What if Iarno Albrek escapes? (Lost Mine of Phandelver)

Hi there!

WARNING: Spoilers of the Lost Mine of Phandelver ahead.

I'm trying to see how to deal with Iarno Albrek after he successfully escapes from the Redbrand Hideout without facing the players.

How have you dealt with him? I'm thinking about a postgame side quest from Sildar trying to find and capture him. Maybe an encounter in Neverwinter.

How have you solved this situation during your campaigns?

I'd have him harry the party from a distance, make things more difficult, and then he finds them with a few thugs when they're weak and attempts to get revenge.

Honestly, he rarely escapes. By rights he ought to flee, but it's pretty rare that the adventure plays out that way in my experience. 

The text states that he flees through section 8 of the map toward section 1 to retrieve his version of a go-bag. Generally, I use this flight to illustrate and introduce players to the Chase rules. I use the highest character's passive perception and tell that player they've heard a noise from the room beyond. I then initiate the chase mechanic as found in the DMG (2014). This, combined with Iarno's need to grab his bag from the pool in section 1, means the party have the chance to catch up and confront him.

Lost Mine of Phandelver is built as an adventure to show off how the game system works. To my mind, a fleeing enemy is a perfect opportunity to introduce a mechanic that otherwise doesn't get introduced within this adventure. It requires a minor fudge on my part of allowing the best passive perception character to hear Iarno's escape, but I feel it's justified. If the party don't want to investigate the noise from Iarno's chambers and move more cautiously, I'll do something different.

Within the Wizard's chambers where they find the note about the Black Spider, I'll have a portrait of Iarno hanging on the wall. Later and back in Phandalin, I'll grant the most passive perception character a glimpse of the wizard running off after catching sight of the party which offers yet another opportunity to introduce them to the chase mechanics.

Quote from martintheactor >>

Honestly, he rarely escapes. By rights he ought to flee, but it's pretty rare that the adventure plays out that way in my experience. 

The text states that he flees through section 8 of the map toward section 1 to retrieve his version of a go-bag. Generally, I use this flight to illustrate and introduce players to the Chase rules. I use the highest character's passive perception and tell that player they've heard a noise from the room beyond. I then initiate the chase mechanic as found in the DMG (2014). This, combined with Iarno's need to grab his bag from the pool in section 1, means the party have the chance to catch up and confront him.

Lost Mine of Phandelver is built as an adventure to show off how the game system works. To my mind, a fleeing enemy is a perfect opportunity to introduce a mechanic that otherwise doesn't get introduced within this adventure. It requires a minor fudge on my part of allowing the best passive perception character to hear Iarno's escape, but I feel it's justified. If the party don't want to investigate the noise from Iarno's chambers and move more cautiously, I'll do something different.

Within the Wizard's chambers where they find the note about the Black Spider, I'll have a portrait of Iarno hanging on the wall. Later and back in Phandalin, I'll grant the most passive perception character a glimpse of the wizard running off after catching sight of the party which offers yet another opportunity to introduce them to the chase mechanics.

 According to the adventure, Iarno tells the Nothic to confront the players when he flees. If the players haven't killed the Nothic, I think it's almost impossible to capture Iarno.

Not to mention that if Iarno arrives to the room with the pool, he will drink the Invisible potion (if players haven't found it before).

And in case players chase him and don't know about the southeast secret door of the cavern, they will have to deal with 3-6 skeletons (if they are not wearing red capes or haven't killed them already), a pit trap, and 3 redbrand ruffians in the room close to the pool, who will attack as soon as they hear something in the room nearby (If they haven't killed them already).

I think the escaping chances of the mage are pretty high.

Quote from JaimeVonCarstein >>

Quote from martintheactor >>

Honestly, he rarely escapes. By rights he ought to flee, but it's pretty rare that the adventure plays out that way in my experience. 

