The Alexandrian

Archive for the ‘Roleplaying Games’ category

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These lengthy reports, which can be discovered within the various facton lairs, are designed to be given to the players as handouts. They provide the PCs an opportunity to peer deeper into the machinations of the Grand Game, and can also serve as a reference for the GM to figure out what knowledge each faction currently has (and which its agents might surrender under questioning).

The reports here do not necessarily reflect the knowledge held by each faction at the very beginning of Dragon Heist. They have been written to reflect the state of the reports at the time the PCs are most likely to encounter them (during the Eye Heists). During earlier events, the factions may still be trying to piece together some of this information. (Most notably, if the PCs stage a heist at the Sea Maidens Faire without tipping off Jarlaxle about the Grand Game, there won’t be any report as he will not yet be involved in the Grand Game.) As the events of the campaign develop, you may also want to update these reports to reflect ongoing events (including explicit or implicit references to the activities of the PCs).

You’ll note that each faction refers to the Eyes using a different nomenclature. This complicates things slightly for the players (who need to figure out which names equate to which names), but not significantly. The real point of this is to deepen verisimilitude: These factions don’t all compare notes. Each faction has a unique perspective on the Grand Game, and allowing the players to see that in practical ways will make it clear that the game world is a dynamic, interactive place, not a monolithic entity.

As a quick reference, when the PCs get drawn into the Grand Game:

  • The Stone of Golorr was stolen by Xanathar. It was taken from Xanathar by Dalakhar, and taken from Dalakhar by the Gralhunds.
  • Xanathar’s Eye was originally stolen by the Zhentarim from the Protector’s Enclave in Neverwinter. Xanathar slew a Zhentarim embassy and took the Eye.
  • The Zhentarim Eye was taken from Renaer’s mourning locket.
  • The Cassalanter Eye was taken from the crypt of Lady Alethea Brandath.

The reports are presented in both plain text and also as PDFs with fancy handwriting fonts.

GRALHUND STUDY OF THE GRAND GAME

Dragon Heist - Gralhund Report on the Grand Game

These disparate papers, written in the hand of Orond Gralhund, concern the strategies and machinations of House Gralhund.

Uktar 4th, 1491 DR

They have treated us like fools. In the wake of the Lord Murders, with so many vacancies among the Lords and with Yalah’s lineage, it should have required no effort at all for her to be elevated to her rightful place. For the Gralhunds to be elevated to their rightful place, so that she could guarantee the prosperity of the Gralhunds for future generations. Instead they have taken our money. They have taken our favor. And they have spat in our faces. They have closed their ranks against us once again.

This journal entry, and others like it throughout late 1491 DR, speak to the bitterness of the Gralhunds, who felt slighted by being excluded from the ruling council of the city.

Nightal 21st, 1491 DR

At the fires of Simril last night, Lord Berenger spoke to me of a curious matter. Neverember’s Enigma. It seems that the former Open Lord kept some monstrous secret, and now word of that secret is beginning to spread. There are those who believe a Grand Game may be beginning. I sense in this an opportunity to right the great wrong which has been done to Yalah.

It is clear from Orond’s notes, however, that over the next few weeks his efforts to penetrate the Grand Game were stymied. The resources of the Gralhunds were limited. But Orond thought outside the box: He embedded agents (referred to by the codephrases “Eagle” and “Catoblepas”) in Renaer Neverember’s household. As Renaer was estranged from his father this was a long-shot at best, but it paid off. A report from Eagle reads:

We’ve identified the gnome who’s been keeping surveillance on R.N. Dalakhar. An agent of Lord D. Please advise.

Several weeks later, the gnome Dalakhar abruptly stopped his surveillance of Renaer Neverember. Eagle played a hunch, followed up, and discovered that Dalakhar had ended up in the employ of the Xanathar Guild.

Dal. must still be acting under the orders of Lord D. No other explanation for the sudden shift of allegiance.

Contemporary notes from other sources allowed Orond to begin piecing certain facts about the Grand Game and Neverember’s Enigma.

There are Three Eyes with which Neverember’s Enigma may be seen. The First Eye is held by Xanathar, and lies somewhere within his lair. Bulette’s report that this lair can be accessed from teleportal sites within X’s sewer hideouts provides a potential means by which this Eye could seized, but in the absence of a synchronized key these teleportal sites are useless.

