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Caladan Brood
Senior Scribe
Norway
410 Posts |
 Posted - 15 Aug 2015 : 22:36:50
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Hey all, over the last year I have gotten seriously bitten by the Faerûnian bug, leading to - among other things - my return to Candlekeep after many a year. My old Realms RPG books were dug up from dusty boxes, and I began to take stock of my inventory (is that how you say it?) - and found that some of the old treasure had been ruined - water damage, mostly.
I decided to restart by buying the damaged goods over again, which of course lead to the desire to collect everything Realmsian from the good ol' days.
I still miss a few items - it was more fun to buy stuff I hadn't read before than buying what I had already owned once - Lands of Intrigue, The Ruins of Undermountain II: The Deep Levels, Halls of the High King, Villains Lorebook and the other-continent-related materials (Maztica, Kara-Tur, Al-Qadim) - but it's getting reasonably close to completion.
Which was my end goal; have a complete collection of AD&D Forgotten Realms. It should serve for a lifetime of DMing, especially since I don't have anyone to play with 
But then along comes D&D 5th Edition and all these new adventures are cropping up set in the Realms - and I found myself buying that, too. All right, I thought, AD&D and D&D 5th, then.
But then along comes the announcements of not only Sword Coast Legends, but Siege of Dragonspear, too, and I want to "get" the system underlying Sword Coast Legends, so I finally jumped in and bought the D&D rule books, too.
Which made me realize that D&D isn't bad at all; in fact, it is a lot more fun than AD&D.
But then Fantasy Grounds comes along and publishes all these 5th Edition books as rulesets for their virtual table top software. More money thrown, liberally.
But then I become more of a regular here at Candlekeep and realize that it sounds as if there's a lot of good stuff in 3rd edition. So here I am, with a new stack of books at my side - Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting, Champions of Valor, ...of Ruin, two adventure modules, and a few more...the Forgotten Realms are kind of like Christmas Eve in a way.
And just by flipping through the materials I once again come to the realization that Faerûn is so overwhelmingly full of detail, that I can never know it all and present everything with the same kind of density in a tabletop game. That's not much of a problem per se, as just reading about the Realms in source books is something I really enjoy, but sometimes I feel almost... intimidated by it. Every page I flip there's something new I didn't know about (until right now, I had never heard of 'vengeance knights' before, as an example), and every page gives me at least 1d20 ideas that I just so want to incorporate in an adventure or what have you.
Anyone else feel the same way?
While I'm at it, is there an index somewhere that lists all published adventure scenarios set in the Forgotten Realms? I mean not just the stand-alone scenarios like The Dungeon of Death or Curse of the Azure Bonds or Into the Dragon's Lair, but adventures from Dungeon and other magazines, and from other splat books (like the adventures found in Champions of Valor)?
Also, to make this thread a little more of a utility and not just about trying to keep one's head above the water, feel free to add some obscure little info-bite here! Something like, "Did you know that...?" [or is that for the Realms wikia only?]
Also also, how do YOU deal with the massive information bloat? I mean, if you are going to run, say, Lost Mine of Phandelver, and you really want to make it super-Realms-flavored, do you comb every Realms-related product to make sure you've got it all? In the case of that adventure, you could potentially be looking at like 30 different splat books with info spread far and wide (or will you just wait for the Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide and start from scratch?)
How do you decide where to set your story? A place you just really like, or want to explore in play? Do you feel constrained by all the canon lore, or do you not care if you "break canon"?
My head is spinning with all this lore and now I've begun collecting 3rd edition, too - but that's the last stop, for sure - no 4th Edition here. Maybe the Neverwinter Campaign Setting..and modules, for inspiration..
So much Realmslore, so little time...frustrating yet fun...
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Rymac
Learned Scribe
USA
315 Posts |
Posted - 16 Aug 2015 : 02:06:39
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It's what comes with the Realms. Best advice I can say is pick one area. Cormyr or the Dales are two perfect areas, although not the only ones, and grow the campaign outward, if you're looking to DM a group. I like the Dales, and as you grow the campaign outwards, there are plenty of black spaces in the maps and lore that can be explored without bumping into official cannon.
