Running Waterdeep and Undermountain [Archive] - Wizards Community

Running Waterdeep and Undermountain [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
dave_the_DM
06-24-07, 12:57 PM Since the release of FR1 Waterdeep and the North in 1988 I have loved this city. Undermountain was given brief coverage in its pages, and the depth of the thing really wasn't evident until several years later when the Ruins of Undermountain Boxed set was released.

That, with the City System maps, fantastic "Volo's Guide to Waterdeep" provided me with enough information to begin a campaign that continues to this day... albeit with an ever changing cast of characters.

For any perspective DM, running this campaign can seem daunting... and it does require some time to build, but the rewards are a campaign whose location springs to life in a a living way not many others can.

Many campaign revolve around the PCs traveling from location to location, never settling down... at least not until their upper levels... and most often, that never really happens as players move on, and new character enter the scene.

With a city based campaign, the players frequently have permenant residence in the city. It their place... not some room at the inn. The NPCs become a repeat cast of characters that the PC are able to identify with, and some locations become characters themselves as they spring to life.

While many of the original supplements have been long out of print, with modern internet technology, they are only a cheap download away... or you could get them cheaply via ebay.

For running Waterdeep, there is no better guide than "Volo's Guide to Waterdeep." Very little game statistics are here... and whats there is bare bones (i.e. Female F3, S14 D12, I10, W11, C13, CH14). Thus, all still applies to 3.5e. What's here are vivid descriptions of the landmarks and locals of Waterdeep. All those nonedescript numbers on the map come alive with flesh and blood characters and plots. There are so many story threads here, that any half way decent DM could run a campaign for years with whats provided. NOTE: The numbering system used here is from the original supplements. Later publications, including the 3.5e Waterdeep supplement use a different system which uses the city's wards. In the "City of Splendors" boxed set an appendix does the conversion for you... conveniently, the 3.5e hardcover uses the same numbering system as the boxed set, so the appendix still applies!

With the new Expedition to Undermountain hardcover out, a full campaign is proposed. This is great, but I don't think it takes advantage of the duel Waterdeep/ Undermountain connection. These two locals are intertwined. A good campaign will take advantage of this...

If you download the ROUM boxed set, you will see A LOT of blank areas on the maps... don't think you have to fill all this in... you don't... at least not right away. As your campaign grows those blank areas will become clear, and other "filled in" areas will fade, and change with repeat visits.

UM is a living, breathing, dangerous place. While some expeditions may go well, others will be disasters. All it takes is the wrong teleport, and the PCs are lost. Wandering monsters can quickly become trains as fleeing parties activate other creatures on the prowl for a quick meal. Those that survive such encounters will definately get an adrenaline rush! :D

In Waterdeep and Undermountain there are power groups, always in flux... frequently, they are the same both above and below. Nowhere is this more evident than in Skullport on UM's 3rd level. Here, the Port of Shadow is a dark reflection of the port city above. Slavery, smuggling, drugs, and worse are the norm here, and lawlessness abounds.

Skullport had a very nice supplement done in the late ninties, I highly recommend you either download it, or get it off ebay.

When "filling in" areas of UM, I usually take this approach:

1) come up with an interesting single room encounter
2) connect a group of rooms with a powergroup such as Drow, slavers, religous zelots, or make it a tomb.

3) Have a preprepared "wondering enounter"
4) A story connect thread to Waterdeep
5) A story connected thread to Skulport
6) Whatever I happen to come up with on the fly, based on the situation.

In the City a variety of threads are based on:

1) What is happening in the city... time of year holiday,
2) Recovery of an item
3) romance
4) area haunting or supernatural occurance
5) powergroup struggle

and so on.

And these are things that I can come with independently. I frequently find that if the players are industrious they can find trouble just fine on their own:D !

The key is to have a good working knowledge of Waterdeep, its residence, and a good system to referance what you need.

Its a little challenging at first, but after a while, the streets become like old friends and they will take on a life of thier own... it won't be like you're making it up... more like your just chronicaling what happens.
95
06-24-07, 11:46 PM i think this is my favorite place to adventure as well

even "just" playing a city watch member is great fun
MikeR7716
06-25-07, 11:11 PM One of my favorite campaigns to DM was in and around Waterdeep. I used the Azuredge axe near the start and the pc's became known as the Party of the Blue Axe. The party's dwarf (and only small character) had the axe and was constantly grumbling about the party leaving him when charging into (or away from) a fight.

The party truely feared Undermountain, which made it that much more enjoyable to tie the storyline back in for various reasons.

