| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Bragi |
Posted - 11 Oct 2024 : 00:47:41
The announcement of the new source books got me thinking about previous releases and what my top 10 list would look like. If I had to pick 10 products to have at my table, which would I choose? So without further adieu:
#10 - Ed Greenwood Presents Elminster's Forgotten Realms. There's so much lore packed away in this product and it's all wrapped up in a nice biographic ribbon. I could read through this 100 times and not be bored. In fact, I probably have.
#9 - Expedition to Undermountain. This was a hard choice and I felt like I needed to include at least once adventure reference. The original Ruins of Undermountain will always be near and dear to me as I ran my players ragged through it for years after it came out. I feel like Expedition to Undermountain builds upon that foundation and offers more of it.
#8 - Lost Empires of Faerun. Nethril. Jhaamdath. Imaskari. Crown Wars. One book that has everything I'm interested in. Well not everything but a lot. I want a world that has a backstory and there's no better place for backstories than the realms.
#7 - The FOR Series. The Code of the Harpers. These aren't the 5e harper cops of the realms. These are the originals. Two groups of semi-secret societies. C'mon the book comes with harper ballads, what more do you want.
#6 - The FR Series. It's hard to pick just one. They're all so good. Well ok some are better than others (casts a sidelong glace at FR8). I think my pick has to go to Waterdeep and the North. All you need to do is look at the cover to know that this is something special.
#5 - The Border Kingdoms. Ever since the Elminster's Everwinking Eye articles I've been interested in this area. I don't need the edition specific mechanics which will be outdated in a decade. This product gives me plenty of information to run a campaign and it finally completes the articles started in Polyhedron so long ago.
#4 - Races of Faerun. The chapter on humans is the stand out. Here we have humans from Kara-Tur, Maztica, the Hordelands, Zakhara, and others. It embraces the published history. This would never be published in 5e because it acknowledges the breadth and depth of the realms and doesn't try to burn a magnifying glass-sized hole in the Sword Coast. The other chapters are excellent as well.
#3 - The Grand History of the Realms. There's a number of reasons why this is so high on my list. It really goes to the spirit of what the realms is about for me; a shared setting where everyone is invited to contribute and collaborate, much like Races of Faerun. My campaign is set during the crown wars so the early history of the realms is of great interest to me.
#2 - The Forgotten Realms Atlas by Karen Wynn Fonstad. Is it perfect? No, but the first 24 pages are a gift and the index in the back of this book is quite useful. Sometimes I feel like we've lost something in the modern age but then again maybe I'm just getting old. The FR Interactive Atlas was a close 2nd to this but the art in this book just does it for me.
#1 - Forgotten Realms Boxed Set. The original, "old grey" version. If I only had one realms product this would be it. There's enough information in here to run a campaign for years. People, places, languages, maps... A product like this would never make it past the cutting room floor today. Font size is too small. It isn't flooded with art. Fold out maps. When was the last product that actually came with fold out maps? I can't remember. It should be no surprise to anyone that this is #1.
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| 4 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Werthead |
Posted - 25 Oct 2024 : 20:58:03
1: Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting (2001, 3E)
The best single "Realms in a single book" we have ever gotten and, at this stage, are likely to ever get. One problem is that the maps are awful (in design, not necessarily in terms of visual appeal). But as an introduction to the setting this cannot be beaten. The book is also indestructible. My 2001 copy is still fully 100% intact despite frequent use and somehow still has "new book smell" after 23 years.
2: Faiths & Avatars (1996, 2E)
Everything you want to know about the Realms' insanely huge pantheon, although this book does narrow things down to the Greater, Intermediate and Lesser gods only. The companion Powers & Pantheons and Demihuman Deities books round out the coverage of the rest of Faerun's pantheon.
3: The Forgotten Realms Interactive Atlas (1999, 2E)
4: Sea of Fallen Stars (1999, 2E)
5: City of Splendors (1994, 2E)
6: Al-Qadim Land of Fate (1993, 2E)
7: The North - Guide to the Savage Frontier (1996, 2E)
8: Lands of Intrigue (1997, 2E)
9: Underdark (2003, 3E)
10: Menzoberranzan (1992, 2E)
Ask me again tomorrow and the list will be different again. |
| Galuf the Dwarf |
Posted - 13 Oct 2024 : 19:24:44
A few honorable mentions that (IMHO) should be on this list.
1) Champions of Valor and Champions of Ruin. Both good investments for building good- and evil-aligned characters, respectively.
2) Magic of Faerun. Very in-depth about magic unique to the Realms.
3) Dwarves Deep. Pretty self-explanatory.
4) Elves of Evermeet or Cormanthyr: Empire of Elves. Similar to #3.
5) Faiths & Avatars, Powers & Pantheons and Demihuman Deities. Explains virtually every Realms Deity in extreme detail. I've been using that (where I can) to try to adapt specialty priests into PrCs.
6) City of Splendors: Waterdeep sourcebook. Helps bring the Crown of the North to life.
7) Power of Faerun. Looking to found and/or run a kingdom? Consult this!
8) Dragons of Faerun. The franchise as a whole is called Dungeons & DRAGONS for a reason, right?
9) Underdark. Also goes without explaining.
10) Heroes Lorebooks and/or Villains Lorebook. Because why not? |
| Seravin |
Posted - 13 Oct 2024 : 13:59:45
Old Grey Box being #1 I can totally get behind.
I would say the supplements I love the most after the OGB are from 2nd edition. All of the Volo's Guides are in my top 10, just dripping with lore and maps and hooks. I would murder for a Volo's Guide to the Moonsea, but the Guides to the Dalelands and Cormyr are great.
Hardcover Forgotten Realms Adventures is just fantastic and tapped my imagination more than any other book; I love the city maps and specialty priests and FR specific spells.
The indiviudal book on Cormyr and the Moonsea are in my top 10.
Heroes Lorebook and Villains Lorebook.
Forgotten Realms Atlas.
Cloak and Dagger - I know Wooly loves this one and I agree it is great pre-3rd edition giving all the hooks you need for the various factions.
For adventures: Undermountain and Haunted Halls of Eveningstar.
Faiths & Avatars rounding out the top 10.
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| The Sage |
Posted - 12 Oct 2024 : 00:37:51
I like the eras of publishing you cover in this listing. I’d need time to think about my own.
I’ll also say…
The Border Kingdoms remain my favourite area of the Realms. The old POLYHEDRON articles… and later the slight updates on the Wizards website and in “Power of Faerun” really brought the dream of having a dedicated tome on the region to life. Hehe. I even have printouts of the POLY articles all bound together in a binder which I reread every year. So many of my PCs originated in the Border Kingdoms too. |
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