Short Side Trek after Bullywug?

[GregH]

I'm running a party of 5 players through Bullywug Gambit and they have been really struggling with the power level. It took some work on my part not to wipe them all out at Kraken's Cove and while they've just freed Lavinia, they are hurting, haven't done the basement and have no spells left. They will not be 5th level by the time they are finished with Bullywug, and I think, given there are 5 of them, its just going to get worse as the AP goes along.

I'd like to insert a short urban side trek after Bullywug to get them up to at least 5th level before I start Sea Wyvern's Wake, but I've looked through all my stuff and can only find stuff that either requires too much work (I'm limited on prep time) or I've already run for this group (we've been playing for ~20 yrs at this point.)

I'm running 3.5, can anyone recommend a short, 3.5 urban side trek for about a 4th level (not too much higher) party?

Thanks.

[NPC Dave]

There is the adventure set in Sasserine which was not part of the Savage Tide campaign, called War of the Wielded in Dungeon Magazine #149. That is designed for 5th level NPCs and will work well for 5 4th level PCs.

[GregH]

NPC Dave wrote:

There is the adventure set in Sasserine which was not part of the Savage Tide campaign, called War of the Wielded in Dungeon Magazine #149. That is designed for 5th level NPCs and will work well for 5 4th level PCs.

I saw that one as I was going through my back issues but I think I balked at it due to the level. I’ve not actually read it, but I’ll definitely go take a closer look.

Thanks!

[Mykull]

Sinkhole in Dungeon #103

Blurb:

After a long day's travel, the PCs take refuge in a safe little village inn for an honest night's sleep. Fate intervenes when the inn falls into a deep self-sealing sinkhole, and the heroes must help surviving patrons out of a complex cave system without accidentally stumbling into the Plane of Shadow.

could be any tavern in Sasserine; it doesn't really have to be a little village.

The Stink from Dungeon #105

Blurb:

The city of Suncliff has so much trash they've devoted an entire quarter to it, naming the reeking ruins "the Stink" and piling garbage as high as the eye can see. But sanitation workers have been vanishing from the Stink at night, and only your heroes hold the key to solving the smelly mystery.

could be set in Shadowshore. It is more of an adventure than a sidetrek, but it its a fairly straight-forward, if awesome, dungeon. Lots of interesting diseases.

Wedding Bells in Dungeon #89

Blurb:

You are cordially invited to a wedding in Dockalong.

could be in the Cudgel or Merchant's District. It's shorter, but would need some tweaking for setting (again because its set in a more remote village than a big city, but that shouldn't be too hard).

Wingclipper's Revenge from Dungeon #132

Blurb:

The woodland surrounding the village of Turvin is becoming a dangerous place. Strange lights and sounds have been coming from deep in the forest, and now people from the village are starting to disappear. Some evil force is turning nature against mankind, and it's up to the PCs to put a stop to it.

is definitely a sidetrek and is set in a forest, not a jungle, and, again, in a small village, not a metropolis.

I know you said you were limited on prep time, but some is going to be required, it seems. A small village could be a suburb of Sasserine. Or maybe its just a neighborhood within a district itself.

[GregH]

Mykull wrote:

...good stuff...

Thanks! I'll look into all these. Though I may need it as early as tomorrow night. They just have 1/2 the ground floor and the basement of Vanderboren Manor to go. But then again, we are slow players...