What are the "Essentials" line Adventure Path adventures?

[UnknownAtThisTime]

Has anyone collected the list of all "Essentials" adventures that have been published by WotC, and in what form it was released?

I am trying to put together what would be the compleat Adventure Path for the "Released as Essentials" adventures. I understand, these may truly be a combination of stand alone's and loosely tied adventures, but I think the implication is there is a "path" in there.

This is what I think it is; Do I have it correct?

[B]Level       Adventure                                    Source[/B]
Prequel     [I]Solo Adventure (name?)[/I]                  Red Box Starter Set
1           [I]The Twisted Halls  [/I]                       Red Box Starter Set
1           [I]Gost Tower of the Witchlight Fens[/I]       Online Redemption Code
2           [I]Dungeon of the Ghost Tower[/I]              Dungeon Issue 182
2(to 3)[I]   Iron Circle (Reavers of Harkenwold)[/I]        DM Kit
3(to 4)   [I]Die is Cast (Reavers of Harkenwold)       [/I]DM Kit
4           [I]Cairn of the Winter King[/I]                   Monster Vault

I don't have the red box, so I can not check the content, and I have not read Reaver's yet, but I assume this is a playable path as I have listed it. Pardon the quick and dirty formatting.

 

[UnknownAtThisTime]

I forgot "Kill the Messengers", the GenCon encounter which I guess goes right after "Twisting Halls" and was released on line.

[B]Level       Adventure                                    Source[/B]
Prequel     [I]Solo Adventure (name?)[/I]                  Red Box Starter Set
1           [I]The Twisting Halls  [/I]                       Red Box Starter Set
1           Kill the Messengers (enc.)                  GenCon / Wizrds on line
1           [I]Gost Tower of the Witchlight Fens[/I]       Online Redemption Code
2           [I]Dungeon of the Ghost Tower[/I]              Dungeon Issue 182
2(to 3)[I]   Iron Circle (Reavers of Harkenwold)[/I]        DM Kit
3(to 4)   [I]Die is Cast (Reavers of Harkenwold)        [/I]DM Kit
4           [I]Cairn of the Winter King[/I]                   Monster Vault

 

[tentfox]

Has anyone played these adventures? I have the adventures from the DM Kit and the Monster Vault and I was wondering if they were good and if they should be started with the Red Box adventures.

Basically I have a group of mostly new players who I want to introduce to the game and we are doing this with just essentials classes and feats.

 

[Pseudonym]

I'm starting a party at 2nd level with the Iron Circle next week. I debated about doing the other 1st level ones, but I thought I would jump right in to the larger campaign.

 

[Reaper Steve]

I used The Slaying Stone as my group's first level adventure rather than The Twisting Halls from the Red Box. Then we will do the rest of the adventures you listed: Reavers of Harkenwold (parts 1 and 2) and Cairn of the Winter King. After that will be Orcs of Stonefang Pass.

Aside 1: I consider Slaying Stone and Stonefang Pass as 'Essentials' since they were released right before Essentials and reflect lots of the same design sensibilities and preview the improved stat blocks from Monster Vault.

Aside 2: I ran my son through the Red Box solo, then Ghost Tower and started him in Twisting Halls. That will eventually be followed up by Kill the Messengers (I had the pleasure of playing this with Chris Perkins!) and then Dungeon of the Ghost Tower. So, I agree with your order (FWIW.)
The Red Box Game Day adventure, Sunderpeak Temple, is an alternative level 2 sequel that I enjoyed running. With little to no work, you could run Sunderpeak Temple after Dungeon of the Ghost Tower. The encounters are tough enough that I don't think you'd need to adjust them if the party reaches 3rd level in Dungeon.
My only reservation in doing so would be that your players may get tired of being led around chasing the damn skull. And Sunderpeak doesn't provide any closure on the matter... it leaves it open for you to plot the next move.
I did have the idea of creating a campaign where the players chase the skull forever and only get it at level 30 but I'll be lucky to keep my campaign going using published material. For a more immediate tie-in, you could have the skull be then one that turns up in Pyramid of Shadows. Shamelessly pirating an idea I read on a DM's blog (was it Sly Flourish?), that skull could eventually reappear as a demilich or Acererak!

