The morning breeze blows gently through the narrow alleys lining the streets between the large, two-story city buildings. This town may be familiar to some, the buildings once visited and the people once spoken to all filled and functioning with purpose. For some of you, this town is not familiar, merely a stop on your path soon to be left behind. Taking one last look at the bustling city, you all departed and head out with a group of strangers down the winding path along The High Road with your wagon. A dwarf named Gundren Rockseeker asked each of you to bring a wagonload of provisions to the rough-and-tumble settlement of Phandalin, a couple of day's travel southeast of the city. Gundren was clearly excited and more than a little secretive about his reasons for the trip, but he eventually blurts out that he had found some great historic cave. He promised you each ten gold pieces for escorting the supplies safely to Barthen'sProvisions, a trading post in Phandalin. He then set out on horse along with a warrior named Sildar Hallwinter, claiming he needed to 'take care of business.'
You have all spent the last few days following the High Road south from Neverwinter, and you've just recently veered east along the Triboar Trail. You've encountered no trouble so far, but this territory can be dangerous as you get farther away from Neverwinter. Bandits and outlaws have been known to lurk along the trail.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Welcome to the beginning of the adventure!
To begin, lets roll stats for your characters! Please use the built in dice roller to determine ability scores.
If you are new to the forums, simply click on the dice icon to the top right of the editor and select the tab 'Ability Scores'. Next, select 'Reroll 1s' and pick 'Always'. For example:
Ability scores: 151212121514
You would then assign each of these numbers to a corresponding Ability Score (i.e. Strength, Charisma, Wisdom etc)
As for character sheets I would like to use the ones here at D&D Beyond, however I have no objections if you use another website or have one on paper, so long as you send a copy to me via link or image every time you guys level up so that I can keep track of passive perceptions and whatnot. Please let me know if you have any questions or need help with character creation!
P.S. If your character is on D&D Beyond, please DM me for a link to add you into the campaign, that way I can access your character sheets and keep track of items/stats
Please use quotes when your character is speaking and just type as normal to describe actions, also use parenthesis to denote out-of-context things to seperate them from your character, for example:
“I understand you’re a man of talent.” Morgan walks up to him, raising an eyebrow. “I’ve heard tales of your bravery across the land.” (I’m assuming since I’m a local I would have heard of this hero, how much have I heard?)
And such. NPC’s will have colour coded actions and dialogue but also act in the same way, and everything else such as descriptions or my “voice” will be in normal text. Example:
You come across the lovely town of Example Town, where a young human with blonde hair and greenish-blue eyes greets you with a warm smile. “Welcome to Example Town! My name is Lamdon, and I can guide you around!” He eyes the fighter, Garick, in particular. “Come, come! Let me show you our finest tavern!” He walks off towards the eastern side of town, striding with confidence that you will follow him. The building he is walking to is a large two-story building, taller and less weathered than the other buildings adjacent.
Since we’re using a forum to play, a lot of things may happen retroactively. If I or anyone else skips past a part where you wanted to do something just let them/me know and make it bold to make it stand out. For example:
Player 1: Morgan goes towards the shop. DM: Okay, you walk in and greet the shopkeeper as an elven woman browses his wares to your left. He eyes your gear and smiles. “An adventurer! How might I assist you?” Player 1: Morgan pulls out his spying glass. Retroactively: Could I have looked through the store window to see if anyone is currently shopping in there? Otherwise Morgan would not go in and instead spy on the patrons until they leave. DM: Alright, so instead of walking up to the store front you gingerly tiptoe off to the side, please make a stealth check if you’re trying to hide from the public eye.
This cannot be used to do something such as avoiding traps that have been already triggered, only if it makes sense or someone has glossed over something that another person wanted to do.
In combat, please stick to the initiative order. Feel free to post any dialogue that may ensue but actions themselves will only happen on each player’s turn. For reactions or held actions there is an exception and you may post after the trigger happens. When you roll to hit, roll damage as well even if you don't know if you hit yet. This is just in case I am offline and cannot confirm a hit/miss.
