Ideas for Intrigue in Waterdeep [Archive] - Wizards Community

Ideas for Intrigue in Waterdeep [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Swyft
12-03-05, 07:10 PM Hello everyone,
I'm planning to DM a game set in Waterdeep with a style of high intrigue. The problem is I'm running a blank on ideas right now.

We've been running a game for a couple weeks now. The players are trade envoys dealing in fine silks and spices, and recently in mithral arms and armor. They have contacts in Waterdeep, notably one Lord Richard, a very rich merchant who is the head of said players' trade dealings.

I have a vague idea of Lord Richard disappearing, and the players having to find him, but I have no idea how to get them to that point, for example, who they would make contact with in regards to the shipment of mithral they're currently bringing into Waterdeep if Lord Richard is gone, or what hints to lead them to find Lord Richard.

I'm most interested in playing a game with a style of intrigue, politics and much roleplaying etc, but beyond what I've already said I'm drawing a "writer's block" so-to-speak.

Thanks for your help.
BrianCritchley
12-03-05, 08:10 PM one of the lords of waterdeep has been replaced by a doppleganger of the unseen. perhaps they run afowl of the unseen and the Doppleganger lord secrectly turns the city leadership against em.
Unamis
12-04-05, 05:28 AM I have a same type of a game going. The players just saved some innocents from a cyricist cabal, which made them to end up on Cyrics black list. When the assassins came, the heroes were saved from Certain Death(tm) by banite clerics, who now in return demand that the heroes pay off their debt by aiding them to crush the cyricists.
The situation turns political because of the fact that the cyricists outnumber the banites 5-1, which means that alliances must be forged between other evil religions, noble families and mercenary groups. And this ofcourse means that favours must be done.

I'm trying to get them involved in waterdhavian politics and powerplayings as much as I can, also introducing several different good and evil religions to them.
Mr.Moonrat
12-04-05, 12:01 PM I have a same type of a game going. The players just saved some innocents from a cyricist cabal, which made them to end up on Cyrics black list. When the assassins came, the heroes were saved from Certain Death(tm) by banite clerics, who now in return demand that the heroes pay off their debt by aiding them to crush the cyricists.
The situation turns political because of the fact that the cyricists outnumber the banites 5-1, which means that alliances must be forged between other evil religions, noble families and mercenary groups. And this ofcourse means that favours must be done.

I'm trying to get them involved in waterdhavian politics and powerplayings as much as I can, also introducing several different good and evil religions to them.
This was a really good read :) I will use if myself later on in my upcoming campaign. Good job Unamis!
Swyft
12-06-05, 03:40 PM Ok, so... since I couldn't come up with a great idea for Lord Richard's disappearance, here's what I actually did, and here's what I'll need:

First, the PC's involved:
A half-drow fighter weilding a spiked chain as primary weapon
A human rogue who has almost no combat ability, but is a smoother talker than most lawyers
A human fighter, mercenary type.... think dumb viking with big axe
A human wizard from the Shining South, who's people hate most nonhumans, especially half-drow

Second, PC Connections:
The entire group work as trade partners/caravan guards for Lord Richard, who has recently opened up a trade route with one Lord Swyft (smiles brightly), a new Lord in the Dalelands who has a trade agreement with Dwarves in the Desert Mouth Mountains, whom Lord Swyft and party helped clear the dwarven mines of drow and the like, and is filthy rich in Mithral and the profit thereof.

The half-drow is an old childhood friend with the rogue (we decided that drow age as humans until reaching adolescence then continue from there as elves), who was forced into slavery for a number of years and finally broke free to return to Waterdeep. The Rogue on the other hand had spent this time getting into more and more trouble with his mouth and is on probation in Waterdeep so-to-speak (one more bad thing and he's gone).

The human fighter is simply a mercenary in pay of Lord Richard.

The wizard is an envoy of Lord Swyft, sent with the party to be his representative with Lord Richard in Waterdeep, with a secondary purpose of learning from Khelben Blackstaff enough to set up a school a magery in Lord Swyft's lands.

