History TabletopGame / WaterdeepDragonHeist

* BigGood: Depending on the faction you serve, there are different paragons involved:
** For the Force Grey there is the Blackstaff of Waterdeep, Vajra Safahr, a powerful archmage.
** For the Lord's Alliance, there is Laeral Silverhand, [[DivineParentage daughter of the goddess Mystra]] and Open Lord of Waterdeep.
* {{Cthulhumanoid}}: Xanathar's lieutenant, the Mind Flayer Nihiloor.

* ForTheEvulz: The book notes that [[spoiler:while the Cassalanters think they've outsmarted Asmodeus, he most likely included the clause that allows them to get out of their deal by sacrificing 99 souls]] simply because he enjoys the agony it would bring.
* GoodParents: PlayedForDrama. The Cassalanters love their children dearly, and seem to raise them well. [[spoiler:Too bad they owe their children's souls to Asmodeus, and need to kill 99 people to save them.]] Granted, the fact that they were willing to [[spoiler:offer the souls of their children at all]] calls into question how good they actually are.

* {{Swashbuckler}}: Jarlaxle has several in his employ (appropriately enough using a statblock called Drow Swashbuckler). There are also several mechanical duelist constructs called Nimblewrights who are built with this aesthetic in mind.

* DealWithTheDevil: [[spoiler:Three years prior to the events of the adventure, the noble Cassalanters were on the verge of bankruptcy. To save themselves from financial ruin, Victoro and Ammalia Cassalanter struck a deal with the archdevil [[SatanicArchetype Asmodeus]] to provide them wealth and power in exchange for the souls of their children. This results with their eldedst son, Osvaldo, being transformed immediately into a chain devil, while their two youngest children, Terenzio and Elzerina, were doomed to lose their souls as well once they turn nine years old. In the present day, this deal is what motivates the couple to search for the cache of dragon in order to offer it alongside the souls of ninety-nine unsuspecting Waterdhavians as a replacement for the souls of Terenzio and Elzerina.]]

* YouAllMeetInAnInn: The adventure begins with a barfight in the Yawning Portal inn. The players even get to pick out a contact among the patrons inside.

** Of course, for the Hell of a Summer storyline, this title goes to [[spoiler:Asmodeus, archduke of the ninth hell]].

* GreaterScopeVillain: Dagult Neverember, former Open Lord of Waterdeep and current Lord Protector of Neverwinter, doesn't control any of the main villains of the adventure nor appears anywhere within the adventure, but he was the one who stole half a million dragons from the people of Waterdeep and hid it within a secret vault many years ago. Whether or not he's an actual villain [[AmbiguouslyEvil depends on who you ask.]]

* LivingStatue: The Walking Statues are colossal, sentient constructs that were built to defend Waterdeep in times of crisis. There are around eight of these statues that can be found within the city, and they can only be animated and controlled by the Blackstaff. The adventure module even provides a stat block which is shared to all of the walking statues.
* MacGuffin: The stash of golden dragons, of course. There is also the Stone of Golorr, a magic item with no other purpose than being used to track down the vault.

* InstantAwesomeJustAddDragons: There are two dragons that can be found within Waterdeep, despite the city supposedly being warded against them by the Dragonstaff of Ahghairon. In Deepwater Harbor, there's a bronze dragon named Zelifarn who just hangs outside of the Dock Ward, scouring shipwrecks for treasure and trinkets to hoard in his underwater lair. [[spoiler:And inside Neverember's vault, there is also the gold dragon named Aurinax, who in exchange of the aforementioned magic staff promises to guard the cache of dragons until Dagult Neverember returns to remove it from the vault.

* GreaterScopeVillain: Lord Dagult Neverember, currently of Neverwinter, formerly of Waterdeep, doesn't control any of the main villains of the adventure, but he was the one who stole the treasure from the people of Waterdeep and who hid it in the secret vault. Wether he's actually a villain [[AmbiguouslyEvil depends on who you ask.]]
* InstantAwesomeJustAddDragons: There are two living ones in the adventure, despire Waterdeep supposedly being warded against them by Ahghairon's Dragonward. In the harbor, there's a bronze dragon diving for treasure hanging out just outside the ward, which the players might have to check up on. [[spoiler:In Neverember's vault, there is also the gold dragon Aurinax, who got around the ward with a magic item he was gifted by Neverember.]]

