Redbrand Ruffians
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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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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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The presence of the Redbrand ruffians in Phandalin should carry real weight at your table. They are not disposable mooks meant to be cut down and forgotten on the way to a side quest. Driving them out should feel less like clearing a dungeon and more like breaking the grip of a gang that has…
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In Phandalin and Below:The Shattered Obelisk, the peril of the Dendrar family shifts from the threat of human trafficking (as described in the original Lost Mine of Phandelver adventure) to a scenario where the family is held hostage for a ransom. “The three human commoners imprisoned here are Mirna Dendrar and her teenage children, thirteen-year-old Nars and…
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As his mother’s sanity unraveled and grief hardened in his sister’s heart, Nars Dendrar endured his family’s captivity beneath Tresendar Manor in a state of relative quietude. For he had known that, in their darkened cell, no ruffian, wizard, or fell magic beneath the manor would harm him or those he held dear. She had…
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The gold medal for the “Most Murdered” competition in Phandalin definitely goes to Thel Dendrar. The woodcarver’s untimely demise at the hands of the Redbrand Ruffians is part of the El Mop story, after all. He’s been murdered so many times over the last decade that he’s like the Michael Phelps of Sword Coast murder…
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Some players may be clever and decide to use the dirty red cloaks from Tresendar Manor’s armory to engage in some subterfuge and try to pass themselves off as new recruits among the Redbrand ranks. And that’s always fun, but don’t let them off easy! Even if the Redbrands they encounter fall for the deception,…
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Hang around the Stonehill Inn long enough, and you may hear Freda the weaver make a comment along the lines of “The Redbrands hassle every business in town, except for the Phandalin Miner’s Exchange. They don’t want trouble with Halia Thornton, who runs it.” Why is that? I have some thoughts. First and foremost, Halia…
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Her husband has been murdered, and now Mirna Dendrar and her children are captives of the Redbrands. Depending on whether you’re playing Lost Mine of Phandelver or the more recent adaptation, Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk, the Dendrar family will either be trafficked by their captors, or they will be held for a ransom…