D&D (2024) Sword Coast population data from 2024 D&D Pocket Expert

[Ancalagon]

It has a huge deep water port (hence the name), probably one of the best in the setting, located very close (as within a few miles) of the mouth of the river that drains the whole region of the North outside the coast west of the mountains. All that trade goes along the Dessarin and its tributaries (to the point that Yartar is famous for its barges) down to the sea right by Waterdeep. What doesn't (for cities not near the river system) goes down the road strait down to that harbor. The only real issue is that the barge loading/unloading facilities (which would presumably be near Zundbridge, where the road south crosses the Dessarin just above its mouth) haven't been mentioned anywhere I can find, but presumably they're there, and it's just been a minor oversight.

Another reason why the overland road to Baldur's gate seems... suspect.

 

[pukunui]

The Sword Coast was a Points of Light setting long before 4e introduced that moniker. It’s very Middle-Earth in that respect, with little bits of civilisation surrounded by vast “empty” wildernesses containing the ruins of bygone realms.

 

[Zardnaar]

The Sword Coast was a Points of Light setting long before 4e introduced that moniker. It’s very Middle-Earth in that respect, with little bits of civilisation surrounded by vast “empty” wildernesses containing the ruins of bygone realms.

Yup it's also changed tone over the years.

Early FR i quite interesting. 5E FR doesn't have that much interesting going on.

 

[Hussar]

The Sword Coast was a Points of Light setting long before 4e introduced that moniker. It’s very Middle-Earth in that respect, with little bits of civilisation surrounded by vast “empty” wildernesses containing the ruins of bygone realms.

Points of light and a 2 million population seems a bit … off.

 

[Parmandur]

This is even more reasons to use the 3e version of Forgotten Realms. What's so great about the new version anyway?

...eh, what? 3E is the edition that blew up Waterdeep to a population of 1 million, and it also had the overland trade in the region centering on Waterdeep, it is is even colorfully illustrated showing the trade routes in the 3E FRCS?

It is rather an argument for going back to the 1E version.

 

[Parmandur]

Points of light and a 2 million population seems a bit … off.

Yes, again, that's one of the parts about the pre-2E version that makes it better.

One 120k population city in a region the size of Argentina or Kazakhstan, the scattered settlements being small mining or other harvesting activity operations.

 

[Demetrios1453]

Of course, it will be funny if next year in the actual official setting guides that these numbers don't reappear, and all this spilled internet ink ends up moot.

 

[Yaarel]

There do exist premodern cities that are a million plus strong. This is especially so if including the areas around the city, such as Cairo which is many ancient cities, now neighborhoods.

But in the context of Europe, which Waterdeep models, the only way to have a sustainable urban population at this magnitude seems to require modernesque (1900s) magitech. If this is the number, the local setting flavor must describe this magitech. Eberron Sharn is a good example of what Waterdeep might look like, and even Sharn is only 500k.

Earlier the thread entertained Waterdeep corresponding Amsterdam (which I love!). Amsterdam TODAY is just shy of one million population. It was roughly 200k during the 1700s. If so, we are describing Waterdeep with futuristic magitech.

Heh, I love technotopias, so I can work with this! This seems to be what "2 million" means.

 

[Parmandur]

And to me, this was the main obstacle to sticking to 3e version of FR

(well the real main obstacle is that I prefer other campaign settings but if I was using FR, 3e is what I would do)

3E, which has increased the population of Waterdeep tenfold to 1.3 milliom and as the hub of all trade in the Northwest (including the ultimayely successful Zhentsrim smuggling operationsover the desert), including overland to Baldurs Gate? That 3E version...?

 

[Henadic Theologian]

There do exist premodern cities that are a million plus strong. This is especially so if including the areas around the city, such as Cairo which is many ancient cities, now neighborhoods.

But in the context of Europe, which Waterdeep models, the only way to have a sustainable urban population at this magnitude seems to require modernesque (1900s) magitech. If this is the number, the local setting flavor must describe this magitech. Eberron Sharn is a good example of what Waterdeep might look like, and even Sharn is only 500k.

Earlier the thread entertained Waterdeep corresponding Amsterdam (which I love!). Amsterdam TODAY is just shy of one million population. It was roughly 200k during the 1700s. If so, we are describing Waterdeep with futuristic magitech.

Heh, I love technotopias, so I can work with this! This seems to be what "2 million" means.

It's magic Toronto, with some Renaissance flair stylings. And it does have magitech and piles of powerful Wizards, Clerics, Bards, and Druids. It even has magic robot things.