City Encounters

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by EBrun
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DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, the dragon ampersand, Player’s Handbook, Monster Manual, Dungeon Master’s Guide, D&D Adventurers League, all other
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Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. City Encounters 1!
Table of Contents
Page!3! Credits:)
Encounter:!The!Spectator!(Level!284)! • Cover:!Created!at!www.canva.com!
A"porter"trips,"unleashing"a"nasty"surprise" • Boar:!Image!8!https://pixabay.com/en/wildEwildE
! boarsEforestEwildEboarE659379/"!
Page!5! • Stoolball:!Image!8!
Encounter:!The!Garbage!Monster!(Level!4+)! https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ALP
Oops,"a"deadly"wrong"turn…" P_8_Stool8Ball.png!
• Tomino’s!Hell:!The!image!and!poem!are!public!
!
domain,!with!no!source!identified.!
Page!6!
• The!Bone8Grubber:!Image!8!
Encounter:!Tomino’s!Hell!(Any!Level)! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rag8and8
The"characters"are"attacked"by"a"lunatic." bone_man#/media/File:The_bone_grubber.jpg!!
! • Knucklebones:!Image!8!
Page!8! https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kem
Encounter:!Stampede!(Any!Level)! pten_Astragaloi.jpg!!
The"characters"get"caught"in"the"middle"of"a"
stampede"of"wild"boar."
!
Page!9!
Introduction
!
Encounter:!The!Rat!Queen!(Any!Level)!! !"People's)lives)take)them)strange)places.)
The"night"could"end"in"lucky"passion...or"unlucky" They)do)strange)things,)and...)well,)sometimes)
death." they)can't)talk)about)them."!
! ! ! ! ! —Alan!Moore!
Page!10!
Encounter:!Stoolball!(Any!Level)! This!product!contains!ten!encounters!to!use!in!a!
A"group"of"orphans"try"to"engage"the"characters" large!city.!!The!encounters!provide!a!mix!of!
in"a"friendly"ball"game." combat!and!social!experiences.!!Some,!like!
! Tomino’s"Hell,!are!dark,!while!others,!like!
Page!11! Stoolball,!should!be!light8hearted!and!fun.!Some!
Encounter:!The!Shifty!Shell!(Any!Level)! of!the!encounters!are!based!on!urban!legends!
The"characters"engage"in"a"rigged"game"of" or!other!historical!inspiration.!
chance." !
! Each!encounter!includes!a!set8up,!a!description!
Page!13! of!the!surroundings,!and!a!discussion!of!the!
Encounter:!Rag!and!Bone!Man!(Any!Level)! encounter!itself.!!This!is!followed!by!
The"characters"have"a"unique"opportunity." information!on!the!treasure!that!characters!
" may!find,!suggestions!for!scaling!the!encounter!
Page!15! to!different!levels,!and!possible!ways!to!extend!
Encounter:!Damsel!in!Distress!(Any!Level)! the!encounter.!!
A"“lady”"asks"for"help." !
! This!product!is!an!excellent!companion!to!
Page!16! Faction!Folio:!Waterdeep!–!DM’s!City!Guide!
Encounter:!Knucklebones!(Any!Level)! found!on!DMsGuild.!!However,!it!can!easily!be!
The"characters"join"in"a"bit"of"gambling." used!as!a!stand8alone!product.!
" !
Page!20! Enjoy!'
Appendix!A:!Tomino’s!Hell!–!Player’s!Handout.!

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. City Encounters 2!
 vicinity.!!The!dead!porter!is!next!to!the!
Encounter: The Spectator spectator.!!Squares!containing!an!incapacitated!
XP:!700XP!8!+350!XP!if!no!bystanders!are!killed.! pedestrian!should!be!considered!difficult!terrain!
This"is"an"easy"encounter"for"an"average"party"of" (½!movement).!
four"characters"at"level"4,"a"medium"encounter"at"
level"3"and"a"hard"encounter"at"level"2.!!!!
!
This!encounter!occurs!in!a!busy!mercantile!
area.!!It!is!ideally!suited!for!the!Trade!Ward!or!
near!The!Market!in!the!Castle!Ward.!!Apjest,!a!
mage!from!Baldur’s!Gate!has!hatched!a!plot!to!
assassinate!his!rival,!Vazif!the!Colorful!by!
shipping!him!a!trapped!package.!The!PCs!are!
running!an!errand!or!simply!wandering!the!city!
when!they!see!the!following.!
!
You!are!enjoying!the!warm!midday!sun!and!
smell!of!baked!bread!as!you!walk!down!a!wide!
thoroughfare!towards!the!market.!!The!street!
is!buzzing!with!activity!8!merchants!trying!to!
convince!shoppers!to!come!into!their!stores,!a!
group!of!kids!kicking!a!homemade!ball!down!
the!street,!women!out!for!a!stroll,!and!porters!
jogging!to!destinations!with!precariously!
balanced!packages.!!As!you!watch,!one!of!the!
porters,!sporting!a!bright!blue!cape,!trips!and! 1 square = 5 feet
begins!to!fall.!!The!scene!unfolds!in!slow!
motion!as!the!falling!porter!scrambles! Encounter
hopelessly!to!catch!the!large!wooden!box!that!
If!the!spectator!goes!first,!it!will!attack!the!two!
he!dropped.!!As!the!box!crashes!to!the!ground,!
pedestrians!closest!to!it!with!random!eye!rays!
the!top!falls!off!in!a!puff!of!smoke.!!A!mottled!
(roll!d4,!ignoring!duplicate!rolls).!If!the!
green!and!blue!giant!sphere!rises!from!the!box!
spectator!is!attacked!before!its!first!turn,!it!will!
muttering,!“That’s!it?!Protect!that!cheap!
concentrate!on!the!characters!that!appear!the!
bauble?”!as!a!flash!of!dark!purple!light!
most!dangerous.!!Since!the!spectator!is!
emanates!from!one!of!four!eye8stalks.!!The!
outnumbered,!it!will!use!its!confusion!ray!each!
light!strikes!the!porter!squarely!in!the!
round.!!Select!the!second!ray!at!random!
chest.!!The!porter!lands!motionless!on!the!
(d4).!!Confused!commoners!count!as!hostile!in!
ground!8!the!levitating!monster!rotates!so!that!
terms!of!character!movement!8!and!will!likely!
you!can!see!it’s!over8large!mouth,!surveys!the!
attack!a!character!moving!through!their!
startled!crowd,!and!states,!“Who!should!Zegior!
space.!!At!the!end!of!each!turn,!pedestrians!will!
play!with!next?”!
move!in!a!random!direction!away!from!the!
spectator.!!If!the!encounter!reaches!the!4th!
Surroundings round,!a!city!watch!patrolman!(use'guard'
entry)!gets!within!range!and!joins!the!fray.!!On!
The!spectator,!Zegior,!is!forty!feet!away!and!on!
round!5,!a!second!patrolman!joins.!!On!round!6,!
the!opposite!side!of!the!crowded,!thirty!foot!
a!third!patrolman!and!a!City!Watch!Armar!
wide,!street!from!the!characters.!Seventeen!
(corporal!use!Veteran!entry)!join.!
pedestrians,!including!five!children!are!in!the!
!