A later note states:

The Second Eye has almost certainly been taken from R.N by the Zhentarim. It is more important than ever that we discover where M has hidden his head.

And then, this:

Xanatharians are riled. Word on the street is that something was stolen from them. But not the First Eye. The stone of Golorr.

This report is attached to analysis written be Orond.

What if the “Key to Neverember’s Enigma” which Xanathar was known to hold in his possession is not, as I have suspected, the Eye? But instead the Stone of Golorr?If so, then what better thief than an agent of Dagult’s? Perhaps even sent there for that purpose. The gnome has taken the Stone, I am certain of it. If we can find Dalakhar, then we can seize the Key. We can take the Stone.

JARLAXLE’S REPORT ON THE GRAND GAME

Dragon Heist - Jarlaxle's Report on the Grand Game

This meticulously organized folder of intelligence reports and summaries appears to have been compiled by “Jarlaxle Baenre.” It is clear from its contents that Jarlaxle was, until recently, unaware of the Grand Game currently taking place in Waterdeep. Once he got an inkling of what was happening, however, he evidently took immediate steps to remedy the situation. In these efforts, the “Gralhund nimblewright has proven most useful,” but the information obtained by the Gralhunds is apparently “woefully incomplete.” Despite that, Jarlaxle was apparently able to draw a significant conclusion.

Suspicion: Neverember’s Enigma is nothing less than the 500,000 dragons embezzled from the city funds of Waterdeep.

Once that conclusion was reached, Jarlaxle’s interest in the matter clearly spiked and he intensified efforts to bring himself up to speed, dispatching Bregan D’Aerthe, a covert band of mercenary agents in his command, to gather as much information as they could by any means necessary.

It seems that Jarlaxle’s interest is driven by a desire to win favor with Laeral Silverhand, the Open Lord of Waterdeep, by returning the stolen money to her.

There are numerous factions in play, but I suspect the most significant are these: The Cassalanters, Xanathar (that bloated bag of gas), the Manshoonian Zhentarim, the Gralhunds, Lord Dagult, and the Open Lord. It seems that other players, like the Black Viper, are also involved, or interested in involving themselves, and some attention should be paid to how they might be turned to good use.

Of prime importance are the Golorr Eyes: Xanathar’s Eye, I suspect, has been entrusted to Sylgar’s keeping. Manshoon’s Eye is almost certainly secured within Kolat Towers. The Cassalanter’s Eye probably lies somewhere in their Estate.

Gaining control of an Eye must be our top priority. Those who control a Golorr Artifact are the pivots on which the outcome of the Grand Game will turn.

Go to Part 6E: Faction Reports Continued

Ocean's 11

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I was hoping the next installment of the scenario structure challenge would feature a battlefield scenario structure, but what I did instead was beat my head against a wall for six months failing to come up with a structure that made sense. (The only thing I really came up with that seemed to have a chance of working well also featured such a massive amount of over-prep / wasted prep that I couldn’t reasonably recommend that anyone actually use it.)

So instead I’ve shifted my attention to a different target: Ocean’s 11.

(The good one. From 2001.)

Ocean’s 11 is a heist film. Danny Ocean puts together a crew of eleven criminals to simultaneously rob three Las Vegas casinos owned by Terry Benedict. Once the crew is recruited, over the course of the rest of the film we see them plan the heist, cope with a number of unexpected complications which disrupt their plans, and then execute the heist.

Heists are a fantastic scenario structure for a GM to have in their pocket. Heists aren’t limited to cash robberies: You need a thing (document, artifact, maybe even a person). It’s being held some place under heavy security. Come up with a plan to circumvent that security. Carry out your plan and get the thing you need.

That structure is incredibly flexible in its utility. It can be used with endless variety in support of any number of scenarios.

PLANNING THE HEIST

The heist scenario superficially resembles the location-crawl (usually featuring a room-and-key design), but with the – very important! – distinction that the PCs are expected to know the floorplan and some (or all) of the defensive measures present before the heist actually begins. In this it also closely resembles the raid structure, but the difference is that, whereas in the raid scenario the PCs can quickly figure out the floorplan and defensive measures largely through observation in the immediate moment, in the heist discovering these elements usually requires additional effort during the prep phase of the heist.

The heist structure is heavily player-driven, but if the players haven’t done proper heists before, they can prove unusual enough that the GM should let the players know that they have opportunities they might not normally consider viable. This is particularly true specifically because of the heist’s similarity to the location-crawl: Players may assume that they’re “supposed” to engage the heist in the same way that they engage a traditional dungeon.

