New to FR [Archive] - Wizards Community - Pages Merged by Solauren

New to FR [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
chase9826
10-28-07, 10:35 PM Hey all, just picked up FR campaign setting book today. Ive been DMing for about 6 months so I'm fairly familiar with most rules. I just don't know where to start with the book.

Im confused on possible areas to start a campaign, and I'm just wondering if anyone could get me some advice as to where to start a campaign or important things to know about FR.
johnkretzer
10-28-07, 10:39 PM Hey all, just picked up FR campaign setting book today. Ive been DMing for about 6 months so I'm fairly familiar with most rules. I just don't know where to start with the book.

Im confused on possible areas to start a campaign, and I'm just wondering if anyone could get me some advice as to where to start a campaign or important things to know about FR.

Well before I can give you advice what kind of game do you and your players like? What races and such also could be a help? What other type games have you run? Do you want something new and different?
chase9826
10-28-07, 11:27 PM I want to run a game that is welcoming to players and DM that are not familiar with FR. I have not run any full campaigns, only fragments of campaigns so I dont know what region would be a good starting area. And yes new and different is exactly what I want. I want this game to be something they will remember as more than just a party of PC's "killin' stuff"... if you catch my drift.

Oh and the races are two humans, a half elf, and a halfling
Bullet06320
10-29-07, 01:16 AM A decent place to start would be Shadow Dale if you can find a copy of the
2nd edition box set. There is pre built adventure based in Shadow Dale, you need to do a little converting but that would work, I got my DMing start there.
Sons of Gruumsh is another Realms adventure that is for low level and easy to run
Dark Wizard
10-29-07, 01:35 AM I find the Western Heartlands a good place to start since it's a bit of a crossroads for caravans and trade that borders several nations but isj ust a collection of many individual city-states with sundry alliances.
johnkretzer
10-29-07, 02:05 AM I want to run a game that is welcoming to players and DM that are not familiar with FR. I have not run any full campaigns, only fragments of campaigns so I dont know what region would be a good starting area. And yes new and different is exactly what I want. I want this game to be something they will remember as more than just a party of PC's "killin' stuff"... if you catch my drift.

Oh and the races are two humans, a half elf, and a halfling

Well if you want something different from the PCs just killing stuff then I might recommand Waterdeep where you can run a city based game which can include thing other then 'the PC killin stuff'.

Also for somthing completely different you can run a campaign in the Jungles of Chult for a more pulp(Indian Jones though without guns or Nazis) type adventure.

The second question is how much infomation do you want on the area provided for you. I mean Waterdeep has a ton of resouces to draw off of...Chult as fewer stuff. Both has pros and cons.
meto30
10-29-07, 02:28 AM If you don't have much access to information then you can also play in the old empires. Mulhorrandi, Chessenta, and Unther have cultures very similar to ancient Egypt, Greece, and Babylon respectively, and thus don't require much research to know their feel. (Do you know the legend of Gimgamesh? Gil-geam the god-king of Unther is actually Gilgamesh or so I've heard)

But of course, all of the Old Empires region is a tough area to run a game in, precisely becuase they're so similar to RW cultures with those subtle differences that can be very important in role-playing.
Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
10-29-07, 12:58 PM You can really set a memorable campaign anywhere. How interesting a campaign is depends on the DM, not the setting.

The Silver Marches might be a good place to start, and it has a nice 3E sourcebook too.
Spirithawkfellow
10-29-07, 03:00 PM I to like the Dalelands as a start off point, its easy enough to run low level and high level adventures, and since its close to various places of play like, Cormyr, Zhentil Keep, and Anaurouch, you can slowly bridge into other areas of the realms from there. Plus this region is rife with dungeons and unexplored ruins, which can fit into any low to high level game. I started my own group there, and they explored various towns and places. My advice, is usually to pick a place and read up as much as you can. I am lucky I've been reading the realms, and playing since 1989 so, I have a store of knowledge about the realms, if you want i'd happy to answer what every question you might have. There are plenty of second edition sources still out there you can pick up through online or ebay, or other places. Or you can ask plenty of people here who run their own campaigns. This has been a great place to find out about lore, so this is a good place to find out more info. Candlekeep is a good place to find lore information as well. When I started I picked the dales, read up on everything, I could, and created what I wanted around it. As a D.M. I try not to be a slave of the material, or apart of what every supposed canon is written down in the core books. It hampers the game, and stifles the creativity. Mix it up with lore and your own created stuff, and your realms will be like no other.
chase9826
10-29-07, 06:38 PM Thanks for all the help and advice everyone :).
I think I will start my group out in Shadowdale. It seems fairly welcoming and at the same time intriguing: Lots of things around it to explore. For their first adventure I was thinking maybe using the adventure suggested in the book, "Not from Around Here." This is the one concerning the exploration of the castle. Now for this adventure would I just map out the castle myself, making it how I imagine right?
Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
10-29-07, 06:53 PM Now for this adventure would I just map out the castle myself, making it how I imagine right?

