The investigation which brings the PCs from the fireball in Trollskull Alley to the Gralhund Villa will be fully described in Part 5. For the moment, however, we do need to establish a few key pieces of revised continuity:
- As mentioned in Part 1, the Gralhund’s nimblewright and the Zhentarim agents tracking Dalakhar are NOT working together.
- The nimblewright uses a necklace of fireballs to launch a fireball which kills Dalakhar and most of the Zhentarim agents, with the exception of Urstul Floxin (who barely survives, but is incapacitated).
- The Gralhund nimblewright dashes forward, rifles through Dalakhar’s pockets, and takes the Stone of Golorr. It then runs off, returning to Gralhund Villa.
- Urstul Floxin is able to identify the nimblewright. The Zhentarim track it back to the Gralhunds and are out for both revenge and the Stone.
- Meanwhile, the PCs will have likely tipped off Jarlaxle and pulled Bregan D’Aerthe into the Grand Game. Jarlaxle and his agents will also know who the nimblewright belonged to.
- Xanathar doesn’t know that the Gralhunds have the Stone, but he has learned that Urstul Floxin, a Zhentarim agent, was present when Dalakhar was killed. The beholder is still not entirely clear who stole the Stone, but he has his agents observing Urstul Floxin and those agents have tracked him to Gralhund Villa.
This sets up the quadpartite confrontation (really quinpartite once you add in the PCs) at the Gralhund Villa.
DESIGN NOTES
The simple goal here is to viscerally evoke the cross-faction conflict of the Grand Game: The first scenario of the campaign features two of the factions (although the PCs only encounter one of them). The climax of the second scenario features three of the main factions plus the Gralhunds (and also the Cassalanters if the PCs are working for them at this point) all coming together in immediate conflict. That’s the essential story of Dragon Heist being told through action, and it sets the stakes for the rest of the campaign.
OBSERVING THE VILLA
The Villa, for our purposes, exists in one of two states when the PCs arrive: Before the Zhentarim Raid and During the Zhentarim Raid. The DM can select which scenario is true based on any number of criteria, but I’m going to use a simple metric: If the PCs arrive during the day, then the Zhentarim raid happens that night. If they arrive at night, then the Zhentarim raid is in progress. (And if, for whatever reason, they specifically decide not to go to the Gralhund Villa after tracking the nimblewright back to it, I’ll trigger the raid a couple days later and have the PCs hear reports of it – either through broadsheets or contacts or simply gossip in their tavern’s common room.)
Before the raid happens (i.e., if the PCs arrive during the day), the Villa is under observation by up to three different factions. If the PCs scout around the Villa, they may be able to spot these teams. The DC for Wisdom (Perception) tests is noted with each faction.
ZHENTARIM WATCHERS (DC 12): Two Zhentarim thugs are located on the roofs of the buildings near the estate, stealthily changing their position from time to time. They have been placed here by Urstul Floxin to make sure that neither the nimblewright, the Gralhunds, nor the Stone of Golorr leave the villa before the raid begins. They have a black flying snake with them to send a message if necessary.
The Zhentarim watchers spotted one of Xanathar’s gazers, but didn’t realize it was watching them (or that it has remained in the area). They are unaware of the presence of Jarlaxle’s team.
XANATHAR’S GAZERS (DC 16): There are four of Xanathar’s gazers in the area. At DC 16, the PCs spot one gazer. They spot an additional gazer for each PC who succeeds on the test or for every 2 points of margin of success.
Xanathar’s agents tracked Urstul Floxin and the Zhentarim watchers to the villa when he gave them their instructions. Xanathar isn’t sure exactly what Floxin wants with the Gralhunds, but he’s installed the gazers to find out.
JARLAXLE’S TEAM (DC 14): If Jarlaxle has been tipped off by the PCs, he has a team holed up in Artheyn Manor across the street from the villa.
The Artheyns are a mercantile family. Radford Artheyn, the patriarch, has packed up the household and temporarily relocated to the Moonshae Isles in pursuit of a rumored vein of black gold in Alaron. (See MOON1-3: Black Gold from the 4th Edition Living Forgotten Realms for more on black gold, although the details aren’t actually important for this scenario.) Drop cloths cover most of the furniture in the three-story house. A watch team has been stationed by the front door (Area A), which is on the opposite side of the house from Gralhund Villa, and the primary observation team is on the top floor (Area B).
Area A: Fel’Rekt Lafeen (drow gunslinger; Dragon Heist, p. 201) and 2 drow.
- A Directive from Jarlaxle lays on a side table. (If the PCs search Artheyn Manor after the raid, Fel’Rekt has carelessly left this behind.) The directive, signed by “Jarlaxle Baenre”, indicates that Fel’Rekt is to keep a watch on the Gralhund Villa and “seize any opportunity to take possession of the Stone of Golorr”. Updates are to be sent twice daily via Fenerus Stormcastle, and someone named Krebbyg has been instructed to pick up messages from Fenerus twice daily for the duration of the Gralhund operation.
