Enhancing Scourge of the Sword Coast - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 pukunui Feb 04, 2015 0:24:12	Hi all, I'm planning to run Scourge of the Sword Coast as a follow-up to my upscaled Legacy of the Crystal Shard campaign (and possibly my Lost Mine of Phandelver campaign as well). As a result, I'm going to be upscaling Scourge to levels 5-7. I'm also looking at ways to enhance the adventure and fix the few issues I've encountered on my initial readthrough. 1) Monsters and NPC Stats For the most part, one can just use the updated/finalized stats from the 5e Monster Manual. I will only need to tweak/update the named NPCs and the few unique monsters present in the adventure, such as the grues. Here's a breakdown: stats MONSTERS Air Grue: needs tweaking Animated Plate Armor: Animated Armor stats Bugbear: Bugbear stats Darkenbeast: needs tweaking - might also beef it up to CR 5 or so Dread Warrior: needs slight tweaking - essentially an armored zombie that can talk Duergar Warrior: Duergar stats Duergar Overseer: upscaled Duergar stats Duergar Priest: Duergar stats with cleric spells Earth Elemental: Earth Elemental stats Earth Grue: needs tweaking Fire Grue: needs tweaking Gnoll: Gnoll stats Goblin Warrior: Goblin stats Goblin Boss: Goblin Boss stats Grick: Grick stats Gulthyn Astral Construct: needs tweaking Hobgoblin Cook: Hobgoblin stats armed with cleavers Hobgoblin Elite: Hobgoblin Captain stats Hobgoblin Warrior: Hobgoblin stats Hyena, Gnoll-bred: needs slight tweaking Human Guard: Guard NPC stats Lemure: Lemure stats Lizard, Cave: needs slight tweaking Mane: Mane stats Orc Warrior: Orc stats Orog: Orog stats Rat, Cave: replace with Giant Rat Shadow: Shadow Skeleton, Unarmed: Skeleton with claw attack Steeder (Giant Spider): modified Giant Spider Tiger: Tiger Viper, Giant: Giant Poisonous Snake Water Grue: needs tweaking Wight, Thayan Battle: Wight with better armor, Action Surge and no Sunlight Sensitivity Wolf: Wolf Worg: Worg Wraith: Wraith Zombie: Zombie NPCs Flubnak, Possessed Gnoll Leader: Gnoll Pack Lord with Baazka possession traits Gabulla, Goblin Shaman: Goblin Boss with Baazka possession traits Jekk: Mtn Dwarf fighter (champion) ~ 9th level Lutha: Ogre Maldwyn, Duke of Daggerford: Human Noble with Baazka possession traits Nalifarn, Durzagon Alchemist: needs tweaking Noyerghu, Thayan Gnoll Leader: Gnoll Pack Lord Oyfanen: Dryad Pencheska: Succubus Sezibul, Orc Shaman: upscaled Orc Eye of Gruumsh Tyrob: Imp Shalendra Floshin: High Elf fighter (eldritch knight) ~ 6th level Shorg, Hobgoblin Leader: Hobgoblin Warlord Thegger Grynn, Red Wizard Necromancer: Human wizard (necromancer) ~ 6th level Wartsnak, Possessed Orc Wight: Wight with Baazka possession traits
#2 pukunui Mar 03, 2015 23:24:41	darkenbeast DARKENBEAST Medium monstrosity, neutral evil ---------------------------- AC 15 HP 42 (5d8 + 15) Spd 10 ft, fly 40 ft ---------------------------- STR 16 DEX 15 CON 16 INT 5 WIS 11 CHA 4 ---------------------------- Skills Stealth +6 Condition Immunities charmed Senses darkvision 120 ft, passive Perception 10 Languages understands Thayan but can't speak CR 2 (450 XP) ---------------------------- Flyby. Magic Resistance. *Light Vulnerability.* While in bright magical light, the darkenbeast has disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as Wisdom (Perception) checks relying on sight. If exposed to sunlight, the darkenbeast reverts to its natural animal form. ---------------------------- Actions *Multiattack.* While flying, the darkenbeast can make two attacks: one with its bite and one with its claws. *Bite.* Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft, one creature. Hit: 10 (3d4 + 3) piercing damage. *Claws.* Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft, one creature. Hit: 8 (2d4 + 3) slashing damage. When reviewing this creature, I looked at both the 2e and 3e versions. It looked like the designers had based the 5e version mainly on the 2e version, straight down to the hit points and 3d4 bite damage. The 3e version added a few more hit points and spell resistance. I also thought giving it Flyby would be nice so it can strafe its enemies - besides, it doesn't affect the CR, so why not? On a side note, I find it kind of odd that a large creature like a cow can get turned into a medium darkenbeast, rather than a large one, but Medium seems to have been the size it's always been, so I left it at that and just gave it the 16 Con that the 3e version had so it would have more hit points.
#3 pukunui Mar 03, 2015 19:05:39	Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? I could really use some help looking at the adventure to see if anything needs adjusting to account for the capabilities of 5th-7th level PCs rather than 2nd-4th. The difficulty of any given encounter seems pretty decent as-is. I'm more concerned about whether there are any 3rd or 4th level spells that could render certain challenges too trivial. I've actually got the make-up of the party now, too. There are only five PCs, plus a possible NPC ally. - A lightfoot halfling fiend pact warlock 5 w/ chain boon - A lightfoot halfling wild mage 5 - also a Chosen of Lathander - A half-elf arcane trickster 5 w/ a souped-up donkey - An eladrin bard 5 [not sure what college yet] - A dragonborn totem barbarian (bear) 5 I'll most likely make the NPC ally a squishy healer type that the PCs are always having to rescue from tight spots. With only one real melee PC, I think the party's going to need to focus more on stealth and subterfuge. Even with all the magic at their disposal, they're not going to be able to just run in, guns blazing. That being said, based on my experiences with Legacy of the Crystal Shard, when the PCs have a lot of magic and the NPCs don't, it tends to be rather one-sided. I may have to throw in a few more enemy spellcasters here and there to even things out - like the hobgoblins in Julkoun could do with a warmage or two on their side. EDIT: I've added initial stats for several of the critters unique to Scourge in the previous post. Let me know what you think!
#4 BRJN Mar 06, 2015 17:21:50	I'm tangling threads here, but: your courtesan PC should get an 'in' as to how the succubus goes about getting her business done; she has been in the same line of work. I just got my first taste of third-level spells, wherein a Red Wizard killed both our L4 Fighters (plus bloodied my L4 Paladin in one shot) in two rounds. If your group is not very combat-capable, do not send them against a top-of-the-line battle mage plus his allies / bodyguards - except as the Climactic Finale Battle.
#5 pukunui Mar 06, 2015 17:27:42	BRJN wrote:

