A D&D Session in Three Acts

Planning and Executing a Roleplay-Focused Session in Waterdeep

If you’ve ever run a D&D session with zero combat, a wandering spotlight, and a strong tonal shift, then you know how tricky it can be to keep everyone engaged. That was exactly what I set out to do in Session 11 of our Waterdeep: Dragon Heist campaign—a quiet moment in the middle of a noisy city, where a party of adventurers stops being a group on a job and starts becoming something more: co-owners, co-dreamers, co-haunters of an old tavern.

Here’s how I broke it down.

The Goals:

1. Resolve the handoff from Volo and legally transfer ownership of Trollskull Manor.
2. Give the players time in the city to breathe, explore, and equip themselves.
3. Establish Trollskull Manor as a character in its own right, complete with foreshadowing of the hauntings to come.

That’s a lot to do without swinging a sword. So pacing and tone became everything.

The Planning:

The Magistrate Scene:

I wanted the deed handoff to feel official, not just a formality. Enter Magister Talianna Zor—distant, crisp, and clearly well aware of Renaer Neverember’s name. That little flavor helped anchor the players in the world’s bureaucracy and gave them a taste of how Waterdeep really works: coin, name, and paperwork.

The Market Crawl:

This could have gone off the rails easily, so I framed it like a mini-arc:

• Everyone gets to shop for something meaningful.
• Each character gets a moment in the spotlight.
• Include a few unexpected NPCs to keep things colorful.

The highlight here was Witchswitch, a quirky spell component tent run by a flirty tiefling named Soukaev. He nearly stole the show with his exaggerated compliments and mystical merchandise. Watching Maple squirm through that exchange was DM gold.

Arrival at Trollskull:
This is where I wanted to shift gears. All the bustle and banter gave way to silence. I described the long shadows, the leaning balcony, the urchins watching from upper windows. I didn’t say the place was haunted—I let the manor suggest it. A slammed tap handle was the final punctuation mark. Session cliffhanger achieved.

The Execution:

It worked because I let the players lead.

• Clover wandered toward music and food, as expected, and gave the Market its emotional center.
• Doc grounded everything with practical concerns—nails, sausage, what needs fixing first.
• Maple had a coming-of-age moment dealing with Soukaev.
• Raven and Kiril quietly clocked things others missed—watchers in the crowd, odd magical details.

I stepped in just enough to keep things moving, but backed off when the party created their own rhythm.

What I Learned:

• A session without combat doesn’t need to be slow—it just needs to have texture. Give players things to touch, taste, smell, overhear.
• Give every player a reason to care about a setting like Waterdeep. Not every story lives in a dungeon.
• Pacing tools are essential. I didn’t say “You’ve got 15 minutes at the Market,” but I felt it and managed transitions to keep attention up.

Final Thoughts (For DMs and Players Alike):

This was one of those sessions where nothing big happened—and everything important did.

The party became co-owners of a haunted tavern.
They bought lavender incense, secondhand pearls, and meat pies.
They laughed, they shopped, they settled in.

They were home.

If you’re a DM trying to make the “downtime” matter, remember this: the spaces between the fights are where the characters find out who they really are. Let them linger there. Just long enough.

And if you’re a player?
Lean into those quiet moments. Buy the cloak. Flirt with the vendor. Ask what the incense smells like. You’ll be surprised what haunts you later.them next.