D&D Team Drops Free Guide to Fix Heroes of the Borderlands’ Loose Threads — Exclusive Look

Wizards of the Coast says it has added free supplementary content for the Heroes of the Borderlands starter set on D&D Beyond to help first-time DMs connect the set’s sandbox elements and run a smoother opening campaign. The new guidance offers an order to run the three booklets, suggestions for seeding key information, and cueing for player motivations.

1. Running the Adventure
2. Set the Scene
3. Start with the Wilderness Booklet
4. Arrival at the Keep
5. Go to the Caves of Chaos
6. Move Back and Forth Between Areas
7. Confront the Cult of Chaos
8. Destroy the Chaos Bell
9. Congratulations and Celebration

Running the Adventure

The supplementary material recommends beginning in the Borderlands wilderness and then moving to the keep and the cave system in an order that generally gives the cleanest narrative flow. However, the guidance is explicit that the set’s sandbox nature still allows parties to choose their own path.

Additionally, Wizards provides links and encounter suggestions on D&D Beyond for users who own the Heroes of the Borderlands product and for those with the Heroes of the Borderlands Digital Adventure Pack.

Set the Scene

If you want a quick opener, the guidance includes boxed read-aloud text drawn from the adventure’s inspiration and meant to set tone and expectations for new players. For example, you can paraphrase or read this introduction:

“The forces of chaos press on the borders of civilization. If it were not for a stout few, many in these peaceful realms would succumb to the evil that surrounds them. Yet, there are always certain exceptional and brave individuals, heroes who boldly rise above their stations to stave off the darkness that would otherwise overwhelm the land. You are indeed members of that exceptional class, bold adventurers who have sought out the Keep on the Borderlands in search of fame and fortune — and to fight evil wherever it rears its ugly head. You have traveled for many days with your fellow party members, leaving comforts you knew and entering into the wilds of the Borderlands. Farms and towns have become less frequent and travelers few in these forested and rugged lands.”

Start with the Wilderness Booklet

The recommended entry point is Region 1: Trail from the Wilderness Booklet, and the write-up gives a suggested order of random encounters to mix combat, exploration, and social beats.

For example, the supplemental sequence starts with the Looted Wagon, then the Game Trail, and then a Bandit Ambush to encourage a natural return to the keep.

Arrival at the Keep

After the trail encounters, the characters reach the keep and will typically be greeted by gate guards who direct them toward the castellan and the fortress. The guidance suggests steering unsure players to the tavern for food and rumors, and then to the traveler’s inn to meet contacts.

Furthermore, the keep’s NPC rumor cards are called out as a useful tool to learn what motivates each character — whether that’s treasure, fame, or something else — and to funnel players toward the castellan’s request about the caves.

Go to the Caves of Chaos

At the castellan’s request, parties are guided to the Caves of Chaos. The new content describes how characters can gain levels by clearing caves and how different cave areas reveal threads about the Cult of Chaos and its power source, the Chaos Bell.

Concrete leads listed in the supplement include:

• The iron tome in the library (C3) of Cave C: Nothic Lair, which describes the Chaos Bell and how to destroy it.
• Oggdug the ogre in Cave E: Ogre Lair, who may mention cult activity when asked about off-limits caves.
• Encounters with cultists in the cult barrack (G6) in Cave G.

Move Back and Forth Between Areas

Because long rests are only available in the Keep, the advice expects groups to shuttle between the keep, the caves, and the wilderness. In other words, travel encounters and rumors are used to foreshadow the cult and keep momentum.

For example, the supplement points to the random encounters in the Wilderness Booklet and suggests running the Region 2: Woods route for a more direct link between the caves and the keep.

Eventually Confront the Cult of Chaos

The supplement explains that exploration should eventually reveal Cave K: Shrine of Evil Chaos, where the party can confront cult leaders and find the Chaos Bell at the altar (K5).

Moreover, the supplement lists optional NPCs — like the captured spelunker or hobgoblin combatants — who can provide clues without forcing the party to clear every cave.

Destroy the Chaos Bell

The new material states the conditions for destroying the Chaos Bell: it must be submerged in the Sacred Spring at night while moonlight bathes the water.

If players miss the library clue in Cave C, the guidance recommends giving the required information to the party through Fazzir, the keep’s priest, on a later visit to the keep.

Congratulations and Celebration

Finally, after the cult is dealt with and the bell dealt with, the supplement describes the keep’s Heroes’ Return celebration in the fortress and ties up the immediate arc. The recommendation closes by encouraging DMs to use what motivates each player to keep the campaign moving.