TEXT: Min-Max Monsters
  in the
  Lost Mine of
  Phandelver
  Sherman
  Sanders
  
  Min-Max Monsters
  in the
  Lost Mine of Phandelver
  Maybe you’ve brought your players to 
  the Lost Mine of Phandelver before, 
  or maybe you’re about to play 
  through it for the very first 
  time. Either way, you’ll find 
  this treatise on running the 
  Lost Mine helpful in discov-
  ering new opportunities and 
  ways to challenge your players. 
  These pages contain an in depth 
  analysis of several parts of the 
  adventure, allowing for expand-
  ed content and suggested alter-
  ations to make this already solid 
  adventure even more enjoyable.
  If you want to really challenge  your players, you’ll want to read 
  through this adventure add-on. The basic premises presented 
  here are fully expanded in the “Min-Max Monsters” DM Supple-
  ment, also available on DriveThruRPG.
  
  Min-Max Monsters
  in the
  Lost Mine of 
  Phandelver
  Artists: Various/Shutterstock.com
  All images used under license from Shutterstock.com.
  Writing: Sherman Sanders
  Editor: Austin-Rae Doty
  June, 2017
  Goblin Arrows
  2
  Phandalin
  3
  The Spider’s Web
  5
  Wave Echo Cave
  7
  Appendix I - The Slavers
  10
  Appendix II - GPCs
  11
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  Min-Max Monsters
  2
  Of 
  Phandelver!
  D
  ungeons and Dragons is always a more exciting 
  and engaging game when your players feel like 
  there is a true threat to their characters in a game. 
  I present you Min-Max Monsters, in the Lost Mines 
  of Phandelver! The following is an overview of how you 
  might handle the encounters presented in the D&D Starter 
  Set, The Lost Mines of Phandelver. These suggestions 
  should make the adventure much more challenging, so 
  please take caution to balance your game for yourself and 
  your players.
  Having run The Lost Mines of Phandelver in total and 
  in part numerous times, I can say that the pre-generat-
  ed characters (included in the box) are not as strong as 
  characters that players typically create. The adventure 
  seems balanced for the pre-gen characters, and 
  somewhat too easy for orig-
  inal characters. The differ-
  ence between four and five 
  characters is obviously also 
  going to make a significant 
  difference in how challenging 
  the adventure is.
  If you are running for novice 
  players, I do not suggest using any 
  additional tactics or modifying 
  the adventure to make it more 
  challenging. On the other hand, 
  if you want to teach new players 
  to use their brains and not rely on 
  the  game to be ‘fair’, then by all 
  means, make the adventure more 
  dynamic. Players love making new 
  characters anyway.
  Each location and encounter in this guide is presented in 
  the same order as in the adventure module. Read through 
  those encounters before reading the suggestions here as 
  they will be confusing without the background informa-
  tion.
  The information here is largely based on the “Min-Max 
  Monsters” DMs supplement, the PDF of which is also avail-
  able on DriveThruRPG. 
  Part 1: Goblin Arrows
  Goblin Ambush
  There are four goblins lying in wait here. Rather than 
  hiding them to either side, try this slight modification. Two 
  goblins hide ahead on the trail about 60’ beyond the corps-
  es of the two horses. The party will almost invariably split; 
  half will wait  while one or two advance to investigate. Give 
  them a moment to check it out. Once the investigator is 
  totally in the open, launch arrows from those two goblins. 
  In the surprise round, use Nimble Escape to Hide and move 
  both of them to different locations within reach. 
  Feel free to ignore movement penalties for ter-
  rain the first round. They’ve chosen this am-
  bush position deliberately, so they know 
  the path to their next shooting blind.
  While the archers begin their 
  shoot-and-scoot, their allies 
  begin to quietly advance from 
  one flank. The players likely 
  will focus their attention 
  forward, allowing the two 
  other goblins to sneak 
  up and attack anyone 
  left behind. They should 
  gang-up as best they can 
  and try  to kill the rearmost 
  character (with Stealth, if 
  possible). Just as the goblin 
  archers know their terrain, they 
  know where the party would first see the 
  dead horses.  They know some will stop 
  while others will move to investigate.
  Cragmaw Hideout
  This site can be quite deadly, as it is easy for the entire 
  compound to be alerted. As you’re running for first level 
  characters here, you’ll have to pull some punches. The best 
  way to do this is to balance things ahead of time.  Allow the 
  players to fail or succeed by their own merits, rather than 
  ignoring dice rolls or altering things as you go along.
  Cave Mouth and Goblin Blind
  Rather than putting it on the players to be stupidly loud 
  when approaching, have them hear the angry voices of 
  goblins over the goblin blind (area 2). One of the goblins 
  has had the tip of his ear sliced off and been assigned 
  
