The Beggar Prince

An Adventure for 5th Level Characters

Adventure Background

Dax, a cambion who was sired by the demon lord Graz’zt, established a safe haven for the homeless and destitute in the sewers below Waterdeep. Dax claims to have noble intentions, defying his demonic father. How better to spite a father that stands for chaos and destruction than to help the poor and needy? Disguised as a fellow beggar, Dax first befriended many of Waterdeep’s poorest souls. After he felt that he gained their trust, Dax revealed his true form to them. None of his friends were appalled, and the number of Dax’s followers grew. To newcomers, however, Dax presents himself as an old and wise man who is clothed in simple robes.
Beggars who are extraordinarily successful in their occupation swamped the streets of Waterdeep in the weeks following Dax’s arrival. The beggars deliver the coin they earn to Dax, who hoards the copper pieces in his private sanctuary. The situation threatens to escalate since Waterdeep soon finds itself in a coin shortage. As a preliminary measure, the city circulates so-called bills of exchange. However, the citizens are unamazed in the face of this new currency and fall back to simple bartering. Furthermore, the Lords decreed to persecute beggars, fortune tellers, and charlatans who dare to show their faces in Waterdeep’s city limits. The brutal onslaught drives ever more poor souls into the sewers, where they are welcomed by Dax and called his "Children".
In the short term, Dax plans to purchase a large property or an entire row of houses for his Children. No longer shall his Children waste away in the shadows. Dax’s secret long-term goal is to deprive the citizens of Waterdeep of their life essence, however. Dax enchants, or rather curses, the coins he receives and uses these coins to accommodate his Children. The homeless who run errands are given only these special coins to bring them into circulation. Every time a person pays for a good or service using one of these enchanted coins, they lose a minuscule portion of their remaining lifetime. Not only does Dax receive the said lifeforce and turns it into raw power, but he also develops a general feeling for Waterdeep’s economy. He plans to become the de facto ruler of the metropolis by manipulating the tides of Waterdeep’s currency flow. Eventually, Dax’s coins will reach other cities like Neverwinter or Baldur’s Gate, diversifying his wells of lifeforce.

Running the Adventure

This adventure offers an overview of Dax’s plans and ambitions, Dax’s secret hideout, and the people that live there. The events detailed above play out over an extended time period, as shown in the table below. The sooner Dax and the characters are brought into conflict, the weaker Dax still is and the fewer followers he has.

Day	Development
1	Dax's Arrival in Waterdeep.
15	Dax reveals his identity to Horn, Morg, and Karren.
30	Dax clears out the Hideout in the sewers.
40	The first cursed coins are brought into circulation.
60	Waterdeep experiences a copper coin shortage.
70	Waterdeep banishes beggars.
100	Dax buys an apartment block in the South Ward, and 1,000,000 cursed copper pieces are brought into circulation. Dax immensely grows in power.
105	The relocation of the Children is executed.
150	Dax acquires several storehouses in the Dock Ward and sets up manufactories.
300	Dax becomes one of the richest and most influential people in Waterdeep.

Adventure Hook

The characters are strolling across The Market in Waterdeep when one of them feels a familiar pluck on their coin purse. A quick glance reveals the face of a startled woman who takes flight. The characters pursue the thief through narrow alleys and across crowded crossings. Eventually, they reach a dead-end, and the only way onward is a spinning manhole cover that leads to Dax's Hideout. The thief is Mio, a nurse who helps Rufus the priest in area 5 of Dax's Hideout. If confronted, Mio will be very apologetic and return what she has stolen. She invites the characters to stay at the sanctuary and talk to Dax.

Karren's Diary

The characters can find Karren's diary in her office. It contains useful information about the formation of Dax's Hideout and his followers. The following entries may be of importance to characters.

20th of Ches

Some old creep approached me while I was hanging out with Lil and Rand behind the tavern. Spouting nonsense about community and leaving this life behind us... I was piss-drunk that night, so I only really remember that he had a strange air about him. Otherwise, the night was quite the success, we made enough to keep us warm the whole week.

17th of Tarsakh

I've talked to the old creep a few times now. He does kind of make sense, but I don't see how an old man could achieve all the things he's talking about. But he has the scary dwarves with him now... I'll keep an eye on them.

4th of Kythorn

I have to admit that I underestimated Dax in the beginning. Apparently, he cleared out some hole down in the sewers, but don't ask me how. A few of us will try to make it liveable.

15th of Kythorn

This was a crazy week. Turns out Dax wasn't what I've expected. At all. I think we may have a real shot at making it. I wonder how many cambions are out there, doing evil instead of good? I'll have to dig deeper into this subject.

1st of Flamerule

Work, work, work. Every day is the same. This dank hole is depressing. Soon we'll find our place under the sun, though. I miss Dax. I have to drag him out of this hole soon or else he may turn into a lizard.

Quests

Many of the people who reside in Dax's Hideout have errands they could use adventurers for.

