D&D 5E Awesome up Lost Mines of Phandelver (how to make the best possible first session of D&D)

[TwoSix]

After the party kills the first set of goblins, a strange light appears in the sky. Down lands a flying craft and out come weird aliens. "We are the Star Lords of Xeenu, you have passed the test". "Cool". They fly into space where a psychic whale is all "Protect us from the Griim, oh Fight Guys" (cause that's their name now). They do. Lots of explosions and slow motion. Oh no, a super bomb known as Fred is going to go nuclear! No way dude, they totally stop it... With a double-neck guitar! "Epic solo bro" "Thanks". It turns out a space otter starts to dance wildly in front of them. "Step aside, I can totally understand him". "No way". "Yes way". One of the players is totally fluent in Interpretive Otter Dance because waitforit... He's totally actually an otter in disguise. The otter is all "bet you can't break a planet... With your head". Player tries. Natural 20. The otter crowns him king of the galaxy, gives him epic raptor-eagle mount. Credits roll. Cue fifteen minute epic guitar solo. End.

Did it. You're welcome.

Were you spying on my last session?

 

[Phoenix8008]

Here's an idea: Rather than the goblins waiting in ambush, have one goblin be trying to skin and butcher the horses while his friends wait impatiently in the brush. He will want to be left alone to finish his job at first, but if threatened, his boys will loose arrows while he retreats.

I like that idea. You could have the road come around a corner right before the ambush, so it's plausible for the PC's to stumble onto the scene surprising the one goblin. Or maybe they were smart enough to set up a watcher in either direction up the road. The PC's have a chance to spot that watcher and when he sees them he double times it back to the group to raise the alarm. PC's might chase the one goblin right into the waiting bows of the other 3?

 

[Waxfire]

I like that idea. You could have the road come around a corner right before the ambush, so it's plausible for the PC's to stumble onto the scene surprising the one goblin. Or maybe they were smart enough to set up a watcher in either direction up the road. The PC's have a chance to spot that watcher and when he sees them he double times it back to the group to raise the alarm. PC's might chase the one goblin right into the waiting bows of the other 3?

I was going to go with a similar idea, but in true goblin fashion, all four of them are busy looking for any extra plunder (no goblin would trust his mates to go look alone) and they are so engrossed, they forgot to post a watch. The first encounter is one in which neither side has surprise and most likely, the goblins flee at the first sight of the heroes into the woods. They run until turning to set an ambush, likely after hitting one of the traps. Remember, goblins are tricksy.

This changes the opening scene into a bit of a chase, a bit of comedy and a dangerous lesson in running into the woods if they do so without care. The chase can take on a bit of urgency as well if the heroes figure out one of them might run ahead to his mates to warn them.

 

[mattcolville]

The dungeon seems cool, but the setup is bunk.

"There's this dwarf NPC you guys all know and he's got this cool map and you have to go find him!"

I sort of feel like, my players should be the cool ones, and starting off your entire experience with 5E by talking about someone else does not feel like an archetypal campaign beginning.

I'll probably just use Hommlet again, I've never had a bad experience starting in Hommlet. I may replace the Moathouse dungeon with the wave cave.

EDIT: Probably the setup is good for new players and GMs who have no idea what they're supposed to do. I'm not the target audience.

 

[Daern]

Redbrand Bandits

I kinda blew a room in the Redbrand hideout today... spoilers!












Rm8 Includes 3 Bugbears tormentng a goblin. They did not attack at first but the elf sprang forward and so the battle was joined!
I DMd that one poorly. I should have allowed a more extended discussion with the Bugbears before rolling Initiative, even without the red cloak disguises...