Adventurer's Field Manual

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Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1
Fundamentals of the Rat Hills

Chapter 2
Unconventional Environments and Enemies of
The Caverns of Slime

Chapter 3
Small Team Tactics of the City Sewers

Chapter 4
Swarming Hordes of Insects and Flames within the Abandoned Wizardry School of Yintros

Chapter 5
Mitigating Water Hazards and Combating Cold Copelandia, the Sea Caves of Waterdeep's Coast

Chapter 6
Acquiring Precious metals in Hostile Environments, The Lighting Bugs and Air Elementals of Hope Valley

Chapter 7
Combating the Undead in the Sprawling Dungeon of the Crypt

Chapter 8
Streets of Splendor, The Thieves of Waterdeep

Chapter 9
Extraplanar Threats and Unstable Portals

Chapter 10
Essential Equipment

Afterword

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INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this Field Manual is to share the hard won lessons learned by Adventurer's so you may learn to survive and succeed against unconventional hazards, enemies, and environments. This Field Manual is not a replacement nor an alternative to Lady of the Lanceboard's existing doctrines, strategies, and tactics. Where discrepancies appear to be presented, I ask you to open your mind to examine what you have studied in the past, what is presented here, and remember that no matter how ridiculous a plan or practice may sound, if it works it works.

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Fundamentals
The Rat Hills of Waterdeep



While the subject matter of this chapter lacks honor and glory, it's contents are fundamental concepts that can be the difference between life and death. Many of which will be familer with those of you who have in the past made serious study of tactics and strategy.

The fundamentals apply.

Many of the most important lessons I have learned about Adventuring I learned while working to cull rats on behalf of the City of Waterdeep. Such work required I enter an unknown and hazardous terrain where I was greatly out numbered by feral beasts that would see men made a meal. In addition to the overwhelming number of feral teeth intent upon shredding flesh there existed most unexpected surprises in the form of what is known as an Ash Rats, and Marsupial Rats.

As has been taught in previous texts of our Lady of the Lanceboard, I worked to defend and shore up my weaknesses while using what strengths I had over the enemy against them. In this particular case the enemy were swarms of unintelligent rodents capable of quickly falling a man in full plate armor, but incapable of working basic mechanical devices. To overcome their advantage of numbers, defend weaknesses, and use my strengths against them I simply mounted the wooden parapet walls at the boarder of the Rat Hills and used a crossbow to safely release bolts from beyond the rats ability to retaliate. Once all the vermin swarms within sight of the parapet wall were slain, I carefully advanced beyond the safety of the wood walls to collect the bounty the City was offering payment for.

Be prepared to retreat.

As I advanced I was careful to maintain vigilance because I knew that I was alone and if the vermin advanced on me, my only opportunity to escape would be to reach the safety of the wooden doors, and see them sealed behind me. I write of this because there exist a stigma against those that would retreat from battle or a fight. Often on the battlefield when two armies meet, the army to break ranks and retreat are quickly cut down and slain. This has created a stigma against those that would break ranks and flee from battle in almost all Warrior cultures. This stigma against retreat can and will get you and your companions slain while facing the various and unexpected hazards and enemies one can encounter while Adventuring.

Coordinate with your allies.

When you advance, always do so with viable routes of escape in mind. Discuss these routes with allies. If escape is required, you want all to know the plan and efficiently use the routes previously decided.

Coordinating with allies in small teams is just as important as proper coordination between larger forces. With proper coordination a small team manning a simple parapet wall while a single team member work to lure hungry vermin within range of their crossbows can see countless vermin slain in relative safety.

The opposite is also true, a team regardless of size and lacking coordination can easily put its members needlessly in harm's way, often resulting in the loss of life. I have witnessed lack of coordination result in allies tripping over eachother preventing their own escape, and have even seen allies accidentally seal each other on the wrong side of a wall that was meant to be their salvation.



Be prepared for the unexpected.

Ash Rats, upon my first encounter changed my understanding of the battlefield that was the Rat Hills. These particular vermin appear to have been plane touched or altered by the consumption of alchemical wastes poured into the sewer system that drains into the Rat Hills. They are a particular breed of vermin who appear to have fires burning within their bellies. These fires emit a foul smoke that can make it difficult to effectively aim crossbow or blade at such. Most importantly though, Ash Rats possess a unique ability to violently spew fire great distances with surprising accuracy. The danger Ash Rats presented quickly prioritized them as the most threatening thing on the field of prowess. After my first encounter with them, I researched means and methods of better combating them to discover a local Alchemist in the Adventurer's Quarter by the name of Bran sold Potions of Elemental Endurance that would ward one's flesh from the worst of the Ash Rat's flames.

I have since made it common practice to invest in wardings against the Elements whenever I march into the unknown. The surprise the Ash Rats initially taught me was that there is more to fear upon the fields of prowess then the threat of traditional weapons made of tooth and claw or stone and steel.

Beware of where you place your hands and feet.

The plight of the Adventure is often one of limited resources and bold curiosity. Proper arms and armor, potions and the other myriad supplies one may desire to have are often expensive, and so the lure towards treasure is often a potent one. I warn you though that there is always free cheddar in the mouse trap and before you dare to take hold of the shiney bauble you find in a rat nest or dare to open any containers you may come across it is in your best interest to first study them with a cautious and critical eye. More often then not that which appears worth reaching for has an unexpected price in blood attached to it. I have witnessed more then one unwary fellow without care step to close to a rat nest and arose a swarm of vermin, or think to pilfer an abandoned strong box only to discover it was lethally trapped.



There is no safety outside what you and your allies make for yourselves.

Marsupial Rats, appear to be abominable hybrids of vermin and humanoids that walk up right on two legs and attack with all the feral fierceness of their rodent brethren. They are savage merciless beasts and far more dangerous then the other rats of the Rat Hills because they are keen minded enough to open doors. While earlier I wrote of the virtues of using a simple wooden parapet wall and door to indiscriminately slaughter vermin from a perch of relative safety, I now warn you that for every tried and true tested line of defense, there exist a threat capable of circumventing such. You and yours must always be prepared for that which you relied upon to be denied you. Even the best laid plans can fail due to unexpected changes, you must remain adaptable and ready to course correct at a moment's notice.

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Unconventional Environments and Enemies
The Caverns of Slime



Beyond the Rat Hills exist a cave network of sprawling tunnels and I write of them now because my experiences within served as an introduction to the sort of unconventional enemies and environments Adventurers can encounter. The caverns once served as the lair of a powerful Black Dragon who lived there until slain by a rival in what I am told was a territorially dispute. Although no Dragons appear to have occupied the caverns for some time, Adventurers continue to explore the caverns in hope of discovering lost relics, and to harvest valuable acidic Ichor from the occupants of the cave.

Some battles can not be won

What makes the these occupants and caverns worthy of record is that the occupants appear to be unintelligent slimes of varying sizes with fierce acidic properties that can ooze forth from the rocky cavern surface without warning. Thus creating an environment in which the enemy can attack from any direction without warning, using an unconventional form of attack my means of a burning acidic touch, and appear to be completely unharmed by blades, arrows, and bolts.

Do not commit to losing

Many of the lessons taught to us by the Lady of the Lanceboard, would appear to advice us not to enter an environment where the enemy can attack us at any time from any angle with weapons our Armor can not protect against, and who is immune to our own methods of attack. To put one's forces in a position in which they are truly helpless and the enemy has all the advantages is folly. I am not advising nor advocating you ever put yourself or your forces in such a position.

Observe and adapt

What I write of now is how remaining observant and adaptable to changes in your environment and enemies may reveal a means of mitigating your risks and providing you not only a path towards survival, but also victory.



Plan and prepare

While the slimes of the caverns are capable of attacking from any approach, acidic, and immune to harm from most weapons, they are also extremely slow moving, relatively harmless to those warded against the burn of acid, and very susceptible to the bludgeoning strikes of clubs and stones. By investing your resources in weapons that can harm the slimes, and either preparing the proper spells or digesting the proper potions the once unwinnable battle can become an easily accomplished victory with minimal risk to your forces.