  3
  Min-Max Monsters
  Of 
  Phandelver!
  day-guard duty by Klarg; punishment for giving away their 
  ambush on Gundren and Sildar. He’s complaining bitterly, 
  and loudly, about the injustice of it.
  If the party opts to do something silly like yell a challenge, 
  or otherwise make a racket, then it’s time to teach them 
  that actions have consequences. The goblins here will not 
  attack, they will doubletime it into the cave and warn the 
  rest of their comrades. If a goblin is captured or cornered 
  and spoken with, they’ll insist that the party speak with 
  Yeemik, who they’ll be happy to introduce them to. 
  Into the Cave
  The first goblin inside the cave (5.) has no reason to alert 
  the party to his presence. He can quickly move to the twin 
  pools and signal his allies to release the waters and flood 
  the cave. He can then run back to the goblin den and warn 
  Yeemik and the others. The party should hear hammering 
  as the goblins dislodge the water wall, but likely won’t 
  know it’s for them. As soon as the goblins have broken the 
  wall free they should run to join Klarg and the others.
  For his part, Klarg is happy to wade in and smash some 
  heads. He’ll demand that any goblins with him do the 
  same. If the wolves in the kennels below are making noise 
  and obviously still alive, he’ll shove a goblin down the fis-
  sure to free them before heading out to take on the party. 
  Yeemik has other plans. If he realizes that the party has a 
  real chance of killing Klarg, he’ll hold his people back. He 
  can make excuses later if things don’t go to plan. If they 
  can stay out of sight of Klarg, they can wait until after he 
  drops to engage, or negotiate with, the party. 
  If the party is defeated here, they shouldn’t die. These 
  goblins are obviously in a prisoner-taking mood. Klarg will 
  question them to see if he can ransom them, and if not, 
  he’ll see what King Grol is offering.
  Part 2: Phandalin
  The Town
  There is a general understanding in the Forgotten Realms 
  that villages and towns are basically identical to their 
  medieval counterparts. I challenge that assumption in my 
  own games and encourage you to do the same. Where 
  a historical medieval town has no true threat in general 
  and could call upon the local lord in times of need, that is 
  obviously not the case in the Forgotten Realms in general, 
  and for Phandalin in particular. It’s hard to imagine Phand-
  alin, as written, surviving an attack from the Cragmaws, or 
  the orcs of the Wyvern Tor, or any number of other factions 
  that might wish them harm. 
  A more realistic frontier settlement would have walls 
  and guards. Obviously the Redbrands have taken that 
  duty away from any officials who might have once had it. 
  Consider having a handful of bullied militia in charge of 
  the town, and describe how poorly manned the walls are. 
  Harbin Wester could be a much more sympathetic char-
  acter if instead of being a “fat, pompous, old fool” he was 
  actually struggling to maintain order in a town on the brink 
  of falling apart. Perhaps he’s tried sending for help only to 
  be ignored by officials far more interested in local affairs to 
  those in a distant border town.
  The Redbrand ruffians in Phandalin do not need to be used 
  as a set-piece encounter. They can just as easily confront 
  the party, one character at a time, as they likely spread out 
  around town. This is more to the liking of bullies like the 
  Redbrands anyway. Having one character cornered and 
  beat-up sends a clear message to the party that these guys 
  mean business. 
  Alternatively, if the characters are keeping a relatively low 
  profile, maybe they witness a crime in progress before they 
  came to the Redbrand’s attention. Linene, at the Lionshield 
  Coster, has taken a stand against the Redbrands and is 
  likely on their short list of things that need taking care of. 
  Having the characters witness a confrontation between 
  them is a great way to introduce both Linene and the 
  Redbrands.
  Either way, the party will end up fighting with the Red-
  brands. These guys are competent fighters and will likely 
  give the party a solid beating. Using one of their attacks as 
  a Push to knock a character Prone can give them a large 
  number of attacks with advantage, as the group surrounds 
  and beats them. They’re tough and they know it, opting for 
  public displays of brutality to further intimidate the town. 
  Still, they’re not likely to want to die for Glasstaff. Should 
  things go poorly for them in a fight, they’re likely to quit by 
  either surrendering, or attempting to escape. 
  Should any Redbrands be captured, they’ll give up a bit of 
  information and pretend to come clean from the get-go. 
  They’re not particularly loyal fellows, but they know that 
  the party isn’t likely to last long in town. A night in the jail 
  beneath the Townmaster’s Hall isn’t that bad, after all. In 
  fact, it’s entirely possible they can convince Harbin Wester 
  
  Min-Max Monsters
  4
  Of 
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  to just cut them loose as soon as the party leaves. Harbin 
  will base that decision on how competent the characters 
  seem and whether or not they made a good impression on 
  him. 
  Redbrand Hideout
  The Redbrands in the hideout are very static feeling, try 
  to make them more reactive to the party’s movements 
  and have plans throughout of how they’ll respond to the 
  intrusion of the PCs. The ruffians resting in the barracks 
  are likely going to hear the party, as few players can resist 
  breaking open barrels and crates at first sight. If the party 
  does not open the door to the 
  barracks and move straight onto 
  the trapped hall, you have a deci-
  sion to make. 
  Either the resting Redbrands 
  are aware of the secret door in 
  the cellar, or they are not. If they 
  are, their first move should be to 
  alert Glasstaff, the bugbears, and 
  the rest of the gang as soon as 
  the party moves on. If they are 
  not, they have a perfect ambush 
  waiting just around the corner. 
  The party will likely fall victim to 
  the trapped hall, but shortly after 
  that, they will be separated as 
  the party slowly inches along on 
  either side of the pit trap. Unless 
  the party posts a rear guard, the 
  ruffians will attempt to sneak up 
  and make an assault as soon as 
  the party splits, hopefully with a 
  couple characters on either side 
  of the pit. They will attempt to 
  push one in, and grab the other. 
  As you hack the grabbed charac-
  ter to death, the others will have 
  to inch their way back across the 
  ledge to save their friends. Fight 
  them while they are on the ledge 
  with advantage, and give the 
  PCs disadvantage (due to poor 
  footing).
  Beyond the trapped hall, there are three skeletons that 
  are somehow under Glasstaff’s thrall. The guards in the 
  slave pens gain little benefit from waiting for them to be 
  destroyed, and would be far more effective if they attack 
  with the skeletons. 
  The nothic beyond the crevasse is a wily foe. Rather than 
  hiding behind the column, he should be hiding in the cre-
  vasse or, under the bridge where he can grab a character 
  and hurl him to the floor below. He can then climb down 
  (give him advantage, he climbs this crevasse all the time) 
  and haul the character under a ledge to feast upon. Hope-
  fully the party is able to convince the nothic to leave them 
  be, and betray Glasstaff. In fact, if Glasstaff escapes through 
  his secret door later, consider having the nothic attack him. 
  Glasstaff’s potion of invisibility will do him little good should 
  the nothic turn against him, due to truesight.
  Descending into the guard bar-
  racks, common room, and wizard’s 
  workshop, the party will be hard-
  pressed not to bring everyone out 
  of their chambers at once. If they 
  are able to convince the bugbears, 
  or drunken Redbrands, that they’re 
  new recruits, things will go smooth-
  ly. If not, the situation will go 
  downhill fast. The party will likely 
  try to bottleneck the numerous foes 
  somewhere, but,  this is not likely to 
  work. A quick run up and down the 
  stairs to outflank them and sudden-
  ly, the party will be fighting on two 
  fronts again. 
   
