D&D 5E Hey All, Is This Encounter A Reasonable One?

[Flamestrike]

The party will have some time to accomplish their task, but not an extended time. Prolly 15-20 minutes before another patrol comes. But they shouldn't need that long tbh unless they really dawdle, and I realize they might.

As a first time DM, you're on a winner here with the old 'one-two' punch of [encounter] then [encounter] as a great way to keep the PCs on their toes (and prevent nova tactics and builds).

I would strongly advise as a 1st time/ novice DM to avoid using PC classed critters as your primary antagonists, and to instead stick to Monster Manual critters (reskin them if needed).

NPC monsters with classes are wonky as hell. PC Classes are not designed to fight each other, and are not balanced appropriately (Paladin being a prime example, as it can simply nova the heck out of the encounter, smiting the party to death in a round or two). Its also a heck of a lot of work, statting up a whole NPC just for 3-4 round of combat before it gets tossed in the bin.

For 5 x 6th level PCs, they have an encounter budget of 3000-7000xp (medium-hard encounter). Ideally you want to aim for around 6-8 such encounters in most (around 50 percent) of your 'adventuring days ' (the time between long rests) and also allow enough time for 2-3 short rests over that same time.

Mix it up of course - some days will have more encounters, many will have less encounters, and some will have more short rests, and some less. But thats your ball park figure where the whole game mechanically balances.

Within that paradigm (If I was you) I would be desinging the following as my encounters:

Encounter 1: 2 x Orc Eyes of Gruumsh with Duergar spellcasting trait (Duergar Cleric) and 3 x Orogs with Duergar Spellcasting (Duergar warriors) (5,400xp) all reskinned as Duergar - followed a few minutes later by:
Encounter 2: 2 Gladiators (with Duergar spellcasting and darkvision tacked on, and re-fluffed as Duergar 'elites') 5,400xp

Allow the party time to short rest.

Encounter 3: 1 Frost Giant and 1 x Winter wolf pet (6,900 xp) stumbles on them

Allow the party the chance to short rest.

Encounter 4: 1 x Orc Eyes of Gruumsh with Duergar spellcasting trait (Duergar Cleric) and 4 x Orogs with Duergar Spellcasting (5,400xp) all reskinned as Duergar
Encounter 5: 1 x Mage (as above) and 4 x Thugs (all with Duergar traits) 6750xp
Encounter 6: 1 x Duergar Champion (with Duergar spellcasting traits) 5000xp - the BBEG!

Allow the party time to long rest.​

Reskin the Orcs/ Gladiator/ Mage/ Thugs as Duergars and not Orcs/ Humans (give them Duergar racial traits). Your players wont know the difference.

 

[transtemporal]

Well first of all, your player doesn't like it when you change the stats of monsters? Tell that player to suck it up! They're probably just sore they can't look the monster stats up on their phone.

The encounter is perfectly fine, don't sweat it. If the PCs are fresh I'd make it a bit harder myself.

 

[TheProdigalson1965]

I really appreciate all the responses. Helps alot

 

[TheProdigalson1965]

Encounter 1: 2 x Orc Eyes of Gruumsh with Duergar spellcasting trait (Duergar Cleric) .​

That's exactly what I did for the clerics, just swapped out comparable spells​

 

[Flamestrike]

That's exactly what I did for the clerics, just swapped out comparable spells

Have one sit back with Bless cast. It make the Orogs (read: Duergar) really scary.