Where In The Realms? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Where In The Realms? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
The-Half
03-14-07, 06:59 PM SO I moved to Hawaii last August, and left behind the BEST gaming group EVER in Colorado Springs(love you guys if you're reading this)! And I'm about to embark on starting a new group/campaign in about 3-4 weeks. So here is my question:

Where is a great place to start/have a campaign in the Realms?

Last time I started in Arabel, Cormyr during the Year of Lightning Storms. But what are some of your suggestions? And please dont answer with non-answers (ie "it all depends on what you want out of a campaign", "try blah-blah world setting it's better", "You're the DM start where ever you want", "my socks are purple...does that help", etc).
Pystian
03-14-07, 11:17 PM I think Unapproachable East is one of the best regional sourcebooks. Check out either Thesk (allows for lots of Kara-tur interest and rival gangs) or Aglarond (weird racial politics).
Sidslick
03-15-07, 04:35 AM I've always preferred the more northerly realms - the Great Dale, Damara, Vaasa, Narfell, the Ride, etc. Relatively little up-to-date official lore (excluding 2nd edition modules) and thus they are a bit of a blank canvas for dropping in pregenerated or homebrew adventures and modules. Local adventures for local people!

If I want something a little more well-rounded and developed I tend to go for the Border Kingdoms - plenty of "little empires", politics, dungeons bashes and mysteries. Enough to develop into a small campaign or a series of linked one-offs.

That's my tupenny-worth, anyhow. :)
Daydreamer
03-15-07, 06:19 AM i always like the dale lands, simply because one can run somewhat 'traditional fantasy' easier.
The-Half
03-15-07, 04:45 PM I think Unapproachable East is one of the best regional sourcebooks. Check out either Thesk (allows for lots of Kara-tur interest and rival gangs) or Aglarond (weird racial politics).

I've always kinda like Aglarond too for some reason...never played/DMed there before though...

Do you live here in Hawaii??????????
The-Half
03-15-07, 04:49 PM SidSlick: I've never really explored the Ride, Dale, etc;..... only experince with it at all is the new books from RA Salvastore about Jarlaxle & Artemis.... what is the "feel" of it? Also what's the "feel" of the Border Lands? I'm kinda intrigued with the BorderLands...seems like a whole bunch of city-states that rise and fall with the wind....each with different laws, cultures, agendas, etc;

Daydreamer: I've always loved the Dales, but I guess I'm kinda scared to run a campaign there as a DM, because I feel like my players that are FR familiar will already know too much about it.... how do you personally get around this?
Khaelieth
03-15-07, 07:28 PM Daydreamer: I've always loved the Dales, but I guess I'm kinda scared to run a campaign there as a DM, because I feel like my players that are FR familiar will already know too much about it.... how do you personally get around this?

You say: I'm the DM and you're a player. Now, Now, I will bow down and worship the CoC for even thinking malicious thoughts that would draw CoCthulu's attention to me.

just read up on it=)
Fencerboy
03-15-07, 09:27 PM I am kicking off my new FR campaign in the Dales next week. I like the feel of the drow-taken forest just north. Lots of adventure material, plus I can take the party pretty much anywhere pretty quickly because of the Sea of Fallen Stars or whatever its called (I'm not up on the names...:()
BTW, I'm wearing white socks...:P
Sidslick
03-16-07, 09:22 AM Ok, Half, these I my takes on the regions that I play, based on the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting book. Others on the board may disagree, but this is how I DM them.

The Ride - plains leading into ranges of mountains, with nomadic barbarians following herds of cattle and horses through their seasonal migrations. The barbarians quarrel between themselves, but tend to present a united front to those who threaten their way of life (good or bad). Region still has a number of old ruins, especially abandoned dwarfholds in the mountains, that may - or may not - provide refuge for monsters, brigands and outlaws.

Damara - relatively large realm recently coming out of a conflict with the Witch King, now led by a paladin-king - still plenty of opportunity for intrigue amongst the noble families and the various organisations (e.g. churches, powerful mages guild, etc). Plenty of free-willed undead still roam, on top of regular threats such as goblinoids and arctic monsters, as well as the Citadel of Assassins (group of brigands). Lucrative blood-stone mining trade, that may be linked into a Underdark campaign.

