Hi, all.
Minor spoilers for Shattered Obelisk ahead.
I started a Lost Mines campaign a few weeks ago, combining it with Dragon of Ice Spire Peak. Now that I have Shattered Obelisk, I'd like to run not only that, but also the expansions for DoISP: Storm Lord's Wrath, Sleeping Dragon's Wake, and Divine Contention. My experience with most of the published campaigns has been that the milestone levels feel a bit...rushed to me (YMMV, of course), and so I'd like to slow it down by going to monster XP (along with the level-equivalent of an "Easy" encounter for completing a quest).
Running LMoP alongside DoISP shouldn't be an issue, and I've done blends of the two before. However, SO runs on a ticking clock of sorts, and toward the end of the campaign the PCs leave Phandalin for a few levels to adventure in the Far Realm. I suppose my questions are:
1) How might I lessen the "ticking clock" (Phandalin being infected by the Far Realm) so that the PCs can feel a bit more free to pursue the adventures in the Essentials Kit Expansions (EKE)?
2) How might I adjust things to allow for them to adventure in the Far Realm, wrap up SO, and still have a satisfying adventuring experience in EKE despite likely being a few levels higher than the recommended material?
3) Is the inclusion of the EKE material going to overclutter the main SO storyline? I'd like to have a bit of a sandbox for them to play in and for us to spend real time diving in, but is it too much?
Thanks!
Minor spoilers for Shattered Obelisk ahead.
I started a Lost Mines campaign a few weeks ago, combining it with Dragon of Ice Spire Peak. Now that I have Shattered Obelisk, I'd like to run not only that, but also the expansions for DoISP: Storm Lord's Wrath, Sleeping Dragon's Wake, and Divine Contention. My experience with most of the published campaigns has been that the milestone levels feel a bit...rushed to me (YMMV, of course), and so I'd like to slow it down by going to monster XP (along with the level-equivalent of an "Easy" encounter for completing a quest).
Running LMoP alongside DoISP shouldn't be an issue, and I've done blends of the two before. However, SO runs on a ticking clock of sorts, and toward the end of the campaign the PCs leave Phandalin for a few levels to adventure in the Far Realm. I suppose my questions are:
1) How might I lessen the "ticking clock" (Phandalin being infected by the Far Realm) so that the PCs can feel a bit more free to pursue the adventures in the Essentials Kit Expansions (EKE)?
2) How might I adjust things to allow for them to adventure in the Far Realm, wrap up SO, and still have a satisfying adventuring experience in EKE despite likely being a few levels higher than the recommended material?
3) Is the inclusion of the EKE material going to overclutter the main SO storyline? I'd like to have a bit of a sandbox for them to play in and for us to spend real time diving in, but is it too much?
Thanks!