Again I’m new to both DMing and the forums/play-by-plays so if I make a mistake or if you have suggestions feel free to message me and let me know :)
As the cart pulls around another bend, buckling and bobbing, the ox huff and trot along. (Roll your stats and describe your characters if you please, I would also like to know who's driving the carriage (there's room for 2) and who is sitting in the back with the supplies. As you do so please also link your character sheets! The game begins now!)
As you all look out from the cart and scan the vicinity, you spot a traveler on the side of the road. The figure looks to be able-bodied, and as you get closer you see that it is a Hill-Dwarf, dressed in monk garbs.
(A sixth player has been recommended -- Jaster15, a Hill Dwarf Monk -- but the adventure has been tailored to 4-5 players and I'm not confident in my ability to balance encounters so that they are completely fair. However, I am willing to research and test out the reigns if you guys want to pick up another player. Let me know your vote in the poll at the top)
(While we get to work on finishing up our character sheets, I wanted to ask and clarify whether we're starting out with gold or equipment. Character description and sheet soon to follow!)
Callie is a young wood elf dressed for a hard hike through the woods. Underneath a charcoal grey mantle and above her normal traveling clothes she's wearing a fine leather and gambeson arming doublet and a good pair of leather boots. Her platinum blonde hair is tied back in a braid, revealing youthful features often bearing an excited or mischievous grin. She has a quiver of arrows and a shortsword hanging at her waist, a dagger in each boot, and a shortbow in her hands as she sits watchfully at the front of the wagon.
A dark-feathered Kenku with a tattered brown cloak and hood covering his leather armor and shield perches on the back of the cart with the supplies. A loaded crossbow rests on his lap, and a rusty mace hangs from his belt. He refers to himself as <Squelch> (the sound of a tool being thrust into something mushy) and speaks with several different voices. As the cart bumps along, he absent-mindedly mimics any birdsong that can be heard.
(Remember to add your starting golds to your character sheets wherever they may be, and if you're using the convenient D&D Beyond character sheets here it will be in the equipment section under 'Manage Equipment'. Also if you are using D&D Beyond please DM me for the campaign link if you haven't already)
(Oh, and we are starting out with equipment based on the character class, sorry I missed that. You can find it listed in the basic rules or character creation here on the website)
<Squelch> looks towards the dwarf. <Young female's voice> "Welcome aboard, darling!" He shrugs. <Old man's gravely voice> "Out of the way! These turnips ain't gonna sell themselves!"
He then scans the surroundings, expecting an ambush. Perception: 19
The Dwarf seems surprised by your strange, feathery visage and stares for a few full seconds before looking at the rest of the group, then back at you.
(Spoilers but the majority are voting yes so most likely he's in! I'll message him once more of the other players also come/vote)
You don't spot anything out of the ordinary. A squirrel scavenges an acorn off the ground and skitters away and you track it into the forest for a bit. Then a brown feathered hawk swoops in and snatches up the squirrel. How unfortunate. The mild winds blows over the trail and lightly ruffle your feathers as the Hill Dwarf gives a warm smile.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Ability scores: 161316121615
Starting GP: 15
The dwarf picks himself up from under the shade of a tree. He does his best to straighten out his dirty clothes and combs his fingers through his dark tangled beard and hair. Brandor looks like he is either homeless and penniless or has been traveling by himself on the road for a long while. That said he looks to be in excellent health and quite capable.
"Quite nice of ye fellas to welcome a wretch like me! But yer en luck, generosity such this comes with a prize." He pulls open his pack to reveal some small bottles of ale and a few rabbits strung off the side. "Fortune favored me for a reason it seems, to share with you fine folk!"He climbs onto the cart and does his best to stay downwind, mindful of his own condition. "Name's Brandor."
