Pathfinder Adventures in Waterdeep
Set in the City of Splendors, Adventures in Waterdeep is going to be a campaign focused around the Wardens of Fareun - a guild of honor bound mercenaries. The characters will be new Initiates who just signed up to become Wardens and will be venturing out to complete their first Warden Contract and, hopefully, fulfill their contract and become Probates.
The Wardens are not in any Waterdeep materials, I made them up. I've put a bunch of information about them below.
Game Overview
The game is going to primarily set in Waterdeep but may occasionally take you outside of the city walls. As such, I suggest planning a character who is comfortable in urban environments. I am anticipating about 75% of the game will be played within the city proper. You can play a Druid or Ranger if you want but those types of characters tend to thrive more out in the open world. Up to you.
Knowledge of Waterdeep, or Forgotten Realms in general, is not required to play. It's a fairy easy setting to get into. The Baldur's Gate video game series is set in this world, as are dozens of D&D adventure modules. And there is tones of information online about it, I've included some fairly comprehensive websites in the Useful Links section further down this page.
Waterdeep is a massive city. It's equivalent to Manhattan. There are around 1.5M people living there. It is the largest trading port in the world, hosts dozens of districts, guilds, and just about any are welcome through the gates as long as they don't cause too much trouble. It's not uncommon to see monstrous races shopping and doing business here even (hell...the biggest thief guild is run by a Beholder!).
Also worth noting - the giant hill you see in the picture - at the top is a castle. But what's more interesting is the hill itself - originally it was mined for precious resources, but over the years the mines started getting overrun with dark creatures from deep beneath the surface. Occasionally these creatures will venture out into the city and cause quite a disturbance...
Wardens of Faerun
The Wardens are a guild of mercenaries dedicated to helping the greater good and all peoples of Faerun. They are not a specialized guild like most others, rather they employ people of all backgrounds and professions. This generalized approach gives them a great deal of flexibility and talent that other guilds frequently lack.
Because of this, almost anybody can enlist as a Warden, provided they follow the Tennent's of the Wardens, which are listed below in order of priority:
- Honor the Contract - When a Warden takes a guild contract, they are expected to fulfill the terms of the contract to the letter. The guild understands that things goes sideways on occassion, but you are expected to fulfill your contract to the absolute best of your ability.
- Honor the Guild - When acting on Warden business you are expected to be an upstanding member of society. Wardens are supposed to be a sign of hope, respect, honor, and goodness.
- Honor Life - Wardens value life above profit, personal gain, or just about anything else. They will only take a life if there is no other option or to protect the greater good.
During war or other great conflicts, the above tenants may be rescinded by the Chapter Master or Grand Master.
A Warden who violates any of the tenants will face a tribunal and may be charged and punished depending on the circumstances. A tribunal consists of 3 or more senior ranking members and they have absolute authority over the fate of the Warden(s) in question. Depending on the rank of the offending Warden, tribunal members will be pulled from higher rankings. Tribunal members are usually selected by the Justicar or Chapter Master. However a fair bit of slack is granted to Initiates and Probates as they are expected to fumble when first getting their feet wet in the guild.
Lawful characters tend to thrive in the Wardens, but membership is open to virtually anybody.
Warden Contracts
Contracts form the basis of the Wardens. When a client needs to hire the Wardens, a lengthy contract is created and signed by both the client and a senior member of the Wardens to seal the contract. The contract is then given to ranking members to execute on behalf of the Wardens. Payment for each contract is provided up front when the contract is signed by the client, and held in trust by the local Chapter.
When a contract is completed, the participating Wardens receive a fair share of the contract, minus a fee which is retained by the Chapter of course.
Furthermore, if a Warden comes into loot or treasure when on an official contract, they are expected to donate a fair share of all such treasure to the local Chapter.
A Warden cannot have more than one open contract without special approval from a senior member (requires permission from an Adjunct or higher).
Warden Contracts are enforceable documents which allows Wardens permission to enter virtually anywhere as long as it's required to complete their contract. They can even enter the castle or houses of nobles and other protected areas if their contract calls for it - they simply have to present their Warden Contract to gain access and explain why they require access. Refusing to grant a Warden access to an area is a punishable offense, which often has very unpleasant consequences.
Because Wardens value life and honor, they will rarely accept assassination or related contracts (that's what assassin guilds are for). The exception is if the intended target is evil alignment and has committed some kind of atrocity. Just being evil isn't sufficient.
Wardens rarely operate alone. Most contracts will call for 4-6 Wardens. This helps to ensure the contract is completed, holds all participants accountable, and improves the chances of success with each contract. Occasionally contracts are given to larger groups, usually during times of war or other crisis events.
