D&D 5E Help me find the next campaign/adventure for my group

[machineelf]

My group started with the public playtest rules playing the Legacy of the Crystal Shard. I then transitioned them to the Scourge of the Sword Coast (while buffing the monsters to make them challenging for their level at that time). I had them transition to the new official 5th edition rules once the PHB was released.

They are nearly finished with the Scourge of the Sword Coast campaign. They should be around level 8 when they finish. I have the Dead in Thay campaign, but I don't really want to run them through that. It's not my favorite, and I think they would appreciate a campaign that was balanced between city adventuring, outdoor adventuring, and dungeon adventuring, instead of doing one gigantic dungeon like Dead in Thay.

So, I was thinking of grabbing a classic 1st or 2nd edition adventure that would be appropriate for 8th level characters (per the 5th edition scale), and then adjusting it for 5th edition rules and monsters.

Given all that, I'm looking for some suggestions on a good campaign to use. Feel free to share your suggestions, and thanks in advance.

 

[pming]

(Deleted) Double post...whupsee!

Paul

 

[pming]

Hiya.


Hmm....8th level. Have you looked at the "Adventure Paths" by Paizo? They are quite linear (generally; for a sandboxy one, look at "Kingmaker"), but I've found them best to use as a sort of "reference for creating my own adventure". I use the maps, the locations, general story idea behind the scenes, some of the NPC sub-plots and whatnot...but my group tends to play like clowder of cats. If they take a disliking to some NPC...there is NO WAY they are going to 'go along' with them (case in point; Lavinia from the "Savage Tide"...the whole mayor of Farshore thing did NOT go well..., pretty much destroying the rest of the adventure path). And good luck trying to keep them on said 'path' when they find something cool and interesting along the way...

But I digress. Sorry. The Adventure Paths that Paizo puts out are pretty good to use as I do (setting/backdrop/pre-made-work for me to use in my own thing). One set in a massive city ruled by devil-worshipping nobles (called Cheliax) has a lot of cool stuff going on, city-based primarily, with plots and backstabbing, etc. that all the PC's can get in on. Anyway, check out Paizo.com and read some of the outlines for their "AP's"...you may find one to work.

^_^

Paul L. Ming

 

[Scrivener of Doom]

How about a cut-down version of Night Below?

The Red Wizards are notorious for their slaving operations but what if most of the slaves they take actually end up destined for the Underdark? It seems one or more of the Red Wizards are pawn of the aboleth; et voila, you have an easy segue into Night Below probably starting in Book II.

Unfortunately, Book II is considered to be one of the weakest bits so I would steal a tonne of stuff from D1 Descent into the Depths of the Earth and D2 Shrine of the Kuo-Toa to make it more interesting, and also add in some sort of Underdark trade city like Mantol-Derith from the Menzoberranzan boxed set, the duergar trading post from Gates of Firestorm Peak, the drow city of Pedestal from The Sinister Spire, or even the Seven-Pillared Hall from 4E's Thunderspire Labyrinth (and you don't have to buy the adventure if you're a diehard hater of all things 4E: just Google the map on the Cartographer's Guild forum and go from there).

 

[Tormyr]

My table has been playing the 3.5e Age of Worms adventure path since April, and we just finished chapter 2 of 12 last night. It would mean starting new characters, but there is a mix of small to medium dungeon crawls, city life, some political intrigue and some open world adventuring. We have been having a great time with it. We started under September playtest rules and are now using 5e.

The hardest part has been converting the monsters followed by DC values and magic items. With D&D Basic, the Hoard of the Dragon Queen supplement, and the starter set, this has been easier because some monsters and magic items exist instead of me having to figure out what they should be under 5e. I am really looking forward to the Monster Manual which will make my life easier. Once the DMG comes out in November, I will have everything I need to go back and properly write up conversion notes.

 

[Thaumaturge]

I'm currently running a conversion of Ruins of Undermountain. There are some adventures in the box that make it more than just a dungeon crawl. A lot of the more story based 2e adventures seem to be for lower levels.

A note on conversion from 2e: I'm playing it really easy. If a room says there are 2 ghouls, I have the PCs fight 2 5e ghouls. If there are supposed to be drow, I have them fight drow. We are still 3rd-4th level, but everything has worked so far. 5e characters are more resilient than their 2e brethren, but the monsters are more deadly than theirs.

Thaumaturge.

 

[Tormyr]

I suppose if they wanted to they could jump straight into The Rise of Tiamat when it is released in a couple of weeks. That is level 8 and would require the least work on your part.

 

[jamesmanhattan]

"Steading of the Hill Giant Chief" says levels 6-12 which is average around 7. sort of big dungeon

"City of the Spider Queen" is long, says level 10. if you consider underdark a wilderness

"Tears for Twilight Hollow" Dungeon Mag#90 is level 7 - got wilderness and town - got it all

"Woe To Mistledale" Dungeon Mag#100 level 8. Plus! takes place in same region they've been in. AND! I guarantee all these new adventures pay homage to Woe To Mistledale. - I think town, but also dungeon.

Chris Perkins put out an article that was an index of the entire history of Dungeon Magazine. In it he called out all the notable adventures, and they are damn good. You could look those up. I have an excel sheet of them, sortable by level, length etc.

"Expedition to the Barrier Peaks" for an awesome time, levels 8-10. They did the conversion for you in the playtest packets! - one big wilder-dungeon