D&D5e - Adventurer's League - (DDAL08-00) Once in Waterdeep (v1.2a).pdf

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DDAL 08-00
ONCE in WATERDEEP
An Introduction to the City of Splendor
Who knows why adventurers are drawn together? The lust for gold, a
common foe, or the whimsy of fate? Pull up a stool, stoke the hearth,
and let YOUR story begin!.
A 4-Hour Adventure for Tier 1 Characters
Optimized For: APL 1
Credits
Lead Designer:
Will Doyle
Development and Editing:
Claire Hoffman, Travis
Woodall
D&D Adventurers League Guildmaster:
Christopher
Lindsay
Art Director and Graphic Designer:
Rich Lescouflair
D&D Adventurers League Wizards Team:
Adam Lee,
Chris Lindsay, Mike Mearls, Matt Sernett
D&D Adventurers League Administrators:
Bill Benham,
Alan Patrick, Travis Woodall, Lysa Chen, Claire
Hoffman, Greg Marks
Playtesters:
Alex Crouzen, Arthur Saucier, Ben Siekert,
Chris McGovern, Dan Taylor, Daniel Oliveira, David
N Krolnik, Gary Affeldt, Genesis Martinez, The GM
Tim, Greg Marks, Ian Hawthorne, Justin Faris, Lee
Brimmicombe-Wood, Marcello Valazquez, Mik Calow,
Monika Milkova, Sean Mittelstaedt, Thomas Valley
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, the dragon ampersand, Player’s Handbook, Monster Manual,
Dungeon Master’s Guide, D&D Adventurers League, all other Wizards of the Coast product names, and their respective logos are trademarks
of Wizards of the Coast in the USA and other countries. All characters and their distinctive likenesses are property of Wizards of the Coast. This
material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork
contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of Wizards of the Coast.
©2018 Wizards of the Coast LLC, PO Box 707, Renton, WA 98057-0707, USA. Manufactured by Hasbro SA, Rue Emile-Boéchat 31, 2800
Delémont, CH. Represented by Hasbro Europe, 4 The Square, Stockley Park, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB11 1ET, UK.
Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
DDAL08-00 Once in Waterdeep (v1.2)
1
Adventure Primer
“People think that stories are shaped by people. In fact,
it's the other way around.”
Preselecting the Villain
If you don’t want to prepare all three quests ahead of
time, you can insist that your players craft a villain of a
specific role during the Story Workshop. That way, you’ll
know ahead of time which quest to prepare. As your
confidence with the adventure grows, you can allow the
players to create a villain of any role.
T
– Terry Pratchett, Witches Abroad
he events of this adventure are
modified by the backstories and personality
traits of your group’s characters. You’ll
collaborate with your players to weave their
own villain, objectives, and complications
into the story.
Episode 3: Finale
Background
Across the City of Splendors, rival factions plot to seize
control of the
VAULT OF DRAGONS:
a vast cache
of purloined gold hidden somewhere beneath the city
streets. Numerous villains contrive to locate the
STONE
OF GOLORR,
a mind-bending artifact that holds the
key to the vault’s location. Into this conspiracy tread the
characters of your own group, brought together by chance
for a single, fateful night at the Yawning Portal tavern. By
the end of the evening, events will have propelled your
group into the main storyline of the season.
In this final episode, the villain makes their move to steal
the MacGuffin or get revenge on the characters. If the
characters survive, they earn a reward from whichever
factions they allied with in Episode 2.
Adapting the Adventure
Once in Waterdeep
provides suggestions for linking
plot points to the backstories of your own group. If
none of the suggestions fit, feel free to invent your own
connections. You can even pass this challenge onto the
players during play by offering inspiration to the player
who provides the best link. For example, you could say
“I’ll give inspiration to whoever comes up with the best
reason for our villain wanting this object”.
Also feel free to reflavor events or characters to better
fit your own group. For example, you could replace one
of the quest-giving NPCs at the inn with a character’s
mentor, or rule that the carriage in episode one carries
a noble relative. So long as the key encounters of the
adventure play out roughly as described, you can remold
events around them to best fit your own group. Make the
adventure your own!
Episodes
The adventure is comprised of three episodes that are
played in sequence.
Episode 1: Setup
At the start of this episode, you’ll work with your group
to determine the important plot points of the story: a
villain, an interesting character, and a “MacGuffin” that
springboards the story.
The players meet the interesting character in the
tavern and learn of the MacGuffin, but their meeting
is interrupted by the arrival of two meddling crooks. A
dramatic intervention by a wayward carriage leads to a
combat in the taproom. During the confusion, the crooks
make their move to steal the MacGuffin.
Episode 2: Faction Quest
Rival factions from the
Waterdeep: Dragon Heist
storyline
conspire against each other. In this episode, you’ll play
ONE short quest that is determined by your chosen
villain:
•
Quest A: Showtime (Traitor).
The characters
masquerade as travelling minstrels to steal an item from
one of the performers. In doing so, they cross swords
with a drow mercenary loyal to
JARLAXLE BAENRE.
•
Quest B: Gang War (Brute).
The characters find
themselves caught up in the vicious turf war between
the
ZHENTARIM
and the
XANATHAR GUILD.
•
Quest C: Treasure Hunt (Mastermind).
The characters
decipher a mysterious pamphlet to unearth a treasure
hidden in one of the tavern’s guest rooms. In doing so,
they find themselves competing against the powerful
CASSALANTER
noble family.
2
Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
DDAL08-00 Once in Waterdeep (v1.2)
Adventure Flowchart
1
Setup
2A
2B
2C
Showtime
(Traitor Quest)
Gang War
(Brute Quest)
Treasure Hunt
(Mastermind Quest)
3
Finale
Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
DDAL08-00 Once in Waterdeep (v1.2)
3
Backdrop: The Yawning Portal
The Yawning Portal is a famous inn and tavern located
in the Castle Ward of Waterdeep. It’s named after the
large well in its common room – the tip of a sunken
stone tower – which descends into the mazelike dungeon
of Undermountain. Treasure seekers from across the
Forgotten Realms meet in the inn’s common room to plan
their own delves, making it the perfect place to start an
adventure!
Durnan.
The proprietor of the Yawning Portal is
a tough, taciturn old adventurer. He keeps a magic
greatsword hidden behind the bar in case any beasties
clamber up out of the well.
“Bonnie”.
Bonnie is a quick-witted and cheerful
barmaid with a terrible secret: she’s a doppelganger in
disguise. A few people know what she’s hiding.
Rusty Bighat.
This boisterous halfling is the master of
ceremonies for tonight’s theater performances.
Anyone who wants to get on the lineup for tonight’s
show must go through him.
Mattrim “Threestrings” Mereg.
The tavern’s resident
bard and storyteller is a secret member of the Harpers.
Marmaduke.
Durnan leaves a saucer of milk out for
this stray ginger tomcat each morning, but he’d prefer the
old kitty had a proper home.
Other patrons.
The tavern is crammed with patrons.
If you wish, you can introduce the relevant quest-giving
characters from Episode 2 ahead of time to foreshadow
their meeting.
Area Information
Refer to Appendix 3 for a map of the Yawning Portal.
Much of the adventure is set in the tavern’s taproom:
tables and chairs litter the floor, and dozens of thirsty
patrons shake off the day through the application of
strong ale and good company. Two balcony levels overlook
the main taproom, reached by sturdy wooden staircases.
Comfortable guest rooms adjoin these balconies.
Well.
The common room is dominated by the 40- foot-
diameter open well. This shaft plunges 140 feet to the
first level of Undermountain and is ringed by magical
torches. A rope-and-pulley mechanism is used to transport
adventurers into the dungeon. Any character pushed into
the well can make a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw to
catch hold of the bucket as they fall.
Stage.
A travelling theater group has constructed
a stage at one end of the common room with draped
curtains and a painted backdrop. A small, curtained off
dressing room lies behind the stage. The stage is empty
until the performance begins in Episode 2.
