Just got "B2: The Keep on The Borderlands" and need help

[frankthedm]

alter the terrain to match this wonderfull illo more.

http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/ph2_gallery/97180.jpg

 

[S'mon]

You might want to run the sample dungeon included in the Moldvay book, before you proceed to B2. It's a lot simpler and less lethal than the Caves of Chaos.

 

[ExploderWizard]

Note, don't do any of this without reading the D&D Basic Rulebook first! You definitely need to read the sections "The Encounter" and "Combat" first!

Don't be afraid to make mistakes.

Cheers!

This before anything else. The Basic rulebook is not very long and shouldn't take a long time to read. Reading the example of combat, and example of play sections first should give you an idea about the flow of gameplay. Starting with the Haunted Keep in the Basic Set is a good idea. The adventuring area is small and contained and will help you get a feel for how things work.

The rules in this edition cover only the most basic activities. Don't be afraid to add in anything that the rules don't cover. As long as you and your players are having a good time then you are doing it right.

 

[mmadsen]

I just got the D&D basic Moldvay set with B2: The Keep on the Borderlands. The only problem is that i don't understand how to communicate with what's in the module to the players. For example, it starts by listing different parts of the keep. 1. Main Gate "description"... 2. Flanking Tower "descripition". how do i connect them together and make it flow into the story? Do I just tell the players that there is a Main gate with.... and an Entry Yard with... I also am not sure which map is to which location and how my players figure out where to go.

Most of the details in the module should never come up; they're in there just in case you need them. (And don't forget that you can change anything you'd like, to make for a better game for your group.)

Your job as DM is to peruse the module ahead of time, to get a feel for the layout of the major locations (the Keep and the Caves), who the major characters are, and what's going on.

Part of the fun is filling in the gaps -- naming the characters, coming up with a rationale for why everyone's doing what they're doing, and so on. Why are the monsters living side by side? Is this just a temporary camp before they assault the Keep? Why hasn't the Castellan of the keep taken care of the Caves already? Or are they still just a rumor?

Or you can go the opposite path and just play it as a dungeon crawl: You hear that there are caves full of monsters and treasure, you travel there, and you see N cave entrances. Which one do you enter first?