Just started a DnD 2024 campaign

By popular demand, they are going back into my old AD&D dungeon.

Just three players so far, two more to join.

Rogue, Monk and Artificer.

They had lots of fun. There was a close almost TPK moment.

Been far too long since I was in a game…

Is this a ‘home brew’ campaign? What’s the general theme? Dungeon crawl, city intrigue or something else?

And have you got an experienced group that tests the limits of the game, or are they new to D&D?

I’ve never experienced playing or DM’ing an artificer. Do you allow gunpowder in your world? What’s it like as a class compared to other more established classes like cleric for roleplaying?

Good questions.

The World is Greyhawk. It is a dungeon crawl, by general acclaim- my really old 1st edition dungeon- updated on the fly.

Experienced group.

No gunpowder, nor steampunk. In this campaign, Artificers are limited to the Alchemist and Cartographer subclasses.

Nice.

So… what was the near-TPK situation like? Players got unlucky rolls? Stupid tactics?

I recall many years ago playing in a group where we were exploring a dungeon and our wizard decided to ‘see whether it would set off any traps’ by chucking rocks into a pool. If you recall Peregrine Took’s dropping a stone down a well in the Mines of Moria, that was the general idea. And yes, very soon afterwards we were battling a whole horde of orcs.

A wererat with giant rats.