There are a lot of reasons to love RPGs, one of them being the complex and flexible storylines a player can build as they progress. Tabletop role-playing games have always had a tradition of strong storytelling, and the video games that have evolved from those tabletop games follow the same tradition. The latest installment in the Pathfinder series has a similar design and includes both a series of main quests and optional, often hidden, side quests.
Every adventure role-playing module or video game has a main questline. However, the immersive setting and story are complemented by a variety of optional side quests. Sometimes they’re companion quests that can only be finished by certain characters in the party; other times they’ll be errands or fetch-quests for a random NPC. Here are a few of the best such quests in Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous.
12 The Dragon’s Fate
Not all of the Mythic Paths in Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous were obvious from the start and some were hidden from the player in obscure places connected to optional side quests. After players have found Terendelev’s scale and claw, they have to finish the quest, The Dragon’s Fate, to unlock the Golden Dragon Path.
The quest doesn’t become available until after the protagonist takes Drezen back from the demonic forces. Greybor, the mercenary that the character meets if they visit Estrod Tower, appears again in The Half measure Tavern. He’ll join the party for a price and lead everyone on a dragon hunt which also involves yet another recurring character, the Storyteller.
11 Notes For The Storyteller
This is one of the earlier quests the player will embark upon while they and the other surviving forces are holed up in Defender’s Heart, a safe space in the heart of Kenabras. One of the possible side quests involved in taking back the city involves visiting Blackwing Library, a location connected to the Burning City quest chain. Here, the player will rescue an old elf from some fake crusaders. Once he returns to Defender’s Heart, the player can talk to him about his past, and he’ll mention he could remember more if he could find his old notes.
Notes For The Storyteller is a sort of scavenger hunt. The player can find the pieces of paper almost anywhere, and for those interested in the history of the present conflict, they can hear more about it from the Storyteller as he waits in the tavern.
10 Cold Waters
Jernaugh is an NPC and possible party companion that the player can speak to in Defender’s Heart. He has a compelling tale to tell, which starts a quest chain that runs parallel to the main storyline. The nearby village of Chilly Creek, a location unique to Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous needs a new Cleric, and he’s on his way to do his spiritual duty.
It seems like nothing more than a pleasant conversation, but after the player takes Drezen from the demon army a few chapters later, a messenger will arrive from Chilly Creek asking for the player’s help. This is where the Cold Waters quest officially starts.
9 The Secrets of Creation
There’s a mysterious cave in a spot just south of the road on the way to Drezen. Players can ignore it, but those who rake the time to explore will discover a mysterious Egyptian-themed room with a tile puzzle. Solve the puzzle and a ghost will appear, telling the player to go to a place called the Heart of Mystery and essentially learn the secrets of the universe. For a totally optional side quest, that’s pretty serious.
This is especially fun with the ever-inquisitive Nenio in the party since there’s a puzzle involved and this is the sort of quest she lives for. The road to the Heart of Mystery is behind a ridge to the west, so the player won’t be able to get there if they haven’t taken Drezen yet.
8 Starward Gaze
One of the groups that the player can recruit in Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous to help the Crusader forces are the priests of Desna. However, there’s some tension between them and certain people in authority after a misunderstanding that involved the Wardstone. The player has to decide whose side to take and that can depend on their moral alignment. Good or Chaotic characters might take one choice while Lawful or Evil characters could take another.
This is an interesting quest because there’s a myriad of different ways to finish it depending on whether or not certain characters live or die. Most of the quest takes place at an important location that’s part of the road to Drezen, a location called Leper’s Smile. Several important items and links for certain Mythic Paths can be found here, including one of the hidden companions, a succubus named Arueshalae.
7 The Wand of Zacharius
For those players interested in following the Path of the Lich in Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous, this is an essential step disguised as a minor side quest. Up until this point, a character must have spoken to the curator in the Tower of Estod and heard about a missing wand in what seems like a throwaway bit of dialogue.
Later, on the road to Drezen, two other locations will appear, Leper’s Smile first, then the Lost Chapel. The wand is hidden in the first location and the Lich itself is in the second. Returning the wand to the Lich unlocks this Mythic Path.
6 Out On Parole
Except for those who explore their immediate surroundings before setting out, most players could miss this quest completely. Those who take the time to visit the basement of Defender’s Heart will find the prison and its one wisecracking resident, the Rogue Woljif.
Woljif will show the player show you where the Theiflings Hideout is, and start a series of quests that continue for the next few chapters. He’s also an adept thief and has a dual-wield ability, so it’s worth it to get him in the party and connect with his companion quests.
5 Crescent Moon Of The Abyss
This is another quest that’s part of the Woljif companion quest chain. Nobody is surprised to find out that that harmless little theft from the other quest wasn’t so harmless after all. The trinket Woljif has in his possession has drawn the attention of a powerful demon, and one of his personal servants is hot on the young Tiefling’s heels.
This cycle of Woljif’s companion quests in Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous starts after he disappears near the end of the “Sword of Valor” chapter. How this quest ends and what happens to Woljif is up to the player, so it’s an important bit of character development for both characters.
4 While The World Is Ablaze
Daeran has quite an attitude and his character quests in Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous are equally exciting. Traveling with a character who has an Evil alignment presents some scintillating dialogue choices, never mind some equally wicked family history. The quest is a nice mix of dialogue, fighting, and intrigue. Players get to spend some quality time with the handsome Daeran and help an inquisitor named Liotr with his investigation into the family’s ultimate fate.
This is the continuation of the character arc that started when he joined the party, but this time players find out the finer and more terrifying details of what happened so many years ago. A clue is Daeran’s Archetype, the Possessed Oracle, which the player finds out more about depending on how intimate they get with Daeran his connected quests,
3 Parting
This interesting little mini-quest in Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous that’s easy to miss, especially if the player doesn’t talk to Sosiel. He asks to visit a nearby cemetery and pay his respects to some recently passed crusaders. Sosiel’s such a polite fellow, it’s hard to say no, but it surprises nobody when some pesky cultists and their zombie minions crash the party.
They throw around some necromantic magic and virtually the whole graveyard rises up to attack everyone, leaving the player to put a bunch of zombies back in the ground. “Parting” comes out of nowhere and doesn’t continue as part of any chain, but it’s a fairly easy quest to find and complete. Plus, it’s a nice change to kill the undead instead of demons.
2 Back To The Roots
Speaking of quests that come back to haunt the player, this is the continuation of Wenduag’s arc. Unless she joined the party after the Maze, she warned players that she would be back when she slipped away. When Lann decides it’s time to bring the Mongrels to the surface, she shows up again.
The outcome of this quest is different depending on the player character’s alignment. Evil players can recruit Wenduag into the party instead of Lann, and there’s a chance that she will betray them in later chapters. Meanwhile, those of Good alignments might have to kill her.
1 League Of The Inspirational Cart
This fun quest in Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous starts with the rescue of a keg of ale, a precious commodity in these dark times. It’s not the items that make this quest interesting, though but the drama that follows the characters. After helping save the ale, the player can continue to quest with this merry band by helping them recover a lost ring that Tarn bought for his fiance.
If Tarn’s situation sounds too syrupy and sweet to be true, that’s because it is. The tension that erupts between friends can take a sinister turn, and the quest reveals that there are often bitter truths to learn about those we think we know. Players will see it happen firsthand if they find this quest.
Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous was released on September 2, 2021, and is available on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
