In the begining.

[Summer-Knight925]

How do you build a good STARTING adventure? For people who have never played any table-top roleplaying game ever?

I ask this because at my high school I am Chairman of table-top games for the gaming club, Eternal DM seat holder and Dungeon Master of Ceremonies.

So back to the topic, I am going to be starting a group with Basic Fantasy Role Playing game, using this as a gateway. Say what you want about the game, but it IS free, so if players want to try it but don't want to spend money, this is perfect. And, after all, it is very streamlined.
So how many rooms? Monster to trap ratio? Treasure? Puzzles/Riddles?

I have DMed before, but my normal group plays super characters (reroll 1's and 2's when rolling characters [for 3e]) which thus means we can take on tougher challenges, call it cheating, but if the challenge is harder (Instead of 10 orcs, make it 15) I see no problem. So how to I take a step back and build a small (run in x<4 hours) deadly (to show them fear but not enough to destroy them) challenging (to keep them interested) and fun (so they want to come back and play more table-top games) adventure.

So far, I know I want a dungeon crwal, I know I want the more 'humanoid' monsters (orcs, goblins, kobolds) to be a part of it, if not have the three races actually warring with eachother in the dungeon. I want to have options for role play WITH some of the monsters (The ogre exile for instance who knows some hidden passages) and end the adventure with a battle with a terrifying creature they (as players) would know.

Help?

 

[billd91]

If you can find a copy of Return to the Keep on the Borderlands, it makes for an excellent intro adventure, not just for PCs but also GMs. It has a variety of role-playing situations, particularly at the keep itself. It has a number of traps and curious behavior (as evidenced by stuff left behind) in creature lairs to pique the curiosity. It includes advice for encounters that may be too tough depending on the PCs.

In general, a good introductory adventure should include a variety of situations that highlight how rules of the game work. Include some situations that need the PCs to use skills (Spot Hidden, knowledge-type skills, climb) as well as combat abilities.

I don't think there's any sort of golden ratio that you need to follow in balancing traps and violent encounters/negotiation encounters. Include a variety, and you should be OK.

 

[Jacob Marley]

How do you build a good STARTING adventure? For people who have never played any table-top roleplaying game ever?

Help?

I like the Five Room Model, myself. I'd also look at the adventure in Frank Mentzer's Basic Edition Set as a good starting adventure for someone new to D&D.

In my opinion, a starting adventure should be rather simple and straight-forward. The players need to feel the thrill of victory (or the agony of defeat) within that first session. But, it also should have an open ending so that the players will want to come back again for more. I think Mentzer Basic hit the nail right on the head with its use of Bargle.

 

[delericho]

Start with the PCs. Make them simple, iconic and fun. So, pirates and swashbucklers, arcane wizards (with multiple spells!), scoundrels, and noble knights. That half-Warforged psionic warrior/artificer is probably a cool character, but not really what you need here. Definitely use pregens, unless character creation is so simple you can explain and conduct it in 10 minutes (which probably hasn't been the case since BD&D).

Then write a short adventure tailored for those characters. As noted up-thread, for a 'taster' game you probably want a small dungeon (5-8 rooms) with a handful of combats, at least one 'role-play' encounter, preferably an optional puzzle (that is, if the PCs solve it they get treasure; if not, no biggie), a trap/skill challenge... Try to include something specifically for each PC to do.

Include at least two ways to 'solve' the adventure, to make it clear that there are PC choices - this isn't a movie. At the same time, keep the available options fairly limited, so as not to overwhelm the new player. You can always include more in later adventures.

Insert a bunch of flavour details, little things to make the setting pop. Perhaps all the orcs have a particular skull tattoo except for one (who turns out to be a hostage from another tribe), or whatever. Remember: it doesn't matter if it's trite, old-hat or played out - with new players, everything that is old is new again.

Include some cool treasures, preferably including at least one magic item (no matter how minor). This is the draw to get them to come back.

And start the adventure with a clear hook, and with the party just inside the entrance to the dungeon.

 

[steeldragons]

How do you build a good STARTING adventure? For people who have never played any table-top roleplaying game ever?

I ask this because at my high school I am Chairman of table-top games for the gaming club, Eternal DM seat holder and Dungeon Master of Ceremonies.

Congratulations! I wish I had such titles under my mantle. I think you should make sure to always have a scepter on hand just dso the peons don't forget who they're dealing with!

So back to the topic, I am going to be starting a group with Basic Fantasy Role Playing game, using this as a gateway. Say what you want about the game, but it IS free, so if players want to try it but don't want to spend money, this is perfect. And, after all, it is very streamlined.
So how many rooms? Monster to trap ratio? Treasure? Puzzles/Riddles?

I have DMed before, but my normal group plays super characters (reroll 1's and 2's when rolling characters [for 3e]) which thus means we can take on tougher challenges, call it cheating, but if the challenge is harder (Instead of 10 orcs, make it 15) I see no problem. So how to I take a step back and build a small (run in x<4 hours) deadly (to show them fear but not enough to destroy them) challenging (to keep them interested) and fun (so they want to come back and play more table-top games) adventure.

