NOW LIVE! Today's the day you meet your new best friend. You don’t have to leave Wolfy behind... In 'Pets & Sidekicks' your companions level up with you!

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="guachi" data-source="post: 6489028" data-attributes="member: 6785802">The first part does play quickly. I'd be tempted to end the session when they finished with the hideout, returned to Phandalin, and decided to rest. There are a TON of NPCs and plot hooks in Phandalin. Give yourself time to read them all and get a handle on the NPCs. Phandalin has a real Old West feel to it. Play that up if you like.  The names of the NPCs are so terrible I renamed them. Preferably to something Old West-like.Page 15 has a list of names. This is what I changed them to:Toblen Stonehill -> Toby StoneElmar Barthen -> Elmer BartonDaran Edermath -> Darren EdermanLinene Graywind -> Lynn GrayQelline Alderleaf -> Kelly AlderleafSister Garaele -> Sister GrayHarvin Wester -> Harvey WestSildar Hallwinter -> Sal WinterNarth, the farmer -> GarthElsa, barmaid -> Elsa (finally!!! a real name!!!!)Lanar, miner -> LannyTrilena, innkeeper's wife -> TrixieThel Dendrar (the guy the Redbrands supposedly killed) -> Theron (aka Terry) DennyReal names = real people. Give yourself some time to make them real in your descriptions and actions. Play up the two non-combat pillars of D&D - exploration and social interaction.Invent NPCs if needed. I made up two people who claimed to be eye witnesses to that guy the Rerdbrands supposedly killed and dragged off.Oh, and take page 3 of the Basic Rules to heart.1. The DM describes the environment.2. The players describe what they want to do.3. The DM narrates the results of the adventurers' actions.That's roleplaying in three sentences. Nothing in there says "roll lots of dice". Nothing in there says the player dictate how the DM decides to resolve an action. Your players should never, ever, ever get to say "I roll my Investigation" If the DM does a great job on rule 1 the players can do rule 2 to the point the DM can narrate the results without a die roll. You roll dice when the outcome is uncertain.Examples:1.It's a really cold night. The wind is blowing. what do you do?2. Player A - "I take out my bedroll" Player B - ".... I forgot to buy a bedroll"3. DM - "Player A, you are all snuggly warm during the night. Player B - you are cold and fail to get the full benefits of a long rest."^^^^ no dice rolling ^^^^1. You see a bugbear and 3 goblins! They look like they are in no mood to talk!2 Player A - "I draw my sword, rush forward with a battle cry and attack the bugbear with my axe!" Player B - "I gesture at a goblin, recite the magical incantation, and cast Magic Missile at the goblin. Die fiend!"3 DM - "Player A, make an attack roll vs. AC 15. Player B, roll damage."^^^^uncertain outcome = dice rolling^^^^Note, the PLAYERS didn't dictate that a die roll occurred, the DM did. Perhaps there was a trap the players didn't see that needs to be resolved. Perhaps the monsters were just an illusion in which case a different kind of die roll is called for.</blockquote>

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