This was a very fun, slightly and wonderfully silly, adventure.

I ran this is as a "flash-sideways" adventure for a regular home Adventurers League game where not all of the players were able to attend the session, without explicitly cluing them in beforehand to the theme of the adventure. In order to drive home the point from the outset, I used some of the "smooth" music included in one of the Syrinscape soundsets and a custom-written voice over intro.

My players very much enjoyed the investigative elements, even though they did not follow every lead or uncover every clue. As a DM, I really enjoyed all of the handouts, especially the decoder wheel (even though my group never uncovered it). For my players, it seemed like the big highlight was running into the Xanathar himself (two of the players were very frightened, as they'd recently played Underwold Speculation).

All in all, this was a very good time. It was a nice departure from the tone and feel of many adventures, with a solid story underpinning the whole.

It's a solid adventure. Has a very different, almost modern (private eye) vibe, with some silliness thrown in, and some very interesting encounters and locations. And the author definitely has a sense of humour. Pretty cool puzzle/puzzle handout too.

This module is a seriously silly romp through waterdeep, enough of a toe dip to feel familliar, but enough intrigue and plot development to really hook you in. Wonderful to play, wonderful to run, I strongly recomend it. Characters in the module are very well written and the puzzles are challenging, without seeming impossible.

This is a very well written module that is super fun elements for players to explore. One of the writers Lysa Chen was even kind enough to directly answer some questions that I had in regards to running of the module. This module seems like a great lead in to Season 8 modules (since it is designed for level 1 characters) and the Waterdeep Dragon Heist hardcover adventure. I would love if some new content beyond a background could be used for Adventure League players and that honestly is the only thing that would make this module even better.

I had a little bit of a hard time finishing preparing this module as I was laughing so hard. Watchman Locks is so awesome! I have him "narrate" extra bits with random similies as we go through the story. (As the Xanathar was threatening him) "The detective is having second thoughts about his carrer choice, as a warm liquid leaks down his leg like a burst fountain." The players look at me asking, "Is he saying that aloud?" My answer is, "Of course!" and everyone cracks up.

Other than my fits of giggles, this module was actually quite easy to prepare. The story flow, options, and layout all made sense.

The puzzles are all thought out and well prepared. I just love the feel of the module. It's not too railroady, not too sandboxy, and has a lot of setting flavor. I have to point out; this module doesn't have all the errors that I've come to expect from AL modules. This one was well proof-read and edited!

I ran this at a small con with players new to AL. It is a great introductory adventure. I especially enjoyed the film noir tone, plenty of excellent role-playing possibilities. I had to cut it a little short because some of the players were new, so they took longer to act, but everyone had fun. It complements Dragon Heist nicely. One complaint: I could only get one code to work on the wheel. Once they figured that code I gave them the rest.

Great module to introduce players to waterdeep. it has an interesting non linear story allowing for a lot of role play. it has top notch handouts and clues to solve puzzle, plus more than enough fights you can easily scale for any T1.

I like how my players felt in charge, and got to the "ah ha" about 3 encounters in, then 4 just helped them confirm it. this was made possible by a well structured guide plus excellent quality clues.

My advice to DMs

• prepare by printing multiples of everything and creating the wheel with a split pin.
• circle the first hand out like the module to highlight dr wards.
• consider if you really want Xanatha appearing... i think his major domo could suffice and provide some foreshadowing for other adventures
• buy this module. its a good one

So I just ran this last night for my first ever DDAL module for a ne DDAL club (no one at the table had played DDAL before).

I had a lot of fun running it and it seemed like the players enjoyed it too. I think if you do run it you should definatly put the effort into setting the scene and making sure the players know that this is more of a mystery than an adventure (players who expect a lot of combat, exploring or dungeon crawling will be upset).

The clues are a good mix of really obvious and cunningly subtle, so as long as the players are happy to buy into to the detective theme then players of all skill levels should be able to solve the mystery if they think carefully, put in the effort and work as a team, and there are still plenty of connections that will let the players who are good at this kind of thing feel a sense of achivement.

