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

 

[Parmandur]

Honestly, this is the bit that concerns me most about the product. That’s REALLY thin for a full level 1-12 campaign. Frostmaiden was 320, SKT was 256, even Netherdeep was 224.

Maybe it’s just a placeholder number that Amazon is using, but it would fit the very distinct trend of WotC books getting thinner and thinner we’ve seen over the past few years.

Golden Vault goes 1-13 in 208 pages. Icewind Dale and Sky King's Thunder had a lot of sprawl, whereas this seems like a focused megadungeon under Phandelein. Looks like over 20 pages per Level of play past 5.

 

[Reynard]

Honestly, this is the bit that concerns me most about the product. That’s REALLY thin for a full level 1-12 campaign. Frostmaiden was 320, SKT was 256, even Netherdeep was 224.

Maybe it’s just a placeholder number that Amazon is using, but it would fit the very distinct trend of WotC books getting thinner and thinner we’ve seen over the past few years.

I think adventures are too long (word count wise) as it is and could use some significant trimming of fat. I think we are finally over the "Adventure Path" hump where these things were designed as much to be read as played. Adventure writing and visual design should be lean and efficient.

 

[SkidAce]

One pill makes you larger, the next one makes you small...

...and the ones that WotC gives you...

 

[doctorhook]

...and the ones that WotC gives you...

…don’t help the DM at all…

 

[mamba]

Consider how unfair it would be to anyone who didn't already have Lost Mines to not include it.

I'd much rather have them create a new starting adventure for this module than simply not inlcuding LMoP. Those who want to play LMoP and do not have it, can get it for free on DDB.

 

[Parmandur]

I'd much rather have them create a new starting adventure for this module than simply not inlcuding LMoP. Those who want to play LMoP and do not have it, can get it for free on DDB.

True, but that would be a fundamentally different project than this. This is taking a classic retro module and building on it, it makes sense to include it even if it is readily available otherwiae.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

True, but that would be a fundamentally different project than this. This is taking a classic retro module and building on it, it makes sense to include it even if it is readily available otherwiae.

Also, there is one very classic adventure that was done using this exact receipe.

Take the classic starting adventure and include it in a bigger adventure module.

 

[mamba]

True, but that would be a fundamentally different project than this. This is taking a classic retro module and building on it, it makes sense to include it even if it is readily available otherwiae.

classic retro First time I hear a 5e adventure called a classic retro...

When they announced Phandelver, I thought it would be a new campaign 'in the style of' LMoP, that hints at what comes later, and expands from there (I always took that to mean deeper underground, since we started from a mine), not a straight up reprint of LMoP with more tacked on. I still would prefer that, but unfortunately it is not what we are getting.

I take the Phandelver campaign over Spelljammer any day though

 

[Parmandur]

Also, there is one very classic adventure that was done using this exact receipe.

Take the classic starting adventure and include it in a bigger adventure module.

Indeed: from 1979 when T1 dropped till 1985 when Temple of Elemental Evil came out was just 6 years, compared to nearly a decade here...

classic retro First time I hear a 5e adventure called a classic retro...

When they announced Phandelver, I thought it would be a new campaign 'in the style of' LMoP, that hints at what comes later, and expands from there (I always took that to mean deeper underground, since we started from a mine), not a straight up reprint of LMoP with more tacked on. I still would prefer that, but unfortunately it is not what we are getting.

I take the Phandelver campaign over Spelljammer any day though

Humorously enough, the Spelljammer Adventure book is designed to go from Lost Mines into space directly.

9 years is a loooooong time: Lost Mines us a retro generational marker. The target audience got new D&D books was very young or not born yet.

 

[Reynard]

9 years is a loooooong time: Lost Mines us a retro generational marker. The target audience got new D&D books was very young or not born yet.

I don't think there is any indication that WotC is targeting the 2024 release that young, is there?