Today was the first session of the school D&D Club since the Christmas holidays. We have seventeen members in this new half-term and three totally new players joined us. While the regular two groups ran D&D5e, I took the three new folk through a short 45-minute raid on a Goblin hideout in the forest using B/X D&D.

We rolled up three Fighters (because that’s easy) and the players chose some weapons: one with a bow and 6 arrows, another with a shield and axe, the third with a sword and dagger. No armour to begin with made it a scary raid against a pair of watchful Goblins.

The three PCs waited at the edge of a clearing in the forest and observed two Goblins guarding an old ruin. There was a small campfire nearby. The axe-wielding character went left around the edge of the treeline while the swordman rushed at the Goblins to draw their attention. The archer shot at the Goblins from range and missed. The Goblin with a bow returned fire and hit the running swordsman, almost cutting him down (just 1 hit point left!).

The fight was short as the archer fired, the swordsman battled with the shield and sword-armed Goblin. The axeman rushed the Goblin archer from the flank and cut him down with one swing. The next round, the swordsman killed the second Goblin. It was a brutal but enjoyable fight!

From here, the PCs looted the Goblins for their weapons and leather armour. I was perhaps a little generous with the leather just about fitting the humans, but hey – this was a first ever game! Finding some torches among the Goblin’s gear, the heroes then descended a spiral stairway into a passageway that led to a circular chamber.

In the chamber was a large wooden chest with iron-reinforced bonds, plus five Goblin straw mats. They tried to smash the lock, then pick the lock but to no avail. Eventually, one of the players decided to search the straw mats and turned up some coin and a key. Yes, the key fit the chest’s lock and they got to grab some loot.

The best thing? At the end, all three asked to play again next week. Of course I said yes.

Game on!