Saturday 19 March 2016

Lost Mines of Phandelver - nearly at an end

Lost Mines of Phandelver (Spoilers ahead)

For the last few months every fortnight I've  been running the starter box for a group of seven. All but one are new to the game (and me to dming 5ed), but they've done excellently at learning the rules and solving problems in unpredictable  ways.

In the first cave with the cragmaw goblins, they killed the Bugbear leader but bargained with the remaining goblins for the life of the captured Sildar Hallwinter, leaving without a fight.

In the Redbrand's  hideout at Tresendar manor, bribed the Nothic with offerings of food then locked it in a store cupboard.

Destroyed Thresendar manor by blowing up the alchemy lab and burning everything they could see.

After ousting the Redbrands, pressured Town master Harbin Wester to leave and seeing to election of mining guild (and Zhentarim agent) Halia Thornton.

They all joined the Zhentarim.

Captured and dragged back to Phandalin the 'drow' (doppelganger) for interrogation by Zhentarim agents, which leads to...

Their asassination of the Rockseeker brothers (on orders of the new townmaster), so that the newly acquired doppelganger can take the former of one of them and publicly 'sell' the rights to their claim to the Zhentarim.

The Doppelganger may hang around for longer in it's  new employment, tightening the Zhentarim  grip on Phandalin in coming weeks.

The party are at present in the final dungeon, and then will go after Vermithrax in Thundertree. There are seven of them, so they'll probably be fine, sadly...