Third
What actually happened: The Party returned from the Dalelands with the shipment of Mithral. They heard cheering/jeering in the streets upon their return and tried to find out what was happening. The rumors running around were that a Balor had appeared not far from Waterdeep, and a Paladin and his younger brother of a noble House Ilvastarr in Waterdeep happened to be in the area upon the occurence and the Paladin charged the Balor and slew it with his family's sacred blade. Just as he struck the fatal blow however, he looked down to see his brother's blade protruding from his chest and fell over dead. The cheering heard upon arrival is due to the fact that the City Watch recently caught the younger brother, and are parading him through the streets on the way to the dungeons before a trial (the City has decided to make an example for other young lordlings' devious ways which are beginning to get out of hand).
The Party makes it to the Yawning Portal where the common room is unnaturally calm and sober. They are greeted with an odd welcome from Durnan, and are sent to a back room to meet with Lord Richard.
Lord Richard lets the Party know that House Ilvastarr has always been a dark and slightly crazy house, with their members swaying back and forth from Paladins and Nobles to Rogues and Dark Clerics. He has found out through his own channels that the "Paladin" who so "righteously" fought the Balor was in truth attempting to make a deal with the thing he had summoned and when his brother killed him, the spell faltered and the Balor was dismissed.
However, he needs firmer proof than this, of the truth.
He sends the PC's to House Ilvastarr's family vault, where after a series of traps and lockpickings, find the information they need and flee into the night just in time to avoid the Family Guard, that an unnoticed alarm trap called.

That was where I ended it, we play again on Sunday. What I needed was some ideas to go from here. I have some interesting ones for the soon to be released Paladin's brother. Possibly that they were both crooked and he didn't want to let his brother become more powerful. Possibly that he found that his brother had plans on joining the Lord's Council by eliminating a number of its members.

If you have any suggestions they would be welcome.
shoonvii
12-07-05, 02:11 AM I've had a Waterdeep campaign running off and on for years now. It's all intrigue.

Our central PC is Jero Kholarnn, a young merchant lord from Amn attempting to establish himself amongst Waterdeep's nobility. The PCs have run afoul of the Unseen, Rundeen (who have allied themselves with Zzulkk Ssarmn of Skullport), and even the Harpers. Jero has joined the Knights of the Shield and made peace with the Rundeen in the process.

I make heavy use of this guy's site: http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Castle/2566/waterdeep.htm

and intersperse NPC and events from it throughout the campaign. Here's alink to our campaign journal to peruse: http://newworldstudios.proboards27.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=waterdeep&thread=1086896122&page=1

I'd say that if you can tie in the events in your campaign to some of the larger and less well-known organizations as I have, you may give your campaign a larger, "epic" feel to it.
Muddman
12-08-05, 10:26 PM I did a brief section of my campaign where they started in Waterdeep.

They were approached by a member of the Silver Ravens (hiding as a barmaid in the Yawning Portal) who asked for their help, she was in a pickle.

Elora Thrask told them that she was a Silver Raven and trapped. She follwed a Shadow Thief Sorceress named Sharla Athletarn to Waterdeep. Sharla had killed a Sembian noble and Elora and her two partners were assigned to finding her. They took odd jobs around town as laborers as a cover.

They got word from an information broker that he knew where this Shadow Thief was hiding, so they arrange a meeting. Then, four days before the meeting her two partner disappear. She looked all over, every meeting place, every message drop, nothing.

She thinks they've been captured or killed. Now, the Shadow thieves might be after her! She can't run, the guild would look for that, corner and kill her. She also can't make the meeting or else the jig is up.