Once players get comfortable with heists being part of their toolkit, things can start getting really interesting: You won’t necessarily prep something specifically to be a heist. You’ll just prep a situation and it will be up to the players to decide whether or not a heist is the right solution for that situation.

The heist structure consists of five steps.

STEP 1: IDENTIFY THE SCORE. In Ocean’s 11 (like many heist movies), this moment actually happens before the movie begins. But we see a suggestion of it in a newspaper clipping Danny Ocean is studying early in the film:

Ocean's 11

Often the target of a heist will arise organically out of other events. An urbancrawl structure might allow the PCs to dynamically search for scores and then choose their target. A patron, like “Mr. Johnson” in a Shadowrun game, might hire the PCs as freelancers to target a specific score.

STEP 2: GATHER INFORMATION. The next step is for the PCs to gather information about their target. This should include being able to gain access to some or all of the blueprints and defensive measures in the targeted complex. It may also include an event schedule, which will often feature one or more opportunities for performing the heist (by either providing unique access to the target and/or providing cover for the operation).

Ocean's 11

In Ocean’s 11, Danny Ocean and his partner Rusty Ryan exploit contacts they’ve made to gain after hours access to the files of the security firm that designed the Bellagio’s vault. They’ve already identified, from their previous research, that the ideal time to stage their heist will be on the night of a big fight (which will provide both a distraction for their operation and also increase the amount of money in the vault for them to steal).

In prepping a heist scenario, the GM should give some thought to what form the Gather Information phase might take for the target, but they should always remain open to alternative thinking from the PCs.

It’s important for the GM to remember that, in a heist scenario, the expected outcome is for the PCs to succeed in getting this information. That doesn’t mean it’s guaranteed: The expected outcome of combat in an RPG is for the PCs to win, right? But that doesn’t mean it always happens. But GMs can sometimes get a little too enamored of keeping their cards close to their chest, and you may need to consciously remind yourself to fight that instinct: 90% of the fun in a heist scenario comes from seeing a problem and coming up with a solution for it. Only about 10% comes from being surprised by the unknown in the middle of the heist (and that will usually arise organically as the heist plays out).

STEP 3: ONSITE SURVEILLANCE. After the initial gathering of information, most heist stories will give the protagonists an opportunity to conduct onsite surveillance before the heist happens. This surveillance allows them to gain information they missed or were unable to gather earlier, clarify the information they already have, and/or discover that some of their information was inaccurate or outdated (and now they have a whole new set of problems to solve!).

In the case of Ocean’s 11 this is relatively easy for Danny and Rusty to achieve because the casinos they’re robbing are public spaces: They literally check into the hotels and can have their crew scope out the place at their leisure.

Other targets, however, may require the PCs to take advantage of special circumstances (or create those circumstances for themselves). The event schedule they found in Step 2 can provide opportunities not only for the heist itself, but also for surveillance. In other cases, they may need to interact with the target under false pretenses or using forged credentials in order to carry out their initial surveillance.

In prepping a heist, it can be useful to figure out explicitly what information can only be obtained through onsite surveillance. One really easy division is to make it easy to obtain floor plans of the target, but to only be able to ascertain limited information about the security measures in place without being onsite.

When running the surveillance opportunity, once again remember that the expected outcome is for the PCs to succeed in carrying out their surveillance. Barring complete and utter catastrophe, the worst outcome for the PCs should be only one of the following:

  • They only get some of the information they need
  • They get misleading information
  • The do something sufficiently suspicious that security is heightened or changed

STEP 4: PREP WORK. Possibly running in tandem with the onsite surveillance, the team will also need to make preparations for the job. This prep often takes the form of altering the information the PCs have received – creating new entrances, blinding security cameras, subverting guards, etc. It may also involve creating bespoke resources (or simply shopping for necessary supplies).

Ocean's 11

In modern or science fiction heists, prep work almost always includes figuring out some way to tap the security feeds so that the PCs can monitor the entire facility. If you’re not comfortable improvising what they see, use adversary rosters combined with daily schedules so that the PCs can figure out the “usual routine” at the site.

STEP 5: THE OPERATION. Finally, the operation itself. The PCs try to carry out their plan.

