Descent into Avernus - Party Size

[layla]

Hi, a fledgling dm here! I'd like to surprise my husband and run Descent into Avernus for him :). I've been studying three books simultaneously (Descent, DM and Player's Handbook, plus took a peek into the Monsters Manual), I have experience with old crpgs like Baldur's Gate (obviously :)), NVN etc., attended one not very successful tabletop session when I was in high school, but haven't touched anything dnd in a while as we have six little kids, which effectively robbed us of any free time for years :D. I don't have much time to prepare either.
I need some help forming the party, the book says 4-6 adventurers, but ideally I would like at most 2, maybe with four basic classes covered, like start each at level 2 with fighter/wizard and rogue/cleric or something. I'm not sure I can handle the storytelling and the mechanics and three characters at the same time.
What do you think would be easiest for me and still fun to play and playable?
a) two second-level multi-class characters and I adjust the gameplay if need be
b) four characters and he only runs his character, I run the others
c)four characters and he runs all of them as in a crpg ( I provide their backgrounds)

Thank you so much :)

[Unoriginal]

Hi, a fledgling dm here! I'd like to surprise my husband and run Descent into Avernus for him :). I've been studying three books simultaneously (Descent, DM and Player's Handbook, plus took a peek into the Monsters Manual), I have experience with old crpgs like Baldur's Gate (obviously :)), NVN etc., attended one not very successful tabletop session when I was in high school, but haven't touched anything dnd in a while as we have six little kids, which effectively robbed us of any free time for years :D. I don't have much time to prepare either.
I need some help forming the party, the book says 4-6 adventurers, but ideally I would like at most 2, maybe with four basic classes covered, like start each at level 2 with fighter/wizard and rogue/cleric or something. I'm not sure I can handle the storytelling and the mechanics and three characters at the same time.
What do you think would be easiest for me and still fun to play and playable?
a) two second-level multi-class characters and I adjust the gameplay if need be
b) four characters and he only runs his character, I run the others
c)four characters and he runs all of them as in a crpg ( I provide their backgrounds)

Thank you so much :)

Honestly, with Descent into Avernus and those circumstances, you're probably better off DMing with only your husband's PC, with them starting at lvl 10 minimum, though lvl 12 could be better.

Descent into Avernus has a frankly difficult to DM start, which would be made much much easier with an higher level PC, and it's better if you don't have to handle other PCs on top of the other NPCs that tag along.

Furthermore, said NPCs will generally lessen the issues of solo adventuring quite a bit.

So yeah, my advice is to make one lvl-10-minimum-or-even-higher PC for your husband, which will let him feel like a true epic hero at the start and make it clear why he's the one handling the ongoing crisis, and will make things much easier for you.

Do you know if your husband enjoys one class or the aesthetics/themes of one more than the others?

[layla]

Honestly, with Descent into Avernus and those circumstances, you're probably better off DMing with only your husband's PC, with them starting at lvl 10 minimum, though lvl 12 could be better.

Descent into Avernus has a frankly difficult to DM start, which would be made much much easier with an higher level PC, and it's better if you don't have to handle other PCs on top of the other NPCs that tag along.

Furthermore, said NPCs will generally lessen the issues of solo adventuring quite a bit.

So yeah, my advice is to make one lvl-10-minimum-or-even-higher PC for your husband, which will let him feel like a true epic hero at the start and make it clear why he's the one handling the ongoing crisis, and will make things much easier for you.

Do you know if your husband enjoys one class or the aesthetics/themes of one more than the others?

Thank you, this is substantial advice. I think I'll create a multi-class fighter/wizard or fighter/wizard/rogue for him, I think these are his vibes. I've already made up somě of the background.