- GM Note: Fenerus Stormcastle’s House is a Bregan D’Aerthe outpost, see Part 3.
Area B: Two drow gunslingers and 6 drow.
Jarlaxle’s team are aware of both the Zhentarim watchers and Xanathar’s gazers.
THE VILLA – ADVERSARY ROSTERS
Adversary rosters make it easy for a DM to run dynamic locations in which the action spills over from one room to the next. If you’re not already familiar with their use, I recommend reviewing this article which discusses them in detail.
To use these rosters, simply ignore any references to NPCs in the published key for the Gralhund Villa. If the PCs enter the villa before the Zhentarim raid has begun, you should also obviously ignore any references to corpses or other signs of violence.
GRALHUND VILLA – PCs ARRIVE DURING THE DAY
| 2 Gralhund Guards | Area G1 - Main Gate | |
| 1 Servant (Gardener) | Area G2 - Yard | |
| Stableboy (Ike) + 2 Mastiffs | Area G3 - Coach House | (mastiffs don't obey Ike) |
| Groundskeeper (Hurv) | Area G3 - Bedroom | (sleeping) |
| 12 Gralhund Guards | Area G4 - Barracks | (8 unarmored, 1d4+1 sleeping) |
| 2 Servants (Head Butler + Cook) | Area G6 - Pantry | |
| Servant (Head Maid) | Area G7 - Laundry Room | (keys to all locked doors) |
| 4 Gralhund Guards | Area G8 - Great Hall | |
| 1 Servant (Maid) | Area G9 - Parlor | |
| 1 Servant (Maid) | Area G10 - Trophy Room | |
| Nimblewright | Area G11 - Orond's Study | |
| Orond Gralhund | Area G12 - Family Library | |
| 2 Gralhund Guards | Area G13 - Upstairs Foyer | |
| Yalah Gralhund + Hrabbaz | Area G16 - Master Bedroom | |
| 2 Servants (Nursemaids) | Area G18 - Children's Room | |
| Gralhund Children (Zartan + Greth) | Area G18 - Children's Room | |
| 4 Servants | Area G19 - Servant's Wing | (playing Three-Dragon Ante) |
GRALHUND VILLA – PCs ARRIVE AT NIGHT
| Groundskeeper (Hurv) + 2 Mastiffs | Area G2 - Garden | (in shadow form) |
| Stableboy (Ike) | Area G3 - Bedroom | (sleeping) |
| 2 Zhent Thugs | Area G8 - Great Hall | |
| 4 Zhent Thugs + 4 Gralhund Guards | Area G13 - Upstairs Foyer | (fighting) |
| Urstul Floxin | Area G15a - Guest Suite | (wounded) |
| Orond Gralhund | Area G15b - Guest Suite | |
| Yalah Gralhund + Nimblewright + Hrabbaz | Area G16 - Master Bedroom | |
| Gralhund Children (Zartan + Greth) | Area G18 - Children's Room | |
| 9 Servants | Area G19 - Servant's Wing |
STAT REFERENCE
Groundskeeper (Hurv) – cult fanatic, MM p. 345 or shadow, MM p. 269
Mastiffs – MM p. 332 or shadow, MM p. 269
Servants – commoner, MM p. 345
Gralhund Guards – veteran, MM p. 350
Yalah Gralhund – DH p. 220; noble, MM p. 348
Orond Gralhund – DH p. 213-4; noble, MM p. 348
Urstul Floxin – DH p. 216; assassin, MM p. 343
Zhentarim Thugs – thug, MM p. 350
Flying Snake – MM p. 322
Drow Gunslingers – DH p. 201
Drow – MM p. 126
Gazer – DH p. 203
THE VILLA – MODIFIED KEY
Area G11 – Orond’s Study: The mahogany desk is covered with papers, which consist of the Gralhund Study of the Grand Game (see Part 6D).
Area G12 – Library: Orond was studding A Missive from Castle Ward. He leaves it laying on the arm of one of the library’s chairs if disturbed (by, for example, a Zhentarim strike team breaking into this house).
- A Missive from Castle Ward: “We are now certain that the Second Eye was carried from the warehouse in the Dock Ward to Yellowspire in the Castle Ward. I no longer believe that it remains within Yellowspire, however. After observing the Zhentarim traffic here, I am convinced that they must be using a teleportal within the tower. If we wish to track the Second Eye further, we will need to access that teleportal or otherwise determine where it leads. – Chirada”
Area 15b – Guest Suite: Does not contain a teleportation circle or flying snakes.
THE PCs RAID THE MANSION
If the PCs arrive during the day and raid the mansion before Floxin shows up, what happens?
