Suggestions for weekend module?

[Dingleberry]

I'll be co-DMing a group of 6-8 players over a long weekend in a few months, and would appreciate any suggestions for a published 3.5E module that wouldn't require much tweaking. The group is all gamers with 15+ years experience, but only a few of us have played with any regularity in years - no real powergamers or rules lawyers in the group. Most will be working with the SRD, so staying core is key. I expect we'll probably put in 20-25 hours around the table.

Re: levels: I always like the 7-8 level range (enough to get access to some cool stuff, but not so far along that everyone will have their noses in the books trying to figure out what they can do), but I could be convinced otherwise.

 

[Gilladian]

I would probably start at the WOTC archive of their old free adventure PDF's.
Here's a link: Original Adventures

They're sortable by level, and I never found one that was BAD. Some, in fact, were quite good. String 2-3 of them together, make up a nice linking plot with an intro and conclusion, and you're good to go.

Looking over the list, I know I ran and liked the following:
Secret of the Windswept Wall
Bad Light
Base of Operations
Alchemist's Eyrie (I really liked that one)
Start at the End
Tower in the Ice

That last was a particular favorite, although I seriously modified it to fit my requirements for an ongoing campaign.

If you're looking for NPCs to modify and use as pregen PCs, I strongly recommend the NPC Wiki: d20 NPC Wiki

 

[Stormborn]

Paizo.com has a lot of Dungeon issues available for sale as pdfs and you could use the Dungeon Index to find a series of related modules you might like.

Or you might want to try Pathfinder Module J1: Entombed with the Pharoes and follow it up with J4: The Pact of the Stone Pyramid.

Some of WotC Expedtion books are good. Castle Ravenloft in particular has notes about how to run it as a shorter module/campaign and would work well for the levels you are looking at. I have long wanted to run that book as a campaign and the timing never worked out.

Red Hand of Doom is another one that gets rave reviews.

My main question for you, however, would be: given that you are playing that long are you planning on leveling? Any adventure, unless its very roleplay heavy, played that long is going to have the party leveling up at least once. That of course, takes time away from playing, especially for spell casters. You might want to start them at some middle range, say 7, but beign with a 6th level module and move up to 8th and just never level, but give out appropriate gear - that way its easy at first while you are getting back into the grove and then gets progessively harder

 

[Dingleberry]

My main question for you, however, would be: given that you are playing that long are you planning on leveling? Any adventure, unless its very roleplay heavy, played that long is going to have the party leveling up at least once. That of course, takes time away from playing, especially for spell casters. You might want to start them at some middle range, say 7, but beign with a 6th level module and move up to 8th and just never level, but give out appropriate gear - that way its easy at first while you are getting back into the grove and then gets progessively harder

No, I wouldn't want to take the time to level up. Good point.