Vaasa - similar to the Ride, but colder, harder, less populated by "civilised" races and with more arctic monsters.

Narfell - relatively wild area, but the seat of an ancient empire. Loads of old ruins, many infested with summoned demons. Several large tribes of humanoids in region that occasionally spill over into neighbouring lands.

The Great Dale - nature-centric region, with the de-facto leader being a druid (the Nentyarch). Mostly concerned with containing the predations of the Rotting Man (half-fiend druid) and his warped allies, who are holed up in an old Nar ruin in the middle of one of the forests. Great opportunities for a simmering nature-based civil war.

The Border Kingdoms - lots of petty little nations that rise and fall week by week, some actively trying to conquer others while the rest are simply trying to survive. Wild, relatively low population, old ruins and deep forests. However, lots more opportunity for intrigue rather than dungeon bashing. There were several articles on the main website that gave a feel for them nation by nation, and enhanced what was already in the Powers of Faerun book

This is, of course, a brief general overview. If you want more specific ideas - PM me, mate and I can give you some more ideas on what we've done in our campaigns. We tend to play regional campaigns where characters never travel the length and breadth of the realms, just one or two regions.
lockdar
03-16-07, 09:49 AM I've always enjoyed starting in the North and around Waterdeep, plus both the City and the Silver Marches have a 3.5 Sourcebook and more the enough Lore from 2nd Edition available. Alot of variety in both environment and possible opponents, perfect place to start :)
Karsus the Mad
03-17-07, 10:35 AM " Where In The Realms? is Carmen Sandiego...."
Sorry...couldn't resist.
If you're interested in a slight steam punk twist, or just want to explore a region that has almost nothing detailed about it and thus gives a large leeway as to what can be a focal point for a campaign, Lantan would be good.
AlorinDawn
03-17-07, 04:58 PM I love the lower Delimbiyr area starting a bit north of Llorkh all the way down the River Shining to Daggerford. The High Forrest, the High Moor, Netherese ruins, and that frontier feel. I've gotten tons of milage out of this tiny patch of the realms and the players love the region. Give it a try.
Renvale999
03-18-07, 08:53 AM Personally I love starting campaigns in Unther, lots of intrigue and politics and plenty of enemies to go around(old Untheric god cults, Tiamat's church, Mulhorhand patrols and armies, and many old ruins and gobliniods in the mountains.)
ericlboyd
03-18-07, 01:04 PM I am kicking off my new FR campaign in the Dales next week. I like the feel of the drow-taken forest just north. Lots of adventure material, plus I can take the party pretty much anywhere pretty quickly because of the Sea of Fallen Stars or whatever its called (I'm not up on the names...:()
BTW, I'm wearing white socks...:P

I wrote an update on the situation in Cormanthor in Dragon #354.

--Eric
Pystian
03-18-07, 04:11 PM I transfered out of U Hawai'i almost a year and a half ago. If you're on Oahu in the Honolulu area I might be able to help you find people to game with, but unfortunately the last of my gaming connections there are leaving after this summer.
hedgeknight
03-20-07, 08:47 AM I've always enjoyed starting in the North and around Waterdeep, plus both the City and the Silver Marches have a 3.5 Sourcebook and more the enough Lore from 2nd Edition available. Alot of variety in both environment and possible opponents, perfect place to start :)

I agree, nothing beats the Savage Frontier! Endless adventures w/o all of the Elminster/Greenwood drama.
-g-
The Ubbergeek
03-20-07, 11:24 AM I say - perhaps the whole western coast, and the Phlan region. Well, I had been influenced by the videogames, and both offers a lot for many kind of adventures; from city intrigues in the big cities of the coast, to the savage countryside behind and near Phlan.
The-Half
03-20-07, 08:46 PM Ya, my last campaign I started in Arabel, Cormyr. And just let the players decide if/where they wanted to travel after that. There first adventure (which took them through levels 1-3) earned them a cheap/small warehouse, so after that they decided to turn the campaign into an Arabel centered campaign...turned out to be really fun, they traveled all over Cormyr.

But of course I dont want to use the same region twice in a row.

So far ALL of the ideas/opinions are GREAT. Espically the ones that list reasons of WHY that region is so great... it's different than just reading it out of the FR Campaign Setting... more personable I guess.

