[FR] Waterdeep in Ashes

[Marimmar]

Hi all, I'm just curious about what to remember when laying waste to Waterdeep in the FR.

Well, I got some interesting campaign running right now where a large army of humans and humanoids was gathered by a Zhentish cleric of Bane and sent off to conquer/destroy Waterdeep. The initial army that Waterdeep sent against the zhentish forces was lead into Anauroch and destroyed. The players were part of a reserve unit sent after the main Waterdeep forces and when their commander learned of the main forces' defeat, he dispatched them to 'remove' the enemy leader.

So the party went to do their dirty work and after many months are still after their target. Not because they were delayed or something but because they went to Silverymoon to receive a 'True Ressurection' for one of the party members, waited 11 days at a magical site to see what happens when the full moon shines upon it, stuff like that.

So to make a point I decided that Waterdeep in the meantime was overrun and is now under zhentish command, making the 'North' a whole lot more unfriendly.

What I need now are suggestions how to handle an event of this magnitude. What would the Harpers do? Where is Khelben? Are there other powerful groups that might object to a zhentish controlled Waterdeep?

~Marimmar
Making the Realms more gritty...

 

[Zogg]

Hi all, I'm just curious about what to remember when laying waste to Waterdeep in the FR.

Well, I got some interesting campaign running right now where a large army of humans and humanoids was gathered by a Zhentish cleric of Bane and sent off to conquer/destroy Waterdeep. The initial army that Waterdeep sent against the zhentish forces was lead into Anauroch and destroyed. The players were part of a reserve unit sent after the main Waterdeep forces and when their commander learned of the main forces' defeat, he dispatched them to 'remove' the enemy leader.

So the party went to do their dirty work and after many months are still after their target. Not because they were delayed or something but because they went to Silverymoon to receive a 'True Ressurection' for one of the party members, waited 11 days at a magical site to see what happens when the full moon shines upon it, stuff like that.

So to make a point I decided that Waterdeep in the meantime was overrun and is now under zhentish command, making the 'North' a whole lot more unfriendly.

What I need now are suggestions how to handle an event of this magnitude. What would the Harpers do? Where is Khelben? Are there other powerful groups that might object to a zhentish controlled Waterdeep?

~Marimmar
Making the Realms more gritty...

All I can say is that an event like that would be big news throughout the land and the big wizards like Khelben, Elminster, and the Simbul (who resides in Silverymoon) would be alerted. So would the Harpers and the Purple Knights of Cormyr. A small army from Silverymoon would probably already be on the way to Waterdeep to investigate and join others to squash the Zhentish forces. All in all, I would be surprised that any force would be able to hold Waterdeep for very long...it's just too well-fortified and BIG to keep under control. Not to mention that the faithful of every temple in the city would be gathering their forces to expel the Zhents from within. Seriously, I would be really surprised if my DM told me Waterdeep 'fell' while I was off adventuring.

 

[Mystery Man]

All I can say is that an event like that would be big news throughout the land and the big wizards like Khelben, Elminster, and the Simbul (who resides in Silverymoon) would be alerted.

All the seven sisters would be there I think.

btw


The Simbul is the queen of Aglarond actually. Alustriel lives in Silverymoon.

 

[Arravis]

I agree that the biggest immidiate danger is Silverymoon and the "chosen". That could be handled by somehow keeping them busy with some other disaster. Also, one wat to "conquer" Waterdeep without having to deal with messy street to street fighting is to use some sort of biological weapon. That would also make it easier for conqueror's to keep control of the city if most of the population is dead or sick (assuming that the conqueror's would be somehow immune).

 

[WayneLigon]

Hi all, I'm just curious about what to remember when laying waste to Waterdeep in the FR.

So to make a point I decided that Waterdeep in the meantime was overrun and is now under zhentish command, making the 'North' a whole lot more unfriendly.

What I need now are suggestions how to handle an event of this magnitude. What would the Harpers do? Where is Khelben? Are there other powerful groups that might object to a zhentish controlled Waterdeep?

Whew. Well, I'm no Realms scholar but...

The fall of Waterdeep will probably have a ripple effect all throughout the North. It's a tremendous city, so the army that took it would have to be pretty darn big and have some serious spellcasting capabilities of it's own.

Khleben and the rest of the Lord's Alliance will of course be doing whatever they can to reverse the takeover. There could have been any number of reasons for him not to be there, but certainly he'd have shown up during the Fall. (Actually any army that could take the place could have killed him; might be a good way to do a little high-powered NPC housecleaning, if that's what you want).

The Harpers, and by extension Elminster, are a larger problem. I think you'd have to assume the army gated in, then, since the Harpers would have had a long advance warning that such a force was on the move and taken steps to alert the cities just south of the most expeditious route such a force would have to take over land. Since I think almost all those cities are in the Alliance, they'd have done much to stem the tide. If the army moved past them, they'd have no supply capabilities (again assuming some high-powered magic is not at work here).

Just some random thoughts.

 

[Mystery Man]

The Harpers only number in the 100's so they're not enough alone to remove an occupying army.

Silverymoon would have to raise one from the surrounding kingdoms. According to the league of the Silver Marches thats what they're supposed to do anyway. Might make for an interesting political side plot.

 

[frankthedm]

The UBER-npcs of the Forgettable Realms will be the most problematic. If you could time the attack to coincide with a fair sized Far Raelm invasion, the extra-dimensional terrors could keep the superhero's busy long enough to sack the city.

And if its the PC's are the ones who cause the Far Raelm bleed through, they can take solice in the fact they truely changed the face of their forgotten realms game.

 

[Eccles]

I'd imagine that it very much depends how Waterdeep was taken in the first place.

As stated above, the place would be an absolute nightmare for an invading army to take over. Too many spellcasters, priests, powerful characters, defenses, and people!

In any case, the second it fell, all hell would break loose on the attacking army.

If my players had let this sort of thing happen, I'd wipe the place out. Turn it into a ghost town. Shadows are dangerously good at this, as evidenced in both Lazybones' and Piratecat's Story Hours.

Then the Zhents could capture the harbour area, and re-supply, using captured boats to hop down (or up) the coast. Turning Waterdeep into a pit of utter despair, and creating the biggest pirate nation on Faerun. (I'd probably have the Zhent commander declare his independence of Zhentil Keep once he realised what he had at his disposal).

The players could be tasked to get into the centre of Waterdeep and ring the gong on the Morninglord's Temple at dawn, which would Turn all the undead within 5 miles, or something.

Or they might need to assist an elderly cleric into the centre of town to do the same. Or to petition his/her God for aid.

Either way, the repercussions would be enormous, as several hundred thousand people would've died or fled the area!

(Anyway, shouldn't this be in the Plots thread?)

 

[Remathilis]

Doesn't one also have to worry about Skullport? I'm sure most of the dastardly no-goodniks below wouldn't want to be under Zhent rule or wiped out, and without Waterdeep, they're trade would plumment.

Another angle to consider.

 

[the_mighty_agrippa]

waterdeep has magical defenses out the wazoo. khelben has secreted dozens of collosal stone contructs throughout the town.

in the immediate aftermath of the war, trade would go to luskan and/or baldur's gate, depending on the end destination. smuggling along the coasts would skyrocket as well.

all in all, it's better to have it destroyed in a magical calamity.