In running the operation, there may be one or more twists: Unexpected circumstances that the PCs didn’t anticipate or that they missed in their research. These twists can either be gotchas (twists which the GM prepares ahead of time and which the PCs have no way or anticipating – “Oh crap! Mrs. Roberts came home early!”) or complications arising from failed checks (either during their prep work or during the operation itself).

In my opinion, you’re generally going to want to rely more on complications rather than gotchas. First, skipping the gotchas will save you from unnecessary prep work. Second, in my experience it’s simply more interesting for the players to be able to look back and understand where the complications are coming from.

(Which is not to say you should never use a gotcha: One really great gotcha can elevate a scenario to the next level.)

To break this down more explicitly, successfully executing a heist will usually involve a series of skill checks. A single failed check should not cause the entire plan to immediately fail. Instead, you’ll generate complications using fail forward techniques. These complications on failed skill checks are why you can get away with giving the PCs perfect information during Step 2 and Step 3: Among other things, you can use complications to introduce “oh fuck, he got a new safe” obstacles that effectively alter or reveal gaps in the information the PCs acquired on-the-fly.

In Ocean’s 11, for example, you can see how one complication can trigger an escalating chain of additional complications, constantly creating new and interesting problems for the PCs to deal with: Basher Tarr’s prep work turns to shit when the demolition of a casino inadvertently scuttles their plan for cutting power to the casino. (That might be a GM-prepped “gotcha,” but is more likely a complication arising from Tarr’s original Electrical Engineering skill check.) To solve the problem, the team has to put together a mini-heist to boost an EMP generator. During that heist, however, their greaseman injures his hand. And then, when they deploy the EMP, it blows out the team’s earpieces so they can’t communicate any more.

Finally, to reiterate something of primary importance: Avoid twists of any type that automatically scuttle the entire job and/or negate all the PCs’ planning. Not only do they suck, they will also strongly discourage your players from pursuing heist strategies in the future. It’s much more interesting to create a new problem and let the players figure out how to solve it.

ON THE SUBJECT OF BLUEPRINTS

Heists will benefit greatly from having player-friendly versions of the blueprints that can be given as a handout. It’s well worth your time as the GM to spend the time to make these. In fact, you might want to prepare several:

  • A full blueprint (i.e., a complete map of everything in the complex)
  • A version with some inaccuracies (what these are is situational; for example, maybe the players get their hands on an older set of blueprints from when the facility was first built and it lacks newer features or secret areas added by the new owners)
  • Partial versions, particularly those reflecting limited knowledge of certain underlings who might be questioned. (Although it may be easier to simply sketch these ad hoc as they come up during play.)

PREP CHECKLIST

Okay, so what does the GM need to prep for a heist scenario?

  • Blueprints (both the GM’s and those intended for PCs to discover)
  • Defensive Measures (most likely including adversary rosters, security cameras, traps, etc.)
  • Event schedule (including surveillance and heist opportunities)
  • Gotchas (optional)

It’s actually a very short list. Everything else flows out of the process of play, rather than any sort of laborsome preparation.

A FEW MORE THINGS ON THE MATTER OF HEISTS

Ocean's 11

COMPETING GOALS: In Ocean’s 11 robbing Terry Benedict isn’t Danny Ocean’s only goal. He’s simultaneously using the heist to win back his estranged wife. In the course of the movie we’re led to believe that this goal is in conflict with the goals of the rest of the team, and although that eventually turns out not to be true (everyone except the rookie Linus was onboard with what Danny was doing and actively assisting him) there’s no reason it can’t be true for other heists. Introducing multiple, overlapping goals into a single heist is a great way to spontaneously generate more complications and more interest.

NO AUDIENCE TWISTS: On the note of perceived truth versus actual truth in heist stories, it should be noted that most heist movies will feature a twist for the audience. This usually takes the form of thinking that something has gone wrong for the team, but then it’s revealed that the “problem” was actually part of the plan the whole time.

This is an example of where playing through a scenario in an RPG is fundamentally different from being a passive audience member of other storytelling mediums. These types of audience-focused twists simply aren’t possible when the participants ARE the audience. And that’s okay. RPGs offer different forms of reward than passive viewership does.

COMPETING TEAMS: An advanced technique for adding interest to a heist is to add a second team onsite. They might be attempting the exact same heist, or maybe they have a different goal. Either way, their actions can add both complications and opportunities for the PCs.