She asks them to 1) find her friends, 2) make the meeting with "the serpent" and 3) Arrest Sharla

turns out:

1. The two guys are dead (killed by Rakshasa assassins, who they have to fight)

2. The Serpent (Eliath Crawlnobar) gives them the info for a "favor to be named later".

3. They face down Sharla and her deadly band in a hidden sewer grate somewhere in an abandoned part of the sewer system.

It was fun and it led into a whole bunch of things that are still in my campaign:
1. Crawlnobar has affiliations with one of the PC's mother,
2. Turns out that Sharla was working for a third party when she killed the Sembian and she also had a campaign of terrorism against the City Watch.
3. Elora (her dead comrades in tow) disappears from the city
4. They owe Elaith a favor (which they have since repaid, which just led to more questions).

They ignored parts of the next story/adventure and never took the hooks - so the Lord's Museum (something I made up) exploded into a fireball of black flame that destroyed half of North Ward.

Hope it gives you some ideas :)
ElvenSniper77
12-15-05, 10:09 AM i can give ya few ideas or , failing that , places to look:

try the news: in the recent past ( last 5 years or so) an american warplane (by accident) flew off course and bombed a Chinese embassy. under normal rules this would be considered an act of war. The PCs jopb might be to either:
1. find out who bombed the embassy of another country (i know Thay is fond of setting up embassy's in other countries...).
2. actually carry out the bombing ( Thay is actually run by a Lich and so the whole country is generally not a nice place to live).
3. if its another country which is not actually evil the PCs might try to prevent the bombing ( the actual bombing could be done by a chain contingency spell with a special dispel magic spell that works as an AOE and the rest of the contingency spells go off as normal. im thinking lots of lightning bolts and fireballs.).

of course if your looking for something a lot less violent, you could try this:

a series of plans is coming to the city. they will be coming in with another shipment of "lifesupport items" in other words food. what are the plans and who ordered them? you may want to find out because the ship that the plans came over on just had the entire crew come up dead or missing.....

