Starter Set Companion

Dungeon Master’s Handbook

Introduction: The Starter Set Companion, is a gaming aid designed to assist the
DM when running the adventure in the fifth edition Starter Set. This companion
gives advice for new and old DM’s alike, giving them the tools they need to help
make their campaign easier to run.

A Dungeon Master Aid

by Andrew Sneath

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, the dragon ampersand, Player’s Handbook, Monster Manual, Dungeon Master’s Guide, D&D Adventurers
League, all other Wizards of the Coast product names, and their respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast in the USA and other countries. All characters and
their distinctive likenesses are property of Wizards of the Coast. This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or
unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of Wizards of the Coast.

©2016 Wizards of the Coast LLC, PO Box 707, Renton, WA 98057-0707, USA. Manufactured by Hasbro SA, Rue Emile-Boéchat 31, 2800 Delémont, CH. Represented by Hasbro Europe,
4 The Square, Stockley Park, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB11 1ET, UK.

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 Contents 1

Why the Starter Set 2

Playing for Free 2
The Core Books 2
Additional Game Aids 3
Running the Starter Set 4
Quests 4
Encounter XP Values 5
Milestone Awards 5
Abbreviations 8
Creature Tokens 10

Credits Disclaimer. The author is not responsible for the conse-

Written by Andrew J Sneath quences of goblin traps, green dragons, or temperamental
banshees who will only answer one question.
Some artwork Publisher’s Choice Quality Stock Art ©Rick
Hershey / Fat Goblin Games.
Special thanks to Jamie Stag, John Ellam, John Nott, Jon
Wells, Matt Sneath, Phil Niles, and Sam Healy; without
whom we would never have liberated the Wave Echo Cave.

