D&D 5e--Lost Mines of Phandelver

[SamWiser]

More than five hundred years ago, clans of dwarves and gnomes made an agreement known as the Phandelver's Pact, by which they would share a rich mine in a wondrous cavern known as Wave Echo Cave. In addition to its mineral wealth, the mine contained great magical power. Human spellcasters allied themselves with the dwarves and gnomes to channel and bind that energy into a great forge called the Forge of Spells, where magic items could be crafted. Times were good, and the nearby human town of Phandalin prospered as well. But then disaster struck when orcs swept through the North and laid waste to all in their path.

A powerful force of orcs reinforced by evil mercenary wizards attacked Wave Echo Cave to seize its riches and magic treasures. Human wizards fought alongside their dwarf and gnome allies to defend the Forge of Spells, and the ensuing spell battle destroyed much of the cavern. Few survived the cave-ins and tremors, and the location of Wave Echo Cave was lost.

For centuries, rumors of buried riches have attracted treasure seekers and opportunists to the area around Phandalin, but no one has ever succeeded in locating the lost mine. In recent years, people have resettled the area. Phandalin is now a rough-and-tumble frontier town. More important, the Rockseeker brothers-a trio of dwarveshave discovered the entrance to Wave Echo Cave, and they
intend to reopen the mines. Unfortunately for the Rockseekers, they are not the only ones interested in Wave Echo Cave...

Alright guys, let's do this. I've been interested in D&D for years, played some, and may or may not be ready to actually run a game. I'm hoping I can find 3-5 test subjects friendly players to play along and help me practice my skills as a DM. I'll be starting with the fairly traditional starting adventure, The Lost Mines of Phandelver, which I was surprised to find out had never been run on this forum. If this goes well, I might even try to do some original stuff, but that'll be far in the future. For now, I'm hoping for just a nice fun beginners game.

The game will be played on this forum with regular updates. You can use any rolling website you want for rolls. Characters will start at level one. There are five pre-made adventurers that come with the module that can be found here, and any players are free to use one of those. If you would like to create your own adventurer, that would be totally fine, too. Since this is my first time as a DM, I'm going to rule out homebrew classes/races for now. Other than that, I look forward to see what ideas you guys might come up with.

[thinkslogically]

Hey, this looks fun I'd be interested to join, but I have played the module through (mostly anyway) a couple of times as a DM so I probably am a little too familiar with the bulk of it to make for a good player (though I'm happy to fill a space if you're struggling for players).

[SamWiser]

Thanks! I can try to mix things up a little bit if you do decide to play. Probably not too much since I don't want to go too off the rails, but perhaps enough to make things interesting.

[thinkslogically]

Sure, and it's been long enough I've probably forgotten some of the details (and I went off the rails myself anyway!), so it's more a question of whether you mind or not

[SamWiser]

I don't mind at all. As long as I can make it fun, and you don't metagame a whole bunch, I'm good.

[thinkslogically]

I promise I will try my very best to forget everything I know

[Quarg]

I am intrested sir...so anyone else apply?

[SamWiser]

Hi Quarg, happy to have you. I'll give some more time to hopefully get another couple people.

[Lurks_In_Shadows]

Hmmm.....
Might be interested. I'm currently in only one other game. The pre canned characters seem a little heavy on the tank side. I'd probably recommend adding a healer to the group.

[SamWiser]

I'd definitely be glad to have you, Lurks. And feel free to make your own build. I figured I would put the pre-made characters up as an option for anybody who wanted one, or perhaps new players, but am definitely open to original characters. (And yeah. I was also surprised at how most of the characters were regular physical fighters with little non-combat skills)

[Lurks_In_Shadows]

I'll see what I can come up with. May be a little later today before I can get to it properly.

[thinkslogically]

The four premades are from the basic ruleset which is free to everyone and only includes the bare minimum of what you need to get started (no phb, no DMG etc.). The LMOP is built to be a standalone gateway product for new players and the four premades are kind of the "classic" DND builds

I think I'll make my own character, probably a tank, but nothing too wild

[SamWiser]

Original characters sounds great for you both sound great!

