Looking to expand my collection [Archive] - Wizards Community

Looking to expand my collection [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
PurpleWorm
06-12-06, 12:01 PM So what Rulebook should I buy next? I really want another FR one, something to provide more detail for me to work with. Or something that is *highly* recommended.

These are what I have so far:
Faiths and Pantheons
Campaign Setting
Player's Guide to Faerun
Races of Faerun
Monsters of Faerun (Almost forgot that one.)

And of course:
Core Rulebook Set for v3.5 D&D
Mad Mage
06-12-06, 01:25 PM It mostly depends upon what interests you the most? Do you like the Underdark? Reptilian races? Certain regions?

There's a mutlitude of manuals out there. At this point, it depends upon what you really want to know the most. :teach:
PurpleWorm
06-12-06, 01:28 PM Well, as a loyal and often-persecuted fan of the best PC game in the world, Icewind Dale, I'd like something that deals with the North of Faerun. :P

Now the closest thing I can see to that is "The Silver Marches". I'm sorely tempted to buy it, especially to provide more detail to the immediate area in which my PCs currently find themselves. Anyone got opinions about it?
Basmodian
06-12-06, 02:27 PM Silver Marches is pretty good. I was extremely impressed with Lost Empires, which also deals a bit with that region.
Mad Mage
06-13-06, 06:29 PM Silver Marches is pretty good. I was extremely impressed with Lost Empires, which also deals a bit with that region.

Yes, Lost Empires of Faerun gives LOTS of detail of past civilizations in numerous parts of Faerun.

@ original poster: As far as 3.X Edition and the regions around Icewind Dale, definitely get Silver Marches. That's the best you can get.
BrianCritchley
06-13-06, 08:50 PM icewind dale itself bluntly put isn't owrth a regional book all to itself, it's a buncha ramshackle villages. it's only claim to fame is well.. drizzt.

there are other places that really deserve some in depth attention first.

heck I'm hoping they release a regional book for Cormyr and the Dales soon. sure there's some free info for em IIRC but they've undergone a LOT of changes since then.
j_gunder
06-13-06, 11:23 PM Silver Marches is a good book, I have gotten a lot of mileage out of it. I started three or four short-lived campaigns out of Deadsnows...the little set of mini-adventures is a great way to tie people into the region, and has plenty of room to expound and add your own ideas. The crunchy bits of that book are second-rate, at best...if you are looking for quality PrCs and feats, that's not the place to go...but besides that, the lore of that book is well-written. I like it a lot.

If you want a personal favorite of mine, I suggest Lords of Darkness. That book has seen more use than any other book I have (except the FRCS, probably), I have used it in some way or another for just about every Realms campaign I have run since 3.0. It may not have much that is region-specific geared towards the North, but it is easy enough to plant cells of whatever evil organisations you want in your campaign, and this book is full of details for creating real groups of evil-doers, as well as methods to simplify the on-the-fly creation of some of the groups (not the most elegant system, admittedly, but useful in a pinch).

That said, Lost Empires of Faerun is a good book as well, though I haven't actually found a use for much of the information within in my low-level Realms campaigns.
PurpleWorm
06-14-06, 05:28 AM If I could, I'd buy them all. But as it stands, I went ahead and ordered "The Silver Marches". It's arriving this weekend, so hopefully I'll be impressed with it.
Kessalin Talira
06-14-06, 02:31 PM It gives lots of information on wilderness adventuring, including encounter tables for various areas in the Silver Marches, weather tables by season, and expanded rules for the effects of the weather. It also has quite a bit of information on the geography of the area, notable NPCs (monstrous and otherwise), and a few adventures. Of course there are some prestige classes in it, as well.

That being said, I'd make Lost Empires your next purchase. With all the fallen empires in the Realms, you can use that book for nearly any campaign you run, while Silver Marches is of limited use by comparison.
PurpleWorm
06-15-06, 05:49 PM I'm definitely going to buy "Lost Empires". Haven't yet read "Silver Marches", but was disappointed to find that it's a Paperback. At the same price as a regular hardback. Why are they so expensive? (It was a full Ł15.99 or something.)

