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Drummer Boy
Senior Scribe
USA
395 Posts |
Posted - 21 Oct 2002 : 04:29:13
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I'm going to do a poll asking about how you got started with the Forgotten Realms. I got started when my uncle gave me the Baldur's Gate game as a birthday present, and then, recently, I noticed the Forgotten Realms books in a bookstore and started on reading them. Ok, let's hear your stories, folks!
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ArcticKnight
Learned Scribe
USA
169 Posts |
Posted - 21 Oct 2002 : 05:44:08
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i was 14 or 15 right around there somewhere (23 now) and my dad was cleaning out his den , sorting though his thousands of books deciding which ones he was going to take to the local used book store to free up some space on his shelves
i was nosing around one day while he was "cleaning" and saw 6 books sitting in a "to go" pile, 3 of the books were books that i had always liked the covers of but never really understood. "The Dark Elf Trilogy" it was called. also sitting with "The Dark Elf Trilogy" was something called "The Icewind Dale Trilogy" Stupid name ( to a 14 year old) but dad says they go along with "The Dark Elf Trilogy"
well not wanting my favorite covered books to go bye bye, i decide ill take em for myself. he says ok, and so the 6 books go upstairs and into my room. ( Little did i know this small step would wind up such an obsession for YEARS to come.)
one day while bored and with nothing to do(still 14 or 15) , i look over and see "Homeland" hmm i said to myself , "why not"
and i open the page.............................and the rest is history!
Epilouge to my tale:
Years later now 23 with EVERY FR book sitting on my shelf i have to say with all honesty is....well anyone that has READ "Homeland" knows what im talkin about. |
"The man who does not read has little advantage over the man who cannot read."
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Mumadar Ibn Huzal
Master of Realmslore
1338 Posts |
Posted - 21 Oct 2002 : 09:14:20
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Hmmm... difficult question. Must have happened shortly after I started playing D&D 12 years ago. The group I was playing with was interested in Dragonlance mostly and that's also the setting where I started to read the first novels from. I guess my exposure to the Realms came gradually through articles in Polyhedron and Dragon Magazine.
Only later I started reading some novels and buying Realms-related products. The products that drew me deeper into the Forgotten Realms were the masterpieces from Steven Schend: Lands of Intrigue and Empires of the Shining Sea, as well as the excellent works from Eric Boyd ea on the Gods books: Faiths & Avatars, Powers & Pantheons and Demihuman Deities.
The wealth of detail and historical references made me want o learn more about the campaign world. And I have become more of a collector of Realms products than a gamer. Though since two years I have been running games in the Realms.
Heh, come to think of it, there was another source that drew me into the Realms. The Realms-L mailing list. Though nowadays that list holds no more interest for me (see also thread on Realms-L). |
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Frey
Learned Scribe
130 Posts |
Posted - 21 Oct 2002 : 09:20:08
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Well, ... in my work I often ask people if they've got a PC (as in Personal Computer ) and if so, what they DO with it... I knew quite a lot about computers, I thought, but when someone mentioned 'Play by E-mail' I knew I found something new. So I asked what it was, got some explanation, grew interested and got permission to 'lurk' on a PBeM-campaign.
I knew at once: this is great! So, I wanted to part in this. This appeared to be less simple than I thought it to be, there were all kind of rules and such ...
But as I came to know these rules (mainly reading the PHB and a full evening of introduction by the DM) I discovered how right these rules turned out to be! It all was thoroughly thought over, it was just, it fitted.
And now ... well, I've been playing over a year now and I do enjoy every minute of it!! Great, great, great! |
- Imagine ... there's no imagination. - (remember Frey is just a PC) |
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Ditalidas
Learned Scribe
Netherlands
127 Posts |
Posted - 21 Oct 2002 : 11:47:36
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I'm not sure how I really got involved with Forgotten Realms. There were a few times that a DM tried to get us involved. As in: DM: We are going to play in the Realms. We: Cool, what does it mean? DM: Well, here you have a pile of books... read it and you will understand. We: I beg your pardon *watching the pile of books, eyes wide in unbelieve*
At least for me it didn’t work. The books were all in English! I was not going to start on that with my little bit of knowledge on that language. We did play for a while, but our DM kept having problems with interesting us for the world we played in and I think he just gave up eventually.
