KOTS: Only 3 PCs, suggestions?

[Terramotus]

So, my gaming group consists of four players - 3 and the DM. We plan on running Keep on the Shadowfell. Thing is, since we're new to the system, we don't really want to go about adjusting the encounters, since we have no background to gauge things by. Now, we players are fairly expert players, so expect us to make tactically intelligent decisions.

Now, for those who have played it... do we even have a chance with three PCs? We were thinking we might keep the two PCs as backup in the town or something where we could grab them if things are too difficult, but I'm hearing some things that makes me think we might not even want to try that. Maybe have 1 or 2 of the remaining PCs to be run as DMPCs.

Thoughts?

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Quick answer: Your three characters will die many many times.

Still pretty quick answer:

See the Scaling KotS thread in which myself and others explain just how easy it is.
Scaling is really, really easy.

Oh yeah, or you could have two players run two characters. Or at least one.

Fitz

 

[Boarstorm]

If you're unwilling to fiddle with the encounters, I think a DMPC would be just about necessary to avoid a TPK before even reaching the keep.

 

[Rechan]

4e is supposedly balanced so that 1 pc = 1 monster/.5 an elite/4 minions.

So, with 3 PCs, just subtract 1 monster or 4 minions from a fight.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

It's a tiny bit more compicated then that, so I'll reprint my explanation from "scaling":

------------

Level 1 characters are worth 100xp each, level 2 125, level 3 150.

So if you have 3 level 1's you balance at 300 xp. My group balances at the beginning of the adventure at 750xp (6 x 125) so I will be increasing the size of the fights.

Balance means that the PCs will win, even if they roll bad and suck at tactics, barring something going really, really wrong. A party is pretty "safe" to handle about half again their "balance" value if they start firing off their dailies and don't roll for crap, and if they're lucky they MAY make it through double, but they have to roll better or have great tactics at that point. Above double the DM is doing something wrong if he doesn't kill most the party.

SO for encounters of multiple opponents it's really really easy. Check what the encounter total is (listed at the beginning of the encounter) and add or subtract a few creatures to bring it closer to whet you need. Keep in mind that the adventure begins "balanced" for 500xp. So if they made it more than that they were meaning for a tough fight there.

----------

So in your case you can simply remove 2/5th of the XP worth of monsters from any given encounter. In the case of the solo monsters you can level 'em down (or ask me to do it) or expect someone to die. By the time there's a solo in play you should be level 2, and can handle a bit more (375 for your group, but they should survive about 512 or so with no problems)

Fitz

 

[Henry]

Fitz has it. As an experiment, my group did some playing around with KotS after we tested it, sizing it down to different parties using the XP scaling. It worked very, very, VERY well, much moreso than 3e's Encounter Levels did for us.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

The XP thing caps out at about a 5 level disparity, less if it's tier-crossing, but it works great and is really easy.

Fitz

 

[Rechan]

My group balances at the beginning of the adventure at 750xp (6 x 125) so I will be increasing the size of the fights.

Your players are starting at level 2?

Or since there are more than 5, your baseline for monsters is level 2 (125 xp/apiece)?

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Yes, I'm starting KotS at level 2 because we've been playing 4E for a month.

Fitz

 

[Verys Arkon]

Yes, I'm starting KotS at level 2 because we've been playing 4E for a month.

Fitz

Just curious, are you still using PrRC with KotS?