Plan for War, not a Battle

The only true risk to remain is one of resource management. It is not an uncommon mistake that individuals become so focused upon thier immediate goal, that they lose sight of their long term objectives. In this particular case should you have reason to navigate a tunnel system full of acidic slime, it is important you prepare what is needed to survive navigating back out. Over expending resources and over extending your forces can end in catastrophic loss of life.

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Small Team Tactics in Tunnel Systems
The upper sewer system of Waterdeep



This chapter will focus upon the lessons learned after witnessing and partaking in several different expeditions into the city sewers with dozens of different teams using varying levels of team work and various tactics. We will begin with some broad strokes describing the Sewers and it's various denizens as well as common reasons adventurers brave these dark and dangerous tunnels. Afterwards we will take a closer look at the threats that have been encountered, and the different teams and tactics that have proven successful and unsuccessful in surviving the unique challenges of Waterdeep's sewers.

The sewerage system of Waterdeep is as large and complex as the city streets they serve and almost as well populated. The Slimey Goblin Tribe and various other vermin make up the dangerous population of the upper most levels of the sewers.

Slimey Goblin Tribe


One threat of the Sewers are the very tribal and territorial Goblins who work together to lay ambush to the unwary be within the larger sections of tunnel following the sewers main drainage canals or in the smaller narrower side tunnels that spiderweb beneath the city streets. The Slimey Goblin Tribe have not managed to populate and dominate the City Sewers by chance, they have done so because they have been able to adapt very well to using the environment to their advantage to not only survive but to thrive. They have easy access to the city streets above to raid in an effort to gather food and resources, and anyone who dares to give chase or confront them below the streets is forced to content with their superior numbers and low murderous cunning. All of this has allowed the Slimey Goblin Tribe to grow numerous, fortify their hold upon the Sewers, and raise generations of well feed and durable warriors who have been born and raised to work together to defend their home against all intrusions with merciless murderously effective team work and tactics.

Giant Insects, Vermin, Snakes, and Rust Monsters

Fire Beetles

Theese beetles come in variable sizes from that of a small dog to that of a small pony. All of them appear to be immune to fire, and some have proven themselves capable of breathing such. Their Bellies though are a potent alchemical ingredient that alchemists can use to create a variety of potions.

Sewerum

These large and dangerous snakes are capable of spitting a venomous contact poison that can soak through armor and flesh to infiltrate the blood streams of the victim. If slain the poison of Sewerums is a spell component valued by the City's Watchful Order of Mages as spell components and research materials.

Sewer Wasps

Monstrous version of the common wasp. They attacked when hungry or threatened, usually taking the dead bodies of their victims to the hive where it could be consumed by young wasps. Their stingers are collected by members of the City's Watchful Order of Mages as spell components and research materials

Giant Ants

Giant ants look much like a normal ant with six legs, a waspish segmented body, and large antenna. Their hides are covered in thick chitin, and they have large, serrated mandibles flanking their mouths and stingers on their tails. They are not exceptionally dangerous though they are far from harmless and more then willing to make a meal out of adventurers.

Gelatinous Cubes

Gelatinius Cubes are completely transparent, with only the glint of its surface in the light to give away its position. The occasional random object floating in a well fed gelatinous cube's body could also serve as a warning of its presence to dungeon delvers. They are slow moving and it is possible to out pace them but they are large and capable of making the narrow tunnels of the sewers impossible to navigate.

Ochre Jelly

Ochre jellies resembled giant amoebas, consisting of a thick, golden sludge. The ooze's body was made up of yellow-orange colored acid capable of dissolving any organic material. These are exceptionally deadly threats because any physical harm delivered to them by swords, axes, arrows, bolts, club, or sling stones will cause the jelly to divide into smaller jellies. One can quickly find one Ochre Jelly has been divided into sixty smaller jellies each as dangerous as the original mass. It is very easy for one to become surrounded and slain by such and I advise that one avoid contact with such when possible, and to make effective use of alchemical breath weapons to combat them when one must.

Otyugh

Otyughs are primarily omnivorous scavengers. They could consume almost all kinds of refuse and waste, such as carrion, offal, and many other things others would view as garbage. Nevertheless, they would take fresh meat when they had the chance. They are exceptionally strong and dangerous beasts of filth as capable of rending a man in two and spreading disease.

Rust Monsters

Rust monsters are the size of a small pony, with four insect like legs and a squat, humped body.Their hides are thick, lumpy and are yellowish tan on the belly and rust-red on the back. Their tail ends in what looked like a double ended paddle. Two long antennae come out of its head, one under each eye.

More then any other being I have seen encountered on any other battlefield from here to Chessenta, Rust Monsters shatter ranks.

The fear caused in Adventurer's regarding their precious items being destroyed causes them to flee in every possible direction possible as quickly as they can in an effort to see their personal effects spared the ravages of the Rust Monster.

The most effective means I have found for combating and defeating such beasts without the loss of costly arms, armor, and other items is to have a scout successfully locate them before they become a threat, and then select a champion to strip down and proceed to combat them armed only with disposable weapons such as the clubs and daggers gathered from previously slain goblins. Should you manage to slay a Rust Monster, remember to harvest the valuable antennae which can be used by alchemists or exchanged at the Watchful Order of Mages for a gold reward.

An alternative is to use disposable items such as metal tipped arrow heads and collected goblin daggers to leave a metallic breadcrumb trail for the Rust Monster to follow. This can be done successfully so long as the Rust Monster is not distracted from the meals you are laying out for it to follow. Using this method you may either direct the Rust Monster away from your decided path of travel, or lure it to where it may become easy prey to numerous ranged attacks before ever getting close enough to destroy a party's valuable equipment.

For Coin or Cause

Often the City's Adventurers explore these sewers in an effort to collect the bounty the Plumber's Guild offers on Goblin Ears and the prizes the Snookery rewards for the heads of Elite Goblin Warriors. Others seek to gather rare spell components and potion ingredients or the promise of riches raised from hoarded goblin treasure dens. Last but not least the opportunity to reclaim stolen babies and see them brought safely back to the surface world inspires others to enter the sewers.

Basic Formations


Here is an example of a basic formation of three heavily armored shield bearers creating a defensive line while crossing a bridge over a sewer canal with a pair of archers behind them, followed by a battle cleric in the rear prepared to heal any injured party members or slow down an attack from the rear ranks.

What makes the Sewers a unique fighting environment is how quickly the terrain alternates between narrow tunnels and the wide and open passages of the central sewage canal. Both create unique challenges that the Slimey Goblin Tribe are well prepared to take swift advantage of should they be allowed to control the battlefield. It is of utmost importance that adventurers navigating the sewers keep ever vigilant of their surroundings and strive to use every advantage they can to protect themselves from the superior numbers and low murderous cunning of the goblins.

When navigating the sometimes long and often narrow tunnels; the Goblins with their numbers can quickly fill the tunnel and use their slings and short bows to great effect to overwhelm most they encounter with not only accurate attacks but with their surprising rate of attack. This coupled with their dark magics being used to stun or paralyze individuals, they goblins can quickly turn a capable and prepared party of adventurers into a group of victims. I have found that it can be best to use the tight turns and intersections of the tunnels to help mitigate the number of goblins that can effectively sling their stones and loose their arrows upon the party. Doing this requires team work and discipline, for often there is a desire in the thrill of the fighting for people to charge ahead into the enemy lines of attack or pride motivates them to stand where the fighting is fiercest to prove they can weather the storm. It is my advice that teams train and practice using existing terrain features so that they keep themselves out of harms way as best they can while allowing their own numbers to overwhelm any goblins that dare to advance on the team's position.

When navigating the larger and wider open canals it is of great importance that a scout be used to note the enemy's numbers and find a suitable place to mitigate risks. Open fighting against the Goblins will allow them to use their magics to disable one or more members of the adventuring party and quickly surround them and lay them low with murderously places strikes. I highly recommend any group navigating the sewers to find side tunnels in which to make their stand or using the staggered corners of the canal tunnels walls to provide some measure of cover and protection from overwhelming goblin numbers.

