Table of Contents
Factions
Various factions have roots in Waterdeep, and any character with the faction agent background (described in the Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide) can choose to belong to one of the factions described below, provided the character meets the faction's prerequisites.
We're using the renown rules described in chapter 1 of the Dungeon Master's Guide. These will allow a player whose character has the faction agent background to roll a d4 to determine that character's renown at the start of the adventure. See the “Renown” article for more information.
Characters of other backgrounds will have opportunities to join a faction later in the adventure. Any such character must meet a faction's prerequisites to be eligible to join it, and the character's starting renown is 0.
Characters who have renown greater than 0 in a faction can gain its support in times of need by reaching out to an influential NPC member of that faction. As a character's renown improves, so does the quality of the support. A faction might also help non-members who further its interests. The descriptions of the factions that follow include suggestions for how support from a faction can manifest.
Faction Membership
A character with the faction agent background (described in the Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide) must choose a faction to belong to (see “Factions in Waterdeep” below). Characters without this background can join factions once they reach the end of chapter 1 of this adventure.
Tracking Renown
This adventure includes side quests available only to characters who join the factions described in this adventure.
We're using the optional renown rules in chapter 1 of the Dungeon Master's Guide to track a character's rank and ascent within a given faction.
List of Factions