Many Dungeons & Dragons players spend part of their virtual lives in a fantasy world because it’s a lot more interesting than real life, but that doesn’t mean the Forgotten Realms would be a nice place to live. That’s especially true for a civilian, never mind a hardened adventurer with enchanted weapons or magical powers.
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In addition to all of the usual problems that make real life difficult, like poverty, starvation, or extreme weather events, the residents of the Forgotten Realms have to deal with monsters, magic, and undead hoards. It could even get worse for some nations, depending on the dice rolls and the Dungeon Master, but all of them are some of the worst places to live before anyone even breaks out the Cheetos.
6 Netheril
An Ancient City That Fell Into Dark Magic
Once upon a time, Netheril was the place where everyone wanted to live. Its dramatic and crushing downfall came at the hands of a powerful mage named Karsus, and those who have played Baldur’s Gate 3 know that its legacy spread well beyond its own borders. Not only was it a miserable place to live after this, but because of its influence, it cursed every other nation in the Forgotten Realms.
In the present time, the city of Netheril returned from ruin but is now more like a shambling corpse in comparison to its former glorious self. It’s known as the City of Shade, and it’s ruled over by evil wizards and other powerful dark beings, such as necromancers and liches. Not a nice place to live or even visit, for that matter.
5 Zakhara
The Most Stalwart And Seasoned Adventures Only
Zakara is a big place with a lot of geography, and some regions might be more pleasant than others when it comes to basic needs like shelter and food, but the problems are with the isolated location and dangerous coastline. Not only is Zakara separated from the rest of the Forgotten Realms by mountains and water, but the borders on both land and sea are heavily populated with aggressive traders, unsavory smugglers, and all manner of pirates.
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Anyone hoping to live in Zakara should be trained with some kind of weapon, at the very least, since travelers and residents alike need to provide their security. The political structure of Zakara is based on a theocracy, which is perilous for anyone with different religious views, and settlements are few, hidden, and do not readily welcome outsiders.
4 Thay
Dark Magic, Evil Mages, And Undead Rulers
The nation of Thay got some publicity in the D&D movie, Honor Among Thieves, which featured two characters from the doomed and dark nation. One was a Paladin that inherited a degree of mysterious power and used it for good, but the other was a Red Wizard, one of Thay’s most common and deadliest exports.
Some flashback-type scenes in the movie explain how the nation was forced into subjugation by the power of the Red Wizards, and one of their most notorious leaders was a lich named Szass Tam, who gets a brief mention in Baldur’s Gate 3. Regardless of the economy or climate, the politics and social structure of Thay make it a terrifying place to live.
3 Rashemen
For Survivalists That Don’t Know Any Better
Every so often, fan-favorite D&D character Minsc brings up his home nation of Rashemen, and although his take is a nostalgic one it sounds like a rough place. After all, not even Minsc lives there, and only occasionally muses about going back.
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Rashemen is known as the Land of the Berserkers since many Barbarians come from these lands or venture here for training, so that should help explain the kind of person that chooses Rashamen as a permanent home. It’s in a region called the Unapproachable East, so even getting there is a chore, which was an advantage when dealing with their Thayan neighbors.
2 Nimbral
Isolated, Mysterious, And Strong With The Power Of Illusion
A lonely island surrounded by water, craggy cliffs, and volatile magic, Nimbral might be a decent place to live for a magic user with a taste for danger or a weird sense of humor. The islands were isolated, not only by the vast open sea but also from any kind of trade or visits.
It’s nice to be self-sufficient, but that means even less contact with the outside world, and the inbred family of wacky wizards that made up the government weren’t the most dependable. The one exception for someone who might benefit from living here would be a Wizard who specialized in the school of Illusion, but even they would likely return to the mainland after a period of study.
1 Beastlands
Drowning, Desolation, And Wild, Vicious Animals
Just look at the name, and then look at some of the other places on the map nearby, and it’s easy to conclude that this isn’t a nice place to live. Even the beasts have a rough time in this wild and untamed nation, which is mostly inhabited by monsters like ogres and giants, united under a loose and often volatile confederacy that’s subject to constant infighting.
The geography is mostly mountains and forests, and virtually all of them are haunted or inhabited by wild animals, or sometimes both. Any trade caravans or travelers moving through the area just shouldn’t, at least not without some heavy armor and numerous weapons. A lone bastion of civilization in Beastlands is the holy city of Tirumala, a peaceful and wealthy oasis in one of the worst countries to live in the Forgotten Realms.
Dungeons & Dragons
- Created by
- E. Gary Gygax , Dave Arneson
- Creation Year
- 1974
