Diamond Lake/Whispering Cairn assistance

[cowsay]

In a little over a month I'm planning on beginning a campaign (not Age of Worms) with Diamond Lake/Whispering Cairn. (I'll actually be working my way toward Red Hand of Doom--I'm not yet sure how I'll get the party from Whispering Cairn up three levels to be ready for RHOD, but that's a question for later.)

I have not run either Diamond Lake or Whispering Cairn before. Quite a few people have recommended them to me and I would appreciate some advice.

I got my hands on a Dungeon 124--the pdf download through paizo has a good map.. I know that Dragon Magazine 333 had a home base for the party, which I might incorporate. But I'm wondering if anyone knows more about the town of Diamond Lake? Is there any information about the size of the lake itself?

Does anyone know of good campaign reports that describe how I might improve the adventure or where there are errors worth noting? Of course, I can do what I like, but I see no reason to invent the wheel when others have rolled ahead of me with good ideas. For instance, in reading over the adventure, I suspect the party may have difficulty with the Acid Beetle Swarms and I'd love to see if someone else who ran the adventure noticed that, etc.

While things often go not quite as planned when one DMs, I'm wondering if there is some consensus on where things run awry with this town and this adventure. Are there slow parts worth skipping, are there parts to read especially carefully? (I for instance found the whole elevator mechanisms confusing and had to read it several times to make sure I understood what was going on.)

Are there classes/races/etc. I should encourage, discourage? Are there items I should make sure to add in the loot? Really any advice from experience is welcome.

Are there stockpiles of homebrew maps, images, etc to use or show to players etc?

Anyway, I'm sorry for being long winded; I just wanted to provoke the creative juices/memories among those who can help me better for prepare for what appears to be an excellent adventure.

[ShriekingDrake]

Let me think on what advice I'd give. In the mean time, you'll want to see this nice addition that paizo makes available. It's the Age of Worms Overload. It contains additional and useful information about the whole adventure path. In particular, it highlights activities around Diamond Lake and the Whispering Cairn. Check it out here.

[cowsay]

That link is excellent!! Thanks, man.

I'd really appreciate if anyone who has run the adventure can share advice. Some things have thrown me. Like for instance, are there some errors with the maps? Also, is that submerged area in the dungeon just a stopping point for some parties? Do any parties survive the "final encounter," which it seems like a pretty hard win for third level characters?

Thanks in advance.

[cowsay]

Bumping with the hope that someone can help.