So years passed by and yet an other DM tried to interest me. And again all of us players had no idea what the Realms was about. This DM said: No problem. You'll learn while gaming. We nodded and started to play. Soon we realized that the most common farmer knew more about the pantheon (for example) than we did. And my character even studied! So we had to find out about the gods one by one. They were talking to us too, giving us false information and we felt blind little pawns on a big board of chess that the gods were palying. It did not take long for us to get frustrated. I did learn a lot about the God's, but the Realms still did not appeal to me.
My DM, who first tried to introduce me in the Realms, came again. This time the game would be in the form of a Pbem (Play by E-mail). This did appealed to me. In case I would miss certain information I would have plenty of time to look for an answer somewhere in the books or ask my DM to fill in the blanks for me. But it was all in English. In the beginning that was difficult. I knew what I wanted to say, but not how to translate it into English.. so I started to figure out other sentences to explain what I wanted to say.... do you see what I try to say? But while the game carried on I learned English. I learned a lot of new words and new ways to describe things.
I bought FRCS and MoF for this Pbem. I had Powers and Pantheons and Demihuman Deities already (to get some info on the terrible gods that played around with us in a former campaign) And then my English got good enough to read and understand what was in the Forgotten Realms novels. (more important, I could read them at a speed that did not get me bored ) I found out I loved them and learned a lot about the Realms without even really noticing it
Well, that's about it. This story has become long enough... after all I do know now how I came to know the Realms |
'All that is' is also 'All that is not' for the one cannot exist without the other.
Sweet Water and Light Laughter |
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Blind Man
Acolyte
10 Posts |
Posted - 21 Oct 2002 : 12:10:20
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I read the novel Darkwalker on Moonshae, by Douglas Niles, and then I proceeded to buy the gray box that was the game. I was just leaving the first edition (going to the second), and...yeah. The creativity (in-depth, quality writing) of the campaign setting got me pretty much hooked, to the point of me and my crew creating "the Elven Realms", a then related RP-Gig/comic book. But alas, all notes of this era ('87 or '89) were lost... |
"I ought to be thy Adam; but I am rather the fallen angel, whom thou drivest from joy for no misdeed. Everywhere I see bliss, from which I alone am irrevocably excluded. I was benevolent and good; misery made me a fiend. Make me happy, and I shall again be virtuous."
The monster's plea to Victor Frankenstein. |
Edited by - Blind Man on 21 Oct 2002 12:11:20 |
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lowtech
Learned Scribe
USA
315 Posts |
Posted - 21 Oct 2002 : 18:53:27
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My story is similar to ArcticKnight's. I was a freshman in high school and my older sister owned the Dark Elf Trilogy. I had heard about Dark Elves from some friends (I wasn't into D&D back then)and I was curious. I became interested in the novels, which led to an interest in the game itself. |
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Shades
Acolyte
Georgia
39 Posts |
Posted - 21 Oct 2002 : 22:27:41
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I was 13 at the time and ran into a friend of mine in the bookstore. We got to talking and I told him I was going on a road trip with my parents. He told me I should get one of these books and he held up a dragonlance book and the crystal shard. I bought them both and loved them both. Since then I've built up a pretty large collection of both Dragonlance and The Forgotten Realm's books. |
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Halidan
Senior Scribe
USA
470 Posts |
Posted - 22 Oct 2002 : 02:41:14
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Greetings Realms Fans,
Sorry I've been out of touch for a while, but real life keeps intruding on my fantasy.
I got started with the Realms when "Darkwalker on Moonshea" came out. I read the book and loved the celtic/viking setting.
Having read Ed Greenwood's first few Dragon magazine articles, I knew he was an excellent writer and had solid ideas on how to run an RPG. I bought the old grey box as soon as it came out, hoping for more info on the Moonshea isles. I was disapointed at the lack of celtic material, but quickly realized that this campaign was huge!!!
