Waterdeep:Waterdeep
I, Volothamp Geddarm, verily attest to the veracity of the words printed herein. "Set your course by the truth and you shall never be lost, no matter how far you wander." I coined this well-worn adage myself years ago, and it has served me well in all my travels.
—Volo's Waterdeep Enchiridion: A Visitor's Guide to the City's Spledors
Waterdeep, also known as the City of Spledors or the Crown of the North, is the most important and influential city in the North, and perhaps even all of Faerûn. It is one of if not the most powerful and influential member-states of the Lords' Alliance, the coalition of nations and city-states that seek to maintain order along the Sword Coast and the North.
The Code Legal
Waterdeep is a city of laws molded by Tyr's spirit of justice. As a rule, you can trust members of the City Watch to do their duty diligently, and you can expect that the city's magisters will be fair.
Unlike in less civilized settlements, punishment for crimes in Waterdeep isn't typically used as public entertainment. Scheuled executions occur behind the high walls of Castle Waterdeep, and floggings are carried out in the watch post nearest the sentencing. The Watch makes every effort to take individuals into custody quietly, so as not to disrupt other citizens.
Waterdeep has a complex library of law and custom set by precedent, the main body of which can be read in the Code Legal. This document is available in multiple languages at the Palace of Waterdeep, and (in the Common tongue) provided on request by the magisters at the gates and in the harbor. The Code Legal provides only an outline of typical sentences for various offenses, and magisters have broad discretion when meting out justice as they see fit. Any Masked Lord can overturn a magister's ruling, but there's rarely a Masked Lord around when you need one.
Punishment for a crime can include one or more of the following, based on the nature of the crime, who or what the crime is committed against, and the criminal record of the convicted:
- Death
- Exile (for a number of years or summers)
- Flogging (a set number of strokes)
- Hard labor (for a period of days, months, or years depending on the seriousness of the crime)
- Imprisonment in the dungeons of Castle Waterdeep (for a period of days or months depending on the seriousness of the crime)
- Fine (payable to the city; inability to pay the fine leads to imprisonment and/or hard labor)
- Damages (payable to the injured party or victim's kin; inability to pay damages leads to imprisonment and/or hard labor)
- Edict (forbidding the convicted from doing something; violation of an edict can result in imprisonment, hard labor, and/or a fine)
I. Crimes against Lords, Officials, and Nobles
| Offense | Punishment |
|---|---|
| Assaulting or impersonating a Lord | Death |
| Assaulting or impersonating an official or noble | Flogging, imprisonment up to 10 days, and a fine up to 500 dragons |
| Blackmailing an official | Flogging and exile up to 10 years |
| Bribery or attempted bribery of an official | Exile up to 20 years and fine up to double the bribe amount |
| Murder of a Lord, official, or noble | Death |
| Using magic to influence a Lord without consent | Imprisonment up to a year, and fine or damages up to 1,000 dragons |
| Using magic to influence an official without consent | Fine or damages up to 1,000 dragons and edict |
II. Crimes against the City
| Offense | Punishment |
|---|---|
| Arson | Death or hard labor up to 1 year, with fines and/or damages covering the cost of repairs plus 2,000 dragons |
| Brandishing weapons without due cause | Imprisonment up to 10 days and/or fine up to 10 dragons |
| Espionage | Death or permanent exile |
| Fencing stolen goods | Fine equal to the value of stolen goods and edict |
| Forgery of an official document | Flogging and exile for 10 summers |
| Hampering justice | Fine up to 200 dragons and hard labor up to 10 days |
| Littering | Fine up to 2 dragons and edict |
| Poisoning a city well | Death |
| Theft | Flogging followed by imprisonment up to 10 days, hard labor up to 1 year, or fine equal to the value of the stolen goods |
| Treason | Death |
| Vandalism | Imprisonment up to 10 days plus fine and/or damages covering the cost of repairs plus up to 100 dragons |
III. Crimes against the Gods
| Offense | Punishment |
|---|---|
| Assaulting a priest or lay worshipper | Imprisonment up to 10 days and damages up to 500 dragons |
| Disorderly conduct within a temple | Fine up to 5 dragons and edict |
| Public blasphemy against a god or church | Edict |
| Theft of temple goods or offerings | Imprisonment up to 10 days and damages up to double the cost of the stolen items |
