Dungeons & Dragons announced that they plan on releasing Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage later this year, which will serve as the second half to the adventure that will begin in September’s Waterdeep: Dragon Heist.
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The new adventure will be for Level 6-Level 20 players and will take players into the infamous Undermountain dungeon underneath the famous city of Waterdeep. While Dragon Heist is a urban caper story that doubles as an introduction of sorts for Waterdeep, Dungeon of the Mad Mage is a deep dive into the largest dungeon in Faerun.
“Every floor of the dungeon is a different setting,” explained D&D designer Kate Welch in a video posted by digital toolset D&D Beyond. “There are so many things you couldn’t find anywhere else in the Forgotten Realms.” Although parts of the Undermountain look and feel like a classic dungeon, Welch noted that some floors had forests or aquatic settings or even enchanted castles, a result of the various magical enchantments put on the caverns long ago.
The titular “mad mage” of Undermountain is Halaster Blackcloak, a classic D&D villain. Halaster moved into the Undermountain long before Waterdeep was founded and transformed the caves into the dungeon feared and loved by players today. Halaster filled the Undermountain with all sorts of dangerous creatures, many of which you wouldn’t expect to see in a dungeon setting. Halaster has created portals that draw in creatures from all around Faerun and other planes, many of whom settle in the Undermountain and stake out a portion of the dungeon for their own.
While the adventure is largely a dungeon crawl, not every creature is meant to be killed. “You tell a story in a dungeon by putting things there that are more than just obstacles,” said Chris Perkins, principal story designer for D&D. “There are creatures in the dungeon that are complex. What we try to do is that when you meet one of these things, it propels the story.”
Judging from the cover, players can expect to encounter drow, mind flayers, giths and death tyrants in addition to dragons and the Mad Mage and his followers.
The various groups and relationships between the creatures in the Undermountain also give players and DMs plenty of story avenues to explore. Each level has its own set of potential allies and enemies, along with creatures and NPCs too. The designers also gave DMs options to expand parts of the dungeon, allowing players to explore favorite levels or pursue unexpected storylines.
The two Waterdeep adventures can form a full campaign, bringing players from lowly Level 1 adventurers all the way to Level 20. The two adventures are also polar opposites, with Dragon Heist presenting an open world urban setting where literally anything can happen behind closed doors, while Dungeon of the Mad Mage gives maps and details about what’s lurking behind every room.
Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage will be released on November 20th everywhere D&D products are sold. It is currently available to pre-order on Amazon.
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