I'm currently running the Age of Worms with a party of 6 players. They’re getting ready to start the “The Spire of Long Shadows” portion and they all are just a little bit over 12th level. There a little behind on xp since I ran the first 2 portions of the adventure path without increasing the CR like I have been on the past 4 adventure path sections, making it the CR adjustments as if they were one level higher.
My question is since there is 12th level, and this next part is balanced for 4 people of 13th level do you think I need to make any adjustments, I feel they should be able to overcome the challenges. However, if I did increase some things when they hit 13th level as they will half way through or so to make it more challenging there is not a side-bar a the end with advice for good adjustments. I was hoping that Jesse Decker might comment on this with some advice or anyone else ideas are welcomes too.
Half of the party is very well equipped two character betting large amounts on the arena games and coming victorious on all there matches, and the other character has the sword and ring found in Isicoiol’s Tomb as well as some decent armor. A 12th level character should have 88,000 gp on average according to the DMG pg. 135 on character wealth. With the betting two members are over 150,000 worth of gear and the character with the two sword and ring from Icisiol’s Tomb is at least over 125,000. The other 3 characters are around the 88,000 gp mark and more balanced in that regard.
I’m not a fan of changing monsters to sunder break equipment but I’m open to other ideas to ensure this part of the adventure path is challenging to the players.
Thanks,
~MB
I am DMing a party of six through AOW, and and started out adjusting the encounters and offering other incentives for gaining experience out of fear that the normal expeience of the encounters as planned, spread between six charaters would leave them too far behind in levels to handle the later more difficult encounters. After having the party breeze through several encounters, even after having increaased the difficulty of the encounter, I have settled on a different tactic.
I have pretty much determined that a party of six is actually plays as one level higher then the average level of the party. And where my party is just one level below the recommended level of the adventures, it seems to work out well for the most part. The only problem that we have in our group is with our spell casters. We don't have any straight spell casters, so there is no access to higher level spells that a straight spell caster would have. That really makes them dependant on the magical items that are picked up along the way.
The most amazing thing I've found with my group is that the breeze through most of the encounters that I think are going to be killers, and then almost TPK in encounters that I think are going to be a breeze for them, it really keeps me on my toes.
We just finished with "The Champions Belt" the other night, and it could have come to a very messy end, but my players came up with some ideas that allowed me to help them trough it, but it was still no easy task for them, the last few encounters in that one were very difficult and wore them down a lot.
My group has grown to six players during the Library of LAst Resort, and it's quickly become apparent that some encounters are a lot easier with more characters, especially fights against singular monsters, such as the Harbringer, the Tree of Death, and by some, Dragotha (Haven't gotten there yet..)More PC's, especially those with Leadership, have that many more options of healing, blocking, harrying with attacks, or whatever. It's basic numbers, since supposably the modules are designed for four PCs of X level. I think it's important to advance the encounters to keep the PCs on their toes, and make the game exciting instead of narrartive description of repeated easy victorys. As far as excess wealth, I say let them have it for now. No amount of wealth really will help them in Prince of Redhand, the Library has the Titan as a treasure snatcher and a Sunderer as well as the Cornugon, while your PCs will quite likely roll a natural 1 against the dozens of breath weapons available in King's of the Rift which could wreck some items. Be careful with Sunder; don't rob them of their weapons for no reason unless that weapon is a great threat against their personal form (Like Outsider Bane Vs. Devils), or that's just their tactic (Like Titan)
We just finished with "The Champions Belt" the other night, and it could have come to a very messy end, but my players came up with some ideas that allowed me to help them trough it, but it was still no easy task for them, the last few encounters in that one were very difficult and wore them down a lot.
My party of 5 suffered heavy losses in the hidden shrine for CB. They lost a ranger to the <i>slay living</i> trap, and lost two more members to the alkilith. And yet? They still dropped Bozal Zahol in one round.