Ymdar
Explorer
So the first section of my 5e campaign soon closes. I have 3 PCs all are level 5. I never touched any published adventures but I thought it was time for a change:
The PCs are conveniently traveling from Cormyr to the west it makes sense to start with Hoard of the Dragon Queen. My plan is to follow the adventure (with the many tweaks suggested by other posters) until Waterdeep where I plan to do the Dragon Heist. As HotDQ has a questionable way to move PCs from Waterdeep anyway, contacts will usher them toward Goldenfields for a Storm King's Thunder adventure arguing the giants' rise is imminent and the cultists will be watched by other groups. After finishing SKT they'll return to HotDQ and commence with Rise of Tiamat once they finish it.
This is a special campaign for me as this time I don't give xp for roleplaying or anything else than combat. I have questions:
I read every module can be quite deadly if ran on the intended levels. As the PCs are already level 5 I don't expect them to have any real trouble during the first part of HotDQ or DH and I assume they won't advance very quickly from killed enemies. However I do not plan a super lot of combat in either adventure unless PCs initiate it and don't think I'll run an excessive number of random encounters. If I keep combat at a low to medium level will the PCs gain enough xp to advance to a level required to defeat the final encounter of RoT especially if Tiamat does come through the portal? I know SKT can have a lot of combat in the middle of the adventure with the PCs raiding barbarian tribes and defeating at least one giant lord.
Second question: DH begins with Neverember embezzling money and subsequently being removed as a Lord of Waterdeep. Any recommendations on how to play the out RoT Council storyline? I think in this case I could play out the first session it RoT just like as it is in the second part of the adventure, Lady Laeral represents Waterdeep, Neverember is somewhat distrusted and thus it would make more sense of him to bring a Zhentarim agent to the table.
Does anyone see any pitfalls in my plan? Any particularly dangerous combat encounters (as per written in the adventure) I should be mindful? I don't want the game to be super deadly.
The PCs are conveniently traveling from Cormyr to the west it makes sense to start with Hoard of the Dragon Queen. My plan is to follow the adventure (with the many tweaks suggested by other posters) until Waterdeep where I plan to do the Dragon Heist. As HotDQ has a questionable way to move PCs from Waterdeep anyway, contacts will usher them toward Goldenfields for a Storm King's Thunder adventure arguing the giants' rise is imminent and the cultists will be watched by other groups. After finishing SKT they'll return to HotDQ and commence with Rise of Tiamat once they finish it.
This is a special campaign for me as this time I don't give xp for roleplaying or anything else than combat. I have questions:
I read every module can be quite deadly if ran on the intended levels. As the PCs are already level 5 I don't expect them to have any real trouble during the first part of HotDQ or DH and I assume they won't advance very quickly from killed enemies. However I do not plan a super lot of combat in either adventure unless PCs initiate it and don't think I'll run an excessive number of random encounters. If I keep combat at a low to medium level will the PCs gain enough xp to advance to a level required to defeat the final encounter of RoT especially if Tiamat does come through the portal? I know SKT can have a lot of combat in the middle of the adventure with the PCs raiding barbarian tribes and defeating at least one giant lord.
Second question: DH begins with Neverember embezzling money and subsequently being removed as a Lord of Waterdeep. Any recommendations on how to play the out RoT Council storyline? I think in this case I could play out the first session it RoT just like as it is in the second part of the adventure, Lady Laeral represents Waterdeep, Neverember is somewhat distrusted and thus it would make more sense of him to bring a Zhentarim agent to the table.
Does anyone see any pitfalls in my plan? Any particularly dangerous combat encounters (as per written in the adventure) I should be mindful? I don't want the game to be super deadly.