Bandits? Mages? A Dragon!?The Lost Mines: A 1st Level Game
Dungeons & Dragons 5e | Campaign
About the adventure
This was supposed to be a simple job; escort the Merchant and his bodyguard to the border town. So why are you taking cover behind a wagon dodging goblin arrows? Nonetheless, here you are. Beyond that, there's bandits strong-arming the town, and talk of rogue wizards and necromancers running around. And of course there's the (obviously false) rumor about a Dragon in the area.... Lost Mines is -THE- BEST DnD adventure for newbies, and a classic that every fan should play at some point. I plant the adventure in a homebrew world and fill some of its gaps with a decade of experience. Campaign generally takes 5-10 sessions to complete and is liable to spiral into something bigger if the party so desires! We are here to tell a really cool story first, and "win" second. I love just trusting the dice and their ability to tell interesting stories alongside the rule of cool; Creative Problem Solving will always be rewarded. Sub-optimal decisions that are true to character are not punished.
Game style
Rule of Cool (RoC)
“Rule of Cool” emphasizes creative story beats over sticking to a system’s rules as written. Players have the ability to push the limits of the rules or even break core rule mechanics at times if the Game Master thinks it is interesting, fun, or cool enough.
Theater of the Mind
“Theater of the Mind” uses little to no visuals for scene settings and combat. Instead, the narrative imagery comes from the Game Master’s descriptions and character action and movement comes from Players’ descriptions.
Dungeon Crawl
A “Dungeon Crawl” is a scenario where players navigate a dungeon or labyrinth-like environment for the entirety of the adventure. It emphasizes battling monsters, collecting loot, and avoiding traps to survive to the end!
Combat Heavy
“Combat Heavy” games emphasize the combat mechanics within their systems over roleplay or puzzle solving. There are frequent and longer battles with enemies and a greater emphasis on tactical game play.
Roleplay Heavy
“Roleplay Heavy” games place the focus on the story, the characters, and the world they live within, and tend to lean hard into the various roleplaying elements of the game. These games will frequently find the party talking with NPCs, exploring the personal elements of their backstories, or even having emotional moments around the camp fire.
A Level-1 campaign made with beginners and storytellers in mind that should run for 5-8 sessions. It's the Lost Mines of Phandelver, but maybe not the one you remember from 2016. I'm here to tell a really cool story with you about your characters and the world first, and put them in peril with some monsters and circumstances second. If you like thinking on your feet, getting into your character's head, a world with internally consistent logic, and a storyteller game master that's a fan of your party, this is the game for you!
5.0
(19)
4 years on StartPlaying
65 games hosted
Highly rated for: Creativity, Storytelling, Teacher
Additional details
How to prepare
Players will need: A working microphone, Discord (https://discord.com/) Access to a web browser for Owlbear Rodeo (https://www.owlbear.rodeo) Players should have a character concept in mind at time of play. DM is available to answer questions
What I provide
Everything you need to play- Digital maps, handouts, tokens, and dice will be provided via our digital platform. Tactical combat abounds, as does open doors for creative solutions and consequences (positive and negative) for risky actions. I have 10 years of game design/game master experience and hundreds of hours hosting professional games that I'll use to make our table as fun as it could possibly be! Players will be the playing in established slice of a fully realized homebrew world. This game is about The Lost Mines of Phandelver, but it does not exist in a vacuum and has alterations to keep it fresh. Pre-generated characters and PDF character sheets will be available if needed.
Gameplay details
Games are typically PG-13, Content List reflects themes that may occur in the breadth of play. If we're ever getting into matter that is deep water for a player, GM is happy to pause to talk, scale back or fade to black and continue. At least 1 Scheduled Break will occur every session. Player XNO Cards are managed digitally via VTT. Players are encouraged to ask for a pause at any point it's needed.
Content warnings
• Death
• Guns
• Kidnapping
• Murder
• Violence
• Character Death
• Animal Death
• Execution
• Hostages
• Lifechanging Injury
• Scars
Safety tools used
• Aftercare
• Breaks
• Open Door
• Session 0
• Stars and Wishes
• X, N, and O Cards
How will character creation work
Players should create a 1st-level character or reach out for help to do so before play begins. Players can roll for stats, point buy, or use the standard array. Character review, if needed, may take the first few minutes of play.
Players can expect
Combat / Tactics
Medium
Roleplay
Medium
Puzzles
Medium
Experience level
Beginner
Platforms used
• Discord
• D&D Beyond
• Owlbear Rodeo
$25.00
/ Session
Each player will be charged when a session starts.
Details
Weekly / Sunday - 5:00 PM UTC
2.5-3.5 Hour Duration
0 / 5 Seats Filled
Requirements
Experience required: Beginner
Age: All Ages