Need help with a low level adventure for npc types

[Cerubus Dark]

Okay, I am working on an adventure for a group of 4 would be heros. The party has the following
All the characters are 1st level.
a Warrior
a Expert
a Adept
a Commoner

The "heros" are all about 14-17 years of age of course the players are not going to be that young. What kind of low level monsters should they end up finding in the abandoned temple?

I know by the end of the adventure I want at least one of them captured by the enemy.

 

[diaglo]

the big drawback for the NPC classes is lack of skill points.

and at least for the commoner the lack of armor and weapon prof.


i would stick to non fantastical opponents.

perhaps... animals and vermin

 

[hong]

Shoggoths, since you are clearly playing a Call of Cthulhu adventure.

 

[Cerubus Dark]

well this is to be a one shot adventure. These are just some local town kids playing at being heros afterall.

maybe a goblin or two as well as some rats or what not.

 

[Inconsequenti-AL]

Make sure they don't have to fight a housecat. Those things chew out 1st level fighters, let alone that commoner and his mighty D4 hit dice.

I'd consider having weapon using monsters mostly armed with clubs. Subdual damage is far more forgiving IMO - I've taken to doing this as often as I can get away with it for 1st level parties... Slavers are always fun.

{Cliche}
The greatest monster of them all.... Man.
{/Cliche}

 

[Darklone]

Except for my newbie group, I always start like that... but I have beefed up the NPC classes slightly.

IME, you can easily let them go against normal Level 1 encounters. Goblins, kobolds, all that funny stuff. One single gnoll perhaps.