Bumping up modules to challenge your PCs

[coyote6]

You can also do things like increase ability scores and give greater-than-average hit points. That doesn't change CR, but gives monsters that are just a bit tougher.

You do have to keep track of the changes, but it's not that much work. With the WotC core adventures, I've just photocopied the stat blocks and crossed out the old numbers & scribbled in the new, using the margins where necessary.

That will only really help if the PCs are only slightly above the adventure's level, unless you get a bit silly (e.g., all the kobolds have Str 16; "It's a tribe of weightlifting kobolds!").

 

[Christian]

Of course, bumping up humanoid levels or advancing creatures in hit dice can still be a lot of work. I'm expecting to be able to 'upgrade' a module in mere minutes with the help of the E-Tools program!

Grrr! What's the release date again? (/me looks at watch)

 

[mmadsen]

Of course, bumping up humanoid levels or advancing creatures in hit dice can still be a lot of work.

You can always replace stock Goblins with stock Hobgoblins or Orcs, Hobgoblins or Orcs with Bugbears, Bugbears with Ogres, and so on.

Another good idea is to keep stats for different-level cannon fodder around, so you have a standard 3rd-level Hobgoblin Sergeant sitting around when you need one (or a dozen).

 

[trentonjoe]

Here are my ideas (please note this works for any humanoid not just goblins):

1. GIve one goblin a potion of fire breath and have him run ahead and breathe on the PC's
2. MAke one a Cleric 1 and have him cast bless on the bad guys
3. Make one a bard and have him inspire courage on the bad guys
4. Have a standard bearer that grants a similar bonus to all that can see it
5. Have them use nets, bolas, and other movement hindering weapons
6. Longspears
7. THe aid another option went swarming
8. Poison
9. Summoning spells

 

[Lord Ben]

This is a good way to make classed NPC's. Follow the stat blocks link. http://mwtools.thyle.net/

I also have a pretty decent list of NPC's for my adventure I made. It's mostly CR2-6 with some in the 1-8 range. I can't attach it because it's too big, but if you email me I can send a copy to you. It's a decent range of humans, bugbears, goblins, hobgoblins, Orcs, etc.

 

[ruleslawyer]

I'd love a copy of that if you don't mind, LB!

E-mail: mayur@walrus.com

gfunk: My recommendation is just to up the number of creatures in any encounter involving multiple creatures. Based on standard CR/EL rules, you'll need +50% the number for an encounter balanced for a party one level higher, and double the number for a party two levels higher. If you need to up the challenge of individual NPCs, though, I have two recommendations: 1) consider adding a cohort or planar ally to the encounter; and/or 2) give the NPC some "positive levels." Essentially reverse the penalties for a negative level, and apply those. If the foe is a spellcaster, though, give him/her at least one spell of a higher spell level per two "positive levels."

 

[Davelozzi]

Make them a 6 War3's, and it's still only 6 CR1's by the rules.

As a side-note, ftr2 is also CR1.

Wouldn't these both be CR2? I thought it was CR=level for PC classes and CR=level-1 for NPC classes.

 

[Lord Ben]

Well a goblin war1 is CR1/4th. A war2 is CR1/2 and a War3 is CR1. Ftr1 is CR1/2, Ftr2 is CR1. For Hobgoblins, etc it's NPC level -1. I think Goblins are different, or the generator I use is wrong.

 

[Zad]

I would advise against just adding 1 or 2 to the die rolls. It will cause a lot of unintended side effects.

Exp: first off you've artifically raised the difficulty of the encounter, but the PCs will get experience based on the CRs of the monsters they fought. So despite the fact that the lowlevel orc was as challenging as an ogre (making up an example) they're still only getting experience for an orc. That's a bit unfair to the players who might not like that.

Treasure: They're also going to get the treasure from the orc. So here they fought and bled hard, but only got minor rewards. This will probably lead to some dissatisfied players.

You can of course adjust these manually but then you're back to reworking the module and you may as well start from the top and do it well.

It gets worse if you adjust one but not the other. Let's say you add an extra orc or two and the party gets experience. That's great but unless you adjust the treasure as well, your PC's will fall behind the curve as far as net worth. That means they'll be less powerful than they should be for their level (since they lack money to buy items), and hence have problems with encounters they should be well matched for. Remember that the treasure in an adventure isn't just what you find on the creatures - it covers what was in that chest, or the value of the painting on the wall, or the reward from the wizard who wanted the Geegaw of Doom that hired you. You have to remember to adjust all the treasure up or you end up with under funded players.

If you don't want to fiddle with modules, then I'd suggest just using ones written for the party's level. If you want to use a particular module that they're too high for, take the time to make all the right adjustments.

Wish it were easier but there you have it.

 

[mmadsen]

I would advise against just adding 1 or 2 to the die rolls. It will cause a lot of unintended side effects.

Exp: first off you've artifically raised the difficulty of the encounter, but the PCs will get experience based on the CRs of the monsters they fought.

If you give a monster +1 on everything and one extra Hit Die, that's effectively adding a level -- in broad strokes certainly, but it's easy, and no one should notice. Then you can just bump up its CR by one.

Treasure: They're also going to get the treasure from the orc. So here they fought and bled hard, but only got minor rewards. This will probably lead to some dissatisfied players.

I don't see any problem with not bumping up the cannon fodder's treasure. They generally shouldn't have any treasure per se anyway; they're cannon fodder.