Does anyone else have a party that's too tough for AoW? Are you having any issues scaling the adventures?
I started out using the excellent "Wormfood as Encounters" prequel adventure with only 4 players. I picked up another player before the Whispering Cairn. A sixth player joined midway, during the fight with Kullen. After we finished 3FoE a seventh player wormed his way in.
All of the party members are 5th level, using 32 point buy, action points and craft points. Effectively they are a 7th level party.
I'm using the Eberron setting, so I've made a few minor class and feat changes in a few instances, but so far I haven't upped the CRs. At the start of EaBK last session the party easily took out all 30 lizardfolk nearly unscathed with the aid (and death) or every guard in the keep.
I am now going to bump up the CRs a notch using the Scaling the Adventure suggestions in the magazine.
Has anyone else done this for EaBK yet? Both the Lt and Kushak are now half-dragons. How does this affect Kushak's Free City background. I'm thinking of dropping this altogether. Kushak is simply one of the "chosen" of Ilthane, no additional tie-ins are needed. Does anyone see any storyline issues with this?
I'm also debating on modifying the feats for Kushak. He has improved natural armor and weapon specialization (trident). The extra +1's don't seem as significant after the template is applied.
Can a half-dragon take metabreath feats from Draconomicon? Kushak meets the pre-reqs (high con and dragon type) for most of them. With heighten breath and maximize breath, he would have a 48 acid damage line breath with a Ref DC 22 save! He would only do it once, but it would easily drop a few of my players and scare the crap out of everyone. What do you think? I have a few days to mull it over.
Also, I modified the constrictor snake and giant crocodile to fearsome 15 and 13 HD beasts, respectively.
If you have a higher level party (9+), what are some suggestions for advancing EaBK? What about a half-dragon template on the Hatchlings? Is this legal?
Can a half-dragon take metabreath feats from Draconomicon?
No. On page 66, it says: "To take a metabreath feat, a creature must have a breath weapon whose time between breaths is expressed in rounds. Therefore, a hell hound (which can breathe once every 2d4 rounds) can take metabreath feats, whereas a behir (breath weapon usable 1/minute) cannot."
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ive had 5 players since the beginning of AoW. after 16 sessions the group is halfway through Sodden Hold in Harsh Reflections. They have breezed through most encounters with the hextor temple remaining the toughest challenge they've faced so far. with 5 playes at level 8 that makes my group a CR 12. I've had to beef up every encounter so far. but Hey! who wants their group to croak?
All of the party members are 5th level, using 32 point buy, action points and craft points. Effectively they are a 7th level party.
This is the problem! I gave mine 28 points and they use action points. To make up for this I give them slower xp gains.
My group have just finished the first adventure (5-6 sessions worth of play) and they are still second level. I played the adventure as is - other than cutting out one of the wind warriors - even then there was only 'one man standing' at the end! I make them use their action points and sweat a bit!
I also make the locals smarter - Smenk claimed the cairn and posted guards that were too hard for them to kill. So the party had to use other skills to get back in: Bribery, diplomacy, sneaking etc. worked fine and was much more fun than hack-and-slash.
If they aren't using the standard rules then i usually run adventures that are 1-2 levels higher. A cakewall gets boring, I just have to be careful that they dont meet unbeatable foes.