Sword Coast

The Sword Coast stretches along the Sea of Swords, from the wilds of the North to the calmer waters south of Baldur’s Gate. Its defining features include:

• Neverwinter: The Jewel of the North, reborn under Lord Protector Dagult Neverember after the eruption of Mount Hotenow nearly destroyed it.
• Waterdeep: The City of Splendors, largest port and political center, heart of the Lords’ Alliance.
• Baldur’s Gate: The mercantile powerhouse of the south, infamous for intrigue, corruption, and ambition.
• Saltmarsh: A modest fishing town on the southern coast, precariously balancing between smugglers, merchants, and political intrigue.
• Seaton: A fortified port city with ties to Waterdeep, wielding influence in the southern Sword Coast as both ally and rival to its neighbors.
• Neverwinter Wood, the High Road, and the Mere of Dead Men: Wild, dangerous lands that remain a constant source of monsters, bandits, and adventure.

Trade is the lifeblood of the Sword Coast. Vast caravans and fleets of ships connect its cities, exchanging goods between north and south, and across the seas.

• Neverwinter exports fine crafts, timber, and fish, while importing grain and luxuries.
• Waterdeep is the great hub — everything passes through its docks, from dwarven steel to exotic spices from Amn.
• Baldur’s Gate thrives on mercantile wealth and ruthless tariffs, often competing with Waterdeep for naval dominance.
• Saltmarsh balances legal fishing trade and salt production with the shadowy profits of smuggling, serving as a haven for those who evade taxes and laws.
• Seaton, under Waterdeep’s influence, secures southern shipping routes and uses its fleet to protect allies — or punish rivals.

The ever-present threat of pirates, sahuagin, and the remnants of the Sea Princes ensures that trade on the Sword Coast is never without risk, and that adventurers are always in demand.

The Sword Coast has always been a land of contrasts — glittering cities of wealth and magic standing against a backdrop of wilderness, ruins, and endless threats from land and sea.

For centuries, the coast was plagued by piracy. Smugglers and raiders found safe haven among its countless inlets, rocky islands, and marshes. Among the most feared were the Sea Princes, ruthless freebooters who once ruled the southern waters with an iron fist. Though their fleets have dwindled, whispers of their influence remain, with agents rumored to operate as far north as Saltmarsh and Seaton.

The great cities — Waterdeep, Neverwinter, and Baldur’s Gate — rose in this turbulent environment, securing dominance through trade, naval might, and alliances. Smaller settlements such as Saltmarsh and Seaton were often caught between the interests of these larger powers and the predations of pirates and smugglers.

In the 15th century DR, following disasters like the Spellplague and the eruption of Mount Hotenow, the Sword Coast entered a new era of rebuilding and expansion. Yet old threats — orc hordes, sahuagin raiders, and the Zhentarim — continue to stalk its people.