The adventure can end in one of several ways. Ideally, it concludes with the defeat of Cryovain the white dragon, the completion of all the Phandalin quests, or both. By then, the characters should be 6th level. Give the players a chance to wrap up loose ends before declaring the adventure over. For example, the characters might need to return to area Phandalin to collect an outstanding reward or notify townsfolk that the dragon has been dealt with. Armed with such good news, Townmaster area Harbin Wester might plan a feast in the heroes' honor. What happens next is up to you.
If the worst happens and the characters die, their adventure is also over. You can let the players roll up new characters and pick up where their last ones left off, or you can also start over with new characters, tweaking quests as you see fit to surprise players who might be familiar with them.
You might also expand the adventure by inventing new quests and new locations. Another introductory product called the D&D Starter Set contains an adventure titled Lost Mine of Phandelver, which takes place in the same region as this adventure and is designed for characters of 1st through 5th level. You can add locations from that adventure to this one, giving your players and their characters even more places to explore.
Once you’ve exhausted all the content this adventure has to offer, you can run it again for different players, or you can find an adventure that takes the characters beyond 6th level. The “Where Next?” section below offers a few suggestions.
Where Next?
If your players want to advance their characters beyond 6th level, they’ll need the Player’s Handbook to do so.
If you plan to run more D&D for your players, you’ll also need the Dungeon Master’s Guide, the Monster Manual, and new adventures. Many DMs like to create their own adventures. Others prefer to run published adventures like this one. You’ll find fun, inexpensive adventures for characters of all levels and groups of all sizes in the DMs Guild (www.dmsguild.com). Wizards of the Coast also publishes hardcover books that contain stand-alone adventures that can entertain you and your players for months. You can run these adventures as written, or you can do what many experienced DMs do: use the parts you like, ignore the rest, and add a few surprises of your own. Here are brief descriptions of some of these published adventures, to help you choose the one that’s right for you.
Curse of Strahd (for levels 1–10). Eerie mist engulfs the adventurers and transports them to Barovia, a land of Gothic horror ruled by the vampire Strahd von Zarovich. To escape Barovia, the characters must confront and defeat the vampire in his terrifying castle.
Hoard of the Dragon Queen (for levels 1–7) and The Rise of Tiamat (for levels 8–15). Tiamat, the Queen of Evil Dragons, is trapped in the Nine Hells—but not for long if her servants amass enough treasure to buy her freedom. This adventure is split across two books.
Out of the Abyss** (for levels 1–15)**. Trapped in a vast subterranean labyrinth called the Underdark, the characters must fight monsters and forge alliances to survive. Along the way, they encounter wandering demons that are spreading madness wherever they go.
Princes of the Apocalypse** (for levels 1–15)**. East of Phandalin lies the peaceful Dessarin Valley, where four evil elemental cults have gained a foothold. To protect the valley and its settlements, the characters must root out and destroy these cults and their leaders.
Storm King’s Thunder** (for levels 1–10)**. Evil giants seek to conquer the Sword Coast. If the characters can find Hekaton the storm giant king, he can put an end to the giants' rampage, but a secret enemy stands in their way.
Tomb of Annihilation** (for levels 1–11)**. A trap-ridden tomb holds a device that is capturing and devouring the souls of the dead. To save these poor souls, the characters must cross a vast jungle, descend into the tomb, and defeat the horrors within.
Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage** (for levels 5–20)**. Beneath the city of Waterdeep lies the dungeon of Undermountain, ruled by the mad wizard Halaster Blackcloak. Many heroes enter, but few escape!
Playtesters
Special thanks to our playtesters: Glen Ausse, Cory Barlog, Brandon Beck, Dave Bendit, Greg Broadmore, Jacob Defassio, Ian Fiebig, Ray Fisher, Daniel Garrett, Chad Gokey, Mark Greenberg, James Herbert, Doug Hopkins, Joe Hughes, Michael Jones, Ty Koebernick, Kevin Konieczko, Josh Mosqueira, Sebastian Ortiz, Bob Pursley, Jade Raymond, Jesse Robinson, Rebecca Robinson, David Steele, James A. Thompson, Morgan “The Sleeper” Webb.