Bregan D'aerthe
A character must be a drow, preferably a male, to join this faction.
        Bregan D’aerthe is a company of mercenaries originally made up of the much-derided and dishonorable castaways of destroyed drow houses. The group’s leader, Jarlaxle Baenre, is always looking for new members to fill the ranks, and loyalty is what matters to him most.
Almost all Bregan D’aerthe members are male because female drow rarely condescend to take orders from a male. A female drow can earn a place in the faction by decrying the drow matriarchy and convincing Jarlaxle that she would be an asset to the brotherhood. Jarlaxle employs non-drow operatives as well, none of whom know they’re working for him; such individuals aren’t considered members of the faction.
Bregan D’aerthe support comes in these ways:
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- The adventurers receive small, unmarked black pouches of coins from an anonymous source.
- The adventurers receive an invitation to dine with Zardoz Zord aboard his flagship, during which Jarlaxle takes their measure and offers assistance if they impress him.
- Bregan D’aerthe members buy off or quietly dispose of individuals who threaten the adventurers (usually without asking).
Emerald Enclave
A character must demonstrate an interest in protecting nature or the natural order to join the Emerald Enclave. Druids and rangers are especially welcome.
        Waterdeep harbors a few members of the faction, which seeks to foster harmony between nature and civilization. Members living in Waterdeep help guard the city against unnatural threats, including aberrations and undead. They also watch over the City of the Dead (Waterdeep’s public cemetery) and the city’s parks.
        Members of the Emerald Enclave can be found in Phaulkonmere, a noble villa in the Southern Ward, and at the Snobeedle Orchard and Meadery in Undercliff.
Emerald Enclave support comes in these ways:
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- Enclave members share information they’ve gathered from magical conversations with animals in the city.
- Melannor Fellbranch provides free food and care for the adventurers’ animals at Phaulkonmere.
- One adventurer receives a supernatural charm (see “Supernatural Gifts” in chapter 7 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide) bestowed by Jeryth Phaulkon.
Force Grey
To join Force Grey, one must first become a member of the Gray Hands.
        An individual who has served in the City Watch or the City Guard is eligible to join, as are characters who are willing to swear oaths to defend Waterdeep, its citizens, and its laws with their lives. Adventurers who show promise might be invited to join the Gray Hands.
        Force Grey is an elite cadre of specialized adventurers, drawn from the ranks of the Gray Hands, whose fighting prowess is matched only by their loyalty to the city. Force Grey attracts the best of the best. Characters don’t begin their adventuring careers as members of Force Grey, but they can work up to that status.
Force Grey support comes in these ways:
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- Adventurers who are arrested are released under the loose supervision of Vajra Safahr.
- The adventurers receive a helpful uncommon or rare magic item that they’re allowed to use for a time (until it mysteriously disappears).
- Meloon Wardragon or some other respected member of Force Grey helps the adventurers out of a tough situation.
Harpers
A smart, non-evil character can join the Harpers of Waterdeep. Bards and wizards are especially welcome.
        Harpers are altruists who work behind the scenes to keep power out of the hands of evil. They suspect that the Zhentarim is wholly or partially responsible for the escalation of violence in Waterdeep. Harper spies might utilize the adventurers to get at the truth. Various nobles and guildmasters are Harper sympathizers.
        The Harpers have several secret gathering places in Waterdeep, among them Ulbrinter Villa, an estate located on Delzorin Street between Vhezoar Street and Brondar’s Way, in the North Ward (just south of Trollskull Alley). Harpers prefer to conduct their business in bustling inns or in quiet locations.
Harper support comes in these ways:
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- The Harpers make common and uncommon potions and scrolls available to the adventurers at a reduced or deferred cost depending on the circumstances.
- Remallia Haventree feeds useful bits of information to the adventurers and might also offer them temporary shelter.
- If the adventurers are accosted and overwhelmed, one or more Harpers come to their rescue. A Harper rescue team usually consists of a bard or a mage, plus 1d4 + 3 spies or veterans.
Lords Alliance
To become a member of the Lords’ Alliance faction in Waterdeep, a character must be a Waterdavian citizen. Those with criminal records can also join, provided they demonstrate their allegiance to the city.