Other areas are the Western Heartlands, the Daggerford area, the environs outside of Waterdeep. We take for granted how big the Realms actually is, there could be a whole campaign just in the Shadowdale region. Cormyr is awesome as well, especially with the material Jeremy Grenemyer has shared here at Candlekeep. |
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George Krashos
Master of Realmslore
Australia
6669 Posts |
Posted - 16 Aug 2015 : 04:46:39
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I find, and this is purely a reflection of my personal interests growing up I think, that it's the history of the Realms that beds down my knowledge of the place and its people. When I get the history of a place or person set in my head, they solidify into the FR database in my brain and I'm better able to make connections both in terms of the existing lore, but also extrapolating lore to fill in the gaps and future scenarios. I also like to think of the Realms in terms of layers. While we can have an overt statement of Realms "fact", I always look for nuance (or even create nuance depending on if there is wiggle room with the information) to allow for the addition of information or adaptation of existing stuff to fit my thoughts on a topic. The Forgotten Realms is vast and there are now 28 years of products out there. Read the sources. Over and over again. I do it all the time, and always pick up on new stuff that I missed in the first dozen go overs or didn't consider was particularly noteworthy the first or tenth time I read it. Oh, and this might sound a bit obsessive, but jot down notes and obscure references. I'm a compulsive FR list maker - from names of rooms in the Royal Palace in Suzail to lists of foods/drinks to plays, songs, books, etc. When Eric tapped me for dragon references in the lead up to "Dragons of Faerûn", I had 5 pages of dragon names all ready to go. The Realms isn't a hobby, it's a lifestyle! 
-- George Krashos |
"Because only we, contrary to the barbarians, never count the enemy in battle." -- Aeschylus |
Edited by - George Krashos on 16 Aug 2015 04:47:14 |
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Gary Dallison
Great Reader
United Kingdom
6362 Posts |
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Delwa
Master of Realmslore
USA
1271 Posts |
Posted - 16 Aug 2015 : 12:54:34
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My method of dealing with the abundance of information is simple, but it took me awhile to come around to it.
There's more information in the Real world than I'll ever process. I might go to the same restaurant week after week, and ten years later realize something I'd never seen before.
So I don't worry too much about getting all the details right for my games. I don't study all the lore and make sure that I have everything available for my PC's next Knowledge Check.
I study the details relevant to the current story, present as much as I can, as best I can, but if I miss a detail, it's not necessarily my fault. The PC could just have easily never noticed that alleyway in Waterdeep, or heard of that NPC, or read that bit of lore. No matter how "obvious" it may be, it's possible they missed it. Or it just wasn't important. I've known people who are perceptive enough that you can't sneak up on them. They're like Jason Bourne when it comes to situation awareness, but they'll still, every now and then, be riding with me and remark, "I never noticed that building before."
So that's how I deal with it. Like a good manager, I blame someone else. In the nicest way possible. |
- 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 |
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Caladan Brood
Senior Scribe
Norway
410 Posts |
Posted - 16 Aug 2015 : 13:30:31
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Thanks for all the interesting replies, some food for thought. Just calming down on it all sounds like good wisdom.
Come to think of it, everyone's Realms will be slightly different anyway (I know the few times I've run a game there (long before I knew much about the Realms, really) it was a darker, less magicky place. |
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Irennan
Great Reader
Italy
3807 Posts |
Posted - 16 Aug 2015 : 13:55:41
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quote:
Originally posted by Delwa
My method of dealing with the abundance of information is simple, but it took me awhile to come around to it.
There's more information in the Real world than I'll ever process. I might go to the same restaurant week after week, and ten years later realize something I'd never seen before.
So I don't worry too much about getting all the details right for my games. I don't study all the lore and make sure that I have everything available for my PC's next Knowledge Check.
