a DED | WATERDEEP DRAGON HEIST A splendid treasure trove is yours for the taking in MOE Mama CR eee ere MENT RELWATERDEEP DRAGON HEIST SabineCREDITS Lead Designer: Christopher Perkins Designers: James |. Haeck, james Intiocaso, Adam Lee, Matt Sernett ‘Rules Development: Jeremy Craord. Ben Pevisor. Kate Welch Story Consutans: Matthew Mercer, Charles Sanders Managing Editor jererny Crawiord Lad Edtor: Christopher Perins Eeltors: Michele Carer, Soot itgerald Gray, Kim Mohan drt ecto Kate Irvin Mutat Drain Shaw Grophic Designer Eon Gone Ter Jcobson Ine srtrs: Mare Be ri Bell, Zlan Bors, lt Coney, Sharh Chatrve Dante, fre Deschampr, Olga Deeb Leesa Hannigan Ralph ory, per acon, Sm elses dian Kuala Lemme, Chrstopher Mosier Scott Muri i Pcie, Cauci Pras, Vince Proce, Ned Rogers, gt Spent son thorspsn Coy egece, card Whiter: Mart Winters Shawn Wood ays Wi, Kran Yann Interior Carographer Dyson Logos Poser ap acon Fle nil Tovar, Matt Waren, Stant Cynda Callaway Imaging Yetniclana: Crraen Chevng, Kevin Yeo [rt Administration Oavid Ge'shran Prepress Specialist: efersor Dunlap (Other D&O Team Members: Bart Catal, Pelham Greene, A Levteh, Chris Lindsay, Jeremy Marti, Shelly Mazzanoble, Mike earls, Hilary Rss, Liz Schuh, Nathan Stewart, Greg Tio, Tish Yochum Gratitude to Eliott Zastrow fr his extensive research Special thanks tothe hundreds of plytesters whose feedback made thes adventure more fun at every tur «6204658000001 EN ISBN: 978-0-7869-6625.7 First Printing: September 2018, 987654321 DUNGEONS DRAGONS OD wad tbe cout Frgatn Rem the da Beste prsuct tanesoal tc spc logn atc uademohe tens tts Conte US snd ater cunte Alero ant FOREWORD AA simple question began rattling around in my head over two years ago as I was bidding farewell to Barovia, dragging myself out of the depths of Maelstrom, and planning a yearlong expedition to Unult. Where do we 0 next? After mulling over several options, we decided itwould be refreshing to return to civilization. Waterdeep: Dragon Heist is a treasure hunt with a urban backdrop. We've visited Waterdeep before, but not like this, Clever heroes will respect the city’s rules. ‘Those who get un dhe city’ bal side ie i for « soul time, as the City of Splendors is home to some of the ‘most powerful figures in the Forgotten Realms, Charlie Sanders, a lifelong D&D player, brought his experience writing fr television to the project by help ing flesh out the story bible months before work on the ‘edvonture-wao echeduled to begin. Matthew Mercer, ‘whom you might know from the livestreamed show Critical Role, lent us his boundless imagination and helped flesh out the villains and their motives. AD&D. adventure is only as good as its villains, and Waterdeep: Dragon Heist has multiple baddies to choose from. ‘Refare I pull hack the eurtain and lead you into the heart of Waterdeep, [wish to thank Ed Greenwood for making the City of Splendors what it is: the kind of mag ical place you wish in your heart was rea. Chris Perkins December 2017 ON THE COVER In Waterdeep, «gold cin is called a dragon, and someone has hidden half a milion dragons inthe Cty ofSplendors. Tyler Jacobson illustrates the vilains hunting forthe veasure. May the {ode protect any adventurer who stands in their way! inh tr rr ch alee ogi ‘i pm rte oof than anerpiot be ‘Sint ly Thay ce nd orn obra en ¢ 3 0 os 17, Roan, AS40977 USA. Manton y Hite, Ee See 3, 3800 Bent CHCONTENTS Pronunciation Guide 4 Ch.3:Firebal (Ch. 6: Hell ofa Summer. us epics fg. What's Happening Here? Cuitof Asmodeus. 115, es hein © The Crime Scene Facing the Cassalanters 7 er & After the Blast Cassaanter Vi 7 pes 7 Nims Secret Temple of Asmodcus nts Ramil the Aveo 7 What Renaes Knows Special Events 130 Aidvenkise Strats 19 Grathund Villa Ch. 7: Maestro’s Fall 131 Lifein Waterdoop 10 Aftermath 55 Facing Jarlaxle Adventure Flowehart. ji eo Bate 56 Sea Maidens Faire Villain Lairs. tf leet 5° Scarlet Marpenoth, 141 Adventure Background 1 Ch.d:Dragon Season 51 Special Events us hrs Crexio 12 Stine Sa Sh, 8 Winter Wieardy a haracier Advancement counter Chains. SF rach MAoaocn a Factions in Waterdeep. Encounter Chains by Season 59 lat Tower as The Yawning Portal Encounter 1: Alley a ee ee fe Ch. 1: A Friend in a Sees ‘5 Special Events. 