D&D 5E First Adventure is critical to Adoption of rules for my group

[pogre]

I have realized over the years my group's experience with the first adventure under a new set of rules is critical to their collective opinions about the rules. Rules we have stuck with had a solid adventure/campaign to get things going.

Lost Mine of Phandelver seems really well crafted to me. With the exception of the name, I really like the design philosophy that went into this mini-campaign. Lots of solutions to conflicts - lots of routes through the situations - good suggestions for novices. My group had a blast with the first adventure and it's the most restrictive in PC choices (by necessity in an intro campaign like this). It's not perfect, but it seems super solid. Kind of neat for an older group of players that have mostly been playing since the 70's.

I am willing to bet the experiences from Lost Mine will keep my group playing 5e for a long time after they have conquered its final challenge.

As I think back on games we invested a lot of time in a great first adventure experience was key -

WFRP - Shadows Over Bogenhafen and the whole Enemy Within campaign.
3e - The Sunless Citadel and The Forge of Fury

I won't go negative and give counter examples, but let's just say they certainly outnumber the positive.

 

[MortalPlague]

You have a great point there. It also depends on the players at the table and the DM; if someone has an axe to grind, it can sink the boat. But if everyone is getting along well and having a great time, it can really show the rules in the best light.

Whenever I'm introducing a new player to D&D, I always try and keep that in mind.

 

[Blackbrrd]

I have had the same experience, if the first adventure highlights how the game system is supposed to work it makes it much easier to get into it

 

[Thaumaturge]

I like to write my own adventures/campaigns, but I like to run the first official adventure for every edition. It helps me understand what the designers and writers are thinking. They also tend to highlight rules I may not have noticed in my initial readthrough of the rules.

Thaumaturge.

 

[Agamon]

I think back on playing games for the first time, and other than my very first game running B/X back in the day with KotB, I've created or converted rather than use something official.

I think the more important thing to my own group is if the game is easy enough to grasp and start digging in and create your own adventures right away with no issues, and how easy and quick it is to so.

I do like LMoP, though. Great intro adventure.

 

[the Jester]

...I like to run the first official adventure for every edition. It helps me understand what the designers and writers are thinking.

I totally agree with this and often do the same (although I never did run or own the Sunless Citadel).

 

[Lanefan]

I've run Keep on the Borderlands and found it excellent.

I don't even know what the first "official" 2e adventure was...for all I know I've played and-or run it at some point, no idea!

I've played (and own) Sunless Citadel and found it OK with some quite good parts; I've played (in 3e) and run (converted to 1e) Forge of Fury and found it excellent.

I've run (converted to 1e) Keep on the Shadowfell and found it lacking, except for the last few set-piece battles which are pretty good.

No idea when I'll get to run Lost Mine (my current game is somewhat beyond its level) but I plan on getting it tomorrow.

Lan-"now I'm wondering what the first 2e adventure was"-efan