Lost Mines of Phandelver

(Nancy Kaufman) #1
ThefrontiertownofPhandalinisbuiltontheruinsofa
mucholdersettlement.Hundredsofyearsago,theold
Phandalinwasathrivinghumantownwhosepeople
werefirmlyalliedwiththedwarvesandgnomesofthe
Phandelver’sPact.However,thesameorehordethat
sackedtheminesatWaveEchoCavelaidwastetothe
settlement,andPhandalinwasabandonedforcenturies.
Inthelastthreeorfouryears,hardysettlersfrom
thecitiesofNeverwinterandWaterdeephavebegun
thehardworkofreclaimingtheruinsofPhandalin.A
bustlingfrontiersettlementhasgrownuponthesiteof
theoldtown,andishomenowtofarmers,woodcutters,
furtraders,andprospectorsdrawnbystoriesofgold
andplatinuminthefoothillsoftheSwordMountains.
Unfortunately,morethanafewbanditsandbrigandshave
settledhereaswell,takingadvantageofthefactthatthe
areahasnolocallordorauthoritytochasethemoff.A
gangknownastheRedbrandshascontrolledPhandalin
forthepasttwomonths,extortingandbullyingeveryone
intown.Thegangisledbyamysteriousfigureknownto
thetownsfolkasGlasstaff.
WhenthecharactersfirstarriveinPhandalin,read:

Theruttedtrackemergesfromawoodedhillside,andyou
catchyourfirstglimpseofPhandalin.Thetownconsistsof
fortyorfiftysimplelogbuildings,somebuiltonoldfieldstone

foundations.Moreoldruins—crumblingstonewallscovered


inivyandbriars—surroundthenewerhousesandshops,


showinghowthismusthavebeenamuchlargertownin
centuriespast.Mostofthenewerbuildingsaresetonthe
sidesofthecarttrack,whichwidensintoamuddymain
streetofsortsasitclimbstowardaruinedmanorhouseona
hillsideattheeastsideoftown.
Asyouapproach,youseechildrenplayingonthetowngreen
andtownsfolktendingtochoresorrunningerrandsatshops.
Manypeoplelookupasyouapproach,butallreturntotheir
businessasyougoby.

IfSildarHallwinteriswiththeparty,add:

Sildarseemsmuchmoreatease.
"Myfriends,”hesays,"letussecurelodgings.I’mtoldthe
localinnisveryquaint.”

Sildar’splanistogetsomerestattheStonehillInn,then
searchPhandalinforsignsofthemissingwizard,larno
Albrek.Whenhisinvestigationhitsadeadend,hesets

upameetingwithTownmasterHarbinWester(seethe
“Townmaster’sHall”section).
Duringthispartoftheadventure,thecharacterscan
visitthevariouslocationsinPhandalinandtalktothe
NPCsthere.(Seethe“TownDescription”sectionfor
details.)Thetownissmallenoughthatittakesonlya
fewminutestostrollfromoneendtotheother.However,
thecharactersarrivelateinthedayandcan’tgettomore
thanoneortwolocationsbeforeit’stimetoseeklodgings
forthenight.
Somelocalesthecharactersshouldvisitinclude
thefollowing:


  • Barthen’sProvisions.Ifthecharactershavethewag-
    onloadofsuppliesfromthe“MeetMeinPhandalin”
    adventurehook,theyaremeanttodeliverittothisshop.

  • LionshieldCoster.Ifthecharactersretrievedthestolen
    goodsfromtheCragmawhideout,theymightwantto
    returnthemtotherightfulowner.

  • StonehillInn.IfthecharactershaveSildarHallwinter
    withthem,theknightsuggestsheadingforthisinnto
    findlodgings.Ifthecharactersareotherwiselookingfor
    aplacetoeatandsleep,theydiscoverthattheStonehill
    appearstobethebestavailableoption.


EncountersinPhandalin

WhenthecharactersexplorePhandalin,youdon’tneed
tokeeptrackofhowmuchtimeisspentateachlocation.
Instead,imaginethatyou’redirectinganold-style
westernmovie.Yourgoalistopresentseveralscenesin
whichtheadventurerswalkintoastoreorsaloonand
meetthepeoplethere.ByinteractingwiththeseNPCs,
theadventurerslearnwhattheNPCsneedorwhat
informationtheywanttoshare,thencanmoveontothe
nextlocation.Thesescenesareaseriesofroleplaying
encountersthattakeplaceoverthecourseofacoupleof
daysofgametime.
Tobegin,asktheplayerswheretheywanttogoand
whattheywanttodointown.Forexample,youcouldtell
them,“There’saninn,atownhall,ashrine,generalstores
andtradingposts,andafewotherhomesandbusinesses.
Wheredoyouwanttogo?”Whentheplayerspickaspot,
refertothedescriptioninthefollowingsection,introduce
theNPCsthere,andlettheinteractionbegin.
TheStonehillInn,Iftheplayersaren’tsurewhat
theircharactersshoulddo,encouragethemtobeginat
theStonehillInn.TheNPCsthereare“pointers”who
candirectthecharacterstowardthevariousadventure
opportunitiesandimportantrumorsthatcanbefoundin
otherpartsofthetown.Byvisitingtheinn,thecharacters
learnwhatotherplacestheyshouldvisit.

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Part2:Phandalin

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