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questing gm
Master of Realmslore
Malaysia
1400 Posts |
 Posted - 28 Jul 2024 : 10:44:17
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On inspirations of dragonborn
https://x.com/TheEdVerse/status/1813394465555443978 https://x.com/TheEdVerse/status/1817299467835527572
Jul 17, 2024
@Rykoth1
@TheEdVerse I have a question, assuming you had a hand in their creation. What were some of the inspirations for the culture of the Dragonborn, how their clans are structured, and their hierarchy? I love how their natural "good" nature is contrasted with a warrior culture.
@TheEdVerse
I had half-dragons in my original Realms (pre-D&D), but "dragonborn" in either of the versions still official in the game aren't my creations. I believe TSR staffers and later WotC staffers crafted them.
@Moss_Yeti
My friends and I have been debating and we need to know: If a dragonborn (or half-dragon) is born from a dragon mother, I'm assuming they come from an egg. But what if they come from a human mother? Do they still come out in an egg? Or do they come out like human babies do?
@TheEdVerse
They come out like human babies do, except that the newborn is wrapped in a caul (thin but tough translucent pearly-gray porous membrane; the baby CAN breathe through it, if no one tears it). So: flexible eggshell covering of sorts. |
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questing gm
Master of Realmslore
Malaysia
1400 Posts |
Posted - 29 Jul 2024 : 02:56:03
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On power words
https://x.com/TheEdVerse/status/1817300424367440319 https://x.com/TheEdVerse/status/1817302782359032016 https://x.com/TheEdVerse/status/1817303401392124161 https://x.com/TheEdVerse/status/1817307623227523183 https://x.com/TheEdVerse/status/1817375064389476576 https://x.com/TheEdVerse/status/1817413740544893422 https://x.com/TheEdVerse/status/1817415562793734333 https://x.com/TheEdVerse/status/1817432946938150915 https://x.com/TheEdVerse/status/1817417112031318523 https://x.com/TheEdVerse/status/1817307625291407550 https://x.com/TheEdVerse/status/1817307626771714495 https://x.com/TheEdVerse/status/1817371821886341553 https://x.com/TheEdVerse/status/1817373002863952124
Jul 28, 2024
@lion_argent
I will die on this hill:
"Power Word Kill" is wrong.
Should be "Power Word Die", obviously.
Writing a #DnD text on power word spells.
Hey @TheEdVerse the only thing I could find is that power words were invented (discovered?) by the Netherese. Is there anything more on origins?
@TheEdVerse
"Power word" spells came from dragons, whose magic was (1st Ed) verbal only. The Netherese, the Imaskari, and before them, elves, all "eavesdropped" them from dragons, then developed their own versions of what they'd witnessed cast, and so knew could be done.
@ulgulanoth
#129300;Hmm so would that mean all the "Power Word" spells are in draconic? Or at least derived from draconic?
@TheEdVerse
Derived from Draconic, yes.
Many are "slightly altered" Draconic words, the slight alteration being the syllables that are the Weave-calling-and-suffusing incantation. (To stop dragons giving other dragons directions from inadvertently hurling multiple spells.)
@Stormer455
Do they also have a basis in origin with true name magic?
@TheEdVerse
Yes, in that dragons seem to have discovered that truenames gave magical connections to their owners before anyone else, and developed verbal-only spells exploiting that before other species.
@TheEdVerse
So, the actual word spoken for Power Word Stun is
arandguthmuntharcaniss
(from:
Arand = core, heart of
Arcaniss = magic
Guth = to push, to nudge, to shove (pronounced “Gooth”)
Munth = stun, stunned (amusingly, munthrek means human)
@Rhys_CV
How does a nerd manage to get all that out before I punch him in the jaw?
@TheEdVerse
And THAT is why a human wizard who gets hold of a Power Word spell using the original Draconic might well spend the two tendays or month or more tinkering with it to transfer its functionality to a much swifter, easier to say word.
Note: nonsense words are safest.
@fullmetalnyuu
I always assumed the spells implied that you spoke the word with such power that it just...worked. Like, you were essentially commanding someone to be stunned or killed by saying very powerfully "Kill" or "Stun"
@TheEdVerse
Gary borrowed the "Power Word" concept from an existing fantasy trope of "Words of Power" (found in more than a dozen classic fantasy novels) in which such words were secret words known only to mages, not "everyday words."
@fullmetalnyuu
I really appreciate the clarification, I wish the actual verbal components for all spells were common knowledge.
@TheEdVerse
When I wrote Spellfire, I included full descriptions, including the incantations, for all spells cast in the book (so DMs could read them to players)...and the editors cut them all, deciding that "the fiction should NOT closely mirror the game."
Huh?
@osgamer74
How metal is that!?
Editors obviously hate metal
@TheEdVerse
My thinking at the time was that gamers who didn't like fiction, or my writing style, wouldn't feel Spellfire was a dead loss if it included twenty or so detailed descriptions of casting this or that Players Handbook spell, that they could read aloud during play.
@manthisiseasy
It's never too late to give us them
@TheEdVerse
Okay, just one (Fireball):
By tongue of bat and sulphur's reek
And the mystic words I now do speak
Where I wish to warm life's game
Let empty air burst into FLAME!
@TheEdVerse
And the actual word spoken for Power Word Kill is
arandguthkurikarcaniss
(from all of the above but replacing munth with:
Kurik = slaughter)
@TheEdVerse
But if you instead wanted to cast a spell called Power Word Die, you’d say:
arandguthloreatarcaniss
(from all of the above but replacing kurik with:
Loreat = die)
[pronounced, BTW, "oarandGOOTHloar-ee-attar-CAN-iss"]
@twitcher1979
The way I always interpreted it was that it was a Word of Power that could Kill. Lord Soth's version of it was "DIE!" I dunno. Maybe I just don't look deep enough into it.
@TheEdVerse
My Realmslore replies apply just to the Realms, but in this case to Gary's original lore, too.
Many arcane spellcasters tinker with magic they learn or acquire as treasure; once you have a Word of Power that works, you can modify, so the word you use can be anything.
@ZeromaruX
So, the spell should be cast by saying "svent" (to kill, in Draconic)? Or "versellex: svent" (Power Word: To Kill)?
@TheEdVerse
If literal is your style, "svent" PLUS the modifying words that add the incantation can be your uttered spell. The modifiers must be there, to draw on the Weave/bind magical energy to the word –or every time you said the word "kill" you'd unleash deadly magic. |
Edited by - questing gm on 29 Jul 2024 14:51:09 |
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questing gm
Master of Realmslore
Malaysia
1400 Posts |
Posted - 29 Jul 2024 : 03:06:35
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On orthodonture
https://x.com/TheEdVerse/status/1817301523950416322
Jul 28, 2024
@missmuttz
Has orthodonture been invented?
@TheEdVerse
In the Realms? In the sense of plates with "replacement" missing teeth, yes. In the sense of shifting existing teeth to provide a "better bite," no. In the Realms, your natural (as opposed to damaged) teeth arrangement is what the gods intended for you. |
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questing gm
Master of Realmslore
Malaysia
1400 Posts |
Posted - 29 Jul 2024 : 15:03:15
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On mage sigils
https://x.com/TheEdVerse/status/1817604330197053907 https://x.com/TheEdVerse/status/1817609313428382143 https://x.com/TheEdVerse/status/1817614120113651999
Jul 29, 2024
@Artie_Pavlov
@TheEdVerse no idea how mages' sigils are created or if there are any rules, but does this look lore-friendly for Juniper's sigil? It is basically two letters arranged to look like something else and a star for the Art/Mystra
@TheEdVerse
There are rules, administered by the clergy of Mystra, but they are acting as the heralds do, for blazons: making sure no duplications or near-duplications occur (and no "deliberate confusion deceptions"). Juniper's sigil looks fine to me.
@Artie_Pavlov
Are there any restrictions? Like lude drawings or something like that?
@TheEdVerse
Oh, yes. Huge list.
Sigil must be clearly seen from a distance so no shading/intricate drawings, can't make use of colours/hues, can't resemble any existing sigil closely enough to be mistaken for it, can't suggest a tie/kinship/heritage that doesn't exist, etc. ...
@StevenESchend
Sorry to butt in, but I’m curious. A topic we’d not discussed, Ed, was an idea that Khelben’s final Sigil was actually a compound of at least two previous sigils held by other IDs of his over centuries. Would that be kosher or only allowed by Mystra’s fiat?
@TheEdVerse
That would be kosher, and there are precedents (earlier mages and liches who switched identities to cover up their longevity on the scene). Azuth would watch closely for misuse, of course. We must talk. Many things, and much drink. |
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questing gm
Master of Realmslore
Malaysia
1400 Posts |
Posted - 29 Jul 2024 : 15:06:15
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On groups based on Romani
https://x.com/TheEdVerse/status/1817609968188563631 https://x.com/TheEdVerse/status/1817611512934224260 https://x.com/TheEdVerse/status/1817612854486278338 https://x.com/TheEdVerse/status/1817612934752690496 https://x.com/TheEdVerse/status/1817613452711440667
Jul 29, 2024
@PastorPlague
@TheEdVerse out of curiosity, do you have any groups you based on Romani? I’m just wondering since I am Roma and you are my favorite author.
@TheEdVerse
I avoid all direct real-world analogues, BUT I have at least seven groups in the Realms of displaced, wandering folk who have lost their homeland but cling to a shared culture/heritage, and others can see them as a known group (and usually want them elsewhere).
Two descended from Netherese flying city survivors who shunned the society of Halruaa and set out across Toril, lacking all magic but treasured relics and their powerful innate Gift. Of these, Haun Tereth of the Maunatori became a powerful early Cowled Wizard of Amn.
The other of these two groups is the Larantar, who are today farfaring caravan merchants who call their wagons their homes. They were descended from the farmers of Larantau, a now-vanished Netherese demesne that served three nearby flying cities.
The Larantar pass intel to each other, swap goods (especially stolen goods), provide safe havens for any fellow Larantar, and seek more magic for themselves (notably, nursing aged, dying, and sorely wounded mages in return for tutelage).
So this last group would likely most closely resemble the Romani stereotypes of earlier times, across Europe. In the Realms, the Larantar are inclined to help all outcasts (rebels, persecuted nobles) "just because." |
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questing gm
Master of Realmslore
Malaysia
1400 Posts |
Posted - 30 Jul 2024 : 04:26:44
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On the name 'Forgotten Realms'
https://x.com/TheEdVerse/status/1818022613190590829
Jul 30, 2024
@JohanGruber
Any truth to Earth being the forgotten realm, as the portals that lead to it from Toril or Abeir-Toril were believed to be closed a long time back?
@TheEdVerse
That's indeed the origin of my name "Forgotten Realms," coined in 1966, 8 years before D&D first appeared, though I had Earth historians calling Toril that, for that very reason (which is why we have legends of dragons, etc. but don't meet them in the streets daily). |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11800 Posts |
Posted - 30 Jul 2024 : 20:54:27
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quote:
Originally posted by questing gm
On groups based on Romani
https://x.com/TheEdVerse/status/1817609968188563631 https://x.com/TheEdVerse/status/1817611512934224260 https://x.com/TheEdVerse/status/1817612854486278338 https://x.com/TheEdVerse/status/1817612934752690496 https://x.com/TheEdVerse/status/1817613452711440667
Jul 29, 2024
@PastorPlague
@TheEdVerse out of curiosity, do you have any groups you based on Romani? I’m just wondering since I am Roma and you are my favorite author.
@TheEdVerse
I avoid all direct real-world analogues, BUT I have at least seven groups in the Realms of displaced, wandering folk who have lost their homeland but cling to a shared culture/heritage, and others can see them as a known group (and usually want them elsewhere).
Two descended from Netherese flying city survivors who shunned the society of Halruaa and set out across Toril, lacking all magic but treasured relics and their powerful innate Gift. Of these, Haun Tereth of the Maunatori became a powerful early Cowled Wizard of Amn.
The other of these two groups is the Larantar, who are today farfaring caravan merchants who call their wagons their homes. They were descended from the farmers of Larantau, a now-vanished Netherese demesne that served three nearby flying cities.
The Larantar pass intel to each other, swap goods (especially stolen goods), provide safe havens for any fellow Larantar, and seek more magic for themselves (notably, nursing aged, dying, and sorely wounded mages in return for tutelage).
So this last group would likely most closely resemble the Romani stereotypes of earlier times, across Europe. In the Realms, the Larantar are inclined to help all outcasts (rebels, persecuted nobles) "just because."
I know she was specifically mentioning that ED had .... so not necessarily WotC... but the Gur were supposed to be somewhat like them.
https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Gur
That being said, I know there's some kind of sore spot that I won't say I fully understand regarding romani and how ravenloft was representing the vistani.... so maybe people want to forget the Gur exist. |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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questing gm
Master of Realmslore
Malaysia
1400 Posts |
Posted - 13 Aug 2024 : 07:23:37
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On Ed's own timeline
https://x.com/TheEdVerse/status/1822398039174283532 https://x.com/TheEdVerse/status/1822639014962241652 https://x.com/TheEdVerse/status/1822406152249811068 https://x.com/TheEdVerse/status/1822406155244617890 https://x.com/TheEdVerse/status/1822642917640491252 https://x.com/TheEdVerse/status/1822398997278904467
Aug 11, 2024
@roguecaliber
From what I understand, Ed Greenwood’s campaign never advanced into the Time of Troubles. So does he have his own time-line or just doesn’t advance the years?
I know some DMs don’t care about the passing of years and just run. That’s fine, but I can’t run without a count!
@TheEdVerse
The PCs really "live in" the world: many friendships, businesses, etc. They're BUSY. So the in-world timeline + their levels advance at a snail's pace. The Knights are now average 9th level, we're in the early 1360s DR, and we vote on RSEs: they said no to the ToT.
@JoshKellemen
Is this just engagement bait?
There is a whole website and forum where Ed has been answering questions for decades. The original party were the knights of myth drannor. The 5e reset to Ed (he wrote last book ending 4e-5e transition) was meant to wave away everything pre ToT
@damianbreen1
I don't want to put words in Ed's mouth @TheEdVerse, the original group were the company of crazed venturers, the KoMD came latter. I know there have been lots of mini campaigns over the years as well (especially games at the library where Ed worked) with lots of other groups.
@TheEdVerse
That's right, the Crazed Venturers came first, and the Knights (originally the Swords of Eveningstar) followed, amid 20-plus other groups.
@roguecaliber
So do you toss in another event(s) or are things pretty quiet as stories are on a more personal level?
@TheEdVerse
Oh, no, there's a constant cavalcade of "current clack" news from around the world: border skirmishes between petty barons (Chessenta, the Border Kingdoms), trade disputes, and the Zhents and Red Wizards and others trying to topple and replace local rulers. The Realms is alive.
@roguecaliber
I'd love to be a fly on that wall and just see how you develop such!
@TheEdVerse
Here's how: just as in the real world, what are the current flash points (disputes over valuable resources like oil)? And, where haven't we heard from in a long while?
With those in mind, follow 25 important NPCs (Szass Tam, Manshoon, etc.). What are they up to?
@JohnMoreyAuthor
Which one of the supervillain immortal evil world-threatening NPC villains would be the most pleasant to have tea with?
Which one would be the easiest to talk out of a lethal encounter?
@TheEdVerse
Depends on you. ;}
However, if we include dead as well as the living, good candidates would be:
Tea: Syluné or Shaaan the Serpent Queen
and talk out:
Larloch or The Simbul
@TheEdVerse
Generate a local broadsheet (newspaper) headline about what they're doing, or a rumour about it. How might it get twisted/inflated if retold by a tavern drunk? Gather the 25 results, and there's your current clack. Wars first.
@roguecaliber
And then the 25 are dropped as newspaper articles/rumors/ect..?
@TheEdVerse
Every caravan passing through a locale brings the latest news. Merchants and crew try to get free drinks in return for telling the tales to the locals. Things get retold and distorted, and the cycle repeats.
@PlanetXGamesCo
One of my favorite things you do @TheEdVerse is the “current clack” and latest news. It brings to life so much of Faerun and provides a nigh-endless source of adventure kick-offs.
@TheEdVerse
The original Current Clack is at the end of one of the two books in the Old Grey Box. Later Current Clacks appear at the end of some of my Elminster's Everwinking Eye columns in Polyhedron Newszine (RPGA). I gave out annual Current Clack handouts at TSR-era GenCons. |
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questing gm
Master of Realmslore
Malaysia
1400 Posts |
Posted - 13 Aug 2024 : 07:34:13
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On High Harper Tam Zawad
https://x.com/TheEdVerse/status/1822399619365519608 https://x.com/TheEdVerse/status/1822399976913138031
Aug 11, 2024
@TheAnonDM
Calling Saer @TheEdVerse for some #RealmsLore!!!
A DM would like to know:
According to Baldur’s Gate III, Jaheira has become the High Harper.
What happened to Tam Zawad? Is he okay?
cc: @erinmevans
@erinmevans
Iirc a High Harper isn’t like the TOP Harper, but ONE OF the top Harpers
That said, I don’t think my version of the Harpers is what’s in play here. Feels like 5e went back to the OG ways, so #129335;#127995;#8205;#9792;#65039;
@TheEdVerse
Agreed! A High Harper is a senior Harper, not a pontiff or president or THE big Harper.
@TheEdVerse
Moreover, in some places in the Realms, the local "High Harper" is a figurehead/target/spokesperson, running interference for the "real muscle" Harpers behind the scenes. |
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questing gm
Master of Realmslore
Malaysia
1400 Posts |
Posted - 13 Aug 2024 : 07:44:44
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On Sarathlue Serendragon unmasked in 1491
https://x.com/TheEdVerse/status/1822402681178087551
Aug 11, 2024
@DungeonsnDaleks
@TheEdVerse I'm running a session tomorrow using your list of the current Lords of Waterdeep. May I ask, how and why was Sarathlue Serendragon unmasked in 1491?
@TheEdVerse
The cutline for my novel DEATH MASKS is “Who Is Killing The Masked Lords Of Waterdeep?
More than one cabal wanted to put “their” people into Masked Lordships and so end up controlling Waterdeep. One tactic was to assassinate really stubborn/opposed Lords, and then unmask as many of the rest as you could identify, to scare them into resigning for fear they’d be targeted and slain in turn. Sarathlue was one such unmasked Lord, but she “didn’t scare,” and (as largely seen in the novel) the slayers got taken care of, before her turn to get taken down arrived. |
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questing gm
Master of Realmslore
Malaysia
1400 Posts |
Posted - 13 Aug 2024 : 07:50:02
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On Ao being on the level of the Lady of Pain
https://x.com/TheEdVerse/status/1822636111073607752
Aug 11, 2024
@TheEdVerse
U'meko Camyu#128286;#129718; @Moonflower_MG
@TheEdVerse In your opinion, is Ao on the level of the Lady of Pain?
Ao is much more powerful than the Lady, but answers more closely to yet more powerful entities than the Lady does. |
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questing gm
Master of Realmslore
Malaysia
1400 Posts |
Posted - 13 Aug 2024 : 08:43:02
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On creating half-dragons
https://x.com/TheEdVerse/status/1822759230459326766
Aug 12, 2024
@_Flameborne
Half-Dragons are a thing, created in the usual way most commonly, right? But that does raise the question of what would a dragon seek in a mortal mate, with their way of thinking being alien to most mortals.
Especially some of the less 'personable' types like Reds.
@TheEdVerse
It varies. Some are curious, many want a respite from loneliness (they want to "belong" while having the security of knowing how personally powerful they are among "soft" mortals), some want to leave offspring and watch them grow...and some want entertainment. |
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questing gm
Master of Realmslore
Malaysia
1400 Posts |
Posted - 19 Aug 2024 : 12:00:15
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On female half-dragon breasts
https://x.com/TheEdVerse/status/1825240115008184403 https://x.com/TheEdVerse/status/1825248186614554861
https://x.com/TheEdVerse/status/1825547100714856722
Aug 19, 2024
@TieflingMelissa
Hey @TheEdVerse! Me and my friend @LluisAbadias have been designing & illustrating Forgotten Realms Dragons for quite some time.
We have a burning question when it comes to Half-Dragon designs & aesthetics. Do female Half-Dragons in the Realms have breasts? #129300;
<https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GU9U0unWgAE3LSm?format=jpg&name=900x900>
@TheEdVerse
Sorry for my tardiness in replying; I’ve been offline with medical, family, and then COVID, but should be on the long road back now. Male and female half-dragons in the Realms all have nipples, but how much in the way of breasts they have beneath them depends on individual genetics and the species who are the other “half” of the half-dragon’s parentage.
For human, elves, halflings, dwarves, gnomes, orcs, goblins, hobgoblins, kobolds, and centaurs, the answer is yes: noticeable breasts. All of the half-dragons resulting from such unions will produce breast milk that speeds the growth in size and maturity (including, yes, permanent teeth coming in) of young suckling on them, so the breasts aren’t mere “decoration for artists to enhance portraits with.”
However, some half-dragons will be buxom, especially if they are fat or burly of build, and some will be sleek indeed (“flat” in human parlance). So a particular half-dragon character can look like almost anything.
@CyberChillStrem
Okay, speaking of Melissa what does Tiefling milk taste like?
@TheEdVerse
Like buttermilk with a hint of cinammon. My "home" Realms players ROLEPLAY. ;}
@rivertherabbit
i have a semi-related question - if two dragons reproduce, but in human forms - is the offspring human or a dragon or some genetic mix of the two?
@TheEdVerse
Results can vary, but the offs[ring is usually a dragon who can shapeshift into human form, if either of the parents can shift (as opposed to using a spell to take human form).
- Edited on 20/8/24 to add new tweet |
Edited by - questing gm on 20 Aug 2024 03:11:45 |
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questing gm
Master of Realmslore
Malaysia
1400 Posts |
Posted - 19 Aug 2024 : 12:03:04
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On Moander as of 1494 DR
https://x.com/TheEdVerse/status/1825245723471814688
Aug 19, 2024
@Your_Best_Apyr
@TheEdVerse any updates on Moander as of 1494 DR?
My favorite slime mold elder god has been MIA for a while and I hope they’re doing okay
@TheEdVerse
Yes. I've covered Moander in a Realmslore video. Like all the other deities, he's more low profile these days (corrupting and working through mortals more than making personal avatar appearances), but back at work decaying the Realms.
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questing gm
Master of Realmslore
Malaysia
1400 Posts |
Posted - 19 Aug 2024 : 12:09:05
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On magic for anyone (Giftless)
https://x.com/TheEdVerse/status/1825244417030054077
Aug 19, 2024
@ValetheHowl
@TheEdVerse Hi there Sage! Sorry to bother you again, but I was wondering if in addition to Table Magic, there were other magics that could be learned by anyone (even Giftless people) through study and hard work, without aid from deities or other otherworldly entities.
@TheEdVerse
Yes. Realmslore videos will be forthcoming on some of them, but there’s a roster of recorded ones to get through first. |
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questing gm
Master of Realmslore
Malaysia
1400 Posts |
Posted - 20 Aug 2024 : 04:08:30
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On how common are paladins
https://x.com/TheEdVerse/status/1825547896034648491
Aug 19, 2024
@DawnRealm
@TheEdVerse Greetings from Finland! I would like to ask how common are true paladins of the gods in the Realms? It seems they appear quite rarely in the novels and I merely wished to ask. Wishing you a wonderful day and thank you for for all your amazing novels!
@TheEdVerse
They are rare, because few can be disciplined enough to follow the lifestyle, and when they do, they are targets (they do dangerous things and have baked-in enemies). You can find one paladin as a major character in the D&D comics scripted by @GrubbsTweet . |
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questing gm
Master of Realmslore
Malaysia
1400 Posts |
Posted - 24 Aug 2024 : 15:32:59
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On how much gold is a bucket from the gem mine worth
https://x.com/TheEdVerse/status/1826465256626860178
Aug 22, 2024
@PratzStrike
@TheEdVerse Hey GM, how much gold is my haul from the bucket I grabbed from the gem mine worth?
<https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GVjDGlmWwAAnZdL?format=jpg&name=large>
@TheEdVerse
Depends on where you're trying to sell it (what semi-precious stones they see a lot of, how many dwarf appraisers reside there to sniff at your haul).
Properly polished and mounted, some can sell as "real jewelry" in rural villages, where : { they have less to spend. |
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questing gm
Master of Realmslore
Malaysia
1400 Posts |
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questing gm
Master of Realmslore
Malaysia
1400 Posts |
Posted - 28 Aug 2024 : 02:14:48
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On Elmara having children
https://x.com/TheEdVerse/status/1827721735132819513
Aug 25, 2024
@TechnicalNitwit
Hey @TheEdVerse, the question came up in conversation with my friends when I was informing them of the Elminster's time as Elmara. Did the Sage bear any children during this period?
@TheEdVerse
No, he did not.
When the head of the Books Department told me I had to write a novel in which El was in turn all 4 core character classes, and I topped him by saying he'd switch gender, too, he gave a thumbs up, then added, "NO explicit sex and NO pregnancies." |
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questing gm
Master of Realmslore
Malaysia
1400 Posts |
Posted - 28 Aug 2024 : 02:20:38
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On Thundaerl Maurlatrimm and Avarae
https://x.com/TheEdVerse/status/1827916946928472223 https://x.com/TheEdVerse/status/1827916946928472223
Aug 26, 2024
@ItalianKarsus
@TheEdVerse hello! Couple questions.
1. Is Thundaerl Maurlatrimm (Swords of Eveningstar Chap. 9 epigraph) the archmage behind Thundaerl's Universal Taster?
2. Nasmaerae Felmorel (Temptation of Elminster, Chap. 3) is called Daughter of Avarae by Azuth. Is there anything on Avarae?
@TheEdVerse
1. No, the Taster was devised by his grandsire and namesake.
2. Yes, but I'll have to look at my files to make sure I can share without running afoul of a NDA.
@ItalianKarsus
Uh, I should probably ask... no relationship to Thundaerlyn Hall in Marsember, right?
@TheEdVerse
Right. No relation. |
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questing gm
Master of Realmslore
Malaysia
1400 Posts |
Posted - 08 Sep 2024 : 02:37:54
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On where to read Forgotten Realms lore
https://x.com/TheEdVerse/status/1831610174974431714
Sep 5, 2024
@AriSarmiento6
Hi Ed, I hate to be a bother if I am, but could you provide a somewhere I could read the story and lore of Forgotten Realms?
@TheEdVerse
The best places these days are my Patreon, the Greenwood's Grotto server on discord, and the FR Wiki. |
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questing gm
Master of Realmslore
Malaysia
1400 Posts |
Posted - 08 Sep 2024 : 02:41:00
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On tressym trademark
https://x.com/TheEdVerse/status/1831750918900977738 https://x.com/TheEdVerse/status/1831750355434270988
Sep 6, 2024
@BloomsHarumi
@TheEdVerse Super random question that me and my friends randomly discussed during their first-ever encounter with tressyms.
We all know griffons, maticores, etc are old mythology Is the word tressym trademarked?
@TheEdVerse
Specifically, no, but it's owned (copyrighted) by TSR, so now Wizards. I created that creature (and that name), and it was published in The Haunted Halls of Eveningstar as work for hire, and so is part of the published Realms they own.
@BloomsHarumi
To add to that. What other creatures and/or creature names did you create? I love hearing other people's creative minds at work.
@TheEdVerse
Many (alhoon, crawling claw, curst, dracolich, and LOTS more; I was "the Monster Man" in early issues of The Dragon). #realmslore |
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questing gm
Master of Realmslore
Malaysia
1400 Posts |
Posted - 08 Sep 2024 : 02:45:16
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On stickiness of bugbear spit
https://x.com/TheEdVerse/status/1831753329304842618
Sep 6, 2024
@kelcjac
@TheEdVerse How sticky is bugbear spit? Would it make a suitable paste?
@TheEdVerse
Bugbear spittle is more slimy than sticky. To turn it into a paste, you need a binder (pine gum/resin is the easiest and cheapest to find), some boiling and a pinch of salt to mix, then “roughage” for thickening: crushed green broad leaves from many plants will serve (what we buy as “baby spinach” is ideal). |
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questing gm
Master of Realmslore
Malaysia
1400 Posts |
Posted - 08 Sep 2024 : 02:48:24
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On Elminster trying tacos
https://x.com/TheEdVerse/status/1831754248801153423
Sep 6, 2024
@DarkForestPress
@TheEdVerse during his many visits, has Elminster ever tried Tacos?
@TheEdVerse
Of course. See the many replies here with my resurrected tacos lore. El prefers tidier ways of eating a hot seasoned ground meat mix, like: take a thin tortilla, spread THINLY with sour cream, then THINLY with meat mix, roll, and eat (bib in place, ale in hand). |
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questing gm
Master of Realmslore
Malaysia
1400 Posts |
Posted - 08 Sep 2024 : 02:51:37
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On roads for a bicycle
https://x.com/TheEdVerse/status/1831756315825488106
Sep 6, 2024
@ericremyjordan
To stay motivated to ride my bike, each day I record my distance and track progress on the Sword Coast. After 1,190 miles, I've finally arrived back in Waterdeep! It took me 149 days of riding to travel up to Mirabar, then to Luskan and finally back to Waterdeep. #dnd #exercise
<https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GV_w3FQXUAAUtg9?format=jpg&name=900x900>
@SirWiseGuy
@TheEdVerse This seems like a feat, bicycling around the Sword Coast. How well do you think the roads would fare for such a bicycle bound adventurer?
@TheEdVerse
What with ambushes by goblins and other raiders and brigands, and the rough surface (the roads are made for heavily-laden wagons whose foe is mud), such a ride would be…strenuous. The best bicycle would likely be a light-cargo tricycle with very fat, soft and squishy tires (so, propelling would be hard work and progress slow). But the scenery? MAGNIFICENT.
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questing gm
Master of Realmslore
Malaysia
1400 Posts |
Posted - 08 Sep 2024 : 02:55:08
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On different color of dragon blood
https://x.com/TheEdVerse/status/1831776079641768346
Sep 6, 2024
@MainQuestline
This just got me thinking...
Do dragons of different chromatic/metallic/classical have different color blood?
In my own setting they do, but that's because they were literally formed by gods as a 'perfect' species
@TheEdVerse
In the Realms, they certainly do.