Trinkets.
Dozens of curios hang from the taproom
walls: mysterious statues, bloodied banners, unidentified
sigils, and much more. Adventurers returning from
Undermountain give these trinkets to the proprietor as
trophies for surviving the dungeon.
The Characters are the Stars
Remember that the player characters are the stars of this
story. When combat occurs, the other patrons shouldn’t
get involved unless you really want them to. Handwave
them away by saying they’re caught up in their own
distractions: aiding other patrons, calling for the City
Watch, or whatever else you can think of that gets them
out of the picture.
Tavern Events
Roll on the following table to add flavorful incidents to the
game during play.
Creatures/NPCs
The tavern has the following notable NPCs. For further
details see Appendix 1.
Tavern Events Table
d8
1
Event
Bonnie tosses a patron’s tankard into the well after
he makes a crude remark. A few moments later, an
echoing belch is heard from below.
A tense card game between halflings ends with the
winner buying a round of drinks for everyone.
A swarm of dusty grey butterflies flutters up out of
the well.
A storekeeper bemoans the feud between the
Xanathar Guild and the Zhentarim.
One of the tables briefly levitates, much to the
surprise of those seated there.
A goliath gladiator challenges anyone who dares face
him to a drinking contest.
Marmaduke the tomcat hacks up a hairball
containing a single gold dragon coin.
A group of adventurers are lowered into the well to
face the horrors of Undermountain. As they depart,
the patrons take bets on whether they’ll return.
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
4
Episode 1: Setup
Estimated Duration:
60-80 minutes.
In this episode, the players meet an interesting character
in the tavern and learn of the MacGuffin. A dramatic
intervention by a wayward carriage leads to a combat in
the taproom.
• Which ideal, bond or flaw on your character sheet best
represents your character?
• What would be the perfect start to your character’s
story?
Prelude. Story Workshop
Before play begins, you’ll collaborate with your players
to weave their own unique villain, objectives, and
complications into the story.
Devise the Plot Points
Everyone - including yourself! - must now answer the
following three questions. Without conferring, write your
answers on index cards, post-it notes, or scraps of paper.
• Who would make a suitable antagonist for the group
at this level? This character becomes the
VILLAIN
for
the adventure. Optionally, you can insist that the players
invent a villain that fits one of the roles you’ve prepared
for (see “Categorize the Plot Points”, below).
• Who would be an
INTERESTING CHARACTER
for
this group to meet in the tavern? This person serves as
the springboard for the villain’s scheme.
• What would be an exciting character development
between two characters in this group? This becomes the
roleplay
CHALLENGE
for the players.
Before revealing any answers, hand three tokens to each
player: poker chips, coins, dice, or anything else you have
at hand. The players use these tokens to vote on their
favorite answers:
• Go around the table, starting with yourself, and reveal
the answers to the first question. If any answers are
duplicated, stack them into a single pile.
• Once all the answers have been revealed, ask the
players to place a token on their favorite answer.
• The answer with the most tokens is selected for the
story: keep this answer in view and remove the others. If
there’s a tie, YOU have the deciding vote.
Continue until you’ve reached consensus on all three
questions, and then proceed to the next stage.
5
Set the Scene
Read the following aloud:
Waterdeep! Greatest city in all the Forgotten Realms! In
these fabled streets, heroes are forged, and adventures
begun. Tonight, you gather at the Yawning Portal to
hear tales of glory from a troupe of traveling performers
Give the players the “Theater Handbill” handout from
Appendix 4.
Once they’ve read it, ask each player to
introduce their character into the scene as dramatically as
possible. Grant inspiration to anyone who impresses you
with their entrance.
Reveal Backstories
Next, ask each player to briefly describe their character’s
backstory: who are they, how did they get here, and why
do they seek adventure? If anyone gets stuck, use the
following questions to prompt them:
• What event forced your character become an
adventurer?
Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
DDAL08-00 Once in Waterdeep (v1.2)

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