PFWotR Act 1 Kenabres: Companion Recruitment & Mythic Path Unlock Guide

Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous does not have a seasonal system. The latest environment is based on versions after the major paid DLC "A Dance of Masks" (released June 2024) and its accompanying major update "Patch 2.5.0y". This update includes, in particular, mechanic improvements and visual updates for the "Gold Dragon" Mythic Path. This article provides information based on the current latest environment.

The city of Kenabres, overrun by demonic hordes. Your choices and actions here will determine the fate of your Crusaders and the trajectory of your Mythic power. This article provides a complete guide to maximize Act 1's time-sensitive events, ensuring you acquire all companions and abilities. Overcome early challenges and prepare for the battles to come.

Time Limit! Recommended Act 1 Walkthrough Route

In Act 1 Kenabres, there is a time limit of approximately 3 days after arriving at your base, "Defender's Heart." Failure to complete important events within this period may result in character deaths or failed quests, thus requiring careful planning. Below is an efficient walkthrough route explained chronologically.

1. Prologue: Shield Maze
   This is the dungeon immediately after starting the game. Learn the basic combat system here. Seelah and Camellia will join your party. Towards the end, you'll meet the Mongrel folk, Lann and Wenduag, and be forced to choose one of them to join your party.
   • Hidden Elements: If you have high Perception, you can find a "+1 Agile Shortsword" by the water. Additionally, investigating the torch handle in Hosilla's room will yield a "Masterwork Cold Iron Longsword."
   • Alignment Impact: Choosing Lann tends towards [Lawful Good], while Wenduag leans towards [Chaotic Evil].
2. Base Arrival: Defender's Heart
   This is your base of operations in Kenabres. Here, you'll receive various quests and deepen your bonds with companions. Woljif, who will later become a companion, is imprisoned in the basement.
3. Top Priority: Market Square Exploration
   This is the first place you should go after arriving at your base. You will rescue important figures here.
   • Rescue the Storyteller: He is an indispensable NPC for future quests and restoring magical items, equipment, and spell components. Be sure to rescue him.
   • Rescue Ember: Save Ember, who is about to be burned at the stake by inquisitors. Saving her will add her to your party. Your [Good] alignment will increase.
   • Unlock Azata Path: By helping Ramien, a worshipper of Desna, the Mythic Path "Azata" unlock quest "Starward Gaze" will begin.
4. Explore Surrounding Areas
   After completing the Market Square events, explore other locations. Progress related quests at "Arundel's Manor" for Daeran, and "Tirabade's House" or "Temple."
5. Base Defense: Defender's Heart Defense
   After a certain amount of time passes, Defender's Heart will be attacked. Overcoming this battle is the climax of Act 1's mid-section.
6. Final Battle: Gray Garrison Assault
   This is the final operation to reclaim Kenabres. A large-scale battle and powerful bosses await. Clearing this will conclude Act 1 and increase your Mythic Rank to 2.

Guide to Securing All Companions

In Act 1, you will encounter many companions with unique personalities. Some characters are easy to miss, so be sure to understand their recruitment locations and conditions.

Join in Prologue

• Seelah: A Paladin who automatically joins right at the start of the Prologue. She is a reliable frontline character for your party.
• Camellia: A Shaman who joins with Seelah. She possesses high Dexterity and is a versatile character capable of both front-line and back-line roles. Her hex "Evil Eye" is extremely powerful in the early game.
• Lann / Wenduag: Chosen at the end of the Shield Maze. Lann, a Zen Archer (Monk), is one of the strongest archers in the early game, while Wenduag, a Fighter, boasts high physical damage. While it's generally an either/or choice, if you choose Lann, it is still possible to recruit Wenduag later in Act 3 by meeting specific conditions.

Join in Kenabres City

• Ember: A Witch who joins when rescued from the inquisitors in Market Square. She is a debuffer who weakens enemies with powerful hexes and spells.
• Nenio: Encountered in a random encounter after escaping Defender's Heart, or in front of Arundel's Manor. She is a Wizard who joins if you choose the correct dialogue options in her quest, which begins with the peculiar question, "Who am I?"
• Woljif Jefto: Found in the dungeons beneath Defender's Heart. Talk to NPC Irabeth to start the quest "Stolen Moon," and he will temporarily join when freed from his cell. He officially becomes a companion after the quest is completed. He is an essential character for Trickery skill checks.
• Daeran: An Oracle who joins when you rescue him at Arundel's Manor. He is one of the game's top healers and a powerful spellcaster.
• Sosiel: Strictly speaking, he joins at the beginning of Act 2, but the flag is set in late Act 1. After clearing Gray Garrison, talking to Irabeth in Defender's Heart confirms his joining.