  Even if Glasstaff was unable able 
  to hear the party’s approach, it’s 
  unlikely that his rat familiar will 
  miss them. His first action should 
  be to see through the rat’s eyes and 
  investigate. There are rat sized holes 
  in the walls or doors so it will not be 
  a problem to get eyes on the party. 
  His second action should be to use 
  misty step to join his minions, using 
  the rat’s vision to see his destina-
  tion in the other room without the 
  party ever knowing of his presence. 
  Alternatively, he can use shocking 
  grasp, delivered through the rat, to 
  harass the party from the safety of the next room.
  When it comes to actual combat , have a plan from the 
  start. Ready an action to hold person a character as soon as 
  they’ve taken their turn, giving Glasstaff’s allies an entire 
  round to attack the held character before they can make 
  a saveing throw. If his first hold person does not work, use 
  Should any of the players need 
  a new character at this point, 
  their captive, Nilsa is likely 
  looking for revenge, and hav-
  ing a 2nd level rogue or druid 
  on hand would allow for the 
  flow of the story to continue 
  while simultaneously letting 
  the players know that you 
  mean business. 
  Consider also making Rei-
  doth, the druid in the Ruins 
  of Thundertree, a relative or 
  friend of the Dendrar fam-
  ily. They once owned a herb 
  and alchemy shop, it would 
  only be fitting that a druid 
  be involved and would pro-
  vide some backstory as well. 
  Perhaps he is a great-uncle 
  to Mirna, and she will men-
  tion the old hermit when she 
  speaks of her family’s shop.
  
  5
  Min-Max Monsters
  Of 
  Phandelver!
  his last 2nd level spell slot to cast magic missile on the most 
  wounded character, hopefully taking them out. Addition-
  ally, the scrolls in Glasstaff’s chest should be on his person 
  instead. Casting fireball on a second level party is rough, 
  but Glasstaff should be saving that for when things get 
  desperate. He would rather capture them after all...
  If Glasstaff meets the party to parley, he will likely attempt 
  to charm person from the start, gaining an ally amongst 
  the party members to argue his points for him. If things go 
  poorly, and escape is unlikely, he will certainly surrender. At 
  the first opportunity, should he be left alone with a single 
  guard, Glasstaff will attempt to cast charm person on 
  them to aid in his escape.
  Again, should the party be defeated, the game  
  should not end here. The Redbrands are capturing 
  people to sell to slavers, and the party should fetch a 
  pretty copper. If you have a continuation in mind for 
  the next part of your campaign, the slavers would 
  allow for a good bit of foreshadowing. If the party is 
  to escape, it should be before they are completely 
  removed from the area. A handoff with lowly villains 
  from your next adventure would give them a taste of 
  things to come. You can also name-drop important 
  villains in the party’s future, or talk about the places 
  they might someday go.
  Part 3: The Spider’s Web
  Old Owl Well
  Hamun Kost is a poor host, but the party can negoti-
  ate with him all the same. He’s broken no laws (that 
  can be proven) and will insist that the party leave 
  him to his business. If they want him gone, they’ll 
  need to fight him and he’s not going  down easy. He 
  should have the potion, scroll, and ring of protection 
  on his person, not in a bag. 
  Much like Glasstaff, Hamun Kost will attempt to 
  cast charm person on a character if they get overly 
  testy, but not yet violent. He will use his other spells 
  similarly. His zombies are another matter. Zombies can 
  overwhelm a character using Push and Grapple. As you 
  surround a party member, use Push to knock that character 
  down. Once knocked down, the next zombie will attempt 
  a Grapple (at advantage). Any remaining zombies will use 
  their attacks as normal (also at advantage). Until the grap-
  pling zombie is killed or the grapple broken, the grappled 
  character cannot stand from prone, as they have a speed 
  of zero.
  If Hamun Kost defeats the party, he will likely try to save 
  one or two in order to question them. Otherwise, he does 
  not seem to be a particularly charitable soul.
  Ruins of Thundertree
  It’s hard to imagine anyone surviving an encounter with 
  Venomfang. Hopefully, Reidoth the Druid is able to dis-
  suade them from adventuring further. It is unlikely that 
  anyone would survive in the middle of town, less than 200’ 
  from a dragon. So, consider having Reidoth meet them on 
  the road as they approach, or catch up after they’ve fought 
  their first twig blights. For example, “I saw you from afar, 
  and hurried to warn you!” 
  Should the party persist in seeing a dragon, make sure it’s 
  memorable. Venomfang is highly intelligent, nefarious, and 
  
