I'm having our first game with some co-workers, probably in the next month or two, and they are all new to the game, and I am undecided on which creature to throw at them first. They are going to be monster hunters for the duration of this campaign, so I want it to start off good. They are going to get a quest to go discover what is tearing apart the local livestock of the village their in, and kill whatever beast it is. No one has spotted the beast(s), but someone caught a glimpse of it after it escaped through the trees from a fresh kill on his cattle or something. He posts the bounty with a vague sketch of it. Now I have a couple of ideas, but I wanted opinions from other DMs.
Zombie(s)? Necromancer villain later on down the line?
Owlbear? Badly wounded by other hunters, but still up and able to fight. Wounded enough that they won't be dead before he gets down to 0HP because he won't be at full health.
Quasit(s)? Could potentially tie in with Tiefling party member's backstory?
Imp(s)? Also a potential tie in.
I considered goblins and kobolds, mostly goblins, but I'd like to stray a little bit. Any other ideas?
A dire wolf. Not as exciting but maybe it’s a trained fire wolf working for something or someone more powerful. Or a pack of wolves, which the party interrupts and fights, then tracks back to the lair where they find the pack alpha, a dire wolf. Then there’s loot in the lair. It helps introduce some simple but common concepts like tracking, and loot being in lairs on some monsters.
Owlbear and dire wolf are both good options. You could also have an encounter with another party of hunters. If it turns to combat, then great. If the players try to make it a social encounter, then they could potentially join forces against a slightly more powerful (read: impressive) monster at the end-of-session showdown.
I'd recommend leading with the weird. They know zombies and wolves... they won't know carrion crawlers and rust monsters.
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Rule for drama. Roll for memories. If there isn't a meaningful failure condition, do not roll. Ever. (Perception checks, I'm .... clunk, roll, roll, roll, stop... 14, looking at you... maybe?)
I would start with some undead. That is an encounter you can dial in for the party strength and they can level up. The next encounter can be more undead, but they have some odd aspect to suggest their is a greater foe out there pulling the strings. Maybe they wear an amulet, and the amulet glows when they first notice the party and again at the climactic point in the battle. If they loot an amulet, it might be examined by an elder that tells the party this is an Amulet of Kronn, and Kronn hasn't been spoken of in these parts for an hundred years. Hmmm
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Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt
Owlbears are a problem for oneshotting level 1 PCs. Given that you aren't looking at a full day of encounters, I'd go with something CR 2 (CR 3 if they're really experienced, but they probably aren't). Bunch of options that might be doing that kind of thing, though. Some choices that are terrain-appropriate, not boring (you can just have a Cave Bear) and inclined to just go around mauling cattle include Ankheg, Grick, Griffon.
If you want multiple encounters rather than a single boss, maybe a Giant Hyena that has gone rogue from a pair of Gnolls.
Great suggestions! I'd add that single-encounter adventures are often not as strong, since they favor certain classes way more and become too easy for the players. So maybe use multiple of these suggestions...the party spots the dire wolf across the graveyard, but before they get to it they're ambushed by zombies (for example)!
You can also just have two of whatever it is. Say, they beat one, feel very happy with themselves, and as they're resting (let them finish a short rest to be nice) the other one attacks. I'd like Ankhegs for that because they burrow so who knows how many of them there might be.
Problem is it could be instant death. A level 1 wizard, or sorcerer is likely to have about 8 HP if you roll 16 on your 3d6 they don't get saving throws. Roll a crit and any of them could be insta killed. If some in engulfed (and survives) they will almost certinly be killed if they are still there at the start of the cubes next turn but the the characters probably wont know the peril they are in.
Saw a comment that said to use something weird. I think Quasit or Imp would be good. Zombies are cool but super cliche right off the bat. Hit em with a Demon or Devil, maybe they have to close a portal they are coming through.
These are all fantastic suggestions! I think I've got a few better ideas than I did now, reading all of your suggestions and thoughts. Thank you all, and I will gladly accept more if you've got them.
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I'm having our first game with some co-workers, probably in the next month or two, and they are all new to the game, and I am undecided on which creature to throw at them first. They are going to be monster hunters for the duration of this campaign, so I want it to start off good. They are going to get a quest to go discover what is tearing apart the local livestock of the village their in, and kill whatever beast it is. No one has spotted the beast(s), but someone caught a glimpse of it after it escaped through the trees from a fresh kill on his cattle or something. He posts the bounty with a vague sketch of it. Now I have a couple of ideas, but I wanted opinions from other DMs.