Organization
The Wardens are based out of Chapters, which there is one in almost every city on Faerun. Small villages and towns likely don't have an official Chapter present, but they likely have a Senior Warden stationed at the town. Bigger cities will have dedicated Chapter buildings with potentially dozens or hundreds of members. The Waterdeep Wardens Chapter is the headquarters and has the largest membership.
Each Chapter is run by a Master and supported by several high ranking members. The entire organization is run by an appointed Grand Master, which is a lifelong position. When a Grand Master dies or retires, a new one is chosen by the senior members.
New members are referred to as Initiates and are not considered to have official status within the guild until they complete their first contract, which is usually given to them upon signing up for the guild. Once they've completed their task, they are initiated into the guild as a full member with ranks.
The guild has a militaristic-style ranking system. As you advance you get special access and privileges' befitting your rank. Details on this will be established during gameplay and updated here.
At any given time, there are approximately 750-1,000 Wardens in Waterdeep. Worldwide there are approximately 25,000 - 30,000 Wardens. It's hard to track exact numbers due to how widespread the guild is and the precarious nature of Warden Contracts makes it difficult to keep an accurate count of Wardens that are still alive and active.
| Rank | Access & Rights | Requirements | Comments & Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initiate | None | None | No authority or access, probationary member. Will always have a senior Warden accompany on contracts to evaluate their performance. |
| Probate | Common areas, Communal Barracks, Main Hall | Complete 1 initiate contract | Considered "fresh meat". Might get hazed by other members. Will always have a Senior Warden accompany on contracts to evaluate their performance. |
| Warden | Warehouse, Requisitions, Mess Hall & Kitchen | Complete 3 probate contracts | 80% of guild membership is at this rank. Typically hundreds of members in large cities and metropolis's. Considered a full member of the guild. Occasionally will have a Senior Warden accompany on contracts to evaluate their performance randomly, but overall they operate with their team and are afforded relative autonomy as long as they follow the Tennent's of the Wardens outlined above. |
| Senior Warden | Private Quarters, Voting Rights, Treasury | Appointed by Adjunct or other senior member | Being promoted to Senior Warden isn't automatic. After accumulating a strong reputation they must seek recognition from an Adjunct or other high ranking member, who may test them in numerous ways before granting them the promotion. Senior Wardens are expected to mentor Initiates and Probates and assist with various administration tasks to keep the Chapter running. There is a lot of bureaucracy and meetings and politics. There are usually no more than 30-50 Senior Wardens in Waterdeep at any given time. Senior Wardens are often used as pawns by higher ranking members with the promise of promotion and other lures, as such the life expectancy of a Senior Warden is surprisingly shorter than other positions. |
| Adjunct | Large Private Quarters, Autonomy | Appointed by Adjunct or other senior member | Adjuncts are responsible for overseeing a core aspect of the Chapter. Each Adjunct has a specific area of responsibility (Recruitment, Training, Public Relations, Noble Relations, Judge/Enforcement, etc). There are approximately 12 Adjuncts at the Waterdeep Wardens and they operate with complete autonomy within their purview, can set new rules, delegate responsibilities, promote people, etc. |
| Justicar | Complete Autonomy | Appointed by Chapter Master | Justicar's oversee the day-to-day operations of the local Chapter. They ensure that Adjuncts as performing their duties and act as a liason between all departments and senior personnel. There is never more than 2-3 Justicars in the Waterdeep Wardens. |
| Chapter Master | Complete Authority, Chapter Master Chambers, Private Workshop | Appointed by the Grand Master | Responsible for the Chapter. They have complete authority over everything in their Chapter. There is only ever a single Chapter Master in any Chapter. Appointment is permanent.
The Chapter Master has the authority to mobiize the enter Chapter if a crisis arrives. This essentially gives them an army on demand but it is very rarely executed. |
| Grand Master | Absolute Authority, Grand Masters' Chambers | Elected, lifetime appointment | Responsible for the entire organization. Appointment to this position is a lifetime position until death or retirement. Has elaborate private quarters and facilities at every Chapter in Faerun. Typically resides at the Waterdeep Chapter but travels frequently. When a new Grand Master is required, all available Chapter Masters across Faerun will meet in Waterdeep and hold a private session where they will select the next Grand Master (exactly what's involved in these closed-door meetings is unknown). Only a Chapter Master can be elevated to the role of Grand Master.
