Red Wizards of Thay

 Of all the cannon and homebrew factions in D&D, the only one specifically not allowed in Adventurers League is the Red Wizards. Despite that, I think it would be fun to play one that's going out into Faerûn to collect magic items of power to send back to the homeland and for overall espionage work. For adventures in and around Waterdeep, the Red Wizards are in Skullport (they're specifically banned from having a formal presence in Waterdeep itself) with both emissaries and intelligence gatherers. Here's the Red Wizards of Thay built out as a player faction if you're interested.

Halaster's Guide to Rune Magic

 Considering the fifth edition approach to rune magic is all over the place and very much silo'd by publication, I thought I'd give a go at a consolidated approach.

Halaster's Guide to Rune Magic brings together the various official magic rune concepts throughout fifth edition publications (including the runes found in Waterdeep - Dungeon of the Mad Mage, Storm King's Thunder, Tasha's Cauldron of Everything, and Volo's Guide to Monsters), tying them into one usable document.

Written for both players and Dungeon Masters, the goal of this document is to provide a cohesive reference that enables more player interaction with runes, allows for easier DM implementation, and brings more flavor and options to the table. It can be used in whole or in part.

This document is divided into several sections:

• The Rules. In order to consolidate the various magic rune material currently present in fifth edition, a few concepts and variant rules are being introduced to bring everything together. These are effectively the threads that allow for a coordinated approach to rune magic.
• Runic Spell Runes. This section addresses creating magic runes that hold a single spell. It expands on the concept of the symbol spell.
• Giantkind Runes. This section addresses magic runes commonly used by giants. It consolidates the effects of the various giantkind runes into one place and lays out the process of using those runes to enchant items.
• Giantkind Command Runes. These are not currently inscribable by player characters but added as a DM resource.
• Wild Runes. These are homebrew runes based on the effects of existing magical items.
• Runecutter. A new feat with D&D Beyond link, allowing access to rune magic beyond Rune Knights and those that can cast the symbol spell.

Three Factions of Waterdeep: Bregan D'aerthe, Gray Hands, and Xanathar Guild

Bregan D'aerthe, Gray Hands, Xanathar Guild...these three factions play a significant role in Waterdeep - Dragonheist. Three Factions of Waterdeep expands and integrates those faction rules and benefits into one cohesive resource, further detailing various ranks and their associated perks. The writer took a similar approach to the publication Guide to the Five Factions. It includes:

• By-faction perks for ranks 1-5.
• Summary of renown rules and short background of each faction.
• A magic item for each faction representing the various faction insignias with descriptions of the faction perks, with D&D Beyond links that provide the player quick access to the perks, promoting character involvement.
• Factions membership cards which can be used as handouts with QR code on the back linking to the D&D Beyond magic item.
• 2 Gray Hands subfactions with perks:
  • Force Grey.
  • Deep Delvers.
• Equipment including a fully detailed drow gunslinger's pistol (with five types of ammunition), spelunking pack, faction loot satchel, and spidersilk rope.
• PNG files of wax seals for faction letters and missives, for all three factions and the two subfactions.
• Downtime faction jobs unique for each factions.

Sewers of Waterdeep

 Here's my map of the sewers

House Amcathra

 I've added significant details about House Amcathra to my previous House Phylund publication. It includes:

• Family history and notable historical members (all from canon).
• Maps and details for the estate house and smithy in Waterdeep, family ranch in Undercliff, and family ranch in Amphail (27 images).
• State of the current House including current head of the house, faction relationships, family rivals, and benefits for being a family member.
• Details, statblock, and DDB link for the Amphail gray riding horse.
• Full size PNG files of the family crest and family seal.
• Amcathra signet ring for a character with D&D Beyond link (description also includes the family benefits for easy reference).

Welcome to your house.

The Five Main Factions of Faerun

 Here's my own attempt at a guide to the five main factions of Faerûn, whether you're in Waterdeep or anywhere else in Toril. Guide to the Five Factions attempts to consolidate and build off of the official fifth-edition faction rules, Adventure League season 10 renown rules, and some legacy and other third party publications to make it easier to incorporate factions into your adventure. It includes:

• By-faction perks for ranks 1-5.
  
• Summary of renown rules and short background of each faction.
  
