Hi, I am just starting to run the AoW and i only have 3 players. Granted one of them is a drow (sorcerer) do you think i need to make anything less powerfull or help make them more powerfull. Any sugestions would be very apresiated.
Well there are a few options.
The easiest solution is have 1-2 NPCs that you or the more seasoned players may play. These NPCs can fill the holes in a party, help ensure survival, and give thoughtful advice in critical times. These should not be uber characters that dominate play. Think supporting actor not leading man.
In the past I've had NPCs who are flavorful, and become allies of one or two PCs. Some of the NPCs I've used in the past: A cleric of Olidamara who travels from town to town (Gregor), a young ranger on a personal quest (Hugh O'Dale), a captive half orc bent on revenge (Grump), etc.
One unorthodox solution mentioned earlier on the board was to give each PC a level in an NPC class. These 4 classes (Aristocrat, Commoner, Expert & Warrior) found on page 108-110 of DMG 3.5 are usually reserved for NPCs who don't have the adventuring background of most PCs. I would omit the Warrior and Aristocrat, since most characters from the region will be skilled craftsfolk or common laborers. This will give each PC an extra 1d4-1d6 hit points, better saves, more skills, and a well rounded back ground.
Either of these two options should give your 3 PCs a chance to survive. At level 6 they should consider taking the leadership feat to attract a cohort. By this I mean to say 'you should talk them into...' Three good cohorts are described in a Dragon article from 2005 (I forget the month). They are all good examples of helpful cohorts (A cleric for healing support, ranger for missile support, and fighter for extra strength of arms).
Good luck and have fun. Below are 4 NPCs I've used in the past, refitted to 1st level.
Gregor of Olidamara
Medium human, Male, 1st level Cleric (Olidamara)
AC 16(Armor +3, Shield +2, +1 Dex), Init: +1; Speed 30’; HD 1d8+2; hp 10; Base Atk +0; Full Atk +1 War Hammer(1d8+1) or +1 Light Crossbow (1d8); AL CN; SV Fort +3, Ref +1, Will +4; Str 12, Dex 12, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 15, Cha 12
Skills: Bluff +3, Concentration +4, Disguise Self +1, Diplomacy +2, Heal +4, Hide +2, Knowledge (Religion) +2, Spell craft +2
Feats: Dodge, Improved Toughness; Domains: Trickery & Luck
Possessions: Studded Leather, Heavy Wood Shield, War Hammer, Light Crossbow
Spells
1st Entropic Shield, Divine Favor, Shield of Faith
Hugh O’Dale
Medium human, Male, 1st level Bard
AC 15(Armor +3, Dex +2), Init: +2; Speed 30’; HD 1d6+1; hp 7; Base Atk +0; Full Atk +1 Long Sword (1d8+1) or +2 Short Bow (1d6); SQ Bardic Music, Bardic Knowledge, Countersong, Fascinate, Inspire Courage +1, AL CG; SV Fort +1, Ref +4, Will +2; Str 12, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 15
Skills: Balance +2, Bluff +2, Climb +2, Decipher Script +2, Diplomacy +3, Disguise +1, Gather Information +4, Hide +3, Jump +1, Listen +2, Move Silently +3, Perform +4, Search +1, Slight of Hand +1, Spot +2, Tumble +3
Feats: Dodge, Mobility
Possessions: Studded Leather Armor, Long Sword, Short Bow
Grump
Medium Half Orc, Male, 1st level Fighter
AC 17(Armor +4, +2 Shield, Dex +1), Init: +0; Speed 20’; HD 1d10+2; hp 12; Base Atk +1; Full Atk +5 Great Sword (1d8+4); AL CN; SV Fort +4, Ref +0, Will +0; Str 19, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 9, Wis 10, Cha 6
Skills: Climb +1, Intimidate +2, Ride +1
Feats: Weapon Focus (Morning Star)
Possessions: Scale Mail, Morning Star, Heavy Wooden Shield
Hobwin
Medium human, Male, 1st level Cleric (St. Cuthbert)
AC 16(Armor +4, Shield +2), Init: +0; Speed 20’; HD 1d8+3; hp 11; Base Atk +0; Full Atk +1 Heavy Mace (1d8+1) or +0 Light Crossbow (1d8); AL LG; SV Fort +4, Ref +0, Will +5; Str 12, Dex 10, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 12
Skills: Concentration +2, Diplomacy +1, Heal +4, Knowledge (Religion) +1
Feats: Extra Turning, Improved Toughness; Domains: Destruction & Strength
Possessions: Scale Mail, Heavy Wood Shield, Heavy Mace, Light Crossbow
Spells:
1st Divine Favor, Enlarge Person, Shield of Faith
I run with 3 players, and I also run an NPC (I play him as an idiot, that way it forces the players to figure stuff out - he's mainly just extra muscle). If you dont want to run an NPC, perhaps you could consider using the Gestalt rules found in Unearthed Arcana. We just finished the Three Faces of Evil last night, and we are having a ton of fun. I know there are others here that are only running with 3 players as well.
