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Hello! I'm having a bit of trouble, and any advice or insight, I'll take!
I designed a game linking up a bunch of Modules and APs, taking their stories and linking them all up. It makes it much easier for me to run, what with having a busy schedule and no time to really devote to anything more than taking a few notes on the train while reading the adventures on my Kindle. But I did it!
And about three months in, I realized I had made a huge mistake.
I had linked up a bunch of low-level adventures, like 1st-2nd level adventures, when I wanted the characters to be 5th level. Which they are.
I was thinking of adding the difference between the adventure and the characters to every number I run across; A 1st level adventure with DCs of, say, 14, become 18, saving throws for monsters go from +3 to +7, monster HP goes from 10 to 14, etc.
Does this seem balanced? Does it favor the adventure or the Characters? Is there something more, less or differently you'd suggest?
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I had linked up a bunch of low-level adventures, like 1st-2nd level adventures, when I wanted the characters to be 5th level. Which they are.
The upping stats idea should work fine, check out the Monster Advancement Rules on the SRD for some quick and dirty numbers.
Another really easy way to up the CR on low level encounters is to just take the preexisting enemies and increase the number of them you field. No fudging new ACs and DCs, just run three goblins where there used to be one. For anything but a 'boss' monster, it is easy to fit story-wise, and the action economy of multiple enemies ups the danger level pretty fast.
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Think about giving groups of monsters two levels in Fighter (maybe more). This makes for an easy enough conversion: +11 hp, +2 to BAB, +3 on the Fort save, and two combat feats. For a group of monsters make the two feats the same and something that works well as a group - things like Improved Trip/Grapple/Disarm/Sunder etc, or Dodge & Shield Focus. Give them better equipment, and if you keep it at Masterwork rather than Magical you don't have to worry about giving out too much loot (it is more likely to be too little).
Or make it 4 levels in Ftr for +22 hp, +4 BAB, +4 Fort, +1 Will & Reflex, and 3 feats.
The idea is that this should be quick and easy. Perhaps 2 or 4 levels in Rogue will surprise the PCs, or additional levels in spell casting for an NPC, but I've found this a quick and easy way to beef up monsters.
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Some Ideas.
1) Use the harder random encounters from the APs as fixed encounters. (Take the trolls, will o wisp and shambling mounds from Kingmaker for instance)
2) The encounter calls for 4 kobolds? now it's 10 kobolds, 2 who are 3rd level warriors with masterwork gear and a 4th level Druid leading them.
3) Up the CRs of traps by boosting the DCs and damage dealt.
4) Include more skill-challenges.
5) Change monster types. The module calls for goblins? Make em Orcs or Hobgoblins instead. I switched a kobold tribe for a troglodyte tribe when my PCs ended up leveling faster than I expected and missed an early lair only to return to it at level 4.
6) Add more levels and gear to bosses and sub-bosses. Also give them more minions to help them out.
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Thanks fellow assimilated borg! While I can't use all of your suggestions in a jiffy, I can use most of them very quickly. And hey, with Paizo's new favorite feature, I can access each of these in a jiffy as well!
I do have a pondering:
Will these same suggestions work at higher, and I mean much higher, levels?