The 'core' forgotten realms? [Archive] - Wizards Community

The 'core' forgotten realms? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Daydreamer
04-17-07, 10:25 PM If you had to do FR on 5 supplements (no adventures etc). What would they be.

obviously 1) the campaign setting.
2-5
any suggetions...keep in mind we are not likely to go to the east. OH, and please detail a teeny bit about the book and why u would choose it.
GothicDan
04-17-07, 11:05 PM I'll restrict myself strictly to 3E sources.

2) Races of Faerun: Gives a good overview of the various races for FR, their histories, unique PrCs, spells, feats, cultures, etc. Super-useful.
2) Faiths and Pantheons: Describes the religious behavior of Faerunians, which is very prevalent. Not as good as the 2E books, but it's a start.
3) Magic of Faerun: Details the many idiosyncrasies of Faerunian magic.
4) Lords of Darkness: A decent primer to the very dark organizations and enemies that would come in useful for a DM, for a campaign of any level. Again, not as good as the 2E books, but better than Champions of Ruin.
5) A regional book of your choice, to solidify just where you're going to be playing. I would reccommend one of the following - Waterdeep: City of Splendors, The Shining South, or the Silver Marches.

Lost Empires of Faerun is one of my personal favorites, but it's not in the top five "most-needed" books, as far as I'm concerned. I guess Player's Guide to Faerun is necessary if you're running a rules-intensive game, since it updates a lot of stuff to 3.5 from 3.0. But the name is misleading: there's little actual guidance for roleplaying in Faerun. It's almost pure crunch, if you like that sort of thing.
MarkusTay63
04-18-07, 01:01 AM Five? including the CS? Thats rough! :eek:

1) Campaign Setting
2) Magic of Faerūn (including wizard schools/organizations and spells)
3) Powers of Faerūn (meaning 'power-groups', like cloak and dagger but all-encompassing)
4) Religion of Faerūn (once again, combining all the deity sources and info on churches and speciality priests)
5) Forgotten Realms Lorebook (a book that would include all of the interesting regional stuff, with snipets from each locale, and some of the history, with a few NPCs to boot) This would primarily be an idea book for DMs, like the LEoF was.

That last would take the place of ALL the regional books, so it would have to be 300+ pages. So would they all, I guess, since they each include at least three other older books. I suppose 2-4 would be of interest to three of the four original core classes, with fighters interests pretty much general enough to be rolled into the CS and Lorebook.
Karsus the Mad
04-19-07, 11:02 AM GD's selection is pretty much right on the mark IMO. I'd throw in all the free-downloads on the WotC site as well (since they're...uh...free:shifty:) and don't count those against the book count given:P *Possibly* replace Faiths and Pantheons if your players aren't particularly religious (and can get by with just what's presented in the FRCS). Lords of Darkness might be able to be replaced also if you choose a regional book that includes villians prevalent in the detailed region.
To fill those possible free slots, I'd choose additional sourcebooks based on the type of game you want to run (such as Serpent Kingdoms and Shining South; they both go together decently). Sooooo, what kind of game do you want to run?:D
Daydreamer
04-20-07, 01:12 AM IM not familar enough with the realms to know for sure.
We tend to like the low to mid levels-so the elministers of the world and all that jazz would be out of our league.

So something for a campaign going to 12th level, we run pretty stereotypical group, mostly pHb stuff, races etc.
GothicDan
04-21-07, 06:26 PM Well, Silver Marches is definitely good for lower-level gaming. Shining South and Unapproachable East both have a lot of higher level action usually going on.
Kirk99
04-21-07, 07:24 PM look around online and you dont need any books. ;)

you can find eveything you need to run a realms campaign with google, candlekeep, this site and others. maps, npc write ups, whatever!
MerrikCale
04-24-07, 03:17 PM If I can only get 5

Races of Faerun, Magic of Faerun, Lords of Darkness, Faiths and Pantheons as well as the Campaign Setting. These five give you the best broad strokes of the realms. The upcoming Grand History may trump one of these though.
Faraer
04-24-07, 06:14 PM you can find eveything you need to run a realms campaign with google, candlekeep, this site and others. maps, npc write ups, whatever!I don't recommend this. You're liable to get a partial, skewed and inaccurate picture of the Realms if you don't start with an overview like one of the base campaign-setting products.
Old Sage
04-24-07, 09:08 PM I'm inclined to agree.