OBSERVATION TEAMS: Check to see if they spot the PCs’ infiltration. If they don’t, then nothing happens until they do. Then, broadly speaking:
The Zhentarim will send their flying snake to Urstul, who will hastily assemble his team and rush over. He still won’t arrive for 10+2d6 minutes, though, so it’s quite possible the PCs will complete their raid and leave. If that happens and the Zhentarim think they have the Stone, they’ll leave a message drop for Urstul and attempt to follow the PCs to see where they take it. If they don’t think the PCs have the Stone, one of the Zhentarim will follow them (to identify who the new players in the Grand Game are) and the other will maintain observation of the villa.
Xanathar’s Gazers will continue monitoring the situation, with one or more of the gazers following the PCs when they leave.
Jarlaxle’s Team will wait for an opportunity to present itself and then strike at the Stone. That might mean attempting to send a team into the compound (probably heading over the roof and entering through Area 17 – The Balcony), or it might mean waiting until the PCs have the Stone and then attacking them as they leave.
GRALHUND GUARDS: If the alarm is raised, then
- 2 of the guards from Area G8 – Great Hall will move towards the alarm.
- 1d4 rounds later, 4 armored guards from G4 – The Barracks will mobilize. 2 will head towards the alarm; two will move towards Lord Gralhund.
- 1d4 rounds later, the unarmored guards from G4 – Barracks who were NOT asleep will mobilize with weapons but no armor.
- 1d4 rounds later, the unarmored guards from G4 – Barracks who WERE sleeping will mobilize with weapons but no armor.
(It would take unarmored guards 5 minutes to don their chain shirts. They’re not going to wait on it if the villa is under attack.)
Beyond that general response procedure, though, simply use the adversary roster and play the characters appropriately based on the information they have.
OTHER APPROACHES: What about other approaches? For example, what if the PCs knock on the front door? Or bring the City Watch? Broadly speaking, if the compound seems threatened by armed force, similar responses will be taken. If a peaceful approach is being taken, successful Charisma checks may allow PCs to meet with Lord Orond. (Lady Yalah will not put in an appearance; she stays with the Stone upstairs.)
ZHENTARIM RAID TIMELINE
The night-time adversary roster assumes that the PCs arrive on the scene during the night, with the Zhentarim raid taking place in media res. If the PCs instead arrive during the day and settle down as their own observation team, then they’ll be able to watch the raid play out in real time.
FLOXIN’S PLAN: Urstul wants to enter the house quietly through G6 – Pantry, make a rush through G8 – The Great Hall, go up the stairs, and capture Lord Orond, Lady Yalah, and/or the children before the guards can fully mobilize. With hostages in hand, he believes they can negotiate for the Stone of Golorr and then leave.
This is what their raid looks like, broadly speaking (assuming the PCs don’t intervene):
- Urstul Floxin and 8 Zhents in black leather armor rendezvous with the 2 watchers and then all of them approach along the villa’s rear wall and pick the lock to the Pantry (G6).
- Inside they are surprised to discover two servants (the head butler and the cook) using the pantry for an illicit, late night romantic liaison.
- The halfling cook makes a run for the Kitchen (G5), screaming bloody murder. Which is, in fact, what the Zhents do: They murder both servants.
- The cook’s screams, however, alert the head maid who was working in the Laundry (G7). She comes to see what the fuss is all about, entering the kitchen to see the Zhents cut down the cook in the opposite doorway. She turns and runs back through the laundry screaming.
- Floxin curses and tells half of his men to chase her down. They catch up with her on the backstairs to the Servant’s Quarters (G19) and kill her. A couple of other servants who were coming down the stairs run back up, raising the alarm, and the servants eventually barricade themselves.
- Meanwhile, the head maid’s screams have alerted the guards in the Great Hall (G8). One of them runs out the front doors and circles around to the Barracks (G4) to raise the rest of the guard. The other three move into G7 and begin fighting the Zhents there.
- This actually works to Floxin’s advantage slightly, leaving the Great Hall (G8) empty. He and his force rush from the Kitchen (G6) into the south end of the Great Hall (G8), but before they can head for the stairs, two guards on patrol in the Parlor (G9) walk out the door. Urstul and his men attack, driving the guards back into G9 and killing them.
- Lord Orond emerges from the Library (G12), where he’s been studying late. Urstul, still in the hall just outside G9 sees him, gives a cry. Lord Orond flees up the stairs while Urstul and his men give chase.
- The guards fighting the Zhents in the Laundry (G7) are mortally wounded and fall back almost simultaneously into G8. The Zhents they were fighting give pursuit and kill them.
- Upstairs the guards in the Upstairs Foyer (G13) have already barricaded the doors to the Master Bedroom (G16) where Lady Yalah and the children are. So when Lord Orond comes rushing upstairs, one of the guards ushers him into the Guest Suite (G15). The guard is killed by Urstul Floxin as he shuts the door on his lord.
- Meanwhile, guards are pouring out of the Barracks (G4) and entering the house through both the Great Hall (G8) and the Kitchen (G5). They engage the second Zhent force in G8.
- Upstairs things are looking bad for the Gralhunds, with Urstul’s Zhents dispatching the other guard in G13. The Zhents downstairs hold the line and manage to kill a total of eight guards there, but after two Zhents are killed they’re forced into a fighting retreat up the stairs.