I used the gossip paper mentioned in Volo's guide as part of one adventure. The party went out of their way to help the editor and from that point on, enjoyed reading the inflated tales of the Party of the Blue Axe. Of course, that also raised the expectations of those they encountered (for better and worse).
95
06-25-07, 11:37 PM if any DM out there would like to break out that 2nd edition stuff and run a PBEM campaign in waterdeep.... i'd love to do a little adverturing myself in waterdeep
Mordakay of Thay
06-26-07, 09:18 AM Well,why not 3rd ed :D?
Crust
06-26-07, 02:16 PM My Age of Worms campaign currently has the PCs duking it out in the Field of Triumph with 20k cheering Waterdhavian spectators looking on. It's been wonderful.

This is the second campaign that we've played in Waterdeep. It's definitely my favorite city in Faerun. It also helps that there's a virtual mountain of information out there, and it's all easily found online somewhere. I found the 2E City System to be quite helpful with laws and punishments and simple notes connected to detailed maps. The Ruins of Undermountain box is quite thorough. The newer Expedition book has a lot to live up to.

We've been gaming in Waterdeep for the last couple months real-time (three weeks in-game), and I've been using City of Splendors heavily. They've had a run-in with the Shadow Thieves' Black Viper, they've met with the City Guard's captain Rulathon, and they've only seen Piergeiron from afar, seated in his personal balcony at the Field of Triumph.

The Age of Worms campaign seems to shoo the PCs out of The Free City/Waterdeep right after the games, and I'd like to continue gaming there, perhaps initiating the Vampires of Waterdeep campaign arc, should they wish to go that route.

Sadly, I don't see room for Undermountain, unless I run some side-quest session when most players are absent, where the PCs visit the Yawning Portal inn... Having made names for themselves in the arena and elsewhere (Zyrzog, The Ebon Triad, Blackwall Keep, etc.), Durnan might welcome them personally and insist that they join him in a quick romp through the first few rooms of the labyrinth. It would be an interview of sorts, Durnan questioning as he slays bugbears or kobolds or whatever, everyone just reveling in the adrenaline and forming that warrior's bond. Durnan might try to recruit the PCs into the Red Sashes. That might mean that the PCs would have to remain in Waterdeep and back out of the overall quest, but the path will be there. They would be on some mission for Durnan, and suddenly the sky would darken to a sickly green, and little green worms would rain down, signaling the beginning of the Age of Worms!!1

:plotting:

