The Lost Mine of Phandelver 

Part 3b – Ruins of Thundertree

● 1-3 days travel

● Backstory
o Near the place where the Neverwinter River emerges from Neverwinter Wood stands
the abandoned village of Thundertree. Once, it was a prosperous community on the
outskirts of the forest, wealthy from the work of its woodcutters and trappers. Then
several years ago, the eruption of Mount Hotenow to the north devastated Thundertree.
In the wake of the natural disaster, a plague of strange zombies swept over the area,
killing or driving off those who survived the eruption. Though most of the zombies have
long since crumbled to dust, strange magic permeates the area and has mutated the
local vegetation into new and dangerous forms. Few people dare to venture into the
ruined village now, and those who do so seldom stay long.

Play Thundertree Ambiance

● Gradually, the trail becomes an old, overgrown lane winding between dilapidated buildings
choked in vines and brush. Ahead of you, in the middle of the settlement, rises a steep hill, upon
which stands a stone tower with a partially collapsed roof and an adjoining cottage. A dirt road
hugs the base of the hill and wends its way between old stone houses, many of which are
roofless ruins with interiors open to the weather. Other buildings appear more or less intact. The
whole place is eerily silent. A wooden sign is nailed to a post nearby. It reads: "DANGER! Plant
monsters AND zombies! Turn back now!"
● Features
o 5-8 feet high stone walls
o Ruined Buildings are difficult terrain
o Intact buildings DC 10 Strength to open doors
o 2 foot wide windows with 6 inch arrow slits
▪ ¾ cover
o Trees 30-40ft
o Brush is difficult terrain

