Dungeons & Drainpipes: Plumbing the Depths of Forgotten Realms Sanitation
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- Опубліковано 26 сер 2024
- Whether you plan to stage a heist by sneaking through the city's sewers, or you plan to ambush a caravan by hiding in a night soil wagon, this Realmslore supplement should help answer some of the many questions I've received about Forgotten Realms waste removal infrastructure.
Going to the bathroom isn't something that is often talked about around the D&D table. Well... maybe not YOUR table, but my players, and Realms fans worldwide, have certainly posed quite the number of questions throughout the years!
This is the perfect lore supplement to your Forgotten Realms campaign, whether you use dnd or any other tabletop roleplaying game (TTRPG) system.
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Flushed with excitement that I might be able to stop answering questions about toilets for a change... but maybe that's just a pipe dream. ;}
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AUPPENSER and SARDIOR! We need Psionic love!
Mr. Greenwood, I saw that bit about the Otyughs and neo-Otyughs. I mush ask who came up with such a monster and why they haven't seen them integrate them selves with other races, with likely humans favored race for they make such big cities and create so much waste? I most games I have played in, we had them in every town and most villages have one as well.
@@theprofessorkeen1911 I believe Gary Gygax created both (I only added the collective term, "gulguthra," in a long-ago "Ecology of" article in Dragon; they are in the original Monster Manual). And in the Realms, they dwell in the sewers and cesspits/pools of many settlements, though some villager fear them, thinking they'll either "get out and prowl" when they grow large, or have babies, or that they'll eat anyone who falls into the goo, or both. So they are integrated. (Why don't you see more in the rules? TSR's Code of Conduct, because human wastes are involved.)
@@edgreenwoodofficial an Addendum, I had a DM brought to us a neo=Otyugh with Class levels. seeing their stats made them viable for them. Fully expecting the party to fight them, but instead we talked it over to our side and temporary joined the party in a part of the quest. i was a wrench in the works when the monster ambushed the main bad guys by him reaching out of the deep sewer waters.
I mean, you can’t have super-secret sewer lairs and sewer kobolds without knowing what the plumbing is like.
In 40 years of D&D I never thought I would be watching a video about toilets in D&D, and it being spoken so well by someone who looks a lot like Santa Claus. Very Good.
When the DM ambushes your party while you're taking a dump.
Ed Greenwood author, scholar, and creator of The Forgotten Realms, asking the hard questions so we don’t have to.😂
I've used the Dungsweepers' Guild of Waterdeep as a recurring enemy throughout my Waterdeep campaigns. Much like the real world, they were basically mob-run. Ammalia Cassalanter was the granddaughter of a former guild leader who was ennobled and was talked about behind her back as "the Dungsweep's Daughter" prior to marrying into the Cassalanters. So on.
I like it! Good worldbuilding call!
To watch Ed carefully steer his words without saying "poo" fantastic.
As much as the subject matter doesn't exactly make immersion an attractive notion, it is this kind of grounded details that make a world come alive.
"I just use prestidigitation-"
"But, where does it go?"
"Only Mystra knows."
*Meanwhile Mystra - "It's vital to the health and wellbeing of every race and creature on the face and underbelly of Toril - but please... Stop thanking me every time you use the bathroom."*
LOL!
I really don't want that to be part of my portfolio!
I like how to the point and fast this video is, like Ed is so used to answering the question "so how do people in the Realms do their business?" that he can just do it on autopilot
This is the reason why the otyugh exists.
One of the great satisfactions I get is imagining all the sewage from Waterdeep going down to Undermountain.
which works, as there's the Otyugh Level.
Way back in 2e, I always enjoyed the fact that Ed & Co. Always added the mundane & oft-overlooked details in undermountain such as privies!
Details such as these were many that made the realms seem so alive.
Great video sir! May your privies always flush "effluently". 😉👍
I saw what you did there! ;}
Got loads of cool idears but the "night soil wagons" or "soil carters" were great, both for storytelling and fleshing out smaller towns and villages!
There's a scene in my novel ELMINSTER'S DAUGHTER where folk in Suzail take their chamberpots to the "usual" nightsoil wagon, if you want the, er, full experience.
@@edgreenwoodofficial already reading ;) !! You sir are a god among men!
The B Roll used is too visceral and perfect lol
One of the biggest flaws I have seen in many fantasy settings is the sewer systems. Most creators don't think of them if they are not plot meaningful or are omitted out of hand. I am glad you are covering all the important bases here Mr. Greenwood.
City sewers are a staple dungeon type. Of course people are interested.
Always really interesting to learn how ordinary people live and solve their problems in a fantasy world.
More infrastructure videos, please! These details are great little worldbuilding nuggets that all dm's would do well to hear about!
I have a lot more in the works!