Good quality Realmslore sites, like Candlekeep, are worthwhile support networks for Realms campaigns that are already based on official campaign information -- like what you would find in the Old Grey Box or in the current FRCS 3e.

I wouldn't recommend that any DM run their FR campaigns solely on what you can find online. Not only will such lore tend to be biased by personal campaign experiences, but you're also really limiting both your resource library and access to in-depth quality Realmslore that has the potential to greatly expand your own campaigns.
Karsus the Mad
04-24-07, 10:30 PM Definitely inclined to agree with Faraer and Old Sage. Online content can often enhance, or at the least give alternate perspectives, to ones understanding but nothing beats a good tome.
Kin-Kaal V'ryce
05-12-07, 02:16 AM Truthfully?

1e Gray Box Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting
FR1 Waterdeep and the North
FR2 Moonshaes
FR3 Empires of the Sands
FR5 Savage Frontiers

I prefer my Forgotten Realms Old School.
Iakhovas
05-12-07, 12:48 PM I'd suggest 5 copies of the upcoming Grand History of the Realms (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=products/fracc/9780786947317) .
:ton:
lightcwu
05-13-07, 10:50 PM I'm shocked that people have neglected to include Player's Guide to Faerun, necessary and useful. I'd say

1.Campaign Setting,
2.Player's Guide,
3.Races of Faerun,
4.If you can find it Faiths and Pantheons but it is not easy to do.
4.If no faiths and Pantheons I'd throw in any of the regional source books. Personally I'd recommended Waterdeep because it's almost it's own campaign setting.
5.Lords of Darkness.
GothicDan
05-13-07, 11:02 PM PGtF = Waste of money.

Buy it and I cry a little inside.
Old Sage
05-13-07, 11:45 PM I'd hate to see you cry, GD. ;)
Valgard
05-14-07, 07:13 AM PGtF = Waste of money.

Buy it and I cry a little inside.If I were to make brand new books, Campaign Setting and Player's Guide info would be in one single book (1). Then:

(2) Magic of Faerūn: a little more expanded than what it is.
(3) Races of Faerūn: idem, including Monsters of Faerūn.
(4) Faiths and Pantheons: less deity stats and more info for single deities, including monstrous ones.
(5) Grand History of The Realms: with info from Lost Empires of Faerūn.
GothicDan
05-14-07, 01:41 PM I'd hate to see you cry, GD.

Me, too. :(

It's so unmanly!
MerrikCale
05-15-07, 10:50 PM Me, too. :(

It's so unmanly!

I bought it. now cry, boy, cry:weep:
GothicDan
05-15-07, 10:52 PM I already cried! TOO LATE!
StormySBD
05-16-07, 01:24 AM Is there a 3.5 version of the Campain Setting. If i get this book and all of the others I wont to make sure I dont wast my cash on a book set that is outdated.
Old Sage
05-16-07, 03:08 AM Not of the full setting, no. Just an 3.5e rules update in the form of the Player's Guide to Faerūn (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=products/fracc/886470000), as both I and Ranger REG indicated in the other thread.

