I'm a new DM, I have played 4 short games scattered in the past. I've watched a ton of D&D content and read a crap ton on the game. I wanted to start a game with some friends from work. It ballooned into 8 people wanting to play (yeah, probably a lot, but I'm not someone who gets nervous about this sort of thing. I'm here to have fun and not much gets in the way of that.) Only three of them know what D&D is, the others had it explained to them and they got excited about it and wanted me to invite them. No one in the group has ever played before. I want to start them off at level 3 and I don't want a crazy long game. It needs to be something where we all come together for a fun evening with food and drink, then sit around the table to play some D&D and everyone goes home having finished the game without being up until the crack of dawn.
Any suggestions of a one shot I can put together? Doesn't matter if I have to pay for it or not. Also, would be great if it also works with fewer people in case some people don't show (everyone wants to show up, but we all work in healthcare, so work schedules can sometimes not play nice with our free time).
If you're running for eight players, you're not going to get a lot done without it being a long game. You're looking at a simple setup and a fight.
New players are going to slow it down, too. Also, the higher the level of the characters, the more options each player has to consider. For eight new players, I really think you'll be happier at level 1.
Actually, I personally *do* recommend starting at 3rd. You're low level but with enough hardiness you shouldn't expect to be one shot all the time. If you're looking at a truly short game that can accomodate one session, I'd have to recommend either Candlekeep Mysteries or Journeys Through the Radiant Citadel. I only own Candlekeep myself, let me take a look at the option there ... Looks like there are two adventures for level 4, which I'd recommend as 6 to 8 players will strain the limits of the average adventure strength. Unfortunately I haven't played either myself.
Oksy, I just read through the Candlekeep Adventures I suggested and I am unimpressed. I might suggest The House of Lament (Amazing Adventure for 1st level PC's) from Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft but I feel like 7 or 8 Players would be too much, not for difficulty but for the amount of space they'd occupy. I don't envy you looking for a pre-made one shot that could accomodate that many players.
Hahaha, yeah, I knew this would be difficult for the number of people that want to play. I was not intending this! lol I am very surprised at the number of unexpected people that want to play this. Their background would give the assumption of having no interest in this sort of thing, but then I find out they are like, "Hell yeah, I want to play!"
I have been thinking of making my own. I believe I am at an advantage because no one actually knows the rules of the game. I know them, but of course I am new and I am most likely going to make errors, probably like every new DM. But they won't know that! I'm also a natural story teller, so I have that to my advantage. I have a few short stories I have written just for myself, and I was thinking of using them as a premise for a one shot..... farming community, archeologist type character from the big city uncovering a forgotten temple, witch in the woods, trees with strangling vines and plants that come to life to attack, cave entry to temple with a puzzle or two, and a vampire in the end, resting in the temple for generations, which he will ultimately find a way to escape. It could set up everyone for another adventure if they like the experience.
If I go that route, I am just trying to figure out how the mechanics work for 8 people. I don't really have a decent reference for that, except for D&D show's I have watched. Either way, this is going to be an experience!
Wow, ok... just a thought but here's 3 rules I'd use to make the session fun.
1. Monsters and spells do not Crit, only weapon attacks. This eliminates a monster(s) from killing a player with a lucky roll.
2. Don't look up a rule, just use your DMs intuition. Hey, you know basically how the d20 system works, just keep that in mind and make a ruling.
3. Initiative, it takes too much time with larger groups. Make it simple, even if just going in order around the table or in DEX order, perhaps sitting everyone left to right with the highest DEX being first. Saves a ton of time.
And one last thing, you could just wing it. Make a simple plot up, and I mean something that sounds like a TV show episode simple. Have a big bad, and an interesting setting. If you use miniatures, I'd have the players get into a mapped battle pretty soon and as the climax! That would be the bulk of the game right there.
If you’re looking for a module or something preconstructed, the first ever experience I ever had was playing a One-Shot called Troll Trouble (though my DM reflavored it to Kenkus), which you can find here for $1: https://www.dmsguild.com/m/product/171601, though I know there are other less reputable ways to find it online pretty easily. It’s your classic tavern meet up, adventure hook and a very tiny dungeon, which you can definitely abbreviate or improvise any way you want. Great starter!
Otherwise, I would just say that, like everyone else has said, it is gonna be a long session no matter what with 8 people, especially with so many beginners. Maybe just run them through an easy tavern roleplay and then a bar fight, with some post-fight wrap-up. Super basic, can’t go wrong! As long as you and your players are communicative this can’t be a bad time. Good luck!
I think you should really try to rein in the number. Any chance you can split into two groups? Maybe just for a session or two, so you can see if everyone is actually going to stick with it. Because, just logistically, with new players generally being slow. If each person takes 2 minutes during a combat round, you are looking at one person going, then it could be almost 20 minutes before they go again. People will get bored. And social encounters will either be slow because no one wants to talk, or take forever because everyone wants to talk.
If the numbers are smaller, combats go faster, and it’s easier to manage non combat encounters and generally keep control of the table, particularly for a newer DM.
Hello everyone.