>worldbuilding video about toilets and going to the bathroom
>uses the word "nuggets"
Sorry, I'm just utterly childish
@@nasir6r996 No, this is a legitimate observation. Kudos, friend.
I am DMing in Waterdeep. So happy I can now provide these detailed environs for my players 😂 ty Ed!
You're very welcome!!
Im cracking up with the stock video footage; brilliant episode!!
Ed's introduction was better than that non-introduction, not that I'm not thankful for your efforts! But he nailed it! Thanks for taking the time to debrief this legend for us.
I mean, these kinds of questions are really crucial for immersion, aren't they? What do people eat, drink? What's the architecture, beds? And how do they clean? Because these are very important facts of every day life so if you want to immerse yourself in the character's life... you will at some point imagine, what the hell does a toilet in Mulhorand look like?
It definitely sounds like they need some Wizard sanitation workers! Also uh huh huh, bum stick
The ancient Romans had them. I, er, do my research, if that's not too horrible a pun.
That reminds me of the time our barbarian was carrying around the owner of a house we identified a member of the Cult of the Dragon in Iriabor when we searched for a stolen item. He carried him under one arm through every room asking if the item (or anything else of interest to us) is there, and in the garderobe the barbarian was quite insistent to ask twice and dangle the house owner over the opened seat - I am sure just to make and to intimidate the cult member ...
Heh heh heh. Political persuasion at its, er, finest.
I had a thief that used to steal our goody-two-shoes cleric's bag of holding to poo in while the cleric slept.
Good old pocket sand but worse
If I really want to traumatise my players I'll be using Raggamoffyns conjured from the scraps of Waterdhavian bum-sticks and sluice-sticks 😈
LOL! Brilliant!
It's stuff like this I really like to cook up when I'm planning a settlement. Plumbing, food, commerce, and other aspects of infrastructure are the things that give a location plenty of depth, and might end up being important to the players and the plot as they navigate the city. I'm in the process of writing up one now and having a great deal of fun with that - and yes, that includes the sewers, there're going to be some hidden secrets down below.
Yes. Buried under the goo of a nightsoil wagon is one way of escaping a place unseen, when the alternative is death.
And now I can plan out where different monsters are in my new sewer dungeon depending on the smell from different houses. Players can wonder where the Kobolds got the flowery head decorations. 😁
Hey Ed! Thanks for answering such crucial details for worldbuilding XD It´s always refreshing to hear this stuff from the creator of the very Realms himself.
I would also like to ask something from you. You see, one of our players in our campaign is desperately trying to marry Renaer Neverember, but our GM said he will only allow it if Ed Greenwood himself gives his blessings. I know it's probably in vain, but would you please consider making our cleric happy and give your blessings for the couple? Our GM doesn't believe you will answer, and it would make all of us so happy to see his face if it actually happens.
Thank you so much for sharing your stories and world with us to enjoy. Its always truly a blessing. Stay awesome Ed
I will happily give my blessing! (Sorry to your GM for the fun/chaos this will almost certainly cause, but I think the FUN will be worth it! Yes, let Renaer marry the PC!!!)
@@edgreenwoodofficial THANK YOU SO MUCH, ED, you have made our whole party so happy! It is an honor to receive your blessings for the couple. And thank you so much for the unforgettable memories that your world creates in ours. That is the true blessing. Stay awesome Ed.
@@edgreenwoodofficial hahaha OK Ok... I'm the DM... If Greenwood gives his blessing there will be a wedding 😂 But it will be officiated by Elminster 😂 Thanks for your blessing Master Greenwood and thanks for the chaos ❤😂
Let’s be honest, we all thought about this at one point or another
While we are being honest, as players that is always some point in a adventuring career that involves " up to hips in sewers."
Potmakers and wagonmakers must be raking a fortune in Waterdeep. Gives me an idea... 😊
An ex partner of mine came up with a solution specifically for ancient Netheril's waste: gravitational flow downward to the bottompoint of the flying continent, thence to encounter a Sphere of Annihilation.
Peak stock footage. This video was informative as it was amusing
I wonder if denizens of the Underdark have any unique approaches to waste management?
The tale of the Undersewers iis long and drow-n out tale.
@@balazsvarga1823 *sigh* well done
Every word spoken in this video is delightful. For me, however, the words that have not been spoken with regards to the hours, days, possibly months (?) of real life research that would have been required for this topic; now those words truly tantalize me. Well done and thank you!
I don’t want to even think about the sanitation system of the Abyss and other lower planes
0:00 Something, something, three seashells.
I don’t think Ed was saying “lime” as the stock footage kept showing. More likely “Lyme”.
Ironically been reading the City of Splendor Boxed set books of late.
I like to imagine the first sewers in Faerun were constructed as a place for 1st level adventurers to fight giant rats and spiders. With time Gnomish inventors eventually decided these urban constructions may as well be used for waste water disposal too.