| Tomb-robbing | Imprisonment up to 10 days and damages covering the cost of repairs plus 500 dragons |
IV. Crimes against Citizens
| Offense | Punishment |
|---|---|
| Assaulting a citizen | Imprisonment up to 10 days, flogging, and damages up to 1,000 dragons |
| Blackmailing or intimidating a citizen | Fine or damages up to 500 dragons and edict |
| Burglary | Imprisonment up to 3 months and damages equal to the value of the stolen goods plus 500 dragons |
| Damaging property or livestock | Damages covering the cost of repairs or replacement plus up to 500 dragons |
| Disturbing the peace | Fine up to 25 dragons and edict |
| Murdering a citizen without justification | Dead or hard labor up to 10 years, and damages up to 1,000 dragons paid to the victim's kin |
| Murdering a citizen with justification | Exile up to 5 years or hard labor up to 3 years or damages up to 1,000 dragons paid to the victim's kin |
| Robbery | Hard labor up to 1 month and damages equal to the value of the stolen goods plus 500 dragons |
| Slavery | Flogging and hard labor up to 10 years |
| Using magic to influence a citizen without consent | Fine or damages up to 1,000 dragons and edict |
Arms, Armor, and Combat
Waterdhavians go about unarmed and unarmored. Yet Waterdeep doesn't have any law that forbids carrying weapons or armor. Instead, it has a culture of civility that makes such behavior unnecessary.
Dueling has long been illegal in Waterdeep, as has any sort of act involving assault. Individuals caught brawling by the Watch will all be arrested and judged regardless of who started the fracas, or why. (The tavern brawls that typically break out under the influence of too much drink will often be overlooked by the Watch, as long as the proprietor doesn't seek payment for damages and no one is significantly injured.) Sport fighting, such as boxing or wrestling, is legal only if it occurs in a location registered with the city for that purpose. Additionally, any blade more than one foot in length is subject to an extra tax whenever it is sold, which helps to explain why Waterdhavians prefer to carry knives and knuckledusters for self-defense.
Businesses and individuals do employ armed guards, but except for nobles or foreign envoys, few people travel about the city with such protection. As such, the sight of armed and armored individuals walking the streets who aren't in the livery of the city or one of its noble houses inspires caution in most Waterdhavians. Folk assume that you wouldn't bother lugging around such equipment unless you either intend violence or expect that it might soon be visited upon you.
City Watch
A newcomer to Waterdeep first encounters the City Guard, who patrol the roads leading into the city, watch the walls, guard civic structures, and protect magisters. The streets, however, are policed by the City Watch.
The City Watch has watch posts throughout the city. These stations are often off the main thorooughfares, tucked away in small courtyards or at cross streets. A Watch post can be recognized by the green-and-gold lantern outside it, lit even during the day with a continual flame spell. A Watch post serves as an organizational headquarters and an armory. If a member of the Watch cannot be found to report a crime, there will always be someone at the nearest Watch post.
Small squads head out from the Watch posts on daily and nightly rounds of the city streets, or on special assignments involving protection or investigation. A mere pair of Watch operatives might discreetly patrol the Castle Ward; in contrast, squads of eight walk the Dock Ward, increasing to as many as a dozen at night. If Watch members spot trouble they can't handle, the blow shrill tin whistles to summon more of their members—an act that alerts nearby citizens to stay clear as well.
City Watch members follow a strict code of conduct that makes them one of the most trusted police forces aside from paladin-patrolled Eltugard. As long as you don't engage in unlawful behavior, you can expect to be left untroubled by the Watch.
The Watchful Order of Magists and Protectors
All arcane spellcasters who intend to stay in Waterdeep for any length of time are required to register with the city, and will be strongly encouraged to join the Watchful Order of Magists and Protectors, headed by the Blackstaff.
Members of the Watchful Order are expected to render service to the city when called upon, acting as temporary members of the City Watch or City Guard. Their expertise often helps investigators determine whether magic was used to commit a crime in the city. Members can also expect to be tapped for assistance during and after fires, natural events that cause multiple casualties, or other nonmagical disasters.