I study the details relevant to the current story, present as much as I can, as best I can, but if I miss a detail, it's not necessarily my fault. The PC could just have easily never noticed that alleyway in Waterdeep, or heard of that NPC, or read that bit of lore. No matter how "obvious" it may be, it's possible they missed it. Or it just wasn't important. I've known people who are perceptive enough that you can't sneak up on them. They're like Jason Bourne when it comes to situation awareness, but they'll still, every now and then, be riding with me and remark, "I never noticed that building before."
So that's how I deal with it. Like a good manager, I blame someone else. In the nicest way possible.
That's pretty much what I do, too. I read up the details relevant to what my players wish to do/where they want to go, then, if needed, alter them to suit the campaign. Then, eventually expand on it, if it offers nice plot hooks or I find ways to tie it to the current events. I've been doing that for a more than three years long campaign, and we feel pretty satisfied with it.
TBH, even if I'm rather new to the game and even if I know that there's tons of info about the FR, I've never felt overwhelmed by it (or bound to canon) and I've never really understood why some people feel that way. When it comes to personal campaigns, all the info available is just an awesome pool of lore to make the game better and more immersive and (try, at least) to make the world feel alive. |
Mathematics is the art of giving the same name to different things. |
Edited by - Irennan on 16 Aug 2015 13:56:42 |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 16 Aug 2015 : 15:58:35
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How do I deal with the amount of it? I don't - thats part of the fun. Settings that I can 'learn the whole thing' would get boring to me. I find 'new things' in FR books I've read a dozen times over on each read through... and that makes me want to do a happy dance. When I discover a new settlement, or the name of some river or range that wasn't named before, its like getting a Christmas present.
As for canon - I used to cleave to it, but now, not so much. I still try to stick to the big plots and intrigues, though, because if you change too much, other things start to fall apart. FR's strength is also its weakness - the 'interconnectedness' of it all means that each piece props-up a dozen other pieces.
Also, its very nature - stories told by 'third parties' that eventually get back to us here on Earth - means that we CAN make changes, and spin things the way WE want, and still be within our own 'canon bubble', because nothing is ever really 100% for certain (its also an amazingly brilliant way to patch lore-gaffs as we go along - Ed's a genius). |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Edited by - Markustay on 17 Aug 2015 15:20:25 |
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Caladan Brood
Senior Scribe
Norway
410 Posts |
Posted - 17 Aug 2015 : 12:46:53
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| Last night I read through Harried in Hillsfar (see thread) and in it there is a mention of "Zhentarim uniform" - I have never noticed, or I do not recall, Zhentarim having a particular uniform that marks them as Zhentarim (granted, I do not have any post-AD&D material on the group except for the basically non-existent bits in D&D 5th) - anyone care to enlighten? This is the kind of detail that really shouldn't matter, yet I get hung up on it (perhaps because I love heraldry I don't know). Is it just Harried... or is it me? |
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hashimashadoo
Master of Realmslore
United Kingdom
1155 Posts |
Posted - 17 Aug 2015 : 12:57:02
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quote:
Originally posted by Caladan Brood
Last night I read through Harried in Hillsfar (see thread) and in it there is a mention of "Zhentarim uniform" - I have never noticed, or I do not recall, Zhentarim having a particular uniform that marks them as Zhentarim (granted, I do not have any post-AD&D material on the group except for the basically non-existent bits in D&D 5th) - anyone care to enlighten? This is the kind of detail that really shouldn't matter, yet I get hung up on it (perhaps because I love heraldry I don't know). Is it just Harried... or is it me?
The Zhentilar certainly had a uniform, but I suspect the Zhentarim only got given a uniform once they became a mercenary company after the Spellplague. Examples can be found on p285 of the Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide (a black & white version can be found here: http://cdn.obsidianportal.com/assets/40852/zhents.jpg) |
When life turns it's back on you...sneak attack for extra damage.