161 ‘nee sit 21 Encounter 3: Siret Chase 68 Zhentarim Hideout 24 Encounter 4: Mausoleum, 69 Ch. 9: Volo's Waterdeep The Watch Arriv 27 Encounter 5: Rooftop Chase. 79, Bachiridien. 163 a Nee a: caer 74. Bering Waterdeep 168 racking Floon z i A Long Hisory (in Brit. 164 3g Encounter 7: OM Tower 76 Xanathar Guild Hideout a Braver: 7100 Tors ee nage tke Gir ier Completing Volos Quest. 30 The Wards of Wate 14 urwer 9: Cellar Complex 83 eee a punter 10: Conve: ted Wi \dmill.....86 The City’s Splendors. 180 (Ch. 2:Troltskull Alley sy ey > 90. Parting Words 188 Joining Factions. - 34 Vault of Dr 94 App. A: Magic Items. 189 Open for Business 41 Adventure Conclusion 98 anes aa 7 App. B: Monsters and NPCs. Che iapctn vtases 8° app. ce Handouts : 28. awning Portal Friendly Faces Foiling Xanathar’s Operation, ees Xanathae's Lair 160 Seen Special Events 114 Key to the Yawning Portal 24PRONUNCIATION GUIDE This guide shows how to pronounce many o! the non-English names that appear in this adventure, Name Pronunciation Name Pronunciation ‘Agorn Fuoco Ay-gor fo0-0H koh Maro Qaz'art MAWrow kah-ZART Aghairon ah-CAlR-awn Matin Mereg MaTavim MAIReee ‘Anmaergo ah-MAIR-go Melannor Fellbranch — MEL-2h-nor ‘Acedor Kolat su SEE-door KOH Meloon Wardragon may LOON ‘Atria (monthy——_awe-TUR-eeak ir MERT or MEET ‘Arath Sercant bath SFR-cont Mire (eth MrRonl ‘AmmaliaCasslanter ah MAWiee-ah KAS hlanter Nar Xibrndas NAR zeh-BRIN ‘Am Xaondar [ARN zaLRON- dat Nihioor NYEheh re sa ORahnac baja Uday ch-bYEyah oo-DAY ‘ateen Windrvver—ahwaREEN Orond Gralhund —_oh-ROND GRAWLhoond Bregan ieee BRAY gan DAIRTH Raeyn Auvyndar RAY h.VRIN-@ar Corpus Thann KOR ss femalia Havertree ren MAWee-ah Dav starsong OAH Renaer Neverember—eh-NAIR Dahlark Kola o0-LARK KOH at shat ree-SHAWL Eleasis (month) aL EE sis Rongquan Mystere RONG-kwan mis-AIR Eten (month) eh-LAINT sueth Cromley SAYTH KROMee rae Frahdny BA Sew Blabanta) SAV eab-BRAN ah Fala efalir Fattlah LEF-ahicer Sea Nediyke SEF yah NAlLrike Felt afeen Feel ah FEEN Sidra Romeir SiD-ah oh: MEER Fenens Siomcasile FEN-erus Star Zarphoul SKARN ZAR foo! Flamerue (month) FLAMEool Steemo Weirdbotle_SKEEmoh Floon Blagmaar——_-FLOON 8LAG-mar SoluunXibrindas__soh-lOON zeh-8RIN-das lm hubs LAN TalsokanarFelranch talissAWLvan-ar Holven Ebberee ——- HOLEvan EBBer ok Tarsabh (month) ——_TARsack Hrabbar ro BAZ TashynYafera———TASHLlinyah-FEERah yustus Staget HEW.stus STAG Tasna khyeet teh SEEmah KYEret lolasteDaiano Fah. KAWstay dawleeAHnoh Tyla lueph TYElan lOO eid Hon Ise LmhernTastin ur RAlR-oh ZASS-troh JalestrSiermane — JRHslesster Usaster Ghann—urLASS.ter GAN Jarlade Baeme jar LAX BANEray Ucstul lain Ueto FLOKin Jel Usindnusk!—julsLEN UR vale real vay CULE VAL Jeryth Phaukon ——_AlRith FAW:kon Vara Sfehr VO} sa FAR Jearynne Hormaven—JZrin \elgosEphezsrin. —_VELgohseh.FEZtn Kaeva Gravern——_CAVEehSIN-ahovern Vevete Blackwater vehVET Kalan Kah LAIN \VhasparHolmdieg VASS-par HOLMdeg y Karabal ene Kw Rahsbaw! LENZ Vere Cassslanter_vikcTORoh KAS-alan-ser Aafia Murean ah FAVAah mur ZAWN Volirrkibbers—VOALar Kl8-enz Korgstrod Uxgulm —_KORGtrand UX-gulm Volothamp Geddarm —VOHlah-hamp geh-DARM ieebyjg Masqyr—_KREH-big MASKGer Westra Molimmur —_WESArah MOLT:msur Xythorn (month) KYshoen Xanathar ZANsahshat Lara Siverhand LAIR ‘apr Stonefst YAGraw Lille Rowe Lal RODS-uh Yala Galhumd ——_YANEan GRAWLhoond LUorath Phan LoRath FARN Yale iar yah-UEERTIZ mar Lasser Miklav LOSS-er MERlav ZaibonKyszal ZyEbawm kT Manshoon sman'SHOON Zirajthe Hunter seer AW) Margo Verida MAR-go veh-REE-dah “Zorbog hyarkoth ZOR+bog