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 2 Dungeon Master’s Handbook
Welcome to the DM’s Handbook for The Lost Mine of
Phandelver; the adventure from the Starter Set for the Fifth
Edition Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. Inside this
book you will find a few notes and pointers which may help
you the Dungeon master) prepare for this adventure, and a
selection of Encounter Sheets; one for each combat-based
encounter in the adventure.
To be able to use this resource you will need a copy of The
Lost Mine of Phandelver adventure; available both in the
Starter Set, and as a digital purchase on DnD Beyond.
This resource is for the eyes of the Dungeon Master only.
If you are not planning to run the adventure as a Dungeon
Master, please stop reading now.
Why the Starter Set?
The Starter Set is the ideal introduction to the game for any-
one who is new to Fifth Edition, or Dungeons & Dragons
in general. The boxed set itself includes all the core material
you will need to start playing, and costs less than any one of
the three core rule books. With the material included in the
box you can run the game with up to five other players; us-
ing pre-generated characters, from levels 1 to 5. You will not
have access to all the options available in the core Dungeons
& Dragons game, but enough is provided in the Starter Set
to run the adventure.
But what if you want more?
Playing for Free
If you are new to Dungeons & Dragons and you have a lim-
ited budget you may not wish to splash out a lot of money
on the core books. But equally so you still wish to have
extra options beyond those in the Start Set, and perhaps
even continue playing after completing The Lost Mine of
Phandelver. This is not difficult.
A free to download pdf containing the basic elements of the
Player’s handbook is available online at:
http://dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/basicrules.
These basic rules incorporate all the core races, classes and
spells, along with the key rules required to allow people to
play from 1st to 20th level. As a free to download product
this is amazing value for money.
Additionally, the full contents of the basic rules, along with
bonus material taken from the Player’s Handbook is avail-
able to use for free at:
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https://www.dndbeyond.com,
DnD Beyond is the official online resource for Dungeons
and Dragons. It is free to set up an account. And though it
is possible to purchase all the books online, it costs nothing
to create an account and immediately have a fully usable
copy of the rules ready to play.
Finally, look at for the free Elemental Evil Player’s Compan-
ion. The free to download book is available at http://www.
dmsguild.com, and includes a number of official character
options not included in the core rules.
The Core Books
The first port of call if you want to reach into your wallet
is to pick up a copy of the Player’s Handbook. This hard-
back book includes all the elements required for players to
create their own characters, greatly expanding the range
of material beyond what is available in the Starter Set. Not
only will the players be able to create their own characters
from scratch, but they will have access to a whole range of
character options; races, classes, backgrounds, etc., that are
not included in the starter set.
The second two books to pick up are the other two core
books. First if the Dungeon Master’s Guide which includes
all the advice and material you will need as the Dungeon
Master to create your own adventures. This is highly recom-
mended when you are ready to expand the game beyond
the contents of the Starter Set. In addition to this is the
Monster Manual; a weighty tome filled with hundreds of
creature entries, essential reading for any Dungeon Master
wishing to create or run further adventures.
Beyond the Core Books
Beyond this are a number of books, the choice of which will
depend on which direct you wish to go in as a Dungeon
Master. If you like the Forgotten Realms (the backdrop and
setting for the Lost Mines of Phandelver), you would not go
far wrong by picking up a copy of the Sword Coast Adven-
turer’s Guide. This books details the Sword Coast, a huge
region of the Forgotten Realms setting, empowering you
as a Dungeon Master with lore around the setting, whilst
also giving extra player options to expand on the material
already available in the Player’s Handbook. If you are look-
ing for more player content, consider Xanther’s Guide to
Everything. Or alternatively, expand on the section of crea-
tures available to you with either Volo’s Guide to Monsters,
or Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes.
 The Lost Mine of Phandelver
Additional Game Aids
Though not essential, it is advisable to pick up a few extra
bits and pieces which are not included in the Starter Box.
These include:
DM Screen
The DM Screen (or Dungeon Master’s Screen) is a card
prop that the DM places in front of them, between them
and the other players. This is ideal if you are playing whilst
sat around a table. On one side of the screen (facing you)
are all the various tables and system notes that you will
need to refer to on a regular basis. This keeps this informa-
tion close to hand so you can easily look up the necessary
information without having to flick through the pages of a
rule book. It also serves as a protective screen to keep your
story sensitive notes hidden from the players, and gives you
a place on the table to roll dice where the players cannot see
the results.
It is possible to pick up a copy of the official D&D DM
Screen. However, if you are playing on a budget, the best
thing to do is make up a screen of your own. The box from
the Starter Set is one option. Or alternatively stand two or
three ring binders in front of you. Some DM’s get inventive
and using a few tools and stationary items construct very
versatile and efficient screens for holding all their notes.
There are a number of homemade DM screen inserts avail-
able for free on the DM Guild. You can grab these, print off
the one you like, and attach the sheets to your side of the
screen in any way you wish.
Dice
You can never have too many dice. Though the Starter Set
comes with a set of dice, there is only one of each type, and
a d00 (a ten sided die numbered 01 to 00) is noticeably
missing. A second set of dice is very useful, especially for
when rolling with advantage (or disadvantage), or even roll-
ing damage for spells where lots of dice can come in handy.
Dice Tower
A purely optional addition to the game table, dice towers
come in various sizes, and can cost anything from very little
to a lot depending on the make and model. The idea behind
a dice tower is to drop the dice in the top and let it bounce
down the inside of the tower before landing in a small area
at the bottom where you can read the result. This reduces
the odds of anyone fixing their dice rolls, whilst also reduc-
ing the chances of dice falling off the table on the floor. Not
everyone likes them, but many find them helpful.
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Battle Map
A battle map is normally a wipe-able sheet with a grid of
1-inch squares on it. As they are wipe-able, white-board
markers can be used on them to draw walls and doors;
making it easy for the players to see the size and shape of
rooms as they explore a dungeon. Combined with figures
(below) they make running a combat scene a lot easier.
Figures
Traditionally, D&D is played by many using what is called
Theatre of the Mind. The DM describes the scene, and then
the players each confirms where they are and narrate what
they are doing. In combat this can become messy, especially
as more and more participants are involved in the scene.
This can place a lot of pressure on the DM as they need
to keep track of where everyone is in relation to everyone
else, whilst keeping track of the hit points for each creature
along with any condition effects they may be under. Figures
can go part way to making this task a lot easier as they can
be placed down on the table in relation to where everyone
generally is. Figures can be painted miniatures, pieces from
a board game, or even dice or beads. Though it is possible
to purchase official miniatures this is not essential. As long
as everyone understands what each figure represents that is
all that is important.
A number of tokens are found at the back of this book.
These can be printed, stuck to card and cut out to help with
visualising combat scenes.
Overland Map
Traditionally boxed sets like the Starter Set would often
have a large poster map of the region the adventure is
taking place in. When taken out of the box and unfolded;
it could be laid down on the table or stuck to the wall for
everyone to see. This is noticeably missing from the Starter
Set, probably in the interest of keeping the price down as
much as possible, but would have been nice if it had been
included. However all is not lost. The player friendly ver-
sion of the region map for the Starter Set available online,
sold by the artist who created it:
https://prints.mikeschley.com
It can be purchased electronically as an image file for you
to print out for personal use. And you can even order a
printed copy saving you the hassle from getting it printed.
Once added to your gaming table, place the map in the cen-
tre of the table, and allow the players the chance to immerse
themselves in the world as they note where they are and
where they want to go next.
 4 Dungeon Master’s Handbook

