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First time DM

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
raydyn13
Dec 09, 2010 7:59:44 I am attempting to be a DM for the first time, our group fell apart about 6 months ago, and now we all want to play again, I am the only one willing to DM, here is the problem 6 months ago is when I started playing. Does anybody have any good level one adventures I could start out with so get my feet wet and not have an epic failure my first time around. I was able to get most the group back, but right now I sense doubt from most of them that I will be able to do this and make it fun. Any and all ideas are welcome.

Thanks, Raydyn13
#2
lerusius
Dec 09, 2010 9:02:34 If you just want to get your feet wet I recommend doing the Dungeonmasters guide (DMG) adventure. Its not at all advanced, a bit combat-heavy and if it don't work out you haven't spent a lot of time on it.

If you don't have the DMG i recommended the Chaos Scar adventure Stick in the Mud. Also a bit combat-heavy but it is possible for the PCs to be sneaky if they want too.

By the way, what happened with the group 6 months ago?
#3
saerileth
Dec 09, 2010 14:45:41 You could also try some of the stand-alone encounters in the Dungeon Delve, if you have it. Most of all, you should find out what kind of game your players enjoy, and quickly. Don't expect too much roleplaying, most starters feel awkward at it (Is still do, so I'm sticking to monster description and indirect speech). It's fine to focus on the game mechanics at first, IF it can entice your players. If not, cut back on the details and advance the plot.
#4
pruano
Dec 09, 2010 16:05:20
If you just want to get your feet wet I recommend doing the Dungeonmasters guide (DMG) adventure. Its not at all advanced, a bit combat-heavy and if it don't work out you haven't spent a lot of time on it.

If you don't have the DMG i recommended the Chaos Scar adventure Stick in the Mud. Also a bit combat-heavy but it is possible for the PCs to be sneaky if they want too.

I second this options, and they are all in the same setting (Nentir Vale), so if things go right, you have plenty to follow with.

The Chaos Scar adventures are especially suited for non-experienced DMs.

#5
Dreamstryder
Dec 09, 2010 16:47:53 If you don't have a DMG yet, you could get the Dungeon Master's Kit instead; it comes with 2 adventures and is meant for beginning DMs, however I myself have not seen it.

My current guide for fun games is to keep these 3:
-PCs NEED something; things'll be worse otherwise, so adventure forth!
-RISK of good AND bad results
-a SURPRISE in every box. Vary what they find & play up the suspense. Allow them to come up with their own solutions to problems. See how exhilarating you can make things.
#6
pruano
Dec 09, 2010 17:10:02
If you don't have a DMG yet, you could get the Dungeon Master's Kit instead; it comes with 2 adventures and is meant for beginning DMs, however I myself have not seen it.

While i highly recommend the DMK for the content, including the adventure (only one actually, divided in two parts) which is very good, its also for adventurers of lv2, and takes a while to prepare (lots of background), NOT recommended for a new DM.

The Red Box however is also a good option, comes with rules and an adventure, as well as generic tokens. I didnt suggest the Red Box because you said you had already played, thus already having the resources that the Red Box brings, and just needed an easy adventure.

#7
calm
Jan 04, 2011 19:35:08 Here you go. Level 1 adventure.

1. The characters arrive in a village to discover that it has been attacked. Many villagers are dead, and most of the young strong men have been taken. (fill in the blank; orcs, gnolls, goblins, other) attacked the village a few hours ago.
2. A village elder named X sees the party and asks for help in recovering those taken, or avenging them if that's all that can be done. Write up a few personality quirks. He/she will offer X if they need encouragement (major quest). If the party needs extra motivation, one of them had family in the village and someone they know was taken.
3. Create one or two interesting personalities in town who can describe the attack that the PCs can interact with. Everyone else is too distraught. The raiders headed east toward the X hills. The trail is obvious.
4. On the way to the raider's camp, the party is attacked by some of the gang hanging back. Use 2 artillery creatures, a brute, and 4-6 minions. (if needed, you could also kick the campaign off with this encounter). Any captured bad guys will say that the others were headed back to camp; the slaves are to be sold to duergar or drow slavemaster in a few days time.
5. The party trails the raiders to an old ruined fort that is partially standing. The defenses aren't great, but there are some guards outside (2-3 minions; if the PCs can take them out quiet, they can reach the main buildings safely, otherwise there's a secondary encounter on the grounds).
6. The party explores 3-4 buildings containing various groups of raiders, probably 2 easy encounters, using a mix of brutes, skirmishers, and minions. Perhaps throw a trap or two around the grounds. Make sure that the party has time for short rests between the encounters. Consider having a partial encounter with a raider and his pet beast kept in a cage that he opens when they get near (worg, bear, or other monster) while the raider uses a bow on them from a higher location.
7. Eventually, the group enters the main keep building with the head boss. Have it show up, trade some words with the PCs, and then the big fight occurs. Have minions stationed in high places with bows. The boss is a controller or a soldier; he's got 2 brute guards, and a 4-6 minions (in addition to the 4 up high) around the room; make sure there are places for cover, hanging chandeliers, and other terrain to jump on and off of. After the fight, the PCs realize that the villagers aren't there; they question the boss or some minion and discover that they've been taken to a rendevous point to be traded away. There's a tunnel underground in the dungeon below the main keep. Good time for an extended rest.
8. On the way, the tunnel opens into a cave. There is a monster or monsters there (non humanoid) that attack the party.
9. The party encounters some interesting and cool underground terrain. You could add in another monster cave, or go to the holding cave. It's a series of caverns with more of the raiders. Have one minor encounter before the main fight that warns the others. Then the party gets to the main cavern with the raiders and villagers.
10. Big fight. The raiders #2 is here (some sort of spell caster) with skirmisher raiders and maybe some sort of pet brute monster protecting the caster. Make this a hard fight, but not as hard as the boss fight. When they win, they rescue the prisoners, yeah! There is a tunnel going down.
11. But even as they do, the slavers arrive from the Underdark and aren't happy. There's another fight (moderate strength) with 8-10 minions and 2 soldiers. But there are sounds or references to the larger force soon arriving. After they win, the group needs to get out.
12. Fleeing is a skill challenge requiring physical endurance and mental tricks to get out quick. Each failure brings 4-6 slaver minions in an attack. If they get a success, the party escapes back to the keep harried but ok. If they fail, the last failure brings an attack with 2 slaver brutes and the minions.

