Hazardous Materials in Faerûn: The Faerûnian Hazardous Materials Classification System (FHMS)

In the world of Faerûn, danger is not confined to dungeons or battlefields. It hides in flasks of alchemical fire, vials of venom, and enchanted relics that hum with infernal energy. The Waterdeep Trading Company, ever mindful of the perils of commerce, established a comprehensive framework to track, transport, and contain these threats within its supply chain. This framework, recognized across the Sword Coast and beyond, is known as the Faerûnian Hazardous Materials Classification System (FHMS).

The FHMS unites the worlds of mundane chemistry and arcane containment, allowing merchants, warehouse clerks, and caravanners to handle even the most volatile goods without catastrophe.

What It Is

The Faerûnian Hazardous Materials Classification System (FHMS) is a standardized catalog of hazardous material types, combining chemical, physical, biological, and magical risk factors into twelve defined classes. It is used throughout the Waterdeep Trading Company’s inventory and logistics system to mark goods that require special handling, containment, or transportation protocols.

These classifications are stored within the Released Product record in Dynamics 365, tracked under fields such as Hazard Class, Arcane Risk Rating, and Containment Rune Code.

Why It Matters

Trade in Faerûn thrives on the movement of enchanted reagents, potions, and relics. Yet each shipment carries the potential for explosion, contagion, or planar instability. The FHMS ensures that:

• Every dangerous substance is clearly labeled and traceable.
• Warehouse locations follow containment rules matched to the item’s risk level.
• Couriers are certified and approved by the Faerûnian Bureau of Magical Safety (FBMS).
• Financial surcharges automatically post to ledgers to cover risk and insurance costs.

Through these measures, the FHMS prevents magical disasters and upholds the reputation of the Waterdeep Trading Company as the most reliable merchant house in the Realms.

Components and Classification

The FHMS defines twelve primary hazard classes. Each class is identified by a code (FH-1 through FH-12) and includes details about its danger, examples, and containment requirements.

The Faerûnian Bureau of Magical Safety (FBMS) requires that all hazardous goods be rated not only by their physical danger but also by their arcane volatility. The Waterdeep Trading Company follows this standard by assigning each product a combined Hazard Class (FH) and Arcane Risk Rating.

The table below outlines how each class aligns with a typical risk level and the minimum handling requirements for safe transport and storage. These ratings determine everything from warehouse zoning and courier eligibility to insurance surcharges and magical containment protocols.

How WDTC Tracks Hazardous Materials

Managing hazardous goods in Faerûn requires precision, vigilance, and a system built to handle both mundane and magical risks. The Waterdeep Trading Company (WDTC) uses a structured combination of product master data, financial charge codes, and warehouse configuration to maintain full visibility over every dangerous item in its possession. Each field in the system plays a distinct role—whether defining the hazard type, limiting storage to secured vaults, or enforcing certification requirements for handlers.

These system controls ensure that hazardous materials are never misplaced, misused, or mishandled, safeguarding both the company’s reputation and the safety of its workers.

Worked Example: Bottled Necrotic Essence

When a shipment of Bottled Necrotic Essence arrives at the Dock Ward warehouse, the system automatically:

• Classifies the item as FH-7: Infectious or Cursed Material
• Assigns a Risk Rating: Extreme
• Applies a Hazardous Surcharge of 𝔉25.00 to the purchase order
• Directs storage to Location: WDP-SOU-VAULT01 (Containment Cell)
• Restricts shipment to carriers licensed by the FBMS

Every movement of the item is recorded within the HazMat Ledger, ensuring traceability from receipt to sale.

Realms-Aware Considerations

Unlike ordinary logistics systems, Faerûnian commerce must account for supernatural behavior. The WDTC therefore maintains additional safety attributes.

This table lists the key data fields within the Waterdeep Trading Company’s Dynamics 365 configuration that are used to identify, categorize, and control hazardous materials. Each field defines a specific aspect of compliance, traceability, or handling, ensuring that dangerous goods are properly managed across purchasing, storage, and transport activities.

Example Product Mapping

To demonstrate how the Faerûnian Hazardous Materials Classification System (FHMS) is applied within the Waterdeep Trading Company, the following examples show real product records and their associated hazard details. Each entry illustrates how the system automatically links product data—such as hazard class, containment type, and surcharge—to operational and financial processes. This mapping ensures that every dangerous or magically volatile item is tracked, costed, and stored according to its risk level.

Final Thoughts

The Faerûnian Hazardous Materials Classification System (FHMS) is more than a safety protocol—it is the backbone of responsible trade.
By uniting mundane safety with arcane precision, it allows the Waterdeep Trading Company to move dangerous, enchanted, and cursed goods safely across continents and planes.

From the flameproof crates of the Dock Ward to the rune-sealed vaults beneath Castle Ward, every hazard is catalogued, contained, and accounted for.
Trade may be perilous in Faerûn, but thanks to the FHMS, it remains profitable and survivable.

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