[RogueJK]

I'd strongly recommend not running Descent into Avernus as a solo campaign for 1 PC. Even if you boost the character's level significantly like mentioned above, that may give them more HP and stronger abilities, but still doesn't allow them to take additional Actions during a round. Action Economy (the number of Actions that the party or enemies get in a round) is a major factor in the flow of battle, so it's often easier to overwhelm a single higher level PC than it would be to beat an entire party of medium level PCs, purely by a group of multiple enemies being able to do significantly more in a round than a lone PC. The same holds true the other way around, with groups of PCs being able to more easily take down single strong enemies compared to groups of moderately strong enemies. (This is why 5E implemented things like Legendary Actions and Lair Actions, to allow lone bad guys to take multiple additional actions in a round and have more parity in the Action Economy... But a single PC doesn't get those benefits!)

A much better option would be either allowing your husband to run multiple characters.

Therefore, considering the above plus the fact you're new to this, I'd go with Option C: Let your husband run an entire 4 person party himself (or let him run 3 and you run 1, if you want to try your hand at playing a character too).

A 4 PC party of the expected level is what the campaign is already written for, as-is. So sticking to a party of level-appropriate PCs also means you won't have the added work of having to make significant modifications to all the encounters in the campaign, like you would have to do with a single PC - even a high level one. You can just run the campaign as written, for the most part. Much less work for you overall.


I think I'll create a multi-class fighter/wizard or fighter/wizard/rogue for him

It's important to understand how multiclassing works in 5E. In general, multiclassing in 5E tends to result in weaker, watered-down characters, with more low level abilities but no higher level abilities.

So a multiclassed Fighter 6/Wizard 6 ends up being noticeably less powerful than a single classed Fighter 12 or a Wizard 12. And a Fighter 4/Wizard 4/Rogue 4 would be drastically less powerful than a Fighter 12, Wizard 12, or Rogue 12.

It's different from the multiclassing you might be used to from 2E AD&D in Baldur's Gate 1 & 2, where each class progresses at the same time and is mostly on par with a single-classed character of similar level because of how the leveling worked. In that different D&D system, a multiclassed Fighter/Wizard with 1 million XP could be a Fighter 10/Wizard 11 while a single-classed character with 1M XP would be Fighter 12 or Wizard 12, and thus the multiclassed character would be of a similar power level to the single classed character (or stronger, based on the totality of their abilities).

Therefore, in 5E if you want a PC that can cover multiple roles in a party, it's almost always better to stick to a single class/subclass whose built in abilities allow it to handle multiple roles, without multiclassing. Something like a Paladin or Valor Bard if you want them to be able to fight as well as heal, for example. Or a Ranger or Dexterity-based Fighter if you want them to be able to fight and be sneaky/stealthy. Or an Eldritch Knight Fighter or Blade Pact Hexblade Warlock if you want them to be able to fight and cast spells. Etc. Those single-classed examples would generally be stronger PCs than a multiclassed Fighter/Cleric, Fighter/Rogue, or Fighter/Wizard. Or especially a triple/quadruple multiclass.

[Unoriginal]

I'd also recommend not running Descent into Avernus as a solo campaign. Even if you boost the character's level significantly, that gives them more HP and more abilities, but doesn't do anything to allow them to take additional Actions during a round. Action Economy (the number of Actions that the players or enemies get in a round) is a major factor in the flow of battle. A better option would be either allowing your husband to run multiple characters, or having some NPC adventurers to assist him.

Not a bad advice in general, but there are several things to consider here:

1) As I said, the module already provides NPCs to assist.

2) Adding more PCs for either the one player or the DM to run would be burdensome in this situation.

3) Being high level does help with the action economy, up to a point, as higher level PCs get to do more with their actions and said actions are more powerful.

4) If there are too many mooks in an encounter, then OP would be far better off changing the encounter so there is less mooks, rather than adding teammates to the PC side. A smaller group will easier to handle as a DM too, after all.

So for this specific situation I strongly recommend one powerful solo PC with the NPC allies provided by the adventure.

And it's also possible to make the temporary allies stick around longer/make it easier to convince them to help (boosting their stats appropriately if needed). Especially if the player enjoys adventuring with some in particular.

