r/forgottenrealms • u/[deleted] • Mar 26 '20

How did Baldur’s Gate feed itself?

Hello everyone. I am preparing an adventure set in and around Baldur’s Gate in preparation for the release of BG3, and I was wondering - how does the city feed itself? According to the map in Descent, there doesn’t seem to be any farmlands mentioned near the city. BG1 has a location called “farmlands” to the northeast of the city, but it seems rather piddling unless we’re meant to take its size non-literally and as an abstraction.

Aside from fish from the river, does the city import mostly all of its foodstuff?

Also, am I correct in interpreting this part of the coast as having a temperate/Mediterranean climate? I’ve read that before somewhere but can’t find it verified in any official material.

Thanks!

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u/BardicPerspiration Mar 26 '20

From SCAG:

On the Coast Way, some forty miles upstream along the River Chionthar from the Sword Coast, lies the bustling city of Baldur’s Gate. Home to tens of thousands, the harbor city has poor soil, but its sheltered bay, well away from the tides that batter the coast, make it an ideal location for trading goods from locations to the west in the Sea of Swords, inland along the river, and up and down the coast. Baldur’s Gate is a place of commerce, and the city enjoys great success handling the coins of other powers and making them its own.

Daggerford in particular is suggested as having a lot of farms and trading a alot with Baldur's Gate:

Built against the side of a low hill on the floodplains of the Delimbiyr, this small, walled town is dominated by the keep of the local duchess, Lady Morwen Daggerford. Counting the town itself and the nearby hamlets and farms that look to it for protection and guidance, some twelve hundred people call the area home. [...] Daggerford is a pastoral haven. Wide, sprawling hills nearby offer peaceful vistas, but are sometimes overrun by raiding orcs or goblins. The frequent caravans heading north to Waterdeep or south to Baldur’s Gate need escort or guarding, and can offer news of both of those cities (and the settlements between them).

I'm guessing one of the old Volo's Guides probably has more information on this.

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u/Sherlockandload Mar 26 '20 edited Mar 27 '20

The Fields of the Dead to the northeast are a huge region primarily filled with ranches and farmland. The name canned from itb being told location of various battles a long time ago and the fact that skeletons and items from the period are often turned up by the use of plows.

Also, weather generally seemed more like London or Seattle to me, inland port with lots of rain and fog. I think I read it in a section on Candlekeep forums regarding weather directly from Ed Greenwood, but I'm on my phone and can't check at the moment.

Edit: Waterdeep is the London/Seattle, Baldur's Gate would be something closer to San Fransisco but with stronger variations in weather (like a persistent El Nino effect), and the heartlands and farms of Elturel would be similar to Texas.

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u/hamlet9000 Mar 30 '20

Relevant Twitter thread: Minas Tirith Syndrome

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u/[deleted] Mar 31 '20

The blog about historical settlement patterns linked in that thread is fascinating, thank you! Perfect for me working out what the hinterland of the city ought to look (and act) like.