Going Into Waterdeep

[windman68]

I'm DMing in Faerun for the first time in which my group is planning on going into Waterdeep to catch a ride to the Moonshae Isles. As we all know, WD is a big place, and I'm looking for some ideas that may help me along in their exploration. If you could share some of your experiences here or have any suggestions that I could use, I would greatly appreciate the assistance.

 

[Derulbaskul]

Are you running the 4E version of Waterdeep or earlier?

Either way, your best option is to go to Candlekeep and search (using google) and ask questions there. I would avoid the WotC boards because they're generally very unfriendly and unhelpful but candlekeep is normally quite good (albeit with some anti-WE threadcrapping).

I've run quite a few games in Waterdeep and the 2E products were invaluable for that. Unfortunately, I can't quite point you to the PDFs anymore as they were taken down from RPGNow as you, no doubt, already know.

Waterdeep is much like any other city. You just need a few good set pieces to make the players feel like they're in a real place. Create a good pub with a brawl. Have an encounter with the Watch where maybe the party saves the lives of a watch patrol. Have the party get between the schemes and/or feuds of some nobles. And a trip to Undermountain is always a great diversion.

I'm not sure about specifics that I can otherwise recommend because you give no detail about your game, your players or the PCs. If you can give me/us something to work with I'm sure you will get more helpful responses.

 

[windman68]

Are you running the 4E version of Waterdeep or earlier?

Either way, your best option is to go to Candlekeep and search (using google) and ask questions there. I would avoid the WotC boards because they're generally very unfriendly and unhelpful but candlekeep is normally quite good (albeit with some anti-WE threadcrapping).

I've run quite a few games in Waterdeep and the 2E products were invaluable for that. Unfortunately, I can't quite point you to the PDFs anymore as they were taken down from RPGNow as you, no doubt, already know.

Waterdeep is much like any other city. You just need a few good set pieces to make the players feel like they're in a real place. Create a good pub with a brawl. Have an encounter with the Watch where maybe the party saves the lives of a watch patrol. Have the party get between the schemes and/or feuds of some nobles. And a trip to Undermountain is always a great diversion.

I'm not sure about specifics that I can otherwise recommend because you give no detail about your game, your players or the PCs. If you can give me/us something to work with I'm sure you will get more helpful responses.

Well I decided to move everything I had planned for the Moonshae into Waterdeep instead, that would open up some cans of worms for my group.

Thanx for the tip regarding Candlekeep, I was able to gather some ideas from the site.

I’m running a 4e campaign in which the characters have triggered a rift through time & space while on a quest from Lord Padraig of Winterhaven (H2 Thunderspire campaign). When the rift was triggered, another set of themselves manifested and went back 30 years and formed The Order Of The Black Rose, with the original set of characters traveling 3 months into the future. They must figure out a way to reset time, but in doing so - they’ll have many obstacles to overcome in order to stay alive. They are considered outlaws within the Nentir Vale and have little information as to what can be done, so they have travelled the planes to Faerun, requested by an old sage, to seek help and information from someone that happens to be one of the characters offspring from the past, however they won’t know that until much later in the campaign. They have just figured out that if they try and kill their other characters, they in fact will be killing themselves as well - afterall, they a part of each other. It’s order vs. chaos, and they will find that there is a mastermind at the helm of their chaotic selves, Vecna, who is out to destroy both sets of characters for rumors of being overthrown, so to speak. This campaign takes them all the way from heroic to epic tiers, so it’ll be interesting to see what happens at the end. Eventually, if they make it through, time is reset and they’ll find themselves back where they first started: in a tavern having a meal and socializing when a squire walks in and hands them a scroll from the Lord requesting their presence, however - on his way out - (this is where it changes up a bit) if the characters are paying any attention, they notice he dons a tattoo of a black rose.

That's pretty much it in a nutshell.

 

[Derulbaskul]

Wow, that's incredibly complicated!