[RogueJK]

If there are too many mooks in an encounter, then OP would be far better off changing the encounter so there is less mooks, rather than adding teammates to the PC side. A smaller group will easier to handle as a DM too, after all.

It'd be quite challenging and quite a burden for a brand new DM with no experience in 5E to rewrite every single encounter to attempt to rebalance them for 1 PC. Running the campaign as written for a 4 PC party of the appropriate level will be significantly easier. (And the book already factors in the available NPCs in the equation for the ~4 PC party... It doesn't factor in being a lone PC.)

[layla]

Oh dear, I'm glad I asked for help. Seems I should be faster with the e5 rulebook. Thank you for the multiclassing remarks. I'll have to give it all a decent think. On top of everything I'm not even a native speaker of English :P. But I can do it!

What other prepared campaigns would you guys recommend for a start, for two people only (not many opportunities for us to go out and meet people yet)?

EDIT: Maybe we should just Play BG3 over LAN for starters (don't even know if it's possible;)).

[Unoriginal]

It'd be quite challenging and quite a burden for a brand new DM with no experience in 5E to rewrite every single encounter to attempt to rebalance them for 1 PC. Running the campaign as written for a 4 PC party of the appropriate level will be significantly easier. (And the book already factors in the available NPCs in the equation for the ~4 PC party... It doesn't factor in being a lone PC.)

Again, several things:

1) Having to handle 4 PCs rather than one for a campaign would be quite challenging and quite a burden for any player, no matter their experience with 5e. And doing so means less time to RP any of those 4 characters.

A solo PC is better both for the player workload and for the RP opportunities

2) Having the DM handle any number of those PCs on top of the hostile NPCs and the allied NPCs would be quite challenging and quite a burden too.

3) Removing mooks from an encounter takes no effort nor challenge. You don't need to rebalance the encounters beyond that.

And the reason for that is...

4) Descent into Avernus does not care about encounter balance at all. It is unfairly brutal pretty much all the way, even though it's more obvious before you hit lvl 5.



What other prepared campaigns would you guys recommend for a start, for two people only (not many opportunities for us to go out and meet people yet)?

The Wild Beyond the Witchlight module is the easiest module for beginner DMs, IMO, and it's entirely possible to do with two people if you start a bit higher level than suggested.

Other module generally bank for 4 PCs at least, because like RogueJK correctly pointed out, action economy is a huge thing in encounter balance.

[RogueJK]

There's a Starter Set, which is intended to help folks new to 5E D&D learn to run/play it. The included adventure, Lost Mines of Phandelvar, is easy to run and a great intro to both DMing and playing. (There's also a newer version of the Starter Set that has a similar beginner module, Dragon of Stormwreck Island, but it's a bit shorter.)

As Unoriginal mentioned, Wild Beyond the Witchlight is likely the easiest of the "real" 5E campaigns to run for beginners.

[layla]

All right. I'm really excited about the Nine Hells, and very determined to make it work. The Starter Sets will wait :D. I'll make it work. For now I'm leaning towards a single- or two- player team, but with no multiclassing, but I'll read the rules to the end and do some experiments on the first two chapters of the campaign and see what it looks like.

Thank you both, you have been very helpful and a pleasant read as well. It's so good to be back to the dnd world!

[CTurbo]

I agree with pretty much everything that's been said.

I would not run any of the main modules as a solo adventure RAW. There are homebrew tweaks you could make that could help though. You could give the PC Legendary Actions and/or Legendary Resistance. Those would help with the action economy a little. Another thing I've seen is to have the solo player roll for Initiative twice and go twice per round on each Initiative roll. It feels a little cheaty but it helps a lot.

It's also hard to recommend a solo player running multiple main characters because half the time they'll be sitting around talking to themselves. He could maybe make and run one main "leader" characters and then make a run a couple more basic sidekick(hired help type) characters. That way the main character does all the talking and decision making.

I definitely wouldn't recommend you, the DM, running your own character full time either.