I see no reason not to.:) But if you want a "pre-made" castle, you can probably find one without much effort, or, someone here can recommend one to you. I don't know of any off the top of my head, myself.
Spirithawkfellow
10-30-07, 01:21 AM Myself i would map out the castle for the heck of it, you really get a sense of knowing what is entirely inside it, and what little buggers roam about. Also it sharpens you map skills, I map all my dungeons on graph paper, then transfer it to a map maker. Should you have adobe illustrator you can do this too. Square, circles, and other shapes are easy to make.
Mr_Miscellany
10-30-07, 03:14 AM I'd recommend you head over to your favorite local gaming store to see if they have a copy of the adventure The Sunless Citadel by Wizards of the Coast.

While the adventure is eight years old, it's still Third Edition and can be used quite easily with the 3.5 rules set.

The adventure itself is made for 1st level characters and can be quite easily dropped in to the Realms with little or no extra work. (This is what I did when I started my FR Campaign back in 2000.)

The adventure includes a smallish town (called Oakhurst, but that can easily be changed to Shadowdale), a nearby ruined castle and plenty of adventuring opportunities that include more than just killing things.

Some of my favorites from that adventure:

Meepo
The castle sunk into the ravine.
The Dragon's Riddle.
The Tomb of the Dragon Priest.
Kobolds and Goblins at War!
Giant Rats, Sarcophagi and Treasure!
A 1st level Dragon fight vs. Calcryx
....and lastly: Twigblight Swarm!

I converted this adventure and placed it in the town of Thunderstone in Cormyr. This one was the first of many, many great adventures I got to run for my players over the next eight real life years in the Forgotten Realms.

Should your FLGS not have this adventure, it's very likely they'll have Paizo Publishing's most recent adventure path series, Rise of the Runelords.

I've gotten a hold of the first two adventure path books and have found useful ideas in them that I've adapted for my (now Epic Level) game, even though they're each designed for low level characters (1st level and 3rd/4th, respectively).

The all color adventure books even come with 4 player's guides.

A DM could easily set these adventures south of Cormyr along the southern shores of the Dragonmere, and use the Forgotten Realms cities of Pros, Teziir and Ilipur in place of Sandpoint, Magnimar and Riddleport.

So, good luck to you and good gaming!

