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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Harlock" data-source="post: 1287868" data-attributes="member: 4545">Length of the post?  Hell, I just read Mongoose Matt's "State of the Industry" post and it was so long it probably had footnotes!  Oh well, at least it was better edited than most of Mongoose's books (lowblow, I know).  On to your question.  Erky Timbers isn't annoying.  I had him ask the party for an escort out of the Citadel and enough food to get to the nearest town.  He was out of there in no time, hence, no annoyance.  Make up a funny voice for Meepo.  Meepo is perhaps, when played the way they've written him, one of the funniest characters I've ever had the opportunity to play.  My party still was influenced by him up into Epic Level gameplay.I felt it was an exciting module as it was written.  Granted, a lot of that is pacing, and being fairly new to D&D, you may not pace yourself very well.  Try to keep the characters moving, but try and have them wary of their impending demise at every corner.  Don't actually try and kill them all, but try and set the mood by describing things in more detail.  Describe shadows that move and flee around corners from the torch or lantern light (that's just shadows, after all... you turn on a light, they are vanquished).  You can give them that sense of urgency by simple things like describing odd noises they may hear that break the eerie silence of the underground gloom.  It can be creaks, clicks, clanks... just normal sounds of settling that can motivate a group to quit dawdling and get a move on.All in all, pace and atmosphere are your most important jobs as DM.  Oh, and I'd make sure they have a Cleric in the party.  Inexperienced players tend to need a lot of healing.EDIT:  It is also your job as DM to know the module very well.  It sounds as if you've read it already, but become very familiar with it.  That way you know the key points and places.  Sometimes newer players can miss important secret doors, rooms, etc. by being too hasty.  If you think they're about to miss something, drop a few more clues.  Maybe a secret panel on a door, statue, or torch sconce seems a bit more worn than other things in the room.  Maybe there are footprints in the dust that just seem to go through the wall.  Most importantly, HAVE FUN, and make sure the players are having fun too.  It is only a game after all!</blockquote>

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