(To update and clarify, a new member has been added to the party-- Welcome Jabas15! The polls at the top can only be removed by staff apparently, so I'm waiting on a response for that. Again if you have any questions or confusions please let me know!)
Callie looks uncertainly at the newcomer, but between Squelch's instant acceptance, Brandor's brace of fresh rabbits and friendly demeanor, and the measly handful of coins in her purse, she isn't about to turn him away. Besides, another pair of helping hands can't hurt, even if they are covered in dirt.
Though maybe she'll make sure the dwarf's hands are clean before she shakes either of them...
"Well met, Brandor," she says with a friendly smile. "You can call me Callie, Callie Ballard." Though she's trying to hide it, it isn't too difficult to catch hints of a noble's accent and bearing in her introduction.
Sitting atop the driver's seat of the cart and holding the reigns, you, as a ranger of the lands understand that these animals are not like most wild beasts but have probably been trained and used for years as obedient beasts of burden. They follow whoever is holding the reigns without resistance, however you are free to make an Animal Handling check if you wish to goad them into picking up speed or something else, otherwise they pull the cart forth without complaint.
(Welcome, good to have you. Please describe your character to the others once you're done finalizing them!)
Welcome to the city of Neverwinter.
The morning breeze blows gently through the narrow alleys lining the streets between the large, two-story city buildings. This town may be familiar to some, the buildings once visited and the people once spoken to all filled and functioning with purpose. For some of you, this town is not familiar, merely a stop on your path soon to be left behind. Taking one last look at the bustling city, you all departed and head out with a group of strangers down the winding path along The High Road with your wagon. A dwarf named Gundren Rockseeker asked each of you to bring a wagonload of provisions to the rough-and-tumble settlement of Phandalin, a couple of day's travel southeast of the city. Gundren was clearly excited and more than a little secretive about his reasons for the trip, but he eventually blurts out that he had found some great historic cave. He promised you each ten gold pieces for escorting the supplies safely to Barthen's Provisions, a trading post in Phandalin. He then set out on horse along with a warrior named Sildar Hallwinter, claiming he needed to 'take care of business.'
You have all spent the last few days following the High Road south from Neverwinter, and you've just recently veered east along the Triboar Trail. You've encountered no trouble so far, but this territory can be dangerous as you get farther away from Neverwinter. Bandits and outlaws have been known to lurk along the trail.
Lost Mine of Phandelver - Dungeon Master
Welcome to the beginning of the adventure!
To begin, lets roll stats for your characters! Please use the built in dice roller to determine ability scores.
If you are new to the forums, simply click on the dice icon to the top right of the editor and select the tab 'Ability Scores'. Next, select 'Reroll 1s' and pick 'Always'. For example:
Ability scores: 15 12 12 12 15 14
You would then assign each of these numbers to a corresponding Ability Score (i.e. Strength, Charisma, Wisdom etc)
As for character sheets I would like to use the ones here at D&D Beyond, however I have no objections if you use another website or have one on paper, so long as you send a copy to me via link or image every time you guys level up so that I can keep track of passive perceptions and whatnot. Please let me know if you have any questions or need help with character creation!
P.S. If your character is on D&D Beyond, please DM me for a link to add you into the campaign, that way I can access your character sheets and keep track of items/stats
Lost Mine of Phandelver - Dungeon Master
General posting/playing rules:
Please use quotes when your character is speaking and just type as normal to describe actions, also use parenthesis to denote out-of-context things to seperate them from your character, for example:
“I understand you’re a man of talent.” Morgan walks up to him, raising an eyebrow. “I’ve heard tales of your bravery across the land.” (I’m assuming since I’m a local I would have heard of this hero, how much have I heard?)
And such. NPC’s will have colour coded actions and dialogue but also act in the same way, and everything else such as descriptions or my “voice” will be in normal text. Example:
You come across the lovely town of Example Town, where a young human with blonde hair and greenish-blue eyes greets you with a warm smile.
