D&D 5E How would you continue this? (Lost Mine)

[Joddy37]

So what will Glasstaff do when some of his men are killed spectacularly in a bar fight? Sit and wait? No, I am sure he will want to intervene, he will want to make sure PCs are punished by a trial, threatening Harbin for it. He can bribe some folk around to build resentment against the PCs, even sending false witnesses to the trial. I suggest making the next session cover the trial of the PCs and surviving Redbrands if any. Sildar and Halia may speak on the PCs' behalf for different reasons. Eventually, Harbin judges the PCs to be innocent but responsible for the damage done and the cost to be paid by the PCs.

 

[Acererak3]

All the ideas in this thread seem pretty good. Taking into consideration that I only read through the starter set once when it first came out here is how I would run it:

Without witness the Town Master probably has pretty strong suspicions that it was the PCs, but he has shown in the past his unwillingness to hold powerful groups responsible for their criminal actions finding it easier to look the other way. I would rule that he conducts a very brief investigation no witnesses come forward and he gives a statement saying what happened is very unfortunate but without witnesses or proof there is nothing he can really do. Maybe even dropping some hints to the more lawful members of the party that he doesn't really want witnesses. Doing nothing is the safest option for him because it gives him an out with the characters and the redbrands.

The next day a townsfolk (preferably someone the characters have had positive interactions with) comes forward and gives a very damning but factually incorrect statement tying the characters to the crime.

Have word get back to the PCs through Sildar or another townsperson they have a good relationship with. Now the ball is in the PCs court. If they were anything like my past characters they would probably lay low and send the rogue to talk to the townsperson and find out why they made the statement. This would be a good opportunity to have a rebrand scoping out the house of the "witness" so the rogue can sneak past or otherwise deal with them.

If they get a chance to talk to the "witness" it turns out, as the characters probably suspected, they are holding one of the witness' family members hostage with the other slaves in their hideout. Then proceed with the characters most likely storming the Redbrands hideout.

 

[MarkB]

So what will Glasstaff do when some of his men are killed spectacularly in a bar fight? Sit and wait? No, I am sure he will want to intervene, he will want to make sure PCs are punished by a trial, threatening Harbin for it. He can bribe some folk around to build resentment against the PCs, even sending false witnesses to the trial.

I haven't completely read up on the Redbrands yet (my players have only just arrived in town), but from what I've seen so far I'm not under the impression that these guys go around arranging trials and bribing witnesses. It seems like it'd be more their style to see who the PCs have been friendliest with in town, conclude that those people probably hired or encouraged the PCs, and then retaliate in kind by setting fire to those peoples' establishments.

 

[mcbobbo]

It seems to me that Glasstaff would simply run like hell. That's after all exactly what he does when they attack his lair.

 

[Nebulous]

Our session last week ended in a similar place, the first encounter with the Redbrands, and four of them slaughtered in the street. It also happened RIGHT in front of town hall, so I think i'll start with the townmaster storming out next time and ripping up their contract to go to Wyvern's Tor.


Anyway, to address your questions:


I don't think the PCs are in any danger of being thrown in jail unless they were to incite the entire town, all the miners and everyone all at once. Even that would probably lead to a fight and many, many dead 0-level commoners, and that's bad. As someone else mentioned, have them make amends, either with gold or time or a future payback, and be on your way.

 

[BigVanVader]

I want to play a Barbarian and slap the taste out of the Town Master's mouth. I'd walk right up to him, give him my sword, then tell him he'll need it. Then after he's done pissing himself, tell him I'll take care of the Rebrand problem for him. Because I'm a goddamn hero, and that's what I goddamn do.

 

[Emka]

We'll be playing coming Thursday, I will definitely use some of the suggestions done here.
I'll post results if I get round to it and if anyone's interested.

 

[Acererak3]

I'm interested in hearing what you went with and how it turned out.

 

[Mark CMG]

I agree that the party will likely be held blameless by most townsfolk who hate the Redbrands anyway. I also agree that the wizard would have more understanding of his spells and know it could set a tavern ablaze, but as said that ship has sailed and you have to roll that in somehow.

Although

Spoiler

the Town Master is titularly in charge, he doesn't really have any muscle, unless he calls on the Redbrands. The party is seemingly as dangerous as the Redbrands, so I'd give the Town Master a chance to change his ways. He obviously goes with the flow or he wouldn't be a Redbrand toadie at this point. There are two or three other interests in town who would see the actions against the Redbrands as appropriately ruthless and would want to talk the group up to the townsfolk. "These aren't villains, they are saviors!" would be a tack the mining mistress might take. Give the group a taste of what a nasty, brutal world it can be by having most of the town glad and encouraging them to murder the Redbrands on the town's behalf. Maybe have the shrine curator be the one, small voice of reason and calm while everyone else is now whipped into a frenzy to send the party up to the manor ruins, trailing the group with torches freshly lit by the flames of the burning tavern! "The time is now! We shall be free!"

I'd run with it, if I were you, not throw water on the fire . . . the one inside the players. It's like making a teen smoke the whole box after he sneaks his first cigar.

 

[jamesmanhattan]

I think it often helps to think of D&D as a Movie Western. The town of Phandelver is a frontier mining town. Imagine the players are mini Clint Eastwood's in morality terms. What would Clint Eastwood do? If this was a Western what would the town do? Everyone's afraid of the Redbrands. In a western if you are too chicken to stand up to the bad guys, you're often just as evil.

If word gets out that the party burned down the Redbrands hangout, I bet the cowardly townmaster would start to be just as scared of the party as he is of the Redbrands, and try to avoid confrontation.