Waterdeep: Dragon Heist First Impressions

I love heist/caper stories and urban fantasy adventures so the minute the D&D team announced Waterdeep: Dragon Heist, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. Now that I've got it? I'm still excited.

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My full review will follow after I finish reading the book but a few quick impressions.

1. The choice of four villains to choose from is a nice touch for replay-ability. Each villain is tied to a season. The full reading will reveal why.
2. I like the adventure flowchart and encounter chains.
3. It has a pronunciation guide! That makes a DM's life much easier.
4. Players have three additional factions they can play, one of which is Force Grey. Critical Role fans will love that.
5. Lots of cool NPCs are in the adventure, including well-known ones like Laeral Silverhand, though she may not be the same as the last time you saw her in an official Waterdeep adventure.
6. The building maps are nice and could be reused in other adventures.
7. For background material, it includes a section labeled “Volo's Waterdeep Enchiridion” that should get DMs new to Waterdeep up to speed.

After the freeform aspects of Tomb of Annihilation, the fact that Waterdeep: Dragon Heist has a bit more structure while still a sandbox is a smart choice. Being set in Faerun's most famous city also presents some nice dilemmas for players. Murder hobo tactics are likely to get them killed or imprisoned, so players should have to be more strategic – of course, that's never guaranteed.

While these are just quick takes based on a flip through of Waterdeep: Dragon Heist, they definitely whet my appetite for more. City-based adventures aren't explored enough in D&D, in my opinion, Waterdeep is a rich enough setting to allow for as much variety as any wilderness or dungeon setting.

This article was contributed by Beth Rimmels (brimmels) as part of EN World's Columnist (ENWC) program. We are always on the lookout for freelance columnists! If you have a pitch, please contact us!

 

[Parmandur]

Given the maps are super simple sketches... I wonder what people who payed for the Platinum Set are getting.
Paying for maps printed and sized for minis that look like they were drawn on easel graph paper would infuriate me...

Maybe they've redone the maps?

 

[Grimstaff]

Aesthetics and utility with maps are a bit of a spectrum. It seems that I always see a lot of folks complaining about the beautiful Schley maps for previous books, maybe WotC is just responding to feedback.

Schley 's maps are gorgeous, but ultimately a bit hard to read when it comes down to actual play. I like plain old, clearly marked, black & white for running a game.

 

[collin]

You should publish your finished efforts on DMsguild for others.

Thanks, I might do that.

 

[Burnside]

I'm sold on the simpler maps. Schley's are gorgeous, but these will be easier to print & use as battlemaps.

 

[collin]

From my skimming so far seems like lot of the work is converting various factions into Eberron ones.

My new campaign has already played 2 adventures in a Sharn are are loosely affiliated with the Boromar Clan. They’ve had a run in with Daask already, and I was planning to throw Tarkanan into the mix as well. On top of that one of the PCs is a Cannith. Then there are the other dragonmarked houses, maybe one could be Cassalanters ..? I need to write some stuff down ..!

Xanathar = Boromar ?
Zhents = Daask ?

Lots to think about ...I’d for sure get a guide on dmsguild if you made it ! Or wait for AL season.

I'll give you a taste of what I am thinking and where I am going with my transposing Waterdeep to Sharn.

Zhents = Order of the Emerald Claw, but Boromar Clan could be another option, or they could be in cahoots with each other.
Manshoon = wizard necromancer of the Emerald Claw
Xanathar - could leave the same, change his name, or if you want to go full-tilt Eberron, make him a Daelkyr (Dreaming Dark).
Xanathar's Guild - Planning on using Daask
Jarlaxle = Use a Lhazaar Principalties figure such as Prince Kel from the Eberron Player's Guide (makes changing disguises easier instead of using a hat of disguise since he is already a Changeling) or Syrina d'Lyrander from the Explorer's Guide to Eberron
Cassalanters = Could keep them as the same, or change them to another family within Sharn. Are they aligned with the Dreaming Dark/Inspired? Are they involved with a local cult, such as Kielsten Marquan's radiant idol, Zotharr? Lots of options here.

There so many Eberron-ish things that parallel with Waterdeep, such as the different city wards, the Sharn Watch vs. Waterdeep Watch, etc.

 

[BMaC]

Schley 's maps are gorgeous, but ultimately a bit hard to read when it comes down to actual play. I like plain old, clearly marked, black & white for running a game.

Agreed--love Schley's maps but they work better when they are regional/city than his dungeon maps (too dark among other things). The maps in this book are great--functional and nice to look at with a tiny dash of old school.

 

[Tiles]

I’m just realizing that there’s no Heist at the end of Dragon Heist. It’s bumming me out. We had a Great session 0 and I can’t wait to run the build up with the Stone and all the city fun, but it doesn’t deliver an epic heist as advertised. I feel like the DM’s Guild would be a great place to fill this need. A grand skill based-trap filled-construct defended vault
that ends with the same boss.

 

[Reynard]

I’m just realizing that there’s no Heist at the end of Dragon Heist. It’s bumming me out. We had a Great session 0 and I can’t wait to run the build up with the Stone and all the city fun, but it doesn’t deliver an epic heist as advertised.

I haven't read it clear through yet. What happens if not a Heist?

 

[Tiles]

The dive into a tomb? And negotiate with a boss defender. The location isn’t exactly inspirational either.

 

[Reynard]

The dive into a tomb? And negotiate with a boss defender. The location isn’t exactly inspirational either.

Like I said, I haven't read it yet, but if there is no heist there will be by the time I have finished with it. I might just have to create some heist rules to go with it, too.