Head admin of the FR wiki:
https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/ |
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Caladan Brood
Senior Scribe
Norway
410 Posts |
Posted - 17 Aug 2015 : 14:20:13
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| Thank you hashimashadoo. These zhents do have different clothing on, though, not the same uniform. Are they meant to showcase three factions within the Black Network? |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 17 Aug 2015 : 15:23:52
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There are at least two major factions (East & West), and there is even a 'southern branch', and probably lots of local groups spread all over the place, that each prefer their own designs. They might stick with the same colors, if that.
Also remember that most Zhents (that characters will run into) are operating undercover, and wouldn't be strutting about in uniforms. Only the ones that are actually assigned to KNOWN Zhent bases of operation, or those mercenary companies in 4e, would have any sort of uniform. I doubt any of the wizards bother with them at all (perhaps the lowest tier of them). |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Edited by - Markustay on 17 Aug 2015 15:24:21 |
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Cards77
Senior Scribe
USA
746 Posts |
Posted - 20 Aug 2015 : 01:21:55
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quote:
Originally posted by Caladan Brood
Thanks for all the interesting replies, some food for thought. Just calming down on it all sounds like good wisdom.
Come to think of it, everyone's Realms will be slightly different anyway (I know the few times I've run a game there (long before I knew much about the Realms, really) it was a darker, less magicky place.
You're not alone at all. I'm not nearly to the same place you are and I've already got MUCH MUCH more lore than I can ever index or use efficiently. So, for now I've just been specializing in the Silver Marches, and the North, and slowly expanding to Waterdeep and all strictly in 3 and 3.5 edition. Even the Silver Marches book I've been using non stop for over a year...I STILL run across things I never noticed before. |
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BEAST
Master of Realmslore
USA
1714 Posts |
Posted - 20 Aug 2015 : 20:25:34
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I've got Icewind Dale and Mithral Hall on lock, and I've studied a little bit about the various places where RAS's Companions have travelled over the years.
But if "they" ever make a Drizzt movie and I can help out, I very much know my limitations. And I'm OK with that. I would just insist on other consultants coming in for those other areas that I don't know so much about. |
"'You don't know my history,' he said dryly."
--Drizzt Do'Urden (The Pirate King, Part 1: Chapter 2)
<"Comprehensive Chronology of R.A. Salvatore Forgotten Realms Works"> |
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Caladan Brood
Senior Scribe
Norway
410 Posts |
Posted - 02 Oct 2015 : 18:38:53
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One month and two weeks until my old gaming group (we disbanded around the year 2000 or thereabouts) get together for a reunion, and I'm still not closer to knowing what I want to throw at them. For a long time I had LOST MINE OF PHANDELVER locked in, but then I read something and my mind begins churning. Today I'd like to run SONS OF GRUUMSH, tomorrow I want to run MURDER IN BALDUR'S GATE or THE ACCURSED TOWER. I want the characters to experience the Moonsea, Icewind Dale, the Sword Coast, Turmish...I'd like to revisit old haunts like Shadowdale or Arabel; I'd love to sail the Sea of Fallen Stars, brave the dangers of Anauroch, sweat it out in Chult...yet at the same time I know the players won't really care - it is the reunion that matters (camaraderie, as Minsc would say), not the game. And that thought brings me back to LOST MINE. I've invested in a heap of minis based on LOST MINE, there's that.
My solution right now is to try and weave, somehow, the flavor of other areas in the Realms into the game - by adding gold diggers / mine seekers from different areas; they could spin a yarn about their homelands
"Well met! I am Sentiyar of Turmish".
(NPCs descending on Phandalin because of the rumors of dwarf-gold strikes me as fun - a gold rush basically - and would allow me to add additional obstacles in the form of rival adventuring companies; perhaps even have NPCs banding together against the PCs, the quest for the Lost Mine becoming a race).
The only problem? The PCs will waltz over any realmslore that takes more than a sentence to impart ^^
Oh well, as long as it ends up a fun, memorable weekend for all involved.