  Min-Max Monsters
  6
  Of 
  Phandelver!
  thoroughly evil. He’ll likely be aware of the party moving 
  about the village (if they’re getting into fights only a hun-
  dred feet away). He can flyby, snatch up a character with 
  Grapple, and haul them up to the top of his tower, easily. 
  From there, he can negotiate whatever deal he wishes. 
  Venomfang seems content with his new lair, now it just 
  needs loot. Who better to gather loot than little things 
  that can go where dragons can’t? Perhaps Venomfang will 
  ask that the floor of his tower be covered in gold. Or, that 
  the party, “bring me something I’ve never seen before.” 
  Whatever his offer, demand that the party perform be-
  fore the kidnapped character is returned to them. If they 
  refuse, tear the character apart atop the tower while they 
  watch. Then swoop down, pick up another, and repeat your 
  demand. 
  Once the party acquiesces to Venomfang’s demands, he’ll 
  hold the captured character prisoner until he’s satisfied 
  they’ve done as much as they are willing before they turn 
  on him. He is a lawful creature and will ultimately uphold 
  his end of whatever bargain is struck, twisted as it might 
  be. Fortunately there is a backup character in the form of 
  Reidoth on hand to pick right up. “Fools! I warned you! But I 
  won’t let your friend die to that fiend…” - Reidoth, The Wise
  Five hundred gold pieces and a couple of magic items are 
  hardly worth dying over. If the party somehow sneaks up 
  on him, Venomfang’s first move should be to fly out of the 
  top of his tower to better assess the situation. Once he’s 
  airborne and can see that there are only a handful of fool-
  hardy adventurers threatening him and not a small army, 
  he’ll fall back on the original tactic of snatching them up as 
  they try to follow him, or flee the tower.
  If you wish to add a little levity before ruining their day, try 
  having the twig blights slowly gather and follow the party 
  throughout the town; only moving when the characters 
  are distracted or walking away (they can appear to be 
  bushes every time the party stops to look around). De-
  scribe the bizarre, changing scenery that they can’t quite 
  figure out. Once they’ve all gathered, they can attack, 
  preferably while the party is otherwise engaged with ash 
  zombies or cultists.
  If Venomfang kills or captures 
  a character, you could offer 
  up Reidoth as a temporary 
  replacement. I always have a 
  number of interesting NPCs 
  onhand for my players to take 
  over. I find it heightens the 
  story telling if I don’t have to 
  constantly introduce new PCs 
  when there are deaths or other 
  separations in the party. 
  A well constructed NPC can 
  inspire players, and I’ve had 
  several that players wanted 
  to take as their own, at least 
  temporarily. Keeping a “sta-
  ble” of ready Guest PCs means 
  that you can have reoccuring 
  characters that adventure 
  with the party from time to 
  time. I’ve used them for guest 
  players as well.
  
  7
  Min-Max Monsters
  Of 
  Phandelver!
  Wyvern Tor
  There is little reason for everything to be at home every 
  time the party comes calling. For example, the Orcs of 
  Wyvern Tor, in particular, are known to attack people on 
  the road. A more intriguing encounter might be to either 
  have the orcs ambush the party along the road, or come 
  across a merchant as they are attacked (or in the moments 
  just after). 
  Orcs are far better in melee than at range and their ag-
  gressive ability allows them to close quickly. Even in an 
  ambush, they’re likely to charge into combat rather than 
  shoot. In fact, Gog the ogre is the most likely to throw a 
  javelin before engaging. The orcs should use their tremen-
  dous speed to make sure the entire party is engaged on 
  the first round. 
  Tactically, if the orcs attack one character in sufficient num-
  bers, they would do well to spend a little time knocking 
  that character down with a push. Heavily armored charac-
  ters, in particular, are good candidates for being knocked 
  down so the rest of the orc’s allies will benefit from advan-
  tage on their attacks.
  If you want to be nice, consider the possibility that the orcs 
  at Wyvern Tor have made contact with the same slavers 
  that the Redbrands and Cragmaw have been selling to. This 
  will give you an out and allow the party to survive should 
  the battle go against them. Brughor Axe-Biter isn’t that 
  kind of orc as written, but he easily could be.
  Cragmaw Castle
  Before running Cragmaw Castle, take a moment to consid-
  er its state of disrepair and how it looks so you can properly 
  describe it to your players. The description says that only 
  the bottom floor is habitable, not that the upper floors are 
  completely missing. Presumably, the entire bottom floor 
  still has a roof (or does it?). It is possible the players will 
  want to adventure on crumbling walls above, so consider 
  what happens if the (very light) goblins below decide to 
  join them.
  There are no indications on the map where stairs or 
  trapdoors might exist to connect the bottom floor with 
  those above. Without being overly critical of this design, it’s 
  important that the players have as many options open to 
  them as possible if they’re to make intelligent decisions. As 
  it stands, there are three access points to the castle, consid-
  er that there might be more from above as well.
  Wall to wall, the entirety of the keep is just over 100’  in 
  length. It’s unlikely that a party moving through the keep, 
  fighting its denizens, will not alert everyone very quickly. 
  Attempt to convey the small size of the place before the 
  party moves to assault it. Hopefully, guile and stealth win 
  out over bravado, or it will likely be a very short assault. As 
  described, there are 18 goblins, 6 hobgoblins, a wolf, King 
  Grol, and Vyerith defending the castle. If they all descend 
  on the party at once, it’s unlikely to end well for the charac-
  ters. However, that is exactly what they’ll attempt to do.
  At the first sign of trouble, the goblins should send mes-
  sengers to make sure Grol is coming. Hobgoblins can 
  easily use Dodge to aid them in holding the party off until 
  reinforcements arrive. Any who wish to retreat should do 
  so through the shrine where the grick clings to the walls, 
  awaiting its next meal.  
  As a whole, Grol’s minions should seek to encircle the 
  party. By falling back into the heart of the castle, they can 
  lure the party into the trapped hall and hopefully get the 
  grick to engage as well. Once in the kitchen or shrine area, 
  the party should find themselves engaged from all sides. 
  Hobgoblins benefit tremendously from having allies about, 
  so they should always Dodge if an ally is not present. Their 
  high armor class means they can easily hold a position by 
  themselves until reinforcements arrive.
  The grick and owlbear are not likely to take part in an 
  organized defense of the castle. The owlbear in particular 
  is at least as likely to attack King Grol’s people as the party. 
  Still, if the opportunity presents itself the defenders may 
  attempt to get those creatures involved. 
  As before, should King Grol win the day, it’s unlikely the 
  party is put to death. Grol is also in contact with the slavers 
  who are looking to make some coin on those he captures. 
  If the grick takes down a character, they are dead. A grick’s 
  gotta eat and no one is willing to take food away from it.
  Part 4: Wave Echo Cave
  The tumultuous circumstances in Wave Echo Cave actually 
  make this site easier than previous ones in many respects. 
  There are two factions at war within the cave and a number 
  of unaffiliated creatures wandering about as well.
  If you enjoy the trope of magic items on dead bodies, feel 
  free to leave the boots of striding and springing where they 
  lay. Though, I’d sooner put them on a ghoul (who’ll use 
  
