Although Manshoon lost the original Eye he had obtained, as Dragon Heist begins the Zhentarim seize possession of the Eye unwittingly carried by Renaer Neverember. This Eye is then immediately taken back to Kolat Towers and secured.
Unlike the other lairs in Dragon Heist, Kolat Towers operates more like a fortified bunker. This creates a very non-typical heist scenario which, in some respects, will play more like a raid or dungeoncrawl scenario. The primary heist-like aspect of the scenario, in fact, is simply gaining access to the Towers in the first place.
Kolat Towers is structured like an onion:
- You need to obtain a pass-amulet in order to pass through the force field surrounding Kolat Tower. A pass-amulet is a silver disc with the initials “DK” (for Duhlark Kolat) written in Espruaran runes on either side of a small, central blue gemstone. Someone holding a pass-amulet, or touching someone holding a pass-amulet, can simply walk through the force field as if it wasn’t there. (Other methods for bypassing the force field are described on pages 148-149 of Dragon Heist.)
- You need to obtain a teleporter signet ring in order to reach the inner sanctum., as described on page 157 of Dragon Heist. These brass signet rings have a stylized M. written upon them.
SURVEILLANCE OPPORTUNITY
Barring unusual circumstances or out of the box thinking, the PCs are unlikely to have a surveillance opportunity inside Kolat Towers.
More traditional surveillance (i.e., simply watching the Towers from a nearby building) reveals the crucial point of data required, however: The use of pass-amulets by anyone entering or leaving the tower. (They may glimpse some taking them out from their shirts and holding them aloft, although that’s not strictly necessary. They may also note the strange habit of those accompanying pass-amulet holders of touching them as they move through the force field.)
In addition, most of the Towers’ inhabitants will simply assume that anyone who has bypassed the force field must have a pass-amulet and, therefore, must have legitimate business there. Their incredible security system has, ultimately, made them somewhat lax when it comes to actual security, and PCs who are smart enough to lean into that assumption can effectively seize a surveillance opportunity for themselves mid-heist.
BLUEPRINT NOTES
The original tower which stood on this site was a small library owned by the Watchful Order of Magists & Protectors. The Kolat brothers purchased the site, altered the original tower, and built a second tower. Buried deep in its records, the Watchful Order still has copies of the original plans drawn up when they acquired the tower as part of a deceased wizard’s estate. These plans, however, only show the Tower as it existed before the Kolat brothers began their renovations. It:
- Consists of only of the Main Tower.
- Does not include areas K7, K8, K12, K13, or K14.
- Level 6 is a single room.
It should be noted that Xanathar has a superior set of blueprints for the Towers, obtained by his agents (see Part 4D).
THE TOWERS
Area K14 – Servants’ Quarters: Sidra Romeir also bunks in this room (in a larger bed opposite the four bunk beds used by the thugs she bunks with). She keeps her teleporter signet ring in the locked drawer in the bedside table.
Area E9 – Library: Alabaster shelves line the porphyry walls and jut out into the center of the room. On one wall, an arcane rune has been carved into the porphyry and filled with some form of bright green metal.
- Books: 10 particularly rare books have bookplates identifying them as belonging to Duhlark Kolat are laid out on a small table with a notebook nearby showing that someone has been studying them and taking notes; they are worth 50 gp each. The entire collection is worth 5,000 gp.
- Rune: This rune is the keymark for an astral vault bloodlocked to Manshoon. By design, Manshoon (and only Manshoon) can trace a specific set of patterns on the rune, causing the wall to temporarily phase out of existence and grant access to a small astral vault. In practice, dispel magic can disable the bloodlock or a disguise self (or similar illusion) can fool it, while an Intelligence (Arcana) or Dexterity check can figure out the pattern (defeating it like any other lock).
- Inside the Astral Vault: The vault contains the Eye, 5 pass-amulets, a dozen teleporter signet rings, and Manshoon’s Report on the Grand Game (see Part 6D).
Area E10 – Audience Chamber: This room is lit by a sunglobe which levitates in midair near the ceiling. (On command, a sunglobe glows with the light of the sun itself. It can be commanded to maintain its current position, levitating in mid-air until grasped.)