I'd suggest duergar for slavers. After the adventure, the group goes to level 2. But they now have enemies. They might want to investigate where that tunnel goes. Or the slavers hire some thugs to track and attack the party. Go from there.
#8
pruano
Jan 07, 2011 12:41:18
Here you go. Level 1 adventure.

11. But even as they do, the slavers arrive from the Underdark and aren't happy. There's another fight (moderate strength) with 8-10 minions and 2 soldiers. But there are sounds or references to the larger force soon arriving. After they win, the group needs to get out.
12. Fleeing is a skill challenge requiring physical endurance and mental tricks to get out quick. Each failure brings 4-6 slaver minions in an attack. If they get a success, the party escapes back to the keep harried but ok. If they fail, the last failure brings an attack with 2 slaver brutes and the minions.

I'd suggest duergar for slavers. After the adventure, the group goes to level 2. But they now have enemies. They might want to investigate where that tunnel goes. Or the slavers hire some thugs to track and attack the party. Go from there.

Duergars are lv 4 creatures at least, and there is little chance for extended rests in your scenario.

I would recomend goblins for the raiders, hobgoblins for the slavers, in a l1 party adventure.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 raydyn13 Dec 09, 2010 7:59:44	I am attempting to be a DM for the first time, our group fell apart about 6 months ago, and now we all want to play again, I am the only one willing to DM, here is the problem 6 months ago is when I started playing. Does anybody have any good level one adventures I could start out with so get my feet wet and not have an epic failure my first time around. I was able to get most the group back, but right now I sense doubt from most of them that I will be able to do this and make it fun. Any and all ideas are welcome. Thanks, Raydyn13
#2 lerusius Dec 09, 2010 9:02:34	If you just want to get your feet wet I recommend doing the Dungeonmasters guide (DMG) adventure. Its not at all advanced, a bit combat-heavy and if it don't work out you haven't spent a lot of time on it. If you don't have the DMG i recommended the Chaos Scar adventure Stick in the Mud. Also a bit combat-heavy but it is possible for the PCs to be sneaky if they want too. By the way, what happened with the group 6 months ago?
#3 saerileth Dec 09, 2010 14:45:41	You could also try some of the stand-alone encounters in the Dungeon Delve, if you have it. Most of all, you should find out what kind of game your players enjoy, and quickly. Don't expect too much roleplaying, most starters feel awkward at it (Is still do, so I'm sticking to monster description and indirect speech). It's fine to focus on the game mechanics at first, IF it can entice your players. If not, cut back on the details and advance the plot.
#4 pruano Dec 09, 2010 16:05:20	If you just want to get your feet wet I recommend doing the Dungeonmasters guide (DMG) adventure. Its not at all advanced, a bit combat-heavy and if it don't work out you haven't spent a lot of time on it. If you don't have the DMG i recommended the Chaos Scar adventure Stick in the Mud. Also a bit combat-heavy but it is possible for the PCs to be sneaky if they want too. I second this options, and they are all in the same setting (Nentir Vale), so if things go right, you have plenty to follow with. The Chaos Scar adventures are especially suited for non-experienced DMs.
#5 Dreamstryder Dec 09, 2010 16:47:53	If you don't have a DMG yet, you could get the Dungeon Master's Kit instead; it comes with 2 adventures and is meant for beginning DMs, however I myself have not seen it. My current guide for fun games is to keep these 3: -PCs NEED something; things'll be worse otherwise, so adventure forth! -RISK of good AND bad results -a SURPRISE in every box. Vary what they find & play up the suspense. Allow them to come up with their own solutions to problems. See how exhilarating you can make things.
#6 pruano Dec 09, 2010 17:10:02	If you don't have a DMG yet, you could get the Dungeon Master's Kit instead; it comes with 2 adventures and is meant for beginning DMs, however I myself have not seen it. While i highly recommend the DMK for the content, including the adventure (only one actually, divided in two parts) which is very good, its also for adventurers of lv2, and takes a while to prepare (lots of background), NOT recommended for a new DM. The Red Box however is also a good option, comes with rules and an adventure, as well as generic tokens. I didnt suggest the Red Box because you said you had already played, thus already having the resources that the Red Box brings, and just needed an easy adventure.
