D&D 5E Mining Lost Mine for One Shots

[halfling rogue]

I'm going to be spending some time away with extended family this weekend and there ought to be plenty of time to play games. I'm planning on bringing the Starter Set along. Most have never played and most have a bias towards D&D as a huge nerd game. I know a couple would be on board and I'm hoping we can get a few more. I'm not sure if folks will bite but it's worth a try.

Anyway, I really just want something simple and fun, so I'll be using the Starter Pre-gens. Problem is that a few who might play have already played the Starter (and have played through Cragmaw Hideout/Phandalin/Cragmaw Castle). And I would hate for them to know what's coming. As I don't have much prep time, and as those who have played have not played anything beyond what I mentioned, I started wondering about the side quests in Part 3 (i think it's part 3). Instead of having everyone jump into a campaign, I'm thinking I'll start them in a tavern and have a few of these side quests as options for an adventure.

This would be sort of deconstructing Lost Mine into pieces and just creating a one shot surrounding the quests. Does this sound like it's doable or do you sages have any advice going forward? Something very easy, little to no prep (aside from familiarity with Lost Mine), or something to spice up the one shot for a group of skeptical newbies?

 

[whenderson04]

Yeah, I'd bet that would work, they seem a little disjointed to me anyway. And the initial goblin encounters just get you to Phandalin anyway.

 

[iserith]

Sure, the side quests in Chapter 3 including Thundertree and wilderness encounters is a decent amount of content. I suggest setting the pre-gens to 3rd level though.

I don't recommend starting in a tavern - it's a one-shot, not a campaign. I'd start the game by having everyone give a short introduction of their character, then ask how and why everyone knows and trusts each other, and why they're personally invested in completing a particular quest (Old Owl Well, Agatha and Conyberry, Thundertree, etc.). Share whatever details you need to so they have the context they need to figure out their connect to said quest. Then start on the road with a scene involving a wandering monster.

DM: [Wizard], what is your secret connection to the ruined town of Conyberry and who asked you to return to this forsaken place to ask a banshee for help in finding a lost spell book?
Wizard: A branch of my wizardly order was there when Conyberry was lost long ago. The archmage to whom I am an apprentice bids me go there.
DM: Cool. [Rogue], what favor are you repaying for checking out Old Owl Well on behalf of your criminal contact? She said someone has been digging around there and wants to know why.
Rogue: I was poaching on a thieves' guild's territory without kicking up a share of my take. It was only by her intervention that I didn't get disappeared. I owe her, big time.

And so on... write down what they tell you, ask follow-up questions to flesh it out, and make sure to use it during play.

 

[halfling rogue]

Sure, the side quests in Chapter 3 including Thundertree and wilderness encounters is a decent amount of content. I suggest setting the pre-gens to 3rd level though.

I don't recommend starting in a tavern - it's a one-shot, not a campaign. I'd start the game by having everyone give a short introduction of their character, then ask how and why everyone knows and trusts each other, and why they're personally invested in completing a particular quest (Old Owl Well, Agatha and Conyberry, Thundertree, etc.). Share whatever details you need to so they have the context they need to figure out their connect to said quest. Then start on the road with a scene involving a wandering monster.

DM: [Wizard], what is your secret connection to the ruined town of Conyberry and who asked you to return to this forsaken place to ask a banshee for help in finding a lost spell book?
Wizard: A branch of my wizardly order was there when Conyberry was lost long ago. The archmage to whom I am an apprentice bids me go there.
DM: Cool. [Rogue], what favor are you repaying for checking out Old Owl Well on behalf of your criminal contact? She said someone has been digging around there and wants to know why.
Rogue: I was poaching on a thieves' guild's territory without kicking up a share of my take. It was only by her intervention that I didn't get disappeared. I owe her, big time.

And so on... write down what they tell you, ask follow-up questions to flesh it out, and make sure to use it during play.

That's not a bad suggestion. But that could be done in a tavern as well as along the road. And I really like the idea of having skeptical newbies feel as if they have a choice of their quest. It gives them a vested interest. Instead of the DM asking specifics and plopping folks on the path, they can have a brief roleplay intro by asking the patrons or barkeep or hearing gossip or whathaveyou at the tavern.

But it is a good point to clarify with them beforehand why they trust each other. That said, it's also easy enough to just say, You are all friends/partners in adventuring. You stopped for a rest in this sleeply little town of AdjectiveSeason seeking your next quest. You're all gathered around a table. The fire is roaring and the room is buzzing with folk. What do you do?

 

[iserith]

That's not a bad suggestion. But that could be done in a tavern as well as along the road. And I really like the idea of having skeptical newbies feel as if they have a choice of their quest. It gives them a vested interest. Instead of the DM asking specifics and plopping folks on the path, they can have a brief roleplay intro by asking the patrons or barkeep or hearing gossip or whathaveyou at the tavern.

I think of things in terms of real time. Introductions for four players, fleshing out bonds between characters, and hooks to the existing adventures takes about 30 minutes. It's more if there are additional players. This is the most amount of time I want to spend in the game before I present the first scene of conflict ("conflict" doesn't necessary mean "combat" in this context). What I suggested will give everyone the context they need to build on and get people into the heart of drama - conflict - before anyone has a chance to get bored listening to Steve chat up the imaginary barmaid and set fire to the tavern.

As far as the concern regarding choices, the choice is in which order they will pursue the various hooks that they've already bought into by answering you leading questions about their connection to them.

But it is a good point to clarify with them beforehand why they trust each other. That said, it's also easy enough to just say, You are all friends/partners in adventuring. You stopped for a rest in this sleeply little town of AdjectiveSeason seeking your next quest. You're all gathered around a table. The fire is roaring and the room is buzzing with folk. What do you do?

Sure, you can establish that yourself, but the more you ask your players to establish, the more they buy into it in my experience. That goes for bonds with the other characters and for the adventure hooks. Again, this is a one-shot, not a campaign, right? If so, then I recommend a much tighter way of setting up the game. I think the meandering tavern scene is a great way to turn people who are already skeptical of the game (as you stated) right off.

 

[halfling rogue]

Sure, you can establish that yourself, but the more you ask your players to establish, the more they buy into it in my experience. That goes for bonds with the other characters and for the adventure hooks. Again, this is a one-shot, not a campaign, right? If so, then I recommend a much tighter way of setting up the game. I think the meandering tavern scene is a great way to turn people who are already skeptical of the game (as you stated) right off.

I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree regarding preference in starting points. It's a one-shot that's also serving as an introductory to D&D. Maybe we're getting hung up on what the definition of a one-shot is. My focus, at least in this thread, isn't so much as to how to start or introduce them into D&D, but whether Lost Mine would be a worthy source to mine for simple one/two session adventures and how it might be best adapted as such.

 

[The Grassy Gnoll]

Thundertree is a good one shot - especially with the ability to RP the dragon and maybe the cultists and you can really use the zombies as a bridge - everyone likes TWD, right? Plus, D&D...there should be a dragon!

 

[Klataubarada]

I'd just start the players on the road with the wagon Gundren paid them to take to phandelver. To make its a pure one shot, have one of the players be the nephew/niece of Gundren, who is being held captive by Klarg in his den.

I was the DM for 6 and it took us right at 4 hours from Gundren hiring the PC's to killing Klarg, which was our stopping point for the first session. It was the first time playing DnD for 4 of the players and they had an absolute blast!