OSR What's the best introductory BX/OSR scenario for new players and DMs?

[harunmushod]

Assume that the rules being used are OSE Advanced Fantasy, so AD&D1e or OSRIC scenarios might be ok too. But the important thing is that both players and DM are new.

 

[Voadam]

B1 In Search of the Unknown was the one I believe I first ran and it worked well for me as a first time DM. I ran it using 1e in the 80s.

It presents a two level dungeon with some story elements and a hook of having a map to the abandoned dungeon entrance to get the PCs going. The dungeon has some neat features and monsters to fight and is specifically designed for starting DMs and players.

I did not care for the set of empty rooms designed only to have the PCs waste time and increase wandering monster rolls, but a lot feels natural and D&Dish.

It is not so long as to be overwhelming, but provides a real dungeon feel and is not just a basement room with rats.

It has some guidance for the first time DM built in as well.

 

[overgeeked]

B2 Keep on the Borderlands. It’s the classic B/X module.

It gives you intrigue and RP in the keep itself. Several factions or NPCs to interact with in the wider area. And a dungeon delve in the Caves of Chaos. It was included with the Moldvay Basic box so it was many players’ first B/X module.

You can easily add or modify things to make the area shown on the map a full campaign. Dropping In Search of the Unknown into the other cave system is popular. Adding a sewer system under the keep is popular. Beefing up the faction play is also popular. I’ve even seen people drop the Village of Hommlet at the crossroads in front of the keep.

 

[Alby87]

Always thinking why B1 or B2 weren't cloned in the OSR. OSE is really a nice beginner friendly ruleset, but is not a beginner friendly game: if one knows the game, great. For an absolute beginner kid or teen wanting to start like in the 1980s, it is not sufficient. You still need videos, help from expert, or fall back to BX or BECMI pdfs. Why, in the great modularity of OSE, aren't there two tutorial booklet that would teach the players the basics of play, and give an example dungeon, keep and wilderness area to fill in? One with a tutorial on how to play plus how to make a dungeon, and one with a fill me dungeon and keep (B1 and B2) and a small wilderness area (X1).

No real absolute beginner tutorial modules exists for OSR.

 

[Yalım]

I'm a big fan of Tomb of the Serpent Kings. It's designed in an intentional way to teach players lessons about old-school dungeons. It's also free!

The one negative I'll mark for it is that early in the dungeon you are expected to "save to dodge", but a lot of old-school games don't have a singular concept of dodging. You'll have to choose between Wands & Breath Weapon depending on the circumstances in OSE.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I'm a big fan of Tomb of the Serpent Kings. It's designed in an intentional way to teach players lessons about old-school dungeons. It's also free!

The one negative I'll mark for it is that early in the dungeon you are expected to "save to dodge", but a lot of old-school games don't have a singular concept of dodging. You'll have to choose between Wands & Breath Weapon depending on the circumstances in OSE.

This would be my suggestion.

The TSR dungeons are mostly nostalgia choices, but as the designers were still blazing the trail at that point, a lot of the adventures make some weird choices, like In Search of the Unknown saying "well, we did the fun/easy part -- now you fill in the rooms!" for instance. (To be fair, some of those rooms, like the room of pools and the fungus garden, are iconic.)

In contrast, Tomb of the Serpent Kings is designed by Skerples, one of those designers who thinks deeply about RPG design and utility at the table. It's intentionally designed to teach players and DMs how to run an old school game.

I ran the dungeon using Shadowdark back in January and it went great. We'll be finishing up later this year, when one player who's been crowned queen of the fungus goblins returns for a very important ceremony.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

B2 Keep on the Borderlands. It’s the classic B/X module.

It's also extremely deadly for new players and it doesn't offer support to DMs in places where they might expect it. (I hope you like coming up with names on the fly, because almost no one in the keep has them!)

 

[SpellObjectEnthusiast]

KotB is really good if you have around a dozen players. Less than that, they'll constantly get slaughtered by the always-hostile demihuman gank squads in every single cave.

A fun keep on the borderlands drinking game is to take a drink every time a room description indicates that the creatures immediately attack on sight.

 

[overgeeked]

In contrast, Tomb of the Serpent Kings is designed by Skerples, one of those designers who thinks deeply about RPG design and utility at the table. It's intentionally designed to teach players and DMs how to run an old school game.

I always forget about that one. It really is a great intro adventure. I've even recommended it before. D'oh.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

KotB is really good if you have around a dozen players. Less than that, they'll constantly get slaughtered by the always-hostile demihuman gank squads in every single cave.

The tree full of kobold archers, which is almost certainly the very first encounter at the caves, when the players are just looking around, is hilariously deadly.

Veteran old school players would know to stay way the hell back at the tree line, looking at the valley from a distance, but new players are pretty much guaranteed to walk into the valley and immediately get action-economied into pincushions.