- A furious melee breaks out at the top of the stairs while Urstul desperately tries to break down the door in the Guest Suite (G15b) to reach Lord Orond and take him hostage. Some of the Zhents manage to break down the door to the Master Bedroom (G16), but are then forced to turn and fight as the guards come pouring up the stairs.
This is the point in time represented by the PCs Arrive At Night roster. At this point, as described in the original adventure key, there are the following corpses:
- G6 – head butler and cook
- G7 – head maid on the stairs up to G19
- G8 – 8 guards, 2 Zhent
- G9 – 2 guards
- G13 – 6 guards, 2 Zhents
(Note: There’s nothing special about this point in time. If it seems more dramatically appropriate, you can have the PCs arrive at any point during this timeline, although running things from the key will be slightly more complex as you’ll want to adjust the corpses, etc. accordingly in real time. Tracking the PCs attempting a stealthy infiltration from the north at the exact same time that Floxin and his team are infiltrating from the south can be a lot of fun!)
If the PCs haven’t interfered (and don’t interfere going forward) here’s what the rest of the raid looks like:
- Jarlaxle’s team goes into motion: Fel’Rekt Lafeen and 6 drow cross the roof of Gralhund Villa, taking up a position immediately above the Balcony (G17). The two drow gunslingers and 2 more drow move across the roofs and take up a position opposite the large windows of the Upstairs Foyer (G13).
- The Gralhund Guards manage to kill the rest of the Zhents. At this point, however, there are only four guards left.
- The drow gunslingers sniper the Gralhund guards through the window. Simultaneously, Fel’Rekt and his team drop onto the Balcony (G17) and break open the doors.
- Lady Yalah flees into the Children’s Room (G18). While his drow go to G15 and collect Lord Orond, Fel’Rekt spends 6 rounds dueling Hrabbaz, eventually killing him.
- Lord Orond is dragged into G16 and Fel’Rekt negotiates with Lady Yalah through the door. Lady Yalah eventually breaks and, sobbing, gives Fel’Rekt the Stone of Golorr. He and his team flee back the way they came as the City Watch comes bursting into the house on the lower level.
BUT WHAT ABOUT THE PCs?
With all that being said, it’s considerably more likely that the PCs will intervene at some point. Once that happens, of course, everything is probably going to change. It’s impossible to speculate on that new outcome because the situation is so volatile and there are so many different ways the PCs might go in the confusion and chaos of the situation they find themselves in: Do they help the Zhents? The Gralhunds? Do they end up fighting Fel’rekt’s people on the roof and giving the Gralhunds a chance to escape or for the City Watch to arrive? Ultimately, you just have to play and find out!
There are a few points to make, however:
The failure of the Zhentarim is not foreordained. If the PCs draw off some of the reinforcements from the barracks, for example, it’s quite possible that the Zhents are able to kill the guards and take control of the Gralhund family.
If circumstances change, Lady Gralhund may be presented with an opportunity to give the Stone of Golorr to the nimblewright and have the construct escape with it.
Jarlaxle’s Team will look for an opportunity to intervene in Bregan D’Aerthe’s favor. In the default raid that comes quite late, but once the PCs get involved Fel’rekt may decide to have his drow crash the party much earlier. Or they might wait and attack the PCs after they leave.
Xanathar’s Gazers will not intervene. But they will attempt to follow anyone and everyone leaving the scene afterwards.
WHAT HAPPENS TO THE STONE?
With all that being said, the EXPECTED OUTCOME of the Gralhund Villa sequence in this remix is for the PLAYER CHARACTERS TO HAVE THE STONE OF GOLORR.
(This is a really significant change to the campaign as published, so I’m putting it in bold here.)
ROOFTOP CHASE: If the PC’s DON’T have the Stone of Golorr, then it is likely that they’ve spotted someone fleeing the scene with it. This will probably trigger a rooftop chase, for which you can use the Rooftop Chase Complications from p. 72 of Dragon Heist.
AND NOW THE GAZERS: If you end up in a rooftop chase – here or anywhere else in the adventure – it will be a really cool visual for the PCs to suddenly see multiple gazers come swooping out of the darkness.
This is the scenario – the Stone of Golorr known and in the open – that Xanathar will have his gazers get involved. You might use this to cripple those carrying it, allowing the PCs to catch up. If circumstances allow, Xanathar might also be able to send a Response Team (see Part 3C) to intercept the chase, turning it into a three-way brawl for control of the Stone.
THE STONE IS LOST: If that fails (or the PCs don’t see the Stone leave or choose not to pursue it), figure out where it goes. Transport to a Faction Outpost (see Part 3) and then to a Lair (see Part 4) is the most likely outcome for any of the factions.
Re: The Gralhund Study of the Grand Game.