jee-ARKoth.ODUCTION “ELComE To WaTeRDEEP, THE CROWN OF the North where a wondrous ale of urban adventure i about to unfold Our tory Bele withthe gathering of adventurere atthe Yawning Portal Inn and Tavern Velothamp Geddarm, the famous exporet and raconteihaa 4 est forthe one that entangles the characters in a bitter conflict between “twonnefarious organizations. the adventurers com- ‘plete his quest, Volo rewards them handsomely. Yet a ‘much greater prize lies hidden somewhere in the City of ‘Splendors, waiting to be claimed. Waterdeep: Dragon Heist is a DUNGEONS & DRAGONS adventure designed fr character starting at Lt evel Bye end of te story tne characters wile atleast. Bee ry sre pitta tris rough hc cdrese tare asa player, stop reading now! youre looking for higher level adventure content st in Waterdeep, companion product tiled Waterdeep Dungeon of the Mad Mage explores the vast dungeon Saar ieectocs kanye wr Ueda earnicte ase et Sioned for charactors of lvels all the way up f 20th Srory OVERVIEW Waterdeep: Dragon Heist isa treasure hunt set against ‘an urban backdrop. The adventure’s plot can be summa- rized as follows: Half a million gold coins are hidden somewhere in ‘Waterdeep. Many individuals know about the cache and are looking for it. Adventurers can join the hunt ‘and prevent the cache from falling into evil hands. ‘The city is threatened by escalating tension between two power groups that is on the verge of flaring into violence. The Zhentarim, a shadowy network of mer ‘cenaries, and Xanathar, the beholder crime lord of ‘Waterdeep, are at odds, and when they clash, the char- acters are pulled into the contfict. Cacue OF DRAGONS In Waterdeep, a gold coin i called a dragon. Before he ‘was ousted from his position as the Open Lard of Water- deep, Dagult Neverember embezzled half « million ‘dragons and hid them ina secret vault. Asa security precaution, he arranged forall knowledge ofthe vaul’s location and defenses to be magically erased from his ‘mind and the minds of his subordinates. The wizard ‘who performed the procedure trapped this knowledge within an artifact ealled the Stone of Golorr. The wizard isappeared shortly thereafter, and Dagult hid the stone inthe Palace of Waterdeep. Dagult was off rebuikding the city of Neverwinter when the other Lords of Waterdeep voted him out of office. He immediately made plans to retrieve the Stone of Golorr ana smuge his cache o! dragons out ot Waterdeep. His spies plucked the stone from the palace but were killed ‘hile trying to leave the city. The stone was stolen and passed from one hand to another like a common jewel until it wound up in the clutches of Xanathar. Usine THE Poster Map. ‘The map inthe back ofthis book has the city of Waterdeep ‘on both sides. One side can be shown to players. The ‘other side is forthe DM and includes tags marking impor: nt locstions inthe adventure. ‘The Stone of Golorr is actually an aboleth transformed by magic. In this inanimate state, the aboleth can read ‘the mind of any creature that attunes to the stone, as ‘well as modify that creature's memory. A creature at- tuned to the stone can also extract information from the aboleth, including lore about Neverember's vault Built long ago by dwarves, the vault is warded against all forms of magical detection and intrusion. Ks current protector ss an adult gold dragon named Aurinax, who isalso the current wielder and guardian of the dragon- staff of Ahghairon, which has the power to prevent other dragons from entering the city. In exchange for the staff, Aurinax promised to guard the gold until such time as, [Neverember or his appointed vassals removed it. WAR IN THE STREETS Beneath the city streets lurks a criminal underworld, its leader a beholder called Xanathar. Hoping to gain a political foothold in Waterdeep, agents of the Zhentarim {also known as the Black Network) recently tried to ally their