Solo LMoP - 14. Homebrewing with the elements we have

 So, now our group has finished most of the module. We still have the green dragon and the final dungeon. But, our group, being five adventurers, is only level 3 now and I want them at least to be level 4 before entering Wave Echo Cave. Let's have a look at the elements and issues we have at the moment. 

XP: To get all of the party to level 4 they would need a total of 2700 XP. 

Opponents:
- Glasstaff is still on the run and that is certainly a threat I want to finish before wave echo cave.
- Vyerith, the doppelganger is still in Phandalin. She stayed behind with the goal to find out more about the mine. She needs to be dealt with as well
- The party has never encountered the Black Spider directly. The module does not make it so, but after finding messages about and from him everywhere it might be nice to have an encounter with him before the final fight. 

The Black Spider himself offers 450XP, but he won't be defeated now, at least I do not plan for that. 
Glasstaff and Vyerith however could team up for a total of 900 XP as well. In itself that is a manageable fight, but rather simple. So far the Spider has worked with bandits and goblinoids, with a few exceptions. So it might be nice to split the fight in two. 

So, there are two possible fights that we can run here. 

Glasstaff, backed up by 5 of his Redbrand Ruffians (which he recruited from a bandit tribe nearby) for a total of 700XP

Vyerith and possible 2 Goblins which would be just barely a deadly encounter. It's a lot but preferable to a dragon. However, a doppelganger is an ambush-monster and I would prefer Vyerith to have a bit of plotting and possibly a small dungeon just for herself. 

Another enemy the group never did fight was the owlbear, which is a fearsome foe by itself. And then there was the Grick that was very much anti-climactic. 

So, how about these encounters: 
Glasstaff + 5 Redbrands: 700XP
2 Grick: 900XP 
An Owlbear: 700 XP
And finally Vyerith as the endboss: another 700 XP
Total: 3000 XP, enough to bring everyone to level 4 in time for the final dungeon. 

Of course, I do not want to just reproduce the same monsters over and over again, so I will change the owlbear into something else with the same stats. I already found a nice picture of what I want it to look like. Now I need to make a map and string this story together. 

Two days later I have created an entire small sub-adventure that I'll playtest myself now. 

Download the adventure as I have prepared it here.

The sun is already low in the sky when the group reaches the Triboar Trail, travels for a few minutes to the West and finally takes a left turn to head to Phandalin on the smaller woodland path. They chat amongst themselves, looking forward to a decent meal at the inn after eight days on the road living from rations. 

🎲Determine marching order, 1d100 each: Drusa (31), Haunui (85), Harbek (11), Quillathe (52), Brandr (8)
Brandr is leading at the moment and his Passive Perception is 14, that beats the DC to notice the trap. 

Brandr stops and points to a thin wire that has been strung over the trail. Looking up the party notices a big net spread out between the treetops. As he points to it a figure steps into the road, wearing a familiar red cape. 
"Well, well.", Glasstaff says "We meet again. Kill them!", he shouts out as several ruffians step out of the underbrush and attack.

Download the full battle report, including all rolls and maps here. 

For a moment it seems that the battle will be over quickly as Haunui releases two arrows and hits the wizard. But then he disappears and the Redbrands rush in. It is a hard fight. Glasstaffs men are quick and handle their swords with a fierce determination, striking true many times. They position themselves well and spread out over the fighters and the group is forced to expand a lot of magic and ability to finally kill them off. Glasstaff attacks from the underbrush, using trees for cover and throwing magic missiles at the party. Quillathe tries to do the same but with an arcane shield her opponent manages to block her spell. He does retreat however, slowly. In a final blast of force he manages to knock Drusa unconscious before Haunui's arrow hits him square in the chest and pierces his heart. 

As silence falls around them the party searches the bodies. Spread out among the ruffians and Glasstaff they find a total of 76 gold and 41 silver which they divide amongst themselves. There is also a potion that they don't recognize. There is also the staff which Quillathe takes over. After spending the time to ritually identify the spell Quillathe tells the group that it is a potion of invisibility and hands it off to Haunui. Harbek in the meantimes spends a little more time to heal Drusa and Brandr. Then, the party heads down the road and about an hour alter they arrive in Phandalin. 

At Phandalin the group heads straight for the Stonehill Inn to ask for Gundren and Sildar. Sildar is nearby at the townmasters hall, waiting for Gundren as well, who has gone out on the walk he takes daily, looking to see if he can find his brothers. 

