Lost Mines of Phandelver

BoomingWaves

Allgooddungeonshavecharacteristicsthatmakethemunique,

andWaveEchoCaveisnoexception.Therhythmicthunderof

poundingwavesechoesthroughoutthemine,loudenough

tomakethestoneunderfootshiver.Wavescomeabouttwo

minutesapart,growingloudertowardthenortheast.

WaveEchoCaveisnowhereneartheocean,butawater-filled

caverndeepinthemineisconnectedtoanundergroundhot

spring.Thatspringboilsovercontinuouslytoproduceasurge

thatslamsintoanarrowfunnel,makingasoundlikebreaking

surf.Describethissoundtoplayersonoccasion.Itwilipique

theircuriosityandlurethemtowarditssource,drawingthem

deeperintothemineasaconsequence.

1.

GaveEntrance

WhetherthecharactersfollowGundren’smaporreceive

directionstoWaveEchoCavefromanothersource,their

initialapproachleadsthemtoanarrowtunnelwhose

entranceishiddenwithintheSwordMountainfoothills.

Theentrancetunnelleadsintoalargecavernsupportedbya

naturalpillarofrockandcontainingthreestalagmites.Inthe

westernpartofthecave,behindthecolumnofrock,arethree

bedrollsandaheapofordinarysupplies—sacksofflour,

bagsofsalt,casksofsaltedmeat,lanterns,flasksoflampoil,

pickaxes,shovels,andothergear.Amidthesupplies,yousee

thebodyofadwarfminer,deadforatleastaweek.

Thenortheasternsectionofthecavernhascollapsed,

formingaten-foot-wide,twenty-foot-deeppit.Asturdyhemp

ropeistiedoffaroundanearbystalagmiteanddanglesdown

thesideofthepit,atthebottomofwhichisarough-hewn

tunnelheadingnorthwestandeast.

ThiswasthecampsiteoftheRockseekers.Thedead

dwarfisTharden,Gundren’sbrother,whowaskilled

bytheBlackSpider.Gundren’sotherbrother,Nundro,

washereaswellandiscurrentlytheBlackSpider’s

prisonerinarea20.

Thedwarves’suppliesarepotentiallyuseful,butnot

particularlyvaluable.

OpenPitClimbingupordownthewallofthepit

withoutaroperequiresasuccessfulDC 15 Strength

(Athletics)check.Acharacterwhofailsthecheckby 5

ormorefallsandtakesld6bludgeoningdamageper 10

feetfallen,landingproneatthebottom.Thetunnelatthe

bottomofthepitleadsnorthwesttowardarea 2 andeast

towardarea3.

Treasure

Thardenwearsapairofbootsofstridingandspringing.In

hishastetoexploretherestofWaveEchoCave,Nezznar

overlookedthem.

2.

MineTunnels

ThismazeofpassagesisanoldsectionofWaveEcho
Cave’soriginalminesite.

Thisareaconsistsofnumerousintersectingpassages.

Theceilingshereareonlysixfeethigh,andseveralofthe

passagesendinpartiallyexcavatedrockfaces.

Thedead-endpassagesareplaceswheretheminersgave

upanddecidedtomoveontootherspots.Patientlylurking

inoneisanochrejelly.Whenthepartyentersthissection

ofthemine,thejellybeginstostalkthegroup,instinctively

waitingforanopportunitytoattackalonetarget.

3. Old Entrance

Thetunnelthatrunssouthwastheoriginalentranceto

WaveEchoCave,butitwasburiedbythedestructionthat

wrackedtheminescenturiesago.Apitchedbattlewas

foughtherewhentheoresstormedthemines.Thedead

stillliewheretheyfell.

Manytunnelsintersectatthisnatural,thirty-foot-highcavern.

Thewallsarecarvedwithsimplereliefsshowingdwarfand

gnomeminershardatwork.Belowthem,nearlytwodozen

skeletonsinrustedscrapsofarmorarescatteredacrossthe

cavernfloor.Somearedwarfskeletons,whileothersareore

remains.Haifadozenlargebrasslanternsstandinnichesor

onledgesaroundthecavern,butnonearelit.

Clingingtotheceilinglikebatsaretenstirges.The

monstersfindscantlivingpreyinthemines,andthey

areravenous.Ifthecharactersarelookingdownat

theskeletonsonthefloor,thestirgesarelikelygetthe

droponthem.Anycharacterwhoisn’twatchingthe

ceilingissurprisedunlesshisorherpassiveWisdom

(Perception)scoreishigherthanthestirges’Dexterity

(Stealth)checktotal(rollonceforallofthem).Characters

whoaren’tsurprisedhearaflappingnoiseasthestirges

descendtoattack.

Thelanternsandthecarvingsofminersatworkwere

meantasawelcometonewcomers.

4. OldGuardroom

Thisguardroomonceprotectedthenearbyentranceto

themine,butitwasoverrunearlyinthefightingwhenthe

oresattacked.

Splinteredstonebenchesandheapsofrubblefroma

partiallycollapsedceilingfillthisroom.Amidruinedstone

bunksandtoppledweaponracksarethebonesofseveral

dwarvesandores.

Intheroundafteranylivingcreatureentersthischamber,

thebonesbegintostirandknittogether,formingnine

skeletons.Theyfightuntildestroyed.

5.Assayers’Office

Themine’sassayersworkedhere,weighingandassessing

oresamplesandpayingtheminorsfortheirlabor.

PART4:WAVEECHOCAVE