Laws are but nets cast by the powerful. Some hold, most break, and a clever soul knows when to slip through.

— Elminster of Shadowdale (sage, meddler, infamous law-bender)

How laws apply in Faerûn depends on where you are, who you are, and often most importantly, who you serve. Laws are not uniform, but shaped by local rulers, guilds, councils, and factions. Adventurers, nobles, clerics, and commoners alike may find themselves subject to entirely different codes of conduct — or able to wield entirely different privileges — in neighboring towns.

The System of Rights

The laws most relevant to adventurers are codified here as Rights. Each Right represents a domain of law commonly regulated across Faerûn. Every region sets its own restrictions, but by using standardized codes a DM can quickly define what is allowed, and players can instantly understand what freedoms they do or do not have.

Regions may rename these Rights to suit local flavor — for example, Thay might refer to the Right of Spellcasting as the Right of Wizardry — but the underlying codes remain consistent.

This system serves three purposes:

1. Roleplaying Opportunities — Priests may declare their faith and gain permissions in regions where it is recognized; wizards may argue that their background training included guild membership and thus a spellcasting license.
2. Gold Sink — Players can spend coin on licenses, memberships, and bribes that expand their rights, providing both mechanical and narrative benefits.
3. DM Clarity — At a glance, a DM can present a region’s laws, without getting lost in legal minutiae. Players can focus on adventuring, while DMs can focus on storytelling — unless, of course, you want to run a campaign about Faerûnian lawyers.

Core Rights

• Right of Arms — Who may bear weapons, wear armor, or command troops.
• Right of Spellcasting — What kinds of magic may be cast in public.
• Right of Beasts — Which familiars, mounts, or companions are permitted.
• Right of Trade — Who may sell goods, what tariffs apply, and how loot is treated.
• Right of Faith — Which religions are recognized, tolerated, or proscribed.
• Right of Status & Justice — How one is judged and under whose authority.

Each Right has letter codes describing levels of restriction (e.g. Right of Arms: M = Minimal). See Rights & Codes for full definitions.

Rights & Codes

Each settlement or realm lists its Rights in a simple law block: Here is one of the most complex examples.

Example: Waterdeep

Religions

Waterdeep recognizes and registers nearly every major Faerûnian faith, but temples and shrines must be chartered with the city registry. Major registered temples include:

• Mystra (Lady of Mysteries)
• Tyr (God of Justice)
• Lathander (Morninglord)
• Selûne (Moonmaiden)
• Tempus (Lord of Battles)
• Tymora (Lady Luck)
• Oghma (Binder of What is Known)
• Gond (Wonderbringer)
• Chauntea (Great Mother)
• Sune (Lady of Love)
• Corellon, Moradin, and other major racial deities
• Umberlee (Queen of the Depths) — tolerated due to necessity for sailors

Faiths associated with tyranny, murder, or undeath (Bane, Cyric, Myrkul, Shar, Talona) are technically proscribed, though secret cults persist.

Law Block

• Right of Arms: M (Minimal) — Simple weapons and light/medium armor permitted; weapons of war restricted inside the city.
• Right of Spellcasting: LT (Licensed + Travel Restricted) — All spellcasters must register with the Watchful Order of Magists & Protectors; teleportation, flight, and similar magic restricted to designated zones.
• Right of Beasts: E (Exotics Licensed) — Familiars and unusual mounts must be licensed; common livestock and pets are unrestricted.
• Right of Trade: G (Guild-Only) — All trades and crafts must operate under a recognized guild.
• Right of Faith: R (Registry Required) — All temples and shrines must be formally registered with the city.
• Right of Status & Justice: C (Common Justice) — Citizens judged in common courts unless noble or guild protections apply.
• Right of Movement: P (Papers Required) — Travel in and out of the city requires approved papers or identification at gates; caravans and ships are inspected.

Improving Standing in Waterdeep

• Joining the Watchful Order → Spellcasting LT → DT (defensive spells permitted; travel magic regulated).
• Merchant’s Guild membership → Trade G → T (guild backing allows tariffed trade instead of monopoly).
• Noble birth → Status C → N (nobles judged by peers or the Lords).
• Owning a Beast License → Beasts E → U (exotics permitted without harassment).
• Adventurer’s Charter → Status C → A (adventurers judged by special councils).

Special Restrictions

DMs are encouraged to add regional quirks or story hooks using the S (Special) designation. A frontier town might outlaw necromancy because of a past calamity; a druid enclave may ban fire magic entirely; Skullport may only allow “licensed” religions backed by crime lords. These exceptions add color without breaking the standardized system.