Fast teaching/demo adventure ideas

[texastoast]

I'm looking for a quick AP or something similar that new players could run through in 30 minutes or so that would expose them to the three pillars and provide a reasonably satisfying little story. I recognize that it may not be possible to provide all of that in the given time frame, but that's the hope of it's possible.

My LGS is doing a short 'teaching D&D for new players' event later this month. The idea is 30-45 minutes for each group of 4ish people to expose them a little bit to the game. I'll be one of the teacher/DMs. They have some starter sets, so we have the pregen characters, but I'm not sold on using the beginning of LMoP as the demo adventure. I'd really prefer something that can expose them to exploration and social interaction as well as combat, and that leaves them with at least some story-based resolution/accomplishment by the end, but that's quite a bit to ask in the time window given.

So I'm looking for some suggestions. The two things I've thought of so far are 1) finding an adventure on DMs Guild or elsewhere that has a scene that can be excepted, that's fitting for 1st level characters and fits my stated goals, or 2) modifying the beginning of LMoP (I'm thinking of the goblin encounter oin the road) to incorporate content to meet my stated goals. Anyone have any experience/suggestions based on those ideas, or any other ideas?

 

[Ath-kethin]

I'd say go LMoP goblin encounter. Many of the PCs will die, which also teaches a valuable lesson about D&D.

The encounter will also teach them that full-on videogame style violence is often not the best solution to an encounter, but they may miss that part what with all the deaths (see above).

 

[robus]

I would break it down into 4 simple steps:

1) interaction with a quest giver - retrieve some lost artifact from a crypt (or something)

2) exploration of the crypt

3) battle with creature(s) occupying crypt before or after retrieval of the item. (You could add another round of combat if you have time)

4) if successful return item to quest giver and receive reward.

Given the incredibly short amount of time you have you need to keep the adventure tightly focused. And really you need the barest skeleton (no pun intended) on which to hang the adventure.

 

[robus]

If you want some conflict in the social interaction have the quest giver attempt to short change the party as it was "so easy" for them

 

[Oofta]

I agree with the LMoP goblin encounter if you want to keep it quick. You don't really have time for the whole quest-giver/puzzle solving/interaction aspect of the game. Besides, most people are reasonably familiar with that from video games and you can just kind of give a brief description of that aspect.

Besides, half of the allotted time is just going to be explaining what a D20 is and how you add up the numbers.

If you wanted to, you could add a dying merchant in the wagon who ends the training session by handing the players a blood-stained map to the mines or some other interaction. By placing it at the end and implying that this is just the start of an epic campaign you can include it if you have time and if you think they would be interested.

When they ask "what's next" and "where does the map lead" you just smile and tell them "that's up to you".

Good luck, and have fun!

 

[rgoodbb]

30-45 mins is a tough ask for all three pillars including a rules explanation. I would be inclined to give them just a D20 plus a D6 for damage, and explain that there are more die normally.

Small hostage situation.
-Social Interaction to negotiate with bad folk and keep loved ones away from danger
-Exploration for a sewer/roof/back/alternate way in
-Combat to end it and get paid a bag of coin.

 

[Gardens & Goblins]

Are they totally new to roleplaying games?

If so, I'd sit them down and let them choose, blindly, from a selection of cards, each with a generic description inscribed upon it: Fighty man, Sneaky bastard, Badass combat-medic and clever grey-bearded hermit.

Then, after sitting them down, explain that these are their characters and the challenge is to decide what their characters - not themselves - might do in any given situation. Make sure they understand - get them to confirm nod to confirm.

Check they are ready. Are they ready? Good. Let's go:


Start calm, slow - soft and quiet.

''Imagine you are in a large room. A single lantern hangs from a moldy wooden roof above you in the centre of the room, beneath which stands an old wooden table and a broken chair. You can see that the walls are made of old, slimy stone. A mean looking metal door is set into one wall, and a wooden door, marked with the image of a red dragon, is set in the wall opposite.The floor beneath is made from many creaky wooden planks, pinned down with large rusty nails. There's a horrible smell of sweat and body odour and your breath echoes as you breath.''

Then jump to your feet and shout rapidly!

SUDDENLY A CRAZE AXE-MURDERER APPEARS OUT THE DARKNESS!!! IT SHOUTS AND RUSHES TOWARDS YOU, SWINGING A HUGE RAZOR-SHARPED AXE!! WHAT DO YOU DO!?!?!

WHAT DO YOU DO!??!!?

WHAT

​

DO
​

YOU

​

DO!?!?!?!

​

Remind them to think of their character - what would they do? Don't dawdle on any ums and aars -- keep the pace going, switching from one to the other. Avoid all dice rolls - simply arbitrate the results based on your best judgement. Continue for as long as you can keep it going before everyone explodes and then end it abruptly, with some good 'ole Deus Ex Machina if needs.

Then, back to calm. Wind down - take a breather. Change the topic. Then return and go over what just happened, framing the events in the context of roleplay games and the D&D system. You can use their chosen actions as examples of skill checks, discuss the strengths and weaknesses of their characters, introduce the idea of initiative and combat sequence -- whatever takes your fancy. With this shared experience you'll have a common ground to work with, a shared point of reference with which to better communicate and help them learn.

 

[texastoast]

It's free and open to the public, so if people show up there will surely be some with no RPG experience. It's also meant to be family friendly, so I think if rather go with goblins than serial killers. At least part of the goal is dispossessing nervous parents of the idea that their teens are worshipping devils.

I like the idea of getting them playing and coming up with creative ideas for what to do right away, before going through rules and numbers. 5e is simple enough at low level that the DM could, if desired, actually adjudicate everything by the rules for players that don't know the game at all. (I've basically seen it on Critical Role.)

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[Quickleaf]

[MENTION=6873909]texastoast[/MENTION] When I've run one-shots meant to be finished in 2-hours, I've used a similar premise which I call "Something Comes Knocking." There are many permutations, but here's the basis:

The PCs are at a tavern/inn/caravanserai which has been closed off (maybe sandstorms, maybe quarantine, maybe the city is under siege, maybe angel of death is passing over, maybe a monster stalks streets at night). The inhabitants are very superstitious about "what lurks outside." Then there comes a knocking on the front door and a voice pleading to be let in. One NPC believes this is a trick and will vehemently oppose anyone attempting to let the voice in. As DM, you need to decide the nature of the voice (benign? devious trickster? hostile deceiver? something in between?). That covers roleplaying and combat. For exploration, I usually add some secret in the tavern/inn/caravanserai that can be uncovered – for example, clues in the owner's room that they've been replaced by a doppelganger or something.

It's a great little dilemma-based scenario that really draws on a DM's ability to improvise and convey a brooding mysterious atmosphere. And it's open to lots of flexibility in terms of enemies, level range, and so forth.

 

[Ganymede81]

One good way to teach some of the mechanics of D&D is to put the PCs in a room or house or something and hide a particular object somewhere.

They then have to describe how they are searching the rooms/furnishings/etc. in order to make progress in the hunt. It helps them realize that they can interact with the world with stuff like "I lift up the mattress and look under it" or "I shake the music box to see if I hear a rattle."

It also helps keep them focused on what they want to do instead of what dice they want to roll.