PDA

View Full Version : What adventure book to run?



Aurosman
2019-03-21, 03:24 AM
So I am going to be introducing 2 new players to d&d with a 1 shot this weekend. Both of them really enjoyed watching streams like critical role so am hoping they want to continue playing after that.

So what book should I run? I am unable to run lost mines, tomb of annihilation, or water deep because the other 2 players have done them before.

Also this is my first time being a dm, so a better written one would be awesome. Thanks for any advice.

Kane0
2019-03-21, 03:36 AM
Yawning Portal?

LuccMa
2019-03-21, 03:54 AM
I dont think you need a book if its just going to be a one-shot. On DMsGuild there are a BUNCH of one-shots for levels 1-3 for a few cents or for free.

I ran "Moon over Graymoor" as a one-shot for new players and it was quite fun. It is a bit more on the "mystery / investigative" side of things.

"A Most Potent Brew" was more "classic dnd esque" with a small dungeon. It was also a lot of fun to run as an intro into a campaign.

If its just two players you would have to town down the difficulty a bit, though. Both adventures i mentioned were fun to run and are free to get on DMsGuild.

Kind regards,
LuccMa

Madfellow
2019-03-21, 06:48 AM
Princes of the Apocalypse has a great low-level sandbox zone with a mini-dungeon occupied by "The Lord of Lance Rock," a 5th level necromancer. I think it makes a great introduction to the game, with a couple plot hooks that lead into the bigger story.

And if your new players are CR fans, you could port the adventure into Tal'Dorei, like I did for my group, and fluff the four elemental cults as rogue splinter factions of the Ashari tribes.

Good luck!

Sigreid
2019-03-21, 06:55 AM
Tales of the Yawning Portal has the advantage of having the Sunless Citedel, and having several other adventures you can run if they are into it. The Sunless Citidel (which I clearly cant spell this morning) has combat, exploration and ample opportunity for negotiation and alliance building.

Ventruenox
2019-03-21, 08:38 AM
I ran Dralnu's Army of the Damned (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?425679-Army-of-the-Damned-Free-lvl-1-5-adventure-set-in-Magic-the-Gathering-s-Innistrad) as a three session one-shot which was received very well by my table. Their jaws actually dropped when I poured a bag of Zombies! game pieces onto the field in front of them.

IIzak
2019-03-21, 08:54 AM
If you're just looking for a One-shot, I feel like "A Wild Sheepchase" needs to be mentioned. It's a pretty entertaining one that's easy to mold and adapt.

SunderedWorldDM
2019-03-21, 08:54 AM
I would also recommend Princes of the Apocalypse, as it's easy to run for a new DM and can easily be ported into another setting or be modified without changing much about wither PotA or the other setting/adventure you're shoehorning in.

I wouldn't recommend Out of the Abyss. It's poorly written, the NPCs are a lot of bookkeeping for the DM, and it is especially difficult for new players to get into. If your group was more experienced, I would have better reviews, but it's not great for a new group.

I don't know much about the other modules, but if you can find a good way to link the adventures in Yawning Portal together with some semblance of a plot, then that's just as good a choice as PotA, but I can't recommend it personally. Good luck with your new group!

LtPowers
2019-03-21, 10:23 AM
"A Great Upheaval", the first chapter of Storm King's Thunder.


Powers &8^]

2D8HP
2019-03-21, 01:48 PM
What I most suggest is:

Into the Borderlands (http://goodman-games.com/store/product/original-adventures-reincarnated-1-into-the-borderlands/)

which updates to 5e the first "module" I every ran.

Mjolnirbear
2019-03-21, 02:13 PM
What I most suggest is:

Into the Borderlands (http://goodman-games.com/store/product/original-adventures-reincarnated-1-into-the-borderlands/)

which updates to 5e the first "module" I every ran.

... 50 bucks? Ouch.

Aurosman
2019-03-21, 05:28 PM
Princes of the apocalypse was one of the books I was looking at, just have no idea how adventure books are because all my games have been in homebrew worlds. Also was looking at curse of strahd, the tiamat one, and storm kings thunder.