idea #3: a mysterious group of men came into town one night ( the group was rather large and they are believed to be part of some sort of army) iot was dark and rainy and they carried strange weapons, paid for rooms in odd currency, and spoke common all the time with no discernable accent. there was approx 160 men in the group ranging from ages 17 to 37. all looked to be in excellent shape. where did these men come from? and the weapons they carried: are extremely powerful.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Swyft 12-03-05, 07:10 PM	Hello everyone, I'm planning to DM a game set in Waterdeep with a style of high intrigue. The problem is I'm running a blank on ideas right now. We've been running a game for a couple weeks now. The players are trade envoys dealing in fine silks and spices, and recently in mithral arms and armor. They have contacts in Waterdeep, notably one Lord Richard, a very rich merchant who is the head of said players' trade dealings. I have a vague idea of Lord Richard disappearing, and the players having to find him, but I have no idea how to get them to that point, for example, who they would make contact with in regards to the shipment of mithral they're currently bringing into Waterdeep if Lord Richard is gone, or what hints to lead them to find Lord Richard. I'm most interested in playing a game with a style of intrigue, politics and much roleplaying etc, but beyond what I've already said I'm drawing a "writer's block" so-to-speak. Thanks for your help.
BrianCritchley 12-03-05, 08:10 PM	one of the lords of waterdeep has been replaced by a doppleganger of the unseen. perhaps they run afowl of the unseen and the Doppleganger lord secrectly turns the city leadership against em.
Unamis 12-04-05, 05:28 AM	I have a same type of a game going. The players just saved some innocents from a cyricist cabal, which made them to end up on Cyrics black list. When the assassins came, the heroes were saved from Certain Death(tm) by banite clerics, who now in return demand that the heroes pay off their debt by aiding them to crush the cyricists. The situation turns political because of the fact that the cyricists outnumber the banites 5-1, which means that alliances must be forged between other evil religions, noble families and mercenary groups. And this ofcourse means that favours must be done. I'm trying to get them involved in waterdhavian politics and powerplayings as much as I can, also introducing several different good and evil religions to them.
Mr.Moonrat 12-04-05, 12:01 PM	I have a same type of a game going. The players just saved some innocents from a cyricist cabal, which made them to end up on Cyrics black list. When the assassins came, the heroes were saved from Certain Death(tm) by banite clerics, who now in return demand that the heroes pay off their debt by aiding them to crush the cyricists. The situation turns political because of the fact that the cyricists outnumber the banites 5-1, which means that alliances must be forged between other evil religions, noble families and mercenary groups. And this ofcourse means that favours must be done. I'm trying to get them involved in waterdhavian politics and powerplayings as much as I can, also introducing several different good and evil religions to them. This was a really good read :) I will use if myself later on in my upcoming campaign. Good job Unamis!
Swyft 12-06-05, 03:40 PM	Ok, so... since I couldn't come up with a great idea for Lord Richard's disappearance, here's what I actually did, and here's what I'll need: First, the PC's involved: A half-drow fighter weilding a spiked chain as primary weapon A human rogue who has almost no combat ability, but is a smoother talker than most lawyers A human fighter, mercenary type.... think dumb viking with big axe A human wizard from the Shining South, who's people hate most nonhumans, especially half-drow Second, PC Connections: The entire group work as trade partners/caravan guards for Lord Richard, who has recently opened up a trade route with one Lord Swyft (smiles brightly), a new Lord in the Dalelands who has a trade agreement with Dwarves in the Desert Mouth Mountains, whom Lord Swyft and party helped clear the dwarven mines of drow and the like, and is filthy rich in Mithral and the profit thereof. The half-drow is an old childhood friend with the rogue (we decided that drow age as humans until reaching adolescence then continue from there as elves), who was forced into slavery for a number of years and finally broke free to return to Waterdeep. The Rogue on the other hand had spent this time getting into more and more trouble with his mouth and is on probation in Waterdeep so-to-speak (one more bad thing and he's gone). The human fighter is simply a mercenary in pay of Lord Richard. The wizard is an envoy of Lord Swyft, sent with the party to be his representative with Lord Richard in Waterdeep, with a secondary purpose of learning from Khelben Blackstaff enough to set up a school a magery in Lord Swyft's lands. Third What actually happened: The Party returned from the Dalelands with the shipment of Mithral. They heard cheering/jeering in the streets upon their return and tried to find out what was happening. The rumors running around were that a Balor had appeared not far from Waterdeep, and a Paladin and his younger brother of a noble House Ilvastarr in Waterdeep happened to be in the area upon the occurence and the Paladin charged the Balor and slew it with his family's sacred blade. Just as he struck the fatal blow however, he looked down to see his brother's blade protruding from his chest and fell over dead. The cheering heard upon arrival is due to the fact that the City Watch recently caught the younger brother, and are parading him through the streets on the way to the dungeons before a trial (the City has decided to make an example for other young lordlings' devious ways which are beginning to get out of hand). The Party makes it to the Yawning Portal where the common room is unnaturally calm and sober. They are