The text states that he flees through section 8 of the map toward section 1 to retrieve his version of a go-bag. Generally, I use this flight to illustrate and introduce players to the Chase rules. I use the highest character's passive perception and tell that player they've heard a noise from the room beyond. I then initiate the chase mechanic as found in the DMG (2014). This, combined with Iarno's need to grab his bag from the pool in section 1, means the party have the chance to catch up and confront him.

Lost Mine of Phandelver is built as an adventure to show off how the game system works. To my mind, a fleeing enemy is a perfect opportunity to introduce a mechanic that otherwise doesn't get introduced within this adventure. It requires a minor fudge on my part of allowing the best passive perception character to hear Iarno's escape, but I feel it's justified. If the party don't want to investigate the noise from Iarno's chambers and move more cautiously, I'll do something different.

Within the Wizard's chambers where they find the note about the Black Spider, I'll have a portrait of Iarno hanging on the wall. Later and back in Phandalin, I'll grant the most passive perception character a glimpse of the wizard running off after catching sight of the party which offers yet another opportunity to introduce them to the chase mechanics.

 According to the adventure, Iarno tells the Nothic to confront the players when he flees. If the players haven't killed the Nothic, I think it's almost impossible to capture Iarno.

Not to mention that if Iarno arrives to the room with the pool, he will drink the Invisible potion (if players haven't found it before).

And in case players chase him and don't know about the southeast secret door of the cavern, they will have to deal with 3-6 skeletons (if they are not wearing red capes or haven't killed them already), a pit trap, and 3 redbrand ruffians in the room close to the pool, who will attack as soon as they hear something in the room nearby (If they haven't killed them already).

I think the escaping chances of the mage are pretty high.

So, as I say it requires a little fudging on behalf of the DM. The party hear him escape, he leaves the secret door open. I assume the Nothic is already dead, but if not that slows him down enough to get caught up in the ensuing combat encounter. What I will say is that in over two dozen runs of the adventure, only a handful of parties have been so noisy as to draw the attention of the rat familiar. Most have gotten the message by the time they reach that area, that being quiet and careful is a good idea here.

Ultimately, Iarno fleeing is solely a result of the rat giving him a heads-up. You can of course choose not to have that familiar be present. You can choose for Iarno to stand his ground. What I was trying to show is that it is possible to utilise Iarno fleeing to introduce a mechanic that you may not have introduced to relatively newer players.

Though, I wouldn't blame anyone for running the adventure as is.

Quote from martintheactor >>

Quote from JaimeVonCarstein >>

Quote from martintheactor >>

Honestly, he rarely escapes. By rights he ought to flee, but it's pretty rare that the adventure plays out that way in my experience. 

The text states that he flees through section 8 of the map toward section 1 to retrieve his version of a go-bag. Generally, I use this flight to illustrate and introduce players to the Chase rules. I use the highest character's passive perception and tell that player they've heard a noise from the room beyond. I then initiate the chase mechanic as found in the DMG (2014). This, combined with Iarno's need to grab his bag from the pool in section 1, means the party have the chance to catch up and confront him.

Lost Mine of Phandelver is built as an adventure to show off how the game system works. To my mind, a fleeing enemy is a perfect opportunity to introduce a mechanic that otherwise doesn't get introduced within this adventure. It requires a minor fudge on my part of allowing the best passive perception character to hear Iarno's escape, but I feel it's justified. If the party don't want to investigate the noise from Iarno's chambers and move more cautiously, I'll do something different.

Within the Wizard's chambers where they find the note about the Black Spider, I'll have a portrait of Iarno hanging on the wall. Later and back in Phandalin, I'll grant the most passive perception character a glimpse of the wizard running off after catching sight of the party which offers yet another opportunity to introduce them to the chase mechanics.

 According to the adventure, Iarno tells the Nothic to confront the players when he flees. If the players haven't killed the Nothic, I think it's almost impossible to capture Iarno.

Not to mention that if Iarno arrives to the room with the pool, he will drink the Invisible potion (if players haven't found it before).

