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.
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: