D&D 5E Why do cities in Faerun have fortified walls?

[Jackdaw McGraw]

I've been flipping though Forgotten Realms maps and reading through the 3.5 and 5 lore...and I can't figure out why most of cities have fortified walls, especially those on the Sword Coast.

There don't seem to be many (any?) large standing armies capable of the sieges that would make classical (European) fortification walls useful. Palisades, sure, but big resource and time consuming stone walls? The primary enemies of city-structured civilization in Faerun are bandits, beasts, civil wars (usually contained within a single city) and the occasional BBEG that has abilities that make walls extravagant or useless.

Who is sieging these cities in Faerun, and where can I find this info?

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

"Why do cities in Faerun have fortified walls?"

Because as is well-known and cannot be disputed, the stone in Faerun lacks certain vitamins and nutrients. You don't want your Xorn to be all sickly when they come to visit.

 

[Ixal]

Because the number of things that can make wooden palisade useless through burning or spells like warp wood outnumber the things that can make stone walls useless.

 

[LordEntrails]

Because Ed's vision of Faerun is with a bunch of walled city-states.

Or did you mean some in game justification? Because their really isn't one.

 

[Vaalingrade]

Because it looks cool in the art.

Also to keep out wandering gods.

 

[aco175]

I know Waterdeep has been sieges several times over the years. There are the Trollwars and an orc army or two. One of them created the Mere of Dead Men and another destroyed Phandalin. Since the city has been in the same place so long the walls were created long ago and likely need repairs like the ones described for Goldenfields. Now, outside the walls are where the city is expanding. The lands outside Waterdeep have many farms and slum areas from the 5e changeover and overpopulation in the city.

There seems to be no kingdom vs. kingdom fighting but monster populations rising or Dragonspear Castle opening a portal to Hell or such.

 

[Ixal]

I know Waterdeep has been sieges several times over the years. There are the Trollwars and an orc army or two. One of them created the Mere of Dead Men and another destroyed Phandalin. Since the city has been in the same place so long the walls were created long ago and likely need repairs like the ones described for Goldenfields. Now, outside the walls are where the city is expanding. The lands outside Waterdeep have many farms and slum areas from the 5e changeover and overpopulation in the city.

There seems to be no kingdom vs. kingdom fighting but monster populations rising or Dragonspear Castle opening a portal to Hell or such.

Luskan liked to attack other cities/kingdoms in the area and was itself attacked by the Lords Alliance.
And there are all thos3 mercenary companies/armies in that region which might also get the idea to raid a undefended wealthy city if they could.

 

[Umbran]

Who is sieging these cities in Faerun, and where can I find this info?

Those cities are old, usually centuries old - when they were constructed, there was a more credible threat of semi-conventional mass attack.

 

[John R Davis]

Walls are odd in fantasy land as all the great threats can fly / magic.

To keep safe you should live underground in " dungeons".

 

[Bedrockgames]

I've been flipping though Forgotten Realms maps and reading through the 3.5 and 5 lore...and I can't figure out why most of cities have fortified walls, especially those on the Sword Coast.

There don't seem to be many (any?) large standing armies capable of the sieges that would make classical (European) fortification walls useful. Palisades, sure, but big resource and time consuming stone walls? The primary enemies of city-structured civilization in Faerun are bandits, beasts, civil wars (usually contained within a single city) and the occasional BBEG that has abilities that make walls extravagant or useless.

Who is sieging these cities in Faerun, and where can I find this info?

In a world with monsters, I would want walls. But stone walls are common in cities all over the world.