I'll be ignoring the levels anyway. My party is 6th level, and since I need to replace the challenges to convert to 5e anyway, I'm just replacing them with level-appropriate challenges.
I decided on Savage Tide because my party got themselves a pirate ship and wanted an adventure related to using said ship. Savage Tide has that, at least in part, so I figured I would give it a try. That, and Sassarine seems to be a great city with lots of potential for adventure, and the maps are beautiful.
We started tonight, the party is set to reclaim the Blue Nixie as the first part of the first adventure "There Is No Honor". I think it will be fun for now, but I have not read the adventure much beyond this first part. It sounds like both @
MerricB and @
Zardnaar agree that the first part is good, and that the later parts are not as good, so I will keep that in mind. Perhaps I will remove everything from Isle of Dread onwards and switch to something else or 100% homebrew at that point. Though knowing my players that won't be necessary as they are already talking about a raid on the Temple of Wee Jas and possibly trophy hunting in the jungles.
My biggest question at this point is converting from 3.5e to 5e. My plan so far is simply swap monsters entirely. For instance, the first combat encounter involves 7 human thugs and their leader, and as my party is 6th level I am just using the stats for a Hobgoblin Warlord (CR 6) and 7 Gladiators (CR5), and giving the gladiators a crossbow in addition to their spear and shield, while switching the Warlord's javelins for a crossbow and some daggers as well.
We're using milestones for leveling already, so that won't be an issue. Every 3-4 sessions or so they're leveling.
Treasure will be an issue, but then until we have a DMG all we have are the playtest guidelines on that anyway so I will continue just using those and winging it as I have been for the past 18 months.
Any other advice on conversions? I am reducing the magic shops way down, and some of the spells and such are not available so that may impact some of the challenges as well.