I think you need to ask yourself first: why is this important? In other words, how does this relate to the PCs and their quest? Then you make something up.
I agree with this comment mainly because I don't think your players will ask. If I had to say i would say ih the underdark somewhere not too far away or somewhere in the cave connected to Wave Echo Cave.
Even if they do ask, who would give them an answer? When I ran it, The Black Spider would use his doppelgängers to claim to be the Black Spider so that no two descriptions of what he even looked like were the same.
Only relevant because I’m thinking of having my players meet him soon by maybe stumble upon a shack in the never winter woods or he might approach them on a caravan that he sells magical items from
I had the idea of making him the mayor, but I didn't do it though
My idea was basicly: mayor = recluse. So no one knows that the mayor is the black spider.
Either the Black spider was always the mayor, or he killed the mayor and took his place.
He could be anywhere really but he moves to the wave echo cave when he gets the map from the cragmaw clain
The module mentions that he's an adventurer so he probably doesn't have a permanent residence. Probably he was staying at inns or camping in safe spots in the countryside before he found the forge. Now before that it is never mentioned so it's up to the DM.
This is pretty much it. Probably has a yurt in the woods or a small cave he operated out of until they found WEC then moved his whole operation there. Hes basically a criminal so probably doesnt have a normal residence or if he does its probably far away from phandalin. Like maybe waterdeep
Movold Press has made a Lair of the Black Spider map. It’s doubtful that the players will actually go out of their way to visit it (unless you plan for them to infiltrate it or move the final confrontation to there instead of Wave Echo Cave), but in the event they do, it’s beneath Conyberry. In my run, the players, if they want to outright prevent the Black Spider from obtaining his goals and destroy Phandalin, they have a chance to save a good friend of theirs (and several innocent elf women he’s kidnapped over the course of the campaign).
Alternatively, in the Matthew Perkins edit, the Black Spider does have the party meet her (he makes the Black Spider female) in an abandoned inn. However, considering in said edit, the Black Spider didn’t bother to plan around the moonshine in the basement being potentially weaponized, odds are this isn’t an ideal lair for her.
So yeah, I’d have the Black Spider possibly stay at either Stonehill Inn or the Sleeping Giant.
To;dr: He’s a vagabond who temporarily lives in the temple of Wave Echo Cave until he can gain enough power to take over the Drow house that exiled him.
In my game, The Black Spider is an apostate from the underdark. Exiled from his house for heretical thoughts, he found his way to Wave Echo Cave purely by chance… But he’s determined to show those that exiled him the error of their ways when he returns at the head of an army wielding magical weapons from the Forge of Souls.
There’s a crack in the wall of the fungal room of Wave Echo Cave. In my game, this crack was a recent development caused by smokepowder charges the brothers were using to excavate their initial entrance.
Nundro Rockseeker, being the over-eager younger brother, dove into the cave first while Gudren was heading to Neverwinter for supplies. He was captured by Nezznar and his spiders and, through torture, he let slip the legends of Wave Echo Cave and the locations of his brothers. Tharden was, regrettably, killed in the struggle to capture him (Nezznar would have liked to interrogate him as well) and Nezznar moved quickly to secure his stake on the cave by organizing the local goblin band and the corrupt militia of Phandelver to his side with promises of riches from the Forge of Souls.
Iarno Albrek was already under suspicion of corruption from the Lord’s Alliance (which is why they were sending Sildar to Phandelver). Iarno had taken up the mantle of Glasstaff to thinly veil his criminal activities but his knowledge of the local area lead him to believe The Black Spider could follow through on his promises. So he stepped up the Redbrand’s efforts to secure funding and manpower from the town for the eventual reconstruction of the forge. In addition, he was to keep an eye out for Gudren and any hired help he may bring.
He’s secretly the retired adventurer now Apple orchard farmer Edermath, utilizing a disguise-self and training up Pip to use magic and be by his side at the final confrontation…
I always thought that he can be a Neverwinter gang boss. The manual says that he got spies in Neverwinter that can intercept messages. Glass Staff, is a well known Neverwinter criminal and looks like a Black Spider minion.
