Lost Mine of Phandelver

by Wizards of the Coast

The campaign begins in the town of Neverwinter, on the Sword Coast of the Forgotten Realms. Gundren Rockseeker, a miner and one of the three Rockseeker brothers, is preparing to return to the frontier town of Phandalin, a few days travel to the south-east. In need of escort services for his goods, he hired four adventures whom he met while in town to travel with the wagon until they could deliver the goods to Bartrend's Provisions. Ellaria Nightwood, Ravaaga Laughshield, Yamcha and Stump agreed to the job for the price of 10gp a piece. Gundren, along with his bodyguard, a human warrior named Sildar Hallwinter, set out at once to "take care of business" before the party's arrival. Together, the party set out along the highroad and eventually on to the Triboar Trail. This is where the story began.

Genres: Fantasy, Dungeons and Dragons, Role Playing Games, Fiction, Adventure, Reference, Gaming

64 pages, Paperback

Published July 15, 2014

About the author

Wizards of the Coast LLC (often referred to as WotC /ˈwɒtˌsiː/ or simply Wizards) is an American publisher of games, primarily based on fantasy and science fiction themes, and formerly an operator of retail stores for games. Originally a basement-run role-playing game publisher, the company popularized the collectible card game genre with Magic: The Gathering in the mid-1990s, acquired the popular Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game by purchasing the failing company TSR, and experienced tremendous success by publishing the licensed Pokémon Trading Card Game. The company's corporate headquarters are located in Renton, Washington in the United States.[1]

Wizards of the Coast publishes role-playing games, board games, and collectible card games. They have received numerous awards, including several Origins Awards. The company has been a subsidiary of Hasbro since 1999. All Wizards of the Coast stores were closed in 2004.

Reviews

[Milo · Rating 5 out of 5]

got me into ttrpg and d&d and ive been stuck there ever since
5/5 stars wouldn't recommend if you want to keep your life in check

[Μυρτώ-Σωτηρία Οικονομοπούλου · Rating 5 out of 5]

Μια υπέροχη περιπέτεια για αρχάριους του D&D! Ήδη παίζουμε με τη παρέα μου!

[Gabi · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. It's a good introduction into playing DnD as a DM. The story itself felt a bit too conventional, though.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the my first introduction to playing D&D, and I have since run multiple parties through it. I have seen some people really shit on this adventure, but I have always enjoyed it. It's not overly long or dense, isn't overwhelmingly sandboxy for new players, but isn't intensely rail-roady either. One of my favourites to DM.

[Pádraic]

Some classic D&D shenanigans, and actually probably a pretty good introduction for both players and DMs. Open but still with clear objectives, designed as a springboard for something grander. What it does lack is anything approaching an original flavour. As someone who spent their entire teenage years reading fantasy novels, every plot and character beat in here felt pretty old hat. It'd probably be fixed easily enough with a palette swap for some richer colours, and (to swerve the metaphor in the opposite direction) adding some shades of grey to the antagonists. This last point would also help deal with the usual fantastic racism going on here. WotC, why do you hate goblins? Goblins are friends.

[Thom · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've never actually run this adventure (or any! I've only ever done homebrew adventures), but I like to read them for inspiration and to pluck out specific components to use for my own adventures, and this is a really good one. It's become kind of synonymous with beginner DMs, and for good reason, it's simple, short, designed for low-level players and is easy to pick up straight after the DM's guide. If you're looking for a place to start as a DM, this is it.

[Áine Ní Néill · Rating 5 out of 5]

gods only know how many times i’ll end up reading through this over the next couple of months, but for my first pre-game read through, this adventure holds a lot of promise. it’s got clear storylines & seems it’ll be easy for me to follow as a first time dm. i’m looking forward to getting stuck in.

[Seth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good and surprisingly deep first 5e adventure.

[Camilo Navarrete - D-Propósito Humano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Caja básica. Posee una adecuada introducción al juego, desde la mecánica y recursos que se precisan para jugar.

[Connor Hack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Actually like such a good adventure.

[Erik · Rating 4 out of 5]

To me, very close to a 5 (masterpiece).

To note: I'm not judging this for it's mechanics such as the XP system or the monster design, thing I think as a DnD community we've learned can be done better, and how.
I am judging it as an intro level module which we can use to let people learn the game. I am also considering the characters, plot hooks and the player autonomy.