Quest Log
Quest Name Who/What Page Completion
Meet Me in Phandalin Gundren Rockseeker 4 Deliver the wagon to Barthen in Phandalin
Investigate Cragmaw Hideout Goblin Ambush 6 Find out what happened to Gundren and Sildar
Drendar is Missing Trilena 15 Rescue Mirna Drendar from Redbrand Hideout
Old Owl Trouble Daran Edermath 16 Investigate the Old Owl Well
Missing Caravan Linene Graywind 17 Recover missing goods found at Cragmaw Hideout
Halia's Job Offer Halia Tornton 17 Remove the Redbrant Threat
Reidoth the Druid Qelline Alderleaf 18 Meet Reidoth
The Banshee’s Bargain Sister Garaele 18 Ask Agatha about Bowgentle's spellbook
Orc Trouble Harbin Wester 18 Deal with the orcs at Wyvern Tor
Finding Cragmaw Castle Sildar Hallwinter 18 Locate Cragmaw Castle & defeat King Grol
Finding Larno Sildar Hallwinter 19 Find out what happened to Larno Albrek
Mirna's Heirloom Mirna Drendar 22 Locate the heirloom in Thundertree
The Mystery of Wyvern's Tor Hamun Kost 29 Ask Agatha about Wyvern's Tor
Venomfang Reidoth the Druid 32 Defeat or drive off Venomfang
Wave Echo Cave Gundren Rockseeker 41 Liberate the Wave Echo Cave

Running the Starter Set Dangerous Encounters

When running The Lost Mine of Phandelver there are a few
things which are not covered in the Starter Set which are
helpful is pointed out.
Quests
When running The Lost Mine of Phandelver it can be quite
a task to keep track of all the various adventure goals and
side quests available. To help keep track of this, the Quest
Log table above lists all the quests in adventure. Each entry
includes the name of the quest, who or what instigates it,
what page the quest is given on, and a general note about
what is required to complete the quest.
Faction Membership
One of the elements of the Forgotten Realms is the exist-
ence of factions; organisations which play a major role in
the Realms, helping to shape events that effect the world at
large. Six of the quests listed above have the additional (and
optional) reward of membership with one of the five fac-
tions. The Faction Membership table opposite lists all six
quests and which faction each is linked to.
There are a few encounters in this adventure which are
noted for the danger they hold when run as pure combat
encounters. They can easily end up with a Total Party Kill
(TPK), meaning the players have to start afresh with new
characters.
Goblin Ambush. This encounter is quite dangerous for a
group of first level characters. First level means few hit
points, and it is quite possible for the goblins to reduce
most of the party to 0 hit points before they are taken
out.
Overpass. For a first level group, this encounter is very
deadly. Consider whether you wish to use this en-
counter as written, or adjust it to be less lethal. If you
choose the later, consider having a pair of archers
posted on the bridge and forget the water trap.
Dragon’s Tower. This can be a dangerous encounter for
a group of 3rd level characters. Venomfang is there to
teach new players that sometimes a creature is too big
to take on, and running away allows the characters to
play again another day. However it is not unheard of
a group of players defeating Venomfang. Good dice
rolls and careful planning on behalf of the players will
ensure a victory is quite possible.