Common and Costly Mistakes

I have witnessed groups make some often repeated and costly mistakes that have resulted in death while navigating the sewers, and I will try and provide some examples of what to be mindful of should you and yours dare the Sewers of Waterdeep or similar environments.

Inability to Maintain Formation

It takes discipline and team work to maintain a formation, and often I have seen adventuring parties lacking both. Often the scout is crowded by the shield wall or worse yet, archers will grow impatient with the organizing and mobilization of the shield wall and make an effort to advance pass them in an eagerness to find an opportunity to let their arrow fly. This can be disastrous. When a group fails to move in a formation and stealthy Goblins are capable of attacking in large numbers with little to no warning it creates dangerous chaos in the ranks that sends archers running instead of loosening their arrows, and forces shields to scramble instead of standing ready. During these moments of disorganized chaos the Goblins have every advantage they need.

Inability to Hold Positions
Often I have seen a well defensible position selected to provide a sincere combat advantage, only to see the advantage squandered by the inability of people to hold and use said position. I have witnessed heavily armored warriors break ranks to advance around protective corners and place themselves needlessly in harm's way turning a preciously advantageous situation into an extremely disadvantageous situation. I have seen these same warriors hold their ground in the open while engage the goblin horde in such a way they are vulnerable to numerous Goblins at once while also keeping the goblins from advancing to where the warrior's allies can provide support. This forces the allies to either remain safely behind cover were they are effectively out of the battle unable to lend ranged support, or to advance into the lines of overwhelming Goblin attacks where they are afforded no protection at all.

Another example of this is the over eager archer who will push through ally ranks to try and get an arrow or two off before retreating back through the shield wall, effectively leaving a gap in the ranks for goblins to follow through. Such actions can lead to disaster if the archer is held in the open by goblin magics forcing the entire party to either expose themselves to defend their helpless companion or leave them to their fate. Such can easily be avoided by an archer maintaining their position behind the shield wall and waiting for their target to step into view, instead of advancing.

Summoned Creatures
The ability to conjure allies to the battlefield can a wondrous boon or a dire mistake if the terrain and position of one's allies are not taken into careful consideration. I have seen large blocks of gelatinous acid used to stop enemy advance to amazing effect, and I have seen the same summoning placed in positions where they trapped allies on the wrong side of the summons where they were exposed to overwhelming enemy attacks with no place to retreat. Be mindful of what you may summon to the battlefield and where you summon such.

Waiting For The Perfect Shot
Some archers pride themselves on their marksmanship and the ability to place an arrow reliably inside the vitals of the enemy at closer ranges. While such skill and talent should be celebrated and used at every available opportunity, do not waste precious time creeping slowly closer to the target while allies are fighting for their lives locked in mortal melee combat. Once the fighting begins, it is time to fight. Use every available opportunity to let arrows fly into enemy ranks, and maneuver while reaching for the next arrow or bolt. Every second can be vital, do not squander the opportunity to let attacks fly in an effort to position yourself for the perfect shot, unless of course your quiver is near depleted and you can not afford to waste a single arrow. In which case you must ask yourself why you are unprepared.

The Weight Of Greed
The Goblins in addition to wielding foul and dangerous elemental magics capable of burning a combatant with acid or lighting, are also capable of sapping the strength from a person with potent ray's of enfeeblement. The same can be said for some of the poisonous vermin of the sewers. More then once I have witnessed a strong and able bodied combatant rendered incapable of advance or retreat as suddenly when the combined weight of their arms, armor, and what plunder they had acquired left them suddenly encumbered after a poison took its hold or goblin magics sapped their strength. One needs to be mindful of not only what they can safely carry and remain mobile but how to quickly shed weight should they need to.

Preparation is the Key to Success
Doctor Von Mufflebop of the Adventurer's Guild

There are several things any party moving through the sewers can do to prepare themselves for success and stave off failure and death.

1) Take inventory of the party's members and decide upon roles and responsibilities prior to even entering the sewers.
A Party made up of several heavily armored individuals without a scout will need to agree upon battle plans and tactics to fit their capabilities, as will a party primarily made up of light fighters lacking anything resembling a proper shield wall.

2) Take inventory of the party's equipment before entering the sewers.
Does everyone have a full quiver, emergency curative potions, potions of lesser restoration to quickly recover from strength draining effects, potions of elemental warding, or even a potion of invisablity if things turn truly dire?

3) Decide where to enter the sewers carefully.
There are dozens of entrances to the sewers and some are relatively safe points of entry while others can drop you directly into a storm of goblins. Take care to choose your point of entry.

4) Consider the Hour.
Goblins are nocturnal creatures and they are not only most active during the night cycle, but their fiercest and and most capable warriors tend to fill the ranks of their night time patrols. Unless you are intentionally looking to head hunt these elite goblins, it maybe in your best interest to stay out of the sewers until after morning has broken. Also keep track of your hours underground, more then once a successful day time venture within the sewers lingered until after dark to find themselves ill prepared for the swelling ranks of the goblin patrols.

5) Use Your Combined Strengths
Carefully crafted synergies on the battlefield can turn the tide towards victory where previously only defeat was possible. Consider carefully the various strengths available to each individual and determine how to best enhance them upon the field of prowess. A carefully placed supernatural darkness can cause confusion amoungst a horde of goblins while one or two warriors with ultra vision granted to them by spell or potion can tear through their ranks with near impunity and surprising savagery. There are a myriad different variations of adventuring party compositions and ways to use overlapping skill sets and abilities for surprising effect. It is important you give what your combined strength is capable of careful consideration.

6) Ladders
The city sewers have dozens of access points scattered throughout the city streets and it pays to always be aware of the location of the nearest ladders to your location. At any moment you maybe forced to flee for your life and the difference between knowing how to quickly access a ladder verses running blind through the sewers in hopes of finding an escape can be the difference between life and death. As you traverse the tunnels and canals pay attention to the ladders you find and keep mindful of how to best reach them if you need to.

[jmecha]

Swarming Hordes of Insects and Flames
The Abandoned Wizardry School of Yintros



The abandoned wizard's school of Yintros presents a unique challenge and learning opportunity to those that dare enter it's now fiery halls of academia. While I do not know the truth of what lead this place to become the ruin that it is, I suspect whatever took place here has connected and tied the former school to the Elemental Plane of Fire. Now the stone work halls and classrooms are home to swarms of fearless fire beetles of various sizes and rivers of flames. The lure of the place beyond the obvious trial by fire is the opportunity to reclaim lost arcane secrets of the past, as well as harvest the potent Fire Beetle Bellies and Inferno Beetle Glands for alchemical concoctions. I warn any who would think to enter this place or any other like it to make certain to not only be well prepared with elemental wardings. The fires of Yintros burn bright and hot, and even the most potent of wards can wither away quickly under such extreme heat. The only two courses of study still available within these once learned halls are both Pass or Fail, lessons in both constantly maintaining a proper defensive line while managing choke points and keeping vigilant of vanishing wards and quickly replacing any that falter.



The number of Fire Beetles roaming the halls and infesting the former class rooms are most numerous and they often move as a single entity with countless chitin encased bodies scurrying forward as a flood of sharp mandibles and exhaling flames. I can not stress enough the importance of maintaining a proper defensive line within Yintros to prevent said flood of ravenous fiery beetles from tearing apart the softer and perhaps less armored members of your troop, while at the same time maintaining proper elemental warding against fire. Any troop that dares to enter this place and is not capable of holding choke points such as narrowing door ways and blocking tunnel widths proper while also protecting themselves from continuous flames will perish painfully for their inability to seize tactical positioning, maintain formidable formations, and lack of properly prepared wards.



The beetles themselves vary in size from smaller spitting beetles capable of exhaling cones of fire from their mouths, to large variations the size of ponies capable of spitting gobs of liquid fire great distances. The two most dangerous variations though are the charging Stag Beetles capable of knocking a man ass over end leaving him vulnerable to the rending mandibles of the horde.