Post/Author/DateTime

Post

pukunui

Feb 04, 2015 0:24:12

Hi all,

I'm planning to run Scourge of the Sword Coast as a follow-up to my upscaled Legacy of the Crystal Shard campaign (and possibly my Lost Mine of Phandelver campaign as well). As a result, I'm going to be upscaling Scourge to levels 5-7. I'm also looking at ways to enhance the adventure and fix the few issues I've encountered on my initial readthrough.

1) Monsters and NPC Stats

For the most part, one can just use the updated/finalized stats from the 5e Monster Manual. I will only need to tweak/update the named NPCs and the few unique monsters present in the adventure, such as the grues. Here's a breakdown:

stats

MONSTERS

Air Grue: needs tweaking

Animated Plate Armor: Animated Armor stats

Bugbear: Bugbear stats

Darkenbeast: needs tweaking - might also beef it up to CR 5 or so

Dread Warrior: needs slight tweaking - essentially an armored zombie that can talk

Duergar Warrior: Duergar stats

Duergar Overseer: upscaled Duergar stats

Duergar Priest: Duergar stats with cleric spells

Earth Elemental: Earth Elemental stats

Earth Grue: needs tweaking

Fire Grue: needs tweaking

Gnoll: Gnoll stats

Goblin Warrior: Goblin stats

Goblin Boss: Goblin Boss stats

Grick: Grick stats

Gulthyn Astral Construct: needs tweaking

Hobgoblin Cook: Hobgoblin stats armed with cleavers

Hobgoblin Elite: Hobgoblin Captain stats

Hobgoblin Warrior: Hobgoblin stats

Hyena, Gnoll-bred: needs slight tweaking

Human Guard: Guard NPC stats

Lemure: Lemure stats

Lizard, Cave: needs slight tweaking

Mane: Mane stats

Orc Warrior: Orc stats

Orog: Orog stats

Rat, Cave: replace with Giant Rat

Shadow: Shadow

Skeleton, Unarmed: Skeleton with claw attack

Steeder (Giant Spider): modified Giant Spider

Tiger: Tiger

Viper, Giant: Giant Poisonous Snake

Water Grue: needs tweaking

Wight, Thayan Battle: Wight with better armor, Action Surge and no Sunlight Sensitivity

