painter in the Sea Ward (encounter 10, "Converted
Windmill"), beneath which is a tunnel that leads to the
Vault of Dragons.
WEATHER EFFECTS
Until the encounter chain is complete, the following
weather effect is in play.
Autumn Wind. Wind whistling through the streets
imposes disadvantage on ranged weapon attack rolls
and Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing.
The wind also extinguishes open fires smaller than a
torch flame.
WINTER ENCOUNTER CHAI N
Now is the winter of Waterdeep's discontent. The
Zhents who serve Manshoon believe their master to be
all-powerful, which has made them reckless. Against a
frigid backdrop, they're willing to thumb their noses at
local authorities and risk death in pursuit of the Stone
ofGolorr.SUMMARY
The stone is delivered to Thrakkus, a dragonborn
butcher in the Field Ward (encounter 10, "Converted
Windmill"). Thrakkus hides the stone in one of his meat
deliveries. The characters follow the delivery cart to an
alley in the Trades Ward where Zhents meet in secret
(encounter 1, "Alley"). Before the characters can lay
hands on the stone, a Zhent named Yevette Blackwater
grabs it and flees, initiating a chase across icy rooftops
(encounter 5, .. Rooftop Chase"). She hands off the stone
to Agorn Fuoco, a bard who is attending a play in a
nearby theater (encounter 6, "Theater"), before leading
her pursuers on a merry chase through the snow-cov-
ered streets (encounter 3, "Street Chase"). The charac-
ters learn that the stone has been taken by hire-coach to
Mistshore. The characters can catch up to Agorn there
(encounter 2, "Mistshore").
If he is captured and questioned, Agoro reveals that
he made one stop on his way to Mistshore. He dropped
off a lady friend, a priest of Bane allied with the Zhen-
tarim, and left the stone with her and her acolytes for
safekeeping. The characters can find them in an old
tower in the Castle Ward (encounter 7, "Old Tower"). Be-
fore they leave that place, the characters are confronted
by Manshoon's simulacrum, which arrives by way of
teleportation circle to collect the stone. Once the simu-
lacrum is defeated, the characters can use the stone to
learn that the entrance to the Vault of Dragons is hidden
below a mausoleum in the City of the Dead (encounter 4,
"Mausoleum").WEATHER EFFECTS
Until the encounter chain is complete, the following
weather effects are in play.
Blizzard. Shrieking wind and falling snow impose
disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely
on hearing or sight. The wind also extinguishes open
fires smaller than a torch Harne. Visibility is reduced to
60 feet. Snow on the ground creates difficult terrain in
areas that are not heavily trod.Extreme Cold. A character exposed to the cold must
succeed on a DC^10 Constitution saving throw at the
end of each encounter in the chain or gain one level of
exhaustion. Characters who have resistance or immu-
nity to cold automatically succeed on the saving throw,
as do those wearing cold weather gear (thick coats,
gloves, hats, and the like).Encou nter 1: Alley
Use map 4.1 for this encounter. The buildings that bor-
der the alley are^30 feet (three stories) high unless you
decide otherwise. Since this encounter occurs outdoors,
be mindful of any weather effects in play.AREAS OF THE ALLEY
The following locations are keyed to map 4.1.LI. ALLEY RESIDENCE
This old, one-story, windowless stone house with a slate
roof is tucked in the middle of the alley, surrounded by
taller buildings. Its doors are made of sturdy wood, and
the outer door can be barred shut from within. Break-
ing down the barred door requires a successful DC^18
Strength (Athletics) check.
The interior is divided into two rooms, a kitchen with
a fireplace and a plainly furnished bedroom.L2. STORE
This stone building is a store of one kind or another. 1f
an encounter doesn't specify the goods sold here, roll
a d20 and consult the Store Goods table to determine
what the store sells.
A small room serves as a cloakroom, where visitors
can hang their heavier overgarrnents. Past the cloak-
room is the store proper, with wares on display. The
room to t he north is a storeroom or a workshop. The
store owner (commoner) has keys to all doors.STORE Gooos
d20 Goods d20 Goods
1 Art^11 H at s
2 Books^12 Hunting traps
3 Candles^13 Locks and keys
4 Cartwheels^14 Musical instruments
5 Costumes^15 Pets
6 Dolls^16 Pots
7 Fresh meat^17 Rations
8 Furniture^18 Rugs
9 Games^19 Umbrella s
10 Glass^20 WineMODIFYING ENCOUNTERS
You can adjust the difficulty of a combat encounter by add-
ing or subtracting monsters. If you need to increase the
difficulty of an encounter that has already begun, have en-
emy reinforcements arrive during the battle. If you find an
encounter too deadly, reduce the antagonists' hit points,
have NPCs arrive to help the characters, or have the bad
guys cut their losses and flee.C H APTER 4 I DRAGON SEASON