SPOILER WARNING!
I'm using some guidelines for RHoD conversion I found on these boards. I'm rebuilding a lot of it myself though. For example I replaced the hydra on the courseway (en route to Vraath Keep) with a mad fey/ plant encounter. The ranger and NPC woodsman both realised this was very unusual; something had driven the normally placid creatures insane. This is intended as a very early foreshadowing of the first section of Tomb of Horrors. I plan to have the elven section of RHoD foreshadow that section too, with tales of haunted elven dreams, and some of the elves of Starsong Hill succumbing to a similar beserker madness.
Point taken on the hack&slash nature of the E series. I'm certainly aiming to rework a lot along the way, adding choice and a lot more RP opportunity.
Re post-Brindol becoming Paragon, to be honest I play fast and loose with XP, levelling up the party when it suits the story. I figure my party will probably end Brindol at level 10 or so, end the final part of RHoD at around 12, and then I'll rework the earlier stages of ToH to make it fit.
What I'm aiming for is storytelling links betwen all sections of the campaign: ie Keep on the Shadowfell is the first introduction to Orcus and his worshipers, and Kalarel is a recurring character, first at level 2 or 3, later in early epic as part of E1 or 2. Red Hand of Doom incidentally introduces the Feywild corruption which foreshadows part 1 of Tomb of Horrors. I want to create enough story and character links between the various sections that the campaign feels like one interconnected whole, not a series of seperate adventures.
As I read more of the later adventures I'm coming up with some ideas, I'm just after any additional suggestions really. I'm also quite happy to add/ rewrite content to make good storytelling fit. Examples of the sort of things I want to do:
* the Ghostlord in RHoD: I plan to substantially rewrite this section as I dislike the whole ghost lion thing; should there be some subtle link to Acererak? Perhaps make him come back as the E2 final boss? Which means adding some peronality/ frailty/ motivation to make him memorable.
* There is a suggestion in ToH part 1 that Raven Queen agents attack the party thinking they are responsible for the Feywild corruption, then discover them to be innocent. I nice route into E1, and the potential to create a cool Avenger NPC. Could I introduce that Raven Queen Avenger somewhere in RHoD?
* I want NPCs that can carry through multiple adventures. Some of these will write themselves as the PCs interract with incidental characters along the way. Some, like Kalarel, I want as plot linking devices. I could use some help finding how to slot these into the various adventures.
As I say, any suggestions welcome.
