Lost Mine of Phandelver bonus intro flavor?
I'm about to run Lost Mines of Phandelver for some buddies (some vets and some newbies who have never played d&d at all and don't know any d&d lore). Some have asked if there's any background info on the setting or the lore they can read, but the adventure basically gives nothing.
There's those few sentences at the start of Part1:Goblin Arrows about how Gundren hired you to transport a thing and you've been on the road.
Then there's a couple paragraphs on "the world of the Forgotten Realms is..." on the previous page, but it's really vague, basically saying "there's knights and crypts and heroes and villains and dragons!... Have at it!"
And finally there's the "background" section, which honestly is a good piece of lore but I don't think it's something for the players to know as it gives away some spoilers.
I know the appeal of Lost Mine is supposed to be that you can basically jump into it with no knowledge. I'm just curious if anyone's come up with something for those players who crave a little more.
Posted Dec 16, 2020, 6:23 PM UTC
My players really got into the factions during LMoP (Harpers, Emerald Enclave, etc), so maybe something to introduce those before they start. That way when an NPC introduces themselves and the faction they belong to, your players will go "Hey, that's the so-and-so faction" and might be more invested in the factions and the NPCs than if you just said "by the way, this stranger is in some faction you've never heard of".
Hey. I just came up with this little faction summary for my more curious players. Do you think this gives too much away?
City of Neverwinter – “Jewel of the North” - Prosperous northern coastal city of trade and craft. Regarded by some as the most cosmopolitan and civilized city in all of Faerun. Some attribute the name to Neverwinter’s gardens growing even through winter. Neverwinter river, that flows through the city, is perpetually warm.
City of Waterdeep (south of the map) - “City of Splendors” “Crown of the North” - trade hub between the mineral-rich north and the merchant kingdoms of Amn and Calimshan to the south (east and west as well). Named for its deep water harbor.
Phandalin – Mainly human village near the Triboar trail. Used to be a farming community that, years ago, was raided by orcs and left abandoned in ruins. The past several years have seen a resurgence in activity as people flock to rebuild and repopulate. The town’s still small, but many see opportunity in it.
Order of the Gauntlet – A coalition of morally upstanding and often devout warriors, knights, paladins, and clerics who dedicate themselves to the destruction of evil. They believe it justified to punish an act of evil, not a thought or feeling.
The Redbrands – A primarily human group of bandits and brigands. Many are seen wearing tattered red cloaks.
The Harpers – Semi-secret organization of adventurers and spies dedicated to promoting equality, preserving history, maintaining a balance between civilization and nature, and opposing abuse of power. Most members happen to be druids or rangers but the wider their reach of influence the better. Symbol of a silver harp between the horns of a crescent moon
Lords’ Alliance - “Council of Lords” - A partnership of allied political powers concerned with mutual security and prosperity. Originally formed to oppose the growing influence of thieves’ guilds. They are proud and make their presence known whenever they can as a symbol of peace and order. Symbol is a golden or white crown on a red background
The Emerald Enclave – Organization of druids and other nature-worshippers who avoid good and evil to focus on the needs of the natural world. They prefer to act with civilized folk to promote the health of the natural world without resorting to acts of violence.
The Red Wizards – Notorious and nefarious magocratic ruling class of the harsh country of Thay. Historically they’re slavers, demonologists, and arcane experimenters. Each wizard is an autonomous entity and usually pursues their own selfish goals.
The Zhentarim “the Black Network” - Old organization of self-serving thieves, spies, assassins, and wizards. They aim to gain influence and power primarily through controlling the economy, often by dominating the market of protection services in the area. They will go to great lengths to eliminate competitors and secure future profits.
Symbol is a winged wyrm on a yellow background diving down with its mouth open toward a circle.
I think that's all pretty reasonable to include. Also a fair warning of something I didn't consider until my players asked - your players very may well want to visit Neverwinter. I didn't know anything about it when we started LMoP, so I just tied the ash zombie thing into a plotline of "Neverwinter is closed to all but necessary travel". When we came back to my campaign later on I made sure to have some Neverwinter content prepped.