Help with 1st level adventure. Please.

[Arjuna]

These are all such good ideas. The troll one is just mean. 1st level characters in pouring down rain trying to fight a troll. That must happen!

[Le Noir Faineant]

Glad you like it.

Most of you here might actually disagree with me about what I write next, but to me,
"Ravenloft, the setting" has never been as interesting as "Ravenloft, the style of play":

Meaning, especially the 3e books, I personally read not so much for setting information,
as for takes on gaming in general - meaning, you can describe a scene in a generic, RPG way,
or you take an approach like the Ravenloft books are doing it, which is usually WAY more effective from
a DM's perspective, because, in RL, there are no random encounters. That's one of the reasons why,
even though I don't run RL any more, I keep visiting this page: Because RL promotes a STYLE of play you
rarely find otherwise.

The only other game that manages that for me is Dragon Warriors, BTW.

[Matney X]

Most of you here might actually disagree with me about what I write next, but to me,
"Ravenloft, the setting" has never been as interesting as "Ravenloft, the style of play"

You're right, I disagree, but I see where you're going with the idea. Ravenloft is both the setting and the style of play, but it is better, imo (and yours, as well, I assume), to have the style of play than the setting -- if you're going for a Ravenloft-style campaign, anyway.