Mythic Paths and Hidden Items, Equipment, Spell Components

Your actions in Act 1 directly influence the unlocking of later Mythic Paths and your overall strength. We've summarized crucial elements you shouldn't miss.

Mythic Path Unlock Conditions

While "Angel" and "Demon" are unlocked automatically through story progression, you can unlock two additional paths through specific actions in Act 1.

• Azata Path: Help the priests of Desna in Market Square and complete the quest "Starward Gaze." The unlock flag is set by choosing to sing Desna's song together (select [Choose Desna's song lyrics]) in the final dialogue option at Defender's Heart.
• Lich Path: Obtain the glowing wand "Zacharius's Wand" in the underground area of the quest "The Leper's Smile." Bring it back without destroying it, and later hand it over to Zacharius himself (as an undead) in the underground of the map "Lost Chapel" to unlock the path.

Powerful Early-Game Items, Equipment, Spell Components

• +1 Agile Shortsword: Can be found near the water in the Shield Maze by succeeding a Perception skill check. It adds your Dexterity bonus to damage, making it ideal for Camellia or Woljif.
• Bracers of Armor +1: Hidden under rubble on the east side of Market Square. Requires a Perception skill check. Provides a valuable +1 AC bonus early on.
• Cold Iron Weapons: Demons often have "Damage Reduction / Cold Iron," making weapons made of this material highly effective. Several can be found in places like Market Square, so be sure to secure them when you find them.

Essential Early-Game Rules for Beginners

This game has a high difficulty, with many challenging situations, especially for newcomers. By simply keeping the following essential rules in mind, early-game progression will become significantly easier.

Difficulty and Character Builds

We recommend setting aside your pride and customizing the difficulty. Reducing "Damage to Party" to 0.8x alone can significantly increase your survival rate. Making your main character a high Charisma (CHA) class (such as Paladin, Sorcerer, or Bard) allows them to handle the crucial Persuasion conversation skill, providing advantages outside of combat. Additionally, classes with an animal companion (like Ranger or Druid) inherently increase your party's actions per round, stabilizing early-game combat.

Skill Allocation

Clearly divide skill responsibilities among your party members. For example, assign Persuasion to the main character, Trickery to Woljif, Athletics to Lann, and Knowledge skills to Nenio. However, Perception is an exception; it is strongly recommended that multiple characters, including your main character, invest in it. Hidden items, equipment, and spell component detection checks are made by the entire party, significantly increasing your success rate.

Basic Combat Tactics

• Pre-Combat Buffs: Before combat begins, cast as many enhancement spells (buffs) as possible. "Bless," "Protection from Evil," and "Barkskin" are available at low levels and are incredibly effective.
• Utilizing Chokepoints: When facing many enemies, the "chokepoint tactic" is highly effective: position your front-line characters in narrow areas like doorways to force enemies into a single file. This concentrates enemy attacks on one front-liner, allowing your back-line to unleash area-of-effect attacks to defeat them all.
• Exploiting Enemy Weaknesses: You can inspect enemies at any time by right-clicking (or pressing the corresponding gamepad button). Check their resistances, weaknesses, and special abilities, then choose effective attack methods. For example, it's crucial to attack enemies with DR/Cold Iron with the appropriate weapons.
• Learning Precise Shot: Archers like Lann incur a penalty (–4 to Attack Roll) when shooting at enemies engaged in melee combat with allies, risking friendly fire. By promptly acquiring the feat "Precise Shot," this penalty is removed, dramatically improving damage efficiency.

Summary

Act 1 Kenabres is characterized by time limits and many choices, but by following this guide's route, you can progress while collecting all companions and crucial elements. The unlocking of Mythic Paths, in particular, significantly influences your character's destiny, so choose carefully. Master character builds and combat fundamentals to gain an advantage in a world overrun by demons. Good luck, Commander of the Crusaders!