D&D 5E After Phandelver: adventure options?

[FitzTheRuke]

Do you mean you stopped assigning experience points during Phandelver once the players hit 3rd level? (Doubt that would go over well with my players.) But Hoard is still a challenge when starting with level 3 PCs?

I'm running Hoard for two different groups (starting at first level, but allowing leveling during Chapter 1) and I can't imagine it being too easy for level 3 PCs from the get-go. They'll just be able to accomplish more without resting. Replace a few cultists with Dragonclaws here and there, and it's good to go. I'm not sure you even need to do that, but it makes it more exciting.

 

[The Hitcher]

I'm working on a module for 5th level characters that I hope to release commercially so that people have another option for where to go after the Starter Set. My players will be the first playtesters, just as soon as they get through Wave Echo Cave.

 

[Kristivas]

Do you mean you stopped assigning experience points during Phandelver once the players hit 3rd level? (Doubt that would go over well with my players.) But Hoard is still a challenge when starting with level 3 PCs?

Well, I'm not the DM, but yes, that's what he did. We're only down a level (LMoP should only take a group to 4), which the group agreed was fine. We didn't want to start HotDQ too powerful and have to skip the beginning parts. He's read that you can adjust a few encounters if you go this route and it's pretty seamless.

The reward at the end of successfully completing LMoP turned out to be totally worth the exp we skipped out on, but if you're trying to sell this to your players, you'd have to reveal spoilers, so I can see how that might not work out.

We haven't started Hoard yet, because the DM's been out of town, but I think it'll be fine.

 

[Agglomérante]

I'm thinking Wave Echo Cave connects to "Hammer of the Gods" by LotFP.

I bought it. It's mostly good. (I have no idea how Dwarves dug out the West side of the map, given that you need a submarine to get there. Must be where corridor 12 leads to ...)

I'm thinking 500 years ago a Dwarven historian commissioned the Phandelver wizards to design a teleportation device that could divine the location of Raggi's hidden temple. The wizards were pretty much finished it when the orc attack hit.

 

[bolo__]

format

For those thinking of doing what I expect I'll be doing after LMoP is finished - continuing to adventure in and around Phandalin - I was put onto an awesome series of blogposts by "Scrivener of Doom" where he sandboxes the area (I think specifically for 4e).
http://my-realms.blogspot.com.au/2014/07/starter-set-sandbox-0-introduction.html

While I don't agree with some of his points of view and I have different ideas on others, in general this excellent series of blogs is a wealth of knowledge that I will be shamelessly stealing and tweaking for my own home game.
I specifically like the idea of changing up the Thundertree & increasing the role of Orcs in the region (given the backstory of Phandalin and one of my kids Character's backstory).

So given that I have decided not to use HoTDQ for the foreseeable future I think we'll just keep rolling in Pahandalin.