Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 CodeIain Aug 13, 2015 8:40:09	Hi am new to D&D and am DMing the Lost Mine of Phandelver.   And my players have totally gone of the story arc and decide they wish to go to Neverwinter, and there is nothing in the starter set to deal with this kindy thing.   Am trying to be a good DM so i was lookign for info on how I could let then go shopping in Neverwinter?   Any advice would be really helpfull!   Regards, Iain
#2 Ralif_Redhammer Aug 13, 2015 8:59:10	I see two approaches you can take, one in-game, one out-of-game.   You could just simply say "Hey, I'm new to DMing. You can totally go to Neverwinter, but I'd really like to get some more experience as a DM and focus on finishing the module first."   Or, in game, you can come up with a brief excursion to Neverwinter (maybe a fun shop with some neat trinkets, and some sort of a battle), but find a way to guide them back to the plot of the module. Not sure where you are in the module, but some event should tie it back to the module in some way. Maybe one of the shopkeeprs finds out what they're up to and tells them "well, if you so happen to be in Phandelver, I'm looking for a rare ___ that I've heard rumors can be found in the old mine. I'd pay good money for it."
#3 CodeIain Aug 13, 2015 9:07:37	Hi Ralif_Redhammer   They have just completed the Redbrand Hideout and decided they are going to go to Thundertree then Neverwinter and back to Phandalin.   Is there any info on whats in Neverwinter and how to run a 5e adventure here? similar to the Lost Mines?   Or will i need to build the details on Neverwinter myself?   Thanks in advance
(Reply to #3) Ralif_Redhammer	I don't think there's anything like Lost Mines for Neverwinter in 5e, but there's plenty out there on the city:   http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Neverwinter   CodeIain wrote:
#5 akr71 Aug 13, 2015 9:30:46	Considering the adventure states that the party starts in Neverwinter, its not outlandish that they go there on the way to or from Thundertree.  Unfortunately, there is nothing in the booklet for it and very little published on the state of affairs in Neverwinter for 5e.  I would want to turn some of my loot into hard currency too...   If you have the DMG, check the random NPC characteristic tables pg 89-> to help with rollplaying shopowners.  If they are looking for magic items, I would say no except to maybe some scrolls or healing potions.  Maybe double the GP cost that it takes to copy a spell into a spellbook...   Try not to get too bogged down with mapping the city.  Ask them about the quality of lodgings they seek and when they go shopping throw a few Investigation checks in there to see how long it takes them to find what they are looking for in the big city.
#6 Cooperjera Aug 13, 2015 10:26:12	For a few ideas of what is happening in Neverwinter you can take a close look at the Neverwinter MMO.  Wizards is tying their table top game and electronic games closely.  The adventure boards in the game have a few ideas for adventures written by players of the game.
#7 DDIAteMyUsername Aug 13, 2015 14:01:00	Lost Mines of Phandelver is a great adventure. It would be a shame for your party to miss out on it.   One thing you could do is to re-skin the adventures, so they take place in the city: Phandalin could be a few blocks in a quiet neighborhood of Neverwinter, with the stores as street-level shops. The Redband Ruffians could be a local gang trying to expand their turf, and their hideout could be an old abandoned building. The Ruins of Thundertree could be some abandoned buildings in a run-down part of the city, or you could spread the individual buildings out across the city (each building in Thundertree can stand on its own as a mini-mini-adventure. Cragmaw Castle could be a huge old building, set of interconnected buildings that take up a city block, or basements or in sewers under the streets of the city. Wave Echo Cave could easily start in a sewer and then lead to caves under the city. Anything that has to be outdoors could be in a city park or in the wilderness a few miles outside of the city. These are really fun adventures that are great for new players. I hope you find something that works for all of you.
