In the city of Waterdeep, adventurers can find a tavern called the Yawning Portal… named after a gaping pit in its common room. A dungeon feared by all but the most daring adventurers lies below, where this adventure takes place.
Book Overview
Released in 2018, Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage is a fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons campaign module. Set in one of the most iconic locations in the D&D multiverse, this classic dungeon-crawl is packed with opportunities for exploration, combat, and solving puzzles.
Who is the “Mad Mage”? None other than the powerful (and potentially insane) wizard Halaster Blackcloak. It was he who created the Undermountain: a vast, multi-level dungeon complex filled with traps, monsters, and mysteries.
Playing on Roll20
Roll20’s Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage was fully remastered as of April 2024, and now includes updated Dynamic Lighting featuring doors and windows, better quality tokens, improved Rollabale Tables and Macros, and corrections/errata collected since the original release.
The virtual Tabletop offers tools and features specifically designed to support the exploration, combat, and storytelling elements of the iconic dungeon crawl. It’s easy to manage tokens representing characters, monsters, and NPCs within the dungeon, and DMs have the freedom to set up encounters in advance, move tokens around the map during gameplay, and streamline combat encounters and other interactions. Additionally, Integrated character sheets for D&D support character creation, stat tracking, and automated rolling of dice for attacks, saving throws, and other checks.
Dynamic Lighting simulates line-of-sight and visibility within the dungeon… Players can only see what their characters would realistically see based on their position and light sources, adding an extra layer of realism and tension.
DMs can use handouts and journal entries to easily provide context, backstory, and clues related to the various locations and encounters players will experience.
Rollable Tables and Macros allow DMs to easily manage random encounters, loot tables, and other game mechanics. This can add variability and excitement to the campaign, as players never know what they might encounter next.
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Waterdeep: Dragon Heist
Famed explorer Volothamp Geddarm needs you to complete a simple quest. Thus begins a mad romp through the wards of Waterdeep as you uncover a villainous plot involving some of the city’s most influential figures. A grand urban caper awaits you.
Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage picks up where Waterdeep: Dragon Heist leaves off.
Free Starter Adventure
This free preview of Dungeon of the Mad Mage includes a Module containing:
- All adventure text for Floor 1, cross-linked in your journal
- Two maps, with pre-placed tokens, GM layer information, and Dynamic Lighting support
- Filled-out character sheets with tokens and single-click token actions for over a dozen creatures
- Over a dozen art handouts featuring creatures from the Monster Manual
Maze of the Mad Mage
One side effects of the powers that comes with being a mage is the madness that one falls victim to after unnaturally long years and endless search for more power.
If you’re looking for a labyrinth map to lead your players through, Daniel’s Maps has you covered with this pack of gridded and un-gridded maps in several seasonal/thematic variants.
Conclusion
Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage is a popular choice among D&D players looking for an adventure set in an iconic fantasy setting.
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