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. City Encounters 3!
Spectators!are!touched!with!madness.!!As!such,!
Zegior!will!shout!threats,!insults,!and!
complaints!throughout!the!encounter.!!The!
following!quotes!should!get!you!started8!
! bravely!fight!with!the!characters.!!If!necessary,!
• Vazif,!step!forward!so!Zegior!can!slay!
you!!
• You!are!nothing!but!maggots!and!will!
fall!before!the!might!of!Zegior!the!
Deadly!!
• Apjest,!Zegior!is!not!happy!with!this.!It!
is!beneath!me...literally.!
• It!seems!you!have!no!skill!whatsoever.!
• Vazif,!show!yourself!so!that!Zegior!can!
be!done!with!this.!
• Obviously,!you!don’t!have!enough!
brains!to!fill!that!skull!of!yours.!
• Bafugan,!oma,!whatta!bergran.!
• Apjest,!such!a!stupid!name,!summoning!
Zegior!for!this!worthless!task.!
• Take!that,!you!slack!jawed!bile!drinker.!
Treasure
The!inside!of!the!wooden!box!is!inscribed!with!
a!series!of!colorful!runes!and!contains!a!single!
bloodstone!(50gp).!An!arcana!check!(DC!15)!
allows!a!character!to!determine!that!the!runes!
are!some!sort!of!summoning!ritual.!!At!the!DM’s!
discretion,!an!arcana!check!(DC!20)!will!allow!a!
character!to!begin!learning!the!ritual!similar!to!
a!6th!level!spell.!!!
! mage)!in!Sea!Ward.!!The!arrogant!(and!
If!the!PCs!search!the!porter,!they!find!1!gp,!15!
sp,!and!a!note!with!the!name!Vazif!the!Colorful!
and!an!address!in!the!Sea!Ward.!!!
! the!event)!implicating!Apjest!is!presented,!Vazif!
If!the!characters!decide!to!search!bodies!of!
casualties!from!the!encounter,!roll!a!d6!for!each!
body!(1!=!15cp,!2!=!1gp,!3!=!20!sp,!4!=!2!gp,!5!=!a!
silver!ring!worth!10!gp!and!3!gp,!6!=!a!small!
mirror!in!a!moon!shaped!frame!worth!7gp,!10!
gp!and!15!sp.!Characters!should!roll!a!slight!of!
hand!check!with!an!initial!DC!of!15!to!avoid!
being!spotted!by!the!growing!crowd.!!If!an!
individual!character!searches!more!than!one!
body,!add!+3!to!each!extra!body!searched.!
!
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Scaling the Encounter
If!the!characters!are!first!or!second!level,!
consider!adding!a!Guard!to!the!crowd!that!will!
add!more!city!watch!and!have!them!arrive!
earlier!as!the!encounter!unfolds.!!To!increase!
difficulty,!use!the!opportunity!to!have!a!thug!or!
two!pick!this!time!to!get!revenge!on!the!
characters!for!a!previous!insult.!
What’s Next?
Additional!City!Watch!will!arrive!as!the!
encounter!ends.!!After!a!brief!questioning,!
Armar!(title!for!a!corporal)!Glastarn!Blackmane!
(male,!dwarf,!veteran)!will!thank!the!
characters!for!the!role!they!played!in!protecting!
Waterdeep.!!He!will!ask!for!their!names!and!
where!they!were!staying.!!A!day!or!so!later,!
official!commendations!for!their!actions!will!be!
delivered.!!Blackmane!may!become!a!contact!for!
characters.!!The!Watch!will!begin!clearing!the!
streets,!moving!those!that!are!incapacitated!to!
the!edges!while!waiting!for!a!healer.!Out!of!
gratitude,!Cadaw!Cadell!(male,!human),!the!
barkeep!at!the!Lord’s!Home!ale!house!will!offer!
the!characters!a!free!meal!and!continue!to!be!
friendly!towards!them.!
!
If!the!characters!follow!up,!they!can!easily!find!
the!tower!of!Vazif!the!Colorful!(human,!male,!
colorfully!dressed)!mage!is!at!first!irritated!at!
the!disturbance!by!the!characters.!!However,!if!
proof!of!the!plot!(the!note,!and!a!description!of!
is!thankful.!!The!rivalry!is!petty!8!years!ago,!
Vazif!bested!Apjest!in!a!spell!duel!in!front!of!
Apjest’s!girlfriend,!the!beautiful!Dilys!Howell.!
!
City Encounters 4!

Encounter: The Garbage
Monster
XP:'1800!XP!This"encounter"is"hard"for"a"party"of"
4"4thElevel"characters.""It"is"deadly"for"characters"
of"1st"E"3rd"levels."!
! less!than!a!DC!15!on!the!previous!perception!
This!encounter!works!best!at!night!in!the!
slums.!!It!is!perfect!for!the!Dock!Ward,!parts!of!
the!South!Ward,!and!Downshadow.!!Prior!to!
starting!the!encounter,!have!characters!make!a!
perception!test!and!give!you!the!results.!!Let!the!
players!know!that!their!characters!do!not!notice!
anything.!!There!is!nothing!to!see!(yet),!but!this!
raises!anxiety!!
! Treasure
You!turn!the!corner!into!a!narrow!
alley.!!After!walking!in!a!dozen!feet!or!so,!
you!notice!that!it!dead8ends,!a!wrong!
turn…!!Before!turning!around,!you!also!hear!
a!soft!moaning!and!see!a!leg!quivering!from!
under!a!large!pile!of!refuse.!
! and!a!thin!wooden!card!etched!with!an!upside8
If!the!characters!investigate,!ask!them!to!make!a!
perception!check!and!provide!you!with!the!
results.!Read!the!following.!
! Any!character!with!an!interest!in!religion!(or!an!
As!you!approach,!the!moaning!gets!a!bit!
louder.!!You!can!see!portions!of!the!rest!of!a!
bloodied,!slim!body!8!possibly!a!half8elf!8!
buried!under!the!refuse.!!Slight!movements!
of!the!body!indicate!that!it!isn’t!dead!
yet.!!Suddenly,!the!mound!of!slimy,!detritus!8!
discarded!pottery,!scraps!of!rotten!food,!
chamber!pot!remnants,!and!the!bloody!body!
8!begins!to!take!a!roughly!humanoid!shape.!
Surroundings
The!characters!are!in!a!narrow!10ft!wide!
alleyway,!enclosed!on!both!sides!by!48story!
ramshackle!buildings.!!The!animated!garbage!
mound!is!at!the!dead8end!of!this!308ft!long!
alley.!!At!the!beginning!of!the!first!round,!the!
garbage!mound!uses!its!lair!effect!to!make!the!
alley!slippery!with!refuse,!which!counts!as!
difficult'terrain.!
Encounter
The!garbage!mound!attacks!the!characters!
without!hesitation.!!Any!character!that!scored!
check!is!surprised!and!unable!to!act!during!the!
first!round.!!The!garbage!mound!will!pursue!
characters!until!it!is!obvious!that!it!will!not!be!
able!to!catch!dinner.!Use!shambling'mound'
stats!for!the!garbage!mound,!but!add!a!lair!
effect:!make"its"surroundings"difficult"terrain"for"
10"rounds.!!The!creature!is!immune!to!this!effect!
If!the!characters!search!the!garbage!mound!and!
the!refuse!at!the!end!of!the!alley,!they!find!378!
copper!pieces,!297!silver!pieces,!110!gold!
pieces,!5!pieces!of!turquoise!(10!gp!each),!a!pair!
of!dice!carved!from!onyx!(25!gp),!a!carved!
wooden!goblet!(5!gp),!an!ivory!bracelet!(15!gp),!
down!purple!triangle!and!three!orange!tear!
drops.!
!
Intelligence!check!DC!10)!will!recognize!the!
etching!on!the!card!as!a!holy!symbol!of!Talona,!
goddess!of!poison!and!disease.!If!checked,!the!
card!glows!with!a!faint!magical!aura.!!It!can!be!
thrown!up!to!60!feet.!!On!impact,!it!explodes!
into!a!cloud!of!noxious!gas.!!Anyone!within!10!ft!
of!the!card!takes!2d6!poison!damage!and!is!
poisoned.!!A!con!save!halves!the!damage!and!
negates!the!poisoned!effect.!
Scaling the Encounter
For!lower!level!characters,!reduce!the!lair!effect!
so!that!characters!can!R8U8N!!!As!written,!this!
encounter!is!easy!for!level!5!characters.!!To!
increase!to!a!medium!challenge,!add!one!swarm!
of!insects!at!level!5,!2!swarms!at!level!7,!and!6!
swarms!at!level!9.!
!
!