organization with the Xanathar Guuld. The arch tect ofthis attempt was a clone of the wizard Manshoon, a founder of the Black Network long thought dead, ‘While de (wo sides were neyodahng fi Namah lair, the Stone of Golorr suddenly disappeared from where Xanathar had hidden it. The paranoid beholder ‘accused the Dlach Netwoth of atealing it and stew the Zhentarim envoys who were present. When the Zhents| retaliated by attacking Xanathar Guild outposts, Xana- thar tool their actions aa confiemation of the Black "Network's vile intentions, Now the bad blood between the Zhentarim and Xanathar has begun to spill into the streets, threatening peace throughout the city. Who actually stole the Stone of Golorr? The answer: ‘rock gnome named Dalakhar. After Lord Neverember ial magi tr tincien the grroalone’alaratinin, he mnt forth a succession of spies o infiltrate Xanathar's lait and obtain it. Dalakhar succeeded where many others, before him had failed, but his success turns out to be shortlived. Vouo’s QuEST ‘The Yawning Portal serves as the default starting point a to tae Due nonrapepe beset Se ence ode ate aia fteaniooner mre re ee ee ee ‘ We ae napped. The scarch for Floon leads to the revelation that he was caught up in a case of mistaken identity, and sersurneanee cua ioaeg meres meee ae aia aprt Loerie ae enaAHGHAIRON’S DRAGONWARD Waterdeep is blanketed by an undispellable magical effect called Ahghoron’ dregonwvard, The effect originates from ‘somewhere under Ahghairon’s Tower inthe Caste Ward ands permanent. Oragons and al other creatures of the ‘ragon type are physically unable to encer the cy (or ts sewers) as long as the dragonword persists. The effect doesn't extend to the harbor or into Underrnountain. ‘creature ofthe dragon type that is touched by the hogonstaf of Abghoron (see appendix 8) can ignore A ghairon's dragonword and move through the city Feely. The effect asts until the creature is touched again bythe staf, ‘oF until the passage of a period of time specined by one who is atuned to the staff. “The dragonstaffis currently in the possession ofan adult {gold dragon named Aurinax (sce appendix 8), who guards, hidden vault under the city. ——— Renact Neverembes. Agents uf the Zhentarim waylaid hhim because they want to know everything that Renaer knows about the cache of dragons. (Unfortunately for them, Renacr is ignorant ofthe cache and its where- abouts, Ifthe characters rescue him, Renaer proves to be a worthy ally to adventurers hoping to make a name for themoelvee in Waterdeep. AAs a reward for rescuing Floon, Volo gives adventur- ers the deed to a building in the North Ward that looks out onto a wide cul-de-sac hemmed in by old residences and shops. The property used to be a tavern with a res- idence on the upper floors. The tavern has been closed for years, anel the residence is haunted by a poltereeis that the characters can lay to rest FIREBALL) As time goes on, the characters attract the attention of local factions hoping to recruit them while they settle Tele Gs oe Bonen serait eas are shattered when a fireball detonates near their new residence, The characters are swept up inthe aftermath sf this haere event and ean tryin gett the bottom af ‘it, Who cast the fireball spell and why? Who was the imended target? They can investigate the incident on be half of a guild or a faction, or they can become involved for reasons of their own, One casualty ofthe fireball is in fact ts intended tr set: Lord Neverember's spy, Dalakhar. Whoever killed the gnome now has the Stone of Gaorr, the key to find: ing the lost cache of dragons. One way or another, de- pending on the alliances~and the enemles—they have made inthe city the characters become embroiled in the chase forthe stone and the hoard it protects. CHOOSE YOUR VILLAIN When you run this adventure, you choose its main lain atthe outset. Your choice determines the