| Oserath |
I'm getting ready to run the Battle of Sandpoint next week, and wanted suggestions on how to increase the difficulty. I have a few plans that I've come up with. I want to know what I should and shouldn't use. Keep in mind that my players will be level 11 thanks to some extra sidequesting, etc, that I brought into the game earlier.
The stone giants attacking the northern gate will remain vanilla, since they don't really do much at all.
I intend to give the advanced template to all the Dire Bears at the bridge, and their handlers will be Fighter 1s, with Longspears.
Longtooth will know Shield in place of Ray of Enfeeblement, offering him a more impressive 33 AC.
I want to give Teraktinus a 3rd level of Ranger or a level of Fighter, not sure which. His two bodyguards will most likely remain vanilla stone giants.
The other 2 groups of giants will each have a barbarian 1 as a leader, replacing one of the vanilla stone giants.
Meanwhile, I plan to have a stone giant bard (drummer) and archer waiting on the eastern bank of the river between the two bridges. The bard will supply Inspire Courage to the whole raiding party, while the Archer will harry the town's defenders with volleys from his longbow with the distance enchantment (range increment of 220 ft.). This coupled with Far Shot should allow him to attack from a safe-ish distance.
The last idea I had was for an old friend to arrive in Sandpoint. My PCs captured Gogmurt (and killed Tangletooth) outside of Thistletop and then lost him when he wild shaped out of his bindings. I am considering having him return, working with the giants. He would burrow into the glassworks and start trouble on the other side of town, partway into the raid. I have him statted up as a Druid 9/ Rogue 3 with a Roc companion. Plotwise, he met up with Teraktinus in the mountains northeast of Sandpoint (where he acquired his new animal) and agreed to aid him in attacking Sandpoint. He has a particular vendetta for the "longshanks" that killed his beloved pet and then committed wholesale slaughter of his tribe. He will not leave town, regardless of the morale of the giant invaders.
What do y'all think? How did this encounter go for your game? Are there any things I should change/ leave out?
Thanks