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Cards77
Senior Scribe
USA
746 Posts |
Posted - 05 Oct 2015 : 01:29:51
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| The Raiders of Galath's Roost is a REALLY good adventure, with multiple approaches and many interesting bits. You can also place it just about anywhere. |
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Caladan Brood
Senior Scribe
Norway
410 Posts |
Posted - 05 Oct 2015 : 07:34:54
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| Thanks, I'll check it out :) |
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Caladan Brood
Senior Scribe
Norway
410 Posts |
Posted - 08 Oct 2015 : 14:14:17
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Since we only have the weekend (and some of the guys face a six-hour travel), time is limited, so I have pre-created characters for the bunch, going for a diverse class list, and each character receiving a short "What you've been up to..." piece of information.
I still have one character to pre-build, but I suspect that player won't show up.
The cast:
Immeral Moonwhisper, Wood Elf Warlock, outlander
Ménelayen Holimion, Moon Elf Fighter, soldier
Elmund, Son of Bramryn, Shielf Dwarf Ranger, outlander
Raven Andalyntar, Human Rogue, criminal
Sarynildul Mae'Duinath, Drow Elf Sorcerer, convict
Baréonak of the Gray Wolf Tribe, Uthgardt Barbarian, outlander
It's looking more and more like I'm going to run the Lost Mine of Phandelver after all, so I was wondering, for the last character I have to make (which I'll play myself in case the player doesn't show up), what class/race would you add to this rather diverse crew? Another fighter? A cleric? Paladin? Monk? Wizard? Druid?
(The reason for diverse classes is to show them 5th edition - the last time they played, it was called Advanced Dungeons & Dragons)
Edit:
And yes, I'm going to allow Baréonak to transform into a werewolf once every full moon
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Edited by - Caladan Brood on 08 Oct 2015 14:16:14 |
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Cards77
Senior Scribe
USA
746 Posts |
Posted - 09 Oct 2015 : 01:10:14
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| You'll definitely need a divine spellcaster of some kind. |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36813 Posts |
Posted - 09 Oct 2015 : 04:15:45
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| Seems a little elf-heavy, to me. If it was me, I'd swap out the drow for a human, a gnome, or a halfling. |
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I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen! |
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Caladan Brood
Senior Scribe
Norway
410 Posts |
Posted - 09 Oct 2015 : 07:38:12
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I'm fine with the races, mostly because I know these guys and they enjoy playing those races.
Right, seems like I'm going to play a divine spellcaster NPC. That suits me, it allows me to introduce at least one of the deities of the Realms in greater detail.
But which deity... |
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Derulbaskul
Senior Scribe
Singapore
408 Posts |
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Caladan Brood
Senior Scribe
Norway
410 Posts |
Posted - 09 Oct 2015 : 08:48:24
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Thanks for the link Derulbaskull, I will definitely check it out :)
(I have a vague feeling I've seen it before, but I don't remember it anyway, so yeah, thanks) |
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Cards77
Senior Scribe
USA
746 Posts |
Posted - 12 Oct 2015 : 00:46:13
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quote:
Originally posted by Caladan Brood
I'm fine with the races, mostly because I know these guys and they enjoy playing those races.
Right, seems like I'm going to play a divine spellcaster NPC. That suits me, it allows me to introduce at least one of the deities of the Realms in greater detail.
But which deity...
I'm not sure how the various elves and the dwarf are going to get along with a drow..if they play their races properly but hey it's your game.