  Min-Max Monsters
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  Of 
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  them) or a skeleton (who won’t) before just having them 
  lay there. Nezznar came to the caves looking for magic; 
  there’s no way an experienced wizard would have missed 
  them. Plus, players miss this stuff and rightfully so, it’s non-
  sensical. However, no one is going to miss the emaciated 
  ghoul in rags with shiny new boots. 
  The submerged wand of magic missiles in the dark pool, 
  and gauntlets of ogre power in the collapsed cavern are 
  more intriguing, as the reward is there for exploration (as 
  opposed to for checking every dead body). Still, the flame-
  skull using mage hand to wield a wand of magic missiles, 
  or a ghoul with gauntlets of ogre power, sound way more 
  interesting. 
  2. Mine Tunnels
  The ochre jelly does not 
  wish to engage large groups. 
  However, it has a speed of 
  10’, and tests stealth at -2. 
  You should keep track 
  of where the creature 
  is, roughly, and have it 
  move away from the 
  party so long as they’re 
  all together. However, it 
  does have spider climb, 
  so if it were to find its 
  way to the dark pool, 
  it could hide on the 
  ceiling. It may also have 
  crevasses it can squeeze 
  into, though where those 
  might be, is up to you.
  Once the party is separated, or 
  properly distracted, is when the 
  ochre jelly should move in to attack!
  4. Old Guardroom
  Consider not having all nine skeletons in this area animate 
  at once. Describe the floor as being alive with activity as 
  the bones tumble and fuse together. If you do this over a 
  couple rounds, you can animate the skeletons all around 
  the party and have them wonder where their next foe 
  might appear. 
  6. South Barracks
  The three ghouls here will likely not be any match for the 
  party. Once they realize this, they should retreat to their 
  fellows in the great cavern and alert them to the meals that 
  approach.
  9. Great Cavern
  If the ghouls here were alerted by those in the south bar-
  racks, they will have set a rudimentary ambush. They lie in 
  wait around the entrance to the cavern watching for light. 
  If the party attempts to hold the passage, those in front 
  will be grappled and hauled into the room where the rest 
  can easily surround and devour them. If they are alerted to 
  the parties presence and the party does not immediately 
  come this direction, the ghouls will 
  seek them out. They’ll figure out 
  where the party is, and stay 
  out of visual range until they 
  can surround them, hope-
  fully attacking from several 
  passages at once.
  If they’re able to follow 
  the party and stay out 
  of sight (easily done 
  when the party 
  needs light and they 
  don’t), they might 
  follow the party 
  until they’ve en-
  countered another 
  creature and engage 
  them then. They can 
  easily grab a character 
  from the rear and run 
  off with them while the 
  rest of the party is fighting 
  another creature to the front. 
  11. North Barracks
  If the party attempts to smash their way into 
  the room from the east, the bugbears should send 
  one of their number to alert Nezznar that a new threat 
  has emerged in the caves. If they enter from the west, the 
  bugbears will fight to the death, knowing that fiery doom 
  awaits them on the other side of the eastern door. 
  If they send for help, they will attempt to hold the room 
  until that help arrives. That may mean trying to hold the 
  door, or making a fighting withdrawal. Those engaging 
  the party can Dodge and retreat, while those behind hurl 
  javelins.
  
