D&D General What real life city is Waterdeep most like?

[robus]

I managed to find this map for trade routes in the Sword Coast:

That is a most interesting and useful map!

 

[gyor]

The Sword Coast is very hoping with trade: I think the 3E setting book has a trade map of Faerun, Waterdeep is a super hub. Icewind Dale is very, very far away from Waterdeep, actually.

As to the original question: a Toronto Renaissance Faire.

For the win, you nailed it. Ed Greenwood is Canadian, so it's character is clearly inspired by Toronto, it is on the water and it likely would have been the only major city a young Greenwood would have had a chance to visit.

Toronto like Waterdeep is a major trading and finance centre, it's right on one of the Great Lakes. Much of FR core regions were partly inspired by Canada.

 

[Parmandur]

For the win, you nailed it. Ed Greenwood is Canadian, so it's character is clearly inspired by Toronto, it is on the water and it likely would have been the only major city a young Greenwood would have had a chance to visit.

Toronto like Waterdeep is a major trading and finance centre, it's right on one of the Great Lakes. Much of FR core regions were partly inspired by Canada.

I think that being specifically Canadian Sword & Sorcery is pretty key to understanding the Forgotten Realms, at least the core areas primarily developed by Greenwood.

 

[MockingBird]

Anyone know where one could find detailed info on Athkatla? Like details about the cities architecture and layout?

 

[Hussar]

Anyone know where one could find detailed info on Athkatla? Like details about the cities architecture and layout?

The FR Wiki has a pretty good run down on the city, with a pretty thorough citation list:

https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Athkatla

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Anyone know where one could find detailed info on Athkatla? Like details about the cities architecture and layout?

Baldur's Gate 2.

 

[akr71]

For the win, you nailed it. Ed Greenwood is Canadian, so it's character is clearly inspired by Toronto, it is on the water and it likely would have been the only major city a young Greenwood would have had a chance to visit.

Toronto like Waterdeep is a major trading and finance centre, it's right on one of the Great Lakes. Much of FR core regions were partly inspired by Canada.

Plus he grew up in the suburbs of Toronto, so he was likely very familiar with the City.

The Sword Coast is very hoping with trade: I think the 3E setting book has a trade map of Faerun, Waterdeep is a super hub. Icewind Dale is very, very far away from Waterdeep, actually.

As to the original question: a Toronto Renaissance Faire.

Toronto likes to think of itself as a city-state, too