• A magic item for each faction representing the various faction insignias with descriptions of the faction perks, with D&D Beyond links that provide the player quick access to the perks, promoting character involvement.
• Factions cards as handouts with QR code on the back linking to the D&D Beyond magic item.
• Letter templates to assign missions as player handouts, which also includes a paper bird (magic item from Waterdeep: Dragon Heist) .doc that includes printing and folding instructions to fold the message up into an origami owl - so a DM can physically hand a faction missive to a player at a gaming table.
• 2 subfactions:
• Zhentarim Doom Raiders as discussed in Waterdeep - Dragonheist.
  
• Emerald Enclave Instars including two monsters with D&D Beyond links: the moth and the butterfly.

Here's a look at the faction cards and the wax seals.

Trollskull Manor - the complete build

 Our group has finally finished renovating Trollskull Manor. Its been a fun journey.

• After completing Blue Alley, the took the ivory door off its hinges and drug it home, mounting it as the front door and renaming the establishment 'The Ivory Door".

• At the same time, they freed a boggle and hired him as the cook (btw, boggle oil used to fry chicken is delicious). He lives in the basement in a barrel full of oil. With his income as a chef, he bought some velvet wallpaper and spruced up his room into quite the pad. He also went out and bought himself a bit of jewelry to pimp himself up a bit.

• They  drug home the mechanical beholder from the cellar complex and rigged it up as a disco light. Dance night is the last day of tenday.

• They opened a fight club in the attic, complete with popcorn machine.

• I had the wererats living in the house next door, so the swept the place clean. Alas, in the fight, they did a good bit of fire damage to the inn, causing a loss of all the inn's profits to cover repairs. The building was a total rat trap so they city gave it to them under the condition they'd knock it down. They leveled the neighboring house and opened a beer garden.

• They redid the floor plan of the manor a bit to maximize space, the adventurers each have a room on the third floor, and use the second floor for rentals.

• On the second floor, they set up a gaming room where folks can spend their downtime playing "Offices & Humans". It's a tabletop role playing game...pretty popular with the nerdier adventurers.

• They set up a library on the second floor...unfortunately Boggle spent all the inn's profits (the profits they'd gained since The Great Rat Fire) to stock the library - 1,000 copies of the same book.

• The group spends much of their downtime going around town handing out coupons for 'the best fried chicken in Waterdeep'.

Here's the aerial view with the beer garden.

And here's Boggle!

The Misty Voyager

 What adventurer based in Waterdeep wouldn't want a ship sooner or later? Here's my go at it. It includes a crew which can be replaced with player characters or they can just be 'owners' and ferried around. The Misty Voyager is a caravel-class sailing ship customized for a group of intrepid adventurers. Whether they were awarded this vessel for an epic achievement, won it in a dirty card game, or obtained it some other way; this vehicle provides a worthy base of operations for almost any adventuring group with plenty of room for further customization.

Along with the description of the ship, this package includes:

• 1 new ship type, the Caravel, with prefilled vehicle stat sheet
• 4 sets of png maps: marked, grid, blank as well as pics of an empty ship so players can add their own options
• 4 pregen character sheets for the captain, first mate, bosun, and cook; including backstories and photos
• 1 new shifter subrace with D&D Beyond link
• 3 new ship upgrades
• The ship's title of ownership (from the city of Waterdeep) included as a player handout for when the player(s) gains ownership of the vessel
• Stat blocks for the ship, rowboats, ballista, and the buckboard wagon stored in the cargo hold

House Phylund

 When I first read Waterdeep - Dragonheist, I was like "Yes! I get to be a Phylund!" And then I realized there's very little 5e information on the family. House Phylund attempts to solve that and it includes everything you need to know about your character being a member of House Phylund of Waterdeep.