A little more clarification, I actually found a level 3 one shot that looks detailed and easy enough to run, so am going to use that. Just trying to get a head start at learning an adventure book if they decide to continue on, which I am pretty sure they will.

GlenSmash!
2019-03-21, 06:11 PM
I quite like this little adventurers league episode from season three. Also it's free.

https://media.wizards.com/2015/downloads/DDEX31_HarriedHillsfar.pdf

2D8HP
2019-03-22, 11:08 AM
... 50 bucks? Ouch.


Aren't the 5e WotC adventure books $50 as well?

GreyBlack
2019-03-23, 04:17 AM
So I am going to be introducing 2 new players to d&d with a 1 shot this weekend. Both of them really enjoyed watching streams like critical role so am hoping they want to continue playing after that.

So what book should I run? I am unable to run lost mines, tomb of annihilation, or water deep because the other 2 players have done them before.

Also this is my first time being a dm, so a better written one would be awesome. Thanks for any advice.

How are your conversion skills? Maybe convert and run Against the Cult of the Reptile God? It's a fun romp.

Yora
2019-03-23, 04:28 AM
Wizards really needs to do a rerelease of that one for 5th ed. If you were to make a poll among people who played since before 2000 about which is the best adventure, this one would probably get the most votes.

They do sell it as a pdf. Shouldn't be too hard to make a conversion document listing which creatures and how many to use for the encounters, and replacing the treasures.

JoeJ
2019-03-23, 04:43 PM
How are your conversion skills? Maybe convert and run Against the Cult of the Reptile God? It's a fun romp.

It's one of my favorites, but it's based on a long-term charm ability that isn't in 5e.

Lunali
2019-03-23, 06:16 PM
Aren't the 5e WotC adventure books $50 as well?

They're $20-30, and appear to have considerably more content, though can't be sure since I'm not gonna pay $50 for a lvl 1-3 adventure module to find out.

BobTheOrc
2019-03-23, 06:17 PM
Aren't the 5e WotC adventure books $50 as well?

That's the MSRP, but if you buy them somewhere like Amazon, they'll typically be $30 or less.

2D8HP
2019-03-23, 10:00 PM
That's the MSRP, but if you buy them somewhere like Amazon, they'll typically be $30 or less.


Oh.

I've bought mine at local game shops and bookstore and try to support them.

I suppose that makes me a chump but I like my local shops and don't plan on buying "on-line".

Sigreid
2019-03-24, 08:34 PM
Oh.

I've bought mine at local game shops and bookstore and try to support them.

I suppose that makes me a chump but I like my local shops and don't plan on buying "on-line".

Doesn't make you a chump. It makes you someone who is getting 20 dollars of value to you out of that location over the course of a few months.

Mjolnirbear
2019-03-24, 10:33 PM
Oh.

I've bought mine at local game shops and bookstore and try to support them.

I suppose that makes me a chump but I like my local shops and don't plan on buying "on-line".

Not a chump. Though that book is also bought online and not at a FLGS.

GlenSmash!
2019-03-25, 01:09 PM
Oh.

I've bought mine at local game shops and bookstore and try to support them.

I suppose that makes me a chump but I like my local shops and don't plan on buying "on-line".

I'm lucky that my local game shop price matches amazon (as long as the book isn't in that 2 week time period where it's only on sale in stores).

Hence why I drive past another game shop to go to this one.

2D8HP
2019-04-04, 06:29 PM
Doesn't make you a chump...


Not a chump....


Thanks guys.


I'm lucky that my local game shop....


Especially after one of my fave's (where I bought Volo's) went out of business, I feel lucky that they're still other game shops that remain.

GlenSmash!
2019-04-04, 06:56 PM
Especially after one of my fave's (where I bought Volo's) went out of business, I feel lucky that they're still other game shops that remain.

Yeah I just found out that my previous flgs had gone under 2016. I bummed that that happened and that I missed the chance to get a bunch of stuff on clearance.