Because it’s going to be awhile before Part 6D is serialized to the public and I know that many of the DMs reading this are in the middle of their Dragon Heist campaigns RIGHT NOW, let me briefly summarize what the PCs need to learn from the Gralhund Study of the Grand Game handout:
– Until recently, Xanathar held the Stone of Golorr — the key to solving Neverember’s Enigma! But it was stolen by one his trusted lieutenants, a gnome named Dalakhar who the Gralhunds identified as an agent of Lord Neverember
– Xanathar has the First Eye, having murdered the Zhentarim delegation who came to negotiate with him and stealing it from them.
– The Zhentarim are suffering from an internal schism, with someone claiming Manshoon dividing their loyalty. The Manshoonian Zhentarim stole the Second Eye, but (according to this report) the Gralhunds aren’t certain where it’s being held.
– They do not know where the Third Eye is.
– They know that Xanathar’s Lair in Skullport can be more easily accessed from teleportal sites in the subterranean hideouts he keeps hidden throughout the city. They also know that each teleportal has a unique key which someone must carry in order to use the teleportal.
I’m also posting Part 5C: The Nimblewright Investigation out of order tonight, once again because I know people have been waiting a long time and are now running into logistical issues as their campaigns catch up with where the Remix is currently at.
Thank you for your work, I’m DMing waterdeep this sunday and will definitely be drawing heavily from your remix!
Wow I love all of the modifications to the orginal story you have added on here and will be trying to use as much as I can. The intrigue and maneuvering is awesome!
Hey there Justin, I was wondering about a possible loose end I wanted to tie up just to be sure. Should the Nimblewright indeed escape, you suggest the stone end up at a faction outpost, then eventually to one of the lairs.
Is that based on the assumption that eventually, one of the factions will track down the construct and come to possess the stone if the players fail to do so?
Actually, where Lady Gralhund might send the Nimblewright with the Stone of Golorr is something of an open question as the Gralhunds don’t have the larger infrastructure of the other factions (i.e., they don’t have faction outposts).
The ultimate outcome there probably also depends heavily on what the fate of the Gralhunds is coming out of the Villa sequence.
I’ve noticed that Urstul sort of disappears from the chronology after you mention that he is busy trying to break down the door of Guest Suite (G15b) to reach Lord Orond and take him hostage. I’m assuming that as he is doing so the drow come behind him and kill him, then take Lord Orond hostage. Is this correct?
“The Gralhund Guards manage to kill the rest of the Zhents,” including Urstul, and then the drow snipers kill the surviving guards.
Hey Justin.
Does the Nimblewright not get involved in the fighting?
He seems a very capable opponent both to the Zenths and the Drow, but he kind of vanishes from the action.
May i suggest 2 options?:
1 – The Nimblewright is active – in Zenth Timeline, he might be fighting the Zenths or protecting the children or Lord Gralhund. In the Drow Timeline he is locked with Lady Gralhund in the children´s room.
2 – The Nimblewright is inactive – the Nimblewright is on Standbye and does nothing until activated with a command word by Lady Gralhund, he might even be on the base floor somewhere.
> Meanwhile, the PCs will have likely tipped off Jarlaxle and pulled Bregan D’Aerthe into the Grand Game. Jarlaxle and his agents will also know who the nimblewright belonged to.
Wouldn’t Jarlaxle already know what was going on due to the crystal embedded in the Gralhund Nimblewright? He would have been able to witness the attack and even been aware of it during the planning stages.
This is mentioned over in the Jarlaxle stuff, but he’s got over a dozen nimblewrights and they’re all “recording” footage 24-7. Since there’s only one “TV” that this footage can be viewed through, it’s actually physically impossible for him to review every single moment through every single nimblewright.
While it’s certainly possible that he reviewed the pertinent footage and already knows, it’s more interesting, IMO, for the PCs to have agency here.
Curious where the map of Artheyn Manor is from. Is that Dyson Logos?
I feel like I’m missing something here, or maybe there’s more guidance needed– I understand that the characters’ behavior decides how the scene goes, but if the character’s have tipped off Jarlaxle, I can’t see it going any way besides for a loss at the hands of the Drow, or at least a very hard fight for a low-level party.
My PCs have arrived at night, are in the midst of the fight, and have tipped off Jarlaxle so his team is there. I feel the most expected turn of events is how it’s expected to go in the original module, mostly — the PCs arrive at the mansion, help the guards fight off the Thugs. Or they even fight the veterans too and defeat them.
Jarlaxle’s party would probably wait for the most advantageous moment to attack the party — either after the fighting has stopped, or when the PCs are leaving. In either circumstance, the PCs are dealing with 3 drow gunslingers and quite a few drow. In what continuity would this not result in a party wipe, or very close to it? especially if they’ve fought the thugs downstairs and angered the shadows on the lawn? Or would we expect Jarlaxle’s party to at least reason with the PCs first?
Either way, I can’t see how the PCs end up with the stone, even if they behave perfectly as you could expect. Feels like a big jump to me when you say Jarlaxle’s team would jump in but still somehow the PCs should end up with the stone.