Since we have three players now, I figure that's enough to start getting ready. When you have a moment to start making your characters, feel free to put some basics here. At least name, race, class, and some basic character traits/background.

And if anybody else is interested, we still have room for one or two more people.

[GathersIngredients]

I would be interested, but I never got the hang of the whole D&D ruleset. If you're willing to put up with that, I would like to join.

I wouldn't mind picking the "pre-rolled" cleric (pre-rolled because I don't know enough to build my char and cleric so we have some heals in the group), unless someone else wants to be the party band aid dispenser.

[thinkslogically]

So in 5e there are more classes with options for healing and clerics can be really flexible tanks. I think they wanted to move away from forcing the cleric to always be the party healer and let them have other kinds of fun as well. So clerics are now a really nice, really mix of magic and melee abilities that you can play in a lot of ways.

Your can still be the party healer if you want that role and clerics are arguably still the best at it, but we'll do just fine if you don't want to be in that role the entire game

I'm thinking of going fighter because I love the class, but maybe ranger because I've never played one.

[Lurks_In_Shadows]

Ranger is a good generalist, able to dish out damage without being a total glass cannon. It just takes a while to level them up. Randy is going to get very interesting once he hits level 5.
I've got a cleric in the works, but I'm going to let Sam make the call as to whether to use him or not. He turned out a lot tankier than I'd planned on ( he got some REALLY good rolls ). He's almost OP.

[SamWiser]

Hi Gathers, I'd love to have you in the game. Since we already have a cleric, you can definitely feel free to branch out a bit, but it's definitely not a bad thing to have two clerics in the party.

And Lurks, let me look at the stats when He's finished. If your character is too OP we might have to make a couple changes, but I'll wait till I can take in the character as a whole before I make any decisions.

[thinkslogically]

Hell, we could all be clerics and still have a really diverse party!

How are we doing stats? (And fwiw, the pre-mades use the standard array, so it might be fairer for everyone to stick to that).

Edit: for those who don't know, the standard array is:

15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8

Which you assign to whatever stats you want, before you add the racial modifiers.

[Quarg]

I just need to get my character building on...

[thinkslogically]

All right, I've statted up a blue dragonborn bard for a spot of variety amongst the clerics and bit of support capability. Not sure how this fits with the group, but happy to build someone else if needs be making characters is fun haha! I used the standard array for now, unless you want to do it another way:

Kryz
Dragonborn bard (blue)

STR: 14
DEX: 14
CON: 13
INT: 8
WIS: 10
CHA:16

Racial traits: resistant to lightning; can breathe lightning once per rest, 2d6 damage vs DC11 save.

Background: Sailor (you can get free passage on ships for folk).

Skill proficiencies: Athletics, history, intimidation, perception, performance.

I have (and can play) a lute. I am also proficient in singing and... Drums.

I have a dagger and rapier for fighting, and a diplomat's pouch for fanciness.

Spells:
Cantrips: Mending, Vicious Mockery
Level 1: Tasha's Hideous Laughter, Unseen Servant, Dissonant Whispers, Feather Fall.

((I picked all of these things based on "bardiness" and without too much thought to personality. I'll come up with their traits, bond, ideals etc over the next couple of days.))

[Lurks_In_Shadows]

Here you go!

Name: Balin Stonefist Age: 50
Race: Mountain Dwarf (Racial modifiers: Strength+2, Constitution: +2)
Class: Cleric Background: Acolyte
Level: 1
Patron Diety: Moradin
Alignment: Lawful Good

Physical description: height: 5'3", Weight: 185 lbs, Hair: Deep red, Eyes: Green and piercing, Skin: Ruddy, Facial features: Rather blunt but pleasent, with bushy mustache and eyebrows, beard down to mid chest (neatly combed and braided), hair is neatly combed and braided into a two warbraids that are shoulder length.

