Lost Mine of Phandelver - Running for 2 new players

[Nerdguy88]

I purchased the 5E starter set and I will be running The Lost Mine of Phandelver very soon. The players have chosen the Rogue and Cleric. I know this campaign is made for 4-5 people and it will be a little difficult so I wanted to help out a little bit. I had thought giving each a magic item from the start would help. Would giving the rogue boots of elvenkind be to much? What item could I give to the cleric that would be comparable to this? Any other suggestions would be helpful!

[KorvinStarmast]

I purchased the 5E starter set and I will be running The Lost Mine of Phandelver very soon. The players have chosen the Rogue and Cleric. I know this campaign is made for 4-5 people and it will be a little difficult so I wanted to help out a little bit. I had thought giving each a magic item from the start would help. Would giving the rogue boots of elvenkind be to much? What item could I give to the cleric that would be comparable to this? Any other suggestions would be helpful!

An uncommon item. I'd suggest a wand of web. Crowd control. If you only have two PC's, large groups of enemies will be a significant problem.
Wand of Web

Wand, uncommon (requires attunement by a spellcaster)
This wand has 7 charges. While holding it, you can use an action to expend 1 of its charges to cast the web spell (save DC 15) from it. The wand regains 1d6 + 1 expended charges daily at dawn. If you expend the wand’s last charge, roll a d20. On a 1, the wand crumbles into ashes and is destroyed.

or a Wand of Magic Missiles.

Wand of Magic Missiles
Wand, uncommon
This wand has 7 charges. While holding it, you can use an action to expend 1 or more of its charges to cast the magic missile spell from it. For 1 charge, you cast the 1st-*‐‑level version of the spell. You can increase the spell slot level by one for each additional charge you expend. The wand regains 1d6 + 1 expended charges daily at dawn. If you expend the wand’s last charge, roll a d20. On a 1, the wand crumbles into ashes and is destroyed.

[Unoriginal]

I purchased the 5E starter set and I will be running The Lost Mine of Phandelver very soon. The players have chosen the Rogue and Cleric. I know this campaign is made for 4-5 people and it will be a little difficult so I wanted to help out a little bit. I had thought giving each a magic item from the start would help. Would giving the rogue boots of elvenkind be to much? What item could I give to the cleric that would be comparable to this? Any other suggestions would be helpful!

What are your thoughts on giving the PCs a couple of Sidekicks?

That being said, a couple of low level adventurers with a notable magic item each could make for an awesome campaign. It's certainly thematic and flavorful, at least.

I suppose the Cleric will become a Life Cleric, given it's the starter set, right?

[Zhorn]

Sidekicks would be the better option. It's the action economy that really impacts the difficulty of those early encounters while they learn the ropes. A couple of simple meat shields, story them as caravan guards on contract with Gundren for a bit longer than the PCs. Each player gets to run them in combat, but they serve as a voice you can use when the players want to ask for help or opinions. They don't know much, mostly just being hired muscle, but they have hunches now and then that you can use to nudge the players when stuck, but most of the time their interest is in helping save their employer to secure their wages, as the Rockseeker brothers have run up a bit of a tab, and look to the PCs for the decision making, "if we were great thinkers, we wouldn't be career wagon guards".

[KorvinStarmast]

Sidekicks would be the better option.

They are not in the starter set, they are in Essentials. I am not sure how much D&D 5e stuff the OP has.

[Zhorn]

literal guard stat block, add some AC and hp to make them viable. Or take the Sildar statblock, and set it up at the hp of the party, hold off from extra attack till they would have had it with normal PC levels.

[Nerdguy88]

Ya for a few of the early fights I planned to have NPCs with them. A guy to drive the wagons with a crossbow and one guard. They won't stick around to long but I thought it would help them learn early on. Once they gain a level or two I wasn't as worried about it. I was trying to avoid them having to run more then one character or having a DMPC in the game.

[Bobthewizard]

I'd consider bumping them to 2nd level before you start. 1st level is swingy enough without being outnumbered. At 1st level, everything they run into can kill them with one lucky hit.

The second thing you can do is reduce the number of enemies. For the first goblin encounter, if you leave them at level 1, cut it back to two goblins. Even if you bump them to 2nd level, I'd cut it back to 3 goblins due to action economy.

Third, remember that surprise and initiative is very important with only two players. 3 goblins going first is much more deadly than 3 goblins the players can attack first. So let them sneak up on the goblins.

Finally, KO does not have to mean death, especially for new players. If they both go down in the first fight, have them wake up in the goblin cave and have to fight their way out.

[Zhorn]

Yeah, avoiding DMPCs is a big recommend.
Primary difference from sidekicks/followers is a DMPC is run by the DM for everything and is built as an adventurer; those two aspects are the big no-no's.

Sidekicks from the essentials kit are good for players that know how to run minions, or for new players to treat as their primary character while learning the ropes. But for new players, you want followers that have the barest and most basic statblocks. Move and attack. No class levels, no special features. They are just there for the action economy, and the PCs are meant to be able to outgrow them, and never be outshone by them.

Making them replaceable is a good way to emphasize to the players they are not a permanent fixture in the party.
They stick around only for a short stint where their goals align with the PC, then move on once the objective is complete, while finding quest-arc-related replacements isn't unheard of.

Example:
Start off with the goblin arrows scene. the 2 PC and 3 follower.
Ambush/combat happens and 1 of the followers is killed (wagon driver, low AC and low HP). This is to establish that the followers are not permanent.
Other 2 followers behave as I said in the earlier post; players get to run them in combat, basic stats/actions, only in it to rescue their employer before they retire from the party (say after Gundren is saved they stay in town with him to act as security)

Spoiler: Any of the cragmaw lairs

Show

have a goblin that doesn't want Klarg or King Grol around, offers to stick around and act as a guide till either both of them are dead or the PCs decide to move on.

Spoiler: Redbrand hideout

Show

a newer recruit doesn't like what happened with the Drendar family, wants to make amends by getting them out, and so volunteers to be a turncoat to help the PCs. Escorts them to Yartar once freed as to avoid other redbrand retribution.

Spoiler: Wave echo cave

Show

the Rockseeker brother at the start isn't dead, just unconscious. When woken up says he can fight a bit better than his brothers and offer to join to save the third brother and apprehend/defeat the Black Spider. Give his boots as a reward for helping him rather than looting his body.

Avoid using any NPC in the book who meant to be alive or has an advance role or statblock in the module. Their motivations are limited to the immediate area they are assisting in, and they will leave when the goal is completed. None of them are adventurers.