 

[The Human Target]

Haven't played it, but the DM Kit's adventure reads really great for an intro adventure.

 

[vagabundo]

Without knowing the adventures too well. I'd be careful of having a collectathon without giving out constant rewards. Having the skull constantly be just out or reach would be disheartening, you'd end up with something like the X-Files. Very unsatisfying.

I'd have many skulls. The more the collect the more mysteries they uncover.

Oh have the skull, and the slaying stone parts of a ritual. Once the PC's have recovered them they become the hunted and have to find out why.

 

[sunrisekid]

I had the villain from Twisting Halls be another lietenant, albeit a necromancer, of the Iron Circle protagonists from the adventure in the DM Kit. Thus, mercenaries have been seen around Nentir Vale, roughing up locals, demanding "taxes", and displaying general hooliganism, etc. However, the PCs wind up preventing the necromancer from attaining the degree of power that threatens Harkenwold. Clues lead the PCs to the necromancers lair and they uncover a greater danger … (lead up to the DM Kit adventure). In short, the players "nip it in the bud".

Pretty much ignored the skull as a plot device, though it wouldn't be too hard to work that it in somehow. None of my players ran the solo adventures, so there were no story continuity issues for me to wrangle.

For what it's worth, I'm surprised there aren't any clear "hooks" described in the Essentials adventures that would clearly link them together. My description above obviously re-writes the plot to accomodate the later adventures (not that I particularly mind).

We concluded The Twisting Halls and will begin The Reavers of Harkenwold soon, which I really can't wait to start. For those who haven't read it yet, let me tell ya, the story feels like a classic and the adventure structure is great!

 

[ShadesOfGrey]

Has anyone collected the list of all "Essentials" adventures that have been published by WotC, and in what form it was released?

I am trying to put together what would be the compleat Adventure Path for the "Released as Essentials" adventures. I understand, these may truly be a combination of stand alone's and loosely tied adventures, but I think the implication is there is a "path" in there.

This is what I think it is; Do I have it correct?

[B]Level       Adventure                                    Source[/B]
Prequel     [I]Solo Adventure (name?)[/I]                  Red Box Starter Set
1           [I]The Twisted Halls  [/I]                       Red Box Starter Set
1           [I]Gost Tower of the Witchlight Fens[/I]       Online Redemption Code
2           [I]Dungeon of the Ghost Tower[/I]              Dungeon Issue 182
2(to 3)[I]   Iron Circle (Reavers of Harkenwold)[/I]        DM Kit
3(to 4)   [I]Die is Cast (Reavers of Harkenwold)       [/I]DM Kit
4           [I]Cairn of the Winter King[/I]                   Monster Vault

I don't have the red box, so I can not check the content, and I have not read Reaver's yet, but I assume this is a playable path as I have listed it. Pardon the quick and dirty formatting.

The solo & The Twisted Halls from the RB arent really sepperate adventures, the solo is very short and ties immediatly into the DM'ed / party part of the Twisting Halls adv, being more a tutorial / character gen / introductory to the adventure, though one that some PC's can skip.

Both Ghosttower adventures aren't really sepperate adventures either, as I've been told, but more like a solo version and a part + DM version for what is basically the same adventure, altough I cant honestly say for myself as I dont have a DDI subscription.
"Gost Tower of the Witchlight Fens" is definitly a solo adventure though, being ment as a 'quicky' before or after the Twisting Halls to get some D&D goodness, but the player might not yet be able to get a party together or wants to play more or something.
It's definitly not something you'd run with a party though, and it can be pretty difficult depending on wich class the PC is. Character death is pretty much possible, especially when fighting the boss at the end. I get the feeling this is why it's a bonus download, as it seems it might have been written to be included in the intro stuff of the red box, but didnt really fit in well enough.

Other than basically me just nitpicking, I think you nailed it with your list, but depending on why you need those details you might not want to see / list certain things listed above

 

[Locutus Zero]

I just wrapped up the adventure from the DM Kit. It was my first time DMing. I think the group really enjoyed the adventure (Reavers of Harkenwold) and I know I did. My only complaint was the Battle of Albridge in the 2nd book. The players were ready for a really epic battle, not 3 encounters on that same old farm map. So I highly altered that session.