Let the Good Times (and d20s) Roll!

The Evenoria game kicks off this Sunday in a f2f Wyverns & Waffles session.  Eventually, I'd like to take the setting/game to Google+ and ConstantCon, but for now I need to rewet my DM feet among familiar faces and with fewer technological distractions.

For my own reference as well as that of the players, here's a thumbnail sketch of how and where we'll begin:

SYSTEM:
I'll be using BECMI D&D (the Red Box), but (the free) Labyrinth Lord clone and/or B/X are also fair game.

CHARACTERS:

Characters will be assumed to be novice-but-not-totally-green adventurers.

• Classes:  Any basic class or Ursari
• Level: 3rd to start
• Hit Points:  Maximum for 1st; rolled + CON adjustment for 2nd and 3rd
• Money:  The characters have had some success so far but are hardly wealthy.  Begin with 2d10 x 100 gp.
• Magic Items:  Each character begins with 1 randomly-rolled (by the DM) magic item found in a previous adventure.  He/she may not know what it does yet.  Items unusable by the character's class will be rerolled.
• Spells:  The DM will assign spells to elf and magic-user characters. 

PARTY:

• Each player should roll on the 100 Reasons Characters Are Together table (link halfway through post) to see how their character relates to the person on his/her right's character.
• The party will begin its career at the Wilderland Inn.
• This is a "sandbox" game, which means that characters are under no obligation to pick up and follow pre-set adventure "hooks".  The DM has a full population of NPCs and plots already on hand and is ready to ride off the rails at a moment's notice.