Working from LMoP to OotA

[Grear Bylls]

So my players are around halfway through LMoP, and I kind of want to work it into OotA, which I'll probably get for Christmas. However, my players and I just started playing, so I have a few questions:

1. Is this a good idea? I'm a new DM and OotA seems kind of complex, but I feel I'm up to it. Any tips for it would be great!

2. Since my players are newish, should I have them be captured by Nezznar (main LMoP villain) at a higher level than normal for OotA? I've heard even expierienced players can die easily in OotA at level one.

3. Can you maybe give me some ideas to how LMoP connects to OotA? Obviously, I could have Nezznar capture the current PCs and bring them to the underdark, or have the PCs go missing and new PCs be starting in the drow prison, after they got lost searching for the old PCs. Any other plot hooks would be awesome as well!

4. I know OotA is very role play heavy, (right?), and my players like to kind of kill everything. I suggested they watch an episode of critical role to see what it's like. Do you have any advice for getting them to role play?

Thx in advance!

[Lazymancer]

I take it you are asking questions about 5th Edition of D&D and LMoP means Lost Mine of Phandelver.

Did I succeed at Decipher Script check?

[Telok]

Did I succeed at Decipher Script check?

Yes. Yes you did.

That said Out of the Abyss is a fairly complex and advanced adventure. It presents a weird mix of sections that alternate between linear/scripted and sandbox style, without much warning about it. You need to do a fair bit of work prepping the open ended and sandbox elements, they really fall flat if you try to play them out of the book.

Also it starts with the classic "captured and stripped naked by DM fiat, no rolls allowed" scenario. Which is fine at first level and as the start of the campaign, but sometimes problematic later on.

One last thought: Do the characters have any reason to want to save the FR underdark from a demon invasion? Because our party was all "let it burn, we'll have a mary sue clean it up after everything is dead" on that front.

[Grear Bylls]

Yes. Yes you did.

That said Out of the Abyss is a fairly complex and advanced adventure. It presents a weird mix of sections that alternate between linear/scripted and sandbox style, without much warning about it. You need to do a fair bit of work prepping the open ended and sandbox elements, they really fall flat if you try to play them out of the book.

Also it starts with the classic "captured and stripped naked by DM fiat, no rolls allowed" scenario. Which is fine at first level and as the start of the campaign, but sometimes problematic later on.

One last thought: Do the characters have any reason to want to save the FR underdark from a demon invasion? Because our party was all "let it burn, we'll have a mary sue clean it up after everything is dead" on that front.

Thank you telok! I do feel like I can try it out, and I do know I will need to prep more than LMoP.

As for the second part, I'm thinking that because me and my players are noobs, that i will start at a higher level with no gear, as I've read experienced players can have trouble even starting at level 3ish, so I'll probably start at level 3 so that they have an option to not die.

Lastly, I think that they will try and stop the incursion because if they don't, it will eventually reach the over land. Besides, if they don't, I'll just have them save their current characters for another adventure and have them role up new heroes.

Thank you for the response!

[Grear Bylls]

Also, I thought of some other things.

One of my players is considering playing an orc monk, and another one may play a blade warlock. Is this a problem given that one doesn't really need weapons, and the other can summon one. Does this make escape to easy or not?

[Telok]

Also, I thought of some other things.

One of my players is considering playing an orc monk, and another one may play a blade warlock. Is this a problem given that one doesn't really need weapons, and the other can summon one. Does this make escape to easy or not?

Nah. The start has them so outnumbered and probably outleveled that without really good playing or almost outright DM fiat they ought to get splattered by any competent enemy response.