About this video

• Video Title: How to run session zero and make characters for LMoP - D&D 5th Edition Starter Set Guide 1
• Channel: Matthew Perkins
• Speakers: Matthew Perkins
• Duration: 00:15:27

Overview

This video provides a guide on how to run "Lost Mines of Phandelver" (LMoP) for Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition, focusing specifically on Session Zero and character creation. The presenter, Matthew Perkins, shares his experience and offers modifications to the original campaign to make it more engaging and personalized for both Dungeon Masters and players. Key aspects covered include setting up the campaign, customizing the narrative, establishing characters, and preparing for the adventure.

Key takeaways

• LMoP as a Teaching Tool: The "Lost Mines of Phandelver" starter set is highly recommended as an excellent teaching tool for both new Dungeon Masters and players due to its gradual introduction of game mechanics and classic D&D tropes.
• Customization is Key: While the module is well-written, the presenter advocates for customizing the campaign to better suit the DM's and players' styles, making it more relevant and flexible.
• Session Zero Importance: Session Zero is crucial for managing expectations, setting boundaries, and collaboratively creating characters, ensuring a cohesive party and a smoother campaign start.
• Character Creation Focus: For new players, using pre-generated characters is advised, while emphasizing that backstories should be collaboratively written to foster party cohesion and integrate with the campaign narrative. Gundren Rockseeker is highlighted as a central figure to tie characters together.
• Prologue and Villain Introduction: A custom prologue scene is suggested to set the tone and introduce key elements. The Black Spider, the main villain, is modified to be a recurring character and a woman, with her motivations and need for a "Mysterious Puzzle Box" seeded early to create intrigue.
• Campaign Modifications: Several specific changes are suggested, including re-theming Phandalin to a spaghetti western style, simplifying NPCs, rebalancing encounters, cutting the Thundertree storyline, and creating "special player moments" tailored to individual character backstories.
• Homework for DMs: The video concludes with three homework assignments: find players, read the adventure module, and develop voices for key NPCs.

The video suggests weaving player backstories into the campaign to create "special player moments." This involves identifying important NPCs or items from a character's past and incorporating them into the adventure. The presenter offers to help with this in the comments if viewers provide details about their characters. Additionally, the video proposes creating a prologue scene where Gundren Rockseeker explains the initial quest to retrieve a "Mysterious Puzzle Box" and deliver it, along with mining supplies, to Sildar Hallwinter in Phandalin. This prologue should establish Gundren as a trustworthy friend and provide context for the players' involvement. A specific scene is also detailed where the Black Spider and her doppelgänger ally, Monteith, discover that the puzzle box has already been taken, creating immediate intrigue and establishing the villain's presence.

Here's the scene description you can copy for your game:

Scene: The Aftermath in the Vault

(DM Description) "In the dead of night, light footsteps echo across the vault you visited earlier today. A sound of a scuffle, and a guard collapses to the ground in a heap. He's strangled. His silent attacker appears to be one of his compatriots, but the disguise fades away, to reveal a translucent, alien-like body. Mouthless, the creature approaches the pedestal where the Mysterious Puzzle Box rested, and notices it's missing. Behind the now-empty pedestal, a cloaked figure with red eyes shakes its head."

(Black Spider's Dialogue) "Well, Monteith, it appears that somebody beat us to the punch. We might have to get a little creative after all."

This scene aims to immediately establish the Black Spider as a calculating villain and hint at her goals and the importance of the puzzle box. It also introduces her doppelgänger ally, Monteith, and creates a sense of urgency and mystery for the players.

The "Mysterious Puzzle Box" serves as a crucial plot device in this modified "Lost Mines of Phandelver" campaign.

Here's a breakdown of its plot significance:

• The Hook: The campaign begins with Gundren Rockseeker entrusting the party with this puzzle box, along with mining supplies, for a job. This is the initial reason the players are sent to Phandalin and get involved in the adventure.
• Villain's Objective: The Black Spider, the main antagonist, desperately needs this puzzle box. It's not just a valuable item; it's essential for appeasing the guardian of the Forge of Spells. Without it, she cannot access the magical forge.
• The McGuffin: The puzzle box acts as a McGuffin – an object that is important to the characters and drives the plot forward. The Black Spider's pursuit of it is the primary reason she will "harass the party" throughout the campaign.
• Player Motivation: By having the Black Spider actively seek the box from the party, it gives the players a clear, ongoing conflict and a reason to protect or use the item. It makes the villain more directly involved with the player characters from the outset.
• The Box Itself: While the video doesn't reveal what's inside the box (beyond suggesting an interesting item or prop), its purpose is to be a key that unlocks the Forge of Spells. The party's possession of it immediately puts them in the Black Spider's crosshairs.