Post/Author/DateTime	Post
treeandswordmetal 04-18-04, 02:31 AM	I wanted to know what you think. Sure, you can start anywhere, but where do you think FR was intended to have the easiest, most playable, suggested starting point. My theory is that players start well in Ashabenford in Mistledale in the Dalelands. It is classical, safe, well rounded, in-depth city, and suited for a simple party. Also, It is one of 2 close up maps in the book, with the North being the other, as it is the hub of Ferun. What do you think? Where did you start?
MetalDrummer08 04-18-04, 04:41 AM	started off in a prison in selgaunt, escaped to saerloon, then went to shadowdale, then to ashabenford, from there all the way to waterdeep, then a random dungeon, then back to waterdeep, then to silverymoon. all in 7 levels lol.
Sploosh 04-18-04, 07:20 AM	I had my party start in Llorkh, but they left for the wilderness east of the High Forest right away (I dropped some eenimini little hamlet's there to give it some flavor, though the poor folks were hard-pressed trying to farm or fish with all the bugbears, goblins and other beasties running around.
Arduin 04-18-04, 10:28 AM	I'd actually say the Trade Road on the Sword Coast. There encounters can be modified easily to fit the group, so everybody has fun.
JoyandSerenity 04-18-04, 12:15 PM	I crack open the huge map of Faerun each time I want to start a campaign. Then, I let my players gorge themselves over it's awesome beauty until they come up with a cool starting place. This is at the end of the session where we create characters and character backgrounds. Next session we begin.
Orion the Raven 04-18-04, 07:46 PM	In some of the old boxed sets, it was implied to use Shadow Dale as a starting location since a sourcebook specifically for it as well as an adventure for it came with the boxed set ("Beneath the Twisted Tower" featuring an army of Gibberlings created by the drow who were planning to flood first Shadow Dale and then the Dale Lands with them.).
treeandswordmetal 04-18-04, 07:56 PM	yeah, but shadowdale is crazy. its got elminster and Storm Silverhand, Drow invasions, and its way too epic. I think that's like starting a party at lvl 1 in Myth Drannor. I like joyandserenity's idea alot. I wonder if anyone has ever just started in a weird place like a horse stable in Chult. that would be wierd.
Kuje31 04-18-04, 08:40 PM	I've started PC's all over the place. Cormyr, the Dales, Sembia, Waterdeep, the North. I don't think really there is a set "place" where there are not some type of danger lurking on the horizon......
Krash 04-18-04, 09:51 PM	I've always liked Amphail for a nice starting village. The North all around, Waterdeep down the road. Perfect IMHO. -- George Krashos
Shylo Slick 04-19-04, 01:10 AM	At the top of Shining Falls on the east bank, just to the southeast of the Direwood region, make sure it's Midwinter, on the night when the worst blizzard in decades hits, and your in the path of a vast evil creature invasion force headed south, and a bunch of prankster fairie creatures just stole all their boots...
Burning_Beast 04-19-04, 07:48 PM	east... west... i go more central. Cormyr specifically. The reason is because it's a trade hub on top of that it borders the helmlands (stonelands). Not only does it create a rich environment but you can flavor it up some with some southerners from the vilhon reach and/ or the dragon coast.
Autosponge 04-19-04, 07:54 PM	SILVERYMOON! The safest place to call home in the whole realms. What party wouldn't get bored to tears there and want to leave only to come back to it when they made some enemies.
Maur'Dhiv 04-19-04, 09:29 PM	Last campaign I ran, I stepped away from the usual spots and dumped my players in Raven's Bluff for a change. it made for an interesting time since not much has been written about the place. it gave me a lot of freedom to do whatever I wanted and none of my know-it-all players could dispute my take on the place since they hardly ever heard of it :D
rottenking82 04-19-04, 09:43 PM	I've always had a soft spot for Silverymoon since it is probably the closest thing to a perfect city with a perfect ruler. However, it seems the Dalelands, Cormyr, the Western Heartlands would all be good places for starting. A good place to begin as a DM new to the Realms might be the Border Kingdoms (lake of steam) due to it being purposely detailed to the minimum. Shouldn't his thread be in one of the other FR boards though?
TayThorian 04-20-04, 07:12 AM	My current campaign started with the adventurers being posted to a small fort near the Spine of the World. This soon came under attack, and after they escaped, they made it to Silverymoon. They then went from there Westward to a Dungeon near Mihral hall, and from there south to Candelkeep. After spending 2 months there doing various research they headed North East and are currently heading towards Citadel Adbar. And King Obould many Arrows has finnaly got off his backside and launched that invasion and is currently working his way South East ransacking towns, cities and anything else that gets in his way. Nothing like throwing Level 1 characters in at the Deep End. 'I'm the DM. I did't kill you. It was all down to the fact that you just can't learn, that when your outnumbered 100 to 1, you're supposed to run..not fight'
The_Declaration 04-20-04, 07:25 AM	To me, a good starting point must contain: * epic environment, sources of adventures * low-level challenges * geographically closeness to places you might want to go i identify: * Cormyr * Dalelands * Tethyr and Sword coast (you can move to moonshae, Calimshan, Waterdeep, North, High Forest) But you can take any setting for a start: you can play pirates in the Nelanthers, nomads in Anauroch, etc.
MakesMeSick 04-20-04, 12:01 PM	Since I bought UE recently, the last 3 games took place in Aglarond, The Great Dale and Thesk. The latter being the starting place in which we had the best time. Thesk is very multi-cultural and has a strong economy. There's also a good mix of city adventures and unexplored wilderness in UE. Else, I like to start campaigns in the Silver Marches, Quervarr being my favorite town to start the party in that region. (Were-creatures can be very scary for low-level party...) MakesMeSick
TheYeti1775 04-21-04, 09:46 PM	We started in "A village to be named later" joined a caravan as guards, adventure on the way, then ended up in Longsaddle and have used it as our base of operations ever since.