Lost Mines of Phandelver

(Nancy Kaufman) #1

PartI:GoblinArrows


Theadventurebeginsastheplayercharactersare
escortingawagonfullofprovisionsandsuppliesfrom
NeverwintertoPhandalin.Thejourneytakesthemsouth
alongtheHighRoadtotheTriboarTrail,whichheadseast
(asshownontheoverlandmap).Whenthey’reahalf-day’s
marchfromPhandalin,theyrunintotroublewithgoblin
raidersfromtheCragmawtribe.
Readtheboxedtextwhenyou’rereadytostart.Ifyou
createadifferentadventurehook,skiptothesecond
paragraphandadjustthedetailsasnecessary,ignoring
theinformationaboutdrivingthewagon.

InthecityofNeverwinter,adwarfnamedGundren
Rockseekeraskedyoutobringawagonloadofprovisionsto
therough-and-tumblesettlementofPhandalin,acoupleof
days’travelsoutheastofthecity.Gundrenwasclearlyexcited
andmorethanalittlesecretiveabouthisreasonsforthetrip,
sayingonlythatheandhisbrothershadfound“something
big,”andthathe’dpayyoutengoldpieceseachforescorting
hissuppliessafelytoBarthen'sProvisions,atradingpostin
Phandalin.Hethensetoutaheadofyouonhorse,alongwith
awarriorescortnamedSildarHallwinter,claimingheneeded
toarriveearlyto“takecareofbusiness.”
You’vespentthelastfewdaysfollowingtheHighRoad
southfromNeverwinter,andyou'vejustrecentlyveeredeast
alongtheTriboarTrail.You’veencounterednotroublesofar,
butthisterritorycanbedangerous.Banditsandoutlawshave
beenknowntolurkalongthetrail.

Beforecontinuingwiththeadventure,takeafewminutes
todothefollowing:


  • Encouragetheplayerstointroducetheircharactersto
    eachotheriftheyhaven’tdonesoalready.

  • Asktheplayerstothinkabouthowtheircharacters
    cametoknowtheirdwarfpatron,GundrenRockseeker.
    Lettheplayersconcocttheirownstories.Ifaplayeris
    hard-pressedtothinkofanything,suggestsomething
    simple.Forexample,Gundrencouldbeachildhood
    friendorsomeonewhohelpedtheplayer’scharacter
    getoutofatoughscrape.Thisexerciseisagreatoppor-
    tunityfortheplayerstocontributetotheadventure’s
    backstory.

  • Asktheplayerstogiveyoutheparty’smarchingorder
    andhowtheircharactersaretraveling.Who’sinfront,
    andwho’sbringinguptherear?Ifthecharactersare


escortingGundren’swagonloadofsupplies,thenoneor
twocharactersneedtobedrivingthewagon.Therest
ofthecharacterscanberidingonthewagon,walking
alongside,orscoutingahead,astheylike.

DrivingtheWagon
Anycharactercandriveawagon,andnoparticularskillis
necessary.Twooxenpullthewagon.Ifnooneisholding
thereins,theoxenstopwheretheyare.
Thewagonispackedfullofanassortmentofmining
suppliesandfood.Thisincludesadozensacksofflour,
severalcasksofsaltedpork,twokegsofstrongale,
shovels,picks,andcrowbars(aboutadozeneach),and
fivelanternswithasmallbarrelofoil(aboutfiftyflasksin

volume).Thetotalvalueofthecargois (^100) gp.
Whenyou’reready,continuewiththe“Goblin
Ambush”section.


GoblinAmbush


Readthefollowingboxedtexttostarttheencounter:

You’vebeenontheTriboarTrailforabouthalfaday.Asyou
comearoundabend,youspottwodeadhorsessprawled
aboutfiftyfeetaheadofyou,blockingthepath.Eachhas
severalblack-featheredarrowsstickingoutofit.Thewoods
pressclosetothetrailhere,withasteepembankmentand
densethicketsoneitherside.

Ifyouareusingthe“MeetMeinPhandalin”adventure
hook,thenanycharacterwhoapproachestomakea
closerinvestigationcanidentifythehorsesasbelonging
toGundrenRockseekerandSildarHallwinter.They’ve
beendeadaboutaday,andit’sclearthatarrowskilledthe
horses.Whenthecharactersinspectthescenecloser,read
thefollowing:

Thesaddlebagshavebeenlooted.Nearbyliesanempty
leathermapcase.

Fourgoblinsarehidinginthewoods,twooneachsideof
theroad.Theywaituntilsomeoneapproachesthebodies
andthenattack.
Thiswilllikelybethefirstofmanycombatencountersin
theadventure.Herearethestepsyoushouldfollowtorun
iteffectively:

PART (^1) :GOBLINARROWS

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