These are the most up-to-date rules for the core Realms setting -- unless, of course, they've been modified or updated in FR supplements, adventures, or other sources released after Player's Guide to Faerūn.
StormySBD
05-16-07, 11:52 AM Ok thx. Sorry did not see your other thread. I looked but I guess not good enough. :weep: I will look harder next time before I post. :D
Khaelieth
05-16-07, 03:14 PM I'd pick these books in addition to FRCS
Player's Guide to Faerūn (I wubs it!)
Races of Faerūn
Faiths and Pantheons
Then I'd pick either MoF, LoD or PoF.
XHereticX
05-18-07, 09:30 PM If I were to make brand new books, Campaign Setting and Player's Guide info would be in one single book (1). Then:

(2) Magic of Faerūn: a little more expanded than what it is.
(3) Races of Faerūn: idem, including Monsters of Faerūn.
(4) Faiths and Pantheons: less deity stats and more info for single deities, including monstrous ones.
(5) Grand History of The Realms: with info from Lost Empires of Faerūn.

races of faerun comes with monsters of faerun? sweet.

Oh, how many monster manuals do I need to run good FR campaigns? Because I only got core and monsters in all the FR sourcebooks I got, plus a few others, is that enough?
Soltares
05-20-07, 12:32 PM 1) Campaign Setting book, but monstrous sized, like Ptolus. Big enough to include smaller 'detail' maps of at least three adventure areas (Waterdeep, the Dalelands and Cormyr, for example, although I'll admit those are my least favorites).

2) Monsters of Faerun, but large, Monster Manual sized. Monsters and templates, with brief descriptions of where they are commonly found on the maps / countries / lands in the Campaign setting. None of this, 'They live in swamps.' Tell me that they are really common in the Mere of Dead Men, for instance!

3) Faiths of Faerun, but with 100% less god-stats and 100% more Clerical / Druidic / Paladin / Ranger / Blackguard goodness (or badness). Initiate Feats, Divine PrCs and Divine spells and that sort of thing.

4) Magic of Faerun, again, larger and hardback, with a hundred or more Arcane spells evocative of the Realms, and assorted PrCs and alternate magic sorts, like Spellfire, Shadow Weave, etc.

5) Foes of Faerun, four or five organizations that can be used as villains / adventure hooks, including the Zhentarim, Red Wizards, Arcane Brotherhood, Cult of the Dragon, etc. Each would have at least 20 pages, with a few pages of fluff about the background of the organization and it's goals, then several pages devoted to describing a sort of 'adventure path' (low level, free slaves from a Zhent chain-gang, mid-levels, raiding Zhent holdings, high-levels, fighting off Zhent assassination attempts by summoned devils!), and sets of stats for a sample low-level, mid-level and high-level encounter. Each group would include this break-down, allowing one to introduce a 'Red Wizard' encounter at whichever level is appropriate to your group, or just as guidelines for you to customize your own encounters with these groups, helping to establish the 'feel' of an encounter with the Cult, or the Zhents.
The WarOverlord
05-25-07, 04:29 AM If you had to do FR on 5 supplements (no adventures etc). What would they be.

obviously 1) the campaign setting.
2-5
any suggetions...keep in mind we are not likely to go to the east. OH, and please detail a teeny bit about the book and why u would choose it.

1) Drizzt's Guide to the UnederDark, The book give history about a few underdark regions and as a classical D&D player I be making a Dungeon crawl

2) The Monsters of Faerun . Details monters including my interest peeked one from Drizzt's guide known as a "Deepspawn"

3) Atlas of the Forgotten Realms. Karen Wynn Fonsted? not only maps out the entire world of Aber-Toril (Minus the New lands though Baulder's Voyage pass Evermeet is noted) but she Gives cliffnotes of all the Major Novels to the time just a little after the Time of Troubles. cliff note stores include the Adventures of Drizzt, Alias, Tristan (Cymych Hugh) and of course the "Avatar Tales".