Members of the Watchful Order form a more or less sociable association in the city, working together to keep an eye on any spellcasters who opt not to join their guild. Any havoc caused by a spellcaster in Waterdeep risks drawing the wrath of the Lords of Waterdeep—so it behooves the Watchful Order to watch all its members.
Coinage
All taxes, fines, and guild fees must be paid either in Waterdhavian coin or the currency of any member settlement of the Lords' Alliance. While there is no law requiring you to purchase goods using Waterdhavian coin, very few merchants will accept foreign currency.
Exchequers at the Palace of Waterdeep make coinage exchanges with no associated fee. However, the queue can be quite long, so appointments are recommended. Alternatively, the Guild of Trusted Pewterers and Casters or the Jewelers' Guild have reliable scales and abide by guild-wide rates of exchange.
| Coin | Description | Nib value | GP standard equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nib | Copper coin about the size of a thumbnail | 1 nib | 1 cp |
| Shard | Silver coin, slightly smaller than the nib | 10 nibs | 1 sp |
| Dragon | Gold coin, half again as large as a nib | 100 nibs | 1 gp |
| Taol | Brass coin, about two inches square with a hole large enough for a nib to fit in | 200 nibs | 2 gp |
| Sun | Platinum coin, twice as large as a nib | 1,000 nibs | 1 pp |
| Harbor Moon | Platinum crescent inset with electrum, about three inches long with a hole large enough for a nib to fit in | 5,000 nibs | 5 pp |
Guilds and Guild Law
No aspect of life in Waterdeep goes untouched by at least one of its more than forty guilds. Virtually every profession has an associated guild, and there's hardly a citizen who doesn't belong to one or more guilds, or doesn't work for someone who does.
"Guild Law" isn't actual legal code, but guilds take their laws seriously, as do members of the City Watch and the magisters. If you flout a guild's traditions, you can expect not only public scorn but also a visit from enforcers of the law. In additon, many guilds have their own systems of accusation, trial, and punishment, such as:
- A member of the Bakers' Guild who sells bread baked in the wrong shape will be drenched with water and coated in his own flour.
- Heckling a member of the Jesters' Guild will result in the offending party being jeered at in public by no less than four guild members for a period of four days.
- Any ship that unloads its cargo without due observance or aid by the Guild of Watermen shall have its cargo seized or thrown into the harbor.
Many guilds have codes that entwine each other. In Neverwinter, if you want to construct a building, you simply purchase the land and hire workers to build it. In Waterdeep, the Surveyors', Map-, and Chart-makers' Guild must first be consulted upon designation of the plat, then brought in to draw or approve the construction plan. The Cellarers' and Plumbers' Guild must then clear and prepare the site, only after which will you be able to hire members of the Carpenters', roofers', and Plaisterers Guild to erect the structure.
Moreover, the work will not be complete until members of the Guild of Fine Carvers and the Guild of Stonecutters, Masons, Potters, and Tile-makers design and craft any decorative elements of wood, stone, or ceramics, and after the Most Careful Order of Skilled Smiths and Metalforgers has manufactured and installed any door hinges. If the building is to be connected to the sewers or a city water supply, the Cellarers' and Plumbers' Guild must be called upon again to do that work. Want glazed windows installed? For that, you need to hire members of the Guild of Glassblowers, Glaziers, and Spectacle-makers.
A foreigner who wishes to do business in the city as anything other than a purchaser of goods and services is strongly recommended to seek out a solicitor to guide them through the process. There is no guild for solicitors, so one must simply rely on trusted recommendations.
All that said, working at a guild-related profession without being a member of that guild isn't actually illegal. Guild members have no lawful recourse to interfere in the business of someone who chooses to not join the organization. But if you practice a trade or operate a business without becoming a member of the appropriate guild, word spreads, and you'll find that your coin isn't good for purchasing the goods or services of anyone who is a guild member. Since that group includes virtually everyone who sells the necessities of life or offers shelter for a fee, the benefits of joining a guild swiftly become apparent to those who procrastinate in this regard.
The Wards of Waterdeep
Wards are important to the citizens of Waterdeep, but unlike cities such as Baldur's Gate or Neverwinter, the sections of the city are not separated with walls or rivers.
Sea Ward
The Sea Wards stands on the high ground above Mount Waterdeep's sunset shadow. The rich and powerful (or those who wish you to think such of them and can afford the rent) reside or run businesses there.