#7 calm Jan 04, 2011 19:35:08	Here you go. Level 1 adventure. 1. The characters arrive in a village to discover that it has been attacked. Many villagers are dead, and most of the young strong men have been taken. (fill in the blank; orcs, gnolls, goblins, other) attacked the village a few hours ago. 2. A village elder named X sees the party and asks for help in recovering those taken, or avenging them if that's all that can be done. Write up a few personality quirks. He/she will offer X if they need encouragement (major quest). If the party needs extra motivation, one of them had family in the village and someone they know was taken. 3. Create one or two interesting personalities in town who can describe the attack that the PCs can interact with. Everyone else is too distraught. The raiders headed east toward the X hills. The trail is obvious. 4. On the way to the raider's camp, the party is attacked by some of the gang hanging back. Use 2 artillery creatures, a brute, and 4-6 minions. (if needed, you could also kick the campaign off with this encounter). Any captured bad guys will say that the others were headed back to camp; the slaves are to be sold to duergar or drow slavemaster in a few days time. 5. The party trails the raiders to an old ruined fort that is partially standing. The defenses aren't great, but there are some guards outside (2-3 minions; if the PCs can take them out quiet, they can reach the main buildings safely, otherwise there's a secondary encounter on the grounds). 6. The party explores 3-4 buildings containing various groups of raiders, probably 2 easy encounters, using a mix of brutes, skirmishers, and minions. Perhaps throw a trap or two around the grounds. Make sure that the party has time for short rests between the encounters. Consider having a partial encounter with a raider and his pet beast kept in a cage that he opens when they get near (worg, bear, or other monster) while the raider uses a bow on them from a higher location. 7. Eventually, the group enters the main keep building with the head boss. Have it show up, trade some words with the PCs, and then the big fight occurs. Have minions stationed in high places with bows. The boss is a controller or a soldier; he's got 2 brute guards, and a 4-6 minions (in addition to the 4 up high) around the room; make sure there are places for cover, hanging chandeliers, and other terrain to jump on and off of. After the fight, the PCs realize that the villagers aren't there; they question the boss or some minion and discover that they've been taken to a rendevous point to be traded away. There's a tunnel underground in the dungeon below the main keep. Good time for an extended rest. 8. On the way, the tunnel opens into a cave. There is a monster or monsters there (non humanoid) that attack the party. 9. The party encounters some interesting and cool underground terrain. You could add in another monster cave, or go to the holding cave. It's a series of caverns with more of the raiders. Have one minor encounter before the main fight that warns the others. Then the party gets to the main cavern with the raiders and villagers. 10. Big fight. The raiders #2 is here (some sort of spell caster) with skirmisher raiders and maybe some sort of pet brute monster protecting the caster. Make this a hard fight, but not as hard as the boss fight. When they win, they rescue the prisoners, yeah! There is a tunnel going down. 11. But even as they do, the slavers arrive from the Underdark and aren't happy. There's another fight (moderate strength) with 8-10 minions and 2 soldiers. But there are sounds or references to the larger force soon arriving. After they win, the group needs to get out. 12. Fleeing is a skill challenge requiring physical endurance and mental tricks to get out quick. Each failure brings 4-6 slaver minions in an attack. If they get a success, the party escapes back to the keep harried but ok. If they fail, the last failure brings an attack with 2 slaver brutes and the minions. I'd suggest duergar for slavers. After the adventure, the group goes to level 2. But they now have enemies. They might want to investigate where that tunnel goes. Or the slavers hire some thugs to track and attack the party. Go from there.
#8 pruano Jan 07, 2011 12:41:18	Here you go. Level 1 adventure. 11. But even as they do, the slavers arrive from the Underdark and aren't happy. There's another fight (moderate strength) with 8-10 minions and 2 soldiers. But there are sounds or references to the larger force soon arriving. After they win, the group needs to get out. 12. Fleeing is a skill challenge requiring physical endurance and mental tricks to get out quick. Each failure brings 4-6 slaver minions in an attack. If they get a success, the party escapes back to the keep harried but ok. If they fail, the last failure brings an attack with 2 slaver brutes and the minions. I'd suggest duergar for slavers. After the adventure, the group goes to level 2. But they now have enemies. They might want to investigate where that tunnel goes. Or the slavers hire some thugs to track and attack the party. Go from there. Duergars are lv 4 creatures at least, and there is little chance for extended rests in your scenario. I would recomend goblins for the raiders, hobgoblins for the slavers, in a l1 party adventure.