D&D 5E Phandelver & Below's Full Description

On Amazon you can read the full back cover text of September's Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk. The description includes hint at a villainous cult to a malevolent entity, a bestiary of over 20 new creatures, a magic appendix, and a double-sided poster map. The hardcover comes out on September 19th, with Beadle & Grimm's deluxe edition following in October.

Uncover a new threat to Phandalin in this timeless dungeoneering adventure for the world’s greatest roleplaying game.

Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk is a high-fantasy adventure that begins in the beloved town of Phandalin as it faces unimaginable danger. Whether the heroes are newcomers to Phandalin or are returning after the acclaimed Dungeons & Dragons adventure Lost Mine of Phandelver, they discover hints of a threat lurking below the town. The heroes soon learn that the cult of a malevolent entity has set its sights on transforming Phandalin into the capital of its evil empire. To save the town from oblivion, the heroes must uncover a nefarious plot and confront the otherworldly cultists directly.

• Offers new Dungeon Masters and players the opportunity to dive into their first full-fledged Dungeons & Dragons adventure
• Retains the beloved Lost Mine of Phandelver quests that unfold into a brand-new adventure with classic D&D themes and a tinge of horror
• Presents a bestiary with approximately two-dozen new creatures that showcase psionic magic, body horror, and more.
• Provides a magic appendix that includes new consumable metamagic items, Netherese amulets, and duergar magic
• Includes a double-sided poster map with the Phandalin region on one side and the town of Phandalin plus key encounters in the adventure on the other

 

[cimbrog]

It mentions Lost Mine but not Dragon of Icespire Peak?

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

As someone who adores Lost Mines, I'm glad to see a hard copy version of it will continue to be available.

But as someone who doesn't use the Forgotten Realms (I lightly reskin Phandelver for my games), I wish WotC wouldn't work so hard to integrate starter adventures into the Realms.

 

[Erdric Dragin]

Wow they're actually giving poster maps again? About 20 years late there.

 

[pukunui]

Wow they're actually giving poster maps again? About 20 years late there.

I'm not sure what you mean by "20 years late". Curse of Strahd came out 7 years ago, and there have been numerous other 5e books since with poster maps (Eberron, Wildemount, Dragon Heist, Avernus, Icewind Dale, Witchlight, Dragonlance, etc).

 

[MonsterEnvy]

I'm not sure what you mean by "20 years late". Curse of Strahd came out 13 years ago, and there have been numerous other 5e books since with poster maps (Eberron, Wildemount, Dragon Heist, Avernus, Icewind Dale, Witchlight, Dragonlance, etc).

Curse of Strahd came out 7 years ago.

But yes Poster maps have been quite common in 5e books. @Erdric Dragin. Pakunui did not even mention all the books with poster maps.

 

[Lidgar]

• Provides a magic appendix that includes new consumable metamagic items, Netherese amulets, and duergar magic

So we're getting magic items that have read the DMG and know how min/max themselves?

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

• Provides a magic appendix that includes new consumable metamagic items, Netherese amulets, and duergar magic

So we're getting magic items that have read the DMG and know how min/max themselves?

One-shot items that do things like shape spell or maximize spell seem like a really great inclusion -- and an admission that metamagic in 5E doesn't really play much of a role normally.

 

[pukunui]

Curse of Strahd came out 7 years ago.

Whoops! I don't know how I got 13! 5e hasn't even been around that long!

 

[Uta-napishti]

One-shot items that do things like shape spell or maximize spell seem like a really great inclusion -- and an admission that metamagic in 5E doesn't really play much of a role normally.

I'd have been a fan of defining metamagic generally as options for upcasting any spell -- not just the 20% of current D&D spells that have their upcasting options defined. We already have upcasting in D&D, just make that the standard way to achieve metamagic like twinning, boosting duration, giving disadv on saving throws etc... If the sorceror's whole identity is that they can do something that any sensible magic system should allow all casters to do, than maybe the sorceror needs to be rethought.