Trollhaunt, Final Fight DM Tips?

[SlyFlourish]

*Trollhaunt spoilers Ahead!*

I'm going to be running the two final fights in the Trollhaunt module on Wednesday. I'm customizing the Fomorian fight a little bit since I'll have an extra player at the table by adding a pair of troll ghosts or adding an Oni Spiritmaster who is the Feywild version of the Oni they saw in the first part of the adventure (I've made him an ongoing villain).

I haven't decided how to customize the Vard fight.

So, how did these fights go for your groups? How would you modify them? I really want to push the party to the limits with this one but I'm finding it harder and harder to do that without hitting "the grind". Any suggestions?

Thanks!

 

[SlyFlourish]

So I have 6 party members and I want to up the difficulty a level which gives me a huge 9,600 experience point budget.

With that, I'm adding a fifth Ghost Troll Devourer and a War Troll Vampire Lord (an emissary to Vard from the BBEG in Demon Queen's Enclave). This will give the party two different BBEGs to worry about (and the vampire lord has some nice tricks to throw off the party).

Instead of having the trolls appear near the cauldron, I think I'll have them phase in all around the room to freak out the casters and ranged attack folks. That should add some fun.