D&D 5E Lost Mines *SPOILERS* Thundertree comments...

[Daern]

I'm running Thundertree right now PBEM-style. I've dropped it into the beginning of the
DCC mod Creeping Beauties. Two fighters, Druid/Thief, Wizard and Cleric, all 3rd level.
Basically, the Twigs are walkovers but do a little damage and the Zombies take awhile to stay down.
The fights wore them down enough that they barricaded themselves in the guardhouse for the night.
As for the dragon, I heavily forshadowed it, with a village refugee mentioning the dragon, and general terrain descriptions, then with a Cult of the Dragon procession through the village while they rested in the guardhouse. They attacked the Cultists, who were also easily slain, but the Dragon was awakened and came to investigate. We are just ending a tense dialogue between the dragon and the fighter, who has offered his services. The dragon has allowed him to live and serve by going into the Grimmswood to his lair (which the wyrm has been chased out of by a monstrous Sleeping Beauty, but they don't know that). So, no combat yet.

 

[Iosue]

Bumamgar's street illegal PCs aside, it strikes me as reasonable that the encounters surrounding the one with the dragon are relatively easy. The Dragon's going to be tough even for Level 5 characters, and if the surrounding encounters heavily drain on the PCs resources, they are effectively screwed.

 

[Scrivener of Doom]

(snip) How did other DM's / parties handle Thundertree?

I have some ideas here.

 

[ForumFerret]

Sounds like the party is coming to Thundertree late in the module - the walkover is partly consequence of that.

They've already defeated Glasstaff and the wizard at Old Owl Well. Honestly, I wouldn't change much - your guys just picked a fortunate sequence to do the events in. Imagine how things would be different if they had come out to Thundertree immediately after arriving in Phandalin!

I'm just finishing running the first sequence of LMoP and the party of 6 has just arrived in Phandalin. I had to add a couple of goblins to the ambush and to the encounters in Cragmaw Hideout because of additional party members. Likewise, I'm going to have the low CR enemies like the Twig Blights use Hinder/Grapples on the front liner(s) when/if they get to Thundertree.