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. City Encounters 5!
What’s Next?
If!you!want!to!expand!on!this!encounter,!any!
character!wounded!by!the!garbage!monster!or!
swarm!of!insects!must!make!a!constitution!
check!(DC!11)!or!be!infected!by!Sewer!Plague!
(DMG!pg!257).!!The!Blemished!One,!a!priestess!
of!Talona,!created!this!disgusting!monster!
(DMsGuild!88!Faction!Folio:!Waterdeep!Dungeon!
Master’s!City!Guide).!
Encounter: Tomino’s Hell
XP:'50,!100!if!Tomino!is!brought!alive!to!a!
temple!or!cured.!This"is"a"relatively"easy"
encounter"E"but"possibly"disturbing"E"for"any"
party.!
This!encounter!is!suitable!for!any!location!near!
a!residential!area.!!Since!it!involves!a!vicious!
attack!by!a!lunatic,!staging!the!encounter!during!
the!day!in!a!calm!area!provides!the!biggest!
impact.!
! carries!no!belongings!besides!the!two!knives!
Although!the!weather!is!a!bit!dreary,!all!is!
calm!as!you!walk!down!a!narrow!street.!!A!
plainly!dressed!couple!nod!and!smile,!arm8
in8arm,!as!you!pass!by.!Suddenly,!you!hear!
running!feet!and!a!scream!from!behind.!!You!
turn!quickly!and!spot!the!couple!8!the!man!
stands!shocked!as!the!woman!grabs!her!
neck,!trying!to!stop!the!geyser!of!blood!
spraying!from!her.!!A!short!creature!in!rags!
with!disheveled!hair!leaps!at!you!with!two!
crimson!knives8!
Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
Surroundings
The!street!is!20!feet!wide!with!buildings!on!
both!ends.!!An!alley!opens!to!the!left,!15!feet!in!
front!of!the!characters,!an!intersection!is!10!feet!
beyond!that.!!Another!intersection!of!streets!is!
15!feet!behind!the!characters.!!Besides!the!
couple,!4!other!pedestrians!stand!in!
shock.!!Since!the!attacker!is!crazed!and!will!
remain!in!melee!until!killed!or!subdued,!the!
exact!layout!is!likely!not!important.!
Encounter
Characters!quickly!realize!that!the!attacker!is!a!
young!girl,!perhaps!12!or!13!years!old.!!If!they!
can!get!passed!the!snarl,!foaming!spittle,!and!
glazed!eyes,!they!might!realize!that!she!is!quite!
pretty.!!Her!sandy!blonde!hair!and!tattered!
green!dress!are!blood!soaked.!Any!character!
with!a!passive!perception!of!less!than!15!is!
surprised!by!the!suddenness!of!the!attack.!!The!
girl,!attacks!at!random!8!starting!with!those!
surprised!during!the!first!round.!!Each!round,!
the!attacker!will!attack!a!random!
character.!!Note:!!Her!“crazed!frenzy”!attribute!
allows!her!to!cinematically!disengage!from!one!
opponent!as!long!as!she!is!scrambling!to!attack!
a!different!opponent.!The!bleeding!woman!dies!
in!3!rounds!unless!stabilized.!Stats'for'the'
lunatic'are'located'on'the'next'page.!
Treasure
The!lunatic’s!clothes!are!worthless!and!she!
and!a!sheet!of!blood8stained!parchment!in!her!
pocket.!A!poem,!Tomino’s!Hell,!is!written!on!the!
parchment.!If!the!characters!search!the!woman,!
they!find!18!sp.!!
Scaling the Encounter
There!is!no!need!to!scale!this!
encounter.!!However,!you!might!make!the!
lunatic!older!if!the!thought!of!fighting!a!child!is!
disturbing!to!you!or!your!players.!
! !
City Encounters 6!
! This could easily be expanded into a hunt as
Lunatic!
Medium!human,!unaligned!
Armor)Class!12!
Hit)Points!9!
Speed)30!ft!
! This!encounter!is!based!on!Tomino’s!Hell,!a!
STR) DEX) CON) INT) WIS)
10! 14! 10! 10! 9!(+0)!
(+0)! (+2)! (+0)! (+0)!
! provided!at!the!end!of!the!book.!!The)author)of)
Crazed!Frenzy.)The!lunatic!attacks!chaotically,!gaining!
advantage!on!attacks!and!a!+1!on!damage.!The!lunatic!
can!also!disengage!to!attack!a!different!opponent!
without!initiating!an!opportunity!attack.!
!
Action___________________________________)
) become!cursed.!Make!a!Charisma!check!(DC!
The!lunatic!makes!two!melee!attacks.!If!she!loses!her!
knives,!she!will!bite!and!claw.!
Knife.)Melee!Weapon!Attack:!+2!to!hit!(and!
advantage),!reach!5!ft.!Hit:!4!(1d2!+3)!slashing.!
Bite.)Melee!Weapon!Attack:!advantage!to!hit,!4!
(1d2+3)!piercing!
Claw.!Melee!Weapon!Attack:!advantage!to!hit,!1!(0+1)!
slashing!
What’s Next?
Eliaz!Tenet!is!shocked,!yet!thankful!if!the!
characters!save!his!wife,!Berna.!!He!will!offer!
them!a!simple!silver!bracelet!that!he!is!wearing!
(17!gp).!!It!is!his!father’s.!!!
! How!much!is!left!in!the!leather!bag,!
If!the!characters!subdue!the!girl,!she!remains!
non8communicative!if!conscious.!!She!thrashes!
at!her!bonds!and!attempts!to!lunge!at!the!throat!
of!characters.!She!can!be!cured!by!remove!curse!
either!by!a!character!or!at!a!nearby!temple.!!The!
girl’s!name!is!Primrose!DuBee!and!she!has!no!
recollection!of!her!actions.!Her!parents!are!
prosperous!merchants!and!will!provide!a!25gp!
reward!for!her!safe!return.!!If!the!characters!
press,!they!learn!that!Primrose!received!the!
poem!as!a!gift!from!an!old!crone!in!the!Castle!
Ward’s!Market.!
multiple children receive the poem from the old
crone (night hag). Can the character stop her
before she captures any more of these children’s
souls?
CHA) Japanese!urban!legend.!!According!to!the!
14! legend,!anyone!who!reads!the!poem!aloud!is!
(+2)! cursed!to!serious!injury!or!death.!!The!text!of!
! the!poem!is!located!below!and!a!handout!is!
this)product)assumes)no)liability)for)injury)
(including)death))caused)by)reading)the)
poem)out)loud!'
!
Characters!that!recite!the!poem!out!loud!
10).!!A!successful!save!results!in!1d4!psychic!
damage!and!a!short8term!madness!(DMG!pg!
259).!A!failed!save!results!in!1d8!psychic!
damage!and!a!long8term!madness!(DMG!pg!
260).!
Tomino’s'Hell'
The!older!sister!vomits!blood,!the!younger!sister!
spits!fire.!
Cute!Tomino!spits!treasured!jewels.!
Tomino!died!alone!and!fell!into!hell.!
Hell,!darkness,!with!no!flowers.!
Is!it!Tomino’s!older!sister!that!whips?!
The!number!of!red!welts!is!worrisome.!
Whipping!and!beating!and!pounding,!
The!path!to!eternal!hell!is!only!one!way.!
Beg!for!guidance!into!the!darkness!of!hell,!
From!the!golden!sheep,!from!the!nightingale.!
Prepare!for!the!endless!journey!into!hell.!
Spring!comes!and!into!the!woods!and!valleys,!
Seven!turns!in!the!dark!valley!of!hell.!
In!the!cage!is!a!nightingale,!in!the!cart!a!sheep,!
In!the!eyes!of!cute!Tomino!are!tears.!
Cry,!nightingale,!for!the!woods!and!the!rain!
Voicing!your!love!for!your!sister.!
The!echo!of!your!cry!howls!through!hell,!
and!a!blood8red!flower!blooms.!
Through!the!seven!mountains!and!valleys!of!hell,!
Cute!Tomino!travels!alone.!
To!welcome!you!to!hell,!
The!glimmering!spikes!of!the!needled!mountain!
Stick!fresh!punctures!in!the!flesh,!
As!a!sign!to!cute!Tomino.

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. City Encounters 7!
Encounter: Stampede
XP:!150,!+!100!per!Boar!over!2.!This"is"an"easy"
or"medium"encounter"for"a"party"of"4"if"you"use"
two"boar"per"level"of"the"characters."!
This!encounter!is!suitable!for!either!the!Field!
Ward!or!Undercliff.!The!stampede!includes!a!
dozen!or!more!boar,!but!only!a!few!engage!with!
the!characters!while!the!rest!rush!by.!
!
The!air!is!laced!with!the!metallic!tang!of!blood!
from!the!butchers!along!the!unpaved,!muddy!
street.!!You!hear!a!rumbling!from!ahead,!
shortly!before!a!stampede!of!ugly!8!and!angry!8!
boar!round!the!corner,!charging!directly!
towards!you!!A!large,!leather!clad,!man!runs!
behind!them!yelling!incoherently!while!
waving!his!axe.!!
Surroundings
This!is!a!pretty!simple!encounter.!!The!“street”!
is!20!feet!wide!with!wooden!buildings!on!each!
side.!!The!stampede!starts!at!an!intersection!
(side!street!=!15!feet!wide)!20!feet!ahead!of!the!
characters.!!The!street!curves!about!10!feet!
behind!the!characters.!!Minor!alleyways!(10!ft!
wide)!head!off!every!15820!feet.!!A!major!
intersection!is!located!50!feet!behind!the!
characters.!!Pedestrians!scatter!out!of!the!
way.!!A!few!are!trampled!by!the!stampede.!The!
road!is!unpaved,!muddy!and!heavily!
rutted.!!Any!character!that!fails!a!dexterity!
check!(DC!10)!must!treat!the!road!as!difficult!
terrain.!
Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
Encounter
At!a!minimum,!one!boar!charges!each!character!
during!the!first!round.!After!the!first!round,!two!
boar!disengage!from!the!stampede!to!attack!the!
characters.!!If!a!boar!is!reduced!to!½!hit!points!
or!less,!it!tries!to!flee.!!
Treasure
Treasure!?!?!!The!characters!are!in!the!middle!
of!a!muddy!street,!littered!with!trampled!
pedestrians!and!dead!boar,!no!treasure!here.!!If!
the!characters!are!desperate!enough!to!loot!the!
incapacitated!pedestrians,!they!can!find!1d20!
copper!pieces!and!1d8!silver!pieces!for!each!
body.!!Looting!characters!should!make!a!Sleight!
of!Hand!Check!(DC!10)!to!avoid!being!observed!
searching!injured!commoners.!
Scaling the Encounter
This!encounter!is!easily!scaled!by!changing!the!
number!of!boar.!!If!the!party!is!having!it!too!
easy,!add!a!second!wave!of!boar.!!If!it!is!too!
difficult,!a!few!boar!may!run!off,!or!the!butcher!
and!his!friends!(use!cultist'stats,!but!with!an!
axe)!jump!in!to!help.!
What’s Next?
If!the!characters!stick!around!for!the!butcher!to!
come!back,!or!help!trampled!pedestrians,!they!
are!all!very!thankful,!but!have!little!to!offer!in!
terms!of!rewards.!!One!of!the!pedestrians,!
Sotero!Arbel,!runs!a!small,!unnamed!ale!house!
down!the!street.!!He!will!invite!the!characters!in!
for!a!free!drink.!!He!is!“in!the!know”!regarding!
happenings!in!this!area!and!could!be!a!useful!
contact.!
City Encounters 8!

