D&D 1E Crowdsourcing suggestions for 1e or 2e module for a 5e game

[CanadienneBacon]

I can't do Barrier Peak. One of my players has played it. I think.

 

[lowkey13]

*Deleted by user*

 

[ninjayeti]

S4 Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth (1e lvl 6-10): A classic. Then again, most of everything on this list is a classic, so that's probably not enough of a compelling reason. Also, level 6-10 1e might be a heck of a lot harder for a party of 5e at character levels 5-7. The worry is that this one would be too hard.

I recently looked at converting this one for a party of 4 7th level characters and with a bit of tweaking the challenge was about right, so with 5 characters you should be OK at 5th or 6th. Many 5E monsters are relatively weaker than their 1E versions so it works out better than you might expect. Most of the encountered monsters are in the 5E MM, and those that are not are pretty easy to replace, reskin, or modify exist statblocks for (i.e the dracolisk and margoyle).

In a few instances you need to reduce the number of monsters encountered (like the groups of 100+ humanoids that can be encountered in the wilderness, plus a couple giant and demon encounters). The only really problematic encounter is Upper Caverns #18 because the 5E version of the listed monster is far more powerful. However you can use a similar monster (for example, MM p. 201) and keep the encounter largely the same.

 

[ExploderWizard]

Whatever you choose, remember that if you are using standard XP, that level gain is much quicker in 5E. So starting on the low end of a module's level spread means that the party may be higher than the upper level range for the module before its finished. So choosing a module where the party is is on the low end of a wider level span might be a good idea.

 

[CanadienneBacon]

Lots of good but semi-conflicting advice about what level is appropriate. Thanks, glad for the input. Some folks have said not to start out too low, and one or two here and elsewhere have said to be careful about scaling--that the party will rise in level quicker than what a 1e module anticipates. I've been tracking XP all along but have been graduating toward levels awarded for milestones. The latter just feels more natural to me.

I checked out X4 and X5 last night, but was semi put off by the desert environment. Desert isn't what I'd anticipated doing. Still, a couple reviewers noted that X4 and X5 when run together made for a logically consistent compelling story, and I found that attractive. I could maybe reskin the environment to arid mountains rather than true desert, and that might work.

Re: X1, I'm thinking Isle of Dread probably needs to wait until it can be run alone as its own thing. I've put it to the side for now; it doesn't seem appropriate as a follow-on adventure for this group.

Castle Amber (horrible name for a really cool adventure concept) might be worth a look. I'd probably want to layer on the horror if I ran it, but that could be fun. I'm kind of into horror as a trope right now. My sense is that Castle Amber would be far more fun than I6 Ravenloft. Less about an iconic character (Strahd) and more about the party. I'd always rather feature the party.

I'm looking more for a sandbox than a railroad. I want players to have meaningful choices. One thing I'm thinking about doing along that line is planting adventure seeds in Stonefast that lead to pre-selected 1e modules. For example, I've distributed an old tome as loot. That could be a seed that, if followed, leads to the party doing S2.

Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth might have to be my choice. I'm having trouble locating a legal .pdf of it to purchase, however. Sadly, drivethrurpg says they no longer sell it. Figures!

 

[CanadienneBacon]

Have to say, it's been loads of fun skimming through all these old adventures. Makes a person want to run all of them in order as stand-alone PbPs here on EN World.

 

[ExploderWizard]

I'm looking more for a sandbox than a railroad. I want players to have meaningful choices. One thing I'm thinking about doing along that line is planting adventure seeds in Stonefast that lead to pre-selected 1e modules. For example, I've distributed an old tome as loot. That could be a seed that, if followed, leads to the party doing S2.

Might I suggest a couple of other classics?

I1 Dwellers of the Forbidden City- an awesome classic adventure and very sandbox in nature. Lots of places to explore, power factions to interact with, and a whole lot of fun.

I2 Tomb of the Lizard King- another great adventure, set in a more traditional environment. A bit more story involvement than Dwellers, but good wilderness encounters and a great dungeon.

 

[CanadienneBacon]

Perfect, thanks. I think I knew about Tomb of the Lizard King but forgot to put it on my list. I'll give both a look this evening.

 

[lowkey13]

*Deleted by user*

 

[CanadienneBacon]

You've inspired me to give some serious thought to I3-I5 and X4-X5. They won't work for my purpose with Stonefast, but they could certainly be stand-alones that I run in the next year.