4) Adventures in the Forgotten Realms. Bouht on a whim it covers just after the time of Troubles including the fall of Psionics (2nd eddition or real Psionics in FR as well as the Magic/Mentalist type) cause of Mystra merging with the land and the disaperance of the Assasin Class (Bhaal sucked them all into himselves you know). This is just fun info though any Psionic PC wannabe would be finding themselves messing there pants instead of creatring any Psionic effects...lol

5) Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting. The 3rd eddition one, not only says magical version of Psionics is possible for PCs, but notes that guns are more common place then most DMs admit...just illegal in most places (You can be arrested in Waterdeep for possesion for Smokepowder)

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Daydreamer 04-17-07, 10:25 PM	If you had to do FR on 5 supplements (no adventures etc). What would they be. obviously 1) the campaign setting. 2-5 any suggetions...keep in mind we are not likely to go to the east. OH, and please detail a teeny bit about the book and why u would choose it.
GothicDan 04-17-07, 11:05 PM	I'll restrict myself strictly to 3E sources. 2) Races of Faerun: Gives a good overview of the various races for FR, their histories, unique PrCs, spells, feats, cultures, etc. Super-useful. 2) Faiths and Pantheons: Describes the religious behavior of Faerunians, which is very prevalent. Not as good as the 2E books, but it's a start. 3) Magic of Faerun: Details the many idiosyncrasies of Faerunian magic. 4) Lords of Darkness: A decent primer to the very dark organizations and enemies that would come in useful for a DM, for a campaign of any level. Again, not as good as the 2E books, but better than Champions of Ruin. 5) A regional book of your choice, to solidify just where you're going to be playing. I would reccommend one of the following - Waterdeep: City of Splendors, The Shining South, or the Silver Marches. Lost Empires of Faerun is one of my personal favorites, but it's not in the top five "most-needed" books, as far as I'm concerned. I guess Player's Guide to Faerun is necessary if you're running a rules-intensive game, since it updates a lot of stuff to 3.5 from 3.0. But the name is misleading: there's little actual guidance for roleplaying in Faerun. It's almost pure crunch, if you like that sort of thing.
MarkusTay63 04-18-07, 01:01 AM	Five? including the CS? Thats rough! :eek: 1) Campaign Setting 2) Magic of Faerūn (including wizard schools/organizations and spells) 3) Powers of Faerūn (meaning 'power-groups', like cloak and dagger but all-encompassing) 4) Religion of Faerūn (once again, combining all the deity sources and info on churches and speciality priests) 5) Forgotten Realms Lorebook (a book that would include all of the interesting regional stuff, with snipets from each locale, and some of the history, with a few NPCs to boot) This would primarily be an idea book for DMs, like the LEoF was. That last would take the place of ALL the regional books, so it would have to be 300+ pages. So would they all, I guess, since they each include at least three other older books. I suppose 2-4 would be of interest to three of the four original core classes, with fighters interests pretty much general enough to be rolled into the CS and Lorebook.
Karsus the Mad 04-19-07, 11:02 AM	GD's selection is pretty much right on the mark IMO. I'd throw in all the free-downloads on the WotC site as well (since they're...uh...free:shifty:) and don't count those against the book count given:P Possibly replace Faiths and Pantheons if your players aren't particularly religious (and can get by with just what's presented in the FRCS). Lords of Darkness might be able to be replaced also if you choose a regional book that includes villians prevalent in the detailed region. To fill those possible free slots, I'd choose additional sourcebooks based on the type of game you want to run (such as Serpent Kingdoms and Shining South; they both go together decently). Sooooo, what kind of game do you want to run?:D
Daydreamer 04-20-07, 01:12 AM	IM not familar enough with the realms to know for sure. We tend to like the low to mid levels-so the elministers of the world and all that jazz would be out of our league. So something for a campaign going to 12th level, we run pretty stereotypical group, mostly pHb stuff, races etc.
