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Another player wants to play my 6th-Level game starting tomorrow. The pre-written module is set up for 4 players.
How do I adjust the module for another player? Do I up the bad guys and monsters hit points? Levels? Attack numbers? All of the above?
What are the best/simplest/easiest ways to prepare?
Thanks in advance!
Double the mooks,use the advanced template on the bosses.
If it is just one player then just up the CR for each encounter by one.
I prefer to do it by adding more monsters.
Add more mooks.
Give big guys the advanced template. Or just simply add 2 to every die roll they make and 2hp per hit die.
Depends on how optimized the characters are. If they're not very optimized, adding one or two mooks per combat, or giving the boss max HP per HD instead of average will probably do it. If they're pretty optimized, Larkspire's suggestion would be good.
Just to play Devil's Advocate here ... you haven't actually changed the average party level by going from 4 to 5 players (you only actually add a +1 to APL when you bump up to 6 players). So in theory, the encounters should still be reasonable for a party of 5.
You can, of course, add additional enemies, or give enemies max HP per HD, but you could also just see how it feels to start with 5 players, and then only adjust if need be. If you need to adjust the module, I generally agree with the advice given above.
And although it doesn't have all possible templates, Monster Advancement from the PRD generally explains how to add templates to or otherwise toughen up a monster.
OK, so I looked in the module book, and see no 'Advanced Template,' or anything like that. Is that on d20pfsrd or in the core rulebook?
It is in the bestiary, and in the PRD, and on d20pfsrd.
The advanced template is great,I often find myself beefing up modules...otherwise the PCs just skull drag the whole adventure.
When I go from 4 to 5 players, I just max out bad guy HP. That usually makes it difficult enough. If you find that it's not challenging enough, then add another minion or two.
You could use the advanced template, but that requires extra work.
Adding +2 to everything is very little work.The action economy is the biggie to me.Definitely bring more mooks.I put the template on almost everything...even with normal amounts of PCs. Modules are usually weak and players are generally more optimized than the adventure expects.
If the extra player has a companion or summons this is compounded.
Add yet another player, then increase the number of monsters in every encounter by an easy 50%.
Also, some of the APs have custom-made 6-player versions floating around in their respective threads. Well...at least Kingmaker does, I haven't checked the others, but it's solidly built.