If you find yourself walking down the streets of the Sea Ward at night and notice a trail of blue tiles lit by foxfire, turn around. Go the other way, and never look back. Many enter the Blue Alley, but few ever leave.
North Ward
Many nobles live in the North Ward, and it has a tenor that tends toward reserved and polite.
Castle Ward
The Castle Ward is the heart and mind of Waterdeep, if not its soul. It houses the city's military, courts, government, and the largets market square in any city in the North.
Trades Ward
While the Market in the Castle Ward is the largest market square in the city, the Trades Ward is like a market town in itself, and is easily three times the Market's size. This ward bustles day and night with activity, and signs and advertisements jump from all sides. So long as it's not illegal, you can find it in the Trades Ward. But if you are looking for something illegal, the Trades Ward is likely to have that, too.
Many of the city's guilds are also headquartered here. The use of magic items and spells is forbidden in the are surrounding the Court of the White Bull, as a consequence of a great duel centuries ago which damaged the Weave and causes magic in the area to go awry.
In sporting events, the mascot for the Trades Ward is a mimic. The object representing the mimic is changed every four years, and for months after the unveiling of a new mimic the locals take great pleasure in creating convincing fakes of real versions of the object (imagine sitting in what appeared to be a sturdy barstool only to find out it was made of paper!), or casting illusions to mimic a mimic attack from versions of the current mimic object.
Southern Ward
The Southern Ward (not the "South Ward", Waterdhavians will insist) plays host to most of the traveling merchants in the city, and is primarily occupied by citizens who trace their ancestry to other realms.
Dock Ward
While the Dock Ward has a reputation of being the most dangerous area of the city, the Field Ward claims that title when actual statistics are investigated.
The Dock Ward is second only to the Field Ward in its population of the poor. It is home to some of the least literate people in the city. Most of its taverns are inhabited by habitual drinkers, and far too many of its inns charge by the hour. But if nothing else can be said about the residents of the Dock Ward, it is that they are often the hardest workers.
Streetlamps in the Dock Ward regularly have their candles, oil, and glass stolen or smashed. Despite regular efforts by the Guild of Chandlers and Lamplighters, residents of the Dock Ward traveling at night are forced to carry their own light.
City of the Dead
The City of the Dead is a great park of grassy hills, tended flower beds, artfully placed clusters of trees and bushes, beautiful sculptures, astounding architecture, and gravel paths that wend intriguingly through it all. Waterdhavians entomb their dead in above-ground mausoleums, and the wealthy dead turn the ward into what amounts to the largest statuary art museum on the Sword Coast.
Outside the walls
Field Ward
This was once a caravan yard between Waterdeep's two northernmost walls, which doubled as a killing field in times of war. The area has grown up into a lawless town of its own thanks to the influx of refugees from various calamities who have no been allowed to settle in the wealthier districts of the city.
The Field Ward has no sewer system and isn't served by the Dungsweepers' Guild. The Guild of Butchers also operates several slaughterhouses, smokehouses, and leather-making facilities here; if the people didn't turn you away from the area, the smell might.
Undercliff
A rural farming commuinity which caters to travelers, and the location of a training camp for the City Guard.
Undermountain
Beneath Mount Waterdeep and sprawling under the whole city lies the largest and deepest dungeon in the world. The easiest entrance is from the Yawning Portal inn.
The Griffon Cavalry
Waterdeep doesn't have the fabled flying ships of Halruaa, but it does employ an aerial defense force. Specially trained warriors of the City Guard light from the Peaktop Aerie on Mount Waterdeep, riding griffons bred and trained for that purpose. Each rider is equipped with a 4721-ring-of-feather-falling both in case of accident, and because in aerial combat, leaping off their mounts onto flying enemies below is a part of the squad's combat strategy.
Riders of the Griffon Cavalry stay above the rooftops, not out of fear of hitting buildings or weathervanes, but because the smell of horseflesh can sometimes drive the griffons into a frenzy.
The Walking Statues
When the city is placed in grave danger, such as during the Spellplague in 1385 DR, great walking statues appear to defend it. When the danger passes, the statues cease their movement, and the city builds up around them. There are currently eight motionless walking statues scattered around the city, although there may be more on the Ethereal Plane, waiting for danger to strike again.