Agatha The Banshee
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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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When I was a kid, I had a friend whose brother kept a shoe box full of fingernail and toenail clippings beneath his bed. I always found that absurd, because I thought they were his fingernail and toenail clippings. Now that I’m older, wiser, and have read a few Player’s Handbooks, I’m not so certain.…
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Wait, WAIT…hold up. How does Conyberry, an insignificant backwater consisting of “around a dozen houses standing close to the eastern side of Neverwinter Wood,” find its way onto a map of the Sword Coast? When writing Volo’s Guide To The North, Volothamp Geddarm saw fit to make an entry for Conyberry and include it on the…
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This is a public service announcement for the banshee’s wail. If you’re a new Dungeon Master leery of an encounter involving a low-level adventuring party vs. a relatively high challenge rating monster like Agatha the banshee (CR 4), it’s understandable. How can a low-level party survive an encounter with a monster who can, with a…
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So the other day I made mention of the fact that Conyberry is a desolate ruin, but not necessarily haunted. It’s just those forlorn wails echoing from the depths of the nearby Neverwinter Wood that make people feel like Conyberry is haunted. Agatha’s lair is located “a few miles outside town.” Upon consulting the map,…
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I am admittedly a (scrunching up my face, raising my voice an octave) “the book is sooo much better than the movie” kinda guy. And annoyingly so. While I’m entertained by the Harry Potter movies, it’s hard for me to get through scenes in the movies without thinking how differently each was portrayed in the…
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Planning on sending the party out to Conyberry on Sister Garaele’s errand? Reward a player for their choices at character creation. Allow characters proficient in History to recall the following poem about Agatha the Banshee. If none of the characters are proficient in History, perhaps they hear the resident entertainer at the Stonehill Inn singing…
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A couple things caught my eye in the banshee’s description from the Monster Manual: “The vanity that inspired the banshee’s cursed creation persists in undeath.” And: “A single glimpse of itself is enough to send a banshee into a rage.” Each may explain why Agatha wouldn’t appear for Sister Garaele when she came calling in…
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Meanwhile, at the Stonehill Inn: Dungeon Master: So according to Ol’ Narth, Sister Garaele left Phandalin for a few days and then “returned wounded and exhausted.” Players: Hmm. Interesting. I wonder what happened? Dungeon Master: (oh, shiiiit…) Players: Let’s head over to the Shrine of Luck. Dungeon Master: (fuuuuuuhhh…) Don’t get caught flat-footed. If you’re…
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Bowgentle’s Book is certainly worthy of a quest. This tome is an absolute treasure hoard of arcane magic. A dragon should be sleeping on top of it! Egads! This spellbook contains 50 (FIFTY!) spells, from cantrips to 6th level spells. Can you think of any other loot drop in a published adventure that approaches that…