Shackled city difficulty ?

[Elric Lornhood]

I'm going to be playing in this adventure, so I can't go reading about it all over these boards. But...
The DM is worried after reading through the book that many encounters seem to be too difficult for a standard 4 man party (which is what we're ready with right now), and us being wiped out several times over. So what are your experiences and opinions on what the party make up should be to have a chance here, w/o giving me specific examples from the adventure. Or is he overreacting?
-Mark

[Drego Morthain]

I am preparing to run SC for my group. The campaign was written around 6 players and a DM. So yes many of the encounters will be too difficult for a 4 man group.

The DM should either adjust the encounters to reflect 4 PC's instead of 6, or make some other allowance.

I have 5 PC's in my group, and one of them only makes it to about 1/2 our games, so I have been making notes to be able to adjust encounters on the fly.

Your group would best be served by using the 4 core classes, Ftr, Clr, Mag, Rog.

Good Luck!

[Robert Head]

If you get them to second level before they begin, that should just about do it.

[christian mazel]

Yes, second level with 0 xp (but with the equipment for 2nd level characters), they will catch up the real progression easily with the xp but it will be difficult to survive for four 1st level.
Use 4 basic classes or 4 variants not to far away for the powers and possibility.
fighter=ranger=paladin
wizard=sorcerer=warmage
cleric=archivist(wotc)=favored soul(CD)
rogue=spellthief(CAdv)
If you can, try to play versatile spellcaster, if you have a favored soul and a warmage for exemple they are both very specific and will limit the possibilities, in this case a third spellcaster like paladin or ranger can be a boost.

[golem101]

I'm currently DMing it, and we're entering the last part of the campaign (we just started Secrets of the Soul Pillars).

My four players have wound up with a somewhat magic-defective group: a barbarian-ranger, a cleric of Pelor, a monk (gone evil!), and a bard-thief.
They are starting to feel underpowered in the magic side just now (average 12° level, almost 13°), but the group is very effective when they can put the melee situation at their advantage - ambushing, flanking or simply having a couple of rounds to power-up and using bows and crossbows.

The party had a couple of almost-TPK accidents (one during the first adventure, caused by their desire to boldly go in the Underdark, and one during the Demonskar Legacy, when a triple hit including a critical left the group without the barbarian during a "furball" melee), and a single death (a lucky - or unlucky - spell).

I can't remember every dangerous situation or almost-death, but they were not so different from the usual.

You'll find the SCAP difficult only if you are used to charge headlong in every single occasion and if the DM's worth his/her salt to play the baddies' strenghts and abilities.