Waterdeep Cheat Sheet
For a comprehensive guide to the city I recommend Volo's Waterdeep Echrirdion, this is best used for key terms and information.
Meet the Party
Session Recaps, Calendar & Timeline
Below are articles containing session recaps but you can also find them here in a google doc. This will also include recaps for The Curse of Strahd, just click on the session you want in the table of contents.Recaps
Calendar
The current in-world date is: 24th of Kythorn (The Time of Flowers) 1492 DR, the Year of Three Ships Sailing
The Calendar of Harptos is the calendar used across most of Faerûn. It was created by the wizard Harptos of Kaalinth, although most people associate the word "Harptos" with the calendar. It is split into twelve months, each lasting three tendays (or thirty days). There are an additional five days that fell between months, bringing the total number of days in most years to 365. There is a leap day every four years the day after Midsummer, known as Shieldmeet.
Shieldmeet is the equivalent of a leap year day in the Calendar of Harptos, occurring once every four years, adding a day after the festival of Midsummer and before Eleasis 1. Traditionally the day is used for fairs, bazaars, musical and theatrical performances, and tournaments of skill and magical ability. Nobles usually held court to hear the petitions of their people and to make or renew trade pacts, alliances, and agreements.
The days making up a tenday don't have formal names. If precision is required, the number of the day and the number of the tenday are used, as in, "the fourth day of the first tenday of Flamerule". Days of the month are typically written as the numerical date followed by the month name, for example, "15 Hammer" or "15th Hammer". Informally or poetically this could be spoken or written as "the 15th of Deepwinter".
This calendar also features events relevant to the City of Waterdeep, you can find more information at City Celebrations
Timeline
Tales of the CampaignInfo for how to play the game (including weapon ref tables)
Lore
Laws
Refer to the The Code Legal for the laws that bring order to the city, beware though as some crimes have dire punishments.Guard Slang
| Slang | Meaning |
|---|---|
| What befalls? | Someone explain what's happening. |
| Hold! | Don't move a muscle. |
| Down arms! | Drop your weapons immediately. |
| Talk truth. | Answer me - Tell me the whole story. |
| Robes. | Refers to magisters, usually a threat. |
Currency
Note: Waterdeep does not trade use Electrum coins in trade, so it would need to be convereted to some other coin
Exchange Rates
Taxes
All citizens over the age of 10 in Waterdeep are required to pay 1 Shard in public services taxes at the end of the month. Citizens can choose to instead pay a fee of a single Dragon in tax and will receive a writ of exemption for 12 months. Waterdeep also raises revenue by charging other fees for other services.- 1 Nib per day to rent a stall in the market.
- 1 Shard to be paid to Magisters per conviction, on top of any other fines.
- 1 Dragon per conveyance leaving or entering the city, empty or full.
- 5 Dragons per ship that touches dock in Waterdeep. This covers up to 14 days stay.
- 1 Dragon per household to be paid in the event of a large-scale fire in the city.
- 1 Dragon per household if the walls or harbour need to be repaired of expanded.
Travel
Waterdeep is not a small place to explore. Luckily, there are many forms of travel available in the Crown of the North.- For 2-4 nibs the party can hop on a Dray; a large, shared coach that is unique to Waterdeep and takes multiple people throughout each Ward.
- Alternatively, Hire-Coaches are available for private hire to citizens who wish a more specific destination.
- They sit 2-4 people comfortably and rarely cost more than 6 Shards.
- For those wish to travel in only the most luxurious circumstances, the city has a wide range of Carriage operators who are more than happy to ferry around the wealthy elite.
- Prices may vary between drivers, but typically a will be hired out for a full day.