Written for players, dungeon masters and game designers, this document is designed to provide both historical and current details on House Phylund. If you’re a player who chose the noble background for your character, a dungeon master looking for additional flavor for your players, or a game designer wanting to add House Phylund into your campaign, this is intended to be a resource for everyone. This document also serves as a compliment to both Waterdeep - Dragonheist and Waterdeep - Dungeon of the Mad Mage. It includes:

• Family history and notable historical members (all from canon).
• Maps and details for the estate house, dock warehouse, pet store, and market stalls in Waterdeep; the watchspider breeding caves under Waterdeep; and the hunting lodge in the Ardeep Forest (29 images).
• State of the current House including current head of the house, faction relationships, family rivals, and benefits for being a family member.
• Ecology details, statblock, and DDB link for the watchspider.
• Full size PNG files of the family crest and family seal.
• Phylund signet ring for a character with D&D Beyond link (description also includes the family benefits for easy reference).

Welcome to the House.

Trade Guilds of Waterdeep

Trade guilds have been in Waterdeep virtually since its its founding. In an attempt to differentiate them from factions, I created some rank and structure rules for trade guilds, along with some guild perks for members. Meant to be a downtime activity with minimal DM interaction, Trade Guilds of Waterdeep hopefully gives players some more flavor and character development opportunities.

It includes details on all of the 44 trade guilds included in Waterdeep - Dragonheist, using a combination of historical and current information.

Section 1: General Information

• Calendar. This includes clarification of the treatment of weeks, workweeks, and tendays.
• Downtime Sources. This includes ways characters obtain downtime.
• Downtime Guild Work Income. This includes some clarifications on guild work rules.

Section 2: The Guilds (44 of them)

• Guild Characteristics. This section provides some general details about guilds in Waterdeep and how to join them.
• Artisan Guilds. These guilds cover traditional crafting and artistic jobs such as armorers, carpenters, musicians, etc.
• Labor Guilds. These guilds focus on more mundane labor-oriented tasks such as dungsweeping and laundering.
• Owners Guilds. These guilds are for the owners of industries and properties such as innkeepers, ship captains, stablemasters, etc.
• Broker Guilds. These guilds focus on buying from suppliers outside the city and selling to businesses inside the city at wholesale prices.
• Other Guilds. These are other guilds that don’t easily fit into other categories.

Section 3: Character Options

• Downtime Activity. This includes a new downtime activity, dumpcart diving, which any character can do.

A Forger's Guide to Waterdeep

 After spending a significant amount of time buried in GIMP, I've finished The Forger's Guide to Waterdeep. It originally started as me wanting a master forger to put into my campaign, and it expanded significantly from there. It now includes a small pile of assets for anyone looking to build a forgery scenario into their adventures, wanting more realistic wax seals for their missives, or wanting a character to become a master forger. The included seals cover all the major organizations found in Waterdeep - Dragonheist, Waterdeep - Dungeon of the Mad Mage, and Curse of Strahd (with numerous other organizations covered in legacy Waterdeep publications). This publication includes:

• A summary of the rules of forgery and forging equipment
• 174 unique digital wax seals listed below with PNG files (plus a couple other failed forgeries and a variant for RP purposes), which can be printed out on notes, titles, deeds, orders, whatever
• A Master Forger NPC
• A hook to get a character down the path of becoming a Master Forger

Waterdeep (and Skullport):

• 23 Factions: Arcane Brotherhood, Bregan D'aerthe, Emerald Enclave, Gray Hands (and Force Grey subfaction), Harpers, Iron Ring, Keeprs, Knights of the Shield, Kraken Society, Lords' Alliance, Order of the Gauntlet, Red Sashes, Red Wizards of Thay, Sha'Sal Khou, Shadow Thieves, Tel Teukiira, Unseen, Xanathar Guild, Zhentarim
• 15 Temples: Gond, Helm, Ilmater, Lathander, Mystra, Oghma, Selune, Sune, Tempus, Tymora, Tyr, and Umbrelee. As well as the Holyhands House, Temple of the Seldarine, and the Shrines of Nature.
• 78 Noble Houses: Everyone from Adarbrent to Zun
• 44 Trade Guilds: Everything from the Apothecaries & Physicians Guild to the Wheelwrights' Guild
• 2 Cities: Skullport, Waterdeep
  
• 5 Governing Bodies: Lords of Waterdeep, Waterdeep City Guard, Waterdeep City Watch, Waterdeep Griffon Cavalry, Waterdeep Navy

Barovia (including as a bonus):

• 2 Factions: Keepers of the Feather, Order of the Silver Dragon
• 5 Houses: Durst, Martikov, Strahd, Vallakovich, Wachter