What would have to be included in the most cliche 1st level adventure for 5e?

[Wasp]

Hi everyone!

I was wondering what 5e or roleplaying tropes would have to be included in the most cliched 1st level adventure for 5e? The stuff you wouldn't dare to put into a campaign (or at least not straight or en masse)?

The obvious would be for me
- Mysterious hooded stranger in a tavern hires the PCs
- Party has to enter into a way too spacious sewer
- Party has to fight giant rats and/or goblins
- Party is betrayed (by their employer)

What do you think would have to be included?

[Kvess]

Based on my experience with 5e adventures? A brief peek of a monster that is of a much higher CR than the party can handle.

[NecessaryWeevil]

Long-dead bodies that...what a surprise...animate and attack. Bonus points if it's in some sort of tomb.
Ditto for the only statue or suit of armour in the entire dungeon.
A final villain who monologues and then escapes.
EDIT: The town of Phlan is threatened, damaged, or destroyed. You're not a real bad guy unless you've attacked Phlan at least once.

[KorvinStarmast]

Long-dead bodies that...what a surprise...animate and attack. Bonus points if it's in some sort of tomb.
Ditto for the only statue or suit of armour in the entire dungeon.
A final villain who monologues and then escapes. And the party is there because they met a mysterious stranger in a tavern who showed them a fragment of a map and told them of a wondrous treasure that could be had by those brave enough to face the terrors of the old ruin a few miles from town ...

[da newt]

A random party of strangers meets in a bar, they have almost zero skills/experience but they believe they are heroes/adventurers. Everyone else in the town can't do anything at all for themselves so they implore the very green team of random strangers to solve their most dire problem ... a girl needs to be rescued, the towns folk draw you a map to the location of the girl, but none of them will go with you.

The bard has to sing for his supper.
A pack of wolves attack (even though there are 5 well armed adults marching down the road and only 4 wolves, the wolves each attack a different adventurer but leave the squishiest one alone, they have forgotten that they are predators who attack only when they know they can kill the weakest prey).
There is a terrible riddle / puzzle that must be solved. A locked door must be opened.
There are healing potions just laying about in the room just beyond a fight with some skeletons.
The BBEG leads a small cult (it's always a cult) and he monologues and tells the party everything (he's an oversharer).
When you grab the gem from the hand of the idol, it sets off an Indiana Jones style trap.

[Catullus64]

Something involving rescuing missing townspeople/a prior group of adventurers seems to be a popular item.

[Pex]

The party is hired as guards for a caravan. The caravan will be accosted by bandits demanding a toll tax. Combat ensues.

There are premade characters for the adventure - dwarf fighter, human cleric, elf wizard, halfling rogue, half-elf bard. No one has an ability score above 15. The wizard and rogue have CO 10. Cleric spells are Cure Wounds and Bless. Wizard spells are Magic Missile and Burning Hands. Bard spells are Charm Person and Sleep. Cleric has a sling. Wizard has a crossbow. Rogue has a dagger and short sword. Fighter has a great sword. Bard has a dagger. The fighter has proficiency in some skill or tool that coincidentally matters for the mission.

[Reach Weapon]

A pack of wolves attack (even though there are 5 well armed adults marching down the road and only 4 wolves, the wolves each attack a different adventurer but leave the squishiest one alone, they have forgotten that they are predators who attack only when they know they can kill the weakest prey).
Bonus points if this is the inaugural/tutorial combat that teaches players how it is "supposed" to work.

[Catullus64]

Bonus points if this is the inaugural/tutorial combat that teaches players how it is "supposed" to work.

In fairness, a pack of easy enemies who behave in a tactically braindead fashion is ok if the players are still supposed to be figuring out how stuff like advantage or spell slots work.

[Imbalance]

The appearance of a dungeon and/or a dragon, probably both, presumably the latter dwells within the former.

[Unoriginal]

A couple or more semi-powerful semi-famous characters hanging around.

[Seclora]

The appearance of a dungeon and/or a dragon, probably both, presumably the latter dwells within the former.

At higher levels, when the party's seen a bit more, we'll spice things up by switching that around. Everybody's fought a Dragon in a Dungeon, but slightly fewer have fought a Dungeon in a Dragon.

[Gignere]

Rats in the basement of the tavern.

[Person_Man]

Rats in the basement of the tavern.

+1. The players all meet at an inn, the first fight must be against giant rats, and the DM must have an elaborate backstory for the game world which everyone ignores.

[Telok]

There needs to be at least one DC 20 perception check against an ambush with more goblins or kobolds than PCs.

Some random gangers in town who are 1-on-1 assured PC killers and get dropped in equal numbers on any PCs who split off to do shopping, talking to NPCs, or anything in the "safe" town without the full party present.

Enemies who are in the same place and doing the same thing no matter when the PCs get there. Ideal if its bandits having lunch in their hideout while fully armed and armored, at 2 AM.