Like the Chapter Master, the Grand Master can muster the entire organization. It may take several weeks as Wardens come from everywhere to join the crusade, but they will come when called. This has only happened a few times in the entire history of the Wardens and it's always been during wartime or some other major crisis. |
Useful Links
Pathfinder SRD
Waterdeep / Forgotten Realms
- Adventurer's Guide
- Waterdeep Wiki
- Lands of Faerun
- Interactive Map of Waterdeep
- Non-Interactive Super High Quality Map of Waterdeep
House Rules
The following house rules are in effect. Generally speaking if you stick to the theme and don't be a pain in my backside we'll get along just fine :)
- Player vs Player Will NOT Be Tolerated - I have a zero tolerance policy for PvP stuff. You are a team that needs to work together. I don't have problems with people being evil, but I don't want to have any kind of plotting or attempts to harm other members of the group. Zero tolerance.
- Guns ARE allowed but limited to Early Firearms only. No Advanced Firearms. You need to be a Gunslinger or some other class which explicitly understands guns to use them, otherwise it would be equivalent to a Fighter trying to cast Fireball - pointless. I'm also declaring that guns and ammunition is extremely rare, it will be very hard to find ammo or gunsmiths to the point you will likely have to craft your guns and ammo by yourself.
- Oriental Martial Arts Classes (Monk/Brawler/Ninja/Samurai/etc) - I'm not going to sugar coat it - I don't like these classes in traditional fantasy settings. I have no problem with the class mechanics and abilities, but oriental martial arts classes really don't belong in traditional european-themed fantasy RPGs. It kills immersion for me so they are a hard no.
- Aliens & Futuristic Characters - This ties into the rule directly above about immersion. Aliens, robots, etc don't belong in my fantasy games. I'm open to things like Aasimar's and such as they are not aliens, they were people who descended from somebody who mated with some extra planar being. Same with Oreads and other such creatures - I'm good with them as long as they aren't aliens or robots or something typically belonging to a futuristic sci-fi game.
- Mythic Characters - At this time I do not plan on using the mythic system. That may change at some point, but right now assume you will not become a mythic hero. I don't have anything against the mythic systems, but I don't foresee the game heading in that direction, at least for now. So don't build your character around the goal of accessing certain mythic abilities or powers as it's not guaranteed to happen. Again, subject to change.
- Meta Gaming - I really don't like metagamers. Metagaming happens when your character does something based on what you (the player) knows. You can roll Knowledge checks as needed to determine if your character knows something under many circumstances, but other times you simply wouldn't know something. Don't metagame. It will end very badly for you.
- Power Gaming - I tolerate power gaming up to a certain extent. If you are not aware, power gaming is the process of building up your character in such a way that they are 1) able to kill anything, and/or 2) unable to be killed by anything, or 3) a combination of 1 and 2. I have no problem with trying to improve your character, in fact I highly suggest it. But there is a very big difference in your character growing and your character becoming godlike.
- Loot & Treasure - Assuming you find a buyer for your treasure and loot, expect to sell loot for 50% of it's value. You can, of course, try to haggle and barter, but that might end up working against you if the dice are not kind.
- Crafting Items - I fully support item creation and crafting. We will be following the Alternative Item Crafting rules presented here instead of the default crafting rules which assume you can do nothing but craft for a week straight. You can do incremental crafting in your downtime using these rules. Same rule applies if you just want to spend a day working a trade while the rest of the party is doing something else, etc. So this overrides the default Profession and other skills that have to do with this.
- Expenses & Consumables - We will informally be tracking ammunition, food, sleep, etc. Basic lifestyle stuff. I'm not super detailed on this, but it's going to be assumed that you have daily expenses just to live. This won't play a huge role in the game, but you should be aware of the cost of living in the city and making sure you have the funds available.
- See https://www.d20pfsrd.com/equipment/goods-and-services/hirelings-servants-services for the average cost of staying at an inn
- See https://www.d20pfsrd.com/equipmenT/goods-and-services/hunting-camping-survival-gear/#table-food-drink for the average cost of meals
Character Creation
System
This game is going to run Pathfinder 1st Edition. You don't need the books to play, simply used the SRD which is linked above.
Level
Everybody starts at level 1 with 0 experience points.
Attribute Points
We are using the 25 point-buy system. Spend your points before applying racial modifiers to your attributes (this makes getting higher stats cheaper for races with bonuses). You cannot buy an attribute above 18, only racial modifiers can get you to 19 or higher at the start of the game.
Hit Points
You start with the maximum possible for your chosen class/constitution bonus.
Alignments
Evil characters are allowed but make sure you follow House Rule 1 above.
Divine characters like Clerics and Warpriests must stay within 1 alignment step of their deity. Failure to do so will count as becoming an Ex-Cleric or Ex-Warpriest, etc. Atoning will shift their alignment back to be in line with their deity.
- Oracles are not subject to this, their powers are forced upon them by the gods, they did not gain their powers via worship and sacrifice.
