My long-term 5E campaign is based on the Savage Tide, generally following the story arc, but with significant details retouched and substantial additional content. I deliberately slowed the PC advancement through the mid levels (often regarded as the "sweet spot" for many editions of D&D, including 5E), so after 3 years' and 100s of sessions' gaming, the PCs are only 12th level.
My "conversions" of the original 3E adventures from Dungeon magazine often involved substantial re-writes, as well as a lot of stuff that I just kept in my head for the next session, so are probably not that useful, sorry. I did, however, make all my own NPCs, using the names from the adventures, but re-flavouring and statting them out for my own purposes.
Following significant party losses in what was intended to be the last adventure on the Isle of Dread (City of Broken Idols), we've called a pause on the campaign and someone else is taking a turn behind the DM screen.
Honestly, looking back, I think the players had a blast adventuring in and around Sasserine, and established a whole bunch of relationships with NPCs, started up their own trading company, started investing in land, etc., and it was quite a change of direction to set out to the Isle of Dread. Frankly, I think they would've preferred to stay in Sasserine and not worry about this world-threatening-demonic-invasion thingy.
On the other hand, a group of young-ish players might find the simpler "explore wild places, kill things and take their stuff" of the mid-campaign quite fun compared to the more personality-driven stories of the early adventures in Sasserine.
In any case, it can be a fun and very memorable campaign, and I hope you and your players have a blast!
Cheers, Al'Kelhar
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