Feel free to keep 'em coming, my game doesnt start untill April, so I'm still deciding.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
The-Half 03-14-07, 06:59 PM	SO I moved to Hawaii last August, and left behind the BEST gaming group EVER in Colorado Springs(love you guys if you're reading this)! And I'm about to embark on starting a new group/campaign in about 3-4 weeks. So here is my question: Where is a great place to start/have a campaign in the Realms? Last time I started in Arabel, Cormyr during the Year of Lightning Storms. But what are some of your suggestions? And please dont answer with non-answers (ie "it all depends on what you want out of a campaign", "try blah-blah world setting it's better", "You're the DM start where ever you want", "my socks are purple...does that help", etc).
Pystian 03-14-07, 11:17 PM	I think Unapproachable East is one of the best regional sourcebooks. Check out either Thesk (allows for lots of Kara-tur interest and rival gangs) or Aglarond (weird racial politics).
Sidslick 03-15-07, 04:35 AM	I've always preferred the more northerly realms - the Great Dale, Damara, Vaasa, Narfell, the Ride, etc. Relatively little up-to-date official lore (excluding 2nd edition modules) and thus they are a bit of a blank canvas for dropping in pregenerated or homebrew adventures and modules. Local adventures for local people! If I want something a little more well-rounded and developed I tend to go for the Border Kingdoms - plenty of "little empires", politics, dungeons bashes and mysteries. Enough to develop into a small campaign or a series of linked one-offs. That's my tupenny-worth, anyhow. :)
Daydreamer 03-15-07, 06:19 AM	i always like the dale lands, simply because one can run somewhat 'traditional fantasy' easier.
The-Half 03-15-07, 04:45 PM	I think Unapproachable East is one of the best regional sourcebooks. Check out either Thesk (allows for lots of Kara-tur interest and rival gangs) or Aglarond (weird racial politics). I've always kinda like Aglarond too for some reason...never played/DMed there before though... Do you live here in Hawaii??????????
The-Half 03-15-07, 04:49 PM	SidSlick: I've never really explored the Ride, Dale, etc;..... only experince with it at all is the new books from RA Salvastore about Jarlaxle & Artemis.... what is the "feel" of it? Also what's the "feel" of the Border Lands? I'm kinda intrigued with the BorderLands...seems like a whole bunch of city-states that rise and fall with the wind....each with different laws, cultures, agendas, etc; Daydreamer: I've always loved the Dales, but I guess I'm kinda scared to run a campaign there as a DM, because I feel like my players that are FR familiar will already know too much about it.... how do you personally get around this?
Khaelieth 03-15-07, 07:28 PM	Daydreamer: I've always loved the Dales, but I guess I'm kinda scared to run a campaign there as a DM, because I feel like my players that are FR familiar will already know too much about it.... how do you personally get around this? You say: I'm the DM and you're a player. Now, Now, I will bow down and worship the CoC for even thinking malicious thoughts that would draw CoCthulu's attention to me. just read up on it=)
Fencerboy 03-15-07, 09:27 PM	I am kicking off my new FR campaign in the Dales next week. I like the feel of the drow-taken forest just north. Lots of adventure material, plus I can take the party pretty much anywhere pretty quickly because of the Sea of Fallen Stars or whatever its called (I'm not up on the names...:() BTW, I'm wearing white socks...:P
Sidslick 03-16-07, 09:22 AM	Ok, Half, these I my takes on the regions that I play, based on the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting book. Others on the board may disagree, but this is how I DM them. The Ride - plains leading into ranges of mountains, with nomadic barbarians following herds of cattle and horses through their seasonal migrations. The barbarians quarrel between themselves, but tend to present a united front to those who threaten their way of life (good or bad). Region still has a number of old ruins, especially abandoned dwarfholds in the mountains, that may - or may not - provide refuge for monsters, brigands and outlaws. Damara - relatively large realm recently coming out of a conflict with the Witch King, now led by a paladin-king - still plenty of opportunity for intrigue amongst the noble families and the various organisations (e.g. churches, powerful mages guild, etc). Plenty of free-willed undead still roam, on top of regular threats such as goblinoids and arctic monsters, as well as the Citadel of Assassins (group of brigands). Lucrative blood-stone mining trade, that may be linked into a Underdark campaign. Vaasa - similar to