Several months ago, I began my journey as a DM by running Waterdeep Dragon Heist for a group of friends, and last week we finished the adventure. I decided on WDH because I frequently saw it recommended for new DMs or players, and the story seemed straightforward but interesting. While I ran the adventure, I decided to document my experiences with it, you can check out my recap of the first chapter here.
Now that we have finished the adventure, I wanted to give my thoughts on it, broken down by the three pillars of D&D: combat, exploration, and roleplay. My hope is that this can help future DMs gauge if they would have fun running WDH.
Combat
As a player, I quite enjoy a tactical game with a healthy amount of combat encounters. As written, WDH does not have much combat in it; however, it was not much work to add in more. Between the faction missions, and the minions of the various campaign villains, extra encounters can be added easily without feeling unrealistic. If I ever found my game in need of more combat, resources such as Waterdeep: Expanded Faction Missions, or Waterdeep: City Encounters were invaluable.
Exploration
While it may seem that an adventure taking place entirely in the city of Waterdeep would lack exploration, I found the opposite to be true. Each ward of Waterdeep felt unique, and filled with things to discover. During the adventure, the party has a chance to explore gang hideouts, noble villas, and underground sewers. This urban setting is not without drawbacks, Ranger or Druid characters may feel that their skills are under utilized. It is a good idea to mention to players that there are few opportunities to leave Waterdeep in the adventure; in fact, my party never left the city.
Roleplay
Of the three pillars in D&D, roleplay is the pillar that shines the most in WDH. An entire chapter of the adventure is a sandbox, where players can pursue their character’s desires. Many of the challenges presented in the adventure are intentionally open-ended, allowing players to come up with creative solutions. Finally, Trollskull Manor provides the characters with heavy ties to the city of Waterdeep, and presents the opportunity for plenty of social interaction with various factions and neighbors.
Final Thoughts
The adventure does have its shortcomings, Chapter Two in particular is lacking in detail and requires extra work from the DM; however, the adventure overall is great. I went into WDH expecting a treasure hunt in a vibrant city with interesting villains, and was not disappointed.