Member Traits

A member of the Zhentarim thinks of himself or herself as a member of a large family, and relies on the Black Network for resources and security. However, members are granted enough autonomy to pursue their own interests and gain some measure of personal power or influence.

The Black Network is a meritocracy. As a whole, it promises “the best of the best,” although in truth, the Zhentarim is more interested in spreading its own propaganda and influence than investing in the improvement of its individual members.

Goals

• Amass wealth.
• Seize power.
• Gain influence over important people and organizations.

Beliefs

• The Zhentarim is your family. You watch out for it, and it watches out for you.
• You are the master of your own destiny. Never be less than what you deserve to be.
• Everything—and everyone—has a price.

Leadership

The Network has a militant leadership with everything ultimately controlled by the High Lord of the Zhentarim; however, it is currently in turmoil.

Fzoul Chembryl slew the previous High Lord and founder, Manshoon, in 1370 DR and then passed on control of the Zhentarim to a knight clad in chalkwhite armor known only as the Pereghost, who has dutifully led the Network through for years. Under the Pereghost's leadership, the Zhentarim transitioned from a conquering force into a mercenary army, with greater numbers than ever before and a reputation for service unlike any time in their history.

With the reemergence of Manshoon through one of his clones, splits in the Network occurred and several regions have splintered off (including Waterdavian members as the Doom Raiders); some following Manshoon, some following the Pereghost, and some developing their own leadership. Who will ultimately claim control of the Black Network has yet to be determined.

Zhentarim Deities

These are likely the most common deities that would bestow a charm or blessing upon members of this faction.

• Mask, god of thieves
• Leira, goddess of illusion
• Tymora, goddess of luck
• Cyric, god of lies
• Shar, goddess of night
• Waukeen, goddess of trade

Group Patron Benefits

Having the Zhentarim as a Group Patron provides the following benefits to the entire party.

Assignments. Your group may be assigned quests to further the factions goals. See next section for available faction Assignments.

Criminal Contact. Throughout their adventures, a party is likely to come across a criminal or two. Though some lawbreakers are sure to oppose the party during their adventuring career, others may prove to be valuable allies. An alliance with a criminal contact pays for itself in the form of information, influence, and specialized services.

Contact Specialty. Though the contact might mask their illicit activities under the guise of a legitimate business, their true expertise is known to the party. The criminal contact could be someone the party regularly does business with, such as a thief selling their plunder to a fence. Or perhaps the contact is a rival with which a party member shares a specialty, such as a pair of assassins who crossed blades in the past. The party can use the Contact Specialty table to determine what the contact does best.

Criminal Contact Specialty

d8 Specialty

1 Assassin. When someone delivers a name to your contact, it may as well be engraved on a tombstone.

2 Burglar. Your contact has mastered the art of breaking and entering.

3 Fence. Your contact is an expert in dealing with stolen goods and throwing off the heat.

4 Fabricator. Ah, good old whitecollar crime! Your contact has an eye for detail and a collection of inks that would make a notary’s head spin.

5 Smuggler. Your contact knows how to get contraband in and out of a location without tipping of the Watch or their hounds.

6 Spy. It pays to listen. Your contact is a people person who can blend into any crowd.

7 Sweeper. Committing a crime is easy—the hard part is getting away with it! Your contact makes the evidence disappear.

8 Ruffian. Every once in a while, someone doesn’t hold up their part of the bargain. Your contact is the enforcer comes knocking.

Zhentarim Ranks

Rank	Renown	Title	Perk
1	1	Fang	Permanent item Criminal contacts Safe house access Downtime activity
2	5	Wolf	Permanent item Downtime activity
3	15	Viper	Permanent item Sidekick
4	15	Ardragon	Consumable item Permanent item Task force
5	50	Dread Lord	Commander Supernatural gift

Consumable items. Once per week, a character can select one consumable item associated with its current rank or lower and can only have one provided consumable in its possession at a time. Consumables provided by a faction can not be sold or traded, but can be used on other players. The item is lost at the end of the upcoming week.

Permanent items. A character has access to the current rank’s items, and of all lower rank items. These items can not be sold, traded, or gifted but might be replaced if destroyed or lost.

Rank 1 – Fang

Required Renown: 1

This is the rank a character receives when first joining a faction. It is available at character creation or any time the character wishes to join. Perks include:

Faction Agent Background. Safe Haven.

Patron Benefits. Assignments and Criminal Contact.

Permanent item. All agents are given a Zhentarim Coin.

Criminal contacts. All agents gain a reliable and trustworthy contact who acts as your liaison to other members of the Zhentarim, and know how to get messages to and from your contact even over great distances. You may call upon a favor from the contact for services such as forgery, smuggling, etc.

Safe house. All agents gain access to a safe house  where they can store contraband or lay low, hiding behind innocent, reputable business owners when the law comes knocking.

Downtime activity. The agent can choose to complete a faction job.

Rank 2 – Wolf

Required Renown: 5

At this rank, characters have shown that they’re aligned with the faction’s goals and are able to take on more responsibility. Perks include:

Permanent item. Agents are granted a Banesword, or the ability to use their Zhentarim Coin to cast the Find Familiar spell once per day without any material components. The familiar takes the form of a flying snake and lasts for a number of hours equal to your proficiency bonus.