Last but not least, the massive Inferno Beetle which is no smaller then a large cargo wagon and capable of vomiting explosive balls of fire from it's mouth as well as exhaling dangerous flames at closer ranges. the Inferno Beetle is a juggernaut of chitin, mandibles and flame.

Surviving the dangers of Yintros requires proper preparations in securing an ample amount of elemental wardings before entering, as well as team work drills to insure the line you will be relying upon is as capable of moving as a single entity as the swarming beetles are themselves.

[jmecha]

Mitigating Water Hazards and Combating Cold Copelandia
The Sea Caves of Waterdeep's Coast

"There is nothing more invigorating than challenging the elements. The feel of wind and spray on one’s face and the deck pitching beneath one’s feet is the greatest feeling in the world. If humankind is to expand its reach, daring men and women must defy the odds and dare the impossible. The thrill of exploration is sweeter than wine or rum. There is always risk, but without risk life is empty. Life is to be lived and damn the consequences. One’s loyalties are first to one’s mates, then to one’s ship, and then to Valkur, who protects all sailors. Rely not on Valkur’s hand to always extract you from difficulties, for such is coddling and leads to a lack of challenge and the room to grow. Rather, Valkur helps those actively solving their own problems by helping their plans work." Teachings of Valkur



The sea caves along the coast near the City of Waterdeep serve as an ideal training environment in which teams can work together to develop the skills they need to gain competency in both exploration and combat operations that involve the hazards of water. They also serve as one of the few places in the region which Cold Stones can be harvested, which happen to be one of the key ingredients in the alchemical creation of Potions of Water Breathing.



Water is a dangerous and deadly terrain that can slow the advance or retreat of your forces, and can easily be the death of those who are not careful within it. Before any other enemy or threat is encountered, the water can and will kill you if you are not well prepared.

When preparing for any operations that will involve moving through or swimming underwater there are two important investments that can be made, and due to the dire consequences of allowing the water to get the better of you, I sincerely suggest you take the time and effort to properly prepare in both.

Physical Conditioning and Preparations

Proper physical conditioning is of absolute importance. All other plans, preparations, and efforts need to first take into account your physical conditioning, or your lack of physical conditioning. If you do not know how to swim you should learn.

There are a few very simple things you need to take into account when you are preparing yourself and your team for any operations that will require you to move underwater. The two most important of which are your speed and stamina.

Ones raw physical strength coupled with actual skill as a swimmer will be what determines one's speed in the water. This will determine how little or much time you and your team will need to spend holding their breath, how quickly you can advance or if need be retreat, and if you will be capable of flanking the enemy or be out flanked. In addition to this, one's choice of Arms and Armor need to be taken I to account, for one can swim far faster with a dagger in hand while wearing only what they were born with when compared to a Warrior clad in heavy armors trying to swim with a polearm in hand.

How long one can spend underwater is a simple matter of stamina. Those who have spent thier lives exercising regularly and maintain good physical conditioning will be capable of holding their breath and operating or even fighting without air for longer then those of weakly and frail constitutions. Knowing how long you can hold your breath is important knowledge you had best have acquired through training in preparation for underwater operations. Do not put yourself in a position in which you are guessing if you can or can not hold your breath long enough to accomplish the task before you. I recommend supervised breath holding exercises with teams in controlled waters in which individuals time themselves to learn their limits before life or death scenarios force those limits to be tested.

Magical Augmentations and Wonderous Items

Properly prepared magics and the right investments in wonderous items for underwater operations are capable of turning the most incompetent swimmers from drowning victims into competent assets on the battle field, as well as turning trained and competent swimmers into beings capable of amazing aquatic feats of supernatural prowess. I warn though that over reliance upon the Arcane can very easily lead to a team's watery death. There is no substitute for taking the time and investing the effort needed to learn to swim.

Potions of Waterbreathing can be a life saver and I recommend everyone engaging in underwater operations carry at a minimal one incase of an emergency, if if your plans require extensive underwater maneuvers everyone carry an ample amount to not only reach the objective but return safely as well. Count on their being a myriad of delays and deterrent that will slow your progress, best you be prepared.

Spells of Waterbreathing can be both cheaper then potions and far more costly. For every effort the team's Arcanist or Clergy spends preparing such spells or prayers, is effort they can not invest in other arcana or divine blessings. More importantly though, if you are solely reliant upon a single team member to allow others to survive, things can quickly become dire if said member is removed from the team by death, distance, or any other disaster.

There also exist spells and prayers to enchance the swimming ablities of those either augmented or blessed with such. These spells can turn a drowning hazard into a fairly competent swimmer, or make an elite swimmer into something faster then a fish.

As for wonderous items there exist a plethora of options from boots and Bracers that may enchance a swimmer's speed in the water to items even capable of allowing the wearer to breath as a fish. Once more I warn you that if you rely solely upon such wonders as your only means of survival, you will be in a situation most dire should they be lost or destroyed during your operation. I reccomend all members of your team to prepare multiple contingency plans.

Tactical Team Deployment in Underwater Environments

Even with a team full of capable swimmers well prepared with contingency plans in place in an effort to insure survival, the water is a battlefield condition you need to take into consideration.

Will the Battle Line you rely upon be wearing their traditional armors or will they be stripping down to better manuever? Will your team be taking the time to strip in and out of their armors in between each swim?

Will your scouts be capable of reaching distant shores and reporting back? How long will you wait before determining they are in distress?

These questions and many more need careful consideration, and the best answers to each of them may vary wildly from one team to the next depending upon the team's composition, capablities, and resources available.

Remember

Always be wary of the half way mark between shores. Once you traverse such a distance marker, you maybe better swimming forward regardless of the danger, then turning back.

Do not engage the enemy in the water if you can avoid it. It maybe at times better to focus on reaching a shore then stopping to engage beneath the waves.

Be prepared for your plan to fail and have your contingency plans in place and at the ready. A potion of water breathing some where in your pack will not save your life, have it in easy reach and ready.

Do not panic. Fear and stress will only lead to questionable decision making in an already dangerous environment. Have a plan and be prepared to use it. The comfort of knowing you have spare potions of water breathing or having confidence you can safely reach dry ground can be the difference between panic levels that will lead you to your death and the calm needed to keep your head clear and your decision making in order.

Do not commit to failure. If you and your team are unprepared, pull out. Regroup and reinvest yourselves in better preparing. Unless your objective is worth dieing for, do not leave your lives to chance. The whims of the Bitch Queen are often cruel and unforgiving.



Freezing Fungi

The inhabitants of the Sea Cave south of Waterdeep are large, clumsy, and slow moving mushrooms. They though are extremely strong and durable fungi capable of quickly pummeling a warrior senseless or swiftly killing and individual with their cold flung spores which can cause horrible damage to the flesh of those they hit. I recommend any teams combating such to take care to not be cornered or surrounded and forced into melee. The mushrooms are easy to out manuever and slowly see slain through effectively placed ranged attacks be they from hand hurled weapons, traditional bows, or crossbows.

What makes the Mushrooms of Waterdeep's Sea Caves dangerous is their unrelenting cold spores and freezing tentacles. You and your team will need to be prepared to not only utilize elemental wardings, but to monitor and maintain them. Should any members of your team fail to maintain their wardings, the results of such failure can quickly be deadly.

[jmecha]

Acquiring Precious metals in Hostile Environments
The Lighting Bugs and Air Elementals of Hope Valley



To fight effectively, one must work to maintain an effective fighting force, and sometimes that requires acquiring the resources needed to product the various tools of the trade. Logistics and Quartermastering are often shunned by those seeking to bath themselves in the glory of acts of valor upon the field of prowess, but the truth is properly maintained Logistics and Quartermastering can very much so mean the difference between victory and defeat.

