@@rojokongen that’s great to hear! I imagine running it more than once is a great way of seeing what changes based on PC decisions. Intrigued to learn how Pathfinder 2e effects the material
Just have to say, it sounds like you have a passion for what you’re doing and it’s awesome to see that. Even better to see the Red Hand of Doom getting some love. Currently thinking of how to adapt the general concept to a nautical campaign
That means a great deal, thanks for that! I adore the idea of adapting this to a nautical campaign. I’m imagining enemy ships striking along the Elsir Coast. All beware the RED SAILS OF DOOM! 🔥 Thanks for watching!
The idea I've been working on is breaking Red Hand of Doom into smaller chunks to sprinkle throughout the campaign, blending it with several modules from Ghosts of Saltmarsh, and using the Sahuagin in place of the Red Hand. The sea devils are wonderfully nasty creatures that, aside from their bloodlust, are highly organized and structured societally and with some ocean-themed monsters in place of dragons you could have a fantastic adventure. And of course instead of Tiamat, my thought is go with a truly ancient aboleth or kraken pulling all the strings and commanding the sahuagin king to wage war against the surface dwellers.
Vraath Keep was a VERY tough encounter for my players, and it did take them two days to actually clear it. However, due to how easily my party steamrolled the initial battle, there were a couple of changes to Koth - I gave him the Practiced Spellcaster feat, which bumped his caster level up to 9. I didn't switch Lightning Bolt to Fireball, and that probably saved my party a lot of pain, especially when the first lightning bolt went straight through the rogue and due to evasion did absolutely nothing to him. And I remembered the last character in my party: A human dread necromancer. He tore apart the minotaur with a single summoned troll skeleton. He later animated the minotaur and called it 'Toro'. Koth did end up escaping, but by the skin of his teeth, and everything else in the keep was wiped out, along with the flind. He died to a combination of manticore spikes and a lightning bolt.
That’s a great idea to boost Koth with that feat. My Knights of the Apocalypse campaign on the channel has a Dread Necromancer and I rapidly learned they are NOT to be underestimated! 😂💀
It is worth noting that Koth is surprisingly hard to hurt if he has Mage Armor and Shield up, along with his False Life spell. AC 24 is no joke at level 5. The fight at Vraath Keep was overall harder than the fight at the bridge.
That’s really cool that you’re running this, happy this is useful. Your players are in for quite an adventure/ordeal. Thanks for watching and may the High Wyrmlord triumph!
I love digging through the old modules and source books for 3.5 and third. I still play a ton of pathfinder 1e so alot of the stuff is super easy to convert over, but also all the books are just super rad!
I often say that by looking back to the older editions you will find a treasure trove of material. I’ve STILL not got through all of the 3e/3.5 stuff and I’ve been playing it since it’s around it’s release. Such a great idea to mine it for Pathfinder 1e too. It all belongs together in spirit if not by name.
For the Marauder Attack: If you're converting this to 5e, it's worth noting that hell hounds have been buffed a lot, and the comment about hobgoblin regulars dying without impact isn't as true anymore. Bounded accuracy helps keep even lowly goblins a plausible threat. The hellhound is like 2x as strong as in 3.5, so also be mindful of that. If the party lacks AOE, this encounter WILL kill them. I suggest only deploying the 2nd wave if you have a seasoned group that deals with the 1st attack easily.
Very wise. I think this material is filled with very challenging encounters. It should be approached with tremendous care! Great insight on the AOE. Pure savagery.
When I ran this, the first encounter was not only not too tough, It was actually stomped pretty easily. After that, I needed to start doing a bit of optimizing to most of the 'non-regulars' to make them more dangerous.
@@PerformanceCheck It's been a few years since I ran it, but I know there was a human druid, a human rogue, a flind barbarian/warblade, an elven duskblade, and one more. They were all level 5, and the flind was the only one who was even in real danger, and he charged directly into their teeth. The flind also had less hit points than most due to their level adjustment, and did end up dying in a later encounter, to be replaced by a wizard.
@@PerformanceCheck The biggest issue is that most of the hobgoblins just weren't a threat offensively. They were hard to hurt with weapons due to their AC, but they were REALLY vulnerable to spells with their reflex and will saves being completely terrible.
@@natehewett4009 wow sounds like they were an effective party. I suppose I was thinking about a party of 4. I imagine inexperienced players would still struggle here! Super interesting to get more insight from someone who has played the module!
@@PerformanceCheck I definitely agree that a less optimized (I'm using optimized rather than experienced, because the two aren't the same thing) party would probably struggle more. To get an idea of why this encounter wasn't super threatening to my party: The Duskblade had Color Spray as a spell known. Compare that to the will saves of the entire encounter.
I bought it last year, and have been converting the Monsters to 5e. I suggest using AI to cut the creatures down from 3.5, which is quite crunchy. Otherwise it will take hours to whittle the feats and extra class levels out. Thanks so much for the deep dive.
Any idea how much time/how many sessions this module requires? Im looking for a solid mid-tier module for a campaign later this summer. I will only have 9 months of weekly 2 hour sessions, and I hope to get the players to level 12 or so. (My hope is to rush the players to 5th level, run RHoD, and cap the campaign with some Birthright-ish kingdom level adventure.)
