D&D 5E (2014) Five new players. 1st level PCs. First monster they meet is...

[Arcshot]

Goblins are my normal choice - evil, small, smelly and squeal loudly when you hit them. Since the advent of D&D, goblins have been fantastic trainers for level 1 PCs to take on the world.

 

[Arcshot]

Another forgotten monster is the Human. After chargen and purchasing of equipment in the marketplace, arrange a poor-looking girl to approach your heroes for help. She will bring them to a dark alley and our heroes will get round up by a local gang. Have someone escaped (perhaps the girl herself) to create long-term enemies. Heroes will have to watch their back in town after their adventures outside.

 

[Kabouter Games]

My first draft dungeon (and I'll be changing it as ideas come in until game time tomorrow!) sees the following encounters in the dungeon:

1. three kobolds arguing over dice.
2. a gate trap. Easy to disarm. Spikes deal damage
3. Gas Spore over a treasure chest. If it explodes, most of the nice stuff in the chest (including trinkets, the best treasure!) is destroyed.
4. Pool of green slime. There's a cage over it, with a leather cord that can lower the cage into the pool. There's a dead kobold inside.
5. A weird altar with candles and skulls. Inside the skull is a gem (natch). extinguish the candles and the god of undeath gets angry and you have disadvantage on all saves versus undead attacks for 1 day.
6. 4 kobolds and 2 trained giant rats. The "big fight".
7. A sword in a stone. Pull it from the stone, and it animates and attacks!
8. A cave in. Lots of hints that it's coming.
9. Kobold hiding behind crates. She has a crossbow. She doesn't really want to fight.
10. A ghoul, chained to a wall.
11. 3 kobolds with 2 skeleton pets, guarding a warhorse (the reason the PCs have been sent into the dungeon).

It's a simple, one hour to create dungeon, but there's enough choices that the players should have fun. Any ways to make it awesome(r) are greatly appreciated. Would prefer to keep it simple.

I have a couple ideas/bits of advice.

Agreed that the gas spore is unsuitable. You can make it a mechanical trap that has a higher DC to disarm. One of those "better mousetrap" sort of complicated mechanisms.

It's best for dramatic purposes to put the boss fight at the end. I'd nix 6. In fact, I'd totally rewrite 11: Add a kobold chief with his pet shaman to 4 kobolds and 2 giant rats. Gives you a mob, a boss, and a caster (to teach them to go after the caster first, which is Rule #2! ). The scenario: The warhorse is dinner; the tribe will feast tonight! The rats are the Chief's pets, with collars and leather leashes.

Ensure the party can receive intel on the boss fight somewhere. The kobold behind the crates is a great opportunity.

 

[iserith]

I think the gas spore is fine, but I recommend telegraphing it before the characters encounter it. Perhaps the kobold have made a crude drawing of a beholder killing some of their clutch. Later, they find a few kobolds covered in mold with bulbous growths pulsing ominously. Finally they see the gas spore floating above the chest. "What do you do?"

Also, the gas spore's danger is in its poison. It shouldn't really ruin anything in the chest unless you mean to make the remains of its poison dangerous to touch after it rains down on the chest. Which would be fine in my view since the challenge changes to how to get the goodies without infecting oneself.

 

[Miladoon]

Someone, besides me, make a Close Encounters of the First Kind entry in the guides thread. This stuff should be linked.

 

[DMCF]

Goblins, Kobs and Skeles for sure.

The balor idea is great but consider using a boss monster after the fight as well. Level 1 NPCs who take a hit from a goblin are going to be hurt. Emphasize a bugbear or hobgoblin's power by having him casually swipe at a goblin later on, crushing or decapitating him.

 

[TwoSix]

Three balors riding a terrasque. GO BIG OR GO HOME.

Never be afraid of three balors riding a tarrasque.

Be afraid of the guy who puts the saddle on.

 

[Scorpio616]

2d12 desperate commoners and 1d10 bandits as their 'leaders' who are blooding potential recruits. Give the commoners proficiency in daggers so they have a ranged option without changing their damage profile.

Sadly one kinda needs a pack of commoners now and then to reward the player who takes the Sleep spell this edition.

 

[Scorpio616]

Goblins are my normal choice - evil, small, smelly and squeal loudly when you hit them. Since the advent of D&D, goblins have been fantastic trainers for level 1 PCs to take on the world.

Goblins are not quite the trainers the used to be. You really can't use them in a good amount vs a first level group. That Dex adds to damage as a default means their hits are much more solid than the old days. Then add in that they are designed to be playing Whack a Mole with the hiding rules, followed up with attacking at advantage from being hidden means they can easily overpower a typical group.

 

[discosoc]

Whatever you do, don't throw them against a group of "thugs" that outnumber them 2 to 1. That was my first encounter and I severely underestimated what CR meant (GM's guide wasn't out yet), not to mention the effect of pack tactics.