Pretty important function in a city the size of Waterdeep, something er, handled by the Dungsweeper's Guild, various hired wizard using waste disposal and vermin killing spells and clerics using curative magics to elimate sickness and disease.
Had to watch this as I was just finishing Making Of A Mage. ❤️
Next campaign everyone has to carry their own limes.
I have never been so enthralled by a video in all of my days. Truly a fascinating look into the waste industry of Waterdeep.
This is so useful to know as a world builder, thankyou so much for your work
Literally just had a party leave a sewer mini-dungeon. It's not a glamorous topic but we all know this is one of the staples of any campaign
Low level dungeon? Kobolds in sewers
Gross high level monster lair? Sewers
Realistic place for a villain to hide in a town and not be found? Sewers
great place for trained Gelatinous Cubes to clean out gangsters and invaders? Sewers.
Keep 'em clean so you can't see floating bones coming. :P
What you need is to have adventurers be shocked that sewers AREN'T for adventures. "Wait people do WHAT in here?"
Now, I need to fill a bag of holding with muck from these areas and dump it on monsters. Then setting it a light, watch as it clears the area, lol!
Our DM has a human town in the Dalelands that was built on top of abandoned Dwarven Ruins and they turned the halls into a Sewer system...our 3 Dwarven party members are none too impressed.
I am running a Waterdeep and one of my players sent me a link go this video, which is awesome.
My version of Waterdeep is a little different though, because I am using technologies like airships and subways. Once my brother figured out that London had a subway about the same time as the American Civil War, I kind of felt like that could be a sweet spot in history where people were still using swords and fire arms. Plus have things like blimps and trains.
Decided to watch your new video while eating dinner. No regrets.....no....no regrets.
The more you know. comes to mind
Wow!!! The details!
This video is amazing. Thank you Ed!
I would have thought magic items like a Decanter of Endless Water would be amazing for sanitation in cities in the Realms (as well as keep cities like Calimport liveable with endless supplies of fresh water for drinking and irrigating crops). In a high magic setting we don't need to follow real world engineering limitations in a major capital city with multiple churches and wizard guilds who would be available.
The problem is how many times such a decanter would get stolen, and have to be replaced.
This is what I was thinking, too. There could be a stone tank built in above the toilet that functions like a decanter of endless water. No one could steal that. The inside of a stone sewage tank could be a teleportation circle that is periodically activated to teleport the sewage to a different location. Water could be heated magically with built-ins for bathing in metal tubs. I just think the gnome artificers would come up with all kind of stuff like this for household use in wealthier noble homes!
I googled this information literally just yesterday! I was curious about the topic ever since I found out about Stromkuhldur's impressive plumbing.
Our group tends to use a Bag of Devouring when on the road, or when other facilities are unavailable.
I would love a video on the sea of fallen stars!
Thank you well worth watching!
I'm working on a 32 page supplement for a campaign in Khaerbaal, Halruaa. In that place the new Mayor has focused on providing the best plumbing and sanitation in the realms. Since it is a magical port city, the Artificing guild's number one project is to provide fresh and clean water for the citizens. To that end, I'm making rumours and adventure hooks for Planar travel and the study of the Ahkluar swamp. I don't see Halruaa as a random medieval style country. They have a history dating back thousands of years, so they're going to be a bit more advanced than a lot places. This is also an AD&D 2E setting. But can be adapted to 3.5 or 5E, easily.
I have a video on Halruaa coming up. They are advanced, yes.
@@edgreenwoodofficial This made me smile in all the ways. :P
And what Halaster Blackcloak thinks about that dripping from the ceiling of his Undermountain? 😏
I don't think anyone's dared ask him. ;}
populate your sever with oozes.. they keep them clean
Not surprised this is asked often. I spent days working out the different sanitation methods/culture for the different parts of my homebrew setting
My first campaign we went into a sewer and it had Ooze cleaning it
To the video editor: Not that kind of lime.
The local religions often have their trainees create water in the cisterns along the inner walls both to provide fresh drinking water to the population in the form of fountains but also to provide grey water (after going through the fountains) for the plumbing in those parts of the city. (from my old 2nd edition campaigns).
Consider that many gardrobes are sitting on shafts linked to the sewers, be it castle or upper city residences. In some cities people are paid or forced to clear out these tunnels.
I once read in I think a Dragon Magazine (After they dropped the 'the') about Kobolds using a contained gelatinous cube as a waste processor that I rather liked.
Hilarious! Weird! and ... strangely informative. =) THANK YOU!!
Thanks! That was incredibly timely and useful as I was just working on the sanitation aspect for my current world building. Saved me a heap of research time
On one hand, glad you explained it. On the other hand, sad that you had to.
There is no way in a world of magic the first cantrip every Wizard learns isn't Poop-b-gone. And more than a few wizards probably make small fortunes just from that one spell.