I personally love dwarven clerics of Moradin. Adding a drow to the mix certainly makes for some interesting deity choices, may want to stick to more of a neutral deity. I like Tymora, Tempus, Selune, Mystra. Some more traditional choices could be Lathander, and the nature deities. A druid may be an interesting choice. |
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Caladan Brood
Senior Scribe
Norway
410 Posts |
Posted - 12 Oct 2015 : 07:31:52
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I've given each of the characters a patron deity in the background doc I sent them:
The cast:
Immeral Moonwhisper, Wood Elf Warlock, outlander - Erevan Illesere
Ménelayen Holimion, Moon Elf Fighter, soldier - Corellon Larethian
Elmund, Son of Bramryn, Shielf Dwarf Ranger, outlander - Marthammor Duin
Raven Andalyntar, Human Rogue, criminal - Waukeen
Sarynildul Mae'Duinath, Drow Elf Sorcerer, convict - Eilistraee
Baréonak of the Gray Wolf Tribe, Uthgardt Barbarian, outlander - Tempus/Chauntea/totem beast
...to get a varied spread of deities too :D
Now, these are players that I remember as enjoying some role-playing, and who knows, maybe the Drow will be shunned (or not, since it's a weekend-only game), it's not a big deal for me personally if they "skip" the racial hatred, hey it's 2015 here and the late 1400s in the Realms, maybe things have progressed a bit ^^
(*pretends to ignore Out of the Abyss*) |
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JohnLynch
Learned Scribe
Australia
243 Posts |
Posted - 20 Oct 2015 : 03:54:27
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quote:
Originally posted by Caladan Brood
Also, to make this thread a little more of a utility and not just about trying to keep one's head above the water, feel free to add some obscure little info-bite here! Something like, "Did you know that...?" [or is that for the Realms wikia only?]
Did you know that the old Cormyte House Goldfeather were rabidly anti-elven before they were "wiped out" in the 1100s for being traitors to the throne? Did you also know that in modern day Faerun House Goldfeathers are once more recognised as a Cormyrean noble house?
I bet there's a pretty good story there as to how they survived being "eradicated" and what they did to warrant their return to nobility. Nothing canon has been revealed though so you'd have to make it up.
quote:
Originally posted by Caladan Brood
Also also, how do YOU deal with the massive information bloat?
I ignore most of it.
quote:
Originally posted by Caladan Brood
I mean, if you are going to run, say, Lost Mine of Phandelver, and you really want to make it super-Realms-flavored, do you comb every Realms-related product to make sure you've got it all?
Most definitely not. As you mention, there are potentially 30 different products that could tell me all about Phandelver and I don't have the time or the patience to comb through every book looking for tiny fragments of lore not repeated anywhere else.
quote:
Originally posted by Caladan Brood
(or will you just wait for the Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide and start from scratch?)
My preferred era is 1357 DR (I've yet to actually get this game off the ground! But I will one day! There was a brief attempt that unfortunately didn't work out due to incompatible players and DM) so the Sword Coast Adventurers Guide will be of minimal benefit to me (I'll still get it though for the crunchy parts and for inspiration on new ideas I hadn't thought of).
I actually ran Lost Mines of Phandelver, but it changed the setting to my homebrew world.But if I were to run Lost Mines of Phandelver in the Forgotten Realms here is what I would do:
1. Read the adventure, make notes of any ideas or twists that jump out at me. One idea that immediately came out at me was changing the green dragon to be a spirit of a dragon that the necromancers were trying to have a seance with. This is perfect for a Cult of the Dragon (what information do they want from the Dragon? That's a good question to ask) so I'll make a note of tweaking the adventure to include them. I know almost nothing about the Cult of the Dragon, but it doesn't really matter as this is just an introduction to the cult.
2. Check out the Forgotten Realms wiki on Phandelver. In this case I know it was mentioned in a Volo's Guide, probably the one of The North.
3. Read the books cited in the Wiki article. Now I don't have Volo's Guide to the North (or Sword Coast or whatever the book is actually called), but I do have The North and the Savage Frontier in PDF format. So a quick search of the PDFs tells me that Phandalin was in ruins in the 2e era (which is the era I'm playing in). That means I'm either going to have to ignore 2e canon or change things in the adventure considerably. I'm willing to do both, depending on which one is more exciting to me. I'll search for lore on the surrounding towns (google and the PDFs I have) and doing so tells me that Thundertree is inhabited and the "town mayor" is Ansal Bloodshoulder who is a Harper. Great. Turns out I don't need to change very much after all then. I'm just changing the inhabited town from Phandalin to Thundertree. This does mean removing the dragon (working off memory here but I believe the Dragon was in Thundertree) but that's fine. The Cult of the Dragon are still in Thundertree. They're looking for information on the "legendary" dragon of Thundertree. They're now likely to hire the PC's for some information gathering.
