Help with Keep on the Shadowfell

[CheshireCatAW]

Hello,

I'm going to start DMing Keep on the Shadowfell, and if it takes off, we'll continue along the rest of the modules. This will be my, and my groups, first time playing 4e.

My major concern is that I don't know enough about the game system to read through the books and see if things don't add up.

Is there anything particularly broken about the encounters? What are some possible fixes? Any suggestions that I might pose to my characters?

Thank you for the help, I appreciate it.

[Thajocoth]

My first campaign I played in was this one. The GM didn't continue with modules after that. Our party didn't find it impossible to finish. It seemed fine. Though, I have no idea if the GM modified anything... Aside from the skill challenge I caused when I set a large table on fire.

[Tiki Snakes]

Be careful with Irontooth. that's it, really. The rest seems simple and balanced enough, but the Irontooth encounter can be brutal, or really just a cake-walk.

In theory though, it's more likely to be brutal than anything. If your players struggle in the first couple of encounters, you may want to leave yourself some wiggle-room with the Irontooth encounter, because it's MUCH bigger.

Also, there's only really so much plot in KOTS, and several plot-holes. Feel free to de-rail it by adding in your own stuff as much as possible, really.

Finally, combat can be a little drawn out, at times. It doesn't have to be, though. I'm still struggling to get a grip with this myself, being pretty new to dming (relatively speaking) still. I'm going to be trying to speed things up in my group by considering 'Bloodied' to basically mean 'Wounded', and have NPC's react as appropriate when they reach it, either retreating, surrendering, or whatever is appropriate more readily when they've hit that level.

[Starbuck_II]

Hello,

I'm going to start DMing Keep on the Shadowfell, and if it takes off, we'll continue along the rest of the modules. This will be my, and my groups, first time playing 4e.

My major concern is that I don't know enough about the game system to read through the books and see if things don't add up.

Is there anything particularly broken about the encounters? What are some possible fixes? Any suggestions that I might pose to my characters?

Thank you for the help, I appreciate it.

Are you using the free version on the website with its changes or the bought copy?


In case, you don't know they rereleased it online with changes.
Mostly battles/creatures were switched out.

[-Cor-]

In case, you don't know they rereleased it online with changes. Mostly battles/creatures were switched out.

Link?

Anyway, I'm running this now as well. I changed a few things for flavor purposes, but nothing drastic or particularly story changing. I added in a social skill challenge for the party to try to get as much information out of one of the NPCs and as much money out of another for deciding to go to the keep itself.

I also changed the flavor on a lot of the NPCs and gave the town guards some more personality... names... etc... I also created about 15 other "villagers" that were very basic, but there just in case a PC pulled one aside or whatever.

The shopkeep NPC I made have a distinct love for mirrors (you'll see why... seriously... who pays that much money for a mirror?)... and the know-it-all NPC that lives in the tower I made into an Alchemist with about 200g worth of components for sale and a few level one formulas in order to facilitate someone in my party that took the Alchemist feat.

Like someone mentioned previously, there are a lot of plot holes that can either be glossed over or expertly filled in... up to you.

The first four combats my group had were down to the wire... I don't know if it was a learning the mechanics thing (these players are very new) or a first level thing, or just a lot of lucky/unlucky dice rolls, but all the way up to the Irontooth encounter it was "skin of their teeth" for success in combat. Maybe make those kobolds a little stupider is all I'm saying.

Anyway, PM me if you want to talk more about it.

[CheshireCatAW]

I didn't know they released it for free. Bah. Ah well, I suppose I'll look it over later. But only a few monster changes you say?

Hmm.. I'm liking the shopkeep and tower NPC's. I think it'll work well with my group.

I'll have to see about Irontooth. We had a very short shakedown game last week and I can tell that my characters still need time to get used to their characters. What would be recommended for toning down the Irontooth encounter?

I admit, I'm not a staunch supporter of 4E, but both me and my group are actually quite excited by this game. Are there any other suggestions you might have that might make the game better? Additionally, are there any other modules you would recommend?

[RTGoodman]

The new D&D Test Drive contain all you need to start playing 4E. It's free and online, and, yes, includes the module you already paid for, with updates, for free. I'd take a look at it and go with those changes if there are any (I haven't compared them) - a LOT of people had trouble with the Irontooth encounter and a couple of others, so if they did change it, it's a good thing.

[Colmarr]

My group recently finished KotS, and my campaign journal gives a blow-by-blow account of what I did and didn't like about it. It's from a player perspective, but it should still prove useful (I hope).

Things that immediately occur to me:

1. The pit trap in the first room of the keep is an attack v Ref trap. You don't automatically fall in. This may have been fixed in the online version of the module.
2. The all-zombie encounters are a little boring. Mix in some strikers or controllers.
3. The Irontooth encounter is nasty, but can be handled by well-played PCs.
4. Kalarel is too deadly for level 3 PCs. Our DM let us reach level 4 and we still only just managed to beat him. I'd recommend tweaking this encounter if your PCs will still be level 3 when they get to him.
5. The statue chamber is boring. Suggestions on how to fix it are in my campaign journal.