For the first two (out of four) sections/chapters of the module I think this is a clear 5. The intro is easy enough to understand, engaging yet with various ways it can be tackled - none which are "the obvious" way to do it. The enemies and the dungeon has notes in it to help the players learn skills checks, traps/check for traps, loot and roleplaying. This means that it also has all of that for the DM which is stellar to me. Kudos to whoever designed this.
The second section/chapter is highly open-ended which can be stifling to new players. This is made up for by not throwing all the various quests at the players, only one quest is basically mandatory to encounter, the rest comes only if the players explore, or after tackling the bandit quest. This lets exploration-heavy parties who tends to like the options choose which quest to prioritize and in this module you can do all quests, players aren't punished or forced to choose between one or another which is great for beginner level in my opinion (the players don't know this but that may or may not be a good thing, I don't know).

Potential Spoiler Below!!!!!

The third section/chapter is where I think that the combat encounters lose just a little bit of balance. While I believe that as a DM you can just adjust any encounters, there is one in particular that is not for lvl 3 players, especially in an enclosed space (keeping it vague on purpose). Even with the adjustment made for the encounter I think it's a party wipe waiting to happen if the players are new. There is also no alternative given in the module to fighting or chasing the big flying thing away which I think would be a good option. In the same area I think the place could be designed a bit less grindy but maybe that's just me.
I very much enjoyed the castle design.

For the final section/chapter I think it's a bit hard and forces the players to do it over multiple long rests which isn't inherently a bad thing. I do think the maps is unrealistic in size while the encounters themselves are interesting. The module also doesn't seem to assume you bring the dwarf from section/chapter 3 with you into the dungeon which I find odd to not even address as an option (the dwarf would also die to just about any trap).

That said I think I might be a bit harsh, I really like this adventure and look forward to running it, might adjust after that but I doubt it.

[Francisco · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've had this Starter Set since 2014, but had not actually bothered to read the adventure that comes with it, so as I am getting into DnD again, I decided to read it. At the moment I am finishing DMing off the Dragon of Icespire Peak adventure that comes with the Essentials Kit, which is directed to a similar class of players, those starting at Level 1. Recently a new Starter Set came out, with a new adventure (Dragons of Stromwreck Isle), but the one I'm reviewing is the first one.

This is actually a pretty nifty level 1-5 adventure, great for introducing new players to the game and to concepts of the world of Forgotten Realms while also giving players a cool little plot to explore. Other adventures at this same level are a bit more sandboxy in style, leaving the players to explore the world without an overarching plot, but this one has a nice little thread of story even including elements which can help a DM build the story onwards from level 5. 

It introduced the player to all kinds of factions, from the Harpers to the Zentharim, the Emerald Enclave, Order of the Gauntlet or Lord's Alliance, giving them a chance to join these competing associations, but it also introduces Drow, Red Wizards of Thay and other villains that are long standing staples of this world. A really nifty adventure!

[Amandine · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think that this adventure is very well described, there are accompanying maps and images for références to béasts and monsters.

However, this is part of the starter pack for dungeons and dragons, and given that I am very new to being DM, it's was à but difficult to get my head around for the first read, on how to conduct battle scènes and roleplaying, I feel it could outline steps and ideas more. I also think for à starter pack there should be a guide for how to create characters, I know that there are character sheets already with the pack, but when créating your own characters, it is difficult to get your head around weapon handling and distributing.

Pros:
- very well described adventure and storyline
- fréquent maps and images to accompany the adventure for référence.
- takes into account the characters added in the pack well

Cons:
- no steps for organising à battle
- not enough roleplayong tips
- not enough text sections to describe how to carry out à scène
- only uses characters in the starter pack, doesn't give any indication or help on creating your own characters
- difficult to change the stat blocks when playing with new players

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having never DM’d or played a full D&D campaign before, this helped me feel equipped and get a grasp for what running a dungeon looks like. The inclusion of the maps was great and all of the text that is read in game out loud to players compared to information just for the DM is made very clear.

It makes it clear at the beginning of the book that you can use this story as a guide and tweak the story as you like when playing it with your group.

As for the story itself, it’s fun but simple. There are some cool and epic feeling moments. The big villain at the end seems underwhelming to me and so does the “big treasure” at the end. But I understand it is a campaign for beginner players as well as DMs. I certainly feel confident enough with the knowledge this book has given me to change it up a bit towards the end to give it an even more epic finish!

Great read and recommendation for first time Dungeon Master’s like myself. Can’t wait to get started with my group.

