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Message: <blockquote data-quote="stevelabny" data-source="post: 1288279" data-attributes="member: 9298">I DMed back when I first go the red box and then the AD&D books back in the 80s then didn't play for a decade, and started playing again when 3e came out.I recently tried to DM online, and ran a bunch of younger folk through the Sunless Citadel.First I think your idea that Erky (or any NPC) will be too much for you to control is a mistake. In almost EVERY game I've ever run or played in, there is always one NPC travelling with the party. NPCs are how the DM can keep the pace, give some advice when the players are stuck, and contribue in all sorts of useful ways. If youre implying you already have a campaign-specific NPC that you want to use instead of Erky, then just do what Harlock suggested and send Erky packing. But if you think you're going to have a problem finding a PC to play a cleric, a cleric NPC is the perfect choice, because the NPC that was a prisoner won't mind playing the full-time healer like a PC would. If you're afraid that you'll only be able to play a gnome as stupid and annoying, just switch him to another race. Play to your strengths. I also think Sunless Citadel is one of the best modules I've ever read or played through. Challenging without being impossible and with enough potentially odd turns of events. I was running it with PCs I'd never gamed with before, and was surprised at some of the things that happened.They gathered NO information in town. Nothing. Zero. Didnt even bother asking a question. They had their plot hooks, and wanted to go straight to the Citadel. Bizarre. After watching them commit that newbie sin, I was sure that they would never befriend or negotiate with the kobolds, but they did. Their fighting tactics were so bad, that when they finally arrived at the white dragon's room, lost initiative and failed their reflex saves, they had to run.After regrouping and returning , the wizard sucessfully put the dragon to sleep. They stuffed him in  sack and slowly worked their way back through the citadel, completely forgetting the spell's DURATION. This led to a tense encounter with the dragon right in front of the kobold queen and her warriors, who worship dragons. Again, the party followed up their mistake by realizing they should only fight to subdue rather than kill the dragon in front of its "owners".To make the module more exciting? Find a way for the PCs to get that key that leads to the quasit and the troll. They're too good to pass up. If they make the deal with the kobolds, sucessfully return the dragon, and DONT take the key, dont despair. The module makes it very clear that Calcryx doesnt want any part of being the kobolds pet.  A little off-camera mayhem can lead to dead kobolds, a wandering dragon and a key sitting there for the taking. That quasit is immune to everything and can easily become a recurring thorn in the party's side.Besides letting 1st level characters handle a little bit of everything, the best part of the module is that all the denizens of the Citadel have fun personalities to work with.</blockquote>

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