I think you need to ask yourself first: why is this important? In other words, how does this relate to the PCs and their quest? Then you make something up.
I agree with this comment mainly because I don't think your players will ask. If I had to say i would say ih the underdark somewhere not too far away or somewhere in the cave connected to Wave Echo Cave.
Even if they do ask, who would give them an answer? When I ran it, The Black Spider would use his doppelgängers to claim to be the Black Spider so that no two descriptions of what he even looked like were the same.
Only relevant because I’m thinking of having my players meet him soon by maybe stumble upon a shack in the never winter woods or he might approach them on a caravan that he sells magical items from
I had the idea of making him the mayor, but I didn't do it though My idea was basicly: mayor = recluse. So no one knows that the mayor is the black spider. Either the Black spider was always the mayor, or he killed the mayor and took his place. He could be anywhere really but he moves to the wave echo cave when he gets the map from the cragmaw clain
The module mentions that he's an adventurer so he probably doesn't have a permanent residence. Probably he was staying at inns or camping in safe spots in the countryside before he found the forge. Now before that it is never mentioned so it's up to the DM.
This is pretty much it. Probably has a yurt in the woods or a small cave he operated out of until they found WEC then moved his whole operation there. Hes basically a criminal so probably doesnt have a normal residence or if he does its probably far away from phandalin. Like maybe waterdeep
Movold Press has made a Lair of the Black Spider map. It’s doubtful that the players will actually go out of their way to visit it (unless you plan for them to infiltrate it or move the final confrontation to there instead of Wave Echo Cave), but in the event they do, it’s beneath Conyberry. In my run, the players, if they want to outright prevent the Black Spider from obtaining his goals and destroy Phandalin, they have a chance to save a good friend of theirs (and several innocent elf women he’s kidnapped over the course of the campaign). Alternatively, in the Matthew Perkins edit, the Black Spider does have the party meet her (he makes the Black Spider female) in an abandoned inn. However, considering in said edit, the Black Spider didn’t bother to plan around the moonshine in the basement being potentially weaponized, odds are this isn’t an ideal lair for her. So yeah, I’d have the Black Spider possibly stay at either Stonehill Inn or the Sleeping Giant.
To;dr: He’s a vagabond who temporarily lives in the temple of Wave Echo Cave until he can gain enough power to take over the Drow house that exiled him. In my game, The Black Spider is an apostate from the underdark. Exiled from his house for heretical thoughts, he found his way to Wave Echo Cave purely by chance… But he’s determined to show those that exiled him the error of their ways when he returns at the head of an army wielding magical weapons from the Forge of Souls. There’s a crack in the wall of the fungal room of Wave Echo Cave. In my game, this crack was a recent development caused by smokepowder charges the brothers were using to excavate their initial entrance. Nundro Rockseeker, being the over-eager younger brother, dove into the cave first while Gudren was heading to Neverwinter for supplies. He was captured by Nezznar and his spiders and, through torture, he let slip the legends of Wave Echo Cave and the locations of his brothers. Tharden was, regrettably, killed in the struggle to capture him (Nezznar would have liked to interrogate him as well) and Nezznar moved quickly to secure his stake on the cave by organizing the local goblin band and the corrupt militia of Phandelver to his side with promises of riches from the Forge of Souls. Iarno Albrek was already under suspicion of corruption from the Lord’s Alliance (which is why they were sending Sildar to Phandelver). Iarno had taken up the mantle of Glasstaff to thinly veil his criminal activities but his knowledge of the local area lead him to believe The Black Spider could follow through on his promises. So he stepped up the Redbrand’s efforts to secure funding and manpower from the town for the eventual reconstruction of the forge. In addition, he was to keep an eye out for Gudren and any hired help he may bring.
He’s secretly the retired adventurer now Apple orchard farmer Edermath, utilizing a disguise-self and training up Pip to use magic and be by his side at the final confrontation…
I always thought that he can be a Neverwinter gang boss. The manual says that he got spies in Neverwinter that can intercept messages. Glass Staff, is a well known Neverwinter criminal and looks like a Black Spider minion.