{Quest Log} Let's Get This Party Started Part 2

The bad news is that the game didn't happen because I had forgotten that I had another commitment which clashed with the gaming schedule. The good news for that is that I've got more time to prep for the adventure and I finally know what I would like to be playtesting for 4E.

I've managed to get 3-4 interested players but would like to have one more to try out the new default number of 5. I think having just one more player than usual could change the feel and the pace of the game while at the same time it would be interesting to see how the math adds up to affect the balance. In the meantime, having a system that can accommodate more players is always good when you have too much players.

I'm planning it to be a 5 encounter one-shot delve that could be finished in one evening session with a big bad solo to wrap it up. I've pinpointed two specific mechanics that I would to see my players use and challenge them.

• Skill Challenges
• Forced Movements

For Forced Movements, I would probably be needing a large combat map sprinkled with traps and terrain obstacles to be exploited against the big bad. I'm not sure what skill challenges I would want to implement though but considering that it's most likely in a dungeon, it might be used to bypass a deadly trap.

Another problem that I'm facing is what monsters to throw at them. My first choice would be the kobolds but seeing that they appear on almost every published adventure there is for first level characters, I think I should mix things up with something else.

My second choice would be goblins which has a good range of weak to strong challenges for first level characters and has some tricky abilities up their sleeves (Goblin Tactics and Hobgoblin Resilience) to conuteract the PC's powers.

Any suggestions of what else I could/should be playtesting to get a proper feel of 4E? Any ideas of the skill challenge and the adventure synopsis would also be much appreciated.