BEYOND VEGAS

Mission Impossible (1996)

For a very compact version of the heist, consider the opening of Mission: Impossible (the 1996 film). The job at the Embassy at the beginning of the film is a tight little heist, and adds the additional layer of complication by having a traitor on the team.

Fast Five

For a more action-packed heist, look at Fast Five. Often the “ideal” image of a heist features a clean job – the team gets in and out without being detected. But that’s not the only way to run a heist. Sometimes the plan will call for big guns and fast cars. Sometimes the big guns and fast cars will come out because the plan has gone sideways.

Go to Challenge #5

Sea Maidens Faire - Waterdeep: Dragon Heist

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CHES 21 – SELUNE SASHELAS: A celebration of Selûne, goddess of the moon and navigation, and Deep Sashelas of the Seldarine, elven god of the sea. It is supposedly based on a mangled legend dating back to the time when the elven city of Aelinthaldaar stood where Waterdeep does today and telling of a time when the elves of the sea said farewell to their brethren upon the land and moved into the deep ocean. The elves largely declare this to be a bunch of hogwash, but nevertheless the “historical event” is commemorated by the Twin Parades: A huge line of ships (varying greatly in size) proceeds from the harbor, loops up the coast, and returns. Simultaneously, a land-based parade proceeds from the Docks and through the streets of Waterdeep.

As described in Part 4 of the remix, I’m setting Dragon Heist during the back-to-back festivals of Fleetswake and Waukeentide. This prolonged festival season more or less kicks off with Selûne Sashelas, a holiday most notable in Waterdeep for the Twin Parades. (Although there’s also the Fey Day celebration of the Spring Equinox on Ches 19th.)

I used the parade to more or less signal the end of Chapter 2: On the 22nd, the fireball explodes and the Nimblewright Investigation beings. As noted in the remix of that investigation, the Temple of Gond’s nimblewright can be seen performing during the Twin Parades. Furthermore, rather than simply having some NPC say, “Hey! I remember seeing an automaton like that at the parade yesterday!” it can be much more effective if the PCs actually attend the parade themselves.

One simple way of doing that: Route the parade past Trollskull Manor. The PCs (and their neighbors) can simply watch the parade literally pass them by.

Unfortunately, it’s rather difficult to justify why the parade route would go past Trollskull Manor. So it may make more sense to bring the PCs to the parade rather than vice versa.

THE FACTION MISSION

The solution is to simply set a faction mission to take place during the parade. For this I selected the 2nd level Bregan D’Aerthe mission (Dragon Heist, p. 34): The PCs need to steal a perfumed handkerchief from Maester Roderick Bartlethorpe in the audience at the parade and deliver it to a tiefling girl who lives in a crate at the corner of Net Street and Dock Street.

My players weren’t members of Bregan D’Aerthe, but the mission was easily reassigned to the Harpers: In this context, rather than being a test of loyalty, the mission became simply an opaque inexplicability. Whatever higher purpose is being served by this odd mission is completely obscured by the compartmentalization and secrecy of the Harpers.

The mission itself is not particularly laborsome: The PCs’ contact can even tell them roughly where on the parade route it is expected that Maester Roderick will be standing. All they need to do is zero in and pick his pocket.

PARADE ROUTE

The parade starts at the docks and then goes:

  • UpCity of Waterdeep - Route of the Twin Parade Spices Street.
  • Turns left on The Way of the Dragon.
  • Heads north to the High Road.
  • Turns left on Bazaar Street.
  • Enters the Market and circles in a grand promenade before coming to rest.

I placed Maester Roderick on Bazaar Street in the “shadow of the Great Drunkard.” It’s a location that gives the PCs a variety of options: The market. A wide street. Tall, tightly packed buildings on the south side of the street. Mostly single-storey structures on the north side (lining the Market). The courtyard surrounding the Great Drunkard. The Great Drunkard itself. This gives the PCs a lot of options coming up with a plan for their op: How is the surveillance going to work? How will they make their approach? How will they escape after the handkerchief has been taken?

(If you’re thinking: Hey! That makes it sound like a heist in miniature! You’re correct. For a new group that hasn’t played together before, beats like this also let them get a feel for how they’re going to collaborate, plan, and take action before the big, complicated heists with the extremely high stakes start happening.)

This location also requires the PCs to journey back down towards the wharfs in order to deliver the handkerchief. As they do so (or shortly thereafter), they’ll be able to see the ships of the other half of the Twin Parades circle back into the docks, providing a nice button on the mini-scenario.