So I make that just shy of 40 sessions. I have always found that prep never survives contact with the player characters. You can assume that most encounters/sessions will last longer than you think. RHoD is PACKED with material. Seriously these videos are only an overview. I think if it’s your intention to run it, get the module and cherry pick the material you need to fit your parameters! It’s some of the best campaign material I’ve read. Check it out, give it a try and let us know how you get on!
It was published as a stand alone adventure designed to be setting agnostic, you can drop it into any game! You gotta make a lot of room for it in a setting however as it is so expansive!
you look so much like Mark from Aunty Donna. Also Red hand of Doom was a great campaign. Ran it recently over about 9 months. Changed it up so the big battle was the end of the game
I’ll take that as a compliment as I LOVE a cheeky tea break mate 😂 I can see why you’d naturally make that change to have a climactic final battle. Looking forward to getting there!
P.s. I like that you went through this and jumped around… it’s your initial look and mine was the same way. If this was a how to run video, you’d have been much more scripted, and it would have been less fun
I’m pretty sure that the reason the combats seem so difficult is because they’re from DnD 3.5, where a level 5 character is basically impossible to hit for a CR 1 creature.
I've run it twice, and plan now to run it for a third group using Pathfinder 2e. It's an amazing adventure. So epic! 🤩
@@rojokongen that’s great to hear! I imagine running it more than once is a great way of seeing what changes based on PC decisions. Intrigued to learn how Pathfinder 2e effects the material
I ran this entire module while converting it to 5E as a follow up to Lost Mine of Phandelver. Good times.
It's easily some of the best module material i've read! What a treat that must have been for your players!
This is one of my favorite modules that I never really got to finish. Enjoying the deep dive.
That’s a great shame as from what I have seen it just gets better and better! Glad you’re enjoying it and appreciate you dropping by! ⚔️
Just have to say, it sounds like you have a passion for what you’re doing and it’s awesome to see that. Even better to see the Red Hand of Doom getting some love. Currently thinking of how to adapt the general concept to a nautical campaign
That means a great deal, thanks for that! I adore the idea of adapting this to a nautical campaign. I’m imagining enemy ships striking along the Elsir Coast. All beware the RED SAILS OF DOOM! 🔥 Thanks for watching!
The idea I've been working on is breaking Red Hand of Doom into smaller chunks to sprinkle throughout the campaign, blending it with several modules from Ghosts of Saltmarsh, and using the Sahuagin in place of the Red Hand. The sea devils are wonderfully nasty creatures that, aside from their bloodlust, are highly organized and structured societally and with some ocean-themed monsters in place of dragons you could have a fantastic adventure. And of course instead of Tiamat, my thought is go with a truly ancient aboleth or kraken pulling all the strings and commanding the sahuagin king to wage war against the surface dwellers.
Vraath Keep was a VERY tough encounter for my players, and it did take them two days to actually clear it. However, due to how easily my party steamrolled the initial battle, there were a couple of changes to Koth - I gave him the Practiced Spellcaster feat, which bumped his caster level up to 9. I didn't switch Lightning Bolt to Fireball, and that probably saved my party a lot of pain, especially when the first lightning bolt went straight through the rogue and due to evasion did absolutely nothing to him.
And I remembered the last character in my party: A human dread necromancer. He tore apart the minotaur with a single summoned troll skeleton. He later animated the minotaur and called it 'Toro'.
Koth did end up escaping, but by the skin of his teeth, and everything else in the keep was wiped out, along with the flind. He died to a combination of manticore spikes and a lightning bolt.
That’s a great idea to boost Koth with that feat. My Knights of the Apocalypse campaign on the channel has a Dread Necromancer and I rapidly learned they are NOT to be underestimated! 😂💀
It is worth noting that Koth is surprisingly hard to hurt if he has Mage Armor and Shield up, along with his False Life spell. AC 24 is no joke at level 5. The fight at Vraath Keep was overall harder than the fight at the bridge.
Planning a red hand of doom campaign and this is extremely helpful to listen to while at work, thank you!
That’s really cool that you’re running this, happy this is useful. Your players are in for quite an adventure/ordeal. Thanks for watching and may the High Wyrmlord triumph!
I'm half way through this one and really like it. I'd love to see you make a similar video about Night Below!
Thanks for stopping by, glad you like this! Night Below is definitely on the slate.
@@PerformanceCheck I thought it might be when it was mentioned about 20 minutes after I commented!
I love digging through the old modules and source books for 3.5 and third. I still play a ton of pathfinder 1e so alot of the stuff is super easy to convert over, but also all the books are just super rad!
I often say that by looking back to the older editions you will find a treasure trove of material. I’ve STILL not got through all of the 3e/3.5 stuff and I’ve been playing it since it’s around it’s release. Such a great idea to mine it for Pathfinder 1e too. It all belongs together in spirit if not by name.