[Brandon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read this module about 4 times, front-to-back, preparing for my family's first prolonged D&D campaign and my first D&D showing. It does a fantastic job for the most part - the world is small enough for a DM to handle but large enough to feel lived in. The plot is exciting and carries the players along well, as well as average side content that needs some homebrewing to be exciting but is a solid base. I've very much liked the way it ties into the prebuilt character sheets from the Starter Set, and its very helpful for a first-time DM.
That being said, some of the side quests feel a little flat, and the BBEG could be stronger and more present in the early parts of the narrative. However, I'm very pleased with LMoP and can't beat the absurdly low price point of the Starter Set.

[Angel Guerrero · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me gustó bastante la dinámica y como va relacionándose la historia en un gran entramado de conspiraciones, giros, exploraciones y acción.

Creo que lo que no me convence del todo es que de pronto si se enfoca mucho en el combate y deja de lado la exploración saturando prácticamente de encuentros algunos escenarios.

Buen arte, una buena variedad en cuanto a posibles caminos a elegir se lleva y también te da las suficientes herramientas para echar rienda suelta a tu imaginación y desarrollar tus propias narrativas a partir de lo planteado.

Buena aventura de D&D estoy muy emocionado por jugarla pero si creo que tiene demasiado combate para mi gusto aunque entiendo que sea para buscar más XP.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This year (2025), I started a Dungeons and Dragons campaign with brand new players, and I decided to use this module along with the more limited "Essential Rules". And... we're having a great time! This is a pretty solid module, with a straightforward beginning and lots of plot hooks and NPCs for the players to explore. My main criticism is that it does drop new players in without a lot of preparation -- from a very tough first encounter, to the possibility of characters going into situations they aren't ready for yet. I added some training/tutorial elements when the players got to the main town, to prepare them for the encounters yet to come. Hopefully we'll get through all the material in this module and I'll set up new adventures based on the many loose ends and plot hooks!

[David Rugge · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this through to see if it was the adventure I would use to start my next game. The answer is: yes.

"Lost Mine of Phandelver" is a well-structured adventure that guides rather than railroading the players. The NPCs aren't as interesting as in "Curse of Strahd" but that is ok, because the idea here is to give a first-time DM ideas to start their own adventures, not to provide an in-depth campaign that covers every detail. There are also not a lot of wild and interesting mechanics to deal with either; just a lot of solid encounters in the traditional D&D mold. I'm looking forward to trying it out.

[Bret · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good starting adventure for players of 5th edition. I would say it isn't bad for a first time DM as it gives a lot of introduction into each aspect of the game from behind the DM screen. The only real downside is that the story leaves a lot to be desired. As an experienced DM, it does make it easier to weave the story around the players and their backgrounds, but for a starting DM, it doesn't explain how to do that at all.

[BossyBurrito · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent first campaign to run/play. The main issue is the lack of interaction between the BBG and the players so if you are going to DM this, you can get SO MUCH more out of the campaign by reading this blog. I borrowed from it HEAVILY and my players absolutely loved the changes I borrowed/came up with. (not paid or sponsored or anything)

https://gamenightblog.com/lost-mine-p...

[Ben Nealis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic entry as a standalone campaign and magnificent as a starter set story. Everything beginner players will need can be found within this booklet, from various different combat encounters, well designed towns, beginner friendly yet still punishing dungeons and one of my favorite RPG mechanics an optional hidden super enemy. I've ran this game at least three times and have enjoyed it.

[Bookluvr7 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this was a good D&D adventure book. I did lose focus a couple times because it mentions how the story should go for the DM but not really for a reader for fun. But still a solid adventure and anyone wanting to play D&D this is a good starter to the world. 3/5 stars.

[Logan B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great starter campaign! I was a player in this campaign (Not a DM) so I got to experience the story, and I thought it was pretty cool. But now I’m going to dm The Wild Beyond the Witchlight! 🎟️🎪so I had to read this book to figure out how to connect them. But all in all, it was not that difficult.

[Laurie · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's not much there, narratively speaking, but there's some stuff to build on.

[Draen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Renta para empezar, pero está muy mal hilada y es difícil dar la información de forma coherente a los jugadores.

[Pandu · Rating 4 out of 5]

its a pretty good adventure book for someone who just started DnD roleplaying, either as a player or as a DM

[Gaba Ghoul · Rating 1 out of 5]

Actual slop Shattered obelisk isn't any better and it feels like a boring slap on the already existing book and the balancing is kinda bad.

[Joshua Forman · Rating 3 out of 5]

(3/5) Decent starter campaign - I know it's not reaaaaly a 'book' - but not too bad all up.

[Laurendesmet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good introduction but it often feels very one sided, probably because I’m not experienced as a DM

[Ewan Ruvini · Rating 3 out of 5]

The adventure is as good as some of the other ones they cooked up