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 The Lost Mine of Phandelver
Faction Membership
Quest Faction Membership
Old Owl Trouble Order of the Gauntlet
Halia’s Job Offer Zentarim
The Banshee’s Bargain Harpers
Finding Cragmaw Castle Lord’s Alliance
Finding Larno Lord’s Alliance
Venomfang Emerald Enclave
Difficult Choices
Sometimes life gives difficult choices, and no matter the
option chosen there will be a consequence. The scene with
Agatha is one such thing. If the players pick up on all the
adventure hooks, they will want to ask Agatha more than
one question; however Agatha will only answer one ques-
tion. This is not a riddle or a puzzle where it is possible to
get both answers when only asking a single question. It is
about choices, along with reward and consequence. The
players have to make the choice as to which question they
will ask.
Encounter XP Values
One thing the adventure does not cover is the number
of experience points (XP) awarded for each encounter.
Though it is not too difficult to calculate the values foe each
encounter, having the values listed either in a table, or next
to each encounter would save time. However it also uses
up valuable space on the page, resulting in more pages, and
a higher price. To make the task of the Dungeon Master a
little easier, the XP values for each location based encounter
is presented in the tables on the next two pages.
These tables are divided into four groups of two; one for
each chapter of the adventure. The first table looks at each
encounter, giving both the XP Award (the amount of ex-
perience awarded for the encounter), and the XP Difficulty
(used for calculating how difficult the encounter will be).
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Milestones
Story Point Level Attained
End of Cragmaw Hideout 2nd
End of the Redbrand Hideout 3rd
When ready to enter the Wave Echo Cave 4th
End of the Wave Echo Cave 5th
The second table lists the difficulty categories (Easy to
Deadly) by XP Difficulty value and number of player char-
acters in the group. An explanation of what each of these
categories mean is given on the following page.
Guidance on how the XP Difficulty is calculated is found
in the rules for building encounters; both in the Dungeon
Master’s Guide and the free Basic Rules. The following
pages show the values already calculated for you. They
assume that every player character is the same level, and
that they will be of the correct level for each chapter. If you
are concern with the characters not being the right level,
use milestone awards instead of experience points as the
method for level advancement. It will certainly make your
job as Dungeon Master a lot easier.
Milestone Awards
The Dungeon Master’s Guide explains that as the DM you
do not have to award XP to the player characters. Instead
of awarding XP, simply allow them to advance one level
when they achieve a significant goal within the story. This is
called Milestone Awards, and is a much easier way of level-
ling up characters. If you intend to use Milestone Awards,
the points where the player characters gain a level are
shown in the Milestones table below.
If the players meet all the story points, their level should
always be the same as the chapter number they are playing.
 6 Dungeon Master’s Handbook

Understanding the Difficulties

Understanding what the difficulty categories mean is essential for gauging how well a group of characters will fare in a
fight. There are four categories. Page 82 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide defines these as:
Easy. An easy encounter doesn’t tax the characters’ resources or put them in serious peril. They might lose a few hit points,
but victory is pretty much guaranteed.
Medium. A medium encounter usually has one or two scary moments for the players, but the characters should emerge
victorious with no casualties. One or more of them might need to use healing resources.
Hard. A hard encounter could go badly for the adventurers. Weaker characters might get taken out of the fight, and
there’s a slim chance that one or more characters might die.
Deadly. A deadly encounter could be lethal for one or more player characters. Survival often requires good tactics and
quick thinking, and the party risks defeat.

Chapter 1: Goblin Arrows Chapter 2: Phandalin

Encounter Name XP Award XP Difficulty Encounter Name XP Award XP Difficulty
Goblin Ambush 200 400 Redbrand Ruffians 400 800
Goblin Blind 100 150 Barracks 300 600
Kennel 150 300 Tresendar’s Crypt 150 300
Overpass 50 50 Slave Pens 230 460
Goblin Den 300 600 Crevasse 450 450
Twin Pools Cave 150 300 Guard Barracks 650 1,300
Klarg’s Cave 350 700 Common Room 400 800
Glasstaff ’s Quarters 200 200
1st Level
- - Number of Player Characters - - 2nd Level
XP Difficulty 2 3 4 5 - - Number of Player Characters - -
50 - 74 Easy - - - XP Difficulty 2 3 4 5
75 - 99 Easy Easy - - 100 - 149 Easy - - -
100 - 124 Medium Easy Easy - 150 - 199 Easy Easy - -
125 - 149 Medium Easy Easy Easy 200 - 249 Medium Easy Easy -
150 - 199 Hard Medium Easy Easy 250 - 299 Medium Easy Easy Easy
200 - 224 Deadly Medium Medium Easy 300 - 399 Hard Medium Easy Easy
225 - 249 Deadly Hard Medium Easy 400 - 449 Deadly Medium Medium Easy
250 - 299 Deadly Hard Medium Medium 450 - 499 Deadly Hard Medium Easy
300 - 374 Deadly Deadly Hard Medium 500 - 599 Deadly Hard Medium Medium
375 - 399 Deadly Deadly Hard Hard 600 - 749 Deadly Deadly Hard Medium
400 - 499 Deadly Deadly Deadly Hard 750 - 799 Deadly Deadly Hard Hard
500 + Deadly Deadly Deadly Deadly 800 - 1099 Deadly Deadly Deadly Hard
1100 + Deadly Deadly Deadly Deadly

