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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Connorsrpg" data-source="post: 6700943" data-attributes="member: 19265">Running with a group of school kids at recess and lunch times. There are 9 players/PCs. Yep. 9. I rarely change much from the adventure as written as the players are young and inexperienced and, well, 9 can't all be on the front line a lot of the time anyway.I have found it a breeze to GM. Very important, as I spend little time in prep. Given we get little done each week, I need things to be short and sharp.My players dealt with the goblins in the caves. Travelled to Phandalin and immediately cottoned on to the Redbrands being a gang that is menacing the town. With young bravado they marched straight to the dwarven tap house where they drank and a good old fashion bar-room brawl errupted. When the proprietor complained of losing her money, the PCs spent a LOT there to make her happy.They then heard from the little halfling and took off to their hide out. They cleaned that out okay.They went chasing orcs, and met and 'befriended' the red wizard, though they ignored the banshee quest. They defeated the orcs. (I believe they freed their 9th player's PC there. So we actually started with 8). I think I added a captive owlbear to the orcs too?Back to town. Heard about the druid that might help. Went to Thundertree. Whilst battling the twig blights the party also met the druid. After revealing there was a dragon the PCs simply got the info re Cragmaw Castle and left, ignoring most of Thundertree. (I am actually pleased when players don't take up every hook 'just b/c', and I was surprised by the single-mindedness of these players to push on to the main prize - finding Gundren - who is the cousin of the dwarven cleric.)Currently in Cragmaw Castle battling the big bads (who themselves ended up fighting each other over the map). We have just lost 3 PCs in the castle, but others on verge of victory.I have loved the sandbox mini-setting, allowing the players to choose. I have greatly enjoyed running it. I was so glad there was not too much info on NPCs in town. And the lack of maps for town was fine. Wasted space. Grab one of the internet IF needed for a battle, or make up. Many towns have too much info to keep track of. Having assigned quests is a great idea.Players have so far been very happy with the game. AS they are basically 9 'starters' in the hobby, I would say this starter set has been VERY successful. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /></blockquote>

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