And in case players chase him and don't know about the southeast secret door of the cavern, they will have to deal with 3-6 skeletons (if they are not wearing red capes or haven't killed them already), a pit trap, and 3 redbrand ruffians in the room close to the pool, who will attack as soon as they hear something in the room nearby (If they haven't killed them already).

I think the escaping chances of the mage are pretty high.

So, as I say it requires a little fudging on behalf of the DM. The party hear him escape, he leaves the secret door open. I assume the Nothic is already dead, but if not that slows him down enough to get caught up in the ensuing combat encounter. What I will say is that in over two dozen runs of the adventure, only a handful of parties have been so noisy as to draw the attention of the rat familiar. Most have gotten the message by the time they reach that area, that being quiet and careful is a good idea here.

Ultimately, Iarno fleeing is solely a result of the rat giving him a heads-up. You can of course choose not to have that familiar be present. You can choose for Iarno to stand his ground. What I was trying to show is that it is possible to utilise Iarno fleeing to introduce a mechanic that you may not have introduced to relatively newer players.

Though, I wouldn't blame anyone for running the adventure as is.

Quote from martintheactor >>

Quote from JaimeVonCarstein >>

Quote from martintheactor >>

Honestly, he rarely escapes. By rights he ought to flee, but it's pretty rare that the adventure plays out that way in my experience. 

The text states that he flees through section 8 of the map toward section 1 to retrieve his version of a go-bag. Generally, I use this flight to illustrate and introduce players to the Chase rules. I use the highest character's passive perception and tell that player they've heard a noise from the room beyond. I then initiate the chase mechanic as found in the DMG (2014). This, combined with Iarno's need to grab his bag from the pool in section 1, means the party have the chance to catch up and confront him.

Lost Mine of Phandelver is built as an adventure to show off how the game system works. To my mind, a fleeing enemy is a perfect opportunity to introduce a mechanic that otherwise doesn't get introduced within this adventure. It requires a minor fudge on my part of allowing the best passive perception character to hear Iarno's escape, but I feel it's justified. If the party don't want to investigate the noise from Iarno's chambers and move more cautiously, I'll do something different.

Within the Wizard's chambers where they find the note about the Black Spider, I'll have a portrait of Iarno hanging on the wall. Later and back in Phandalin, I'll grant the most passive perception character a glimpse of the wizard running off after catching sight of the party which offers yet another opportunity to introduce them to the chase mechanics.

 According to the adventure, Iarno tells the Nothic to confront the players when he flees. If the players haven't killed the Nothic, I think it's almost impossible to capture Iarno.

Not to mention that if Iarno arrives to the room with the pool, he will drink the Invisible potion (if players haven't found it before).

And in case players chase him and don't know about the southeast secret door of the cavern, they will have to deal with 3-6 skeletons (if they are not wearing red capes or haven't killed them already), a pit trap, and 3 redbrand ruffians in the room close to the pool, who will attack as soon as they hear something in the room nearby (If they haven't killed them already).

I think the escaping chances of the mage are pretty high.

So, as I say it requires a little fudging on behalf of the DM. The party hear him escape, he leaves the secret door open. I assume the Nothic is already dead, but if not that slows him down enough to get caught up in the ensuing combat encounter. What I will say is that in over two dozen runs of the adventure, only a handful of parties have been so noisy as to draw the attention of the rat familiar. Most have gotten the message by the time they reach that area, that being quiet and careful is a good idea here.

Ultimately, Iarno fleeing is solely a result of the rat giving him a heads-up. You can of course choose not to have that familiar be present. You can choose for Iarno to stand his ground. What I was trying to show is that it is possible to utilise Iarno fleeing to introduce a mechanic that you may not have introduced to relatively newer players.

Though, I wouldn't blame anyone for running the adventure as is.

 Yeah, I see your point. You can make that happen in order to teach them that mechanic.