Take for example the current rising of the Plague Rats this summer in the City of Waterdeep in 1400 D.R. The disease of lycanthropy runs rampant through the ranks of the Plague Rats and without warning and upon wounding, any given member of their criminal organization may or may not shed their flesh for fur as they shift into their wererat form. Weapons of Enchanted Silver needed to combat the Wererats are not readily available within the city, and those that are available, are often sold at prices many can not afford. Yet North of the City in the Mines of Hope Valley deposits of Silver can be mined in time, and with skill forged into any variety of weapons capable of laying Wererats low.

Hope Valley Mines
The Mines of Hope Valley are a unique case study because they have been infested with swarms of lighting bugs, and their depths filled with Air Elementals of varying sizes. This creates a scenario in which the traditional hardships of mining ore from the rock are even more dangerous because the work must be done in a hostile environment filled with dangerous and violent threats.

Lighting Bugs
Swarms of Lighting Bugs are small enough that the individual bugs themselves are almost impossible to accurately attack with a blade, yet they can easily generate enough electricity to deliver a painful and dangerous shock capable of killing a man. To combat these nuisances it is best to wield something blunt and heavy enough to swat multiple bugs in a single swing, or to shower the swarm in corrosive acid from flasks or weaponized bottles of Acid Breath.



Air Elementals
Air Elementals are far more dangerous then the previously mentioned lighting bugs, though appear to often contain themselves to roaming only the lowest levels of the Mining tunnels of Hope Valley. They much like the Lighting Bugs are best dealt with using blunt instruments of sturdy make or weaponized acid products. What is important to keep in mind when encountering Air Elementals is their dangerous grace and ability to deliver devastating bursts of Lighting and gusts of wind capable of taking a man off his feet and leave him laying upon his back helpless and exposed.

Elemental Wardings
As written in previous chapters about the dangers of Acid and Fire, Elemental Wardings when properly maintained are the difference between suffering a perhaps painful shock and a potentially fatal shock.

Mining
Mining itself is a matter of using tools such as pick axes, shovels, or even light hammers to dislodge precious ores from stone. Such work is brutal and exhausting even when done in a relatively safe underground environment without dangerous swarms of Lighting Bugs or territorial violent Air Elementals. When such work is performed in hostile environments It is important the work be done in teams of no less then two.

While mining alone it is very easy for the lone miner to over work themselves to near exhaustion and become easy prey for any tunnel dwelling beings who may have stealthily approached while the focus was upon the work. Far better that while one mines, a second capable of tending to injury keep vigil to warn and safe guard against threats as well as provide wound care to keep the Miner fit and capable of continuing their efforts for longer hours.



Maintaining Security
The most important lesson I want to stress in this chapter is that of establishing and maintaining vigilance in teams. No matter if the task at hand is picking a lock, disarming a trap, searching for secret passages, pillaging the spoils of war, conducting a ritual or making large rocks into small rocks, keeping at least one team member assigned to maintaining security against surprises can be the difference between life and death.

[jmecha]

Combating Undead
The Sprawling Dungeon of the Crypt



Undead are one of the most difficult and dangerous enemy combatants a team can face. They are fearless opponents often driven only by their hatred and jealousy of the living to see all those before them destroyed. In addition to their single minded focus they are extremely durable and some are exceedingly difficult to destroy without applying very specific means and methods. Within this chapter we will explore some of the obstacles to destroying Undead, the unique dangers they present, as well as tactics and strategies to survive.

Navigating the Crypts


The Dungeon of the Crypt like many places where the dead are placed to be protected from intrusion is riddled with traps. Unlike some of the previous trap placements discussed earlier in previous chapters, here the traps are not placed specifically to safe guard treasures, but more so are scattered about in the tunnels, door ways, intersections, and about the burial chambers in such a way that one may never know where to expect them. It is strongly advised that any incursions within the Dungeon of the Crypt or similar environments have a scout not only capable of moving subtly, but also capable of finding said traps before said traps find them. Ideally such a scout or another party member will be capable of disarming any traps found, but failing that at a minimal finding and carefully marking their placement is advised. In a pinch carefully placed arrows or bolts can serve as stakes or marking sticks to provide the less keen eyed a good sense of where the traps lay in wait.



Surviving the Crypts
Combating the Undead comes with particular risks not often encountered on more traditional battlefields against more traditional enemy combatants. Where an enemy swordsman may run you through or an archer may pepper you with arrows, some undead may surround themselves with noxious clouds of foul fumes, sap the strength from your body with a chilling touch, or even drain life from your soul. Any prolonged efforts against the undead will likely result in one or more of your band suffering crippling injuries to their body and spirit, and it is imperative that you properly prepare treatments to keep your fighting force combat capable.

Leeches
In the hands of a skilled practitioner of medicine, the leech can be applied to carefully drain tainted humors and fouled spirits from one inflicted with any number of aliments. If your band has a competent and capable surgeon or healer who is experienced with properly applying leeches they are a relatively inexpensive means of mitigating some of the worst afflictions the undead will bring to bear against you and yours.

Potions of Lesser Restoration
Far more expensive then Leeches, and far less versatile in the number of afflictions they can see treated or cured, Potions of Restoration can be life saving restorative elixirs used to restore strength or other abilities that may have been drained or damaged during a most critical combat.



Destroying the Undead
The undead can take many shapes and forms from animated corpses, to ethereal wraiths, to Vampires, and variety of other ghastly horrid forms. To effectively combat and ultimately destroy the Undead a variety or weapons need to be utilized and it is best if the members of your team are not only equipped with such a variety of weapons but also practiced in reaching for the right weapon as the dynamics of the battle unfold and change. Skeletons for example can at times prove resistant to blades and arrows, yet their bones will often crack and sunder beneath the weight of a well placed hammer blow or strike of a sling stone. Other forms of Undead will continue to reanimate no matter how many times their physical forms are sundered unless you take fire to their forms and see the neurotic energy burnt from their frames. Others still may prove resilient to even fire and require divine or positive energy to wash away the necromancy they drives them.

Torches
For those without access to weapons imbued with flames, a lit torch can prove a practical and effective means of introducing fire to an Undead entity once it has been sundered and briefly rendered helpless.

Alchemist Fire
Another effective means of fiery attack against the Undead, though more expensive then a torch and the flames of such a method may injure or harm allies or the environment.

Holy Water
Divinely imbued waters are not inexpensive but against the Undead they can serve as a priceless weapon of destruction against the undead.

Wands and Potions
As an absolute last resort I have seen curatives capable of healing wounds through imbued divine energy used effectively against the Undead as a means of harming them. In a dire situation such can save you and your companions, though I highly recommend you not rely upon using your precious life sustaining potions as weapons unless absolutely necessary.

Combat Clergy
The most potent weapon against the Undead is the power of the Gods when channeled through a servant of theirs in a manner to see the Undead destroyed. Any efforts made to combat and destroy the Undead without a capable combat clergyman are at a disadvantage.

[jmecha]

Streets of Splendor
The Thieves of Waterdeep



Battlefields can and will come in many forms, and in this chapter I would like to share some examinations of the dangers I have encountered in Waterdeep, as well as how to effectively circumnavigate said dangers or even successful combat them. While the City of Waterdeep will be the example used and explored in this Chapter, the lessons learned can be of service and used in most any densely populated urban enviroments.

Muggers of the Southern Wards

As in most cities large enough to provide anonymity to members of it's population, it is not uncommon for criminals to boldly threaten or use violence in an effort to take from others, and Waterdeep is no different after dark. Once Lathander's light vanishes beneath the horizon line of the Sea of Swords, and night falls across the city, the most common of criminals come out to ply their trade across the Southern Wards of the City.

This most common of criminals is what is known as a Mugger. They will wait hidden in dark alleys and tucked away in obscure recesses of the City streets until they see someone they suspect maybe either an easy victim or one wealthy enough to take a potentially career ending risk to rob.

In the City of Waterdeep, the easiest way to avoid the risk and trouble of dealing with such violent criminals is to simply stay off the streets of the Southern Wards after dark.

Alternatively carry only coin you are willing to lose and give your purse to those that would take it. Rare is the common criminal who wants to needlessly risk his life or a harsher punishment for coin they have already aquired and are free to escape with.