“Welcome to Example Town! My name is Lamdon, and I can guide you around!” He eyes the fighter, Garick, in particular. “Come, come! Let me show you our finest tavern!” He walks off towards the eastern side of town, striding with confidence that you will follow him. The building he is walking to is a large two-story building, taller and less weathered than the other buildings adjacent.
Since we’re using a forum to play, a lot of things may happen retroactively. If I or anyone else skips past a part where you wanted to do something just let them/me know and make it bold to make it stand out. For example:
Player 1: Morgan goes towards the shop.
DM: Okay, you walk in and greet the shopkeeper as an elven woman browses his wares to your left. He eyes your gear and smiles. “An adventurer! How might I assist you?”
Player 1: Morgan pulls out his spying glass. Retroactively: Could I have looked through the store window to see if anyone is currently shopping in there? Otherwise Morgan would not go in and instead spy on the patrons until they leave.
DM: Alright, so instead of walking up to the store front you gingerly tiptoe off to the side, please make a stealth check if you’re trying to hide from the public eye.
This cannot be used to do something such as avoiding traps that have been already triggered, only if it makes sense or someone has glossed over something that another person wanted to do.
In combat, please stick to the initiative order. Feel free to post any dialogue that may ensue but actions themselves will only happen on each player’s turn. For reactions or held actions there is an exception and you may post after the trigger happens. When you roll to hit, roll damage as well even if you don't know if you hit yet. This is just in case I am offline and cannot confirm a hit/miss.
Again I’m new to both DMing and the forums/play-by-plays so if I make a mistake or if you have suggestions feel free to message me and let me know :)
Lost Mine of Phandelver - Dungeon Master
On with the adventure!
As the cart pulls around another bend, buckling and bobbing, the ox huff and trot along.
(Roll your stats and describe your characters if you please, I would also like to know who's driving the carriage (there's room for 2) and who is sitting in the back with the supplies. As you do so please also link your character sheets! The game begins now!)
Lost Mine of Phandelver - Dungeon Master
As you all look out from the cart and scan the vicinity, you spot a traveler on the side of the road. The figure looks to be able-bodied, and as you get closer you see that it is a Hill-Dwarf, dressed in monk garbs.
(A sixth player has been recommended -- Jaster15, a Hill Dwarf Monk -- but the adventure has been tailored to 4-5 players and I'm not confident in my ability to balance encounters so that they are completely fair. However, I am willing to research and test out the reigns if you guys want to pick up another player. Let me know your vote in the poll at the top)
Lost Mine of Phandelver - Dungeon Master
Ability scores: 14 14 17 17 16 10
Starting gold: 6
(While we get to work on finishing up our character sheets, I wanted to ask and clarify whether we're starting out with gold or equipment. Character description and sheet soon to follow!)
Callie is a young wood elf dressed for a hard hike through the woods. Underneath a charcoal grey mantle and above her normal traveling clothes she's wearing a fine leather and gambeson arming doublet and a good pair of leather boots. Her platinum blonde hair is tied back in a braid, revealing youthful features often bearing an excited or mischievous grin. She has a quiver of arrows and a shortsword hanging at her waist, a dagger in each boot, and a shortbow in her hands as she sits watchfully at the front of the wagon.
Ability scores: 12 10 16 12 12 9
Here are my ability scores. Should I make a character sheet now, or wait for a bit?
Edit: I've decided to make a character now.
Ability scores: 16 10 16 13 13 12
<Squelch> - Kenku Grave Cleric
Starting Gold: 13
A dark-feathered Kenku with a tattered brown cloak and hood covering his leather armor and shield perches on the back of the cart with the supplies. A loaded crossbow rests on his lap, and a rusty mace hangs from his belt. He refers to himself as <Squelch> (the sound of a tool being thrust into something mushy) and speaks with several different voices. As the cart bumps along, he absent-mindedly mimics any birdsong that can be heard.