10/10, would run again.

I ran Rats of Waterdeep as my Level Up adventure this year as well as a new party's prequel for the upcoming Dragon Heist. What a wonderful experience! My players praised the module for its mix of intrigue, noir atmosphere, delightfully stand-out NPCs, and character drama -- they even said it made them think they were playing a more investigation-heavy game than what the usual D&D typically allows for, and that's high praise. Dragon Heist has a lot to live up to after Rats of Waterdeep. Please make more like this, especially for this urban-focused season.

I was a little concerned about the strength (HP mountains) of the Thugs for a small group of level 1 characters, but the combination of a Grave Cleric and the support of the NPCs in the finale helped keep the adventurers (barely) standing.

Fantastic work! Looking forward to more!

I did this as a prequel to Dragon Heist and it it really is a fantastic little adventure! It has everything in a small package; Murder, mystery, superheroes, twists, old gnomes, love etc.

I got to be a PC in this at B-Con in Denver this past weekend and it was fabulous! The story is imediately engaging and the puzzles make for a non-tiresome adventure feel that leaves the players with a satisfaction unlike your traditional linear module. This one makes you think and enjoy the flow of the experience as the story unfolds but not get bound up in trivial pursuits. Well done! I plan on making it a holiday weekend one-shot for a group of friends this Thanksgiving. I know they will love it too.

This is a wonderful module to run for anyone whether new or experienced. My players loved the film noir feel, and solving the puzzles. This is a great blend of combat, investigation, and roleplay. Some of the encounters were definitley tougher than others. The trap in this adventure doesnt hold any appeal though for AL players, so its a wasted opportunity.

I ran this recently for a group of five level 1 players. 3 were veterans, 2 newbies. It was a joy to experience the story, for both the players and myself (DM).

We took about 8 hours to complete it at leisure, with no breaks; players were completionists and wanted to follow up on every clue, interact with every NPC, figure out all puzzles and discuss conspiracy plots from every possible angle. This is a well structured and paced story, with a relatable yet quirky cast of NPCs all with their own agendas and desires.

I took about half a day to prep for it, as there were quite a number of minis to prepare, maps to select, pithy soundbites and overblown monologues to write. I would also recommend printing out multiple copies of each handout for each player. I wrote a short script for the 3 main NPCs, and used the adventure's responses for conversation with the players. I did not use Intern Watchman Locks' monologue but I'll run the adventure for a different group and see if it improves the player experience. Most of the local players here aren't familiar with film noir, so I adapted the docks of Waterdeep to 1980s Medellin, and Xanathar as Escobar.

The final optional combat scene at the docks was the most enjoyable and challenging for a group of level 1s in Season 8. The players' characters took a few short rests and no long rests up to that point. I recommend other DMs that run with a grid to select a map at the docks that encourages players & monsters to shove each other into the water. No permanent character deaths, but the thugs made it challenging for the players and I replaced the apprentice wizards' spell list (toll the dead, mage armor).

This was an incredibly fun 10/10 adventure for me, and well worth the extra prep time. The artwork really stands out, compared to most other modules. It's thematic, elegantly illustrated and just. so. good. to look at.

I love this adventure! I had the chance to play it while I was relatively new to D&D, and it was the first adventure I ever DMed. It's fun from start to finish- my players got wrapped up in every detail and someday I'd love to run it without time restraints- to speed it up we had to gloss over a few of the Doc Ward ads. The noir vibe is a blast whether you're leaning into it as a player or watching your players poke fun at Locks' antics.

Had a blast running this. I run a zanier game and I embelished the Xanathar by going full Donald Trump with him. From Summoning tiny mage hands to emote to complaining about crooked Laeral Silverhand. The Noir feel on top of that was great. Excellent box text. Bogart would interrupt the players with his musings while I cut to classic jazz for the background music.

I have to re-look at it but I think there are a couple letters messed up on the Doc Ward ads.