  9
  Min-Max Monsters
  Of 
  Phandelver!
  12. Smelter Cavern
  Fortunately the flameskull is somewhat bound to this area, 
  unwilling to leave. It should, of course, open with a fireball. 
  If the party is still around after that, it has a real decision 
  to make between blur and flaming sphere, (it can only use 
  one, due to concentration requirements). Save first level 
  spell slots for shield and ignore magic missile as the flame-
  skull’s innate Fire Ray ability is easily as good.
  The dwarven zombies need do little more than get in the 
  way while the flameskull destroys the party. Of course, 
  they can push and grapple in the same way that those at 
  Old Owl Well did. The flameskull should use corners so that 
  only the front rank of the party can see it and vice versa. If 
  it can hide from missile users while destroying the fighters 
  that engage with the zombies, it will likely win the day.
  Remember, if the party destroys the flameskull and later 
  returns, it will have rejuvenated itself after an hour.
  14. Wizards’ Quarters
  Mormesk the Wraith is an interesting fellow. He is the the 
  commander of the undead in Wave Echo Cave, yet, he 
  spends his time alone without any minions to direct. You 
  might consider changing him into a more dynamic foe; 
  flitting in and out of combats to harry the party as they 
  traverse through the chambers. If you prefer to leave him 
  static, it may well be that his insanity leads him to believe 
  that the few gold and platinum pipe he guards are really 
  terrific treasures. 
  Mormesk could easily harass the party for the length of 
  their trek through the caves. His exact relationship to the 
  various undead is not defined. Presumably, as their leader, 
  he should be able to direct their actions to some degree 
  (at least the skeletons and zombies). He might turn them 
  into a force that actively attempts to drive the party out. 
  Alternatively, he could pop in through the walls as the par-
  ty encounters each group of undead, attacking for a round 
  or two before retreating. “The living have no place within 
  these walls!”
  Whatever you do with Mormesk, remember to use Incor-
  poreal Movement to full effect. He should be able to retreat 
  at a moment’s notice, and ambush with equal alacrity. 
  Mormesk has had five centuries to wander the halls of 
  Wave Echo Cave, he knows every nook and cranny, no plan 
  should be beyond his reach.
  18. Collapsed Cavern
  The bugbears and Vhalak are not looking for a fight. They 
  are just doing some manual labor and waiting for Nezznar 
  to figure out how he’s going to deal with the undead prob-
  lem. Should a new threat show up unexpectedly, they’re 
  not going to put up a fight.  They’re likely to retreat to find 
  Nezznar and figure out what the new plan is going to be. 
  That said, two of them are in a rift, working. The bugbear 
  above and Vhalak are not going to instantly abandon their 
  allies, but will take the time to cover their ascent before 
  retreating as a group. 
  If they are forced into a fight, the bugbears should make 
  an effort to fling characters onto the rift floor below, taking 
  them out of the fight for a round or two. Dealing some 
  falling damage is never a bad thing!
  19. Temple of Dumathoin
  Nezznar and the giant spiders! The penultimate battle and 
  rescue of Nendro should be one for the history books. 
  Nezznar silently ponders his predicament in the company 
  of his spider friends while glum bugbear minions keep the 
  undead at bay. Hopefully, they have come to warn him 
  about the party so he isn’t caught unawares. 
  If the bugbears in rooms 11 or 18 were able to warn Nez-
  znar, their next move should be to gather the other group 
  as well. In fact, on their way to warn Nezznar, the bugbears 
  from 11 could easily shout for assistance from those in 18 
  as they run by.  Should there be bugbear minions to aid 
  him, Nezznar will attempt to keep his spells from adverse-
  ly affecting them. The bugbears should hold to one area 
  while Nezznar’s spiders focus on another, allowing him to 
  use his powers to their full effect.
  Regardless of whether or not Nezznar is alerted by the 
  bugbears, the giant spiders will be waiting in ambush, as 
  spiders do. They will cling to the walls or ceiling around 
  the entryways, two at each. They can easily cling to the 20’ 
  ceiling above and fling webs on any who enter, or hang 
  just above the door and surprise attack as someone enters. 
  Ideally, their opening move will be to have one spider Web 
  the first character through the door. Then, the adjacent 
  spider can Grapple the webbed victim (at advantage!) and 
  haul them up to the ceiling where the two can finish them 
  off. Any webbed character should be Grappled and hauled 
  up and out of reach of the help of their allies. Spiders are 
  jerks.
  Nezznar’s opening play should always be to web the area 
  