season of the Year in which the story takes place, as well as the an- tagonists in several of the encounters in chapter 4. The villain you ehanse anpases the player characters, while the villains you don't choose become part of the back: drop'and could help the characters or hinder them. As another unusual feature of this adventure, the villains aren't meant to be killed, nor are they out to kill the player characters. The villains are alter a treasure hoard, and the adventurers’ ultimate goal is to keep the treasure out of their clutches. You can swap out one villain for another at any time. For example, ifyou decide halfway through the ad- venture that because of how the story has progressed Jarlaxle Baenre would make a better antagonist than ‘Xanathar, you can make that change on the fly and run subsequent encounters accordingly. Each villain is fully described in appendix B and sum- marized below. XANATITAR Xanathar is a paranoid, megalomaniacal beholder crime lord whose goal is to wipe out anyone it perceives as a Zhentarim operative or sympathizer, retrieve the Stone of Golorr, and secure the cache of dragons. Its base is a dungeon under Skullport, a subterranean setilement be- neath Waterdeep. his lair is described in chapter 5. ‘Xanathar has a healthy fear of Laeral Silverhand and is inclined to spare those in her employ, to avoid provok- ing a conflict with Waterdeep's Open Lord. Adventurers ‘who incur the wrath ofthe beholder can use its fear of Laeral to escape certain death, Ieyou elivuse Xatatha as he vila takes place in the spring. the adventure, ‘THE CASSALANTERS Vietoro and Ammalia Cassalanter are Waterdavian no: bles and secret devil worshipers. The Cassalanters plan touse the cache of dragons to buy back the souls of their children, which they traded to Asmodeus for power. Their estate, Cassalanter Villa, has a temple of Asmo- deus hidden underneath tt, as described in caplet 6, The Cassalanters try to misdirect and discredit the characters rather than murder them. Vietoro and Am- tall vely ou deis nuble status Uo protect thenn, and the last thing they want is the City Watch on their doorstep. Ifyou choose the Cassalanters as the villains, the ad- venture takes place in the summer. JARLAXLE BAENRE Jarlaxle Baenre is a drow swashbuckler and the secret Jord of Luskan, the City of Sails. Jalaxle plans to use the cache of dragons to buy his way into the Lords’ Allianee, a confederation of cies and ww a ban together against common threats. jarlaxle also wants the dragonstaff of Aighairon for leverage in his nego- tiations. In the magical guise ofa human sea captain named Zardoz Zord,arlaxle runs a traveling carnival called the Sea Maidens Faire and lair aboard a ship in Waterdecp's harbor that hao a oubmarine (he Scarlet ‘Marpenoth) underneath it, as described in chapter 7 Jarlaxle delights in thwarting his enemies, enjoys the complications that arise when adventurers try to meddle in his affair, and loves to se the looks on their faces ‘when he finally gets the better of them. He doesnt suffer fools who theraten him, however TE forced inte a vient confrontation, he swiftly and brutally kills someone to ‘make an example of them and then walks off Ifyou choose Jarlaxle as the villain, the adventure takes place in the autumn,MANsHOON ‘A clone of the wizard Manshoon, one of the founders of the Zhentarim, is hiding in Waterdeep. He wants to rule the city, by claiming the cache of dragons and by using that wealth to bribe the Masked Lords into making him the new Open Lord. He also wants to regain control of the Black Network. Manshoon lurks in Kolat Towers, a pair of wizards’ towers in the Trades Ward. This resi dence is described in chapter 8. Manshoon creates copies of himself using the simula- ‘crum spell and takes great pains to conceal his identity, since his success hinges on not attracting the attention of others who