I am also looking for the intro adventure to move out of its parents place and not take up any page count in the main house.

I am on the side that there should not be an adventure in a core book. All I think about is how the content takes up pages that could have been used for other content or help keep the book smaller. I like the idea of having an adventure or two be available as PDF on a website. What I thought really worked, however, was WOTC's mini-setting Nentir Vale in the 4th edition DMG. Basically, give a fully fleshed out town with NPC's, provide plot hooks to inspire the DM, and then provide a quick gazetteer of the surrounding area with more adventure ideas. Had Threats to Nentir Vale been released on Day 1, it could have worked great in conjunction with the slim campaign setting. It might not work well for D&D, but that idea of having a slim setting, starting town, and monsters connected into the setting and providing plot hooks works better for me than a pre-made adventure.

My only complaint with a pre-made adventure is that once you run it, then its useless unless playing with a new group, which ties into my statement above about it taking up space.

i'd say it needs to highlight any mechanics that set that game apart from others, or at least help clarify them, imagine if 3e had had a starter module in the back of the dmg that covered grappling and tripping and bullrushing by having a goblin or gnoll use those against players on a ledge or over a pit.

I prefer the adventure to be in pdf form, instead of at the end of the book. And the introductory adventure should have the most basic rules in them (or at least page references to the rulebook) and situations where they are used. The setting and mood of the adventure should fit the rpg itself, and serve as a helping template when you want to create your own adventures (stats block looks, etc). Being a horror rpg fan I still wish that Chaosium could have written an intro adventure where the Chase rules were used, because I still don't understand them despite watching Seth Skorkowsky explain them to me.

I would rather have a number of free introductory adventures that are easy to download and self print, that in turn demonstrate all of the key rules.

With this, both players and GMs have a good workout with all mechanics, and they can also get a taste for what you are trying to accomplish.

Quote from: Lynn;1126407I would rather have a number of free introductory adventures that are easy to download and self print,

Lol - I don't know about having "a number of free introductory adventures". I'm a one man show; even two would be pushing it to start.

I agree with the "intro adventure should be a separate PDF and not in the core rulebook" faction.