Hi, just a quick question with a long build up....
Are there any DMs that have had any difficulties with maintaining the character levels (CLs) of each of their player’s characters vs the appropriate CL for each A0W adventure (i.e. the Whispering Cairn is for 4 players starting at Lv 1 and ending Lv 3)?
Unfortunately my group of players consists of 3 players I can rely on regularly to show up on game night (and 1-3 others that play once in a blue moon) so each of the core players have 2 characters each (so almost too many PCs for the Whispering Cairn), and with the “floaters” PCs the party can approach up to 10 PCs at a time.
Also each of the PCs are human and their backgrounds are deeply entwined into the background of Diamond Lake (we are playing the Greyhawk version), so each PC (to a degree) has a motivation to “clean” up Diamond Lake (the mayor, the mine managers, the Ebon Triad cultists, the gangs, the St. Cuthbert cultists, etc.). Thus I (with input from my players) have had and will be developing a whole “save Diamond Lake” side campaign...
Even with the large number of PCs (resulting in less role playing by the players and dividing up XP rewards to a large number of PCs) and having only done one small side adventure already (basically a “shades of things to come” battle with three tree trolls [taken from an older Dragon Magazine], 2 dire weasels and a [unidentified] cleric of the Ebon Triad in a valley tomb) my players have passed Lv 4 and have just defeated Filge, returned the Lands family bones and are on their way back to the Cairn (with the new knowledge of something going on in the Dourstone mine and that Smenk is involved in it somehow)
I am in no way loose and easy on XP rewards (I prefer to grant the most XP on smart thinking and role playing) but I have had to often split the party in half (for various reasons) and have been more stingy with XP rewards just to curtail the off chance they would be a (large) 5th level party by the end of Whispering Cairn...it looks like we will be evolving the group into a “character tree” concept like in the old Dark Sun campaigns (and with one player death so far [cleric/paladin of Heironeous who was raised already)
So back to the question: has anyone had problems balancing party CL vs the Adventure Lv, especially if they are do the more “enriched” campaign involving the plotters and schemers of Diamond Lake? I don’t mind adjusting the AP adventures for higher level encounters, but I feel it will become problematic in the future
Thanks for any replies
oh, a P.S.
has anyone noticed that Kullen and crew, to get fodder for Filge's necromantic spells, have to go out of town to get a handful of skeletons for him as the clergy of Wee Jas guards the Diamond Lake graveyard from defilement...while in the description of the Feral Dog (the tavern where Kullen and crew hang out) there is (and I quote) "A festering garbage pit in the sharp crags behind the building is said to hold the corpses of as many humans as dogs"
;P
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So far, I've had little trouble keeping the characters at the proper levels and wealth expectations. They've just fought the opening encounter in the Sodden Hold part of HoHR and they're between 6th and 7th level. The wealth audit I did just before this adventure put them at just shy of 7th level expectations when they were most of the way through 6th level.
I try to run a party of 5 players, and have had 5 players come and go for various reasons. The new players start at the mean party level and can't more than 25% of their wealth on any single item (keeps the aquisistions a little more in line with the other players who've had to piece together their gear over time).
Based on what I've experienced with AoW AP, I'd say it was pretty carefully planned as far as encounter balance vs. level progression and the gold rewards are well thought out too. That, and it's a great adventure to play and DM (my first experience in a full-length campaign has been great, thanks Paizo golem! I wuv you!).
Creating challenging, stimulating encounters for large groups is a double edged sword. If you boost the EL to make up for their APL, they'll advance faster than you like or die because they can't deal with the tougher monster. If you keep them the same as recommended for a party of 5, it'll be a cakewalk and your players will be bored (maybe that's more of a double-edged two-bladed sword). The fluctuating number of characters doesn't make things easier for you either! :)
What I recommend is that rather than boosting you EL's to keep the party challenged, try changing the encounter dynamics a bit. Replace 1 CR 5 monster with a CR 3 and 4 CR 1/2's. Make the map layout tougher for your horde of PC's to gang up on lone BBEGs. Summoned monsters also don't count towards EL, so use those if you can.
The other thing I'd try to do is nail down the group to a consistant 5 with only one or two alternates. This will cut down on the chaos and limit the number of 2 PC players you'll need.
Good luck and enjoy!