4. Do a google search on candlekeep (specifically "Phandalin candlekeep") and then look at a few of the results. Only a handful though. And given that didn't turn up anything I'll try again with "Thundertree candlekeep" and then call it a day.
What I end up having is a region that is completely open to me to develop as I see fit. I have an "end goal" represented by what the region looks like in the 5th edition era which is great as it gives me some direction. How the region gets there though is completely up to me. I have the following plothooks for me:
* Wave Echo Cave as written in the adventure.
* Old Owl Well is somehow magical with rumors connecting it to a Netheril Outpost. It is currently controlled by a large hoarde of orcs. These orcs are potentially working with beholders, illithid and the Zhentarim. What would these three forces gain by having the orcs keep control of the water? Well the Zhentarim are likely trying to make the region extremely difficult for civilised folk and are creating dangers so that they can come in and rescue everyone at the nick of time. This also allows the Zhentarim to flee into the orc controlled region and have the orcs deal with anyone chasing the Zhentarim. The beholders and illithid are unconnected to the Zhentarim. I would say the beholders and illithid are currently fighting for control over the Zhentarim Outpost ruins (the surviving ones extend far below the surface). This now gives me a large dungeon with at least two factions that will make things difficult for the PCs. The earliest they should be facing illithid and beholders is level 7. I'll aim to get them to start exploring the region sometime around the end of level 5 so that they can have an "Oh crap!" moment when they realise the dungeon is controlled by illithids or mindflayers. This means that there will need to be a route into these ruins other than through the orc controlled lands.
* Conyberry is much more adventurer friendly what with having a couple of ex-adventurers. They could definitely be a source of information on the Netheril outpost tunnels or any other adventure sites I might think of.
* The Cult of the Dragon. They're looking for rumours of this Green Dragon and it's currently not in Thundertree, so where could it be? The Starmetal Mountains sound interesting. I'd probably have it set it's cave there. Except it's currenly trapped by aberrations (starmetal Mountains were created when a meteor hit the region. The valleys within the mountains have precious minerals, but the aberrations that were living in the meteor have also swarmed the region). The dragon is actually trapped there simply because the aberrations are there in such overwhelming numbers. If the players successfully destroy the aberrations and yet fail to kill the Green Dragon, it will be set loose upon the countryside and will be a problem that threatens Thundertree. And it will be all the fault of the PCs.
I would also potentially try to think up other rumours and adventures for the region. The PCs can potentially gain control over Wave Echo Cave. Trying to keep it secure is going to be quite difficult and so will require ongoing troubles with getting resources and such there (what with being in the middle of nowhere). The Redbrand Thieves Gang can still be operating out of Phandalin, except they're now bandits rather than thieves and once these bandits find out about the cave they're going to be looking for some powerful allies to help them (cue the Zhentarim).
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Originally posted by Caladan Brood
How do you decide where to set your story? A place you just really like, or want to explore in play?
I've been working on Arabel and off for 2 years now. I chose it because it's a region I have a fair bit of lore on (Grand History of the Realms and Volo's Guide to Cormyr) and is fairly conducive to adventuring.
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Originally posted by Caladan Brood
Do you feel constrained by all the canon lore, or do you not care if you "break canon"?
I try to stick to canon but give players the ability to break canon through gameplay. Their actions will affect the future history of the Realms and potentially stop the Time of Troubles from being quite so troubling and also potentially stop the Spellplague from occurring. I also change the canon facts to make it fit my vision of the Realms and make it feel more Realmsian.
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Originally posted by Caladan Brood
you really want to make [the adventure you're running] super-Realms-flavored, do you comb every Realms-related product to make sure you've got it all?
No. Reciting facts do not make something Realmsian. Someone could run a campaign where every single event in the Grand History of the Realms occurs as outlined in the history and yet not feel a single bit Realmsian. Because Realmsian is more than just mere facts, it's how the campaign world feels and the type of stories that are told.
