(stolen from ze internet)
On the Western shores of Faerûn lies the city of Waterdeep. A place of business for many, opportunity for others, and called home by countless thousands but all know it as the City of Splendor. Its history is old; older than the noble families that rule in the upper wards, older than Baldur's Gate or Icewind Dale, older even than Neverwinter Forest and the great plains that succumbed to the Spell Plague and Calamity; it has persevered. Its history is Contiguous; the city behind its high, white walls has never fallen. This is the hub of many races who make up the spanning castes. This is a city of spectrums; great wealth and oppressive poverty; festivals and fairs and crime and corruption; adventure and intrigue and pampering and imbibing. A dichotomous city. Nobles of the North Ward who parade through the streets and throw elegant balls to flaunt their wealth just beyond the walls that divide them from the Field Ward homes that hold a thousand hungry mouths, some of them old beggars, others children made orphans by a parent's vice or war or both.
Each of its seven wards houses humans, teiflings, dwarves, half-orcs, elves, dragonborn and half another world of creatures. Merchants can be heard calling out the contents of their stalls in the Trades Ward; smells of freshly caught fish, ripe fruits and spices brought in by traders who travel over the Sea of Swords.
The streets of Castle Ward are pristine, patrolled by guards who don colorful and exquisite armor. Statues that act as street signs, pointing towards the courthouse, a local theater, or the king's extravagant castle. Just beyond the crimeless Castle Ward, is the Sea Ward, home of a dozen religions with gaudy temples, some built of stone, others carved straight into massive statues, the size of titans, that loom over the city of Waterdeep. Their features sometimes disappear into the sky, when the clouds hang low or when a fresh morning fog rolls in from the sea. They've been still for so long that houses have begun to appear near, around and on them. At one time, their names were known, and their history, told often. But the city is old, and with time, the people have lost the stories.
In the Dock Ward, amidst the seafoam and the smell of salt water, raucous laughter, or murderous shouting (sometimes it's hard to tell the difference) can be heard from behind brightly lit tavern windows. Saltydogs partake in bouts of violence. For brawls go hand-in-hand with hard liquor, and the liquor flows like water there. The dark alleys that pepper this ward are the hunting grounds for cutthroats; the busy harbor a playing field for a thief with sticky fingers. Nobles avoid this place, as much for the general smell as the inherent danger; like a lamb wandering into a pack of wolves.
The great graveyard, called the City of the Dead, sits in the eastern portion. It houses countless dead, from seven and seven and seven generations past. Walls have been erected around it, guards patrol it, in case any upstart necromancer is looking for flesh for his dark magics. No dead wander about, it is but a large graveyard, but that doesn't stop the children from telling ghost stories, or daring one another to sneak in and stay the night. Childish things, the adults will say. But even a grown man is superstitious enough that he wouldn't partake in any dare of that sort.
And on the southern side of the city, looms Mt. Waterdeep, a natural landmark that sweetens an already beautiful city. Its peak will be white capped come a few more months, but now, in the autumn pre-winter chill, it catches the morning sun first and glows like a beacon. It once housed the original denizens that started the city of Waterdeep, tunnels and mines run through its core, but it's been long since abandoned. Or so the city thought; there's been rumblings in the dark, sounds from the old mines, a patrol disappearing here or there. Some say it's a troll, or perhaps Underdark creatures striking in the night. Others rumored that a mage took residence there. He experimented on things better left untouched. He went mad. Some say, on those cold, still nights, you can hear his laughter echoing off the mountainside.
But that is a story for another time. This story has more humble beginnings. We start our adventure in the warmth of the Yawning Portal Inn. Five unlikely friends find themselves, as they say, in the right place, at the wrong time.
You sit around a sturdy wooden table, lit by a brightly burning candle and littered with plates of cleared food and half-drained tankards. The sounds of gamblers yelling and drunken adventurers singing bawdy songs nearly drown out the off-key strumming of a young bard three tables over...
Game Mode: 5E
Number of players: 5
DM: Rhodsey
Leveling: Milestone so don't keep asking!
Players:
Sarge
Sant
Jim
Mike
BC_Kidge.
First time DMing a full campaign so be gentle. Anyone familiar with the waterdeep Dragonheist campaign guide wouldn't get much enjoyment. A few common sense rules.
1 - DM has final say. If you think I've got a specific rule wrong suggest it and we'll check it together (I'll be learning too) but if I make a decision it's final. too much "negotiating with the DM" can slow down the flow of the game for all the other players.
2 - It's a group game. Everyone should get chance to play and play to their characters strengths and everyone should get equal time to shine.
3 - Play to your flaws. Flaws are what make a character interesting. Not everyone is great at everything. If you're smart you might be poor with people etc.
dvisory on Characters to help you decide if you want to play. This is primarily set at least initially in the city of Waterdeep itself so an Urban City environment. There are laws and they are enforced so please nothing too outlandish or characters completely Evil (at least initially) You'll be doing things like investigations and joining the community because at the beginning you are just nobodies so if you're an evil Necromantic Undead lich mage you won't be getting very far. Morally questionable can work though (as in you are in it not so much for the good deed but the reward or influence it gets you but also have some shady dealings on the side). There are quite a few groups within Waterdeep that cover the whole range of character types you may or may not be interacting with...
Not compulsory but it would be good to have at least one or two of the group as Waterdeep Natives for background knowledge. Others could be new to the city.
City is cosmopolitan so most of the standard races would be fine (no warforged before I'm asked!) Drow are also present in the city. common sense if you think it wouldn't fit into a fairly accepting city then it's a no but feel free to ask and check.
Ways off yet but start thinking of character concepts. We'll probably do stat rolls on session 1 and go from there. If anyone is interested in playing a Waterdavian native I can provide you with some local knowledge to read up on just let me know.