So far, I know I want a dungeon crwal, I know I want the more 'humanoid' monsters (orcs, goblins, kobolds) to be a part of it, if not have the three races actually warring with eachother in the dungeon. I want to have options for role play WITH some of the monsters (The ogre exile for instance who knows some hidden passages) and end the adventure with a battle with a terrifying creature they (as players) would know.

Help?

Sounds like Keep on the Borderlands to me...already written and ready for use...and perfect for beginners. Yes, it is more combat than anything else.

But, no reason you can't throw in a trap here or a puzzle there to give them a taste of everything they might be doing.

That said, I think gettign the characters familiar and comfortable with the rules is key for "first" exposure. So a lot of combat works. Puzzles and traps and other things can be thrown in in later ("sooner than later") sessions. With the caveat, perhaps, that this is a "thinking" adventure more than a 'hitting stuff" adventure...but hitting stuff should definitely still be in play.

If you can find a copy of Return to the Keep on the Borderlands, it makes for an excellent intro adventure, not just for PCs but also GMs. It has a variety of role-playing situations, particularly at the keep itself. It has a number of traps and curious behavior (as evidenced by stuff left behind) in creature lairs to pique the curiosity. It includes advice for encounters that may be too tough depending on the PCs.

In general, a good introductory adventure should include a variety of situations that highlight how rules of the game work. Include some situations that need the PCs to use skills (Spot Hidden, knowledge-type skills, climb) as well as combat abilities.

I don't think there's any sort of golden ratio that you need to follow in balancing traps and violent encounters/negotiation encounters. Include a variety, and you should be OK.

Sounds, well, pretty exactly what i would have said.

If the Keep isn't your bag, I find the Secret of Saltmarsh to be an excellent starting point...and it has the advantage of have two more modules extending the same storyline. A player can get from 1st to...7th (??? I'm working off my, admittedly faulty, memory here) following the three modules. WAY less work for you, my lord DM of Ceremonies!

They are, I think quite well written and nicely illustrated. With plenty of combat but also intrigue, investigation, lots of RP opportunities...and if you test things out, and everyone is "itching for more", Saltmarsh can easily be used as a single, neatly wrapped, adventure.

I like the Five Room Model, myself. I'd also look at the adventure in Frank Mentzer's Basic Edition Set as a good starting adventure for someone new to D&D.

In my opinion, a starting adventure should be rather simple and straight-forward. The players need to feel the thrill of victory (or the agony of defeat) within that first session. But, it also should have an open ending so that the players will want to come back again for more. I think Mentzer Basic hit the nail right on the head with its use of Bargle.

This, also, is excellent advice. I am more prone to long extended campaigns with multiple plots, but I am also dealing (generally speaking) with more experienced players.

For beginners, maybe 5 rooms is really all they need to whet the appetite.

But 5 or 50, I do hold to my earlier conviction that the idea is to get the [new] PLAYERS, not characters, accustomed to a rules set they know and understand...at least as far as the overall combat mechanic...and roleplay too (whether you're using roleplayng skills -diplomacy, imtimidate, and such OR just relying on the player input for RP). I admit, I am not familiar with BFRPG's mechanics.

You can generally expect people will come back at least ONCE (if they don't feel totally ostrosized) to see what it's all about. So a session or two about the major mechanics with the understanding that things will grow and change after everyone's (or most people in the group) are good.

After that...let the creativity flow.

I would say, introducing new players to "the classics" is never a bad thing. Have them all start meeting in a tavern, for starters.

Have fun and GOOD LUCK! Congrats on bringing in a fresh batch of hopeful gamers to the hobby. That, regardless of the adventure you run, is AWESOME!

--Steel Dragons

 

[steeldragons]

Bollucks!

I "must spread some around" before XPing Summer-Knight again.

But CONGRATS on getting a fresh group of gamers AND..."Eternal DM seat holder." We should all be so lucky.

Somebody help a 'Dragon out.

--SD

 

[Ariosto]

A smaller scenario might be better than a big dungeon if it's a matter of all new players and a short session. With BFRPG, you aren't likely to tie up an hour in a single fight or the like, so "smaller" needn't be so small as five rooms. However, a situation that can reach some sort of conclusion in a single session may be a better first taste than something open-ended.

Building around a key objective is one way to get that kind of focus.

 

[Summer-Knight925]

if you've ever looked into basic fantasy role playing then you know it is a rules light system (meaning less time learnind how to sunder) and with no skills...now some people like skills, but this goes into character creation.

Character creation is very easy if using the 'quick start' character building rules, you roll up your abilities (3d6 for the prime 6) and then you roll up your background, this is good for people who don't know what kind of character they want to play. Class and race can be predetirmed, but this can make rolling abilities hard (since there are minimum and maximum ability scores for certain races [not humans, of course]) so I would explain that, although it shouldn't be a problem.

When creating the background you can use a series of tables to see what order they were born in (1st born, 2nd born, 8th born, the normal family) and then what your family did (Innkeeper, royal advisor, sailor, ect. ect.) and then something that happened during your youth (1d4 things to be exact) followed by 1d4 things that happened as an adult, this can range from having spells cast on you at one point to fighting in a war to even being an orphan (yay for the halfling orphan who hates goblins! woot!)

then you can roll your gear, although since we will be using miniatures, I won't FORCE gear upon people.

