Lords of Waterdeep

Waterdeep, the City of Splendors – the most resplendent jewel in the Forgotten Realms, and a den of political intrigue and shady back-alley dealings. In this game, the players are powerful lords and ladies vying for control of this great city. Its treasures and resources are ripe for the taking, and that which cannot be gained through trickery and negotiation must be taken by force!

In LORDS OF WATERDEEP, a strategy board game for 2-5 players, you take on the role of one of the masked Lords of Waterdeep, the secret rulers of the city. Through your agents, you recruit adventurers to go on quests on your behalf, earning rewards and increasing your influence over the city. Expand the city by purchasing new buildings that open up new actions on the board, and hinder – or help – the other lords and ladies by playing Intrigue cards to enact your carefully laid plans.

The game is ranked #96 overall on Boardgamegeek.com and is pretty lightweight (2.45/5.00, where 3.00 is medium). I'll teach the game if needed. Though the game is set in the world of Dungeons & Dragons, no knowledge about D&D is needed to play the game, and this is a board game, not a role-playing game. We'll play with the basic set, and if players agree we'll add the Skullport Module from the expansion. (Even if we include Skullport, we're keeping the max players to 5 because it's a work night. If everyone agrees, we'll get really spicy and add Undermountain! -- but only if it's unanimous.)

For more information on the game, you can find resources here: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/110327/lords-waterdeep

An 8 minute overview of how to play the game: https://boardgamegeek.com/video/15231/lords-waterdeep/lords-waterdeep-how-play-video