Lost Mine of Phandelver | Beginner Friendly, Session 0 & 1 free
A transport job turns deadly when your friend and patron, Gundren Rockseeker, vanishes without a trace. It is up to you to find and recover him!
$20.00
/ Session
Details
Weekly / Wednesday - 10:00 PM UTC
Session Duration / 2–3 hours
0 / 6 Seats Filled
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About the adventure
Taking place in the Sword Coast region of the Forgotten Realms setting, this game will start with the adventure "Lost Mine of Phandelver" and will expand into a larger campaign, moving into other published adventures, including "Dragon of Icespire Peak", "Tyranny of Dragons", "Storm King's Thunder", and others! With your choices, the game will become what you make of it! This game is intended for players of all skill levels, from old grognards to players who haven't picked up a d20 yet. I run player-driven games where your decisions shape the story while emphasizing exploration and roleplay. While I will be using published adventures as a foundation, I do not force you into a predetermined path, allowing freedom in play for you to explore the world you inhabit. My goal is to encourage curiosity, make challenging choices, and explore a world that moves around and reacts to you.
Game style
Combat Heavy
Dungeon Crawl
Hexcrawl / Exploration
Roleplay Heavy
Tactical / Crunchy
Theater of the Mind
Game themes
Meet the Game Master
2 years on StartPlaying
Highly rated for: Storytelling, Creativity, Knows the Rules
About me
I am a nerd through and through and I loved reading and playing all kinds of games for as long as I can remember. I loved shows like Hercules, Xena, and Highlander growing up and reading all kinds of obscure fantasy and science fiction. I discovered TTRPGs late in life, but I have quickly became an enthusiast of the TTRPG genre, with many systems being a part of my growing collection.
View Profile →Character creation
Creating your character
Players will make their characters using the 2014 Players Handbook. Characters will start at level 1 and character sheets will be filled out in Roll20. Ability scores will be determined using the Point Buy option. Leveling past level 1 will require Hit Dice to be rolled to for HP with no re-rolls. Multiclassing will not be an option for characters, but feats will be available for further character customization. Background stories should fit your character’s background and should also be simple. As we will be using published adventures, you are welcome to use details from those adventures to help form your background. All I am looking for in a background is a reason why your character became an adventurer. Your character’s story will be written as we play the game and from the choices your character makes Keep in mind that adventurers are rare, so there must be something in you that would cause you to leave the safety and comfort of civilization to explore the wilds of the world. Also, this is a team game, so your character must be willing to work with other characters.
What to expect
Preparing for the session
Players will require a working microphone and webcam. Please ensure both are functional before session time. We will be using Roll20 for maps, dice, and Audi video, so you’ll need an active account and a stable Internet connection. No prior rules knowledge is required. This game is new-player friendly. I’ll teach you everything you need to know as we play. All you need to bring is your curiosity, a willingness to learn, and the spirit of adventure.
What Josh brings to the table
I will provide access to all relevant sourcebooks and published adventures directly through Roll20. You’ll have everything you need to play (where applicable), character sheets, tokens, maps, and digital resources already prepared. You just bring your imagination, your mic and webcam, and a willingness to dive in. I also run each session with a professional setup: dynamic lighting & maps, and ambient background music (where applicable). In my GM style, I run D&D 5e in a way that recaptures the old-school sense of challenge and discovery while keeping the accessibility of modern play. My games emphasize player choice and fair rulings. You’ll have freedom to choose what you want to do, but there may be consequences, good or bad, from those choices. The game's pacing is dependent on the players. I will not push you or railroad the players to the next objective, but will make sure the game stays in motion. I run combat tactically. Positioning, timing, and creative problem-solving are important. You’ll face thinking opponents and a world that responds realistically to your actions. Encounters are not always balanced and sometimes the best victory is knowing when not to fight. I adhere to the Rules as Intended philosophy. Creativity is encouraged but it has to work within the system. I believe that challenge and consequence make success worthwhile. The dice and the rules are impartial, and so am I. I view my role is that of a referee and worldbuilder rather than a director or a storyteller. If you’re looking for a GM who values immersion, emergent storytelling, and player agency, this is your table.
Homebrew rules
HOMEBREW: The Unearthed Arcana Ranger replaces the PHB Ranger. SKILL CHECKS: A player must declare and action and describe what they are attempting to do. From there, I may call for a skill check, if applicable. If a player pre-emptively rolls a skill skill check before I call for one, that roll is invalid. Some actions, such as carefully looking around a room, will not require a skill check. But searching for a hidden door will require a skill check. How carefully you look may include a hidden bonus to your roll. All skill checks require a roll. Passive checks function as DCs based on passive scores. GUARANTEED CRITICAL: When you score a critical hit, maximize the weapon’s or spell’s base damage dice and roll additional dice as normal. SPELLCASTING: Material component rules from PHB p.203 are enforced. If a component has a cost or is consumed, it must be provided each time the spell is cast. This preserves the tension and ritual nature of magic. Hex and Hunter’s Mark can each be cast without a spell slot a number of times equal to the caster’s spellcasting ability modifier (refreshes on a long rest). SUMMONING: All summoned creatures (except familiars) are role-played by the GM according to their nature—capricious, proud, or even hostile. Summoning carries both power and risk. DEATH SAVES: The GM rolls death saves in secret to heighten tension and prevent metagaming. Players are informed only when a character stabilizes or dies. DROP TO 0 HP (BUT NOT DEAD): When reduced to 0 HP but not killed outright, gain 1 level of exhaustion (stacking). HEALING: Long rests no longer fully restore HP. Players must spend hit dice to heal during a long rest (8 hours, in safety). Regain half your total hit dice afterward.
Equipment needed to play
Computer
Microphone
Webcam
Platforms used
Safety
How Josh creates a safe table
Session 0 will be used to set expectations and ensure everyone feels comfortable and informed before we begin play. During this session, we’ll cover: - My table and house rules for D&D 5e - Player preferences for tone, themes, and desired play style - Safety tools and boundaries This conversation is collaborative. I’ll share what I implement in my own games and listen to what you’d like to include or avoid. My goal is to create a game experience that fits everyone’s preferences and comfort level. Listed content warnings are a disclaimer of what could happen in the game instead of a guarantee. I try to run my games PG/PG-13 in terms of content as that is my personal preference. Published modules may have such content as well.
Content warnings
Safety tools used