D&D 5E Phandelver starting to show up in the wild. NewbieDM looks to be the first!

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

The Sunless Citadel has a lot of great stuff going for it -- including an all-time great "enemy" NPC you're not really meant to kill -- but the map design is basically a tube. There aren't any very meaningful choices in its layout, making it, weirdly, a precursor to World of Warcraft's later dungeon maps, which tend to be kind of underwhelming.

 

[MerricB]

My impression is colored by only k owing B1 from the Goodman Games volume, which includes multiple coherent monster populations for the dungeon, including a set from the original author. And then the 5E rendition, which ties it in together with all the material for B2 and develops a lot of the hooks from both modules while connecring them, makes for a pretty compelling environment.

Yes, that would change it. Those Goodman Games volumes are excellent.

I first ran B1 during the 3E days, stocking it myself. I had a lot of fun with it, but more the environment than anything else.

Sounds like a messier Loat Mines.

I've seen later edition reworkings of Hommlet - Mike Mearls wrote a very good one for 4E that was released as a promotional product - that focus the adventure a lot more.

Lost Mines doesn't have the intrigue that Hommlet does. There are enemy agents that can lead to wonderful encounters in T1. But it lacks the guidance for the DM of how to use them. Which means that in the hands of an inventive DM who is good at creating encounters and reactive play, Hommlet sings.

But is that a beginning DM? Not most of us - though more for the mature age DMs than the teenagers and earlier who encountered the adventure in the day.

Hommlet also has lots of descriptions like this:

And though I can't say it's without value, it also does a good job of hiding a lot of good content.

Cheers,
Merric

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

The Sunless Citadel has a lot of great stuff going for it -- including an all-time great "enemy" NPC you're not really meant to kill -- but the map design is basically a tube. There aren't any very meaningful choices in its layout, making it, weirdly, a precursor to World of Warcraft's later dungeon maps, which tend to be kind of underwhelming.

Now I want to connect Sunless Citadel, Phandelver and Icespire in a big low-level sandbox campaign, merging all three dragons from the adventure into one single BBEG.

 

[Parmandur]

Now I want to connect Sunless Citadel, Phandelver and Icespire in a big low-level sandbox campaign, merging all three dragons from the adventure into one single BBEG.

IMO, Oakhurst is enough of a blank slate that you could just replace it with Phandelin easily.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

IMO, Oakhurst is enough of a blank slate that you could just replace it with Phandelin easily.

I have in mind of doing a small region with Phandalin, Oakhurst and maybe, like, Saltmarsh, all tucked in a far away corner of the map.

 

[overgeeked]

Now I want to connect Sunless Citadel, Phandelver and Icespire in a big low-level sandbox campaign, merging all three dragons from the adventure into one single BBEG.

I have in mind of doing a small region with Phandalin, Oakhurst and maybe, like, Saltmarsh, all tucked in a far away corner of the map.

I had similar thoughts with Phandelver, Icespire, and Stormwreck. Build out a sandbox covering the area, drop the PCs in with various hooks they could take, and go.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

IMO, Oakhurst is enough of a blank slate that you could just replace it with Phandelin easily.

Alternately, one could replace Oakhurst with Orlane and run Against the Cult of the Reptile God there, with said "reptile god" just being an agent of a dragon BBEG.

 

[overgeeked]

Alternately, one could replace Oakhurst with Orlane and run Against the Cult of the Reptile God there, with said "reptile god" just being an agent of a dragon BBEG.

That's one of the major reasons I like home-brew worlds, I can change things and drop them in wherever without anyone knowing. Change a few names, home brew a few stats, and any module from just about any fantasy game can fit.

 

[Parmandur]

Alternately, one could replace Oakhurst with Orlane and run Against the Cult of the Reptile God there, with said "reptile god" just being an agent of a dragon BBEG.

It seems to me that N1 is the one really "Classic" tier intro adventure that lacks a 5E adaptation at this point.

 

[Nikosandros]

It seems to me that N1 is the one really "Classic" tier intro adventure that lacks a 5E adaptation at this point.

N1 has a very cool atmosphere, but it is an extremely harsh adventure for first level characters!