- Shamans are not subject to this, their powers come from relationships with spirits, not deities.
- Paladins and Druids are not subject to this, they already get nerfed into the ground if their alignment shifts so no additional penalty here.
Deities
Speaking of deities, we will be using the Forgotten Realms pantheon, not the Galorian pantheon. Here is a great resource for looking up deities, and for domains/etc for Clerics: https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Portal:Deities
Races Allowed
- All Core, Standard, Featured races are allowed
- Uncommon and Monstrous races will be considered on a case-by-case basis (Monstrous in particular is very likely no but I will consider them for the right character)
- No Advanced, Very Powerful, or Unknown Race Points races are allowed (see House Rule 4)
- Alternative Racial Traits & Racial Feats are generally acceptable as long as they don't go against my House Rules above, run them past me if you want to use any
Please Note - Non-humanoid races might get some pretty brutal reactions from people. While Waterdeep is generally open to all by the law, people don't take kindly to Gnolls or Minotaurs walking down the streets. You might face some uncomfortable situations if you play a more unuusal race. It's also worth noting that if people wrack up Race Points then I get to ramp up the CR of encounters a fair bit so it might make things much harder on the group.
Languages
Please be sure to note which languages you have Linguistics in. If you select a race that doesn't get Linguistics (Common) automatically, I highly recommend you consider spending a skill point on it.
Classes Allowed
- All Core, Base, Hybrid, and Occult classes are allowed except Monk and Brawler, see House Rule 2 above
- Alternate Classes will be considered on a case-by-case basis but Ninja and Samurai (see House Rule 2) is a hard no and I'm not fond of Antipaladins so likely these will be denied
- Unchained classes are most likely fine except Unchained Monk (see House Rule 2).
- Prestige classes (if we get that far), should be fine as long as it doesn't violate House Rule 2
- Class Archetypes & Alternative Class features should be fine as long as they don't violate my House Rules, but run them past me in advance for a final yes
Traits Allowed
- You start with 2 Traits, each must be from a different category (i.e. you could take one Combat Trait and one Social Trait, but not two Combat Traits, etc).
- All non-mythic traits are allowed as long as they don't go against the spirit of the House Rules
- Campaign traits are restricted to what is listed below unless you give me a good pitch as to why you should have a trait from another campaign
Additionally, the following Campaign traits which are available, they are all mutually exclusive with each other unless you give me a good pitch:
- Acolyte - You are a member of a local church (see https://www.realmshelps.net/faerun/organizations/waterdeep3.shtml for some examples). You get a +1 trait bonus on Knowledge (Religion) and Knowledge (Local) checks
- Caravaneer - You grew up running trade routes to and from Waterdeep, spending most of your youth in the wilds. You get a +1 trait bonus on Survival and Knowledge (Nature) checks.
- Nobleborn - You were born into the top 1%. You gain a +2 trait bonus on Knowledge (Nobility)
- Pirate - You were raised on a pirate ship which frequently makes birth at Waterdeep. You get a +1 trait bonus on Swimming and Knowledge (Geography) checks
- Tower Apprentice - You learned your arcane ways through the Blackstaff Tower school of magic (see https://www.realmshelps.net/faerun/organizations/waterdeep1.shtml). You get a +1 trait bonus on Knowledge (Arcana) and Knowledge (Local) checks
- Waterdeep Native - You were born and raised in Waterdeep. You get a +2 trait bonus on Knowledge (Local) checks
I am open to other Campaign trait ideas. But nothing to do with any criminal activity. If you want to be involved in the thieves' guilds you need to join through gameplay.
Starting Gold
All characters start with the maximum amount of gold you could roll for your selected class.
- Example: Alchemists start with 3d6x10gp, so you would start with 180gp. Whereas a Paladin would start with 300gp (5d6x10 maximized).
Starting Equipment
All characters start with ONE of the following equipment packages in addition to their gold and anything granted by their class/archetype/etc:
| Magic Item | Consumable Magic Items | Talented or Gifted Character |
|---|---|---|
| Some magic item has been passed down to you from a family member or close friend. Maybe they were an adventurer or came about the item through business or other means. Regardless of how it came to you, it's yours now.
Select ONE of the following magic items, it must be an item your character is capable of using (no Wizards with +1 Full Plate armor, for example):
|
You have in your possession a variety of consumable magic items which you have gained through trade or perhaps previous adventures. Unlike the first package, you may select items here that your character is not capable of using themselves.
Select ANY of the following magic items in any combination, however the total value of them cannot exceed 1,000gp:
|
You were born with a natural talent which gave you an edge over your peers.
Select ONE of the following bonuses:
|