For the Marauder Attack: If you're converting this to 5e, it's worth noting that hell hounds have been buffed a lot, and the comment about hobgoblin regulars dying without impact isn't as true anymore. Bounded accuracy helps keep even lowly goblins a plausible threat. The hellhound is like 2x as strong as in 3.5, so also be mindful of that. If the party lacks AOE, this encounter WILL kill them. I suggest only deploying the 2nd wave if you have a seasoned group that deals with the 1st attack easily.
Very wise. I think this material is filled with very challenging encounters. It should be approached with tremendous care! Great insight on the AOE. Pure savagery.
This was a pleasure to watch. My characters just entered the eastern parts of Elsir Vale =)
Thanks for watching, glad you enjoyed it! I’ll be continuing with Act 3 soon. I wish your party luck, they will certainly need it!
When I ran this, the first encounter was not only not too tough, It was actually stomped pretty easily. After that, I needed to start doing a bit of optimizing to most of the 'non-regulars' to make them more dangerous.
No way? That’s interesting. Do you happen to remember what level they were/class combination?
@@PerformanceCheck It's been a few years since I ran it, but I know there was a human druid, a human rogue, a flind barbarian/warblade, an elven duskblade, and one more. They were all level 5, and the flind was the only one who was even in real danger, and he charged directly into their teeth.
The flind also had less hit points than most due to their level adjustment, and did end up dying in a later encounter, to be replaced by a wizard.
@@PerformanceCheck The biggest issue is that most of the hobgoblins just weren't a threat offensively. They were hard to hurt with weapons due to their AC, but they were REALLY vulnerable to spells with their reflex and will saves being completely terrible.
@@natehewett4009 wow sounds like they were an effective party. I suppose I was thinking about a party of 4. I imagine inexperienced players would still struggle here! Super interesting to get more insight from someone who has played the module!
@@PerformanceCheck I definitely agree that a less optimized (I'm using optimized rather than experienced, because the two aren't the same thing) party would probably struggle more. To get an idea of why this encounter wasn't super threatening to my party: The Duskblade had Color Spray as a spell known. Compare that to the will saves of the entire encounter.
I bought it last year, and have been converting the Monsters to 5e. I suggest using AI to cut the creatures down from 3.5, which is quite crunchy. Otherwise it will take hours to whittle the feats and extra class levels out. Thanks so much for the deep dive.
ChatGPT is so useful to generate npcs and characters! I imagine it would be invaluable to convert statblocks for a camapign of this depth
@@PerformanceCheck It has really helped, I've changed how I ask it to convert monsters, so I'm improving the process with practice.
The night below would be a great second series to do as well
It is on the list! :)
Thanks for the low down. Great stuff for us DMs looking for modules to run.
Honestly, after reading it for that short time, I don’t think you could ask for better material!
@@PerformanceCheck I have to agree, I just ordered a copy for my collection
This is rich lode for the "Scenario Miner Dwarf" Game master
Absolutely, you could mine any section of this module for 10/10 yield!
Aunty Donna presents: Red Hand of Doom
Ah c’mon mate! The Red Hand is gettin’ some bevvies with the boyz!
Any idea how much time/how many sessions this module requires? Im looking for a solid mid-tier module for a campaign later this summer. I will only have 9 months of weekly 2 hour sessions, and I hope to get the players to level 12 or so. (My hope is to rush the players to 5th level, run RHoD, and cap the campaign with some Birthright-ish kingdom level adventure.)
So I make that just shy of 40 sessions. I have always found that prep never survives contact with the player characters. You can assume that most encounters/sessions will last longer than you think. RHoD is PACKED with material. Seriously these videos are only an overview. I think if it’s your intention to run it, get the module and cherry pick the material you need to fit your parameters! It’s some of the best campaign material I’ve read. Check it out, give it a try and let us know how you get on!
I’m about a quarter of a way through, but it’s an epic classic arc! Is it part of a series of modules or a stand alone adventure?
It was published as a stand alone adventure designed to be setting agnostic, you can drop it into any game! You gotta make a lot of room for it in a setting however as it is so expansive!
It runs from about level 5 to level 12.
@@natehewett40096-11
you look so much like Mark from Aunty Donna. Also Red hand of Doom was a great campaign. Ran it recently over about 9 months. Changed it up so the big battle was the end of the game
I’ll take that as a compliment as I LOVE a cheeky tea break mate 😂 I can see why you’d naturally make that change to have a climactic final battle. Looking forward to getting there!
P.s. I like that you went through this and jumped around… it’s your initial look and mine was the same way. If this was a how to run video, you’d have been much more scripted, and it would have been less fun
Apparently my post with links was deleted… if you’d like them let me know
Ah i'm glad to hear that you prefered it like that. I want it to be an authentic depiction of how you handle this kind of module! :)
If you think the opening combat is too difficult, change it. Jeez.
I absolutely would
I’m pretty sure that the reason the combats seem so difficult is because they’re from DnD 3.5, where a level 5 character is basically impossible to hit for a CR 1 creature.
@@kendallcarlson5502 yes it’s a 3.5 module, my edition of choice so I’m very familiar with how lethal it is.
@@PerformanceCheck gotcha! I wrongly assumed you were playing 5e. My apologies.
@@kendallcarlson5502 no apology necessary friend. It’s the system of like 80% of tables so a fair assessment to make. ⚔️