** Spring Madness: Xanathar, the namesake leader of the infamous Xanathar Guild. A ruthless crime boss [[spoiler:who just so happens to be a paranoid and short-tempered beholder]] which seeks to intimidate and eliminate anyone whom it perceives as a threat to its rule in the city's criminal underworld. Its main goal is to [[spoiler:wipe out the Zhentarim (as well as those who sympathize with the Zhantarim) within Waterdeep, obtain the Stone of Golorr and secure the cache of dragons, as it believes that the dragons would be much safer under its watchful gaze.]]

Taking place within the city of [[CityOfAdventure Waterdeep]], the story begins with the adventurers being hired by famed explorer and storyteller Volothamp "Volo" Geddarm to help him find a friend of his who disappeared after their meeting a couple of nights ago. But as the adventurers begin to settle into Waterdeep, they soon hear rumors that a [[AMacGuffinFullOfMoney cache of half a million golden coins]] (locally known as "dragons") is hidden within a secret vault somewhere in the city, and many individuals in and out of Waterdeep have long been looking for it to claim the treasure for themselves, some of which have more insidious motives in mind. And so begins a wild treasure hunt that takes them all across the City of Splendors, meeting many of the its most influential figures who can help them in their quest to secure the gold, while pitting them against some of its most infamous villains who will stop at nothing to claim the gold as theirs.

** The Blackstaff, Vajra Safahr, is the official archmage of Waterdeep. She carries a magical staff containing the souls of her predecessors, who provide her with advice and increase her already formidable magical powers.
** Laeral Silverhand, who is one of the Lords of Waterdeep and [[DivineParentage a daughter of Mystra]], the goddess of magic. That comes with some very dangerous abilities, in addition to her already impressive magical skill.
** Manshoon, one of the founders of the Zhentarim faction, is the only evil archmage present in the story. [[spoiler:He's actually a [[CloningBlues sentient clone]] of the real Manshoon, who's been dead for over a century.]]
** Elminster Aumar is mentioned in the adventure fluff, but he doesn't appear in the story proper.

** Spring Madness (Spring): Xanathar, the namesake leader of the infamous Xanathar Guild. A ruthless crime lord [[spoiler:who just so happens to be a paranoid and short-tempered beholder]]. Its main goal is to [[spoiler:wipe the Zhentarim (as well as those who sympathize with the Zhantarim) out of Waterdeep, retrieve the Stone of Golorr and secure the cache of dragons, as it believes that the dragons would be safer under its watchful gaze.]]
** Hell of a Summer (Summer): Ammalia and Victoro Cassalanter, a couple of Waterdhavian nobles who seek to claim the cache of dragons so they can pay off a debt to a more powerful benefactor. [[spoiler:They actually happen to be devil worshippers in secret, as they have struck a deal with Asmodeus to provide them wealth and power in exchange for the souls of their children.]] They plan to use the dragons [[spoiler:alongside sacrificing nearly a hundred Waterdhavians in order to spare two of their children from damnation.]]
** Maestro's Fall (Autumn): Jarlaxle Baenre, an elusive drow mercenary and the charismatic leader of the Bregan D'aerthe. He hopes to use the dragons to [[spoiler:persuade Laeral Silverhand for Luskan's inclusion into the Lords' Alliance in order to increase his political and economic power in the Sword Coast, as well as to oust Neverwinter and its leader, Lord Dagult Neverember, from the group due to him being perceived by Jarlaxle as his fiercest political rival.]]
** Winter Wizardry (Winter): Manshoon, one of the founding leaders of the notorious Zhentarim organization which is in the midst of a MobWar with the Xanathar Guild [[spoiler:as well as an EnemyCivilWar with another Zhentarim group that opposes Manshoon's plans]]. [[spoiler: He is actually one of the few remaining clones of the original Manshoon, who died long before the events of the adventure, and is searching for the cache of dragons as part of his EvilPlan to essentially take over Waterdeep alongside his loyal Zhentarim agents and exact revenge on Halaster Blackcloak for a past encounter in Undermountain.]]
* DealWithTheDevil: [[spoiler:Three years prior to the events of the adventure, the noble Cassalanters were on the verge of bankruptcy. To save themselves from financial ruin, Victoro and Ammalia Cassalanter struck a deal with the archdevil [[SatanicArchetype Asmodeus]] to provide them wealth and power in exchange for the souls of their children. This results with their eldedst son, Osvaldo, being transformed immediately into a chain devil, while their two youngest children, Terenzio and Elzerina, are doomed to lose their souls as well once they turn nine years old. In the present day, this deal is what motivates the couple to search for the cache of gold in order to offer it alongside the souls of various Waterdhavians as a replacement for the souls of their children.]]
* LivingStatue: Per Waterdeep tradition, the Walking Statues are listed and described. The book even provides statblocks.