Encounter: The Rat Queen
XP:!450!+!50!per!swarm!of!rats.'This"is"primarily"
a"social"encounter.""Combat,"while"not"certain,"is"
scalable"for"any"level.""It"is"a"deadly"encounter"for"
a"party"of"four"level"1"characters."
! !
This!encounter!is!more!complicated,!as!it!
requires!a!bit!of!set8up!and!a!lot!of!social!
interaction.!!The!encounter!must!start!in!the!
sewers,!Downshadow,!or!other!subterranean!
area!of!the!city.!!The!“reveal”!can!occur!in!any!
location.!!A!seedy!tavern!in!the!Downshadow!or!
Dock!Ward!makes!the!most!sense.!!There!is!no!
boxed!text!for!this!encounter.!
Surroundings
The!set8up!for!the!encounter!can!occur!in!any!
sewer!or!tunnel!area.!!The!Rat!Queen!will!
invisibly!observe!the!characters!while!
underground.!Have!the!characters!make!an!
occasional!perception!check.!!On!a!success!of!DC!
12,!the!characters!notice!a!few!rats!watching!
them.!On!a!success!of!DC!20,!the!characters!
have!a!sense!that!something!else,!besides!just!
rats,!is!watching.!!!Build!paranoia!8!the!
characters!are!being!watched.!
! There!is!no!treasure!for!this!encounter!
Eventually,!The!Rat!Queen!will!take!a!fancy!to!a!
character.!!It!may!be!because!of!excessive!
strength,!grace,!or!charisma.!!The!Rat!Queen!
will!occasionally!spy!on!the!characters!“top!
side”!8!in!a!dark!street!or!alley!(continue!with!
the!perception!checks!to!build!paranoia).!
Encounter
A!“while”!after!The!Rat!Queen!has!marked!a!
character,!she!will!attempt!to!seduce!him,!
preferably!in!a!seedy!tavern!or!inn.!It!is!the!
characters!lucky!night!!She!appears!as!a!slight!
and!graceful!female!of!the!same!race!as!the!
character,!with!entrancing!eyes!8!one!blue,!one!
grey.!If!pressed,!she!will!use!the!name!Raelinn.!
If!the!character!is!rude!or!overtly!dismissive,!
Raelinn!will!ambush!the!characters!(see!
below).!!If!the!character!gives!The!Rat!Queen!a!
“night!to!remember”![Ability!check!based!on!
Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
what!attracted!the!Rat!Queen!DC!15],!she!will!
bless!the!character!with!luck!(the!character!has!
5!“luck!points”!that!can!be!used!to!reroll!any!
dice!roll).!!If!the!character!didn’t!perform!(failed!
check),!the!DM!gets!5!“luck!rolls”!to!use!against!
that!character.!!
When!The!Rat!Queen!leaves,!she!will!remind!
the!character,!“Don’t!kiss!and!tell,”!and!walks!
away,!disappearing!into!the!shadows.!If!the!
character!talks!about!the!experience,!the!DM!
gets!5!“luck!rolls”!to!use!against!that!character.!
!
If!this!encounter!devolves!into!combat,!use!the!
wererat!stats!for!the!Rat!Queen,!with!the!
following!modifications.!If!needed!(see!scaling),!
The!Rat!Queen!can!use!a!bonus!action!to!
summon!Swarms'of'Rats.!!When!The!Rat!
Queen!is!reduced!to!0!or!fewer!hit!points,!her!
body!shatters!into!a!Swarm!of!Rats!and!scurries!
away.!!If!the!characters!manage!to!destroy!75%!
of!the!swarm,!the!rest!die!and!The!Rat!Queen!is!
permanently!dead.!!If!more!than!75%!escape,!
the!Rat!Queen!survives!and!can!reconstitute!her!
body.!
Treasure
Scaling the Encounter
Make!it!more!difficult!by!adding!Swarms!of!Rats!
as!follows:!
• For!a!Party!of!4:!Level!384,!2!Swarms,!Level!
587,!5!swarms!
• For!an!Individual:!Add!1!swarm!of!rats!for!
each!level!above!6!
What’s Next?
The!Rat!Queen!could!become!a!recurring!NPC!in!
your!campaign.!!On!occasion,!attempting!to!
seduce!the!same!character!or!a!different!one.!
Future!encounters!may!result!in!a!lower!
number!of!“Luck!Points”!at!the!discretion!of!the!
DM.!!This!encounter!is!based!on!a!legend!from!
London.!!The!Rat!Queen!would!seduce!and!
reward!(or!punish)!sewer!pickers!(toshers).!
City Encounters 9!
Encounter: Stoolball
XP:'If!you!want!to!award!XP,!give!them!50!for!
playing!and!100!extra!for!losing!with!style.!This"
is"a"social"&"skillEbased"encounter"appropriate"
for"any"level.!
This!encounter!works!well!in!any!low8class!
neighborhood.!!It!fits!best!in!Waterdeep’s!South!
Ward.!!The!encounter!also!has!the!potential!to!
introduce!characters!to!a!useful!NPC!contact.!
Include!one!orphan!for!each!character!in!the!
party.!!The!text!is!written!after!characters!leave!
a!shop,!but!can!easily!be!modified.!
!
As!you!leave!the!shop!and!enter!the!street,!you!
notice!a!rag8tag!group!of!kids!sprawled!lazily!
on!the!ground.!!Two!of!the!kids!are!sitting!on!
stools.!!The!girl!on!the!stool!tosses!you!a!ball!
and!yells,!“Hey!mister,!up!for!a!game!of!
stoolball?”!
!
If!the!characters!say!no,!have!some!of!the!
orphans!looks!disappointed.!!The!one!that!
threw!the!ball!will!jump!off!the!stool!and!
approach!the!characters,!begging!to!play!88!they!
don’t!have!enough!kids!to!make!two!teams!and!
are!very!bored.!!She!will!add,!“You!know!what!
happens!when!kids!get!bored,!they!get!in!
trouble!88!I’m!just!trying!to!keep!their!noses!
clean,”!as!she!points!back!to!her!crew.!
! defense.!!
If!the!characters!say!yes,!read!the!following:!
! If!a!character!fails!a!check!miserably,!feel!free!to!
Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
The!kids!give!a!quick!cheer!as!one!grabs!a!
stool!and!paces!off!16!large!steps.!!“Us!versus!
the!oldies,”!says!another.!!The!other!kid!on!the!
stool!tosses!a!club!towards!you!and!yells!to!the!