would seek to thwart him before his plans ‘come to fruition. Manshoon avoids unnecessary con- frontations with adventurers; only those who enter his extradimensional sanctum are likely to incur his wrath. Ifyou choose Manstioon ws the villa, he adventure takes place in the winter, SEASONS ‘The adventure unfolds in a particular season depending cn the villain you choose a the outset. Ifyou switch toa nest villain midway through the advencare, dont change the season tomatch unless the characters take enough downtime for seasons to change naturally SPRING In Waterdeep. early spring tends to be cold and damp. ‘Misty rain falls for days on end. I's common for fog t0 settle at night and last through the day. As the weather improves, the city attracts more visitors, and the streets become increasingly crowded as summer approaches, SUMMER — ‘Summers in Waterdeep are quite comfortable, and it’s a great time for citizens and visitors to congregate outside. ‘The markets are busier than at any other time of year Sometimes, though, warm air pushes up from the south and settles in the valleys north and east ofthe city. This air gets trapped, ereating a hot spell that might last days or weeks. Activity in the city slows toa erawi, since Wa trdavians are unaccustomed to such heat. AUTUMN ‘Throughout autumn, wagonloads of food arrive in Wa. tereleep from outlying farms, Without this bounty, city folk would starve during the winter. Cold, howling sea winds remind Waterdavians that winter is near, WINTER ‘Waterdavian winters are harsh. As snow piles up around: the city and ice fills the harbor, trade grinds to a halt and the city seals its gates. Citizens willing to brave the cold still gather in local taverns and festhalls, but few venture ‘outside the city walls FAERONIAN CALENDAR “The Feertnian calendar has twelve months that roughly correspond tothe months ofthe Gregorian calendar. Each ‘month has thy days divided into three ten-day weeks Teach week is called a tenday). Scattered throughout the year are five holidays that aren't considered part of any ‘month. Once every four yeats, the holiday of Shildmeet is added tothe calendar as a leap day immediately folowing ‘Midsummer night. Collectively these days create a cycle similar to what we have on Earth: three 365-day years fo- loved bys leap year. Menthe, The Farinian monthe are Hammer, Altria, CChes, Tarsakh, Mirtul, Khor, Flamerule,Eleasis, Elin, Marpenoth, Ucar, and Nightal. ‘Annuel Holidays. The annual holidays are Midwinter (between Hammer and Alturiah), Greengrass (between Tarsakh and Mirtul, Midsummer (between Flamerule and #leass), Highharvestie (between Eleint and Marpenoth), andthe Feast ofthe Moon (between Uktar and Nighta) RUNNING THE ADVENTURE Torun this adventure, you need the D&D fith edition core rulebooks: Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master's Gulde, 2nd Moneter Mana. The Sword Coact Advers turer's Guide i hepful, but not necessary. ‘Text that appears in a box ike this is meant tobe read ‘aloud or paraphrased for the players when theie charac- ters fist arive ata location or under a specific circum stance, as described in the text. ‘The Monster Manual contains stat blocks for most of the creatures found in this adventure. All the necessary stat blocks are included there or in appendix B. When a creature's name appears in bold type, that’s a visual cue for you to look up the creature's stat block in the Mon- ‘ster Manual, unless the adventure’ text instead refers you to the monster appendix in this book. ‘Spells and equipment mentioned in the adventure are described in the Player's Handbook: Magic items are ‘described in the Dungeon Master's Guide, unless the adventure's text directs you to an item's description in, appendix A. ABBREVIATIONS ‘The following abbreviations appear inthis book: hp =hit points LG = lawful good AC = Armor Class DC Difficulty Class