Best 1st level adventure out there

[pogre]

Lost CIty of Barakus reminds me very much of B2 and it is 3.5. I am running it now and like it a lot. It even gives you a solid city to run tons of adventures out of - very well done stuff by Necromancer and I am not normally one of their fanboys.

 

[Buttercup]

Lost City of Barakus has been my bedtime reading for the last few days. Not done yet, but it looks good so far. And I agree, Pogre. The city looks quite promising.

 

[Ed Cha]

Are any of these adventures 3.5?

I'm a new DM (having PCed for years), and I'm looking for a well-regarded 1st-level adventure that's compatible with 3.5 rules. It doesn't need to be awesome in terms of plot, because I'll likely revamp it like crazy, but I would like something that would be a balanced challenge for 1st-level adventurers made using the point-buy method.

World of Whitethorn 1A: The Hamlet of Thumble is the only one designed specifically for 3.5!

It's an adventure setting that includes a hamlet, a short adventure, three new core classes (cavalier, shaman, witch), 56 new spells, 7 new feats, a new skill, 12 new magic items, 2 new monsters, and much more. There is even a section on DM Tips and articles like "How to start a new game". Of course, you'll find 12 pre-gen characters (6 good and 6 evil because the adventure is designed for good or evil-aligned PCs).

It's very balanced and doesn't have any unnecessarily tough encounters that will kill 1st-level PCs unless they roll badly or do something stupid. A lot of people have been saying it's a good value because you can use the hamlet over and over again.

EN World ratings (4.44 average on 9 reviews) here:
http://www.enworld.org/reviews/index.php?sub=yes&where=currentprod&which=WoW1THoT

There's more information at the OWP Web site:
http://www.openworldpress.com/b.php?p=products#thumble

The sequel, World of Whitethorn 1B: The Village of Oester, just came out last week:
http://www.enworld.org/reviews/index.php?sub=yes&where=currentprod&which=WoW1TVoO

Hope you enjoy it!

 

[Mixmaster]

I love your adventure Ed, but it is not the only one:

Stand and Deliver from Kenzer & Company

The characters will become entangled in a tragic tale of forbidden love among different social classes and soon find themselves embroiled in a challenging contest of skill to decide the fate of people's lives. They will find themselves investigating the haunted ruins of Guvlen looking for clues to the uexplained disappearance of the original settlers and solders centuries ago.

While in the wilderness they will meet the mysterious Mashony tribe and learn of their dire need for assistance in sanctifying a sacred temple that has been defiled. But can they be trusted? For the the tomb holds many secrets riddles and dangers of which not even they are aware.

Role playing, Games (If you have Tournaments, Fairs, and Taverns you can really enhance this), a little hack&slash, puzzle solving, wilderness travel(with a d10,000 enconter table!), and tomb raiding. In addition, it has pictures that you can show the players when reading a encounter. Something for everyone! A fun time tonight!!

Also, Barakus is fully 3.5 and will keep a group busy for months, if not even a year. I feel that this is the "Keep on the Borderlands" for 3.5.

BTW:

I'm a new DM (having PCed for years), and I'm looking for a well-regarded 1st-level adventure that's compatible with 3.5 rules. It doesn't need to be awesome in terms of plot, because I'll likely revamp it like crazy, but I would like something that would be a balanced challenge for 1st-level adventurers made using the point-buy method.

Listen ~Johnny~, If you are new to DM'ing don't revamp it like crazy. Get comfortable just running the adventure as is, with modifications to names, places, IF IT IS NEEDED. Get attuned to the adventure where you can paraphase encounters, and get your "DM style." After a while, you can do "your thing." If you revamp heavily, you might unbalance the adventure.

And no, I don't work for Kenzer & Company. There are much better people on the board that would pimp out how good Kingdoms of Kalamar adventures are.

World of Whitethorn 1A: The Hamlet of Thumble is the only one designed specifically for 3.5!

It's an adventure setting that includes a hamlet, a short adventure, three new core classes (cavalier, shaman, witch), 56 new spells, 7 new feats, a new skill, 12 new magic items, 2 new monsters, and much more. There is even a section on DM Tips and articles like "How to start a new game". Of course, you'll find 12 pre-gen characters (6 good and 6 evil because the adventure is designed for good or evil-aligned PCs).

It's very balanced and doesn't have any unnecessarily tough encounters that will kill 1st-level PCs unless they roll badly or do something stupid. A lot of people have been saying it's a good value because you can use the hamlet over and over again.