I wouldn't force a multiclass because you feel like "all the bases" are covered. You could allow for a Gestalt class combo, which would help a lot, but still not solve the action economy issue.

[Unoriginal]

I agree with pretty much everything that's been said.

I would not run any of the main modules as a solo adventure RAW. There are homebrew tweaks you could make that could help though. You could give the PC Legendary Actions and/or Legendary Resistance. Those would help with the action economy a little. Another thing I've seen is to have the solo player roll for Initiative twice and go twice per round on each Initiative roll. It feels a little cheaty but it helps a lot.

Cutting the number of enemies in half each encounter + having the PC starts 9 levels higher than what the adventure expect should be more than enough for the action economy.

[Inquisitor]

This thread reminds me of a forum debate I had around DiA; after DMing this mod, I contended that the Shepherd Druid could have stood a reasonable chance of soloing this mod from the point he got to Avernus. Now this was in the hands of an experienced player who leaned heavily into summoning minions and using his ASIs to focus on keeping concentration going. Basically you could use wildshape and PWT to avoid or overcome a lot of the encounters and have your boosted minions at full power in fights you couldn't avoid. Demons and Devils don't have a lot of HP, and rely on resistances to justify their CR, which falls apart when facing Shepherd's summoned minions. While this would have been very challenging, I could easily see a party of 2, with a Shepherd and another capable character being successful.

That said, DiA is not a mod I'd ever recommend to start DMing 5e. It's a heap of work to make the travel and exploration around Avernus function like it should. The Balder's Gate bit is pretty disconnected from the rest, and seems to be only in there to help sell the mod. Since the OP is set on Avernus, I would suggest trying to use one of the low level starter mods, then move the DiA at the point the characters go to Avernus.

[layla]

I would suggest trying to use one of the low level starter mods, then move the DiA at the point the characters go to Avernus.

I'm sorry, could you explain this bit to me, please? What's a low level starter mod? (Just failed my Knowledge/Intelligence check, but maybe a Charisma check will roll better ;)). Is it some DiA-specific mod, do you just mean the adjustments you all have mentioned, or do you mean I should try a different starter set and join it together with DiA?

Also, argh, my problem, I'm not particularly fond of druids and rangers and other nature-oriented personalities :(. Maybe I should be! :)

Anyway, I asked my dear husband casually about his character preferences in crpgs he's ever played and it turns out I was completely wrong :D. He dislikes spellbooks and picking spells in general, and he likes keeping a safe distance from the front line, so a skilled archer would be his pick.

So I'm thinking a sharpshooter rogue-assasin for him, and give him some muscle for cover, I'd really love to try out the eldritch knight...! Also, should the companion die irreparably, I'll arrange for the assasin to meet someone else to lend a hand.

I'm still not sure about the level at the beginning and advancement (just advance them one level per major encounter?). I am noting all your mechanics hints (much appreciated!) and will consider them when my mind has all the clarity it needs on actions and stuff. Reading on.

Ultimately, this is about having fun and not necessarily getting everything by the book(s) (hah ;)). Even if I lack ideas at the beginning and make the plot too linear. I'm still optimistic

[Unoriginal]

I'm sorry, could you explain this bit to me, please? What's a low level starter mod? (Just failed my Knowledge/Intelligence check, but maybe a Charisma check will roll better ;)). Is it some DiA-specific mod, do you just mean the adjustments you all have mentioned, or do you mean I should try a different starter set and join it together with DiA?

Also, argh, my problem, I'm not particularly fond of druids and rangers and other nature-oriented personalities :(. Maybe I should be! :)

Anyway, I asked my dear husband casually about his character preferences in crpgs he's ever played and it turns out I was completely wrong :D. He dislikes spellbooks and picking spells in general, and he likes keeping a safe distance from the front line, so a skilled archer would be his pick.

So I'm thinking a sharpshooter rogue-assasin for him, and give him some muscle for cover, I'd really love to try out the eldritch knight...! Also, should the companion die irreparably, I'll arrange for the assasin to meet someone else to lend a hand.