1. Westernmost Cottage
a. Cowering in the shadow of an old tree is a crumbled stone cottage with no roof. Weeds
are rampant here.
b. 2x Twig Bligths (Battle Music)
i. Stealth vs parties passive perception to spot
ii. Won't attack except for self-defense or to help allies in area 2
2. Blighted Cottages
a. These ruined, side-by-side cottages look as though they might have been the homes of
prosperous shopkeepers or well-off farmers in their time. All that remains are collapsed
walls and piles of debris. Several young trees have grown up in the midst of the ruins.
b. 6 x twig blights (Battle Music)
i. Perception vs stealth to find
ii. 1 round after fight begins area 1 twig blights join
c. Treasure
i. DC 10 Perception
1. You find an old chest among the roots of the tree growing up through
the house.
2. 700cp, 160sp and 90gp
3. The Brown Horse
a. A weathered sign board by the door of this large building shows the faded image of a
workhorse holding a flagon of ale. The building is sagging and dilapidated, but it’s more
intact than the ruins across the road.
b. 4x ash zombies (Battle Music)
i. You hear a groan as something begins to stir. You watch as blackened rotten
creatures slowly climb to their feet from behind barrels and under tables.
c. You find what appears to be a common room with broken tables and chairs as well as a
bar counter (first section)
d. In this section you find portions of a kitchen and brewers vats. Huge wooden
tuns(barrels) stand to the west, and a faint smell of yeast still permeates the air
4. Druid’s Watch
a. This small house appears to be in better condition than the ruined and dilapidated
structures nearby. The doors are reinforced with heavy iron bands, and thick shutters
protect the windows.
b. You see a gaunt white-bearded human
i. Dangerous spiders lurk in the ruins at the base of the hill, and I suspect that
someone is hiding out on the eastern side of town. I’ve seen folk in black masks
and cloaks skulking around.
ii. However, more importantly is that a red and green dual colored dragon seems to
have moved into the tower since the last time I was here.
I suggest you leave Thundertree before you get yourselves killed. As impressive
as you all look I highly doubt you’d ever be able to fight a dragon and live to tell
the tale
iii. I recommend you avoid the farmhouse to the south unless you’re looking for a
fight.
iv. Ah yes cragmaw castle. Just past Phandalin, if you continue your way on the
triboar trail. When you first see the trees make your way North. If you continue
that way you will find yourself at the castle
v. Wave Echo Cave is one place I’m not willing to reveal. I doubt you’d be able to
survive here. The things in that cave are far worse.
5. Blighted Farmhouse
a. This ruin looks as if it might once have been a farmhouse. It’s now half swallowed by a
dense thicket, with trees growing up through its ruined foundations. The lane continues
south a short distance past the ruin before ending in an overgrown field.
b. 8x twig blights (Battle Music)
i. 2 appear per round
ii. Half head through south door and half through north
6. Ruined Store
a. At an intersection near the middle of the Village, a narrow lane winds up the steep
hillside to the north. Directly to the south is a ruined building that might have been a
store or workshop. Webs stretch across the lane, from the building to the trees on the
north side of the road.
b. 2x Giant Spiders (Battle Music)
i. Perception check 13
1. As you make your way down the path you find yourself swatting silk
threads out of your face. You realize that, it’s actually not just silk, but
webbing. As that realization hits two giant spiders crawl over the walls
staring at their next meal
a. Difficult terrain
b. DC 12 strength or restrained
c. AC 10 5hp to cut through
c. Treasure
i. You spot the corpse of an unfortunate adventurer cocooned in spider silk in the
western half of the building
1. Cutting it open reveals a shriveled up body that appears to be a male elf.
You find a shorts sword in a scabbard at its hip
2. You also find a potion of healing in his belt pouch, along with 35sp and
23gp
7. Dragon’s Tower – Volrak (Special thanks to U/brosequis)
a. At the top of the hill stands a round tower with a cottage attached. Both are in good
condition, although half of the tower's roof is gone. A door leads into the cottage, and
several arrow-slit windows are visible in the tower. You can't help but notice an eerie
quiet in the area and a strange, acrid smell in the air. The corpses of two hideous giant
spiders are sprawled near the edge of the pathway, apparently dragged there. Their
bloated bodies are puckered and blistered, and appear to have been mauled by a large
animal.
i. 40ft high ceilings
b. You hear a voice as you approach “Adventurers! I know you're out there. Talking to that
druid, I presume. I can smell your foul odor. I know that druid wants me to leave.
Coveting my treasure. Undoubtedly I'm sure you do, too. So if it's a battle you want, I will
provide it, but I hope to parley. If you value your lives you should hear me out. I come
carrying, as the human custom goes, the white banner of peace. Step into my lair and no
harm should come to you.”
c. You watch as a large green/red dragon slithers down the side of the tower to greet you
d. Let us put aside our weapons. To be welcomed into a lair of a dragon is a trust and honor
no dragon dare go against! His claws retract, I'm issuing the draconic guest rite. May
Tiamat strike those that defy this rite down!
i. (Maybe reference ancient human guest rites as a bastardization of draconic
culture.)
e. The truth is that this fight is more evenly matched than I prefer. I will destroy you, but I
will be forced to lick my wounds and in that time, be a prime target for that gray
behemoth's inevitable attack! I may be inclined to be evil, by your own standards, but
I'm not stupid. I would much prefer fights I can overwhelmingly win.
f. Anyway I'm quite full, right now. Another party tried to kill me recently, you see. They
didn't take to negotiating. Thought I was a liar. Oh.....The druid didn't tell you about
them?
g. See…we have an arrangement me and him. I help him keep that behemoth's influence
at bay. He saves me time from going out and hunting for treasure and food… He sends
groups like you, to me, to deal, in hopes I leave here. I either get treasure, or an attempt
at a new lair! He can't defeat me, so he gets the stupid ones killed and the smart ones to
help me leave his domain! Oh…he didn't tell you that either? That's too bad... yes. It
appears those druids love nature more than their fellow man. I suppose he cares less
about you, than you of him! Reminds me of dealings with my own kin. It appears the
only square deals that exist can only be between different races."
h. You watch as the dragon's ears perk up, he leaps to one of the pillars, looking around
worriedly. He deftly moves from pillar to pillar with an unnatural grace.
i. There's more of her spies around. I can feel it...I must whisper now.
i. You see- I need a favor. I'm offering you a deal. Close together, now. I must whisper.
There's another nearby dragon who has a better lair. Her name is Torhaem and those
spiders outside were once her spies. If you'd slay her I'd gladly leave this place at once
with all my treasure. No problem at all. I will rid myself of this place and vow never to
return.
j. Please listen to me! I would rather not risk my life for such a mission or leave my
treasure unguarded. I knew this site would draw attention from adventurers…It was all
planned! I swear it on your gods and my own. She lives high in the mountains of Icespire
peak. Come closer now and I'll give you a map!
k. See? He says as he pulls out a map (The dragon's face cannot contain his smile
anymore!) Thank you for trusting me, meal!"
l. The dual colored dragon dragon roars! Exposing a ball of poison quickly building in his
mouth. The scent of bleach and volatile chemicals hits your faces followed by a vicious
cloud of acidic haze!
i. Fight 1 x Dragon (Secretly Black Spider) Play Boss Music
1. Will flee at half health
2. If players chose to help Torhaem she will come to the rescue
3. Will still attack if players say they slayed Torhaem
a. Well I can’t have a threat such as yourselves still around
 m. Cottage: Entering the cottage you notice dusty furniture draped in webbing, but nothing
of particular value.
n. Tower: Inside you see a 5 foot wide staircase that circles the interior, rising to an opened
rooftop. Heavy wooden beams and stair supports crisscross the tower interior
o. Treasure
i. You can see an old wooden chest broken open on the towers floor. Taking a look
you find 800sp, 150gp, four silver goblets set with moonstones (60gp ea.) a
scroll of misty step, and a scroll of lightning bolt.
ii. As you take the coins you notice a rusty old battleaxe. You can make out through
the rust Dwarvish runes that read Hew
1. +1 Battleaxe( deals max damage when attacking wood or a plant
creature)