others,!“Oldies!hit!first.”!!He!looks!back!and!
says,!“Simple,!just!hit!the!ball!and!run!to!the!
stool.!
Surroundings
The!kids!set!up!the!game!in!the!middle!of!the!
street!by!turning!the!two!stools!upside!down!
‘16!paces’!apart.!!The!girl,!Mariaka,!grabs!the!
ball!back!from!the!character!and!jogs!to!one!
stool!while!pointing!to!the!other.!Some!
pedestrians!scowl,!while!others!smile!as!they!
become!unwitting!obstacles!in!the!field!of!
play.!!It!is!an!oddity!to!see!adult!adventurers!
playing!with!orphans,!so!a!small!crowd!does!
begin!to!form.!
Encounter
All!of!the!kids!get!a!+2!on!dex!rolls!and!a!+0!on!
strength!rolls.!
!
The!rules!of!the!game!are!fairly!simple.!!The!
“bowler”!tries!to!throw!the!ball!underhand!into!
the!opposite!stool!(Dex!Attack,!AC!8).!!If!the!
bowler!misses,!it!is!a!“wide!ball.”!After!3!wide!
balls,!the!team!at!bat!scores!1!run.!!If!the!bowler!
hits,!the!“batsman”!gets!a!chance!to!hit!the!ball!
(Dex!or!Strength!Attack,!AC!12).!!If!the!batter!
misses,!he!is!“bowled”!out.!!If!the!batter!hits,!the!
batter!rolls!Dex!and!adds!any!modifiers.![A!
natural!20!hits!the!ball!out!of!play!and!counts!
for!4!runs)!The!defenders!(pick!a!random!
character)!roll!also!roll!a!Dex!check.!!If!the!
batter’s!roll!is!higher,!he!runs!to!the!opposite!
stool!and!scores!a!run.!!If!the!defense!roll!is!
higher!a!player!either!catches!the!ball!in!the!air!
or!tags!the!stool!before!the!batter!reaches!it!8!
the!batter!is!out.!!Each!player!on!the!offensive!
team!gets!one!turn!at!bat!before!switching!to!
!
have!him!or!her!collide!with!a!bystander...!
City Encounters 10!
!
The!kids!will!share!the!rules!throughout!the!
game!8!often!after!the!characters!make!a!
mistake.!The!kids!maintain!an!unbelievably!
high!level!of!energy,!excited!at!each!good!play!
and!dejected!if!it!looks!like!the!“oldies”!might!
win.!Throughout!the!game,!the!kids!chant!and!
taunt,!for!example:!
• Hey!batsman,!batsman,!swing!!
• We!want!a!bowler,!not!a!silly!growler!!
• You!throw!like!a!halfling!!
• Barry!(or!Belinda!for!a!female!character)!
got!Bowled!!!(They!will!say!this!each!time!a!
character!at!bat!is!bowled)!
• I!said!a!boom8chicka8boom,!a!boom!8!
chickaraka8!chickaraka!8chica!boom!
• One!more!time,!Nellie,!hit!it!out!of!here!!
• Mariaka,!Mariaka,!throw!the!heat!!
• Hit!that!ball!like!you!hit!a!stinky!orc!!
!
After!the!kids!are!finished!batting!a!second!
time,!an!old!man!hobbles!from!the!crowd!and!
shoes!the!kids!towards!home,!saying!that!it!is!
time!for!chores.!!If!they!win,!the!kids!run!up!to!
the!characters!and!attempt!to!give!each!a!high8
five.!!If!they!lose,!the!kids!look!a!bit!dejected,!
but!thank!the!characters!for!a!good!battle.!
! Ward!or!Downshadow!or!a!side!alley!near!a!
The!old!man!will!introduce!himself!to!the!
characters!as!Father!Youderian.!!If!the!
characters!lost!or!kept!it!very!close,!Father!
Youderian!will!thank!them!for!making!the!kids!
happy!and!encourage!them!to!stop!by!Saint!
Sollars!if!they!need!anything!8!or!just!want!to!
say!‘hi’!to!the!kids!again.!
! crowd!down!the!street!from!you.!!As!you!get!
Treasure
If!the!characters!don’t!destroy!the!kids,!they!
gain!useful!a!useful!contact!and!their!hearts!are!
filled!with!joy.!
Scaling the Encounter
If!the!characters!need!an!easier!encounter,!they!
should!stop!whining...or!blame!the!referee.!
Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
What’s Next?
Father!Youderian!is!a!priest!of!Ilmater!and!runs!
Saint!Sollars!the!Twice!Martyred!Hospital!and!
Orphanage,!located!in!Waterdeep’s!South!
Ward.!!Youderian!is!a!member!of!the!Order!of!
the!Gauntlet!and!could!be!a!valuable!contact!for!
the!players.!!He!will!happily!provide!characters!
with!healing!spells!if!they!come!to!the!hospital,!
donations!are!appreciated,!but!not!necessary!if!
the!characters!do!not!take!advantage!of!the!
situation![Father!Youderian!is!featured!in!the!
DMsGuild!publication,!Faction!Folio:!Waterdeep!
8!Dungeon!Master’s!City!Guide].!!!
!
Orphans!often!have!their!ears!open!while!they!
roam!the!streets,!so!they!may!be!able!to!provide!
characters!with!juicy!gossip!in!the!future!too.!!!
Encounter: The Shifty Shell
XP:'600!XP!As"written,"this"is"a"deadly"encounter"
for"level"1,"a"medium"challenge"for"level"2"and"an"
easy"challenge"for"level"3.!
!
This!encounter!works!well!in!a!“sketchy”!part!of!
town!near!a!marketplace.!Anywhere!in!the!Dock!
busy!commercial!area!in!the!Trade!or!Castle!
Ward!are!excellent!locations.!!This!is!primarily!a!
social!and!skill!encounter,!but!there!is!an!
opportunity!for!a!brief!combat.!
!
You!hear!a!lot!of!cheering!coming!from!a!small!
closer,!you!see!a!plain8looking!half8elf!woman!
behind!a!makeshift!table!leading!a!shell!
game.!!A!dwarf!in!red!and!black!leathers!looks!
like!she!just!lost,!“Lexie,!I’ll!get!you!this!time,”!
as!she!tosses!the!half8elf!a!silver.!!Lexie!flips!
the!coin!in!the!air,!catches!it!and!then!drops!it!
in!the!central!large!shell,!starting!the!
game.!!The!crowd!cheers!as!the!dwarf!wins!a!
series!of!double8or8nothing!challenges.!“Hey,!
it’s!my!turn!to!win!some!coin,”!yells!a!caravan!
guard!as!he!pushes!his!way!to!the!table.!!!
City Encounters 11!

