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Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk (Dungeons & Dragons Adventure Book)

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Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk is something that Wizards of the Coast really seem to be describing as a labour of love, arguing that this is visible in the artwork, the layout of the book, and the care and attention they're giving to the remaster of a 2014 classic. The inception of the story was apparently driven by a desire to preserve Phandelver as a hardcover book, and it's something they hope will look fantastic on players' shelves for years to come. Most Read I think there was a strong desire from folks in the studio to preserve Lost Mines of Phandelver in a hardcover book – which was just a booklet in the starter set”, she says. “We wanted to preserve and update that adventure to have that longevity and staying power. My hope in doing that is creating an adventure that goes places people don’t expect.”

This dual identity affects the adventure’s content too. Phandelver and Below is trying hard to be two different adventures at once, and the ties between them are pretty weak. A strange goblin is mentioned here and there in the remastered first half, but there’s no other lead-up to what’s coming next. Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obeliskexpands a fan favorite adventure into a full-fledged campaign thatsuitsnew and longtime players and Dungeon Masters. Where Lost Mine of Phandelver took characters from 1st to 5th level, this new adventure book progressesall the way through12th level. Presents a bestiary with approximately two-dozen new creatures that showcase psionic magic, mutates , and more Discover what lurks below in this high-fantasy adventure that begins with the familiar story of Lost Mine of Phandelver and then delves into a brand-new adventure in the perilous Underdark. Play with Less Prep on Roll20 Accompanying Gundren from Neverwinter is Sildar Hallwinter, a middle-aged human and member of both the Lords’ Alliance and Waterdeep’s griffon cavalry. Players will find Sildar captured and held prisoner in the goblin hideout. He knows quite a lot of information that will thoroughly set up the adventures to come (see more below), and readily provides it to the characters once safely rescued. (Is a person in need not enough to encourage your players?Perhaps his mild fame precedes him, and a reward is all but guaranteed.)

Journey to the beloved town of Phandalin...

The events of the first chapter provide a taste of each of the pillars of adventure: exploration, social interaction, and combat. Not only does this provide a chance for any given player to shine early on, but it also establishes what both a player and DM might expect in a typical adventure, and how to navigate aspects of each pillar. Use these as learning opportunities! If you choose to do this, have hints of things going on underneath the surface. Talking to the townsfolk should make your players aware that not everything is as it seems, even with a current quest going on. Player Transformations Just as a yearning to help dear Gundren makes for powerful motivation at the adventure’s start, painting Phandalin as a town worth fighting for will cement your players’ desire to defend it—especially important in later chapters, when aberrant forces begin to warp the settlement. While the mining town and its inhabitants are greatly expounded on in the second chapter of the adventure, consider breathing life into the road to Phandalin, raising expectations for a vibrant, safe haven. There is always an option to just start with the new content halfway through the game, though there's a chance you won't have those same connections with the NPC of the world. What we do know is that the goblins, original known as the Cragmaw Goblins, also now feature a new set of goblins with strange psionic powers. Early parts of the adventure hint at general weirdness, which is symbolised by a slimy green motive running through a lot of the artwork and descriptions in the book.

The 2024 Core Rulebooks provide new options for players and DMs along with updates and improvements to the classes, mechanics, items, and monsters of fifth edition. All updates are being done with care to make sure anything from fifth edition will continue to be fully playable. Don’t be afraid to elevate an NPC’s importance in the plot. Swapping one Phandalin townie’s name for another in crucial moments might alter little in the story, but much in player urgency! The obelisk in 2016's Storm King's Thunder is only mentioned and not seen. Players visiting the village of Nightstone will learn that it got its name from a large obsidian megalith that stood in the center of the village square. This stone obelisk had been covered in strange magical glyphs, but by the time the players arrive during the DnD campaign, cloud giants have stolen it.One tidbit that might offer an exciting plot twist at your table is Sildar’s mention of the wizard Iarno Albrek, a fellow member of the Lords’ Alliance who disappeared from Phandalin months ago. Sildar aims to find Iarno on his arrival to Phandalin, giving the characters a description of his appearance. Throughout chapter 2, the party will hear rumors about a mysterious gang leader called Glasstaff, and will deal with his thugs—the Redbrands—while in search of Iarno. The delicious payoff? Iarno and Glasstaff are one and the same; he rebranded himself and gathered the Redbrands around him in an attempt to gain power.

Each story beat also leans heavily into what you might expect when you're a new player. You'll encounter bandits, and combat dragons, before delving deep into dungeons. Is the partyprepared for more combat at the goblins' hideout? Among the party may be a character preferring to be peaceable, or to exercise their gift of gab. The goblins here know quite a bit, if they can be persuaded to divulge. Consider letting certain words in Common slip into overheard conversations. Make a point to ask whether any characters understand Goblin; this is a great way to hint to the players that there may be important information to be gleaned! Notable Non-Player CharactersPhandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk is a DnD campaign designed for four to six players. Players begin a familiar dungeon-crawling adventure at level one, and they’ll face a crisis of unexpected scale (and weirdness)by the time they reach level 12.

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