GothicDan 04-21-07, 06:26 PM	Well, Silver Marches is definitely good for lower-level gaming. Shining South and Unapproachable East both have a lot of higher level action usually going on.
Kirk99 04-21-07, 07:24 PM	look around online and you dont need any books. ;) you can find eveything you need to run a realms campaign with google, candlekeep, this site and others. maps, npc write ups, whatever!
MerrikCale 04-24-07, 03:17 PM	If I can only get 5 Races of Faerun, Magic of Faerun, Lords of Darkness, Faiths and Pantheons as well as the Campaign Setting. These five give you the best broad strokes of the realms. The upcoming Grand History may trump one of these though.
Faraer 04-24-07, 06:14 PM	you can find eveything you need to run a realms campaign with google, candlekeep, this site and others. maps, npc write ups, whatever!I don't recommend this. You're liable to get a partial, skewed and inaccurate picture of the Realms if you don't start with an overview like one of the base campaign-setting products.
Old Sage 04-24-07, 09:08 PM	I'm inclined to agree. Good quality Realmslore sites, like Candlekeep, are worthwhile support networks for Realms campaigns that are already based on official campaign information -- like what you would find in the Old Grey Box or in the current FRCS 3e. I wouldn't recommend that any DM run their FR campaigns solely on what you can find online. Not only will such lore tend to be biased by personal campaign experiences, but you're also really limiting both your resource library and access to in-depth quality Realmslore that has the potential to greatly expand your own campaigns.
Karsus the Mad 04-24-07, 10:30 PM	Definitely inclined to agree with Faraer and Old Sage. Online content can often enhance, or at the least give alternate perspectives, to ones understanding but nothing beats a good tome.
Kin-Kaal V'ryce 05-12-07, 02:16 AM	Truthfully? 1e Gray Box Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting FR1 Waterdeep and the North FR2 Moonshaes FR3 Empires of the Sands FR5 Savage Frontiers I prefer my Forgotten Realms Old School.
Iakhovas 05-12-07, 12:48 PM	I'd suggest 5 copies of the upcoming Grand History of the Realms (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=products/fracc/9780786947317) . :ton:
lightcwu 05-13-07, 10:50 PM	I'm shocked that people have neglected to include Player's Guide to Faerun, necessary and useful. I'd say 1.Campaign Setting, 2.Player's Guide, 3.Races of Faerun, 4.If you can find it Faiths and Pantheons but it is not easy to do. 4.If no faiths and Pantheons I'd throw in any of the regional source books. Personally I'd recommended Waterdeep because it's almost it's own campaign setting. 5.Lords of Darkness.
GothicDan 05-13-07, 11:02 PM	PGtF = Waste of money. Buy it and I cry a little inside.
Old Sage 05-13-07, 11:45 PM	I'd hate to see you cry, GD. ;)
Valgard 05-14-07, 07:13 AM	PGtF = Waste of money. Buy it and I cry a little inside.If I were to make brand new books, Campaign Setting and Player's Guide info would be in one single book (1). Then: (2) Magic of Faerūn: a little more expanded than what it is. (3) Races of Faerūn: idem, including Monsters of Faerūn. (4) Faiths and Pantheons: less deity stats and more info for single deities, including monstrous ones. (5) Grand History of The Realms: with info from Lost Empires of Faerūn.
GothicDan 05-14-07, 01:41 PM	I'd hate to see you cry, GD. Me, too. :( It's so unmanly!
MerrikCale 05-15-07, 10:50 PM	Me, too. :( It's so unmanly! I bought it. now cry, boy, cry:weep:
GothicDan 05-15-07, 10:52 PM	I already cried! TOO LATE!
StormySBD 05-16-07, 01:24 AM	Is there a 3.5 version of the Campain Setting. If i get this book and all of the others I wont to make sure I dont wast my cash on a book set that is outdated.
Old Sage 05-16-07, 03:08 AM	Not of the full setting, no. Just an 3.5e rules update in the form of the Player's Guide to Faerūn (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=products/fracc/886470000), as both I and Ranger REG indicated in the other thread. These are the most up-to-date rules for the core Realms setting -- unless, of course, they've been modified or updated in FR supplements, adventures, or other sources released after Player's Guide to Faerūn.
StormySBD 05-16-07, 11:52 AM	Ok thx. Sorry did not see your other thread. I looked but I guess not good enough. :weep: I will look harder next time before I post. :D