Taking place within the city of [[CityOfAdventure Waterdeep]], the story begins with the adventurers being hired by famed explorer and storyteller Volothamp "Volo" Geddarm to help him find a friend of his who disappeared after their meeting a couple of nights ago. But as the adventurers begin to settle into Waterdeep, they soon hear rumors that a [[AMacGuffinFullOfMoney cache of half a million golden coins]] (locally known as "dragons") is hidden within a secret vault somewhere in the city, and many individuals in and out of Waterdeep have long been looking for it to claim the treasure for themselves, some of which have more insidious motives in mind. And so begins a wild treasure hunt that takes them all across the City of Splendors, meeting many of the its most influential figures who can help them in their quest to secure the cache of gold, while pitting them against some of its most infamous villains who will stop at nothing to claim the cache of gold as theirs.

** The Open Lord Laeral Silverhand is the official leader of the Masked Lords, and [[DivineParentage the daughter of the Mystra]], the goddess of magic. That comes with some very dangerous abilities, in addition to her already impressive magical skill.
** Manshoon, one of the founders of the Zhentarim faction, is the only evil archmage in the story. [[spoiler:He's actually a [[CloningBlues sentient clone]] of the real Manshoon, who's been dead for over a century.]]

* BigBad: Unique among 5th Edition adventures, the adventure provides four different villains for the DM to choose between, all of which are portrayed on the cover:
** Spring Madness (Spring): Xanathar, the namesake leader of the Xanathar Guild. A beholder crime lord who just so happens to be an insane, reality bending monster.
** Hell of a Summer (Summer): [[spoiler:Ammalia and Victoro Cassalanter]], nobles who seek the treasure so they can pay of a debt to a powerful being.
** Maestro's Fall (Autumn): The drow schemer Jarlaxle Baenre, who hopes to use the money to gain political clout.
** Winter Wizardry (Winter): Manshoon, a sentient Simulacrum of an ancient wizard hoping to assure his hold on the Zhentarim criminal organization.

* {{Pun}}: The book has a lot of fun with the term Gold Dragon meaning both currency and a ''literal'' golden dragon.
* YouAllMeetInAnInn: The adventure starts with a barfight in the Yawning Portal tavern. The players even get to pick out a contact among the patrons.

* BigBad: Unique among 5th Edition adventures, the adventure provides four different villains for the DM to chose between, all of which are portrayed on the cover:
** For the Spring Madness storyline: Xanathar, the beholder. A crime lord who just so happens to be an insane, reality bending monster.
** For the Hell of a Summer storyline: [[spoiler:Ammalia and Victoro Cassalanter]], nobles who seek the treasure so they can pay of a debt to a powerful being.
** For the Maestro's Fall storyline: The drow schemer Jarlaxle Baenre, who hopes to use the money to gain political clout.
** For the Winter Wizardry storyline: Manshoon, a sentient Simulacrum of an ancient wizard hoping to assure his hold on the Zhentarim criminal organization.