ADVERSARY ROSTER
| Sidra Romeir + 2 thugs | Area K2 - Dining Room | (playing Three-Dragon ante) |
| Manafret Cherryport* | Area K3 - Kitchen | |
| 2 gargoyles | Area K4 - Musty Library | (stationary) |
| Yorn the Terror* | Area K7 - Reading Room | |
| Lady Gondafrey | Area K13 - Holding Cell | (stationary) |
| 4 thugs | Area K14 - Servants' Quarters | |
| 3 apprentice wizards* + barlgura | Area K15 - Summoning Chamber | (chanting ritual; cannot be disturbed) |
| animated armor | Area K16 - Construct Workshop | (stationary) |
| spectator + 4 flying snakes | Area K22 - Teleportation Circle | (stationary) |
| Kaejva Cynavern* | Area E3 - Guard Station | (can see into area E1) |
| Urstul Floxin* | Area E5 - Laboratory | |
| Manshoon Simulacrum* | Area E7 - Simulacrum | |
| Vevette Blackwater* + Agorn Fuoco* | Area E8 - Reading Room | |
| Havia Quickknife* + Mookie Plush* | Area E10 - Audience Chamber | |
| Area E11 - Zhent Quarters | (Kaevja, Vevette, Agorn, Havia, Mookie) | |
| Manshoon (01-50%) | Area E12 - Manshoon's Quarters | |
| Manshoon (51-00%) | Area E13 - Manshoon's Study |
* Has a teleporter signet ring.
STAT REFERENCE
Sidra Romeir (LE female Callishite human) – veteran, MM p. 350
Manafret Cherryport – lightfoot halfling mage, MM p. 347; see DH p. 149
Yorn the Terror – half-orc thug, MM p. 350; see DH p. 150
Lady Gondafrey – gargoyle, MM p. 140; see DH p. 152
Kaejva Cynavern (female Mulan human) – mage, MM p. 347; see DH p. 158
Urstul Floxin – assassin, MM p. 343; see DH p. 216
Vevette Blackwater (CE female Tethyrian human) – swashbuckler, DH p. 216
Agorn Fuoco (NE male Turami human) – bard, DH p. 195
Havia Quickknife / Mookie Plush (LE lightfoot halfling) – martial arts adepts, DH p. 209
- Lawful Evil
- 49 (11d6+11) hit points
- Racial Traits: Small, walking speed 25 ft., move through the space of a Medium or larger creature, advantage on saving throws vs. being frightened.
- Speak Common and Halfling.
Manshoon Simulacrum – DH p. 209
Manshoon – DH p. 209
Thugs – MM p. 350
Apprentice Wizards – DH p. 194
Animated Armor – MM p. 19
Barlgura – MM p. 56
Spectator – MM p. 30
Flying Snakes – MM p. 322
QUESTIONING THE ZHENTARIM
Thugs know the general layout of the tower:
- They’ve been told not to enter the Outer Tower or go above the third level of the Main Tower.
- Manshoon’s lieutenants wear special rings that let them access Manshoon’s sanctuary atop the Outer Tower (although they don’t know that this is actually an extradimensional space; they think he just lives up there).
Apprentice wizards know the same, but also know:
- That Manshoon lives in an extradimensional sanctum.
- He protects his valuables in an astral vault hidden somewhere in the sanctum. His former fourth apprentice tried to gain access to it and was disintegrated when Manshoon caught him.
- That the Stone of Golorr was blinded and Manshoon is attempting to find its three Eyes. He already has one. He once had another that was stolen by Xanathar. And he has recently identified that a local noble family has the third. (They don’t know the identity of the noble family.)
Manshoon’s lieutenants know what the apprentice wizards know, but also:
- The layout of the extradimensional sanctum, including the location of the astral vault.
- That the Cassalanters are the noble family who possess the third Eye.
THE DEMON
If the PCs encounter the summoning ritual in Area K15 and don’t disrupt it, then eventually the apprentice wizards succeed in binding the barlgura and Manshoon is able to send it on a mission. Options to consider might include:
- Attacking the PCs at Trollskull Manor.
- Sending it as part of an operation to steal back “his” Eye from Xanathar, possibly inflicting damage in Xanathar’s Lair. (This could easily happen in the middle of the PCs attempting their heist there.)
Do you have any idea when part 5 will be out? I’m running chapter 3 in a few days and it would be awesome to see your take on it.
Man Gavin, I’ve been hesitating asking Justin that question for the past 2 weeks. I have a group that I’ve been stalling in Chapter 2, holding off the Fireball for when he releases that next piece. I’m sure that he’s taking his time and putting together the amazing stuff he’s been doing so far and all of that takes time . . . but it’s difficult to have patience! Heh. I want the next thing!
Tonight the Fireball will drop for my group and I’ll just wing it. Once he puts out the next part I’ll just work in the juicy bits that are going to be worth the wait.
But I agree! It’s so hard to wait!
I pre-released the fireball investigation in January specifically to address this problem.
Blow some people up! 😉
Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, it would appear.
https://www.dndbeyond.com/posts/420-how-to-remix-waterdeep-dragon-heist-to-play-it
Looking forward to the next entry. This has been a great series this far. I think this adventure could easily stretch beyond the 10 sessions with all of the additional material and ensuring plot twists that will likely develop during play.