With that, i was off and running. At first, I just adapted Realms material to my homebrewed world. Waterdeep wasn't even re-named, just set into my world.
Later, after my friend and fellow gamer Julia Martin started working for TSR and editing the FR line, I became more interested in the world itself. Sometime around when Faith's & Avatars came out, I began running my current gaming group onbce a week and decided to set the campaign in the Realms, and I've been there ever since. |
"Over the Mountains Of the Moon Down the Valley of the Shadow, Ride, boldly ride," The shade replied, "If you seek for Eldorado!"
Edgar Allen Poe - 1849 |
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Mumadar Ibn Huzal
Master of Realmslore
1338 Posts |
Posted - 22 Oct 2002 : 08:04:39
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quote: Originally posted by Merrzeran
Greetings all, I am Merrzeran,(The Very Old). I have revived this old topic because I thought it would be an ideal way of introducing myself... I first came up with this name for an Npc that I created over 15 years ago for a very (then young)campaign world called "The world of Greyhawk". Quite ancient indeed. I expect that many of the younger members havent even heard of it. But I digress, Merrzeran was a very powerful Lich that wasnt evil, just began his life as an apprentice Mage and went onto travel The Continent of Greyhawk as well as many otherworlds and planes at least that was the back story that I fashioned for the charector. His passion for more knowledge, Arcane and otherwise was so strong that he didnt want to pass on to the afterlife... So Merrzeran was created... He basically was a hermit that lived in a Forgotten Keep in the Mountains. Who if discovered could lend help in the form of Forgotten knowledge for a price of course. And this he did for many in my campaign setting, back in the days of AD&D 1st ed. I never got to play any of the other Editions, I played mostly first ED up until I stoped altogether (ie marriage, kids, members of my party relocating etc, etc, etc)I thought "The Very Old" title would be beffiting. Well anyway "Greetings All!" It is good to be sorrounded by Heroes, Adventures and Sojourners of the Mind, again, Well met! Now were in the Nine Hells did I put my cane???
Welcome aboard old-timer. Join the rest of us old guys in trying to keep the good old days going a bit longer
So how did an Oerth-guy find his way to the Forgotten Realms...? There are those on the Greyhawk mailing list who would consider that blasphemy.
btw, your cane is leaning against the chair.
A slightly less old gamer. |
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kahonen
Senior Scribe
United Kingdom
358 Posts |
Posted - 23 Oct 2002 : 00:19:04
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Hmmm, very old eh!
Perhaps we should have a poll to find out who's the oldest
(Having met Rad a couple of weeks ago, I'm sure he'll understand)
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Drummer Boy
Senior Scribe
USA
395 Posts |
Posted - 23 Oct 2002 : 02:20:48
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Hahahaha....yeah, good idea. |
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Lord Rad
Great Reader
United Kingdom
2080 Posts |
Posted - 23 Oct 2002 : 08:35:01
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Im sure you have nothing to worry about Kahonen
Besides, if nobody has anything to hide then theres always the "Age" field in your member profiles!
Anyway, as for how i got started in the Realms (its actually quite boring), I had a large circle of friends who were always busy on a Sunday afternoon....well i soon got bored wandering the streets with no mates so tagged along one Sunday to see what they were up to (imagining some cheesy board game), then after watching a game of D&D for about 5 minutes i was begging the DM for to pass me a pre-rolled character (Luthian - Thief, who was killed a few hours later with an ogre club to the back of the head ), Anyway, I LOVED the experiance of it all and played every weekend from then on for years. Eventually I fancied a bit of life on the other side of the screen, so when my DMs moved from D&D to AD&D i grabbed the opportunity and picked a campaign setting which i thought id enjoy......the Realms! I picked up every FR sourcebook I could get and then started reading "Darkwalker on Moonshae" to start my knowledge building.
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Lord Rad
"What? No, I wasn't reading your module. I was just looking at the pictures"
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Edited by - Lord Rad on 23 Oct 2002 08:42:30 |
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Mumadar Ibn Huzal
Master of Realmslore
1338 Posts |
Posted - 23 Oct 2002 : 08:53:08
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quote: Originally posted by Rad
Im sure you have nothing to worry about Kahonen
Besides, if nobody has anything to hide then theres always the "Age" field in your member profiles!
