3.5 1st level adventure for 10 yr old DM

[Wellby]

Dear Community,

My ten year old son has been playing D&D since he was 4. He's an experienced player, but has only now cracked the DMG. (we're 3.5, dabbled in 4, quickly returned to 3.5).

He wants to have his very first DM'ing experience beginning in January. I (39) will be a player, along with his sister (7) and three somewhat experienced boys from school (all 10 like him.)

So, I finally get to be a player. And therefore want NO spoilers. Simply put: please recommend an excellent 3.5 edition, first level adventure, that he, as a first timer, will be able to DM. (again, no spoilers. Just point out very basically why it's great, and also, please point out that there's no gratuitous sex or weird ass violence/ super creepy bad guys. That would be very appreciated.)

Thanks for any and all help,

yours,
Wellby

 

[Crispy Critter]

I highly recommend Hollow's Last Hope by Paizo. It's a 16 page PDF and it's free. Interesting story. Gives the characters a very good reason to be heroic and I think a 10 year old would be able to run it with little difficulty.

Link: http://paizo.com/store/paizoExclusives/v5748btpy82r0

 

[Oryan77]

Do you think he could handle the difference between an adventure written for 3.0? If so, Sunless Citadel is one of the best 3e 1st lvl adventures.

There really isn't much to change in it for 3.5. Mainly just recognizing that some 3.0 skills don't exist in 3.5 and that you just need to use the appropriate 3.5 skill for the check. Even then, I don't think there are many differences in the adventure. If it says to use a monster, just make sure you use the stats from the 3.5 Monster Manual and ignore the stat blocks in the adventure.

There are only a couple of NPCs with class levels. He could probably just use those stat blocks and nobody would notice a difference. I don't think the slight differences with it being 3.0 would affect the game.

But it is definitely an easy and very fun adventure to run. It is written to help a new DM learn to use different rules. Not only is it an adventure, it's also a DM learning tool.

 

[Wicht]

Instead of Hollow's Last Hope, I would recommend either "Into the Haunted Forest" (3.5) or "Crypt of the Everflame." (PFRPG)

"Hollow's Last Hope" leads straight into "Crown of the Kobold King" and I wouldn't wish that on any new DM who might feel guilty about killing all the PCs.

Alternatively, my boys, at that same age, had a lot of fun trying to run various Goodman Game modules. "Dreaming Cavern's of the Duergar" was a favorite.

 

[Nifft]

So, I finally get to be a player. And therefore want NO spoilers. Simply put: please recommend an excellent 3.5 edition, first level adventure, that he, as a first timer, will be able to DM. (again, no spoilers. Just point out very basically why it's great, and also, please point out that there's no gratuitous sex or weird ass violence/ super creepy bad guys. That would be very appreciated.)

What does he like about D&D? Does he like doing lots of voices (i.e. playing NPCs)? Does he like puzzles / plans / traps? Does he like violence? (... of course he likes violence.)

Are there any particular monsters he favors? Does he prefer any particular terrain (including sailing ships / lightning trains / giant flying laser jellyfish)?

- - -

If I could recommend one houserule for a newbie DM, it would be "all PCs get +8 hp". That way they don't die quite so quick when the newbie DM screws up, and it becomes insignificant as the PCs advance.

Cheers, -- N

 

[clip]

Paizo's Conquest of Bloodsworn Vale had me crying with boredom, so I don't know how a 10 year old would react. Like a few others in the range, it reads amazingly, but in play I just lost it.

 

[Wellby]

Thanks so much for this opening gambit!

Sunless would have been great, unfortunately I ran it years ago!

Definitely likes dragons. Not great with magic, but likes it. Likes NPCs, roleplaying is important, and does not like just battle to battle.

Terrain: I imagine DMing the first time is just much simpler with a dungeon. he's fine with them. But, non-dungeon is fine, forests especially.

Wicht's three recommendations (and his word against Hollows) are rather persuasive at the moment!

 

[Wicht]

Likes NPCs, roleplaying is important, and does not like just battle to battle.

Terrain: I imagine DMing the first time is just much simpler with a dungeon. he's fine with them. But, non-dungeon is fine, forests especially.

I would go with Into the Haunted Forest if he likes roleplay as much as combat. It is a fairly short adventure, though enough to bring a party of 4 to second level and there are no dungeons. But it does allow for roleplaying opportunities and its only $3.50 for the PDF ($5 for print).

If you want to make it extra fun for him, the adventure is written to be used with the following add on items:
Gamemastery Item Cards: Elements of Power
Gamemastery Flipmap: woodlands (sold out at paizo)
Gamemastery map pack: Inns

Though none of those are essential to the use of the adventure.

 

[Oryan77]

Whatever adventure you choose to get for him, you should definitely post about his game once you guys finish with it.

I would be very interested in hearing what a game was like that was DMed by a 10 year old. And I don't mean a story about when we were 10.

 

[Stormonu]

I had a lot of fun with Goodman's Games Heroes are Made, not Born. Though it is designed for "0-level" characters, it can still work as a great 1st level adventure. Also, their Gazeteer of the Known World gives you a nice campaign world and comes with a couple modules, including Halls of the Minotaur for starting characters.

Another adventure I really enjoyed was Three Days to Kill by Penumbra, though it's a rather older module (it came out back at the start of 3.0E). I will say though, it's a module best suited for those of dubious morals as-is, but that's not hard to change at all.