If!the!characters!stick!around,!they!can!watch!
the!guard,!Laurentis,!win!and!lose!a!few.!!If!they!
are!watching!closely!(Passive!perception!
greater!than!15),!they!notice!that!Laurentis!
wins!just!as!he!starts!getting!discouraged!by!his!
losses.!Lexie!will!encourage!the!characters!to!
jump!in.!!If!they!don’t,!a!barbarian!will.!
Surroundings
The!encounter!takes!place!near!the!mouth!of!an!
alley,!with!the!table!set!so!that!Lexie!has!an!easy!
escape!path.!A!crowd!of!about!a!dozen!has!
formed.!Fat!Thumbs!Fenton!and!Ergar!remain!
within!easy!reach!of!anyone!playing!the!game.!
Encounter
The!three!NPCs!involved!in!the!con!are:!
• Lexie!the!Cheat,!a!plain8looking!half8elf.!She!
runs!the!con.!!Use!the!spy!stats!with!the!
addition!of!the!following!sorcerer!abilities:!
o Cantrips:!Blade!Ward,!Mage!Hand,!
Prestidigitation,!Minor!Illusion!
o 1st!Level!Spells!Fog!Cloud,!Sleep!
o Spell!Save!DC!13,!Spell!Attack!Bonus!+5!
o Wild!Magic!Surge:!When!Lexie!casts!a!
spell,!roll!a!d20.!!On!a!1,!refer!to!the!
Wild!Magic!Surge!table!(PHB!pg!104).!
o Tides!of!Chaos:!Once!per!long!rest,!Lexie!
can!take!advantage!on!a!roll.!!The!DM!
should!roll!for!a!Wild!Magic!Surge!the!
next!time!she!casts!a!spell.!
• Fat!Thumbs!Fenton!is!a!female!dwarf.!!She!
looks!like!a!freelancer!in!black!and!red!
leathers!with!a!long!braided!blonde!beard.!
Use!the!bandit!stats.!
• Ergar!is!a!tall,!male!northern!barbarian.!His!
leather!armor!and!bear!furs!do!not!do!much!
to!conceal!his!bulging!muscles.!Use!the!
tribal'warrior!stats.!
! Lexie’s!turn!for!the!next!6!rounds!!
Characters!can!bet!any!amount!of!coins!up!to!2!
gp.!!Lexie!will!let!it!go!to!higher!stakes!on!a!
double!or!nothing!challenge.!!Each!time!she!
starts!the!game,!Lexie!flips!the!coin!in!the!air,!
catches!it!and!drops!it!into!the!cup.!!
! unoccupied!spaces!within!60!feet!of!
Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
To!run!the!shell!game,!use!a!contested!
perception!vs.!sleight!of!hand!test.!!Lexie!the!
Cheat!has!a!+7!on!this!test.!!The!individual!with!
the!highest!score!wins.!!!
!
Lexie!the!Cheat!is!a!con!artist.!!For!the!first!two!
rounds!Lexie!attempts!to!draw!the!character!in!
by!giving!two!wins!(beat!a!DC!10).!On!the!third!
game,!she!will!play!it!straight.!If!the!characters!
win,!she!will!try!to!get!them!to!do!a!double!or!
nothing!challenge.!If!they!lose,!she’ll!encourage!
them!to!try!again!8!at!some!point,!offering!a!
“freebie”!if!they!have!any!good!gossip.!!When!
the!stakes!get!high!enough,!she!will!cheat.!
!
When!cheating,!she!flips!the!coin,!palms!it!and!
uses!minor"illusion!to!make!the!sound!of!the!
coin!hitting!the!bottom!of!the!cup.!!At!the!end!of!
the!game,!she!will!show!the!coin!under!a!
different!cup!8!the!character!always!loses!on!a!
cheat.!If!the!characters!win!an!opposed!
perception!vs!sleight!of!hand!check,!they!catch!
the!cheat.!
!
If!caught,!Lexie!will!try!to!bluff!her!way!out!of!
the!situation!(I!have!kids!to!feed!).!If!needed,!
roll!a!charisma!(+3)!check.!!If!things!get!
aggressive,!she!will!attempt!to!cast!sleep!and!
then!flee.!!Ergar!and!Fenton!will!use!non8lethal!
attacks!to!slow!any!attempt!at!pursuit.!!The!goal!
is!escape,!so!Ergar!and!Fenton!will!disengage!
and!flee!as!soon!as!Lexie!has!a!head!start.!
!
Lexie!is!an!untrained!‘wild!magic’!sorcerer.!!Her!
casting!of!sleep!triggers!a!wild!magic!surge.!!To!
save!time,!use!the!following!results!for!her!wild!
magic!surge.!
!
Wild!Magic!Surge!(use!as!needed):!!!
• Round!1!(after!casting!sleep)!roll!=!1:!
Roll!on!the!table!at!the!beginning!of!
• Round!2!roll!=!79:!Illusionary!butterflies!
and!flower!petals!flutter!within!10!feet!
of!her!for!the!next!minute.!
• Round!3!roll!=!38:!4!(1d6)!flumphs!
controlled!by!the!DM!appear!in!
City Encounters 12!
 Lexie!and!are!frightened!of!her.!They!
vanish!after!1!minute.!Use!this!
opportunity!for!the!flumphs!to!use!
telepathy!to!plant!a!“plot!seed”!with!one!
or!more!of!your!characters.!!It!is!
unlikely!the!flumphs!will!attack!
characters!8!instead!have!them!use!their!
stinking!spray!to!flee,!or!try!to!
telepathically!communicate!with!“good”!
characters!to!figure!out!how!they!got!
here!!
• Round!4!roll!=!61:!Lexie!must!shout!
when!she!speaks!for!the!next!minute.!
• Round!5!roll!=!95:!Lexie!and!everyone!
within!30!feet!of!her!becomes!
invulnerable!to!piercing!damage!for!a!
minute.!
• Round!roll!6!=!27:!For!the!next!minute,!
all!of!Lexie’s!spells!with!a!casting!time!of!
1!action!can!be!cast!as!a!bonus!action.!
• Round!7:!Roll!=!69:!Each!creature!within!
30ft!of!Lexie!becomes!invisible!for!the!
next!minute.!!The!invisibility!ends!on!a!
creature!when!that!creature!attacks!or!
casts!a!spell.!
!
Treasure
Lexie!the!Cheat!is!carrying!the!group’s!earnings,!
127!sp!and!23!gp.!Fenton!has!7gp,!and!20sp,!
while!Ergar!carries!17sp!and!3!small!rubies!
(inside!of!his!belt)!worth!40gp!each.!
Scaling the Encounter
The!goal!of!the!con!artists!is!to!escape!quickly,!
so!the!characters!may!take!a!beating,!but!
shouldn’t!get!killed...unless!they!persist!in!the!
fight.!!If!the!characters!are!level!4!or!above,!Fat!
Thumbs!Fenton!should!use!the!bandit'captain!
stats!and!Ergar!can!use!the!berserker!stats!to!
increase!the!challenge!rating!(XP!=!2200).!
What’s Next?
If!the!characters!do!some!digging!(Investigation!
check!DC!15),!they!learn!the!names!of!the!three!
con!artists!and!that!they!are!a!small8time!
crew.!!If!they!are!successful!with!a!DC!20!check,!
Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
they!learn!that!the!crew!is!part!of!the!South!
Ward!Slingers!(Faction!Folio:!Waterdeep!DM’s!
City!Guide).!The!characters!may!see!the!three,!
in!different!clothing,!again!in!the!future.!
Encounter: Rag & Bone
Man
There"is"no"XP"value"for"this"encounter.""It"is"a"
social"encounter"appropriate"for"any"group.!
!
This!encounter!takes!place!in!a!poor!
neighborhood!or!on!the!fringes!of!a!commercial!
area.!!The!South,!Dock,!and!Trade!Wards!work!
well!for!this!encounter.!!
!
You!hear!the!distinctive!“Rah8Bo”!call!of!the!Rag!
and!Bone!Man.!!Ahead,!you!see!the!trash!picker!
stop!his!rickety!handcart!near!the!entrance!to!
an!alley.!!He!empties!a!barrel!on!top!of!the!
mound!of!refuse!in!his!cart!as!a!shopkeeper!
hands!him!a!small!piece!of!dried!meat.!!He!stuffs!
the!jerky!in!a!dirty!pocket!as!he!catches!your!
attention!with!a!toothless!smile,!“Ya!luk!at!me!
treasures?”!
Surroundings
The!Rag!and!Bone!Man!has!stopped!at!the!
entrance!to!an!alley!along!a!busy!street.!The!
crowd!ignores!him!as!they!walk!buy.!
Encounter
Colin!Steptoe!is!a!weathered,!ancient8looking,!
human!(use!commoner!stats).!His!ragged!
clothing!bears!the!patch!of!Waterdeep’s!
Dungsweeper!Guild!and!the!stench!that!goes!
with!it.!!Colin’s!makeshift!cart!holds!a!large!
mound!of!refuse,!and!smaller!sorted!mounds!of!
discarded!rags,!bones,!food!scraps,!and!pieces!of!
metal.!He!also!has!a!small!wooden!box!that!
holds!the!treasures!that!he!has!saved.!!While!
talking!to!characters,!he!occasionally!will!see!
something!of!value!in!his!refuse!mound!and!sort!
it!into!the!correct!pile.!!If!he!finds!anything!of!
real!value!(a!coin,!gem,!etc.),!he’ll!stick!it!in!a!
pocket.!
City Encounters 13!
Steptoe!will!try!to!get!the!characters!to!
purchase!some!of!his!treasures.!!He’ll!start!with!
a!“high”!price!8!a!silver!or!two,!but!usually!
settles!for!a!few!coppers.!!If!the!characters!
want,!they!can!also!purchase!a!few!rags!or!
bones!for!a!copper.!
! •
The!treasures:!
• A!multi8colored,!beaded!necklace!
• A!small!wood!carving!of!a!werewolf!
• A!leather8wrapped!hilt!of!a!broken!sword!
• A!tarnished!bronze!statue!8!too!damaged!to!
determine!what!it!represents.!
• A!wooden!hand8mirror,!without!the!mirror!
• A!small!knife!with!a!broken!blade!
• A!stoppered!glass!flask!etched!with!the!
name!Fineran.!
• A!damaged!leather!book!full!of!gibberish.!
• A!tarnished!piece!of!bronze!chainmail!
(detects!magic!8!single!use!only:!when!worn!
as!a!pendant,!confers!a!+1!to!AC!until!the!
next!short!rest)!
• 3!complete!horseshoe!nails!
! decorations.!!
Treasure
Colin!Steptoe!has!a!few!more!valuables!in!the!
many!pockets!of!his!dirty!clothing.!!If,!for!some!
reason,!the!characters!search!him,!they!find!the!
following:!11!sp,!23!cp,!a!painted!glass!idol!of!
Lathandar!(12!sp),!a!small!bloodstone!(6gp),!2!
fist8sized!chunks!of!dry!bread,!3!pieces!of!jerky,!
and!a!small!grimy!flask!of!watered!ale.!
guild,!See!Faction!Folio:!Waterdeep!DM’s!
City!Guide).!
• A!journal!describing!suspected!
indiscretions!of!a!noble.!
• The!identity!of!a!spy!of!the!Knights!of!the!
Shield!
A!communication!between!Harper!agents!
describing!the!location!of!a!cult!safehouse.!
!
If!treated!well,!Colin!(and!his!Dungsweeper!
colleagues)!could!become!valuable!
contacts.!!They!keep!their!ears!and!eyes!open!
and!are!happy!to!sell!what!they!know.!
!
Rag!and!Bone!Man!was!a!real!profession!in!the!
middle!ages.!!They!would!travel!through!the!
nicer!neighborhoods!to!collect!trash,!often!
taking!away!the!trash!for!a!small!food!payment.!
They!would!sort!the!thrash!and!attempt!to!
resell!anything!with!value!in!lower!class!
neighborhoods.!!Discarded!rags!could!be!used!
in!many!ways,!including!papermaking.!!Bones!
could!be!turned!into!knife!handles,!toys,!or!