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
PurpleWorm 06-12-06, 12:01 PM	So what Rulebook should I buy next? I really want another FR one, something to provide more detail for me to work with. Or something that is highly recommended. These are what I have so far: Faiths and Pantheons Campaign Setting Player's Guide to Faerun Races of Faerun Monsters of Faerun (Almost forgot that one.) And of course: Core Rulebook Set for v3.5 D&D
Mad Mage 06-12-06, 01:25 PM	It mostly depends upon what interests you the most? Do you like the Underdark? Reptilian races? Certain regions? There's a mutlitude of manuals out there. At this point, it depends upon what you really want to know the most. :teach:
PurpleWorm 06-12-06, 01:28 PM	Well, as a loyal and often-persecuted fan of the best PC game in the world, Icewind Dale, I'd like something that deals with the North of Faerun. :P Now the closest thing I can see to that is "The Silver Marches". I'm sorely tempted to buy it, especially to provide more detail to the immediate area in which my PCs currently find themselves. Anyone got opinions about it?
Basmodian 06-12-06, 02:27 PM	Silver Marches is pretty good. I was extremely impressed with Lost Empires, which also deals a bit with that region.
Mad Mage 06-13-06, 06:29 PM	Silver Marches is pretty good. I was extremely impressed with Lost Empires, which also deals a bit with that region. Yes, Lost Empires of Faerun gives LOTS of detail of past civilizations in numerous parts of Faerun. @ original poster: As far as 3.X Edition and the regions around Icewind Dale, definitely get Silver Marches. That's the best you can get.
BrianCritchley 06-13-06, 08:50 PM	icewind dale itself bluntly put isn't owrth a regional book all to itself, it's a buncha ramshackle villages. it's only claim to fame is well.. drizzt. there are other places that really deserve some in depth attention first. heck I'm hoping they release a regional book for Cormyr and the Dales soon. sure there's some free info for em IIRC but they've undergone a LOT of changes since then.
j_gunder 06-13-06, 11:23 PM	Silver Marches is a good book, I have gotten a lot of mileage out of it. I started three or four short-lived campaigns out of Deadsnows...the little set of mini-adventures is a great way to tie people into the region, and has plenty of room to expound and add your own ideas. The crunchy bits of that book are second-rate, at best...if you are looking for quality PrCs and feats, that's not the place to go...but besides that, the lore of that book is well-written. I like it a lot. If you want a personal favorite of mine, I suggest Lords of Darkness. That book has seen more use than any other book I have (except the FRCS, probably), I have used it in some way or another for just about every Realms campaign I have run since 3.0. It may not have much that is region-specific geared towards the North, but it is easy enough to plant cells of whatever evil organisations you want in your campaign, and this book is full of details for creating real groups of evil-doers, as well as methods to simplify the on-the-fly creation of some of the groups (not the most elegant system, admittedly, but useful in a pinch). That said, Lost Empires of Faerun is a good book as well, though I haven't actually found a use for much of the information within in my low-level Realms campaigns.
PurpleWorm 06-14-06, 05:28 AM	If I could, I'd buy them all. But as it stands, I went ahead and ordered "The Silver Marches". It's arriving this weekend, so hopefully I'll be impressed with it.
Kessalin Talira 06-14-06, 02:31 PM	It gives lots of information on wilderness adventuring, including encounter tables for various areas in the Silver Marches, weather tables by season, and expanded rules for the effects of the weather. It also has quite a bit of information on the geography of the area, notable NPCs (monstrous and otherwise), and a few adventures. Of course there are some prestige classes in it, as well. That being said, I'd make Lost Empires your next purchase. With all the fallen empires in the Realms, you can use that book for nearly any campaign you run, while Silver Marches is of limited use by comparison.
PurpleWorm 06-15-06, 05:49 PM	I'm definitely going to buy "Lost Empires". Haven't yet read "Silver Marches", but was disappointed to find that it's a Paperback. At the same price as a regular hardback. Why are they so expensive? (It was a full Ł15.99 or something.)