Recently started playing D&D after not playing for many years. I've never Dm'd before. I picked up the 4E core books and pulled out a box of old adventures from the garage. I've decided to convert the Keep on the Borderlands to a 4E adventure. Now searching the net I understand that this adventure has already been updated but I would prefer to do my own and haven't read the new version.
What I would like to do is lay out the original encounters and then show my 4E conversion and get thoughts as to the appropriateness of the encounters, thoughts for improvement and any creative suggestions you have. Basically any thoughts at all.
The party will consists of 6 1st level characters with above average ability scores
I'll do it in parts consistent with how the adventure was laid out.
I'm laying out the keep as something akin to the bar and town where Luke Skywalker met Han Solo. A place where merchants and black marketers go to trade, outlaws and bandits go to hide and people seek fortune. A rough and tumble type place
The party which is actually closer to a gang overhears and gangster boss complaining about a kobold tribe intercepting his trade routes. He can't go to the law as he deals in illegal trade but he wants the kobold's heads, especially their leader Zebul. The characters decide this will be a good way to get with the boss and gain employment and work out a reward per kobold head returned. The move out on the hunt
Encounter A
Original - Kobold Entrance -
2 in 6 chance the characters encounter 8 kobolds HD 1/2 HP 3 AC 7 AT1, 1D4.
New - On the way to the Kobold Lair the characters encounter a Kobold raiding group. 12 Kobold Minions HP 1 AC15 At 1 1D6
- I wanted to start out with a pretty hectic fight but something that doesn't put the party in much danger
Pit Trap
Original - front rank characters have 3 in 6 chance of falling in, 2nd rank characters have 1 in 6 chance if front rank falls.
New - This one where I need some help.
I know that there should be a perception check, but who does it? The front rank character? Also I need to determine a difficulty check.
Then would the 2nd rank either do a perception check or an acrobatics check?
If characters fall in, a climb skill check would get them out.
Guard Room
Original - 6 Kobold Guards Hd 1/2 HP 3 AT 1 1D4 - 1 guard will try to run and alert kobolds in other areas
New - 10 Kobold Minions. I like the idea of 1 of them trying to escape and alerting the rest of the clan and will base the rest of the encounters on whether or not this happens and this encounter is just a tool for that to happen. Additionally I think this lulls them in a bit as I'm hoping they can dispatch the minions pretty easily.
2 Rat Pack
Original 18 Giants Rats HD 1/2 HP 2 Ea At 1 1D3 + Disease
Pack Leader HD 1-1 HP4 AT 2 1D3+1
If the characters fall into the pit trap the rats rush the entrance and attack early.
New -
12 Giant Rats HP 1 AC15 AT 1 Dmg 3.
1 Dire Rat HP 38 AC15 AT 1D6 +2 /Disease
I think this ups the ante a bit and makes for more harrowing encounter. Not sure if I would have the rats attack early based on the pit trap or how this would work. ie do they have an entrance into the pit, that allows them attack those trapped? thoughts?
Guard Room 2
Original - 3 Very Large Kobold Guards HD1+1 HP 5 AC 5 AT1 1D6, Kobolds have cover from missile fire +2
New - 3 Kobold Slingers HP 24 Ac 13 AT Sling 1D6 Dagger 1D4.
If the Slingers are alerted from the guard room 1, I will have the slingers waiting for the characters and firing from a covered position once the characters are in range, basically an ambush attack. Not sure how much additional protection the cover should provide yet. I want the characters to feel pinned down a bit, forcing either a charge into the enemy positions or trading ranged attacks.
Chieftain Chamber and Common Chamber
Original - Kobold Chieftain HD2 AC 5 HP8 AT 1 2D4
5 Female Kobolds HD 1/2 HP2 AT1 1D4
17 Male Kobolds HD 1/2 HP 3 23 Females HD 1/2 HP 2ea
New - I want to combine these two encounters into 1 climatic encounter
Kobold Chieftain - Zebol Kobold Dragon Shield HP 36 AC 18 AT 1d6 + 3
2 Kobold Skirmishers HP 27 Ac 15 AT 1 1D8 Dmg
18 Minions
I see this encounter unfolding like this. The characters enter a very large area. The chieftain and his lieutenants send the minions in a mass charge waiting and looking for opportunities to strike when the characters are distracted or weakened. Once the minions and lieutenants have been killed Zebol attempts to escape Is 18 minions too many when combined with the Dragon Shield and skirmishers?