LOL, you'd think Kahonen has something to hide Rad, seems that you and I are from the same year. Anyone pre-1972? |
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Frey
Learned Scribe
130 Posts |
Posted - 23 Oct 2002 : 10:17:56
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quote: Originally posted by Mumadar Ibn Huzal Anyone pre-1972?
[humbly] I confess
... I'm from 1960 (AD that is) |
- Imagine ... there's no imagination. - (remember Frey is just a PC) |
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Halidan
Senior Scribe
USA
470 Posts |
Posted - 23 Oct 2002 : 13:01:33
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quote: Anyone pre-1972?
Yup. I suspect there's more than a few of us out there. I was born in 1961. |
"Over the Mountains Of the Moon Down the Valley of the Shadow, Ride, boldly ride," The shade replied, "If you seek for Eldorado!"
Edgar Allen Poe - 1849 |
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Darwin Tenderfoot
Seeker
USA
57 Posts |
Posted - 24 Oct 2002 : 04:45:45
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I got introduced to D&D when I was 6 by my step Father. I have pretty much been playing ever since. Im 15 now.
Darwin |
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Merrzeran
Acolyte
USA
22 Posts |
Posted - 24 Oct 2002 : 06:00:01
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Well met Momadar. I first became aquainted with "The Realms" shortly after most of my gaming group relocated (including myself). Having no one to game with and already having read the books of the Dragonlance saga, I needed somthing else to devour in the way of reading that was related. So I picked up a PB novel intitled "The Crystal Shard" and of course that led to reading all the follow up novels by Salvatore, and any other "Frogotten Realms" fare i could get my hands on. But believe it or not I havent gamed in over 7 yrs, and I never had a chance to travel the Realms only read about them. Now I travel them in the form of the pc games (ie; Icewind Dale, Icewind Dale 2 Baldurs gate and so on). Yes some might say not the same, and I agree but they fill the void somewhat. Turn away Greyhawkers, tis blasphemous what I speak! Boy but there were some good ole times on Oerth, Like some of classic Modules aye,the Temple of Elemental Evil, The Tomb of Horrors(boy did I lose alot of guys in that one)Expidition to the Barrier peaks and much, much, more... Oh and Momadar, *grabs cane* Many thanks... |
~M~ |
Edited by - Merrzeran on 24 Oct 2002 06:01:17 |
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Jeffrey Williams
Acolyte
USA
45 Posts |
Posted - 24 Oct 2002 : 11:42:11
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quote:
LOL, you'd think Kahonen has something to hide Rad, seems that you and I are from the same year. Anyone pre-1972?
Hi Mumadar. 1971 is my birth year.
Well, to add my two coppers, I got started in the Forgotten Realms way back in 1987 with the publication of the original box set. One of the very first copies published by the now-defunct TSR. I still have the old faded box with the original first edition maps.
"Sigh"
It's the apple of my eye and one of the fews items that I rarely open and use anymore.
I should however. I have an itch to run my own PBeM game in Myth Drannor. Some ten years before the Time of Troubles.
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Edited by - Alaundo on 24 Oct 2002 14:40:59 |
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Darwin Tenderfoot
Seeker
USA
57 Posts |
Posted - 25 Oct 2002 : 03:44:23
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Would it be second Edition |
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Jeffrey Williams
Acolyte
USA
45 Posts |
Posted - 26 Oct 2002 : 07:08:59
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quote: Originally posted by Darwin Tenderfoot
Would it be second Edition
No, many of the first Forgotten Realms accessories were published in the early years of Dragon Magazine and under the orginal first edition rules. Many were not collected and reprinted in a coherent product until late 1986. I believe Forgotten Realms campaign setting was not published until spring 1987. Still, it is a materpiece product, if you find a box set in superb condition, buy it. I hear the original FR box set never went into a second printing.
Geoffrey Wilhelms, Cleric of Helm and Sage of Baldur's Gate |
Geoffrey Mordraith, Sage, Cleric of Helm, Bearer of the Morning Star devilboy@anv.net www.bigbluepigeon.blogspot.com www.thefourthportal.blogspot.com |
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Fynn CĂ©ldor
Acolyte
USA
15 Posts |
Posted - 27 Oct 2002 : 18:30:55
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well... i grew up reading the hobbit... wow i must have read the book atleast 50 times. haha... well anyhow. my friends started to play baldur's gate, and it reminded me of LoTR and such, so i decided to pick it up.. it was an instant addiction. i started doing research about the npc's. my friends and i also started playing D&D. by now, i've probably seen the title 'forgotten realms' a million times.. then i saw the books! 5 years later here i am.
so i guess you could say it was love at first sight. |
spirit. it is the hero's strength, the mother's resilieance, and the poor man's armor. it cannot be broken, and it cannot be taken away. this i must believe. |
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KlarthAilerion
Acolyte
49 Posts |
Posted - 29 Oct 2002 : 06:10:21
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I grew up playing D&D with my cousins and some of their friends, all of whom were older than me. Started a group with some other friends of mine and enjoyed several very in-depth campaigns as DM. I really enjoyed the Pool of Radiance - Curse of the Azure Bonds - Secret of the Silver Blades set of games for C64 (and later PC), so I picked up the novels and enjoyed reading them. Picked up some more novels, and enjoyed reading them. And so on, and so on. Just picked up The Thousand Orcs in hardcover, and it looks very good so far.. can't wait for the other two books in the series to be written. |
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jason12345
Acolyte
Afghanistan
19 Posts |
Posted - 26 Nov 2002 : 00:23:10
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well, at my house the computer is in the kitchen. one day at arond 9:00, my brother was at this very site. i decided to read what he was typing. i noticed he was all in the spirit of the forgotten realms. he was typing stuff like "well met" in response to other peoples posts instead of saying "oh yeah" or "cool". then i noticed a funny name on the screen, "alaundo". so i asked him, how do you say that name? and he said stop reading the screen. then we got into an argument on how to say it. i said its pronounced "al uh un do" (say them slow to see how i think its pronounced). he said it is pronounced "al un doe" (again, say it slow). then everytime he went on the computer, he made sure i couldnt see the screen. that made me mad. the reason i am on this site now is so i can read his posts. im positive it is pronounced "al uh un do" because that is what it looks like. well anyway, that is my story of how i got to this website. one time i actually did play the game and i killed everyone in candlekeep. there was this guy though that i couldnt kill. i think his name was tetoril. |
"Beans are neither fruit nor musical"
-Bart Simpson |
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Echon
Senior Scribe
Denmark
422 Posts |
Posted - 26 Nov 2002 : 08:53:07
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That happened when I first tried Baldur's Gate four years ago. I had been playing PnP AD&D two or three years previous to that but I was quite inexperienced with the rules. Nevertheless, Baldur's Gate was one of best games I had ever tried.
And I am still playing it. |
"If others had not been foolish, we should be so."
-William Blake |
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Drummer Boy
Senior Scribe
USA
395 Posts |
Posted - 27 Nov 2002 : 02:06:51
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quote: Originally posted by jason12345
well, at my house the computer is in the kitchen. one day at arond 9:00, my brother was at this very site. i decided to read what he was typing. i noticed he was all in the spirit of the forgotten realms. he was typing stuff like "well met" in response to other peoples posts instead of saying "oh yeah" or "cool". then i noticed a funny name on the screen, "alaundo". so i asked him, how do you say that name? and he said stop reading the screen. then we got into an argument on how to say it. i said its pronounced "al uh un do" (say them slow to see how i think its pronounced). he said it is pronounced "al un doe" (again, say it slow). then everytime he went on the computer, he made sure i couldnt see the screen. that made me mad. the reason i am on this site now is so i can read his posts. im positive it is pronounced "al uh un do" because that is what it looks like. well anyway, that is my story of how i got to this website. one time i actually did play the game and i killed everyone in candlekeep. there was this guy though that i couldnt kill. i think his name was tetoril.
About the time you tried to kill everyone in Candlekeep, I tried that once, too. Actually, you can't kill Tethtoril, Obe the Illusionist, or the Keeper of the Portal. As for the pronunciation of Alaundo, I think it is pronounced "ow - lawn - doe", but then again I could be wrong. |
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jason12345
Acolyte
Afghanistan
19 Posts |
Posted - 28 Nov 2002 : 02:12:31
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[/quote]
About the time you tried to kill everyone in Candlekeep, I tried that once, too. Actually, you can't kill Tethtoril, Obe the Illusionist, or the Keeper of the Portal. As for the pronunciation of Alaundo, I think it is pronounced "ow - lawn - doe", but then again I could be wrong. [/quote] yes, u r wrong. it is pronounced "al uh un do" (remember, say it slow if you want to see how it is really pronounced) and tethtoril is pronounced "tea tuh to rye l". and another thing. i got my character 2 level 30. it is a level 20 mage with 7th level chromatic orb, 9th level magic missle, melf acid arrow at 9th level, cloud kill, lightning bolt and some others that dont do much. i used algernons cloak to enchant the whole town (or most of it)and i did kill tehtoril. so it is possible to kill tethtoril. he has some pretty cool items but i forgot what they are. if anyone else has successfully killed tethtoril, tell me. |
"Beans are neither fruit nor musical"
-Bart Simpson |
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Drummer Boy
Senior Scribe
USA
395 Posts |
Posted - 28 Nov 2002 : 03:56:05
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quote: Originally posted by jason12345
About the time you tried to kill everyone in Candlekeep, I tried that once, too. Actually, you can't kill Tethtoril, Obe the Illusionist, or the Keeper of the Portal. As for the pronunciation of Alaundo, I think it is pronounced "ow - lawn - doe", but then again I could be wrong. [/quote] yes, u r wrong. it is pronounced "al uh un do" (remember, say it slow if you want to see how it is really pronounced) and tethtoril is pronounced "tea tuh to rye l". and another thing. i got my character 2 level 30. it is a level 20 mage with 7th level chromatic orb, 9th level magic missle, melf acid arrow at 9th level, cloud kill, lightning bolt and some others that dont do much. i used algernons cloak to enchant the whole town (or most of it)and i did kill tehtoril. so it is possible to kill tethtoril. he has some pretty cool items but i forgot what they are. if anyone else has successfully killed tethtoril, tell me. [/quote]
I must beg to differ. Although I wasn't sure if my pronunciations were correct, I am certain that yours aren't. Also, I know for a fact that it is impossible to kill Tethtoril because he doesn't take damage and can strike a person with a lightning bolt that is always fatal. |
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Mumadar Ibn Huzal
Master of Realmslore
1338 Posts |
Posted - 28 Nov 2002 : 09:27:26
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Ehm guys... this part of the discussion ought to be under the relevant topic in the CRPG section of the forum...
(Alaundo/Webmaster, please delete this post if you move the above posts to the other CRPG thread) |
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Alaundo
Head Moderator
United Kingdom
5695 Posts |
Posted - 28 Nov 2002 : 10:36:07
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Well Met
Indeed Mumadar you are correct. This has become off topic, if you wish to discuss Candlekeep\Tethtoril etc. as part of the Baldurs Gate CPRG then please start a new topic in the Forgotten Realms Software forum. As only full topics can be moved, not individual posts, please refrain from discussing BG issues here and get back to how you got started with the Realms.
Thankyou all. |
Alaundo Candlekeep Forums Head Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
An Introduction to Candlekeep - by Ed Greenwood The Candlekeep Compendium - Tomes of Realmslore penned by Scribes of Candlekeep
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Edited by - Alaundo on 28 Nov 2002 10:37:55 |
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The Defence Minister
Learned Scribe
United Kingdom
218 Posts |
Posted - 28 Nov 2002 : 16:37:11
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The first realms experience I gained was from the BG Computer games.
We then started playing RPGs at school and it all spurred from there...
TDM |
- TDM (Candlekeep's most popular, experienced and handsome member) |
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