By my beard, is that the time? Seeing as there’s only three Rockseeker brothers, we were bound to get to Gundren sometime this week, right? If you’re looking for a way to inspire your players to care about the fate of their Dwarven patron and keep the story on track, how can you possibly go wrong patterning him after the affable Bofur from Peter Jackson’s Hobbit trilogy.

Unlike Tharden and Nundro Rockseeker, I’d make Gundren a talker. You don’t need to master an Irish accent or be quick with a wisecracking quip to play Gundren in the vein of PJ’s Bofur (though bonus points if you can pull one or both of them off). Just make Gundren personable; something more than the guy who’s supposed to pay out 10 gp upon reaching Phandalin.

Portray Gundren as an NPC curious about the world and the people in it by making him genuinely interested in the backgrounds of the adventurers he’s hired for his errand to Phandalin. I’ll illustrate what I mean by using the backgrounds of some of the pre-generated characters that come with the Lost Mine of Phandelver box set:

• Human fighter (noble): “I recall the splendor of Corlinn Hill all those years ago, child. The gods were cruel to take your birthright when Mount Hotenow came pouring down into the northeastern hills of the city. No doubt, it was divine providence that spared your noble family from the river of fire that destroyed so much of the Neverwinter. The gods must have some purpose for you out there in this great big world, and perhaps Phandalin is along the way.”
• Dwarf cleric (soldier): “It gladdens my heart to have a warrior of your pedigree along for this errand to Phandalin. It is said that soldiers trained in Mintarn are among the finest in the world. No doubt, we’ll be all the safer with your companionship on this errand. Sildar has it on good authority that Lord Neverember intends to replace the Mintarn mercenaries patrolling Neverwinter’s walls with a new city watch made up of citizens to “instill civic pride.” Har! See what civic pride buys you when a hoarde shows up at the gates. You’ve picked a good time to explore what else is out there in the world.”
• Halfling rogue (criminal): “Did I hear it right that you’ve spent time in Phandalin? It’s a gem out there in the middle of nowhere between the High Road and the Long Road, ain’t it? All it’ll take is a gold rush to put it back on the map. Mark my words. Sounds like they need some help keeping the peace, though. I’ve heard there’s some unsavory folk lazing about the place lately. Have you run across these ruffians? Sildar is concerned about a wizard friend out in Phandalin. Albrek is his name I believe. Yes, that’s it. Iarno Albrek. Ever heard of him? Sildar is making the journey with us. Says his friend stopped sending letters recently, so he’s concerned.”

By using Gundren Rockseeker to touch upon the background of each character, there’s potential for players to feel more connection to him because he’ll serve as a reminder that their characters are more than armor class, hit points, and damage output on a character sheet. They’re part of a story! If Gundren can capture the imagination of at least one of the players at your table, you’re likely to have an advocate for following his fate down the Goblin Trail when the party reaches the ambush site on the Triboar Trail.

Players may become interested in Gundren Rockseeker simply because he has shown interest in them. If the players at your table are not using the pre-generated characters that come with the box set, be sure to learn about the backgrounds of each character and find threads for their personable and curious Dwarven benefactor to pull upon. Relationships take work. And in this case, that work starts with the Dungeon Master.

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