This completes the first section of the caves of chaos, if the characters are successful they are given more work and slowly start to earn a reputation in the keep.
Thank you for reading and any feedback you can provide. I will update the thread with additional sections as I complete them
-Jeremy
Consider;
1) The parties not really going to be facing all 18 of those attacks at any given time. Not even if they find themselves completely surrounded. In the Caves what you're much more likely to see happen is the party doing alot of tunnel fighting as nearly every lair consists of 10' wide passages. So it doesn't really matter how many "ranks" of creatures (minion or not) you throw at them, they'll face them 2- 4 at a time. Unless they're just plain stupid & run into the wide open. In that case do your damdest to kill a few of them....
2) One hit = one kill for minions. You'll run out of minions before seriously challenging even 1st lv parties. Wich leads me to the next point.
3) 4E characters are pretty tough. Once upon a time (back when B2 was written) 6 PCs vrs 18+ kobolds was heavy in the monsters favour. It was still pretty much 1 hit = 1 dead kobold, but the party had a lot less HP & alot less recovery. Now days.... One or two 4e PCs alone can have as many HP between them as the entire kobold lair did back then. And they pack a helluva lot more recovery than they ever did. Imo, based upon the 4e games I've witnessed/run, an intelligent 4e party can likely hold their own against an identicle # of "real" kobolds (IE; non-minion types).
The pit trap;
Others are no doubt going to go on about skill challenges for this. Not me. It's a simple ***** pit.
Thus it warrents only the simplest of "rules".
Have the characters in the front make normal perception checks if searching. Hard checks if not specificly searching. Failure = the first rank making a hard athletics check as they fall in. Success can be that they don't recieve falling damage or catch themselves on the edge. Depends upon how nice you're feeling atm.... Either way, they're pretty much out of the action for at least a round as they try & climb out (a normal athletics check should suffice).
Why hard checks & the specification that the party must be searching? Because the kobolds are sneaky little *****. They are tying to snare people. And it drives the point home to PCs that, yes, they really do have to say what they're doing. (My own group actually rushed straight into this cave in pursuit of a kobold & never thought to light a torch - and they know how I DM! They had a real hard time in the dark with the pit btw)
What happens to the second rank depends upon the actions of the 1st rank. If the lead characters simply halt in their tracks (as mine did recently) the next in line have a chance to run into them, maybe even knocking them in anyways. Easy checks all around I should think. But really funny if they botch it.(like mine
)Climbing out: Normal athletics check.
Remember, the planks the kobolds use to cross are on the other side with the gaurds....
Xps for this pit trap. Personally such minor things don't get awarded specific xp values at my table. I expect you to be able to best stationary holes in the ground.... But if you think pts are needed I'd say as little as possible.
The party will consists of 6 1st level characters with above average ability scores
-Jeremy
Your XP is Budget then is 600 for a 1st level party. Be aware that 1E modules did not use grids so much and they sometime save a lot of creatures in a small room. If you bunch the minions they will be creamed by the wizards spells.
Encounter A
Original - Kobold Entrance -
2 in 6 chance the characters encounter 8 kobolds HD 1/2 HP 3 AC 7 AT1, 1D4.
New - On the way to the Kobold Lair the characters encounter a Kobold raiding group. 12 Kobold Minions HP 1 AC15 At 1 1D6
- I wanted to start out with a pretty hectic fight but something that doesn't put the party in much danger
-Jeremy
12 Minions is a XP 300--should be easy though artillery minions can be deadly to a 1st level party. Might want to give the players a chance to get them by surprise.
Pit Trap
Original - front rank characters have 3 in 6 chance of falling in, 2nd rank characters have 1 in 6 chance if front rank falls.
New - This one where I need some help.
I know that there should be a perception check, but who does it? The front rank character? Also I need to determine a difficulty check.
Then would the 2nd rank either do a perception check or an acrobatics check?
If characters fall in, a climb skill check would get them out.
-Jeremy
DMG p87
Sample Traps and Hazards
False-Floor Pit Level 1 Warder
Trap XP 100
A covered pit is hidden near the center of the room. Timber covered with flagstones is rigged to fall when a creature walks on it, dropping the creature into a 10-foot-deep pit.
Trap: A 2-by-2 section of the floor hides a 10-foot-deep pit.
Perception
✦ DC 20: The character notices the false stonework.
Trigger
The trap attacks when a creature enters one of the trap’s
four squares.