"I mean I GUESS you can use purify food and drink to turn a giant bucket of leavings into... clean water..."
@@override367 I don't think that spell works because it's not really food.
I'm incredibly surprised that there is no cantrip like... evanescpoop
We have top mages working on it.
Isn't UnderMountain beneath water deep?
It is. However, the sewers (and in part of the city, the Warrens) are in between. Hence the depth of the shaft in the taproom of the Yawning Portal.
This video really plumbs the depths 😂
Knowing what humans tend to be like I suspect that more than a little of Waterdeep`s waste ended up getting piped into level one of the Undermountain dungeon.🙄🙄
there's the Otyugh Level of Undermountain.
As someone currently running an adventure that involves a bunch of wererats in the sewers under Baldur’s Gate, thankyou.
When I DM I love adding as much flavor to the game as I can, would it be possible to get a video about different accents and voices of the realms? It would be nice to hear it from the master of the realms himself.
Can you please make a video on food in the realms? Wine and cheese and all of that stuff? They don't release books going into that anymore but my wife and I would love to hear from you about it!
You should join Greenwood's Grotto on Discord, and watch for the posts by Juniper Churlgo on all of the Realms food he makes for real, and how it turns out. He also posts on Twitter (as Artie Pavlov) about the same food dishes. All drawn from Realmslore, my recipes and those of others.
Did anyone tell you that pipe not a shortcut...?!😵💫
I do know that I had a fanfic idea of a character using prestidigitation to clean themselves while traveling. 😛 One minor side-effect is that while removing waste it also removed hair from the same region.
That's what Mage Hand is for 😜
What about using Otyugh for composting?
I just got a new toilet brush, I don’t like it very much. I’m gonna go back to toilet paper.
So anyone with money is going to have a Rod Of The Garderobe, a decorated stick enchanted with Prestidigitation limited to the cleaning and the temporary scent functions. Cheap, ubiquitous. And someone needs to make a Convert Manure To Mulch enchantment or long-duration ritual, makes human and other body waste safe to put straight on crops.
I wonder , have there been issues with spirits of rivers/water, nereids etc due to towns and cities flushing their waste into waters?
Oh, yes! In the "home" Realms campaign...but it's a very long story.
Ummm.....pretty sure you can't tell a story that's too long for us Sir Ed!
Ive always wondered about the sewage systems in the floating cities. Were they so magical that poop vaporization cantrips/items were common place, or did it just outlet down below xD?
fertilising rain and deliberately farming under the city's path is specified in one publication.
I've said this in another post, there has to be some serious magic that can deal with all that. ;)
Gelatinous cube disposal
readily thinking of how i shall make my players roll a history or survival check to see if they know which one is the athorn and the dollurd on their trip through the city of splendors!!
Gong Farmer should be a new character class.
Listen it's just worth the money to have a mage magic you in water from the plane of water and have your business go to the plane of Fire.
better, purify it of disease and use it as farm mulch. And a Prestidigitation item rather than cloths.
No city with sewers that drain down into the underdark?
Ed, any magic spells used in the elimination of human waste?
Not usually, aside from teleports on occasion. Spells are still expensive things, and most often used for other purposes.
I always wanted to roll a critical shit.
What did he mean when he referenced "ring gardens" when talking about there moving of outhouses
I think he means the flower gardens that people would plant on top of where the out house was, or the flowers that would grow there.
Here is what likely was going on. Those areas with the "offerings" would attract Bugs and worms that would break down the "offerings". What eats worms and bugs; birds! They also eat seeds which come out the other end. You wind up with a area that has different wildflowers growing in it, also that area is more fertile than the rest due to the workings of the bugs and worms. As an aside the same effect kinda happens on battlefields. I know of a section of the Day1 Gettysburg battlefield that during the battle was a corn field. After the battle, several mass grave pits were put in that field. ( Most likely for Confederate dead) The graves were dug up and the bodies moved. The owner then returned the field to Corn. The portions of the crop that were over the mass grave sites grew higher! The farmer understood what was going on and stopped planting for some time.
Soooooo this gave me an idea to make a sewer druid/ ranger name jalric bismalith ....his animal companion is an albino otyugh named osworth and they lurk in the sewers beneath water deep trying to keep they wererat population in check
all good but....... Netherese people with flying city, would just bomb drop everything down ?
I have a hard time imagining an elven community having a similarly stinky process of removing waste
Many years ago a few of my friends we did a I want to say baldur's gate run I play the dwarf close friends one from northeastern the college played a cleric add two other friends one was a elf the other one was a warrior and the other was a thief sometimes in Boston we play the back rooms (Warhammer) or (d&d) or( magic the gathering) either one you prefer playing and set the play for hours (games) and in one part of the mission we're in a rundown demonic Castle I had a magic acts but decided to go into the sewer system and keep investigating this sewer system hahaahahah