Scaling the Encounter

There!should!be!no!reason!to!scale!this!
encounter.!

What’s Next?
This!encounter!provides!a!great!opportunity!to!
introduce!a!new!plot!or!side!trek.!!For!example,!
if!the!characters!try!to!decipher!the!leather!
book!(Intelligence!DC!15),!they!might!discover!
one!of!the!following:!
• A!partial!list!of!establishments!that!are!
under!protection!of!the!Muzad!(thieves!

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. City Encounters 14!

Encounter: Damsel in
Distress
XP:)1090."As"written,"this"is"a"medium"challenge"
encounter"for"a"party"of"4,"4thElevel"characters.""!
! Treasure'
This!encounter!takes!place!near!an!alley!in!any!
city!ward.!!If!this!encounter!takes!place!in!a!
sketchy!part!of!town,!the!noble!is!slumming.!!
! !
As!you!approach!the!entrance!to!a!side!alley,!a!
woman!with!long!brown!hair!rounds!the!corner!
and!runs!straight!at!you.!“Help!me,”!she!pleads.!!
Her!yellow!dress!is!torn!and!her!nose!is!
bloodied.!!By!the!cut!of!the!dress,!her!
occupation!is!obvious.!!“He’s!an!animal,!don’t!let!
him!hurt!me!again,”!the!woman!sobs!as!she!
clutches!at!(insert"a"character’s"name).!
! Hidden!Temple!social!club!–!Faction!Folio:!
Before!you!have!a!chance!to!react,!a!large,!well8
dressed!man,!wearing!an!ornate!breastplate!
comes!out!of!the!alley.!!“Leave!that!wench!to!
me.!!She’s!mine.”!!
Surroundings
The!surroundings!depend!on!the!location!in!the!
city.!!In!general,!the!street!is!about!30!feet!wide.!!
The!entrance!to!the!alley,!and!the!enraged!man,!
are!about!15!feet!in!front!of!the!characters.!
Encounter
Shyona!is!an!attractive!human!courtesan!(use!
scout!statistics!with!the!addition!of!proficiency!
in!sleight!of!hand).!!Haelron!Phull!the!3rd!is!the!
second!son!of!the!Phull!noble!family,!out!for!a!
night!of!fun.!
!
Shyonia!claims!that!Haelron!beat!her!for!no!
reason.!Haelron!demands!that!the!characters!
leave!the!girl!to!him!so!that!she!can!get!what!
she!deserves!for!trying!to!steal!from!him.!!He!is!
drunk!and!combative.!
! ever!need!help,!take!the!die!to!The!Hippo,!ask!
After!three!rounds,!Haelron’s!bodyguard,!Elvart!
(veteran)!rounds!the!corner.!!If!the!situation!
looks!remotely!dangerous,!he!will!attack!
without!hesitation.!!He!is!not!carrying!his!heavy!
Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
crossbow.!If!the!situation!hasn’t!reached!a!
boiling!point!yet,!he!will!try!unsuccessfully!to!
defuse!the!situation!–!Haelron!is!determined!to!
get!the!girl.!
!
Shyona!is!wearing!two!silver!bracelets!(12!gp),!
4gp,!23!sp,!two!bone!dice!with!the!“1”!replaced!
with!a!skull,!and!a!small!dagger.!
Haelron!is!wearing!an!ornate!breastplate,!and!a!
rapier!with!a!silvered!pommel.!!He!is!carrying!a!
rapier,!30gp,!42!sp,!and!a!small!piece!of!onyx!
(35gp).!He!is!also!wearing!a!black!stone!
pendant!marked!with!an!oval!and!10!tentacles.!!
[If!a!character!has!spent!a!lot!of!time!in!
Waterdeep,!an!Intelligence!check!DC!10!reveals!
that!this!is!the!same!symbol!as!used!by!the!
Waterdeep!DMs!City!Guide].!
!
Elvart!is!wearing!splint!armor!and!carries!a!
long!sword!and!short!sword.!!He!does!not!have!
his!heavy!crossbow.!He!has!19!sp!and!2!gp.!
!
Scaling the Encounter
This!is!a!medium!challenge!encounter!for!4,!4th!
level!characters!and!hard!for!level!3.!!You!can!
decrease!the!challenge!as!follows.!
• Level!1:!Replace!Elvart!with!three!of!
Haelron’s!friends!(use!guard!stats),!!
(XP!200).!
• Level!2:!!Elvart!uses!Bandit'Captain!stats!
(XP!475).!
• Level!5+:!Elvart!uses!Gladiator!stats!!
(XP!1825).!
What’s Next?
If!the!characters!side!with!Shyonia,!she!is!
thankful!and!gives!them!a!bone!die!with!the!“1”!
replaced!with!a!skull.!She!tells!them!that!if!they!
for!Bones!and!let!him!know!that!Shyonia!sent!
them.![Faction!Folio:!Waterdeep!DMs!City!
Guide]!!However,!the!characters!gain!the!enmity!
City Encounters 15!
of!the!Phull!family.!!If!Haelron!is!seriously! Daviten!is!a!tired!human!laborer!(commoner)!
injured!or!killed,!the!family!will!demand!justice.! who!has!a!nasty!habit!of!picking!his!nose!before!
! throwing!bones.!
If!the!characters!give!up!Shyonia,!Haelron!gives! !
them!a!nod!and!storms!off.!!Elvart!drags!her! Gavin!is!a!swashbuckling!human!sailor!
behind.! (bandit).!He!is!‘shifty,’!always!looking!around.!
! !
If!you!want!to!add!some!supernatural!danger!to! Downshadow!(playing!for!coppers)!
this!encounter,!Haelron!Phull!the!3rd!is!actually! !
a!cambion.!A!hard!challenge!for!level!4!without! Merton!is!a!flirtatious!female!goblin!seller!of!
Elvart!(XP!1800).!!At!levels!587,!include!Elvart! random!trinkets.!!She!will!ask!the!character!
as!a!veteran!(XP!2500).!!Level!8+!use!gladiator! with!the!highest!charisma!to!sit!next!to!her.!!
stats!for!Elvart!(XP!3600).!The!Phull!family!does! !
not!know!that!they!are!harboring!a!cambion! Stenborn!is!a!gruff!male!dwarf!(thug)!Red!
and!will!do!everything!they!can!to!keep!this! Blade.!He!frequently!scratches!the!rash!on!his!
quiet.! forearm!before!throwing.!!The!Red!Blades!are!a!
notorious!mercenary!company!that!also!
provides!some!protection!in!Downshadow.!
Encounter: Knucklebones !
There"is"no"XP"value"for"this"encounter.""It"is"a" Dornis!is!a!friendly!male!half8orc!barkeep!
social"encounter"appropriate"for"any"group.! (commoner).!!He!is!covered!with!burn!scars!
! and!one!blind!eye!is!milky!yellow.!
This!encounter!takes!place!in!a!relaxed!public! !
place!–!a!tavern,!café,!or!street!corner.!This! Tulip!is!a!bossy!and!overweight!female!human!
could!occur!in!any!ward!of!Waterdeep.! harlot!(commoner).!!She!is!off!duty!and!will!
!
rebuke!anyone!hitting!on!her.!!She!yells,!“No!
As!you!walk!by,!you!see!a!group!of!four!having!a! dogs,!man”!before!each!throw.!
good!time!throwing!knucklebones.!After!a! !
throw,!they!all!yell,!“The!Dead!Three!”!and!take! Trade!and!South!Wards!(playing!for!coppers,!
long!drinks!of!ale.!One!looks!up!and!says,!“Want! unless!at!a!higher!end!establishment)!
to!join?!We!have!plenty!of!room!for!more.”! !
!
Jelaine!is!a!flirtatious!female!half8elf!
Surroundings seamstress!(spy).!She!will!invite!the!apparent!
This!encounter!can!occur!in!many!different! leader!of!the!party!to!sit!by!her.!In!reality,!she!is!
locations!in!any!ward.!The!ward!that!the! an!information!gatherer!for!a!neighborhood!
characters!are!in!determines!the!NPCs!that!are! thieving!crew.!
playing.! !
! Eldina!is!a!talkative!female!dwarf!(guard)!
Dock!Ward!(playing!for!coppers)! caravan!guard.!She!has!a!habit!of!stroking!her!
! beard!before!she!throws.!
Keton!is!a!flirtatious!female!half8orc!fisherman! !
(thug).!She!will!invite!the!strongest!character!to! Maker!is!a!male!human!jeweler!(commoner).!
sit!next!to!her.! He’ll!periodically!attempt!to!throw!a!low!cost!
! piece!of!jewelry!in!the!pot!instead!of!coin.!
Wilton!is!a!friendly!male!gnome!barkeep! !
(commoner).!He!yells,!“throw!me!some!ho’s”! Bartak!is!a!friendly!human!male!merchant!
before!throwing.! (commoner).!!He!was!part!of!a!caravan!that!
!

