage, and Glitterdust to blind all enemies on the battlefield, equalizing the playing field.
- 10Focus on defeating the Smilodon-Like Treant first, as it poses the greatest immediate threat. Once it is down, the Lost Sister becomes less dangerous and can be focused down.
- 11After defeating all enemies, the portal will close. Loot the Lost Sister for a Masterwork Dagger and an Amulet of Natural Armor +2. Collect any obtainable skins from the beasts.
- 12Return to your capital and wait a few days for the journal to update, confirming the successful defense against the curse.
Tips
- Prioritize the kingdom event "Rotten Beasts" before engaging in combat at Bald Hilltop to avoid significant kingdom stat penalties.
- Thoroughly buff your party before initiating the fight, especially with spells that increase survivability and combat effectiveness.
- Utilize area-of-effect spells like Glitterdust to manage groups of enemies and counter debilitating effects like blindness.
- Summoning allies via Animate Dead can provide valuable distractions and additional damage dealers.
- Focus fire on the most dangerous threats, such as the Smilodon-Like Treant, to reduce incoming damage and pressure.
- Masterwork Dagger (from Lost Sister)
- Amulet of Natural Armor +2 (from Lost Sister)
- Successful defense against the curse (journal update)
100% Human-Written. AI Fact-Checked. Community Verified. Learn how AntMag verifies content