Similar to Drake, I don’t see how the PCs can possibly win a chase. It has twice the base speed of most PCs, an 18 dexterity, and does not tire
I have to third Drake and Chris’ comments. The party fights one Drow Gunslinger at level 2 in one of the Zhentarim side quests, and that’s considered a very challenging fight.
How are they expected to win a fight against *three* Drow Gunslingers and 8 Drow, especially after being weakened by earlier fights? A Deadly fight for 4 level 3 characters is 1,600 exp. This would be 14,400.
Generally speaking, I don’t think a straight-up PCs vs. Jarlaxle’s team with nobody else involved is a likely outcome of this scenario. There’s too many players involved: Zhentarim. Gralhunds. Xanathar’s gazers.
If the PCs just jump in and mix it up, Jarlaxle’s team will move in the chaos.
If the PCs form an alliance (enemy-of-my-enemy style or otherwise), they won’t be facing Jarlaxle’s team alone.
If Lady Gralhund orders the nimblewright to flee, a chase scene will begin in which Jarlaxle’s team and the gazers (and possibly others) will end up fighting each other.
If the PCs clear out the entire house, grab the Stone, and then leave before Jarlaxle’s team intercepts them, the gazers will swoop in.
If Jarlaxle’s team does flat-out get the drop on them, their goal won’t be to kill the PCs. It will be to get the Stone. (They might even be under orders from Jarlaxle not to kill the PCs.) If the PCs can’t stop them, then that sets up Heist #1.
This, of course, assumes Jarlaxle’s team is there at all.
In my play-through the players didn’t tip off Jarlaxle’s team, allied with the Gralhunds to kill the Zhentarim, and then formed a long-term alliance with the Gralhunds. The Gralhunds held onto the Stone for the PCs until the PCs later secretly double-crossed them (leading, somewhat confusingly, to the PCs framing Jarlaxle for having stolen the Stone from them when, in fact, the PCs were the ones who stole the Stone).
“the PCs will have likely tipped off Jarlaxle and pulled Bregan D’Aerthe into the Grand Game”
Other than having a drow member of the party, when would the PC’s ever interact with Jarlaxle or Bregan D’Aerthe prior to the fireball?
Note that we’re talking about what happens before the PCs go to Gralhund Villa. Not what happens before the fireball.
The most likely sequence of events is:
– Fireball
– Investigation of fireball which leads to Gralhund Villa
– Gralhund Villa
The investigation into the fireball in the Remix almost certainly involves going through Jarlaxle.
Such a beautiful scene!
I just progressed my players through the Gralhund Villa raid. I bumped up Urstul’s team to 12 thugs to make up for the players persuading their way in to investigating the nimblewright personally and questioning Lord Gralhund. The Gralhunds were fine with letting the players go through the charade, they had their guard forces and the groundskeeper on alert and nearby, and they only allowed two of the player characters to enter to investigate. Once these pesky Scooby Doo wannabes were finished not finding anything besides a nimblewright that matches the description, the Gralhunds could decide if they wanted to go after the players or let them be.
The raid interrupted the tense investigation. Four party members outside of the compound witness and engage half of the Zhentarim force. The party members inside hear the shouts of alarm and exit the mansion to engage the Zhentarim with a few guards and the groundskeeper with dogs. Urstul goes in at a different place at the wall with six more men, and successfully enter the stable, barracks, and house, killing some guards and NPC’s off-camera. The PC’s finish with the first team, but are now too far from the house to make it back quickly. Lord Gralhund, three guards, and the nimblewright are being attacked by Urstul and two thugs. Urstul is killing guards as the party enters the entrance hall, the thugs are fending off the nimblewright.
This is where the drow enter, a small group of four weenie drow over the southern wall. The larger force of drow, including Fel’Rekt and two gunslingers, make a stealthy entry through the balcony doors into the second floor. The ,main drow force kill guards and are threatening Lady Gralhund, the two kids, and the Half-Orc bodyguard.
The players are tipping the battle against Urstul downstairs, I have him use a huge healing potion to stay in the fight, but eventually the party wear him down. In the middle of that fight, Lord Gralhund is cowardly backing towards the staircase. One of the generic gunslingers comes halfway down the stairs to cover that angle, and takes a pistol shot against the unwary Lord, blowing most of his head off. The groundskeeper and the dogs tangle that gunslinger up enough that he is easily dispatched after Urstul. Two Zhentarim thugs finish their dirty work in the stable, and enter the mansion after the PC’s. The two thugs get into the back line and are putting a hurt on the Wizard and the Artificer. The wizard gets off a Thunderwave and blows them back far enough that he can retreat to a safer spot.
The players finish off the first floor, all Zhentarim raiders are dead, and advance with the remaining Gralhund forces to the second floor. The two regular drow get readied action reaction shots with their hand crossbows, but the player makes the save vs the poison. The NPC’s charge and kill the vanilla drow, and the party catches sight of Fel’Rekt running to the balcony doors cradling the Plot Device while he takes a shot at a player. Fel’Rekt misses, and the Artificer player returns fire with the tinkered Lantanese Pistol looted ages ago from a dead Soluun, dosed with Purple Worm Poison. The hit is enough to put Fel’Rekt critical, an NPC tackles him, and the players finish him off.
