I am currently running a campaign for some friends based on a combination of Dungeons & Dragons’ Lost Mines of Phandelver and Dragon of Icespire Peak (with a heavy dash of homebrew) that I’m calling the Lost Dragons of Phandelver. I am hardly the first person to run a game like this (I include resources for where I’m getting a lot of my DM aid at the end of this post) I thought perhaps sharing here and there how I am piecing these introductory games together might help someone out there who wants to do the same but feels overwhelmed (I still feel overwhelmed).

Disclaimers

  • I am not affiliated with D&D or Wizards of the Coast. I don’t agree with a lot of things WotC has done, especially recently, and my running this game is not meant to show that I do. I am running this game because 1. I have it. 2. its a hell of a lot easier for me to get players for a D&D campaign than for an indie game at this point in my life. and 3. I’ve run it partly before and I would really love to just finish it since I’ve already put a lot of work into it.
  • I am not the best DM out there nor am I well versed. I’ve only been playing D&D, or TTRPGs in general, since 2019/2020. For many DMs out there, I am still in my infancy. So there’s lots of stuff out there I do not know about.
  • I am including some homebrew stuff in this campaign including home rules. I will explain these things as I come upon them in my work.
  • I am open to ideas and even some critique but please be kind. This is a game. I don’t do this for a living at this time and remember that my players in this campaign are more important than someone online that isn’t playing. Same goes for you and your players. What’s best for you all is what’s important, not online discourse.
  • I am sharing this blog series on how I’m running this campaign partly because it helps me work out my next session notes and partly because I know how overwhelming it is to hear people talk about a campaign but not see how they put one together. I am uploading each post after we have had that session so as not to risk spoiling my players (just in case y’all decide to read it). This will of course effect what information I post when. If you are wanting to run this campaign and want some insight into the BBEG or some twists and turns I have planned, feel free to email me at damianameade@gmail.com.

Lastly before I get into it, I am writing this blog post series with the impression that you, the reader, know what Lost Mines of Phandelver is. If you do not know – its an introductory campaign put out by D&D. You can get it wherever D&D merch is sold.

Session Zero

I am running this game online via discord with 3 players. 2 of these players I have played with before. In fact, one of them I played D&D for the first time with. The 3rd is someone that followed me on Twitter and responded to my call for players. So my connection with these 3 players is varied. Even if it wasn’t, doing a session zero that covers behavior, limits, and more is important.

Pre-session

Before we even had out session zero, I discussed a few things.
1. that we will touch on limits in the session but if they have any limits or triggers they need me to be aware of but don’t want to discuss in the session, they can message me those limits any time. ALSO if things come up in game that trigger them that they didn’t think to warn me about, to feel free to message me and I will adjust the game accordingly. We are here to have fun, not to traumatize.

2. I am open to homebrew. If my players have a homebrewed character, I am cool with that. We will discuss them in the session. That said, all characters are starting at Level One.

3. That I was open to rolling or point buy in for character creation. I see the pros and cons with both and I am more than happy to work either way.

4. Our sessions would be on Saturdays or Sundays depending. One of the players has a Battletech game that floats. The agreement was that he would make us aware of which day he was free early in the week and we would plan accordingly.

5. I wanted them to feel creative and free with their character backgrounds but I did ask that they consider a way their character was connected to a wealthy dwarf named Gundren Rockseeker. This could be through friendship, they could owe the man a favor, whatever. Some tie needed to be in place so that when Gundren sends them a letter asking them to meet him in Neverwinter because he needed a favor, they would show up.

My players then all discussed classes so that they felt balanced and inspired (we ended up with a fighter, a sorcerer, and a cleric).

Session Zero Checklist

Player Introductions – not all of my players know each other. This is also a good way to check our audio and what not. Everyone gets a moment to share who they are.

I then go into the basics. I am all for the rule of cool but if I miss something, feel free to tell me. The DM is not god. Also, I will likely ask them what the stats and info are on their attacks because I can’t keep it all in my head. I do have some home rules that differ from the books such as I allow potions to be given/taken as a bonus action but of course if you are giving the potion to a fallen character, you must be next to them. You can lob the potion bottle at them, I will consider it an attack and make you roll damage.

I do allow player versus player but remind the players to ask themselves if this would really serve the story we are creating together.
Also, I run milestone leveling instead of XP.

How crits are handled – doubling up hit dice for crit success, failure in a nat 1, etc. all need to be discussed as well. I am pretty loose with this but it does need to be established now rather than later so that we’re all playing the same rules.

Scheduling – what do my players want to do if someone cannot show up? This can range from letting me run their character to me running a one shot for those who do show up.
This is also where I make it clear that I understand that shit happens. I’m a parent and an elder-care giver and things happen all the time last minute. That said, let me and the other players know as soon as possible if someone cannot show up. This allows us to plan accordingly.

Takebacks and retconning – this can totally happen. Again, my goal is for all of us to have fun, not for me to punish players for miscalculations or whatever. However, if a player is joking around and does not mean to actually do something, I do ask that they make that clear because I don’t always catch jokes and sarcasm (I’m autistic).

This campaign is what is often called a sandbox on rails. There is a lot of room to move around and explore the world and lots of little side stories and what not. There is also a main storyline with a beginning, middle, and end. That said, if the players ever feel like I am railroading them or making them uncomfortable or unhappy with playing in any way, I am open to critique (preferably with kindness because I am squishy).

I also like to discuss not only limits and pet peeves in RPG but ALSO what my players love about RPG. I like to keep the focus on what we enjoy when and where we can. This is also a good way to see what the players’ favorite things are – combat, role play, puzzles, etc. Then I can make sure theres chances for all of those favorite things in game. (Not mentioned in session zero unless it comes up, I do plan to have some PC spotlight moments in the game and making a note of that player’s favorite things helps me to include them in their character spotlights.)