SEEN AT THE PARADE

Okay, this is the meat of the scenario: The displays and pageantry of the parade openly serves as the backdrop for the faction mission, but also lays two important pieces of pipe (cleverly disguised amidst other moments of beauty or wonder without additional significance).

The March of the City Watch: Marching eight abreast and fifteen ranks deep in their green-and-gold uniforms, the parade is led by an impressive phalanx of the City Watch.

Sea Maidens Faire: Marshalled by the swashbuckling Captain Zardoz Zord, who leads from the back of a rainbow-feathered diatryma, the Sea Maidens Faire:

  • Leads with a procession of exotic animals — a caged owlbear, a unicorn stamping its feet proudly, a woman with three legs leading leucrotta doing tricks.
  • Jugglers and stilt-walkers. The latter lean out far over the crowd, handing out advertising bills for a carnival on the “Pier of Wonders” in the Dock Ward.
  • They roll up a cannon, which shoots a dwarf forwards to be caught by two of the stiltwalkers holding a net.

A Pageant Wagon: Performing The Pirate Lovers. This popular musical tells of a human woman who is, improbably, the daughter of a dwarf-king and, even more improbably, falls in love with a dark elf. Various ballads are sung from the “deck” of the ship which the pageant wagon opens to reveal.

The Mechanical Beholder: It hovers over the crowd and glares about menacingly.

A Joint Presentation of Temple Gond and the House of Wonders: Members of the Academy at the House of Wonders have summoned huge ribbons of water and are moving them down the street. Within the ribbons of water swim giant, clockwork fish of bronze. The fish appear to be controlled by a mechanical man made of both burnished copper and wood; its clockwork mechanisms visible constantly whirring and pistoning under its rune-etched skin-plating as it “commands” the fish to perform tricks – flipping from one stream to another. Eventually the mechanical man leaps up, perches atop the snout of one of the fish, and is launched high into the air, where he does a double-flip before splashing back down through one of the water ribbons.

Prancing Pegasi: An aerial dance troop composed of avariels (winged elves) and pegasus riders.

If the PCs have moved away from the parade (having seized the handkerchief and wanting to leave the scene), they might see the Prancing Pegasi twirling above the roofs of the buildings behind them as they make their way south to make the rendezvous.

When I ran this mini-scenario in my campaign, the PCs ended up leaving before the nimblewright’s display actually reached them. C’est la vie. They enjoyed the parade nevertheless, and smacked themselves in the head later when they learned what they’d missed by ducking out early.

 

Over the Edge - System Cheat Sheet

(click for PDF)

The Ultimate Democratic Republic of Al Amarja welcomes you. During your stay with us please remember that Liberty is Job One, Disarmament Means Peace, It’s Polite to Speak English, and, of course, Paranormal Activity is Perfectly Legal.

Thank you for your consent.

The Edge is the weirdest city in the world. Get into trouble. Question your place in the crazed multiverse. Take a draught of madness. Peer through the gap in the mismatched angles where reality ends. Fight a baboon. Take a leap…

… over the Edge.

Over the Edge is Jonathan Tweet’s original game of enigma and conspiracy. It’s a cornucopia of fringe science, conspiracy, and hyper-reality that — in balancing on a precipice somewhere between madness and tomorrow — creates an undeniably unique frisson at the gaming table. The brand new 3rd Edition has been completely reimagined for a new generation of roleplayers: Every conspiracy has been twisted to a new angle. Every GMC

The game system, too, has been rebooted. The original game was a cutting edge system in 1992, and Tweet has reinvented that system from the bottom up to take advantage of his nearly 30 years of personal expertise in game design. The new system features fast, dramatic character creation that’s laser-focused on creating dynamic, active characters. Particularly notable in their elegance are each PC’s Trouble and Question, which relentlessly drive the story forward.

A simple 2d6 resolution mechanic uses a lightning-fast comparison of level and difficulty to generate rerolls, creating mechanical interest at the table without bogging down the action. (Which is further encouraged by the game’s focus on narrative resolution over action resolution.) The potential blandness of such simplified mechanics is counteracted by injecting shocking, unexpected outcomes through good twists, bad twists, and “twist ties”.

If you’re not familiar with these system cheat sheets, you should know that the goal is to summarize all the rules of the game – from basic resolution to the spot rules for actions, combat, firearms, injury, and the like. It’s a great way to get a grip on a new system, introducing new players to the game, and providing a long-term resource for both GM and players. (For more information on the methods I use for prepping these sheets, click here.)

WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED

These cheat sheets are not designed to be a quick start packet: They’re designed to be a comprehensive reference for someone who has read the rulebook and will probably prove woefully inadequate if you try to learn the game from them. (On the other hand, they can definitely assist experienced players who are teaching the game to new players.)

The cheat sheets also don’t include what I refer to as “character option chunks” (for reasons discussed here). In other words, you won’t find the rules for character creation here.

HOW I USE THEM

I generally keep a copy of my system cheat sheets behind my GM screen for quick reference and I also place a half dozen copies in the center of the table for the players to grab as needed. The information included is meant to be as comprehensive as possible; although rulebooks are also available, my goal is to minimize the amount of time people spend referencing the rulebook: Finding something in 6 pages of cheat sheet is a much faster process than paging through a 400 page rulebook. And, once you’ve found it, processing the streamlined information on the cheat sheet will (hopefully) also be quicker.

In the case of Over the Edge, the rules are a high-efficiency, ultra-streamlined experience. As such, the division of the cheat sheet is very straightforward: One page contains the core mechanics. The other contains the comprehensive guidelines for defining power levels. That’s all it takes.

MAKING A GM SCREEN

These cheat sheets can also be used in conjunction with a modular, landscape-oriented GM screen (like the ones you can buy here or here).

For more complicated cheat sheets I use reverse-duplex printing in order to create sheets that I can tape together and “flip up” to reveal additional information behind them. Since the Over the Edge cheat sheet is only two pages long, that’s obviously not necessary. If you have a four-panel screen like myself, you might consider sliding Axel Ortizbeautiful map of the Edge into one of the slots. You might also consider adapting the Al Amarjan Names Handout (which can be found here).

Over the Edge (3rd Edition) - Jonathan Tweet & Chris Lites

The Yawning Portal - Dungeon Master's Guide

Go to Part 1

In Part 5B: Finding Floon, I focused on restructuring the investigation into Floon’s disappearance starting with Volo hiring the PCs to find his missing friend. But that actually picks up the thread just after the Dragon Heist campaign begins. The action actually kicks off with a short sequence in which the PCs witness some Xanatharian NPCs pick a fight with a Zhentarim and then, three rounds into that altercation, a troll erupts out of the portal in the Yawning Portal with a nest of stirges clinging to its back.

It’s a good moment. Nothing wrong with that scene.

But when, thanks to the ingenuity of the wider Dragon Heist DM community, I was able to find a minor restructuring and enhancement of the sequence that, when I launched my own run of the campaign, worked really, really, really well. So I’m offering it as an addendum to the Dragon Heist remix.

STEP ONE – FIRST STEPS: During character creation, let your players know that they’re aiming to create characters who are already working together as a group. (They may have just come together for the first time, but they have, in fact, decided to work together.) You might even tell them that the first moment of the campaign will be as they step through the doors of the Yawning Portal looking to meet with their contact: They need to figure out how to weave their backgrounds together to reach that point.

In my campaign this took the form of Pashar, whose mother had been captured by pirates, and Kittisoth, a tiefling pirate who was a part of that crew, but became friends with Pashar while he was in captivity. Pashar had been released to bring back a 30,000 gp ransom for their mother and Kittisoth accompanied him. On their way to Waterdeep, they had run into Theron, a wild elf in the Ardeep Forest, who was touched by their plight and agreed to help them.

(Slight wrinkle here: Pashar been told that the ransom was “600 harvest moons.” Failing to realize that a harvest moon is worth 50 gp, he was under the impression he was seeking a 600 gp ransom… not a 30,000 gp ransom. Those who agreed to help him before the truth came out were somewhat nonplussed.)

Upon reaching Waterdeep, Kittisoth decided that a great way to make money would be to compete in the seeding brackets for Xanathar’s underground fighting tournaments. She sought out Edana, the fourth PC, who set her up with a fight, but she was then badly injured during the fight. Edana was able to make introductions to the fifth and final PC, Kora Marwood, who was both a cleric of Mystra (and could heal the injured would-be fighter) and a Harper agent who had been looking to form a crew of her own. She told them that, if they were looking for fast coin, she had a job they could all attempt together, and they headed for the Yawning Portal.