Lastly should you decide to refuse the demands of a Mugger, you had best be prepared for them to follow through on their threat of violence. Should you manage to subdue your attacker, the City's Dockward Watch House is willing to provide a small reward for those willing to volunteer for the Auxiliary Watch and drag unconscious criminals to the Watch House.

Plague Rats

The Plague Rats are as much a criminal organize as they are a cult. Their insidious use of disease as a form of conscription allows their ranks to quickly swell where every they find a foothold, the lycanthropy running rampant through their ranks, and their ability to use efficiently weaponized filth and illness in battle make them far more dangerous then common criminals. As of Flamerule,1400 Dale Reckoning, Plague Rats have been a plight upon Waterdeep's Dockward district for some months now and I will share with you what I have learned of them.

Encountering Plague Rats and Battle Tactics

Most often Plague Rats operate in teams of varying sizes and should you see one, it is best you keep in mind there maybe several more you do not see. A commonly the Plague Rats will discreetly send one or two of their members to pick the pockets of their intended victim. Should their efforts be detected it is a common practice that the spotted Plague Rat whistle innocently while moving towards their fellow vermin who have been waiting, are now alerted by the whistle, and have drawn their weapons with intent to use them.

Once things turn violent it is often the Plague Rats who have the advantage of numbers and position, and they will not hesitate to surround individuals and smaller groups with their fast acting blades striking from seemingly all directions at once. Should the initial exchange be survived it is not at all uncommon for Arcanists among the Plague Rat ranks to summon Rust monsters to join the fray potentially destroying the arms and armor of those they combat. It is also a very common tactic that in addition some members of the Plague Rats might spew forth great fountains of filth that can blind and sicken those struck with such torrents of foul. Last and not least, lycantrophy runs rampant through the Plague Rat ranks and without warning any of them may suddenly shift to their Wererat form unleashing their deadly claws while also being protected by their supernaturally resilient hides.

Should you seek to combat Plague Rats be it in the streets or in their macabre lairs of filth and disease, it is important you not only have a means of slaying those that are Wererats, and you have a means to prevent yourself and your team from succumbing to the diseases they spread. Weapons of Enchanted Silver or Elemental Damages from Alchemical Weapons or even Evocation Magics have proven successful in such endeavors, and often I have relied upon Leeches after battles to keep my allies upright.


Strategies to Defeat Plague Rats

Much like plagues or rats, Plague Rats have a capability to not only quickly devastate a region but also appear to be impossible to effectively root out. This is due to their using disease as part of their recruitment process to effectively conscript the impoverished of a region to their ranks. The Plague Rats move quietly into a region and set to actively and discreetly spreading disease and illness, and then offer to those who appear to have no readily available means of surviving such a cure through indoctrination and loyalty to the Plague Rats. Once the Plague Rats have secured their place among the impoverished it becomes impossible to drive them out of a city through violence alone, because no matter who many Plague Rats you may kill or dens you destroy, the surviving Plague Rats will lean harder upon the local population for conscripts to renew their ranks. This cycle of violence and conscription over time only works to make things progressively worse for the local population to endure, creating a sense of worsening desperation which will work to drive more and more people in dire straights to seek a sense of sanctuary and salvation among the Plague Rats.

The Plague Rats must be dealt with as an ideological insurgency and you must keep winning over the Local Population a primary objective to effectively win the War. No matter how many successful raids you conduct against Plague Rat Lairs, and no matter how many you may find and kill in the streets, so long as the Plague Rats can draw from the members of the Local Population to bolster their ranks, you can not successfully drive them from a city.

Dweomervore

Most visitors walking the streets of Waterdeep and even many residents do so unaware of the Dweomervores. This is because of their exceptional stalking skills coupled with their innate magical abilities to cloak themselves in shrouds of invisibility, and their only daring to risk interacting with those capable of furthering their larceny fueled breeding practices. For those vistors or citizens that rely upon bottled curatives or magically imbued wands and rings as a means of surviving or practicing their trade, the threat of Dweomervores is an ever present concern.

Dweomervore are an exotic variation of dragon and I have included an excerpt from medical journal of the gnomish physician, Doctor Luther Von Mufflebop of the Adventurer's Guild of Waterdeep, to better detail their physiology.

Case Number 1392.6.26a
26 Kythron, 1392dr

Species: Dweomervore Draconis

Age: Unknown

Sex: Unknown

Cause of death: Brain hypoxia
due to
Loss of heart function
due to
Spinal cord separation at cervical vertebra 3, 4, 5, 6
due to
Fracturing of cervical vertebra 3, 4, 5, 6
due to
Repeated blunt force trauma
due to
Provoking violent altercation with Arryn Temple in Julthoon street, Waterdeep

Examiner: Luther Von Wufflebop

Procedure: Autopsy

Location: REDACTED

Reason for performing an Autopsy: Subject genus are both a pest and a danger to Waterdeep citizenry and their magical belongings.

Summary of findings: The subject was seen to attempt theft from the wizard Keryn and her bodyguard Arryn in Julthoon street. The subject was killed in the altercation that followed.

Findings:

Length: 42 knuckles
Wingspan: 37 knuckles
Skull measurements: Criminal brain indicated

Subject has extreme bruising to the neck and head with fracturing of cervical vertebra 3, 4, 5, 6. The subject superficially resembles other genus of blue dragon kind, but with some idiosyncracies. The forelimbs have small and dexterous claws. The tail is barbed with sharp spines. There are no obvious sexual organs, nor anus.

The first notable feature during the autopsy is the stomach is small and without attached pancreas or intestine. Reports suggest the Dweomervore does consume magical items, but there is no clear mechanism of digestion. Attached to the stomach seems to be an organ resembling both uterus and undeveloped testes.

Further internal investigation shows hollow bones as per birds and lizards. Upon skull incision the brain shows an enlarged frontal lobe.

Opinion:

Dweomervores are asexual and must consume magic items to reproduce.

Encountering Dweomervore
Despite the Dweomervore's enlarged frontal lobe they appear to be slaves to their instinctual need to pilfer magical items to procreate and continue their species. Upon detecting magical items or potions capable of facilitating their reproduction the Dweomervore will without fail attempt to seize possession of said item through telekinetic larceny while remaining concealed behind their shrouds of Invisablity and their well honed ability to use the urban environment as a means of cover and concealment to obfuscate their position from even those capable of seeing the Invisable. Often those the Dweomervore target are unaware they were the victims of larceny until the stolen items are later discovered missing. The more astute may notice mysterious tugging upon their pack or even the sudden lighting of their load as items are plundered from them via telekinetic slight of hand. On rare occasions one may even catch a glimpse of the Dweomervore as their Invisablity falters momentarily as they shift their focus upon their telekinetic ablities. Actually being seen tends to immediately inspire a fight or flight response in the Dweomervore, and despite their size, they are still dangerous dragons prone to fighting in an effort to establish their superiority.

Hunting Dweomervore
There are methods that have proved effective for hunting the Dweomervore despite there being incredibly stealthy and cloaked in magical shrouds of invisablity. All of the methods require some understanding of the Dweomervore's instincts so that said instincts maybe used against the Dweomervore in an effort to either draw it out of hiding or reveal an approximation of it's location. As revealed in Doctor Luther Von Mufflebop's autopsy the Dweomervore are driven to steal magical items in an effort to reproduction, and they have proven themselves slaves to this instinct as well as to their sense of pride.

When a Dweomervore sees and identifies magical items worth taking, it will instinctual make an effort to steal them. The telekinetic tugging at your pack combined with situational awareness as well as a small effort in trial and error using the local terrain of buildings and other line of sight blockers can be used to narrow down where the Dweomervore is lurking. Once you have narrowed down the Dweomervore is most likely hidden you can now begin effectively deploying means and methods of either finding the Dweomervore, or using it's instinctual sense of draconic pride to lure it out.

