D&D 5E (2014) Ben Riggs talks to Richard Baker. Phandelver in 2018 alone sold 300k copies.

[Angus MacDeth]

Oh. He wrote Red Hand of Doom?

It's one of the only pre-made module/adventure that I even took part in (was playing in that one) and it was a blast. I got to read through it when play was over. I thought it was great.

To be fair, and in the interest of giving credit where credit is due, he co-wrote it with James Jacobs, so they both deserve the accolades for that one.

Now you make me want to go read Reavers of Harkenwold.

For an edition that is famous for terrible adventures, Reavers of Harkenwold is one of the two best to come out of 4th edition (Madness at Gardmore Abbey is the other). Honestly, I think it might be better than Phandelver (blasphemy, I know). Unfortunately, it didn't get as much attention as Phandelver, probably because it was included in the Dungeon Master's Kit for the 4th-edition Essentials line, rather than in a popular starter set.

If you've ever thought about trying 4th edition (or converting the best 4th-edition adventures to another edition), I recommend combining Reavers of Harkenwold with Monster Vault: Threats to the Nentir Vale and Madness at Gardmore Abbey for a fantastic heroic-tier sandbox.

 

[TheAlkaizer]

If you've ever thought about trying 4th edition (or converting the best 4th-edition adventures to another edition)

Oh, I did tried it and loved it. 4e is one of the best TTRPG I played.

I'm definitely going to read a bit more into your recommendations!

 

[Angus MacDeth]

Red Hand of Doom is so, so, so good. Rich Baker and Carl Sargent are easily my favorite DnD adventure designers.

Absolutely! Between his work for Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, B11: King's Festival & B12: Queen's Harvest for B/X, and the beloved Night Below, Carl Sargent wrote some fantastic adventures.

I still have my original hardcover of Power Behind the Throne for WFRP (along with the companion volume, Warhammer City), which was THE adventure that taught me how to run a complex scenario with a huge cast of NPCs.

Would that I still had my original copies of B11 and B12...

 

[zakael19]

As an aside, LMOP transitions perfectly into Red Hand of Doom if you rename Phandelin to Red Rocks and situate it in that part of the valley! I further tied the Spider to the Red Hand (bugbears and hobgoblins as minions you say?), and added hooks drawing the party west. Worked very well, and is a common rec.

 

[Distracted DM]

As an aside, LMOP transitions perfectly into Red Hand of Doom if you rename Phandelin to Red Rocks and situate it in that part of the valley! I further tied the Spider to the Red Hand (bugbears and hobgoblins as minions you say?), and added hooks drawing the party west. Worked very well, and is a common rec.

Stick a river through Phandalin, call it Drellin's Ferry and it can get burned down :'D
I ran the party levels 1-5 through some little adventures in and around helping out Drellin's Ferry.. which is destroyed pretty quickly once you start RHoD. Really made them hate the Red Hand, and got them attached to the NPCs who they went on to help evacuate etc. and who are relevant later on.

 

[Nightfly]

Heck even Bryce recommend it.

I did not know until now that Ten Foot Pole had given Lost Mine a good review. Given Bryce's view of modern D&D, that is high praise indeed.

 

[Zardnaar]

As an aside, LMOP transitions perfectly into Red Hand of Doom if you rename Phandelin to Red Rocks and situate it in that part of the valley! I further tied the Spider to the Red Hand (bugbears and hobgoblins as minions you say?), and added hooks drawing the party west. Worked very well, and is a common rec.

Sounds good. Need to buy Red Hand of Doom PDF.

 

[zakael19]

Stick a river through Phandalin, call it Drellin's Ferry and it can get burned down :'D
I ran the party levels 1-5 through some little adventures in and around helping out Drellin's Ferry.. which is destroyed pretty quickly once you start RHoD. Really made them hate the Red Hand, and got them attached to the NPCs who they went on to help evacuate etc. and who are relevant later on.

Also valid, but Red Rocks is literally described as a mining town - and you get to make connections to somewhere the Hand might assault / threaten later! Kinda adds to the time element.

 

[Remathilis]

I guess that part is left as an exercise for the DM.

Which is why it feels so disjointed. Phandelver is great because you can go.so many different directions from it (Storm Kings Thunder, Light of Xarysis, Dungeon of the Mad Mage, even Decent into Avernus all fall within that sweet spot for levels). The Shattered Obelisk feel like just another divergent path rather than a direct continuation. It's the almost like transitioning to a second stand alone module, but the transition suggestions are made for you already. But it still feels like two modules stitched together rather than an expansion of the first and that's where it fails for me.