8. Old Smithy
a. A wide chimney and rotted piles of firewood jumbled outside the walls of this sagging
building suggest that it was a smithy in its day.
i. 2x Ash Zombies (Battle Music)
b. You find a variety of old tools- tongs, bellows, hammers, and a pair of iron anvils
scattered around

9. Herbalist’s Shop
a. This ruined shop is cluttered with sagging storage shelves and broken furniture. Shards
of glass and pieces of pottery glint in the weeds and rubble next to rotted books and
casks.
b. DC 15 Perception
i. Searching through the wreckage you find a case, inside is a gold necklace with a
fine emerald pendant (200gp) and an inscription. To my dear Mirna, may the
love our family has last forever.

10. Town Square

a. On the east side of town, the lane opens up to form a small square. Several ruined
buildings surround the south side of the square, but a larger, intact structure to the
north looks like a barracks. One lane leads southeast, another heads southwest around
the hill in the middle of the town, and a third way meanders north. In the middle of the
square, leaning to one side ever so slightly, is a weathered wooden statue of a warrior
clutching a spear and shield.
i. History check DC 15
1. The 10ft statue depicts an old hero of Neverwinter named Palien, who
supposedly defeated several monsters in Neverwinter Wood when
Thundertree was first founded
ii. DC 20 Strength to knock over statue
11. Old Garrison
a. The barracks appear to have weathered the years better than most buildings in town. Its
rooftop features a simple battlement, and arrow-slit windows confirm that it was built to
serve as a small keep in times of emergency.
i. 5x ash Zombies (Battle Music)
1. You see the rotted, decrepit bodies of the former members of the
garrison, rise from the ground, remnants of rusted mail adorn them
b. Inside you find that the building still contains furnishings, and the main room has a
ladder leading through a trapdoor to the roof.
i. The main chamber appears to be a kitchen and pantry, with piles of well-rotted
sacks and barrels that seem to have once held salted meats.
ii. The chamber to the north has two double bunks
iii. The chamber to the south has 3 double bunks

12. Weaver’s Cottage

a. Heaps of wreckage litter the interior of this ruin. In one corner stands a broken loom.
i. 6x twig blights (Battle Music)
1. Perception vs Stealth to avoid surprise
ii. Any loud noises alerts cultists in area 13

13. Dragon Cultists

a. This small farmhouse appears to be just another empty home at first glance. However,
all the doors are shut and windows shuttered.
i. DC 20 Strength to force door open
ii. DC 15 Strength to force Window open
b. 6x cultists (Battle Music)
i. 4x stand guard
1. 2 in each room
ii. 2x rest in large chamber
iii. Will flee if leader is killed
iv. Will attack if they find out party killed are made Volrak flee
c. Inside the house you notice it’s dusty and strung with cobwebs. The Only furnishings are
a small stove, a table, two chairs, and a bunk
i. Treasure
1. You find a small coffer containing 3 diamonds(100gp each)
d. Favric – leader
i. You see several humanoid figures dressed in black cloaks seemingly cut to
resemble dragon wings along with black leather masks with stylized dragon
horns.
ii. Our goal is quite simple, we’ve come here to make a treaty with the dragon.
1. We would like it to offer it tribute in exchange for its power.
2. Doesn’t know its name
iii. You find a stoppered vial around his neck with a silvery looking liquid
1. Potion of flying
 Special Thanks
NihilVerum322X

Killroy

Chris

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