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2 years ago ::
Jul 20, 2011 - 9:57AM
#1
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Date Joined:
Aug 30, 2010
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I may have to DM (4th Ed) for a group of players that (probably) never played D&D before (dont know who is coming), want to give a good impression (so they become regulars) and im looking for suggestions.
I usually prefer campaigns, elaborate stories; normally starting with a published adventure and making several adaptations to adjust it more to my liking (dont we all?), but that is clearly out this time.
I also dont have much time to prepare (and considering it may not even happen, dont want to spend a lot for nothing), so a published adventure may be my best option; is there a good, short adventure out there that gives a good experience for new gamers?
I thought about the first adventure of the Dungeon Delve, but that lacks roleplaying (which i believe would be a big plus), and there isnt much way to add it.
I could wing it (a DM friend of mine is an expert at that, and works very well in this kind of situation, unfortunately he is unavailable), but im not that spontaneous and would prefer some framework on which to base myself.
Any suggestions?
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2 years ago ::
Jul 20, 2011 - 11:16AM
#2
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Date Joined:
Jun 22, 2011
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try taking the town of Saltmarsh from the 3.5 DMG II, an excellent place for roleplay that is fleshed out and ready to go. Plenty of opportunity for adventure around there.
If the players havent played many real RPG's, don't worry *too* much about an elaborate story. A good backdrop with oppurtunities to explore would be best for this situation. Don't blow it off, of course...
A great man once said "If WotC put out boxes full of free money there'd still be people complaining about how it's folded." – Boraxe Pulp "Encumbrance"
Show
http://rottenpulp.blogspot.com/2012/06/matt-rundles-anti-hammerspace-item.html
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2 years ago ::
Jul 20, 2011 - 11:55AM
#3
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I'd look in Dungeon for some of the earlier Chaos Scar adventures (171 has the first two). They're pretty short, but still have more apparent roleplay options than Dungeon Delve does. Go here to get familiar with the Chaos Scar and learn more about setting up games in the area.
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2 years ago ::
Jul 20, 2011 - 2:18PM
#4
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Date Joined:
Nov 19, 2008
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Kobold Hall from the DMG is a good "one-shot" scenario for beginners. The book Dungeon Delve also has a few short adventures, but yes you will need to sit down and write a short backstory. ToeSama's advice on Chaos Scar adventures is also very good!
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2 years ago ::
Jul 20, 2011 - 7:07PM
#5
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Date Joined:
May 12, 2009
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The Dungeon adventure Dead By Dawn can give a creepy feel and some good vibe.
Yan
Montréal, Canada
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2 years ago ::
Jul 20, 2011 - 10:36PM
#6
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Date Joined:
Mar 14, 2009
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Kobold Hall from the DMG is a good "one-shot" scenario for beginners. The book Dungeon Delve also has a few short adventures, but yes you will need to sit down and write a short backstory. ToeSama's advice on Chaos Scar adventures is also very good!
I second the Kobold Hall from DMG. It's easy to run, needs minimal prep time, and can be the prelude to any (later) story you wish if it's a hit and they want to keep playing.
If you want them role-playing out of the gate, write "character hook" one liners on scraps of paper and have everyone draw one at the beginning (e.g. "you're a fugitive from a neighboring town and are trying to avoid arrest", "picking fights is your favorite thing", "you'll steal anything you can get your hand on", "evildoers must be punished at all costs", "you must win fame to win your true love"). Have several so they can choose again if they draw one they absoluely hate.
Most people need a little help imagining a character, then acting like a character. Give 'em some training wheels. They'll get the hang of it.
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2 years ago ::
Jul 21, 2011 - 12:09AM
#7
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Date Joined:
May 24, 2010
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There is a short adventure called "Escape from Sembia" that was released as a demo game that I have run a couple of times. It is fairly short (and can be further shortened) easy to run and includes pre-made characters (if the players want to use them).
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2 years ago ::
Jul 21, 2011 - 7:01AM
#8
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Date Joined:
Aug 30, 2010
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Thanks for the suggestions, everyone.
Im probably settling on a mix of Dead by Dawn/background+first encounter of the Last Legacy of Evard, with the mood of the John Carpenter movie "The Fog".
Also thanks to Coolscribe for the "Escape from Sembia" suggestion, that is indeed a good small adventure that i had totally forgotten about, a very good second choice.
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2 years ago ::
Jul 22, 2011 - 11:11AM
#9
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Date Joined:
May 12, 2003
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I still highly recommend Kobold Hall out of the 4e DMG, and in fact blogged about it today here: Kruthik Hall: How To Re-Skin Starter Adventures
You'll see steps and advice on how to reflavor it so it has different creatures feel, to help keep it fresh while still save you a lot of time since you don't need to create a whole new adventure from scratch.
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2 years ago ::
Jul 22, 2011 - 12:00PM
#10
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Date Joined:
Aug 30, 2010
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Kobold Hall isnt the type of adventure i would use with first time gamers.
While it has interesting encounters (which i have borrowed from for other adventures), its a simple dungeon crawl (and it doesnt pretend to be nothing else, as stated), with combat encounter after combat encounter and only the skull-skull stone and the rolling boulder to break the pace; it railroads to the extreme, not giving even a hint of freedom to the players.
While a staple of D&D and roleplaying games, its not the image i want to give.
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