The group decides to make a quick round through town to report on their activities and finished missions. 

- Daran Edermath is pleased with the report about Old Owl Well and relieved that at least the undead have a master that does not seem to have ill intents. He will however listen closely to news from that direction. He has nothing to reward the characters with, but offers both Drusa and Haunui places in the Order of the Gauntlet which they will both consider for a while. 

- Linene Greywind has by now retrieved her wares from the Cragmaw Hideout and pays the party 50 gold as a reward. 
- Sister Garaele thanks the party for the information they have gotten for her from the banshee and offers them three potions of healing - the group now has 10 of them, 2 for each.
- When they return to Sildar he also pays them the promised 100 gold for clearing out the orcs from Wyvern Tor and after a meal - Gundren still has not returned the party goes to bed, tired from the day. 

The next morning they head to the shops first to spend some coin, refill their rations, Haunui's Arrows.
Haunui and Brandr buy breastplates and Drusa and Harbek get themselves sets of splint mail. There is little of use to buy for Quillathe here so she keeps her money for the moment being, enjoying her staff. 

When the group returns the Sildar they learn that Gundren has not returned last night and by now they also have learned that Vyerith has not been seen in a couple of days. The group asks around and hears that Gundren was last seen talking with some hooded person at the inn last afternoon. Elmar Barthens tells them he has seen Gundren this morning, when he came in to buy some rope, but he seemed distant and did not really respond a lot to Elmar. A farmer tells them he saw Gundren heading Southward into the surrounding wilderness. Nothing is in the South except more ruins of the original town of Phandalin. 

The party finds this very strange and decide to try and find Gundren. They head Southwards and try to find Gundren's tracks. 

🎲Investigation Check Quillathe, +5, adv (helped by the party)(DC 12): 18 (success)

🎲Survival Check Haunui, +3, adv (helped by Quillathe who uses her charm to gain proficiency in Survival as well) (DC 12): 17 (success)

The tracks lead them to a particular building. 

Only a few foundation walls remain of what must at one point have been some domicile or workshop. Thorny bushes cover most of the ruin. Inside the walls a part of the floor has collapsed and a dark hole of about eight foot in diameter leads vertically down into the earth.

The party quickly climbs over the walls and makes a way through the bushes to the hole where they use Haunui's rope to climb down into a subterranean tunnel. 

Through the hole in the ceiling only little light reaches down here. A bare tunnel with rough stone walls starts here and leads Eastward, curving around to the North.

In this party only Quillathe and Harbek have darkvision and the tunnel entrance is very dark. So Brandr, who does not rely on weapons a lot will take a torch and light the way. 

The space widens as you enter a dark cavern. Fallen pieces of rocks cover the floor and thick, grey cobwebs the size of sails sway softly in the breeze like curtains in the wind. A tunnel in the opposite wall is entirely blocked off by thick nets.

🎲Stealth Check denizen of first cave, +1: 5 (not beating anyone's passive perception)

Given the fact that the group carries a light, the inhabitant immediately attacks. 

A strange clicking sound from a dark corner alerts you as you enter the cavern. A moment later a large beast consisting of bleak, chitinous plates rushes at you on six thick, segmented legs while the two front ones lash at you, adorned with sharp ridges like the blades of jagged scythes.

Download full Battle report with all rolls and maps here

The battle is surprisingly short. As Drusa rushes in for the confrontation, Harbek lays a divine shield upon her. The spider's attacks miss and suddenly Brandr emits a bright light that hits the creature square in the abdomen, evaporation a chunk of its body so that with a well landed axe-blow and a final arrow it is quickly dispatched.

With Brandr's torch the group burns the webs in the North tunnel and quickly advance

The descending tunnel leads you into another cave, larger than the last one. The ceiling is higher here and the cave seems to have been cleared some time ago with most of the fallen rocks collected in piles. Tunnels opening up to the left an right of where you entered lead back Southwards. Against the far wall you can make out the remains of an seemingly abandoned campsite. A humanoid figure lies motionless in front of it.

"Gundren", calls Drusa.