the Ride, but colder, harder, less populated by "civilised" races and with more arctic monsters. Narfell - relatively wild area, but the seat of an ancient empire. Loads of old ruins, many infested with summoned demons. Several large tribes of humanoids in region that occasionally spill over into neighbouring lands. The Great Dale - nature-centric region, with the de-facto leader being a druid (the Nentyarch). Mostly concerned with containing the predations of the Rotting Man (half-fiend druid) and his warped allies, who are holed up in an old Nar ruin in the middle of one of the forests. Great opportunities for a simmering nature-based civil war. The Border Kingdoms - lots of petty little nations that rise and fall week by week, some actively trying to conquer others while the rest are simply trying to survive. Wild, relatively low population, old ruins and deep forests. However, lots more opportunity for intrigue rather than dungeon bashing. There were several articles on the main website that gave a feel for them nation by nation, and enhanced what was already in the Powers of Faerun book This is, of course, a brief general overview. If you want more specific ideas - PM me, mate and I can give you some more ideas on what we've done in our campaigns. We tend to play regional campaigns where characters never travel the length and breadth of the realms, just one or two regions.
lockdar 03-16-07, 09:49 AM	I've always enjoyed starting in the North and around Waterdeep, plus both the City and the Silver Marches have a 3.5 Sourcebook and more the enough Lore from 2nd Edition available. Alot of variety in both environment and possible opponents, perfect place to start :)
Karsus the Mad 03-17-07, 10:35 AM	" Where In The Realms? is Carmen Sandiego...." Sorry...couldn't resist. If you're interested in a slight steam punk twist, or just want to explore a region that has almost nothing detailed about it and thus gives a large leeway as to what can be a focal point for a campaign, Lantan would be good.
AlorinDawn 03-17-07, 04:58 PM	I love the lower Delimbiyr area starting a bit north of Llorkh all the way down the River Shining to Daggerford. The High Forrest, the High Moor, Netherese ruins, and that frontier feel. I've gotten tons of milage out of this tiny patch of the realms and the players love the region. Give it a try.
Renvale999 03-18-07, 08:53 AM	Personally I love starting campaigns in Unther, lots of intrigue and politics and plenty of enemies to go around(old Untheric god cults, Tiamat's church, Mulhorhand patrols and armies, and many old ruins and gobliniods in the mountains.)
ericlboyd 03-18-07, 01:04 PM	I am kicking off my new FR campaign in the Dales next week. I like the feel of the drow-taken forest just north. Lots of adventure material, plus I can take the party pretty much anywhere pretty quickly because of the Sea of Fallen Stars or whatever its called (I'm not up on the names...:() BTW, I'm wearing white socks...:P I wrote an update on the situation in Cormanthor in Dragon #354. --Eric
Pystian 03-18-07, 04:11 PM	I transfered out of U Hawai'i almost a year and a half ago. If you're on Oahu in the Honolulu area I might be able to help you find people to game with, but unfortunately the last of my gaming connections there are leaving after this summer.
hedgeknight 03-20-07, 08:47 AM	I've always enjoyed starting in the North and around Waterdeep, plus both the City and the Silver Marches have a 3.5 Sourcebook and more the enough Lore from 2nd Edition available. Alot of variety in both environment and possible opponents, perfect place to start :) I agree, nothing beats the Savage Frontier! Endless adventures w/o all of the Elminster/Greenwood drama. -g-
The Ubbergeek 03-20-07, 11:24 AM	I say - perhaps the whole western coast, and the Phlan region. Well, I had been influenced by the videogames, and both offers a lot for many kind of adventures; from city intrigues in the big cities of the coast, to the savage countryside behind and near Phlan.
The-Half 03-20-07, 08:46 PM	Ya, my last campaign I started in Arabel, Cormyr. And just let the players decide if/where they wanted to travel after that. There first adventure (which took them through levels 1-3) earned them a cheap/small warehouse, so after that they decided to turn the campaign into an Arabel centered campaign...turned out to be really fun, they traveled all over Cormyr. But of course I dont want to use the same region twice in a row. So far ALL of the ideas/opinions are GREAT. Espically the ones that list reasons of WHY that region is so great... it's different than just reading it out of the FR Campaign Setting... more personable I guess. Feel free to keep 'em coming, my game doesnt start untill April, so I'm still deciding.