You didn't indicate if you are planning on a purchased adventure or making one yourself. Big difference
I have run Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil 3 times...
1) It really helps if there is an online community for the big dungeon. Other DMs can answer questions and give advice on certain areas.
2) I am going to go against the grain here... Award XP by Challenge/Encounter. If you want to slow the advancement up a bit, figure out how you are going to do it. After a tough fight my players always cheered when I put up the different CRs and numbers they just defeated.
Now I do use home brewed 'hero points', these I give out for milestone advancement.
3) Also against the grain here... allow level ups ASAP (between sessions). This is a game. D&D has always been focused on leveling up. Don't gate this behind... 'go back to town and train'. IMO that just delays gratification.
4) Allow some choices ... RttToEE is in a big ring and the PCs can go one way or the other. So, if they heard of something particularly powerful in one direction they could turn around and go the other direction.
5) Figure out how to handle individual character deaths. Get the new characters into the game as quickly as possible. Death hurts, but making a new character is fun. I did this by having them part of an religious organization, everyone got a free +1 knowledge religion and it was a class skill (so very minor perks). This way if a character died a new one showed up that was part of the organization.
6) RttToEE had restocking guidelines and also guidelines on when an area would just be abandoned.
7) If they will be selling magic items that have been found... maybe agents of the dungeon dwellers are buying magic items... and are buying them (or stealing them) from the characters when they go back to civilization.
8) Mix up and allow for non combat encounters. Making allies, sneaking past sections etc.
9) Figure out how different sections will respond to an incursion in the territory. How long does it take for re-enforcements to arrive, etc.
I have run Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil 3 times...
1) It really helps if there is an online community for the big dungeon. Other DMs can answer questions and give advice on certain areas.
2) I am going to go against the grain here... Award XP by Challenge/Encounter. If you want to slow the advancement up a bit, figure out how you are going to do it. After a tough fight my players always cheered when I put up the different CRs and numbers they just defeated.
Now I do use home brewed 'hero points', these I give out for milestone advancement.
3) Also against the grain here... allow level ups ASAP (between sessions). This is a game. D&D has always been focused on leveling up. Don't gate this behind... 'go back to town and train'. IMO that just delays gratification.
4) Allow some choices ... RttToEE is in a big ring and the PCs can go one way or the other. So, if they heard of something particularly powerful in one direction they could turn around and go the other direction.
5) Figure out how to handle individual character deaths. Get the new characters into the game as quickly as possible. Death hurts, but making a new character is fun. I did this by having them part of an religious organization, everyone got a free +1 knowledge religion and it was a class skill (so very minor perks). This way if a character died a new one showed up that was part of the organization.
6) RttToEE had restocking guidelines and also guidelines on when an area would just be abandoned.
7) If they will be selling magic items that have been found... maybe agents of the dungeon dwellers are buying magic items... and are buying them (or stealing them) from the characters when they go back to civilization.
8) Mix up and allow for non combat encounters. Making allies, sneaking past sections etc.
9) Figure out how different sections will respond to an incursion in the territory. How long does it take for re-enforcements to arrive, etc.