I'm still not sure about the level at the beginning and advancement (just advance them one level per major encounter?). I am noting all your mechanics hints (much appreciated!) and will consider them when my mind has all the clarity it needs on actions and stuff. Reading on.

Ultimately, this is about having fun and not necessarily getting everything by the book(s) (hah ;)). Even if I lack ideas at the beginning and make the plot too linear. I'm still optimistic

DiA has milestone levelling, the module will mention when the PCs should gain a level.

If you have two PCs I'd suggest to start at lvl 8, though it would still work for as low as 5.

Have to mention that Sharpshooter Assassin Rogue isn't the best for the playstyle he prefers. I would suggest Sharpshooter Dex-focused Battle Master Fighter with the Archery Fighting Style.

Nothing wrong with an all-Fighter team.

[layla]

DiA has milestone levelling, the module will mention when the PCs should gain a level.

If you have two PCs I'd suggest to start at lvl 8, though it would still work for as low as 5.

Have to mention that Sharpshooter Assassin Rogue isn't the best for the playstyle he prefers. I would suggest Sharpshooter Dex-focused Battle Master Fighter with the Archery Fighting Style.

Nothing wrong with an all-Fighter team.

Yup, I just wasn't sure the XPs shouldn't scale in a different way if I start at a higher level. Thanks.
Nothing wrong with any team, though wouldn't it be advantageous to have some finesse and be able to lock pick (or handle traps) instead of bashing and smashing everything open? At least this base *would* be covered, already having to make up for missing decent spellcasters and healers :).

[Unoriginal]

wouldn't it be advantageous to have some finesse and be able to lock pick (or handle traps) instead of bashing and smashing everything open?).

A DEX-fighter can handle that as well as any Rogue. Better than some Rogues, even, depending on builds.

[Inquisitor]

I'm sorry, could you explain this bit to me, please? What's a low level starter mod? (Just failed my Knowledge/Intelligence check, but maybe a Charisma check will roll better ;)). Is it some DiA-specific mod, do you just mean the adjustments you all have mentioned, or do you mean I should try a different starter set and join it together with DiA?

Also, argh, my problem, I'm not particularly fond of druids and rangers and other nature-oriented personalities :(. Maybe I should be! :)

Anyway, I asked my dear husband casually about his character preferences in crpgs he's ever played and it turns out I was completely wrong :D. He dislikes spellbooks and picking spells in general, and he likes keeping a safe distance from the front line, so a skilled archer would be his pick.

So I'm thinking a sharpshooter rogue-assasin for him, and give him some muscle for cover, I'd really love to try out the eldritch knight...! Also, should the companion die irreparably, I'll arrange for the assasin to meet someone else to lend a hand.

I'm still not sure about the level at the beginning and advancement (just advance them one level per major encounter?). I am noting all your mechanics hints (much appreciated!) and will consider them when my mind has all the clarity it needs on actions and stuff. Reading on.

Ultimately, this is about having fun and not necessarily getting everything by the book(s) (hah ;)). Even if I lack ideas at the beginning and make the plot too linear. I'm still optimistic

I was referring to the starter sets RogueJK mentioned upthread. They generally end at about the level characters would be going to Avernus (5ish). The BG part of DiA is so disconnected anyway, from a story perspective you could probably cobble together as good a reason for the characters to go to Avernus as DiA gives you.

I think mechanically a Rogue Assassin has some merit for a small group of 1 or 2. Given that the combat goal here is not to engage in every possible fight and 'win' the fights you do have before they get going, the Assassin provides a fair bit. Being a basically resourceless character, what it doesn't do is allow you to allocate more resources when you need them for a bigger fight. Assassin + some sort of stealth proficient caster seems reasonable. I know you mentioned you don't like Druids, but Pass Without Trace (PWT) is a very good spell in 5e, particularly in the situation this small group is likely to find itself. Trickery Clerics get PWT, I don't know if that would be of any interest.