Downtime activity. Once, an agent may request training in deception, investigation, perception, stealth, or sleight of hand, training with a disguise kit, forgery kit, poisoner's kit, or with thieves' tools, or training in one language. Receiving training in a language or weapon typically takes at least ten workweeks, but this time is reduced by a number of workweeks equal to twice the character's Intelligence modifier (an Intelligence penalty doesn't increase the time needed), with a minimum of two workweeks.

Rank 3 – Viper

Required Renown: 15

Characters are reliable faction members, entrusted with many secrets and deserving of additional support during adventures. Perks include:

Permanent item. Agents are granted a Faction Loot Satchel in the shape of a discrete pouch. Additionally, an agent can use their Zhentarim Coin to cast the Mage Hand cantrip with the following changes:

• You can use your bonus action to control the hand.
• You can use the hand to choke a creature you can see within range.
  Make a ranged spell attack against the target. On a hit, the target takes 1d4 force damage. If the target is Large or smaller, it must make a Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobats) check against your attack roll. On a failure, the target is grappled until the start of your next turn.
  The spell’s damage increased by 1d4 when you reach 5th level (2d4), 11th level (3d4), and 17th level (4d4).
• You can make the spectral hand invisible, and you can perform the following additional tasks with it. These task can be performed without being noticed by a creature if you succeed on a Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check contested by the creature's Wisdom (Perception) check.
  • You can stow one object the hand is holding in a container worn or carried by another creature.
  • You can retrieve an object in a container worn or carried by another creature.
  • You can use thieves' tools to pick locks and disarm traps at range.

Underling. An agent gains one 6th-level sidekick that can adventure, go on assignments, or perform other tasks such as maintain a house or small inn.

Rank 4 – Ardragon

Required Renown: 30

Characters are trusted voices within the faction’s leadership. They are looked upon as champions of the faction’s beliefs, and as mentors by those of lower rank. Perks include:

Consumable item. Agents can purchase any poison in the Dungeon Master's Guide at a 20% discount, delivered by a flying snake.

Permanent item. An agent receives two personalized Assassin’s Glasses.

Task force. Agents command a personal task force composed of four underlings, who can be tasked with accomplishing minor tasks on behalf of the character.

Rank 5 – Dread Lord

Required Renown: 50

Characters are ensconced within the leadership of the faction and have a great degree of influence, guiding faction decisions. Perks include:

Commander. Agents can commandeer entire branches of the Black Network to further their aims, can solicit magic from the church, or can command army-sized mercenary forces (typically 3 veterans, 27 bandits, a priest, and a mage). These forces do not go adventuring with the agent.

Supernatural gift. Once, the faction can call upon a deity to bestow a Blessing of Weapon Enhancement upon the agent.

The Zhentarim of Waterdeep

We are the new Zhentarim. Manshoon has lost sight of what’s important – too wrapped up in his never ending fight with whichever Chosen has taken up the cause to end him. What is power if you’re stuck in a hole somewhere waiting to move to your next clone? It’s a new age, power comes from control of commerce, which brings wealth and the ability to do and say what we want. There is no better home for our new empire than Waterdeep. We are the new Zhentarim, and we will control it all.

 —Davil Starsong

For many years, the Black Network’s presence in Waterdeep was negligible due to the existence and strong influence of the Xanathar Guild within the city, and the Network’s own poor reputation. With the switch over time from conquest to commerce and a focus on mercenary forces, the Zhentarim has finally gained a foothold in the city over the past three years.

This is due to the leadership of the Zhentarim’s local chapter: the Doom Raiders.

Under their hands, the Zhentarim seeks to gain political influence in Waterdeep and populous cities beyond. Rather than create chaos and carnage to reach their goals, the Doom Raiders’ Zhentarim have forged alliances with local guilds, nobles, merchants, and other factions.

Members of this branch of the Black Network are identifiable though a small change to the organization’s symbol: the winged snake of the Zhentarim flying over a harbor.

Additional Goals

• To control and conquer commerce throughout Faerun.

Leadership

The Doom Raiders are a quintet of former adventurers who earned their name plundering lich lairs (called "dooms" by some). Though each has their own stake and expertise within the organization, Davil Starsong (Master of Opportunities and Negotiations) and Istrid Horn (Master of Trade and Coin) are the two who most frequently engage with outsiders.

Doom Raider Ranks

The ranks are largely consistent with those of the Zhentarim, with the following perk differences.

Rank 1

The Zhentarim Coin features a flying snake over a harbor.

Rank 3

The Underling perk is replaced with Mercenaries.

Mercenaries. An agent can higher up to three thugs for 2 sp per day or veterans for 2 gp per day to perform certain tasks, although they do not go adventuring with the agent.

Rank 4

The Poisons perk is replaced with Loan Shark.

Loan Shark. An agent is offered a loan up to 10,000 gp with an interest rate of 10 percent per tenday.

Rank 5

The Commander perk is replaced with Assassination.

Assassination. The agent can hire up to five Zhentarim assassins for a specific job that does not involve adventuring with the agent, at the cost of an undisclosed favor to be called in at some point in the agent’s future.