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Best Faerun Cities to Start a D&D Campaign

Published

2 weeks ago

December 10, 2024

Christoph Rediske

Key Takeaways

Table of Contents

Establish a campaign in cities like Elturel for its rich history and plot hooks.
The corrupt Athkatla has opportunities for shady dealings.
The library fortress Candlekeep is known for its rich knowledge.

Getting a Dungeons and Dragons campaign off the ground running is part of the battle, with the other half finding a night that fits everyone’s schedule. Even while running ore-made rituals, the characters need to meet and start their life as an adventuring party one way or another.

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Establishing the campaign and the party at one of the many famous cities in Faerun is a surefire way to drum up some RP and drop a convenient plot hook on them for them to follow into the main crux of the story. These cities all offer a different kind of setting, theme, and atmosphere, ensuring there is one for everyone, no matter what kind of game the DM is running.

7 Elturel

Rich in History

Dungeons and Dragons map view of Elturel

All civilized locations within Faerun boast their own culture and history, embodying vastly different ideals, corrupt or not. Elturel is a city itself rich in history, and a key location in Descent to Avernus. Before the events of the campaign, it was a key location in Faerun, but in 1492 DR, the entire city was teleported from the Material Plane to Avernus, the first location in the Nine Hells. But even before this event, there was the unleashing of the undead in 1444 and a spellplague in 1385.

As such, there are many years in Elturel’s history to build a campaign around, and where else would it start in the city itself? DM’s could even re-flavor Avernus by having the adventurers be inside the city when it was teleported to the Nine Hells, thrusting the duty of saving the city and returning it to the Material Plane upon them.

6 Athkatla

A Far Cry from the More Civilized Settlements

The only city that could rival Luskan in its shady deals, Athkatla runs deep with corruption, as every faction and individual is tenacious in their dogged pursuit of coin, and must act in ways that would be below the law if this were any other city. But in the streets of Athkatla, just about anything goes, even things as atrocious as slavery. Only those capable of protecting themselves should ever set foot in this city.

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Fortunately, this is something most adventurers are capable of. Many D&D video games begin with the player characters held captive in one way or another, so perhaps the adventurers are all slaves held in the city and must make their escape, or could even take the role of the slavers in a more evil-oriented campaign. Whichever way the DM and players want to spin it, Athkatla is a city ripe with opportunities for the start of an amazing adventure.

5 Candlekeep

Countless Tomes of Knowledge are Held Within this Fortress

Dungeons and Dragons official artwork Candlekeep

Most cities in Faerun are made up of residences, markets, taverns, inns, and places of worship, designed to cater to every need of the locals and anyone who travels through these places. Candlekeep, however, is unique in this way, as adventurers won’t find a place to knock back a tankard or two, but instead the largest library any of them have ever seen.

Candlekeep is a fortress of knowledge, containing countless books and scrolls that could provide information for any mission or question the party has. As such, this bastion of knowledge could make the perfect starting point for an adventure. Are they the scholars who have worked and lived here for years, or are they outsiders granted the privilege of seeing within this fountain of information? Either way, there are many plot hooks that could be used here to tug them towards the heart of the story.

4 Luskan

A Wretched Hive of Scum and Villainy

Dungeons and Dragons overview of the city of Luskan

Normally, most civilized cities would have a criminal underbelly, all shady and illegal dealings going underground away from the watchful eyes of any guards. Luskan takes a rather different approach, as all underhanded dealings are done out in the open, but that’s to be expected when a drow mercenary of questionable morals is running the show.

But it’s this roughness that makes Luskan such a charming, and lucrative, city. Business is booming, even if most of it is corrupted. This also makes it a great start for the campaign as an up-and-coming adventuring party taking whatever jobs are on offer, which are usually undignified jobs like chicken herding, or dealings that are borderline illegal, if not outright outlawed. Every group must start somewhere though, and Luskan can most likely give them that vital first job.

3 Neverwinter

Volo Himself Sings This City’s Praises

Dungeons and Dragons zoomed out view of the city

Neverwinter is one of the more famous cities in the Forgotten Realms setting, featured in many games, including the MMORPG of the same name and the RPG seriesNeverwinter Nights. It’s mostly known for the many craftsmen that dwell here, plying their trade to the city folk, and remains in good standing with the Lords Alliance.

Its flourishing success and vibrant culture make this the ideal city to start a campaign in. The hook could be from within the city’s confines, or they could be summoned to answer a call from beyond its walls. As a city that Volo himself once was quoted as the most civilized city in all of Faerun, even if the campaign didn’t start here, it should definitely be visited by the party at some point in their journey.

2 Waterdeep

The City of Splendors Attracts People From All Walks Of Life

There would be few better places to start a brand new campaign than the glittering Crown of the North, the sprawling and successful metropolis that is Waterdeep. As one of the most culturally vibrant and powerful cities along the Sword Coast, the adventurers could either be residents of the city or hopeful new arrivals.

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Whether DMs are running their party through Dragon Heist or crafting their own adventure, there is much promise and potential for a beginning in this powerhouse of the city, from political power plays to dealings with the criminal underbelly.

1 Baldur’s Gate

DM’s Can Draw Inspiration from the Games

Thanks to the Baldur’s Gate game series, this location has cemented itself as iconic among fans, introducing new players inside these fabled walls. Known as the Halfway to Everywhere, adventurers would struggle to find a place with more opportunity than Baldur’s Gate, which is certainly a place most rookies would come to in search of allies and coin.

Even for campaigns that are starting at higher levels, Baldur’s Gate could still provide a fantastic starting city as it is one of the busiest cities in the Forgotten Realms, with something always happening in one of the districts. And for DMs truly stuck for inspiration, they could look to the eponymous games for inspiration, all of which have fantastic hooks that could translate seamlessly into a tabletop game.

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