Waterdeep Nights

About the adventure

"Have a seat, greenhorn. I know that look. You want to be a hero. Some of the greats got their start sitting right where you are now, so you've come looking for adventure. In my experience, though, adventure usually finds you . . . Anyway, first ale is on the house, just don't tell me about the weather." Welcome to Waterdeep, the city of splendors. In this den of shadowy lords, politicking guilds, scheming criminals, and cults of all kind, you find yourself in search of a new life. Whether you're running away or towards something, Waterdeep is the place to leave behind who you were and become something greater . . . if you don't get yourself blown up, first. * * * * * Now for the nitty-gritty. This aims to be a long-running campaign that will have sessions every-other Sunday. The story will begin with the published module "Waterdeep: Dragon Heist" in order to pull players into the local politics of the city before setting them loose on it and the surrounding lands once they've become an established adventuring company. The intention is to tell a story with plenty of room for character growth and personal arcs between the lives of adventure and daring-do. Tonally, I intend to borrow from "modern" pulp fantasy and action like the Brendan Frasier Mummy franchise, Indiana Jones, and the like, as well ongoing narrative structures like comic books or shows like Firefly in order to tell a story that is simultaneously full of adventure and satisfying character arcs. To that end, I want to help players create nuanced characters who will create rich stories while interacting with the city of Waterdeep.

Additional Details

How to prepare

For gameplay, I will be using 4 websites/programs. [list] [*] Dndbeyond - My collection includes all major published works which will be made available via content sharing on the campaign page. I'll also share special homebrew backgrounds that can be chosen to enmesh yourself in the setting, and homebrew items that can be acquired in game. [b]Create a free account in order to access my shared content.[/b] [*] Discord - We'll use this for voice and dice rolls with the help of free browser extension called "Beyond20" which allows for virtual dice rolls off your dndbeyond sheet to be forwarded straight to discord chat. [b]You'll need a free discord account and either the desktop app or the in-browswer client.[/bl] My discord has guides for helping to set everything up. Install Discord and create a free account. If you're using firefox or chrome, I encourage you to also install Beyond20 for character sheet and dice integration. [*] Tarrasque.io - This is a low-weight virtual tabletop currently in beta that I'm helping to test, and by participating in my game, you'll get an invitation to make a free player account and try it out. It's quick, efficient, and entirely browser based. After joining the game, I'll send you an invitation to make a free player account. [*] HeroForge - As part of the game, I invite you to create a mock-up of your character on Heroforge.com and share them with me. I'll create a token and portrait of them for use on the VTT, yours to keep when we're done. [/list] Other than those, you'll need a microphone and a stable internet connection.

What I provide

I bring a full collection of dndbeyond content, a lightweight virtual tabletop, access to custom portrait and token creation, and custom made, full color maps.

Gameplay details

While we're starting with Dragon Heist, that module is unique among the published adventure paths in that it serves more to establish the characters in the wider, rich setting of the city of Waterdeep itself, and sets up numerous powerful antagonists to deal with beyond the scope of the limited plot itself. Once the players are thoroughly enmeshed within the city of splendors and established as professional adventurers, they'll have significant freedom to pursue relationships with various factions, take jobs, and pursue treasure, all the while experiencing their own stories woven through the plot. Sessions will therefore involve an even blend of action, character driven interaction and drama, and ancient magic and exploration.

Content warnings

(none)

Safety tools used

(none)

How will character creation work

Character creation will follow a few guidelines, mostly standard, but with a few additions to create flavor. [list] [*]Characters will start at level 2. We'll use standard array for stats. All official character class and race options are allowed, including Tasha's custom origin options. Unpublished unearthed arcana will be allowed on a case by case basis. [*]In addition to starting resources (either equipment or average wealth), players may start with a single common magical item. These are mostly flavorful trinkets with minor magical effects, and are meant to represent keepsakes, inheritances, or other objects significant to the player's past. [*]Alignment - I have a somewhat unconventional take on alignment. Good is more aptly called altruism, or a character's willingness to put others before themselves. Evil, conversely, is more appropriately titled selfishness, or a character's tendency to place their own needs before others. Lawful and chaotic leanings, then, are a character's respect (or lack thereof) for authority. Neither axis defines personality. Because of this, I'm willing to accept characters of any alignment. I'm not willing to accept outright villains, though. A thief might be chaotic neutral or even evil, but still work together and care about their group. Even if the character at times chafes at this or questions their own loyalty, I expect the player to commit to always furthering the long-term health of the group. [*]Faith - Worship of the gods is an important pillar of society in the Forgotten Realms. Almost everyone gives small offerings to a multitude of gods and goddesses (even evil ones), and takes one as their patron deity. To forsake all worship is to condemn your own soul to the wall of the faithless after death, an unfortunate fate. Your faith doesn't have to be uncomplicated, though. Who do you offer worship to, and how do you feel about them? Is your faith genuine, or more forced? [*]In order to create characters who will remain compelling over the course of play and have reason to invest in the setting, I'm going to borrow from my theatre background to help players complete two character building exercises to flesh out their roles. The first will be a version of "two truths and a lie" to help define key facts about their character as well as a secret they are keeping. The second will be an exercise called "Three Entrances" to help clarify their background and inform their immediate goals in Waterdeep. [/list]

Players can expect

• Find a game to join solo or search for a professional game master for you and your friends/coworkers/family.
• Book your session and wait for the Game Master to approve you.
• If you don't have a blast with your first game, your next game is on us.