Go to Part 1

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 4^th 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

GRALHUND VILLA – PCs ARRIVE AT NIGHT

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.

Go to Part 3: Faction Outposts

Where did the concept of “Session Zero” come from?

New Supplements and New Transmissions Coming Soon!

The high-tech, hard-boiled roleplaying of Technoir has been acquired by Dream Machine Productions, the design studio owned and operated by Justin Alexander, and will be receiving active support — including new supplements, new transmissions, and new expansions — starting in January 2019.

Technoir, an exciting cyber-noir roleplaying game featuring a radical new mechanical approach and a revolutionary plot-mapping approach to improvised scenario design, was originally launched via a trend-setting and highly successful Kickstarter campaign in 2011. Designed by Jeremy Keller, the core rulebook was released in Fall 2011, with Mechnoir — an expansion player’s guide which took the game to Mars and introduced mechanics for running mecha-based scenarios — following in the spring of 2012. The game won a Judges’ Spotlight Ennie in 2012.

At that point, unfortunately, development stalled with several of the Kickstarter stretch goals still unfulfilled, and Technoir has lain fallow for the past six years. Having secured rights to the game, however, DMP has been quietly getting the core rulebook back into distribution channels via Indie Press Revolution, revamped the Technoir website, and begun development on a suite of new supplements for the game.

The first and most important goal for Justin Alexander and DMP has been to, at long last, fulfill the missing stretch goals which the original 600+ Kickstarter backers have been waiting for. We know that many of them have given up hope of ever seeing these stretch goals delivered, but we recognize that without them the game would not exist and we want to do right by them. Original backers of Technoir should return to the Kickstarter campaign page, where they will find an update explaining the steps they need to follow in order to claim their stretch goals.

All of this work culminates on January 1^st, with a major relaunch of Technoir featuring:

Morenoir. The original 12-page PDF stretch goal has been super-sized into a 38-page supplement featuring run-time operations, advanced options for the game, a transmission creation guide, and Jeremy’s Guide to Writing Player’s Guides for Technoir.

Indianapolis Conplex. A brand new transmission for Technoir, featuring the 6×6 Master Table of connections, events, factions, locations, objects, and threats that lie at the heart of every Technoir scenario.

Kepler Station. A twist on the typical Technoir transmission, set in the space station atop the Kilimanjaro orbital elevator. Kepler Station is more than just a highway to the solar system. It’s a city in space, with a population of 20,000 lurking within its spheres of plascrete, rock, and steel.

In addition to immediately receiving their long-awaited copies of Morenoir on January 1st, the original Kickstarter backers will also receive access to playtest copies of Hexnoir, the Technoir magic supplement. These playtest materials will include the full text of the Hexnoir supplement plus three bonus transmissions, with final PDF versions to be released within a few months after the radical new mechanics have endured a proper trial by fire.

Although this will, at long last, bring the Technoir Kickstarter to conclusion, it’s just the beginning for Technoir. Dream Machine Productions and Justin Alexander are proud to have received this baton, and they have plans to carry the torch into the neon-drenched future.

About Dream Machine Productions: DMP is the design studio and publishing house owned and operated by Justin Alexander, who is also known for his work as Lead Developer for Modiphius’ Infinity RPG, the Alexandrian (home to the Three Clue Rule, Xandering the Dungeon, Node-Based Scenario Design, and other GMing classics), and a long list of freelance work for Atlas Games, Dream Pod 9, Steve Jackson Games, Fantasy Flight Games, and others. More information can be found at http://www.dreammachineproductions.net.

About Technoir: More information on Technoir can be found at http://www.technoirrpg.com, including a free Player’s Guide, the free Twin Cities Metroplex transmission, and other resources.

BUY TECHNOIR NOW!

Go to Part 1

Let’s briefly discuss Chapter 2: Trollskull Alley. This remix is largely not going to be discussing this chapter of Waterdeep: Dragon Heist because it is mostly unimpeachable and almost certainly the best part of the published campaign. To briefly review:

• The PCs are awarded with Trollskull Manor, which they can “refurnish, rebuild, rename, and otherwise personalize.”
• The expectation is that they will reopen the tavern on the first floor, and a number of encounters and mechanics are given for doing so.
• During this time, their recent notoriety also results in them being approached by one or more factions who would be interested in having them join up.
• The factions ask the PCs to perform a series of missions for them, spanning from the time the PCs are 2^nd level until they are 5^th level.

The faction missions, it should be noted, are clearly intended to be interwoven with the ongoing events of what we’re referring to as the Grand Game, but this is one place where the campaign kind of glitches because the heavily compressed timeframe of the primary plot doesn’t really leave a lot of breathing room for integrating these missions (or running their new tavern for that matter).

