Tweaking the difficulty level.

[carborundum]

I'm running the Sea Wyvern's Wake (Savage Tide) starting next week. It's a three month long sea voyage, so the players start most encounters on full hitpoints and spells. The module is for 4 x 'normal' 5th level characters. I have 5 x 6th level characters with Eberron-style Action Points, the Spell & Magic Item Compendiums and a few Complete feats & options.

The encounters as written are between EL 6 and 8. For my players I'm thinking 8 to 10 is more reasonable. SO far I'm digging out spells from the Spell Compendium, one-shot versions of items from MIC and a few extra feats here and there. I'm also giving the opponents max hit points and arbitrary +1s and +2s to their BAB and saves. Prep time is a factor due to overtime at work and a girlfriend who insists on regular conversations (the humanity!) so I can't rewrite the thing like in the old days.

Are there any other easy options to tweak the module without seriously influencing the CRs of the opponents and giving out too much xp? This group is used to straight xp based on CR with small RP extras, and don't want to shift to levelling when I feel like it. Fair enough, I'm new in their group/ hometown/ country etc.

 

[Shin Okada]

When the number of party member is more than 4, the best and the easiest way is to increase the number of opponents. Especially when the adventure is mainly taken on open space (ocean), there will be no issue for space and dungeon environment.

It is usually bettter than making each monsters stronger. You do not need to worry about putting overpowering uber monster against them. And having many targets is fun for playeres (usually so).

Simply doubling the number of monsters raise the EL by 2.

 

[Herzog]

if the number of opponents in a particular encounter is larger than the number of PC's, increase the CR of the opponents (by adding HD, adding Class Levels, or whatever)

if the number of opponents in a particular encounter is smaller than the number of PC's increase the number of opponents.

In my experience, that's the best way to increase your EL's.

As an alternative I have been using: If the encounter is against a large number of creatures (say, 15 or so) which are tiny, instead of adding HD replace the group of tiny creatures with a Swarm of them.

Herzog

 

[shilsen]

The encounters as written are between EL 6 and 8. For my players I'm thinking 8 to 10 is more reasonable. SO far I'm digging out spells from the Spell Compendium, one-shot versions of items from MIC and a few extra feats here and there. I'm also giving the opponents max hit points and arbitrary +1s and +2s to their BAB and saves. Prep time is a factor due to overtime at work and a girlfriend who insists on regular conversations (the humanity!) so I can't rewrite the thing like in the old days.

Are there any other easy options to tweak the module without seriously influencing the CRs of the opponents and giving out too much xp?

Your methods all sound fine. As suggested by others, adding a few creatures when possible is a good idea too. I recommend starting out with the only tweaks being max hp and changing feat selections to make them more effective (just using Ability Focus can make a creature significantly tougher a lot of the time). See if that's enough to challenge the PCs. If it's not, then start adding some of the stuff you've mentioned above and add an extra enemy or two. Also use tactics and terrain as much as you can. I think you may find that if you do some of the above, you'll end up challenging the PCs more than you might expect.

This group is used to straight xp based on CR with small RP extras, and don't want to shift to levelling when I feel like it. Fair enough, I'm new in their group/ hometown/ country etc.

Clearly nobody has explained the concept of an invasion to you

 

[carborundum]

Clearly nobody has explained the concept of an invasion to you

LOL! The problem with invading the Netherlands is they're all so reasonable and then they patiently explain how they've been right all along, over and over again, until you give up and join them.

 

[Shin Okada]

Personally, I don't like the maxing out hp idea. The main reason is personal preference. I don't even like to roll ability scores and hps for PCs. I always use average hp for monsters and elite hps for NPCs and monsters with classes and such. That is the "intended" average strength of the CR system. And these days, I use monster stats cards (and similar cards made for monsters which is not yet released) for DDM intensively and it makes DMing much, much faster. Yes, all the same creatures have exactly the same number of hps. But what is wrong with it?

There are other reasons,

Actually, if you max-out HPs an add +1 to+2 BAB, it is almost as time costly as to actually add appropriate number of HDs per MM to increase CR by 1 or 2. And need you more examinations.

You must always watch out for the type of HDs and their Con. Maxing out hps of a monstrous humanoid (d8s) with high con will not change his total hp much. But maxing out hps of an undead monster (d12, no con) is almost doubling it's durability. So you need much careful examination than adding hds as per MM and giving average hps.

 

[Herzog]

LOL! The problem with invading the Netherlands is they're all so reasonable and then they patiently explain how they've been right all along, over and over again, until you give up and join them.

Yep, that's us. Patient. Reasonable. Assuming we are right, and finding the arguments to back it up.

Join the Netherlands! We have more Foreign Land than (almost) every other country!

Herzog

 

[irdeggman]

Doesn't Paizo have a supplement for Savage Tides with hints and adjustments contained within?

I am running Age of Worms and their "free" downloadable supplements are real, real handy. They contain hints on how to adjust for higher (or lower) leveled parties.

In my game, I started my players out at 1200 xp with a starting gp of low 2nd level. I then let them equip, level (and choose LA races if so desired) to fit. I allowed those with item creation feats to use that starting xp and gp craft items to start.


Now that was when I had 4 players. The group size grew to 7 and then I had to make adjustments. In general I bumped up the leveled BBEGs by 1 or 2 levels (depending on circumstances) and increased the number of foes in an encounter by 1 or 2 9again depending on the circumstances).

So far they have just completed the Whispering Cairn (the first adventure of the 12). No deaths, but a few close calls. Some of the encounters, especially the first one with a swarm, depleted substantial amoutns of the partys' assets (even though they didn't take a lot of damage) - so I figured out it was working the way it is supposed to. Asets are not always hit points.

I give "special" xp, - some for roleplaying and a "fun" bonus. I determined to have this "scale" so they are in the range of 25-100 xp/ECL for a character.

So far it has worked pretty well. Of the 7 PCs, 4 are 4th level and 3 are pretty close - which was my original "target'.

Be careful if adding levels to the BBEG (or creatures) because sometimes this can put them at point where the PCs can not "harm" them at all. A careful dose of "eyeballing" is required.

 

[carborundum]

Doesn't Paizo have a supplement for Savage Tides with hints and adjustments contained within?

Thanks for the other tips and your experience, that's what I've found too. As far as the supplement goes, because it's for 5th level they only give tips for adjusting the difficulty down to 4th. I vaguely remember James Jacobs explaining why once.