:D

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
chase9826 10-28-07, 10:35 PM	Hey all, just picked up FR campaign setting book today. Ive been DMing for about 6 months so I'm fairly familiar with most rules. I just don't know where to start with the book. Im confused on possible areas to start a campaign, and I'm just wondering if anyone could get me some advice as to where to start a campaign or important things to know about FR.
johnkretzer 10-28-07, 10:39 PM	Hey all, just picked up FR campaign setting book today. Ive been DMing for about 6 months so I'm fairly familiar with most rules. I just don't know where to start with the book. Im confused on possible areas to start a campaign, and I'm just wondering if anyone could get me some advice as to where to start a campaign or important things to know about FR. Well before I can give you advice what kind of game do you and your players like? What races and such also could be a help? What other type games have you run? Do you want something new and different?
chase9826 10-28-07, 11:27 PM	I want to run a game that is welcoming to players and DM that are not familiar with FR. I have not run any full campaigns, only fragments of campaigns so I dont know what region would be a good starting area. And yes new and different is exactly what I want. I want this game to be something they will remember as more than just a party of PC's "killin' stuff"... if you catch my drift. Oh and the races are two humans, a half elf, and a halfling
Bullet06320 10-29-07, 01:16 AM	A decent place to start would be Shadow Dale if you can find a copy of the 2nd edition box set. There is pre built adventure based in Shadow Dale, you need to do a little converting but that would work, I got my DMing start there. Sons of Gruumsh is another Realms adventure that is for low level and easy to run
Dark Wizard 10-29-07, 01:35 AM	I find the Western Heartlands a good place to start since it's a bit of a crossroads for caravans and trade that borders several nations but isj ust a collection of many individual city-states with sundry alliances.
johnkretzer 10-29-07, 02:05 AM	I want to run a game that is welcoming to players and DM that are not familiar with FR. I have not run any full campaigns, only fragments of campaigns so I dont know what region would be a good starting area. And yes new and different is exactly what I want. I want this game to be something they will remember as more than just a party of PC's "killin' stuff"... if you catch my drift. Oh and the races are two humans, a half elf, and a halfling Well if you want something different from the PCs just killing stuff then I might recommand Waterdeep where you can run a city based game which can include thing other then 'the PC killin stuff'. Also for somthing completely different you can run a campaign in the Jungles of Chult for a more pulp(Indian Jones though without guns or Nazis) type adventure. The second question is how much infomation do you want on the area provided for you. I mean Waterdeep has a ton of resouces to draw off of...Chult as fewer stuff. Both has pros and cons.
meto30 10-29-07, 02:28 AM	If you don't have much access to information then you can also play in the old empires. Mulhorrandi, Chessenta, and Unther have cultures very similar to ancient Egypt, Greece, and Babylon respectively, and thus don't require much research to know their feel. (Do you know the legend of Gimgamesh? Gil-geam the god-king of Unther is actually Gilgamesh or so I've heard) But of course, all of the Old Empires region is a tough area to run a game in, precisely becuase they're so similar to RW cultures with those subtle differences that can be very important in role-playing.
Rinonalyrna Fathomlin 10-29-07, 12:58 PM	You can really set a memorable campaign anywhere. How interesting a campaign is depends on the DM, not the setting. The Silver Marches might be a good place to start, and it has a nice 3E sourcebook too.
Spirithawkfellow 10-29-07, 03:00 PM	I to like the Dalelands as a start off point, its easy enough to run low level and high level adventures, and since its close to various places of play like, Cormyr, Zhentil Keep, and Anaurouch, you can slowly bridge into other areas of the realms from there. Plus this region is rife with dungeons and unexplored ruins, which can fit into any low to high level game. I started my own group there, and they explored various towns and places. My advice, is usually to pick a place and read up as much as you can. I am lucky I've been reading the realms, and playing since 1989 so, I have a store of knowledge about the realms, if you want i'd happy to answer what every question you might have. There are plenty of second edition sources still out there you can pick up through online or ebay, or other places. Or you can ask plenty of people here who run their own campaigns. This has been a great place to find out about lore, so this is a good place to find out more info. Candlekeep is a good place to find lore information as well. When I started I picked the dales, read up on everything, I could, and created what I wanted around it. As a D.M. I try not to be a slave of the material, or apart of what every supposed canon is written down in the core books. It hampers the game, and stifles the creativity. Mix it up with lore and your own created stuff, and your realms will be like no other.
chase9826 10-29-07, 06:38 PM	Thanks for all the help and advice everyone :). I think I will start my group out in Shadowdale. It seems fairly welcoming and at the same time intriguing: Lots of things around it to explore. For their first adventure I was thinking maybe using the adventure suggested in the book, "Not from Around Here." This is the one concerning the exploration of the castle. Now for this adventure would I just map out the castle myself, making it how I imagine right?
Rinonalyrna Fathomlin 10-29-07, 06:53 PM	Now for this adventure would I just map out the castle myself, making it how I imagine right? I see no reason not to.:) But if you want a "pre-made" castle, you can probably find one without much effort, or, someone here can recommend one to you. I don't know of any off the top of my head, myself.
Spirithawkfellow 10-30-07, 01:21 AM	Myself i would map out the castle for the heck of it, you really get a sense of knowing what is entirely inside it, and what little buggers roam about. Also it sharpens you map skills, I map all my dungeons on graph paper, then transfer it to a map maker. Should you have adobe illustrator you can do this too. Square, circles, and other shapes are easy to make.
Mr_Miscellany 10-30-07, 03:14 AM	I'd recommend you head over to your favorite local gaming store to see if they have a copy of the adventure The Sunless Citadel by Wizards of the Coast. While the adventure is eight years old, it's still Third Edition and can be used quite easily with the 3.5 rules set. The adventure itself is made for 1st level characters and can be quite easily dropped in to the Realms with little or no extra work. (This is what I did when I started my FR Campaign back in 2000.) The adventure includes a smallish town (called Oakhurst, but that can easily be changed to Shadowdale), a nearby ruined castle and plenty of adventuring opportunities that include more than just killing things. Some of my favorites from that adventure: Meepo The castle sunk into the ravine. The Dragon's Riddle. The Tomb of the Dragon Priest. Kobolds and Goblins at War! Giant Rats, Sarcophagi and Treasure! A 1st level Dragon fight vs. Calcryx ....and lastly: Twigblight Swarm! I converted this adventure and placed it in the town of Thunderstone in Cormyr. This one was the first of many, many great adventures I got to run for my players over the next eight real life years in the Forgotten Realms. Should your FLGS not have this adventure, it's very likely they'll have Paizo Publishing's most recent adventure path series, Rise of the Runelords. I've gotten a hold of the first two adventure path books and have found useful ideas in them that I've adapted for my (now Epic Level) game, even though they're each designed for low level characters (1st level and 3rd/4th, respectively). The all color adventure books even come with 4 player's guides. A DM could easily set these adventures south of Cormyr along the southern shores of the Dragonmere, and use the Forgotten Realms cities of Pros, Teziir and Ilipur in place of Sandpoint, Magnimar and Riddleport. So, good luck to you and good gaming! :D