Wanting to run Stormking's Thunder with alternate start, any advice?

[Protato]

Its been a while since I've been on here, but I'm back for right now with a few questions about running a DnD adventure that seems well-received from what I've read. However, I'm wanting to start with Chapter 2 at Level 5 and not at Chapter 1 at Level 1. That's not a very big deal, but the changes I'm making because of it might be a somewhat bigger deal. I'm wanting to begin with the Epic Array of 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8 and I'm also wondering if I should give everyone a few magic items and money to start with. Namely, an Uncommon chosen or approved of by me and two Common items, and an extra 500GP. Even more than that though is that one of my players has a character I find interesting named Prince Sam Thundergale already planned out for the adventure. Sam is the Goliath (flavored as being half-giant) son of King Hekaton and seeks out the party, famed locally for their adventures in Phandalin, to help find his missing father. I'm just wondering, how would this potentially conflict with what's written in the story as is? Is increasing the power of the party with those items and stats be appropriate? After all, the team is fighting giants so I imagine a magic weapon and some potions, and maybe another +1 on a score, would be helpful but not balance-shattering. Finally, if anyone else has run Stormking's Thunder, would you happen to have advice on running the game itself, or altering encounters or the story?

[Man_Over_Game]

Its been a while since I've been on here, but I'm back for right now with a few questions about running a DnD adventure that seems well-received from what I've read. However, I'm wanting to start with Chapter 2 at Level 5 and not at Chapter 1 at Level 1. That's not a very big deal, but the changes I'm making because of it might be a somewhat bigger deal. I'm wanting to begin with the Epic Array of 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8 and I'm also wondering if I should give everyone a few magic items and money to start with. Namely, an Uncommon chosen or approved of by me and two Common items, and an extra 500GP. Even more than that though is that one of my players has a character I find interesting named Prince Sam Thundergale already planned out for the adventure. Sam is the Goliath (flavored as being half-giant) son of King Hekaton and seeks out the party, famed locally for their adventures in Phandalin, to help find his missing father. I'm just wondering, how would this potentially conflict with what's written in the story as is? Is increasing the power of the party with those items and stats be appropriate? After all, the team is fighting giants so I imagine a magic weapon and some potions, and maybe another +1 on a score, would be helpful but not balance-shattering. Finally, if anyone else has run Stormking's Thunder, would you happen to have advice on running the game itself, or altering encounters or the story?

Haven't played it through, but a buddy of mine did do a decent breakdown of what the campaign is like.

The majority of the campaign involves lots of traveling. Unfortunately, this means the players won't be able to make a base camp or many lasting relationships, but it does mean that it feels very epic. They will quickly create a name for themselves across a massive area. Additionally, it has a lot of time skips, with months of downtime between major events. Once they hit the higher levels (around levels 7-11, can't remember), there is an offer for the players to own their own tower to use as a base for the rest of the campaign.

[Trickery]

That should be fine. In general, a level 5 player with an uncommon magic item and some gold is nothing out of the ordinary. You might not want them to pick things like winged boots, but it should work out.

Player backstories shouldn't affect the campaign much. Their choice of class and build will have the biggest impact, as many builds simply do not fair well against giants.

[Protato]

That should be fine. In general, a level 5 player with an uncommon magic item and some gold is nothing out of the ordinary. You might not want them to pick things like winged boots, but it should work out.

Player backstories shouldn't affect the campaign much. Their choice of class and build will have the biggest impact, as many builds simply do not fair well against giants.

Alright, I'm just wondering then, what sort of items might be good other than +1 gear? Sam's player wants to begin with an ancestral weapon, a Greatsword with the Lightning Javelin effect in addition to being a sword, but I might halve the range or something due to the power difference between a two-handed martial weapon and a Spear. And the reason I bring the backstory up is because the campaign has a bit of family drama to my understanding and I was wondering if anyone might know how a new member of that family might alter things. Plus, they might have some knowledge already of giant society at large due to them having a role in it.

[ProsecutorGodot]

Alright, I'm just wondering then, what sort of items might be good other than +1 gear? Sam's player wants to begin with an ancestral weapon, a Greatsword with the Lightning Javelin effect in addition to being a sword, but I might halve the range or something due to the power difference between a two-handed martial weapon and a Spear. And the reason I bring the backstory up is because the campaign has a bit of family drama to my understanding and I was wondering if anyone might know how a new member of that family might alter things. Plus, they might have some knowledge already of giant society at large due to them having a role in it.

Firstly, character builds aren't impacted to a noticeable degree. Unless you're trying to play a grappler, your spellcasters should have the minimum required 2 damage types (for overcoming resistances) and your martials will have weapons worth using.

On the bolded note, it changes things considerably and the player would be aware of/able to do things that could really interfere with the stories progression.
King Hekaton's court is suffering from a coup led by 2 of his daughters and Iymrith. A large part of the plot towards the larger goal beyond restoring the ordning hinges on gaining the trust of Hekaton and his good daughter. Having a player character with good relations to Hekaton from the start would completely circumvent that plot line.

There's also the matter of the Conch and Oracle, which would also reasonably be circumvented by a PC that came from the Maelstrom and is part giant. This means he would have a conch of teleportation and the ability to visit the oracle without the aid of a giant. Typically Harshnag fills this role, he's helpful in showing the players how potentially outclassed they are if they've wandered into the wrong part of the plot too soon.

Iymrith is likely the biggest roadblock in this situation. Unless the young Prince is particularly dense, he'd be aware of her plotting. If he is aware of the plotting, it takes away another plot point of actually revealing her deception to Serissa and exposing her as an Ancient Dragon.

You're not going to break party balance with +1 weapons unless you hand out more Giant Slayers than the adventure provides. I wouldn't be concerned very much at all at breaking the balance too hard, the party needs all the help they can get if they manage to reach the climax of the campaign.

[Protato]

Firstly, character builds aren't impacted to a noticeable degree. Unless you're trying to play a grappler, your spellcasters should have the minimum required 2 damage types (for overcoming resistances) and your martials will have weapons worth using.

On the bolded note, it changes things considerably and the player would be aware of/able to do things that could really interfere with the stories progression.
King Hekaton's court is suffering from a coup led by 2 of his daughters and Iymrith. A large part of the plot towards the larger goal beyond restoring the ordning hinges on gaining the trust of Hekaton and his good daughter. Having a player character with good relations to Hekaton from the start would completely circumvent that plot line.

There's also the matter of the Conch and Oracle, which would also reasonably be circumvented by a PC that came from the Maelstrom and is part giant. This means he would have a conch of teleportation and the ability to visit the oracle without the aid of a giant. Typically Harshnag fills this role, he's helpful in showing the players how potentially outclassed they are if they've wandered into the wrong part of the plot too soon.

Iymrith is likely the biggest roadblock in this situation. Unless the young Prince is particularly dense, he'd be aware of her plotting. If he is aware of the plotting, it takes away another plot point of actually revealing her deception to Serissa and exposing her as an Ancient Dragon.

You're not going to break party balance with +1 weapons unless you hand out more Giant Slayers than the adventure provides. I wouldn't be concerned very much at all at breaking the balance too hard, the party needs all the help they can get if they manage to reach the climax of the campaign.

Yeah, I get what's in Spoilers there so that's what makes me wonder what to do. But I think I want to say, Sam wasn't around his father much, too busy with Smallfolk to know everything going on, but rumors lead him to think something was up with the family situation and this was confirmed when his father went missing. At least, it's how I'm planning on handling it tentatively.