  Min-Max Monsters
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  Of 
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  from where the party approaches with the Spider Staff. 
  This should slow their advance and give his giant spiders 
  a terrific advantage in fighting the party. Once webbed, 
  Nezznar will use darkness to further thwart the party. 
  These two spells layered on top of one another will allow 
  the giant spiders to use two of their powers as well. First, 
  they will use Web Sense to detect any invisible creatures 
  within the webs. Once darkness is cast, they will effectively 
  be invisible themselves while still being able to locate and 
  attack any party members that are in the area of the web. 
  Second, they have Web Walker which allows them to move 
  easily through the magical webbing, while the characters 
  struggle to move. Continue to cast web every time a char-
  acter escapes into an area where no webs exist, Nezznar 
  will have to forgo concentration on the last instance of 
  web, but he’ll try to keep everyone in a web if possible.
  Once he’s webbed the party, Nezznar will cast a couple 
  magic missiles at second-level to deal some quick damage 
  to anyone escaping from the darkness, as he can only cast 
  that once. His third, second-level spell slot, should be saved 
  for the end of combat. If the battle goes poorly, Nezznar 
  will cast invisibility to slip away. If it goes well, he can use 
  suggestion to aid in the interrogation of any survivors. He 
  may cast a first-level magic missile, though it is unlikely 
  since he has so many other spells to cast before that. Also, 
  he should save them for shield (and will have already cast 
  mage armor before combat). Ray of frost is a fine alternative 
  to magic missile, the reduced movement will only add to 
  the character’s woes in escaping the web.
  If any character poses a threat to his webbing (having cast 
  flaming sphere for instance), Nezznar will focus his spells 
  and his spiders on that character until their concentration 
  is broken, or they are dead. 
  Even though he’s grumpy about his plans being disrupted 
  by the undead of Wave Echo Cave, he’s not necessarily go-
  ing to kill the party once he’s defeated them. The bugbears 
  may well suggest selling the party to the same slavers that 
  have been mentioned elsewhere. Even if he doesn’t want 
  to deal with slavers, Nezznar has rituals to perform and 
  Lolth demands sacrifices.  He might even find another use 
  for the characters himself.
  Appendix I: The Slavers
  There are slavers about! If the party is ever defeated while 
  attempting to find the Lost Mine of Phandelver, it is a great 
  opportunity to have them sold to the slavers. You’ll want to 
  provide an opportunity for them to escape before they’ve 
  been removed from the area so they have some chance to 
  continue the story before their next adventure begins. If 
  any of the party members died, the slavers will also provide 
  a natural introduction for new characters in the form of 
  fellow captives.
   
  To that end, I introduce Thelga Ironbrand, a young duergar 
  entrepreneur who travels the surface world with a handful 
  of hired hands buying healthy stock for the slave pits of the 
  underdark. Thelga has struck out on her own, and is only 
  loosely affiliated with a larger slaver operation. She has 
  hired a half dozen hobgoblin mercenaries to help in wran-
  gling her acquisitions and warding off double-crossers 
  who might steal from her. Being of lawful disposition, both 
  Thelga and the hobgoblins know the merits of sticking to 
  a deal, but are wise to the fact that few others they’ll be 
  dealing with share their opinion.
   
  Night one of their journey with the slavers should give the 
  group something to remember Thelga by, a lovely new 
  brand! Whether it’s on their forearm, neck, or cheek is en-
  tirely up to how regularly you want to remind them of their 
  failure. Thelga Ironbrand’s namesake is a brand of duergar 
  magic, the results of which should not be something that 
  can be easily cancelled with basic magic, nothing short of 
  heal will remove the brand. 
   
  Thelga’s crew travel only at night, having a series of small 
  caves and other “safe houses” that alloww them to hide 
  out during the day. They will only meet with their contacts 
  at night as well, moving newly acquired slaves under the 
  cover of darkness. Any number of circumstances might 
  allow for the party to stage an escape, choose the one that 
  is right for you and go with it. Do not hinge the escape at-
  tempt on a single roll. If your set-up requires the party free 
  themselves of their manacles, or overcome a lone guard, 
  start the scene directly after that occurrence. 
   
  Allow the players a few minutes to come up with a plan. 
  Possibly they’ll try to pick their manacles on the sly, or 
  shape change into a rat, enchant a guard, create an illu-
  sionary diversion, or any number of other options. If it’s a 
  good plan, let the first part of it succeed and move onto 
  the action. If they seem stuck on how to escape or come up 
  with a bad plan, move on. If the players really want to play 
  through a truly bad plan, feel free to make their situation 
  worse. Thelga won’t want to damage her goods, but if one 
  needs to lose an eye to keep the others in line, then that’s 
  probably worth doing.
   
  
  11
  Min-Max Monsters
  Of 
  Phandelver!
  Quickly move on to an opportunity of your own design if 
  the players can’t free themselves. A couple possibilities in-
  clude having a newly purchased slave create a diversion or 
  by having a deal go south. Just pick up where the action is. 
  You’ll be dragging them along for a ride and can describe 
  a day or two of rough travels, but ultimately you’ll want to 
  return autonomy to your players as quickly as possible.
  Here’s one possibility. While waiting out the daylight in a 
  local cave, the party is introduced to Gruffin Sayer, a local 
  herdsman of strong build, but meek demeanor. The slavers 
  found him wandering alone just before dawn in a con-
  fused state. The one day he spends with the party, Gruffin 
  expresses a deep melancholy, largely keeping to himself. 
  That evening however, Gruffin solemnly apologizes to the 
  party before a terrific change overtakes him. He unwillingly 
  transforms into a werewolf, screaming in pain as he does 
  so. During his transformation, he slips his manacles, thus 
  allowing him to make short work of the single hobgoblin 
  guard who comes to silence his screams. 
   
  Covered in blood and eyeing the party, Gruffin is able to to 
  subvert the beast he’s become only briefly, charging out 
  of the chamber and into the nearby hobgoblin sleeping 
  chamber. The party finds themselves newly in possession 
  of a longsword, a longbow, a dagger, shield, and keys to 
  their manacles. By the time they’ve freed and armed them-
  selves, Gruffin has fled into the night, leaving bloodied 
  hobgoblins in his wake. It is for you to balance this encoun-
  ter depending on the level of the party. He may have killed 
  several or none of the guards. Also, if you wish to create 
  a new subplot in the finding and helping/destruction of 
  Gruffin, he will need to escape.
  Should the party fail to escape, now would be an excellent 
  time to pick up Out of the Abyss from your FLGS.
   