Drow Gunslinger 2 is knocked unconscious by a critical hit with custom critical hit table result. The party decides to capture him for questioning. I know he would rather be tortured and die before giving up Jarlaxle, but maybe the players can be creative with their technique.
Lady Gralhund, the two kids, and the bodyguard were murdered by the drow. Now there is a Gralhund Villa with no Gralhunds. Reminds me of the ending to some gangster movies.
Brilliant job on the Remix!
Hello there,
I’m liking the remix ideas, and thanks for putting it together. However, some things still don’t make sense to me.
1. Where are the supposed “windows” in the Upstairs Foyer? The map indicates no windows, nor is there any mention of the word “window” in the entire Gralhund Villa description.
2. How far away do you suspect the adjacent building rooftops to be? It’s not like they live in a flat. If the drow are firing from nearby rooftops through windows, I’m not sure how far away those building would be, and where specifically you thought the windows are located in the Upstairs Foyer.
3. Wouldn’t it still make sense for the Gralhunds to feign innocence and send their nimblewright off with the stone the second they start hearing their guards dying?
4. Does the remix intentionally ignore the arrival of the City Watch? They are supposedly summoned right away once the violence begins. What do you suggest we do to tie up that loose end?
1. I talk about this somewhere or other in the Remix, but one of the big problems with the maps in WDH is that none of the buildings have windows indicated. (Despite windows being really important in raid- or heist-type scenarios.)
So, basically, you just have to use your common sense to figure out what windows are appropriate. In the case of a villa, I more or less assume every room has windows and reference specific windows in the summary of events where that’s important.
2. Streets would be anywhere from 8-15 feet wide in most places. But in most places in Waterdeep, the buildings are jammed up right next to each other. I personally imagine an architecture somewhere between modern Paris and pre-Victorian London.
3. Possibly. (I mention this is one viable tactic if circumstances are appropriate.) But when there are attackers outside, sending the nimblewright out with the Stone puts it at risk. The Gralhunds think they’re secure where they are… and they’re right until a whole new set of attackers starts hitting the house with sniper fire. (And once there are snipers outside, sending the nimblewright out just gets it shot in the head.)
4. “He and his team flee back the way they came as the City Watch comes bursting into the house on the lower level.”
Hello!
Firstly, thanks for all your work putting this Remix together, I’m just beginning running it for my group and have really enjoyed your modifications.
I have one question: I enjoy the “cat-and-mouse” potential of Jarlaxle’s approach to the Grand Game, as well as the fact that he seems like one of the less necessarily-hostile factions (along with the Cassalanters), and I feel like there’s potential for him to ally with the party. I’d like to leave room for him and the party to dance around one another a little, but it seems like there’s a high possibility that this scene brings the party immediately into violent confrontation with Bregan D’Aerthe and leaves a pretty hostile first impression. Do you have any suggestions for potential ways to avoid that, or at least give the party the option to avoid it?
My only thought so far is that potentially the drow get the drop on the characters (or are just one step ahead of them) and manage to make off with the Stone, but leave behind a “calling card” from Jarlaxle with an offer to work together. But I can see some flaws in that approach, so I’d love to hear any thoughts you have.
Thanks again!
First: Keep in mind that the revised Fireball Investigation in the Remix probably brings the PCs into contact with Bregan D’Aerthe before they reach Gralhund Villa. So you’ll probably have an opportunity to establish a relationship between them before this.
(Depending on how that plays out, it’s actually possible the drow aren’t at Gralhund at all. That’s what happened in my run of the campaign. But that is comparatively unlikely.)
In terms of the Villa itself, you could:
– Have the drow literally just say, “Hey. We’re not looking for a fight with you. Can’t we make a deal?” Or even, “Come with us and you can negotiate with our boss directly.”
– Tweak things so that the default approach for the drow is to just watch what happens. If they see the PCs end up with the Stone, they can quietly follow them and then later Jarlaxle can show up and say, “Let’s talk.”
Just off the top of my head.
Excellent, thanks. You’re right, I guess I was assuming that the Fireball Investigation might lead the party to a disguised Jarlaxle but not necessarily tip them off to the Bregan D’Aerthe, in which case they might not make the connection between him and the drow they meet at Gralhund, but it’s probably likely they discovery more than that. I appreciate the thoughts!
Hi, i love the remix, but i have some questions:
1. Why would my PC´s care about the stone?
They investigate the murder of one of their friends during the fireball accident. They find out that the nimblewright belongs to the Gralhunds. And on which point do they get interest in the stone or know that there is a stone at all?
2. What information do the Cassalanters give the PC´s?
1. They’ll almost certainly know at this point that the Stone is integral to the Grand Game and that the Grand Game is aimed at discovering where Lord Neverember hid 500,000 gold pieces.
