D&D Beyond

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Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk takes place in the town of Phandalin, on the Sword Coast in the Forgotten Realms.

Where does Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk take place?

Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk is believed to take place in the year 1491 DR in the Forgotten Realms.

When does Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk take place?

Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk takes players from levels 1-12 over the course of the module.

What level is Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk?

Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk incorporates the content of Lost mine of Phandelver, and expands on them to continue the adventure where it left off.

Is Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk connected to Lost Mine of Phandelver?

Dungeon crawls, dungeon crawls, and more dungeon crawls! If you're looking for the classic D&D experience of delving dungeons for loot, having a hub town with various factions, and lots of combat, this is the campaign for you. 

Lost Mine of Phandelver is a great introductory experience that balances the various aspects of D&D into a few action-packed sessions. The "And Below" expansion adds a LOT more dungeon delving to continue the story into something familiar to Baldur's Gate 3 fans. Players who favor social gameplay might find this module lacking as the middle game is 90% dungeons. Still, Phandelver is a solid framework for all kinds of player characters and backstories.

Sergio 

So you've found the Lost Mine and found a sweet spot in your heart for Phandalin, hang on to your sword belt!  This us a fantastic expansion on the original adventure. My favorite section was the climatic finish.  I will run this one again, but with a little modification to bring it up to five star level. This one lost a star for some repetitive dungeon diving that seemed a bit of a slog.  Honestly though, the last few chapters paid for all,  Great ending to a full campaign.  It's the stuff heroes are made of.

David | The avidDM

This adventure is an instant classic! It has all the D&D elements we love: exploration, combat and roleplay. There are both dungeons and dragons (and even creepier things), here. Plus a small town with interesting people who, as you prove your worth, take you in as part of the town. This adventure starts in much the same way as "Lost Mine of Phandelver" - though “Shattered Obelisk” brings new elements to the story, and continues the story further.  
I’ve run this campaign for multiple groups, and players love it. This is a marvelous campaign to start playing D&D, and an interesting story for experienced players, too.

Allison - Ajax DM

This module is a continuation from the starter set module Mines of Phandelver and can be run separately or run after the original story.
Either way it takes your character into strange other worldly realms and pits you against fearsome foes.
A fantastic story to run as a Dm and play in as a character.

Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk is an ambitious expansion of the beloved Lost Mine of Phandelver adventure, aiming to extend the original content from levels 1 through 12. This module revisits the familiar town of Phandalin, introducing a new threat that delves into themes of horror and otherworldly corruption.

Pros:

Expanded Content: The adventure offers a continuation beyond the original Lost Mine of Phandelver, providing additional levels of play and new challenges for characters.

Atmospheric Elements: The introduction of horror themes and the gradual corruption of Phandalin add a fresh and intriguing layer to the narrative, enhancing the setting's depth.

Diverse Environments: Players will explore a variety of locales, from ancient crypts and Underdark fortresses to bizarre otherworldly realms, keeping the exploration aspect engaging.

Cons:

Disjointed Narrative: Some reviewers note that the integration between the original adventure and the new content feels forced, with the latter half of the campaign introducing elements that may not seamlessly mesh with the initial storyline. 

Editing and Design Issues: Critiques have been raised regarding editing oversights and design flaws, such as poorly keyed dungeons and continuity errors, which can hinder the Dungeon Master's ability to run the adventure smoothly. 

Underdeveloped Foreshadowing: The adventure attempts to foreshadow new threats but often does so in ways that feel disconnected or underwhelming, potentially leading to a less cohesive experience. 

Final Thoughts:

Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk seeks to build upon a classic adventure by introducing new content and themes. While it offers expanded gameplay and atmospheric elements that can enrich the experience, it also faces challenges in narrative cohesion and design execution. Dungeon Masters considering this module should be prepared to make adjustments and address potential inconsistencies to provide a satisfying campaign for their players.

Darren

This module has a special place in my heart because, like many GMs, my first time playing was with the original starter set adventure, The Lost Mines of Phandelver. In retrospect, the beginner module itself has a few glaring issues in terms of plot relevancy of side quests that this extension does nothing to fix and additionally, attempts to stitch on a secondary adventure that is pretty much entirely disjointed from the first. This makes work a lot harder on the GM to make the module run well and be compelling, however what it excells at is introducing a new player to the game, while also bringing them up to a higher level of play as well as establishing a good central hun (the town of Phandalin) that the characters can interact with in a sandbox fashion and get attached to. This makes it a good adventure to continue building story off of.

Rhett Khan

Evil is lurking in the beloved town of Phandalin, and you and your party are the only ones who can stop it. Solve mysteries and stamp out growing corruption as you uncover more about the malevolent cult plaguing the town. With sword, magic, and your trust companions, you've got everything you need to shine a light through the darkness.