        The Lords’ Alliance is a confederation of cities and towns up and down the Sword Coast and throughout the  North, including (among others) Baldur’s Gate, Mirabar, Mithral Hall, Neverwinter, and Silverymoon. Members of the alliance must come to one another’s aid in times of need, and the organization uses field operatives (diplomats, spies, and assassins) to safeguard its interests.
        Waterdeep is one of the most influential and invested members of the Lords’ Alliance. Waterdeep’s Open Lord, Laeral Silverhand, uses spies to keep tabs on adventurers in the city, rewarding those who place Waterdeep’s interests above their own.
Lords’ Alliance support comes in these ways:
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- City Watch officials are notified that the characters are on “official business” for the Lords’ Alliance and instructed to provide support whenever they can.
- Mirt, a Masked Lord who serves as Laeral Silverhand’s advisor, invites the adventurers to dinner at his dilapidated mansion as a pretense for sharing rumors and imparting pearls of wisdom.
- The characters are granted a brief audience with Laeral Silverhand.
Order of the Gauntlet
Any non-evil character can join the Order of the Gauntlet in Waterdeep. Clerics, monks, and paladins are especially welcome, particularly if they worship Helm, Torm, or Tyr.
        The order’s mission is to seek out and destroy evil before it gains a foothold. The surge of violence in Waterdeep spurs members of the order to find adventurers who can help return peace to the city.
        An individual can be a member of the faction and also a member of the clergy or a knight pledged to a specific god or temple. Members of the order act alone or in small groups. Some are Waterdavian natives; others hail from distant settlements and have come to the city on temple business.
Order of the Gauntlet support comes in these ways:
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- If the adventurers require healing or other magic, a member of the order can facilitate meetings with local priests who worship non-evil deities.
- If the adventurers get in trouble with the law, a member of the order puts in a good word for them and tends to their affairs while they’re incarcerated.
- Hlam might show up and help the characters in an impending battle.
Xanathar Guild
Anyone can join the Xanathar Guild, which, despite its name, doesn’t have official guild status in Waterdeep. Before membership is granted, however, an applicant must pass a test that always involves the perpetration of a serious crime. Possibilities include murdering a guild member who has failed Xanathar in some fashion, kidnapping a Waterdavian citizen, collecting a ransom, robbing a hire-coach, or looting a warehouse.
        Among low-ranking guild members, rampant speculation goes on about the true nature of Xanathar. Few have any inkling that their boss is a beholder, and fewer still have seen or spoken to the eye tyrant.
Xanathar Guild support comes in these ways:
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- Any member given an assignment might receive a monstrous bodyguard or assistant , who has secret instructions to kill the guild member if they fail to complete the assignment as ordered.
- The guild grants access to secret tunnels and safe houses (hidden cellars) underneath Waterdeep.
- Xanathar might send a gazer to help (and spy on) an up-and-coming guild member.
Zhentarim
The Black Network has an open recruitment policy. Anyone can join. Tenacity and loyalty are highly valued (but not essential) traits in new members.
        The Zhentarim is a shadow organization that trades mercenaries and goods (including weapons) for profit. It has long sought to gain political influence in Waterdeep, but the strength of the city’s Masked Lords, nobility, and professional guilds makes that difficult.
        The Zhentarim in Waterdeep is a fractured organization. Those who support Manshoon want to destroy Xanathar and seize political and economic control of the city. Those who oppose Manshoon want to expose and destroy him before they are themselves apprehended or driven out of the city by the local authorities.
Zhentarim support comes in these ways:
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- Davil can arrange meetings with influential nobles and members of city guilds.
- Adventurers can procure discounted potions and poisons from Skeemo’s shop, Weirdbottle’s Concoctions, in the Trades Ward.
- Tashlyn offers mercenaries, either thugs costing 2 sp per day each or veterans costing 2 gp per day each.
- Istrid offers loans of up to 2,500 gp with an interest rate of 10 percent per tenday.
- Adventurers can hire Ziraj to assassinate someone, in return for some undisclosed favor to be called in later.