Advice: One Session, Experienced Players, Basic Set, & The Keep

Scott Christian · Apr 13, 2024

Hi Everyone,

It has been a long, long time since I've run a game from the Basic Set box. This set was a gift, and my friend wants to get together to play the adventure contained within - The Keep on the Borderlands. This will be a single session (3 hours), and the players are all experienced with 5th edition, but not any other edition. Do any of you have some lessons or advice from similar situations? Any thoughts on rules that might need explaining beforehand?
For the record, I do want to start at the keep, and I want to give them the option to explore the caves, but not have a complete sandbox approach. We only have three hours, so there probably needs to be a push for one of two or three choices.
Thanks for the help.

aco175 · Apr 13, 2024

If it was me, I would run it with 5e system and not the basic system. If all the players are familiar with 5e I feel going back will have a lot of asking about how come the PCs cannot do XYZ. There is no cantrips, no 2nd attacks, no expertise, no second wind, etc... I feel my group and myself would like things better this way.

Of course, you might want to try and recall basic. In that case, feel free to think I'm just talking through my butt.

Gus L · Apr 13, 2024

The Caves of Chaos/Keep on the Borderlands are not a single session adventure. Despite the adventure's size it's a sprawling place. The way to make things into a one shot is to make it into a very directed mission. "Recover X from the goblin lair", "Meet with the orcs of the X tribe, and not the Y tribe, to set up a parley with the keep", "hunt the owlbear" etc. This might be possible in one session.

I'd use B/X - for speed if nothing else - and take the advice regarding character numbers and henchmen in B2 seriously. B/X is a less complex game where combat in the standard "fair" style of 5E is extremely deadly to PCs. As a referee new to the system you may have to remember that it works best when it's not hack and slash - you may also have to remind your players of this. Make sure you use morale and reaction rules - they both make combat faster and are a part of its balance. I could go on - but that's the gist. Roll up some fast characters who are not heroes and send them on a targeted mission into the caves. Otherwise you are likely to spend hours wandering about the keep itself talking to random NPCs.

Scott Christian · Apr 14, 2024

Gus L said:
The Caves of Chaos/Keep on the Borderlands are not a single session adventure. Despite the adventure's size it's a sprawling place. The way to make things into a one shot is to make it into a very directed mission. "Recover X from the goblin lair", "Meet with the orcs of the X tribe, and not the Y tribe, to set up a parley with the keep", "hunt the owlbear" etc. This might be possible in one session.

I'd use B/X - for speed if nothing else - and take the advice regarding character numbers and henchmen in B2 seriously. B/X is a less complex game where combat in the standard "fair" style of 5E is extremely deadly to PCs. As a referee new to the system you may have to remember that it works best when it's not hack and slash - you may also have to remind your players of this. Make sure you use morale and reaction rules - they both make combat faster and are a part of its balance. I could go on - but that's the gist. Roll up some fast characters who are not heroes and send them on a targeted mission into the caves. Otherwise you are likely to spend hours wandering about the keep itself talking to random NPCs.

Yeah, I know it is not a single session experience. But my friend who gave it to me as a gift, well, he and I have very fond memories of playing it. And just as importantly, he wants to bring some new people into the fold to have that experience.

Thank you for the advice. I definitely think I'm going with two or three direct objectives like you mentioned. Seems like the best idea. Thanks again.

Nikosandros · Apr 14, 2024

The advice about focused objectives is very good. I would add a small suggestion: prepare (or randomize) some equipment starting packages, so to as to make character creation faster and not run the risk of the players forgetting some dungeon delving staples.

Gus L · Apr 15, 2024

Nikosandros said:
The advice about focused objectives is very good. I would add a small suggestion: prepare (or randomize) some equipment starting packages, so to as to make character creation faster and not run the risk of the players forgetting some dungeon delving staples.

Agreed. Random equipment (especially a 3D6 set of options for each class) can both speed up character generation and if you add a few bits of color really help build the setting. Here's a general example from Necropraxis' wonderful post on basic equipment geneeration:

OD&D Equipment

TL;DR: Skip to the bottom and roll 3d6 on the table for starting equipment and wealth. Continue reading here if you are interested in the details. You can find PDF versions of these tables on the d…

www.necropraxis.com

Here's how I handle them in my own game with setting appropriate details (In the linked System Doc):

A Fistful of Crystals

Character Generation and House Rules for My Home Game I'm going to be running a Crystal Frontier game online, the first semi-public game I'v...

alldeadgenerations.blogspot.com

Mannahnin · Apr 15, 2024

Excellent advice.

For a session of four hours or less I would normally always provide pre-generated characters as well as equipment fast-packs (allowing players to select additional equipment within reason), but I understand the desire to roll them up at the table, especially because it shows off the speed of doing so in older editions.

I might suggest making characters 2nd or even 3rd level for greater durability and a few more spells. Max HP at first level is also a good option.

One house rule I strongly advise if you're rolling up characters using 3d6 down the line is to allow the player the option to "flip" the set- subtract every value, in order, from 21. This way you never have any "hopeless characters", but you also never need to re-roll a character.

haakon1 · May 11, 2024

I recommend getting Goodman Games Original Adventures Reincarnated (OAR) “Into the Borderlands”. It has the original B1 & B2, plus a conversion to 5e, plus additional materials and makes more of a plot out of it.

Of course you only have 3 hours but it’s a great resource.

cavalier973 · May 12, 2024

How did the game go?

It’s probably too late, but my house rules for character creation are to roll2d6+6 for ability scores, and roll the appropriate hit die and add it to the character’s Constitution score. (The character has a CON of 11, rolls a “2” for hit points, and so has a starting hit point value of 13).
Also, the magic user gets “Read Magic” and one other spell from the list, to begin with.

Advice: One Session, Experienced Players, Basic Set, & The Keep

Scott Christian

Hero

aco175

Legend

Gus L

Explorer

Scott Christian

Hero

Nikosandros

Golden Procrastinator

Gus L

Explorer

OD&D Equipment

A Fistful of Crystals

Mannahnin

Scion of Murgen (He/Him)

haakon1

Hero

cavalier973

Hero

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