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 The Lost Mine of Phandelver 7

Chapter 3: The Spider’s Web Chapter 4: Wave Echo Cave

Encounter Name XP Award XP Difficulty Encounter Name XP Award XP Difficulty
Agatha’s Lair 1,100 1,100 Mine Tunnels 450 450
Old Owl Well 800 2,400 Old Entrance 250 625
Westernmost Cottage 50 75 Old Guardroom 450 1,125
Blighted Cottages 150 300 South Barracks 600 1,200
The Brown House 200 400 Great Cavern 1,400 3,500
Blighted Farmhouse 200 500 North Barracks 1,000 2,000
Ruined Store 400 600 Smelter Cavern 1,500 3,750
Dragon’s Tower 3,900 3,900 Wizard’s Quarters 700 700
Old Smithy 100 150 Forge of Spells 700 700
Old Garrison 250 500 Collapsed Cavern 1,300 2,600
Weaver’s Cottage 150 300 Temple of Dumathoin 1,250 2,500
Dragon Cultists 150 300
Orc Camp (outside) 100 100
4th Level
- - Number of Player Characters - -
Orc Camp (inside) 1,150 2,875
XP Difficulty 2 3 4 5
Trapped Hall 550 1,375
250 - 374 Easy - - -
Archer Post 200 400
375 - 499 Easy Easy - -
Dark Hall 450 450
500 - 624 Medium Easy Easy -
Goblin Shrine 150 300
675 - 749 Medium Easy Easy Easy
Guard Barracks 200 300
750 - 999 Hard Medium Easy Easy
Owlbear Tower 700 700
1000 - 1124 Deadly Medium Medium Easy
King’s Quarters 950 1,900
1125 - 1249 Deadly Hard Medium Easy
Returning Warband 500 1,000
1250 - 1499 Deadly Hard Medium Medium
3rd Level 1500 - 1874 Deadly Hard Hard Medium
- - Number of Player Characters - - 1875 - 1999 Deadly Hard Hard Hard
XP Difficulty 2 3 4 5 2000 - 2499 Deadly Deadly Deadly Hard
150 - 224 Easy - - - 2500 + Deadly Deadly Deadly Deadly
225 - 299 Easy Easy - -
300 - 374 Medium Easy Easy -
375 - 399 Medium Easy Easy Easy
400 - 449 Medium Easy Easy Easy
450 - 599 Hard Easy Easy Easy
600 - 674 Hard Medium Medium Easy
675 - 749 Hard Hard Medium Easy
750 - 799 Hard Hard Medium Medium
800 - 899 Deadly Hard Medium Medium
900 - 1124 Deadly Hard Hard Medium
1125 - 1199 Deadly Hard Hard Hard
1200 - 1599 Deadly Deadly Hard Hard
1600 - 1999 Deadly Deadly Deadly Hard
2000 + Deadly Deadly Deadly Deadly

