Prepping for RHoD

[kardar233]

I'm just starting to DM for a couple of players and I'm just thinking ahead for possible issues.

Since it's only going to be a 2-person group, how would you suggest I balance it? It's likely going to be a Necromancy-specialized Wizard and his PsyWar bodyguard. Should I start them out a level or two above the suggested entry, or use Gestalt, or what?

I've heard good things about the adventure, but has anyone run into problems that I should worry about?

Thanks in advance.

[Saintheart]

Come have a look (and a chat) in my RHOD handbook (which can be found in my sig) - it also doubles as an unofficial forum on RHOD ;)

On topic, it depends how experienced and optimised your player base is. Four experienced players who know how to optimise are going to cakewalk RHOD even starting at level 5 or so, particularly if they're using classes that are good at defeating Will saves (Beguilers) or Diplomacy (optimised bards in particular are very, very hard to control - at level 7 or so, if built right, they'll be pumping out +5 to everyone's attack and damage, which renders them overwhelming. And the same bard is also typically going to whistle his way through the Diplomacy parts of the adventure due to a DC hovering around 20-25 throughout.)

The module's designed towards people using core or close to core, and even then assuming wizards and clerics build and cast with one arm tied behind their backs. Glitterdust, Haste, and Slow are still major encounter-ending spells here.

There's varying opinions on how many people is the right number for RHOD, but it's fundamentally designed towards a core four-man party of fighter+rogue+cleric+mage. Used out of the box and to the letter, the campaign is targeted at fairly inexperienced players - there's none of the traditional "savvy" tactics of targeting casters first or focusing fire allowed until you get to the more "leet" members of the Red Hand. If your two players are good at area-effect and optimisation, believe it or not if you stick close to the module as written they shouldn't reeeeaallly have too many problems. They'll be outnumbered in every fight, but if they have methods to bring the action economy back into their favour, they won't have a problem. Nobody in RHOD is That One Boss as such, and the enemies don't use their terrain terribly intelligently.

Still, I've yet to hear of anyone running RHOD with only two people. As I understand gestalt (and to be honest, I don't - I don't play it) you'd be well advised to let 'em do that, since it'll turn a two-man party into a four-man squad. Use the "Marauder Attack" as a gauge for how much or little you have to adjust up or down, because your fights are usually going to be, oh, half again difficult than this one if you stick to core.

Sort of make sense?

[faceroll]

Gestalt will let you fill in more roles, but it won't help with action. Having only 2 actions a round of combat instead of 4 is huge difference, especially if someone gets disabled, because that's a loss of 50% efficacy instead of just 25%.

[KillianHawkeye]

I suggest NPCing a Bard or Cleric who can do some healing and take some of the hits in combat. Maybe start them at level 7 or so.

When I ran the adventure, I had around 6-8 players and so I started them at level 4. It went pretty well, difficulty-wise, although I still added some extra monsters to balance out the PCs' action advantage. They reached level 12 by the end of the campaign.

I dunno about gestalt.

[Draz74]

Gestalt certainly couldn't hurt their chances.