Of course the key question is, what makes an adventure or campaign feel Realmsian? Is it adventures where the powers that be fight each other with big world shattering events and epic fights that involve larger than earth identities including the gods? Or is it a campaign filled with intrigue and layers upon layers of plots with no single person truly being responsible for any single event and for lots of people's own ideas and goals colliding with each other to produce unexpected results that is perhaps seen by a powerful figure or two who use these events to try to achieve their own goals that are ultimately very personal?
My idea of the Realms is more the latter. But you could definitely be justified in saying it was the former, or saying it was something else entirely.
So no, I don't consider what I do to be breaking canon. I do tweak it (anything attributed to the gods is actually done by their priests in My Realms, otherwise events occur as written about in the books). I'm willing to break canon, but I've yet to find lore that hindered adventures rather than inspire them so I've yet to have a reason to break canon. I am definitely willing to nudge my players into acting in such a way that breaks canon. For example the green dragon above. We know Thundertree is eventually destroyed and inhabited by a green dragon. We know it doesn't happen in 1357 DR, and yet it could in my Realms if the players act in such a way as to cause it to happen. Because in my game the players are the wild card and have full agency over their own actions.
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Originally posted by Caladan Brood
So much Realmslore, so little time...frustrating yet fun...
My suggestion: Start somewhere where there is only one or two sourcebooks on it (Phandalin appears to be the perfect spot to start). Then slowly grow outward from there. I'd also heartily recommend Ed Greenwood Presents Elminster's Forgotten Realms. Treat that as your bible and ignore everything else to start with and you can't go wrong (in my opinion). Add books to your head-lore one at a time and only so much as you enjoy it and it supports the previous books you've read. I also keep all my ideas in a wiki. That way if I don't plan to use it now, it will be there for when I do get around to using it.
Oh, and I do not follow the lore of video games or novels. I haven't read/played most of them and while I won't deliberately contradict them, nor am I going to read them JUST so I can say I've kept to canon. That's not much fun for me. |
DM of the Realms: A blog for my Forgotten Realms adventures. |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11858 Posts |
Posted - 21 Oct 2015 : 13:58:55
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| It can't be said enough that everyone's realms is different. My Thay is not like the 3rd or 3.5 edition Thay. Its close and keeps a lot of the common lore. I lumped in all of the prestige classes and alternate classes (such as the warmage, beguiler, dread necromancer, eldritch knight, spellsword, arcane trickster, mystic theurge, etc....) and thus while there is a heavy amount of wizards in Thay, only those attempting to expand themselves into the ruling class become red wizards. All other wizards are known as "bloodcowls" and allowed to wear another shade of red (a deeper bloodier red versus the fiery red of the red wizards). Many of these "other" arcane casters lack the intelligence (literal) of their red wizard counterparts, but they do have the charisma.... so it gives the noble families the ability to take their less studious children and turn them into an alternate form of arcane spellcaster. How does this change things? Well, these different groups form their own schools, and those schools make alliances with the more established schools of magic (so the dread necromancers have an alliance with the school of necromancy, but the beguilers work with both the illusion and enchantment schools.... who sometimes may be at odds, and the warmages favor the school of evocation but also have an alliance with the college of war magics...... which is a school for combining magic and physical combat). These subschools are also more likely than the established schools to make an alliance with a specific religion (so for instance, the dread necromancers have an alliance with the Velsharoon Church... but due to Szass Tam's personal enmity of Velsharoon, the actual school of necromancy is less vocal of their praise of this exiled red wizard turned god). Then I throw in that many red wizards utilize simulacrums to fill in their circles and setup a guild for hiring apprentice wizards to fill out one's circle, as well as actual trades in use of apprentices for circle duty to upcoming red wizards by those who can actually tattoo apprentices. Then through in the various Tharchion's having their own personal "Tharchion Guards" being elite groups of specialized mercenaries loyal to certain Tharchions (such as the Griffin Legion, of which I present two of such... one with all red wizards and one with warriors and alternate casters). Minor changes, but the impact really flushes out a country when you start making these slight modifications. |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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The overwhelming overwhelmity of Faerûn
