Splendors and Shadow - Waterdeep Steampunk Campaign Setting UPDATED (5e)

Waterdeep and Skullport in the Age of Æther

UPDATED to match rules from Æthereal Gaslight v 1.0.4.

The year is 1888 by Dale Reckoning, and the lands of Faerûn are in the throes of a techno-magical revolution. Ancient arcane lore mixes with cutting edge science, propelling the Realms into a new age: the Age of Æther. Magical factories churn out marvelous wonders and modern conveniences, mighty locomotives and elegant airships cross nations in hours or days instead of weeks or months, and messages whispered across the æther bind distant lands together.

And at the swirling center of this revolution: Waterdeep, the City of Splendors. Always a hub of trade, learning, and innovation, as well as vast criminal enterprises and supernatural conspiracies (past and present), the city plays host to the best and worst that the Realms have to offer. Sages and historians across Faerûn agree, the new age was set into motion in Waterdeep – in the great melding pot where artisans, mages, scholars, and technologists from across Faerûn could meet, discuss, debate, and experiment.

Splendors & Shadow is a campaign framework set in the magical metropolis of Waterdeep during the Age of Æther, a new age ushered in across Faerûn by techno-magical, industrial, and social revolutions. The setting is a variation of the Forgotten Realms campaign setting, with timeline and technological state advanced to the late 19th Century. It uses the Æther Age rules introduced in Quaint and Curious – Æthereal Gaslight, supplementary to the standard D&D 5th Edition rules.

• People and Places of Æther Age Waterdeep, and Skullport far below.
• Factions and Organizations that operate or conspire in the area.
• Campaigns Chapter
  • Fame & Infamy
  • Faction Membership - City Authorities, Criminal Underworld, more
  • Strongholds - Hideout, Airship, Upgrades & Expansions, more
• Encounter tables for locations throughout the City of Splendors, as well as the Port of Shadow.
• Dozens of scalable city encounters, ranging from CR 1 to 18.
• Dozens of new Monster and NPC stat blocks, including Drow Assassin, Hobgoblin Battle Acolyte, Raggamoffyn (and Captured One), and Slaver.

Draft / Playtest / Beta Edition

The rules in this guide are under active playtest, and may be updated and expanded in future editions.

*Major Update v1.0.1*

• New Monsters! Aboleth Old One, Darkling Knight, Drow Baelnorn, Malarite Beast-Lord, more
• Sample Characters, playable or NPC! Watch Officers, Moonstar Scions, Blackstaff Adept, more
• New Sub-classes! Oath of the Weave, Agony Domain, Primal Hunter Archetype
• ART!!!

*Major Update v0.3*

• 25 new pages = 110!
• Expanded Shop Write-ups
• More Factions - Black Orchid Society, Cult of Cyric, Traumeggim
• Faction Membership - City Authorities, Criminal Underworld, more

Other Quaint & Curious Volumes of Forgotten Lore

Æthereal Gaslight - Steampunk Characters, Campaigns, Magic & Monsters for D&D 5e

Path of the Street Fighter - Additional details for urban barbarian path