* TheArchmage: No less than four of them are running around Waterdeep:
** The Blackstaff, Vajra Safahr, is the official Archmage of Waterdeep. She carries a magical staff containing the souls of her predecessors, who provide her with advice and increse her already considerable power.
** The Open Lord Laeral Silverhand is the official leader of the Masked Lords, and [[DivineParentage the daughter of the goddess Mystra]], goddess of magic. That comes with some very dangerous abilities, in addition to her already impressive magical skill.
** Manshoon is the only evil archmage in the story. He's actually a [[CloningBlues Simulacrum]] of the real Manshoon, who's long dead.
** Elminister is mentioned in the fluff, but doesn't appear in the story.
* BigBad: Unique among 5th edition adventures, the book provides four different villains for the DM to chose between, all of which are portrayed on the cover:
** For the Spring Madness storyline: Xanathar, the Beholder. A crime lord who just so happens to be an insane, reality bending monster.

** For the Hell of a Summer storyline: [[spoiler:Amalia and Victoro Cassalanter]], nobles who seek the treasure so they can pay of a debt to a powerful being.

* DealWithTheDevil: [[spoiler:Many years ago prior to the events of the adventure, the noble Cassalanters were on the verge of bankruptcy. To save themselves from financial ruin, Victoro and Ammalia Cassalanter struck a deal with the archdevil [[SatanicArchetype Asmodeus]] to provide them wealth and power in exchange for the souls of their children. In the present day, this deal is what motivates the couple to search for the cache of gold in order to offer it alongside the souls of various Waterdhavians as a replacement for the souls of their children.]]

Taking place within the city of [[CityOfAdventure Waterdeep]], the story begins with the adventurers being hired by famed explorer and storyteller Volothamp "Volo" Geddarm to help him find a friend of his who disappeared after their meeting a couple of nights ago. But as the adventurers begin to settle into Waterdeep, they soon hear rumors that a [[AMacGuffinFullOfMoney cache of half a million gold coins]] (locally known as "dragons") are hidden somewhere in the city, and many individuals in and out of Waterdeep have long been looking for it to claim the treasure for themselves, including those with a more insidious motive in mind. Thus begins a wild treasure hunt that takes them all across the City of Splendors, meeting many of the its most influential figures who can help them in their quest to secure the cache of gold, while pitting them against some of its most infamous villains who will stop at nothing to claim the cache of gold as theirs.

Taking place within the city of [[CityOfAdventure Waterdeep]], the story begins with the adventurers being called upon by famed explorer and storyteller Volothamp "Volo" Geddarm to help him find a friend of his who disappeared after their meeting a couple of nights ago. But as the adventurers begin to settle into Waterdeep, they soon hear rumors that a [[AMacGuffinFullOfMoney cache of half a million gold coins]] (locally known as "dragons") are hidden somewhere in the city, and many individuals in and out of Waterdeep have long been looking for it to claim the treasure for themselves, including those with a more insidious motive in mind. Thus begins a wild treasure hunt that takes them all across the City of Splendors, meeting many of the its most influential figures who can help them in their quest to secure the cache of gold, while pitting them against some of its most infamous villains who will stop at nothing to claim the cache of gold as theirs.

->''[[TheStinger DISCLAIMER:]] [[TheGovernment The Lords of Waterdeep]] cannot be held responsible for the [[ATasteOfTheLash flogging]], [[TheExile banishment]], [[ArrestedForHeroism incarceration]], or [[PublicExecution execution]] of adventurers who violate the Code Legal, nor are the Lords responsible for the actions of beholder crime lords, unscrupulous nobles, drow swashbucklers, and evil clones. Also, don't be alarmed by the colossal statues scattered throughout the city. They're quite safe and haven't gone berserk in years.''

->''[[TheStinger DISCLAIMER:]] The Lords of Waterdeep cannot be held responsible for the flogging, banishment, incarceration, or execution of adventurers who violate the Code Legal, nor are the Lords responsible for the actions of beholder crime lords, unscrupulous nobles, drow swashbucklers, and evil clones. Also, don't be alarmed by the colossal statues scattered throughout the city. They're quite safe and haven't gone berserk in years.''

Taking place in the [[CityOfAdventure city of Waterdeep]], the story begins with the adventurers being called upon by famed explorer and storyteller Volothamp "Volo" Geddarm to help him find a friend of his who disappeared after their meeting two nights ago.

''Waterdeep: Dragon Heist'' is an adventure module for the fifth edition of ''[[TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons Dungeons & Dragons]]'', released on September 18, 2018. Creator/MatthewMercer serves as one of the consultants for the story of this module.