Zombie(s)? Necromancer villain later on down the line?
Owlbear? Badly wounded by other hunters, but still up and able to fight. Wounded enough that they won't be dead before he gets down to 0HP because he won't be at full health.
Quasit(s)? Could potentially tie in with Tiefling party member's backstory?
Imp(s)? Also a potential tie in.
I considered goblins and kobolds, mostly goblins, but I'd like to stray a little bit. Any other ideas?
A dire wolf. Not as exciting but maybe it’s a trained fire wolf working for something or someone more powerful.
Or a pack of wolves, which the party interrupts and fights, then tracks back to the lair where they find the pack alpha, a dire wolf. Then there’s loot in the lair. It helps introduce some simple but common concepts like tracking, and loot being in lairs on some monsters.
Owlbear and dire wolf are both good options. You could also have an encounter with another party of hunters. If it turns to combat, then great. If the players try to make it a social encounter, then they could potentially join forces against a slightly more powerful (read: impressive) monster at the end-of-session showdown.
"Not all those who wander are lost"
I'd recommend leading with the weird. They know zombies and wolves... they won't know carrion crawlers and rust monsters.
Rule for drama. Roll for memories.
If there isn't a meaningful failure condition, do not roll. Ever. (Perception checks, I'm .... clunk, roll, roll, roll, stop... 14, looking at you... maybe?)
I would start with some undead. That is an encounter you can dial in for the party strength and they can level up. The next encounter can be more undead, but they have some odd aspect to suggest their is a greater foe out there pulling the strings. Maybe they wear an amulet, and the amulet glows when they first notice the party and again at the climactic point in the battle. If they loot an amulet, it might be examined by an elder that tells the party this is an Amulet of Kronn, and Kronn hasn't been spoken of in these parts for an hundred years. Hmmm
Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt
Owlbears are a problem for oneshotting level 1 PCs. Given that you aren't looking at a full day of encounters, I'd go with something CR 2 (CR 3 if they're really experienced, but they probably aren't). Bunch of options that might be doing that kind of thing, though. Some choices that are terrain-appropriate, not boring (you can just have a Cave Bear) and inclined to just go around mauling cattle include Ankheg, Grick, Griffon.
If you want multiple encounters rather than a single boss, maybe a Giant Hyena that has gone rogue from a pair of Gnolls.
Rust monster and an ooze. One eats organic. One eats inorganic.
Great suggestions! I'd add that single-encounter adventures are often not as strong, since they favor certain classes way more and become too easy for the players. So maybe use multiple of these suggestions...the party spots the dire wolf across the graveyard, but before they get to it they're ambushed by zombies (for example)!
Wizard (Gandalf) of the Tolkien Club
You can also just have two of whatever it is. Say, they beat one, feel very happy with themselves, and as they're resting (let them finish a short rest to be nice) the other one attacks. I'd like Ankhegs for that because they burrow so who knows how many of them there might be.
You nailed it. Rust monster and gelatinous cube. Go with the classics.
"Not all those who wander are lost"
A gelatinous cube doing 3d6 damage can easily 1-shot a level 1 character. And that’s not counting of someone gets engulfed and has to take 6d6.
There's nothing per se wrong with dropping level 1 characters to 0 hp.
Problem is it could be instant death. A level 1 wizard, or sorcerer is likely to have about 8 HP if you roll 16 on your 3d6 they don't get saving throws. Roll a crit and any of them could be insta killed. If some in engulfed (and survives) they will almost certinly be killed if they are still there at the start of the cubes next turn but the the characters probably wont know the peril they are in.
You don't have to use the instant death rules.
YOU LEAVE FLUFFY A- Oh! Sorry wrong rust monster. Carry on. XD
Saw a comment that said to use something weird. I think Quasit or Imp would be good. Zombies are cool but super cliche right off the bat. Hit em with a Demon or Devil, maybe they have to close a portal they are coming through.
These are all fantastic suggestions! I think I've got a few better ideas than I did now, reading all of your suggestions and thoughts. Thank you all, and I will gladly accept more if you've got them.