Attack
Immediate Reaction Melee
Target: The creature that triggered the trap.
Attack: +4 vs. Reflex
Hit: Target falls into pit, takes 1d10 damage, and falls prone.
Miss: Target returns to the last square it occupied and its
move action ends immediately.
Effect: The false floor opens and the pit is no longer hidden.
Countermeasures
✦ An adjacent character can trigger the trap with a DC 10
Thievery check (standard action). The floor falls into the pit.
✦ An adjacent character can disable the trap with a DC 25
Thievery check (standard action). The floor becomes safe.
✦ A character who makes an Athletics check (DC 11, or DC
21 without a running start) can jump over the pit.
✦ A character can climb out with a DC 15 Athletics check.
Upgrade to Elite (200 XP)
Increase the Perception and Thievery DCs by 2. The pit is
20 feet deep and filled with poisoned spikes. A character
who falls into the pit takes 3d10 damage + ongoing 5
poison damage (save ends).
2 Rat Pack
Original 18 Giants Rats HD 1/2 HP 2 Ea At 1 1D3 + Disease
Pack Leader HD 1-1 HP4 AT 2 1D3+1
If the characters fall into the pit trap the rats rush the entrance and attack early.
New -
12 Giant Rats HP 1 AC15 AT 1 Dmg 3.
1 Dire Rat HP 38 AC15 AT 1D6 +2 /Disease
I think this ups the ante a bit and makes for more harrowing encounter. Not sure if I would have the rats attack early based on the pit trap or how this would work. ie do they have an entrance into the pit, that allows them attack those trapped? thoughts?
-Jeremy
Have them attack both above and below you will only be able to get one or two PC's in the pit. Have minions attack gaining combat advantage while they are prone.
Guard Room 2
Original - 3 Very Large Kobold Guards HD1+1 HP 5 AC 5 AT1 1D6, Kobolds have cover from missile fire +2
New - 3 Kobold Slingers HP 24 Ac 13 AT Sling 1D6 Dagger 1D4.
If the Slingers are alerted from the guard room 1, I will have the slingers waiting for the characters and firing from a covered position once the characters are in range, basically an ambush attack. Not sure how much additional protection the cover should provide yet. I want the characters to feel pinned down a bit, forcing either a charge into the enemy positions or trading ranged attacks.
-Jeremy
Have the slinger in the battle with 10 minions in a few rds. This will make your encounter a 550 XP. Because of space, have them use their shifty power to attack and run away
Chieftain Chamber and Common Chamber
Original - Kobold Chieftain HD2 AC 5 HP8 AT 1 2D4
5 Female Kobolds HD 1/2 HP2 AT1 1D4
17 Male Kobolds HD 1/2 HP 3 23 Females HD 1/2 HP 2ea
New - I want to combine these two encounters into 1 climatic encounter
Kobold Chieftain - Zebol Kobold Dragon Shield HP 36 AC 18 AT 1d6 + 3
2 Kobold Skirmishers HP 27 Ac 15 AT 1 1D8 Dmg
18 Minions
I see this encounter unfolding like this. The characters enter a very large area. The chieftain and his lieutenants send the minions in a mass charge waiting and looking for opportunities to strike when the characters are distracted or weakened. Once the minions and lieutenants have been killed Zebol attempts to escape Is 18 minions too many when combined with the Dragon Shield and skirmishers?
-Jeremy
Lv 2 encounter
18 Minions = 425XP
2 Skrimishers =200XP
Total 625XP-- This will work but be aware that Kolbolds gain a +1 per Kolbold ally on a target. They will be hitting like mad!
I would then have the boss simply sit the battle out make him a Solo. Have the players a chance to take a short rest, recharge their powers and go after him when he flees. They might even hit a milestone and recharge their action points.
LV 2 Enc
Dragon Shield Level 2 Solo XP 625
with two standard actions on his attack.
Drop his Mob attack and give him some sort of encounter power when he gets bloddied like:
Battle Fury (free, when first bloodied; encounter)
The human berserker makes a melee basic attack with a +4
bonus to the attack roll and deals an extra 1d6 damage on a hit.
There is a reason those Kobolds huddle in the bushes above the cave line. They are lookouts and when the fighting starts, Caves which are closer to the surface are going to be alerted to a situation outside: The Minotaur will probably hear any action on the surface.
I suggest the Kobolds and the other Humanoids get qualified as Skirmishers (they are all part of a substantial Humanoid warband).