I just started playing DnD a year ago for the first time at 31. I’d always wanted to play, ever since I was a kid, but never had the chance. So I decided to grab my wife and a couple of my wife’s friends and DM a short one shot, just to see if we enjoyed it. I spent a lot of time watching videos and looking at the DM communities, and after a couple weeks, we played it. It was a blast, and now a year later we’ve finished our first module and are midway through our second, and I’ve loved every second of it. We have three more players, two of which have played for years, and I’m still DMing.

If you’ve got some friends that play in person and they have an open slot, I’d 100% say go for it. Let them know you’re a total noob and just follow their lead; everyone was new at some point.

I think they sell mosquito nets specifically for this too, it can catch a ton.

Basically this. The party has finished the actual final fight, but you throw something at them and give them some kind of boost that’ll let them go ham. Kind of a form of catharsis, letting them feel like bad-asses. Kinda like FFVII or Demon Souls.

I’m thinking about giving my players a victory lap, where they’ve already beat the BBEG in two or three phases, then have to escape the castle as it crashes down around them. From the rubble comes the BBEG, transformed into a gargantuan monster by his dark god. However, by slaying him and doing a bunch of other stuff, the PCs have finally returned the good diety to the land. He gives them a blessing that’s basically a long rest + massive damage buff. Queue the heavy metal soundtrack while I narrate my players being complete badasses while they fight this massive beast.

The mini boss with AOE sounds like a particular fight in the Lost Mine of Phandelver that takes place in Thundertree.

Thundertree?

I’m currently running with six. It is manageable and still fun, but I would not add another. 4-6 seems to be the sweet spot.

With six, you do have to make an effort to ensure that everyone is being included. To speed combat up, I make sure to let the next player know when their turn is coming up next so they can prepare.

The mods have a man on the inside

I put Discord in its place, my muscle memory has been opening it all morning.