I'm currently running a campaign starting at LMoP, which, when finished will transition into Hoard of the Dragon Queen... To be continued by rise of tiamat.
However HoTDQ is designed to start at level 1. There is a lot of cultists, kobolds, ambush drakes and CR 1 and below... The PC's will be around level 4-5 at that moment. Do you guys have any ideas about which monsters i could add / substitute those monsters with for some more interesting challenges? All while i'm maintaining the feeling that it is an actual army they are fightning.. Because it would be boring to cut through 8 kobolds, 2 cultist and 2 ambush drakes at every turn...
So we did this exact same thing in my group. Here are my encounter lists for the first episode:
For the PCs protecting Linan Swift and her family:
PCs
Linan Swift
2 Dragonwings
2 Ambush Drakes
The groups around the keep:
Group 1
PCs
3 Guard Drakes
2 Kobolds
1 Kobold Dragonshield (roll 1d6-1 to determine dragon color for dragon resistance (1=black, 2=white, 3=red, 4=blue,5=green)
Group 2
PCs
4 Kobolds
3 Griffins
Group 3
3 Ambush Drakes
2 Dragonclaws
4 Kobolds
For the encounter with Lennithon, I had him start with his max HP. Still had him fly off after taking X amount of damage, but gave him his full array of stuff.
Outside the temple of Chauntea
Group 1at the front doors
PCs
1 Dragonwing
2 hatchlings (Cultist stats)
4 kobolds
Group 2 at the back doors
PCs
2 hatchlings
6 kobolds
2 hobgoblins
Group 3 circling the temple
3 hatchlings
10 kobolds
2 ambush drakes
The Mill:
Outside the mill
6 Hobgoblins
1 Hobgoblin Captain
Inside the mill
1 Dragonwing
2 Bandits
5 Hatchlings (use Cultist stats for 3 and Initiate stats for 2)
Sally Port
1 Dragonclaw
1 Wyrmling (Acolyte stats)
2 Guard Drakes
2 Kobolds
The duel with Cyanwrath I ran as is out of the book but had Cyanwrath at max HP and full array of everything. PC nearly wiped them out but the kobold allies swooped in and carried them off before the PC could finish the job.
My general rule of thumb (we've now caught up to our level where we're at in the adventure) when I was revamping these encounters for the higher level PCs I had was to take the same type of monster and find the higher CR version. If you have Volo's this is a lot easier. Kobolds became Kobold Dragonshields or Kobold Inventors. With the module specific enemies like the Dragonclaw I just moved them up a rank in the cult. It keeps the flavor the same but ups the ante. I've also taken to waves of enemies. We took a detour into Undermountain whie in Waterdeep and I just had fighting in one area draw creatures from another. Be relentless. Your PCs are equipped to handle a little bit of it.
Hello Everyone.
I'm currently running a campaign starting at LMoP, which, when finished will transition into Hoard of the Dragon Queen... To be continued by rise of tiamat.
However HoTDQ is designed to start at level 1. There is a lot of cultists, kobolds, ambush drakes and CR 1 and below...
The PC's will be around level 4-5 at that moment.
Do you guys have any ideas about which monsters i could add / substitute those monsters with for some more interesting challenges? All while i'm maintaining the feeling that it is an actual army they are fightning.. Because it would be boring to cut through 8 kobolds, 2 cultist and 2 ambush drakes at every turn...
All advices are welcome :)
So we did this exact same thing in my group. Here are my encounter lists for the first episode:
For the PCs protecting Linan Swift and her family:
The groups around the keep:
For the encounter with Lennithon, I had him start with his max HP. Still had him fly off after taking X amount of damage, but gave him his full array of stuff.
Outside the temple of Chauntea
The Mill:
Outside the mill
Inside the mill
Sally Port
The duel with Cyanwrath I ran as is out of the book but had Cyanwrath at max HP and full array of everything. PC nearly wiped them out but the kobold allies swooped in and carried them off before the PC could finish the job.
My general rule of thumb (we've now caught up to our level where we're at in the adventure) when I was revamping these encounters for the higher level PCs I had was to take the same type of monster and find the higher CR version. If you have Volo's this is a lot easier. Kobolds became Kobold Dragonshields or Kobold Inventors. With the module specific enemies like the Dragonclaw I just moved them up a rank in the cult. It keeps the flavor the same but ups the ante. I've also taken to waves of enemies. We took a detour into Undermountain whie in Waterdeep and I just had fighting in one area draw creatures from another. Be relentless. Your PCs are equipped to handle a little bit of it.
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