Absolutely Justin! And I’m using it! Don’t rush on my (or anyone’s account). You do good work and craftsmanship like this can’t be rushed. It was more my own excitement and anticipation.
And I did for the last 10 minutes of the game. From the start I had all of the players make 2 characters in the story since I’m running a “Gentleman Bastards” (AKA Scott Lynch)-esque story. Once they moved into Troll Skull Manor the female halfling(twin of a male halfling in the group) had established the routine of going out in the morning and getting breakfast for the group and the male goliath had established the routine of going for a morning run. That morning I had the walls shake and the windows rattle and killed the female halfling and the goliath came on the scene right after it happened. They’ll start their investigation into the deaths and getting the clues that draw them back into the Grand Game with a fervor only for revenge and to make a nice death offering . . .
Absolutely love what you have written so far can’t wait for part 5 to start coming out! 🙂
This is amazing. I’m so glad that my players have lives, otherwise we would have started Dragon Heist in January and I wouldn’t have known about this remix.
This entire remix is absolutely gold! Thanks so much for providing it for free. Even if you don’t continue I think I have enough to finish on my own as a new DM but I’d love to see how you finish things. Cheers!
It looks like you left areas K17-K19 off the adversary roster, was this intentional?
Yes. K17-K19 basically forms a sub-complex that’s completely sealed: The monsters in that region won’t leave the areas they’re keyed to, so I don’t include them on the adversary roster (which is used for monsters that will move around a complex dynamically).
So I have been incorporating a large portion of your remix into my own campaign and everything else I have been running seems to work very nicely and if my players do things intelligently (Or if I have to have one of the other factions cause a distraction in say Xanathar’s Lair) all of the other Heists seem conquerable, but Manshoon’s Eye seems almost impossible for my party of 5 to accomplish seizing. Manshoon himself is (and should be) impossible for a party of 5 level 5 adventurers (and this is my first time for all of them playing and my first time DMing) to defeat. Not only that but technically they “should” be level 4 at the point and just the guards in the Extra Dimensional Plane alone should/could destroy them because they are all basically immediately aware of their presence in the plane. When you ran this with your group I’m assuming they were fairly experienced with DND so they had an advantage over my group already there, but how did your group handle this and what would you recommend for myself with a group of newbies?
I had a few hypothetical thoughts, but wanted to actually test it at the table before replying.
Over the weekend, my players (with 4th level PCs) successfully penetrated Kolat Towers. They did it by:
– Capturing a pass-amulet from the Zhentarim interrogation house.
– Lifting holy regalia and symbols from the Banite priests at Yellowspire.
– Going through the teleportation circle at Yellowspire.
– Speaking with Yorn the Terror, who (per the Remix key) assumed they were meant to be there since they had a pass-amulet. (The Banite regalia also helped.)
– When Yorn asked them what they were trying to do, they told him they were looking for Agorn Fuoco (a name they had picked up from their investigation into the Zhentarim).
– Yorn told them that Agorn had already gone through to the sanctum. Off a good Persuasion test, he loaned them his teleportal ring and gave them directions and, essentially, an introduction to Kaejva on the other side.
That gave the PCs the access they needed.
The PCs in my game could have been better prepared: Note the “Questioning the Zhentarim” section of the remix. They can encounter and interrogate lieutenants outside Manshoon’s tower and accurately pinpoint the Eye’s location. This allows them to make sure they avoid accidentally running into Manshoon.
Other options might include, off the top of my head:
– Disguise self spells.
– Cutting a deal with Manshoon.
– Joining the Doom Raiders or cutting a deal with them to stage an all-out assault on Kolat Towers.
I do recommend leveling the PCs up after each heist if you’re using the full Remix. (So level up after rescuing Floon, after the Gralhund Estate, and after each heist, resulting in characters who are 6th or 7th level as Dragon Heist wraps up.) My assumption had been that Manshoon, as the toughest nut to crack, would be the last heist they’d attempt. But circumstances dictated otherwise and it ended up being only the second (and the first heist aimed at getting an Eye).
If relatively inexperienced players somehow end up heading for Manshoon’s as the very first heist they do, I would strongly emphasize the heist structure to them. As part of that, make it clear that retreat-and-regroup is often the best answer if things start going wrong (particularly during a heist).
But, yes, Manshoon’s sanctum is very lethal if the PCs just try to hack their way in.
My group is just about to run through this and figured that a city planning office would have permits or blueprints on file for a structure in the middle of the city. I couldn’t find an appropriately edited map, so I made my own blueprint of the OG Kolat Tower. Link below if anyone else finds it helpful.
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/17IcSUA8YX29SHxIYizMnRrJr2o7W-cju?usp=sharing
I accidentally sent my players in here first and only just started reading the enemies in here and im like damn… they are level 3… so yea i think ill let them level up beforehand 😅