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 8 Dungeon Master’s Handbook
Abbreviations
The people who create and play D&D often use abbrevia-
tions or acronyms in place of the various key terms found
in the game. Below are a number of the more popular
ones. This list is by no means exhaustive, but will help you
understand what people are talking about when reading the
various forums and social media groups set up for Dun-
geons and Dragons.
5E. Fifth Edition. The current edition of the game at the
time of this document being written. Other similar abbre-
viations include 1E, 2E, 3E, 3.5, and 4E.
AC. Armor Class. Numerical value used to denote how well
protected a creature is in combat. This is based on the type
of armor the creature is using and their Dexterity modifier.
The number represents the target number of DC of the d20
roll to successfully hit the creature.
AD&D. Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. And old term
used to refer to the first and second editions of the game.
These were release alongside version of the game referred
to as BECMI (basic D&D). Both versions of the game were
amalgamated into a single version when third edition was
released.
BECMI. Basic D&D. Refers to an earlier edition D&D that
existed alongside the first edition version of the game. Oth-
erwise called Basic D&D the letters represent titles of the
five boxed sets that the rules were released in; Basic, Expert,
Companions, Masters, and (Guide to) Immortality.
CHA. Charisma. One of six ability scores that define the
natural aptitude of all characters and creatures in the game.
Charisma represents likability and strength of personality.
CON. Constitution. One of six ability scores that define the
natural aptitude of all characters and creatures in the game.
Constitution represents stamina and general health.
CoS. Curse of Strahd. One of the official adventures for the
fifth edition of Dungeons & Dragons. Takes place in the
Ravenloft campaign setting.
Crit. Critical Hit. When a player or DM rolls a natural 20
on a d20 in combat. Rseults in double the number of dice
being rolled to determine how much damage is inflicted.
d4. 4-Sided Dice. One of the types of dice used to play the
game. Also d6, d8, d10, d12, and d20; each used to refer to
dice with the stated number of sides.
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d00. Percentile Die. Also sometime referred to as the d%.
A d00 is a ten-sided die with numbers 01 to 00 instead of
1 to 0. Rolled together with a standard d10 to get a result
between 1 to 100.
D&D. Dungeons & Dragons. The name of the game you are
playing.
DEX. Dexterity. One of six ability scores that define the
natural aptitude of all characters and creatures in the game.
Dexterity represents both reaction time and hand-eye coor-
dination.
DM. Dungeon Master. The player who runs or facilities the
adventure.
DMG. Dungeon Master’s Guide. One of the three core books
that form the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. The
DMG is filled with all the advice and game secrets that the
DM needs to successfully create and run adventures for the
game.
FR. Forgotten Realms. One of the original fictional worlds
in which the dungeons and dragons game takes place.
Forgotten Realms has a huge amount of fictional and game
related lore written for it. It is the background setting for
the Lost Mine of Phandelver.
HotDQ. Hoard of the Dragon Queen. One of the official ad-
ventures for the fifth edition of Dungeons & Dragons. First
half of the Tyranny of Dragons story line. Set in the Sword
Coast region of the Forgotten Realms.
HP. Hit Points. A numerical representation of how close to
death a character or other creature is. When this value hits
0, the character or creature is either dead or dying.
INT. Intelligence. One of six ability scores that define the
natural aptitude of all characters and creatures in the game.
Intelligence represents the ability to reason and remember
details.
MM. Monster Manual. One of the three core books that
form the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. The MM
contains a huge number of creatures ready for the Dungeon
Master to include in their adventures.
MToF. Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes. A supplementary book
for the Dungeons & Dragons game. Contains a detailed
look at key conflicts that define the worlds of Dungeons &
Dragons, adds additional race options for players charac-
ters, and expands the content available in the MM.
 The Lost Mine of Phandelver
NPC. Nonplayer Character. One of the many characters in
the game control by the Dungeon Master. NPCs can range
from the commonly peasants to villainous antagonists.
OGL. Open Game Licence. The legal licence used to share
a common framework of rules which the game is based
on. Books written for Dungeons & Dragons by third party
publishers must follow a strict set of rules and guidelines
to be allowed to use the OGL. Failure can and most likely
result in legal action taken by the owners of the Dungeons
& Dragons roleplaying game.
OotA. Outof the Abyss. One of the official adventures for the
fifth edition of Dungeons & Dragons. Set in the Underdark
region of the Forgotten Realms.
OSR. Old School Renaissance. A sub-genre of rpgs released
through the OGL. These have their roots in the early das
of Dungeons & Dragons, and often mirror the 1E, 2E or
BECMI editions of the game in both game design and pres-
entation.
PC. Player Character. One of the characters controlled by
the players other than the Dungeon Master. If Dungeons
& Dragons was a TV series, the PCs would be the protago-
nists.
PHB. Player’s Handbook. One of the three core books that
form the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. The PHB
includes all the rules required to create Player Characters
and play the game.
PotA. Princes of the Apocalypse. One of the official adven-
tures for the fifth edition of Dungeons & Dragons. Set in
the Sword Coast region of the Forgotten Realms.
RAW. Rules as Written. The literal wording of the rules as
they are written in the game.
RAI. Rules as Intended. The intentional meaning of the
rules as intended by the game designers. This may not be
the same as RAW.
RoT. Rise of Tiamat. One of the official adventures for the
fifth edition of Dungeons & Dragons. Second half of the
Tyranny of Dragons story line. Set in the Sword Coast re-
gion of the Forgotten Realms.
RPG. Roleplaying Game. A game of adventure based on
imagination, improvisation, roleplaying and dice rolling.
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SCAG. Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide. A supplementary
book for the Dungeons & Dragons game. The first true
setting book for the fifth edition. Details the Sword Coast
region of the Forgotten Realms setting.
SKT. Storm King’s Thunder. One of the official adventures
for the fifth edition of Dungeons & Dragons. Set in the
Sword Coast region of the Forgotten Realms.
SRD. System Reference Documents. A set of core rules
drawn from the core books available for game developers to
use for free as a part of the OGL.
STR. Strength. One of six ability scores that define the
natural aptitude of all characters and creatures in the game.
Strength represents raw muscle power and the ability to lift,
drag or carry heavy loads.
TAC. Touch Armor Class. An old rule or term; not currently
used in fifth edition.
TftYP. Tales from the Yawning portal. One of the official
adventure books for the fifth edition of Dungeons & Drag-
ons. An anthology of classic adventures written for previous
editions, all brought up to date for the fifth edition.
THAC0. To Hit Armor Class 0. A largely obsolete term; was
used back in the first and second edition versions of the
game. Not commonly used in fifth edition as the rules for
AC have changed since then.
ToA. Tomb of Annihilation. One of the official adventures
for the fifth edition of Dungeons & Dragons. Set in the
jungles of Chult
TPK. Total Party Kill. When every player character in the
current game is killed at the same time.
VGtM. Volo’s Guide to Monsters. A supplementary book for
the Dungeons & Dragons game. Contains a detailed look a
key monsters types, adds additional race options for players
characters, and expands the content available in the MM.
WIS. Wisdom. One of six ability scores that define the
natural aptitude of all characters and creatures in the game.
Wisdom represents general perception,; noticing hidden
details whilst understanding and emphasising with others.
XGtE. Xanathar’s Guide to Everything. A supplementary
book for the Dungeons & Dragons game. Adds a large
number of supplementary rules for both players and the
Dungeon Master.
 10 Dungeon Master’s Handbook