I'm a new DM, I have played 4 short games scattered in the past. I've watched a ton of D&D content and read a crap ton on the game. I wanted to start a game with some friends from work. It ballooned into 8 people wanting to play (yeah, probably a lot, but I'm not someone who gets nervous about this sort of thing. I'm here to have fun and not much gets in the way of that.) Only three of them know what D&D is, the others had it explained to them and they got excited about it and wanted me to invite them. No one in the group has ever played before. I want to start them off at level 3 and I don't want a crazy long game. It needs to be something where we all come together for a fun evening with food and drink, then sit around the table to play some D&D and everyone goes home having finished the game without being up until the crack of dawn.
Any suggestions of a one shot I can put together? Doesn't matter if I have to pay for it or not. Also, would be great if it also works with fewer people in case some people don't show (everyone wants to show up, but we all work in healthcare, so work schedules can sometimes not play nice with our free time).
Thanks in advance!
If you're running for eight players, you're not going to get a lot done without it being a long game. You're looking at a simple setup and a fight.
New players are going to slow it down, too. Also, the higher the level of the characters, the more options each player has to consider. For eight new players, I really think you'll be happier at level 1.
Actually, I personally *do* recommend starting at 3rd. You're low level but with enough hardiness you shouldn't expect to be one shot all the time. If you're looking at a truly short game that can accomodate one session, I'd have to recommend either Candlekeep Mysteries or Journeys Through the Radiant Citadel. I only own Candlekeep myself, let me take a look at the option there ... Looks like there are two adventures for level 4, which I'd recommend as 6 to 8 players will strain the limits of the average adventure strength. Unfortunately I haven't played either myself.
Oksy, I just read through the Candlekeep Adventures I suggested and I am unimpressed. I might suggest The House of Lament (Amazing Adventure for 1st level PC's) from Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft but I feel like 7 or 8 Players would be too much, not for difficulty but for the amount of space they'd occupy. I don't envy you looking for a pre-made one shot that could accomodate that many players.
Hahaha, yeah, I knew this would be difficult for the number of people that want to play. I was not intending this! lol I am very surprised at the number of unexpected people that want to play this. Their background would give the assumption of having no interest in this sort of thing, but then I find out they are like, "Hell yeah, I want to play!"
I have been thinking of making my own. I believe I am at an advantage because no one actually knows the rules of the game. I know them, but of course I am new and I am most likely going to make errors, probably like every new DM. But they won't know that! I'm also a natural story teller, so I have that to my advantage. I have a few short stories I have written just for myself, and I was thinking of using them as a premise for a one shot..... farming community, archeologist type character from the big city uncovering a forgotten temple, witch in the woods, trees with strangling vines and plants that come to life to attack, cave entry to temple with a puzzle or two, and a vampire in the end, resting in the temple for generations, which he will ultimately find a way to escape. It could set up everyone for another adventure if they like the experience.
If I go that route, I am just trying to figure out how the mechanics work for 8 people. I don't really have a decent reference for that, except for D&D show's I have watched. Either way, this is going to be an experience!
Wow, ok... just a thought but here's 3 rules I'd use to make the session fun.
1. Monsters and spells do not Crit, only weapon attacks. This eliminates a monster(s) from killing a player with a lucky roll.
2. Don't look up a rule, just use your DMs intuition. Hey, you know basically how the d20 system works, just keep that in mind and make a ruling.
3. Initiative, it takes too much time with larger groups. Make it simple, even if just going in order around the table or in DEX order, perhaps sitting everyone left to right with the highest DEX being first. Saves a ton of time.
And one last thing, you could just wing it. Make a simple plot up, and I mean something that sounds like a TV show episode simple. Have a big bad, and an interesting setting. If you use miniatures, I'd have the players get into a mapped battle pretty soon and as the climax! That would be the bulk of the game right there.
Just imho :)
If you’re looking for a module or something preconstructed, the first ever experience I ever had was playing a One-Shot called Troll Trouble (though my DM reflavored it to Kenkus), which you can find here for $1: https://www.dmsguild.com/m/product/171601, though I know there are other less reputable ways to find it online pretty easily. It’s your classic tavern meet up, adventure hook and a very tiny dungeon, which you can definitely abbreviate or improvise any way you want. Great starter!
Otherwise, I would just say that, like everyone else has said, it is gonna be a long session no matter what with 8 people, especially with so many beginners. Maybe just run them through an easy tavern roleplay and then a bar fight, with some post-fight wrap-up. Super basic, can’t go wrong! As long as you and your players are communicative this can’t be a bad time. Good luck!
I think you should really try to rein in the number. Any chance you can split into two groups? Maybe just for a session or two, so you can see if everyone is actually going to stick with it.
Because, just logistically, with new players generally being slow. If each person takes 2 minutes during a combat round, you are looking at one person going, then it could be almost 20 minutes before they go again. People will get bored. And social encounters will either be slow because no one wants to talk, or take forever because everyone wants to talk.
If the numbers are smaller, combats go faster, and it’s easier to manage non combat encounters and generally keep control of the table, particularly for a newer DM.
I'd almost agree with Xalthu, but I personally never had the energy for more than one D&D Game a week as a DM, especially with work and school.