[NecessaryWeevil]

And the party is there because they met a mysterious stranger in a tavern who showed them a fragment of a map and told them of a wondrous treasure that could be had by those brave enough to face the terrors of the old ruin a few miles from town ...

This is basically word for word the hook for the introductory MERP adventure!

[5eNeedsDarksun]

Ditto on the sewer... or wading through some sort of unspeakable muck. Probably leads to some Rot Grubs somewhere along the line.
The other one that occurs to me is just starting captured with none of their gear.
Basically both options involve putting characters through the ringer and probably gaining some item that isn't magical but has value beyond what they could afford with their starting coin.

[Pex]

One PC at some point in the adventure will suffer a level of exhaustion. There may or may not be a fight afterwards, but it's nowhere near long rest time. Game play takes a real world hour of traveling, exploring, and encountering non-combat obstacles. Everyone except that one player is having a blast while that player is miserable because he has to roll with disadvantage for everything. The DM thinks it's funny.

[ProsecutorGodot]

One PC at some point in the adventure will suffer a level of exhaustion. There may or may not be a fight afterwards, but it's nowhere near long rest time. Game play takes a real world hour of traveling, exploring, and encountering non-combat obstacles. Everyone except that one player is having a blast while that player is miserable because he has to roll with disadvantage for everything. The DM thinks it's funny.

Kind of reminds me of our last session of out of the abyss where we were given that peak of a creature with a CR completely outside of our level range and I was the only party member unable to actively flee on account of my being stunned for 7 minutes through madness, I was dragged out in the ensuing combat which turned into 1.5 hours table time. Of our 2 hour session.

It's not a real 5E adventure unless a powerful magic item is dangled in front of the party with either complete restriction on its use or a big important person who shows up to take it away. Bonus points if it's not even something the party is intended to hold, just something big important person has for them to look at while they do big and important things around you.

[Reach Weapon]

and the DM must have an elaborate backstory for the game world which everyone ignores.
Well don't look at me. You're the lunatics that wanted to go through this RPG designed for historians or linguists or whatever. (https://www.shamusyoung.com/twentysidedtale/?p=612)


In fairness, a pack of easy enemies who behave in a tactically braindead fashion is ok if the players are still supposed to be figuring out how stuff like advantage or spell slots work.
Sure, but there are so many better choices (e.g., less INT, lower CR, and no Pack Tactics) that it seems a bit hard to justify.

[Corvino]

There should be a Gazebo off in the distance, in order to terrify the genre-savvy adventurer.

If the party decide to approach it, ask "Are you sure you want to do that?". Then roll a mixed handful of dice, write down the results and start grinning.

Of course, if they get there then it's just a Gazebo.

[hifidelity2]

Well I think I can hold my hand up and say I am guilty of all of them

[Chronos]

Quoth Unoriginal:

A couple or more semi-powerful semi-famous characters hanging around.
One of whom is the DM's PC from a previous campaign.

[Hytheter]

There should be a Gazebo off in the distance, in order to terrify the genre-savvy adventurer.

If the party decide to approach it, ask "Are you sure you want to do that?". Then roll a mixed handful of dice, write down the results and start grinning.

Of course, if they get there then it's just a Gazebo.

Then just when they think they're safe, you spring three Glabrezu on them. :smallamused:

[Amnestic]

One of whom is the DM's PC from a previous campaign.

You mean you guys don't populate your game world with character ideas that you wanted to play as a player but won't get the chance to do so?

[KorvinStarmast]

+1. The players all meet at an inn, the first fight must be against giant rats, and the DM must have an elaborate backstory for the game world which everyone ignores. The Master's Vault is something like that, but it's a nice little beginner adventure that our group really enjoyed.

One of whom is the DM's PC from a previous campaign. Yeah, seen that a lot. But sometimes it works.

[Joe the Rat]

You start in a tavern in a town. You have to go somewhere to get something:

- You are attacked en route
- You are attacked while you camp
- You have to fight something at your destination. There's also a 10' pit trap.

You have goblins, wolves, and skeletons. Assign one to each fight.


There should be a Gazebo off in the distance, in order to terrify the genre-savvy adventurer.

If the party decide to approach it, ask "Are you sure you want to do that?". Then roll a mixed handful of dice, write down the results and start grinning.

Of course, if they get there then it's just a Gazebo.


Then just when they think they're safe, you spring three Glabrezu on them. :smallamused:

Well, if I ever get around to making a knockoff game, it's gonna be called "Gazebos & Glabrezu."

[MrStabby]

Oh the foreshadowing and dramatic irony. The hamfisted attempst to shoehorn in more NPCs or plot points!