[Unoriginal]

I think mechanically a Rogue Assassin has some merit for a small group of 1 or 2. Given that the combat goal here is not to engage in every possible fight and 'win' the fights you do have before they get going, the Assassin provides a fair bit. Being a basically resourceless character, what it doesn't do is allow you to allocate more resources when you need them for a bigger fight. Assassin + some sort of stealth proficient caster seems reasonable. I know you mentioned you don't like Druids, but Pass Without Trace (PWT) is a very good spell in 5e, particularly in the situation this small group is likely to find itself. Trickery Clerics get PWT, I don't know if that would be of any interest.

Assassin Rogue has merit, but being able to deal a lot of damage against one surprised foe per combat at most isn't going to do much in a campaign like DiA.

[Inquisitor]

Assassin Rogue has merit, but being able to deal a lot of damage against one surprised foe per combat at most isn't going to do much in a campaign like DiA.

I think being part of a Rogue class as a skill expert, with tactics and abilities built around avoiding some combats and at least conserving the HP resource is useful in being successful in the combats you need to have. Build around initiative (which you're already doing to some extent) means any time you get surprise you're likely getting a second attack off on top of the auto-crit before foes can do anything.

That said, I grant you it's not optimal. Something like the Shepherd Druid I suggested earlier, or any resource based class, benefits more from an ability to circumvent encounters and spend spells, etc more liberally when forced to. But the OP seems to want to go this route, and I think it's decent with the right tactics and other character.

Under the circumstances I think the 'party' needs to rely on tactics that either avoid or trivialize a good number of encounters

[layla]

Right. Ok. Maybe I bit off more than I can chew, especially in my family situation/working nights. I should be able to lay my hands on the Dragons of Stormwreck Isle, I see it's intended for 2-6 players, so it should do nicely. I'll get the characters to the 3rd level and see what to do next. I'll do that keeping in mind your hints, and that our adventurers might some day have to head off to save Elturel. I won't let the DiA book gather too much dust, after all!

[Mandrake]

Right. Ok. Maybe I bit off more than I can chew, especially in my family situation/working nights. I should be able to lay my hands on the Dragons of Stormwreck Isle, I see it's intended for 2-6 players, so it should do nicely. I'll get the characters to the 3rd level and see what to do next. I'll do that keeping in mind your hints, and that our adventurers might some day have to head off to save Elturel. I won't let the DiA book gather too much dust, after all!

I'm sorry if someone already mentioned this: There are a bunch of scenarios designed for 1 DM 1 Player situations. I haven't run them ever, but I see nice reviews online. This thing can be googled, too so you can explore on your own, but what I've seen is https://dndduet.com/ and the Crystalline Curse Trilogy.

(Otherwise, there are no perfect solutions when adapting, I'm afraid. The discussions above all make good points, so pick what would be more exciting or fun for you.)

Good luck and have fun. :)

[layla]

I'm sorry if someone already mentioned this: There are a bunch of scenarios designed for 1 DM 1 Player situations. I haven't run them ever, but I see nice reviews online. This thing can be googled, too so you can explore on your own, but what I've seen is dndduet.com and the Crystalline Curse Trilogy.

(Otherwise, there are no perfect solutions when adapting, I'm afraid. The discussions above all make good points, so pick what would be more exciting or fun for you.)

Good luck and have fun. :)

That link is a treasure trove, thank you!
You have all been so helpful. Cheers!
<and off she trotted, as happy and (over)enthusiastic as the sunniest of gnomes, having just invented a particularly cool surprise bomb gadget>

[brainface]

My standard trick for "running npcs in the party" is to just pair them off with an attacker, describe their attacks, and maybe fake roll some dice. If the player starts doing poorly, so do they, if they do great, so do their friends. You absolutely do not need to actually take their turn.

So you're really just running a 1v1 or 2v1 vs the player, and then the rest of the combatants are just for show. Every once in a while, I'd have the npcs cast a heal spell or buff spell to interact with the player.