To find the Invisable you must either rely upon your other senses or enhance your vision so that you may pierce through their shroud of invisablity. I have heard that some have effectively used potions of listening to actually pin point a Dweomervore's exact location and then strike at it. I though confess I have never had success using this method, were as using Potions of Seeing to pierce the invisablity shroud has proven successful numerous times in my field testing. Both methods though require that one's ears and eyes be acutely trained, because even with their innate ablity to cloak themselves in invisablity negated, the soft flapping of Dweomervore wings is exceptional difficult to hear, and their life time of larceny has trained them well to keep hidden.

To lure the Dweomervore into revealing it's self you need only give it provocation to fight. My preferred method is to lob a stink bomb, alchemicaly made from stink beetle glands, into the area I believe the Dweomervore is lurking. This is my preferred method because such stink bombs are a minimal application of violent force over a rather large area, and do not threaten the lives nor the property of any within their area of effect, while remaining ample motivation to inspire the Dweomervore to attempt a reckless charge. Alternative means of luring the Dweomervore into attack include tossing Acid Flasks or Alchemist Fire in the location you believe they are lurking or even exhaling potent alchemical concoctions such as Acid Breath or similar breath weapons. Such alternatives though are often far more costly then simple stink bombs and far more likely to cause undesired collateral damage.

Remember the importance of first using the terrain and testing along with the Dweomervore's instinctual inclinations towards larceny to first allow you to narrow down their potential location, before you being consuming potent sensory enhancers or deploying alchemical weapons.


Combating Dweomervores

Despite their diminutive size, Dweomervore are a variation of Dragons and will use their dangerous innate magical abilities and impressive physical prowess for deadly effect when provoked to battle. Often I have found the invisible Dweomervore will begin conflicts with a near unerring bolt attack that is capable of laying even the most surefooted man upon his back for several seconds or longer, alternatively they on occasion will instead release a brilliant and dazzling color spray capable of overwhelming the senses of most caught within; leaving them temporarily dazed and incapable of mounting a proper offense or defense against the Dweomervore. After either of these opening efforts, the Dweomervores focus their innate arcane ablities to summon forth a combat enhancing shroud of invisablity that leaves them difficult to effectively strike, before making a second effort to render their opponent prone with another magical bolt attack. Once they have made sincere and earnest efforts to render their enemy either prone or otherwise helpless, and themselves protected behind the concealment of their combat capable invisablity, the Dweomervore will begin to unleash a frenzied fury of flesh rending effort as they rip into their enemy with their dragon sharp claws and fangs. Those who manage to survive the initial exchange of flesh rending claws and fangs will often need to content with continued blood loss as the Dweomervore continues it's murderous efforts with all the speed, grace, and strength you would expect from an apex predatory of draconic linage.

Warnings

While Dweomervores are often slaves to their most base instincts, they are not entirely thoughtless. Should you engage a Dweomervore in mortal combat and it sees you have the upper hand, it will flee towards another for help. Remember this well before you decide to give chase or not.

Should you decide the Dweomervore has the advantage and it is your life that is in certain peril, you will need a plan that consists of more then running. Dweomervore are exceptionally fast and capable fliers with enough speed to overcome any prey who is relying upon speed alone for their salvation. I recommend potions of invisablity be kept on hand should you need to flee.

If you carry a Potion of Seeing that you intend to use to hunt a Dweomervore, it will likely steal it from your pack.

If you are carrying life saving curatives, Dweomervore will likely steal them from you, and then drink them with aplomb while fighting you and your companions.

If you are confident you can defeat a Dweomervore, there will be more then one.

If you are confident you can defeat any number of Dweomervore, they will read from a scroll they stole earlier in the day to summon a Red Slaadi.

If you allow your greed for the large bounty offered on Dweomervore to cloud your mind, or anger at what they stole, or the thrill of the hunt to cloud your judgement, the Dweomervore will take advantage of you being a slave to your base instincts and emotions.

Wilora



These brightly colored birds are perhaps the worst variation of Waterhavian thieves, because they are capable of stealing your memories and physical form, then will use them to see you slain so they may replace you. Often they wait hidden until they select their target at which time they leap out to unleash their dazing gaze by locking eyes with their chosen prey. The feeling is one of odd presence trying to enter one's mind. If you fall victim to their gaze, they will draw memories from your mind and use them to magically replicate your physical form, and then attack violently with the single minded focus of seeing you slain so they may then live without any competition for the role within society you once held. If you should resist their mental intrusion they will violently attack using the beaks and claws of their bird form up until such a time as they appear to be losing the fight, at which time they will take flight to escape and live to steal the lives of others another day.



Expect the Unexpected
There are rumors of Vampires roaming the streets at night, that I have been unable to confirm as true. There are records of a local monster menagerie having been broken into and several different species having been released onto the streets including an ettin and an umberhulk.

It is important to remember that danger can just as easily exist inside city walls as it does outside city walls. If you or members of your team are not well versed in living within an urban setting, such can be as dangerous to you as the wilds are to the uninitiated people of the city.

[jmecha]

Extraplanar Threats and Unstable Portals



What little experience with Extraplanar Threats and Unstable Portals I have had, I survived because of the lessons found within this essay written by a member of the Adventurer's Guild of Waterdeep. I have included this extremely valuable primer in facing such particular challenges so you may learn from it as well.

Combating Unstable Dimensional Portals
by Vale Clearwaters of the Waterdeep Adventurer's Guild, and member of the Lord's Alliance

In the last few years the threat and appearance of unstable dimensional portals appearing within the City of Waterdeep has grown.
The Purpose of this Guide is to provide practical education in how to combat and seal said portals effectively.

Unstable Portals are volatile and unpredictable, one moment they may swell large enough to allow something the size of a wagon to pass through, and then for days or hours remain small enough that a finger may not pass through them.

If left undisturbed, Unstable Dimensional Portals will continue to fluctuate in size allowing the inhabitants of the plane or place they are connected to access our world. It is important that once an Unstable Dimensional Portal is discovered, actions are taken to see it sealed.

Do Not Attempt to seal Unstable Dimensional Portals alone.

To effectively combat an Unstable Dimensional Portal you will require a prepared and capable team.

Know that Unstable Dimensional Portals appear to be impervious to traditional physical assault. The only reliable way to damage and eventually seal these Unstable Dimensional Portals is to attack them with the Elements themselves or Magical Forces.

Know that while a Sword can not damage an Unstable Dimensional Portal, a Sword bathed in an Aura of an Element such as Fire, Lighting, or Acid can damage the Portal because the Elemental Aura is capable of damaging the Unstable Dimensional Portal.

Know that some Unstable Dimensional Portals have reacted violently to such attacks and the eruption of energy is often enough to severely injure or slay whoever dared to strike the portal.

Whenever possible it is advised to attack an Unstable Dimensional Portal at a range outside of arms reach.

Know that the damage done by Elemental or Arcane Magical attacks upon an Unstable Dimensional Portal will agitate the portal, often causing it to radically open wide for a brief time, giving that which waits beyond opportunity to leap through.

Know it is advised, attacks made to seal Unstable Dimensional Portals are planned to delver the largest amount of damage possible to the Unstable Portal while providing the minimal amount of agitation. Take care not to strike or agitate multiple Unstable Portals unless you are prepared for the consequences.

Do Not use Arcana similar to Magical Missiles or other such Spells that will repeatedly strike a target multiple times in rapid succession. This is warned against because such Magics can agitate the Unstable Dimensional Portal to swell and open several times in rapid succession allowing a myriad things to cross over to our world.

Deploy your team in a manner in which they are ready and capable of defending against and combating what may escape the Unstable Dimensional Portal when it is agitated.

Make it the responsibility of the junior most member of the team to attack the Unstable Dimensional Portal, and then fall back into formation. This is done so the more senior members of the team are focused and ready for what may escape.

Always take care to not accidentally strike or agitate the Unstable Dimensional portal while combating the beings that have escaped it. Doing so will cause another agitation that will result in additional beings escaping the Unstable Dimensional Portal and swelling the number of hostiles threats already present upon the Battlefield.