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. City Encounters 16!
just!arrived!from!Baldur’s!Gate!and!is!interested! Encounter
in!learning!more!about!the!city.!
! Knucklebones!is!a!simple!game!played!with!four!
Field!Ward!or!Undercliff!(playing!for!coppers)! bones!from!the!ankle!of!a!sheep!or!goat.!!All!
! players!use!the!same!set!of!bones.!Two!faces!of!
Davaris!is!a!friendly!male!Halfling!farmer! the!bone!are!curved!so!that!the!bone!will!land!
(commoner)!with!the!habit!of!spitting!in!his! on!one!of!the!other!four!sides!when!thrown.!!
hands!before!throwing!bones.! The!rules!described!below!are!heavily!modified!
! from!the!game!played!in!Ancient!Rome.!
Stonefoot!is!a!gruff,!drunken!male!dwarven! !
armorer!(guard)!who!says,!“no!bitches!for!me”!
before!he!throws.!
!
Jafera!is!a!flirtatious!female!elven!
leatherworker!(commoner)!who!will!ask!the!
character!with!the!highest!charisma!to!sit!next!
to!her.!
!
Bellen!is!a!boisterous!human!northlander8
human!butcher!(commoner)!who!is!willing!to!
share!his!jerky!with!fellow!gamblers.!
!
Sea!and!Castle!Wards!(playing!for!silvers)!
! !
!
Eldab!is!a!happy!female!human!priest!of!
Each!of!the!four!bone!faces!has!a!name:!
Tymora!(priest).!!She!always!says,!“luck!be!my!
!
lady!tonight”!before!throwing.!!If!anyone!throws!
Shape' Name' d4'
a!‘Black!Bess’!(see!the!next!section),!she!will! Wide!Concave! Harlot! 4!
grimace.! Narrow!Concave! Hole! 3!
! Wide!Convex! Fat!Man!(Fatty)! 2!
Arimex!is!an!arrogant!male!human! Narrow!Convex! Dog! 1!
(commoner).!!He!is!the!son!of!a!wealthy! !
merchant.!!Before!he!throws,!he!has!the!habit!of! The!following!throws!are!important:!
shaking!the!bones!next!to!each!ear!and!saying,! • Smiling!Lady!=!1!of!each!face!in!any!order.!
“show!me!the!girls.”! This"is"in"reference"to"Tymora,"the"Lady"of"
! Luck.!
Gavin!is!a!talkative!male!human!(veteran)! • Humper!=!4!Harlots!(4)!
member!of!the!city!watch.!He!loves!to!tell! • Black!Bess!=!4!Dogs!(1).!This"is"in"reference"
stories!about!his!heroics.! for"Beshaba,"Goddess"of"Ill"Fortune!
• Dead!Three!=!any!throw!that!contains!three!
Nurok!is!a!friendly!male!human!merchant!
of!a!kind.!!This"is"in"reference"to"the"legend"
(spy).!He!is!visiting!from!Berdusk!and!
that"Bane,"Bahl"and"Myrkul"threw"
interested!in!learning!about!the!city.!!In!reality,!
knucklebones"for"their"divine"portfolios!
Nurok!is!an!information!gatherer!for!a!thieving!
• Harlots!(4)!=!multiple!Harlots!in!a!throw.!!
crew!specializing!in!high8end!burglaries.
This!is!only!used!in!the!4th!round!and!
subsequent!tiebreakers.!
!

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. City Encounters 17!
Each!round!is!called!a!“skull”!and!lasts!until! Hole3-Hole3-Fatty2-Hole3 (Dead Three! 1 coin)
someone!wins.!!Players!start!by!throwing!a!coin! Fatty2-Fatty2-Fatty2-Fatty2 (4 coins)
into!the!skull!(the!pot,!usually!an!empty!mug).!! Fatty2-Harlot 4-Harlot4-Hole3 (5 coins)
One!person!starts!and!the!bones!move!to!the! Harlot4-Dog1-Dog1-Harlot4 (4 coins)
Harlot 4-Dog1-Fatty2-Fatty2 (4 coins)
left.!
! Dog1-Dog1-Dog1-Dog1 (Black Bess, 10 coins, out)
The!results!for!each!throw:! Dog1-Hole3-Fatty2-Fatty2 (2 coins)
Dog1-Hole3-Dog1-Dog1 (Dead Three! 0 coins)
• For!each!Harlot!thrown,!add!2!coins!to!the! Fatty2-Hole3-Harlot4-Dog1 (Smiling Lady - Winner!)
skull.!
Hole3-Hole3-Fatty2-Dog1 (1 coin)
• For!each!Fat!Man!thrown,!add!1!coin!to!the! Harlot 4-Dog1-Dog1-Harlot4 (4 coins)
skull.! Fatty2-Fatty2-Harlot4-Harlot4 (6 coins)
• If!a!Black!Bess!is!thrown,!the!player!throws! Dog 1-Harlot4-Hole3-Fatty2 (Smiling Lady - Winner!)
10!coins!in!the!skull!and!is!out!until!
someone!wins.! Treasure
• If!a!Dead!Three!is!thrown,!all!of!the!players! You!can!let!the!NPCs!play!for!reasonable!stakes.!
yell,!“The!Dead!Three,”!and!take!a!drink.!! If!the!stakes!get!high,!they!might!get!anxious!
Other!than!that,!it!has!no!impact!on!the! and!the!loser!may!react!violently.!
game.! !
• A!Smiling!Lady!or!Humper!wins!all!of!the! If!a!fight!breaks!out,!and!characters!loot!bodies,!
coins!in!the!skull!and!starts!a!new!round.! give!them!a!reasonable!amount!of!loot.!!
! However,!this!is!a!public!place!–!there!should!be!
If!there!is!no!winner!after!three!rounds,!the! repercussions!to!their!violence.!
winner!is!determined!during!the!fourth!round!
based!on!the!player!that!throws!the!most!
harlots.!!Ties!continue!to!throw!until!a!winner!is! Scaling the Encounter
determined.! There!should!be!no!reason!to!scale!this!
! encounter.!If!combat!breaks!out!and!you!want!
A!quick!reminder!on!the!5E!exchange!rate:! to!up!the!challenge,!use!veterans!instead!of!
1!gp!=!10sp!=!100!cp! guards!and!berserkers!instead!of!a!tribal!
! warrior.!
The!following!list!of!throws!is!included!for!you!
to!use!as!needed.!! What’s Next?
Harlot4-Fatty2-Fatty2-Hole 3 (4 coins) If!you!want!to!spice!this!up,!one!of!the!NPCs!can!
Harlot4-Harlot4-Dog1-Dog1 (4 coins) blame!a!character!or!other!NPC!for!cheating!–!
Harlot4-Harlot4-Harlot 4-Harlot4 (Humper - Winner!)
Dog1-Fatty2-Harlot4-Harlot4 (5 coins) especially!if!the!just!lost!a!large!amount!of!coin.!!
However,!not!every!encounter!needs!to!be!
Hole3-Hole3-Dog1-Dog1 (0 coins) violent!!
Dog1-Dog1-Dog1-Dog1 (Black Bess, 10 coins, out)
Harlot4-Fatty2-Dog1-Harlot4 (5 coins) !
Dog1-Fatty2-Hole3-Dog1 (1 coin) This!encounter!provides!an!excellent!time!to!
introduce!rumors!to!the!characters.!!Here!are!a!
Dog1-Dog1-Harlot4-Dog1 (Dead Three! 2 coins)
Dog1-Dog1-Dog1-Dog1 (Black Bess, 10 coins, out) few!examples!to!get!you!started.!!Additional!
*If these two throws are back to back, the roller seems rumors!can!be!generated!here:!
quite upset about his bad luck http://inkwellideas.com/free8tools/rumor8
Dog1-Dog1-Fatty2-Hole3 (1 coin) generator/!!
Fatty 2-Dog1-Hole3-Fatty2 (2 coins)

Harlot4-Fatty2-Dog1-Hole3 (3 coins)
Harlot4-Harlot4-Harlot4-Dog1 (Dead Three! 6 coins)
Fatty 2-Harlot 4-Dog 1-Dog 1 (3 coins)

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. City Encounters 18!
Rumors:!
• If!you!are!betting!on!fights!at!Bloody!
Knuckles,!go!for!Mungen.!!I!hear!the!fix!is!in.!
(Faction!Folio:!Waterdeep!DM’s!City!Guide)!
!
• Morlyn!at!Yellow’s!Dry!Goods!has!been!
acting!really!strange!this!week.!
!
• I!heard!that!most!of!the!mercenary!
companies!in!the!city!are!run!by!the!Zhent.!
!
• Havaro!is!a!cheat.!!His!appraisals!are!way!
lower!than!everyone!else.!
!
• Did!you!hear!about!those!break8ins!by!
Tangtar’s?!I!think!the!Watch!knows!more!
than!they!are!letting!on.!
!
• What!do!you!think!about!that!Durinbold!
girl?!!She’s!sleeping!around!with!a!common!
merchant.!
!
• You!might!want!to!look!for!work!with!the!
Eagles.!!I!hear!they!just!got!a!couple!of!plum!
contracts.!
!
• You!know!that!one!armed!sailor!that!Scurvy!
is!always!talking!about?!!I!heard!he’s!a!
demon!pirate!!(Faction!Folio:!Waterdeep!
DM’s!City!Guide)!

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 Appendix(A:(Tomino’s(Hell(–(Player’s(Handout((From&the&Encounter:&Tomino)&
Reminder,&you&provide&this&text&to&your&players&at&your&own&risk!&

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