Chapter 5: Spring Madness - Waterdeep: Dragon Heist

Chapter 5: Spring Madness. Xanathar has let its paranoia get the better of it, and the beholder trusts no one. The Stone of Golorr disappeared from its lair while it was brokering a deal that would have merged the Xanathar Guild and the Zhentarim into a single criminal organization. Although the Zhents didn't steal the Stone of Golorr, Xanathar believes they did. Once content to merely possess the stone, the beholder is no longer confident of the gold's safety in the Vault of Dragons. Xanathar thinks that the gold would be safer under its watchful gaze, but without the Stone of Golorr, it can't remember where the gold is hidden. Before running this chapter, review the "Beholders" section of the Monster Manual, particularly the section titled "A Beholder's Lair." Within its lair, Xanathar has access to lair actions, and characters might encounter the beholder's regional effects as well. Characters who don't visit Xanathar's lair in the course of this adventure might have reason to do so in Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage. In that adventure, the characters are most likely to approach the beholder's lair from Skullport (see X4 for details). As they explore Xanathar's lair, characters will see a recurring symbol that looks like a circle with ten equidistant spokes radiating out from its circumference. This symbol is Xanathar's personal rune as well as the symbol used to represent the Xanathar Guild. Facing Xanathar Roll percentile dice to determine the beholder's location when the characters arrive, and consult the Xanathar's Location table. 1-50 Xanathar is talking to Sylgar, its pet fish, in X19. 51-75 Xanathar is delivering a rambling sermon to minions in the audience chamber (X18). 76-90 Xanathar is watching a fight in the Pit of Blood and Fortune (X6). 91-00 Xanathar is contemplating its mortality in the crypt, amid the remains of past Xanathars (X33). Xanathar's Location If the characters attack the beholder, it destroys one character and tries to subjugate...