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
dave_the_DM 06-24-07, 12:57 PM	Since the release of FR1 Waterdeep and the North in 1988 I have loved this city. Undermountain was given brief coverage in its pages, and the depth of the thing really wasn't evident until several years later when the Ruins of Undermountain Boxed set was released. That, with the City System maps, fantastic "Volo's Guide to Waterdeep" provided me with enough information to begin a campaign that continues to this day... albeit with an ever changing cast of characters. For any perspective DM, running this campaign can seem daunting... and it does require some time to build, but the rewards are a campaign whose location springs to life in a a living way not many others can. Many campaign revolve around the PCs traveling from location to location, never settling down... at least not until their upper levels... and most often, that never really happens as players move on, and new character enter the scene. With a city based campaign, the players frequently have permenant residence in the city. It their place... not some room at the inn. The NPCs become a repeat cast of characters that the PC are able to identify with, and some locations become characters themselves as they spring to life. While many of the original supplements have been long out of print, with modern internet technology, they are only a cheap download away... or you could get them cheaply via ebay. For running Waterdeep, there is no better guide than "Volo's Guide to Waterdeep." Very little game statistics are here... and whats there is bare bones (i.e. Female F3, S14 D12, I10, W11, C13, CH14). Thus, all still applies to 3.5e. What's here are vivid descriptions of the landmarks and locals of Waterdeep. All those nonedescript numbers on the map come alive with flesh and blood characters and plots. There are so many story threads here, that any half way decent DM could run a campaign for years with whats provided. NOTE: The numbering system used here is from the original supplements. Later publications, including the 3.5e Waterdeep supplement use a different system which uses the city's wards. In the "City of Splendors" boxed set an appendix does the conversion for you... conveniently, the 3.5e hardcover uses the same numbering system as the boxed set, so the appendix still applies! With the new Expedition to Undermountain hardcover out, a full campaign is proposed. This is great, but I don't think it takes advantage of the duel Waterdeep/ Undermountain connection. These two locals are intertwined. A good campaign will take advantage of this... If you download the ROUM boxed set, you will see A LOT of blank areas on the maps... don't think you have to fill all this in... you don't... at least not right away. As your campaign grows those blank areas will become clear, and other "filled in" areas will fade, and change with repeat visits. UM is a living, breathing, dangerous place. While some expeditions may go well, others will be disasters. All it takes is the wrong teleport, and the PCs are lost. Wandering monsters can quickly become trains as fleeing parties activate other creatures on the prowl for a quick meal. Those that survive such encounters will definately get an adrenaline rush! :D In Waterdeep and Undermountain there are power groups, always in flux... frequently, they are the same both above and below. Nowhere is this more evident than in Skullport on UM's 3rd level. Here, the Port of Shadow is a dark reflection of the port city above. Slavery, smuggling, drugs, and worse are the norm here, and lawlessness abounds. Skullport had a very nice supplement done in the late ninties, I highly recommend you either download it, or get it off ebay. When "filling in" areas of UM, I usually take this approach: 1) come up with an interesting single room encounter 2) connect a group of rooms with a powergroup such as Drow, slavers, religous zelots, or make it a tomb. 3) Have a preprepared "wondering enounter" 4) A story connect thread to Waterdeep 5) A story connected thread to Skulport 6) Whatever I happen to come up with on the fly, based on the situation. In the City a variety of threads are based on: 1) What is happening in the city... time of year holiday, 2) Recovery of an item 3) romance 4) area haunting or supernatural occurance 5) powergroup struggle and so on. And these are things that I can come with independently. I frequently find that if the players are industrious they can find trouble just fine on their own:D ! The key is to have a good working knowledge of Waterdeep, its residence, and a good system to referance what you need. Its a little challenging at first, but after a while, the streets become like old friends and they will take on a life of thier own... it won't be like you're making it up... more like your just chronicaling what happens.
95 06-24-07, 11:46 PM	i think this is my favorite place to adventure as well even "just" playing a city watch member is great fun
MikeR7716 06-25-07, 11:11 PM	One of my favorite campaigns to DM was in and around Waterdeep. I used the Azuredge axe near the start and the pc's became known as the Party of the Blue Axe. The party's dwarf (and only small character) had the axe and was constantly grumbling about the party leaving him when charging into (or away from) a fight. The party truely feared Undermountain, which made it that much more enjoyable to tie the storyline back in for various reasons. I used the gossip paper mentioned in Volo's guide as part of one adventure. The party went out of their way to help the editor and from that point on, enjoyed reading the inflated tales of the Party of the Blue Axe. Of course, that also raised the expectations of those they encountered (for better and worse).
95 06-25-07, 11:37 PM	if any DM out there would like to break out that 2nd edition stuff and run a PBEM campaign in waterdeep.... i'd love to do a little adverturing myself in waterdeep
Mordakay of Thay 06-26-07, 09:18 AM	Well,why not 3rd ed :D?
Crust 06-26-07, 02:16 PM	My Age of Worms campaign currently has the PCs duking it out in the Field of Triumph with 20k cheering Waterdhavian spectators looking on. It's been wonderful. This is the second campaign that we've played in Waterdeep. It's definitely my favorite city in Faerun. It also helps that there's a virtual mountain of information out there, and it's all easily found online somewhere. I found the 2E City System to be quite helpful with laws and punishments and simple notes connected to detailed maps. The Ruins of Undermountain box is quite thorough. The newer Expedition book has a lot to live up to. We've been gaming in Waterdeep for the last couple months real-time (three weeks in-game), and I've been using City of Splendors heavily. They've had a run-in with the Shadow Thieves' Black Viper, they've met with the City Guard's captain Rulathon, and they've only seen Piergeiron from afar, seated in his personal balcony at the Field of Triumph. The Age of Worms campaign seems to shoo the PCs out of The Free City/Waterdeep right after the games, and I'd like to continue gaming there, perhaps initiating the Vampires of Waterdeep campaign arc, should they wish to go that route. Sadly, I don't see room for Undermountain, unless I run some side-quest session when most players are absent, where the PCs visit the Yawning Portal inn... Having made names for themselves in the arena and elsewhere (Zyrzog, The Ebon Triad, Blackwall Keep, etc.), Durnan might welcome them personally and insist that they join him in a quick romp through the first few rooms of the labyrinth. It would be an interview of sorts, Durnan questioning as he slays bugbears or kobolds or whatever, everyone just reveling in the adrenaline and forming that warrior's bond. Durnan might try to recruit the PCs into the Red Sashes. That might mean that the PCs would have to remain in Waterdeep and back out of the overall quest, but the path will be there. They would be on some mission for Durnan, and suddenly the sky would darken to a sickly green, and little green worms would rain down, signaling the beginning of the Age of Worms!!1 :plotting: