ofmiscreantsledbyamysteriousfigurecalledGlasstaff.
AnumberofinterestingNPCscanalsobefoundin
Phandalin,layingthehooksforshortadventuresinpart
3.TheRedbrandstrytorunthecharactersoutoftown,so
thecharactersreturnthefavorandstormtheRedbrand
lair.Inahiddenstrongholdbeneathanoldmanor,they
findthatIarno“Glasstaff”Albrek,theleaderofthe
Redbrands,istakinghisordersfromsomeonecalled
theBlackSpider andthattheBlackSpiderwantsthe
adventurersoutofthepicture.
Part3,“TheSpider’sWeb,”providesthecharacters
withseveralshortadventuresintheregionaround
Phandalinastheysearchformoreinformationaboutthe
BlackSpiderandthedwarves’lostmine.Thecluesthe
characterspickedupinPhandalincanleadthemtospyon
amysteriouswizardattheruinsofOldOwlWell,seekthe
adviceofadangerousbanshee,oustabandoforeslurking
atWyvernTor,andinvestigatetheruinsofthetown
ofThundertree.
SeveraloftheseleadspointtoCragmawCastle,which
isthestrongholdofKingGrol,leaderoftheCragmaw
goblins.HerethecharactersdiscoverthattheBlack
SpiderisadrowadventurernamedNezznar,andthatthe
Cragmawgoblinsworkforhim(drowareelveswhohail
fromarealmdeepunderground).Moreimportantly,they
recoverGundrenRockseeker’smaptothelostmine,or
learnthemine’slocationfromoneoftheotherleadsthey
unearthduringpart3.
Followingthemaporthedirectionstothelostmine
bringsthecharacterstopart4,“WaveEchoCave.”That
lostundergroundcomplexisnowoverrunbyundeadand
strangemonsters.NezznartheBlackSpideristherewith
hisloyalfollowers,exploringtheminesandsearchingfor
thelegendaryForgeofSpells.Theadventurershavethe
opportunitytoavengeGundrenRockseeker,toensure
theprosperityandsecurityofPhandalinbyclearing
therichmineofitsmonsters,andtoputanendtothe
troublemakingoftheBlackSpider—iftheycansurvivethe
dangersoftheLostMineofPhandelver.
AdventureHook
Youcanletplayersinventtheirownreasonsforvisiting
Phandalin,oryoucanusethefollowingadventurehook.
Thebackgroundsandsecondarygoalsonthecharacter
sheetsalsoprovidecharacterswithmotivationsfor
visitingPhandalin.
MeetMeinPhandalin.Thecharactersareinthecityof
Neverwinterwhentheirdwarfpatronandfriend,Gundren
Rockseeker,hiresthemtoescortawagontoPhandalin.
Gundrenhasgoneaheadwithawarrior,SildarHallwinter,
toattendtobusinessinthetownwhilethecharacters
followwiththesupplies.Thecharacterswillbepaid^10 gp
eachbytheownerofBarthen’sProvisionsinPhandalin
whentheydeliverthewagonsafelytothattradingpost.TheForgottenRealms
Justlikeafantasynovelormovie,anadventureissetina
largerworld.Infact,theworldcanbeanythingthatthe
DMandplayerscanimagine.Itcouldbeaswords-and-
sorcerysettingatthedawnofcivilization,where
barbariansbattleevilsorcerers,orapost-apocalyptic
fantasywhereelvesanddwarveswieldmagicamidthewreckageofatechnologicalcivilization.MostD&D
settingsaresomewherebetweenthosetwoextremes:
worldsofmedievalhighfantasywithknightsand
castles,aswellaselvencities,dwarvenmines,and
fearsomemonsters.
TheworldoftheForgottenRealmsisonesuchsetting,
andthat’swherethestoryinthisadventuretakesplace.
IntheRealms,knightsdarethecryptsofthefallendwarf
kingsofDelzoun,seekinggloryandtreasure.Rogues
prowlthedarkalleywaysofteemingcitiessuchas
NeverwinterandBaldur’sGate.Clericsintheserviceof
godswieldmaceandspell,questingagainsttheterrifying
powersthatthreatentheland.Wizardsplundertheruins
ofthefallenNethereseempire,delvingintosecretstoo
darkforthelightofday.Dragons,giants,demons,and
unimaginableabominationslurkindungeons,caverns,
ruinedcities,andthevastwildplacesoftheworld.
OntheroadsandriversoftheRealmstravelminstrels
andpeddlers,merchantsandguards,soldiers,sailors,
andsteel-heartedadventurerscarryingtalesofstrange,
glorious,farawayplaces.Goodmapsandcleartrailscan
takeevenaninexperiencedyouthwithdreamsofgloryfar
acrosstheworld.Thousandsofrestlesswould-beheroes
frombackcountryfarmsteadsandsleepyvillagesarrivein
Neverwinterandtheothergreatcitieseveryyearinsearch
ofwealthandrenown.
Knownroadsmaybewelltraveled,buttheyaren’t
necessarilysafe.Fellmagic,deadlymonsters,andcruel
localrulersareallperilsthatyoufacewhenyoutravelin
theForgottenRealms.Evenfarmsandfreeholdswithina
day’swalkofacitycanfallpreytomonsters,andnoplace
issafefromthesuddenwrathofadragon.
Theregionalmapshowsjustatinypartofthisvast
world,inaregioncalledtheSwordCoast.Thisisaregion
ofadventure,wheredaringsoulsdelveintothewreckage
ofancientstrongholdsandexploreruinsoflong-lost
cultures.Amidawildernessofjagged,snow-capped
peaks,alpineforests,lawlessness,andmonsters,thecoast
holdsthegreatestbastionsofcivilization,includingthe
coastalcityofNeverwinter.RoleplayingandInspiration
OneofthethingsthatyoucandoastheDMisrewardplayers
forroleplayingtheircharacterswell.
Eachofthecharactersincludedinthissethastwopersonality
traits(onepositiveandonenegative),anideal,abond,anda
flaw.Theseelementscanmakethecharactereasierandmore
funtoroleplay.Personalitytraitsprovideaglimpseintothe
character’slikes,dislikes,accomplishments,fears,attitude,or
mannerisms.Anidealissomethingthatthecharacterbelieves
inorstrivesforaboveallelse.Acharacter’sbondrepresents
aconnectiontoaperson,place,oreventintheworld—
someonethecharactercaresabout,aplacetheholdsaspecial
connection,oratreasuredpossession.Aflawisacharacteristic
thatsomeoneelsecanexploittobringthecharactertoruinor
causethecharactertoactagainsthisorherbestinterests.
Whenaplayerroleplaysanegativepersonalitytraitorgivesin
toadrawbackpresentedbyabondoraflaw,youcangivethat
player’scharacteroneinspirationasareward.Theplayercan
thenspenditwhenhisorhercharactermakesanabilitycheck,
anattackroll,orasavingthrow.Spendinginspirationgivesthe
characteradvantageontheroll.Acleverplayermightspendthe
inspirationtocounteractdisadvantageonaroll.
Acharactercanhaveonlyoneinspirationatatime.^
INTRODUCTION