2. Depends on the situation / whatever best serves their interests. Probably enough details to say “we need the Stone” and possibly “we need the Stone and all three Eyes.” They probably won’t mention they already have an Eye unless that’s somehow advantageous.
Thanks for your quick answere!
I almost red everything about the remix, but i really don´t know on which point my players get informed about the Grand Game or the stone. Maybe im missing something, but in my campaign i just launched the Fireball on one of my PC´s close friends. They want to find out who murdered him and already found out who is selling nimblewrights. They will get the information about the nimblewrights location at the Gralhunds now. But when should they get to know something about the Grand Game or the Stone?
Thanks in advance!
The missing gold is public knowledge, and should come up during chapter 1, when they first meet Renaer. That’s also when they should get their first inkling of the Grand Game, when the secret compartment in the locket comes up.
The Grand Game (though not necessarily under that name) can be further established during chapter 2, but should really become clear during the Gralhund Villa raid, when it becomes apparent that multiple factions are after the same thing.
The Stone could become known during the nimblewright investigation (speak with dead on Dalahar or the dead Zhents); at the very least it is clear that the nimblewright took an object of importance. It should become obvious after the Gralhund Villa raid, when they retrieve the object everyone is after.
Either way, both the Gralhund papers and the conversation with the Cassalanters should give significant information.
To summarize, if you already hit the Fireball, and your players do not yet know anything about the Grand Game or the Stone, you should probably be liberal with information, seeding it wherever it seems appropriate.
See also the revelation list in https://thealexandrian.net/wordpress/42791/roleplaying-games/dragon-heist-remix-part-5-clues-and-timelines
Thanks for your answere!
My PC´s already know about the Grand Game, but not what it´s about. And they know that something important was stolen. I will make clear that the stone is the important itemt when they are in the Gralhund Villa.
Who is hrabbaz? I don’t see him explained anywhere?
Re: Hrabbaz. See DH, p. 55.
Re: Sableheart’s comment at 28 …
I wonder if the overall structure would be best served by starting the campaign off by running alternate stories in Waterdeep while seeding the rumormill both talking about the missing funds (and showing the impact that has had to Waterdeep) and talk of the gang warfare plus having the party to at least see the aftermath of that warfare between Xanthar’s and Zhentarim before they end up being approached with the possible job at the Yawning Portal.
Question: I’m under the impression that the remix intends players to raid the Gralhund Villa at level 2. I’m concerned about the encounter balance against Hrabbaz, who is CR 5 and can easily drop a PC in one turn with three attacks. Do you have any recommendations?
Re: Tata
If the PCs rush head-first into the villa before the raid, let them get clobbered and captured. The guards/family will improvise a holding cell, possibly interrogate them, chance to escape, and then the raid happens! Guards are distracted, possibly add some more property damage/explosions, plenty of opportunity to escape and stumble upon battling factions who are severely weakened.
I imagine the party getting out with the stone being a very lucky, narrowly avoided death situation (or parlayed with a faction that misidentifies them as a threat).
FYI the head maid is probably technically a chatelaine with her keys on on chatelaines belt if you like the flavoring. Visually I’m feeling like Ms Hughes/Mrs Carson from Downton Abbey
@Alexander: I like the chatelaine approach.
Justin (and anyone else), what do you do with the nimblewright? It’s CR4, and with its magic resistance, resistance to non-magical attacks, three attacks, and AC 18 (up to 20), it’s got a good chance at wiping a party of level 3’s all by itself. At the very least, the Gralhunds should not hesitate to activate it vs the Zhentarim thugs (CR 1/2), who are already pretty outmatched by their veteran (CR3) guards.
Just wanted to thank you Justin for these great notes and revisions. I’m in the middle of a campaign where I’ve adapted Dragon Heist to a Neverwinter setting – your rewrite has really freed me and given the confidence to run with my adapted version. This is a great resource that compliments the source material. I found it on reddit, and I’m glad I did. Much appreciated!
Hey!
Thanks a lot for this Remix, I found it when I was preparing my DH campaign and it was mind-blowing. I am using so much of this to enrich the experience.
In a couple of week I’m running the explosion and it may or not may lead to the Gralhund villa Raid during that same session.
My PCs are already level 4 as I leveled them soon and made the first chapter longer than normal (they are beginners so I wanted them to practice combat before the grand-game starts for real).
Since I am not an experienced DM I was wonder:
– With Level 4 players, Should I adjust the roaster and increase the CR?
– If I leave the roster like this and it feels too easy, is it a good idea to use Jarlaxle Team to have a final cool teamfight (after they hopefully steal the stone)?
– Maybe I missed it (I will re-read the post) but, what’s Urstul Floxin team to raid the Villa?
Thanks a lot, your remix is making me fall in love with DMing even more, as I am pleasently spending hours reading it over and over to run my campaign and enjoy it as it was a novel 😉