Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Next
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook (EN Publishing)
Facebook (EN World)
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*Dungeons & Dragons
Keys from the Golden Dragon Heist (With a little Undermountain) Mash Up *Spoilers*
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="TheSword" data-source="post: 8959851" data-attributes="member: 6879661"><p><strong><span style="font-size: 26px">The Third Heist: The Stygian Gambit (Into Undermountain)</span></strong></p><p></p><p>Once the PCs have Trollskull manor I expect them to be really hankering for cash. They are most likely to be level 3 by this point and coming into their own. I really like the idea of robbing a casino posited in The Stygian Gambit Heist. Good characters - plus the link to devil cultists is too useful a link to the Cassalanter to Pass Up.</p><p></p><p>The problem is I just don’t see such a casino being allowed in a city like Waterdeep. Not only that, but it’s layout and structure doesn’t really match a city structure (it’s originally designed to be out in the wilderness). It’s perfect for underground… particular underground near a river… like the Sargauth for instance? This casino would fit well on the third level of Undermountain.</p><p></p><p>Skullport is an evocative and fascinating location, deep on the third level, that could be an adventure location all to itself. It’s also a place that the Golden Vault would want access too if it could. I mentioned earlier that I Undermountain is better used as a setting rather than a dungeon meant to be cleared. So what better quest than set the PCs the challenge of finding Skullport and a shortcut to the surface, from the Well entry on 1st level to the enclave on level 3.</p><p></p><p>This sounds like a huge ask but the quest givers could start them off with general directions to the goblin market on level 2. They’re on their own from there, but there are enough NPCs to supplement with further directions if PCs are smart. I can easily see this resulting in the PCs gaining a couple of levels on such an epic journey and they could come out wealthy individuals. I think the first few levels of Undermountain are some of the best and it will be nice change from heisting!</p><p></p><p>The route from first level takes the party through a couple of Xanathar outposts which fits with the first maxim and through a drow settlement with lots of side trek opportunities and places to get lost. Ending at Skullport which deserves a few encounters of its own. From Skullport the PCs are ferried up the sargauth to the Afterlife Casino.</p><p></p><p>To run the Stygian Gambit for level 4 or 5 it will need buffing up a bit. What I would do is beef up the guards - a few Barbazu that can use the security mirrors and a teleport spell like ability. Quentin Togglepocket the proprietor can be changed to a full on Artificer and summons to hamatula as bodyguards if attacked. Virgil the Minotaur skeleton can be upgraded to an advanced Nimblewright at the gnome artificers command. Quentin can be linked to the temple of Gond (potentially disgraced) maybe he was the creator of the nimblewrights (and not a strange traveler). The greedy selfish gnome as a creator would make the nimblewraith that appears later on more sympathetic - particularly if we see the previous nimblewraith treated badly. Quentin as perfect as a member of the Cassalanter’s devil worshipping cult - and that couple would make excellent guests at the tournament. Perhaps the Cassalanter’s are backers.</p><p></p><p>All in all, there is a lot that fits into this heist, with the wider story of Dragonheist and Waterdeep. The Golden Vault might learn the secret of crafting Nimblewrights - the true treasure in this adventure? Meanwhile the quest giver Verity Kyle could end up an employee of the party at Trollskull Manor or be linked to the Harpers, or one of the other organizations. The PCs don’t get involved then this is the perfect opportunity to introduce a rival adventuring party who can boast about their deeds and achieve effectively the same ends.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="TheSword, post: 8959851, member: 6879661"] [B][SIZE=7]The Third Heist: The Stygian Gambit (Into Undermountain)[/SIZE][/B] Once the PCs have Trollskull manor I expect them to be really hankering for cash. They are most likely to be level 3 by this point and coming into their own. I really like the idea of robbing a casino posited in The Stygian Gambit Heist. Good characters - plus the link to devil cultists is too useful a link to the Cassalanter to Pass Up. The problem is I just don’t see such a casino being allowed in a city like Waterdeep. Not only that, but it’s layout and structure doesn’t really match a city structure (it’s originally designed to be out in the wilderness). It’s perfect for underground… particular underground near a river… like the Sargauth for instance? This casino would fit well on the third level of Undermountain. Skullport is an evocative and fascinating location, deep on the third level, that could be an adventure location all to itself. It’s also a place that the Golden Vault would want access too if it could. I mentioned earlier that I Undermountain is better used as a setting rather than a dungeon meant to be cleared. So what better quest than set the PCs the challenge of finding Skullport and a shortcut to the surface, from the Well entry on 1st level to the enclave on level 3. This sounds like a huge ask but the quest givers could start them off with general directions to the goblin market on level 2. They’re on their own from there, but there are enough NPCs to supplement with further directions if PCs are smart. I can easily see this resulting in the PCs gaining a couple of levels on such an epic journey and they could come out wealthy individuals. I think the first few levels of Undermountain are some of the best and it will be nice change from heisting! The route from first level takes the party through a couple of Xanathar outposts which fits with the first maxim and through a drow settlement with lots of side trek opportunities and places to get lost. Ending at Skullport which deserves a few encounters of its own. From Skullport the PCs are ferried up the sargauth to the Afterlife Casino. To run the Stygian Gambit for level 4 or 5 it will need buffing up a bit. What I would do is beef up the guards - a few Barbazu that can use the security mirrors and a teleport spell like ability. Quentin Togglepocket the proprietor can be changed to a full on Artificer and summons to hamatula as bodyguards if attacked. Virgil the Minotaur skeleton can be upgraded to an advanced Nimblewright at the gnome artificers command. Quentin can be linked to the temple of Gond (potentially disgraced) maybe he was the creator of the nimblewrights (and not a strange traveler). The greedy selfish gnome as a creator would make the nimblewraith that appears later on more sympathetic - particularly if we see the previous nimblewraith treated badly. Quentin as perfect as a member of the Cassalanter’s devil worshipping cult - and that couple would make excellent guests at the tournament. Perhaps the Cassalanter’s are backers. All in all, there is a lot that fits into this heist, with the wider story of Dragonheist and Waterdeep. The Golden Vault might learn the secret of crafting Nimblewrights - the true treasure in this adventure? Meanwhile the quest giver Verity Kyle could end up an employee of the party at Trollskull Manor or be linked to the Harpers, or one of the other organizations. The PCs don’t get involved then this is the perfect opportunity to introduce a rival adventuring party who can boast about their deeds and achieve effectively the same ends. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*Dungeons & Dragons
Keys from the Golden Dragon Heist (With a little Undermountain) Mash Up *Spoilers*
Top