EN World ratings (4.44 average on 9 reviews) here:
http://www.enworld.org/reviews/index.php?sub=yes&where=currentprod&which=WoW1THoT

There's more information at the OWP Web site:
http://www.openworldpress.com/b.php?p=products#thumble

The sequel, World of Whitethorn 1B: The Village of Oester, just came out last week:
http://www.enworld.org/reviews/index.php?sub=yes&where=currentprod&which=WoW1TVoO

Hope you enjoy it!

 

[Ed Cha]

Oh, I meant the only one of the adventures mentioned.

I've never heard of Stand and Deliver nor have I seen Barakus, but your descriptions make them sound pretty interesting. I'll check them out when I get a chance.

I'm glad you enjoyed THoT! Have you picked up TVoO? It should be in stores now.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

I wouldn't sweat 3.0 vs 3.5 rules for 1st level adventures -- the differences in the rules at that level are insignificant. You can run a 3.0 adventure as printed and your players will never know the difference.

 

[Mixmaster]

Thanks for the kind words, Ed. I want to pick up TVoO, no stores have it around here. I'll get it eventually (I hope... I had heard it was a limited release) I had bought THoT at GenCon. We had a very nice conversation, you and I. That was you at GenCon right? My memory is going, going .....

Oh, I meant the only one of the adventures mentioned.

I've never heard of Stand and Deliver nor have I seen Barakus, but your descriptions make them sound pretty interesting. I'll check them out when I get a chance.

I'm glad you enjoyed THoT! Have you picked up TVoO? It should be in stores now.

That's completely true. Very good point. I mean, the first Dungeon Magazine adventure for 3E (#82 - Evil Unearthed) works well for a starting adventure. A hamlet (for a starting point), some intrigue, a mystery, wilderness and waste areas to populate (DM) & explore (Players) and a mini-dungeon for the endgame (for the hack&slashers out there, but every character class is needed). On top of that, it links to the next adventure in the magazine. Very good starting point for the new DM.

I wouldn't sweat 3.0 vs 3.5 rules for 1st level adventures -- the differences in the rules at that level are insignificant. You can run a 3.0 adventure as printed and your players will never know the difference.

 

[Ed Cha]

I wouldn't sweat 3.0 vs 3.5 rules for 1st level adventures -- the differences in the rules at that level are insignificant. You can run a 3.0 adventure as printed and your players will never know the difference.

You're right. There really isn't much difference between 3.0 and 3.5 rules. It's mostly weapon size rules and a bunch of +2 to two different skills-packaged feats.

 

[Ed Cha]

Thanks for the kind words, Ed. I want to pick up TVoO, no stores have it around here. I'll get it eventually (I hope... I had heard it was a limited release) I had bought THoT at GenCon. We had a very nice conversation, you and I. That was you at GenCon right? My memory is going, going .....

You'll have to remind me what we talked about and what you looked like. Are you going to Gen Con this year? If so, be sure to stop for a chat again.

I'll probably check out Barakus, though I'm not sure what it's all about. However, I know it's got the cover of a lich or something and I've already got enough great undead stuff right now. Speaking of, I just got my copy of Lords of the Night: Liches by Bottled Imp Games and it is fantastic!

You can get TVoO right here at the EN World store actually. It's a bit slow getting out to the stores, but I believe the warehouse only has a few hundred copies left so they should be on their way as we speak. I don't think Amazon has it listed yet. If you can order a copy at your local gaming store and get the series in there, that would be great!

 

[Treebore]

You'll have to remind me what we talked about and what you looked like. Are you going to Gen Con this year? If so, be sure to stop for a chat again.

I'll probably check out Barakus, though I'm not sure what it's all about. However, I know it's got the cover of a lich or something and I've already got enough great undead stuff right now. Speaking of, I just got my copy of Lords of the Night: Liches by Bottled Imp Games and it is fantastic!

You can get TVoO right here at the EN World store actually. It's a bit slow getting out to the stores, but I believe the warehouse only has a few hundred copies left so they should be on their way as we speak. I don't think Amazon has it listed yet. If you can order a copy at your local gaming store and get the series in there, that would be great!

The lich is the last thing the book is about. He is the reason Barakus is in the state it is in though. Read it and find out. You won't be dissappointed. Someone has also done a review of it here on ENworld. I think they should have said more, but they were reviewing based on reading it twice, not playing it, so i can forgive them.