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Hi again! I have been asking a couple question of late since we were preparing our first session, me being loremaster. All things went smoothly, I had planned a session that took around 3hrs to set the table for their first meeting, present them their safe haven of Bree/Bree-land and to learn all general scenes: roleplaying with having to explain action and skill selection, group skill endeavours, a council, a short journey, first meeting with patron, first opportunity for misdeeds, and finally a combat phase followed with a rest. During that combat phase, the company of 5 were travelling along the East Road and saw something inspired by the Forsaken Inn but more of an outright highway robber post. The ranger tried to sneak in in the middle of the day and alerted the occupants. As I was telling them about a look out who was sprinting back to rouse his comrades, the Barding went berserker mode and charged after him, tackling him to the ground... right in the midst of the ruffians and combat was engaged. I thus considered the rest of the party outside of combat and the ruffians unaware at the start of the first round if any others were with her. So I permitted the rest to either engage or do something else and they mostly chose battle rolls to try to engage with a flanking/surprise effort to rescue the Barding. They all succeeded and I gave them a combat advantage of 1d on their main action the following round when they would become engaged. Does that seem right/fair/balanced? I didn't allow them to be in rearward stance since she was the only one engaged, interpretating it as there was too much of a chance to hit her in the brawl on that first round.

That all sounds fair and sensible to me - good communication with players is important here, as people can have different ideas of a scene in their heads to how we see it as the loremaster.

I think you did well, and used the framework the game provides (Battle rolls, opportunities for 1d advantage) to good effect.

Hope you and everyone else had fun.