  Use the standard entries for hobgoblins and duergar for 
  this encounter. Thelga is in possession of a potion of heal-
  ing, eyes of charming, and of course her brand of remem-
  brance (outside of allowing you to mock your players for 
  weeks to come, the brand might also have the ability to 
  grant advantage on tracking checks for those it’s branded 
  when carried, or allow the casting of locate creature on 
  them). She carries only 50gp in wealth, having brought 
  only enough along for her purchases. If you use Gruffin, 
  one of the hobgoblins possesses a silvered dagger which 
  Gruffin purchased to end his curse.
  Appendix II: GPCs
  Guest Player Characters, whether they’re used for a single 
  session or become reoccuring characters to maintain 
  story coherency are great to have around! If a PC dies at 
  an inopportune moment (and really, when is death ever 
  convenient?) it’s nice to have a character on hand to pick 
  up and just keep playing. No need for messy introductions 
  or waiting around for someone to create a new character.
  The Lost Mine of Phandelver provides several opportu-
  nities to introduce new characters. If you know you’re 
  running a deadly game, feel free to have those ready and 
  waiting for a player to pick up. Some players are very 
  hesitant to play a pre-made character. Tell them they’re 
  welcome to sit out, you have a game to run. If an NPC has 
  been introduced well, I find most players are excited to 
  step into the shoes of that character, often just continuing 
  to play that character instead of creating a new one.
  Sildar Hallwinter, Nilsa Dendrar, and Reidoth are all obvious 
  choices for GPCs. Sildar could be used as presented, or 
  turned into a fighter for regular use. Nilsa would work great 
  as a rogue with the Healer feat, giving a nod to her family’s 
  history in Thundertree. She can quickly equip herself from 
  the fallen guards and the armory near her cell. Reidoth 
  is a fine druid, though I like to think he might be a forest 
  gnome rather than human.
  Thanks for Reading!
  I hope you’ve found something to include in your next 
  game. Please take a look at Min-Max Monsters, the product 
  this is based upon. You’ll find more generalized tips on how 
  to get the most out of your creatures and give your players 
  a more wholistic experience. Encounters can fall flat, but it 
  typically doesn’t take much to spruce them up a little and 
  have some fun really putting the screws to your players. 
  They’ll love you for it!
  If you have enjoyed this read, please take a moment to 
  leave a review on DriveThruRPG. If you didn’t enjoy it, just 
  keep that to yourself, no one wants that kind of negativity.  
  I kid, constructive criticism is always welcome. Have fun!
  Min-Max Monsters
  on DriveThruRPG.
  
  Strength 
  Dexterity 
  Constitution 
  Intelligence 
  Wisdom 
  Charisma
  -1
  +2
  +2
  +1
  +2
  +1
  +3
  +4
  Reidoth
  3rd level 
  Forest Gnome Druid
  Armor Class Hit Points
  Special Rules
  Weapons
  24
  Speed
  25’
  Saving Throws
  Proficiencies
  Equipment
  Hide armor, club, explorer’s pack, 
  pan flute, potion of healing, potion of 
  animal friendship, scroll of lesser resto-
  ration, scroll of meld into stone
  Darkvision, 60’
  Gnome Cunning (advantage on Int, 
  Wis, and Cha saves vs. magic)
  Natural Illusionist (knows the minor 
  illusion cantrip, Investigation DC 11)
  Natural Recovery (recover 1 first 
  level spell slot every short rest)
  Speak w/ Small Beasts (communi-
  cate simple ideas to small beasts)
  Spell Casting (Atk +4, DC 12)
  Cantrips: druidcraft, produce 
  flame, shillelagh
  Spell Slots: 4 first, 2 second
  Prepared Spells: (1st) animal 
       friendship, cure wounds,  
   
   
      entangle, fog cloud, (2nd)  
   
   
      barkskin, moonbeam, spider   
   
      climb
  Wanderer (Outlander feature)
  Wild Shape (2x/short rest)
  Club (with Shillelagh)
   
  Attack +4, 1d8+2
  Animal Handling +4, Athletics +1, Per-
  ception +4, Survival +4
  pan flute, common, druidic, fey, 
  gnomish
  14
  
  Strength 
  Dexterity 
  Constitution 
  Intelligence 
  Wisdom 
  Charisma
  -1
  +3
  +2
  +0
  +1
  +2
  +5
  +2
  Nilsa Dendrar
  2nd level Human Rogue
  Armor Class Hit Points
  Special Rules
  Weapons
  17
  Speed
  30’
  Saving Throws
  Proficiencies
  Equipment
  Two short swords, studded leather 
  armor, light crossbow
  Cunning Action (bonus action to 
  Dash, Disengage, or Hide) 
  Expertise (double proficiency bo-
  nus with Medicine and Persuasion)
  Healer Feat (when using a healer’s 
  kit to stabilize a dying creature, 
  you also restore 1hp. Also, if you 
  spend a use of a healer’s kit, you 
  restore 1d6+4+the target’s HD in 
  hp to them. They may only benefit 
  1x/short rest.)
  Rustic Hospitality (Folk Hero fea-
  ture)
  Sneak Attack, +1d6
  Thieves’ cant
  Short Sword
   
  Attack +5, Damage 1d6+3
  Light Crossbow
   
  Attack +5, Damage 1d8+3
   
  Acrobatics +5, Animal Handling +3, 
  Insight +3, Medicine +5, Persuasion +6, 
  Stealth +5, Survival +3
  Alchemist’s supplies, thieves’ tools, ve-
  hicles (land), common, gnomish
  15
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/5th Edition (5e)/3rd Party/DMsGuild/Non-Publisher Titles/Min-Max Monsters in the Lost Mine of Phandelver.pdf