Vhaidara
2014-11-25, 06:50 PM
So, my cousin (studying abroad) tasked me with running a DnD campaign for the younger cousins at Thanksgiving in a few days. None of them, to my knowledge, have played before, and I don't know what they are playing. I've made a few DMPCs designed to be usable as gap fillers.
I've decided to use PF to introduce them, but because I was given short notice, I'm using Saltmarsh from the 3.5 DMGII as a setting. I was going to use Rise of the Runelords, but then I realized that this campaign will only go for a few days, then will be dead for at least a year, if not forever. They're going to be level one, and I plan on having each "adventure" last one day of the visit and end with a level up. I do intend to allow DSP material, and will be asking what they want to do before helping them build their characters.
So, I plan on starting them already on a mission from Saltmarsh. The head of the Smith's Guild has ordered 20lbs of mithral, and it is several days late. So he has hired adventurers to go investigate. Here is my encounter plan (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/11vnAGJqYgLANptbSy4jlFvIgR3ADEMAn1IZdEZLgPlk/edit#gid=0). I have a tabletop setup I can use for them, this is my reference doc for it. The three areas are set up as 3 sheets. The black border is the edge of where my combat grid can reach.
The blue areas are where the party forms up when initiative is rolled.
The first encounter is against a single wolf. During this, one of the kobold raiders who attacked the caravan sees the party. After they look around, they will find tracks, but by the time they do the kobold has scampered and set up an ambush.
The kobolds lie in wait, and will spring the trap when the party reaches the middle section. This is an encounter that Perception checks might help them get the jump on their foes.
The third encounter is in a cave. Two normal kobolds and a level 1 kobold fighter with a longspear are being raucous. There is a stone door after them leading down a hallway. Halfway down is a trap that drops a weak ditherbomb if triggered. Ditherbombs are a 3.5 item: goes off 3 rounds after being thrown for 1d6 in a 5ft burst (DC 10 reflex for half).
The noise from this (if it goes off) will also alert the Lizardfolk who is leading the kobolds, allowing him to roll initiative. If the party avoids the bomb, they get a surprise round.
After killing the lizardfolk, they still need to find the mithral. At this point, a Perception check will reveal that the wall jutting out has a mechanism to move it. After a final Ditherbomb trap, the party finds the stolen goods from the caravan.
So, does the playground think this is a workable first adventure? I'm not normally a big fan of using traps, but I feel the ditherbombs work because of the 3 round delay on them.
I've decided to use PF to introduce them, but because I was given short notice, I'm using Saltmarsh from the 3.5 DMGII as a setting. I was going to use Rise of the Runelords, but then I realized that this campaign will only go for a few days, then will be dead for at least a year, if not forever. They're going to be level one, and I plan on having each "adventure" last one day of the visit and end with a level up. I do intend to allow DSP material, and will be asking what they want to do before helping them build their characters.
So, I plan on starting them already on a mission from Saltmarsh. The head of the Smith's Guild has ordered 20lbs of mithral, and it is several days late. So he has hired adventurers to go investigate. Here is my encounter plan (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/11vnAGJqYgLANptbSy4jlFvIgR3ADEMAn1IZdEZLgPlk/edit#gid=0). I have a tabletop setup I can use for them, this is my reference doc for it. The three areas are set up as 3 sheets. The black border is the edge of where my combat grid can reach.
The blue areas are where the party forms up when initiative is rolled.
The first encounter is against a single wolf. During this, one of the kobold raiders who attacked the caravan sees the party. After they look around, they will find tracks, but by the time they do the kobold has scampered and set up an ambush.
The kobolds lie in wait, and will spring the trap when the party reaches the middle section. This is an encounter that Perception checks might help them get the jump on their foes.
The third encounter is in a cave. Two normal kobolds and a level 1 kobold fighter with a longspear are being raucous. There is a stone door after them leading down a hallway. Halfway down is a trap that drops a weak ditherbomb if triggered. Ditherbombs are a 3.5 item: goes off 3 rounds after being thrown for 1d6 in a 5ft burst (DC 10 reflex for half).
The noise from this (if it goes off) will also alert the Lizardfolk who is leading the kobolds, allowing him to roll initiative. If the party avoids the bomb, they get a surprise round.
After killing the lizardfolk, they still need to find the mithral. At this point, a Perception check will reveal that the wall jutting out has a mechanism to move it. After a final Ditherbomb trap, the party finds the stolen goods from the caravan.
So, does the playground think this is a workable first adventure? I'm not normally a big fan of using traps, but I feel the ditherbombs work because of the 3 round delay on them.