Wolf: Wolf

Worg: Worg

Wraith: Wraith

Zombie: Zombie

NPCs

Flubnak, Possessed Gnoll Leader: Gnoll Pack Lord with Baazka possession traits

Gabulla, Goblin Shaman: Goblin Boss with Baazka possession traits

Jekk: Mtn Dwarf fighter (champion) ~ 9th level

Lutha: Ogre

Maldwyn, Duke of Daggerford: Human Noble with Baazka possession traits

Nalifarn, Durzagon Alchemist: needs tweaking

Noyerghu, Thayan Gnoll Leader: Gnoll Pack Lord

Oyfanen: Dryad

Pencheska: Succubus

Sezibul, Orc Shaman: upscaled Orc Eye of Gruumsh

Tyrob: Imp

Shalendra Floshin: High Elf fighter (eldritch knight) ~ 6th level

Shorg, Hobgoblin Leader: Hobgoblin Warlord

Thegger Grynn, Red Wizard Necromancer: Human wizard (necromancer) ~ 6th level

Wartsnak, Possessed Orc Wight: Wight with Baazka possession traits

pukunui

Mar 03, 2015 23:24:41

darkenbeast

DARKENBEAST

Medium monstrosity, neutral evil

----------------------------

AC 15

HP 42 (5d8 + 15)

Spd 10 ft, fly 40 ft

----------------------------

STR 16 DEX 15 CON 16 INT 5 WIS 11 CHA 4

----------------------------

Skills Stealth +6

Condition Immunities charmed

Senses darkvision 120 ft, passive Perception 10

Languages understands Thayan but can't speak

CR 2 (450 XP)

----------------------------

Flyby.

Magic Resistance.

Light Vulnerability. While in bright magical light, the darkenbeast has disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as Wisdom (Perception) checks relying on sight. If exposed to sunlight, the darkenbeast reverts to its natural animal form.

----------------------------

Actions

Multiattack. While flying, the darkenbeast can make two attacks: one with its bite and one with its claws.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft, one creature. Hit: 10 (3d4 + 3) piercing damage.

Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft, one creature. Hit: 8 (2d4 + 3) slashing damage.

When reviewing this creature, I looked at both the 2e and 3e versions. It looked like the designers had based the 5e version mainly on the 2e version, straight down to the hit points and 3d4 bite damage. The 3e version added a few more hit points and spell resistance. I also thought giving it Flyby would be nice so it can strafe its enemies - besides, it doesn't affect the CR, so why not?

On a side note, I find it kind of odd that a large creature like a cow can get turned into a medium darkenbeast, rather than a large one, but Medium seems to have been the size it's always been, so I left it at that and just gave it the 16 Con that the 3e version had so it would have more hit points.

pukunui

Mar 03, 2015 19:05:39

Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? I could really use some help looking at the adventure to see if anything needs adjusting to account for the capabilities of 5th-7th level PCs rather than 2nd-4th. The difficulty of any given encounter seems pretty decent as-is. I'm more concerned about whether there are any 3rd or 4th level spells that could render certain challenges too trivial.

I've actually got the make-up of the party now, too. There are only five PCs, plus a possible NPC ally.

- A lightfoot halfling fiend pact warlock 5 w/ chain boon

- A lightfoot halfling wild mage 5 - also a Chosen of Lathander

- A half-elf arcane trickster 5 w/ a souped-up donkey

- An eladrin bard 5 [not sure what college yet]

- A dragonborn totem barbarian (bear) 5

I'll most likely make the NPC ally a squishy healer type that the PCs are always having to rescue from tight spots.

With only one real melee PC, I think the party's going to need to focus more on stealth and subterfuge. Even with all the magic at their disposal, they're not going to be able to just run in, guns blazing. That being said, based on my experiences with Legacy of the Crystal Shard, when the PCs have a lot of magic and the NPCs don't, it tends to be rather one-sided. I may have to throw in a few more enemy spellcasters here and there to even things out - like the hobgoblins in Julkoun could do with a warmage or two on their side.

EDIT: I've added initial stats for several of the critters unique to Scourge in the previous post. Let me know what you think!

BRJN

Mar 06, 2015 17:21:50

I'm tangling threads here, but: your courtesan PC should get an 'in' as to how the succubus goes about getting her business done; she has been in the same line of work.

I just got my first taste of third-level spells, wherein a Red Wizard killed both our L4 Fighters (plus bloodied my L4 Paladin in one shot) in two rounds. If your group is not very combat-capable, do not send them against a top-of-the-line battle mage plus his allies / bodyguards - except as the Climactic Finale Battle.

pukunui

Mar 06, 2015 17:27:42

BRJN wrote: