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hobbitfan
Learned Scribe

USA
164 Posts

Posted - 07 Jun 2014 : 04:30:19

What are the most useful 3 and 3.5 FR sourcebooks?

the Campaign Setting and the Player's Guide to Faerun seem pretty must-have.
Any others that you guys think a DM should really have to run the Realms?

Thanks in advance,

HobbitFan

Edited by - hobbitfan on 07 Jun 2014 04:31:11

Delwa
Master of Realmslore

USA
1272 Posts

Posted - 07 Jun 2014 : 04:41:53

Lords of Darkness and Races of Faer�n would be my first two picks after those you mentioned. Monsters of Faer�n would be there, too, but not exactly essential.

- Delwa Aunglor
I am off to slay yon refrigerator and spoil it's horde. Go for the cheese, Boo!

"The Realms change; seldom at the speed desired of those who strive, but far too quickly for those who resist." - The Simbul, taken from the Forgotten Realms Campaign Conspectus

Diffan
Great Reader

USA
4471 Posts

Posted - 07 Jun 2014 : 16:22:47

I enjoyed Champions of Valor, Faith and Pantheons, and Magic of Faer�n.

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idilippy
Senior Scribe

USA
417 Posts

Posted - 08 Jun 2014 : 02:50:26

Lost Empires of Faerun is a fantastic book, as is Power of Faerun. Both to me are fantastic resources for a 3.5e game. Also, while not 3e, the 2e god books are in my opinion still the best resource books for the Forgotten Realms gods and their followers. Faiths and Avatars, Powers and Pantheons, and Demihuman Deities are the books. Faiths and Pantheons is the 3e version but I don't feel it goes into as much detail as the 2e books did.

Ashe Ravenheart
Great Reader

USA
3249 Posts

Posted - 08 Jun 2014 : 03:24:05

Grand History of the Realms is the big one I'd add to the list. The great thing is you can get a lot in PDF format now.

I actually DO know everything. I just have a very poor index of my knowledge.

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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
Moderator

USA
36912 Posts

Posted - 08 Jun 2014 : 04:55:06

quote:
Originally posted by hobbitfan

What are the most useful 3 and 3.5 FR sourcebooks?

the Campaign Setting and the Player's Guide to Faerun seem pretty must-have.
Any others that you guys think a DM should really have to run the Realms?

Thanks in advance,

HobbitFan

It depends in large part upon your campaign. I'm a huge fan of City of Splendors: Waterdeep, for example, but it's of limited utility if you're playing in Halruaa.

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SirUrza
Master of Realmslore

USA
1283 Posts

Posted - 08 Jun 2014 : 20:14:12

While 3.5 is still my preferred flavor of the Realms I actually find a lot of the AD&D books are more "essential" then the 3e.. simply because of how thin the 3e catalog is.

Campaign Setting and the Player's Guide to Faerun are good foundations. Magic of Faerun and Races of Faerun will help.

For AD&D stuff, Faiths and Avatars and Demihuman Deities are important for the Gods. Any of the Volo Guides are good region books as are the box sets if appropriate.

"Evil prevails when good men fail to act."
The original and unapologetic Arilyn, Aribeth, Seoni Fanboy.

Gary Dallison
Great Reader

United Kingdom
6405 Posts

Posted - 08 Jun 2014 : 20:21:42

Champions of Ruin has some excellent details for Soneillon and Eltab who are amazing villains.

If you have the money then every single sourcebook is essential just for the lore details and breathing life into the realms.

Even for an area detailed in three separate sourcebooks (like Thay which was in Dreams of the Red Wizards, Spellbound, and Unapproachable East, each book adds a little bit more to that area (while also repeating a lot of the old stuff but its still good).

It wasn't until I finally read Dreams of the Red Wizards that I knew Narfell had once created an armada to invade Mulhorand with.

I don't see how anyone can do without all of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd edition sourcebooks. Its just layer upon layer of plot hooks, intrigues, characters, history. Everything you could need to run a campaign.

If you want a more specific list than "everything" then you need to narrow down your requirements. What region will you be running a game in and what year?

hobbitfan
Learned Scribe

USA
164 Posts

Posted - 09 Jun 2014 : 06:19:12

Dazzlerdal: I was trying to get input on good things to get from 3/3.5 to cover what a Dm would need to know. I have some of the older stuff from 1E like the old Grey Box but I don't have the 3E Realms stuff because another guy in my group was DM'ing during 3/3.5 and not me.
I was hoping to get input on what 3E stuff would be good to get prepping for new campaign. I hope to run a new 5E game when it comes out and I am beginning research to figure out where to play, when, etc.

Gary Dallison
Great Reader

United Kingdom
6405 Posts

Posted - 09 Jun 2014 : 08:44:56

Well 3rd edition has a lot of good books but most of them are updates to 2nd edition books so if you already have the 2nd edition books then you dont need anything else.

Lords of Darkness is an update for Cloak and Dagger.
The Unapproachable East is an update for Spellbound
The Shining South is an update for The Shining South
City of Splendours is an update for the various waterdeep books
Underdark is an update for Drizzt Do Urden's Guide
Silver Marches is an update for the North and Savage Frontier (although its a big update with lots of new stuff)

So you could go for 3rd edition books to fill in the blanks in your 2nd edition collection.

I personally love running campaigns that are steeped in ancient lore. Practically every settlement in Faerun is built upon another older settlement which is build upon more ancient settlements.

Because of this Lost Empires of Faerun and Serpent Kingdoms are must haves for 3rd edition because they detail things not previously covered in the other editions (admittedly the detail isnt comprehensive but it is good enough to provide inspiration).

Grand History of the Realms is an absolute must have as well (although the free versions are good enough) because without knowing the history of an area how can you provide a deep and immersive experience for your players.

And then finally as i said before i love Champions of Ruin for the Eltab and Soneillon lore. Impiltur is a great area, richly detailed by George Krashos and when you put it all together there is a lot of potential for an epic, possibly world ending campaign. You will not find another resource that provides as comprehensive writeup on those two big baddies as Champions of Ruin (and it gives a few other nice nuggets of lore regarding other big baddies as well).

It would also be worth you getting the Realms Bestiary I and II which is a free resource by Eric Boyd and Tom Costa. Excellent conversions of classic monsters and some good lore nuggets in there as well.

And then a final must have for adding details to the little people of the realms. Ed Greenwood Presents Elminsters Forgotten Realms is a book that i think should not be missed for the hidden character of a place. THe other books tell you what happened in a place and what people live there and what places exist, but Elminsters Forgotten Realms tells you the little details like what they wear and what they eat and how they act and talk and the little things that turn a good campaign into a great campaign.

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