Best Intro Adventure

[jbear]

RE Kobold Hall from DMG:

Yes, interaction with NPCs ... zero.

But it does have this going for it:

First encounter nice and simple (which is what you want for new players); then the PCs have to figure out how to get past a closed portcullis with a lever down the hall on the wrong side. This introduced my wizard to the utility of the cantrip 'Mage Hand'

Second Encounter has a Slime pit and Kobolds up on advantageous terrain hurling balls on weights to knock the PCs into said slime; promotes coordination, helping fallen, slim covered comrades, and resolving getting around difficult terrain.

Third Encounter: A battle with a huge rolling ball (Indiana Jones style) circling the encounter area adding fun and tension to the battle. Plus a secret door introduces searching for things not readily apparant.

Fourth Encounter: A dragon!!!! Who doesn't want to battle a dragon! Feels pretty heroic I say!

And then back to town to start a in depth adventure with the players all understanding most of the mechanical fundamentals of the game. Seems like a decent place to start to me. Just my 2 cents

 

[Wik]

my problem with Kobold Hall, as I've said elsewhere, is that it doesn't follow the DMG's own advice on what makes a good encounter. While it may be an okay mechanical introduction, the problem with it is that it's not a very good introduction to D&D, in my humble opinion.

When you're trying to give people an idea of what the game is about, you want your demo to showcase your game. And Kobold Hall doesn't really do a good job of it. But then, most WOTC adventures are the same.

My vote goes for The Slaying Stone, or whatever it's called. That's a halfway decent intro adventure, although the first encounter uses WAY too much difficult terrain.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

RE Kobold Hall from DMG:

Yes, interaction with NPCs ... zero.

Hence the value of RoOR, which covers those gaps. Plus the price is right.

There's a pretty good story hour/blog of the adventure over at The Astral Sea blog that I found to be a fun read.

 

[Momeeche]

The game for this week has been pushed back to next week - it will give the husband and I time to look over Oakhurst.