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View Full Version : DM Help Homebrew ideas for Waterdeep: Dragon Heist



Caziam2
2018-09-21, 10:25 AM
I plan to homebrew a good portion of this module. Here is what I was thinking and would love some suggestions

SPOILERS BELOW

• 1. After a friend in need I introduce one of the villains – Cassalanters – Heroes owe loan on tavern to Cassalanters equating to about 2,000 gp. Characters approached by Willifort Crowelle (Cassalanter’s Doppleganger minion) for payment. Given 3 day deadline. Players are still doing tavern repair and faction quests.
• 2. Willifort comes to collect payment and offers alternative job as payment. Characters need to find something that can be used as leverage against the Xanathar guild. The Cassalanter’s like having power over everyone, even criminals. They can do this entering the Blood and Fortune tournament held by the Xanathar guild in the sewers each month. The tournament winners get an audience with the Xanathar. Knowing the Xanathar leader is a beholder and that he has great love for a pet goldfish is enough leverage.
• 3. Having proven themselves to the Cassalanters, Willifort offers the party a job to steal the Stone of Gollor from Zardoz Zord convincing the party that the stone is a family heirloom. The characters can try to steal the stone but should they fail Zardoz will offer them the stone in exchange for a Jar of Mist containing a lecture from Khleben Arunsun on the dragonward of Waterdeep. This can be found in the Cassalanter’s Villa. (Having attuned to the Stone, Jarlaxle knows that the jar is a key for the Vault. He intends to steal back the Stone with the Fireball encounter.)
• 4. The players give the stone to Dalakhar who works for the Cassalanter’s. The fireball is from Jarlaxle’s nimblewright. Urstul Floxin still takes the Stone to Gralhund where it is delivered to the Cassalanters crypt.
• 5. Chapter 4 plays out normally and the stone is delivered to the Cassalanters.
• 6. Zardoz having failed to get the stone back asks the players to meet him. He then explains the importance of the stone and invites them to assist him in opening the vault. He offers 5000 gp for helping him access the vault and another 10000gp for the dragonstaff. He also alludes to the Cassalanter’s not being who they claim to be and there’s more to their son’s disappearance than meets the eye.
• 7. Zardoz contracts the players to steal the stone back from the Cassalanter’s.
• 8. Once the party has the stone they can choose to deliver back to Zardoz, or, now knowing what the stone is capable of, they can choose to attune to it and betray Zardoz. Zardoz either contracts the players to find the remaining keys or they set out to get them on their own (including stealing back the Jar of Mist)
• 9. If the players return to Zardoz he accompanies them to the vault. He gives a player a potion of invisibility and asks them to grab the staff and hit the dragon with it once it turns to dragon form. Zardoz angers the dragon into changing to his true form. (I let the player use the staff to retract Aurinax’s authority to reside in Waterdeep without attunement. I couldn’t find a good explanation to what happens to a dragon already in Waterdeep so I have the dragonward compel the dragon to leave the city, superseding any other action the dragon may want to take). This will make Aurinax an enemy of the heroes and further compel them to stay within Waterdeep for the Mad Mage session later. The other effects of the staff aren’t acquired until attuned). Zardoz keeps true to his word and offers the players 15000 for the staff and their help. Zardoz takes his leave the Cassalanter force attacks. If the players try to betray Zardoz he attacks them and likely knocks them all unconscious. They awaken in their tavern with all their gear and a note from Zardoz say the players are “good fun” and he hopes to work with them again someday, but if they betray him again they won’t live to talk about it.
• 10. If the players decide to attune and go it alone proceed with the Vault of Dragons as written but use Jarlaxle as the main villain when leaving the vault.