OK, simple questions: Why are they in Waterdeep? What do you want them to accomplish there?

 

[windman68]

Well, 1st, and most importantly - they are to catch a ship to sail for Moonshae to seek Ahlonna, the individual the "old sage" requested them to seek out regarding information with their current situation and their "other selves", however - Alhonna, is currently in Waterdeep on some form of business. 2nd, the characters just got through the North Gate and have spotted someone posting up a wanted poster for a slaver gang, 'enter reocurring villians'. And lastly, they are currently on a quest for a black dragon to recover a stolen egg.
I also thought about throwing in a situation in which the party witnesses a group of thugs kicking the crap out of a couple of city guards with their own weapons, knowing my group - they'll jump at the chance to kill, which if they succeed - they will have opened a whole 'nother kinda scenario, possible some good tidings from the locals as well as gettin in good with the law inforcement.
So I got 3 situations going on here, and a possible 4th which I'm really leaning towards. I think I'm going to tie the first 3 together somehow and develop something different for the last, with the possibilty to tie into their current situation later on. Whatta ya think?

 

[Derulbaskul]

Well, 1st, and most importantly - they are to catch a ship to sail for Moonshae (snip)

Why catch a ship when they can have their own? See next point.

2nd, the characters just got through the North Gate and have spotted someone posting up a wanted poster for a slaver gang, 'enter recurring villains'.

What if these slavers use a ship or ships to transport their captives? Why not let the party have their own ship as it opens up other options and adventures later (and if you want a plane-travelling game, in due course they could find some arcane device to convert the ship into a spelljammer or similar).

Where are the slavers from? The south is always good as you have the yuan-ti and/or the people of Calimshan as natural choices. Both groups are notorious slavers. If yuan-ti you might want them to have a base in the Mere of Dead Men to the north of Waterdeep which ties into the next part....

And lastly, they are currently on a quest for a black dragon to recover a stolen egg.

Do you have access to late-2E era Dungeon magazines? If so, there is a five-part series known as the Mere of Dead Men series and, really, the true precursor to what is now called an adventure path. The principal antagonist in the final adventure is a black dragon... or, to be more correct, a pair black dragons that are identical twins. What if these twins want their own baby so they steal the black dragon egg that you mentioned is missing?

I also thought about throwing in a situation in which the party witnesses a group of thugs kicking the crap out of a couple of city guards with their own weapons (snip)

Will this be tied into the slavers or something else? If something else, maybe change it to an assassination attempt on a noble. The grateful noble can either provide a ship to the Moonshaes or a crew for the party's own ship. Perhaps he has an additional mission for them when they get there?

Anyway, just a few more ideas to throw into the mix.

 

[windman68]

Thanx for the ideas, I love the concept of having twin dragons, good stuff.
As far as the slaver gang, I haven't quite figured out a headquarters for them yet, but I've been leaning towards Neverwinter. Originally they were a group consisting mostly of Duergar in the Thunderspire Mountains of the Nentir Vale, but after the party tripped the rift within the labyrinth, that ended that scenario, so I decided to add the gang back in as more of an organization working under command of the Rose in Faerun to recruit fresh bodies for the militia. Fortunetly, my party missed their chance at confronting the leader, so I now have the oppurtunity to redesign the entire slaver force. Woo-Hoo!
So, basically, the first step in shutting down the Rose is to take out the slavers, which means I'll have to come up with an appropriate setting. It also means the party will gain a heroes accomodation, and a reputation, by the citizens if they decide to rescue the hostages that are being held captive for recruitment. Keep in mind Vecna is the ruler of the undead and their evil twins, I have dubbed The Forbidden Ones, want to overthrow him and rule the world for themselves, this will not please them.
Yes, this does get a bit complicated, but it's loads of fun to create, and definitely worth the effort for my group.

 

[vitkiraven]

I'm a bit lat to this, but what about, "Have ye ever tried the Blue Alley?"