Post/Author/DateTime	Post
soulknife 07-27-05, 12:39 AM	i want to start dming in the forgotten realms campaign setting but there is one problem. i dont really know how to go about getting started. i dont really know what books to get besides the campaign setting book. Please help by listing what i will need to start dming the setting.
Tiernee 07-27-05, 01:27 AM	I'd think the best books to have on hand are: 3.5 Player's Handbook 3.5 Dungeon Master's Guide 3.5 Monster Manual Player's Guide to Faerun Faiths and Pantheons Races of Faerun Magic of Faerun Those are core books, at least they're the ones I always haul around, and my DM does too. There are a lot of Regional books as well, so when you decide where you're starting, then I'd add those. The DMs subforum in here should be useful too.
soulknife 07-27-05, 02:36 AM	im asking about books that are more for dms. im only a noob to the forgotten realms not to dnd. the core books are a given. what kind of setting books do they have out so far? its easier for you guys to list them because you actually have the books. so the books that i know about so far are forgotten realms campaign setting players guide to fuerun magic of fuerun the unaproachable east the shining south races of fuerun any others?
Lashan 07-27-05, 09:25 AM	For a DM? I would recommend (in order): FRCS (Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting) PLayers Guide to Faerun (updates things to 3.5E) Lords of Darkness (all sorts of bad guys and how to run them) Races of Faerun (tons of info on the different races and cultures, w/ histories) Lost Empires (info on lots of old empires. great for DM ideas) One of the religion books. Faiths and Pantheons is the 3E version, but the older 2E stuff, Faiths and Avatars, has more background story. *I'm torn to add Magic of Faerun. It's an ok book. I was a little disappointed with it. Some people think it's one of the best, but I say it's just ok. Now, some people will tell you "Get Silver Marches!!!" or one of the other regional books. I say only get one if you are planning on running in that area. If you like the Dalelands, then the Silver Marches book will be useless. I highly stress going to http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dnd/downloads Here you can download a lot of the older 1E and 2E material. Sure the rules are out of date, but the game lore in them is highly valuable. I can't recommend the Volo's Guide series enough.
Old Sage 07-27-05, 09:35 AM	...but the older 2E stuff, Faiths and Avatars, has more background story.I'd also add Demihuman Deities and Powers and Pantheons to that listing.
GothicDan 07-27-05, 11:00 AM	I want to add a number of 2E books (Cult of the Dragon is both wonderful an would be good for a DM, as would the Villain's Lorebook, etc.), but to throw a dozen and a half titles at you that would be either A) Hard to find in print or B) Require PDFs would be silly. Let me ask you: Is there a part of Faerun you're interested in, in particular? If so, then we could give you all of the titles we know, both from 2E and 3E, that apply to said area.
soulknife 07-27-05, 04:19 PM	well i just read the alabaster staff and im kinda interested in unther.what book would that be in? the shining south? well what should i absulutely have because now i have a limited budget.list the best books for just a normal FR campaign that i would need to run my game effectively.
soulknife 07-28-05, 01:27 AM	does a dm need the players guide to feurun or is that a strictly player supplement. also im guessing unther is in the shining south but idk.
soulknife 07-28-05, 02:05 AM	ok i figured out what books im getting. the forgotten realms campaign setting players guide to faerun lords of darkness
Milo_Shishkabibble 07-28-05, 04:38 AM	Unther isn't in the Shining South book. If anything, it'll be in one that covers the Old Empires, such as Mulhorand, Chessenta, and Unther. Right now, my best suggestion would be either to use the FRCS/PGtF, the Lost Empires of Faerun (has some background on Unther in its heyday, IIRC), or the 2nd ed book... I think it might've been called Old Empires, but I could be wrong.
Lashan 07-28-05, 02:25 PM	The old 1E and 2E can usually be found for $5 online. Not bad. If you really want info on the Untheric gods, then I say look for the "Powers and Pantheons" book in .pdf for $5. It has a lot of great stuff on the Untheric and Mulhorandi gods. There is no official 3E book for the area that you are looking at. It's best to look at the older stuff and distill the lore out of it and ignore the stats.
sabino 07-28-05, 05:52 PM	start out slow in faerun, its a big place and it can get kinda crazy as soon as you start reading new material. the campaing setting is a MUST, lords of darkness is a good choise since it has a remarkable amout of information on good villians,anything more is just gravy. i also recommend you try to read some novels(althought this is purely optional)since it gives you an idea of the tipe of "flavor" so to speak of the world. Aside from that at the biggining you realy dont NEED anything else but the players guide is good to have the updated rules of the game. good luck
GothicDan 07-28-05, 05:57 PM	You really don't need PGtF. It's not all that necessary except for a few little mechanical bits, updating some feats, and a few new Prestige Classes. I would say that Races of Faerun is a MUST. It's the only non-Region specific FR 3E book that I've liked.
sabino 07-28-05, 06:21 PM	GothicDan is right, races is a very good book so as to have some option for you players, but like anything but the campaing setting is just extra and since you sead you a bit short on money just stick to that but if you ever get any loose change consider piking other sourses you reference porpuses
Questing GM 07-29-05, 02:54 AM	At least you have picked a general setting to start out in. :D I also have to buy my books based on low income budgets, so my personal recomendations would be : (in order) 1. Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting (which i presume you already have) :D 2. Players' Guide to Faerun (ONLY if you can't help playing a 3.0 setting without converting it to 3.5) :embarrass Other than that, i don't paticularly remember any other books that would be an absolute MUST but there is of course some highly recomended ones which are, 1. Lords of Darkness (although i can't remember any organizations related to Unther) :twitch: 2. Faith & Pantheons (there some writeup for the Untheric pantheon as in each god but nothing really crunchy) :cool: 3. Magic of Faerun (i personally didn't really find the answers that i thought it would give me, if you know what i mean...but it's a wonderful resource for spells and for my munchkin group that insist i allow the spells in every campaign whether FR or not...) :plotting: 4. The regional sourcebooks (Silver Marches, Unapproachable East etc...there's more but i don't have all of them..) only useful if you are playing in that region really...there's none so far for Unther i'm afraid AFAIK :bored: 5. Races of Faerun (lots of fluff about the Imaskaris or Mulans but i believe you can find enough in the Players' Guide to Faerun alone) :cool: 6. Monsters of Faerun Compendium (a 3.0 monster book that could be useful for FR unique monsters, and the free 3.5 updated stats available in the WoTC website) :D But all in all, when you are stuck with a tight budget, remember imagination is free ! :D