STEP TWO – FRIENDLY FACES: Show them the “Friendly Faces” handout on p. 221 of Dragon Heist and ask them to choose one of the characters pictured there. That’s the contact they’re coming to meet. You can chat a little bit about how they know them, or just jump into it.

STEP THREE – GANG TROUBLE: Before they have a chance to really start talking with their contact, however, the conflict between Yagra Stonefist and the Xanatharians begins at the table next to theirs. (Unless they picked Yagra Stonefist, in which case the trouble comes straight at them.) This is detailed on p. 21 of Dragon Heist.

Add a black flying serpent tattoo to the back of Yagra’s neck. (Note: She isn’t a Manshoonian Zhentarim; she’s with the Doom Raiders.)

Note: If they’ve selected Bonnie or Threestrings as their contact, then they’re working. Perfect excuse for them to say, “Get a table and I’ll come see you in a minute.”

STEP FOUR – A BRIEF DISCUSSION: The bar brawl resolved, the PCs have a chance to briefly talk with their contact. Turns out they’re just brokering a meeting with someone who needs the PCs’ services, and their contact hasn’t shown up. They buy the PCs a round of drinks while they wait, and that’s when—

STEP FIVE – DIP! DIP! DIP! DIP! DIP!: A chant of, “Dip! Dip Dip!” starts up in one corner of the bar and quickly spreads through the whole crowd. A young man stands up, goes to the bar, and slaps down a gold piece. Durnan nods, slides the coin off the bar, and then gives him a wooden cup and a silver bell.

The young man strips down to his underwear as the dipping song begins:

THE DIPPING SONG
Deep and dark down below,
where only fools and braggarts go,
where monster roam and dangers mortal,
few survive the Yawning Portal,
stand your ground or ring the bell,
and hope you make it up the well!

Then the young man goes over to the portal. At the edge of the portal he quaffs a beer, throws the cup down the portal, and grabs the rope. His friends begin lowering him.

Betting: Instantaneously the betting strats. (“Two silver he stays down for three minutes!” and “A copper he comes up with the cup!” That sort of thing.)

Return: After one minute, people start grumbling unhappily and others cheer; coins are exchanged as bets begin getting resolved. Two minutes pass; maybe there’s a chance for the PCs and their contact to exchange a few more words. (“So that is this all about?” “I’m not sure. But it might have something to do with this Zhent-Xanathar gang war that’s been flaring up.”)

At almost three minutes, the sound of the bell echoes up from the hole. There are groans from those who almost won their 3 minute bets. The rope is pulled up.

Troll: The young man appears over the lip of the portal — one hand holding the rope, the other triumphantly holding the cup above his head. He alights on the side of the portal and begins walking away.

He’s ten feet away from the portal when the troll clambers up from below. The PCs can see that there’s something wrong with the troll’s back; the flesh there seems to writhe. Roll initiative!

1st Round:

  • The troll attacks the dipper.
  • Durnan pulls a greatsword from below the bar, vaults over the bar, and charges forward.
  • The Zhents who attacked Yagra (if they’re still around) make a break for the door (along with many others).

2nd Round:

  • The flock of 12 stirges on the troll’s back explode into a frenzied flight.
  • If the PCs are involved, Durnan shouts, “You focus on the stirges! The troll is mine!”
  • Yagra (if she’s still around) joins Durnan in fighting the troll.

Wrapping Up the Fight: As the PCs finish mopping up the stirges, Durnan will ram his shoulder into the troll, causing it to plunge backwards into the Yawning Portal and vanish from sight. Durnan shouts, “A round of drinks on the house! Troll special!” Cheers from those who braved it out erupt!

STEP SIX – VOLO: That’s when Volo comes over. He’s the colleague the PCs’ contact was waiting for. If the PCs interceded with the trolls/stirges, Volo saw the whole thing and he’s very impressed.

If they didn’t, it doesn’t matter. (It might even be funny to have him come in and say something like, “What did I miss?” or “Just another boring day at the Yawning Portal.”) He was already planning to hire them for the job based on their contact’s recommendation, right?

And you can pick up straight from there with Part 5B: Finding Floon.

CREDIT

On reddit, Busboy80 came up with the basic concept of the Dip and RVAthrowaway38 created the Dipping Song. I may have refined the sequencing, but this is a fantastically clever idea and my players loved it. Chants of, “Dip! Dip! Dip! Dip!” have become a running joke.

And thanks to my players: Heather, Peter, Chris, Sarah, and Erik.

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