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Baptor
Seeker
USA
93 Posts |
 Posted - 23 Aug 2019 : 04:38:59
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I bought the Waterdeep Enchiridion some time back with the intent of running a campaign there as I have an affinity for mega-cities and the Realms.
One thing I've noticed about the Realms (probably due to its age) that hurts campaigns I wish to run there is the black/white morals of the city. Every faction I can find is either obviously good or obviously evil. I find multiple organizations of dubious or grey morals the best, as the players can have fun choosing who to side with and when and how to play them off one another to maintain balance.
Yet the Enchiridion (last time I'm typing that word) basically says the Open Lord and the Masked Lords are always good and just and make right decisions. Really? A utopian government? Such a thing is practically useless to me as a DM.
So I am asking the many lorekeepers of Candlekeep this:
1. Is this true, or just a poorly written supplement and Waterdeep is far greyer than it appears?
2. If Waterdeep is this cookie cutter, what are some suggestions for mixing it up? Should I just portray those institutions that the book says are 100% trustworthy (Lords, Magisters, Watch) as grey and morally dubious?
Any and all suggestions welcome!
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Jesus said, "I am the Ressurection and the Life. Anyone who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and those who live and believe in Me will never die. Do you believe this?" |
Edited by - Baptor on 23 Aug 2019 05:34:47
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George Krashos
Master of Realmslore
Australia
6643 Posts |
Posted - 23 Aug 2019 : 06:30:57
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It is not true and is a very basic and lacking in nuance product.
Read Ed Greenwood's novel "Death Masks" and Steven Schend's "Blackstaff Tower" to glean a far greater understanding of post-Spellplague Waterdeep.
-- George Krashos |
"Because only we, contrary to the barbarians, never count the enemy in battle." -- Aeschylus |
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Cards77
Senior Scribe
USA
745 Posts |
Posted - 01 Sep 2019 : 17:16:01
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1) Portray them as you wish.
2) I feel that what is given to the players is pretty accurate and by and large those organizations do act as advertised, which is why Waterdeep was and has been rock stable despite the Time of Troubles the Threat from the Sea and everything else that has happened.
It's good for business to have everything be lawful.
HOWEVER, there are many organizations that engage in some dubious dealings, the Harpers, Khelben, the Moonstars, Force Grey, and the Watchful Order of Magisters, the Watch themselves are ALL examples of "good" organizations that have gone very far into the gray area multiple times over the years.
Even some of the Secret Lords are of pretty dubious origin and have their own methods (many highly illegal).
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36779 Posts |
Posted - 01 Sep 2019 : 22:00:21
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There have been corrupt Lords in the past. And a lot of the Lords have their own interests, which may or may not conflict with others.
There are also the nobles, the guilds, and the merchant groups -- there's your best places for shades of grey and dubious morality.
Is the Detwenny noble family evil or good, when they push for some measure that helps out people but also enriches the Detwenny family? Is the Swordswinger Guild good or evil for opposing this? What about the Makabuck merchant group, that's supporting both sides?
You've can't forget the individual power players of the city, either. Individuals don't have to be 20th level to be a threat -- a 5th level bard with a shipload of gold to spread around can cause a lot of problems.
One of the things that Ed has always tried to emphasize with his stuff -- and which WotC just as often utterly ignores -- is that there are hundreds of different groups in the Realms, all with competing goals.
Even something as simple as shipping some kegs of ale from one place to another can have a lot of factions involved -- two allied factions hoping to make money from it, another faction that wants to get their own ale to market first, another faction that wants to destroy the ale to hurt one or both of the allied factions, another faction that wants to destroy the ale to cause unrest at the destination, another faction that wants to steal the ale and sell it themselves, and maybe yet another faction that has hidden something else within the shipment of ale and wants to make sure it reaches its destination. There could be just one guy looking to make a profit, or there could be half a dozen groups, all with their own agenda.
There's as much room for dubious morality and shades of grey as you want, and things can be cut-and-dried and simple, or so complex you need a supercomputer to keep track of it all. It's all in what the DM wants. |
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How Can I Make Waterdeep More Dynamic
