Quote Originally Posted by Adam...? View Post
First off: thanks to everyone who's been participating in this thread. I've been DMing a group through RHoD over the last few months, and this has been a gold mine of wisdom and fun ideas.
thnx, it is always good to hear that people (especially Saintheart) are using the ideas presented here and enjoy them/give a better and more fun adventure.

Quote Originally Posted by Adam...? View Post
So I've got two issues I could use a little help with. Issue #1 relates to encounter balance. We're right in the middle of the Battle of Brindol (just finished the Streets of Blood encounters), and I'm worried about that final encounter with Kharn. I've restatted him as a Cleric/Ordained Champion, but even still his defenses seem less than stellar. Even pre-buffed, I'm looking at AC26, and less than 90 HP.

Meanwhile, the party includes an archer ranger with Favored Enemy: Goblinoid, and a bard who likes buffing his Inspire Courage. Between the two of them, it seems entirely possible that Kharn won't live to see his first turn, and almost definitely won't get more than that. Even if he survives a full round arrow barrage, the sorcerer still has a fireball or two left, and I don't see how any number of mooks and/or bodyguards could stop that from happening. Am I missing something obvious, or do you guys have any clever plans (hopefully other than expensive magic items) that could help extend the combat and make it some climatic than a "turn 1: kill, turn 2-3: mop up"?
Well, first off (like fishyfishyfishy stated) don't be afraid to have them kill off the BBEG in the first round. When it happens, it happens. Second (and just as important) the horde have been fighting the adventures for a while now, they know the characters and know their specialities/professions. The horde will anticipate on the adventures based on what they saw and heard, the more they saw and heard the more they anticipate. Also the more time the horde has to prepare, the better they are prepared. A spellcaster? have some archers and counterspellers readied on spellcasting. An archer? Windwall and a potion of protection of arrows does wonders. A charger? Have the BBEG ready on that charge and flanked by some heavy hitters (fg giants). 5 foot before the charge is complete, have the BBEG sidestep and the giants step in to attack and have some other minions throw some tanglefoot bags. Play the horde smart and play them 'honest'.

You can have people with knowlegde in warfare, favored enemy (goblinoid), etc. make a sense motive check vs the hordes 'bluff'. Those who make the check you can tell them something like: "although the horde moves slowly and chaotic while they are setting up, you can see that the chaos seems a lot less chaotic then it seems at first glance". For those who beat the DC by much add something like: "on second glance you can tell that they keep a close look on you (the adventures) and seems ready to react to your every move. A bit like a lion readied to pounce." If the adventures do nothing, have the horde set up in their most tactical favorable way. Else just anticipate accordingly.

Quote Originally Posted by Adam...? View Post
As for issue #2, people have been asking me what the plan is for when we finish the module. I'm thinking of working on my own post-RHoD adventure, and I really like the previously suggested idea of a late-coming white dragon coming in to claim the Vale for himself. So after the long, hot summer of the Red Hand of Doom, Elsir vale has a few months to start to rebuild, but then comes an early and unnatural winter. A perpetual blizzard covers the Wyvernwatch Mountains, and relief supplies from the Great Unnamed Eastern Kingdom never arrive.

It strikes me as a great hook, but I'm drawing a blank as for what could actually make up the meat of the adventure. In my game, the players were so scared of the Ghostlord that they didn't stick around long enough to really learn any of his background, and they let him take Ulwai prisoner, so I'm thinking he could have an interesting role to play, either as a now-level-appropriate enemy, or as a part of a "help the lich atone to beat the greater evil" plot line. Either way, I could bring Ulwai back as a special lightning-banshee thing, which sounds pretty awesome.

Anybody else try to run this idea? Anyone have other interesting ideas? What sort of minions would a white dragon have? What could explain a white dragon, usually pretty stupid and bestial, having powerful weather controlling magic? What would be his overall plan for conquering the Elsir Vale be?
I don't intent to run the white dragon but I'll throw some options at you. Give the dragon a connection to Baator (Tiamat's home plane). you can give him the half-fiend template, some devil-touched feats , etc. The White Dragon retakes the Fane (if the adventures didn't destroy it) and restarts the portal building. Tiamat wants the portal to open, because Tiamat wants to exact revenge or there is something hidden in Vale Tiamat wants.