D&D 5E (2014) One-session modules for new players

[J-H]

What are your favorite single-session modules to introduce new players? I have lost two people in my high-level (16th level) game, and may be introducing two brand new players to D&D. I'd like to run a one-shot at about 3rd level, and another at about 8th or 9th level for them to try different concepts out and get used to D&D .

 

[aco175]

I would likely just take something from DMsGuild and modify it a bit. It would be cool if you can tie the adventures together so that the same PCs are in both with shown advancement and show the players how to advance.

You could take the Essentials box and have a small adventure quest from that and then the final one with the dragon. Some may depend on if you are just playing with the 2 new players or if more are playing. With just 2 PCs you could go through the lower level quests fine and 2 PCs of 9th level could take the dragon designed for 6th level parties.

 

[Charlaquin]

The Pudding Faire is a great, lighthearted adventure that gives players lots of opportunities to interact with the environment in creative ways, has some opportunities for combat but is for the most part very light on that, and is fairly low-stakes, which I think all make it very beginner-friendly. Though, depending on how much your players want to engage with the faire activities, it can end up being more like a two session adventure.

 

[Li Shenron]

What are your favorite single-session modules to introduce new players?

Definitely the free web adventures from 3ed era!

Unfortunately they retired them years ago but I still have everything I downloaded back then, and it might still be possible to find them online.

 

[Lyxen]

My fall-back to modules are Keep on the Borderlands for people who want quite a bit of fighting, and The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh (not part of Ghost of Saltmarsh) for people who want more exploration/investigation.

 

[Shiroiken]

I have used the opening chapter of the Starter Box's Lost Mines of Phandelver about 5-6 times to introduce new players to D&D, as well as to introduce 5E to veterans of the game. It works extremely well, and is easily completed in a single session. I'd also suggest that when introducing new players to the game, starting them at level 1 instead, but that's up to you. As for something of higher level, I'll second DMGuild for options.

 

[touc]

The Boneyard from DMGuild for a couple bucks. It's got a great premise (old adventuring party that disbanded after member got killed, annual visit to graveyard and now it's locked up) and runs in 1 afternoon. After moving states, I made friends with my current group running this one at the game story.

You'll need to fix it up with the following:

• Get a free online map of any graveyard. Seriously, any will do. Visualize your encounters that way. Otherwise it's theatre of the mind.
• The caretaker Drel treats them as "strangers" even though they've been coming here for years. Change this. Perhaps he's hostile to them and players can make up what they did in the past for this to be.
• It uses the Redbrand Ruffian from early release. Needs replaced unless you have that handy (Thugs will do).
• The Zombie entry runs off the page (formatting), it says if party is 3rd level or above, increase zombies to 2d6.
• To speed up play, I used a stack of pre-gen characters in the style of the Starter Box. I printed front and back so you could simply flip the page over when hitting level 2 and go.
• Attached is our Obituary. I had the players go around the table and each add a little piece of the story of how their fallen comrade got killed and why it caused them all to quit adventuring. This was a blast.

 

[MNblockhead]

"In Volos Wake" is an Adventurer's League series of one shots that I like to use when introducing new players to the game. They can be strung together to make a mini campaign or you can choose one as a one shot.

 

[J-H]

I have used the opening chapter of the Starter Box's Lost Mines of Phandelver about 5-6 times to introduce new players to D&D, as well as to introduce 5E to veterans of the game. It works extremely well, and is easily completed in a single session. I'd also suggest that when introducing new players to the game, starting them at level 1 instead, but that's up to you. As for something of higher level, I'll second DMGuild for options.

Is this available online?

 

[S'mon]

What are your favorite single-session modules to introduce new players? I have lost two people in my high-level (16th level) game, and may be introducing two brand new players to D&D. I'd like to run a one-shot at about 3rd level, and another at about 8th or 9th level for them to try different concepts out and get used to D&D .

12 Peculiar Towers by Kobold Press has a lot of good single session adventures. I'd recommend the level 1 adventure (Marblehead Tower) for 2 level 3 PCs, and I think the level 6 adventure Raganni's Redoubt for 2 level 8 PCs. The level 3 adventure with the old oak tree is also interesting but would need some upscaling or downscaling. I ran Marblehead Tower/Lighthouse for a group as their campaign intro and it worked very well.