Due to amazon.co.uk taking 6 months to decide they couldn't sell me the SCAP h/c at the low price they'd quoted in February, when I get round to running SCAP I'll be using the Dungeon versions.
That means that I won't have the Drakthar's Way adventure to help boost the PC's for Adventure 3.
I'd like suggestions for modules to run in its place (from Dungeon preferably) to fill in the gap. I'm already planning to add in a couple of old 2e adventures converted to 3.5e, but they're only short so I'll need something else a bit meaty.
Requirement Spec: city-based, appropriate level, minimal backstory (so that I can plug in the SCAP plot where required), edition irrelevant (conversion no problem!).
Thanks to everyone who provides suggestions!
One alternative I used was to have the characters start at 2nd level. This meant the characters didn't have the same frustrations during the first adventure (1 bad roll and you die). By the time they finished Jzadirune and the Malachite Fortress, they were 4th level, which was perfect for skipping Drakthar's Way.
Or you could have some minor adventure take them from 1st to 2nd level, introduce the city to them and then start the SCAP.
Dead God's Key is a popular choice. Either as a lead in to Life's bazaar, or between Life's Bazaar and flood season. You can lift most of the adventure from the magazine. I recomend changing the last part of the adventure to better suit your campaign, or leaving it out alltogether.
Alternatively, you could create your own version of Drakthar's way. Just create an underground complex accessible through one of the buildings in cauldron that's not to far from the crater lake. You could probably use one of Chris West's Maps of mystery. Create a tunnel that leads out of Cauldron and populate the complex with goblins, a couple of worgs, a goblinoid vampire and a couple of higher level humanoid mercenaries allied to the blue duke.
Alternatively, you could create your own version of Drakthar's way. Just create an underground complex accessible through one of the buildings in cauldron that's not to far from the crater lake. You could probably use one of Chris West's Maps of mystery. Create a tunnel that leads out of Cauldron and populate the complex with goblins, a couple of worgs, a goblinoid vampire and a couple of higher level humanoid mercenaries allied to the blue duke.
Or create a huge bunch of kobolds and use it as an opportunity to have them meet the Stormblades, who were credited for clearing out a nest of kobolds. What could be more irritating than to meet the Stormblades while being rescued by them.... from kobolds? You can beef up kobolds with class levels just for fun.
I started running with some back issues I had managed to get hold of before getting the HC. Subsequently that meant that by the time I got the hardcover we were already half way through flood season.
They started the AP as 2nd level characters as I ran a short mini adventure for the party first as two of the players were new to the game and wanted to get to grip with the basics.
Hey man I'm sure we can work something out if you need a SCAP hardcover sent to you. send you a SCAP hard cover? I have sent frozen green chile to south western germany in around four days transit time.