#8 BRJN Aug 13, 2015 18:40:24	If you want to buy another book, 4e Neverwinter Campaign Setting was full of plot hooks and ideas and descriptions.  Of course you will have to convert (or ignore) the 4e stats for everybody / everything.    If you would rather use Neverwinter only as a shopping mall / hospital, tell your PCs so OOC, and promise to build up something later on, when your group finishes Phandelver.
#9 BadMeeple Aug 14, 2015 2:01:52	CodeIain wrote:
#10 Rya.Reisender Aug 14, 2015 4:07:04	Sounds to me like that are not actually derailing but rather just want to make a short stop at Neverwinter and then go back to Phandalin anyway, which seems totally reasonable to me.   As BadMeeple said, you don't need to come up with everything possible to do yourself, simply ask your players what they want to do there and then improvise based on that.
#11 Jeggrim Aug 14, 2015 8:31:26	Help telegraph the time sensitive nature of the campaign. Don't railroad them, but perhaps a goblin hit and run on Phandalin will help steer them to Cragmaw. ​ ​ ​Also find ways to telegraph that Gundren is still missing, along with his map. Each day that passes allows the enemies to get one step closer to their goals. Perhaps a PC begins having foretelling nightmares of a "faceless" villain (black spider) unleashing hell from opening the forge. ​ ​Also, you could use Sildar to help push as well. Without the PCs, he knows the region will be lost to goblins and whomever is leading them will surely wrest control of the mines. ​ ​Lastly, the Black Spider could visit a PC in the night. They awake to find him watching the PC sleep. He is calm and in a soothing voice says something like, "Well hello. No, don't get up. My sources tell me that you are leaving the area. I would strongly advise you to take this course of action. You have proved to be a slight thorn in my side. Such potential wasted if you ask me. In any case, it would be a shame to see you meet your end in defense of these back water weaklings. Leave while you can, this is your one and only chance. Mark my words, I will see my plans fulfilled in the coming days, and if you take any action other than leaving town, for good, I promise your death will be slow and agonizing. In the name of good sporting, you have been warned." He then slips away under the cover of darkness, disappearing into the night. ​ ​Pretty sure the PCs would be more interested in sticking around after coming face to face with the BBEG and being taunted.... ​ ​My .02 ​ ​Cheers
#12 AndrewJO Aug 14, 2015 10:05:32	I agree with Jeggrim, their mission is time sensitive. If they decide to go to Neverwinter, they will fail their task.
(Reply to #12) akr71	AndrewJO wrote:
#14 Jeggrim Aug 14, 2015 14:21:02	akr71 wrote:
#15 Rya.Reisender Aug 14, 2015 14:21:50	In fact, Neverwinter pretty much lies on the way from Thundertree to Phandalin. I think that's why the players even got the idea to stop there.
(Reply to #14) akr71	Jeggrim wrote:
#17 Jeggrim Aug 14, 2015 23:00:23	Akr71- No worries man. Just two different perspectives which is awesome. That's what games like this are all about. As many ways to play as there are DMs and players! ​ Another trick I've used is to delay via redirect. For example, perhaps the party is sucked into com a on the way between two factions. A skirmish between local rangers and their quarry, in which a series exciting, yet easy to come up with on the fly, drains the clock for the session, buying you time to collect yourself foe the next one. ​ ​Another trick is to "lock them out" for a while. Perhaps they arrive at Neverwinter to discover that the city is locked down, no one allowed in or out due to (drop future plot hook here). Move along folks . This buys you time once again. ​ ​I don't use these often. Once in a blue moon. But I so fall back on them and the ones I posted before, when my players totally surprise me with something that I require ay least a little time to collect myself. ​ ​cheers
#18 marius4 Aug 15, 2015 0:11:21	DDIAteMyUsername wrote:
#19 CodeIain Aug 15, 2015 0:13:01	Hi all ​I just want to say thank you for all ur help decided am going to let them access just a small section of neverwinter and lock then out of the rest. You all have been amazing in helping me out. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
#20 BRJN Aug 16, 2015 16:03:26	Jeggrim wrote: