If you hang around the Lost Mines of Phandelver subreddit long enough (r/lostminesofphandelver), you’re bound to come across the following advice from veteran Dungeon Masters: “Use the premade characters that come with the adventure. Each premade character has a plot hook in their background that ties nicely into the adventure.”

Of course, most players will have none of this nonsensical advice. Not when Stud McBeefpile the Mangalarga Marchador Antipaladin has captured their imaginations, neigh-heigh-heigh COUGH! – nay, their SOULS once it’s time to roll up their own, vastly superior characters.

And so, untethered from character plot hooks that are really helpful for Dungeon Masters to keep their players on task with the story of El Mop, characters can end up rudderless as they try to find their purpose in the adventure (which is usually murdering Harbin Wester for some reason).

Well, just because many Dungeon Masters fail in their attempt to lead a horse to water (see what I did there?), that doesn’t mean those character plot hooks need to be put out to pasture (omggg).

If your players are resistant to consideration for using the premade characters for Lost Mine of Phandelver, consider using the pregens as sidekicks instead, and keep those hooks in play!

Below, I boiled down the premade Torgga Brawnanvil character to a sidekick, keeping the same plot hook and background traits. This sidekick uses the Spellcaster stat block that comes with Dragon of Icepire Peak.

Don’t have a copy of Doype on hand? Just use the acolyte stat block from the 2014 basic rules. It’s basically the same thing!

If you’d like to support my work, please consider checking out my free/pwyw supplements for Lost Mine of Phandelver and Dragon of Icespire Peak over on Dungeon Master’s Guild!