Urban Intrigue and Drumlin’s Role in It

In D&D, the best thing a player can do is care deeply about something—whether it’s vanity, wealth, knowledge, revenge, duty, or protecting loved ones. Strong motivations make for richer gameplay and character development.

This campaign is a story of urban intrigue and high-stakes adventure, where scheming nobles, ruthless crime lords, and secretive factions all vie for a legendary treasure hidden beneath the streets of Waterdeep, and you must outwit, outfight, or outmaneuver them to claim it first. It’s in the vein of Casablanca or The Maltese Falcon.

Let's brainstorm ideas for how Drumlin might be passionately involved in that story.

Brainstorming Exercises

Let’s invent some backstory.

During his time as a hermit, Drumlin encountered three factions involved in the quest for the Stone of Golorr and developed strong opinions about them that now influence his actions.

• What were the factions or interested parties?
• What happened?
• Why does he have strong feelings about them now?
• How does that impact his behavior regarding the Stone of Golorr?

As a reminder, here some of things Drumlin might have encountered before that cause him to care about the urban intrigue:
• Your party members
• Trollskull Manor
• Zhentarim
• Xanathar Guild
• Bregan D’aerthe (Drow mercenary)
• Cassalanter Family (sold parents souls to devil)
• The Neverember family (Dagult and Renaer)
• The Lords’ Alliance (the UN for cities)
• Harpers (eagle scouts)
• City Watch (cops)
• House Amcathra (Cashmere’s family)
• Laeral Silverhand (the current Open Lord of Waterdeep)
• Waterdeep’s nobility in general
• Sea Maidens Faire Crew
• Cult of Asmodeus (the devil)
• Waterdeep’s Masked Lords (annonmous advisors to the open lord)

Let’s invent some future story.

Based on his backstory, what are Drumlin’s short-term and long-term goals? How have they changed since the story began?

If the current direction isn’t ideal, what kind of story would you like to play? You mentioned wanting to electrify Waterdeep—what story beats or moments would excite you in that arc?

Why does Drumlin care about “electrifying Waterdeep,” and how does that connect to the urban intrigue and high stakes adventure? If this goal diverges from the core focus of the campaign, how might we integrate it in a way that still fits the overarching narrative?