Phandelver and Below returns to Phandalin to tell a new story filled with mysterious obelisks and evil lurking just below the surface of this seemingly placid town.

Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk

Dungeons & Dragons 5e

Why wait for magic items when you can build your own? The Artificer makes use of tools and science to make magic. This gives you a grab bag of abilities from healing to damage dealing to quickly making a necessary tool. Artificers can enchant normal items to take on magical properties, outfitting their team with powered-up gear or giving themselves a fantasy Iron Man suit. 

Artificer

This one’s for those who love to play the undying tank in video games. Barbarians use their rage to perform great feats of strength and halve incoming damage. You can also channel the protection of the world tree, bond with animals, or just kick butt like Grog from Vox Machina. It’s a simple but rewarding playstyle, one that’s perfect for new players who don’t want to get into the complexities of magic. 

Barbarian

Your inner theatre kid probably brought you to the Bard. This class uses a variety of performance styles to cast spells and inspire other characters. Let your imagination run wild as you unleash your power through dance, song, spirit calling, or sword dancing, to name a few. You’ll be charming enough to talk your way out of a fight, but tricky enough to hinder opponents once the fists start flying. 

Bard

MMO players might see Cleric and think dedicated healer, but that’s not the case. While a Cleric can harness powerful healing magic, their full suite of abilities depend on their god. As such, they can wield damaging radiance, craft illusions bestowed by trickster gods, or become the hammer of a war deity. Clerics end up with a nice balance of damage, utility, and sturdiness. 

Cleric

When you gotta have an animal companion (or twenty) in every game, Druid is for you. Druids draw upon nature’s fury to heal allies, bind enemies, and transform into animals themselves. You can also summon a pet or many deadly pets at higher levels. Become a feral freedom fighter by playing a Druid. 

Druid

If your power fantasy is being the big guy with a big sword, look no further than Fighter. This classic DnD class gives you all the weapons and straightforward rules for using them. Just hit the bad guys a lot. If you want to get tactical, some Fighters can use fancy maneuvers or magic. Whether you want to be swift like Legolas, strong like Guts from Berserk, or versatile like Link from Legend of Zelda, Fighter’s got you covered. 

Fighter

The martial arts fantasy is alive and well in the Monk. While Fighters often rely on heavy armor and lots of weapons, the Monk is meant to move swiftly and strike with many blows. DnD Monks wield an inner power that’s not quite magic but still lets you perform all sorts of gravity-defying maneuvers. As more abilities unlock, you can become a shadowy assassin, heal with your hands, or wield all four elements like the Avatar. 

Monk

The image of a knight in shining armor is iconic to medieval fantasy, and the Paladin delivers with magical flair. They wear armor like the Fighter and can heal like the Cleric, but pack an extra punch with their signature smite. This attack lights your weapon up with divine power and lets you roll extra dice which always feels nice. You can design your Paladin as a holy warrior of justice, guardian of nature, or tortured warrior of vengeance. 

Paladin

Become a lone warrior of the wilds, a wandering blade that protects the fringes of society from evil. The Ranger commands nature magic with pure survival skill to guide the party on long journeys. In battle, they wield weapons with precision to hunt down targets. With level ups, you can boost your Ranger’s abilities with fey powers, shadow magic, or give them a beast companion. 

Ranger

A good stealth character can tear enemies apart from the shadows or discover secrets that stop the battle before it even begins. The Rogue is where you go to get that fantasy. You can choose from a variety of skills to customize your Rogue, such as poisoning your blades to become an assassin, learning magic for illusions, or just being a crafty thief. 

Rogue

The Sorcerer class leans into the glass cannon build popular in video games. Their health is on the lower side and they don’t wear armor, but they cast some of the most powerful spells in the game. Sorcerers also have magical mutations that let you empower your spells beyond those of other spellcasters. You also get to choose the source of your magic, be it eldritch mystery, pure chaos, or the blood of dragons. 

Sorcerer

If you like your magic creepy and mysterious, check out the Warlock. These characters get magic from a patron, which can range from a demonic pact to an unknowable elder god. This unique approach to magic grants warlocks a few spells that they specialize greatly in. When a Warlock takes their turn in combat, everyone notices. Warlocks are also fantastic for roleplay as they have a built-in storyline with their patron. 

Warlock

The original spellcaster, and the one who gets all the spells. Wizards don’t get divine help or a mysterious patron, so they have to learn magic the old-fashioned way: by reading. This allows Wizards to gain more spells than any other class as long as they can find books. Wizards can come to the rescue in almost any situation, as their magic can save allies, fool enemies, boost physical abilities, learn secrets, and blow things up. 

Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk

Frequently asked questions about Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk

D&D Beyond

Fantasy Grounds

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