This remix should help address this problem simply by virtue of decompressing the events of the Grand Game: Investigating the Faction Outposts (Part 3) and performing the Eye Heists (Part 4) will expand the timeline and give a little more room for integrating the faction missions.

Beyond that, there are only two tweaks I would suggest for Chapter 2: Trollskull Alley:

• Add 1-3 additional urban adventures that overlap with setting up the tavern and running the early faction missions.
• Review the Running the Game: Tavern Time essay here at the Alexandrian and use it to bring Trollskull Tavern to life. (UPDATE: I ended up doing a customized version of this for Dragon Heist. You can find it here.)

You might also consider fleshing out the faction missions and putting a little more meat on their bones, but I think you’ll largely find that unnecessary: As designed the faction missions will take up perhaps one-quarter or one-third of a session. As such, they’ll integrate with everything else that’s going on to create a dynamic, multi-faceted session that draws the players ever deeper into the rich life of Waterdeep. If the faction missions expand to take up a full session on their own, some of that effect will be lost.

On the other hand, giving each faction one meaty mission as a diversion or counterpoint to the Grand Game might make for a good change of pace. (That’s going to be beyond the scope of this remix, however.)

ALLIES IN THE GRAND GAME

Once the PCs have joined a faction, however, the PCs themselves become a vector by which those factions can become involved with the Grand Game.

The PCs can ask for help. Factions can provide assistance, particularly when it comes to intelligence gathering. If the PCs need help locating a faction outpost or lair, for example, their faction can probably help them with that. Of course, they might ask the PCs to do them a favor (in the form of a faction mission) first.

Have the factions push them for information. “How have you been spending your time?” “We heard you were involved in that fracas at the Gralhund Villa. What was up with that?” “We’ve noticed you haven’t been around a lot lately. We’ve got a vested interest in you now, and we need to know how to find you.”

Intermingle the factions. You can also have a PC’s faction become engaged with a faction of the Grand Game from a completely different direction. For example, maybe the Harpers are interested in exotic poisons which were shipped into Waterdeep (and are destined for the Cassalanters’ ritual). Or the Order of the Gauntlet might be interested in targeting Xanatharian slavers.

If these factions discover the Grand Game and/or the PCs’ role in it, they are likely to bring their own agenda to bear.

Bregan D’Aerthe is, of course, Jarlaxle’s faction and their agenda should be obvious. Look at areas of the campaign where Jarlaxle’s agents are present and consider simply making the PCs those agents (perhaps even giving them a small force of drow to command).

The Emerald Enclave actually has no interest in the Grand Game or Neverember’s ill-gotten dragons. They’ll assist PCs who have proven loyal to the faction, but, perhaps refreshingly, will make no demands upon them for the Vault or its contents.

Force Grey is allied to the Open Lord. If members of the Grey Hands or Force Grey bring the Grand Game to their attention, the Open Lord will quickly figure out what actually happened to the missing 500,000 gold dragons and she’s going to want the money back.

The Harpers know that the Cassalanters are actually demon-worshippers and, if they realize the PCs have gotten tangled up with them, will quickly warn them of the fact. The Harpers are more than happy to let the PCs keep the gold (although they will encourage them to “do the right thing” and return the money to the citizens of Waterdeep), but they want the Stone of Golorr, which they believe contains vital intelligence that can help them in their struggle with the Abolethic Sovereignty. It should be noted that the Harpers of Waterdeep are riddled with Zhentarim double-agents, and anything the Harpers learn about the PCs and their activities can very easily fall into Manshoon’s hands.

The Lords’ Alliance actually works directly for the Open Lord. If Jalester Silvermane becomes aware of what the PCs have gotten themselves tangled up in, he’ll arrange a discreet meeting with Laeral Silverhand as quickly as possible.

The Order of the Gauntlet will expect the PCs to tithe at least 25% of the horde.

The non-Manshoonian Zhentarim will see an enormous opportunity in the gold: Efforts are under way to reclaim and repair Zhentil Keep, and that money could be used to buy them a seat on the Zhentarim Council that’s forming to do so. This could really raise the profile of the local Zhentarim network, and the PCs would basically be buying their way into the local leadership of the Black Network. (Or they could pursue this thread all the way to the ruins of Zhentil Keep if that’s their predilection.)

DESIGN NOTE

These interactions serve to tie the material in Chapter 2 more tightly to the wider events of the campaign spine. Using the PCs’ factions to demonstrate the wider scope of how the factions involved with the Grand Game are integrated into the life of the city will deepen the scenario, while also providing the opportunity for creative players to find unique vectors for targeting their enemies. Finally, forcing the PCs to make some tough choices between the advantages and obligations of their faction allegiance will make those relationships more meaningful.