Languages: Common, Dwarven, Elvish, Orcish

HP: (Default) 8 Modifiers:

Str: 18+2: (20) +5
Int:14 +2
Wis:14 +2
Con: 15+2: (17) +3
Dex:12 +1
Cha:12 +1

Domain: Life
Proficiency Bonus: +2
Porfiecient in: Light, Medium, Heavy Armor, Shields, simple weapons, battleaxe, handaxe, throwing hammer, and warhammer

Armor Class: Chain mail: 16 Shield: 2

Initiative: 1d20+1
Attack Rolls
Warhammer: 1d20+5+2
damage:1d8+5+2 (1d10+5+2 if two handed)
Light Crossbow: 1d20+1
damage:1d8+1

SKILLS: Skill Proficiency Total
ACROBATICS (DEX) +1 +1
ANIMAL HANDLING (WIS) +2 +2
ARCANA (INT) +2 +2
ATHLETICS (STR) +5 +5
DECEPTION (CHA) +1 +1
HISTORY (INT) +2 +2
INSIGHT (WIS) +2 +2 +4
INTIMIDATION (CHA) +1 +1
INVESTIGATION (INT) +2 +2
MEDICINE (WIS) +2 +2 +4
NATURE(INT) +2 +2
PERCEPTION (WIS) +2 +2
PERFORMANCE (CHA) +1 +1
PERSUASION (CHA) +1 +2 +3
RELIGION (INT) +2 +2 +4
SLEIGHT OF HAND (DEX) +2 +2
STEALTH (DEX) +1 +1
SURVIVAL (WIS) +2 +2

Equipment:
Chain mail: earthtone
Helm: Silver tone
Warhammer
light crossbow with 20 bolts
Shield
Holy symbol
Prayer book
Vestments
Street clothes
5 sticks incense
Purse
Explorer's pack

Wealth: 15 gp



Spells:
Cantrips: Mending, Sacred Flame, Spare the dying
1st level: Cure wounds, Guiding Bolt.



Background: Acolyte

Personality: A giant among his kind, Balin learned at an early age to be careful with his great strength. Cutting an impressive figure, he earned a reputation as a firm friend, trustworthy and valiant. He is a bit naive still, only being a young 50 years of age. In particular he is still idealistic, believing that if only everyone would just do the "right thing", the world would be a wonderful place.
A scion of the Stonefist clan, a lineage heavy with Priests of Moradin and more than a few Hammers of Moradin, Balin's duty was clear from the beginning: To go forth and make things right. And if any stinking orc is so foolish as to get in his way....

Ideal: Faith. I trust that my deity will guide my actions, I have faith that if I work hard, things will go well. (Lawful)
Bond: Everything I do is for the common people.
Flaw: My piety sometimes leads me to blindly trust those that profess faith in my god.


Some of the formating gets lost with the transfer of info.

[SamWiser]

@Lurks, Yeah, I can see how Balin could be a little OP. Those are some pretty good stats. I think it might be a good idea to bring him somewhat more in line with the other characters.

Standard array works fine for me if you all are okay with it. I'd be fine with point buy too if people want that. (If my research is correct it normally goes minimum 8 points, maximum 18 points, 27 points to use total?) If you really want to leave it to chance I'd be fine with rolling for stats even, but I'd want everybody to agree before we do that.

Let me know if anybody has a preference. If nobody cares, I'll say stick with standard array.

[GathersIngredients]

Okay, so first dumb newbie question: what is point buy?

Wow, lurks that is a wall of text. I'm inclined to read it a bit later.

Also: we seem to have 3 clerics so far. XD

[Lurks_In_Shadows]

Yeah, right now Balin is One Punch Man.
I'll see what I can do to nerf Balin down. Some stats are okay. Some.....
I'll repost after I get done working on him for approval.

[SamWiser]

Okay, so first dumb newbie question: what is point buy?

Wow, lurks that is a wall of text. I'm inclined to read it a bit later.

Also: we seem to have 3 clerics so far. XD

Point buy is one of the more common ways of distributing stats. Basically you get a certain amount of points, and you get to distribute them as you wish. There are minimum and maximum point values for each stats, so you can't minmax like crazy with it.