Investigating the Murders

The process of identifying Aldern as the perpetrator of the murders and tracking him down should be protracted. He knows how to hide his tracks well, and if it weren't for his fierce obsession with one of the PCs he would prove exceptionally difficult to follow back to the Misgivings. To that end, this is as complex a skill challenge as there is, and you should try aiming for it to take roughly the same amount of time as an average combat encounter. Play out each individual check as its own interaction, and make sure to give the PCs an idea of their progress every so often.

Skill Challenge: Investigating the Murders

Setup: A young couple has been viciously murdered at the Sandpoint Lumber Mill, only days after three con men fell to a similar set of crimes not far from the town proper. Sheriff Hemlock is doing his best to keep the situation under control, but has turned to the PCs for assistance and to warn them that the murderer seems to have marked one of their own. Armed with a set of leads to investigate, they must discover the identity of the killer and stop him before he strikes again.

Note: In running this skill challenge, make frequent reference back to the adventure. This challenge is designed to provide a rules framework for gauging the party's success (and providing consequences, positive or negative). The investigation will involve more than simply making the following skill checks, and completing the skill challenge does not necessarily mean that the PCs have discovered the link to Aldern or Foxglove Manor. To that end, do not make any attempt to cut off the investigation once the party has finished the skill challenge if there is more for them to investigate.

In dealing with Grayst, do not run his sudden insane aggression against the obsessed PC as a combat encounter unless absolutely necessary. He is not meant to be a credible threat to the party. Prompt the group for actions, and if one of them decides to intervene simply allow them to succeed in stopping Grayst. It should be resolved swiftly, and only to demonstrate the continued consequences of the Skinsaw Man's ongoing killing spree.

Complexity: 5 (12 successes before 3 failures)
Level: 5 (1,000 xp)
Primary Skills: Perception, Nature, Heal, Streetwise, History, Religion, Arcana, Diplomacy, Insight

At the Sandpoint Lumber Mill:

Perception (DC 12): You notice a set of muddy footprints leading from the pier towards the mill. Success here unlocks the ability to make a Nature check to follow the prints.

Perception (DC 17): Scouring the marsh across the river from the mill, you notice a spot baring a number of humanoid footprints and still reeking of rotting flesh. Success here unlocks the ability to make a Nature check to follow the prints.

Perception (DC 12): You lend your senses to one of your companions and together you hunt for new clues to the murders. Use of this skill can provide an ally a +2 bonus to a single Nature or Heal check but does not provide a success for the skill challenge.

Nature (DC 12): Begins the challenge locked. You carefully follow the footprints from the pier to the mill, noting that they belong to a barefoot human man who clambered up from the mud under the pier, crossed over to the mill and then scaled the wall to an upper-story window.

Nature (DC 7): You are able to determine that, yes, judging by the copious amounts of blood spilled in the murder scene and the way the footprints play out in the sawdust, a fierce struggle took place in the mill recently. Hitting a DC of 17 provides an additional success for the challenge and causes the character to discover that not only is one set of prints barefoot, but smells of rotting meat.

Nature (DC 12): Begins the challenge locked. You carefully follow the footprints found in the marsh to and from the river. The tracks never lead away from the site other than to the river, and the spot offers a perfect hiding place to view the mill from.

Heal (DC 12): You are able to pick out a number of wounds on Harker's body that seem to have been made by claws the size of a human hand. These wounds smell more strongly of rotten meat.

Diplomacy (DC 12): You convince Ibor Thorn to discuss the victims and their relationship. Use of this skill here prompts for an Insight check but does not provide a success for the skill challenge.

Insight (DC 15): You think Ibor might be holding something back, and after some prompting he reveals Harker's accounting scams.

History or Arcana (DC 25): You are able to recall, from your studies or travels, that the rune carved into the victims is known as the Sihedron Rune, an antiquated glyph that symbolizes arcane magic once practiced in ancient Thassilon.

Religion (DC 19): You identify the stench lingering on the axe as belonging to some form of corporeal undead.

At the Sandpoint Garrison:

Heal (DC 12): You are able to pick out a number of wounds on the thugs' bodies that seem to have been made by claws the size of a human hand. These wounds smell more strongly of rotten meat.

At Habe's Sanatorium:

Heal (DC 7): Grayst's physical appearance indicates that he is suffering from an illness of the body in addition to whatever may be plaguing his mind. Hitting a DC of 17 provides an additional success for the challenge and indicates that Grayst is suffering from ghoul fever.

Diplomacy (DC 19): You manage to convince Erin Habe that it is imperative that you be allowed to examine and question Grayst. Any character presenting Habe with Sheriff Hemlock's letter of introduction receives a +10 bonus to this check.

Diplomacy (DC 12): You calm Grayst down enough to question him, though he provides little beyond incoherent mumblings about "razors" and "too many teeth" and how "the Skinsaw Man is coming". Success here prompts Grayst to deliver Aldern's message to the target of his obsession, should he or she be present. This unlocks the ability to make a Streetwise check to research the Misgivings.

Anywhere:

Streetwise (DC 7): You have heard that the mill has been working late recently, and was probably open last night.

Streetwise (DC 12): You remember hearing about a sage in town who has some familiarity with runes and their meaning. His name is Brodert Quink.

Streetwise (DC 12): Begins the challenge locked. You recognize the fact that "the Misgivings" is a local name for a run-down and abandoned estate further south - a place called Foxglove Manor.

Streetwise (DC 17): Though the party may have strayed off the trail of the mystery, you recall something that might prove useful if you re-examine one of your leads. Use of this skill removes a failure for the challenge, or allows one skill check that was just failed to be re-tried, but does not provide a success for the challenge itself. Using Streetwise for this purpose can only be done twice.

Success: The party has made substantial progress in tracking down the Skinsaw Man. They likely know the location of his hideout, and perhaps have even uncovered his identity. Their next target should be Foxglove Manor, but their preparations are interrupted by Farmer Grump's distressed arrival in town.

Failure: Accumulating three failed checks in this skill challenge does not end it. The investigation has simply taken too long, and the Skinsaw Man has had the opportunity to strike once more. Another murder crops up in the middle of the investigation. While this may provide more clues to the party, it also is harder for the Sheriff to contain it and prevent a widespread panic. For every two failures beyond this, an additional murder occurs during the investigation.