I'm currently running HotDQ and am using milstones. I will follow this up with RoT. I'm really wanting to have this campaign run from 1st to 20th level and am considering 'stretching' the campaign, pretty much as written, out to level 20. To do this I am considering adding in extra milestones on top of those suggested in the module as written. I've not determined exact details but I'm thinking that I'll give a level at the end of each chapter in HotDQ - meaning the party will end that part at 9th level.
Looking through RoT, if I give a level out at pretty much every step of the campaign I can get them to 20 for the final show down. With a few adjustments to the encounters as written (e.g. Tiamat gets summoned with full power to test a Level 20 party), I am reasonably certain I can balance the final encounter. This does mean PCs level for doing pretty much nothing - like gaining a level just for attending the Council, or for one encounter when they are targets of an assassination attempt, but I'm ultimately okay with that - it's fine pay off for achieving level 20 I think.
But the real question is: will this screw up all the previous encounters/adventures in RoT if the PCs are consistently a few levels too high? Will I have a lot of work to do to make those later adventures work?
This should be fine. You might have to adjust quite a few of the encounters in later Hoard of the Dragon Queen chapters, and almost all of RoT's encounters just to make it balanced and fun.
Just keep in mind these aren't well written adventures, they need a good DM who is great at improvising and preps a lot in order to make them work.
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Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Thanks for the feedback. I'm an experienced DM and happy to put the work in so no issues there. I'm just wondering if people feel that some of the highest level powers in the game could break the later encounters/adventures?
Anyone out there actually tried doing what I'm proposing?
Come to that, has anyone tried to stretch any other 5e modules from their natural endings of 13-15 out to level 20, without adding more content, just giving more XP/milestones?
The real question is whether 18+ character level powers ruin these campaigns?
Hi all,
I'm currently running HotDQ and am using milstones. I will follow this up with RoT. I'm really wanting to have this campaign run from 1st to 20th level and am considering 'stretching' the campaign, pretty much as written, out to level 20. To do this I am considering adding in extra milestones on top of those suggested in the module as written. I've not determined exact details but I'm thinking that I'll give a level at the end of each chapter in HotDQ - meaning the party will end that part at 9th level.
Looking through RoT, if I give a level out at pretty much every step of the campaign I can get them to 20 for the final show down. With a few adjustments to the encounters as written (e.g. Tiamat gets summoned with full power to test a Level 20 party), I am reasonably certain I can balance the final encounter. This does mean PCs level for doing pretty much nothing - like gaining a level just for attending the Council, or for one encounter when they are targets of an assassination attempt, but I'm ultimately okay with that - it's fine pay off for achieving level 20 I think.
But the real question is: will this screw up all the previous encounters/adventures in RoT if the PCs are consistently a few levels too high? Will I have a lot of work to do to make those later adventures work?
Thanks for any help and advice!
Blakey
My Author Page: www.peterjblake.com
Novels Published: Reynard's Fate, Kita's Honour, Okoth's War and Callindrill
I'm thinking of this for my rough level break down:
Chapter
Title
Start Level
1
Greenest in Flames
1
2
Raiders' Camp
2
3
Dragon Hatchery
3
4
On the Road
4
5
Construction Ahead
5
6
Castle Naerytar
6
7
Hunting Lodge
7
8
Castle in the Clouds
8
9
Council of Waterdeep
9
10
Sea of Moving Ice
10
11
Death to the Wyrmspeaker (White)
11
13
The Cult Strikes Back (1st)
12
12
Death to the Wyrmspeaker (Green)
13
14
Metallic Dragons Arise
14
13
The Cult Strikes Back (2nd)
15
15
Xonthal's Tower
16
16
Mission to Thay
17
13
The Cult Strikes Back (3rd)
18
9
Council of Waterdeep
19
17
Tiamat's Return
20
My Author Page: www.peterjblake.com
Novels Published: Reynard's Fate, Kita's Honour, Okoth's War and Callindrill
No comments? :(
My Author Page: www.peterjblake.com
Novels Published: Reynard's Fate, Kita's Honour, Okoth's War and Callindrill
This should be fine. You might have to adjust quite a few of the encounters in later Hoard of the Dragon Queen chapters, and almost all of RoT's encounters just to make it balanced and fun.
Just keep in mind these aren't well written adventures, they need a good DM who is great at improvising and preps a lot in order to make them work.
Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Spells, Monsters, Subclasses, Races, Arcknight Class, Occultist Class, World, Enigmatic Esoterica forms
Thanks for the feedback. I'm an experienced DM and happy to put the work in so no issues there. I'm just wondering if people feel that some of the highest level powers in the game could break the later encounters/adventures?
Anyone out there actually tried doing what I'm proposing?
Thanks
Blakey
My Author Page: www.peterjblake.com
Novels Published: Reynard's Fate, Kita's Honour, Okoth's War and Callindrill
Come to that, has anyone tried to stretch any other 5e modules from their natural endings of 13-15 out to level 20, without adding more content, just giving more XP/milestones?
The real question is whether 18+ character level powers ruin these campaigns?
My Author Page: www.peterjblake.com
Novels Published: Reynard's Fate, Kita's Honour, Okoth's War and Callindrill