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Poke around Tresendar Manor long enough, and you start to realize the Redbrand ruffians are far more sinister than they are presented in the pages of Lost Mine of Phandelver, and especially so in the sanitized reboot, Phandalin and Below: The Shattered Obelisk. Let’s talk about their criminality. Racketeering. The most obvious piece of Redbrand…
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I’ve spent the better part of two years combing through the pages of Lost Mine of Phandelver and Dragon of Icespire Peak. It’s become something of an obsession, digging into mundane details that I can turn into inspiration for the blog. It’s how I’ve come to spill ink and brain cells on thought-provoking topics such…
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I feel like it’s overlooked that there are religious elements in Lost Mine of Phandelver and Dragon of Icespire Peak, but no real guidance on how to portray them. And I’m not talking about Sister Garaele and her Shrine of Luck. I’m talking about elements that players struggle against, rather than benefit from. For instance,…
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There’s got to be something more to do in Phandalin than tipping cows! Let’s get into a downtime activity. Gambling in Phandalin Resources. This activity requires one workweek of effort plus a stake of at least 10 gp, to a maximum of 100 gp – since Phandalin is a small town. Resolution. The character must…
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Yesterday morning, I was drinking my coffee and prepping for next week’s D&D sesh when I realized my crawling claws needed a bite attack – inspiration brought about by the Santa Cruz “Screaming Hand” on my coffee mug. But where to insert this into my Along the Triboar Trail game that I run for my…
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While there’s no official record of her death, I’ve always assumed that Auglathla’s sorrow-bound existence as Agatha the Banshee predates the founding of Conyberry in 1351 DR. Since the events of Lost Mine of Phandelver take place in 1491 DR, it’s entirely possible she’s been haunting the woods around the village for two centuries or…
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I realize that in my previous thoughts, I pitched Falcon the Hunter as this Phandalin-adjacent local hero. But the more I sit with it, the more I’m convinced: This Falcon guy has a screw loose – though you’d never know it until you get to his home. I’m actually impressed with Falcon’s Hunting Lodge. It…
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In yesterday’s thoughts, I wondered aloud who Phandalin’s local hero would be. If you’re familiar with online forums like r/lostminesofphandalin where novice Dungeon Masters look for advice on how to run Lost Mine of Phandelver, you know that player characters are often not the heroes. Left to their own devices in a fantasy roleplay world…
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This morning, I came across Red Harvald in my Bluesky feed. According to the Forgotten Realms wiki, in the early 14th century DR, Harvald was a hero, adventurer, and resident of Glen, a village in Mistledale of the Dalelands. “A local hero, he had a reputation as a tough, but good man.“ He wasn’t a…
