The Dash Action

You're still Phandalin's Finest to me Bringing the light of civilisation to the Sword Coast frontier for over four tendays Map by Wizard of the Coast [12 min read] And so it ends! Frontier Forays , the little drop-in campaign that could, has concluded. And being the non-adversarial DM that I am, I can say that it was just as satisfying a conclusion for me as it was the players. Cryovain, the self-styled mastermind behind the assault on Phandalin, was vanquished with the last throw of the dice (or in this case, the last bead of a Necklace of Fireballs) . The remaining orc army disbands, the townsfolk rejoice, and Sildar appoints our heroes "Champions of the Lord's Alliance". Take a bow, Alucard, Terach, Wick and Wiggity, and maybe a free beverage or two at the Sleeping Giant tavern, you've earned it! But let us relive the final session while it still lingers in our collective memories... Sortie before dawn Before dawn, the group assesses the information brought...

Before the dawn Image by Jorge Jacinto courtesy of  Paizo [5 min read] It is the 16th of Eleasias just before dawn.  A day ago word from Butterskull Ranch got back to Phandalin that the army was close, and that the attack would likely come today. You sleep fitfully, and rise well before dawn to get the latest intelligence reports from the scouts who were tracking the army as they broke off into groups to surround the town. As you wait for these brave trackers to report, you think of all that has happened in the past four tendays that has brought you to this moment... The road to battle Phandalin's Finest, the Hammer (and soon to be Champions) of the Lord's Alliance have secured many a victory or asset to build out the defences of Phandalin, including: Liberating the Forge of Spells, yielding magic weapons and armour for the defenders Bringing back schematics for auto crossbows and ballistae from Gnomengarde, which were subsequently built and installed Procuring lumber and sand...

Take me home The party had been ranging the wilds for some time before heading back to Phandalin Image by Alden Brownstone [11 min read] THIS CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR DRAGON OF ICESPIRE PEAK! As we close in on our Frontier Forays finale in October, a quick recap of the last two sessions, where we find our party journeying back to Phandalin via two points of interest identified on their enemy's map. Dragon Barrow After being led successfully through the Neverwinter Wood to a mysterious, dragon-shaped hill by the centaur Xanth, the party find that orcs have beaten them to the barrow, albeit losing their lives before entering. Descending deep into the earth, our heroes hope that whatever killed the orcs will not stop them from retrieving the famed Dragon Slayer weapon, rumoured to be resting here. An aerial view of the hill confirms the name Dragon Barrow is indeed apt Image by Bob-Hates-Bags Alucard bravely offers to search for traps, and finds one, landing at the bottom of a pit filled...

 Thunder struck! Who likes smoked boar? The Anchorites of Talos were cooking something up for our heroes Image by Wizards of the Coast [8 min read] THIS CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR DRAGON OF ICESPIRE PEAK! With a natural pause in our main D&D 5E campaigns of Moonsea Madness and Tyranny of Dragons, our group has decided to press on to the conclusion of Frontier Forays, my drop-in campaign (see the recent recap here ). Also looming on the horizon is the introduction of the new D&D 2024 rules update of the Player's Handbook, slated for September 2024. The three DMs in our midst are debating how we might handle a transition to the new ruleset (if at all), but it did make sense for at least one of our campaigns to conclude before agreeing any rules changes for the others. The latest session of Frontier Forays saw our party of Phandalin's Finest (also known as The Hammer of the Lord's Alliance, which our barbarian Terach vastly prefers) reunited in the depths of Neverwinter Wo...

This dung is getting real Image by Mantic Games [12 min read]  Frontier Forays , my drop-in D&D 5E campaign mash up of Lost Mine of Phandelver and Dragon of Icespire peak has been on hiatus for a while, with the exception of a couple of two player short sessions to advance the story. With one or two potential sessions coming up, I wanted to recap what has happened and get everyone up to speed for what might come next... Campaign so far NOTE: SPOILERS FOR LOST MINE OF PHANDELVER AND DRAGON OF ICESPIRE PEAK Frontier Forays, Featuring Phandalin's Finest , is a grand, sweeping saga that follows four powerful heroes as they traverse Faerûn in the pursuit of the noblest of goals - the protection of freedom and all that is good in the realms... Oh wait, let's rephrase that just a little...  Frontier Forays, Featuring Phandalin's Finest , follows three disaffected adventurers and one small, forgetful, gnome-like old man, looking to find purpose and belonging in the wild lands o...

Tomas of Tyr (if he had a full beard) Image by Kanaru92 [3 min read] Tomas puts the heavy hammer down on the hard rocky earth of the foothills of the Galena Mountains, north of Eldrus, the handle damp with toil. Rubbing his face, feeling the stubble growing defiantly, he smiles ruefully and muses to himself. "A great big dwarven hammer, the makings of a beard, hard stone under foot. Why Tomas, you're seemingly more and more a Torunn of Mithral Hall again." But the facial hair is far from a dwarf in his prime, the rocks in the area are barren of precious metal, and switching to the maul as a weapon of war is a reflection of devotion to Tyr, the god of Justice, represented by his holy symbol depicting a giant hammer supporting scales. "No, you'll shave this scraggly growth off, come back from the wilderness with head held high, to represent your deity, your town, and your company once more with pride Tomas of Tyr. Reconciliation with the dwarves of your homeland is...