Single strong opponents are a bit more complicated, but not really. Just divide their attacks amongst the real and imaginary combatants, and half their hitpoints or so.

Your greatest power as a DM is you get to lie and cheat, and the best reasons to lie and cheat is to make the game easier to run for you.

[layla]

All right!

I'm not sure anyone is curious, but I'm excited so I'll write it anyway :).

I have finally decided to first run Dragons of the Stormwreck Isle, starting with a 1-lev duo of:

- a dex-based Sharpshooter Battle Master from Elturel, who is lucky enough to leave the city just before the hellish deal goes DOWN (not sure if it's a correct English phrase, but great word-play if it is!!! :D). He wants to find out the meaning of his ominous name (Legionmaster -> my husband's most-used nick. Don't ask! :P). He has never believed in all this "destiny" and "fate" nonsense, but recent whispers about the Blood War escalating and threatening surface dwellers make him wonder, could he somehow be the one who subdues the legions of the Hells?
- a cheerful and overzealous (that would be me, and if you're thinking Shrek and Donkey, DON'T!! ... well, all right, there is something to it...) Order of the Crown Paladin from Neverwinter who... ekhm, wants to find purpose and put her ideals to good use, to best serve her beloved home city (that's not entirely me, but I'll do my best) and the whole Sword Coast.. or something along those lines :).

I was considering the Echo Knight and Samurai for the ranged fighter, but in the end decided that it's best not to start with something as unfamiliar to us as the Echo, and Samurai looked really interesting for his Advantage boosts, but then, Battle Master looks so versatile with all the maneuvers, and we are going to need to deal plenty of damage, and I think my dear player will have great fun and feel quite good about rolling the SUPERIORITY DICE ^^.

A charismatic Defender-based Paladin seems just perfect in our case.

Still a few days to prepare char sheets and the first chapter! (or change something..). The adventure is convenient enough to have the dragon gracefully rescue the adventurers in case of TPK, giving me space for experimenting with encounter scaling, dm-lying and cheating ;). At the end, the dragon may boost their levels and send them directly to Baldur's Gate, or to another low-level adventure.

[Unoriginal]

All right!

I'm not sure anyone is curious, but I'm excited so I'll write it anyway :).

I have finally decided to first run Dragons of the Stormwreck Isle, starting with a 1-lev duo of:

- a dex-based Sharpshooter Battle Master from Elturel, who is lucky enough to leave the city just before the hellish deal goes DOWN (not sure if it's a correct English phrase, but great word-play if it is!!! :D). He wants to find out the meaning of his ominous name (Legionmaster -> my husband's most-used nick. Don't ask! :P). He has never believed in all this "destiny" and "fate" nonsense, but recent whispers about the Blood War escalating and threatening surface dwellers make him wonder, could he somehow be the one who subdues the legions of the Hells?
- a cheerful and overzealous (that would be me, and if you're thinking Shrek and Donkey, DON'T!! ... well, all right, there is something to it...) Order of the Crown Paladin from Neverwinter who... ekhm, wants to find purpose and put her ideals to good use, to best serve her beloved home city (that's not entirely me, but I'll do my best) and the whole Sword Coast.. or something along those lines :).

I was considering the Echo Knight and Samurai for the ranged fighter, but in the end decided that it's best not to start with something as unfamiliar to us as the Echo, and Samurai looked really interesting for his Advantage boosts, but then, Battle Master looks so versatile with all the maneuvers, and we are going to need to deal plenty of damage, and I think my dear player will have great fun and feel quite good about rolling the SUPERIORITY DICE ^^.

A charismatic Defender-based Paladin seems just perfect in our case.

Still a few days to prepare char sheets and the first chapter! (or change something..). The adventure is convenient enough to have the dragon gracefully rescue the adventurers in case of TPK, giving me space for experimenting with encounter scaling, dm-lying and cheating ;). At the end, the dragon may boost their levels and send them directly to Baldur's Gate, or to another low-level adventure.

I wish you two an amazing first 5e adventure, both as DM and as player.