I ran the module for my group a few years ago. Our party was smaller and I couldn't stand the level advancement 3.0 & 3.5 offered so I had changed it so it was more akin to 1st edition. We had to start the module around level 7 or so in order to even have a chance to succeed. Needless to say we were to high of level for the early encounters. I kept the module the relatively unchanged at this point which means the first part was very easy. Experience was modified downward because the encounter offset.This gave the players a false sense of security which would catch up with them later. By level 8-9 things were spot on and with my XP alterations we were about 12-13th level by the time we had reached the end. Much of the experience I awarded was for roleplaying and challenges (as the DM Guide goes into) as well as for monsters, as this fit my style of Dming far more than just hack and slay.
The group suffered greatly in the sense of treasure. Much of what they acquired were given in exchange for life saving spells, primarily teleport. I found it pretty unbelieveable that after this incredibly long module that the treasures we wrought were very little. Special treasures were handed out much later in the adventure as a result of the epic quest the characters had taken on.
All in all it was one of the best modules we ever gamed, many rememberful moments to say the least. I inserted a lot of tie in's for the ongoing campaign rather than playing the module as is. This only served to make the module tougher but also provided a more meaningful experience for the players and characters.
Had we not made some incredibly interesting decisions and ample use of not just the NPCs provided in the module but other special NPCs that grew out of the module unexpectedly we certainly would have failed.
I realize this doesn't really help you all that much, but I guess I'd suggest not getting all hung up on challenges and character levels until their getting near an area you feel you should modify in order to make the module more akin to your likeing (whether you need to make it easier or harder). It is so long that attempting to project such things this far ahead of time, with the ample amount of NPCs available within the adventure and all the unknown things players are going to do (for better or worse) I think its a bit early to worry that much.
Spend more time about having fun and dealing with the crossroads shortly before you get there, rather than planning to much and eventually it being all for naught.
Just my thoughts.
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I finished running it in 3.5 last year and had to crop it because of an incoming baby.
The party was at about 9th level and had reached the Third Level of the dungeon. But they were working for Falrinth, getting him the elemental gems which I had moved around a bit.
The campaign culminated in Falrinth setting them up for a fall, sitting on the throne with the crown and calling for an Aspect of Zuggtomy to come up.
Falrinth used chain lightning when the party arrived and that got their attention then he died to an awful pair of saves off a phantasmal killer. The party took on the Aspect. One died but the rest won out. It was an epic end.
The key for me was building up the big finish for several sessions before hand and making the party realizing that Falrinth was truely evil. He was giving them minor magicks and towards the end one big clue was the necklace of fireballs that was cursed to explode when the first globe came off. Nice.
Cheers
The leveling in 3.5 is far too fast to keep PCs in the expected levels for some of the old Greyhawk modules. The primary XPs in 3.5 are for defeating challenges compared to 1e's recovering treasure, which is easier to miss or be unrecovered due to things like encumbrance. When you're done with ToEE, the PCs will be way beyond the appropriate levels for the Slaver series. Though frankly, I thought PCs coming out of ToEE in 1e were too high a level for the Slaver modules as written.
I ran PCs through the Slaver series at around 5th level in 3.5, ending up around 8th or 9th. I thought that ran pretty well with most encounters pretty directly converted. I've also run PCs through most of the Giant series. They started at around 10th level in the hill giant stockade and that's gone pretty well too.
What I would recommend is drastically cut down on the XP you give the PCs for killing things, perhaps even just leveling them up when you find it appropriate for the challenges. Alternatively, if you want to give them XPs regularly, figure out how long you want them at their current level and give them a portion of the amount they need to level up after each session.
If you're wedded to getting through ToEE, try to end up with them at 10th level and skip the Slaver series. Go right to the Giants. If you want to run Slavers too, cut down ToEE. Move some of the encounters from the 4th level up to an edited 3rd level (the high priest and such), ditch the silly looking 4th level, and ditch the elemental nodes.
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My Aspect of Zuggtomy was a APL+3 monster gauged from other similar demons in the Monster Manual and other sources so that it would be a tough climax for the party. It ended up CR12.
That was necessary partly because my players are not DnD specialists and they do not powergame at all. It seemed to work out okay.
Essentially I made the Aspect a octopus-like oozing jelly with four/six pseudopods, grab and swallow (which was how they lost a character). The various demonic SR/DR and spell-like abilities came from research.
Cheers
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First of all, thanks for all your help!
I have realized too the difference in leveling between 1e and 3.5. Apparently PC's en 1e were expected to fight waves of enemies (ie a certain fight in Descent with about 20 wererats and 2 mind flayers)vs 3e more "elite" encounters (less enemies but significantly harder).
Not the way I remember 1e ;)
Mind you back then, we ran a lot...
Various demon lords and archdevils also exist in a "lesser" aspect form, which is around CR 6 - 14 instead of the (greater) aspect's CR 20 - 33. Zuggtmoy's lesser aspect can be found in the web enhancement for FC1 (Fiendish Codex I, Hordes of the Abyss), which is here.
As the lesser aspect is only CR 6, I suggest advancing it carefully to the desired level. Her greater aspect is CR 20 (found in the actual FC1), which is probably more than you want to throw at your players.
... As for waves of enemies, I will never forget my experience as a player in a certain famous 1e dungeon. Three interconnected caves, with a total of 56 trolls. We did survive, but it was a close thing at at the time! :)