Dax's Quests

Hiring Kobolds

A group of kobold engineers live in the sewers beneath Waterdeep, and Dax would like to see them added to his ranks in his sanctuary. The characters can follow the kobolds' tracks through the sewers on a successful DC 16 Wisdom (Survival) check to find the group of 1d6 + 6 kobold inventors. The leader of the kobolds, Killjoy, is less than enthusiastic about the characters’ proposal. However, he is willing to have his group work for Dax if either the characters gift him with a useful magic item or they eradicate "The Stalker", a bodak that has been terrorizing the kobolds and already killed half a dozen of them. It wanders through the sewers and can be found after searching for 1d4 hours.

Acquiring a Bag of Holding

Dax wants a bag of holding in order to easily transport the enchanted coins he is saving to buy a house in Waterdeep for his Children. Dax has heard that the Xanathar Guild possess one, and that it might be located in Xanathar's Lair. However, the characters could also simply find and buy one in Waterdeep.

Buying a New Home

Dax wants to buy a house for his Children with 1,000,000 copper pieces that have already been enchanted. He needs adventurers to ensure that none of the coins are stolen while he travels with them to the Trades Ward to meet a notary at The Zoarstar, the home of the Scriveners', Scribes', and Clerks' Guild. When the characters and Dax arrive at The Zoarstar, the notary, Magdy Nagi (LG male Calishite human commoner), is sweating profusely. A character who succeeds on a DC 12 Wisdom (Insight) check on the notary's body language realizes something is wrong. Unbeknownst to Dax and the characters, both the Xanathar Guild and the Zhentarim caught wind of the deal. Twenty Zhentarim thugs hide inside the building to surprise the characters. The Xanathar Guild have arrived with ten spies, who hide in the surrounding buildings. Once the characters enter the building or attempt to run, a battle royale ensues. Should the notary survive, the deal can be sealed after the dust has settled.

Dealing with the Sarcophagus

Dax won’t mention the sarcophagus unless the characters ask about it. In his mind, he and his Children will be long gone before it becomes a problem. Unless his plan to buy a new home is derailed in one way or the other, Dax strongly argues against touching the sarcophagus. The characters can convince Dax to deal with the problem now on a successful DC 16 Charisma (Persuasion) check.

Karren's Quests

Stolen Shield

Horn and Morg have told Karren a few things about their past, including how their father's shield was stolen from them by their captain. This didn't sit right with Karren, and after doing some research, she found that the captain was in Waterdeep. Karren wants the characters to retrieve the shield and return it to Horn and Morg. Captain Growlbert (NE male shield dwarf gladiator) frequents The Thirsty Throat tavern in the Southern Ward, and keeps the shield with him at all times.

Thomas' Quests

Romatic Poem

Thomas has a thing for Mio and asks the characters for their help. He wants to write a poem for Mio, and the easiest thing would be if the characters would just write down his words and deliver the note for him. Thomas must succeed in a DC 16 Charisma (Persuasion) check to produce a poem of sufficient quality. Any character that is a bard or has proficiency in Persuasion may support Thomas in this endeavor and grant him advantage on the roll. If the check succeeded, Mio blushes when she receives it, otherwise, she smiles and tells the characters to thank Thomas for his kind words.

A Helping Hand

Rufus has managed to alleviate Thomas’ symptoms with a special mixture, and Thomas is relieved of his manacles after several weeks. Once he regains mastery over his extremities, Thomas continues his studies of the arcane arts and shoulders responsibilities like running errands. Curiously, the coins he receives from Dax feel strange, having almost a necromantic property. With no one else to turn to, he asks the characters to get to the bottom of it.

Continuing the Adventure

After Dax achieves the goals laid out in the table above, he plans to challenge his sire Graz’zt. Dax will ask the characters for their help, should it come to that. Meanwhile, Dax must defend himself and his enterprise from the hoggish hands of Waterdeep's established noble families.
The characters might decide to kill or apprehend Dax, either after uncovering his scheme or as a preemptive strike. The Children defend Dax by any means necessary should the characters be incautious enough to engage Dax in his hideout. Dax might even abandon his plan regarding the cursed coins if he thinks that the gains outweigh the losses. Should Dax be killed or driven out, the Children look for a new leader elsewhere.
Killing Dax outright might prove difficult since he can cast plane shift to escape mortal danger. If this happens, Dax will inevitably return to fulfill his ambition and take his revenge on the characters. Meanwhile, Karren attempts to keep the Children together, believing in Dax’s swift return.
A fight in Dax’s Hideout is exceedingly dangerous since the characters are outnumbered. It’s possible that Dax and the Children prevail. If this happens, the Children only knock the characters unconscious and keep them in area 6. The characters will be released after Dax acquires a new home for his Children and has gathered more power. Because of the time that will take, the characters have ample time to attempt an escape or convince their captors that they've seen the error of their ways. Karren or Dax are always willing to talk to the imprisoned characters if only in the hopes to get rid of the additional mouths. The character's equipment is stored in area 3.

Related Locations

• Dax's Hideout
• Waterdeep