Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Chronomage 05-04-04, 08:46 AM	Hey all. Recently I've been running the City of the Spider Queen mod for my players, but with a revamped approach. Instead of the 4 players the game was designed for, I have 6, and they're using a 32 point buy (because of the prior game I ran, high powered but with average magic). It was kind of fun updating the module for these players, but I wanted to share my thoughts and tactics on the subject and see if anyone had any comments or suggestions (or Criticisms, also appreciated). First off, I divided the various freaks and menaces into 3 categories: minor underlings, nameless lietenants, and named lieutenants and boss villains. The minor underlings were given a 28 point buy, the nameless lieutenants a 30 point buy, and the named lieutenants and boss villains the 32. The reason behind this was I reasoned the more focal characters would be wanting to have skills, feats, and levels in classes distributed as much for RPing cred as well as personal power, while the lower level exploding meat chunks were there to cause damage and slow down the party and could more easily distribute their points for combat purposes. Second off, I examined the encounters, and either increased the CR of enemies by 1 or 2, or gave them a friend of equal or lower CR, all dependant on story compatability and relative challenge. Sometimes the CRs updated themselves. For instance, the Roper from 3rd ED was CR 10, now it's 12. The bebilith was CR 9, now it's 10. Third, I re bought all the equipment but mostly hewed to what was there, meaning a mithral shirt +1 becomes +2, and such. Plot integral items (i.e. the spider climbing, levitating, flying crap right before the Szith Morcane spider web) were left in unchanged. After the party finished off the Dordrien Crypts and the S4 entryway, I tallied their experience gain versus that of a 4 person party in an unmodified adventure and came to the totals with them 150 xp behind a 4 person crew. Kinda cool actually. Right now I'm examining further afield to Chapter 2 in the Deep Wastes of the Underdark. I see that for a long stretch it's mostly made up of random encounters. I'm thinking about creating a mini adventure within the same environs, only slightly altered. I'd first calculate the Xp a 4 person crew should be at by figuring the average number of encounters they'd have and of what kind, and than designing my adventure so that XP gained doesn't pass that point. Does anyone think there are inherent flaws in the approach so far, or am I doing ok? Ways to improve would be gratefully accepted. Thanx.
Chronomage 05-04-04, 04:55 PM	Well gee, don't everybody jump in at once. Do I need to be more specific on changes to the mod for suggestions to come forth, or am I doing SUCH a great job, no changes in my approach need be made?
Heron_Marked_Blade 05-04-04, 05:42 PM	You're on the FR boards --> slower than the main D&D boards. A thread can be on page 1 for a week here, with no one posting on it. You'll want to give it more than 10 hours before bumping. As far as your changes go, it sounds like you're doing a careful job of not deviating too far from the experience amounts a 4-person party would receive from the adventure; as such, you're on the right track. No need to change anything there. Nothing much else to say, really.
Chronomage 05-04-04, 06:05 PM	Thanks Heron. The main thing Iwas wondering was if it was better to increase the numbers of encounters rather than the effective CR by adding HD, ability scores, and associated class levels. Very little experience of my own on modifying Adventures, I'm afraid. Still, nice to know there's nothing flagrant I've missed.
J. Grenemyer 05-04-04, 06:14 PM	Hi Chronomage, I'm running the last parts of CotSQ for a group of four 19th level characters and four cohorts of levels 14-16. I've found that increasing hit dice and adding class levels is a much better solution than increasing the number of encounters, as this serves to keep the pace of the adventure from getting bogged down. :D PS: I've got a nice and nasty write up of a (v3.5/Underdark) advanced Arachnoid Grey Render if you're interested in using it as part of the encounter with Jhorgani.
Chronomage 05-04-04, 06:24 PM	Thanks buddy, I'm going to be using the same resource so no need. Was planning on dropping some additional types of fiends and undead nasties from the Fiend Folio and Book of Vile Darkness too, especially later for this mini adventure I'm writing. It's kinda cool, because it involves the players getting killed by this evil wizard and turned to ghosts (ala Ghostwalk) and forced to use their brains to get back alive again and thwart the necromancer from becoming a lich. The only problem is time of course, so I may need to expand the timeline that's presented in the front of CotSQ. Don't wanna, but it promises to be fun adventure with a change of pace, introducing a recurring villain I can use after the adventure is over.
Chronomage 05-04-04, 08:32 PM	What do you think about making Greater Revenance a corrupt spell, ala Apocalypse from the Sky? Apply a decent ability damage/drain and we might have a workable alternative. The players can wait until AFTER she's cast the spell and is weakened, and than attack her, and as the Undead Army marches on the Dales, the players can hastily put together a makeshift counter spell, using prayers to their deities, and the affects of Irae as focus components? Sounds classic to me.