Go to Part 2: Gralhund Villa

Go to Dream Pacts (Part 1)

FACE OF STARS, GREATER

Those who peer deep into the sky of the Dreaming can discover higher orders of understanding and hidden constellations hidden amongst its stars.

Spirit Circle: 7^th

Pact Check DC: 30

Physical Sign: In darkness you glow as if illuminated with faint starlight (providing dim illumination within 5 feet).

Influence:

• Dislike going indoors.
• Linger in old and historic locales.

Granted Powers:

• Detect Scrying: At all times while bound to the Greater Face of Stars, you immediately become aware of any attempt to observe you by means of a divination (scrying) spell or effect, as per a detect scrying spell.
• Lore of the Stars: At will you can attempt to consult the Greater Face of the Stars through its cryptic whispers (see below) to discern legends about an important person, place, or thing. This ability works as per a legend lore spell. If it would normally take more than 1 day to complete the casting of legend lore, you must form a pact with the Greater Facer of the Stars each day in order to continue your consultation of the lore of the stars.
• Reflected Starsight: As a standard action, if you become aware that you are being scried you can immediately begin scrying the scrier as if you had successfully used your starsight ability. You can do so even if you know nothing about the scrier, and you can continue to scry him even if he ends his own scry. This reversal does not end the original scry.
• Resist Scrying: Your connection with the Faces of Stars places part of you above the normal constraints of reality. At all times while bound to the Face of Stars, you gain a +5 bonus on saving throws to resist scrying attempts.
• Starsight: At will you can see and hear a creature at any distance, as per a scrying spell.
• Starsight Blast: As a standard action you can channel a blast of destructive energy through your starsight at its subject. The energy inflicts 1d4 points of damage per two effective binding levels (maximum 10d4). If the target succeeds on a Reflex save, however, the blast reflects back through the scry link and strikes you (you may attempt a Reflex save to negate the damage). In either case, the starsight blast ends the starsight.
• Whisper of the Stars: While bound to it, the Greater Face of Stars murmurs constantly into your ears, allowing you at will as a free action to make a bardic knowledge check with a bonus equal to your effective binding level + Intelligence modifier.
• Window to Elsewhere: Using your connection to the Face of Stars you can spend one hour creating a window-like aperture through which you can view another location, as per the window to elsewhere spell.

WINDOW TO ELSEWHERE
Divination
Level: Sor/Wiz 7
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: One hour
Range: See text
Effect: A one-way windowlike aperture
Duration: Permanent
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

This spell creates a windowlike aperture through which you view another location. Unlike scrying, the window allows you to view a specific location, not a specific person. Thus, it uses a different means to determine success, more like teleporting than scrying.

The window is a vertical oval 4 feet tall. This one-way magical hole allows you to look into the desired location and observe all that transpires there, but not interact with or affect it normally. You cannot choose or change the position, orientation, or angle of the window, but if you successfully create the window to view the desired locale, it always provides a good view of the place (unless new obstructions arise in the locale).

You can use any spell that affects scrying through a window to elsewhere just as if it were a scrying spell. Any creature in the viewed location with an Intelligence of 12 or higher can notice the window by making an Intelligence check (DC 20). Even if the creature notices the window, however, it remains a one-way view, so the creature cannot look back in—he merely knows someone might be viewing him.

When creating the window, choose a place known to you for the window to look into — somewhere you have been or had described to you. To determine whether the window looks out upon the place you want it to, roll on the table on the next page.

Familiarity: “Very familiar” refers to a place where you have been very often and where you feel at home. “Studied carefully” is a place you know well, either because you’ve been there often or because you have used other means (such as scrying) to study the place. “Seen casually” is a place you have seen more than once but with which you are not very familiar. “Viewed once” is a place you have seen once, possibly using magic. “Description” is a place whose location and appearance you know through someone else’s description, perhaps even from a precise map.

“False destination” is a place that doesn’t exist, such as if you have mistranslated an ancient tome and tried to look into a nonexistent treasure vault that you believe you read about, or if a traitorous guide has carefully described an enemy’s sanctum to you wholly inaccurately. When looking into a false destination, roll 1d20+80 to obtain results on the table, rather than rolling percentile dice, since there is no real location for you to hope to see or even be off target from.

On Target: The window looks into the place you want.

Off Target: The window looks into a location a random distance away from the desired location in a random direction. Distance off target measures 1d10 × 1d10 percent of the distance between you and the original location. If the door goes to another plane, the off-target location is another plane.

