Waterdeep: Dragon Heist Review
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Few campaign books in the 5th Edition library stand out to me like the 2 part series of Waterdeep. Specifically, today we will be looking at the Waterdeep: Dragon Heist campaign setting and letting you know if it’s a campaign worth running.
Waterdeep: Dragon Heist was first released in September of 2018 to much fan fare and acclaim. It has since then been ranked up amongst the most well known and like books that 5th Edition Dungeons & Dragons has to offer.
The Setting
Waterdeep is a bustling city along the Sword Coast of Faerun. So for players interested in more of a world stomping adventure may not find this to be as interesting. But for players that are looking for a more tightly packed adventure that centers more around the affairs of the city and the factions there within, Waterdeep Dragon’s Heist is a perfect fit.
Half a million gold coins are hidden somewhere in Waterdeep and many factions and people within the city know that it’s there and are on the for it. The players can join in on the hunt for the untold riches as well while also working to keep it from for villainous figures.
While all this is happening there are two factions that are in heavy dispute, the Zhentarim a shadowy group of mercenaries and sell swords, and Xanathar, a beholder that resides in Waterdeep how runs a crime syndicate in the city.
The adventure is designed for players level 1-5, so this is a good introduction for new players or a new group itself. The optional continuation of this book Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage ramps up these levels substantially and changes up the feeling of campaign altogether.
So if you are feeling that your group may not get enough mileage out of this book, consider also picking up the sequel Dungeon of the Mad Mage to compliment and transition the story further.
Waterdeep: Dragon Heist differs from many of the other Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition campaign settings in the way it handles combat and basic play. Combat is more muted although still there. Dragon heist combat plays second fiddle to the much more faction and strategy role playing aspect of the game.
At the end of this book, there is a guide from Volo himself about the entire city of Waterdeep. I find that this is a great addition to the otherwise compact book that really expands the lore of the city as well as paints a picture for the DM and the players.
The Guilds in Waterdeep
One of important aspects of the campaign are all the guilds and factions inside Waterdeep. aligning ones self with these groups and organizations can lead to aid in any task that you may require while making you an enemy in others.
Because the story of Waterdeep is deep and ancient, there are many, many factions and guilds that can be explored in this campaign setting. I do like that the book gives a good amount of focus to some of these groups, but also understand that attempting to cover all of them inside the pages of just one campaign setting book would be a difficult achievement.
When doing through Dragon heist with your group, take time to explain what these factions and guilds are all about and the players will naturally swing to one or the other.
Replayability with Dragon Heist
The replay-ability of the campaign is actually pretty simple. There are several options of villains which also decide the season of the year that the events of the campaign take place in. As a Dungeon Master, this game will be really enjoyable to play around with as well. A second run through the game may refine what works and does not work very well when playing one of the numerous NPC’s in the game.
The issue with this however is that if you are a player and are going through this for a second time, there may not be enough for it to feel substantially different from the first playthrough.
If you are looking for a campaign that feels more unique with each play through around, Dragon Heist does not do the best job at it. I would recommend a different campaign that is more open ended and larger in scope. One of which is Curse of Strahd.
Maps and Art in Waterdeep: Dragon Heist
There is a healthy amount of art in the book including several double paged art pieces that are fantastic to look at and really give players the feel for the size of the city of Waterdeep.
The maps are different from the usual colored and sudo 3D elements there within. These maps are a 2 dimensional black and white grid set of maps that some may not care for as much. I personally don’t mind them, but in all honestly prefer the style of maps that are present in other campaign setting books such as Curse of Strahd.
One map that does not pair with this art style is the massive tear out map of the city that has a side designed for players to be able to view and a Dungeon Master side that contains additional information that only the Dungeon Master running the game should be aware of.
Accessories and Miniatures for Dragon Heist
Waterdeep Dragon Heist when released also received a themed miniature set from Wizkids. These miniatures included characters from the campaign setting such as the Beholder Xanathar, or other higher up ranked characters in some of the factions and guilds. You can even find the miniature for the barkeep of the Yawning Portal in this set named Dunran.
Waterdeep Dragon Heist also released with a dice set that contains a spin down HP gadget that goes up to 99 HP, D20 and a larger 20. along with the rest of the standard D&D dice.
Is Waterdeep Dragon Heist Worth Playing?
Absolutely, Waterdeep: Dragon Heist is a must own for your 5th Edition campaign collection. This book brings to the table a new experience that is both fun to play as a player, and fun to run as a Dungeon Master. The book is packed with factions and interesting characters from cover to cover.
Despite the levels being on the lower end even at the end of the campaign, it still feels like a satisfying adventure where all the characters are well versed in the city of Waterdeep and that the adventure was worth it. This campaign spurs the idea of continuing onward with the same adventure party after the events with it’s sequel The Dungeon of the Mad Mage.
If Mad Mage is not your style, fear not though as Waterdeep is home to the Yawning Portal. That’s right, the tavern that also got it’s own campaign setting book. The Yawning portal is a collection of past adventures that your players can go on that vary in level range and is a neat idea of changing up the story before after or even during the events of Dragon Heist.
I hope that you found the review for this campaign setting useful. Be sure to check out several of our other Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition articles and reviews below!
