So, I've been running a campaign for around 10 sessions now using Five Torches Deep, the simplified 5E hack. I have some session reports (that I'm behind on, sorry) in the Actual Play forum, and many of you were helpful in getting it started.
The party started in the Forbidden Caverns of Archaia, where they spent 1/2 to 2/3rds of the sessions so far. 2 dungeons in I'd say it's good not great but it's early.
I seeded Barrowmaze into the campaign although they haven't been there yet, mostly do to me having problems getting maps to copy from the PDF to Roll20.
The party has since moved on to Tomb of the Serpent Kings, which is great...but the party has gotten to the Basilisk so I don't imagine we'll get more than 1 or 2 more sessions max.
I'm not sure how psyched they'll be to return to Archaia. If they do, I feel like it will be much the same as TOTSK in content if not in quality - dungeon exploration, combat and traps. There's nothing wrong with that but I'd love to add some options for more varied play so they don't get burned out.
I'd like to expand the sandbox but adding some more adventures/locations. Requirements would be:
-Something more than JUST dungeon crawling (although it can have that as well)
-It needs to exist in PDF form so I can import maps. I'd love to do Castle Xyntillan, for example, but as I only have a hard copy I can't see how I can make it work with maps (I don't think my party would enjoy mapping, and I honestly don't have the patience for it as a DM). If Melan/Gabor Lux is reading this, maybe just release digital versions of the maps to those of us who bought your lovely book?
-It needs to be able to accommodate players of 2nd level to start.
-5E compatible would be easiest to convert to Five Torches Deep but I'm getting more comfortable with the system so not a necessity.
-low prep would be nice, especially if I seed more than one of these into it.
Thoughts so far:
-Keep on the Borderlands. Not sure how much different it will be than the Caverns, seems like a smaller version. But there's at least factions, and it's on my to-do list of things to run. I have the Goodman 5E version but could use the maps from an older PDF, I think
-Magical Murder Mansion - ran Kidnap the Archpriest with this group in the previous game, and we are enjoying TOTSK. Not sure if would be different than explore/fight/avoid traps but at least it's got a different flavor
-Ironwood Gorge - Bryce said it was better than B2 "despite what Benoist says", and flipping through it it seems fun
-Shadowbrook Manor - part of Bryce's "starter kit" with Tower of the Stargazer (which doesn't interest me very much) and Tomb of the Iron God (which I ran for these players last campaign)
-T1 Village of Hommlet - also on my bucket list but worried it's anti-climactic b/c there's no good Temple of Elemental evil
-Cult of the Reptile God - consistently hear good things about it, lots of roleplay opportunies I believe
-Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh - again, comes up as one of the best modules, more roleplay, option to use the other 2 in the trilogy plus the 5E maps from Roll20 would make things easy
As always your thoughts are welcome and very much appreciated.
The party started in the Forbidden Caverns of Archaia, where they spent 1/2 to 2/3rds of the sessions so far. 2 dungeons in I'd say it's good not great but it's early.
I seeded Barrowmaze into the campaign although they haven't been there yet, mostly do to me having problems getting maps to copy from the PDF to Roll20.
The party has since moved on to Tomb of the Serpent Kings, which is great...but the party has gotten to the Basilisk so I don't imagine we'll get more than 1 or 2 more sessions max.
I'm not sure how psyched they'll be to return to Archaia. If they do, I feel like it will be much the same as TOTSK in content if not in quality - dungeon exploration, combat and traps. There's nothing wrong with that but I'd love to add some options for more varied play so they don't get burned out.
I'd like to expand the sandbox but adding some more adventures/locations. Requirements would be:
-Something more than JUST dungeon crawling (although it can have that as well)
-It needs to exist in PDF form so I can import maps. I'd love to do Castle Xyntillan, for example, but as I only have a hard copy I can't see how I can make it work with maps (I don't think my party would enjoy mapping, and I honestly don't have the patience for it as a DM). If Melan/Gabor Lux is reading this, maybe just release digital versions of the maps to those of us who bought your lovely book?
-It needs to be able to accommodate players of 2nd level to start.
-5E compatible would be easiest to convert to Five Torches Deep but I'm getting more comfortable with the system so not a necessity.
-low prep would be nice, especially if I seed more than one of these into it.
Thoughts so far:
-Keep on the Borderlands. Not sure how much different it will be than the Caverns, seems like a smaller version. But there's at least factions, and it's on my to-do list of things to run. I have the Goodman 5E version but could use the maps from an older PDF, I think
-Magical Murder Mansion - ran Kidnap the Archpriest with this group in the previous game, and we are enjoying TOTSK. Not sure if would be different than explore/fight/avoid traps but at least it's got a different flavor
-Ironwood Gorge - Bryce said it was better than B2 "despite what Benoist says", and flipping through it it seems fun
-Shadowbrook Manor - part of Bryce's "starter kit" with Tower of the Stargazer (which doesn't interest me very much) and Tomb of the Iron God (which I ran for these players last campaign)
-T1 Village of Hommlet - also on my bucket list but worried it's anti-climactic b/c there's no good Temple of Elemental evil
-Cult of the Reptile God - consistently hear good things about it, lots of roleplay opportunies I believe
-Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh - again, comes up as one of the best modules, more roleplay, option to use the other 2 in the trilogy plus the 5E maps from Roll20 would make things easy
As always your thoughts are welcome and very much appreciated.