All in all, it takes less than 10 minutes.

As for the adventure, the problem I am having is what is a good range of rooms, 5 seems to light, especially for 4 hours (granted hour 1 is for making characters and going over pre-game stuff and the 2nd hour will probably be GETTING to the dungeon, the wilderness is the best sometimes, which means 2 hours of crawling, if it is a larger group [6-9] then I will do a smaller dungeon, although I want to have something sort of...epic, to make the players feel like heroes and thus come back.

The first time I played EVER I was playing a halfling fighter, I crited the black dragon in the dungeon and killed him, If you remember the forgotten forge, that was it, and my halfling fighter was hence for my character, until i made my paladin and sorcerer duo good times.

But Im not going to say no to races and classes, like if someone wants to play an elven cleric of Ra, sure, why not? Dwarven thief? DO IT.

As for treasure, I have a feeling healing potions will be common (in BFRPG the cleric doesn't start casting spells until 2nd level WHICH MEANS NO HEALING! :O )
The highest things go is +3, so a +2 maul in a dungeon at 1st level is just a good sign. And from what things really seem like, 1st level is like a "0-level" adventure for most other games, I was going to throw a minotaur at them as the final battle, but that would kill the entire party, so an ogre is most likely going to be the hook.

What do you think of this:

An ogre stalks the wilds of West Reach, claiming hunters, youths and merchants alike. It has been two weeks since a caravan passed through, and rations are waying slow. The characters get wind of this and investigate (or lived in the town depending on their past). the night they arrive, the ogre attacks the village itself and it is not alone. A band of goblins attacks with him. (this is the part the PCs fight off some of the goblins, the ogre gets away)
the next day they are able to track the large foot prints back to the hills (through the creepy forest ) which lead into a cavern system. The cave is actually an old temple to a long forgotten god. The 1st floor is home to a trio of ogres (the ogre that attacked is mortally wounded during the battle, like beowulf & grendel, so the 2nd ogre is caught in a hall, the 3rd ogre is a slightly tougher battle (1 extra hit die) but after the PCs fight through the goblins and other nasties that have snuck into the old dungeon. After the fight with the ogre, the PCs find a hidden door (or should) which leads down to the 2nd level, a much smaller seires of rooms full of undead (skeletons and zombies, maybe a ghoul or two) and ending in a battle against a shadow (in BFRPG it is NOT an undead, so I'm going to play it as a demon-like creature) This entire time they found a lot of cool treasure. After they kill the shadow, however, they find a treasure map leading ELSEWHERE...


sound good?

 

[S'mon]

What do you think of this:

An ogre stalks the wilds of West Reach, claiming hunters, youths and merchants alike. It has been two weeks since a caravan passed through, and rations are waying slow. The characters get wind of this and investigate (or lived in the town depending on their past). the night they arrive, the ogre attacks the village itself and it is not alone. A band of goblins attacks with him. (this is the part the PCs fight off some of the goblins, the ogre gets away)
the next day they are able to track the large foot prints back to the hills (through the creepy forest ) which lead into a cavern system. The cave is actually an old temple to a long forgotten god. The 1st floor is home to a trio of ogres (the ogre that attacked is mortally wounded during the battle, like beowulf & grendel, so the 2nd ogre is caught in a hall, the 3rd ogre is a slightly tougher battle (1 extra hit die) but after the PCs fight through the goblins and other nasties that have snuck into the old dungeon. After the fight with the ogre, the PCs find a hidden door (or should) which leads down to the 2nd level, a much smaller seires of rooms full of undead (skeletons and zombies, maybe a ghoul or two) and ending in a battle against a shadow (in BFRPG it is NOT an undead, so I'm going to play it as a demon-like creature) This entire time they found a lot of cool treasure. After they kill the shadow, however, they find a treasure map leading ELSEWHERE...

sound good?

The concepts sound good. From what you say it might be a bit tough for a 1st level BFRPG adventure, unless you have 8+ players. An ogre has at least a 50% chance of killing most 1st level Basic PCs in one attack, about a 33% chance vs plate-armoured Fighters. Of course you could use the 1e 'death at -10 hp' rule to help there.

I think the main thing is going to be to include decision points in your mapping. Basic is at heart an exploration game; a linear delve can work great for a single session of 4e D&D, but Moldvay/Mentzer Basic & their clones really benefit from choices - eg "do we take on the undead, or the ogres?". So I think you need to get away from "They will do X, then Y, then Z" and map a much more open structure where encounters can be reached in a variety of orders, or circumvented entirely.

 

[Hand of Evil]

I am a sectional kind of GM, I like a number of 15 to 20 room dungeon spread out over an area.

As for starter...little girl ask the characters if they are heros; telling them her puppy has gone missing...pointing them to a hole under a house!

Map a week thread:

http://www.enworld.org/forum/media-.../300141-map-monday-septembers-maps-added.html