We also need to discuss what happens when a player breaks the social rules laid out in session zero – whether its scheduling or pushing the limits of others involved. I like to do a DM warning (unless I as the DM need the warning then of course a player warning). If something is way out of line, I will stop the game and ask that we handle it then but usually that is not the case. First a warning and conversation in messages one on one. If it continues after that, we discuss removal of that player.

Despite how long that took to write, it usually doesn’t take that long to go over. After that, I like to play the plot hook for the campaign. This is a very short session that gives the players a taste of how I DM and of the world they are entering.

Starting the Campaign

All good adventures start in a tavern, right?

For this campaign I brought my players’ characters to a fine establishment with the aid of a letter from the dwarf, Gundren Rockseeker. I made this letter using free versions of images and fonts on Canva. I then sent it to my players on the Discord prep chat.

For the tavern information, I used this tavern generator.

The Harlequin’s Candle

The inn is a grand timber and brick building, with several stained glass windows. Accommodations consist of several large rooms with beds and feather mattresses. The innkeeper is a young female elf named Aissath.

I don’t have a menu because Rockseeker is footing the bill on this one so that relieves me of worrying about money for food and beds at this moment. There is however a spread for the PCs – roasted salmon and chicken, dried olives, a clear soup with leeks or a creamy stew with sausage, potatoes, and kale, barley biscuits, a variety of cheeses, fruit, mead, ale, whiskey, small beer, and tea. Yes, I am that dork that geeks out over fantasy foods and the like.

If the players ask about the other patrons outside their VIP meeting room, there are a few in the main tavern area dining. Most of them look upper middle class. No, I do not have any side quests here, sorry. If they insist on talking to any of them there is:

Wilac: Male Halfling Artist. Wilac has tangled white hair and amber eyes. He wears modest garments and a feathered hat. He will try to sell some of his artwork (mediocre watercolors) but otherwise has no information for them.
Celia Telandro: Female Human. Celia has dark hair, blue-green eyes, and a sharp nose and cheekbones. She wears fine clothing and numerous rings. She will act like she is above to being spoken to by the party. On the off chance they decide to roll charisma to talk to her and roll high, she might ask if they want to buy her a drink. On the mention of Phandelver she will be disgusted and leave. On a low roll she might ask the tavern keeper to throw them out.
Leony Dyley: Male Human Scholar. Leony is short, with long grey hair and large hazel eyes. He wears expensive clothing and a silver holy symbol. If they talk to him about Phandelver, he will say he knows of the place but that it has a reputation of being backwater and full of outlaws.

If they ask Aissath about the Rockseekers or about Phandelver, she will be too busy for them and say only that Rockseeker paid her well to take care of them but nothing more. She doesn’t know much about Phandelver other than the location and that they can catch a cart headed that way in the morning – a merchant dwarf that travels the coast road from Neverwinter to Leilon and back. Phandelver’s stop is about halfway.

When the players enter, I have them do so one at a time and describe their character. Either Aissath or one of her employees will direct the character to the VIP meeting room when asked. There they can meet each other and once they have all arrived, a dwarven woman will enter with a halfling servant. This is Sapphire Hammerfall, Gundren’s sister. She explains that business called Gundren to Phandelver sooner than he anticipated and that he left her to give them information and a box. The halfling, Creed, will put the box on the table. Its about the size of a shoebox and there is a fine lock on it.

Sapphire will then say that Gundren wants his 3 friends to bring this box, a map showing the route from Neverwinter to Phandelver, and a wagon of mining equipment to Phandelver.

They are told Gundren will meet them there and explain everything regarding his new business venture. She doesn’t know much about it, only that its in mining. She then will explain that they all have rooms but that she would like to leave early now that everything is settled. She is newly married and only Gundren would interrupt a honeymoon for business.

The players are then welcome to do what they will regarding the tavern – examine the box, talk to patrons, go to bed, etc.

The next morning there will be a small ruckus. Someone has broken into one of the taverns’ rooms. If the players ask around, they will learn that the room was empty because the occupant left early the night before (its Sapphire which they can learn from the maid, one of the tavern employees, or Aissath herself who is trying to get Neverwinter guards to come and investigate.

I created this map of the tavern room on Inkarnate using their free options. Feel free to use it. The “trapdoor” in the top left corner is a placeholder image for the a chest. Its not great but its the first battle map I ever made myself so I’m happy with it.

If the players investigate the room, they will see a destroyed bed, nightstand with drawers pulled out, a wardrobe pulled apart, and 1 closed chest. The closed chest is a mimic.

Because the players are level 1 and squishy, I have both the regular mimic stats and stats for a Juvenile mimic. I prefer to use the juvenile for this session.

If they defeat the mimic I will have the player that deals the final blow roll a D12 to loot the mimic. Lady Tiefling has some amazing loot tables that you can find inline just for this.

Note I say IF they defeat the mimic. The first time I ran this campaign, the party tamed the mimic and made it their pet and party mascot. Anything can happen!

This will of course leave questions – why is there a mimic in Sapphire’s room? Why was it trashed? What was the culprit looking for?

To round out the session, I have them on the road to Phandelver and make a note to mention that Gundren and the promise of a business opportunity await them.

Resources

Running Dragons of Icespire Peak AND Lost Mines of Phandelver by Bob World Builder

How to Run LMoP (playlist) by Matthew Perkins

How session zero can save your D&D campaign by Ginny Di

Session Zero RULES by Bob World Builder (be sure to click through and grab his free checklist)