My players know more about Waterdeep than I do!

[Pagrek]

I'm DM'ing Rise of Tiamat and Waterdeep acts as a central hub for that adventure. I encouraged my players to set up a base in the city so the Council of Waterdeep could know where to find them, also so I could attack them there to raise the stakes towards the end, and they were pretty happy setting themselves up.

The problem is that one of my players DM's Dragon Heist and some of my other players play in his game. They know so much more about the city than I do. This isn't too much of a problem because a quick wiki search and some improvisation seems to be enough for most of them. However, one of my players has stated it's their goal to be allowed into the Shrines of Nature in the city, which apparently normal people aren't allowed in.

My google fu has been unable to find much on either the shrines themselves or any ordinance forbidding the hoi polloi inside. Could someone with more knowledge of the lore of Waterdeep help me get a basic understanding of the city so I can help my players?

[Aett_Thorn]

Do the Players know more, or do the Characters know more. How would the characters know about the Nature sanctuaries, for instance?

You may need to try to figure a way to get the players to leave their OoC knowledge out somehow.

[Willie the Duck]

They will not let you read that section of their Waterdeep module?

[Unoriginal]

They will not let you read that section of their Waterdeep module?

This.

Also, what shrines of nature? I'm running the module, I don't remember anything about those. Are they talking about the Emerald Enclave's base of operation?


EDIT:

Nevermind, found them:


Two parks in the Sea Ward might also be worth your time. The Shrines to Nature, just a block away from the Tower of Luck, are resplendent gardens dedicated to nature gods like Mielikki and Silvanus. The park is closed to all except residents of the Sea Ward. Yet from beyond the iron fence that surrounds it, you can catch glimpses of the superb shrines, statues, and fountains within.


Here you go, OP.

[Pagrek]

I like to maintain the illusion I know what I'm doing, thus I'd rather ask the internet than the people at my table :smallredface:.

Ah, pride, truly the inherent sin of the DM.

Thank you Unoriginal, that looks like the relevent bit. I can work with that

[Kane0]

Them knowing more than you isn't automatically a bad thing. Having a lore-expert on hand is often quite helpful, the same way a DM can turn a rules lawyer into a valuable tool at the table. It means less pressure on YOU to handle EVERYTHING while also allowing you as the DM the chance to say 'that's cool, but i'm going to change it up a little to keep it interesting'. Well, as long as your players don't get all up in arms about breaking canon that is.

[Unoriginal]

You're welcome! So to summarize, they want a house in the sea ward.

[DrowPiratRobrts]

Also, remember that this is YOUR Waterdeep. You’re allowed to change absolutely whatever you want. The players think they know where to find some Drow Gunslingers? Not if you decide no Drow live in your version of Waterdeep or no guns exist.

It actually explicitly says in Dragon Heist that DMs should make any changes to Waterdeep that they want. So if the characters ever do become a problem, especially with OoC knowledge, remember that you have every right to change it.

I agree though that having a “lore expert” can be very helpful if they’re careful not to step on your toes.

[Mordaedil]

If you have some savyness, some of the older ruleset like 3rd edition have entire books just about Waterdeep. Maybe not that easy to get a hold of anymore, but if you can get your hands on it, it might give you a decent look at things even if they are outdated.

[ProsecutorGodot]

So there are two solutions, neither being very simple.

1: Purchase a house in the Sea Ward of Waterdeep. This is something an adventurer well into their prime would retire into so it's probably not going to happen any time soon.
2:
Borrow the faction missions of the Harpers from the Dragonheist module. If they earn enough favor with the Harpers, Mirt (the agent who contacts them) is also a masked lord of waterdeep and if he likes you enough, he can break whatever rule he needs to for you. Gain his favor and taking a trip to the shrines is all but guaranteed.

[swamp_slug]

If you have some savyness, some of the older ruleset like 3rd edition have entire books just about Waterdeep. Maybe not that easy to get a hold of anymore, but if you can get your hands on it, it might give you a decent look at things even if they are outdated.

They should all be up on DriveThruRPG as PDFs by now. Looks like the two to read (Volo's Guide and City of Splendors) are $10 each.