"Oh, so glad you managed to find these rare mushrooms in the forest - I will cook my wife's favourite stew. She is coming back to town the day after tomorrow"
"Oh, so the villain caried a harpoon? What an odd choice of weapon... of course that reminds me of the tale of Ghost Pirate Karlack, but he was a myth and disapeared centuraries ago"
"Just in time for the spring fesival! wonderful! Although it still seems oddly cold for this time of year. I wonder when the thaw will come. Is is several weeks overdue"
"I am retiring from the city watch in three days; gonna move to the country and grow onions"
"Never eat cabbage before midday, as my oldmentor used to tell me... before he was murdered one night by an unidentified gang of werewolf footpads who were never brought to justice"

[CapnWildefyr]

Hmmm.... let's see, what else?

The hooded stranger in the tavern tells you of villagers who've been bitten in the neck at night, and of the old, mysterious graveyard and tombs nearby, and the legends of the evil Baron who used to live here 100 years ago and who sold his soul to save the woman he loved (who subsequently and tragically died of rabies she contracted from a bat bite)... and of course the party goes there, fights a full-up vampire, and wins. At 1st level. And no one dies.

Better yet, don't forget the prophesy (any prophesy, really). Gotta have a world's-gonna-end-if-you-don't-stop-it prophesy.

[Joe the Rat]

"I am retiring from the city watch in three days; gonna move to the country and grow onions"
This was the actual backstory of one of my Warlocks: a few days before retiring he took Adventurer-action-related shrapnel (a fragment of a fiend's essence), but survived... only to get caught up in adventure en route to the old family farm.

[KorvinStarmast]

Well, if I ever get around to making a knockoff game, it's gonna be called "Gazebos & Glabrezu." Just don't put in any Kender. :smallyuk:

[Corvino]

Well, if I ever get around to making a knockoff game, it's gonna be called "Gazebos & Glabrezu."

I love this.

Picture it: There a is vast, blasted plain. Flocks of creatures flit across the horizon on bat-like wings. Occasionally a volcanic vent belches fumes that roll across the plain.

And in the middle, in a pretty white Gazebo, sits an elderly demon. There is a small flowerbed around it that has seen better days. The Glabrezu's sweater vest seems to have snagged when being pulled on over his horns and has started to unravel. He peers at his cup of milky tea through thick spectacles, and reclines in a large garden chair.

Out of the corner of his eye he spots movement. An elf creeps toward him with a drawn sword. There are a bunch of others failing to hide in the murk behind her.

"Come in mortals!", The demon booms. "Let me show you my collections..."

[Imbalance]

I love this.

Picture it: There is vast, blasted plain. Flocks of creatures flit across the horizon on bat-like wings. Occasionally a volcanic vent belches fumes that roll across the plain.

And in the middle, in a pretty white Gazebo, sits an elderly demon. There is a small flowerbed around it that has seen better days. The Glabrezu's sweater vest seems to have snagged when being pulled on over his horns and has started to unravel. He peers at his cup of milky tea through thick spectacles, and reclines in a large garden chair.

Out of the corner of his eye he spots movement. An elf creeps toward him with a drawn sword. There are a bunch of others failing to hide in the murk behind her.

"Come in mortals!", The demon booms. "Let me show you my collections..."

I read this in Estelle Getty's voice.

[Foolwise]

At higher levels, when the party's seen a bit more, we'll spice things up by switching that around. Everybody's fought a Dragon in a Dungeon, but slightly fewer have fought a Dungeon in a Dragon.

Come for Dungeons & Dragons.

Stay for Dungeon in Dragon.

[KorvinStarmast]

Come for Dungeons & Dragons.

Stay for Dungeon in Dragon. We played in a one shot where we were inside the digestive tract of a Tarrasque that was two or three times the size of a normal tarrasque. One of the creatures we fought seemed to be something like a cancerous tumor. Our goal became "get puked out" of this thing. As we climbed past his removed tumor (no, he did not have blue cross nor blue shield) we kept having the make saves versus peristalsis - he was trying to swallow the lump in his throat. Us. We eventually got out. That's a variation on the dungeon in side the dragon.

13th Age has these things that are living dungeons that move around the world. That's a similar idea.

[da newt]

In an AL module you discover a cave entrance with pointy rocks, when you enter the walls a weirdly smooth, Once you travel ~80' you come to a room with ~2' deep acidic liquid and a McGuffin in the middle of the ~40x80' room. When you fight off the creatures and grab the McGuffin the room / tunnel starts to move - you've awakened the zombie T-Rex that you are inside! You then have to make a dozen or so saves to get back up the throat and out (it's difficult terrain and you can't dash). Once you do get out you have to battle the HUGE beast - yup, on the outside it's a normal sized T-Rex: only a 20x20 creature ...

(AL needs to hire an editor / someone to proof read their stuff - it's full of stuff like this)

[Vaern]

Remember that, despite the fact that mimics can take virtually any shape, they should absolutely always appear as a chest in an otherwise empty and unremarkable room.

[Jophiel]

Have a bad dude named Bargle tragically kill off your DMPC cleric. Wait, wrong edition.