Khaelieth 05-16-07, 03:14 PM	I'd pick these books in addition to FRCS Player's Guide to Faerūn (I wubs it!) Races of Faerūn Faiths and Pantheons Then I'd pick either MoF, LoD or PoF.
XHereticX 05-18-07, 09:30 PM	If I were to make brand new books, Campaign Setting and Player's Guide info would be in one single book (1). Then: (2) Magic of Faerūn: a little more expanded than what it is. (3) Races of Faerūn: idem, including Monsters of Faerūn. (4) Faiths and Pantheons: less deity stats and more info for single deities, including monstrous ones. (5) Grand History of The Realms: with info from Lost Empires of Faerūn. races of faerun comes with monsters of faerun? sweet. Oh, how many monster manuals do I need to run good FR campaigns? Because I only got core and monsters in all the FR sourcebooks I got, plus a few others, is that enough?
Soltares 05-20-07, 12:32 PM	1) Campaign Setting book, but monstrous sized, like Ptolus. Big enough to include smaller 'detail' maps of at least three adventure areas (Waterdeep, the Dalelands and Cormyr, for example, although I'll admit those are my least favorites). 2) Monsters of Faerun, but large, Monster Manual sized. Monsters and templates, with brief descriptions of where they are commonly found on the maps / countries / lands in the Campaign setting. None of this, 'They live in swamps.' Tell me that they are really common in the Mere of Dead Men, for instance! 3) Faiths of Faerun, but with 100% less god-stats and 100% more Clerical / Druidic / Paladin / Ranger / Blackguard goodness (or badness). Initiate Feats, Divine PrCs and Divine spells and that sort of thing. 4) Magic of Faerun, again, larger and hardback, with a hundred or more Arcane spells evocative of the Realms, and assorted PrCs and alternate magic sorts, like Spellfire, Shadow Weave, etc. 5) Foes of Faerun, four or five organizations that can be used as villains / adventure hooks, including the Zhentarim, Red Wizards, Arcane Brotherhood, Cult of the Dragon, etc. Each would have at least 20 pages, with a few pages of fluff about the background of the organization and it's goals, then several pages devoted to describing a sort of 'adventure path' (low level, free slaves from a Zhent chain-gang, mid-levels, raiding Zhent holdings, high-levels, fighting off Zhent assassination attempts by summoned devils!), and sets of stats for a sample low-level, mid-level and high-level encounter. Each group would include this break-down, allowing one to introduce a 'Red Wizard' encounter at whichever level is appropriate to your group, or just as guidelines for you to customize your own encounters with these groups, helping to establish the 'feel' of an encounter with the Cult, or the Zhents.
The WarOverlord 05-25-07, 04:29 AM	If you had to do FR on 5 supplements (no adventures etc). What would they be. obviously 1) the campaign setting. 2-5 any suggetions...keep in mind we are not likely to go to the east. OH, and please detail a teeny bit about the book and why u would choose it. 1) Drizzt's Guide to the UnederDark, The book give history about a few underdark regions and as a classical D&D player I be making a Dungeon crawl 2) The Monsters of Faerun . Details monters including my interest peeked one from Drizzt's guide known as a "Deepspawn" 3) Atlas of the Forgotten Realms. Karen Wynn Fonsted? not only maps out the entire world of Aber-Toril (Minus the New lands though Baulder's Voyage pass Evermeet is noted) but she Gives cliffnotes of all the Major Novels to the time just a little after the Time of Troubles. cliff note stores include the Adventures of Drizzt, Alias, Tristan (Cymych Hugh) and of course the "Avatar Tales". 4) Adventures in the Forgotten Realms. Bouht on a whim it covers just after the time of Troubles including the fall of Psionics (2nd eddition or real Psionics in FR as well as the Magic/Mentalist type) cause of Mystra merging with the land and the disaperance of the Assasin Class (Bhaal sucked them all into himselves you know). This is just fun info though any Psionic PC wannabe would be finding themselves messing there pants instead of creatring any Psionic effects...lol 5) Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting. The 3rd eddition one, not only says magical version of Psionics is possible for PCs, but notes that guns are more common place then most DMs admit...just illegal in most places (You can be arrested in Waterdeep for possesion for Smokepowder)