greeted with an odd welcome from Durnan, and are sent to a back room to meet with Lord Richard. Lord Richard lets the Party know that House Ilvastarr has always been a dark and slightly crazy house, with their members swaying back and forth from Paladins and Nobles to Rogues and Dark Clerics. He has found out through his own channels that the "Paladin" who so "righteously" fought the Balor was in truth attempting to make a deal with the thing he had summoned and when his brother killed him, the spell faltered and the Balor was dismissed. However, he needs firmer proof than this, of the truth. He sends the PC's to House Ilvastarr's family vault, where after a series of traps and lockpickings, find the information they need and flee into the night just in time to avoid the Family Guard, that an unnoticed alarm trap called. That was where I ended it, we play again on Sunday. What I needed was some ideas to go from here. I have some interesting ones for the soon to be released Paladin's brother. Possibly that they were both crooked and he didn't want to let his brother become more powerful. Possibly that he found that his brother had plans on joining the Lord's Council by eliminating a number of its members. If you have any suggestions they would be welcome.
shoonvii 12-07-05, 02:11 AM	I've had a Waterdeep campaign running off and on for years now. It's all intrigue. Our central PC is Jero Kholarnn, a young merchant lord from Amn attempting to establish himself amongst Waterdeep's nobility. The PCs have run afoul of the Unseen, Rundeen (who have allied themselves with Zzulkk Ssarmn of Skullport), and even the Harpers. Jero has joined the Knights of the Shield and made peace with the Rundeen in the process. I make heavy use of this guy's site: http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Castle/2566/waterdeep.htm and intersperse NPC and events from it throughout the campaign. Here's alink to our campaign journal to peruse: http://newworldstudios.proboards27.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=waterdeep&thread=1086896122&page=1 I'd say that if you can tie in the events in your campaign to some of the larger and less well-known organizations as I have, you may give your campaign a larger, "epic" feel to it.
Muddman 12-08-05, 10:26 PM	I did a brief section of my campaign where they started in Waterdeep. They were approached by a member of the Silver Ravens (hiding as a barmaid in the Yawning Portal) who asked for their help, she was in a pickle. Elora Thrask told them that she was a Silver Raven and trapped. She follwed a Shadow Thief Sorceress named Sharla Athletarn to Waterdeep. Sharla had killed a Sembian noble and Elora and her two partners were assigned to finding her. They took odd jobs around town as laborers as a cover. They got word from an information broker that he knew where this Shadow Thief was hiding, so they arrange a meeting. Then, four days before the meeting her two partner disappear. She looked all over, every meeting place, every message drop, nothing. She thinks they've been captured or killed. Now, the Shadow thieves might be after her! She can't run, the guild would look for that, corner and kill her. She also can't make the meeting or else the jig is up. She asks them to 1) find her friends, 2) make the meeting with "the serpent" and 3) Arrest Sharla turns out: 1. The two guys are dead (killed by Rakshasa assassins, who they have to fight) 2. The Serpent (Eliath Crawlnobar) gives them the info for a "favor to be named later". 3. They face down Sharla and her deadly band in a hidden sewer grate somewhere in an abandoned part of the sewer system. It was fun and it led into a whole bunch of things that are still in my campaign: 1. Crawlnobar has affiliations with one of the PC's mother, 2. Turns out that Sharla was working for a third party when she killed the Sembian and she also had a campaign of terrorism against the City Watch. 3. Elora (her dead comrades in tow) disappears from the city 4. They owe Elaith a favor (which they have since repaid, which just led to more questions). They ignored parts of the next story/adventure and never took the hooks - so the Lord's Museum (something I made up) exploded into a fireball of black flame that destroyed half of North Ward. Hope it gives you some ideas :)
ElvenSniper77 12-15-05, 10:09 AM	i can give ya few ideas or , failing that , places to look: try the news: in the recent past ( last 5 years or so) an american warplane (by accident) flew off course and bombed a Chinese embassy. under normal rules this would be considered an act of war. The PCs jopb might be to either: 1. find out who bombed the embassy of another country (i know Thay is fond of setting up embassy's in other countries...). 2. actually carry out the bombing ( Thay is actually run by a Lich and so the whole country is generally not a nice place to live). 3. if its another country which is not actually evil the PCs might try to prevent the bombing ( the actual bombing could be done by a chain contingency spell with a special dispel magic spell that works as an AOE and the rest of the contingency spells go off as normal. im thinking lots of lightning bolts and fireballs.). of course if your looking for something a lot less violent, you could try this: a series of plans is coming to the city. they will be coming in with another shipment of "lifesupport items" in other words food. what are the plans and who ordered them? you may want to find out because the ship that the plans came over on just had the entire crew come up dead or missing..... idea #3: a mysterious group of men came into town one night ( the group was rather large and they are believed to be part of some sort of army) iot was dark and rainy and they carried strange weapons, paid for rooms in odd currency, and spoke common all the time with no discernable accent. there was approx 160 men in the group ranging from ages 17 to 37. all looked to be in excellent shape. where did these men come from? and the weapons they carried: are extremely powerful.