Good way to get to 5th level?

[Doctor DM]

I'm going to be starting a 2nd campaign, and I want to run Red Hand of Doom, which starts at 5th level. However, I don't like to start my players any higher than 1st or 2nd. So what's a good adventure or two to take them to 5th level?

Thanks.

 

[Seonaid]

Practice, practice, practice?

 

[GAAAHHH]

Shattered Gates of Slaughtergard.(1-6)

Sunless Citadel and Forge of Fury

Idylls of the Rat King and Mysterious Tower (Goodman Games)

 

[Kae'Yoss]

Or just let them travel from somewhere else to where the adventure is. Throw some bandits at them, a tribe of orcs or two, some rabid animals and the lost child in a village (which really ran away because its parents were fighting all the time, and they have to promise the child to help out, and then help the parents with their problems).

 

[Archon of Light]

I must recommend A Dark and Stormy Knight from the WotC website. It's a great starting point that introduces the characters to each other in a unique way, and it fits extremely well with the setting for Red Hand of Doom. Plus, it's free.

Scourge of the Howling Horde is also well suited for this particular campaign and can easily be used as a prelude to the events of RHoD. Even though it is written with first-time DMs in mind, the adventure itself is very good, if not very unoriginal. But it's very straightforward and easy to run, which allows the party to focus on getting into their characters and interacting with one another as a group. By the end, the group should be accomplished and close to (if not already) 3rd level and ready to step it up.

From there, the next full adventure should take them from level 3 to level 5 and ready to jump into RHoD. I don't have any strong suggestions for this particular phase, but I would recommend looking into some back issues of Dungeon to find something appropriate. Ideally, this would be the time to allow the players a chance to learn more about the setting itself and invest some care for the well-being of the Vale. During the course, they should come across an old map that leads them to Vraath Keep, where the events of RHoD begin.

 

[Ry]

Slaughtergarde is good. There's a lot to be said for Lost City of Barakus as well (just go easy on the PCs if you use it, no need to be cruel with the first dragon).

 

[Ry]

There's another option as well: While you're psyched for RHoD, keep that energy up and start the players at 5th level. Tell them that they get to start at 5th, but have them create characters at the table at the first game, and inject RHoD hooks into the party as they go. You can connect players to the nobles, to the goblins, to the city, nearby settlements, and most of all connect the party to each other, and that way the dice hit the table the game can just take off.

 

[Psion]

The Freeport Trilogy

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