D&D 5E Scaling Phandelver for 6 PCs

[Agglomérante]

I'll be running Lost Mine of Phandelver on Sep 6 with six players, and the module's designed for 4.

I have zero experience scaling a published adventure and could use some tips from more experienced DMs.

Increasing the challenge for a group of monsters is straightforward -- just increase the number by half to challenge six players rather than four. It's the solo critters that have me worried.

For instance, the nothic (p.60) is Challenge 2 and worth 450xp. It has AC 15 and 45 HP. I figure if I increase the AC by 4 to make it 20% harder to hit and increase the HP by half, so 67 HP, it's likely the same challenge. Would that formula work in general for solo critters?

Assuming the challenge is equal, then the xp are just scaled for six, so 675xp total.

Any advice would be awesome, thanks!

 

[Jeff Carlsen]

I probably wouldn't touch the AC, but increasing the hit points would go a long way. You could also throw in an additional monster somehow. Perhaps give the Nothic a pet. If you can find a way to split the party, that would also work.

 

[Jer]

For instance, the nothic (p.60) is Challenge 2 and worth 450xp. It has AC 15 and 45 HP. I figure if I increase the AC by 4 to make it 20% harder to hit and increase the HP by half, so 67 HP, it's likely the same challenge. Would that formula work in general for solo critters?

Assuming the challenge is equal, then the xp are just scaled for six, so 675xp total.

Any advice would be awesome, thanks!

I can't speak for 5e, but given previous experience with past editions of D&D I would be very leery of increasing the AC on anything. And I definitely wouldn't both increase the AC and increase the hit points. It tends to overpower the monsters to do both because the PCs miss more often AND they have to dish out more damage total to defeat the beastie. If I wanted to boost the solo creature to let it live longer in a fight with more characters I would just boost the number of hit points. Boosting the AC means that they miss more often, which is more frustrating than anything else. Boosting the hit points means that they're hitting it but it won't go down - much more terrifying IMO.

But I'd probably be more likely to scan through the monsters I have available and see if I could find a CR 1/2 or 1/4 creature to throw in as a buddy for the nothic instead. Something to harrass the PCs a bit and tie up a couple of them taking care of it instead of being able to focus their all of their fire at the nothic. If there's nothing suitably thematic to pair with the nothic available I'd reskin an orc or something into some horrible aberrant servant-thug. Probably with tentacles and a single eye because why not?

 

[WitchyD]

I wouldn't worry too much about scaling up the adventure -- I ran most of Phandelver for six new players, and they had a pretty rough time of it. Granted, many of their choices weren't always the greatest, one of the two PC deaths was because of sheer foolishness (one player jumped from the top of the chimney in Klarg's lair, took 3d6 damage and was killed instantly from massive damage), but this was still, I think, a fairly well balanced adventure for the group.

 

[Wolfskin]

I'm running LMoP with 6 PCs and this is what I do:
-Multiply number of non-unique monsters by 1.5
-Increase HP of "boss" (e.g. Klarg) or solo monsters up to 50%.

 

[Agglomérante]

Ok, all replies so far are putting an AC increase off the table, and it looks like a 50% HP increase is all that's needed.

Shouldn't the solo critter also dish out a bit more damage? I have two other characters with full hit points that need to be reduced! If I increase its AC, the solo can last a bit longer and can do more damage, no?

 

[Jeff Carlsen]

Ok, all replies so far are putting an AC increase off the table, and it looks like a 50% HP increase is all that's needed.

Shouldn't the solo critter also dish out a bit more damage? I have two other characters with full hit points that need to be reduced! If I increase its AC, the solo can last a bit longer and can do more damage, no?

Well, the goal is for the monster to live a little longer, and to engage with more people so that they all feel the threat. So, if you want to stay with a single creature, you may want to give it an extra attack, or extra area spells. Not a lot, but enough to feel a touch more threatening. Increasing damage just makes the creature more lethal to the single character it attacks, which doesn't increase the overall challenge for the group.

 

[Agglomérante]

Well, the goal is for the monster to live a little longer, and to engage with more people so that they all feel the threat. So ...

I like your goal frame for the solution, btw. That has me thinking along the right lines

I've set aside Sep 4 for prep on Mines. I'll post any scaling notes to this thread in case somebody's looking for it.

In the meantime, if anybody wants to contribute their scaling notes, this thread could be handy for people ...

 

[Connorsrpg]

I am running it for 8 (all young beginners). So I won't go overboard.

A real easy way to deal with monsters like the nothic is how I handle most dungeons anyway. Ignore all the, "These guys stay in their room even if they hear combat" rubbish. Sound carries a lot underground and have other encounters come DURING the current encounter. Staggering their arrival is often enough.

Sorry, I am not one to build encounters for the exact challenge the PCs are. I rather work from the reverse. "How many goblins WOULD be on a patrol?" "What else would be in this room?" "Why would those in the very next room ignore a fight with unfamiliar voices and magic being tossed around?"

But I am just as quick to have enemies call it quits when they look overpowered.

For eg. I am not sure why 4 measly goblins would take on 4+ well armed and armored PCs in the very first fight.

I am upping the numbers, but letting the PCs ambush them instead

 

[Agglomérante]

I'll post any scaling notes to this thread in case somebody's looking for it.

I decided to scale on the fly for the first session and the only combat so far has been the ambush and Cragmaw Hideout.

I increased goblins in each encounter by 50%, simple enough.

I gave Klarg a second wolf and a third goblin, hard on the heels of 5 goblins in the adjoining room (rather than the original 3, but they had lousy hit points).

That dropped the scout, and nearly dropped the warlock. So just about right for the boss fight of the evening.