A communication between two wizards with a combined Intelligence score of 33, discussing clandestine surveillance and a plot to abduct and murder strangers in the commission of a robbery. Written down on paper in the common speech, in which one of the perpetrators is identified by his first and last name!

Your Honor, I present Exhibit A:

Lord Albrek,

My spies in Neverwinter tell me that strangers are due to arrive in Phandalin. They could be working for the dwarves. Capture them if you can, kill them if you must, but don’t allow them to upset our plans. See that any dwarven maps in their possession are delivered to me with haste. I’m counting on you, Iarno. Don’t disappoint me.

Lost Mine of Phandelver, Part 2: Phandalin, Redbrand Hideout, 12. Glasstaff’s Quarters

I know the Starter Set was designed with a 12 year-old first-time dungeon master in mind, and so the lack of plausibility here shouldn’t matter. But for those of us stuck on a two hour client call, this is a problem that must be solved.

There’s actually a plot hole that, if addressed, offers the opportunity to make it appear as if the villains took at least minimal precautions to secure their communication: Nezznar, the author of the letter, doesn’t speak the common tongue. According to his stat block in Appendix B: Monsters, the drow elf villain speaks only elvish and undercommon, while the recipient of the letter, Iarno Albrek (represented in the Eeevil Mage stat block in Appendix B: Monsters) speaks elvish, along with three other languages.

The easy fix is for the dungeon master to state that the letter is penned in a strange language (elvish).

Penning the letter in another language provides at least a minor barrier from prying eyes that might come across this communication. Sure, it’s the equivalent of password123, but it’s something, even if Glyph of Warding or a casting of Illusory Script would the more sensible choices to protect such sensitive information.

Penning the letter in elvish also has the added benefit of rewarding a player’s choices at character creation, whether it’s choosing an elven character, or dedicating a language slot to elvish. Players who make either of those choices would be the first characters able to read the communication. Some players enjoy little rewards like this.

It also shifts this sensitive plot knowledge to the players, rather than the dungeon master. By handing the letter as a written prop to the player with an elvish speaking character, the player can roleplay the translation of the letter, and then lead the discussion with the party regarding what to do with that information. Or they can be an edge lord and keep the information to themselves!

Should there be no elves in the party, or no characters who speak elvish, the dungeon master could call for a DC 10 Intelligence check to determine what language the letter is written in. A successful check indicates the flowing scripts on the paper look “elvish,” and would hopefully prompt the characters to seek out any medium-sized humanoid with pointy ears in Phandalin to translate the letter for them, which would be Sister Garaele or Daran Edermath.

Yes, this is in the weeds. But it’s also an opportunity to reflect on how language can be something in your games other than a choice on a character sheet with little utility. And in this instance, it actually would deepen the mystery around the plot to Lost Mine of Phandelver.

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