Similar Area: The window looks into a location that’s visually or thematically similar to the target area. Generally, you look into the closest similar place, but since the spell has no range limit, you could conceivably look into somewhere else across the globe.

Mishap: The window’s energy explodes around you, inflicting 3d6 points of damage to you and all within 10 feet of you.

Material Component: An oval pane of quality glass with a silver frame, worth at least 500 gp

JELADORA, THE PRISMED WITCH

Jeladora dances through the Dreaming, wearing a flowing gown of jagged, ever-shifting light. She rules over the dappled forest light; the icy glare of the frozen snow; the umber beams of sunset; the soft glow of the campfire. She is quick and subtle; rarely seen save for a glimpse at a time.

Spirit Circle: 8^th

Pact Check DC: 35

Physical Sign:A prismatic vortex which swirls around the body.

Influence

• Laugh at inappropriate times.
• Cannot willingly enter areas of darkness or shadow.

Granted Powers:

• Blindsight: At all times while bound to Jeladora, out to 30 feet.
• Displacement: At will, you can bend the light around you, creating an effect identical to a displacement spell.
• Prismatic Spray: As a standard action, emitted from the eyes as per the spell.
• Prismatic Sending: As a standard action, you can send either a single image, a message of no more than twenty-five words, or a single burst of colored light which appears in the air at a spot you designate within 1 mile per effective binding level. The message is refracted into many different beams of light until it is refocused at its destination, and cannot be perceived in its passage. You can cause the message to move as slowly as 1 mile per hour or as quickly as 1 mile per round.

MURMAUTH, THE MAELSTROM

A primordial storm cloud of roiling elemental forces. Murmauth is a rageful, destructive force within the Dreaming. A destroyer of imagined worlds, endlessly seeking to unmake a realm without substance.

Spirit Circle: 7^th

Pact Check DC: 30

Physical Sign: Veins glow brightly through the skin in a cascade of colors according to the most recent element invoked (green for acid; blue for cold; purple for electricity; red for fire). If elemental strikes are rapidly invoked in succession, a roiling storm cloud will begin to gather around the binder’s head.

Influence:

• Quick to anger. Tempestuous.
• Must seek revenge for any perceived slight or insult.

Granted Powers:

• Elemental Cascade: If you use your elemental strike to charge two separate weapons with different energy types and strike a single opponent with both attacks in the same round, the target must succeed at a Fortitude save or become shaken by the elemental cascade for 1 round for every two effective binding levels.
• Elemental Strike: As a free action, you can infuse a melee weapon (or melee touch attack) with acid, cold, electricity, or fire. Your next melee attack deals an extra 1d6 points of the chosen energy type.
• Maelstrom’s Might: At all times while bound to Murmauth, you gain a +4 bonus to Strength.
• Shield of Earth: At all times while bound to Murmauth, you gain a +3 enhancement bonus to natural armor. This bonus improves to +4 at 16th level and +5 at 20^th level.

URAGOG, THE KNIGHT OF SCYTHES

The skeletal, undead Knight of the Dreaming is marked by the midnight-black armor he wears and the grim, cackling laugh which echoes through the night behind him. He is the personification of broken honor.

Spirit Circle: 7^th

Pact Check DC: 30

Physical Sign: Those who look closely at your eyes seem to see empty, skeletal eyesockets.

Influence:

• Cannot make any promise or oath.
• Must kill those who beg for mercy.

Granted Powers:

• Aura of Fear: At all times while bound to Uragog, living creatures within 5 feet must succeed at a Will save or become frightened. Creatures that make their saving throw are shaken for 1d6 rounds.
• Death Attack: At all times while bound to Uragog, you can perform a death attack by studying a target for 3 rounds and then making a sneak attack with a melee weapon. (Once you have completed the 3 rounds of study, you must make the death attack within the next 3 rounds. If you do not possess the ability to make sneak attacks, you can still make a death attack as long as you meet the normal criteria for sneak attacks.) If the attack deals damage, the victim must succeed at a Fortitude saving throw or suffer the additional effect of either paralysis or death (your choice). The victim of a paralysis effect is paralyzed for 1d6 rounds plus 1 round per effective binding level. The victim of a death effect dies.
• Death Knight’s Grace: At all times while bound to Uragog, you gain a +16 competence bonus to Hide and Move Silently checks.
• Smoke Form: As a standard action, per the gaseous form spell. (You do not lose your ability to assume smoke form even though you lose all other supernatural abilities while in gaseous form.)
• Summon Nightmare: As a standard action, you can a summon a nightmare as per a summon monster spell to serve as your mount.
• Warrior’s Proficiencies: At all times while bound to Terrior, you are considered proficient with all simple and martial weapons, all armor (heavy, medium, and light), and all shields (including tower shields).