Help me! I need to make sure this campaign premise is good before it starts!

[Brendanicus]

Hi! I really need help putting my campaign together. I'm a very inexperienced DM running a game with mostly very inexperienced players. However, my gut is telling me that something is wrong worth what I have planned. Advice is always helpful.

I gave my players the choice of two types of campaigns (Both taken from modules), a "near-endless dungeon with multiple plotlines" (The World's Largest Dungeon), and a "LOTR-inpired campaign that would feature the party going up against a huge army in a series huge battles and covert operations. With lots of dragons." (Red Hand of Doom).

They picked the dungeon campaign. Now, I've read up on critical reception of both modules in more detail following the vote, and I can't help but feel that the players could lose interest in TWLD, because it is repetitive, and often bland.
I'm taking the following steps to recitfy normal WLD problems:

-Players start out with "Rings of Lesser Sustenence" that basically means that they don't need to eat or drink, though they still feel hunger and thirst. I don't want my players worrying about supplies on top of traps, diseases, and enemies. Too much for them to handle.

-Lowering the ridiculous DC's on many of the traps.

-Though we will be starting with the level 1-3 sections, the party will start at level 3. Thankfully, TWLD has instructions to scale up every encounter, which I will wholeheartedly take advantage of. Unfortunately, this means PC's will be either overleveled later on, or they will level up VERY slowly, which would suck.

-I'm keeping a list of theme-appropriate monsters to sub out some of the repetitive encounters for. Nobody wants to fight 20 fiendish dire rats when some could be fiendish dire weasels.

-I'm giving my Bard and Ranger Disable Device and Search as class skills, as nobody wanted to play Rogue. Also, all classes now have Trapfinding in this game; it only matters who has a good Search/DD. Also, I'm giving my Bard 8 skill points per level to buff him a bit.

-More NPC's, though my current list is sparse. One idea is a traveling Black Dragon merchant who disguises herself as an old elf woman. She trades with PC's, hoping that by tailing them, she could follow them to freedom. However, she is distrustful of anybody discovering her true identity, as adventurers and black dragons don't often mix well.

--Another idea is a mysterious figure known as "The Swarm Mum", an unknown entity who is always followed by a huge swarm of fiendish rats. In reality, The Swarm Mum is a PC, specifically the PC of a player who needs a new character, as their old one died. The Swarm Mum is followed by rats because she kills so many people, that she provides a feast for them. When The Swarm Mum joins the party, rats will cease to attack them. Since so little is known about the Swarm Mum, and their chosen murder method leaves no evidence thanks to the rats, she (or he, for lols) could be any class.

--Maybe some other adventurers as friendly NPC's.

-Also, my party consists of a Druid (yes, I know they say not to play those), a Barbarian, a Duskblade, a Dwarf Cleric, a Bard, and a Ranger.

Any suggestions or ideas in any way would be greatly appreciated, thank you.

[Gandariel]

I don't know anything about the module in question, but I would highly suggest getting a real plot. They are in a dungeon, ok, but why? And these other charachters, don't just introduce to male the scene more colourful. I mean, totally do that, but also introduce plot characters!

A great example is here in OOTS.
Random dungeon for a while,then they remember that they do have a reason to be there. Then they meet another party with another purpose, they help them or fight them. If your players don't read the Order of the stick I'd just straight up steal the whole Nale plot line.

Or you can make it so that some evil guy wants to kill them, and does stuff like use illusion to split them in two groups, make them fight against each other, get them lost ,etc.

They will finally (by, say, saving a fairy) receive an item that will let them pierce the illusions and they will finally go and fight the evil dude in his private chamber.

[Brendanicus]

I have a basic plot idea going on- Maybe the party was being sentenced to death by being forced into the World's Largest Dungeon by a Blue Dragon warlord who had recently conquered the territory it resided in. This could give players motivation to escape and kill the dragon for revenge/freedom, and also give more NPC interaction. For example, subsequent sets of prisoners cold be sent in, such as regular adventurers, or maybe disgraced assassins sent on one final job: To make sure that the party actually dies.

Maybe the merchant could be one such assassin, hoping to both help the party (and herself by extension) without jeopardizing relations with the Blue Dragon should the party actually escape the dungeon. Maybe the merchant could be a half-dragon, and the daughter of the emperor.

EDIT: I do want to rail-road my players a bit, if only so they don't get bogged down in less-interesting dungeon sections. Also, more plot is good. Therefore, each major sector of TWLD will be sealed off, and will only admit those who stand up to great evil (often the boss/collection of evil faction leader) in a sector. Basically, PC's must explore to advance, but can't make a beeline for the exit.

[Renen]

They are in a dungeon, ok, but why?
I recently watched this anime (fabulous by the way) called Magi:The Labyrinth of Magic.
While not the focus of the whole plot, there ARE a number of labyrinths (read, dungeons) that appeared in the world. They are notoriously deadly, and going in pretty much means you arent going out. But a buncha people still go in them. Why?
Because there's treasure in it. Heck, one of the two main characters goes into the dungeon to get enough money to start a brothel. The other goes in because he likes adventure, is strong enough to beat the dungeon, and despite eing young knows how nice it would be to have a friend who runs a brothel.
Yeh...

[Sam K]

A great example is here in OOTS.
Random dungeon for a while,then they remember that they do have a reason to be there.

This can be a great way to start off a party of new players. If they don't know much about RP, it can be easier to figure out their characters motivations and quirks after they have played a bit, and figured out what they enjoy doing.

One long dungeon crawl can get dull after a while (especially if the party find they enjoy social interactions and story telling more than combat), so don't be afraid to pull them out of the dungeon early if it's obvious they would enjoy something else more. You can always have them return after a bit.

And kudos on the wisdom of giving everyone trapfinding: you sholdn't be forced to have a rogue just to deal with traps.

Good luck!