Situation: The 5 PCs that are participating in the Shackled City campaign (hc edition) just finished Life's Bazaar at level 4. I skimmed ahead and saw that chapter 2 (Drakthar's Way) revolves mostly around fighting goblins.
What I'd like to know: Should I just have my group skip ahead to chapter 3 (Flood Season), since it is recommended for 4th-level characters? Will my players miss anything important if I have them skip chapter 2 and move on to something that's more in line with their current level, or should it be run in the order that it was written? I really don't feel like they should be clobbering their way through goblins; any adventure whose battles come off as underpowered (and I don't feel like giving those goblins extra hit points) will make the evening a dull one for my group.
Those of you who ran this campaign from both the magazine and/or hardcover format, your input is greatly appreciated!
By the way, I understand that Chapter 2 did not appear in Dungeon Magazine when this Adventure Path was originally published.
There will not be much challenge in it, so not much XP, but the story information presented in it could prove useful later on.
I actually posed this same question a few months back and James Jacobs (asst Dungeon editor) actually responded. I will paraphrase what he said: there is no reason PCs should not occasionaly face an easy adventure.
I think it could give them a sense of pride to see them mow through enemies. Besides, at their level, it should go by pretty fast. 1 - 2 sessions at most. You could even have the goblins show fear when they see their friends get taken out so quickly. Ever played NWN, Hordes of the Underdark? At the beginning it shows a goblin cowering in fear who takes a job cleaning the floors of the Inn. Quite funny.
I didn't feel that Drakthar's Way really adds much information to the campaign. It foreshadows the half-orcs guards a bit but you could skip around that.
If you play Drakthar's, they're going to be 5th level for Flood, etc. Don't be a captive to the XP table for SCAP. You need them a certain level at a certain point, slow down or speed up the XP as needed.
DMFTodd is correct. Reward XP as you see fit. If your players are already at level 4 (they must have been very thorough in the first adventure) then run through Drakthars way but just reduce the XP.
Another solution, if you choose to use the adventure at all, is to run through Drakthar's Way but reduce the amount of goblins they face. Perhaps expalin how another party named the Stormblades begun exploring the graffiti and goblin vandalism but returned badly injured and shaken and refusing to discuss what they faced.
When the party trace the Stormblades 'tracks' they find the first level of the dungeon relatively deserted and makeshift traps erected. Whats left of the goblins ambush the party on level two before Drakthar wades in with a pack of wolves leading the way. He takes a few hits and then flees via gaseous form to attack again later.
This solution would make the adventure much shorter and still allow the party to face Drakthar (who is a great villian) and learn about the evil noble mustering an 'evil' half-orc army via a mysterious leader called the Blue Duke. It also gives the Stormblades an even more valid reason for hating the party.
If the party enter the Flood Season Adventure at 5th level I can't see a problem with this. The Tongueeater encounter in the Laughing Monkey at the beginning of the adventure is very difficult and so is the Kopru Ruins if the complex is alerted, so having that extra level may reduce the chances of a TPK.
Reduce the XP awarded as you go - ie 'that was a CR 3' when in reality it was a CR 4 etc.
If you wish to skip the adventure entirely there won't be any real problems in terms of the plot your party will just miss out on a bit of plot foreshadowing and a cool villian, so the choice is entirely yours.
Have fun either way
Delvesdeep
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I'm running SCAP out of the hardcover, but if I remember right Drakthars way wasn't actually even in the original mags, it was added after to give the PC's a little XP boost. I don't remember there being much in the way of actual information the PC's gained from it, other then seeing the half orc mercs of course, and that is easy enough to slip in elsewhere(the stormblades could theoretically clear it out and the PC's could hear the report)
Of course cutting your way through hordes of gobblins and taking out a vampire, even an underpowered one, is going to be a good feeling for your players. If you think they'll have fun having a few sessions of pure victory(that doesn't often happen in this campaign) go for it. Let them flex their growing muscles now that they are taking steps closing to being real heroes.