A dark elf clad in black leather armor and robes emerges from the dark. A black staff with a carved spider on top he smirks at you. “We meet at last. It took me a lot of time and effort to lure you here so that I can deal with you… you don’t look like you’ll be worth it.” He makes a clicking sound with his tongue and from the tunnels behind you a similar sound is heard as two large, snakelike creatures with beaks and tentacles crawl into the cavern, hungrily snapping in your direction.

Download full Battle report with all rolls and maps here

The fight is bloody but short. The two Grick snap at the adventurers but their tentacled beaks do not manage to grab onto much for most of the time and they are quickly defeated when from the back of the hall suddenly the drow rushes and attacks, not with magic but with fists, dealing heavy blows to Brandr. But Quillathe makes the dark elf roll on the floor with laughter for a moment before Brandr, Drusa and Haunui are all upon him as Harbek runs to his cousin. Strange enough, as the group sees the Spider fall its body changes and warps into a nondescript blueish grey form with no real facial features.

🎲History Check Quillathe +3 (DC 13): 5 (failure)

None of them know what this creatures is, but Gundren is now awake and coughs as he is release from his binds. He tells the group that the Spider had met with a stranger creature here that could take the form of another. The monster had taken Gundrens from, dresses in his clothes and left the cave before.

🎲Stealth Check Real Spider, +3 (DC 14), adv (invisible): 15 (success)

The group quickly searches the lair but finds nothing of value besides a single ring of silver and amber they take from the dried out husk of one of the Scythe Spider's victims. They bring Gundren to the surface and make their way to the tavern where one of them runs to fetch Sildar. Together they talk. The Spider now has taken the map that Gundren had, but the Dwarf has memorized the route to the cave. He explains it to them and asks them to stop the Spider and find his cousins Nundro and Tharden. He has little gold, but he promises them a 25 gold cash reward each and a 10 percent share of the mine's wealth. The characters, sick and tire of the Black Spider, gladly agree. They decide to gear up for the trip to the mine and make their way there today. They rest briefly and depart in an Eastwards direction.

🎲Roll for encounter during the day, 1d20 (encounter on 17-20): 12 (no encounter)
🎲Roll for encounter during the night, 1d20 (encounter on 17-20): 9 (no encounter)

In the evening they reach the entrance of the mine, hidden in a fold of the Sword Mountains. They camp here and rest for the night, planning to enter the mine the next morning. 

All members of the party, except for Brandr reach level 4 this night.

Drusa:
The de facto leader of this group, Drusa has been relying heavily on her Greataxe, using her maneuvers to protect and strike true. 
🎲HP, 1d10+2 (reroll 1): 9 => Total of  34 HP
Since she is mainly relying on her weapons so far, she'll take an ability score increase of her Strength to 18. 
Tasha's Cauldron of Everything also suggests letting Fighters change maneuvers at this point. Drusa has never used her Commanding Presence and will therefore switch it out for the Riposte Maneuver. 

Haunui:

The Archer has so far benefited little from his subclass, only seldomly managing to roll 19 or higher. He hits often due to his fighting style though and has great versatility with his long ranger attack and his Hunting Sword, often using Flanking Maneuvers to get into an advantageous position.
🎲HP, 1d10+2 (reroll 1): 6 => Total of 37 HP
To give Haunui more opportunities to shine than only when he rolls high enoug, he'll take the Mobile feat, adding to his speed and making him able to quickly move away after attacking so that he can change to his bow if needed. 

Harbek
The Cleric has come back from being a front-liner and has focused a lot more on healing and the occasional crowd-control but using his warhammer where needed. 
🎲HP, 1d8+2 (reroll 1): 7 => Total of 37 HP
He learns an additional Cantrip and takes the Guidance cantrip for that. 
He will take an ability score increase to boost his Wisdom to 18, increasing the amount of healing he can do. 

Quillathe
The Wizard has been focussing more on trying to manipulate her opponents, but has been lacking ability to deal decent damage, having to rely on cantrips and her magic missiles spell for this. 
🎲HP, 1d6+2 (reroll 1): 6 => Total of 24 HP
She'll take a boost to her Intelligence, increasing her Spell Save DC and Spell Attack Modifier. 
She'll learn the Mind Sliver Cantrip that should go nicely with her manipulation magic.
She'll also learn Cromatic Orb, to give her an alternate option to Magic Missile and Crown of Madness to turn enemies into temporary tools. 

And so, the next morning the party enters the hidden cave entrance and descends into the depths of the Wave Echo Cave.