@syrcellus I'm not really sure since people use different rules based on background etc. Lets roll 4d4 to see how much gold everyone starts with
@detkitten Yes, please make a character now :)
Lost Mine of Phandelver - Dungeon Master
Starting gold example: 15
Lost Mine of Phandelver - Dungeon Master
My starting gold: 15
(Remember to add your starting golds to your character sheets wherever they may be, and if you're using the convenient D&D Beyond character sheets here it will be in the equipment section under 'Manage Equipment'. Also if you are using D&D Beyond please DM me for the campaign link if you haven't already)
Lost Mine of Phandelver - Dungeon Master
(Oh, and we are starting out with equipment based on the character class, sorry I missed that. You can find it listed in the basic rules or character creation here on the website)
Lost Mine of Phandelver - Dungeon Master
<Squelch> looks towards the dwarf. <Young female's voice> "Welcome aboard, darling!" He shrugs. <Old man's gravely voice> "Out of the way! These turnips ain't gonna sell themselves!"
He then scans the surroundings, expecting an ambush. Perception: 19
The Dwarf seems surprised by your strange, feathery visage and stares for a few full seconds before looking at the rest of the group, then back at you.
(Spoilers but the majority are voting yes so most likely he's in! I'll message him once more of the other players also come/vote)
You don't spot anything out of the ordinary. A squirrel scavenges an acorn off the ground and skitters away and you track it into the forest for a bit. Then a brown feathered hawk swoops in and snatches up the squirrel. How unfortunate. The mild winds blows over the trail and lightly ruffle your feathers as the Hill Dwarf gives a warm smile.
Lost Mine of Phandelver - Dungeon Master
Ability scores: 16 13 16 12 16 15
Starting GP: 15
The dwarf picks himself up from under the shade of a tree. He does his best to straighten out his dirty clothes and combs his fingers through his dark tangled beard and hair. Brandor looks like he is either homeless and penniless or has been traveling by himself on the road for a long while. That said he looks to be in excellent health and quite capable.
"Quite nice of ye fellas to welcome a wretch like me! But yer en luck, generosity such this comes with a prize." He pulls open his pack to reveal some small bottles of ale and a few rabbits strung off the side. "Fortune favored me for a reason it seems, to share with you fine folk!" He climbs onto the cart and does his best to stay downwind, mindful of his own condition. "Name's Brandor."
(To update and clarify, a new member has been added to the party-- Welcome Jabas15! The polls at the top can only be removed by staff apparently, so I'm waiting on a response for that. Again if you have any questions or confusions please let me know!)
Lost Mine of Phandelver - Dungeon Master
Callie looks uncertainly at the newcomer, but between Squelch's instant acceptance, Brandor's brace of fresh rabbits and friendly demeanor, and the measly handful of coins in her purse, she isn't about to turn him away. Besides, another pair of helping hands can't hurt, even if they are covered in dirt.
Though maybe she'll make sure the dwarf's hands are clean before she shakes either of them...
"Well met, Brandor," she says with a friendly smile. "You can call me Callie, Callie Ballard." Though she's trying to hide it, it isn't too difficult to catch hints of a noble's accent and bearing in her introduction.
(Thanks for the invite! Rolling character scores, then I'll add my character to the campaign link.)
Ability scores: 16 12 11 16 10 8
Also, if no-one's claimed driver spot, I'll happily drive the cart, as I have animal handling (I think - not fully finalised my character sheet yet).
Mordekai | Tiefling Warlock/Bard (Lv.12) | Pizazz's Beyond
RavenloftAnnihilationSitting atop the driver's seat of the cart and holding the reigns, you, as a ranger of the lands understand that these animals are not like most wild beasts but have probably been trained and used for years as obedient beasts of burden. They follow whoever is holding the reigns without resistance, however you are free to make an Animal Handling check if you wish to goad them into picking up speed or something else, otherwise they pull the cart forth without complaint.
(Welcome, good to have you. Please describe your character to the others once you're done finalizing them!)
Lost Mine of Phandelver - Dungeon Master