Not all who get hold of some may agree, because dragon blood does oxidize and change hue and consistency when exposed to air for long periods or by contact with surfaces and containers made of particular things. |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31710 Posts |
Posted - 08 Sep 2024 : 11:37:34
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| Kinda always wondered whether dragon blood would change colour when exposed to certain arcane castings. It’s something I’ve wanted to explore in my own campaigns. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
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questing gm
Master of Realmslore
Malaysia
1400 Posts |
Posted - 10 Sep 2024 : 06:26:23
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On tacos in the Realms
https://twitter.com/TheEdVerse/status/1327333992664805383 https://twitter.com/TheEdVerse/status/1327423776284430336 https://twitter.com/TheEdVerse/status/1327658815647604737 https://x.com/TheEdVerse/status/1832626511762850174 https://x.com/TheEdVerse/status/1832860779277701361 https://x.com/TheEdVerse/status/1832863215643935200 https://x.com/TheEdVerse/status/1832877824333565963
Nov 14, 2020
@LeslieCourtne14
Dear Ed, are there tacos in Faerun, or something like them at least? If so, where would someone find them and what culture would they be in? Asking for my taco loving players.
@TheEdVerse
“Taco” is not a name known on Toril, but fried hardcrust roundbreads (what some real-worlders might call pitas, but fried crispy-hard) that have been stuffed with a hot cooked mix of minced-meat, spices, vegetables (diced and fried onions and/or potatoes, and/or Brussels sprouts, and/or asparagus, and/or leeks, and/or artichoke hearts, and/or radishes, and/or mushrooms) and sauces ARE known and devoured eagerly in many eateries, especially in the Vilhon, the lands south of there to the Shaar and beyond (so, places like Innarlith and south to include Luiren and Var the Golden), and are slowly spreading along the trade routes in all directions, to Chessenta and eastern Tethyr and Amn, to Calimshan and the Lake of Steam cities, and to Scornubel. You can even order them in some inns and taverns (yes, they’re becoming “the new thing” in tavern fare) in Secomber.
The meat tends to be whatever’s plentiful and cheap locally, from lamb to rabbit and all manner of small scurrying things, from “tree-cats” [squirrels] to rats, and the flavor profile varies from merely savory to hot-spiced; most establishments will ask “hot” or “warming” (= fiery or mild) when you order.
So, a folded-over, exposed-spilling-edge taco is a rare thing indeed, and cheese-drenched tacos are a special variant version anywhere they can be had, but the same sort of ingredients in essentially the same combination (so, a flat, closed taco, which varies from a “handpie” in that it was never full of gravy, and its outer pastry is thin and fried crispy-hard) can now be had in many places.
What it’s called varies from place to place; along the Sword Coast it tends to be called a “fryhard,” in the Vilhon, a “crunchtart,” in the South, a “hotbite,” and along the trade-routes, any of these three or even something else.
Elminster and the Seven all like “handfry pies” made with six or seven sorts of mushrooms, parsnips, leeks or spring onions (all diced), and strong cheeses (no meat).
The shell of a Torilian taco, whatever it’s called, is often rather like cornbread in its composition. Or a crisp naan (and is sometimes made by “gluing” two round-tortilla-like discs together with cheese).
@CatalogFantasy
Hail and Well Met
Praise Ilmater and Waukeen.
Faerunians have discovered the "taco" and "Tex-Mex." Smiling face with open mouth and cold sweat Taco Taco Taco
So this is legal now on any tavern menu in Faerun?
@TheEdVerse
Pretty much.
Aside from the taverns (far north, most of them) that serve no food at all, just drink.
Most places serve something fiery or salty or both, to make patrons buy more drinks than they otherwise would.
(Wait 'til I get to the Realms version of pepperettes.)
@AlexMcclay2000
One more question since we are on this topic, Do most inns and taverns have menus? or is it like "today we serve X" sort of thing. Mostly a question concerning food, since I imagine patrons can order whatever they want to drink.
@TheEdVerse
It varies wildly depending on where the establishment is, and the time of year (that is, how plentiful/affordable, right now, is a variety of food). Also, what SORT of inn or tavern (are they trying to offer a wide selection of food, or a minimum/none)?
@Exile451
Okay so I’m 4 years late to this discussion, but now I have a pressing question :
Did Elminster go vegetarian after speaking with one sentient animal too many, or does he just really like strong cheese?
@TheEdVerse
El's no vegetarian, but loves certain strong cheeses. Old Cheddars (but NOT chemically smoked!) and Stiltons (eaten with pears, of course) rather than Limburgers and their ilk. NEVER Swiss. At least, judging by what he devours from my larder, and what he leaves alone.
@Exile451
No Camembert then?
*scribbles notes*
I do love the idea of Elminster being a picky eater, for some reason - maybe because in a book I don’t have to deal with the fallout XD
@TheEdVerse
El likes fresh, creamy Brie, as a spread on rusks and crackers.
He rummages my extensive larder (well, extensive before he gets there) and makes his own picks, these days.
Did you know those flaring sleeves have inside wrist-pockets for material components and food?
@Exile451
I did not, but it makes sense - he could not only hide tacos and pies in there, a little bat’s dung and sulphur (preferably in the *other* sleeve) and he could cook them on the fly with a little empty air bursting into flame…
@TheEdVerse
Yes! Also nuts, and he hooks so many of my little triangular Laughing Cow wrapped soft cheeses that he must STUFF his sleeves with them!