In closing I want to warn that while Devils, Demons, and other Extraplanar horrors may prey indiscriminately upon the peoples of our world, we must be very careful and selective in the manner in which we defend ourselves from them or seek to destroy them. Even the smallest Imp can prove almost invulnerable to to any traditional mundane weapon wielded against it, and will be harmed by nothing less then potent evocations or weapons of enchanted silver. Many of these otherworldly entities present a presence so powerful and overwhelming that to stand before them can make a stout mind crack and shatter, others carry explainable diseases in the touch of their flesh or have life ending acidic poisons dripping from their claws. Many will cloak themselves in invisibility or submerge large areas in supernatural darkness. Almost all of the larger more dangerous variations of such beings regenerate their physical forms at such an amazing rate that they may appear invincible and truly immortal. These otherworldly horrors are not entities to underestimate or approach with a reckless cavalier attitude. You and your team must be prepared to shield each other's minds, body and souls from their ravages and insure you carry with you all the tools and weapons you may need to finish the fight.

[jmecha]

Essential Equipment

Often standing armies, mercenary companies, militia, and other traditional military units follow a series of standard operating procedures that dictate not only how they move, fight, camp, feed, and defend; but also what they carry and how they carry it. Adventurers have no such standards, and there is no chain of command to issue a packing list, nor a quartermaster to see that supplies are provided, and very often having the right bit of equipment when it is needed can be the deciding factor between life and death when adventuring or conducting military operations in less then traditional environments against less then traditional threats and opposition. It is my goal here to present to you some of the lessons I have learned during my time among the Adventurers of Waterdeep.



Weapons
Where as the Spearman in a traditional military unit is expect to carry his spear, and the Archer his bow, those operating within the fantastical realm of Adventurers need to be prepared to alternate between whatever their role maybe, and the role they need to fill at a moment's notice. When you may be combating anything from goblins in a tight tunnel system to acidic beings of ooze to flying magical creatures, you need to be prepared for the fight with weapons that will do the job you need them to do. Rarely is one weapon ever enough, and even more rare is it to survive learning said lesson the hard way, and for this reason it is important everyone on the team be prepared with a variety of weapons. My recommendation is that you work to insure everyone is capable of cutting, stabbing, or bludgeoning their way out of any scenario they may find themselves in, and always ask if everyone has their quivers full before setting out.

Plan as if your favorite weapon will be inefficient for the enemy you face, your secondary weapon will be eaten, and the third weapon disarmed.

Last but not least, bigger is not always better, and best you always carry a sharp dagger.



Armor
Armor comes in a variety of styles and each has their own benefits and hindrances, and when one operates within the dangerous environments Adventurers explore you need to remember the most dangerous threat to you and your team maybe the environment itself. There is a reason Heavy Platemail and Towershields are used, they work, but you need to remember that as effective as they are for protecting you from swords and slings they can be just as effective for drowning you or prevent you from scaling the terrain you need to traverse to reach your objective.



Curatives and Restoratives
In a phalanx a soldier maybe relieved by the ranks waiting at the ready behind, so they may recover before their fatigue or wounds before either gets him killed, but rare is such an option reliably available for smaller teams operating in extraordinary environments against nontraditional combatants and opposition. It is of utmost importance that every member of your team carry both curatives and restoratives with them, not just for themselves, but for any team member that needs them. There is no time for surgery in the heat of battle, and there can be no application of leeches during a pitched battle.



Field Medicine
I know of no Adventuring Band, Mercenary Company, nor Traditional Military with the resources needed to tend to all the wounds and ailments their members suffer upon the battle field by magical or divine means alone. A skilled and capable field medic with well stocked surgical kits can be used to sew wounds shut, treat burns, and dozens of other injuries. Jars of Leeches can be applied to draw foul toxins and bad spirits from the body and blood, effectively draining the weakness and sickness out of the patient. Just as valuable as a skilled field medic can be to to a team's survival, an untrained surgeon can be deadly. More then once I have seen untrained surgeons attempt to tend to the wounded only to inflict fatal injuries with their surgical tools. No matter how confident you are in your surgical skills, it is always important to seek consent before you ply your trade.



Potions of Invisablity
These expensive magical potions can very well be the difference between life and death. Their are exceptions to the rule, though carrying and using these potions can allow a withdrawal from an otherwise inescapable fatal conflict or if used offensively allow you to move yourself undetected into positions to begin the fight with not only the terrain of your choosing, but also the potency of the element of surprise.

If you find yourself hesitant to use these potions because of how expensive they are, I recommend you invest your earnings into stock piling these potions until you develop a lack of sensitivity to the cost of them, or you find yourself a more forgiving and less fatal pursuit or profession for yourself to explore.



Elemental Wardings
I do not know which is more valuable resource for keeping you and your companions alive, elemental wardings or potions of invisablity. I recommend never venturing into the dangers of the unknown without out having first warded yourself from the dangers of the elements and also carrying a potion of invisablity should the ounce of prevention fail to prevent the need for a escape.



Alchemical Breath Weapons
Alchemical Breath Weapons are in my opinion a horribly underused asset that can be used for devastating effect with proper preparation and coordination between members of a team. They are volatile and without care there is great potential for costly or even fatal mishaps. I though have seen well timed and excellently placed effects of these destructive forces change the tides of battle. In a pinch they can also be an effective means of breaching otherwise durable doors.




Various Potions and Herbs
With the wide variety of potent potables, herbs and the potential combining of more then one with another for overlapping the myriad possiblites and applications are for greater then I could possibly list here in this simple guide. What I will say that with investment in alchemical products and an apothecary's goods, and the proper application of a creative mind there are countless battlefield applications to be explored.



"Every tool is a Weapon if you hold it right."~Battle Bard Ani Difranco of the Citadel of Strategic Militancy

Even the smallest vial of the weakest curative, when applied to a potent undead can provide the final touch of positive energy needed to keep the undead from ever reanimating again. It is important to remember that in environments with fantastical hazards and monstrous enemy combatants you and your team need to take full advantage of the terrain, each other, and whatever resources you have available to you.

[jmecha]

Afterword

I want you to know that the lessons I have recorded within these pages are not all encompassing recipes for success across any and all battlefields. You and your team can do everything right and still suffer catastrophic casualties. There is no magical tactic nor strategy I can share that will ever guarantee success in all endeavors nor victory in all conflicts. I have done my best to share with you the lessons I have learned during my brief time among the Adventurers of Waterdeep, but the humble truth is you can fill a library with volumes of books about the lessons I have yet to learn.

If there is one final lesson I am to impart in the final page of this tome, it would be the importance of team work. Often Adventurers are unique individuals who's lived life experiences are so radically different from those of other people it can drive a wedge between them and others. It is of utmost importance that no matter how very many successful adventures any one individual has survived or succeeded at, no matter the horrors they have endured, or the loses they have suffered, they must remember the importance of the team. It is through team work that the impossible maybe made possible.

I would now like to give thanks to the team that has allowed me to write these words and share these lessons with you.

The Lady of the Lanceboard for sharing with us the secrets of strategy have allowed me to survive long enough to learn these lessons and share them with all of you.

Lady Kaitlin Bloodhawk for The Citadel of Strategic Militancy where I learned and studied.

The Grand Pawn for providing me this opportunity to serve by selecting me to go to Waterdeep and record the lessons of these pages.

The Adventurer's Guild of Waterdeep for welcoming me into their home when I had no other upon arrival to Waterdeep, for providing me companions to learn beside, allowing me to adventure beside them, and ultimately proving themselves stalwart allies in the fight against the Plague Rat rising of 1400 D.R.

The Arcanist Gael Lynch of the Adventurer's Guild of Waterdeep, and faithful of Captain of the Waves, to him I offer special thanks for his friendship and the fire sides we have shared while discussing the challenges of the day and how to best overcome them.

Rako Ca'tra, warrior and hunstman, faithful of the Red Knight, I must thank for being the stalwart companion that he has been, for setting the standards for soldiering and correcting me when and where I have failed to meet the standard.

Paladin Feronantus of The Crying God, for selflessly sacrificing his own life to save mine, and countless other lives.