So there will be 1 troll on this thread, I can already tell

[Summer-Knight925]

well played sir, well played


and I will most likely go to the encounters night this wensday, hopefully I can get down there, my game store isn't too far, but with school and life, we really can't plan

as for the week of party building, my group REALLY wants to play ASAP and yeah....im thinking a sort of Sunless Citadel type adventure

THERE IS A DUNGEON
inside if 1 group of goblins and 1 group of kobolds
they hate each other
it drove some monster out into the village
the PCs go investigate
ADVENTURE TIME (with assorted treasure and flavors)

"thats a great idea!"
oh, psh, your too nice

 

[Riastlin]

Additionally at the WotC site I think (haven't checked in a while) that you can still get Keep on the Shadowfell and Rescue at Rivenroar adventures for free in pdf format. Neither of these adventures is particularly great in my opinion, but they are pretty good for giving a feel for the mechanics of the new edition, giving you a little bit of everything (though Rivenroar breaks the level + 4 rule in one instance).

That being said, as others have said, check out the quick start rules until you have the money and time to get the Rules Compendium/DM Kit/Monster Vault. Good luck and welcome to 4th Ed!

 

[Aulirophile]

There is a chart in the DMG that has expected damage/defense values for monsters by level. Using it you can take any level monster and level it up/down from its statblock. Just downgrade stuff like stun/daze/slow/immobilize/save ends conditions to something easier to deal with for Heroic characters (stuns becomes dazes, dazes become slows, save ends becomes till End of Next Turn or Start of Next Turn, depending, Immobilize becomes Slow, etc)

That is slightly over simplified, but will easily get you through.

 

[Plane Sailing]

Also, even kobolds, goblins and such are very different to earlier editions

1) nothing dies as quickly
2) they tend to have some distinct racial ability
3) there are several different 'kinds' of each race, with distinct skills and powers

Thus even if there were only a small number of monsters (which there aren't), there is still a lot more variety in fighting them.

Cheers

 

[WalterKovacs]

but when I get $100 I'm gonna go by the rules compendium, the DM's ket and the Monster Vault, after that purchase I know everything will be better...right?

Those will definitely help ... a lot of the earlier stuff has been updated to smooth out some bumps, but for starting out at low levels, the original monster manual and DMG should still be ok.

One of the big things, if the group is, at the moment, just PHB + DMG + MM, there are a couple things that were errata'd right out of the gate, Stealth, and skill challenges. The details of those changes are available for free on the wizards site in errata/rules updates. Those are the two biggest wholesale changes, a lot of other stuff woldn't necessarily come up until later on. Also, some of the PHB classes are available for free on the wizards website as they undergo a bit of reformatting and updating. So far the fighter and warlord are up, with the cleric coming later this month. You can take a peak at them to get a bit of an idea of what classes look like until you get the PHB.

 

[Dannager]

Also, even kobolds, goblins and such are very different to earlier editions

1) nothing dies as quickly
2) they tend to have some distinct racial ability
3) there are several different 'kinds' of each race, with distinct skills and powers

Thus even if there were only a small number of monsters (which there aren't), there is still a lot more variety in fighting them.

Cheers

This is an excellent point. Even just kobolds or just goblins can make for a truly exciting encounter with plenty of nifty tricks, just by virtue of how varied and thematic each monster is.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

Yes.

Many monster types act like "parties". A group of kobolds might have a "dragonshield" or two (fighter-types), a wyrmpriest, and several slingers, just as one example. You could probably replicate your PCs' roles in a "mirror match" encounter, as there are sneaky and stealthy kobolds as well.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

if its no more than 4 levels higher than the average party's level...then there is like no monsters out there for 1st levels, Drow are lvl 11, it just seems like low levels fight goblins, kobolds and zombies the entire time

No. There's actually quite a variety of monsters at all level.

DMs really need to buy more than the MM1. In fact, I would suggest not buying it (probably too late) and buying the Monster Vault instead, which focuses mainly on heroic tier monsters. I think it had 8 gnolls, all at mid-heroic tier, and of course you can alter their levels up or down.

Use the DMG2 monster rules, which I believe can be found for free in errata documents available at Wizards. (You'll notice many MM1 monsters do too-low damage, but not all, and that the elites and especially solos are lame.)

 

[Neonchameleon]

Let me start this off by saying I have been playing D&D since 1999, not that long but considering I was born in 1993, it means over half my life I have been a gamer

I have DMed before, but for 3e

I started a group with some friends who really liked it and want to play more, and...just yesterday one of the players bought some 4e stuffs and wants to play that

4e is an absolute joy to DM after 3e. Much much less prep time and everything you need is in front of you or directly on the page in the MM/Monster Vault. It's hard for the PCs to utterly derail things just by flipping to a page in their spellbook.

so my big question is

how do Dragon breath recharge work?

After they've used their breath weapon, at the start of their turn they roll 1d6. If they roll the number listed (or higher) it recharges.

basic game mechanics?

Similar to 3e other than that fort, ref, and will work like AC, saving throws are on a 10 or higher on d20, and that forced movement (slide 1 = move 1 square in any direction) is common so pushing monsters into their own pit traps is almost routine.

But a lot of things have changed. Combat is intended to last an average of about four rounds and not bring a PC down in one hit, so hit points have gone up massively is the biggest obvious one, followed by a PC/NPC divorce. The monster stat blocks contain the information the DM is likely to need for that monster (i.e. the combat stats and skills that go with the monster otherwise) - to get other stats, use the skill challenge DCs and let the PCs roll. Far easier, little flipping between books.

monster scaling? (as in what is to powerful what is to weak)
good starting points?

All in the DMG and just start at L1 I'd suggest.

now sadly I was only lent the DMG and the MM, when I need the PHB quite a bit right now and do not have any money to spend, so im kinda SOL on that, but i just need help starting and everything

You don't need the PHB to DM. In 4e PC classes and monsters work differently, so as long as the PCs understand their own classes.

Just be aware that some classes in the PHB (Warlock, Paladin) are weak, and that the fighter has stopped being the big dumb brute and now is the cold eyed warrior who will take advantage of any weakness if you turn your back on him.

if its no more than 4 levels higher than the average party's level...then there is like no monsters out there for 1st levels, Drow are lvl 11, it just seems like low levels fight goblins, kobolds and zombies the entire time

Don't forget the human bandits - or the orcs (who start off as scary). Or the pet Guard Drakes. Or...

I'd use Rescue at Rivenroar as the introductory session - more interesting IMO than Keep on the Shadowfell (although the two Needlefang Drake Swarms are overpowered, and the best of it is the front half).

but when I get $100 I'm gonna go by the rules compendium, the DM's ket and the Monster Vault, after that purchase I know everything will be better...right?

Should be

 

[Summer-Knight925]

So I played 4e for the first time today

what happened to fighters being better at fighting than wizards?

and magic item lists would be nice, so I can roll randomly since the little adventure was 100% on the spot

oh, and the healing surges DO NOT replace a cleric, learned that the hard way
(may the dwarf's soul rest in peace, his axe now in the hands of the half-elf)