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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Rechan" data-source="post: 4431367" data-attributes="member: 54846">Here's a general tip. Encounters consist of multiple monsters. Those multiple monsters could of course come from adjacent rooms when they hear the PCs engage in fighting one or two monsters in the first room. However, be very careful about not to pour two encounters worth of monsters (I.e. 4-5 normal monsters is an encounter, 9-10 normal monsters is 2 encounters). Doing so is deadly. As an example, there's the potential for this in the first leg of KotS, where some DMs have had the kobolds outside of the waterfall fall back (or those inside coming out), combining their numbers with those inside. This is lethal. WARNING: SPOILERSOkay, if you're going to run KH and then KotS, I have a few suggestions.Connect KH to KotS. Make KH the kobold nest, instead of the waterfall lair. Otherwise, your players will be fighting 10 encounters worth of kobolds, and will be sick of them. The Dragon of KH is their leader, who has been paid off by Karalel (maybe make the item in the dig site pertinent to the dragon, as sort've a "Pay off").I would advise to take a look at <a href="http://wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/drcinc/20080620a" target="_blank">this PDF of more kobolds</a> (you have to get an account at Wizarrds' site to see it) and use a few of these kobolds instead of the ones in the module. Just because there's some more real fun stuff in there. Finally, <a href="http://wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dufe/20080606a" target="_blank">here</a> are some side treks for KotS.If you are attaching KH to KotS, then you won't have to worry about one of the nastiest encounters: Irontooth. He apparently has beat a lot of parties.The real problem of KotS, in my opinion? It's repetitive. You fight 5 encounters of kobolds. Then 6 encounters with goblins. Then 4-5 encounters with just hobgoblins. Interspersed are various undead enemies, sure, but it's boringly repetitive. There's also a lot of encounters, so it's a real slog to go through them all. My advise? Reduce the number of encounters in each level, then mix up the encounters with varying monsters. Example: in the first room of the keep (the rat swarm in the pit), instead have a goblin with its hand on a lever, holding some sort of monsters in cages. When the PCs come in, goblin yanks lever and runs for help. PCs fight monsters. Then you could have a sneaky goblin slip in from the side to stab the PCs in the kidneys as they fight the monsters. Guard drakes are a little brutal (+6 damage automatically when close to allies). Might want to just give them +1d6 damage. For the "Zombies in the graveyard, oh no!" scenario, the PCs have to leave and go back to town. How do you get them to leave the dungeon? If the PCs sleep in it, have them experience serious nightmares due to it being so close to the Shadowfell; maybe they start experiencing some of what Sir Keegan felt. Have them not regain 1 or 2 healing surges as a result. Or, you could have them find a captive in the dungeon, someone from Winterhaven who is badly hurt and needs to be returned to town.Finally, <a href="http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=56039&filters=0_0_0&manufacturers_id=44" target="_blank">here</a> is a free PDF (you have to register) with counters for all the monsters you'll fight in KotS. You just print these out, cut them out, and instant makeshift minis.</blockquote>

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