Advice Needed for New Campaign

[Crusher]

So (deep breath) after 20+ years of not playing D&D (last time I played, AD&D 2nd edition was still pretty new), I find myself having volunteered to DM a 5e campaign. Fortunately, the other players are mostly either novices or significantly out of practice as well. My objectives are to not completely crash and burn, and to do my best to make sure the players have fun. Those don't seem unreasonably ambitious.

Thankfully, I've been a regular on this website and played DDO in its early days when it pretty closely resembled D&D, so I'm passably familiar with 3.0 and 3.5. I've picked up the 5e players handbook and DM's guide and have been familiarizing myself with the rules as they now stand. So far nothing horribly unexpected and I figure I can hit the FAQ thread for rule questions.

My inquiry here is really more broadly based. Running 5e, are there quirks I should be aware of? Like outdoor adventures being instantly fatal, archery being OP, or that Monks are pointless (none of which I think to be true, just tossing them out as exmples).

Also, when did modules stop being a thing? I assumed I'd hit Amazon and order whatever 5e Level 1-4 adventure from WotC seemed most appealing (an updated Village of Hommlet, perhaps?) and the only thing available is the huge Tiamat thing which seems rather ambitious to throw at a bunch of novice level 1 characters. Am I looking in the wrong place or are DMs expected to create all their own adventures these days? I haven't created an adventure in a *really* long time (and updating an old module to 5e rules would fall into the same category), and having a very tenuous grasp of 5e mechanics, I'm a little afraid of either underchallenging the characters and boring them or overchallenging them and obliterating the party. Greeting a new group of players with a TPK would solidly fail my DMing objectives.

So, anyway, I'm hoping someone familiar with 5e will pat me on the head, tell me I'll be fine (I'm cool with being lied to in this fashion as long as its done convincingly) and pontificate at length over their experiences with 5e.

[Shadow]

Download the Basic Rules (http://dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/basicrules) for players and DMs. There are a few things in there that aren't specifically spelled out in the full printed versions (or at least there used to be).
Then grab the Starter Set off of Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Dungeons-Dragons-Starter-Set-Roleplaying/dp/0786965592) for $12. It'll take you to level 4 or 5, and to be honest it's far better than Hoard of the Dragon Queen in pacing, style, and general getting your feet wet for both you and the party.
By the time they get through with the Starter Set, if you guys are enjoying the game and feel like doing something a bit more ambitious, then you can go ahead and jump into HotDQ without too many major modifications.

As for what happened to modules:
There aren't too many available at the moment because the game/edition is so new. There's the Starter Set, HotDQ (and follow up), and another path coming in April (I believe).

And you probably really will be just fine. You remember AD&D, and that's a great base to start from. 5e is actually much more streamlined and less convoluted, while keeping the *feel* that 2e had.

[Celcey]

I agree, the basic set is probably your the best bet. HotDQ is a bit deadly at low levels, and that is one thing to be aware: it can be pretty deadly at the lower levels, 1-3. But the basic set should take care of that. And honestly, the only thing you really need to do is read the books, especially the Players Handbook, because the rules you'll be using most of the time come from there. Once you're done with the Starter Set, you can continue from there. It's not hard to make anything in 5e. I'm a complete newb to D&D in general, and I'm DMining two games just fine.

[Crusher]

Thanks! Good advice!