Goblin Goblin Goblin Goblin Goblin

Goblin Goblin Goblin Goblin Wolf

Wolf Wolf Wolf Wolf Wolf

Stirge Stirge Stirge Stirge Stirge

Stirge Stirge Stirge Stirge Stirge

Hobgoblin Hobgoblin Hobgoblin Hobgoblin Hobgoblin

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 Creature Tokens 11

Hobgoblin Orc Orc Orc Orc

Orc Orc Orc Orc Orc

Bugbear Bugbear Bugbear Bugbear Skeleton

Skeleton Skeleton Skeleton Skeleton Skeleton

Zombie Zombie Zombie Zombie Zombie

Zombie Zombie Zombie Zombie Zombie

Rémi Rischebé (Order #23245304)

 12 Dungeon Master’s Handbook

Zombie Zombie Grick Grick Grick

Grick Redbrand Ruffian Redbrand Ruffian Redbrand Ruffian Redbrand Ruffian

Evil Mage Twig Blight Twig Blight Twig Blight Twig Blight

Twig Blight Twig Blight Twig Blight Twig Blight Cultist

Cultist Cultist Cultist Cultist Cultist

Ghoul Ghoul Ghoul Ghoul Ghoul

Rémi Rischebé (Order #23245304)

 Creature Tokens 13

Giant Spider Giant Spider Giant Spider

Giant Spider Ogre Ogre

Owlbear Owlbear Young Green Dragon

Hobgoblin Hobgoblin Hobgoblin Hobgoblin Hobgoblin

Rémi Rischebé (Order #23245304)

 14 Dungeon Master’s Handbook

Ghoul Ghoul Skeleton Skeleton Skeleton

Ghoul Ghoul Skeleton Skeleton Skeleton

Drow Elf Drow Elf Orc Flameskull Wraith

Human Female Human Male Dwarf Male Elf Female Halfling Female

Human Female Human Male Dwarf Female Elf Male Halfling Male

Goblin Goblin Spectator Nothic Ochre Jelly

Rémi Rischebé (Order #23245304)

 Creature Tokens 15

A B C D E

F G H I J

K L M N O

P Q R S T

U V

A B

W X

Y Z
C D

Generic Tokens

Rémi Rischebé (Order #23245304)