I run with 3 players...
There are only three players in my group, too; I run two NPCs, but I'm waiting to see which one livens up the campaign more so the other can be killed off.
I wish someone would take Leadership at 6th level and take the burden off me, but it'll never happen with this group; really, I get a sense that the feat doesn't appeal to many.
Jack
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We'll be using gestalt characters for our three-player "Age of Worms" campaign. I really didn't want to run a DM-PC this time around, and also did not want to saddle any one player with more than one character.
Most of the adventures will remain unchanged, save that some key NPCs will have 10 extra hit points (a benefit I'm also extending to the players at 1st level) and will also be gestalt characters. Kullen, Filge, and the high priests of the three Ebon Triad sects will be the first of these, but others like Bozal Zahol will also get the "gestalt treatment".
I'll be keeping a campaign journal, and will let you know how things go.
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We also run with three, and I've done a couple of things to balance things out...
1. I spotted the party 2000 xp each at the start of the campaign.
2. One of the players took the leadership feat and gained a cohort at 6th level.
3. I put some extra items in the campaign early on to offset some glaring deficiencies in my party. There was a whopper-chopper sword given to the main beef in the party. There was also an item that added a competency bonus to Use Magic Device (to balance a lack of a wizard or sorcerer).
We're just starting HoHR, with only a couple near-death experiences so far. Surprisingly, I've found that the party has actually stayed slightly ahead of the recommended level for the adventures since they are splitting XP three ways.
We just added Marzena as a new NPC, so I'll be watching how she affects play balance. I've had to 'up-armor' alot of enemies to keep things challenging for the PCs, and I was just reaching the point where I didn't need to do that anymore. Marzena may force me to continue doing that.
The other way to inject more XP into the campaign to keep a three-member party a little ahead of the recommended level is to sprinkle in lots of side encounters during travel periods or offer lots of mini-adventures between installments of the campaign.
Hope things work out for you. We've been having a blast with three!
i'm running it with 3 gestalt characters, and i found the whispiring cairn to be just killer. i disliked the way 3foe was written, so i'm doing something a bit different for that, which will eventually lead to blackwall keep.
i'm definetly finding that even 3 gestalt characters, at the recommended level, can't quite keep up. i'll be boosting their level curve for a while - i'm expecting this campaign to go epic by the final battle, actually.
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Characters were created for our campaign last night--a Changeling Rogue/Fighter, a Half-Orc Druid/Barbarian, and a Changeling Wizard/Bard.
They'll be light on healing for a level or two (at which point I expect them to buy a wand of cure light wounds or two), and the Wizard/Bard specialized in Transmutation and disallowed Illusions and Evocation. I'm wondering how they're going to deal with the swarms, and may have to put some oil in the backpack that contains the indigo lantern. The brown mold will be another challenge....
It's a resourceful group of experienced players, so I'm excited to see how they take on the dangers of the "Age of Worms" without much tweaking on my part.