Oh, and wizards use bat forefingers (wing fingers) as toothpicks, and he carries those as wrist-hem-stiffeners!
@catlady_tired
Now I want to see Elminster get into a debate about what toppings go on pizza
@TheEdVerse
Being as I know he loves Hawaiian pizza (or at least, has stolen slices of that flavour on more than two occasions), I'm sure he would get into a debat. He also loves "Meat lover's" pizza, but dislikes aniseed in anything (so, no to some sausages). |
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questing gm
Master of Realmslore
Malaysia
1400 Posts |
Posted - 10 Sep 2024 : 06:36:19
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On ancient folk rituals
https://x.com/TheEdVerse/status/1832859314081399031 https://x.com/TheEdVerse/status/1832861482565910571 https://x.com/TheEdVerse/status/1832866396344037677
Sep 9, 2024
@ExeterSlayers
Where are these ancient folk rituals in D&D? Unfortunately, I don't see this. Maybe they're found Forgotten Realms? #dnd #dandd @Wizards_DnD it's a game of imagination, right?
<https://x.com/LichfieldLore/status/1832729447897743371>
@TheEdVerse
I did over 20 pages of such local rituals and traditions, but WotC has never published, except for one New Adventures of Volo web column. I'll do a video for my YouTube channel early next year.
Most of them are rural "placate local place spirits" observances.
@ExeterSlayers
Ed, every culture has old rituals and festivals. Why don't @Wizards_DnD publish this stuff? Are they afraid of offending groups like modern pagans? Their roots lie in the modern world.
@TheEdVerse
I have no idea. I suspect it's for that: afraid of giving offense.
Back in the old TSR days, it would have been: we're conservative Midwest whitebread Christians, and this stuff is WITCHCRAFT.
I had a hard time just getting them to understand polytheism!
@ExeterSlayers
I get it. And yet D&D clerics and paladins worship a variety of deities and causes. There's a big disconnect here. @Wizards_DnD needs to take responsibility instead of being silent. Thanks for replying, Ed.
@TheEdVerse
My pleasure!
Yes, I'd patiently explain the pantheons and everybody praying to all deities as propitiation, and I'd get: "Yes, yes, but which god is MY god?"
Expect a Realms vid on some local customs, rites, and festivals in Jan or Feb next year. I hope. :} |
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questing gm
Master of Realmslore
Malaysia
1400 Posts |
Posted - 10 Sep 2024 : 06:42:42
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On the process to create "signature" spells
https://x.com/TheEdVerse/status/1832879724277735453 https://x.com/TheEdVerse/status/1833334174209507384
Sep 9, 2024
@nerdimmersion
@TheEdVerse I have a few questions. What's the process in the Realms for Wizards creating their own "signature" spells? I.e. Leomund's Tiny Hut. How about altering another wizard's signature spell to be your own? I'm playing a Geomancy wizard who just level 13 and I'm curious
<https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GWz5XAnWMAAU0yQ?format=jpg&name=large>
@TheEdVerse
Hi!
Named spells in D&D come from Jack Vance’s Dying Earth series, the same place Gary got (with permission) the “fire and forget” magic system from, for D&D. I put it into the Realms before D&D, in my Realms fiction, but the game and the Realms meshed perfectly.
In-game, in the Realms, most wizards don’t ever think of “signature” spells unless they’re non-adventuring spellcasters-for-fees in a big city or crossroads place, who become known for a particular spell they’ll cast for you, like a rat-deterrent or mending or warding spell, as it’s their daily bread and butter.
It’s considered egotistical to name spells after yourself, but many mages are arrogant and self-centered and do just that. Such individuals usually name all the spells they come up with after themselves, so we’ll get Cadleyn’s Balefire, Cadelyn’s Puissant Guardian, Cadelyn’s Scourer, Cadleyn’s Warning, and so on. Most mages are creative only in cutting corners with material components to use what they have on hand, so rare individuals (or liches and others who have loooong careers) create lots of new spells, and the great majority of mages just tinker with existing ones and make small changes (rather like gamers tinkering with D&D rules). So Mrasjestur’s Fireball and Qotharr’s Mighty Bolt, being Fireball with different material components and Lightning Bolt ditto, respectively, are the rule and not the exception. Whether or not such a spell becomes someone’s signature spell depends on how much they promote it as such (e.g. teaching it and selling scrolls of it widely), who else is casting a similar spell and their “reputation shadow,” and notoriety (e.g. “Oh, yes, the spell that idiot wizard used to bring down the balcony and crush the royal family he was working for; I hear he’s still running from all the angry avengers!”). {end}
@OliviaCLTFC
to that end how would a wizard, say james darkmagic iii for example, who's generally regarded as a great wizard but has a ton of "trademarked" spells be seen by their peers? could you have such a reputation that it would offset and people would be like "yeah, fair enough?"
@TheEdVerse
Oh, yes.
In the Realms just as in our real world, trust is the most valued trait in someone Gifted, and being kind, helpful, and understanding right behind. Being powerful, and so, respected, comes after that.
Powerful mages who aren't a**holes are all too rare. |
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Ed Greenwood on Twitter
