Urban heist in the City of Splendors
Dragon Heist is a levels 1–5 urban adventure with four villain paths — one per campaign run, meaning roughly three-quarters of Chapter 4 content goes unused as-written. Most DMs running it start by solving the same three problems: the villain-lock-in, the Trollskull neighborhood gap, and the chase chapter. This page covers all three.
By Derek Ashworth — researched and curated by a working DM
Dragon Heist's central design choice is the seasonal villain structure: Xanathar, Jarlaxle, the Cassalanters, or Manshoon, one per run. The book is well-structured through Chapter 2 — the tavern acquisition and Trollskull neighborhood content is where most groups put down real roots — then thins out in Chapter 3 and commits to a single villain in Chapter 4. If you run it as-written, you've locked out three villain paths and the bulk of the faction content from that chapter.
The Alexandrian Remix (free, in the Essential Free Guides below) restructures this so all four villains operate simultaneously. It's the most substantive change you can make to the campaign. Everything else on this page is additive — better neighborhood content for Trollskull, cleaner chase rules for Chapter 3, an actual bank heist for Chapter 4.
One decision to make before session one: start at level 2, not level 1. The campaign's early sessions are heavily social and investigation-focused. Level 1 fragility creates prep friction without adding meaningful tension.
Free 25-part restructuring that runs all four villains simultaneously instead of picking one. Transforms the campaign from ~15 sessions to ~30 sessions by using the full Chapter 4 content regardless of villain path. If you're running Dragon Heist more than once — or you can't stomach leaving three villain paths on the floor — start here.
Visit thealexandrian.netInteractive flowchart for the Alexandrian Remix. Visualizes the campaign structure with all four villains operating simultaneously. Useful when you're tracking which faction knows what — the text guide explains the logic, this shows you the shape of it.
View node mapChapter-by-chapter walkthrough covering NPC motivations, encounter notes, and prep decisions. The Xanathar and Jarlaxle chapters are the most developed. Useful for first-time Dragon Heist DMs who want a second voice on what the book's actually asking you to do.
Read the guideDetailed prep guides for each chapter with encounter notes, NPC tips, and session planning advice. Includes a YouTube prep playlist for visual learners.
View chapter 1 guideFive things Eventyr Games thinks you need to understand before running Dragon Heist — villain-path selection, Trollskull investment, faction pacing, NPC load, and session zero framing. Short enough to read the morning before your first prep session.
Read on Eventyr GamesMaps, handouts, chase mechanics, and encounter guides in one place. The free chase tracker alone is worth the visit — it clarifies the book's chase rules, which most DMs find underspecified the first time they hit a pursuit in Chapter 3.
View resource hubBundle containing Blue Alley, the Trollskull Manor expansion, expanded faction missions, city encounter tables, and more. Covers the content gaps in every chapter — 440+ pages, 1,000+ sales. If you're going to run the campaign with supplementary material and want one purchase, this is the one.
View on DMsGuildChapter 2 expansion for Trollskull Alley — new NPCs, side quests, and neighborhood events for the content gap between tavern acquisition and the faction missions. The book doesn't give you much to run in that stretch. Blue Alley does.
View on DMsGuildGothic horror side quest set in Trollskull Manor. A haunted-tavern mystery with a full investigation and a payoff. Sits inside Chapter 2 — you can run it as the players are getting established in the neighborhood before faction missions pick up.
View on DMsGuildChapter 4 redesign by original WDH designers. Replaces the vault sequence with an above-ground bank heist, fixing the most common criticism of the book's finale.
View on DMsGuild50+ additional missions across all five factions. The core book's Chapter 2 faction content is thin for groups that invest heavily in a single faction — players who go deep on the Harpers, for example, will run out of book-provided missions before the chapter ends. This fills that gap.
View on DMsGuild100 encounter ideas for urban exploration in Waterdeep. Random events, street encounters, and improvisation material for the open city sections. Also useful when players go off the faction track and you need something happening in the streets.
View on DMsGuildReference for running Trollskull Alley as a functioning neighborhood. NPC cards, business mechanics, and event tables for the tavern management arc. Chapter 2's neighborhood content is where players build their investment in Waterdeep — this gives you the infrastructure to run it without improvising all of it.
View on DMsGuildAdds actual heist mechanics to Dragon Heist. Introduces planning phase, infiltration rules, and tension mechanics for the "heist in name only" problem.
View on DMsGuild300+ printable handouts — letters, wanted posters, tavern menus, Waterdeep maps, and NPC portraits. Useful for in-person play where physical props help players track who they're dealing with across a large NPC roster.
View on DMsGuildHumorous side quest in the Dock Ward — rival fishmongers, an investigation, absurdist escalation. Useful when the main plot needs to step back and your group needs a session that doesn't ask anything of them.
View on DMsGuildHigh-resolution color maps for all major Dragon Heist locations. Includes Trollskull Manor, villain lairs, Xanathar's lair, and Chapter 4 vaults. Free download.
Download mapsZoomable, labeled map of Waterdeep with ward boundaries, major landmarks, and street names. Pull it up when players ask where something is — you will pull it up constantly in an urban campaign with this many named locations.
View interactive mapCollection of gridded VTT maps optimized for Roll20, Foundry, and other platforms. Includes encounter maps for key locations with player and DM versions.
View on ImgurComplete Dragon Heist module for Roll20 with maps, tokens, character sheets, handouts, and compendium integration. Saves 10+ hours of VTT prep.
View on Roll20 MarketplaceFull soundtrack album designed for Waterdeep: Dragon Heist with tracks for Trollskull Manor, faction encounters, Xanathar's lair, and city ambience. Pay-what-you-want on Bandcamp.
Listen on BandcampOfficial Syrinscape soundsets for Dragon Heist with dynamic mixing, ambience layers, and one-shot effects. Requires Syrinscape subscription.
View on SyrinscapeYouTube playlist of Sly Flourish's Dragon Heist prep videos covering each chapter, encounter design, and running the Alexandrian Remix.
Watch on YouTubeGiants threaten the Sword Coast. Epic tier 1–11 adventure with encounter fixes, maps, and DM prep guides.
Descend into the Nine Hells. Infernal levels 1–13 campaign with Alexandrian hexcrawl remix and Eventyr supplements.
Gothic horror in Barovia ruled by the vampire Count Strahd. The #1 best-selling D&D 5e adventure, levels 1–10.
Deadly jungle hex-crawl and deathtrap dungeon in Chult. Brutal levels 1–11 adventure with prep guides and maps.
From the iconic starter adventure to the cosmic horror sequel. Complete resources for LMoP and Phandelver and Below.